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Your Resume Can Survive a Lost Job!

There’s a reason that businesses hire employees for a “probation period.” It usually takes a few months for new workers to learn the ropes and start adding value. Employers use this time to determine whether you’re worth the long-term investment.

If the manager likes your performance after the first 90 days or so, consider yourself gainfully employed. If your performance wasn’t up to par, you know what happens next: you’ll lose the job. But let’s turn the tables for a moment.

Getting fired is not always a bad thing.

Losing a job can lead to new opportunities. It can shake up a stagnant career. It can even remind you that you aren’t following your dreams, and provide motivation to get back on track.

If you were dismissed due to poor performance, you probably stayed too long.

During the probationary period, you surely noticed that something wasn’t right. The hours, the paycheck, the culture. Or the job responsibilities didn’t match your expectations.

Here’s the thing. Sometimes you need to quit your job in order to save your career.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard job seekers say they stayed in bad jobs to protect their résumés! Employers don’t like “job hopping,” they told me, so they sacrificed job satisfaction for what they hoped was a better-looking work history. They didn’t realize that short-term positions aren’t the end of the world, and there are ways to navigate this issue in résumés that actually strengthen your candidacy.

Here’s something else. If you find yourself feeling more concerned about your résumé than your happiness, your priorities are out of order.

Of course, every situation is different, so weigh the pros and cons carefully. And if you choose to quit, do it with professionalism. Think of it like this: job interviews open new doors, and exit interviews make sure the old doors don’t close too tightly. If done right, your leave-taking will sustain relationships, foster respect, and support your career progression.

Now, let’s fix that choppy resume.

Remember that your résumé is designed to land interviews. So it’s important to create a powerful brand and streamline the document. Include only the most impressive and pertinent details about your career. Cut everything else out. This may mean combining several short-term roles, removing irrelevant jobs, or showcasing the transferrable skills from fast-turnaround positions.

Let’s say your background includes 10 years in non-profit administration but recently you tried a short stint in sales that didn’t work out. Before moving forward in your job hunt, determine if the sales role strengthens or weakens your resume presentation.

Are you targeting sales opportunities? Switching to the corporate sector? Keep it in! But if you wish to return to your former career, make your non-profit expertise jump off the page instead.

Life doesn’t always unfold as we expect. If you need to leave a job to protect your health, happiness, or well-being, by all means. Leave. You can revise your resume once you’re out the door.

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Why a Personal Brand Isn’t Just a “Nice-to-have”

Don’t have a brand? Think again!

Everyone has a brand. The only real question is what they are doing to cultivate it? Just because you do not have your logo or have your own company, doesn’t mean you do not have a personal brand.

However, what is a personal brand and why should you care about it?

Some define a personal brand as the set of characteristics and values that immediately come to mind when people see or hear about you. However, if you stop there, what you have described is more a reputation and not a brand. An effective personal branding does not just describe your characteristics and values. It ALSO defines the promises you make to employers and the value you bring to their organization.

The reality of employment today is that recruiters and hiring managers are turning to the internet to look for and find out information on the people they might employ.

According to data reported by CareerEnlightment.com, even five years ago, 94% of recruiters and some hiring managers were turning to social media as a new source for qualified candidates.

Let’s face it, the queues of people lined up to get in the traditional doors of opportunity are worse than the lines at Ben & Jerry’s on Free Cone Day! Your chances of being a successful applicant through these methods are slim.

Furthermore, for hiring managers, they are labor intensive as for each job posting they put out they contend with hundreds of résumés.

Job seekers and hiring managers would far rather “bump into” each other on the internet via their networks than sifting through hundreds of people they do not know.

 

 

But, I’m not even on Social Media!

Even if you have made a personal decision to stay off social media and don’t post information on the internet, monitoring and maintaining your online presence is essential.

Your brand lives both online and offline. Just because you don’t interact with social media does not mean you do not have a brand. Social media is only one source for people to find and discover more about your brand, but it also exists in the employment reviews and personal experiences of those who know you and work with you.

For those who chose to engage in the online world, digital networking is playing an ever-increasing role in identifying and creating new opportunities. Those who think their CV, a newspaper and maybe a few company job posts via gumtree, career boards or company websites are the best or only tools available for career management are selling themselves short.

Branding…The bare minimum

The most effective personal brands will align with who you are AND be relevant to your target organization. The trick comes in figuring out how to break it down and concisely explained it across multiple media sources including social media, personal conversations, and your CV.

Since you already have a brand, you don’t need to create one. What you can do is manage your personal brand so that what people see about you is what you WANT them to see.

  • Start by identifying your values. What are the things you stand for, no matter what. What are your pet peeves? The things that irritate you if they aren’t done right? These questions might help you point to what you find important in life and work.
  • Next, identify your strengths. What do you do better than others?
  • Take the time to research the perspectives of others. Ask friends, family members, and employers for feedback on your character, personality, and performance. In fact, Performance Reports can be a valuable source of external information that will help you to identify where you excel and where you don’t
  • Finally, research the needs of your ideal employer or client. Take the time to consider the challenges that they are facing and how your brand would offer them value.

Final Thoughts

Monitor your Online Reputation by frequently Googling Your name

Don’t think that because you haven’t posted anything that there isn’t information about you available on the internet. So, what do you do if something unsavory comes up in your search?

The simple answer is to bury it.

While it is challenging to remove something once it is online, frequent posts about brand-oriented content will help to keep quality information on your brand high in the search engines and minimize anything that might not be so complimentary.

Invest in Building a Quality, Concise Brand

There are several great resources available both online and off. One of the best investments you can make is in your career. The small price you’ll pay compared to your annual salary will pay itself off multiple times over. Consider working with a qualified career coach or certified résumé writer who can help you to identify and articulate your personal brand on paper and via social sites.

Many people feel like they can do this by themselves, but the intensely personal nature of the work can make it difficult to be objective. If you do decide to DIY your career, then at a minimum get the advice and feedback of friends, family, and coworkers who may have unique insights and perspectives on your value that you might not have considered.

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Does this Resume Make My Butt Look Old? (Or How to Age-Proof Your Resume in 3 Easy Steps)

You’re considering a new opportunity—good for you! So, you pull out the old resume and think, “I just need to add my last job, and it’s ready to go, right?”

…Um…not so much…It probably needs a lot more work…first, you’ll need to age-proof that resume!

“Come on…” you may be thinking, “They can’t see my wrinkles on a resume!” Well, they sort of can…

Here are three items you’ll need to review, to ensure they don’t imagine the scent of Bengay wafting from your resume pages.

1) Dusty Dates

Let’s start with the major dead-give-away: Dates! If you write that you graduated from Columbia University in 1977, the person reading your resume might think you graduated with Alexander Hamilton (Columbia’s class of 1777.) Yes, I know you’re proud of that fine institution, and you can (and should) keep your degree on your resume—including your major (only if relevant) and “Magna Cum Laude” (if earned.) Just delete that darned date!

The same can be said for other dates on your resume. Let’s say you’re pleased to have worked at IBM back in the 90’s. But probably anything you did for the prestigious Big Blue involves an obsolete technology, process or practice. Instead, consider lumping all of your jobs prior to 2000 under the heading of “Related Prior Experience.”

2) Fossilized Formatting 

Remove the following from your header right now: street address, home phone and any email address that ends with aol.com or Hotmail.com. While you’re at it, scratch the section called “Objective” and the disclaimer at the bottom that reads, “References Available Upon Request.” Now, here’s what you need, instead:

Contact Information

The Header of your resume should list Your Name (Large, Loud and Proud,) your cell phone, your email address (which should be yourname@gmail.com; not CoolGranny1960@sbcglobal.net.)

Professional Summary

On a modern resume, this section replaces what used to be the Objective. As with any executive summary, you will write this last, and will not use “Professional Summary” as the section title—that’s like titling your top section, “Header.” Instead, use your targeted job title such as “Registered Nurse,” “Information Technology Leader” or “Operations Manager.”

Reference

These are a waste of valuable space on a resume. Save this separate document for the interview.

3) Old-School Skills and Technology

Remove any references to technologies that will show you worked in the dark ages. These might include the words “typing” (now “keyboard skills”) or Lotus 123 (Yes—I miss it too—but you now have mad Excel skills, don’t you?) Don’t mention your COBOL knowledge, either. As with everything on your resume, if it’s not currently relevant, it should not be there.

Following this check-list can help you present yourself as a ‘Thoroughly Modern Madison’! And although a great resume cannot get you the job, it can help you garner that first phone call—and hopefully, a face-to-face interview. And, yes, there are ways to age-proof that interview meeting as well, but first things first.

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Common Networking Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Networking is rightfully touted as the magic bullet in a job search. Overwhelmingly, when my clients land positions they covet, they first learned of a role through someone they know – often a weak tie rather than someone from a long-term relationship – instead of an online job listing.

Those of us who are introverts (and often extroverts, too) tend to be hesitant about reaching out to people we know and we’re often paralyzed at the idea of expanding our networks to include people we want to connect with but don’t want to impose upon. The good news is there are some useful techniques available to you that are best explained as what to avoid, including:

Steer around trite phrases such as “I’d like to pick your brain.”

Simply ask for help and let your contacts know that you’re in a job search while making it clear that you’re simply asking for their advice.

Don’t ask “what can I do for you in exchange for your help?”

You’re building a relationship, if you introduce the idea that you want a transactional connection with them – one where each of you is mentally keeping a spreadsheet about who has given more – that degrades the genuine connection you’re developing. Definitely, seek ways to support them and offer them intel, access to your connections, and the benefit of your experience and knowledge, but do it organically without the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” mentality.

Don’t confine your engagement to just one meeting.

Here’s where you DO need a spreadsheet so that you can track the dates and substance of your conversations with specific people. If you’re serious about launching a job search, you’ll begin to lose track of who you talked to when and what you discussed, so take notes. Also, mark your calendar to loop back to people with updates and individualized emails so that you stay on their radar. Remember that brevity goes a long way in these follow-up touch points.

Avoid pinning your hopes on one or two people and/or companies.

Desperation is a natural emotion in a job search. Much is at stake, and, of course, it matters that you land a job quickly. When panic bleeds into these conversations, people instinctively back away out of fear that they won’t be able to deliver what you need. To keep those emotions at bay, it’s important to have many avenues and opportunities so that one doesn’t topple under the weight of expectations that are too strong. Job opportunities fall away for many reasons that have nothing to do with your fit and qualifications, so guard against that agony by pursuing multiple opportunities and connections at the same time.

Trust your gut as you navigate networking conversations, and remember that people want to be helpful. If you structure your conversations in ways that make it easy for people to offer their advice and support, you’ll soon be welcoming offers for positions that you’re targeting.

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How to Work Effectively With Recruiters

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T / find out what it means to me” is a line made famous by Aretha Franklin, and one that recruiters have adopted as their mantra. This is probably because there is a love-hate relationship between candidates and recruiters. Specifically, candidates love what recruiters can do for them, but at the same time, aren’t fond of the fact that they need their services.

One can hardly blame candidates, since over the years recruiters have been branded as uncaring, money-hungry vultures who have their eyes set only on the bottom line. Whether there is a grain of truth to that belief or not, I can’t say for sure. However, what I do know is that recruiters have been, and will continue to be, a viable resource for candidates. For this reason, recruiters shouldn’t be dismissed, but instead appreciated for the role they play in the career services industry.

Many recruiters suggest that job seekers don’t fully understand what a recruiter’s function is in the job search process, and that this is where the lack of respect originates. In an effort to educate job seekers, below are some pointers that recruiters want every job seeker to know.

 

Respect what recruiters do. Although recruiters don’t work for you, the good ones will work with you. With a hiring company in mind, a recruiter will make recommendations on how you should change your resume, the way you interview and/or the way you dress. If this is the case, heed his or her advice. Recruiters have insider information on the specifications the hiring organization is searching for, and the clues they provide are based on that knowledge.

Respect what recruiters can’t do for you. The recruiter’s allegiance is to the hiring organization. Therefore, he or she is going to spend his/her time and resources on scouting a candidate that fits the hiring organization’s specifications, not on finding you a job. That’s why it is important to realize that recruiters are just one source of getting interviews. Your job search plan should include other methods of gaining employment such as networking, answering want ads and responding to Internet postings.

Respect the interview with a recruiter. Save your war stories for your local bartender. When you contact recruiters, be discriminating about the type of information you provide. A meeting with a recruiter is an interview. Don’t allow the informality of the conversation to convince you otherwise. During a meeting with a recruiter you will be judged on your performance; therefore, be professional at all times.

Respect a recruiter’s time. When a recruiter has recommended you for a position, that means he or she has invested time in your career; therefore, respect their time, return their phone calls, and provide them feedback on the company after any interview. Recruiters are especially interested in knowing your interest level, your thoughts about the interviewer, the rundown of the interview process, and the next step agreed to by you and the company.

Respect a recruiter’s reputation. Recruiters aren’t just out to fill a job order. Their credibility is dependent on the caliber of candidates they send on interviews. As a result, recruiters look for candidates who know what they want, present themselves professionally, and are out to win job offers.

 

When working with a recruiter, a partnership is formed; and in order for the relationship to be successful, there must be a mutual respect between the two of you. Recruiters want to work with candidates who want to work with them, not candidates who are having difficulty finding a job and want to be rescued. If you can effectively convey to a recruiter that you have a sincere interest in working with him or her, you’ll find yourself in turn treated with respect.

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How to climb the ladder you have created for your career

How do you advocate for your career in today’s workforce?

Simple. Own your success instead of having it predetermined for you.

Katrina Brittingham, Chief Resume Writer & Career Coach at VentureReady LLC provides some tips on how to climb the ladder you have created for your career.

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The Value of the Written Word

Thank You Letters

As kids we were taught to write thank you notes whenever someone did something nice for us. Today, thank you notes seem to be a thing of the past. In a job search they can separate you from the rest.

Your resume distinguished you from your competition. Now you need to narrow the playing field even more by writing a thank you note for the interview. Send a slightly different one to everyone you interviewed with. It does not have to be long.

Tell the recipient how much you enjoyed meeting him or her. Comment on something you learned at the interview and end it by telling them that you would really like to be on their team. This can, also, be an opportunity to clarify something from the interview or a chance to mention your strengths again.

Mail it within 24 hours after the interview. If the company has corresponded with you primarily via email then send a quick note via email when you get home from the interview. Also, send a longer version via snail mail.

 

Letters of Resignation

Always submit a letter of resignation.

Deliver it the same day that you verbally inform your boss that you will be leaving. It will document the fact that you are leaving and verify that you did, in fact, notify your employer well ahead of time. Date the letter of resignation and give the exact date of your last day at work there. Say nice things about the company and thank them for the opportunities you received there. This is not the time to vent anger and hostility. You may need them as a reference in the future. Send it directly to your boss but also send a copy to your personnel department.

 

Networking Letters

They say that at least 60% of all U.S. job openings are not advertised. They are filled through personal contacts. If you substitute the word TALKING for NETWORKING you might feel better about the prospect of doing it. Those job are what is called the hidden job market.

The purpose of a networking letter is not to ask friends and colleagues for a job but to ask for their help in finding a job for you through their connections. Just about everyone is eligible to receive a networking letter from you. Make the letter as brief as possible. Don’t waste the reader’s time. Get right to the point. Don’t leave the reader guessing.

If the letter is going to someone you do not know well then by all means refresh their memory. If you met them at a conference or a lecture or some association function remind them where you met.

If you know the recipient well, then get right to the point. Tell them that you are about to be downsized and what position you are looking for.

Tell the reader some of your strengths such as increasing revenues, expanding production, building new facilities, whatever they are. Come right out and ask them for leads. That is what you are really interested in. Send them your resume if you think it will help.

End the letter by thanking them for their assistance. And offer to help them with a future job search.

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Set SMART Goals

In this video Chief Resume Writer and Career Readiness Coach, Katrina Brittingham provides you with the tools for setting SMART goals for your job search and continued professional development.

Set SMART Goals

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