So what…

So whatWhat is the right response to people when they tell you about a problem they are having or may have in the future?  There is an argument that “so what” may be the best response.  Not the demeaning “So What?!” that we have heard throughout our lives but the caring “so what” that spurs people on to make decisions and not wallow in their situation.  We need to learn to do the same thing to ourselves.

Yes, there is a season for everything but guess what… seasons change.  We need to lovingly ask others and ourselves “so what” when negative self-defeating thoughts enter our minds.   TED Radio Hour’s Headspace talks about this.  There is another Podcast that is a shining example of how expectations shape us: How to Become Batman.  It seems that blind people can’t “see” because of everyone’s expectations of them, not because their eyes don’t work.  You see, when people told Daniel Kish and his mother that he was blind they said… so what.

I tell you this because you might be down in the dumps right now.  You just spent 30 minutes working on your resume to submit it for a job posting and no one may ever see it.  So what.  You need to make things happen.  You need a kinetic job search, not a passive one.  I will talk about that more tomorrow.

Al

Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.
Mark Victor Hansen

Break out of the Tick Tock of your job search

looking for a jobYou keep doing the same think in your job search and yet you are surprised when you get the same results.  This is because we are stuck in the Tick Tock of the job search.  We do what we find comfortable, not what gets results.  Joseph De Sena in his book and podcast Spartan Up! talks about how doing what makes us uncomfortable makes us stronger.

Spartan does this through people pushing their physical and mental limits but we can use this in our job search.  I have been guilty of this in the past also.  It is easiest to sit at home and look the job boards then submit your stale-old resume to jobs again and again only to get the same results.

We also do this in the interview process.  I see it all the time.  People do not follow instructions.  They choose the easy route.  I ask them to schedule a day and time to talk to me through Acuity Scheduling (awesome tool) and they choose the easy way of just emailing back saying “I am available anytime.”  You need to do the things that will make you stand out the right way.

Very few people do what I see as the minimum in their job search and only the top 1% go the extra mile.  Be the 1%.

Al

You can either go to bed satisfied with your efforts today or stressed with what you left for tomorrow. You can either work hard to take on the hill or never know what it is that people see at the top.
Joe De Sena

Why you should ALWAYS follow up.

follow-upI had a great example yesterday of why you should ALWAYS follow-up.  I recently started recruiting for an inside sales position.  I had an employee tell me “I have a great person for that position.  I will have them get in touch with you.”  GREAT!  But that just so happened to be on the same day I was working a half day and I had nine new people starting.  The results?  My inbox blew-up and the great candidate’s email got buried.

This is usually no big deal.  I get out the shovel and work through the emails but when I came in early the next morning to catch up on emails I realized I had two projects due to colleagues and few fires to put out.  So rather than digging in, I started piling on.

Late in the day that great candidate emailed me to confirm that I had received their resume.  I immediately stopped what I was doing and set up a phone interview with them after searching my inbox for their resume.  Would I have gotten to their email?  Probably.  Could it have been a week later, yes.

But be sure to follow-up with humility and assume that the person you are reaching out to has the best of intentions, they usually do.  Think if the roles were reversed.  Which email would you rather get?:

Thank you again for applying for our inside sales position.  I am following up to make sure your received my email yesterday with some more information and an invitation to set up a day and time to talk about our opportunity.

or

I emailed you yesterday to set up a phone interview.  Are you not interested?

Yes, I do receive terse emails similar to the second one WAY too often.  No bueno for them.

Al

Success comes from taking the initiative and following up… persisting… eloquently expressing the depth of your love. What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?
Tony Robbins

Should you include that you are an ordained minister on your resume?

The short answer is “It depends.”  As always, think recency and relevancy.  If it is neither then definitely leave it off.  If you recently became an ordained minister and it fills a resume gap then you might want to use it.  If the job that you are applying for is unrelated and there are no gaps leave it off.

Why?  Companies want to hire someone who WANTS to work for them not just someone who is WILLING to work for them.  If your work history is all over the place or has been in a different direction recently then you need to be able to explain it, IF you get a call from the recruiter.  But you want to eliminate any hesitations someone may have in calling you.

It happened and now it’s done. You live with it or it eats you up.
Carol

Professional communications, are times changing?

smileyLee Desser recently wrote a blog post:  Are Happy Faces in Professional Communication So Bad?  Lee brings up a good point… know your audience.

Places a 🙂 would be no bueno

Cover Letter: You want to be professional.  It is much better to be a little too formal with someone than too informal.  I find it better if someone says “you can call me Al” (yes, I have heard that song) vs. “I would prefer it if you would call me Mr. Pollard.”  It is always easier to become more casual.

Resume: You are stating facts, not getting cute.  Be sure you are putting your best foot forward.  You never know who is looking at your resume.  Better safe than sorry.

Introduction Correspondence: If you are reaching out to someone for the first time, start off more formal.  Don’t assume a connection between you two that is not there yet.

Places a 🙂 may be OK or even help

Only someone with whom you have a relationship.  But keep in mind, that relationship must be felt by the person on the receiving end.  It can especially be helpful in continuing a more casual conversational tone.

Let’s say that during your on-site interviews a manager that you seemed to hit it off with jokes that he takes the closest parking spot because he is first in the office.  When you write the thank you email to that manager you could say something like “I hope to have the chance to work with you.  Don’t worry, I’ll still let you have the closest spot if I get there first :)”

But use a 🙂 incorrectly and it can be no bueno for you.  Personally I would avoid them unless you are 100% sure it will work.  It is like sarcasm… when it works, it really works.  But when it doesn’t, it pisses everyone off 🙂

Al

Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Peter Drucker

References, why they matter

referencesYes, it is true.  You can now leave “References available upon request” off of your resume.  But you might still need references in case an employer requests them.  Many people in HR don’t call references anymore because you usually get name, date and serial number but there still are some and some hiring managers who like them.

I mention this now because I do not think people are taking much care in preparing their references these days.  When it was more common nothing was usually gained by calling a reference.  But recently I have had some friends in the recruiting field get some interesting feedback from references that their candidate’s provided.  My first thought was “what idiot sends a company the name and number of someone without vetting them first?”

So here is the process I would follow….

Identify people who you think would be a good professional reference for you.  Ideally they have managed you, been managed by you or they were your customer.  Personal references are OK but we want the goods on your work history, not how you acted in Church or at family reunions.

Contact your potential references.  Shoot them an email then follow-up with a phone call.  This is a great time to renew those old networking contacts.  Start with something like “I am pursuing other employment opportunities and would like to know if you would be comfortable being a professional reference for me?”  Then when you follow up by phone you could ask them “what would you say is my biggest weakness?”  You want to know before a company hears it.  You might even decide to not put them on your list.

Contact them again when you actually send their information to a company as a reference.  It is usually helpful if they know what position you are applying for so they can tailor their responses accordingly.

Lastly, keep them informed about your job search, especially when it ends.  Even if you don’t need or use them be sure to thank them for being willing.  Also, stay in touch with these people, odds are you will need them again.

Al

True friends say good things behind your back and bad things to your face.
Unknown

Why you no write so good? Resume spelling errors

spellcheckMany companies and people believe spelling counts in the interview process:

If you make a spelling error on your resume, cover letter or emails you are NOT:
  1. Detail oriented
  2. Very interested in the position.
  3. All of the above

The answer in most companies is #3, all of the above.  While I do not agree with this much of the time consider a Wikipedia entry on the question.  If enough people believe it to be true then it is true.  The ultimate truth does not matter, perception rules.  So if most employers kick you out of contention or at the very least ding you for having a spelling error then you need to do your best to avoid such an error.

This  is a very important truth (perception) to keep in mind.  Let’s say you are applying for a recruiter position.  You have is all: the skills they want, the right education and you have a rock solid work history.  Unfortunately this is one of the bullet points on you resume:

  • Asses talent based on KSAs and work history to determine job fit.

Notice that the first word is the plural of ass and NOT the correct word, assess?  Most companies do.  I know what you are thinking… so what?  This is just one error.  Who doesn’t make mistakes?  I agree but let’s test this with the dating analogy…  How about if you are on a first date and your date is rude and demeaning to the waitstaff?  Do you REALLY think they are a nice person just because they are nice to you?  Nope.  But the truth may be that your date had a very frustrating day and they are not being themselves today.  No matter, there will probably not be a second date.

So be sure to take your time.  Double and triple check your work.  Have others  critique it.  You only get one chance to make a first impression.  Most people make mistakes because they are in a hurry.  Don’t rush, the stakes are too high.

Al

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.
John C. Maxwell

Applicant Tracking Systems – what not to do when you apply online

Apply-OnlineWe all do it… we see what looks like a really cool job and we think “why not apply?”  Then the pain begins…  You start the online application process.  Here are a few don’ts to pay attention to in the process.

Don’t skip steps: Most ATSs ask (require) you to create a profile.  The guise is you can be notified of future openings.  The real reason is so they can screen you out or in for this and possibly future openings.  I am not saying this is a bad thing, just that you need to pay attention from the beginning because one slip-up and the recruiter never sees your information.

Don’t rush through it:  Yes, I realize that it takes upwards of an hour to fill out just one online application.  But remember, the ATS is created for the employer, not for you.  Be sure you fill out all the areas.  Pay close attention to spelling and grammar.  Some people still think that a spelling error is a sign of a bad candidate/employee.

Don’t apply angry:  While you are completing an online application you will probably utter these words: “why do I need to type this in again?  I just uploaded my resume that includes that!”  Again, remember, the ATS is created for the employer, not for you.   That is why most ATSs want a separate field for each job (they can measure your tenure at each position), education, skills, etc…  It makes it easier for the Big Data people to turn your information in to 1s and 0s to be analyzed.  I do find it funny that the word “anal” is in analyzed 🙂

Don’t forget to save often:  If you are able to periodically save your work then do so.  If you think you are frustrated filling out an online application just wait till you get a power flash or you get a 404 error.  Then you get the pleasure of starting all over again.  Another trick is to type the information in Word and then paste it into the ATS.

Don’t trust spellcheck:  At the very least read everything you write out loud.  It is also a good idea to have someone else spellcheck it.

Don’t just apply and pray:  You want to network and try to get in front of the hiring manager or HR person at that company.  The only thing better than having your information show up in a company’s ATS search is to have the hiring manager or recruiter go looking for your information by name.  Most companies LOVE employee referrals, so try to connect to their employees directly or through social media.

It is true that only about 20% of people find their jobs through applying online.  But if you are part of that 20% do you really care?  Just allocate your job search time effectively.  Only spend about 20% of your time on job boards.

Al

The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.
Charles R. Swindoll

Employment testing

testingI listened to another great Freakanomics podcast this morning.  It was The Maddest Men of All.  In this podcast Michael Housman, chief analytics officer for Cornerstone OnDemand, talks about employment testing.  It seems that about 2/3rds of employers use some type of assessment in the hiring process.

First I want to come right out and say that I do not believe in testing.  Sure, some tests may be valid in assessing current skill levels (typing, programs, etc…) but they do not predict potential.  GPA’s sure don’t.  Thank goodness for some of us, me included.

But if you are in a job search, you need to be aware that often times what you think they are testing is not the thing they are testing.  Housman talks about how they have measured honesty in the past.  Just asking people if they are honest does not seem to work well, shock!  But Housman goes on to say that asking an applicant to rank their skill level and then later in the process test their skill level to compare the two worked very well to check for honesty.  Or at the very least it tests self-awareness, in my opinion.

So if you are confronted with a pre-employment survey, answer as honestly as possible.  Just remember, you don’t have to be little-kid honest.

Al

Testing is overrated.
Jeff Rich

Speak Greek? Fraternities and Sororities on your resume

Greek LifeIn the spirit of full disclosure I was in a fraternity in college.   I cannot imagine my college years without being in the fraternity and I am not sure who I would be today without it.  But I also realize that a lot of negatives come out of fraternities so I realize that membership has its issues.  One of those come into play in your job search.  Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to put your Greek associations on your resume:

Did you hold an office?  If you were one of the leaders in your organization then it may benefit you to list it on your resume.  If you were just a dues paying member, maybe not.

Do you have other examples of leadership?  Resumes are all about relevancy and recency.  If you can show the same KSAs in other ways you may want to leave it off.

Has it been a few years?  I you are like me and you have lived more years after college than you did before college then all of your college organizations loose relevancy and they are not very recent, you probably want to leave it off.

Research who you will be interviewing with.  If they were in a Greek organization, especially if it was yours, list it.  It may not be right but there is a certain bond that lingers long after graduation, use it to your advantage.

Just remember that Fraternities and Sororities have gotten a bad reputation.  But so have bankers and I don’t see people leaving that off their resume.

Al

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.
Benjamin Franklin