Tag Archives: career search

Tailor Your Résumé: It’s Not a Swiss Army Knife

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Recently a jobseeker in my Résumé Writing workshop surprised me with an explosion of frustration. It bordered on anger. He certainly was incensed. I was talking about the importance of writing a tailored-made résumé for each job. He said, “You mean we have to write a separate résumé for every job? You can’t be serious.”

This was a moment for pause—pause is good when you want to make a point. “Why yes,” I said to him. “Because here’s the thing. Employer A has different needs than employer B, and employer C, and D, and E, and so on.” Your résumé needs to talk to the needs of each and every employer or it’s really doing you no good.

Whatever you to call it: “Cookie Cutter,” “Résumé in a Box,” “One-Fits-All,” this lack of concerted effort demonstrates to the employer that she’s not special. You fail to highlight the outstanding accomplishments related to the job she’s offering. Sure, you list some outstanding accomplishments, but you’re making her hunt for them, making her work.

Martin Yate says it nicely in his blog . “Have you ever looked at a Swiss army knife? It’s got knife blades, bottle openers, screwdrivers…it does practically everything. But companies aren’t hiring human Swiss army knives. They are hiring human lasers, with exceptional skills focused in a specific area.”

Some jobseekers believe that employers want to see everything they’ve done in their many years of work, when in fact employers are more interesting in knowing that you can meet their specific needs, address their specific problems.

The only way to offer them a human laser rather than a Swiss Army knife is by understanding the nature of the job and the nuances of the company. This will require thinking like the employer, who when writing the job ad has some very important requirements in mind for the next candidate she hires.” This will require you to carefully dissect the ad and decipher the accomplishments.

Make the effort. Yate states that your résumé is your most important financial document. It determines the rest of your life.

Think Before You Write!

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How would you, as a recruiter or employer, react to a Professional Profile on a résumé that states: I’m a young man who has been out of work for 10 months, has little skills to offer, but really needs a job? After getting over the initial shock and wondering if this is a joke or a cry for help, I imagine you’d quickly dismiss the résumé.

I recently read part of a LinkedIn profile that displayed a blog entry which was not as obviously inappropriate; but it prompted me to immediately leave the user’s profile. The author of the blog entry spoke of being unable to get out of bed because of her despondency over being out of work. While this may have been true—and I am sensitive to the plight of the unemployed—LinkedIn is not the platform to express feelings such as these.

I’ve similarly read answers on LinkedIn’s Answers feature that left me wondering why the authors were so free with their opinions. Like the blog entry I’ve described, I’ve been dismayed by the audacity of some of the answers, and questions, I’ve read. It’s a known fact that employers who are seeking additional information on jobseekers will venture into a person’s answers. Some of the answers I’ve read would certainly turn me away as an employer.

Jobseekers aren’t the only ones who express negative sentiments on LinkedIn. Business owners and the gainfully employed are also guilty of spewing trashy statements that immediately cast them in a negative light. This group of LinkedIn users shares its negativity with impunity. Although their ill thought-out comments may not affect them now, the comments may come back to bite the employed in the arse.

Why do people expose their “inner soul” on LinkedIn? Perhaps it’s out of anger or depression or hopelessness. Maybe they don’t understand we’re all judged on everything we write—as I am being judged now. They may be self-absorbed and want for an audience that will listen to their complaints or unhappiness.

I believe that everyone deserves to be listened to, regardless of the nature of their message, but only in the proper forum. Most LinkedIn users feel that this highly regarded networking application is professional and self-policed by people who want to keep it this way.

I asked a question on the Answers feature regarding LinkedIn maintaining its professionalism, to which Traci Thompson, NRWA answered: “I rarely stumble across unprofessional content or users on LinkedIn. Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the system functionality and its ability to bring job seekers and employers together.”

Would you submit a résumé or cover letter that is full of self-pitying verbiage or dripping with anger? You wouldn’t think of it. Your online written statements are worthy of consideration, as well. 

Think before you write is my advice. Every part of your LinkedIn profile will be scrutinized from your Snapshot, Summary, History, Blog entries, and even the recommendations written for you. Jobseekers and the gainfully employed, be aware of what you write. You’re being judged.

Let’s Walk: Having a Routine is Important to Your Job Search

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It was raining the other morning at 6:00 AM, so I did what felt natural—I went back to bed. That was a mistake I discovered later in the day. I was sluggish and not on top of my game. My workshops were uninspiring, and I noticed a monotone in my voice. All day I was looking forward to my walk the following morning, regardless of rain or snow in the forecast.

My walking routine offers me the alone-time to think about the day ahead, planning exercises for a workshop, thinking about the workshop I’m designing; or simply time to take in the beauty that surrounds me as I ascend and descend hilly roads.

Why am I writing about walking? It’s not only walking I’m talking about; it’s any kind of exercise we should engage in when we’re employed or unemployed, but especially unemployed.

There are many self-help articles on how to stay motivated the job search. One article I ran across in my Internet surfing offers suggestions on how you can do to stay motivated if you’re out of work. I saw this article on the New England Job Show. The author, Randall Davidson, gives 10 ways to stay motivated, but number eight is the one I allude to:

Establish a routine. One thing a job offers you is structure. In the absence of a job, it can be difficult to find structure and that can contribute to depression. To avoid this, deliberately establish a daily routine. Take a class at the gym, drop your kids off at school, etc. Make sure that you schedule something for yourself that takes place early in the morning, as that’ll help you get up and going.

Walking, for me, gives me a routine that I’ve followed for over two decades. Yes, I’ve been unemployed, and yes I followed some of his other advice, such as dropping the kids off at school or taking them grocery shopping with me. Having a routine didn’t make being out of work a happy occasion, but it made this difficult time in my life easier to handle. The point I’m making is that Randall Davidson is correct when he says to get yourself out of bed, just as you would when you’re working.

Walking isn’t for everyone. You may decide to tackle a home project. (I attempted to re-tile the bathroom floor, which was a complete failure.) Or go to your local career center to take workshops, use its resources, or network with other jobseekers. Volunteering at a company or organization of choice is another way to establish a routine. These, of course, are addition to your hard-driven job search; but they’re important in keeping you off the couch and improving your physical and mental wellbeing.

I’ll continue to walk in the morning no matter what employment state I’m in. God forbid I lose my job, but the first thing I think I would do is start a walking club for people who are also out of work. I wouldn’t see this as a networking occasion. It would be more for helping others to create and maintaining a routine.

Tell me what your routine is, employed or unemployed.

I Need Your Advice

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A colleague and I mentioned awhile ago that it would be a cool idea if I started a blog for my organization, a blog about job search tips. I have one problem with this idea. Or maybe two. My first problem is that I can’t talk about my family who include my outrageously funny and insightful son; my middle child, a quiet yet personable daughter; and my eldest daughter, a smart and engaging character. I also can’t mention my beautiful and intelligent wife who keeps me on my toes and tells me to look for things, even though she knows where they are (see my blog, It’s an Employer Thing).

Why is this important to me, you may ask. Simply put, my family is everything to me, and I like to write. So combining these two values, it makes for some entertainment and, hopefully, some learning value to people who read my blog.

So instead, I’ll probably write about something mundane like 5 tips to creating a successful résumé. Now who says there are only 5 tips? There could be 7, or 10, or 50. This all depends on who you ask. Not for nothing, but I have been following a discussion on LinkedIn where one person says every résumé should be targeted, while others say targeting a résumé to each and every job will only cause confusion. The jobseeker instead, it’s argued, should write one résumé—or two at the most—and tweak it to fit the values and key words the employers require. So, how can there be 5 outstanding tips on how to write a successful résumé when two people can’t agree on the positioning of a résumé?

I might also write tips on how to create an effective LinkedIn profile. Already I see a problem with this. I hold dear the value of the Summary section on LinkedIn, believing that it should be written in first person with the personal pronoun “I.” But there’s also something to be said about writing the profile in third person, if…the person is accomplished, as in an author or actor or comedian. The other thing about a LinkedIn profile is that no one can come to an agreement as to what the most important component of the profile is.

  1. Is it the Snap Shot which includes one’s name and title? Think key words and stunning photo.
  2. Is it the Summary? You know my feelings on this.
  3. Is it the (Work) History?
  4. Is it the Specialties section, which is really part of the Summary?
  5. Is it the Honors and Awards section, or the Recommendations, Blog, Website, Reading List…?

I’d write about Career Networking, of course. On this topic I’ve come to the conclusion that networking is a lot easier than people say it is. You’re told to get out to networking events and shake hands with folks, look them in the eyes, collect business cards, deliver your personal commercial, be sure not to spill your drink, etc. I see it differently. I think networking is a natural progression that is done best in informal settings. In fact, the majority of job opportunities are gained through acquaintances. I think people are far too uptight about networking than they should be.

Salary negotiation would be another topic on which I’d write. I honestly believe that all the advice in the world gets thrown out the window when push comes to shove. We’re supposed to avoid the issue as best we can by first deflecting the discussion altogether, then asking the employer what her salary range is, then telling the employer what our range is, and finally stating an exact figure. Most people I’ve spoken to have gone directly to stage 4. Another thing about networking is that the goal for the jobseeker is not to “beat up” the employer, as one would a car salesman; rather it’s to come to a “win-win situation” where the deal is only sealed if both parties are happy. This, to me is the major theme.

I couldn’t forget interview techniques. Now how do I break this down? Do I talk first about traditional interviews, followed by behavioral interviews? The two are very different but are usually combined. I run a workshop called the Complete Interview Process, which combines the two types of interviews for this very reason. What great folly it would be to draw an analogy between interviewing and interrogating one of my kids, only to end by saying, “Hey, it’s really not that bad, Mr. jobseeker.”

I suppose my second problem with writing a blog for my organization is that I’m way too literal in my views. In MBTI speak, I’m what’s called a Sensor—yes, I know, there are only Introverts and Extraverts—which means I see things as black and white. So, if there are a number of outstanding tips for writing a résumé, there has to be a specific number. Five, 10, 15, 20, 23, 33, 44, 55….There are different opinions on every aspect of the job search, I realize this; but I like things nice and neat. LinkedIn, Career Networking, Salary Negotiation: they’re all very complex, messy topics that can’t be covered in one sitting. As far as I can see, no one agrees 100% on any of this, and in my world, this concerns me.

I know that as I look at my bobblehead collection Dwight Schrute is the man, not Michael Scott, Jim, Pam, Creed, or Andy. You may disagree. I guess I’ll just have to bite the bullet and tell it how I feel the career search should be conducted. But it would be really cool if I could draw comparisons between The Office and Things Career Related.

Let’s Get Serious about How We Appear

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Over the years, people have talked about self-branding as something we purposely do to distinguish ourselves from others. I believe this to be true. Whereas some have referred to branding as simply behaving in a favorably consistent manner, it amounts to much more than that. Although branding must not seem contrived, it’s a mistake to assume that it takes no conscious effort. This misconception will lead to wasted effort, albeit small, and cause one to abandon future branding efforts.

Branding is a conscious effort businesses and people make to set them apart from the norm. Businesses that are maintaining the status quo or jobseekers who are seen as average, are failing in their efforts to brand themselves. Do we have to live by a five second statement that defines us, constantly repeating a rehearsed mantra wherever we go? No, but we have to know how to present ourselves in all situations and at any moment. In other words, we have to be on guard at all times.

I recognize the serious jobseekers who understand what branding is. They come to our urban career center with their branding statement written prominently across their chest. I’m reminded of the occasional jobseekers who are well dressed in business casual, and sometimes wearing a tie; for the women, a nice blouse and slacks. These are the ones who understand the importance of always looking their best, because at any moment a potential contact will be in their midst. Even at an urban career center. They’re the ones I look at and think, you won’t be here soon; there’s a job awaiting you.

There was a former customer named Al who branded himself with business cards, a name tag, and stationary which were identical in appearance–his concerted effort to brand himself. Although he had been out of work for a year, he found a job shortly after coming to the career center. He maintained a pleasant demeanor and a can-do-attitude. (During an honest moment, he and I talked about what a complete bummer it is to be out of work; but in an instant Al went back to being Al. Pleasant as ever.)

Branding reaches into everything a jobseeker does. It’s evident in her entire marketing campaign. Her résumés, cover letters, LinkedIn profile, networking, telephone techniques, and finally the interview are all part of branding.

So to say it’s subconscious, just as natural as can be, is to deny branding the respect it deserves. When we see the red hue on the television, we realize it’s a Target commercial even before those familiar bulls’ eyes hit the screen. The international swoosh of course symbolizes Nike. The eerie fluorescent streaks of liquid running down an athlete’s face are none other than Gatorade. We don’t need to see the names of these companies to realize who they are; their logos and images are enough. 

Jobseekers may not have the immediate impact of a Target or Nike, but they need to think more in terms of conducting a successful business marketing plan and think that branding is serious business.