Sharpen Your Writing and Speaking Skills

Sharpen your writing and speaking skills folks, because the lights are on and they’re shining on you. With every resume, cover letter, telephone call, networking meeting and interview, you’re presenting your skills and abilities in the two ways most of us have learned to communicate; you’re either writing or talking. You better be good at both.

A worried reader comments that, “introverts like me don’t have a chance against extraverted competition.”

Instead of focusing on your fear, level the playing field by focusing on your performance. Your performance will improve when you practice speaking clearly, succinctly, and energetically about what you want, why you want it, and how you can make a difference to the company that hires you.

A female caller whispers, “I’ve been told that I speak with a little girl voice. I need to be taken seriously, particularly when I’m at work and speaking to people I don’t know or don’t know well. What can I do?”

If you’ve received feedback that your pitch, tone or voice quality has gotten in the way of your success get the help you need from a voice coach. If performance anxiety is your problem get additional help from a career coach or psychologist. If it’s a distraction that you want to manage yourself then name it and get it out of the way. For example, if you have a telephone interview, acknowledge early in the conversation that your voice may not be strong but your track record is and you want to describe it. Then do it. Put your energy into the content of what you say and how you respond. The listener will quickly adjust to your tone and hone in on your message.

Let’s move from the subject of pitch and tone to that of accent and pace and the difficulties that sounding “different” can present. If you’ve recently moved here and English is your second language you’ll benefit from learning how to sound as American as you are or soon will be. Get help from articulate native speakers who are willing to take their time to coach you. Ask for their assistance and feedback with your word choices, sentence structure, grammar, pace and tempo; role play networking and interviewing conversations. And in exchange for all these favors, ask how you can be of assistance to them.

Take advantage of the resources available to you in your local community. In Greensboro, the Glenwood Branch of the Public Library offers ESL classes and hosts a ‘conversation club’ that meets twice weekly, enabling you to practice your new English speaking skills with library volunteers. GTCC offers ESL classes through its continuing education program and UNCG offers classes and tutorials in accent reduction. In addition to public resources there are professional counselors, therapists, and voice coaches in private practice who provide these and related programs and offerings.

Now, let’s get real about writing a resume: It’s your work product and you’re accountable for its contents. Be sure that you tell the truth, that your spelling and grammar are correct, that it’s as well edited as it is well organized.  Writing a well- crafted resume takes time, care, and at minimum another set of eyes to check and double check that it’s error free.

Format: Write an objective that states the job you want and how you benefit the company that hires you.  Follow that with a reverse chronology of your experience. Write your accomplishments as bullet-points; make them fact based, specific and quantifiable. Lead with words that project energy and action. Get it all on one page, one and one half at most, and use wide margins, easy to read font, 12- point type, and no hype.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Stand Out In Less Than 30 Seconds

Earlier I answered questions from a frustrated job seeker who, despite stellar credentials and carpet-bombing the area with resumes, hadn’t landed his first interview. We spent some time together discussing his resume, and I provided the candid feedback he requested. It wasn’t pretty.

His resume was too long, too wordy, and too hard on the eyes. It contained too much jargon, and was written in a format many interviewers reject outright.

Yep, those last five words got his attention, too. What format is routinely rejected? It’s called “functional” and instead of listing companies, job titles, and dates of employment, it categorizes and organizes strengths and experience in topic/paragraph form. It’s an attractive concept, easy to write and easy to understand but most interviewers haven’t taken to it. Here’s why: When employers are pressed for time, which is the norm, and faced with stacks of resumes, they want to be able to take an efficient glance (20-30 seconds) and quickly grasp what candidates have done and where they’ve done it. They want to focus on accomplishments and read them in bullet points. To achieve that they prefer resumes that are uniform in presentation and written in “reverse chronological style”.

The reverse chronology outline benefits job seekers with stable track records. It sheds a negative light on individuals who, for a variety of reasons, have changed jobs more frequently than their potential employers will tolerate. Which is why short timers find comfort in a functional format that enables them to describe their perceived strengths and experiences without having to reference their lack of longevity.

If you feel like a job- hopping resume is getting in your way, you’ll want to reframe your record in a more positive light. That will require getting in front of an employer before your resume does. And that, dear friends, takes networking.

When you network effectively you can proactively sell your attributes and reposition your deficiencies without having to play defense and make up excuses to cover your past. Then, when you’re asked to provide a resume you can say (if appropriate):

“My resume is an outline of what I enjoy most and when I’ve been most successful. I’m a trouble- shooter. I can assist my employer in finding new and creative ways to solve business problems. Once the problems are solved, I’m ready to move on to the next challenge.

I’m looking for that next challenge now. I like to work with companies whose production numbers are slipping, product quality dropping and revenues sliding because I’m able to fix what’s broken and to anticipate what’s heading in that direction. I then replace myself by training others to do the same thing. Who do you suggest I contact who can benefit from what I offer?”

Don’t hide your job mobility, clarify it. If you’ve lost several jobs because companies downsized or went under, say so, and talk about your loyalty, hard work, and determination. If you’ve lost jobs because you were asked to leave, describe your strengths and your commitment to joining companies where you have opportunities to maximize those strengths.

Choose your jobs wisely. If you think you’re gorgeous, talented, and smart and your boss thinks otherwise you have a recipe for dismissal and your resume is chopped liver.

Increase your self-awareness by routinely seeking objective, timely feedback. Ask questions and learn from what you hear and what you see.

Not everyone is cut out to be in management. If you’re a great individual contributor that’s the job you should have. Not everyone is well suited to business, industry, or finance. If your heart is in not-for-profit, that’s what you should pursue. Take charge of your career and you’ll have a resume that does you proud.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Basic Interviewing Mistakes

In life, little things can become big things. In job search, little things are the big things. Last week I described some big mistakes that job seekers make and asked you to compare them to the do’s and don’ts you’ve been practicing.

Here are a few more, just to keep you thinking:

What to wear: How to dress is a matter of concern to many interviewees who ask what they should wear if it’s casual Friday (or Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday) or if their chosen workplace doesn’t seem to care what people wear. Play it safe: Whether you’re on a formal interview or informally networking, respect the person who’s taken time to talk with you about your career and dress professionally. That suggests that you are well groomed, clean, fresh, pressed, jacket and dress slacks for men, suited skirt or pants-suit for women. If you wear jewelry, keep it simple. If you smoke or wear a fragrance, air-out. No sense triggering an asthma attack.

Thank you letters: If you send one (a good thing to do) make it work for you. Thank the individuals involved for taking their time to discuss with you the key challenges facing their organization and the role you can play in addressing them. Reiterate your ability to make an immediate difference and your strong interest in the position.

“This is a job I can do and want to do for you and for your company and I look forward to hearing from you.”

Develop a solid close: Most applicants spend so much time worrying about the front end of the interview (what will I wear? what will I say? what will they say?) and what happens next (did they like me? will they call me? should I call them?). that they don’t think enough about the importance of patience, pacing, listening, asking open-ended questions, overcoming objections, responding strategically, and asking for the job.

Negotiation: You haven’t completed your interview prep until you know the fair market value for what you bring to the table. In other words, what’s the going salary for people with your education, experience and track record, in your geographic area, for the position you want and the accountability that accompanies it? Once you know that range, you’re ready to discuss their offer. If it’s lower than what you can reasonable expect, you have room to negotiate. Don’t know how? Try something like this:

“Mr. Jones, I appreciate your inviting me to be part of your team and I’m excited about going to work for you. It’s a job I can do and one I want to do. The only thing that keeps me from immediately signing is the salary. Given my experience, track record of accomplishment, and the accountability that goes with this position, the offer is less than I had anticipated. Can we continue our conversation? If not today, then tomorrow?”

Then sit quietly and patiently and let Mr. Jones respond. Both of you need time to percolate so don’t rush to judgment. Chances are, you’ll get an offer that’s better than the one that’s currently on the table.

Show up: Whether you know it or not and whether they tell you or not, you’re on probation for the first thirty to ninety days that you’re on the job. If you interview over your head, saying you can accomplish great things based on your history, and your history’s bogus, you’re going to be history.

Bottom line, tell the truth. Do an honest self-assessment and find a job that requires what you do best, not what you do least well. Focus on what you know; what you enjoy doing, and what you want to continue to develop through experience, training, and education.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Killing the Interview

What are the mistakes that job seekers make and how do they compare to the do’s and don’t you’ve been practicing? Check these out and you decide:

Smile. For some, that big bright toothy smile comes naturally. These job applicants use their pearly whites to send the message that they’re genuinely happy to be in your presence and you in theirs. As an interviewer you are easily drawn to their warm and expressive nature because they appear interested in what you’re saying, even if they don’t understand it. It’s not at all surprising that they get through to the next round. After all, what’s not to like?

For other applicants, smiling is an effort, an afterthought. If they smile it’s as forced as it is fleeting. They may be happy to see you but they’re not sending any signals that they’re feeling that way. In fact, they may not be willing to commit to how they feel about you until you prove yourself worthy.  If you’re like most interviewers, you’ll cut them out of the pack before they have a chance to decide.

If you’re among the smile-challenged, you can learn. You can practice. And when you do, put your teeth into it, even if they’re not as many in there as used to be. Smile. Show that you’re the kind of person who is comfortable in the company of few or many and that you want others to feel comfortable around you.

Resumes: If you’re not getting the response you believe your job history meritsand as a result you aren’t getting interviews, there are a few culprits that may be getting in your way. You may be…

Throwing in the kitchen sink, trying to present yourself as someone who’s all things to all people. Instead, focus your resume on what you do best and want to keep doing.

Too ambiguous, confusing the reader, making it hard to know what job you want because your objective is non- specific and your experiences varied. Specify and clarify.

Too technical and too narrow a focus, writing in jargon that only someone familiar with your area of specialization can understand and interpret.  Instead, use language that suggests the applicability of your knowledge and talent to other fields of endeavor.

Too understated by describing yourself in nondescript, uninteresting ways.

Instead, state your objective in goal specific terms, name the job you’re after and the strengths that make you the pick of the litter. Organize your work history so that it supports your objective. Highlight at least three significant accomplishments per job entry.

Cover letters provide you an opportunity to succinctly and enthusiastically sell yourself and demonstrate the personality that a formal resume won’t allow. Cover letters give the reader a greater understanding of your intentions; your strengths, the outcome you seek and the part the reader can play in making that happen.

Attitude. Want to kill an interview? Carry a chip on your shoulder and a scowl that says I’ve been burned before and I’m not going to let that happen again.  It may sound outrageous, that no self-respecting job seeker would do that, but many do, not because it’s what they intend but because something unresolved is stuck in their craw and shows itself at the most inopportune times. Got a bad attitude? Work it out, work it off, and let it go. It’s getting in the way of your enjoying a productive life.

Energy: If you look as though you can’t get up from the chair you’re slumped in, you don’t have it and I don’t know any hiring manager willing to take a chance that you’re going to find it.  Project upbeat, motivated, can do energy, and you’ll improve your chances of getting the job.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

When All Else Fails

When all else fails, read the directions. Searching for a job is a big enough challenge without winging it. Rather than take a scattershot approach or sit at home and wait for the phone to ring, get out there and make something happen.

Here’s how.

Prepare your resume but don’t let the effort consume you. There are resources out there if you want them; libraries, bookstores, and internet sites just waiting to serve up the assistance you need. And if doing it yourself doesn’t do it for you, ask for help. You’ll find career counselors and resume writers in private practice and public places. Once you’ve made your best effort, ask for feedback from those who critique resumes for a living; people who hire people. Make the appropriate corrections and you’re good to go.

Next. Line up your professional references. Select individuals for whom you’ve worked who can and will describe your skills, strengths, and track record with positive enthusiasm. (If you detect a note of hesitation or negativity, have the courage to ask why. If the reference doesn’t appear comfortable in the role, find someone who is.)

Identify what you want to do next and move toward it. (If you know you’re in a bad job and don’t know what a good one looks like, go back to square one. You have work to do before you can begin your search).

Network. Make a list of people you know and respect that know people who hire people. Be sure that the folks you include are individuals with whom you have something significant in common. The more alike you are, the more likely they’ll know people with whom you have something in common. The more you have in common, the more likely you’d enjoy the same kinds of work and the more likely they’ll refer you to jobs you’d like.

Rehearse before attending an interview. Some folks practice by interviewing for jobs they don’t want. That’s a waste of time and squandered opportunity. Instead, focus on making a good impression and if the job’s not right, getting a referral for something with greater potential within or outside that company. Hit a home run every time you interview. Get the interviews, get the offers, be the one who gets to choose.

Practice in front of a live audience. Invite friends, relatives, and fellow job seekers to drill you with tough questions. Practice responding to stone-faced inquisitors, talkaholics, and disinterested bystanders. The more opportunities you have to respond to odd- ball or hard- ball questions the better equipped you are to do well when it counts most.

Know what you want before you leave home. Know why you want it. Know what you can contribute that makes a difference to the person sitting across from you. Demonstrate, through vivid examples, your drive, initiative, adaptability, flexibility, competence, and creative approach to problem solving.

Know your worth in the marketplace so that your salary requirements are consistent with your education, years of experience, expertise in your field of endeavor, and appropriate to the local area’s cost of living index. Given the competition and the current economy, it helps if your spending doesn’t exceed your earning potential.

Seal the deal with a solid close.  Express your appreciation for the opportunity to interview and clearly state your strong interest, ability, and desire to do the work as it has been described. Highlight two or three key challenges that you are particularly eager to tackle and ask for the job.

Follow through and follow up. Write a thank you note immediately after the interview. If a week passes and you haven’t heard anything, call and leave a brief message that indicates your continued interest in the position.

Don’t wait. Keep looking.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Networking Success

He wanted to meet so we could discuss his job search. He said it wasn’t going anywhere and he needed help re-starting it. And, he said he just needed to vent.

          “Joyce, I’m not getting any replies to my resume. I must have mailed 300 copies and I haven’t gotten one nibble in response.  Please review it and tell me what’s missing.”

          He handed it to me, I glanced at it and told him, as gently as I could, that he had forgotten to include his name and address.

          That’s when he vented. He called himself every name in the book.  He stood, stomped around, flopped back down. He groaned and moaned; he slapped his head; he pulled his hair. We were two minutes into a meeting that had a long way to go before it ended, so I let him vent to his heart’s content. After he calmed down I dared to ask him to describe his networking efforts.

          “Well, I’m telling people that I’m out of work, that I need a job, and they need to call me if they hear about anything.”

Have you heard from anyone?

          “No, I haven’t”, he said. “And I’m disappointed. I thought some of these people were my friends, but I haven’t heard from anyone about anything. What’s going on? Are they avoiding me because I’m unemployed?”

          They’re probably avoiding you because you’re making your job search their problem.  It’s up to you to find the openings, make the calls, and do the follow-ups.

“Then why bother networking? I thought the whole idea was to let friends and acquaintances know that you’re on the market so they could help. ”

Sure, let them know how they can help, but from what you describe, you’re asking your friends to look for the jobs, and let you know when they find them. Change your approach. Describe your current status, your strengths, and your search. Then, ask their advice.

          “What should I say? And what do you mean by, ‘ask for advice’?'”

          Try something like this:  ‘Tom, I recently left the XYZ Company to continue my career in sales and…’

“Whoa, Joyce. I got fired. Shouldn’t I say that’s why I’m looking?”

Too much information. Why complicate the conversation? If you talk about getting fired the two of you will likely spend valuable time discussing all the “ain’t it awful” stuff that goes along with it. Before you know it, the conversations over and you haven’t succeeded in anything but confusing your contact about your suitability as a prospective job candidate.

“Got it. You have my attention. Let’s start over. What should I say?”

You want to describe what you do and why you’re successful doing it. You want your listeners to remember it, to get the word out, and to help you as a result, all because they want to, not because you asked. At our last meeting you told me about yourself and what you’re good at doing. With that in mind, I’ll describe a conversation that you can have with your networking contact, Tom.

Tom, I respect your opinion, that’s why I wanted to talk with you about my job search and to ask you a few questions.  I recently left the XYZ Company to continue my career in sales. Tom, what I do best is relationship selling, problem solving, and follow through on everything I do. I’m good at simplifying the sales process instead of making it more complex.  I take out the technical jargon so the folks I’m talking to understand what they’re buying and what’s right for them. When I give my word, I keep it. My customers are as loyal to me as I am to them. I work hard for my customers and for my companies and I’ve been rewarded for it. Tom, where are the best opportunities for someone with my strengths and who are the people I need to contact for leads?

“Joyce, that’s networking I can handle. It describes what I do, focuses my search, and puts the responsibility for finding the job where it belongs, on me.”

Common Mistakes with Resumes and Interviews

I’m often asked to describe the “one greatest error job seekers make when looking for work”. Well, you’re already ahead of me if you figured that there’s more than one, so, I’ll go through a short list of some of the more common mistakes and missteps, and you determine if you’re in the midst of making any of them.

Let’s start with resumes.

Many job seekers, in an effort to be all things to all people, are writing resumes that make them look a mile wide and an inch deep. Their job objective looks like an advertisement for “Jack of all Trades, Master of None”. Instead of focusing on accomplishments, which center and inform the reader, they write job descriptions, which don’t. They include laundry lists of things they’ve been told to do and leave to the imagination whether they’ve completed any of them on time or under budget.  It’s the resume that talks; unaware that no one’s listening.

The reader hasn’t time or patience to plow through boiler plate information, or to figure out what the applicant does best or wants to do next.

Savvy resume writers summarize career goals and job objectives and highlight applicable and quantifiable accomplishments that underline and support the direction they indicate they are taking.

The interview: Too many job seekers stumble and fall when asked to explain work history gaps that result from home stay, lay off, and termination. Interviewers are aware that there have been record high layoffs in the area, but that shouldn’t and doesn’t keep them from asking why it happened and how the applicants have filled their time (particularly if it’s been several months) since it occurred.  The best response is the one that’s short, simple, and honest. Speaking of responses…

Too many job seekers are inadequately prepared for phone and committee interviews.

Phone interviews are tough. Applicants don’t have the benefit of traditional cues that let them know how they’re doing. As a result they can be easily distracted from the objective at hand: coming across as positive and energetic while delivering articulate, focused, well-edited responses to the questions they’re being asked.

The best way to prepare for phone interviews is to practice by phone with a career coach or a career-wise friend asking questions and providing feedback. Along with feedback on the content of the response, ask, “Is my voice appropriately animated, well modulated, and easy on the ear?” “Am I projecting energy and optimism?” “Am I confirming my understanding of the questions I’m asked, and if necessary, am I probing for clarification, before responding with my answers?” “Am I answering questions succinctly yet completely?” “Am I asking questions that are reasonable and appropriate?”

If you want to track your development, tape record the practice sessions. Just be sure to get prior permission from the person at the other end of the line.

Committee interviews can be challenging, not because the questions are harder, but because the distractions are so much greater. The key to success is “comfort”. If you’re comfortable in your skin, your clothes, in the room, in the chair, the committee is likely to get comfortable with you.  Speak and respond as you would in a one-on-one interview: Answer the questioner with good eye contact and appropriate body language, and take care to include the group in your responses.

Many employers suggest that the primary reason interviews go badly is that applicants are inadequately prepared: “He didn’t seem to know what job he was applying for”; “The applicant said he didn’t know why he was terminated, and he was still angry about it.”  “When I asked her to describe her strengths she said she’d been out of the workforce so long she didn’t know.”

What does that tell you? Among other things, you have to do your homework, whether you’re changing jobs or changing careers, returning from a lay off, a firing, an extended stay at home, or never having worked in a paying job.

Your homework assignment consists of doing company research (at minimum, read the company’s website), having multiple practice sessions with savvy coaches (male and female), and listening to, and learning from, candid, constructive feedback.

Bridges Burned

Don’t burn bridges, no matter how aggravated, provoked, or justified you believe yourself to be. It isn’t worth it. To illustrate, read on. I’ve changed the employee’s name but not the story:
Karen was ticked. In a major way. The manager that she had worked so hard to please had passed her over for promotion. Not once. Not twice. But three times. And three times was the charm. She decided she was going to leave and she wasn’t going quietly. She handed in her letter of resignation along with a request for an exit interview. Her boss said that he accepted her letter with regret, she had been a long time employee who had done her job quietly and efficiently. She had a stellar attendance record and never gave anyone a moment’s trouble. He asked why she wanted to leave the company. Karen said that she preferred to handle that in an exit interview with Human Resources. He immediately granted her request.
The HR manager echoed the bosses sentiments, and asked Karen if there were  anything she wanted to say in leaving.
Karen said that there were several things. And with that she let ‘er rip, fueled by feelings she had bottled up for years. The more she talked the more emotional she became. She ranted, she raved, she yelled and she cried. She described the times that she had gone beyond reasonable expectations of the job and received neither compensation nor commendation as a reward; the times that she had asked for transfers to positions that would take her to different levels and pay grades, and her requests ignored. She described taking work home and neglecting family obligations, all in an effort to please her boss. She said that despite co-workers she disliked, managers she didn’t respect, and customers who could be rude and at times abusive, she soldiered on, for the good of the company.
When she was finished, exhausted, and out of breath, she rose to leave. The HR manager thanked her for her candor.
Karen left with a sense of freedom and relief. After a few day’s rest she began her job search with characteristic quiet efficiency. Her resume was understated but impressive. She went on several interviews but nothing came of them. She was confused and disappointed. The hiring managers were impressed by the depth and breadth of her experience and said so. They indicated that they would check references and get back with offers. None were forthcoming. What was going wrong?
Karen did some investigating and discovered that reference checkers were told she had been a good employee with a strong work ethic and excellent attendance record. When they asked if her former company would rehire her, the company representative indicated they would not. The record stated that she had not shared professional concerns in a timely manner and had demonstrated excessive emotional responses to professional set- backs.
Ouch. Those moments of unchecked, uncensored feelings cost Karen a bundle. Was it worth it? Let’s ask her.
“Since I was leaving the company, I thought that it was safe to unload in the exit  interview. I had almost looked forward to it. I was going to say all the things I didn’t have courage to say for the five years that I worked there. I didn’t realize that my comments or conduct in that meeting would affect me in the future. The last thing I was thinking of was a reference. I just knew that I was angry and they were going to know it.
I realized my mistake once those references came back. Thankfully, I was
able to do some damage control. I called HR and my former boss and told them both that I realized how emotional I had been in my exit interview and I apologized for my lack of professionalism. I thanked them for the opportunity to work for them and that I had learned a great deal from the experience, which was true. They were very gracious and said that they appreciated my call.
I wish that I had been more open about my frustrations when there was time to do something about it. Lesson learned. I’ll know better in the future.”

What Kind of Resume?

Q: “I’ve worked for several companies over the last few years. I’m not a job hopper but I am concerned that I’ll be seen that way. I’ve been told that to present myself in the best possible light I should use a functional resume and not a chronological one. Do you agree?”

A: A functional resume groups your abilities into skill clusters. A (reverse) chronological resume lists each of your positions and companies, beginning with the most recent. Individuals who have worked a variety of jobs with no obvious career objective present themselves more favorably with a functional resume. That’s the simple answer but it doesn’t solve your problem. Here’s what I mean:
Interviewers prefer reverse chronological resumes to the functional format. They want to see at a glance, the applicant’s progression of responsibility, accountability, job titles, and time in grade. Many believe that functional resumes mask frequent and hard-to-explain job changes. As a result, many applicants who submit functional resumes are passed over, or if called to interview, are quizzed on everything that would appear on a chronological resume. That line of questioning tends to put applicants on the defensive, scrambling to explain what went wrong rather than what went well. They’re unable to make their case.
The solution to your dilemma won’t be found in resume cosmetics but in developing good job search strategies. What’s your goal? Do you want to be appreciated and compensated for a job that you do well, that you enjoy doing, and that you can stay with long enough to make a difference? You can make that happen when you tell your story, in person, to those who have the power and authority to either hire you or put you in front of people who can.
It takes focused, strategic networking; finding people with whom you have much in common. They, like you, are eclectic in their habits, and enjoy variety in their professional endeavors. They’re calculated risk takers and have a bent toward the entrepreneurial. They differ from you in that they’ve been able to capitalize on their strengths and have been successful because of that. They’d be willing to talk to you because the two of you are more alike than different and they’re pleased by your recognizing their success and wanting to know more about how they made it happen.
When you find them, ask how they’ve been able to accomplish what they have. Describe what you want to achieve, the problems you’d like to solve, and the contributions you’d like to make.  Frame your discussion around the strengths, interests, and abilities you have to make positive things happen. Ask for recommendations for next steps, people to connect with, and ideas for how you can tell your story.
Engage the person’s interest in you by demonstrating your interest in them. Ask for advice instead of focusing on your resume or your work history. If you make a compelling case, the networking contact will refer you to those who may be in a position to hire you or would know others who could.
Through networking you’re able to tell your story, face to face, without a resume getting in the way.

Three Rules for Resume Writing

What are three rules that every good resume writer should follow?
On average, a company representative takes about twenty seconds to review your resume. Therefore, keep it brief and on point, saying as much as you can in as few words as possible.

1. Outline the essentials without elaboration.  Be succinct!
2. Start with your current position and go back in time. If you did it more than 15 years ago, summarize it. Include three accomplishments for each key position you’ve held.
3. Don’t use industry jargon.  Write your resume so that someone in Human Resources understands it as well as someone in your specialty.

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