Getting Organized for Success

Starting Strong: 
Whether you need to find new employment now or just want to be open to new opportunities out there, you need to devise a organizational system to support you through to success.  Without a method to stay on track, you won't.  It's that simple.     

The Basics:

Feel free to copy/paste this list and customize further if desired.

• Calendar in which to pre-schedule your job-search activities in chunks such as company research time, calling companies and network contacts with express purpose to set up 15 minute informational interviews, sending thank you cards to those who helped you within the past 24 hours, etc.
• Phone book or website listing of companies in your target area that hire for what you are truly qualified to do, that you can research before contacting
• All the business cards and other personal/professional contacts you have gathered over the years
• Personal email address, i.e. myname@gmail.com or similar professional naming convention (nothing weird or sexy, folks!)
• LinkedIn account to aid your research and scope of network
• Basic resume that targets a clear goal that you can customize further as needed each time you send it out, that has been fully proofed and professionally critiqued
• Dynamic cover letter that pairs well with your resume which further supports your goal with examples of your abilities and accomplishments
• List of 6 references that you have contacted recently who will lend credence to the content of your resume and cover letter
• A list of "talking points" you keep at the ready to use during screening interviews, networking opportunities, etc that clearly articulate your goal and combat any perceived "negatives", i.e. fired from last job, overqualified, relocation, etc.
• Boxes of note cards so that you can quickly send a personal thank you to any interviewers and networking contacts who talk to you
• List of 10+ prepared potential questions to ask of employers during and toward end of interviews
• A notebook, spreadsheet or other organizational tool in which to enter all of your notes regarding: company contact names and numbers, company research information, last date of contact and reason, next planned date of contact and purpose, and more - such a tool allows you to maintain momentum for 90 days or longer

      
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It's Your Resume!

• Is it having the desired impact?  Is it grabbing the attention of prospective employers?
• Is your objective clearly stated?
• Are you using a chronological, skill-based, or combination-style format?
• Does your resume format mesh with the standards of your industry?
• Are your universal skill sets emphasized?

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker's compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

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Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.

Action Verb + Concrete Detail + Impact

Trying to effectively capture your work history on your resume? Here is a great format to follow that will add power and relevancy to your document.

Start with an ideal job posting.  Review it carefully and note what appears to be most important to that employer.  Tailor your work history statements to serve as highly relevant "proof" that you have already been successful in each area.  First provide a concrete detail to illuminate.  You will know exactly WHAT details to focus upon based on concrete clues provided in the job posting. Then, demonstrate the impact your actions had upon the organization. Finally, find a list of action verbs, readily available on 100's of sites and in resume-writing books.  Choose the best, most descriptive action verb to begin each statement.

Here are specific examples:

• Implemented document imaging solution after researching 6 possible vendors resulting in achieving corporate goal of "going paperless" in under 7 months.
• Tutored 13 middle school youth in algebra which allowed them to progress to the next grade level with their peers.
• Analyzed purchasing department processes, identified costly gaps, and recommended improvements which saved $34,000 per quarter.

It's Your Life!

Question:
You have demonstrated competence across so many areas.  How do you capture it ALL on a resume?

Answer: You DON'T!

Focus specifically upon what is being asked of you, as a hopeful candidate, to fulfill a stated need that a prospective employer has NOW.  Once you have the job, you'll be in a position to hear about additional needs and lend your expertise toward solving them.

Lesson: One thing at a time.  Focus first on the "here and now".

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker's compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

Need More Advice?

Get the resume help you need!

Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.

Effective Responses for a Tricky Question

How do you respond to questions about salary?
You may be asked to discuss salary in your cover letter, in screening interviews by phone, in person during a formal interview, and during offer negotiations.  There are several ways to handle this touchy subject.

#1 Rule:  Get the prospective employer to state a figure first.

When asked to state your salary requirements or history in your cover letter - don't - unless you actually know the salary range of the desired position.  If you do not know the range, indicate instead that you would be happy to discuss salary in an interview.

What is most important is the extent to which your skills will be a great fit within the prospective organization.  When the interviewer wants to focus on your current salary, confidently reply that you would not consider your current salary as comparable to the scope of the position currently open for hire and should an offer be made you trust that the offer will be fair.  Then turn their attention back to the skills needed, the expectations for success, the company culture.  Show them that salary is a secondary consideration to be tabled for later.  The first order of business is to fully understand the scope of the new position.  Without it, you cannot adequately assess what would or would not be a fair compensation package.

If the interviewer pushes hard for you to respond directly to salary questions (be prepared for this to happen), turn the question back upon them by asking for both the hiring range of the position and the full salary range (the hiring range may be a subset of the salary range).  If you are still pressed for a range, have a prepared response based on prior research.  Do not provide a range that is truly less than what you can legitimately accept.  If you feel unduly pressured or intimidated, think twice about what this tells you about their management style or company culture and whether or not you really want to work there.  If all else fails, provide them with a range of 10K-20K more than your current salary, or more if your research supports it.

Summary: do your research, prepare a range of responses, and do your very best to get them to provide the first number or range.  If you require more than they are willing to give, continue to counter as long as you can, and make the best decisions for yourself based upon what you learn.

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker's compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

Need More Advice?

Get the resume help you need!

Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.

Balancing Pride with Relevance

Definition of Over-Qualified:

American Heritage Dictionary, fourth edition, defines overqualified as "educated or skilled beyond what is necessary or desired for a particular job".  Here is a list of the perks and challenges associated with being overqualified for jobs for which you are applying.

Perks to take advantage of:

• You are able to ramp up quickly, contributing at a high level within 30/60/90 days.
• You will apply a wide range of talents to the job.
• You can problem-solve and brainstorm complex issues.
• You can demonstrate that your networking, resumes, cover letters, and interviewing skills put you ahead of others competing for the same jobs.

Challenges to overcome:

• Jobs are focused on particular skills sets needed at a particular level.
• You might be perceived as bossy, a know-it-all.
• Employers assume you will have higher minimum salary requirements than they have budgeted.
• You may feel the need to "dumb down" their resume.

Re-vamp Your Approach:

There are two primary obstacles in play for the over-qualified job-seeker.  Pride and demonstrated scope.  Pride becomes an issue when your sense of identity and level of achievement is at odds with your current situation.  The choice of words you use to describe your situation has a big impact on your attitude and approach.  Is it "dumbing down" your resume to target a job and demonstrate your relevant qualifications?  No.  That is what all resumes need to demonstrate, for jobs at any level.

Choose your descriptive entries carefully.  What do you know about the company, its mission, and culture?  Use suitable entries that help prospective employers know that you understand where they are at, what they need, and that you are ready, willing, and able to help them at that level. Don't "dumb it down" but do be relevant without going over the top and forcing them to acknowledge that you will run circles around half their employees right out of the gate.

Opportunities are out there and employers are hiring.

They're Your Qualifications!

• Action words are powerful.  Choose them wisely.  Use the same action words in your resume that a prospective employer highlights in a job posting.
• Use your advanced level of creativity and problem-solving skills to tackle the opportunity to create a highly relevant resume that fits the employers' needs without coming across as bragging.
• You want a prospective employer to hire you and pay you to apply skill sets they need in order to grow their company according to their strategic plan.  They set the direction, not you.
• The economy will turn around.  Many people are working "survival jobs".  Be realistic and realize these are stepping stones to help you reach your larger goals.

Lisa has 14 years of résumé coaching experience.
She currently directs day-to-day operations and programming of a career center at a two-year technical college. From 2006-2008, she served as State Chair of a national organization to support women leaders in higher education. She remains on the Board. Previously, she served as HR Director of a legal services firm and specialized in worker's compensation issues. From 1996-1998, she worked as a graduate assistant in the career services office of a large four-year college.

Need More Advice?

Get the resume help you need!

Build your resume with the GigTide Online Resume Builder and visit the CYJ website at www.changeyourjob.us.