I had a discussion the other day with one of my blog readers about ways to provide employers with samples of work and showcase one’s talents, skills, and knowledge.  One tool we discussed that is available to job seekers is Visual CV.  Visual CV allows you to create an online portfolio.  Accounts are free, and you can upload writing samples, PowerPoint presentations, audio, video, images, etc.

This is a great way to exhibit your brand and provide an employer access to additional information about you.  Plus, by creating a Visual CV, you are demonstrating initiative and savvy with the latest in technology.  You can add the URL to your contact information on your resume, mention your online portfolio in your cover letter, and add it to your LinkedIn profile.  This is one more tool to help you stand out above the crowd and give yourself an advantage.

If you would like to read more about the pros and cons of online portfolios, I refer you to an excellent article by The Career Doctor at http://www.careerdoctor.org/career-doctor-blog/2010/03/pros-and-cons-of-an-online-por.html

If you have created an online portfolio or used Visual CV, please share your experiences with others.

Please join me for a FREE Teleseminar entitled, “Your Job Search Blueprint – A Step-by-Step Guide to ‘You’re Hired!’”  this Wednesday at 2:00 CDT.  If you can’t make the call, that’s okay.  I will send all registrants the link to the recording.  Register here

A reader writes:

I am a senior manager who has been unemployed for 15 months. Lately I have been talking to company recruiters who seem to have little idea what the advertised job entails, even if there is a detailed description. OR the job I apply for seems to have very little in common with the job they describe to me. At the end of one long interview, the recruiter told me that the job might be moved to the other end of the U.S., the job might be for less money, and she’s not sure the hiring manager is ready to hire anyone anyway. So why did she grill me for 45 minutes? My frustration is with the process, I’m sure, but I have encountered it frequently. One HR person suggested that I am looking down on recruiters because I have 20 years of experience. I really don’t feel that way, but I do feel they should be prepared to talk to me as if they had read my resume. Am I out there?

My reply:

You have every right to expect more from recruiters and your frustration is justified.  I’m sure there are some bad recruiters out there, but that explanation doesn’t help you get a job.  So, I’m going to suggest that when this type of things happens, you start off by giving the recruiter the benefit of the doubt and assume that the recruiter is frustrated because she isn’t getting the information she needs.  My suggestion is to always treat a recruiter as an ally.  The recruiter is looking for a great candidate to present to the hiring manager and you are looking for a strong recommendation from the recruiter.  Try to create a win-win situation.  I would go ahead and discuss your concerns with the recruiter.  For instance, you might pull out the job description, point to some of the discrepancies and say, “What you are describing doesn’t seem to fit this job description.  Do you know why the description you have would be different from the posting?  Could you find out if they are looking for _______ as stated in the job posting or ________ as you stated?”  Or you might empathetically say, “It must be frustrating for you to have to spend time interviewing job candidates for a job that they might not even be hiring.”  As frustrating as it is, you may have to take the high road and draw on your management skills to get the recruiter to help you out.

I asked a friend of mine who is a recruiter to comment on your experiences.  Here are some of her thoughts:

It is not unrealistic in any way to expect that the recruiter understand the job description and be able to speak to that.  Oftentimes, the recruiter may not have worked in the specific role and may not have the technical hands on experience but they should be able to get any question answered quickly.  I know it can be a long process but determination is the key and developing a relationship with the recruiter is helpful with the onward process.  If a candidate walks away with a sense of frustration and incompetence, it may not be the right company for them.

I hope your future experiences are better.  Best of luck with your job search!

Please join me for a FREE Teleseminar entitled, “Your Job Search Blueprint – A Step-by-Step Guide to ‘You’re Hired!’”  this Wednesday at 2:00 CDT.  If you can’t make the call, that’s okay.  I will send all registrants the link to the recording.  Register here

A reader writes:

I have a few companies I am targeting where I have a real interest and passion about their activities.  In mainly informational interviews, I think I have demonstrated my interest, passion, and qualifications for working with the company.  I continue to send relevant information to my connections within the company as a way to be a warm contact should they be hiring.  I have even written my own job description to demonstrate my potential value, even at their suggestion.

I know there is potential at the company as they have growth plans, even these days.

My question is, what is / isn’t appropriate to continue to stay in front of them?  How much is too much?  What could be relevant to continue to be a warm and interested candidate?  Is there a fine line between being interested and passionate about a company and “stalking” them?

My reply:

It sounds like you are doing everything right.  You continue to stay in touch by sending relevant information and you have written your own job description.  To answer your question, yes, there is a fine line between interested and annoying or, as you say, “stalking.”  One option may be to ask the person how often you should remind them that you are still interested.  You might say something like this, “I am very interested in contributing my talents to (state company name) and I would like for you to keep me in mind if a (state job title) position becomes available but I don’t want to be a pest.  How often would be appropriate for me to send you a brief email as a reminder?  Is every two weeks too often?  Is once a month better?”  If you don’t feel comfortable asking, I would suggest about every four weeks, but everyone is different as to how they perceive the passage of time and a show of interest, so that is just a guideline.

Here are some other options to keep your name in front of them:  (1)  Connect to them on LinkedIn and update your profile weekly so you show up in the LinkedIn updates they receive.  (2)  Follow them on Twitter if they tweet.  This may give you other insights as to how to connect with them.  (3)  Find out if there is an industry group that you can join or attend that they might participate in.  If they see you at meetings, they will realize how serious your interest is and you will have an opportunity to interact with them.  (4)  Do they write a blog or follow a blog that you can comment on?

The most valuable thing you can do whenever you are looking for a job is to immerse yourself in the industry that you want to work in.  When you become a participating member of an industry community, you will find all kinds of opportunities to connect with people.  You will stay current on the latest happenings in the industry, which gives you something to talk about with your contacts; and you will build a network that will provide multiple connections back to the people you want to stay in touch with.  Best of luck with your job search!

What methods do you use to stay in touch?

One of the most frequently asked interview questions, and often the first question asked, is “Tell me about yourself.” What a gift this question is!  This is your opportunity to set the tone for the entire interview and lead the interviewer to playing in your court.  Unfortunately, most applicants answer this question by simply reiterating what is contained in their résumé or they get into personal information that is totally irrelevant.  Before I tell you how to take full advantage of this question, let me explain from a scientific perspective how this can work for you.

Psychologists have identified a phenomenon they refer to as “priming.”  Priming is when exposure to a stimulus influences the subsequent response.  There are numerous studies that support the effects of priming, but I would like to share one of the more amusing studies with you.  Researchers brought college student participants into the lab.  One group received a list of words to review that were consistent with the stereotype of an elderly person.  The control group reviewed a list of random words.  As the participants left the laboratory, researchers measured how fast they walked to the elevator.  Participants who had reviewed the elderly stereotype words walked significantly more slowly to the elevator than the control group participants.  Thus, providing support for the effects of priming.

How can you take advantage of priming?  When the interviewer asks, “Tell me about yourself,” you respond with your carefully-prepared-but-natural-sounding marketing message that describes the benefits you have to offer.  Follow these tips when preparing your answer:

1.    Be brief (about 60 seconds).
2.    Use keywords from the job description or from your research on the company.
3.    Describe your top three strengths that are most pertinent to the needs of the company (needs discovered during your research).
4.    Include a description of an accomplishment or two as an illustration of your strengths and how they will benefit the company (your value proposition).
5.    Keep your message consistent with the branding message you have used in your résumé, cover letter, and social media profiles (consistency makes you memorable).
6.    Let your passion for the work show through.
7.    Use a story (stories are memorable).

When you bring together the employer’s keywords with your talents and value proposition and put it into a story, you will capture the interviewer’s attention and prime a framework for the interview around your personal brand.  Be sure to thoroughly prepare so you can stay on message throughout the questioning and maintain the priming and your advantage.

Here is an example of how an engineer might answer the question from the book 60 Seconds & You’re Hired! By Robin Ryan:

“For my last employer I implemented a new quality-assurance program for seven plants over a four-year period.  We received the Q 1 Award for our efforts.  Along the way, I’ve learned to effectively deal with employee resistance to quality improvements through training, selling teamwork concepts, and utilizing a personal empowerment approach.  I have evaluated 37 suppliers during on-site inspections to improve the quality of their product—parts that will ultimately become pieces of my company’s final product.  My five years in design engineering and my strong communication skills have aided me in my ability to work with a diverse population and solve technical problems.  These are the reasons I feel I would make a valuable contribution to your company.”

A reader writes:

I have a specific question on “qualification of summary”. How does one write a good Profile Summary ? What should it include and how should one present the details. If you can elaborate more on this topic and include an example or two, that will be really useful.

My reply:

Your qualifications summary is the first thing the hiring manager will look at.  This is where you want to present the value and benefits you bring to the employer.  There are different options for how to write a qualifications summary but here are some general guidelines.  Your qualifications summary should clearly state what job title or function you are seeking.  If it isn’t clear what job you are seeking, you will not be considered.  You want to establish your brand and present your value proposition.  You do this by highlighting your most impressive, relevant accomplishment(s) and your greatest strengths.  Write your summary to address the employer’s needs and use keywords from the job posting whenever possible.  You want to be authentic in your description of who you are while at the same time presenting yourself as the perfect fit for the position.

The format you choose for your qualifications summary will depend on your experience and your targeted position.  Choose a format that allows the reader to quickly scan it and immediately recognize your fit for the job.  Below are two examples of different formats.  The first example worked to get the job seeker an excellent human resources position that she loves.  Following her summary, she included a section showing her certifications, education, and awards, which acted as a supplement to her qualifications summary and verified her accomplishments.  The information she provides is concise but powerful enough to generate interest to read further.  The second example was taken from the book Résumé Magic written by Susan Britton Whitcomb.  There is much greater detail provided in this summary, but by using bolded keywords, the reader is drawn to the bullet points and motivated to read on.  Focus on job fit, keywords, and the unique personal brand value and benefits you offer.

Example 1:

Summary of Qualifications

Results-oriented management professional with extensive experience in Human Resources, customer service, process improvement, and new product launches.  A proven leader with 20 years of experience building and leading cross-functional teams. Recognized for excellent employee development, product deployment, and project management skills. Other skills and strengths include:

Example 2:

QUALIFICATIONS

PHYSICIAN EXECUTIVE qualified for senior-level management opportunities where strengths in strategic planning, development, and visionary leadership will promote high-growth business ventures.  Highlights:

• Market-Driven Executive—Initiated business re-engineering in a 38-physician practice to address the emerging commercialization of medicine; cut operating costs through innovative cost-containment programs; brought consensus among divergent interests during transition to market-focused paradigm.

• Academic Qualifications—Harvard MBA program graduate with management and financial skills backed by clinical competence of 15+ years of practice as a board-certified internist and anesthesiologist.  Substantial experience in emergency services, aeromedical evacuation, and special operations.

• International Orientation—Advanced the accessibility of health care in third world nations through commitment to international healthcare organizations (eight trips to Honduras, Mexico, and Vietnam as team chief and service as program director for an overseas teaching hospital).

• White House Fellowship—Regional finalist among highly competitive candidate list of 800+; seeking to address global health care issues (special project:  research for development of counter-strategies for medical terrorism).

During my teleseminar the other day, a participant asked how to express results in a resume when there are no quantitative measures.  What a great question!  I can relate to that, can’t you?  Don’t we all have accomplishments we are proud of that don’t have measurable results we can tout?  Fortunately, there is a solution when numbers aren’t available.  A vibrant qualitative description of the results you attained can be a powerful descriptor and carry a lot of weight with a hiring manager.  Here are a few examples of how you can summarize your accomplishments qualitatively:

Resolved customer complaints with active listening and proactive resolution skills resulting in the receipt of appreciation letters from customers commending my services.

Facilitated productive weekly team meetings demonstrating exceptional communication and organizational skills that elicited a performance review comment from my manager as “best in class meeting facilitator.”

Cross-trained staff outside of normal job responsibilities resulting in increased productivity and increased customer service response time with reduced headcount.

Sunday night was the premier of The Celebrity Apprentice.  As I watched, I noticed similarities between the reality show and the reality for many who have been laid off during this economic downturn.  Sunday night Carol was the first one Donald Trump fired.  Carol didn’t do anything wrong.  Everyone worked hard and did their absolute best for the task.  Carol did her job very well.  Her downfall was probably that, although her job was critical to the task, it wasn’t as demanding or as high profile as some of the other job functions.  She wasn’t fired for poor performance, she was fired simply because the rules of the game required that someone had to be fired.

The same is true for most of the people who have recently been laid off.  They weren’t laid off because they did anything wrong.  They worked hard and did their jobs well. They were laid off simply because the rules of business require that when revenues are down, costs have to be cut.

Carol stated that she felt qualified and capable of performing the job she was assigned during the task.  However, she also made it clear that the job she had this week didn’t play to her top strength, which is her creativity.  Now that Carol is finished with the show, she will go back to her chosen profession as a comedian, which plays to her creative strength.

The time following a layoff may be a good time to reflect on whether a former job played to one’s strengths.  Taking time to clarify one’s top strengths and identify future opportunities that will engage those strengths can lead one to a more fulfilling and meaning career in the future.  In real life, one’s job isn’t just for the assigned task of the week or the duration of a 13-week show.  Even when a steady paycheck is needed, taking a little extra time and putting forth a little more effort to try to find that job that utilizes one’s best strengths can pay huge dividends in finding, landing, and enjoying one’s next position.  Best wishes for success and happiness!

A reader writes:

I have been hearing a lot of talk about sending handwritten thank you notes versus email notes following an interview.  I have been sending email notes only.  What do you recommend?

My reply:

There is not one right answer to this question except that a thank you note must be sent and it needs to be sent within 24 hours of the interview.  The advantages of an email are (1) it gets there quickly; (2) it is typed, which is ideal for those that are handwriting challenged; and (3) there is more space to reiterate the benefits you will bring to the position.

The advantages of the handwritten thank you note are (1) you may be the only applicant that sends one, which will make you stand out from the crowd; (2) it shows extra effort on your part; and (3) an email is often quickly deleted but a card may stay on the hiring manager’s desk as a constant reminder of you.

My suggestion would be to take full advantage by doing both.  Show them you’re an overachiever and get your name back in front of them twice.  The email will get to the hiring manager the same day and the handwritten note will get there the next day or two.  (If you interview with more than one person, send separate notes to each of them.)

If you have a job search question, I would love to answer it in my blog.  Please submit your question to askterry@occupationalzen.com and look for your answer here.

If your résumé is going to work for you, there are seven essential elements that you will need to include.  Here are elements five through seven.

…Continued from yesterday.

5. Succinct, Specific, and Descriptive. When writing your copy, write and edit until the statements in your document are direct and to the point, giving the most important information necessary to boldly illustrate your talent and worth.  Use powerful words, keywords, and descriptive language, and keep it succinct.  You don’t have to exaggerate, just paint a clear picture with your terms.

6. Contact Information. Make sure your name is prominent and easy to find in a stack of résumés.  Ensure your email address is professional.  If the employer is interested, you will most likely be contacted by phone, so place your phone number where it is easily found.  If your document is two pages long, place your name and phone number at the top of the second page in case the pages get separated.

7. Readability. If your résumé makes it past the scanning process and gets onto the hiring manager’s desk, readability becomes key. The hiring manager will judge you based on the look and layout of your résumé.  Use an easy to read font and a font size between 10 and 12 points with your name in a larger font.  Use category headings and balance your text with a lot of white space.  Bullet points that follow the rules listed above enhance readability.  Use a bold typeface to highlight key information, such as your name, category headings, and previous employers.  Your résumé should never be more than two pages long.

Although it may be tempting to hire someone to write your résumé for you, it is worth the time and effort to prepare your document yourself.  If you need help, hire a career coach or other professional who will work with you and advise you on putting together the document.  The work you do preparing your résumé is also preparing you for the interview.  Ideally, you need to customize your résumé for the different positions you apply for and you will need to update your résumé as time goes on, so this is a valuable skill to acquire.

The purpose of your résumé is to get you an interview.  Your résumé doesn’t tell the employer your whole story; it is an advertisement designed to stimulate enough interest so that the employer wants to know more.  Keep in mind that you are selling yourself and your goal is to communicate the benefits you have to offer the employer and to express them in a clear, concise, professionally presented manner.  By incorporating the seven essential elements above, you are well on your way to producing an exceptional résumé.

How do you prepare a résumé with the resilience to survive the onslaught of elimination drills conducted by employers these days?  How do you ensure your résumé will stand out from the other 500-plus applicants?   Although it is true that your résumé is a record of your past achievements, your training, skills, and abilities; first and foremost, your résumé is a marketing tool.  It is imperative that you showcase your unique brand and your value proposition.  When preparing your document, always start and end with the mindset of the employer, which is “What’s in it for me?”  If your résumé is going to work for you, there are seven essential elements that you will need to include.

1. Personal Brand and Value Proposition. Your résumé is an opportunity to show the employer who you are, what your unique strengths are, and how you can provide exceptional value to meet the needs of the hiring manager and the company.  You set yourself apart from the competition by highlighting your personal brand and value proposition in your Qualifications Summary at the beginning of your résumé and maintaining a consistent focus on your brand throughout the rest of the document.  Before you begin writing, take the time to reflect on what you are passionate about doing and how you can communicate your special brand and particular value to the employer.

2. Accomplishments. Avoid any and all use of the terms “responsibilities” and “duties.”  Employers are interested only in what you have accomplished.  Past results are indicative of future results, so provide explicit descriptions of your achievements.  The easiest way to compose your accomplishment statements is to use the SAR technique by writing out the Situation, the Action you took, and the Result.  Include quantitative measures whenever possible, such as dollars saved, profits earned, or percentages reduced/increased.  Reduce your SAR description to a concise accomplishment statement that begins with a strong action verb or keyword noun.  A general rule of thumb is to list five accomplishment statements for recent jobs and three to five for more distant employment.

3. Keywords. Whether by software or human eyes, your résumé is likely to be scanned for keywords.  The more keywords you include, the more likely your résumé is to move to the next stage of the process.  To identify keywords, find three or four job postings for the type of job you are seeking and incorporate the commonly used keywords and their synonyms into your résumé.  The keywords should be prominent and frequent.  One caution:  Do not overuse a keyword if you don’t have the skills or experience to support it.  This will backfire on you and you will be eliminated from consideration.

4. Relevance and Authenticity. Only include information that is relevant to the job for which you are applying.  Listing irrelevant skills doesn’t beef up the résumé; it merely dilutes your applicable qualifications.  If you are changing careers and your past experience is in a different area, concentrate on your transferable skills that are relevant to the new position.  Always be authentic and honest.  Do not exaggerate your skills or experience.  Never, ever lie!  Most companies do background checks and exaggerations and lies can cost you the job, even after you have been hired.

…Check back tomorrow for Part II