Trick or Treat

Halloween just ended so let’s talk about a part of the job search process that reminds me of going Trick or Treating: the Screening Interview.

As most of you know from personal experience, interviewing is the most difficult and stressful part of the job search process and it requires lots of research and preparation whether you are looking for a professional job at a blue blood Wall Street law firm or your first job as a stockroom clerk at Wal-Mart.

In the job search process the screening interview is usually the first contact between an employer and a candidate, and screening interviewers are quite often the toughest ‘people’ you will meet, and I use the word ‘people’ loosely.

And what is it about a screening interview that makes me think about Trick or Treating. Well in both cases you leave your home not knowing what to expect from the people you meet, you need to be constantly on guard, and one false move can be the difference between coming home empty handed or ecstatic.

SCREENING INTERVIEWS

So you ask, what is a screening interview and what is its purpose? Companies that conduct screening interviews do so to pre-determine if a candidate meets the basic criteria for a job, and should be passed along to HR or line decision maker. You noticed I said to take the word ‘people’ loosely. This was not meant to disparage people who conduct screening interviews; quite the contrary.

Today in many large and midsize, and even in small companies, the initial interview screening process is automated, and every resume is scanned and parsed into ATS software systems and the screener inputs keywords and other criteria so the data base can spit out compatible candidates who meet minimum standards for the position.

It is for this reason that a large percentage of highly qualified candidates are left out of the game before they can even get in it. They are the candidates who submitted resumes that got lost in cyber space and never get eyeballed by a human being.

To avoid this happening to you I suggest you have a specially constructed, computer friendly, ASCII formatted digital or electronic resume in your portfolio that is expertly written and covers all the bases.

Now if you were lucky enough to get called in for a screening interview, what do you need to know?

First off the people who conduct a screening interview are less prone to be professionally trained interviewers, and in many instances they act as gatekeepers. In addition their task is not so much to look for reasons to open the door for you to walk through and meet the decision maker on the other side, but to find reasons to show you the front door and ask you to shut it on your way out.

Screening interviewers do not ask questions with the intention of determining if you have the best skills, experience, and intangible assets for the position. This is the job of the next level interviewer. When conducting a screening interview they act more like farmers at the beginning of planting season and try to dig up all of the dirt about you and use this against you.

They will scrutinize your resume and delve into the negatives such as gaps in your work history, and grill you on specific dates in your employment, “I see here that you worked for ABC from 2006 to 2007. Was that 2 years 1/06 to 12/07, or was it 2 months or 2 weeks 12/20/07 to1/4/07 that you worked there.” Then they will grill you as if you were trying to pull the wool over their eyes and mislead them. You need to anticipate this line and manner of interrogation and remain cool, calm and collected when answering to defuse them. I worked there for 12 months, from June 06 to June 07 and I listed it this ways in order to keep continuity with the rest of the dates on my resume” The way you answer the question is just as telling to them as the response itself, and more so if poor communication skills is a trait they are looking to screen out.

They will also scrutinize the statements and adjectives you used on your resume, and ask questions like, “I see from your resume that you have expert level ability in both Excel and PowerPoint.” Then you reply, “Well not quite expert level but I am really good at both.”

When I asked screening interviewers they told me two things that turn them off on a candidate are people who overstate their value and worth on paper, and candidates whose resumes say they have a level of competency that excites them, and then let them down by not living up to their PR in the live interview.

This is one reason I stress you use accurate, descriptive adjectives on your resume and don’t try to oversell yourself by overinflating your worth and ability. Because poor use of language can turn around and nip you in the butt…

Next week I’ll continue on the topic and discuss other types of interviews and interviewers you are bound to encounter.

Contrary To Public Opinion

GET A FREE RESUME CRITIQUE  mailto:perry@perrynewman.com

I recently wrote a resume for a candidate who worked for an investment company founded and run by one of the worlds most renowned and successful contrarian investors. We discussed his boss’s investment philosophy, especially in a distressed economy, and then I explained how I approach resume writing in a distressed job market. Not to my surprise, my client noticed how similar his boss’s investment philosophy and my resume writing philosophy and modus operandi are and, I am proud to say, the similarity in our results.

For those who do not know, in finance a contrarian investor is one who attempts to profit by investing in a manner that differs from the conventional wisdom, when the consensus opinion appears to be wrong. A contrarian believes that certain crowd behavior among investors can lead to exploitable mispricing in securities markets. For example, widespread pessimism about a stock can drive a price so low that it overstates the company's risks, and understates its prospects for returning to profitability. Identifying and purchasing such distressed stocks, and selling them after the company recovers, can lead to above-average gains.

Conversely, widespread optimism can result in unjustifiably high valuations that will eventually lead to drops, when those high expectations don't pan out. Avoiding (short-selling) investments in over-hyped investments reduces the risk of such drops.

These general investment principles can apply whether the investment in question is an individual stock, an industry sector, or an entire market, or any other asset class; and over the past few years contrarian investors are being viewed in a new light by the mainstream based on their success in managing portfolios that out produce the conventional wisdom in today’s bear markets.

I believe this approach applies to resume writing as well when it comes to finding a job in an oversaturated market.

In critiquing my work many resume writers refer to me as a contrarian, and I agree 100% with their assessment. Moreover, I am proud to say that by using a contrarian approach in my practice more of my clients experience success in securing interviews and job offers at a rate well beyond the norm, and in less time than their peers who submit a conventional resume.

So what is my contrarian philosophy and approach?

I believe that in today’s job market 80% of the conventional wisdom in how to write a resume and conduct a job search is outdated, and slowly but surely astute job seekers are coming to accept this truth and adapt. This is especially true in how they prepare their resume and in their use of social media, and in how they now seek out professionals who are cognizant of the new reality in order to get the competitive edge.

As a contrarian my core belief is this; if your resume looks similar to your competitor’s resume the odds are you’re going to have a long job search with lots of heartbreak, and the odds increase exponentially depending not so much on the quality of your competition, but on the quantity of people vying for the same positions.

So, as a contrarian before I write a resume I first look at 6-12 resumes of candidates who share key similarities with my client to see how they present themselves. I also research how resume mills and other resume writers present people who resemble my client’s job title, skills and experience, i.e. a CXO, a VP Business Development, a Project Manager, a Senior Relationship Manager, an HR Generalist, or a recent MBA.

Then I collaborate with my client to produce a resume whose look, feel, format, style, presentation and content will least resemble their competition’s resumes. The less it resembles the accepted norm, the better my client’s chance at success.

My thought process here, which has been validated by numerous decision makers I have polled on this matter, is that if a resume stands out visually in the crowd it will not get passed over and will often be given a valuable extra 10-60 seconds of read time than the rest of the resumes in the pile.

A contrarian resume also alerts the screeners and decision makers that this candidate considers himself or herself someone special who is beyond standard classification, and the reader will focus on identifying these difference and how pronounced they are.

So when you set about to write your own resume or choose a resume writer to help you in the process, I suggest you consider whether you want to follow the crowd, be another beautiful face in the crowd, or if you want to stand out head and shoulder above the crowd. If it’s the latter I wholeheartedly suggest you follow my modus operandi and write a contrarian resume for yourself.

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, former AIPC certified recruiter, and an SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for a FREE resume critique.

Job Search Advice + Bonus FREE Resume Critique AT THE MOVIES: PART 2

I'm back, and once again I want you to know if your résumé and job search are off to a rocky start you can send your resumé to perry@perrynewman.com for some expert, free advice.

Now to help you further understand what a job search entails we will continue our tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn “At The Movies.”

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND - MEETS – THE COLOR OF MONEY
Ok, the HR department loved you and the hiring manager did too. He even asked you how much you will accept, and then told you he wants to make you a fair offer. All you need to do is “come in and see my boss, the VP, for a 10 minute meet and greet and it’s a done deal.” You go home and tell your spouse and best friend that the long wait is finally over, a new job is in the bag. Two days later you go into this meeting over-confident that the job is yours and you let down your guard. You dress and act a little more casually; you speak to the manager as if she is your life-long friend; you say things that contradict what you said before; and when she asks you how much you want you ask for 10% above what you told her manager. A few days go by and you have not heard back from the company and they did not reply to your follow-up emails. Then when you call and are lucky enough to get the manager on the phone, not wanting to hurt your feelings he says “’I’m glad you called. I just got out of a meeting with the VP and was told the position you interviewed for was just rescinded” or, “I’m sorry but a great candidate internal candidate just surfaced and the VP offered her the job.”

The scenario I just described in some form or another plays out every day at every level in the fickle word of job search. So whatever you do keep the words of Yogi Berra in mind, “It aint over till it’s over.” Remember to keep your guard up at all times; treat every interview as if it’s your first interview and you have to sell the heck out of yourself to this person; and be very careful how and with whom you negotiate salary. In my experience a new job is never in the bag until the day you start work, so beware of what you say and do every step along the way.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Most people I question tell me that interviewing is the most frightening aspect of their job search. Quite a number of them tell me that they are happy to get a chance to sell themselves, but once they walk in the door they are as comfortable as they would be alone, in a dark alley at midnight with Freddy Kruger. For most of us this is only natural; no one enjoys being on the hot seat, and many people on job interviews today are more accustomed to being on the other side of the desk asking the questions, as opposed to having questions directed at them by someone they feel is their inferior. To improve your interviewing skills, I recommend you put together a “Board of Directors” consisting of professional people who know you well (try to include a few from your field) and who you trust and will not feel embarrassed in front of.

When you meet for the first Board Meeting discuss general and specific questions you might expect on a phone or live first interview and brainstorm what you think are the proper responses. At the next meeting conduct mock interviews around a desk or table. Appoint a ‘Director’ to handle the video camera and the rest of the board members can take turns interviewing you. Practice 15-30 minute interviews having members ask you the same and different questions in different interview roles. One scenario is a friendly HR first interview and another is a hard-nosed interrogation style first interview. In future sessions your can conduct technical and/or line manager interviews, the let’s get down to brass tacks interview, the final decision maker interview, and finally the salary negotiation interview.

At the end of each session, or the beginning of the next, review the tape and judge several factors: How did you answer the questions; how was your body language; how was your eye contact; how was your voice modulation; did you come across as convincing, nervous, unprepared, cocky, too light weight, too overqualified, too arrogant, or too humble. Another thing is when you go on a real job interview, as soon as you can jot down the questions, your responses and any notes that stick out in you mind. After a number of mock and real interviews you will hopefully find your comfort zone and confidence, and get job offers instead of rejection notices.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Didn’t you love how the clothes changed Ann Hathaway from being an outcast who was taken lightly into a career woman who people took seriously? A job seeker may have the brains, the skills and the experience an employer wants. But I have found that in most job interviews just like in your looking the part will be an equal if not a deciding factor in the decision-making process, especially in certain fields where you are in the public eye such as retail, fashion, sales, and even public accounting. My suggestion is to choose in your current wardrobe at least one outfit and accessories (shit/blouse, tie/scarf, earring, shined shoes) for use almost exclusively for interviewing. If you don’t already have proper interview cloths go out and buy some. If you are short on cash arrange with a friend or family member to borrow a suitable interview outfit, or check the web to see if there are organizations in your area that loan people clothes for job interviews.

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email your resume to perry@perrynewman.com
for free resume critique.

Job Search Advice + Bonus FREE Resume Critique AT THE MOVIES: PART 1

Job hunters must take their résumé writing, job search strategy, and time management skills as seriously as I do. So if your résumé and job search are off to a rocky start you can send your resumé to me at perry@perrynewman.com for some expert, free advice.

To help you understand what a job search entails here are a few more tips offered in a way I know you can relate like Andrew C who said, “Being in the careers space myself, I read a lot of content that is helpful for job-seekers… yours is pure genius though.” Sometimes to understand a set of circumstances better, you need to compare it with other situations that you’re familiar with. So today I will share my movie buff side with you and take you on a tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn “At The Movies.”

LOST IN TRANSLATION
You know how great you are! Your former boss – the one who regretted laying you off – is going to miss taking credit for your ideas and accomplishments! The team members you led for the past X years know how valuable your leadership skills are and how sorely you will be missed! The vendors you dealt with will miss your problem solving and relationship management skills! The receptionist will miss your warm smile and kind words of encouragement! The accounting, IT, sales and marketing departments will miss the little things you do that make their work product better than it will be without you! As a matter of fact everyone you have come into contact with in business knows that you are no Average Joe, and they can all attest to the fact that you are one of the best in the business at what you do. The only people who will think of you as just another one of the myriad number of average out of work employees, managers and executives are the people who judged you by your resumé.

So here are two suggestions I think all job seekers, and especially mid level to senior level managers and VP and CXO level executives should take to heart. One is to make sure you look as good on paper as you do in person. Be very selective when choosing someone to help you write your resumé. Make sure you are an equal partner and can collaborate freely with the resumé writer; be careful what information you agree to put on or leave off your resumé; and most important make sure your resumé looks and reads crisp, clean and clear so you come across as a candidate every prospective employer must meet.

My second tip is to accumulate as many written recommendations as you can from people who will confirm your achievements and the truthful claims to greatness you have made on your resumé. Post them on your linked-in page or personal website. Then direct people in your network and prospective employers to them by hyperlinking them to your resumé or by word of mouth. If you are really bold you might even put two or three select references or quotes from them on your resumé as validation of who you are. What ever you do make sure the’ story you tell about a great prospective hire does not get lost in the translation. (Take advantage of my free resume critique offer above)

NETWORK
You have heard and read this a hundred times before, however not every job hunter heeds this advice. A job search is in and of itself a full-time job that requires serious game planning, meticulous execution, and a minimum commitment of 30 hours every week.

So how much time and effort do you put into your job search? Be honest now. Are you unemployed, slacking off, and putting golf, the gym, watching TV and personal tasks ahead of your job search way too often? If you are, I suggest you go to the nearest mirror, look yourself straight in the eyes and shout at the top of your lungs “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it.” Then promise yourself that “from now on I will elevate my job search to the top, and not keep it in the middle or at the bottom of my list of “Important Things to do Today.”

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL
Gotcha…. you thought the previous tip was about networking for a job; well you were wrong, this one is. Being a Certified Social Media Strategist I am one of the biggest proponents of using Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook, blogs like this, and any quality social media outlet to network and show your bonifides. Still equally important is the need for face-time. This is why you need to get out more and attend weddings, funerals, chamber of commerce meeting, alumni gatherings, CPE courses, network nights, workshops, and even religious events so you can see and be seen by the right people. As you can see I did not mention job fairs as I find them to be cattle calls, but there is a place for them as well.

You might have an outstanding virtual image but there is nothing like being out there and having people see you as a human being. Social media, websites, emailing and texting are all nice networking tools to use, but meeting with people face to face as often as possible should have a place near the top of your job search list of ‘Things to Do.’

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, job transition coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help people get results. You can view sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email your resume for a free resume critique to perry@perrynewman.com

AT THE MOVIES – Job Search lessons from the Silver Screen

A few weeks ago I thought I would have some fun and write a post on job search tips I gleamed from American Idol. In response I got this comment from Andrew C.; “Being in the careers space myself, I read a lot of content that is helpful for job-seekers. The correlation with American Idol was pure genius though. Sometimes in order to understand a set of circumstances better, you need to compare it with other situations that you're familiar with.” So today I will share my movie buff side with you and take you on a tour of the silver screen and see what we can learn from some famous movies and movie titles.

I also want to remind you about my standing offer of a FREE RESUME CRITIQUE when you email your resume to perry@perrynewman.com

ACTION / CAMERA / ROLL UM

Lost in Translation
You know how great you are! Your former boss - the one who regretted laying you off - knows how innovative you are! The team members you led for the past X years know how much your valuable leadership skills are going to be sorely missed! The vendors you dealt with will miss your problem solving and relationship management skills! The receptionist will miss your warm smile and kind words of encouragement! The accounting, IT, sales and marketing departments will miss the little things you do that make their work product better than it will be without you! As a matter of fact everyone you have come into contact with in business knows that you are no Average Joe, and they can all attest to the fact that you are one of the best in the business at what you do. The only people who will think of you as just another one of the myriad number of average out of work employees, managers and executives are the people who read your resume.
So here two suggestions I think all job seekers, and especially mid level to senior level managers, VPs and CXO executives should take to heart. One is to make sure you look as good on paper as you do in the flesh. Be very selective on who helps you write your resume. You should be an equal partner and collaborate freely with the resume writer; be carful what information you put on or leave off your resume; and most important make sure your resume looks and reads crisp, clean and clear, and makes you come across as a candidate every prospective employer must meet. My second tip is to accumulate as many written recommendations as you can from people who will validate your achievements and the honest claims to greatness you have made on your resume. Post them on your linked-in page or personal website. Then direct people in your network and prospective employers to them hyperlinked to your resume or by word of mouth. If you are really bold you might even put two or three select references or quotes from them on your resume as validation of who you claim to be. What ever you do make sure the Hero Story you tell about a great prospective hire is heard loud and clear and does not get lost in the translation. If you are not sure where your resume stands ask for a free resume critique by sending me your resume at perry@perrynewman.com


Network
You have heard and read what I am about to say at least a thousand times, however not every job hunter does this. A job search is in and of itself a full time job that requires serious game planning, meticulous execution, and a minimum commitment of 30 hours every week.
So how much time and effort do you put into your job search? Be honest now. Are you unemployed, slacking off, and putting golf, the gym, watching TV and personal tasks ahead of your job search way too often? If you are, I suggest you go to the nearest mirror, look yourself straight in the eyes and shout at the top of your lungs “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it.” Then make a commitment to yourself that from now on you will elevate your job search to the top, rather than keeping it in the middle or at the bottom of your list of “Important Things to do Today’.

Four Weddings and a Funeral
A’cha - gotcha…. you thought the previous tip was about networking for a job; well you were wrong, this one is. As a certified social media strategist I am one of the biggest proponents of using Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook, blogs like this, and any quality social media outlet to network and establish your bonifides. Still equally important is the need for face-time. This is why you need to get out more and attend weddings, funerals, chamber of commerce meeting, alumni gatherings, CPE courses, network nights, workshops, and even religious events so you can see and be seen by the right people. As you can see I did not mention job fairs as I find them to be cattle calls, but there is a place for them as well.
You might have an outstanding virtual image but there is nothing like being out there and having people see you as a human being. Social media, job boards, emailing and texting are all nice tools to use, but meeting with people face to face as often as possible should also have a place near the top of your job search list of ‘Things To Do.’

Close Encounters of the Third Kind MEETS The Color of Money
Ok, the HR department loved you and so did the department manager who asked you how much you will accept and then tells you he wants to make you a fair offer. All you need to do is “come in and see my boss, the VP, for a 10 minute meet and greet and it’s a done deal.” You go home and tell your spouse and best friend that the long wait is finally over, a new job is in the bag. Two days later you go into this meeting over-confident that the job is yours and you let down your guard. You dress and act a little more casually; you speak to the manager as if she is your life-long friend; you say things that contradict what you said before; and when she asks you how much you want you ask for 15% above what you told the department manager. A few days go by and you have not heard back from the company and they did not reply to your follow up emails. Then when you call and are lucky enough to get the department manager on the phone, not wanting to hurt your feelings he says “’I’m glad you called. I just got out of a meeting with the VP and we were told the job you interviewed for was just rescinded” or, “I’m sorry but we had a great candidate internally and offered him/her the job.”

The scenario I just described in some form or another plays out every day at every level in the fickle word of job search. So whatever you do keep the immortal words of the Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra in mind, “It aint over till it’s over.” Remember to keep your guard up at all times, treat every interview as if it’s your first interview and you have to sell the heck out of yourself to this person, and be very carful how and with whom you negotiate salary. In my experience the job is never in the bag until the day you start work, so beware of what you say and do every step along the way.

A Nightmare On Elm Street
Most people I question tell me that interviewing is the most frightening aspect of their job search. Quite a number of them tell me that they are happy to get a chance to sell themselves, but once they walk in the door they are as comfortable as they would be alone, in a dark alley at midnight with Freddy Kruger. For most of us this is only natural; no one likes to be on the hot seat, and many people who are going on job interviews today are more accustomed to being on the other side of the desk asking the questions, as opposed to having to answer them for someone they feel is their inferior. So if interviewing is not you strongest point, and even if it is, I recommend you put together a “Board of Directors” consisting of professional people who know you well (preferably including a few from your field) and who you trust and will not feel embarrassed in front of. When you convene the first board meeting the agenda should be to discuss what general and specific questions you might expect on a phone or live first interview, and brainstorm what you think should be the proper responses. At the next meeting begin your mock interviews around a desk or table. Appoint a ‘Director’ who will handle the video camera and the rest of the board members will take turns as the interviewers. You can then practice 15-30 minute interviews having them ask you the same and different questions in different interview roles. One scenario is a friendly HR fist interview and another hard nosed HR interrogation style first interview. In subsequent tapings you can conduct the technical and/or line manager’s interviews, the let’s get down to the nitty gritty interview, the final decision maker interview, and most important a salary negotiation interview. At the end of each session, or the beginning of the next you need to review the tape and judge several factors: How did you answer the questions; how was your body language; how was your eye contact; how was your voice modulation; did you come across as convincing, nervous, unprepared, cocky, arrogant, or too humble. Another thing is when you go on an actual job interview, as soon as you can jot down the questions you were asked, your responses and any notes that stick out in you mind. After a number of mock and real interviews you will hopefully find your comfort zone and confidence, and get job offers instead of being notices.

The Devil Wears Prada
Didn’t you love how the clothes changed Ann Hathaway’s personality in this movie, and took her from being an outcast who was taken lightly to a real up and comer who looks the part of a subject matter expert who should be taken seriously? A job seeker may have the brains, the skills and the experience an employer wants. But I have found that in most job interviews looking the part will be an equal if not a deciding component in the decision making process, especially in certain fields where you are in the public eye such as retail, fashion, sales, and even public accounting. My suggestion is to have or go out and buy some interview cloths and keep them only for this occasion. If you have no interview cloths I your closet or you are short on cash arrange with a friend or family member to borrow a suitable interview outfit, or check the web to see if there are organizations in your area that loan people cloths for job interviews.

I hope some of these points help you. If they do, leave a comment.

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

Resumes Mills & The High Cost Of Free!

If you don't already know me, when it comes to resume writing I firmly believe "One Size Does Not Fit All." This is not a slick marketing slogan, but a highly effective approach to writing custom resumes in a field dominated by resume mills fronted by job search engines. To spread this mantra to the uninformed I critique resumes sent to perry@perrynewman.com for free; and instead of emailing my critique I offer it to you live over the phone. This way you can ask me questions about how you can make it sizzle and sell.

What I find disheartening is nearly half the people I critique resumes for already paid $399 to $999 for a resume the salesperson said is THE ONLY RESUME FORMAT that works, only to find out the resume is well written but underperforming. What I and most people who review resumes for a living find laughable is we can look at these resumes and 90% of the time tell you who it was purchased from.

Is this ESP? No. Its simple; most of these companies write resumes using only one style that describes a generic person holding a job title (i.e. CEO, CIO, CFO, President, Marketing Director, Operations Manager, lawyer, civil engineer, auditor), rather than describing the special attributes of the person who is paying the bill. I admit these resumes are well constructed; and the words, grammar and sentence structure are erudite and very professional. The problem is these resumes are sterile and lack a personal touch.

What I also found alarming is when I asked "how were you referred to this service," I was told it was from the resume critique offer they accepted after they registered to get access to the jobs posted on the parent company's search engine. They told me that after attaching a resume they received a pointed email critique with a nice sales pitch and no guarantee. I asked for a few people to send me the critique and I registered with a few services submitting resumes they wrote changing the name and email address.

What I found was that each critiqe used the same boilerplate generic format and suggested the exact same problem in each resume with slightly different words for each. They all read something like this: "This is a straightforward assessment of your current resume, and not a judgment of your skills and qualifications. Here’s the good news, my first impression of you is that you have an impressive array of skills and experiences. You’re a qualified (widget maker) with a lot to offer an employer. Now, here’s the bad news: Your resume and the content is not up to the standards one would expect from a candidate like you.

I got the same remarks for a low level candidate with limited experience, a mid-level manager who is subpar at best, and for a seasoned executive who was fired from his last two jobs for just cause. Sound familiar.

So what can you do to avoid getting a pedestrian product for a king’s ransom?

1: Get a verbal critique of your resume, not just a cursory written email review.

2: Inquire as to the exact qualifications of the person who is critiquing your resume, and ask for specific examples of what they feel needs to be changed, why, and how they would handle it.

3. Ask how many different styles of resumes they work with, and which ones would be best for you and why.

4: Avoid layers; make sure the person who critiques your current resume is the same person who will write your new resume.

5: Your resume is not like receiving Social Services. You should be the one to choose who writes your resume instead of having someone who you don’t know and does not know you arbitrarily say “we are assigning writer XYX to your case.”

6: Ask if there is a money back guarantee of at least a partial refund if you are not satisfied with the final draft and a free rewrite if you are not getting results after a specified period of time.

7: Have someone you trust who knows you professionally look at the resume and see if it captures what makes you unique and special and then discuss their opinion with the resume writer.

8: If you want someone to critique your resume with you over the phone and tell you if it needs minor adjustments you can do on your own, major revisions, or is good as is, email a copy with your phone # to perry@perrynewman.com

Author:
Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, and certified recruiter and social media strategist renowned for his ability to produce resume, social media profiles and job search strategies that get results. You can view sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/ and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

FIND OR BE FOUND

I don’t mind repeating this point over again due to the inordinate number of ultra qualified job seekers who have been referred to me by friends, clients, my blogs, and my standing offer of a free resume critique [see http://www.perrynewman.com,], that still don’t get it. The rules of resume writing and conducting a successful job search have changed dramatically since 2008, and most job seekers with three or more years experience who are imminently qualified for a job in their field are clueless and have failed to change with the times.

For example, when I ask perspective clients who are actively searching for a new job what their goal is 7 out of 10 tell me “Perry, I need a new resume”. Most are telling the truth - they certainly need a new and improved resume, however as Richard Dawson on Family Feud said, “Sorry, wrong answer.” What they want is not a new resume, after all a resume doesn’t pay the bills. The right answer is “I want a new job or career that I will enjoy and will pay me what I am worth.”

While their answer and mine might be a matter of semantics to you, to me it is a matter of perspective, or rather a lack of perspective. Simply put what I have found is this (and most resume writers and career coaches agree with me); if a job seeker does not have an above average resume the odds are they also don’t know how to conduct a job search in the age of social media networking.

As a matter of fact what prompted me to write this blog today is my newest client. Lisa is a very successful executive level Corporate Communications professional who has outstanding skills in business communications, marketing, pr and branding. When she contacted me the conversation was short and sweet. Very straightforward she told me she has not been in a serious job search mode for awhile, she knows the process of conducting a job search today has changed, and she is not prepared to make a serious effort until she has acquired all the prerequisite tools and up-to-date knowledge she is missing. Lisa is one of the job seekers out there who gets it! She has the right attitude and perspective and is not embarrassed to admit she is not all knowing, or foolish enough to think she can go it alone without some professional help and a mentor. In other words, Lisa knows what she doesn’t know, and she is intelligent enough to realize how much harm she can cause herself by undertaking a job search without being at the top of her game.

Now what is it that Lisa comprehends and the vast majority of job seekers don’t have a clue about?

I can sum it up in 3 words; ‘The Visibility Factor.’ Let me hypothetically explain what this means. Before I take you on as a new client, I do some homework on you because your electronic life is an open book. I review your resume and Linked-in profile; I check you out on Plaxo, Facebook and Twitter, and Google, Yahoo and Bing you. And I am not the only one doing this. A savvy recruiter, HR talent acquisition specialist and, believe it or not most hiring managers and decision makers today will do this as well because it only takes 15 minutes and yields tremendous results.

Doing this daily for the past two years I found the following trends:
1: Most job seekers 35 and older resemble the H.G. Wells character Dr. Griffin, The Invisible Man
2: Regardless of age 15% of all job seekers are highly visible in a positive way
3: Job seekers age 21-30 tend to have mostly perfunctory, or worse yet unflattering information for a job search publicly available about them.

When I started in the career services business many moons ago, most years the economy was strong and the process was designed for job seekers to find a new job. Then you wrote a factsheet resume and sent it to recruiters and HR departments blindly or in response to their job posting. In those days only 20% of the job seekers and recruiters I met networked. Most depended on the supply and demand system. Lots of jobs, not enough qualified candidates. The goal was for 3-4 companies to respond to a resume, schedule an interview, and then you wade through multiple job offers. This was still working for a lot of you up to 2007. In 2010 this is Old Skool, and as passé as disco balls and bell bottoms trousers.

What every job seeker has to realize is for the foreseeable future the objective is not to expend time, effort and money looking for a job, because the numbers game is now like playing a slot machine. It is stacked against you as much as 500 to1.

The formula today is to network and be found, and this starts with your resume. Most unprofessionally written resumes, and from what I’ve seen nearly 50% of professionally written resumes make the candidate they represent invisible in the crowd. This is unhealthy if your goal is to find a job; and it is the kiss of death if you are looking to be found. For you to be found your resume has to appear in the right places and get into the proper hands; and it must tell a story of a candidate who is like olive oil, which when placed with other liquids separates itself in the crowd and rises to the top.

Next, you must become an expert in the use of social media like Linked-in, Plaxo, E-cademy, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and Web sites so you can be found, and control the public image you portray. These are the tools of the 21st Century and I only see them becoming more sophisticated in the years to come. This is why I recently completed an intensive certification course at Social Media Magic University to improve my already considerable skills in these areas. What I learned here convinced me more than before that social media is here to stay and it will change your life and mine in ways we could not image a mere 5 years ago. This is especially true for anyone in need of a permanent job, a consulting gig, or looking to start or expand a service oriented business.

A most important lesson I learned from this course is, with effective application of social media techniques you can turn the odds in your favor no matter what your competition has to offer.

So if you are still concentrating your efforts on finding a new job, I suggest you take what I say to heart. You will find it takes a lot less effort, and it is a whole lot more fun and rewarding for you to be found, and with the proper guidance all of you can turn your old fashioned job search strategy around 180 degrees in under 10 days.

Executive Resumes & Job Search Tips

Since this week is Presidents Week, I thought it apropos to offer some insights into executive resumes and some tips on conducting a job search for high level professionals looking to get back in the game. If you have not found out the hard way, resumes of people who lead entire companies, subsidiaries, divisions or departments are like Hebrew National hot dogs; they are “held accountable to a higher standard.” So I hope this information is helpful for you, and if you are not sure if your resume is as solid as it can be you can always send it to me for a complimentary resume critique. perry@perrynewman.com

If you are a 6-figure executive looking for a new job you already know the ubiquitous job profile for positions at this level, and the criteria you are judged by are the ability to interact with boards of directors, business owners, oversight committees and fellow executives in the company, along with the ability to ensure a businesses meets profitability goals, and having a track record of promoting a positive corporate image in the eyes of customers, business partners and investors.

Candidates are also judged on their ability to provide vision and leadership to an organization, manage and inspire direct and indirect reports, be accountable for day-to-day operations, and ensure productivity and profitability under all conditions. In other words, as President Harry S. Truman is famous for saying, “The Buck Stops Here”, and your resume needs to shout this message out loud and clear to perspective employers.

Taking all this information into consideration, an executive’s resume can not gloss over these key points nor be overly expansive or contain useless or repetitive information. All these fine points must be covered with clarity and directness, and the resume must focus on accomplishments as opposed to rote responsibilities. Don’t be overly concerned about the number of pages; concentrate on what each page says about you and it will be OK. As I tell all my clients at this level, “decision makers do not care what you did in the past; their interest is in knowing how well you did it and can you repeat this success again for me.” Getting this across in writing is what differentiates a well written from an amateurish executive resume.

As part of the preparation process make sure you complete a thorough resume building exercise to gather the necessary substance for your executive resume before you begin writing. Then go over this information and find the right words and phrases to convey this information. Once you have done this it is time to work on style. As I mentioned above, just as your candidacy will be judged on how well you have promoted a positive corporate image in the eyes of customers, partners and investors, so too decision makers will judge your resume, and by extension your viability as a top candidate, by the image your resume and social media conveys.

This is why I recommend using either an Executive format or a Leadership format depending on how conservative or modern an image you want to portray. Both formats contain a powerful profile statement that highlights your strengths and value for the position you are applying for, along with a table of core competencies. Each format presents the same information, but with a much different visual appeal. Then it is time to list your employment history with a delicate balance of responsibilities and achievements for each position. This is the tricky part, especially knowing how far back to go if you have over 15-20 years of experience.

To fill out the executive resume you need a section on your academic credentials, licenses and certifications, another on business related affiliations, and one on publications if they are relevant. I recommend incorporating a section for professional endorsements, but consider them optional based on your personality and comfort zone in using them.

As for your Social Media image here are a few things you must know. First off you need a business oriented, friendly picture of yourself and it must be consistent on all your Social Media. Another important factor on your social media is that it is not a clone of your resume. Whereas a resume is a more formal document, your social media is just that. It needs to show people your human side and should not be 100% about business. Let people get to know you on a more personal level. Again I tell my clients over and over, “decision makers do not hire qualifications and skill sets they hire people, and more important they hire people they like.” So use your social media to make yourself not only a great candidate, but a likeable one as well.

BONUS HINTS FOR PRESIDENTS WEEK

The following search tip was recently forwarded to me by one of my clients and I think it is worth passing along to you as well.

Use you voicemail messages as a 30-second radio commercial.

What was suggested is you script out and rehearse a voice mail messages so you come across as natural and spontaneous before you leave a message on a decision maker’s voice mail; the odds being 25-1 you will reach VM rather than speak directly to the party you have called.. And what ever you do, don't try and simulate a phony voice-over announcer’s tone of voice, just practice your promo until you sound upbeat and ultra professional. While your competition is leaving spur of the moment and often rambling messages, you can gain a competitive edge by leaving a voicemail message that make people want to call you back.

Appearances Count

Keep those resumes coming my way, because I learn as much about improving my craft from critiquing your resumes as you learn from me about how to improve your resume’s presentation and apply /interview ratio. For a FREE resume critique submit your resume to perry@perrynewman.com.

Also before I delve into today’s topic I’d like to offer congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on winning the Super Bowl; and my condolences to the Colts who lost a great game. Now for all of you job seekers (football fans or not) there is a lesson to be learned here. The goal of a football team is not to get to the Super Bowl it is to win it. Conversely the goal of your resume is not to just generate job interviews; it is to get and accept a great job offer.

Talking about resumes, which is something I love to do, when I read ‘Dress to get the job!,’ Harry Urschel’s Career Rocketeer blog piece last Wednesday, it struck me how much the information and advice he offered is interchangeable with how to write a winning resume.

So pardon me Harry if I take what you wrote and put a different spin on it. After all imitation is the best form of flattery.

To begin his blog Harry wrote, “From time to time I get asked about what’s appropriate to wear to a job interview, networking meeting, or other event. The answer varies based on the circumstances and type of position. The key to keep in mind at any time, however, is that first impressions do matter and dressing appropriately and professionally is a prime component of that first impression.”

Well I too am asked a very similar question all the time concerning how to make a favorable first impression with a resume, and what information, style and format is appropriate too accomplish this. Just like Harry, I answer this query with “One size does not fit all. A resume must be made appropriate depending on the position and company you’re applying to.” Moreover, just like job seekers need different outfits to present distinct images on interviews, many of you will need more than one resume to appeal to different companies and decision makers who will judge the resume you submit.

Harry then continues with the following advice to his readers, to which I’ll substitute some words to make clear my point on how interchangeable our advice about dress codes and resume writing are.

HARRY: The way you dress (the way your resume looks) can tell someone a lot about you:
Do you pay attention to detail (Did you research your audience and what they want to know about you before you began to write)
Do you think this meeting (resume) is important
Do you care about the impression you (your resume) make/s
Do you care about being current (is your resume format dated or inappropriate)

Harry then goes on to say, “Some rules apply across the board. Regardless of the role you’re pursuing, certain rules apply to every situation:”
Clothes should be clean and unwrinkled (your resume should contain only useful information)
Pants (your resume) should be neither too long nor too short
Shoes (the wording and visual appeal of your resume) should be clean (crisp) and polished
T-shirts and jeans (writing too casually on your resume) are almost never appropriate
Neatness counts! (did you proofread your resume to make sure it contains no errors)

Harry closed his piece by saying, “Appearance does matter, and dressing appropriately and professionally regardless of the position you are pursuing can have a tremendous impact on your success. Don’t make the mistake of not taking your appearance seriously enough!’

When it comes to your resume I offer the exact same advice. “The visual and professionalism and appearance of a resume is tantamount to its success… and it is imperative that you take this advice seriously.” After all as I said about the Saints and Colts, the goal is not to get to the Super Bowl or just get interview after interview. Your only goal is to have the winner’s ring on your finger – YOU WANT TO START A GREAT NEW JOB ASAP!!!

The Con's & Pro's of Dumbing Down A Resume

Over 75% of job seekers I come into contact with have 2nd thoughts about their resume. They are unsure if it is a 20th Century fact sheet or a 21st Century marketing document, and if it exudes an aura of professionalism or makes them appear pedestrian. Furthemore, most job seekers want to improve their submit-to-interview ratio and be able to tweak their resume for different jobs but are stymied when it comes down to the nitty gritty of how to accomplish this.

The smartest ones seek out Subject Matter Experts to see what seasoned pros have to say. This is why I encourage people to send me a copy of their resume for a Free Resume Critique. (perry@perrynewman.com)

But let’s be honest, professional resume writers do not all agree on what constitutes a great resume. However I believe I can put down in writing -and I will - that 95% of us agree on these two points: There Are No Universal Rules and One Size Does Not Fit All.

So just like wise job hunters network and seek answers from other professionals on how to improve their job search efforts, so too professional resume writers and career coaches must ask questions in order to improve the relevance and quality of their work.

Which brings me to this week’s topic: “When is it a smart move to Dumb Down your resume – if ever?

During the Q&A session of a national webinar I conducted last week, I was asked by an entry level paralegal job seeker with a Masters degree in Education whether she should leave her advanced degree off her resume and only list her BA and Paralegal Certification. She said she was told by people in the field that her Masters degree makes her appear overqualified.

My immediate reaction (and that of others in the audience) was to leave it on because a Masters degree in and of itself indicates value, whether it relates to the job directly or not; and this was how I answered the question.

Nevertheless when I got home I had second thoughts about my answer in this context and whether it applies universally. So the next day I posed this question to some of my Linked-In contacts to get their reactions. They ran the gamut from fellow resume writers and career coaches, to HR professionals and direct hiring authorities in different professions and industries. Some had an undergraduate degree, some postgraduate degrees, some were MBA’s, and some even had PhD’s.

By and large out of the responses I received the vast majority stated that as a general rule a Masters Degree should be included on you resume under all circumstances, and all agreed this is the case if the degree is an MBA. Most told me that it’s impractical to “Dumb Down” one’s education on a resume, and not surprisingly this group believes a resume is not the forum to address being overqualified. Some answers were based solely on the basis of academics while others were based on whether the degree left an employment gap on the resume.

If you’re also struggling with this dilemma, let me share a few of the actual responses so you can get a better feel on how it applies in your unique situation.

1: Keep it on, especially if you have a work history, if even a retail job, while completing your degree full time. I did my MBA full time while working a retail gig 30+ hours a week. Prospective employers were impressed by the drive I showed by continuing to work while getting my degree full time -- especially since my retail gig involved training younger associates.

2: I don't believe in ever ‘dumbing’ down educational credentials. In every job scenario it is important to show exactly who you are so that in a hiring situation the hiring manager knows what he or she is hiring. It is the hiring person's decision IF a person is overqualified or not!

3: Speaking as a college recruiter, consultant and former senior business leader, NEVER omit any educational experiences. Completing any advanced degree or even a certificate shows your investment in yourself and your desire to acquire knowledge to do a better or more efficient job. Improving one's critical thinking skills and abilities is never a bad move. The term "overqualified" is an excuse used by some managers to limit any perceived "issues" later in the employment. It indicates an organization's inability to grasp the whole situation and underscores their shortsightedness. It can also be the easy way out when explaining a rejection. With so many people retooling and moving laterally or even in reverse to get a better shot at the top, any feedback that reads like over qualified suggested the hiring manager is under qualified.

4: I always go for completeness and transparency when it comes to the resumes I do for my clients. I encourage them to directly address the question that might arise ("Why would you be applying for this job with an advanced degree?") in a cover letter or certainly in an interview. There are lots of positive reasons that might be plausible (trying to break into a new field, trying to fill in a gap in your experience, trying to find a job with regular hours since your spouse travels a lot, etc.).

However the minority of the respondents - as of now 71% said keep it on - those who took the other side in this query, made a very compelling case for their point of view as well. ().he So let’s hear what they have to say.

1: I've been in career coaching, hiring, and marketing for 20+ years... The only time your degree is really important is when they request a specific one or you are looking for an academic position. ALWAYS take off a PhD. The only legitimate Masters degree is an MBA, unless you are applying for an MSN, or MSW position, or a position that states specifically that you must have it.

2: It depends on the work history listed on the resume and the potential position. As a former hiring manager for administrative positions, I would wonder why someone with a Masters would apply for an administrative job.

3: I have Three Masters degrees Msc Engineering, MS, Finance and Technology and an EMBA and will be done with my course work for a Ph.D. this summer. Every small consulting job I got stems from my non degreed resume. Most jobs I have applied for with my full degree, I have been interviewed by people who become defensive and say “you are not Strategic enough”, or “you are not tactical enough,” “You are too strategic,” etc. confusing contrasts. So I think if the job does not want a degree really don't put it there

4: I guess it depends on what the rest of the resume looks like. If she has a history of working as a paralegal, I would leave it on. If she is in a different position in between jobs, I might leave it off as it may send the message that this job is just a temp way to pay bills until something more suitable opens up.

As you can plainly see, the opinions expressed on this topic - as in most resume related questions - are purely subjective. There is no one universal response; with the closest one to universal being not to omit an MBA off of a resume.

If you’re struggling with this question, or any question relating to a job search for that matter, I suggest you do what I do. Seek out Subject Matter Experts, ascertain their opinions, and after examining their outlooks see what makes the most sense for you. Remember the answer is not determined by ‘Majority Rules.’ You can do decide to do whatever you’re most comfortable with even if it is not the most popular opinion.

PS: If you have any topics you want me to discuss in future blogs, please tweet me at perrynewmancpc

Attend A Free Resume & Cover Letter Writing Webinar January 26, 2010 at 5:30 PM EST

On Tuesday January 26th at 5:30 pm I will be conducting a FREE 'Job Hunting in the 21st Century - A New Reality' webinar on How To Prepare Winning Resumes & Cover Letters.

This live webinar and seminar at 11 Broadway in NYC is sponsored by OUjobs.com and First Impressions Resumes, and is geared to increase your Response to Apply ratio by up to 100%.

I can guarantee you that the material we will cover during this hour is not be a rehash of outdated information that you have seen over and over in books, blogs and You Tube.

What we will delve into is the minds of the screeners and decision makers who will be reading your resume and how to get them to react.

We will discuss style over substance and I will share with you some of the new resume formats I use with my clients that get results!

To register go to http://tinyurl.com/y9nzjoo