Blog

Last week I was at work when our internal IM client lit up. I didn’t recognize the name, but I’ve worked with hundreds (if not thousands) of people over the last decade, and it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that this person got my name from someone else internally. So I politely said "hello".

So, the candidate apologized for the "blind" (meaning "you have no idea who I am but I picked you to help me with this question because you are in the right general organization") contact and proceeded to ask me a question for which I am completely unqualified. I suggested the person contact his HR Generalist and the recruiter assigned to his organization to answer this question, because I am not trained to do so.

I was puzzled, confused, and tried to identify who this person was after I directed him elsewhere. He is in another country, and I could not identify how I might know him from my various roles in recruiting. It truly appeared he chose me at random, which I don’t understand because every group has a dedicated HR and Recruiting contact that is easily identifiable via our intranet and their own portal link. ("My HR").

So this got me to thinking about something I’ve seen a lot of the last few years. Part of it is related to the Recession, but part of it is a breakdown of formal barriers in the workplace.

I’ve touched on this before, when it comes to professional branding for individuals. In our very connected world, it’s prudent to assume that someone you come into contact with one day will be someone you run into down the road in a completely different context. Unless your name is "Jennifer Smith" or "Joe Brown", the chances are that you will be memorable. So it behooves you to make sure that when you are reaching out to professional SME’s or resources that you do your homework and know how they can help you. I’ve already written on how to prepare to help me help you; this is more about generally understanding that when you ask the wrong person the wrong question, you damage your own professional image. That isn’t to say that people aren’t willing to help out, but before you choose some random person in the address book, do a bit of digging to find out the *right* authority, not just "a/n" authority. Because I promise you that this sort of thing can follow you for a very long time.

On one of my LinkedIn recruiting groups, there is a discussion going about candidates that are confirmed for interviews and then don’t show. This is a shocking thread to me. It is a global problem, and seems to have a couple of common themes (although apparently not limited only to these two factors): type of roles (support/admin) and general age of the candidate (young – 18-25 or so; GenY).

Additionally, I recently posted an ad on Craigslist for a technical position for one of my hiring managers. There was no email address listed, and the directions *very clearly* stated that to apply for the position, candidates must follow the (provided) link for consideration. I received the usual spam, but at least three candidates that hit the "reply to poster" button and didn’t apply online. Guess what? I deleted their resumes. For this particular position, the employer requires (and it has to do with federal compliance EEOC/AA guidelines) all candidates to apply directly online to the job. No exceptions. Now, this particular job is very much just beyond entry level; the manager was looking for someone with 1-2 years of business experience out of college. So what does that say to me? That probably 99.9% of the applicants are in their 20’s. If you cannot read basic directions, you aren’t the right person for this job.

Regardless of age, the above-referenced behaviors are *unacceptable*. Period. And believe me, employers *do* blackball you in their own databases.

There are a lot of generalities about GenY and their approach to the workforce, their place in it, and how they interact with others. I’ve been reading blogs, white papers, articles, and books on this topic and have found an overwhelming support for many of the suppositions people make.

The Digital Natives bring an amazing skill set to the workplace. They are technically savvy beyond any generation before them. They are amazing multi-taskers. I don’t believe any previous generation has managed to truly capture the concept of "collaboration" as well as this current age bracket. BUT: some of their habits and behaviors are off-putting to the extent that they can become unhirable in today’s market.

So let me tell you GenY, a few things about the workplace.

1) It’s not all about you, how companies can best accomodate your needs. It’s about the bottom line ($) and finding and retaining the talent that is going to bring the most bang for the buck. That means you need to prove you can hold a job long enough to make a valuable contribution to the company. This means that you shouldn’t be job hopping yearly or every two years of your own volition.

2) Chances are that you are not going to be the head of the international marketing team, traveling all over the globe at your employer’s expense, one to five years out of college. Believe it or not, there is a career path. Prove yourself for a couple of years, then jump up that corporate ladder. The common thread running through this all is *prove yourself*.

3) Social media is important, but don’t let your texting/tweeting/facebooking/etc. get in the way of doing your job. Most businesses have established time to *work*, and that doesn’t mean attending to your social network for 3/8 hours is okay just because you work until 8 PM. You are expected to be productively working for the general eight hours everyone else is. Why? Because this is when most of a business’ customers expect them to be available.

4) Everyone else you work with is focused on their own responsibilities, including your supervisor. In general, *no news is good news*. If you don’t get negative feedback on your work, that is the same as receiving *positive* feedback. The fastest way to change someone’s good opinion of you is to constantly *ask how you are doing at your job.*

4A) Most people in professional settings need to focus on tasks, and constantly interrupting them or expecting an instant response to a non-critical communique is not appreciated. Learn patience.

5) Your job is not a LARP. Your team is not playing a game with you. This is not a video game. This is a business. Treat it as such, not as some real-world version of WoW.

6) And "open door policy" does not mean that you should go to the VP of your division with every idea for better ways to do things, or to try and work around the procedures that are in place (for a reason). If you have process improvement ideas, try talking to your manager first. If s/he is unresponsive, talk to his/her boss. Believe me, if you go over heads too many times, you are quite replaceable, especially in today’s economy.

If you are unhappy with the way things are run at the company that is paying you, please feel free to go open your own business; you can run it how you want, implement whatever policies you feel are reasonable, and manage your time and working conditions exactly as you please. But while someone else is paying you and you choose to stay, you need to play by their rules. It’s sort of inherent in the fact that you are accepting their money.

I’m working intensively with a senior resume client. One of the items I have promised her is a template for cover letters. I’ve touched on them before, but it is one of the questions that seems to be of major interest to a lot of people.

Even more than your resume, a cover letter should be individualized per each job/title. However, as a recruiter that looks at literally hundreds of resumes per week, I can tell you that the chances I’m going to be interested in reading a cover letter are slim with a very few specific exceptions (I will cover those examples later.)
BR />

Here are some over-arching guidelines for constructing a cover letter for an open position.

1) The more detailed the information on the job description, the more targeted and detailed your cover letter should be. You should hit the *defined* points with specific examples from your work history most closely aligned with the points of definition. When I say specific, I generally mean a description of a project or initiative you worked on that may be hinted at on your resume but not spelled out. It is the same principle as behavioral-based interviewing, only tying it to their requirements in writing. If they have several points, choose one or two that you have the strongest case to build on.

2) Your first paragraph should include what job you are referencing and where you heard about it. Especially in the case of recruiters, we track sources for metrics, and it is very helpful to reference where you found the information. For example, my client was contacted directly by one of the VP’s of a company she is interested in, about a general cultural fit with the company (as opposed to a specific position). If the cover letter that goes to recruiting, they will know that the VP was interested in her background and that he has an interest in her profile, rather than her pursuing his attentions. In that case, the recruiter/HR rep will actually give it a higher priority and be more proactive. In the case of an opportunistic (undefined role or future opportunity that hasn’t been published yet) it’s fine to just reference being a cultural and functional fit, as I did with that particular cover letter.

3) You should have no more than 3-4 paragraphs. The length of each paragraph is going to be defined by a couple of things.
A) the length of the job description
B >B) the detail in the JD ) whether or not you are applying directly to a job or it is being passed along by a third party (ie a friend at a company or a headhunter/placement company).
BR />If you are applying to an advertised job, say on LinkedIn or the corporate career site with no real "person" you are forming a relationship with, your cover letter should be very short and only used if the JD requests one. (The truth is that most recruiters don’t read them if they are coming in via some sort of external posting. It’s an annoyance and they want to get to the meat of the professional experience the candidate brings to the table.) If you are supplying a cover letter for a neutral (ie no personal contact) job, after you identify the what/where-how in paragraph one, then the second and third paragraph should use the examples in point 1, and each paragraph should be no more than 3-5 sentences.

4) Your final paragraph should be short, sweet and to he point, reiterating your interest and excitement about the position. I recommend taking a proactive assumption that you will be getting the job in most instances. I also include general availability (time zone, days/times most convenient) and best contact method/s. (Alternatively, include your email address/phone number under your closing.)

5) Closing should be professional or if it is an employee referral from someone you know, say thank you again for forwarding the opportunity, as that will reiterate your relationship with the employee. Employee Referrals are the single best way into any company and are most effective if it is someone you have worked with in some capacity in the past.
B >

Being a recruiter, as you can imagine I get a lot of requests for help finding a job. You know that old saying, "God helps those that help themselves"? Take that saying to heart. What that means is that you need to self manage your career, your job hunt, your networking efforts. I am happy to help out by facilitating an introduction or passing along a job opening if I hear of it. I’ll give a quick resume critique for friends. I’ll happily accept a LinkedIn invitation, but I cannot generally "get you a job".

Last week I received an email and resume from out of the blue from someone that just moved to Seattle. A very close friend of mine had suggested she send me mail when she got here. Based on just our mutual connection, I am more than happy to help her out. But she is a fairly new graduate, and is lacking in business savvy. She wanted to know what jobs I might have for her.

So here is the thing. Recruiters specialize, we don’t just all have hundreds of jobs lying around waiting to be filled in every single industry and job category. And for me to be able to help you at all, you need to have targeted a few companies, some potential opportunities, or even agencies (temp or direct placement) that you are looking to make a connection with. Right now, I’m looking for Product Managers in the tech field. And a couple of sales and marketing folks with very specific requirements. Prior to that I was looking for Project/Program Managers in technology and telecom. And before that it was health care profiles. My positions change fairly regularly, as do most recruiters’. It is important, if you are going to approach a recruiter, that you do it in a way that will be beneficial to both of you. You, by generating leads/connections and valuable insight to the industry. For the recruiter, it will be a maximization of his/her time and ability to help you. Recruiters recognize that helping you now may someday generate potential candidates or business, and believe it or not, most of us really do like helping people; if we didn’t, we wouldn’t be in this business.

So what is the best way to ask a recruiter to help you in your job search?

-Send a LinkedIn invitation. Make sure to reference how you know the recruiter; the worst thing you can do is send a blind invitation with no context.

Kristen, I saw that you have several connections at University of Washington in recruiting; I applied for a position as a CNA and I was hoping to follow up directly with someone. I was hoping you would be willing to forward an introduction.

-If you have a recruiter’s email address, send an introduction.

Dear Kristen, I was given your name by John Smith, who you worked with at XYZ a few years ago. He and I know each other socially, and he thinks you might be a good resource for helping my efforts to find a job as a production manager in the aerospace industry. I’m looking at Boeing, Crane, and a few other companies. I’d really appreciate any suggestions you have regarding finding contacts in any of these companies. I’ve included a copy of my resume targeted to the aerospace field.

Thanks for your time, Jill Jackson

-Ask them if you could schedule a short phone call or meeting with them. Be aware of their time; if they are employed, they generally will have a short amount of time to answer your questions. For example the week before last I had a conversation with someone that wanted a job at Microsoft. I explained how Microsoft’s process worked and how to apply. If you are meeting with a recruiter, make it convenient for them, not you. Today I made arrangements to meet someone I used to work with for lunch right near his office. I’m asking him for leads for openings I have, and wanted to make sure I am able to accomodate his schedule.

The very worst thing you can do is assume that a recruiter can just "get you a job", unless they have posted a job description with their name attached to it and an invitation to contact then regarding potential opportunities.

And if you find a recruiter that happens to be unemployed, remember that they still may know people. Treat them well and they are likely to remember it when they do have an opening.
B >

OK, this week the topic of my meanderings seems to be focusing on content. Since I have a weekly newspaper column and three industry blogs that are pretty widely read, and am also working on my first novel, it’s safe to say that I consider myself a writer and understand content.

Late last week I was shocked to see a global corporate careers website with job titles that were misspelled. (This led to a blog on recruiters not being hypocrites when it comes to resume errors.) Then over on LinkedIn, in a group that is targeted at writers and publishers, one of the group members posted a link/discussion topic to a blog she had written on marketing to your audience.

So, here’s the thing. If someone is giving me advice on how to create a workable marketing plan for my industry, I expect the article/blog to be *targeted*. If you are giving advice to *writers and publishers*, you don’t suggest that they:

"Define the solutions your product or service offers: Do not tell people about the features of your product or service, tell them how your product or service will help them solve a problem that they are experiencing"

Um, we are writers and publishers. Selling printed/online media. We don’t NEED to define our solutions or offerings.

So here’s my point. If you are marketing or selling *anything* you need to know your audience. I’ve said over and over that your resume *must be targeted* to potential readers. Guess who that is? RECRUITERS AND HIRING MANAGERS. And what do they care about? Can you demonstrate that you know how to do the job/s you are applying for?

You have 10-15 seconds in a resume to let me know you can fulfill a need I have. Hopefully, that need is fairly well defined in the job description. That means you need to provide concrete examples in your work history that demonstrate an understanding, industry knowledge, and some expertise in the job I am trying to fill.

Moving on to a phone screen, which is where you have the chance to give me some great detailed examples of your fitness for the job. I’ve been working on some sales/biz dev positions the last few months, and one of the most common reasons candidates are being rejected is because they cannot answer basic questions about developing their contacts. One example was "so if I was to ask you who you know at ABC company, what would you tell me?" The first candidate said "I’d have to check my business card file." Another said "I know the executive admin to the VP over in that division."

Another question a hiring manager used as an example was about a candidate who stated on her resume that she managed a large event for VP’s and CEO’s of leading industry companies. The manager asked her to tell him how she went about securing the acceptance of the high-level attendees. She didn’t answer the question, just started throwing names out there. (Guess what message that gives? Someone else actually got the attendees there.)

These are specific examples of fumbling that can cost a candidate a job. And these are basic questions related to how you do your work, the basics of your industry, and your chance to make (or break) the impression from your resume. Marketing isn’t just your resume. It’s also how you verbally interact with people and demonstrate your professionalism. In this competitive market, it’s all in the details.

For various reasons, a lot of job seekers choose to put their resumes up on job boards such as Monster or Career Builder in the ‘confidential’ mode. What this means is that your contact information isn’t released to people running searches. Sometimes they don’t want their current employer to know they are looking; sometimes they have received a few too many offers for their own business (lately I’ve gotten a lot of offers to be a Farmer’s Insurance Sales Franchise owner/operator). Upon occasion it is because they are a senior candidate that hires other people and they don’t want employment/staffing agencies calling them for sales pitches.

So here’s a tip for those of you using the ‘confidential’ feature. If you upload a resume with your name on it, I can see it if I open the profile. If you save the document as ‘JohnDoe 2010’ I know your name and your employment history, and guess what? I can run a search for you on LinkedIn, or Google, or call your company and ask for you.

You need have a blank document that you save as ‘CareerBuilder2010’ (or some other generic name). By blank I mean take off all your contact info. That means headers, footers, etc. If you are *really* trying not to let your company know you are looking, keep the company name confidential, and make sure you strip out any acronyms referring to projects or products.

Whatever your reasons for not wanting your contact information visible, it takes a little more work than just hitting the ‘confidential’ key.

I’m going to start off with a disclaimer: today’s topic is a pet peeve of mine. So with that caveat, let’s talk about who should be the "narrator" for your resume. And the answer is *you*. Your resume is about you, the professional, not "Mr. Smith" or "Tony the expert in the field".

I have seen an alarming number of resumes with testimonials on them from (supposed) former clients, managers, co-workers, and "well known" industry experts on resumes. And here’s the thing: how do I know you didn’t make them up? To be blunt, having people telling me how wonderful you are is for *references*. You know, those things I ask for if I’m planning on making you a job offer. When someone includes testimonial references on their resume, to me it gives the impression that they are trying too hard, that their accomplishments don’t stand alone without external validation.

I’ve mentioned in the past that it’s a good idea to have LinkedIn Recommendations. But it *doesn’t* mean that they belong on your resume. The difference between seeing a Recommendation on your LinkedIn profile and on your resume is that LI is a tool that I can actually use to validate the comments (by visiting the commentor’s profile if I so choose.)
BR />

Some professionals that come from a true consulting background adopt the third person formal narrative on their resume. This comes from working as a consultant, where a resume is sent to a potential client as part of an RFP (Request for Proposal) as part of the overall pitch denoting why said company is the best choice; consultants are considered human capital, or deployable assets; their expertise and experience can command top dollar from potential clients. This form of resume is *not* what said consultant should be using in their own search for new employment.

So when you are considering how to "stand out" from the sea of applicants, it’s very important to keep in mind your target audience. Are you going to be putting them off with your content or impressing them? If you have been a true consultant, you need to remember that you are selling yourself now, not your former company’s reputation and resources. Don’t talk about yourself from a lofty height; keep it real and down to earth to connect with your potential new employer.

There are mixed opinions in the recruiting world about using "interests" on your resume. This topic came to mind from a listing on a resume I saw earlier today. Stepping back a bit, it’s important to remember that it isn’t the recruiter that you need to impress, it is the hiring manager. Recruiters are trained conversationalists, and we are generally a fairly outgoing bunch. Managers on the other hand, may be a bit more shy. Sometimes interests can be a way to break the ice with a candidate. But if you choose to list interests on your resume it’s crucial to know what and what not to include (and why!).

Generally, any organized team sport is a great item to include, either as a player or as a coach. Participating in organized sports shows a manager that you pursue a healthy work/life balance; that you are used to working in a team environment; it also shows a bit of a competitive streak, which speaks to motivation and pursuit of excellence. Singular sports such as golf, skiing, or activities such as martial arts still indicate an understanding of competition but even more so discipline and self-motivation. It is the same with any sort of artistic pursuit (musical instrument or choral interests; dance or theater; painting, sculpture etc.) Reading, writing, and travel are frequently used as "interests". These are generally positive subjects (unless for some reason you list that you are something like a best-selling erotica author). Reading and writing intimate good communication skills, and travel shows a sense of adventure and potentially an exposure to different cultures. Some activities bear careful consideration. For example, what happens if you list hunting or fishing on your resume and the hiring manager is a member of PETA? Or you add wine tasting to your list of interests and a hiring manager grew up the child of an alcoholic family?

Most people automatically assume that all volunteer experience should be on a resume. However, it is important to consider what message your associations sends. Usually any non-profit or social support group that isn’t religious in nature or doesn’t have political ties is safe. Examples would be PTA , homeless shelters, Big Brothers and Sisters of America, Scouts, Meals on Wheels, non-profit groups like the Red Cross, anything supporting medical research such as the a 10K to find a cure for juvenile diabetes. But remember, you want to make sure you don’t include anything that indicates your ethnicity, religion, political affiliations, or sexual orientation. For example, you might wow a manager with your experience, but if you list that you are the VP of a local chapter of a GLBT group, you could be opening yourself up to social prejudices. Did you volunteer in the last Presidential election? What happens if the manager is a card-carrying member of the opposing party and donated a major amount of money to supporting the losing (or winning) party candidate?
BR />

So, to return to the example I alluded to that sparked this conversation. This candidate looked good professionally. But she listed as one of her interests her dog. "Miss Sparkles, a sweet min-pin/schnauzer mixed breed". (Not the real entry.) OK, this is rather amusing, but it raises a red-flag for me. I’m certainly all for pets; I’ve got several myself. Usually animals are a "safe" topic in terms of volunteering at a shelter, or a rescue organization. But going into *so much* information about your pet is way too obsessive. You would be amazed at the number of employees that either believe there is no reason they shouldn’t bring their pets to work, or demand a telecommute schedule so many days a week so they can spend time with Fluffy or Fido. (True stories from this year that I know about first-hand.) And, honestly, listing your pet’s name AND breed is *too much information*. Really, trust me on this. Have someone read over your resume and help you determine if someone might be offended or turned off by your interests and activities.

I belong to an established, international educational group that re-creates the Middle Ages. There are over 100,000 of us around the globe. It is an all-volunteer organization. We have a LinkedIn group, and several Facebook pages and groups. Over on the LI group, there have been a few discussions of what we do in our professional lives, and how to translate said experience on a resume. Due to the nature of our organization, our vernacular is very specialized and can be difficult to translate to business English (or French, or German, or Japanese as we are an international organization).

My role in our group is very similar to my role in my professional life: I help newcomers to our organization transition to activities and special interest groups and provide them a resource for guidance (in the HR world it is called recruiting and on-boarding). Luckily, I don’t have any problem portraying that role. Like most any other organization, we have a president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. Due to the type of education we provide, a very large number of people help plan educational and entertainment events on both small and very large (in excess of several thousands) scales. People are recognized with prestigious awards for the talents and their service to the organization as a whole.

When you are trying to translate your volunteer experience to professional parlance, the first thing to do is look at the organization as a whole. What industry "niche" would it occupy? Think education, health care, IT, finance, etc. Once you have determined the industry, try looking at similar private entities. Use the filter feature by industry on Monster or CareerBuilder and type in a keyword or two associated with your position. For example, if you were the treasurer for your church board, look up other non-profit entities such as the Red Cross and then type in "budget" as a key word. See what comes up, and decide if the verbiage in the job description can be used to help build a framework for you to build a description for yourself.

The rules for converting your volunteer experience to "corporate speak" are no different. Let’s take the treasurer example. How much money did you handle? Did you track expenditures and payments? Was there an increase in the positive balance during your tenure? Did you track capital expenditures, or perhaps there was a fund-raising drive while you were on the board. All of these can be important points to highlight on your resume.

Let’s say you provide professional services and have chosen to do some pro-bono work. If this is the case, treat it as you would any other client project. If at all possible, it is always advisable to do volunteer work that is in line with your professional talents.

Volunteering during a tough economy is a very viable way to improve your existing professional skills as well as build new ones. Just remember that they *are* professional skills that can help you transition smoothly.

I was reading a blog posting on the Electronic Recruiting Exchange, which is the main portal that Recruiters use to connect with each other. This particular post was about crazy/funny interview experiences. There was a long list of examples fitting the bill. So I took that link and sent it into the Twittersphere to job seekers as a "What Not To Wear" (or do) link. (http://t.conquent.com/CB00)

Here’s something that seems to be escaping a lot of job seekers in the whole "networking" frenzy. Networking isn’t just about hitting your contacts. It’s about going and finding out where the people *you want to join* are hanging out. This translates to professional communities. Alumni Groups, Industry Associations, LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Fan Pages, Conference Speakers/Attendees, etc.

You are trying to get in front of decision makers and industry leaders that may have people to refer you to. Also SME’s (subject matter experts) in their field or industry. If you don’t know where to look, take a hint from recruiters, marketing and sales: GOOGLE. Run a simple search to find those associations and groups.

Yesterday someone in one of my technical communities posted a request for local schools with Electronic Health Records programs. I sent her the preferred certification for this industry and a link to the overarching professional association (with a list of schools/programs that offer the right curriculum for this sort of certification.) I knew there was a certification because I had a job requiring it last year when I was recruiting in healthcare. But honestly, I didn’t remember the actual acronym. So I did a quick Google search, found the term, and then the organization. It took me about 45 seconds.

The point is we all need to be proactive. I had a question about training materials, so I posted it to my HR community (which is separate than recruiting, by the way.) I had a detailed response within 5 minutes. So go find out where your industry (or targeted industry) gurus hang out. Read their blogs and community postings. Follow Twitter folks, read articles and info posted. And then, start responding to those online resources in the form of comments or feedback. Get *your* name out there so people recognize you. I started this a couple of years ago, and now I’ve got a weekly newspaper column and am called on to speak and give seminars and advice to professional groups. It’s about recognition and self-promotion. And guess what? Only you are interested in doing it.