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LinkedIn is a powerful business networking tool, and it is one that most recruiters use quite a bit for finding candidates. I have already commented on how being lazy or appearing desperate can be detrimental to your professional image, but something I am really finding annoying: receiving a LI invitation to join someone’s network referencing a group or organization I don’t, never have, and probably never will be a part of and then sending me the generic invitation. "You are someone I trust" yada yada yada.

So here is what is happening. Someone on one of my many online communities sees my email address and realizes I know a lot of people; or, conversely, they pull me up in a LinkedIn search (people, occupations, companies, etc.) and realize I probably have valuable network contacts. They contact me and where it states how this person knows me, they choose "Seattle Chapter of the Daughters Of The American Revolution." (Since my forebears immigrated here in the 19th Century this is pretty unlikely.) Sometimes, I will respond by commenting to the sender that I have no inkling of the group they are referencing, and usually I’ll get a reply "Oh, I meant HRPN".

This says two things to me. One, you were sending out mass invites and you didn’t bother to actually *add* or choose the correct group. Two, you don’t know me at all. (Guess what? I’m a moderator of HRPN…I can check out whether you are a member of that group and when you joined!)

I’m *not* an open networker on LI. I want to be able to choose the people I add to my network based on actual connections. I am generally more disposed to accept invitations than not, but the truth is I’m getting pickier as I see more of these invites come across. I’m still being nice and not hitting the "I Don’t Know This Person" tab and using the archive option (which is basically "ignoring" the invite), but I won’t guarantee that isn’t going to change in the future.

I recently completed a resume review for a client. She commented ‘I’ve never been able to brag about myself.’ That comment really caused me to think. I don’t see resumes as ‘brag sheets’, per se, but I guess in a certain light they can be. Many of us don’t ‘seek out’ projects *just* to put then on our resumes; we are too busy doing our jobs. We may consciously seek out opportunities to further our careers, but by the same token, we neglect to put those very same accomplishments the one place they should be: our resumes. It’s erroneous to assume that the only time to update your resume is when you are looking for a new job. You should update your resume *every time you complete a new project or receive your annual review.*

I labeled my resume series ‘Saleskit’, which is true. If there is one thing I have learned in the last dozen plus years in business (not just in recruiting) it’s that *every* job has elements of project management and sales. Whether it’s pitching an idea for a new process to improve operations, or taking a customer order at a restaurant and then making sure it is served, understanding basic business concepts is a universal need. Knowing these things is what points to a person as someone that ‘gets it’ and a person that doesn’t. It has nothing to do with age and everything to do with attitude and an openness to learning.

Over on LinkedIn a couple of weeks ago, someone was asking the question about ‘when is someone a project manager’? She was trying to quantify the job and determine whether certain job titles could be considered ‘project managers’. In this instant, it was someone that is an event planner. The answer is, yes, this can be considered a project management related field.

Many people have trouble writing their resumes because they don’t know how to categorize what they do. Let’s take the restaurant example. You have been a server at a short order restaurant like Denny’s, and now you want to move onto a nicer venue with (hopefully) more money. You know you have been practicing customer service and cashiering, but how else to do take your experience and make it stand out?

Don’t forget the sales aspect of your job, including the marketing. As part of the ‘service’ you provide, this includes product knowledge and expertise as well as upselling (‘Can I interest you in any dessert?’) You may also be responsible as part of your job for monitoring supply levels of items like condiments and dressings. Any time you help train a new employee, that is worth mentioning on your resume.

A good way to look at some of the ‘buzz words’ in your industry is to look at online job descriptions. Look for management jobs in your industry, even if you aren’t applying for them. Why? Because management jobs are geared for the person with *business knowledge* and will have phrases and concepts that should be applicable to multiple aspects of the business. For example, here is a job posting for a Restaurant Manager in Cleveland from Craigslist:

Under the guidance of the General Manager the qualified candidate will have the responsibility for aggressively driving store sales growth and profits through a thoroughly trained customer focused workforce; and ensure timely execution of company merchandising and operational programs. The trainee will set the pace by demonstrating a high sense of urgency, high energy level, attention to detail and hands-on management.

Preferred Qualifications:

**Two years of full service restaurant management experience

**Demonstrated success supervising and training 30 or more employees.

**Proven skills in analyzing P&L information and taking appropriate and decisive action to meet budget expectations

**Must be able to work a variety of shifts including nights and weekends and a minimum of 50 hours per week

Key word/phrases that a *server* can take away are: ‘sales growth, merchandising, training.’ One of the terms that would apply more to someone with *business* knowledge is P & L, which stands for ‘profit and loss’. Think of the things you do as part of your job that have to do with ‘sales growth’ and ‘merchandising’. How do you build the restaurant’s business? Do you have repeat customers that come in every week and always request your section? Do you help with ordering supplies or creating product displays? Have you come up with ideas to help promote the business like special coupons or ‘Senior Days’?

The reality is that you are responsible for learning about business; your industry, business principles, best practices, terminology and then learning how to apply them. Learning includes asking questions and researching. Application can and should include documentation such as’your resume.

A friend of mine that was recently laid off has been applying for positions online, and has followed up with former managers and colleagues who are telling him the same thing: HR has made it clear that no recommendations in writing are permitted by former coworkers or managers.

My friend is frustrated because many of the online applications he is filling out have a ‘references’ section. Truthfully, I was suprised he was giving out references before he obtained an offer.

Here are a few things to keep in mind. Just as you should not put your references on your resume, you do not want them on any online applications. You *only* want your references to be contacted when you are seriously in contention for a job. Putting them into databases makes them targets for marketing and sales cold calls, which most people don’t appreciate and could jeopardize their willingness to be a reference for you.

When you *are* at the stage that you need your references, very often they are willing to have a *phone call* with your potential new employer. Many companies have strict policies against giving references for co-workers and managers in writing, but when I am checking references I often find that people are willing to answer questions over the phone.

So get cell phone or home phone numbers as well as personal email addresses when you are approaching your colleagues. Ask what they prefer as far as contact method. And above all, respect their privacy and requests.

As someone that *has* a resume consulting business, obviously I believe that having your resume written professionally can be a major benefit overall. That being said, everyone that *has* a resume should ideally learn how to write their own. If you do decide to pay someone else, what should you look for?

I’ve seen more bad advice given by Career Counselors regarding resumes than I care to comment on lately. So how do you figure out if you are getting good advice? The trick is going to be finding out how close they are to the tools that store your resume (databases such as Monster, CareerBuilder, corporate websites, etc.). Applicant Tracking Systems, the databases that store resumes for both specific and generic jobs, have evolved in the last five years as technology has gotten more advanced. Here are a few questions to ask:

1) What Applicant Tracking Systems are you familiar with? (Some of the better known ones out there are Taleo, Unicru, WebHire, Prohire, iCIMS and Vurv.) If they don’t give you at least *two names* of systems you can Google to verify, they aren’t in touch with today’s technology and probably their methods are out of date.

2) What keywords would you recommend for my industry/discipline? Recruiters run searches based on very specific keywords. For example, in recruiting they should mention things like: ATS, applicant tracking, screen, interview, source, negotiate, account management, OFCCP, and maybe visa. Every job and industry has keyword concepts and ‘buzz’ words that are part of what a resume should reflect. For example, recently I saw a request for someone to work on a biotech resume. I don’t feel confident enough in my knowledge of this field to follow up on the request.

3) How long should my resume be? This is a tricky question, because there is still a debate going on about how long is too long. I’m of the general opinion that two pages is OK if you have more than 5-7 years of experience, but many people still counsel one page is better. The best rule of thumb is whether your career includes more then two or three companies. Each entry takes up at least 2-4 lines just for the ‘entry’ (employer, location, dates, job title, white space, etc.) If they categorically say ‘one page’, ask them how they structure the document to achieve this. If they say less is more, then seriously consider if they know what they are doing.

4) Do you suggest an objective or a summary statement? In today’s recruiting and resume ‘style’ format, Summary Statements are preferred. Objectives are left over from the 80’s. They can be effective but again, if the person says ‘I always use an objective’, they may be seriously out of touch with the current market.

5) How would you advise me to prepare for our first meeting? How long should I expect our first meeting to last (can be live or over the phone)?If they don’t tell you to bring a few job descriptions, a list of your job history for the last five years and don’t tell you to set aside at least 45 minutes, they aren’t planning on giving you full attention and tailoring your resume to *you*, your aspirations, your goals.

6) Should I use a skill based resume, or a chronological version? *If* you are in job or industry where you work with *multiple clients* at the same time using the same skill, the answer should be skill based or combination. If you have been working for single employers most/all of your career, the answer should be reverse chronologic with a skills *section*. If they only answer they give you is ‘skill based’ then they don’t know the current technology and what recruiters and hiring managers are looking for.

I cannot advise on prices, as this varies widely based on location, but you should get an upfront fee in writing, and it should include one document (.doc, .pdf) *and* one .txt version for copy/pasting to databases.

Finally, you should have an understanding of *how* the consultant constructed your resume based on the experience.

A friend of mine living in a high-unemployment state (OR – 9%) asked me some questions about phone screens and reminded me that I should probably blog about it. So, here you are.

Nowadays, it’s pretty standard for someone to contact you for a phone screen if you look good on paper. Generally the initial contact is from someone in HR/Recruiting. This conversation is to ask you some general questions about your background, but it is also to assess your verbal skills. It is *also* his/her goal to establish your compensation range (I’ll discuss this in a later blog post).

Here are a few pointers to ensure that the phone screen gives a good first impression.

-Be flexible in your times

Lunch, early/late hours. If you are currently employed try and block time weekly for your conversations. Remember, recruiters work business hours although they may be willing to call you later or earlier.

-Location/phone

*Make sure you use a phone that has clear reception (ie avoid SKYPE), and go to a place where you will be undisturbed. No kids, pets, traffic, music, TV, or interruptions. Make sure your cell phone is charged and you have reception. (I’ve gone to my car many times). Have a pen and paper handy to take notes to ask additional questions.

-Remember that the person on the other end may be typing, so keep your responses conversational, don’t just start rattling off what sounds like a canned answer. *Listen* to the question, don’t assume that all phone screens will ask you the same thing. Stay engaged with the person at the other end. If the question can be interpreted more ways than one, ask for which track the person is asking. For example, I had a phone screen for a recruiting position, and the Director of HR asked me about my experience talking about salaries. I asked her to clarify. Did she want an example of salary negotiation with a candidate, or re-leveling a position with a hiring manager for a candidate that was over/underqualified but was a great candidate, or was she asking what tools/methodology I have used for industry compensation analysis? The fact that I asked this question with a question answered *her* inquiry, because obviously I *do* have experience with ‘salaries’.

-If a recruiter calls you unexpectedly, do *not* get flustered and ask, ‘where are you calling from again? I’m sorry, I’ve sent out so many resumes” This is one of the fastest ways to take you *out* of the running. Know what companies you have applied to. Keep a spreadsheet if necessary. Fake it if you need to. ‘Hi, this isn’t a good time for me to talk. Can we set up a time later this week?’ Then ask for them to send you an email confirmation, this lets you know their company as well as their name.

This initial phone call is also a chance for you to engage. You *should* ask questions (and you should avoid questions regarding benefits and vacation, etc.)

-Research the company.

Use all the tools available to you to get to know the company, their product/service, their market share. Do your homework. Find out as much as you can. LinkedIn, SEC Filings/annual reports, Hoover’s, press releases, white papers/case studies, marketing materials, professional contacts inside the company or their clients.

-Prepare questions about the company, the position, the team, the role. For example, why is this position open? (Backfill for someone, if so find out if they were promoted or is it a new position?)

If your initial phone screen goes well, some companies set up a follow up phone screen with a member of the hiring team. Generally, this conversation will drill more deeply into your industry and professional knowledge. Expect in depth questions about your past. Make sure you are familiar with *everything on your resume* and can discuss projects and relevant experience. If you are working with a headhunter, you can pretty much expect this to happen.

Remember, this is your first ‘live’ contact with your potential new employer. Be professional yet engaging. I’ve had candidates start rattling off information by rote. This puts them in the ‘slush pile’.

Hopefully, you will make a great first impression and the company will want to bring you in for interviews.

I was over on Twitter a few days ago, and saw that one of my software dev friends had posted that he was filing for UI. I sent him an email and asked him why he hadn’t sent me his resume? (Come on, when you list a recruiter as a true friend, that should be the first thing that comes to mind!)

His response? He exptected that recruiters would find him on Twitter and other social networking sites.

DOH! OK, not only is this beyond arrogant, it shows a true lack of understanding of the basic laws of supply and demand. Here’s the rubdown. There are *many, many many more candidates than jobs available.* The days when truly gifted and qualified candidates could expect to just sit back and let the recruiters come to them is a trend of the past for now. As I told him, right now those recruiters lucky enough to be employed *with* openings are being deluged by frantic candidates. They honestly don’t have the time to go out and find candidates, they are getting frazzled with the number of resumes that are coming their way.

Sourcing, or the process of *finding* candidates is something most recruiters don’t enjoy doing (I’m the exception to that rule.) Sourcing is as much about looking at and dispositioning candidates that are applying to your openings as it is about going out and headhunting. When I was at Microsoft, this was a *huge* issue in a strong market, let alone a depressed economy.

Yes, in the past couple of years tech publications have touted the revolution of social networking sites as tools that recruiters will embrace; but that is if they have *time*. Drowning under resumes means they don’t have time to be creative. So now is the time to definitely consider *mainstream* methods first (Monster,Careerbuilder, etc) and then go find the recruiters (hint: most of them with an internet presence are on LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Spoke.) Take a cue from the housing market: it’s a buyer’s market, and you are the *seller*.

It may sound a bit far-fetched, but those job hunters that haven’t had any luck may need to buckle down and do some time consuming, tedious research. One way to unearth some potential jobs is to go to the local CoC member directories, click on their links (or call them) and find out if they have jobs posted on their website.

Not every company posts jobs online; many rely on employee referrals, or industry memberships. If they don’t have a lot of openings per year, they may just post to the local paper or Craigslist, which is far more cost effective than the major job boards.

They may also keep ‘representative’ jobs up on their website for what is called ‘building a pipeline’. The position may not be open at the current time, but they try to build up a candidate pool for when the position does open up.

Once you have identified the opening, apply. Or, call and ask to speak to the recruiter or HR representative. This is also the best use of LinkedIn; finding people that work for the company and approaching them. Remember: you need to be proactive, don’t rely on others to find *you* in this market.

With the recent layoffs at Microsoft, there are a lot more people in Seattle hitting the pavement looking for jobs. Having over ten years of MS corporate culture under my belt, I am reminded of the Software Giant’s (the euphemism agencies use to describe contract jobs there without mentioning the name) *love* of acronyms. Microsoft is hardly unique in that respect.

So, this piece of ‘sage wisdom’ from yours truly applies to any resume or conversations my audience may encounter. The only acronyms that you should be using are industry standard terms. For example, if you are in accounting, GL, AP/AR are all acceptable commonplace terms. Software engineering use of SOAP is understandable. Any recruiter that doesn’t know what an ATS or HRIS is has no business being a recruiter.

However, to anyone outside of Microsoft, if I said I was the CG Recruiter for E D, that means nothing. Think very carefully about *company* acronyms versus industry acronyms. In your resume, it is permissible to spell it out once then use the acronym after that. An example (from above):

Candidate Generation (CG) Recruiter for the Entertainment and Devices (E & D) team.

Remember, it is safest to assume that your audience is not an expert in your field, so communicate *to* that audience.

Some people like the challenge of a start-up environment. New companies often have more opportunities to make an impact with high income potential.

But where do you *find* these startup companies, especially when they are in ‘stealth mode’? The answer is in the portfolios of Venture Capitalists.

VC firms have investors that contribute money to fund new companies, often for a significant return on either stock (if the company goes IPO or is bought) or revenue generated by the product/services the fledgling company is offering. There is a Canadian TV show, the Dragon’s Den , that demonstrates this concept.

The value of looking in the portfolio section is that often, they will show you job openings in the fledgling company, and the companies may not be advertising these jobs elsewhere.

Finding VC companies takes a bit of doing. In Seattle, we are very lucky in that Bridgeway Careers , a career counseling firm, has links to a plethora of local resources. The Bay area has a lot of VC resources as well. But I’ve done a Google Search for ‘Venture Capital’+Newport+RI and come up with a pretty targeted listing.

I have a friend in Florida that is desperately seeking an HR position in her town. I did a quick search and came up with this list:

http://www.itflorida.com/wb2/itfl/itfl_Venture_Capital_Firms

So, make Google your friend. Find out who the VC firms in your area are and then start looking at their portfolios for potential leads.