Nov

11

Career Search ‘Basic Training” in honor of Veteran’s Day

Career Transition-Change / Current Affairs / Generational issues - X,Y, Millennials, Boomers / Job search - strategies

Veterans perform tasks and achieve a variety of successes in environments that civilians have trouble understanding.  In honor of Veteran's Day, I'd like to offer some basic training to help Vets make a successful transition to the civilian workforce.

Veterans are like all candidates: it is imperative to demonstrate that their skills, abilities, and areas of knowledge are transferable to the needs of civilian employers.  Vet's can talk about what they have accomplished in the military and in previous positions.  Like other candidates, it is important to present a "mini-business plan" to relate to the
needs of a prospective employer.  Review the following list to be sure
you are prepared to interview successfully:

  • You have
    clearly and concisely described one – two "success stories" for each of
    your previous positions, using the Problem (Challenge) – Action -
    Result model.
  • You have analyzed your accomplishment
    stories to identify the personal qualities, skills, and areas of
    knowledge that made it possible for you to achieve your successes.

Step #1
- Study the job description and organization to identify the criteria
for the job (not "requirements"). The criteria are likely to be "soft
skills," e.g., flexibility, team orientation, interpersonal skills,
etc. Create a grid, with the criteria on the left and your previous
employers across the top.

Step #2 – Fill-in the cells
with a note about each employer/accomplishment that addresses the new
job criteria. (Without the ability to post a table on-line, I can't
provide a good-looking sample – contact this author for a complimentary
copy of this worksheet..)

Step #3 – Once you've
completed this "homework," use your notes to prepare for questions and
conversation with the interviewers. Be careful to limit your responses
to three – four crisp sentences, using the Problem (Challenge) – Action
- Result model.

SimplyHired, an on-line aggregator of job postings, has created a Vet-Friendly filter that may make it easier to complete local labor market research.  I found 124 potential leads with the keywords, "Operations Manager" in my 5-digit zip-code.  The idea is to use these leads to develop a list of target organizations and keywords/job titles – don't become obsessed with "cutting and pasting" in response to postings.  Use the Internet to conduct a proactive campaign: Vet-friendly organizations are a great place to start!

Veterans_day


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Nov

08

An ivy perspective on the success of The Brand Called Obama

Career Transition-Change / Current Affairs / Job search - strategies / Personal marketing - branding

Readers know that I'm a career-politico and a student of the 2008 Election. The last two years have offered many lessons for those seeking new jobs and/or engaged in career transition.  I've shared my own perspectives during the last year:  check out the views expressed by Harvard Business Online (The Managerial Triumph of Barack Obama)

John Quelch's post in Business Week is one of three "ivy-covered" views of Obama's victory.  It reads like a comment on my Lessons from the National Interview; here's a summary of his points that circle back to inspire anyone involved in personal marketing:

  1. Obama's personal attributes were fleshed-out and visible to voters: interpersonal & communication skills; composure; his compelling story
  2. He engaged support from the ground-up; perhaps the Harvard-educated Obama was inspired by the idea of the "learning organization," advocated by a professor on the other side of Cambridge, MA – Peter Senge.
  3. Dominated the use of technology – multiple websites; the blogosphere, You-Tube, podcasts, and an incredibly effective infomercial (33.5 million viewers)
  4. The campaign targeted an inclusive array of voters; went beyond likely voters and discovered the power of early voters.
  5. Message of hope delivered during time of doubt and despair resonated with possibility
  6. Obama had some noisy gremlins in his closet; he dealt with them early-on and in a poignant and transparent manner.  When the Republican Party of Pennsylvania pulled them out of the closet In October 2008, they were marked as "past season." 
  7. TEAM – The team Obama assembled to market his candidacy and run the campaign was outstanding.  Quelch rightly points to the selection of Joe Biden as VP – a choice that filled Obama's foreign policy gap and reassured voters about Obama's judgment.
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Oct

30

BlogTalk Radio with Jason Alba re: Lessons from the National Interview

Career Transition-Change / Current Affairs / Generational issues - X,Y, Millennials, Boomers / Job search - strategies / Networking/Interviewing / Personal marketing - branding / Web/Tech

Great experience today – my first as a guest on BlogTalk Radio!  I was honored to join a few other JibberJobber Partners who have talked with Jason about issues of importance in the Web 2.0 world of career transition and job search.

We talked about McCain and why he appears to be losing the job to Obama, despite his "hard copy" credentials and experience.  The conclusion appears to be that McCain has not responded well to the behavioral question of the day – the economic crisis. 

  • Obama has been able to convince the interviewers, a.k.a. voters, that he "feels their pain" and has practiced the time-honored strategy of listening with 2 ears and talking with 1 mouth. He has learned from the interviewing process and has offered need-based plans that appeal to voters whose issues are health care, education, foreign policy and war, and of course, the economy.
  • McCain and Palin talk a lot about themselves – a commentator on NPR suggested that McCain is asking the voters to reward him for his military and government service – he is not offering success stories via examples or testimonials that speak directly to the concerns of voters.  Indeed, one commentator observed that he appears to be a veteran of WWII, rather than a Vietnam War-era veteran; perhaps his POW experience shielded him from the cultural shift that affected his chronological peers.  His problem is not his chronological age, but the perception that he
    lives in the past and is not equipped to lead in the future.

The lesson for job seekers and career changers is to identify the needs of prospective employers; identify and emphasize transferable skills and personal qualities that are prized by this organization; and offer your brand and mini-business plan in a WIIFTm (What's In It For Them) context. 

The Recruiting Animal joined the conversation and added value by sharing his perspective as a Recruiter and a Canadian.  We discussed the impact of age, race, personality, and blogging in the interviewing space.  Listen to the recording and offer comments to keep this topical discussion alive:  <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jibberjobber>

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Sep

02

Six Questions to Consider RE: “International Update Your Resume Month”

Career Transition-Change / Job search - strategies / Personal marketing - branding / Resume, CV, Biography, Profile

I belong to several excellent professional associations, Including Career Directors International (CDI), which has designated September as "Update Your Resume Month."

The fall is one of the seasons of the year that is traditionally associated with self-evaluation, work-life management, and change resolutions. This is a great time to seize the opportunity to manage your career and life situation: to be proactive rather than defensive, especially in the face of challenging economic times.

Many people call, asking that I tweak their resume; in most cases, a more complete revision is needed. What are some of the factors you should consider when considering how to proceed?  Remember – the resume is a marketing tool that speaks for you when you aren't there…

  1. Does your resume make a convincing case for where you want to go – in the future?
  2. Do you use industry-specific keywords?  Do you use terminology that helps to make a transition?
  3. Is your resume more than 2-pages long?  How dense is your text?  Is your writing style clear, concise, and compelling?
  4. Does your resume describe job duties or success stories?  Does the text of your resume support your "brand" or "your SSP (special selling points)"?
  5. Is your resume relevant?  Do you emphasize quantifiable and recent accomplishments; those that are relevant to your future goals?
  6. Is your resume an effective marketing tool?  Never lie, and never market yourself in a cheesy or over-the-top manner… Know yourself: plan your campaign strategically; tell your story with understated enthusiasm, in writing and in-person.

See the archives of this blog for other posts on resume-writing; see CAN's tips to "Avoid the Round File" (Download 0405-TRIBUNE_EDITED_E-MAIL.pdf); see books by Enelow and Kursmark for current samples, including those by this writer.

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Aug

29

Five perspectives on the role of CHANGE in the workplace

Career Transition-Change / Current Affairs / Job search - strategies / Personal marketing - branding
"Change" has become the word of the political season; I am reminded of a great piece written by a former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich – it appeared in Fast Company, October 2000.

I think these ideas are inspiring to all of us who work, regardless of the size of our paychecks or our title on the organizational chart.  Unions promoted important and radical workplace changes that are recognized on Labor Day. Perhaps there will come a day that honors "Change Insurgents"

"You Can Be a Change Insurgent"

You don’t have to be at the top of the organization.  In the old economy, leadership was another way of saying “formal authority.”  In the new economy, power comes from knowledge and creativity-which means that change insurgents can, and should, be anywhere.

Power lies with people who know the technology.  People closest to the technology (programmers, designers, engineers) are in the best position to discover what the technology is capable of doing—what can be tweaked or altered to get a different result.  Geeks are also most likely to be in the “gossip circle” about what’s cooking elsewhere.  The job of every change insurgent is to bring that information to bear on the company’s operations.

Power lies with people who know the market.  People closest to the customers are in the best position to know what the customers want.  They’re in the best position to gauge competitors—and to detect the next competitor.  And they’re also most likely to pick up hints from companies in other industries that are dealing with the same customers.

Change insurgency can be a team sport.  The most effective change insurgents aren’t loners, mavericks, or revolutionaries.  They work the system.  They enlist others.  They sell their ideas upward and outward, and they grab good ideas from others.

The best managers foster change insurgency throughout their organization.  People in positions of responsibility know that high performing organizations are rife with change insurgents. So they reward people for their ability to sell their ideas.  The more someone is imitated, the higher that person’s value.  Good managers also reward insurgents for finding good ideas and spreading them. Great organizations create a culture of insurgency.

What do you think?  Relevant to your workplace? Are these ideas, offered eight years ago, on-target or are they too risky and idealistic?

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Jul

31

Scale the Brick Wall: some inspirational words suitable for a downturn

Executives - Directors - Managers / Job search - strategies / Networking/Interviewing / Personal marketing - branding / Recent graduates - Entry-level

A client has maintained a constant training regimen
to scale her brick wall: technology is sending her job to the scrap-yard. 

She is an incredibly positive and tenacious
person.  The transition/training process has required nearly 6 months of
patience and focus; now she is close to realizing her goal.  One door may be closing, but a window is
opening…

Her recent e-mail referenced this excerpt from the
last lecture of Professor Randy Pausch, who offered a legacy talk shortly
before his struggle with cancer ended with his death. Perhaps these words will inspire
those who are trying to scale their own walls

 

The brick walls are there
for a reason.

The brick walls are not
there to keep us out;

the brick walls are there
to give us a chance

to show how badly we want
something.


The brick walls are there to stop the people

who don’t want it badly
enough.

They are there to stop the
OTHER people!


-

Download randy_pausch.m2YH4U3WTBO0QA.htm

Randy Pausch

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Jul

30

Are women in the workforce more vulnerable during a recession?

Current Affairs / Generational issues - X,Y, Millennials, Boomers / Job search - strategies / Non-profit sector

The Wall Street Journal (Career Journal) recently posted an interview suggesting that women are more likely to experience difficulties with job retention, promotion, and transition during a recession than are their male counterparts.

The interview suggested that the high cost of childcare and commuting has a disproportionate affect on women, cutting their real wages below the differential that already exists. (On average, women with children earn $0.76 for every $1.00 earned by men; women without children are likely to earn close to $0.90 compared to their male counterparts). 

Certainly economic downturns exacerbate the factors affecting the most vulnerable in the workforce, e.g. working mothers,  fathers who are primary caregivers, as well as Boomers who are caring for disabled family members.  The prevalence of cases related to family responsibilities discrimination prompted the EEOC to issue guidelines for employers in May 2007:

“These EEOC
family responsibility guidelines condemn stereotypical perceptions of
employees, sex-based stereotypes of working women and pregnant women,
and discrimination against working fathers. The EEOC
also makes it clear that an employer’s “benevolent” stereotyping, such
as assuming a mother would not want a promotion if it meant moving to
another city, still has adverse effects and may be illegal under Title
VII.”

Clearly, the recession affects all of us; to paraphrase George Orwell, it may affect some of us more than others.  What is your experience or opinion?

 
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Jul

15

Compete with the Recession: Continuing Education offers an edge

Career Transition-Change / Job search - strategies / Non-profit sector / Personal marketing - branding

Education is a job search strategy – one that may offer you a competitive edge during gloomy economic times. Some groups who may want to consider continuing their education as a job search strategy:

  • Disaffected college graduates, e.g., Liberal Arts  majors and those unhappy with vocational majors…
  • Experienced employees whose jobs have become obsolete or have been off-shored…
  • “Second- or Third-Act:”  those who are seeking a transition to another career, likely to be one that will offer more personal and/or societal meaning than their previous career…

If you identify with one of these groups, you should know that there is a bevy of educational administrators who want YOU to enroll in their classes. Programs are offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and 4-year institutions.  Why are these choices different from and perhaps better than traditional approaches to education?

  • Admission is likely be based on “open enrollment,” meaning that few programs will require transcripts or aptitude tests.  Desire to learn and participate is the only requirement.
  • Courses are more likely to be taught by those who actually work in the field; students are also likely to be working in related fields.  These people can become part of your professional network.
  • Student work is evaluated based on participation and results – without grades, papers, or tests.  The idea is to learn and apply your knowledge to the workplace.
  • Continuing studies programs are usually offered at a fraction of the cost of credit classes – fees are determined by actual costs and profit margins, not per “credit.”

Continuing education provides “cover” for periods of unemployment, and is always indicative of your willingness to learn new concepts and adapt to new technology.  These programs grease the wheels of career transition, permitting candidates to move into “demand occupations,” e.g. project management.

This month, one of the candidates I have worked with for nearly nine months landed the job he prepared for over a 4-year period. Before working with me, he had leveraged his experience as a technologically-competent Distribution Manager to land an intermediate job as an IT Manager with a small organization, a job he held for 3+ years. While employed in this intermediate position, this bilingual candidate completed a Project Management Certificate Program through a Continuing Studies program offered by a local 4-year institution; this program supplemented his degree earned from a South American university.  He recently started the job he had prepared for through a series of strategic career moves and validated by continuing education preparation.  Kudos to him!

Continuing Education is a proven strategy for job seekers and career changers; take advantage of the edge…

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Jul

03

Successful interviewing at all levels: secret weapon is P-A-R

Career Transition-Change / Executives - Directors - Managers / Job search - strategies / Networking/Interviewing / Personal marketing - branding / Recent graduates - Entry-level / Resume, CV, Biography, Profile

If
you’re reading this article, you probably understand that job
successful job seekers talk about what they have accomplished in
previous positions, and present a “mini-business plan” to relate to the
needs of a prospective employer. Review the following list to be sure
you are prepared to interview successfully:

  • You have
    clearly and concisely described one – two “success stories” for each of
    your previous employers, using the Problem (Challenge) – Action -
    Result model.
  • You have analyzed your accomplishment
    stories to identify the personal qualities, skills, and areas of
    knowledge that made it possible for you to achieve your successes.

Going forward, you need to re-frame this data in terms of what is needed for the specific position you are applying for.

Step #1
- Study the job description and organization to identify the criteria
for the job (not “requirements”). The criteria are likely to be “soft
skills,” e.g., flexibility, team orientation, interpersonal skills,
etc. Create a grid, with the criteria on the left and your previous
employers across the top.

Step #2 – Fill-in the cells
with a note about each employer/accomplishment that addresses the new
job criteria. (Without the ability to post a table online, I can’t
provide a good-looking sample – contact this author for a complimentary
copy of this worksheet..)

Step #3 – Once you’ve
completed this “homework,” use your notes to prepare for questions and
conversation with the interviewers. Be careful to limit your responses
to three – four crisp sentences, using the Problem (Challenge) – Action
- Result model.

Ironically, you’ll need to rehearse these responses so you can deliver them in a style that appears to be totally spontaneous!  Rehearse
wherever you are alone and won’t feel silly talking out loud to
yourself, e.g., while driving, drying your hair, etc.  Want to hear a supportive refrain while practicing?  Try Frank Zappa’s 2005 The Classic Interviews !  Zappa Classic Interviews_7358270

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