Work While You Wait

When you are in the process of interviewing for a 'live one' and have entered the 'waiting for a decision' stage, it's natural to let yourself take a rest from your search.  If anything, this is a time to beef up your activity. 

If you land the job you can take a breather.  And if you don't, you have activity scheduled that will help you deal with the disappointment of the turndown and avoid going into a slump. 

The more irons you have in the fire, whether that's network meetings or attending a job fair, the easier this process will be in the long run.

Making the Most Out of a Turndown

Take a Chance to Get Some Feedback

A few weeks ago I got to the second round of interviews for a pretty neat position, but didn't get the call back for the final round.  I had a feeling I knew where and when the interview went sour, but that was based on my assumption.  So I took a chance and sent the interviewer an e-mail asking for feedback.  Actually, what I asked for was information that could help me strengthen my presentation in future interviews.  I was very pleased and grateful to get an e-mail back suggesting we schedule a time to talk.

My Rules for Receiving Feedback
Consider it a gift and accept it graciously.
Take it in without a debate.  Just listen.
Chew or stew on it a bit to see what feels right or has a ring of truth.
Swallow those pieces down (meaning integrate and act on them).
Spit out the rest. 

What to Do With the Feedback

Just because someone gives you feedback, that doesn't mean it's 100% on target for you.  It's given from the interviewer's perspective.  And it's good data for you to explore and decide what course corrections to make, if any.

In my case, I was on target with my assumptions about part of what eliminated me from a shot at this position, and got some additional very valuable feedback about ways in which I might strengthen my interview presentation in the future, which I thought was right on target as well.  There is no doubt that this feedback impacted the way I interacted in a recent interview.

You Don't Always Get What You Ask For
In many cases companies have strict rules about giving feedback after an interview.  They're the same companies that bar managers from giving letters of recommendation.  The feeling is the less said, the less likely you'll get sued.  So don't take it personally if someone either ignores your outreach or says no.  They may not have a choice in the matter. 

On the other hand, stick your neck out there and ask for that feedback.  You just might hear something that will help you land your next job.

Should You Be First, Last or Somewhere in the Middle?

I had the opportunity to interview for a wonderful job today.  It is a perfect fit in every way - skills and experience, culture of the office and university, timing, staff, commute...you name it and it's a match. 

How did I get to this one?  You know the answer already - networking!

Here's a question:  When you have the choice of when to interview, do you choose to go in first, last or somewhere in the middle? 

Going in first puts you in a great position if they really like you.  Then others are being compared to you.  The down side, of course, is that you are first so you have to find ways to stay in front of the interviewers while they meet with your competition.

Going in last puts you in the position of being most memorable as your prospective manager gets ready to make a decision, but if the interviewer/s have already found the person they view as 'the one' you may not even know what an uphill battle you're in.

The best answer and timing... prepare to go in and WOW them regardless of when you interview.  Make sure you have a solid 'Tell me something about yourself' that's linked to the job description.  Research the company and the people you'll be interviewing with so you can answer the 'why us' question.  Write your answers out and rehearse them with a friend, colleague or in front of the mirror. 

It's the same old question and punch line...How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice!

I'm off to write my thank you e-mails, restating why I'd be the perfect candidate for the position.  Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted.

Social Networking and Job Search

The Boom in Social Media

Whether it's Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn or Blogger, everyone today seems to be using technology to connect with friends, family and colleagues.  In this day and age when people are so spread out and we all seem to be running faster and faster, it's great to have more ways to stay connected.

Social media is useful in job search as well.  I wrote a post about using LinkedIn to identify network contacts and my tweets about new posts have definitely increased the number of people checking out my blog.  I recently took a webinar on using social media in job search covering everything from Twitter to LinkedIn and there is no doubt that social media tools can be helpful when one is engaged in a job search.  There is also no doubt that using social media while engaged in job search can be something that comes back to bite you.

WARNING:  Use Sound Judgement When Tweeting

In the 'old days', prior to this explosion in technology, the biggest warning to job seekers was "be mindful about who answers your phone, how it's answered and what the message on your home answering machine sounds like".  We counseled job seekers to coach anyone who might answer the phone about what information to ask for and strongly urged them to record a professional sounding message in their own voice while they were engaged in a search.  It was no time, and still isn't, for cute kid messages or heavy metal music in the background. 

While the message on your cell phone still needs to be crisp and professional, in that most of us carry and answer our own cell phones, we don't need to be concerned about who's answering the phone at home.  I don't list anything but my cell on my current resume.  And, in that cell phones all provide caller ID, we are in a position to choose to either answer a call, or if you're in the middle of a concert, let it go to voicemail. 

Social media is a way for you to check out future employers.  Make no mistake, it is also a way for potential employers to check up on you!  They can google you, check your tweets, and look for silly (or worse) pictures on Facebook.  Is there no such thing as privacy anymore?!  The simple answer is no.

So don't send a tweet about how drunk you got last night.  Don't post pictures or video that show you in racy clothes or dancing on a table.  While this may cramp your style, tweets can be viewed for up to 30 days and today's techno-savvy employer may well check them out.  It would be a shame if one night of revelry displayed with a full spread of pictures on Facebook kills your opportunity to interview for or be offered the perfect job.

CLEAN YOUR ON-LINE HOUSE

So clean your techno house.  Review all of your privacy settings to make sure you are as protected as possible.  Look at your tweets and delete any that might be inappropriate.  Check out the pictures you've posted on Facebook and any you might be tagged in and remove those that get in the way of letting your "professional self" shine.

This is the time to be your 'best you' in every way and every format available to you.  Use social media to your advantage and it can be a very powerful tool.

Time to Dust Off the Resume and Get Back in the Game

The Economic News Seems to Be More Positive
While I know the market went into a free fall this week, in general the economic news including statistics on first time unemployment filings seem to indicate that things are beginning to look a bit more positive.  That's not to say we're wholly back on track with a thriving job market, but any move in the right direction is a good one.  So it's time for those of you who had given up or were waiting for things to improve to dust off your resume and get back in the game.

Why Now is the Best Time to Gear Up Your Job Search
Back in November I wrote about why the holidays are a great time to gear up your job search.  My experience is that many people who are out of work around the holidays tend to take the season off, assuming nothing will surface between Thanksgiving and New Year's anyway.  This opens up an opportunity for those who keep up their search efforts.

Similarly, many who are laid off around the time the days get longer and you don't need a coat anymore often decide to take the summer off and start their search in September.  There are some who have been engaged in a search who decide to do the same, simply because there's a lot to do and enjoy when it's warm and sunny.  Once again, this creates opportunity for those who continue to work their search.

It's a Great Time to Network
The summer is a great time to network.  People are generally more relaxed which tends to make them more open to networking.  Work typically slows down a bit in the summer so people have more time to network.

So as we move from spring into summer, gear up your networking.  Schedule a few meetings each week.  You can reward yourself with a trip to the beach after a good week of networking.

On a Resume EVERYTHING Counts

I've been helping a lot of people with resumes of late, and one thing that is critical to remember is that everything counts.  I'm seeing resumes with such avoidable mistakes like no white space (meaning simply too packed with type) or dates that aren't aligned so as you look down the page they waver from position to position.  You must focus on both content and appearance in order for your resume to land you the interview.

What do I mean by everything?  EVERYTHING!

• Language - make it strong, concise and action-oriented
• Key Words - it's important to build key words into your profile, those terms or skills listed as requirements in the job description
• Alignment - be consistent; the dates should be aligned as you look down the resume
• Spelling - needless to say it should be perfect.  Use spell check and proof the resume by reading each word out loud.  Remember if you meant to type your and instead typed only you, it's a typo!
• Grammar - pay particular attention to tense, all past jobs should be in past tense and a current position is written in present tense unless you're referencing a one time project that you've completed.
• White Space - a crowded resume is too hard to read so it often goes into the circular file, either electronically or literally.  Leave a blank line between jobs and sections.  Use a 1 inch margin on all sides.  It you need more space, steal it from the top and bottom of the page rather than the sides.
• Type size and font - either 10 or 11 point type is good for a resume.  9 point type can look crowded and send people running for their reading glasses.  12 point type can often seem too large and imply that you're trying to make the resume look longer.  Avoid using multiple fonts.  Pick on and use italics and bold for emphasis rather than switching to another typeface.  Just like Goldilocks, you have to figure out which font and size is 'just right.'
• Graphics - keep it simple;  be selective about which words or phrases you choose to highlight in bold,  the same goes for italics.  Use UPPER case type to delineate different sections.  I like to see the functional title in your profile in bold.  It's an easy way for the reader to get a sense of what you're looking for and where you'd best fit in.

A resume is generally a 'leave behind' at a network meeting, and while it should be perfect, you've already connected in person to seek advice and tell your stories, so the resume isn't the lead.  When it comes to applying for jobs, today's resume is key to getting your foot in the door and there's simply no room for mistakes.

So, take the time to work on your resume to make sure it's showcasing the best you.  And just when you think it's done, remember to customize your resume and cover letter for each position to which you apply.  Don't worry, this isn't a major overhaul, just tweak your resume to make sure it includes the language from the job description and you should have a stellar resume every time!