Highlighting Your Accomplishments, Pt II

(Cont’d)

Taking up where we left off; if you are, for example, a recent college grad you might have a few things to which you can refer and note on your resume.  

If you maintained a good GPA and held a job, part-time or more, while also pursuing your studies, that’s an accomplishment. Especially since more people are choosing to finance the whole thing; if you successfully managed your studies’ and a job, note it on your resume. For example; I am aware that among companies that require a college degree, some of them have a threshold that an applicant must have maintained a certain level GPA to be considered. However, if they gained their degree while also working during their studies or participated in sports, they could have a slightly lower GPA and still meet the threshold of consideration. This example illustrates one instance when noting this information on your resume can make a difference and, if you don’t tell’em, how are they going to know? 

But use your head and be aware that something you may be passionate about, such as voluntary petition or food drives, are civic involvement that belong in the Personal Interest section of your resume if you choose to have it on there. Also remember the third rail of conversation with strangers about religion and politics. From my own experience over the years, unless you are seeking to work for a non-profit organization, volunteerism speaks well of your character, and that’s great, but don’t expect it to carry much weight in the for-profit corporate world, sorry. List it if you prefer but don’t expect the kudos you may think you are due. If you went on a Mission for your church somewhere, well, it can’t hurt and it is, of course, likely connected to your chronological time line if you’re trying to connect all the dots. But if you list unpaid political activist stuff, be aware that in our current hyper-polarized society, you are likely to alienate half of those who might review your resume.  

Especially for those who are young, if after you’ve reviewed and sifted through everything and still come up empty handed in the search for accomplishments, don’t worry, it is to be expected. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, that’s the way it is and the way it should be; in the real world nobody really appreciates, nor respects, anything gained that has not been earned with effort and merit without some investment of sweat equity. Nobody is owed anything, nobody’s owed a well-paying job, but everyone should be able to have fair access to opportunity with a chance to prove themselves. So rhetorically speaking, you know the cliché; when opportunity knocks are you ready, will you be prepared to be at your best and are you yet doing everything you could be? 

Okay, so enough of that - next! Moving on; if you don’t have any accomplishments to list, then you can’t list what you don’t have. It doesn’t mean you are unemployable or even less employable but it means that if you want to set yourself apart from others, you will have to turn to other things that can accentuate what you have to offer, as compared with other applicants, in the eyes of an employer.   

Among the other things may be letters of reference. References written on your behalf can be for more than just a past employment verification. A reference letter can,  depending on the content, carry some weight. Performance reviews can also be helpful; letters of appreciation, the list goes on, which brings me to another item you may want to add to your bags of tricks… 

Next time we’ll talk about something well suited for taking along to your first interview, as an extension of your resume.

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Highlighting Your Accomplishments, Pt I

I was recently contacted by a reader who said he works in the retail sector unloading trucks and merchandising. He said he had some performance awards and was utilizing them but asked about what kind of accomplishments he could derive from the actual work he does?

I admit to being an incurable optimist, who thinks you can derive something useful from even the most mundane of experiences and something positive from unfortunate events. Most people, if they are and have been conscientious employees who want to do more than just show up for work, can find accomplishments in their work history with which they can accentuate and elevate their candidacy when compared to so many others. For whatever reason, be it laziness, ignorance or anything else, most people don’t make extra effort, which is always an opportunity for you to shine just a bit more. There may be small things that are hiding in plain view, but you won’t notice them unless you know what to look for. Let’s see if I can help to point you in the right direction and identify items you may, until now, not have considered to be useful.  

 

Be aware that an accomplishment must be verifiable and reference checkable. Fabricated items (lies) will catch up with most people at some point and can seriously damage your potential for future career advancement. If you’re a sales person, for example; finding and highlighting accomplishments will be easier than for the reader who unloads trucks and has merchandising responsibilities. But most people can find something in their work history, and for those who are young and have yet to develop a career track record of success, I contend that even in that case there are possibilities. 

In the case of the reader’s question, merchandising in a retail environment, for example, is not just about stocking shelves, it also can involve the planning, placement and arrangement of products in a manner that will maximize their visibility and display them in the best manner possible. Companies often pay for advantageous product placement. Were you responsible for a certain line of products and their placement? If the answer is yes, perhaps you were able to demonstrate that the sales of the products you are involved with had increased sales numbers as a result of a placement strategy you were responsible for. Did you have any budgetary responsibilities or were you directly liaising with the customer or client? If there is some information related to these activities that impacted your employer’s business in any way in a positive light, these are accomplishments. 

If your work involves loading / unloading trucks, which is a function of logistics, warehousing, shipping & receiving, then perhaps there is a monetary value assigned to the goods you are responsible for handling. Might there be a ratio you can refer to, of broken or damaged goods as a result of handling; has your performance improved turn-around and transfer times? Are you working with sensitive or hazardous materials? Any improvements quantified by numbers and percentages to back up any claim you make provides you with something solid to use. 

Without specifics, I cannot be more helpful but I think you can begin to recognize that, unless you sleep on the job or spend the day watching the clock, you can find something you’ve accomplished with which to notate. An engine running on less than all cylinders is far less than it could be, business organizations operate no different and, at a time when companies are trying to maximize their performance, trying to do more with less, if you can demonstrate that you can add value you can likewise attract more attention. 

Granted, some may interpret the examples I’ve listed above as belonging more in the category of responsibilities, but I suggest they can be explained away as something straddling the fine line between a responsibility and an accomplishment. However, if you can’t claim any in-your-face, tangible accomplishments, these kind-of sort-of items can be helpful. It may take only a few small things to help to set yourself apart and provide an impression of examples of your character and work ethic, and this is what will help to separate you from others, who are listing only a chronological work history and responsibilities (yawn).

 

If you have accomplishments or this information helps you to find some you hadn’t considered, then capitalize on them. If you don’t, find something else to gain an edge - and there are other things. Next time we’ll talk about a few of those other options.

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What Makes a Good Cover Letter, Pt II

(Cont’d)

Ideally your cover letter should be sent to an individual or a specific department with which you would work. As I noted earlier, if it is generically addressed to Human Resources, or opening with “To whom it may concern” it won’t be taken seriously, won’t have the intended effect and, for all practical purposes, your effort will stall right then and there. So invest in some research into specifically where and to whom you want it to go. 

For the opening portion, introduce yourself and state your purpose; it should be a few sentences or a short paragraph. Be professionally courteous but get to the point and, now or at the end, don’t dance around it with platitudes by saying something such as, “I am interested in working for XYZ corporation and it would be the highlight of my career…blah, blah…” Part of being and presenting something impactful, means you'd better be-- impactful. I am all about stripping away unnecessary fluff, less smoke and more horsepower, no hamburger helper, just 100% prime cut meat.  

For most people, the entirety of your cover letter need not be more than three paragraphs (intro/body/close). Ironically, the longer it is the less impact it will have. Write a series of drafts, each time honing and sharpening your message just like creating a sharp blade edge; form a blunt edge and then carefully and precisely sharpen it. For the main body, my best suggestion for content is an adaptation of your F.A.B. presentation, which, as readers of this blog are aware, is the central component of your job search efforts in order to generate interest in you. If you don’t know to what I am referring, review my previous blog entries entitled What Do You Have to Offer, parts I, II & III posted April 15^th, 18^th and the 22^nd. This info, with some minor adjustments, should be the central focus of your cover letter; it provides the foundation for why you should be considered, compared with the empty rhetoric most other people will rely upon.    

Close your cover letter with a positive, affirming and somewhat assumptive statement, such as, “I look forward to speaking (or meeting) with you”. Do a thorough review for typos, mistakes and then send it, get it out there, make things happen for yourself. If you do it in the manner I am suggesting, you are not likely to be sending it en masse, everywhere. Instead, you’ll be selective in where you send them. I think this is more effective than mass mailing generic garbage for yet another reason; you simply can’t keep track of too many sent hither and yon. It will inevitably increase the chance that when you are called, instead of listening and engaging the caller, you’ll be nervously trying to figure out who it is that is calling you since you sent so many letters all over the map – how good a first impression will that leave? 

There is one more step most people fail to do; they don’t follow up with the intended recipient. If you took the time to research for whom it was intended, one week to ten days after they will have received it, call them and introduce yourself, you have a good reason, to verify if they received your cover letter and resume. However, you can do none of this if all you did was send a pile of generic letters to human resource departments addressed “To whom it may concern” because, who you gonna call? On the other hand if you were more selective and specific about where and to whom you sent a cover letter, you know with whom to follow up. Furthermore, doing it my way provides you with yet another means for contacting a decision maker before you speak with HR, then being able to call human resources and say, “Mr. (or Ms.) Smith referred me to you…”

One thing should be crystal clear and that is, anything which will increase your chances of separating from others takes time and effort to be effective. It is up to you how much you want to set yourself apart from everyone else competing for the same job(s). If you choose to use a cover letter, do the work it takes to produce something that will have the intended affect.

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What Makes a Good Cover Letter, Pt I

First, let’s talk about what does not constitute a good cover letter; unnecessarily lengthy, monotonous, uninspiring, generic form letters, virtual autobiographies that put people to sleep before they even get to your resume. Many people have the false impression they need to assemble a cover letter to go with their resume, as though it is a part of the hiring ritual – however, it is not. A cover letter can be helpful, and if you have reason to do so go for it, but in most cases I think it is just fluff. For over 20 years I have been recruiting, representing and placing middle-senior professionals and specialists including lawyers, directors, VPs, specialists of many stripes and rarely was there a cover letter used. Also, when a cover letter was used it never made much difference. As a follow up to any placement of a candidate I represent, I always ask what it was that made the difference; what was it that made my candidate more attractive, and nobody has ever told me it was a result of their cover letter. 

There are, of course, some positions that do require cover letters, such as in academia, or if you must as part of a process, assemble a packet of information for review by a committee. But it just strikes me as being more of a function of a PR campaign effort than it is a necessary step in the interview process. Most cover letters look more like highbrow letters of introduction, but are you trying to gain acceptance into a country club or attract the attention of a hiring manager? Another reason for my lack of enthusiasm is because in the modern era HR is reading fewer resumes than ever, they’re scanning them for keywords and adding them to a database, so it is likely your cover letter will go unread. But the primary reason cover letters do so little is because the information contained therein usually provides little or no reason for anyone to select you, much less choose you ahead of another applicant as a result.  

However, if you insist that you want to utilize a cover letter, or you are compelled to do so, let’s talk about making it something that will enhance your chances rather than causing people to roll their eyes about the number of pages they must flip through before they get to some pertinent info.  

Ideally, a cover letter should serve two purposes; one, to briefly introduce yourself and state your intention, and two, provide compelling reasons why you should be considered straight away and put to the head of the line – period. If it has no spark, then you’re just going through the motions. 

If you’re using a form letter, recognize that one size does not fit all possibilities. Mass mailing generic form letters will do nothing for you and won’t be taken seriously and, again, better to send no cover letter than some cookie-cutter template in which you just switched out or added your name and used it. If you are not passionate about what you have to offer it will show by virtue of failing to excite or entice anyone. So here’s a suggestion; stop using crappy templates from the Internet or something a well-meaning friend sent you; your cover letter should stand out and that means it should be as individual as you are. Get with it and actually write your own cover letter and stop resorting to mediocre point-and-click solutions for everything – if indeed you really want to be different from others with whom you’re competing. Depending on your goal, you may need to write a different cover letter for each opportunity you pursue, but more likely you can assemble an individualized template for yourself, having variants according to need. Some people have slightly varied versions of their resumes they might use, depending upon the niche areas of a market sector within which they are applying; if you’re going to use a cover letter, do the same; it should be somewhat tailored and the content corresponding to the company to whom you are inquiring.  

Are you beginning to realize a cover letter is not just something you throw together? If you’re going to use one it should serve as an octane booster, a strategic and calculated adjunct to your efforts to enhance your resume. If this sounds like a lot of work, yes, it can be but you’ll invest the effort once and then you’ll have your own personalized templates for use whenever you need. Hey, these strategies don’t change with the wind, they are always effective because they are different, innovative and actually say something about you. 

Next time we’ll continue with a formula for a cover letter that actually says something worthy of notice.

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Minor but Costly Resume Oversights, Pt II

(Cont’d)

Employment dates

Another item that attracts negative attention is your chronology of dates connecting your work experience. If you show only the years and not month/years there is an automatic assumption among many that you are hiding a break in your employment history. Always post the month and year you began a job and the month and year during which you concluded it.

If you have a period of time between jobs, ‘fess up and be prepared to explain it. Any assumption that you are being less than completely honest will have consequences for you. This is yet another example of how perception is reality and it falls upon you to be transparent and forthcoming. This is all about connecting the dots and removing doubt. It is also another reason for why I suggested in the previous blog entry that you can note the circumstances for your breaks in employment in italics to remove doubts about your work history.

Resume length

“Is my resume too short or too long?” It's a question many ask themselves. I would suggest it is not about having a long or a short resume but how impactful is the content. Some people say one page; others say not more than two pages. As a consequence many people try to stretch their information, much like a kid who tries to turn a paragraph into a full-page book report for school. Then there are those who omit important information for fear of their resume being considered too long. If you work within an academic, scientific or technical sector you're likely to have a longer resume. If you are young and early in your career then you may have some difficulty assembling solid content and your resume will therefore be shorter.

When you are assembling your resume throw everything into the first draft and pare it down from there. As you refine it remember you want to give enough info to tease, but not so much that they haven’t any reason to call you because you were too effective, as they make a decision without inquiring further. Bullet points are an effective way to say more with less. I always suggest to keep the responsibility aspect brief and go heavier on your bullet-pointed accomplishments to get their attention. Pick your best few, and have the others in reserve and save them for when you meet face-to-face for a little extra horsepower.

The bottom line is, however, after you have refined your resume to the point you think it represents you and your experience, go with it and don’t second guess yourself because of a generalized opinion meant for the herd. You’re an individual, do what’s best for you so that you feel confident about representing yourself.

Typos and spelling errors

Believe it or not, this is the biggest mistake I see and most often it is due to carelessness and a simple lack of attention to detail that seems to have become the status quo; it seems that for many, half-assed efforts is becoming more the rule than the exception. Hey, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing it right. So if you can take it up just a notch or more beyond what others are willing or capable of, you’re increasing your odds of success. Who would think it would reach a point where suggesting a resume without typos is necessary. But even I make mistakes, I know from writing this blog and my book that you might read, proofread and read again, and still miss something. Anytime you are able, get another pair of eyes to take a look at it, they’re likely to see things you’ll miss. Know this; there are HR and hiring managers who will toss your resume and disqualify you due to a simple spelling error, believe it or not. And why not, if they receive 100 or more resumes and have to screen them down to about 10 before initiating the interview process, are you surprised?

As we have noted, these are minor items, yet common mistakes that can disqualify you before you even have a chance to sit down with a hiring authority -- preventing you from ever demonstrating why you should receive serious consideration.

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Minor but Costly Resume Oversights, Pt I

What you say and do during the interview process matters much more than a piece of paper, but you’ve first got to get noticed and get through the door to have that chance. Think of your resume as a product brochure. it should list information in a manner that will generate interest and attract people to investigate further. So what does your resume say about you? You can agonize over the content, the length, etc. but any potential employer must be able to connect the dots and be able to follow your career progress in order to determine if he or she wants to consider you further. Often it is the small things that can make a difference about whether or not you 'll get an opportunity to demonstrate how you might be their best choice, so let me share a few items for you to consider. 

Accomplishment / Achievement Driven Resumes

I am a strong believer in accomplishment driven resumes. The reason is simple; most employers don’t get very excited if all you’ve done is produced an abbreviated version of your job description. Or, let me make the point this way; one time a hiring official said to me, referring to an applicant’s resume, “Michael, I see what they are supposed to be doing, but what have they actually done?” Anytime you can share accomplishments such as bullet points describing a project you worked on or supervised, cost saving attributed to your ideas or efforts. Or out of 100 others you ranked, where did you rank. Spotlighting finished projects ahead of deadline is another accomplishment oriented achievement. Favorable percentage increases or decreases in the results of tasks expected of you, etc. If you don’t have any, so be it, but if you do, they should be on there.  

Circumstantial Job and Position Changes

Connecting the dots between job changes is another important item. With the exception of a few years in the Army, my Dad worked for Ford Motor, at the Cleveland Stamping Plant in Walton Hills, Ohio his entire career. Fewer people have only one employer spanning their entire career, times have indeed changed and frankly speaking, I think it would be boring to work at only one place for 40 or more years.  

With layoffs, mergers and acquisitions, rebranding, etc. there are changes occurring that result in people playing musical chairs during their career. I’ve met people who have relatively stable careers, although their resume would lead you to believe something completely different. If you follow the standard template of resume writing you list you jobs in chronological order, listing Company name, title, and period of time you were employed and then listing descriptive info related to your work. For example, if you worked for a company and the company changed its name through a merger and you were promoted, on your resume you might list the employer, your title, etc. Then, your next entry might list the company’s new name, your title, etc.  

Imagine that for someone who doesn’t know you, it appears on paper that you’ve had two different jobs with separate employers; you didn’t change jobs but it looks that way. Or, maybe your job was eliminated after only a couple years, or worse maybe you worked with a company that changed names as I just described and then your job was eliminated. Can you see how your resume might confuse the hell out of someone, especially if you have been affected by something beyond your control that was not your doing? You may have been a great employee, but on paper you might appear as anything but. But alas, the solution is simple, directly below on the very next line, in a smaller italicized font in parentheses add a line that says something like (January 2012, XYZ Company merged with ABC Corporation), or (position was made redundant in February 2011), or (was promoted and transferred to AA Division of the ABC Corporation), etc. This connects the dots and eliminates confusion about things not of your own doing and beyond your control so they can instead focus more on your skills, experience and qualifications.  

Next time we’ll discuss 3 additional items to help you prevent additional unnecessary scrutiny which can block your progress.

(Pt II will be posted on Monday)

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Don’t Sit down for Too Long!

There are two kinds of job seekers: those looking for jobs and those who will be looking for jobs – at one time or another. It’s inevitable. What’s a secure job anymore? Remember when the post office was as secure and safe as you could get? 

Many people, who find themselves having more free time on their hands, may convince themselves they will take some time off for a few weeks and then they will kick it back into gear and look for a new job; this is rarely a good idea. A few weeks can turn into a few months, 7 and then 8… You may tell yourself you want to clear your head a bit, take a break and maybe do a little traveling, or get some reading done before you jump back into that rat race. But I’m here to tell you this is a mistake. I know people such as these, they have good track records of performance and they thought the same thing and, now one year later, they are searching for a job – and panicking. The slower than normal job market is one big reason why you shouldn’t sit back and put your feet up. 

Companies are taking longer to make decisions; they are scrutinizing applicants more thoroughly, which brings me to my main point. Gaps in your employment can hurt your chances when compared with other applicants. The bigger the gap the more you’ve got to explain. If you have no choice in the matter, so be it, but if you chose to sit back that’s a little harder to rationalize. Sure, if you are that good, if you blow the others away during the interview process, a slight gap isn’t going to hurt you. But if there are other people of similar experience and skill seeking the same job, the span of time between jobs is one of the items at which they will be looking. So why purposely handicap yourself? Regret is a dirty word in my vocabulary.  

Many people, including myself, on occasion think, “ah screw’em, I don’t care what they think”. But unless you’re self-employed that attitude won’t get you very far. Using your new free time for introspection, to travel or spend time reading and lamenting the state of the world – whatever excuse you use won’t pay the bills; meanwhile, time marches on and faster than you think. And if you’re not nervous because you have some savings socked away or received a fat severance package, after you burn through that, then what?

The point is gaps in your employment, especially those that are avoidable or you cannot easily explain away, do not reflect well on a person. Maybe you’re not worried, but I have watched people who said they have it handled, they were cool and calm and knew what they were doing and, a year later, suddenly they are willing to take any job they can find. This is no way to manage a career,  much less  keep pace with the ebb and flow of economic cycles. 

Anyone who has worked to stay in good physical condition and participate competitively, knows after a lengthy pause they lose something, they are not as sharp or as agile and it takes a while to get back to where they were. It is no different if you have a break and make excuses to delay doing what needs to be done; that is, to get out there and find another job.  

Whether by choice or by circumstance you find yourself with free time as a result of unemployment, sure, put your feet up a bit, take a week or two to get your thoughts together, catch your breath and, then, get back into the race.

Next time we’ll talk about small but potentially costly resume mistakes related to your job changes.

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