#YourCareer : How to Build a Career Path in 3 Steps. Got Kids? MUst REad!

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Whether you are looking for a job for the first time or seeking to make a move in the middle of your career, having a plan is the surest way to find fulfillment and happiness in your professional life. It is better to forge a path than let yourself get too comfortable and complacent where you are, according to career coach Tracy Timm and recruitment trends expert Tony Lee. That can be a “recipe for disaster,” says Miss Timm.

“If you and I want to bake a cake, we wouldn’t just haphazardly throw ingredients into a pan and put it all in the oven,” says Miss Timm. “We would look up a recipe and then we would follow the recipe to a tee to get to the outcome that we want.”

1. Begin to build your career path by identifying your core values and skills.

Do some self-discovery. Identifying your nonnegotiable core values is one of three categories Miss Timm recommends evaluating as people start to build their career paths. Perhaps family commitments would make it difficult to work on weekends. Or if you love where you live, you may not be willing to relocate. If you are a caregiver, working from home with flexible hours might be a good fit.

Write down answers to these questions before you start:

  • What are your values? Identify what is most important to your lifestyle, such as income, faith, the ability to go on vacation or meeting new people.
  • What are your attributes? Think about the personality traits, professionally and personally, that have stayed constant throughout your life. Are you a team player? Do you prefer to work alone? Are you a fast learner?
  • What are your skills? This section is a list of what you have “learned and earned,” says Miss Timm. Write down what expertise you have developed over the course of your academic and professional life. These could range from using specific software to interpersonal skills.

Starting by identifying your core values is a foundational step, but people tend to skip it.

“I think we’re afraid to question where we are at any given time because we don’t want to be wrong,” says Miss Timm. “That is why we get into situations where maybe your work pays you really well and it has great status and you have great health care and dental for your children and your family, but you never see your children and your family.”

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

2. Seek advice on your career path from people you admire.

It can be difficult to be objective about our own situations, which is why it can be helpful to get external opinions. “As one of my mentors says, it’s such as asking a surgeon to do her own surgery,” says Miss Timm. “We’re just too close to the problem.” Talk to a boss, mentor, professor or friend you trust and have good rapport with. This person should understand your professional and personal strengths. Ask them for introductions, guidance and recommendations based on their expertise.

Three things you should ask: 

  • How did you get where you are today? What you learn may surprise you. A successful person may have changed roles many times or stayed at one company for 30 years. They may have several degrees or might have skipped college altogether. Asking other people what their career paths were can help you form your own.
  • Can you recommend programs or training? Big companies might offer internal mentoring programs, formal career-development training, rotational programs and even tuition reimbursement. If you are unemployed, working gig jobs or a student, consider applying for fellowships and grants that align with the kind of training you are looking for.
  • How can I better contribute? Some employers may not have the budget for training programs, but there could be other opportunities. A small company may offer a more direct path to senior management, for example. Ask for a meeting with a senior manager and let them know you are ready to take on more challenges and responsibilities.

If you are concerned about discussing your career path with a manager or HR representative, remember that you have more power than you think. If you have been in a role for some time, it is unlikely your boss will view it as a betrayal that you are interested in exploring opportunities. Having a clear idea of your career goals demonstrates ambition. If you are a good worker, your employer will probably want to keep you around. The cost of hiring and training a new employee to replace you greatly outweighs the cost of keeping an existing one.

HR professionals are measured on their ability to keep the turnover rate low, says Mr. Lee, who is vice president of editorial for the Society for Human Resource Management. “If you have high turnover, you have problems—probably culture problems,” says Mr. Lee. “A lot of employers would do pretty much anything they needed to do to keep a good employee from jumping ship.”

3. Identify your transferable skills to broaden your career options.

The ability to identify and articulate your skills and knowledge may help you to take the next step in finding a career path that suits you. You might be surprised to learn that a skill you acquired in one industry can be applied in another. Learning to frame your experience as an asset to potential employers can help you to map out your options.

For example, employers value flexibility and adaptability, while Miss Timm says being a hard worker or being kind and generous to your colleagues will serve you in any role.

“Until you get a good sense of your strengths and weaknesses and how they play in an environment, you’re operating in a deficit,” says Mr. Lee.

If you aren’t sure where to start:

Try sending a message to five people in your life asking: “What are my three biggest strengths?” It helps if your five recipients know you from different parts of your life, for example, a roommate, a romantic partner, a former boss, a current colleague and a family member. Often, says Miss Timm, the overlap in the responses can help narrow down your universal skills.

 

WSJ.com | February 4. 2021 |   

#JobSearch : How To Identify Your Next Career Move. Very Few People are 100% Sure of What They Want to Do Next.

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Very few of my career transition clients are 100% sure of what they want to do next. Most people either take their transition as an opportunity to take a step back and explore what would be a more meaningful or fulfilling career for them or they come to the coaching with a few potential paths in mind, unsure which would be best for them.

If you fall into either of these categories, there are several exercises you might do to help point you towards the right path. Among these is conducting a “mini-360” to get feedback from friends and colleagues who know you well. Keep in mind that no assessment—including this one—will ever provide the ultimate answer to the question “What should I do next?”

Instead, this exercise will give you data to consider and incorporate with all of the other data that you are collecting that may highlight certain themes for you to explore further in determining what might be next for you. I often compare the career transition process to a treasure hunt, and the answers to this mini-360 can provide both interesting and compelling clues to help you get more clarity and move forward in your search.

This is an easy but powerful exercise you can do in requesting feedback from as few as 3-5 people or 10-20 or more with a brief email. Recognizing that some people will not reply, I recommend reaching out to at least 10-15 people. The more responses you have, the more likely common themes will emerge.

To be clear, I am not advocating letting other people decide your professional path for you—in fact, you want to stay away from what my colleagues and I call “the should’s.” For example, “My parents say I should find something more stable than a startup,” or “I got a law degree, so I should really do something in the legal field since I spent all that money on law school.”

Feedback from others can be helpful since they are likely more to be objective in identifying your gifts and talents that you have either taken for granted or have a blindspot around and don’t recognize the extent to which you are really good at something in particular, whether that’s communication, creativity, or coaching others. This might help you identify jobs or career paths that play to your strengths.

Below are some questions to ask in your mini-360. You can, of course, customize this as you wish.

What three adjectives would you use to describe me?

If most people mention adjectives such as “creative, innovative, and forward-looking,” one might infer that data analytics might not be a good career for you, but perhaps product design or marketing might be. Likewise, if the adjectives are along the lines of “caring, compassionate, and helpful,” perhaps something in the helping professions like teaching, medicine, counseling, or coaching would play to your strengths.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

What do you see as my greatest strengths or talents?

Answers to this question will either make you feel seen, understood, and appreciated or they may shed light on strengths you didn’t even realize you had. For example, someone once told me that I was a risk-taker. I looked at them very puzzled, as I didn’t think of myself that way. I asked them what it was about me that had them see me this way. They responded with actions or decisions I had made that I had never thought of as risky, because they were things that I wanted to do. But they were, in fact, risk-taking. They pointed out that I moved to a foreign country not knowing anyone with only a rudimentary knowledge of the language and left a high-status job in investment banking to do so. I also co-founded a leadership development firm two decades before that was a popular thing to do, while taking zero salary each year, relying solely on my business development skills to earn a living. Sometimes, it takes someone else to show us what we can’t see. We can have blind spots around strengths as much as development areas. Given my appetite for risk, I probably wouldn’t be happy in an opportunity that had limited financial upside.

What competencies, if acquired or developed further, would most benefit me in my career?

Sometimes, a fulfilling career is just around the corner, but there might be a competency—defined as an area of knowledge, a skill, or a trait—that is underdeveloped or missing, the presence of which, would expand your options and make you a more compelling candidate for a particular role or career path. This might involve learning a software program, understanding the regulatory environment in a particular sector, or learning to speak up more. These competencies may also be driven by market trends like digital transformation and the increasing applications of artificial intelligence across sectors.

In what types of situations am I at my best?

Getting feedback on the situations where you are at your best is also helpful to know in thinking about what’s next. Are you at your best presenting to small groups, solving complex problems, or when you’re engaging with clients? The answer to this question can also inform the type of work that would allow you to be in these situations most often. For example, if you’re at your best when engaging with clients, this might point to the professional services sector or a business development or client service role.

What have you seen me get most excited about?

To be fully engaged in your work, it needs to align with your values and interests. If others see you get excited by projects that are global in scale and the latest consumer technology, these interests may point to various target employers. Likewise, if you value collaboration and variety, these values may point to careers in consulting where the work is typically project-based and done in teams.

In what types of jobs or careers would you see me thrive the most, and why? Which ones would I not enjoy, and why?

These last two questions asks the feedback provider to “put it all together” and suggest positions or career paths that might (or might not) be a good match for you based on what they know about you. Hold these suggestions lightly—this is where some projections or “shoulds” may emerge, or if it’s a longtime contact or close family member, they may be stuck in an old image of you. But there can be some good ideas found among these answers for you to explore as well.

The benefit to asking a number of people these questions is being able to step back and identify the patterns and themes that emerge. Notice how they resonate with you. Do they intrigue you, excite you, or repel you? Which ones warrant further exploration? And what additional questions do these responses raise for you? The data you collect here can inform the next step of your exploration that ultimately leads you to your next career move.

Author: Rebecca Zucker

I am an Executive Coach and founding Partner at Next Step Partners, a global leadership development firm that provides Career Transition Services, Executive Coaching,

 

Forbes.com – February 3, 2021

 

#JobSearch : How Does Your Brand Stand Out on Your Resume? Accurately Reflect your Expertise? Most if Not All, the Answer is NO.

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One question I get asked every single week by clients is if their resumes have enough branding–specifically, executive branding. Does their resume accurately reflect their expertise and what they are recognized for? Can I tell what their brand might be? Usually, my answer to these questions is NO.

 

Your executive brand doesn’t always speak for itself, especially if your resume is basically a job description of what you’ve been doing. No, you have to sprinkle aspects of your brand throughout your resume and let your reader know who you are.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

A brand is an evolution of where you are today. It communicates your value to the reader. Have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up in the searches next to your name? That will help you realize your brand.

To represent your brand on your executive resume, make a list of 5-10 strengths and personal attributes that describe you. Are these strengths and attributes on your resume? If a reader were to glance at your resume, would they be able to tell within 10-20 seconds what your brand is, who you are, and what you bring to the table? Is the first half of your resume selling the reader on your brand?

This may sound like a difficult task to do. We aren’t very good at evaluating ourselves. Many of our clients tell us they have this information but are unsure of how to incorporate that into their resume. There is help for that. There are many talented executive resume writers who specialize in executive branding and can walk through it with you. Whether you hire someone to help you with that or do it yourself, the most important thing is that your resume is infused with your unique brand.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – February 1, 2021

#YourCareer : Avoiding A Hard Conversation? How To Have That Brave Conversation You’ve Been Putting Off. A MUst REad for All!

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As the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to connect from behind our screens, it’s also made it all the more convenient to avoid tough conversations. You know the ones… where emotions can run high and sensitivities deep.  Too awkard. Too risky. Too difficult. 

Alas, the most important conversations are often the least comfortable. Easier to simply smile politely and put it off until we’re all back in the office. Whenever that is.

Yet our conversations form the life blood of our relationships, forming the currency of influence in any team or organization.  Engaging in conversations about sensitive issues require self-awareness, emotional intelligence and a solid dose of courage. Mustering up that courage takes getting real about the price we pay when we don’t. On our stress levels, our relationships, our influence and our ability to achieve what we want and change what we don’t.

If you’re in a leadership role, this is amplified further. After all, ‘people are the project.’ If you’re not managing the people issues, you’re destined to fall short on every other outcome.

In short, sticking to only the ‘safe conversations’ can exact a steep hidden tax on individual wellbeing, team productivity and bottom line performance. Research by VitalSmarts found a strong correlation between the span of time it took for a problem being identified and it being raised with team performance. Before Covid-19 this averaged two weeks. Right now, it’s likely considerably longer.

So if there’s a conversation you’ve been putting off, here’s a few ideas to help you address whatever issue’s been on your mind (and likely others too!).

-1- Clarify your highest intention 

It’s easy to communicate from a reactive, defensive, frustrated or fearful place. Many do. Doing so gives a temporary sense sense of gratification. Bam, got em! But it rarely lands a positive outcome.

So before entering into potentially sensitive conversation, get clear on your positive intent. What positive intention are you trying to serve? For you, for them, for your relationship? So be honest about where your ego might be driving you to prove you’re right or make another wrong and connect from the highest part of you, not the lowest.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

-2- Check your story

You don’t see problems as they are, but as you are…filtered through your lens, your fears and your experiences, past and present. Often the story we creat about a problem (or ‘problem person’) is the root of the problem, roadblocking our ability to resolve it and chart a better path forward. So think about where you’ve caste someone as a villain, yourself as a victim or applied labels (it’s pointless, they’re a lost cause, I’m hopeless at… ) that limit new possibilities.

-3- Listen beyond spoken concerns

Even when we can see someone on the other side of the screen, technology has a way of disconnecting us from the human element of our interactions. Connecting with the humanity of the person behind the image on your screen will lead to a far better outcome than simply going through your check list.

Before you unload what’s on your mind, step into their shoes and genuinely try to see as they see and feel as they feel. What’s the deeper, unspoken concerns that might be at play here? The very act of genuinely seeking to understand makes a huge deposit into the relational ‘trust account’.

So ask them how they see and feel about the issue. Then…

Listen.

As you do, resist the temptation to fill any awkward silences. It’s in the pauses between thoughts that the real issues often rise to the surface. Listening is the singular more powerful and under-used communication skill.

-4- Keep it real

If you feel awkward about a conversation, just say so. You’re human. This is vulnerable territory. Own that. If it’s why you’ve put off having this conversation, share that too. This pandemic has been challenging for most of us. Be humble and take full responsibility for your part in this issue including not having raised the issue sooner. Then share why you feel it’s important to do so now (see point #1).

-5- Be truthful, but in a way that elevates, not denigrates

Behavioral scientist Dr. William Schutz once said that “If people in business told the truth, 80 to 90% of their problems would disappear.”  People can intuitively tell when you are being sincere. They can also tell when you’re not.

Be mindful to distinguish the problem (behavior or issue) from the person themselves. Just because someone did something stupid doesn’t make them stupid. Give them space to be otherwise.

Invite their input in how to address the issue, and use language that convey’s your belief in their ability to respond well. Talking down to people will never lift them higher but reinforce the very beliefs that are driving the behavior.

The above said, don’t sugarcoat the truth in disingenuous flattery. That doesn’t build trust, it undermines it. People often respond defensively to implied criticism.

-6- Consider time and place

If you’re working across global time zones, make sure you have the call at a time of day that is thoughtful for the other person. Don’t leave a tough conversation for 5pm Friday and be sure you allow enough time for a meaningful exchange. Likewise, if you’re prone to speaking too much or belaboring points, write down your key points ahead of time.

As for place, well… you may not have much choice but to connect from your home workspace right now. However if you can get outside and go for a walk, changing your physical space can be a powerful way to shift the emotional space of a conversation. Consider both of you going for a walk and talk… even in different places. Just ensure you can stay focused on it.

-7- Set and keep the right emotional tone

Emotions are contagious. The more sensitive an issue, the more rapidly emotions can escalate and highjack rational dialogue. Rehearse the conversation ahead of time, thinking ahead about how you want to respond should they have an emotional highjack. If they get furious, get curious, and avoid getting pulled into a downward spiral of stone-throwing. If things get over-heated, call time out.

-8- Separate fact from opinion

Before you launch into your opinion of a situation, be sure to clearly state the facts as you see them. It’s possible you may have incomplete information.So use language that leaves open the possibility of another interpretation of the situation. E.g. I appreciate I may be missing something, but it appears that …

Who knows, maybe they have some important piece of information you’re unaware of that will make all the difference. Facts first. When you present your opinion as though it’s the truth, you’re guaranteed to get people off-side.

-9- Make clear requests and commitments

A client recently told me how frustrated she is with a colleague. I asked her if she’d been specific about what she wanted this person to do. ‘No, they should just know,’ she replied. And therein lay the problem. They did not know! So never assume people just know what you want or don’t want. Make clear requests,  with specific, unambiguous and measurable expectations – for them and yourself. Only then can you ever effectively manage any accountability.

-10- Focus forward with a soft front, strong back

 It’s easy to descend into pettiness and stone throwing about what woulda-coulda-shoulda happened. To what end?  This doesn’t negate the need for managing accountability. Rather, stay focused on what needs to change and don’t lose sight of the end game.  Most of all, never let someone else’s poor behavior be an excuse for your own.

The quality of your relationships is determined by the quality of the conversations you have in them… in your home, in your office and in virtual teams operating across global time zones.

Don’t let the inability to meet in person stop you having important conversations. And don’t let the screens that separate you be an excuse not to speak to that person as you would if they were right in front of you.

Most of all, don’t let your fear of what could go wrong keep you from speaking up to make things more right.

If there’s something you genuinely want to say, chances are someone genuinely needs to hear it. Adopt the Buddhist principle of “soft front, strong back” and stand firmly in your truth… with courage, candor and kindness. bGo bravely.

Author: Margie Warrell is a speaker on leading with courage and creator of the Courageous Conversations Masterclass.

 

Forbes.com – January 31, 2012

#YourCareer : Signs it’s Time to Send out an “SOS” to Help with Online Branding. Don’t Believe Me? Try Doing a Search on your Name — I’ll wait.

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Online branding is hard to avoid if you are going to be involved with society. It’s actually happening whether you want it to or not, because some of your information is probably online already. Don’t believe me? Try doing a search on your name — I’ll wait.

This is why you need to “own” your online brand. Maybe there was a lot of entries with your name, maybe just a few, but when you submit your resume to a company, the name on your resume is what they will search. It’s a very important part of your professional package. But sometimes, you need to get help in order to get your online brand where it needs to be.

Here are three possible reasons to ask for that help:

  • You are overwhelmed with all that is going on in your life right now.  Sometimes life throws a real curve ball, something like a global pandemic, and you are starting over from square one. It could be something more personal, like a divorce or a death. Maybe you were laid-off recently or took time off due to health reasons or some other reason. No matter the reason, there may be just too much on your plate right now to add this to the pile. Know what things only you can do, and do those things. Delegate other tasks to professionals who are better equipped to handle jobs that aren’t in your wheel-house.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

  • Technology seems daunting. You are learning, but you are afraid of making a mistake. I always tell newbies to the computer age, ‘You can’t break it!’ Getting professional help will give you a confident start, and you can take it from there. Or you can learn as you go and try it out. Either way, it’s a reality you will need to face –e-commerce, for example– you can’t go to an actual Amazon “store”… you need to order online to get what you want from there. Start small and work your way up to profile creation.
  • You now realize that you blew it big time. You have been buzzing along posting selfies and crazy party photos, and now you wish you’d listened when your mom told you to be discreet. She was right, and now you are sorry, but you have no idea what to do about it. A professional has experience in this area and can help. We help with reputation management and can help you clean up your digital dirt. Then you can tell all the tweens you know to heed your warning.

Whether you need coaching to get your LinkedIn profile fully optimized, or you just need assistance with online branding, we can help. And if you decide to tackle it yourself, the first step is to just right in.

FSC Career Blog Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – January 30, 2021

#JobSearch : How To Get Noticed By A Competitive Company When You Don’t Know Anyone. Avoid Application Portals & Bypass the Competition

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I’ve never been one of those super-connected people with a Rolodex of contacts on speed dial. So, it has always bothered me when people would say getting a new job is all about who you know. 

As a career coach who’s helped corporate professionals land interviews and roles at competitive companies like Google, Vogue, Deloitte, iHeartMedia, and an array of other companies in dozens of industries without any secret connections, I know that not having a huge network doesn’t have to exclude you from landing a great role at a competitive company.

But, when you don’t know anyone, you have to know how to approach your job search in a way that helps you skip the line and get ahead of the competition. Here are a few tips to help you get noticed by a competitive company, even when you don’t have a huge network.

Avoid Application Portals & Bypass the Competition

In 2019 alone, before unemployment surged last year, Amazon received more than 18 job applications per minute and more than 200,000 online applications for 30,000 open spots. That’s just one example of the number of applications rolling into competitive companies on any given day.

If your only strategy for getting noticed by a competitive company is applying online, then you are not giving yourself every opportunity to get noticed. Instead of sentencing yourself to the black hole of rejection, as I call it, you need to bypass the competition by reaching out to hiring managers directly. This will help you ensure that your application doesn’t get lost in the application portal and will help you get in front of other job candidates.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Get Good at Knowing Why You’re Good 

It’s not enough to reach out to hiring managers directly, you also have to know exactly why you believe you’re the right person for the role you’re pursuing. Reaching out to the hiring manager without a clear pitch on why you’re the top candidate for the job can still cause your outreach to get tossed to the side.

To get good at knowing why you’re good, you need to take a step back to evaluate how your previous positions have prepared you for the next role you desire. You need to know the stories, accomplishments, results, and examples that showcase the value you can bring to the position. And, you need to be able to communicate those things as easily as you can tell someone your phone number. Some of my clients have even gotten responses in less than 24 hours after reaching out directly to hiring managers because they mastered this, without any secret connections. When you study yourself just as much as you would study the job description, you’ll increase your chances of getting a response from hiring managers, without a referral.

Create the Connections

Lastly, just because you don’t currently have connections doesn’t mean you can’t create them. But, rather than feeling like you have to hit the connect button on LinkedIn 15 times a day or awkwardly send people your resume when they didn’t ask for it, you can do things a different way. Focus on building authentic relationships by thoughtfully reaching out to people you would genuinely like to get to know, simply because they’re like-minded professionals you find interesting.

Don’t focus on how they can help you when you’re establishing these relationships. Pay attention to how you can help them and learn from them instead. Recently, one of my clients followed this approach, and she found out about a position at a competitive company that wasn’t even available online yet. And the best part? She didn’t have to ask or beg for the person to put in a good word for her, the person offered on their own.

Getting noticed by a competitive company and landing a new role doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. When you’re willing to approach your job search strategically and thoughtfully, you can increase your chances of getting noticed and hired at a top company you love.

Author:  Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level and secure the positions they’ve been chasing. Grab her free guide.

 

Forbes.com – January 27, 2021

#JobSearch : Mistakes to Avoid for Doing your Own Resumes and Cover Letters. Great Two(2) Min Read!

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In today’s challenging economic climate, many people are choosing to create their own resumes and cover letters rather than hiring a professional to help save on the cost. This is understandable when money is tight. But you still want to present professional looking documents, free from mistakes. When you are writing your own resume and cover letters, it is very easy to make mistakes just because there are so many versions and corrections (we writers deal with this, too). Even if you are a competent writer, it still is a good idea to carefully read your work once more before sending it off to be read by the people you want to impress.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

Here’s how to avoid some common mistakes in writing:

  • Keep track of grammar when changing a sentence. If you change the noun from singular to plural, for instance, remember to change the sentence structure to match.
  • Don’t rely on automated spellcheckers alone to catch mistakes. Your, you’re, their, they’re, there, two, too, and to are all words which are spelled correctly and won’t show up as an error when used in the wrong way. “Manager” was one I always misspelled as “Manger”. They are both words, so spell check never caught it. Luckily, I’m hyper-diligent about checking and rechecking how I spell Manager– plus there is a little tool in MS Word that lets you auto correct things like that, so whenever I type Manger, it automatically changes it to Manager. Awesome.
  • Avoid the automatic word-finishing features on your word processing program for the same reason. You want your brain to be in control.
  • Look it up if you are unsure. Good spellers and good writers rely on more than their memory. A popular site that helps with more than spelling is https://www.grammarly.com because it checks grammar, spelling, word choice, and style (plus, their Facebook page is informative… and snarky). It’s up to you to take the advice of the computer once the error is pointed out.
  • Take a break before rereading your work. It’s like rebooting your brain and allows you to see the piece with fresh eyes. If you have been working feverishly on something, you read it with your past efforts in mind and can fool yourself.

Of course, all the resume writing tips the pros use apply. Your cover letter and resume, along with the follow-up thank you letter, are huge indicators to the potential employer of your ability and professionalism. Everybody makes mistakes — but you don’t have to leave those mistakes in your writing. It’s easy to fix a mistake once you see it, so learn how to look for it.

FSC Career Blog Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog – January 26, 2021

 

#JobSearch : Wall Street Journal is Sponsoring a Free Online Job Summit – ‘Succeed in the Search’. A MUST REad for All!

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Who is hiring now? How can I shift careers without downsizing my salary? Is a one-page resume still the rule? Where do I even start my search? As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to upend the job market, the WSJ Jobs Summit will provide new graduates and workers trying to get back in the game—or reinvent their skillset—with a modern toolkit to navigate this competitive market.

Through interviews and interactive workshops with leaders across business, we’ll look at the workforce landscape from multiple angles, including:

Through interviews and interactive workshops with leaders across business, we’ll look at the workforce landscape from multiple angles, including:

  • An assessment of the job market by the numbers, and what it means for you
  • Practical, tactical advice from companies in hiring mode
  • A playbook preparing you for a productive hunt, online interviews, overcoming setbacks and effective negotiation.

 

Who Should Attend:

1- Students, New Graduates, & College Faculty

Attendees took away the practical tools and trusted insight you need to navigate this new job market as either a first-time job seeker or leader helping students transition from campus to career.

2- Mid-career Changers

For professionals taking this moment to consider a new career path, the summit offered perspective and guidance from business leaders across industries.

3- Currently Unemployed

If you’ve lost your job due to the pandemic, this was an opportunity to acquire the tools you’ll need to not only survive but thrive in this new job market.

 

Agenda: Ten(10) Sessions, attend all or attend only of your interest. See link below:

https://www.wsjjobssummit.com/agenda

 

Must Sign Up & Register:  https://www.wsjjobssummit.com/home

 

 

WSJ.com – January 23, 2021

#JobSearch : How to Write a Cover Letter That Stands Out. Cover Letters Tailored Specifically to the Job had a 31% Higher Callback Rate than Applications with Generic Cover Letters.

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Job hunting can sometimes be demoralizing, especially when unemployment numbers are at record highs. Looking for job postings, reformatting your résumé and sending follow-up emails are all draining tasks, but, for some, writing a cover letter can be the most overwhelming part of a job application.

I’ve edited hundreds of cover letters for family members, friends and acquaintances. They often ask whether spending time writing a cover letter is worth the effort. A survey by ResumeGo, which offers resume writing services, found that 87% of hiring professionals surveyed said they do read cover letters. A separate ResumeGo experiment found that, of 7,287 fictitious job applications between July 15, 2019, and Jan. 10, 2020, those that included cover letters tailored specifically to the job had a 31% higher callback rate than applications with generic cover letters. Applications with tailored cover letters also yielded 53% more interviews than those without cover letters.

Here are some tips from experts and my own playbook for writing a compelling cover letter.

Create a custom cover letter—even though it is time consuming.
It may seem easier to use a form letter and swap out the company and job title, but hiring managers will be able to see right through you. Jobseekers often rush while writing cover letters, says Dorie Clark, author of “Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive,” and a professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. “They’re actually critical in terms of shaping your narrative because it’s your opportunity to tell the world who you are, what you’re about, and why you’re qualified,” Ms. Clark says.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

But it’s OK to format your cover letter using a formula.

Think of a cover letter as a chance to sell yourself. Explain why your experience makes you a good fit for the position. Each sentence should help to persuade a hiring manager that you are the right pick for the job.

The structure can be simple. Your first paragraph should explain who you are and why you are interested in the job. Use the middle section of the letter to prove that you are qualified. (Read on for more about how to do that.) In the final section you can really bring home why you are a good fit for the position.

Reread the job posting and do your homework.

1. Take note of the skills the role requires. The goal of your cover letter is to explain how your experience will help you to fulfill the duties outlined in the job description.

2. Be enthusiastic. If you are applying for an entry-level position, you might not have a lot of experience, but that is OK. Familiarize yourself with the employer’s values and reflect why you want to work there in the cover letter.

Top tip: As you are writing, keep the job posting and the company’s mission statement open in separate tabs in your browser for easy reference. You can also copy and paste the job requirements you want to address at the top of the cover-letter document. You can then delete each one as you address it in the body of the letter. If you are not sure which requirements to address, remember that employers often list their top requirements first. Look out for skills or other requirements that are mentioned more than once in the posting, too, as they are likely to be important to an employer.

Research who is hiring for the position.

If you can, try to personalize your cover letter by addressing it to the hiring manager. Professional platforms like LinkedIn, social media sites and search engines are good ways to find the names of hiring managers. While it is traditional to initiate a cover letter with, “Dear Mr./Ms. [insert surname],” you may want to avoid that approach if you are unsure about the recipient’s preferred title and pronouns. Instead, use the person’s first and last name.

Even if you can’t find the name of the person hiring, you should avoid using “To Whom it May Concern” as a greeting in your cover letter. Although it is formal, it is not very personal. Instead, try using something customized to the role or department you are applying to, such as “Dear Communications Assistant Hiring Manager” or “Dear Marketing Team.”

“It’s your opportunity to tell the world who you are, what you’re about, and why you’re qualified.”

— Dorie Clark, author and professor

Begin your cover letter with an attention-grabbing first paragraph.

Hiring managers want to see something that will stand out from commonly used introductions like, “I am writing to you to apply for the office-manager position.” Instead, you could explain how a specific professional or personal experience inspired you to further advance your career. Perhaps you work in IT and like solving problems through coding, which inspired you to seek out opportunities as a developer. Or maybe you want to use your language skills in your next role. Make the connection personal and be brief. Keep the anecdote to two sentences. You can complete the paragraph by tying that story to the job: “It’s because of this experience that I am excited to be applying for [insert job title here] at [insert company name].”

Avoid exclamation points and adverbs.

You should show enthusiasm, but you don’t need to go overboard with unnecessary punctuation or adverbs such as “very” or “extremely.” You can convey eagerness while maintaining a professional tone.

Writing a good cover letter involves differentiating it from your resume.

It can be tempting to copy and paste directly from your resume to describe your work history, but your cover letter is an opportunity to present your experience in relation to the job you want. Use one or two paragraphs in the body of the cover letter to demonstrate how your accomplishments have prepared you to meet each of the requirements of the role and take on the expected responsibilities.

Play up your skills.

When writing the middle section of your letter, identify the skills you have and how they would be useful for the position you are applying for. If you are applying for an entry-level position, or don’t have a lot of experience, emphasize your strengths. Maybe you are a self-starter who can meet goals even while working independently in this era of widespread remote work. Or maybe you come from a nontraditional professional background, which you can frame as an asset due to the skills or perspective it has given you. “If you’re able to make the case, like, ‘Look I come from this different place, which is unusual in your field, and that’s exactly what you need,’ that can be really quite powerful,” Ms. Clark says.

Emphasize what you can do for the company.

Use the latter section of your letter to tie together how your skills, experience and background make you an ideal candidate for the job. For example, after outlining some of your relevant professional history you could add: “These experiences have prepared me to jump right into the data-driven decision-making position at [insert company here], which would make me a valuable asset to the team.” You could also expand on your previous work and motivations with a sentence like: “These experiences consistently inspire me to seek projects that give back to the community, which is why I identify so closely with [insert company]’s mission.”

Consider other formats.

Dana Leavy-Detrick, founder and director of Brooklyn Resume Studio, says it can be appropriate to use bullet points in certain circumstances, such as listing your skills. This format allows you to swap in key points more easily, rather than rewriting entire paragraphs for each new letter. You could write one or two sentences outlining your interest in the role or organization, followed by a sentence saying:  “At this point, in my career, I’m confident I can offer” followed by a list of bullet points describing your abilities.

If you want to show your creative side, an alternative to a cover letter may be appropriate, depending on the job, industry and employer. For example, Jenna Palek scored a job at TikTok in summer 2020 after she posted a video as part of her application, explaining her resume and qualifications, which went viral on the platform. This is a risky strategy but it can pay off in certain circumstances.

Finish the letter with why you want to work for the company.

The final paragraph is your last chance to say why you want the job. It is important to strike a tone that shows you are interested, but not too pushy. You can write a sentence or two that emphasizes your interest in the role or company, and say you hope to hear back soon. Avoid writing that you will follow up over the phone or reach out to schedule a time to talk. Even if the rest of your letter is great, an overly forceful tone in your closing paragraph can be off-putting to an employer. Before typing your name, end the letter with a tonally appropriate sign off, such as “Sincerely,” as opposed to “Thanks,” which may be too informal.

Take the time to review before hitting send.

Don’t hit send without a few final checks. Hiring managers prefer cover letters that are less than a page long, so make some trims if necessary. Read the cover letter aloud and check for spelling and grammatical errors or typos. If you have the time, ask a friend or adviser to check it over. Then you can hit submit. 

Resources
  • WSJ Jobs Summit on March 4, 2021: Register for this free online event that provides recent graduates and workers looking for new opportunities with practical strategies and insights to navigate the competitive job market.

 

WSJ.com | January 21, 2021 | Allison Pohle

 

 

#JobSearch : 2 Key Attributes Your Resume Should Communicate. How’s Yours? Great Two(2) Min Read!

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Your resume is a compilation of your career for the purpose of evaluation. Your resume is written for the reader. They are looking for indications you will be suitable for a specific opening, and that reader uses your resume to determine if an interview should be scheduled. Every hiring manager or recruiter will be looking for two areas, which are summed up:  learn and lead.

The ability to learn is essential no matter which position you are filling in an organization. From the top executive to the lowest rung of the career ladder, if you aren’t continually seeking to learn how to increase your effectiveness, you are dead weight. This can be shown in a resume through several means:

  • seminars and classes attended
  • organizations and volunteer activity
  • certifications

 The ability to lead is really the ability to think and act independently for the good of the group. Some of this ability isn’t going to show in a resume — having the strength of character to avoid gossip, for instance. Still, a resume can show that you have accomplished goals. The positions you have held in any organization, the time spent as a member, and the activities you participate in all show leadership by example even when they are not “head” positions. Your references will reveal what kind of person you are, which will give an indication of what kind of worker you probably will be.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

During an interview, you are assessed in the light of your resume. The impression the resume gave is adjusted to include the face-to-face interaction and the whole package is considered. Will you be able to learn the job? Will you be able to do the job well even when distractions occur? Will you be a positive force in their particular workplace? If your resume hasn’t shown that you might fit, you will probably not be called in for that interview.

If your resume hasn’t resulted in being called in for any interviews, maybe it’s time to look at it again. Does it show that you know how to both learn and lead? Is it well written? Professional Resume Services has carefully built a site with many ways to help you develop an excellent resume for distribution. Explore the tips and services and see how your resume can be one that gets you that interview and the opportunity to learn and lead in a new job.
FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog – January 21, 2021