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#ResumeGaps : 5 Tips On How To Explain Gaps In Your Employment History. Must REad!

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There’s a misconception that it’s a red flag to recruiters if they see breaks in employment on a résumé. Job seekers tend to assume that companies prefer candidates with work experience that seamlessly flows from one employer to the next; many people worry about how to explain common occurrences such as being laid off, quitting a bad job before having a new one, taking extended family leave or experiencing a personal emergency that temporarily takes them out of the workforce.

However, recruiters are used to dealing with candidates in these situations and rarely is it a cause for concern. It isn’t the break-in employment that hurts a candidate’s chances at landing their next job, it’s often how they choose to describe the situation that mistakenly creates a negative perception of their temperament or abilities.

If you find yourself conducting a job search while unemployed or needing to answer questions about a previous gap in your employment, here are five tips to help you comfortably discuss your time out of the workforce and cast it in the best possible light.

1. Assume that recruiters have good intentions

Asking about why you are currently looking for a new job or inquiring about a gap in the years on your résumé is a routine practice for recruiters. They aren’t trying to uncover hidden secrets; they are simply making sure they can answer any questions about your background that may be asked of them later.

Recruiters are selective and do want to find and assess the best talent for their company or client, but that doesn’t stop them from hoping you’ll turn out to be a good match. When you prove yourself to be a strong candidate it saves them time and relieves some of the pressure to keep searching. If a recruiter wants to have a screening call or video interview with you, assume that they are genuinely interested in your background and are hoping that you are a fit.

Remembering that recruiters have good intentions will help you remain calm and to be confident in your abilities, and therefore provide better answers throughout your interview.

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

Article continued …

2. Leverage familiar narratives

Most of the reasons that people find themselves unemployed are extremely common and can be explained quickly because recruiters and hiring managers are already familiar with the narrative.

Some examples of the kind of career disruptions employers run into again and again are: if you were laid off because it was (fill in the blank year when the economy was terrible or something bad happened in your industry), if a new CEO (or another senior leader) came in and replaced your entire team, or if your company was acquired, merged with another or went out of business. Employers also understand disruptions that are more personal, such as if you took time off to be a full-time parent if you tried to launch a start-up but decided it wasn’t for you, if you or another family member had some medical concerns that needed to be addressed, or if your spouse’s career required a relocation.

These are the easiest explanations to give about an employment gap so if any of these situations apply to you, make sure you are simply presenting the recruiter with what is already a known and valid reason to be out of work. Don’t go into any additional detail about your departure or time off unless asked because there is a good chance that using one of these descriptions will be enough to satisfy their curiosity.

3. Be honest, but keep it light and positive

While everything you say in an interview needs to be genuine and accurate, it is not the place to share your most vulnerable stories. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t know you well enough yet to see your career journey and to appreciate what you have endured and learned.

Still, sometimes the truth about why you left a particular job is messy, or reveals a mistake on your part, and you may worry that it’s impossible to be honest and positive when discussing it.

Most people have a job transition (or two) that they are somewhat embarrassed by and wouldn’t want to tell the full, detailed story in an interview. Talented and competent people can find themselves without a job if they take a job they aren’t qualified for or if they find themselves caught up in office politics. Furthermore, there are many times when people have to make personal decisions that unfortunately have a negative impact on their career.

While you may be harboring anger, regret or shame about these episodes, it’s critical that you don’t let these negative emotions influence your interview responses. The key is to candidly present the facts without going too deep into the story or letting the discussion turn negative. Instead, try to refocus the discussion on what you learned or how you plan to use that knowledge in the future.

4. Pivot to the present

Overall, you are looking to strike a balance between providing enough information to answer the question about why you are looking for a job (or why you left a particular employer) and using this response to pivot into a follow-up discussion about why you now want this job.

For example, if you couldn’t get along with the overbearing boss at your last job, a more positive way to position this is to say that you didn’t fit in with the competitive and bureaucratic culture. Then, pivot into a description of how this company’s focus on collaboration and giving employees the freedom to innovate is what interests you most about this job. If a previous employer was less than forthcoming about their financial problems and shut down without notice, use the story to explain what you learned about business strategy and financial planning from that experience and how you plan to use those skills in this job.

There’s no perfect answer but try your best to shift the focus of the reason you found yourself out of work and back onto the present opportunity.

5. Remember to connect

Impressions about how it would be to work with you are influenced by more than just the words you choose. The style in which you respond—things such as tone, body language, listening skills, how and when you choose to pause, and how confident you appear—will all weigh into the overall feeling that the interviewer will take with them from the discussion.

The secret to nailing a job interview isn’t just about having a strong résumé or giving the best answers to hard questions. Often, the winning candidate for a job opening is the person that was better able to build rapport with the interviewer.

While you work to explain your background and address any employment gaps, don’t forget that your main goal is to make a personal connection and leave the person able to envision working with you. Try not to get so caught up in answering any one question correctly that you fail to make eye contact, smile, and match the energy of your interviewer.

It’s important to prepare for discussions about your work history, but remember to take a deep breath, relax, and know that questions about these employment gaps will not necessarily make or break a hiring decision.

Author:   Kourtney Whitehead is a career expert and author of Working Whole. You can learn more about her work at Simply Service.

 

Forbes.com | May 11, 2020

#JobSearch : Here’s Why Career Switchers Have A Huge Advantage In This Job Market.

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In just three short months, the market has completely transformed and there are three realities job seekers need to know to succeed going forward.

Let’s get the unfortunate news out of the way first. Whether you want to label it a possible depression, temporary freeze, or V-shaped recession, our economy is experiencing a major transformation, and job seekers will continue to be impacted for the extended future.

Most professionals dislike a job search even when they’re voluntarily pursuing a career change, so having it thrust upon you makes it that much worse. But based on unemployment numbers, 26 million people are experiencing this now, and many others are aware the clock is ticking.

Even if scientists discover a cure for COVID-19 tomorrow, the “new normal” has already been established. Here’s what we can expect in terms of the job search:

  • Everyone’s looking. If you’ve been laid off or furloughed, there are no guarantees if or when you’ll be called back to the job. Even if re-employed, it may part-time, a different position, or at lower pay with fewer benefits. Customers may be slow to return and many professionals don’t have the luxury of waiting around and are pursuing other opportunities.
  • Companies are running lean. Organizations are cutting back, reducing budgets, and going without. As they learn to increase efficiency, they realize they can function effectively with less, which means they won’t rehire as many people as they had planned before the pandemic.
  • Virtual is winning. Companies have learned that many roles can be done remotely, and teams no longer need to reside in one place to be successful. This means they can search for candidates across larger geography, further increasing job search competition.
  • Compensation is waning. It’s an employer’s job market now, and organizations realize they can find a candidate who will work for less, even if you’re a rock star and worth the extra pay. Yes, it may be short-sighted, but the odds are in their favor.

So, the first major reality is:

Competition for job seekers has become fierce and will remain high even after the pandemic has resolved. If you don’t have a strategy to stand out, you’re sunk.

Making a career switch — defined as a change in industry, function or both — in any economy with our current over-reliance on online platforms and untrained hiring managers is tough. If you’re a successful switcher, you know that. If you’re an unsuccessful one, you also know it.

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

Article continued …

But, it may not be your fault, which brings me to point two:

The current online hiring system isn’t set up for selection. It’s set up for elimination.

  • Welcome to the online universe. With Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) being used by over 98% of Fortune 500 companies receiving on average 250 resumes per posting, online platforms like Zip Recruiter offering to share 16 million resumes with employers, and big boards like Indeed.com boasting 200 million monthly job seekers, it’s no wonder most online applications end up in the internet ozone. Seriously, I have a pretty solid LinkedIn profile, but even I wouldn’t hedge my bets against 200 million other job seekers, especially if I was a potential switcher. And the only way an employer can eventually find the one person for the open role is to eliminate the 199,999,999 million other job seekers. No one has time for this. Job seekers are being lured into a system that needs serious improvement (and employers fall for it, too), only to get hopes up, then crushed.
  • Next stop, inadequate hiring practices. The way ATS eliminates job seekers is by looking for keyword matches, proper resume formatting (completely irrelevant), and requirements such as degrees, certifications, and salary expectations. Seventy-five percent of applications get spit out before they even reach human eyes, and many job requisitions are written more for marketing purposes than to actually align with the performance measures of the role. For example, listing a “Bachelor’s Degree” as a cost to entry usually has no purpose other than being a simple way to eliminate a large number of applicants (many of whom are likely highly qualified otherwise).
  • Final stop, bias and emotions. Very few hiring managers are trained to hire, which is unfortunate, but justified by companies in that their day job is not hiring people and they do it only a few times per year. If practice (and training) make perfect, then hiring managers are anything but. Also, decisions that humans make go through the amygdala —the emotional center in the brain — which impacts choices. So more often than not, hirers mistakenly use the data to support their gut choice based on confirmation bias (e.g., focusing on information that supports your pre-existing beliefs), while assuming they’re being objective. So yes, as a candidate you’ll be dealing with the whims of unconscious bias and mood swings. And, while advocates of ATS promote them as a fairer process due to the technology replacing human bias, who do you think programs the requirements into these systems? Yes, those same biased humans. The beauty of skipping the system and getting a referral is that you get to use that bias to your advantage. And this is why the brand is so important. But we’re getting to that.

So, the way the majority of job seekers search for work (online) is prohibitive. And strangely, even though companies invest a great deal of money into recruiting technology, research shows:

  • 40% of hires come from the referral pool, which is only 7% of applicants.
  • referrals have a 50% chance of getting an interview and a 20% chance of landing the job whereas for non-referrals that drops to a 3% chance of an interview and a 1.2% chance of getting hired.
  • over 65% of job seekers recommended by a current employee were hired. That number increased to 91% if the referral originated from a director-level employee or above.

So, there is certainly a mismatch and this is crucial to know in a highly competitive job market where you want every advantage, which brings me to the final point:

Switchers have an advantage in the current market because they already know they need to bypass the online path and create their own strategy to get in front of decision-makers.

Professionals who have made a successful career switch have been prohibited from using the traditional job search tools because they easily get eliminated in the early rounds for not fitting “traditional” criteria programmed into the ATS. Here’s what they do instead:

  • They’re proactive vs. reactive. Switchers have learned to use a self-directed process, redirecting their energy away from the seductive lure of the throwing spaghetti at the online abyss to see what sticks, and instead focusing on a clear target or Plan A. They take the time to reinvent their career stories to align with changing market needs, engaging transferable skills from all areas of their past experiences to remain agile to meet current demands.
  • They build a relevant brand. Switchers know that brands are not just for products, but rather are an important career tool to show their target audience how they can solve their company’s greatest pain points. They weave this brand value proposition through everything from their resume and online profiles to their personal networking introduction and interview responses to consistently and visibly build trust.
  • They cultivate ambassadors. Switchers recognize the power of relationships. They go beyond building a Rolodex, ensuring their network understands the value they bring to the marketplace to gain access to valuable career information and those opportunities that will never be advertised to the general public (e.g., the hidden job market).
  • They drive the process. Switchers recognize that there isn’t an “easy” path to success and that the energy and creativity invested into the job search is usually equivalent to the types of opportunities they can expect to find. The most interesting, lucrative and in-demand roles are usually scooped up long before hitting the big job boards.

And the good news is that you can use this process, too, even if you’re not a Switcher. In fact, in this transformed job market, you can’t afford not to use this strategy to find employment if you want to be competitive.

Fair or unfair, the internet is oversaturated with candidates, and even companies who engage these online hiring strategies have learned that the best hires come from trusted resources inside the company or from people they already know. This is why they pay $1000, $5,000 and up to $25,000 in some cases per hire through Employee Referral Programs.

In normal economic times, the Switcher strategy enables you to be the most competitive candidate, opens the door to unadvertised opportunities, and helps you to create new roles suited to your exact interests and abilities. In today’s economy, the Switcher strategy helps you to land the job. Period.

If you want job security today and throughout your professional career, learn how to conduct your job search like a career Switcher. While at some point, hiring software and recruiting technology might get “smarter” and more effective, if a company’s greatest assets are its people, than relationships and trust will always be a part of the decision-making. You may not like the game, but if you’re serious about landing a new role, especially in highly competitive times, learning how to play it is critical.

Switchers have learned long ago that forging your own path is much more effective and rewarding for your career than following the herd to wherever it leads, which if online, is often a black hole.

Happy hunting!

Author: Dawn Graham

…
Forbes.com | April 23, 2020

 

 

#ResumeWriting : Get Your Resume Updated for Spring. Today’s Resume is More than Just Changing some Dates.

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Spring is the most popular time of the year to get some cleaning done in and around the house. But it’s also a great time to clean up your executive resume! This is one of the busiest times of the year for professional executive resume writers, so if you plan on using a resume service to clean up the cobwebs for your resume, now’s the time to make an appointment.

Updating your resume is more than just changing some dates. If you haven’t looked at your resume in the past few years, you need to consider these tips to spruce up your resume for the upcoming hiring season. Once this global health crisis is over, the flood gates will open, and you don’t want to be left behind.

 

  1. Highlight Only Relevant Skills

Your last resume may have been filled with a lot of different skills in hopes of the relevant one getting recognized. Any executive resume writing service today will tell you to highlight only relevant skills, because hiring managers won’t take the time to read through them all. You’ve got six seconds to impress a recruiter, so make them count.

 

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

Article continued … 

  1. Remove any clichés

Words like “passionate,” “reliable” and “dependable” all may describe you perfectly, but the reality is everyone believes those words describe them as well. Do yourself and your resume a favor and remove these clichés, since they don’t add any value to your executive resume.

 

  1. Update Dates

Depending on your age, you may need to update or remove a significant amount of dates on your executive resume. Dates are good to use to an extent, but if you are attempting to

highlight experience from 30 years ago, chances are it won’t help you land your next job.

 

  1. Be More Focused

The best executive resume services want you to target your resume more. The days of creating one general resume to send out to many different companies are over. Companies today want to see a resume tailored to their needs, so you need to comply if you want to have a chance.

 

  1. If All Else Fails, Start from Scratch

Updating an old resume can take more time than just starting over from scratch. Sometimes even the best professional executive resume writers will suggest starting over with a clean slate. This will help clear your mind from all of the older accomplishments and experiences and allow you to focus on the more current experiences you can remember.

Resume formats change, and now is the time to dust the cobwebs off your resume and dress it up. You want to make sure you have added not only your most recent jobs and promotions, but also achievements and new skills since your last update. Take advantage of this downtime to put some thought into presenting yourself accurately in your new resume.

 

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 | April 20, 2020

#JobSearch : How to Handle a Job Search During a Pandemic. Great Checklist!

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If you’ve lost your job due to COVID-19 or were in the middle of a job hunt when the coronavirus hit, don’t panic—and don’t give up job searching.

Even though it can be challenging, there are ways you can successfully look for work during a pandemic. Some industries are cutting back, but others are hiring.

Some organizations will need more workers than in the past, and they may need to get them onboard quickly.

Search Indeed for “urgently hiring” and your location to view immediate openings. That will give you a sense of what jobs are in demand in your location.

Below are some tips for job hunting during a pandemic.

Check Your Benefits

Before you start looking for work, be sure that you’re collecting any job loss benefits to which you’re entitled. Check with your human resources department or manager for details on what’s available.

You may be eligible for unemployment benefits. If you’ve lost your job because of COVID-19, expanded unemployment insurance may be available.

The federal government, state governments, and some employers are providing additional unemployment compensation for affected employees. Standard state unemployment benefits are already in place.

In most states, you can apply for benefits online. Check with your state unemployment office website for eligibility and benefit guidelines.

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

Article continued …

Get Ready to Job Search

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. If you haven’t had to look for work in a while, take some time to update your resume and LinkedIn. Be sure to tweak your resume for the job you want each time you apply.

Write a cover letter. Also, take the time to write a cover letter each time you apply for a job. It will help your application get noticed. Not writing one could hurt your chances of getting hired. CareerBuilder reports that 10% of surveyed employers said not including a cover letter was an instant deal-breaker.

Be Aware of the Job Market

Not every occupation and industry will be affected in the same way. The Washington Post reports that the first layoffs related to coronavirus hit the job market last week.3

Companies in travel, food services, hospitality, and event planning have been especially hard hit, as well as those headquartered in areas that experienced the first cases, such as Washington state. On the other hand, the healthcare field is hiring, as are grocery stores and cleaning services.

Workers shouldn’t assume that their industry isn’t hiring.

However, industries like online shopping and delivery have surged, and essential services like healthcare and warehousing are hiring rapidly to meet demand. Some jobs are booming, and employers are actively recruiting candidates for employment.

Amazon is hiring for 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the U.S. in its fulfillment centers and delivery network to meet the demand from people relying on its service.

Walmart is hiring 150,000 new associates to work in stores, clubs, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers. These roles will be temporary, but may convert to permanent roles over time.

The company is also implementing a new process expedite hiring for key roles, such as cashiers and stockers. The typical two-week application cycle will be reduced to a 24-hour process.

Job Search Online

During a traditional job search, it can be important to job search and network in person as well as online. In the current climate, however, you’ll want to focus on searching and applying for jobs online on the top job sites, social media, and directly on company websites.

Find and keep track of new job postings quickly and simply by:

  • Taking the time to organize your job search. It will make the process smoother.
  • Setting up job alerts, so you are notified about new postings as soon as they are listed.
  • Using hashtags to expedite your job search.

Consider Work-from-Home Options

With the general uncertainty of a pandemic, you may find yourself in a situation where you absolutely can’t work outside the home. Perhaps you suddenly have young children at home because their schools have been closed indefinitely.

Or, maybe you yourself have underlying health issues that would make you highly susceptible to infection should you leave your house.

The good news is that, if you have an internet connection, you have the capability to search and land work-from-home jobs that will at least supplement your income (and, depending upon your professional skillset, you may even find a work-from-home job that is just as lucrative as your old job).

Check out these tips for finding work-at-home jobs that are hiring now.

Search Top Job Sites

Get started by typing keyword phrases such as “work at home,” “freelance,” or “telecommute” into one of the top job sites.

Search Remote and Gig Job Sites

Also check out websites that list gig jobs, and niche sites like FlexJobs that focus on remote positions. FlexJobs has a list of 20 full remotely companies that are hiring now, as well as a list of the top 100 companies with remote jobs.

Be Ready to Offer Solutions

This is a challenging time for employers as well as workers. If you can show the hiring manager that you’ve got what it takes to help the company succeed, you’ll increase your chances of getting hired.

Think about the problems that companies are facing and explain how you’ll solve them. Whether you’re applying to clean public spaces or write code, the way to get hired is to show prospective employers that you have the skills they need. Decode the job listing and emphasize your most valuable qualifications in your cover letter, in the profile section of your resume, and in job interviews.

If you can do your job from home, you may have a better chance than ever of getting a hiring manager’s attention. Many businesses and professional services companies, especially in the tech space, are having their employees work from home.11 hat means a whole lot of eyeballs are on a whole lot of inboxes—and some of them belong to hiring managers. If you have experience telecommuting, this would be good to mention on your resume.

Be Prepared to Ace the Interview

Be sure that you’re prepared for video interviews. Practice interviewing via camera. If you’ve never interviewed via Skype or Zoom, there’s a bit of a learning curve.

Get acquainted with the technology and do a practice interview before you speak with the hiring manager. Pay close attention to the lighting and background as well as how your interview outfit shows up on camera.

Spend Time Networking

Remember that networking doesn’t require meeting in person. In the era of LinkedIn, Facebook groups, and other social networks, you don’t need to be able to shake someone’s hand to make a good impression.

Now is a particularly good time to practice one of the most important tenets of networking: if you want people to help you later, be willing to help them right now.

Write LinkedIn recommendations for former colleagues. Refer friends for open positions at your company. Offer to proofread your friend’s resume and cover letter. It will give you a sense of satisfaction, and it will help strengthen your network for the future.

Upgrade Your Skills

You may have extra time, and if you do, it’s an opportunity to upgrade your skills. There are many opportunities to work on your skillset online, including LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and many other sites where you can learn new skills.

Be Patient and Kind

The coronavirus has impacted many facets of everyday life in addition to the workplace. If you’re not hearing back on jobs as quickly as you’d like, be patient and kind to hiring managers and your networking connections. Everyone has issues to deal with and is doing the best they can during a difficult time.

The hiring process may be longer and different from what you’re used to, but you’ll get there. When you do, take the time to thank everyone who helped with your job search.

Key Takeaways

HIRING HASN’T STOPPED:Hiring may slow down in affected industries, but employers are still hiring.

PRACTICE INTERVIEWING:If you haven’t used video for job interviews or meetings, practice ahead of time.

GIVE TO GET:These are challenging times for almost everyone, offer to help whomever you can. You’ll find people are willing to help you, too.

 

TheBalanceCareers.com |  April 9, 2020 |  ALISON DOYLE

#Resumes :Skills Recruiters Want to See on Your Resume. Recruiters see Thousands of Resumes a Month, So you Need to Make your Resume Stand Out From the Rest.

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Anyone who has worked as a recruiter or hiring manager knows the difficulties in sorting through executive resumes. And as an executive, you may quickly realize you possess very similar skills as your competition when searching for a new job.

Highlighting your best skills and attributes will help set your resume apart from the others. When you combine your tangible skills with writing an effective resume, you’ll have a better chance of distinguishing yourself.

Here are some of the most optimal skills that look great on an executive profile. 

Critical Decision-Making

Being able to make highly critical decisions with limited time and information is extremely valuable. Quick and thoughtful decision making shows you are very aware of any given situation and aren’t just making a random decision just because you have to. You’ve thought through and anticipated certain decisions that may have to be made, so you’re always prepared. This is a key skill for executives in any industry.

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Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

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

Article continued … 

Multitasking

There’s a difference between multitasking and doing busy work. Multitasking means you can get multiple jobs done at the same time in order to be more efficient and move business forward. Be sure to explain situations where you had to multitask to meet a strict deadline in your executive profile. Every executive has to multitask at some point, but the best ones will create positive results out of it. 

Team-Building

One of the best things you can put in your executive bio is your team-building experience. Every company wants to hire a team player, whether it’s a lower-level employee or a high-ranking executive. Many executives like to stay tucked away in their office and not talk to others. So if you are actively building stronger teams for your organization, then you’ll stand out. 

Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking just means you think about the past, present and future in any decision you make. You’re also willing to take some risks if the potential reward is high. It’s difficult to display strategic thinking in an executive profile, but it’s a great skill to demonstrate when you have an interview.

Recruiters see thousands of resumes a month, so you need to make your resume stand out from the rest. Highlighting your skillset is one way to set yourself above. Just make sure that the rest of your resume showcases how you utilized those skills for the benefit of your employer.

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 |  April 16, 2020

#JobSearch : Déjà Vu All Over Again – Good News, Bad News for Employers and Job Seekers.

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I remember…  with trepidation … the market events in the fall of 2008 caused the real estate crash in 2009 and the resulting rise in unemployment with hundreds of thousands of workers losing their jobs. (I was one of them. As a HR director, I had to write my own layoff letter!)  The recent pandemic is not quite the same, but the impact is eerily similar and much worse for workers who are now unemployed. With luck, this time, the economy will swing back quickly once folks get back to their office or location work sites as cures, vaccines, and plasma infusions are deemed safe and made available to inoculate the general population.

When economic crisis upheavals create market impacts and job losses, it’s best to be prepared for the ‘what ifs?’

In 2009, the bad news was employers laid off, terminated, or furloughed workers with no known return-to-work date.  This was a crisis for the company and its workers. The events affected stability, growth, and/or revenue for the business, but also provided a unique opportunity to enrich the workforce and gain more valuable employees in the long run.  Companies initially targeted ‘slackers,’ ‘redundant,’ or unskilled (untrained) employees in the mass layoffs. Workers able to do the work of others had to cross-train, or who were more productive were more likely to be retained.

Use the lessons learned from the 2009 economic crash to preparing for the current pandemic-related crisis, and/or future events with equitable impact on worker’s careers.

Those laid off or terminated were often the workers with the lowest return on investment (ROI) for the business model.  Unfortunately, it was also a great opportunity to drop what the company determined were ‘troublemakers,’ ‘high maintenance employees,’ and those who had reached a salary ceiling for their job level.

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

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When the economy picked up again, the company had a choice of rehiring the furloughed workers. In some cases, companies found more productive replacements for the past terminated workers.  Some businesses chose to continue to pay unemployment taxes on furloughed workers and hired fresh employees to train to higher standards and productivity.  This may happen again in 2020. If fresh, new workers can provide a higher rate of productivity after training, the companies could turn a higher profit, faster, and decide not rehiring the furloughed workers is worth the business risk.

The good news is some workers ‘sent home’ during this pandemic event may not have been fired.  Companies recognized some work (telework) could continue if workers had the right equipment and access to work-related applications from home.  The scramble to set the employees up to work from home may result in long-term and increased ROI based on lower overhead costs. This event may help business leaders see the opportunity to keep workers, monitor productivity, and simultaneously reduce overhead costs by continuing to keep employees working at home.

It is bad news for the workers who are permanently laid off or furloughed. The economic crisis does provide opportunities for those who lost their jobs to go back to school, take more technical or trade training, and refresh their resume(s) for more practical or higher-level educational opportunities.

The good news is, even though the furloughed worker may have been highly productive, this is the perfect opportunity to use one’s advanced experience and skills to search for a new career position. Shop for that new job with companies who terminated the ‘redundant’ workers and are looking for that higher productivity employee.  When an employee is laid off it’s the perfect timing to refresh their resume to identify their strongest skills and their greatest weaknesses.

It is vital to showcase on the resume the job seeker’s achievements and accomplishments to document the metrics and capabilities of the worker in past and potentially future work environments.  Review the education section to decide when, where, and what to add to skill sets by taking online classes, going back to schools (colleges, universities – online courses where available), or targeting technical schools for updated trades training.

When economic crisis upheavals create market impacts and job losses, it’s best to be prepared for the ‘what ifs?’ in one’s career path.  Use the lessons learned from the 2009 economic crash to preparing for the current pandemic-related crisis, and/or future events with equitable impact on worker’s careers.  Keep updating one’s work skills, ensure your productivity at work is at its high level and makes a profit (or reduce overhead expenses) for your company. Continue to learn or take training in a variety of skills to make yourself non-expendable to your employer.  If you are not constantly improving yourself, you will not survive or do well in the worst-case economic scenarios of the future.

FSC Career Blog Author: Ms. Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting in Hampton Roads and Richmond, VA – provides resume writing, and editing / publishing / print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

 

FSC Career Blog| April 14, 2020

Are You Showing Your True Personal Brand? Personal Branding is a Larger Aspect of ‘Today’s’ Job Search.

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A major part of a job search involves making your personal brand appear to be what you want it to be. However, executives often make the mistake of gearing their c-level personal branding more toward what they want others to perceive them, rather than showing who they really are. The problem with this is recruiters and hiring managers can see right through it. All it takes is a little bit of inconsistency and your job search could be ruined.

Personal branding is a much larger aspect of a job search today than it was several years ago. Sometimes all it takes is optimizing your LinkedIn profile, while other times you may need to work on your entire online presence to show your true brand.

 

So when it comes to personal branding for senior-level managers, being truthful and honest are the best ways to go. 

Why Some People Are Hesitant To Show Their True Brand

Some people resist demonstrating their true brand because they don’t want the world to know what their personality is. If you haven’t conducted a job search in several years, you may remember thinking your resume needs to follow a certain pattern or standard and shouldn’t deviate from the norm. Times have changed now and hiring managers want to know who they are hiring as a person and a professional. While it’s understandable to be uncomfortable showing your brand, it’s important to also know that differentiation is critical when it comes to being recognized.

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

Continue of the article:

A Personality Fit is Important to Employers

When you show some of your personality on your LinkedIn profile, recruiters will get a glimpse into who you are as a person. A solid mix of professional achievements and personal experiences will bode well on your LinkedIn profile and will increase the chances of you getting noticed. The more natural the language in your profile sounds, the better your c-level personal branding efforts will be, especially when you back it up in your verbal language and your resume. Companies prioritize hiring people with good personality fits now, so never hesitate to show a little. 

Your Personal Brand Presents Unique Value

Without c-level personal branding, executives have no real way of standing out among dozens of other job applicants. You have a great opportunity to distinguish yourself with your personality and tie in how your personality offers value to the company. This could mean working well as a team, the ability to think creatively, be a leader or anything else. Professional achievements for executives often seem similar on paper, so your personal brand could be what sets you apart and gives you a better chance of landing the job you want.

Personal branding is a much larger aspect of a job search today than it was several years ago. Sometimes all it takes is optimizing your LinkedIn profile, while other times you may need to work on your entire online presence to show your true brand.

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 |  April 13, 2020

#Resume : Why Job Seekers using ‘Free Software’ for Resumes May be Hurting Themselves.

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I sometimes encounter clients who are using free word processing software to write their resumes. This includes Open Office (e.g., Pages; Google docs; Libre; Apache). Why is this a bad practice for job seekers?  Because most businesses require digital resume submissions and the resume must be saved in a file format those businesses use – including the international-standard of Microsoft Office. Job seekers sending out resumes in non-standard file formats are hurting their chances of being seen for their otherwise great experiences and job skills.

The goal of a resume is to stand out in a crowd; use the wording and descriptions to make the resume owner’s capabilities stand out – not the file formatting itself.

Free software is great when you are on a budget or lacking funds, and you are creating files or documents that only you will be using. Job seekers should understand the recruiter may not have Open Office on their computer and can’t download the software because their company may have restrictions on what is on company-owned IT equipment. Job seekers should not expect recruiters to go that extra mile to open the resume in a non-standard file format when they have dozens if not hundreds of other resumes submitted in the more standardized industry-use software to review.

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

Continue of the article:

As a recruiter, I have encountered engineers who designed their resumes in a CAD program, graphic artists who submitted their beautifully designed resume in Photoshop or InDesign files (.psd; .ai; .indd – which are expensive software packages), and professionals using Google docs. Unfortunately, recruiters may not have those software packages on their computers, thus they are unable to open the resumes. Recruiters have a choice of 1) trying to open the file with what software is already on their computer, or 2) dumping the resume because they don’t have time to open ‘foreign’ files with so many other job candidates who are ‘following the rules’ of standardized file formats (e.g., Microsoft Office Word).

Google docs may have the file-sharing capability; the file owner may send a link to view the document or file, the recruiter may not have the ability to get past the password-protected firewall – encountering a ‘you need to request permission to access this file from the owner’ message (time the recruiter doesn’t have). Google Docs tends to not share the same formatting parameters. Docs created in Word and then shared with Google docs will have their formatting changed on the Google Docs platform. Google docs add leading line spaces in headers and footers and increase the size of bullets, so an original document resume created in Word at two pages, may result in two and a half pages in Google docs. This may irritate recruiters who are adamant about not wanting to read resumes over two pages long.

Open Office also deletes formatting when converting back and forth. Word documents can have formatting for indexing, Tables of Contents, etc., embedded in the document, but once it’s converted to Open Office – all that labor is wasted to create special formatting because it’s erased in the conversion.

If you are a job seeker and absolutely must use Open Office (Pages), type up the resume, then ‘export’ the document as a Microsoft Office compatible file (.doc) before sending it to recruiters or uploading it into resume databases. This will enable the recruiters to open the file on their computers because it will be compatible with their software. Worst-case scenario, you can use a text-edit program (loaded onto just about every computer manufactured) to compile the resume. While it won’t be pretty (baseline Times New Roman font, no capability for bold or italic text), it will have all your vital experience and job skills information in the text document to load it into any online resume database or job post as an official application.

The goal of a resume is to stand out in a crowd; use the wording and descriptions to make the resume owner’s capabilities stand out – not the file formatting itself. Avoid graphics, heavy use of tables, icons, and multiple fonts or sizes. That resume has to get through the initial firewall of processing in the upload before it can get seen by the recruiter. Use standard-practice software to get on an even playing field.

FSC Guest Author: Ms.Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, social media management, and editing/publishing/print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at : Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at

www.dboyerconsulting.com

 

FSC Career Blog | April 7, 2020

#JobSearch :Ongoing Strategies Every Executive Job Seeker Needs to Consider. How Visible are You on LinkedIn?

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What’s your strategy as an executive jobseeker? There’s no right or wrong answer to the question, and sometimes it takes trial and error to truly figure out what the most effective strategy is for you. Even then, adjustments must be made along the way. Simply thinking you can write resumes that get you hired isn’t the best strategy overall today.

With the digital age we live in, it requires more work and effort to get recognized. Here are some ongoing strategies you should consider incorporating into your job search regularly. 

Always Be Active on LinkedIn

Having a complete LinkedIn profile is great, but being active on the platform is even better. Consider working with a LinkedIn profile writer to get the basics of your profile taken care of. At that point, you can join LinkedIn groups, revisit old connections, post original content, comment on other people’s content and more. The point is the more people who see your name, the more attention you’ll get. Just be sure not to overdo it to the point where people may get tired of hearing from you.

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

Continue of the article: 

Be Creative and Insightful With Content You Post

Posting original content relevant to your industry is a great strategy for standing out among the competition. While executive resume writer services can help you put together a solid resume, your expertise is required to write original content. You can post these articles on your website or publish them on your LinkedIn profile. The idea is to be creative and insightful with each post so you’ll earn some credibility with each one. 

Keep Your Name Relevant With Comments on Posts

Find a good balance between the original articles you post and the comments you make on other posts. When you make engaging comments or ask insightful questions, you could spark a discussion with other readers or the writer themselves. People appreciate comments on their articles and you never know when it could lead to something greater. 

Have a Resume Always Prepared

Writing resumes that get you hired today means having various versions of your resume targeted at the companies you’re interested in. Once you’ve researched your targeted companies, consider working with executive resume writer services to have a resume prepared when the opportunity arises. Whether you need to send it to a connection electronically or physically at a networking event, you should always be prepared.

It’s important to have a plan before you start one of the most important events of your life – looking for a job, whether it’s your first job or your next job. Take the time to create a job plan, make adjustments as necessary, and then go after it.

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 |  April 6, 2020