Category Archives: Resume

July 17, 2014 · 9:43 am

Career Portfolio – Interview Secret Sauce

I have a friend who is a self-employed consultant.  A few years ago, over coffee, she complained that she would not have a clue as to where to start if she wanted to get a “real job”.

I suggested that she create a portfolio.  She thought portfolios were only for artists or other creative types.  Not so.

A portfolio (fancy binder with plastic sleeves and dividers) is an excellent vehicle for organizing and presenting your experience.  It can have sections that show your work, education and other credentials, volunteer activities, hobbies, thank you notes, awards and really, anything else that is relevant to the way that you do what you do.

Just the act of gathering the information together and putting it all in one place can be a pretty powerful exercise.  It’s something that you can do over a couple of weekends and then add/change revise every year.

My friend took that suggestion to heart and created what she called a career scrapbook. She had it in her car for a while and then it took up its place on a shelf in her office.

Last week she applied for an actual job and found herself staring down the barrel of an interview.  Not just any interview but a panel interview in a formal, government type organization.  She dusted off her portfolio, added a couple of items, reviewed the rest of the material and then focused on her outfit.  She felt confident and ready.  (I should point out that she was eminently qualified for the job.)

At the end of the interview, she was asked if she had any questions.  All of hers had been covered in the discussion but she told the panel members that she had brought her portfolio and asked if there was anything they would like to see.  The senior person raised her eyebrows and came to have a look.

She looked at the table of contents, saw the “Thank You” section and flipped right to that part.   She nodded and smiled as she read the cards, notes and emails.  It turns out that the adjudicator actually knew two of the people who had sent notes and that lead to a much less formal conversation where my friend got one more opportunity to show what she knows and why she has been so successful.

She left the interview, with her portfolio tucked under her arm, feeling very good about herself and her experience.  No offer yet……..but I’ll keep you posted.

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Filed under career change, Interview, Job Search, Resume

May 22, 2014 · 9:43 am

Do I need a Cover Letter?

In the old days, a cover letter had to accompany a resume because the job postings were placed in newspapers and weeks might have gone by since it was published.

Now we apply for jobs that were posted 5 minutes ago. This is not an exaggeration   You can set up your resume and alerts with indeed.ca to be notified when jobs are posted and use your phone to apply on the fly.

So what about the cover letter?

First, follow the instructions. Many ads actually contain specific instructions on how to apply or what information to include. Pay attention to this. You may be eliminated from consideration if you don’t apply in the right way or provide the information requested, no matter how qualified you are.

Be really careful composing cover letters/emails on your phone. The auto correct is not kind and spelling mistakes are not easily forgiven.

If there is nothing in the posting, then you need to make your cover letter brief and specific. This is not the place for your life story.  Two or three details about how you are suited for the role and anything exceptional such your interest in relocating at your own expense or your recently completed MBA.

It should not be longer than one thumb scroll on a smartphone. That’s all the attention it will get. Your cover letter should be enough of a tease to get the reader to open your resume. That’s all it is.  A door opener. Keep this in mind and stop yourself from pouring your heart and soul into it.

Today, the cover letter is the equivalent of a digital handshake.  If yours is clear, strong and dry, it will do what it is supposed to do.

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February 20, 2014 · 9:43 am

Dating, Dreaming and the Olympics

I have been watching the Olympics like a fiend and have come to a conclusion:  I want to date a bobsleigh brakeman.

I know it might seem silly and I don’t want to sound like a romance novelist but I think the combination of focus, determination and strength wrapped in such a nice package is a pretty great combination.

But the hard truth is that I can’t.

I can’t date a bobsledder any more than I can be a CFO. Just because I admire them and think that what they do is neat, there is no way we would find any common ground

I am not athletic or even fit for that matter. I am a desk rat rather than a gym rat. I don’t go out much in winter. And nothing I do is measured in hundredths of a second. Nothing.

Applying for jobs is the same thing. Just because you think the role is interesting or cool does not mean that you would be suitable date material.

When you read the requirements, pay attention to what they are really describing. Does it really reflect what you do, or more importantly, have done?

Will the receiver of your resume instantly be able to see why you are interested and why this makes sense for you and for the hiring manager?

We can all date bobsledders in our dreams but should save the heartache and focus on more realistic pursuits in our careers. Me included.

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Filed under Interview, Job Search, Resume

February 6, 2014 · 9:43 am

What would Gaga do?

I once saw Anderson Cooper interview Lady Gaga on the venerable CBS show 60 Minutes.  She is a pretty interesting character.  Anderson was asking her about how she handles the way the press hang around waiting to catch her in an embarrassing situation.

“Well, Anderson, I am just not a barf in the bar kind of girl”.

Love it.

Love it.

Love it.

This is the kind of authenticity that everyone needs to bring to an interview.  It does not matter if it is a telephone interview with a recruiter or a face to face meeting with a hiring manager.  Confident, direct and truthful is the way to go.

This does not give you permission to be rude or disrespectful.  If you are asked how you got along with your former boss, you really shouldn’t say he was a jerk or he couldn’t read financial statements to save his life.  It is okay, however, to explain that you made decisions differently or you had different approaches to customer service.

An interview is like the nice pair of shoes in the shop window.  You go in to see if they have your size. You try them on.  You walk around for a while, thinking of outfits that will work with them.  You think about whether you can afford them.  You see if the salesperson will give you a deal and together, you decide if they are the right pair for you. 

If they don’t feel comfortable in the shop, don’t buy them, no matter how good a deal they are.  They will mock you every time you see them in your closet.

Lady Gaga wouldn’t settle for ill-fitting loafers.  Why should you?

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May 23, 2013 · 9:01 am

LinkedIn for Students

Let me lay this out plainly for you: If you are about to graduate from university, you need a profile on LinkedIn.
People want to see who you are and you don’t want them going to Facebook to do it. LinkedIn is a professional place where professional folks hang out and get known.

  • Start with a head shot of you –not your dog, not your boyfriend, not you driving your hot car. Just you smiling confidently at the camera. It should look like you might actually be able to hold down a job.
  • Make sure you include your degree, specialties and volunteer work. If you were involved in campus clubs or teams, those can be included too. Just be careful about the message you send when you mention the Hangover Club and the “I only go to school on Tuesdays” club.
  • If you did a thesis or special projects, those can be listed too. They might, for example, contain a lot of keywords that people like me look for.
  • Make sure that you profile states clearly what you are looking for – whether it’s an internship, summer job or a permanent position.
  • Finally, make it easy for us to contact you. Either include your email address in the contact section or, at the very least, hook your account up to an email address you actually check. Otherwise it’s a bit of a waste of time.

So get out there and get found. You never know – maybe someone is looking for you right now!

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Filed under Job Search, Networking, Resume, Uncategorized

December 13, 2012 · 9:43 am

Your Personal Highlight Reel

How was your year?  Seriously.  How was it?  What did you do?  What did you learn?

When asked this question at a cocktail party or an interview, many people go blank and it is a big missed opportunity.

Don’t even think about saying “same old, same old”.  Not only is it probably not true, it just shows that you are too lazy to think of something interesting.

If you did something big like change jobs, then it’s easy.  You can ride the “new job” train for about nine months and then it’s not new anymore.  For everyone else, you need to actually spend some time looking at your calendar from February and April and those other months you can’t remember.

All the memories will come flooding back: that awful conference, that great presentation, the month your boss was away and you got to take over.  Those are the things you need to be able to talk about.

You might even want to work them into your resume.  At the very least, practice telling the story about the things that you did.  I am not suggesting that you bore your cousins to death by telling them the minute details of how you implemented a new quality assurance standard.  Just distill it into a couple of sound bites.  Those typically go well with eggnog and cookies.

So flip through Outlook and make a list.  You might be surprised.  Maybe it was a pretty good year after all.

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October 11, 2012 · 9:57 am

They want you. Now what?

Salary negotiations at the end of the interview process can be tricky.  They shouldn’t be, but they usually are.

The problem, I think, lies in when they happen.  Usually, it’s the very last step.  The candidate has met the whole team and is in love with everyone.  The hiring manager is already filling that person’s name in on the Holiday Party seating chart and then bam!  Everything grinds to a halt when some mentions base salary.

Whether you are the candidate or the hiring manager, salary should be among the first things to discuss.  Once you think there is some skill crossover and a bit of chemistry, get money on the table.

There is no point in going through an extensive interview process only to discover that there is a $40K gap in what you want and what they have.  It is crushing for both sides.

If you are in a first interview with a hiring manager or a recruiter and the subject of compensation has not come up, ask the question.  Don’t just wait for it to come up later.  This is especially true if you are near the top of the market or are pretty senior.  Take the bull by the horns and bring it forward.

“This sounds like a very interesting role.  What kind of salary range do you have?”

“I work in a large company now with a lot of perks.  What kind of package does this job come with?”

If the answer is hedgy or not clear, be wary.  You don’t have to run for the hills, just make sure to keep it on the list for the next conversation.

I know that money is not everything but let’s face it:  If there is a big gap in base salary expectations, it can be problematic.  Psychologically, we know what we are used to and what we have nurtured and developed over our careers.  Taking a big haircut is not always in the cards and if it is possible, better to know if up front so we can start rationalizing the offsets.

It’s like looking at the dessert menu before you order your main course.  It just makes sense.

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Filed under career change, Interview, Job Search, Networking, recruiter, Resume

August 30, 2012 · 9:43 am

Move the Carrot just a little Closer

I have been working on our family budget this week.  Ugh.  It is way more daunting than a resume.

Yesterday, I got so fed up with the process that I took a completely lateral move and figured that I could just make more money.  Then I would not need a budget at all.  It would totally free up the long weekend.

Now, any economist (or fan of Till Debt Do Us Part) will tell you that how much money you make has nothing to do with the act of budgeting.  But as a recruiter, I will tell you that thinking about how to make more money is definitely a positive action.

So how do you make more money?

Just working harder in your current role is not enough.  Unless you are working on commission and slacking off every day.  If that’s the case, then get off the couch and go to work.

For most of us, it’s a little more complicated.

Does your current role have room to make more?  Is there a bonus based on some personal achievements?  Could you focus specifically on those for a while to get some payoff?

If there is no opportunity for a greater financial reward, is there a career move within the organization that pays more?  Could you leverage what you know and do in your current situation for some gains?

Sometimes, you have to leave to be able increase your value.  It’s sad but sometimes it takes a new group of people to look at your skills and experience to really appreciate what you bring to the table.  This is especially true if you have been with a company for a long time.  They see you as you were when you joined, not necessarily as you are today.

So open your eyes and take a look around to see what you can do to improve your lot.  And when you figure it out, make sure you stick to the budget so you can really make it mean something.

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April 26, 2012 · 9:43 am

It’s Time to Bait the Hook

If you are thinking about making a job change, consider the old adage:  fish where the fish are.

What is it that you want to do next and where are the people who are doing it now?  Better yet, who is doing it now and has a problem that you can fix?

Imagine you have decided that you want to move from a customer service role to an outside sales role.  You have been feeling hemmed in lately.  You really want to get out in field and get face to face with customers.

How about this?  Look for a company that has a product that’s the same or similar to yours and then drill down to find trouble.

Trouble could be in the form of a growth spike, a quality issue or wider market acceptance.  These challenges are pain points for company leaders.  Leaders want to relieve pain.  Figure out how to market yourself as the prescription.

An email message might say:

I have been listening to customers like yours for years.  I know what they need and how to package your product so that it provides a solution that fits.  Couldn’t you use someone like me in the field?

Just attach your resume and hit send.

There is certainly no guarantee that one email will start a conversation but it’s a good start.

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January 5, 2012 · 9:52 am

The Truth about Passion

I found myself at several gatherings over the holidays discussing university bound teenagers.  There seems to be this idea that university students should focused on finding their passion.

Find their passion?  Most teenagers cannot find their pants.  How can we think that they will find their passion somewhere between the pub, the classroom and the dorm?

I think expecting to find your passion before you can legally drink is pretty unrealistic.  As parents, we are setting up a pretty big failure platform if we set those expectations before they even leave high school.

There are exceptions: gifted athletes, artists and musicians have their talents identified early on so they are pretty advanced on the passion scale.  People following in the family footsteps of law or accounting, have a prescribed path too.  (Sometimes in spite of their passion)

University and first jobs are more about finding what you don’t like.   Learning about the kind of professors/bosses that you don’t get along with.  Working with group members who don’t pull their weight.  Figuring how to identify the room mate who parties too much; that sort of thing.

The world is really, really big.  You have to get out there and explore it beyond just university.  Don’t be surprised if your passion does not start to reveal itself until you are well into your 30s or even later.

In the end, it’s not about when you find it, it’s about recognizing when you are in the right place at the right time and really enjoying yourself.  That‘s what we are all shooting for.

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Filed under career change, Resume