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I was just talking with a client about her job search. She worked for her company for about eight years, and everything seemed to be going perfectly. She had been promoted once, and her reviews were good.
And then the axe fell: She got called into the conference room and told her position was being eliminated. Profits were down. Business just wasn’t as good anymore. For a week or so, she was in shock. She has a teenaged daughter. What would happen to them? Fortunately, she contacted me, and we are working on her plan. But I offer this story as a cautionary tale. In today’s climate, you never know when you will find yourself unemployed. You may have great credentials and you may even have helped the company earn money. But you can’t take that job for granted. This is why you must always be prepared so that you if you lose your job, you can hit the ground running. Here is a checklist you can implement immediately:
Call me at 614-746-4587 for a free assessment, and let’s see what you need to be prepared. “Just write me a general résumé.” I get this request frequently. There’s a feeling that having one great document can you get you into many doors. It used to be somewhat true. But it’s not anymore. These days, employers are sophisticated. They want to know they are hiring the exact right person, so they don’t waste a lot of capital on rehiring. Large companies (and some smaller ones) employ computer methods to screen the candidates. It’s much harder to stand out. Employers also are wary of being contacted, often don’t provide phone numbers, and well, they generally don’t make life very easy for job seekers who just want to find out more about the position and make themselves known. It is these circumstances that create a complicated situation. It’s also why trying to correct for all of these situations is stress-inducing – and may require professional assistance. Today’s effective résumé does these main things:
One size does not fit all. You need documents that are optimized to address each employer you are contacting. It is not an easy task. But I can help. That's why I do this work. I want you to succeed. Talk to me about your résumé challenges. Contact me at ruth@polish-publish.com. You may also call me at 614-746-4587. The conversation is free. Your career is gold. A job search can create panic. Many job seekers whip up a résumé and start slinging it into the portals of any job that looks suitable. They spend days and weeks doing this. Not much happens. And besides wasted time, they may also have burned a few opportunities. This is because the unsuitable résumé is now in the applicant tracking systems of those companies. Going back and applying again, with a better document may not be possible now. And even if it is, it may create confusion. One of my clients decided on a different approach. He would carefully examine each opportunity and vet it. Was it truly a company he wanted to work for? Was this really a job that looked interesting? He took some time to research the company. He worked with me to do some résumé tweaks so that what he offered matched what the company needed. He then took two extra steps: 1. He reached out to connect with a recruiter for that company, to let her know that he was applying for the position online. 2. He did some research to find out who the hiring manager was, so he could write a brief, targeted letter to submit as well. The recruiter asked for his materials. He provided them. Then he hopped online to complete the application. Guess what happened? In less than one hour, he had an initial interview scheduled. He could have spent all that time submitting a blind application, or perhaps two or three of them. But instead, he decided to be more deliberate. After all, he’s a professional! He knows his field. He wants to make sure his next job is the right fit, for him and the employer. Need some guidance for your job search? Contact me now. A job search is about more than a résumé. We've all heard the truism, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is."
I was reminded of this when a client told me about her experience hiring an unseen and unknown writer to retool her résumé. When we first talked, she wanted to know more about working with me, then sheepishly admitted she was already working with someone she'd found on Thumbtack. If you don't what that is, it's a website through which you put out a call for a certain contractor, such as a plumber, painter, or writer, to do a project. Then a bunch of people tell you their prices, and you pick one. She liked the price. Seemed like a bargain! So she bought. I asked if that person had interviewed her to find out details. No, she said. I asked if that person had talked to her on the phone. No, she said. She received a questionnaire, filled it out and sent it back. What came back a few days later was a not-bad-looking document. It was nicely formatted; all the lines were straight. I thought, okay, maybe this is fine. Upon closer inspection, however, I realized that all the writer had done was take the answers on the questionnaire and compose them into a giant list of all the different things she had done in various jobs. Nothing stood out. There was no central "theme" to the résumé that aligned all of her work with a certain type of expertise aimed at certain employer needs. In fact, it was so jumbled, that it looked like the work experience of two or three different people. She wrote me a text, "It's awful." And then she called me. We are working together now to design something that truly showcases her talents and achievements. I'm quite excited about it, because she has moved mountains during her career and the world needs to know it! There's an employer who needs her. Next time you need your résumé retooled, do me a favor. Do not go online and hire a person you haven't talked to, who hasn't asked you anything, and who hasn't heard your story. You will find a lot of companies that spit out résumés by the dozen. They use the same templates over and over. Find a professional writer who is a CPRW or has a similar, recognized certification. Because here's what you don't want: to submit a document you've paid for, and hear nothing back. That will mean you've MISSED OUT ON AN OPPORTUNITY to interview for a job you probably took a lot of time to identify. There's no going back. You've lost time and money! YOU ARE NOT A TEMPLATE. A certified, trained writer will interview you and find out why you shine, and then will work hard to showcase you on a document that is yours and yours alone. A credentialed and experienced writer will position you to attract interest. Will the price probably be higher than on Thumbtack? Yes. In all likelihood. Because a professional résumé writer is not a clerical worker. We are artists of a sort, taking the material you have crafted during your career and creating a marketing piece that shares your genius with employers. Isn't that worth the investment to get you a better, higher paying job? If you're ready to get serious about your job search, tell me here. An amazing guy I know - a friend for many years - just GOT HIRED by a great local company to do the work he loves! I have to share, because his job search followed a systematic path that I advocate to job seekers who hire me. It's top-secret! (Okay. No, it's not. But it does take work.)
He incorporated the following: 1. A résumé that showcases his value to the employer 2 A captivating story about his career accomplishments 3. Connections made through friends and colleagues 4. Personal contact with hiring managers 5. Multiple avenues to finding connections, including email! (old-school is new-school!) 6. In-person networking at local events, focusing on his industry 7. A schedule of activities 8. NOT QUITTING Sound easy? It's easy to grasp. It's just challenging to DO. Consistently. But if you make a plan and stick to it, something's going to happen. Something good. That's why I'm here! Contact me and let's get your plan started. YOU GOT THIS. I hear this a lot. And I totally get it. You just want to refresh the document you wrote a while ago, then roll up your sleeves and submit it to employers. Simple, right? Guess again. Today’s job hunt is a lot more complicated than it was even five years ago. Of course, you need a great résumé. Of course, you need to know about job openings, and you need to apply for them. But simply throwing your documents into an automated tracking system is not the best strategy for finding a job. Today’s search is multi-pronged. It requires a combination of documented success and connections with people. In other words, your job search has to include networking. This is intimidating to many of us. Where to begin? Well, here’s one idea: Go back through all your old emails, the directory in your phone, and your social media connections. Think about who know, professionally and socially. From church? From a volunteer activity? From your kid’s school? An event you attended? Make a list (Excel is great for this) of everyone you find who is still around and reachable. Then start reaching out. Call, email, text, etc. Let your friends know you’re looking. You might be amazed at who some of them know. Reinvigorate some of those old friendships or start new ones. Invite them out for coffee to catch up. Invite them to join you at a community event. Maybe you share an interest in crafting or bicycling or OSU sports. Find out what people are up to now. As you talk, you can tell them about your search. Many valuable connections with hiring managers come through people you know (and the people they know). Many great jobs are not advertised. You could find out about one of these! But you won’t know where a helpful connection will emerge unless you ask, and today’s a good time to get started. |