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Spinning Class
Do you ever think about the essence of meaning of a word? For example, look at the phrase “less dissatisfied”. Saying “less dissatisfied” is the same thing as saying “more satisfied”. The meaning is the same but “less dissatisfied” has a more negative connotation. It implies that the person was dissatisfied and still is dissatisfied only to a smaller degree or extent. This is called in modern terminology “spin writing”.
Journalism and politics are FULL of spin writing. Opinion polls are often slanted in results because of the way they are written. I was called the other day from a polling entity and asked several questions concerning political issues. One of the questions was “Which do you feel would make an impact on illegal immigration: A: prosecuting employers who employ illegal aliens or, B: prosecuting/deporting illegal aliens that are arrested?” I asked if there was a C answer of “all of the above”. Of course there wasn’t. I had to choose one of their answers, rather than giving an accurate answer that reflected my opinion. So was it really an “opinion” poll or was it a “multiple choice poll”?
Resumes are the quintessential examples of spin writing. Most everyone can get down their basic job descriptions and even capture some accomplishments. What wins the interviews, though, is how the information is spun or presented in words to the reader. It’s a matter of word choice, inclusion/exclusion of selected tidbits of information, and overall strategy that makes for a winning resume.
Keep in mind that spin is NOT lying or being deceitful. Remember, “less satisfied” means the same thing as “more satisfied”. It’s the connotation or mental image that is communicated that is different. It’s the choice of words that makes the difference. Some information on a resume cannot be changed such as job titles, degree types, etc. but some information can be more powerfully presented simply through word choice. Most job seekers who write their own resumes don’t think about this. They think only about getting the information down. Getting it down and making it really speak to the goals is an art form.
Katrina Lessons
On this first anniversary of Katrina, all the news channels and media are devoting special coverage to Katrina recovery. Over the past year, we have worked with many Katrina evacuees who have had to move to a different part of the country and find new jobs. Many of these were quite fortunate that their jobs were readily transferable to different parts of the country and were considered higher demand positions (such as healthcare, for example). Others have not been so fortunate.
What about you? Is your job easily portable or is it tied to one particular geographical area? Are your skills so specialized that a sudden disruption to your employment would cause a serious problem in finding new employment readily? In this new and uncertain world in which we live, job security has a new meaning and takes on new implications to our overall lives. It’s a new concern that many people have not considered.
How many people depend on you? Your family, your employees, and maybe friends depend on you as part of their lives. What if a hurricane suddenly blew your town away? Are you ready with a plan for how to continue to support those who depend on you? I would wager a guess that most of us are not. I recently saw a statistic that 80% of the US population lives paycheck to paycheck. Don’t we do that in our planning, too? We don’t plan much beyond next Christmas or next summer.
No matter where you live, it’s important to be ready to evacuate for whatever reason at a moment’s notice. Have all your important papers together in a briefcase or a binder that can be grabbed on the way out the door. Make sure your resume is up-to-date and is included in your important papers. Those who left their homes for Katrina never thought they’d come back to sheer devastation. Let’s use the lessons they have taught us and be prepared.
Signature Lines
Cover letters are key components of a good, solid job search. While the resume serves the main purpose of getting the interview, the cover letter holds its hand while it’s doing its job. A good cover letter is more than a rehash of the same information that appears on the resume. It provides key information that highlights the job seeker’s candidacy and brings forth tidbits of information that would be helpful to the hiring manager.
Now days, since resumes are mostly emailed, cover letters are generally copied/pasted into the body of the email to which the resume is attached. If a resume package is to be hand delivered or mailed snail mail, the cover letter is still printed out on matching paper as has been customary in the past. When sending paper copies, make sure to SIGN the cover letter (many people overlook this). When sending via email, make sure you have a good signature line that you insert into all your emails.
Using an automatic signature is a good idea for all your emails. A good signature provides your contact information in case your resume gets corrupted in transmission and the reader has to email you back. Your email signature should include your name, your email address, a telephone number (cell or home), and possibly a “brand” such as “IT Program Manager” or “Chief Information Officer” – just something that puts your goal into the mind of the reader automatically.
You might think that executives who are used to communicating heavily would pay close attention to making sure their contact information is easily obtainable, but we are continually surprised how many highly paid professionals forget this small detail. If someone’s email address reads jb123@xyz.com and he only signs it JB, I don’t know who the person is. If the resume can’t be opened for some reason, the recipient won’t go to extra trouble to try to contact the sender; hiring managers just don’t have time.
So think ahead to your communication package and make sure you have a strong cover letter but also that your email communications are clear and your contact information appears there, too.
The Parallel Universe
Anyone who has ever done laundry knows that there is a parallel universe that can be accessed through your washer and occasionally, socks will make it through this wormhole that the agitator creates. The same thing happens to email, only the wormhole to the other world is located somewhere in the spam folder.
Spam filters are meant to make life easier and to filter out all the junk mail that has taken over what was originally a very useful form of communication. Because spammers are constantly innovating to find ways around spam filters, the programmers of the filters are constantly making them more difficult to get through. The result of this is that inevitably, some of the good emails get caught up in the filter and chucked out before they are ever received. If the email that gets filtered out is something like Aunt Sally’s bean soup recipe, it’s not that big of a deal. If it’s an email from a hiring manager who is responding to your resume submittal, that could be catastrophic.
Here at our firm, we send a LOT of emails so we see the hazards of the spam filters on a regular basis. We make it a practice to check our spam boxes daily before emptying them to make sure that nothing important was weeded out. Job seekers need to make a habit of doing the same. An important email from a hiring manager or a recruiter, if deleted by the spam filter, is an opportunity lost. If the sender receives no reply from the job seeker, he/she will simply go on to the next candidate.
Another email problem that we see and which puzzles us every time is when a job seeker will change his/her email address in the middle of the job search. A similar problem is when a job seeker uses several different email addresses during the job search. It’s is always best to start and finish your job search with one main email address. In fact, if you can have one email address that you maintain only for career purposes, you will enjoy the best response. If an email bounces or disappears into the parallel universe, a recruiter won’t go to the trouble of trying to run you down – there are just too many good candidates in the market to waste the time. You have to be available on the first shot. Make sure you monitor your email communications closely to be sure it is as efficient and easy as possible.
Visual Impressions
Joe Jobseeker shows up to an in-person interview with a recruiter for a job involving outside sales. The sales job will involve selling multi-million dollar solutions to V-level decision-makers. Salary is definitely in the six-figure range, especially with performance bonus added in.
Joe has excellent qualifications. He’s done this type work before and he has the track record and W2’s to prove he’s a performer. He knows the product inside and out. His network of contacts is extensive. Hard-sells are his specialty – he could sell popsicles to the Eskimos.
When Joe arrives at the interview, he is wearing a blue leisure suit and white shoes. He has a mustard stain on the lapel of the suit and his hair is about three weeks overdue for a trim. He has onion breath resulting from the lunch he had and his palms are sweaty. The recruiter takes one look at him and immediately mentally “round files” Joe as a candidate. Even though Joe interviews well and he has all the right qualifications, the recruiter had already made up his mind before a single word had been spoken. He can’t recommend a candidate with this appearance to a client company – he’d sink the account.
Joe doesn’t get a further interview and is puzzled why he was not considered further. It never occurs to him that he was giving a bad first impression with his appearance. The same can be said for a resume that is poorly designed and organized visually. The owner of the resume may have great qualifications and a stellar track record but in that split second of time when the reader first looks at the resume the visual impression of it sinks the owner’s candidacy.
Ugly resumes are less effective than attractive resumes. Resumes that are well-designed, easy-to-read, and include good organizational elements are more effective. Good font choice, divided sections, good text-to-space ratio, reasonable margins, and good balance make a resume easier to read. Don’t neglect visual impression. It can be as deadly as a leisure suit.
Honey Draws More Flies than Vinegar
Job search can be stressful, especially if you find yourself having to search for a job unexpectedly as a result of a layoff or other event outside your control. Stress does not give a person a right to be rude, however, and being rude in your job search can kill opportunities.
Take Jill for example. Jill had lost her job as a Director of Marketing as a result of a merger. She had been looking for a new job for about two months. She sent an inquiry directly to a VP of Sales and Marketing to which she had been referred by a networking contact. Rather than the VP replying, the VPs executive assistant replied to her. Out of frustration, Jill snapped back a sarcastic reply to the assistant of “I didn’t contact YOU but rather your boss. If I had wanted a reply from her assistant, I would have said so.”
What Jill didn’t realize was that the assistant was the VPs right hand man and was handling everything on the VP’s plate while the VP was in Asia on an extended business trip. Jill’s sarcastic, condescending reply offended the assistant who immediately decided that Jill had a caustic personality that would not fit in their team. The assistant made a note of it on Jill’s resume so he would be sure to relate her attitude to the VP when he returned which he did. Jill did not get an interview, much less a job offer.
You should never be mean, sarcastic or hateful to ANYONE in the process of job searching. Gatekeepers are frustrating but they do report their impressions to decision-makers and those impressions can kill your candidacy if they are not good.
A friend of mine is a school teacher. She said her mentor teacher in college gave her some of the best advice she had ever received and she has found it to be true. Her mentor teacher said, “Whenever you start your new job or any new job, there are two people who you should always treat with respect – the secretary and the janitor. Without the help of either one of these people, you cannot accomplish anything.”
Remember, honey attracts more flies than vinegar. Keep vinegar out of your job search.
Honey Draws More Flies than Vinegar
Job search can be stressful, especially if you find yourself having to search for a job unexpectedly as a result of a layoff or other event outside your control. Stress does not give a person a right to be rude, however, and being rude in your job search can kill opportunities.
Take Jill for example. Jill had lost her job as a Director of Marketing as a result of a merger. She had been looking for a new job for about two months. She sent an inquiry directly to a VP of Sales and Marketing to which she had been referred by a networking contact. Rather than the VP replying, the VPs executive assistant replied to her. Out of frustration, Jill snapped back a sarcastic reply to the assistant of “I didn’t contact YOU but rather your boss. If I had wanted a reply from her assistant, I would have said so.”
What Jill didn’t realize was that the assistant was the VPs right hand man and was handling everything on the VP’s plate while the VP was in Asia on an extended business trip. Jill’s sarcastic, condescending reply offended the assistant who immediately decided that Jill had a caustic personality that would not fit in their team. The assistant made a note of it on Jill’s resume so he would be sure to relate her attitude to the VP when he returned which he did. Jill did not get an interview, much less a job offer.
You should never be mean, sarcastic or hateful to ANYONE in the process of job searching. Gatekeepers are frustrating but they do report their impressions to decision-makers and those impressions can kill your candidacy if they are not good.
A friend of mine is a school teacher. She said her mentor teacher in college gave her some of the best advice she had ever received and she has found it to be true. Her mentor teacher said, “Whenever you start your new job or any new job, there are two people who you should always treat with respect – the secretary and the janitor. Without the help of either one of these people, you cannot accomplish anything.”
Remember, honey attracts more flies than vinegar. Keep vinegar out of your job search.
Test Drive a Job
I was reading an article today at one of the online news outlets about a new, unique program for career changers. The program allows you to work for several weeks alongside someone who is already accomplished in the career field in which you are interested. This mini “apprenticeship” allows you to try out the career in which you are interested so you will know if it’s something you want to pursue full-time. What a great idea!
So many times, we have clients who come to us without a true career goal in mind hoping we can write a resume that will get them a dream job. We have to tell such people they are getting the cart before the horse – you have to decide where you want to go before we can draw a map to get there. Many of them have several, diverse areas of interest for a new career but aren’t sure what to choose or how to get started. Such a “test drive” program would be ideal for people who have interests but are not sure they want to dive in all the way.
The article described three friends, two of whom were attorneys, who after doing a stint with a chocolatier decided to open their own gourmet chocolate store and ditch the lawyer jobs. Now that is a big career change and one that would have been hard to accomplish without actually doing the work first to get a taste of it.
Such a program would be great for graduating high school seniors. Instead of going directly into college where they wander around for the first two years with a major of “undeclared”, they could instead take a year and apprentice in four to six different professions which interest them. Since 80% of college grads don’t work in a field related to their major, maybe that would make college more relevant and useful in an age where experience is starting to hold more weight than the parchment. It would also make college a better investment. Instead of wasting a lot of credits on classes that don’t apply in the end, you could be very focused from the outset.
Self-Made Hurdles
Let’s face it – we all have problems. At some time in our lives we are faced with major problems whether it is financial crunches, health issues, family disintegration, or other conflicts that upset our entire lives. It also never fails that when you just think things are going smoothly – WHAMMO – something else goes south and you are back into another mess. After struggling through many such times in my life, I have discovered that the best course of action is to keep rowing until you are in smoother waters. Once there, don’t look back.
Unfortunately, some people seem to let rough times in their pasts color their futures. For example, here is part of an email I received today from a nice lady who has had rough times in the recent past. (I’ve changed names and places to protect confidentiality.)
“Here are issues: (1) this market is unlike any other job market--since 9/11, (2) I had to quit my job at XYZ to take care of dying father in Cleveland (I live in Boston) for two years, and was in an auto accident that took 2 more years to recover from--so I have been really doing full time consulting for 6 months, and job hunting for two--although I did both during the entire four years probably 20-40 hrs a week, (3) I'm old--57--I take my first two jobs off my resume so I appear to be 53--still old but what are ya going to do, (4) I had the corporate gap in my resume which I address--I do two ventures--ABC an imported pie from Europe and sold under 123 brand name--it gave me the flexibility I needed during those four years, (5) I don't want to do my own business--I'm doing marketing consulting now, I like corporate,
(6) my background--partly because being a woman in the 70's in business was not easy--is not as linear as guys--but my thought at the time was as a VP of marketing, VP at ad agencies, and VP of promotion firms--I could do anything. It was truly integrated marketing. Unfortunately, a drone that did the same thing for 30 years is perceived better than I…. Historically, I have had a hard time getting interviews but generally got offers once I got the interview. Woman, age--big barriers now. They don't want women in general--and an old woman (and believe me I am super active--ski, hike, bike, ski, sail, travel, etc.) and am very contemporary but let's face it someone in their 50's does not look like someone in their 30's. Now, I have had some interviews but have not gotten the job--last one for a job I really wanted--I talked about my Dad's situation and I think the gap there plus his own fear of having to take care of his parents at some point turned him off. I left XYZ because of it.
If I hide the reason, then why did I leave? To do my own thing?
Responses: too much promotion experience, too much agency experience, toooooo old (lots--and they just tell you regardless if it is illegal or not)--that's the biggie, and gap the last five years in resume relative to last corporate job.”
Whew! Doesn’t that make you depressed to read it? This nice lady has several issues that she is allowing to hinder her job search simply through the jaundiced outlook she has. Let’s look at a few:
Age – The age factor is something that I have found to be more of a mental hurdle in the job seeker’s head than an actual, rampant problem in the job market. If you think you are too old, or that others will think you are too old, you are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. At senior levels and high salaries (such as this lady), employers don’t expect to get a 30-year-old. It takes time to build experience and the best, most valuable experience can’t be learned in an MBA program but rather in the trenches. I work with job seekers all the time who are in their 50s and even 60s. The only ones who report age discrimination are the ones who have a problem with it in their own minds first.
Years of experience – As a rule of thumb, employers are mainly interested in the past 10-15 years experience. Beyond that, and it’s old experience or foundational experience that doesn’t apply to the current market or to the position being targeted.
The glass ceiling – Yes, in some companies, women have a hard time advancing. That said, there is nothing to keep those women at those companies and there are PLENTY of companies where their skills will not only be appreciated and rewarded, but also compensated correctly. Letting social attitudes of the 70s impact actions of today is silly.
Appearance – Yes, appearance DOES have an impact on hiring. There have been volumes of studies done on the impact of physical appearance of the human on acceptance and attraction by other humans. That said, even young beautiful people get passed over (perhaps for giving the impression that they don’t have the gravitas for the position?) just like people who are overweight, too tall, too short, too skinny, too old, ad infinitum.
So what can you do about all this? Simple. Go forth with a positive attitude. Leave the past behind. Concentrate on your positives. Sell your unique abilities.
Talk Your Way to Your Next Job
It’s almost time for the kids to start school again and everyone is squeezing in those last vacations or trips before Labor Day. It’s hot, hot, hot everywhere and the dog days of summer are upon us. The second best time of the year for networking is almost over – summer. I say second best because the Christmas holidays are usually the most prime time for networking due to the party and social schedules of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year.
Summer is a great time to network because it is also full of opportunities to get out of the office and meet new people, get together in social situations and generally hobnob. Cook-outs, ballgames, vacations, and pool parties are all excellent opportunities to network and generate connections that will help you move into your next position.
I’ve seen this happen personally. A few years ago, I regularly sat on a baseball field bleacher with a VP of Dell Computer on one side and a C-level exec of Hoovers, Inc. on the other. We shared peanuts and yakked. Without that summer networking opportunity, I probably would not have known either of those two people.
Networking is still THE most effective job search method. Who you know always will come out ahead of other methods just because that is the way that the world works. We’re people and we are social animals. A personal recommendation out-classes whatever other candidates can offer almost every time.
If you don’t go in for the formal networking meeting type method (personally, I’d rather have a root canal than attend one of those), just make an effort to see more people who are already in your social circle. Church events, school events, and classes are great ways to get out of your cubicle and talk to people. Ask lots of questions – people like to talk about themselves. You’ll be amazed at who knows whom and – WHAM – you have a connection that might be beneficial to your career.
There is a radio commercial running right now for Match.com that features Dr. Phil. He says something along the lines of “The love of your life isn’t like the pizza delivery guy. He’s not going to show up on your doorstep.” Networking is like that. To make it work, you have to make the effort to be around people. If you don’t do anything but work and go home to mow your lawn, you are not going to make connections. Get out and talk to people and you might just talk your way to your next job!
Market Slowdown
The Labor Department released the hiring numbers for July this week and they showed a hiring slowdown in the US economy and a five-month high of unemployment at 4.8 percent. That’s the bad news. Good news is that wages are still growing steadily.
As we all pull up to the gas pump these days, we wince at the sight of the price per gallon. Gas, especially for those with a significant commute to work, is really starting to eat into household budgets. What we don’t think about is those same factors also eat into the budgets of companies. Energy prices affect all areas of our economy.
When companies experience a budget crunch, the first thing to be affected is staffing levels. While mass layoffs so far don’t seem to be on the horizon, a slowdown in adding new staff to existing workforces is not an unexpected reaction on the part of companies. Payroll is traditionally a first-line expense to be cut to control expenditures.
What this means for the average job seeker right now is a longer job search. It might also be frustrating for job seekers who have been working the process and been involved in extensive interview processes only to find that a hiring freeze has been mandated. While the need for the new employee still exists, the budget for the salary and benefits might not be there.
A market slowdown also increases competition for the jobs that are available. Increased competition requires added attention to keen marketing of skills, experience, and talents – something that most job seekers have trouble doing in a flush job market, much less a tighter one. If you have been considering a job search, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get started because the search will take longer in a tighter market. The bigger head start you give yourself the better.
A Resume By a Different Name
Did you know there are different types of resumes for different purposes? Most people know of two kinds – a chronological format and a functional format. The chronological is the most commonly used and works the best in most situations. By definition, the chronological is organized in reverse time format with each job being treated separately in the timeline. The functional resume is one that pops up every now and then and is organized by skill set (or function). Recruiters and hiring managers hate the functional so it should be avoided like the plague.
There are other types of resumes besides the chronological and functional. One is the federal resume. The federal resume is used when applying to government positions. I’m not an expert in federal resumes and don’t claim to be. They are truly very different animals than a traditional resume and I have a good colleague to whom I refer those types of projects. Federal resumes have their own format, their own organization, and their own style. I call it “high word count” writing because they tend to be very wordy and are often judged on the word count by screeners.
Another type of resume isn’t a resume at all but rather a CV or Curriculum Vita. A CV is used in foreign countries for the most part. Here in the US, CVs were once used mostly by academics, physicians, attorneys and scientists but even those professions are now using resumes for US job search. A CV is more a listing of facts rather than a marketing document. A resume is designed to spin your skills and abilities and sell you as the best candidate for the job. A CV is more like a long listing of everything related to your employment and education such as publications, degrees, memberships, etc.
In other countries, CVs will often have a picture of the job seeker embedded. Pictures are out-of-bounds for the US job market because of hiring discrimination laws. I’ve always wondered why someone would want to put their picture on their CV anyway – they always look like a passport photo or a driver’s license mug shot (not very flattering for even the most attractive people).
The picture issue brings up one last type of resume – the entertainer’s resume. Actors, models, entertainers – anyone in the “business” has an 8x10 stock photo of themselves that they use to send to casting agents, talent agents, producers, etc. On the back of that photo is the job seeker’s resume that gives all the performances or other “gigs” they have been involved with as part of his/her career. Don’t use this type of resume unless you are in show business or targeting some type of job where your appearance is the FIRST thing the hiring manager considers.
There are fad types of resumes that some people will try to sell you. I’ve seen the video resume (no hiring manager or recruiter has the time to watch these). I’ve seen the online resume (ditto for the time issue). I’ve seen the business card-sized resume (recruiters lose them). I’ve seen the brochure style from the 80’s (recruiters hated them, too). One of the most ingenious resumes I’ve ever seen was for a glass artist – he etched his resume into a lovely glass bowl.
To Tell the Truth
I was reading an article today about how to tell if someone is lying. In the article, it noted that there are some indicators for identifying false information on a resume. Some of the indicators, I agreed with but some of them were just plain examples of bad writing (like use of personal pronouns).
A resume is by nature a marketing document meant to sell something to someone. You, as the job seeker, are the “product” being “sold” and the employer is the “buyer”. Of course, you won’t include derogatory information in a resume – that would be stupid. You don’t sell something by noting all its flaws in the sales brochure. You highlight the selling points or the advantages and that is the key function of a resume – show how you are the best candidate for the job and should be contacted immediately.
Unfortunately, people often feel they don’t have the right background or credentials to qualify them for a job and they fall back to lying on their resumes. That is a bad idea all around. First of all, if you claim to have experience that you don’t have, that deficit will show up eventually in your job performance and you will have an even bigger problem on your hands. Second, most employers are using behavioral interviewing techniques now and that means you will have to show in the interview that you have the experience you claim in the resume. Third, lying on your resume can get you sued. Employers spend a lot of money hiring new employees and if you lie on the resume, you may very well be sued for reimbursement of those hiring expenses. Finally, if you are in any kind of public role and you are found to have lied on your resume, the fact gets publicized and you will have to start looking for work at a 7-11 because no one else will believe anything you say.
Hiring managers aren’t stupid, either. They are pretty good at identifying false information on a resume. They know which schools are “diploma mills” and which ones are truly colleges. If you only have three years experience but claim to be a VP, they will realize something strange is going on. If you claim to have worked for a specific company, and you didn’t, the hiring manager will find out in the background checks.
Some hallmarks of resume lying include:
- Degree from a vague-sounding school in the Caribbean.
- No quantitative information that specifies what you did and what you accomplished. Lack of specificity is not a good way to show you know what you are talking about. “Top Performer three years in a row” is not specific.
- A functional format. The functional is a BIG red flag that you are trying to hide something from the reader. Employers and recruiters hate the functional format.
- Not naming companies in your employment history. It’s okay to omit the current company name but if you omit all the company names, eyebrows will raise.
Play it safe – don’t lie on your resume. It’s not worth it.
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