Increase Your Bandwidth To Grow Eyeballs And Value-Add

What in the world does that even mean? Who knows. But if you're a desk-jockey, it is likely that you  have heard these terms. It is also possible that you have drank the kool-aid and actually used them.

Alright, enough of the buzzwords.

I've seen many cover letters and resumes lately full of buzzwords like the ones in the title of this post. I've even heard quite a few during interviews.

Buzzwords, idioms, and metaphors, can help us communicate. To be most effective, however, you need a commonality with the person you're talking to. And that's where the problem is. Most of the time, you don't have the familiarity with the interviewer to use buzzwords.

The greater risk is that the hiring manager may think you're using creative language to hide the fact that you have no idea what you're talking about. Use everyday language during the interview. For me, I use the teenager test, since we just happen to have a 13 year old in the house. I asked her if she knew what "low hanging fruit", "herding cats", and "mindshare" were. Of course, she did not. But when I described what they meant in regular language, she completely understood.

So, dump the buzzwords.

There can be an exception to the rule.

If you're interviewing with someone that uses a lot of buzzwords, not just an occasional one, then it might be okay to use them sparingly. Even then, it is still better to avoid buzzwords altogether.

Getting Laid Off? Now What?

Today, Comcast announced it would be closing three northern California call centers. The closings will impact 1,000 employees who have been working in Sacramento, Livermore, and Morgan Hill. I have friends and former colleagues at Comcast, in the call center, and in roles supporting the call centers. I worked with many of these people at WaMu, where four years ago today, the federal government shut us down and sold us to Chase.

I hope none of our readers ever have to go through a layoff. If you do, here are some tips:

• Start looking now! If you have not started looking for another job before the announcement, start now. I know it is an emotional time right now, but timing is important, especially when hundreds of people with similar skills as yours are entering the job market. Even if you're given a termination date that is months away, start looking now. Don't wait.
• Get help. Take advantage of any outplacement services your company offers. Take as much of their help as they will give you, but be careful that you are not being led on a cattle call. Oftentimes, the "resume experts" that work at these outplacement firms have never actually hired someone. Your resume might end up looking a lot like everyone else's. And since your co-workers are likely using the same service, their resume could look exactly like yours. You want to stand out.
• Stay positive. It's easy to get caught up in the negativity, especially after a mass layoff at a large employer. Avoid the commiserating around the office when it turns negative. Hold your head up and keep smiling. It'll be easier to stay on your A-game during an interview if you're always on your A-game.
• Help others. You are not in this alone. Be supportive to your co-workers. Offer to role-play an interview with someone who might be nervous about re-entering the job market, or read over their cover letter and resume. If you hear about a job that doesn't interest you, make a referral to a colleague.

We wish you the best of luck!

Skate To Where The Puck Is Going...

Another one of my favorite quotes comes from hockey legend, Wayne Gretsky.

Skate where the puck's going, not where it's been.

With 20 years in the NHL and over a thousand career regular and post season goals, he is the highest scorer in the history of the league.

What can Gretsky can teach job seekers? The most successful job seekers look at where jobs are going to be. What does that mean exactly?

Don't only do what most job seekers do... only wait for a position to open up. Identify a need within a company and sell your skills and experience. This doesn't mean that you find something you hate about a company and call them up and tell them you can do it better. Do you believe you have the skills or experience that can benefit a company? If so, tell them.

What are the trends in the industry? In the area? There are hints all around you. Read local newspapers, blogs, magazines. Is there a local company announcing an expansion? What are you hearing from your friends and family? Anyone talking about a job change at their company?

Sure, it takes longer to target a company but it can lead to good results. This doesn't mean you can't apply for jobs using a more traditional approach. Mix it up. Spend some time researching and targeting companies where jobs are going to be.

Oh, and speaking of hockey... go Thunder! Opening night is in less than three weeks!

How To Move On After Rejection

Some job seekers hate writing resumes. Others really hate interviewing. Nearly everyone hates rejection. Hearing "we have decided to move in a different direction" or "there were other candidates with experience that more closely matched our needs"  from a prospective employer is not something everyone wakes up excited to go through. As unpleasant as a rejection can be, how you handle that rejection can impact the success of the rest of your search.

If you get the news over the phone, graciously thank the messenger with a smile on your face.

It is far more likely that you will get the rejection via an e-mail or an actual letter mailed to you.

Either way, send an e-mail or thank you note to the hiring manager thanking them for the opportunity to interview for the position. Wish them success without being sarcastic.

Don't expect to get feedback about what you could have done differently. Also don't expect to learn in what direction the hiring manager went. From their perspective, they have no responsibility to tell you anything more than the fact that you didn't get the job. They could have hired someone else or just not hired anyone at all.

Sometimes you didn't get the job because someone else did. Sometimes, however, it's because you are just not a good fit.

Through the interview process, the hiring manager will need to evaluate your experience and skills to determine if you can do the job. Equally as important, they will evaluate you to see if you will be a good cultural fit. You will likely never know if you didn't get a job because the hiring manager thought you weren't a good fit. Sometimes you need to trust that you might not have done well in that position.

A "no" now, can sometimes turn into a "yes" later. As a hiring manager, there have been several times when, after selecting a candidate, there has been a reason to hire an additional person. Handle the rejection poorly (aggressively asking for feedback, speaking negatively about the company or hiring manager) and you can be sure you will never get a chance to interview there again.

If you performed well in the interview and you are still looking 90 days later, you can follow up with the hiring manager. Again, it is important that stay positive and professional.

Bounce back. Don't let the rejection hurt your momentum. Keep your head up and keep working at it. Take out the emotion. Don't be upset. Don't take it personally.

Remember that every no is just a portion of a yes.

Start On Friday

You know you need to start your job search. And as you read this, you might be thinking what most people think.

"I'll start on Monday."

Don't start on Monday.

Start today.

There's always the possibility that you are one of those people (that one person) that loves starting something new on Monday. If so, feel free to skip the rest of this post. For the rest of you (us), read on.

Looking for a job, or any action, is rewarded by motion and consistency. Start today. If you have done nothing before today, put in some time today. It will do wonders for your self-esteem. Not sure what you should do to actually start? Start with the five things you can do this week to improve your job search.

There is one important element to starting something on a Friday. You have to keep it up on Saturday and Sunday. Yes, that's right. I'm suggesting you spend some time on your job search over the weekend. Maybe not every weekend. But certainly this first one. Getting through Friday, Saturday and Sunday will make Monday a snap. And if you're employing the Seinfeld trick, starting on Friday will give you the momentum to blast through that first dreadful Monday.

Don't Hide From Recruiters

What do you do when a recruiter calls you? What about when you get an unsolicited e-mail from a recruiter you've never met? Although most out-of-work job seekers jump at the chance to talk to a recruiter, these same people often avoid building these relationships before they're in need.

Regardless of your job search status, recruiters can help broaden your search.

Here are a couple things to keep in mind.

First, take their call. Even if you're at work. Take their call. Of course, you can simply say that you can't talk at that moment, take down their contact information and call them back. Even if you're not looking right now, there is no good reason to turn away an introduction to a recruiter. If it's via e-mail, you can still call the recruiter.

Offer a referral. If the position is not what you're looking for, or you're simply not looking for a change, offer to refer someone you know. Make a qualified referral and that recruiter will likely never forget you. That doesn't mean you have to give up your co-worker's phone number and e-mail address. Talk to your contact and give them the recruiter's information. Follow up with the recruiter in a few days and see if your referral made contact.

Too many people ignore recruiters as they would any other salesperson (and in a future post, I'll try and convince you why even that is foolish). Get to know recruiters in your industry before you need them.

What A Slinky Can Teach You About Your Job Search

I am a big fan of Radiolab. The popular NPR show and podcast produced by WNYC is a great mix of story telling and science. In their recent "short", What a Slinky Knows, the hosts, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, discuss what happens when a slinky is dropped.

For a fraction of a second, something amazing happens: the bottom of slinky hovers in midair, seeming to defy the laws of physics, while the top collapses toward it.

So how does that apply to a job search? Well, momentum is your ally. Keep moving, even when you think you should be falling.

Stay positive. Don't give up.

In addition to the podcast, check out Krulwich's blog, The Miracle Of The Levitating Slinky.

Over-Qualified?

In a tight job-market, it is not uncommon to hear job-seekers complain of being turned away for being over-qualified. Ok, let's get real. Stop comparing being "over-qualified" to having "too much fun", they are nothing alike. Being over-qualified is a real risk. A real red flag.

What are the risks? When I see the resume of a candidate that is clearly over-qualified, a few things come to mind.

Will the candidate quickly get bored in this job?

Will they come across as a know-it-all to their co-workers?

If the pay is a lot lower, will they obsess about the pay? And most employees that think only about pay don't stick around long.

My advice:

Know your limits. Most over-qualified candidates say they don't mind the cut in pay, or the step down. That's not enough. Know exactly how much you are willing to take as a pay cut, and how much you (your ego) can step down. Don't look beyond your limits. If you're unemployed, it's easy to imagine yourself taking any job just to get a paycheck, but that is easier said than done.

Tailor your resume to the specific job. If you are a former restaurant manager applying for a server job, don't highlight your management experience over your experience waiting tables. Focus on what the prospective employer needs. You can (and should) explain your situation concisely in your cover letter, but don't use the same resume you would use for a manager job as you would for a server job.

Don't ignore what might be a red flag. Explain why you might be taking a step down and tailor your resume to the specific job, highlighting what the employer needs.

Daily goals

Looking for a job can be hard work. Having a daily goal can help. Here are three suggested daily goals.

1. Check your calendar and to-do list. Know when and where you have applied and set your dates out in your calendar to do follow ups with those perspective employers. Whether its an e-mail follow up on a submitted resume or sending a thank you note to someone you met or interviewed with.
2. Check job search sites such as Monster, Ladders, Careerbuilder and others. Register to get daily alerts of job postings of your interest and area.
3. Contact one person daily. Reach out to someone you've interviewed with, an old boss or a previous co-worker.  Ask someone to meet for coffee. Ask what you can do to help them.

Set time aside every day to work on your job search. At a minimum, you should spend at least one hour a day focused on your job search, even if it has to be two half-hour sessions each day.  Try to find a quiet place, free from distraction. For best results, schedule the same time every day. Building a good habit will pay off.

Stay positive - It can get very frustrating looking for a job. Stay positive and focused, if you let the search get to you, you will not be as effective as when you have a smile on your face.

The First Rule of Job Search - Never Stop Searching

The most successful job search is the one that never happens. Sounds like gibberish, I know. Allow me to explain.

If the goal is to get a job quickly, then the ultimate goal should be to find a job in zero days.

Through the years, I have discovered that the best way to find a job is to never stop looking for a job.

To decrease the amount of time it takes to find a job, never stop searching for a job. Although a more focused job search is best when you are truly looking, the goal here is to cast a much wider net. Here are five things you can do to keep your skills sharp when you're not looking:

1. Create weekly job alerts from Indeed, Monster, and Career Builder for every job in your city (or the city in which you want to work). Yes, every job. And then spend a few minutes every week reading through the postings.
2. Create another weekly job alert for jobs with your same job title within 50 or 100 miles from your city (or the city in which you want to work).
3. Keep a journal. When you come across a job or company that interests you, write down a few quick notes. What is the company? What is the title of the position? How is the employer asking for candidates to apply? Make sure you include any contact information, dates and the source where you found it. You'd be amazed at how helpful this can be down the road. Spend time every week reading back through your journal. Over time, you will have a much better understanding of the job market.
4. Every couple of months, create a resume and cover letter for a specific job opening you've found. Even if you don't send it out, the practice will help you improve this skill.
5. Update your resume. This should go without saying but I'm saying it anyway. Every couple of months, spend a few minutes updating your resume. If you've been capturing your successes and other job notes this will be simple and painless.

As a cyclist, the best advice I've ever been given is "Eat before you're hungry". The same applies to the job search. Don't wait until you need to find a job. Build the habit and the skill when you don't need it so it's there when you do.

Should You Target "Best Companies To Work For"?

I've had many jobs. In fact, I've had more jobs than nearly anyone I know. I've worked for companies that have earned various "Best Companies To Work For" awards - usually from local newspapers, and I've worked for some that have not. Should you apply for a job at a "Best Company To Work For" company?

As a hiring manager, my advice is simple. Don't put too much emphasis on these types of awards. In fact, don't put any emphasis on it. There's no reason to avoid these companies. Just ignore the "best companies" distinction.

There is evidence that even some "best companies" treat candidates poorly.

How can this be?

Many "best companies" treat the campaign to earn the award as they would any marketing endeavor. Given that these awards are almost always given out by a newspaper or magazine, it should come as no surprise that simply seeing a company listed as a best place to work doesn't make it so.

Do your own research. Long-term growth and portability, strength in the marketplace when compared to competitors in the industry, and customer feedback should each carry a greater weight than any "Best Company..." award.

Job Search Metrics - Know Your Score

How's the job search going? Don't you just hate that question? As long as you are still looking, it's not going well enough, right? Since the goal of a job search is to get a job, it's simple: it's either going or it isn't.

Not very useful, I know.

But how is it really going?

What's your score?

Unless you know how well your actions lead to results, you have no idea where to improve.

Your job search is a sales effort. Sales, or the efficiency of a sales person, is all about the numbers. An effective salesperson knows exactly how many cold calls it takes to get an appointment, how many appointments it takes to get the opportunity to ask for the business and how many closes it takes it takes to get a sale. You should also know these numbers.

Keep a journal or a spreadsheet and track every element of your job search.

Your method of tracking success and stats might look like this:

Your tracking should help you answer these four questions:

1. What is my ratio of resumes (or applications) to interviews?
2. What is my ratio of interviews to offers?
3. Which source yields the best results?
4. What percentage of interviews result in a job offer?

As an example, let's use these data:

• 12 resumes
• 4 first interviews
• 2 second interviews
• 1 job offer

Your ratio of resumes to interviews is 12:4, which means every resume you submit is 1/3 of a interview, and each first interview is 25% of a job.

And here's where the most important number comes in. Not to get too heavy with the math, but using the fictitious data above, every resume is 8.3% of a job. Even the resumes that don't result in an interview are getting you closer to a job.

Track your progress and results with every job opportunity. To help you focus your efforts in the future, track your interview score, using the ratio of resumes to interviews, by source. Spend more time using the websites that result in more interviews. I realize that sounds obvious, but unless you are keeping score, you won't actually know, objectively, how you're doing.

So, what's your score?

Think Twice Before Your Job Search Status Ends Up Online

You may be used to sharing all of your personal and intimate details online. During a job search, this can come back to hurt you. Assume nothing is private. No matter what your privacy settings are, if you put it out there, it is possible that anyone can see it.  Before any interview, I always do an online search of a candidate's name. I also try and find out who we may know in common.

Here are a few tweets I found recently:

hate filling out job apps online sucks. i prefer to fax in a cover letter and resume

I go to bed and wake up wishing that someone would just accept the fact my resume sucks and just hire me already.

Just realized I made a mistake on my resume. F***.

Ugh sending out your resume a million times sucks....

how the f*** do you even make a resume

F*** man... I neeed another job before summer ends ! I pray I get a call back from the places I handed my resume too..

My entire resume consists of three words: Funny, great a**.

All of these tweets from unblocked accounts, some of which are from people who list, what appears to be, their real name. If you are interviewing, recruiters and hiring managers may search for your name online.

While in job search mode, don't put anything online that you wouldn't want to print out and attach to your resume.

Tattoos & Interviews

I recently came across a Facebook page titled, Tattoo acceptance in the workplace. I even Liked it! I have no issue with tattoos. Or with the people that have them. I even have a few.

But let's face it. Not everyone shares the same opinion. There are hiring managers and recruiters that are more "traditional" when it comes to tattoos. And by more "traditional", I mean they just don't want to see them.

Yes, you have every right to get tattoos, but remember that the employer has the right to not be interested in you as a candidate if you show up to the interview with visible tattoos.

My advice: keep them hidden. Like these professionals do.

How To Ask For A Reference

If you're being asked to provide references, congratulations. Most employers won't go to this stage unless they are getting close to making you an offer. This is not the time to slip up.

There is a right way to ask for a reference. And many people get it wrong.

Before we start, the time to ask for a reference is before you've even applied for the position. But, if you didn't do that, you can get it right from this point.

Identify 3-5 references. It's best to get former managers, peers, and, direct reports (if you were a manager).

Share the details of the job for which you are applying. Give your reference a copy of the job description and any research you have done on the company and position. Be sure to share your resume and cover letter with your reference. It is also appropriate to offer suggestions on what you'd like your reference to focus on when they speak to the prospective employer.

Lastly, be sure to ask your reference what phone number and e-mail address you should provide.

Don't allow your references to be surprised. The last thing you want is your reference to get an unexpected phone call asking about you.

Once your references have been contacted, follow up with them and thank them!

Who You Are Speaks So Loudly...

I love quotes. I have even been called a "quote junky". One of my favorite quotes is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, and works perfectly as job search advice:

Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying

Yes, I realize that the great American essayist probably wasn't talking about resumes, or anything even remotely related to looking for a job. But still, this quote is so approriate.

Whether it's your resume, cover letter, or even responses to interview questions, who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what your saying.

Having a list of generic qualifications on your resume won't get you noticed. Just because you wrote that you are a "team player" or "results oriented" doesn't make it so. Cite real successes and accomplishments that demonstrate that you are a team player. In an interview, discuss examples of when you were a team player, and how that helped the company.

The key is: show, don't tell. Here are a few resume examples:

Tell	Show
Top performer	Exceeded sales goals by 25%, earning Sales Executive of the Year...
Customer Focused	Achieved 99.4% Customer Quality score...
Experienced in balancing budgets	Increased revenue 9% while reducing operating expenses by 13%...

Look through your cover letter and resume. Do you have generic statements that lack evidence? Answer questions like, "What does that means?", "Why is that important?", "How did I do that?".

Focus your interview preparation on specific accomplishments. Even if you're not specifically asked a situational interview question ("Tell me about a time when..." or "Give me an example when..."), it is best to answer with a specific example.

The High Unemployment Job Search Myth

San Joaquin County's unemployment rate is higher than that of California, which is higher than that of the nation. That shouldn't surprise anyone that has lived and worked here for any length of time.

There is a belief that periods of high unemployment are a great time for companies to be hiring. Logic would dictate that, since there are many more people in the job market, it must be easier to find that perfect candidate.

As a hiring manager, I can tell you that is a myth.

When the job market is tight, there are even more job seekers for every available job. This means that the typical hiring manager or recruiter has to wade through a lot more resumes, some of which may not even meet the prerequisite experience. Some will likely have even more experience than is required. Job seekers, especially those who have been unemployed (or under-employed) for some time, tend to move the focus of their job search efforts from quality to quantity. This change in focus can result in the job seeker missing an opportunity that is perfectly suited for him.

So, what does this mean for the job seeker?

Well, of course you know that you have to compete with other job seekers. But now you have to stand out even more - simply because of the increased numbers of applicants.

Follow up, but don't be a nag. Follow up by e-mail or a voice mail after hours when you're sure the phone number is a work number (and not a cell phone). From my perspective, the more candidates there are in the market, the less they follow up - again, to my point that many lose focus.

Most importantly, don't lose that focus on the quality of the opportunity. If you are an unemployed restaurant manager, and it is your desire to stay in that field, tighten up your focus to restaurants and hospitality rather than shooting out hundreds of resumes for every job lead with "manager" in the title.

In this job market, it is much more difficult to "promote out" - moving out and up from one company to another. It happens, but it less likely than during periods of high employment. Be willing to move laterally or "demote out" - moving out and down one level. Demoting out is not ideal for everyone. If you are a front-line supervisor leading a team of individual contributors it may be more difficult to do this than if you are a mid-level manager leading other managers.

While there is an increase in the number of candidates for every open position, this is not necessarily a "buyer's market". Since the quality of the job candidates (the sellers) tends to go down during periods of high unemployment, employers (the buyers) can spend more time looking for the right person.

Finally, just an interesting point about the graph above comparing San Joaquin County's and California's unemployment rates. Notice that the shape of data are the same. San Joaquin County's moves are more pronounced, which may have just as much to do with the population size (and the law of large numbers) as it does with the fact that we are a subset of the state. All that means is that you can dispel any crazy thought that our problems in Stockton and the county are not playing out elsewhere in the state.

Unemployment numbers can be depressing. Don't let them get to you... they're just data. Stay informed, but don't obsess. And, as we've already discussed... there are jobs out there!

sources for data: bls.gov, edd.ca.gov

Your Resume Has One Job (You Can't Eat Your Car Keys)

Your resume has one job: to get you an interview. This is why you don't need an objective on your resume. Your objective is to get an interview.

You are not going to get a job because of your resume. An effective resume can help you get an interview. From there, you'll need to demonstrate that you have the skills for the job and that you are a cultural fit in their organization. After that, you might get a second interview, or you might even get a job offer. But that rests more on how you perform in the interview.

To take a step back, the goal of your cover letter is to get your resume read; the goal of your resume is to get you an interview; the goal of the interview is to get you a job offer; the goal of the job offer is to get you the job you want!

Expecting your resume to get you a job is like eating your car keys when you're hungry. Your keys are just a tool that can help you get to the next step. Your car keys can help you drive to Dante's Pizza but that's as far as your keys can help.

If you're not getting many interviews based on how many resumes you're sending out, you likely need to work on your cover letter and resume. If you're satisfied with the number of interviews you're getting but not getting any offers, you need to work on your interview.