Author: gcapone

Using Buzzwords Without Substance

Buzzwords are used so commonly they lose their impact. The resume I read today illustrates this. At the top of the resume was a Summary of Qualifications section. In it, there were a number of buzzwords. The overall effect was to hurt the impression the resume made.

Buzzwords are used so commonly they lose their impact.  The resume I read today illustrates this.  At the top of the resume was a Summary of Qualifications section.  In it, there were a number of buzzwords.  The overall effect was to hurt the impression the resume made.

The buzzwords listed are some of the most common.  In fact, some used so much, they qualify as gobbledygook – words that have lost all meaning due to over use.  Below are a few of the bullets from the Summary section:

Summary of Qualifications

  • Change-management leader

  • Understands budgets and expense control

  • Six Sigma/Lean exposure to improve productivity, teamwork, and profitability

  • Diversity aware

A summary section like this is supposed to create a positive image while introducing the job seeker.  Instead, the bullets do little if anything to promote the job seeker.  The problem is they don’t have any clear benefit.

Change-management is a nice buzzword, but the resume has little content that demonstrates how the job seeker led change in an organization.  Where it is mentioned, it is buried deep in the resume.  I had to read closely to find something that showed some change-management experience. 

I’m not sure what to make of “Understanding budgets and expense control.”  My initial reaction is: “great, you understand cost-cutting – I’m looking for someone with experience cutting costs.”  This is a very weak bullet and the resume would be stronger if it was deleted.

The Six Sigma bullet is also extremely weak.  I read having exposure to Six Sigma as meaning someone in company ran a six sigma project and the job seeker got to watch some of what that person did.  Reading rest of the resume, there is nothing that shows the six sigma experience is more than a basic familiarity the term.

Six Sigma is a major buzzword found in a lot of job postings.  If you have significant Six Sigma experience, highlight this skill.  If you don’t have experience, don’t highlight it.  This bullet was at the top of the resume, with the words "Six Sigma" the 14th and 15th words on the resume.  Putting this at the bottom of the resume wouldn’t hurt overall impression (I doubt it would help either).  At the top of the resume, it makes a terrible impression.

The resume is from a human resources manager.  Diversity is a major buzzword in HR, but I really don’t know what it means to be Diversity Aware.  Is the job seeker aware of the importance of diversity in the workplace?  Does he have experience promoting diversity?  Is he saying he is capable of recognizing difference between men and women or between different ethnic groups?  I expect that he is trying to say that he knows how to promote and improve the diversity in a workforce. 

When hiring managers read your resume, they will not assume you have more experience or better credentials than the content of your resume shows.  If you are very good with a specific skill, you need to show that.  Listing a buzzword without qualifying your experience will not help and may hurt the effectiveness of your resume. 

Record a Mock Interview

One of the most effective ways to prepare for a job interview is complete a few mock interviews. A mock interview simulates a real interview. To maximize your improvement, record the mock interview and review it.

One of the most effective ways to prepare for a job interview is to complete a few mock interviews.  A mock interview simulates a real interview.  To maximize your improvement, record the mock interview and review it.

Improving your ability to react to a completely unexpected question is the most difficult aspect of interview preparation.  If you get blindsided it can disrupt your performance throughout the rest of the interview.  When you are preparing to interview, you can’t surprise yourself.  The questions that will be the most disruptive are the ones that you have not considered.

To prepare for the unexpected, you need an interviewer to interview you.  Completing two of three mock interviews can make a dramatic difference in your performance.  You can also gain the insight of the interviewer after the interview.  It is very rare for a hiring manager to give a candidate specific feedback to help them improve their interviewing.  A mock interview is different.  Feedback and constructive advice are integral elements in a mock interview.

When I work with a job seeker to improve their interview skills, I offer the option of recording the mock interviews.  Surprisingly, many job seekers turn down this option.  They don’t want to hear themselves in an interview.  Many job seekers have a fear of interviewing.  The anxiety can be overwhelming, and the idea of reliving the experience through a recording is terrifying.  Unfortunately, avoiding mock interviews will not improve the situation.

If you want to gain an edge over your competition, commit to improving your interview skills and practice interviewing.

The Job Market for New Graduates

The job market is tough. Experienced and successful professionals are finding it very difficult to land an interview let alone a job. So, what are people with no experience that are just entering the workforce facing?

The job market is tough.  Experienced and successful professionals are finding it very difficult to land an interview let alone a job.  So, what are people with no experience that are just entering the workforce facing? 

For new graduates, there are less opportunities than in past years.  There three reasons for this.  First, we all know the economy has slowed and there are less jobs.  Second, companies are able to hire experienced workers much easier and prioritize skills that can make an impact immediately.  Finally, older workers that planned to retire are staying in their jobs, limiting the number of new openings.  All this is conspiring to create one of the worst hiring seasons for new graduates we have seen in decades. 

The situation is not hopeless.

The baby boomers will retire.  Many may be delaying their retirement, but they won't do this forever.  In the next five, ten or twenty years, our economy will undergo significant changes and there will be tremendous opportunities. 

If you are looking for a job right now, the potential opportunities five or ten years from now probably aren't getting you excited.  This potential doesn't pay your student loans.  You can position yourself to succeed faster.  A recent report from CareerBuilder shows some of the activities that give you an edge in your job search.  Their list includes:

  • Internships
  • Part-time jobs in another area or field
  • Volunteer work
  • Involvement in school organizations
  • Class work
  • Involvement in managing activities for sororities and fraternities
  • Participation in sports

If you just graduated, many of these are not possible.  The list does have a pattern you can use, though.  Each of the items lists an activity to demonstrate what you have done. 

If you just graduated, finding work in your field is critical.  This may require some creativity in your search.  Consider pursuing an internship or volunteer to work without pay for a specific time period.  If you can get in the door, work hard and show your potential, you will have a substantial edge over others when the company does hire.  

To do this, use you network.  Contact managers and executives you know and outline your plan to gain experience even if it means working for free.  Explain to the person how critical it is for you to gain experience for your long term potential. Most executives will try to help if they can.

To be successful, you need to do a few things.  First, you need to commit to work every bit as hard as you would if you were getting paid.  You will learn more by working harder, and you will demonstrate your work ethic and maximize the chance the company will hire you.  Second, you need to commit to a normal schedule.  Being on time and working the full day will show your commitment.  Third, track your activity throughout the internship.  You will use your work and accomplishments to land a job. Finally, make a commitment to the company that will give specific notice when you leave – one week, two weeks or more.  Be upfront about this.  You are more likely to land the internship and to get challenging work if the company knows you won't quit on a whim.

If you take an unpaid position, don't stop looking for a job.  Your goal is to land a job in your career field – not volunteer.  Gain experience to improve your marketability and leverage that experience to get the job you really want.  If you do this, you will have a substantial edge over your peers that just sit around waiting to get hired.

I'm sure there are a lot of people thinking, that after four years of college, it's crazy to go work for free.  In a booming economy I would agree.  You don't want to stagnate.  There will be new graduates that stay unemployed or take an unskilled hourly job for the next year.  If the economy is better a year from now, they will be behind the eight ball.  There will be a new class of graduates entering the workforce.  Who do you think will have the edge – the new graduate, or the person that graduated a year ago and has done nothing with their education? 

Upgrading Your Skills

Improving your credentials is a good way to set yourself apart from your competition. Most people don’t have the time to get an additional degree, but there are options for improving your skills and your marketability.

Improving your credentials is a good way to set yourself apart from your competition.  Most people don't have the time to get an additional degree, but there are options for improving your skills and your marketability.

Obtaining an industry certification is a step that can boost your career.  Industry certifications provide a third party statement of training in specific skills.  Some are very specialized while others are applicable to a wide range of industries. 

Some certifications are absolute requirements – for example becoming CPA, a Professional Engineer or passing the bar exam are critical for some jobs in accounting, engineering or law.  Other certifications are optional, and can give you an edge over your competition.

A few of the more common certifications we see on a regular basis include:

  • CPIM – Certification in Production and Inventory Management (APICS)
  • C.P.M. – Certified Purchasing Manager (ISM)
  • PMP – Professional Project Manager (PMI)
  • Green Belt – Six Sigma Certification (Various Organizations)
  • Black Belt – Six Sigma Certification (Various Organizations)
  • PHR – Professional in Human Resources (HR Certification Institute)

Some of these can be obtained quickly, while others may take a year or more.  The benefits your career can be significant.  These certifications are much less costly to obtain than an advanced degree – often costing a few thousand dollars instead of the tens of thousands for master's degree.

Below are the trends in job postings for these certifications.  The graph show the percentage of job postings mentioning the certification.
 

The demand for PMP's is up, while the other certifications are down, but not as much as many industries in general. In a down economy, companies can be more selective.  There may be less jobs, but more companies are requiring professional certifications.

Look at the certifications in your field and consider pursuing one.  It could make the difference in your job search.

Tell Me My Resume Is Great

I was asked to take a look at a resume of a friend and gave him some advice on a section of his resume. What he was really asking me was to validate the quality of his resume. He wanted to hear how good it was so he could stop working on it.

Over the weekend, I was asked to take a look at a resume of a friend and gave him some advice on a section of his resume. His reaction was to tell me he didn’t want me reviewing that part of his resume and rejected my advice. The reason he gave for turning down the advice was that he wrote that part of his resume a year ago and it was good enough then – it doesn’t need to be changed now.

I had given some resume writing advice to this same friend a year ago. At the time, his resume was in really bad shape. There were no accomplishments and it read like a job description. I showed him how he could list specific successes. He made these changes at the time and his resume improved significantly.

Since then, he moved into a new position with the same employer and wanted to add this job to his resume. He added the new position and gave me the resume to review.

Although I reviewed his resume a year ago, I looked at the entire document again. The addition of the new position was ok. There were no accomplishments related to the new position, but he had only been in it a short time. The description was clear and concise.

I then read the rest of the resume. When I reached the skills section at the end of the resume, it was very brief. This individual works in construction and uses a number of specialized project management software packages. He has extensive experience with one of the packages most commonly by very large general contractors.

The resume listed the software packages in one line starting with “Experience with…” and then named about a half a dozen programs. This bullet does nothing to qualify the experience level with each software package. Did he work with some of this software for a short time more than five years ago? Does he work with these everyday and is an expert user? There is nothing on the resume to indicate the skill level.

Failing to show the skill level of key skills is common on resumes. I recommended to my friend that he provide more detail and information about the key software packages. His reaction was to tell me he only asked me to review his current position and didn’t want to change anything else.

The real reason he didn’t want to take my advice had nothing to do with the advice. What he was really asking me was to validate the quality of his resume. He wanted to hear how good it was so he could stop working on it.

“I Hate Writing My Resume”

There are a lot of job seekers who hate writing their resume. As far as tasks go, some people think almost anything is better than working on their resume. There are a lot of people that feel this way. For many, their reluctance to continue to work on their resume will hurt their job search.

If you absolutely hate working on your resume. Get help. Hiring a resume writer will make the process much easier and help you develop much more effective resume.

Resume Tip #14

Resume Tip: Don’t assume your background makes it clear why you are qualified to do a job. Show specifically how you skills and experience will make you successful.

Resume Tip:  Don’t assume your background makes it clear why you are qualified to do a job.  Show specifically how you skills and experience will make you successful.

When trying to break into a new job or career, stating you can do a job isn’t enough.  It may be clear to you that your skills will allow you do a job successfully, but it may not be obvious to the hiring manager.  Demonstrate your transferable skills by showing specific experiences and accomplishments.

 

Supply Chain Career Trends

I added a number of supply chain career trends to the Palladian website this week. The job market has slowed, but some skills have held up better than others. The trends are taken from Indeed.com’s job trends, and track the number of job postings that include a specific keyword or phrase.

The job market has slowed, but some skills have held up better than others.  You can see trends in the job market using Indeed.com’s job trends and track the number of job postings that include a specific keyword or phrase.

One of the graphs I created lists major supply chain functions.  The graph shows distribution is much more common than the other terms, but logistics careers are holding up much better in this downturn. There are also graphs showing trends in job titles, terminology, technology, process improvement terms and professional certifications.

When you write your resume, include the keywords for your field.  Many companies use automated systems to do the first resume screen.  If you don’t have the keyword on your resume, it may never get read.

How to Work With a Recruiter

Many job seeker don’t know what to expect when working with a recruiter and there are a number of misconceptions about what a recruiter will do for you.

Upcoming Teleclass from Futures in Motion, Inc.
Monday, May 18, 2009, 12noon PST

How Recruiters Can Accelerate Your Job Search – Recruiters and staffing agencies can be an important resource in your job search.  Unfortunately, most job seekers do understand what they need to do be effective and what they should expect from a recruiter.  Learn how to work with a recruiter and what you can expect from the relationship.  Executive recruiting firm owner Gary Capone will share his experiences and advice.

 

Recruiters are a great resource for your job search. A recruiter networks and builds relationships in order to find the best person to fill a job.  It is likely there is a recruiter trying to fill a position that you would want right now.

Many job seeker don’t know what to expect when working with a recruiter and there are a number of misconceptions about what a recruiter will do for you.  The first thing to remember is the recruiter works for the company and not you.  Companies hire recruiters to help fill positions – job seekers don’t pay recruiters to be considered for a position.  This means that a recruiter will not help you land a job if you are not a fit for a client.

If you are a fit for a position, a recruiter can put you in front of a hiring manager and help you land an interview.  Recruiters will also help coach your through the hiring process – a recruiter usually doesn’t get paid if the candidate isn’t hired, so they want you to be as successful as you do.

The most important thing to do when working with a recruiter is to be honest.  Let the recruiter know what you want and what you need to accept a n offer.  Let them know about your job search activity, where you have sent your resume, where you have interviewed and changes in your current employment.  A recruiter can’t be effective helping you if they don’t know your exact situation.

If you want to learn more about working with recruiters, join me in a teleclass from Futures In Motion on May 18th at noon pacific, where I will be interviewed about how to work with a recruiter.

Resume Writing Style

In our Military Resume Benchmarking Report, we assessed the writing style of the resumes and found 31% of the resumes had inconsistent sentence structures.

In our Military Resume Benchmarking Report, we assessed the writing style of the resumes. A resume is an introduction to an employer.  Writing a resume requires a much greater attention to detail than almost any other form of writing.  A poorly written resume with lots of mistakes will ensure a bad first impression. Unfortunately, mistakes on resumes are not rare. In our research study, we found 31% of the resumes had inconsistent sentence structures.

There are a variety of acceptable styles and we didn’t want our personal preferences to bias the report. We assessed the consistency of the style. Most resumes are written without using personal pronouns. Others are written in the first person. The verb usage also varies from passive to active voice. Maintaining consistency makes a resume more predictable and easier scan quickly. At the same time, when you write, some variation in sentence structure can improve readability. When we assessed the writing style, we looked for inconsistencies or gross grammatical errors that significantly hurt the readability.

Seeing so many resumes make basic writing mistakes, I wanted to share an example of inconsistent writing from a resume. Below is the first paragraph from a resume I received recently. It isn’t one of the resumes from the research study, but is representative of some of the worst offenders.

Professional Summary

I’m an honest, loyal and highly motivated worker who is result-oriented with over 20 years of active military service and experience in Recruiting, Human Resources, Personnel Administration, and Operations & Training. Possess strong leadership skills and successful team building capabilities and have excellent technical, communication, presentation, and customer service skills. I am a resourceful problem solver with the proven ability to bring quick resolution to challenging situations. Hold a Bachelor of Business Administration degree majoring in General Business with a minor in Business Management.

The summary starts out with by the personal pronoun “I.” The second sentence omits the pronoun, starting with “Possess strong…” In the third sentence, the job seeker uses the personal pronoun again. Finally, in the forth sentence, the job seeker leaves out the pronoun again.

This inconsistencies hurt the readability and are a distraction from the content. A much better approach would be to pick a convention and stick with it. Further hurting the effectiveness, the job seeker uses “Possess” and “Hold” to start two of the sentences instead of the more common “Possesses” and “Holds.”

To fix this, I would scrap the structure and break the text into bullets. The summary is essentially a list of qualities and I would break it down into the form of a list. I would also bold some text to highlight key concepts.

Professional Summary

  • Results-oriented Sergeant Major with 20 years of active military service in Recruiting, Human Resources, Personnel Administration, Operations and Training.
  • Strong leader with a track record of building successful teams.
  • Highly skilled in technical, communications, presentation, and customer service.
  • Resourceful problem solver with the proven ability to bring quick resolution to challenging situations.

This section reads much clearer. It has most of the same content. I emphasize a few key attributes by bolding a few words. If a hiring manager only scans this section on their way to the work experience, it should help to create an image of the job seeker as a results-oriented, highly skilled leader with good problem solving skills. This simpler summary of the job seeker is likely to be much more effective than a longer more detailed summary.

Is my rewrite perfect? No, it’s far from it. I wanted to show how inconsistent sentence structure can hurt a resume. I also wanted to show an alternative, but didn’t want to bring in much new content. If I really want to fix this resume, I would cut the bullets I listed down to just a couple lines and add a few accomplishments. It’s good for a job seeker to say they were successful, but it is much more effective to show a hiring manager past successes. Adding a couple accomplishments can dramatically improve the overall impression of the resume.

Bottom line: Keep your sentence structure consistent. Proofread your resume closely. Add some accomplishments to show a hiring manager how good you are rather than just making claims. Do these things, and your resume will improve.

A Babysitter Interview on Olivia

I was watching Olivia with my three year old daughter last night. Olivia is a cartoon about family of pigs, with Olivia the oldest child. In the episode we watched, Olivia’s mother interviewed babysitters. As my daughter and I watched, I was surprised when the interview turned out have some similarities to real interviews.


I was watching Olivia with my three year old daughter last night. Olivia is a cartoon about family of pigs, with Olivia the oldest child. In the episode we watched, Olivia’s mother interviewed babysitters. As my daughter and I watched, I was surprised when the interview turned out have some similarities to real interviews. Like so many real interviews, the cartoon pig’s first question was a Tell Me About Yourself type question.

This question kicks off a large percentage of interviews. It gives the job seeker a chance to highlight their most marketable skills, experiences and accomplishments. It also provides a risk of starting the interview very poorly.

The actual question asked to start the cartoon interview was, “Tell me about yourself, Lilly. Do you have experience babysitting children?” The qualification of the “Tell me about yourself” question makes it clear what the interviewer wants the candidate to focus on in their answer. In real interviews, it is uncommon for the interviewer to provide this guidance.

When a hiring manager asks you to tell them about yourself, they are looking for a professional summary of your background. It is very rare that a hiring manager wants you to describe personal details unrelated to your career. The question gives you the chance to make your best sales pitch.

By following the Tell Me About Yourself question with a question about babysitting experience, the cartoon character directs the teenage pig to answer the question by focusing on her experience related to the job. Most hiring managers won’t help you like this. They will ask the Tell Me About Yourself question without qualifying it. It’s up to you to use your answer to promote yourself.

In the cartoon, the teenage pig’s answer started with some info of her experience caring for children, but quickly degenerated into a bunch of unrelated details of her personal life culminating with a cheer from her cheerleading team. I’ve never had a job seeker do a cheer during an interview, but I have heard a wide range of details, from the number of pets to unusual hobbies. I’ve had job seekers answer with details of their church activities, their kids or even specifics of their health. Probably the worst answers are a non-answer – with the job seeker responding with something like “What do you want to know?” This doesn’t make a good impression.

I thought it was a little crazy that a cartoon about a family of pigs that my 3 year old loves could provide insights for a professional job seeker. And yet, the answers given by some actual job seekers are not much better than the teenage cartoon pig’s answer.

Prepare for the Tell Me About Yourself answer. Rehearse it and practice it. Try different scripts and include different information until to arrive at a version that makes a powerful impression. If you need help, find someone to work with you on your answer.

This question and answer can set the tone for an entire interview and may be the most important question you will have to answer. It is worth spending a lot of time to get right.

If you have a preschool, kindergarten or elementary age child you want to get a book for, my six year old highly recommends the Olivia books.  Check them out on Amazon.