Author: gcapone

Wordiness on a Cover Letter

A cover letter needs to be clear and concise to be effective. Awkward and wordy sentences will discourage a hiring manager from reading the entire cover letter and will make a poor impression before the reader gets to the resume. Unfortunately, many writers struggle with identifying wordy phrases in their own writing.

A cover letter needs to be clear and concise to be effective. Awkward and wordy sentences will discourage a hiring manager from reading the entire cover letter and will make a poor impression before the reader gets to the resume. Unfortunately, many writers struggle with identifying wordy phrases in their own writing. A resume I reviewed today illustrates some of the mistakes in sentence structure that hurt resumes.

Passive Voice

Many job seekers write in passive voice.  It provides a weak presentation. The bullet below is written with an indirect passive style that moves the core activity of the job seeker to the end of the sentence.

I've consulted for <company> on a project that involved evaluating, creating then implementing learning paths for <client company>.

This sentence is longer than it needs to be and uses a very weak structure. To improve the sentence, take the primary verb and move it to the start of the sentence.

I evaluated, created and implemented learning paths for <client company> as a consultant at <company>.

Emphasizing the Wrong Information

This bullet emphasizes the job title and company name instead of the experience.

During my stint as the <job title> at <company>, I had to create then implement a rapid development system for developing Flash-based elearning modules to be delivered globally.

The work experience section of the resume details the positions held by the job seeker. There is no reason to repeat the details here.

I created and implemented a rapid development system for designing Flash-based elearning modules to be delivered globally.

Eventually

One word can destroy the impact of a bullet on your resume. The job seeker states that they “eventually” produced a successful result. This implies that path to success was very long… longer than expected.

My team eventually successfully designed and developed 6 hours of WBT that was delivered to support a new software configuration.

A better option is to focus on the verb and object, and leave the “eventually” out.

I led the design team that developed 6 hours of WBT supporting a new software configuration.

Review Your Cover Letter and Resume

Look at each sentence of your cover letter and resume and pick out the single most important verb. Try to rewrite the sentence to start with that verb. Delete any elements that are unnecessary. In each of the examples, I reduced the word count but maintained the core message of the sentence. Cutting out non-essential words and focusing on the actions (leading with the verbs) will improve the impact of your writing.

Resume Accomplishment: Saved Less Than 1%

I read a resume today with an accomplishment that stood out. The accomplishment stated the job seeker had saved $60k in the last year on a $14 million budget. This works out to 0.4% of the budget – a very small amount. Despite this, the accomplishment was noteworthy.

I read a resume today with an accomplishment that stood out. The accomplishment stated the job seeker had saved $60k in the last year on a $14 million budget. This works out to 0.4% of the budget – a very small amount. Despite this, the accomplishment was noteworthy. Below is the bullet from the resume detailing the accomplishment:

  • In spite of declining sales, labor and expenses were managed proportionally leading to a favorable budget variance of $60k.

The reason this accomplishment is significant is the context the job seeker provides. The company is facing declining sales. This is common today. Managing in a declining sales environment poses unique challenges. Companies have fixed expenses that do not fluctuate with sales. This requires a manager to adjust variable experiences significantly to maintain margins.

The job seeker was able to manage the change in volumes and achieve results similar to plan. In a different bullet, the job seeker provided background details on the position, including responsibility for a budget of $14m and a staff of 140 employees. This provides the scope of the responsibility.

Although the accomplishment is a great addition to the job seeker’s resume, there is one additional detail that would improve it. Adding some measure of how much sales had declined would show a more complete picture. If sales dropped 1%, adapting would be easy. On the other hand, if sales dropped 50%, managing expenses to match this would be a tremendous accomplishment.

Avoid Identify Theft

I read a resume recently with a piece of information that should never be listed: the candidate’s Social Security number.

I read a resume recently with a piece of information that should never be listed: the candidate’s Social Security number. A resume provides the job seeker’s career background and potential. In an active job search, a job seeker will often try to distribute their resume as widely as possible. You can’t do this with your social security number.

The resume I read was posted online in a resume database. The database was secure with only a limited number of people having access, probably less than a thousand. That’s still a thousand people with access to the resume and social security number. Even worse, this job seeker was obviously very active in his search. It is likely he made his resume accessible elsewhere.

If the resume was posted on one of the big job boards, the number of people with access could be in the hundreds of thousands. Any one of these people could have run a keyword search for “social security” and would have turned up this resume.  This poses a significant risk of identity theft. Your resume needs to have your name and contact information, but other identifying details should be omitted. Do not list your social security number or driver’s license number.

Why would a person put their social security number on their resume? At some point in a search, a company will need your social security number. The company needs this to do a background check and to complete the new hire paperwork (IRS and other filings for tax purposes). Some job seekers try to make the process easier for the company by providing this information on their resume. This is a mistake. Personal information should be collected when it is needed and the company should explain why they need the information.

There is one other time you might be asked for your social. Early in the process, you may be asked to complete an employment application. Often, the social security number will be part of this form.

These situations are normal. Companies have procedures for safeguarding personal information. The safeguards are not as rigorous for resumes. A resume could be distributed to a number of hiring managers and employees involved in the hiring decision. Personal data such as social security numbers is typically held in a secure area of the HR department. Placing your social security number on your resume will circumvent these procedures and allow this information to be accessible to a much wider audience.

Bottom line: Do not put your social security number on your resume.

Behavioral Interview Questions for Training and Mentoring

A Behavioral Question asks the candidate do describe how they acted in a specific situation. This technique uses this past performance of the candidate to predict how they will perform in the future. Included are a selection of behavioral questions targeting training and mentoring responsibilities.

Developing employees is critical to the success of an organization. Almost every position in a company will train or mentor someone else in the company at some point. Some positions have only minor training responsibilities, while other positions are full time training roles. In either case, you may encounter questions about your experience training or mentoring.

Behavioral interview questions provide a good way to ask about training and mentoring skills. A Behavioral Question asks the candidate to describe how they acted in a specific situation. This technique uses the past performance of the candidate to predict how they will perform in the future.  Below is a selection of behavioral questions targeting training and mentoring responsibilities:

  • Tell me about a time when you trained a new hire.
  • Tell me about a time when you retrained someone who was struggling in their job.
  • Tell me about a time when you mentored a coworker successfully.
  • Tell me when you trained a superior.
  • Tell me about a time when you mentored coworker but failed to help them improve.
  • Tell me about a time when you delegated a task for developmental reasons.
  • Tell me about a time when you brought in an outside expert to train your team.
  • Tell me about a time when you taught a group in a seminar.
  • Tell me about a time when you utilized interactive training techniques.
  • Tell me about a time when you overcame disruptive behavior from a seminar participant.
  • Tell me about the greatest training challenge you have faced.
  • Tell me about a time you had to train a group on a topic you were not an expert in.
  • Tell me about a time when you implemented new technology to facilitate training.
  • Tell me about a time when you identified a training need in an organization that had been unmet.
  • Tell me about a time when the training you delivered resulted in significant bottom line results in the organization.
  • Tell me how you would train me to do… (insert a common task or topic in your industry).
Get our book on behavioral interviewing.

Other Great Books to help you prepare for Behavioral Interviews:

Interview Tip #11

Interview Tip: Prepare for an interview by taking sample assessment tests.

Interview Tip:  Prepare for an interview by taking sample assessment tests.

Many companies utilize assessment testing in their screening process.  Test taking is a skill and can be improved.  If taking a test intimidates you or you feel your test taking skills are rusty, practice.  Find sample assessment tests online and take them.  The practice will help prepare you and will improve your test taking skills.  Even if you run into a different kind of test from an employer than you practiced, the practice will help by improving your test taking skills.

 

 

 

 

Greg Paulus Searches for a Job in Football

A lot of people are considering career changes. The economy has declined and opportunities are scarce. Many people see no future in the career they have been in and are looking for an alternative. For NCAA athletes that are not going to make it in the pros, a career change is necessary. Choosing an alternate career is a tough choice.

A lot of people are considering career changes. The economy has declined and opportunities are scarce. Many people see no future in the career they have been in and are looking for an alternative. For NCAA athletes that are not going to make it in the pros, a career change is necessary. Choosing an alternate career is a tough choice.

A point guard from Duke is considering a switch to football after four years of focusing exclusively on basketball. Greg Paulus was a star quarterback in high school but decided to play basketball for Duke. In the last four years, he hasn't played football at all. Now, with his basketball eligibility up, he could play football for one year.

A lot of rumors surround Paulus's options. Michigan and several other schools are reported to be considering him, and a few NFL teams may be interested. The question is whether he can transition from basketball to football at this stage of his career.

The challenges he will face are common among individuals changing careers. In his football career, he performed exceptionally well as the quarterback of a high school team.  He then moved into a different sport at the college level. After four years, he has two options – go pro in basketball or shift to another career.

The is similar to an individual working as a supervisor (high school) in one industry and then taking a job as a manager (college) in a different field. Now, after four years as a manager, he faces a layoff (the end of his college eligibility). The next step in his career would be to move into senior manager (the NBA), but this is a very tough step. Of the thousands of college basketball players, only a few dozen will have a shot at the pros each year.

The decision to switch to another sport is appealing. Paulus was a gifted football player and is an exceptional athlete. If he had pursued football, he might have had a shot at pros. The question today is whether he can make the shift.

If Paulus wasn't in sports but had a career in industry, my advice would be clear. Returning to an industry after being in a different industry for several years is tough. Most people would expect the candidate's skills to have grown stall. Additionally, the development of the candidate (four years in college basketball) didn't help develop the skill in the other industry (football). I would expect Paulus's football skills to be worse today than they were when he graduated from high school.

In industry, I would recommend considering a step back, not forward. Job seekers will often want to move laterally or to a higher level when they make a job change, even if they change careers. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible. A step back will often make it easier to make a career change.

Paulus doesn't have the option of a step back. Returning to high school to refresh his skills is impossible. A lateral move is tough. Finding a school that will want a quarterback with only one year of eligibility may be a stretch. I can't see how an NFL team would take a chance on Paulus. The quarterback position requires years of practice to master. It may be the most challenging position in all of sports. To step in and pick it up after four years off is difficult to consider.

In industry, there are a lot more options. A person can “go back to high school” and take a lower level position in another industry. Making a lateral move also offers more potential, since working for a company does not have the limitation in years of eligibility that college sports have. 

If a person takes a step back, moving from a manager position in one industry, to a supervisor role in another industry, is this a good move? In many cases it is. Very talented and successful people will learn and grow in another industry very quickly. Often a person that takes a lower level position will have the opportunity to move up much faster. Transferable skills, such as communications, leadership, organization, time management and others, will help a person succeed.

So, if I was Greg Paulus, what would I do? Even if the chance of playing in the NFL is a million to one, it would be too tough to pass up a chance to try. If a college or pro team will offer him a spot, I would tell him to take.  It's a long shot, but worth a try.  There are NFL teams will often take a chance on a player and give him a couple years to develop. How can you pass that up?

If I was an NFL team, what would I do? I wouldn't take the chance. This has nothing to do with Paulus, but is a reflection of the other players available. There is huge competition for the few spots in the NFL. I would find someone with a proven track record and more current skills.  I would then tell Paulus to get some additional experience at a lower level.

If I was a college coach, what would I do?  With only one year of eligibility, I would want to see Paulus get some experience and refresh his skills before bringing him on board.  His ability to play effectively is only one factor that some coaches will consider.  One significant benefit to signing Paulus is the notoriety that could be gained.  If Paulus goes to Michigan, he may drive increased advertising revenues for the program as people want to watch Michigan to see how he does.  This has nothing to do with his ability to play quarterback successfully, but it may persuade a team to give him a shot. 

Bottom Line: If you are considering a career change, it is ok to try to go pro in a different field, but be open to a step back to college or high school to gain some experience first.

Job Market Statistics

Career Builder released their 2nd Quarter job forecast recently. The report showed a slowing in hiring – just as we would expect in our current economic situation. Companies are laying off workers, cutting hours, reducing benefits and freezing hiring. There were a number of positives in the report, though.

Career Builder released their 2nd Quarter job forecast recently. The report showed a slowing in hiring – just as we would expect in our current economic situation.  Companies are laying off workers, cutting hours, reducing benefits and freezing hiring. There were a number of positives in the report, though.

The hiring forecast surveyed more than 2500 hiring managers. As expected, more firms reduced the number of full-time employees as compared to the number of firms who increased staffing. In fact, the number cutting employment was double the number expanding. What is interesting, and a reason to be optimistic, is the number reducing staffing was only 26% of the hiring managers surveyed. The other 74% of firms either maintained staffing levels or increased them.

For many firms, maintaining staffing levels requires continued hiring. Employees will still leave and need to be replaced. In fact, some of the companies reducing staffing levels may still need to hire to replace the loss of key employees. Although only 13% of the hiring managers said they were increasing staffing levels, the number who are doing some hiring could be as high or higher than three out of four companies.

The hours worked per employee were less positive. Again around a quarter of the firms made cuts, but this time only 5% increased the hours worked. The difference between this measure and the measure of the number of employees is a results of how companies are reacting to the recession. They are cutting hours and benefits, while trying to maintain staffing levels. Every manager knows that the company who maintains their staff and is ready to grow coming out of a recession will gain market share. The challenge is cutting enough to survive the recession, but not cutting too much.

You can read the full report at http://img.icbdr.com/images/aboutus/pressroom/Q22009forecastreport.pdf

Should You List Every Job on Your Resume?

One of the questions I’m asked frequently is whether a job seeker should include every job on their resume. You should provide a complete and honest picture of your background. For most job seekers, this means listing everything. There are a few exceptions. One significant exception is when a person makes a major shift in their career.

One of the questions I’m asked frequently is whether a job seeker should include every job on their resume. You should provide a complete and honest picture of your background. For most job seekers, this means listing everything. There are a few exceptions.  One significant exception is when a person makes a major shift in their career.

This week, I read the resume of a job seeker that had held an entry level admin position at the start of his career. He then joined the military. The candidate’s work experience prior to the military totaled less than a year. The candidate served in the military for twenty years and is now transitioning.

The admin experience prior to the military has no relationship to the progression within the military or the career objective the candidate is currently pursuing. It is also more than twenty years old. There is no reason to include the work experience prior to the military service on the resume. Omitting this information will not mislead an employer and will not change the impression the resume makes. It will make room for more relevant and important information.

Where do you draw the line?

An entry level admin position held for less than a year more than 20 years ago isn’t significant to a person’s career progression. Making this position more recent, a longer duration or related to the job seeker’s career field could make it important to include on the resume. The challenge is knowing when the position becomes significant and when it isn’t.

Generally, you should list any positions you have held in the last ten to twenty years. If you had a full-time position and a part-time position at the same time, you may omit the part-time role, especially if it is unrelated to your primary career.

An entry level position early in your career may be important to list even if it is twenty or more years ago if the position establishes the start to a career progression. Individuals that stay in the same career field, progressing upward to increasing levels of responsibility can show a consistent pattern of success through the promotions they have received. To do this, you need to show the starting point – an entry level position where you got your start.

In the case of the resume I read, the initial admin position had nothing to do with the military career. Omitting it wouldn’t detract from the career progression. The job seeker should show all of his military positions. This establishes the start of the career progression.

If you need help determining what to include in your resume, get help from a resume writer.

Successfully Showed Up

I read a lot of resumes that are nothing more than copies of the job descriptions the employers wrote. The basic responsibilities from a job description do not demonstrate any ability or skill. One resume I read recently was especially bad.

I read a lot of resumes that are nothing more than copies of the job descriptions the employers wrote. The basic responsibilities from a job description do not demonstrate any ability or skill. One resume I read recently was especially bad.

The resume had a litany of basic responsibilities that did nothing to sell the job seeker’s potential. One bullet that really stood out for me was:

Attended staff meetings

A staff meeting is a meeting where all the staff get together. Attending requires moving from one’s desk to the conference room. This is barely a step up from “showed up to work.”

There are two reasons I can think of why a job seeker would list something like this. First, the job seeker may have copied the job description and was too lazy to edit it. Second, the job seeker may have added this bullet in order to fill space and make his resume look more hefty. In either case, the bullet makes a terrible impression.

When writing your resume, focus on giving reasons why you are valuable. The key question you need to answer is:

How are you better than others doing exactly the same job as you?

If you do not give a reason why you are more valuable than your competition, you will not get hired. The job market is competitive enough to guarantee that someone applying for the same job as you will develop a resume highlighting their skills, accomplishments and potential value.

Does your resume show specifically the attributes that make you valuable? Do you show how you have used these abilities in the past with concrete examples of what you have done?  Do you provide specific results you delivered? Does your resume show the value you will provide an employer?

If you are having trouble identifying how you stand out from your competition, talk with a resume writer or career coach. These individuals are a experts in assessing job seekers and identifying the strengths that can be marketed.