Yesterday was a busy day, but also a day for reflection. I received word yesterday of the unrelated deaths of two individuals: a high school classmate, and a recruiter I met over 15 years ago. Without diminishing the memory of my classmate, who many friends have been remembering online and in person in recent days, I feel the need to reflect on the passing of Rick, the recruiter, who passed away over a year ago.
I met Rick in the late 80's, when I was working as the HR manager and technical recruiter for the IT group of a large healthcare company. At the time that I accepted the position, we had 114 open IT jobs, were lagging well behind the market with respect to pay, and had no applicant tracking system other than manually logging all resumes that came in. (They came in by mail, and there were LOTS of them.)
I had done some recruiting previously for healthcare and support roles, but never for IT. It was a baptism by fire. Thankfully, I worked with a number of very understanding and helpful managers who helped me get up to speed quickly.
Still, I was working 70 to 80 hours a week, and could hardly sleep at night because I was so stressed.
I don't remember how I met Rick, or how many positions he may have helped fill. What I remember is that he was helpful. He didn't demand that I call back, but generally he was one of the people I wanted to call back.
Rick worked for a very small staffing company that wasn't known for IT staffing, so any business he got was business he earned by going out and introducing himself to people. But he wasn't pushy, and he wasn't the insincere, constantly smiling type of sales person that to this day make me uncomfortable. There were a lot of larger companies with better name recognition and well-connected sales teams competing against him. Even though it wasn't a level playing field, he was persistent and he was successful.
While I only knew him professionally, it was clear to me that the man he was when he was talking to me about recruiting was the same person that he was at home, or with friends, or in any other situation. He was genuine, unassuming, and polite, but also bright, talented, and helpful.
I have commented to others that he became one of a handful of people who demonstrated to me the type of recruiter I wanted to be.
It has been at least a dozen years since I have spoken with Rick or exchanged emails. He moved away from Louisville, started an unrelated business, and we got on with our lives and lost touch. Still, he made enough of an impression on me all those years ago, that I'm writing about him now.
It really wasn't just that Rick was the type of recruiter I wanted to be. He was. I'd go so far as to say that Rick was one of many people in my life who have helped shape my thinking of the type of person I want to be.
I hope that at some point in my life, I can be that kind of person to someone else. Someone who makes a positive impact that helps to shape them long after I'm gone. I hope to that when I'm gone, that I will be remembered for far more important things than the positions I filled, the articles I wrote, or anything related to social media.
I hope too that anyone reading this will reflect on the example Rick set for me, and ask themselves whether they are setting that example for someone else.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Harsh Career Tips: Confidence is Key, Availability is Not a Skill
Here's the beginning of an article by Richard Moran, and a link to the original article:
Encouragement is one of the main ingredients of career planning and the job hunt. I believe in the “You Can Do It!” attitude when it comes to finding that first job or a new one. If you don’t believe in yourself and how special you are, no one else will. You must believe you can add value to the organization, you must be confident, and you must convey that attitude in all career related situations. Never forget that. Ever.
But hope is not a strategy and believing in yourself only goes so far. If things aren’t going so well with your plan remember that time is not on your side. It may be time for a Plan B and to make that happen a dose of harsh reality may be what you need to put you back on the right track.
Monday, May 7, 2012
CISO Series: Michael Peters
InfoSec Institute CISO Series: Michael Peters
Michael Peters has been an independent information security consultant, executive, researcher and author, with more than 25 years of information technology and business leadership experience. His executive positions include Chief Information Security Officer CISO at CrossView Inc. (current), as well as previous positions of CSO at Fifth Third Processing Solutions and Chief Information Security Officer CISO at Colonial Bank.
Complete article here: http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/ciso-interview-michael-peters/
In the article, Michael mentions the value of becoming CISSP certified. Links to training information can be found here: http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/7-day-cissp-course/ and here: http://www.infosecinstitute.com/certifications/cissp-certification.html .
Michael Peters has been an independent information security consultant, executive, researcher and author, with more than 25 years of information technology and business leadership experience. His executive positions include Chief Information Security Officer CISO at CrossView Inc. (current), as well as previous positions of CSO at Fifth Third Processing Solutions and Chief Information Security Officer CISO at Colonial Bank.
Complete article here: http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/ciso-interview-michael-peters/
In the article, Michael mentions the value of becoming CISSP certified. Links to training information can be found here: http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/7-day-cissp-course/ and here: http://www.infosecinstitute.com/certifications/cissp-certification.html .
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Resolutions for 2012
Well, we’re rounding the corner and rapidly approaching the time for people to start making resolutions about weight they are going to lose this year, money we are going to save, books we will read, odd jobs we will do that we have been putting off, and so on.
I have a cousin who resolved several years ago to get in shape, so he went on the Hacker’s Diet, lost quite a bit of weight, and posts regularly on his Facebook page now about marathons that he has run in. … I share his story to say that real substantive lifestyle change IS possible, but for many, the “I’m going to lay off everything with corn syrup in it and get in shape” resolution, however genuinely intended, seems to fizzle out when the first big winter storm hits.
I’d like to suggest some additional resolutions for consideration that don’t necessarily require a complete change in activity and eating patterns, but can be equally meaningful.
Forgive Someone: A lot of us are carrying around grudges for real or perceived things that others have done to us, or injustices we have experienced and the anger we won’t let go of is hurting us as much as the original event that caused it. As a recruiter, I see this every day in people’s posts on Facebook, Twitter, and hear it in their daily conversations.
The objects of our anger vary considerably: The spouse who isn’t attentive enough or who nitpicks at our faults. The president and/or Congress. (Popular targets these days.) The company that called you about an opening and then never got back to you. Your boss. The company that laid you off. Your parents. Your in-laws. Siblings. The Chinese. The neighbor whose dog poops in your yard. Mac owners. People who like their jobs. Liberals. Conservatives. The Syfi channel for … well for everything since 2009. HP, for killing WebOS. That girl you asked out in the 11th grade. The creator of the term metrosexual. Bankers. Lawyers. Recruiters … You get the idea.
Here’s the thing about being mad at those people or institutions. Often, they don’t even know or care that you are mad. Your anger is eating you up and not doing a thing to them. (Personal relationships excluded, in which case, you are likely hurting yourself, the other person, your relationship with that person, and probably others that you aren’t even considering.)
I wouldn’t want to hurt the specific people involved, but I could point out instances in which individuals are so consumed by their hurt and anger about how unjust the world is in general, how badly they have been treated, or how evil someone or some group is that it has cost them friendships, relationships with family members, and in some rare extreme cases, any hope of ever getting a decent job.
Forgiveness does not mean that you are minimizing the pain that you felt, or condoning the particular action that hurt you. It simply means that you are no longer going to hold it against them. That in the case of personal relationships, that you value the relationship with that person more than you value staying angry. In the case of people or groups unrelated to you, it means you have figured out that it is stupid to let the pain you have experienced continue to dominate your life, and you are going to put it behind you and move on.
If you’re serious about it, it can be liberating.
Ask Someone’s Forgiveness: This may well be one of the hardest things in the world to do for some of us. We would rather have double root canals than to admit that we were wrong.
In this time of economic stress, political polarization, and global unrest, most of us have been guilty of doing or saying something that hurt someone else. … Or of not doing or saying something we should have. ... Maybe it isn’t something recent. Maybe it is something from years past, and you know the other person involved is still carrying around hurt or anger that they can’t shake.
Even if you feel you didn’t do anything wrong, asking forgiveness can be the right thing to do. Without making excuses, tell the person you are sorry that you hurt them. Husbands and fathers, we especially need to work hard to incorporate “I’m sorry” into our vocabulary in a meaningful way. (It’s no fair to say “I’m sorry” and then turn right back around and do it again.) Wives, sometimes society lets you get away with dishing out some pretty unkind behavior because husbands don’t break into tears when their feelings are hurt, but your words and actions can be just as impactful … and of course as the person who’s often the primary caregiver, just as impactful on your children.
Certainly the dynamics are different at work, but the value of stepping up and accepting responsibility for your actions is just as great. Managers, how hard would it be to go to your subordinate and say, “I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for you when the VP was reaming you out, and I’m going to go talk to him about it?” Probably pretty hard, but think of what it would mean to the employee. Employees, what would it mean to your manager if you went to him/her and said, “I know my attitude has been terrible for the past several months. I’m sorry, and I’m going to try to turn it around.”
This stuff definitely isn’t easy. On the other hand, when you go to someone and ask forgiveness, you are telling that person you value him or her enough that you’re willing to go through the discomfort of apologizing.
Being forgiven can be as powerful as letting go of the anger your holding on to. Keep in mind though that this is an instance in which you are asking forgiveness for yourself, but also for the other person, and it may be a rough experience for you both. You may not feel all warm and fuzzy on the tail end of it. If it is a situation that you expect to be pretty volatile, or you just feel like you might be heading into emotional water that’s a bit deeper than you’re used to, it’s not a bad idea to speak with someone beforehand like a counselor or a pastor who might help you get through that process.
Get to know someone outside your circle: As I’m typing this, I’m looking back at the online discussion that followed my most recent article. Many of the comments were made by good, hard-working IT people who feel more comfortable dealing with computers than with people. Heck, that probably describes most people who went into IT, and lots of folks who didn’t, to some degree.
Whether that describes you, or you know someone like that, I’d like to encourage you to make an effort. Look around and see who’s new, or doesn’t seem to have anyone to go to lunch with, and when a bunch of you are headed out the door, invite that person to come along. … And don’t give up if the person declines the first time.
I also have been looking over an email the past few days from someone I knew as a client who took his or her life a couple of years ago. Without projecting too much of my regret over not staying connected enough … not knowing the extent of that person’s despair, I want to be clear that I’m not saying that someone you know could potentially be contemplating suicide. I am saying that being isolated isn’t good for anyone, even people who are more comfortable getting to know a system than a person. … Also, it’s better for ANY organization when people feel connected to one another … when they feel like they fit in and not like they work for a company where nobody really knows them or cares about their well-being.
Companies can provide exceptional pay and benefits, and have great leaders, but an employee who feels isolated and disconnected from the rest of the team eventually is probably going to move on to greener pastures.
If you’re the new kid on the block, don’t wait to be invited. Make an effort. Be persistent, even if it’s not your nature to be outgoing. I could write a whole article on how this will benefit your career in the long run if you follow this advice.
Help Someone Else: Kudos to anyone who actually read my blog a year ago, and remembered anything from it. This is a repeat. (And if you really did make that connection, you might consider making a cameo appearance on the Big Bang Theory.)
So, just to reiterate, we live in a culture that is becoming more and more focused on personal gratification, individual rights, and so on. Also, unlike a generation or two ago when people tended to be a lot more neighborly, it is unusual for people to know their neighbors very well, if at all.
So, we live in this weird reality in which we are aware of lots of things going on in our cities, states, country, and around the world, but we ultimately boil things down to how things impact us as individuals or our families. We might Tweet about compassion for the poor, or whatever the issue might be, but it is rare for people, conservative, liberal, or in between to get all that involved. We are too tired, too busy, too broke, or whatever.
Help someone else in a way that involves more than just writing a check. Get to know someone well enough that you no longer feel like you’re a good person for helping out. Instead, you are helping because you care about that person. Do that, and you will not only help that person, but you will help yourself. If you have done this, and have checked it off your list already, help someone in a setting that makes you feel uncomfortable. (Not unsafe, just out of your element.)
Do something you wouldn't normally do: What is it you have always wanted to do, but lacked the nerve. Maybe it’s standing up for yourself after years of letting your boss walk all over you. (If that’s it, do it in a firm, respectful way that does not involve anyone dialing 911.) Maybe it is studying online and working your way toward a new career. Maybe it’s going up in a hot air balloon.
Or maybe it is something you actually dread doing. (Skipping past forgiving the person you have been angry at for years, since we have hit on that already.) Afraid of speaking in public? Take a community education course, and give a talk on configuring servers to your class. Afraid of flying? What about a hot air balloon ride?
Into a rut at work? Start volunteering for thing. Learn some new skills. Regardless of whether it results in better opportunities, challenging yourself will do you good.
It doesn’t need to be anything major. Take your wife out for Thai food, or something else you’ve never tried. Or go buy a wok, and treat the family to sir fry one night instead of whatever you normally have.
Suggestions?
With the exception of going out and taking a class to learn something, all of these are hard, but don’t require radical physical lifestyle changes. They are things you could tackle this weekend, if you put your mind to it. … The payoff o any or all of them could be equally as positive as any other goal you might set for yourself. (Well, maybe not going out for Thai food.)
Now it’s your turn. What have you done along these lines in past years, and what was the result?
I know 2011 has been a tough year for many of you. I hope that 2012 will be a big improvement. See you around online…
Tim
about.me/timheard
I have a cousin who resolved several years ago to get in shape, so he went on the Hacker’s Diet, lost quite a bit of weight, and posts regularly on his Facebook page now about marathons that he has run in. … I share his story to say that real substantive lifestyle change IS possible, but for many, the “I’m going to lay off everything with corn syrup in it and get in shape” resolution, however genuinely intended, seems to fizzle out when the first big winter storm hits.
I’d like to suggest some additional resolutions for consideration that don’t necessarily require a complete change in activity and eating patterns, but can be equally meaningful.
Forgive Someone: A lot of us are carrying around grudges for real or perceived things that others have done to us, or injustices we have experienced and the anger we won’t let go of is hurting us as much as the original event that caused it. As a recruiter, I see this every day in people’s posts on Facebook, Twitter, and hear it in their daily conversations.
The objects of our anger vary considerably: The spouse who isn’t attentive enough or who nitpicks at our faults. The president and/or Congress. (Popular targets these days.) The company that called you about an opening and then never got back to you. Your boss. The company that laid you off. Your parents. Your in-laws. Siblings. The Chinese. The neighbor whose dog poops in your yard. Mac owners. People who like their jobs. Liberals. Conservatives. The Syfi channel for … well for everything since 2009. HP, for killing WebOS. That girl you asked out in the 11th grade. The creator of the term metrosexual. Bankers. Lawyers. Recruiters … You get the idea.
Here’s the thing about being mad at those people or institutions. Often, they don’t even know or care that you are mad. Your anger is eating you up and not doing a thing to them. (Personal relationships excluded, in which case, you are likely hurting yourself, the other person, your relationship with that person, and probably others that you aren’t even considering.)
I wouldn’t want to hurt the specific people involved, but I could point out instances in which individuals are so consumed by their hurt and anger about how unjust the world is in general, how badly they have been treated, or how evil someone or some group is that it has cost them friendships, relationships with family members, and in some rare extreme cases, any hope of ever getting a decent job.
Forgiveness does not mean that you are minimizing the pain that you felt, or condoning the particular action that hurt you. It simply means that you are no longer going to hold it against them. That in the case of personal relationships, that you value the relationship with that person more than you value staying angry. In the case of people or groups unrelated to you, it means you have figured out that it is stupid to let the pain you have experienced continue to dominate your life, and you are going to put it behind you and move on.
If you’re serious about it, it can be liberating.
Ask Someone’s Forgiveness: This may well be one of the hardest things in the world to do for some of us. We would rather have double root canals than to admit that we were wrong.
In this time of economic stress, political polarization, and global unrest, most of us have been guilty of doing or saying something that hurt someone else. … Or of not doing or saying something we should have. ... Maybe it isn’t something recent. Maybe it is something from years past, and you know the other person involved is still carrying around hurt or anger that they can’t shake.
Even if you feel you didn’t do anything wrong, asking forgiveness can be the right thing to do. Without making excuses, tell the person you are sorry that you hurt them. Husbands and fathers, we especially need to work hard to incorporate “I’m sorry” into our vocabulary in a meaningful way. (It’s no fair to say “I’m sorry” and then turn right back around and do it again.) Wives, sometimes society lets you get away with dishing out some pretty unkind behavior because husbands don’t break into tears when their feelings are hurt, but your words and actions can be just as impactful … and of course as the person who’s often the primary caregiver, just as impactful on your children.
Certainly the dynamics are different at work, but the value of stepping up and accepting responsibility for your actions is just as great. Managers, how hard would it be to go to your subordinate and say, “I’m sorry I didn’t stand up for you when the VP was reaming you out, and I’m going to go talk to him about it?” Probably pretty hard, but think of what it would mean to the employee. Employees, what would it mean to your manager if you went to him/her and said, “I know my attitude has been terrible for the past several months. I’m sorry, and I’m going to try to turn it around.”
This stuff definitely isn’t easy. On the other hand, when you go to someone and ask forgiveness, you are telling that person you value him or her enough that you’re willing to go through the discomfort of apologizing.
Being forgiven can be as powerful as letting go of the anger your holding on to. Keep in mind though that this is an instance in which you are asking forgiveness for yourself, but also for the other person, and it may be a rough experience for you both. You may not feel all warm and fuzzy on the tail end of it. If it is a situation that you expect to be pretty volatile, or you just feel like you might be heading into emotional water that’s a bit deeper than you’re used to, it’s not a bad idea to speak with someone beforehand like a counselor or a pastor who might help you get through that process.
Get to know someone outside your circle: As I’m typing this, I’m looking back at the online discussion that followed my most recent article. Many of the comments were made by good, hard-working IT people who feel more comfortable dealing with computers than with people. Heck, that probably describes most people who went into IT, and lots of folks who didn’t, to some degree.
Whether that describes you, or you know someone like that, I’d like to encourage you to make an effort. Look around and see who’s new, or doesn’t seem to have anyone to go to lunch with, and when a bunch of you are headed out the door, invite that person to come along. … And don’t give up if the person declines the first time.
I also have been looking over an email the past few days from someone I knew as a client who took his or her life a couple of years ago. Without projecting too much of my regret over not staying connected enough … not knowing the extent of that person’s despair, I want to be clear that I’m not saying that someone you know could potentially be contemplating suicide. I am saying that being isolated isn’t good for anyone, even people who are more comfortable getting to know a system than a person. … Also, it’s better for ANY organization when people feel connected to one another … when they feel like they fit in and not like they work for a company where nobody really knows them or cares about their well-being.
Companies can provide exceptional pay and benefits, and have great leaders, but an employee who feels isolated and disconnected from the rest of the team eventually is probably going to move on to greener pastures.
If you’re the new kid on the block, don’t wait to be invited. Make an effort. Be persistent, even if it’s not your nature to be outgoing. I could write a whole article on how this will benefit your career in the long run if you follow this advice.
Help Someone Else: Kudos to anyone who actually read my blog a year ago, and remembered anything from it. This is a repeat. (And if you really did make that connection, you might consider making a cameo appearance on the Big Bang Theory.)
So, just to reiterate, we live in a culture that is becoming more and more focused on personal gratification, individual rights, and so on. Also, unlike a generation or two ago when people tended to be a lot more neighborly, it is unusual for people to know their neighbors very well, if at all.
So, we live in this weird reality in which we are aware of lots of things going on in our cities, states, country, and around the world, but we ultimately boil things down to how things impact us as individuals or our families. We might Tweet about compassion for the poor, or whatever the issue might be, but it is rare for people, conservative, liberal, or in between to get all that involved. We are too tired, too busy, too broke, or whatever.
Help someone else in a way that involves more than just writing a check. Get to know someone well enough that you no longer feel like you’re a good person for helping out. Instead, you are helping because you care about that person. Do that, and you will not only help that person, but you will help yourself. If you have done this, and have checked it off your list already, help someone in a setting that makes you feel uncomfortable. (Not unsafe, just out of your element.)
Do something you wouldn't normally do: What is it you have always wanted to do, but lacked the nerve. Maybe it’s standing up for yourself after years of letting your boss walk all over you. (If that’s it, do it in a firm, respectful way that does not involve anyone dialing 911.) Maybe it is studying online and working your way toward a new career. Maybe it’s going up in a hot air balloon.
Or maybe it is something you actually dread doing. (Skipping past forgiving the person you have been angry at for years, since we have hit on that already.) Afraid of speaking in public? Take a community education course, and give a talk on configuring servers to your class. Afraid of flying? What about a hot air balloon ride?
Into a rut at work? Start volunteering for thing. Learn some new skills. Regardless of whether it results in better opportunities, challenging yourself will do you good.
It doesn’t need to be anything major. Take your wife out for Thai food, or something else you’ve never tried. Or go buy a wok, and treat the family to sir fry one night instead of whatever you normally have.
Suggestions?
With the exception of going out and taking a class to learn something, all of these are hard, but don’t require radical physical lifestyle changes. They are things you could tackle this weekend, if you put your mind to it. … The payoff o any or all of them could be equally as positive as any other goal you might set for yourself. (Well, maybe not going out for Thai food.)
Now it’s your turn. What have you done along these lines in past years, and what was the result?
I know 2011 has been a tough year for many of you. I hope that 2012 will be a big improvement. See you around online…
Tim
about.me/timheard
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
about.me
My profile can be found here: http://about.me/TimHeard .
This is a great site for pulling together your social media links.
This is a great site for pulling together your social media links.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Redemption
Some of you may have found your way to my blog at a point in your life when you feel like an absolute failure. Believe me, I get that. Sometimes a job loss, whether expected or unexpected, deserved or not, can leave you feeling completely devastated. When the things you might have relied on for a sense of support, stability, or self-worth are gone, you might feel vulnerable, or you might simply feel like you don't have the mental or physical energy to go on. Maybe you wonder how you can possibly move forward in life and do anything meaningful given the enormity of your perceived failure.
First, let me remind you that we are fortunate to live in a time in history when things like social status, age, race, past success, and past failure do not need to define who we are or what we are. This has, of course always been the case, but I think it's even more so now.
Two men I know come to mind as I reflect on this. The first used to be successful by most definitions. He was very comfortable financially, and had achieved considerable status. After a career in the military, he went on to serve as a successful VP for several different prominent financial institutions. However, while outwardly successful, he wasn't as successful in his home life. (I'll leave it at that, because honestly I can't remember the details, and they don't matter.) Anyway, he made the decision to get off of the fast track and to start his own small business, so he could spend more time with his family. The result - he's not rich any more. Far from it. He struggles when customers don't pay their bills on time. On the other hand, he's married to a wonderful woman whose eyes just light up when she speaks about him.
The other guy I met a number of years ago. He's a tough old guy. A grandfather who loves to brag about his kids and grandkids. He is also a business owner. I believe he's a pipefitter, and I have no idea exactly what his business does. What's amazing about him though is that in his younger days, he was Kentucky's self-proclaimed biggest thief. He would steal anything. And he wasn't scared of anyone. On one of his stints in prison, he stole food from other inmates that they had gotten as care packages from home.
This guy had a hard life growing up. He had an alcoholic father who would come home drunk and beat him. On many nights, he would run outside and wait out in the rain or cold until his father had passed out. He also got picked on by his brother's older friends - enough so that that it left deep scars.
Now both of these guys will talk about God being instrumental in turning their lives around. And I will gladly discuss that with anyone who'd like to. However, it's not like God gave them an "easy button' so that they could coast through life. Every day they had to make decisions not to be defined by what they used to be or what they had done in the past.
And because I know these two personally, I know that it isn't like they don't face new challenges ... new obstacles.
This whole subject is one that frequently comes to mind when I deal with my own issues. I don't want to be defined by my successes. They are events that shape me. They are not who I am. I have been laid off twice. Both were extremely stressful events, but ultimately worked out for the better. A few years ago, I was working for another search firm. When they economy tanked, it hit us hard. Some of our clients went out of business. Others were downsizing. Still others just stopped hiring. Needless to say it was hard.
I was fortunate to get a contract job as a corporate technical recruiter which initially looked as if it would last just two or three months, but lasted eight. Still, at the end of the contract, I had no options.
Starting my own search firm in the middle of one of the worst recessions in memory was very much a leap of faith. It has been far from easy.
These days, companies are exceptionally deliberate about their hiring decisions. Often to a fault.
When I was a corporate recruiter, I could walk down the hall, or at the very least pick up the phone and be pretty pointed with my managers about the need to act quickly and be decisive. If they didn't though, and the best candidate took another job, I still got paid. I might even take some satisfaction in saying, "See? I told you..."
Now, I have to be a bit more cautious because obviously I have a financial stake in placing my candidates. If I push too hard, I just start sounding like the type of recruiter who will say or do anything to make a placement. (Even if maybe the candidate isn't a good fit.) I don't want to be that kind of person. On the other hand, it can be devastating when I have someone who I *know* would really come in and make a difference, but the hiring manager is just too busy, or somehow doesn't see what seems obvious to me.
It was a big placement. Big.
I share this not to point fingers at anyone. I'm sharing it because I KNOW what it means to be emotionally devastated and feel like a failure. I know that there might be times when you don't even want to get out of bed.
Don't give up though. Don't let this define you. Whatever it is, whether it's your fault or not, whether you saw it coming or it caught you completely off guard I want you to know that things can be better if you don't give up. Even crappy terrible unfair things can lay the groundwork for, or open doors to good things down the road.
As tempting as it may be just to throw in the towel, please don't give up.
First, let me remind you that we are fortunate to live in a time in history when things like social status, age, race, past success, and past failure do not need to define who we are or what we are. This has, of course always been the case, but I think it's even more so now.
Two men I know come to mind as I reflect on this. The first used to be successful by most definitions. He was very comfortable financially, and had achieved considerable status. After a career in the military, he went on to serve as a successful VP for several different prominent financial institutions. However, while outwardly successful, he wasn't as successful in his home life. (I'll leave it at that, because honestly I can't remember the details, and they don't matter.) Anyway, he made the decision to get off of the fast track and to start his own small business, so he could spend more time with his family. The result - he's not rich any more. Far from it. He struggles when customers don't pay their bills on time. On the other hand, he's married to a wonderful woman whose eyes just light up when she speaks about him.
The other guy I met a number of years ago. He's a tough old guy. A grandfather who loves to brag about his kids and grandkids. He is also a business owner. I believe he's a pipefitter, and I have no idea exactly what his business does. What's amazing about him though is that in his younger days, he was Kentucky's self-proclaimed biggest thief. He would steal anything. And he wasn't scared of anyone. On one of his stints in prison, he stole food from other inmates that they had gotten as care packages from home.
This guy had a hard life growing up. He had an alcoholic father who would come home drunk and beat him. On many nights, he would run outside and wait out in the rain or cold until his father had passed out. He also got picked on by his brother's older friends - enough so that that it left deep scars.
Now both of these guys will talk about God being instrumental in turning their lives around. And I will gladly discuss that with anyone who'd like to. However, it's not like God gave them an "easy button' so that they could coast through life. Every day they had to make decisions not to be defined by what they used to be or what they had done in the past.
And because I know these two personally, I know that it isn't like they don't face new challenges ... new obstacles.
This whole subject is one that frequently comes to mind when I deal with my own issues. I don't want to be defined by my successes. They are events that shape me. They are not who I am. I have been laid off twice. Both were extremely stressful events, but ultimately worked out for the better. A few years ago, I was working for another search firm. When they economy tanked, it hit us hard. Some of our clients went out of business. Others were downsizing. Still others just stopped hiring. Needless to say it was hard.
I was fortunate to get a contract job as a corporate technical recruiter which initially looked as if it would last just two or three months, but lasted eight. Still, at the end of the contract, I had no options.
Starting my own search firm in the middle of one of the worst recessions in memory was very much a leap of faith. It has been far from easy.
These days, companies are exceptionally deliberate about their hiring decisions. Often to a fault.
When I was a corporate recruiter, I could walk down the hall, or at the very least pick up the phone and be pretty pointed with my managers about the need to act quickly and be decisive. If they didn't though, and the best candidate took another job, I still got paid. I might even take some satisfaction in saying, "See? I told you..."
Now, I have to be a bit more cautious because obviously I have a financial stake in placing my candidates. If I push too hard, I just start sounding like the type of recruiter who will say or do anything to make a placement. (Even if maybe the candidate isn't a good fit.) I don't want to be that kind of person. On the other hand, it can be devastating when I have someone who I *know* would really come in and make a difference, but the hiring manager is just too busy, or somehow doesn't see what seems obvious to me.
It was a big placement. Big.
I share this not to point fingers at anyone. I'm sharing it because I KNOW what it means to be emotionally devastated and feel like a failure. I know that there might be times when you don't even want to get out of bed.
Don't give up though. Don't let this define you. Whatever it is, whether it's your fault or not, whether you saw it coming or it caught you completely off guard I want you to know that things can be better if you don't give up. Even crappy terrible unfair things can lay the groundwork for, or open doors to good things down the road.
As tempting as it may be just to throw in the towel, please don't give up.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Links to aid organizations.
I did some really simple math. There are over 14 million people in my network on LinkedIn. (Not people who know me. That's people within 3 degrees of me.) If everyone in that network were to average donating just $25 to some organization to help the recovery efforts in Japan, over $350 million could be raised. That means some folks would need to give considerably more than $25, because a lot of folks either are focused on other needs, or simply lack the means right now to give anything.
I was just watching the news today though and they are saying that it will take generations to recover from some of the damage that has been done there.
Here are some links I have found of organizations that are working to help with the relief efforts:
Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
World Vision: http://www.redcross.org/
Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Samaritan's Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/
Save The Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/
Mercy Corps: http://www.mercycorps.org/
I will probably add to this list in the coming days. For example, the link to the Japanese Red Cross is currently down, undoubtedly because of infrastructure issues over there are this time.
Also, here is a link to a brief article about avoiding donation fraud. https://blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytipstalk/archive/2011/03/11/earthquake-in-japan-how-to-help-and-avoid-donation-fraud.aspx
To my knowledge, most of these organizations are focused on immediate and short term needs. I'm considering trying to set up a fund to help with long term rebuilding needs, but that may be more than I can manage right now. At the very least, if any of you know of such funds, please comment and I'll edit and note the links once I have verified them.
3/16: Heard yesterday about a very creative charity that's providing emergency shelter for displaced victims in Japan: http://www.shelterbox.org/
I was just watching the news today though and they are saying that it will take generations to recover from some of the damage that has been done there.
Here are some links I have found of organizations that are working to help with the relief efforts:
Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
World Vision: http://www.redcross.org/
Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Samaritan's Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/
Save The Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/
Mercy Corps: http://www.mercycorps.org/
I will probably add to this list in the coming days. For example, the link to the Japanese Red Cross is currently down, undoubtedly because of infrastructure issues over there are this time.
Also, here is a link to a brief article about avoiding donation fraud. https://blogs.msdn.com/b/securitytipstalk/archive/2011/03/11/earthquake-in-japan-how-to-help-and-avoid-donation-fraud.aspx
To my knowledge, most of these organizations are focused on immediate and short term needs. I'm considering trying to set up a fund to help with long term rebuilding needs, but that may be more than I can manage right now. At the very least, if any of you know of such funds, please comment and I'll edit and note the links once I have verified them.
3/16: Heard yesterday about a very creative charity that's providing emergency shelter for displaced victims in Japan: http://www.shelterbox.org/
Monday, November 1, 2010
Anticipating 2011
I deal every day with people who are struggling just to get by. There are the IT professionals who years ago entered a profession that was supposed to be a sure thing with respect to job security. Now they feel disillusioned as they watch their jobs get shipped overseas where corporations spend pennies on the dollar compared to what they might otherwise spend here in the US. (Note you generally get what you pay for.) I also know somewhat more fortunate professionals who have contract jobs here in the US, but no access to benefits. I know someone who is probably one of the most highly skilled individuals in his field in the city where he resides, who can earn an exceptional hourly rate by most people's standards. His family recently lost their home, because a member of his family has a chronic medical condition and they became overwhelmed by bills.
Not only do I hear it from others, but my family has felt the pinch as well. Back in 2007, anyone who was alert who worked in the staffing industry could see the writing on the wall. Clients abruptly stopped hiring contractors. Then they stopped hiring full time employees. Then they started laying off employees. Then some went out of business altogether.
I was very fortunate in early 2008 to reconnect with some former coworkers with whom I had worked in HR, and learned that they had a number of unfilled IT positions, and needed help on a contract basis. I was even more fortunate in that while I was there, one of the full time recruiters went on maternity leave. I was able to remain on contract for the duration of the year, and even logged a few hours in January.
Unfortunately, the work ran out, and the contract ended. In February of 2009, there were no real opportunities for senior recruiters, full time or contract. So, I hung out my shingle and eSearch Associates was born. I had no clients and no candidates, but was informed by someone at the unemployment office that I wasn't eligible for unemployment because I was working. ... IE - No income at all for some time to come, but plenty of start-up expenses.
I had to laugh some time later when my parents showed me a letter they were sending to some friends stating that I had realized a lifelong dream of owning my own company. (Sorry Mom and Dad if I didn't get the wording quite right.) Honestly, nothing could have been further from the truth. I knew full well that starting a search firm in the thick of the nation's worst recession in years was not the ideal business plan. If there had been a great corporate job available, I'm sure I'd have taken it.
So here we are, nearly 2 years later. When I say to job seekers "I feel your pain," it isn't because I'm running for office. It's because when a hiring manager is too overwhelmed by his or her workload to take the time to really read your resume, when I know you'd be perfect for the opening, my financial hopes were pinned on you getting that job too. By the same token, I understand the stress of the business owner or manager who has a very tight budget and has to be very cautions about making sure that the next person who is hired is a really good fit.
Yes, I get all of that. We are all cumulatively stressed out, worn out, and operating on considerably tighter budgets than back on the "good old days" just a few years ago.
Having said all that, I am very optimistic about the prospects for 2011.
Before I go further, I want to say that even though this is being posted on the even of the election, this post is not about politics. Both major parties can shoulder their fair share of the blame for events that led us to the near collapse of the economy, and both can make some claim to having done some things to help stimulate the (admittedly lukewarm) growth we're seeing. For the record, I think that any president in power had to do something to bail out the banking system, regardless what his or her philosophy might have been, and I think that any president would have felt that finding "shovel ready" projects to spend money on would have been a very pragmatic way to create a lot of new jobs quickly. But rather than focus on what was done, and what should have been done (because both parties also can be criticized for their failures to do more over the past 2 years) I'd like simply to look at where we were and where we are.
Back in 2007, reports started coming out about a looming crisis relating to commercial paper. I'm not a finance expert, but the short of this was that companies, big healthy companies, were having trouble getting overnight loans for things like paying their employees. This was a really big deal. I remember hearing about this somewhat after the fact, in 2008 and starting to put the pieces together. A small business owner I knew, owed someone a pretty sizable sum of money. He had enough money in the bank to pay the debt, but couldn't pay the debt because he couldn't get any bank loans to make payroll. He had clients that owed him significant sums of money, but they weren't paying their bills because they couldn't get loans from the banks to make payroll... In mid September of 2008, lending completely locked up, and the stock markets tanked.
Regardless of what could have or should have been done differently in the years and months leading up to September 2008, at that point, we were in a crisis. If nothing had been done, I really can't imagine how bad things would have gotten. I'm sure that somewhere there are plenty of articles on the topic.
Where we find ourselves now is that we're seeing some improvements. We have gone from headlines describing a state of crisis to headlines that discuss modest job growth. (Do a Google search for "job growth" and modest) over the past 12 months.) There are increasing stories of companies accumulating large stockpiles of cash (not necessarily a good thing) and also stories of pent-up demand for hiring. Headlines like this would have been unheard of even a year ago.
I personally think that companies are waiting to see the outcome of the election, simply because any election presents an element of uncertainty, which companies don't like. I think that regardless of the outcome, the level of uncertainty will go down after the election, and in early 2011, we'll start seeing more job creation. (Stay tuned, I'm working on a separate article relating to the mobile device and mobile applications industries and why I think they will stimulate job growth.)
Here in the US, we still have huge challenges to face:
* Expect another hit to the housing market as financial institutions foreclose on a lot of houses next year and those homes have to get absorbed into the market. ... It would be great if Republicans and Democrats alike could work together to promote some assistance for regular folks who are trying to make their payments, but have gotten behind due to job losses, lack of healthcare coverage, or other factors.
* We still have some long term challenges relating to the flight of manufacturing jobs overseas.
* Congress and the president still need to tackle the 500 lb gorilla that nobody will face - huge expenditures on Medicare and Social Security. Some sort of graduated benefit seems a no-brainer, but neither party will let the other party discuss the issue without bashing them.
* Rather than just extending the Bush tax cuts, reallocating them and offering cuts to payroll taxes seems like another no-brainer that would stimulate job growth and help companies and individuals across the board.
* Finally, there are stimulus funds that have been allocated and not yet spent. Despite those who are concerned about long term deficits, I believe that growing the GDP in the short run, thereby increasing tax revenue and decreasing federal and state program expenses. In the short run, this should still be a major priority. This doesn't take into consideration any potential multiplier effect on jobs.
Despite considerable heavy lifting that ideally needs to be done by our leaders, I think there are still indications that some recovery will take place regardless of what they do. (Because the cynic in me isn't confident that they will collaboratively do anything that requires bipartisan teamwork or courage.)
Aside from the clear differences in the news of the day that point toward reasons for optimism, I'm also feeling very upbeat because others in my industry also appear to be feeling the same way. Those in the search and staffing industries were among the first to know that we were in a huge recession, and (because prevailing thought is that jobs are a lagging indicator of recovery) unfortunately also the last to see signs of improvement. ... There are signs of improvement though. I'm seeing them firsthand, as are my peers, and I'm very hopeful that circumstances will be even better in 2011.
Best wishes to all of you. I hope you find this to be encouraging.
Not only do I hear it from others, but my family has felt the pinch as well. Back in 2007, anyone who was alert who worked in the staffing industry could see the writing on the wall. Clients abruptly stopped hiring contractors. Then they stopped hiring full time employees. Then they started laying off employees. Then some went out of business altogether.
I was very fortunate in early 2008 to reconnect with some former coworkers with whom I had worked in HR, and learned that they had a number of unfilled IT positions, and needed help on a contract basis. I was even more fortunate in that while I was there, one of the full time recruiters went on maternity leave. I was able to remain on contract for the duration of the year, and even logged a few hours in January.
Unfortunately, the work ran out, and the contract ended. In February of 2009, there were no real opportunities for senior recruiters, full time or contract. So, I hung out my shingle and eSearch Associates was born. I had no clients and no candidates, but was informed by someone at the unemployment office that I wasn't eligible for unemployment because I was working. ... IE - No income at all for some time to come, but plenty of start-up expenses.
I had to laugh some time later when my parents showed me a letter they were sending to some friends stating that I had realized a lifelong dream of owning my own company. (Sorry Mom and Dad if I didn't get the wording quite right.) Honestly, nothing could have been further from the truth. I knew full well that starting a search firm in the thick of the nation's worst recession in years was not the ideal business plan. If there had been a great corporate job available, I'm sure I'd have taken it.
So here we are, nearly 2 years later. When I say to job seekers "I feel your pain," it isn't because I'm running for office. It's because when a hiring manager is too overwhelmed by his or her workload to take the time to really read your resume, when I know you'd be perfect for the opening, my financial hopes were pinned on you getting that job too. By the same token, I understand the stress of the business owner or manager who has a very tight budget and has to be very cautions about making sure that the next person who is hired is a really good fit.
Yes, I get all of that. We are all cumulatively stressed out, worn out, and operating on considerably tighter budgets than back on the "good old days" just a few years ago.
Having said all that, I am very optimistic about the prospects for 2011.
Before I go further, I want to say that even though this is being posted on the even of the election, this post is not about politics. Both major parties can shoulder their fair share of the blame for events that led us to the near collapse of the economy, and both can make some claim to having done some things to help stimulate the (admittedly lukewarm) growth we're seeing. For the record, I think that any president in power had to do something to bail out the banking system, regardless what his or her philosophy might have been, and I think that any president would have felt that finding "shovel ready" projects to spend money on would have been a very pragmatic way to create a lot of new jobs quickly. But rather than focus on what was done, and what should have been done (because both parties also can be criticized for their failures to do more over the past 2 years) I'd like simply to look at where we were and where we are.
Back in 2007, reports started coming out about a looming crisis relating to commercial paper. I'm not a finance expert, but the short of this was that companies, big healthy companies, were having trouble getting overnight loans for things like paying their employees. This was a really big deal. I remember hearing about this somewhat after the fact, in 2008 and starting to put the pieces together. A small business owner I knew, owed someone a pretty sizable sum of money. He had enough money in the bank to pay the debt, but couldn't pay the debt because he couldn't get any bank loans to make payroll. He had clients that owed him significant sums of money, but they weren't paying their bills because they couldn't get loans from the banks to make payroll... In mid September of 2008, lending completely locked up, and the stock markets tanked.
Regardless of what could have or should have been done differently in the years and months leading up to September 2008, at that point, we were in a crisis. If nothing had been done, I really can't imagine how bad things would have gotten. I'm sure that somewhere there are plenty of articles on the topic.
Where we find ourselves now is that we're seeing some improvements. We have gone from headlines describing a state of crisis to headlines that discuss modest job growth. (Do a Google search for "job growth" and modest) over the past 12 months.) There are increasing stories of companies accumulating large stockpiles of cash (not necessarily a good thing) and also stories of pent-up demand for hiring. Headlines like this would have been unheard of even a year ago.
I personally think that companies are waiting to see the outcome of the election, simply because any election presents an element of uncertainty, which companies don't like. I think that regardless of the outcome, the level of uncertainty will go down after the election, and in early 2011, we'll start seeing more job creation. (Stay tuned, I'm working on a separate article relating to the mobile device and mobile applications industries and why I think they will stimulate job growth.)
Here in the US, we still have huge challenges to face:
* Expect another hit to the housing market as financial institutions foreclose on a lot of houses next year and those homes have to get absorbed into the market. ... It would be great if Republicans and Democrats alike could work together to promote some assistance for regular folks who are trying to make their payments, but have gotten behind due to job losses, lack of healthcare coverage, or other factors.
* We still have some long term challenges relating to the flight of manufacturing jobs overseas.
* Congress and the president still need to tackle the 500 lb gorilla that nobody will face - huge expenditures on Medicare and Social Security. Some sort of graduated benefit seems a no-brainer, but neither party will let the other party discuss the issue without bashing them.
* Rather than just extending the Bush tax cuts, reallocating them and offering cuts to payroll taxes seems like another no-brainer that would stimulate job growth and help companies and individuals across the board.
* Finally, there are stimulus funds that have been allocated and not yet spent. Despite those who are concerned about long term deficits, I believe that growing the GDP in the short run, thereby increasing tax revenue and decreasing federal and state program expenses. In the short run, this should still be a major priority. This doesn't take into consideration any potential multiplier effect on jobs.
Despite considerable heavy lifting that ideally needs to be done by our leaders, I think there are still indications that some recovery will take place regardless of what they do. (Because the cynic in me isn't confident that they will collaboratively do anything that requires bipartisan teamwork or courage.)
Aside from the clear differences in the news of the day that point toward reasons for optimism, I'm also feeling very upbeat because others in my industry also appear to be feeling the same way. Those in the search and staffing industries were among the first to know that we were in a huge recession, and (because prevailing thought is that jobs are a lagging indicator of recovery) unfortunately also the last to see signs of improvement. ... There are signs of improvement though. I'm seeing them firsthand, as are my peers, and I'm very hopeful that circumstances will be even better in 2011.
Best wishes to all of you. I hope you find this to be encouraging.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Some VERY basic job search tips.
I was recently reprimanded by one of my few followers for not posting anything here for quite some time. In my defense, it isn't as if I haven't been doing anything at all. Business is finally beginning to pick up some for eSearch Associates, and I continue to write on a freelance basis for TechRepublic.
Still, I promised some job search tips quite some time ago, so here they are. These are things I try to tell everyone. Nothing fancy today. This is just off the top of my head. No style points.
1. Use the Internet to search. There are websites like Indeed.com that you can use which will search by location, job title, and which pull jobs from major job boards, but also from corporate websites.
2. Create online resumes. Create different versions if you are seeking different kinds of jobs. Update your resume at least twice a week if you are actively seeking a new job. This puts a new time and date stamp on your online resume. When recruiters search through online resumes, they almost always search from among the candidates who have posted in the last week, or last month at most. The older your resume, the fewer hits you will get. You don't need to change anything when updating a resume on a site like monster.com. Just click "edit" and then save it. Bingo. You're back at the top of the list.
3. Use LinkedIn. Use LinkedIn even if you aren't actively looking for a job. Build your network and references even if you're totally happy with your job. You never know what will happen in the future. Stop playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. Quit posting about how stupid you think the opposing political party is. (And in the process alienating would-be bosses.) Do something useful. Build your network. Remember, your online profile is like a resume. Spelling and grammar count.
Make it easy for recruiters to contact you. Put your email address on your profile.
Finally, be a good citizen on LinkedIn. When contacting people, read their contact preferences. Don't "friend" people the way you might on Facebook or MySpace. On LinkedIn, some sort of contact message is preferable before inviting someone to join your network. (Here's a link to my profile, by the way: http://www.linkedin.com/in/timheard )
4. Don't send your resume to every recruiter under the sun. If you do, you lose all control over who gets your resume, and in some cases actually diminish your chances of getting a job. Let's say that a recruiter submits you for a job for which you are not a great fit, and/or does a poor job of "selling" you to the client. In most cases, other recruiters cannot submit you to the same client for at least a year. Additionally, some harried corporate recruiters will not consider you if you have previously applied for and not been selected for a similar position.
5. Don't "blast" the same resume out to hundreds of would-be employers at one. Target your resumes and customize your resume whenever possible.
6. Don't EVER send a resume to anyone by email without an accompanying message in the email explaing who you are, which position you're applying for, and why you're a good fit.
7. Don't apply for positions for which you are clearly not even remotely qualified. Most large companies will get 500+ applicants per position within just a few days. Corporate recruiters generally can pull up your online activity if you have registered with their site. What do you think it says to them about your career focus if you have applied for every position that's posted?
8. Network. If you know a company is hiring, see who you know who works at that company. See who you know who knows someone who works at that company.
9. Consider freelance jobs that may pay next to nothing, but at least put some work experience on your resume. There are a number of websites that are decicated just to freelance and contract jobs.
10. Don't ever pay money to post your resume on a website. The whole concept of The Laddrs mystifies me. Why would I as a recruiter want to pay a website for access to people who are so desperate to get a job that they are paying to post their resume when, if they were smart, they would instead be building their profiles on LinkedIn and posting on the other large sites?
11. It's definitely OK to grieve the losss of that job you had that was really great. It's also OK to be frustrated about how unfair life can be at times. However, don't get immersed in blogging about how unfair life is or posting about it on Facebook. (If you have to, create an anonymous blog and just use it to vent your emotions, but don't invite the whole world to see it.) At some point, spending all of your energy focusing on "poor me" rants will not only scare off potential employers, it will have perpetuate your negative state of mind. There are about 1.7 billion people living in total abject poverty. If you have access to a computer and are reading this blog, you aren't one of them. (Yes, conceptually, you could be poorer, since you may be in debt, but you are still better off.) About 50,000 people die every day from poverty-related issues. Over 30,000 children die every day before they reach their 5th birthday.
If you're unahppy about how unfair life has been to you (and I'm not saying it hasn't been) go out and find someone who's in worse shape than you are to help. It really will do you a world of good to do something meaningful and will help your perspective as well.
12. On a positive note, it's hard to remember it, but we are actually WAY better off than we were 2 years ago. (This isn't a political statement. Both parties can tae credit or blame for problems and solutions.) In 2008, major companies were having trouble getting simple overnight loans from banks so they could make payroll. We were really a gnat's eyelash away from a major meltdown. ... I could go on at length about this and might in another post.
Suffice it to say that the staffing industry is the last to see when a recovery is happening, and I am hearing encouraging things on many fronts from others in the industry. No, it's certainly not great yet. I still have white knuckles from trying so hard to hang on, but I am expecting 2011 to be a much better year than any of the past several years have been.
I hope this has been helpful. ... And sorry if I sound unsympathetic. If I do, please go back and read this article. Believe me, I totally understand how stressful this is, and hope this has given you at least a few helpful tidbits that you can use.
Still, I promised some job search tips quite some time ago, so here they are. These are things I try to tell everyone. Nothing fancy today. This is just off the top of my head. No style points.
1. Use the Internet to search. There are websites like Indeed.com that you can use which will search by location, job title, and which pull jobs from major job boards, but also from corporate websites.
2. Create online resumes. Create different versions if you are seeking different kinds of jobs. Update your resume at least twice a week if you are actively seeking a new job. This puts a new time and date stamp on your online resume. When recruiters search through online resumes, they almost always search from among the candidates who have posted in the last week, or last month at most. The older your resume, the fewer hits you will get. You don't need to change anything when updating a resume on a site like monster.com. Just click "edit" and then save it. Bingo. You're back at the top of the list.
3. Use LinkedIn. Use LinkedIn even if you aren't actively looking for a job. Build your network and references even if you're totally happy with your job. You never know what will happen in the future. Stop playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. Quit posting about how stupid you think the opposing political party is. (And in the process alienating would-be bosses.) Do something useful. Build your network. Remember, your online profile is like a resume. Spelling and grammar count.
Make it easy for recruiters to contact you. Put your email address on your profile.
Finally, be a good citizen on LinkedIn. When contacting people, read their contact preferences. Don't "friend" people the way you might on Facebook or MySpace. On LinkedIn, some sort of contact message is preferable before inviting someone to join your network. (Here's a link to my profile, by the way: http://www.linkedin.com/in/timheard )
4. Don't send your resume to every recruiter under the sun. If you do, you lose all control over who gets your resume, and in some cases actually diminish your chances of getting a job. Let's say that a recruiter submits you for a job for which you are not a great fit, and/or does a poor job of "selling" you to the client. In most cases, other recruiters cannot submit you to the same client for at least a year. Additionally, some harried corporate recruiters will not consider you if you have previously applied for and not been selected for a similar position.
5. Don't "blast" the same resume out to hundreds of would-be employers at one. Target your resumes and customize your resume whenever possible.
6. Don't EVER send a resume to anyone by email without an accompanying message in the email explaing who you are, which position you're applying for, and why you're a good fit.
7. Don't apply for positions for which you are clearly not even remotely qualified. Most large companies will get 500+ applicants per position within just a few days. Corporate recruiters generally can pull up your online activity if you have registered with their site. What do you think it says to them about your career focus if you have applied for every position that's posted?
8. Network. If you know a company is hiring, see who you know who works at that company. See who you know who knows someone who works at that company.
9. Consider freelance jobs that may pay next to nothing, but at least put some work experience on your resume. There are a number of websites that are decicated just to freelance and contract jobs.
10. Don't ever pay money to post your resume on a website. The whole concept of The Laddrs mystifies me. Why would I as a recruiter want to pay a website for access to people who are so desperate to get a job that they are paying to post their resume when, if they were smart, they would instead be building their profiles on LinkedIn and posting on the other large sites?
11. It's definitely OK to grieve the losss of that job you had that was really great. It's also OK to be frustrated about how unfair life can be at times. However, don't get immersed in blogging about how unfair life is or posting about it on Facebook. (If you have to, create an anonymous blog and just use it to vent your emotions, but don't invite the whole world to see it.) At some point, spending all of your energy focusing on "poor me" rants will not only scare off potential employers, it will have perpetuate your negative state of mind. There are about 1.7 billion people living in total abject poverty. If you have access to a computer and are reading this blog, you aren't one of them. (Yes, conceptually, you could be poorer, since you may be in debt, but you are still better off.) About 50,000 people die every day from poverty-related issues. Over 30,000 children die every day before they reach their 5th birthday.
If you're unahppy about how unfair life has been to you (and I'm not saying it hasn't been) go out and find someone who's in worse shape than you are to help. It really will do you a world of good to do something meaningful and will help your perspective as well.
12. On a positive note, it's hard to remember it, but we are actually WAY better off than we were 2 years ago. (This isn't a political statement. Both parties can tae credit or blame for problems and solutions.) In 2008, major companies were having trouble getting simple overnight loans from banks so they could make payroll. We were really a gnat's eyelash away from a major meltdown. ... I could go on at length about this and might in another post.
Suffice it to say that the staffing industry is the last to see when a recovery is happening, and I am hearing encouraging things on many fronts from others in the industry. No, it's certainly not great yet. I still have white knuckles from trying so hard to hang on, but I am expecting 2011 to be a much better year than any of the past several years have been.
I hope this has been helpful. ... And sorry if I sound unsympathetic. If I do, please go back and read this article. Believe me, I totally understand how stressful this is, and hope this has given you at least a few helpful tidbits that you can use.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Lenovo ThinkPad T410s and Windows 7
As some of you may know, I have been wearing a splint on my left arm for the past week that extends from my hand to my bicep. (The result of carpal tunnel surgery as well as surgery on the ulnar nerve.)
In anticipation of the surgery, I began researching various options that would enable me to remain productive despite the limited use of one hand and arm.
Dragon DNS was mentioned on numerous occasions as the industry leader in voice recognition software. However, it was also mentioned that Windows 7 includes voice recognition as a part of its normal functionality. I decided to look into it further, hoping to write an article on the subject, and Lenovo was kind enough to loan me a ThinkPad for review purposes.
Without writing the complete article here, I must say that I've been very happy with both the ThinkPad and with Windows 7. I'm actually writing this blog right now using voice recognition. This ThinkPad has been a huge blessing, allowing me to remain much more productive than I otherwise would have been. I was able to even answer a few emails within hours of my surgery despite my entire left arm still being completely numb from a nerve block.
In anticipation of the surgery, I began researching various options that would enable me to remain productive despite the limited use of one hand and arm.
Dragon DNS was mentioned on numerous occasions as the industry leader in voice recognition software. However, it was also mentioned that Windows 7 includes voice recognition as a part of its normal functionality. I decided to look into it further, hoping to write an article on the subject, and Lenovo was kind enough to loan me a ThinkPad for review purposes.
Without writing the complete article here, I must say that I've been very happy with both the ThinkPad and with Windows 7. I'm actually writing this blog right now using voice recognition. This ThinkPad has been a huge blessing, allowing me to remain much more productive than I otherwise would have been. I was able to even answer a few emails within hours of my surgery despite my entire left arm still being completely numb from a nerve block.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Unemployment
Tips for staying positive when facing unemployment
Back in 2002, the economy was in some ways, similar to today. ... At least with respect to unemployment. Many people were hitting the wall emotionally, having been unemployed for much longer than they ever thought they would be. May of these were people who had previously always been highly sought after for their skills.
I wrote the article that I have linked to for TechRepublic, and got more positive responses to it than I did from any other article I wrote. I remember getting an email from a former Computer Associates VP who had been hit hard emotionally by her job loss. (I have desperately tried to remember her name, but it was several employers ago, and several home PCs ago. ... Somewhere along the way, I lost her contact info.)
If I were to write a similar article today, I think I'd still cover those four points, at least. For anyone here who either was recently let go, or has been unemployed for a while and is struggling emotionally, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it.
Back in 2002, the economy was in some ways, similar to today. ... At least with respect to unemployment. Many people were hitting the wall emotionally, having been unemployed for much longer than they ever thought they would be. May of these were people who had previously always been highly sought after for their skills.
I wrote the article that I have linked to for TechRepublic, and got more positive responses to it than I did from any other article I wrote. I remember getting an email from a former Computer Associates VP who had been hit hard emotionally by her job loss. (I have desperately tried to remember her name, but it was several employers ago, and several home PCs ago. ... Somewhere along the way, I lost her contact info.)
If I were to write a similar article today, I think I'd still cover those four points, at least. For anyone here who either was recently let go, or has been unemployed for a while and is struggling emotionally, I encourage you to take a few minutes to read it.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Follow up regarding resume tips article...
First, I want to thank Toni Bowers for mentioning my blog article. You can find her comments here:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=1950&tag=nl.e124
I have looked over some of the reader responses to her article, and thought I'd add a few clarifications.
Applicant tracking software or applicant tracking systems can vary greatly in terms of cost and functionality. Here's a link to a short Wikipedia summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applicant_tracking_system
Mention of these systems can refer to the enterprise level systems used by multinational companies, but can also refer to applications that are used by small to mid-sized employers. Search firms also use similar systems that also include the functionality of being able to manage client information.
Technically, resume scanning, refers to the process of manually scanning resumes and then using OCR software to convert the scanned images into documents. This represents a somewhat dated process, but probably still takes place. That's why you'll see resume tips about creating plain vanilla versions of resumes if you are going to fax them in, or mail in hard copies.
What I was referring to was more of a data extraction process. Good applicant tracking applications can not only extract your contact information, they can even identify employers, job titles, and many words and phrases referring to specific skills.
Someone rightly commented that it hardly seems necessary to make sure that you r name gets extracted when many employers require you to manually log into their systems and enter all that data. That's technically correct. However, many companies don't do that. Many search firms don't do that. Lots of organizations would rather make the application process as easy as possible for you and will accept emailed resumes or uploaded resumes.
Another person commented on how sad it is that many resumes don't actually get read. While I agree, I may end up having to write a complete article on the subject of what corporate and/or third party recruiters deal with on a regular basis. I'll just mention one incident that comes to mind. A couple of years ago, I was working as a contract corporate recruiter for a major employer. In that role, there were countless instances of people logging on and applying for every single posted position, or every single IT position. (Consider that a not what to do when trying to get hired tip.) In one instance, I posted a position on the company's website, and in a matter of just a few days, there were considerably more than 500 applicants. Had I physically opened every single resume, I would not have had time to do anything else. Also, I had tools at my disposal to start eliminating unqualified candidates based on things like educational requirements and required skills.
Sorry that I can't comment right now on other feedback people provided. There were some very good comments.
Thanks again Toni!
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=1950&tag=nl.e124
I have looked over some of the reader responses to her article, and thought I'd add a few clarifications.
Applicant tracking software or applicant tracking systems can vary greatly in terms of cost and functionality. Here's a link to a short Wikipedia summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applicant_tracking_system
Mention of these systems can refer to the enterprise level systems used by multinational companies, but can also refer to applications that are used by small to mid-sized employers. Search firms also use similar systems that also include the functionality of being able to manage client information.
Technically, resume scanning, refers to the process of manually scanning resumes and then using OCR software to convert the scanned images into documents. This represents a somewhat dated process, but probably still takes place. That's why you'll see resume tips about creating plain vanilla versions of resumes if you are going to fax them in, or mail in hard copies.
What I was referring to was more of a data extraction process. Good applicant tracking applications can not only extract your contact information, they can even identify employers, job titles, and many words and phrases referring to specific skills.
Someone rightly commented that it hardly seems necessary to make sure that you r name gets extracted when many employers require you to manually log into their systems and enter all that data. That's technically correct. However, many companies don't do that. Many search firms don't do that. Lots of organizations would rather make the application process as easy as possible for you and will accept emailed resumes or uploaded resumes.
Another person commented on how sad it is that many resumes don't actually get read. While I agree, I may end up having to write a complete article on the subject of what corporate and/or third party recruiters deal with on a regular basis. I'll just mention one incident that comes to mind. A couple of years ago, I was working as a contract corporate recruiter for a major employer. In that role, there were countless instances of people logging on and applying for every single posted position, or every single IT position. (Consider that a not what to do when trying to get hired tip.) In one instance, I posted a position on the company's website, and in a matter of just a few days, there were considerably more than 500 applicants. Had I physically opened every single resume, I would not have had time to do anything else. Also, I had tools at my disposal to start eliminating unqualified candidates based on things like educational requirements and required skills.
Sorry that I can't comment right now on other feedback people provided. There were some very good comments.
Thanks again Toni!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Political Rants and Job Seeking
It has been really interesting (and also painful) to watch the growing tendency of people to blindly accept as truth the outrageous assertions that are made by various TV personalities. Even more troubling is the acceptance of their behavior as normative.
Let's consider how this plays out when it comes to your job search.
Just for the sake of not stepping on any toes, let's assume that the following political parties have been resurrected recently in your city, and are represented by the proportions below:
Bull Moose Party 40%
Natural Law Social Democratic Party 35%
Gibublican Party 25%
For whatever reason, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents have all fallen into disfavor in your county.
You are a diehard Gibublican and believe adamantly that all Natural Law Social Democrats are in fact Marxists in disguise, and all Bull Moosians are fascists. No arguments to the contrary will convince you otherwise. Let's even assume that you are absolutely correct. Unfortunately, because of contact with a parallel universe, everything in the world has remained the same, with the exception of those facts. ... You have been very energetic in trying to get the word out to people. You have posted about in on LinkedIn, and you regularly post links on your Facebook page commenting about what simpletons our leaders are and how only the Gibublicans have any sense at all.
Now, assume that you are unemployed. You have seen a position posted online that would be PERFECT for you. You apply online and are brought in for an interview. The interview goes well. You go home, certain that you will get the job. Unfortunately, you're not aware that the hiring manager is a Bull Moosian and the department director is a Bull Moose Social Democrat.
Sadly, you don't get the job, and you are left wondering why, thinking perhaps it might be your age, or that you were overqualified and they took someone less qualified, for a lower salary.
What happened? As you might guess, both got online at home and looked you up. Each decided for different reasons that you weren't a good fit. One saw your rants about people who disagreed with you and wondered how you might respond in a work environment when confronted with people who didn't agree with you. The other, decided that you were simply a moron who might say something which could reflect poorly on the company, and opted not to take a chance. Technically, neither made a decision based on your political ideology, and you would be hard-pressed to prove it even if they had.
Note, I'm not saying that people shouldn't have strong opinions or be active in their respective parties. I am saying that how you conduct yourself, especially online, is very important.
Here in the United States, our population is fairly evenly spit with roughly even numbers of Democrats and Republicans and growing numbers of independents, who believe that both parties have lost their marbles. In the real working world, you not only have to learn to get along with members of other groups, you have to treat them with respect, as if their political affiliation doesn't matter. ... Because when it comes to the job that you have to do - it DOESN'T matter.
If you're spending a good deal of your time online bashing a particular group or a particular elected official, then the odds are pretty likely that anyone with a browser is going to be able to find some of your comments, even if they look 5, 10, or 20 years from now. If you make inflammatory statements about members of another group which can only be substantiated by some talking head on TV, but not by any real facts, a hiring manager who's a member of that group might at some point in the future read them and take umbrage.
Bottom line: If you don't like someone's views, at least be civil in the way you communicate. Better yet, get away from your PC. Get out in the world and do something useful. Go mentor some kids that need help in school. Find someone who's more down-and-out than you are and offer a helping hand. You'll accomplish far more doing those things than you will yakking away on Facebook, and you won't be sabotaging your own future.
Let's consider how this plays out when it comes to your job search.
Just for the sake of not stepping on any toes, let's assume that the following political parties have been resurrected recently in your city, and are represented by the proportions below:
Bull Moose Party 40%
Natural Law Social Democratic Party 35%
Gibublican Party 25%
For whatever reason, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents have all fallen into disfavor in your county.
You are a diehard Gibublican and believe adamantly that all Natural Law Social Democrats are in fact Marxists in disguise, and all Bull Moosians are fascists. No arguments to the contrary will convince you otherwise. Let's even assume that you are absolutely correct. Unfortunately, because of contact with a parallel universe, everything in the world has remained the same, with the exception of those facts. ... You have been very energetic in trying to get the word out to people. You have posted about in on LinkedIn, and you regularly post links on your Facebook page commenting about what simpletons our leaders are and how only the Gibublicans have any sense at all.
Now, assume that you are unemployed. You have seen a position posted online that would be PERFECT for you. You apply online and are brought in for an interview. The interview goes well. You go home, certain that you will get the job. Unfortunately, you're not aware that the hiring manager is a Bull Moosian and the department director is a Bull Moose Social Democrat.
Sadly, you don't get the job, and you are left wondering why, thinking perhaps it might be your age, or that you were overqualified and they took someone less qualified, for a lower salary.
What happened? As you might guess, both got online at home and looked you up. Each decided for different reasons that you weren't a good fit. One saw your rants about people who disagreed with you and wondered how you might respond in a work environment when confronted with people who didn't agree with you. The other, decided that you were simply a moron who might say something which could reflect poorly on the company, and opted not to take a chance. Technically, neither made a decision based on your political ideology, and you would be hard-pressed to prove it even if they had.
Note, I'm not saying that people shouldn't have strong opinions or be active in their respective parties. I am saying that how you conduct yourself, especially online, is very important.
Here in the United States, our population is fairly evenly spit with roughly even numbers of Democrats and Republicans and growing numbers of independents, who believe that both parties have lost their marbles. In the real working world, you not only have to learn to get along with members of other groups, you have to treat them with respect, as if their political affiliation doesn't matter. ... Because when it comes to the job that you have to do - it DOESN'T matter.
If you're spending a good deal of your time online bashing a particular group or a particular elected official, then the odds are pretty likely that anyone with a browser is going to be able to find some of your comments, even if they look 5, 10, or 20 years from now. If you make inflammatory statements about members of another group which can only be substantiated by some talking head on TV, but not by any real facts, a hiring manager who's a member of that group might at some point in the future read them and take umbrage.
Bottom line: If you don't like someone's views, at least be civil in the way you communicate. Better yet, get away from your PC. Get out in the world and do something useful. Go mentor some kids that need help in school. Find someone who's more down-and-out than you are and offer a helping hand. You'll accomplish far more doing those things than you will yakking away on Facebook, and you won't be sabotaging your own future.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Getting your resume noticed. (A quick tutorial for anyone in a leadership role.)
Back in the days after the dot com crash and 9/11, I moderated a little support group of sorts on Yahoo for unemployed and under-employed executives. After getting to know many of the members, one common theme started to stand out. Most of them had never had to look for jobs before. Job offers had already come to them. When time came for them to prepare their resumes, many of them were simply finding the old resumes they used when they were fresh out of school, complete with bachelor's degrees listed at the very top, and inserting their most recent employment down below. Thus began a journey for me that has involved years of one-on-one resume critiques.
A lot has happened in the ensuing 8 years or so. Many people are a lot more sophisticated with respect to the way that they network and manage their careers. Yet, many of the resumes I see today aren't all that different from the ones I was reviewing back then.
The challenge for job seekers today is that the must differentiate themselves from the countless other applicants against whom they are competing. I heard on the news the other day that there are six job seekers in the US right now for every open position. My experience as a corporate recruiter is that there are hundred of people applying for just about every open position that gets posted online. Shake out the many desperate or indiscriminate individuals who apply for every opening they see, and you still are facing really slim odds.
Here are a few things I see commonly which, in my opinion, do little or nothing to help you in this respect:
Listing Competencies:
Many leadership resumes will begin with a laundry list of competencies which the candidate hopes to use to define himself or herself. Typically this list appears just under the objective or summary statement. In resume terms, this is prime real estate. This is the section of the resume that you're using to entice the reader to go further down the page - to get into the meat of your resume. Common phrases will include things like Visionary Leadership, Profit and Loss Responsibility, Mentoring, Vendor Management, and Change Management. Somewhere, I'm sure that someone has compiled a list of the catch phrases. I'd imagine that there are at least fifty or so that are commonly used.
The problem is that I doubt if anyone really reads these. Even if they do, do you think it really matters? Can you imagine a CEO reading over a resume and thinking, "I see that Susan listed mentoring on her resume and Bob didn't, so I'm going to put Susan's resume in the keeper stack." Of course not. Because all of the phrases start to sound the same, and if someone is reading the 20th resume in a stack of 50 resumes, and they all take that approach, none of the stand out.
Focusing On Responsibilities
Let me be clear that you have to explain in some detail what you did. However, talking about your responsibilities doesn't answer the "So what?" question.
People try to accomplish this by either filling up their resumes with huge paragraphs that essentially become walls of words that are too much for the reader to easily process. Alternately, they offer a page full of bullet points, implying that everything that's bulleted is of critical importance. The problem is that if you stress everything, you have effectively not stressed anything. The eye won't naturally fall on any of the bullet points as the reader tries to scan down the document.
Something Different...
An approach that I have been recommending for years, which I feel will help anyone stand out who has served in a leadership role is to focus on accomplishments.
What I'd recommend would look something like this:
- Responsible for $2 million annual budget (So what? That proves you know how to spend money.)
- Led application development team. (So what? What did you and your team accomplish of significance?)
- Met daily with company CEO. (OK, you get the idea. It doesn't matter who you met with or what you did unless it resulted in some accomplishments that you can point to that brought value to the organization.)
People try to accomplish this by either filling up their resumes with huge paragraphs that essentially become walls of words that are too much for the reader to easily process. Alternately, they offer a page full of bullet points, implying that everything that's bulleted is of critical importance. The problem is that if you stress everything, you have effectively not stressed anything. The eye won't naturally fall on any of the bullet points as the reader tries to scan down the document.
Something Different...
An approach that I have been recommending for years, which I feel will help anyone stand out who has served in a leadership role is to focus on accomplishments.
What I'd recommend would look something like this:
John Q Public
In this paragraph, you want an objective or summary statement. It's three, no more than four lines about who you are, and what you bring to the table, or what kind of position you're seeking. I gravitate more toward a summary, rather than an objective, but am fine with either. The main purpose of this is just to make sure that your resume ends up in the hands of the right person, or is considered for the right openings.
Selected Accomplishments
- Proposed, designed, and implemented new XYZ system, resulting in $500,000 in annual savings per year.
- Brought about world peace.
- Responsible for $25 million annual budget
(I actually would like to see more space between each bullet point, but this blog editor isn't cooperating. Two of these accomplishments are poorly written for a resume. World peace isn't quantified in terms of revenue generated, cost savings, or any other quantifiable measurement communicating value to the organization so, while commendable, shouldn't be listed. As mentioned above, being responsible for a large annual budget isn't really an accomplishment, though many people think it is. It simply means you know how to spend money. It doesn't answer the "So what?" question? ... What did you do for the organization with that 25 million?)
Experience
XYXCorp.com 2006 to Present
Director of Really Important Things
What I'd like to see here would be a short paragraph, or no more than four lines, that lists your responsibilities. Be sure to use action verbs. The Ladders, a website with a completely preposterous premise, has a good article on the subject here: Resume Action Verbs Article You never want your experience summaries to go more than 4 lines.
- Under each position (and you can align them all the way left) include a couple of slightly more detailed accomplishments. They can go up to 2 1/2 lines apiece.
- Remember that good accomplishments are quantifiable. Here in the meat of your resume, you can include some details regarding how you achieved the accomplishments. Up above, you just want to focus on the results.
GreatBigCorp, Inc 2004 to 2006
Manager of Pretty Important Things
Follow the same pattern as above. List your responsibilities. Note that it's not important that the person who's reviewing your resume actually read these details on the first pass. Instead, your hope is that he/she will scan down your resume, noting your position titles, and accomplishments.
- If your accomplishments are compelling enough, then the person will want to go back and read your resume again in greater detail.
- What you're doing is communicating a story, that wherever you go, you make a very positive impact. It's implicit that you can do the same for this potential employer.
Writing a resume is much more of an art than a science. If you speak with 99 other recruiters, you'll hear 99 other opinions regarding what makes a good resume. At least you will until this blog gets popular. ;-)
I think if you follow this approach though, you'll accomplish two important things:
- Your resume will be easy to read and process. What's important will stand out.
- Your "value proposition" will be clearly communicated.
I hope that you find this to be helpful and would love to hear from you if you do. I also welcome ideas regarding other creative approaches that have worked for you.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Resume Tips: Your Name
This is pretty basic, but it actually comes up more often than one would think. When submitting your resume either by email, or as an attachment as a part of an online application, you need to keep in mind that not only will one or more people take a look at it, that resume is more than likely going to be stored online in a resume database of some sort. Sometimes, in addition to submititng your resume, you will be asked to complete a variety of fields which include basics like name, address, and phone number. However, some systems have the ability to grab that information off of your resume, provided you help them at least a little.
Keep it simple. Put your name in bold at the top of your resume. It can be centered, or justified to one side or the other. That doesn't really matter. The key is to make it easy for the software to find it.
A few common pitfalls which can confuse software include the following:
Text Boxes: Many resume databases don't have a mechanism for incorporating the contents of text boxes into the data that they grab. Therefore, if your name is front and center, at the top of a resume where it should be, but in a text box, it might get missed. Just this week, a woman sent me such a resume. It was beautiful... Very well written ... Nicely laid out. When my software grabbed it though, and I looked at the summary of her contact information, the software had decided that her name was: Profile.
In my case, I do my best to check every resume that gets entered into my system. Imagine though that your resume is going intot he database of one of those search firms that runs lots of phantom openings. (They look like openings, but they aren't real.) They have sucked in several hundred resumes int he past few days and some admin assistant has clicked on abutton and processed them all intot he database. You call a few days later:
(You) - Hello, this is Sandy Jones. I'm calling about my resume....
(Recruiter) - I don't see a Sandy Jones in our database...
It's a problem that the recruiter can easily fix. Let's say though that you didn't follow up, and the mistake wasn't spotted. Several months later, a hiring manager who you have networked with calls the recruiter.
(Manager) Could you pull up the resume of Sandy Jones? I'd like to have a look at it...
(Recruiter) I don't see anyone in our database with that name. Maybe she emailed her resume to the wrong address. That happens from time to time.
(Manager) Hmmm. OK. Well, here's the type of person I need. ... Please see if you can turn up some candidates for me.
And you have just missed out on an opportunity.
Headers: Placing your name in a header seems like a good way of saving space. However, some systems don't read headers when looking for contact information either. Additionally, resumes often get reviewed without being printed out. Sometimes people will have their word processor set so that the headers and footers don't even show up.
My pet peeve as a recruiter is that when I submit a candidate to a client, I include my company logo in the header. A resume that is formatted to look "right" with the name and contact information in the header generally requires some time and effort on my part to get it looking right again when I have to pull the name out and insert it into the text of the resume. ... All the more problematic if a candidate has created a resume using tables in the body of the resume. (Another pet peeve.)
Alphabet Soup: Ever see a name at the top of a resume like this?
Jon Jones, MBA, PhD, PMP, CCNA, UGI, CDC,PVC, NBA
Alphabet soup at the end of the name can screw up the identification of your name. More importantly, it actually can be viewed as a negative by many people. Some think that if you're really that good, you don't need to compensate by adding all the acronyms to your name. Some think it's a sign that you're pretentious or arrogant. Some will see the PhD in particular, and think you're an academic .... That you're not geared for the rough and tumble world of corporate America.
My personal feeling is that when you're really good, you don't need acronyms listed at the end of your name. You can and should list all of your certifications and qualifications on your resume. It's just a questions of how they are presented.
S P A C I N G:
Every blue moon, I see a name on a resume that looks like this:
Simply put, when you add a space between all of the letters of your name, it makes it impossible for most software applications to accurately parse out your name. Regardless of how good you think it looks, it's not a good idea.
Keep it simple. Put your name in bold at the top of your resume. It can be centered, or justified to one side or the other. That doesn't really matter. The key is to make it easy for the software to find it.
A few common pitfalls which can confuse software include the following:
Text Boxes: Many resume databases don't have a mechanism for incorporating the contents of text boxes into the data that they grab. Therefore, if your name is front and center, at the top of a resume where it should be, but in a text box, it might get missed. Just this week, a woman sent me such a resume. It was beautiful... Very well written ... Nicely laid out. When my software grabbed it though, and I looked at the summary of her contact information, the software had decided that her name was: Profile.
In my case, I do my best to check every resume that gets entered into my system. Imagine though that your resume is going intot he database of one of those search firms that runs lots of phantom openings. (They look like openings, but they aren't real.) They have sucked in several hundred resumes int he past few days and some admin assistant has clicked on abutton and processed them all intot he database. You call a few days later:
(You) - Hello, this is Sandy Jones. I'm calling about my resume....
(Recruiter) - I don't see a Sandy Jones in our database...
It's a problem that the recruiter can easily fix. Let's say though that you didn't follow up, and the mistake wasn't spotted. Several months later, a hiring manager who you have networked with calls the recruiter.
(Manager) Could you pull up the resume of Sandy Jones? I'd like to have a look at it...
(Recruiter) I don't see anyone in our database with that name. Maybe she emailed her resume to the wrong address. That happens from time to time.
(Manager) Hmmm. OK. Well, here's the type of person I need. ... Please see if you can turn up some candidates for me.
And you have just missed out on an opportunity.
Headers: Placing your name in a header seems like a good way of saving space. However, some systems don't read headers when looking for contact information either. Additionally, resumes often get reviewed without being printed out. Sometimes people will have their word processor set so that the headers and footers don't even show up.
My pet peeve as a recruiter is that when I submit a candidate to a client, I include my company logo in the header. A resume that is formatted to look "right" with the name and contact information in the header generally requires some time and effort on my part to get it looking right again when I have to pull the name out and insert it into the text of the resume. ... All the more problematic if a candidate has created a resume using tables in the body of the resume. (Another pet peeve.)
Alphabet Soup: Ever see a name at the top of a resume like this?
Jon Jones, MBA, PhD, PMP, CCNA, UGI, CDC,PVC, NBA
Alphabet soup at the end of the name can screw up the identification of your name. More importantly, it actually can be viewed as a negative by many people. Some think that if you're really that good, you don't need to compensate by adding all the acronyms to your name. Some think it's a sign that you're pretentious or arrogant. Some will see the PhD in particular, and think you're an academic .... That you're not geared for the rough and tumble world of corporate America.
My personal feeling is that when you're really good, you don't need acronyms listed at the end of your name. You can and should list all of your certifications and qualifications on your resume. It's just a questions of how they are presented.
S P A C I N G:
Every blue moon, I see a name on a resume that looks like this:
B E A U R E G A R D Q. P E R I W I N K L E
Simply put, when you add a space between all of the letters of your name, it makes it impossible for most software applications to accurately parse out your name. Regardless of how good you think it looks, it's not a good idea.
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