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Seattle, WA
USA
Tandem Powered offers a full suite of Professional Resume Writing, Career Development, and HR / Business Consulting services.
Our blog and podcast dive into the real stories and everyday strategies behind building a No Vacation Required life. We challenge outdated norms, share fresh perspectives, and explore what it means to find fulfillment right now—in a world that rarely makes it easy.
Q: Your post on fulfillment really got me. The thing is, many people (including me) don't have that luxury. It's tough enough to make ends meet. Don't you think a lot more people are going to have to be satisfied by simply having a job?
Read MoreIf you follow this blog, you know that I like to share answers to the most frequent questions that come through my inbox. One of the most common questions I get asked is, “What can I do to make my job search successful?”
Read MoreHere is a question I get at least once a week, “I interviewed with several people. Who do I send the thank you letter to?” Generally speaking, send a thank you email to every person with whom you interviewed. If you really want to stand out, take the time to personalize each email with something specific that that specific interviewer brought to the table.
For example, you might add in something like this: “I appreciated learning more about how your sales team partners with IT to develop proposals and presentations. It gave me an even clearer idea into the kind of collaboration I could expect at XXX and made me even more enthusiastic about the possibility of joining your team.”
In this job market, you need to seize every opportunity to reassert your interest and differentiate yourself. A thoughtful and personalized post interview thank you letter is a great chance to do that.
If you have recently interviewed and have not heard anything, you are probably hoping that this post will tell you a very specific period of time to wait before following up after an interview. Unfortunately, there is only one way to know for certain, and the answer can only come from the potential employer.
Read MoreI can’t tell you how often I see resumes with the incorrect LinkedIn URL on them. In short, your public LinkedIn profile URL should look something like this: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hruncovered
Not this:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Additionally, if you have not “claimed” your vanity URL, you should do that as well. Here is the link: http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?editwp=#
Make today the day you decide to pursue professional development. The day you decide to live from a place of commitment – not comfort or fear.
Read MoreA while back, I wrote The Resume Is Not Dead following a spate of articles sounding a death knell for the tried-and-true job search document. At that time, LinkedIn had just announced its “Apply With LinkedIn” button, which many touted as the final nail in the resume’s coffin. The resume has persevered.
So why does the resume remain the law of the land in an increasingly connected and technically savvy world? Here is the truth of why the resume is here to stay, and why that is a good thing.
Resumes work: Many would argue that resumes don’t work because they are not getting the responses they had hoped for. That is not because the resume is ineffective; ineffective resumes are ineffective. Concise, engaging and accomplishment-focused resumes are still a great way to communicate your potential value and pique readers’ interest.
Resumes are relatively uncomplicated: I chuckle when I read the enthusiastic responses to articles claiming that video or infographic resumes are the new way forward. Creating a resume can be a real struggle for many. But... imagine the barrier to entry being, say, a well-produced video or a beautifully designed infographic resume that tells your story in a completely novel way! I’m sure many would be pining for the “old days” of resumes.
Resumes conform to the systems that exist: Most companies tend to take the slow road when it comes to adopting new technology. That is especially true of HR. Additionally, many have adopted systems to manage the heavy volume of resumes they receive (the much maligned automated screening systems). While new ways of promoting yourself may be disruptive, they often won’t make it through the systems that are currently in place.
As I have said before, I applaud people for pushing the boundaries and developing creative ways of marketing themselves. The landscape is changing – but not that quickly. I maintain that a powerful resume needs to be the centerpiece of any job search.
Researching a company prior to an interview is a very good investment of your time. Coming prepared with a high-level grasp of the organization will bolster your confidence and help you speak more directly to why you are a strong fit.
Read MoreA colleague just told me that 29 states have seen recent drops in unemployment. Woohoo! With that positive movement comes an increased confidence among both the employed and unemployed. It's an indication that employers are growing, which gives people – currently working or not – increased inspiration to get back to the business of managing their careers. That's good news!
Early this year, I created a guide – Beyond an Outstanding Resume – that will further bolster that inspiration to own your career. The guide details some things, beyond a resume, that should be part of your career maximizing regimen.
It's still being fine tuned, but the response so far has been extremely positive. So much so, that I'm going to continue the current promotion I have running. All new clients get the guide for free with the purchase of any resume package.
Wishing you a fantastic spring and a great month ahead.
As always, feel free to get in touch.
Listing volunteer experience on your resume and LinkedIn profile is a great idea, but many people are confused about how to address it. I get a lot of questions asking whether or not volunteer experience should be listed with “paid” experience – especially when that experience fills in an employment gap.
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