Employee Referrals

Not long after publishing last week's post, I was on a plane talking to a guy about his job search. He got into some of the themes brought up in that post.

Specifically, he was discouraged because he feels like the employment landscape promotes a "who you know" mentality. He was wondering if there's a place for people who focus on doing good work and not on meeting friends of friends who have a contact within your dream employer's ranks.

The answer is YES!

While networking is alive and well (and a good thing!), more employers are trying to make solid hiring decisions based on qualifications. Similarly, employee referral programs are common, but they don't carry the weight that they used to. Again, employers are paying more attention to the skill set of the person awarded the job. 

This shift is one of the few positives that has emerged since the Great Recession.

Marketing For The Win

If a tree falls in the forest…

You know the saying and are probably already wondering where I am going with this.

If you do great work but don’t know how to market it, does it matter?

Of course, doing great work matters. Personal fulfillment is incredibly important. That is all well and good (really!), but if you aren’t promoting your skills and achievements effectively, all the great work in the world won’t help you secure your next best thing.

In this day and age, it is not enough to simply keep your head down and hope you get recognized. We live in a world were people can be famous for nothing. Professionally speaking, you’re potentially contending with candidates and colleagues who, despite not being nearly as qualified or skilled as you, are securing positions based on their ability to market themselves well. Essentially, they’re “famous” for being good at marketing themselves.

You’ve got to be your own best advocate, and that means knowing how to market yourself effectively. The good news is that you are already doing great work, so you have a great head start.

If you feel like you are not able to effectively market yourself, reach out. You deserve to be recognized for the great work that you do; I can help.

How Long Should My Resume Be

I got a lot of questions about last week's post on resume length. I've decided to revisit an old post in order to provide more information on the "whys" behind resume length.

I say it often, but it is always worth repeating: regardless of your level of experience, the goal of a resume is to establish qualifications, pique interest, and create some curiosity gaps – those questions that make readers want to learn more via an interview. In almost every case, a page or two is enough to accomplish that goal. That leaves the question of when is one page appropriate and when should you expand your resume to two pages. The answer to that question might surprise you.

While these are just guidelines, the general premises can be applied to almost everyone.

In the beginning – When you are just starting out, a one-page resume is probably in order. You’ve got little relevant experience, possibly some education and hopefully a lot of promise. At this point in the game, one page is almost always enough to outline your limited experience and communicate how you plan to make a positive impact.

Climbing the ranks – After you have some solid, relevant experience under your belt, a two-page resume starts to make good sense. You’ve likely got several years of experience and multiple relevant positions. You also likely have quite a few bona fide accomplishments. Two pages provide ample room to list your multiple roles and your wealth of accomplishments. This is the time in your career to lay it all out on the table.

At the top of your career – Many of the executives I work with are shocked to hear me suggest a one-page resume despite their extensive experience. At this level though, it is more likely that the foundational and formational experiences can be omitted. Also, it is less likely that you will need to “sell” your position and instead can let your title and scope of influence imply previous experience.

People and careers are dynamic, so these suggestions may not apply to you. However, consider the underlying themes here and help them guide your decision about how long your resume should be.

More Is Not Always Better

Your exhaustive LinkedIn profile or five-page resume tells readers a lot. Unfortunately, the message they may be sending could be working against you.

It takes courage and confidence to create a concise LinkedIn profile or resume. So, if you are including every position you’ve ever held, all the content of your job descriptions, or a detailed rundown of every single accomplishment, you could be inadvertently communicating a lack of confidence or, even worse, desperation. 

When it comes to marketing your skills, unless you are in some very specialized fields like Medicine and Academia, brevity and focus are hallmarks of professional expertise.

Be Prepared

Lately, in the HR Consulting side of my work, I've been surprised by the number of times my clients are dealing with unprepared candidates. When it comes to senior-level positions, big-name companies tend to get a lot of referrals. More often than not, those referrals have to go through the same process as all candidates (that's all about fair treatment, and that's a good thing).

What I'm surprised at, though, is the number of times my client companies are dealing with referred candidates that don't have a current resume.  

Of course, I see this on the other side of the table as well. Many people reach out to me for a resume that was needed, well, yesterday.

Make having a resume – an outstanding, updated resume – a priority. It's your personal marketing tool, and you never know when you'll need it. Plus, being able to produce one quickly is very impressive.

The Right Job

At this time of the year – particularly after tax season – people tend to reflect on their jobs and careers. Many of the questions I get revolve around the classic "do I just get a job – any job – or do I build my career" dilemma. Given that, I wanted to put up this repost of some advice I've given before.

I was just on a conference call on which someone said "Right now, people care about getting a job, not reinventing themselves." I think – in a horrible economic climate – it's easy to take a "people just want jobs" attitude because, well, people do want jobs. But, just as companies are now seeking the right fit, so too are job candidates. Sure, we all need to put food on the table; I'm not arguing that many people simply need work in order to do that.

What I'm proposing, though, is that – whether that's the case or not – more and more people want to find the right job – the right career.

My advice…. Don't buy into a "I need any job" mindset. Even if you have to take a job to simply meet expenses, don't let that be the end of the conversation. Always focus on moving closer and closer to the right thing, even if that means taking those steps while you are doing the wrong thing temporarily.

In this economy (and going forward), you can't afford to feel disempowered. Do whatever you need to do to start feeling empowered and energized by your work/career.

Listing Availability on a Resume

Q. Where do I list availability on my resume?

A. Simple answer; you don’t. In the rare case that you need to speak to availability at all, you would do so in the cover letter.

If you are applying for a position that requires specific availability, then it can be assumed that you meet those requirements (so you don’t need to state that you do). If your availability differs from the job requirements, then you can share that in the cover letter and speak to why you are still a strong fit for the position.

There are always outliers, but in all of my years on both sides of the table, I have yet to come across a situation where availability actually belongs on the resume.

The Shadow Side of Longevity

Longevity, while still potentially very attractive to employers, just doesn’t command the attention that it once did. In fact, longevity could actually be working against you.

Here are three possible perceptions that someone with an extended history with one organization (or in one role) needs to be mindful of:

Unambitious – The easiest way to combat this especially negative perception is to highlight a track record of taking on new challenges. Make sure to clearly outline ways in which you’ve expanded or stepped outside of your role. Speak to specific projects you’ve taken on or responsibilities you’ve assumed.

Lack of agility – Unlike candidates with several positions within multiple organizations, agility isn’t implied by your professional timeline. In this case, make sure to speak to overcoming obstacles in your role. Include instances of adapting to a changing organization or industry.

Stagnant skills – This is a perception that is fairly easy to combat, but no less critical to be mindful of. Make sure your resume is clearly outlining recent and relevant training. Show professional affiliations and, even higher impact, thought leadership through professional social media profiles.

Longevity still translates to “loyalty” in the minds of many readers, which is a huge differentiator. But times and perceptions are changing. Knowing the potentially negative way readers can view longevity means you can manage perceptions while highlighting a professional quality that is increasingly rare.

References and Your Resume

I get a lot of questions about how to handle references on a resume and during the job search process. As I've written about before, it is not a good idea to list references – or even the phrase “references available upon request” – on your resume.  Here is why.

First off, if a potential employer wants to see your references, they will ask for them. In the modern employment landscape, employers know that you will provide references, if needed. No need to state the obvious. Once requested, You can provide them on a separate document (after you have let your references know that they should expect to be contacted). Use the space you save by leaving “references available upon request” off of your resume to include one more accomplishment.

Another reason behind leaving references off of your resume is equally as important. Your references have entrusted you with their personal contact information. If you list those details on your resume, than you will essentially be broadcasting them across the Internet when you upload your resume to career websites. Honor the trust your references have placed in you by only providing their information to potential employers who have specifically requested it.

Authenticity Should Not Be a Differentiator

“I build authentic connections with my team.”

That answer – a response to a question I ask my clients about what they feel sets them apart – struck a nerve. Why? Because it dawned on me that authenticity is increasingly used as a differentiator.

Like seeing “real food” emblazoned on a block of cheese, there is something incredibly sad about the need to qualify one’s actions as authentic.

Let’s all strive to make “authentic” the default. Let’s work toward a place where our actions – both professional and personal – are simply assumed to be authentic. When that time comes, we can all find plenty of other ways to differentiate ourselves.