Why Tandem Powered Is Your Perfect Partner

There are a lot of factors to consider when selecting a professional resume writer and career development professional. Here are five reasons why I believe Tandem Powered is the best choice for you.

1. Because you are your best investment.

Career development services are not a gadget that will be obsolete in a year or two. Rather, career development is a solid investment – perhaps the best investment you can make because it’s an investment in yourself and in your future. You’ll walk away from our time together with a new understanding of your professional strengths, a clear grasp of the value you represent, and tools that will serve you for a lifetime.

2. Because you need help organizing your life / work story.

If you’re like many people, you’ve let your career development languish. Many of my clients come to me with no idea of how to begin to organize their job history and the way they present themselves. My process gets things in order and leaves you in good shape to continue the momentum. 

3. Because you care about your professional and personal growth. 

So does Tandem. I am the first to say that powerful job search documents are a small part of a successful career management plan. That is why I place so much emphasis on the entire process; I want you to walk away with a success orientation and the kind of bolstered confidence that can change your career trajectory. This is about a lot more than a new resume, and that’s why I love what I do.

4. Because you understand the value of a deep process. 

I want you to be able to bring all of you, and so I bring all of me. I draw on my entire skills portfolio – education, professional certifications, extensive experience, and a background working with hundreds of professionals across almost every conceivable field – to provide the deepest and most enriching process possible. Get ready; we’ll get right down to the very details that will make you shine.

5. Because you want to see yourself in a new light. 

I am passionate about empowering you to see yourself and your career in the best light possible by directing your focus to your unique accomplishments and the value you represent. Just imagine the possibilities when you have a new success “language” that makes it easy for you to clearly speak to your past and, more importantly, your potential impact.

Think Long and Hard About That Infographic Resume

Today, I want to do a repost of a post from awhile back. Since I continue to get asked a lot about infographic resumes, I think this is worth a re-share.

Infographics are becoming very popular. They quickly communicate a wealth of information in an engaging and creative manner. Personally, I think they are fantastic. So...  Why not use an infographic as a resume, right? Well, hold on for a second before you decide.

Last week, I was on a recruiting panel call with a number of other people. One person on the call wanted to share the resume of a highly qualified candidate. It happened to be in the form of an infographic. Here's where things get really interesting. All but one person on the call thought the resume was great – clever, engaging and dynamic. Conversely, everyone on the call agreed that there was no way the resume would hold up through the recruiting process.

There are really two issues:

1. Resume screening software: Most of these programs "hate" infographics and would likely disregard the resume (meaning it might never get seen).
2. The employment landscape: The current job search environment (and many individuals hiring within it) simply aren't ready to see this type of resume.

As I said in a post I wrote about including hobbies on a resume, you have to consider your audience. I can tell you that – although the job search landscape is changing – the typical corporate recruiting environment is still in a place that would view this approach as gimmicky. For now, you should stick to a resume that incorporates powerful content but sticks to largely accepted resume standards. Here's what you can do:

• More and more, progressive companies are asking for creativity on your resume. In that case, go for it!
• If you are in design or a creative field, consider bringing an infographic resume to the interview as a "leave behind" – something that allows the interviewer to see your work in action.

As I say over and over throughout this website, your ideas and your creativity will matter more and more as HR and the hiring landscape continue to evolve.

The Problem Is Not Resumes, It's Your Resume

We’ve all heard the stories – some are true, many are bordering on the job search version of urban myths. A woman sent a VHS tape to Google instead of a resume and it landed her a senior-level position. A guy created a resume that looks exactly like an Amazon.com web page and it goes viral. A friend of a friend showed up to a place of employment and simply refused to leave until he or she was given a job (at least that worked for Erin Brokovich, right?).

Those stories capture our attention because they are, to a certain degree, soothing. They create the possibility that, just maybe, the reason we are struggling in our job search is not because we have ineffective resumes or lack critical qualifications. They allow us to believe that the real problem is that employers want us to completely turn their world upside down with a unique and disruptively creative job search approach.

For better or worse (I argue for better), that is simply not the reality. Über creative approaches can work, but that is the rare exception, not the norm. In almost every case, employers are looking for qualified candidates who can clearly communicate their potential impact via traditional channels.

Don’t decide to recreate the wheel before you’ve first put air in your tires.

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.