Tandem Empowers 2016

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It's been way too long since I've talked about Tandem Empowers here on the blog.

Many people here in the United States - and, more so, around the world - have to endure a lot of hardship. About 2 of 3 people lack access to clean drinking water and about 1 of 3 people live on less than $1 a day. In a world with so much wealth, it really is unimaginable.

On top of these already disquieting statistics, many of these same people have to endure colossal tragedies. 

Oftentimes, when I get into these topics, I have to resist the urge to feel as though I am getting “off topic” from the core purpose of Tandem. During those moments, though, I’m quickly reminded that this, too, is what Tandem is all about.

Tandem is, of course, about consulting, resume writing, and career development. Essentially, inspiring people to get more aligned with their authentic selves and, therefore, closer and closer to career (and life!) satisfaction. If you’ve used Tandem’s services or have spent some time here on the website, you likely know that it goes deeper than that.

My desire to empower people and communities transcends career development activities. In fact, Tandem got off the ground emboldened by the belief that we are all connected as world citizens. Meaning, what’s good for you is good for me.

I routinely support disadvantaged people with help in the professional development arena. I also like to have a Charity of Choice to which I donate a portion of my sales. I am currently deciding on a Charity of Choice for 2016 (maybe two!). Stay tuned.

Okay, back to resumes and consulting.

Say "Yes" to Cover Letters

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There are a few questions that are routinely in the race for my "most asked question" award.

One of those contenders is: "Do I really need to send cover letters?"

Some advice I've given before here on the blog:

First, always submit a cover letter with your resume unless a company/organization specifically asks for only a resume. An ideal cover letter can take many forms to be sure, but its main goal should be to motivate the reader to take a close look at your resume.

Moreover, I typically like to see a cover letter that gives the reader a bit more information – some “context” that will help them to make further sense of the resume. Oftentimes, a cover letter becomes more important once the list of job candidates has been whittled down. That’s when the “extras” that a cover letter provides can make all of the difference.

Now, go get to work on your best cover letter yet!

Summary of Qualifications

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A Summary of Qualifications isn't an awful thing. But a Summary of Qualifications, front and center, right at the top of your resume better be on point. Unfortunately, that's not what I often see.

Recently, I saw an overview of qualifications for a Senior Professional that read like that of a candidate right out of college. Reading through this too-junior-for-the-person section, it hit me. People often start with something like this on their first resume and simply repurpose it as the resume gets band-aid-like updates throughout a career.

In clear terms, if you are a Director with 20 years of experience, you should not be mentioning Microsoft Office at the top of your resume.

Is it time for your resume to match the current version of you?

Purposeful Job Hopping

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I've had a few client's reach out in the last couple of weeks concerned about how many jobs they've held in a short period of time, which reminded me of some advice I provided a reader several years ago. That reader had shared that he was 29 years old and had held 5 jobs in a variety of industries from Retail to Accounting to Hospitality. Understandably, he was concerned that potential employers would think that he was unfocused and, in is words, "a mess." Here is the advice I gave him:

"I work with a lot of individuals who are still in the early stages of their careers. Many subscribe to the notion that you have to have "it all figured out" on the day that you graduate from college. People are reluctant to embrace the idea that it's actually a good thing to explore a variety of pursuits in order to find the right career fit – one where what you do is infused with passion. I encourage clients to get comfortable with the idea of exploring a variety of interests. No, this doesn't mean that I encourage mindless job-hopping. It simply means that it's very unlikely that you'll quickly fall into the "right" job and/or career. In fact, I work with many late-in-their-career clients who are trying to recover from the downside of staying with a career that wasn't the right fit because "that's what you're supposed to do."

Allow yourself to grow into whatever is right for you. Eliminate counterproductive thinking that keeps you doing something that makes you miserable. Trust me – it will never get better. Don't let what a potential employer might think keep you from doing what makes sense for you. The payoff will be worth it."

Including Recommendations and Quotes On A Resume

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I've recently received questions from a few clients about whether or not they should include recommendations from colleagues on their resume. I understand the thinking behind the idea; it seems like it would be really effective to include positive quotes and brief recommendations on your resume. In practice, including quotes and recommendations on your resume is not a very effective approach.

The main reason this doesn't work as well as it seems it should is that these quotes and recommendations are unverifiable. There is no way to quickly verify that the quotes and recommendations you include on your resume are real. In contrast, a letter of recommendation is generally written on an organization's letterhead. Recommendations on LinkedIn are put in by the person who is recommending you and directly linked to their profile.

The best way to share this kind of information with a potential employer is through your letter of recommendation and your LinkedIn profile.

Not Knowing is the Worst

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Sometimes you have a sneaking suspicion that your resume is working against you. Maybe you feel like you could use some help with creating something more effective, but you also can't begin to imagine what would change. I mean, if you knew what needed to change, you would just change it. Right?

That frustrating situation and the nagging thought that something isn't quite right is why I began offering my professional resume review option. Most clients who reach out ultimately move forward with my Tandem's Essentials or Tandem's Toolkit options because they know their job search documents aren't working and they need a professional to do the heavy lifting. But every once in a while someone just needs my insights to help them understand what is working on their resume and, more critically, where there are major areas of opportunity. The good news is that, if those clients ultimately decide that they need more help, a majority of the cost associated with a professional resume review can be applied to one of those aforementioned packages.

If you are dealing with that uneasy feeling that something about your resume is just not right, get in touch. Maybe all you need is a professional to point you in the right direction. Maybe you'll decide you need more help than that. Regardless, a professional resume review could be just what you need.

A Competitive Broad Use Resume

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A client recently reached out and requested my help developing a  "competitive broad-use resume," the kind that can be "posted on a job site and have lots of different employers" reach out for interviews. If you read that request and think "YES! I want the same kind of broad-use resume," I have some sobering news.

No such resume exists.

While I work closely with clients to create very agile resumes that can be targeted toward multiple opportunities (if that is the client's objective), there is no such thing as truly competitive “broad-use” resume. The most effective resumes are specifically targeted toward each opportunity. Additionally, it is perfectly fine to have a passive component to your job search strategy (i.e. uploading your resume to a job search site and waiting to be contacted), but that should just be a small part of a largely active and focused approach to securing a new position.

Should You Add Dates For Education On A Resume?

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Q. It took me 6 years to complete my Bachelor's degree. I am afraid that showing dates for my degree is going to make people wonder why it took me so long and hurt my chances of getting an interview. Any tips?

A. I have good news. There are several ways to keep the dates for your education from raising any potential red flags in the minds of readers.

The simplest answer is to not include dates for your education. Many resumes exclude dates for education since they can easily serve as a basis for age discrimination.

If your education is a key qualification and / or you need to show dates in order to address an apparent "gap," then simply include the year that you earned your degree (not the date range).

Don’t Upload Your Resume to LinkedIn

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LinkedIn has a great upload feature and you should absolutely use for rich media (presentations, thought pieces, etc.). Just don't use it to upload your resume.

There are two key reasons why I don’t recommend including your resume on your LinkedIn account:

• The most effective resume is one that is targeted toward a specific position. Of course, if a potential employer is grabbing your resume off of LinkedIn, you do not have the ability to target the resume.

• If an interested party can grab your resume from your LinkedIn account, there is one less reason to get in touch with you, which eliminates a crucial opportunity for you to develop a relationship early on. It is much more effective to be able to deliver your (targeted) resume as a second step in the process.

Space Equals Importance

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There are some fundamental truths when it comes to resume writing. One of the most basic is that space equals importance. Not whitespace, but the amount of digital ink you dedicate to each position

I see a lot of resumes where the candidate provides a great deal of detail for an older position and significantly less for a more recent (and relevant to the position to which they are applying) position. The problem is that this sends a message – if unintentional – to readers that you don't believe your most recent position is as valuable or significant as the older role.

When considering how much space to dedicate to each position, consider the following "guidelines."

• Your most recent and relevant positions should occupy the most space in your professional timeline.

• Older or less relevant positions should occupy the least amount of space in your professional timeline.

• Foundational positions (that are still current enough to even be included on your resume) might be reduced to just a title, organization name, location, and dates.

Have a look at your resume. Are you sending the subtle message that your current role is of less importance than an older position?