Nailing The Resume And Job Interview

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Over the last several weeks, I have been on a search/hiring committee, helping one of my consulting client's secure a pool of top candidates for a key executive position.

During a few of the committee's meeting – reviewing resumes and talking about the applicants in general – we all found ourselves struck by how "unreal" people tend to make themselves on resumes and in person.

It's as if a majority of the applicants went into the process with the goal of "sounding important" on paper. What's sad is that a solid chunk of the candidates have backgrounds that stand on their own and would rise to the top by presenting those backgrounds in a powerful, thoughtful manner.

I have to say, this is a key reason why hiring a Career Strategist (like me!) is so beneficial. When we're writing about ourselves, it's tough to get out of our own way in bringing our best to the surface. It's disheartening to see competent, credentialed people come off as less than.

Some things to keep in mind.

1) Bring the best version of you to the surface. The key here is the "of you" part. Never let your essence disappear from how you present yourself.

2) Be articulate. Don't get too soundbite-y and definitely don't get too verbose. Practice packaging the best of you powerfully and succinctly.

3) Stay calm. It's feelings of desperation that often compel us to say and do things that aren't natural. Check your state of mind when you are working on your resume and preparing for an interview.

Want more? Check out this post I wrote several years ago.

Happy Birthday National Parks!

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This month – August 2016 – marks the 100th birthday of the US National Park System. As you click around this site, it will come as no surprise that I love the great outdoors and am very inspired by the beauty of my country's vast protected spaces. Many of the pictures that you see on the site are from different National Parks across the country. 

As summer starts to wind down, I want to encourage my readers – both in the US and abroad – to make it to a National Park during this centennial celebration. You can find inspiration here.

I am promoting our National Park network, as I believe it's important for each of us to give back in a way that feels appropriate. Via my Tandem Empowers program, I enjoy giving back to people in need and to charities that help to empower the world's most disadvantaged people. This year – for the first time – I am happy to throw my support behind something that's near and dear to my heart and the hearts of many of my fellow citizens: America's best idea – our National Park System.

Join me in heading outside this summer and rejuvenating ourselves for an amazing, productive Autumn.

Job Search Tips

You’re viewing an archived post. This post was originally published by The Change Laboratory, which is now part of No Vacation Required — our platform for Everyday Fulfillment. While this content is archived, it’s still full of solid advice and timeless insights.

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On the topic of bad job search advice (like "Don't send a cover letter!"), I want to resubmit this post from the archives:

Here is just a sampling of some of the purported “changes” to the job search and employment landscape that have been clogging up the Internet.

Companies no longer accept resumes – I read an article about a San Francisco creative firm that did not accept resumes. One firm. That article spawned several weeks of articles about how companies were eschewing resumes and instead only paying attention to “social” resumes – candidates’ presence on social media. Rest assured that this is not a trend. Companies are more and more likely to weigh your “social resume,” but that doesn’t mean the resume is going anywhere.

No one reads cover letters – This one comes up a lot and is a classic example of over-inflating the preferences of a few. There are definitely hiring managers and recruiters who will not read your cover letter. However, there are plenty of others that will see your cover letter as an opportunity to learn more about your qualifications and motivations. In fact, as companies are trying to maximize every dollar by hiring the best fit – the cover letter has taken on a new importance. And it's often a key tie-breaker when comparing final candidates.

You will be removed from the running if you send a thank you note – I wrote a post about this because it just seemed so counter to the prevailing wisdom. There are several arguments against sending a thank you note – none of which hold much weight. As I shared in that post, I maintain that a thank you letter is a key part of the job search process.

The job search process is nerve-racking enough without the addition of misinformation and disinformation. It’s no wonder that people feel overwhelmed.

Take some comfort in the fact that some basic tenets of the job search process still hold true.  Thank you notes are not bad, cover letters still make a difference and you will not have to create a diorama or original song to get your next job.

Have a great week!

Employers Weigh Cover Letters Heavily

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If you've read this blog for any period of time, you'll likely note that I often express my surprise over my clients' surprise when told that cover letters matter. This is not for all employers, of course, but for many. In my experience on the HR consulting side of the fence, decent employers care about cover letters.

Just this morning, a client sent me a job description with this blurb on the bottom. It's great advice to follow.

A cover letter that highlights three reasons you think you’d be great for the gig, focusing on how your past work experience has prepared you for this kind of position – or why you think you can rock the job even though you don’t have past work experience that’s perfectly aligned. Writing is key to all that we do, and we weigh cover letters heavily.

Need help with your cover letter and other top-notch job search documents. Get in touch.

Best Places to Work in 2016

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I love Outside's annual "best places to work" list.

Feeling energized to find a new job? Want to know how your work environment compares? Curious about hot benefits? Check out their list:

Best Places to Work

Want to dazzle one of these companies with a superb resume? Get in touch!

Take Time to Have Fun

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In the often-intense work I do, consulting on workplace dynamics and career excellence, I can find myself working with a lot of stress cases. As a long-time overachiever, I, too, can become quite a ball of stress, as I thrive on 10+ hour workdays, etc.

As we head into a holiday week, I want to take a moment to remind you to take some time to simply ENJOY LIFE.

Oddly, it's probably the best thing you can do for your career development. Taking the time to have fun, rejuvenate, laugh, sleep in (etc.) will make you a more effective leader, co-worker, and employee.

Have a look at your calendar and ensure that you have plenty of time scheduled for you to enjoy life and the ones that you love this summer.

If it isn't the best decision you make, I'll buy you a drink.

Change: The Time is Now!

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As you can tell from clicking around my website, my professional goal in 2016 is to inspire as much change as possible. Change in my corporate consulting clients and – even more so – change in my career development clients. Change is my specialty.

With 2016 nearly half over, I want to inspire you to take a step in the direction of your own happiness and fulfillment. 

Change is difficult. As people, employees, family members – you name it – we're conditioned to settle into a role and to stay put.

Of course, this can be a recipe for disaster. If a particular role is not authentic, months and months of dissatisfaction can quickly turn into years and years of unhappiness. Then, before you know it, you feel stuck in a role that doesn't fit. Worse yet, it's easy to feel as though it's "too late" to change.

It's never too late.

Your happiness and your life are too important to do something that's not a good fit. Putting you on the back burner is never a good idea. Don't save change for "later" – act now. One step at a time.

Many of the people I work with are not happy in their jobs. Jobs (and careers and companies) that they are often deeply embedded in. In many cases, it seems too overwhelming for them to break away.

I regularly ask these people to ponder one question as they sort out the details and weigh their options:

What are you becoming?

This is an especially powerful question to ask yourself because it shifts your perspective from the here-and-now to the future. It provides the frame for you to put your current situation aside in order for you to assess whether or not you are on the right path. This is crucial because, so often, people will let a current work reality skew their perspective. "My boss needs me right now." "I'm in the middle of a project." "My team is down one person." "I get my pay raise next month."

Ask that question as it relates to all areas of your life. If you find an area where you don't like your response, build a plan for change. You don't have to do it overnight – you simply need to start.

Wishing you satisfaction in all areas of your life. You deserve it.

How Do I Keep My Employer From Knowing That I am Job Hunting?

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Q. I need to update my LinkedIn profile, but I am afraid that if I do, my employer will know that I am looking for a job. How do I use LinkedIn without tipping my manager off?

A. I get this question a lot. Sadly, there is real reason to be mindful of your activity on LinkedIn. A lot of employers monitor LinkedIn closely. Many have very strict policies regarding what employees can actually do with LinkedIn. Beyond needing to adhere to any corporate policies regarding LinkedIn, there is a simple way to actively use LinkedIn without making it look like you are searching for a new job:

Consistently maintain your profile and use LinkedIn regularly.

Yes, the best way to use LinkedIn without making it look like you are searching for a job is to simply always be using LinkedIn. If you are in the habit of maintaining your profile (e.g. engaging with co-workers via shared projects, commenting on articles of interest, being a thought leader, etc.) then there is nothing suspicious about your presence on LinkedIn.

What Address to Put on a Resume

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Whether or not you list an address on your resume is completely up to you. However, not listing your address could make it more difficult to get considered for positions. Here is why: 

• Not including an address will leave many readers to believe that you are not a local candidate, which – with many positions still receiving a glut of clearly local candidates – could be a big hurdle to overcome. 

• As old-school as it may sound, a physical address adds a level of credibility to your resume. 

(Pay close attention; the next one is a BIGGIE!)

• Many screening systems will automatically reject or “red flag” resumes that don’t include an address. That means your resume might not even make it through the system. 

If you can stomach it, include your full physical address. If your simply too uncomfortable with that, consider at least listing your city, state / province, and postal code. This compromise at least lets readers know that you are a local candidate without fully disclosing your address. 

For readers who are omitting an address because your are not a local candidate, check out these tips for communicating to an employer that you are willing to relocate.

Let the Past be Past

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I'll get right to the point. Using the correct tense on your resume is way more important than you probably think. Adhering to proper grammar is critical on your resume, so that alone is reason enough to ensure your are using appropriate tenses. But there are other reasons to be careful with tenses…

Using appropriate tenses makes your resume more reader-friendly, and the more reader friendly a resume is, the more likely it will actually get read! Even more importantly, using incorrect tenses, such as listing past positions in the present tense, can make even the most achievement-focused bullet points and position overviews read impersonal – like the information you are providing doesn't belong to you but is more generally about the role.

Here is the long and short of it: Past positions, completed projects, and finalized achievements belong in the past tense. Your current position and on-going projects can be in the present tense.