Career Management Alliance Blog

An interesting study by the Center for Work-Life Policy indicated that 57% of US companies are offering flexible work hours as a retention tool. With many employees who are seeking flexible hours to care for children or ailing family members, it can be a win-win for both the employee and the employer.

If you’re considering such an option, here’s a few tips to put this in motion:

• Write a plan on how your request for flex time will benefit your employer
• Set up a meeting to discuss this with your supervisor
• Establish a trial period with an end date
• Follow up with your boss to address any issues

I can think of another advantage to flexible hours. For those who may be on the verge of burning out, this could be just what you need to help you recharge.

Posted by Louise Garver

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Wow, the year is winding down fast, it’s almost October! If you are a job seeker, you need to crank it up a notch and get your resume out there before the holiday lull. Even if you are not in the job market and think your job is secure, you should always have your resume updated should an opportunity present itself. Companies lay off more employees during the last quarter of the year than any other time as they review their budgets. They are also in the process of creating new positions for the following year, so the savvy job seeker will not want to ignore this opportune time to get their resume out there.

If you are taking on the task of trying to write your own resume, here are some guidelines from a professional resume writer:

• Does the resume have a clear theme – a profile at the top with
  a header reflecting your intended job focus and unique brand so as to position you for
  the type of job you are looking for?

• Does it contain key words that match the types of positions you are applying to online?
• Is it easy to read – font at least 10 pt. Arial with sections that break up text into paragraphs of no more than 3-4 lines?
• Do you include position descriptions that reflect the SCOPE of your
  responsibility, i.e. revenue accountability, number of people
  supervised, size of the company, etc.?
• Do you include accomplishments that are specific and measurable with quantitative or qualitative data?
• Are your special skills highlighted, computer or technology skills, certifications, special projects?
• Does the resume show your history, i.e. why you moved from one
  company to another or to various positions within the company? For
  example you should mention that you were “recruited based on industry
  reputation” or “promoted based on demonstrated leadership to launch a new
  product or division.”

These tips reflect the basics that make up a good resume. So take the time to do it right. It’s like insurance, you shouldn’t be without
it in our volatile world. And if you are struggling or don’t believe you’ve done an adequate job, hire someone to write it for you. It’s well worth the investment.

Posted by Julianne Franke

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I taught a workshop today to older workers, many of whom were concerned that employers wouldn’t hire them because of their age. I shared with them the wisdom – and humor – of Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the well-known book, What Color Is Your Parachute.

Bolles notes that many people are convinced that they are unemployable for a wide variety of reasons, and he fills a page with two columns of those reasons, including:

• education (too much/too little/too long ago/not relevant, etc.)
• appearance (too attractive/too unattractive, too short/too tall, too fat/too thin, etc.)
• age (too young/too old)
• work experience (too little/too sporadic/too long in one place, etc.)
• gender
• ethnicity/race/religion (perceived preferential treatment for minority or majority groups)
• disability

…and on and on. Bolles concludes with the tongue-in-cheek observation that it appears there are only about three weeks in a person’s lifetime when they are employable!

It’s undeniable that there are employers who will discriminate against people for any of the above reasons. My husband has been told numerous times that his short stature works against him – he’s either perceived as not tough enough for the job or as probably having a Napoleonic complex. Nevertheless, he has always found work. The same is true of every attribute that people think will make them unemployable – people with those attributes find jobs every day.

You may have to work a little harder in some cases, try some creative job search strategies, and most definitely use your networking contacts for assistance, but with a positive attitude and a concerted effort, you are employable.

posted by Wendy Gelberg

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As a career transition consultant, I am always intrigued by what clients share as their greatest roadblock, hurdle or difficulty in finding new employment; intrigued and interested because it serves as a place from which to move forward in our work together. While the challenges may vary, the issues are important to recognize and resolve. Otherwise, they can keep you stuck, hold you back, or get in the way of getting on with it. Here are some challenges and concerns I’ve heard time and again; sometimes they are also referred to as excuses. It doesn’t really matter what you label them…what matters is how you deal with them:

• I’m scared, afraid, embarrassed, ashamed, stressed about losing my job
• My attitude isn’t the best
• My resume is bad
• I hate my job but the money is good
• I’m distracted by other things instead of looking for work
• I’m uncomfortable talking about myself at the interview
• I don’t know what I’m doing; I feel out of control
• I posted my resume online and nothing happened
• No one is hiring right now; the economy is terrible
• I’m too old
• Recruiters don’t call me back
• My boss fired me and I’m afraid he’ll give me a bad reference
• I have some personal issues impacting my career
• Looking for a job is overwhelming
• I’m drawing unemployment so I’m not looking that hard
• I got a severance package so I’m taking a break
• I’m discouraged, depressed, disillusioned
• I’ve been a stay at home Dad / Mom
• I’m overqualified; I don’t have any experience
• I don’t have a college degree

As you read through each of these challenges, consider how you might think differently about that particular challenge or concern if you find it impacting your career search. What steps can you take to turn the negative into a positive to get yourself back on track? On a piece of paper, record the particular entry (or entries) you find yourself struggling with; beneath it, jot down some positive action steps you can take, starting today, to change things and get going again. For sure, it’s worth a try. Giddyup. Giddyap. Giddap!

posted by: billie sucher

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As a career coach, I work with many people who initially believe they need a new career–that is–a new occupation. They present many different reasons for seeking a career change that have little to do with their actual occupation. Once we begin to peel back the layers prompting their interest in a change, we begin to see the source.

In today’s often frenetic work environment that includes working 50+ hours a week, taking courses toward an MBA, caring for a family or elderly family member, running errands and trying to find time to sleep, burnout is often the culprit.

It’s easy to miss the symptoms and leap to the conclusion that a career change is needed. Instead, the solution may be less drastic … such as having a conversation with your boss, or making changes in your present job or seeking a new work environment. Do any of the following signs sound familiar to you?

• Being more cynical, critical or sarcastic
• Losing the sense of job in everyday experiences
• Dragging yourself to work or having difficulty getting started
• Feeling more irritable, angry and less patient with others or those making demands
• Feeling as if you face insurmountable barriers
• Lacking energy to be productive
• No lacking feeling satisfied by your achievements
• Feeling disillusioned about your job
• Using food, drugs or alcohol to improve your mood
• Changes in your sleep habits, appetite or weight
• Having headaches, neck pain or lower back pain
• Increasing degree of risk taking

Identifying these behaviors/symptoms can help you spot the signs of burnout to make appropriate and beneficial changes in your worklife that don’t necessarily involve changing your occupation.

Posted by Louise Garver

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I have an excellent contact at a large global corporation in Atlanta
who was fortunate to be able to refer one of my clients relocating from
Memphis. Her reward? $3,000. Not bad for just submitting the resume
and cover letter through the appropriate HR channels.

As a career transition coach, I am fortunate to be in a better than average job market. The saying “Hot ‘lanta” certainly has been true, from the standpoint of job creation, as the hub of the Southeast continues to grow. However, I still find my clients getting discouraged with their job search campaigns when they focus more time online than networking.

Sound familiar? So you say, “yes I know I need to network more, but it’s a pain.” Well, take heart, I am going to tell you about a strategy that is easy and effortless and can get you into a great company. In my coaching, I often advocate what I call the Referral Campaign which is basically a form of networking, but I don’t like to use that word as it often creates an immediate mental block in some job seekers. But very few people today are aware of a powerful resource that makes networking or referral interviewing easy – it’s

THE COMPANY REFERRAL PROGRAM !!!

Companies have been using employee referral programs to fill open positions for as long as they have been around, but the number of such programs has been increasing since 2000 and recently the concept has been in the forefront as more employers look for ways to minimize the negative impacts related to the proposed “War for Talent.” Companies are finding that this is one of the best vehicles to attract quality employees that have a higher retention rate; and many studies have demonstrated that Employee Referral programs do just that. A February 2007 article from the online ERE Network entitled The Future of Employee Referral Programs responded to what employers are doing in response to hiring shortages:

“Many companies will turn to employee referrals to fill the
void. This will not just be based on the fact that referred employees stay
longer and perform better once hired, but based on desperation to find
someone — anyone – who can do the job.”

So how can you as a job seeker or career professional take advantage of this resource? Ask your friends, family members, clients, or colleagues if their company has an employee referral program. When you find one that fits with a company you are targeting, ask your contact if they can forward your resume and cover letter to the appropriate hiring manager. Or if you see a job posted on the company’s website that is a fit, that’s even better. You can reference the job number in your cover letter. Given the potential benefit to the employee, they are more than motivated to help. And you will not be so hesitant to ask for their help.

One piece of advice, be sure to contact your referral first before applying for position online. Some companies will not allow the employee to get credit for the referral if the candidate applies online independently.

So sign off from your computer now and go reach out to make use of this valuable resource!

Posted by Julianne Franke

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One of the early life lessons every child is taught is to remember to say “please” and “thank you.” When it comes to job search, however, it appears that many people have forgotten the lesson. According to an MSNBC article, most studies show that well below 40% of job seekers send thank you letters after an interview – even though most hiring managers indicate that they expect to receive an expression of thanks.

If only two out of five people are sending thank you notes, you have the opportunity to really stand out. Use a thank you note for any or all of the following reasons:

1. To show common courtesy and gratitude for the opportunity.
2. To reiterate a point you made that you felt was well received and remind the interviewers why they were positively impressed.
3. To recover from a weak answer by offering your thoughts after you’ve had further time to reflect on the question.

Author Susan Ireland (The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Perfect Resume) wrote on this topic in her blog last week, noting that how you send the note may depend on the nature of the relationship. I would suggest that an email is appropriate if time is of the essence (e.g., if you’ve been told that the decision will be made by the end of the next day), if it’s an IT position, or if email has been your primary means of communicating with the employer. A word-processed letter would most likely be well received in a conservative, traditional environment. And a hand-written note, perhaps on an attractive blank greeting card, would be well suited in a setting that values relationships. Remember to send individual thank yous to each person you meet with if you’re interviewed by more than one person.

Asked about thank you letters, the Vice President of Talent Strategies for Coca-Cola told an audience of career management experts that she didn’t care how people sent them, just as long as they did. So give yourself the upper hand, and send a thank you note after your interview.

Posted by Wendy Gelberg

4 Comments »

A couple of weeks ago, my client and I were going through a PowerPoint on Staying Motivated. One of my slides posed this question:

What is your motivational mantra?

My client indicated that at that moment she couldn’t think of one, so we continued. In a little bit, she let me know that she’d thought of one — one her dad had taught her years ago. It was good! I shared with her mine, one I discovered when I was a little girl snooping around in my Grandmother’s school books:

Hitch Your Wagon to a Star by Ralph Waldo Emerson

and the other, a poem called Myself by Edgar Guest.

Anyway, here’s the one my client passed along to me:

“Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, life’s a cinch.”

posted by: billie sucher

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While at a luncheon the other day at a restaurant, I couldn’t help overhearing the tense conversation between two people about what appeared to me to be something minor. However, one of them sounded so stressed about this work-related matter that I thought we might need to call 911.

Coincidentally, when I arrived back at my office, my eye caught the title of a book on my shelf called “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work” by Dr. Richard Carlson. He’s the author of the bestseller, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… And It’s All Small Stuff.”

As we know, work takes up a huge part our daily lives whether we are employed in large or small organizations, and no one would argue that it’s often stressful. That’s not likely to change. So, how to deal with stressful issues most effectively becomes the key question. As Dr. Carlson states in his book, it can be quite impressive how people handle major issues in work–and their lives–with courage, creativity and resilience. Yet, it can be quite another matter when dealing with the daily things … “small stuff.”

Because there is so much “small stuff,” I agree with the author that if we can learn to treat the smaller hassles with better perspective, patience and maybe even a sense of humor, it can bring out the best in ourselves and others. Wouldn’t it be nice to also be spending far less time feeling annoyed and frustrated.

Posted by Louise Garver

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If you’re among the early adopters of MS Word 2007, you’ll want to remember when sending attachments that not all employers have upgraded to the latest version of Word. A manager at a One-Stop Career Center told me last week that he’s been getting resumes for a position the center has posted, but he hasn’t been able to open a couple because of compatibility issues. Fortunately for the job seekers, this manager took the time to send them a note to that effect, thus giving them a second chance to submit their documents.

Most hiring managers won’t be that considerate – this particular manager, after all, is in the business of assisting job seekers, so it was natural for him to want to educate the individuals who sent him unreadable files. More typically, employers are receiving so many resumes for any one position that they won’t take the time to give individual feedback of any sort and will simply move on to the next document. A 2007 CareerBuilder survey reported that 27% of managers receive more than 50 resumes for each open position, while 13% receive over 100 – they have more than enough qualified candidates without having to go to any extra lengths.

So remember to use the “save as” feature and save your documents to an earlier version of Word to make sure employers can read what you send them. A Word to the wise.

Posted by Wendy Gelberg

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