The not so mighty resume

Mr. Sheffield, I have been to a couple of your talks at the Public Library, and just have a question I have not yet found the answer to.  I have been without a job over two years , but have consistently applied, throughout last year I may have had two interviews?  What is wrong with my resume.

Sally

Hi Sally,

I am sorry to hear you are so frustrated.  I cannot say how well your resume is suited to the jobs you are applying to.  There is another factor to take into consideration and that is the method you are using to get a job.  Applying to jobs succeeds for 1/4 or less of all job seekers.  Many more find a job by developing a deeper understanding of the workplace through networking.  A resume is simply a piece of paper.  To put all your hopes into a piece of paper conveying the value you bring and your interest in doing that job is more than a piece of paper can bear.  This is why most people do not find jobs through ads.

Consider how you can reach out to people and find out more about the areas you are interested in.  That way you can develop a network which will lead eventually to a job. 

Hope that helps,

Win

Where is job security?

Hi Win,

I'm writing because I'm starting to get a bit concerned about my job search. I listed a few questions about my big data target, but I'm starting to wonder if this is the right career path. This might seem out of left field, but another area that I've been interested in is neuromarketing (cross section of neuroscience and marketing), which is really interesting. I spoke to someone about it today and it sounds like an area I should learn more about. 

But overall, I'm getting really considered about job security. I want something stable, but will also allow me to make some changes when necessary (once I get good at a skill/topic, I get bored very easily). I want a job that will meet various attributes for me. But first, I want to really understand what those attributes are. 

Chloe

Hi Chloe,

Don’t panic!  You are picking your targets as if you flying at 2,000 feet even though you are more or less at 50,000 feet.  From 50,000 feet, you can't tell a lot about the details of the landscape.  Yet, what interests you are the detailed techniques.  

You may pursue a number of directions.  See it for what it is, exploration, not failure.  You will  find job security in your ability to adapt to new techniques.  Your brand will be the commonalities between the threads like big data and neuromarketing and others that you are exploring.  No one technique will last long enough to provide security to you or anyone.  Being the person who uses the latest and best methods to understand consumer behavior will.  Keep using your desire not to be bored to explore.    

Win

LinkedIn Basics II - Connecting

Connecting on LinkedIn
As the second of three parts of my LinkedIn Basics, I address LinkedIn's most common use, connecting with others.  The article describes how the reader may choose to manage their LinkedIn presence.  


a. Identifying which kind of LinkedIn user you are and which kind your connections are


In addition to the marketing opportunities provided through creating your LinkedIn profile, LinkedIn provides the ability to connect to others.  It is a great rolodex, especially for people with whom you are not regularly in touch.  It pays to be aware that people use it differently, so the results you will get with one group or another may differ considerably.  I view participants as lying on a spectrum between two extremes.

On one end of the spectrum are those who scrupulously connect with only those who they know well, perhaps ex-colleagues.  This group use LinkedIn as a handy online (or cloud-based) rolodex.  The rule that they adhere to is that they will provide active assistance to those who they know in the real world, rather than those they have encountered only virtually.  Those using these criteria will tend to build their network slowly.  Their watchword is “go deep”, perhaps know fewer people, but know them well.

On the other extreme are those who will connect with almost anyone.  People pursuing this strategy will reach out to those with whom they may have connected briefly at, for instance, a networking event or simply those whose profiles look interesting to them.  Their watchword is “go broad”, and have many connections to call on, even if they may not know them.

The two groups will have different expectations of their contacts.  The deep networkers, in addition to connecting with people they know, will also probably only expect to answer inquiries from people they know outside LinkedIn.  Contacts this group receives from those they know will be acted on in the knowledge that this is a contact from some part of their real as well as their virtual existence.  Those they do not know will be questioned or perhaps ignored.

Those who connect more widely, broad networkers, will tend to honor requests from further afield, happily considering requests from outside their acquaintance.  To manage their time, this group may make a quick connection and move on.  It is good to remember that LinkedIn is a community of both of these extremes and, like most of us, something in between.

Another consideration about contacting others is as true inside LinkedIn as it is outside LinkedIn; why you are contacting someone can very much affect their response.  If you are asking someone for something they have, they are generally happier than if you ask them for something they don't have.  If you ask them for information about an organization they know, for instance, they are more likely to respond.  Asking them about something they don't have, say, a job lead, is less likely to get a response.  In the experience of my clients, contacts will volunteer information about a job lead even when asked solely for information.

LinkedIn Basics

I thought it was worth noting how LinkedIn might serve us in our careers. LinkedIn seems to be constantly evolving, but for the moment I mainly I think of the uses of LinkedIn along three lines:

* Marketing – delivering your message into the professional workplace
 a. Creating your profile
 b. Updating your profile to remind people you are out there
 c. Using groups to get attention d. Soliciting recommendations


* Connecting – getting in touch with professional contacts
 a. Identifying which kind of LinkedIn user you are and which kind your connections are

 * Research – learning more about the marketplace
 a. Learning about organizations you want to know more about
 b. Finding organizations you don't know about in fields that might be interesting to you
 c. Finding general industry information

 I will cover Marketing this month, Connecting next month and Research in July.


Marketing yourself on LinkedIn
a. Creating your profile
Marketing in LinkedIn is starts with your profile. By placing your profile on LinkedIn, you are creating a professional presence for others to get to know your work-self. Think of a profile as you think of your resume. Just as with a resume, you will want to construct your profile to maximize your attractiveness to your audience.

 Also as with a resume, you will want to think through how to present your experience. The difference is that you can have many resumes and only one LinkedIn profile. For their LinkedIn profile, most people choose a simple chronology. If you are considering more than one career direction, as many people do, this is a good way to go. Listing specific accomplishments written without jargon will create an overall impression of competence.

 Do not be tempted to omit recent experience. As with a resume, omitting your chronology will only raise questions that will cause many employers not to consider you. Early jobs can be omitted, however, and relevant experience added back in, in your Summary. The Summary section is free form and has no requirement to include dates. The Summary section also allows you to shape your message to your different target audiences.

 It is becoming expected practice that one will have a LinkedIn profile. With this expectation comes a greater acceptance by bosses that an up-to-date profile is a normal part of professional career management and not an indicator of an employee disloyally considering other positions. Continual reinforcing and renewal of your brand is the hallmark of good career management.

 b. Updating your profile to remind people you are out there
By updating your profile periodically and adding current experience, you will not only keep up to date, but will also cause LinkedIn to include you in an e-mail sent to your connections to let them know about the change and to remind them of you and perhaps have them take another look.

 c. Using groups to get attention
You can also market yourself by joining professional groups and updating your profile details. Groups exist for almost any professional interest you can name. In addition, many LinkedIn alumni groups exist for organizations where you may have worked.

 Recruiters check professional groups in their areas of expertise regularly for new candidates and updates to candidates they are already following. Professional groups also provide a forum to track and participate in discussions of trends and new ideas in your area of interest. Use the Groups Search box to enter functional or industry areas of interest. Examples might be budgeting, programming, not-for-profit, publishing, etc.

 d. Soliciting recommendations
Recommendations are a plus and can help enhance your LinkedIn presence. You may choose to wait for someone to volunteer or you may want to actively solicit recommendations. Some people make life easy for bosses or clients by writing recommendations for them. Whatever you do, try to have them sound real. No one is perfect!

Media update

Here are some new articles quoting Win:

From Business Insider
The Best And Worst Questions To Ask During A Job Interview

From Metro/New York
Job Interview Tips: Are You Prepared?

How can I feel good about what I do?

Hi Win,

When I was in high school, and thought I should be a missionary in some far flung place. I don't think that anymore, but I think the wish to serve people in need (dire need) remains.

You are right--you can help people in many ways. Hopefully, I'll figure out how.

Ruth

Hi Ruth,
One way to think about it is where in the chain do you contribute the most value? If you do what comes naturally to you, you will be able to do more for anyone you are working for. It takes an amazing number of people with widely different talents to get a bowl of rice into the hands of a starving child. What do you do best?

Do you like developing relationships with the starving people?
Do you like cooking for the starving people?
Do you like organizing getting the food from point A to point B?
Do you like running an organization that gets food from point A to point B?
Do you want to work for an organization that teaches people how to grow food or governments how to get their people out of poverty?
For either of these organizations, do you want to run a support function for them? HR, Accounting, Operations?
Do you want to raise money for them? Organize parties for them to raise money?
Do you want to donate money to them?
Do you want to make a lot of money so you can donate more money to them?

What do you like to do? Whatever you like to do can be brought into service for what is important to you. That way you can feel good in two ways: You can be working to meet a need, to help a cause and you can be doing what you enjoy.

Win

More Press Coverage

Please click on the links below for more career tips:

From Forbes:

Ten Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Career

How To Craft A Job Search Elevator Pitch

How To Ace Your Interview

What To Reveal During Your Job Search

When They Don't Call To Offer You The Job


From Money Magazine:

Surviving a layoff