The initial inspiration for writing this post was seeing this piece from Sarah Kendizor (Professional Identity: A Luxury we can't afford) on the blog Vitae sponsored by the Chronicle for Higher Education. At issue is the disconnect between employers claiming there is a skills-gap (i.e. not enough people with the skills they need to fill the jobs that they say do exist) and trend for people to alter there resumes to hide work they may feel ashamed of or qualifications like education that they feel will hurt their chances.
My first thought is to remind everyone that your resume is a living document. I am sure you have heard that you must customize your resume for every job you apply for, but how often do we think about why we are doing this? We should be doing this to make absolutely sure that it reflects the background we have that makes us a good match for the job. Could this mean leaving off jobs or experience that is not relevant? Yes. Does it mean we should feel like we need to hide things from future employers? No. I think of it in the following terms: I have a document that contains everything. This document is never submitted when applying for a job. It is instead used as a tool to help me view my entire past and decide what is relevant when crafting the document (resume or CV) that I will submit when applying. For example, during my freshmen year in college my work-study job was in the print shop. The following summer I worked in a small manufacturing facility. These two positions haven't seen the light of day for a long time... but if I ever had to make a shift back to anything that needed manufacturing skills I would dust these off to demonstrate I have had experience in this area. But just the lines on a resume would typically not be enough, you would need to pair this with a well written cover letter.
Beyond thinking of your application documents as living, and telling the story of how you will be the best person for the job you are applying for, we as applicants need to remember the importance of the research. How will you know what the employer values? Research! How will you know the skills needed in the position? Research! How will you know the issues faced by the companies within the industry? Research! Just use the pieces I have written about career research to find the answers, then spend some time crafting the documents to demonstrate how you have the skills that employers claim we as applicants lack.
To further prepare you may also want to read some/all of the following articles that Ms. Kendizor mentioned in her piece that relate more directly to the job hunter:
Further Reading:
Holland, Kelley. "Why Johnny can't write, and why employers are mad." NBC News: Business. November 11, 2013.
Kendizor, Sarah. "Surviving the post-employment economy." Aljazeer. November 3, 2013.
Kuper, Simon. "The great middle-class identity crisis." Financial Times Magazine. November 8, 2013.
White, Martha C. "The Real Reason New College Grads Can't Get Hired" Time. November 10, 2013.
Showing posts with label resume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resume. Show all posts
09 December, 2013
07 May, 2013
"badges, we don't need no stinking badges"
Well maybe we do? This article on the future of credentials by Monica Guzman from the Seattle Times asks the important question about the future of the resume. It basically boils down to this: "If résumés are a bunch of claims, badges are a bunch of evidence."
So what do badges have do do with this, you may be asking yourself. Well if you are familiar with any kind of gamification you may already know the answer, but if you don't know what that is I will try to cover them both in brief.
Gamification is a process where elements of games are applied to non game situations to influence behavior. This is typically done by businesses but it is also making its way into education and other areas... many times the elements that are being brought in are levels, experience and rewards. Many of these have centered around the idea of earning a badge to demonstrate an accomplishment (hence the evidence in Ms. Guzman's quote.) So here are a few basic examples:
Using the Social Media app for smart phones FourSquare people can 'check in ' at locations and earn badges for things like the number of times they visit locations, the number of locations visited, etc. They can also become 'mayor' of a location when they reach the top of the list of check-ins. The business could then use this information to issue deals, coupons, or other rewards to help encourage people to stop by.
This is a fairly simple example, and there are many others on the gamification site linked above. I can also discuss this with anyone individually who is interested and/or recommend further reading.
Where it becomes interesting is (as the article from the Seattle Times hints at) when we expand these badges into other social media tools (perhaps LinkedIn for example.) Here is a frame work for how I could see this unfolding:
LinkedIn working with others creates a smooth and simple interface to allow users to display badges, certificates and other items demonstrating achievement (the evidence or virtual currency.) Then MOOCs and other systems where people can go to learn skills award some sort of badge, certificate, etc. and this gets loaded into LinkedIn or some other profile building site. Now along with the standard names and dates of schools and employers (the old resume), I have a skills section (LinkedIn already has this) with the endorsements from my network (LinkedIn has this as well) and a layer with badges, certificates, and other forms of evidence from a whole host of other potential sources.
The rating/point system would need to be fully developed, but here is my initial thoughts of a hypothetical example:
Obviously this list would continue to grow as more systems were integrated, and the point system would have to be constantly adjusted to ensure its effectiveness. Hopefully It is clear that the value would lie in the usefulness that others place on the content that I as a job candidate create, not just me trying to inflate my standing by producing anything. I could also see layers being added if I wanted to integrate my purchases, for example if an online retailer could verify I bought a book or other tool needed for some task it would add a small bit of confidence that I am prepared to tackle the task.
Another benefit of such a system is that it would start to show specialization. By that I mean a sub field or area that you may not have received formal education in or that your job titles don't match... but that through experience you have learned. As an example my advanced degree is in Library Science, and I have worked in both public and academic libraries as a reference librarian. However through my experiences I have picked up a lot of knowledge about business, entrepreneurship and career development (which is why I write this blog!) If I wanted to get a job at a college in a career center I would probably have a hard time, since none of my education or employment background would lead the hiring manager to think I had the knowledge... but with such a system in place, it might be much more clear that I have the knowledge to complete the job duties. For example of my 186 LinkedIn connections 33 are career center people in higher ed and 24 are entrepreneurs or business school faculty that teach entrepreneurship. Then if you looked at my publications and presentations (something that any hiring manager outside of hiring for teaching faculty is unlikely to look at...) you might see most are related to creating resources for students to improve the job search. Then factor in this blog and you would begin to see that I am quite capable to take on a position in a career center for an institution of higher learning (not that I am currently pursuing this... but if I wanted to it might be hard for me with a standard resume/cover letter type hiring system in place today with most employers.)
Now I am sure I am not thinking of every possible result of creating and using such a system. I also know it would take some time for all the bugs to be shaken out and for everyone to catch up, but the bottom line is that it would be just a new piece of the pie that might help to bring together all of the things that hiring managers are already doing. We know they are checking our online presence and identity. We know that they are contacting not only the references we list for them, but others that may know us for insights.
Thoughts? Am I missing something?
So what do badges have do do with this, you may be asking yourself. Well if you are familiar with any kind of gamification you may already know the answer, but if you don't know what that is I will try to cover them both in brief.
Gamification is a process where elements of games are applied to non game situations to influence behavior. This is typically done by businesses but it is also making its way into education and other areas... many times the elements that are being brought in are levels, experience and rewards. Many of these have centered around the idea of earning a badge to demonstrate an accomplishment (hence the evidence in Ms. Guzman's quote.) So here are a few basic examples:
Using the Social Media app for smart phones FourSquare people can 'check in ' at locations and earn badges for things like the number of times they visit locations, the number of locations visited, etc. They can also become 'mayor' of a location when they reach the top of the list of check-ins. The business could then use this information to issue deals, coupons, or other rewards to help encourage people to stop by.
This is a fairly simple example, and there are many others on the gamification site linked above. I can also discuss this with anyone individually who is interested and/or recommend further reading.
Where it becomes interesting is (as the article from the Seattle Times hints at) when we expand these badges into other social media tools (perhaps LinkedIn for example.) Here is a frame work for how I could see this unfolding:
LinkedIn working with others creates a smooth and simple interface to allow users to display badges, certificates and other items demonstrating achievement (the evidence or virtual currency.) Then MOOCs and other systems where people can go to learn skills award some sort of badge, certificate, etc. and this gets loaded into LinkedIn or some other profile building site. Now along with the standard names and dates of schools and employers (the old resume), I have a skills section (LinkedIn already has this) with the endorsements from my network (LinkedIn has this as well) and a layer with badges, certificates, and other forms of evidence from a whole host of other potential sources.
The rating/point system would need to be fully developed, but here is my initial thoughts of a hypothetical example:
- Being a member of network (think LinkedIn Groups) 1 point each
- Being active in that group (writing posts, asking questions, etc.) 1 point each
- Having activity from the group voted up 0.5 points each
- Having appropriate connections (network) 0.25 points each
- Blogging about your professed expertise 0.1 points per post
- Followers of said blog 0.25 points each
- Comments on said blog 0.5 points each
- Certificates, badges, awards 1 point each
- Recommendations for work 2 points each
- Endorsements of skills 0.5 points each
- Answering questions (Yahoo Answers, etc.) 0.1 point each
- Answer to question being voted up 0.25 points each
- Writing reviews (Amazon, Yelp, etc.) 0.1 point each
- Reviews being voted up 0.25 points each
- Publications 3 points each
- Presentations at conferences 3 points each
- Invited to speak at a conference 5 points each
Obviously this list would continue to grow as more systems were integrated, and the point system would have to be constantly adjusted to ensure its effectiveness. Hopefully It is clear that the value would lie in the usefulness that others place on the content that I as a job candidate create, not just me trying to inflate my standing by producing anything. I could also see layers being added if I wanted to integrate my purchases, for example if an online retailer could verify I bought a book or other tool needed for some task it would add a small bit of confidence that I am prepared to tackle the task.
Another benefit of such a system is that it would start to show specialization. By that I mean a sub field or area that you may not have received formal education in or that your job titles don't match... but that through experience you have learned. As an example my advanced degree is in Library Science, and I have worked in both public and academic libraries as a reference librarian. However through my experiences I have picked up a lot of knowledge about business, entrepreneurship and career development (which is why I write this blog!) If I wanted to get a job at a college in a career center I would probably have a hard time, since none of my education or employment background would lead the hiring manager to think I had the knowledge... but with such a system in place, it might be much more clear that I have the knowledge to complete the job duties. For example of my 186 LinkedIn connections 33 are career center people in higher ed and 24 are entrepreneurs or business school faculty that teach entrepreneurship. Then if you looked at my publications and presentations (something that any hiring manager outside of hiring for teaching faculty is unlikely to look at...) you might see most are related to creating resources for students to improve the job search. Then factor in this blog and you would begin to see that I am quite capable to take on a position in a career center for an institution of higher learning (not that I am currently pursuing this... but if I wanted to it might be hard for me with a standard resume/cover letter type hiring system in place today with most employers.)
Now I am sure I am not thinking of every possible result of creating and using such a system. I also know it would take some time for all the bugs to be shaken out and for everyone to catch up, but the bottom line is that it would be just a new piece of the pie that might help to bring together all of the things that hiring managers are already doing. We know they are checking our online presence and identity. We know that they are contacting not only the references we list for them, but others that may know us for insights.
Thoughts? Am I missing something?
16 January, 2013
Ten ways to make your XXXX job application better than everyone else's
This post was written by Matt Thompson (a journalist) with ten tips for other journalists to improve their job applications. These tips however are applicable to ANY profession. I strongly encourage you to read the full piece, but here are his tips:
His narrative does a great job explaining how these can be applied to job searches/applications. The number one suggestion to me seems to be arguing for doing your homework/research about the position and company (hint: if you haven't read this blog for long this is my mantra.)
I like the idea of the cover letter telling two stories. I wish there had been room in his piece to give examples, or at least more advice... which leads me to my charge for all of you. If you have done this please share tips, advice, examples in the comments. If you have not, but have thoughts share those as well.
- Read between the lines of my job description.
- Get your vanity search in order.
- Speaking of which, please have a personal site.
- Your cover letter should tell me two stories, and both should be fascinating.
- There’s more than one way to skin a resume.
- Even if I’m not following you on social media, assume I am.
- Don’t hesitate to get one of our mutual colleagues to recommend you to me.
- A little follow-up at any point in this process doesn’t hurt. A lot might.
- The very best interviews feel like great conversations.
- Every hiring manager is different.
His narrative does a great job explaining how these can be applied to job searches/applications. The number one suggestion to me seems to be arguing for doing your homework/research about the position and company (hint: if you haven't read this blog for long this is my mantra.)
I like the idea of the cover letter telling two stories. I wish there had been room in his piece to give examples, or at least more advice... which leads me to my charge for all of you. If you have done this please share tips, advice, examples in the comments. If you have not, but have thoughts share those as well.
19 April, 2012
Why I tossed your resume
Here is a very interesting article about resumes/cover letters. It appears in the Chronicle of Higher Education, but all the advice seems to cross all industries. Like I have said before in these commentaries most of the advice seems familiar, but as always I have some thoughts.
The point about not speaking the language is code for doing your research, but the authors advice for using that research seems fresh. I have heard before of the importance of customizing the resume for each position, but I will admit I have had difficulty figuring out exactly how to pull this off. After all my experience doesn't change very often... so other than rearranging the order of things to emphasize certain things I have never done well at this step. I will be trying Mr. Miller's advice about placing keywords from the job ad into the resume as well as the cover letter.
The point that I don't 100% agree with is his first about only applying if you meet all the criteria. While I agree with his point about not using the "spray and pray" technique for applying. I have personally applied for positions that I have not 100% meet all the criteria and still made it to the final 3 or 4 for the face to face interview. In this case I had to make a well reasoned presentation with the resume and cover letter that my qualifications well exceeded their expectations in all other areas except the one that I lacked.
This worked to a point, but I did not get the job. Read the advice, do your research and keep your spirits up.
The point about not speaking the language is code for doing your research, but the authors advice for using that research seems fresh. I have heard before of the importance of customizing the resume for each position, but I will admit I have had difficulty figuring out exactly how to pull this off. After all my experience doesn't change very often... so other than rearranging the order of things to emphasize certain things I have never done well at this step. I will be trying Mr. Miller's advice about placing keywords from the job ad into the resume as well as the cover letter.
The point that I don't 100% agree with is his first about only applying if you meet all the criteria. While I agree with his point about not using the "spray and pray" technique for applying. I have personally applied for positions that I have not 100% meet all the criteria and still made it to the final 3 or 4 for the face to face interview. In this case I had to make a well reasoned presentation with the resume and cover letter that my qualifications well exceeded their expectations in all other areas except the one that I lacked.
This worked to a point, but I did not get the job. Read the advice, do your research and keep your spirits up.
16 December, 2011
"CrossRoads - Stop Being Creative in Your Job Search" - are you serious?
A little over a month ago a message was posted to one of the LinkedIn groups I follow. It directed us to this article(Stop Being Creative in Your Job Search) at CrossRoads, a blog on the NetTemps site. The article is written by Kevin Donlin, the Co-Director of Guerrilla Job Search International.
I both agree and disagree with many points in this article. First he is correct that if you have been searching for a long period of time you need to evaluate what you have been doing and begin to tweak this process. My biggest caution to job seekers would be that in his step 2, he mentions that if emailing the resume is not working then mail, fax, hand deliver. I would just remind the searcher that following the posted instructions of the employer is possible the most important of the job search.
With most employers receiving hundreds (if not thousands) of applications for each opening, they will use any reason possible to weed out these applications. Remember that the number of unemployed Americans, 13.9 million, for a very narrow definition of unemployed is far higher that the number of job openings: 3.1 million. While these numbers are also about a month old, the trend has been holding for the better part of a year. For the employer a legal and easy way to reduce the amount of work of reviewing these applications is to throw out any that don't meet all the requirements or who didn't follow the directions.
Moral: Be innovative, and review your search process for ways to improve your job search. Just don't break a cardinal rule and let that innovation cause you to skip or ignore instructions of the employer.
I both agree and disagree with many points in this article. First he is correct that if you have been searching for a long period of time you need to evaluate what you have been doing and begin to tweak this process. My biggest caution to job seekers would be that in his step 2, he mentions that if emailing the resume is not working then mail, fax, hand deliver. I would just remind the searcher that following the posted instructions of the employer is possible the most important of the job search.
With most employers receiving hundreds (if not thousands) of applications for each opening, they will use any reason possible to weed out these applications. Remember that the number of unemployed Americans, 13.9 million, for a very narrow definition of unemployed is far higher that the number of job openings: 3.1 million. While these numbers are also about a month old, the trend has been holding for the better part of a year. For the employer a legal and easy way to reduce the amount of work of reviewing these applications is to throw out any that don't meet all the requirements or who didn't follow the directions.
Moral: Be innovative, and review your search process for ways to improve your job search. Just don't break a cardinal rule and let that innovation cause you to skip or ignore instructions of the employer.
15 December, 2011
Career One Stop
Resource: Career One Stop
Type: This is a true portal site. With sections on exploring careers, writing resumes, preparing for interviews, salary and benefits and much more.
Review: Most of the data and information comes from governmental sources, both federal and state. The searching and browsing functions are good, and the depth of information is very good. If a new user did not know the type of career they are interested in, then it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you have already zeroed in on a career path this site is a great wealth of information about that career. If you are in the first group you should start with the Career Exploration section. If you are in the second group then you will want to start by looking in the upper right for the more resources link and the America's Career InfoNet. The main sponsor of this tool is the U.S. Department of Labor.
Type: This is a true portal site. With sections on exploring careers, writing resumes, preparing for interviews, salary and benefits and much more.
Review: Most of the data and information comes from governmental sources, both federal and state. The searching and browsing functions are good, and the depth of information is very good. If a new user did not know the type of career they are interested in, then it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you have already zeroed in on a career path this site is a great wealth of information about that career. If you are in the first group you should start with the Career Exploration section. If you are in the second group then you will want to start by looking in the upper right for the more resources link and the America's Career InfoNet. The main sponsor of this tool is the U.S. Department of Labor.
09 December, 2011
What to be when you grow up: Wetfeet
Resource: Wetfeet.com
Type: This web site is the online face to publisher of career reference books. They have interview advice, resume tips, salary information, as well as company reviews.
Review: This publisher began their lives in the traditional print world. Their web presence has gone back and forth between a subscription site to a free site. Currently the free content seems limited to shorter articles of general advice and user supplied reviews of companies. The Advice section of the web site has good searching and sorting features to limit the content to articles tightly focused to the topic of choice.
Type: This web site is the online face to publisher of career reference books. They have interview advice, resume tips, salary information, as well as company reviews.
Review: This publisher began their lives in the traditional print world. Their web presence has gone back and forth between a subscription site to a free site. Currently the free content seems limited to shorter articles of general advice and user supplied reviews of companies. The Advice section of the web site has good searching and sorting features to limit the content to articles tightly focused to the topic of choice.
08 December, 2011
What to be when you grow up: The Riley Guide
Resource: The Riley Guide
Type: This comprehensive web portal pulls together information from accross the World Wide Web. The site does not post job leads or resumes. Instead they link to sites that do provide these services, as well as sites that help during the job search process.
Review: As a collector of information, the Riley Guide does an excellent job. The borwesability is good and the search features (powered by Google) are better. The main jon searching is powered by Indeed.com, and many of the supplemental materials come from governmental sites.
Type: This comprehensive web portal pulls together information from accross the World Wide Web. The site does not post job leads or resumes. Instead they link to sites that do provide these services, as well as sites that help during the job search process.
Review: As a collector of information, the Riley Guide does an excellent job. The borwesability is good and the search features (powered by Google) are better. The main jon searching is powered by Indeed.com, and many of the supplemental materials come from governmental sites.
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