Enter and Sign In Please… The Goal of the Resume is…

What do Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Zappa have in common (besides leading the weird (awesome) train?) They both appeared on an old television show called, What’s My Line.  The premise of the show was that a panel of people would try to guess what a person did for a living. So imagine, you’re on the panel and Alfred Hitchcock or Salvidor Dali saunter out. Wow.

So what’s that got to do with you and your resume? Keep reading, please.

People ask me to look over their resume and before I do, I ask them,”What is the goal of a resume?” Boy, do I get some interesting answers.

“To show them how great I am.”

“To highlight my experience.”

“To make sure that they know that I’m the best candidate.”

Um, no.

The goal of a resume to GET AN INTERVIEW. Hello? A resume needs to create a sense of urgency for the person reading it– you want them to glance at it and think, “I need to call this person!”  It needs to be compelling and it needs to provide the reader with what we in marketing refer to as a “call to action.”

I like how this article by Keppie Careers describes it in this article entitled, “How to write your resume.“  She suggests focusing on these things:

• What problems did you solve?
• How did you improve your organization?
• What innovative ideas did you introduce (and what were the positive results)?
• How did you make a difference?

If you didn’ t do any of these then what were you doing and why do you think someone should hire you? If you’re unemployed and you can’t answer these questions in a meaningful way, I suggest you find a way to do something today that does help you answer that; whether at your church, for a non-profit, as a mentor something, somewhere.

Go That Way Really Fast…

Famous movie line from John Cusack in Better Off Dead:

““Go that way… really fast. If something gets in your way… turn”

When we’re in transition (new job, no job, marriage, divorce, new baby, etc.) we get lots of advice from well-meaning friends and family members. They usually suggest taking time to asses all your alternatives. Now I’m not opposed to taking time to think but…

I notice that a lot of people use thinking as a way to block action.

Let me say that again. If you are unhappy, if you are stuck, if you don’t know what the next step should be… take action. Go fast. Really fast.

I like this article titled, “On Gen Y Careers… Go That Way.” It encourages young people to try lots of things; lots of different things. It’s great advice and it comes naturally to millenials.  For those of us that are not 20- somethings, we can follow this advice too.

I have had 5 careers. Every job I landed, I took because the position held great learning opportunities for me. In looking back, I should have changed more not less. I could have had more mentors if only I’d asked. I did a lot but I was afraid and perhaps, so are you. Go really fast, if something gets in your way, turn!

Photo credit: Mansoor Siddique.com

Who’s Your Customer? It’s Not Who You Think…

A lot is written about discovering who your customer is and how to find them. A new blog post by Seth Godin, titled, “Who is Your Customer?” sheds light on this in a whole new way.

Instead of thinking about customers as a group of people, think about the one, two or three people who are most important and pay attention to them.

For example, Godin asserts that Apple employees had one customer only, Steve Jobs. Nike’s customers are not the people who buy their shoes but the athletes who endorse them.

I’m not sure I agree with Mr. Godin; but I do like the idea of shifting our thinking. Whether we are in a job search or looking to put some sparkle back into our lives, the idea of thinking about who we are trying to get to support us is a great exercise.

If I want to sell a book of fiction, maybe my customer is a publisher. In a way, this is like the viral sales funnel. In the “old” way of selling, we broadcast messages to lots of people. The ‘new’ way (social) of selling/marketing is to get to the key influencers and then ‘attract’ them to help you spread the word.

If we always do what we always did, we’ll always get what we always got… but the rules have changed and we have to find a way to change too.

Photo credit: Inc.com

Viral funnel credit: Socialsteve’s blog

Success = Complacency. Antidote = Urgency

Billy Joel has song called Second Wind…here are some lyrics,

“We’re only human, we’re supposed to make mistakes –So take it from me you’ll learn more from your accidents–
Than anything that you could ever learn at school”

The reality is that we reward people who are ‘successful’ and think that ‘failure’ is bad. If babies thought that, they would never walk!”

In an excellent article titled, “Success: A Breeding Ground for Complacency“,  John Kotter reminds us…

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” Bill Gates

I live in Rochester, NY, home of Eastman Kodak; another great American company that has filed for bankruptcy. Why? Because we (yes I worked there for 17 years) became arrogant. We stopped being hungry for change. Success spoiled our drive.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com CEO has a mantra, “every day is day one.” In other words, whatever we did yesterday isn’t enough to ensure success tomorrow.

Look at your organization or your job search or your family goals? Is there a sense of urgency (that’s different from desperation, exhaustion, hamster wheel running)? Be clear and energetic. It’s contagious.

Photo credit: http://fashionrunher.com

Shopping for a New Boss

About 15 years into my career I figured out that WHO I worked for was as important as what I was doing for work. So when it came to looking for a new job, my search became about looking for a great person to work for.

This may sound crazy; particularly in this tight job market. It takes a lot of confidence (and some money in the bank) to alter our perception of how to find a new job by figuring out who we want to learn from.

My approach was pretty simple. I looked for great places to work; places that were growing and had a focus on customers and building trust. During the interview process, I would pay close attention to the person I would work for. I asked a lot of questions and thought about:

- Would I learn from this person? Do they have skills I want?

- Are they happy and growing in their work?

In an interesting blog post called, “Get Hired, No Resume, No Interview, No Joke,” the author suggests that you “go to good managers you’d like to work for.” Talk to them, understand their issues and see how you might fit into their organization. I’m not suggesting that you abandon networking or applying for work. But author Corcodilos’ suggestion that we pick  “three companies or managers you really, really want to work for because they are shining lights in their industry.”

Like any good sales effort, you may pick 3 and find out that 2 won’t work. So pick two more. If you are not sure how to identify these excellent managers? Ask other people! They will tell you. But you won’t find out unless you ask.

It always worked out for me. I learned a great deal and respected the people I worked for.  It may not be easy but I can assure you it is very worthwhile. Happy shopping!

Photo credit: Icanhazcheezburger.com

I’m Telling Mom…No One Likes a TattleTale

No one likes a tattletale. Well, unless the information is valuable. So when you are looking for a new job (exciting and terrifying), information about a prospective employer can be priceless.

The way it used to be -Do you remember the old boys network’? I do. Because I’m a girl (and an old one at that) – the boys network wasn’t really open to me. Yes, I had excellent experience and yes, I had a Master’s Degree but… I was still a girl.

But I never let anything stop me. I just kept trying, learning, sharing, being myself. And I’m happy to report that due to circumstances beyond their control, the network (while still alive and well) isn’t what it used to be.

I also had a little help from my friends, kind and generous mentors and the great equalizer, the internet and it’s child – social media came along.

The way it is now – When you want information about a company, you can turn to sites like Glassdoor.com. This site allows real people to give information about their employer. The good news is that it’s anonymous. That’s also the bad news. The site has input by company, job type, salary and even interview questions.

Like any other ‘crowd-sourced’ site, you need to be careful. One disgruntled person can make the numbers look bad so it’s important thing is to read all the comments. Check out all the data. Particularly around salary. (there are so many helpful sites!) I know it’s an ‘employer’s’ market right now, but that won’t last and this probably isn’t the last job you’ll negotiate a salary for. (booyah!)

Image credit – This child’s mother and father… and LoveAmourLove.com

The Stupidification of American Adults

Pretty soon dolphins will be smarter than people. Look at this picture, a dolphin has learned how to use a laptop.

Everywhere I go I see babies and small children using iPads.

I hear so much whining from baby boomers about technology. I was recently in a meeting and a woman declared with great pride, “I don’t text. I told my children if they want to talk to me they’ll have to call me on the phone.” Awesome lady. I later learned she’s in a job hunt. Yeah, every employer loves someone resistant to change. Not.

Look, I’m not usually one to point fingers but guys, get on the bus. I’m not saying you have to text everyday. I’m not saying you need to tweet and Google +. But I am saying if you are resisting these things — at least ask yourself WHY. You have teachers (20 somethings and younger – digital natives) all around you.

There are two levels of adults who are at most risk of stupidification. One is like the person I mentioned above. Stuck, resistant, ego-driven. The other kind is the one who knows a little bit about social or technology and goes around proclaiming themselves an expert. Frankly, there are a lot more of these people around. Their arrogance is different. They claim they are open to learning… but they’re not. They ‘teach’ others about social media but really don’t understand much about it.

How can you tell? Do they talk all about themselves? Do they say they’ll teach you how to ‘promote’ your business with social media?

If they do they’re phony. Social doesn’t promote, it attracts. So at least be as smart as a dolphin and set a goal to learn 10 new things this year. The less you want to learn it, the higher it ought to go on the list.

Thanks to Laurie Ruettimann for the title of this blog post and for always being an inspiration. Check out her blog, the cynical girl.

Photo credit: my sincere apologies to the person who took or owns the rights to this awesome picture. I found it months ago and unfortunately didn’t save the URL so I don’t know who to thank (and search of dolphin and laptop yielded zip). So this big thank you goes out to the universe.

The Gig Economy…You Know You Want to Hear Me Sing

Ok, so the gig economy doesn’t have anything to do with singing. In an excellent article in the Atlantic  titled, “The Freelance Surge is the Industrial Revolution of Our Time,”  we learn that the gig economy describes the way  work is changing. Freelancers rule!

Here’s a summary…”Today, careers consist of piecing together various types of work, juggling multiple clients, learning to be marketing and accounting experts, and creating offices in bedrooms/coffee shops/coworking spaces. ”

This intrigues me because I am part of the Gig Economy. My current occupation is college professor/consultant/speaker-workshopleader/blogger. The way I work is more common than I would have thought.

Interestingly, in 2005, the government stopped calculating ‘freelancers’ so we really have no idea how many people are working this way but estimates have at about 42 million people.

As freelancers we face all kinds of issues. This month I found out by accident that my health insurance (which came through COBRA) had been cancelled. I got no letter, no warning from my insurance company. Just shut off. When I called my insurance company, they said, “We have no obligation to tell you that your insurance is lapsing.”

Thanks, no really, thanks a million.

I am one of the lucky ones, I have a way to get health insurance. If you want to read more about the reality of health insurance for freelancers, check out this post in the NY Times, “Safety Nets for Freelancers.”

I love working this way but it takes a lot of discipline, hard work, flexibility and perseverance. What’s my secret?

1. Focus. I am clear about what I need to do and don’t wander around the house until I accomplish certain things.
2. Finish. Get it done. Period.
3. Fun. I reward myself when I’ve finished something that I totally did not want to do.

Freelancer? How do you get it done?

Photo credit: LindaGeezblog.com

No Thanks, I Don’t Want to Work For You…

A 30-something is in the middle of a job interview. The hiring manager is excited about the young man sitting in front of him.

From the hiring manager’s point of view, the interview is going very well. He has laid out the requirements, is satisfied that the candidate has good qualifications and equally as important, he seems to be a good fit for the group

The young man pauses and stops to think and then says,

“Thank you very much for your time today. I am very grateful but from my perspective this interview is over.”

The hiring manager is completely taken aback. “What do you mean?

The candidate continues, “I like your company, but you just finished telling me how many long hours you work. I have no objection to long hours when they are needed to complete a project. You also just finished telling me about how you miss spending enough time with your family.  I am looking for a company whose leadership is committed to work/family balance. So while I appreciate your time, I think we are not a good fit.”

Dumbfounded, the hiring manager said goodbye. Initially, he was furious. How dare that kid tell me anything about running a business. After discussing the event with a few others, he started to think seriously about the candidate’s point of view.

There are a lot of reasons why the best and brightest may not want to work for you. Check out this article by (one of my favorites) David Meerman Scott called, “How to Build a Crappy Workforce.”  Perhaps you’re not scrambling for talent yet but you will be and if you think changing your culture now is difficult — imagine what it will be like when the economy is back full steam.

Image credit: Fast Company

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. Progress Not Perfection.

If a beaver really thought about all the work it would take to build a new home (dam), (s)he might never start. But since the need, desire and drive to build are innate… he doesn’t stop before he starts.

Somewhere along the way, human beings, who start out curious and driven (just watch a baby learn to walk) – we stop learning new things. How many times have you stopped yourself from trying something new because you were afraid?

Is it looking, acting or sounding stupid or admitting you don’t know something? We think that if we act like we’re not sure that we’ve somehow failed.  The older we get, the less likely we are to try something different.   We need to recalibrate our ideas so that learning new things is what’s good!

Here are my suggestions for staying hungry. Those of you who know me, know I’m already foolish (thank goodness!)

1. Everyday do something you don’t want to do… just for practice.  Don’t gripe or complain, just do it. If you say one word about it to anyone, it doesn’t count. Do it for 7 days in a row and then talk with someone about the experience.
2. If you have a chance, watch a child learn new things. Do they get frustrated easily?
3. Make a list of the last 5 things you learned. Is it an easy list to construct or did you have to think about it for a while?
4. Set a goal to learn something new and take one small step towards it.

If you want to be Steve Jobs (author of ‘stay hungry, stay foolish’ and noted perfectionist) then this  post is not for you. If you’re a mere mortal, then please tell me…. how do you stay hungry?