I attended a career fair this week.  It was a great event, however candidate after candidate came to our booth completely lacking focus.  They seemed to come saying.  . "I'll take anything, what do you have?"  This is the wrong approach.  You have to act as though that company has exactly what you are looking for and that your research on the company has only increased your desire be part of their team.  Here is an example:

 Suppose you were the manager of a professional baseball team.  A person comes to you saying, "I want to be on your team."  You respond, "What position do you play?"  You then respond, "It doesn't matter, but I know I can contribute."  Suppose someone comes saying, "Your lineup is not hitting enough balls in play.  I come ready to solve this problem.  My 380 batting average over the past three years in the minors, makes me the solution to your problem.  I can play any spot in the outfield as well as my arm strength is in the top of the league." 

 Which candidate do you want?  The one that is sure they will contribute, or the one that has shown they understand exactly what you need.  Your resume should contain this same attention to detail.

I encounter people regularly in my work that want to advance their careers dramatically.  They may have experience in on field then think they can switch disciplines and hold the same rank.  One example is a manager in electrical engineering, that has spent a career in aviation and now wants to switch to industrial construction.  They want to keep the same rank and pay as they achieved in their previous position. 

Sometimes you have to step down to step up.  By accepting a position below your current station, you illustrate that you want to contribute.  It makes a hiring manager think they are getting a good deal.  You get the experience needed to make yourself a more attractive employee in the new industry. 

Stepping down, can really help you step up.  Get with a professional and rework your resume to make your presentation as attractive as possible. 

Preparation is half of the battle when it comes to a job search. 

Last night I witnessed a spectacle.  I watched a dad speak unkindly to his son at a camp out.  The reason, "the son hadn't packed the rain fly for the tent."  What I found funny was that the son was 11 years old and on his first "Scout" camp out.  How would he know about a rain fly.  The dad berated his son then I noticed something funny.  Dad was wearing flip flops.  Any camper knows that flip flops near fire, poisonous plants, ants is dangerous.  The instruction sheet for the camp even said, "no open toed shoes."  The rain fly was dad's job and so was reading the instructions. 

Sometimes we want to blame someone else for our own short comings.  We want to blame others because we aren't getting interviews.  The BLS says that right now there are about 10 million more jobs than people to fill them.  10,000 people a day hit age 65.  Opportunities abound!!!!  If you aren't getting interviews or offers, something is wrong with you.  You need to rethink what you are targeting and face the music. You may need to seek outside assistance. 

 

People ask me all of the time, "How do I deal with gaps in my employment history?"  The answer is simple.  .straight on.

Employers aren't dumb.  Spend time thinking about why you had gaps in your employment history.  Perhaps you were a stay at home mom going back to work.  Maybe you had a medical issue that kept you from work for six months.  Practice answering the question in you mind and to others.  Perhaps you could focus, like one of my clients, on the many civic activities she was involved in while raising her children.  This very issue made a potential employer stop and make the decision to hire her.  The employer said, "if you can organize all of these events and raise your kids, you could certainly organize our office. .  YOU HAVE THE JOB!!!"  The point here is that your gap may have been a lesson filled time for you.  Find the skill, or passion you developed while on the gap and exploit it as a strength. 

 Just be honest with the employer.  Explain it both on your resume and in your interview.  They will respect your candor.

Be careful of companies that promise to get your resume into the hands of hundreds or thousands of recruiters.  During my professional career in a Fortune 500 company, I have watched thousands of resumes not even be looked at because they were submitted by one of these broadcast methods.  They come across the recruiters desk as junk email, or fax machine as trash. 

The best way to shop a resume is to put it in the hands of a trusted friend or associate with access in a targeted company.  This is how most positions are filled.

Many career books tell candidates to not wear any types of colognes or perfumes.  I disagree.  It is more important as you prepare for an interview to be yourself.  Just be cautious.  Don't overdo it.  Make sure you have enough to smell attractive, but not so much that you stink pretty.  Most importantly know who your audience will be and make sure you wear the appropriate smell. 

I had a client come to me one day looking for a professional position smelling like he had just changed the oil in his car.  Wrong impression!!! Make sure you don't let your appearance overpower your abiliy to present yourself.

To increase your salary it is rather simple.  Increase your value to the company. This can be done through a variety of means. 
• Invent a system.
• Break a longstanding record.
• Provide such a high level of service that you are recognized by upper management.
• Write an article.
• Improve a product
It is just that simple!!!

Last night I worked a career fair.  I had so many people that wanted a job from my company that didn’t have the most necessary thing, a degree.  No matter the cost, a degree opens doors.  My conversations with non-degreed people lasted 1 minute or less.  For many of the degreed people the conversation turned into a job interview.  Today several resumes were handed off to hiring managers and soon second interviews will happen.  Why???

The price of a degree!