Resumes - Where to Start

It's that time of year - the very beginning - when we all get a fresh start. For job searchers that often leads to a desire to reinvent or at least better oneself on the only piece of paper that seems to follow us wherever we go - our resumes.

Rarely, however, are people willing to rip up the resume they have and start from scratch. As a result, most of us have a resume that gets more and more confusing and diluted over time as we simply add new skills and experiences on top of others without looking at the integrated whole and how it will impress the reader. I'm not suggesting that we need to actually throw away our comfortable resumes but if you find that the one you have has not been fundamentally revamped in several years or through several jobs, you might want to consider a few things about resume preparation and the typical resume's failure to truly maximize a description of a job seeker's value in the workplace.

Many years ago when I worked with an outplacement firm that was helping me through a significant corporate downsize, I received some excellent advice and it has helped me in my preparation of my own resume over the years. First, most people simply don't appreciate how many or how significant their accomplishments have been through their long, or short, careers. Particularly if we've been in one position for any length of time, the things we do, the work we perform everyday, becomes pretty routine, sometimes downright easy. As a result we don't really see what we do as having any great value. But try taking a step back and examining all the things you have learned, the experiences you have had and the skills you have developed over the years of employment. The everyday skills we take for granted will often appear as significant attributes to others in the right setting.

For example, I have worked many years as an attorney, in various capacities, and when I sit down to list the skills I have developed over time, I naturally focus on those things which seem significant from a pure law practice perspective - drafting contracts, arguing cases, interviewing witnesses or persuading others. But I have acquired many other skills and have had many other experiences which can create a platform for a very good resume in a variety of different arenas - public speaking, cultural sensitivity, organizing disparate facts into cohesive plans, managing others and resolving conflicts. And I also have developed many additional every day skills which may be particularly useful if I find myself seeking a position I may be overqualified for, a common scenario these days - research, business letter writing, report preparation, training and employee counseling. I've done all of these "other" things and would normally gloss over them because they just don't seem to be the "core" skills of an experienced attorney. But they are valuable skills, particularly to those who may not have acquired them. The bottom line - all of us have done a great deal more than we really ever give ourselves credit for. Take the time to examine all you have to offer an employer.

So here is my suggestion, before you start to complete some resume preparation form, take a fresh pad of paper, put your feet up, start at the very beginning of your life, and list every job you've ever had. Next to each job list all of the skills you developed in that position - things you knew when you left that you didn't know when you started. Really think about this and list everything no matter how mundane the skill or experience seems to you. Close your eyes and let your mind go beyond the obvious. Think about how these skills and experiences might be perceived by someone who has never done what you've done. You'll be surprised, especially when you move into your more mature working years with this approach. There will be more to your work experience than you think.

Next: Writing a Resume

The Interview - Preparation Part II

I have referenced one of my favorite books on this site, "How to Win Friends & Influence People", by Dale Carnegie. It was written in 1936 but contains universal truths about building genuine relationships with people that are timeless. The book sits on my bed stand and I read a bit of it each night. When I finish it, I start over. It is one of the best sources of information about successfully relating to people, and indirectly improving interviewing skills that exists.

As I will discuss tomorrow, the interview itself really starts before you meet the actual person or group who will conduct the interview. It starts when you park your car and continues until you drive away. Along the way in this process you may meet many people, starting with the parking lot attendant or receptionist. In Dale Carnegie's book, one of his key Principles is "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language".

I confess that I am not an expert at remembering names but I try. How often have we said, or heard someone say, "I am terrible at names; I'm sorry what was yours again?" People forgive this in others because we all forget names. But when someone meets another person who does remember your name, even after a brief exchange, that person stands out from the crowd like a Christmas tree.

I once accidentally walked into a seminar that happened to be about techniques for remembering names and stayed because I found it fascinating. I recall five points that I try and practice with everyone I meet:

1. Develop a consistent habit of making the effort to remember a name every time you meet someone. You can do this and it can become second nature. Start just by repeating the person's name to yourself right after you hear it.


2. If a name is an interesting one or unique in some way, talk about the name itself. For example, every time I meet a "Jennifer", I ask if she spells her name with one or two "n's". I then tell her that my oldest daughter's name is "Jenifer" with one "n". I never forget the names of the Jennifer's I meet. A foreign name or name you've never heard or rarely heard is always worth a brief conversation in itself.


3. During your conversation, no matter how brief, use the person's name at least three times - "How long have your worked here, Robert?" "I'm from Chicago, Robert, where are your from?" "Robert, is that a picture of your family on your desk?"


4. When the conversation ends, use the person's name again - "It has been a pleasure talking with you, Sheila."


5. Finally, when you get some place where you can make notes, write down the person's name with as much information about the context of your meeting as you can recall.

No one can consistently practice all of these techniques but if you make the effort, you will improve.

Tomorrow, I'll highlight why the ability to remember names can be so critical before, during and after the actual interview.

The Interview - Preparation Part I

The following three or four posts may include more information than I can now predict about the interviewing process. Again, these tips and advice come from my own experiences. I claim no expertise in any particular area, but I know what has worked for me. As a result, I have searched the Internet carefully to point you in the direction of someone who has more expertise in each of the areas I cover. If you want to read an excellent selection of articles, and I encourage you to do so, about interviewing and other aspects of job-hunting, let me direct you to Alison Doyle's specific articles at http://jobsearch.about.com/. Alison addresses many of the details about effective interviewing and much more.

I have mentioned before that the Internet is at times a barrier to effective job searching. It helps us all feel that we are making real progress by sending off resumes and compelling cover letters to companies that have already posted jobs and receive thousands of responses a day.

However, when you do, after following my advice, get the opportunity to sit in front of a person who has the ability to hire, today's technology, and specifically the Internet, gives us all a tremendous advantage to, simply put, beat the competitive applicants.

Today, the Internet is, in this setting, a tremendous tool which, believe it or not, applicants rarely utilize to maximize their chances of landing the job. Specifically, with the information available on the Internet today, you can and need to research as much as you can to learn everything about the company you have been invited to interview with.

You should also find out who it is that will be conducting the interview, and if for some reason that name isn't offered when you are asked to come in for an interview, call the central number and work your way through the operation until you get to the nice person (they are aways there) to whom you can ask, "I appreciate your help. I simply wanted to confirm my appointment at 4 pm on Tuesday but did not catch the name of the person who I will be meeting with or his or her position." A little persistence and you will find the name!

Then modern technology again comes to our aid. Find out all you can about the person you will be meeting with - her career path, her hobbies, her values, her family, etc. And remember that you can never learn too much about the company or person who has invited you in.

As you know, I practiced law for many years and I was not the best orator, nor the most skilled attorney in trial technique, but when I believed that my opponent was going to stay up until 2 am preparing and studying the facts of the case, I would stay up until 3 am. Preparation, preparation, preparation!

Learn about your future employer!

Writing a Good Resume

I will acknowledge upfront that I am not the expert at writing resumes but I have spent a great deal of time writing and modifying my own resume over the years and reviewing many in the process of hiring people. I’ve had a great deal of help along the way. I have also referenced and described below a website, “Resume-Resource” that provides an excellent source of help. I have also linked that site to this blog.

There are two points that I want to stress here that are key in creating a good resume, a resume that will separate you from the pack.

First, while employers certainly love friendly, community involved people with great personal relationship skills, what they really need and search for are people who can help their company make more money; people who can add real value to the bottom line. Telling someone in a resume that you have “great people skills” just doesn’t make it so. You can show then that during your interview. Also, a lengthy resume with a long and hopefully progressive list of impressive job position titles is nice for your ego, but a resume that shows a potential employer how you have helped others grow their businesses or save a company significant costs, will impress.

Second, I find that most people, when preparing a resume, don't really appreciate the many experiences, skills and value adding talent that they have acquired over the years. There are two reasons for this. When someone has worked in a position for a significant period of time, the things they do as part of their job become routine, and they don't realize that those routine talents from their perspective may very well be unique and highly desired skills from an employer's perspective. People just don’t recognize their unique talents when they have become second nature.

When I was moving from one corporate legal position to another, I worked with a placement firm to help build a resume. I frankly expected to be able to sit down for a half an hour, explain my extraordinary career path and have the firm churn out a well-crafted resume by the end of the day. As I continually learn, nothing good is ever accomplished without a lot of work on my part.

My “Coach” suggested that I take a pad of paper and write my own job history, starting with my first lemonade stand. In doing so he told me to think hard about every little skill I had acquired in each position and every accomplishment in those positions that added value to the job or company. During this process I was amazed to learn, as I said above, that many of the things I had done over time that seemed mundane to me, were true skills and talents that could very well be of value to future employers. It also helped me see where I had added real value to prior employer’s goals; and it did identify unique personal skills, such as communication, the ability to mediate disputes, and a talent for motivating and training people. All of these skills, accomplishments and traits created my package of sales tools.

This lengthy “employment auto-biography” was the starting point for writing a resume that proved truly useful in my job search. By the way, I didn't include my lemonade stand job and the fact that I had profited from it, nor did I include the fact that I was able to complete my egg route at 10 years old in record time without a single broken egg. But you get the point; the process helped me focus on true accomplishments and skills and allowed me to cite many instances where I had truly added value and brought a much-needed skill to an employer.

While, I may need to suspend this offer if I simply get too many requests, for the time being I would be happy to take a look at any reader’s resume and offer suggestions. No charge, no catches. Simply e-mail your resume to me at rickhoel@yahoo.com or rickhoel@hargray.com.

I would also highly recommend that you take a look at an excellent site hosted by Rob Thomas, “Resource-Resume” (http://www.resume-resource.com/). All of the content from this site including the articles, resume examples and cover letter examples are written by resume writing professionals. Most of these professionals are certified by the NRWA or PARW. Many of them are published authors of books on resume writing, so the content is high quality and reliable information.
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Maintain a Positive Attitude

Let's take a break today from "technique". I confess to not being an expert in many areas of job searching but I have learned many practical techniques that work. I will also continually point you to resources that provide the best expertise I have found on particular topics.

Following up on my last post, "Cold Calls", let me recommend an excellent article "Improve Your Cold Call Results", by Karen E. Klein.(http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2008/sb2008125_121206.htm). Ms. Klein’s website, http://www.kareneklein.com, is also very helpful.

I also referenced Eleanor Roosevelt and her belief that facing fears is the best way to build character and confidence. I have since communicated with Henrik Edberg from Sweden who has written an excellent article about the former First Lady's philosophy, "The Eleanor Roosevelt Guide to Building a Better Life". (http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2007/08/29/the-eleanor-roosevelt-guide-to-living-a-bolder-life/). Mr.Edberg’s site, http://www.positivityblog.com, is an excellent overall resource for taking responsibility for one's own happiness. I have added the links to both sites to this Blog.

It is important to remember that life doesn’t stop when we are searching for employment; but most of us are so consumed with the process and resulting worry or concern, that we forget that every day remains an opportunity to live and enjoy each moment. During times such as these, stress, worry and pure fear kick up a notch. And I need to work to maintain a positive attitude.

I have a friend who recently told me that he has discovered how to eliminate worry, completely. My friend schedules personal worry sessions. From 5:00 to 5:05 pm, everyday, he stops whatever he is doing and focuses on all his worries with as much mental energy as he can muster. Should a worry, fear or past regret pop into his mind during any other part of his day, he simply puts the thought out of his mind and saves it for his worry session. He tells me that it works, in part because he finds it so ludicrous to be worrying so intently by choice, that he is typically laughing at himself three minutes into his 5 o'clock session.

Whether or not my friend succeeds, I give him credit for trying. I have not discovered any single secret for overcoming worry. Folks not plagued by frequent worry don’t appear to have any particular skills that I don't have nor are they more or less intelligent than most of us. But they do understand one thing that I often forget. Worry is an inside job. There is not a person, place or upcoming event that can make me worry, unless I let it. It is only what I think about these things, how I choose to react, that produces worry and fear.

That's just semantics you will say. If I know I will be fired tomorrow, there is no way I won't think about it, so whether it's my impending termination or my thoughts about it, the result is the same, I'm worried sick. But a fortunate few, no matter the severity of a situation, seem to avoid worry by controlling their thoughts.

In the early 1940's, Dr. Victor Frankel became a concentration camp prisoner in Nazi Germany. He suffered unimaginable physical and emotional torture, at one point witnessing the murder of his own family. And yet through all of this Dr. Frankel noticed that there were always a few prisoners who, despite their personal agony, would regularly walk amongst the others, sharing their last bits of food and their care and concern. While those good souls certainly had good reason to be afraid, they apparently were not, and Dr. Frankel came away from his experience with a valuable lesson. While it is indeed possible to strip almost every single freedom from a human being, there is one freedom that can never be taken from us - the ability to choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances. That freedom is always available, if we choose to exercise it.

And why not exercise it? Successful non-worriers choose to live their lives positively and joyfully while waiting on “worrisome” events, to unfold. Joel Osteen in his best seller, Your Best Life Now, puts it this way. It will take time for any prayer to be answered. The real key is “how are we going to wait” in the interim. “If you know you have to wait anyway, why not make a decision to enjoy your life while waiting?” As I think about, maybe my friend’s idea isn’t so silly after all.

If you’ve tossed and turned in bed lately, mulling over an interview tomorrow or a visit to a doctor for that nagging pain that won't go away, you might take a cue from the famous composer, Gioachino Antonio Rossini. Rossini composed The Barber of Seville in 1816 when he was 24 years old. Already a rising star, his opera opened with tremendous resistance from his jealous competitors. In fact, opening night was a disaster and as the curtain fell, hisses and boo’s filled the theater and the leading man contemplated suicide. But no one could find Rossini.

When he was located, at his home, his friends feared the worst, but instead of finding the composer with a pistol to his head, they found him sound asleep. When awakened, Rossini was asked if he was alright, in light of the fiasco. He replied that he was fine, and having a very nice sleep before he was awakened. After listening to his panicked visitors, Rossini calmly stated that apparently The Barber of Seville was not good enough. He said he would need to compose something better and he went back to sleep. Of course, we all know that the opera to this day remains one of the greatest ever composed. Although Rossini did not know this at the time, he knew something much more precious; that failure and success can be met with an identical attitude. In fact, for Rossini, a positive attitude probably had a hand in turning seeming failure into success. At least it didn't hurt.

I recently pulled a dusty copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale, off my shelf. I highly recommend it. Written in 1956, the book remains a classic to this day and is one of the most helpful books I have ever read. For those with a modern modern bent, who want to better understand that we only live in the moment and no matter what has happened in the past or will happen in the future, that moment is ours to live as we will, I recommend The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle.

I have never understood why books that address the powers of our positive thought are rarely, if ever, taught in school. Well, I’m not going to worry about that, at least not now. I’ll wait until 5:00 pm.

The Cold Call

OK. So we know there are opportunities for employment out there that nobody knows about – yet. And you need to be willing to do something different, and for most of us, something that is uncomfortable initially, to find them. I assure you, there have been many days when I have had a list of those companies to “cold call” on my desk next to my computer when I chose, with thousands of others, to reach for the keyboard and send off resumes with passionate cover letters, to those positions posted on the endless stream of jobsites.

Of course this was the easier choice and it still gave me some sense of accomplishment. I suppose I’m an optimist of sorts, and always believed that my letter and my resume would be picked up at the other end by someone who looked it over and said, “He’s perfect.” It rarely happens and you can read articles all over the internet about the process employed to weed out most resumes before they are even read. Today, the number of resumes heading toward the hiring committee for your job is enormous.

A few of my “universal truths” might help you pick up the list instead of peck on the computer. I’m a great procrastinator, and I always pay for it by creating a load of needless worry that continually lingers in the back of my mind until I “just do it”. One of the most important things I have learned is that once you face anything you are afraid of, the worst is over. I think of the many days, that I pushed that uncomfortable phone call off until the end of the day or to the next, cluttering my mind with needless anxiety that always evaporates the moment I actually pick up the phone. No matter what the result, the real fear is over. I’m doing the thing and the result is what it is, and usually never as bad as my imagination has enlarged it during the day.

Eleanor Roosevelt viewed her fears as opportunities, sought them out and consciously used them to build her character. She once said “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” As I understand it, every day Ms. Roosevelt thought about the one thing she feared most that day and then made it her first priority to face it.

Finally, all time management fanatics know that making a detailed list of what needs to be done each day is important, but far less important than prioritizing those tasks. Try prioritizing by putting the tasks you fear most at the top of the list and see how much more pleasant the rest of the day goes.

Getting back to those cold calls, I’ll tell you from experience that, like anything else, they get easier and easier with practice. Your “pitch” will become more refined, more natural and more finally honed as you make one after another. You’ll learn how to be flexible and change your course in mid-stream in response to the person you are calling. Eventually, you may even find that many of these calls become enjoyable. Here is a brief checklist of things to do and expect before, during and after your calls:

• The internet does give us a tremendous advantage in learning about the person we will be calling. Google that person and learn as much as you can about them. There is no better ice breaker than to be able to start a call with “Hello, Ms. Wilson, my name is Rick Hoel, you don’t know me but we both went to Colgate University....are avid Cub’s fans.....wrote an article about......grew up in Minnesota.....” You get the point.
• Write out a brief “script”. When I was looking to switch from private law practice to the in-house corporate legal world, after connecting with some opening pleasantries, my brief “value proposition” went something like this. “I have worked with Able, Baker and Charlie for the past three years defending companies in products liability cases. In the process I’ve learned the mistakes companies have made that could have easily been avoided, and saved the company a great deal of money, by eliminating serious litigation. I also learned how those mistakes can be avoided. I think my experience can be very valuable to a company like yours and I would like the chance to meet with you for 15 minutes, introduce myself, and explain how I can make a difference at your company.”
• I eventually developed the ability to speak these words with confidence and without pause and would not stop talking until at least this initial point was made.
• Rarely did I get a “don’t waste my time” reaction.
• The most common response was “Well, we don’t have anything at the moment but why don’t you send me your resume and I will pass it on to Mr. Brown”. I would then ask if it might be easier for me to call Mr. Brown and make an appointment to drop off my resume. I wanted my foot in the door. When I got a yes, I’d call Mr. Brown, telling him that his boss just asked me to make an appointment and I did so.
• When there was no Mr. Brown, I at least had the opportunity to send a cover letter and resume directly to my initial contact. Don’t email. Write a letter, thanking the person for his or her time and tailor your resume, honestly, to stress any significant factors that came up in the call. Call again in a few days to make sure your letter was received.
• This is a simple approach and you will develop your own techniques and style as you move through the process.

Remember two things. Employers want to hear how you can make a difference in their bottom line. Second, as I stressed in my last post, all employers value persistence so don’t worry about being too persistent. Show them how hard you work in the way you work to sell yourself.

Find Jobs Your Competition Doesn’t Even Know Exist

I don’t have the statistics, but my experience in the business world has taught me that many if not most of the jobs you would like to have aren’t even posted on all of the sites we spend so much time scanning on the internet. Why is this?

1. Companies are always in the process of assessing their needs and positions are available long before the “posting” process is completed.
2. Many companies first look internally to find the right person for a position. But this doesn’t mean the company is wedded to this process if the right applicant from the outside catches someone’s attention.
3. Many businesses don’t really know their staffing needs but can be taught by an aggressive job applicant.
4. Businesses are always on the look-out for talent that adds real value. One who impresses might just cause a company to create a position and figure out just how you can help later.
5. Timing is a curious thing. You may just catch someone’s attention the day before a position is scheduled for posting.

The bottom line is that any business in this environment is always looking for real talent. The key is to show someone you have it before others do.

Many years ago, I left a law firm that specialized in litigation and decided to take that experience and look for a position as an in-house corporate attorney. I was fortunate because one of my best friends was a recruiter and also had a big heart. He truly thrived on helping people. In fact he always had a few extra desks at his office where he would let friends work while looking for a job. I called Bill and told him what I was looking for and he told me to stop in the following Monday.

When I arrived, I honestly expected Bill to hand me a list of companies who were looking for people with my experience and say something like, “I’ve spoken with these folks and they’d like you to call and schedule an interview.”

This is not what happened. Instead, Bill pointed to a desk and told me I could use it, the phone on it, and a book sitting there listing information about all of the companies in the Chicago area. Surprised, I asked, “Well, what do I do with it?”

Bill didn’t hesitate, “You go through it, make a list of all the companies that would be large enough to employ in-house attorneys. Then get the name and number of the person in the company at the highest level who will make the final decision on hiring an attorney. If the company has an in-house staff, get the name and number of the General Counsel. If it doesn’t yet have an in-house attorney, but is large enough to need one, get the name and number of the President.”

“And then what,” I stammered.

“Call them,” Bill said and walked away.

Over the course of the next couple of days, I very reluctantly did make a list, obtained the right names and numbers to call, in some cases calling the main number to get that person’s name and number. I spent a lot of time doing this, pushing off the inevitable moment when I would need to pick up the phone and actually call these people.

When I’d completed the list, I asked Bill what I should say. He told me I would figure it out along the way but to essentially tell the person briefly who I was, what I had done, why I could be of value to his or her company and ask to make an appointment to see them.

Scared straight, I wrote out my “pitch” and started calling the smallest companies on the list first. I’ll talk tomorrow about some of the results of these calls in more detail and the benefits of even a flat out refusal to take the call, though there were few.

But to make today’s point, over the course of a week, my confidence in delivering my proposal increased and my fears lessened but never flat out left me. Eventually I got to the big companies and at the very end of the day on Friday, I called the General Counsel of one of the largest companies headquartered in the Chicago area, a Fortune 100 company with a global presence.

The General Counsel was not in, but the receptionist was nice enough to put me through to the Assistant General Counsel. I told him who I was, what I had done and why I could help his company. Expecting a “send me a resume” response at best, I got a surprise.

“This is quite a coincidence,” the Assistant General Counsel said, "I have had this proposed advertisement for an attorney on my desk for three days for approval and was going to send it to Human Resources to place in the papers on Monday. Frankly, your background doesn’t sound like an exact fit but call Mr. Brown on Monday and set an appointment to see him. I’ll let him know you will be calling. Have a nice weekend.”

I won’t describe the emotions that I experienced after that call but will tell you that I called Mr. Brown on Monday and eventually got the job.

More on this approach tomorrow.