Showing posts with label advancement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advancement. Show all posts
A resume needs to be easy to read. It needs to be simple. It needs to be fast to identify who's resume it is. That means the first thing on the page is your own name. It is the one thing that doesn't require an expert to wordsmith it to make you stand out. You are unique and your name calls attention to just that. Show the world what you are made of!
Here are three simple tips to understand why your name on your resume can send such a powerful message on it's own.
  1. Your Name
    • It may seem silly, but your name should be the largest thing on your resume. Truly it is the most important because they can forget everything else about you but if they forget your name, then you will never win. And you never want the recruiter to have to look for your phone number or email address. If you want the job, they have to contact you and use your name so make it as easy for them to find as possible.
  2. Middle Name
    • Should you put your full name on your resume? A good test for this is to do a Google search or a Facebook search. How many other people share your name? If it is a common name, or a name that returns negative connotation results, make yourself unique by including your full given name. You know that recruiters will search you on social media so know what is out there about you, whether you are the one that put it out there or not.
  3. Called by Name
    • A pro tip is to use your nickname on your resume. Still use something professional, but if you prefer a shortened version like John or Rich to Jonathan or Richard, then share that in your profiled resume. You can include both your full and shortened name if you want with parenthesis. For example: James (Jack) Frost. Write down what you want your desk name tag to say on your first day when you get hired!
Yup, it happened to me. And I think there are two reactions to this scenario: you love it or hate it. You're either jealous or proud. Honestly, it was a bit of both for me as I have similar ambitions but for our team, this change will be good for me too. And I'm relieved a bit that we didn't bring in fresh blood at the top because we're already a solid team. Anyways, now you have to start building a manager-employee relationship. How can set yourself up for success?
  1. Be the first to reach out
    • Communicate communicate communicate! There is a lot of unsure feelings circulating and someone needs to break the ice. Call them and congratulate them. Give them at least one reason why you are excited for them to be in this new position so it isn't canned. This admission of their position will start this new relationship out on the right foot because your initiation of this new communication makes them feel comfortable coming to you in the future.
  2. Come prepared to your first meeting with them as the boss
    • Whether it is a one-on-one or a team gathering, make yourself and your work known. Your new boss might have been on your team but they may not know the efforts you've been put it. Have examples, speak up, and show that you are a valued member of this team. Become their go-to person for just one thing and it will create a good foundation for this new team dynamic.
  3. Plan your next move together
    • Okay, so maybe you wish you got it. Or you've had so many managers that you hate having to constantly prove yourself. If you are interested in promotion (or maybe simply not being the top of the list for getting laid off), you have to show your value to your new boss whether you like it or not. Talk to your boss about where you want to be so they can be your advocate and mentor. They just lived a personal experience so learn from their success!
Congratulations to Mathu! We know that you are enthused about your new challenge and we have lots of great things coming for our team this year with you as our leader.
It has been over a year since I completed my MBA and not being on the education system schedule is... weird. I haven't stopped learning though - right now I'm reading about the stock market at home and SQL scripts at work. Why do we feel driven to learn and better ourselves? It isn't just our human nature.
  1. Learn more about someone else
    • We all crave (to different levels) human interaction and if we listen to someone, we grow those kind of relationships. Whether we are learning what they are interested in, learning how they feel about something, or learning what their boundaries are. Now we can interact with them differently next time. You might ask specific follow up questions to continue relationship growth. You can determine whether you should seek their help when you run into problems yourself. Or you can learn when to avoid them altogether.
  2. Become an expert
    • The most common reason that people learn is to build upon their existing knowledge. You learn a new serving technique in tennis to be a better tennis player and win matches. You learn modern marketing trends to be better at your job and get a promotion. There is a selfish element to this and an element of for the greater good too.
  3. The journey not the destination
    • I know many self-proclaimed "life long learners" that always are going to a class, seminar, or conference. They love school, traveling and reading. These types of people enjoy the constant challenge of uncovering the unknown piece by piece. By exploring the world and growing out knowledge base we feel we are "well rounded".
Now the real question is how you apply what you've learned. Do you teach others? Do you learn from your mistakes? Make sure you are learning for a reason!
I am often INsprired by the milestones of those around me and this week is a very special one - my dad is retiring! It is a very exciting milestone and turning point in your life when those you love retire and can leave the stresses of work behind and spend time doing what they love. I got to spend a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family and my dad's retirement is one of many reasons we are thankful this year. When thinking about the impact of life's events, there are many ways to celebrate!
  1. Remembering back
    • You've accomplished a lot in the last [too] many years in the workforce. It is impressive how many tough bosses, grand wins, difficult projects, and impressive achievements you've survived. Now you can use it as story telling for younger generations instead of as convincing evidence to your superiors. Whew! Sharing your past with those around you is a great way to celebrate the efforts you've put forth to get to where you are today.
  2. Looking forward
    • What is most likely on your mind is the future adventures you are going to have now that you are retired! You can travel during non-holiday times of the year. You can sleep in on weekdays. You can pick up that hobby you never had time for or read that book on your bucket list. So much time and so much fun to be had! Looking forward to the many new challenges and adventures can keep you hungry and keep life interesting regardless of your age.
  3. Living in the moment
    • With no agenda, deadlines, or rules, you can do all of those things you wanted to... or not. No one is going to make you and if you change your mind because you feel like it, you can do that too! Relax and take it one day at a time any way you wish. It is a great way to live life to the fullest and enjoy every hour without worrying about what comes next.
I hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving too and have more holiday family time to come!
Money is a tough conversation, no matter who with, how much, or what it is being spent on. I always feel like the moment a dollar figure comes into play, things turn serious. Money puts a value on things and whether that is your time, your effort, or someone else's effort and sometimes you may be surprised by the answer. This is beyond the usual make vs. buy (to DIY or not DIY) conversation into a whole other realm of is it worth it. Here are some trick questions that might help you get to the bottom of a money question.
  1. Would you pay 10% more for the same thing?
    • Sometimes simply putting the ball in the court of "more" is enough to tip the scale from a "need" to just a "nice to have". This is a great technique if going from a $0 to a not-$0 amount say in an all-encompassing contract. If the extra cost of quality on something specific is worth an added fee though, go for it.
  2. If all of a sudden it was free (or highly discounted), would the value stay the same?
    • Sometimes the price tag alone can be a status symbol. Take a new 2015 BMW 7 series for example. Would it means the same if everyone could pick one up tomorrow at the cost of a 3 series? Probably not. Even if you still enjoyed the car, the uniqueness would be lost along with the desire for the competitive speed.
  3. Would you still need/want this in 6 months?
    • Does the age of something increase or decrease its importance? A bottle of wine might be worth a few percentage points more but a computer game would be on the discount shelves as old news. Maybe you bought an alternative or the development time has doubled unexpectedly and now the sunk costs make you rethink your original decision. Technology moves quickly so assess the long term implication of the cost... or cost savings.
In any case with money, keep in mind that whomever is on the other sides wants to spend less and make more, just like you. So try to compromise where you can and know the limits in which you aren't willing to negotiate further. And never offer something and not deliver or flat out retract it. The trust you will lose it just not worth it in any deal.

The past two weekends have been filled with nostalgia and reminiscing at my High School Reunion events and I must say it was an adventure learning about each other again. There are so many things that don't matter as kids that make up who you are now. New things you have in common and new things that grow you apart from each other. The variations were amazing to see. Some people turn out exactly as you expect and others went in a completely opposite direction. By only having two data points (with occasional impersonal facebook posts in between) 10-years apart, what can we learn from each other at these snapshots?
  1. Your Comfort Zone
    • I was amazed how many people return to their home town. They leave for a variety of reasons but the place you know best and feel most in control might just always be the place you grew up. I'm not one of those people, but I think it tells you about how fast people adapt to change. How fast can you trust new relationships and build new daily routines? But even if your zip code stays the same, people can stretch themselves in different ways.
  2. Comfortable with Your Status
    • My limited experience with these reunions is that they are in large part about measuring up and showing how well you doing. You have to be confident in yourself almost to a fault to feel "good enough" and show your face to old peers. The status quo may have changed but new opinions, stereotypes, and egos form very quickly. Are they even still your peers? Some people have taken such different paths to happiness you can't fairly judge.
  3. Your Own Comfortable Shoes
    • Hey, there is always the 20-year reunion, right? A lot of life happens in-between so even if you were jealous, impressed, deflated, or proud you now have another 10 years to make changes. It gives you a chance to look at yourself and your dreams and get re-energized. I mean, you did just face your high school friends so you can take on any thing now! So don't put yourself if their shoes; put on your own and go on another adventure!
Okay? The honest part? I didn't go. I didn't go to the planned events and instead did a Girl Scout Troop reunion. Even doing what I love with the smaller group, I still felt like I got a full dose of all of this. What happened at your high school reunion?
I love my job. One reason is getting to be the driving force behind a group's change. You get to know them, you work with them, introduce something new, and turn their old habits into new ones. I think partly why these large changes are so successful is our commitment to the people. And this commitment can only be reached face-to-face. It makes a huge difference to watch their body language, understand their frustrations, and share their smiles of accomplishment. The constant interactions and connections that you make every day while on-site with a client isn't automatic though and if your presence is the one that can make or break the group's change, I have a few tips that can improve your chances of consulting success.
  1. Write down everything
    • Your clients can not only see your facial expressions, but are also watching your actions. They know if you wrote down their suggestion because they either see you jot in your notebook or just take a mental note. Don't underestimate the power of writing things down. Not only will it help you remember it, but your client will gain confidence in you because they see that their thoughts matter. They know you listened because you wrote down their thoughts. It makes them feel like you care!
  2. Ask for local advice
    • If you are on site with a client, you probably are out of town and unfamiliar with the area. Ask the locals for their favorite coffee or food spots, best driving routes, and recommendations on tourist locations worth visiting. This will allow them to share their expertise with you and they feel valuable. Don't underestimate the power of letting your client share some personal experiences. Any discussions about extracurricular activities will boost their self confidence to make dealing with the tough business topics easier.
  3. Always be approachable
    • Sometimes you hover over their shoulder watching what they are doing like a boss. Sometimes you are hunched over with a technical issues at your laptop in the corner. Other times you may be in tense conversations with management over contract costs. In all situations, you must remember that at any time a worker may have a question. They should never have to feel uneasy or hesitant in asking. Therefore, keeping good posture and a neutral expression is important. It may require conscious focus on your part at first but it will make a big difference up and down the chain of command in the long run.
Have you been through an experience in which seeing the other person in-person made all the difference? What was the determining factor that made you walk away afterwards feeling cared for? Was it technical support at Geek Squad versus phone support of Microsoft? Was it having your quarterly review at company headquarters instead of an email? Share what made the real difference!
I hope you enjoyed reading my other posts about my challenges of going through unemployment in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Finally, Part 4 is the logistics of what I did to find that next job.
  1. Schedule your day
    • When you have a job, do you feel tied down to your work with deadlines and meetings? Your calendar and the hour-long blocks of time on it structure your day. If you are your own boss (aka unemployed), stay on track by doing the same thing! Get the most out of Google Calendar and block out time to do important things and silly things. Below is a picture of an example of my weekly to-do list and you can see I even have cleaning the house on there! Every little thing that you do is an accomplishment, so cross it off like you deserve it!
  2. Network everywhere
    • And I mean everywhere. I'm not lying when I say I used 3 of my friends to connect me to the hiring department at a company through their significant other. It may seem weird and like you are "taking advantage" of your friends, family, or acquaintances but really everyone wants to help where they can! Ask if they know anyone! Tell everyone what you are looking for!
  3. Define success for yourself
    • Without a 6-month review cycle and bonuses to work towards, you might feel a wave of "what's the point" or "where am I going" during your job search. Do some soul searching and make it about you. Set 3-month and 6-month goals that are more than "get a new job". I began learning a new language, German. I am writing a book so I made goals about how many chapters I'd finish this month. Then, when another month comes and goes you won't feel so defeated.
Oh, and for heavensakes, get out of the house. Seriously. I loved living in my slippers 24/7 and not doing my hair every morning, but interviews are about your people skills and first impressions. Get out and talk to people and meet new people at least once a week. You don't want to forget how to hold a conversation during a lull in a phone interview. :-) I hope these tips and my experiences helped you understand how unemployment is. Best of luck!
My Week 9 To Do List

One of the main reasons job seeking when unemployed is so difficult is because it is hard to maintain a positive attitude. Every time a recruiter calls you have to respond in a cheery voice and describe all of the great attributes you have without any self doubt. Many times, the person on the other end, the recruiter, can influence your attitude by testing your patience, forcing you through tough Q&A, or not sharing your enthusiasm. I bet it would be hard to be a recruiter and be verbally excited every day, but that is part of that job; you ARE the first impression a job seeker has of your company. I've had some good, interesting, and bad experiences and I think they are worth sharing.
  1. No response
    • After an initial phone screen, sometimes you hear nothing. Seriously, it is the worst. When the same job posting is on a website for 5 months and you thought you were in the running, how often can you repeatedly follow up with a recruiter with no response before it is rude? Once, I got contacted 4 times by 4 different people at a single company about a single position and not one of them followed up a second time. Do I want to work in that disorganization? No. Another time I flat out called asking about the status of the position and finally got the "we decided to pursue other candidates" answer, but the closure was totally worth it. The "we decided to go in another direction" answer is a tough one because you rarely know why but it is better than nothing. Don't leave us hanging!!
  2. Conversationalist, or not
    • There are many types of recruiters. First are the "formal questions only" type. It is dry and you will get dry responses. I hate doing all of the talking because I want to learn about you as much as you want to learn about me! Two, the tactic of assessing what questions I ask is effective... as long as you have the answers. Third, talking with a recruiter that shows genuine excitement about finding a good fit will turn the interview into a friendly conversation. Thank you! My time and your time is valuable and we both want the same thing so why not talk about things we care about.
  3. Dangling carrot
    • What's hard is the "we should be opening up a position soon". Because my unemployment was around the holidays, I got postponed interviews and interesting stories that just dragged out for months. It is frustrating when I could start tomorrow. I know recruiters are trying to be encouraging but unless you get another contact to talk to, you need to move on. Circle back around in another month if you are still unemployed but don't let them control you with an endless waiting game!
In short, recruiters that are honest is refreshing during the interview process. They can read your reaction to a question and understand your thought process when explaining a scenario. These recruiters return your calls within a week (Hitachi Consulting), send company fact sheets before your next interview (DaVita), and tell you whether you will like the hiring manager or not (Charter). (Yes, I just name dropped). Even though they didn't hire me, these HR departments turned a headache into an enjoyable experience. (P.S. They should get a raise.) Keep reading for more advice about job hunting in Part 4!
    It is finally here! I have a job! I start next week and I couldn't be happier to be contributing to society again. It wasn't easy and I'm sure I'm not the only person that has (or will have to) go through this. So I want to share my experience and write a few posts about what I went through and how I got through it. Being unemployed is exhausting on many levels: emotionally, professionally, physically, and personally, and the only way to survive it is to believe you are constantly on the cusp of that next great opportunity.

    A few facts:
    • 25 weeks without a job
    • 150 job applications
    • 14 networking events
    • 10 personal contacts
    • 4 career fairs
    • 17 phone interviews
    • 5 in-person interviews
    • 2 emotional breakdowns
    What can you gather from this? Three things:
    1. I have these numbers
      • I know what these numbers are. Period. That means I kept track of what I did for each of those 175 days. Writing down your accomplishments as you go is important! It helps you know when to remind that recruiter again or check that top 3 company career page again. In case you didn't know, in order to receive unemployment checks you do have to complete the minimum number of job submissions (for me it was 5) each week (and yes, I got audited and had to prove it).
    2. It is not easy
      • The hardest thing without a doubt is staying positive. I did go through tough money conversations, weight gain, avoiding old work friends, and more. Don't feel guilty for feeling however you do. I felt it was impossible to find energy or fully relax. I even tried to have fun by trying T'ai Chi (bucket list, check!). It is a constant roller coaster with interview invites and rejections. You need to force yourself into some sort of balance in which can reward yourself and manage yourself. Visit family and friends out of town that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. Sleep in and cry when you need it. Do whatever you want as long as your want to join the workforce again is the strongest desire and you actively work towards finding a new job all the time.
    3. Finding a job IS a job
      • You can definitely spend 40 hours a week applying to jobs. The truth is that you have nothing to show for it until it is all over. I didn't laze around "happily living off the government's dime". I bet people surf Facebook on the job more than I did the past few months. Because no one has a manager when unemployed, active job seekers actually have 2 jobs to do: strategize as the boss AND do the work like an individual contributor. Oh, and you also need to be your own HR department for benefits and job satisfaction (self motivation).
    For more on my story, check out Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4! I blog about what to do if you know someone unemployed, what I found entertaining about HR, and what I did to earn that next job. And my first post with my reaction that very first week is here. I hope my experience can help you if ever face the trials of unemployment.

    The best advice I can give to someone wanting to improve their interview skills is to sit on the other side of the table. When your team is the one that needs another team player, always, always volunteer to be a part of the interview process. If you are going to work with them daily, you should contribute your personal opinions to finding the best candidate. Here are a few tips to try and "meet the real candidate" beneath the "suit and tie" mask.
    1. What is your proudest achievement (work related or not) and why? What did you do to reach this achievement?
      • I think you learn more from the positive questions than the "overcoming your greatest failure" questions because you can see what gets them excited rather than what makes them nervous. Pride shines in this one and knowing what makes someone arrive early and stay late is great to get the most out of them. If their answer has skills in it that you need, it could be a perfect match!
    2. What do you do for fun in your free time?
      • I love asking this questions because half the time it throws people off to "get personal". This is not a weird (or discriminating) question and whether they run marathons or watch movie marathons, love their pets or love to travel, you will see a spark of passion. How people passionately describe things will loosen them up and you might see some good (or bad) habits that simply let you know if you want to work with them or not.
    3. Describe your dream job.
      • If what they describe is not something that this position entails, they won't be staying long and you shouldn't hire them. If they describe the work that is a team weakness, they will compliment you well and be a great asset to hire. Be a bit wary if the answer is exactly like the job description because you may not be getting an honest answer - so ask this one towards the end of the interview after you've built up some trust.
    The best thing you can do as an interviewer is to manage your time and leave time for the interviewee to ask questions. What they ask shows how much they listened, what is important to them, and how they share information. Some people come prepared with pre-written questions, some ask specific job-related questions, and some want to get to know you personally. Good luck!
    This week I thought I would do a double perspective and share my favorite questions to ask during an interview based upon what side of the table you are sitting at. An interview is like a date in which neither person knows if things should proceed to a second date/interview. A few great articles suggest taking someone to a meal instead of a formal interview and another that recommends visiting their apartment/house without the person in question there. You can learn a lot about someone from watching them interact with servers, their kids/pets, or their furniture and dishes. Interviews, just like dates, tend to be lies where both parties put on their best dress and best attitude. What questions can you ask to draw out the real person, team, and company spirit?
    1. What do you think your direct reports think about your manager? Why?
      • Transparency is important in helping teams work together and a company is built up of many integrated teams. Good communication up and down the chain of command reduces duplicate work, aligns goals, and increases confidence in those around you.
    2. Is there any reason you believe I wouldn't be able to do this job successfully?
      • One of my mentors passed this interview sinker on to me. You rarely get feedback if you didn't get the job and if there is something that is preventing you from getting the job, this question allows you to have one last chance to address it.
    3. What is the biggest challenge your team will face within the next year?
      • If they don't know the answer, they may not know why they are hiring you. If they have a good answer, you can describe directly how your strengths can solve those needs. You and the hiring manager both want to be enthusiastic about your first 6 months and be ready to contribute to the team right away.
    A few additional good questions can be specific to the position if it is a new or back-fill. What did the previous person do successfully/unsuccessfully? What makes your team stand out in your organization? What is your favorite thing about working here every day? And don't forget to ask how to follow-up and when you can expect status updates!
    Diverging a bit from my regular blog posts, this month I'd like to share a few personal stories that have been my INspiration lately. This week, it is about my, well, politely said, "opportunity in disguise". The hard truth is that I was laid off last week due to company downsizing. It is a shock and a little bit of a emotional roller-coaster but I'm staying positive in that something better will come out of this. It has only been a week and so I don't have a lot to report but it definitely is consuming my energy. So far, whenever I'm on the brink of tears I just remind myself of these 3 things and then I'm fine again.
    1. Lean on your support system
      • Don't be afraid to rely on the people around you. That is why they are there and they love you. They will help get you through this. This is hard for me to do because I am a very self-sufficient person and proud of it but when I came home to dinner and wine that night it made me feel special. It helps to feel that you don't have to do it all, all the time. Let the people that love you remind you of that and let them take care of you for a bit.
    2. Find a new routine
      • The first thing I did was sign up for a gym class during the day that I've always wanted to try. Yes, it costs money but having something to regularly get myself out of the house is really important to stay moving and motivated. We all strive for control so if you are the one making decisions and choosing to do new and unfamiliar things, you will find strength to conquer it.
    3. Just keep swimming
      • Like Dory in Finding Nemo, the best way to deal with the fear of the unknown is to trigger your muscle memory bank and keep going with familiar habits. For me, that is setting my alarm every morning and keeping a weekly to-do list just like I do on the job. Staying organized and self-motivated is more important now than ever and your attitude will show when you have those next job opportunities.
    I think everyone that has survived a layoff wears it as a badge of honor. I intend to do the same after I'm through with this "battle". Have you been through a layoff? What advice do you have for me and others going through this?

    Edited: Read about my advice after the fact in my 4 part blog post on unemployment.
    I was inspired this week by the title of a post called "Are you Acting Your Wage?" by the Daily Worth and it got me thinking about job titles and salaries. My title is "Technical Program Manager"; what in the world does that mean? What type of program? How big a program? How new a program? What part of the program do I manage? There are so many programs and program components, do you really know what I do based on just my title? Is the salary range really a good indicator to base your expectations? No and uh, no. So if you are looking for your next career move (internally or externally) how can you prove to people that you are worth the high end of that spectrum?
    1. Dress up
      • Most tech companies have a relaxed dress code with employees wearing jeans on more than just casual Fridays. But even if that is the case, take the advice I was given once and "dress for the job you want not the job you have". And take it a step further: dress up the other components of your image and improve the way you sit in meetings, your email signature, and the way you bring problems to your boss.
    2. Elevator up
      • When meeting people for the first time, you need to be able to rehearse a polished elevator pitch that clarifies who you are and what you do. Whether it is the CEO, a competitor, a customer, or an old classmate, you want to impress them all. The best way to elevate your job is to show results through numbers and a cause-and-effect equation. "I do X for program Y so that my company sees Z." Make sure you know what you'll say and don't get stuck tongue-tied; then you won't be worth much at all!
    3. "Sheryl Sandberg" up (or Man up)
      • Don't be afraid to get in people's faces about your efforts and goals. If you want a raise there are designated times they can happen and if you ask for it today I can bet you won't get it. You need to be in the running well before and so you need to speak up for yourself and advocate for your self worth. Ask to do more. Ask for feedback. Ask for the promotion. And if you're not convinced, maybe these stories will convince you.
    I had the pleasure of attending the University of Northern Colorado career fair yesterday and spending time with some choice students at our Brocade info session. I am not a recruiter, actually I find myself quite awkward with one-on-one ice-breaker conversations, but I love volunteering to find talent for Brocade to hire. I am also a resume nit. I make changes to mine on a monthly basis and I am not looking for another position currently.

    Why? Because I sucked at it before. When I was in their shoes looking for my first industry job, I'm pretty sure I went about it the hard, monotonous way. And I hope that my words can help others not go through what I did. So, UNC students, I know you didn't have any realization yesterday, but hopefully you got at least one good nugget of information that helps you land your first job - whether at Brocade or not. Below are my top tips:
    1. Be personable
      • We know you want a job, that's why you walked up to my Career Fair booth, but have something to talk about other than "I want a job. What job do you have for me." You need to stand out from the candidates that look the same or better on paper. If you can make a personal connection with the recruiter, then they will remember you and call you for the next step. So ASK QUESTIONS and get the recruiter to talk about themselves. Find a common hobby, their passion behind their work, or why they love their company culture. Be the friendliest person that the hiring manager has met and wants to join their team.
    2. Practice
      • Seriously, don't be like me and practice your scenario answers at interviews you care about. You won't get the job and you'll know it before you walk out. You know if you are good at telling jokes and the same is true for whether you know if you tell good example stories or not. Find the ones that work well at answering the "What are your weaknesses/strengths?" "Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult team member?"
        You need to be confident about yourself and your skills, and ensure that the right things are strongly communicated to the recruiter. If you are unsure if the language you are using matches the recruiter's needs, then try this: trade resumes with a friend for 10 seconds. Your friend is your eye tracking software and will tell you what top 5 or so words catch their eye. Then if that's not what you want your first impression to be, change it before you hand it to the real recruiting reader.
    1. Utilize Social Media
      • 91% of recruiters look for a social media presence. If you aren't actively posting positive stuff about yourself, then some jailed convict with the same name as you is doing it for you. There are so many tools on the internet to advertise yourself so use them! Comment on company blogs, join a Linkedin group, follow a company on Facebook. You don't have to do a lot, just enough to be in control. I got flown across the country for an interview within a week of one Linkedin posting once. It works, really.
    I did not talk about the basics here because I assume your college career center covers those well. But just remember that first impressions matter A LOT. So just in case, here are the highlights:
    Do you have a top tip to give graduating students? Share them!
    With the internet these days, there is so much information available that it is hard to argue what is right vs. wrong and that more or less is better. The point is though, that as long as there is more information to find, people will continue searching and find it. Whether you are doing research on a product and weighing the features and price of a new tablet or researching free PMP info and avoiding purchasing a book, the internet allows us to search to our heart's content. That is, until one of the following happens:
    1. 100% convinced
      • You have done so much searching that you have completed your quest and made a decision. This amount would be different for everyone, but it does depend on the consistency of the information between sources and the level of trust you have in those credible sources. Regardless, when you make a decision you stop searching and move on to acting on your decision.
    2. Too expensive
      • If it is not worth your time and/or energy to keep searching. This could be because the information is too hard to find or your deadline is closing fast.
    3. Loss of interest
      • Actually, I think this happens more than we are willing to admit. Sometimes our initial intention or interest level was minimal to begin with. Then you either don't find the answer right away or don't find the answer interesting enough to continue, you may give up and move on to the next best thing.
    In my opinion, this is also true personally. When you are applying to jobs, interviewing, and networking regularly, people WILL be searching for information on you. What can you do about it? Fill the Internet with great things about you:
    • utilize Linkedin
    • test search yourself
    • socialize professionally on social media sources
    • engage in tech blogs and forum conversations
    • stay aware of what others can find about you in public realms
    • have others say/write info about you to increase your credibility
    "91% of recruiters screen candidates on their social profile."

    Don't let recruiters not call you back because they are 1) other info convinced them otherwise, 2) it's too hard to find info on you, 3) your info is cookie-cutter, boring, and doesn't speak to you and the job description's strengths.

    About Me



    So if you want to be happy at work like I am, then thanks for being a reader! I am a consultant that travels constantly and is always working with new people. I love what I do! I'm formally trained with an MBA and BS Engineering. At home and in my free time, I like to drink beer, travel, garden, read, hike with my dog, and play board games.

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