Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted
career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview
in the current issue of QuintZine,
our biweekly newsletter. Here is one such interview.
Lorie Lebert is a Certified Career Management Coach, International Job and Career
Transition Coach, and Certified Professional Résumé Writer.
Q:
What are the top tips you'd advise for keeping a positive attitude during a tough job search?
A:
Actually, I have several … here are four:
Have realistic expectations about how long the job search might take.
Get help and support from others.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle (eating, exercise), and a positive attitude
(maintain associations with those employed as well as those searching).
Understand that failure is an event -- not a person. Success is a process.
Q:
As a resume writer, what do you find are some of the major mistakes job-seekers
make in their résumés that prolong their job searches in these difficult times?
A:
Some people think they can do anything -- including writing an objective resume
that others will understand. They are not willing to make an investment in a
certified/qualified resume writer because of the cost. Their not asking/seeking
help might prolong the search unnecessarily and end up costing them! If a job
searcher is seeking a position that pays $80K annually, it is costing them almost
$1,600 a week to be out of work. If the job-seeker pays $800 for a resume and
cover letter, and finds a position a couple of days sooner than he or she would
have on his or her own, he or she would have saved hundreds of dollars. That
is quite a Return On Investment (ROI)!
Q:
What is the biggest mistake job-seekers make that your advice could correct or prevent?
A:
Many job-seekers think in this age of the Internet -- that posting their resume on
job boards is the quickest and most efficient way to get the word out. They
believe that companies are just waiting for their resume to come across their
virtual desks. No so.
With millions of other job-seekers posting their resumes on job boards, the task
of the human-resource person or recruiter is quite overwhelming. And,
many job-seekers are quite savvy in their posting prowess and beef up
their resumes with key words in their attempt to get to the top of the
heap, which provides just another frustration for the person trying to
sort out the viable candidates from the inadequate or weak applicants.
My suggestion is to use the Internet searches in direct proportion to the
results they are receiving. Depending on what source you use, jobs
attained from the Internet range from 3 percent to 7 percent. Even
with that low of a percentage, some job-seekers are spending more
than 90 percent of their time on a technique that yields very low results.
On the other hand, networking is 70 percent to 85 percent effective
in attaining a new job.
So, why are job-seekers spending so much time on the Internet and
not networking? Because it's easy. There is no face-to-face confrontation
and no immediate rejection; you don’t have to get dressed up, get in
the car and go anywhere. What advice would prevent them from
wasting their time or correct the situation if they are not getting
results? Spend 70 percent to 85 percent of the time networking,
3 percent to 7 percent of their time on the Internet, and the rest
of the time in other job-search methods (newspapers, periodicals,
cold calling).
Q:
At the end of 2003, the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine
said that even as the economy improves, companies will continue to lay off
workers to increase productivity and reduce costs. They further said that
competition for jobs will be intense as workers re-enter the workforce.
How can job-seekers achieve success and stand out from the crowd in
such a competitive market?
A:
Job-seekers achieve success and stand out from the rest through:
A well-written resume. A good-looking document will
always help you stand out from others. In addition to the "looks," the resume
must quickly identify the candidate's job targets and qualifications. This way,
the reader can start positioning the candidate and recognize what skills they
have for the job qualifications. Following should be an accurate chronology
with functions and results of each prior position. This way, the reader will
have an indication of the value the candidate has brought to other companies.
Follow up. This technique might sound simple, but most
people do not follow through on their initial contact. The job-seeker might
assume that he or she just wasn't chosen because he or she didn't qualify,
or the position was already filled. Not necessarily so. You will never know
if you don't try and connect with a decision-maker to see where you stand.
Even if you were not chosen, you can find out why and try to remedy the
situation for the next time.
Thank-you notes. The paper kind -- not email. Nothing takes
the place of a courteous note thanking the interviewer for their time and
(if relevant) clarifying or explaining statements made during the interview.
Even if you are not interested in the job, the good manners shown by a
thank-you note will not be forgotten if another position comes up or the
employer has your permission to forward the resume to others who
might be searching for a candidate with your qualifications.
Q:
Thinking "outside the box," what's the best way for job-seekers to figure
out what career will give them the greatest happiness?
A:
One of the questions I ask my coaching clients is what was their dream
when they were first thinking of a career. What steps did they take to
move the dream forward; what stopped them (if they were halted);
how would they feel if they had continued with that career path?
On the flip side, if they have been on the same career path that they
chose as a teenager and found out they were unhappy, why are they
living out the dream of an adolescent now that they are an adult? A
coach is a great sounding board and hears information in a different
way, so the client can more clearly make decisions on other options,
skills, or qualifications.
As a Certified Career Management Coach, International Job and Career Transition
Coach, and Certified Professional Resume Writer, Lorie Lebert offers individualized
client-centered coaching and writing to shift careers into a more satisfying new job,
career, or position. Through identifying strengths, skills, values, and interests,
Lorie and her clients can formulate realistic choices together. Services include a
full range of career management and coaching strategies, including career
transition, salary negotiation, job-search tactics, networking, on-line initiatives,
resume and cover-letter writing, and other career-management services --
vital for success in today's unpredictable and ever-changing business climate.
Lorie is an active member of Career Masters Institute and the Professional
Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches. Her work has appeared
in more than a dozen publications including America’s Top Resumes for
America’s Top Jobs, Cover Letter Magic, Best Resumes and CVs for
International Jobs, and 101 Best Dot.Com Résumés and Cover Letters.
Lorie can be reached via e-mail at Lorie@DoMyResume.com
and through her Websites,
DoMyResume.com and
CoachingROI.com.
As a Certified Career Management Coach, International Job and Career Transition
Coach, and Certified Professional Resume Writer, Lorie Lebert offers individualized
client-centered coaching and writing to shift careers into a more satisfying new job,
career, or position. Through identifying strengths, skills, values, and interests,
Lorie and her clients can formulate realistic choices together. Services include a
full range of career management and coaching strategies, including career
transition, salary negotiation, job-search tactics, networking, on-line initiatives,
resume and cover-letter writing, and other career-management services --
vital for success in today's unpredictable and ever-changing business climate.
Lorie is an active member of Career Masters Institute and the Professional
Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches. Her work has appeared
in more than a dozen publications including America’s Top Resumes for
America’s Top Jobs, Cover Letter Magic, Best Resumes and CVs for
International Jobs, and 101 Best Dot.Com Résumés and Cover Letters.
Lorie can be reached via e-mail at 