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Quintessential Answers:
Q&A's with Career & College Experts

 

Questions and Answers with Career Expert Lorie Lebert

 

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 career e-newsletter. Those interviews are archived here for your convenience.

 

Lorie Lebert is a Certified Career Management Coach, International Job and Career Transition Coach, and Certified Professional Resume 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 resumes 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. They're 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 Resume 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 Resumes and Cover Letters. Lorie can be reached via e-mail at Lorie@DoMyResume.com and through her Websites, DoMyResume.com and CoachingROI.com.

 

 

Check out all our interview with career experts in Quintessential Answers: Q&A's with Career & College Experts.

 

 

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

 

 

 

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