Career Expert Quintessential Career & Job Tips

Q-Tips: Career Expert Quintessential Career & Job Tips -- #4

These tips have been gathered from individual interviews with career, college, and job experts, part of our Q&A with Career Experts series.

"It is the kiss of death, career wise, to fail to keep up your skills," cautions author Donald Asher. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Asher said: "It requires lifetime, continual learning not just to advance, but just to keep a job in this economy. At Gap they have a slogan they print on banners and put everywhere in corporate and back-office sites: 'Change or fail.'"

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Summarizing all the skills and talents one has acquired from several or even many jobs in one resume section is a current resume trend, according to college career counselor Ellen Bourhis Nolan. In the Q&A interview Nolan did with Quintessential Careers, she noted that such a summary "allows someone who may be returning to work to speak of skills acquired in something other than a traditional job (i.e., being president of the PTO). It also allows one to emphasize skills as opposed to other information."

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What would you do with your life if education level and experience weren't a factor? That's a question that Marcia Merrill, career advisor at Loyola College, MD, often asks her students. "These daydreams often reveal their career passion," Merrill observed in the Q&A interview she did with Quintessential Careers.

"Someone who'd love to be an actress and has a strong value of helping others might look at training or teaching. Someone who dreams of being a novelist could channel that love of writing and words into publishing, corporate communications, news writing, and numerous other fields. Job-seekers need to look at possibilities when deciding on a career path. They also need to determine what their likes/dislikes are and have information about the world of work. By doing some self-assessments, researching various fields/industries, and having experience in some areas, the process of determining what career(s) might give them happiness is easier to manage."

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The importance of grades to success after college depends on what career you go into, according to nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack. "In some occupations," Tuerack notes in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, "getting better grades leads to more dollars in your pocket. It also makes it more likely that you'll get hired in this competitive workforce. However, in other occupations, such as being a motivational speaker like myself, what mattered more is communication ability. In my opinion, the key is making the most out of college to develop yourself -- not just being focused, like most students, on the grade, but rather on the education you're gaining. Anyone who makes a priority of developing himself or herself (his or her mind) wins in the long run. Besides, most of the stuff we learn in school ends up, for the most part, regurgitated for the exam, and then forgotten anyway.

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There are three common mistakes that most job-seekers make, according to author Jeffrey Fox. Fox lists the three errors in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers:

"Mistake #1 is using one resume for every company when all companies are different. Mistake #2 is to substitute networking for doing company research. Networking is fine, but job-seekers overly depend on this strategy. Mistake #3 is starting with the human resource or personnel department of a company. The human resource people are not the hirers (unless one is looking for a job in personnel); they are gatekeepers. The human resources people look for reasons to reject.

In the book, Don't Send A Resume, several short chapters help job-seekers navigate the job seeking process, avoiding the common mistakes. Basically, every job-seeker is unique and special, and should market herself or himself in a special way."

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Listing jobs on one's resume in a functional format versus the traditional chronological format is a current trend, according to college career counselor Ellen Bourhis Nolan. In the Q&A interview Nolan did with Quintessential Careers, she noted that a functional format allows experiences related to the job the candidate is applying for to be viewed first.

"To avoid problems with this format," Nolan cautions, "make sure your resume is in a very reader-friendly format. Have everything laid out so it is easy to skim, especially dates. I feel confusing layouts may be why some employers do not like this format -- because it is more difficult to determine a clear employment history and whether the job-hunter has had a satisfactory job history. If the history is laid out clearly, with dates standing out to one side of one margin or the other and employers can skim down them readily, employers will not mind this format as much, if at all. Give your resume the once-over and decide if information is easy to pick out. If it is, then you have written a good resume. If it isn't, try a different format, such as using bold or underlining or italics to get certain information to stand out."

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The ability to network online is a great boon to job-seekers, according to Marcia Merrill, career advisor at Loyola College, MD. In the Q&A interview she did with Quintessential Careers, Merrill noted that job-hunters can join a discussion group or read a newsgroup on a topic of their choice. Looking at http://groups.google.com or http://www.liszt.com provides a list of numerous newsgroups or discussion lists that the job-seeker can join.

"Establishing an 'Internet presence' by posting on a discussion list (after learning the rules of 'Netiquette' one should follow for posting a message or reply) facilitates others getting to know you and your area of interest/expertise," Merrill says. "Often you can connect with an employer and feel that you 'know' each other before having actually met; the interview might be more of a formality if you've exchanged ideas online before."

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The value of increasing your reading speed/comprehension and memory applies to just about everybody in the workforce since it helps us be more productive because we're reading every day -- emails, mail, memos, books, says nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack. "Anyone who can take in more information in a shorter period of time has the advantage," Tuerack notes in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, "We're in an information-overload society -- and the winner is the one who can get through, assimilate, and use the information most productively. Most people, however, waste hours by reading slowly, re-reading, mind wandering."

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The best kept secret in job-hunting, according to author Jeffrey Fox, is that the people who hire do so on essentially two criteria: (1) will this person make us more money than it costs to recruit, hire, train, and outfit; and (2) do we like the person. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Fox observed: "People buy anything for only two reasons: to solve a problem or to feel good. If the job-seeker solves the hiring organization's problem, and he or she is likable, the chances of getting hired are high."

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Job-hunting in the future will see an increase in services offering double-blind confidentiality, according to author Donald Asher. In the Q&A interview Asher did with Quintessential Careers, he noted that "There is no question that job-seekers will want to be 'on the Web' at all times, but will want to have their identity protected from their own employers and casual snoopers. This is the trend already, but it will accelerate."

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Internet neophytes are often surprised at the depth of information available on the 'Net and how it might prove useful in a job search, observes Marcia Merrill, career advisor at Loyola College, MD. "For example," Merrill says in the Q&A interview she did with Quintessential Careers, "at several employer Web sites, you are shown a picture of the people in the company, which can be used to get a look into the 'corporate culture.' Are women shown? What's the typical office dress? How many minorities are pictured?" Merrill notes that the Internet enables the job-seeker to research a prospective employer in greater depth. "By researching the employer," she says, "you can often find an annual report or other document available online to help you prepare for the interview."

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Reviewing notes every day within five hours of class is the most important piece of advice that nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack says he can offer to college students. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Tuerack observes: "Studies and surveys continue to support that any student reviewing his or her notes within five hours of taking them is earning a grade-point average of between a 3.7 to 4.0. It's simple; it ends up saving a lot of time in the long run; and it will improve your grades as well as your understanding of what's going on in class every day."

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Most job-seekers think they are working hard to get a job, observes author Jeffrey Fox. However, in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Fox noted that most job-seekers mistake job-seeking activity, such as sending out hundreds of resumes, as hard work. "Getting a job requires much more than traditional resumes and networking," Fox says.

"Getting a job requires diligent research to find target companies, exhaustive research on those companies, planning, careful customized letter-writing, creating a unique tailored resume for each company, pre-interview preparation, interview practice, detailed follow-up and more. It is not easy to find out everything about your target company before you contact the company, but that is what should be done. Job-seekers can motivate themselves to do this hard work by continually reminding themselves that they can make a contribution, and there absolutely is an organization that needs their contribution. They must treat job-seeking as they would a real job: get up at 5:30 every morning and go to work to get a job. Just that work ethic discipline alone boosts morale because it causes things to happen."

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"In five years it will be normal to always be job-seeking, and it will become a career-management issue how much time one will devote to fielding inquiries from prospective employers and their agents," says author Donald Asher. In the Q&A interview Asher did with Quintessential Careers, he observed that "the early 1990s saw the end of the old covenant between employer and employee, when employers rescinded on their end of the bargain. Now, this action has somewhat come home to haunt them. In the end, however, this new e-based job market is more efficient. And we know from economic theory that more efficient markets usually -- not always, but usually -- result in greater gains for both buyers and sellers. More people will be employed in their highest value capacity, which is ultimately good for us all."

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The most disturbing trend in job-hunting today, according to Marcia Merrill, career advisor at Loyola College, MD, is "the belief that all a job hunter has to do is to post his/her resume 'out there' on a Web site or several Web sites and just wait for the employers to line up." In the Q&A interview she did with Quintessential Careers, Merrill said: "Other avenues are often forgotten or overlooked. The Internet is a tool -- not the only thing! Networking with alumni/ae professionals, internship employers, friends, associates, contacts from any source is one of the best ways to get a job or valuable information that can lead to a job opportunity.

We know that all positions aren't advertised; the statistic is something like 70-80 percent of positions are found through the 'Hidden Job Market.' The Internet is one way of establishing that networking relationship. I think people in general want the 'quick fix' and see the Internet as THE job-search solution, which NO one way is. Interviewing on campus through your career center (if you're a student) and using the job listings available in the career library, posting your resume to employer Web sites, researching companies that are in your field/geographic preference/industry, by using the Internet and resource materials, looking in the newspaper classifieds -- ALL are viable methods of job searching."

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College students' biggest mistake is pursuing money rather than their dreams according to nationally known speaker and author Gary Tuerack. "That's a fatal mistake," Tuerack said in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers. "And statistics show that those who do what they love end up being the millionaires in society."

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If you want to get a job, tell a prospective employer how you can solve company problems. Explaining his assertion that workers at all levels can use this problem-solving approach to job-hunting, author Jeffrey Fox says, "Every job in every organization, regardless of the 'executive level,' from the factory floor to the boardroom, exists for one purpose: to profitably get and keep customers for the organization. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Fox noted, "Every job contributes to the company's success. In job seeking the candidate must determine how the job helps the company. A company that is hiring truck-drivers wants someone who won't have accidents, get speeding tickets, or make late deliveries. The truck driver candidate needs to demonstrate that his or her safe and courteous driving reduces costs (of repairs, for example) and increases sales (by servicing customers). A company hiring a receptionist wants someone who makes a wonderful first impression on customers and suppliers and whomever else calls. The receptionist candidate will do well not to interview chewing gum or chewing tobacco. Great companies respect good company-improving ideas from anyone in the organization."

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According to author Donald Asher, today's employers "seem to be driven by two different trends. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, he described those trends this way: "(1) They are not at all hesitant to lay off staff, individually or en masse, and they aren't at all hesitant to close entire lines of business that are not profitable. (2) They are hiring precise skillsets, not bodies. They are desperate for workers, yes, but very specific workers. They will not hire someone who does not match specific criteria, and in the past they would have. This trend could unravel, however, if employees become too spoiled to work. The offspring of wealthy people seldom make wealth, or even retain the wealth they are handed, because they don't feel the need to strive. The same thing can happen to wealthy societies."

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The value to a college student of being partnered with alumnus/alumna or other professional in his/her field as a mentor is priceless according to Marcia Merrill, career advisor at Loyola College, MD. In the Q&A interview she did with Quintessential Careers, Merrill said: "Students (mentees) get to ask their mentors questions about the 'real world.' Mentors report that it's very rewarding to help someone, remembering what it was like when they were trying to decide on a career. They invite the students to job-shadow them in the workplace to see how it really is and experience firsthand what it's like to be an attorney, doctor, or counselor/psychologist. Having a mentor can be the first step toward deciding on pursuing a given career. Many students begin with making networking contacts and grow into working part- or full-time for their mentor or their mentor's contacts. Internships often result as the student gains the experience needed to make a career decision. A college career center is only one way of seeing about getting a mentor. Usually colleges have an Alumni Network for this purpose."

"If you're not affiliated with a college, you can find mentors by looking at the association that corresponds to your field of interest. Examples: Society of Women Engineers, Association for Sociological Research, American Management Association, American Institute of Physicists, to name a few. Every major/career field has one or more associations dedicated to that particular area of interest. Most have Web sites that outline membership benefits, usually including mentor programs. There are several online e-mentoring Web sites, such as Mentornet.com and asktheemployer.com, to name a few. Not having a formal mentoring program within your workplace is not an excuse. You could start your own!"

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Should new college grads and others be worried about the downturn in the economy? Author Donald Asher observes that college recruiting dropped by 50 percent in the last recession, but this fact was little reported in the media. In the Q&A interview Asher did with Quintessential Careers, Asher cautioned that "all job-seekers should understand that companies will not carry them through the next downturn. These are the new rules, and both sides have to deal with them, both when they are to their advantage and when they are not. If you are an integral part of the value chain of a profitable enterprise, you'll be fine, but if not, it will be time to worry."

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The "boomerang letter" is a great way to answer a "help-wanted" ad, according to author Jeffrey Fox. Fox explains the concept of the "boomerang letter" in the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers: "Companies spend lots of money and time creating employment ads and running them in the media. Most importantly, one or more persons in the hiring company wrote or approved the ad copy. They have an emotional investment in that ad. The job candidate who responds to the ad should send some of the words and notions back to the advertiser. The copywriter will read the candidate's letter and think, "this person really gets it, understands what we want." Examples of actual ads and suggested boomerang letters appear in Don't Send A Resume. People are flattered when their words are reiterated."

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To survive in a more competitive economy, author Donald Asher notes that job-seekers "must be better prepared so as to compete better in the job market. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Asher said that better preparation means candidates "need to research the careers they are entering and find out what type of skills and qualifications they need for the type of job they seek. Each profession requires certain skills, and they should be certain they are taking the appropriate courses and/or receiving adequate training to prepare them for their career. Then I advise everyone to have some computer skills and good writing skills as these skills are often overlooked, yet necessary for nearly every job. They are basic skills that employers look for when hiring in this day and age but often find lacking in job candidates."

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In interviews, don't be afraid to talk about yourself, suggests college career counselor Ellen Bourhis Nolan. In the Q&A interview Nolan did with Quintessential Careers, she said: "Very often people are not very familiar with this approach because we don't engage in this behavior often for fear that if we talk about ourselves to our friends, family, acquaintances, we are viewed as boasting. But the interview may be the one and only opportunity to tell the employer about yourself. I often relate my own experiences with securing my first full-time job. I went on several interviews with an organization only to find out that I did not get the job. I learned that they felt I was not outgoing enough for the position, which I laughed at because I would never be viewed as an introvert! I knew that I had been reticent in speaking of myself because I did not want to appear to be a braggart, and I was not used to talking about myself. The next three interviews I went on, I talked about myself and my skills confidently and without hesitation; I received offers from all three employers."

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College students can get the edge in the job market if they have experience already in their field, according to author Donald Asher. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Asher noted that students can gain this experience by "obtaining an internship or a cooperative-education position or even finding a job on your own in the field you are preparing for. Nothing speaks better for you than to say you know how to do something because you already have done it."

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One of the biggest mistake job-seekers make is that they are often afraid to express enthusiasm for a job; they do not want to appear too eager, observes college career counselor Ellen Bourhis Nolan. In the Q&A interview Nolan did with Quintessential Careers, Nolan said: "I say show as much enthusiasm as you feel for a job. If it is just what you want to do, let the employer know it. If you think it is a wonderful company, let them know. If interviewers see that you are enthused, they will be more inclined to believe you are a good fit for the job at hand and the company as a whole. Follow up the interview with a thank-you and again reiterate your interest in the company. I'm not saying you want to appear overeager, but simply not be reluctant to let the interviewer know that you would like the job."

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Prepare for interviews by researching the job and the organization, advises author Donald Asher. In the Q&A interview he did with Quintessential Careers, Asher suggests that knowing how to answer interview questions will allow you to present yourself in the most favorable light possible. "You can have all the skills in the world," Asher says, "but if you do not convey these to the interviewer or do not establish good rapport, you will not get the job."

Read more tips from our Quintessential Career Experts series in Career Expert Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips -- #5.

Review all our Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips.

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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Q-Tips: Career Expert Quintessential Career & Job Tips -- #4

These tips have been gathered from individual interviews with career, college, and job experts, part of our Q&A with Career Experts series.

Review all our Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips.

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.