Is your Resume all Frosting and No Cake?
Take a moment and consider the person who will read and evaluate your resume and job application. Not just YO|U|R resume, but dozens more after yours... do you know what they are looking for?
Cake!
The employer wants something of substance that relates to HIS needs in getting the job done -
something that lets him know
1. you appreciate the pressures on his time
2. you have an understanding of the job you are applying for
but mostly
3. that he is fond of CAKE!
Many resumes are filled with fluffy frosting which looks good and may make the applicant proud of being fourth in a local spelling contest or employee of the month three years ago...
but that is "frosting"
and the employer needs to have something of value or they will look for someone else's resume that has some cake.
Come, see what I mean in the following video...
maybe even have some popcorn while you are watching it.
Now get back to your resumes and practice applications and scrape off the excess fluff you have.
Enjoy the day...
We are celebrating the publishing of a book helping Veterans in their job hunt here at the HERO Method - Help a veteran discover then express the hidden and valuable skills they have for THEIR job hunt - www.createspace.com/7791627
To celebrate we are lowering the price on our most popular book, the Job Hunting Tool Kit I - IV!
HERE you get dozens of powerful and proven lessons and exercies helping people no matter their job hunt...Come get your copy atwww.createspace.com/5157706
The HERO Method shows how what are seen as deficits by many are actually signs of strength and skills employers look for in candidates. As in the latest book on HERO states...
Seeing the positives in life experience as valuable assets
Your skills in learning, dealing
with many people and solving problems in changing ways are all valuable skills
you bring to your next employer.
-
"Single parent":Instead of thinking of a single parent as a harried
person with family stresses, think of how he handles those pressures. This pers on knows that when a child needs
help with a late night earache, he alone has to solve the problem. He deals with so many people - from sitters
to transportation to doctors to teachers and has to work well and maintain
relationships with each of them.
Handling emergencies; being the one person in
charge; dealing well with a broad variety of people and their different agendas
- these are valuable skills for many
jobs though these skills do not fit easily onto a resume. You have to KNOW you have these inside of you
and with this knowledge see the world a little differently than you did
before.
- Military Veteran: All hidden skills in HERO are
found in the veteran. Each service
member can detail the ability to work seamlessly as part of a team and the
ability to appreciate the needs and perspectives of her supervisor. Every day she brings energy and drive even
under stress.
Intangibles such as learning new
skills efficiently and effectively and owning the work you have done despite
inevitable mistakes makes the veteran a special job applicant.
-
Ex-convict: Often
someone who has "paid their debt to society" can show that in the
time incar-cerated the individual has examined himself fully and is willing to
take responsibility for actions.
There are avenues for expunging the record,
forgiving the offense or bonding the individual for the future. Whatever the ex-con job hunter does, she
needs to show how she is living proof that the future is different from her
past.
-
"Too old": Few generations in
history have adapted as quickly and completely to change in the world around
them as today's elderly. Adjusting with
communication technology from rotary phones to I-phones, they learn as they go
- a great attribute on the job.
When the hunter can
show how as an individual he has adapted to change, he will not just “talk” of
being adaptable but also show the ability to "walk the walk" of
facing challenges.
Come get YOUR| copy of the latest HERO Book... and LAND THAT JOB!
Empowering the Job Hunter - For over twenty years I have helped thousands of people move toward their dreams. Through counseling, teaching and writing, I have worked to empower job hunters to learn of their hidden and valuable skills for the job hunt. Through the HERO Method disabled people appreciate their skills in dealing with people; single parents see how their ability to handle emergencies is a marketable skills and the elderly know their ability to cope with change is valued. Now is your turn... I've finally published a book helping counselors, family, friends and job hunters toward landing that job! The HERO Method continues helping people find their hidden, valuable skills to move toward their dreams... come see for yourself at the site... HERE is the newest member of the Job Hunting HERO Method family!
In order to meet and defeat the challenges you are facing, you need to practice what you have learned before you go out to meet the employers. First of all, practice what you are going to say.
Do not take my word for it;
consider the story of Stan and Bruno, the talking dog:
Stan, a man down on his luck and with little money, sat quietly with his dog Bruno in a park at favorite bench near the river. Stan sighed and idly asked his dog what he wanted to do. To his surprise the dog said “I bet you’d like to take a swim. Hey, I’d like to join you.”
Stan just stared as the silence between them grew. The dog spoke again “Hey, those Yankees are doing pretty well, huh? They have a great coach.”
“Bruno! You can talk! We’re going to be rich!! A talking dog, yahoo! We’re going to that talent agent downtown right now!”
Bruno said, “Hey, Stan, we should practice what we are going to say!”
Stan said “no time to waste, we’ll just start talking – it will be great!”
They reached the office building with a huge sign reading "Cash in on your talent” on top, then walked down the long hallway of photos of stars and into the talent agent's office.
The agent said “this better be good, most animal acts are not worth my time. “
Stan: “No problem. Hey Bruno, what is on top of this building?”
Bruno: “Roof! Roof!” The agent just stared.
Stan: “Let’s... let's try this one – Bruno. Tell her about the hard times we have had, me without a job…”
Bruno: “Rough, rough”. The agent said “One last chance or I throw you out.”
Stan: “OK, OK, Bruno… you’re a big baseball fan, you love the Yankees, right? Who is the greatest Yankee ballplayer of all time?”
Bruno smiled and proudly said “Ruth, Ruth!” The agent kicked them out of her office.
Stan and Bruno sadly walked back to their bench. Bruno looked sadly at Stan and said “We really should have practiced. And I probably should have said Joe DiMaggio.”
Folks, don’t be like Stan –
listen to your inner Bruno and always practice aloud the answers
Seeing yourself differently -
Whether you have
- a disabling condition,
- a sense of being 'too old'
- other things that may make you feel "less than"
make sure that you do not focus on the negative but instead make friends with what would otherwise hold you back. Beating Labels that are intended to Limit
Think about it for a moment and build your own list of how the ability to adapt helps the hunter and in turn build the skills needed in employment. People who have lived with "labels" can now see themselves in a new mirror by using the HERO Method to consider what has been seen as a deficit instead now seen as valuable.
- "Disabled" : To survive as someone who has a handicapping condition, you have to learn many things others do not - about yourself, your community, how to resolve problems day to day. Whether it is learning about new medications, dealing with new care providers or accomplishing daily tasks a different way, you have to adapt to stresses as they arise in ways most people never learn.
Your skills in learning, dealing with many people and solving problems in changing ways are all valuable skills you bring to your next emoployer.
- "Single parent" : Instead of thinking of a single parent as a harried person with family pressures, think of how he handles those pressures. This parent knows that when a child needs help with a late night earache, that parent alone has to solve the problem. He deals with so many people - from sitters to transportation to doctors to teachers yet he still has to work well with them.
The ability to handle emergencies; being the one person in charge; dealing well with a broad variety of people and their different agendas and demands - these are valuable skills for many jobs though they do not fit easily onto a resume. You have to KNOW you have these inside of you and see the world a little differently than you did before.
- Military Veteran: All aspects of HERO are found in the veteran. She details the ability to work seamlessly as part of a team and the ability to appreciate the needs and perspectives of her supervisor. Every day she brings energy and drive even under stress.
The intangible such as learning new skills efficiently and effectively and owning the work you have done despite inevitable mistakes we would all make makes the veteran a special job applicant.
- Ex-convict: Often someone who has "paid their debt to society" can show that in the time incarcerated the individual has examined himself fully and is willing to take responsibility for actions. There are avenues for expunging the record, forgiving the offense or bonding the individual for the future. Whatever the ex-con job hunter does, she needs to show living proof that the future is different from her past.
- "Too old": Few generations in history have adapted as quickly and completely to change in the world around them as today's elderly. Just in communication technology from rotary phones to I-phones they learn as they go - a great attribute on the job.
When one of these hunters can show how as an individual he has adapted to change, he can show the ability to "walk the walk", not just say he can change with the challenges faced.
For YOUR copy of the latest HERO |Method Book go to
NOW on sale! Just published a book specially written to help family, friends and counselors of job hunters to help the people they care for LAND THAT JOB! Come take a look and get the edge the HERO Method has given to thousands of people moving toward their dreams. Enjoy! Here's that link again...
Now that you have
learned of the OZ factor, we need to see it from the employer’s point of
view.
As you know from the
first section of the Tool Kit series, the Oz factor is based on the idea that
employers are looking for people with
•The brains to learn how to do what the job requires with the
efficiency and speed that the job requires.
•The heart to get along with the people you will interact with either
directly (customers/clients/co-workers) or indirectly (stockholders,
neighbors).
•The courage to do the job without people questioning your honesty or
your commitment to doing the job right.
Most employers do
not assume that you will arrive on the first day knowing all you need to know
to do the job well… training and practice are
importantparts
about learning the job. The question is
do you have the experience to learn it relatively quickly or the ability (the
brains) to learn it without bankrupting the company to teach you.
When it comes to heart,
employers like to know that you have the ability to get along well with the
people they HAVE to get along with – maybe you have similar experience or can
relate to the social demands you will face on the job.
Courage and your
conscientiousness is the hardest for the employer to gauge but ultimately one
of the most important qualities and one that most folks either have or they do
not.
The lesson is to
understand the Oz factor that employer will base her decision on when
considering your application.
Making It Work:
Write down your top
four prospective employers, listing underneath each one the words the
employer’s Oz factor. Beside each of
them, write the essential parts of
Brains (what is to be learned, taught, done on the job);
Heart (what kind of people will be served on your job, how you will
interact with co-workers or customers)
Courage (what are examples taking responsibility for your mistakes and
learning from them that the employer would find interesting?)
You may not be able
to make a full list the first time out on this exercise, so feel free to return
to this one as you get used to it and learn more about the employer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The “Janitor” Game
When I started in
the placement field I was asked to get a janitor for a specific employer. I had just the right person for the job, I
thought. He had talked of years he has
spent cleaning in places just like this
employer wanted. I placed this perfect
person knowing I had done the greatest of all placements in the history of
placements. Ooooops.
The employer called
me and through his laughing he insisted that I send him a real janitor. When he caught
his breath, he noted HIS definition of janitor included someone who knew how to
run a buffing machine. Apparently, the
first time people use a buffing machine it tosses them around the room – which
is what was happening to the poor person I sent in to that job.
I found through that
unforgettable time that it is the definition of the job from the employer’s
point of view (POV) - that is the only one that really matters. You may have some great skills but unless you
are speaking the employers language it is all for naught.
FREE HELP:
On-The Job Training
Program and/or Wage Subsidy incentives for employers give hiring managers
powerful tools in hiring someone and getting help paying their wages while you are
in training. Since you are most
expensive to an employer while you are learning the job, these incentives give
you the chance to get hired while you learn. Ask your “One Stop” center for
more information on this one.
Making It Work:
Use divergent
thinking and write a list of the jobs you have done like how your experience is
different from ‘Buddy’ (see JHTK Book I) a person who has never done anything
since leaving school. For example, if
you have worked extra hours when asked, completed training or helped others
with training them, ass that to your list.
Review the type of
work you have done as if the person you are describing it to has never done that work
before.
If you cared for
elderly patients, did you take vital signs?
What do you mean by helping with hygiene? Did you ever work with groups of people? Make this part of the list as extensive as
you can.
Once that list is completed, review it for
each employer you are hoping to work for.
Different employers will look at your experience differently, so mark up
the different aspects of your experiences keeping in mind their POV.
Years ago, the Chevy Nova was selling
fast in the United States, but unable to sell well in Mexico.
Hey, this is the NOVA! It’s a great family car, looks good, runs
well ... even looks good standing still! But Novas were not selling in Mexico. The 'really-smart-people' who are paid lots
of money to solve problems like this tried all the usual methods of raising
sales but nothing worked.
Finally, Mexican consumers were asked 'why not
buy the Nova? Just look at it standing there in the showroom!”
Local folks explained that ”va” means go in Spanish and”no” means no or won't. Nobody wanted to buy the car that (in their language) was
the 'Won't Go'. The 'really-smart-people' then gave the same
car a new name and blamo, sales soared.
In a similar way, remember to speak the employer's language. Words that may be simple and easy for you to
comprehend may be considered differently by the employer.
Remember how once I placed a person in a job
as a janitor because he said he had
some related experience. (Hey, 'janitor'
seemed like an easy job title to fill). The
employer's definition (the one that really matters after all)
“janitor” meant someone with experience with buffing machines and the person I
sent to him did not.
Learning their different language has more
benefits. Your experience that may at first seem unrelated can be matched to their
language: Experience
as a waiter may indicate skills such as training others; working extra hours on short notice; working as a team
member; providing customized customer service or responsibility for handling
money.
Expand the range of what you say you have done
because a little title can mean big responsibilities in their language, but you
may need to practice describing it.
Making It Work:
Review your resumes for words you use to
describe work you have done. Just as
“janitor” has different meanings to different people, other job
titles/responsibilities you have had may not reflect the range of work you have
done.
Make a list and circle words you are currently using in your
resumes/applications/verbal descriptions about your skills and
responsibilities. Now on a separate page
write about your work in action verbs
(training, writing, selling, and supervising) and look for how you can add the
action verbs to your resume/application/descriptions with words particularly of
interest to the prospective employer. In
her language, eh?
Informational interviews with an employer,
just for asking what kind of characteristics she looks for in an employee, help
you appreciate her 'language'.
“Mirage”
Hickey sits impatiently while people hover around her, smearing acrylates copolymers,
salicylic acid, octyl propenamide copolymers and alpha hydoxyl acids on her
face while others aim a machine that blows scalding
hot air at her head. She then walks to
her job where strangers shout and grab at her legs and hands.
Version Two:
Beautiful
Mariah Carey gets the royal treatment of top makeup artists and their colorful
wares, while stylists prepare her soft hair for the roaring crowds at her latest
sell-out concert.
I am
describing the same reality, Mariah getting prepared for a concert, but one is
the nitty gritty (the steak) and the other is
the excitement
you can related to (the sizzle).
In
describing your experience and
skills, make certain to talk of the sizzle
using words they can relate to and paint a word picture of how their life will
be easier with you as an employee:
** the
customers will be happier
** work
will get done without worry
** you
will be reliable and fun to work alongside
** the
employer's boss will be glad he hired such a gem.
You can
see how this goes- - you are sold on
the future all the time. Burgerworld does not focus on telling you how cows
are raised for their burgers, instead telling you how great
they taste and how you will love them once you give them a try. Even eating more fiber
(that tastes like cardboard) is good because it will make your body trimmer and
sexier. How do you sell your sizzle?
Making It Work:
Return
to your commercial and description of skills. Do you emphasize how you will do a great job
and make your employer's life better?
Think of examples how your brains, heart and courage will help you do
your job to make the customers better;
the company reach its objectives and employer's life easier. You have to see this future before you can
describe it and have the employer see it.
Use as
many sensory
images and as many examples as you can. Write the points you want to express
below.
In preparing for meeting an employer, we are
working toward knowing what to say and finding the right way to say it. Now practice hearing the words which come out
of your own mouth. Just you, and your
teddy bear.
Yes, it is
best to practice in front of a mirror or with friends who will tell you the
truth (like 'sit up straighter' or 'you really sounded like a dweeb then') . But it is often best to find someone first
who will not criticize you too harshly (hey, he's made of fluffy stuffing after
all).
Here is an old friend who patiently listens without correcting you so you
can hear your inflections and uneasy silences as you prepare for the
interview. He will sit there looking at
you with soft eyes, soft ears... just soft all over.
I recommend the teddy bear method early on as
it allows you
to try & fail without criticism.
And after you gain confidence, it dawns on you that you are, well,
talking with a
stuffed animal. If you can do
that well, you are ready for practicing with live people and for the other
tools in the kit.
FREE
HELP:
Talking
to your teddy bear or the air gives you the valuable experience of hearing your
own answers to the questions of the practice interview. Be assured that when you are talking aloud
that you are not just “talking to the air”, but are connecting to a side of
yourself you may not have appreciated thus far.
Making It Work:
Practice your commercial and the 3 main
questions (Why should I hire you? Why
would you work for me? And tell me why you are the best candidate?) with a
stuffed animal.
She stands there, guarding her turf. And you are going to get past HER? HAH! Many have tried & failed, slinking back home,
unable to get past her and to that goal of so many others before... to meet the employer.
Ahhh, she is very good at being a bulldog
guarding the employers time and to beat her (or him) you have to learn to think
like a bulldog. This dog knows two rules:
•The boss doesn't want to be disturbed, so don't waste his time with
bad applicants.
• Never forget rule number one.
A bulldog needs to know whoever gets past her must be worthy of the employers
time and attention and that FEW people meet those qualifications. If she lets the wrong person by, the boss will remember her mistake long after the boss has
forgotten the name of the bad applicant.
Every error she has made is like a scar embedded into the
bulldog's tough skin. The dog now
squints into horde of job hunters and vows “I won't
get fooled again.”
How will YOU get by? By out-thinking the code of bulldog-nicity.
1.Be politely insistent: Practice your cheeseburger voice & be
genuinely polite, respecting the valuable time of both bulldog and
employer. This can be a refreshing
change from the others busy trying to see the boss.
2.Practice saying “that's OK, I'll wait” to bulldog-isms like: “She's in
a meeting, a looong meeting” or “we are not hiring at the moment” or ”we close
for business in half an hour”. The dog
may not know if there is actually an opening at the present time, but
just using the line 'we're not hiring' to get you to leave. That's when your 'that's
OK, I just want to shake her hand' works well.
1.Get an
informational interview. Here you do not apply for a
specific job, you only want to hear the employer's opinion on what kind of
person he/she is looking for or info about the employer you can't get in the
traditional ways. Hey, it works because
as the saying goes, for many people there is no sound quite as sweet as the
sound of their own opinion!
Get creative: One candidate sent a shoe
shaped candy dish to the employer saying “now that I have my foot in the door,
let's talk...” One stated in a letter
that if I have not heard from you by Tuesday at 9 AM I will call then, and then
called saying the employer is expecting my call.
Make sure you show respect for their precious
time, for their position and that this agency is special to you.
Making It Work:
THIS is a skill you can best develop through
practice. Take the list you have of the
employers you hope to work for and note next to themthe name of that company's bulldog.
With time, make some notes about how you were
able to get past the bulldog to finally meet the employer. Practice (and success) will help build your
skills.
Wow! Days can be long
out there job hunting. Much of
the discouraging part is that things can seem All-or-nothing.
Friends and
relatives say “did
you get the job yet?” (Sounds
like finger nails on a chalkboard sometimes, doesn't it?) Or “did you get the
interview...yet?”
or that sarcastic neighbor Jack who twists his lip saying
“so you still aren't working yet, ehhh?”
You're putting in the hard work and hours
of making contacts, but still you have to face Jack –
Here is a way to know you are moving forward even
on days you don't land the job.
Right now you have a
tiny target that has only this itty-bitty bull’s-eye labeled “got the job”. Miss that target and you feel like a
failure. Folks, let's just make bigger bulls
eyes!
Landing a job is
really a series
of steps where you
progressively move toward that goal
of the job.
On to the
exercise...
Making It Work:
Make a big
bull’s-eye covering 1 piece of paper with the center ring saying: “Got the job”.Nowmake several concentric rings around it,
labeling each a step closer to the “Got the Job’ goal.
Examples
include
** Listing potential employers
** finding name(s) of person(s) at the company who can offer job
** getting past the company 'bulldog'
** meeting or writing to the person(s)
** building a resume tailored to that job
** other steps, fill your ideas here
Now make a list ofyour top
employers, giving each its own one page bull’s-eye with concentric circles and succeeding
chores. Put an “x” (and date it) where you currently stand with each employer and write
below it what your next step will be to move closer to that bull’s-eye.
Make plans each day (written plans
are best) on moving toward the target center with your employers, noting your progress with new x's (with dates) put on the
targets as you move closer to the bull’s-eye.
And smile when
you see Jack, knowing even if you didn't hit the
bull’s-eye, you hit the target and are moving closer day by day.
My
Bulls-eye
Learning From A
Lumberjack
One of the most
frustrating chores that I have done is chopping firewood. Hey, it is exciting to swing an axe and to
eventually turn logs into something more useful in a fireplace.
While you are chopping,
you know that with all of the energy used most of the swings do not appear to
do anything.
You swing the axe
and maybe only chip off a little wood or sometimes nothing at all. It is frustrating, timing and aggravating
because on the outside all of that effort is going nowhere. And how about friends who stop by and ask “how is it going now, eh?” or watching the
time tick by and nothing is happening.
Sound
familiar?Job hunting is a lot
like that – lots of effort, different swings and still not much happens. And the frustration you feel by the comments
of others and the feeling that time is just ticking away.
The
good news for you now –
there
IS something happening with each swing.
Inside that slab of wood, things ARE happening-
bonds are breaking and what looks like something you will never crack is
gradually breaking free. On the outside,
the wood cutter is getting stronger, more determined and one swing closer to
your goal.
Again, it’s that way in the job hunt. Each
swing you make (interview, handshake, phone call) may not yield the visible
results you want but each loosens what you may not be able to see:
•Another employer has heard about you.
•You have had other experiences connecting your skills to another job
•Another person knows
that you are out there and ready to work.
And things are also
moving on the outside:
•You have practiced your stride, your “commercial” again
•You
are picturing yourself working, making the image stronger with practice
•You are one swing closer to your goal.
This all leads me to
the description of the law of big
numbers. Almost any goal attempted
often enough comes closer to coming true.
Remember the story of the football coach who told his underdog team that
yes, they may lose to that other team nine out of ten times… but who is to say that today isn’t that one in ten times that they would win?
Sales
representatives who are told that one in ten phone calls leads to a meeting and
one in five meetings ends in a sale are reminded that they get one sale for 50
calls – if they only call 49 they may miss that sale.
Making It Work:
Make a list of the
different chores in the job hunt… making a list of prospective employers,
finding the name of the hiring manager at each employer, using ways to contact that
person. Now make daily and weekly goals
and know that you are going to make them and move forward toward your dreams
even when you cannot directly see it.
