Parable of a Persistent Man

John had suffered a difficult year. His 15-year marriage ended and, as a result, he had to sell his nice home and most of his belongings. With a trailer in tow, he drove through a blizzard to begin a new life halfway across the country. Still, after a year, things were not working out as hoped. Although he found a job, the commute was onerous, the pay was mediocre, and John saw little opportunity to advance his career. He began to search for better opportunities.

Having reestablished some contacts in his original home state, John successfully found employment in his field. Once again, he sold a few remaining belongings in order to fund his 500-mile move. Optimism fueled his relocation. He found a nice apartment and reported for work with his new employer.

The economy was challenging, with a high rate of unemployment. Some companies used despicable tactics to improve their profits at the expense of workers grateful to have a job. It was so, in this case. Upon John’s arrival, the dishonorable hiring manager changed his offer – reducing John’s base pay by 10%. John was understandably furious. But what could he do, having already incurred moving expenses and signing a one year lease on an apartment? He controlled his anger, started work, struggled to juggle expenses that exceeded his income, and began an urgent search for a new job – again – while working 60 hours a week.

Sending blind resumes out for online job postings was not John’s way. He believed in “pounding the pavement” the old fashioned way, resume in hand, wearing a suit and tie. One lead on a job led to several interviews, but no follow-through on the part of the hiring manager. Discouraged but stubbornly undeterred, John approached the same company via another avenue. Here he was met with interest and action.

The screening process for the new opportunity was intense. A series of interviews with operations managers was followed by a meeting with human resources. A personality test was administered. The final interview was with a Vice President. John made his reasonable salary requirements known. An offer was extended in writing (for 10% more than he requested), subject only to the final step of a background check and a drug test – both of which John easily passed. Offer letter in hand, John gave notice at his current job, just a few days after several other management personnel had resigned. The disreputable employer got their just desserts for mistreatment of their people. John got his new job. The new employer had hired a strong contributor.

Optimism and persistence landed John in a career situation ripe with promise for his future. His new employer provided generous benefits, a two-month paid management training program, and great potential for growth. Employee retention and promoting from within is part of their corporate culture.

Good jobs exist for people with skills and the persistence to pursue them. Take heart from John’s story.

Your Professional Tagline

When we wrote Guiding Principles for Haropulos Bailey Consulting, it seemed natural to also develop a tagline as part of our brand identity. We chose “Creative, Practical Collaboration” as a shorthand way to communicate what we have to offer our clients.

Here’s your task: If you were to add a tagline to your resume, what would it be? Boiling down your best attributes into three words, which words do you feel would be most representative of your characteristics? You have inherent strengths to market to an employer. With what words can you best reflect values important to you? Can just three words effectively express your professional essence?

The value of this task is for you to revisit your resume and ensure that the content of the tagline you develop is included in your resume or cover letter. I don’t mean to literally feature your three-word tagline! But it’s vital for you to communicate those attributes that reflect your strengths and values as part of your professional profile. Your best match with a company will be with an organization and hiring manager that has complementary views; one that values similar characteristics.

Here are a few descriptive words to get you thinking. Please share your new tagline with us as a comment to this posting, and help inspire others.

The Changing Landscape of Employment

The U.S. national unemployment rate is 9.6%, and the percentage of unemployed who have been out of work for more than a year has risen to 30.9%. (October 2010 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.) The situation leads us to consider what has changed, perhaps permanently, in the corporate work environment. Here are a few trends we have heard, read and learned about that could affect decisions you make about your career:

• Companies are increasing their use of contractor resources, in lieu of hiring permanent employees. Companies don’t provide expensive benefits to contractors, which can make this practice more attractive financially. And contractors can be hired and released at will, with minimal legal implications. TAKEAWAY: Although you might prefer to land a permanent position, reconsider working as a contractor – at least in the near term. This adds experience to your résumé and money into the bank.

• During this period of austerity, when employers ARE hiring they are often looking for people with a broad range of skills and experience. They may have previously eliminated two positions that they now want to fill with one person who wears several hats. TAKEAWAY: Your resume should highlight the breadth of your interest and experience. If you lack important skills, consider taking some classes and gaining appropriate certification(s).

• Labor statistics reveal that companies prefer to hire people who have been unemployed for a shorter period of time. (A discouraging fact.) TAKEAWAY: During your unemployment, do some work that you can add to your résumé, even if it is unpaid. Take some substantive responsibility with a volunteer organization. Get involved at your child’s school. Accept a temporary contracting opportunity. Work part-time for a relative who has a cottage business. Consider starting your own small business.

• Companies are doing what they have to do to stay viable during tough times. You need to do the same. Neither an emotional investment in your work nor misplaced loyalty should cloud your judgment when the wellness of your career is at stake. TAKEAWAY: Pay attention to what is changing around you in your company’s workforce. Make decisions that are best for you, while retaining ethical behavior toward your employer.

Beyond the Resume

If you’ve been looking for a job lately, you are painfully aware there is lots of competition because of high unemployment rates. Does your resume and cover letter have enough impact to grab the attention of a hiring manager? What else can you consider doing that will improve your chances of standing out from the crowd?

First and foremost, be sure you customize your resume and cover letter to the job posting. This doesn’t mean that you should fabricate any information (EVER!). Customization may just be as simple as re-arranging paragraphs to put your most pertinent experience and accomplishments first, and to remove or de-emphasize content with no relevance to the position you are pursuing. Your cover letter should ALWAYS be targeted on your specific interest in a particular company and job, and how well your skills and experience match their requirements.

There are important considerations and opportunities beyond the resume:

YOUR INTERNET PRESENCE: Prospective employers will Google you to see what comes up. They will also search for a profile on LinkedIn. Be sure you are represented as well as possible via your online presence. For more information, read my earlier blog on this subject: http://habaconsulting.blogspot.com/2010/01/are-you-purposefully-positioning-your.html

SUPPLEMENTAL PROMOTIONAL “BLING”: Your LinkedIn profile could feature a PowerPoint presentation highlighting your experience, incorporating some photos of you, your work, and/or your interests. People remember pictures better than the printed word, so enhancing the image you want to present by using visual imagery could set you apart. There are some pretty sophisticated programs available online – Animoto, ClipGenerator, and Stupeflix for example – that allow you to create videos with text and music, for free. The only one I have used so far is Animoto, with which I created a short promo for Haropulos Bailey Consulting:  http://animoto.com/play/hrAGsSoBjuWXlBR3D6Nq8Q

Recently, a friend of mine used video very creatively to announce his career move. With his permission, I’m including the link as another example of professional self-promotion: http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=C4WZ96GHuK8

A word of caution… The type of supplemental material that would be appropriate will depend on the nature of the position you are pursuing. It would be easy to overdo it if you are a CPA looking for a position as an auditor. On the other hand, if you are in sales or marketing, a creative video might be just the thing to highlight your skills!

Keeping it simple is still a good policy. Your resume, cover letter, and solid recommendations are imperatives required for any job application. Use good judgment and run your plan and your materials by a mentor you trust if you want to try venturing Beyond the Resume.