I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of  resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a certain topic. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective

This month we are discussing helping job seekers stay positive during the job search process.  I encourage you to visit the links below to read other members’ posts as well!     +++++

They say life’s not about making it through the storm, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. Well if you’ve ever been “between jobs,” or “unemployed” for the more realistic of us, this saying has probably inspired and/or discouraged you at some point. We’ve all heard the statistics—unemployment rates are flitting on the edge of 15%. That means that more than likely, either you or people you are close to are unemployed. Heck, you probably know several unemployed people at the moment.

For those of you who directly relate to this predicament, you’re all to familiar with the uninspired words of supposed comfort from your loved ones—“let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Meanwhile your inner voice is screaming “give your boss my resume!” or “let me mow your lawn!” depending on your current length of unemployment. But here’s the rub: you can sit there letting your inner voice make all the assertions, or you can take some proactive steps towards bringing some positive energy back into your life.

The first step to keeping afloat during your job search woes is to stay on top of your game. This means to remain in touch with your industry (or preferred industry, if you’re looking into switching careers). This will not only distract you from your lack of work, but will actually boost your self-confidence, expand your knowledge base, and possibly lead to job opportunities. If this technique doesn’t automatically lead to a traditional job opportunity, you can also take initiative and create an industry related project of your own. For example, if you’re in the marketing industry, take an example of a crisis situation a company in the field is facing at the moment and write up a proposal on how to solve this problem. If nothing else, it is a piece to add to your portfolio and might lead you to become more aware of technologies and resources out there that you haven’t looked into yet. You can also use this time to become an expert at a technology or system you didn’t know of before. Look at it this way—if your resume isn’t getting you a job as is, then add to it. There is no better way to distinguish yourself than to become an expert at something your competition is not proficient in.

Secondly, use this time to establish a good life habit that you can continue when you do land that dream (or just-for-now) job. Take up old hobbies or healthy habits such as exercising. Not only will the endorphins kick your blues, but a set schedule will allow you to set reachable goals which will help your self-esteem in a situation which would otherwise bring you down. But make sure your goals are logical for both the time-being and the future (read—when you have a 9 to 5), as you don’t want to set up any system which defines that you won’t have a job for a while. Always live as if you could have a job tomorrow, and this positive frame of mind will lead you to the manifestation of these thoughts, if by no other means than confidence alone.

Lastly, enjoy! Yes, it is horrible to be a part of the 15% statistic. And yes, you’re probably tired of hearing that you should enjoy these days, but people say it for a reason. When you’re sitting in that office looking forward to your next paycheck, don’t let yourself ruminate on the things you wish you would’ve done when you had more time. Visit family and old friends, even if you spend time job searching while visiting, any time spent is better than none. Go for a walk in the middle of the day and enjoy the sunshine those 9-to-5ers are envying right now. And if the sunshine turns to rain every once in a while, dance. You won’t regret it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Please visit the links below to read what other Career Collective members have to say about struggling with job search.

@MartinBuckland, Job Search Made Positive

@GayleHoward, Job Search: When It All Turns Sour

@chandlee, Strategy for Getting “Unstuck” and Feeling Better: Watch Lemonade

@heathermundell, Help for the Job Search Blues

@heatherhuhman, 10 Ways to Turn Your Job Search Frown Upside-Down

@KCCareerCoach, You Can Beat the Job Search Blues: 5 + 3 Tips to Get Re-energized

@WalterAkana, Light at the End of the Tunnel

@resumeservice, Don’t Sweat The Job Search

@careersherpa, Mind Over Matter: Moving Your Stalled Search Forward

@WorkWithIllness, Finding Opportunity in Quicksand

@KatCareerGal, Job-Hunting in a Weak Job Market: 5 Strategies for Staying Upbeat (and Improving Your Chances of Success)

@ErinKennedyCPRW, Dancing in the Rain–Kicking the Job Search Blues

@keppie_careers, What to do when you are discouraged with your job search

@DawnBugni, It’s the little things

@ValueIntoWords, Restoring Your Joy in Job Search

@LaurieBerenson, 3 Ways to Keep Your Glass Half Full

@JobHuntOrg, Just SO VERY Discouraged, http://www.job-hunt.org/job-search-news/2010/02/25/just-so-very-discouraged/

@expatcoachmegan, Dealing with Job Search Stress: Getting to the Source of the Problem

@BarbaraSafani, Making Job Search Fun (Yeah, That’s Right), http://www.careersolvers.com/blog/2010/02/24/making-job-search-fun-yeah-thats-right/

@GLHoffman, How to Overcome the Negativity of a Job Search, http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2010/02/25/how-to-overcome-the-negativity-of-a-job-search/

OK first off…you know this is a terrible business climate right now, and a lot of people aren’t getting raises, so it’s not just you. The one thing you should absolutely NOT do is get in a snit and go storming out of your boss’s office. That will do nothing for your next evaluation, your next shot at a raise or your standing at the company.

You do, however, have the right to know why your raise was turned down, and there might be a number of different reasons:

• Company finances. With things being what they are right now in the business world, there’s a real good chance that this is going to be the case. And if they tell you that, there’s a real good chance that they are being honest with you, especially if nobody else in your department is seeing a raise. If that’s the case, there’s not much that you can do but accept it, get over it and move on. Not much point in getting upset, especially since 1 in 10 Americans are out of a job right now, and 2 in 10 are “underemployed”, with all that entails.

• Poor timing. Lots of companies only are allowed to hand out raises once during a fiscal year, or only after evaluations. If that’s the case, once again, there’s not much you can do about it. Of course, that doesn’t do you much good if your own expenses are going up, your spouse lost a job or your kids need braces. Depending on the nature of your job, maybe you can at least see if you can work overtime or get incentive pay of some sort. Unfortunately, if the company is feeling the pinch (as in the above scenario) they may also be cutting back on bonuses, overtime and incentive to scale back on payroll expenses. So…if you’re going to have to wait until the next quarter, next year or next evaluation (and overtime isn’t an option) your best move is going to be to keep the nose to the grindstone and do the absolute best job you can manage so that when the time comes, you’ll get that raise after all!

• Poor performance. If your raise was declined due to performance issues, this is when you need to be proactive, stand on your own two feet and find out the specifics. Chances are you’re going to find this out when it’s evaluation time anyway, but regardless, ask your supervisor or department head what areas need to be improved. Find out where your weak points are, and do your dead level best to improve on them. Or, your alternative might be to start looking for another job elsewhere, with better pay and better opportunities. But a word to the wise here: if you’re moving in that direction, keep it to yourself. Nothing can sabotage your future at a company quicker than making it known that you’re thinking about moving on.

Wow! I just earned a nomination for the T.O.R.I. awards through Career Directors International.

Each year CDI hosts an international competition, Toast of the Resume Industry™ , that propels hundreds of resume writers to send in samples of their work to be evaluated by a panel of judges. The judges then determine whose work is the “best of the best”.

Recognition is based upon creativity, clarity, strategy, syntax and visual appeal in professional resume development with submissions judged by an international panel of professional resume writers.

Each year in May, CDI selects up to five nominees in various categories who represent the top echelon of resume writing worldwide.

This is the third year I have entered the competition and each year I am nominated! To be chosen for a category with some of the world’s greatest resume writers is a thrill and an honor. I’m still a little dazed by it!

We find out the winners at the CDI conference in October. Frankly, I don’t care if I win or not… being nominated is wonderful enough!

If you aren’t living under a rock, you have been hearing lots of buzz about “branding“. So, what exactly IS branding and how will it help my executive resume? What will it do for me?

With the tight job market today, and thousands of qualified senior level candidates, employers can afford to be picky. How do you get to the top of the pile? How are you going to stand out? Your brand.

Your personal brand is the promise of the value you bring to the company. Your unique-ness. What makes you, you.

Think “Heinz”. When I say that, what immediately comes to mind? Ketchup. You know exactly what it will look like, taste like, smell like, etc. Heinz’ brand offers the promise of tomatoe-y goodness on a french fry or hot dog, right?

It’s more about action, rather than words. What you can do for the company? I talk to my clients about that all the time. In promoting your executive brand on your resume, you are stating to the company, “This is who I am, these are what my strengths are, and this is what I can do for you.” You have to uncover your assets and cultivate them in order to drive credibility and increase your professional/executive presence.

There is so much to be gained from branding your executive resume for the job search. One of the main reasons I like branding resumes is because there is no guesswork involved in what the person does, what their strengths are, and what they are recognized for. Any recruiter out there would agree– there is nothing worse than getting a resume that has no identifiable statements at first glance of what they do– you have to read line by line halfway down the page to figure out, “Ohhhhh, they are Senior VP at the firm, OK.”

I will get more into executive branding in future posts– how it can help you: increase your visibility and online presence, differentiate you from your peers, help you achieve professional success, realize how people will be drawn to you, want to follow/listen to you, and more.

So, in the mean time, dig deep, discover what makes you tick– your strengths, drive, and interests– and start building your brand.

This was from a call I took yesterday. The conversation went something like this:

Caller: “Hi, um, my name is Bob.  I want to know about your resume service and when you can finish it. Because I need it soon.”

Me: “Hi Bob. Well, let’s skip to your most important question. How quickly do you need it?”

Bob: “I need it by tomorrow. I saw a job position I want to apply for at Johnson & Johnson and the position closes tomorrow.”

Me: “Oh! Tomorrow. Has the position been open a while or did you hear about it from someone?”

Bob: “I heard about it through a buddy of mine who works there. It’s for Regional Sales Management position– my dream job with my dream company. He told me about it awhile ago, but I didn’t really think about it much until last night when we met for a beer and he reminded me it was still open. But it closes tomorrow. He said to send my resume in to the HR person sometime in the morning.”

Me: “Well, it’s 4:30 in the afternoon and I leave my office in an hour and a half. I won’t be able to do it in that amount of time…”

We talked for a little bit more and Bob even emailed me his resume. It was pretty bad (think Microsoft Word’s basic resume template… lots of white space, left-aligned, bullet-ridden and worse, hadn’t been updated since 2001).

The thing that got me was that he had known about the position for a month, assumed he’d have time to fix up his resume, then consequently forgot about the position, and was now in an all-out panic. We’ve all done it with one thing or another–putting off something we really shouldn’t have, and then regretting it later.

I felt bad for Bob because I knew his chances of getting the job with the old resume were slim to none. Worse, when he started talking about his experience and his excellent accomplishments I thought he would have probably had the chance. He said he was going to work on it himself and hope for the best.

So, the moral of the story is UPDATE YOUR RESUME TODAY. Don’t wait until your dream opportunity passes you by.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this post from Resume Bear, “20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn’t Say on Twitter”. From “I just smoked pot at work” to “I slept with the boss last night” to “I lied on my application, suckkkkkas!”, the list goes on.

Not sure what people are thinking these days, but one thing is crystal clear to me, they will be polishing off their resumes soon. Do they think that no one in their company is on Twitter or Facebook? That no one else has any online savvy? Sheesh! People are listening. We hear stories of people getting fired all the time for what they write on social networking sites. Maybe some are saying it as a joke, or to impress friends, but whatever the reason, their boss is FOR SURE going to find it and reprimand them (embarrassing!) or fire them (good luck!).

So, even if you have heard it time and again from friends, colleagues, the news, whatever, you better think twice before you post how you stole from the company, are still hungover from last night, or are reading your boss’ mail. Because it’s not going to have a happy ending.

I have several resumes a day emailed to me for review. Some are just not good. However, I do come across some that aren’t that bad. They need work, but the basic bones of it is there. It just needs some optimizing.

What do I mean?

When writing your resume keep in mind that you are writing for someone else. Someone who does not know what you did at your last job. They don’t know the challenges you faced in the last position, or how you increased productivity or revenue.

Sometimes I get to talking with clients and am awed at what they did during a particularly challenging phase and am shocked it isn’t found on the resume. The best way to optimize your resume is to talk about your accomplishments and be detailed about it.

Don’t just say, “Added $700 million in funding over a 3-year period”

Instead say,  “Secured over $700 million in funding over a 3-year period after thorough analysis and assessment on LAN and WAN connectivity for the nation’s largest telecommunication facility”.

See the difference? Which sounds better to you?

Optimizing your resume really means adding more detail, highlighting your accomplishments, and solidifying your value. Add more detail, talk about what you did, get the reader interested in what you have to say. No one wants to read short little bullet points. Boring. Keep “how did I do this?” in your mind when writing because that is what the reader is thinking, “Hmmm, how did he/she do this?” and then of course, “Can they do this for our company?”.

It may require a little bit of digging into your accomplishments to bring out the little gems of information, but it will be very worth it in the end–when you are called in to interview.

This weekend was a big deal at my house.                                             

My soon-to-be 1st grader got to pick out school supplies and my 3-year old got a big boy bed. It was excitement all around. Happy, smiling faces. Self-assured, confident walks. Mutual admiration for each others milestones.

I watched these two strut around the whole weekend cocksure and grinning, all the while my husband and I continued to praise them for their accomplishments, increasing their excitement and joy. I wondered, “Gee, do we grown ups celebrate little victories as robustly as kids do?”. I don’t think so. At least, I don’t, nor do the folks I know around me. We more or less brush them off. Oh well, big deal.

So, why is that? When you get a promotion at work do you celebrate? If you’ve recently run a race, taken (and passed) a test, been awarded something, etc. do you celebrate or tell people? I know most people definitely brag about their children’s victories before they do their own.

It’s important to pat yourself on the back or give yourself credit. When you’ve worked hard for something, you DESERVE to be rewarded or praised. Just as we treat our children, friends, and family with praise when they succeed at something, we should do the same with ourselves. Praise yourself and live joyfully in your moment.

Editors Note: Kristi Musgrave is a colleague and friend of mine, as well as today’s Guest Blogger. She has oodles of management experience and tells us what it’s like to be on the other side of the desk. Here is some good advice on what NOT to say during an interview.

***************************************************

“You won’t believe this,” he said. “What?” I asked. “We just had a candidate offer to show the hiring manager his gun shot wound.”

Why do people do this? Is it nerves? Do they just not know any better? Why do people share too much or inappropriate information during job interviews?

For the past 10 years I’ve had the opportunity to interview a variety of people and I am still amazed at what they will discuss during an interview. I’ve heard about fights with family members, pets that have died, and mean bosses. I’ve even been asked if I have a prosthetic eye. I don’t by the way.

The purpose of an interview is to assess a candidate’s suitability for a job. A significant part of that assessment will be based on what you say during the interview. Avoid discussing personal information unrelated the position. Discuss your experience, the skills you have that make you well suited for the position, and why you are the best candidate.

Rachel Zupek, a writer for careerbuilder.com offers this advice  (you can read the full article here):

Go ahead with the following personal info:

• Goals – It’s OK to talk about what you want in your next assignment and what inspired you to apply for the position.

• Growth – You can and should talk about the things you’ve done up to this point to invest in yourself and your professional development.

• Highlights – Relate the highlights of your greatest professional achievements to date without exaggerating or pontificating.

• Motivations - Talk about what motivates you, excites you, what brought you to that particular industry and what attracted you to that specific employment opportunity.

Do not delve into these personal topics during your interview.

• Lifestyle choices, politics, religion or family plans. Controversial topics may make for stimulating conversation but an attractive employee does not stimulate water-cooler frenzy among the masses.

• Endless name dropping. You can establish that you know some of the same people as the interviewer to build rapport, but don’t think you’re upping the ante by upping the volume.

• Health history. Stay away from your health history mental and otherwise. You’re supposed to be positioning yourself as dependable and reliable; not as a candidate likely to spike the bell curve on benefit-related expenses.

• House problems, nanny drama or rehab trips. Employers don’t want to know much about your life except as it relates to what you’ve done professionally and what you’re likely able to do for them.

• Bosses from hell. Simply put, no prospective boss wants to hear a litany of “boss from hell” stories.

So, unless you’re interviewing for a position as nude model for a sculpting class, discussing your gunshot wound is way too much information for a job interview. Keep your answers professional and focused on your skills and experience as it relates to the position.  Good luck at your interview.

++++

Kristi Musgrave is a Senior Validation Engineer with the Validation and Compliance Institute, LLC. She provides cGMP training, validation, and auditing services for the FDA regulated industries.  You can reach Kristi at musgrak@gmail.com

Cover letters seem to be difficult for people, even resume writers. Why is that? What makes a good cover letter?

Cover letters can be fun to write. There really aren’t many ‘rules’ to writing them. You can let your personality shine through. They allow you to positively present your skills, accomplishments, and credentials in a way that will encourage the reader to want to read even more about you (and then move on to the resume). There are lots of  things I can get into in more depth (types of resumes, scope, presentation, who your audience is, etc.) but for now, I am just going to touch on the basics. In future posts, I will dissect cover letters more closely.

Here are some easy ideas to keep in mind when writing your cover letter:

• Make sure your intention is clear. In other words, what is the job you are applying for? Clearly state it. Don’t make the reader guess. You could say something like, “…and this is why my qualifications make me a perfect match for the Sales Management position”.

• Highlight your top achievements. You don’t have to rewrite everything you wrote in the resume, just summarize some of your top accomplishments. Wow them with what you have done.

• Add your relevant skills or qualifications. Let the reader know what you excel at and what you are capable of. This is a great place to talk about any extra credentials or training you’ve had that relate to the position.

• Write toward the position you are applying for. When preparing the cover letter, keep in mind the requirements of the position and add your qualifications that match them.

• Explain what it is you like about the company. Remember, you are trying to woo the company, so tell them what you like about them. Is it the reputation, products/services, location? Let them know why you like them.

• You are not writing your autobiography. Keep it short, simple and factual. You don’t need to go into why the last job didn’t work out, “…my boss had unrealistic expectations of the staff, so I decided to check out my options…:. Don’t air your dirty laundry or obvious dislike of your most recent employer. Keep it professional.

• Double check the entire document for accuracy, errors, and syntax. You don’t want to miss a great opportunity because you wrote, “Dear Hiring Manger”.

Another tip is to save that cover letter, copy and paste it onto a new document, and tweak it for another type of position you may be interested in. I encourage clients to have several “focused” cover letters for different positions they might have in mind. This way, if an opportunity presents itself, you are ready!