Navigating the Work Climate

You've completed a job search, updated/drafted the resumé, had to wait for an interview, gone to it, and now have a new position. I skipped an entry about how to conduct yourself during an interview because there are already a ton of websites out there. But, I'm now sharing some advice based on my experiences in a variety of positions over the last few decades, and most of them are common sense, plus based on the company handbook if you bother to read it...

Okay, very basic common sense, but regardless what your new position is, some suggestions from having all of these positions. "FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT" is what people notice when you show up for work and how you will be judged. This includes your immediate supervisor, but also each and every co-worker or customer/client that you come into contact with. And people "talk." Welcome to the grapevine of gossip chain. They do affect your future, but only if you let it.

	Manual Labor / Retail	Mixed (labor / office)	Office
Body	Clean, odor free	Clean, odor free	Clean, odor free
Hair (on your head)	Clean, brushed	Clean, brushed	Clean, brushed/styled
Facial Hair (men)	Company policy	Shaved / trimmed	Shaved / trimmed
Clothes	Uniform (if company policy) Non-offensive otherwise	Company policy	Company Policy
Breath	Clean teeth, odorless	Clean teeth, odorless	Clean teeth, odorless

What I'm getting at by the table above, is that your body should smell good each and every day that you show up for work, hair should be clean and at least brushed (if not gelled into a current style), face should be smooth, clothes should fit the position accepted, and above everything else, breath should be fresh. It may take gum or a spray, but everybody encountered shouldn't be offended by the cigarette/onions/or the drink from the late last night used to talk to them.

I operated a manual labor business as a contractor by following these suggestions. I got more customers because they "felt" that I was more respectable than the competitors. I worked in the auto body industry because I adhered to company policy, but wasn't restricted by fixing a Corvette by sanding it by hand. I was in management because I wore ties that appealed to my supervisors. I adapted to the field that I was in, and strove to achieve the pay check and bonuses because of HOW I ACTED. Impressions are important, find out what policies are in the handbook for your company, ask questions, and always dress for success.

Waiting for the Interview Call

Waiting chair edge...

You've job searched, updated & drafted a new resumé, posted it to your Monster.com profile, applied for a few positions online, & mailed some out in the mailbox. Now sitting on the edge of the favorite chair, holding your phone, telepathically trying to MAKE IT RING. It isn't going to be instantaneous, but if you've drafted the resumé correctly, it could be.

Just to share a little about my experience the last few weeks. I was let go from a position first thing Monday morning (and they wonder why we HATE Mondays). I spent the day updating my resumé, my Monster.com profile, and searching for jobs.

Found one posted online, applied after re-drafting a resumé that met the position being filled. They called Tuesday for an interview on Wednesday. Still spent Tuesday searching for more jobs. Not just online or in the newspaper, but by driving around a some towns nearby to see who had put out the "Now Hiring" signs. I took a couple of hard copy prints with me, just in case I found a place to drop it off & apply.

While driving to the interview on Wednesday morning, I got a call from a recruiter from another recruiter, for an interview on Friday. After the 1st interview on Wednesday, they told me that they would call me for a 2ND interview by noon if they wanted. More chair edge sitting at 11:55 AM, commanding the phone to ring. It came exactly at noon. The 2nd interview was a full day one (8-5) in the field, followed by a 3RD interview. And, they both would be on Thursday. Very intense set of interviews. At the end of the 3rd, they told me that they would call me by noon on Friday if they were going to offer me the position.

I had the other interview on Friday too. Knowing that the Friday one would be over by 11, I felt comfortable that I could answer the phone at noon if it rang. I went to the 2nd interview in the morning, and WAS able to answer the phone at precisely noon when they called and told me to report to the office on Tuesday at 7:45 AM.

To summarize:

• Monday of that week I was let go
• Tuesday I got the call for an interview
• Wednesday I had an interview, and a call from another company
• Thursday, a full day field 2nd interview, a 3rd interview that evening
• Friday, the 2nd interview AND was given (not offered) a position from the first company

Let go from a job on Monday, working by Friday in a higher paying career with potential. Yeah, it was a HELL of a week. But it meant that I had to trade in my tool belt for wearing a suit and tie each and every day. Will I put myself through that again? Hell yes, if I have to.

My key points to all of this, are that it might not be "instantaneous," but with some of your own elbow grease (and fingertips), you can help expedite the calls. They won't ALL turn out to be for positions you are searching, but getting the calls coming in means you are on the right path to finding what you are looking for. Don't accept an interview for a position that you already know that you don't want. It wastes times away from looking for the one that you would accept.

Happy hunting... and good luck...

Write a Resumé

In not searching for a new job for a few decades, I recently had to. My other entry was about searching for a job online [click HERE], this one is about writing the resumé. You just have to figure out what "style" of resumé to write. Back in MY day, we had one template, now there are a ton. The best way to decide which style to consider, surf to:

• Career Advice via Monster.com
• Dummies.com about resumés
• Job Searching via About.com

Yes, it requires a little reading, but they provide the next step forward in the path of securing an interview. Some things learned in the last few weeks may help you narrow some focus on what is written as a resumé. First, decide which style would apply to the position you are applying for. The 3 basics are (there are more):

• Chronological (focuses on where you've been for your jobs)
• Functional (focuses on what you've achieved & the abilities you have)
• Combination (adds both of the above)

Follow the guides to tailor it to fit the position being applied for. If it is technical, focus on chronological; management, focus on functional. If it requires a little of both, combination. Do not create one "general" resumé that you feel meets all of the needs. Draft a resumé for each position applied for.

Why? The resumé is NOT the interview. The purpose of submitting a resumé is to grab attention for them to want to interview and get more information verbally. The interview SELLS you, not the resumé (that is just a spice to inspire them to call to schedule an interview).

Which leads to some personal observations about resumés:

• The resumé is to get an interview. Keep it short, 2 or even 3 pages, NO MORE. When I reviewed them, anything over 3 pages was thrown away. Being compelled to read more distracted from my actual job, so I won't waste time on interviewing you face to face.
• I always had a red pen in my right hand. Spelling or grammar marks were inked, and filed in the round file drawer (trash can). All positions rely on communication. Submit something that doesn't have poor spelling or grammar.
• Cover letters have disappeared, but if applying for a position by hard copy mail, the cover letter gets them interested in scanning the resumé, and that gets an interview.
• Use paper that catches attention but is not neon. Printing on a plain, low weight paper makes it harder to read, because "contrast." The harder it makes to read, the less likely that you will be called for an interview. Go to a scrapbook store, get some soft grey, #40 weight paper, and when looking at a stack of resumés, eyes will be drawn to yours. DO NOT PRINT IT ON NEON. That is offensive, especially if I am going to be your boss.
• Don't use graphics and borders. I thought about hiring you, don't distract me from my real job. I'm processing resumés as fast as possible, taking away my time means that I don't want you in my office. If done on paper, what will it be like face to face?
• Name the file as LAST NAME. FIRST NAME.***. Most applications are done online or email, make sure that the NAME catches attention. Do NOT name it "Resume for XYZ Company on 10_10_12.***" Don't use all capital letters (in chat worlds, that means yelling). Use something like Jones.Smith 10_11_12.*** The asterisks at the end were just used because we all use different software. The key is to keep your NAME out there, your name is your brand. Sell it.
• There is a lot of different software that we use. Save a copy of the resumé as a PDF and use that when sending it off. Nearly everybody has the ability to open the file, no matter if they are PC or Mac.
• If sending an "old school" hard copy resumé, double side print it to reduce the pieces of paper that need to be handled. Plus, it saves money and trees. Just be sure to include the word (Over) in the bottom right corner of the first page so they know there is more.

Anyway, writing or updating a resumé often takes longer than the interview that it gets you...

Job Search

English: P icon with a newspaper
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Job hunting SURE has changed in the last 20 years. Recently I had to put my big toe back in the job search pool. Back in the day, we found jobs by scouring the local classified ads in the paper, drove around looking for "NOW HIRING" signs, and talking to family members or friends about where they work and if they were hiring. Today we can search the Internet, join Monster.com, LinkedIn, or several other sites to promote ourselves. Not only do you get to search for jobs all over the globe and apply for them, but with a good profile, sometimes THEY CALL YOU.

I found this out when I updated my profile on Monster, and spent HOURS just surfing the web. I could see all of the classified ads on the newspaper pages, but also on sites like Career Builders and Monster. I updated my Monster profile, uploaded a resume, and within a few hours, the phone was ringing off the hook by recruiters that use it to find potential employees. I didn't have to apply to those companies to get a call FROM them, they called me.

Red phone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the phone I could deny any that didn't meet my goals, while grocery shopping. Saved me a lot of time & driving compared to 20 years ago. Didn't have to drive to the interview, find out about the company there, and then decide that it wasn't a fit. Listening to the person describe what was being looked for, and jumping online to Google that company, showed more than I needed to turn down
the offer of an interview. I did accept interviews with 2 companies within hours of the update to those that appealed to me. Within 3 days, I interviewed and was offered a position, and accepted it.

My first job search (20 years ago) before it returned a request for an interview:

• Talking to a friend's father (2 hours)
• Sending an updated resume (1 hour)
• Waiting for a phone call (1 month)
• Driving to the first interview (2 hours)
• Interview 1 (2 hours)
• Driving home (2 hours)
• Waiting for 2nd interview (4 months)
• Driving to and from the 2nd interview (4 hours)
• Time of 2nd interview (4 hours)
• ACCEPTING THE JOB (10 seconds)

Now, for the recent process:

• Updating resume (1 hour)
• Updating my Monster profile (10 minutes)
• Waiting for a phone call (4 hours)
• Drive time to and from (70 minutes, 26 miles roundtrip)
• Interview 1 (10 minutes)
• Waiting for phone call for a 2nd (3 hours)
• Second interview (8 hours in the field)
• Waiting for 3rd interview call (18 hours)
• ACCEPTING THE JOB (10 seconds)

Do you see now how that the fast pace of life that we live in can impact your life dramatically? Getting the 1st job took me over 5 months and several hundreds of driving, the 2nd one took me 3 days without much driving. I'm not saying that you can achieve the same results, but comparing what I did 2 decades ago to what is possible now, amazes me, and keeps cash in my wallet (yeah, I still actually use one).

Stay out there, keep searching, stay social and ask your family/friends about where they are, keep applying, and make sure it is all up to date (online profiles, resume, etc.) I enjoy the job search pool a LOT more today than I did "back in the day..."