Don't Talk Yourself Into Taking Jobs

In my last job search, I ended the selection process three times with different organizations because I knew that I didn't actually want to work that job every day. At the time, I knew that I still needed to find a job very soon but my husband was very supportive and encouraged me to wait for the right position. As he told me the other night, a job is a long term relationship. It requires commitment. In the same way that I as a hiring manager have to pay attention to every "red flag" with a candidate, you as the candidate need to focus on every possible sign that this may not be the job for you.

A few red flags to look out for: If you don't "click" with the hiring manager (usually your new boss). This is a big one. Another: you would only work in that job because it would be a good "step up" from what you are doing now. Wait for the right job. It's not worth it to work a "place-holder job" - you won't be satisfied and it's not fair to the employer.

There some similarities to dating here. Don't focus so much on being liked that you forget to think about what you want. Don't morph yourself into who you think the employer wants to hire. If your skills and talent isn't a great fit for the company, move on. The worst thing you can do is talk yourself into doing a job you don't want and pretending to be someone you aren't. As Shakespeare himself said "To thine own self be true."

How to Use Your Network to Get a Job

"Networking" has become quite the buzzword lately. There are stats out there that say that 60+% of all jobs are obtained through networking. Everyone is trying to expand their Rolodex in order to find that one person who knows that one other person who knows of that perfect job opening....to me it can sound like a bit of a crap shoot. I have never gotten a job through networking, although it has helped me get an interview. I've only once hired someone I knew outside of a work context and that was for an internship several years ago.

Here's my theory on networking - if you know HOW to use your network and can follow up an initial introduction with a solid resume and interview, than you may land a great job through it. Otherwise it's just people exchanging business cards and engaging in some awkward mingling.

I don't think having a BIG network is all that important. You can have 1,000 Facebook friends and still be out of a job. I would rather have a couple "connectors" (to use Malcolm Gladwell's phrase from the book "The Tipping Point") who I can rely on. I'll give you an example - my best "connector" is my mother-in-law. She's lived in the same community for practically her whole life and seems to know just about everyone. Not only is she universally liked and consistently charming, but she is not afraid to make introductions. In fact, she thrives on them. I have never seen someone work a room like this woman. I'm a bit skeptical of the purpose of chambers of commerce but she once brought me to a local chamber meeting and I couldn't believe what I experienced. She already had at least 5 people she had planned to introduce me to and had already let some of them know I would be attending. She stayed by my side the entire night and took me to each person saying "This is so and so, he might be a good contact for photography for your company, let me introduce you." She had a purpose for each introduction and expertly orchestrated each meeting. I felt like I could have just handed her a stack of my business cards and she could have represented me all by herself. You see, you don't need a ton of casual acquaintances you have to maintain minimal but consistent contact with throughout the year. Plus, who has time for that anyway? You just need one Jeanne Schwass. The one interview I've had because of networking? Yup, it was through her.

Now, the second step to successful networking is that you have to have a purpose and know how to use your network. That means, telling the right people what you need and how they can help. Otherwise networking becomes a very vague and fuzzy activity. When we were first planning to move to this area, I emailed my mother-in-law my resume and told her what kind of job I wanted. And she was off! She told friends from church, she sent emails to our family and her work contacts, and she updated me on her progress. You see, connectors are thrilled to help and love the joy of sharing the gift of their network with others.

NOTE: When you are trying to obtain a job through utilizing your network, it's all the more important that you handle yourself professionally and respectfully. Because your behavior reflects on your network and you may have some personal connections to the hiring manager, it's critical that the situation with the utmost care. Send thank you notes for interviews, be honest about your interest in the position, and always follow-up in a timely manner. You don't want to damage your reputation through your conduct regarding job interview. And ALWAYS thank your connector and praise her in your blog! :)

My First Cover Letter - Enjoy!

I had planned on publishing a post about crafting a resume out of nothing (ie, no work experience) today...but while looking through old emails I came across the first cover letter I ever wrote. I'll admit, I'm a little embarrassed at some of the things I wrote in it - it's clear I didn't quite know what I was doing and probably didn't have anyone proofread it for me. But after listening to me read it aloud tonight, my husband commented (after he stopped chuckling at me), that "hey, you would totally hire you!" And he's right. I get a lot of applications from eager young graduates who are new to the job world and this is just the kind of cover letter that makes me smile (and yes, giggle a little). So, I've decided to share my cover letter with you...along with my observations and comments having read it today (those will be in red). Enjoy!

from Kate Retzer
to jgann@unitedwaysb.org
date Wed, Jul 6, 2005 at 10:05 AM
subject Community Campaign Coordinator

Jennifer Gann, (Wow, first AND last name, huh? And no salutation? Feels a little direct to me now!)

I read about your position in the Santa Barbara News Press (Wow, back when people still posted jobs on newspapers websites!) and am very interested! I think my particular skill set (where on earth did I hear this phrase? I feel like "skill set" is a much more common term now) and interests would be a strong fit for your organization.

I am a recent graduate from Westmont College, where I graduated with a 3.68 GPA, and am currently assisting in event planning in the Alumniand Parent Relations department. (Graduate where I graduated? A little redundant. And I can't believe that I share my GPA. Oh, sweet little innocent college grad...no one really cares about your GPA unless it's much higher than that! And I'm surprised that I didn't talk more about that internship - that was definitely the most relevant experience that I had.) While at Westmont, I truly developed my event planning skills through job shadowing with the Campus Pastor, coordinating section and dorm events as a Resident Assistance, and directing "Preview Days" as a Housing Ambassador Intern with the Admissions department. (There's some embellishment happening here. While I interned with our campus pastor, I really don't think a job-shadowed him or learned anything about event planning in that position! Gotcha, 21 year old Kate.)

I am a classic multi-tasker (WHAT? CLASSIC? As opposed to what? A modern multi-tasker? Do I plunk away at a typewriter while answering a rotary phone??) and love having specific projects to plan and details to manage. (This would be a good time to talk about a particular success. Although maybe I didn't have any yet!) I love working with others but am also a self-starter (one of my dad's favorite terms...nice) and able to handle projects without needing to be constantly monitored (when I read this sort of thing now in a cover letter it makes me think the person is a little defensive. Today I'd phrase this a little differently.) I am young and enthusiastic (AW, I can't believe that I actually said that I was young in my cover letter!! But there's something very endearing and fresh-faced about that...it still makes me smile.) but also have the experience to plan successful and creative events (not really, but I'm trying to create a lot of experience out of a few semi-related projects!).

I look forward to hearing from you and hope that we can meet to discuss the position soon. Thank you for the opportunity. (Solid wrap-up, if I do say so myself...)

Sincerely,
Kate Retzer (Aw, my maiden name! I miss you, Retzer!)

I guess the moral of the story is that we all have to start from somewhere! The best part of this cover letter? I forgot to attach my resume and had to send a follow-up email to her! Tee hee - whoops!

(Oh, by the way, I got the job - I guess this letter wasn't all bad, after all!)

The Other Other Side: Advice for Hiring Managers

So this blog is all about giving you an understanding of the other side of getting a job, from the perspective of the hiring manager. However, lately I've heard from several people who are in the process of filling a position and would like to know what I look for when I am interviewing people.

To be quite honest, for me, it all comes down to two factors: trusting my gut and paying attention to every detail. I only have a couple of brief opportunities to access a candidate, so while I'm observing all of someone's positive attributes, I'm also assessing every possible red flag. Here's some possible red flags that catch my attention:

Red Flags:
1. Arrives way early or late to the interview
2. Wears casual attire
3. Misses sections on our employment application
4. Forgets to bring resume copies
3. Bad-mouths former employer/boss
4. Vague answers to questions
5. Can't give me precise numbers or dates
6. Doesn't take notes when I tell them about the position
7. Doesn't have questions to ask
8. Doesn't express enthusiasm for the job
9. Obviously hasn't done any research about the position or our company

Trusting My Gut:

I usually am more willing to take a chance on people when I'm hiring for entry-level positions. I know it tends to be a younger profile candidate and they are learning how to approach professional life. I'm willing to train entry level candidates how to be great employees...but when I'm hiring for mid-level managers, I really trust my intuition. I will wait until I find that right person and usually I can tell if this is the right candidate within 10 minutes of our first conversation. It's just a gut reaction that I can't explain. Something feels right and I know this is the person for the job. Several times I've hired people when I didn't feel 100% in my gut that they were right for the position and I've always regretted these decisions. So I will continue to trust my gut and hope that you do too!

How to Create a Resume I'll Read

Let me preface this by saying that this post is purely based on my preferences and my experience (as is the entirety of this blog, in fact). Other hiring managers might like a flashy resume in a scripty font. Other hiring managers might like a long list of your skills with just a brief mention of your work history. Other hiring managers might want to know that you like to shop and garden in your spare time. I...do not.

I prefer clean, simple, straightforward....yet detailed and precise resumes. Sections I could do without: 1. Objective (just seems like a throw-away section to me), 2. Skills (I never read this, I prefer to read about your skills in your cover letter and deduce your skills from the accomplishments listed on your resume. 3. Other activities. Amuse me with stories about your hobbies during our small talk before your interview. I don't want to read about how you have 3 kids on your resume.

Crucial Details: 1. Education (degree, school, and major - I don't need GPA unless it's awesome), 2. Resume organized by your most recent position (Company name, location, your title, your dates of employment) 3. Specific duties listed under each job title (Don't group these all together and then give me a separate list of the jobs you had. It's counter-intuitive and seems a little confusing to me).

Helpful Extras: 1. Trainings you've attended - particularly if you're trying to get a job that's a step-up for you! Showcasing the training you've received can help fill in the gaps in your resume. 2. Volunteer positions you've held - again, this can speak to your additional experience.

A word about length - stick to a page when you first graduate from college. After a few jobs you can increase it to two pages.

That's my intro into resumes - got more questions? Hit me up in the comments section!

The Fine Line of Follow-Up

There's a fine line in how you follow-up after an interview. I've interviewed candidates and then never heard from them again. I've also had candidates who called me literally every day, left me messages constantly and tried to fake out my assistant in order to get through to me. These are candidates I WOULD have hired...but then they sort of creeped me out. So here's some general rules:

1. Send a thank you email after your interview. Send it to everyone who interviewed you (ask for everyone's card at the end of your interview so you have the contact information). Reiterate why you are interested in the position based on what you learned through the interview.

2. Send a hand-written thank you note as well for extra bonus points.

3. If you don't hear back after one week, call or send an email to inquire about the next steps.

4. Then stop. If you haven't heard back after that, you didn't get the job and will likely receive a letter or email soon to inform you. If you are still in the running, the hiring manager won't keep you in the dark.

ONE EXCEPTION: If you have a competing offer on the table, let the hiring manager know ASAP. This is crucial information for me. It often takes about a week for me to get approval for hiring from my VPs and knowing that we could lose you usually gets me approval within a couple hours.

In short, follow up with me afterwards but don't become a stalker.

Practice-Jobs or Get Thee an Internship!

As a part of my Wednesday series for new grads, today I present "Practice-Jobs or Get Thee an Internship!" I never had an internship when I was in college. I was involved in a number of extra-curricular activities that helped me craft a decent resume after graduation. However, I have regretted not taking the opportunity to get some extra work experience through getting an internship. When we lived in Santa Barbara, each year I spoke at the internship class about life after college. I always congratulated the class on getting a leg up by choosing to spend a little less time on campus their senior year, and a little more time adding to their resume and work experiences.

Why get an internship?

1. Extra Experience - I've alluded to this already but obviously, an internship gives you some extra experience to put on your resume and reference when you attend interviews. Look for internships that give you the opportunity to focus on a particular project, not just make copies and get people coffee.

2. It might turn into a job! When hiring interns, I typically conduct a fairly rigorous screening and interview process. If an intern impresses me, I do everything I can to find her a position at our company. At the very least, I become a glowing reference for her. You see, there's always a fair amount of guesswork when it comes to hiring. I can only tell so much through a couple hours in an interview process with you. But if I've had the opportunity to work with you directly for a couple months and you impress me (even if you don't necessarily have all of the qualifications a position might require), I'd rather hire you than take my chances on the unknown.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday's topic "How to make the most of your internship"!