Resume Anxiety
Everyone has an opinion about what a great resume looks like, but no one seems to agree on a single definition of great. As many job seekers, I have solicited feedback from many people on how I should word, organize and format my resume. And like others, I find myself working with conflicting advise and opinions. Even when I have complete trust in the advise of all the people from whom I have gotten feedback, I still am left with substantial–material differences of opinion.
Here are some examples: I have a robust and diverse background. I have been a project manager, a product manager, an executive and a consultant. In recent years with the volatility on the economy, I have had to be flexible in the types of roles I take. I am capable of many things, so how do I convey what I am really good at. As an example, I have a Masters degree, I am a veteran and have a current PMP certification. How should I highlight those things? I have had VP level jobs and been a general manager, so how do I tie that into my more functional abilities? Do I put my education first or my work experience? Do I use bullet points or should I use a more narrative format? Do I even mention I have a PMP when applying for non project management jobs? Should I de-emphasise my executive experience or my functional experience?
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Believe it or not, being unemployed for an extended period of time may make you less employable. I recently was speaking with a colleague of mine about a hiring manager who was less likely to consider a candidate for a position if he/she had been unemployed for an extended period of time. Both my colleague and I thought this state if mind was short sided and actually flat out wrong. Why would a hiring manager eliminate a candidate from the interview pool because he/she was unemployed for an extended period? Is this simply recession think?
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This recession has forced me to take a new look at how approach career development. It has never been more important to network and take a pluralistic approach to the job hunt. But networking often “feels” disingenuous and superficial. When you lack employment and are seeking to fix it, you are at a disadvantage and you want something of someone and have little to return the favor. And these days, there are a lot of people out there caught up in “recession think” on the job hunt who are just trying to get an inside to gain some sort of advantage over the masses with whom they are competing.
The outcome is a short-term contact cycle where if your networking efforts fail be productive, you have to move on quickly. In a normal economic situation, it might be best to continue to grow the networking relationship for longer term goals, but today, people move on and the contact stops. This is not a healthy approach to building up a profile and reputation in the workforce. And, unfortunately, when you have a sense of eternal instability, its too easy to use people and burn bridges for your own gains. Continue reading »
Were you laid off months ago and still cannot find a job? You are not alone and your efforts to figure our how to succeed might not be what is needed to re-enter the employment market. Things are different, but we are not sure exactly what changed, so adjusting is more a guessing game of trial and error until you get a result of some kind.
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