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Thinking Out Of The Box And Into A Job
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| Joey Blevins, an unemployed iron worker from Sheridan, Ark., center, checks his resume while standing in line on Oct. 27 at a Little Rock, Ark., job fair. (Danny Johnston/Associated Press) |
By DAVE BONTEMPO, For The Bulletin
Many economists are predicting that this crushing recession, with record breaking levels of unemployment, is over. What great news! Are you reassured, yet?
Probably not, as most American families who have been touched, or mauled, by this economic downturn know. Despite predictions, we still have a long way to go before job creation and hiring even begins to return the nation to any kind of measurable prosperity.
But there are signs of life, and thankfully, in the interim, unemployment benefits for most Americans have been extended. As the job market slowly recovers, there are things you can do to think out of the box and increase the odds on making yourself attractive to employers, landing an interview and ultimately securing a new job.
All of the obvious strategies apply. Make sure your resume is current, clean, crisp and grammatically accurate. Given the spelling and grammar checks built into computer programs, there’s no excuse for any inaccuracies in your presentation. The slightest misstep signals an employer that you’re too lazy to pay attention to details and you’ve just eliminated yourself from the race.
Make sure your resume contains industry key words and buzz words. These indicate that you are up to date on current lingo and trends within your industry. If you’re not certain about what to include, research recent articles pertaining to your area of expertise. Reading a few current pieces should bring you up to speed and give you some ideas about how to incorporate relevant language into your resume.
Highlight your achievements. Although this sounds obvious, many potential employees don’t do a good enough job of alerting hiring officials of pertinent accomplishments, while some go for overkill—both eliminating themselves from the competition. While resumes are intended to be brief overviews of your experience, it’s important to expound when you’ve done something worth noting. For example, if you were in sales and took over an under-producing territory, make sure you note the growth you created. “Originally took over a territory with 82 customers in two states doing $300,000 in sales. In two years, expanded to 137 customers in three states doing $753,000 in sales — 125 percent increase. Promoted to district sales manager.”
Conversely, if the highlight of your experience with a company consisted of merely following the employee handbook to the letter and flying under the radar, note the facts of the position, but don’t embellish without cause. And by all means, if a department in which you worked went from high productivity to a loss, skip the details. Again, note the facts of the employment, but avoid anything negative.
In a shifting economy, employers are looking to get the biggest bang for the few bucks they’re willing to part with. That means that in order to be considered a prime prospect, you may have to up your personal ante. There are many ways to let an employer know you’re willing to go the extra mile.
If you’ve traveled for work in the past, make sure to say so. In your resume or on an interview, tell the employer how much you’ve traveled for prior positions and how much you’d be willing to do now. If at all possible, increase your travel availability. If you’ve never traveled, consider being open to the prospect. If you hold a passport, say so. If you don’t, think about getting one, especially if you’re applying to a large company.
Also, extend your geographical job seeking radius. In the past, you may have been fortunate enough to work two miles from your home, with only five minutes of travel time. It’s time to push the envelope. A commute of an hour, sometimes more, for the right position, is not unreasonable. By expanding geographical limitations, you can open up worlds of new employment options. Plus, remember that a new job is not necessarily your final job. Any new positions or contacts can further position you for future employment possibilities — with luck, closer to home.
Many industries, particularly law enforcement and health care, utilize shift work in meeting staffing needs. As business communication becomes more virtual, traditional time schedules are less important and other industries will place increasing value on employee flexibility. If you’ve worked various shifts in the past, say so. If you’re willing to work second and third shifts, weekends and/or holidays, state that in your resume. Let potential employers know that you’ll work virtually and make yourself available during off hours; you’ll tailor your work schedule to their needs.
Don’t be afraid to mention jobs that you’ve taken to make ends meet, particularly in the past few years. Industriousness is always valued by employers. Individuals who work hard and show commitment to gainful employment, regardless of the industry, will catch a hiring official’s eye. Likewise, make sure to point out any additional education in which you might have engaged, whether pursuing a degree at night, on weekends or online while working a job, or simply learning to expand or sharpen your skills. Again, such efforts showcase industriousness, energy and dedication to self-improvement — valuable traits for employees in any company.
As the world moves rapidly towards being a global economy, global consciousness is increasingly important. Be certain to mention any international work experience or even personal international travel. Knowledge of other countries is definitely a plus. Likewise, bi-lingual reading and writing skills in languages other than English are highly prized and most noteworthy. If you possess such skills, seek out corporations you think might utilize them. A simple call to a company’s human resources department could land you an interview if you make it a point early in the conversation to highlight your skill with a foreign language.
Finally, be aware of how you might save potential employers money for their bottom line. Health benefits add significantly to a company’s expenses. If you and your family are covered under a spouse’s plan, be certain to note the coverage on your resume as well as during conversations and interviews. If offering health benefits is standard policy, you may be able to negotiate a slightly higher salary which might still save the company money since they won’t have to add you to their plan. Either way, the fact that you will ultimately cost the company less makes you stand out.
As the job market paradigm shifts and adjusts, workers and employers alike must alter expectations and parameters. By thinking outside of the box and discarding self-imposed limitations, potential employees can rise to the top of the application pile and get noticed, leading the way back to full time employment.
Dave Bontempo is owner of The Bontempo Group, a full service executive search firm located in Bucks County. Contact him at info@bontempogroup.com with questions for this column.
Probably not, as most American families who have been touched, or mauled, by this economic downturn know. Despite predictions, we still have a long way to go before job creation and hiring even begins to return the nation to any kind of measurable prosperity.
But there are signs of life, and thankfully, in the interim, unemployment benefits for most Americans have been extended. As the job market slowly recovers, there are things you can do to think out of the box and increase the odds on making yourself attractive to employers, landing an interview and ultimately securing a new job.
All of the obvious strategies apply. Make sure your resume is current, clean, crisp and grammatically accurate. Given the spelling and grammar checks built into computer programs, there’s no excuse for any inaccuracies in your presentation. The slightest misstep signals an employer that you’re too lazy to pay attention to details and you’ve just eliminated yourself from the race.
Make sure your resume contains industry key words and buzz words. These indicate that you are up to date on current lingo and trends within your industry. If you’re not certain about what to include, research recent articles pertaining to your area of expertise. Reading a few current pieces should bring you up to speed and give you some ideas about how to incorporate relevant language into your resume.
Highlight your achievements. Although this sounds obvious, many potential employees don’t do a good enough job of alerting hiring officials of pertinent accomplishments, while some go for overkill—both eliminating themselves from the competition. While resumes are intended to be brief overviews of your experience, it’s important to expound when you’ve done something worth noting. For example, if you were in sales and took over an under-producing territory, make sure you note the growth you created. “Originally took over a territory with 82 customers in two states doing $300,000 in sales. In two years, expanded to 137 customers in three states doing $753,000 in sales — 125 percent increase. Promoted to district sales manager.”
Conversely, if the highlight of your experience with a company consisted of merely following the employee handbook to the letter and flying under the radar, note the facts of the position, but don’t embellish without cause. And by all means, if a department in which you worked went from high productivity to a loss, skip the details. Again, note the facts of the employment, but avoid anything negative.
In a shifting economy, employers are looking to get the biggest bang for the few bucks they’re willing to part with. That means that in order to be considered a prime prospect, you may have to up your personal ante. There are many ways to let an employer know you’re willing to go the extra mile.
If you’ve traveled for work in the past, make sure to say so. In your resume or on an interview, tell the employer how much you’ve traveled for prior positions and how much you’d be willing to do now. If at all possible, increase your travel availability. If you’ve never traveled, consider being open to the prospect. If you hold a passport, say so. If you don’t, think about getting one, especially if you’re applying to a large company.
Also, extend your geographical job seeking radius. In the past, you may have been fortunate enough to work two miles from your home, with only five minutes of travel time. It’s time to push the envelope. A commute of an hour, sometimes more, for the right position, is not unreasonable. By expanding geographical limitations, you can open up worlds of new employment options. Plus, remember that a new job is not necessarily your final job. Any new positions or contacts can further position you for future employment possibilities — with luck, closer to home.
Many industries, particularly law enforcement and health care, utilize shift work in meeting staffing needs. As business communication becomes more virtual, traditional time schedules are less important and other industries will place increasing value on employee flexibility. If you’ve worked various shifts in the past, say so. If you’re willing to work second and third shifts, weekends and/or holidays, state that in your resume. Let potential employers know that you’ll work virtually and make yourself available during off hours; you’ll tailor your work schedule to their needs.
Don’t be afraid to mention jobs that you’ve taken to make ends meet, particularly in the past few years. Industriousness is always valued by employers. Individuals who work hard and show commitment to gainful employment, regardless of the industry, will catch a hiring official’s eye. Likewise, make sure to point out any additional education in which you might have engaged, whether pursuing a degree at night, on weekends or online while working a job, or simply learning to expand or sharpen your skills. Again, such efforts showcase industriousness, energy and dedication to self-improvement — valuable traits for employees in any company.
As the world moves rapidly towards being a global economy, global consciousness is increasingly important. Be certain to mention any international work experience or even personal international travel. Knowledge of other countries is definitely a plus. Likewise, bi-lingual reading and writing skills in languages other than English are highly prized and most noteworthy. If you possess such skills, seek out corporations you think might utilize them. A simple call to a company’s human resources department could land you an interview if you make it a point early in the conversation to highlight your skill with a foreign language.
Finally, be aware of how you might save potential employers money for their bottom line. Health benefits add significantly to a company’s expenses. If you and your family are covered under a spouse’s plan, be certain to note the coverage on your resume as well as during conversations and interviews. If offering health benefits is standard policy, you may be able to negotiate a slightly higher salary which might still save the company money since they won’t have to add you to their plan. Either way, the fact that you will ultimately cost the company less makes you stand out.
As the job market paradigm shifts and adjusts, workers and employers alike must alter expectations and parameters. By thinking outside of the box and discarding self-imposed limitations, potential employees can rise to the top of the application pile and get noticed, leading the way back to full time employment.
Dave Bontempo is owner of The Bontempo Group, a full service executive search firm located in Bucks County. Contact him at info@bontempogroup.com with questions for this column.
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