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How to Find Hidden Accomplishments; It's Like an Easter Egg Hunt

Positioning Yourself for a Career Transition

You've fallen out of love with your job and now you want to do something new. You are not alone. These days, most people don't pursue new fields because of the tough job market. Considerations which keep people unhappily employed in their current jobs mainly involve stability and finances. A move to a new career may mean having to take a pay cut, and for some, this is too difficult. For others, stability is better than change, even if it means continual days of blah, boredom, and unfulfillment. 

You, however, aren't afraid of these challenges and you welcome them with ferver. You just don't know if you have the qualifications to enter a new field because your career has been focused on one area for such a long time. Well, you have something called "transferable skills," and they can help you get the job of your dreams if you just present them correctly in your resume. 

Here's what you should do to position your resume for a career transition:

• Identify your most desirable qualifications which are most relevant to the types of jobs you want to target. For example, if you're a purchasing professional who wants to get into sales, you probably have strong insights about the sales process. Afterall, as the person who is buying things for your organization, you get a lot of sales pitches. Thus, you have unique perspectives on what makes a strong sales presentation. Additionally, since your focus is on making sure your organization's bottomline is solid, you regularly negotiate prices with vendors and then present quotes to senior managers with signing authority. This means that you have to "sell" your managers on buying something you negotiated. If this is you, what you need to do is focus on your relationship building, negotiations, and presentation skills, as well your ability to gain senior-level management buy-in; these are your transferable skills.
• Once you have come up with your transferable skills, write them down. They should be used as the foundaton for the development of your resume. Essentially, they will serve a useful purpose in keyword searches in applicant tracking systems.
• Think about instances in your career where you have had to adapt to change, whether drastic or minimal. Perhaps you remained on-board with your current employer after they were bought out by another company. Or, you got a new boss. Then indicate in your resume how were successful in transitioning amidst the change. This will demonstrate that you're not a novice when it comes to taking on new challenges.
• Finally, be sure to state in your qualifications summary that you are looking to transition into a new career, making it clear for the reader that you are looking to move.

When you send your materials for a particular job use a cover letter that emphasizes your passion for the industry. The narrative nature of the letter enables you to freely express your motivation, enthusiasm, and passion for your decision to move to a new career, while highlighting how all of your qualifications will benefit the target employers' business.

Focus on the "What" Rather Than the "How"

The main purpose of the Selected Highlights or Achievements sections in your resume is to display your measurable accomplishments clearly and cleanly. You want to make a hiring manager curious enough to find out more through an interview. Selected Highlights or Achievements sections are supposed to generate inquiry, and helps to fulfill the purpose of the resume, which is to trigger a call to action.

Good responses from hiring managers include:

• "Wow, I can clearly see what this candidate has done for their past employers. I need to bring this candidate in for an interview"
• "The stats are impressive, but I need to learn more. I'm not too convinced yet, I need to know how they did these things. I want to find out."
• "Did this candidate really do all this? I need to find out the truth. I am going to schedule a call with the candidate."

Of course, there are many more responses that could occur, but in the end what's most important is that you get the call and land that opportunity to speak with the decision-maker.

Remember, with your resume, you are demonstrating that you are proven performer, and because numbers don't lie, the best way to do so is to section off those accomplishments that include metrics, so that they are clearly visible.

To minimize "questions," you can provide brief detail on the "how." For example, one bullet can read, "Achieved $6 million in revenue within 1 year, representing a 150% increase over the prior year." This is a great stat, but the question from a hiring manager may be "how?"

You can provide that information, but remember, resumes are reviewed initially within 30 seconds by HR and hiring managers, so too much detail may actually be a detriment to the success of your resume. Achieving a balance to effectively present "what you did" and "how you did it" can be a challenge. I would err on the side of focusing more on the "what" (i.e. numbers / metrics), than the "how."

Addressing Unemployment Gaps in Resumes

Here's the bad news first. The longer you've been out of work, the harder it is to get a job. Unfortunately, some employers won't consider candidates that haven't worked since 2010 or earlier. As unfair as this may be, there is good news. There are ways to minimize focus on unemployment gaps to greatly improve your chances of getting called for an interview.

If you are one of the many long-term unemployed, here's what you need to do to maximize the visibility of your resume among target employers.

Re-organize Your Resume: Think of your resume as your loud speaker where you announce your availability to work. Together with this announcement though, you are presenting the chronology of your career experiences. This means that if you are a long-term unemployed professional, the traditional resume layout will bring focus to the gap since your last job. By re-organizing your resume to highlight your accomplishments, rather than your career history, you show employers the value you bring as a candidate. Here's what you need to do:

1. Include a brief introduction of yourself and your career before going into detail about your work history. Known as your "Summary of Qualifications," a well-written introduction usually includes information about your skills and experiences, as well as professional attributes.
2. Identify 1 or 2 of your most impressive accomplishments, whether you increased sales 200% or were named "Employee of the Month" on multiple occasions. Incorporate these accomplishments into your introductory statement.
3. Create a special section before your Work History called "Selected Career Achievements." All items listed under this section need to be in bullet form. Only include measurable accomplishments here. In other words, if you don't have metrics that prove you've excelled in your past jobs, then you need to get them. Each bullet should begin with a strong verb. For instance, if you helped your company save $150,000, then your bullet should start something like, "Played a pivotal role in saving the company $150,000..." Then, briefly explain how you did it.

Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer. If you are not sick of hearing the word "volunteer" yet, chances are that you haven't been unemployed for too long. That's because most experts recommend that you spend time doing something at an organization to fill the unemployment gap. I agree, but only if you are actually using the skills and experiences that you plan to use in your next job. In other words, if you are good at streamlining processes, then volunteer at an organization where you can help to improve the way they do things. This way, you'll have a fresh, relevant accomplishment to include in your resume.

Market Yourself as a Consultant. You have the skills and experiences that someone can use right away, but you need to get the word out. Your resume is useful for job applications, but also to market yourself as a Consultant. By taking on a few pro-bono gigs, you can fill the unemployment gap in your resume. This way, instead of having your work history in your resume ending in 2010, you can now include your experience as a Consultant from 2010 - Present. You can scan Craigslist or visit the websites of non-profits to find these opportunities. Who knows, after a few pro-bono projects under your belt, you may be able to launch a new career as a Consultant and start charging fees.

If you are among the long-term unemployed, you face the challenge of showing that your skills are still relevant. The goal is to eliminate the visual gap on the piece of paper we call the resume, as this document is usually your first introduction to a potential employer. By following the tips above, you improve your chances of showing potential employers that you're ready to deliver value to their companies.

Happy Campers Need Resumes Too

If you’re currently employed, congratulations! If you enjoy your position and want to remain in the career you are in now, kudos for you! I wish you the best of luck and longevity in your job.  

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that while you’re happily executing your daily responsibilities that you come across the opportunity of your dreams on a random website (not that you’re searching for jobs at work, right?). The ad says that you have until next week to send your resume to be considered for the role. You know you’re perfect for the job, but when you review your 3 year old resume, you realize that it won’t capture the attention of any hiring manager. If only you had more time.You realize too late that you should have done a better job in updating your resume on a regular basis, and now your dream job has faded away.

Now, here’s another scenario for you those of you who love your job so much. What if the unthinkable happens; like your employer closing its doors without notice. Businesses of all sizes are having a tough time these days and competitors lurk in shadows waiting to buy companies in their market. In either case, good employees such as you can lose their jobs. I always found it unfair that as employees, we need to give two weeks notice if we decide to move to another job, but if a company decides to let you go, they can do so at the drop of a dime.

Without a strong, updated resume at hand, your chances of landing interviews are delayed, or worse, eliminated.

Both of these scenarios are unfortunate, but they shouldn’t be the only reasons why you should update your resume regularly. A few other examples of why you should have an updated resume at all times, includes to: 

• Keep track of your accomplishments. You could be the best performer at your job, but without documenting your measurable achievements, awards, or relevant new experiences at the job, you can’t provide proof when asked. As the years go by, the likelihood of you talking about the details of every accomplishment will more difficult to pull from your memory. 
• Enable managers to see what value you’ve brought to the company during annual reviews. You’ll position yourself better for a raise by presenting your most recent achievements presented in an updated resume.
• Determine whether it’s time to move on. If after a number of months, you feel that you haven’t accomplished much because there isn’t the opportunity to do so at your current job, then you should get your resume out there. A situation where you are stagnant at your job may actually mean that your company is not doing too well or downsizing.

Think of your resume as an insurance policy for your career. If something happens, you have it within reach to help you get back on your feet. So, if you're a happy camper with your job, you should still get your resume updated regularly.

Planting the Seed to Find Hidden Opportunities - It's About Being Proactive

When you look through the job boards, there is a chance that you don't see opportunities that necessarily fit your qualifications or style. This can be frustrating to some, especially a job seeker who has been unemployed for some time.

There are opportunities out there - hidden gems - you just need to dig for them. You may not be able to identify them right away by just looking through the job boards, so you need to be proactive and seek them out.

The first step is to maintain a positive outlook - without this, you won't have the energy or motivation to go forward in trying to find opportunities.

Next, to be most effective in a job search, you have to:

• Determine what the ideal role is for you.
• Do your research and see which industries and organizations are good targets to help you achieve your goal.
• Figure out where you are willing to work, geographically

The idea is to create an opportunity that is a right fit for you. Don't limit yourself by just looking through open positions on the job boards.

Third, create high-impact resume materials that are easy to tailor and send out. For example, most applications take place electronically these days, so there really isn't a need to include the employer's mail address on the cover letter. While the formality may be nice and neat, the time it takes to either build a database of names and addresses, or individually type them on every single cover letter, slows you down.

A very important next step is to get the names of the decision makers in organizations that could provide you with a role that you are seeking to fill. This is tough because gatekeepers have been trained well to not let unfamiliar people through, especially in large companies. But, there are other ways to get the names you need if calling directly into companies doesn't work. 

• Get access to industry-specific trade show and conference program brochures to get the names of the presenters; they might be decision-makers.
• Visit corporate websites and read through press releases to see who was quoted; usually these are senior managers in companies who are experts at something, and most likely team leaders.
• Go directly to the "Corporate Info" or "About Us" pages to find names. Most times the executives listed on these pages are in the upper echelons of organizations, and getting access to them is nearly impossible. But, hey, if you're up for a challenge, go for it.
• Join an association or trade group. Note that memberships to these organizations usually aren't free, but building your network is always worth it.

The last step is to reach out to the decision-makers by phone. Follow up with sending them your resume materials the same day. You need to be sure to get their contact information first.

Note that organizations are going to need someone eventually; if not later, then right now. You might as well get the ball rolling and let them know you're ready to work for them before they even know that they need you. It may result in a part-time, consulting, or even full-time role - you just never know unless you try.

What it boils down to is that it is your job to initiate and engage decision-makers, introduce yourself, and then build a relationship. Nothing may come to fruition right away, but by planting the seed, who knows, several months later your fledgling relationship with a hiring manager you contacted may blossom into a new job.

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today

FIND HIDDEN JOB OPPORTUNITIES BY BEING PROACTIVE

 There are opportunities out there – hidden gems – you just need to dig for them.

Is your resume a hot mess?

What if resumes were people? Think about it. You might as well call your resume a person, as it is YOU on paper. Your resume is like your first introduction to a decision-maker. Now that my infallible logic is clear, let’s say your resume is a hot mess.

Let’s keep it clean – a hot mess is not always a derogatory term, so no need to send your children away to read the rest of this article. Among its definitions, the urbanite term is used to describe a person whose thoughts are in disarray, while maintaining an air of attractiveness – easy on the eyes, but confusing to the brain. If your current resume is a hot mess, it’s time to give it some thoughtfulness.

This is what you want to happen: a hiring manager to pick up your resume and not only think it’s pretty, but also smart – a resume they’d be proud to bring home to Momma, or their boss.

To make your resume outshine others, you need to figure out what you want to do first. What kind of jobs are you looking for? Why are you a match for that kind of job? Then, do some research. Go on the job boards and find actual jobs you think you’re perfect for. After reading through some of your favorite ones, see if your resume has some of the keywords that are in the job ads you’ve identified. Take note of those keywords that need to be in your resume.

If any of those keywords don’t make any sense to you or they just sound nice, I’d advise that you don’t include them in your resume. Imagine being asked during the interview about that big, impressive term and fumbling through your words trying to elaborate on how it relates to your experiences. Now think of how compromised (cheap) you’ll feel after your meeting abruptly ended within a few minutes with no promise of a future call.

Now that you have your keywords, I guess you can take the easy way out and just dump them into a section in the resume and hope the candidate tracking software used by employers picks up on them. They will, but when the employer sits down with the resume (let’s say under candlelight to set the mood) to see what it says about you, the attraction is gone after realizing that it’s just a hot mess. Coldly without care of your resume’s feelings, the employer moves onto another potential match – one with visual appeal and lots of character and brains.

This is not to say that that you don’t have any brains, but if your resume doesn’t really say much about you, then a busy hiring manager just won’t take the time to see if there is more behind the pretty resume.

Dumping keywords in a special section doesn’t show how they are relevant to your career. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for a keyword section in a resume because it does help with electronic screening employed by many companies today. But, eventually a person is going to read your resume to find out if you truly are a match for their company.

If you throw keywords in your resume hoping to show that you’re a good catch without really knowing what the words actually mean, then that awkward moment you wish to forget about can be relived. You know – like the time you nodded in agreement to something someone said among friends without really knowing what he or she was talking about; then being asked what your thoughts were on the topic.

It’s time you put some bones to the keywords you use in your resume and show potential employers why you put them in your resume in the first place. It’ll take some planning, but think about how your selected keywords need to be placed within the content of the resume itself, not just the keyword section. 

Happy Campers Need Resumes Too

• Keep track of your accomplishments. You could be the best performer at your job, but without documenting your measurable achievements, awards, or relevant new experiences at the job, you can’t provide proof when asked. As the years go by, the likelihood of you talking about the details of every accomplishment will more difficult to pull from your memory.
• Enable managers to see what value you’ve brought to the company during annual reviews. You’ll position yourself better for a raise by presenting your most recent achievements presented in an updated resume.
• Determine whether it’s time to move on. If after a number of months, you feel that you haven’t accomplished much because there isn’t the opportunity to do so at your current job, then you should get your resume out there. A situation where you are stagnant at your job may actually mean that your company is not doing too well or downsizing.