THINGS MAY BE IMPROVING ON THE EMPLOYMENT FRONT

It may be that the employment market is easing as we get to the end of 2009.

I am seeing that there are more and more companies saying that they are planning to hire people in the management ranks in 2010, even a number anticipating some level of hiring during the first quarter.

I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal (http://www.wbjournal.com/news45308.html) on line that said that job cuts are falling, down to the lowest level since the end of 2007!

This is a cause for optimism, and optimism is essential to the success of your job search or career change effort. Remember, the job market is still difficult, and there are still plenty of companies who are not actively looking to hiring new managers.  But there are also a number of companies that are and so there is no doubt that you will get a job eventually. 

Your reward of a new job will be in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in to your search...and it will also come more easily if you maintain your belief in yourself that tells you that even if it takes several months, you will find a job.

SHOULD YOU USE A FUNCTIONAL OR CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME?

It is always difficult, when you are looking for a new job, seeking new employment opportunities or a career change to decide what kind of resume to write.

Do I use a functional format or a chronological format?  What do I include in each one?

THE CHORONOLOGICAL RESUME    

The Chronological Resume is best if you are looking for a new job and do not want to make a significant career change or switch to a new industry.    

This format works well since it details who you worked for and what you did at each employer, and what kinds of positions you have held. In a Chronological Resume, you detail your accomplishments at each employer during your career to date.    

Include only 4 or 5 bullet points, and use as many statistical references as you can.  Numbers always impress, and they catch the eye of the hiring manager or HR professional reviewing your resume.

A website that might be helpful is  Askresume.com: 

http://askresume.com/exfunctional.html

THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME

The Functional Resume is best if you are looking to change careers or trying to find employment in a new industry.  This format is effective because it focuses the prospective employer, recruiter or human relations manager on the kinds of experience you have had during your career.

In a Functional Resume, you detail the kinds of positions and responsibilities you have had.  The list of employers you have worked for goes at the end, and is therefore minimized.
 

What does your resume REALLY say about you?

I look at dozens of resumes every day.  I have seen almost every kind of resume and every format imaginable.  And everytime I read a resume, I ask 2 questions:

1)  Who is this candidate?

2)  What is his experience?

3)  And how does it relate to my client's business (is he/ she qualified?)

I, and prospective employers too, can only take a moment to get an initial impression of a candidate from his resume. If it is wordy and looks like War and Peace, if it is more than 2-3 pages, it will likely go into the "not interested" pile.

There is one thing that I do not often see on resumes that I think are important:  A brief description of each company you worked for and the business they are in or products they make.

Also, you should not put your salary history on your resume, or write the reasons you left a company on your resume.  These are two topics for discussion, not inclusion in your resume.

I hope this is helpful.  More to come in the next few days.

A CAREER CHANGE QUESTION FROM A READER

I received this question from a reader not long ago.  It typifies some of the frustration that I know many of you feel in trying to change industries.  Perhaps my answer will be helpful in those situations.

Hi Gordon,

I have 30 years progressive operations management experience in the pulp and paper industry, including the last 14 years as a General Manager/Mill Manager over progressively larger paper mill operations for 2 different major industry corporations.

While I have always considered my technical background (BS and MS in Pulp and Paper Tech - a specialization of Chem Eng) and leadership experience to be easily transferable, I am becoming frustrated in my attempts to target and apply for operations management positions in the chemical industry.

I am getting little or no response at all to my inquiries in that direction, and I feel it may be due to a feeling that my experience is not transferable to either specialty or commodity chemical production. Almost all of the processes used are common between the paper and chemical industries, and the typical operating schemes of the respective facilities are nearly identical.

Also, the paper industry is a huge consumer of both specialty and commodity grade chemicals.

As such, I am at a loss as to why I am not generating any interest at all with the chemical producers. Do you have any thoughts on why this is, and how I can convince them of the value of my paper industry experience as it pertains to their operations?

RH

RH,

I would suggest a three-fold approach:

1) Take the focus off your Pulp and Paper industry experience, and put it on your management in a chemical-related industry. Do this with a summary at the beginning of your resume. It need only be 3-4 sentences...not long.

2) In bullet points under each job, highlight accomplishments and involvements that are directly chemical related. Be as detailed as you can, giving results and effects you had on the organization or operations.

3) Apply directly to chemical companies you are interested in working for. DO NOT send your resume to HR. Send it to such people as the Operations Manager, Director of Operations, VP of Manufacturing or President...you get the idea, I think. They will see the value in your skills and how they relate to chemical operations better than HR.

I hope this helps...watch my blog. I will go into this in more detail soon in a future post.

Gordon

NETWORKING: Making the unbearable bearable

I remember when I got laid off from a job I had for 10 years.  I was miserable.  It was like I was mourning the death of a friend.

Then I started to talk with all my friends, not only those at my company, but those I knew in college, at church, my family, and my neighbors.  They all had suggestions, many of which were very good.  I hooked up with an outplacement firm with the support of my company, and made even more contacts.

This is networking.  And this is how it helps you bear the unbearable.  Everyone knows someone who has lost a job.  Friends and associates can give you support, empathize, and help you meet other people, some of whom might know who's hiring.

And they might be hiring also!

So while you are making the contacts and following up on them, you have a sense of going forward.  A sense that with every new person you meet, or every conversation you have, you are getting closer to that job that you know you will get sooner or later.

So for comradery, empathy for your situation, support, and most of all, connections that can help you learn who would like to hire you...network.  If you keep records of who you meet, and when, you will find that it gives you a sense of accomplishment as well...even before you get the offer you want, that you know you are going to get.

KEEPING YOUR SPIRITS UP: Dealing with the ups and downs of searching for a new job

Once you get past the immediate shock and anger about losing your job, the emotional roller coaster does not stop.  We’ve all been there…including ME!

There are some things that you can do to make the job search process more bearable.

1)      Finding a job IS a job.  Get up in the morning just as you would if you were going to the office.  Create a daily routine for yourself.

2)      Take advantage of the 4 main sources of job leads:  direct contact (letters, phone calls, etc.); contact search firms; job search sites (CareerBuilder, Monster, The Ladders, etc.) and lastly, look at newpaper listings (WSJ, NYT and local papers)

3)      Keep a log of your activities and your leads.  This will serve as a visible confirmation of the efforts and progress you are making…you will feel less like you are “spinning your wheels”.

4)      Keep a detailed list of your solid new job leads.  You may get many at first.  As you go through discussions with search firms or companies, the list will coalesce and soon you will have 5-7 solid opportunities.  This is a “critical mass” and will likely result in an offer of a new job.

Searching for the right job or career change is a deliberate process.  Usually landing the right opportunity will not happen overnight.  Figure your job search will last as long as a month for each $10,000 of salary you are seeking.

A good work ethic, a daily routine, and down time on weekends will help keep up your spirits and will land you your next career opportunity.

RESUME ADVICE FOR TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS

If you are a technical professional (that is, Research Scientist, Technician, Research Manager, etc.) and you have patents issued to you and technical papers you have published, I would suggest that you NOT list them in your resume.

All a list like this does is add more pages to your resume.  Most potential employers are not interested in the details of your patents or technical publications when they are reviewing your resume. 

The best thing to do would be to mention at the end of your resume how many patents you have and in what general field, and how many technical papers (roughly...even "several" or "a number of" would be sufficient) you have published, and on what general subject matter.  This way, the reader can get a snap shot of your patent activity and get a quick impression of your publishing history.

Details of patents and published papers can be discussed during the interview or supplied on request of the potential employer.