Team player? Self-motivated? So is everyone else
By Amy Bell
Whether you're out of a job as part of the recession's layoffs, everyone is taking a closer look at their resumes. Does it reflect your accomplishments and show your career progression — or hide the lack thereof? If you've been working with an older resume, take a closer look at your language: How many clichés do you have in there? Here are 10 phrases you should ban from your resume, and new, fresh ways to showcase your skills to put your resume at the top of the applicant pile.
1. "I'm a team player."
This is one of the most over-used clichés, so try to find a way you can show that you are this team player. Did you collaborate with someone or with a department to meet an objective? Put that on your resume instead of a vague, clichéd expression. Be detailed about your achievement.
2. "I have great communication skills."
Communication skills can mean so many things, which is why using this term on your resume only makes you lose your recruiter's interest. What communication skills did you use to contribute to your employer? Did you create a presentation, a press release or lead a conference call? State your specific achievement.
3. "I have a proven track record."
So prove it! What did you do to give you this track record? Be specific, and try to quantify your impact; "I brought in 10 new customers, adding $50k profit for 2009" sounds far more impressive than some vague statement, and will help you stand out among the dozens of resumes.
4. "I'm a problem solver."
Everybody loves a problem solver, which is why so many resumes state this skill with pride. You can do better: Tell your prospective company what problem you solved. Did you optimize a troubling schedule, did you solve an employee dispute or did you iron out a problem with a customer? Again, be specific to be memorable.
5. "I assisted In X task."
Maybe you weren't the lead on a particular project, but saying you "assisted" is the kiss of death for your resume. What was it that you did? Did you write a sales report or keep inventory? Write that on your resume with pride, and lose the "assisted" — you're better than that.
6. "I have a strong work ethic."
A strong work ethic — that sounds great, right? You're not the only one using this cliché, so freshen up your resume by stating how you go that extra mile. Did you take a class to improve your skills? Did you meet some really tough deadline? Show the hiring official what makes you this person with a strong work ethic, instead of using another cliché like your fellow applicants.
7. "I'm bottom-line focused."
Another hollow term that is overused and now means nothing — so show what you did that added to the bottom line of your company. It's very important to quantify for this skill: List amounts of money, time, or resources you saved or added to the business.
8. "I'm responsible for X."
We're all responsible for something when we go to work, whether a janitor or a CEO. Drop this expression and just state what your job title is and what you added to the company's success. Cutting these clutter words will make your resume stronger and more to-the-point.
9. "I'm self-motivated."
What you're really trying to say is that you're not that slacker who clocks out at three every day, but this cliché is not going to help you get your point across. Find a way to show that you're self-motivated: Did you overhaul a broken inventory system or find a new way to expand your sales territory? Self-motivated employees find innovative ways to improve on what they've been handed — put what you actually did on your resume.
10. "I'm accustomed to a fast-paced environment."
What does this mean, exactly? Fast-paced work environments are the norm in this recession, where most people do more work for less money. To be specific, look at one of your busiest days in your (former) job. What did you accomplish, and how did you adapt to the obstacles thrown your way? Put that achievement on your resume to prove that you can adapt when challenged — a quality employers look for.
Show, don't tell
Avoid these clichés, because they're umbrella terms everyone uses, so your resume gets lost in the shuffle. In this competitive job market, your resume really needs to stand out and be memorable for you to get that interview. Find ways to be detailed about your achievements, and quantify how you've added to the company's bottom line. Show who you are and what you've done — these details will make you stand out as the memorable candidate you are.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
7 Interview Don'ts
by Michael Deane, Investopedia.com
The job-hunting process can be difficult and time-consuming, and interviews are the most crucial--not to mention stressful--part of the process. These are some common mistakes that many interviewees make during an interview. Avoiding these behaviors won't necessarily land you the job, but they will put you in the upper class of interviewees. Check out the seven tips below to find out what you should not be doing during and before your job interview.
1. Show up late and/or disheveled
This may seem unnecessary to mention, but it's one of the most important parts of the interview process. Showing up late, smelling like smoke, chewing gum, or having messy hair or clothes can all give impressions of being disorganized, untrustworthy, irresponsible, and incompetent.
Just keep in mind that you're not the only person being interviewed, so little things like showing up on time might not have a tremendous upside, but showing up late will make you stand out--in a bad way. Show up early to an interview, and make sure you look (and smell) the part for the job.
2. Leave your cell phone on
This may also seem obvious, but how many times have you been somewhere--at the movies, in a class, at work--and all of a sudden you hear the latest Black Eyed Peas song blaring out of someone's purse? It happens. And just like showing up late or unprepared, it'll be a small thing that says a lot: irresponsible, forgetful, unreliable.
At worst, it could show that you are not taking the interview seriously and are not that interested in the job. We won't even mention answering a phone call during the interview--hopefully that's too obvious.
3. Show up mentally unprepared
Mental preparation will make a huge difference. One of the most important aspects is to ensure that you do research on the company and position. The last thing you want is to ask basic questions about the organization and your role.
You should also research interview questions. Even if this is your first job interview, it doesn't have to seem that way. There are a number of sites that list common job-interview questions. Think of answers to questions like these: Why do you want this job? What value can you add to the company? What are your strongest skills? What are your biggest weaknesses?
Imagine that you are the person doing the hiring, and think of what questions you would ask someone. Practicing and thinking about these questions will make you calmer and more confident during the interview. You don't have to have the answers memorized--it helps if you seem like you're thinking of them on the spot--so practicing them with a friend, or even just considering your answers, will lead to a smoother interview process.
4. Show up physically unprepared
Being physically prepared means showing up with the correct physical objects. Bring an extra copy of your CV and reference list; bring a pen and notebook to write down any pertinent information or phone numbers. This also means physically preparing for the interview: shaving, making sure that your hair is neat and that your clothes are clean and pressed.
5. Be a wallflower
It's important to be involved and engaged in the interview process, so don't be a passive participant. Speak clearly and with confidence, and don't ever answer questions with "I don't know." This is especially important when you're asked about your salary expectations.
Also, when there is a chance for you to ask questions, don't stay silent; ask at least one question. It's best to come prepared with a question to ask--one that you think will not be answered during the interview process.
6 Get too personal
It's best to focus on ways in which you can be professionally helpful to the company. So don't talk about your personal life unless you're specifically asked; focus on measurable and work-related experiences. This is not to say that you should be impersonal--you can be warm and professional without going into details about outstanding debt or personal problems with former coworkers and family. If you decide to talk about personal experiences, make sure they are work appropriate.
7. Oversell
In an interview, it's not just "yes" and "no" questions. They can be open-ended and require anecdotes from past jobs, experiences that have prepared you for the prospective job, and how your skills are applicable. It's important to answer the questions succinctly, and to then wait for the next question. If you can think of one strong example to back up a question, use just that one. Talking too much and giving long but weaker answers are not going to help you--this is another advantage of preparing and practicing for the interview.
Overselling can come across as desperate and possibly self-centered. Interviewers are doing a number of interviews, and will appreciate when an interviewee adequately answers the questions without taking all day. (Standing out from the crowd is a must, especially when high unemployment rates make competition fierce.)
The Bottom Line
Take these don'ts as a starting point for the important things to avoid during an interview. Overall, it's best to consider the job you're applying for, and put yourself in the position of the interviewer. Picture a nightmare interviewee and do the opposite.
The job-hunting process can be difficult and time-consuming, and interviews are the most crucial--not to mention stressful--part of the process. These are some common mistakes that many interviewees make during an interview. Avoiding these behaviors won't necessarily land you the job, but they will put you in the upper class of interviewees. Check out the seven tips below to find out what you should not be doing during and before your job interview.
1. Show up late and/or disheveled
This may seem unnecessary to mention, but it's one of the most important parts of the interview process. Showing up late, smelling like smoke, chewing gum, or having messy hair or clothes can all give impressions of being disorganized, untrustworthy, irresponsible, and incompetent.
Just keep in mind that you're not the only person being interviewed, so little things like showing up on time might not have a tremendous upside, but showing up late will make you stand out--in a bad way. Show up early to an interview, and make sure you look (and smell) the part for the job.
2. Leave your cell phone on
This may also seem obvious, but how many times have you been somewhere--at the movies, in a class, at work--and all of a sudden you hear the latest Black Eyed Peas song blaring out of someone's purse? It happens. And just like showing up late or unprepared, it'll be a small thing that says a lot: irresponsible, forgetful, unreliable.
At worst, it could show that you are not taking the interview seriously and are not that interested in the job. We won't even mention answering a phone call during the interview--hopefully that's too obvious.
3. Show up mentally unprepared
Mental preparation will make a huge difference. One of the most important aspects is to ensure that you do research on the company and position. The last thing you want is to ask basic questions about the organization and your role.
You should also research interview questions. Even if this is your first job interview, it doesn't have to seem that way. There are a number of sites that list common job-interview questions. Think of answers to questions like these: Why do you want this job? What value can you add to the company? What are your strongest skills? What are your biggest weaknesses?
Imagine that you are the person doing the hiring, and think of what questions you would ask someone. Practicing and thinking about these questions will make you calmer and more confident during the interview. You don't have to have the answers memorized--it helps if you seem like you're thinking of them on the spot--so practicing them with a friend, or even just considering your answers, will lead to a smoother interview process.
4. Show up physically unprepared
Being physically prepared means showing up with the correct physical objects. Bring an extra copy of your CV and reference list; bring a pen and notebook to write down any pertinent information or phone numbers. This also means physically preparing for the interview: shaving, making sure that your hair is neat and that your clothes are clean and pressed.
5. Be a wallflower
It's important to be involved and engaged in the interview process, so don't be a passive participant. Speak clearly and with confidence, and don't ever answer questions with "I don't know." This is especially important when you're asked about your salary expectations.
Also, when there is a chance for you to ask questions, don't stay silent; ask at least one question. It's best to come prepared with a question to ask--one that you think will not be answered during the interview process.
6 Get too personal
It's best to focus on ways in which you can be professionally helpful to the company. So don't talk about your personal life unless you're specifically asked; focus on measurable and work-related experiences. This is not to say that you should be impersonal--you can be warm and professional without going into details about outstanding debt or personal problems with former coworkers and family. If you decide to talk about personal experiences, make sure they are work appropriate.
7. Oversell
In an interview, it's not just "yes" and "no" questions. They can be open-ended and require anecdotes from past jobs, experiences that have prepared you for the prospective job, and how your skills are applicable. It's important to answer the questions succinctly, and to then wait for the next question. If you can think of one strong example to back up a question, use just that one. Talking too much and giving long but weaker answers are not going to help you--this is another advantage of preparing and practicing for the interview.
Overselling can come across as desperate and possibly self-centered. Interviewers are doing a number of interviews, and will appreciate when an interviewee adequately answers the questions without taking all day. (Standing out from the crowd is a must, especially when high unemployment rates make competition fierce.)
The Bottom Line
Take these don'ts as a starting point for the important things to avoid during an interview. Overall, it's best to consider the job you're applying for, and put yourself in the position of the interviewer. Picture a nightmare interviewee and do the opposite.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Why Project-Management Skills Can Make You an IT Hero
By Allan Hoffman, Monster Tech Jobs Expert
In the race for IT and business success, reaching the finish matters most. So it’s no surprise an important IT career path is project management.
"In American business, growth is associated with the ability to lead other people," says Sid Kemp, author of three books on project management, including Project Management Made Easy. "If you demonstrate an ability to lead teams, you're on your way to being an IT project manager. And good IT project managers can write their own ticket at a lot of companies."
So why does the path to glory run by the Gantt chart? A number of factors make project management important to IT professionals, even for hard-core technical specialists:
· The increasing complexity of IT projects.
· The emphasis placed on teamwork and communication skills.
· A heightened need to meet budgets and deadlines.
· The pressure on top executives to deliver results.
On Time, Under Budget -- or Else
Techies who lack project-management know-how may not be able to complete their work on time, leading to embarrassing snafus if not outright disasters. And in today’s unforgiving business environment, the business and career consequences can be severe.
"We have to demonstrate some basic project/task management ability or someone else will do it for us," says D. Keith Casey Jr., CEO of CaseySoftware. "Currently that could mean outsourcing -- offshore or not -- or it could mean replacement."
Project Management Starts with Self-Management
With the increased attention on IT initiatives, all project members need project-management skills, not just the designated project managers and team leaders. While team members can rely on project managers to keep the overall project on track, each individual must take responsibility for his own work as it relates to the broader project goals.
"It is essential that everyone on a project team have core project-management skills," says Kemp. "The core of project management is self-management, which leads to highly productive work. With these core skills, each person can define deliverables clearly, estimate their own work time and then deliver on time. Then the entire team can build a realistic project schedule and deliver as promised."
Technical Skills Are Not Enough
"Hardly anyone ever says, 'Our software project failed, because our developers were technically incapable -- if only we had smarter developers who knew their technical stuff,'" says Thomas Myer, author of No Nonsense XML Web Development with PHP. "Most of the time, it comes down to eliciting requirements, communicating status, setting expectations, meeting goals and pushing back on clients who want to keep adding more and more features."
Of course, it's one thing to gain project-management skills and quite another to move into project management. Kemp, who holds a PMP certification, suggests following these steps to move into project management:
· Learn to complete your work on time and within budget constraints.
· Gain know-how in formal project-management terms and concepts through organizations like the Project Management Institute.
· Express interest in serving as a team leader in order to demonstrate your abilities in project management.
That's not to say technical skills don't have their place. They do, but alongside project-management skills. "Yes, you can do me and our clients a world of good by being a great coder," says Myer. "But you have a much better shot at greatness by being a great project manager and a good coder, as opposed to a great one, and you'll get a lot more respect and appreciation from the client."
In the race for IT and business success, reaching the finish matters most. So it’s no surprise an important IT career path is project management.
"In American business, growth is associated with the ability to lead other people," says Sid Kemp, author of three books on project management, including Project Management Made Easy. "If you demonstrate an ability to lead teams, you're on your way to being an IT project manager. And good IT project managers can write their own ticket at a lot of companies."
So why does the path to glory run by the Gantt chart? A number of factors make project management important to IT professionals, even for hard-core technical specialists:
· The increasing complexity of IT projects.
· The emphasis placed on teamwork and communication skills.
· A heightened need to meet budgets and deadlines.
· The pressure on top executives to deliver results.
On Time, Under Budget -- or Else
Techies who lack project-management know-how may not be able to complete their work on time, leading to embarrassing snafus if not outright disasters. And in today’s unforgiving business environment, the business and career consequences can be severe.
"We have to demonstrate some basic project/task management ability or someone else will do it for us," says D. Keith Casey Jr., CEO of CaseySoftware. "Currently that could mean outsourcing -- offshore or not -- or it could mean replacement."
Project Management Starts with Self-Management
With the increased attention on IT initiatives, all project members need project-management skills, not just the designated project managers and team leaders. While team members can rely on project managers to keep the overall project on track, each individual must take responsibility for his own work as it relates to the broader project goals.
"It is essential that everyone on a project team have core project-management skills," says Kemp. "The core of project management is self-management, which leads to highly productive work. With these core skills, each person can define deliverables clearly, estimate their own work time and then deliver on time. Then the entire team can build a realistic project schedule and deliver as promised."
Technical Skills Are Not Enough
"Hardly anyone ever says, 'Our software project failed, because our developers were technically incapable -- if only we had smarter developers who knew their technical stuff,'" says Thomas Myer, author of No Nonsense XML Web Development with PHP. "Most of the time, it comes down to eliciting requirements, communicating status, setting expectations, meeting goals and pushing back on clients who want to keep adding more and more features."
Of course, it's one thing to gain project-management skills and quite another to move into project management. Kemp, who holds a PMP certification, suggests following these steps to move into project management:
· Learn to complete your work on time and within budget constraints.
· Gain know-how in formal project-management terms and concepts through organizations like the Project Management Institute.
· Express interest in serving as a team leader in order to demonstrate your abilities in project management.
That's not to say technical skills don't have their place. They do, but alongside project-management skills. "Yes, you can do me and our clients a world of good by being a great coder," says Myer. "But you have a much better shot at greatness by being a great project manager and a good coder, as opposed to a great one, and you'll get a lot more respect and appreciation from the client."
Monday, June 7, 2010
Increased IT Hiring on Horizon, Survey Suggests
By: Nathan Eddy
2010-06-03
Although companies such as HP may be slashing their workforce, a survey finds the majority of HR heads are planning on making IT hires in the next six months.
More than three-quarters (78 percent) of human resources managers or recruiters who have responsibility in recruiting technology positions are looking to hire IT workers in the next six months, according to the 2010 IT Hire Intelligence Survey conducted by Monster.com, an online career and recruitment resource on behalf of technology services provider Technisource. In addition, the majority of survey respondents said they are confident that their company’s performance will improve across the same time period.
Among the key findings, 76 percent of respondents have confidence that their company’s performance will improve in the next six months, while 78 percent of respondents plan to hire IT staff in the next six months. When asked what technology-oriented positions IT hiring managers were looking to fill, applications and infrastructure positions took the lead.
Of the companies planning to hire, only 26 percent are new openings and only 9 percent are replacement positions. The remaining percentage is a combination of both. When recruiting IT talent, job boards, referrals and social media are top methods for doing so, according to IT HR technology managers and recruiters. According to respondents, salary and stability of position lead in recruiting technology talent to an organization, but a company’s reputation came in a close third in order of importance.
"This new report clearly shows that the IT hiring picture is bright and there seems to be a need for large amounts of IT professionals over the next six months," said Michael Winwood, president of Technisource. "Many companies are not only starting to invest in projects that were previously put on hold, but also new technologies. To ensure these get implemented efficiently, companies need to invest in additional talent. We believe these key learning’s could be contributing factors to the overall stabilization of the economy. It seems that the recessionary train of thought is changing — companies are clearly focusing on growth opportunities instead of basic survival mode.”
Adding to a sense of optimism is a report released in May by the U.S. Department of Labor, which found despite continued volatility in many IT employment segments, the largest net monthly job gain in IT-related jobs recorded since the Wall Street financial crisis was realized in April. The study, fielded via an online survey of more than 400 U.S. SMB executives in February 2010, reached businesses in vertical markets including manufacturing, finance and insurance, health care, government, and professional services.
A CompTIA report also found SMBs are considering IT solutions including virtualization (interest is strongest in the area of server virtualization, where 37 percent of SMBs plan to adopt over the next 12 months) and unified communications; 25 percent of SMBs expect to adopt a VOIP (voice-over-IP) solution this year.
2010-06-03
Although companies such as HP may be slashing their workforce, a survey finds the majority of HR heads are planning on making IT hires in the next six months.
More than three-quarters (78 percent) of human resources managers or recruiters who have responsibility in recruiting technology positions are looking to hire IT workers in the next six months, according to the 2010 IT Hire Intelligence Survey conducted by Monster.com, an online career and recruitment resource on behalf of technology services provider Technisource. In addition, the majority of survey respondents said they are confident that their company’s performance will improve across the same time period.
Among the key findings, 76 percent of respondents have confidence that their company’s performance will improve in the next six months, while 78 percent of respondents plan to hire IT staff in the next six months. When asked what technology-oriented positions IT hiring managers were looking to fill, applications and infrastructure positions took the lead.
Of the companies planning to hire, only 26 percent are new openings and only 9 percent are replacement positions. The remaining percentage is a combination of both. When recruiting IT talent, job boards, referrals and social media are top methods for doing so, according to IT HR technology managers and recruiters. According to respondents, salary and stability of position lead in recruiting technology talent to an organization, but a company’s reputation came in a close third in order of importance.
"This new report clearly shows that the IT hiring picture is bright and there seems to be a need for large amounts of IT professionals over the next six months," said Michael Winwood, president of Technisource. "Many companies are not only starting to invest in projects that were previously put on hold, but also new technologies. To ensure these get implemented efficiently, companies need to invest in additional talent. We believe these key learning’s could be contributing factors to the overall stabilization of the economy. It seems that the recessionary train of thought is changing — companies are clearly focusing on growth opportunities instead of basic survival mode.”
Adding to a sense of optimism is a report released in May by the U.S. Department of Labor, which found despite continued volatility in many IT employment segments, the largest net monthly job gain in IT-related jobs recorded since the Wall Street financial crisis was realized in April. The study, fielded via an online survey of more than 400 U.S. SMB executives in February 2010, reached businesses in vertical markets including manufacturing, finance and insurance, health care, government, and professional services.
A CompTIA report also found SMBs are considering IT solutions including virtualization (interest is strongest in the area of server virtualization, where 37 percent of SMBs plan to adopt over the next 12 months) and unified communications; 25 percent of SMBs expect to adopt a VOIP (voice-over-IP) solution this year.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Five Ways to Avoid a Tech Career Crisis
By Allan Hoffman, Monster Tech Jobs Expert
If you are taking a break from actively managing your IT career, just remember one word: Cobol.
While this '50s-era programming language is still used today, it symbolizes the way a seemingly omnipresent technology can be in demand one moment and out of fashion the next.
Technology professionals understand that they work in an industry characterized by rapid-fire change, but techies sometimes fail to manage their careers appropriately. Too often, network administrators, programmers and others find themselves in a most uncomfortable position -- laid off from a once-secure job with skills that are no longer as attractive to employers as they once were.
What's the solution? Part of the challenge is learning to assess the risks inherent in any career. Staying with what you know may seem like the safe thing to do, but not when it comes to technology. Career-development inertia is risky, especially if what you know is a technology that's on its way out.
Actively managing your career can help you avoid a crisis involving your technical expertise. Remember, this isn't simply about learning the latest technology. Rather, it is a matter of protecting yourself from the vagaries of shifting technology by gaining industry-specific knowledge, maintaining a network of contacts and seeking out management experience.
The goal is to avoid reaching the point where you don't have anything to offer an employer other than technical skills. Of course, that's easier said than done. Careers are apt to take on a life of their own, especially when a technical specialty can earn a top-notch salary. Why learn something new when you're earning good money right now? But when your specialty loses its luster, you may find your $75-an-hour skill garnering a fraction of that -- if you're able to find work at all.
What steps should you take when your area of technological expertise is losing ground? Here are five tips for technology transitions:
Think Macro, Not Micro
Too many techies don't look outside their own turf, no matter how narrow it is. If you want to avoid being overrun by shifting technologies, you need to keep up with developments in the broader technology world. News sources abound, from eWeek to the Wall Street Journal. Keeping in touch with technology trends shaping the business community will help you better assess the danger signs, if any, pertaining to your own area of expertise.
Engineer an On-the-Job Transition
Your company knows you and your strengths. If there is any way to engineer a job transition within your organization, grab the opportunity to extend your skills into an in-demand area. Even if such a shift is lateral, it's generally easier than jumping ship entirely and seeking work elsewhere.
Seek Focused Training
Unless you're willing to risk a wholesale transition, avoid training yourself in something entirely new. Build on your existing skills with training -- as a database analyst, network engineer or whatever your specialty -- rather than attempt to establish yourself in an entirely new area of expertise.
Be Positive, Not Defensive
Take the high road in interviews when asked about your reasons for sticking with a now-defunct technology. Don't say, "I learned this in school, and the money was good, so why change?" Instead try, "I really enjoyed my work -- the challenge of it -- and I also enjoyed working for the same employer all these years. I know the technology is now viewed as out of date, but we used it in ways that really made a difference for the firm." Highlight your loyalty and value as an employee.
Overhaul Your Resume
If your skills are perceived as outdated, you will need to recast your tech resume. Focus on the value you brought to the company -- projects completed, deadlines met, budgets managed, costs saved -- rather than the particular skills you used to accomplish those goals. Include your IT skills, of course; they're part of your history in the industry. But don't present them in such a way as to indicate they're the only reason you should be hired.
If you are taking a break from actively managing your IT career, just remember one word: Cobol.
While this '50s-era programming language is still used today, it symbolizes the way a seemingly omnipresent technology can be in demand one moment and out of fashion the next.
Technology professionals understand that they work in an industry characterized by rapid-fire change, but techies sometimes fail to manage their careers appropriately. Too often, network administrators, programmers and others find themselves in a most uncomfortable position -- laid off from a once-secure job with skills that are no longer as attractive to employers as they once were.
What's the solution? Part of the challenge is learning to assess the risks inherent in any career. Staying with what you know may seem like the safe thing to do, but not when it comes to technology. Career-development inertia is risky, especially if what you know is a technology that's on its way out.
Actively managing your career can help you avoid a crisis involving your technical expertise. Remember, this isn't simply about learning the latest technology. Rather, it is a matter of protecting yourself from the vagaries of shifting technology by gaining industry-specific knowledge, maintaining a network of contacts and seeking out management experience.
The goal is to avoid reaching the point where you don't have anything to offer an employer other than technical skills. Of course, that's easier said than done. Careers are apt to take on a life of their own, especially when a technical specialty can earn a top-notch salary. Why learn something new when you're earning good money right now? But when your specialty loses its luster, you may find your $75-an-hour skill garnering a fraction of that -- if you're able to find work at all.
What steps should you take when your area of technological expertise is losing ground? Here are five tips for technology transitions:
Think Macro, Not Micro
Too many techies don't look outside their own turf, no matter how narrow it is. If you want to avoid being overrun by shifting technologies, you need to keep up with developments in the broader technology world. News sources abound, from eWeek to the Wall Street Journal. Keeping in touch with technology trends shaping the business community will help you better assess the danger signs, if any, pertaining to your own area of expertise.
Engineer an On-the-Job Transition
Your company knows you and your strengths. If there is any way to engineer a job transition within your organization, grab the opportunity to extend your skills into an in-demand area. Even if such a shift is lateral, it's generally easier than jumping ship entirely and seeking work elsewhere.
Seek Focused Training
Unless you're willing to risk a wholesale transition, avoid training yourself in something entirely new. Build on your existing skills with training -- as a database analyst, network engineer or whatever your specialty -- rather than attempt to establish yourself in an entirely new area of expertise.
Be Positive, Not Defensive
Take the high road in interviews when asked about your reasons for sticking with a now-defunct technology. Don't say, "I learned this in school, and the money was good, so why change?" Instead try, "I really enjoyed my work -- the challenge of it -- and I also enjoyed working for the same employer all these years. I know the technology is now viewed as out of date, but we used it in ways that really made a difference for the firm." Highlight your loyalty and value as an employee.
Overhaul Your Resume
If your skills are perceived as outdated, you will need to recast your tech resume. Focus on the value you brought to the company -- projects completed, deadlines met, budgets managed, costs saved -- rather than the particular skills you used to accomplish those goals. Include your IT skills, of course; they're part of your history in the industry. But don't present them in such a way as to indicate they're the only reason you should be hired.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
5 Pointless Job-Search Tactics
5 Pointless Job-Search Tactics
by Liz Ryan
(from Yahoo! hot jobs)
In case the 2010 job-search experience doesn't already have enough in common with pushing a huge rock uphill, here's another jolt of bad news. Lots of conventional job-search activities are a complete waste of time--the job-hunt equivalent of trying to cure warts by swinging a dead cat over a stump at midnight. They just don't work. Here's our top-five list of pointless job-search activities:
Resume-blast services
There are vendors who will blast your resume out to zillions of employers for a fee. Only problem: employers are deluged with resumes already. Your unsolicited, uncustomized resume is the last thing they want to see. Skip these services and conduct your own research, using search engines and LinkedIn. Then write to hiring managers directly with targeted overtures.
Job fairs
When I was an HR person, job fairs were a fantastic way to hire highly qualified people. Today, job fairs have devolved into thankless, confidence-crushing cattle calls. Save the money you'd spend on dry cleaning and parking to attend a job fair; instead, contact employers one by one after researching their businesses.
"I'm job hunting" messages on discussion boards
I moderate a few online discussion groups, and I always feel bad for the folks who join a group to post a message that says, "I am seeking an accounting job" to the other members (that is, total strangers). The odds of getting a job lead that way are slim to none.
We need to know the people we refer for job opportunities. You're better off spending your online-community time making one-on-one connections, or following up via phone or in person.
Video resumes
Imagine the hiring manager sitting at her desk swamped in resumes, cover letters, reference lists, portfolios, and unanswered emails from job applicants. What's her incentive to watch your video resume? There isn't one. Video resumes are a solution in search of a problem. Craft a killer resume and get it out, along with a pithy "pain letter" that explicitly shows how your background makes you the perfect person to relieve a business's pain, to hiring managers instead.
Spray and pray
Applying to every job in sight with the same, uncustomized resume is a job-search non-starter. Employers hire people they believe can solve their problems. That belief comes from the understanding of the problem that the job-seeker demonstrates in his or her pitch. Research is the key!
So, how do people get jobs? They do it through thoughtful, well-crafted letters, resumes, phone calls, and LinkedIn overtures--sent in response to posted job ads or sent to employers who don't currently have jobs posted but who may well have business needs anyway. They do it through networking, and through careful follow-up with the people they know and the new people they meet during a job search. "Hey, I need a job" is not a compelling pitch--but "I think I understand what you're up against, and would love to talk about solutions" most definitely is.
Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, a former Fortune 500 VP, and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new-millennium workplace. Connect with her at www.asklizryan.com. (The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
7 Little-Known Reasons You're Not Getting Hired
Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.
On Wednesday May 12, 2010, 11:08 am EDT
If you're job hunting you're surely aware of the most egregious and common no-nos: showing up for the interview ten minutes late; answering your phone during the interview; handing over a resume riddled with typos; using a silly-sounding E-mail address; failing to demonstrate you've researched the employer; bad-mouthing your last boss; neglecting to follow up. You're not doing any of that, are you? Of course not.
But you may not have considered some of the less-discussed, under-the-radar issues. Give this list a look and ask yourself, "Do any of these sound like me?"
1. You have unreasonable expectations. Everybody wants the perfect job. But if your criteria are too high, if you're being too demanding, you may well remain unemployed. Nobody wants to be told to compromise, but the fact is that much of life involves just that, at least temporarily. Analyze your wants and needs. Which are must haves? Which are negotiable? Which can be put on hold?
2. You're relying too much on one search technique. Maybe you are only applying online, or only networking, or only using employment agencies, or only approaching companies that you know are hiring. Don't limit yourself to just one job-search method. Try them all. Cast a wide net, continue to build your connections, get creative.
3. You use the word "I" too often in your cover letter. The most effective way to endear yourself to potential employers is to put the focus more on them than on you. Show you've done your homework and understand what your target companies are seeking. Then tell them how you can fill those needs.
4. You are not demonstrating long-term potential. We get caught up in the moment. We need a job now. But employers, the good ones at least, tend to think long term. They want to know not only how you will contribute today but in the future, too. That "Where do you see yourself in five years?" question is not just for drill. They really want to know.
5. You are unknowingly repeating mistakes. After interviews, are you taking the time to review and analyze them? Many times the reason you don't get a job is beyond your control, and, in fact, has nothing to do with you, but not always. Trying to understand why the answer was "No" may help you to fine tune your approach.
[See the topics you can't discuss at work.]
6. You have not rehearsed. You may hesitate to rehearse answers to the most common questions. You don't want to sound canned. You want to be yourself. But consider the benefits of creating great answers to those questions you hear the most--short, vivid, three-sentence answers brimming with examples and facts--and practicing them until you can speak with conviction and confidence.
7. You put your job search on hold while waiting to hear back. Don't we all fall into this trap at one time or another? You've had a super couple of interviews with your dream employer. You just know you're going to get "the call" any day now. You think, I'm going to hold off until I hear back; after all, I deserve a little break. Well, no doubt you do deserve a little break--but don't. Keep on networking, applying, interviewing, and researching until you have a firm job offer in hand.
Looking for work is an enormous project. In many ways it's more difficult, and takes more energy, than even the most demanding job. So, in the midst of it all, find a way to nurture yourself. Keep on fine tuning and strengthening your approach. And hang in there.
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