When Rejection Happens

Let's face it: we all hate rejection happens. We hate it even more when we are emotionally invested in someone or something and then we get rejected. When it comes to the job search, even the best of us will get a rejection letter via email. The job search is emotional, stressful, and draining process for the person looking for a job. You spend time putting together the perfect cover letter, tailoring your resume, and cleaning up your online image. All of this just to hear the company you interviewed with turned you down for "other applicants". Don't worry, it happens to the best of us!

Rejection Letter #1

• This is a rejection letter that I got from a company after a two week interview process. I did all my research on the company, had two phone interviews with the HR department, and finally got my in person interview. This position is in the industry that I had all my experience in, the HR manager was impressed with how well I answered the questions and wished me luck in the interview. However, when I went to the actual interview I was interview by two ladies who forgot I was coming, and did not seem too interested in interviewing me. I wasn't asked anything about the history of the company (which I did so much research on), I was asked very basic questions. However, I felt as if the interview went well then I entered the most painful part of the job process: waiting to hear back. After a week this was the email I got from human resources. 

Rejection Letter #2

• This is a rejection letter from a company that is 10 minutes away from my home. I was so excited to interview for this position! They called me in for an interview only one day after submitting my application. In mind this told me that they were looking to fill this position right away. When I interviewed for this position I was shown around the company then things got weird. The manager interviewing me was asking me interview questions off a packet that he admitted he was still learning. Once again I was asked basic questions (nothing about the history of the company...which I studied for HOURS), and he explained that the onboarding process for this position would take a month. I waited one week trying my best not to bother HR for an update on my interview. One week and one day after I interviewed I got this email. Cut like a knife...and what cuts the most is how much they "valued my experience". 

Rejection Letter #3

• By this time I was completely out of my mind! So just for sh!ts and giggles I went to a temp agency and applied for a few positions. I am a Purple Heart veteran, a college grad, a corporate leader with 2 years of leadership under my belt and the passed on me for "other applicants" for a position that makes $10 an hour? After receiving this rejection letter I started a search for the voodoo master that had my job search jinxed. 

Family, Friends, Followers: the job search will be one of the most emotional periods of your life. You put hours in the classroom, some of you have served your country, others have earned valuable certifications. If you get a rejection letter and feel as if you will never get a job remember this: SLOW PROGRESS IS BETTER THAN NO PROGRESS!!! Every job that passes on you for these "other applicants" didn't deserve your skills and experience in the first place. The rejections in your life will make the job you accept mean so much more. So when life gives you lemons, make lemonade (and add vodka). Keep applying, interview with pride, and the company that deserves your skills, education, and accomplishments will hire you. Good luck on your search :)

Working with a disability

Working With A Disability:

One of the hardest things for me to do after being injured in Iraq was going back to work with a disability. My time in the military was over, and I was permanently disabled at the age of 23 years old. I knew nothing about working in the civilian world, and knew even less about my right as an individual with a disability. There was a lot of trepidation on my part when looking for a job as a disabled veteran. Here are some of the issues I dealt with early in my job search:

• I hesitated when asked on the interview "why did you leave the military". I didn't want to tell my interviewer that I was severely injured in Iraq. I thought that this would be a sure fire way to be considered as someone who couldn't perform the job duties required for the position. I am very proud of my military service, however I wasn't too proud to tell my interviewer that I was injured in Iraq. 
• When filling out job applications I wasn't sure how to answer "do you have a disability". I was afraid to enter yes on the application because once again I thought I would be disqualified from the position. The first thought that entered my mind was "why do they need to know if I have a disability"? This was a touchy subject for me because I was still very young and was more embarrassed to be so young with a disability. 
• Lastly, when I started working I was hesitant to disclose my disability to my supervisors. In Iraq I was shot in both of my legs so I cannot walk for extended periods of time. With my nerve damage in my legs it is also very painful to wear shoes. When I supervised in a major call center, my manager wanted to know why I didn't walk the floor as much as the other supervisors and why I always had my shoes off under my desk. I was embarrassed to disclose the extent of my disability but he understood and it made things a little easier for me at work. 

So what I learned during this process is to arm yourself with knowledge. Some people believe that in order to have a disability you have to look a certain way, or talk a certain way. There are many of us in the workforce that have disabilities that are not visible. I proudly served my country, and I was injured protecting American freedom and the American way of life. While in the military I suffered injuries that left me permanently disabled. Today I speak on behalf of individuals with disabilities in the workplace everywhere and I couldn't be any more proud of the excellent work we are doing across the world. 

Giving Your Resume A Tune Up

Giving your resume a tune up:

Just like cars need to go to the mechanic for annual maintenance, your resume will need maintenance a couple of times of year. Industry trends change, your job duties and responsibilities change, and you earn certifications and education as you grow as a corporate professional. In the case of your resume, your oil change will be routine resume maintenance, your tire rotation will be prioritizing your skills to match the industry’s needs, and replacing your spark plugs will be updating your contact information and making sure that your references are still up to date.

·         Your Oil Change: Happens once about every three months or every three thousand miles. This is checking your resume about once a quarter to make sure that your information is relevant for the industry you are in, or trying to enter. If you have your resume on a searchable site such as LinkedIn or monster, then industry professionals can easily find you. Ensure that your resume’s oil is changed by going back to those older jobs and replacing some of those out of date terms with the newest industry terms.

·         Your Tire Rotation: Making sure that all your tires have the same amount of wear on them. This is ensuring that all your jobs are tailored toward the industry you are trying to get into. You don’t want a job description for one of your previous jobs to be a contradiction of the role you are currently in. An example of this would be highlighting your accomplishments as a business analyst in your current role, but highlighting your mechanical skills in your previous role. Do these skills accomplishments say the same thing? Do your tires (in this case your different roles) have the same amount of wear on them? Will they take your car (your resume) to its destination of a new career?

·         Replacing your spark plugs: Maintenance that you do not really think about for your vehicle. This would be those small things on your resume like updating your email address, and making sure that you have the correct phone number on your resume. One of the biggest “small” things you can do for your resume is check the contact information for your references. You may be proud of your references, but make sure that the phone number and email you have for them is up to date.

You're Resume Is Good, But...

Very often I hear “I have a good resume, why didn’t I get the job”? When I hear this, I tell people that your resume is like one of those fast passes used at amusement parks. Yes, you may get to the front of the line but there are many other people with those same passes. When you get to the front of the line you will find that there many people who had those same passes. A good resume is only the beginning of your job search as there are many more parts that are needed to land your dream job. Here are a few I have observed:

1.       Your LinkedIn page is the next step recruiters will take to find out more about you. I’m sure you’ve heard how imperative technology is in today’s world. This is even more true in today’s job search. Recruiters will search for you on LinkedIn to see find out more about your professional character. LinkedIn is a professional network for industry professionals, sort of like a virtual resume to display your education and accomplishments. If you do not know about LinkedIn you can create a page here: www.LinkedIn.com

2.       You will also need to be a master of the phone interview. Recruiters are still looking to eliminate candidates at this point. Phone interviews are your chance to talk one on one with the recruiter about your previous and current job duties. Be prepared to answer: “So tell me why you are looking for a new position”? It is imperative you are leaving your job for a good reason, especially if you have been with your current job for under 2 years. A company does not want to bring in a new employee (especially for a high paying position) if they plan to leave in under 2 years.

3.       It would be wise to brush up on your arithmetic and logical reasoning skills. This is especially true for those of you who are applying for positions where you will be responsible for others (team lead, supervisor, manager, director). Many of these higher-level positions require you to take an assessment before making a hiring decision. These are basic skills that upper level employees make every day that will have a major impact on the business. Even if your resume is great, performing poorly on these tests can eliminate you from your dream position.  

A resume is a great start for any position, but it will not land you a job. Do not send your resume out to multiple employers and put on cruise control waiting to be hired. Be intentional in your job search, and treat each individual job that you apply to as THE career you want. We have all heard what job means “just over broke”. So, get out there today and land your dream career. As always, remember: Slow progress is better than no progress!

What Language Is Your Resume Speaking?

Imagine you are visiting a foreign country and you do not speak the native language. You are trying to communicate with the locals, however they can only understand about 10% of what you are saying. You finally find someone that speaks your language after 2 days. They inform you that the locals understand that you are TRYING to communicate, but your dialect is off. The same goes for your resume. Allow me to explain:

1.     What language is your resume speaking? Are you using terms that are specific to the industry that you are attempting to enter? For example, call centers monitor KPI’s, AHT’s, & FCR’s. These terms translate to Key Performance Indicators, Average Handle Time, and Fist Call Resolution. All these terms are specific to the telecommunications industry. If you use these your resume is showing that you are fluent in the industry you are trying to enter.

2.      How fluent are in you the language? This would relate to your experience and how you can express this on your resume. Are your skills entry level, mid-level, or experienced? If you are applying for a position that requires 8+ years of experience then you should show how fluent your skills are. An example of this would be “project manager for five hundred thousand dollar renovation of building”. This is a candidate that has learned the language and can read and write it as well.

These are just two pointers to help with the language of your resume. Remember: your resume speaks for you when you cannot speak for yourself. It must speak in a language that is easy to understand for everyone. You can do this! Land your dream job today and remember Slow Progress Is Better Than No Progress!

Your Resume

Why aren’t people calling me back for jobs? This is a question that we often ask ourselves after throwing out our resume to a bunch of different job sites. This time can be very demoralizing and make you feel like nobody wants to hire you. As humans, we naturally want to feel excepted. This is even more true for those of you out there with college degrees. I have some advice for you job hunters out there. These tips will be on resume preparation. Some of you may have heard some of these tips, and for some this will be new information. Here we go:

1.      Tailor your resume to the position you are applying to. This is how a lot of potential candidates eliminate themselves from the position they are applying to. If you are applying to an IT position with a company you should have language specific to the IT field. An easy way to tailor your resume to the position is to look at the job posting and tailor your resume to the requirements. An example would be a job posting that has a requirement “Maintains daily and weekly statistics for individual direct reports.” A supervisor with experience would say on their resume “developed and update spreadsheet composed of employee metrics”. The job description talks the talk, now you must show that you can walk the walk.

2.      Ensure that you can speak to all the accomplishments on your resume. Often, I advise many clients on the language on their resume. For example, look at the example that I used in my first point. If you do now know what it means to develop and update a spreadsheet do not mention it on your resume. Think of your resume as a foreign language that you must translate for a visitor to your country.

3.      Do not spend more time on making your resume fancy. This is called formatting: the layout of your resume. Do not add fancy bullet points, or fancy fonts. Your resume should be easy to read in a basic font. You can highlight a few things by underlining something or putting something in bold lettering. Something simple to remember: Bold Bullets Win (BBW). A resume that is simple with bold and bullet points is a winning resume.

There are many other factors that go into putting a resume together, but these are some of the basics. We will continue to educate and provide advice to those of you out there who are trying to put together a winning resume. Good luck on your job search and remember slow progress is better than no progress!

Your Message

Have you ever looked at a professional speaker after they are finished speaking and thought “wow, that must be the life”! People are lined up to shake their hands, take pictures with them, and buy whatever they are selling. What is not seen is the behind the scenes work, which can be very rigorous. One of the most rigorous tasks that I have found difficult about speaking is delivering your message. Here’s why:

1.       Finding your message

a.       You want to speak in front of a sold-out arena full of people? Well make sure they have a message that you want to listen to. When you are finished speaking think about the action you want people to take. Many of us have stories waiting to be told, we just don’t know how to tell them. Often due to embarrassment, thinking we are the only one going through our internal struggle.

2.       Packaging your message

a.       After finding what your message is, now you must figure out how to package your message. Just like finding the perfect Christmas gift, you must find the perfect box and bow for your message. When you are packaging your message, you are preparing for it to be delivered. If you are giving a speech, how long is it going to be? What type of venue will your speech be held in? You should also think about your medium. Is your message best for radio, print, or television? After you have determined the best medium for your message it is time for the most important part of your message: the delivery.

3.       Delivering your message

a.       So, you found your message, packaged your message, and now it is time to deliver your message. The most important part of delivering your message is finding your target audience. Think about who will appreciate your message the most? People who can relate to your direct message usually will be the best market. An example of this is someone who lost 100 pounds talking to a group of individuals who just began the weight watchers program.

b.       Delivery will be different depending on what medium you decide. On television, you must look good, and have a great stage presence. On paper or online, you must have perfect grammer (or is it grammar)? When delivering on radio you need to practice the inflection of your voice to draw people into your message.

Once you have your message packages and delivered you will need to practice perfecting it. Practice makes perfect. You can start by recording your voice on a voice recorder, or using a camcorder to practice your stage presence. There are many other elements of being a speaker, but without a message you have nothing. Good luck, work hard, and find your message!