Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Archives for 2009

A new paradigm for work? Slash careers and Gen Y

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sunnyday325950178_aaa3c571cd_mA shadow seems to remain over the job market for new college grads. The Hire Ground blog quoted my colleage, Lindsey Pollak:

While many of Gen Y’s employment troubles can be blamed solely on the current economy, there are other difficult circumstances they must overcome, Pollak says. Those with the misfortune of having been born in the 1980s are also the first wave of job seekers who have been trained to seek conventional careers yet are entering a workplace that is alien to every previous generation.

“The old paradigm is clearly not working anymore,” she says. “The thinking was that all the baby boomers would start to retire and there would be lots of new positions open, but that’s not happening. Even the meaning of the word ‘career’ is changing. You’re not going to see people working for one company for 30 years anymore.”

There’s no doubt that Gen Y (and all) job seekers who embrace the new paradigm will be the most successful finding fulfilling positions, but those positions may look very different from the old norms.

The article notes:

Pollak, author of the new post-grad bible, “Getting From College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World,” says some new terms are cropping to describe the peripatetic nature of employment today, in which workers will commonly jump from job to job, sometimes moving into several different fields. Some are calling these “slash-careers,” she says, referring to the need to add a series of slashes in job descriptions (e.g., editor/speaker/dancer). Others say young job seekers are members of “free-agent nation” and need to become their own CEOs and take more control of their careers.

Marci Alboher, author of One Person/Multiple Careers,  authority on “slash careers” and the writer who likely first coined the term notes on her website:

“…slash careers integrate and fully express the multiple passions, talents, and interests that a single career often cannot accommodate.“

Anyone looking for a job, particularly young people with less experience, will do well to embrace a variety of types of internships, part-time work and entrepreneurial options to take advantage of the opportunities the current economy offers. No, it isn’t your father’s job market…The situation requires a creative approach and may result in different types of results from the ones college students might have expected. However, there are positive aspects to the situation – the proverbial “silver lining.”

For one Gen Y’s optimistic take on the situation, see the video interview with Stephanie Perrett, a Gen Y intern for Stephanie A. Lloyd and Radiant Veracity:


If your search is stalling, consider getting some help to get it jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

photo by hana8hana

Senator Edward Kennedy’s lesson to job seekers

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It is inevitable that, after the death of an influential political figure, there will be a lot of commentary and talk. TV viewers can watch hours and hours of analysis about everything from his life and work to how many family members might have been around his bedside upon his death. Even Sarah Palin came out with a friendly, sympathetic statement.

A few lessons for careerists come to mind…

Soft Skills/Emotional Intelligence

What strikes me is the emphasis on Senator Kennedy’s ability to reach across the political aisle. Several commentators indicated that they believed the debate over healthcare reform might be much different had Senator Kennedy been able to be more intimately involved.

There is no doubt that the ability to communicate with all types of people from different ideologies and beliefs is a key “soft” skill that job seekers need to consider. Work environments are about relationships as much (if not more) than they are about “getting the job done.”

Quint Careers notes that the first and most important skill employers seek is the ability to communicate well. They say, “By far, the one skill mentioned most often by employers is the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively.” No doubt, this skill helped lead to Ted Kennedy’s long career and will impact his legacy.

Whether or not you are looking for a job, think about your role in your organization. Are you the person who can bring people together? Can you interpret and communicate despite differences? These are key skills to emphasize on your resume when you do look to move on. Don’t underestimate their importance.

Overcoming Setbacks

Most students of modern American history can not help but associate Ted Kennedy’s name with the scandal of Chappaquiddick. The tragic incident in 1969 may have prevented Kennedy from being elected president, but his long career in the Senate since demonstrates that it is possible to overcome even the most horrible of circumstances. While most people will not have a scandal of these proportions nor the privilege Kennedy commanded that helped him overcome it, I think it is worth noting that even the most difficult circumstances may not necessarily fully define a career.

Some commentators mentioned that, while he was haunted by the tragedy, he re-focused his efforts on working in the Senate and determined that he would have an impact there. Some said he became one of the most influential and productive legislators of his time.

So, maybe it is a stretch to suggest that job seekers take heart that no negative circumstances need to totally define their future paths, but it is something to reflect on. What steps can you take to redefine your career road? How can you “drive your career bus” in a different direction? Where can you take control of your situation to alter where you will land? A lot is in your hands – probably more than you know.

Do you need help defining your job hunt? I can help!

Video resumes – more popular, but use with caution

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video77430740_80140b845e_mVideo resumes. They are all the rage in the personal branding community, but the jury is still out as far as the majority of recruiters go. A recent post in the New York Times is headlined “Video Resumes Get More Popular.” However, if you read the article, there are many caveats. (In other words, just because they are popular with the job seekers does not mean they are popular on the hiring side!)

When Serene Buckley received her first video resume from an applicant, she was interested and reviewed it, it seems more out of curiosity than anything else! She noted that it would be important for the video to be accompanied by a strong, traditional resume.

As candidates attempt to “stand out” in a tight job market, more and more applicants are turning to video. However, there are many concerns that are important to consider before directing “Resume You.”

  • Recruiters and hiring managers don’t have time to review videos. You only get 8-10 seconds for a resume!
  • Most companies use computer software to scan resumes and are not equipped to review video resumes.
  • The obvious emphasis on the candidate’s appearance could lead to racial discrimination.
  • The video could actually hurt a candidate who is not attractive.
  • A non-professionally produced video could highlight negative qualities.

The Times article quotes Don Straits, CEO of Corporate Warriors, an executive placement firm in Auburn, CA, ”...The only way that video resumes are really effective is when they’re used in context with supporting documents.” That means combining a video with a strong written resume and information about a person’s past performance.

”When video resumes are not used properly, they are worthless,” Straits said. ”And in fact, may do more harm than good.”

Not surprisingly, the article highlights the importance of production quality. Job seekers who know how to produce and edit a quality video (or hire someone to do it) have a strong advantage. It would be a shame to send a video that actually detracts from your search.

Before you start sending out a video of yourself, you want to really study what image you present. Look at your appearance, mannerisms, listen to how you sound.

Assume that your video (even if is well done and appropriate for your industry) is unlikely to help you unless your written materials catch the hiring manager’s eye first! In most cases, you must attract attention by communicating your value via traditional means that are easy to scan and assess, which usually means a strong written resume.

I can help you create a strong resume and online presence.  Learn more about how I can help with your job hunt.

photo by ezalis

Seven Days to Online Networking – a review

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seven days to online networkingJ5502If you want to stay competitive in today’s job market, it is crucial to incorporate today’s social networking tools into your job search. Not necessarily to find more job postings (although that is certainly possible), but to connect and interact with people you might not ever have another opportunity to “know” online or meet in person.

I first meet Ellen Sautter and Diane Crompton, co-authors of the book, Seven Days to Online Networking, last April, and wrote about their presentation sharing some details from the book. I have since had the opportunity to get to know Ellen by attending a weekly networking event with her. Anyone looking forward to reading the book should know that Ellen really lives by the philosophy of helping job seekers connect and goes out of her way to be generous and helpful to anyone who requests her advice and assistance.

Ellen and Diane’s book really does cut down the clutter to help job seekers and others dive into social networking in a short amount of time. By first explaining WHY you would want to network with millions of people (!), exploring the issue of how to find the time and identifying the importance of social networking, they bring the reader to the “guts” of the book – How to Stand Out in the Cyberspace Crowd.

With a market flooded with profiles, blogs and digital dirt, can one person really make inroads and “be someone” online? The answer is yes – if you know what you are doing and how to get there! Ellen and Diane offer an easy to understand and digest tutorial to help even the most resistant networker join the fun online.

Readers will learn the “do’s and don’ts” of online networking, how to optimize their use of blogs (their own or others’), various professional networking sites to explore (such as XING and Ryze) and how to start thinking about a “webfolio” – information on a website identifying skills and accomplishments.

I highly recommend Seven Days to Online Networking to anyone who is overwhelmed at the prospect of jumping online, but recognizes how important it is for career success. WIN a copy! Leave a comment here and at my other blogs for a chance in a random drawing!

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Secrets of the Job Hunt

Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to teach you everything you need to know! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

How long should your answer to an interview question last?

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dracula.1897732142_1079d06cf9_mThis week, a mock interview client  – let’s call her Meg – reminded me of an important lesson in interview-ology that I thought I’d share. Meg was the first mock interview-ee I’ve ever had who was extremely concerned about the length of her responses! Usually, I have to explain the fact that employers (everyone, really) have very short attention spans and are not likely to continue to focus if the response drags on and on.

Meg had the opposite problem. Her replies were very short. Unfortunately, at the risk of leaving OUT key information that would help convince the interviewer to hire her.

Interviewing Meg, someone so focused on “how long she should talk” highlighted the fact that encouraging clients to keep answers short is just part of the story, and one that can be taken too literally, at the expense of a high-quality interview!

(Indulge me here a minute…)

Have you ever listened to a professional storyteller? (If not, you’re missing out, but I digress…) Usually, the story itself will be longer than the typical “listening span” we naturally have. However, the forward motion of the story, the storyteller’s investment in the tale and the intriguing details all combine to propel listeners forward. They stay with the story for a pretty simple reason – they want to KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!

Need help telling YOUR career story?
Check out my new book: 100 Conversations for Career Success

So, when you respond to interview questions, there is no need to time your answer with a stopwatch or worry how many seconds you have to reply as long as you are telling a compelling story that ANSWERS THE QUESTION. Think about it – if a child asks you to relay the Dracula story and you start out discussing Snow White – you’re going to have mutiny on your hands! Similarly, focusing on actually addressing the question at hand is the most important factor in an interview.

Your interviewer is listening for the answer to the question. If you make it clear that you are addressing the question from the get-go, you have a much better chance of maintaining his or her attention level and interest.

While I am not advocating for 20-minute, fully fleshed out tales a la a professional storyteller in the interview (lest hiring managers and recruiters try to pelt my website with tomatoes!), I do want to answer the question, “How long should your answer to an interview question be?” this way:

DO keep your answers relatively succinct. If you want to know how long it takes to answer a question, time yourself…You can probably get a lot of words into just 30 or 45 seconds. BUT – remember that it is even more important to actually answer the question with details that will support your ability to DO THE JOB! Don’t start with a lot of excessive background information that does not seem to relate to the question itself.

Get to the point – include details that will hook the reader, and be sure to actually answer the question. In the long run, as long as you don’t go on and on, the length matters less than the content.

For more on interviewing:

How to tell a STAR story.

Tips to turn your interviewer into a fan

The most important interview questions

My mock interview clients improve their interviewing skills exponentially! Could you use a job search jump start? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

photo by HCM Hitchhiker