First, Don reminded listeners that the resume is about the future, not the past! How often have I told my clients that very thing? It is very important to remember that demonstrating how you can be useful in the future – how you can solve the employer’s problems – will make the difference in helping you land a job. Don’t write a resume full of jargon from your past positions if that is not the same jargon your targeted employer understands or speaks. That is akin to ordering in French at a Chinese restaurant; you are unlikely to get the food you crave.

Don reminded us how important it is to illustrate how you solved problems and achieved results on the resume. He also noted that focusing on relative results – in context – is key. That is, if you improved sales by 15% in a downturn, when averages were in the negative numbers – say so! If you overcame obstacles to achieve a desired result – the reader wants to know! Focus on transferable skills without stifling yourself as a result of misdirected modesty. Don notes, the story is about the job seeker, not about the company.

Remember, having a great resume is one way to help you prepare to successfully network, interview and negotiate an offer, as Don remarked while I nodded…Yes! Having a great resume helps you bridge to your next job. I always say, “Show, don’t tell.” An action-packed, fully optimized resume is key.

I’ve written about how to evaluate your resume – how to look at your resume and decide if it is answering the key questions. Are you doing more than listing a bunch of “stuff” on your resume? In a competitive market, you must ensure that your materials are optimized to help get you to the next step. Take a good, long look at your materials. Are they a bridge or a roadblock to your targeted opportunity?

photo by Sandy Austin

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One tidbit I found very share-worthy was from Paul Forster, CEO and Co-Founder of Indeed.com. Did you know that the word  “Twitter” is the fastest growing term to appear in job postings appearing in job boards? Take a look at this chart:

Twitter Job Trends

Twitter jobs

These were the top ten words found in job postings, per Indeed.com’s research:

1. Twitter
2. Cloud Computing
3. iPhone
4. Facebook
5. Corporate Social Responsibility
6. Blogger
7. Pediatrician
8. Hospitalist
9. Social Media
10. Speech Language Pathologist

To clarify, this does not indicate the number of jobs working FOR Twitter, but reminds us that companies who are seeking experience using Twitter (based on the fact that they include that word in their online job postings) has grown exponentially.

This list might lead you to believe that if you want a job, social media and the medical profession are two hot topics! You may also find industry trends, unemployed per job posting (by location), and job posting per capita via Indeed.com’s job trends section.

So, if you are hesitating to dive into Twitter or other social media tools because you think they are insignificant to your job hunt, you may want to reconsider.

Stay tuned for more advice and information from the conference!

photo from FactoryJoe

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Richard L. Knowdell spoke at the Career Management Alliance conference, and I was intrigued by his suggestion that coaches advise clients to OMIT skills from their resumes if they are skills the job seekers do not enjoy.

In a tight job market, this advice seems extreme, or even foolish, on first glance. Shouldn’t we all be marketing everything we have to offer? It’s a recession, after all! So, I posed the question on Twitter: Should job seekers leave off (or de-emphasize) skills on their resume that they do well but don’t enjoy?

Veronica replied, “As job seeker, I don’t think should leave off any skills that could help get a job. Each circumstance individual.” @vmodarelli

Sam Blum, Co-Founder and CEO at Razume said, “Resumes are marketing documents, not statements of personal interest. I say list any skill that can give you an advantage.” @samblum

Reasonable replies, certainly.

However, my goal (and that of my colleagues in the career coaching world) isn’t only to help people find and land jobs, but to secure positions doing what they enjoy. My friends who are experts in personal branding have a different take!

Deb Dib, a CEO coach and personal brand expert explained: “I leave them off/give subsidiary placement. Don’t want burnout skills attracting interest; fit won’t be right.” @ceocoach

Walter Akana, a life strategist and personal branding expert said, “Yes, deemphasize skills that you don’t enjoy. Emphasize ones you do – provided, of course, what you offer creates value!” @walterakana

This makes a lot of sense to me. Why attract opportunities that may be a bad fit?

Two social media/marketing professionals had some practical advice:

Avi Kaplan suggested: “Leave everything on applicable to each job & don’t apply for roles needing skills you don’t want to use,” which Neal Wiser echoed, “If a job seeker doesn’t like doing something, they shouldn’t apply for that job.”

Think about it…Are you over-emphasizing skills you are not motivated to use on your resume? How much time do you spend thinking about applying for and targeting positions that you would enjoy doing? Are you applying for just “any old job?”

I hope this is food for thought…I’m open to your “take” on the subject, but I hope you’ll seriously consider focusing your job search in areas that appeal to your motivated skills. I’m happy to help. Follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how we can work together to optimize your resume to help you land the job you love!

photo by BPM

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• There are four job seekers for every job.
• Companies are experiencing a reduction in structure.
• Less jobs will be recovered…Weddle is expecting a profound change in the market going forward, with a much leaner and meaner job market.

So, what does this mean for you? Is it time to pack it all in and give it up?

No, of course not! I believe that everyone has the choice regarding how to navigate his or her own career or job search. If you drive your own career bus, you can excel, even in a tough market. However, you can’t just “come as you are,” as Weddle noted. In the “old days,” all anyone needed to do to find a job is make a few calls or apply for enough jobs. With competition fierce and opportunities scarce, you need to do more.

You need to work on your career every day! Weddle described the “career jungle gym” that is replacing the old career ladder. He says that career advancement isn’t always about following the rungs of a ladder in one direction; it can mean moving sideways – as long as you keep your eye on your goal!

Stay tuned for more thoughts from Peter Weddle’s presentation and suggestions to help you improve your “career fitness.” Please share your thoughts in the comments section!

Are you “coming as you are” to your job hunt? Don’t make a mistake that will cost your time, money and sanity. I can help – contact me to discuss how!

photo by mcmorr

The post This is not a "come as you are" job market appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Highlights?

Peter Weddle, CEO of WEDDLE’S says this isn’t a “come as you are job market” and suggests that you must work on your career every day!

Kathryn Troutman, Federal Job Expert and head of The Resume Place, reminds us that there are 350,000 Federal jobs, and you need to know how to apply for them to win a chance!

Lauryn Franzoni and Robyn Greenspan from Execunet say that the top fields for growth in 2009 are:

• Healthcare
• Pharma/Med/Biotech
• Energy
• Business Services

We also heard from a futurist (!) and a screenwriter who helps train people to succeed in interviews! Stay tuned for more details. I need to get ready for breakfast!

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