A 2011 national Harris Interactive study conducted on behalf of Mom Corps  found that 42 percent of working adults were willing to give up some percent of their salary in exchange for more flexible work options.

In honor of National Telework Week, I tapped Allison Oâ€Kelly, founder/CEO of Mom Corps, a national flexible staffing firm dedicated to connecting progressive employers with professionals seeking flexible work and Cali Williams Yost, CEO of the Flex+Strategy Group / Work+Life Fit Inc. and author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit Thatâ€s Right for You for 10 tips to help you identify and land a flexible job:

1. Decide what flexibility means for you.

2. Focus on your skills. What do you offer?

3. Specialize. Identify several specialty areas in your skills and accomplishments.

4. Research organizations and learn where youâ€re likely to be most successful and happy. Yost suggests investigating the 2012 Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work, by Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management, Working Motherâ€s Top Employers list and The Flex Pages. You may also want to investigate organizations dedicated to helping people find flexible work, such as Mom Corps. If you are planning to re-enter the workforce after taking time off, another resource is iRelaunch.

5. Plan ahead; be realistic. Donâ€t try to fit a square peg in a round hole.

6. Know the right questions to ask – and what answers mean.

7. Be open to temporary positions.

8. Prepare to use technology. “Video will make remote work more personal.” 

9. Prepare your workspace. What if you land the perfect flexible arrangement tomorrow? Are you ready to start work right away – from your own home office, a co-working space or another site you arrange?

10. Donâ€t sell yourself short. Even in this economy, itâ€s still possible to land flexible work opportunities. In fact, a  Flexpaths – LinkedIn Virtual Think Tanks study attests that hiring managers believe flexible work arrangements are important if they want to stay competitive for top employees.

Read all the details and advice at my U.S. News & World Report piece.

photo by Pulpolux !!!

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The employer panel included:

Elizabeth Russel, Director of Change Leadership — Emerson Human Capital

Kathy Davis, Recruiting Manager — Accenture

Michelle Wilkinson, Leadership Recruiting Manager — Wellpoint Inc.

The panelist share a number of good tips for job seekers…

Ms. Russel commented on how important it is to demonstrate your ability to manage projects, an across-the-board skill to demonstrate on the resume. Other top picks to highlight? The ability to meet deadlines, manage a team and to fit the organization’s culture. Ms. Davis noted the importance of referencing key words in a resume and suggested using LinkedIn to connect with people at your target companies. She believes it is a great idea to use Twitter to network and gain and share information and explained it was important to “make your voice heard.”

The recruiters differed in their opinions about cover letters, with Ms. Davis saying she doesn’t always read them, while Ms. Wilkinson believes a cover letter is “quite important.” This is typical of advice regarding cover letters — some read them, others ignore them, so it’s a bit of a toss-up for job seekers. The best advice seems to be to write a strong cover letter, in case it is valued.

The panelists agreed it was important for the candidate to indicate on the resume why he or she left a job or had a gap. For example, “left to care for ill parent” or “stayed home with infant daughter.” They even suggested noting things on the resume such as, “department closed” or “company bought out.” Ms. Russell suggested not “over explaining” a gap, but believed (as did the others) that it was important to account for time off of paid work.

Job seekers may be interested to know that the employers agreed volunteer work, especially board-level work and significant volunteer contributions should be highlighted on a resume when appropriate. In fact, Ms. Wilkinson explained “community work is key at WellPoint,” so showcasing it would be particularly significant. This is a great reminder to identify an organization’s key culture points in order to illustrate why you are well-suited for the job. Sometimes, that cultural fit can really make a difference between two equally qualified candidates.

As for resume length, the general rule of thumb was two to three pages, and all three women agreed referrals from within the company were valued. They suggested asking the recruiter or hiring manager about appropriate intervals for following up and emphasized it was a great question to ask at the interview.

Their final words of wisdom:

Ms. Wilkinson: Know what you want to do. The worst thing is when a candidate does not know. Do your homework about the company and industry and be prepared for the interview.

Ms. Davis: Don’t sell yourself short. Take phone interviews seriously – be sure to smile, even though you’re on the phone; it makes a difference!

Ms. Russell: Dress up for those phone interviews. Be open minded. Recognize your next role may not have existed five years ago!

photo by K’vitsh

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