2009
Job Hunting? A
TLANTIC CITY WEEKLY INVITES YOU TO THE 2009 SPRING JOB FAIR, being held Monday, April 20, at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township from 10am-5pm. Representatives from local businesses and organizations, as well as career training specialists, will be on hand at AC Weekly’s bi-annual job fair at the Shore Mall. Bring your resume and be prepared to fill out employment applications. A visit to the Job Fair will enable you to meet and make appointments with representatives from the following participants: Atlantic Cape Community College, Atlantic County Women’s Center, Atlantic City Weekly, Avon, CVS, Devereux New Jersey, Enterprise RentA-Car, Harris School of Business, New Jersey Army National Guard, Our Lady’s Multi-Care Center, Pepco Holdings Inc., Prism Career Institute, Review Publishing LP, South Jersey Career Center, The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Trump Casinos and the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion.
JOB FINDER
Are You Sabotaging Your Job Search? While being depressed is understandable, negative emotions can work against your job hunt. By Winnie Anderson, SPHR, CEIP, CBPS HE NATION LOST ANOTHER 663,000 jobs in March. If you’re one of the millions who became unemployed in the past year, knowing you’re not alone in this isn’t much of a comfort. It’s no secret that the recession has hit the greater Atlantic City region hard. Jobs are harder to find, farther away, and often in completely different industries than those you may be most experienced in. There are many more people competing for the same openings you are. Add into the mix daily headlines that are full of bad news and the financial strain you, your friends, and your family may be facing and it’s no wonder you may be feeling anxious, stressed, and even depressed right now. But allowing negative emotions to build and take over your thoughts can sabotage your job search before you even begin. All actions and emotions begin with the thoughts we have about those things. Think about spending time with your favorite person. How do you feel as you think about them? Now, think about someone you really dislike. How do you feel now? When you’re going to see each of these people, you begin to anticipate
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the experience and you tell yourself positive or negative things based on which of them you’ll be seeing. Now think about job hunting. What thoughts pop into your head? How does it make you feel? Most people don’t actually enjoy job hunting. It’s time
Allowing negative emotions to build and take over your thoughts can sabotage your job search. consuming and can be very frustrating. But the more you focus on the negative, the more those negative thoughts lead to negative emotions that seep out in your words and actions. Whether you think they do or not. Insider Secret #36 in author Cynthia Shapiro’s book What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here? reveals that interviewers really do pick up on
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THINKING ABOUT
A
CAREER CHANGE?
GETTING
Here are five questions to ask yourself: 1. What subjects or industries interest me most? 2. What skills do I have that are also needed in areas I’m interested in? 3. Am I willing and able to return to school if necessary? 4. How can I learn more about the work involved in the job or industry I’m thinking about? 5. Can I get a job in the new career a reasonable distance from my home?
Bring your resume and your smile to the Job Fair.
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• Seek internships. While it’s common to associate internships with undergraduates, in the current economy grads should be willing to take anything that can help them get their foot in the door. An internship offers an insider’s view to a company and a field of work, allowing interns to get a better grasp of how a given business works and what they can bring to such a business. Such a view from inside could help new graduates in an interview down the road when being considered for a full-time position. With unemployment rates so high, internship opportunities, though unpaid, could be on the rise, as companies seek help to meet customer demands with smaller staffs. And with the economy widely expected to bounce back in 2010, interns could be among the first to get job offers once the economy does take a turn for the better. • Go the extra mile. When sending a resume, especially in the current economy, you run the very real risk of being among thousands of applicants. Simply sending the bare minimum won’t make you stand out, and will likely land your resume in a human resource department’s scrap heap. When responding to an ad, rather than sending out a form letter and resume, tailor each depending on the prospective employer. Other materials, such as writing samples for writing-based jobs or design samples (professional or from class) for graphic design positions, can be included as well to help you stand out from the rest. • Network. Networking can be difficult, particularly for recent graduates, but many people end up finding work through word of mouth from friends, family members or business associates of parents or even professors. Those about to enter the job market should use their school’s alumni network to the fullest of their advantage. Also, discussing a job search with university advisors can be a good way to gain perspective on job hunts, such as how past students might have found jobs. When looking for a job, it never hurts recent graduates to discuss the search with as many people as possible. One never knows from where their next opportunity might come.
wants to hire me,” or “it’s my (age, weight, gender, etc.) com) advises clients to measure and track their job why they won’t hire me.” search activities to stay focused and positive. This can be as simple as using a notebook or spreadsheet • You don’t have anything planned on your calendar. to check off tasks as you accomplish them. Robinson • You have a hard time making even simple decisions. recommends breaking the job hunt down into minigoals such as: • You say “I don’t know” a lot. • People cut conversations with you short.
• Getting your resume done.
• You have the same network of people you had when • Creating a list of contacts to reach out to and net you were employed. work with.
A C W E E K LY. C O M
the negative things you tell yourself. Even if you have the “right skills and say all the right things” the hiring manager will pick up on the disconnect between what you say and how you say it. Your responses to their questions just won’t ring true. According to Shapiro, candidates who engage in a job search with negative thoughts playing in their head such as “I know I’m not the best candidate” or “I wish I had more experience” are committing sabotage. Those thoughts impact what’s even said in the cover letter. Does this mean you have to deny reality and tell yourself that even though you have no skills the employer requires that you’re a great candidate for an opening? Of course not. The trick is to become more optimistic, not so overly positive that you deny reality. Are you stuck in a rut of negativity that could be holding back your job search? Career consultant Lisa Mininni, best-selling author of Me, Myself, and Why? The Secrets to Navigating Change (www.MeMyselfandWhy.com) gives these 10 signs that negativity has taken over:
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With graduation fast approaching for many of the nation’s young people, the questionable economy is no doubt a concern for the hundreds of thousands of soon-to-be-minted grads about to enter the job market. And with many economists and other prognosticators predicting the economy won’t bounce back until 2010, such trepidation is completely understandable. While the current job market is less than ideal, prospective grads should recognize there’s nothing they can do to improve the job market. There are, however, a handful of things those about to enter the work force can do improve their standing. It just takes some persistence and some willingness to try new things in an effort to get that first job.
• You say “They let me go” rather than “I’m in the mar • Posting your resume on the big job boards such as ket for something new.” Monster, Career Builder, and Yahoo’s Hot Jobs. • You sleep late and don’t exercise.
• Learn more about interviewing.
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• You’re afraid to connect with new people or to change • Contact your network (including family members). your career. While it’s true the economy shows little signs of • You use extremes like “always” and “never” and aren’t improvement, there are still good jobs out there. They’re thankful for good things you have. just harder to find. Don’t make things harder on yourself Experts agree that taking continuous action by allowing negativity to take over. If you feel you’ve towards your goal of a new job, combined with crossed from being frustrated and disappointed to being positive self-talk will keep pessimism at bay. One big depressed, reach out for help. Talk to your doctor, spiri• You focus on words like “can’t,” “won’t,” or “don’t,” challenge is to stay moving toward that goal. Virtual tual leader, or call the United Way’s information line by and use phrases like “it will never work,” “nobody Job Coach Will Robinson (www.virtualjobcoach. dialing 211 and asking for help. Q
APRIL 16, 2009
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JOB FINDER
Tips and Strategies for Creating a Powerful Resume Y By Winnie Anderson, SPHR, CEIP, CPBS
OUR RESUME IS MUCH MORE than just a list of what you’ve done and where you’ve done it. It’s a brochure for the product that is You. And just as the goal of a product brochure is to entice the reader to look more closely at the product, the same is true of your resume. Your goal is to entice the reader to schedule an interview for a “product demonstration.� Here are specific tips for each section of your resume. Contact Information. Your name should appear in a type size that’s slightly larger than the rest of the contact details.
Write a Strong Headline. Just as an If you have a cell phone, list it on your resume. People want to contact you as article’s headline catches your attention soon as they’re ready. Consider making and causes you to read the first paragraph your cell phone your primary phone num- of the story, a powerful headline to your resume grabs the attention of the reader. Your headline should use the job title, key words from the ad, or other important terms that will cause you to stand out from the hundreds of resumes the reader will be looking at. The headline should be tweaked for each job you’re ber on your resume. Get an email address applying for, although you can have a that sounds professional and clearly indi- slightly generic headline for a resume cates who you are. sexyjerseygirl@internet. being posted to an online job board or for com is not a professional email address. handing out at a job fair.
A resume is a brochure for the product that is You.
Here’s an example of a good headline: Marketing Manager with skills in ______ __, ___________ and ______________ has history of increasing leads and generating traffic. Objective versus Background Summary. An objective like “to obtain a rewarding position in sales with a growing company� is too boring and it doesn’t set you apart from the hundreds of other applicants for the same sales job. To be honest, the person reading your
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609-484-0179 Are You Going to Answer? If you are a Displaced Homemaker, the Atlantic County Women’s Center’s Home to Work Program offers Free: • Resume and Cover Letter Writing Help • Computer Training • Job Search & Job Referral Assistance • Interviewing Practice • Career & Post-Employment Counseling • College Application Assistance • Life Skills Classes • Social Services Referrals • Professional Clothes Closet
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Your Future’s Calling
JOB FINDER (Continued from preceding page)
resume isn’t interested in your objective. They want to know what you can do for their business. With anything you write, the reader is always the most important person and your resume is no different. The Background Summary is also known as “career summary” or “qualifications summary.” It’s a paragraph that’s several sentences long that summarizes your background as it relates to the posi-
Prospective employers are only interested in the last 10 to 15 years of your work experience. tion you’re applying for. If the reader doesn’t have time to read the entire resume, she can read the summary and put you in the “yes” pile to read later or the “no” pile to be filed away.
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Skills or Strengths. A nice touch under the Summary section is a small table that lists up to 9 skills or strengths you have that directly relate to the job you’re applying for. This helps the reader see you’ve got those core things she’s looking for and it helps you get noticed because these should be key terms and
phrases also looked for by an electronic sorting system. If you’re a techie or artistic person, this is a great way to feature programs, systems, and other technology skills you have.
OVERWHELMED
BY
YOUR SITUATION?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the country’s Department of Health and Human Services, “economic turmoil” (including job loss and financial problems, loss of savings) can result in many negative mental and physical health effects.
Work History. Don’t start any line with “responsible for.” Use action verbs like “controlled,” “led,” “improved,” etc. Each position should have just a few lines that summarize the focus of the job. Then the bulleted items should be genuine accomplishments and include statistics like “improved sales 50 percent over year-over-year.” If you don’t know a statistic, estimate it conservatively. Don’t use vague descriptive phrases like “dramatically increased sales,” “outstanding team player,” or other useless statements that appear on hundreds of other resumes and are therefore ignored. Prospective employers are only interested in the last 10 to 15 years of your work experience. Anything beyond that is old news. If you’ve been with one employer for 20 years then of course you’ll be honest and list those dates and the positions you’ve held during that time. But if you’ve been working full time since 1985 and you’ve worked at several companies between then and now, please don’t list them all. Education. Remove the year you graduated from college or whatever place you went to school. If it was more than
If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, consider getting help from your healthcare provider, spiritual leader, school counselor, or local health clinic: • Persistent Sadness/Crying • Excessive Anxiety • Lack of Sleep/Constant Fatigue • Excessive Irritability/Anger • Increased drinking • Illicit drug use, including misuse of medications • Difficulty paying attention or staying focused • Apathy - not caring about things that are usually important to you • Not being able to function as well at work, school or home For more information visit them on the Internet at samhsa.gov
10 years ago you don’t want to seem outdated and if it was last month you don’t want someone to think you’re too young and inexperienced. If you have one or more degrees, you don’t need to list your high school. If you have a masters degree and you’re applying for jobs where it’s not required and you keep getting told you’re overqualified, consider dropping the masters and just listing your undergraduate degree. You’re facing stiff competition for the jobs that are available right now. You
need marketing materials that showcase what’ve done and what you can do for your next employer. Entice them to read your resume by giving them the information they need presented in a way that that’s easy to read. Q
Winnie Anderson, a former corporate recruiter,
is a copywriter and consultant who regularly
writes on career issues. View her online portfolio at www.visualcv.com/winnieanderson.
*OBĂ´&INDER
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