Category Archives: Professional

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April 1, 2010

Two Things Too Obvious To Include on Your Resume

One - Do not include an objective on your resume. Your objective is to get the job; that is why you are sending the resume. Save the space! (Note: There are some resume professionals who recommend an objective. However, in the legal industry they are not generally approved of)

Two – Do not include “references available upon request” on your resume.  If a potential employer wants references they will request them and you will provide them.  This is simply unnecessary. Save the space!

Also, while I have you here, WATCH OUT for:

  • two v too  v to, and
  • their v they’re, although you should not be using contractions (shouldn’t and don’t) in your professional writing, and
  • its and it’s, and
  • our v are v hour (yes I know that last one is not officially a homophone, but with some accents….and some misspellings)
February 25, 2010

Want to Get Lucky?

That’s easy…just be in the right place at the right time. Simple, right? The problem is that you don’t know that you have been in the right place until you can look back at the situation and realize the right thing happened from you being there.

How to fix the problem without a flux capacitor? Create situations. Meet people, network, share information, think about what you have done in the past that has worked, and ask people what they have done that has worked for them. It is easy for someone to say they got lucky. But was it really luck or did they apply for a job for which they were under-qualified, get a lower status job and work their way up to their dream job? Maybe they had a job in school and their boss knew someone and made a call and they met more of the right people and got their next dream job.

Maybe, or maybe they were just lucky.

February 25, 2010

Hey you, with the big Scarlet A on your shirt! Want a job?

Think The Scarlet Letter doesn’t apply in today’s modern society?

THINK AGAIN!

The Internet makes public branding and humiliation easier, faster and more global in scope.

There is a law that requires the “Oklahoma Department of Health to publish data online on all abortion patients — including the woman’s race, marital status, financial circumstances, years of education, number of previous pregnancies, and her reason for seeking the abortion. Doctors who fail to provide such information will be criminally penalized and stripped of their medical licenses.” http://tiny.cc/AttysCounsel178

This public punishment is also known as a Scarlet Letter Law. Even someone who only read the Cliffs Notes knows the humiliating public punishment Hester Prynne was forced to endure. Unfortunately, Hawthorne’s novel is as relevant today as it ever was.

When celebrities commit “indiscretions” their sins are made public by nature of their personas.  Those moments of carelessness stay with them, not only because of who they are, but also because the internet allows information to be recalled immediately and perpetually. Hester is able to rehabilitate herself in the eyes of her community, but when she finally removes her label, her scarlet letter, her daughter does not recognize her.  People become what they have done.  If you do something now and you are not famous and do not live in Puritan Massachusetts do you have anything to worry about?  YES!

Start acting like the person you want to be with the job you want to have.

The internet enables your community to brand you based on the information you provide them.  DO NOT GIVE YOUR COMMUNITY AN EXCUSE TO BRAND YOU!

Hester was burned by the “red-hot brand” of her punishment, but your personal brand, the one that you have worked hard to create (you should start doing that now…add it to your list), can be altered and damaged by others.

You must take control of your brand, of the you you want to become.  Review everything you put online. Set up privacy settings on your website, your blog, your Facebook page. Employers will search and use anything they find to continue their evaluation of you. They will not only use your resume, cover letter, interview and references to make hiring decisions.

If you create those professional marketing tools and then have even one thing online that is not professional or that can in any way damage the image you hope to portray you are doing yourself and your career a disservice.

February 22, 2010

Resume Time Limits

People look at your resume for about 10-20 seconds, if that, so while you must intrigue them with your accomplishments and brilliance, if you want them to turn the page, and they might, your resume must be legible…some call it readability.

You may be thinking, “wait, I thought my resume should only be one page.” There are always exceptions. Regardless, unique and brilliant accomplishments must be clear and easy to read and easy to spot.

Not only must your resume be legible, but it must also be current. The resume time limit applies to the length of time someone will review it, but it also applies to the sell-by date of the document.

Your resume can get stale. Every month you should review and update your resume. Can’t manage every month? Do it quarterly, put it on your calendar. Keep a running list of tasks you do at work…save your emails and refer back to them to recall what you were asked to do and the results of those tasks. That list is also helpful at the end of the year during your review, you will be able to highlight your accomplishments.

Not at work, don’t have anyone asking you to do anything? Keep your skills and memberships sections current as well.

January 15, 2010

Wondering Why You Don’t Hear Back from Employers? Check these things off your list!

Check your phone number – Is it correct?

Check your email address – Is it professional? If so, is it spelled correctly?

If people cannot get in touch with you, you will not get the job.

Even if they can get in touch with you, you have more work to do.

Check your voicemail message – Is it professional? If not people will not bother to leave you a message, even if they think your resume made it worth the call.

While you are busy checking those things, Google yourself. Make sure that you are OK with a potential employer finding whatever you see when you search for the name on your resume. If your name is Joe Smith another Joe Smith might have done things and posted pictures of his escapades that a potential employer may not like. The employer will not take the time to find out that the photo, or blog post, or comment was not yours. So, Joe Quincy Smith, use your middle initial!

January 7, 2010

What’s Your Style?

You must know or figure out very quickly, how you learn. How do you work most effectively and efficiently? Knowing those things can make you productive in one environment and stagnant in another. Your work environment and the way you interact with the space and the people around you will effect how you learn, produce and work. Take all of those factors into account when job searching, soul-searching or just deciding where to put the supply closet in your new office. Know your learning style and make sure it is in line with your professional, resume, and personal style.