One of the things I hear the most from job seekers is how difficult it is to quantify results form their past work experience. Everyone agrees that doing so is helpful, if not critical, to the job search. However, most find it difficult to show a measurement for something they have done in the past. They didn’t keep track of the numbers, or they cant remember them now, or they “were just doing their job” and don’t really know what measurable impact their impact had on the end result. Or, and this is really most often the case, they are confused and scared as to how to do this important work.

If you are one of the people who has had trouble quantifying results, then I’d like to invite you to join me in this week’s challenge – “One CAR Statement per day.” Writing one a day will help you get past the fear and confusion to take a giant leap forward in your career search. Here’s how it works.

1) Go to the section on “Writing CARS” in Careers 2.0. Here’s a link (you will have to log in to Careers 2.0)
2) Work on one (just one) CAR Statement each day.
3) Post it here in the comments of this blog post to share with others and get their feedback.

You can use these on your resume, in your networking, as part of an interview, and in negotiating for a higher salary! It’s simple. I’ll start.

CONDITION: In the fall of 2001 five denominations were planning their joint summer camp curriculum for the next summer.

ACTIVITY: They brought a group of us together to brainstorm themes and activities based on a topic that would be used nationwide by more than 200 camp programs. I was assigned to write the curriculum for the older children (grades 4-6). I had to research both the topic and the learning styles/needs of this age group.

RESULT: I wrote a curriculum and it was well received. I turned in my curriculum on time. One Camp Director even said that it was the best in the series (in her opinion). Curriculum titled: “Under God’s Roof: Daily Discoveries for Older Children”, Summer Camp Curriculum, published by the Cooperative Publication Association, March 2002.

STATEMENT: Researched topic and learning needs and wrote a curriculum that was used by over 200 summer camp programs nationwide in 2002.

Will you join me in this week’s challenge? Post your CARS Statements in the comments and let us all know what you have accomplished.

When you go through a grocery line today the bagger asks you how you want your items packed. “Paper or plastic?”  Many stores do not even offer us an option. They hand us our items bagged in plastic. There was a time when all groceries were packed into paper bags. Plastic bags were uncommon but not anymore. Today plastic bags are the norm.

Last week I stated that traditional jobs were going away. I recommended that it was time to change your career strategy and stop looking for jobs and start looking for work. The insight I want to share with you this week is that work used to be packed in paper bags but today it is being packed into plastic bags. There is work to be found but more and more companies are offering it in unconventional ways.

We are used to looking for work packed into job positions with clear cut duties. The jobs were offered in a paper bag called full-time, or permanent work. Today many employers are packaging work into plastic bags called projects, temporary work or contract work.

What is happening?  Companies are finding that they have to be flexible and nimble in order to compete in today’s market. They need to enlarge their workforce on short notice in order to produce a product or service. Once they have achieved their objectives they need to reduce their workforce rather than pay out wages to idle employees.

Think about the difference between paper bags and plastic bags.  A big paper grocery sack could hold a lot of groceries. You could pack many items neatly into one bag. The bags had a rigid shape and fairly predictable volume of room. Traditional jobs were like paper bags, sturdy and dependable.

But today employers are packing much of their work into plastic bags. Work today is much more flexible, odd shaped and comes in smaller units. Plastic bags are a better container for holding or assigning work.

Be careful that you do not overlook, ignore, or turn down work because it is being offering in “plastic” as contract work, temporary work or as a consulting assignment and not offered as “paper,” a full-time job. Plastic not paper is the new norm for work today.

So, which is it for you?  Paper or plastic?

Andy wrote an interesting and challenging response to our post on writing an effective resume (http://careeradvice4u.com/effective-resume/).  I LOVE it when a reader challenges us!  So in response to all of the Andy’s out there who are frustrated with your job search, here are some examples that have actually worked for clients of ours. Hopefully they are not too full of BS!

Example 1: HR Generalist I

Human Resource professional with progressive hands on experience in diverse organizations from start-ups to industry leader with revenues of $8 billion including multi-state U.S. and global locations.

Resourceful, organized team player able to provide business partnership and HR guidance to both management team and employees. Recognized for being ethical and approachable with a focus on the big picture. Strong hands-on approach, can manage diverse projects simultaneously and with excellent communication skills.

Experience working with HR and Business partners in Europe and Asia as well as multiple locations in the US.

Example 2: HR Generalist II

Broad knowledge of HR principles and services. Exceptional proficiency in Employee Relations and Leave/Workers’ Compensation coordination. Effective at building relationships with employees and managers at all levels within an organization to support the business strategy, resolve communications issues and motivate individuals to optimal performance. Conscientious and resourceful advisor with a reputation for sound judgment and achieving positive results.

Specialties include:

Employee Relations FMLA/OFLA/ADA Coordination OSHA/WC Management
Policy & Procedure Writing Building & Leading Teams Staff Planning & Recruitment

Example 3: Software Developer

Experienced Software Implementation Manager with 11 years of extensive enterprise resource planning implementation experience
• Successful implementations of PeopleSoft, SAP, Lawson and other applications at more than 14 public and private sector clients and corporations across a wide range of industries and locations
• 9 years of consulting experience with a major international consulting firm earning performance ratings consistently above my peers and an executive promotion to Senior Manager
• 8 years of project management and team lead experience with a PMP certification
• Solid reputation for meeting aggressive deadlines and providing high quality deliverables within budget
• Mature leadership and communication skills with an exceptional ability to plan and organize work efforts and excel in a team environment. Core competencies include:

Project Management Application Development Application Security
Configuration and Conversion Testing and Validation Implementation and Cutover
Production Support Sales and Business Development Software Selection

Example 4: Engineer/Engineering Manager

Demonstrated ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams of engineers delivering high performance, low cost product technologies from research to market on time and on budget. A leader in defining methodologies to use to turn more research elements into products faster. Strong technical design, modeling, and statistical background; excellent leadership vision, systematic planning, and two-way communication skills. Over 20 years of research and development experience, including 10 years progressively responsible management experience. Extensive experience managing international development teams/suppliers in Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, including 3 years working in Japan. Ph.D., M.S., Engineering Mechanics.

Resume Advice Related Posts

• Writing An Effective Resume
• How To Write a Professional Summary Statement for Your Resume
• 3 Different Types of Resumes You Need To Know About
• Why a GREAT Resume is Not as Important as a DECENT Network
• Resume Writing Tips

Companies are beginning to hire, and that means they will actually be at the Job Fairs this year.  If you want to get the most our of your time at a job fair, some helpful tips are in order.  Here are my top 7 “DO’s and DON’Ts”:

1. DON’T go to a Job Fair expecting to get a job.  Very few people actually get a job from a Job Fair.  If you are putting all your eggs into this basket, you will be very disappointed.
2. DO go to a Job Fair expecting to gain information about several companies – one of them MAY become your next employer.  Ask lots of questions related to the company, industry, and how a person with your background might fit in.
3. If you attend a Job Fair with others, DON’T “cluster.”  Spread out.  Meet new people (employers AND Job Seekers). Make sure that you do not spend all of your time talking to people you already know, that defeats one of the most important reasons for attending a Job Fair – to meet new people and grow your network.
4. DO be clear about the kind of position you are seeking.  Have a career objective in mind, and stick with it.  This will help you and the recruiters find a better “fit” for you and the company.
5. DO keep your eyes open for opportunities to help connect others in your network.  If you can connect a potential employee with a potential employer, you will build credibility with both parties!  (Of course, this “DO” assumes that you have a network to share information with.  If not, build one NOW!)
6. DO have plenty of business cards and resumes to hand out.  Distribute the business cards liberally, and give a copy of your resume directly to a potential employer.  (In other words, don’t just set it on a pile, or it will probably go directly into a recycling bin!)
7. DO plan to meet 2 or 3 new people, get their business card, and ask if you can follow up with them for a cup of coffee within the next week . . . then DO follow up!  Remember, “the money is in the follow up!”

Have fun at these fairs.  They can be a great place to meet new people and learn about a company or two that you may have some interest in.  Just don’t expect to come away with a job, or you may be very disappointed.

In the Careers 2.0 job search process we compare the job search to the work of the sales and marketing professional.  This new and powerful model for job seekers may a bit unusual but it really works! In our model your resume is part of your marketing packet, and the interviews are where you proceed through the 5 steps of the sales process to make the sale.  In this article we take an in-depth look at the interview from the perspective of a professional sales person.  Granted, this approach will be uncomfortable for those of you who aren’t used to selling.  You may not like this approach.  You may not even choose to use this approach.  However, I encourage you to take a serious look at it and see what you can learn from a pro about making this very important sale – YOURSELF.

There are many sales models out there, and professional sales people will argue over the effectiveness of their preferred choice.  However, they all boil down to a few simple steps that, when followed, will help turn a prospect into a buyer. The five steps I see most often are:

1. Identify needs (or problems)
2. Qualify buyers
3. Present solutions
4. Handle objections
5. Close the sale

1)   Identify Needs. The needs identification process begins before you write your resume.  You want to have a clear understanding of what you have to offer and a specific knowledge of who needs it.  In the Careers 2.0 process this is step I and II – Assessment and Research. You want to make this step as precise as possible. Every good sales person will tell you that knowing your target audience is key to making the sale.  You don’t want to waste your time (or theirs) talking to people who don’t have need of your product or services. When you identify the needs or problems of your prospective employer you can prepare your interview questions and answers to demonstrate why you are the perfect candidate.

2)   Qualify Buyers. If you are selling cars, it is vitally important to know if you are talking to someone who is a serious buyer or just a “tire kicker.”  Likewise, in the job interview, you want to determine as quickly as possible if the person with whom you are meeting has the ability to make the hiring decision or if they are just trying to make a list to send up the food chain.  There are different tactics for each of these situations, and all of them equates to “making the sale.”  However, the “sale” in each instance may be different. In the interview process, “making the sale” equates to getting a job offer when you are meeting with someone who has hiring authority. In all other cases “making the sale” means “getting the next interview.” (For a deeper explanation of different types of interviews see “The Art Of Interviewing To Land Your Perfect Job”)

3)   Present Solutions. The most often and effective sales technique used by sales professionals combines asking questions with making a specific sales pitch.  You want to make certain that the prospect is engaged with you and still wants or needs your services.  To do that you will ask questions that help you identify/magnify the pain and simultaneously check to see if the prospect is still willing and able to buy.  In an interview you will most likely not be the one to ask the bulk of the questions.  However, a good job candidate will listen carefully, ask probing questions, and present her answers so as to address the specific problems that the interviewer has. This takes skill and practice!  We aren’t used to listening actively in our culture.  But it’s a skill you had better learn and practice if you want the job.  You can be certain that your most qualified competition has taken the time to learn how to listen and ask deep, probing questions.

4)   Handle Objections. This is where you have an opportunity to show your prospective employer why you are uniquely suited for the position.  If you have done a good job of steps 1 – 3, you will know ahead of time what objections might come up.  They typically fall into 2 categories: a) experience and b) personality.

1. Experience. Be aware that these objections may be left unspoken, so you will have to utilize your experience and intuition to know they exist.  The best way to overcome the experience objection is to come back to the needs the employer has addressed and highlight your ability to help fill their needs. Use your quantified CARS statements to show specifically how you have dealt with this issue in your past.
2. For personality objections, you will want to help the interviewer envision you in the position.  They want to know how well you will work with a team, how you will interact with leadership, and how well your personality fits with the corporate culture.  The best way to let them know this is to ask direct questions about the company, culture, and co-workers. It’s important that you feel a good fit as well, otherwise you will be at this job search again rather soon.

5)   Close the Sale. Sales professionals have a variety of “closing techniques” in their sales quiver.  These techniques have funny names like “the which close,” “the trial close,” “the take away,” and even “the red dress close.” Honestly, in my opinion, most of these techniques give sales people a bad name (can you say, “used car salesman?”). I recommend that most job seekers refrain from the use of such techniques. There are, however, some softer closing techniques that will help you move forward in the interview process.  I recommend the following 3 step approach.  This is what I call “the job interview soft close.”

1. Clarify with the interviewer that you have adequately addressed all of their needs, concerns and objections. Some good questions to use here include: “have I adequately addressed all of your concerns?” and “How do you feel my experience and qualifications meet your needs for this position?”
2. Ask for the “sale.”  Every sales trainer I know says that most sales are lost because the sales person did not ask for the sale.  One way to do this (softly) is by asking, “What are the next steps in this process?” This indicates your willingness to move forward and will give the interviewer an opportunity to end the interview process if it’s not going anywhere.  You could also ask, “After reviewing my qualifications, how well do you see me fitting into this position?”
3. Get a firm commitment for following up.  If the interviewer tells you he will call you next week, say, “Which day?  I’ve got several engagements next week and I want to be sure to block out some time for you.”  If they give you a day, ask what time.  Ask if it is ok to check back with them directly in 3 days to see where they are in the decision making process.  Get a direct phone number to call. Set a firm date and time and don’t forget to make the call at exactly that time. Treat that follow up call in the same way you did the face-to-face interview – which means you need to dress in business clothes and call from a quiet location, etc.

For more help on nailing the job interview be sure to sign up for email updates.  If you need more assistance with your job search consider checking out my book, “Career Crossroads” (affiliate link).

Job Interviews / Interviewing Related Posts

• Want to Ace the Behavioral Interview?
• How To Conduct An Informational Interview
• The Art of Interviewing to Land Your Perfect Job
• Interviewing Tips – a Video Montage
• 101 Job Interview Questions

Welcome December!  This month I am participating in a 30 Day Blogging Challenge with some other bloggers.  As you know, this blog is all about helping people find a new job. Not just any new job, mind you, but rather, the perfect career. That’s why we write about acing the interview, cutting time off your job search, and using Internet job boards (like LinkedIn, Monster.com, and Twitter).

This 30 day blog challenge will allow me to develop some new material to use in the Careers 2.0 website.  That means two things for you: 1) you get the opportunity to add your 2 cents to the conversation, and 2) you get it for free before everyone else! This blog is all about offering free job advice, free job resources, free resume examples, and much more. We deal with topics such as networking, building a personal brand, working with recruiters, unemployment, interviewing and salary negotiation. What would YOU like to see us cover during the 30 day challenge? I hope you will participate by adding your thoughts to the conversation.  Actually, it won’t be much fun without you! Oh, and don’t forget to pass the links along to your fellow job seekers.

While the long term goal of this blog is to help everyone in America find the perfect career for this time in their life, my short term goals are a bit more attainable. Here are my goals for 30 day blog challenge:

1. create 5 posts on Personal Branding as it relates to the job search.
2. create 5 posts on interviewing and interviewing tips for job seekers.
3. add 50 followers to Facebook blog list.
4. add 200 people to newsletter mailing list.
5. get 3 posts to get picked up by a national venue.

Thank you for joining (and encouraging) me on this 30 day blogging journey.  And don’t forget, happy hunting!

30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 1.  Tomorrow’s post: “Do You Have A Professional Photo?”

A recent Gallup Management Journal article encourages hiring managers and HR recruiters to begin “courting” qualified talent now for jobs that aren’t even available yet.  That’s because, even in a deep recession with so many people unemployed, recruiters have a tough time finding good candidates to fill important positions.

How can that be? Well, here’s my take on it. . .

I work with a ton of job seekers and see a lot of resumes. Most of them aren’t very good at presenting strengths that are most desirable to hiring managers.  Most resumes look like an obituary for someone who has led a very boring life.  Most job seekers present themselves in an unfavorable light, which makes FINDING good candidates a difficult task for recruiters and hiring managers. So one of the biggest problems in finding good candidates is with the candidates themselves.  Job seekers just aren’t showcasing their strengths to show up on the hiring manager’s radar.

A second problem is that hiring managers and recruiters receive more than 500 resumes for every position they publicize.  Who wants to search through a pile like that?  Of course, no one does, so hiring managers look first for recommendations from people they already know and trust.  Asking for recommendations makes their job easier and more manageable.

What if  you could be different?  What if you could develop a resume that was built around skills and abilities that recruiters and hiring managers are scrambling to find?  And then, what if you could get your resume recommended to hiring managers who are looking for people just like you to help solve their business problems?  If you could, don’t you think you would have a better shot at getting that perfect job?

If you utilize a system to help you clearly define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), you are in a much better position to be “found” by recruiters. In addition, effective networking will help you be one of the ones recommended for a position, rather than being one of the ones in the huge pile of applicants.

If you already have the tools to do these things, you should be spending 80 percent of your time networking and following your job search system.

If you don’t have a system yet, or don’t know how to go about networking, we’d love to help.  Just sign up for a FREE ACCOUNT with Careers 2.0 and get started. It’s fast.  It’s easy.  It works. We would like to help you become one of the ones being sought after by recruiters and hiring managers!  Get started today!

I just got off the phone with a friend who is scared, and well he should be!  His company employs over 600 people and has been around for more than 30 years.  They pride themselves on “never having had a massive layoff in the entire history of the organization.” That is. . . until today.

Today they let about 40 people go from the IT department — the first mass layoff in the company’s history.  My friend has worked there for over 5 years and has felt pretty secure in his job through this entire economic downturn.  That is. . . until today.

What are some of the warning signs of a pending lay off?

• Sales Staff leave. (What do they know that you don’t know?)
• Company initiates a freeze on hiring, even to replace people who retire or move.
• Projects (especially large building or IT projects) are put on the back burner or canceled all together.
• Your competitors are laying off staff.
• You are going through a business restructure.
• Upper management calls a special meeting to tell you that “we will not be laying off anyone in the foreseeable future.”  (This is a huge read flag!)
• Minor expenses (such as free coffee in the break room) are suddenly cut.
• Unexpectedly resignation of Senior management.
• Termination of contractors and temporary workers.
• Travel budgets frozen or cut back.
• Excessive political maneuvering by people who are “in the know.”

The wise person will pay attention to these warning signs and begin to prepare for a pending layoff.  Sticking your head in the sand will NOT help you if your company decides it’s time to cut staff.  If you want to land on your feet, you need to start developing your plan now.  Otherwise, you will be left high and dry, completely unprepared to weather the unemployment storm.

“That darn key broke off in the lock.  Boy, they just don’t make them like they used to.”

I heard that sentiment on several occasions from Don.  He was the custodian in the church where I grew up.  Don was a contentious old cuss.  He lived in the attic of the early 20th century classical style church building in downtown Portland with beautiful stained glass windows and lots of hidden spaces just right for playing sardines.  Because he lived there, Don thought the entire building belonged to him.  Those of us who attended church there (especially us youth) were just a nuisance.  It was obvious whenever we saw him that he couldn’t wait for us to leave so he could have his space all to himself. He was the king.  The church was his castle.

I remember a wedding that Don attended in his coveralls sporting his trademark disheveled hair and a stained shirt.  The bride’s father, a church pillar, asked Don to move the flowers from the sanctuary to the reception immediately following the service.  At the end of the service, while all heads were bowed in the nuptual blessing prayer, Don marched down the aisle and grabbed the flowers.  He waited for the bridal kiss and the pronouncement, then promptly followed the wedding party down the aisle to the reception.  We could hardly contain our laughs, knowing that if we had let them out there would be heck to pay. Afterall, this was Don.  Church was his life and being a custodian was his vocation.

I’ve been thinking about what it means to have a vocation — a life calling.  As much of a sour-puss as Don was, I think I learned a lot from him about what it means to live one’s life authentically.

Don knew who he was and what he wanted out of life.  He was a caretaker.  He was a church custodian.  He worked hard behind the scenes to keep the building running smoothly and looking decent.  He was called to that vocation early in life, and literally died on the job.  I worked along side Don on summer vacation throughout High School and College, so I got to see a side of him that others didn’t. Don knew his place and was comfortable giving of himself to taking care of the church.

Sometimes I wish I had the kind of clarity of self-understanding that Don had. I have changed careers about 4 times in my life . . . so far. I’m not certain what the next chapter  of my career will look like, but I hope I have the courage to follow my vocational calling — like Don did.

How about you?  When you think of your own career path and your own vocation, what comes to mind? I hope you have the courage to live out your vocational calling as Don did.

Of course, Don was one-of-a-kind, and they don’t make them like they used to.

You can find a lot of help for the job search on the Internet for free. Some of it is good, but a lot of it is simply bad advice. For instance, did you know that only about 4% of job seekers find their job through Internet job boards? That includes all of the Monster.coms and CareerBuilders put together. Only 4 out 100 people ever find a job using those tools! That’s because you, as a job seeker, are simply a commodity to those sites. Big companies pay a lot of money to have Monster and CareerBuilder send qualified candidates to them. You don’t pay a dime. That makes YOU the raw material that Monster/CareerBuilder sells to their clients.

Wading through the junk on the Internet could cost you valuable time in the job search. The question is, “how can you quickly sift through the bad advice to find the good advice online?” The answer is, “USE A SYSTEM.”

A job search system will help you get more out of your time online so you can get the face time you need to land the job. People who use a system (such as the CMS Careers 2.0 ARMS process) typically cut their job search time in half, negotiate for a higher salary, and find themselves in the perfect career for this time in their life.

Want to know more about the CMS Careers 2.0 ARMS process? You can sign up for a free account at www.CareerAdvice4U.com.

Happy hunting!