The "obituary résumé." Résumé mistakes!

Interview of Dick Hart (AKA the Résumé Doctor) by Ruth Sheehan of "The News & Observer"

quote:

The "obituary résumé." Dick Hart  says:

'That's a document that uses stuffy formal language to describe all the stuff someone did once upon a time.'

"What employers need to know is what you can do for them," he said.

By Hart's reckoning, a jobseeker has about 20 seconds to grab the attention of the future bosses.

He has a term of art for this, too. It's called the "rule of thumb." Pick up a standard 81/2-by-11 sheet of paper. Your thumb lands about 3 inches from the top of the page.

"If you don't hook 'em by the time they get to their thumb, you can forget it,"

:end quote

The rest of the article is here:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/sheehan/story/1531741.html however its a bit like Hart's resume advice... once you get to the thumb the rest is a bit useless.

Free blank résumé with examples résumé form orglearn index

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Career Help/Tips/Advice and Experience

Three positives that worked for me:

1) Being published in a prestigious magazine as an technical 'expert' in my field - So work at getting yourself published because it gives you credibility with your bosses and colleagues and brings 'status' to your company.

2) Asking for a promotion that I knew I was qualified to handle when a vacancy in a position I sought appeared - If you get a no then ask what do I need to learn to be suitable the next time a similar position is available (then learn it).

3) Undergoing retraining in a new skill set as economic or technological change made past skill and experiences less valuable - Deregulation of the Australian finance/banking sector meant my kill set became redundant, moved into manufacturing then retrained into advertising then retrained into management and leadership training facilitation.

One Positive from a friend:

4) You hear it all the time... but I think you can never do it enough and that's NETWORKING. Stay in contact with people from past jobs, vendors you worked with, others from your same career field, neighbors, the list goes on and on. Can't tell you how many times a person from my past positively affected my career when I least expected. If I hadn't stayed on contact and kept the relationship nurtured those positive outcomes would have never happened.

One negative for me:

Stopped listening to my staff and their concerns as I became totally focused on my perceived goals and what the senior management wanted - You can't do it alone nurture you staff and co-operate with your colleagues, particularly in HR the staff and other divisions are your internal customers not somebody to hold power over and rule. the best way to make yourself look good is to make you staff look good and publicize their successes.

Wisdom

"In the Midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." 

- Deepak Chopra 

From ELBERT HUBBARD'S historic book "A MESSAGE TO GARCIA"

'My heart goes out to the person who does their work when the "boss" is away, as well as when he [or she] is home. And the person who when given a letter for Garcia [(task)], quietly takes the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets "laid off," nor has to go on strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long, anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a person asks shall be granted. He [or she] is wanted in every city, town and village - in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such; he [or she] is needed and needed badly - the person who can carry a message to Garcia'.

"A MESSAGE TO GARCIA" SURELY A MUST READ FOR ALL - COMPETENCE AND COMMITMENT THE SECRET OF SUCCESS.

Ric-orglearn career advice & resume form

Job Searching in a Recession - Great Advice

Article by - Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor 

quote: "During a recession it is best to move forward with force, while your competition is moving slowly. It is easy to use the economy as an excuse," says Roberta Chinsky Matuson, president of Northampton, Mass. based Human Resource Solutions. "Successful job seekers know that even in tough economic times, there are opportunities. You just have to dig a bit deeper."

If you are getting ready for a job search during troubled times, here are some tips from the experts. :endquote

The rest is at http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-975-Job-Search-Job-Searching-in-a-Recession/

A truly worthwhile read *****

More career advice and a free blank resume form and cover letter tips

How do I Stay Motivated During a Takeover?

Perhaps this readers question (see below) should be (and maybe is) How do I Survive or even thrive in a when being taken over?

Here is the actual question...

"I would like to ask you on how an HR Person would still feel motivated and make subordinates motivated in the mids of buy-out?

Honestly speaking, it is quite difficult on my part to retain employees with this kind of issue.  I myself is also affected, and yet should show a different aura infront of the employee though..."

Possible approach...

When my company was taken over I took the advice of my brother-in-law who had a similar experience and did well. He said, 'engage yourself in the process, look positively on the change, work towards the new team goals, become an asset to the merger/takeover team, look to the future and their vision forget the past and most of all stay away from the detractors, the fearful and the resistors.' In other words sell yourself to the new management.

Note: I did also well, became a liaison officer for the staff on both sides was included in a roadshow to explain the new vision and ended up with a better position in the 'merged' company.

Ric

p.s. ...and spruce up your resume (just in case), cover letter resume form or is that a bit demotivating?

In Management, Keep it Simple (from BNET)

Good BNET article by Steve Tobak

"Some people have a knack for making things more complicated than they need to be."

"In 9 Notable Management Trends (or Fads), you’ll notice that simple concepts - such as core competency - have been successful over the long haul, while complex ones - like matrix management (which Yang employed at Yahoo, incidentally) - haven’t stood the test of time." 

The rest is here http://blogs.bnet.com/ceo/?p=2109&tag=nl.e713

Ah yessss... the old "value adders" versus "energy suckers" problem!

In a complicated company, working for a complicated boss... new career... a resume form to get ready to move on :-)

"What's the balance of your Trust Bank?"

Quote: Steven Covey, in his "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" first introduced the notion of trust, not as a soft social virtue, but as a hard edged economic driver that can be deposited and withdrawn from one's emotional bank account. He suggested that it takes a long time to build up the trust balance by way of small deposits and this balance can be quickly depleted with just one withdrawal - as in this example… :enduote

Wisdom from Bob Sheldone MD Australian National Learning Institute

The rest is here:

http://www.management-issues.com/2009/3/31/opinion/whats-the-balance-of-your-trust-bank.asp

Time for a new resume?! resume form and and information on how to write a resume

Ric-oeglearn

Getting Squeezed by Your Employer

"More employers are using the recession as an excuse to roll back employee benefits, force unpaid time off or fire workers."

quote: from article “This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute [assume US], about the number of employers “squeezing” employees in the name of a bad economy. :end quote

Interesting read the full article is at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30154965/

Time to update your resume... resume form index how to write a resume with examples

Ric-orglearn

'It's time for an assessment of career goals'

Some truly well thought out advice...

"Whether you are jumping into a job search or considering an alternative path, you need to revamp your resume while your work experience is still fresh on your mind. You don't need to hire a professional to do the work for you. Resume writing is a skill that everyone should develop, and there are cheap and easy ways to learn." There is more about doing your resume.

This comes from an excellent article in the Winston-Salem Journal where they also discuss; if you are "laid off" the following questions need to be considered...

"Do you need job re-training?" Do you want the same profession? "Do you want to return to work?"

The article is here:

 http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/apr/12/after-a-layoff-its-time-for-an-assessment-of-caree/business/

Free resume form fill in the blank resume online! More career advice !

Ric www.orglearn.org

CAREER ADVICE - how to write a resume

New information regarding how and what to emphasize in your employment cover letter has been added to orglearn as have new resume examples and information.

There is now additional career advice on management in the form of a series of short lessons/articles.

The user interface has been further resourced with more tips on how to write a resume and usability has been expanded in that you can now join the resume form site and submit questions or make comments. 

Ric-orglearn

THREE MORE QUICK SALES TIPS

REFERRALS:

If the sale is made and the order signed, salespeople (as against order takers) should then ask, ”Fred who do you know that might also benefit from this product/service/widget”. All to-do lists and of course sales reports should include a referrals section and if they don’t come back with at least one from each satisfied customer find a sharp object and insert it where it will inflict the most pain.

PROSPECTING TIP:

Ask if they look in the phone book, you think I’m joking, bet most of your sales staff have never even thought of it. Those who have are often intimidated…. it’s a lot of names and it looks like a lot of work, “hmm best not tie up the phone, a customer might be trying to call me”… Slip outside and grab a couple of your sales “experts” and ask them how they prospect, (take your blood pressure pills with you).

ANOTHER SIMPLE PROSPECTING TIP:

Where to prospect… existing customers, suppliers, colleagues, investors, advisors, associates, family, friends, acquaintances, researched leads, past customers, public presentations, civic activities, networking, trade shows, competitors internet sites, next door

Looking for a new sales position resume form and cover letter - orglearn

SALES - 2 MORE QUICK TIPS

THE NUMBERS GAME:

Rule of thumb, ten cold leads will get one prospect, ten prospects will get one customer. How many calls a week is that against the number of customers you expect from each salesperson. More importantly how many contacts are your salespeople really making a week? Selling is a numbers game, the more we talk to, the more we get. Make sure they are networking.

TESTIMONIAL TRICK:

Third party testimonials are very powerful but hard to get. The best way to do it is to ring up the customer (when you know things have gone well) and ask questions that you know will get positive responses. Then ask permission to write the customers experience down, ask permission to send it to him/her and then ask that he/she put it on the company letterhead and send it to you. If you ask customers to write testimonials they will always be too busy, this way you take the thinking out of the process and most will accede to your request.

www.orglearn.org

Sell yourself into a new organization...

resume samples I resume examples I blank resume I resume form

MORE STEPS FOR SETTING UP A LEARNING ORGANIZATION - TWO

The only way to improve is to learn and as continuos learning is an imperative, what other steps do we need (according ‘mostly’ to Mitch McCrimmon) to create organizations that learn?

To continue…

5. Form learning partnerships with suppliers, distributors, and customers - set up feedback mechanisms such as focus groups, R&D joint ventures and customer survey mechanisms.

6. Have all positions applied for and include outsiders in our recruitment drive – only appoint the best in their field and avoid the all to familiar ‘best of a bad bunch’ in times of competence shortages.

7. Benchmark our culture against other entrepreneurial firms – seek ways to understand key success factors for the market leaders in our field and study the oppositions’ successes.

8. Set up a readily accessible knowledge bank and ‘experience’ network of mentors, gurus and experts in their field.

9. Celebrate and recognize attempts to learn by employees who take a market risk and publicise within our organization by initiating fast real world feedback mechanisms.

FROM A VERY GOOD BOOK – ALMOST A MUST BUY 

NB Adapted from - ‘Unleash the Entrepreneur Within’

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STEPS FOR SETTING UP A LEARNING ORGANIZATION - ONE

Remembering that the only way to improve is to learn and the only proof of learning is a change in behaviour, how can we create organizations that learn and more importantly change?

1. Budget, time, money and manpower to achieve both individual and organizational learning – ensure management and ALL employees see learning as a ‘real target’ and set up mechanisms to ensure accountability and to measure results.

2. Identify strategic learning areas for your business and where new products or product innovations are likely to yield the quickest and greatest payoff – invest most of you’re resources in these areas.

3. Empower your work force to take risks in the market by decentralising decision making – particularly encourage those in areas of key knowledge. 

Note: Many empowerment programmes in Asian operations of international organizations run in to problems because of cultural attitudes (and beliefs) related to power and responsibility, be careful in implementing this option!

4. Set up a system of on job training, job rotation, provide incentives and support for personal development – initiate a PD (personal development) discussion process.

THESE ARE EASY, THE HARD ONES NEXT ISSUE

Looking to join a learning organization? Need a resume form? orglearn!

REINFORCEMENT THEORY – ‘THE CARROT & THE STICK’

Theorists who support this ‘motivation’ approach believe that we need not be concerned about follower’s internal mental states, prior knowledge, learning styles or current levels of an individual’s understanding (internal cognitive events). Rather they argue that ‘reinforces’, (consequences that immediately follow behavior) will, if they are ‘good’ lead to a repetition of the behavior and if they are ‘bad’ will lead to an avoidance of the behavior.

Although this theory is accepted in many circles, (because its easy and we don’t need to think too hard to apply it) experience shows that this philosophy ignores much that is known about human behavior. In addition it is likely (particularly if applied in isolation) to stimulate behavior designed to do as little as possible to avoid the ‘stick’ and as little as possible to gain acceptable levels of reward or the ‘carrot’.

If the object of creating motivated staff is to strive to create excellence and superior performance the danger of using this technique is that the leader/manager will only create a comfortable state of trouble free mediocrity.

Do you ever say to yourself... god this is a mediocre bunch...or that department is a poor performer... perhaps you should look at they're boss and ask him/her to stew his/her carrots over someone else's fiery sticks... 

YOU CAN LEAD A MULE TO WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE IT REPRODUCE

Do you ever say to yourself "new job need a better resume"... resume form

MOTIVATION - EQUITY THEORY THREE

To prove to followers that “equity” exists leader/managers must openly share the reward decision-making process. If it is not an acceptable option, then at least an open sharing on how decisions where made must be offered. The process must also be seen as being consistent and in line with unbiased practices. The object of this approach is to prove:

Procedural Justice, i.e. a decision process that is perceived as fair and…

Distributive Justice, i.e. there is a fair allocation of available rewards.

Experience shows that employees will devise any manner of measurements to test the justice of relative staff situations. For example I once had a colleague who was displeased with a $4,600.00 salary increase because staff in more junior positions where given a $ 2,100.00 increase which represented 12% over their previous pay levels. The cause of the discomfort was that the colleague had only received an 8% increase hence the gap between the two positions had narrowed causing a perception of an inequitable margin between the two jobs or a perceived diminution in his relative importance, which he saw as unjust.

The validity of this theory really becomes obvious and proven when we are engaged in something as mundane as allocating new company car parks or redesigning office layouts. The tension, bickering and office politics that grows from this type of activity can be truly amazing.

INEQUITY CAN TURN ADULTS INTO CHILDREN OR EVEN WORSE, POWERFUL ADULTS CAN TURN INTO DEMANDING PARENTS.

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Leaders in Tough Times - Remember Maslow?

Maslow

‘Basic human needs are arranged in a hierarchical order’

Townsend

“Individuals constantly move up and down the pyramid depending on how the perceive their current and potential situation”

According to Maslow ‘there are two major groups of human needs: basic including physiological, such as food, water, and sleep and psychological, such as affection, security, and self-esteem. These basic needs are also called deficiency needs because if an individual does not meet them, then that person will strive to make up the deficiency.’

‘The higher needs are called growth needs. These include such things as justice, ‘goodness’, order, unity, glamour, status, beauty and self-fulfillment. Deficiency needs Maslow argued take priority over growth needs. People who lack food or water cannot attend to justice or beauty.’

So in the current climate leaders will need to concentrate on making their followers feel ‘secure’. I would be searching for articles on “motivation”  (Google) and be keeping this issue at the top of my (your) mind over the next 12 - 24 months. Now is the time to be carefully listening to the concerns of your followers and perhaps taking on the “leader as servant” advice.

This is the third time I have been through this situation and it reminds me of how everyone feels during a merger or takeover. During stressful times all questions about work or the company are really just one question in many disguises. What is that question… “What’s going to happen to me”?

This worldwide situation is a paradigm shift and ‘when there is a paradigm shift everyone goes back to zero’ - Joel Barker

It is s also time to update your resume (blank resume) (resume form)

Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy

Self–actualization

Growth, Achieving one’s potential, Self-fulfillment

Self Esteem

Self Respect, Status, Recognition, Autonomy, Achievement

Social

Belonging, Social Activities, Love and Affection, Acceptance and Friendship

***Safety

Security, Protection from danger both physical and emotional

***Physiological

Hunger, Thirst, Sleep, Shelter, Sex and other bodily needs

Ric

Richard Townsend

www.orglearn.org

FREE BLANK RESUME FORM

A free on-line template where you fill in the blanks (with a positive statement examples guide) and then print out your resume. Resume writing is a great way to document your ‘employability’ or to check how well you are progressing with the ‘commercial’ realities of what you have to offer employers & they should be done yearly particularly at annual appraisal time etc...

The blank form and links to tips are here blank resume or direct to the form here: resume form

With tough economic times are occurring it is even more important to keep our resumes up to date and well written and effective! Well done resumes get interviews and interviews get jobs!

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