Job Search Advice, Resume Writing Tips from a Career Consultant

Last week Suzy got a job offer. For about 5 years she'd held a job she disliked. The stories she told me validated her misery. The management was unfair, she hated having to sell anything, the product was boring and she was lonely in her home office. Ok I bought it.

With her new resume she got interviews and then ultimately a good job offer. She spoke very highly of the company, the opportunity and the job functions ... she was to become an International Customer Service Representative rather than a Sales Representative, her current state of persecution. She was excited. But when the offer came there was one big problem. It was less than she expected ... not less than she was worth and no less than she was making ... but less that she expected. Suzy was disappointed. Oh she accepted the offer all right. Why did she expect more? Ummmm because ... it was amazing how quickly she forgot how miserable she was with her current employer. It was all about unreasonable expectations for no substantive reason.

Marc however did turn down his job offer. His current job was in jeopardy because his company had been acquired by a bigger player so he began his search. He liked the new company that wanted to hire him; he was excited about the job (a step up) but because his offer didn't cover his wife's temporary income loss of $40,000 during relocation, he sent a "thanks but no thanks letter." He may never receive a better opportunity. She could have gotten another job once they relocated.

It's captivating how candidates will forget both how much they hated their last jobs or their current employment insecurities and what great opportunities they now have due to one factor ... Money ... When greed and ego set in logic is abandoned.

Remember, you have a Blue Book value and will be compensated accordingly. Of course compensation can be negotiated but based on justification and not on egotistical expectations or the need for YOUR household income. Beware of human nature!

Candidates traditionally associate pain, anxiety, fear and trepidation with changing careers or simply finding a job.

Without question, the modern candidate's fears and insecurities, encouraged by negative human nature, create a fertile atmosphere for the many common "career design killers." As outlined by Jay Block in a workshop I once attended to secure designation as a Certified Employment Interview Professional they include Fear of Failure, Fear of Success, Fear of Change, Complacency and Lack of Energy. They include:

Fear of Failure stops the candidate before he begins. It manifests itself in a million-and-one excuses regarding why he will not be able to find a new position. A powerful method to overcome fear of failure is to recognize and confront the consequences of inaction and realize the long-term effects of those perceived fears.

Fear of Success is a far more dangerous "killer" than Fear of Failure. Some folks are so accustomed to defeat that they orchestrate their own demise. It's actually more comfortable to stay in a habitual state of defeat because, probably during childhood, either a candidate's early role models lived in that mentality or damaged the candidate's self-esteem with discouraging messages. The best cure for this killer lies in those that are close to the candidate providing support and encouragement in repeatedly praising even the smallest accomplishment.

Fear of Change is known today as the unwillingness to leave one's "comfort zone." It takes real courage to be more than a creature of habit, but the employment market and economy are cyclical, and today there is no such thing as status quo. People are slow to change but the antidote is to again realize the repercussions of not adapting to changes you can't control. The cure? Modify your beliefs about change and you will alter your destiny. Accept change as another opportunity for gain.

Complacency is a silent assassin. It is defined as the sense of resignation when you accept your career as bearable. You have neither great dreams nor aspirations on the horizon. The result of this attitude is that the candidate is never seeking or prepared for opportunities when they are presented. This may be the most difficult culprit because there is no sense of urgency. Lack of momentum gives way to paralysis. To build up immunity the candidate must demand more from himself. Be a visionary. Act on his own behalf.

Lack of Energy is defined as the willingness of the mind to be productive but at the objection of the body. Physical energy is the key to career design success. Although I'm no fitness expert, I do know that too much caffeine, sugar and fat combined with a sedentary lifestyle is normally the culprit when my clients can't seem to "get it together." There are numerous sources to help a candidate with lifestyle changes, and though requiring strong discipline results are almost immediate.

Ever see the Drew Carey show titled "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" It's all about impromptu stand-up comedy which amounts to having to think of jokes on the spot with no advanced warning. The guys are wonderfully funny but more important, they are able to put together great responses upon demand. Are you?

I've noticed that many of my clients ramble on endlessly when asked critical interview questions. They are unprepared so they over-answer, sending the interviewer into a sound sleep. Just as cloudy resumes are passed over by impatient readers, so rambling responses suffer the same fate by attention-deficit interviewers.

The theories regarding why folks who should know better go all over the road on interviews are many. Some need to begin way back at the beginning when relating an accomplishment and others simply enjoy reminiscing about the past. Some believe that the more detail the better their chances. This assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Here are some tips:

• Imagine that your interview will only last 10 minutes. How would you bottom line your impact while in your jobs?
• How does each accomplishment attract this specific employer? Challenge yourself to describe, in just two sentences, why the accomplishment is important to your target.
• Think about the strategic impact of the accomplishment. What was the result? How did you make it happen? What were the initial problems / challenges?
• Imagine that to get an interview you are required to write an accomplishment on the back of a business card. What would you say in that small space that would have enough sizzle to get that interview?

Have you ever lost the attention of someone at a party when you suddenly saw his eyes looking past you toward the wrapped cocktail wieners? That's the best example of interview crash and burn around! Beware!