Career Consultations

I’ve been thinking about my exceptional vacation in relationship to my work, which includes recruiting for companies and dealing with candidates, both employed and unemployed.  Based on my experience, it’s the exceptional companies and people that win.  And how does this fit with my recent travels?

My definition?  Companies, including those in the all industries,  must differentiate themselves.  People, too, must understand how they are not average, but exceptional.

I’ll focus on two bed & breakfasts where we stayed, as examples of “exceptional,” two candidates and two companies to emphasize the need to understand that exceptional is the rule, not a rarity in this market.  Your company, your processes, your interview must be exceptional for success.

The first bed and breakfast where we stayed was very different from the next one, but we loved them both and would return to either, should our journeys lead in their directions again.

The Morning Glory Inn

The Morning Glory B&B is located near Cass, West Virginia.  We visited the area for its beauty and to ride an old steam train up and down a mountain.  Finding the place to stay on the Internet was easy as their website enticed us and was one of the few in the area.

Upon arrival, the impressive location and huge porch appealed to us.  The place was more like a small hotel. Our huge room contained a sitting area and desk with immediate Internet connections.  Internet and phone connections in the area are practically non-existent due to a “dead zone” near the train station and National Radio Astronomy Observatory, so we appreciated the attention to WiFi.  The owners understood the hospitality industry, requiring appeal to travelers.

I loved walking up the gravel road beside the Morning Glory as the scenery was spectacular.  The chill in the air, compared to the 100+ degree temperatures in Dallas, was wonderful.

Alas, we left to visit Asheville, North Carolina where we stayed at Louisa’s Porch, one of the many, many places to stay.  I think what caught our online attention is the word “convenient” as we would have only one full day to play in Asheville.  With only two rooms, we knew it would be small.

Lousia’s Porch

Located within three blocks of downtown Asheville in a funky neighborhood of restored homes, we enjoyed the area.  The owner is an IT guy with exceptional business acumen.  He’s hired two people to care for his place when he’s absent who actually are passionate about their work.  The owner joined us for the most wonderful breakfast we’ve had since our trip to Switzerland a number of years ago.  He took the time to show us places we wanted to see on the map.  He suggested a restaurant visited by the locals where we could walk.  Without him our visit would not have been exceptional.  Without the cooks our food would not have been exceptional.  How about blueberry waffles with a nutmeg cream sauce?

Both places proved in different ways their value by being exceptional.  Both demonstrated excellence through their owner’s knowledge and experience by setting themselves apart from the masses.

What does this mean for employed and unemployed people?  Let’s look at some examples of people in transition.

Lennie the Loser (not his real name, of course but a compilation of observed  issues)

Lennie had great skills but he wanted more money than the market suggests.  He was working close to home and the job opening I had available would be farther than he wanted to drive.  His question about telecommuting struck a sour note too soon in the process.  He was friendly and probably qualified but our conversation alerted me that he probably wasn’t a “fit.”  He might have been ok, but not great.

Evelyn, the Exceptional (not her real name and also a compilation of qualities)

Evelyn sent a message expressing interest, asking for details.  Next she sent her resume which explained her accomplishments and focused on the skills listed in the job description.  She mentioned how relevant her recent past would be and why she would be interested in the job.  She exuded confidence in her skills, citing her strengths and enthusiasm for working for another start up.  She was the crème de la crème of the many applicants for the job. She may have been somewhat “overqualified” but she convinced us she could do the mundane tasks as well as establishing the necessary accounting  processes.

Now let’s look at what  company culture says about an organization.  The two examples quickly demonstrate how process can help or hurt.

B. Slowwe Communications Corp (I hope there really isn’t one by this name)

The company was a start up but a well established, well respected company.  Unfortunately as I became acquainted with the team, I found they had no training in interviewing and the hiring manager kept changing the requirements.  They interviewed my candidates and if I got feedback at all, I was told, “not a fit.”  How could I find the right person with no specific feedback?  I dropped them after a few months as I felt my reputation for exceptional recruiting would become tainted if I placed anyone there.

B. Action Communications Corp (same)

When I talked with the CEO about working for this start up, he was able to articulate plans through the end of the year.  He knew what he wanted, emphasizing his desire for the best qualified candidates, AKA “super stars.”  He was open to people with and without degrees with varying numbers of years of experience for specific jobs, as long as they had the right skills and motivation.  He wanted exceptional people to work for his exceptional company with exceptional products.  I jumped at the chance to work for him as his direct reports on the team echoed the same attributes.

Summary

Are you exceptional?  Do you know how to portray your company as exceptional?  Do you know what makes you different (but not odd)?

Today is Labor Day, as I write, with 14 Million people out of work and an unemployment rate of 9.2% nationwide.  Let’s see what we can do to be exceptional people and companies to put these people back to work.  I loved the comment in the NY Times today:

“Perhaps Labor Day should be a day to consider the struggles of so many Americans eager to work but unable to find jobs. Perhaps it should be a day for parades of the unemployed, to remind us of the dignity of work and the indignity of being out of it.”

Being exceptional is a way to help our country and our people.  Being exceptional is the way to success.

You can subscribe to be notified when Ruth posts new jobs and articles.  She is the owner of Career Consultations and the author of MORE than a Paycheck: Inspiration and Tools for Success.

Perplexed and puzzled by job search, Jake attended the weekly accountability group. With seven months of unemployment under his belt and no viable job offers, he wants answers, leading quickly to a job.

Jake applied for over twenty positions and listened carefully when the facilitators at the various unemployment groups told him he must customize his resume for every opening. He claims he has 20 versions of his resume and his confusion centers upon how he can make his LinkedIn profile appealing to various hiring managers. He knows HR professionals, hiring managers, friends, neighbors and others will see his LinkedIn profile which might not agree with the resumes he’s submitted.

Dirk Spencer, is a fellow recruiter who speaks regularly on the topic of LinkedIn.

His most recent presentation entitled “LinkedIn for Recruiters” was held at the August luncheon of the Dallas Fort Worth Recruiters Network over 100 attendees. He responded to my inquiry.

Dirk

There should be very little difference between the resume and the LinkedIn profile with the core content and context. The smart job seeker is customizing both the resume and LinkedIn profile as he or she develops improved ways of communicating expertise.

Ruth

A resume or profile is never completed. A candidate must keep the profile fresh by periodically introducing nuances about skills. These updates can ensure the profile pops to the top or near the top of a search, whether in LinkedIn or posted on a resume job board like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com or Dice.com.

Dirk

This idea of “customized” resumes should be about variations of data compared to the risk associated with their competitive insights to their target companies.

Ruth

I agree. The same logic which makes having customized resumes a smart move requires making adjustments to a LinkedIn profile periodically, too.

Dirk, what about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), specifically including words in the profile and resume which will catch the search strings?

Dirk

SEO and search strings are two different concepts used interchangeable by mistake.

RUTH

Please explain this for our readers.

DIRK

A search engine does not use Boolean logic or a Boolean engine to index or catalog Internet web content. Most are now using sophisticated language pattern or inference engines. (Boolean is a particular way recruiters search for candidates online.)

Boolean logic engines are not all the same either. The Boolean engine inside Monster is not the same as the one inside of Dice or LinkedIn for that matter.

Bottom line – the software function of “search” and data “parsing” (mining) (Boolean, fussy logic, artificial intelligence…) are not created equal.

This is why it is important to know your industry’s history so you can traverse the keyword-yellow-brick road from keypunch to Droid apps.

RUTH

So you are saying it is important to know terminology from trends in business practice as described by the use of language or keywords?

DIRK

Yes. Candidates need to understand and use their industry jargon. It is important, not only to know the keywords and jargon, but also the abbreviations, acronyms and synonyms.

RUTH

How do you tie this together between the resume and profile on LinkedIn?

DIRK

The “how” is the secret sauce. The “how” forces people to do their homework.

Here are some examples of increased detail masquerading as “customized” resume content:

- Supported carrier based client

- Supported carrier based vendor

- Supported telephony carrier

- Supported telecom customer

- Supported area telecom company

- Supported carrier based telecom vendor

- Supported carrier telecom company Verizon®

Which statement is “customized” versus “clarified”?

Which statement belongs on the resume?

Which statement belongs on the LinkedIn profile?

If you said “it depends” and “all” then you understand!

“It depends” means you must weigh the risk associated with the research on the target job or target company against the level of detail that clearly defines your skills.

Ruth

Your examples are quite useful.

And the risk means you must add enough information in the resume that coordinates with the “core” data on the LinkedIn profile. If it deviates too radically in scale or scope it ultimately hurts the candidate.

Dirk

The resume and LinkedIn profile must be congruent, not identical, but congruent. If the data on the resume and the LinkedIn profile are not aligned, questions may arise instead of attracting the desired attention.

Consider the resume the Ying to your LinkedIn Yang. They should always complement each other. The same core data on both should be arranged to create your total brand message.

That is the goal!

Ruth

Thank you, Dirk, for sharing your insight. I urge our readers to attend your next presentation which is the Colorado Association Healthcare Executives (CAHE) 2011 Annual Conference.

If you are a recruiter, be sure to visit Dallas Ft. Worth Texas Recruiters Network to register for our next recruiter luncheon September 7, 2011.

Jason Leonard, Director of Recruiting at JC Penney will present Pipelining – Moving from Reactive to Proactive.

Be sure to connect with Dirk or Ruth on LinkedIn.

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Ruth Glover is the author of MORE than a Paycheck: Inspiration and Tools for Career Change, a book especially for those who want to change or move their careers in various ways. Be sure to contact her for additional information at www.morethanapaycheck.net or www.ruthglover.com.