Career Consultations

The other day the neighbor child, age 10, announced that he will attend Harvard for a PhD, either in computer science or law.  When I queried him a little more, he told me he would have a full scholarship, too!  I think he will accomplish that goal. Why?  As this child told me, “…because my parents both have PhDs!”  His parents enforce study time and summer school.  It shows!

What influence did your mom and dad have on your career?  Were you encouraged as a child or told you were a loser?  What tapes do you play in your head from you childhood?  Maybe, with Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s time for introspection about your family’s influence.  Maybe we need to rid the cobwebs in our brains from some negative influence or pay attention to the good advice our moms provided.  Maybe mom was right when she suggested you be a teacher!   She saw you helping others and instructing your younger siblings.  And you still love to tell people how to do things!

Were you encouraged to find a “calling” or get a job?  In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review, Bill Barnett discusses How to Make Your Job more Meaningful, but he failed to mention how critical our childhood is in our careers.  What is the message you received when you wanted to go in the military?  What did you mom say when you told her you wanted to be an artist or study graphic arts?

Maybe your work atmosphere is stifling or critical and you should bail.  You were allowed maximum creativity growing up.  You may want a career change, but simply moving to another corporate culture where innovation is appreciated may solve your dissatisfaction.  Career change is far more difficult than changing jobs.

Did someone plant a seed that never grew or overpowered your aspirations?  Sometimes we must do menial, unpleasant tasks, yet staying in a hostile work environment will affect your entire family.  Loyalty is a virtue you may have learned, but moving to another job may be what is needed.  Your role model may have been loyal to a fault.   Your current allegiance may not be healthy for you!

When you think about the affect your mom may still hold on your career, common sense requires that you analyze the affect.  Take time to reflect.  Is your mom proud of you or is it pretense?  Are you proud of your accomplishments or sick of what you are doing?  Were you raised to think being a workaholic is simply part of life?  Or was there balance?

Pause, not just to say thanks to mom, for all her diligence and hard work, but consider the clear and present consequences of your situation.  Is it time to let go of some of what she said or take heed?  And if she’s still living, maybe you need to take her some flowers, too!

For many years I’ve said that job search is like getting married, but I’ve never written about it.  Let’s say Joe found a girlfriend and his wife threw him out.  Compare that to Joe’s company discovering his inaccurate expense reports, coupled with fraternizing with the new programmer down the hall.  He cleaned out his desk and crawled into a cave.  Not the same?  Or is it?  Joe will ride a roller coaster, regardless of which happens.  The emotional impact and stages to the next step on his life ladder are similar.

Stage 1-Networking/Finding Leads

Today every dog in town is preaching “networking, networking, networking.”  But many misunderstand what is meant by networking, which is NOT just attending a meeting and collecting business cards.  If you look for a spouse via business cards or online, you may be single a long time.  The job seeker who thinks networking means showing up for the meeting and leaving immediately when it ends, will search much longer than others.  You must get to know people for the end results you want!  Leads often come from unexpected sources.  Neither beg for dates nor a job.  You earn respect and become acquainted before achieving success.

Stage 2-Dating/Research

When we are searching for the right partner, whether in business or marriage, we determine common interests and try out the friendship or possible temporary “opportunity.”  We see how the individual acts on a date.  Does the individual arrive on time?  Is he or she polite and caring?  Does the person work diligently to please?

In job search the process is not much different.  The employer checks people who might know you, in addition to references.  The hiring manager may invite you to interview multiple times, trying to decide if you have the right skills and experience for his or her business family.  You must discover whether you want to spend as much or more time with this corporate culture than your own family.  Will you fit the conservative or fun atmosphere?  Do you like the people you meet?  What about the guy who made rude remarks to you and grilled you until you wanted to cry.  Yes, you may need a job.  But pay attention.  This is a life decision!

Stage 3-Engagement/Interview

Engagements can be very short term.  The woman who meets a gorgeous man in the bar and marries him the following week rarely stays with the situation very long.  The hour long interview may be too short but, in our society, the process can be exceedingly brief.  Discernment is incredibly important when the engagement or interview is brief.

On the other hand, the company who interviews you, requiring five interviews and four months to make a decision may not be the fast paced atmosphere you want for thriving and surviving.  You don’t want to accept too many short term jobs, unless per chance, you are a professional contractor who never wants a full time, ongoing job.

Stage 4-Marriage/The Job

So you give each other rings and take a honeymoon.  You love him and he loves you.  It’s a marriage made in heaven.  Then the little bumpkins come along with essential adjustments, BIG adjustments, like sleepless nights, piano lessons and dental appointments.

Likewise in your new job, you soon realize who really wields the power and how you accomplish goals with simplicity, rather than angst.  You learn to cope.  As they say, “The honeymoon is over.”  No more romance but some drudgery and wonderful challenges in the new endeavor.

Stage 5-Divorce/Job Loss

Finding the actual divorce rate in the US is difficult, but articles claim that fewer people are getting married and fewer are getting divorced.   (Sounds like more contract jobs in the offing!) Trends over the years concur with what is currently happening, additionally predicting that although fewer are marrying, their marriages will last longer.

You may find yourself facing divorce from your mate when happiness in the relationship is completely gone.  You may find yourself on the job market when there is a reorganization.  The pain is often inevitable but it can be a healthy change.  Divorce and layoffs are rarely easy.

People seem to be afraid to commit to one another.  They look for perfection and find faults when they date and marry.  This happens all the time in job search.  The hiring manager needs to fire the last “yoyo” his boss encouraged him to bring on board.  He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again as training the new person incurs time and money.  So he puts off the decision to  fire the boss’ friend.   Progress is non-existent.  When the hiring manager refuses to take action, it affects the bottom line.  Finally, he must face the reality that this relationship must end and terminates the individual, the same as Joe had to find another place to live.  Waiting for the shoe to drop in marriage and an unstable job is painful for all concerned.  Knowing you are not appreciated at work can affect your relationships at home.

Whining and stewing about your marriage or job situation isn’t healthy.  Either improve the situation or move on.

Stage 6-Conclusion

Yes, finding a new job is like getting married.  There is no perfect mate and there is no perfect job.  You must separate the emotions and facts to determine whether you have a match made in heaven or one which can be hell.

Below are some URLs you might want to read about this same topic.

http://familylaw.typepad.com/stats/divorce_rates_us/

http://www.examiner.com/networking-in-national/plan-your-job-search-like-a-wedding

http://www.professionalpenwriters.com/2011/03/16/job-marriage/

http://www.city-data.com/forum/relationships/923147-why-dating-like-job-hunting.html

Ruth Glover is a technical recruiter who volunteers regularly to assist people in job transition.  She wrote the book MORE than a Paycheck: Inspiration and Tools for Career Change to provide role models for people who want to move their careers forward.  You may want to register to be notified when she posts.

Last week I read an article titled Suits are Passe.  Although I have two relatively new business suits, I feel a little over dressed in them.  When I make a sales call, I want to look stylish.  When I make a presentation, I want to look sharp, up to date.  The article I read addresses women’s attire only, so I decided to explore deeper since I coach many people in job transition through my recruiting, outplacement and volunteer activity.  I contacted many of my colleagues, both men and women in the Dallas area and in other states, since I recruit nationwide.

Additionally, I talked with job seekers to hear their views.  The difference between my colleagues and the job seekers demonstrates the need for discussion.  I gathered enough information to publish a two part series.  Part one is for our female readers.

Mitch Byers, HR Director at Jefferson Dental Clinics summarizes the research, when he says, “Like so many other things in life, it depends….It depends on the company and the position. Someone interviewing for a position as press foreman at a local print shop might dress business casual or wear a golf shirt, where a bank manager position around the corner would warrant a suit.”  But there are guidelines to gain, as a result of my un-scientific research.

Suit or No Suit

Whether you are the interviewer or interviewed, you need to update your look.  Ann Luna, sales recruiter, who places sales professionals in the Dallas area recognizes what can happen.  “Don’t pull out your 2001 business interview suit and attempt to squeeze yourself into it because that was what you wore the last time you interviewed.”  What looked great a few years ago is no longer the norm.  Although a suit is not really wrong, some companies want to see how you’d fit within their casual atmosphere through how you dress.

If you are in the financial, banking or legal industries, suits will work and are ordinarily required.  Gaudy jewelry, low cut blouses or tops are not a good way to begin.  You need to be hired for your skills, not how you look.  Pants suits or a layered look, with dark slacks and a colorful jacket over a plain blouse can be quite stylish.  A pretty scarf or elegant piece of jewelry on a boring suit may help you feel more confident.

Dye or not  Dye

Dying your hair can be an asset or liability.  Beautiful white or gray hair may actually be an asset, yet if you are competing with 20 year olds, you may want to cover the “snow.” Your hair needs to look natural.   A touch of gray may be better than solid black dye which could look severe.  Many women have highlights in their hair, which may provide a more fashionable appearance and competitive edge. You don’t want the interviewer to be staring at your coal black hair rather than asking about your accomplishments!  Women need to be sure their roots are not showing.  Unless you are interviewing for a beautician’s job or a retail establishment where tattoos and purple hair are the norm, you need a complimentary hairdo.  Many women with long hair may prefer to wear it swooped upward.  Just be sure it’s not falling in your eyes, as the interviewer might be greatly distracted, wanting to swat it to see you better.  Maroon or brassy red hair is better left until the new colleagues are sure of your competence.  You can be more flamboyant, based on the area of the country, the interviewer’s preference and the specific industry.

If you have been out of high school or college for more than five to ten years, are you still wearing your hair the same way?  A good hair stylist can help, even if you have challenging hair that is too curly or too straight.

Heels or No Heels

Unless you are going to an advertising agency where everyone dresses like fashion models, the extreme heels with platforms are not advised.  Really!  Your wobbly walk might be the focus, rather than your skills.  Low heels or stylish flats are appropriate.  No tennis shoes, of course!  Nice sandals are fine in the summer.  More people are wearing fashion boots in the winter.

Culture or no culture

An interview is two-way communication.  Will you fit the corporate culture?  Be sure to ask the person who contacts you for the interview what you should wear.  The companies who are business casual all the time may want you to see how you fit their relaxed atmosphere.  And you need to determine if sharing a cube with someone in this company could be disasterous.

You simply need to look sharp.  Although some hiring managers and recruiters are a bit disappointed that suits are no longer as common, they are looking for your skills and personality fit more than how you are dressed.  You need to feel comfortable in what you are wearing.  As Ann Luna said in her comments, “You can be up to date without being too trendy.”

Your appearance is just one rung on your ladder to success.  You need to suit the company but what you wear is only one factor in achieving the goal.

I want to thank my colleagues who took the time to respond.  Space is limited for comments, but all their ideas are incorporated in this article.  Part 2 will be shorter.  Men’s attire is far less complex, but equally as important.  Feel free to add your comments.

Ruth Glover is the author of MORE than a Paycheck: Inspiration and Tools for Career Change. If you’re thinking about a career change, you’ll want to read the 20 stories about real people who have moved their careers in various directions.  You may contact her though www.morethanapaycheck.net.

Why does China pertain to you?  Are you open to global opportunities?  Are you connecting with people you know outside your immediate area of expertise?  Are you staying in touch with your boss who moved to Malaysia?  What about that friend of yours who moved to Budapest?

According to my former colleague, Francesco Masetti-Placci, China is a wonderful place to live and work.  Reading articles about the economic opportunities in China or India  sounded so far away for my colleagues or me.  But the more I think about it, the more likely we all need to consider global careers.

Francesco is a fabulous example of the globally oriented engineer.  When I met Francesco, he was Director of Research and Development for Alcatel in Richardson.  He’d already migrated from Italy to the US, later returning to Italy for a two year assignment with Alcatel in strategy and marketing.  From there he moved to China for the company to develop business in the Asia-Pacific market.  When that assignment ended, he took a few months to decide what the next step in his career would be.  And he’s still in China!

Francesco and I re-connected through Linkedin, after many years.  He’s truly a “renaissance man” in today’s marketplace.  Willingly and with excitement, he’s creating his own career adventure.

Francesco is now a part of a small, growing consulting company with a niche and connections doing business with companies who need, not only advice, but also people willing to take calculated risks with developing their careers in new ways.

Certainly there are families who can’t move but the ones who are stuck in a rut, unwilling to move into our global, electronic world may be left behind in the dust.  If you are an entrepreneur, you want the best profits for whatever your endeavor may be.  That may not be in China.  With the right advice, your innovative idea may become reality in Argentina or Allen, Texas.

You may want and need to take some classes to prepare for the idea of being employed abroad or owning your own company.  Southern Methodist University, as well as University of Texas-Dallas in Dallas offer excellent programs.  My bet is you can find classes in your area or online to help you fill the gaps in your background before moving forward.

If you have a creative idea for a business, think globally.  You may work from your garage after writing a plan on a napkin, as innovation is critical in this economy.  Experts exist to encourage and help you.  Brainstorm your ideas.  Make some plans.  Research and revise the plans.  Leaving relatives and friends may be difficult, but with our global communications, you can easily stay in touch.  Being open to change prevents missing opportunities!

Are you a calculated risk taker?  Can you willingly adapt new ways to use your skills?  I bet you know some people like Francesco.  And if you don’t, I have some more stories to share in upcoming articles to encourage you to think globally!

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GUEST AUTHOR: Murli Melwani

from the Dallas Morning News

The term “persons in transition” is rich with possibilities of interpretation. It can range from an echo of Buddha’s immortal saying, “Change is the only constant in life” to the heartbreaking situation of people out of work today.

Recently I attended a meeting conducted under the auspices of JOB, named after the Biblical unfortunate, but really an acronym for Job Opportunity Basics.

Invited by Ruth Glover, one of the coordinators of the JOB Group, to introduce ourselves, I heard snippets of human drama: the mother of a challenged child juggling situations and losing jobs; an engineer being told after being interviewed three times by the same company that he was overqualified for the position; a systems designer announcing that he had filed six applications in six days; a man with experience in sales and engineering being told over and over again that the opening was not for a “generalist.” There were 16 such cameos.

The expressions I saw on the faces of the participants, the range of body language, the variety of inflexions in voices, were a testimony to both the frailty as well as the strength of the human spirit. Eyes around the table showed the disappointment from losing an opportunity to an internal candidate. A flicker of anger surfaced as an injustice was narrated; the anger harnessed a moment later. The dull narration of one’s circumstances reflecting the shell-shock of being laid off recently. Some struggled with focus even though they knew goal setting was important. All of us reached out in our own ways to the other 15.

The speaker of the evening, Jan Moorman, spoke about the career changes she had made at considerable financial and emotional cost. “But a trapeze artist cannot swing from one trapeze to the other if he does not let go of the bar.” That attitude had in fact opened her up to opportunities.

Her talk struck a chord. When Ruth Glover asked us to share what we were taking away from the evening, several people said we must “make a leap of faith,” have the courage to follow our dreams, develop a passion, go with the flow and be ready to make sacrifices in its pursuit.

What surfaced was our shared humanity. Dick mentioned three openings he had learned about that others in the room were free to apply for. Jane confided that volunteering had been a shortcut to a job for a friend. John said he was ready to give up his current position for a job that would perhaps pay less but allow him more human interaction. Bob mentioned an opening in a finance company.

Everyone was ready to share the information.

Custer Road United Methodist Church sponsors the JOB Group with volunteers Ruth Glover and her co-coordinators — Roy Hunter, Sara Owen, Locke Alderson and Craig Gussow — to host the JOB meetings on its premises. The format of the group is interesting. The résumé review and interviewing tutorials take place on the first Tuesday of the month. A subgroup, called the Advanced Action Accountability Group, or the AAA Group, consisting of those who have a completed résumé, know how to interview and understand networking, meets every week, on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m.

On the fifth Tuesday of the month, the JOB Group invites a speaker. The speaker is a specialist in his field and the talk invariably relates to issues connected with job searches.

There is no charge, nor any conditions, for attending JOB Group meetings. I can’t recognize angels with wings. But I can spot one in human form; when I do, I don’t hesitate to recommend her volunteer work to others.

(THANK YOU, MURLI, FOR SUCH A NICE ARTICLE ABOUT OUR GROUP!)

Murli Melwani is a Plano resident. His blog can be read at www.indoenglishstories.blogspot.com. His e-mail address is murli@unigain.net. Contact Ruth Glover at 972-208-2333 .  You can subscribe to be notified when she posts new articles.

Steve Jobs is the founder and CEO of Apple Computer, NeXT and Pixar.

“I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky that I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parent’s garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation – the Macintosh – a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down – that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me that I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything that all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

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.

You may want to subscribe to be notified of new posts.

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.

Location:                  North Carolina or Atlanta

Position number:  84164

Are you ready for change?  Have you thought about wanting to change jobs but don’t want to move?  If you live in places like Raleigh or Charlotte or maybe Atlanta, then continue reading.  Our client needs a motivated Regional Sales Manager who knows the intricacies of Power Management in the semiconductor world.  The client develops, manufactures and sells power conversion components and systems.

Established about 30 years ago and publicly traded, the opportunities are vast for the right person, who would not have to move.  Most of the customers in this region are centered in the Southeast, although the geographic area covers the entire East Coast.  You will be increasing sales and caring for an already established region with fabulous opportunity for growth with the improving economy.   Product knowledge will be coupled with your understanding of market trends and emerging industries to assist the channels and independent sales representatives’ participation in bottom line growth.

Requirements:

• BSEE or equivalent and 7 years or more of successful sales experience with active electronic component sales.
• Knowledge of analog, mixed signal design and support (AD/DA, etc).
• Demonstrated success in managing independent manufacturers’ sales representatives.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal with experience using sales tools for efficiency.
• Ability to travel a minimum of 25%.

The company provides excellent pay, benefits and an opportunity for stock options.  To apply, please send your resume as a Word attachment to careers@hotcareers.com.  Please put the position number and job title in the subject line of your submission.

Many articles appear today detailing thoughts about the Supreme Court ruling on the Walmart lawsuit.  Was this the right decision from the Supreme Court?  What is John Q. Public saying about the results?  Basically, the court ruled against the plaintiffs.  Does this mean Big Business will be able to discriminate more or less?  No one knows but hopefully, employers will pay more, not less, attention to possible discrimination.  Maybe the Supreme Court ruling will encourage more women to step forward sooner to voice their concerns and be heard before finding a lawyer. Or maybe more people will start filing lawsuits, whether frivolous or factual, for unfair labor practices.  Does this mean employment lawyers will make more by filing and winning individual cases than with class actions?  Does it mean class actions will fall from favor?

In a quick call to Barbara Hale, Employment Law Attorney with Blanscet Sutherland Hooper & Hale, L.L.P., I asked about her thoughts on the Walmart case.  In essence she indicated the lawyers filed under a law which simply didn’t work for the EEOC, as the experience of each woman would have been different.  “The case was too massive and should not have been brought originally,” she said.  The women who filed can each bring suit and tell her story, but after waiting ten years for this suit to come to trial,  energy may have waned.

Only time will tell what will happen.  The article re-posted in full below is from Workforce Management Magazine.

Employment Law Landscape Changes With Wal-Mart Ruling

By Rita Pyrillis
The Supreme Court’s dismissal on June 20 of a huge sexual discrimination class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is a major victory for the retail giant and employers across the country, say employment lawyers, and sets guidelines for the way similar lawsuits can be structured and litigated.

“It’s a big win for employers because it sets new ground rules for the way in which class actions are constructed and defended,” said Gerald Maatman, a Chicago-based lawyer with Seyfarth Shaw, an employment and labor law firm. “The bar has been raised and tightened making it harder for plaintiffs to marshal the evidence needed for a class-action suit. In this case, the plaintiffs failed to establish a pattern or practice of unwritten discrimination.”

In a 5-4 ruling in the case of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Betty Dukes, et al., the high court reversed a lower court decision that would have allowed as many as 1.5 million female workers to sue the nation’s biggest private employer for back pay and punitive damages that could have totaled billions of dollars.

The decision makes it more difficult for employees to file such lawsuits unless they are able to clearly identify a common injury, such as a companywide discriminatory policy, Maatman said.

The plaintiff’s key evidence was Wal-Mart’s policy of allowing local supervisors discretion over pay and promotion decisions, “which in and of itself was not evidence sufficient to raise an inference of discrimination,” Maatman said. The justices also deemed anecdotal evidence in the form of 120 affidavits as insufficient proof.

“The Supreme Court says there’s nothing sinister about subjective decision-making,” Maatman said. “It doesn’t lend itself to discrimination, which is what the plaintiffs asserted.”

Katherine Kimpel, a partner at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Sanford Wittels and Heisler, which filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of the plaintiffs, said that the ruling marks “a significant departure from previous cases in terms of what the Supreme Court will and will not countenance as actionable claims. It significantly limits the way individuals can stand up to Goliath corporations and effect change in policies and procedures. This decision takes away the possibility that through a lawsuit you can actually bring down Goliath.”

Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of people Gisel Ruiz said in a written statement: “Clearly today’s ruling in the Dukes case has important legal implications, but just as important, it pulls the rug out from under the accusations made against Walmart over the last 10 years. Every female associate and every customer can feel even better about the company as a result of today’s decision.”

Alison Davis, CEO of employee communications consulting firm Davis & Co., said companies’ initial reaction to the ruling may be to breathe easier. But, she said, “It doesn’t mean that they can relax.”

To avoid a lawsuit in the first place, business leaders she has spoken with have been trying to do a better job of communicating their policies, sharing job opportunities and listening to employee concerns.

An active, thorough approach to good employee relations is all the more important in today’s climate of workers who use Facebook and Twitter, Davis said. Complaints voiced by an employee in one location can grow into a groundswell quickly, she said.

“Social media has meant that these things go viral very fast,” she said.

Workforce Management Senior Editor Ed Frauenheim contributed to this story.

More articles for you:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304070104576399673899870098.html

http://blogs.forbes.com/danielfisher/2011/06/21/wal-mart-case-wounds-but-doesnt-kill-the-class-action/

Feel free to post your thoughts. You may subscribe for future posts.

Anthony Weiner, a formerly esteemed member of Congress, knows about Twitter. But he failed to realize how to stay relevant and not ruin his reputation.  Today you must vigilantly guard your profiles and messages as you never know when you may flip a message to a friend, thinking it is private, but it lands with 1700 of your connections.  Everyone makes mistakes periodically. Whether you are 25 or 55, employed or unemployed, you need to grasp the power and perils of social media practices with extreme care.  Whether it’s an email or a profile, checking it twice or more before post  is imperative.

Social media will continue to evolve. If you don’t have a Linkedin profile, you are missing an excellent opportunity to show the world you are relevant and professional.  If you are a hiring manager, your profile is extremely helpful for candidates.  Knowing where you went to college could engage your candidate quickly.  Your profile needs to be up to date, showing more than just your title and number of years’ experience, along with education.  It is not your resume but a short, concise statement, showing your professional expertise.

What good is a profile if it’s marked “private?”  What good does it do, if you say you are an engineering manager with no details regarding what kind and what products you develop?  Look at someone’s profile you admire or with similar background to find an example to assist you.

Some people are fearful that details will increase internet traffic and phone calls which will interfere with responsibilities.  If that happens, you simply mark the profile, “Not currently accepting InMail.”  I’ve been using Linkedin successfully for approximately four years with no unfortunate incidents.  Some refuse to connect with people they don’t know, which was the original intent, but the tool evolved to assist with electronic communication.  I rarely hear of inappropriate use.

For several years I resisted putting my photo on Linkedin as I didn’t think it added value.  I had a picture of my dog posted briefly before I realized that was a huge mistake: it made me look less than professional.  Facebook is ok for less formal communication with friends and family (and a picture of my dog).  Linkedin is for professional business associates.  Having your picture on Linkedin is almost like putting the fork on the left side of a dinner plate.

Probably before long another business network will become the new “ultimate source.” But for now, using social media effectively is a wonderful way to show you understand the power of technology.  Eventually, lawsuits may cause companies to create a policy to keep you from using it but it is currently the “tool of the day.”

Many older workers are refusing to learn about new methods using social media.  Many younger workers spend hours on end texting and using language which, when they start looking for a new job, may haunt them.  Too many people are wasting time on Farmville and other games, which can be seen by recruiters when they look for work.  “Hmmm!  Maybe that person will continue to play Farmville if I hire her.”  If you are a professional, act like one!

Whether you are 24, 44 or 64, using technology is important.  You may only want SKYPE for to see your grandchildren in Poughkeepsie, New York or you may need it for an interview with your Sales VP in Paris, France.  Keeping up with technology is like keeping your grass cut.  You want to be relevant, not old-fashioned or crass.  Social networking is here to stay in various formats.  You don’t want to act inappropriately or be known as a dinosaur.

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