If You Have Got What It takes, We Can Help Get You There

If you have got what it takes, we can help get you there….

On most days, I visit with clients whose careers take a positive turn. They praise our service and assistance in getting them focused so they can take their career to the next level.

Frankly, I don’t want to talk about the client who did not find a job. Last week such a client called. He has been unemployed for three years. He began the conversation by saying that he had filed for bankruptcy because the résumé that I wrote had not worked for him. He had his résumé reviewed by an online service and they told him it was unprofessional and poorly written.

Of course, he was a tinker…and after all of his tinkering with it, the résumé was unprofessional. He went on to tell me that his house was in foreclosure and he would be homeless soon.

Then, when he took a breath, I asked my penetrating question. “Did you get interviews with the résumé that I wrote for you?”

“Yes, I got interviews. But I could not pass the screening test that demonstrated my skill level. I test poorly.”

For three years, he has looked for a job through his computer monitor. As I told him, that is one way to pursue employment. I shared with him that less than 3% of unemployed people find their next job by using the internet. The perception is that internet job search is the best way to find your next job. For a few it is. But for most, it is not.

Next, I suggested a trip to the local library. “Can’t I get that information online?”

“Yes you can get some of the information on-line by using your library card number. But onsite at the library, you could read trade journals or other information that would open a window of opportunity for your next position”. Many libraries have a career expert on staff.

Sour, bitter words dripped from his conversation. Frankly, I would not want to work with him as a co-worker. Many employers don’t want to hire employees who can poison their employees and damage morale.

The conversation took turns and u-turns. Then he told me about one company where he interviewed. He was not selected for the job. And he did not get a response following the interview. So he researched and found the name of the corporate executives and wrote the president of this major company to COMPLAIN. Then he got a response. “Thank you for applying…we will keep your résumé on file….”

There is a time to complain about, take your pick of topics, but during the job search is not the time to whine. If you are going to write a letter, praise the people who take the time to visit with you. Find a way to show gratitude. Be the nicest person they have met today – someone that would inspire the team.

During our conversation, I suggested that he identify the companies that interested him the most and find a contact to begin a meaning conversation about opportunities in the job market. In the early stages of the conversation, it is important not to ask for a job, but about their insight into the current job market and related opportunities.

“But I don’t want to do that. Why can’t I do everything from my computer?”

The choice is yours. Good companies are hiring good people. Even during a hiring freeze, I have had clients hired. If you are intimidated by the job market, you may need a partner to create a résumé that will pique employers’ interest and land interviews.

If you are coachable and have the ability to listen, you may learn valuable lessons about navigating the turbulence follow our recent economic downtown. But if you turn a deaf ear and want to believe there are not jobs, you’re right! And of course, you’re still unemployed.

However, there are jobs, but not for the whiners and negative Nellies.

If you have got what it takes, we can help get you there….

(c) 2008 Resume Source, all rights reserved.www.resume-source.com

Read more...