Ask-A-Recruiter: Focus on the Upside

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Two strikeout leaders in baseball are Reggie Jackson and Babe Ruth. Neither player is remembered as a strikeout leader. Still, people hear stories of great success coming only after great struggle, and this is not enough to encourage them to go after their dreams. The potential downside of failure often greatly outweighs the potential upside from success. Here are some tips to focus on the upside, especially in an anxious market that may reinforce your habit of playing it safe:

Confront the downside. What are the specific consequences of failure to meet this goal? How much money will you lose? How much time will you have invested? How much notoriety will this bring? Really visualize for yourself the worst possible downside, and make specific plans on how to mitigate the consequences.

Confront the upside. What are the tangible effects of success at this goal? Express it in pictures that you hang on your wall. Write it down in a journal that you read regularly. Tell friends what it means to you. Keep your upside in your sight, your mind, and your words, and it will seem more reachable.

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Three Musts of Winning Resumes

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

As a recruiter I have seen thousands of resumes over my career. For each career level, from student intern to rainmaking partner, there are specific nuances that make winning resumes stick out. However, at all levels, winning resumes demonstrate three criteria:

No mistakes. This means no typos, no spelling errors, and no grammatical mistakes. Watch out for homonyms that won’t get caught by a simple spell-check. You don’t “meat” clients (hopefully!). Check proper names for exact spelling (e.g., PowerPoint, not Powerpoint or Power Point).

Quantitative results. If you sold business, how much in revenues exactly? If you cut costs, by how much in dollars or %? If you managed a division, how large by number of staff or budget or both? Even non-profits or public sector jobs have tangible metrics. If you solicited grants, how much did you raise? If you organized a conference, how big was the audience, budget, participant list?

Compelling career progression. The resume should tell your story, and the ideal career story has a successful ending. Your most recent job should be the peak of your career to date. Your past jobs should show an upward trajectory, in terms of responsibility and/or expertise. Of course, those starting out may have only junior jobs on the resume, but each successive job should show growth in some area.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart (www.sixfigurestart.com), a career coaching firm comprised exclusively of former Fortune 500 recruiters. Prior to launching SixFigureStart, Caroline recruited for Accenture, Time Inc, TV Guide and others. Email me at caroline@sixfigurestart.com and ask how you can attend a free SixFigureStart group coaching teleclass.

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Three Common Job Search Bobbles

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

The ball pops out of the shortstop’s glove, even though it went straight at him. “Oh, he bobbled it,” the sportscaster calls. It’s not a career-ender, but it may get the runner on, and maybe that runner will score. In the end, the bobble may be costly. Job search bobbles are small and may fall under the radar. But, they can be costly, so try to avoid them:

Presentation counts. Mickey Mouse dress socks peek from under a candidate’s slacks as he sits down. The candidate doesn’t get the job, as the employer interprets his choice of socks as a lapse in professional judgment. (True story, and this happened at the meeting when our client was going to make this candidate an offer!)

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Troubleshooting Your Job Search

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

A recent Inc. Magazine article by Joel Spolsky comparing running a business to getting good radio reception made me think about a similar point I often make with coaching clients about their job search: you need to constantly refine your search.

What knobs are you turning on your search? Spolsky makes the great analogy that price, location, employees, marketing, etc are the “knobs” of the start-up’s radio. For a jobseeker, you have your pitch, your resume, your cover letters, your online profile, even down to the detail you provide on an individual project. Are you looking at all the pieces of your job search package to see what is getting good reception on the market? Are you fiddling around with these knobs on an ongoing basis to get better reception?

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Personal Performance Reviews

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Last week I wrote about how to maximize your company review process. This week’s piece is for those employees at companies that do not have a formal review process. Furthermore, I coached a mid-career researcher last week who felt adrift in her career. When we actually itemized where she was and what she needed to do, she felt energized and inspired (and much more confident). Effective reviews accomplish three main things: measuring progress; setting goals; and defining an action plan. Whatever your job situation — if you work for yourself, are an employee or are in between jobs — give yourself a personal performance review.

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Handling Performance Reviews

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Some companies have regularly scheduled reviews, but some don’t. Furthermore, in this chaotic market, even regular reviews might get pushed off. With the downsizing and restructuring in today’s market, your job may have changed significantly. You may have more responsibility or completely different tasks added to your plate. So you want a review to make sure you’re on track to meet your goals (and to confirm what these goals are in this ever-changing market). It is important to use these reviews to your advantage – as a chance to make adjustments in your approach, identify blind spots and figure out how you can contribute value-added to others.

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Choose and Use References Proactively

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Many jobseekers think about their references only when they are in the offer stage. But the proactive jobseeker uses references as a marketing tool. The right references can push an average finalist to frontrunner. Furthermore, even the content employee should be proactive and have ready a list of references for three purposes:

  • In this market you might unexpectedly become a jobseeker;
  • You can use references as testimonials to argue for that bonus or promotion, not just a new job; and
  • What your references say and your ability to compile good references serve as an audit of your career to date. If you don’t have a ready list of references, it is a signal to more closely manage your career.

Some tips as you compile your reference list:

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Telephone Interview Tips

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

When I ask new coaching clients to assess their interview technique, they never distinguish between phone and live interviews. Many clients don’t even realize that brief phone interactions are mini-interviews. Even when the phone call is scheduled in advance, some of my clients refer to it as a “screen,” as if this is something different or even less than an interview.

Make no mistake: telephone interactions are real interviews. Many times you can’t get invited for a live interview without passing muster by phone first. However, phone interviews are different than live interviews. Here are some telephone-specific tips:

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Ask-A-Recruiter: Add-ons to the Resume

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Last week I wrote about what recruiters are looking for in interview responses. Another area that a lot of candidates ask about is the resume. While a resume is the main way candidates market themselves, you may want to add these marketing materials to your toolkit:

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Ask-A-Recruiter: 5 Steps to Comprehensive Examples

istock_000005168521xsmall1.jpgContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

At a recent workshop, a jobseeker asked an incredibly broad, but often-asked, question: What are recruiters looking for when they interview you?

I essentially gave him the same advice I wrote about in an earlier GH column entitled “No Magic Bullet Answers”.

But while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to interviews, one strategy that benefits everyone is to make your responses specific and complete. In interviews, you will be asked for examples of your work: Read more

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