Back to basics: sharpen job-search tools now
Lay groundwork now to get ahead later
By Jerry Ackerman, Globe Correspondent, 1/11/04
While signs of an economic turnaround are springing up, it's still anyone's guess when and where job openings will follow. Nevertheless, job seekers should be laying groundwork now for getting a foot in the door, say career coaches, job recruiters, and employment counselors.
In landing an interview, and then a job, what you know remains very important, says Elliot Winer, an economist with the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training. That's true whether you're a college grad or an industrial worker.
''Whatever the particular industry, I think the key is to have the proper skill sets,'' Winer said. This means brushing up on what you already know as well as adding new skills to match the needs of a particular employer.
Who you know is also important. Theresa Harrigan, director of the Boston College Career Center, says networking is critical - with friends, at business or trade association meetings, in career-focused classes - wherever it's convenient. Companies are constantly changing, Harrigan said, and even people who are working ''should start networking now when they don't need it, so if an opportunity comes up they'll be ready for it.''
And when you get a lead on a job, reach out to find an insider who can put in a good word for you.
''If there are any contacts you have within the company, be sure to use them,'' says Steve Naha, president of Gardner Resources Consulting in Needham.
With these basics in mind, here are some job-search tools that these experienced voices - and those in the thick of the hunt - recommend be kept sharp and at the ready.
Give your resume a new look. There's more to a resume these days than listing past jobs, Harrigan said. ''It's a selling tool, where you need to put yourself right out front, to describe how you would put your skills to work right away.''
Formats have changed. Harrigan recommends starting out, right at the top, with an ''executive summary'' - a tight and forcefully written paragraph about your abilities and how they fit the employer's expectations. To catch a reader's eye, be sure to include ''keywords'' about skills you have that fit the job you want. And then, for each new opening you are targeting, rewrite this paragraph to match employer expectations.
Boast about your accomplishments. Further down, where you do list past jobs on your resume, don't just put what you did - tell your accomplishments. ''A lot of people will talk about what they were responsible for in a broad sense, but within that area of responsibility, what did you really accomplish?'' says Robert A. Carnegie, a human resources consultant in Upton.
Brush up on your ''elevator speech.'' This is the short, punchy, and to-the-point talk that you should be ready to deliver at any time - at an interview, at a party, or when riding in an elevator with someone who might hire you. It's one of the tools taught at The Career Place in Woburn, where job-seekers working with professional counselors get together on Friday mornings to practice their pitches.
Matt Wininger, 28, of Lowell, told of how he customized his pitch for a sales job to include his background as a stand-up nightclub comic, after finding most employers wanted experience with ''cold calls.''
''I tell them, 'If I don't mind being in front of an audience of 200 people I should have no problem with presenting to just one or two people,' '' said Wininger. As of last week he still didn't have work, but he said his approach got him several interviews and he had one job possibility pending.
Study up on the companies that are hiring. Recruiters expect job candidates to know a lot about the company and its needs.
''You have to research the company and the position they are hoping to fill,'' said Naha of Gardner Resources. ''Try to determine the business need you would fill by coming aboard. Prepare yourself by boning up on technical issues that are important to the client. And understand the experience in the industry that the client is looking for as well.''
Be sure you know the fundamentals. Keyboarding, familiarity with computers, and knowing how to use the Internet are fundamental workplace skills today.
''You don't have to be able to design a Web page,'' Carnegie said, ''but you should know how to use the Internet to get information.''
Sue Walsh, director of work force development at the City of Cambridge Employment Program, says Massachusetts' four top industry sectors - healthcare, high technology, sciences, and business and finance - all have the same needs. She identifies these as critical thinking skills; industry-specific knowledge; customer service skills, including good verbal communication; and data analysis skills.
If you are trying to break into one of these fields, she said, ''you need these skills.''
Upgrade your skills. With the job market tilted in their favor, employers aren't giving much on-the-job training.
''People these days are left to their own devices to find out where they are qualified and where they need to upgrade their skills,'' said Barbara Pantazis, director of career services at The Career Place.
Bob Vear, a careers coach with Change Dynamics in Acton, says his clients often have extensive experience but ''have not had any advanced training or further college training for 10 years. I tell them, 'Go get a certificate. Go back to college.''
Pantazis identifies medical services and legal services as fields that need systems engineers and database administrators. But even with experience, she recommends learning the basics about medicine or law by taking courses at job centers and at community colleges.
Polish up your ''soft skills,'' too. These include knowing how to manage your time on the job, being able to balance home life issues (such as child care) so they don't interfere with your work, and even proper office behavior.
''You can have all the computer skills they want, but if you don't have the 'soft skills' you'll be at a disadvantage,'' said Ronna Resnick, director of the employment and training program at Action Inc. in Gloucester. ''A person who has been unemployed or underemployed for a long time needs to work on these things.''
Don't be afraid to go against the tide. To John Mattson, a career coach with Careers Crossroads in Carlisle, this means setting your own job-hunt course and paying less attention to what others predict will happen.
''Remember that your job search is an individual event; it's not a mass job search,'' Mattson said. ''You only need to get one job - you don't need to look at industry trends to see what's up and what's down.''
Match your job skills with your interests. Instead of a complete career change, consider applying existing skills to a different field.
Doug MacDonald, of Lexington, a software engineer laid off more than a year ago by Sun Microsystems, offers a case study - himself. ''Being laid off was one of the best things that has ever happened to me,'' he said. ''It forced me to take stock and figure out what it was that would make me want to get out of bed in the morning.''
Thinking about friends who'd had illnesses, he decided he'd like to help people with health problems. He now develops software for two start-up medical devices companies.
Another case: Frank Murray, 57, of Manchester-by-the-Sea, who was laid off as an environmental engineering executive in late 2002. Murray said he sent out 76 resumes and went through 13 interviews with no luck, until he began rethinking his life goals. ''I decided I want to be near the ocean, I want to be able to sail, and I like teaching.''
That sent him first to apply for an advertised opening at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and, when it fell through, to maritime academies in other states. Last week Murray began teaching engineering at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif. ''It's exactly what I wanted to do,'' he said.
Jerry Ackerman is a freelance writer. He can be reached by e-mail at jerryackerman@hotmail.com.
|
North of Boston Career Fair
E-Mail This Article
© 2006 The New York Times Company -