Fistful of Talent

10 Resume Phrases That Will Get You Hired...Or Not...

2009-07-17T07:05:00-05:00

Liz Ryan (The Savvy Networker), at Yahoo Hotjobs, had a post last week on the 10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes. Liz's list of killer resume phrases are:

Results-oriented professional
Cross-functional teams
More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
Superior (or excellent) communication skills
Strong work ethic
Met or exceeded expectations
Proven track record of success
Works well with all levels of staff
Team player
Bottom-line orientation

I'm sure your own resume probably has a few of these beauties scattered through your 3 or 4 pages (sorry Jason - but with these golden nuggets - I need more than 1 page!) This got my head spinning on what do we need to put on our resumes to get noticed, and, more importantly, get us hired! So, here are my 10 Killer Resume Phrases to Get You Hired:

Guaranteed not to fall asleep, much.
Will give 110%, 10% of the time
I always show up to work on time, if you come and get me.
There's no I in Team, but there is an M and an E
Completely clear of all past communal diseases
I'm all about making money
Likely to Perform well
Will do almost anything, once we define "anything"
Plays well with others (Oops, that is actually on my resume!)
Great personality, when medicated properly

For all the Hiring Managers and HR Pros out there, you know that while these phrases are unlikely to show up on a resume anytime in the near future - they are probably closer to the truth on some of those rare candidates we all have stories about. With unemployment numbers high all over the country (Ok Nebraska we know you're still low - all 28 of you) the issue of resume inflation is not going to go away anytime soon.

So, screen well, network for solid references, interview better than you ever have, and for the love of St. Pete, smile and have some understanding for those trying to get a job and wanting to make themselves look the best they can.

We all can't be "A Players" from "Fortune 500" Companies with "Ivy League" education...Even Matt Foley was successful once he found the right job...

Editor's Note - Tim Sackett is the Executive Vice President for HRU Technical Resources, which really means they just ran out of titles between Director and CEO. Tim's job is to make sure everyone is happy and productive – for those who have worked in staffing firms, you know exactly what that means. HRU is primarily an engineering and technical contingency firm that specializes in the manufacturing sector in defense, consumer products, automotive, higher ed, etc. HRU is based in Lansing, MI – but has close to 500 employees all over the country.

You're So Vain - Or at Least You Shoud Be...

2009-07-16T07:05:00-05:00

Were you one of those dedicated personal branding gurus who made sure they stayed up on June 12th to get your Facebook vanity user name? How did you name yourself? Real name? Catchy moniker? Me? Well I went for the real name. But that goes back to how I interact on Facebook, more so with friends and fam and a few business pros that I feel comfortable sharing the personal me with.

I had several peers stay up or awake early to attempt to secure their choice user name. Some missed their window of opportunity, but some totally got the name they wanted. I had no problem getting my user name, let's face it, there aren't that many Kelly Dingee's around. But, while that's a great feat and all, what concerned me more was when could I get a vanity user name for my company's Facebook Fan Page. That's important. First of all I want it before anyone squats on it. That is beyond annoying. Second, I wanted to be consistent across the social media we have profiles on. And third, if I can shorten the url and rid it of the random numbers, that'd be great too. A whole lot cleaner when I mention the link online. And ultimately, I want our company to be as easily findable as possible by our current and future clients as well as our current and potential employees.

But it wasn't as easy as I thought. When I checked out the user name option for Fan Pages, I found out two things. One, user names for Fan Pages were being rolled out to pages with 1000 members or more, at least if you were trying to do this around June 12th. But with a little patience, you would wait until June 18th to claim your name. We weren't quite to the 1000 fans with our Fan Page so we opted to wait. But I got it. And now, on at least 3 of the the top social media sites, we are consistently named and easy to find.

But what about you? June 28th has come and gone. As I visit corporate fan pages, I see so many that are not taking advantage of this unique opportunity to easily brand their company on the site that has over 200 million members worldwide. So go now, get yours. And start making your company transparent across all networks you decide to join.

Editor's Note - Kelly Dingee is a Technical Writer/Sourcing Researcher for AIRS. Prior to joining AIRS, her experience includes sourcing for Thales Communications, Inc., and Internet recruitment for Acterna (now known as JDSU). Follow her on Twitter and get the lowdown on what's going on each day in sourcing - she's a Twitter machine...

The 20% Contingency Fee - Any Way You Slice It, It's Still 20%....

2009-07-16T07:01:00-05:00

Times are tight. Recruiters, like everyone else, at times need to tweak the marketing of their services to create demand.

Remember when I said this?

"Here's the reality regarding contingency search fees:

-Almost every recruiter is going to say their rate is 25-30% of the first year's salary.

-You have to have a position on what you are going to pay.

-After negotiating, the 25-30% quoted initially can usually be whittled down to 20%. If the recruiter is playing a volume game in terms of trying to be active in as many searches as possible, you can sometimes get 15%.

So, the recruiter says 25%, you say 15%, and you usually agree to 20%. Welcome to the wonderful world of negotiation, where the first number is rarely the real number. It's like buying a house..."

A couple of my recruiting buddies took me to the woodshed for that view. One of those buddies at FOT, who shall remain nameless, still hasn't cut their part of the point/counterpoint FOTv series around this topic. Offer still remains, my friend. I say it's 20% in the market.

As it turns out, even the recruiters who are working at the 20% level are having to tweak their marketing message. From The Fordyce Letter:

"An executive recruitment company has just announced its plans to undercut competitors by offering a flat fee of 10% per month of what the employee is paid for 24 months.

If the employee does not stay with the company — Schwelling Recruiting Services, which specializes in C-level executives as well as sales executives and new business development executives — the employer is only responsible for the months actually worked.

What does this say about the company overall? And what does this say about the economy and what it’s doing to our competition?"

No details on whether the entire 10% of 2 years comp (that's 20% people..) is collected upfront. The 20% remains the reality in my eyes (Even an expert like Harry Joiner talks about 20% being a common fee), but the equivalent of a two year guarantee? 2 years? Hugo Chavez might be running the company in 2 years for all I know...

20% yes.... 2 year guarantee? Insane...

How Recruiters Can Get Comfortable In Interviews with Veterans....

2009-07-15T07:05:00-05:00

With an estimated 185,000 Service Members due to reenter the civilian workforce in 2009, many Internal Recruiters are seeing extremely non-traditional, Veteran resumes hitting their desks. And while many of these resumes can be rather cryptic, there is a growing body of knowledge in terms of translating military experience into resume-speak. Furthermore, many hiring organizations have developed their own aptitude in terms of understanding 'likeness of work' and some have even instituted customized training programs geared at transferring military knowledge to specific roles within the company. A perfect example is that of Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Company that actively recruits departing Navy members who have graduated from the Navy Nuclear Power Program. In this regard, significant progress has been made, both on the side of the military as well as private industry.

However, speaking from my own personal experience (gained as a result of leaving Marine Corps active duty in mid-1999, as well as assisting disabled veterans at the VA Hospital in Atlanta, GA with their newfound career searches), I believe the greatest risk a departing Service Member faces is the notion of military bearing. Marines, in particular, have a difficult time leaving their military bearing at the door, mainly because it is an integral part of what makes a Marine who he or she is. It is ingrained from the first moment you step on the yellow footprints at Paris Island . . . and throughout your career.

So what exactly is military bearing? The responses would be varied, but most would be in the way of acting with honor, dignity, self-discipline, tact, etc. A perfect example of military bearing would include the full realm of Kevin Bacon's conduct through the HBO documentary, "Taking Chance." There are moments where we can see Bacon's internal torment when facing Chance's family upon escorting his body to them, however he maintains his military bearing as a testament to not only his honor of the Marine Corps, but also to Chance himself, as well as his Mother and Father. In fact, Bacon is so dedicated to Chance that even cracking a smile is heavily calculated under the circumstances.

The problem is that acting with military bearing during an interview is that it can be interpreted by the untrained eye as a tendency to be "overly robotic" or "personality-less." To someone who hasn't served, this type of behavior can often be judged incorrectly. The paradox is that the Service Member may be exhibiting the highest level of respect for the interviewer, however the interviewer may perceive this as being disrespectful or "guarded", "stoic", or "as if they are hiding something."

If I can convey anything to my fellow Recruiters today, it's that education frees the mind . . . and simply digesting the fact, that years of maintaining military bearing in difficult situations is not a quality easily disregarded for a 1-hr interview, will open your mind to what the candidate may be feeling. Sprinkle in the fact that the candidate is likely quite nervous, and their most natural inclination will be to maintain their military bearing as a way to overcome this emotion. A way for the interviewer to break down that barrier is to simply state that you would like to get to know the candidate personally, and while it may be difficult, you'd like them to relax their military bearing and open up as best they can. This simple act takes less than 10 seconds and can shift the entire aura of the conversation into one where you can truly gauge fit. Good luck!

Editor's Note - Josh Letourneau is the owner of LG and Associates, a Strategic Sourcing, Executive Search, and Human Capital Intelligence firm based in Atlanta. Prior to founding LG & Associates, Josh worked as a Sales & Marketing professional in the software biz and was a hard-charging Sergeant in the Marines. In his spare time, Josh enjoys shooting at other sourcing and search professionals as available in random paintball games.

You Are What You Eat - And Where You Work...

2009-07-15T07:01:00-05:00

Good stuff to share with Talent professionals from Seth Godin (I heard he could use some exposure, thus the link...) - the topic is YOUR career, rather than thinking about the careers of others.

From Seth:

"The single most important marketing decision most people make is also the one we spend precious little time on: where you work.

Think about this for a second. Your boss and your job determine not only what you do all day, but what you learn and who you interact with. Where you work is what you market. Work in a high stress place and you're likely to become a highly stressed person, and your interactions will display that. Work for a narcissist and you'll develop into someone who's good at shining a light on someone else, not into someone who can lead. Work for someone who plays the fads and you'll discover that instead of building a steadily improving brand, you're jumping from one thing to another, enduring layoffs in-between gold rushes. Work for a bully and be prepared to be bullied.

And yet, there are plenty of books about getting a job, but no books I know of about choosing a job. There are hundreds of sites where job seekers can go to find a new job, and virtually none where you can find reviews of bosses or companies or jobs."

Couple of angles that immediately came to mind:

1. Some sites, like Vault, have attempted to become a marketplace to discover more about the culture of companies. Unfortunately, I think those type of sites have a reputation for being rantfests that rarely include a silent majority of satisfied employees.

2. Choosing the right job is always multi-dimensional and you're always working with imperfect information. For example, finding the right job to accelerate your career includes the following factors - the company's reputation, the boss you'll work for, what you'll be working on and how that experience makes you more valuable for the future.

3. What's the best way to run a reverse reference check on a Company or boss? For my money, it has to be reverse engineering a social network that's professional-based like LinkedIn. Checking out shared contacts or simply the contacts of the person you'd be working for or the people you'd be working with seems like the best way to go. If I got a call from one of my contacts saying a person to whom I had offered a job contacted them to talk about what it's like to work for me, I 'd think that person was pretty sharp.

Then I'd drill my contact for what they asked about and what he/she told them. Just joking...

Still, for the thoughtful candidate among us, the prospect of being picky during an economic downturn is a little unsettling. After all, such a call for the bigger picture involves considering leaving a poor fit now, passing up a paycheck with a poor fit if you're currently out of work, or not working with clients who are bad fits for your culture, if you're self employed or own your own company.

Easy to be picky when things are good, harder when things are bad. But, that's the very time when it's probably most important - if you can afford to act on principle...

Is Social Media the Ticket to Being a Credible HR Activist? + HR Bloggers Panel @ SHRM09, the Video Re-Cap!

2009-07-14T07:05:00-05:00

Last week, Kris and I were on a panel at the SHRM09 conference talking about ourselves, which we like to do at every possible chance... you know what they say about bloggers being narcissistic... During that session, the question was asked very simply, why blog? What's in it for an HR pro who decides to blog? (Check out the video for that session at the bottom of the post... email subscribers click through to watch!)

First, I won't advocate for all HR or recruiting pros to jump in and start a blog. Sorry to be a snob about it, but it's just that there's a lot of noise in the blogosphere already and sometimes, I just don't want to hear another voice unless you have a very clear viewpoint and perspective. You know what I mean? But paying attention to the blogosphere and speaking the language of social media? I think that's important. Even if you aren't actively blogging, being involved in the community, paying attention to new and emerging technologies and the effect of said technology on your staff and the workplace is an issue that can be boiled down to... credibility. And don't you want to be a credible HR activist?

For me? I began thinking that maybe I had figured something out with all this blogging and social media stuff when I started getting questions from my very senior most leadership about how to use Facebook and LinkedIn. The questions have ranged from how to post links to Facebook profiles so all of their friends see the link, to how can we use social networks to better position some of our senior staff as subject matter experts, to can we engage former staff and their professional contacts and networks digitally?

Mind you, most of my work falls in the recruiting space on a day to day basis - I'm interviewing people, I'm checking references, I'm making job offers... and yet my leadership team started coming to me with questions about social media. Interesting, right? And to take it a step further, I really realized that our HR team may have figured something out when our company's first foray into the world of social media began with a Facebook page dedicated to careers with our company. And it wasn't driven by marketing, it wasn't driven by technical staff - it was the stereotypical fuddy-duddy 'ole HR team who drove it. Think about the kind of message that sends about our credibility as an HR function.

You're reading this blog, so you probably get it already. But there are others you should be emailing this post to. Really. So spread the love and tell a friend... because there are many, many reasons for an HR pro to get involved in the blogosphere and social media. Think about its impact to employee engagement, employment branding, candidate sourcing and knowledge acquisition/professional development... but then there's also very simply the issue of managing these tools in the workplace. If a line manager comes to an HR pro with a concern about their employee "tweeting" too much and you don't know what Twitter is... then that's kind of a problem. As HR pros, we can be better, we can do better... so let's get ahead of the curve, folks. Ready to dive in with social media?

Editor's Note- Jessica Lee is a Sr. Employment Manager for APCO Worldwide, a global PR firm in D.C. Like most upscale HR pros, she spends half of her time on recruiting, the other half on ER, Training and OD. When she's not hammering a candidate to determine Motivational Fit, she's thinking about the future of HR, and wondering how she can avoid using the job boards to fill the next spot in her organization...

Being Snarky With the CEO is Bad for Business...And That Fledging Enterprise You Call a Career...

2009-07-14T07:01:00-05:00

I'm Gen X, which means I'm...ahem...maturing...

One of the things I've learned? Email wars don't really benefit anyone. I know, I know, you're right about your issue. No one cares, especially if you start heaving email barbs around Outlooksphere. Especially if you try to call out those who outrank you, even with a veiled barb.

Case in point, this direct report of Marc Andreessen, who thought he had the high ground, as reported in Fortune:

"Ben Horowitz was toiling as an unheralded product strategist at Netscape Communications when he opened a scathing e-mail from his boss, Marc Andreessen. It was the winter of 1996; Netscape's public offering, several months earlier, had ignited the dotcom craze, and co-founder Andreessen had just appeared on Time's cover, sitting on a throne, feet bare -- the very portrait of a cocky 24-year-old tech wunderkind.

But Horowitz was irked to learn that Andreessen had leaked news to a trade publication about an upcoming software release Horowitz's team had been working on. So Horowitz sent the Netscape co-founder a note that simply said, "I guess we're not going to wait until March 7" -- the date of the planned announcement.

The blast back from Andreessen: "We are getting killed killed killed by Microsoft! You're destroying the value of the company and it's 100% server product management's fault. I'm just trying to help. Next time, do the f***ing interview yourself. F*** you. Marc."

Hello... Questions? No one wins in email wars, except maybe those who have so much power they can tell you that without fear of reprisal.

Thinking about sending the email? Don't. Just Don't....

Candidates Need to Hear From You...Even if It's Painful...

2009-07-13T07:05:00-05:00

You got me runnin', goin' out of my mind
You got me thinkin' that I'm wastin' my time
Don't bring me down, no no no no no, ooh-ee-hoo
I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor - don't bring me down...

I was thinking about this topic the other day when I heard those vintage lyrics from the Electric Light Orchestra. It hit me. I had to make a call the next morning to let a candidate know he was out of the running. I hate making those calls. OK - I really hate making the letdown call. It's painful (I digress).. Now that we have that out of the way, calling candidates to "let them down" is always tough. In these challenging economic times, it is super tough. Great people trying to land a new gig with more competition from (lots of) others all trying to land the same job. Smart people with families mostly hit hard by bad decisions other people made. It's starting to really hit me in ways that give me perspective. Picking up the phone is gut wrenching, knowing the news you are about to deliver will be bad. Once the candidate answers the phone, I can feel it. I hear the (strong) emotions in their voice over the phone, as they wait for me to tell them where they are in the search. OUCH! While I think I can feel their pain - I know that I really have have NO idea what they are going through.

This news has to be delivered and by telephone. No exceptions. If your process in letting candidates down is using e-mail as your primary communication tool - you are doing them a disservice, taking the easy way out - and I think it's wrong. I hate making the call too! OK - let me clarify ---I really hate it! BUT...now more than ever, having an excellent communication plan and process is essential, so candidates know exactly where they are in the search process. We all need to make sure we have "checked the box" and checked it twice when it comes to letting candidates down. To do a marginal job in this part of the search process is just wrong. OK, I have made my point:-

I had a candidate a couple of years ago who became quite upset with me on where he was in the process. We were nearing the offer stage with another candidate and while I knew he was not in the final slate - I also knew we were not at the finish line and I wanted to have back up candidates in case something happened (and we all know ANYTHING can happen). Candidate fallout is always a real possibility. So I waited to call him until the very end. This guy was ticked. He let me know exactly what he thought I should have done and when I should have let him know. He was emotional. While I wanted to defend my position of having a back-up plan until the offer was made and accepted - he was right. I felt horrible. As search professionals, we have an obligation to do the right thing, and that day I learned a very valuable lesson and hope I never have another conversation like the one I had with this guy.

Remember, candidates are truly 'runnin' goin' out of their mind - waiting on your call. So - make the call...

Editor's Note - Tim Tolan is a partner at Sanford Rose Associates and specializes in Executive Search in Healthcare IT. He's a closer, and you really don't want to call him unless you're ready to bring out the bazooka to bag some big game...

The Hype Resume v. 2.0: Sarah Barnes...

2009-07-10T19:30:00-05:00

Kris highlighted a hype resume back in April... Karla Wiles was the lucky gal. Time for a second hype resume!

Now, as a recruiting or HR pro, you too probably receive requests from friends, family and other folks in your network to help out with their job searches or review their resumes. And given the current climate, I'm betting that you've also seen an uptick in the requests. Times are tough out there, aren't they? One of the things I find difficult about these requests, given there are so many people on the job market, is helping people to figure out how to stand out and set themselves apart. Of late, my answer has been to push everyone towards social media. Establish yourself on the interwebs and let what a recruiter or hiring manager finds about you wow them... or even be found by recruiters through your web footprint.

I honestly believe that people who can brand themselves well using social media tools have a competitive advantage. Particularly in the industry I recruit for - public relations - I need to see that people have the ability to create compelling messages and advocate on behalf of something... so why not show you have those abilities by positioning and branding yourself? And a really good example of someone who has shown that she can brand herself quite well? Sarah Barnes. Sarah isn't someone I know personally. She contacted me after reading this blog as a part of her responsibilities as a social media intern for the marketing firm Starr Tincup. (Yes, full disclosure, at FOT, we're fans of Starr Tincup and the work they do... and no, they don't pay us a dime to mention their name here, so stop with your conspiracy theories, people. We just think they are cool folks with a really kicking brand. See WJT drop the bomb on KD here...)

I asked Sarah for some background and what she wants to do post-graduation (she'll complete her degree at Texas A&M in 2010...) and here's what she responded with:

"With this resume I'm trying to brand myself - I want to be recognized in the sea of papers out there. I want the brands that I love to see me. Ideally, the company I would like to work for, is one that I can give value to and aid in their growth. I'm looking for a social media internship with a cool company. I can't really say specifics right now...I'm still searching for my industry fit. But so far I've found that (I think) I would like to work for a marketing/ad agency, non-profit organization, or clothing retail company/boutique as their social media gal. I'm thinking of turning myself into a social media consultant/director and approaching people/places/companies (that I've worked for in the past) who lack a social media presence and pitching them the idea of installing a social media person - me. But ultimately and above all...I want to work for the best and learn from them to be great myself.

The resume is unlike anything I've ever done or even seen before. (First time I've had to chop it up and take things out...that was painful.) So thank you! in advance for checking it out and giving me some feedback. "

So check out her resume. What do you think? Has she done a good job of branding herself? Would her resume set her apart in the sea of resumes you're swimming in? I've given her some feedback about the format and such... but for me, her resume is indeed unlike anything I've seen and I'm impressed. She can tweak some stuff and clean up the format a bit but I'd say this is pretty damn creative. Feel free to drop notes in the comments section or download her resume and contact Sarah directly.

Recruiter Goat's Gruff: Recessions Bring Out Our True Recruiting-Self...

2009-07-09T07:06:00-05:00

Recessions tell us a good deal about ourselves as Recruiting Animals, don't they? If you want me to be honest, I really wish we didn't have any, but the fact is that we do . . . and the cycle is fairly predictable. One thing I've come to learn is that down economic periods shape our view of what is truly important in life. For example, my grandparents often told me stories I will never forget about living through the Great Depression as young children. And as the number of unemployed grow, I find myself having more and more conversations in which the downsized candidate needs, above all things, a flicker of positivity; many simply pick up on the hope in your voice and it can change their outlook, giving them some momentum to continue pushing forward. "These are tough times, but we will come out of this."

Yet, as I say this, I am dismayed at the number of candidate-bludgeoning articles (and today, blog posts) that come out during recessionary times such as those we find ourselves in today. It's as if many Recruiters (internal and external) are now sporting "a gun and a badge." At a time when we can do the most good (see David Pritchard's efforts to assist the candidate market), there are entire series coming out that do nothing but perpetuate this majority-versus-minority mentality. The latest installment in the Egregiously Bad Candidate series, "7 Great Ways to Ensure No Recruiter Ever Reads Your Resume" was the breaking point for me. Seriously, with 50% of the entire Recruiting population gone over the last 12 months, those of us still standing are better than this. Let me ask: At what point did we transition from a highly skilled and passionate group of people continuously seeking to find and secure the best talent, to behaving as if we're trolls guarding the bridge? "Thou Shall Not Pass!"

Watching more and more of these negativity-focused articles come out, I can't help but believe they're exactly what we don't need . . . and as far as the unemployed population goes, it's no wonder many are scared of (and turned off by) Recruiters. And in that sense, I've come to some conclusions I'd like to share today. As always, I welcome your thoughts and ask you to add to the list:

1. We, as a Recruiting Industry, have taught the candidate market many of their bad habits. That's a fact, Jack. For example, is it ok for us to blind mass email out job descriptions . . . but then flex on the candidate population when they blind mass email their resume? Until we elevate our own behavior, we're nothing more than sitting in glass houses.

2. For all you External Recruiters out there, let me shoot straight with you: If you can afford to screen out on the basis of petty issues (i.e. "I didn't like their signature line"), you're in the wrong niche. For Internal Recruiters, I'll say this: Just because the average tenure in your position is 8 - 12 months, you still hold responsibility for your organization's employment brand.

3. Just because we temporarily hold a position of power (i.e. Recruiters can screen in or screen out on the basis of personal discretion), doesn't mean that we should abuse our power. Acton was right when he stated that, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Look, if you want to be a gun-and-badge toting monster, I understand there isn't a whole lot I can do to change your mind. But, If I can leave you with one thing today, it's this: Don't forget what happened to the Troll in Billy Goat's Gruff. He's no longer recruiting. Nope, he now works at a used-car dealership and moonlights as an real estate consultant.