In 1998, I applied for an opportunity to be a regional sales rep for a company based out of state. As part of the process, they flew the last few candidates to their headquarters in Maryland and we proceeded to interview with everyone in the chain of leadership within the organization. Everyone was really positive and professional…except the woman who would be my immediate supervisor.

In the first 5 minutes of my interview (the 5th in that day), she took a phone call from another regional field rep. The very position I would be in – but in another territory. I attempted to excuse myself as the conversation got a bit heated but the woman signaled that it was alright, to stay, and that she’d just be a minute.

There was no way to escape the conversation and yet I wasn’t even a part of it really…as I began thinking about the awkwardness of the situation I was in, I began to see that her management style was not going to be one I could thrive in. It was clear from her choice of words to the person on the phone, there was no mutual respect, no guidance or servant-leadership happening here.

She maneuvered the call with something akin to disdain and it was clear to everyone in earshot that she was unhappy with the performance of the rep on the line. Now, I realize that I don’t have the full story here – including how many occassions she might have mentored or assisted the rep in solving obstacles in his/her daily work to meet personal and professional goals. What I do know is, that interview at that very moment in time, was uncomfortable for me and I was embarassed for the person on the call with the manager and embarassed for myself that I’d been a secret witness to the belittling of a human being.

As a young professional, I also noted that I didn’t ever want to be that kind of manager or leader….you know the one that leads by intimidation and fear!

I didn’t take the job even though I was the candidate of choice for the group. In those days, jobs were more plentiful and because I was already employed and had the priviledge of a job waiting for me in Dallas, I could say no without hurting my finances. I also think it taught me a lesson that I had forgotten until I read a recent article that brought it all back.

It’s MY interview! It’s a two-way deal. Selling them on me is only part of the equation. I need to buy into why I want to work with OR for them. If you’ve ever been a part of a company culture that you knew wasn’t right for you and you just felt the negativity, like a mis-fit, then you’ll understand why whenever I read this recent article from Glassdoor.com I wanted to share it with you.

Seven Company Culture Questions You Must Ask Before Accepting A Job Offer by Meghan M. Biro, (http://tinyurl.com/3pcfcbt [Open in new window])

It’s clear that Ms. Biro has thought a lot about the effect of culture fit whenever job seekers are looking for places they’ll put a lot of effort into getting hired at.

It’s the same principal that experienced recruiters use when sizing up candidates for placement at their client’s companies.

1. If the culture is formal and structured, a person who has all the right experience and credentials, but little adherence to structure or the informal style of this employee is going to experience tremendous stress and also will frustrate their peers and supervisor. The walls will always feel like they are closing in and the formal professional-types are going to drive this relaxed person crazy!

2. A free spirited environment that has a come as you are and do what you know needs doing kind of atmosphere will not work for someone who needs more structure or standard operating rules or clearly articulated goals and responsibilities outlined with procedures to accomplish their work. They will always wonder if they are doing enough and this amoeba-like environment will be stressful for this type of individual. It would be demoralizing to think you are never sure of your place within a work culture.

There is tremendous confidence when you feel you’re in the right place! The article suggests a culture audit to see if this is the sort of place which matches the values and ethical behaviour you think and feel are a reflection of your own. Again, for your reference, see the link below.

Seven Company Culture Questions You Must Ask Before Accepting A Job Offer by Meghan M. Biro, (http://tinyurl.com/3pcfcbt [Open in new window])

Have you ever experienced being or hiring a mis-fit? Did you have someone who was a great producer but they were just not a good fit with the corporate culture? How did you try to help them be a better fit? Did they end up deciding or did the culture decide for them that they needed to move on to a better culture fit? Post your comments below.

According to LinkedIn, “Users with recommendations are three times as likely to get inquiries through LinkedIn searches.”

I couldn’t agree more!

There are certain protocols to observe in building up your profile recommendations but for the most part, the single biggest reason professionals don’t get recommendations is because THEY DON’T ASK for them.

I know some of you are thinking that feels a little “guiding”… “if my connections were so impressed with me then they would just recommend me.”

THAT would be nice! If Only!

*Right now, if you know someone in your network you are incredibly impressed with, sign into LinkedIn immediately and write them a recommendation! They will be prompted to return the favor within LinkedIn. Unfortunately, if you are like many busy professionals, you won’t make the time to write them – unless…you are reminded!

Do you feel a little sheepish about asking someone to brag about you?
Asking for a recommendation can be a very uncomfortable thing for some, but never assume it’s uncomfortable to the person being you are asking. They are probably going to be flattered that you care about their opinion of your work and therefore will be happy to supply the recommendation.

The typical LinkedIn “out of the can” recommendation request reads:

Dear Name of Connection,
I’m sending this to ask you for a brief recommendation of my work that I can include in my LinkedIn profile. If you have any questions, let me know.
Thanks in advance for helping me out.
-Your Name

Out of respect for their time and depending on how well you know the person you are requesting the recommendation from, you could even prompt them with some dialogue such as:

Dear Name of Connection,
As you know, I am an independent marketing consultant/contractor and as such, I’m sending this to ask you for a brief recommendation of my work. In particular, I would like your comments as you have observed me performing duties, whether directly in our business dealings, at a trade show or some other professional interaction that impressed you (any which would enable you to make a positive recommendation of my abilities as you perceive them). I would like to include any recommendation you make of my character, work ethic or work product/performance in my LinkedIn profile. If you have any questions, let me know.
Thanks in advance for helping me out.
-Your Name

While the above is still pretty general, you can choose to write the entire thing out and ask them to post it as though it came from them:

Dear Name of Connection,
I’m sending this to ask you for a brief recommendation of my work that I can include in my LinkedIn profile. Perhaps you could say something like:

“I would like to endorse YOUR NAME as a highly dedicated professional. His/Her thoroughness and attention to detail was exemplary. I have always found him/her to be enthusiastic and an excellent people person. His/Her capabilities played a key role in developing the company to its current standing.”

If you have any questions, let me know.
Thanks in advance for helping me out.
-Your Name

Again, this really depends on how mature your professional relationship is with someone. You would obviously use your good judgment on when this is appropriate. Most people who know you very well and agree with your words will post it as is or even elaborate!

What if they don’t give you the recommendation?
Don’t assume they have any negative reasons for not providing you with a recommendation. I have found that in some cases, companies have direct policies that do not allow employees to provide recommendations and if it would appear to come from the company OR if it would damage their “vendor neutrality” in some fashion. Let’s face it, people also get really busy and don’t check LinkedIn that often or the notification emails end up in an unchecked folder within their email platform. After a few weeks time, you can go back into your Linked in under the “Received Recommendations” tab and manage your requests and even resend a reminder request from there.

If you’re like us, you’ve been bombarded with articles and blog posts and e-mail alerts claiming that a recent Administrator’s Interpretation issued by the Department of Labor has greatly expanded the class of people who are allowed to take FMLA leave to care for a child. These articles, including the DOL’s June 22, 2010 press release, suggest that employees who care for a child as a parent are now entitled FMLA leave even if that employee has no biological or legal relationship to the child – as if that hasn’t already been the case for the last 15 years.

The fact is that since the DOL issued its FMLA regulations in April 1995, it has been clear that individuals who stand in loco parentis (Latin for “in the place of a parent”) to a child are entitled to FMLA leave regardless of any biological or legal relationship to the child. Indeed, the regulations issued in 1995 explicitly define “parent” as “a biological parent or an individual who stands or stood in loco parentis…” and define “son or daughter” as “a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis…” The regulations go on to clarify the meaning of in loco parentis:

Persons who are “in loco parentis“include those with day-to-day responsibilities to care for and financially support a child or, in the case of an employee, who had such responsibility for the employee when the employee was a child. A biological or legal relationship is not necessary.

So, since 1995, it has been more than clear that a biological or legal relationship to a child was not necessary in order to take FMLA leave for that child. Why the DOL is issuing a press release with the tag line “Interpretation is a win for all families no matter what they look like” is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is that, since the current administration has been a large disappointment to the LGBT community who hoped to have seen by now the end of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the elimination of the Defense of Marriage Act, the DOL is issuing press releases like this one to make it look like the government has actually accomplished something for nontraditional families.

The DOL’s Administrator Opinion did make one change to the FMLA regulations, however – the opinion stated that where the regulations state that in loco parentis individuals include “those with day-to-day responsibilities to care for and financially support a child,” this is to be interpreted as including “individuals with day-to-day responsibilities to care for a child” and “individuals with day-to-day responsibilities to financially support a child.” In other words, one individual does not need to both care for and financially support a child in order to stand in loco parentis – doing either will suffice. So perhaps technically the group of people who are entitled FMLA has been expanded a tiny bit, but certainly not as much as all the recent hype suggests, and certainly not enough for the DOL to go around slapping itself on the back and blowing its horn about how much they’re doing for nontraditional families.

One of the questions I get is “How am I ever going to get all my work history on one page?”

To which I answer “Why would you even try?”

The one page résumé, (I’m still trying to find the origin of this horrid mythical rule), is really almost ridiculous!

To have a candidate resort to restricting their résumé to only one page means that probably they’ve cut so much content out that you’ll never really see the quality of the candidate, particularly if they are a senior manager or executive OR they have tried to cram so much content onto one page that the font is nearly illegible or the margins and formatting are so crazy that any potential employer would likely just dismiss it out of hand rather than reach for the handy magnifying glass.

I have seen candidates take it to a new level with the 8+page approach. This is not really good either because it is likely that much of your content is redundant and un-necessary.

In the final analysis, your content really rules just how long your résumé should be. If you are concerned that you cannot be frugal with your use of content and MUST include more than the customary 2-3 pages nowadays, then consider adding it in a nicely formatted addendum. This is also the place where you might want to add your publications and editorials, workshop/presentations and keynote appearances etc… In most cases, an unbiased reader will point out some content that you should not include because it just isn’t that relevant.

So, don’t be frustrated when you sit to come up with a several pages if you’re only just getting into the job market and don’t try to eliminate valuable content in hopes of getting down to a “one-pager” if you’ve been in the job market a while. You will find that if you let your content dictate the length of your résumé (within reason), you will have just the right one for you.

Happy Job Hunting
The Resume Lady

I read an article in the Industrial Engineering Jobs website and I thought I would share this with you.

Do you know a man named Chris Bigelow? His post: “Have You Googled Yourself Lately” caught my attention because, I immediately answered “NO”. Followed by the question…”Should I?”

After a little further online searching, I did find myself, or rather, I found entries online that were really about me. My facebook page, twitter and Linked In….my old My Space page were all there for everyone to see. That made me wonder….do I really know how that content will be interpreted by others? I don’t do keg-stands but if I did, I don’t think that is the impression I would want my potential employers to get about me. Photos of you wasted are not really the most flattering and photos of you passed out…..hmmmmm……what are employers to make of them?

Perhaps they should not pry into your personal lives but they likely will and if you aren’t getting work, maybe you should look at your “personal brand” or the name you have made for yourself. Did you save a man from a burning building or are you on the front page of the paper for having donated blood at the Red Cross? THOSE are great items to show you’re a person of good character…..partying (drinking or recreational drug use), scantily clad garments or dancing in provocative You Tube videos is probably going to come back to haunt you.

If you’ve already done this, try to clean it up….if you haven’t done this, DON’T! You risk a future employer making a snap judgment about you regardless of your stellar résumé or other credentials. One way to get around this is to build a personal website and add content to it that you definitely want someone to find. Links to your photo debuts in any newspaper or press releases etc. Do a little exercise and pretend you are a potential employer and google you, then search the online communities, viewing the content through the filter of an employer. Would YOU hire you based on that?

Over at our sister site, reliabilitytalent.com we have put up a new post entitled “The Cardinal Sins of Interviewing” which identifies the top three things you should avoid when undertaking the interview process.  The three are:

1. Be unprepared
2. Get Sidetracked
3. Ask stupid questions

Check out the post for the full details on why these three are the cardinal sins of interviewing.

Henry Hartman, famous Illustrator of the 20th century was quoted as saying “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity”.

This is true of many an endeavor, and certainly so for interviewing. Even if you have the “gift of gab”, going into an interview unprepared is foolish. In most organizations today, interviewing a potential employee is a multi-level process involving different layers within the organization. Do not expect to receive an offer on the first interview. Your goal at the first interview is to get a second interview! Push too hard for an offer in the first interview and you may come off looking too aggressive or worse…desperate! Also, many a major mistake is made prior to coming to the interview that set you up for failure so pay close attention to these very common Good Practices in Interviewing.

There are a few standard practices that you should observe when you do get the invitation to interview with a prospective employer.

Start Ahead of Time. Allow yourself to get to know important facts about the business, time to prepare what you are to wear and what you are to say. Consult the internet, the company’s website, the Chamber of Commerce, The Better Business Bureau and any relevant professional organizations to see what kind of employer they are and how they contribute to their community at large and specifically within their industry. Find out the company’s philosophies and trends and see whether your values match. Remember – this is the biggest selling job of your life – selling yourself!

Know the position title you are applying for and be prepared to answer how you can make an immediate contribution to the organization.

Prepare a few well thought out questions in advance so you can engage the interviewer – it’s not an interrogation so look for natural places in the process to speak up and ask questions about the organizations goals for the position.

Practice answering difficult interview questions with a friend. Role plat as the interviewer too. You might find it’s not the easiest either.

Take with you: pen, paper (notepad in a neat folder or binder, leather is best), 2 or 3 professionally printed (laser printed) copies of your résumé, list of references, samples of your past work (if applicable to the position), and copies of: letters of recommendation, honors, awards and achievements if relative to the position.

Look the part. Dressing for success is only the beginning. Obviously, you want to look very neat and unwrinkled, in properly fitting clothes that are appropriate for the position for which you are applying. Pay attention to accessories, jewelry should be understated, perfume should be light or not at all – same goes for cologne and after-shave. Don’t forget to check your shoes for scuffs and dirt/mud and to ensure that they compliment your attire. Men wearing ties, check for spots; Women wearing hosiery, check for runs in your stockings.

Beyond your attire, physical appearance should convey a “put together” image. Get plenty of rest so you are mentally alert and the bags under your eyes are not noticeable.

This will give you confidence and convey to the interviewer a sense of well-being and health, which can be a big plus. Don’t forget to allow for plenty of time to prepare for the interview. Ladies, use moderation when applying makeup and men, a quick shave leaves your face broken-out. Give yourself just a little extra time to be more deliberate in your preparation for the interview.

Smoking and chewing gum are obviously to be left outside the interview. Interviewers don’t like the scent of smoke or alcohol on your breath so just don’t engage in those activities at all prior to an interview. It is critically important to know your resume, stand or sit straight without slouching and definitely make eye contact when you are speaking to the interviewer. Be very aware of your mannerisms, talking with your hands and pausing using “umm” and “uhh” a lot don’t tell an interviewer you are sharp!

Also, leave early. Leave a lot earlier than you need to to get to your interview. In no instance is it okay to arrive late for an interview. Everyone knows there is traffic so, in preparation for the interview, do a “mock” or trial drive to the interview. Leave at the same time you would actually leave for the interview and this will help you gauge if you have allotted enough time to account for the traffic or potential detours en-route. I know this might sound crazy but, if you show up late for your most important meeting (your interview) then how do you think they will perceive you will show up if they hire you later on? You really can’t be your best if you are hurried from rushing into an interview late and so you will already be stressed out. Allow yourself a leisurely drive to an interview to gather your thoughts and prepare.

Practice smiling. People are much more attracted to happy individuals and not sullen, desperate or worried looking prospects. Practice and preparation will make it easier to smile and be your best professional self.

There are loads and loads of tips out there and nothing is new under the sun but if you prepare and if you use common sense and display good judgment, that is a great perception to leave with a potential employer.

You have worked hard and paid the piper.  You’ve put in the blood, sweat and tears….toiling into the night,

skipping lunch all to prove your commitment, increase your productivity and ensure your job security! Has

anyone noticed?

You may need to start thinking about what you can do to get noticed for your abilities or potential within

your existing company or outside, but in your career space.  Are you brainstorming future steps to expand

your personal brand and make your job search more successful?

If you haven’t considered two immensely valuable outlets like Linked-In or Twitter or other combinations of

popular social media outlets you could be overlooking the powerful career tools available.

Now, don’t be tempted to dismiss this out of hand…after all, you may think these new-fangled social media

gadgets are too difficult and not very professional. But there are many ways to be promoting your talents

and abilities while contributing and/or learning from the plentiful groups that exist in social media today.

Any way you look at it, separately or in combination, social media can be incalculably valuable in terms of

its contribution to your personal branding and job seeking efforts.

We’re talking about:

• Joining FREE social media outlets that GIVE you exposure in PROFESSIONAL forums where you can both

LEARN and PROVIDE content to the greater community at large which in the end, lends great credibility to

your position as an expert in your field.

Furthermore, when you start building a following or begin dialogue with individuals who actually like the

content you are producing, it’s really building up YOUR BRAND and it’s an acceptable venue….it’s a

veritable coup! The power of these venues lies in the reciprocal dialogue you have when you pipe in on a

topic or start a discussion on your own that is related to a professional topic you have expertise in.  It lends

credibility which is absolutely priceless!

And, let’s face it—being seen as an expert sets you apart from other JOB SEEKERS and distinguishes you as

a leader in your industry. Not only does it boost your status above that of your peers in the eyes of the

public, it also makes them aware of what YOU are specifically interested in and helps them form a positive

opinion about you.

If you decide to seek future employment, you are searchable for your contributions in these forums and

guess what?  Potential employers will read your carefully crafted responses and based upon the findings,

may deem you worth seeking out to interview over the droves of other applicants who have yet to delve

into this avenue of Personal Brand Management.

The bottom line is that getting yourself into the habit of logging into Linked-In and Twitter can have a very

positive impact on the success of your job search.  A note of warning, be aware that you are judged –

however unfairly, on your careful selection of words (or lack thereof) so use your words wisely, but don’t

be afraid to get out there and contribuute to your career community! ENGAGE! You can invest much or little

of your personal time to these social media options—it’s your choice. But there are great benefits if used

wisely whichever you choose to embrace.

Happy Job Hunting,
The Résumé Lady

There has been massive amounts of attention paid to health care reform and the key points contained within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; however, various provisions within that nearly one thousand page document have stayed under the radar screen, like the tiny provision amending the Fair Labor Standards Act (”FLSA”).

The FLSA amendment found in 29 U.S.C. 207 (r)(1) requires employers covered under the FLSA to provide a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her infant child. “Reasonable break time” is not defined in the amendment. Under the amendment, employers must provide such breaks for up to one year after the child’s birth, but do not need to compensate for any time spent on such a break. Employers also must furnish employees with “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public” for expressing breast milk during the breaks.

Employers of less than 50 employees may be excused from providing breaks for breastfeeding, but only if doing so would create an “undue hardship.” Under the new amendment, “undue hardship” is defined as a hardship that causes significant difficulty or expense and is measured by the size, financial resources, nature, or structure of the employer’s business.

Although many states already have their own laws pertaining to expressing breast milk, employers in states that do not must now make sure they provide reasonable breaks for expressing breast milk and secure a private place for this to occur. Employers that are in states that have these laws in place, like Connecticut, must adhere to whichever law is most favorable to the employee.

Today, President Obama appointed two pro-union attorneys, Craig Becker and Mark Pearce, to the National Labor Relations Board. Obama made these appointments unilaterally, using what is known as a recess appointment, which is an appointment made while Congress is not in session that does not require Congress’ assent. Brian Hayes, a third nominee and member of the GOP, was left behind to be voted on by Congress.

These recess appointments do not bode well for employers. Becker, a controversial pro-union advocate, most recently was employed as Associate General Counsel for the Service Employees International Union and prior to that worked was an attorney for the AFL-CIO. Pearce also is a pro-union attorney. With these appointments, the NLRB will now have a 3-1 Democratic majority. Because these appointments were made during a Congressional recess, the terms for these appointees will end in 2011 whereas appointments with Congressional approval last five years.