We recently met with Career Coach, Graham Caulfield, to bounce some questions off of him about job searching. Caulfield has worked for companies including Zig Ziglar, Honeywell, Telstra, NEC and Philips in sales and marketing and finds great satisfaction in helping people to obtain their Dream Jobs.

HDJ-What kinds of services does a career coach offer?

Graham- Just a few of the benefits you could experience by working with a career coach include:

1. Expediting the process of determining your new career direction.
2. Helping you with a systematic approach to finding your career fit.
3. Giving you feedback and guidance from someone who has helped hundreds make career changes.

In this economy, old ways of job searching will delay your employment. Responding to Newspaper and Internet ads as your only means of searching will almost guarantee extended unemployment. But a skilled career coach can help you to develop targeted job search tools (like your professional resume), hone your skills for marketing yourself to employers, and design a strategic game plan for finding your next job.

HDJ- How else can these services help someone who is job searching?

Graham- They offer jobseekers the chance to learn how to use all of the tools at their disposal. It provides them with an understanding of how to use their time and resources to the greatest advantage. Career coaches help by listening, providing feedback, and asking powerful questions to improve the job seeker’s ability to market and sell themselves in the job market.

They can coach you on how to answer interview questions most strategically. It’s not always the most qualified person who gets the position-sometimes the person who communicates the most persuasively will get the job.

HDJ- What strategies might benefit someone searching for a job in the healthcare field?

Graham- A good career coach is going help a job seeker identify their unique selling points. With so many applicants in the Healthcare industry having similar qualifications, it is important to communicate exactly what it is that “sets you apart”. It’s not enough to assume that it’s obvious or that everyone will recognize your talents.

HDJ- Do you recommend networking? Why or why not?

Graham- Yes, absolutely. It’s not who you know, but who knows you. Job seekers should become a member of a networking group or two to meet new people and establish a presence in a supportive environment. Sharing ideas leads to exposure and opportunities for everyone.

Usually networking contacts won’t be potential employers. They will be people who know about potential employment. If one discovers that a contact is a potential employer, they should take off their networking hat and pursue employment.

Effective networking also includes being involved on social and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

HDJ- What is a common job searching mistake that you see?

Graham-That’s any easy one! People don’t read the advertisement and job description carefully. Read it 324 times, then read it again. Also, analyze and use those key words from the ad and job description to ensure that your résumé matches the employer requirements.

HDJ- Thank you Graham! Follow Graham on Twitter.

There is a ton of help available to help you with your job search online and today we want to highlight some of them that have resources valuable to your job search. Whether you need help with a resume, need to access job listings or need help networking, resources abound. Here are some resources that we recommend:

1. Help my Resume- A no-cost resume rewriting service with a mission in mind to help people present themselves better. Their vision: “By the end of 2011, we will be the leading advocate, conscious, voice and solutions provider to, and on behalf of the unemployed, regardless of age, sex or race throughout the United States.” They have a comprehensive blog with a ton of good job searching information as well. Follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

2. Expert Resume Man- We first met Graham on Twitter, where he keeps a steady stream of interesting job conversations and resources going. Today he posted a great tip: “Never include marital status, religious/political affiliations in résumé. Don’t insert picture either.” Graham is a career coach and if you feel the need for some more in-depth analysis of your resume, job search or defining your objective/goals, he’s the one to go to.

3. Landon Long- We also met Landon on Twitter. He is great at outlining the common pitfalls on resumes and offers a free course on his website about resume writing. The course includes access to four newsletters on job interviewing.

4. HealthCareers.net offers a great blog with a lot of healthcare job stats and growth predictions. In addition, they have job listings, health news, education and financial aid information. You can even view educational programs by State.

5. Job-Hunt.org offers hundreds of listings for job resources including online job searching tutorials, a Guide to Lay-Off Self Defense and more. From Job-Hunt website, “Job-Hunt is dedicated to the millions of people who have had their personal lives disrupted by the loss of a job…We hope that Job-Hunt can help open doors and provide assistance and hope to job seekers…A job loss can be a new beginning as well as an ending. A career is a process, not a destination! Don’t give up!”

6. Don’t forget to check out our blog for great resources and also our job listing section for thousands of healthcare jobs!

Why do you work in healthcare? You can’t deny that our chosen field makes a huge impact on people, how they live and even the outcome of their lives. When we chose healthcare for a living, it usually has something to do with making an impact and being able to positively affect lives.

But every job has its challenges, and whether yours are conflict with co-workers/superiors, low pay for long hours, patient “unappreciation” or just plain-ole office politics-jobs can get discouraging. How can you prevent those discouragements from affecting your job performance and burning you out?

Here are some suggestions for you:

1. Never doubt the impact that you can make. You won’t always hear it and sometimes, you might hear it in an odd fashion (such as a twisted compliment or overhearing family members talking about you), but know that your impact is great. Consider jotting down each compliment that your receive. Then you will have a list to refer to when you have a tough day.

2. Know when you need a break. If you are overly tired, feel discouraged or dread going to work, it’s time for a break. There is a reason why your employer allows vacation time. Breaks will keep you refreshed and thinking clearly. Take the breaks that you are allotted.

3. Encourage and use humor while on the job. Humor is an essential stress reliever and having some appropriate fun with your coworkers can do wonders to relax everyone who is there. Feeling stressed? Keep a joke book at the desk and pull it out when everyone is as tense as a stretched rubber band.

4. Don’t forget to eat! I’m not kidding. In the healthcare field we are incredibly busy and at times will go hours without the food needed that fuels our body and minds. Don’t let yourself move into low blood sugar, irritability and stress. Make sure everyone has scheduled breaks to eat and take those breaks. If you can’t, stash some higher protein snacks in your work area that you can grab on the go.

5. Communicate with your patients, co-workers and superiors. Communication is incredibly vital to keeping the work environment running smoothly. If you are uncomfortable with someone, there is a reason. Try and talk it out. Make it a priority to verbally de-clutter the workspace as needed. This will help everyone’s stress level, even those not directly involved with the issue.

Now that more and more people are applying quickly for jobs when they become available, acing the interview is a very important to step to obtaining your dream job. In this competitive market, standing out is essential. Here are some tips to help get you there:

1. Only apply for jobs that you are well-qualified for. The old adage “apply for every job possible” is usually a waste of time. For every job open, there are a ton of applicants who have the specific experience for that job and you will only stand out above those people if you have more than they have. Stick to your niches and to your areas of strengths to put yourself in a position to ace the interview.

2. Assume that everyone else is as qualified as you are and that they have great personalities. Seek other ways to put your best foot forward and truly make yourself irreplaceable to your future employer-even before you become employed. What can you bump yourself up on?

3. Before your interview, research the employer. Reviewing their website and printed material will give you a heads up about the company and help you appear more knowledgeable about them during your interview.

4. Consider advanced training. Where else can you go in your training? Can you continue education in your field? What about management classes? Consider the education that will help you become more valuable to a potential employer and follow through on it.

5. Ask questions. The interviewer might give you a chance to ask questions during the interview. Questions that are somewhat in-depth about the company are great as they show that you want to learn more. Be wary about asking for specific salary, benefits, etc. Of course you have the right to know these but it can give the impression that those are the only important things to you. Save them for after the employer calls you about the next step in the process.

6. Bring your references to the interview and a copy of your resume, even if you have already turned them in. I can’t tell you how many times an employer is unable to dig them up for interviews or “didn’t have time to go back to the office to grab them” but it has happened to me. It saves everyone time and grief if you can just hand another copy over.

7. Dress professionally. Shake hands firmly. Look your interviewer in the eye. Beware of nervous habits such as leg bouncing, twisting hair, and “umm’s”. Enough said. See an interview here with an HR Director on more of that.

Few people like the responsibility of correcting other people but of course, it is often the job of managers and HR departments to do so. We’ve all heard the horror stories of firings that seem overboard and (on the flip side) employee actions that were never addressed. Last year, one of my friends was fired after writing a letter to her supervisor asking if they could talk together to resolve a situation. She spent many upset months thereafter trying to figure out what she really did wrong and had little confidence to even go job searching again. Less than three months later, the position she had held at the company was completely eliminated, resulting in the lay-off of six additional people. When she looked back, it seemed pretty obvious that the company had initially let her go with the motivation of saving money versus a letter that she had written.

There is an honest way to deal with people, as we all know. Unfortunately, not all companies practice it. Sometimes orders come from above to “cut staff” and although no one wants to be on that particular bad-news team, they are required to get it done somehow. In this life we lead, and as imperfect humans trying to do our best, sometimes we get it wrong.

Here are some guidelines to assist in working with employees the right way:

1. Always state the problem with specifics and examples. Focus on the employee’s choices in the matter and why it was not a good decision.
2. Listen carefully to what they say. If someone who is genuinely shocked or sorry for their actions, it is a positive sign. Listen to their side of the story, give them the benefit of the doubt and be willing to adapt how you understood the issue if needed.
3. Always keep a record of disciplinary action and any talks with the employee. If your company issues incident reports, etc, always fill them out.
4. Follow your chain of command and policies for discipline carefully. With questions, ask your supervisor and company’s legal team.
5. Even if employed by an “at-will” company (employer can fire and employee can quit for no reason stated), remember that your employees are human and try to be fair. Don’t fire without telling them your reason and having your process backed up. It’s a good way to have a bunch of scared employees tiptoeing around who are afraid to speak up.
6. Consider discipline other than firing, if the offense did not hurt the employee/anyone and was not against the law. A Write-Up is often enough to help the employee see the issue and work to resolve it. After all, you do want your employees to be able to problem solve, right?
7. Never contract out for firing. I don’t care if you have thousands of employees under your care and have to let them go all in one week, this is one of the worst things you can do. It can be psychologically damaging to the employee getting the ax (and the ones not getting the ax-trust me, word gets around) and it’s extremely bad form on the part of an employer to not take the time and do what needs to be done.
8. Go out of your way to be kind and do what you can for the employee. If a severance package or help with unemployment would be helpful, provide it. This will help the person feel valued (even if they didn’t work out as an employee) and is considered good form for company practice.

There are a few techniques that you can employ (pun intended) to gently steer potential employers towards scheduling an interview, after you’ve sent them your killer resume. Here are some techniques that I’ve seen used:

1. Follow up your resume submission with contact-Keep a list of where and to whom you submit your resume and follow up with each one. In the current economy, your resume might get lost in a stack of 100 applicants. But an email or call can go a long way in helping yours to get pulled out of the stack and looked at more closely.

2.Ask for an informational interview- I have had two people contact me over the past six months and request an “informational interview”. This is an interview where you questions about the company. I’ve seen it used when people are exploring the industry, wanting to network or needing a job. Does it result in one? I can’t answer that. I can only say that if I had had an opening, I would have been more likely to hire one of the two people that I provided an informational interview to because their questions and comments impressed me. There is much to gain (including knowledge) and nothing to lose with contacting employers and requesting one.

3. Follow the employer on the social sites, such as Twitter, Facebook and Linked In (notice, I did not say stalk)-This shows your interest in the organization. Keep in mind that with larger organizations, the HR department may not even realize that you are a follower, but this will give you up-to-date information from the company and possible questions to ask during your interview.

Now that you have your outline from Writing Your Resume, Part 1,
you are ready to organize the information and format it in a way that will catch a potential employer’s attention-in a good way. No, I don’t recommend using neon colored paper or stationary that rocks. Stick with a basic, neutral color and use resume paper from an office supply store if delivering a printed version. Crazy script font that is not easily readable is a no-go and will not present your professional side. So stick with a standard font (Times, Times New Roman, Arial, etc) that is readable and professional.

When organizing your resume, keep the following
in mind:

1. At the top of the resume should be the header with your name, address, phone number, email and website (if applicable). Also feel free to add the URL’s to any social media profile. Note: This exact header should be used on all correspondence going to the potential employer, including the cover letter and reference sheet.

2. Next down should be your objective, should you choose to include one.

3. After that you should provide a list of skills. This is where you use the “power verbs” that you hear so much about. In other words, don’t list “Office Filing” as a skill-list “Handled office filing”. Here are some other examples:

“Patient Services” could be “Accessed and Delivered Patient Needs”

“Supervised” could be “Hired, Trained and Evaluated Employees”

“Medical Charting” could be “Maintained Client Charts”

4. Then comes work history and I’ve seen two effective formats for this. One is listing the work history in chronological order, with your current job first. The other is to make two headings, one that says “Related Work History” where you list all the jobs that are similar (or have a similar skill set) to the one that you are applying for and the other heading that says “Additional Work History” where you list the rest of your employment. There are pros and cons to both. Chronological order may not bring out the jobs that you really want the potential employer to see and the other system may give the impression that you have gaps in your work history, even if you don’t.

5. Include at least the position you held, the employer name, city/state of employer, dates worked there and duties in each listings. For example:

Lead Nurse, Willowback Medical Care Center, Chicago, IL. June 2009-March 2011.

6. After work history should be education, publication credits and volunteer work in a similar format to the one you used for work history. For example:

EDUCATION

BS in Nursing, Nursing College, Seattle, WA. 1993

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Boy Scout Leader, Boy Scouts of America, Chicago, IL May 1995-present

PUBLICATION CREDITS

“The History of Medical Staffing”, Medical Times, May 2005.

I see very few resumes with references listed on them. Instead make another sheet (with the same heading that is on your resume) and list them there. If the employer doesn’t ask for them initially, it makes a great impression to bring them with you when an interview is scheduled.

What do you think makes a great resume? Let us know in the comments section.

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You will find resume writing tips galore on the Internet and in books. Some are great ideas. Others, not so great. When searching for resume samples you will find several dozen samples that are offered as the “best” style to use. But the information can be confusing and overwhelming.

What’s the best way to write a resume that is compete, honest and stands out from the crowd? I recommend that you first write an outline. It will be an invaluable tool as you organize, format and write your resume. Include the following in your notes:

1. Your goals- Write them all down and then compact it to an objective that clearly states a goal that your potential employer will see on your resume. Do not include desired salary and be careful about self-serving statements. (Consider what you can provide for the employer versus what you want from them).

2. Your Job History- Dig up your job history, including name/address of employer, dates worked, salary and specific duties. Also note any special accomplishments while in that job position.

3. Your Skills- Make a list of the skills that you have and don’t forget the basic ones. Remember that not everyone can type at the same WPM that you might be able to and believe it or not, not everyone knows how to use the Internet. Add any special skills that might be applicable only to the positions that you are applying for.

4. Your Education- List your education, including the name/location of the school, dates attended and concentration of study, including your high school. Include any classes, seminars and continuing education. Include degrees and certifications obtained.

5. Your Awards- If you have obtained awards in your professional or personal life, make a list of them including the year received and what they were for. Also include any publishing credits you might have.

6. Your Volunteer Activities- If you volunteer your time outside of your home to help others, include this on your outline. This shows that you are a caring individual with goals other than earning a living.

7. Your References- Prepare a list of people who might be willing to be a reference. Call them or send them an email to make sure that they are okay with it. Concentrate on those you know from a professional arena and ones you’ve known longer than a year or two, if possible.

In the next post, we will discuss how to organize and format your resume to be the best that it can be in this competitive job market.

Recently we were pleased to meet with Paul Knoch, an HR administrator with 17 years of experience in the industry.  Paul told us about the challenges and fun parts of his job, as well as how the economy is affecting current employees and applicants.

HDJ- What draws you to a candidate in an interview?

Paul- First impressions do count. I look for a confident demeanor as well as the usual first impression things like how they are dressed, if they are on time, etc.

HDJ- What makes the caution flag fly for you?

Paul- If someone appears really nervous (some nervous is normal) or if they interrupt. I had an applicant interrupt me many times on the phone and when she talked with the department manager, she did the same thing. When we didn’t hire her, she asked why. I told her why. By the way, she was interviewing for a customer service position.

In addition, someone who is trying too hard, who is overly friendly or tries to oversell themselves doesn’t work for me. Being too forward, taking a phone call during the interview (that has happened) or appearing distracted are also red flags. In a competitive market, those behaviors will quickly put someone to the bottom of the list.

HDJ- Do you have a lot of applicants right now?

Paul- It has doubled or tripled from a year or two ago. Also our turnover has decreased. So it makes it tough with not as many positions open.

HDJ- How have things changed?

Paul- One change I have seen is that people are less likely to quit a job even if they aren’t totally satisfied with it. With fewer jobs available, I think employees aren’t confident that they will find a better job so they are more willing to try to make things work where they are at.

Another change is that it’s an employer’s market right now with all the massive applicants available. Five or six years ago it was the opposite and employers were throwing perks out to entice employees to come on board.

HDJ- Have you seen many people apply from out of state?

Paul- Currently, fifty percent of applicants come from out of state. With our organization, people commonly come because they want to find meaning in their job. It’s not about money. It’s about being part of an organization that they care about and support.

HDJ-Has the recession made your job harder in any way?

Paul- The recession has been tough on all of us I think. I really feel for the people who call and share their life situation, hoping for a job even when we don’t have openings. It’s heartbreaking. I think most people who call are realistic and know we can’t create a position but they are trying to make contacts. One thing I have done is refer some to other organizations that might have openings through a network of emails.

HDJ- That’s certainly above and beyond. What’s difficult about your job?

P- Probably the most difficult part is walking the line between what state and federal laws require and what feels appropriate and compassionate in a situation. They don’t always line up. Sometimes I have to treat people based on HR laws and what I want to do is feel compassion and help people. Also, sometimes ADA and FMLA conflict each other. For instance, privacy laws say you can’t access people’s medical records. And yet, in a situation like FMLA, medical records are needed.

I have done things that I think are right and they may not necessarily be “HR-approved”. Sometimes you have to be courageous. It might mean talking to an employee about a situation instead of letting them go. It might mean that there is a grey area and I have to determine what is best, compassionate and within regulations all at the same time.

HDJ- What do you enjoy about your job in Human Resources?

Paul- I work with great people. There is a lot of variety and fun in my job. I interact, lead staff events, provide training, connect with them on social sites and more. Even the challenging part of confronting someone is good because I can help someone learn and grow and develop as worker-especially the younger people. To some small degree, I am helping with that.

Jobs are a big part of our life. But job satisfaction is less than fifty percent. And a lot of times it stems from how the employee is treated versus what they are being paid. So it’s very rewarding when things that I have intentionally done create a positive impact.

HDJ- This is great information, Paul. Thanks for your time!

Discouragement happens to all of us, whether job searching or not. But it’s my belief that the discouragement directly related to not being able to find a job is one of the worst discouragements possible. There is a lot at stake when one is unemployed or underemployed and it usually means that bills are going unpaid. Often there is an inability to pay rent (therefore forcing the unemployed to rely on family or friends) and often there is a family dependent on that job to live.

Ever notice how discouragement can pull you down even further? It is tough to “go find a job” when you are sad. In fact, it can be tough to do much of anything. Although some of us are able to pull back up after a few hours or a day of discouragement and still other people somehow are able to turn it around as a challenge to get something done, some people just can’t.

Here are some steps that you can take to stay productive, even with the discouragement monster threatens:

1. Find some understanding friends or family who have “been there” and ask to bend their ear. Vent to a friend, post on Facebook and just be honest. You will often be surprised and encouraged at the responses. Many will understand your plight and although it doesn’t fix the problem (although you never know!), you will feel better for getting it off your chest.

2. Stay busy. There are many, many cheap or free activities available in your community. Take advantage of those. Make new friends. Find a community group and become involved.

3. Help other people. There is great satisfaction in helping other people who are worse off than you. When you concentrate on other people, you have a very hard time concentrating on your own problems. So volunteer at a retirement home, help the homeless or handicapped or be a mentor to children in your community. Often a few hours is all it will take to bump your spirits back up-but we hope that you continue to volunteer even after you are feeling better.

4. Take short breaks. Sometimes a small break from job searching is needed. However, it is far too easy to let that break become a week, then two weeks and so on. Before you take a break from the job search, set a pre-determined time period for that break. Commit to get back to the grind in two or three days and let someone know this who can hold you to it.

5. Look for a temporary or contract job. Consider taking temporary jobs in the meantime, even if the job duties are different than your usual or ones that you feel would be a “step down”. It will help pay the bills and may even open opportunities for full time employment somewhere. And don’t discount contract jobs. It’s easier than you think to temporarily work as a contractor for a good organization.

6. Consider professional help if the discouragement lingers. Never be afraid to seek help if you need assistance. You will feel a lot better with counseling even if it just ends up being a venting session on a regular basis.

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