I was recently asked, “What’s the best way to improve the odds of getting an interview when submitting a resume for an open position?” That’s a good question and the process starts before you hit the send button. By customizing your resume to the job posting, you significantly increase your odds. Most job seekers only have one “version” of their resume and submit that for every posting. We all know that “one size does not fit all”!

Start with studying the actual job posting. The job posting usually states the skills and knowledge that are being sought for the position. After knowing what the employer’s needs are, you can adapt your resume to mirror the posting. Make sure everything the posting asks for is somewhere on your resume. Also make sure your resume is “scan” friendly. By scan friendly I mean no funky fonts or heavily formatted resumes. Most companies today use computerized candidate-tracking systems.  Those elements on a resume will not scan well and can automatically decrease your chances of an interview since “non-human” eyes are screening the resumes for matches.

I would also include a strong cover letter summarizing your strengths and skills. There is so much competition out there for jobs today that hiring managers need to assess candidates quickly. A good cover letter will make it easy for the hiring manager to see what you are about and compel them to read your resume. Proofread your resume and eliminate all spelling and grammatical errors. If you are having a hard time understanding what you want to convey, so will the hiring manager. Have someone else be another set of eyes for you to catch any errors that you may have overlooked. This is the first impression a potential employer will have about you, so make it the best! Best of success in your journey!

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

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Our daughter is in the process of planning her wedding and she is realizing that she needs to make some tough decisions. She’s quickly finding out that her dream wedding doesn’t necessarily fit into her reality budget. Like with most everything else, weddings come with a price tag. So do job offers.

Just like our daughter and her wedding, you need to determine what your “non-negotiables” are—what it will take to make you happy—when examining a job offer.

Obviously salary is the huge elephant in the room. But if the initial salary offering is somewhat lower than expected, do the benefits (vacation, health insurance, stocks, retirement, perks and other incentives) make up the difference or come close? What about the culture of the company and the work environment? Does that jazz you or could you take it or leave it? Is the job your dream job, or will it put food on the table until something better comes along?

Here are just a few suggestions for getting you started on assessing an offer. Know what you are worth and have an idea of what the current salary ranges are for the position you are going for.  Make an old fashion “Pros and Cons” list, listing everything the new position offers. Visualizing each monetary or non-monetary benefit will help you to better evaluate what is being presented. This will be especially helpful when comparing two offers or trying to decide if it is worth making the jump to a new job. Sit down and truly weigh each point. What are your non-negotiables and your nice to haves, but not a show stopper?

Whatever the “total bundle” is, you need to carefully evaluate the package as a whole and decide what is best for you and your situation. Best of success in your journey.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

Technorati Tags: assessments, attitude, benefits, career change, career coach, career coaching, career passion, Career Transition, compensation, compensation negotiation, human resource management, incentive negotiation, incentives, interview coaching, interview tips, kevin tucker, kevin tucker" rel="tag"> Success, life balance, life coaching, negotiating, outplacement services, Passion and Job Satisfaction, perks, salary, Salary Negotiation, work-life balance

I’m often fascinated by off-beat trivia. Did you know that July is National Baked Bean Month, National Blueberries Month, and National Horseradish Month? The list goes on, but I think you get the picture. As my wife would say, “Any excuse to throw a party”!

The one trivia snippet that caught my eye is that this week is Take Charge of Change Week. The purpose or focus of this week is to increase awareness of an individual’s ability to control his or her own destiny and examine the principles of taking charge of the changes that affect each of us. All I can say is, Wow!

On December 31st the vast majority of us will take stock of the previous 12 months and make resolutions designed to make the coming new year a better one. Why wait until the end of the year? I’m suggesting we all celebrate Take Charge of Change Week this year and take charge of your life now, making changes necessary to improve the quality of your life.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

Technorati Tags: attitude, career assessment, career change, career coach, career coaching, career consulting, career inventory, career passion, Career Transition, human resource management, interview tips; Walter Cronkite, job, job fair, job search, kevin tucker, kevin tucker" rel="tag"> Success, keywords, life balance, life coach, life coaching, military transition, outplacement services, Passion and Job Satisfaction, self improvement, success, transition coach

Negative Self Talk
 We all know that if we keep telling ourselves that there are no jobs available, there’s no way we can make our way into a particular employer, or  we don’t have the right skills that eventually the bad mood with suck us in. We know better, but we still like to indulge ourselves and continue in this destructive pattern. STOP RIGHT NOW! Hiring managers can smell bad attitude miles away. Do yourself and your job search a favor and get those negative thoughts out of your head. I think Peter Pan said it best, “Flying is easy, “JUST THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS”.

Not Dressing for Success
 First impressions are often lasting impressions. Dressing too casual is a bad idea especially when working your search. No matter what the occasion—networking, interviewing, or just dropping off a resume—you need dress professionally. Business attire (yes, that means a suit), no extreme hairstyles, tats and non-traditional piercings either covered or removed, and light fragrances. If that scent you’re wearing reminds the hiring manager of an ex, do you really think you’ll get the job?
 
Waiting for that Internet Ship to Come in
 You’re feeling pretty good about your search since you have all of those job agents searching for you on all of those Internet sites. All you have to do is sit back and wait for the job offers to roll in, right? WRONG! Effective job searches are interactive! You need to actively participate which means you need to be networking, attending career fairs, going to workshops and conferences to generate leads. Those Internet job boards are a great tool and generate great leads but they should not make up the bulk of your search.

The Dog Ate My Homework Excuse
 Have you ever blown off the night’s homework thinking that watching TV was more interesting than doing algebra? You’re basically doing the same thing if you don’t learn as much as you can about a potential employer before you go in for the interview. The Internet makes researching a company and its leadership so incredibly easy, there is absolutely no excuse for not knowing something about a company that you’re interviewing with. By knowing something about the company, you can interact with the interviewer on a higher level and better demonstrate why you are the ideal candidate.

Throwing Away All of those Networking Contacts
 You grab your suit jacket and shove your hand into the outside pocket only to discover that pile of business cards from the last industry event you went to—a few years ago. It may be too late for some of those contacts to be of any use, but the next time you’re out and about meeting people, take a few moments after the event and organize the business cards that you collect. Whether you organize them in a box, or enter the information into your Outlook, make sure the information is easy for you to retrieve when you need it.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

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No one likes to weed. I know it’s not my favorite thing to do. (Okay, so a few of you do; but for the vast majority of us it’s something on our delay until later list.) But much like a garden, your job search can get overrun with “weeds” that can choke the life out of your search. This can be especially true if you have been working your search for a period of time. It’s important that you just don’t go at it with a bottle of Roundup®; but carefully look at each area and decide what needs to be pulled so new growth can be given an opportunity to thrive.

Your Search Methods
Are they working for ya? Every good job search is comprised of many methods. Job boards on the Internet are a fantastic tool, but not the only one. Career fairs, association meetings, social media, networking events, and industry conferences are great ways to get out, get known, and get going! Be sure to do at least one positive thing for your job search daily!

Your Resume
Take a careful look at your resume. It should be up to date and accurate. Your resume’s focus needs to truly reflect your career goals. Check for key words and terminology—are there any terms or phrases that are outdated or newer concepts that need to be added? It’s an idea to read through current job openings and posting to get a feel for what is trending in your career field.

Your References
Approach this one strategically. You want references who can speak positively of your accomplishments, skills, work ethic and future contributions to a company. Past supervisors, co-workers and business acquaintances can be potential references in addition to personal friends.  Also, it’s not out of line to have different sets of references depending upon the industry or position. Be sure to ask for permission in advance before putting someone on your reference list.

Your Appearance
By all means, don’t go out and buy a new wardrobe (although my wife would beg to differ), but do go through your closet and make sure you have something appropriate and in good condition to wear to interviews and professional networking events. Conservative suits for both men and women are a must have. Make sure that any non-traditional piercings or body art are easily removed or covered. No extreme hairstyles or strong fragrances. Also remember to smile and be upbeat. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

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We had an almost total technological crisis here at C-Cubed last week. In addition to getting the black screen of death on one of the computers(I wrote about this last week), our main printer decided it would be a good time to take a permanent vacation—without the traditional two week notice. I could see things grinding to a halt and dollar signs floating in front of my eyes. How in the world did we ever function WITHOUT a personal computer its friend the printer? Repair or replace? Replace or repair? Replace or replace…I think you get the idea. Those were the questions of the week—all week. At first thought, emotion told me to bite the bullet and replace both. But was it necessary and did it really make sense?

Often career transition is guided by emotion—good or bad. You’re approached by a new company or department within your company to come work for them; a good dilemma for you! Or, on the flip side, you’re released or laid-off. Not so good. However, both developments are dominated by strong emotional pulls demanding that you make a decision, NOW.

Before you make a decision, you need to make sure it makes sense for you and your current (and future) situation. Step back for a moment or two and think through possible scenarios and likely outcomes. Sure, that invitation to work with a new department is flattering and gives you a boost; but is it in alignment with your career goals? Are you a good fit with that department’s culture?  Or now that you’re forced to find a new job; do you take the first one that makes an offer (any offer), or do you wait for one that fulfills all of your dreams? Do you accept something somewhere in between?

Whatever you do, don’t make the decision alone. Confide in close friends and family members. They often have insight that you may overlook in the passion of the moment.  Seek the advice of a career coach if you still need direction. A career coach can help you objectively see the big picture and give you a solid course of action to achieve your goals. Whatever you do, it needs to make sense for YOU!

As for my office machine meltdown; I was able to resurrect the computer. It now has four of its nine lives left. Knowing that I want to upgrade to a Mac in the future, it made sense to hold off on getting a new pc now. As far as the printer goes, we’re quite smitten with the new printer and the smok’n deal we got on it.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career coach, career coaching, career consulting, Career Transition, change, job search, kevin tucker, life coach, military transition, Networking, Passion and Job Satisfaction, transition coach

I got a picture text from my wife yesterday showing me the black screen of death on her computer. She didn’t seem too upset, so I knew she had a contingency plan and everything was okie dokie. I preach the mantra of save frequently and back-up often, so I text her back, gave her some reassuring words and continued with my day. I didn’t hear anymore, so I figured “no news is good news”.

That was until I got home. She did manage to bring the beast back to life—briefly. Actually long enough to get a current back-up copy of her files. (Notice how I’ve highlighted current.) Now, although the black screen of death showed up unexpectedly yesterday morning, she knew that her system was running on borrowed time. It had done this once before, about six months ago, and to her, every day that the computer was working was a gift from God. Although she knew the computer was’t quite right, she didn’t have a current back-up of her data.

This incident got me thinking, how often do we put off or wait until the last possible moment to do things that need to be done—especially in a work situation? You can usually read the writing on the wall for down-sizings, RIFs, lay-offs, and firings. How prepared are you if the black screen of death comes to visit you at work? I’d like to pose a few questions to you if you don’t mind:

1. How current is your resume? Your resume should have your most recent information on it. If you don’t have a resume—NOW is the time to get one put together!
2. Do you have a network of people—both professional and personal—that you can turn to for advice and for references?
3. What would your next move be if you were to find yourself out of work?

Consider these three items to be a start to your “back-up” plan. I realize that I’ve over-simplified this a bit—I just wanted to get you thinking; to get you started on your plan. If you need help developing your plan, I’m just a phone call or e-mail away.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career, career change, career coach, career coaching, kevin tucker, Networking, resume, resume writing, resumes, transition, transition coach

No matter what the state of the economic times are, or what part of the country you’re in, keeping motivated in your job is key. When times get tight, you don’t want to give your employer a reason to question your worth; or your employment for that matter.

As a career and life coach, I talk with folks on a daily basis who are struggling with this balance. Maybe something has changed in your family-a move to a different part of the country or even a foreclosure. Unfortunately, many people are dealing with issues like these and understandably so, there’s not much motivation left for the workplace!

But how do you step “up” when it seems like so many things are falling apart around you? Here are a few quick steps to keep you in balance.

Know your value to your employer’s ROI. To start off, we need to look at the true business side of the house. If you’re not motivated and contributing value to the company, why should your boss keep you around? Know how you’re contributing to the bottom line of the company. Go back to why you were hired in the first place. Where have you been able to contribute? What have you been able to resolve?

Increase communication with your boss. Communication is one of those things that you can never get enough of, but does it take work! You may need to be the one that needs to initiate it. Most likely your boss is not going to come to you. Many other pressures may have been put on her or his plate and sitting down to have a conversation with you is probably not on the radar screen. But, it is key for you to know where they’re at and what you can do to help them.

Find additional ways to contribute. This really goes with the thought of communication. In tough times, employers often find ways to do more with less. The positive side of this is that it gives you a greater opportunity to have a bigger piece of the pie. Your boss might ask for your input, you could volunteer for extra assignments, or you just might be there as a resource. Whatever it is, if you’re there with a great attitude and a giving spirit, you can’t go wrong!

Build up the team. What about others around you? These could be the folks that report to you, the team you work with, your peers, or even your clients. In these tough times, can you think of a better a better way to add value than to be the person that everyone wants to be around? As a former team manager, I’d look for people like this. If you have a positive influence on others and are a true asset to the company, your boss will notice!

In moving forward, keeping motivated is truly a choice-your choice. As you apply these principles, watch out! Not only will your motivation be on target, but you’ll see positive results in other areas of your life as well!

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

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