The Expert Dilemma

The Internet has made it possible for many experts to gain access into people’s homes and lives through increased networking opportunities. The dilemma is, how to identify the right expert for your needs.

The current economy and lack of employment opportunities has led many individuals to hang-out a shingle, create a blog, make a website, develop some business cards and proceed to provide advice to entrepreneurs, job seekers, and others trying to navigate the new economy. Many of these "experts" may have some basic insight when it comes to a particular field, but their actual knowledge base may be limited to a specific job function or industry. In other instances, an expert's vast knowledge of one industry may not be transferable to a variety of fields or industries.

For example, a person with experience in construction may not be able to provide job search advice to a person seeking a position in merchandising. They may be able to give some input on how stores and malls are designed and constructed to enhance foot traffic and flows. They may also be able to provide some basic information on negotiating for supplies or store fixtures. However, when it comes to actual suggestions on what is best to wear to an interview for this type of position, the types of questions that may be asked during the interview or information on current retail trends an expert with a background in construction may not be the best option for advice on how to land a merchandising job in the retail industry.

Moreover, a person who worked in the customer service area of a business for several years may not have any idea on how potential clients are identified and pursued or price points for services. This person may be an expert in relating to customers and resolving complaints, but they may not be able to provide a person who is considering starting a customer service business with information on critical issues that they may need in order to make their business successful.

Below are a few suggestions on what to consider when seeking the advice of an expert whether it is for starting a business or looking for employment:

• Remember not all experience is transferable
  
• Determine if the expert's experience matches your needs
  
• Find out if they belong to a professional organization and ask about their credentials
  
• Check-out the credentials and the credentialing body
  
• Ask for references
  
• Ask how long they have owned and operated their consulting business
  
• Use your best judgement if they offer some information for a small fee, but promise to give you more and better advice if you are willing to pay more
  
• If you call for a consultation, pay attention to how the phone is answered, is the name of the business or full name of the owner used
  
• If your current methods are producing some results, do not totally scrap your way of doing things, take time to determine if the expert's suggestions actually produce more and better results
  
• Make sure that you are totally comfortable with the advice being provided
  
• Keep in mind, there may not be anything wrong with your resume or cover letter you may not be applying for the right jobs
  
• You may not need to make changes to your marketing materials, you may need help in locating your target market
  

Whether you are seeking information on employment or starting a business, free advice from experts is available. A few suggestions on where to find free assistance is provided below:

• Local One Stop or Workforce Office
  
• Resume Workshop at Owl Purdue Online Writing Lab
  
• College Career Office
  
• Local Library
  
• SCORE
  
• SBA
  

Don't Let the Door Knob Hit You

When I was searching for a position out of the tons of resumes that I sent out, there were two jobs, that I applied for that were “special” to me. They were special because I sincerely believed that I was a perfect fit for these positions. These jobs did not simply involve things that I could do, they involved almost everything that I really wanted to do. When I came across these jobs, something inside of me screamed, give me a chance and I will do the hell out of this job. In both cases, before submitting any documents I took extra extra care to prepare the cover letter, I highlight specific skills in my resume that related to the position,then I eagerly submitted the documents and waited and waited and never heard a peep from the employers.

However, this was not the end of the story, well it would be for me but not for the employer because low and behold about three months later about the time it takes for an employer to evaluate the performance of a new employee, the very same ad showed up again. Okay, another confession, for one of the jobs, I actually started my “get hired for this job” campaign all over again, which failed just as miserably on the second go round as it had the first time.

Now, this is only speculation on my part, but the facts did appear to speak for themselves. Fact, there was an ad for the job; fact, the ad went away, and fact, the ad reappeared in about three months. Speculation, someone was hired and it did not work out. Of course, the first thought that came to my mind was, “they should have hired me.” Then the second thought was, “I wonder what went wrong.”

From life experience most of us have learned that there are lots of reasons and ways for a person to lose or become disenfranchised with a job. The company or the position may have not been what the new employee expected. Also, there are times when people on either side of the table may be less than honest when it comes to discussing a position. Background checks may come back late and reveal information that the employee failed to mention during the interview process. In short, there are many reasons jobs do not work out. Nevertheless, aside from the state of the economy, poor attendance, not getting along with co-workers, and incompetence lead the list of the top three reasons for being dismissed from a job.

Below are some thoughts on managing life as a new employee.

Job Performance

Do take pride in your work
Do complete all assigned tasks in a timely manner
Do take advantage of training when it is offered
Do be ready to prove yourself everyday
Do make your best effort to report to work everyday

Don’t be late arrive on-time or a few minutes early every day. Even if everyone in the office gets there late, make it a habit to be on-time otherwise you run the risk of appearing unhappy with your new job. There are instances where flex-time is a company wide option, if that is the case set a time and report to work at the time that was discussed and agreed to with management.

Don’t be a clock watcher, if need be and possible stay late to complete your tasks. It is a fact, for some people staying late is not an option, especially if there are family obligations. However for those who are able, staying late does not necessarily mean staying until 7:00 or 8:00 pm at night. It could simply mean not being in the elevator at 5:01 pm. Instead of heading for the door at 4:59 pm take a few minutes to clean off your desk, make a list of things that you want to accomplish the next day, check-in with your supervisor to let them know that you are leaving and find out if they need anything before you head-out. This could mean leaving at 5:10 or 5:20, but it also demonstrates that you are not just doing your job but you are involved with your work.

Don’t openly complain about polices make an attempt to learn why things are done a certain way before becoming discouraged or attempting to make changes. If a procedure or policy is hampering your ability to do your job, try to diplomatically find out how the policy came into being. Once you find out the root of the process you may be better able to live with it or propose an effective alternative process to management.

Interpersonal Do’s and Don’ts

Do offer to assist co-workers when and where possible
Do be pleasant and cordial at all times
Do leave your troubles at the door
Do identify a mentor

Don’t participate in and try to steer clear of office gossip. This can be tricky for a new hire because often times the office gossip is among the first people to arrive in your work area ready and willing to friend you. So until you know the lay of the land, keep all conversations polite and casual and if you have any questions that directly relate to your job or company policies address them to the person or persons who interviewed you or hired you. In most cases, these are the people who really want you to be successful in the job because in a way you are a refection of their decision making ability.

Don’t assume that everyone who smiles at you is your friend. There are some people who are friendly and helpful it is their nature and how they are wired. Then there are people who have learned to use the character traits of a friendly person in order to obtain information that can be used against you, steal your ideas or in the worse case scenario twist innocent statements or actions into something more in order to create a bit of drama. They themselves or perhaps someone within the company who is close to them may have applied for or wanted your job, but the company opted to bring in an outside person. Some people feel insecure about their position within the company and believe that they can earn brownie points by pointing out the flaws of others. It could even be something as simple as a person who wants to get the office gossip off of their back and they figure that feeding the office gossip some information on you will provide the gossip with a new focus. In short, it can be difficult to find out what makes a person tick. Therefore, to avoid being placed in an uncomfortable situation where you have to explain or defend yourself, build new relationships slowly.

Don’t get entangled with the ticking time bomb -- Normally, companies have at least one ticking time bomb; however, in this economy people are remaining in positions longer because they feel that there is nothing else available to them out there and to be blunt, they may be right. However, this knowledge does not help to ease their pain and as a result they may be burnt-out. People in these situations will rarely provide new employees with information that will help them to become a better employee in fact after listening to them for a few days a new employee may end up wondering what have they gotten themselves into and feelings about their new job may become tainted.

Do not discuss personal matters with co-workers. The work place in general, is not a place to discuss personal or family problems, but this is especially true in cases where you’re the new kid on the block.

General Info

Do seek out ways to add value
Do take it upon yourself to learn new skills and stay informed about your industry
Do practice good hygiene and take pride in your appearance

Don’t talk more than you listen. Get to know the company, your co-workers and what is expected of you by listening more and talking less.

Do not take anything that belongs to the company home without authorization.

Don’t compare yourself to others. In almost every company there are outliners, people who may come in later or leave earlier than others, people who may earn more than others in the same job, people who seem to get the best clients or assignments. To be brutally honest, this is of no concern to you, especially if just a few weeks ago your main source of income was your unemployment check or mommy and daddy. Right now, your main concern is doing the best job that you can do, making it through the probationary period and getting to the point where you’re having an annual review. If you make it to the one year mark with a good performance record and documented accomplishments then you have a better chance of being able to negotiate for more money, opportunities for advancement and or perks.

Do not tweet or post anything unfavorable about your employer or your job. Remember nothing sent in an electronic format is secret this even includes text messages. So, if you need to have a heart-to-heart about your new job with a friend opt to go low tech, call them or arrange to get together with them.

Connecting During an Interview

Looking for a job these days can be very frustrating. This can be especially true when job seekers continue to read articles about how the economy is improving. When I was unemployed reading those warm and fuzzy articles about the economy left me feeling downright panicked. I found myself questioning “Where does this leave me?” “Will I ever work again?” “How did I get left behind?”

However, this can be the worse time to panic. Despite of the rosy stories on the economy, many job applicants continue to land an average of one interview every three months and it is very important to make certain that each and every interview counts. Even if it is a learning experience. It also means presenting yourself in the best light in every situation where an employer may find you, including online, over the phone, and in person. This is a time when first impressions have never been more important. There is no time to publicly entertain thoughts of self-pity, anger, doubts or even feelings of desperation because the harsh truth is most employers are reluctant to hire anyone displaying these emotions.

The media may make it appear as if everyone in the country has been out of work at sometime over the past three years. In actuality, there are millions of workers who were not severely impacted by the economic downturn. Yes, they may have lost money in their retirement account, their home values may have fallen or they may have had to work a bit harder but their pay-check, liquid assets and ability to pay their bills were not impacted.

Many of these people are the same people that interview applicants and when an applicant comes in looking weary, anxious and upset due to the economy, often times the interviewer does not have first-hand knowledge or understanding of the job seekers’ situation and therefore, they don’t understand why the job seeker may appear less than upbeat during the interview. The emotions of the job search, coupled with the need to appear unencumbered and professional are hurdles for job hunters to cross.

A good thing for job hunters to keep in mind is, most people hire individuals who they understand, people who seem like them, individuals that remind them of themselves. If the interviewer does not have a first-hand understanding of what the job search has been like; there is a good chance that they won’t be able to understand or identify with an applicant who shows up for an interview with a big gap in their resume and wearing their emotions on their sleeve. Even if the interviewer is a new hire, there is no guarantee that they will be able to identify with individuals experiencing long-term unemployment. The employer may even find themselves pitying the job seeker, which can cause a disconnect and result in an applicant not getting the job.

Instead of wallowing in emotions before, during and after an interview, put some thought into communicating with the interviewer and getting to know the organization better. A few basic open ended questions can help a job seeker to connect with the interviewer as well as demonstrate areas where their experience and expertise can bring added value to the company.

Get ready to meet with prospective employers by preparing questions. These questions should solicit additional information about the company, engage the interviewer and provide an opportunity to offer positive information about your work ethics and experience to the prospective employer. Asking open ended questions can simulate the conversation during an interview. These are not necessarily the types of questions, that should be held until the end of the interview, when the interviewer typically asks an applicant if they have any questions. In many cases, by the time most interviewers reach the point where they ask an applicant about their questions, they have already formed their opinion. This is to say, that good end of the interview questions can top off a good interview, but they can rarely revive a bad or mediocre interview.

Asking questions can be empowering and it can boost confidence. Asking questions during an interview helps to demonstrate that you are not simply looking for a way off of the unemployment line, but you are just as serious about your job search as they are about the hiring process. And those are areas where a connection between an applicant and an interviewer can be made.

The Job Search -- Quality vs. Quantity

Recently, I was reading a job hunters forum when I came across a thread from a multi-skilled job seeker whose job search is entering its second year. It is a situation facing many talented, multi-skilled individuals these days. However, besides the economy another common reason for this situation is that in an effort not to be overlooked for a position, many multi-skilled individuals pack their resumes with a variety of skills.

Unfortunately, skill overload in a resume may have the opposite effect, instead of providing a leg-up it may actually work against a job seeker. There are several reasons why this may happen. The most likely being the individual or computer program sorting through the resumes may be confused about the applicant's expertise. There may also be questions about what is it that the job seeker actually enjoys doing.

Many employers want to hire someone who has actual experience gained from doing the job before, who can actually do the job well, and who would really like the job and enjoy working for the company. If a resume is packed with skills and many of the skills do not relate to the advertised position, it may be difficult for an employer to determine if the applicant is right for the position. The result is, many qualified applicants never make it through the door for an interview.

There are two ways to deal with this situation. 1) Develop individual resumes for each marketable skill-set. 2) Create one really good resume that highlights a specific marketable skill-set and accomplishments and only apply for positions that require that skill-set.

After sending out hundreds of resumes, I found the later worked for me. When I tailored my resume to highlight a specific skill-set and only responded to ads for jobs requiring those skills my job search took a turn for the better. Moreover, I was employed soon thereafter. Yes, I applied for fewer jobs, but on the upside every time I applied for a position, I received a call from the company. The method of targeting a job search to a skill-set may be thought of as the quality vs. quantity approach.

I once read someplace, if you want to make sure that your resume matches the positions that you are applying for ask someone, preferably someone who never worked with you to read it without telling them what type of work you are seeking. Then ask the person, from reading my resume what do you think is my line of work. If they respond with the correct answer then your resume is on target, but if they get the answer wrong then the resume may need to be reworked in order to clarify your message.

If hiring a professional resume writer is not an option, there are several ways that you can seek-out free assistance with your resume. They included:

1. Go to your current or former college or university career office
2. Seek assistance from your local workforce or one stop office
3. Go to the library and review recently written books on resume writing
4. Follow employment discussions on linkedin
5. Get tips from online career and resume sites, a few have been provided below:
Wall Street Journal
Purdue OWL
careerbuilder.com -- Resume Writing Advice

Companies with Openings

Job hunters, below is a list of companies that had openings when last checked.

1. American Express
2. Regions
3. AutoZone
4. JPMorgan Chase & Co.
5. Campbell's
6. Cooper
7. Estee Lauder
8. General Mills
9. SaraLee
10. Viacom


Good luck with your search.