Career Musings

…It probably is! Some time ago I wrote an article titled “Lying on Resumes Alarmingly Common”, where I referenced a newspaper article with the heading “Official Résumé Wrong”! Fast forward to 2011, and it appears the topic of ‘lying on résumés’ has reared it’s head again. As a matter of fact, one month ago, I was reviewing the résumé of a young man and when I questioned him about his most recent experience, he admitted he had fabricated it because “others were doing it.” As a career coach and professional résumé writer, I owe it to my clients and myself to make sure that the information is correct.

Officeteam recently conducted a survey and it reveals, once again, that most job seekers stretch the truth on their résumés, particularly when it comes to their job duties and education. The job market may be tough right now, but job seekers should refrain from embellishing their résumés as they will be found out, sooner or later.

Here are some tips that Officeteam has offered to employers on how they can verify information on résumés. Job seekers should take note:

How about you? Do you embellish, or have you lied on your résumé? Do you know anyone who does? Add your voice here!

Source: Officeteam

Related post: Lying on Résumés Alarmingly Common

You have often heard the saying, “If you always do what you have always done, you will continue getting what you have always gotten”, or something close. If that sounds like you and your job search or your career, then you may want to reconsider your strategy, regardless of your status or what stage of the job search game you are at.

Consider this story:

A Mom wrote me on September 8, and said, “My daughter has taken a year off before going to college and she desperately needs a job.  She has been job hunting, but her lack of experience is a real hindrance.  She is now very discouraged.  Could you spare some time to talk to her on the phone in the next few days?”

On September 10, I contacted the young lady – all of 17 years old – and asked her to explain to me what she had been doing. After our initial conversation, I suggested she did things differently. Since she had never worked before, I gave her a research assignment to visit several locations in her area – Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Starbucks, Canadian Tire, among others. She was to observe the surroundings, how the employees behaved, how they treated customers and generally be alert for other things that were taking place. She was also to make notes of her observations. In addition, she should write down comments that people frequently made about her – her punctuality, reliability, leadership skills, etc. Lastly, she should create a list of some of her own qualities.

With the information from her research, we created a one page hybrid of a cover letter and résumé and I asked her to customize each to fit the companies she was targeting. She was to write what she observed on her visits, what was going well and how she could add value as their next employee. Remember, she had little to go on in the first place.

On September 15, she responded by saying: “This is incredibly helpful! I’ve been applying to places all week so tomorrow I will follow up with all the companies to which I applied. I will keep you updated on how that goes.”

What a difference in her mood in five days! On September 23, she wrote: “Hi Mrs. Wright, I just want to say thank you for all your advice and help. I really appreciate it. I received my first job yesterday – full time hostess at Red Lobster. I’m ecstatic!”

Entry-level students are not my usual clientele, but I deviated from the norm with this young lady. What I found is that a change of strategy works, whether one is an entry-level job seeker or a more seasoned professional, but it requires commitment and perseverance. Who would’ve imagined that in a such a tough job market, a 17 year-old who had never previously worked could change her job search strategy and find success within 13 days?

How about you? Is your job search strategy working for you, or is it time to go back to the drawing board and tweak it a bit? Contact me if you need some assistance!

Image source: Google

If you are reading Monday Rx for the first time, welcome! Since many of us suffer from the ‘Monday Morning Blues’, I use this space on Mondays to send out positive picker-upper messages or other useful information to help us start the week right.

Today’s message is a simple one from Og Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World”.

1.    Today I begin a new life
2.    I will greet this day with love in my heart
3.    I will persist until I succeed
4.    I am nature’s greatest miracle
5.    I will live this day as if it is my last
6.    Today I will be master of my emotions
7.    I will laugh at the world
8.    Today I will multiply my value a hundred fold
9.    I will act now
10.    Today I will pray for guidance

Select any line that resonates with you and make it your mantra for today.

To your success,

Daisy

The 10^th Anniversary of September 11, brought back so many memories, and while it’s human nature for us to focus on the sadness of the event, today, let’s reflect on the positive aspects of people helping people during that crisis. In such a spirit, and just one day after the anniversary, is there something you could do to help someone, probably a co-worker? By doing so, you will take your mind off the Monday morning blues and focus it on someone else.

Could you be a mentor? Have you had the benefit of a mentor? If you have, you know it doesn’t have to be a long drawn-out process. Mentoring is as easy as having coffee once a week and asking, “How is it going?” It could be an offer to assist someone struggling with their workload, or with an issue that’s in the realm of your expertise. It could be as easy as offering career advice. According to @BoardMtrcs on Twitter, “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” It’s as simple as that!

A survey by CERIC (Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling) states that “While mentoring is more common with people in management, professional and executive ranks, few individuals at the lower level have had a mentor, and among those who have, most value the relationship for the career advice and encouragement they received.”

Do you see a window of opportunity here?  Can you be a mentor to someone who does not fall within the ranks of those mentioned in the CERIC survey? Can you give them the feeling that they are important even though they are not an executive or a manager?

Don’t think you have what it takes to be a mentor? Find another way today, to help out a co-worker!

To your success,

While reading my Daily Bread yesterday (Saturday), I found the following:

“When US airspace was closed after the September 11, 2001, attacks, planes had to land at the closest airport available. Nearly 40 planes landed in Gander, Newfoundland. Suddenly this small Canadian community almost doubled in size when thousands of frightened passengers arrived. People opened their homes, and officials converted high schools, lodges, churches, and meeting halls into places to stay. Stranded passengers were overwhelmed with neighborly generosity and kindness.” (Our Daily Bread)

Canada played a crucial role at that time. Today, let us be neighbourly and remember the families of the thousands of individuals who lost their lives, including 24 Canadians and 26 Jamaicans.

We cannot forget!

The headline for this post is really a tongue-twister, so read it again for clarity.

Today is Labour / Labor Day in Canada and the US, but am still sending  my message, albeit a shortened version. It’s a 30-second speech from Bryan Dyson, the former CEO of Coca Cola.

“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. They are Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit, and you are keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – Family, Health, Friends and Spirit – are made of glass. If you dropped one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.

Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time. Give the required time to your family and friends and have proper rest. Value has a value only if its value is valued.”

Whatever you are doing right now, take a moment to reflect on the message and evaluate your priorities. I am doing just that today!

To your success,