March 2003

Job Applicants' Resumes Are Often Riddled with Misinformation
A survey by HireRight, an Internet company that checked out the resumes of more than 200,000 applicants last year, showed that 80 percent of all resumes are misleading. Their results: 20 percent listed fraudulent degrees; 30 percent altered employment dates; 40 percent inflated salaries; 30 percent had inaccurate job descriptions; 25 percent said they worked at companies that no longer exist; and 27 percent gave falsified references.

It is a competitive job market and many people from CEO to laborers are desperate for work. You must provide an accurate account of your responsibilities, experiences and achievements in your resume. Hiring organizations are investigating your background and verifying your information, often before you even walk in the door for an interview. For more information about this topic, visit www.hrhub.com.For a free critique of your resume, send an email to info@ginacgroup.com.

Soft Skills Key to Employment
Employability in the twenty-first job market is competitive because employers are raising the bar on the qualifications and expectations of potential employees. Employers are no longer hiring people that match the specific job requirements; they are seeking people who posses what many call "soft skills."

Soft skills refer to the cluster of interpersonal traits, social graces, communication skills, personal habits, optimism, as well as the capacity to adopt a flexible approach and a 'can do' attitude to work that mark each of us to varying degrees. People who rank high in this cluster are generally the people that most employers want to hire. Some of the most desirable soft skills appear in the following list:

• Work ethic
  A motivating belief that employees will put in a full day of diligent work including following their manager's instructions.
• Courtesy
  The habitual use of "please," "thank you," "excuse me," and "may I help you?" in dealing with customers, supervisors, and colleagues.
• Teamwork
  The ability to share responsibilities, confer with others, honor commitments, help others do their jobs, and seek help when needed.
• Self-discipline and self-confidence
  The ability to arrange one's own tasks for best performance, to learn from experience, to ask questions and correct mistakes, and to absorb criticism and direction without feeling defeated, resentful, or insulted.
• Conformity to prevailing norms
  The ability to govern one's dress, grooming, body language, tone of voice, and vocabulary according to the particular culture of the given workplace.
• Communication proficiency
  The ability to speak, read, and write standard English in a businesslike way.

One may have the "hard" skill of knowing what usage is correct and what is incorrect but lack the "soft" skills of knowing when to use only standard forms and in what tone to use them.

Unfortunately, most educational systems don't teach you how to cultivate your soft skills. The basics stem from early childhood and the family environment. This makes it difficult for employees in transition because most people, including friends and hiring managers, are unwilling to discuss your soft skill deficiencies.

In today's competitive environment, where hiring organizations are demanding more, instilling the use of soft skills in your career transition is something you simply can't survive without.

Ask the Coach
Rebecca writes: I've been employed in my profession for nearly 12 years and feel unfulfilled and unchallenged in my career. I've invested a lot of time in school and gaining valuable experience to help me become a solid contributor. I want to do something new, but don't want to start from ground zero. How do I go about finding what types of jobs I would be best suited for based on my experience, skills and qualifications?

The Career Coach responds: A career change doesn't need to happen in one big leap. Many career issues should be explored beyond figuring out what jobs you would be suited for. First, you need to explore why you feel unfulfilled. Is it the work, the environment, the industry or a combination of all three?

Changing careers can be a straightforward and painless process if you take the time to think and plan. The most successful career changers start by taking small steps toward their professional goals. This accomplishes many goals simultaneously including: avoiding a significant loss of income, disrupting the family and allowing you to get your feet wet before you jump into the unknown.

The transition begins by gaining self-understanding to help you identify your career interests, abilities, skills and values. Once you clarify what you want to do (and can do), you can begin to investigate specific occupations and industries, and learn what qualifications are required by those jobs that interest you.

The next stage includes the effort that is required to get a better idea of occupational and job-related information, choosing career alternatives, and deciding on a career path. This exploration will enable you to discern whether you should take on a new role within the same organization, move to a new organization, change professions, or switch industries. I recommend spending time learning about specific occupations and career paths by using the Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/oco; finding a mentor in your area of interest; conducting informational interviews with people in your desired field; attending professional associations; and networking in your local community.

It is important to crystallize your career choice. Take your time doing the necessary research required to make an informative decision. Some of my clients have made successful transitions because of their due diligence and patience. For instance, a sales professional seeking more meaning in her work transferred to a nonprofit organization. A registered dietician at a large hospital looking to leverage her people skills and in-depth knowledge joined a weight management firm as a consultant. A software engineering manager in high-technology became a professional motivational speaker by continuing her job for two years while building a parallel career on nights and weekends.

The last phase prior to obtaining work includes developing and implementing a career transition plan. During this phase, you will create a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal. Some of these tasks might be to repackage your skills in a resume, write a business plan, identify potential employers, volunteer, obtain a certification, attend job interviews and negotiate an offer. Changing your career should affect your life positively, in meaningful and significant ways. Believe in yourself, take the first step and develop a practical plan.

Faced with a career crisis, obstacle or difficult situation? Send your questions and concerns to the Career Coach at coach@ginacgroup.com.

8 Interview Approaches That You Will Encounter During Your Job Search
Employers want to know three basic things about prospective employees: Can you do the job? Do you want to do the job? Will you fit with the organization? However, employers use different hiring approaches to find the right candidates. Be aware and prepared for the interview approaches listed below:

Screening Interview: A 30-minute interview to determine if you have the basic knowledge and personal characteristics required for the job and to fit in the company.

Telephone Interview: A brief interview usually scheduled in advance, but often occurs on the fly. This is similar to a screening, but more difficult because your verbal cues are very important. The interviewer can't read your body language over the phone.

Fit Interview: This interview is designed to understand the extent to which you suit the organization's culture, working style, and the role for which you are applying. Case Interview: An interview designed to gain insight into your intelligence, thought process, and approach to solving problems.

Behavioral Interview: These interviews are carefully worded and ask you to discuss your past actions or experiences. The interviewers are looking for specific examples of when you have demonstrated a particular skill or how you have acted in a given situation.

Resume Review Interview: This interview involves walking the interviewer through your resume and the objective is often to understand how and why you made certain transitions, decisions, or choices.

Hostile Interview: An approach that subscribes to the philosophy that effective interviewing includes seeing first-hand how you handle difficult situations. This interviewer will appear angry with you or antagonistic and ask questions in a way that generally makes you feel less comfortable rather than attempting to establish rapport and put you at ease.

Group Interview: A group interview (encountering two or more interviewers for a single session) in which each person has a specific role (i.e. to determine fit, skills, etc.).

Be sure that your interview skills are polished to the best of your abilities because you only have one chance to make a good impression. To inquire about interview training, call us at 633-7121.

Career Networking Tips
The popular definition of networking is understood as "the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions". Although this definition certainly holds true today - networking is more than simply exchanging information. Networking involves creating, maintaining and nurturing reciprocal relationships. For both job search and ongoing career management purposes, career networking can and should play a pivotal role.

Networking is a scary endeavor for most people, particularly in the context of a job search. We often feel that it is inappropriate to bother someone or ask for help, especially if we don't know them well. Below are some reasons why networking is beneficial:

• Most people like to help others, especially if a common link exists.
• Recruiting is expensive and time-consuming. Networking is not.
• Networking benefits all - not just the job seeker.
• You could become a customer one day.

Networking Etiquette
Seek face-to-face interactions and be courteous. Establish a clear objective for the meeting. Be concise. Never ask your contact for a job. Seek advice, counsel and referrals. Prepare your 30- to 60-second commercial and practice it. Follow through on your commitments.

Newsworthy
Since the beginning of 2003, The Ginac Group has helped:

• 22 professionals make successful career transitions in less than 45 days
• 5 professionals prepare for a promotion
• 4 professionals deal effectively with diversity issues in the workplace
• 6 organizations deliver on-going career counseling and coaching services to employees