JobTabs Job Search & Resume

December 21, 2010

Age Discrimination is Over!

 

Age discrimination is over.

Who's the boss?

There is a steady undercurrent in the job search space about age discrimination.  I believe it.  However, what I don’t believe is that it cannot be overcome. People, it is all about packaging.

Think about it for a moment.  Let’s say someone is 50 years old and has been in the workforce in varying capacities for roughly 30 years.  This person has 30 years from which to draw accomplishments which are relevant to any job posting he applies to.  Take someone who has only been in the workforce for 5 years.  That person only has 5 years from which they can reference relevant accomplishments when applying for a job.  This gives experienced job seekers a huge advantage over less experienced hires.

The key word here is relevant.  What many job seekers fail to grasp is that the likelihood of their next job being an exact match of what they have been doing up to this point is nearly zero.  When applying to a new job, there is invariably going to be some nuance of the job posting that the applicant is going to have to correlate to his experience to date.  Examples could include,

  • Managing other people.
  • Setting goals and a course of action for projects.
  • Working within a budget of varying sizes.
  • Demonstrating some knowledge of government law such as safety, employment, environmental, etc.

Experienced job seekers, if they work hard to chronicle their career to date, would have a much easier time getting under the bar to fulfil what the employer is looking for.  Then there are a host of subjective considerations that the senior job candidate is far more likely qualified.

  • Conflict resolution among individuals, teams or departments.
  • Proactive problem solving.
  • Identifying the chain of command and working within it to get buy in.
  • Generally more likely to be looked to as a leader by subordinates than by someone closer to their own age.

A cornerstone of JobTabs Job Search & Resume success has been its ability to easily manage a large number of resumes for a wide number of job opportunities.   As the experienced job seeker applies to more and more positions, he gradually accumulates more and more supremely tailored resumes for different job descriptions.  Here is the lynch pin . . . . as the experienced job seeker creates more resumes in JobTabs, it becomes easier and easier to create even more refined dead-on resumes for each job they apply to.  The breadth and depth of their experience is pared down to only what is absolutely relevant to the immediate job posting – as it should be!  Creating a copy of a resume that meets 80%  of the requirements and bringing it over 95% becomes incredibly easy!

While the junior candiate has his own advantages, he does not have the experience pool that a 50 something job seeker has.  This is a very touchy subject among many.  If you have any enlightening comments to share with me I would readily welcome them.  Otherwise, age discrimination is over!


John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC.  Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers.  JobTabs Job Search & Resume motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude.  John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, and by phone at 404-255-0248.

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December 13, 2010

JobTabs Job Search & Resume 2011 is officially released.

JobTabs Job Search & Resume 2011 has been officially released.  JobTabs Job Search & Resume is blockbuster job search software that has done much to tip the scales to the job seekers advantage.  In 2005 job seekers had little in the way of computer software while recruiters and employers had a slew of powerful software applications to manage their applicants.  JobTabs changed all of that with the arrival of JobTabs 2005 and has been empowering job seekers ever since.  JobTabs enables job seekers to network better, qualify for a larger number of jobs, apply for a larger number of jobs and ultimately have an edge over other applicants.  JobTabs 2011 gives job seekers an even greater advantage than its predecessor with the following new features.

 

Resume Personal Information Removal

Unbeknown to many job seekers, MS Word can keep a record of all the editing changes of any resume.  This includes,

  • Comments.
  • Previous authors and editors.
  • User name.
  • Personal summary information.
  • Revision marks.
  • Versions.
  • VB Macros. Descriptions and comments are removed from the modules.
  • The ID number used to identify your resume/cover letter for the purpose of merging changes back into the original document.
  • Routing slips.
  • E-mail headers.
  • Scenario comments.

JobTabs removes all of this information from MS Word 2002 to MS Word 2010.  The built-in JobTabs word-processor does not store this personal information by design.

Powerful Calendaring

  • Easily identify priorities with color assigned events encompassing every facet of the job search process.
  • Minimize typing and scheduling by creating recurring events occurring over any number of time periods.
  • Never forget an interview/phone call/meeting by using built-in reminders.
  • Save time with one click access to a day view, 5 day view, 7 day view, Month view and a Timeline of all calendar events.
  • Multi-month calendar view for quick access to any day, week or month of your choosing.
  • Dual time zone facility to facilitate job searching in different countries, opposite coasts or across the globe.

Follow-up

  • Look like a real detail person by following up on job applications fastidiously.  Accessible from the apply wizard, calendar or the Job Applications grid.

Resumes

  • Submit resumes that are dated as if they haven’t been modified in weeks even though you just tailored it to the job requisition that morning!  JobTabs will automatically backdate the ‘Last Modified’ field for any resume emailed or uploaded from JobTabs.  This will allay any concerns by the hiring company that your resume – ideally suited to the needs of the firm – was modified to meet the job posting.
  • Added full resume preview of all pages for all resumes types.  Resumes in pdf format can now be previewed inside the JobTabs application.

Licensing

  • Updates were confined to the version you purchased.  Now all users get one year of free updates regardless of which version of JobTabs they purchased.
  • Customers are now licensed to install as many copies of JobTabs on as many machines as they want provided they use only the db they purchased.

General Enhancements

  • Rock solid stability is now even more solid.  JobTabs now runs virtually autonomously compared to its predecessor.  It has even weaned itself from many files supplied by the operating system.  Installs/uninstalls from other applications will have a near zero impact on its stability and performance.
  • Added user initiated real time, online support over the web!  If you invite us to your PC we can fix problems on the fly right there in front of you.  Best of all, we can only see your PC if you explicitly invite us to do so.
  • Enhanced the aesthetics of JobTabs across the board.  Color scheme is more consistent with Vista and Windows 7.
  • Added additional fields for grouping activities on the All Activities report.
  • Saved Jobs and Job Applications – One-click access to the original job posting!
  • Closer to multi-user!  Added an “Open Data File…” to the JobTabs menu so that more than one person can use their copy of JobTabs on the same machine.
  • Integrated a dedicated tab to common connections on LinkedIn for all employers.  Networking contacts are soon to follow.
  • Added a number of rulers with visible tab stops to improve layout across Resources, Activities and any number of editors.
  • Many, many other enhancements.

 

JobTabs Job Search & Resume is a free download and can be downloaded from the JobTabs, LLC  website at http://www.jobtabs.com.  It sells for $49.95.  While tax circumstances vary widely, if you can deduct the purchase of JobTabs, the real cost of purchasing JobTabs can be  as little as $20.

 

John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC.  Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers.  JobTabs Job Search & Resume motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude.  John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, and by phone at 404-255-0248.

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March 10, 2009

Job Search Wisdom from a Broadband Installation

Filed under: Job Searching,Networking,Sell Yourself — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:21 am

Technicians yield insight into the job search.So happy to get Uverse. Lots of channels with lots of bells and whistles not to mention a screaming fast internet connection. The guys installing the system were a hoot and we had the opportunity to talk while we were waiting for everything to sync-up. One of the guys was a trainee and I naturally wanted to know everything he went through to get his job. It was very insightful.

Of the 2,500 applicants, 17 were selected. That is not a typo.  There were 2,500 applicants.  Of the 17 trainees in the class about half of them knew someone at Uverse. On the surface of things that would be a testament to networking, but not entirely. How many people knew someone at Uverse, but did not get the interview or if they got the interview did not get the job? We will never know. Out of respect for their privacy I am not going to mention their real names , so if the Lead’s name was “Larry” and the “Trainee’s” name was “Tom” what did Tom do before getting the job at Uverse? He had worked as a plumber.

While I am not one to determine what would qualify someone to install high tech equipment, I would venture that his inside connection helped to pull him out of the stack for a critical review. He was pretty much able to confirm this. He said, “With 2,500 applicants who has time to scour all of those resumes? If the company can get a testimonial as to character and technical aptitude, why wouldn’t they want to save themselves time and money?” It certainly made sense. Tom had no criminal record and was drug free. He was professional, polite, knowledgeable, earnest and had all of the qualities one would want a technician to have when having their high tech equipment installed. Another insight?  Tom was living in another state when he interviewed for the Uverse job. He said, “You have to be willing to go where the work is.”

What about the other half of the applicants who knew no one at Uverse, but were able to get the job? Again, this leaves a lot of room for speculation but without knowing anybody on the inside I think it is safe to say – whatever their credentials – they were able to make the credentials they did have shine. I asked Larry about his experience in the hiring process. Larry also had a contact on the inside when he was hired. He was able to tell me that about half of the people in his training class of 25 knew someone who was already working at Uverse.

The crux of my message is networking is very helpful, but it is not the begin and end all to getting a job. If you do not know anyone on the inside, you can still get a job. While JobTabs Job Search & Resume is geared primarily at professionals, there are insightful lessons to be learned from Larry and Tom’s job search experience.

John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC.  Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers.  JobTabs Job Search & Resume motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude.  John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, and by phone at 404-255-0248.

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March 6, 2009

Unemployment 8.1% – Perspective

Filed under: Job Searching,JobTabs,Motivation,Sell Yourself — Tags: , , , — admin @ 12:30 pm

Perspective on high unemployment during the job search or job hunt.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says February unemployment checks in at 8.1 percent.  That would be 651,000 jobs in the tank.

Ouch.  Breath in . . . . . breath out . . . . This is mind numbing news.  The kind of news when you just sit there in front of the tube in utter disbelief, kind of trying to drink in the impact of the news.  What have we done to ourselves? While this is hardly a 9/11, I can’t remember being immobilized in front of the TV at any point since 9/11.  On that fateful day, I sat in front of the TV in utter disbelief.  I didn’t call in to say I would be late to work.  I didn’t worry about what kind of reception I would get when I got there.  I staggered in at about 10:00 a.m. that morning and the office was deserted.  The only people there were sitting in front of their computers crying.  Again, 8.1% unemployment is no 9/11 but it is the kind of news that said things are going to be very different from now on.

As a mentor to job seekers my job is to put this news in perspective.

Competition

There are less openings to go around, but there are still lots of openings. You cannot allow this to escape you.  An 8.1% unemployment rate is not going to bring this economy to a halt.  I’m not going to get all technical on you, but full employment is roughly around 4%.  Full employment means that there would be 4 out of every 100 people looking for a job even if the economy was running at full throttle.  So now we have a little more than 8 people out of a 100 looking for a job.  This means if 92 people out of 100 are working,  then there are 92 jobs that need to get done.   This is 92 jobs that companies will pay people to do and your job is to find one or get the company to create it on your behalf because you are so good at what you do.  Again, 92 out of every 100 people have jobs that are worth being paid for.

Income

Sophomore level economics states that price is the equilibrium point where supply equals demand.  Since there is a high supply of people looking for a job, prepare to take a good deal less than what you would normally accept.  Its a downer, but it is a stark reality of the economy.  Again, bite the bullet.  To illustrate, remember when you didn’t sell any stock two months ago because the price was too low?  What is the value of those stocks now?  Again, take it on the chin.  Accept the lesser income and you will be glad you did.  If you could have got more, you can take that up with your boss once you start adding value.

Gloves Off

Take the gloves off.  In a particularly competitive job market you need to milk every advantage you can get.  It does not matter if someone is better trained or has better experience than you do.  This is a stark reality of the job market.  Your ability to sell yourself as the person the company needs the most is the sole determinant of who gets the job. If you can morph your experience on your resume more easily than the next guy – more power to you.  If you have a tool that tracks your job search activity in the background while you focus on your job search that is a feather in your cap.  If you are able to employ a resource that allows you to reach wider and dig deeper than you have an advantage and nobody would knock you for leveraging that advantage.  Look at some of these solutions and see if you can find one you can use.

In closing, once you get over the jolt it is time to roll up your sleeves and get on with the business of life.  I welcome your comments below and encourage a dialog on this very alarming news.

John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC.  Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers.  JobTabs Job Search & Resume motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude.  John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, and by phone at 404-255-0248.

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March 5, 2009

The Job Search Game Plan

Filed under: Job Searching,Motivation,Networking — Tags: , , , — admin @ 12:36 am

Image of a football huddle.If your job search isn’t going anywhere, how can you change it if you never had a game plan in the first place?

Show me someone who advocates looking for a job by the seat of your pants and I will show you someone who is unemployed.  Gentle reader, a game plan doesn’t have to be a complicated flow chart or something constraining.  A simple agenda is all we are talking about.  The means which people use to find their next job will be as varied as the people themselves. What works for Bob may not work for Ann, however anything that helps both Bob and Ann keep their head on straight and objectively plan and implement their job search will work for both of them.

I work with a lot of job seekers and I often advise them to work with  job listings and recruiters first.  Most people are not used to writing or even looking for a job for that matter. This is the reason that I advise them to, initially, work the job boards. They have to get in the groove of selling themselves and that like many things this will take practice. While networking is touted as the best means of getting a job, it is better to make a mistake/faux pas on your job search in the anonymity of cyberspace than it is to make a mistake networking with your next door neighbor.

The recruiters will serve as pseudo-career coaches because when you meet with a recruiter, that recruiter can give you a lot of advice on honing your resume and helping you sell yourself. Granted, a cannot recruiter provide the comprehensive feedback that a career coach can provide. However, when you work with a recruiter you are, so to speak, their product, and they have a vested interest in helping you convince employers that you are the candidate of choice. Recruiters are battle hardened professionals and they have much to gain by helping you get a job offer.

After job seekers prep their skills with job boards and recruiters, I encourage them to start working their network. They will be much better at selling their qualifications after getting some exposure to recruiters and job boards. Planning/implementing your job search is important.  Write down, how many jobs you will apply to on the job boards.  Commit to sitting down face to face with recruiters in an effort to get their feedback on your marketability.  Beg them to shoot straight with you  if you have to – just get the facts. Come up with a plan that allows flexibility to create more resumes and tweak each one depending on the requirements solicited.  Schedule time to meet with your networking groups.  Finally – and this is so important – review the plan and change it.  You know, like wash, rinse, repeat.

Show me someone who advocates looking for a job by the seat of your pants and I will show you someone who is unemployed.

As job seekers work with different channels, their job search skills need to evolve and get stronger. They need to build upon a foundation and pay dividends. The job search for most job seekers is a crap shoot where you put your chips on the table and roll the dice. As the job search progresses they think they are becoming better job seekers, but in actuality they are just becoming better gamblers. It is still a losing game and is leading job seekers down a path of dejection and despondency. They can’t see that because they have no plan nor a record of a an implementation to give themselves or a mentor/career coach an objective view as to what they have been doing.   Write down your goals, write down your agenda, and stick to it until it is time to reevaluate it.

John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC.  Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers.  JobTabs Job Search & Resume motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude.  John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, as well as by phone at 404-255-0248.

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