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 3, 2009

Job Searching – Employ A Tool

Filed under: Job Searching,JobTabs,Motivation — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 12:32 am

Employ a tool when job searching.The job search can be a maddening experience for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is the organizational burden it imposes.  Consider all of the jobs you will eventually apply to.  Whether they are sourced from your professional network, the web, or the newspaper you are going to have to have to keep track of exactly which job you applied to.  Then we have the research that applies to each and every employer.  That needs to be collected, catalogued, and readily available should they decide to interview you.  Which resume did you send them?  And all of those cover letters that you crafted with pain staking detail.  Keeping those at the ready is just as important as managing your resumes.  With all of the paper work it can be extremely taxing for even very organized people to keep track of.  If it is tough for organized people to manage it all, what are normal people supposed to do?

Employ a tool when job searching. You can google “job search software” or go to download.com and type in “job search” to evaluate packages as there are lots of them out there.  We suggest keeping the following key points in mind when weighing the value of different packages.

MS Word. A first rate tool will be seamlessly integrated with MS Word or employ a word processor that will create MS Word documents.  In addition to making you look more professional, many employers prefer resumes in MS Word format.  You should make this a consideration a priority when looking for a tool.

Manage Resumes. As you pursue different opportunities, there will invariably be some shade of gray of the job requirements that you will need to include in your resume.  The likelihood of finding a job that mirrors your experience exactly will be few and far between.  A professional caliber tool will be able to manage all of the different resumes you have created to qualify yourself for different positions.  A tool that will keep a history of each resume as it changes over time will be an added plus.

Employ Templates. We firmly believe cover letters should be tailored to each and every job.  However, do you really want to type your salutation, address and closing paragraph every time?  The repetitive nature of the job search can sap job seekers of their motivation and you should consider a tool that will allow you to side step any work that smacks of repetition.

Jobs. Whether you find the job on the web or through your professional network you will need to capture every detail you possibly can – permanently.  If the employer gets enough resumes and they pull the job posting off of monster.com will you be able to remember the details of the listing?  Consider a tool that can capture listings and save them permanently.

Details. If you are serious about your job search, you will want to have a copy of every email you send anybody during the course of your job search.  This should include notes of every conversation you have as well.  You should be able to catalog all of your research on each employer and have it at the ready as well.

Automatic. This final consideration, we cannot emphasize enough.  Employ a tool that automates the job search as much as possible.  In other words, if you have to log every job search activity you do, aren’t you just working with a glorified spreadsheet?  Isn’t that what you were doing before?  If you send an email and you have to make a note of it aren’t you just adding to your burden?  If you change your resume and have to make a note of it aren’t you encumbering yourself unnecessarily?  We emphasize this, because most people are not prepared for the considerable amount of effort they are going to have to put forth to find the job that is going to bring them the happiness they are looking for.  Repetitive, mind numbing work is what so many people dread when looking for a job.  Employ a tool that can do it for you.  Unless you can nullify much of the administrative burden, you are going to be belaboring yourself unnecessarily.  To summarize,

  • When you find a job you want to pursue, there should be no cutting and pasting.  You should be able to save it automatically.
  • When you create a new resume from an existing resume, it should be added to your arsenal of resumes automatically.  When you change a resume, you should be able to continue your job search without having to record any changes you made to that resume.  Yet you should still have all of the details of the prior versions in case a prior recipient wants to review it with you.
  • When you want to edit your resume, it should open up in MS Word or a word processor of that caliber automatically and keep a record of the changes so you don’t have to.
  • Every time you send an email it should be logged automatically.  This will allow you to focus on your job search.
  • You should have a bird’s eye view of your status of every one of your job applications – based not on your ability to log events – but based on what you have accomplished in  your job search.

Above all else, you should not have to log a single thing, because to do so would be to tax yourself even more.  No doubt this is a tall order to fill, but these tools are out there and they can be had for less than $50.  Our favorite is JobTabs Job Search & Resume.  JobTabs fulfils all of these requirements and then some.  Alternatively, you can google “job search software” or go to download.com to search for options.   Liberate yourself from the administrative conundrum of the job search.  You will be able to apply to jobs more easily, gain more confidence, and ultimately get better job offers.

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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January 14, 2009

Do you mortise your resume? I hope so!

When we moved into our house, the previous owner had these wide closet doors that wouldn’t stay shut and it drove my wife crazy.  I decided to solve the problem by installing ball catches to hold the doors in place.

Whenever I go to the hardware store, I always read the instructions of anything I need to install before I make any purchases.  It gives me the opportunity to buy any extra tools I might need and gives me a chance to make sure I am up to the task.  Picked up a Stanley ball catch and read the instructions.  Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  Got it.  Took it home, whipped out my hulking, pseudo-phallic symbol of a power drill and went to work.  I always read the directions several times before I do anything, because a mistake on a home project is acutely painful – especially if there is a drill involved.

Directions to the stanley ball catch which downplay gouging.

I don’t know how I did it, but I completely missed this word ‘mortise’.  I didn’t really know what it meant, but how difficult could it be?  Any step described by one word can’t be that complicated.  Step 6 was soon upon me, ‘mortise’.  I whipped out the dictionary and looked it up and still couldn’t figure it out.  Then it dawned on me.  I had to gouge out a recess in the door frame so that the strike plate would be be flush with the frame.  When the door closes, the ball in the ball catch needs a recess in the frame to hold the door shut.  I don’t like the idea of gouging anything and began to make the problem much more complicated than it really was.

“Huh?  I have to gouge a recess in the frame?!  Why didn’t they just say so?! These people were expecting me to get my wood chisels and start carving a hole in the door frame.  I’m not a carpenter! How many rows upon rows of lexicographers did it take to come up with this word – mortise!?  If they wanted me to gouge out a hole in the frame, why didn’t they just say tell me to ‘gouge out a hole in the frame?’ These corporate titans sitting behind their massive mahogany desks preying upon the everyday house husband.  These people screwed me!”

I was fuming.  Eventually, I cooled off, accepted my situation, and set out to come up with a solution.  Wound up drilling a couple shallow holes and then finishing it with a slightly deeper hole in the center.  Piece of cake.  The ball catch works beautifully and is the standard to which all persons installing ball catches should aspire.

Then the pall of the irony hit me like a ton of bricks.  The Stanley Corporation did exactly what I would have told them to do.  They skirted over the unsavory details.  They created an image of simplicity by making their instructions so trite, I would just read right through them.   If I had been reading the instructions in the store and read, “6.  Gouge or drill a recess in the frame of the door.”, I probably wouldn’t have purchased the ball catch.  I would have looked for a “simpler solution” from another company.  When I actually went about installing the ball catch the real problem was freaking out when things weren’t as straight forward as I expected.  I over-reacted, even though I had all of the tools and savvy I needed to do the job.  They did what I encourage job seekers to do every day. Downplay the details of anything that the prospective employer might find unsavory.  Bring attention to what you have accomplished in the context of what they want to hear.  Downplay everything and anything that does not pertain to what they are looking for.

This of course begs the question, “Don’t you risk running the chance that the employer will be fuming after you get hired?”  The answer is a firm and resolute, “No!”  That’s the job you want, right?  You have the experience and can attest to it, right?  How can the employer fume?  Gentle reader, when you are looking for a job you need to close the deal.  If there is any dissonance after you are hired, you need to mollify the employer’s fears by reaffirming your qualifications and then going out there and doing an over-the-top job.  In fact, if your performance is anywhere near as good as my ball catch installation you can look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with your employer!

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January 12, 2009

Billy Mays here with some great tips on getting a job . . .

Billy Mays can help you find a job!Billy Mays didn’t write this post, but he serves as the backdrop for resourceful ways to sell yourself on the job search.

There are all kinds of subtleties at play during the process of selling.  You need look no further than the ads that abound on CNN and late night TV.   Personally, I find these ads demeaning.  The sales pitch is so overwhelming it is as if they are focusing on creating a knee jerk reaction on behalf of the user to pick up the phone and buy the product.  The most prolific seem to be these ads featuring Billy Mays, the purveyor of

  • Mighty Mendit
  • Mighty Putty
  • HandySwitch
  • Steam Buddy
  • and a host of other handy dandy items.

I have studied these ads intently.

What can I glean from these ads that would help the taberatti (people who use JobTabs) land their next job?

Common to all of these sales pitches, whether it is Billy Mays or someone else, is invariably,

“This product is amazing!”
“If you order now I will double/triple the offer!”
“But wait there’s more, I will throw in this handy dandy gizmo absolutely free!”

If you think about it, these are all resourceful ways to sell yourself on the job front.  Let’s have a closer look.

This product is amazing! The message is that this is a product that delivers solutions.  There are compelling videos of people struggling without their product and then showing satisfied people who are using the product.

Billy Mays provides cues to help you land a job.

Let the value you impart as an excellent candidate be unmistakable.  Here is how you do this.

1.  Present yourself as a problem solver.  Much like the videos, use your resume to paint a picture of problems that were not being solved and how the company was suffering.  Then you came in and solved the problems and everybody was happy.  This is the P.A.R. (Problem – Action – Results) approach to writing your resume.

2.  Quantify the impact you had on the solution.  What percentage did sales increase?  How many dollars did you save?  You don’t have to do a business school case study to get these numbers.  Use the best resources available to you and roll with it.

3.  Sprinkle the commendations and accolades you have received from management to let the person reading your resume know that you are good at what you do.

Be sure you understand the professional demands of the position you are applying to.  There are often challenges faced in one company that have been overcome in another.  Be sure that your exposure in the field is rounded enough so as not to disqualify you from consideration.  Make an effort to research the company and find out what challenges they are up against.  The best thing you can do is put your talent in the context of the specific challenges the company is facing to the best of your ability.

If you order now, I will double the offer. The goal is to create a sense of urgency.

Billy Mays shows you how to get a job by selling yourself.

Don’t be afraid to create a sense of urgency.  This can be a powerful motivator for employers to give your candidacy serious consideration now.  It is important to note that this has to be done with tact.  Too urgent could disqualify your candidacy because the administrative process cannot move fast enough.  Not urgent enough, will cast doubt on how urgent all of this really is.  In your cover letter, you can mention that you are getting a great response from companies looking for your qualifications, but working at XYZ Corp. is the fit you are looking for.  Examples,

“The breadth of my hands on experience in the  field has garnered more interest from employers than I had initially anticipated given the economic downturn.  As much as I appreciate their interest, I firmly believe working at XYZ Corp would be the best fit for me.  Simply put, I have the experience to leverage the breadth of the product line to give key advantages to XYZ customers that competing firms cannot offer.  As confident as I am that I could deliver results for XYZ, I would not want any delays in the hiring process to impact my candidacy with other employers who are more forthcoming with their interest.    If we could meet this Friday . . . “

“My success at delivering results has garnered more interest from employers than I had initially anticipated given the economic downturn.  As much as I appreciate their interest, I firmly believe working at XYZ Corp would be the best fit for me.  Companies want increased sales and that is what I do best.  I would not want any delays in my candidacy for this position to be construed as ambivalence by other employers who are ready to move more quickly.    If we could meet this Friday . . . “

“My ability to think outside the box and deliver innovative solutions has garnered more interest from employers than I had anticipated given the economic downturn.  As much as I appreciate their interest, I firmly believe I can lend the most value to XYZ Corp.  While every company needs structure and deadlines to succeed, XYZ Corp has long had a reputation for fostering innovation and creativity and this is an environment where I thrive.  As confident as I am that I could have a huge impact at XYZ, I do not want to put off any employers who have made their interest in my innovation and creativity readily apparent.  If we could meet this Friday . . . “


But wait there’s more, I will throw in this handy dandy gizmo – absolutely free! The message is that if you buy this product, you will get more than what you pay for.

Get a job by adding value.

We are hardly suggesting that you work for half price.  We are suggesting that you stress the extra value you are bringing to the table above and beyond what they are looking for.  Remember, it is not incumbent upon the employer to draw the conclusion that you are bringing a lot to the table.  For example, if you have a Masters Degree in Management don’t count on your employer saying, “Hey, this candidate has a Master’s degree.  This will provide a better foundation for her judgement.” It is incumbent upon you, the job seeker, to tie the extra value you are bringing to the table with what they are looking for.  Sell it. For example, in your cover letter for a Product Manager position you can say something like,

“My immersion in Boston University’s  M.S. in Management program allowed me to understand organizational behavior and the signposts to look for as a product line evolves.  In addition to leading the product team more prudently, I will be set able to set realistic goals as well as avoid pitfalls that have beset lesser companies.”

In closing, getting a job is going to require some level of salesmanship.  While we readily discourage the use of any knee-jerk, impulse buy sales tactics, there are some subtleties in this approach that you can use to improve your candidacy for the jobs you apply to.  Give your candidacy an edge and sell yourself.  Did I miss any other part of the sales pitch?  Let me know and I will fill in the gaps!

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