thehardworkersays:

Every school course we’ve ever attended, any volunteer work we might have done or active club membership we might have held throughout our lives has transferable skills. By the time we enter in adulthood, we have hundreds of skills.   The qualities that make for success run the gambit across the fields of occupations. Sell your capacity for ideas, creativity and imagination. The things we learn from doing things we enjoy as well as things we don’t like, teach us lessons and skills for success in living and working.   Every job demands the same skills and character traits, whether gravedigger or doctor, engineer or teacher, auto mechanic or accountant and so on. Every job demands that we get something done, whether self-employed or other-employed. We must be organized, detail-oriented, and reliable, adhere to safety, take criticism, and deal with difficult people, conflict and pressure.   Success means selling your ideas, capacity for creativity and imagination and skillfully riding the rough surf on the job.

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Even before the downturn in the economy it was pretty well known that recent grads don’t stay at their first job too long.  A year, maybe two, and if the employer was lucky three.  Some people moved elsewhere with the experience they received and leveraged a better salary.  Others go back to school to get an advanced degree before working some more.

The employer losses someone they invested time and money in.  They built up a great resource that knew the ins and outs of the company.  Now the whole process starts from the beginning (as I’m sure it has been).  When looking to promote companies have to hire outside the companies if no one is there with the experience they need.  It sucks.  Companies like having people join the company and build their career there, loyalty is still valued.

So here’s a thought - the job market for college grads now is pretty slim.  Would you be more willing to sign a 2-3 year commitment contract with a company for a job?

Obviously there are pros and cons.  You would have a job, and as long as the company does well and you do your fair share, you would get compensated.  On the other hand you could be fired at any time (just like at will employment) and would be unable to leave until the agreed date.

We’re not sure it’s legal, but assuming it is what are your thoughts?

Dave: I spoke at The School of Visual Concepts in Seattle last week. And had a great time as always. There were about 75 aspiring advertising folks in the audience. Which means I got 75 resumes, PDFs and portfolio site links in my e-mail inbox by the time me and the supermodels woke up the next morning.

Here’s an e-mail I wrote to one woman about her resume. But it could have been to many of the people who’d sent them.

1. Your name, address, e-mail, phone number and LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, blog, website information and all should be easy to find. This person had hers running up the left side of the sheet. And in a very small, about 10 or 11 point, type. If I’m impressed, I want to know who exactly is impressing me.

2. Your objective – keep it simple. And in plain English. Also, four years out of college, you don’t have “extensive” anything. Except debt.

3. Adjectives. Use them sparingly. I’d take a red pen and cross them all out. Then see what that looks like. Too many glowing adjectives make people suspicious. Your resume will read like a used car ad.

4. Personal qualities. Don’t go throwing around phrases like “highly-skilled” or “self-starting.” Leave it to others to describe you. Join LinkedIn and have former bosses or colleagues rave about you. If they’re willing to put their name on the praise for all to see, it carries more weight.

5. Experience. Once again, plain English. As if you’re telling it to a 4th grader. Also, I want facts, figures and results. Like, “sales increased 27 percent.” Or I “supervised four employees.”

6. Don’t put “References available upon request.” You’ve just wasted space on the page that could’ve touted more of your accomplishments. If I’m interested, I’ll do my due diligence. Like check out your drunken photos on Facebook.

reblogged from kcallahan originally via www.cmykmag.com

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