LinkedIn, Human Rights, and all that mess in between

Have you ever heard the saying “first impressions matter”? Well, the statement is true. First impressions are a hard thing to battle, especially if your first encounter with someone is less than positive. Read the excerpt below from Forbes:

“Did you know it takes only three to five seconds for someone to form a first impression? And while you might wish that opinion were based on your intelligence or experience, most studies show that first impressions are shaped by what can be seen or heard in those initial few seconds. What impression are you creating?” (cited: 5 Tips To Create A Positive First Impression)

(Side bar comment from the blog author: consider how your opinion of this man changes after viewing this video) 

In past posts, I’ve discussed the importance of networking and for this reason, first impressions mean everything but a lot of the times we think of making a first impression when we are meeting with a prospective employer at an interview, or less formally a prospective partner on a first date. Several articles have been written about being well dressed, well groomed, and a firm but not too strong handshake are what can make or break you. In a professional setting, it can mean getting the job or continuing your search for another one. Unfortunately, first impressions can also mean being rejected for a job just because the hiring manager doesn’t like you, doesn’t like how you look, doesn’t think you are the right fit for the job. While it’s illegal for a hiring manager to reject you based on the grounds for discrimination, that’s not to say it does not happen. For those of you who aren’t sure what is considered discrimination in Canada, here are 11 protective grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act: 

• race
• national or ethnic origin
• colour
• religion
• age
• sex
• sexual orientation
• marital status
• family status
• disability
• a conviction for which a pardon has been granted or a record suspended.

More specifically, each province has it’s own code as well. According to the Ontario Human Rights Code, protected grounds are:

• Age
• Ancestry, colour, race
• Citizenship
• Ethnic origin
• Place of origin
• Creed
• Disability
• Family status
• Marital status (including single status)
• Gender identity, gender expression
• Receipt of public assistance (in housing only)
• Record of offences (in employment only)
• Sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding)
• Sexual orientation.  

Since discrimination laws in Canada are so strict, it is a big faux pas to attach your picture to your resume and/or application when applying for a job. Makes sense, right? The same goes for why we don’t also include our birthdays, sex/gender, marital status, even race on our cover letters and resumes. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t have a right to know. In fact, recruiters have been known to immediately throw out a resume that has any of the above mentioned information (picture included) to avoid becoming biased in their screening process. This can be somewhat challenging for newcomers to Canada who are used to their home countries allowing (and in some cases, expecting) this information up front.

With such strict laws, especially when it comes to employment, it begs the question why so many people are encouraged to put up their picture on LinkedIn. Now, it’s true a lot of people and articles say that in order to maximize your marketability on LinkedIn or to make your profile more powerful, you HAVE to put a picture up. In fact, according to Social Media Today, putting a picture up is #2 of their article How to Use LinkedIn Powerfully: 10 Tips to Know. While their advice may be with good intent, social media enthusiasts should beware that posting a picture on any social media website opens you up to discrimination. A picture can either factor you in or factor you out of an interview. 

Some of you may not have a problem with this but for others, the colour of your skin, your racial features, even a really terrible (subjective) picture may prevent you from being called in for an interview. That isn’t to say that you should never have a picture posted on LinkedIn – privacy settings can keep your picture private from the general public and visible to only your contacts. Advisably, if you add to your contacts list only those whom you know, then posting a picture might be a way of people remembering what you look like, even after that first encounter has passed. And truthfully, if you are highly visible on other social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, it may not be difficult for any prospective employer to do a little digging before calling you.

My recommendation is to make it as difficult as possible, requiring recruiters and hiring managers to judge your application solely on your merits rather than on your picture. Of course, if you do choose the alternate route and decide to put up a picture on LinkedIn, keep it professional because no one wants to see your washboard abs or last weekend’s beer cans to your face… well, unless you’re applying for a lifeguard position or beer pong judge. Just kidding.

To add to this, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has extended its Human Rights Policy to now include the strict requirement for “Canadian experience” as a grounds for discrimination. As per the OHRC, “The OHRC’s position is that a strict requirement for ‘Canadian experience’ is prima facie discrimination (discrimination on its face) and can only be used in very limited circumstances. The onus will be on employers and regulatory bodies to show that a requirement for prior work experience in Canada is a bona fide requirement, based on the legal test this policy sets out.” For more information about this policy, visit the OHRC’s website here.

So You Think You Can Change?

One of the most inspiring books I ever read was a book that was given to me by my old manager. He said, “Parizad, I want you to read this and then let’s talk about it after.” We didn’t discuss much of the book after but I knew why he had given it to me. And it was life changing. The book was called “Who Moved My Cheese?” – many of you may have heard of it and some of you may have even read it. If you haven’t, read it… I insist. Because no matter where you are in your life today, I guarantee that will change. And no matter whether a good change or bad, this book will help you a great deal.

I’m not suggesting that if things in your personal or professional life are going well today that they will be a disaster tomorrow but the reality is that nothing ever stays the same. We all evolve in some way as a result of both internal and external forces that affect our day-to-day lives. My suggestion: be prepared. And I say this because I wasn’t and it hit like a ton of bricks.

Let me share 4 scenarios:

A Senior Project Manager for a large multi-million dollar company, packaged out after 17 years without any reason. Well, I’m sure there’s always a reason. As someone who has gone through a mass layoff (as the “Employer”) and working with those who had dedicated years of their life (for some, most of their entire working life) to one company, the reality can devastating. No job is permanent and the idea of job security is quickly becoming a myth. In fact, it might even be safe to say that no career is permanent either but that might be another blog entry for another day.

Financial controller of a local hotel retired after 18 years and then had the epiphany… oh shit, now what? The reality of doing only one thing in one industry at one company means you might not have the skills or experience to switch careers or even do something else with your life. Employers are increasingly looking for people with a myriad of skills and experience. Someone who has only had one employer for almost two decades might be asked in an interview, “If you weren’t moving up, why didn’t you move out?” Employers want to know you’re willing to learn and grow and are looking to hire people with more skills than the job description asks for. If you’re lucky, they’ll compensate you adequately but the topic of adequate compensation is a whole other can of worms.

An Advertising Executive leaves a company and his well paying job to start a new life with his new wife in a new country. Except, it’s not easy to start up high in a new place (with little to no experience in a new labour market) and it’s not easy to start at the bottom either. You’re either over-qualified or not qualified enough. The reality of living and working in this country is that we have many skilled people working low end jobs because their education and experience doesn’t translate very well into the labour market here (and maybe other political reasons). So we have doctors driving taxis and teachers working in coffee shops or running daycare centers. (Check out these interesting memes here and here)
***Also related: Taxi Driver Syndrome (it’s a real thing)

A new grad looking to break out in to the industry, resting on the ideals that college life serves that you can be anything you want in this world. This is true except good luck finding someone to pay you what you think you’re worth is, right out of school. The reality is that unless you are fortunate to land a job with a firm that understands the value of the new grad who wants to prove himself, chances are you’re going to start from the bottom. And by bottom, I mean, the dirty grunt work that you probably think you’re too good for. We still live in a world where people believe those starting out need to pay their dues. To some extent, they’re right but at the same time, it’s disheartening and disappointing because the realities of the “real world” are forced upon you and, well… you need a job. So you’ll do it.

Here’s the kicker: where you thought you’d be 5 years ago might look very different today. You might have switched careers (either out of your own will or otherwise), you might have moved countries, you might even have different interests. Those who truly embrace the possibility that things can (and will) change down the line are the ones who find the greatest success quickly. But knowing that change is important and being ready for it are two entirely different things.

Here are some ways you can be ready for change at any moment:

1. Have an “emergency” living savings.

Sometimes also known as an FU fund – an emergency living fund is the monetary security you need to ensure that should you lose your job or quit your job, you have enough money to financially stay afloat until a better opportunity comes along.

The general rule of thumb is 3 months of living expenses, although this amount varies from person to person. Living expenses should be considered your basic housing and utilities. So if you are renting and your approximate monthly living expense is $1000 then you should save $3000.

I recommend doubling that for the sheer reason that people underestimate how long it takes to bounce back and get another job and how quickly they will deplete through their funds. Consider this: if you lose your job and also have to move, you might be looking at the possibility of needing two months rent (first and last) + moving expenses, as well. My recommendation is to save at least six months of living expense, with the expectation that you will need three months to find a job and the other three months can be saved in reserve until you start earning again.

Make sure that once you start earning that you immediately put replenish this fund. Employers have a probationary period for a reason – don’t think just because you’ve gotten a new job that you’re set now.

2. Continue to learn new things.

Learn anything. Just keep learning. Employers are interested in people who are constantly learning. It means they have a genuine innate sense of curiosity and in today’s labour market, your competition will always be someone who is younger and smarter and willing to do more than you. So to stay competitive, having additional skills are very important.

If you’re looking to expand your human resource skill set, I would suggest becoming familiar with various systems such as SAP, Peoplesoft and Taleo (HRIS); Blackboard and Desire2Learn (LMS); Lectora, Articulate, and Captivate (e-learning development).

3. Cast a wide net and be ready for anything that happens.

There’s a lot of truth when people say that the majority of the jobs are not posted but are found through someone you know. And the more people you know, the greater those opportunities become available. But what is interesting is the number of people who deliberately choose not to stretch their network.

Admittedly, I was one of those people at one time who did not believe in making pretentious connections in hopes for something in return. And it wasn’t yielding me any results. Then I decided to shift my outlook on this situation and decided to make genuine connections and help those for the sake of helping. It’s taken myself a long time to realize that one of the best ways to get people to do things for you build a network with solid connections is by being genuine, being generous, and actually care.

So before the next wave of change in your life hits, I recommend taking an hour out of your life and reading this book. Be prepared because nothing will ever be the same as it is right now.

Becoming 80% more connected

Remember when you were younger and people used to tell you that most people get jobs from people they know? Then you finished school and believed you could be one of those who got the job on your own willingness, experience, skill and merit. And then reality hit.

In fact, the average percentage of people who land jobs based on a personal or professional connection is approximately 80%. This is astonishing considering more and more organizations are being mandated by either policy or collective agreement (and in some situations, by law) to post jobs for internal and external applicants. The reason for this (whilst not usually a legal requirement) is to promote and embrace fair hiring practices. Fair hiring practices prevent legal ramifications for discrimination, human rights complaints, and being picked on for anything but merit.

Unfortunately, while HR can help organizations tow the right line, “unfair” hiring practices take place all the time. But let’s step back for a moment and look at what “unfair” means:

Employers want to hire the best person for the job. The best person can mean any of the following (or a combination of them):

• Meets the educational requirements: A minimum of a bachelors degree usually suggests the employer is looking for a candidate who has the ability to think critically and has demonstrated this in a post-secondary institution. College level is usually acceptable if it’s accompanied with related experience.
• Has the necessary qualifying skill set: A minimum number of years experience with both technical and soft skills paints a picture of strong and weak areas of a candidate; it also gives the employer something to consider, if proceeding to hire someone.
• Demonstrates the right personality for the job: Albeit difficult to decipher in an interview, employers are constantly watching body language, tone of voice, and even presentation when interviewing candidates. It’s important for them to connect with the right candidate to ensure the highest level of success for the job. A lot of employers go on a gut instinct for this but use interview questions to test responsiveness and attention as well.
• Physical appearance: While physical appearance should not be important and can be grounds for discrimination, as long as an employer doesn’t suggest this, they can and will judge candidates on appearance 100% of the time in in-person interviews. It’s inevitable. However, while physical appearance can opt someone out of a job, it can also opt someone into one, depending on the role. In front-line, client-facing roles such as those in service and sales industries, an employer may judge a candidate on physical appearance in hopes that the candidates’ looks may attract potential clients to the point of sale.
• Has a good general public image: This means there are no inappropriate content lurking around on the internet or on someone’s old VHS tapes of Girls (or Guys) Gone Wild. Having a good general public image also means no misdemeanors that can easily be found online. While an employer cannot always discriminate against hiring someone with a criminal record, if a criminal charge is relevant to the role or if the employer just doesn’t want to hire you, s/he can find some other reason not to. Usually the reply is “not the best fit” or “a more suitable candidate was awarded the position” or something like that.

So what does “best fit” really mean? It means, Are you the most qualified, likable person to work with our team?

And if you think about it, likable people typically make connections with others quickly. Some make few, strong connections, and others make many, loose ones. However you choose to connect with people, those people become part of your network. The trick to tapping into 80% of those jobs out there is by increasing your network. In an article posted last week by Don Peppers titled “How to Find Opportunities in Your Social Network,” Pepper discusses the importance of maintaining two types of professional relationships: allies and acquaintances. He states: “This principle known as the ‘strength of weak ties,’ has become famous as social networks have proliferated and people have struggled to understand how to extract value from them.” So what does that look like?

It starts with saying hello. In social gatherings, it’s important to connect with friends, acquaintances, and strangers by introducing yourself and spending some time getting to know them. Before the encounter is over, make sure they know who you are and what you do (if not exactly, then give them an idea to take away) and make sure you do the same. Then offer to stay in touch. The more we spend time connecting and forging these relationships with others, the stronger our network grows.

A great mistake many “loose networkers” make is that when they meet someone new, they share everything about themselves, and then leave without much care or concern getting to know the other person. Good networking is a partnership – it means both parties come away with some form of gain from the new connection made. It’s very important to take the time to engage in the other person, their interests, their experiences, their organizations; this allows you to determine how strong a connection you want this to be AND it makes the other person feel heard and respected. A colleague or friend who feels respected by you is much more likely to vouch for you in professional situations.

Staying in touch is the most important, whether it’s by picking up the phone and checking in, meeting for a coffee, or even connecting online. My recommendation is to utilize professional social networking sites such as LinkedIn or professional affiliated social sites (such as HR.com for HR professionals) to keep in contact with those out of reach or those we just want to keep at a professional distance. For those near and close, a quick but genuine check-in may be all that’s necessary. And good networkers will always be available for a chat for those in their immediate and extended network. Whether we like to accept it or not, we don’t live in a world with enormous and overflowing generosity but we do live in a society where generosity flows gracefully for those who carve a path for it go somewhere.

The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity. – Keith Ferrazzi

(not an endorsement of the book Likeonomics since I haven’t read it… but maybe I should)

HR doesn’t do anything

Have you ever noticed that when you call HR, they’re always rude and unwilling to help? That is, if you’re even able to get ahold of HR at all. And then when you do, they either redirect you to someone else (who redirects you to someone else… who redirects you to someone else) and then ultimately when you end up at the right person, they’re either not there (and will never return your phone call) or just can’t help you?

Why is it that HR is so unhelpful? And more-so, why are so many HR people really bitchy all the time? Chances are, it’s because they hate their job. Or they are beginning to realize that HR isn’t about helping people. Or they already figured that out and still don’t care about helping people.

(Originally, this post was going to be titled “HR is a bunch of bitches” but it didn’t seem very appropriate considering it’s totally not true)

A big misconception is of HR is that because the word “human” is in it, people automatically assume the job is about liking people or helping people. It really isn’t. Because if you look at the next word “resources” that’s your indicator right there. HR is about managing the people resources of an organization. And managing these resources means balancing the cost-effectiveness of keeping every single person working… or kicking them out. It’s also about hiring the right talent to fit with the organizational values and goals. It means managing the workforce so that the labour outcome is profitable (return on investment) or justifiable (return on expectation).

So why do people go in to HR? A lot of people go into it because they think it’s easy. WRONG. Working in human resources is tiring and stressful and annoying and challenging and encouraging and meaningful. How can it be all this? It really depends on the role, the organization, and the person. Depending on what end of HR someone’s working in, the role can be either very transactional and monotonous to very strategic and creative… and the great thing about HR is that there are a spectrum of jobs within.

So if it can be so great, why are HR people still so bitchy? Truth be told, most people in HR aren’t. In fact, they are as normal as you and me – that is, they like to laugh and joke, they are totally into gossiping sharing stories (especially about all the hilarious issues that come through the department), they will share super inappropriate jokes and say super inappropriate things to one another, and they actually make mistakes. Like all the time.

And you know why? Because your HR department is made up of real people… some of which are just trying to wing it, just like in every other industry out there. And they really aren’t bitchy, they’re just overworked. And when you call, you expect them to know the answer… and they don’t. Do you know how much it sucks to not know the answer, especially when someone expect that you should? It’s not a great feeling.

You know what else urks us in HR? That people think we do nothing. Let me reassure any and all of you who think this… when HR actually does nothing, you’ll know. People won’t get hired; people won’t get fired; there will be major lawsuits because trust me, a lot of managers don’t know how to handle their employees; no one will get a raise; you’ll have shitty pay and shitty benefits or you’ll have a great pay and no benefits… and then you’ll lose your job because they can’t afford to keep you anymore; you’ll work OT and probably won’t be compensated for it properly; and you won’t get much in terms of training or performance management support.

HR does a lot more than people realize, including listening to employees whine and complain about every injustice known to man. If there were no HR department, there’d be no complaints department and managers would be required to deal with their employees and all their problems (guess what, that’s what’s ACTUALLY suppose to happen… and doesn’t; instead people are told to go to HR. jerks.) Today managers have the support of a management support department called Human Resources which they can lean on for support and advice. Honestly, if the rampant sexual and verbal harassment went down, if people actually worked 100% of their time at work, if people actually gave a shit about each other and the work that they do, and if employees actually read every resource available to answer their questions, HR probably would have time to answer their phones 100% of the time. And they would be happy to help you. Do you know how many times people do not read their employment contract and then call HR multiple times to ask 1. when they’re starting, 2. how much they’re making, 3. when their hours are, 4. what their benefit entitlement is, 5. why it’s okay they got “let go” within their probation period…

So the next time you think that HR is a bunch of bitches, think about what you’re actually saying because chances are your HR rep is trying to stay afloat the millions of e-mails flooding their inbox, along with the overload of hiring that needs to be done, investigations that need to be conducted, and grievances they have to deal with. On top of that, they are trying to ensure you as an employee go home safely every day, that workplace-accident claims don’t skyrocket, and you are treated as fairly and equitably as possible, according the law and stated HR policy. Remember that your HR department is working within policies and parameters he or she may not even appreciate themselves but whenever they can help, they will. Show a little compassion, befriend an HR person, and you’ll find that it goes a long way.

if you have no intention of taking help, don’t ask for it

I like to think I help people. I mean, that’s probably the reason I started this blog in the first place. I figure, if not everyone I meet will benefit from the help I can offer, maybe some of them can. Let me tell you though, it’s really difficult to help people who don’t want to be helped. I used to think that was on them… but it’s not, it’s on me. The challenge with helping people is that in order to be successful, you have to meet some criteria first: 1. the person has to need help; 2. the person has to want help; 3. the person has to be open to help; 4. the person has to be able to comprehend the help; 5. you have to be able, competent, and willing to help.

Do you know how often all those things come together? The reason why help is often given but never received or often asked for but never provided is because people are constantly playing a game of chess with each others egos. It’s not easy to admit you need help and it’s not easy to ask for help. Equally, people don’t want to have their time wasted.

Then there are people who asked for advice from others and have no intention of ever taking it. Perhaps I should clarify this statement since there have been times when I have been told the exact same thing – that I would ask for advice and never take the advice given. The difference here is in the intention. Not taking advice or help is one’s right to that decision but when you ask someone for their help or advice and then argue on every point, this just becomes a waste of everyone’s time. And if you’re not careful, you might piss off the other person from ever offering their help in the future. My recommendation: ask only if you’re willing to consider their insight – if you believe strongly against their recommendations or advice, respectfully thank them for their time and efforts and bow out of the engagement gracefully.

Having a mentor is a fantastic opportunity, especially for those looking to enter into the workforce; however, with mentorship comes patience, good listening, and an open mind. A mentor, just like someone you ask for advice from, is a person who has enough experience or education or skill to be able to offer you help… so long as you are willing to receive it. If you are fortunate to have a good mentor, he or she will inspire you to make changes in your life to improve your chances of success in business or personal affairs; motivate you to overcome obstacles and challenges; shift your paradigm and challenge what you already know with a new way of looking at things; teach you to think critically; be confident in yourself and your decisions. But in the same way, seeking out a mentor if you have no intention of learning from any imparted knowledge or experience, is much the same as asking for help or advice if you have no intention of taking it.

So why do people do it? A few theories:

1. People recognize they have a skill/knowledge/experience gap and cognitively recognize that help is required; however, emotionally or mentally, receiving help means they appear less capable. This comes down to people’s ego and feelings of inferiority and insecurity. No one likes to feel inferior to another person or insecure for any reason.

2. Asking for help without any intention to take it is an outward gesture to demonstrate that an “effort” was made. That way, no one can ever say they didn’t try.

3. If something doesn’t work out the way you wanted, it’s easier to blame someone else. For example, if you ask for help on your resume and take/don’t take the advice given, you can blame the person who helped you for the reason you didn’t get the job.

4. Advice givers can be overwhelming and speak with a lot of jargon. When people talk too fast or about concepts or issues that seem irrelevant to their audience, people will automatically shut down their listening potential. This shut down process is more of a defense mechanism to prevent the mind from becoming overwhelmed with too much information.

5. Advice is conflicting. In the era we live in, information management no longer has to do with just computers. Information management is about how the information we are receiving (through all our senses) is perceived, organized, linked to experience and categorized (reorganized), and then processed for appropriate output. So when one source tells us that X = A and another source tells us that X = B, we automatically look for a third and fourth source to validate the first two sources. Heaven forbid if source one and source two are the same source and now these sources are contradicting each other. Have I lost you yet? Have you shut down? Is there too much information? So sometimes, advice is conflicting and we react in a similar flight or fight type of reaction: either we argue and debate and debunk the presenting opinions or we give up on the confusion and take an easier, less challenging path.

If you want to be successful in your career, I would suggest learning how to take advice. A good article to read by Nilofer Merchant titled 5 Ways to Take Advice is a good starting point. Best recommendations: be humble in the advice you give and be humbled by the help you’re given.

Mad Men: the sociology of HR

I love Mad Men. I mean, could there be a better show out right now that explores the evolution of human resources, human rights or business ethics any better?  While I must  say that my intrigue with Don Draper and my amusement with Roger Sterling flirted my initial interest in the show, as of last season, I’m far more interested in the lady in charge, Joan Harris, and the frumpy underdog Peggy Olson. I think the character development around these two have been great metaphors for the change in labour and civil laws, human rights, and feminist movements at this time. And in the context of advertising, the whole thing is pretty brilliant.

If you think about Joan, starting out as a secretary responsible for writing memos, answering phones, and eventually moving on to organizing office parties… this was the birth of human resources. There’s a reason why human resources is flooded mostly with women. The world of HR started out as “personnel” running the transactional, personal, warm and fuzzy side of a business. The emotional capacity of women make them a more preferred option to dealing with people in a “softer” way which is why the personnel department was generally run by women. So what’s the difference between personnel and human resources? Well, in a nutshell, personnel managed the people; human resources manages the workforce. This can be looked at as much of the same way but the concepts are very different… and I assure you, no human resources professional would ever want to be called “personnel.” There are a lot of theories of the differences between these two concepts but (paraphrased from CiteHR.com), personnel management is more administrative in nature, dealing with payroll and benefits, complying employment law, and handling similar administrative tasks. Human Resources on the other hand is responsible for managing the workforce as one the primary resources that contributes to the success of an organization. In short, personnel is administrative or transactional; human resources is more strategic or transformational. Currently the transactional functions still remain within the domain of the redefining HR world but it’s hard to say whether this will continue as the HR community begins to shed it’s administrative character that seems to still hold the profession back. The history of personnel has been to follow the orders of the business leaders; the future of HR is to be a strategic business partner to ensure organizational success. To be frank, it’s hard to gain credibility as a business partner when you’re taking direction from your so-called colleagues. And we see this with Joan who has moved from a low level employee to a partner at the firm but struggles against the other (male) leaders of the business. To some, she is still Personnel, undeserving of any respect, despite what she does to keep the people working and the business together. I’m interested to see where the story-line of this show goes but I wouldn’t be surprised if Joan and Peggy gain more and more respect and credibility and earn their way up the ranks the best way they know how. And I wouldn’t be surprised that even if they are at the top, they will still be treated as second class citizens to a still very much male dominated society.

But that Peggy… I think she’ll go places, as frumpy as she is.

Here’s a link on HR vs. personnel: http://www.citehr.com/80897-difference-between-personnel-hr.html#ixzz2SqhGBtQ9

Cheers!

Most recruiters aren’t robots…

Recruitment is a very undervalued sub-domain of HR. Do you know why? Because many organizations still focus on the quantity of their labour force versus the quality. And so recruiters are usually overworked, under-appreciated, and stressed to the max. And yet, its an easy career path to fall into. This is what you need to be a recruiter:

The recruiter toolkit:

• Ability to speed read
• Organizational skills
• Autonomous 
• Unnerving patience
• Able to work long hours, without breaks, as necessary

Sounds like fun, right? Actually, this skill could be applied to most jobs. Like nursing. Except despite how under appreciated nurses are, there’s still a whole week dedicated to nurses week. Then of course, there’s the fact that most nurses in Canada are unionized. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting nurses don’t deserve as much recognition and support as they get (in fact, they deserve much more!) but recruiters get none of those perks, and they’re the ones who source, recruit, and hire the nurses. And every other job. And being an HR function, you can forget about being unionized. Just like many other jobs that are facing outsourcing and replacement altogether, so too are the role of the recruiter.

So why am I telling you all this? Because if you meet someone in a social context who happens to be a recruiter, shake their hand, pat them on the back, and thank them for their part in you having a job today. And if you didn’t get that call back for the job you applied to, ask them why. Actually don’t… they probably don’t want to talk about work outside of work. So why didn’t you get that call back?

Here’s 10 reasons why you may not be getting a call back:

1. Did you follow the instructions in the job posting on how to apply for the job you were interested in? If not, don’t expect to get hired if you can’t follow basic directions.
2. Did you submit your cover letter and resume? Too many times people apply for jobs either with an online or paper application form and do not attach their cover letter and resume. Not doing so will severely reduce your chances of being screened in for an interview. In fact, it might just go straight into the trash.
3. Do you know how to spell and can you articulate yourself well? Spelling and grammar are huge sticklers for recruiters. You might be lucky if a recruiter overlooks your spelling but too many errors will have your application tossed aside… to the “ridiculous” pile they just have to show their colleagues.
4. Recruiters can be paranoid and generally skeptical of misrepresentation. Don’t lie on your resume because they are looking for that. Lie and you’re out. (There are ways around tricky situations).
5. Does your resume have long gaps between employment? Make sure you can account for gaps and if necessary, indicate personal travel, family obligations (this could include caring for an ill or dying family member, tending to personal health issues, taking care of a new child), and/or further education.
6. Was your resume just plain obnoxious and ugly? Presentation appeal can be subjective but keep coloured font to a minimum (or just stick to black), ensure all your font types and sizes are consistent, margins are followed, and your resume is visually pleasing overall.
7. Could the recruiter even open your file? Using different word processing programs can create challenges when the receiving party is trying to open the file. The way you format your resume may look perfectly normal to you in your software program but can be difficult to read (words missing, misaligned, etc.) when the recruiter opens up the file. To be safe, save your documents as a PDF format and offer to send it as another file type if required. Remember: If a recruiter has specifically asked for a certain file type, make sure to use that.
8. Make sure the recruiter knows how to contact you – a phone number and e-mail address is best. Depending on the type of industry you’re in, you may want to provide links social media profiles such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Klout. Be careful before including these as you want to make sure you are putting your best foot forward and not showing off your armory of weapons or last weekend’s drunkfest.
9. Be confident in yourself but don’t gloat. A way to minimize the “effects of gloat” is to under-utilize the use of “I” in your resume. This is challenging even for the most experienced of resume writers because your resume is about you, not about we or them or us. So be creative and when necessary, go for it.
10. Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to charge your resume with power words (in addition to using key words). Be careful not to overuse the same words but Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a repertoire of words available at your disposal. How to use Bloom’s: Think carefully about that last task you worked on. For example, if you regularly entered information into a database, ask yourself the question “Did I manage the database?” How you write your resume is key and so often people undervalue the work that they do and write things like “Inputted information into the system.” That’s five words and tells what you did (task). Let’s make it two: “Managed data…” and now you have the opportunity to expand the sentence further and tell the recruiter exactly how you did what you did. Recruiters are looking for your accomplishments, your soft skills (able to work under pressure, multitask, communicate, etc.) and they are reading between the lines. Here is a useful site you can use: Bloom’s Taxonomy

The reality is that it’s not difficult to get past the initial pre-screen and get a phone interview – the secret is to not piss off the recruiter. Better yet, make it easier for the recruiter to find you, contact you, and like you. First impressions are everything, right? Your resume is the first step.

Some may argue that the first step is to make the recruiter see you… so people will often drop by HR and ask to speak to the recruiter. Depending on the size of the organization, that’s not always possible (but it’s a great attempt and should be done when you can) so don’t be discouraged if you are turned away. Recruiters usually don’t have time to meet every person who comes in asking for a job. So stay composed and offer to submit your application however best. More and more organizations are leaning toward the use of an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to manage all the applicants for all the jobs they post. It allows them to ensure people are not forgotten in the process, track and analyze metrics, stay organized, and in some cases even transfer information into a payroll or other talent management system. It even eliminates paper waste (environmental plug)! This means e-mailing your resume or going to the company website and applying directly through the Careers section. Don’t have access to a computer? Find one (libraries work) or find another place to apply to.

The challenge with applicant tracking systems is the filtered involved with applications but remember, there is a human at the other end of that system so ensure your resumes have the keywords required to screen your application in, and hope that the rest of the tips above will move you on to the next step!

the miseducation of social media

Everywhere you look, research is suggesting that social media is the single most influential ways to share ideas. Whether these ideas are insightful, credible, or evidence based is debatable but with the potential to share ideas comes the increased ability to interact with others, #hashtag concepts, and expand the general collecto-collaborative web. Whether we like it or not, the world is evolving and we can either choose to jump onboard with the latest trends or sit back and assess the outcomes before making any rash decisions. But another way to look at evolution is the natural desire to learn. Collaboration and thirst for knowledge and continuous learning are becoming key indicators for successful organizations and effective people.

And yet… education isn’t always cheap and (un)fortunately formal and higher education tends to trump when looking for a new job. Not to mention the investment of time combined with the overwhelming options for learning opportunities can render many complacent and content with their current situations. Here is where social media comes in. And I should state for the record that it took me a long time to see the value in social media other than for following your favourite celebrities, promoting your new album, and stalking your friends through their pictures and status update (though heaven forbid you connect offline, even so much as a hello). For a very long time, social media was kept separate in peoples personal lives, away from their professional ones. In fact, it could be considered foolish and unprofessional to add your manager and colleagues to your Facebook pages, only for the whole office to gossip the day after you return from your trip to Mexico and your pictures in a bikini.

Rule of thumb: If you have coworkers on your social media sites, make sure not to update your status of yesterday’s rock concert or day at the spa when you supposedly called in sick. Managers in particular do not appreciate unexcused absences… especially when you called in to say you were sick. That’s what vacation or personal days are for. Check out this link here.

Basic stuff, right? Unfortunately not and people need to start realizing that while social media can be great, if misused it can be disastrous to their careers.

This is why many also shy away from utilizing social media and that’s unfortunate because information is being translated and shared at a rate faster than ever. But if we can shift our perspectives just a little bit, we will find that social media platforms are helping to keep people and organizations relevant with innovation, evolution, and each other. Increasingly, organizations are turning to YouTube,  LinkedIn, Facebook, blogging sites, Instagram, and other such platforms to market their brand, post jobs, share concepts, discuss ideas, and network.

In future posts, I hope to explore the benefits (and downfalls) of each of these individually but to close, I want to remind my readers that there is no right answer when it comes to integrating your offline self with your online personality. However, the key is to stay smart and remember that when you are developing yourself – in both the context of your professional life or your personal life – staying true to yourself is always the best sell. The rest is just grooming… or rounding out the edges to maximizing your marketable potential. The world is evolving and it’s your choice whether you embrace the changes with open arms or not. Rest assured, the world isn’t going to wait for you… so tie up your shoelaces and let’s get started!