Their stories are as diverse as the workforce: a mother heading back to the office after raising her children, an ex-prison inmate looking for a job to jumpstart his new life, or a soldier rejoining the working ranks.
Re-entering the labor force is a daunting task facing more than 2.7 million men and women in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If you’re one of those returning job seekers, it’s time to polish your skills, brush up on your interview techniques and dust off that resume you haven’t looked at in years.
Utah Workforce Services and the Idaho Department of Labor offer some tips on jumping back into the job market with gusto.
“It’s a tough market, but it’s not an impossible market,” says Tim Leigh, assistant manager of the Idaho Department of Labor’s Boise office. “If you have the skills and can sell yourself to that employer, you have a better chance.”
Create a Killer Resume
Your resume is the first — and sometimes only — thing an employer will see. It must be easy to read, professional and stress job-specific skills.
Don’t highlight your absence from the workforce by organizing your resume chronologically. Instead, send out skills-based resumes by grouping your experience by expertise rather than time of employment.
Also, don’t forget to include jobs and skills that were not wage-earning employment. A mother who served on the PTA, volunteered at a charity or organized an event should list any of those activities that highlight her abilities.
Utah Workforce Services recommends resumes be less than two pages and should not include fancy fonts, graphics or photographs.
Brush Up on Your Skills
Find out what skills you’ll need at the position you’re eying. Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest software, computer and management skills for that industry.
If you’re not sure what skills you need, Leigh suggests doing an informational interview with an employer to find out what they want in an employee.
Prepare for a Slam-dunk Interview
“Interviews are scary. You have to really sell yourself to that employer and you have a short period of time to make a good impression,” Leigh says.
To make that first impression, be 15 minutes early to an interview and always assume someone is watching you — even if the official interview has not started.
Once your interview starts, don’t forget common courtesies like shaking hands, waiting to sit until asked and making eye contact with each interviewer in the room.
Also, try to be yourself and treat the interviewer like a human being. A sense of humor is always appreciated, Leigh adds. Time is short, so your answers should be about your skills that qualify you for the position, not about your personal life.
Always ask questions such as when the employer will make a decision, what the daily routine is like, or even if you can get a tour of the facility.
Wages shouldn’t be part of the conversation, however. Unless the employer brings it up or you’ve already been offered the job, salary discussions should be off the table, Leigh says.
And don’t forget — if you want the job, ask for it.
Dress the Part
Dress one step above the employees for an interview. If the office is business casual, then you should wear slacks and a button-down shirt and tie. If you’re applying to be a mechanic, wear slacks and a polo shirt rather than jeans and a T-shirt.
Your appearance should be neat; men should shave or neatly trim facial hair. Women should use make-up sparingly and use perfumes lightly or not at all, according to Utah Workforce Services.
Nix the Ticks
Now is the time to get rid of that nervous tick, whether it’s jingling keys in your pocket or tapping a pencil on the desk. Ideally, your gestures should be natural instead of clasping your hands on your lap or sticking them in your pockets. Utah Workforce Services recommends practicing your mannerisms in front of friends or a video camera.
Be Choosy
Job seekers should always start with what they want to do, not what the market says is available.
“If you’re happy in your job, you’re going to perform it a whole lot better,” Leigh says. “Look for what you want first and if you don’t get anywhere in two to four weeks, re-evaluate and look at the market.”
If you feel pressure to take the first job you’re offered, it’s OK to take a “maintenance job” to keep the paychecks coming. Just don’t give up searching for that dream job, Leigh says.
Stay Positive
There’s no doubt the job market is tough right now, Leigh adds. But part of the job search is slapping on a smile and being excited about every interview.
“Stay positive, stay happy and stay excited about the job search,” Leigh says. “Don’t let the labor market get you down and beat you. You’re great people with great skills, the right job just hasn’t come.”
Check out these career Web sites to start your job search:
* www.career.com
* www.careerbuilder.com
* www.flipdog.com
* www.indeed.com
* www.linkedin.com
* www.monsterboard.com
* www.simplyhired.com
* www.somethinghired.com
* www.thejobnetwork.com
* www.wantedjobs.com
* www.zoominfo.com
Featured in the March/April 2009 issue of Zions Bank’s Community magazine.
*Artwork from ramsey everydaypants under Creative Commons license at Flickr.com.
First, I sincerely appreciate anyone giving job seeking advice (and there is some good stuff here, so good job), but I also take significant issue when it comes down to recommending a skills based or functional resume.
As a hiring manager, executive recruiter and career coach I believe these formats confuse the reader and really don’t tell us what we are looking for. Frankly, out of the multitude of hiring managers I have worked with through the years every single one of them have preferred a chronological resume.
As a professional in the HR industry I have found that a person puts these style resumes together for two reasons:
1) they have been coached to due so!
2) they were coached to do so to hide something…!
Professional HR people know this so why would we ever recommend these formats to a job seeker? Instead I would recommend a resume that is in chronological order with an emphasis on skills, passion and core values…
Remember, if you try and pull the wool over someones eyes it will not speak well to core values. Be proud of what you have learned and accomplished AND”if you can’t fix it feature it”!!!