Sunday, December 19, 2010

Lack of courtesy in job search can be daunting, but don’t give up

Lack of courtesy in job search can be daunting, but don’t give up

Lack of courtesy in job search can be daunting, but don’t give up

Posted: 19 Dec 2010 03:41 AM PST

When Margaret Weigel was laid off in June because of budget cuts, she thought her 15 years of experience as a digital media specialist would help her land job interviews. But to the contrary, Weigel often can't even get the courtesy of a callback.

After one recent interview, she received a note from the manager to come in for a second interview. But in the midst of preparing it and exchanging e-mail with an HR contact, she received another message saying that someone else had been hired. "I was really taken aback,'' Weigel said. "They wouldn't even bother with the second interview they'd promised?''

Frustrated by her so far unsuccessful search for a job as a multimedia producer, strategic planner, or analyst, Weigel, 45, sat down for a Boston Globe Career Makeover with Boston career coach Kathy Robinson of TurningPoint.

The lack of common courtesy extended to job hunters is the state of interviewing in 2010, Robinson said.

"In a jobless recovery, and with so many candidates and so little time, common courtesies have gone out the window,'' said Robinson, who added that even with the worst-mannered recruiter, a "thank you'' note is appropriate.

As Weigel, a West Medford resident, met with Robinson, she was trying to get a handle on her next step. She explained that she has always followed her heart, but sometimes felt as if her actions weren't big resume builders. When she was younger, she "had a lot of fun in her career,'' running a local fanzine and learning how to do layout and graphic design, as well as Web design and multimedia. She also spent two years in a master's program at MIT, studying media, and then five years working as a project manager.

Lately, Weigel has been beefing up her credentials by doing pro-bono work for local companies in social media marketing, coming up with business plans, ads, website ideas, and consulting for nonprofit online fund-raising. Weigel said she is ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and communication.

"I've always been an early adopter, the canary in the coal mine, and it's one of my goals to connect people and speak to them on a broad level,'' she said.

Robinson applauded Weigel for her entrepreneurial spirit, which includes setting up her own website, a media consulting business, and landing a part-time job with a college textbook publisher.

Although these multifaceted endeavors in marketing communications and media aren't yielding much income or interest from clients, they are a starting point, Robinson said. Since Weigel has always adopted a individualistic mindset, instead of trying to fit into someone else's corporate structure, why not create her own? asked Robinson.

She encouraged Weigel to expand her thinking: write a grant to start a technology and media research association; pitch a book on emerging trends in media and technology; or promote herself as an outsourced product management specialist, providing research, white papers, best practices, and thought leadership.

In the meantime, Weigel could also continue to look for a full-time job, probably in communications or project management. But first, Robinson said she needs to streamline her resume. Robinson offered the following tips:

■Craft an attention-getting resume title at the top of her resume. For example, "Project Manager'' is too vague, while "Digital Media Project Manager'' carries more information and impact.

■Emphasize industry-specific terms and acronyms on the first page of the resume. For Weigel, key words such as "YouTube,'' "Drupal,'' and other digital media words should be emphasized. "Many recruiters won't even make it to the next page of your resume,'' Robinson said.

■Summarize experience without being too specific. Instead of writing, "I produced the online feature 'Sea Grant Goes to the Movies,' '' generalize content to read, "Produced online feature to promote substantive learning about science.''

■Consider switching from first to third person on resume. Instead of using a conversational, first-person tone, a third-person voice may sound more professional and detached.

In addition to revamping her resume, Robinson recommended Weigel check out conferences, associations, or societies and research any affiliated companies for possible opportunities.

"Frequently people who do public seminars are those who are interested in passing on their knowledge,'' said Robinson, who added that Weigel could try following these keynote speakers on Twitter, and repost their Twitter posts.

Robinson said Weigel also should learn as much as possible. Private foundations that support education research, such as the Consortium for School Networking, might also lead to jobs or consulting work.

"Develop an anthropological mindset where you learn kernels of information that you can use later in interviews or for networking,'' Robinson said.

Finally, even though the holidays are here, Robinson suggested that Weigel keep her job hunting efforts in full gear. "The week between Christmas and New Year's is a great time to find people in the office who are willing to chat with you because many co-workers are off and things can be slow,'' Robinson said.

Robinson said employers do hire at the end of the year, extending job offers in December and January. "Budgets are opening up and they want to get new hires in, so don't lose hope.''

To be considered for a career makeover, send an e-mail to careermakeover@globe.com.

© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.

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