When I first met Alex (fictitious name), he was absolutely
convinced he was unemployable. The ream of meticulously compiled spreadsheets,
which slid out of his folder and onto the desk, was testament to over 200
unsuccessful job applications made within the preceding 18 months, and without attracting
any interviews.
My client had recently secured his PhD in IT, had over 15 years extensive
local and international experience in education, new business development and
management. Needless to say, the months of fruitless job searching, whilst in
the last throws of completing his doctorate, had taken their toll.
Convincing Alex on a structured course of action was no easy
task, his self-confidence was low, but through discussion, and guiding his
thought process to contemplate and reflect on specific areas of his career, then
further exploration of those chosen experiences, a dynamic, strong and exciting
story emerged.
The resulting tightly honed, brief résumé, with a covering letter
of application, showing a few carefully chosen career achievements and results,
catapulted Alex into the job market at lightening speed. Within two weeks he
had two significant job offers in the corporate and tertiary sectors.
It is important to note here, that at both interviews, the
position, which Alex had applied for, was superseded for a far more senior
position.
Careful preparation and discussion about important aspects of Alex’s
career and the results he obtained, boosted his confidence, promoted him
effectively to prospective employers and recruiters, sharpened his focus, which
also prepared him for the interviews. So much so, that although still tentative
at interviews, he made such an impact, as to be considered worthy of a higher
prize.
The work that went into the preparation of the résumé, the client
collaboration, plain speaking and writing, exploration of achievements, lateral
and positive thinking and the choosing of relevant facts and results got Alex
both jobs.
It’s a ‘whole deal’ situation! We cannot assume that only one or
two things get a person the job. We need to look and think more holistically
about our clients and their objectives in order for them to win. This way we
help them to get noticed with recruiters and prospective employers.
(Name and some details have been changed for privacy reasons).