HRinmotion Blog – Career advice from HR Pros

Loverboy at GM Place 2010 Olympic Medal Ceremony

On Feb 21, Sunday at GM Place, Loverboy along with Trooper will be providing entertainment during the 2010 Olympic medal ceremonies.  Yes, Loverboy with Mike Reno in concert here in Vancouver at Canada Hockey Place.

If you have not seen Mike Reno recently, don’t feel bad.  It’s been a while so let me get you up to speed on Mike.  Below is a vintage video from Loverboy back in their prime in the 80′s, “Everbody’s Working for the Weekend”. Take a moment to admire the thin guy in the skin tight red leather outfit.

I now present the new old Mike Reno, courtesy of a 2006 clip from the Mike Bullard show.

Based on the comparison of the two clips above, you have no doubt deducted what 20 plus years can do to an aging rock star. Since the clip is from 2006, you have further extrapolated how an additional 4 years could impact our friend Mike. So I suppose it would be no surprise if I attached another photo to get your eyes ready for Mike this Sunday at GM Place or as it is now known, Canada Hockey Place (located in downtown Vancouver).

The photo below is strictly for safety reasons, as I wouldn’t want you to pull a muscle when you lay your eyes on Mike Reno’s tight red leather pants.  And as far as I am concerned, he should get a gold medal if he can get into those leather pants.

Okay, now that you have been warmed up, let’s go put on those acid wash jeans and mousse up the hair do. After all, it is Friday and I am working for the weekend.

This one goes out to all the business analysts out there. We know it’s not easy for a business analyst to balance their personal life with their professional life. With work pressures and long hours, it could be very difficult for business analysts to find time for their relationships. As such, we dedicate the following song, “It’s Business Time” from the super funny HBO series “Flight of the Conchords” to all you hardworking business analysts out there.

In this clip, Jermaine is in the laundry mat and sees an attractive girl he has a crush on but too shy to approach. While waiting for the laundry to finish, and without the courage to approach the hottie, Jermaine envisions the future with this girl and breaks out in song in his head. The song he sings is called, “It’s Business Time”.

Flight of the Conchords is one of my favourite HBO shows and unfortunately only went for three seasons. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement play two New Zealanders or Kiwis in a band struggling to make it in the music industry. They play two nerdy dim witted country bumpkins, the show is very funny. Enjoy!

PS – I suppose this song can also equally apply to Business Development Managers, Business Account Managers, Business Advisers, Business Office Manager and so on.

Team Canada Womens Hockey Gets Gold

Well done to the Canada’s Women’s Hockey Team for wining gold!  Team Canada Womens defeated the US Women’s Team tonight.  The Americans have a great hockey team, and it was a tough game but the Canadian Women were just too fast, strong and skilled for the American Women tonight.  And tonight here in Vancouver, BC, the city is overwhelmed with the feeling of the Olympic gold rush in hockey.

Canada Men’s Hockey Semi-Finals – Chasing the Gold Rush

Team Canada Men’s Hockey will play against Slovakia on Friday and the winner goes onto to the gold medal game on Sunday.  While Canada is the favourite, it would be foolish to count Slovakia out.  They earned their way to this point and with a hot goaltender it’s anybody’s game right now.

Being a proud Canadian, I am of course, cheering for team Canada.  I think team Canada’s chance for gold is really good, if we keep Luongo in goal. If our defense needs to remain solid and control the turnovers, we should have double gold in olympic hockey come Sunday.

As long as Luongo stops the shots he can see and our defensemen don’t turnover the puck carelessly, we can win gold.  I say this because team Canad has such a strong offense.  We have out shot every team we have played against.  This means the game is usually played in the other end.  In addition, the wins are usually very high scoring, again pointing to the offensive potency.  With this kind of offense, we don’t necessarily need a killer goal tender and fortress of a defense to beat our opponents.

The prediction, team Canada men’s hockey will beat Slovakia on Friday and advance to the finals.  I also predict team USA to defeat Finland to advance where they will meet team Canada.  Canada will have a second chance to avenge their loss to team USA from the preliminary round.  And it will be payback!  Canada will get double gold in Olympic hockey.

photo by debs http://www.flickr.com/photos/littledebbie11/3982859096/sizes/l/

Below if our latest submission for this week’s 24 hour newspaper: Applying online with a scannable resume, we cover text resume tips.

Applying online with a scannable resume

With the emergence of new technical means of obtaining resumes over the past few years, it is important for job seekers to create a scannable resume. Unlike traditional resume formats, the scannable resume is a must to keep for applying for jobs via online tracking systems. Most job seekers usually copy and paste a resume online, but you will notice the format is a disaster. By creating a scannable resume, you will have a text resume that looks good and will get you noticed by resume tracking software.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when creating a scannable text resume:

- Avoid italics, underlining, shading, or other fancy font styles – use simple text.
- Avoid bold or ALL CAPS. Most scanning software does not differentiate between this and other font styles.
- Maintain a simple font style and size throughout the document. Use Arial or Tahoma font style.
- Font size: use 10, 11, or 12.
- Avoid fancy lines, graphics, or boxes.
- Avoid bullets. Instead, use asterisks or hyphens.
- Avoid all brackets.
- Left justify only. Avoid centering or right margin justification.
- Place your name on each page on bottom left corner
- Make sure you place your address below your name on the first page.
- When including phone numbers for cell and home, list each on a separate line.

Tips to convert your standard resume to a scannable online text resume:

- Open your classic standard resume in MS Word
- Select the “Save As” option in the “File” menu on top left of menu.
- After you open the “Save As” menu, there is a drop down menu on the bottom of the window that opened where you can select the file type for what you want to save. Select the “Text File txt” option and save your file as a text file. The text resume has now been created.

Remember, after saving, you want to open this text file to make sure that it still looks legible since text resumes removes all the formatting and fancy characters.
You can open your text resume with any standard text editor like Wordpad or Notepad.

You now have a text resume along with your traditional resume and you are ready to start your job search.  A tip:  I also recommend sending the classic version via email, fax or in-person.

Looking for some resume writing tips?  Looking for more scannable text resume tips? If so, contact us at info@hrinmotion.com

This morning I attended the 2010 Olympics Women’s curling at the Vancouver Olympic Centre and Vancouver Paralympic Centre.  For locals this is near Queen Elizabeth Park and the Riley Park neighborhood (Ontario and 30th).

Even though I was a newbie to the sport of curling, I could quickly see how much skill is required in this sport.  When you see the sheet in person (the area that the curlers must slide the rock (large stone like object), you quickly appreciate the precision needed to slide an object some 45 to 46 m away (146 to 150 feet) and place it exactly where you want it.

Not only skill but there is a lot of strategy as curlers not only try to slide the rock (curling stone) closest to the bulls eye but can also place rocks to block the opponent.

There were 4 games going on a round robin fashion.  As a proud Canuck, my attention was focused on the Canada vs Japan game.  It was a close contest with Japan in front of Canada coming into the last end down one point 5 to 6.  The nail biting match came down the last hot where Canada’s Cheryl Bernard (the skip) slide a perfect shot to knock the Japanese stone out scoring two points for Canada and securing the win.  The Canadian crowd erupted into a roar of excitement.  Yeah Canada!

This was my first Olympic sporting event so far and it was sure great to see Canada do so well.  Before going I was curious to see what security, transportation, and line ups would be like for Olympic attendees.  Below is what you need to know before attending an Olympic event, based on my experience today.

Get There Early – I went 1.5 hours before the event to make sure I got in.  This gave me time to find the line ups, park my bike, etc.  The women’s curling started at 9 am, as such I was there by 730 am. When I arrived, there were a lot of people already in the line up.  I did not wait too long, I estimate around 35 mins from once I lined up to finding my seat.

Travel Light – I travel light to and avoided bringing big bags and nap sacks so I can get through security as quickly as possible.

Security – Just like airport security you are prohibited from bringing food or drink into the event.  You must dump all metal objects into the grey bucket before walking through the metal detector.  I did observe that they did not ask anyone to take their shoes and belt off which was nice.  So basically exactly like airport security except that the security people were very very polite and friendly, wishing each person a good day and to enjoy the event – yeah polite Canadians!

Washrooms - there were many portable washrooms set up in the facility.  For women, it would be wise to use the washroom before the event.  There was quite a massive line up during the 5 or 10 minute intermission.  Of course for men, the line up was not an issue (just one of many the perks).

Concession Stands – Funny enough all of the stands sold cold drinks but only some of the stands sold hot drinks.  In a cold event like curling, I would think hot drinks would be what you would want to prepare for.  I know everyone in my row went hunting for coffee or hot chocolate.  Anyway, these were sold up front near the entrance for $3.  While this might be a bit on the Olympic size for pricing, I must say the coffee was very good.  But then again, any coffee would be good at 730 am   Along with my slice of banana bread at $4, my bill came to $7 – so not exactly cheap but it’s the Olympics.  Bottled drinks like water, pop and juice all average between 3 to 4 dollars.

As for food, they sold pizza, hot dogs and so forth.  It was around $5, but I didn’t even bother looking at those since there are plenty of good restaurants on Main street or at Cambie Village nearby.  And with a 2 hour event, I knew I could save my appetite for some good eats later.

Transportation – parking is prohibited in the surrounding residential areas from at least 16th avenue on.  So if you drove, you would have to walk around 15 blocks.  I would definitely recommend taking public transit.  Buses run along Main and Cambie, so you can hop off near 3oth and walk a few blocks in.

There is a shuttle bus available connecting King Edward and the Vancouver Olympic Centre.  But there was quite a line up for it when I was exiting the arena.

Lastly for those bikers, there is a free bike park available complete with attendant who gives you a number for you to pick up after the event.  The attendant watches your bike in a secure area and you simply pick up your bike after the event.  A good tip for you is to make sure you write your cell number and name on the back of the stub that the attendant gets.  This way if you lost your bike ticket you can just identify yourself with your name and cell phone.  And if there is a question, they can just call your cell phone to verify your identity.

There you have it, my 2010 Olympic experience.  Canada Women’s curling team, defeated Japan, leaving me very proud to be Canadian and wondering how clean a curler’s hardwood floors must be.  Until next post, good luck and much success in your careers.

Below if our latest submission for this week’s 24 hour newspaper: What are you worth? Negotiate your salary

What are you worth? Negotiate your salary

One of the most common questions we get asked on a regular basis by job seekers is: “How do I respond to questions related to salary and what I am looking for?” In fact, last week we had a IT professional write in to ask this very question. He was interviewing for a job that has some responsibilities of a Systems Administrator and a Software Developer.

So in this example, suppose you are this Systems administrator, how should you answer?  Remember to never discuss salary until you are completely sure about the job and aware of pay ranges in similar positions elsewhere. Remember, most employers will start negotiations at the lower end to allow them flexibility to move up if the initial salary is not accepted.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1) If salary issue is mentioned before actual job offer: Ask the interviewer to postpone answering until you know more about the job. Once the nature of the job is clear, your best response is to push the question back and ask the employer what they have in mind.  For example, “Before we discuss salary for this Systems Administrator position, I would like to get more information about the responsibilities of this particular role.”

2) If the interviewer insists on knowing your present or previous salary: There are several ways to respond, but my favourite are: “I would prefer to fit into the company’s current salary range” or “At this point of my career I want to earn a salary that relates to my skills and experience and my previous Systems Administrator salary did not reflect on this”.

3) If the employer asks how much you want: Remember, you want to be paid what you are worth, not what you need. Let the employer know that salary should be based on what they think is your value to the company. For example: “Money isn’t my highest priority, however I know I could excel in this Systems Administrator position and I would be an asset to the company; so how much do you have in mind?’.

4) When the employer does provide you with a salary: Your best response should be silence, this shows you are considering the offer and you are not satisfied. Don’t get too anxious to accept anything offered to you. Be honest to yourself and negotiate your perceived self worth. “Although, I am enthusiastic about this Systems Administrator position and company, I feel the salary does not completely reflect my self worth or the contributions I am prepared to make for the department and company long-term”. Be silent again and wait for the interviewer’s next offer. Think of this as a chess match.

5) Once a salary has been negotiated: Don’t feel like you have to accept on the spot. Tell the employer that you would like to take the next 24 hours to get back to them after you have a chance to talk to family and have some time to think. During this time, you may also have additional questions for the employer or come up with a new negotiating tactic.  For example, “The possibility of joining your company as Systems Administrator is a very important decision for me, and I wonder if I may have some time to consider the offer?”

Remember, the better you handle yourself during the salary negotiations the more respect you gain from the employer once you accept. This will also set a tone for future advancements.

Do you have any job or work related topics you would like us to cover in the future? If so, contact us at info@hrinmotion.com

Have you ever thought about exactly how much money you spent back in your clubbing days?  You know, before the days of life insurance, and a mutual fund portfolio. Back in the days when you abused gel, you had a bit more hair (ok, alot more hair), a few less wrinkles and your only goal in life was to get a good hourly job so that you can party on weekends and chase girls.  It was a time when a thing called mousse was not just a desert but also something you could style your hair with.

Well a good buddy of mine and I often joke about our 20′s, our extended “night at the roxbury” here in Vancouver, BC .  We joke about how when it came to girls, we were like a young dog chasing every car that drove by – we spent far more time chasing than actually catching (but I suppose catching was really never the point).

Sometimes we joke about what we could have bought with the money we spent in the Vancouver bars, restaurants during our clubbing days when we spent time going out to bars and clubs in our 20′s.  So today, with a little less hair (ok, a lot less hair) I will bust out the calculator and do the proof (no sense in having all that fancy university education go to waste. I want to make sure that all that time spent studying for the mid-terms in calculus, statistics, accounting, finance and so on was time well spent).  Be warned that many sentences below will begin with “back in the day”…

Back in the day, we used to go clubbing or going to night clubs at least 3 times a week.  Downtown Vancouver on Friday and Saturday night for sure, and there was always one bar with a popular week night with cheap drinks just in case you didn’t spend enough time drinking.  The cover charge used to cost us around $5 to $7 dollars (for the high end places).  And because we had a thing called youth, I did not truly know what this other thing called a hangover was.  As such, on average I would have at least 7 to 10 drinks.  The drinks used to cost around $5 with tip each (mind you there were lots of cheap drink nights with $2 high balls that as a university student, I was compelled to frequent.).  Now, I am not even going to factor in the post club or bar food excursion.  You know the local late night restaurant, hot dog vendor, dollar pizza where you would replenish after a night of high caloric burn from girl chasing and posing.

So let’s do the mathematical proof for our clubbing days.  Very, very conservatively I would estimate the cost of my clubbing days as follows:

• Cover = $5 to $7 each night out
• Drinks = 7 to 10 drinks each night at about $5 each including tip or $35 to $50
• One night at the bar = $40 to $57
• At 3 times per week, the total = $120 to $171
• Per month = $480 to $684
• Per year = $5760 to $8208
• Duration from 19  (legal drinking age in Canada, even though my brother’s fake ID got me in at 18) to 30 = 11 years = $57, 600 to $82,080

Of course my university education taught me something about the concept of compound interest.  So suppose we invested that money into something with a compounding interest rate of 5%.  So if I had saved %5760 to $8208 compounded annually for 10 years at 6.5%, I would have made:

$82,780.19 to $117,961.76

These calculations are based on half remembered mental gymnastics from first year finance.  I welcome and appreciate any true bean counters out there to provide comments or corrections to my calculations.

Interestingly enough I remember condos in downtown Vancouver for a bit over $100K.

So what could you have bought with the money you spent clubbing in your 20′s?
As you ponder this question, I will leave you with a clip from one of my favourite 80′s bands ever, Flock of Seagulls.

Oh I almost forgot my therefore statement at the end of my conclusion. Therefore I can proudly say that I spent over $100K during my clubbing days, instead of spending it frivolously on property or more education…..but it was well worth it.

Today I am going to share with you some proven job search tips directly from HR pros.  Let’s  talk a bit about networking and using recruiters to help you with your job search.

Before the days of online job board giants like Careerjet and Careerbuilder, job search almost always involved making face to face contact with the employer. These were the days when the help wanted sign hung in the store window, you either had to mail or drop off your resume at the personnel office. The job search experience was quite a bit more personal because you had to make actual human contact.  While online job search tools are fantastic, the truth is only 10% of all jobs filled are ever posted.  How can we tap into this hidden job market?

Networking and Hidden Job Markets

Networking is one of the best ways to find jobs. In fact, it is commonly known by hiring professionals that employers fill 80% of their vacancies without ever posting them. So how can you tap into this hidden job market?

Start by letting your family, friends, and colleagues know that you are looking for an opportunity. Most people automatically think about contacting those they know who are decision makers working in high powered jobs. The key here is not to rule anyone out and get the word out. You never know who your hairdresser, mechanic or local coffee shop attendant knows. There is no shame in looking for employment or being unemployed or even underemployed.

If you do land a job interview but are by passed, don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to keep you in the loop about other opportunities.

Former Employers

Former employers can be a great source of job leads.  Contact your former employers and let them know if it’s ok to use them as a reference. It’s not only a good way to gauge the quality of the reference but a good excuse to make contact and let them know that you are in the market. Remember, hiring managers often know other hiring managers. So look for opportunities not only within your previous company but ask your former employer for leads in other companies as well.

Staffing Agencies, Headhunters, Recruiters

Many job seekers I speak to have not considered using recruiters because they prefer to communicate directly with an employer. However, headhunters can increase your chances of finding work. A good recruiter has strong relationships with employers and often has the inside track on job openings.

Again like online job boards, there are thousands of staffing agencies. Here are a few pointers when looking for a recruiter:

• Find ones that specialize in your geographic region and job niche.
• Research the staffing agencies website, look for testimonials, job openings posted. Do they have jobs that you are interested in?
• When you meet them do they offer honest feedback (i.e. strengths and weaknesses) on your resume and job interview skills.
• Are they clear and honest with expectations? Do they promise to call you but don’t? If they do not have a job opportunity for which you are qualified do they tell you this?
• A reputable firm will never ask for fees as a term of service. In most countries it is illegal for recruiters to charge a fee to the job seeker for service. They should get their fee from the employers.
• Should always ask you for your permission before sending resume out.

Remember, try not to take it personally if the recruiter is not showing as much interest as you would like.  Recruiters work mainly by commission and are paid by the employer when they make a placement.  They do not work for job seekers, they do not get paid for finding you work.  This is not to say that I do not value candidates.  Of course, as an HR pro and not an agency recruiter I think that a good recruiter should understand that without the candidate they do not make any money, but I digress.

So until next post, get there and shake some hands, kiss some babies and network.

Photo by RustyDarbonne http://www.flickr.com/photos/rustydarbonne/2895288877/

Below if our latest submission for this week’s 24 hour newspaper: Part 3 – Interview Answers the Right Way. This is the last part of the article we have covered over the past two weeks (3 of 3).

Part 3– Interview Answers the Right Way.

Over the past two weeks I have covered the topic of answering interview questions the right way for job seekers from Mechanical Engineers to Bank Tellers. This is the final part, where we continue to provide information to job seekers on how to answer specific interview questions. Let’s continue with a few additional questions below:

“How have you successfully worked with difficult people?”

Job Interview Answer Notes:

It is never easy to speak negatively about other without being seen as a tattletale. This is definitely one of the hardest questions to answer; so keep things simple. Overall, you want to show the interviewer(s) your “people skills”, that you stay optimistic throughout and it’s hard to change all negative individuals. If things get out of control and you have as much as you can, don’t be afraid to approach the manager in confidence.

For example, “As a Bank Teller for busiest branch in the city, things can sometimes get stressful.  I usually stay focused and positive and hope that my actions will rub off on others around me. I had a difficult time with one individual who never seemed to see eye to eye with me and never pulled his weight. I met this individual for coffee and lunch and got to know him personally, explaining he is bringing the team down. He explained his personal situation and I was able to help him through it. In the end, he made a complete improvement and was one of the main decision makers. We continue to work well and have become good friends”.

“What kind of people do you find difficult to work with?”

Job Interview Answer Notes:

This could be a probing question to the one above. You could keep it simple by saying: “As a Mechanical Engineer, sometimes it’s challenging to work with people who don’t follow company or departmental processes and procedures or slackers. These individuals are usually confrontational, dwell on the negatives and are not able to consider the positives. They always bring others down around them with lack of work ethic, team work and solutions”.

“What are some problems you have encountered on the job and how did you resolve them?”

Job Interview Answer Notes:

Remember; always take ownership without laying blame or problems on your tools or other individuals. Always give a response of a problem you recognized and solved. For example:

“My job as a Mechanical Engineer consists of ongoing changes and multi-tasking, so its easy to overlook problems as they arise. I actually enjoy this environment because it keeps me alert and motivated to find solutions. Last year I was managing a group that consistently produced machines that were faulty. I could not understand why other groups had no issue except for my team. The pressure was mounting and it was costing the company each day. I took the time to go through the process on my own after work and realized that a few new steps were accidentally omitted. I quickly recognized the issue and brought the team together for a meeting the next day. We had a step by step session before going forward. The issue was resolved and I updated all the instructional manuals so the problem did not arise again in the future”.

I hope I was able to cover most of those tough questions our readers requested. Also, I invite you to read Job Interview Answers the Right Way parts 1-2 for additional job preparation information.

Do you have any job or work related topics you would like us to cover in the future? If so, contact us at info@hrinmotion.com

Below if our latest submission for this week’s 24 hour newspaper: Part 2 – Interview Answers the Right Way. This is a continuation from last weeks article (2 of 3 ).

Part 2– Interview Answers the Right Way.

Last week I introduced Part 1 of Answering interview questions the right way, where I provided information to job seekers from Financial Analysts to Early Childhood Educators on how to answer specific interview questions. Continuing on, part 2 of 3 looks at additional questions you can expect to be asked in a job interview and how to answer them the right way.

“Why did you leave your last job?” or “Why do you want to leave your current job?”

Job Interview Answer Notes:

This is question is always one of the favorites by the job interviewer. You should always know why you did leave or plan to leave a job. To guide you in the right direction, here are a few reasons you may want to use: 1) you were not able to grow further professionally in your position, 2) The commute was long and it became harder as time went on, 3) There was no way to move up the ladder anytime soon, since there were too many people ahead of you, 4) You felt that it was time to get reasonably compensated for your skills and knowledge, 5) The company was not stable and needed stability due to personal and family circumstance.

For example: “The current company I work for is a small department with 5 Financial Analysts. I feel I have gone as far as I possibly can. It is time for me to grow professionally and join a more reputable company that offers greater challenges. ”

OR

“The owner of the daycare is retiring this year and is selling to a new owner.  I have worked for her as an Early Childhood Educator for over 5 years and she is a great employer.  However I am looking for more stability due to personal and family circumstances”

“What was it about your previous company that you did not like or agree with?”

Job Interview Answer Notes:

This question is putting you directly in the spotlight. Provide an answer that doesn’t speak too negatively and get into too much detail. Also, provide only on answer without rambling on about a few negatives. When answering, mention how company policies and/or directives were misunderstood by some employees who disregarded the big picture – profitability. For example, “As an Early Childhood Educator, I didn’t like the way staff mentioned customers come first, but didn’t really go the extra mile to ensure this. It wasn’t the fault of the management, just a negative group that only looked to fill their own pockets. This brought on a negative vibe amongst individuals and all group cohesion was lost. I believe in team work and moving forward together.”

“What was it about your previous company that you did not like or agree with?”

Job Interview Answer Notes:

This question can be easily defused by looking for answers that do not hold a significant impact to the main requirements of the position. For example: “As a Financial Analyst in my last job, we did not have any administrative support so I had to do all my own filing.  As such, I think filing was my least favourite aspect of my previous job. However, it is important to the overall success for me, my department and company, so I always remain positive even though its mind numbing.” An answer like this will show the employer that you understand mundane tasks are necessary and you take the bad with the good.

Join me next week for the last part of answering job interview questions the right way. Until then, best of luck in your job interview.

Do you have any job or work related topics you would like us to cover in the future? If so, contact us at info@hrinmotion.com