Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & Dale: I am 30 years old and recently was terminated because I broke a tooth and left work early. I was great at my job and had been named the No. 2 technician in the state. I am not being conceited when I say this, but I
am very smart and
always strive to be the best at what I do. I thought I had finally found my career, and I was about to get engaged to the love of my life. I need a career track if I want to have a family life and get married. Any ideas? – Mike J.T.: I’m not clear on the reason for your termination – it seems strange that they would fire you for that. DALE: When someone gets fired for an illogical reason, it’s wise to search for a deeper logic. I admit that I’m guessing here, Mike, but let’s talk: While you were good at your work, your job is more than your work. Your work is being a technician, but your job is being part of a team and a company. When it comes to management evaluating an employee, the issue is NOT whether you are better than others on the team, but whether the team is better because you’re on it. J.T.: You’re talking about “fit.” But to question Mike’s fit is reading a lot into his assertion that he’s good at his job. DALE: True, and I may be way off, but as in the world of sports, a group of great individual performers doesn’t always make a great team. J.T.: OK, but getting back to what we know… I urge you, Mike, to treat this as a setback, not as a reason to change careers. You clearly have the skills; now find someone who could use them. As you move forward, be honest about what happened at the last job, and try not to hold a grudge; instead, emphasize what you learned from the experience. DALE: Ah, there’s the key: What DID you learn? Contact your former co-workers and try to get them to be open about how you could do better in the future. Let them know that you’re treating your experience as a chance to grow and improve, and you’ll end up being one of those people who says, “Getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to me.” And I bet that what you learn also will make you a better husband and father. Dear J.T. & Dale: I remember being told that my resumé should be one page. Recently, my employer was hiring and we were getting two- to three-page resumés. One person even had a section with her personal information: kids, hobbies. What are the rules? – Shiloh
J.T.: There are no set rules these days. Honestly, that’s a problem: Without rules, resumés come in so many different styles that hiring managers feel they are comparing apples to oranges. It’s starting to seem inevitable that online profiles will take the place of resumés, creating more consistency in how people present their credentials.
DALE: Here’s one big rule to keep in mind: The ONLY function of the resumé is to get you an interview. That means – and this is hard to get your mind around – your resumé is NOT ABOUT YOU. It’s about how you might fit in with the company and what’s important to management.
J.T.: There are two other rules that will guide the reader to see your qualifications in a way that helps you get an interview:
1. Formatting is everything! Don’t use small fonts (less than 11-point), and don’t fill the page with long-winded paragraphs. Simplify the format to create white space so that the eye is drawn to key information.
2. No more than two pages… and that’s if you have 15-plus years of experience. Otherwise, try to keep it to one page. If you have to carry over to two pages in order to keep the formatting clean, that’s fine.
DALE: Clean and simple is another way to help the reader, and thus a way to prove to the reader that you’re the sort to jump in and help.
am very smart and
always strive to be the best at what I do. I thought I had finally found my career, and I was about to get engaged to the love of my life. I need a career track if I want to have a family life and get married. Any ideas? – Mike J.T.: I’m not clear on the reason for your termination – it seems strange that they would fire you for that. DALE: When someone gets fired for an illogical reason, it’s wise to search for a deeper logic. I admit that I’m guessing here, Mike, but let’s talk: While you were good at your work, your job is more than your work. Your work is being a technician, but your job is being part of a team and a company. When it comes to management evaluating an employee, the issue is NOT whether you are better than others on the team, but whether the team is better because you’re on it. J.T.: You’re talking about “fit.” But to question Mike’s fit is reading a lot into his assertion that he’s good at his job. DALE: True, and I may be way off, but as in the world of sports, a group of great individual performers doesn’t always make a great team. J.T.: OK, but getting back to what we know… I urge you, Mike, to treat this as a setback, not as a reason to change careers. You clearly have the skills; now find someone who could use them. As you move forward, be honest about what happened at the last job, and try not to hold a grudge; instead, emphasize what you learned from the experience. DALE: Ah, there’s the key: What DID you learn? Contact your former co-workers and try to get them to be open about how you could do better in the future. Let them know that you’re treating your experience as a chance to grow and improve, and you’ll end up being one of those people who says, “Getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to me.” And I bet that what you learn also will make you a better husband and father. Dear J.T. & Dale: I remember being told that my resumé should be one page. Recently, my employer was hiring and we were getting two- to three-page resumés. One person even had a section with her personal information: kids, hobbies. What are the rules? – Shiloh
