Downsizing to Recessionizing - Blame it on Global Warming!

My first experience with 'downsizing' was at a 1993 job fair in Austin, Texas. Our booth next to IBM's - usually a prime position to catch the most talented as they waited their turn with this local and premier employer. Unfortunately, that year they laid-off 40,000 employees and then hired thousands of new people experienced in the latest software technologies. At that time, the only ones with experience in the new tools were recent college graduates, research assistants, and foreigners here on temporary work visas. I listened to hundreds of former IBM employees who presented impeccable resumes printed on linen paper and wearing the navy blue suits which, for so many years, had been their uniform. They were sad and in shock; some cried; they had trusted their employer in a parental authoritarian kind of way; their worlds made little sense as they went from booth to booth. Reality hit hard. Where a month earlier years of experience with company technologies and methods was valued, sought after, and rewarded they were now being usurped by a video game generation sporting sneakers and a ponytail. It was humiliating. It was humiliating for them; it was humiliating to watch; and I like to think it was humiliating for the recruiters in the Big Blue booth that week. The following year IBM laid-off another 35,000 workers.

I believe that it was IBM's replacement of their senior staff members with those younger, cheaper, and possessing the hottest skill sets that began the employer/labor divide we have in America today. Our workforce was abruptly weaned from its security blanket. Never again would we trust to retire with an employer. Never again would we accept an entry level position expecting to work our way and our salaries up the ladder. Never again would we believe in a ladder we hadn't built ourselves. From that time it on became all about building a resume: keeping skills current; always seeking to be amongst the first to work with a tool or method; add another acronym to the resume; another certification; analyze, sell, manage, build but never ever maintain.

Now we're faced with a recession and companies in the midst of 'recessionizing' - cutting costs, workers, and products with a batten-down-the hatch approach to sustaining the year. Most believe warm and fuzzies gestures should wait, employee retention programs are unnecessary, and corporate strategic planning has gone from 5-Year plans to 9-Months with escape hatches. We can take it a bit further and add Global Warming to the blame for recessionizing. Not only are executives and consumers evaluating the financial value of each line-item, we're also factoring its impact on our environment. With Al Gore's enlightenment and unemployment or the threat thereof, we are coming out of the habit of thoughtless consumption with the zealous enthusiasm of a born-again. We're redefining necessity. In the workplace, we're beginning to see the ramifications of over hiring, short-sighted expansion, false successes, and the greed of a few. We need to use this new-found insight to make decisions based on real information and priorities like whether sipping coffee through a straw that will remain on this planet for 600 years really is worth not staining newly whitened teeth. I digress...

How does a person keep their job when decisions are made by strangers looking at a spreadsheet? If you're a senior person with a commiserate salary in a large corporation, you probably can't. I know, it's harsh and not the insight you may have hoped I could share but it is a fact. If you find yourself in this position you need to know that there are those before you and those around you who have paved the way with similar humiliations.

If you are on the decision making side of that spreadsheet, I implore you to first take a look at a few more spreadsheets. Find the spreadsheet marked 'PRODUCTIVITY'. That one's not usually out on the network; you may have to look on a middle-management's desktop. Find another one titled 'PTO (Paid Time Off)' - this one is in the HR department but its worth the walk down the hall. It's always a surprise to see how many years worth of consecutive weeks a human being can work without taking a vacation. Then there is the 'CRM (Customer Relationship Management)' chart. This one will demonstrate recurring sales and customer loyalty. Finally, and you'll no doubt have to build this one yourself, bring together the data from all these spreadsheets including your first one outlining the direct cost of each employee. Title this new compilation 'ROI (Return on Investment)' - use this information when making your employee decisions. This is where you'll find the answers that best benefit your company, its employees, and its investors.

I wish Excel had a graphically creative way of demonstrating the benefits of 'EMPLOYEE LOYALTY' even though the assemblage above does provide the same information in more executive-friendly terms. Perhaps it was one of the former ponytails now sporting a navy blue suit who had the foresight to coin the term ROI for just such a CYA occasions!

8 Rules to Resume Righting

For years I kept a corkboard beside my desk. Amongst the notes and numbers, I posted my 'Resume of the Month'. 'Winners' were selected for colorful language ("I left this crap job for..."), massive spelling errors, serial-killer photos, unique hobbies ("I like electricity"), or the creative demonstration of all 18 hues available on then modern printers. These resumes were the worst of the worst but not completely unique. The competition was sometimes fierce. Many highly experienced professionals miss the purpose of a resume and seem to underestimate its importance.

A resume's goal is to incite enough interest by the employer that they contact you for further information. Nothing more. It is not a journal of your work history nor is it a forum for creative design and fancy word processing skills. Remember the KISS Method: Keep it Simple Sweetheart. You want your resume to demonstrate the most basic characteristics valued by a potential employer: clean, well organized, consistent, and easy to understand.

Rule One - Format is as important as content.

• Microsoft Word is the business standard - use it. If you don't have Word, you can obtain a 60 day trial directly from Microsoft.
• Use only black ink with an Ariel, Tahoma, or Verdana font.
• Size 11 font for the body of your text; 12 for headings (All caps) and contact information; 14 for your name( All caps).
• Display your name in bold at the top center of each page with contact info centered, also bold, below it. Do not put your name in the header - it can get lost in viewing.
• Bullets should be simple dots - nothing more.
• Do not underline text; only use italics when naming publications.
• Leave ample margins.
• Do not use tables; avoid columns.
• Two pages is best, three is acceptable.
• Page number and total pages should be in the footer. (Page 1 of 2)

Rule Two - Spelling must be impeccable.

• Check spelling and context (manger, manager; their, there, they're...)

Rule Three - Customize your resume prior to each submittal.

• Tailor the wording of your objectives and responsibilities to mimic that used in the company's job posting, website, or other materials.
• Move required tools and methods to a prominent position in your lists and name them where used with former employers.
• When using bullets to outline responsibilities, move your comparable experiences to position higher on the lists.
• Further emphasize like responsibilities by removing those that are not applicable to the position for which you are applying.

Rule Four - Choose contact information wisely.

• Create an email address that is a derivative of your name.
• Do not use the same email address you use for playtime!
• Use an address that you are certain to keep for at least 5 years. Resumes are stored electronically and kept forever. Yahoo, aim, gmail are better email choices than your Internet carrier. You may relocate or change carriers.
• Do not use your employer's email address!
• Put your home telephone number on your resumes. Avoid posting your cell phone number. You want to return calls when you're prepared, not while working or in the grocery store.
• Do not use your employer's telephone number!
• Clean up your voice messages; keep them warm and professional. Record the message yourself while standing and smiling.

Rule Five - Refrain from rambling.

• Create a master document that outlines every job, date, responsibility, accomplishment, method, tool, and training course and use it for your personal reference ONLY.
• Develop a basic resume that includes a brief objective, and lists the tools, industries, departments, and business processes with which you are experienced.
• List higher education with degree achieved - NO DATES!
• List employers chronologically with the most current listed first. Include dates, title, and a few bullets that describe broadly your responsibilities. (Remember, you'll customize as you go.)
• List only the most pertinent and current training courses, certifications, associations, and affiliations.
• Go back as far as applicable to your career today - generally 10-15 years. After you've gone back as far as necessary, make a reference such as 'Prior experience not applicable.'

Rule Six - Know your keywords and use them.

• Resume databases search on location, title, and keywords.
• The first person to screen your resume will be looking for key words. They may not know that 'coding' and 'developing' are essentially the same so vary your terms.
• Mainstream your titles, processes, and other verbiage to be less employer-specific. i.e. If a company used the title 'Leader', use the title 'Manager' or use the word 'Manager' when describing your responsibilities.
• Use full names of tools, methods, and employers and the acronyms by which they are commonly referred.

Rule Seven - Do not include personal information.

• No photos!
• No birth dates!
• No graduation dates!
• No hobbies (not even your passion for electricity)!
• No family information!
• Do not list your references! (And it is no longer necessary to state that they're available upon request.)

Rule Eight - Print and proof.

• Proofing online is not enough. Print it. Make sure the format is clean, and then let someone else read through it for you.
• Use quality paper stock for hard copies.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression and nowadays that first impression will be viewed over and over for many years to come. Follow these 8 Rules to Resume Righting and you'll be a contender for the opportunity not the corkboard!

Send your comments, questions, and experiences to catherine@careertattle.com