Resume Certification

Verify

Of-late the instances of pumped up resumes is on the rise. Thanks to the availability of resume writing services.

Instead of making the resume presentable and attractive these services modify the experience with or without the tacit understanding of the candidate.

This creates a situation where candidates turn up who dont match even 10% with whats on their resumes.

A statement a Hiring Manager mentioned stands out – We as hiring Managers are totally dependent on a document the resume which has been prepared by the Candidate himself. And there is no way to judge the veracity of what is mentioned in these resumes until we meet the candidate in person.By then it is too late and already quite a bit of company time is lost.

So how do we get around this?

One way would be to setup a separate candidate verification team.The recruitment firm would need to devote a person entirely to do the job of verifying the candidates experience.This could be done by having a face to face interaction with the candidate for atleast 30-40 minutes. The idea being to check the truth behind the experience details that have been mentioned in the resume.

Let me assure you this might not be a 100% fool proof method,but, when compared with a 10-15 minute telecon, it scores substantially.

How about an independent resume certification agency? Possible.

But, who pays for the certification? Would it be the candidate? the client or would it be the Recruiter himself – who could offer it as a value add.

I am not sure if a viable Business Model can be built around this service. But, this is an offering whose time appears to have arrived.

Though,I Have not come across anybody offering it as a separate service as yet.

Let me clarify; by certification I dont mean verification for any fraudulence or misrepresentation of qualifications and tenure.
But, here certification would be for – verifying whether the candidate has undergone the experience he has mentioned in the resume. This can be easily verified with good success by having a face to face interview with the candidate.

A background verification can be used at the last stage – making the offer contingent to its success.

what do you think?

The Vanishing Job

Vanishing

2 centuries ago the “Job” was nothing but a task. During the course of a busy day the farmer would have had a series of Jobs to do. Justlike we have a list of tasks. It was the smallest unit of work.

Thats how we use it even today in some phrases like – “Job work”.

But slowly this term has evolved to become something that one aspired to. Along with it came terms like job security , Lifetime employment etc. Work took on an entirely different meaning. The Job you held decided you societal standing.

Its heard to believe, but, when the concept of a 9-5 job was first propounded or during the early days of this 9-5 jobs which came about as a result of the Industrial revolution it9 to 5 is something which caused great heart burn at the break of 18th cent caused tremendous unrest and heart ache.Lot of writers and novelist became famous household names by string words to highlight the plight of the people who toiled in the industries.People took a long time getting used to this concept.

Now we are reaching a phase where we are seeing early signs of this 9-5 kind of Job is getting eroded.Technology has made it possible for fewer and fewer people to Man the factories and like wise it has provided us the tools that help us to stay away from office.

As the companies realize the cost advantages of office-less organizations – more and more people might be working from home or from neighborhood cafes. No doubt we are already seeing a boom in this segment. Professionals looking for a decent place to sit and do their work – possibly away from the distractions that a home provides.

This is an interesting Trivia – Till recently the worlds richest man Warren Buffet – never went to an office. His home was his office. He built an empire working from home.

Think about it. How do you intend to handle these changes ?

Frog and the Scorpion

Frog and the Scorpion

As I sat in my office one late evening trolling topics to Blog about I got a call from another recruiter – lets call him Karthik.

Karthick works for a well known search/recruitment firm and he called me to enquire about a senior sales position that I had advertised on a portal.

The conversation went on quite well. His earlier experience was in the same industry as had been advertised. But last 5 years he has been in recruitment.

Now no good firm worth its name will take a person from an entirely unrelated industry to head a key function like sales. And I told him as much.

He was quick to accept that. But, he added that he knew a few names of people in the same sector who might be good fits for the role. And, that he would be glad to share their names with me just to help and become friends. We chatted a bit about his current firm etc and well, I couldn’t help but chuckle at his simple approach & pitch. For a brief moment I thought of letting him know the detail he was after , which was the name of my client. After all this fellow sounded so genuine and trustworthy.

But, I decided against it.

Coz, I could never be sure.

Later as I was thinking about this whole episode I was Reminded of this story.
The story of the Scorpion and a Frog. Slightly longish has a nice moral 🙂

There was a frog about to cross a river, Just then a scorpion came along.

The scorpion asked if the Frog can allow him to jump on the Frog’s back and then they both could cross the river.

But the Frog said – not possible – . You are a scorpion . You sting Frogs and if I let you on my back you will sting me.

So the scorpion said – well thats not true. You are being stupid. I just want to cross the river and if i sting you while crossing then I will drown and die, because I cant swim. so, why would I do that.

The Frog thought it over and said Ok, Hop on.

So they started to cross the river and soon enough – the scorpion stings the frog.

The frog is dumb struck.

Now in their death throes gasping for breath as they went down for the last time – the frog managed to ask – why did you do that ? I am dying but so are you – why would you do that?

And the scorpion says – “because – I am a scorpion “.

Sometimes it makes sense to play safe. 🙂

Journaling

Keep a diary

Another week ends. What was achieved what was not. Some achievements. some failings . some mistakes, Some learnings.

Someone mentioned this somewhere – don’t remember the context but the gist of it was – “to really live a good life – gather all your experiences of the past and strain it into the next moment, the next hour the next week”.

So often We just go through life just doing the actions. We don’t look deeper and try to record the happenings around us. Capture the insights the memories. This way we take with us only a small part of what we have really experienced.

It would be great if we had a continuous video recording of all that we experience – ready to rewind at a click of button.

But, actually this can be done even without a video cam. Just spend 10 minutes in the evening rewinding how the day went. The key moments in the would day play up. Just note these down and over a period of time you would have built a fantastic biography. You would be have written a your own wonderful story. Our life need not be a fusion of years spent in front of a pc or behind a desk. One day merging into the other. Months merging into each other. Infact, Some of years that I have spent as recently as 2-3 years ago I dont seem to be able to recall with clarity how the year went. Except for a broad outline. Maybe a few details of the family outings. Those were the times when I just didnt bother to jot it down.

Now It has taken on a entirely different meaning.

Sometimes I cant beleive that the new year is already 6months old. In those moments I just open my diary and in moments I would be reliving some of the best days of the year.
My trips , weekends with kids on some project.

Well these are the things which makes a life what it is . and what better way to live it than to record these moments and store them away for ever. Overtime during the course of a busy day or while you are on some trip as you go through your journal – you would end being refreshed and renewed.

Hop a Little Jump a Little

Your career need not be game of Hopskotch

This conversation took place between me and a candidate. We will call him Rajesh (name changed)

Rajesh : I have called regarding your ad for Asst Manager Sales, can I have some more details.
Me: Sure, It’s for a machinery Mfg firm this would be industrial selling . Can I have some more details about your experience, current company etc
Rajesh: I have some experience in industrial sales…( goes into job details……). I have been here for the past 8 months. Previous to that I was in a Telecom Major for 1 year. He runs me through his entire experience which shows gaps in his academics. He is in his 4th job in a total experience of 5&1/2 years .
Me: You have been in your current firm for only 8 months, why do you want to move.
Rajesh: These people( His current employer) promised me things during the interview but they have not kept their promise. so I have decided to quit.
Me: Why did you leave the previous firm? ( A Telecom Major)
Rajesh: that was in a semi urban area so I decided to leave.

I advised him to seriously consider staying with his current firm for atleast another 2 years if not longer.So that, he can show some real contributions in his resume. He accepted my advise after some resistance.

Whether he takes up this advise or not is not the issue.

What I am driving at is that when you are just starting out on your career – Some early job changes are forgiven.Especially if you are moving from very small to a slightly better known firm. You are allowed to make 2-3 jumps in the start phase. Especially if your starting company is relatively unknown.

In the case of Rajesh , a couple of more jumps and he might be on the fringes. struggling in some unknown firm. Because 2 years down he is definitely not fresh and in the 3 or 4 years, apart from the hops and different company names – there is nothing much else to show in the resume.

just to view this from a companies perspective – It takes atleast a year before a candidate starts delivering. If you are a fresher it takes nearly 2 years.

In those 2 years you need to be building a foundation, utilizing the opportunity to understanding the nuances of working in a Corporate – and not focus on the irrelevancies.

Any job you choose there will be positives and negatives. Just take the positives which are going to have a good bearing on your career advancement and move on.

Whose bucket did you fill today

Fill a Bucket

How full is your bucket. While revisiting this book which sat forlorn on my book shelf, I landed on the chapter – shine a light on what is right. The book primarily likens each of us as carrying an invisible bucket. When this bucket gets filled we feel great. When it gets depleted we feel awful.

Shine the light when its right. During your day , while at work or at home, in your interactions with people you might come across instances wherein the other person might have done a job well , might have put extra effort in something , or you child might have taken an effort to study or your spouse might have made some new dish.

Acknowledge this act , with a word of praise or even an appreciative nod. You would have filled someone’s bucket.

& when someone else fills your bucket accept it with gratitude. Don’t brush it off. That way you would have filled that persons bucket in return.

link to a shortened version of How full is your Bucket

Job shift

Job Change criteria

Yesterday I came across a candidate who after working in an MNC with excellent employee policies and growth – moved to a smaller firm. Now , after 4 months in this firm he is ruing the decision . To my question as to why he moved out of his earlier employer – he replied – that he had already spent 3 years in one firm thought it was time to make change.

You need not be like him.

You cant make job changes based on such silly criteria. Look at each job as a key passage in your career path – you need to put more thought into your moves.

In this period of multiple jobs and a buzzing job market it makes sense to sit down and lay down some criteria for taking up a job. This could include salary , location , type/size of company , local/MNC etc . Once you have have set this down in writing – when you get the next call from a recruiter – you would be in a good position to decide whether to go forward on the new opportunity or not.

These would be your basic benchmark against which you weigh your options – the non negotiables.

So basically you need to set out a list of criteria for making a job choice.

1. It makes sense to take a satellite shot of your current current job and position. Compare it with the options available. Because, the “grass is greener” mentality seems to be all pervasive. And there is this high associated with attending and acing interviews, that, the otherwise sober, sensible people doing wonderfully well in their current jobs go for a needless jump based on purely salary based criteria and end up ruing the decision a year or two down the line. Be aware about what you are letting go before taking the jump.

You need not stick around in your existing job -like wall paint – but give your current job the credit that is due, when you are planning a shift. Best would be not to take this decision alone. Include your family , a close friend or possibly your Mentor.
Well there are some who check with their current Boss while taking this decision to leave the company. Tough one that.

2. Once you have decided on changing your job give yourself a realistic time frame for making the change. Depending on your experience and level it could be anywhere from 2 to 6 months. You need not necessarily take the very first offer that falls in your lap.
Give yourself time so that you get the most suitable option.

Unfair Advantage

This post appeared a year ago on this blog.

A candidate I was speaking to today when asked why he wanted to look out when he was apparently happy with the current position and responsibilities – mentioned – " I don't want to be unfair to myself by staying in one place for more than 2 years" … his words entirely The statement made me laugh- as instantly the thought came to mind – " that was for the Company to say" . On conversing some more the usual reasons came through – like my friends … Read More

via Prakashf's Weblog

Career Change @ 40

Career Change

In this era of fast changing technology you never know when an entire sector might vanish. So it pays to be prepared for a time when you might have to face a career change decision.

This decision may be due to lack of opportunities in the current job or due to dissatisfaction with the current career. Either way it would be a difficult decision to take and execute.

A good place to start – on the road to career change , would be – to Take an inventory of your skills. Understand the skills you have , breaking them down to managerial and job oriented. This will make the task of listing out the transferable skills easier.

Pack of your ego. As a successful professional in your field you would be used to the trappings of success – but now when you are trying to enter a different line be willing to be given a not so respectful treatment. If you show your displeasure to this you might reduce your chances of becoming successful in this new track.

Be open for partime options , in the new field if they are available . You can look at every thing as a learning option.

Be very open to any opportunities that comes by. Dont be too eager to judge an opportunity and give it the bye. After 10-15 years in the industry we consider ourselves to be quick decision makers and sometimes when an opportunity comes which does’nt appear all that good we immediately raise the red flag.

Advisable, not to do that. Take time to look deeper into the opportunity – what new avenues it could open for you . Give it a 360 degree appraisal. You might never no what hidden values it may bring , unless you dig deeper.

Here are some links to a few midlife career change success stories.

Success story 1

22 career change success stories

Success Thoughts

Success is something you attract by the person you become. Possibly you have heard this before , possible you have not. But, this is something we need to remind ourselves every once in awhile. Success isn’t something for us to chase – as if it were some butterfly.

We might chase the external trappings of success and keep playing catch up. But, if we want success to come to us we need to make ourselves better at whatever we set out to be.

And the simplest way to make ourselves better would be to give the best at whatever we have in our reach. To go all out – come what may.

Most times what prevents us from giving our best is not that we are not able or that we don’t want to. In most cases it is the inability to bring in the necessary focus to the task at hand , which prevents us from exerting our full power.

Many a times my mind feels like a large herd of sheep without a shepherd – there are so many different thoughts flitting by in different directions – that it is really a wonder that any task actually gets done. It is no surprise that in such situations you feel so dissipated – all your energies are being used to get your thoughts in place.

If only we could reign in your thoughts and bring them to common focus – its amazing how much you are able to get done.

Coming back to where we started – “Success” – is all about becoming the person you want to be. It is all within you.

And one of the first steps towards becoming could in the preparation.Preparing for the coming day , preparing for the coming moment and to be willing to give the max that is in our capacity.

It might not happen the first time or the second or the third . But, as you stick to this new mindset – becoming would be a continuous process….