Job Expectations: What Employers Expect

Once a job offer has been accepted, you agree to the terms, conditions, salary, and expectations placed upon you.

With acceptance comes expectations… over the next few weeks, we will be clarifying what exactly is expected from you. For today, the employer’s point of view will be simplified; truth is, you were hired not just to do the job, but to champion the company while being professional on and off site.

Doing the job: You were hired to get the job done. You may be the greatest chap in the world and perhaps even smooth-talked your way through the front door, but if you cannot deliver, the back door will soon feel your shadow. Take notes during training, stay late (on your time), research, do, whatever it takes to prove your employer made the right choice.

Scheduled hours: For many (if not most), being at your desk and ready to perform five minutes BEFORE your scheduled time is considered a sin. Latest scoop, employers expect you to be producing from jump. Producing does not mean making or waiting for coffee, running to the bathroom, gossiping, sitting in the parking lot, Facebooking, or any other non-work related function.

Last year I had to council an employee who constantly walked in the front door eight minutes after her scheduled time. In an attempt to justify daily tardiness, she explained how each morning she was in the parking lot, listening to a radio host while thinking about her work day. Unfortunately, until our chat, she felt the parking lot was an extension of the office.

Employers expect you to be functioning on the dot, this includes prior to departure. In other words, do not stretch down the final 15 minutes of your shift. If you must clean up, prep for the night out, look for recipes, or re-discover Facebook’s irrelevance, do it on your time… after your shift concludes.

Champion the company: Employers expect each employee to represent on and off the clock. Given the digital world, instant electronic gossiping, and social networking, what you do, what you say, and what you write will be reviewed not just by friends (and perfect strangers). Fair or not, it’s just the way it is.

We’ve just begun to examine job expectations from the employer’s perspective… oh, there’s so much more to consider. Not too worry, this month is dedicated to getting you in the know while making sure you do not make simple mistakes leading to confusion or termination. In case you’re wondering, the parking lot lady was terminated the following week; for some reason, she just couldn’t grasp this employer’s expectation.

If you have any questions or situations you would like to share, please send it in to me directly or go through the comment box.

To review and consider career development books and resources, including material designed specifically for those transitioning from military service, resume / cover letter construction, networking, and interview strategies as well as employment guidance for ex-felons visit www.edu-cs.com, www.CareerBreakOut.com, or www.2ndChanceUniversity.com.

Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPRW, CPCC
dhuffman@edu-cs.com
Education Career Services: www.edu-cs.com
Career Break Out: www.CareerBreakOut.com

Resume Essentials, Part Two

First thing first, according to the top career management associations, “the resume is dead” rumor is significantly overstated as the resume continues to serve as an essential job-search tool and is expected to remain the foundation for additional career marketing communications.

Now that we have that out of the way, bickering in the background needs to settle down… at least for the next five years or so.

Last session we reviewed five essential resume strategies designed to place you, your staff, and/or your students in the advantage. For those who misplaced last session, you are welcome to refer to the original post at https://careerbreakout.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/resume-essentials-part-one.

To gain your career advantage, let’s get right into business:

• Resume trends. Over the past decade, resume length has been shrinking at an alarming rate. Rarely should a graduating student warrant more than one page while senior executives remain the exception. The key remains in placement; keep the most impactful (and relevant) information within the top third of the document as reader attention span is also shrinking.
• Email host. Keeping up with the times includes keeping up with social perceptions. Oddly enough, your choice of email hosts may be sending a message. For example, using an AOL account is currently being perceived as an antiquated vehicle. The most popular email host at the current time happens to be “Gmail.”
• Focus, focus, and focus. Gaining the advantage requires an active role. Sitting back and sending hundreds of cover letter/resumes instantly at the punch of a button is NOT putting the applicant on top of the heap. To enhance positive responses, tailor the cover letter and resume to the specific job opening. In other words, for each submission, make sure keywords and text placement reflects the job posting, company mission, and your contributions. With the increase use of ATS platforms, matching keywords has never been more important.
• Proof in the pudding. Nothing shows the reader that you are the right candidate for the job like actually proving it. Simply stating overused terms did not work in the past and will not work in the future. Situation, Task, Action, and Result (STAR) stories tailored to your accomplishments can be a powerful took within your career documents as well as during interviews. In other words, show how you led a group project, a team, or an office by giving actual numbers, what your action was, and then what happened. Is the process still in place? Did your recommendation increase revenue or decrease labor expense?
• Keep it consistent. Ensure that all documents as well as online profiles and website information highlight the same message. Your LinkedIn profile must match your document branding statements (though not word for word—be creative and consistent).

No doubt the resume remains the career wheel hub with other career collateral serving as spokes around it. By recognizing and applying best-practice approaches, the advantage will go to you as well as your students.

We’ll continue offering professional insight and review career marketing strategies so continue checking for the next submission. With this in mind, if you have career questions and would like a team of professionally certified writers and coaches input, don’t hesitate to ask.

For those interested in securing cutting-edge career focused books, including how to write effective resume/cover letters. Visit “Danny at ECS” on Amazon or go to www.edu-cs.com for a complete listing of available products and support. You may also contact me directly: dhuffman@educationcareerservices.com to see how I can help you.

Danny Hufman, MA, CEIP, CPRW, CPCC
Follow Me on Twitter #dannyatecs
Blogsite: https://careerbreakout.wordpress.com
Education Career Services: www.edu-cs.com
West Orlando News Online, Event and Career Columnist: http://westorlandonews.com