Career Development
Notes for Managing Your Career 10.1.2014
Matthew Larsen Morava
ResumeHeading
Name, Address, Phone, Email LinkedIn
Objective or Professional Summary
Chronological List of Experiences Company/Title/Dates/Location
Brief Description/Responsibilities Results: #$%
Education
Certifications/Technical Specs
Show Me vs. TellOrganizational Development Consultant!Qwest Communications, Inc. Denver, Colorado !March 2002 – July 2003
Designed training curriculum that addressed critical business needs. Conducted needs assessments and defined learning objectives that effectively identified outcomes of training using traditional and CBT delivery. Maintained collaborative, consultative relationships and establish a positive reputation for quality improvement. Developed training programs and training materials, and researched emerging techniques and best practices within the training arena to maximize production results.• Managed an annual budget of 1.2M.• Responsible L&D effort to obtain CISCO certification and CISCO preferred partner status. • Liaison between L&D and Bargained for Employees.• Developed and implemented the company wide strategy for maximizing e-learning for leadership development.• Through marketing efforts, increased unique users to the system by 27% each month and increased total time on system by 17% each month for first fiscal year. • Managed relationships with key vendors: Harvard Business School Publishing; Skillsoft, SmartForce, and KnoweldgeNet.• Provided executive coaching to VP in Global Markets and a VP in Sales.• Completed major organizational development projects for IT, Finance, Sales and Global Markets.
Most Common Resume Mistakes
• Puffing and/or Understating
• Inconsistent formatting and/or grammar mistakes
• PDF -- formatted so that it prints within standard margins and use a professional naming scheme for the file -- lastname_resume.
• Professional Email Address
Most Common Cover Letter Mistakes
• Features vs. Benefits
• Spit the language back at them
• Fit the qualifications or sell them on you
• If asked, include salary requirements
• Don’t be mushy, but show passion
• Be bright, be brief, be gone
Interviews
• Honesty above all else
• If you have an interview, you have the job. Note, not saying you’ll get the job, saying it is yours to lose
• The Big Question -- Every leader has their particular question they like to ask... no way to prepare
• Show vs. tell -- “What keeps you up at night?”
Psychological testing
• Most common forms of Pre Employment Testing: Biography (Resume), Cognitive Ability, Integrity, Behavior, Knowledge, Personality, Physical, Portfolio/Work Examples, and Simulation
• Most Common Pre Employment - Biography (Resume), Knowledge, Behavior
• Most Common Form of OTJ Psychological Testing - Personality
Value of a Degree1200 - 1970 = Lifetime
1970 - 1980 = 20 Years
1990- 2000 = 5 years
1980 - 1990 = 10 years
2000 - 2010 = 3 years
Coming Attractions
• What major life decisions are you about to make in the next few years?
• First job after college
• Where to live
• First adult relationship
A Coach’s Perspective On Success
• Know themselves
• Follow Their Passion
• Life Long Learners (Ability to learn from and the let go of failure)
• Make Their Future (Don’t wait for anything to be handed to them)
• Take Risks
First, Know Thyself • Strengths - Can be in liability phase (Just because you have strengths, doesn’t
mean you can use them properly)
• Weaknesses - Think of weaknesses as areas to learn more about yourself
• Adaptability - There’s Change and Resistance to Change
• Tolerance for Ambiguity - First test and then Know your limits (they can change over time)
• Values - What matters most to you?
• The Animal Self - Get to know both the Reptilian and Soft Animal of your body
Career Advice It’s all about relationships...
Work Relationship
Self
The Challenge
• Your strengths and will power can support your desires, but they aren’t the source of your desires
• Follow Your Deep Desires
• What is the difference between Love and Lust?
• You’ll never know till you pursue it
The Challenge • When you graduate there is pressure to find work
within the current market
• The “Too many biologists” or “We need more engineers” argument
• Okay to let market dictate how you make a living, but it’s not okay for it to dictate your passions or your talents
• The management of that is up to you and you alone
Passion
Market
Talent
Market What is one thing that people will pay you for regardless of the economy? !What jobs could you apply for and have a reasonable shot at getting right now? !How can you develop multiple streams of income? !How in demand are your skills and experience right now? !
Talent What do you do best? !Describe one of the best decisions you’ve made in your life. !What is satisfying about your current job or situation? !If ten people who know you well were asked to write down the one adjective that they feel best describes you, what would be the most common word used to describe you? !If you could teach everyone in the world one skill, what would you teach them?
PassionsAre you currently doing what you want to be doing? !Make a list of your deepest desires. !If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be? !What do you daydream the most about? !What is your body telling you? !What do you love to practice? !Where could you work less and achieve more? !Is this what I want to be doing? !What is an activity that brings you fully alive? !
Sweet Spot
Job Search • Advice works or it doesn’t -- Status Assigning vs.
Judging
• Look for Values, Language, and Cadence (Speed of the Organization)
• Resume/CoverLetter Machine -- 20 per month if working full/part time, 40 per month if unemployed
• Reach vs. Network (You need both)
• The conundrum of Specialization -- You are special!
Career Advice
• Your partner will determine your career more than any other factor
• The culture of an organization is everything
• What I look for when hiring -- demonstrated excellence, a passion for the work, personal motivation/goals, integrity, adaptability/flexibility
• 50/50 crap shoot -- you really don’t know till they get onboard
Career Advice • Organizational reality -- you have to earn or save or
you’re an expense
• Go out with the “right” groups
• Never drink more than you can handle
• Never do anything you wouldn’t want Gam-Gam to see
• Take a risk... Volunteer for high profile projects and deliver
Career Advice
• Nobody owes you anything. Ever. Truly.
• Be true to yourself and hustle
• There is no such thing as a safe or stable job or company -- you’re always looking for work
• There is no such thing as a good company only good leaders
• Be flexible and adaptable