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Michelle A. Riklan
Certified Resume Writer, Career Coach, LinkedIn Profile Writer, Trainer, Facilitator, Author, Columnist, Speaker
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Career Newsletter
Volume III, Issue 5 May 2014
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Riklan Resources, LLC
A leading resume and career services company assisting clients in the
New Jersey/New York metropolitan area and globally
Are We Connected?
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Welcome to May's career newsletter!
 I know it's already late, but I'll say it anyway,
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers and mothers-to-be!
This month's newsletter celebrates huge improvements on women empowerment across the globe. While I admit the job market is far from perfect, gender equality and women's influence (and power) in the world economy show remarkable improvements since the 70s.
Here are just a few...
Smaller Gender Pay Gap
For years, women fought hard to receive equal pay with their male counterparts. At last, we are almost done in closing the gender pay gap as one survey conducted by the CONSAD Research Corporation for the Department of Labor concludes that when occupation differences, hours worked, education and tenure is accounted for, the hourly wage gap of male and female employees is "between 4.8 to 7.1%," closer than it was in 10 years ago.
More Women Pursuing Traditionally Male Dominated Jobs
In President Obama's recent state address, he mentioned a 23-cent pay gap between female and male workers but much of that pay gap exists because of chosen college degrees and line of work. Remove that and the gap goes down to almost 5%.
Women choose caring and people-oriented professions, while men choose science, technology and construction related jobs - the median incomes of these jobs vary from $39,000 to $120,000 respectively. But now more women are taking jobs in male dominated industries. There's a growing number of private and government sponsored programs encouraging more women to explore these fields.
The likes of Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, Sarfra Catz, CFO of Oracle, and Phebe Novakovic, CEO of defense company General Dynamics are paving the way for our sisters to join their ranks and break the male domination in these groups.
More Women (Contrary to Popular Belief) are Negotiating for Higher Pay
The 2012 study of the National Bureau of Academic Research found that when it's evident that salary negotiations are welcomed, women are more likely to negotiate compared to male applicants.
And there's more evidence to back this up. TribeHR analyzed the salary at 2200 companies and found out that of 20,000 employees surveyed; only 6.2% of male respondents got an increase while 7.4% of the women succeeded.
More Laws are Getting Passed to Promote Equal Pay and Opportunity for Women
In 2009, President Obama enacted the Lily Ledbeer Fair Pay Act, which allows female employees to file a case against employers for pay-discrimination even after the 180-day statute of limitation passes. So if you discover a male counterpart is earning more than you are, know there are more equal opportunity laws on your side-and more women's right lawyers are available to help you win a case.
More Equal AND High Paying job Opportunities Available for Women
Last year, Forbes listed some highest and equal paying jobs for women, such as
- Pharmacists - Women in this industry earn a median of about $98,000 annually, 100% equal to men in the industry.
- IT and Computer Science Jobs - We live in the age of tech, and as such people with a knack for coding, analysis and software development are in high demand. Jobs such as information systems manager, software developer, computer systems analysts and programmers are no longer limited to men, as women entering the field are getting fiercer, matching them in the salary and techy-talk department.
And here's an even greater accomplishment,
More Women are Embracing and Dominating the Business World
More women are holding executive positions and starting their own business. About 30% of companies are owned and managed by women, and together these companies earn $1.2 trillion while providing employment to more than 7 million people.
Yes, we've come a long way ladies.
Next time you're feeling down on the opportunities available to you, remember how far you've come. Remember the achievements of other women; let that be your inspiration to change your life for the better.
Kind regards,
 __________________________________________________________________ * * * * * Free Webinar held May 30th at Noon EDT / 11:00am CDT Powerful Resumes Get Job Interviews! Learn a Professional Resume Writer's Secrets to
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Stay at Home Moms: How to Hide the Glaring Employment Gap in Your Resume
by Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC
As a stay-at-home mom, updating your resume is perhaps the most overwhelming task you'll need to do after deciding to rejoin the workforce.
I know it's a bit overwhelming and ironic to some extent, considering you've done well raising your kids - updating your resume should be a piece of cake, right?
It's trickier than it seems. Sure, it's easy to list your education and previous work before the kids came - but what comes next? How do you explain the huge gap from then 'til now?
That's exactly what I'm going to help you do...
Don't Bury Professional Experience Under a Poor Layout
Long paragraphs are boring and hard to read. It's easier for a recruiter to trash your resume instead of digging through it to get a glimpse of your work.
Improve it:
- Chop up long sentences and delete fancy words.
- Break up longer paragraphs into shorter ones; use bullet lists when possible.
- Use a well-defined font like Calibri or Cambria. No italics please.
- Use consistent spacing for paragraph indentations.
Don't Let Employment Gaps Get Your Resume Trashed
Recruiters and hiring managers have personal lives, too. So don't lie and don't hide employment gaps on your resume.
Instead of hiding gaps by removing dates in your work history, consider a chronological and functional resume hybrid.
Here's how:
After your contact details, define yourself with a header that makes it clear what you are after. Then, insert an "executive summary" listing your accomplishments in previous roles, highlighting awards and quantifiable contributions to previous employers along the way so you can show the value that you offer.
Next, create your "core competencies" by listing work-related skills, starting with tasks listed in your target job.
Lastly, list "work history" with dates in chronological order, including freelance projects, consulting work and part-time jobs held while doing mommy duties.
Convert Mommy Duties into Profitable Work-Related Skills
Common mommy duties include packing lunch, driving the kids to school, organizing car pools, budgeting, and making sure their homework gets done.
Would you let those hard-earned skills go to waste?
Re-frame those skills to match the target employer's vocabulary.
- Arranging play dates OR organizing car pools = Organizing or coordinating events
- Budgeting and paying the bills = Bookkeeping
- Helping the kids with their homework = Mentoring or supervising people. If you can get kids to do their homework, you'll do fine supervising grownups.
- Selling tickets for a fundraiser or raffle = Sales and customer service skills
Emphasize Continued Learning
Many stay at home moms keep up-to-date with the latest in their industry by reading professional magazines and participating in LinkedIn groups.
List the names of professional memberships you've maintained, workshops attended and active licenses on the "Professional Organizations and Licenses" section of your resume. On the "Education" section, list recent trainings you've undergone to brush up on your skills.
After reading this, people will realize you're not a dinosaur on stilettos.
Use References to Boost Perceived Reliability
References are often available upon request but that doesn't mean you should wait for recruiters to request it. Don't let that glowing recommendation go to waste!
You'll be competing with candidates with no employment gaps, so you've got to use everything in your power to make a great first impression.
So there you have it, 5 solid tips to improve your back-to-work resume.
Need more help? Or maybe you're having pre-interview jitters after not doing this in so many years? It's OK, don't be shy. Contact me at michelle@riklanresources.com.
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| Guerrilla Tips for Landing an Internship
By Laura Labovich, CEO The Career Strategy Group
 You rarely hear someone exclaim, "I found the listing on a job board, sent in my resume and got the offer!" when vying for a competitive position or prestigious internship. It's challenging to land a sought-after internship gig. The pool of ambitious collegiate hopefuls is vast, often with the numbers of candidates greatly outweighing the number of available positions.
So what's an intern seeker to do?
First, start by tossing aside conventional job search methods. It's time to be revolutionary.
Sell yourself online
Online ads can be created for any reason: selling furniture, hiring freelancers, or marketing a social, or business, networking event. But, placing an ad for a person?
LinkedIn, Facebook, Craigslist, and even Ebay offer targeted self-service ads that you can tap to get your face in front of the right people. (Decision-makers at your target companies, anyone?) LinkedIn Ads, for example, allow you to set your own budget, pay by clicks or impressions, and target with precision-by job title and function, industry and company size, or seniority.
Your ad should include a headshot, appropriate title for your target, and a tagline that briefly captures your professional abilities. You can then link your ad to your professional profile on LinkedIn or an online portfolio.
If you're feeling even more ambitious, take a nod from Alec Brownstein, a now-infamous job seeker who had had enough of the rejection game and took matters into his own hands.
Brownstein identified his target companies, researched the executives in a position to make hiring decisions, and appealed to their egos using Google ads. "When [the executives] Googled their [own] names," explains Business Insider, "his job request showed up at the top of the page."
His ad named the manager specifically, with the tagline "Googling yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too." Brownstein received several interviews and subsequent employment. Of course, a more subtle approach works too. While not as targeted as one which names names, an ad for a hospitality management major who gives a shout-out to the "Disney College Program" can still be guerrilla enough to get noticed.
Sell yourself offline
Don't neglect offline strategies in your search, because they can work wonders.
Vista Print offers a super low-cost business card that is entirely customizable. A simple card with your name, field of interest, email and web addresses, and a title such as "Intern Candidate with a Passion for Sustainability" is a great way to handle both formal and spontaneous networking situations. Of course, it's always a good idea to connect with that person on LinkedIn as well, so you can discover mutual friends, see their career updates, and reach out via InMail.
For the more courageous job seekers, a sign on your car (most sign companies can do this for less than $100) or front yard could prove fruitful. Liz Hickok of Georgia did just that. Seizing the holiday spirit and its sparkly decor, this HR job seeker put her name in lights - literally.
She bedazzled her home with Christmas lights boasting the message: "My wish, HR job, Liz Hickok, LinkedIn." Oddee.com reports that the stunt worked: "It resulted in a number of job recommendations from local passerby and LinkedIn users alike." Putting yourself out there, in the literal sense, can help you prove that you are unique and creative.
Use their products to show your speciality
If your target company produces a well-known product, use it to capture their attention!
If you're after a supply chain internship with a candy company, you could print your resume as a label to place on one of the products.
If you're looking for a marketing internship with a cereal company, construct a cereal box with your own brand name and work history as the nutrition information. Same goes for light bulbs, key cards, pharmaceuticals-any tangible product could work. The product doubles as both memorable introductions and literal demonstrations of innovation.
Create a video resume
A video resume is fresh way to present yourself while showing that you're not afraid to take risks. First, do your research. Have a look at the videos that capture your attention, and consider your reaction to long videos (yawn!) or ones in which the speaker is drab, unprepared or dispassionate. Carve out a few hours to create your own 2-3 minute video.
You could do a takeoff of a classic movie (i.e. "Ferris Bueller's Day On"), a TV show, or other pop culture narrative to relate your experience in an engaging way. Think music videos, opening credits, and well-known scenes-anything will capture the viewer's attention and motivate them to share with others.
For the less risk-averse, keep your video resume conservative and gimmick-free. A well-edited video from a confident and professionally dressed intern seeker can still impress.
Bring props and mockups
You've landed the interview! Now what? You still need to make a lasting impression, and sometimes, a prop can help.
During her job search for a full time teaching job, Katy Couch, a teacher from Clio, Michigan, was called in as a first time substitute for a music teacher at a school in her county. With guitar in hand, she arrived ready to wow the students, but ended up impressing the faculty as well.
The administration took notice of her excitement to do the temporary job, "Turned out I impressed the right people and landed the job of my dreams!"
Note: This article was originally printed on LinkedIn.com
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Laura M. Labovich, co-author of 100 Conversations for Career Success (LearningExpress, 2012) and HIRED! The Ultimate Job Search Course (Pearson Learning Solutions, 2014) is a nationally recognized career expert and Chief Executive Officer of The Career Strategy Group (www.thecareerstrategygroup.com) based in Washington, DC. You can reach Laura on
(703) 942.9390.
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Suggested Reading: Getting from College to Career
By Lindey Pollak
Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World
by Lindsey Pollak | Harper Business
Kindle Edition ~ Release Date: 2012-04-03
 Buy Now
Get Ready for the Real World
How do you get a job without experience and get experience without a job? It's the question virtually every college student or recent graduate faces. Now newly revised and updated, Lindsey Pollak's Getting from College to Career is the definitive guide to building the experience, skills, and confidence you need to succeed in the job search, offering action-oriented tips and strategies ranging from the simple to the expert. Learn how to:
- Get the best tools for career prep and job hunting
- E-mail like a professional
- Go global
- Practice the eight essentials of internship achievement
- Perform five minutes of stand-up
- Over prepare for interviews
- Persist without being a pest
Getting from College to Career gives you the essential information and guidance you need to get your foot in the door of the real world. Don't start your first job search without it!
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If you have a favorite career book to suggest or an article that you'd like to submit for our upcoming issues, please send your information to newsletter@riklanresources.com.
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101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career
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Do you have a career related product or service that you would like to promote in our upcoming newsletters? Contact us at robin@riklanresources.com for more information.
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What's Happening at Riklan Resources
- Michelle will be speaking at the American Psychological Association 2014 Convention this August
- Stay tuned for information about a powerful Resume Webinar with Michelle and Peggy McKee from Career Confidential
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2013 2nd Place Award
Best New Grad Resume
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2011 2nd Place Award
Best Creative Resume
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2010 3rd Place Award
Best Creative Resume
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