Career coach Rick Fishman of Sylvania understands the tactics needed to land a job these days.

“The job market is way different than it used to be,” said Fishman, president and founder of TheCareerCoach.org. “There are fewer jobs and more people. Technology is also different. You communicate more so by e-mail than telephone. Social networks can be used to your advantage, but make sure you look like an adult.”

Fishman has put in more than six years as a career coach and has previous business management experience where his responsibilities included hiring.

While the job market is different, Fishman said a résumé is still important. Its main purpose is to secure interviews.

“Your résumé needs to be more than just a chronological listing of things you’ve done. It needs to be more like a brochure,” he said.

While styles of résumés include chronological and functional, Fishman said the type depends on things like age and circumstances. When reviewing resumes, Fishman urges clients to answer the question, “What do you want to do?” He said many clients can’t answer that.

Fishman helped Josh Stebing of Perrysburg get focused and find a job. Stebing had been working in retail for two years — a job he took after graduating from BGSU with a degree in geology.

With his geology degree, Stebing found that most of the jobs in his field emphasized engineering, but he didn’t have the right certifications.

Fishman said he learned that Stebing was an Eagle Scout and still had a strong interest in Boy Scouts. During the four months Stebing worked with Fishman, Stebing tailored his résumé to his professional interests, became a better interviewee and eventually landed a job as the district executive for the Findlay-based Black Swamp Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Fishman said résumés should also showcase tangible skills like leadership, project management, driving sales and prospecting new business.

“There can’t be any spelling mistakes or poor grammar. There is so much competition that you don’t need any strikes against you,” Fishman said.

Other job searching tips from Fishman include:

• Face-to-face networking is “very important,” though many people are uncomfortable with it. If you have a particular company you want to work for, ask around. Because of the area’s “small town feel,” Fishman said job seekers are likely to find someone who can provide a company contact.
• If you get laid off, do not take time off. Fishman said the job market is too competitive to not start searching immediately.
• Don’t take being laid off personally and don’t be embarrassed by it. “You have to tell everybody you know that you are looking for a job. Tell friends and friends because you’ll need that support staff.”
• In job interviews, if you are asked what salary you’re expecting, try not to answer. Avoid it by saying, “Before I can answer that, I need to learn more about the company and the job and factor in my own experience. Don’t worry, though, as I know we will agree on something.” If you are pressed to answer, you may still have to, he said.

But while a lot has changed in the job market, one overriding aspect has not, Fishman said.“Employers are still looking for quality people,” he said.

Tags: Careers, job search

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm and is filed under Toledo Business Link.
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