In this article, I highlight four multimedia resume techniques that are replacing the traditional resume strategies. And as a glimpse of things to come, I also look at what one college is doing using multimedia to help its graduates position themselves as competitors in the job market.

FOUR MULTIMEDIA RESUME OPTIONS

The traditional resume won’t disappear completely anytime soon, there are certain guidelines that you should always follow, regardless of mode of delivery. The multimedia resume techniques described below are all marketing tools, containing marketing messages about you. The question is: Can multimedia help you stand out in the application process?  If the answer is yes, there are four multimedia channels you can tap into to accomplish this.

1. Video: Giving a Face and Voice to the Applicant
As Bruce Hurwitz of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing says, “Video can increase my confidence in a candidate’s ability to successfully interview–Is she professional? Is she articulate?–or eliminate a candidate from consideration.”

The website Purzue makes it easy for job seekers to create a profile based off of their resume, accompanied by a quick video pitch in place of a cover letter. The recruiting platform and job board GetHired goes further, with real-time interviewing capabilities and virtual screening through recorded responses. Of course, time is money, and candidates need to give recruiters a reason to keep watching. My advice: personality is great, but don’t get too cute. Balance is key.

2. Infographics: Bringing Flat Resumes to Life
Breaking out of the traditional resume template isn’t easy without a degree in design. But presenting a recruiter with a more visually stimulating overview of experience and qualifications can go a long way in setting a candidate apart. Thankfully, it doesn’t take an Adobe Illustrator savant to turn a boring old resume into an interesting infographic.

Vendors like Vizualize.me pull information from your social media profiles (LinkedIn, in this case), and lay it out in various (and customizable) formats. Not only are these easy to create, but they’re easy to share across multiple channels.

3. Social Media Profiles: Providing Insights into Culture Fit
Most job seekers–okay, at least those under 50–have some kind of social media presence. It’s no secret that recruiters investigate some candidates’ social media profiles to obtain a more rounded picture of the individual (and yes, also to check for questionable content).

Job seekers are responding to this shift in recruiting practices by beefing up their networks (which gives a nice halo effect), expanding their professional profiles and adding recommendations on LinkedIn, driving conversations and connecting with thought leaders on Twitter, and cleaning up their Facebook profiles.

4. Blogs and Personal Sites: Showing Off
Blogs are an excellent platform for candidates to showcase their hobbies, writing and communication skills, and general interests. Think they’re just for marketing candidates? Think again. Even a meat cutter at Whole Foods can run a successful butcher blog to establish expertise and share experience with an avid audience.

And who said blogs are just for writing? Techies can demonstrate their ability to build WordPress templates, too, or simply prove they know how to find and add plug-ins to build websites. And candidates for and candidates for artistic positions can showcase their portfolio of work.

IS THE MULTIMEDIA RESUME THE FUTURE?

The basic function of a resume isn’t going anywhere. What’s changing is how that function is executed.  To that end, many college campuses are taking it upon themselves to give the next wave of workers a competitive advantage in the job market of tomorrow.

At Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications, Dean Diane Gayeski spearheaded an initiative to prepare to enter a workforce with limited work experience, and where social media engagement and a strong portfolio are a graduate’s strongest ally. All freshman communications majors are required to take a six-week multimedia course in which they learn how to create and market an online repository of their work via an ePortfolio, learn best practices for using social media tools, and connect with alumni–both fresh out of school and already established in their careers. They’re seeing success.

“When you’re starting off in college, you’re dealing with buzzwords like branding and image. It can be intimidating,” says Aaron Edwards, a senior journalism major and future James Reston Reporting Fellow for The New York Times. For Edwards, however, the ePortfolio started in freshman year became a repository of his best work that was easily leveraged when he began applying for jobs and internships. Says Edwards:

“I now have a personal website, which is a little more permanent. It was great to have the portfolio as a stepping stone to something I’ll use for the rest of my life.”

Your comments: What successes have you had in using media to find work?  Do you think you will try any of these options above?  Please add your comments below.

Guest author: Kyle Lagunas is the HR Analyst at Software Advice, a resource for selecting a talent management or an applicant tracking system. Kyle reports on trends and best practices in HR and recruiting software—offering fresh insights into the ho-hum of people processes.

This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to BeMyCareerCoach.com, please follow these guest post guidelines.

So what can you do to maximize your chances of getting promoted quickly at a company?  Here are 6 tips I recommend

1. Make a good first impression – Because first impression can last a long time, start any job strong by building a good reputation fast with key influencers of the company – your boss plus other senior people that can contribute to the decision of your future promotion.   You usually have about 90 days to build your initial reputation.  Make them count because a major misstep in the beginning can be very hard to reverse later.
2. Discover Promotion Expectations - Once you settle into a company, find out what are the criteria for promotion from your boss.  Approach him or her with a positive and open attitude.  Communicate your desire to excel and proactively find out what it takes to be promoted and when it could happen if you do well.  This communication does three things for you: a) helps you find out the exact criteria for promotion, so you can work toward it. b) understand the typical length it takes to get promoted – for example 3 years. and c) gives your boss the impression that you are focused and want to excel.
3. Demonstrated skills at the next level - Obviously you have to excel at your current position to be promoted.  That is usually a given at most companies.   Whether it is said or not, it is also important to develop and demonstrate skills at the next level to ensure promotion.  For example, if you are an individual contributor and the next level up is manager level where you would have to manage people, then you should already find opportunities at your current level to informally manage people.   It is a lot easier to get promoted if you can show your boss that you have the skill already than to convince him or her that you will be a good people manager.
4. Proactively build a good relationship with your boss – This is important even when you are a stellar performer.  Let’s face it. Promotion is a subjective decision still and people still rather promote the person they like and are similar to them.  So if there are more than you in the team who performs well but you have a closer relationship with the boss, you will get promoted.  c’est la vie.
5. Build a personal “board of advisers” – Companies all have board of advisers.  Why? so that they can get great strategic advice from people with diverse experience.  You should follow that example and build your own personal “board of advisers”.  They can tell you the informal scoop on how to get promoted.  Your board of advisers are senior people that can include your boss’s peers, people senior to your boss, as well as people outside your company.  Usually 5 people is sufficient.  You want to build relationship with those you respect, have the experience to provide sound advice, and want to help you with your career.  With these people, you can ask them to be your mentors.   But not all people on your “board” have to be a mentor as it’s hard to find many good mentors. Others can be on your board for politic reasons.  By this, I mean you want to figure who has your boss’ ear and build a good relationship with that person.  Make sure that person thinks highly of you using subtle self promotion and this will help with your career progression.
6. Proactively check in on your progress - Lastly, it’s also important to directly check in with your boss periodically (every 3 to 6 months) on your performance.  You never want to assume you are on track unless you hear it from your boss as he / she can have different perception of your performance than your own.  By proactively asking for feedback, you demonstrate initiative; you will get a chance to find out what areas you still need to improve to be on track for promotion; and you will remind your boss that you want to be promoted and expect it if all goes well without directly saying it.

By following these 6 tips, you are doing yourself a favor, making sure you are recognize for the good work you do and getting promoted according to your expectations.  Best wishes to your career success!

Like this post?  Then help me share it on Google+, Linkedin, Twitter and elsewhere.  For more advice to support your career success, sign up below for my email newsletter – How to Succeed like an Executive – learn practical tips for developing your soft skills and apply them immediately at work

Your comments: Do these tips help?  Did I miss any?  I look forward to your comments below.  Thanks.  I am always in your corner.

Lei

To read more tips, also refer to my other post - Can’t Find a Job after College – 6 Ideas.

Podcast: How to Maximize Your Job Search Chances After College

Your comments:  was this podcast helpful?  any outstanding questions?

Like this podcast?  then help me out and share it on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and elsewhere.  Thanks.  Subscribe to my podcast channel on iTunes – under Job Hunting Tips or Lei Han

I am always in your corner.

Lei

1. You don’t discover how tough this job is until you are on the job.
2. Your boss is pretty demanding but does not communicate well.  You have to often guess what he/she wants you to do and whether he or she is happy with your work.
3. Your boss requires you to be on call almost 24/7 in the first few months on the job.
4. Many people are qualified to do this job but to be really good at it requires a lot of dedication and personal sacrifice.
5. You are usually thrown into the job without much formal training. No matter how many books you read about it, you will be still scrambling from time to time, especially during the first year.
6. While you most likely work in a team with at least one other person on this job, nobody else can help you do some parts of this job.
7. This job usually requires a long term commitment.
8. While job security is high, you can be fired from this job if you are really bad at it.
9. You can make a profound difference in someone else’s life in this job.
10. This job is often under paid and under appreciated by many.  Some people may even look down upon you if you have been at this job full time for awhile.
11. If you let it, this job can also be one of the most rewarding job you will have .

Your comment: Is it obvious what this job is?  Share your guess and comments below.

I am always in your corner.

Lei

Top 10 On the Job Advice Posts

1. List of 28 Soft Skills – Business Professionals
2. Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills – Difference and Importance
3. Examples – Interpersonal Skills are More Important than Hard Skills
4. How to Ask Someone To Be Your Mentor
5. What are Soft Skills
6. What Makes a Good Manager- 7 Qualities
7. How to Improve Your Soft Skills
8. What is Interpersonal Communication – Definition and 3 Myths
9. Overwhelmed at Work? Six Practical Solutions 
10. How to Make a Good First Impression

For more way to navigate this blog and take advantage of all the 140+ career advice articles, click here.  Best wishes in 2012.  I am always in your corner

Lei

Job seekers: Xmas is usually the slowest season for recruiting as many hiring managers are taking vacations and budget for hiring are not set until January.   So give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays and start your effort anew in the new year.  The only thing you can work on is your resume during the holiday.  If you want help, start with this free resume template.

Those with jobs: Be thankful to have a job since unemployment is so high still.  Even if your job is not perfect, you at least have options to work it out or try to find a new one in the new year.   Most companies have holiday vacation schedules.  Take it and spend time with your family.  Work can wait.  Choose life over work during this holiday season.  Nobody ever wish they worked more on their death bed.  Everyone however wish they spent more time with family.   Take the time now while business is slow and say no to work.

As for me, I am thankful for a wonderful year.  While I have little income to show for it this year, this year has been rewarding in other ways and an adventure.

• I am thankful to be able to reach over 13K readers now worldwide monthly and still growing at 20-30% a month.   I started this year only reaching about 500 people a month.  I also found out that I love to write.  I have hated writing for about 15 years of my life, so this is quite a revelation.
• I am thankful for everyone’s interest and support of my career advice blog.  I love the fact that I can help people I don’t know with their careers.   I treasure every email that lets me know I was helpful in some way.
• I am thankful to find a passion – helping professionals develop their soft skills to achieve career success - which I realized that I would do for free indefinitely if I had all the money in the world.  I don’t have all the money in the world, but I am working on gaining financial freedom so I can always pursue what I love.
• I am thankful for a year of learning new skills – writing, search engine optimization, paid search marketing, new product development, etc…
• I am thankful for the unconditional support of my husband and my ever growing family – I have a 3.5 year old daughter and by the time you read this, I would have given birth to another daughter due Dec 15, 2011.

This picture of my daughter says it all about how I feel about the holidays.  Perhaps it’s because I see more of life through her eyes these days.  She is so excited about our tree, all the presents Santa is dropping off, and her little sister due to arrive this week.

I wish we can all remember how we feel about life and the holidays as we did as a kid – with excitement, joy, and hope in our eyes.   Happy Holidays to you and your family.  I will be back next year with more career advice.  Email me if you have any topic suggestions.

I am always in your corner.

Lei

Podcast  - How to Say No at Work

Your comments:  was this podcast helpful?  any outstanding questions?

Like this podcast?  then help me out and share it on twitter, facebook, linkedin, Google+ and elsewhere.  Thanks.  Subscribe to my podcast channel on iTunes – under Workplace Communication or Lei Han

I am always in your corner.

Lei

3 Common Mental Obstacles – to Finding Your Passion

One Exercise to Help Find Your Passion

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier

Reading this prompted me to come up with this exercise on how to find your passion.  In our 20s, 30s, 40, even 50s, we rarely think about dying.  It’s morbid and depressing.  However, knowing you will die soon also give you clarity and can quickly help you break down the mental obstacles (crap) you hold in your logical mind.   So to do this exercise, allocate an hour somewhere in your house or a cafe and imagine what if you are told you have just one more year or one more month to live, then ask yourself 3 questions in order to find your passion.

3 Questions to Ask to Find Your Passion

1. As you face death, what is your biggest REGRET of what you didn’t do in life?    This question overcome the fear mental obstacle.  There is no bigger fear than death, so assuming you will die soon, what do you wish you would have tried to do in your life regardless of success or failure?  This will give you some ideas about the passion you have been too afraid to try.
2. If you had financial security already, what would you do for free?  It doesn’t matter how much money you have and what fancy cars you drive, you cannot take any of it with you when you die.  What you can take with you, as the article indicates, is the feeling that you allow yourself to be happy in your life and you were true to yourself.  So setting aside financial responsibilities, what would make you happy?  What do you want your legacy to be when you die?   This question overcomes the responsibility mental obstacle and also gives you an indication of your passion
3. As you face death, what one thing you wish you had done that you know others may disapprove of?  By asking the question this way, you overcome the what other people think mental obstacle.  Death makes us face reality about what we really want in life and how we really feel about things.    The truth is people are usually too worried about their own lives to disapprove of any of your decision.

I leave you with the final sentence from “Five Regrets of the Dying” article – “Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.”

Like this post: Then help me out and share this on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook and elsewhere

Your comment: does this exercise and questions help you find your passion?  Add your comment below.

Best wishes in finding your passion one step at a time.  I am always in your corner.

Lei

Here is a summary of his 10 tips provided by Forbes .  I added my comments as a reminder for myself.  Hope you will find these tips inspirational as well.

1. Avoid “good” and “bad” labels -When something bad happens, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, when you make an error, be aware of it without passing judgment. “Do what you have to do, but don’t surrender your calmness and sense of peace.”
   Lei:  Also sometimes what seem to be a bad experience (like a layoff) could be a blessing in disguise in the long run.  My friend was laid off at the end of last year but found a better job in 6 weeks with 20% more pay and now his company just got bought.
2. Practice “extreme resilience” - This is the ability to recover fast from adversity. “You spend much time in needless, fruitless self-recrimination and blaming others…You go on pointless guilt trips and make excuses that you know are fatuous. If you’re resilient, you recover and go on to do great things.” 
3. Let go of grudges -  This is the key to being happy at work. “Consciously drop the past,” he writes. “It’s hard, but with practice you will get the hang of it.”
   Lei: I completely agree with #2 and 3 – refer to my post on Forgive and Forget – Key to Career Success to read more examples.
4. Don’t waste time being jealous - “When you’re jealous you’re saying that the universe is limited and there’s not enough success in it for me.. Instead, be happy, because whatever happened to him will happen to you in your current job or at another company.”
   Lei:   Don’t waste time dwelling on what you don’t have because that just takes energy away from you and cause you to feel like a victim.  When you spend 100% of your energy on striving for the future, you will achieve.
5. Find passion in you, not in your job -  Rao warns against searching for that perfect position, or even believing that it exists. Instead, he advocates changing how you think about your current situation. For example, instead of thinking of yourself as a human resources manager at a bank, identify yourself as someone who helps other bank employees provide for their families, take advantage of their benefits and save for the future.
   Lei:  This is probably my favorite tip from Prof Rao.  If we depends our happiness on what happens at work, then we will always find some level of disappointment as no job is perfect.   Only when we can find self worth, confidence, and happiness in ourselves and our life regardless of work, can happiness be in reach.
6. Picture yourself 10 years ago and 10 years from now -“Most problems that kept you awake ten years ago have disappeared …Much of what troubles you today will also vanish. Realizing this truth will help you gain perspective.”
   Lei: it’s so funny how true this really is.  I can’t even remember what I was worried about 10 year ago.  Whatever is fretting us now, take a step back and take a long term view.  Everything will work out in the long run.
7. Banish the “if/then” model of happiness – Many of us rely on a flawed “if/then” model for happiness. If we become CEO, then we’ll be happy. If we make a six-figure salary, then we’ll be happy. “There is nothing that you have to get, do or be in order to be happy.”
   Lei:  This is so true and probably the hardest tip to follow.  If you look at any achievement you made in the past, you will find them often anti-climatic.  You may feel good for a few hours  but soon you will think of the next level of what you want.  Since human always want more, tying happiness at work to an “if” is like denying yourself ever having the chance to be happy NOW.
8. Invest in the process, not the outcome - “Outcomes are totally beyond your control”  You’ll set yourself up for disappointment if you focus too much on what you hope to achieve rather than how you plan to get there.
   Lei:   We need to focus our attention on trying our best and believe that whatever happens is meant to be.
9. Think about other people - Rao advocates inhabiting an “other-centered universe.” If the nice guy gets passed over for a promotion, he may still succeed in less tangible ways. “He may rise later in the shootout … I’m challenging the assumption that you need to be a dog-eat-dog person to survive in a corporate environment.”
   Lei:  Perhaps he also means that you can build good karma by helping others, then good things will also come to you in the long run.  You don’t need to play unfair politics or step on others to succeed.
10. Swap multitasking for mindfulness - Instead of working on tasks for 20-minute intervals that you gradually increase to two-hour spans. Turn off any electronic gadgets that can be a distraction. With practice, you’ll be able to accomplish much more and with less effort.
    Lei:  I think what he means is in order to do multiple tasks effectively, you have to give each task enough time and effort.  Constantly switching between tasks waste time and leads you to be unhappy.

Your comments:  Do you agree with these tips?  Which are your favorites?  Share you comments below

Like this article?  Then help me out and share it on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and elsewhere.

I am always in your corner.

- Lei

• If only I had more time …
• If only I had more money …
• If only I had technical skills ….
• If only I got my MBA …

- Lei

It is true companies are less likely to hire us if they know we are pregnant.  Legally (at least in the US) they can never say that, but that is the reality of business.  With that said, this fact should not stop us from job hunting and interviewing with the same vigor while pregnant.

Here is how you can  job search while pregnant and make the most of this wonderful time of your life also for your career.  My suggestions are based on two financial scenarios

Scenario 1 – if you financially need/want to get a job while pregnant, here are two things your can do to maximize your chances.

1. Apply for short contract jobs  (3 – 6 months) - Do this early in your pregnancy.  I would not tell the company you are pregnant.  Legally, they can never ask even if they suspect.   Since the contract is short term, you will be done before you deliver.  So focus on getting the job and doing it well.    Also broaden your horizon on what kind of contract jobs you would take.   If you are number 1 goal is to work while pregnant, your best chance is to apply for these shorter contract jobs and be flexible to take lower rates so that you can get the work quickly.
2. Apply for a permanent job early in your pregnancy – Again, since companies cannot ask if you are pregnant, you don’t need to tell them when interviewing and can try your best with the right clothing to look not pregnant.  One of my friends did this successfully and got a full time job when she was almost 5 months pregnant.  She is very qualified for the job, but there are consequences to this approach.  In addition to you feeling bad about not disclosing you are pregnant, the company may not react favorably after you start showing.  Again they cannot legally fire you for being pregnant or for not telling them, but they may feel deceived and therefore find other reasons to lay you off.  You have to ask yourself if this is the risk you are willing to take.

• Over 75% of Americans work more than 40 hours a week and about 10 million Americans work more than 60 hours a week
• 10% of worker take work home every other day and 24% of worker think about work at home or at social events
• 1 in 3 American adults don’t take their vacation days.

Being overworked comes at a price to the employee and the company they work for – increase chance of disease, less time with family, disturbed sleep, more stress, and actually less productivity.

• Workaholics are 67% more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than those who work < 8 hours a day
• # of stress related disability claims for American employees have doubled
• 56% of workaholics don’t think they accomplished much throughout their day

If you think you are overworking, what can you do?  Well, a lot more than you think.   Many of us who are overworking feel trapped in that mode.  First we blame others (like our boss, job, deadlines) primarily for our situation and second, we feel like there are no good alternatives that could change the situation.   Both are NOT true.  Here are 4 tips on how to stop overworking today!

1. Stop being a victim and take control - We control how much we work.  When too many things are put on our plate, we can communicate and negotiate for staggered deadlines or get help from colleagues.  Often times, we don’t do this, because either we don’t know how to say no, get help, or we are afraid to say no in fear of how it may affect our career.  Many of our fears are exaggerated in our mind.  Remember fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real.  Realizing we are choosing to overwork is the first step to regain control and give ourselves options to change.
2. Realize overworking has long term negative consequences – Many times we overwork because we put too much weight on what we may benefit from overworking – faster track to promotion, more money, praise from boss etc…  We easily do this because we see the short term benefits and attribute them to us working hard.  Unfortunately, the negative consequence of overworking happens later (as seen in the above statistics of higher risk of disease, etc..)  It’s important to realize every time you decide to bring work home, work overtime, there could be long term negative consequences.   In my last contract job, I knew 3 people that got seriously ill in their late 40s and early 50s and 1 person who died of cancer.  If your health is already affected because you are overworked, do you want to wait until you catch a serious disease to stop it or do you want to try to stop it early?
3. Lower your financial burden -  Many of us feel like we have to overwork because we need to make more money to support a certain lifestyle – house, car, vacations, private school, etc…   But remember we only need about $40-75K a year to be happy.  Material things do not lead to happiness.  Kids can go to public school and still excel.  We can be just as happy driving an Acura vs. a Jaguar.  If you are actively choosing a lavish lifestyle which require you to overwork to support it, then you are implicitly saying these material things are more important to you than your health and your time with family.  Again, you chose it which means you can stop if you want to.   Life is a balancing act of trade-offs.   The question is what are truly the most important things to you in life?
4. Put work in perspective- – Last Sunday marks the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.  I bet you anything, none of those workers thought they should have worked more or bought another fancy car when they were faced with death in the twin towers.   Just like no one on their death bed ever wish for more work,  they usually only wish for more time with family, more time to pursue their hobbies, and more time to enjoy the small things in life.   As morbid as it is, death is inevitable for everyone.  Sometimes, we are so tied up with the daily grind, we act like we will live forever – delaying vacation time, personal enjoyment.   Unfortunately, the reality is tragedy like 9/11, car accidents, or sudden disease can happen tomorrow .  The only time we have is now – so enjoy often and never retire.

It’s very possible to stop overworking, but the change has to come from you and not others.  You need to choose to stop it.  The question is – will you start to say no to too much work?  Will you start taking vacation time with your family even if work is busy?

If your answer is yes, then here is how to change.  The next time you are faced with a decision to overwork or not, do the opposite of what you usually do.  It will feel immensely uncomfortable, but it’s only way to start.   Overworking can be a habit, even an addiction – you do it even when you know it’s not good for you.  To create a new habit, you need to make different decisions today than the ones you usually make.  The first time is the hardest and then it gets easier.  Once you have said no to overwork a few times and see how it shakes out, you are well on your way to create a new and healthier work and life habit.  I look forward to your comments.  I am always in your corner.

Lei

Image by: Business Insurance Source