Post-Recession Bounce-Back Plan: Recover Your Earning Power

by Sara Eckel, PayScale.com

During the recent economic downturn, many Americans vastly lowered their expectations about earnings. One survey of career-fair attendees, conducted by Next Steps Career Solutions, found that 65 percent of respondents were willing to accept compensation that was up to 30 percent lower than their pay at their previous job. In addition to salary cuts, workers have also reduced their hours or accepted lower-paying jobs than they've previously held.

But now that the economy is beginning to rebound, Laura Browne, a corporate trainer and the author of "Raise Rules for Women: How to Make More Money at Work," says there are new opportunities to bump up pay. "Companies are giving money back to people, but they're being selective about who gets it," she says. Here's how to get on that list:

1. Forget the past
Whether you've suffered a pay cut or a raise freeze, understand that complaining about the hardships you've endured will get you nowhere. Instead, show your managers what you are doing now--and what you'll continue to do in the future. "They want to know, 'Did you make money for the company?' And even more important, what you are doing right now that will continue to make money for the company over the next six months to a year," says Browne.

2. Start the conversation now
Even if the company is still struggling, Brown says it's important to start talking before the good times start rolling in. "By the time you hear that your company is making money, it's going to be too late," she says. Approach your boss at a time you're feeling upbeat--that is, not the day you got a big credit card bill, for instance. Explain that you know times are tough for everyone (not just you) and thank your boss for sticking by you and recognizing your hard work. Once the positive tone set, let him or her know that when things start to pick up again, it's important to you that you are recognized for what you've done--and for what you'll continue to do.

3. Arm your boss with data
Your boss may need to convince upper management that you should get a pay bump. So provide him or her with a results summary--not simply what you did, but the results you got--that can be taken to decision-makers. "You have to help your boss help you," says Browne.

4. Work crazy hours
If you've had to reduce your hours, let your manager know that you can work whenever he or she needs you--Saturdays, holidays, or late at night if you can. "If company revenue and income are on the rise, then they'll need more hours to meet increased demand," says Jeff Cohen, the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recession-Proof Careers."

5. Make new friends
If you can't get enough hours in your department, get to know the people in other departments and see if there are opportunities to pick up extra hours there. "Tell everyone you know that you're looking for more hours--in a pleasantly persistent way," says Browne.

Resumes for the Digital Age

7 tips for mastering keywords and electronic formatting

by Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs

When you're applying for a job, you work hard to make sure your resume will command the attention of the first person who reads it. But it's increasingly likely that the first reader of your resume won't be a person at all.

Inundated with hundreds--or thousands--of resumes for some positions, many companies are using technology to streamline resume screening.

"Any time you submit a resume, you should expect to have your resume scanned for keywords," says Chandlee Bryan, career coach and owner of Best Fit Forward.

Companies use applicant-tracking systems to electronically sort through and store resumes. The systems search for keywords, sort the resumes, and give hiring mangers the most-promising candidates.

Although designing a resume that will impress both a computer and human readers may seem intimidating, there are some advantages.

"It used to be that when a recruiter said, 'We'll keep your resume on file,' it meant it was going in the garbage can," says Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers and the author of "Happy About My Resume." Now, they may actually mean it.

Experts offer these tips for making sure your resume stands out electronically and in person:

Choose the right keywords. Hiring managers and recruiters will use the applicant-tracking system to search for keywords related to the job they're looking to fill. To make your resume rise to the top of the list, you need the right keywords.

"Review the job posting for the position and try to mirror that language," Safani says. Find words and phrases that describe what the company is looking for and use them as much as possible.

Use variations of keywords. Some systems check how often a particular word or variation on a word is used. For instance, if you're looking for a job in accounting, use both "accountant" and "accounting."

Use keywords smartly. Some resumes have a keyword section that simply lists keywords for the computer to pick up. Others include a keyword list in white text on white paper, so that it is read by the computer but not seen by a human reader. Safani and Bryan don't recommend these techniques, though, because although they might help your resume get picked out initially, they can hurt you when a human reader takes a look.

"You don't want to write something that doesn't read well just because you're trying to get the word 'accountant' in 10 different ways," Safani says.

Make your job title generic. If most companies would call you a business analyst but your title is "process improvement specialist," consider listing "business analyst" on your resume (and perhaps putting your actual title in parentheses after it). Do not, of course, give yourself a loftier title than you actually have.

Don't go overboard. It can be useful to have a list of key skills on your resume, both for search engines to scan and to give human readers an idea of your strengths. But Bryan recommends listing no more than nine: "I don't think it fools anyone if it's not very deep."

Use text only. If you're asked to paste your resume into a website text box, make sure you use a text-only version. If you copy and paste from a Word document, for example, some characters and formatting may not translate properly (em dashes, bullets, indentations, italic or bold type, and even quotation marks, for instance)--making your resume illegible (for machines and people). You may want to save a copy of your resume as a plain-text file and make any adjustments in that file before you paste the text (plain text is offered as an option when you save a file in almost all word processing programs).

Follow directions. Every system is different, so the most important thing is to follow the directions on the site that's accepting your resume, Bryan says.

9 Tips for Getting a Promotion

 by Maria Hanson, LiveCareer

 

Have you been stagnating at work for months--or even years? You're not alone. According to Randstad's 2009 World of Work survey, 83 percent of workers said they feel fortunate just to have a job. And more than half fear for their economic well-being. Survival is the primary goal. Getting a promotion and career advancement are low priorities these days.

"Many people are forgetting about exploring new opportunities within their organization because of this challenging environment," says Eileen Habelow, Randstad's senior vice president of organizational development.

But it doesn't have to be this way. With the right tools, you can get ahead, even in the current climate. Here are some insider tips for moving up the ladder:

1. Have a plan. "The people who get the best jobs have been planning their strategy for one year or more," says Jay Jessup, the author of the personal-branding book "Fame 101." He cites Oprah Winfrey as a perfect example: "She planned her success every step of the way, and is still thinking ahead five years," he says.

2. Ask for what you want. "If you want a promotion, you need to clearly ask for it. If you don't ask, you won't get it," says Laura Browne, the author of "Why Can't You Communicate Like Me? How Smart Women Get Results at Work." "No one is just going to hand you a promotion."

3. Develop yourself into your next role. Long before you even ask for a promotion, observe the kind of job you want, figure out what it takes to do the job well, and work toward that, advises Sandra Naiman, the author of "The High Achiever's Secret Codebook: The Unwritten Rules for Success at Work." "When appropriate, take on the tasks of the job you're aiming for. But be careful not to step on any professional toes," she says.

4. Bring out your inner Tigger. "The woods are full of Eeyores," says Dan Bowling, former senior vice president of human resources at Coca-Cola Enterprises. "Bosses don't want these negative types. They want Tiggers--the energetic, can-do people who tackle the problem with a smile. Those are the ones who get ahead."

5. Show your face. Telecommuting is not a good idea when you're hoping for a promotion. Neither is communicating mostly by email with bosses and coworkers. "It's all about 'face time,'" says John McKee, CEO of BusinessSuccessCoach.net. "Communicating in person whenever possible is imperative for success seekers."

6. Remember the bottom line. "In any organization, the people who make the money are the ones who stay employed," says career coach Joan Schramm. "Document your efforts toward this goal and your rate of success, and make sure your boss is aware of them."

7. Replace yourself. "Being 'irreplaceable' can hold you back," says HR professional Jodi R. R. Smith, who teaches a seminar called Promote Yourself. "There are times when managers do not promote great employees due to the time, hassle, and stress of having to train a replacement. If you can, train a potential replacement so this won't be an issue."

8. Dress the part. "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have," advises image consultant Heather Alan, of Trel Style Consulting. "And remember that dark colors are perceived as more authoritative. Even those looking for promotions in the creative field should strive to wear deeper colors."

9. Make your boss look good. "Find out what your boss's boss expects of him, and do what you can to help your boss shine," advises David Wright, the author of "Get a Job! Your Guide to Making Successful Career Moves." "If you help your boss look good to his boss, you look good to your boss."