Yes, You Can!

By Judith Ellison Shenouda

      Amidst all the gloom and doom of the employment picture – including layoffs, outsourcing, indications that you’re too inexperienced, or anxieties that you’re too old – many people are working in jobs they love and dreaming of securing new jobs that they will love even more! These folks are assessing trends, refining their skills, and enhancing their competencies. They are presenting themselves favorably in print and getting the work they seek.

      Can you succeed in finding employment? Yes, you can! Let me show you how in five easy steps, using my friend, Tom, as an example.

1-Use your past achievements to build your confidence and courage when seeking new work opportunities.

      Start your challenge, mindful of other challenges that you faced and conquered. Remember those successes. They’re yours, and no one can take them from you.

      Tom, for example, recalls the years he worked in construction and went to school at night to complete his computer science degree. He weathered many rejections, yet eventually found work as a computer programmer. Over the past year, he has prepared for his next dream job – that of a project manager in Web technology projects – by studying for and passing the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam.

      Remembering other successes, he now has the confidence and courage to pursue project management jobs.

2-Own your competencies and frame them in clear, recognizable terms. 

      Tom wants to convey that he has the necessary credentials to do the work. To help him frame his abilities for decision-makers in the Human Relations department and in the Project Management office, he checks various resources, such as the Department of Labor’s Dictionary of Occupational Titles and its the Occupational Outlook Handbook; the Project Management Institute (PMI) Web site; and job search sites such as Dice.com, Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com, and Salary.com.

      These resources provide job descriptions, salary ranges, job prospects, trends in the industry, and more that Tom can use to write his cover letter and resume in terms the industry understands.

3-Show how your work enables your employers to achieve their business goals.

      Tom has learned that his employers value workers who help them secure repeat and new business, gain a competitive edge, streamline their operations, and satisfy their customers. His employers want to have an impact on their industry, gain an excellent reputation, lower their costs, and increase their profits.

      Tom reviews corporate Web sites and literature to learn more about an organization’s specific vision and mission. To learn more about himself, he reviews past performance appraisals. Doing so confirms that he is excellent at preventing the scope creep that causes delays. In fact, his record shows that he is skilled at assessing and managing many of the risks that cause projects to fail. Tom finds ways to add his strengths and the benefits they bring to his cover letter and resume.

4-Communicate your competencies with documents that have the punch and power to get you the work you want.

      Tom is a stand-up, stand-out kind of a guy. He wants recruiters and hiring decision-makers to notice his capabilities and potential value and invite him in for an interview where he can personally engage them.

      Tom assesses his cover letter and resume for the right look and feel, organization, clarity of the message, readability, and usability. He checks that the content is accurate and credible and that his contact information appears on every page.

      When Tom shows me his work, I assess its AIDCA effectiveness. Does it capture Attention, generate Interest, create a Desire to schedule an interview, and generate a Conviction to take a favorable Action toward Tom? Answering these questions, I begin to give Tom a professional writer’s advice.

5-Help others in their job search.

      Just as I helped Tom, you can use your writing talents to help other job seekers. After all, you have what it takes to write cover letters, resumes, portfolios of work products, and thank-you notes. You can further assist by writing or editing job seekers’ Web sites, Weblogs, and other electronic vehicles that convey competencies.

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get busy building your confidence and courage; owning your competencies; crafting a resume, cover letter, and other collateral that show your value; adding punch and power to all of your promotional material; and using your talents to help other job seekers. Can you present yourself and others favorably in print? You bet you can!

© Judith E. Shenouda 2005

Editor of Technical Communications
Judith Ellison Shenouda is principal of Shenouda Associates Inc. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Literacy Journalism from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, USA. She completed additional courses in curriculum design and development, group dynamics, information studies, publication management, and project management; and has New York State Certification to teach Secondary English. Prior to starting Shenouda Associates Inc. in 1986, she taught English and Language Arts courses, provided academic support and career services, and worked as a freelance writer. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication, a member of Toastmasters International, and a frequent presenter at local, national, and international conferences. She would be pleased to speak to your organization on topics related to starting a business and keeping it going; creating effective technical, business, and marketing communications; and managing the projects in your professional and personal life.