“Whatever you decide to do, make sure it
makes you happy”
Ben English, Founder of Careers In Focus
When you start looking for a new job, don't allow yourself to be undermined by preconceived ideas or by the advice of
well-meaning but uninformed friends and colleagues.
An effective job hunt requires up-to-date knowledge about how employers go about looking for talent, plus insight
into the nature of the entire process.
Often job hunters experience frustration along the way because they begin their search without examining
fundamental assumptions about themselves and how they are perceived. Whatever the reason, Careers In Focus
will help you better understand that job seekers and hiring managers must sell each other about the opportunity
during the interview (conversation).
Background
The U. S. Government Accountability Office reports that the U.S. Spends $18 billion, federal, dollars on 47different Work Development Programs. Only five have been formally evaluated. The majority of these programs
fund efforts rather than results and don’t require a clear connection to employers.
The industry (WFD) is un-fragmented and unregulated with thousands of mom-and-pop training
organizations that aren’t being held accountable for ensuring their clients are getting jobs.
Granted, some organizations and individual counselors are passionate about helping - however, their case
loads prevent them for solving the underline problem: What’s Behind Getting a Job?
Because we provide workshops to help unemployed worker we barely scratch the surface about what’s behind
getting and keeping the desired job. To highlight these gaps in training a program and services must be developed to
match the needs of program attendees. We want to focus our efforts on helping the job seeker gain the skills,
confidence and brand marketing suggested in our literature. There is no need for us, with limited resources and
personnel, to emulate or duplicate existing organizations providing the same training, i.e. social media, computer
learning skills, etc.
Strategy
Create a program (3-day Workshops) to concentrate on the elements hindering reemployment. We often joke
that some of our clients “…just want their résumé did (sic)”. They fail to understand the résumé is about you and
about how you represent the answer to an employer’s needs. It’s about you in relationship to that potential employer ,
Often we see individuals who were successful, productive and hard working, but stagnant about their soft skills and
technology.
It is acknowledged that job seekers without technological skills can get those skills from various places – if
one shows initiative. People will often travel to a social event but frown on something that will benefit or help their
growth.
Individuals (career-changers; under-served / unemployed and individuals with multiple barriers to jobs) must
start to take ownership for their lack of skills and participate in their career journey by:
 Exploring and discovering employment and educational trends – including long-term career goals
 Find and cultivate support strategies (positive reinforcement, someone who believes in you)!
 Know the company and its culture; you most likely will spend 8 or 10 hours per day with them.
Prerequisites
Workshop participants must have working knowledge of MS-Office Suite (Word), Social Media (LinkedIn) and
a hard copy of recent résumé. Flash drives are not acceptable; coach will instruct you on creating cloud-based
storage. If the computer lab is available and enough participants are interested an Advanced Hands-On
Résumé workshop may be added monthly.
“Look Where You’re Going,
Not Where You’ve Been”
Sometimes we find ourselves in lousy situations; jobless, bad job, bad boss and a bad relationship of family
and friends who don’t seem to understand your unhappiness. We seem handicapped by these conditions and are
desperately looking for something different – without regards to whether its better, or even if it’s what we want.
Preparation and implementation Stages:
1. Prepare: Explore job passions, dream big and then make it happen – assess your skills (soft & hard; likes and
dislikes.
 How to job search in today’s competitive arena - HINT: it is not spending hours on the Internet. See:
JobHuntersBible.com
 Learning to read / interpret and match your skills to the needs of the hiring manager and the culture of the
company.
 Creating the Positioning Statement (Elevator Pitch) useful as the leadoff on your résumé and when
networking – HINT: it is often the first thing hiring managers and recruiters ask, “…tell me about yourself” or
the question that makes one sweat, “…what is your greatest weakness?”
 Crafting the Sales / Marketing Tool – The Résumé
 Dressing for Success – what you think is hip and cool may send the wrong message to the hiring manager and
you are left wondering “why didn’t I hear back from them?” Anytime you leave home you should be dressed to
impress (business casual is better than pants below buttocks or too much skin).
 Successful Interviewing (conversations) with hiring managers. Ask yourself”Do you really want to work for
this company, why and/or why not?”
 Salary Negotiation – You are never the first to bring up this subject, but you should be prepared for it!
(understanding and knowing where to search for this information)
2. Implementation: Learn to network effectively, how to take advantage of job fairs, gather information from
vendors / recruiters (rarely is anyone hired during a job fair) and differentiating between an interview
(interrogation) and a conversation between hiring manager and job seeker; asking for help!
Day 1 – Career Analysis and self-assessment
a) Homework before tomorrow’s session :). See: Assessment.com (FREE)
b) Handout(s) – Personal Values and How They Impact your job search
c) Discovering your passion by completing the following statements (during class):
i.
ii.
I love to _______________________________________________________________
I am passionate about _______________________________________________________________
iii.
I get excited about ______________________________________________________________.
iv.
I really like _______________________________________________________________
v.
My greatest achievement was ______________________________________________________________.
vi.
I am good at _______________________________________________________________
vii.
viii.
I am known for ______________________________________________________________.
I have exceptional abilities to ______________________________________________________________.
d) Research Tools
i.
ii.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Department of Labor) – online.
Professional Associations
iii.
Trade Publications – READ become an expert!
iv.
Universities / Community Colleges / On-line Certificates
v.
Company “Target List” what company would you like to join? Why? (culture / salary / convince).
vi.
Contact List – people you know professionally and personally (yes you must make a list, you don’t
know who known whom).
vii.
Networking – Meet Ups (there is a gathering for just about every interest you can think of).
Day 2 – Building your personal Job Seekers Tool Kit (The Résumé)
Résumé Building:
A hiring manager will not get a sense of YOU from your resume; however, he/she will see the relevancies of
your skills that match their needs. If you think your autobiography will be read, think again - just the opposite is
true.
Of course, it's true that your skills, experience, successes and education are about you. These are all critical
elements of a résumé, but you shouldn’t write them in a vacuum. You must frame them as a marketing (sales
brochure) document that positions you as the answer to an employer's needs.
Carefully review position descriptions for which you would be well qualified and highlight keywords of
importance. Then, make certain to incorporate those words into the descriptions of your accomplishments and skills.
In this way, your résumé can be seen as a document that conveys your value to an employer.
1) Discover the overall goal of the résumé then re-read yours.
i.
No personal pronouns (I, me, etc.)
ii.
Professional Bio (also useful for LinkedIn Profile) this 1-page narrative should be written in “third person”
and remember “bullets” are your best friend / keep to a minimum (3-5).
2) Cover Letters (electronic vs. hard copy)
3) References: Professional / Personal / Letters of Recommendation: People who will “Sing Your Praise” never
INCLUDE reference with application – learn how to address this in your cover letter and YES you must send
a cover letter with each application.
Networking:
Networking is about building relationships, not viewing people only for the assistance they might lend to you.
Putting out the message, "Can you help me to….” isn’t networking; it's begging.
Relationship building takes time, and it involves getting to know other people, building human connections
and understanding what you can do for others as well as what they might be able to do for you.
A good networker understands the value of offering to help before ever asking for anything. When you build
solid relationships and take the time to learn about others, you'll see your efforts come back to benefit you many
times over. Networking is all about giving to get and paying it forward.
Day 3 – Interviewing & Salary Negotiations
Job seekers and hiring Managers must sell each other on the opportunity during the interview.
If you think the hiring manager will educate you about why you should given this opportunity, you have not
done your homework. Never make the mistake that asking the hiring manager about the basics of a company or the
opportunities it offers; this is not the appropriate time for you to learn this information. If a hiring manager feels
like you are expecting him or her to sell you on the company or position, you have most likely lost hope of winning
the position.
a) Preparation: How much time do you need to get to the Interview? Car / public transportation? Do you
know where their offices are?
b) Knowledge about the company (research) and its culture
c) Dress for Success – Women: No “skin”, too much jewelry, perfume, wild hair style / color. You may change
some of these once you are hired! Men: no locks (you can always grow it back); dress business casual, no
cologne!
d) Verbal Introduction / Presentation, “…tell me about yourself…”
e) Thank You Note – both via email and handwritten (15 at the Dollar Store)
f) Understanding the questions a hiring manager MAY NOT ASK YOU!
Do Your Detective Work Before the Interview!
Ben English, Careers In Focus
You’ve decided on what job you want; administrative assistant, customer
service, or office manager. Whichever job matches your passion / personality
and skills, will provide you a better chance of landing it - if you take the time
and do some detective work before the interview.

Discover as much as you can about the company; what is its mission and
goals? is the position newly created or are you replacing someone? What
product or services do they provide? That way during the interview, you are
ready to ask questions (have a meaningful conversation) and show how /
why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
How To Research
1. Visit the company's web site to find out about its day-to-day business, employee benefits, mission statement, and
customer service.
2. Consult the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers or other source at your public library, or online, to
be sure the firm has a solid reputation.
3. Make a list of items you're interested in learning more about, including: history, financial stability, plans for
growth and how you will fit.
4. Call the personnel department and ask for a brochure and other material, if it is not available online, that will
help you decide whether this is the right company for you.
5. Read magazines such as Fortune, Business Week, and Wall Street Journal to learn more about the
organization. Note: these companies have a presence online and you may be able to subscribe to their sites.
6. Google the company, look for job seeker forums and posts to get a feel for a particular business.
The more you know about the company, and its needs, ahead of time, the better you'll feel before, during, and after
the interview; think about what a boost you'll give the interviewer. People who are prepared, peaceful, and
professional are those most likely to impress and win the job. So do your detective work and you'll be among them!
HANDOUT
Pet Peeves About Résumés
Ben English, Careers In Focus
I’ve reviewed, written and argued about every aspect of resume writing; the overall conclusion – there is not a
one-size fits all FORMATS that can be used for all industries and job titles.
People have spent hundreds of dollars to have their resume written, many are disasters and some I’ve just
glanced at has spelling or grammatical errors. Google HR Boss Says 58% Of Résumés Get Trashed Because
Of One Spelling Mistake (Business Insider 2014). The tough part is that for the past few years, I’ve continued to
see the same mistakes made again and again by job seekers. What’s even more discouraging is that I can tell from
the resumes that many of these may be great candidates for the job or even great people. But in this fiercely
competitive labor market, hiring managers and recruiters will not compromise on quality. All it takes is one small
mistake and a manager will reject an otherwise outstanding candidate.
This subject is well-worn on job posting sites, or LinkedIn, and because I monitor these sites daily to remain
current, still —more than half of you have at least one of these mistakes on your resume. And I’d much rather see
folks win jobs than get passed over.
In the interest of dispelling myths, catching mistakes and helping more candidates make it past that first
résumé screening, here are my pet peeves:
Pet Peeve 1
Typos / verb tense / personal pronouns and verbs ending in –“ing”
These seem obvious yet they happen time and time again. Recently a survey by a leading career site found that 58% of
résumés have typos. It was also discovered that people who tweaked their résumés the most are prone these kinds of errors
because doing so, a subject and verb suddenly don’t match up or a period is misplaced. Typos are deadly because employers
interpret them as a lack of detail and failure to care about quality. The fix? Read your resume from bottom to top: reversing
the normal order helps you focus on each line in isolation, or have someone else proofread closely for you.
Pet Peeve 2
Résumés should only be on one page
The best rule of thumb is one page for every 10 years of work experience and a three, four or six page
résumé simply won’t get read or read closely. A crisp, focused résumé demonstrates your ability to synthesize,
prioritize and convey how your skills and experiences to match the readers’ needs.
Remember also, the sole purpose of a résumé is to get you an interview – thus, it’s a marketing piece, a sales
tool, a commercial about you! It’s not to convince a hiring manager to say “yes” to you (that’s what the interview is
for) or to tell your life’s story. Your resume is a tool that gets you to that first interview. Once you’re in the room, the
resume doesn’t matter much.
Pet Peeve 3
Formatting / copying résumé templates from the internet
Unless you’re applying for a creative job as a designer or artist, your focus should be on making your résumé
clean and legible. A minimum 12-point font (remember the reader); margins at least one-half inch (top and bottom)
and one-inch (left and right), white paper, black ink. Consistent spacing between lines, columns aligned, your name
and contact information on every page (I don’t advocate using headers). Formatting can become garbled
when moving across platforms; look at it in both Google Docs and Word Doc / Docx, and then attach it to an
email that can be opened in preview. NOTE: Latest versions of Word (2007 and above) cannot be read in earlier
versions of Word (2003 system).
Pet Peeve 4
Confidential / Proprietary Information
Firms often have a strict confidentiality policy: client names are never to be shared on résumés. A client once
stated on his résumé “Consultant to a major Aerospace Builder in Washington State” The résumé was rejected
because there’s an inherent conflict between your employer’s needs (keep business secrets confidential) and your
needs (show how awesome you are so you can get a better job). Candidates often find ways to honor the letter of
their confidentiality agreements but not the spirit. It’s a mistake. While this candidate didn’t mention Boeing
Aerospace, which tells the reader (employer) to never hire this candidates…unless I want my own trade secrets
emailed to my competitors.
Pet Peeve 5
Lies / Misrepresentation
Dishonesty on your resume is never, ever, ever, worth it. Everyone, up to and including CEOs, get fired for
this. (remember Google “CEO fired for lying on resumes”?) People lie about their degrees (three credits shy of a
college degree is not a degree but it does indicate the degree is in progress), GPAs, and where they went to school
(sorry, but employers don’t view a degree granted online for “life experience” as the same as UCLA or Seton Hall).
People lie about how long they were at companies, how big their teams were, and their sales results, always goofing
in their favor.
Three problems with lying:
1) You can easily get busted. The internet, reference checks, and people who worked at your company in the past
can all reveal your fraud.
2) Lies follow you forever. Fib on your resume and 15 years later get a big promotion and are discovered? Fired.
And try explaining that in your next interview.
3) Our moms taught us better. Seriously.
Hiring managers are looking for the best people they can find, So resort to the tactics used above – will get you
rejected. The good news is that—precisely because most resumes have these kinds of mistakes—avoiding them
makes you stand out from the pack.
Ben English, Founder of Careers In Focus
Executive Director & Director of Training,
East Bay Professional Experience Network (East Bay PEN)
Member, Merritt College Business & Technology Advisory Board, Oakland, CA
Ben English views himself as having a broad base of knowledge career coaching and
résumé writing; a man who knows a lot about many different subjects (job seeking) and
has many practical skills and abilities.
A degree in art and former interior designer,
Ben,
WOW! It looks fab you are a
darling, so now I know why
you were recommended.
Thank you, Thank YOU!
Doris L.
Hi Ben,
Sorry for delayed response - limited access and uncertainty at times.
Thank you very much for getting me started on Resumes and the
East Bay PEN way...after your workshop, I felt more confident about
applying online to several CS and Tech positions. The workshops have
been helpful in understanding new job hunt procedures, screenings and
learning new strategies to keep moving onto the next level. The closest
physical analogy is the TV show WipeOut. They all eventually find ways
to overcome obstacles.
Thanks for your time and insight. If you ever have any PC issue,
please ask and I will do my best to assist.
Laura P. CS/Tech Support
April 2014
Hello Mr. English,
Thank you for your assistance with my resume last week
at the (LGBT) job fair…your wisdom was eye opening
Thank you again,
Ken K.
It’s not the load that breaks you down; It's how you carry it.
May 2014
Hello Ben!
I know it's been awhile since I
stopped into EBPEN (sic). I learned a
lot from EBPEN and felt like it was
really time for me to step up my game
in the job search … I set really high
goals for finding and applying for
jobs. I was able to land some nice
interviews and, after a really involved
background check and multiple
interviews, I will be starting work at
Oracle on Monday as an Associate
Video Producer.
As I wrote to Anthony D'Acci, I don't
think I would have landed an
interview if not for state funded WIA
classes I attended at BAVC and the
resume and job-skills I learned from
yourself (sic) and EBPEN.
Thank you! You've done a lot to help
me and others and I really appreciate
it. If there is anything that I could do
to repay you, I'm happy to help.
Please keep in touch!
Your Pal in Oakland,
Richard Shirk
Mr. English:
Thank you so much for all the great advice you gave me yesterday at the job fair.
I really appreciated the way you took your time and offered so many great tips
on how to make my resume POP! I've attached it again for your review with all of the changes that we had gone over before. Please
let me know if there are any other things you can think of that I should alter.
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the lovely hand-written note
E. Alonzo
you sent me for the beginning of my new jobs.
I really appreciate the time you took to write it
and the sentiment.
April 2014
Dear Ben,
One job is going really well. I am consulting
Just a quick note to let you know I
Thank you very much for the
for a non-profit organization. I am also taking
was hired! I just accepted a great
resume revision, I found your
classes in event planning and hope to finish
job in Pleasanton, CA where I will
advice very helpful at the
my certificate this July.
be using my excellent customer
(LGBT) job fair.
service skills.
Sincerely,
I still remember all the help that I received at
Thank you very much for your help!
Catherine N.
East Bay Pen and I always recommend you as
Rita C.
a resource to job seekers.
I hope you are all well.
From the moment you kindly took
time to review my resume at the
Hotel Whitcomb, even after the
3pm cut off, I have truly been
uplifted and inspired by your open
and honest style of employment
coaching. It was this positive
energy that led me to your East
Bay PEN Orientation, which I
found to be rather intimate, and
supportive.
Afua D.
Best regards,
Natasha
Ben,
The HIREvents staff would like to thank you
for agreeing to critique résumés during our
San Francisco HIREvent at the Hotel
Whitcomb.
Kat Maudru
Job Journal
Thank you so much Ben!!!!
I can’t even express how thankful I
am. I filled in the Missing years!
Thanks again and I hope to see you
soon!
Shyla C.
Ben,
The HIREvents staff would like to thank
you for agreeing to participate and critique
resumes during our Contra Costa
HIREvent at the Hilton Concord Hotel,
1970 Diamond Blvd. in Concord.
The event takes place on Tuesday,
February 25, 2014, from noon to 4pm.
Your willingness to contribute your
services to jobseekers attending this event
is certainly appreciated.
Hi Ben,
Thank you for a very good talk about resumes at East Bay PEN today. You were
extremely clear. I would like to talk to you for a short while about how to put my
mother-housewife transferable skills into my resume. Many people have told me
to do so, but none have [sic] known how to do it.
Thanks again for a great talk.
I will be changing the form of my resume as a result.
Linda W.
Hi Ben,
Good Workshop. I hope to steer more vets to
you and East Bay PEN. They could use some of
your good energy…
Regards,
Maryann Pomegranate
California Operation Welcome Home (COWH)
Employment Development Dept. (EDD),
Oakland, CA 94612
On behalf of the HIREvents job fair team, I
thank you for your participation and I
always look forward to working with you.
Kay Maudru, Job Journal
HIREvent and The Job Journal
Thank you very much for yesterday's orientation
sessions. I learned quite a bit. This is going to be
very helpful and I do plan to be there for
Monday's workshop. Believe me, I've been
tweaking, and tweaking my resume ever since you
cut up Nicoles, ha, ha, hee hee. I've been trying
to get it just right so that you won't have a thing to
say about it, well maybe a few things. I can take
the criticism.
See you on Monday and Thanks again.
Janice