Ask a Manager

Seven short questions, seven short answers…  And note that we need advice from someone good at networking in the third question.

Including travel and volunteer work on your resume

My friend and I have this debate over my resume. I traveled to Thailand a year ago to do two weeks of volunteering and two weeks of traveling. I helped build a sustainable toilet for a impoverished but growing hill tribe. I also worked at an elephant sanctuary, sort of retirement/rescue home for abused elephants. She thinks I should list this on my resume to stand out, even though I’m applying for assistant positions because I’m straight out of college. What’s your take? Should I include it or is it unnecessary, since the skills I learned there was basically to survive, lay cement and never turn your back on an elephant?

Yes, include it. Some interviewers will simply find it interesting and will ask you about it; others will think it says something admirable about your character and will like it for that reason; and others won’t care. It certainly won’t hurt you and in some cases will help. (Don’t take up a huge amount of space with it though since it was only a month; I’m talking about a couple of lines, not giving it the same real estate you’d give to a job.)

Employer wants a non-employer reference

I am applying for a job where the employer wants a reference that is not a previous employer or relative. What should I do? I understand that they do not want a relative…but have you ever heard of employers asking for a reference that is not from a previous employer? I have a few professors I could use. Should I use them? Or, a best friend?

I don’t know why some employers do this; I’ve never understood the point. I’d use clients, non-manager colleagues, or people who know you in your community, but I wouldn’t use a best friend. You want to keep it in the professional realm.

Can I network with people I work with through my current job?

I am currently employed, but looking for a new job.  I have worked for the same, very small, company for the last 6+ years, and networking with other professionals in this “field” is non-existent.  I have, however, developed a number of good relationships with people who call on me in my role at this current company.  Is it acceptable to reach out to these people to ask if they know of any positions that I might be suited for?  I’ve been racking my brain for people I can reach out to in my network, and these seem to be the best bet  Would this be acceptable?  Essentially these people are sales managers or executives who call on me.

Probably, if you’re diplomatic about how you do it. You don’t want your boss to hear that you’re using company time and company connections to job search, and you also don’t want these people to feel you’ve put them in an uncomfortable position. So you need to be low-key about it. Maybe someone who’s more networky/schmoozy than I am can weigh in with some specific suggestions about how to word this appropriately.

Salary history when you worked in a foreign country

I was hoping you might be able to help me with the question of how to address my compensation history in my cover letter when requested by the job posting. My most recent full-time position was in another country, where I made significantly less than I would in the US. But I was paid the going rate for that country, which also had a lower cost of living and several other mitigating factors. That said, I am quite flexible on what compensation I would accept. So I really don’t want to discuss salaries at this point — it’s a complicated situation. This is a relatively entry-level position, not some high-level executive position. I also have to take a test first, which is probably more important to the hiring decision than anything else. Would it hurt me if I just avoided answering the question in my cover letter? Or do I have to say something, just to fulfill their application directions and have a shot at taking the test/getting an interview? This sounds like the perfect job for me, so I would love to hear any advice!

On the question of whether to address it at all, read this post. If you do decide to discuss it, I’d probably say something like, “I was employed in another country, where salary scales don’t translate well, but I’m seeking $__.”

Coworker and I are both applying for jobs at a competitor

Recently a friend and I both got positions at a local company, part time. We have both only been there about 4 months, however a local competitor just posted listings for the same position, but with significantly higher pay. We are told they are filling more than 1 spot. If both of us apply and get offers at the competitor, how do we handle it? I feel like it puts our current employer in a bad situation since losing both of us would considerably cut their staffing and also since we came together, it might look odd to both quit together. Would it be appropriate for one or both of us to approach our current employer about a pay increase? Advice please???!!!!

You’re getting way ahead of yourself; you guys are applying for jobs but haven’t been interviewed, let alone been offered the position yet. So I wouldn’t stress out about this until/unless you have to — and at that point, you should do what’s best for you, and your employer will survive, believe me. People leave jobs, and you can’t worry about how to coordinate it with someone else who might also be leaving.

Regarding a pay increase, I wouldn’t recommend asking for a raise when you’ve only been there four months, based on the fact that another company is paying more. You risk them saying, “Well, go try to get a job there then.” After only four months, they’re not that invested in you yet.

What should a resume lead off with?

I recently started reading your blog, and I have made several changes to my job hunting and applying practices. I still cannot get the resume right though. I agree with you that an “objective” is unnecessary and even detrimental because it is usually so obvious and uninformative, but how else do you introduce the resume? For example, if I cut out my objective, my resume would start with “education.”  Looking at example resumes online, when they jump right into “education” or “experience” or even directly into a list of experiences with no title, it is a little off-putting and seems unattractive to me. Is it just me who would prefer to ease into the beginning with some sort of introduction? I have no experience reading other people’s resumes, so maybe I just don’t know what to look for. I seek some sort of short introduction, however, I do not agree with some of your readers’ suggestions about replacing the “objective” with “personal profile” or other similar headings because I think that more detailed personal information is more fit for the cover letter. I would love your thoughts.

Lots of resumes start with the education or experience section; it’s really not jarring. However, skills profiles are growing in popularity, and if you don’t want to jump straight into education or experience, a short profile at the top is your best bet. Keep it objective, not subjective. No hiring manager cares if you think you have a great work ethic or outstanding communication skills; they want to know what you’ve achieved.

Capitalization

I’m working on my resume and want to quantify the marketing budget I handle.  What is the proper way to refer to the following?  Does it matter?

– Plan and manage annual marketing budget of $1,000,000
– Plan and manage annual marketing budget of $1 million
– Plan and manage annual marketing budget of $1 Million
– Plan and manage annual marketing budget of $1MM

or???

I don’t think this is a make-or-break issue, but I feel like it is important to stick with some sort of generally accepted practice.

Either $1 million or $1,000,000 is correct. $1 Million is incorrect (you don’t capitalize common nouns, only proper ones), and $1MM risks the possibility that your reader doesn’t know what MM stands for.