by Joan Lloyd - www.joanlloyd.com

Dear Joan,

I've read from time to time in your column and elsewhere that it is important to include on your resume your past accomplishments.

What does a person do if you are applying for entry level work for a new profession and your past work history is unrelated to the job you are trying to get?

Not all jobs that a person does has a lot of accomplishments other than just doing your work and doing it well.

What would you recommend for someone coming out of school and trying to get his first job?
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First of all don't think of this as your first job. Second, many of the qualities of a successful employee are generic and finally, you need to redefine "accomplishments."

I'm glad you raised these issues because many graduates misunderstand them. If students understood what they needed on their resumes before they graduated, they'd take steps that would enable them to be much more competitive and less frustrated long before graduation day.

Let's take one issue at a time. When I say, this isn't your first job, I mean that an employer won't look at it that way. The only real predictor of success is how well you succeeded in the past. The interviewer will be very interested in how well you performed on past jobs, no matter how small or different from the field you are entering.

This is a critical point for students who have part-time jobs and don't take them seriously. Any part-time job gives you an opportunity to establish a good work record, show you can work well with others and provide you with contacts that can help you in the future.

The other "job" you've had is your schooling. Your grades, course choices, activities, and leadership roles are among the things that can help you win a position. Many of these things can be called accomplishments. Who would you rather hire...someone with a great grade point or someone with a good grade point, who also sought a number of leadership positions while holding down a part-time job with a good work record?

Any part-time job gives you an opportunity to develop generic accomplishments. The "generic" skills I'm referring to are things such as dependability, initiative, ability to get along with others and to take directions, ability to tackle a problem, leadership, willingness to learn, and so forth. These things can be demonstrated on any job, no matter how small.

These are more important than you may think. Thousands of job hunters have degrees but not all of them have these qualities. Most employers know that finishing a college degree doesn't necessarily mean you will have all the intangibles they are looking for. That's where the "generic" accomplishments come in.

Perhaps the word "accomplishment" is confusing. Anything that has worth in the employer's eyes can be an accomplishment. For example:

School related

' "Elected president of the marketing club"
' "Ranked in the top 10 percent of the graduating class"
' "Made Dean's List three consecutive semesters while earning my full tuition.
' "Chosen by my professor to represent the school in a state-wide speaking competition"
' "Interviewed executives at three local banks for data on class project, which subsequently led to one of them offering me a part-time job"

Job related

' "Never missed a day of work while going to school full time."
' "Developed a way to stock inventory that saved two hours per week"
' "Because of willingness and ability to perform any task, acted as manager when owner was out of the store."
' "Never had any customer complaints because of my ability to handle tough situations smoothly"
' "My supervisor never had to ask me to do something twice and told me "I wish everyone was as thorough as you are."

During an interview, use the following approach to illustrate your accomplishments.

' Describe the problem you faced
' Tell what you did about it
' Describe the results of your efforts

For instance, "Because I had to earn 75 percent of my own tuition, I got a job as the evening librarian assistant. This enabled me to study during slow times and got me away from the distractions of the dorm at night. By helping others research their papers, I improved the quality of my own work."
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What do you suppose they found? You guessed it. They revised their reasons for leaving. At the time they left, for example, 38 percent pointed to salary and benefits as the primary reason; 18 months later only 12 percent responded the same way. Four percent had originally said they were leaving for supervisory reasons, yet this percentage increased to 24 percent 18 months later.

In the article, "The Exit Interview: Effective Tool or Meaningless Gesture?" (by Pamela Garretson and Kenneth Teel, Personnel Magazine, August, 1982) 18 major organizations were sampled to determine their exit interview procedures.

The authors were surprised to find that just slightly over half make any use of the information obtained in the interviews. Perhaps the data isn't used because it isn't reliable. So why bother collecting the data if it won't be used?

The following ideas will help organizations collect useful information to help them make needed changes in their policies, supervision and culture:

1. Develop a standard interview format. Ensure that personnel representatives ask the same questions during each interview in a structured sequence.

2. Conduct the exit interview anonymously. Companies can employ outside firms to hold discussions and later submit raw data. They can also schedule discussions after employees have separated. Under these conditions, employees will not be afraid to tell the truth, since they will have no fear of retribution from their employer.

3. During the interview, convey to exiting employees that management is concerned with the actual reasons for their leaving and will use this information in a constructive, not retaliatory, manner.

4. As a part of the procedure, have the personnel representative speak with the exiting employee's supervisor and co-workers to help determine the actual reasons for termination. The company will then have a global picture of the reasons surrounding the employee's decision to leave.

5. Conduct studies like the one described above to analyze internal exit information.

JoanLloyd has a solid track record of excellent results. Her firm, JoanLloyd & Associates, specializes in leadership development, organizational change and teambuilding. This includes executive coaching, 360-degree feedback processes, customized leadership training, conflict resolution between teams or individuals, internal consulting skills training for HR professionals and retreat facilitation. Clients report results such as: behavior change in leaders, improved team performance and a more committed workforce.

JoanLloyd has earned her C.S.P. (certified speaking professional) designation from the National Speakers Association and speaks to corporate audiences, as well as trade & professional associations across the country. Reach her at (800) 348-1944, mailto:info@joanlloyd.com, or www.JoanLloyd.com