Job readiness: Your 12-point checklist

When a car comes off the assembly line — before it is ready to get on the road — it is put through an inspection based on an extensive checklist.

Before an astronaut goes into space, he must review a checklist, as there is for the rocket in which he is riding.

The laptop you just bought wasn’t packed and shipped until it was inspected based on a checklist.

The purpose of all this is to make sure that all the parts are in good working order and will perform as expected.

By the same token, when you are getting out into the workplace, you need a checklist of your own. It’s a good idea to take stock of everything you will need to succeed .

Just like a car’s engine, which is made up of so many crucial parts, all of which must be in the best running condition, you have to do the same. So, the obvious first step here is to identify those parts — all those parts — and then get them up to speed.

Over my 16 years as an independent career coach, I can tell you, with utmost certainty and without having ever done a longitudinal study, that the more of these 12 points a candidate can check on the checklist, the higher the chance of (a) landing a job, (b) landing one sooner, (c) receiving a salary offer at the high end of the scale, sometimes higher than the employer had planned, (d) staying in the job longer, and (e) earning a promotion.

Winners have one thing in common. If you enter the game as the favorite or the candidate of choice, the more likely it is you will win the position.

Look at any winning athlete, great singer or band, or fine orchestra. The one thing you’re certain to notice is that they all do everything well (or at least better than others).

What is the one thing winners have things in common? They act like winners. They don’t have weaknesses. If they find one, they “work on their game.”

So now the question is: What are those things? What do you have to do well to be the candidate of choice?

There are 12 things winners have in common, and the smartest thing you can do is to make a checklist, hang it up on your bulletin board or refrigerator (if it’s not already filled with your kids’ drawings, notices of PTA meetings, shopping lists, or overdue parking tickets), and then work very hard at making sure you can put a checkmark next to each one.

Be honest with yourself — brutally honest, in fact. Assess these 12 points by yourself. Then get an objective third party to do the same: a career coach, a job counselor, a support group facilitator, a career center adviser, or anyone else who will give you an honest answer.

The bottom line — no matter how you get to it — is that you’ve got to be good at these 12 things. Not just good, bit better at more of them than the other guy.

So, here they are, in no particular order except for the first one: attitude. Everything else depends on having a positive, “can do” attitude. All else follows.

Here’s your 12-point job readiness checklist:

1. Attitude

“Your attitude determines your altitude,” goes the old saying, but it’s absolutely true and always has been. A negative attitude — and along with it, overriding pessimism — never accomplished anything. A pessimist never made a discovery, invented anything, solved a problem or, in more relevant terms, got a job. So be positive at all times, but be realistic.

Be active, not passive. Say “I can and I will” which, in most cases is true (if you’re being realistic). Accept the tough challenges and do anything and everything you have to do, knowing that some things take time and don’t happen overnight. No complaining or blaming is allowed in this game, and you need to hang out only with positive, active people. Declare victory in advance, and go out and get it. Nothing is easy, but everything is possible with the right attitude.

2. Become a Career APE

The APE acronym stands for “assess-plan-execute.” It’s a simple three-step process to decide where you need work. First, assess yourself, and the job market, objectively, honestly, thoroughly, and immediately. What skills do you have? What is the market looking for? Is there a gap in between the two? (Usually there is.)

Next, plan to close that gap. What do you have to do? Add some tools to your bag, like courses, certificates, degrees? Don’t wait; enroll now and get started. Do you need additional experience? Identify places where you get it, whether in paid or volunteer positions, but get it.

Then, execute. Once you have assessed and planned, execute on your plan and don’t give up until you’ve reached your goals.

Thomas Edison said, “Most of life’s failures are people who didn’t realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Think your plan out and think it through. Make the plan simple, review it regularly, and adjust when necessary.

Be a “five-tool player.”

In baseball, the ultimate compliment you can give a player is that he is a “five-tool player” — he can hit, hit with power, run, field, and throw — and do them well, better than the other guys.

In career management and job search, there are “five-tool players” also, namely, the ones who have great resumes and letters; high-level interviewing strategies and skills; smart, proactive job search strategies; solid career plans, both short- and long-term; and a commitment to ongoing, consistent, interactive career networking.

These five tools are numbers three through seven on your 12-point checklist.

3. Resume and Letters

A resume is a communication device, and what it communicated it what part in the reader’s future you can play. Don’t dwell on every last detail of what you did two decades ago; instead, emphasize your accomplishments that demonstrate what you can — and will — do for your next employer.

Components of a strong resume are: summary or objective, list of skills, work history with accomplishments, education, and community involvement.

And make sure your resume meets the “3-C” criteria: clear, concise, and compelling.

Remember, a resume is the way the world sees you before it meets you. Make your cover letter short and sweet and let it point to certain parts of your resume, prompting the reader to go further. Always send a cover letter; never send a resume without one.

4. Interview Strategies and Skills

This is your chance to prove what’s on your resume, and make no mistake: candidates don’t fail for lack of skills; they fail because they don’t have good strategies going in. Preparation is key: research, make your own list of questions and points you’d like to make.

It’s a game plan, and you can be sure the interviewer has one, so why not you? Arrive on time; that means 10 minutes early (no more, no less). Remember the importance of “that first impression.” Dress professionally. Maintain eye contact. Smile. And pay attention! The greatest interviewing mistake of all is having no strategy.

5. Job Search Strategies

Be proactive, not just reactive. Nine out of ten jobs never get listed; you need to find them. The two most effective job search techniques: Networking and Targeting. Target companies you’d like to work for and use your network to meet people there. Don’t worry if they have no jobs open at the moment; get on as many radar screens as you can, arranging as many informational interviews as you can. In the long run, targeting and networking, done together well and constantly, account for 90 percent of all jobs. Of course, you should do the other things — employee referrals, ads, postings, recruiters, agencies, job counselors — but keep them in perspective.

6. Career and Goal Setting

It’s OK to have to adjust your goals; it’s not OK not to have goals to adjust. In difficult times (like that awful recession we had), long-term goals are hard to uphold. Understood! But don’t give up on them. Adjust them. Do not sacrifice your career at the altar of desperation.

7. Networking

Replace “defensive networking” with “A-B-C” — “Always Be Connecting.” Networking is not something you do only when you’re out of work. If friends haven’t heard from you in four years and now you’re calling to let them know you need a job, how far do you think that’ll go? Keep your network alive — always.

8. Communication Skills

Communication skills are the #1 most valued and sought after in the workplace. But just writing “communication skills” on your resume is not only not enough; it’s laughable, kind of like saying “nice guy.”

Prove your communication skills by writing a great resume and cover letter, and by speaking well, clearly, and with impact in your interviews. And remember: the best communication is always simple.

9. Teamwork

This is the No. 2 most valued trait in the workplace, so prove you’re a good team player. A team is a group of people capable of accomplishing more than the sum of the efforts of the individuals combined. On your resume, highlight your part on successful teams as much as you highlight individual accomplishments.

10. Dressing and Appearance

Look like the professional they want to hire — at all times, even if you’re just going to the bank or the supermarket. You never know whom, you’ll see — or when. On the job: look like the employee they want to keep. There’s no excuse for dressing unprofessionally — ever — not even on your down time!

A little life coaching here.

11. Stress and Time Management

The first step in stress management is to acknowledge that stress is always present, especially during a job search. That’s OK, as long as your recognize it and then manage it.

Tip No. 1: don’t go it alone. Lean on someone you trust, someone who can give you the emotional and objective support you need. For many of us, it’s not our spouses, as they tend to get too subjective (that’s quite natural), but a good friend, mentor, or colleague can be critical here.

As for time management, break large jobs into small, manageable segments. Take breaks in between. Set priorities. Write your “to do” list the night before. Get up early every day. Segment your day. Time is your only irreplaceable asset, so use it well.

12. Computer Skills

This is interesting because many people don’t equate them with job search or career planning. Sure, it’s expected, but are you really good at, for instance, end-user applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook? Do you need specialized applications that are job-specific or industry-specific?

How’s your Internet research skill set, not just Googling every key word you can think of and winding up on Wikipedia all the time? If you’re in IT, you’ll need more advanced computer skills, continually updated.

When the job market was in the tank, these twelve points were critically important. Now that we’re in a sustained upswing (which has been going on since late 2009, in case you haven’t noticed), the importance of these 12 points doesn’t diminish.

On the contrary, they’re more important than ever!

Career coach and corporate consultant Eli Amdur of Amdur Coaching and Advisory Group LLC writes on career and workplace issues. At Fairleigh Dickinson University, he is adjunct professor of two graduate-level leadership courses. He can be reached at eli.amdur@amdurcoaching.com or 201-357-5844. His website is amdurcoaching.com.