Executive-level clients frequently ask me if they need a cover letter. They’re not convinced anyone reads them, and they often wonder if writing them is worth the time and effort.

These concerns are not completely unfounded. About one-third of hiring managers will never look at a cover letter, another one-third will go back and look after reading the resume, and the final one-third will go through the resume IF the cover letter catches their attention. Since you don’t know which category the reader will fall into, it’s best to play the odds and include a well-written one.

Even if these statistics convince people they need a cover letter, they’re still not sold on the fact that it should be a good one. I’m here to convince you otherwise! Consider the following:

1)      Applicant Tracking Systems search cover letters: Keywords are terms that companies use to automatically screen candidates when they receive hundreds of resumes. The cover letter gives you an additional opportunity for including potential keywords.

2)      The economy is ROUGH: This is no secret. In an economy where there are multiple candidates for each job, it’s to your advantage to use any edge you can.

3)      Personal stories can make a difference: If you strongly believe in an organization’s mission and you don’t bring this out in the cover letter, you could be missing an opportunity. Especially in associations, leaders look for candidates who believe in their cause. In fact, Michelle Obama ultimately got her job with the City of Chicago after Valerie Jarrett (the hiring manager) was moved by her cover letter.

Though writing a powerful cover letter takes time, it may not be as much as you thought. They should just be one page and “less is more” – 3 to 4 paragraphs is all you need. Plus, once you have your first letter written, you should only need to customize a few sentences for each new position.

Have you heard about iStartStrong? It’s a new report, based on the Strong Interest Inventory® from Consulting Psychologist Press. The purpose of this assessment is to guide people into careers that best fits their personality and interests.

The 8-page iStartStrong report identifies one’s top two general themes with links to detailed definitions. And, it provides one’s top five specific interests along with the related areas of study, career fields, activities, and related occupations. The related occupations link directly to the O*Net Online Summary Reports.

Although the report appears to focus on students who are selecting their college major and future career, I also think it is beneficial to people at any stage of their career. I give this assessment and report a “Thumbs-Up.”

The cost for this assessment is $9.99. To purchase and administer this report, you need either a master’s degree in an appropriate area or completion of a Strong Interest Inventory® Certification program.

© 2010. Nancy Branton.

Although employers use ability assessments for employee selection, few career coaches offer ability assessments to their candidates. Below is information about four ability assessments which will raise your candidates’ awareness of their job related abilities.

1. Battery of ability assessments in Test Your Own Job Aptitude: Exploring Your Career Potential

In addition to exploring one’s personality, motivation, and interests, this handbook includes these short, paper-and-pencil ability assessments that measure the following areas:

• Verbal reasoning
• Numerical reasoning
• Perceptual reasoning
• Spatial ability
• Technical ability
• Acuity skills
• Analytical ability

After they complete the assessments, have them note their two highest scoring abilities and review typical occupations for their unique combination of abilities. (E.g., the verbal/numerical combination links to Commercial Managers, Senior Administrators, Insurance Agents and Head Teachers).

2. O*NET® Ability Profiler (AP)™

The AP helps candidates identify occupations that fit their abilities. The nine job related abilities measured are:

• Verbal Ability
• Arithmetic Reasoning
• Computation
• Spatial Ability
• Form Perception
• Clerical Perception
• Motor Coordination
• Finger Dexterity
• Manual Dexterity

Typically the AP is provided by workforce development professionals who have been trained to administer it. Ability results link to over 800 occupations in O*NET OnLine. Click here for further details on the administration of the AP.

3. The CALL: A Vocational and Life Purpose Guide

This Christian-based, online assessment measures 27 distinct dimensions and shows occupations that best match the candidates’ results. The six abilities are measured in this assessment are:

• Cognitive ability
• Learning Pace
• Verbal Skill
• Verbal Reasoning
• Numerical ability
• Numeric reasoning

Candidates may purchase this assessment at The Call http://www.thecallonline.com or take it through a coach who has completed The CALL assessment certification training. A detailed report is provided to the candidate which highlights occupations that best match their profile.

4. The Highlands Ability Battery

This online, three-hour battery of tests includes nineteen different work samples. It measures candidates’ natural strengths, along with personal style that cluster results into these four broad areas:

• Personal style, e.g., generalist, introvert
• Driving abilities, e.g., classification, idea productivity, spatial relations visualization;
• Specialized abilities (design memory, verbal memory, number memory, visual speed, etc.
• Vocabulary

A 30-page report is generated from the battery of tests. A trained facilitator interprets the candidates’ results and guides them into careers that best fit their natural strengths. A list of affiliates who are trained to administer this assessment can be found at Follow Your Calling.

Since people’s abilities influence their career success, it is wise for career coaches to incorporate ability assessments as part of the overall career assessment process for candidates. If you know of other good ability assessments, I invite you to share them.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.

This article is dedicated to Jean Haldane who passed away last month and to her husband Bernard Haldane (deceased) for their lasting legacy of the Dependable Strengths® Articulation Process (DSAP). Today DSAP is in use worldwide in schools, colleges, churches, businesses, correctional facilities, human services agencies, and more.  The Bernards left behind two organizations that continue to carry out their work: Center for Dependable Strengths (CDS) in Seattle, WA; and Dependable Strengths Foundation in South Africa that fosters job creation, worker motivation, and enhancement of skills.

Bernard created the DSAP in 1945 to assist WW II Veterans transition to civilian life. Dependable Strengths® (DS) represent people’s special talents for excellence and are discovered through a peer-assisted group process. Participants identify good memories of what they did well and which gave them a sense of pride and/or accomplishment. In dyads and/or quads, they share their stories of what they did as they were making it happen. Then, their peers give them feedback. Through a process of prioritization, participants walk away with clarity and ownership of their DS—“a skill or talent that shows itself three or more times in the person’s top seven Good Experiences”—and know how to demonstrate their value to employers.

I interviewed Carmen Croonquist, a Dependable Strengths® facilitator and career coach. She said, “The main difference between DS and StrengthsFinder 2.0 is that DS are generated based on people’s memories of life experiences and to which they’re emotionally connected. Whereas, the StrengthsFinder 2.0 provides test takers with data on their top natural talents and provides them with further information to confirm them.” Carmen has applied her knowledge of DS with college students, career clients, and career workshops/classes. She feels it equips them to demonstrate their value to current and future employers.

CDS offers DSAP 5-Day Facilitator Training and public workshops. Through CDS you can purchase resources to learn more about DS. I have found the following three books authored by Haldane/s to be valuable:

1. Gifts: Dependable Strengths for Your Future is a great resource on DS and contains activities to discover one’s DS;
2. Job Finding Power is for lay leaders and has useful information for them to assist the unemployed; and
3. Ministry Explorations: A Total Ministry Support System is a total ministry support system.

CDS, along with Center for Learning Connections and WOIS/The Career Information System, just launched the initiative “Coming Home: Dependable Strengths for Veterans.” You can donate to this cause online.

Wishing you success as you assist your clients in discovering their Dependable Strengths®!

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.

SkillScan’s Career Driver Online Assessment

This inexpensive assessment is geared for clients that are ready to embark on a professional career or desire to make a career transition. It is taken online.

Coaches can set up an administrative account to purchase, administer, and download reports for their clients. They can access a Counselor’s User Guide that provides complete information on how administer, interpret, and coach clients on their results. For each section of the report, it provides suggested strategies and sample questions to use with career launcher and career transitioner clients. Also, coaches can download many helpful materials.

It will take your clients approximately 25 minutes to complete this online assessment. They can select either a Career Launcher Report (for people that are new to a professional career) or a Career Transitioner Report (for people that have two or more years of professional experience). After they’ve completed the assessment, they can download their report as a pdf. Coaches can download their clients’ reports through their administrative account.

The SkillScan’s Career Driver report provides a report overview and has four sections.

1.    Your Skill Road Map: lists their top four (out of six) skill categories (analytical, communication, creative, management/ leadership, physical/ technical, and relationship) in rank order, along with their highest rated skill in these categories. Coaches can encourage their clients to review this information to determine how well it aligns with their current or anticipated career.

2.    Road Work: shows skills most critical to their career development, along with development tips. Coaches can work with their clients to create a development action plan.

3.    Road Closures: displays the skills they have little or no interest in using or developing. Coaches can ask their clients how many of these skills they use in their current position. If they’re using a lot of their least favorite skills in their current position, it will bring clarity about which aspects of their job are least enjoyable.

4.    Your Trip Guide: shows their strongest preferred skill sets (out of 18 skill sets), in priority order, with common traits and suggested career options for each of them. Coaches can encourage them to focus attention on their top 2-4 skill sets and identify which of the relevant career options are most appealing. Then, they can explore relevant options in their current or future organization.

5.    Driver’s Test (only in the Career Transition Report): provides focusing activities and actions for them to learn more about their skills, interests, values, and work environment. Coaches can ask their clients to complete these activities, and then, ask them questions to determine the main causes(s) of their career dissatisfaction. Next, coaches can suggest them to brainstorm careers that would better fit them.

6.    Side Trips and Resources: provides them with information and resources to further assess, explore, develop, and promote a future career direction.

In summary, coaching on flow, along with the use of the Knowdell™ Motivated Skills Card Sort or SkillScan’s Career Driver Online assessment, will enable clients to become more clear about the skills they most, and least, enjoy using. Then, the coach can guide their clients to identify a career(s) that will allow them to use their enjoyable skills and stay away from their least enjoyable skills. Finally, the coach can work with them to create a development plan in order to develop their enjoyable skills and move toward their ideal career.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton

Often, my clients say, I don’t like my current job and I want to find more enjoyable work.” It’s important for coaches to assist their clients in disentangling work activities that are intrinsically motivating to perform from those that are not.  Mihaly Csiksaentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” is a great one to introduce to your clients. Also, have your clients take one of these two assessments to discover skills they’re motivated to perform: 1) Knowdell™ Motivated Skills Card Sort, and 2) SkillScan™ Career Driver.

Coaching on Flow
Mihaly Csiksaentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, conducted research on people and discovered that flow—enjoying what you’re doing and losing track of time—occurs when both the skills and challenge are high. Use some or all of the following questions with your clients to help them uncover work activities they most enjoy and the types of challenging situations they want to use them for.

• Think about a time when you were totally absorbed in what you were doing at work (or in life) and lost track of time? What were you doing? What was challenging about this activity and/or situation?
• When else can you remember being absorbed and losing track of time? (Ask this question several times to pull out various experiences.)
• What common threads do you see in these experiences?
• How could you have more of these experiences?
• What work roles include these activities?
• Where in your current company could you perform these activities?
• Where else you could you perform these activities and experience this same challenge?
• What’s your key takeaway about flow?

Knowdell™ Motivated Skills Card Sort

This is one of several card sorts developed by Dick Knowdell. You can order this inexpensive deck of cards and accompanying worksheets at Career Trainer. Or, you can order and administer this assessment online. Each card lists one activity with a brief definition, e.g., “Conceptualize: Conceive and Internally Develop Concepts and Ideas.” Cards are sorted based on two variables: 1) level of enjoyment, and 2) level of skill. The five levels of enjoyment range from ‘Totally Delight in Using’ to ‘Strongly Dislike Using.’ And, the three degrees of skill range from ‘Highly Proficient’ to ‘Lack Desired Skill Level.’

After your clients have finished sorting the cards, ask them to record their results on a “Motivated Skills Worksheet.” Next, ask them to review their motivated skills—highly proficient in and totally delight in using; burnout skills—highly proficient in and strongly dislike using; and skills to develop—possess little or no skill and totally delight in using their burnout skills. Then, use some or all of the following coaching questions to heighten your clients’ self-awareness about their skills:

• How frequently are you using these motivated skills at work? How could you increase your opportunity to use them?
• How frequently are you using these burnout skills at work? How could you decrease your use of them?
• How could develop the skills you enjoy using but aren’t skilled in? How else?
• What’s your most empowering insight from this card sort?

Note: Watch for Part II of this article during the week of May 24, 2010.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton

As career professionals, we spend a great deal of time listening to client stories.  Mining these stories for value can improve our delivery of services.

For example, what does it mean when a client says, “I am a people person”? (You may have used the same phrase; after all, we work in a helping profession!)  However, this is a general and vague statement until we probe more deeply to determine its real meaning.

Try getting your clients to tell some stories not related to work.  Ask them to talk about times in their lives when they are doing what they enjoy most and doing it well.  Individuals will often gravitate to what they most enjoy when they are free to do so, especially during their discretionary time.

Remember, it’s not what they CAN do; we all acquire competence with skills through training or experience.  A natural strength, as opposed to a can-do skill, is something we do effortlessly; something that energizes us; and something that gives us innate satisfaction–in short, when we do it, we make it look easy; when we use it, we are often in a state of flow.

As they focus on those events and activities, listen actively. By doing so, we learn more about our clients, their priorities and preferences.  This can help us better position and package a client’s value proposition, or better coach them to reach their career goals.

Subject Matter

When a client says they are a people person, are they commenting on a preferred subject matter? That is, are they telling us something important about what they enjoy working with and through on a daily basis?

Listen for specific clues to the configuration of their fascination with people. Do they prefer working with individuals one-on-one? Or, working with or among teams?  Or, are they interested in broader groups of people, such as people of a particular culture or religion? populations with particular needs or interests? Or, are they interested in the traditions, beliefs, languages, and habits of other cultures? Or, are they people watchers, fascinated by human behavior, by what “makes people tick,” by the way people think or feel, and the psychology behind what causes people to say or do something?

Try drilling down into the I-am-a-people-person statement with a few specific questions :  How did you get involved with that? What did you do exactly on your own (or as part of a team)?  What was particularly enjoyable or consistently satisfying about that?  Listen carefully for clues that reveal their natural inclinations, strengths, preferences.

Natural talents

Perhaps it is not people as a subject matter that motivates them; instead, they have a natural helping talent–they enjoy tutoring individuals; or, helping others complete their goals or projects; or,  giving advice to others; or, reassuring and supporting others.  Do they have a knack for stepping into situations where they see shortages to fill or needs to be met? Do they actively seek out situations to be useful or helpful (if not indispensable) as they step in and aid others with assistance, guidance, support or tangible resources–not as a job requirement but in their own time because it energizes them.  This helping talent could be leveraged into certain helping professions, or highlighted in their resume and value proposition.

Perhaps they are using an intuitive talent that is only triggered by contact with people. For example, they might have a knack for discerning people’s character quickly and accurately, and usually read people accurately, or are rarely fooled by anyone.  Again, this could have a bearing on the kind of work they are suited to do (e.g. credit loan officer, immigration official, police detective, recruiter, counselor, probation officer), or the job skills that should be highlighted in their resume or brand.

Conclusion

You may find a reservoir of revelations behind the simple statement: I am a people person.  By using the skills we already have for listening, questioning, analyzing, and synthesizing, we can better position, package and coach our clients for success.  They are more likely to succeed if they are motivated, and they are more likely to be motivated when aligning their key success factors with a job that will recognize and reward them for what comes naturally and easily to them.  Each successful client is our best source of new and growing business.

In my next Blog, I will look at what is revealed through personal stories in terms of  Relationship Building and how that correlates with job choices and job search strategies.

I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand —Og Mandino

Often clients say, “I want more meaningful work.” Yet, they don’t know what it is or how to find it.  With the use of assessments, tools, and coaching your clients will discover their passion and purpose.

A free initial measure for your clients’ that are working on purpose is a10-question online quiz, “Power of Purpose Quiz” (http://inventuregroup.com/Resources/Quiz.aspx). After completing it, your clients can compare their total score with the average score of other test takers. Then, coach them to explore their answers to the various questions in the quiz.

“Calling Cards – A Journey of Discovery” (http://www.inventuregroup.com/inventure-store/Calling-Cards-A-Journey-of-Discovery-P5.aspx) is an inexpensive and easy to use tool to help clients focus on what’s most important to them. It’s a deck of 52 cards and each card has two or three words on it, e.g., “starting things,’’ “getting things right,” “building things.” Ask them to quickly review all the cards and select 8 to10 cards they’re most drawn to. Next, ask them to select their favorite card(s). Then, coach them on that topic by asking questions such as:

• “What about that card makes it your favorite?”
• “Say more about that.”
• “What work experiences are closest to the words on the card?”
• “What other work activities tie to that the words on the card?”

Also, ask them to notice what Holland Theme is shown on that card, e.g., enterprising, realistic. If they’ve taken an interest inventory, encourage them to explore occupational areas that fit that both that Holland theme and the words on their favorite calling card.

To help your clients find their passions, start them out with a short passion quiz (http://www.thepassiontest.com/Offer/PTProfile/index.cfm). Ask them for feedback on their results. Coach them to brainstorm passions, and then, ask them to identify their top five. Continue to coach them to discover work that best matches those passions. If they desire further exploration of their passions, encourage them to take the full version of The Passion Test (http://www.thepassiontest.com). Or, they can take the Core Passion Assessment™ Tool (http://www.corepassion.com) online which provides people with a rank order of twelve core passions.

Discovering purpose and passion is an important step for your clients to find meaningful and enjoyable work. The discovery process can best be facilitated through coaching. Wishing you the best as you and your clients find purpose and passion!

Further Resources on Purpose and Passion:

• Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman.
• Beyond Halftime, by Bob Buford.
• Halftime: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance, by Bob Buford.
• Repacking Your Bags, by R. Leider and D. Shapiro.
• Something to Live For: Finding Your Way in The Second Half of Life, by Richard Leider.
• The Passion Test, by J. B. Attwood and C. Attwood.
• Wake Up…Live the Life You Love: Living on Purpose, compiled by Steven E. and Lee Beard.
• Whistle While You Work, by R. Leider and D. Shapiro.

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.

Do you have clients that are dissatisfied in their current job but express an interest in staying in the same occupational area? For example, Jane is a teacher with a high need for achievement and currently works with a severely retarded population. She expresses frustration in not seeing a great deal of improvement in her students on a day-to-day basis. Instead, Jane might derive greater satisfaction in working with high-potential students.

The best kept secret for a free and excellent career values assessment is the Work Importance Profiler (WIP). It is one of the O*NET™ career exploration tools. The WIP is based on the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) that was developed as a result of extensive research conducted by Dawis & Lofquist in 1984. According to the TWA theory, clients have work satisfaction when they possess the skills and abilities needed to perform the job well and the job satisfies their important needs and values.

The WIP assessment is designed for clients who are 16 years or older and read at, or above, the 8th grade level. This assessment highlights the test-taker’s top two work values, and gives scores for each of six career values and the work needs that underlies them. The six career values and the needs associated with them are as follows:

1. Achievement: ability utilization, and achievement.
2. Independence: creativity, responsibility, and autonomy
3. Recognition: advancement, authority, recognition, and social status.
4. Relationships: co-workers, ethics, and social service.
5. Support: company policies and practices, supervision – human relations, and supervision – technical.
6. Working Conditions: activity, compensation, independence, security, variety, and working conditions.

Here are instructions for your clients to take the Work Importance Profiler (WIP):

1. Go to http://www.onetcenter.org/WIP.html
2. In the drop down box, select Work Importance Profiler.
3. Click on Software tab and download the WIP-Software; it requires Microsoft Windows application.
4. Take the assessment.
5. Print out the two pages that provide scores: one page shows the values, and the other page shows the needs.

I have found that it is not necessary or particularly helpful for clients to finish the last portion of the assessment in which they select a job zone and review occupations in that job zone that match their values.

For further information about the WIP, download the WIP User’s Guide. It can be accessed at the same location as the WIP-Software, mentioned above.

After your clients gain awareness about their top values, encourage them to search occupations in O*NET™ OnLine at http://online.onetcenter.org/find and compare their values, and other descriptors, with occupations. Each occupation description includes relevant information for the following things: tasks, tools & technology, knowledge, skills, work activities, work context, job zone, work styles, work values, related occupations, and wages & employment.

With WIP results, your clients gain a greater understanding of what’s important to them in a job. Do your clients a big favor by asking them to take the WIP and coaching them in finding a job that matches their highest work values and needs.

Source: O*NET™ Work Importance Profiler User’s Guide

Copyright 2010. Nancy Branton.

After more than 15 years in an unfulfiling career, it took Sandra over eight months to build up the enthusiasm to look for a new one after she was laid off. Her unemployment is slowly running out, but Sandra is so paralyzed. She really doesn’t know what to do next, and she doesn’t know where to start when it comes to making a decision for herself.

Michael visited my office week after week convinced that there was more that we could do with his resume before he embarked on his next job search. Not willing to address the factors that led to his multiple job firings in a few short years, the resume was the only thing he wanted to focus on.

What do these two people have in common?

A 10-foot high mental roadblock that is standing between them and their next job, their next career, even their next business. Many of us have been here at some point in our lives. For others, it is a permanent roadblock, a pattern of behavior that is preventing them from moving forward in their lives. Either way, such situations call on us to harness all our psychological resources to literally “psyche ourselves up,” and mobilizing your energy like that is not easy.

So what’s really keeping you stuck in your job search or career?

If you have been stuck in your job search for longer than you want to admit, there may be a lot more in your way than just the economy. The current job market may have fewer openings then in past years, but are you letting certain fears, inadequacies or confusion reign supreme?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been immersed in the festivities and competition of the Olympic games. As I watch, I can’t help but wonder: What keeps these athletes so focused, driven and on top of their game? I’m well aware that behind all the profiles in courage and inspirational family and friends, many athletes also use sports psychologists. Sports Psychology, or the study of a person’s behavior in sports, seeks to understand psychological and mental factors that affect performance in sports, and then apply those to enhance individual and team performance. Sports psychology helps athletes increase performance by managing emotions and minimizing the psychological effects of injury and poor performance. Some of the most important skills taught are goal setting, relaxation, visualization, self-talk, awareness and control, concentration, confidence” (link Wikipedia) Can you use these same concepts in your job search as well?

Whether you are at the beginning, middle or end of this marathon, hike, or hockey game called your career or your job search, the question remains, “Is your head in the game?” The human psyche is a fragile place and losing a job, and in the case of today, losing a career, falls under the category of great life stressors. But, like the ice skater who falls flat in practice just before the competition begins, or after the first big jump, it’s how we manage this tremendous adversity that is the precursor for everything that is to come in your career. Your success depends on your ability to build your confidence back up, after it has been crushed, and to find the ability to gain control of the endless chatter in your head.

As the first post written by myself and colleague Ilana Levitt on the impact of psychological barriers on the ability to manage your job search and career, I would like to challenge you to think in a different way? Start your job search by watching TV! Are there any lessons in the Olympics that you might take away from the athletes? Do you learn anything from stories of how they have responded to setbacks? Are there any lessons in resilience and actions you can borrow?

For both Sandra and Michael mentioned above, it is really important for them to reflect on what is the real obstacle that is keeping them stuck. What is the meaning behind the patterns in their life, both personally and professionally? It does take courage to look at these lifelong behaviors because we get so used to them.

There are some practical steps they can both take. For Sandra, she needs to pick a new sport (or career field), a new direction that builds on her past skills and expertise—and which has a short learning curve. Michael’s approach may be altogether different—a 360 review with past colleagues which may help him move forward in incorporating new feedback and different ideas. With a little counseling to explore each experience, he may be able to make adjustments that go beyond the resume, and, in turn, sustain a longer tenure at his next employer. What new training regimes or adjustments will work best for you?

Written collaboratively by Donna Sweidan & Ilana Levitt.