Professionalism 101: A G uide for Military Spouses in the Professional Workforce

1. Professionalism 101:A Guide for Military Spouses in the Professional Workforce

2. What we’ll talk about… The Attitude: Thinking like a professional The Schmooze: Effective networking The Resume: Getting in the door The Polish: Writing and speaking the part The Interview: Standing out from the crowd The Look: Dressing the part The Obstacles: Overcoming milspouse-specific challenges The Case Study: Hiring an Exec Assistant

3. The Attitude: Thinking Like a Professional • Recognize your unique strengths • Comfort with senior leadership • World-wide experience • Ability to overcome bureaucracy • Adaptability • Understand the requirements of employer • What do they need?Why are you a good fit? • Why is hiring YOU a good business decision? • Overcoming obstacles • Gaps in resume can equal diverse background • Lots of jobs means lots of experience– cross pollination effect • Focus on strengths, not insecurities • No whining!

4. The Schmooze: Effective Networking • Everyone is a networking contact • Never take off your professional face entirely • Don’t pass up any opportunity • Develop your elevator speech • Different variants for different audiences • Know it cold– you should be able to say it in your sleep • Watch for cues and adapt accordingly • Use “new media” to your advantage • Be careful of pitfalls • Concept of “personal branding”

5. The Resume: Getting in the door • The resume is the first impression • Highlight key points, use key words • Keep it short-- 1-2 pages • Quick readability is key • Avoid obvious mistakes • No typos, misspellings, formatting errors • Proofread, spell check, and grammar review • No random Capitalizations • Tailor the resume to the job • One size does not fit all • Cover letters are critical • No e-blasting for jobs– not worth it

6. The Polish: Writing and Speaking the Part • Write like a professional • Use formal, polite language • Be concise. No long emails, letters • PROOFREAD! • Did you TXT? Use emoticons? OMG. U R going not going 2 get the job, lol!!! • Speak like a professional • Modulate your voice • Watch grammar and colloquialisms • No swearing*

7. The Interview: Standing Out from the Crowd • Sell your strengths • Confident, not cocky • Make the business case for hiring you • Use examples • Be an active listener • Eye contact • Ask questions • Be concise and on point-- no rambling • Turn off your cell phone • Follow up quickly with a personalized email

8. The Look:Dressing the Part • Dress the Part • Always dress a notch above the people you are meeting • Conservative dress can (almost) never steer you wrong • Do’s • Conservative • Stylish • Well-fitting • Basic black/blue/grey suits (the “no comment” suit) • Don’ts • Trendy • Sexy • Too casual

9. The Obstacles:MilSpouse-Specific Challenges Resume holes Lack of on-ground network Fear of transience Deployment and family-related demands Expectations of spouse-related service (FRG, etc)

10. The Case Study Hiring for an Executive Assistant (Audience Participation Required!)

11. Case Study: Hiring for an Exec Assistant • One day, 100 resumes • Who Screened for an Interview • Tailored cover letters • Address potential concerns up front • Research the company (reference the website) • Tailored, polished resumes with clean formatting • Lessons Learned • Follow directions! • Odd styles detract from professionalism • Don’t “task” the hiring manager • Confident but not cocky

12. Email from a MilSpouse:What went wrong? Greetings Lauren Weiner,      I am attaching my resume for your consideration for the Executive Assistant to the President and Vice President.  I have  extensive experience it the Microsoft Office suite.  In particular, I am considered a Word Processing Specialist and have intermediate skills in Excel and Powerpoint.  I have advanced skills in Access and use several other database software programs as well.   I have been working in the administrative area for over 10 years in a civil environment (county) as well as an independent contractor for companies like Wells Fargo and individual entrepreneurs with their own private company/LLC etc.  I have moved around a lot first because  I was a military spouse and then secondly to go where there was work available and good schools for my child.  I ended up offering my business consulting/administrative as well as executive support skills as an independent contractor to survive in the job market. I had to make my own way. I have worked on government/military projects in California (on Fort Ord) in Project Management with an environmental cleanup corporation. I have actually helped apply for government contracts for privately owned financial consulting company/service provider.       I am fairly new to the state of Florida however, I have found my way around rather quickly and have been coming to this area for summers for several years.   I am used to adapting and familiarizing myself with new surroundings and people. I am disciplined enough to work from home and consider it a great advantage for time management as well as cost effectiveness.  Your company sounds like a great fit for me and my skill set is a great match the position.Thank you for your time and consideration.  If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

13. Email: Formatting, Proofreading and Tone To Lauren, I have taken a great interest in the job listing mention in the subject line of this email. I would  like to inquire on more information about the position and the history of the company. I know I am a good candidate  for the open position and will not disappoint. My resumes is attached to this email and has all my current contact  information. I have over 8 years of customer service experience, over 2 years of supervisory and over 4 years of professional office experence. I  prefer contact via phone. I am currently employed and have obligations to a weekly schedule. I am available Monday  through Thursday around *10:00am - 12:00pm (noon)* All day Friday for interview purposes. Until hired, and presented  with an official start date, I will not shift my current obligations. I will be expecting a reply, and look forward  to working with you soon. Thank you for your time,

14. Cover Letter Example:Non-Traditional Format and Tone

15. Resume Format:Unprofessional Style

16. Resume Format:Hard to Read

17. Other Mistakes:Email/Cover Letter/Phone Calls • Salutation • Dear Mr. / Ms. HR • Dear Lauren • Dear Miss Weiner • Follow-up calls • Calling within minutes of sending a resume • “She’ll know what it is in reference to” • Calling when an email response is requested • Too much information in email • No email text, only attachments

18. Other Mistakes: Resume • Not Tailored: • OBJECTIVE: To obtain a long-term position with a successful team where I am able to utilize my proficiency in Mortgage Foreclosure, Customer Relations, Business Administration, Data Processing, and Real Estate knowledge towards achieving a common goal. • Long Winded: • OBJECTIVE I bring joy and productivity to any work environment. Learning and using my trade to its fullest extent is my main goal and I detest the feeling of no getting anywhere / ahead. By training and manipulating my surrounding to get the job done in a safe an efficient way is my motto. Having over 11 years in customer service and being people person, I would be a great asset to any company or organization. Working harder and smarter with more brilliant day to day strategies and ideas, is what I can guarantee any employer. I always try my hardest to represent my employers best interest and uphold their rules and regulation, and still sending our clients / customers away with a smile. Time is one thing that is against me but it will not beat me, I will make sure that with all my power every client/customer that my employer entrust to me will be satisfied no matter how long it takes me to get the job done. My oath to my employer is to make all of, my clients / customer and also my fellow employees enjoy there time spent and learn from every experience. • Not well formatted • No difference in font (bold, italics, etc) • Unprofessional fonts • Difficult to read

19. Are There Any Good Examples?Emails and Resume Examples As background, I was the office manager for a mid-size law firm in downtown Tampa for the past five years.  In October 2011, our firm downsized and my position was eliminated. After perusing your website, I was very intrigued with your company, particularly the fact that you are a woman-owned small business with impressive credentials.  In response to your ad on CraigsList for an Executive Assistant, attached is my resume for your review. I'm sure you will be flooded with many qualified applicants, so please allow me to explain why you would want to contact me first:

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21. Questions? Contact InGearCareer Email: Info@ingearcareer.org Visit InGear on the Web: www.ingearcareer.org Like us on Facebook and join the conversation: www.facebook.com/ingearcareer Lauren G. Weiner, Ph.D. President, Wittenberg Weiner Consulting, LLC Chairman of the Board, InGearCareer