Dear Coach, What are your thoughts about including “objectives” on your resume? I have given mine as “to seek employment that provides health and dental insurance.” I would not think of taking a job without such coverage.
CK: I agree that employer-paid benefits are essential to survival, but do not list it as the reason you are looking for a job. It will be viewed as too self-serving and evidence of a lack of commitment to the employer. Your objectives are supposed to be to find a job you can do well and that challenges you.
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Dear Coach, One week after starting a new job, I realized it was not working out. I resigned but stayed on an extra week to complete a project–so I left on good terms. I included it on my resume because I knew I’d get a good reference, but I’ve not gotten any job offers. Shall I remove it?
CK: Yes. I don’t think it helps to have it there. It makes you look as if you are not too reliable. However, you can mention it in the job interview. I do congratulate you for cutting your losses quickly and acting so professionally.
Dear Coach: I’ve always held fairly high positions, but in my new job I feel like a beginner. I have more work than two people can handle and my manager wrote me up for the first time in my career. Even though I always help others, I’m told I’m a slacker. I work 55 hours a week and get dirty looks when I leave. I feel I’m being targeted. What can I do until I find another job?
CK: Write down your version of what happened and have it included in your personnel file. That aside, it seems to me they want to get rid of you but don’t want to fire you–so they make it so unpleasant, you’ll eventually quit. Quietly start to look for another job while continuing to work hard. When you get one, tell your supervisor you will resign, but only if you get an excellent reference. Don’t leave without it!
COACH CAROL’S 15-SECOND DRILL: Many supervisors simply don’t like to give performance appraisals and put off giving them. If yours is long overdue, don’t hesitate to ask for it. You need to know how you’re doing.
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Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Tuesday’s and Thursday’s Business sections. Watch her “Career Coach” segments on CLTV.