An SF Approach to Job Searching

[Ramu Iyer]

I am in a career transition mode and searching for a new employer. The recession or the "jobless recovery" (as economists label it) has been somewhat slow.

Rather than getting discouraged, I want to add a dash a optimism and hope and figure out how I can use a SF approach for my job searching process.

I have talked to a couple of recruiters who opined that the tranditional resume no longer works in this labor market. Instead they recommend that a candidate should position himself or herself to vividly demonstrate to an employer how (s)he can solve the potential employer's "problem".

A related aspect of my overarching question is whether it is possible to reframe a resume to be solution focused.

Thanks for sharing any insight as well as any leads to employers who might be hiring.

Ramu

[Hans-Peter Korn]

Dear Ramu - yes, to "reframe" a resume (or a CV) in a solution focused way is an interesting idea to think about...
And, I also ask myself: How is it possible to recognize, that a CV is "SF"?
Does such a CV (written for a specific job offer) demonstrate how (s)he can solve the potential employer's "problem"?
Well, this might IMHO be a difference compared with "traditional" CV's. And, on the other hand, this is not "new". To describe (in a short way) how (s)he can solve the potential employer's "problem" is usually (in my experience in Switzerland and Germany) part of the "covering letter", not of the CV.

But it seems, that there are some important different "traditions" in different countries. So, e.g., I read in http://www.jobera.com/job-resumes-cvs/international-resumes-cvs/uni... this:
"In the United States, the term resume is used instead of CV. In short, the resume is an American-style CV, which details the most recent job first and highlights the main aspects of your career. It is less structured, in a narrative style and more brief than a CV. It is also more subjective. The main feature of United States resume is the objective and/or goal of your career. Clear, precise and operational “Career Objective” should use short and punchy sentences filled with action verbs and power words. It contains information about the function, the level of responsibility and the type of enterprise you would like to work for. Follow the career objective with a “Work Experience”. Bear in mind, that looking for a job in the USA, is much like selling a product. You are selling yourself, so again use power words and action verbs that describe your achievements and accomplishments i.e. experienced, managed, developed, coordinated etc."

In Germany a "typical" CV is different, based on http://www.jobera.com/job-resumes-cvs/international-resumes-cvs/ger...:
"The German CV is always in chronological order - ending with the most recent job. Typewrite your German CV on one to maximum two pages in A4 format, depending on the length of your work experience. Germans respect perfectionism in all areas of business, so your CV should be concise, precise as possible and clear.
Having work experience (including apprenticeships) is one of the main selection criteria in Germany. List responsibilities you had in each job with dates, their locations and your titles - emphasizing areas relevant to the position for which you are applying.
Make your CV more effective by providing examples to illustrate your achievements. Use power words and action verbs such as contributed, organized, demonstrated, trained, managed, developed, coordinated etc. Bullet point these at the start of a sentence for maximum impact.
Make sure that there are no “gaps” in your German CV. However, if “gaps” exists, ensure to mention the reason. Carefully consider what to leave out of your CV and exclude anything that might give prospective employers a chance to discriminate against you."

Maybe a good "SF Approach" to write a resume or a CV might be to respect the "traditions" of the different countries instead of writing it in a "SF stile" which is not in line with that "traditions".

How far is my comment useful for you?

Good luck!
Hans-Peter

[Rodney Daut]

Did you ask yourself about the outcome of this job search before beginning? Wouldn't a solution-focused approach focus on the outcome and then work backwards to how you achieved it?

Rodney