Lessons Learned from My Friend Peter

On my way home, the other day, I went into the neighborhood grocery store to pick-up a few things. While I was checking out, I chatted with my friend, Peter Zafferes – pictured above – a cashier at Publix.

Peter is one of my favorite people in the world and he certainly knows how to roll with the punches that life throws his way – especially in his work-life, where he has been through four major career transitions.

I’ve had several brief, “checkout line conversations” with Peter, but awhile back, I met with him – during his lunch break – just so I could learn from this affable, hard-working octogenarian.

Peter Zafferes was born on October 3, 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who had recently emigrated from Greece – through Ellis Island. The year after Peter was born, his father opened a small neighborhood grocery store in Brookline, Massachusetts.

In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, from age four to age seventeen, you would have found Peter working in the Zafferes family’s Brookline Provision Store. There, he perfected his customer service skills as he assisted customers, including such notables as Joe and Rose Kennedy and their well-known son, John F. Kennedy, who knew Peter by name.

At seventeen, Peter’s grocery career was interrupted, and he began building vessels in the local shipyard, for the war effort. A few months later he was on one of those ships, as he set sail to join the Third Army, under the command of the legendary General George S. Patton. Over the course of the next two years, Peter quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant and was decorated with a Bronze Star Medal.

Within a few weeks of VE-Day Peter was seriously injured when the truck in which he was riding ran over a German mine. As a result, he spent three months in a Paris hospital.

In 1946, Peter went back to Boston to receive training in electronics – which would allow him to outfit military ships with radar, radios and other technical equipment.

In 1959, Peter had to change careers – after 16 years of government service – and joined a large insurance company. Peter worked for that company for 28 years, until he retired, again, in 1982.

At that point, Peter worked in public safety and dabbled in retail, for a brief time, before heading to Florida – to be closer to family and friends who had slowly migrated south. Soon after arriving in Florida, at the age of 67, he re-started his grocery career that had been cut short 50 years earlier, and began working for Publix.

Nine years ago, Peter decided to move to Franklin, to live with his daughter’s family and continue working, full-time, at a newly opened Publix.

You could reason that Peter has probably “retired” about four times over the past 80 years – but he has no intentions of doing so again. He enjoys his current job and loves seeing his regular customers – and we certainly love seeing him.

As for Peter’s secret to staying young-at-heart and perpetually happy, he credits it to simply keeping busy and staying positive, in spite of life’s trials and unexpected turns. And, while Peter’s past is rich in memories, he clearly lives in the here-and-now, and is focused on continuing to contribute and bringing joy to everyone he meets.

If you are going through some hard times – as Peter has – don’t give up and don’t hesitate to take a full or part-time job you might consider to be beneath you. Just make sure it isn’t the type of position that will harm an employer if it ends up being a very short-term job.

If the position only lasts a few months, you don’t have to place it on your resume. Simply re-label the “Employment History” section on your resume to “Relevant Experience” – and simply indicate the year you left your last relevant position.

If the interviewer asks what you are doing today, simply explain that the last relevant position you held is on your resume – however, you are currently engaged in some interim work while you look for your next position.

A short-term position just might help serve as a monetary bridge to your long-term gig – and it could do wonders for your attitude.

Was this article helpful? If so, let me know. And if you have additional thoughts and suggestions – I would like to hear from you. To provide feedback, either click on the tiny “comment” link, at the conclusion of each article (or click on the title of the article) and you’ll find a comment box at the very bottom.

Multi-page Resumes: Never say Never

It drives me nuts when I hear self-described “experts” carelessly dispense their simplistic “absolutes”. I often wish I could assess contributing writers a $250 tax on the use of the words “never” and “always” in articles they pen for media outlets. Perhaps, then, they might not use these words so carelessly.

Today, I read the following gem – from a self-proclaimed “communications expert” – aimed at a few hundred thousand innocent readers of our local newspaper:

“A resume should never be more than one page”.

Before I explain why this isn’t necessarily the case – let me reflect on an old quote my father often repeated to the Newsom family, “Prescription before diagnosis is malpractice.” In other words, you risk hurting people when you offer solutions – or dispense advice – without first considering all the factors and individual circumstances.

Telling the world “a resume should never be more than one page” is like saying…
“Brochures should never be longer than one, single-sided page.”
“Television commercials should never be more than 15 seconds in duration.”
“Magazine ads should never be more than one-quarter of a page in size.”

As a former marketing executive, turned executive recruiter, I’m happy to report that there are no absolutes when it comes to the proper length of a brochure, the size of a print ad – or even the number of pages for a resume.

TIPS ON RESUME LENGTH:

Use as many pages as it takes to tell a persuasive story – but no more.
Only those with significant qualifications and strong resumes are even invited to interview. As a result, more, not less, relevant information is now needed on the resume. However, don’t confuse a resume with a biography. Everything on your resume needs to support your personal brand. And remember, the primary objective of a resume is to generate leads that result in interviews.

Don’t try to stuff six pounds of flour into a five-pound bag.
It’s actually less taxing to read a well-formatted two-page resume than a crammed one-page resume.

When it comes to electronic resumes, key words are king.
For resumes in electronic formats, that are intended to be placed directly in online databases – whether it be for a large employer or a commercial job search web site (e.g. Monster.com, CareerBuilder, etc..,), page-length is immaterial. When it comes to electronic resumes – key word searching drives results.

New grads and entry-level candidates
As a general rule-of-thumb, resume length depends on the level of the position. Resumes for new grads and entry-level candidates are often, but not always, one page. Most undergraduate career-placement centers tell students to limit their resumes to one page. In most cases, new grads don’t have enough relevant experience to justify more than a page. However, some new grads have lots of relevant internships, summer jobs, extracurricular and leadership experience that certainly justifies a two-page resume.

The two-pager: The choice for the majority of job seekers
A two-page resume is the smartest choice for the vast majority of job seekers who are above entry level, but below the executive level. Once someone has been in business for 10+ years – it is very difficult to keep everything on one page.

Resumes for the corner office dwellers
When it comes to senior-level positions (COO, CFO, etc.) decision-makers have a much larger scope of need than just skill sets or even accomplishments. The hiring company will be making an enormous investment and betting the future success of the company on the candidate, so they need to know much more about the candidate than can typically fit on even two pages.

Was this article helpful? If so, let me know. And if you have additional thoughts and suggestions – I would like to hear from you. To provide feedback, either click on the tiny “comment” link, at the conclusion of each article (or click on the title of the article) and you’ll find a comment box at the very bottom.

Without this Ingredient, You’re Toast

I’m very lucky. I get to meet fascinating people every day. Some have awe-inspiring, creative gifts. Some have subject-matter knowledge that boggles the mind. And a few have earned academic credentials from the very best universities on earth.

However, without self-confidence, few of these people will ever land the positions to which they aspire. While a candidate with a fraction of their talent, expertise and education will easily earn twice as much – if they have self-confidence.

The truth is, people without self-confidence are typically ineffective networkers, they sell themselves short and they tend to stay in their comfort-zone.

Self-confidence trumps the best dress suit, the best resume, the highest degree, and even the best inside connections.

As a recruiter, self-confidence is one of the most important things I look for when meeting any candidate. It’s that special ingredient that is absolutely priceless and always memorable.

However, if you have always had low self-confidence, there are still things you can do to improve on it.

The most important first step toward gaining self-confidence is to accept and love yourself. None of us are perfect, so give yourself a break and stop dwelling on your minor deficiencies, as we all possess our fair share.

You must accept them and start concentrating on your many talents and past accomplishments. By doing so, you will free your mind of a heavy burden and instantly feel light and cheerful.

Also consider that positive energy is closely allied to self-confidence. Without it, your self-confidence may simply come off as arrogance.

If you still feel a lack of self-confidence, you can at least demonstrate it in the interview by doing these simple things:
• Make sure you’re dressed appropriately
• Show up 15 minutes before you walk through the front door
• Stand tall and pull your shoulders back
• Shake hands firmly
• Walk a little faster. Like you have places to go and people to see.
• Breath slowly and deeply
• Speak UP and speak clearly
• Memorize your “30-second elevator speech” and be able to say it very naturally
• Try to avoid using “aaah” and “ummm” in your sentences
• Control your nervous gestures (e.g. touching your face, folding your arms)
• Make eye contact with the interviewer. Never look down or away from the person when talking to them.
• Smile (often) and have a sense of humor
• Display good manners, but (I don’t care what your mother or college guidance counselor said), don’t say “yes, sir” or “no, ma’am” in an interview.

At times, a normally confident person will lose their self-confidence when they experience an extended period of unemployment. They start doubting themselves and begin to think they no longer measure up.

If I’m describing you, please remember that you are the same accomplished and capable person you were before you lost your job. You simply need to change your internal dialogue.

If that isn’t working, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor. According to mental health experts, unemployment can easily lead to depression. Don’t hesitate to get help. With proper treatment, you can get right back on track.

OTHER TIPS:

Stay away from people and things that get you down
The news media is often guilty of fanning the flames of doom and gloom. It’s smart to stay on top of current events, but if it gets you down – turn it off. Instead of watching the evening news – watch Wheel of Fortune. You can even skip the front page of the newspaper and go directly to the comics!

The people you associate with also play an important role in your self-confidence and positive energy. Gravitate towards those with a positive outlook that will support you. This will do wonders for your self-confidence.

If you were laid-off, turn the page and move on.
Nothing is gained by replaying the event, asking yourself what you could have done differently or dwelling on the injustice. As they say, misery loves company – so avoid spending your day talking about “how bad it is out there” with your fellow unemployed associates.

I know it is easier said than done, but look forward – not behind.

Work hard in your job search, but take some time each day to have a little fun.
Especially when you are out of work, participate in activities that you enjoy and energize you. I’m 50 years old, but I feel like a 12 year old when I play a game of laser tag with my kids.

Get up early and put in a solid day of reaching out to prospective employers – and cap it off by watching a funny matinee at the local theatre or a long walk with a supportive friend in a local park.

Take some time each day to reflect on your special abilities and accomplishments and start managing your mind.
You need to be aware of your own self-talk. Your self-image is what feeds your self-confidence and this needs constant monitoring and care. Don’t underestimate yourself and guard against allowing feelings of inferiority to creep into your head.

And when it comes to processing the negative talk – from outside your mind – force yourself to think positively. If you hear that the unemployment rate is 8% – tell yourself that there is a 92% employment rate and that you will soon be gainfully employed again.

Was this article helpful? If so, let me know. And if you have additional thoughts and suggestions – I would like to hear from you. To provide feedback, either click on the tiny “comment” link, at the conclusion of each article (or click on the title of the article) and you’ll find a comment box at the very bottom.