For the past few months, I have tried several times to write on a subject for Ask Gwen that I believe will be a great topic of discussion. Yet, every time I start work on that particular topic, I end up putting it on the back burner in order to publish a different topic. Last week I made the decision that no matter what, I was going to make it this week's topic of discussion. 

Wednesday morning I sat in front of my laptop and began constructing the outline for the blog post. After looking over previous notes I knew I would have to do some additional research to solidify my thoughts on the subject. So I began.  I started clicking on website after website jotting down this piece of information, bookmarking this site and that site.  A little happiness came over me as I realized this thing was taking shape and I was finally going to publish on that particular topic.

I decided I needed some hard numbers to back-up my claims so I turned to one of my favorite sources, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It was there that I ran across it; a statistic that would not leave my mind. No matter how hard I tried to focus on my chosen topic, I could not get this information out of my mind. By Friday night I made the decision to once again place my initial blog post on hold so that I could publish on a subject that is quite disturbing to me as an American as well as African-American.

According to the BLS, the mid-year national unemployment rate for the U.S. is holding around 6.3%.  That translates into about 9.8 million Americans who are out of work and seeking employment. It was the breakdown of that 6.3% that caught my attention.  The website shows that in May of 2014 the ethnic breakdown of the unemployment rate for the U.S. is: Caucasians (5.4%), Hispanics (7.7%), Asian-Americans (5.3%), and African-Americans (11.5%) (View report). More research on the subject revealed to me that the African-American unemployment rate has consistently doubled that of the majority race for the past six decades (View report).  The information puzzled, surprised, and disheartened me. So my question is why? 

As I pondered this information over and over again, I went back to my time in higher education. I recall several reports that showed the college graduation rate in the African-American community has rose nearly 11% in the last decade (View here). Yes at 42% nationally, the overall graduation rate is still low, but the bottom line is the rate has improved.  Why is it that an 11% increase in college educated African-Americans results in no improvement in the unemployment rate gap with Caucasians? Umm, I guess that means the answer cannot lie in simply educating our race. There has to be something more.

So now I turn my attention to employer hiring practices. My background in human resources gives me firsthand account on this subject.  In 2014, can the answer lie in the fact that minorities are still experiencing unfair hiring practices? According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), claims accusing employers of violating federal law in applicant recruitment, application processing, and hiring and promotion have increased since 2010. Companies such as BMW and Dollar General are currently facing federal charges on the use of background checks to keep African-Americans and other minorities from gaining employment or receiving promotions (View here).

In addition to background checks, over the last decade the labor force has seen a 60% increase in employers who use credit histories as a screening tool.  In October of 2010, a representative for the National Consumer Law Center testified before EEOC, that the use of credit history as a screening tool provides no insight on job performance.  What is does offer is a way for employers to screen out African-Americans and Latino's in their hiring practices (View here). Is this the answer to why there is an ever present employment gap? Have employers simply gotten smarter at screening out minorities?

I read a number of theories provided by sociologists and researchers concerning a "skills gap," "labor & population distribution," and "employment models." The only thing I found was that they were just theories with no concrete evidence of their claims and quite frankly a lot of excuses that started to upset me.  I decided that I cannot offer you the reader a concrete explanation.  All I can offer you at this time is proven facts.

It is a fact that there is a consistent unemployment gap between African-Americans and Caucasians that is nearly 2 to 1. It is a fact that employers are increasingly utilizing screening tools that result in unfair hiring practices with minorities.  It is a fact that African-American's are pursuing and accomplishing higher education more than at any time in our cultural history but we are still behind in employment. And it is a fact that something has to change.  How do we as a people (Americans) make that change?

Meet Evan
Hi Gwen.  I am currently working as a Sr. Sales Representative for a pharmaceutical company.  I have been in this position for almost six years and to put it nicely, I'm just tired of the sales game.  It would be great to have a position that lets me continue working with my clients, pays a stable salary, eliminates the competitive pressure, and lets me have a social life.  I would like to be promoted to Sr. Account Executive but have not had any luck with my last four internal applications. 

Despite having a MBA (the position requires a bachelor's degree and three years of experience), I have been overlooked time and time again. To make matters worse, it always seems like the person they hire is less qualified or does not have as much experience as I do.  I want to be loyal to this company but I'm starting to feel defeated by the lack of promotion.  Is there anything I should be doing to make this promotion happen or is it time for me to start looking to other companies? Also can you look over my résumé to make sure it is not the reason I'm missing out on these jobs?

My Advice
Evan, first let me say that your situation is one that I encounter quite often so I am familiar with your frustrations. After reviewing your résumé, I was quite impressed.  You had a solid professional profile that highlighted your contributions to the company and desire to build on your sales accomplishments. I also thought you did a good job of emphasizing your qualifications against the position requirements.  It was easy to read and visually appealing.  In short, I don't think the problem is your résumé.

What did catch my attention is the industry you are in. Pharmaceutical Sales is not always about what you know but who you know. It is a field built on developing and nurturing relationships. In order to have survived this long, I'm pretty sure that you have constructed a great network of clients and peer sales representatives.  I believe your problem lies in a mistake that many people often make.  You have gotten comfortable operating within your network but have done little to expand your network beyond your pay grade. 

The first thing you should do is attach yourself to a higher-up within your organization.  This could be a supervisor or someone currently serving within your desired position.  Work on communicating your desire to move forward within the company, and just as you did in your résumé, focus on how you plan to build on your past contributions to further the company’s success.

Take advantage of social media to boost your cause.  I did a quick search for you on LinkedIn and your online profile is not nearly as impressive as your traditional résumé.  You can do more to elevate your image and stand out for hiring managers. I recently wrote an article on the importance of having a LinkedIn Profile that does more than restate the information from your résumé. (Click here to view that article). When your profile is stronger, using it to connect with senior level officials within your organization could be the turning point in your promotion efforts.

Lastly, work on being more social within your organization.  You mentioned wanting to have more time for socialization, so make time to attend company functions that will get you talking to others.  Again LinkedIn is a great way to connect with senior management, but it can also be a great way to monitor the social activities of your organization so that you can make plans to attend.

In my opinion, you have a good chance of getting promoted with your current company.  Your foundation is strong, we just need to make it stronger.  Once we strengthen some of your weaknesses, if still have not obtained a promotion, then we can look at applying to other companies in the industry.  

My Advice   
Career transition can be a time for excitement and allow a person to discover new passions and life satisfaction. Although it can be rewarding, it can also be challenging. The best way to minimize any negative effects is to have a solid plan that includes knowing what you want/need and possessing the ability to communicate those wants/needs to yourself and your future employers.

Here are some areas we focused on with Leslie’s Career Transition Plan:

1.  How to effectively answer the "Why" question
When a person decides to leave one career to pursue another, they are going to be asked why, especially if they are leaving a successful career.  In Leslie's case, her recent obtainment of a degree fueled her desire to transition careers.  As her career coach it is my job to train Leslie on how to respond to the "Why" question in any setting whether a casual conversation or formal interview. Her natural response must indicate that although she is successful in her current career, she now has a desire and a skill-set to take on new challenges in a different field.

Warning!!! Be careful in this situation.  I have seen job applicants ruin their chances for hire by focusing on the negative aspects of their current jobs, bad mouthing employers, or giving bland responses such as I just want to make more money.  No matter what your underlying reason for career transition, you should always portray positive messages to a potential employer. Talking negative about a current or previous employer can give your potential boss the idea that you will do the same to them on your next job.  Saying you are just looking for more money might give the image that you have no loyalty to the company and will go where the money is greater.

2. Identifying transferable skills and qualifications through branding
One of Leslie’s primary concerns was sustaining her income level and position status in a new industry. When I’m coaching clients I tell them: “You are what your reveal.” If Leslie wants to be a public relations manager, we must create a brand that says Leslie, Public Relations Manager. 

The best way to do this is to identify any skills or qualifications that she can take from her career history and connect them to the skills she will need in her potential career. We highlight these skills in the résumé and cover letter we designed, used them as talking points in mock interviews, and briefly showcased them in her video résumé and follow-up documents. 

Example: Highlight transferable skills such as staff management, team development, and strategic planning.  This method conveyed that Leslie is more experienced than the typical graduate and is capable of meeting the challenges associated with being a manager. 

3. Goals and plans
Understand that even though Leslie has done a lot to transition to a new career, the actual process of transitioning takes time.  One of my challenges as a coach is getting clients to adjust their expectations. You may not get a job next week or next month because hiring processes are affected by variable elements such as the economy.   

I helped Leslie understand that she needed to set goals that were S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely).  Once we identified her goals we developed a 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month plan where we sit down and look at the progress and make adjustments based on how many jobs she applied for, the number of employer contacts, interviews, etc.  During this time frame we can identify best practices such as which application methods led to more interviews or which interviews led to job offers.  (Keep in mind, Leslie is already secure in her career and even though an employer offers her a position she does not have to say yes if it does not fit her needs.)

Once you have made the decision to undergo career transition you should also take steps to develop a Career Transition Plan.  For more help on how to achieve this process, contact me at gmproresumes@gmail.com or submit your questions on our website at gmprofessionalresumewriting.com.  I would be happy to help you in your career transition.