Always Represent Yourself!

I picked up the phone at my office recently and was engaged in conversation with a woman who told me she was inquiring about jobs for Mechanical Engineers. She answered a few basic questions tentatively then I asked her about software packages she knew and I heard her whisper, "he's asking about things I never heard of, which software do you know?" In the background I could barely hear someone mumble a weak answer. When I asked what was going on I was told her boyfriend was shy and did not like to talk with people! Needless to say, that was the end of that discussion and I told her I could not even review the resume of an Engineer who was unwilling to speak for himself.

This might sound fabricated but I assure you it occurs a few times each month. It makes me think of a few friends I had as a teen who let their parents speak for them all the time. As I have written previously, how you market yourself will dramatically impact your personal job search!