Linsey Levine, MS is a fabulous CareerCounsel[or] who posted this great article from another Career Coach, Meg Montford. I'll be going to the movie VERY soon (especially since I'm known as Julie and Julia). I love the article because it provides some guidance for identifying what you love to do and then pursuing it.
I saw "Julie and Julia" yesterday and agree with this article by Career Coach and colleague, Meg Montford.
Career Coach Chatter
"Julie & Julia" - A Script for Career Transition
August 10, 2009
"Julie & Julia" appealed to me on many different levels: I love to cook, I love Julia Child's personality, but as a Career Coach, I most love the process of career transition demonstrated in the movie. Seeking a purpose to her life as she felt stuck in a mundane job, modern day Julie set a goal to cook her way through Julia's French cookbook in a year - and blogging about it every step of the way. Her blog took on a life of its own (as blogs can do) and propelled her to job offers from media and publishers. Voila! No more mundane job - hello new career!
Responding to the question every Career Coach asks a hopeful career changer, "What do you really like to do?", Julie Child tells her husband, "Eat!" In a parallel universe we watch Julia Child engineer her own career transition from stay-at-home wife of a diplomat to a professional French chef student that leads to teaching and then to writing her renowned cookbook - half a century ago. With determination and commitment to the process, she keeps pursuing her cookbook dream despite publishers' rejections. She networks (as does Julie) with people who can help her.
The first ingredient required to start any career change process is self-motivation. Julie and Julia did not quit, despite the many obstacles thrown into their way: spouse relocation, unsuccessful cooking attempts, negative comments from others. Instead, they stay focused on their goals, fearlessly trying new things and thriving with the support of those who truly cared.
What really grabbed my attention in the movie was how powerful the blog became as a vehicle for skyrocketing Julie's career transition. Many times a week I discuss blogging with my career coaching clients. Want to get a new job? Start a new career? Then get known on the Internet! That's the first place hiring managers and recruiters look today to learn more about you before scheduling any job interview.
If you don't have a presence on the Internet, you are at a disadvantage - almost as much as if you have a negative presence on the Web. Blogs get indexed quickly so Internet surfers can find them soon after you post. Blog about your career passions spotlighting your knowledge. But if blogging just isn't for you, at least create a professional profile on LinkedIn, the most popular online hot spot for career changers and employers alike.
"Julie & Julia" is a movie everyone who desires a career change must see. Besides its obvious appeal that showcases Meryl Streep's character acting, this movie provides a blueprint for orchestrating your own career change. Watch, listen and enjoy. And take away all its tips to help YOU find the career you really can enjoy.
Bon appetit! (Change your career with confidence!)
Meg Montford
Purpose is the reason you are here on the planet. It's not how you're going to fulfill your purpose - that comes later.
I suggest you write what you think is your purpose using as many words as come out. Then pare down, pare down, pare down to the pith of "I am here on this planet to ..." Aim for fewer than 20 words, preferably 15. It means making choices and understanding what each word means to you very deeply.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Resumes That Work
Columnist Deborah Wheatman lists Four Reasons You Aren't Getting the Interview and one of them is a boring resume.
Here are some ideas for making your resume an effective marketing document - marketing YOU and your abilities to a prospective employer.
Your resume is a marketing document. Its job is to position you to get your "right fit" work. Thus, its content is crucial. It must convey to potential employers exactly what you have to offer them, as well as the results you are likely to produce for them based on your past record of accomplishments. Here's how to do that.
PROFILE
To begin, I advocate putting a profile at the very start of the resume, just under your name and contact information. A profile is not an objective (of course you want a job), nor is it a litany of your skills (boring!). A profile is a succinct description of who you are in the workplace.
Your profile presents your unique value proposition – what you love to do and are good at doing, the skills you want to use in the future, and the attributes you want to highlight. Your profile also will capture your personality through a judicious use of adjectives. In sum, your profile conveys the substance and flavor of who you are in the workplace.
In some ways, the process of creating the profile is more important than the final product. Developing it gives you the chance to think carefully about your "unique value proposition." In fact, the reader will usually catch the first five or six words of the profile and then move on to Experience. They might come back to it but even if they don't, the profile will make an impression. It says that you've thought about and know who you are.
Everything you say in your profile must be backed up by your accomplishments, which are listed under each employer and job. Essentially, the profile is the thesis that you then go on to prove with concrete examples. It also is useful as a way to ensure that your resume is internally consistent in terms of the message you intend to convey.
BODY OF RESUME
The first thing read by a prospective employer is the name of the company for which you worked. Then they usually will glance at the title and years worked - some will read title first while others read years worked first.
Here's the order of information that I recommend for the basic information:
* Employer's name first, in bold, followed by its location, not in bold. Use the city in which employer is/was located. Only include the state if the city is not immediately recognizable e.g. Wareham, MA, or is easily confused with something else, e.g. Springfield, MO vs. Springfield, IL vs. Springfield, MA. Otherwise, New York or Boston or Chicago or Los Angeles is sufficient.
* Dates of employment, not in bold, on the same text line as the employer's name and location. The dates should be tabbed over so they are on the far right of the page, preferably lined up with the right side of your address block.
If you worked at the company in more than one position, put the complete block of time over the far right. Next to each position title you can put in parentheses the dates you held that position. For example, Vice President, Sales (3/02 to 7/05).
Job titles can either be grouped together if your job responsibilities were substantially the same with the most recent encompassing the previous responsibilities plus more. If the jobs were substantially different, I treat each one as a separate job under the same employer.
* Title of your position, in bold and italics, directly underneath the employer name and location.
My experience is that most readers go through the entire resume once just glancing at employer, years and title. If all seems to be complete and consistent, then they glance at education to see if you have any degrees. So make sure you have no huge holes in time, and no major typos!
Only after that first quick read will they go back to look at individual jobs, starting with your most recent one first. After rereading your employer's name and title, usually readers will move to the body of the entry. Here's what it should contain:
* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments
JOB DESCRIPTION
In a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position, briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities. Say "Led all communications and marketing efforts for Fortune 1000 technology firm (STOCK SYMBOL)" or "Oversaw day to day operations for 45 year old non-profit teaching literacy to adult New Yorkers" or "Managed entire recruiting and on-boarding process for 300 person homeless services agency."
Use as many numbers as possible to give readers a good idea of the scope and depth of your responsibilities. For example, say "oversaw $3.5 million advertising budget" or "supervised team of 12, with four direct reports."
Readers' eyes are drawn first to numbers, then to CAPS, then to bold. Italics are rarely an eye-catcher, so use them only to indicate the title of an article or project, not for anything substantive.
BULLETS
Bullets are for accomplishments. I recommend limiting yourself to 5-7 bullets for your most recent job, 4-5 for your next most recent, maximum 2 for the next most recent and none for the oldest ones. Quantifying these bullets is important. Those are the things that will get you the interview. The interview allows you to fill in more detail and also to talk about accomplishments that weren't listed.
Here are my tips for great accomplishment bullets:
* Lead with the results and impact of your work, when writing accomplishments. Use active, directionally positive words like "increased," "improved," "advanced," "optimized," "enhanced" and "expanded."
* Use numbers as much as possible, especially with dollar signs and percentage signs; they are real eye-catchers and speak to many employers' focus on the bottom line.
* Split the accomplishment into "what" and "how": the impact or result, and how you achieved that result. For example, "Increased revenue year over year by 80%, through redeploying sales team."
* Ask “so what” to get to the impact of whatever activity you want to include. If you want to include it, it’s probably important but only if you can somehow tie it to an impact that is somehow measurable – as in “increased” and “improved” and “enhanced” and “expanded” – or gives clear evidence of major responsibility, as in “directed,” “led,” “managed,” “launched,” and “created.”
* Brevity is best. Limit each bullet to one, maximum two lines.
* Give leading information to cause the reader to ask a follow up question. Remember, the point of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview is where the reader can ask you to explain how you redeployed the sales team and why that resulted in 80% revenue increase.
* Only include things you really want to do again – similar or greater scope of responsibility, the type of work or project, specific skills you really want to use again, or attributes you want people to notice.
Here are some ideas for making your resume an effective marketing document - marketing YOU and your abilities to a prospective employer.
Your resume is a marketing document. Its job is to position you to get your "right fit" work. Thus, its content is crucial. It must convey to potential employers exactly what you have to offer them, as well as the results you are likely to produce for them based on your past record of accomplishments. Here's how to do that.
PROFILE
To begin, I advocate putting a profile at the very start of the resume, just under your name and contact information. A profile is not an objective (of course you want a job), nor is it a litany of your skills (boring!). A profile is a succinct description of who you are in the workplace.
Your profile presents your unique value proposition – what you love to do and are good at doing, the skills you want to use in the future, and the attributes you want to highlight. Your profile also will capture your personality through a judicious use of adjectives. In sum, your profile conveys the substance and flavor of who you are in the workplace.
In some ways, the process of creating the profile is more important than the final product. Developing it gives you the chance to think carefully about your "unique value proposition." In fact, the reader will usually catch the first five or six words of the profile and then move on to Experience. They might come back to it but even if they don't, the profile will make an impression. It says that you've thought about and know who you are.
Everything you say in your profile must be backed up by your accomplishments, which are listed under each employer and job. Essentially, the profile is the thesis that you then go on to prove with concrete examples. It also is useful as a way to ensure that your resume is internally consistent in terms of the message you intend to convey.
BODY OF RESUME
The first thing read by a prospective employer is the name of the company for which you worked. Then they usually will glance at the title and years worked - some will read title first while others read years worked first.
Here's the order of information that I recommend for the basic information:
* Employer's name first, in bold, followed by its location, not in bold. Use the city in which employer is/was located. Only include the state if the city is not immediately recognizable e.g. Wareham, MA, or is easily confused with something else, e.g. Springfield, MO vs. Springfield, IL vs. Springfield, MA. Otherwise, New York or Boston or Chicago or Los Angeles is sufficient.
* Dates of employment, not in bold, on the same text line as the employer's name and location. The dates should be tabbed over so they are on the far right of the page, preferably lined up with the right side of your address block.
If you worked at the company in more than one position, put the complete block of time over the far right. Next to each position title you can put in parentheses the dates you held that position. For example, Vice President, Sales (3/02 to 7/05).
Job titles can either be grouped together if your job responsibilities were substantially the same with the most recent encompassing the previous responsibilities plus more. If the jobs were substantially different, I treat each one as a separate job under the same employer.
* Title of your position, in bold and italics, directly underneath the employer name and location.
My experience is that most readers go through the entire resume once just glancing at employer, years and title. If all seems to be complete and consistent, then they glance at education to see if you have any degrees. So make sure you have no huge holes in time, and no major typos!
Only after that first quick read will they go back to look at individual jobs, starting with your most recent one first. After rereading your employer's name and title, usually readers will move to the body of the entry. Here's what it should contain:
* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments
JOB DESCRIPTION
In a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position, briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities. Say "Led all communications and marketing efforts for Fortune 1000 technology firm (STOCK SYMBOL)" or "Oversaw day to day operations for 45 year old non-profit teaching literacy to adult New Yorkers" or "Managed entire recruiting and on-boarding process for 300 person homeless services agency."
Use as many numbers as possible to give readers a good idea of the scope and depth of your responsibilities. For example, say "oversaw $3.5 million advertising budget" or "supervised team of 12, with four direct reports."
Readers' eyes are drawn first to numbers, then to CAPS, then to bold. Italics are rarely an eye-catcher, so use them only to indicate the title of an article or project, not for anything substantive.
BULLETS
Bullets are for accomplishments. I recommend limiting yourself to 5-7 bullets for your most recent job, 4-5 for your next most recent, maximum 2 for the next most recent and none for the oldest ones. Quantifying these bullets is important. Those are the things that will get you the interview. The interview allows you to fill in more detail and also to talk about accomplishments that weren't listed.
Here are my tips for great accomplishment bullets:
* Lead with the results and impact of your work, when writing accomplishments. Use active, directionally positive words like "increased," "improved," "advanced," "optimized," "enhanced" and "expanded."
* Use numbers as much as possible, especially with dollar signs and percentage signs; they are real eye-catchers and speak to many employers' focus on the bottom line.
* Split the accomplishment into "what" and "how": the impact or result, and how you achieved that result. For example, "Increased revenue year over year by 80%, through redeploying sales team."
* Ask “so what” to get to the impact of whatever activity you want to include. If you want to include it, it’s probably important but only if you can somehow tie it to an impact that is somehow measurable – as in “increased” and “improved” and “enhanced” and “expanded” – or gives clear evidence of major responsibility, as in “directed,” “led,” “managed,” “launched,” and “created.”
* Brevity is best. Limit each bullet to one, maximum two lines.
* Give leading information to cause the reader to ask a follow up question. Remember, the point of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview is where the reader can ask you to explain how you redeployed the sales team and why that resulted in 80% revenue increase.
* Only include things you really want to do again – similar or greater scope of responsibility, the type of work or project, specific skills you really want to use again, or attributes you want people to notice.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
"Staying positive."
Tweeters, bloggers and columnists are united in emphasizing how important it is for people to develop and maintain a positive attitude during a job search. In fact, the consensus is that you'll be more successful in your job search if you can stay positive.
My gang asks "how do I stay positive?" Several are depressed, and all feel at one point or another that this process of finding a new job is frustrating and seemingly endless. It's really hard to have hope, and to just keep going.
We came up with some really practical suggestions for staying positive.
* Accept that it helps to be positive and to have hope. It's like that experiment where you frown and see how you feel, then smile and see how you feel. It's impossible to really smile and NOT feel happier. So choosing to look at the positive is a huge step.
* Vent your frustration and anger and fear and all your emotions. It's normal to feel all those things. By expressing those feelings, you expel them from your body and take away their power. Your feelings no longer are pushing you around without your consent. And you've rid your body and soul of those toxic sentiments, that will grow stronger and become corrosive to your spirit if they are shoved down and left to fester. When your feelings are expressed and outside of you, you can either cast them away as no longer relevant or you can work with them. By working with them I mean seeing if the feelings indicate that perhaps you need to take a new or different action.
* Take a variety of actions. For me and for many job seekers, having many irons in the fire is a fantastic stress reliever and anxiety reducer. Work on putting together a great resume at the same time you're checking the job boards for openings. Create a list of people with whom you can network and prioritize them, while you're drafting cover letters that market you. Set up and go on networking meetings while you are applying for jobs. Create a great LinkedIn profile. Edit your resume based on new information. Look into consulting work while you are waiting to find the right jobs for you. Go to networking events. Take a walk. Grab your laptop and go to a local cafe that has WiFi so you can check e-mail or go on Twitter.
* Get out of your home! Isolation is the danger of being out of work. It is very seductive to turn on the television or sit at your computer all day. And that is usually what leads to depression. I know folks go to Starbucks and local coffee places at regular times, simply to have a routine. It happens that they then meet people in a similar situation, and networking happens naturally. One man I met is a writer who inspired me to really get into my blogging - in part because he overheard me helping others with their job searches. Because of him, I'm following my passion. The point is to stay part of the world. Seeing other people during the day helps one keep a positive attitude, which helps one persevere - and a job search is all about perseverance.
* Allow yourself to do things you really love to do. While it's "a full-time job to look for work," it's also a rare opportunity to spend time pursuing a dream or exploring things that you thought might interest you but never had time to do. Allowing yourself to do some fun things does two things: 1) you have fun, which is always a good thing for staying positive; and 2) you may actually find that you could turn your hobby or passion into paid employment. One woman I know is now running writing workshops, after being laid off from a senior management consulting firm. She loves writing and decided to help others write, while making a little money. It's a start of something that could grow bigger - or not. The point is she's using her skills and following her passion while she searches for a job.
* Find a confidant. This is someone who can help you reframe things, keep things in perspective, and help you think through your process and any hard decisions. For many people, this is a career coach. For others, it might be a really good friend. The goal is to find someone who is willing to listen to your process and your venting, able to ask questions to help you establish your own priorities, and trustworthy enough to challenge your negativity.
* Be kind to yourself. Some days are just hard. That's OK. Tomorrow you'll feel different. Most of us are able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again (yes, you can break into song now). Sometimes, all we need is a little break from the grind of looking for a job. That's good, normal, healthy to give ourselves. It's nothing to be afraid of. The danger comes if you find yourself unable to get out of bed or make those phone calls or send those e-mails, no matter how hard you try. Those are signs of depression, and there are great treatments for depression. Doctors and psychiatrists are the people who can help you with those.
* Read about other people's experiences as well as positive blogs, columns and tweets about job search. Reading can give you great ideas about what you can do, provide some perspective about what job search is like and what to expect, and get you outside your own head. It is a way to reduce isolation as well as to gain inspiration for taking that next step that WILL lead you to your next job.
* Trust that you will find a job. Because you will. The guy who wrote that great book What Color Is Your Parachute? (buy it!) says job search is like this: "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO....(on and on for a whole page of NO)...YES." Eventually, you will find the right job for you. And it probably won't be what you expected. You might have to make some major shifts along the way in terms of what you'll accept, how you live, what you want. No matter what, though, you will get a job as long as you keep going, taking the next step.
My gang asks "how do I stay positive?" Several are depressed, and all feel at one point or another that this process of finding a new job is frustrating and seemingly endless. It's really hard to have hope, and to just keep going.
We came up with some really practical suggestions for staying positive.
* Accept that it helps to be positive and to have hope. It's like that experiment where you frown and see how you feel, then smile and see how you feel. It's impossible to really smile and NOT feel happier. So choosing to look at the positive is a huge step.
* Vent your frustration and anger and fear and all your emotions. It's normal to feel all those things. By expressing those feelings, you expel them from your body and take away their power. Your feelings no longer are pushing you around without your consent. And you've rid your body and soul of those toxic sentiments, that will grow stronger and become corrosive to your spirit if they are shoved down and left to fester. When your feelings are expressed and outside of you, you can either cast them away as no longer relevant or you can work with them. By working with them I mean seeing if the feelings indicate that perhaps you need to take a new or different action.
* Take a variety of actions. For me and for many job seekers, having many irons in the fire is a fantastic stress reliever and anxiety reducer. Work on putting together a great resume at the same time you're checking the job boards for openings. Create a list of people with whom you can network and prioritize them, while you're drafting cover letters that market you. Set up and go on networking meetings while you are applying for jobs. Create a great LinkedIn profile. Edit your resume based on new information. Look into consulting work while you are waiting to find the right jobs for you. Go to networking events. Take a walk. Grab your laptop and go to a local cafe that has WiFi so you can check e-mail or go on Twitter.
* Get out of your home! Isolation is the danger of being out of work. It is very seductive to turn on the television or sit at your computer all day. And that is usually what leads to depression. I know folks go to Starbucks and local coffee places at regular times, simply to have a routine. It happens that they then meet people in a similar situation, and networking happens naturally. One man I met is a writer who inspired me to really get into my blogging - in part because he overheard me helping others with their job searches. Because of him, I'm following my passion. The point is to stay part of the world. Seeing other people during the day helps one keep a positive attitude, which helps one persevere - and a job search is all about perseverance.
* Allow yourself to do things you really love to do. While it's "a full-time job to look for work," it's also a rare opportunity to spend time pursuing a dream or exploring things that you thought might interest you but never had time to do. Allowing yourself to do some fun things does two things: 1) you have fun, which is always a good thing for staying positive; and 2) you may actually find that you could turn your hobby or passion into paid employment. One woman I know is now running writing workshops, after being laid off from a senior management consulting firm. She loves writing and decided to help others write, while making a little money. It's a start of something that could grow bigger - or not. The point is she's using her skills and following her passion while she searches for a job.
* Find a confidant. This is someone who can help you reframe things, keep things in perspective, and help you think through your process and any hard decisions. For many people, this is a career coach. For others, it might be a really good friend. The goal is to find someone who is willing to listen to your process and your venting, able to ask questions to help you establish your own priorities, and trustworthy enough to challenge your negativity.
* Be kind to yourself. Some days are just hard. That's OK. Tomorrow you'll feel different. Most of us are able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again (yes, you can break into song now). Sometimes, all we need is a little break from the grind of looking for a job. That's good, normal, healthy to give ourselves. It's nothing to be afraid of. The danger comes if you find yourself unable to get out of bed or make those phone calls or send those e-mails, no matter how hard you try. Those are signs of depression, and there are great treatments for depression. Doctors and psychiatrists are the people who can help you with those.
* Read about other people's experiences as well as positive blogs, columns and tweets about job search. Reading can give you great ideas about what you can do, provide some perspective about what job search is like and what to expect, and get you outside your own head. It is a way to reduce isolation as well as to gain inspiration for taking that next step that WILL lead you to your next job.
* Trust that you will find a job. Because you will. The guy who wrote that great book What Color Is Your Parachute? (buy it!) says job search is like this: "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO....(on and on for a whole page of NO)...YES." Eventually, you will find the right job for you. And it probably won't be what you expected. You might have to make some major shifts along the way in terms of what you'll accept, how you live, what you want. No matter what, though, you will get a job as long as you keep going, taking the next step.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What Have You Been Doing to Keep Your Skills Current?
This question is apt to be asked when you've been out of work a few months. And that is the case for many people these days.
While it stinks to not have a job, what an amazing opportunity you have to learn some new things, get into the emerging trends and technology in your field, and build your network! Here are some ways you can keep up and expand your skills during your job search:
1) Use the vast resources of the internet and world-wide web.
Choose a search engine and plug in the name of your field or job or area of interest. Click on a website or news article. Read it. Follow links from that site to the next place. It's like blazing your own trail, following your interest to see what comes up. You may even discover a new area for your job search. Or you'll discover a person at a company you identified as of great interest, and now you have a potential point of contact via LinkedIn.
Look for news about companies and industries you have targeted in your job search. If you know people at those companies, send them e-mails or handwritten notes (preferable) letting them know you noticed them, or saw this article that might be of interest. It's a way to stay in touch and remind them that you are still out there.
2) Find a volunteer opportunity suited to your skills and interests.
There are traditional volunteer opportunities at non-profits, accessed through VolunteerMatch.com, New York Cares and similar Cares organizations in other cities, and by contacting the volunteer office at your charity of choice. Those opportunities may or may not be specifically in your skill area, and some charities are better able to use volunteers than others. Whatever you do, you will be keeping occupied, making connections with other volunteers and with the non-profit's staff, and making a real contribution to a cause. Substantive volunteer work can go on your resume.
Other more traditional volunteer opportunities include serving on your co-op board, organizing a block party, serving on a committee for your town or place of worship, tutoring a child, and serving on the benefit committee for a fundraising event.
More substantive volunteer assignments are available through the National Executive Service Corps and Taproot Foundation. Both treat you like a consultant, assigning you to a non-profit for a specific project and period of time. You apply and go through an interview process. This is akin to getting a job, and is very valuable resume experience.
3) Reach out in your network to help people with their work projects, pro bono.
This kind of work is great because you can get to know a new field and stretch your mind. It's consulting work, so you can put it on your resume as experience.
I did several research projects while I was in limbo after my last full-time job, where I compiled, condensed and wrote reports on topic ranging from re-engaging out-of-school youth in education and workforce development to terrorist incidents in Arab countries.
There are other things you can do more suited to your experience and background - building a friend's website, writing copy for a local event, helping a friend get her artwork into galleries. One man I know offered to volunteer at a conference he wanted to attend but couldn't afford; by handling registration and guiding people throughout the conference, he was able to attend many sessions and to make valuable connections that he is leveraging now for a potential business start-up.
4) Use social media.
Blogging is a great way to keep up with your field. You can start your own blog and use it as a platform to explore issues related to your occupation and industry. Your blog also is the launching pad for going to other people's blogs in your field and commenting intelligently and pithily on their posts. That's the way to get your blog noticed and start to build a community in your field. Who knows what kind of job opportunities might come through that?
Twitter and LinkedIn are two main social media outlets that allow you to connect with people in your industry and field. For one thing, jobs are posted on both sites. Twitter has many job posters, job search groups, and job/career coaches and advisors. You can get lots of expert help with your job search. LinkedIn has job listings, some of which are exclusive to LinkedIn and its users. You can easily see whether you have 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connections to people at companies that post jobs there.
It's easy to expand your network and knowledge through Twitter. Through Twitter's search function, you can find people who tweet on topics near to your heart and mind, follow them, and hopefully they will follow you back. By responding nicely or with humor to someone's tweets, you can build a nice casual relationship. Retweeting someone's tweets is a terrific way to build relationship, for retweets are a great mechanism for someone to get more followers. If I tweet something and you retweet it to all of your followers, some of them are likely to follow me, too. When you have nice relationships, all sorts of things become possible. I've met people for lunch, had Skype phone calls, raised money for a non-profit, become a Twitter Advice Project Career Expert, and generally created a wonderful "office water cooler" atmosphere.
5) Take classes on-line, at a local community or 4 year college, or adult learning program. Or teach.
There are many on-line sources of free classes and webinars, such as iVillage, Microsoft, HR.com, and probably sites in every field. Simply enter "free classes [field]" and something will pop up. Local colleges usually let you audit a class for a small fee. There also are many adult education classes that cover topics relevant to many professionals. Libraries often have seminars or workshops that are free.
Consider teaching a class in your community. It's definitely a way to keep your skills honed because you have to know more than your students. Even if you have only three or four people show up, that's enough of a group to make it worth your while to share what you know. The exercise of putting together a curriculum is great for focusing your mind. You can talk to your local library about putting something together for them; they often are looking for programming to offer the community.
While it stinks to not have a job, what an amazing opportunity you have to learn some new things, get into the emerging trends and technology in your field, and build your network! Here are some ways you can keep up and expand your skills during your job search:
1) Use the vast resources of the internet and world-wide web.
Choose a search engine and plug in the name of your field or job or area of interest. Click on a website or news article. Read it. Follow links from that site to the next place. It's like blazing your own trail, following your interest to see what comes up. You may even discover a new area for your job search. Or you'll discover a person at a company you identified as of great interest, and now you have a potential point of contact via LinkedIn.
Look for news about companies and industries you have targeted in your job search. If you know people at those companies, send them e-mails or handwritten notes (preferable) letting them know you noticed them, or saw this article that might be of interest. It's a way to stay in touch and remind them that you are still out there.
2) Find a volunteer opportunity suited to your skills and interests.
There are traditional volunteer opportunities at non-profits, accessed through VolunteerMatch.com, New York Cares and similar Cares organizations in other cities, and by contacting the volunteer office at your charity of choice. Those opportunities may or may not be specifically in your skill area, and some charities are better able to use volunteers than others. Whatever you do, you will be keeping occupied, making connections with other volunteers and with the non-profit's staff, and making a real contribution to a cause. Substantive volunteer work can go on your resume.
Other more traditional volunteer opportunities include serving on your co-op board, organizing a block party, serving on a committee for your town or place of worship, tutoring a child, and serving on the benefit committee for a fundraising event.
More substantive volunteer assignments are available through the National Executive Service Corps and Taproot Foundation. Both treat you like a consultant, assigning you to a non-profit for a specific project and period of time. You apply and go through an interview process. This is akin to getting a job, and is very valuable resume experience.
3) Reach out in your network to help people with their work projects, pro bono.
This kind of work is great because you can get to know a new field and stretch your mind. It's consulting work, so you can put it on your resume as experience.
I did several research projects while I was in limbo after my last full-time job, where I compiled, condensed and wrote reports on topic ranging from re-engaging out-of-school youth in education and workforce development to terrorist incidents in Arab countries.
There are other things you can do more suited to your experience and background - building a friend's website, writing copy for a local event, helping a friend get her artwork into galleries. One man I know offered to volunteer at a conference he wanted to attend but couldn't afford; by handling registration and guiding people throughout the conference, he was able to attend many sessions and to make valuable connections that he is leveraging now for a potential business start-up.
4) Use social media.
Blogging is a great way to keep up with your field. You can start your own blog and use it as a platform to explore issues related to your occupation and industry. Your blog also is the launching pad for going to other people's blogs in your field and commenting intelligently and pithily on their posts. That's the way to get your blog noticed and start to build a community in your field. Who knows what kind of job opportunities might come through that?
Twitter and LinkedIn are two main social media outlets that allow you to connect with people in your industry and field. For one thing, jobs are posted on both sites. Twitter has many job posters, job search groups, and job/career coaches and advisors. You can get lots of expert help with your job search. LinkedIn has job listings, some of which are exclusive to LinkedIn and its users. You can easily see whether you have 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connections to people at companies that post jobs there.
It's easy to expand your network and knowledge through Twitter. Through Twitter's search function, you can find people who tweet on topics near to your heart and mind, follow them, and hopefully they will follow you back. By responding nicely or with humor to someone's tweets, you can build a nice casual relationship. Retweeting someone's tweets is a terrific way to build relationship, for retweets are a great mechanism for someone to get more followers. If I tweet something and you retweet it to all of your followers, some of them are likely to follow me, too. When you have nice relationships, all sorts of things become possible. I've met people for lunch, had Skype phone calls, raised money for a non-profit, become a Twitter Advice Project Career Expert, and generally created a wonderful "office water cooler" atmosphere.
5) Take classes on-line, at a local community or 4 year college, or adult learning program. Or teach.
There are many on-line sources of free classes and webinars, such as iVillage, Microsoft, HR.com, and probably sites in every field. Simply enter "free classes [field]" and something will pop up. Local colleges usually let you audit a class for a small fee. There also are many adult education classes that cover topics relevant to many professionals. Libraries often have seminars or workshops that are free.
Consider teaching a class in your community. It's definitely a way to keep your skills honed because you have to know more than your students. Even if you have only three or four people show up, that's enough of a group to make it worth your while to share what you know. The exercise of putting together a curriculum is great for focusing your mind. You can talk to your local library about putting something together for them; they often are looking for programming to offer the community.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Use August Wisely
Remember the old saying that "luck favors the prepared" August is the perfect time to prepare to land your "right fit" job!
Have your resume ready to go. While you're working on your resume, employers are finalizing job descriptions and postings that will start to appear right before and right after Labor Day. Many employers want to hire people right away to handle the expected heavy work load from late September to early December. If you're ready with your resume and cover letter, you'll be one of the first applicants to reach the employer.
It does help to be one of the first to cross the transom, especially in this economy. Employers are always looking for people who really want to work for their specific company, in their specific industry. Applying early in the search process indicates that you are motivated, even eager, to do this job.
Early application means that you stand a better chance of getting an interview if employers use a rolling search process - interviewing candidates until they get the right person. My experience is that very few employers actually wait to review resumes and start interviews until the advertised "final date for application." Thus, it's not to your advantage to wait until the very end of the process.
Prepare yourself to excel on interviews. Gather information. Use your computer and look up companies and fields that interest you. Become familiar with the field, its key players and its most recent trends, activities and achievements.
Seek out informational interviews with people in the companies and field you have targeted. This will get you connections as well as information. The reason you cite for wanting a meeting is to learn more about the field (company) and you know s/he is one of the best people to learn from. August is often a month where busy people have some time to give for informational interviews.
Here are some questions to ask:
* How did you get into this field?
* What keeps you interested in the field?
* What do you like best about your work?
* Where would you like to see the field (or your company) go in the future?
* What advice would you have for someone like me who wants to work in this field (at a company like this)?
* Is there anyone else you think I might benefit from talking to? If so, may I say you recommended that I contact them?
That's all I'll recommend now because the month fast approaches. Use it well and wisely!
Have your resume ready to go. While you're working on your resume, employers are finalizing job descriptions and postings that will start to appear right before and right after Labor Day. Many employers want to hire people right away to handle the expected heavy work load from late September to early December. If you're ready with your resume and cover letter, you'll be one of the first applicants to reach the employer.
It does help to be one of the first to cross the transom, especially in this economy. Employers are always looking for people who really want to work for their specific company, in their specific industry. Applying early in the search process indicates that you are motivated, even eager, to do this job.
Early application means that you stand a better chance of getting an interview if employers use a rolling search process - interviewing candidates until they get the right person. My experience is that very few employers actually wait to review resumes and start interviews until the advertised "final date for application." Thus, it's not to your advantage to wait until the very end of the process.
Prepare yourself to excel on interviews. Gather information. Use your computer and look up companies and fields that interest you. Become familiar with the field, its key players and its most recent trends, activities and achievements.
Seek out informational interviews with people in the companies and field you have targeted. This will get you connections as well as information. The reason you cite for wanting a meeting is to learn more about the field (company) and you know s/he is one of the best people to learn from. August is often a month where busy people have some time to give for informational interviews.
Here are some questions to ask:
* How did you get into this field?
* What keeps you interested in the field?
* What do you like best about your work?
* Where would you like to see the field (or your company) go in the future?
* What advice would you have for someone like me who wants to work in this field (at a company like this)?
* Is there anyone else you think I might benefit from talking to? If so, may I say you recommended that I contact them?
That's all I'll recommend now because the month fast approaches. Use it well and wisely!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Concrete Ideas for Reducing Fear of Failure and Rejection
For all of us afraid of "failing," I found this great article by Richard Fenton: Secrets for Turning Failure Into Success. It contains the most useful ideas I've seen on how to recast failure as an asset and a goal instead of something to be avoided. It's the change in attitude I was suggesting as necessary in yesterday's post.
This fits completely into my philosophy of using every experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to help other people. The more I "fail," the more I learn and the closer I am to my own goals. This is what I mean when I say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." I learn as I take action, and action moves me further along my path, leaving no chance for stagnation, entropy, stuck-ness.
Actually, I have come to believe that there are no mistakes or failures, there are only opportunities to learn and grow. My challenge is how to help others get to that place. Now this article gives me concrete, immediately usable ideas.
I'm going to try some of them, like "Set 'No' Goals" and "Intentionally Increase Your Failure Rate." Pretty radical reformulation of failure, isn't it?
I hope you'll consider reading this article and trying some of Fenton's ideas when you're feeling stuck in your job search and reluctant to risk any more rejection or disappointment. As Richard Nelson Bolles says in Chapter 2 of What Color is Your Parachute* (the granddaddy of all job search guides), a typical job hunt goes like this:
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES
In fact, rejection is a normal, natural and to-be-expected and welcomed part of job search. Yes, it's hard to accept that when you're in the middle of the search and have gotten yet another notification that you weren't selected to go on to the next phase or have received absolutely no response from your phone call or e-mail or application. Those "NO" responses are bringing you one step closer to your 'right fit' job or work.
Fenton suggests celebrating your failures. I'll add: Celebrate those rejections. Say "oh, good! One more NO and one step closer to my new job!" or "Thank goodness I got that NO - it means I'm actively out there, engaged in the search and on my path!"
Give it a try. What can you lose, except unhappiness?
* 1999 Edition, Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA
This fits completely into my philosophy of using every experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to help other people. The more I "fail," the more I learn and the closer I am to my own goals. This is what I mean when I say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." I learn as I take action, and action moves me further along my path, leaving no chance for stagnation, entropy, stuck-ness.
Actually, I have come to believe that there are no mistakes or failures, there are only opportunities to learn and grow. My challenge is how to help others get to that place. Now this article gives me concrete, immediately usable ideas.
I'm going to try some of them, like "Set 'No' Goals" and "Intentionally Increase Your Failure Rate." Pretty radical reformulation of failure, isn't it?
I hope you'll consider reading this article and trying some of Fenton's ideas when you're feeling stuck in your job search and reluctant to risk any more rejection or disappointment. As Richard Nelson Bolles says in Chapter 2 of What Color is Your Parachute* (the granddaddy of all job search guides), a typical job hunt goes like this:
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES
In fact, rejection is a normal, natural and to-be-expected and welcomed part of job search. Yes, it's hard to accept that when you're in the middle of the search and have gotten yet another notification that you weren't selected to go on to the next phase or have received absolutely no response from your phone call or e-mail or application. Those "NO" responses are bringing you one step closer to your 'right fit' job or work.
Fenton suggests celebrating your failures. I'll add: Celebrate those rejections. Say "oh, good! One more NO and one step closer to my new job!" or "Thank goodness I got that NO - it means I'm actively out there, engaged in the search and on my path!"
Give it a try. What can you lose, except unhappiness?
* 1999 Edition, Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Radical Change
Today, a client expressed in the baldest terms what I have heard over the past two weeks from a number of people: "There is nothing positive going on." What's funny is that she HAS a job. Others are looking for one and think it will make them happy. She is evidence that this is not true. She's not happy because it's not the job she wants - even though she has not fully articulated what job she does want.
She was the most honest of everyone. Other folks are depressed and discouraged and feel like there's nothing else they can try. My responses are couched in terms like "let's try a different approach if what you're doing now isn't working." For example, one woman was reluctant to send "yet another e-mail" following up on a job, so I suggested sending a handwritten note. To another, I suggested "if you're getting nowhere submitting resumes, try identifying places you want to work and work on getting connected to and in front of someone in that company. That way, you'll be top of mind when a job does come up." Think differently so you have some hope. Be determined to have hope, and figure out a way to grasp it.
This client was different. She expressed a desire to make a radical change - to just abandon everything and take off somewhere. Some folks call that a geographical change, and the problem is that you take yourself wherever you go. The point is that things outside are never going to make you happy. Happiness is a choice.
Anyway, because she was so blunt, I decided to be equally blunt. Here's what I wrote:
Perhaps you do need to make a radical change. Consider some of the possible radical changes you could make, and weigh the options. Just a reminder: radical change can involve actions, attitudes and situations. Everything is a choice and I've found that I feel less "at the mercy of" when I actively make a choice instead of feeling like I'm powerless and just have to submit.
I hear a lot of powerlessness in your venting, and I'm hopeful that by venting, you release some of that powerlessness and see that you are making choices. Yes, your choices are limited by circumstance. And yes, that sucks.
So what are you going to do about it? Choose how you want to feel. Choose how you want to talk about your life. Choose how you're going to approach your circumstances. Choose the goal toward which you're working. That means to articulate it - what ARE you working toward? Financial independence is not enough. What is your PURPOSE for being here on earth? And how are you fulfilling it?
My work is geared toward helping people articulate what kind of work they really want to do, work that fits them extremely well, work that fulfills them, work that draws out of them their absolute best. The process of articulating this is the process of making choices. I observe happiness emerging out of this process, for it's a process of getting to know yourself very well and becoming your own friend - a friend who wants the very best for you.
I wonder if this makes sense to people. It may sound simplistic and "easy for YOU to say..." My experience is that if I even entertain the idea that I can choose how I respond to circumstances, I am on my way to feeling more powerful and better about myself and my life. If I even consider that how I respond to circumstances affects my mood and future attitude, then I am closer to wanting to DECIDE how I respond. When I respond with grumpiness, I stay grumpy - unless I'm just venting and am conscious that I am doing so in order to clear an emotional blockage. When I respond with acceptance and hope, then I feel hopeful and accepting.
I'll be continuing to work with my client to help her get to that point. It takes what it takes, and she continues to show up, which is awesome.
She was the most honest of everyone. Other folks are depressed and discouraged and feel like there's nothing else they can try. My responses are couched in terms like "let's try a different approach if what you're doing now isn't working." For example, one woman was reluctant to send "yet another e-mail" following up on a job, so I suggested sending a handwritten note. To another, I suggested "if you're getting nowhere submitting resumes, try identifying places you want to work and work on getting connected to and in front of someone in that company. That way, you'll be top of mind when a job does come up." Think differently so you have some hope. Be determined to have hope, and figure out a way to grasp it.
This client was different. She expressed a desire to make a radical change - to just abandon everything and take off somewhere. Some folks call that a geographical change, and the problem is that you take yourself wherever you go. The point is that things outside are never going to make you happy. Happiness is a choice.
Anyway, because she was so blunt, I decided to be equally blunt. Here's what I wrote:
Perhaps you do need to make a radical change. Consider some of the possible radical changes you could make, and weigh the options. Just a reminder: radical change can involve actions, attitudes and situations. Everything is a choice and I've found that I feel less "at the mercy of" when I actively make a choice instead of feeling like I'm powerless and just have to submit.
I hear a lot of powerlessness in your venting, and I'm hopeful that by venting, you release some of that powerlessness and see that you are making choices. Yes, your choices are limited by circumstance. And yes, that sucks.
So what are you going to do about it? Choose how you want to feel. Choose how you want to talk about your life. Choose how you're going to approach your circumstances. Choose the goal toward which you're working. That means to articulate it - what ARE you working toward? Financial independence is not enough. What is your PURPOSE for being here on earth? And how are you fulfilling it?
My work is geared toward helping people articulate what kind of work they really want to do, work that fits them extremely well, work that fulfills them, work that draws out of them their absolute best. The process of articulating this is the process of making choices. I observe happiness emerging out of this process, for it's a process of getting to know yourself very well and becoming your own friend - a friend who wants the very best for you.
I wonder if this makes sense to people. It may sound simplistic and "easy for YOU to say..." My experience is that if I even entertain the idea that I can choose how I respond to circumstances, I am on my way to feeling more powerful and better about myself and my life. If I even consider that how I respond to circumstances affects my mood and future attitude, then I am closer to wanting to DECIDE how I respond. When I respond with grumpiness, I stay grumpy - unless I'm just venting and am conscious that I am doing so in order to clear an emotional blockage. When I respond with acceptance and hope, then I feel hopeful and accepting.
I'll be continuing to work with my client to help her get to that point. It takes what it takes, and she continues to show up, which is awesome.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Feeling Stuck and Growing Hope
Yesterday was the day of "stuckness" for several people. The primary theme was "I've done everything I can think of and I STILL don't have a job." The secondary theme was "I'll never get a job." And the tertiary theme was "I don't know what else to do." (Aren't you impressed that I knew the word "tertiary?")
What they're really saying is "I've done everything I think is reasonable to do and I don't want to have to do anything else. I should already have a job and since I don't, I'm going on strike. This is too hard. I don't wanna have to try something else. I know it won't work anyway, so what's the point. And I don't think any of your suggestions will help. You don't know it will work either, so why bother."
Of course, they wouldn't have called me if they didn't want suggestions...so that is just despair talking and I refuse to give into anyone's despair - because it lies. There is always hope. And suggestions of something else to try give hope. Hope fuels action. Action gives us a feeling of power and self-esteem, so necessary to keep going.
For me, this provides a great opportunity to help them move from being stuck into taking a new type of action. And actually I succeeded with each of them - a credit to them and to the tools I've learned to use as a coach. This stuff really works!
First they simply wanted and needed to vent, to hear themselves speak out loud about their frustration and fear and despair. How difficult, depressing, and demoralizing the search is.
They were more open to suggestions once all that was expressed and validated. I said "Yes, it is difficult. Yes, you have done a lot. Yes, I can understand your frustration." Validating their feelings is really important to moving them into a new spot. Once they know it's OK to feel the way they feel, they no longer have to hold onto them so tightly and can let them go. This leaves room for new information and new hope. We have to wipe away some of the despair in order to make room for hope that their difficult journey will come to a positive end.
I then reassured them that they would get a great job. It will happen. I cite my own 2 year job search that ultimately landed me in the job of my dreams, and give them examples of other people's successful searches after long struggle. That's the first component of building up some hope.
Next we went back to the Must Have List that each of them put together, to look again at the things they said they must have to be happy in work. And we went back to some of the questions and answers from a questionnaire I developed called "The Puzzle Piece Called You" in which we uncovered the issues, values and activities that really energize and excite them. This reminded them of what they love and what excites them, and their energy level instantly rose.
From that basis, I suggested a few areas of inquiry and networking they hadn't yet tried. Of course, they all resisted and had reasons it wouldn't work - mainly that they "knew" it wouldn't work even without trying it. When I pointed that out, they all sheepishly admitted that they didn't know it wouldn't work, they just didn't want to do it. That's a different story!
I believe in the "leave no stone unturned" school of job search - as long as there is a new idea or task or area to explore and act on, I am not defeated. I am not done. There is hope, because there's something else to do. I don't know where it will lead, so let me take the action and see what happens.
* In one woman's case, we looked at her volunteer activities and I suggested that she look for work in those areas. She hadn't been willing to do that before - I'm not sure why but she was adamant about it. Now she's looking in that area - she sent me a job posting this morning.
* Another woman and I reviewed jobs for which she'd applied and narrowed down her areas of interest into three main categories. I suggested she target some organizations and companies in those fields and start making appointments for informational interviews. Maybe there are no jobs yet, but who knows when there will be? This way, she'll be a known quantity and stand a better chance of being interviewed.
* A third person was upset that a job interview process had been prolonged yet again, and despaired of ever getting to realize her dream of relocating. She used the phrase "defer my dream" which I jumped on as essentially hopeful. She can get work in her home town and continue working toward her dream. Her dream is not dead, it's simply deferred. As one of my Twitter Tweeps says, "there are no unrealistic dreams, there are only unrealistic time frames." And now she can focus a new round of action on getting work where she now lives.
* One woman doesn't know very many people in the city to which she relocated and felt at a loss to network in her field. She wondered if she should just abandon looking in her field. I suggested that perhaps her contacts in other cities will know people in her new hometown. Also, if she feels there's no future in her current field, perhaps she wants to explore new areas in which to work. She can look for volunteer opportunities to get experience in the new field, and see whether she likes it or not.
There were a few other people with whom I worked on exactly this topic. Maybe it's the fact that it's summer and a slow hiring season in the best of times. Maybe people don't see the market opening up as hoped. I only know that there is always something else to do.
You don't have to think of all the ideas yourself. This week, I realized how useful it is to have a coach - we're able to detach ourselves from the emotions, draw on the experiences of so many other people, and provide inspiration, ideas, perspective and hope to job seekers.
What they're really saying is "I've done everything I think is reasonable to do and I don't want to have to do anything else. I should already have a job and since I don't, I'm going on strike. This is too hard. I don't wanna have to try something else. I know it won't work anyway, so what's the point. And I don't think any of your suggestions will help. You don't know it will work either, so why bother."
Of course, they wouldn't have called me if they didn't want suggestions...so that is just despair talking and I refuse to give into anyone's despair - because it lies. There is always hope. And suggestions of something else to try give hope. Hope fuels action. Action gives us a feeling of power and self-esteem, so necessary to keep going.
For me, this provides a great opportunity to help them move from being stuck into taking a new type of action. And actually I succeeded with each of them - a credit to them and to the tools I've learned to use as a coach. This stuff really works!
First they simply wanted and needed to vent, to hear themselves speak out loud about their frustration and fear and despair. How difficult, depressing, and demoralizing the search is.
They were more open to suggestions once all that was expressed and validated. I said "Yes, it is difficult. Yes, you have done a lot. Yes, I can understand your frustration." Validating their feelings is really important to moving them into a new spot. Once they know it's OK to feel the way they feel, they no longer have to hold onto them so tightly and can let them go. This leaves room for new information and new hope. We have to wipe away some of the despair in order to make room for hope that their difficult journey will come to a positive end.
I then reassured them that they would get a great job. It will happen. I cite my own 2 year job search that ultimately landed me in the job of my dreams, and give them examples of other people's successful searches after long struggle. That's the first component of building up some hope.
Next we went back to the Must Have List that each of them put together, to look again at the things they said they must have to be happy in work. And we went back to some of the questions and answers from a questionnaire I developed called "The Puzzle Piece Called You" in which we uncovered the issues, values and activities that really energize and excite them. This reminded them of what they love and what excites them, and their energy level instantly rose.
From that basis, I suggested a few areas of inquiry and networking they hadn't yet tried. Of course, they all resisted and had reasons it wouldn't work - mainly that they "knew" it wouldn't work even without trying it. When I pointed that out, they all sheepishly admitted that they didn't know it wouldn't work, they just didn't want to do it. That's a different story!
I believe in the "leave no stone unturned" school of job search - as long as there is a new idea or task or area to explore and act on, I am not defeated. I am not done. There is hope, because there's something else to do. I don't know where it will lead, so let me take the action and see what happens.
* In one woman's case, we looked at her volunteer activities and I suggested that she look for work in those areas. She hadn't been willing to do that before - I'm not sure why but she was adamant about it. Now she's looking in that area - she sent me a job posting this morning.
* Another woman and I reviewed jobs for which she'd applied and narrowed down her areas of interest into three main categories. I suggested she target some organizations and companies in those fields and start making appointments for informational interviews. Maybe there are no jobs yet, but who knows when there will be? This way, she'll be a known quantity and stand a better chance of being interviewed.
* A third person was upset that a job interview process had been prolonged yet again, and despaired of ever getting to realize her dream of relocating. She used the phrase "defer my dream" which I jumped on as essentially hopeful. She can get work in her home town and continue working toward her dream. Her dream is not dead, it's simply deferred. As one of my Twitter Tweeps says, "there are no unrealistic dreams, there are only unrealistic time frames." And now she can focus a new round of action on getting work where she now lives.
* One woman doesn't know very many people in the city to which she relocated and felt at a loss to network in her field. She wondered if she should just abandon looking in her field. I suggested that perhaps her contacts in other cities will know people in her new hometown. Also, if she feels there's no future in her current field, perhaps she wants to explore new areas in which to work. She can look for volunteer opportunities to get experience in the new field, and see whether she likes it or not.
There were a few other people with whom I worked on exactly this topic. Maybe it's the fact that it's summer and a slow hiring season in the best of times. Maybe people don't see the market opening up as hoped. I only know that there is always something else to do.
You don't have to think of all the ideas yourself. This week, I realized how useful it is to have a coach - we're able to detach ourselves from the emotions, draw on the experiences of so many other people, and provide inspiration, ideas, perspective and hope to job seekers.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Research to Make Your Resume a Powerful Marketing Document
Once you've finalized your resume, start to get feedback on it. This is the "market research" portion of your job search to ensure that your resume effectively positions you to get interviews for jobs you really want.
Why do this research? Getting "market feedback" before finalizing your resume is a low-risk way to ensure you are presenting yourself effectively BEFORE you enter the job market. If you don't do this preliminary research, you will still get market feedback. Only that feedback will be in the form of not getting interviews for jobs you want, or not getting good referrals from people with whom you network.
Here's how to do this research:
STEP ONE: Create a "focus group"
Identify a few people you respect and with whom you've worked, who are somewhat objective - 4 to 5 is a manageable number. Preferably some of these people will be in your target field (aka "market"). These people will give you particularly relevant feedback because they know the structure of your field or industry and how people fit. If you have a specialized niche, find people in that niche.
It's also good to talk to one or two people who know very little about your field. They can give you a great sense of whether your resume generally communicates well.
STEP TWO: Test your resume with your focus group
Ask each "focus group" member to read your resume with this specific question in mind: "What kind of position do you think is appropriate for a person with this resume?" Follow up questions are "Where would you place someone with this resume?" and "When you read this resume, what kind of positions start to come to your mind?" and "Can you summarize the candidate presented in this resume? Type of role? Strengths? Abilities? Value-added?"
It's always wise to say you're not interested right now in word-smithing - just the specific feedback about how they see you based on the resume.
Although I call it a "focus group," don't try to assemble a group. First, it will be next-to-impossible to arrange. Second, you'll probably be more comfortable asking people one on one.
STEP THREE: Use the feedback to improve your resume's effectiveness.
Since the resume is a marketing document, it needs to market you to the kind of opportunities you want. If it doesn't, then you have work to do on reshaping the resume to better present you for the opportunities you've targeted.
Basically, ANY feedback they give you will be useful. If the feedback is that your resume positions you for exactly the jobs you want - terrific! You've created a great marketing document. If your group give you feedback that you don't like, that's great! You can use that information to fix your resume before you apply for jobs you really want.
So step back and detach yourself from your resume. Your resume is not YOU. It's only a piece of paper. View it as a communication piece. Is it communicating what you want to communicate? If not, then you get to change it.
Why do this research? Getting "market feedback" before finalizing your resume is a low-risk way to ensure you are presenting yourself effectively BEFORE you enter the job market. If you don't do this preliminary research, you will still get market feedback. Only that feedback will be in the form of not getting interviews for jobs you want, or not getting good referrals from people with whom you network.
Here's how to do this research:
STEP ONE: Create a "focus group"
Identify a few people you respect and with whom you've worked, who are somewhat objective - 4 to 5 is a manageable number. Preferably some of these people will be in your target field (aka "market"). These people will give you particularly relevant feedback because they know the structure of your field or industry and how people fit. If you have a specialized niche, find people in that niche.
It's also good to talk to one or two people who know very little about your field. They can give you a great sense of whether your resume generally communicates well.
STEP TWO: Test your resume with your focus group
Ask each "focus group" member to read your resume with this specific question in mind: "What kind of position do you think is appropriate for a person with this resume?" Follow up questions are "Where would you place someone with this resume?" and "When you read this resume, what kind of positions start to come to your mind?" and "Can you summarize the candidate presented in this resume? Type of role? Strengths? Abilities? Value-added?"
It's always wise to say you're not interested right now in word-smithing - just the specific feedback about how they see you based on the resume.
Although I call it a "focus group," don't try to assemble a group. First, it will be next-to-impossible to arrange. Second, you'll probably be more comfortable asking people one on one.
STEP THREE: Use the feedback to improve your resume's effectiveness.
Since the resume is a marketing document, it needs to market you to the kind of opportunities you want. If it doesn't, then you have work to do on reshaping the resume to better present you for the opportunities you've targeted.
Basically, ANY feedback they give you will be useful. If the feedback is that your resume positions you for exactly the jobs you want - terrific! You've created a great marketing document. If your group give you feedback that you don't like, that's great! You can use that information to fix your resume before you apply for jobs you really want.
So step back and detach yourself from your resume. Your resume is not YOU. It's only a piece of paper. View it as a communication piece. Is it communicating what you want to communicate? If not, then you get to change it.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Interviewing the Employer
I know you feel desperate. I know you think you have to get a job, any job. And I know you think getting a job will make you happy.
I simply want to remind you that the job has to be a good fit for you if you are to be successful in the long run. Here's the thing: it's hard work getting a job. And I'll bet you don't want to have to do the job search again any time soon. So why not structure your job search so you get a job you'll be happy in over a substantial period of time.
Interviewing the employer is the best strategy for you to ensure your own job satisfaction. Every encounter with a potential employer is a chance to learn something about the company, its culture and its values - as well as about the particular job for which you applied.
Pull out your must have list and generate a list of questions you can ask the interviewer that could get you information about the kind of company it is. Some questions you can ask in the first interview while others may have to wait until you're at a second or third interview.
For example, if you want to know if a company respects its employees, ask the interviewer how long he or she has been with the company and what keeps them there. You can also ask directly "what is the culture here?" If they seem not to understand the question, that's a bad sign: clearly, culture is not a concern and it's likely that employees are undervalued. If they can answer, then at least they talk about culture.
If you want to know whether the organization values employee work contributions, ask how this particular job will contribute to the overall goals of the organization. If the interviewer can't tie the job to a larger purpose, chances are employees aren't aware of how their work contributes to the whole and the higher-ups may not fully appreciate the value of every employee.
Think of what you would want to know if you were interviewing someone to work at your organization or company. Then ask the interviewers that question. It can come up in conversation, or you can ask it at an appropriate time. Questions show you are thoughtful, engaged, and interested in the job, the company, and your potential colleagues. They also show that you are not so desperate to get a job that you'll forgo any due diligence in your own behalf.
Any time is a good time to ask questions regarding the specific job. Ask what success will look like for the person in this job. It is a great question to get at the scope of position and the kind of impact you'll be expected to have. If you have a chance to talk with prospective colleagues or subordinates, one powerful question you can ask is what the interviewer expects a person in this position to deliver. You can learn a lot from asking that question.
Several years ago, I was up for a job in California that I thought I really wanted. When I asked the staff what they wanted from an Executive Director, they were shocked because no one had ever asked them such a question. I realized that the culture was probably not as mutually respectful as I initially thought, and my enthusiasm for the job cooled. I expressed some concern about moving across country, yet went on to a group interview with the full Board. That further demonstrated to me that the organization was pretty stratified and not very collegial. I made a presentation and had difficulty getting Board members to engage with me.
By then, it was clear that it wasn't the right fit for me, something reinforced by the too-low compensation figure they were considering. I was not surprised nor unhappy when they decided to go with someone local. In fact, it was a relief not to have to turn them down. The first sign of a poor fit, however, came after I asked staff what they wanted to see in an Executive Director.
Ask questions, pay attention to the answers, and trust that you will find your right fit job when you are clear about what you need to do your best work.
I simply want to remind you that the job has to be a good fit for you if you are to be successful in the long run. Here's the thing: it's hard work getting a job. And I'll bet you don't want to have to do the job search again any time soon. So why not structure your job search so you get a job you'll be happy in over a substantial period of time.
Interviewing the employer is the best strategy for you to ensure your own job satisfaction. Every encounter with a potential employer is a chance to learn something about the company, its culture and its values - as well as about the particular job for which you applied.
Pull out your must have list and generate a list of questions you can ask the interviewer that could get you information about the kind of company it is. Some questions you can ask in the first interview while others may have to wait until you're at a second or third interview.
For example, if you want to know if a company respects its employees, ask the interviewer how long he or she has been with the company and what keeps them there. You can also ask directly "what is the culture here?" If they seem not to understand the question, that's a bad sign: clearly, culture is not a concern and it's likely that employees are undervalued. If they can answer, then at least they talk about culture.
If you want to know whether the organization values employee work contributions, ask how this particular job will contribute to the overall goals of the organization. If the interviewer can't tie the job to a larger purpose, chances are employees aren't aware of how their work contributes to the whole and the higher-ups may not fully appreciate the value of every employee.
Think of what you would want to know if you were interviewing someone to work at your organization or company. Then ask the interviewers that question. It can come up in conversation, or you can ask it at an appropriate time. Questions show you are thoughtful, engaged, and interested in the job, the company, and your potential colleagues. They also show that you are not so desperate to get a job that you'll forgo any due diligence in your own behalf.
Any time is a good time to ask questions regarding the specific job. Ask what success will look like for the person in this job. It is a great question to get at the scope of position and the kind of impact you'll be expected to have. If you have a chance to talk with prospective colleagues or subordinates, one powerful question you can ask is what the interviewer expects a person in this position to deliver. You can learn a lot from asking that question.
Several years ago, I was up for a job in California that I thought I really wanted. When I asked the staff what they wanted from an Executive Director, they were shocked because no one had ever asked them such a question. I realized that the culture was probably not as mutually respectful as I initially thought, and my enthusiasm for the job cooled. I expressed some concern about moving across country, yet went on to a group interview with the full Board. That further demonstrated to me that the organization was pretty stratified and not very collegial. I made a presentation and had difficulty getting Board members to engage with me.
By then, it was clear that it wasn't the right fit for me, something reinforced by the too-low compensation figure they were considering. I was not surprised nor unhappy when they decided to go with someone local. In fact, it was a relief not to have to turn them down. The first sign of a poor fit, however, came after I asked staff what they wanted to see in an Executive Director.
Ask questions, pay attention to the answers, and trust that you will find your right fit job when you are clear about what you need to do your best work.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Market Research
In a successful job search, you are marketing yourself to the right audience. This presumes two things:
* you've identified the right audience or market - employers who have jobs that require your specific combination of skills and expertise
* you know yourself - the "product" - well enough to point out all your advantages and how you will solve the employer's (market's) problem.
In previous posts, I describe how you can get to know yourself, and how to target jobs that are the "right fit" for you. What happens once you have identified your "must have list" and some jobs that appeal to you? It's time to do some market testing. With feedback from others, you can revise your resume and cover letter to more accurately and effectively represent you.
Market testing in a job search occurs in several ways.
First, you'll create a resume that captures your "unique value proposition," the skills you want to use, and the work you want to do. This is your "marketing document" that instantly and accurately describes you - the "product" - to the employer or "consumer."
To find out if your resume does in fact accurately represent you, send it to a few people you trust to give you honest feedback. Ask them "what jobs do you think I can do based on this resume?" and "what message does this resume send about me?"
Example: One woman had "high integrity" in her profile. Feedback indicated this could be a double-edged sword, as some might infer that she felt superior to them or even that she thought many people didn't have integrity. Because she wants to communicate how much she values people, we took it out. Integrity is something she values greatly and so she will look for jobs where she is able to exercise her integrity. She doesn't need to hit people over the head with it, though.
Second, you'll begin to apply for jobs. Market feedback is pretty direct at this stage. Either you get contacted for interviews or you don't. If you don't, then it's time to revise your cover letter, resume or both.
Generally speaking, people don't get interviews when:
* their cover letter fails to make a compelling case for how their past accomplishments will help the employer meet their future goals. It is ESSENTIAL to describe specifically how your qualifications and experience directly match the employer's needs.
* their resume lacks measurable and directional accomplishments that indicate the impact they had on the business and employer. It is ESSENTIAL to tell potential employers what difference you made to your company and industry, how your activities yielded quantifiable or high-impact results.
Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Ask yourself: "Would I hire this person based on their materials?" Ask those trusted people what they think. Do they think you made a good case for yourself? Did you present your strengths? Did you spell out acronyms and eliminate industry jargon? Or did you assume that people could read between the lines? The quick initial read most reviewers give a resume means that everything pertinent needs to be made explicit. There is no room for assumption and inference.
An axiom of communication is that if readers don't understand what I am trying to say, it is my responsibility. There is nothing wrong with the reader; there is something unclear, incomplete or muddy about what I have said. It's my job to be simple, direct, crystal clear in what I say. Dr. Seuss's Horton the Elephant said it best: "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant."
Third, you'll have some interviews. Interviews are perhaps the best market research mechanism. Click on the title of this post to go to an article about "Turning a Job Interview Into a Job Offer." I don't know if these tips will actually accomplish that in and of themselves, but they sure are great ideas for getting market feedback.
When you're being interviewed, you have a chance to see how someone responds to you, as well as to find out whether the job is as good a match as you thought it might be. Remember, an interview is the continuation of the conversation between you and the company that began when they published a job posting and you applied. Now is the chance for both parties to see whether in fact you and the job are the "right fit." There is a lot of information available in an interview.
For example, watch the interviewer's body language. People leaning into a table are engaged. People leaning back into their chairs are usually disengaged, possibly bored, possibly put off by you. You can reengage people by shifting how you respond to a question:
* Wrap it up if you've been talking for a while.
* Ask "have I answered your question?" or "Does that make sense?" or "I'm not sure I've answered your question?" or "Is there anything more you'd like to know about this topic?" People love it when you show you're paying attention to them.
* Ask the interviewer a question about the position or company that somehow relates to their prior question. "Your question makes me wonder about this aspect of the job. Could you describe that a little more?" or "I was curious as to how that job responsibility supports the company's goals. I have some idea, but could you describe how this job relates to the overall company goals?" People usually like talking about something they know, and you appear engaged and aware.
An interview does give you a great opportunity to fine tune your message and approach. It also is a chance to develop a relationship with the interviewer that could bear fruit in the future. If you don't get the job, you could go back to the person and ask what didn't work for them and how you might improve your approach or message.
Sometimes in an interview you can just sense it going south, and no matter what you do, you can't salvage it. In that case, you've gotten some valuable market information - that this place is NOT your "right fit" and probably it's not a cultural or personality fit. Remember that you are looking at the employer at the same time they are looking at you. So being rejected is probably a good thing in the long run, even if it doesn't feel great (and it never does!).
As the above article says, however, if you really do/did want the job, call the employer two or so months down the line to say you just wanted to check in, see if everything's going well with their new hire, and if there are any other opportunities. That's far easier if you've established some rapport in the interview, and are gracious afterward. Send a thank you note after the interview re-expressing your interest and thanking them for their time.
If you don't get the job and want to create a relationship, send a note after a rejection that reaffirms how interested you were in the position, thanking them for the chance to interview, wishing them and the company the best of luck, and hoping they'll keep you in mind if something opens up in the future.
* you've identified the right audience or market - employers who have jobs that require your specific combination of skills and expertise
* you know yourself - the "product" - well enough to point out all your advantages and how you will solve the employer's (market's) problem.
In previous posts, I describe how you can get to know yourself, and how to target jobs that are the "right fit" for you. What happens once you have identified your "must have list" and some jobs that appeal to you? It's time to do some market testing. With feedback from others, you can revise your resume and cover letter to more accurately and effectively represent you.
Market testing in a job search occurs in several ways.
First, you'll create a resume that captures your "unique value proposition," the skills you want to use, and the work you want to do. This is your "marketing document" that instantly and accurately describes you - the "product" - to the employer or "consumer."
To find out if your resume does in fact accurately represent you, send it to a few people you trust to give you honest feedback. Ask them "what jobs do you think I can do based on this resume?" and "what message does this resume send about me?"
Example: One woman had "high integrity" in her profile. Feedback indicated this could be a double-edged sword, as some might infer that she felt superior to them or even that she thought many people didn't have integrity. Because she wants to communicate how much she values people, we took it out. Integrity is something she values greatly and so she will look for jobs where she is able to exercise her integrity. She doesn't need to hit people over the head with it, though.
Second, you'll begin to apply for jobs. Market feedback is pretty direct at this stage. Either you get contacted for interviews or you don't. If you don't, then it's time to revise your cover letter, resume or both.
Generally speaking, people don't get interviews when:
* their cover letter fails to make a compelling case for how their past accomplishments will help the employer meet their future goals. It is ESSENTIAL to describe specifically how your qualifications and experience directly match the employer's needs.
* their resume lacks measurable and directional accomplishments that indicate the impact they had on the business and employer. It is ESSENTIAL to tell potential employers what difference you made to your company and industry, how your activities yielded quantifiable or high-impact results.
Be ruthlessly honest with yourself. Ask yourself: "Would I hire this person based on their materials?" Ask those trusted people what they think. Do they think you made a good case for yourself? Did you present your strengths? Did you spell out acronyms and eliminate industry jargon? Or did you assume that people could read between the lines? The quick initial read most reviewers give a resume means that everything pertinent needs to be made explicit. There is no room for assumption and inference.
An axiom of communication is that if readers don't understand what I am trying to say, it is my responsibility. There is nothing wrong with the reader; there is something unclear, incomplete or muddy about what I have said. It's my job to be simple, direct, crystal clear in what I say. Dr. Seuss's Horton the Elephant said it best: "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant."
Third, you'll have some interviews. Interviews are perhaps the best market research mechanism. Click on the title of this post to go to an article about "Turning a Job Interview Into a Job Offer." I don't know if these tips will actually accomplish that in and of themselves, but they sure are great ideas for getting market feedback.
When you're being interviewed, you have a chance to see how someone responds to you, as well as to find out whether the job is as good a match as you thought it might be. Remember, an interview is the continuation of the conversation between you and the company that began when they published a job posting and you applied. Now is the chance for both parties to see whether in fact you and the job are the "right fit." There is a lot of information available in an interview.
For example, watch the interviewer's body language. People leaning into a table are engaged. People leaning back into their chairs are usually disengaged, possibly bored, possibly put off by you. You can reengage people by shifting how you respond to a question:
* Wrap it up if you've been talking for a while.
* Ask "have I answered your question?" or "Does that make sense?" or "I'm not sure I've answered your question?" or "Is there anything more you'd like to know about this topic?" People love it when you show you're paying attention to them.
* Ask the interviewer a question about the position or company that somehow relates to their prior question. "Your question makes me wonder about this aspect of the job. Could you describe that a little more?" or "I was curious as to how that job responsibility supports the company's goals. I have some idea, but could you describe how this job relates to the overall company goals?" People usually like talking about something they know, and you appear engaged and aware.
An interview does give you a great opportunity to fine tune your message and approach. It also is a chance to develop a relationship with the interviewer that could bear fruit in the future. If you don't get the job, you could go back to the person and ask what didn't work for them and how you might improve your approach or message.
Sometimes in an interview you can just sense it going south, and no matter what you do, you can't salvage it. In that case, you've gotten some valuable market information - that this place is NOT your "right fit" and probably it's not a cultural or personality fit. Remember that you are looking at the employer at the same time they are looking at you. So being rejected is probably a good thing in the long run, even if it doesn't feel great (and it never does!).
As the above article says, however, if you really do/did want the job, call the employer two or so months down the line to say you just wanted to check in, see if everything's going well with their new hire, and if there are any other opportunities. That's far easier if you've established some rapport in the interview, and are gracious afterward. Send a thank you note after the interview re-expressing your interest and thanking them for their time.
If you don't get the job and want to create a relationship, send a note after a rejection that reaffirms how interested you were in the position, thanking them for the chance to interview, wishing them and the company the best of luck, and hoping they'll keep you in mind if something opens up in the future.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Successful Job Search Strategies
Today, I heard from someone I briefly helped with social media aspects of job search, in response to my asking how his search was going. His answer:
I've actually gotten one offer, and in multiple rounds of interviews for three more positions. So I think I am close to the end of my search.
In this market, he's gotten great results in just three months of searching after being laid off. He's a PR and marketing professional, which certainly is not a high demand field right now. So I asked if he would share with me the one or two things that were most useful and productive in his search.
Here's what he said:
I had someone professionally rewrite my resume and cover letter template to make sure I was presenting myself in the best way. I also used LinkedIn to hunt down contacts for open positions. That helped me in a number of ways. But basically, I worked my butt off for 4-6 hours a day to track down leads. And I was fortunate to have gotten calls back in this market.
My takeaways are:
1) Resumes and cover letters are about putting your best foot forward, and you may not see yourself as clearly as a career professional. Even if you are uncomfortable with some language and think it "exaggerates" things, no reputable professional will stretch the truth. What we will do is use more powerful language that casts you in the strongest possible terms without misleading the reader.
2) Social media contacts definitely work, especially LinkedIn. It provides an invaluable service in giving you the ability to network with people currently working at places you want to work. Work your network to make sure you get a personal reference INSIDE every company to which you apply. That may not always be possible, yet it is a goal worth aiming toward.
Historically, 65-70% of jobs are gotten through networking. Today, that percent is probably much higher as employers are reluctant to spend time and money interviewing people who are complete unknowns to them. Employers want to know that you are likely to be the right fit with their culture and work ethic. Chances are higher that you are if an "insider" recommends you.
3) Looking for work requires a lot of time, discipline and persistence. I call it "leave no stone unturned" job search. Others say looking for work is a full-time job. Put together your job search plan and then implement it. Set measurable targets for yourself, especially regarding your contacts with people who could help you or know of someone who could (otherwise known as networking).
I've actually gotten one offer, and in multiple rounds of interviews for three more positions. So I think I am close to the end of my search.
In this market, he's gotten great results in just three months of searching after being laid off. He's a PR and marketing professional, which certainly is not a high demand field right now. So I asked if he would share with me the one or two things that were most useful and productive in his search.
Here's what he said:
I had someone professionally rewrite my resume and cover letter template to make sure I was presenting myself in the best way. I also used LinkedIn to hunt down contacts for open positions. That helped me in a number of ways. But basically, I worked my butt off for 4-6 hours a day to track down leads. And I was fortunate to have gotten calls back in this market.
My takeaways are:
1) Resumes and cover letters are about putting your best foot forward, and you may not see yourself as clearly as a career professional. Even if you are uncomfortable with some language and think it "exaggerates" things, no reputable professional will stretch the truth. What we will do is use more powerful language that casts you in the strongest possible terms without misleading the reader.
2) Social media contacts definitely work, especially LinkedIn. It provides an invaluable service in giving you the ability to network with people currently working at places you want to work. Work your network to make sure you get a personal reference INSIDE every company to which you apply. That may not always be possible, yet it is a goal worth aiming toward.
Historically, 65-70% of jobs are gotten through networking. Today, that percent is probably much higher as employers are reluctant to spend time and money interviewing people who are complete unknowns to them. Employers want to know that you are likely to be the right fit with their culture and work ethic. Chances are higher that you are if an "insider" recommends you.
3) Looking for work requires a lot of time, discipline and persistence. I call it "leave no stone unturned" job search. Others say looking for work is a full-time job. Put together your job search plan and then implement it. Set measurable targets for yourself, especially regarding your contacts with people who could help you or know of someone who could (otherwise known as networking).
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Random Thoughts re Job Search
Are you having a hard time networking? Run out of people to meet? Here's an idea that will help you recharge your networking effort:
host 4-5 friends from different spheres to brainstorm with you about jobs and fields for which you are suited based on your resume. This is not to rewrite your resume, simply to use it as a tool to spark brainstorming. Out of such talk should also come a list of potential people to whom you can connect. Usually, people remember people and things more easily when they are in a group talking freely, than when they are talking one-on-one and perhaps feel put on the spot.
Still having a hard time figuring out what you want to do next? Follow your interests to find work. Several people have realized that hobbies and things they see as fun could potentially lead to pay. This is especially important for people returning to the labor force after a period away.
One person said: "food, music, art is the stuff I love - I see it as fun. Other people get paid to do these things, so it could also be a job possibility for me...oh, I get it now!"
Another person wants to create a training and personal development company. Yet she has struggled to narrow her focus. Today it occurred to her that she could look at the advice, help, support and suggestions she gives to her friends and colleagues as the basis for a training program. Clearly, she loves helping people. Also, her guidance has really helped people. If she writes up those "case studies" she'll be on her way to developing a training curriculum. She doesn't have to be the world's best at helping people lead a balanced life (her focus), she just has to do it pretty well and better than anyone who might pay her for her help.
Have you decided NOT to apply for a job based on something you read in the job description? Or are you conflicted about whether or not to apply for something?
Think it through. Do you really know enough to reject the job? If it looks like it won't meet three of your "must have" items, then it's a good idea not to apply. Unless...you think you might get more information if you get an interview. Job descriptions are simply "small talk" in terms of letting you know what a workplace or job is REALLY like. Your application is your "small talk" response, an indication that you would be willing to continue the conversation.
Remember the goal of an application/resume is to get an interview. It is NOT to get the job. Take one step at a time. You need to find out whether the job and role is all it seems, if the people are "your kind of people" and the culture to your liking, whether the compensation will meet your "live with" number, and whether you like it well enough to move forward in the interview process. Of course, the employer is doing the same thing. Perhaps you'll decide together to move forward, perhaps one of you will end the process after one interview. At least you'll be doing it based on facts, not feelings.
host 4-5 friends from different spheres to brainstorm with you about jobs and fields for which you are suited based on your resume. This is not to rewrite your resume, simply to use it as a tool to spark brainstorming. Out of such talk should also come a list of potential people to whom you can connect. Usually, people remember people and things more easily when they are in a group talking freely, than when they are talking one-on-one and perhaps feel put on the spot.
Still having a hard time figuring out what you want to do next? Follow your interests to find work. Several people have realized that hobbies and things they see as fun could potentially lead to pay. This is especially important for people returning to the labor force after a period away.
One person said: "food, music, art is the stuff I love - I see it as fun. Other people get paid to do these things, so it could also be a job possibility for me...oh, I get it now!"
Another person wants to create a training and personal development company. Yet she has struggled to narrow her focus. Today it occurred to her that she could look at the advice, help, support and suggestions she gives to her friends and colleagues as the basis for a training program. Clearly, she loves helping people. Also, her guidance has really helped people. If she writes up those "case studies" she'll be on her way to developing a training curriculum. She doesn't have to be the world's best at helping people lead a balanced life (her focus), she just has to do it pretty well and better than anyone who might pay her for her help.
Have you decided NOT to apply for a job based on something you read in the job description? Or are you conflicted about whether or not to apply for something?
Think it through. Do you really know enough to reject the job? If it looks like it won't meet three of your "must have" items, then it's a good idea not to apply. Unless...you think you might get more information if you get an interview. Job descriptions are simply "small talk" in terms of letting you know what a workplace or job is REALLY like. Your application is your "small talk" response, an indication that you would be willing to continue the conversation.
Remember the goal of an application/resume is to get an interview. It is NOT to get the job. Take one step at a time. You need to find out whether the job and role is all it seems, if the people are "your kind of people" and the culture to your liking, whether the compensation will meet your "live with" number, and whether you like it well enough to move forward in the interview process. Of course, the employer is doing the same thing. Perhaps you'll decide together to move forward, perhaps one of you will end the process after one interview. At least you'll be doing it based on facts, not feelings.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Leadership amidst fear
What kind of leadership do we need now? According to Stew Friedman on Harvard Business Publishing: Adaptive, flexible, and innovative. He sums up the core leadership ability as "playful creativity." (click title of this post to read entire article)
I was struck by his comment that "more than ever in my experience, people are feeling a need for greater control." His solution to this is believing "in your own power to generate new ways of getting things done" and you'll be "less likely to succumb to the stomach-churning anxieties that come from not knowing how you'll deal with whatever obstacle that's next to be thrown in your path."
In other words, have faith in your own abilities to handle whatever comes along and you won't be so afraid. Or, understand that you have control over yourself even if you have no control over other people or events. I get to choose how I respond to a situation. If I choose to go with the flow - and by the way, have a sense of humor throughout - I will be more able to handle the unexpected. If I expect the unexpected, I'll be prepared for just about anything.
Jon Gordon, another writer on leadership, calls for leaders to recognize that today there often is "a void of clear and positive communication" which most people fill with fear. He proposes Five Positive Leadership Strategies. He goes on to say "I’ve realized that great leadership is first and foremost a transfer of belief...Positive leaders share their belief, optimism, vision, purpose and plan with their organization..."
In other words, help others believe that the future is not a frightening prospect. As Gordon says, a vital first step is sharing information about the present, the current situation. Knowing what is happening NOW allows people to breathe and feel more secure in the present. When my feet are firmly on the ground, I can look around and down the road. Even if I don't know what's coming, I at least know where I am right now. Even if it's bad news, at least I know it. It's no longer the "scary unknown" I don't want to find out. It's the known world. Knowing where I am also makes it easier for me to navigate further, to figure out where I want to go, and then establish a direction, a map.
My new acronym for FEAR is Faithless Ego Anticipates Ruin. In these posts, I see how leadership can provide an excellent antidote to fear.
One of the key messages of these two blogs is that leaders are the ones who have faith. Faith in themselves, faith in their followers, faith in the future, faith in their ability to handle whatever comes, faith in positive outcomes, faith in the power of sharing information and including people in the process of planning for and working toward the future.
Ego refers to me, all alone. It is the antithesis of leadership, in my opinion and experience. Being a leader means recognizing that I do not function alone. By definition, a leader is not alone because we have people who follow us. When I believe that I am working WITH others, that I do not have to handle any situation alone, it is very difficult to be afraid.
Anticipating, or projecting, is usually a bad thing for me and most humans to do when confronted with uncertainty. I have no idea what will happen in the next moment, next day or week or year. So let me not go there before time. So I've trained myself to stop projecting into the future, and instead to stay in the moment. All is just fine in this moment. My job as a leader is to communicate enough about the present to reassure my team that I am there, I am looking out for them, I am capable and knowledgeable, and I will be with them and help them throughout whatever comes next.
Ruin - yes, horrible disasters. Hunger, homelessness, friendless, jobless, helpless. Left to my own devices, I rarely anticipate wonderful outcomes. That's true of most people, I've found. I just can't go there. It's like my own private horror movie - I scare myself with stories of the awful future. It could just as easily be a great future. The powerful shift I made as a leader was to envision a great future, share that vision, ask people to embellish it with me, and help them understand their own role in bringing that vision about. We co-owned the vision and became committed to working together toward it. There is no room for "ruin" when we fill our eyes and minds and hearts with a powerful vision.
So the opposite of fear is having faith, being with others, staying in the now, and expecting a positive outcome. And of course, there is no room for fear when we are laughing together.
I was struck by his comment that "more than ever in my experience, people are feeling a need for greater control." His solution to this is believing "in your own power to generate new ways of getting things done" and you'll be "less likely to succumb to the stomach-churning anxieties that come from not knowing how you'll deal with whatever obstacle that's next to be thrown in your path."
In other words, have faith in your own abilities to handle whatever comes along and you won't be so afraid. Or, understand that you have control over yourself even if you have no control over other people or events. I get to choose how I respond to a situation. If I choose to go with the flow - and by the way, have a sense of humor throughout - I will be more able to handle the unexpected. If I expect the unexpected, I'll be prepared for just about anything.
Jon Gordon, another writer on leadership, calls for leaders to recognize that today there often is "a void of clear and positive communication" which most people fill with fear. He proposes Five Positive Leadership Strategies. He goes on to say "I’ve realized that great leadership is first and foremost a transfer of belief...Positive leaders share their belief, optimism, vision, purpose and plan with their organization..."
In other words, help others believe that the future is not a frightening prospect. As Gordon says, a vital first step is sharing information about the present, the current situation. Knowing what is happening NOW allows people to breathe and feel more secure in the present. When my feet are firmly on the ground, I can look around and down the road. Even if I don't know what's coming, I at least know where I am right now. Even if it's bad news, at least I know it. It's no longer the "scary unknown" I don't want to find out. It's the known world. Knowing where I am also makes it easier for me to navigate further, to figure out where I want to go, and then establish a direction, a map.
My new acronym for FEAR is Faithless Ego Anticipates Ruin. In these posts, I see how leadership can provide an excellent antidote to fear.
One of the key messages of these two blogs is that leaders are the ones who have faith. Faith in themselves, faith in their followers, faith in the future, faith in their ability to handle whatever comes, faith in positive outcomes, faith in the power of sharing information and including people in the process of planning for and working toward the future.
Ego refers to me, all alone. It is the antithesis of leadership, in my opinion and experience. Being a leader means recognizing that I do not function alone. By definition, a leader is not alone because we have people who follow us. When I believe that I am working WITH others, that I do not have to handle any situation alone, it is very difficult to be afraid.
Anticipating, or projecting, is usually a bad thing for me and most humans to do when confronted with uncertainty. I have no idea what will happen in the next moment, next day or week or year. So let me not go there before time. So I've trained myself to stop projecting into the future, and instead to stay in the moment. All is just fine in this moment. My job as a leader is to communicate enough about the present to reassure my team that I am there, I am looking out for them, I am capable and knowledgeable, and I will be with them and help them throughout whatever comes next.
Ruin - yes, horrible disasters. Hunger, homelessness, friendless, jobless, helpless. Left to my own devices, I rarely anticipate wonderful outcomes. That's true of most people, I've found. I just can't go there. It's like my own private horror movie - I scare myself with stories of the awful future. It could just as easily be a great future. The powerful shift I made as a leader was to envision a great future, share that vision, ask people to embellish it with me, and help them understand their own role in bringing that vision about. We co-owned the vision and became committed to working together toward it. There is no room for "ruin" when we fill our eyes and minds and hearts with a powerful vision.
So the opposite of fear is having faith, being with others, staying in the now, and expecting a positive outcome. And of course, there is no room for fear when we are laughing together.
Employers and the Great Recession
Click this post's title to read what Alison Green tells us the recession jobs marketplace looks like from an employer's side.
She confirms what we all know:
More and higher quality applicants, including those that meet EVERY single requirement. Lower and more realistic salary expectations from applicants. And desperation.
Desperation is apparent in what she reports as highly overqualified people applying for internships and lower level jobs, and for jobs that do not make any sense in someone's career path.
Her advice? "Make sure you're really targeting your job search to positions that are a strong match."
I understand desperation. I've been there. People I know feel desperate to get a job, any job. The hardest advice to hear and take when desperate is...target your job search to what you really want and for which you are qualified.
Yet, what else can you do?
Desperation is destructive and unattractive. Desperation keeps me awake at night. Causes my stomach to turn over. Makes it difficult for me to think straight. Keeps me in a constant state of anxiety and fear. And people - especially employers - can smell desperation. They don't like it. It's as if it's contagious and people don't want to catch it. Certainly they don't want it around them.
It's such a horrible paradox that we have to put our best face forward when we feel terrible about ourselves - during the job search. You know, because "everyone loves a winner" and "people want to hire someone who's confident in themselves." Those kind of statements always felt tyrannical to me, not to mention unfair and next to impossible to fulfill.
Nonetheless, that's the game. So step back just a moment from the precipice and breathe. There are some ways to reduce feelings of desperation. They do require persistent use and the suspension of cynicism, as well as willingness to push off your desperation when it tries to resurface ("OK, I'll feel you later. Now I'm doing this.")
Here's what worked for me, and seems to work for people I hear from and work with:
1) Pull together your "must have list." Figure out what you love doing, do well and want to do again, where you will do your best work, with whom, and how much you need to live on. Use it to decide where to apply.
2) Use your must have list as a guide to interview employers. Just as they are deciding if you meet their requirements, do the employers meet YOUR requirements? This is not to suggest that you be arrogant and behave in an entitled way. This is suggested as a way for you to convey confidence, self-knowledge, and a sense of your own abilities and cultural fit. Whenever I approached an employer with an air of curiosity about them, I did much better on my interview.
3) Remember the employer needs to hire someone. Why not you? I mean, someone's going to get the job. It might as well be you as anyone else. What this really means is that the employer is looking for someone to like. They WANT to find the right person. They WANT to like you. If they've invited you for an interview, they definitely liked what they saw on paper and over the telephone (if there was a pre-meeting). So you've already passed that test. They like you already! You don't have to prove that you are likeable. You simply have to show up and continue the conversation. And maybe you won't like them. Or maybe they won't like you as much as someone else. Which leads me to...
4) Have a little faith. Even if you don't have a spiritual foundation, it is possible to develop some kind of belief that all is unfolding for your highest good. If you don't get that job, it wasn't the right one. When it is right, you'll get it. Easy for me to say, you may think. Just look at some of my posts about my two year job search and being fired...talk about having to develop faith!
I guess the ultimate message is that it will pay off for you to calm down instead of giving in to the desperation. I don't know when you'll get the job. I just know you will get it. Will you need to make hard decisions, perhaps scale back your standard of living, move? Maybe. I don't wish those changes on anyone. I do know that every time I've faced extreme difficulty, my attitude has made it much easier to adjust to the inevitable changes. Desperation doesn't work for me, it works against me.
She confirms what we all know:
More and higher quality applicants, including those that meet EVERY single requirement. Lower and more realistic salary expectations from applicants. And desperation.
Desperation is apparent in what she reports as highly overqualified people applying for internships and lower level jobs, and for jobs that do not make any sense in someone's career path.
Her advice? "Make sure you're really targeting your job search to positions that are a strong match."
I understand desperation. I've been there. People I know feel desperate to get a job, any job. The hardest advice to hear and take when desperate is...target your job search to what you really want and for which you are qualified.
Yet, what else can you do?
Desperation is destructive and unattractive. Desperation keeps me awake at night. Causes my stomach to turn over. Makes it difficult for me to think straight. Keeps me in a constant state of anxiety and fear. And people - especially employers - can smell desperation. They don't like it. It's as if it's contagious and people don't want to catch it. Certainly they don't want it around them.
It's such a horrible paradox that we have to put our best face forward when we feel terrible about ourselves - during the job search. You know, because "everyone loves a winner" and "people want to hire someone who's confident in themselves." Those kind of statements always felt tyrannical to me, not to mention unfair and next to impossible to fulfill.
Nonetheless, that's the game. So step back just a moment from the precipice and breathe. There are some ways to reduce feelings of desperation. They do require persistent use and the suspension of cynicism, as well as willingness to push off your desperation when it tries to resurface ("OK, I'll feel you later. Now I'm doing this.")
Here's what worked for me, and seems to work for people I hear from and work with:
1) Pull together your "must have list." Figure out what you love doing, do well and want to do again, where you will do your best work, with whom, and how much you need to live on. Use it to decide where to apply.
2) Use your must have list as a guide to interview employers. Just as they are deciding if you meet their requirements, do the employers meet YOUR requirements? This is not to suggest that you be arrogant and behave in an entitled way. This is suggested as a way for you to convey confidence, self-knowledge, and a sense of your own abilities and cultural fit. Whenever I approached an employer with an air of curiosity about them, I did much better on my interview.
3) Remember the employer needs to hire someone. Why not you? I mean, someone's going to get the job. It might as well be you as anyone else. What this really means is that the employer is looking for someone to like. They WANT to find the right person. They WANT to like you. If they've invited you for an interview, they definitely liked what they saw on paper and over the telephone (if there was a pre-meeting). So you've already passed that test. They like you already! You don't have to prove that you are likeable. You simply have to show up and continue the conversation. And maybe you won't like them. Or maybe they won't like you as much as someone else. Which leads me to...
4) Have a little faith. Even if you don't have a spiritual foundation, it is possible to develop some kind of belief that all is unfolding for your highest good. If you don't get that job, it wasn't the right one. When it is right, you'll get it. Easy for me to say, you may think. Just look at some of my posts about my two year job search and being fired...talk about having to develop faith!
I guess the ultimate message is that it will pay off for you to calm down instead of giving in to the desperation. I don't know when you'll get the job. I just know you will get it. Will you need to make hard decisions, perhaps scale back your standard of living, move? Maybe. I don't wish those changes on anyone. I do know that every time I've faced extreme difficulty, my attitude has made it much easier to adjust to the inevitable changes. Desperation doesn't work for me, it works against me.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Depression in Job Search and related constructive thoughts
The article reached by clicking on the title is about depression affecting your job search. Jason Alba, the author, founded JibberJobber.com 3 years ago - it seems that creating a company was the outcome of his job search. A follow-up article is found here: jibberjobber.com/blog.
While you may not create your own company as a result of looking for work, there is a great principle at work in Jason's story: he used his job search experience as fodder for getting his "right fit" work. From my outside perspective (I haven't interviewed Jason), it appears that he got so good at organizing all the elements of his job search that he realized his tools could also help others. He was open to opportunity based on looking at what he did really well, what he spent his time doing, and what gave him satisfaction and yes, even joy.
I talked to someone today who was relating how she didn't write her cover letters. Instead she researched and then secured sea bass on a Sunday for a dinner with close friends.
I was struck by how differently we viewed that project, for project it was. To her, it said "AVOIDANCE!" She didn't do what she was "supposed to do" and instead did what she wanted to do. She was doing an excellent job of beating herself up.
To me, it said "I LOVE THIS!" She learned a lot about a topic related to a field in which she wants to work - food, nutrition, obesity, public health - and she delivered a necessary resource on time to the cook.
This experience tells me a few things, information that she can use:
1) The jobs she thought about applying for are just not compelling enough - yet. Her desire to work is not strong enough yet to overcome her fear of the unknown. The posted jobs may contain things she doesn't like - or thinks she doesn't like. Or she fears that she doesn't have the skills and doesn't want to risk being rejected.
2) She needs more experiences doing things for other people, feeling how great it is to deliver on a promise. Then she can extend that to feeling how great it is to deliver on a promise to herself. She's still in the habit of disappointing herself, even as she expects someone else to swoop in and "rescue" her by dropping a job in her lap. In some ways, the habit is one of thinking that she disappoints herself, of setting herself up to let herself down, rather than actually doing so. If instead she were to look at what she IS doing, instead of what she is NOT doing, she might be surprised at how much she's doing that is bringing her closer to her goal of getting satisfying paid work.
3) Her fear of applying for jobs is greater than her desire to work - for now. There's a real reluctance to be rejected, as well as some distrust of her ability to pick a good work situation. She's reentering the paid workforce after several years and some deep disappointments at previous employers...there's a lot of stuff to clear out of her path and it is taking time to wend our way through the piles, spot the valuable nuggets and set aside the dross of negative thinking, low self-esteem, fear of making the wrong choice, the "imposter syndrome" that besets so many ("they'll find out I'm really no good...").
4) She is naturally drawn to certain kinds of activities, activities that can easily be done for pay: project management, resource development, research, networking, sourcing, vendor relations, food service. When you do something because you love it, it doesn't feel like work. So I think: look at those things you do for fun, as a hobby, and identify the skills, abilities, talents and activities involved.
The key message is that instead of engaging in self-flagellation, take a good look at what you did instead of what you thought you "should" do. There are good reasons for our choices. Abandon the judgment long enough to observe yourself. My experience is that when I stopped choosing to feel terrible about myself, I emerged from my depression. And it is a choice that needs to be made consciously at first until it becomes a habit.
I don't claim to know about everyone's situation, I only know what has worked for me and some of the people around me. Today, I will go to any lengths to feel good about myself and my choices - including doing the things I wish someone else would do for me but they can't. Only I can do them, and while I may not always like being a grown-up, it's a relief to know that I can feel better by taking an action rather than sitting around thinking about all that I should be doing.
The other day I came up with a new meaning for the acronym FEAR: Faithless Ego Anticipates Ruin. Taking action in the now, the present, is the best antidote for fear that I've found.
I guess I didn't change until I was so sick and tired of feeling afraid, of letting myself down, of allowing the outside world to control my inner world - that I was willing to see what it felt like to just do the next thing in front of me without projecting into the future or assigning it any meaning beyond its intrinsic meaning.
I have no idea what will happen in the next hour, never mind next week. All I can do is my best with what's in front of me. That freed me from a lot of depression in job search and other aspects of life.
While you may not create your own company as a result of looking for work, there is a great principle at work in Jason's story: he used his job search experience as fodder for getting his "right fit" work. From my outside perspective (I haven't interviewed Jason), it appears that he got so good at organizing all the elements of his job search that he realized his tools could also help others. He was open to opportunity based on looking at what he did really well, what he spent his time doing, and what gave him satisfaction and yes, even joy.
I talked to someone today who was relating how she didn't write her cover letters. Instead she researched and then secured sea bass on a Sunday for a dinner with close friends.
I was struck by how differently we viewed that project, for project it was. To her, it said "AVOIDANCE!" She didn't do what she was "supposed to do" and instead did what she wanted to do. She was doing an excellent job of beating herself up.
To me, it said "I LOVE THIS!" She learned a lot about a topic related to a field in which she wants to work - food, nutrition, obesity, public health - and she delivered a necessary resource on time to the cook.
This experience tells me a few things, information that she can use:
1) The jobs she thought about applying for are just not compelling enough - yet. Her desire to work is not strong enough yet to overcome her fear of the unknown. The posted jobs may contain things she doesn't like - or thinks she doesn't like. Or she fears that she doesn't have the skills and doesn't want to risk being rejected.
2) She needs more experiences doing things for other people, feeling how great it is to deliver on a promise. Then she can extend that to feeling how great it is to deliver on a promise to herself. She's still in the habit of disappointing herself, even as she expects someone else to swoop in and "rescue" her by dropping a job in her lap. In some ways, the habit is one of thinking that she disappoints herself, of setting herself up to let herself down, rather than actually doing so. If instead she were to look at what she IS doing, instead of what she is NOT doing, she might be surprised at how much she's doing that is bringing her closer to her goal of getting satisfying paid work.
3) Her fear of applying for jobs is greater than her desire to work - for now. There's a real reluctance to be rejected, as well as some distrust of her ability to pick a good work situation. She's reentering the paid workforce after several years and some deep disappointments at previous employers...there's a lot of stuff to clear out of her path and it is taking time to wend our way through the piles, spot the valuable nuggets and set aside the dross of negative thinking, low self-esteem, fear of making the wrong choice, the "imposter syndrome" that besets so many ("they'll find out I'm really no good...").
4) She is naturally drawn to certain kinds of activities, activities that can easily be done for pay: project management, resource development, research, networking, sourcing, vendor relations, food service. When you do something because you love it, it doesn't feel like work. So I think: look at those things you do for fun, as a hobby, and identify the skills, abilities, talents and activities involved.
The key message is that instead of engaging in self-flagellation, take a good look at what you did instead of what you thought you "should" do. There are good reasons for our choices. Abandon the judgment long enough to observe yourself. My experience is that when I stopped choosing to feel terrible about myself, I emerged from my depression. And it is a choice that needs to be made consciously at first until it becomes a habit.
I don't claim to know about everyone's situation, I only know what has worked for me and some of the people around me. Today, I will go to any lengths to feel good about myself and my choices - including doing the things I wish someone else would do for me but they can't. Only I can do them, and while I may not always like being a grown-up, it's a relief to know that I can feel better by taking an action rather than sitting around thinking about all that I should be doing.
The other day I came up with a new meaning for the acronym FEAR: Faithless Ego Anticipates Ruin. Taking action in the now, the present, is the best antidote for fear that I've found.
I guess I didn't change until I was so sick and tired of feeling afraid, of letting myself down, of allowing the outside world to control my inner world - that I was willing to see what it felt like to just do the next thing in front of me without projecting into the future or assigning it any meaning beyond its intrinsic meaning.
I have no idea what will happen in the next hour, never mind next week. All I can do is my best with what's in front of me. That freed me from a lot of depression in job search and other aspects of life.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Job Search Fatigue
It's very common to feel a little exhausted and down at some point in your job search.
Usually a little "job search fatigue" sets in after a few months into your search. You get your hopes up then dashed, raised again and disappointed again. This often leads to a little desperation, a little depression, some anger, and even bitterness.
Following this may come some lowering of your expectations and putting your priorities in a slightly different order, based on the feedback you've gotten from the job marketplace. Perhaps you revise your resume, refine your cover letters, and get back in touch with the people you contacted months ago.
Many people then surrender to the reality that "this job search stinks" and ultimately "I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other." Because what other option is there?
It's then that:
* You begin to remember people in your network who might help you.
* You become more open to attend networking events, industry conferences on your own dime, job fairs, and other gatherings where you can meet people and be less isolated.
* You may start to ask folks for a recommendation on LinkedIn.
* Perhaps you realize that you need to be more assertive and persistent in your communications with potential employers.
* Maybe you begin to see that you are not talking about yourself very effectively, that you don't project confidence in your abilities or that you don't completely "own" your past achievements.
* Or you realize you need to get some job simply to make money, increase your self-esteem, and keep your skills sharp.
* That may lead to talking to people about consulting or short-term gigs, as well as doing volunteer or pro bono work.
* You might investigate new job search tools and ways to market yourself, e.g. Twitter and VisualCV.
Job search is a process with ups and downs, ins and outs, highways where you can go fast and byways that seem to lead nowhere. If you know where you want to go, it will be a whole lot easier to get there. And by having a destination in mind, you can use the compass of "is this leading me closer to or farther away from my goal?" as you evaluate your activities every day.
Usually a little "job search fatigue" sets in after a few months into your search. You get your hopes up then dashed, raised again and disappointed again. This often leads to a little desperation, a little depression, some anger, and even bitterness.
Following this may come some lowering of your expectations and putting your priorities in a slightly different order, based on the feedback you've gotten from the job marketplace. Perhaps you revise your resume, refine your cover letters, and get back in touch with the people you contacted months ago.
Many people then surrender to the reality that "this job search stinks" and ultimately "I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other." Because what other option is there?
It's then that:
* You begin to remember people in your network who might help you.
* You become more open to attend networking events, industry conferences on your own dime, job fairs, and other gatherings where you can meet people and be less isolated.
* You may start to ask folks for a recommendation on LinkedIn.
* Perhaps you realize that you need to be more assertive and persistent in your communications with potential employers.
* Maybe you begin to see that you are not talking about yourself very effectively, that you don't project confidence in your abilities or that you don't completely "own" your past achievements.
* Or you realize you need to get some job simply to make money, increase your self-esteem, and keep your skills sharp.
* That may lead to talking to people about consulting or short-term gigs, as well as doing volunteer or pro bono work.
* You might investigate new job search tools and ways to market yourself, e.g. Twitter and VisualCV.
Job search is a process with ups and downs, ins and outs, highways where you can go fast and byways that seem to lead nowhere. If you know where you want to go, it will be a whole lot easier to get there. And by having a destination in mind, you can use the compass of "is this leading me closer to or farther away from my goal?" as you evaluate your activities every day.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Networking Followup
You've networked with so many people, some of whom said they'd keep you in mind and you think they really could be helpful. You want to get back in touch with them because you still are looking for work. How can you do it without sounding desperate for a job?
There are simple ways to use language and structure to continue building the relationship with your contact. Relationships will be rewarding no matter what happens, and ultimately they will yield meaningful work. Historically 65-70% of all jobs are gotten through personal connections.
Based on my knowledge of direct mail and direct response, I dissect and improve a networking followup letter from one of the people I help. She did a great job, and I give the reasons for that. You'll see her text, my additions in bold, and comments in italics.
Dear Glenn,
[Give a reason for the communication. It certainly makes it more comfortable for you to pave the way for the rest of the note, and the person then has some context instead of getting something out of the blue. Whatever your purpose in sending the note, it is more sophisticated and sensitive to open with a pleasantry instead of jumping right into your purpose. The recipient gets a little space to remember you and mentally prepare themselves to hear what you have to say.]
As we move into summer, I thought I would update you on Company's outsourcing plans and my job search status.
[Now you can move into your update and request. This author relates a little about her state of mind, which revelation contributes to developing the relationship. She is upbeat and looking forward. And then she reminds the reader of how they originally met and makes her request.]
Here’s what I know: [Add this to tell reader that you are beginning to talk about one topic. This phrasing also reminds the person that YOU are the person who is giving the reader the inside information. A casual tone helps continue the development of your relationship with this person.] XYZ Company continues to move forward with their outsourcing reorganization, although the project has been delayed several times. They have not replaced Sanjiv Soandso and it is still unclear what they plan to do with the strategic planning function. A peer of Sarah Doe's has been appointed to set up a "clearing house" for head count/space requests, and she has been working with the Company Consulting group to set up the function. Where and how long term strategy is developed has not been announced. I will let you know when I hear more. [This last sentence tells the reader that the writer will continue to look out for him/her, will seek ways to do them a favor, and will be in touch again in the future.]
About my job search: [This additional phrase announces that you are starting a new topic. It's a friendly way to direct the reader and allow them to decide which paragraph to read first.] As we moved into Q2, I was encouraged to see the job market open up slightly. I have recently had several job interviews and continue to work on some possibilities. I am still very interested in a position at Company2 and hope you will keep me in mind if one comes up. [This reiterates that you want their help, in a low key yet pretty direct way.]
I hope that you are well and are enjoying the beautiful weather we are having. [Closing on a personal note reinforces the relationship between you and the person with whom you network. You are interested in them as a person, not simply for what they can do for you. Most people tire of being asked for something without developing a more personal connection with the asker.]
Best regards
Jane Doe
In addition to the specific messages here, two more takeaways from this exercise are:
1) any time you network with someone, make an effort to learn about the other person and see if there is anything you can do for them. Being able to do something for the other person - even if it's very small (the name of a website on a topic you discussed, an article or book related to their work) - creates a sense of mutuality. You are not just "getting," you are also "giving."
2) guide people through a communication, giving them direction that makes it easier for them to navigate your letter. It unconsciously helps them see you as a clear, effective communicator.
There are simple ways to use language and structure to continue building the relationship with your contact. Relationships will be rewarding no matter what happens, and ultimately they will yield meaningful work. Historically 65-70% of all jobs are gotten through personal connections.
Based on my knowledge of direct mail and direct response, I dissect and improve a networking followup letter from one of the people I help. She did a great job, and I give the reasons for that. You'll see her text, my additions in bold, and comments in italics.
Dear Glenn,
[Give a reason for the communication. It certainly makes it more comfortable for you to pave the way for the rest of the note, and the person then has some context instead of getting something out of the blue. Whatever your purpose in sending the note, it is more sophisticated and sensitive to open with a pleasantry instead of jumping right into your purpose. The recipient gets a little space to remember you and mentally prepare themselves to hear what you have to say.]
As we move into summer, I thought I would update you on Company's outsourcing plans and my job search status.
[Now you can move into your update and request. This author relates a little about her state of mind, which revelation contributes to developing the relationship. She is upbeat and looking forward. And then she reminds the reader of how they originally met and makes her request.]
Here’s what I know: [Add this to tell reader that you are beginning to talk about one topic. This phrasing also reminds the person that YOU are the person who is giving the reader the inside information. A casual tone helps continue the development of your relationship with this person.] XYZ Company continues to move forward with their outsourcing reorganization, although the project has been delayed several times. They have not replaced Sanjiv Soandso and it is still unclear what they plan to do with the strategic planning function. A peer of Sarah Doe's has been appointed to set up a "clearing house" for head count/space requests, and she has been working with the Company Consulting group to set up the function. Where and how long term strategy is developed has not been announced. I will let you know when I hear more. [This last sentence tells the reader that the writer will continue to look out for him/her, will seek ways to do them a favor, and will be in touch again in the future.]
About my job search: [This additional phrase announces that you are starting a new topic. It's a friendly way to direct the reader and allow them to decide which paragraph to read first.] As we moved into Q2, I was encouraged to see the job market open up slightly. I have recently had several job interviews and continue to work on some possibilities. I am still very interested in a position at Company2 and hope you will keep me in mind if one comes up. [This reiterates that you want their help, in a low key yet pretty direct way.]
I hope that you are well and are enjoying the beautiful weather we are having. [Closing on a personal note reinforces the relationship between you and the person with whom you network. You are interested in them as a person, not simply for what they can do for you. Most people tire of being asked for something without developing a more personal connection with the asker.]
Best regards
Jane Doe
In addition to the specific messages here, two more takeaways from this exercise are:
1) any time you network with someone, make an effort to learn about the other person and see if there is anything you can do for them. Being able to do something for the other person - even if it's very small (the name of a website on a topic you discussed, an article or book related to their work) - creates a sense of mutuality. You are not just "getting," you are also "giving."
2) guide people through a communication, giving them direction that makes it easier for them to navigate your letter. It unconsciously helps them see you as a clear, effective communicator.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Having a hard time in job search? Vent!
I am a big proponent of venting during your job search process. Venting is when you talk with someone trusted about all the obstacles, problems, fears, anxieties, anger, and frustration you feel and encounter every day and week. Venting is vital when you are under pressure - and a job search is definitely pressure-filled. Pressures are varied:
* Maybe you are worried about being able to pay your bills, keep your home, care for your children, replace worn shoes.
* Or maybe you're tired of the cycle of networking - seeing so many people yet no one has a job for you.
* And maybe you simply are out of hope for the moment.
I believe venting is very different than complaining. To me, complaining is blaming someone or something else for my situation. Venting is simply acknowledging that a job search is difficult work, stuff happens, I don't always like it, and I need to get it out of my head and body in order to move on.
Think about a pressure cooker: when a pressure cooker vents, it doesn't explode. Similarly, people in stressful situations need to vent in order to stay healthy.
There are many ways to vent the unpleasantness: talking, crying, whacking your pillows with a plastic bat, or writing. Seek out and use whatever mechanism is most jelpful and least harmful to you.
I observe that it is most helpful to people to vent to a sympathetic person who listens and doesn't try to fix it. When I listen, I do a lot of validation: "that does sound awful!" and "I am so sorry you are going through this." My approach stems from having gone through many down and depressed times in job searches; it never helped to have someone try to "fix me." What helped most was someone being kind when I was crying from frustration or hurt. Recent studies actually do show that crying with a sympathetic person is the most healing of all tears.
Usually the person talks him or herself out of the down state of mind; I rarely need to encourage them to focus on the positive. I can always tell that someone has vented sufficiently when they start looking at the bright side of things and begin to notice positive things.
@valueintowords, a job search coach on Twitter put it this way: "'venting' helps you to emerge from a cloud of negativity and regain optimism; this is important for job-search success."
She's right, as potential employers expect applicants and interviewees to be positive, forward-thinking, enthusiastic, and energetic. I've always thought it the supreme irony that we are expected to present our best self when we feel worst about our abilities. I think: "I'm unhappy where I work or I got fired or laid off - and you expect me to be up, up, up?" Well, yes, yes they do.
Venting is the best way I know to move through and past fear and depression into hopefulness and excitement about the future. So find someone who can listen to you sympathetically and objectively.
CAVEAT: Significant others rarely can play this role simply because they are so worried about you and have a vested interest in you being fully functional. Instead of putting further pressure on your SO, find a job or career coach who has worked with lots of people. S/he often is the best person to understand and help you process your venting.
* Maybe you are worried about being able to pay your bills, keep your home, care for your children, replace worn shoes.
* Or maybe you're tired of the cycle of networking - seeing so many people yet no one has a job for you.
* And maybe you simply are out of hope for the moment.
I believe venting is very different than complaining. To me, complaining is blaming someone or something else for my situation. Venting is simply acknowledging that a job search is difficult work, stuff happens, I don't always like it, and I need to get it out of my head and body in order to move on.
Think about a pressure cooker: when a pressure cooker vents, it doesn't explode. Similarly, people in stressful situations need to vent in order to stay healthy.
There are many ways to vent the unpleasantness: talking, crying, whacking your pillows with a plastic bat, or writing. Seek out and use whatever mechanism is most jelpful and least harmful to you.
I observe that it is most helpful to people to vent to a sympathetic person who listens and doesn't try to fix it. When I listen, I do a lot of validation: "that does sound awful!" and "I am so sorry you are going through this." My approach stems from having gone through many down and depressed times in job searches; it never helped to have someone try to "fix me." What helped most was someone being kind when I was crying from frustration or hurt. Recent studies actually do show that crying with a sympathetic person is the most healing of all tears.
Usually the person talks him or herself out of the down state of mind; I rarely need to encourage them to focus on the positive. I can always tell that someone has vented sufficiently when they start looking at the bright side of things and begin to notice positive things.
@valueintowords, a job search coach on Twitter put it this way: "'venting' helps you to emerge from a cloud of negativity and regain optimism; this is important for job-search success."
She's right, as potential employers expect applicants and interviewees to be positive, forward-thinking, enthusiastic, and energetic. I've always thought it the supreme irony that we are expected to present our best self when we feel worst about our abilities. I think: "I'm unhappy where I work or I got fired or laid off - and you expect me to be up, up, up?" Well, yes, yes they do.
Venting is the best way I know to move through and past fear and depression into hopefulness and excitement about the future. So find someone who can listen to you sympathetically and objectively.
CAVEAT: Significant others rarely can play this role simply because they are so worried about you and have a vested interest in you being fully functional. Instead of putting further pressure on your SO, find a job or career coach who has worked with lots of people. S/he often is the best person to understand and help you process your venting.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Difficult Interview Questions
Everyone has a "difficult interview question" they need to answer. One of my Twitter pals (my "tweep" Cynthia Y.) suggested this:
I always say - don't be afraid to breathe in an interview. Take a moment to reflect difficult questions before you interview!
I love that and call it the "pause that refreshes," to swipe an old ad tagline.
Here's how I answered this question from someone today:
"I've sent some resumes out and it just occurred to me... what do I tell an interviewer when they ask me why I left my last job? I don't want to trash the org, but not sure if telling them I was fired is good either."
My Response
I also was fired and for a while found it difficult to talk about why. So I really have gone through this and come to a great place of peace with what to say. Here's what I say about why I left my longest job:
I was there a long time and accomplished so much. The time had come for me to go. The organization decided that it wanted to go in a different direction, as well, so it worked out for all of us.
You also can say "there was a change in leadership, a new COO came in, and I felt it was a good time to leave."
We want to state things as neutrally as possible. No potential employer wants to hear you say bad things about a past one, and you don't really want to get into what happened.
Another option for you: say you were hoping to set up in your own business, realized you don't really enjoy working on your own, like to work on a team, that's why you're applying for this job. This seems like the kind of place you could make a real contribution.
That way, you are refocusing the conversation on the job at hand, leading them away from the difficult question.
Also, remember the (fake) 12 step program "Extra Sentences Anonymous" for people who say too much. You may feel uncomfortable about what you intend to say to the employer, so just practice, practice, practice keeping it short and sweet without an edge or nerves or a sense that there might be more to say. Find someone you can rehearse with, so the answer just flows from you during any interview. The more comfortable you are with what you say, the more comfortable they will be with the answer and the less likely they are to suspect that there's more to it.
So tell the truth, in a way that you feel confident and good, that puts everyone in a good light, and that is complete yet short enough to make them feel you've disclosed and come to terms with what happened - and then move back to the job in question.
I always say - don't be afraid to breathe in an interview. Take a moment to reflect difficult questions before you interview!
I love that and call it the "pause that refreshes," to swipe an old ad tagline.
Here's how I answered this question from someone today:
"I've sent some resumes out and it just occurred to me... what do I tell an interviewer when they ask me why I left my last job? I don't want to trash the org, but not sure if telling them I was fired is good either."
My Response
I also was fired and for a while found it difficult to talk about why. So I really have gone through this and come to a great place of peace with what to say. Here's what I say about why I left my longest job:
I was there a long time and accomplished so much. The time had come for me to go. The organization decided that it wanted to go in a different direction, as well, so it worked out for all of us.
You also can say "there was a change in leadership, a new COO came in, and I felt it was a good time to leave."
We want to state things as neutrally as possible. No potential employer wants to hear you say bad things about a past one, and you don't really want to get into what happened.
Another option for you: say you were hoping to set up in your own business, realized you don't really enjoy working on your own, like to work on a team, that's why you're applying for this job. This seems like the kind of place you could make a real contribution.
That way, you are refocusing the conversation on the job at hand, leading them away from the difficult question.
Also, remember the (fake) 12 step program "Extra Sentences Anonymous" for people who say too much. You may feel uncomfortable about what you intend to say to the employer, so just practice, practice, practice keeping it short and sweet without an edge or nerves or a sense that there might be more to say. Find someone you can rehearse with, so the answer just flows from you during any interview. The more comfortable you are with what you say, the more comfortable they will be with the answer and the less likely they are to suspect that there's more to it.
So tell the truth, in a way that you feel confident and good, that puts everyone in a good light, and that is complete yet short enough to make them feel you've disclosed and come to terms with what happened - and then move back to the job in question.
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