Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Your job, your career, and what you do to earn a living shapes your life and your well being in many ways.  Some people love the break no job allows, some learn to make being unemployed work for them, some love to work and return to work quickly, still others buckle under the stress, don’t know what to do, how to find a new job and struggle to find employment and return to work.  How are you adapting?

The stress of not having a job and looking for a job may not only have major financial and emotional impact, the impact is long lasting.  According to the research by economists Andrew Clark and Yannis Georgellis and psychologists Ed Diener and Richard Lucas that was published the June 2008 issue of The Economic Journal, of the six life-changing events studied, only unemployment has a consistent effect for the five years after the event.  Five years! A 60-month impact!  That is significant. I see that impact daily!  The research is focused on Germans, however I doubt that is would be much different if focused on Americans.

The impact is great for some and not so great for others.  The stress of a job search with little focus, a limited plan, and poor execution can throw a talented professionals into a long drawn out search.

A long search can create financial challenges, stale skills, and adaptation to circumstances that often do become a double-edge sword.  Don’t get me wrong – adaptation is not a bad thing. It is a good thing that people are adaptable and can flex to a change in schedule, changing seasons, or 30% to 40% cut in pay – that is often the difference between a paycheck and an unemployment check.

However, I see adaptation play out on the other edge of the sword too.  Such as behaviors the lead others to make value judgments or have their biases confirmed.  Have you adapted to a more casual dress or appearance, a different view of time or activities, a different sense of urgency or sense of value, or a sense of entitlement?  How you clarified your view of what is important and what type of work you want to do going forward?

In many cases our behaviors and actions are not perceived by others as we intent.  People adapt to their environment over time, some do this with purpose and for some this just occurs.  People get used to everything, a style of dress, pace, culture, weather, and income level. It does take time to adjust but everyone adjusts.

The caution I have for those in a search is that employers know people adjust too.  If your pace, dress, or attitude has adjusted, take a look to see if this adaptation is one that the employers you are targeting view in a favorable manner.  Does the adaptation align with your values and the values or the organizations you want to join?

If the adjustment is not favorable or in alignment, the change may impact how potential employers view you and your ability to get the job done and how you will fit into the culture.  The employer’s perception is their reality. 

If you don’t at least understand the perception of your target employers, it can be very hard to address the needs or concerns.  If the employer’s concern is you have adapted to a slower pace of life or business, or different manner of dressing, and the employer wonders if you can quickly adapt to a high stress, fast pace again, or a standard of business dress, it may be in your best interest to discover and address the concern.

What adaptations have you made?

How do these changes impact your goals?

What are the concerns a target employer might have about your recent adaptations?

Have you adapted too much to being unemployed?

In Katherine Bindley’s post “Should Women Wear Engagement Rings to Interviews?”  she explores an interesting question.  She addresses elements of interviews and/or negotiations that I still find many people don’t think through completely – the perception of others.  What others think is their reality and it counts!

Everyone (recruiters, career coaches, hiring managers) I know will tell you eliminate distractions and sending the wrong message during interviews and negotiations.  I agree.  One of the best ways to avoid sending the wrong message is to be very clear about your message and to be on brand.

 When you take the time to identify, clarify and communicate your brand you create solid ways to leverage what sets you apart from the crowd and your unique value.  It is one of the best ways to avoid and eliminate distractions.

You may never change the perception of others.  However, a strong personal brand will draw your brand audience and those who value your unique value to you.

Your strong personal brand will help you leverage your strengths; align your values, goals and vision.  A strong personal brand will help you dliminate distractions.

Also with a strong personal brand you will not find yourself asking the question – Should I wear ___<you fill in the blank> ___?  … before an interview, negotiation, or performance evaluation again.  Instead you will prepare with confidence and a smile knowing what you wear is on brand and helps to send your message without distraction.  You will also give the interviewer and the world what is exclusively yours to give.

Do you have questions or comments?  Post them below.

The answer is simple.  The hiring manager considered you less of a risk than the other candidates.  An interview is more than answering the questions and presenting your skills, it is about connecting and creating peace-of-mind for the hiring manager.

Having a pre-existing relationship helps to create a connection, that is why networking is one of the best ways to land an interview (and a job).  That pre-existing relationship is also why so many positions are filled internally.  After doing your homework, being well prepared, and qualified here are keys to building rapport and the foundation to move an interview to a second interview and an offer.

Be friendly.  All things being equal, people want to hire people they like, trust and believe they would like to get to know.

Look for common ground.  What “clicks” and takes the conversation to a deeper level.  Building that initial comfort creates a foundation for building trust.

Be engaging.  Ask meaningful questions, this allows you to get to the heart of the hiring manager’s important issues, problems and/or concerns.

Discover the need.  Having a dialog advanced by your questions will help you discover the real needs and wants of the hiring manager and the organization.

The answer is simple – the execution takes knowing yourself and being prepared, creating a plan and taking consistent action.

Professionals, new college grads, the long-term and the short-term unemployed tend to make some of the same mistakes.  In Liz Ryan’s recent article Self-Defeating Job-Search Moves to Avoid she touches many of the common self-defeating moves I see weekly. 

Qualified and talented people are shooting themselves in the foot.  Are you?  I hope not. 

My suggestion – read the article and follow the advice – “Don’t replicate these counterproductive deeds.”

Have a comment, or thought?  Post it below.

During a job search there are a lot of expectations, most expectations you believe are understood.  Yet you may or may not be surprised to learn that the unspoken rules are often only your rules or expectations. 

You must be clear about your expectations, the leads, referrals, and help you want or you won’t get help.  You must communicate your expectations in a clear way.

Weekly, I talk to hundreds of people who say they want to land the ideal job, yet they struggle with how to do so.  About 50% say they go to networking events, connect online and in person and never get a referral or a lead. 

Sometimes they are mad, on the verge of tears, or ready to just throw in the towel.  They feel as if they are begging for help, working so hard yet never make progress or get the help they want. They want help but don’t know what to do or where to find help.

The bottom line is referrals and leads don’t always come as quickly as we’d like, for most of us it feels awkward coming right out and asking for a referral (so, we beat around the bush), and even when we do ask directly it is at the last minute, like a day or two before an interview or when you see a job posting for the job you want.  Is this true for you?

Here’s what’s going on – you believe

                 – you communicate your expectations and that you want help,

                 - you help others everyday (you keep score, too),

                 – you ask for leads or referrals,

                – you clearly communicate you expect a lead or referral, and

                – you clearly communicate the exact job or referral you want. 

However the message is so diluted or cryptic, even I need a ‘magic decoder ring’ or to ask lots of questions to get a clear idea of how I can help.

If who, you are talking to or connecting with don’t have the foggiest idea what referral is good, what job you want, or what company is a good referral for you, trust me, life is too busy for them to stop and figure it out.  Not to sound like I am bragging, but I am better at sorting this out than the average person, because that is what I do!  So, if I don’t have a clue, I guarantee others are clueless too! 

    Do you have a clear message? 

    Are you receiving leads or referrals?

    Would you like help to craft a message in a way to ask for referrals that does not feel awkward?

Well, there is a whole list of things you can do to be clear and ask for referrals and leads to accelerate your job search, land the job you want at the salary you deserve and with less stress.  Here’s one for networking introductions:
 
“As you know most job leads come via networking and word-of-month referrals, I am a __insert your profession or the job title you are seeking___, I would like to help you, learn more about what you do, share leads and offer you referrals, please connect with me by email at xxx@gmail.com or ask me for my business card so I can learn more than 30 seconds worth of what you do.”

Why, does it work? 

It is a clear message.  It tells what you do, how you will help, it makes it easy to connect with you, it gives you an opportunity to learn about what someone else does, it clearly sets the expectation of sharing leads and offering referrals and in creates an opportunity to connect with you to learn exactly what you do, what type of job you want to land and what type of referrals and leads you want.

Be sure you are prepared to continue the clear communication when someone contacts you and you plan to meet.   Here is one more tip, if you need help with your message, join the Q & A calls and ask for help or feedback on your message. 

Being prepared, having a clear message and planting the seed early in all interactions and relationships, sets the expectation upfront and ensures more leads and referrals – guaranteed!

I love success stories and comments.  Will you share yours?  Add your comment or success story below.

No matter how many executives in transition, job seekers, or passive candidates I talk to in a given week, the percentage of those who follow up is very low.  Do you follow up?

Timing and follow up are really absolutely vital to the results you get in your search.  I have told more than one solid candidate to stay in touch, call me in a quarter and never see or hear from them again.

Some years ago, I worked with a hiring manager who interviewed all the time.  At first I did not understand why, but the company was growing and after working with him for a while I got it!

Talent and company timing are not always on the same wavelength, he looked for talent all the time not just to fill current openings or to build his team, but because to him hiring top people was a priority.  He taught me if you want to leverage opportunities you must always be on the lookout for them and open to them.

On his team, as with most businesses, follow up was critical, he would never hire someone who did not follow up.  At the beginning of the interview he would ensure the candidate had his personal contact information, at the end of the interview, he would stand up, shake hands, look at candidate in the eye and say call me with your questions about the job, won’t you?  Good luck to you!

Then he would nod and that would end the interview.

His style of interviewing a quest for talent interested me so I did a bit of tracking; few candidates called with questions or followed up in any way.  The ones that did usually joined the organization within a year.

What opportunities are you missing because you did not follow up with the hiring manager for whom you want to work?

Who should you follow up with this week?

If following up is not your strong suit, or makes you feel, somewhat uncomfortable, try this and let me know how it goes …

End the interview with, “I am interesting in joining your team, <state why>.  Could I propose scheduling a 5-minute “check-in” call with you (be sure it is with the hiring manager) on ___ (the day of the week) at ___ (the specific time of the interview one to two weeks later) to check in and see where you are in the process of building your team?”  Confirm the phone number and follow up.

Have a question about improving your interview follow up? Sign up and join me on the next Q & A call, ask your question and get an answer.

Have a tip, comment or thought?  Post it below.

No doubt you have heard all the conversations about companies who screen out those who are currently unemployed. 

Some employers or hiring managers don’t call or interview people with a status of “unemployed”.  Yes, your résumé might be screened out in this way.  In fact New Jersey now has a law that will fine employers who do this and other states may soon do the same.

It is too bad that some employers may elect to use only your current employment status as a screening tool, but it is not new and may or may not end with new laws on the books.  

What is your best defense?  In my view your best defenses is your personal marketing, your personal marketing plan and the execution of your plan. 

Marketing is about overcoming the objections of the buyer.  An employer is the “buyer” of your services. The purchase is about the value you bring to an organization with your services.  That value is measured in the results you achieve or what someone believes you will achieve. 

If you believe your current employment status is an objection that an employer may have, you do need to address it!

Here is one suggestion from Sandra McCartt, an Executive Recruiter, based in Amarillo, Texas.  Sandra suggests thinking about being between successes and recently shared the notation below.

“September 2010 to Present:  Between Successes”

Change your thinking – you have heard me say it before – until you shift your thinking, others will not shift their view of your situation.

If you have been successful and want to be successful again, what is stopping you?

When you can, I always suggest having a focused conversation before you send your résumé.  Need a suggestion?  Here’s a conversation suggestion for those changing industries or directions within your industry:

“My current focus is bringing fresh foods to the c-store customer to improve customer satisfaction and profitably grow the category.  The challenge for many organizations today, is that food prices recently made the biggest jump in 36 years.  In 2010 when I focused on RTD tea for <insert prior company> I helped grow that category in percent of sales over prior year and helped grow sales in all major cold vault space.”

What do you think?  Should you be specific? 

It does open doors – if the potential employer isn’t focused on growing the fresh foods category, yet wants to grow the cold vault or another area, there is an opportunity to continue the conversation. 

Or you can stick with the process that is proven not to work fast – “I am unemployed, haven’t worked in 14 months, don’t have a clue what is going on in the industry, but need a job NOW, here’s my résumé.  When can I start?”

Have a comment, suggestion or thought?  Post it below.

My three top tips for negotiating the salary you want.  At least once a month, after a workshop or speaking engagement, I am asked for salary negotiation tips.

Usually the matter is urgent, “Tomorrow is my second interview, and do you have any tips on how best to negotiate my salary?”  To negotiate the salary you are worth you must establish your value early so be prepared.

Here are my top three tips:

Believe in your value.  Your perception and your belief in your value are critical. A job loss and a long job search can bring up feelings and old beliefs like you are not good enough, not smart enough, not experienced enough. If you have allowed your self esteem to be damaged, you belief this and you are afraid you are worthless now! You will communicate that during the interview process.

Know your market value.  Do your homework, understand the market conditions, understand the company, and understand who the decision maker is and how he/she views your value. Communicate your value at every touch point. Proclaim your value and confirm that the decision maker agrees you bring value to the table. Be poised and confident in your marketing materials, and all of your communications.

Read the book. Since 1998 I have recommended and shared Jack Chapman’s book – Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute. It was a must read and is the best book on the topic.  Enjoy it.

“How do I make my résumé stand out?” or “If everyone has a brand, how can I stand out?” Are you asking these questions too?

Everyone is unique.  The exciting thing in my business is that unlike products were there may not be anything different between two products except the color of the label.  Many products with different labels are produced to specs on the same line and at the end just get a different label. 

That is not the case with people.  Each executive, each person is different.  People are not mass produced.  Each person lives, grows, changes and evolves one day at a time.

There may be many people who work for competitors, run profitable businesses and have the same number of years in the industry that you do, but no one is just like you.  No one works like you do, nor has anyone done everything you have done. 

Your biggest difference is YOU.  You bring your own talent, gifts, education, experience and abilities to what you do.

Most of us spend so much time fitting in, doing what we think we should do that it is hard to stop and be honest about what makes us different, what makes us unique.  Be honest what are your unique talents, what do you do different. 

Why is it hard to “Stand Out”?  The answer is we are often afraid to say what makes us different.  We are afraid of the response or reaction from others.

There may be 10,000 people with your degree, who went to the same school, worked for the same companies, yet they aren’t you.  To stand out you first list all the things you have in common with professionals in your field. 

Then step back and list all the things that are unique to you.  List your unique talents, experiences, education, how you serve, how you lead, how you learn and the favorite part of your job.

I am a Texan who lives and works in New England.  I do things different.  It is not always easy to be different.  Why, because people don’t always like different. 

My unique gifts include: I am direct, and I ask direct questions.  I focus on results and on goals. Using those and my other gifts allow me to serve others and to live on purpose and help others identify their gifts and land the job they want.

It is not the custom to be direct in New England therefore if I feared what others thought or said about me it would be difficult for me to market.  One of my nieghbors says I am too out there, too much out in front and she does not like that.  I get it, her style is different those differences add value.  My gifts are what make me unique and of value to those who work with me.

Here is how to make your résumé stand out:  Start your list of your unique talents, put them all down. Make a decision to get very honest with yourself and about what are your unique gifts and what makes you different, not shy away form the things that others don’t like about you.  Write them down.  Your list will give you the key ingredients to make your résumé stand out.  Then incorporate the best items into your résumé.

What’s going on with your job search?  So often people find themselves in what I call a “flat spin” during career transition, especially if your job ending was unexpected.  

The “flat spin” is a combination of busy work, emotions, and not making the progress toward the job you want.  Are you doing what you think you should, what others tell you do and worrying about nothing, or everything?  Are there distractions that appear all around you?

If you are spending hours online, and you are riding an emotional roller coaster feeling great, happy and self assured, in the morning and by noon or the next day, you are concerned, worried, frustrated or feel ready to cry – heads up –  you may be in a “flat spin” or headed for one. 

A few weeks ago I attended an event for high school students who were exploring careers.  I love to attend these events and learn about the careers students are interested in and what there are thinking.  I learn so much from high school students. 

This event was different.  For the first time at one of these events I had several students share stories and concerns about their parents who were out of work.

The students that shared concerns about unemployed parents were bright and focused.  Each knew where they were going and what they wanted to do after high school.  They also knew why they were interested in the careers they were exploring that day. 

So why did they stop and talk to me?  They talked to me out of concern for someone they loved and were worried about and wanted to help.  The stories had a common theme.  Each student saw something was wrong, and knew their parent needed to do something different but did not know what to do or how to help.    Warning others often see your “flat spin” before you do.

If you are in a “flat spin” or just a little stuck, here are several questions to ask and things you may want to do different.

Where is your workspace?

Is it the kitchen table, living room in front of the TV?  Do you have a decent chair and work surface? Do you have space just for your job search?  If working at home is not for you go to a local café, sandwich shop, a local library or career center.  Many of these places have free or paid WiFi, and you can make calls from your car so you don’t bother others.

Do you have a budget?

A change in income can add stress and sometimes so much stress that you may find it hard to focus on the project at hand.  Update your budget.  If you have 35% or 50% less income reflect that in your budget.  Then talk to your family about the new budget.  You might be surprised just how much help your family can be and how much fat is in your budget that you can trim to lessen the stress.

Are you working on the right things?

Are you investing your time and energy in the job search activities that will deliver an “ROI” (Return on Investment)?  Do you spend all day surfing the web and applying to online postings? Are you emailing out a résumé that has misspellings or does not represent you in the best light?  If your search is in a “flat spin” you may need some help to get it on track.  Don’t pull away and continue to work alone.  Your family members want you to succeed will encourage you, but are rarely have the best advice.  Attend a workshop, tele-seminar, read a book.  Invest some time, energy and resources and work on the “right things”.  Doing a job search alone is much harder than it needs to be. Often just a little help gain focus, speed up your search and help you land the job your want fast and with less stress.

Do you have a question?   I can help.  Sign up and join us on the next Q & A call or post your question or what is working for you!