Career Hub

Thrown the shotput ... or sprinted lately?

A fine spring Saturday, temps in the mid-60s under blazing sun (yep, a sunburn to prove it). I spent the day at an annual statewide track and field event in lower Fairfield County. All events (running, throwing, jumping, hurdling, etc.) were done as relays. The real value of teamwork becomes apparent as no one super star can carry an event--you have at least three people on a team and most comprise four. The best part about the relays--coaches try to get all athletes to participate in two events and many in activities different from what they might typically do.

Coming from a tiny high school (an "SS" in school-size parlance) as my three sons do and competing against nearly all the giants (LL) in this section of the state, some of the underclassmen would have had no chance at competing in their normal events. So coach mixed it up. I witnessed kids doing the steeplechase (a 2,000-meter run that features the traditional steeplechase hurdles plus a water obstacle to jump into/run through) who'd never seen such an animal. My youngest, the sophomore, who couldn't possibly compete against state champs in his normal shotput or javelin events, got a chance to run in a 4x100 event as well as do the triple jump. First time ever. Was he a little anxious? Absolutely. But did he have fun? I saw a new energy--and he didn't perform half-bad. He got to try something different, be grouped in a team he hadn't worked with before, and added two potential new interests to his dance card. He talked about it all the way home.

Have you considered trying something new? (cold calls outside your well-managed job network) Or changing your perspective? (stretching to consider new-to-you, but related industries) Or even varying your tempo? (if you're a classic night owl, for one week only, make a commitment to rising an hour earlier and focusing on search-related tasks, correspondence, Internet research) You might just surprise yourself to find new energy in a different approach.

Interview a flop? How a COO resurrected his candidacy.

I recently reconnected with a C-level client who was surprised and dismayed to find that he’d not done well at a high-value interview for a job he really wanted. Undaunted and determined to turn it around, he contacted me for some coaching support.

We de-briefed, fine-tuned his presentation, and strategized a course correction. He contacted the recruiter and the individuals (including the CEO) with whom he interviewed. He fearlessly named the ‘elephant in the room’ and clearly stated that he’d bombed the interview, that he knew it, and that he knew they knew it. 

He re-presented his value prop and asked if they were prepared to let someone with his experience walk away. He explained that his steadfast pursuit of a second chance paralleled the way he performs in life and on the job – that he is not a man who folds in the face of failure.

His fearless candor disarmed the CEO and his tenacity and strong value proposition intrigued him. He earned that new interview and he is now the leading candidate.

Cashing in on the Good Stuff

I'm on a bit of a high today - due to a phone call from a a client whose response to his new resume has been "off the charts." Reminds me all over again why I do what I do.

So, my energy level is up and I'm feeling pretty good about myself. Sounds like it's time to tackle something I've been avoiding, knowing that the positive vibes will spill over to the dreaded encounter and - most likely - make it turn out much better than I've been anticipating!

Have you tried it? Next time you finish a good interview, get a positive response to your resume, or gain some valuable help from a network contact, let those good feelings carry you forward in your search. Tackle the impossible and see what happens. Chances are, you'll be more effective because your spirits are up, and as a result you'll be more successful.

Dusting

Anticipating my son's arrival home from college for the summer, I have been cleaning, dusting, and tidying his room. Now 21, he's been living in Europe for the semester and during his absence, I have been reflecting and remembering how amazingly special it has been to grow up with him. I recall that when he was in first grade, age six, he started martial arts. The goal that he set for himself was to earn a Black Belt in Taekwondo by the time he was 12. Shortly before his 12th birthday, he indeed got his Black Belt, along with a very special plaque. As my dirty old dust rag spick-and-spanned that nine year-old piece, I thoughtfully read the words -- words most applicable to career management, job search, and career success: 

The Five Tenants of Taekwondo

Courtesy

Integrity

Perseverance

Self-Control

Indomitable Spirit

Powerful words. Wise words. Good reminder. Have you dusted lately?

Be Unique

It rained in New York this weekend, so I caught up on some blog reading and came upon this great post on the Secrets of the Job Hunt blog. Do any one of the 7 things C.M. Russell recommends and you'll be on your way to job search success. 

Beyond Survival ... Persevere to Success

              Perseverance … it’s a trait, in fact, a quality common to many a successful professional and executive. And, it’s an attribute I have frequently noted in nearly all of the most successful job searches.

              Many of my friends, colleagues, and clients know that I’m a bit enamored with the weather (okay, I’ll admit it, I’m totally obsessed). My favorite natural phenomena to study are hurricanes and blizzards. This probably isn’t all that surprising, as I have lived through several hurricanes on my native East Coast (CT) and have spent most of my life vacationing on the Gulf Coast of Florida (to date, chased out by just one hurricane, Charley, in 2004). My collection of hurricane- and blizzard-related books tops more than 300 and provides a wonderful treasure-trove of reading adventures when I need a break from current-day news, my usual mix of best-selling fiction, and my ever-rewarding professional reading.

             This pleasure reading tends to follow the seasons:  I read and discover new-to-me books on hurricanes from June through November (the official hurricane season) and then, in the ‘off-season,’ switch to books about blizzards. Over this past winter-into-spring, I reread many of my blizzard books about storms from more than 100 years ago to storms in my more recent lifetime (including dog-eared newspaper clippings about the Northeast blizzards in 1969, 1978, 1993, 1996, and 2006; ironically, I was vacationing as a kid in Sarasota during the February blizzard of 1969!).

              This March, I purchased The Children’s Blizzard, a relatively new title to the field, by David Laskin. It was my first foray into this tragic weather event in the Midwest. My interest was spurred by a recent college visit with one of my twins to Creighton University in Omaha. Laskin’s account, in particular, of lightly clad children caught in the unexpected after-school blizzard and the amazing stories of their struggles for survival was especially gripping. For the many hundreds that perished, many thousands did survive—to pass their stories of near-mortality, strife, and perseverance down to the following generations.

              So, the link between perseverance, the weather, and job-search efforts? When I consider the extreme conditions and Herculean obstacles faced by the schoolchildren of the January 1888 blizzard in Nebraska and the Dakota territory, I’m struck by the unwavering efforts of humankind simply to survive. Of course, the will to survive outweighs nearly everything else. But the will to succeed and the driving perseverance that I’ve witnessed among many clients appears to be well-rewarded with the plum payoff:  Choice opportunities, great jobs, and optimal compensation packages—all along an accelerated timeline. By all means, persevere.

Stay on the radar

I've been listening with renewed interest to news items about Natalie Holloway. Remember?  She's the Alabama high school student who disappeared in Aruba almost a year ago. What brought her into focus again?  Her story aired on the Dutch version of "America's Most Wanted." This generated not just renewed awareness BUT also, produced several new leads according to news reports.

How does this relate to a job search? A candidate could have been doing everything right but not get the desired response. By jumping out doing something positive to capture the target employer's attention, the candidate may  then be seen in a different way, as a new or different solution. Do not expect that anyone keeps you on the radar:  out of sight = out of mind. It is up to the potential employee to stay in touch, present a strong propostion illustrating value and to follow up relentlessly until they get an answer from the employer.  If you don't stay in the news, you will be forgotten. Keep in touch with your connections and tell them something that will grab their attention.

Get Real!

I just finished ranting on my own blog about a loaf of bread. I know! Who gets angry about a loaf of bread? But this loaf was a liar. Here's an excerpt from my post:

I finally settled on a loaf wrapped in brown paper. The packaging was designed to say 'earthy' and 'healthy' and 'organic.' That brown paper made me feel good about my choice because it looked as though it would be better for the environment than the plastic wrappers on the other loaves.  

But when I opened the brown paper wrapping this morning, I found more wrapping inside and this inner wrap was made of the same clear plastic as all the other loaves on the shelf. That plastic wrapper showed the brown paper up for the fake that it is. The bread company isn't trying to protect the enviornment - they're just trying to make me think they are.

What does this have to do with your job search?

Like Bille Sucher, I'm a sucker for American Idol. A few weeks ago, country singer Kenny Rogers spent some time coaching the young singers. At one point, answering a question about the secret of singing success, he said that all performers are really three people. The person they think they are, the person the audience thinks they are and the person they really are. He said it was important to make sure all three were as close as humanly possible. We'll skip over the irony of the fact that Kenny seems to have completely remade his face and just focus on the wisdom of what he said, because he got to the root of the problem with my bread. It wasn't really what it was pretending to be and once I found out the truth, I felt deceived.

It's very easy to inflate your resume. It's easy to make claims that no one can check on, or to exaggerate accomplishments, or to lie about your education. But in the end, you will be most successful if you can identify and communicate what's authentically great about you.

Never let 'em see you sweat

As a career coach, I encourage persistence. This is in no way the same as PESTY. Recently a candidate called me 12 times in one day in a period of a couple hours. This person called so many times, I didn't even have a chance to call back. The line was busy because he was calling me and leaving yet another message on my voice mail.

Like any busy exec, I have numerous appointents in a day and return calls the same day. Candidates need to give employers an opportunity to return the call.

In another case, a recruiter told me a candidate had called her 5 times in the same day asking if the company had made an offer. The candidate had not even interviewed yet! They had just been submitted for a position that day.

Numerous calls and emails from candidates in the same day show they are desperate. And frankly, looks like stalking.

If you're working with a recruiter, follow up every other week. NOT every day. Let them know the latest - if you've signed up for a course, are still in the market or have changed career direction. Keep your conversation professional and helpful. Ask what they're working on - perhaps you have a referral for them. Become a resource they can count on.

Recently I read some exceptional tips on working with executive recruiters in Executive Agent (http://www.executiveagent.com/career/ecsn.html). Written by Ian Christie, a former senior director with Monster.com, Rule No. 1 states:

1. Don't Be Needy
One of the biggest rookie mistakes when seeking out executive search professionals is behaving like the firm is there to help you find a job, and that given that you need a job, they should help you now. Wrong. The search firm is under no obligation to help you whatsoever. Try not to project an aura of neediness. (Hint: They can smell it.) Position yourself for the long-haul and you will do better.

Challenge: Never let 'em see you sweat. Follow up by creating a postive relationship built on mutual respect. That means no stalking!

Jon Stewart Interview Prep

I love the Jon Stewart show, but I have to wonder... who in their right mind would agree to be interviewed for it? There's no way interview subjects can (a) get their point across; (b) appear credible; (c) avoid being poked fun at; (d) come off in a positive light. Yet, night after night, you see obviously sincere individuals trying - with absolutely no chance of success - to conduct a credible interview.

Makes me think they haven't done their homework. Just watching the show once or twice would clue them in that the whole point of the segments is to skewer somebody or something. It's funny for the audience, but for the interviewee - as Jon would say - "not so much."

I certainly hope you don't get ridiculed during your job interviews. But if you don't do your homework, you too stand the chance of embarassing yourself, not to mention losing out on the opportunity. Before every interview, take the time to find out as much as you can about the company, brush up on industry news, investigate the executive team, and think about the value you can add to that organization. Corporate interviewers, unlike the Daily Show crew, won't set out to make you look silly. Be sure you're not doing it to yourself.