Career Hub

Reinvention

I am fascinated by reinvention, and am awed by people who create opportunities for themselves within tight market spaces. For emerging professionals and those who wish to take their careers in an alternative direction, the prospect of how to break is more than daunting—it’s a conundrum: How can I break in when I don’t have much experience? How can I continue to enjoy my downtime while I’m pursuing a seemingly impossible opportunity? Perhaps most pressingly: How can I continue to maintain my income during this economic downturn?

When asked these questions, I frequently recommend informational interviewing and the relentless consumption of success stories. I love sites like Learn from My Life and TED which provide great narrative—in addition to strategies for action. Today, I’m inspired by my friends Dave and Helen Clark who have recently created their own market space in rural New England.

By day, Dave and Helen run Clark Communications, an advertising agency that specializes in providing services to lighting and furniture retailers. They run their small business together and share a wonderful yellow house in Quechee, Vermont. In 2006, they lost several primary customers—at least one of whom said they needed to work with a Manhattan-based ad firm to retain their prestige. One evening, Dave and Helen decided to get out of the house—and Dave took his guitar with him to the common room of a local inn and asked if he could play. Within two months, they had a regular Tuesday night music group attended by up to a dozen people. Dave started a mailing list to promote his events, and added other local cultural events to the roster. Within six months, he had over 300 members of his mailing list—and within a year his musical ventures had become so successful that there was "no room at the inn." In response to demand, the mailing list expanded, Dave and Helen offered MP3s of local musicians through their website, and recently launched their own internet radio channel through their emerging business, Yellow House Media. One of their side offerings: advising event planners and private citizens on available musical talent and caterers.

While Dave and Helen are entrepreneurs, their approach is transferable to the job search—particularly if you are trying to break into a field in which you need to establish a name for yourself. Take heart: If you try something new, you may find yourself working in an area that you never would have dreamed about otherwise. Here are five strategies I take from their story:

1. Get out of the house and do something you love.

(Dave and Helen found that spending time in a different environment made it psychologically easier for them during their loss of business. When they first started, their goal was simply entertainment, the opportunity for revenue generation later was an added bonus.)

2. Give your partner some time-off. (As Tuesday night music outings expanded exponentially, Helen sometimes stayed home.)

3. Consider embracing the competition. (By viewing other musicians as customers and advertising their events for free, Dave and Helen developed a stable of talent—they now have over 50 artists and groups they can recommend to others in their consulting business—and who can recommend them in turn.)

4. Look for synergies between your current and intended field. (During the development and expansion of Yellow House Media, Dave and Helen developed CD products that were given as gifts—and potential items of sale—for their lighting business customers. This showcased their skills and demonstrated their continued active engagement with customers.)

5. Communicate your gratitude and your successes. (Dave maintains the Yellow House Media listserve—and frequently cites Helen’s efforts—as well as the strong performances of the musicians. His enthusiasm is infectious.)

Aceing the Interview at an MBA Job Fair

I recently delivered a resume writing workshop for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) to prepare members for the upcoming national conference October 9-11 in Atlanta where hundreds of companies will be recruiting for their open positions. My colleague and fellow Career Hub blogger, Chandlee Bryan, was there as well, speaking on networking and personal branding. Following our presentations, we sat in on a panel of professionals from JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte & Touche, and L'Oreal to here more about what these employers look for when recruiting MBA candidates at job fairs and conferences. Here are a few of my takeaways.

1. Research the company. Understand how market conditions have impacted the company you are speaking to and the industry as a whole. Know why you want to work for a particular company and be ready to discuss your reasons.
2. Have a value statement. Be ready to express how your MBA will enhance your career and how the degree differentiates you from others competing for similar positions.
3. Showcase multiple accomplishments. If you meet with several hiring authorities, they may ask you similar questions. Don't use the same examples/stories for each interview...the interview team will regroup and discuss your responses. Avoid looking like a one-hit wonder.
4. Be ready to address your weaknesses. If you haven't worked during your MBA program or snagged a plum internship, be ready to discuss why and articulate what you have done while working towards your degree that will have value to the hiring manager.
5. Know what you want. Candidates who know what type of position they are looking for and can prove the relevance of their qualifications to the employer's open position tend to have greater credibility in the hiring manager's eyes.
6. Be flexible. If you are willing to relocate for the right position, say so. 
7. Ask meaningful questions. Don't ask about the company's training programs or benefits. Big companies have great training and great benefits packages. Instead ask questions that demonstrate your interest and knowledge of the company and the industry.

Cross posted on the iHispano Blog

Posted by Barbara Safani

When and How to Put an End to Procrastination

About six weeks ago I began working with a client on developing a new, achievement-focused resume. After consulting with her by phone for well over an hour, it became apparent that this individual needed more time to gather her thoughts and review her experience so she could identify her challenges and achievements. With that in mind, we scheduled a follow-up session and I emailed her a basic questionnaire to help trigger some thoughts.

That was six weeks ago. Since then, she has cancelled and rescheduled our appointment four times; each time admitting to her propensity for procrastination. In a last desperate attempt to move things forward, she sent me an email this week with a written commitment to complete the questionnaire by the close of business next Monday. She went on to say that if she missed that goal, I had permission to label our project as "complete" and she would forfeit the money she spent for a new and improved resume.

It sounded like a good plan, but I knew that she had forgotten to include some vital steps and without them, she was bound to fail.

Early in my career I had the opportunity to teach a student success class at a local community college.  I loved the course curriculum because it provided numerous tools and logical advice to help students succeed in attaining their goal to stay in school and earn a degree. A lot of what I taught is very applicable to job seekers and how well they succeed in attaining their goal of securing a job.

One tool that I really loved was referred to as the 7-Step Anti-Procrastination Plan. Often, when faced with having to complete some challenging (or uncomfortable task) - such as writing ones resume or making a networking contact -  terminal procrastination sets in. This is what happened to my client (and, from what she has been telling me, has happened repeatedly for several years, which is why she remains employed in a job she hates.) I replied to her written goal statement by taking her through the various steps - one step at a time.

If you find yourself procrastinating (on writing your resume, calling an employer, etc.)  try following this seven-step strategy. Each step is labeled with a day of the week to help you remember the sequence.

M (Monday) - Make it Meaningful

Why is the task important?  If you have been putting off something, take a minute to list all the benefits of completing the task. Look at the task in the perspective of your goal to get a job. Be specific about the payoff and rewards. Maybe this is enough to make you complete the task. If not...

T (Tuesday) - Take it Apart

Break the task into small manageable pieces. Then be determined to complete just one of those pieces.  Make each piece something you can complete in 15 minutes or less.  Make the results measurable so you can see your progress.  For example:  if you can't seem to get around to writing your resume, agree to just type in your name, contact information and the resume headings.  Sometimes this is all you need to get started, and then once you are into the task, you stay the course.  If this does not work ...

W (Wednesday) - Write it Down

Write an intention statement and make it specific:  "I intend to write a cover letter to the HR Manager at JOB Corporation by 3:00 pm today."  Make several copies of the statement and post them all over your house, car and/or office. Then JUST DO IT!  If this doesn't motivate you to complete the task, ....

T (Thursday) - Tell Everyone

Announce your intention publicly. Tell a friend. Tell your spouse, parents, children, career counselor, job club members. Telling the world your intention is an excellent technique to ensure its completion.  Make the world your support group. You will either complete the task or face the embarrassment of having to explain why you didn't. If this doesn't work (and you find yourself avoiding these people), then ...

F (Friday) - Find a Reward

Remember when you were a kid and your mom said, "If you clean up your room, you can go outside and play"?  Speak to the child inside you who is controlling the procrastination. A reward must be something that you would genuinely withhold from yourself if you do not earn it.  Don't' pick a movie as a reward if you plan to go anyway!  " I will treat myself to a hot fudge sundae at my favorite ice cream parlor after I complete the cover letter to JOB Corporation". When you genuinely earn, the reward it feels good!  If this does not work and you eat the hot fudge sundae anyway without having written the letter, then ...

S (Saturday) - Settle it Now

Do it now. The minute you notice yourself procrastinating again, plunge into the task. Imagine yourself at a mountain lake, poised to dive. It is often less painful to leap than to inch in slowly.  Get it done so you can finally cross it off your To-Do List and feel good about yourself!  Still Procrastinating?

S (Sunday) - Say no

Stop!  You made the task meaningful. You tried taking it apart. You wrote an intention statement and then ignored it. You told everyone and withstood the embarrassment of not being true to your word. You found a reward and then rewarded yourself for nothing. You tried to settle it now and the cycle started again.

Face the truth...realize you don't ever intend on doing the task, so quit telling yourself you will.  It has consumed enough of your life and your energy. Tell the truth and drop it. This way you are no longer procrastinating and you do not have to carry around the baggage of an unfinished task.

At last...freedom!

Attention Job Seekers: Being Is as Important as Doing

I empathize with my job seeking clients who tell me how frustrated they are trying to come up with a "value proposition" and write their resumes.

The language used in securing employment and in transacting business in general in the U.S. is heavy on doing, and light on being.

By doing I mean achieving, accomplishing, completing, winning, trumping, securing, scoring, managing, and so on. We are expected to quantify our value and enumerate our measurable accomplishments in order to be deemed a worthy risk in which to invest (i.e., get hired).

By being I mean those qualities that are not by themselves about achievement, although they often make what we achieve possible. We may be inspiring, authentic, honest, strong, nurturing, competitive, tenacious, creative, optimistic, patient, reliable and so on.

Some of my clients feel frustrated that because so much of their self identity is tied to who they are rather than what they have achieved that writing a great resume and being successful in an interview will be a discouraging process.

The truth is that who you are being on the job is every bit as important as what you are doing (at least in most professional jobs). People experience and evaluate us very much on what we show of who we are.

This is why getting your foot in the door of a company or new career through personal contacts can be so much more successful and gratifying than applying to a posted job opening as an unknown quantity. Who you are is immediately part of the conversation - the decision to bring you there is based on it. Articulating the details of all of your spectacular career achievements comes second.

If you are relying on your resume to secure an interview, then I advise that you pay attention to how the job search game is played and make sure your resume is filled with all kinds of doing.

But the good news is that there is room on your resume for plenty of the less quantifiable but equally critical qualities you bring to the table. A good professional resume writer understands this and is able to make your resume a more three-dimensional portrait than a mere list of accomplishments.

Posted by Heather Mundell

cross-posted at life@work

9 Career Lessons From Richard Branson

Having recently re-read Richard Branson’s book ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It – Lessons In Life,’ I realised that his ‘life lessons’ equally apply to our careers.

So I have adapted his 9 Life Lessons into the 9 Career Lessons below:

1. Just Do It: If you have a career ambition which you passionately want to pursue - then just do it. So set goals for yourself - no matter how big or small. Develop a simple plan (DON’T over-plan), take action consistently and have the faith and belief in your ability to achieve it along with a healthy amount of realism.

2. Have Fun: Stay positive and have an upbeat outlook on life. Do work you enjoy and work with people you enjoy being around. If you get to the stage where you have spent far too many days not enjoying yourself - then it’s time to: a) change your mindset and how you view things or: b) change your job.

3. Be Bold: If you want to do something - go for it. You don’t want to have regrets. Bold does not mean reckless - it means going for what you want whilst taking measured risks. Weigh up the risks and rewards objectively and then use your intuition to make the final call.

4. Challenge Yourself: Apply for jobs which are out of your league, network with people more senior than you, mix in circles you don’t normally mix in, go learn some new skills. As human beings we are naturally wired for growth. Being static is a sure way to lethargy, frustration, depression and regret. Challenging yourself improves your confidence whilst making you a much more valuable employee.

5. Stand On Your Own Feet: Yes, challenge yourself but expect to pick yourself up when things go wrong. Take personal responsibility for your career and don’t expect a recruiter, head hunter, your boss or HR to manage it for you.

6. Live In The Moment: Don’t let thoughts about the future or the past distract you from what is happening right now. No matter how bad the market is, how bad your job is or how bad your job searching is going - if you stay focused on the now, there is always something of value for you to appreciate and enjoy.

7. Put Family And Friends First
If you were to get seriously ill tomorrow or even lose your job then it’s your family and friends who will get you through it - not your clients, not your employers and not your team. So start putting your family and friends before everything else.

8. Have Respect: Having respect for everyone and not just people you want to impress is the path to long-term career success. In the hyper-connected world we live in, it is very easy to find out about someone’s real character and reputation very quickly. Sounds ‘fluffy’ I know, but be nice, have respect and don’t damage your reputation.

9. Do Some Good: Helping a client out with a problem, mentoring junior colleagues and getting involved in community projects that your business supports are all activities which enrich people around you. But they also help you build character, develop new skills and widen your network, whilst at a personal level giving you a greater sense of satisfaction from your working life.

The last paragraph on the last page of Branson’s book reads “Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it. Go ahead, take that first step - just do it.”

So what’s your first step…?

By Sital Ruparelia. Cross posted on the 6 Figure Career Management Blog

How Would You React to Losing Tom Brady?

Well, if you're a New England Patriots fan or if Tom Brady is on your Fantasy Football team, no doubt you are devastated at the news that the star quarterback will miss the entire season after suffering an injury in the first quarter of the first game of the year. As the Boston Herald puts it, a "primal scream" has erupted 'round the world.

All I know is that Sunday afternoons and Monday nights will be a lot less comfortable and enjoyable in my part of the country.

But think about what comes next - an almost-as-interesting drama that totally relates to corporate scenarios when the "superstar performer" goes down for the count or leaves the team.

Ask yourself, what would YOU do if you were facing this scenario?

• Will the backup stand up? If you've been the steady #2, here's your chance to shine. Or, you can stay a second-tier player the rest of your career.
• Will the team coalesce? It's tough to lose your leader, but perhaps you can play an instrumental role in rallying the team and keeping everyone focused on the goal.
• Will a new leader emerge? Is this your chance to rise, fill the void, and provide new leadership?
• Will the playbook change? You have to adapt to a different team, different capabilities, different leadership. Figure out what needs to change and do it quickly rather than relying on strategies that might not be relevant.
• Will the competition seize the opportunity? Maybe one of your competitors has lost a big gun. You can swoop in and capture the victory - if you are prepared, poised, and agile enough to take advantage.

When handed lemons, make lemonade. What seems the sourest note could end up being the sweetest thing that ever happened to you - if you look on it as opportunity rather than tragedy.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

Are You Smarter Than a 4th Grader?

Recently I was invited to visit a teacher's 4th grade classroom at a Midwestern elementary school. The room was adorned with attractive bulletin boards, educational posters, learning centers, and technology tools -- state-of-the-art educational opportunities everywhere I turned. It was truly amazing! As I was leaving the classroom, my eye spied the word writing on a bright green laminated piece of paper. Whoa - writing - now that got my attention.

At the top of the page, these words were written: 6+1 Traits of Writing. I asked the 4th grade teacher, a Baby Boomer, would I have learned this stuff when I was a 4th grader? She gave me an emphatic no to which I remarked, greeeaaaaat! For whatever reason, 6+1 was on my mind all week; today, I did a Google search. I mean, after all, who wouldn't want to know writing tips, tricks, and tactics that today's 4th grade students are learning?

The 6+1 Trait Writing is an assessment model developed by educators at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in the early 1980's. Since that time, the model has been used by countless teachers, schools, and school systems across the country.

The six traits, just in case you're curious, as defined in greater detail here, are:

IDEAS - A clear point, message, theme or story line, backed by important, carefully chosen details and supportive information.

ORGANIZATION - How a piece of writing is structured and ordered.

VOICE - The fingerprints of the writer on the page -- the writer's own special, personal style coming through in the words, combined with concern for the informational needs and interests of the audience.

WORD CHOICE - Language, phrasing, and the knack for choosing the "just right" word to get the message across.

SENTENCE FLUENCY - The rhythm and sound of the writing as it is read aloud.

CONVENTIONS - Editorial correctness and attention to any detail a copy editor would review, including: spelling, grammar and usage, capitalization, punctuation.

After using the model in classrooms, teachers suggested an additional trait - presentation, thus, the 6+1 Traits of Writing.

For as long as I have been writing, I didn't know such a concept existed. I like this writing model. Here's an activity for you...pull out your resume, cover letter and any other marketing pieces you're currently using to brand yourself. Look at the traits outlined above and then assess your writing based on these traits.

Will your story grab the reader's attention?

Will your product's promotional materials stand out in a sea of competition?

Have you developed a powerful branded message that will stir someone to action?

What, if anything, needs some work for you to hit a home run in about 20 seconds, or less, in today's competitive market? How about it? Can you write better than a 4th grader?

posted by: billiesucher

When a Candidate Lives in the Moment…He Gets Hired?

Am I the only one who watched the Presidential candidates get involved in the drama of natural disaster as Hurricane Gustav arrived?  Politics aside, both John McCain and Barack Obama made it known that they were aware of the potential disaster and would be engaged in finding solutions. 

I am reminded that we have 50 states equipped with two Senators each. I have yet to hear anything regarding the hurricane from Senators from Kentucky, New Jersey and Rhode Island! Senator McCain is from Arizona and Senator Obama from Illinois. No Gustav there! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand what is happening here. Each candidate is acting out the role for which he is hoping to earn a job offer. And remember they both want the same job!

They have traveled to Iraq; one gave a major speech in Germany like Presidents of the past, and they have furiously been on top of Gustav, speaking with FEMA and anyone else to make them look already do the job. I choose not to question the sincerity of these guys. Instead we can all stand to learn the lesson that anything that gives a prospective employer the ability to envision us doing a job, whether it be on a résumé or in an interview puts us one step closer to the job offer. How to accomplish this? Stay tuned! Ike cometh!

Beggars Can't Be Choosers - What Nonsense

“I’ll do anything - beggars can’t be choosers. Especially in the current market.”

That’s a line quoted by someone I spoke with earlier this week just after she had been laid off.  Jane works with a friend of mine who had referred her to me for some advice, a day after being made redundant. When I pointed out what she had said and how this type of thinking was like poison to her job search and the overall health of her career, she quickly replied “Oh, I would never say that to a recruiter or future employer.”

It doesn’t matter.

The fact that you are talking or thinking like this, even just to yourself, means it matters hugely. I know that ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ is just one of those clichés people often use - but there is sometimes a danger that clichés and stories actually become self-fulfilling prophesies.

As I pointed out to Jane, this type of thinking is faulty because:

1. Losing your job due to the downsizing of a business in a difficult market does not make you a ‘beggar’
2. Being made redundant does not make you ‘damaged goods.’  Over time, it can actually enhance your character and life experience and can in fact make you more valuable in the job market
3. Employers, recruiters and contacts are put off by desperate-sounding people who are grateful for just anything
4. People are attracted to confident (not cocky) people who place a strong value on themselves, their skills and expertise
5. Employers are drawn to people who can competently articulate their unique strengths and abilities and demonstrate what value they offer. You can’t do this if you think you’re worthless
6. Most people will have talents and strengths that are of value in the market – ok, it may require some work for some people to figure out what they are. But you don’t discover it by self-defeating thinking

This is more than a little bit of ‘positive thinking’ – it’s much bigger than that. It’s all part of what I call the ‘inner game’ of career management - building a level of self-esteem and self-value which means you attract opportunities that do you justice.

Ask Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps or David Beckham how important the inner game has been to their overall success and I’m sure they will tell you it has played a huge part in helping them deal with set-backs throughout their careers. That's all redundancy is - it is a set back and should not define who you are or the limit the value you bring to potential employers. Managed and marketed the right way, being laid off can actually be an asset in your job search and future career.

For job searchers, developing a level of mental strength and emotional fitness is as important – if not more important - than the practicalities of applying for jobs, preparing CVs/resumes and interviewing. It is the foundation upon which all the job search tactics should be based. So stop reading all the bad press, stop believing all the noise about everything being so bad and stop listening to that crazy voice in your head that tells you you’re worthless and a 'beggar' because you lost your job.

Instead, start believing that you have something to offer, get really clear on what that is and develop your own story to communicate to the outside world. Once you have that foundation in place, it’s time to get out into the market with a sense of confidence and optimism.

Having only spent a short amount of time on the call with Jane explaining some of the above points, we quickly identified her unique strengths and how they can apply in the current market. I could sense the light bulb going on in her head as we came up with a plan of how to approach her job search.

Later that afternoon I received an email from my friend who had referred her:

“Sital, I think you have another fan. I don’t know what you said to Jane, but compared to this morning she seems 2 foot taller!”

It wasn’t so much what I said – I was just the catalyst – it was more about what she had decided to start saying to herself about her situation.

Cross Posted at the 6 Figure Career Management Blog

The Salary Expectation Dance

I recently conducted an informal survey of internal recruiters and hiring managers to see if they ask candidates to reveal their salary expectations on a first interview and if they will reveal the salary range for their open position if asked by a candidate. As I expected, many responded that they routinely ask for salary expectations on the first interview and never reveal salary ranges. The consensus among several hiring authorities that request salary information up front was "why waste any time with candidates with excessive salary expectations."

But if hiring authorities are truly seeking to build efficiencies and authenticity into the interview process, wouldn't it make more sense to be transparent about the salary range for an open position before the interview process begins? Wouldn't it be more prudent to post the salary range on the job spec or job board? If you schedule interviews without knowing if you can afford the candidate, aren't you already possibly wasting everybody's time?

In the interview process, the hiring authority holds all the cards. He/she knows the job spec, the salary range, the budget, and how the position impacts the organization as a whole. Generally, the job seeker can't possibly know or benchmark all this on a first interview...that is one of the reasons they are there to interview.

But since we are living in a world where hiring authorities are asking for salary expectations up front, your best strategy is to research your earning potential and understand what the market will bear. If the hiring manager asks you about your salary expectations, you can respond by saying "Based on my research of the market, salary ranges for positions similar to this one are between x and y. Is that consistent with what you are looking to offer?" You can research your market value by asking agency recruiters what similar positions are paying, making inquiries about salary ranges/surveys through professional organizations, talking with colleagues, reviewing job boards to see if you can uncover salary ranges for similar positions, or reviewing salary information on sites such as salary.com.

Posted by Barbara Safani