Career Hub

Wherever You Go, There You Are

What does the quote wherever you go, there you are mean to you? That quote came to mind the other day and I've been mulling it around from the perspective of a job seeker since.

Just how far would you go to get a job in these trying times? Would you lie? Would you cheat? Would you falsify information? Would you misrepresent yourself? Would you fake your references? Would you create a job history that was untruthful? Would you pretend to have a supervisor that never was? Would you create an employment background that didn't exist? Would you order a degree you didn't earn? Would you provide a phone number to a reference who turns out to be your best buddy posing as your former boss? Would you ask your friends, family, or professional network to lie for you just to get ahead in today's super-competitive job market?

Wherever you go, there you are...what does that mean to you? I don't know what it means to you, but here are a few ideas of what it means to me:

* You can try and be something you are not, but in the end (and in the beginning), you might as well let others see the real you. Wherever you go, there you are. And if the real you with your real assets and your real liabilities isn't the right fit for the opportunity at hand, keep moving, keep rolling, until something else materializes. As your Uncle Bob may have told you, there are plenty of fish.

* You cannot run away from your problems and challenges. You can try, but they will still be with you...wherever you go, there you are. Looking for a job is incredibly hard work and unbelievably overwhelming in this market. That said, do not compound your problems by letting them fester until you're in a real mess -- address them, take action; recognize and resolve.

* Love your brand or leave it! If you don't like brand you, re-brand yourself; it's never too late to do so, whether you're 22 or 62. Just as companies are scrambling to change in order to survive in today's bottom-line driven global market, so too can you. It is not easy to re-brand yourself; it can be done if you are committed to change to survive. Wherever you go, there you are.

Edgar Albert Guest, one of my favorite poets, wrote these 20+ lines in a poem titled Myself. His words of long ago are a good reminder for the job seeker of today...wherever you go, there you are...

cross-posted at www.billiesucherblog.com

Messing Up, Rejection, Being Nervous

This morning, I had the good fortune of being one of the presenters for a Leadership Forum for junior and senior high school students from various districts around the state. It was such fun and as usual, I learned something.

The first part of my program was what I call nuts and bolts-- facts, thoughts, and ideas about the next chapter of life beyond the high school walls. The second part of the program was an opportunity for students to introduce themselves, share their interests, a goal or two, as well as share their biggest fear about going on an interview. To the right, and to the left of the student speaker was a six-panel cheerleading squad to cheer on each of the speakers as they approached and departed the designated "speaking spot." Of course that doesn't happen in "real" life, but for today, it worked! As the students delivered their presentations, repeatedly, these three things were shared in response to their biggest interview fear:

1. I don't want to mess up
2. I am afraid of rejection
3. I worry about being nervous

So, whether you're a 17-year-old high school student, or a 37 year-old-up-and-comer or a seasoned pro, interviewing is interviewing. It means you're in the hot seat! That said...

1. When you mess up, it gives you a chance to do something better next time. When you mess up, you may learn from your mistakes. When you mess up, it affords you an opportunity to identify areas for improvement in the future. When you mess up, hopefully, you won't make the same mistake again, and if you do, back to learning.
2. Rejection is such a powerful thing. It can control you; it can catapult you! So what is rejection? According to the students...it means you don't get picked; it means you're told no; it means they don't want you; it means....(fill in the blank). The point, as we discussed in class, each of us at one time or another, gets rejected. Yet, when we hear that terrible R word, we freak out, feel bad, stop doing whatever it was we were trying to do and really, how silly is that? As one of the students said, you just gotta' try some more. Good wisdom from a high schooler for today's job seeker, whether you're 27, 47, or 67.

3. Being nervous. If you have a tendency to get nervous or get yourself so worked up that you can't even hear the hiring manager's questions, make note of this as something you need to work on and focus on -- then work on it and focus on it instead of going to all of your interviews a nervous wreck. Who wants to interview a nervous wreck? It makes it painful for the person doing the interviewing and it makes it very painful on yourself. Practice, practice, practice and if you still have trouble calming yourself, get some professional help and discover some strategies that work for you and support you.

How about it...what is your biggest fear about going on an interview?

posted by: billiesucher

It's Not All About You

Job seekers frequently ask how to shorten their three/four-page résumé: “I’ve done so much and have so many skills; I just hate to leave anything off.” A good place to start is by recognizing that when it comes to advertising what you are “selling” (your knowledge, skills and experience) it’s not about you.

One of my clients was faced with this dilemma when we first began working together. He was trying to secure a position in the federal government and was frustrated with his lack of success in securing a “best qualified rating.”  He was proud of all he knew and all he had accomplished and wanted to share this information each time he applied, no matter what the position required.

I too am proud of all I know and all I have accomplished, but I also learned to accept the reality that it’s not about me. Jack hired me to help him apply for federal jobs. He couldn’t care less that I was also very knowledgeable and experienced in writing grants for non-profits or helping laid-off blue collar factory workers transition their skills and experience to medical office positions. He wanted to know what I knew about federal applications and what experience I had helping clients land positions with the government. 

Do I change my marketing message every time I am approached by a prospective client? You’re darned right I do!  Until I know what they want and what they need, I can’t possibly know which of my skills and experience are of particular interest to them.

Most job seekers seem to miss the mark because they mistakenly believe it is all about them – what they know, what they can do, and what they need. Don’t get me wrong; to be effective you want to proudly share what you know and what you do well, but the key is to be selective and keep the employer’s wants and needs in mind. Tailor your marketing message (this even includes “tweaking” your résumé) for each and every job. You’ll outshine (and out smart) your competitors and net better results.

Think of it this way: If you want seafood, you aren’t the least bit interested in how well I can grill a steak!

Endings

Driving back to my office from a meeting today, I found myself thinking about endings. Maybe it's because of the phone calls this week that keep rummaging around in my mind:

Hello, my name is "Tom" and an executive recruiter told me to call you; I was let go from my job yesterday...

Billie, my name is "Dick" and a friend of mine said maybe you could help me out...I was downsized today and I don't know where to start...

Yes, my name is "Harry" and Monday, I got the news that my job was being eliminated...

No matter what words you might affix to the event, and no matter what your name is, something has ended. And in the three instances cited above with "Tom, Dick and Harry," it was their job that ended. Not a part of the plan. Hadn't seen it coming. Thought for sure I'd be okay. Came as a complete surprise. Timing couldn't be worse.

Endings. For you this week, maybe the ending wasn't your job; maybe it was a relationship that ended; maybe it was a dear friend who lost their battle with cancer; maybe it was your best friend who lost the family pet. Endings.

I don't know a lot about endings...I know a little. I know that it hurts. I know that it is painful. I know that you may shed buckets of tears. I know that you may question every aspect of everything, wondering what, if anything, you might have done differently. I know that you may wonder "what's wrong with me?" I know that you may go around in a daze and in a fog for a while. I know that you have been shaken to the core, like no other. I know that it may be messy. I know that a part of you will want to withdraw unto yourself. I know that you may find it hard to tell others that you got fired, or downsized, or dismissed, or made redundant, or whatever other word of choice you want to call the event. I know that you may blame yourself. I know that you may have feelings of anger, shock, denial, bargaining, and all of the other emotions that go with loss. Endings.

I also know that somehow, someway, you will get through the mire if you try. I know that you will make it through the muck if you try. I know that you will come out on the other side a different person, and hopefully, a better one at that, if you try. I know that right now, not much makes sense. I know that somewhere along down the road when the raw emotions and sad or ugly feelings subside, that a sense of optimism and hope and possibility can take root, if you let it. I know that the road ahead won't be easy; I do know that if you so choose, you can find a way or create one, to move on. I know that it takes a lot of courage that you didn't even know you had. I know that it means letting go of ego and pride and stuff. I know that there are people out there who care much about you, your happiness, and well-being. I know that it's hard, sometimes, to reach out, but do it anyway. I know that each baby step you take is better than taking none at all. I know that moving on takes tenacity and perseverance and self-motivation and commitment and a positive perspective, when you are ready. I know that healing takes time. I know that wounds leave scars. I know that if you've ever lost something you cared deeply about, you may even remember the date it happened. For me, I remember those dates like yesterday: July 7th, April 29th, etc....

I don't know where your new tomorrow will be, or the exact path that you will take to get there. What I do know, for sure and certain, is that only I can decide, and only you can decide, what we want our tomorrows to look like and be like. For now, though, I have learned that today is the day to reckon with. And that before I can make that new beginning, I must first honor, acknowledge and pay my respects to what has ended.

posted by: billiesucher

Success Story - The Value Of Reaching Out To Your Network

In my post earlier this week titled "4 Ways You Stop Yourself Getting Help After Redundancy", I emphasised the importance of reaching out to your network by sending an email to your contacts and friends after being laid off.  An email that is not a "here is my resume, can you help me?" email - but instead an email to inform and update people and so ensure you maintain relationships.

Well, look at what's just dropped into my mail box today from a client I started working with in April:

“Hi Sital,

The email you encouraged me to send out to my contacts in April just came up trumps.

It took someone 3 months, but the response I got from of one of my contacts was “can you help me out?” So I now have a 6 month contract!

It is not in the area I wanted - but it‘s an role I worked in some years ago and really enjoyed - but it gets me some interim management experience which is what I was after as you know. Thanks for all your help.  I’ll keep you posted.

Have a good weekend,

P.”

This client has found a role in London's financial district (where there are apparently "no jobs"), which wasn't advertised anywhere and with very little competition. All because he followed the steps in this article and placed greater importance on reaching out to people he had an existing relationship with, rather than spending endless hours contacting recruiters and job sites that are overwhealmed and overloaded with applicants. 

So what are you waiting for?

Who I have you held off contacting so far?

Who can you email right now to inform them about your situation and reconnect? 

By Sital Ruparelia from 6 Figure Career Management

Update to Technology Tools for Job Seekers

Are you craving even more technology tools to make your job search easier? If so, you may want to augment my 3-part series Technology Tools for Job Seekers with a few more tools:

1. Zoosa.org – aggregator source for social enterprise news and job postings from the non-profit, education, government, and for-profit sectors. Zoosa.org currently defines social enterprise to include the following areas:

* Alternative Energy / Clean Tech
* Arts
* Community Development
* Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
* Education
* Energy Efficiency & Research
* Environmental Protection
* Foreign Aid
* Government
* Healthcare
* Humanities
* Life Sciences
* Medical Research / Technology
* Microfinance
* Non-Profits
* Politics
* Religion
* Socially Responsible Products / Divisions within larger corporate entities

2. Tweetdeck – aggregate tweets and connect with your contacts across multiple accounts in Twitter, Facebook and more. You can also sync this third-party software to your iPhone and across all your computers.

3. 50 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Job Seekers – Firefox 3 has become my favorite browser because of its customization capabilities. One or more of the 50 add-ons for Firefox 3 cited in this blog post could make your job search much more efficient and effective. Grouped in 5 categories (Job Updates, Social, Research and Organization, Time Savers, and Security), there are bound to be several of these you will find are well worth a try.

If you are a job seeker, let me know if you come across any other technology tools you have found indispensable in your job search that I have NOT already mentioned here or in my previous 3-part series. Thanks!

Cross-posted at Career Goddess Blog

Match.com and Your Resume

My friend who uses Match.com has met several people who are a good match for her age, interests, politics, and education level and one person in particular who has become a really close friend. It makes sense - it's why so many people worldwide use the site. Then why is it that people are still indiscriminately sending resumes in to jobs that bear little resemblance to the jobs they have listed on their resume? It just makes things harder for the truly qualified.

One of the reasons that companies and recruiters are turning away from paying to post jobs on the big job boards is that they get so many irrelevant resumes! Even if you are a serious candidate and provide a close match with the advertised job, you will have a hard time penetrating the jungle of thousands of "unmatched" resumes. (That's why you need to network.)

If you are on Match.com and want to meet people who are pacifists like you or left-leaning liberals, you can expect not to be matched up with hawks and right-leaning Republicans. Right? So what does that mean about how you write your resume? You want your resume to provide a "close match" with the advertised position.

First, the keywords. Make sure that the keywords you find in the job posting can be found on your resume, even if you have to make a "Skills" list at the end of your resume to contain all of them.

Second, your industry. Apply to jobs that are in the same industry that you have experience in. With the intense competition for jobs, you are less likely to be considered for a job outside your industry experience. That means that if you truly want to switch industries, don't count on applicant tracking technology such is as used on the job boards and corporate sites to come up with your resume. Instead, power up your networking to give you a chance to get in front of a hiring authority and make a pitch about the transferability of your skills. 

Third, your job title. If you have held the same title as the job you are applying for in the same industry, you will be providing a close match. If you are seeking to take your career to the next level (going from Director to Senior Director or Senior Director to VP, for instance), you will fare better if you mention the higher-level title in your profile by saying something like, "Poised to assume a VP-level position" or "Targeting VP positions." That's to get the keyword in there, but also to let the reader know that you are ready to move up. Your resume will be more credible, then, if you can demonstrate you've used the skills required in the higher-level position, such as including examples of your contributions to strategic planning if you want an executive-level job. 

Fourth, your skills. Make your resume sound familiar to the reader who has posted the ad. You want to provide a comfort level for the reader by using the skills that they are seeking. 

Fifth, your results. The hiring authority can usually afford - given the large number of applicants - to be picky and interview people whose dynamic accomplishments are highlighted in their resumes. So knock their socks off!

Getting a job is all about providing that close match to a position an organization is seeking to fill. As we've talked about before, networking is your best bet for getting a job - by a long shot. Fortunately, networking will most likely provide you with an opportunity to tailor your resume to a job opening. Count on needing to tweak your resume towards that open position. 

So go for it - get a great date, um, job!

Are You Pushing a Black Cloud?

Employers don’t hire depressed people. This comes as no surprise to those of us who are sitting on the sidelines watching someone we care about go through the exercise of finding employment, but for many who are “in the game” this simple fact seems to elude them.

No question about it - loosing your job can be pretty demoralizing. So can sending out dozens of resumes and never getting a reply. And if somehow you are able to land an interview, not getting the offer continues the downward spiral.

Yesterday I met with a former client who has been unemployed since October. He wanted me to rewrite his résumé to make it “more generic” because he was convinced that highlighting the education, skills and experience that positioned him for his desired career was not working. Every suggestion I made was met with an objection:

• Follow-up with employers to ensure your résumé was received and ask when they would be scheduling interviews – “I don’t have the company phone number.”

• Make a list of companies you want to target and learn all you can about them – “I already applied to everyone in the area; there is no one left to add to my list.”

• Share your résumé and job search plan with your friends and references and ask for their insight and advice – “I don’t have any friends and I no longer have a phone number for any of my references.”

• Call people you know in the industry and schedule an informational interview to get their feedback on what employers are looking for and suggestions for improving your skills and employability – “No one is going to take the time to talk to me.”

This job seeker had already decided that all hope was gone; in fact, he shared with me that he hates getting up in the morning and prefers to avoid all human contact. It never occurred to him that he was using all his energy to keep pushing a black cloud and wondering why the Universe was not rewarding him with a job instead of gloom and doom.

Feelings of anxiety, fear, depression and even anger are all part of the process of letting go so you can move on to acceptance. If you find yourself stuck in any of these phases, or someone you trust points this out to you, I encourage you to seek professional help. It does not mean you are weak or crazy and you will be on medication or in therapy the rest of your life. Until you are able to set the black cloud aside and believe that the sun will shine on you again, you can modify your résumé all you want and spend hours searching job boards but success will continue to elude you.

The Road Trip and The Job Search

Saturday, July 4th, we took off headed east out of the city. Time for a road trip; our destination was a new resort area about three hours away. In between our doorstep and our destination, the trip was unscheduled and uncharted. We decided that whatever interesting thing, person, or place popped up along the way, that would become our plan. We'd just keep an open mind and see what we'd discover, or not, along the way.

The first thing we discovered, about 45 minutes into the trip, was a stalled car at a stop sign out in the middle of nowhere. My husband called out to the passenger, "Need some help?" to which the gentlemen replied, "No, we're good." As it turned out, the man we stopped to help was someone my husband knew, a customer, in fact. We waited to make sure they really were okay and then continued on.

We stopped at a small rural town that was getting ready for their 4th of July parade. A few vendors lined one side of the county courthouse yard. I bought a new dishcloth (handmade of the finest craftsmanship according to a woman named Dorothy) for $1.75. And an Eileen was selling baked goods and jams. Bought my youngest daughter a small loaf of banana bread for a buck. Then, Eileen proceeded to tell us about a lovely Amish variety store we should visit "plus, they have a  greenhouse and a cheese store nearby." We went. The variety store was as lovely as Eileen from the courthouse yard had offered. I spied a beautiful hibiscus, large and blooming; the young lady announced it would be $7.00 -- no discounts on the hibiscus today.

We continued wandering through the countryside and old back roads, heading in the general direction we needed to get to the resort. Pretty soon, we realized we were lost. Finally, we stopped at a farmhouse and announced to the farmer...."Um, yeah, we're lost" to which the farmer replied, "Yup, you are...have had quite a few of you lost folks come around today." He smiled and laughed and told us how to backtrack and what roads to avoid because of detours, roadwork and once again, we were on our way.

As we were eating a late lunch at the beautiful new resort, we met a woman who told us she was visiting there because she needed to "get away" -- everyday she goes to work wondering if today is the day she'll lose her job. We met a lovely couple who the night before had camped at a state park, only to get drenched by heavy rains. They were staying the night at the new resort, telling us that as "walk-ins" they were charged only half the room price since they hadn't booked in advance. Good to know.

Perhaps you wonder where this post is going, or its career and job search relevance? It does connect. As we were driving home, I was thinking about the good, fun and most of all, relaxing day we'd had and these thoughts drifted through my mind:

1. You don't always have to have a plan to have a great time
2. Be open to new things, new people and new experiences
3. Sometimes you have to wander to realize that you're headed the wrong way
4. Meet someone new and maybe they'll offer you a little tip about something good
5. Ask people who know more than you do about something and their insights may prove helpful
6. It's okay if you get lost because you might meet a nice person who will turn you around and put you back on the right track
7. When you get lost, stop sooner than later, and ask for directions from a reliable source
8. If one road is closed because of a detour, find a new route to your destination
9. If someone is broken down in their car, or life, or whatever, lend a hand; offer to help and then go ahead and wait a little bit to make sure they really are okay.

Oh, and one other thing...less than 10 bucks will buy you a new dishcloth, a new hibiscus, and some really good banana bread.

cross-posted at billiesucherblog

4 Reasons Why You Stop Yourself Getting Support After Redundancy

I’m constantly surprised at how so many people try to deal with job loss and redundancy on their own.

One of the first questions I ask clients who have recently been laid off is: 

“So who knows about it? Have you announced your redundancy to every single person in your personal and professional network..?”

On average, only about 30% of people say ‘yes’ - the other 70% have often not told many people at all - even several week’s after being laid off.

When I ask why - they usually say “oh, I err, just haven’t….” - but I usually know what’s going on. When I ask further questions and probe, there are some common reasons for not telling others about their situation.

Here are 4 of the most common reasons why people are shy about sharing news about their job loss - along with my usual responses:

1. “I feel embarassed..”

As an ex recruiter - both within recruitment consultancy and an in-house corporate HR recruiter, I can assure you that there is no longer a stigma with getting laid off these days.

It’s old fashioned to think only poor performers lose their jobs. Most of the people who are losing their jobs at the moment are being laid off for reasons outside their control.  You probably lost your job due to wider economic and financial problems - not because you’re rubbish. So quit feeling embarassed.

And if you do come across people (contacts, potential employers, recruiters) who do look down at you because you’ve been laid off - that’s their issue, not yours.  It’s their loss, so just move on with your head held high.

2. “I don’t know what to say…”

You don’t have to say much at all. Just tell them what’s happened so that they know what’s happening to you.

Just think, if one of you’re friends got engaged or had a baby and didn’t tell you about it, how would you feel? In the same vain, don’t let your friends and professional contacts find out through the grapevine. Send a short email (DO NOT attach a resume) - stick to the facts and tell them what’s happened, give them your personal email address and mobile number so that they have your new details. And that’s it (for now).

3. “I dont want people who I’ve not contacted in a while to think I’m only now getting in touch because I want something..” (i.e. a new job)

I’m not suggesting you spam your friends your resume with a “help me find a job” note.

I’m asking you to just inform the people you have a relationship with about a change in your life.  Don’t you inform people when you move house? In the same way, informing others of a change in your work situation is very normal behaviour.

I suggest you don’t send your resume initially and don’t ask for anything. If you have people reply back and ask you to send through your details,  that’s great - do it. But initially, don’t send out your details to anyone apart from your very warm contacts.

Informing others allows you to reconnect with others - yes, this may then lead onto an email exchange about potential job leads. But may not. But you don’t have relationships with others just because you want something.

4. “I don’t really know what I want to do next” / “I’m going to take some time out, so there’s no point in contacting people yet”

Read my comments under point 3 again. You’re not informing people because you want something. You’re informing people because that’s how we cultivate relationships - by sharing our news. By sharing information and ideas (E.g, what am I doing right now? I’m sharing information and ideas with you - and in the process building a relationship with readers such as yourself).

Cultivating relationships is what you need to do when you’re out of work

Why?

a) Because during a recession, networking is the single best way to find job opportunities. (You can't tap into that network if no one knows about your situation)

b) Because being out of work gives you a great window of time to reconnect with people you’ve lost contact with (and at our core, connection is what we all want - it's a basic human need)

c) Because the ideas and suggestions you need to deal with the ”I don't know what to do next” challenge will often come from the people in your network that know you best

d) Because your friends, family and contacts are the people who you will lean on when you have a bad day (which, you can be sure you will have at some point over the coming weeks)

e) Because these are the people who can help you let your hair down and a have laugh occassionally (and who doesn't need that right now).

So if you’ve been laid off recently , please do yourself a favour and don’t keep it a secret. Send out some emails or a make a few calls to friends, family, colleagues, clients, vendors, brokers, suppliers - all the people you have a relationship with. You”ll be surprised with the flurry of supportive responses that will come back to you.  

Responses that will show you that you don’t have to deal with everything on your own. And that the only thing stopping you getting support isactually YOU...

 Sital Ruparelia from 6 Figure Career Management