Career Hub

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

A few weeks ago on one of my favorite television programs, CBS Sunday Morning, I stumbled upon an interesting story about Roz Chast, a cartoonist with The New Yorker. One of her cartoons was a drawing of a little train accompanied by the question "I knew I could, so why didn't I?" What a great question!

For years, I read and re-read The Little Engine That Could to my children -- they so loved to say, I think I can, I think I can, and with clients, I've referenced that book time and again. In my opinion, Chast poses such an intriguing question, one I'm still pondering days later with this post. What keeps you from doing what's in your heart? What holds you back? Why don't you do the things you'd really love to do?

You know how you always thought you'd be a this, or do a that? And maybe this or that hasn't happened yet? Perhaps now would be a good time to examine why it hasn't...is it lack of time? Not enough money? Overwhelmed? Stuck? Lack of desire and motivation? Too much work to tackle something new? Tired, worn out? Fear of failure? What if? No support? Don't know where to start?

Pause just for a moment this day and ask yourself, what needs to happen to turn my thoughts, passions, and dreams into reality? Then five years, 10 years, or even one year from now, you can look back and say "I knew I could, so I did!"

Real Connections

Morphing from Jon in New Zealand to Seth Godin to CareerHub... there's an excellent lesson in this post on Seth's blog about how real people make real connections.

This applies to job search in two ways:

1) Understanding employers and recruiters - Even if they have your resume in their database, or printed in a stack on their desk, they will most likely go FIRST to a referred candidate... and maybe stop there! Your lesson? Be that referral.

2) Appreciating the limitations of online networking - You can go only so far with electronic connections. At some point, you need to turn those links and referrals into real people with real voices. (I include email as a "real" voice.. doesn't always have to be in person or by phone.) The lessons? Don't spend all your time online. Don't think of one-on-one meetings as inefficient or unproductive. Go deeper even if it means sacrificing some breadth.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

Search Blunders That Sabotage Offers

A well-planned, strategic job history is not taught in school. I have yet to see a candidate with a Bachelor of Science in Job Search or a Master of Arts in Career Management. Ironically one can get an education in so many vocations that choosing a major is much like facing a menu with too many selections. Selecting a generic or even a job-specific major, many graduates leave campus without a clue about what job to pursue or where to even begin, and throughout their lifetimes, since the rules keep changing, no one but seasoned experts seem to possess the answers to state of the art job search.

What follows are some of today’s most common blunders:

Limiting Options or Unrealistic Career expectations– On all levels, workers are defined by the functions they perform, i.e., sales, accounting, profit center management, chief executive officer and the environments in which they are performed, i.e. advertising, manufacturing, public accounting, retail. Too often candidates are either arbitrary about what they are willing to envision as their next job or they believe they can take their experience into totally uncharted waters and expect the same six-figure income to which they had truly been entitled in familiar work assignments. The enlightened candidate falls somewhere in the middle. The best net results occur to he who “rides the wave” on past success, recognizing and demonstrating those transitional skills that will be of value in different environments or when performing new functions.

Dealing With Negative Baggage – As we finally reach an improved economy with an encouraging job market the likes of which we haven’t seen for years, we would be well served to pay tribute to the casualties of hard times. Much like war veterans with battle scars, many are returning from extended unemployment and others, through demotions, loss of retirement and the constant threat of layoffs have been emotionally affected. Have no doubt that the best candidate will kill all hopes of a job offer if any bitterness or negativity about his rough road comes to the surface. We all traveled that same road and employers are starved for survivors sustained with spirit and turned off by perceived negativity.

Poor Display of Market Value and Lack of Direction – Successfully performing this exercise is at the heart of securing the job offer. Anything less than a stellar demonstration of direct net worth and specific motives for wanting to join a company results in no sale. But unsuccessful candidates continue to believe that mere qualifications and savvy responses to interviewer questions will surely seal the deal. Candidates need to remember that they are packaged products for purchase who, unlike traditionally merchandised inventory, have the opportunity to verbally sell themselves by the way they connect their achievements to their perspective employer’s needs.

Overkill in Follow-Up – I tend to determine the best approach based on the temperament of hiring authorities and then I look back at each success and analyze what actually happened that resulted in a job offer. From case studies I find that chasing an employer too hard can make a candidate look desperate. Nothing succeeds better than a stellar, unforgettable first/second/final interview. My clients are taught to leave their fingerprints of potential value indelibly tattooed on the minds of their interviewers, to follow-up gently once and then to back-off. There is something almost provocative about “seducing” an employer initially only to leave him to continue the chase. The savvy candidate surpasses and then moves on to impress again…. initiating as many potential opportunities as possible.

Mistakes Job Seekers Make

This morning my client asked if I knew of a rule book that he could buy so he would avoid making so many career mistakes. My mind immediately turned to my son's high school baseball umpiring experiences the last few summers and the little rule book he carries in his back pocket. Rules. Printed clearly. When in doubt, look it up. Bam. Easy.

Wouldn't it be nice if the career business had a little rule book? Maybe you'd get it when you were born or something, issued with your birth certificate. Then, during your lifetime, you could just flip to page 143 and there you'd have it! Read. Follow. Done. No worries.

While I'm certainly no authority on rules of the career game, here are a few common mistakes I've heard time and again in my work with others:

1. Lack of Career Direction. You've heard the saying no goals, no glory. How true when it comes to job search. If your response to "what type of work interests you" is "Oh, I'll take about anything," imagine how not helpful and how lame that is for your listener. Anything? Can you build a rocket ship? Can you teach a college physics class? Can you repair the engine of a BMW? The point is, when it gets right down to it, what can you do, realistically (and well) to help an organization solve its problems, meet its needs and bring you (and them) more joy than pain while you're at it?
2. Outward / external focus. Routinely, individuals who contact me express their unhappiness or uneasiness about their current job situation -- immediately followed by "so I just wanted to come in and talk with you about what's out there." What's out there is anything and everything -- you name it and it's probably out there or in the process of being put out there. Therefore, look inwardly and shift your focus to what's in here (your heart, your head) before you begin the job search process.
3. Turning your career over to someone else. While it's a good thing to enlist the help, guidance, and support of others as you pursue new options, remember, you're in the driver's seat. Make decisions based on your unique and distinct preferences, wants, and needs, not those of someone else.
4. Wrong job / right money. While the money looks good for a while, a bad fit is a bad fit, and sooner or later, you'll find yourself thinking about, or looking for, another position. Take a job for the right reasons, not the wrong ones.
5. Failure to understand the product (brand you) and its value/worth in a highly competitive market. Before you hit the streets, analyze your product and then practice speaking about it -- its best features, value and benefits to optimize your chances of success.

What has been your biggest mistake, to date, when exploring new career opportunities?

Get to the Point!

Yesterday I got an unsolicited email query that caught my attention. Here's what it said:

SUBJECT: Website traffic MESSAGE: With your permission, I'd like to explain how I could get more people to your site each month. Let me know if you're interested.

Here's what I liked about it - and how this might relate to a job search:

SHORT: I read it in about 3 seconds.
TO THE POINT: No beating around the bush - the message was crystal-clear.
RESPECTFUL: "With your permission"... what a nice phrase.
ALL ABOUT ME: No blather about how great he was, just a straightforward offer to do something to my benefit.

OK, now, here's the connection: What do your networking and job search messages say? Do you go on for paragraphs and pages? Do you try to make it all about YOU?

Consider how powerful and effective might be this message to a busy senior executive:

* "With your permission, I'd like to explain how I can build sales volume for your West Coast Region. Please let me know if you're interested."
* Or, "With your permission, I'd like to share some ideas I have about expanding COMPANY NAME into China. If you are interested, we can schedule a brief meeting or phone call."
* Or "If you have a few moments, I'd like to give you my thoughts on how to increase profitability for all of your production sites. Please let me know if you're interested."

Then, your name, phone number, email address, and perhaps a link to your web portfolio or blog.

That's it. Nothing more. No resume, no biography, no past history or accomplishments. Instead, grab attention with something that's meaningful to your audience.

Most won't follow up, and that's OK. But a few are bound to be intrigued. When they call or write, keep the focus on them - your solutions to their problems - to establish credibility. Once they're hooked into believing you have something of value to offer, then it's time to explore whether they might wish to hire you to implement those solutions. If not, that's OK. Neither of you has invested much time; you've both built a potentially valuable connection; and the interaction has been mutually respectful.

By the way... this offer came to me from placementreview.com, a "website performance service." I am not endorsing them - don't know the first thing about them! - but I will check them out. It could very well be worth another 3 seconds (or so) of my time.

Posted by Louise Kursmark

First Get the Offer, then Negotiate the Details

The Million Dollar Interview Question can come near the beginning of an official job interview or sneak up before the meeting is about to close.” What will it take for you to join our team?" or "What is it going to cost to get you here?"

Does the very thought of being in such a situation make your hands clammy, your heart race and your stomach churn? Get prepared.  Save yourself some last minute angst. Plus, get ready to negotiate your raise when the right time comes. Here are a few tips to help you face the inevitable with confidence.

1. Do your homework. Be prepared with figures and facts demonstrating your value to the prospective employer. Know your worth in the market. Research what comparable positions with similar responsibilities command in your industry and in your locale.

2. Make it clear that your goal is fairness. You want to be compensated commensurately with what your colleagues are paid for comparable responsibilities, and you want to be rewarded for superior performance.

3. Show that hiring you is not an expense but a smart investment. Prove that you will be able to add to the bottom line through increased sales, cost reductions, revenue gains, enhanced productivity, etc. Have tables or charts to illustrate the impact your expertise will have. Use actual data if available.

4. Never reveal an exact number for your desired salary or what you are currently making. Give a range that will allow you more room to negotiate for bonuses, benefits, time off, etc. because no two jobs are the same, no two candidates are alike. See Tip # 6 below.

5. Have a bottom line in mind. What is this opportunity worth to you? What will you give up? What can you exchange to make the numbers work? Is there a necessity, must have, uncompromising need? Then, be willing to be flexible on the rest. Think about time off vs. salary, educational opportunities vs. conference attendance, etc.

6. Remember that this should be a win-win for you and your future employer. Make sure that they understand that you want this job and you are confident that if they also agree that you are the right choice, together you can make this happen. Take the focus off the dollars and put it on the chance to have an impact, find solutions, move forward, etc.

7. Work this out with your future boss rather than their HR staff person. Only your future boss knows what they need and will go to bat to get this deal together for you. It's her budget — show them her "other" skills right from the beginning with your abilities to negotiate for yourself!

Posted by Debra Feldman, the JobWhiz

The Power of Blogs

If you're wondering whether your blog can make a difference in your job search, check out this CareerJournal story - with real examples of real people who have been noticed, approached, and hired because of their blogs.

And what a nice tie-in to Deb Dib's client success story on this blog! Together, the stories reinforce how important it is to (a) have a clear brand and a compelling brand message; (b) communicate the brand message consistently and authentically - not just for an immediate career need but for lifelong career management.

Bravo to those who "get it."

Posted by Louise Kursmark

Free Job Search Help - Download Our eBooks

We're thrilled to announce the release of our fourth free eBook - "The Insider's Guide to Networking" features 70 pages of advice from some of the country's leading careers experts. The topic of networking is one that I know is of great interest to many of our readers, so I asked our experts to give readers their best advice for networking success. The answers are varied, interesting and sometimes surprising.

If you don't have our earlier eBooks, you're missing out on similarly great advice about resume writing, interviewing and job search strategies. All these great eBooks are available without email sign-up. Simply download the PDFs and start reading! And to stay regularly updated with all the best in career advice, bookmark this site, sign up for our RSS feed, or have the articles sent directly to your email box.

Insider's Guide to Networking

Expert advice on how to network successfully - subjects include advice on networking for introverts, tips on what NOT to do when networking, hints on using the Internet for interviewing and strategies for maintaining an active network once you secure your next position.

Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive

Insider's Guide to Interviewing

Expert advice on how to succeed in interviews - topics covered include effective interview planning, tips on taking control of the interview situation, advice on closing, and best approaches to salary negotiation.

Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive

Insider's Guide to Resume Writing

In this book, our experts tackle all aspects of effective resume writing, including defining your branded value proposition, the value of story-telling, the secret ingredient of context, common resume mistakes, and how you can go beyond the resume in your career marketing.

Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive

Insider's Guide to Job Search

This is the first book in our Insider's Guide series. From determining career direction, through resume writing to networking and interview skills, each of our experts provides real-world strategies for job search success.

Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive

Show Me the Money!

Penelope Trunk of the Brazen Careerist has a very informative post on ways to get a raise. Here are a few of my own ideas for getting noticed and getting more money from an employer.

Document your accomplishments regularly throughout the year
Keep track of all the projects you manage. Upon completion of each assignment, write a note to yourself detailing your contribution and how your efforts helped the company make money, save money, save time, grow the business, or retain customers. Quantify your accomplishments with dollars, percentages, and other appropriate metrics. Actively seek out opportunities to improve efficiencies and profits regardless of the task at hand. By showing and quantifying your specific value add, you build a better business case to support the requested salary increase.

Become hard to replace
Create opportunities to diversify your experience by offering to learn how to perform tasks that support your main role and make you more efficient at what you do. An alternative strategy is to become a subject matter expert in one specific aspect of the job so you are seen as the "go-to-guy" for a particular type of information. No want wants to lose the "go-to-guy" because then they have to do it themselves.

Take on tasks that no one else wants to do
This does not mean taking on grunt work. It might just mean mastering a new technology that no one else feels comfortable with or taking on an assignment that is outside of the traditional scope of the job. Employees who demonstrate this level of flexibility tend to get more flexibility from their bosses on other issues, including compensation.

Accept high profile assignments close to review time
Since it is easier for people to remember what has happened most recently, why not take on an important assignment to coincide with an upcoming review? The project is bound to become a focal point of the performance review discussion and the boss can quickly remember and document the acheivements relevant to the project.

Your success negotiating a salary increase or promotion hinges on your ability to discuss the increase in terms of what is fair and reasonable. By including some of these ideas into your career management strategy, you can keep the conversation focused on measureable achievements and build a compelling business case for  the requested pay raise.

Cross posted on Career Solvers Blog

Want the CEO to want you? Prepare, prepare, prepare!

What jazzes a career coach most? A joyful call from a client who has landed a dream job!

This morning I received one of those calls, and hours later I’m still smiling. During the call, we discussed what had worked best during my client’s short, 3-month job hunt (he’s a senior-level sales management executive in the technology / Web 2.0 space who resigned from his last position because of severe burnout after years of accelerated growth within a company he helped build).

He told me the resume we prepared -- a precision document strategized specifically to the needs of his target market -- worked like a charm. He did a mass mailing and made 40 cold calls. In his words, the resume “got air speed in a hurry” and he was soon fielding interview requests all over the country.

But landing the job after getting on the short list wasn’t as easy as this stellar exec expected. Although we’d done extensive work on his value proposition and brand for resume and interview prep -- tying both to multiple and specific examples of success in many key areas -- he’d not reviewed our work thoroughly and had not followed our game plan of scripting a variety of 30-second commercials and play-by-play case studies designed to irresistibly move decision makers towards an offer.

After he fumbled his first interview, he realized that out-competing at elite levels was going to take some real work. He prepared a precision attack plan for handling just about any interview question and “do the job to get the job” scenario he could imagine. He also polished an extensive white paper case study and used that to great advantage when interviewing. He told me “I wanted everything I said to be magnetic – to attract a follow on question that will compel them to dig deeper.”

Fast forward to recent weeks when he landed on the short list for his dream job -- a job with his dream company, with his dream product, within a growth industry, and with an office just 20 minutes from his home. He nailed every interview, and was told by the CEO, “You’re the most impressive candidate I’ve had in my office in seven years.”

Within days, the CEO offered him the job -- and a very generous compensation package. The comp was far more than my client anticipated, but he felt that at his level he would be expected to counter. He told me, “I thought, this is a GREAT package. But what the heck, why not be bold and counter with requests that really show how much confidence I have in my ability to make things happen?”

Negotiations were completed in record time, with the CEO telling the board, “I’ll stake my career that this is the right guy for us. I don't want to lose him. Give him what he wants.” My client walked away with 90% of his bold counter offer and a promise to be considered for company officer status within a year, despite the fact that he’s the youngest GM in the company’s history.

Now, just days after his hire, we’ve already made plans to update his resume, create a new executive bio, revise his profiles on LinkedIn and other networking sites, create a media plan for speaking / writing gigs, and coach around leveraging this job to raise his visibility within his industry.

Why so soon? Because he anticipates that within a few years his company will likely be sold and he’ll need his next job. When that happens, he wants to be the hunted not the hunter, and he wants to control his destiny.

Precision preparation…for the finish line and beyond!

Posted by Deb Dib