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How many opportunities are you going to miss?

1 December 2008, 9:23 pm

Open any paper, turn on any radio, watch any news program and you’ll hear the same message over and over and over and over again. “Things are awful.” Well, ya know what. If you hear anything frequently enough, you’ll eventually start buying into it and that negativity will start shaping your entire perspective. If you’re buying into the doom and gloom and everything you see is through “negative-colored glasses”, how many chances for greatness are you going to miss?

 

Recently, I’ve had resume clients almost apologetic for starting a job search “in these tough economic times.” I tell them, regardless the economy, in sales, a good rule of thumb to remember is it takes an average of 30 no’s to get a yes. Since you’re selling your most important commodities – your time and your talents – you better get busy collecting no’s so you can find that golden yes. Sure, it may take 40 or even 50 no’s to get a yes right now, but if you lock the door, hunker down, worry about what how awful things are and don’t even try, you’ll never hear a YES in your life.

 

Many years ago, while I was consternating over my own job change and relocation a friend of mind recommended getting a copy of A Guide for the Advanced Soul by Susan Hayward. The cover of the book instructs to “Hold a problem in your mind. Open this book to any page and there will be your answer.” OK, so I’m an old hippie … Anyway, I took her advice, asked the “What should I do question?” and opened the book to this passage:

 

You are given the gifts of the gods; you create your reality according to your beliefs. Yours is the creative energy that makes your world. There are no limitations to the self except those you believe in.

Jane Roberts, The Nature of Personal Reality

 

I read that quote in response to my question almost twenty years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. (By the way, I created my own reality, took the job and have no regrets.) I share that passage with you today as a challenge to change your perception of what is happening. We create our own realities is absolutely true. Sure, I’ve lost more money than I even want to think about in my IRA. And yes, I am concerned over the economy and future business, but I’ve not let it completely take over my life. I’m keeping my head down, working hard and expressing gratitude for every bit of business that comes my way – business, which in spite of what the news media says, is quite brisk.

 

Black Friday sales figures were greater than expected. Did it get reported as a positive sign? NO. I saw several headlines saying something like “Black Friday sales exceed expectation, but retailers and the market still cautious” – completely negating the positive note preceding the “but”. Unfortunately “Black Friday sales exceed expectations. YEA!!!” is not a headline that sells newspapers – either printed or virtual.

 

Whether you’re thinking about a career change, starting a job search, deciding to reenter the workforce, have been laid off from your current job or getting ready to launch a new business venture, remember, your attitude and your perception of your chances for success rest solely and completely in your hands.

 

Cautious optimism trumps needless worry every time. You’re in charge. Wasn’t it Henry Ford who said “Those who think they can and those who think they can’t are usually right”? Be someone who thinks they can – in your job search and your life.

 

 

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In English, please.

26 November 2008, 8:48 pm

In addition to operating a successful resume writing business, I also have a very busy pet sitting service – Snug as a Bug. I know. Very odd combination, but it works. And it combines my two passions – writing and animals.

 

Since my pet sitting service offers in home care for people’s pets, I spend a good deal of time in my car going from client to client. A few Sunday’s ago I was listening to The Garden Hotline, with Ralph Snodsmith on our local talk radio station, The Big Talker.

 

At one point during the show, Mr. Snodsmith told listeners to send their garden questions to him via email. He then went on to give “his rules” for emailing. At first I thought, you’ve got to be kidding. How arrogant. I couldn’t believe he was telling people what he will and won’t read based on the presentation of the email question. He went so far as to say he deleted unsigned, badly worded and unpunctuated emails. Oh my.

 

Then he said something that quickly changed my opinion of his position on emails. He said, “I’m giving you my time to read and answer your questions. The least you can do is present it in a readable format, in proper English.” I went from “how arrogant” to “right on Ralph” in about 2.7 seconds.

 

His comments made me think back to the emails I used to get when I was a professional recruiter. Frequently, I’d get a blank email with an attachment and nothing in the subject line. Was that job seeker thinking about me the recipient? No. I had to open the email, figure out which of my 20 open job orders he was responding to and then figure out if he was a fit. Considering I frequently received more than 300 email responses for job openings in my inbox overnight, I’ll promise you, those “mystery emails” were opened last, if at all.

 

This writing from a reader’s perspective parallels the job search process. If you submit your resume via email, take a moment to draft a brief note to the person on the receiving end, letting them know why you’re contacting them. And take the time to do it in proper English, with correct spelling and punctuation. Don’t make them guess why you’re sending in your resume and don’t make them decipher some sort of coded shorthand with phonetic spelling. In my November 13, 2008 post, I told you the job search is all about them. That approach should start with the very first contact. Before they even see your resume, they’ll see your email. Make sure it’s a proper representation of the image you’re trying to convey.

 

Here are a few of Mr. Snodsmith’s “rules for emailing”. Following them will absolutely set you apart from the rest of the pack. 

 

1.  Sign your emails. Don’t assume your email address reveals who you are. And if it’s pertinent, put your location and contact information so the receiver doesn’t have to dig. I don’t care if it’s on your rez AND your cover letter. Put it in the cover email too.

 

2.  Make your subject line meaningful. Use it to help convey your reason for contact.

 

3.  If you’re referring to yourself, the correct way to do that is with a capital “I”, not a lower case “i”. Capital letters also begin sentences, names and proper nouns. (How difficult is it to hit the shift key?)

 

4.  Periods, question marks, exclamation points denote the end of a sentence. Use them.

 

5.  Spell out the information you’re trying to convey. L8R or UR GR8 is fine for a text message to friends. It is not appropriate for business correspondence.

 

6.  Use your spell checker (but don’t depend on it.) Take a moment to read what you wrote before you hit send and ensure what you’ve written is what you’re intending to say. (Good advice for EVERY email you send.)

 

Mr. Snodsmith boasts more than 50 years’ gardening experience. I’d say, in addition to gardening expertise, he offers an important lesson in communication.

 

On a final note:

As the United States prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, remember, even with the current economic outlook, bailouts and a future filled with uncertainty, we still live in the greatest country in the world. Gather your friends and family and take a moment to be grateful for all life’s blessings. If you’re honest, you’ll find them way too numerable to count.

 

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was “thank you,” that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

 

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

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Attention! Helicopter Parents: Return to the Heliport

19 November 2008, 12:44 pm

A friend of mine recently sent me the link to Patrick Erwin’s article on CareerBuilder entitled Helicopter Parents on the Job Search. In the article, Mr. Erwin describes a new phenomena emerging in the job search marketplace – parents intimately involved in their Generation Y / Millennial Generation offspring’s job search. And he goes on to say some companies are even beginning to cater to this craziness.

 

I’ll get to the parents in a moment, but first I have to say, if a company is going to entertain and embrace this insanity, then they get what they deserve – a workforce in need of more handholding, affirmation and general attention than ever before. Self-reliant employees build and grow a company; insecure workers, in constant need of reinforcement do nothing but suck profits from the bottom line. ‘Nuff said.

 

On to the parental situation … I have no problem with Mom or Dad forwarding job posting links to junior or their little princess or role playing for interviewing or helping with company research or any one of a thousand background activities related to the search, (Erwin gives great suggestions at the end of the article). But when it comes to making contact with the company – interviewing, following-up, negotiating salary or relocation packages – that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the applicant AND NO ONE ELSE.

 

In the article there’s a story about a mom following up on a job posting because her son is tooooo busy to place a call and conduct his own job search. Give me a break. As a former hiring authority, if mommy had called me about her darling son, her darling son’s rez would be in the shredder faster than he or she could blink. If her son’s time management skills are no better than to have mom call and ask for a job, then I have serious doubts about his capability to operate under pressures, meet sensitive timelines or manage projects. (Although, it does speak well of his delegation skills ….)

 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m not a parent, but I do have grown stepchildren. I have helped them with job searches in the past. I’ve spruced up their resumes, provided interview prep information, answered questions about search and interview strategies, even passed on unadvertised job leads when I heard about them. However, at no time, no matter how dire the employment straights, did it ever occur to me to pick up the phone and call a prospective employer regarding employment for any of them.

 

When I supervised departments, I told my employees, unless you’re in a coma, I expect you to call in sick – not your spouse, not your roommate, not your dad – YOU. Your coworkers, covering for you while you’re out or I might have questions. It’s not unreasonable to expect to spend five minutes ensuring proper coverage. I regret you feel badly, but we’ve got customers to serve and a company to run. It’s your job. Own it.

 

A parent’s job is to bring up responsible adults, adults able to support themselves and make positive contributions to society. Conducting a job search, following up with employers and generally wiping their noses for them is not helping them. It’s not building confidence and further perpetuates the entitlement attitude so prevalent in society today.

 

On one of my resume writer group’s e-list, a colleague commented on working with a Helicopter Parent and her child. This writer shared she wasn’t sure the child even had a voice. Every question the rez writer asked was answered by mom or mom corrected, clarified and added to the response her darling daughter gave. How can this young adult be prepared to face the world, much less an interview with mom running interference for her every step of the way? If you never fail, how do you ever learn?

 

The School of Hard Knocks is the best teacher. The tests are painful, but the lessons dramatic and memorable. If mom and dad don’t let their child attend that school, how will their children ever stand on their own two feet, be confident, be powerful, be secure in their own skin?

 

Parents: It’s fine to help. It is not fine to do – PERIOD. Return to the heliport now.

 

 

 

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Interviewing – A little effort can net positive results

13 November 2008, 3:03 am

In the November 6, 2008 issue of Early to Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth and success newsletter, Suzanne Richardson wrote a great article about interviewing – “A surefire way not to get hired”. In it she stresses the importance of some advanced planning and research and what it could have done to change the course of an interview for her friend “Carly”.

 

In a nutshell, her friend “Carly” made the same mistake so many job seekers make – thinking the potential employer is interested in them and only wants to hear about them and their career. At this point in the process, the company in interested in what you can do for them – period. They could care less about your hopes and aspirations. They want to know “What are you bringing to my party? And is it name brand chips or the store brand?”

 

For some reason, people think the job search is all about them and they assume (and we all know what that does) the interviewer is enamored to hear every detail of their career along with all their dreams for the future. WRONG.

 

The beginning of the job search is all about you – you decide to look – and the end of the job search is all about – you decide to accept the position. The middle? It’s all about them. Every syllable out of your mouth should be an example of how you can help the organization grow, run better, launch a new product … whatever. In order for you to do that, you have to do your homework. Research the company. Talk to people who work there. Google the company. Look for articles written about them and most likely the challenges they face. Dig past the first five entries of a search and you’ll be surprised at what you discover.

 

Use Hoovers and ThomasNet (formerly The Thomas Registery) to gather basic data. Sometimes you can even find the names of department heads listed in the info. At the very least, visit their Web site, so you know about the product or service provided. Difficult as it is to believe, I interviewed people when I was a manager at Chloride Systems in Burgaw, NC who had no idea what we made (emergency lighting and uninterruptible power sources). When I asked if they knew about our product lines, I heard GUESSES ranging from pool chemicals to car batteries. Needless to say, their visit was a waste of both of our times. In this Internet age, there’s no excuse not to know the company’s product, their mission statement, their culture.

 

Think about it. When you finally landed the dream date with Mr. or Ms. Right, did you spend the entire evening “boring” them with every detail of your life starting with your first breath, or did you show them you were interested in them by sharing tidbits you’d gathered from friends and friends of friends intending to dazzle and impress. I understand the physiological drive behind why you’d conduct this type of research. But isn’t living indoors and eating regularly also something that drives you? Isn’t advancing you career a reason to spend an hour or two researching a company?

 

The sooner you begin phrasing your responses in a “this is what I can do for you”, rather than a “what can you do for me” position, the more success you’ll have during interviews. Remember, this part of the job search process is all about them. Not you.

 

 

PS – For those of you who don’t get the Early to Rise daily e-letter, you’re missing a great resource. And you can’t beat the price – FREE. Go subscribe now.

 

 

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On payday, everybody's even (Part two)

10 November 2008, 11:34 pm

Continuing with Thursday’s post …

 

 OK, so how does “On payday, everybody’s even” fit in with a career move? Hang with me a little while long and it will all make sense.

 

I took the following excerpt from a client email I received recently. It’s a good question. And this client is wise in planning an exit strategy.

 

My company’s unwritten policy is to escort you out the door as soon as you turn in a notice. Do they have to pay me for the notice I give? In the past, I have paid my employees for their two-weeks, but followed policy and make them leave as soon as they gave notice. Being a higher-level manager, I would give two months notice. If they let me go, do they have to pay me for the two months?

 

This is the gist of what I told him:

 

You may stay on the high road with two months notice, but they may not. If they walk you to the door, in my eyes, that’s pretty much it. You’re done. Unless you’re protected by a “pre-nuptial” contract guaranteeing severance pay, regardless the circumstance, I wouldn’t count on anything. By not counting on them for severance pay, anything you get will pleasantly surprise you, and if you don’t get it, you’re not devastated financially.

 

You being magnanimous with your managers doesn’t mean you’ll get the same treatment.

 

This isn’t a family where dad slips you twenty bucks before you leave for the big city. This is business. Basically, don’t expect anything out of a business relationship, other than a business relationship. The “shoulds” and “fair” of your perception are probably not even on your employer’s radar. On payday, everybody’s even.

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On payday, everybody's even

6 November 2008, 5:32 pm

Back in the ‘90s, I worked with a very smart inventory control manager. His name was George. We were part of a team tasked with consolidating and moving two assembly operations, in two states into a new facility in a third location. We spent many hours conversing about specific processes and business in general.

 

Of all the conversations we had, one stands out. George and I were talking one afternoon. I was lamenting the fact that my “ogre manger” (aren’t they all, except you, of course) had denied a request for earned time off … don’t even remember the specifics. I went on to whine about all the time I’d put in lately, all the long hours, the weekends and all the extras I did on a daily basis. Didn’t he owe me? Shouldn’t he give me what I wanted? I do so much. I’ve done so much. He owes me. Yes, yes he does owe me.

 

A half-smile / half-smirk came across George’s face as he leaned back in his chair, pyramiding his hands, using the point of the pyramid to rub his goatee for emphasis, and said, “Dawn, my dear, on payday everybody’s even.”

 

Once I got over the urge to hit him, I started to understand what he meant. There is no  huge tally sheet in human resources to see who’s in the plus and minus column for “favors and little extras” this month. You’re there to do a job. Your employer pays you for the job you perform.

 

How you choose to carry out job functions (within reasonable parameters, of course) or how many hours it takes is of no consequence to the employer. As long as you’re providing expected results, you’ll receive your paycheck. That’s it. Put any other expectation on an employment relationship and you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Families do favors for each other. Successful businesses make tough decisions to protect the bottom line. George is right, on payday, everybody’s even.

 

Now what does all this have to do with the job search process? I’ll tell you … in my next post.

 

 

 

 

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The Presidential Candidate's Resumes

3 November 2008, 10:00 pm

On this the eve of election 2008, it’s fitting to share an article featuring resumes written by Wendy Enelow, career industry guru. For the article, she outlined the Democratic and Republican candidate’s credentials. I’ve not seen a finer piece of objective writing since this campaign began (What it’s been? about100 years ago? Admit it. It HAS been a l-o-n-g political season — regardless your leanings.)

 Follow the links to Wendy’s resumes toward the end of the “Want to know what a great resume looks like?” article.

The decisions made at the polls tomorrow determine the course America takes for the immediate future and beyond. It’ll affect earnings, income, jobs, prices, taxes, truly everything that touches your life. If you’re an informed voter, then please go to the polls tomorrow and vote your convictions.

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Hello world!

26 October 2008, 7:58 pm

“Hello world!” is an appropriate title for this the maiden voyage of a new blog.

As a resume writer and owner of The Write Solution, I get many, many questions about career-related topics and am amazed at the misconceptions, crazy perceptions and just plain wrong ideas people have about the job search and managing their careers. In an effort to clear some of the fog, I decided to start blogging to try and answer some of the questions I hear from clients every week.

With a solid background in customer service, I’m sure this blog will occasionally veer into customer-service-related issues and general business etiquette. It’s all part of that great big career pie. (Customer service isn’t just a department — it’s an attitude!)

Special thanks to Karen Werhle, of Blue Oasis Web Design for help with the technical research on blogging and Barbara Safani of Career Solvers for the great webinar on blogging I took last week. It gave me the confidence to jump right in. (Kathy Sweeny of Resume Writers Resource hosted the event.)

Post specific questions in the comments section and I’ll be happy to answer them in future posts.

Time is valuable. Thank you for spending some of yours with me.

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