Blog | The Write Solution

Alphabet soup belongs in a bowl

8 June 2010, 9:57 am

I originally wrote this article for the Burgaw Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter a few years ago. After a spate of recent clients insisting that “everyone” would know what this or that acronym meant, I decided to dig this out of my files and rerun it on my blog. Since I was writing for the chamber at the time, my original audience was business owners and employers, however, this advice definitely pertains to job seekers too.

“We’ve enlisted the help of the NEA, NMA and RFD to implement – ASAP – TQM, GMP and JIT with Six Sigma guidelines using QA input. Additionally, we’ve purchased an AED with complete ICD-9-CM coding and are targeting a stellar ROI and immediate turnaround with all programs.”

While that may sound impressive, it is really nonsensical. But, admit it, you were almost afraid to say “What?” Yet, how many business people communicate like this everyday, assume everyone else understands and no one says “Huh”? When did it become fashionable to “talk at” each other using letters and jargon and not “speak with” each other in plain, simple English?

Working with individuals from different industries and backgrounds to create resumes, I frequently have to ask, “Wait, what does that mean? What do those initials stand for?” And, since I don’t work face-to-face with clients anymore, (only over the telephone and via email) I can only imagine the “deer in headlights” look of surprise when I stop them mid-sentence and ask them to explain.

I keep www.acronymfinder.com and Google open on my computer during client consultations. Why? Because (no kidding) more than 50% of the time, the client themselves no longer remembers what the acronym or jargon means. They were “integral in implementation”, but have difficulty recalling what all that double talk means. I help them along with searches and suggestions!

So, what does this have to do with you? You speak with individuals inside and outside your industry, conduct business with people from all walks of life and give employees direction every day. If you rely heavily on acronyms and jargon to communicate, you may not be getting your message across. Do you wonder why your employee’s eyes glaze over when you tell them what to do? Are your curious about why every time you place an order with a vendor, it’s wrong? You have to have understanding before you can reach agreement and move forward.

Here’s an example: When you say ASAP (as soon as possible) – what do you mean? Perhaps my ASAP is next Tuesday, your ASAP is in an hour. You get angry when I don’t meet your definition and I end up frustrated because I missed a deadline I didn’t know existed. What’s wrong with: “Dawn, I need this in an hour.” to which I can reply “I’m booked until next Tuesday, but since you told me you need it so quickly, I can move some things around and get it back in two hours. Will that work?” Goodness – we’re talking, reaching agreement and moving forward – in plain, simple English.

True, acronymns and catch phrases do have their place in language. However, if you use heavy doses of “alphabet soup” and business speak in everyday conversations, assuming everyone knows what you mean, then – well … you know what happens when you assume.
————————————————————————————-
Definitions*:
NEA = National Education Association
NMA = National Management Association
RFD = Rural Fire Department
ASAP = As soon as possible
TQM = Total Quality Management
GMP = Good Manufacturing Practice
JIT = Just in Time – an inventory control method used to reduce on-hand inventory
Six Sigma = a system used to reduce defects in service and manufacturing
QA = Quality Assurance
AED = Automated External Defibrillator
ICD-9-CM = International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (In reality, ICD coding has nothing to do with an AED)
ROI = Return on Investment
*some of these have acronyms have multiple meanings. I’ve only listed one.

Filed under Communicaton. Tagged acronyms, Career Advice, Communication

5 Comments

Avoid these reference mistakes

13 May 2010, 10:09 am

Career Collective post: Once every month or so, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We’ll post our thoughts on our own blog and link to the post of our colleagues on the same topic.

This month’s topic: “Preparing for success…What should job seekers do now to prepare for interviews?” Sometimes a long-time job search winds up in an interview scheduled with little lead time. Responses from others contributors are linked at the end. Follow the hashtag #CareerCollective on Twitter.

I was having lunch with a friend a few years ago when a former coworker of hers entered the restaurant. It had been years since they worked together or even seen each other. They exchanged hugs and “how ya beens” quickly catching up on each other’s lives.

The former coworker (we’ll call her Janet) shared that her family was moving to Raleigh in a few weeks and she would soon be looking for a new job in a new town. What she said next floored me. “I’m so glad I ran into you. Tell ‘Dr. Bob’ I’m going to use him as a reference when I start filling out applications next month.” Up to this point, I sat back and enjoyed watching two former medical office coworkers get reacquainted. It crossed my mind to hand her my card and suggest she’d need a good resume to launch this search, but didn’t feel it proper to impinge on this reunion with a sales pitch for my services, so I remained quiet.

Hearing Janet arbitrarily decide to it was OK to “tell” someone she was going to use them as a reference and relay that message through a third party was more than I could take. I joined the conversation. I asked Janet if she’d spoken with Dr. Bob recently.

J: “Oh no. It’s been years since I even thought about that job. Running into “Diane” {my friend} reminded me he’d be a good person to use for a reference.”
Me: So how long has it been since you’ve had contact with Dr. Bob?
J: Oh, about 10 years?
Me: And you’re sure he’ll remember you?
J: No way he’d forget me.
Me: And you don’t think he’d mind if you used him as a reference, without his permission?
J: He’d be happy to do this for me.

Do you see the red flags and assumptions in this approach?

I told Janet I was a resume writer and gently explained how this approach to listing references wasn’t in her best interest. She listened politely then interjected, “Gee. I guess you’re right. I won’t use him as a reference … unless I decide to call him. Thank you.”

On the way home, my friend said, “I’m so glad you stopped her from giving Dr. Bob’s name for a reference. She seems to forget, her last day at work, she pulled a bunch of Dr. Bob’s partner’s client file, documented how she disagreed with Dr. Sue’s methodology and diagnosis, indicating what she thought “should” have been done for these patients. She left that tall stack of folders on Dr. Bob’s desk. He wasn’t happy the next morning when he came in to the pile on his desk with “opinions” now documented as part of the client’s chart. There’s no telling what he would have said if someone called asking about her.”

Recently I worked with a client who didn’t get along with her boss. She asked if I would do a reference sheet for her too. I agreed and instructed her to put together a list of people and I’d format it to match the rest of her career documents. She paused, “I really don’t want to use my current boss as a reference.” I said, “OK. Don’t then.” She continued, “But don’t I ‘have’ to list his name? Isn’t that what you’re ‘supposed’ to do?”

Another client was convinced she “had to have” a reference from every place she worked and was stressing because some earlier employers were no longer in business and she’d not kept up with someone from every place she’d worked for the last 20 years.

It’s time to take the “supposed to dos” out of the equation. Following are some reference guidelines (in no particular order) to help you avoid the mistakes listed above and ensure your references help, not hinder your search:

1. Don’t use someone as reference unless you’ve asked permission and updated them on your career goals. IF they are called, you want them to support and enhance your search. They can’t do that if they don’t know you’ve given out their name, don’t remember you or don’t what you seek.

2. Unless you are 100% sure of what someone will say about you, don’t use them as a reference – period. “She does a great job … when she shows up for work.” is not a good reference

3. Give your references a copy of your current resume. Coach them on the points you’d like reiterated if they are called. This is your search. You know what your potential employers are looking for because you’ve done your homework. Don’t expect your references to know the nuances of your search. Tell them.

4. Touch base with your references to let them know how the search is going. Keep them in the loop if you think there’s a chance they might get called after a promising interview. Job searches can last six to eight months or longer. Stay in touch during that time so they’re reminded you’re searching.

5. If everyone knows you by one name, but you’re conducting your search using your formal given name, be sure to let your references know that while they know you as “Bobby Smith”, they’ll get a call asking about “Todd Robert Smith.” Don’t assume they’ll know you use middle name and a nickname of that to boot. Tell them.

6. Don’t assume that the only reference checking a potential employer will do is from the list you hand them. Employers check your online presence. They employ third-party agencies to check backgrounds. You have no control over how they’ll check on you or who they’ll contact in the process. Take control of the one small piece you can influence by having well-prepared individuals waiting in the wings to sing your praises.

7. Don’t send your reference list with every single application. Respect your references. Only give out their information if asked and only for positions you truly want. They’re doing you a favor. Don’t wear them out with calls about jobs you have no intention of taking. And don’t overload a potential employer with information they didn’t request either.

8. Leave “References available upon request” off the bottom of your resume … of course they are. No need to state the obvious.

9. Have a list of references readily available. Bring a hard copy of them with you to the interview. If you’re asked for references, you want to avoid that “deer in the headlights” look and you surely don’t want the added stress of scrambling to get everyone on the same page at the last minute. You may never be asked for them, but take the time to gather and prep them, just in case.

10. Three to five professional references usually suffices, but if asked for more or less, follow the hiring company’s request. And remember, “professional” doesn’t necessarily mean paid. Don’t overlook the volunteer connections you’ve made along the way. Some companies want personal references too. You spouse / significant other is not the person to use in this instance. Select a non-related, long-time friend.

Is it crazy for company to use a candidate-provided list to verify the information the candidate provided? Personally, I think so, but it’s an expected piece of the hiring process. Use it to your best advantage. Dump the “shoulds” and arbitrary “have to’s” from the process and ensure you have people willing to actively and positively participate in your search. And when all is said and done, don’t forget to the take the time to THANK THEM.

Here’s what my colleagues have to say:

Sit Down and Panic. The Interview is Yours @GayleHoward

How to Stand Out in a Job Interview @heathermundell

Avoid These Reference Mistakes @DawnBugni

Unspoken Secrets of Job Interviewing Prep: How Your Nonverbal Presentation and Behaviors Impact the Impression You Make @KatCareerGal

Prep for Interviews Now: Snuff out the Elephant in the Room Later! @chandlee << not working yet

What Should Job Seekers Do Now to Prepare for an Interview @erinkennedycprw

Take a Ride in the Elevator Before You Interview @barbarasafani

Are You Ready for the Elephant in the Room? @WorkWithIllness

“Tell Me About Yourself” (Oh, Yikes!), @KCCareerCoach

The job interview as a shared narrative @WalterAkana

Prepare your references for job search success @Keppie_Careers

No Pain No Gain In Job Search and Interview Prep @ValueIntoWords

Job searching? Take a cue from the Boy Scouts @LaurieBerenson

Preparing for Career Success Starts with Interviewing the Employers @JobHuntOrg

Filed under Career Collective, References. Tagged Barbara Safani, Career Advice, Chandlee Bryan, Dawn Bugni, Erin Kennedy, Gayle Howard, Heather Mundell, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Job Search, Katharine Hansen, Laurie Berenson, LinkedIn, Meg Montford, Miriam Salpeter, References, Rosalind Joffe, Susan Joyce, Walter Akana

19 Comments

Encounter with a job hunting teenager

18 April 2010, 7:17 pm

Going to the mall is always an adventure. When darling hubby (DH) and I go together it’s doubly so. He works in a local high school, so almost anywhere we go in town we see “his kids.” It’s like hanging out with a celebrity with all the teenagers yelling “Hi, Mr. Gary”, waving and hugging. Today, we were at Penny’s, looking for new jeans for him and the usual thing happened. We saw lots of “his children.” However, the last one stuck with me. He told me I was a buzzkill.

There we were, waiting in line to pay for DH’s jeans. He spotted a boy (OK, young man) from his high school and stepped out of line to speak with him. I stayed in line, but could hear the conversation.

Hubby (DH): Hey man. What’s up? What ya doin’?
Young Man (YM): I’m here looking for a job, filling out a few applications.

Up to this point, I’d barely acknowledged the exchange. The kid said the word “job” and “application” and I immediately turned in – imagine that. The check-out line was slow moving, so I had time to join the conversation. Mind you, I’d not paid much attention when the young man passed by originally, but after hearing his primary reason for being in the mall today (Sunday) was for job search (Sunday?) he had my complete attention. As I turned, I now looked at him with a career coaching eye.

The conversation continued.
DH: So you’re looking for a job?
YM: Yup. Thought I drop by and fill out a couple of applications.

He’s wearing tennis shoes, shorts, a t-shirt (with a logo of some sort – at least it wasn’t a questionable saying) and a knit jacket.

Me: You’re here applying for a job?
YM: Yes ma’am.

And golly gee, before the filter that stops everything that pops into my head from coming out my mouth even had a chance to operate, I blurted out, “Dressed like that?”

YM: Yes ma’am.
Me: Really?
YM: Well. I’m on my way to the gym.
Me: No excuse. (Smiling.) I should explain. I’m a resume writer. That’s what I do for a living. I work with people seeking employment every day.
YM: Guess I should have come after the gym.
Me: Yes. After you’ve changed clothes and are ready to make a good first impression.
DH: You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Me: I’m sorry. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything.
YM: Well. It is kind of a buzzkill.
Me: I know. I’ve been called worse.

He bade farewell and quickly left. (Gee. I wonder why?) I know what you’re thinking. Lighten up Dawn. He’s a kid. It’s “just” a job in the mall. But, think about this. At some point he’ll graduate. I don’t know his future plans – school or work – but I do know one thing, his future will include a job search. And in most instances, you don’t advance your career in shorts and a t-shirt. (And you’re never too young to learn that lesson.)

Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything. I regret if I embarrassed him, but if two minutes worth of buzzkill helps him land his next job, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Filed under Career Advice. Tagged Appearance, Career Advice, Job Search, LinkedIn

6 Comments

It’s not all about you

1 April 2010, 3:00 am

Career Collective post: Once a month, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We’ll post our thoughts on our own blog and link to the post of our colleagues on the same topic.

This month’s topic: How are you fooling yourself about your career/job search? What can you do about it? “How to avoid being tricked by common job search blunders?” Responses from others contributors linked at the end. Follow the hashtag #CareerCollective on Twitter.

Imagine my surprise the other day when I received an eletter from an organization chastising the subscriber base. Here’s what it said: “After three days less than a third of you even opened the last newsletter…you voluntarily signed on ….” <italics theirs> In essence the sender thought it OK to impose their schedule on the readership and publicly lamented the fact everyone didn’t drop everything and read what this organization had to say immediately.

I sat there in stunned silence. I read it again. Surely I was reading it wrong. No. There it was. Someone was “yelling” at me for not reading what they wrote on THEIR schedule. Someone, knowing nothing about anyone’s schedule or email volume, deemed three days an adequate amount of time to open this document. And were so convicted in that belief, they thought it OK to chastise the entire readership for not adhering to their arbitrary schedule. Really? I signed up for this eletter more than three years ago and suddenly, by virtue of that sign up, they get to tell me what to do??? About 10 minutes later, as I was digesting this craziness, I received an email from a friend who was on the same mailing list, with a note saying, “Seriously? I’m being lectured?” She unsubscribed. I didn’t … yet.

So what does this have to do with being foolish in a job search? Let’s change up the players a bit. The organization is the job seeker, the eletter their resume. I’m the hiring authority.

I personally get more than 100 emails a day (and that’s a minimal volume compared to most HR professionals.) I run a business. My priority is client and colleague correspondence. I read all the other “stuff” when I can. Sometimes it takes a day or so to plow through everything. Sometimes, I look at content through the Outlook preview box. If the information doesn’t grab my attention or convey value to me in 10-15 seconds (sound familiar???), I hit the delete button and move on to the next email without ever opening the email.

Now, imagine I’m a busy HR professional or hiring authority with a full plate – a notice insurance costs are rising yet again, an overflowing inbox, budgets are due, an argument is brewing between staff members, a toilet backed up in the employee bathroom AND 300 resumes to review for an opening in engineering … and that’s a slow day. Rather than get a document that understands my pain and brings a solution to ease that pain, I get a cover letter with “I, me or my” mentioned 21 times in two paragraphs – basically a mini-opera all about me-me-me – accompanied by a me-centered resume, starting out with: “Seeking a position where I can grow personally and professionally while helping the company grow.” My HR world is imploding (as it frequently does) and a person I don’t even know, haven’t even engaged on any level is telling me what they want. I know nothing of them and their introduction is “gimme”. Sounds sort of like that organization deciding I “should” have opened the email already with absolutely no regard to my own personal circumstance or pain.*

I tell my clients (potential clients, strangers while out shopping – it’s happened … anyone who will listen); a job search is not all about you. (WHAT?? It’s not all about me?) I go on to explain, the beginning of the search is yours – you get to decide (or circumstances do) it’s time to launch a job search. The end of the search is yours – you get to decide which offer you accept. BUT, for all points in between, every word out of your mouth, every email, every voice mail, every conversation with every person even remotely affiliated with the target organization had better deliver, repeatedly, a “this is what I bring to your organization, this is what I can do for you, this is how I can make your life easier” message or you’re destined for the delete button. In this job market, with 6.3 individuals for every open position in the US today, you’ve got to sell your value, not pound your chest, stomp your feet and scream “I want.”

Don’t be an April Fool … or even a May, June or July fool. Convey your value. Think about your audience and don’t impose your agenda on others. Remember, in addressing their needs, your agenda is handled too.

*(BTW – I was one of the 33% that had opened the email, read it and forwarded the info along to a few others who might find it interesting BEFORE they yelled. Know what? Most likely, I won’t do that again. I won’t risk my friends and associates being yelled at for not jumping through imaginary hoops ever again. Do you think the harried HR manager will save or pass along your information to a colleague? Hmmm. The unsubscribe / delete button looms … )

Here’s what my colleagues have to say:

Walter Akana @walterakana Same as it ever was

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter @ValueIntoWords Mirror ‘their’ needs, not ‘your’ wants in #Jobsearch

Laurie Berenson @LaurieBerenson Don’t get tricked by these job search blunders

Chandlee Bryan @chandlee Don’t Kid Yourself! (The Person You See in the Mirror is a Good Hire)

Martin Buckland @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes April Fool’s Day — Who’s fooling who?

Katharine Hansen @Kat_Hansen Don’t be fooled: Avoid these 10 job search blunders

Gayle Howard @GayleHoward If It’s Not You and It’s Not True, You’re Fooling Yourself

Heather Huhman @heatherhuhman 9 Ways You Might Be Fooling Yourself About Your Job Search

Rosalind Joffe @WorkWithIllness Trying hard to be nobody’s fool

Susan Joyce @jobhuntorg Avoiding Most Common Blunders

Erin Kennedy @erinkennedyCPRW Stop Fooling Yourself about your Job Hunt: Things you may be doing to sabotage yourself

J T O’Donnell @careerealism 10 Ways to tell if your job search is a joke

Meg Montford @KCCareerCoach Is Your #Career in Recovery or Retreat? (All Joking Aside)

Hannah Morgan @careersherpa Job Search is no joking matter

Barbara Safani @barbarasafani Job seekers: Are you fooling yourself if …

Miriam Salpeter @keppie_careers Are you fooling yourself? Bored at work? Is it your own fault?

Rosa Vargas @resumeservice Hey, Job Seeker — Don’t Be a Fool!

Filed under Attitude, Career Collective, Job Search. Tagged Attitude, Barbara Safani, Career Advice, Career Collective, Careerealism, Chandlee Bryan, Communication, Erin Kennedy, Gayle Howard, Hannah Morgan, Heather Huhman, J. T. O'Donnell, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Job Search, Laurie Berenson, LinkedIn, Martin Buckland, Meg Montford, Miriam Salpeter, Rosa Vargas, Rosalind Joffe, Susan Joyce, Walter Akana

17 Comments

No one told me …

18 March 2010, 7:34 pm

No one told me …

That was the response I heard when I asked a client about the monetary impact of changes she’d suggested and implemented. I pressed further. “Can you remember anything about how things changed after you introduced your idea?” Her response … a nervous giggle, then **crickets**.

I’m not picking on her. It’s not the first time I’ve gotten that response. Pragmatically, we know no job comes with guarantees. In reality, we put on our career blinders and think “it couldn’t happen to me.” Then. It does happen. And rather than being able to grab our wonderfulness file and hit the ground running, we waste valuable time kicking ourselves for not being better prepared. (And believe me. I am not immune … )

A few days ago, Billie Sucher, a career colleague tweeted:
“If you aren’t tracking your own job performance, (or job search performance) who is? #jobhunt #discipline #accountability”

It made me think of clients who know they’ve contributed, but never took the time to make note of contributions. Who is managing your career? Who is keeping track of your career contributions? Could you access your carefully nurtured and cultivated professional network if you were walked to the door today?

Unfortunately, for a good many souls, they lose their contacts and their history when a layoff or business failure hits. So, how do you, my savvy reader, circumvent this loss? Today, right now, set up a (free) Gmail account. Export your contact names to that account. (That could be via CSV file or plain, old fashioned typing them in. Regardless. Do it.) Then, either add new contacts as they come in, or set a reminder in your calendar to update your lists regularly. Another option is to open a free JibberJobber.com account and take your career management to the next level. No matter what, it’s important to maintain an offsite list of important contacts.

And, since you’re in “take charge” mode, start documenting your accomplishments. Don’t wait for your employer to “give” you your sales figures or come up with a measurement for something you suggested. Start documenting, even if it’s an informal tally, so you have an idea of where you stand on any given day. Keep information like that off site as well – a flash drive or Google Docs. Of course, you can’t copy and keep proprietary information, but you can set up some sort of system to document the improvement.

Here’s a March 7th tweet from me:
“Create an accomplishments file, updating it regularly. U need the info to sell UR skills to your next employer. You WON’T remember it all.”

Were you challenged in customer service to handle more calls, so you’re trying different approaches to be helpful, but expedient? Then start something as simple as a tick list to track the calls. Over a week, you’ll know went from taking 10 calls to 25. Take the time to reflect on how you did it – exact steps – so six months or a year from now, you’ll be able to weave the details and measurable results into a resume update and tell a compelling story with quantifiable, qualifiable information during an interview.

Something as simple as catching up filing contributes to the bottom line. If employees were spending 20 minutes a day looking for information stacked throughout the office and you, with your easy to manage file system, have reduced it to 2 minutes, you’ve saved 18 minutes of time. Now multiply that by the five other employees in the department and you saved 1.5 hours a day, 7.5 by week’s end. You’ve added almost an entire day of productivity to your department. Multiply that by 52 weeks a year … well you get the idea.

No matter how insignificant you think the change, write it down. Stop discounting your career accomplishments with an “It’s just my job” mentality. Every position in a company contributes to or supports contribution to the bottom line or the position would not exist. Now, when review time rolls around or you’re working on a resume update or sitting in an interview, you won’t mumble a lame, “I’m organized” <giggle> response. You’ll be able to say, “I put my organization skills to work catching up a six month backlog of filing and kept it current. This minor improvement netted a savings of 7.5 work hours per week in my department and enabled the launch of “XYZ project” or “this improvement”. Chances are, if you didn’t write it down, you’d never remember the act or the impact. And if you didn’t take time to really look at your contribution, you’d never be able to use it to convey your value.

You’re the author of your career story. Don’t wait for someone else to contribute a chapter. Write it yourself.

Filed under Career Advice. Tagged Career Accomplishments, Career Advice, Communication, Documentation, Job Performance, Job Search, LinkedIn

11 Comments

It’s the little things.

25 February 2010, 3:00 am

This month’s topic: What do you do when you’re really, really, really discouraged about your unsuccessful job search? How do you overcome the negative aspects of job search? Responses from others contributors linked at the end. Follow the hashtag #CareerCollective on Twitter.

Discouraged is a difficult place to live. We all visit occasionally, but wallowing in a cesspool of negativity doesn’t solve anything. And yes. I realize that leaving “discouraged” is a lot easier said than done. This in no way is meant to diminish personal circumstance, but I do know it’s much more difficult to sell your skill set when you’ve lost confidence in you and it’s difficult to have confidence in you when you can’t sell your skill set. Add to that, it’s not easy to network when your confidence level doesn’t register at all. It’s a vicious cycle. And only you can break out of it. So how do you do it? I’m not 100% sure either, but I’ll tell you what works for me.

As I’ve said in tweets and past posts, attitude plays an important role in a job search and career management. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be the first one to endorse a “pity-party”, but you can’t carry that woe-is-me mentality everywhere you go. Acknowledge the pain, for a moment, but eventually, perspective has to change. In addition to making internal adjustments, be sure to engage your network to support the changes. Accountability and camaraderie are important on any journey.

For a long time on Twitter, I started the day with a daily gratitude. (#dailygratitude) No matter how I woke up feeling, I sat and thought about something for which I was grateful. One morning, it was the vacuum cleaner and its ability to tame dust bunnies. Now how can I have a bad day when I start it out with the word “bunnies”? (See, it even made you smile just then.) One smile leads to another and eventually I’ll forget what made me grumpy. Or in relaxing for a moment find the remedy for the point of consternation. (Hmmm. Might be time to revive that practice.) Even if you don’t tweet your gratitude for things, big and small, at least take a moment to find a flash of wonderful in the midst of the insanity. I’ve also found, when you notice one good thing, two or three other good things show up, eager for attention too. Before you know it, you’ll find a respite from despair and perhaps stumble on the motivation needed to move out of discouraged. It’s not easy being crabby with a smile on the outside. It eventually seeps inside.

This past month, I’ve been walking most mornings with my neighbor Brenda. We walk a loop through an open field, near the Black River and up and down the dirt road. We go for about a half-hour and Brenda sets a heck of a pace. As pleasant and bucolic this setting is, some days, we don’t feel like walking. We usually go anyway (yea us!) but change our route a bit. We’ll go in the opposite direction, add a new landmark or take a different path home. One morning, after changing the direction of our walk, we both remarked it seemed much easier coming at it from a different direction. And so it goes with a job search or career management. If the approach you’re using is daunting, then change it. There is more than one means to an end. Explore them until you find what works for you.

What doesn’t work is curling into a fetal position wondering why me? Believe me. I’ve been there. Even I couldn’t stand being around me for very long. I had to make changes. It wasn’t easy. And I didn’t make all the required changes all at once. I did little thing like changing my internal sentences, (would I talk to my best friend the way I talk to me???). That changed my perspective. A new perspective attracted different opportunities and so it goes. Look long enough, you’ll find good and bad in most everything. Small changes lead to big things and one foot in front of the other will take you anywhere. It’s OK to visit discouraged. With a dependable network and an escape plan, you won’t hang out too long. It’s up to you.

Here’s what my colleagues have to say:

Walter Akana @walterakana Light at the End of the Tunnel

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter @ValueIntoWords Restoring Your Joy in Job Search

Laurie Berenson @LaurieBerenson 3 Ways to Keep Your Glass Half Full

Chandlee Bryan @chandlee Strategy for Getting “Unstuck” and Feeling Better. Watch Lemonade

Martin Buckland @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes Job Search Made Positive

Megan Fitzgerald @expatcoachmegan Dealing With Job Search Stress: Getting to the Source of the Problem

Katharine Hansen, PhD @KatCareerGal Job-Hunting in a Weak Job Market: 5 Strategies for Staying Upbeat (and Improving Your Chances of Success)

G L Hoffman @GLHoffman How to Overcome the Negativity of a Job Search

Gayle Howard @GayleHoward Job Search: When it all turns sour

Heather Huhman @heatherhuhman 10 Ways to Turn Your Job Search Frown Upside-Down

Rosalind Joffe @WorkWithIllness Finding Opportunity in Quicksand

Susan Joyce @jobhuntorg Just SO VERY Discouraged…

Hannah Morgan @careersherpa Mind Over Matter: Moving Your Stalled Search Forward

Erin Kennedy @ErinKennedyCPRW Dancing in the Rain–Kicking the Job Search Blues

Heather Mundell @heathermundell Help for the Job Search Blues

Meg Montford @KCCareerCoach You Can Beat the Job Search Blues: 5 + 3 Tips to Get Re-energized

Barbara Safani @barbarasafani Making Job Search Fun (Yeah, That’s Right!)

Miriam Salpeter @Keppie_Careers What to do when you are discouraged with your job search

Rosa Vargas @resumeservice Don’t Sweat The Job Search

Filed under Attitude, Career Collective, Job Search. Tagged Attitude, Barbara Safani, Career Collective, Chandlee Bryan, Communication, Erin Kennedy, G L Hoffman, Gayle Howard, Hannah Morgan, Heather Huhman, Heather Mundell, Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Job Search, Katharine Hansen, Laurie Berenson, LinkedIn, Martin Buckland, Meg Montford, Megan Fitzgerald, Miriam Salpeter, Networking, Rosa Vargas, Rosalind Joffe, Susan Joyce, Walter Akana

14 Comments

We’re all connected somehow …

22 February 2010, 8:04 pm

I was going to title this, “It’s a small world after all”, but then “that song” would be stuck in our heads all day and I didn’t want to do that to us.

I’m reading Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. In it he recounts Stanley Milgram’s small world experiment, the original study about six-degrees of separation. (Which of course lead to the Kevin Bacon’s six degrees of separation game … but I digress.) This experiment really drives home how we all are connected and this story puts a personal spin on how.

When I first started interacting on Twitter, I retweeted J.T. O’Donnell, founder of Careerealism frequently. She thanked me, a conversation ensued and eventually she asked if I’d like to contribute to an upcoming article about resume writing. I happily agreed and contributed to “Hate Resume Writing? Here’s how to get it done” last March. Careerealism is based, I believe, in New Hampshire

In early June, following publication of that article, my phone rang. It was a young woman from Atlanta. “Mary” said she read the article on Careerealism, liked what I had to say and decided she wanted me to write her resume for her. Remember, she’s in Atlanta, GA.

The Saturday morning, after I delivered “Mary’s” documents, I got an email from a friend on Facebook. This particular person is the reason I’m on Facebook at all. She’s a long-lost friend from high school and sent an invitation to reconnect via Facebook way back when I was on dial-up. (You’ve not experienced Facebook until you’ve experienced it on a dial-up connection.) I dipped my toe in social media, thanks to Renee, and have been happily immersed ever since.

Renee is in Raleigh, NC. I’m in Atkinson, about 2 hours south, (outside Wilmington, NC). In this message, she shared an interesting dinner conversation from a family gathering the night before. Her husband’s cousin was visiting from Atlanta. She was recounting her recent move to the Atlanta area and subsequent job search. She told them she’d even hired a professional resume writer. My friend Renee mentioned she went to high school with someone who became a resume writer and asked who wrote the resume. Renee’s cousin-in-law said she found her writer through the Careerealism site and her name was Dawn. What?

Turns out Renee’s cousin-in-law is “Mary”, my client from earlier in the week. I was not only Renee’s high school friend turned resume writer; I was Mary’s resume writer, located through a Web site based in New Hampshire. What a happy coincidence. Because I accepted a Facebook invitation a few years ago, I developed a passion for social media. That involvement led to contributing to the Careeralism article. The article caught the interest of an Atlanta-based client. Later, we found the client was connected to the person who sent that original Facebook invitation.

Tell me it’s not a small world. The next time you think social media, networking and reconnecting with old friends is a waste of time, think again. The connections didn’t happen overnight. But because I was there, willing to participate, I expanded my reach, met new clients and colleagues and re-established conversations with old ones. We’re really not that far apart. And with all this closeness, you can easily see the power of a network.

Filed under Networking. Tagged Job Search, LinkedIn, Networking, Social Media, Twitter

7 Comments

Job Search Tweets

19 February 2010, 7:59 pm

When Susan Whitcom b, Deb Dib and Chandlee Bryan put out a call for job search tweets for inclusion in their upcoming book, The Twitter Job Search Guide: Find a Job and Advance Your Career in Just 15 Minutes a Day, (set for release early March 2010), I gladly dug through my Twitter stream and found 10 to submit. Guess what. Five of the following ten tweets were selected. Not only will this be a great addition to your personal library, it’ll give you the Twitter handles of the top names in the career business so you can keep on getting great information from them thanks to social media. Definitely worth the cover price.

This is especially thrilling for me. You see, Susan Whitcomb’s book, Resume Magic was the book that launched my resume writing business. To now have my name in one of Susan’s books is quite an honor. And I’ll tell you, Deb and Chandlee are well-respected in the career community. Suffice it to say I’m in good company and I couldn’t be prouder.

In excited anticipation of the book’s release, here are my submissions. Of course I won’t tell you which five will appear in the book. You’ll have to buy it and see. For now, here are a few job search tips in 140-characters or less.

Category: Personal Branding Tip

1. #Jobseekers: Don’t under estimate power of simple thank you when differentiating self from rest of pack.

2. If you use Firefox, download the Search Cloudlet http://is.gd/4HKFf Then Google UR name. R the words displayed the image U want to present?

Category: Job Search Strategy Tip

3. #Jobseekers: You’ve got 2 believe what U bring 2 an employer is special & you’ve got 2 sell it. If not U, who?

4. #Jobseekers: If you share a phone with your spouse, be sure UR voice is the one on the outgoing voice mail message. Avoids confusion.

5. #Jobseekers: Knowing where you want to go is equal to or more important than telling where you’ve been.

6. #Jobseekers: It’s good to have Plan A for re-employment. It’s even better to have Plan B, Plan C … Work ’em all. Don’t limit to one.

7. #Jobseekers: Don’t forget to smile. That comes though on the phone too. Exude positive energy & remember, it’s all about them.

8. #Jobseekers Copy & paste job postings into Word docs & save. No guarantee it’ll still B up when U interview & may contain needed info.

Category: Networking Tip

9. #Jobseekers: Networking doesn’t end when you land a job. Effective network=career-long process, cultivated w/occasional, thoughtful contact.

Category: Resume Tip

10. Stuck on key words? Go to the company Web site and review Meta tags in the source code for inspiration. (View, Page Source)

Well there you go – a quick glimpse into the great information and categories covered in the book. Susan produces top-notch material. Several of her books are included in my own career resources library. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait to read the rest of it.

Filed under Job Search, Publications and Contributions, Twitter. Tagged Chandlee Bryan, Dawn Bugni, Deb Dib, Job Search, LinkedIn, Networking, Personal Branding, Resume, Susan Whitcomb, Twitter

3 Comments

Basic computer skills? Please define.

30 January 2010, 1:39 pm

I received this message from Matthew, via Facebook. It’s a good question. I decided to share it and my answer to Matthew here. THANKS MATTHEW.

January 28 at 5:12pm

Dear Ms. Bugni,

In your post (which was very well-written, by the way) you mention the necessity of having “basic computer skills” to compete in today’s job market. What, exactly, do you define these skills as?

Sincerely,

Matthew E.

I realized I frequently say you need basic computer skills, but seldom define it. I’ve listed my idea of basic skills below. Please, feel free to add to the list.

Hi Matthew —

Thank you for your kind words about my post.

I define basic computer skills as an ability to sit down at a computer and have enough knowledge of how software works to “figure out” what you need to do navigate either Microsoft based or industry-specific software.

This would include, for example, knowing how to send and receive emails, as well as attach documents to an email and open them when attached. It also includes an ability to know how to copy and paste information and use the Web for research.

Depending on the position, I’d also include a knowledge of how to create a document in Word and do basic word processing. Also, an ability to create simple spreadsheets.

There are few professions in this day and age that don’t require some interaction with a computer in some way, shape or form. I’m not saying you have to master every single software, but you’ve got to have enough knowledge to know the big red X in the corner closes the program, and the small ball at the bottom of a Windows screen is what you click to access almost everything.

Frequently, the only way to apply to a position is through an online application system and computers are used to log hours worked at many facilities.

One should also know basic computer terminology — Reboot, hard drive, software, operating systems, USB port.

There are so many common elements running through programs, a good deal of operation is intuitive. You can’t intuit if you don’t have a basic understanding of how things work.

If I’ve sparked more questions, let me know. Thanks for taking the time to engage. 🙂

Dawn
(Ms. Bugni is not necessary, but thanks for not presuming. What a refreshing consideration!)

Filed under Basic Skills. Tagged Basic Computer Skills, Career Advice, Email Etiquette, Job Search, LinkedIn

6 Comments

Ya but …

21 January 2010, 3:00 am

Career Collective post: Once a month, a group of career professionals blog on a subject topical and timely for a job seeker. We’ll post our thoughts on our own blog and link to the post of our colleagues on the same topic.
This month’s topic: What advice do you have to help jobseekers transition and make the most of the new year? Responses from others contributors linked at the end.
Follow the hashtag #careercollective on Twitter.

It seems to be my week to challenge verbal roadblocks. In my last post it was the word “just”. This post, I’m going after “ya, but”.

I spend a good deal of time on the phone speaking with potential clients. During those conversations, I generally offer a bit of guidance to help the caller, whether they use my services or not. Sometimes they get it. Sometimes, they “ya, but…” themselves right out of an opportunity for greatness. In line with this month’s Career Collective topic, the best guidance I can give to anyone – job seeker or not – (in addition to taking “just” out of your vocabulary), is lose the term, “ya, but” altogether. No matter what tools you use or what resources you have at your finger tips, if your internal sentences contain “ya, but” when it’s time to make a change or face a new challenge, you’re destined for failure, or at least a more difficult path than necessary.

Here’s a sampling of what I say to job seekers (based in the reality of the 2010 job market) and what I hear in response regularly.

You really need basic computer skills to compete in today’s market.
Ya, but …
I never really needed to know how to use a computer in my last job.
I don’t have time to go to school.
I’ve tried. I just don’t get it.

More than 70% of jobs are filled through effective networking.
Ya, but …
I didn’t take the time to schmooze at my old job. It’s creepy.
I just moved here and don’t know anyone.
I don’t even know how to get in touch with old coworkers.
It’ll freak people out if I ask them for a job.
I’m not comfortable asking for help.
I don’t know about any networking opportunities in my town.
My car’s too unreliable to go anywhere but to work and back.

A good number of employers will Google your name or conduct an Internet search as part of the vetting process. They’ll also check social media sites.
Ya, but …
Google is evil and the developers too are powerful. It scares me. (Seriously, I’ve heard this.)
I don’t do anything on the Internet. People don’t need to know my business

Using social media is a good way to build an Internet presence and build a strong reputation in your chosen profession.
Ya, but …
What’s LinkedIn?
I don’t have time to read a bunch of blogs and comment.
Twitter is a waste of time.

Setting up Google alerts is a good way to see when you’re mentioned on the Internet and what others will find when they search for you.
Ya, but …
I don’t know how to do that. I’m not that technical.
(Also, see responses to two previous statements …)

Posting your resume on a job board is not the way to conduct a search.
Ya, but …
I don’t know any other way.
I got contacted by a few people right after I posted, so it must be working.

You can’t sound desperate in during an interview.
Ya, but …
I am desperate. Unemployment runs out in two weeks. I should have started looking earlier.
I’ve got to find a find new job. My boss is driving me crazy. I can’t help it if that shows.
I’m still so upset by what happened; I just can’t get past it.

An employer won’t take time to extrapolate information from a resume. You’ve got to tell them what you bring, boldly, proudly.
Ya, but …
It’s obvious what I do. Anyone who knows about this business would get it.
It’s too difficult to explain what I do. They should be able to tell by my list of previous employers how good I am.
I’ve won awards. That should be enough.
I’m not comfortable talking about myself.

I could go on … but won’t. Do you see a common theme? Excuses, excuses excuses and not a lot of meat to any of them. In fact, as you were reading, you were probably coming up with solutions to each and every one of them. Bottom line: anything worth having takes effort. However, if the first response out of your mouth when offered a suggestion to help get your from Point A to Point B is “Ya, but …”, then most likely, Point B will never become a reality or at the very least, you’ll work twice as hard getting there.

Move the roadblocks and watch your course get easier. Oh, and don’t even start me on “can’t”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS – Lest you think I’m preaching from a holier-than-thou place, I’ll give you one of my own. Rest assured I struggle with the “ya, but …” monster as much as you.

This is mine: Sound familiar?
I know to lose weight and be healthy I have to work exercise into my daily routine.
Ya, but …
I stay so busy; I don’t know how I’ll do it.

Know what I did to get rid of my own roadblock? I called my neighbor, announced it was time we both got up off our … buts (butts) and started walking again. And that’s what we’ve done … two seven days in a row now. Yea us.