This morning I'm inspired by a very funny guy, comedian Jim Florentine. http://www.jimflorentine.com/. He had the brilliant idea to mess with telemarketers who call him and release the audio clips as humor. And they are hysterical. Go to AUDIO-CLIPS Terrorizing Telemarketers on his website to sample some of his bits. In Vol 1, try Out Cold or Eye Sight Gone if you want to keep it rated G - Dump or Vacuum if you prefer adult humor.
Now the serious message. Messing with telemarketers yourself is a great way to practice some very important - and almost universal - business skills.
In interviews, like other important business conversations, it's essential that you apply two skills at once:
1. Think on your feet while going with - and keeping up with - the flow of the conversation.
2. Stay on message and deliver, without clutter, what you have prioritized as your key content for this audience.
Back to Jim Florentine's Terrorizing Telemarketers: listen to Bitch in Vol. 2. It's a great example of how easy it is to get the upper hand in a conversation using these two skills. Use this power only for good.
I'm on the "Do Not Call" list but still get a few calls. You probably do too. Next time you do, don't see it as a nuisance. See it as an opportunity to do some on the spot interview prep.
Get ready - currently working or not, if over the last year you have applied to any postings or mentioned to a friend that you would be open to a job move. Hiring has begun to ramp back up - and your phone could ring at any moment.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Why we need real downtime
Facinating article in Newsweek:
Brain Freeze - How the deluge of information paralyzes our ability to make good decisions
by Sharon Begley
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/02/27/i-can-t-think.html
Have you found yourself faced with too much information to think?
Brain Freeze - How the deluge of information paralyzes our ability to make good decisions
by Sharon Begley
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/02/27/i-can-t-think.html
Have you found yourself faced with too much information to think?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Staying Coachable
I still think Michelle Kwan would have had gold instead of bronze and silver in 2002 if she hadn't fired her coach a few months before and decide to "go it alone."
"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?" - Rumi
The quote and the next passage are from "The Wisdom of the Enneagram" by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson. From the chapter on Cultivating Awareness comes this story:
WAKING UP
Awareness can not only change your life, it can save your life. Several years ago a major bridge on an interstate highway collapsed during the night of a heavy storm. Several sections in the middle of the bridge fell into the river, leaving unsuspecting motorists exposed to a life-threatening situation in the driving rain and confusion of the storm.
One alert driver saw what had happened and was able to bring his car to a stop only a few feet from the edge before he would have plunged to certain death in the river some forty feet below. He risked his life by running toward the oncoming traffic, frantically attempting to alert other drivers of the danger.
Almost immediately a carload of five young men came along. They saw the man's frantic attempts to stop them but apparently thought he was only trying to get help with his own stalled car. Laughing, they made a crude gesture at him and pushed the accelerator to the floor. A few seconds later they plunged off the edge of the bridge into the water below and were all killed.
From our perspective, it could be said that their personality killed them. Contemptuousness, hostility, bravado, unwillingness to listen, a lack of compassion, or showing off - any one of a number of related impulses - could have been the cause of the driver's decision not to stop. Some habit, some feature of his personality, had the upper hand at a critical moment, with tragic results.
It is a major breakthrough when we fully appreciate the extent to which we entrust our lives to the mechanisms of our personalities and what peril we are in when we do so. Many times it is as if a three-year-old were making many crucial life decisions for us. Once we understand the nature of our personality's mechanisms, we begin to have a choice about identifying with them or not. If we are not aware of them, clearly no choice is possible.
"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?" - Rumi
The quote and the next passage are from "The Wisdom of the Enneagram" by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson. From the chapter on Cultivating Awareness comes this story:
WAKING UP
Awareness can not only change your life, it can save your life. Several years ago a major bridge on an interstate highway collapsed during the night of a heavy storm. Several sections in the middle of the bridge fell into the river, leaving unsuspecting motorists exposed to a life-threatening situation in the driving rain and confusion of the storm.
One alert driver saw what had happened and was able to bring his car to a stop only a few feet from the edge before he would have plunged to certain death in the river some forty feet below. He risked his life by running toward the oncoming traffic, frantically attempting to alert other drivers of the danger.
Almost immediately a carload of five young men came along. They saw the man's frantic attempts to stop them but apparently thought he was only trying to get help with his own stalled car. Laughing, they made a crude gesture at him and pushed the accelerator to the floor. A few seconds later they plunged off the edge of the bridge into the water below and were all killed.
From our perspective, it could be said that their personality killed them. Contemptuousness, hostility, bravado, unwillingness to listen, a lack of compassion, or showing off - any one of a number of related impulses - could have been the cause of the driver's decision not to stop. Some habit, some feature of his personality, had the upper hand at a critical moment, with tragic results.
It is a major breakthrough when we fully appreciate the extent to which we entrust our lives to the mechanisms of our personalities and what peril we are in when we do so. Many times it is as if a three-year-old were making many crucial life decisions for us. Once we understand the nature of our personality's mechanisms, we begin to have a choice about identifying with them or not. If we are not aware of them, clearly no choice is possible.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Stay organized, keep progressing
To keep moving forward in your job search, it's worth the reminder now and then to stay on top of some basics:
1. Plan and organize each week and every day in it, blocking out time you are committing to yourself that you will work on your job search.
2. Build a To Do list of your top priorities to accomplish each day.
3. Work your top priorities first and feel the sense of accomplishment you get from crossing them off your list.
4. Move undone priorities to the top of your next day's To Do list.
5. Block out the time allotted to those priorities first.
6. Set goals for how many top priority actions you will accomplish (eg. will apply to 2 postings and add 1 connection in LinkedIn) during the time you allocate for your job search each day.
7. Reward yourself for achieving those goals.
8. Keep good records of everything you send out. I recommend a tracking/tickle sheet as well as copies of your actual cover letter attached to each posting.
1. Plan and organize each week and every day in it, blocking out time you are committing to yourself that you will work on your job search.
2. Build a To Do list of your top priorities to accomplish each day.
3. Work your top priorities first and feel the sense of accomplishment you get from crossing them off your list.
4. Move undone priorities to the top of your next day's To Do list.
5. Block out the time allotted to those priorities first.
6. Set goals for how many top priority actions you will accomplish (eg. will apply to 2 postings and add 1 connection in LinkedIn) during the time you allocate for your job search each day.
7. Reward yourself for achieving those goals.
8. Keep good records of everything you send out. I recommend a tracking/tickle sheet as well as copies of your actual cover letter attached to each posting.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
12 Reasons the Holidays area a GREAT time to land a new job
12 Reasons to be of good cheer if you are looking for a new job:
1. This year more than any other, there is NO stigma to being out of work. Period. If you are between jobs, hold your head high and tell others what you are looking for. They would love to help you.
2. Most people consider the holidays the worst time of the year to find a new job. This completely false myth cuts down on your competition, as other job candidates back off on their job search until January. Staying on course can help you jump out ahead of everyone else.
3. Yes the economy is picking back up slowly, but it IS picking back up. The client who started her new job this week is proof, as is the very, very high number of promising opportunities other clients are being considered for.
4. There is ALWAYS first quarter hiring. Managers are planning for 2011, including staffing needs.
5. It's a perfect season for job creation: get in front of the person who should be over the job you'd do, and show them how you can save them money, make them money or solve a problem. Help them build you into their Q1 2011 plan. (Note: offering to work on contract even sweetens the deal by reducing the risk to put you on the payroll)
6. The holidays offer a natural reason to reach out and reconnect with lost friends and business acquaintances. It is also the season to touch your network again and offer them good wishes.
7. There are always fantastic, single day or short-term opportunities to volunteer during the holidays. You'll feel good helping those less fortunate, have something positive to talk about at holiday social events, and just might meet someone who can help you land that job you want.
8. Catching up with others gives you a perfect, natural occasion to plant the seed of what you are looking for. When someone asks what you've been up to, be upbeat, clear and concise about what you offer/are looking to do. Let them know what you’d appreciate them keeping an ear out for.
9. The holidays offer a high concentration of social events and opportunities to network. More than any other year, there is no stigma to being out of work, so get out there and chat with people. Don’t shy away from events and occasions to network!
10. At holiday events you have easier access to talk to literally anyone you'd care to meet, including higher level managers.
11. It can be easier to get informational interviews when work slows a bit and only a percentage of staff is left in the office. Managers are also more likely to answer their own phones and emails.
12. People are generally feeling more good will toward others. If you've been stalling about asking a networking contact for an introduction, the holidays are a great time to ask for that favor.
Bonus - 13. Many companies have a "use it or lose it" policy regarding open positions rolling over into the New Year. I've seen hiring decisions move at lightning speed when the right person was found and the deadline to get them on the books was approaching fast.
I have two clients who've been hired for positions that start in January. In previous years I've helped a client iron out the particulars of an offer that included a company-preferred start date of December 30. I've had a client receive his written offer by courier on Christmas Eve, and another that was invited to the company Christmas party as his first introduction to his new staff.
Stay optimistic and of good cheer! The 2010 holiday season holds a lot of promise for those job candidates with initiative and a positive, consistent approach to their job search.
1. This year more than any other, there is NO stigma to being out of work. Period. If you are between jobs, hold your head high and tell others what you are looking for. They would love to help you.
2. Most people consider the holidays the worst time of the year to find a new job. This completely false myth cuts down on your competition, as other job candidates back off on their job search until January. Staying on course can help you jump out ahead of everyone else.
3. Yes the economy is picking back up slowly, but it IS picking back up. The client who started her new job this week is proof, as is the very, very high number of promising opportunities other clients are being considered for.
4. There is ALWAYS first quarter hiring. Managers are planning for 2011, including staffing needs.
5. It's a perfect season for job creation: get in front of the person who should be over the job you'd do, and show them how you can save them money, make them money or solve a problem. Help them build you into their Q1 2011 plan. (Note: offering to work on contract even sweetens the deal by reducing the risk to put you on the payroll)
6. The holidays offer a natural reason to reach out and reconnect with lost friends and business acquaintances. It is also the season to touch your network again and offer them good wishes.
7. There are always fantastic, single day or short-term opportunities to volunteer during the holidays. You'll feel good helping those less fortunate, have something positive to talk about at holiday social events, and just might meet someone who can help you land that job you want.
8. Catching up with others gives you a perfect, natural occasion to plant the seed of what you are looking for. When someone asks what you've been up to, be upbeat, clear and concise about what you offer/are looking to do. Let them know what you’d appreciate them keeping an ear out for.
9. The holidays offer a high concentration of social events and opportunities to network. More than any other year, there is no stigma to being out of work, so get out there and chat with people. Don’t shy away from events and occasions to network!
10. At holiday events you have easier access to talk to literally anyone you'd care to meet, including higher level managers.
11. It can be easier to get informational interviews when work slows a bit and only a percentage of staff is left in the office. Managers are also more likely to answer their own phones and emails.
12. People are generally feeling more good will toward others. If you've been stalling about asking a networking contact for an introduction, the holidays are a great time to ask for that favor.
Bonus - 13. Many companies have a "use it or lose it" policy regarding open positions rolling over into the New Year. I've seen hiring decisions move at lightning speed when the right person was found and the deadline to get them on the books was approaching fast.
I have two clients who've been hired for positions that start in January. In previous years I've helped a client iron out the particulars of an offer that included a company-preferred start date of December 30. I've had a client receive his written offer by courier on Christmas Eve, and another that was invited to the company Christmas party as his first introduction to his new staff.
Stay optimistic and of good cheer! The 2010 holiday season holds a lot of promise for those job candidates with initiative and a positive, consistent approach to their job search.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Interview 101
It's an exciting week at our office. Nearly all of our current clients have interviews... some with numerous companies; some what we like to call "high value." (for a position they want very, very much).
I'm thrilled for all of them and of course have been pushing for full preparation so that each client can do their very best to shine in their interview(s).
Fact: the more you prepare the better you are likely to do in an interview.
Preparation can absolutely tip the scales between you or someone else getting the job offer in the current, highly competitive job market.
Over the next week I am going to talk about some steps I consider essential to effective interview preparation.
The first is one I believe to be a blinding flash of the obvious. Still I am constantly surprised by the number of otherwise smart people who overlook this simple step and just "hope for the best."
You CAN have far more control in any interview than just hoping for the best, and you SHOULD if you are playing this game to win.
Step 1: Thoroughly analyze the job posting you will be interviewed for. Read every word, line for line. Simple yet effective... yet I've had unemployed people tell me "that sounds like too much work," to which I want to scream, "well then you don't really want a job then do you - because your competition is happy to do it!"
I am constantly astounded that well-intentioned job seekers skip or purposely avoid this step! A job description is full of clues as to what the hiring organization needs and values most - just waiting for you if you take the time to really study it.
Job seekers do themselves a huge disservice by only reading the qualifications instead of all the rich detail about what the person who gets this job will DO. By only focusing on the qualifications, at best you'll be ready in your interview to talk about how you meet the minimum.
Fact: present yourself either as the minimum acceptable these days, or so grossly overqualified that of course they should offer this position to you - and your competition will eat you alive.
I've also heard clients say that "it's hard to prepare for interviews because they could ask you anything." Sorry for my bluntness, but I think that is either being lazy or self-defeatist. It is surprisingly easy to predict most of the questions you will be asked in your interview by dissecting the job description. They are telling you what they need! Analyze it thoroughly and you can, in my estimation, predict 80% of what you are most likely to be asked.
It is ridiculous not to prepare ahead of time for the 80% that is predictable because you can't predict the other 20%. As in other areas of life, the 80/20 rule wins again. Prepare for the 80% and you let the other 20% affect your performance far less, as it should.
I'm thrilled for all of them and of course have been pushing for full preparation so that each client can do their very best to shine in their interview(s).
Fact: the more you prepare the better you are likely to do in an interview.
Preparation can absolutely tip the scales between you or someone else getting the job offer in the current, highly competitive job market.
Over the next week I am going to talk about some steps I consider essential to effective interview preparation.
The first is one I believe to be a blinding flash of the obvious. Still I am constantly surprised by the number of otherwise smart people who overlook this simple step and just "hope for the best."
You CAN have far more control in any interview than just hoping for the best, and you SHOULD if you are playing this game to win.
Step 1: Thoroughly analyze the job posting you will be interviewed for. Read every word, line for line. Simple yet effective... yet I've had unemployed people tell me "that sounds like too much work," to which I want to scream, "well then you don't really want a job then do you - because your competition is happy to do it!"
I am constantly astounded that well-intentioned job seekers skip or purposely avoid this step! A job description is full of clues as to what the hiring organization needs and values most - just waiting for you if you take the time to really study it.
Job seekers do themselves a huge disservice by only reading the qualifications instead of all the rich detail about what the person who gets this job will DO. By only focusing on the qualifications, at best you'll be ready in your interview to talk about how you meet the minimum.
Fact: present yourself either as the minimum acceptable these days, or so grossly overqualified that of course they should offer this position to you - and your competition will eat you alive.
I've also heard clients say that "it's hard to prepare for interviews because they could ask you anything." Sorry for my bluntness, but I think that is either being lazy or self-defeatist. It is surprisingly easy to predict most of the questions you will be asked in your interview by dissecting the job description. They are telling you what they need! Analyze it thoroughly and you can, in my estimation, predict 80% of what you are most likely to be asked.
It is ridiculous not to prepare ahead of time for the 80% that is predictable because you can't predict the other 20%. As in other areas of life, the 80/20 rule wins again. Prepare for the 80% and you let the other 20% affect your performance far less, as it should.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Five must-do's if you are being let go
While you still have access to your work email account:
1. If you are using your work email address for your LinkedIn account, modify your account settings to add a personal email address. Then make your personal address primary.
If you do not you will need to re-create a new account from scratch - LinkedIn does NOT have functionality to give you access to an inactive email or merge two accounts. I know of one person who had to ask almost 100 people to connect to him again, and ask all 25 people who had written him recommendations to re-write them for his new account.
To prevent this issue unless you own your company ALWAYS use a personal rather than work email address for your LinkedIn account.
Not in LinkedIn? Join!
2. Gather up the contact information from your work email for co-workers and other people you want to stay in touch with and copy it, email it to yourself or drop it onto a personal zip drive.
3. Complying with any company restrictions, send a very polite email from your work email account to people you’d like to stay connected with who only have your work email and phone number. Consider vendors, clients, and business partners as well as co-workers.
Pleasantly tell them that you are leaving the company but that you’d like to stay in touch with them. Let them know that they can now reach you at your personal email address and cell number. Ask if they will connect to you in LinkedIn, and politely ask if they would keep an ear to the ground for opportunities for you.
4. Go through your work email and find (if you haven't already put them in their own Victory File) thank you emails, kudos, congrats, and all other nice things anyone has said about you. Make copies, email to your personal email, or drop onto your personal zip drive.
5. Gather up any samples of your work that you are authorized to take with you.
The next two steps don't require your email, but also should be done as soon as possible.
6. Make sure you have a copy of your latest job description, and take an hour or two to write down all the specifics you can remember about your most recent position(s): what you were accountable for, your deliverables, projects you worked on and specific accomplishments. The longer you wait the fuzzier the specifics will be. Write down numbers – they are “eye candy” in your resume and help prove your value to potential next employers.
7. Objectively, realistically and thoroughly assess your financial situation.
NOTE: If you have been proactively managing your career, all along you have been asking interesting people you come into contact with to connect with you in Linkedin, and you have been updating your Victory File with kudos, representative samples of your work and notes on the specifics of projects and accomplishments as you complete them. If you have been filling this folder all along, just grab it and go.
If you have not been keeping a Victory File, create it now. Doing so is a good reminder to adopt these steps as weekly habits for the life of your career.
1. If you are using your work email address for your LinkedIn account, modify your account settings to add a personal email address. Then make your personal address primary.
If you do not you will need to re-create a new account from scratch - LinkedIn does NOT have functionality to give you access to an inactive email or merge two accounts. I know of one person who had to ask almost 100 people to connect to him again, and ask all 25 people who had written him recommendations to re-write them for his new account.
To prevent this issue unless you own your company ALWAYS use a personal rather than work email address for your LinkedIn account.
Not in LinkedIn? Join!
2. Gather up the contact information from your work email for co-workers and other people you want to stay in touch with and copy it, email it to yourself or drop it onto a personal zip drive.
3. Complying with any company restrictions, send a very polite email from your work email account to people you’d like to stay connected with who only have your work email and phone number. Consider vendors, clients, and business partners as well as co-workers.
Pleasantly tell them that you are leaving the company but that you’d like to stay in touch with them. Let them know that they can now reach you at your personal email address and cell number. Ask if they will connect to you in LinkedIn, and politely ask if they would keep an ear to the ground for opportunities for you.
4. Go through your work email and find (if you haven't already put them in their own Victory File) thank you emails, kudos, congrats, and all other nice things anyone has said about you. Make copies, email to your personal email, or drop onto your personal zip drive.
5. Gather up any samples of your work that you are authorized to take with you.
The next two steps don't require your email, but also should be done as soon as possible.
6. Make sure you have a copy of your latest job description, and take an hour or two to write down all the specifics you can remember about your most recent position(s): what you were accountable for, your deliverables, projects you worked on and specific accomplishments. The longer you wait the fuzzier the specifics will be. Write down numbers – they are “eye candy” in your resume and help prove your value to potential next employers.
7. Objectively, realistically and thoroughly assess your financial situation.
NOTE: If you have been proactively managing your career, all along you have been asking interesting people you come into contact with to connect with you in Linkedin, and you have been updating your Victory File with kudos, representative samples of your work and notes on the specifics of projects and accomplishments as you complete them. If you have been filling this folder all along, just grab it and go.
If you have not been keeping a Victory File, create it now. Doing so is a good reminder to adopt these steps as weekly habits for the life of your career.
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