My friend Melissa gave birth to a baby girl last week. During her pregnancy she developed gestational diabetes. To control her blood sugar she started taking lengthy walks, which I sometimes joined along. The time spent walking gave us a chance to deepen our friendship. Being we lived a five minute drive from each other I volunteered to care for her other children when the time came. I confess my motives were somewhat selfish as she and her husband had three of the most adorable children I know.
Shortly after she gave birth I learned the baby’s middle name was the same as my first name. Given I am not a parent I was flabbergasted. When we got a chance to discuss the baby’s name I learned her husband’s late sister and I shared the same name. However, given my involvement they had decided when the time came they would also tell her how I cared for her brother and sisters while she was being born.
There are valuable lessons to be learned about networking from this blessed, memorable event. If you are currently or have been in a job search, you likely have been told that networking is the best way to get hired. Approximately 80% of all people are hired due to a personal recommendation. Despite the high success rate networking can be frustrating, frightening and confusing.
Much like effective networkers, Melissa and I share a personal connection. This connection is what makes us willing to help one another. A week before she gave birth she made time to help me set up a budget to accommodate my new life as a single woman. Your professional network can help you achieve your goals when you treat your contacts like valued friends. To build and grow your network, select and for the next 90 days, implement three tips from the list that follows:
- Determine what traits, values, and interests you share with people in your network. It’s best when these are both personal and professional. Music, sports, philanthropy are great denominators.
- Have heroes, role models, mentors – these are people who are where you want to be. Let them know how they have inspired you when you ask for advice and guidance.
- As simple as it may sound, let people like you. People like to do business or help those they like. Smile, tell a joke or funny story, and make good eye contact.
- Develop a genuine interest in other people’s lives. Listen for and seize opportunities to help other’s achieve their goals
- Stay on the radar screen, both socialmedia and technology offer various ways to keep your name popping up. If someone doesn’t reply to your email or text try contacting them using Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
- Ask your contacts the best way and times to contact them. Some will prefer email, while others will prefer LinkedIn.
- Keep it friendly, keep it social, but keep it professional. If you haven’t spoken in awhile, schedule a lunch meeting or phone call to catch up with each other. This will go further then sending an email about their company’s need for a Senior Vice President.
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- Tags: brand, career, career change, career coach, career coaching, career goals, career paths, career transition, goals, job, job market, job search, professional brand, unique value proposition
Have you ever thought about the benefits of having a well written resume? If you think the only benefit is finding a job, think again.
Back in January, my usually upbeat handyman confided to me that he was in a funk. Business was down and he could barely meet expenses. He decided to seek employment as a Superintendent or Facility Manager. While he enjoyed doing home repairs, he needed the security of a full time job. A change in situation would create a steady income and allow him to serve private customers after business hours. The problem was he lacked the personal awareness to effectively market himself.
After a brief discussion we agreed on a barter arrangement; I would write his resume and cover letter in exchange for his taking care of several projects around my home.
My familiarity with his work helped me to create a resume that would attract the opportunities he was seeking. The profile boasted about his talents, the skills section featured every tool he had operated and the professional skills he offered. I included a logo that depicted a hammer and nail to catch the attention of hiring managers.
The interview process and completed document gave my handyman the language he needed to market himself. What he learned about himself during the interview process of the resume program gave him a better understanding of his value to others and the role his previous experience in played in achieving his goals.
About a week after his resume was completed he called to tell me about all the opportunities that were coming his way. The newly created resume enabled him to clearly speak with friends and members of his congregation about his career goals. To his surprise he found people were more than willing to share contacts and job leads. I listened as he enthusiastically told me he was going to apply for a seasonal maintenance position with the Trump Organization…It has since occurred to me the real benefit of what I do is give people the confidence and hope they need to pursue their goals.
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Learn how to win on the battlefield for employment.
You Are Invited to Attend
“THE NEW JOB WARRIORS”
A FREE WEEKLY PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE IN A CAREER TRANSITION
Starting Tuesday, March 24, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
@ Starbucks
1 Depot Square, Tuckahoe, NY
Coffee and Danish Compliments of Starbucks
Seating is limited.
Call now to reserve your space
914-961-0579
Starbucks rocks! Thanks to Miryah, manager of Starbucks in Tuckahoe for her support.
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During our weekly coaching session, my client, a talented marketing executive who has enjoyed her career, was having a tough time maintaining a positive attitude. Like many of you who are out in the trenches, she is working longer hours with limited resources and a meager budget. She was fortunate to have landed the position three months after being let go from a company she helped build.
15 years ago she worked around the very same issues she is facing today. The difference was she felt appreciated by her bosses. Now, she waits anxiously for her boss, who is located across the country, to return her calls. During our meeting she confided to me she feared he wasn’t interested in hearing her ideas.
Having coached her for several months, I knew I would be unable to convince her otherwise. Yet, I had to come up with something to help feel better or risk seeing her lose her new job because of her attitude. That’s when the word “perhaps” came to mind. I took a chance and asked her what would happen if she started her internal dialogues with the word perhaps? Perhaps, he is isn’t interested in what I have to say? Perhaps he is too busy ot respond to my email. She smiled, she could deal with knowing he might or might not be interested in her ideas. After practicing this for a few days, she called to tell me that her boss called her and said he wanted to hear more of her input.
Perhaps is a powerful tool. With an 8% unemployment rate there are a lot of people competing for work. It is stressful to wait for a response to your perfectly written cover letter and resume. Yet, stress can drain you of your optimism and enthusiasm. Both of which are needed to catch the attention of hiring managers. Perhaps, you could retain some of your optimism by saying to yourself “perhaps. I will be called in for an interview.”
The next time you find yourself filled with thoughts of gloom and doom, preface your thoughts with perhaps. You might feel a little better.
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“It’s time for you to shut out all of the gloom and doom on the TV and just focus on one, simple, small job: your next one!”
Marc Cenedella
Founder & CEO
TheLadders.com, Inc.
Every week I receive tons of emails from friends and colleagues. While there are way too much for me to read, every now and then one will catch my eye as the aforementioned quote has.
Fear is running rampant and our nation is being called to to live with less while we huddle close and hope the monster of unemployment will pass by our doors. The crisis will eventually pass but the question remains how gracefully will get you get through it?
Just like Marc Cenedella, I urge you to focus on one thing; take control of your career and let go of what is beyond your power. What you can control is:
- Your attitude: Like any other project, every great job begins with an achievable vision.
- Your process: Finding a job that best matches your unique qualifications and skills requires you to create and stick to a strong project plan, schedule and specific milestones.
- Your resume: Always, always, always keep it current. You never know when your next great opportunity will appear.
- Your network -: Creating an active job search team means that you will keep in touch often, be both a generous giver and a gracious receiver. Coach your friends, family, colleagues and peers in the specifics, i.e. your goals and how they can help you achieve them.
- Where you look: When used properly, the internet is a great tool for finding employment. Make a list of employers you are interested in working for and look under the “Careers or Join Us” section of their websites.
- Your knowledge: Whether it is learning a new technology or completing your PMP, you must commit to being a lifelong learner to stay competitive in this market.
- Your image: From your head to your toes present a professional image. Always make sure your shoes are polished, your clothes are neat and crisp, you are well groomed and your smile is broad and welcoming.
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- Tags: career, Careers, coach, employers, employment, goal, great opportunity, great job, internet, job, Join Us, Marc Cenedella, milestones, network, PMP, professional image, project plan, project schedule, resume, skills, technology, TheLadders.com, tool, unemployment, unique qualifications, vision
Twice within the past 5 years I have personally met and heard PETER WEDDLE, a recruiter, HR consultant and business CEO turned author and commentator, described by The Washington Post as “… a man filled with ingenious ideas,” who has earned an international reputation, pioneering concepts in Human Resource leadership and employment speak at the Kennedy Recruiting Conference, a conference that is widely attended by head hunters, recruiters, employment agencies and representatives from job boards. Both times I was astounded by his breadth of knowledge and boundless energy and enthusiasm for sharing eye opening information about the recruitment process. So, when I read WEDDLE’s latest newsletter, I immediately got his permission to share the following article with you.
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- Tags: career, employment agencies, goal, head hunters, hr consultant, job, job boards, recruiter, talents. staffing firms, work, workplace
