Category: Charting Your Career for Success

ob search timing. Is this the right time in your career to make a job change? What are the things you must know to answer this question?

Success is greatest when timing meets necessity. ~ www.jaywren.com

Are You in the Wrong Job?

Here are some questions that will help you know that it’s time to consider a job search.

1. Is every day a crisis?
2. Do you feel burned out and can no longer do your job?
3. Is the culture toxic?
4. Have you outgrown your job and cannot get greater responsibility?
5. Is your company in financial or performance trouble?
6. Does your company fire people unexpectedly and seemingly without cause?
7. Is your commute too far or too expensive?
8. Are underpaid?

Are Your Problems Temporary?

Notice that in the last paragraph that I said “consider a job search.”

Some of these problems can change over time.   If you spend the time making your current job better instead of spending that time on a job search, you may find staying in your current job helps you several ways.

Here are some ideas on ways to improve you working conditions.

1. Take more breaks.
2. Do not work during coffee breaks or lunch.
3. Leave your work at your workplace.
4. Do not work around the clock or seven days a week.
5. Take vacations.
6. Learn methods to relieve stress and develop a positive attitude.
7. Ask for a pay raise.
8. Avoid toxic people.

Job Search Timing and Risk

There are risks of going to a new workplace.

First, you may find that the problems at one workplace exist at the next work place.  You are only moving from one rut to another rut.  Changing jobs in this case would be a huge mistake, especially if you are walking away from accumulated benefits and tenure.

Second, you may find that the new job solves one problem but brings on other problems.  For example, you leave your current job and get more money.  However, you find that the culture or workload are a disaster.

Third, the offer that you negotiate may be an increase.  However, you find that there are hidden expenses at your new job.

• Commuting costs
• Clothing costs
• Insurance Costs
• Increased taxes
• Lost vacation
• Unrealistic bonus expectations

Is Your Job Search Timing the Best for You Mentally and Financially?

A job search is certainly a lot of work. It takes planning, time, effort, and money.   There are risks of losing your current job while you are looking for a new job. Furthermore, a job search is a numbers game.  Contacting more people will increase the likelihood that you get a job.  However, as more people who learn that you are in a job search, you will increase the risk of your employer learning that you are looking around.

These factors are stressful.  You must ask yourself if you are in a position to conduct a job search.

Do You Even Want a New Job?

Starting a new job is full of changes.

For example, you will meet new people and must build new relationships.  Second, you may find the new culture is a complete shock.  Furthermore, you may find that your current skills don’t align as well as you had hoped in your new job.  Additionally, you will have a new boss to impress and to understand.

Conclusion

With job search timing, you increase your success in landing the job you deserve.  Before you launch a job search, look at all the factors to decide whether the timing is the best for your efforts to find a new job.

Become discovered: You have all the skills, the talent, intelligence, charisma, and emotional intelligence for success.  But what does it matter if no one knows?

To Become Discovered, Spread the Word.

Retailers, manufacturers, and service providers have resources for putting their name out there.  They run ads in print, radio, television, social media, and billboards.

Furthermore, they sponsor public events.  They take part in community service projects with volunteers and donations.  Their executives do interviews on mass media.

Additionally, these companies have the money and the professional support to engage shoppers and spread the word.  The know how to become discovered.

To Become Discovered in a Confidential Job Search

You can use the same principles of putting your name out here as companies use.

Furthermore, you can promote your job search with nominal expense and minimal exposure.

Here are some suggestions.

Headhunters

There are pluses and minuses to using headhunters.  The top recruiters represent companies that offer more than a job.  They offer great opportunities for a career with long-term professional and financial growth.

Furthermore, unlike some employment agencies, headhunters don’t charge the job seeker a fee for helping them find a job.  The hiring companies pay the fee.

If you are uncertain about the terms of working with headhunter, ask the recruiter directly who pays the placement fee or any other recruiting costs.

• Should I Call the Recruiter?
• 12 Reasons Why Junior Military Officers (JMO) Should Avoid Recruiters
• The Types of Recruiters and Agencies
• Should You Work with a Recruiter?
• Working with Recruiters; The Different Types and What They Do

Applying for a Job In-Person

When you apply for a job in person, bring the information with you that you need to complete an application.  Some examples include your salary history, job history, and references.

Resumes

Sending recruiters and hiring managers your resume is an essential step to become discovered in a professional career.

Important point:  you don’t need permission to send your resume.  All you need is a postal address, email address, or a website upload link.

Recruiters on LinkedIn, often have their email address on their LinkedIn profile.

Volunteering

Volunteering for activities where you can use your professional skills is a way to expand your network and become discovered.  These volunteering opportunities can help you meet employers and meet people who know employers.

Internet Profiles

You can post your profile in multiple places on the Internet. The best places include LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter.

Speaking Opportunities

If you have the skills and the contacts to speak in front of audiences, you can become discovered for your skills and experience at events where employers will see you.

Based on your skills and education, your opportunities to speak or do interviews can vary from mass media to trade shows or college programs.

When I worked for Polaroid, I would contact local television stations to give interviews and discuss new cameras.

Conclusion

Just as retailers, manufacturers, and service providers do, you can become discovered by putting your name out there where the best people will find it.

ob Change: What are the things you must know to conduct a successful job search? These four tips might help you launch the career you deserve.

Making a Job Change

Scott Wallace is a CPG executive officer and a long-time client.  Recently, he asked me to help two undergrads launch their career.  Here is the note that he sent me for the subjects he wanted me to cover:

“As discussed, interview skills, LinkedIn profile help, social media watch outs, resume pointers, business grammar and anything else you can think is helpful.”

I appreciated his direction.  Furthermore, taking his points one at a time, I was able to examine the approach that successful professionals use in launching or relaunching their career.

Interview Skills

Fifty percent of the effort for the best interviews is in the preparation. ~ www.jaywren.com

Interview Preparation: Are you frustrated with rejection when you have the qualifications for the job? These three steps will help.

Prepare to discuss these three subjects:

1. The details of your career challenges and success
2. Everything you can learn about the hiring company
3. The match between your skills and the job qualifications

You can read more on interview preparation on this blog post:

Interview Preparation: Three Steps That Will Land You the Job

LinkedIn Profile and Social Media Watch Outs

LinkedIn is the leading professional social media website.  It is the best website for networking.  Furthermore, it is one of the best websites for creating an Internet Profile.

However, there are principles that apply for creating a powerful Internet profile across all social media.  These principles include the things that you should do and the things that you should not do.

In the following article, I detail how to create a powerful and engaging social media presence.

Internet Profile: Creating Your Internet Brand

Resumes

“Resumes must close the sale on getting a job interview.” ~ www.jaywren.com

Do you have all the qualifications and are not getting job interviews?  Look at your resume.  Additionally, look to see whether your resume shows how your skills match the job qualifications.

From there, compare your resume to the example in the following blog post.

Resumes Must Close the Sale on Getting a Job Interview

Business Grammar

Business writing is a broader view of business grammar.  Additionally, the essential skill of business writing is vital to career success.

In the following article, I discuss 4 steps to writing clearly and effectively.

Business Writing: A Skill that Successful People Master

Job counter offers are ways companies avoid the annoyances of losing employees at the wrong time.
~ www.jaywren.com

Should you stay or should you go?

Job counter offers are risky.

If you stay, the reasons you resigned seldom go away.  In addition, when you met with your boss to turn in your resignation, you showed your boss that you have been disloyal by interviewing with another company.

As for the value of a counter offer, be aware that companies prefer to lose people based on the company’s timing.  The reasons are easy to understand.  Your company is in the middle of a work project that could fail if people leave.   You are one of those people.  You find yourself in a counter offer that has more to do with completing the project than your value to the company.

So, what happens during a counter offer?

You go through a standard process to keep people aboard until the company can throw them overboard.

• Your boss asks you the reasons that you are leaving.
• Then your boss shows understanding about your frustrations.
• Your boss promises to make changes to keep you on the job.
• You may receive a pay raise or a promise of a pay raise.  Remember that you forced the pay raise by trying to resign.
• Your boss may even may promises to improve things as time goes on.
• Your boss gets the details of your job offer and shows you the flaws in going to the new company.
• You feel pressure from the counter offer process.  You become indecisive.  Even if your company does not offer you a pay raise or change any of the conditions that have made you unhappy, the company pressures you to stay.
• You begin to waver in your decision.

The Stress of Job Counter Offers

If you are feeling the stress of a job counter offer, you are not alone.

As a recruiter, I have had applicants go through so much stress that they have cried.  I had one manager who was going through a counter offer that was so stressful he called me at 2:00 AM.  He was in tears.  He was still in tears later that day when he called me to say that he had accepted his company’s counter offer.

The company convinced him to stay.

Seven month later, he was out again interviewing with another company.  Nothing changed after he accepted the counter offer.  He still hated where he worked.  He needed to get another job.

Unfortunately, another employee saw him interviewing at the airport.   The job searcher turned in a daily report that showed that he was making sales calls.  The report was false.  His boss knew that the report was false.   At this point, his current employer no longer needed him.  The same boss who had talked him into staying seven months before fired him.

He was unemployed without a job offer in hand.

How to Reduce the Pressure of Job Counter Offers

You can reduce the pressure.

When you resign, make the discussion short and to the point.  Just be polite.  Say that you are leaving.  Don’t share any information about your future employer or the amount of the offer.

When you think you are reasoning with your employer by sharing information about your new job, you are just engaging in a discussion that will increase the pressure.

Just give your resignation and listen but don’t speak.

Interview Feedback: Have you had interviews and have no idea how well the interview went? A thank you letter can help you land the job.

“If you need interview feedback, sometimes all you need to do is ask for it.” www.jaywren.com

Interview Feedback: How A Thank You Letter Can Land You a Job

After an interview, you should always send a thank you letter to your interviewer. You are in competition with other candidates.  Therefore, setting yourself apart from those candidates is important in getting a job offer.

A Thank-You Letter Can Help You Do Several Things.

You can reinforce your interest in the job.  Additionally, you can reinforce your qualifications for the job.

Also, the thank you letter gives you an opportunity to ask for interview feedback and to ask for another meeting.

Who Gets an Interview Thank You Letter?

Send a thank you letter to everyone who met you.  If you are working with a recruiter, send the letter to the hiring managers and a blind copy the recruiter.  Recruiters have an interesting role between you and the company.  They can help reinforce your interests and your qualifications for the job.  Keeping the recruiters informed is important to enabling them to help you.

Note that both letters have a call to action: that is, you ask for a time to meet again.

Email or Postal Letter?

A thank you email helps you respond promptly.

A thank you letter is more formal and more impressive.

These formats will help you write a post-interview thank you letter in either format.

Sample Email Thank-You Letter

Name of Recipient:

The purpose of this email is to thank you for meeting with me to discuss my qualifications for the [name of position].

I am excited about your opportunity.

When may I meet with you again to discuss your opportunity further?

Thank you,

Your Name
Phone Number
Email address

Postal Thank-You Letter

I created a lengthier, more detailed discussion that might help you remind the hiring manager of your qualifications and your interest.  You can add a discussion like the one in the postal cover letter to the email cover letter as well.

Your information

Street address
City, state, zip
Phone number
Email address

Date

Contact’s information

Name, titles
Company name
Street address
City, state, zip
Phone number
Email address

Dear [Name of Hiring Manager]:

Thank you for meeting with me this morning.  After our meeting, I am even more excited about the possibility of working for your company.

I believe that I can contribute at once to your business.  Furthermore, I have accomplishments in the following areas that crossover to the job you have available:

Increased administrative efficiency 20%
Reduced 3rd-party contract costs 30%
Trained 6 new hires, all of whom have been promoted
Four-year member of the President Sales Club.

Your description of the responsibilities, the team environment, and the growth plan for your company tell me that your job is the job I want and that your company is the place where I want to work.

I look forward to being invited back for another meeting.

When may I speak with you again?

Thank you again for your time.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Name Typed

In Conclusion

In these examples, I created two bodies of content.  The shorter you make your letter the better. However, if you believe that making the letter more detailed, and therefore, longer to read will help you get to a job offer.

The best job applicants do things that land them job offers. Furthermore, they set themselves apart from other job applicants to be the person companies want to hire.

“In a job interview, it is far better to get a job offer than to have to learn from your mistakes.” ~ www.JayWren.com

The Best Job Applicants Do These Seven Things.

#1 Show they are interested in the job.

The best job applicants come prepared with information on the job.  Furthermore, they may come prepared with information on the people who are interviewing job applicants.

Research on companies is easy.  Additionally, when the best job applicants know the names of the people they will be meeting, they research the profile of these people on Facebook and LinkedIn.

#2 Thoroughly understand the job description.

Additionally, they know the requirements of the job and how they have the qualification for the job.  They prepare to how their qualifications are a match for the job.

#3 Bring the right tools to the interview.

What you bring to any business meeting will make or bring your success in that meeting.  Getting to a business meeting to discover that you do not have the things you need is not only embarrassing, it is often a business-meeting killer.  I recommend that you buy a portfolio case or a briefcase that you use just for meetings.  Keep the case stocked with the materials that you will take to every meeting.

#4 Listen to the interview questions.

Some of the feedback I got on candidates is that they do not answer the questions the interviewer asked.  They gave answers about the subject in the question.  However, the best job applicants listen to the interviewer and answer their questions.

#5 Ask for the job.

I have had countless applicants fail to get a job offer, because they left the hiring manager uncertain about whether they had an interest in the job.

You are not the only applicant in the interview process. If three equally qualified applicants compete for a job and only one is expressing an interest in getting the job, the hiring managers have an easy decision. They will offer the job to the person who wants the job.

They simply say that they want the job and state why they want it.

#6 The best job applicants send a thank you note.

A thank you note can remind the interviewer of your ability to do the job.  Furthermore, a thank you note shows interest in the job and respect for the interviewer’s time.

#7 Arrive Early.

Arriving early is an infinite amount of time.  Arriving after the time of your appointment means you are late.  The best job applicants arrive early.

For me, building a successful business never ends. It is a continual process of expanding my skills and expanding my network, of adapting and innovating to win business.

Jay Wren Partial Client List of Companies I Have Served

Building a business or a career is a continual process of expanding your goods, services, skills, and network. The day I sat down to start my career as a recruiter; I had a telephone, an empty legal pad, and a box of blank 5 x 8 index cards. My contact management systems today holds tens of thousands of contacts. These are people I have personally tracked and for whom I created files. Most of them I have reached out to by phone, email, or professional networks. I still make new connections every day. Little has changed except that my file system has gone from paper to a computer.

I have continually added clients.

Here is a partial list of companies that I served.

1. PepsiCo
2. Pepsi Bottling Group
3. Frito-Lay
4. Coca Cola, USA
5. Coca Cola Foods
6. Mobil Oil Company
7. Soft Soap
8. Pillsbury Green Giant
9. International Playtex
10. Quaker Oats
11. Dannon Corporation
12. No Nonsense Fashions
13. Coca-Cola Foods
14. Del Monte Foods
15. The Clorox Company
16. Nestle
17. Brach & Brock
18. Catalina Marketing
19. Health Resource Corporation
20. Majers Corporation
21. Welch Foods
22. Softsoap
23. E & J Gallo
24. Sunny Delight
25. M & M Mars
26. Tambrands
27. Nabisco
28. News America Marketing
29. El Dorado Marketing
30. Imagitas
31. ConAgra Foods
32. ConAgra Armour Swift-Eckrich
33. Polaroid Corporation
34. Dial Corporation
35. Dep Corporation
36. United Vintners
37. 7-Up
38. Miller Brewing Company
39. 13-30 Corporation
40. Hain Celestial Group
41. Q-Interactive
42. Label Dollars
43. Promo Edge
44. Centiv
45. The Sunflower Group
46. PromoWorks
47. The Wine Spectrum of Coca Cola
48. Kaiser-Roth
49. DSD Communications
50. Black & Decker
51. ActMedia
52. Linkewell Health
53. Bush Brothers Beans
54. Marketing Technology Solutions
55. Sunny D
56. Twenty-Ten Corporation
57. InStore Broadcasting Network
58. Insignia Pops
59. The Beecham Group
60. GlaxoSmithKline – GSK
61. Jacobs Suchard
62. Cody Kramer
63. SVP Worldwide
64. Mauna Loa
65. Garden Burger
66. EAS
67. New World Pasta Company
68. Vacation Connections
69. Lala USA
70. Continental Promotion Group
71. Kayser Roth
72. Morningstar Farms
73. Duracell
74. Kiss Products
75. Phillips Food Brokerage
76. Unicous Marketing
77. Kelley Clarke Food Brokerage
78. Wizards of the Coast
79. Oberto Sausage
80. Fanfare Media
81. Linkwell Communications
82. Lindt
83. Nurserymen’s Exchange
84. Maybelline
85. Advantage 360
86. American Italian Pasta
87. Warner Lambert
88. Fuel Rewards/Centego
89. First Flavor
90. Potlatch Corporation
91. Crossmark Food Brokerage
92. RB (Reckitt Benckiser)
93. Marketing Force
94. J&J Snack Foods Corporation
95. Cartera Commerce Inc.
96. Alcon Laboratories
97. Ray-O-Vac
98. Naterra
99. ICOM
100. Slim Fast (Unilever)
101. Potlatch Corporation
102. Dean Foods
103. …and others

Jay Wren Client List: Building a Successful Business or Career Never Ends.