Category: Charting Your Career for Success

uccessful job search comes from taking simple steps.  Here are ten powerful ideas for landing your next job.

JOB CHANGE TIMING

“The Best Time to Change Jobs”

Changing jobs is one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life.  That statement does not mean that job changes do not bring high rewards.  Getting married, having children, and buying a house are also among the most stressful experiences in a person’s life.  Yet these experiences are rewarding.  Read more.

To make any major life change successful and rewarding requires preparation, planning, and timing.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

“12 Things You Should Not Do In a Job Interview”

An interview is a critical step to getting a job.  Preparing for your interview and making good choices in handling your interview questions can turn your interview into a job offer.  Here are twelve things you should not do and suggestions for the correct things to do in a job interview.  Read more.

INTERVIEWING QUESTIONS

“How To Handle The Interview Question What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”

I made the mistake of answering this question honestly during an interview for a promotion.  I did get the promotion.

However, my new supervisor had an annoying habit of reminding me of my answer to that question during our work together.

Being able to answer this question is part of standard interview preparation.  What should I have answered when he asked me about my greatest weakness?  Here are some options that would have helped me.  Read more.

JOB OFFERS

“How to Negotiate a Job Offer”

Employers are more open to negotiating a job offer when they can see that there is a real shortfall between what they have offered you and what you have in your current job.

The simple way to approach the matter is to make a straightforward presentation of the facts involved.  Read more.

JOB OPTIONS

“Finding Jobs That Match Your Skills”

This lists compares skills to jobs to help you find jobs that you will enjoy and do successfully.  Enter any of these jobs into the Job Search engine to find career opportunities.  Read more.

SELF-EMPLOYMENT

“Is it Time for You to Start Your Own Business?”

Prior to entering recruiting, I worked for two terrific companies: Procter & Gamble and Polaroid Corporation.  I did many things that I loved to do.  I took pride in my companies’ brands.  I loved giving presentations.  I enjoyed the travel.  I took fascination in new product introductions.  I found joy in absolutely crushing the competition in shelf space, ad space, and in sales.  However, I had two frustrations.  Read more.

RECRUITERS

“Should You Work with a Recruiter?”

Whether or not you should work with a recruiter depends upon your comfort level in working with other people about your income and upon your career goals and your urgency in finding employment.  The best recruiters can help you in many ways.  Read more.

NETWORK CONNECTIONS

“Your Know Network”

Today I so instinctively take the easy way to finding information and contacts.  I go to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Job Boards, Business Directories, Google Search, and forget that the best network I have is the one made up of the people I already know.  Read more.

COUNTER OFFERS

“Counter Offers: The Reason That You Resigned Seldom Goes Away If You Stay.”

Companies give counter offers when the timing works against them to lose a person.  However, unless the reason you resigned have gone away, taking a counter offer means that you are returning to work where have shown disloyalty by looking for another job.  Read more.

GETTING MAXIMUM RESULTS WITH LINKEDIN

Three bonus articles on LinkedIn success.

“How to Pick a LinkedIn Group”

Different LinkedIn groups have different purposes.  Some groups are directories of people in the same industry or who have the same interest.  These groups are terrific for building networks or creating databases.  You can pick nearly any business sector and find that there is LinkedIn group for that business sector.  From there, you can build relationships to expand your network.  Read more.

LinkedIn: Can People Tell that I Have Looked at their Profile?

LinkedIn: Who Can See My Profile?

Interview jitters are a form of stage fright.

If job interviews give you the jitters, you are not alone.  Everyone experiences some feelings of uncertainty from time to time.

Applicants know that another person or other people are judging the things they say and the things they do.  They fear rejection. Many job applicants are nervous before a job interview.  A bad case of the interview jitters works against you.  Instead of having a clear mind, you think less clearly and effectively.  At a time when want to feel poised and confident, you feel tense and uncomfortable.

There are winning steps to turn the job interview jitters into energy and confidence.

Have a light, healthy snack before your interview.

Being hungry or loaded with caffeine can make you feel nervous.  Take a health bar and a bottle of water with you.  Find a comfortable place to relax.  Enjoy your health bar and bottle of water about thirty minutes before your interview.  Give your body time to digest the snack and get the food into your system.

Reduce the amount of caffeine you eat or drink.

You might avoid chocolate bars.  They are great for energy.  The sugar and caffeine can get you energy boost.  However, as the sugar wears off, you can feel an energy drop.  The caffeine can leave you feeling a little on edge.  If you enjoy coffee or caffeinated soft drinks, you may want to avoid them before your interview.  Caffeine from chocolate or from coffee or soft drinks added to the adrenaline of having interview pressure can give you a heavy case of the jitters.

Prepare thoroughly for your job interview.

Know the details of the company.  Know the details of the job for which you are interviewing.  Review your resume.  Know how to discuss your experience in terms of how are qualified for the job.

Prepare questions for the people who will interview you. 

Having questions will show that you are interested in the question.  Having your questions written out will help you remember to ask the questions that you will need answered.

Remember to breath.

Baseball players use this simple technique often.  Watch pitchers right before the windup or batters right before stepping into the batter’s box.  The players will take one or two deep breaths.  You don’t need to master any complex breathing meditation.  Just breathe.

Related articles

Going from Self-Conscious to Self-Confident
Overcoming Intimidating Titles
Turn Your Career Worries into Career Plans
Job Security: How to Stop Scaring Yourself
Clearing the Mental Clutter of Job Stress

Can You Get Rich by Continually Changing Jobs?

Can you get rich by continually changing jobs? Is job-hopping for more money smart or stupid? The answer to those questions depends on the answer to five simple questions.

Is job-hopping for more money smart?

The answer to that question depends on the answer to these five questions.

What is the difference of the total package between the job where you are working and the job where you have an offer?

Are you walking away from retirement savings, profit sharing, vacation, medical coverage, and other benefits? An increase in income is just one part of the package.

What are your promotion opportunities where you are?

Promotions can greatly increase your short-term and long-term earnings.  Changing jobs for more money can cost you in the long end when you career continues to move laterally.

What additional costs do you incur in your new job?

In “Hidden Expenses at a New Job,” I detail the costs that can erase a pay raise and even put you at a reduction in income at your new job.

Is the place where you are going somewhere that you can stay for the long haul? 

Some hiring companies have a dim view of people who change jobs in less than a year or two. They have an even dimmer view of people who change jobs every two years repeatedly. Companies invest money and time in hiring and training people. They want to keep good people to continue to get value out of their investment. They don’t want to hire flakes who will quit every time another company offers a fifteen percent increase.

What is reality?

As a recruiter, I placed hundreds of people in new jobs. The average pay raise for these people changing jobs was two and one half times greater than their annual pay raises at their current or previous company. They came out ahead through these job changes.

Pay raises were not involved in all job these changes. In some cases, people accepted jobs for lateral pay, because the new job fit their needs for various reason.

On the other hand, I placed some people who increased their income fifteen to twenty percent or more. Obviously, pay raises through job changing ever two to three years will result in a person making a lot more money.

But I never saw anyone who was able to change jobs continually for more money.  I did see people who found it increasing difficult to find a new job when they had an employment history of job-hopping.

3 Steps to Job Search Success

Make your job search a success with these three simple steps.

First, you do the job search basics.

• Write a terrific resume.
• Write a template for a great cover letter.
• Polish your online profile.

Second, you rapidly expand your network.

Job search is a numbers game.

Contacting more people will increase the likelihood that you get a job.

In terms of numbers of prospects or shoppers, getting a job is similar to running a retail store. If the store has no shoppers, the store will have no sales. If shoppers line up out the door, the store has greater odds of selling products and services.

Begin connecting with people who can hire you and with people who can connect you with people who can hire you.
The best contacts are the people you already know. Start by making a contact list of these people.

As you contact people, ask those people for names and contact information of other people who can help you.

After you have written your list of people you know, go to membership sites to add the names of other contacts to your contact list.

Third, you find the companies where you want to work.

Make a list of companies where you would like to work. Build this list from your industry knowledge, from recommendations of people in your network, and from job listings, which you find on job boards.

Before you apply for a job on a job board, review your contact list for people you know at the company.  If you do not know anyone at the company, research names of people who work at the company.  Your application is more effective if a person recommends you for a job.  Try to get a direct referral from a person at the company.  Many companies pay employees for referrals. Direct referrals will give you more credibility than applications you make online.

Continue to contact as many people each day as you can. Put the numbers in your favor. Remember that your contacts are like retail shoppers to a retail store. The more contacts you make will increase your chances of getting a job.

Here are 9 steps to greater success by working less.   

Value your time.

People who value their time more than money are happier, according to an article from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

Interrupt people who are wasting your time.

Learn how tactfully to say, “This isn’t working.” In interviewing, for example, most hiring managers allow applicants thirty minutes to an hour to make their case.  However, I could often tell how well a person’s interview went by knowing how long that person spent interviewing with a senior vice president or president of a company. These people would end interviews as soon as they decided that a candidate was not a fit.

Ask for help.

Success is a team sport. Successful people ask for help. I could do all the things that my secretary did.  I could type, file cards, answer all the calls, but I made a lot more money when I let my secretary do these things and I focused on recruiting.

Get things done.

“It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” asked Henry David Thoreau. I can work very hard. At the end of the day, I may be very tired. But I don’t make any money when I don’t get the things done that will make money.

Stay in the present moment.

Regrets, resentments, and guilt reside in the past. Fear exists in the future. Ruminating over the past or imaging the bad things that can happen in the future is a painful waste of time.  The only moment anyone has is the present moment, the time when we can make decisions and take action.

Know your strengths and your weaknesses.

I can waste a lot of time trying to do things that I just can’t do well. I can use that same time being highly productive doing things that fit my skills and my purpose. Although developing new skills is important, building skills based on my strengths is the most effective and efficient way to find success.

Stick to the point.

I enjoy giving my point of view. I enjoy adding information to a discussion. But business meetings are not the time to be long winded. Extra information wastes time. Too much information can create confusion. Everyone benefits when people stick to the subject and get to the point.

Stop replying to every email and returning every phone call.

Unless I need someone to take action, I don’t need to acknowledge an email or a call I receive.

Be honest with yourself about yourself.

An article on Kellogg Insight discusses the dangers of faking it until you make it. If something doesn’t feel right, I need to check in with people I can trust and get their help in clearing my mind and getting back on track. If I don’t understand something, I need to be honest with myself. I can then ask questions to learn what I need to know.

8 Simple Steps for Successful Presentations

Here are 8 simple steps for successful presentations.  Whether you are in an interview, business meeting, or sales call, these steps will make your meetings more successful.

1. 1. Before you go to a meeting, do your homework on the person and the organization of the people in your meeting. Use this research to show how what you are presenting fits the needs to of your audience or buyers.
   2. Know what types of information will interest the people you are meeting. If they hate a lot of facts and figures, don’t burden them with graphs and charts that will turn them off.  Keep your presentation to what, when, and where.
   3. Know the goals of the people you are meeting. Do they want to increase sales, even at the expense of low margins? Create an advertising campaign with a reduced sales price that will draw customers into their stores. Do they want a sales campaign that shows how their store sells quality products? Create a sales campaign that associates their store brand and your product with images of quality and integrity.
   4. Know how the buying process works. If you are selling to a buyer who will need to present your information to a committee for decision, prepare a presentation that is simple, compelling, and easy to understand. If you are in a business meeting where you simply need to give people an update, focus your presentation on the key facts that these people need to know.

1. Prepare your presentation for the size of your meeting. If you audience is small, you can hand everyone a copy of your information. If your meeting is large, use a screen to show the key points of your presentation.
2. Keep your presentation simple. Have a key phrase that will deliver the benefits of your message. In presenting the iPod presentation, Steve Jobs focused on the ease and convenience of the iPod by saying, “A thousand tunes in your pocket.”
3. Stay positive. Don’t trash your competitor or the ideas of other people in your meeting.  Focus on what is right about what you are presenting and not what is wrong with the ideas of other people.  If you do need to contrast your ideas with those of others, do so in a positive way.
4. End with a call to action.  For example, ask this type of question. “Should we begin on the first or second week of the month?”

The First 90 Days in Your New Job

Do you want to have a successful start in the first 90 days in your new job?  Here are some ideas to help you achieve success during that critical time in working for a new company.

In the book “The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter,” Michael Watkins writes about the situations an executive should focus on when beginning a new job.

“Transitions are a critical time for leaders.  In fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face.  While transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability.  Missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success.”

The 30-60-90-Day Plan for Jobs and Job Interviews

6 Steps to Success in the First 90 Days

My Personal Experience

When I went from Procter & Gamble to Polaroid, I made similar adaptations.  The products I sold at Procter & Gamble had different sales cycles than the products I sold and at Polaroid.  Procter & Gamble’s products are fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG): toothpaste, laundry detergent, facial tissue, beauty aids, etc.  At Procter & Gamble, one month was similar to the next month.  Consumer buys these products at the same rate year round.

At Polaroid, I was selling seasonal products.  Summer travel season was an important period for sales.  The winter holiday season was the largest sales period for Polaroid.
The sales team sold seasonal film orders in the spring for shipment in the summer.  They sold cameras and film in July for shipment from August through November.  As the holiday season approached, the sales team would make additional rounds through their territory to sell film.

Retailers sold as much Polaroid film in one day in December as they sold the entire month of January.  The transition for me required adapting to different selling cycles and new methods of projecting sales.

Are you interviewing with the wrong company?  Use these follow tips to avoid your time to avoid wasting your time.

As the owner of a recruiting firm, I worked with applicants who dealt with troubling issues during the interview process.  Here are some of the things I learned from my experience in helping these applicants

The company location is unsafe.

In major metropolitan areas, office and factory spaces are expensive.  In an attempt to keep costs in line, some companies locate their offices in inexpensive locations.  In major metropolitan areas, the less expensive locations are often in high crime locations.  I have had three clients whose offices were inside chain link fences that had barbed wire on the top.  Even though these companies had highly recognizable brands, the companies were small and the cost of safe locations was a challenge to their bottom line.

If you do not believe that the location is safe, you need to ask yourself whether you are interviewing with the right company.

The interviewers fail to keep their commitments.

In some cases, interviewers have valid reasons for cancelling an appointment, and they explain those reasons to you.  An easy way to handle the situation is to show understanding and simply reschedule.

However, sometimes failing to keep commitments is a red flag.

• The interviewers cancel appointments without attempting to reschedule.
• The interviewers cancel appointments more than once.
• The interviewers completely fail to call you or to meet with you without calling to cancel or reschedule.

Interviewers take calls during your interview, or they allow people to come into their office to interrupt your interview.

This type of behavior is a sign that the interviewer is not interested in you or, perhaps, simply does not respect your time.

Remember that the way an interviewer handles an interview is a sign of how a company deals with its employees.  This behavior is uncommon, but when it has happened, applicants have often complained to me about it and rightfully so.

The company withholds details on benefits and salary range during the interview process.

The company benefits and compensation are confidential information.  For competitive security issues, companies must protect the details of their operations.  However, to avoid wasting their own time and the applicant’s time, the best interviewers provide general information on benefits and compensation.  Often, companies include information on benefits and compensation on the job description.