Posts Tagged ‘careers’
Jesse And Al Should Read This!
Instead of getting all bent out of shape over innocuous remarks made by the President of Mexico, perhaps the Lord and Prince of African-American Ideological Imperialism (that’s Lord Jesse and Prince Al) should know just how Americans apply for those jobs they so vehemently claim Mexicans are stealing.
The good folks at Careerbuilder.com recently took a peek into the matter. In a survey of 600 hiring managers, 70 percent of them reported the following bizarre behaviors displayed by American job applicants. [1]
Now listen carefully Lord Jackson and Prince Al:
· No shows-they make the appointment for the job interview then do not show up
· Compulsive watch-checking during the interview
· Interviewee asking the interviewer to hurry up the interview
· Applicants literally running from the room as soon as the word “drug testing” is mentioned
· Applicants telling the hiring manager that the company has a black aura and leaving the interview
· Applicants showing up for the interview in T-shirts and jeans
· “One job hopeful arrived at his interview displaying a hairy chest, medallion, strong cologne and a wad of gum in his mouth. And which is worse: the applicant who wore a housecoat and slippers or the one who wore his slippers with a bathing suit and T-shirt?” [2]
· Applicant singing the national anthem
· Trying to sell the interviewer a car
· Applicant drops to the floor and starts doing Yoga during the interview
· Applicant lapses into doing celebrity imitations
· Applicant tells interviewer he wants the job so he can get the employee discounts and then retire in 2 months
· Applicant tells the interviewer that George Bush was his last supervisor at his previous place of employment
· “Another admitted he didn’t do all of the duties listed in his résumé ? but he assured the hiring manager that it didn’t matter.” [3]
· Applicant asks for a raise during the interview
· Applicant asks how soon he can have the interviewing manager’s office
· “Applicants offered their interviewers gifts, money, and even sex in return for a job offer, and one job seeker offered to shine the hiring manager’s shoes.” [4]
Now this is NOT to say that all Americans show up at interviews a “brick shy of a load”. I would not dare make such a generalization. So let me go on record so I don’t get a lot of nasty emails. Not every American without exception shows up at job interviews with “the porch light on but no one’s at home”. Just a lot of you apparently do.
Do not, and I repeat, do not do these (are you still listening Lord Jesse and Prince Al?) at job interviews. I guess no one told you these were not good things to do when applying for work:
· Pick your nails
· Light up tobacco or other smoking products
· Fart
· Belch
· Pick your nose or any other bodily orificev · Scratch your private parts
· Spit
I am not making this stuff up. Americans really will do this, and more, at job interviews.
This behavior is what Mexicans would call “uneducated”. And you know what? THEY ARE RIGHT!
So Lord Jackson and Prince Albert, perhaps you should take a long and hard look at the reasons American employers are hiring more and more Mexicans!
What do you think of that?
[1] Weirdest Interview Behavior by Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He is a columnist with Cricketsoda.com and the Magic City Morning Star. He is also listed with Ezinearticles.com. He lives with his wife in Guanajuato, Mexico. His newest book Mexican Living: Blogging it from a Third World Country can now be seen at http://www.lulu.com/content/126241
Sawbones
I was rushing through the white-tented terminal building at Denver International Airport when my attention was diverted ? as if often is — by a storefront massage business. Checking my wristwatch, I calculated I had just enough time for a 20-minute chair massage.
I settled onto the light gray vinyl chair and placed my face inside the cushioned headrest. The massage therapist introduced himself. “I’m Lee,” he said. “But you can call me Sawbones.”
He must have seen the cartoon question mark floating above my head in an imaginary white bubble -”Sawbones?”-for he went on to tell me about himself.
Digging his thumbs into the back of my neck, Sawbones explained that massage was a new line of work for him.
“Do you like it?” I asked, my words muffled by the cushioned face rest.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, revealing a slight rancher’s drawl. “I get to meet interesting people, especially here at the airport. A few weeks ago, I massaged the lawyer for the Oklahoma City Bomber. He was on his way to his client’s execution.” Sawbones paused, as if remembering the occasion. “He was a little tense.”
Although his comment demanded a sarcastic response, I couldn’t think of one fast enough. Instead, I asked Sawbones if he worked only at the airport.
“No, ma’am. I also have an office by the Stock Show Complex.”
“The Stock Show Complex?”
“Yes, ma’am. That’s because I have another business. Custom cowboy hats.”
The cartoon question mark re-appeared. “Cowboy hats?”
“Yes, ma’am. I sell them at the Grizzly Rose, the country-western bar north of downtown.”
I inhaled the rosemary scent of the massage oil and debated whether to prod Sawbones for more information. Since I was unlikely to meet another cowboy-hat-making-masseur in the near future, I asked him if his massage business was growing.
“Yes, ma’am. See, I do horses too.”
“Horses?” I asked, feeling like I was being sucked down a conversational rabbit hole.
“Yes, ma’am. Horses like massage. They can get testy though.”
“I’ll bet.” I pictured a blonde Palomino lying hooves up on a massage table.
As Sawbones kneaded my upper arms, he asked what I did for a living.
“I’m a writer,” I said. Actually, I didn’t say that, because just then, Sawbones’ fingers pushed my head into the headrest making my answer sound more like “Imamiffer.”
Sawbones was unfazed. “Really?!” he exclaimed. “I’m a writer too!” He said this as if we were distant cousins meeting at a genealogy conference. “I write scripts!”
“Scripts?”
“Yes, ma’am. See, I also perform in Wild West Shows.”
The rabbit hole was getting deeper by the second. “What kinds of things are in your shows?”
“Shoot-outs. Stuff like that. I have a friend who looks like Abraham Lincoln. He’s gonna be in our show tomorrow night.”
Now, I’ve never been that great at history but I’ve never really pictured Abe Lincoln in a shoot-out, except, of course, for the incident at Ford’s Theater. I was about to ask Sawbones how Abe figured into his act when he pulled my arms behind my back and away from my body as if dressing a chicken. “You sure got some knots under here,” he said, poking underneath my shoulder blades. I began to comprehend the testiness of his equine clients.
Soon, our 20-minutes was up and Sawbones handed me his business card. “Massage,” it read. “For Horses and Humans.” “Just for future reference,” he added, “I also do home massage. It’s only 50 bucks and I bring my own table, oil, and CDs.” I accepted the card graciously even though I was fairly certain I’d never pay a man named Sawbones to tote oil and soft music into my house.
It’s been a week since my encounter with the custom-cowboy-hat-making, wild-west-show-performing, horse-and-human massage therapist and I can’t get him out of my mind.
Now, I know there are people who might find Sawbones a little low brow and unfocused. These people would assume Sawbones was a drifter who hadn’t found his true calling. But to me, Sawbones is wise. He can work indoors or out. He works with his hands and his mind. He also has built-in job security. The bottom could fall out of the cowboy hat market and Sawbones would still make it in the world.
Furthermore, Sawbones has already figured out what many of us spend our entire careers learning: How important it is to try new things. “Ma’am,” he said, “I do all these things because I promised myself I would never do the same boring thing all day long.”
Many people I know have said this same thing to themselves at one time or another. But the difference between Sawbones and most people is that he is not afraid to tackle new challenges, even if those challenges involve tense attorneys and testy horses. So think about Sawbones the next time you’re confronted with a new opportunity. Even if the job or project doesn’t work out the way you expected, you might end up with good fodder for airport conversation.
Copyright, 2005, Shari Caudron.
Shari Caudron is an award-winning columnist, writing coach, and author of “What Really Happened,” a collection of humorous stories about the lessons life teaches you when you least expect it. Shari regularly delivers speeches to women’s groups about how to transform ordinary experiences into opportunities for personal growth. Website: http://www.sharicaudron.com e-mail: shari@sharicaudron.com
War Time Hiring: 5 Steps to Attract Top Talent
A recent report, titled “The War for Talent” stated that over the next 20 years, employee talent will be what differentiates successful companies from those going bust. The late 90’s gave us a glimpse of the talent war, but was nothing compared to what’s ahead. Here are five ways to bulletproof your company before the battle begins.
Practice What You Preach
Recent studies of America’s largest companies show that a strong reputation for moral and ethical conduct performed better financially in terms of their returns on investment and equity, and their sales and profit growth. How do you begin applying this in your company? At PrideStaff, every time an employee is hired, the owner takes them into his office and goes over the 10 standards of ethical conduct that the company was founded on. We also review these standards several times a year to encourage their daily application in the company.
Why is it so important to employees that they work for a company with strong ethics and values? Because your personal identity is strongly tied to your corporation. People often make assumptions about others based upon where they work. I know it sounds shallow, but what’s the first question you’re often asked after meeting someone? “So?what do you do?” Employees want to be proud when they answer that question.
Make Every Employee a Cheerleader
Employees are the first direct contact between a corporation and its customers. They are also the single most important source of word-of-mouth advertising that attracts other talented employees.
So how do you start making cheerleaders? You can start by buying everyone pom-poms. I’m not kidding! You need to make your company a fun place to work, a place that encourages employees to build relationships. An employee is much more likely to look forward to coming to work if they have a best friend there. I recommend you check out the motivational program called FISH!, based on the world famous Pike Place fish market in Seattle. It provides a step by step guide to building an amazing corporate culture.
Create and Convey a Strong Corporate Vision
Ultimately, your vision tells your employees and the rest of the world what you do and why you’re doing it. But just hanging up a poster with your corporate vision isn’t enough to build your brand as an employer of choice. Your vision should weave through every employee interaction. From your newsletter to your new hire orientation, your vision should serve as a constant reminder of where you’re going and provide the motivation to get you there.
I think it’s important to point out the difference between a vision and a mission statement. Your vision should provide a higher calling to a greater good while your mission statement should provide a framework for your existence in relation to your clients. The former speaks to the heart while the latter speaks to the mind. Your vision answers the question, “what really matters in this world ” and your mission statement answers the question, “what really matters in my clients world.”
Build Partnerships with Other Companies with Great Brands
In every industry, you can point to one or two companies that stand out from the rest of the crowd in terms of their reputation. Your goal is to find those companies with excellent reputations, who don’t compete with your company, and develop strategic alliances with those companies. Online, this strategy is known as affiliate marketing. I’ve heard other companies calling it a formal referral network. Whatever you call your partnerships with other companies, make sure you leverage those relationships with non-competing businesses that sell to your demographic.
There’s a saying that goes, “Birds of the same feather flock together.” When two or more corporations enter into a partnership or work together; their reputations may be attributed to each other. Keep this in mind as your think about other businesses to form partnerships with.
Become World Famous
Becoming world famous should be one of your major objectives in your long term business strategy. Why? Because building a business that draws the best of the best requires a brand that is known around the globe. How many people do you know that want to work at Microsoft just because it’s Microsoft? Building a world famous brand should be your ultimate goal in the visibility of your business. How do you get world famous? You start working on it today. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Mike Nacke is a speaker, author, and consultant to business owners, managers, and recruiters. He has helped companies save millions of dollars by developing unique hiring processes that turn hiring into a measurable science. His clients range from fortune 500 companies to small businesses.
Visit http://www.mikenacke.com for more information on reducing labor costs and increasing workforce productivity.
Mike is currently the Director of Development for PrideStaff, a national staffing and recruiting firm.
The Hidden Job Market: Real or Imagined?
The hidden job market has been touted as the place to go if you want to find the best jobs. It’s been said that this sector of the job market accounts for seventy-five percent of all the job openings out there. If that is true, then what we see in the classifieds and on the Internet job sites account for only twenty-five percent of all job openings. So the question becomes, is the hidden job market a myth or does it truly exist?
The hidden, or unadvertised, job market does exist, and can be located. When a company advertises a job opening in the classifieds and on the various job sites, it takes three to four months for that position to be filled. Since companies lose money every day a position remains open, advertising a job opening is seen by many as a non-viable approach.
Roughly seventy-five percent of all job openings are therefore unadvertised, which means you will not see them posted on any of the job sites. You will not be aware of their existence. They are indeed hidden opportunities. It is absolutely worth your effort to find these opportunities.
Companies have learned to search for viable candidates using three fundamental strategies other than advertising: networking, using recruiters, and probing the job sites. So how can you take advantage of these approaches to tap the hidden job market?
Networking isn’t an approach exclusive to hiring companies. You, too, can engage in networking with all the people you know. As an extremely powerful strategy accounting for roughly 80% of all job fills, networking allows you to get in doors that would otherwise be impossible to enter. You can network your way into potential opportunities that can turn into the right job created just for you. Networking is one of the best ways to tap the hidden job market!
Screening and reviewing hundreds of resumes for accuracy and position viability is time-consuming. When the job-required personality doesn’t materialize at the interview, more time is wasted. For this reason, more and more employers turn to recruiters for a more efficient hiring process. A recruiter uses exhaustive screening procedures as part of their candidate search process. They charge a fee to the employer for this service, but it is worth it in terms of time and effort.
Recruiters utilizing keyword searches scour the top job sites in search of candidates to fill their unadvertised job openings. Recruiters will find you as long as your resume is a match to the qualifications of the position they need to fill. So one of the best ways to capitalize on a recruiter’s mission, and to indirectly tap the hidden job market, is to post your resume to the top career sites. It’s a simple yet powerfully effective way to avail yourself of all the unadvertised positions out there, and take your job search to a whole new level.
Copyright © 2005 TopDog Group All rights reserved.
David Richter is a recognized authority in career coaching and job search support. He has spent many years in recruitment, staffing, outplacement, counseling psychology and career management spanning most industries and professions. David founded TopDog Group in response to the needs of job candidates to have a higher quality of career coaching and support available on the Internet. David understands the mechanisms for success. He has formulated specific strategies anyone can use to secure interviews and receive offers. His extensive knowledge and experience sets David apart in this field, allowing him to offer a wealth of information and a vast array of tools, resources and strategies not found anywhere else. He has shown countless job seekers how to differentiate themselves and leverage their potential to the highest possible level, making a real difference in their careers. David holds both a Bachelors and Masters in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. David’s website address is: http://www.procareercoach.com
6 Steps to Re-inventing Your Career
Meaningful work honors the deepest part of your being. It is the embodiment of your gifts and talents and all that you value. Finding it in a safe, smart way requires these six steps:
1. Soul Searching. Your journey begins with some intriguing self-examination. This step goes beyond looking at your work experience and skills. You also consider your values, interests, and personality preferences. This can be done informally through the use of specially-designed exercises or it can be done formally through professional assessment testing. Taken all together, the soul-search phase allows you to come up with a comprehensive personal profile that will help you develop future work possibilities.
2. Identifying Options. The key word here is “options”?not “answers”. In this step, you use your profiling “clues” from Step 1 to brain- and heart-storm as many possibilities for future work as possible. This is one of the most creative parts of the change process ? and best done with one or more friends or colleagues who have a broad view of the business marketplace.
At about this point, it’s important to begin to create a compelling future vision for your work and life. The act of creating your vision is inspiring, and it can actually help to pull your career change journey forward.
3. Testing. Testing has three purposes. The obvious one is to avoid making a big mistake by jumping to a solution too fast. The not-so-obvious purposes are to network more deeply into an area that you think you might like to make a career of, and to learn as much as you can about it from an inside perspective rather than from afar. It is experimentation with a purpose ? while you keep an open mind and heart.
4. Crafting Your Transition Plan. Out of your testing comes a clear path ? where you can set a specific new career goal and create the strategy and steps that will get you there. Your goal may be radically different work, the same work in a different environment or starting a new business or some combination of these three.
5. Implementation. During the Implementation phase ? which can begin even before you leave your current employer — you begin to put pieces of your transition plan into action. You may begin a course of study, reduce your expenses, if warranted, and/or even make physical preparations such as relocation or building a home office. Of course, to minimize your personal and financial risk, you want to do as much as possible while you are still working.
6. Integration. Seekers often think that once the shift is made, their career transition is complete. I think it’s more accurate to call it the “beginning of the end”. A physical transition into new work is one thing ? but transitioning your “underneath” layers (like work patterns, assumptions) is another thing entirely.
Career change typically takes from one to three years. And the tendency is to just ‘jump in’ anywhere. It helps to have a big picture view and to know that there actually is real method to the madness!
Patricia Soldati is a former President & COO of a national finance organization who re-invented her working life in 1999. Now, as a career fulfillment specialist, she guides unhappy corporate professionals into meaningful work — both inside and outside the corporate walls.
For more about her approach or to receive 5 Complimentary Career Fulfillment Lessons, visit http://www.purposefulwork.com
Out Recruit The Competition
We hear from our clients that they “hope the candidate takes the job.” Hiring a candidate shouldn’t be a guessing game. After you interview a candidate thoroughly, and spend a great deal of time and money getting them through the process, you should not have to worry about “landing them.”
Donald Trump was quoted as supporting paying full price for something important to you. Many deals, both in business and in personal situations, are lost over $5,000-10,000. $5,000 to $10,000 broken down over time is a small amount. Imagine losing your dream house over $5,000. That’s roughly $14 per month. That’s a tough loss. Again, if there is something you must have, pay full price and don’t let it slip away.
We recruited for a Tier One software company where many of the candidates were also being entertained by a Big 5 consulting firm. My client was the software company and almost always we would get the candidate (even though the compensation was less and the company name wasn’t as prestigious; it was because the software company did a better job of recruiting).
Here was their typical interview process?
Attracting the Right Talent:
*An Executive Recruiter was always used
*There is something about being “recruited” that makes a candidate feel special
*They moved quickly from resume to first telephone interview
Transportation:
*They arranged for excellent travel accommodations; flying better airlines at better times
*They arranged to have the candidate picked up at the airport by a limo service
Entering the Building:
*They had a welcome sign at the door with the candidate’s name on it
*The receptionist was expecting the candidate and made him feel important
Interviewing Process:
*Candidates were chaperoned around from interview to interview; every candidate was treated as a guest in their house, not just another body interviewing
*After meeting everyone, the candidate had a nice debrief with a representative from the Human Resources department and was then escorted to the car waiting departure back to the airport
The Offer:
*Selected candidates could expect a verbal offer within 48 hours of the final interview and a letter of offer sent overnight mail
*The offer could be contingent upon a good background check
How Candidates are lost:
?Waiting for days, if not weeks, for references and background checks
?Candidate can be recruited away while waiting for the background check to be completed
?Delays create hesitation in the candidate’s mind about the hiring company
?Delays reflect poorly on the company’s ability to move quickly
?Lowball offer after waiting
I have almost a 100% acceptance rate from candidates. Often times it isn’t the best money or the best opportunity they had been offered. It was the high quality interviewing process. Considering the time and effort by the people in the company and the additional expenses of travel, companies can’t afford to lose the right candidate. Hiring is like any relationship: “The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.”
About the Author: Brett Stevens is founder and President of The SearchLogix Group (http://www.searchlogixgroup.com). Brett has enjoyed remarkable success in the executive search business. He has achieved the industry’s highest level of professional certification: Certified Senior Account Manager (CSAM). He has received numerous regional, national, and international awards through meeting the needs of his clients. He continues to achieve record breaking performance and has been nationally recognized for those results with The SearchLogix Group. Brett is a member of the Council of Logistics Management, APICS and WERC. He has been recognized in many trade and online magazines and is a notable guest speaker and most recently, Brett was recognized internationally by the American Stroke Association for his fundraising efforts.
You can email Brett at brettmstevenspr@searchlogixgroup.com or telephone him at 770-517-2660.
References: Choose Wisely
Sophisticated job seekers know and understand that sometime during the interview and hiring process you will be asked to supply references. With this in mind, here are five concepts to focus on in developing your reference list.
1. References should be RELEVANT: The worst references are personal in nature. Do not provide your Uncle Charlie, your best friend or any other relatives or acquaintances. Provide references that have worked with you, worked for you, or have directly supervised you. References should be able to explain your specific job duties and responsibilities, accomplishments and work product. They should be able to define not only your role inside the organization, but also your ability to meet or exceed expectations as a co-worker, boss, or subordinate. Make certain that references are familiar with all relevant dates of employment at their respective company. If necessary, send them a current copy of your resume and any cover letters that you are using in your job search. References must have pertinent information for the reference seeker. Details, details and more details will certainly help your chances. Be certain that references have plenty of relevant information about your work history.
2. Validate and Verify: This concept speaks to the “content” of the reference call. Be certain, by carefully reviewing your employment history and resume details, that the reference knows more than they need to in order to make this call successful for you. Validate and verify beforehand that the reference is comfortable stating the information you want put forth to the reference seeker. If they are not 100% comfortable or seem in the slightest bit timid about your background or accomplishments, consider using someone else for this important task. Validate and verify your old employment files with previous employers against your current resume. Be certain that dates match what you say they do. Make certain that the “reason for departure” is correct in the HR file. Nothing is more damaging to a candidate’s potential chances than misinformation and misinterpretation of factual data.
3. Reference Letters are outdated: Stay with the times. Reference letters are a thing of the past and should be avoided. There is simply too much opportunity for fraud in today’s ultra competitive job market and savvy employers will insist on speaking and verifying references with live people. If your references are not comfortable providing an opportunity to speak to potential employers and insist on writing a reference letter, find a new reference source.
4. Provide accurate and sufficient contact information: When creating your list of references for prospective employers, give the employer no excuses. Make certain there are at least two different methods for employers to make contact with references. Give at least a work telephone number and if possible, cellular number or email address as well. Make a point of also noting the relationship you had with the reference: Supervisor, subordinate, or peer. Helpful information as well is duration of work relationship and current titles.
5. Awareness: Take the time to stay in touch with these important people in your career. Spend the time to maintain and even grow the relationship even if you have moved on with your career. You will never know when a new opportunity will arise, thus you need to keep your reference information current and your references aware of your job search goals and aspirations. Keep them informed of the specific role(s) you are interviewing for and what specific topics would best be covered in a reference call. A few minutes keeping your references aware and alert will go along way to assisting your job search.
Your references should never be in question in your mind or the view of prospective employers. Careful preparation and maintenance of your references will assist your career in the short and long term.
Executive recruiter William Werksman is a frequent columnist to job boards including http://www.NevadaJobBoard.com addressing both the candidate’s and employer’s perspective. Werksman’s expertise has been featured in business magazines, national newspapers and television news segments. His firm, Resource Partners, is recognized as the leading source of specialized and executive talent in the Casino and Gaming industry. He manages a staff of recruiters out of his firm’s Las Vegas, Nevada headquarters. He may be reached at: Bill@CareerInsider.com or (702)248-1028.
Effective Networking Skills: The Art Of Taking Your Job Search To A Whole New Level
Your network consists of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and former employers. It also consists of your dentist, your barber or hair stylist, your accountant and your local grocery store manager. Networking is not only who you know, but who knows you. You may know a lot of people, but how well do they know you ? especially in terms of your skills, talents, creativity and potential? How familiar are these people with your value proposition — your unique gifts?
It is your value proposition that differentiates you from the crowd; it is what stands out in the minds of those with whom you are networking. Your value proposition is the cornerstone for all self-introductory communication. It sets the tone. It’s how you make your mark. It is how you describe yourself during any networking scenario.
The best way to network is to communicate your qualities to the people you know, so they in turn will know you better. Practice doing this in as concise and clear a way as possible. When you communicate your value proposition in a lasered way, you will be extremely effective.
Networking is never about asking someone for a job. It’s about letting people in, and asking questions such as “Who do you know?” and “Who else should I be talking to?” This process can truly mushroom, especially if you don’t wait until you are out of work before making contact with people. The results can be quite amazing.
Networking is also about finding out as much as you can about the people with whom you are networking. This serves many purposes. Remembering things about a person the next time you see them makes them feel significant. They will want to do more for you. Secondly, you can begin to connect the dots between their background and your own career objectives. Thirdly, you are building a bridge of trust; your encounter will be viewed as genuine and mutually beneficial, rather than as a manipulative gesture designed just for your gain.
An important part of networking is continuance. You’re building a relationship. There needs to be planned follow-up activity and communication. The best way to accomplish this is by asking for their business card and summarizing the action steps you plan to take based on your dialog. Include a follow-up phone call as part of your summary. Once your brief meeting has concluded, send a thank-you note to the person, reiterating your appreciation for their willingness to meet with you, and any planned steps you will be taking.
Networking supports your entire job search effort. As an extremely powerful strategy which accounts for roughly 80% of all job fills, it allows you to get in doors that would otherwise be impossible to enter. You can network your way into potential opportunities that can turn into the right job created just for you. It’s a great way to tap the hidden job market!
Networking is about creating relationships which, in turn, creates opportunities. It is about connecting, which builds a network of support that can last a lifetime. Only three ingredients are required:
You will need just a bit of courage to open up a dialog with someone you already know, or someone who was referred to you. You need to be aware of your potential and worth. The final ingredient is caring ? caring enough about the other person to truly be interested in them and to build a connection, to start a relationship. The results will speak for themselves.
Copyright © 2005 TopDog Group All rights reserved.
David Richter is a recognized authority in career coaching and job search support. He has spent many years in recruitment, staffing, outplacement, counseling psychology and career management spanning most industries and professions. David founded TopDog Group in response to the needs of job candidates to have a higher quality of career coaching and support available on the Internet. David understands the mechanisms for success. He has formulated specific strategies anyone can use to secure interviews and receive offers. His extensive knowledge and experience sets David apart in this field, allowing him to offer a wealth of information and a vast array of tools, resources and strategies not found anywhere else. He has shown countless job seekers how to differentiate themselves and leverage their potential to the highest possible level, making a real difference in their careers. David holds both a Bachelors and Masters in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. David’s website address is: http://www.procareercoach.com
Genes and Work Ethic
If you have good genes, you are blessed. If they are exceptional, you might be successful on that alone.
Add work ethic and you will be successful and remarkable.
On Thursday, Sept. 9, 2004, Linda Green retired after 23 years as a dancer in “Jubilee!” the longest-running production of its kind in Las Vegas.
At 51, Green was the oldest continually working showgirl.
A local columnist dubbed her the “Cal Ripkin Jr. of showgirls,” after baseball’s record holder for most consecutive games played.
In certain respects, her achievement is more remarkable.
In her profession, where a 15-year career is unusual, Green has auditioned ever six months to keep her job. She kept that job despite her competition of 18 and 19-year-olds.
Yet, at 5′10″, and 130 lbs. for decades, she is still graceful and stunning.
In part, she credits her longevity to “good genes,” remarking, “I’m Scandinavian.” But that’s where genetics ends and Linda Green begins.
The show’s associate producer credits Green with being “the utmost professional.”
Green is “highly trained technically and she has an absolutely marvelous work ethic,” says Fluff Le Coque, the show’s associate producer.
“She loves it, and that’s what shows. That’s what you see across the footlights. She really loves what she’s doing.”
A dancer half her age would find Green’s daily routine of exercise and stretching demanding, but that’s why she has defied the calendar for so long.
Most of us were not born with such genetic predisposition for what we do. Regardless, no one is born with work ethic.
And this is where we can follow Green’s example.
Love what you do. Train at it everyday. Perfect your technique. Aspire to the highest professional standards and prepare yourself accordingly.
It will make up for any lack of genes.
About The Author
Copyright 2004 by Tony Papajohn.
Tony writes and speaks on success. Subscribe to his free SuccessMotivator e-zine at http://www.successmotivator.com.
12 Steps to Targeting Success in Your Career or Job Search
Is your job search sagging? Are you still looking for that ideal next job? Or are you about to begin looking for new work and are not sure of the best way to go about it? What you need is a way to evaluate your job search strategies to see whether or not they are working effectively for you.
Ready to get started? Here are 12 building blocks to a successful job search and the goals that will help you get to where you really want to be in the world of work:
1.) Making networking phone calls: Effective job searches begin and end with networking. Start by making a list of everyone you know: family members, extended family, friends, present & past co-workers, faith community colleagues, barber/hairdresser, dog groomer, neighbors. Even list the clerks who work in your favorite grocery or video store, bank tellers and gas station attendants. Everyone! Call or talk to each person on your list (most people can easily produce a list of 50-100 people). Target: Make 3-5 new networking phone calls weekly.
2.) Contacting employers before openings occur: The process of applying for a job before an opening is known to be present is referred to as “accessing the hidden job market” – and doing so is critical for job search success. By using a great on-line tool such as Reference USA to access employer information, you can mail targeted resumes and cover letters to companies that match your size, focus and sales criteria. Target: Mail 5-10 targeted but unsolicited resumes with cover letters weekly.
3.) Responding to online postings: There are literally hundreds of sites like Monster.com, and you can pour hours and hours into searching them for job opportunities. Remember to search on multiple titles or portions of titles and to post your resume at every opportunity. Target: respond to 3-5 postings weekly.
4.) Responding to newspaper help wanted ads: This is the favorite job seeking strategy of searchers everywhere, but guess what? Out of every 100 resumes an employer receives, they will throw away 92-95! Target: Submit only 3-5 resumes and cover letters weekly in response to help wanted ads.
5.) Identifying new employers to contact: Find employers the old-fashioned way: in phone books, through networking leads, through word-of-mouth, in reference sources and online databases (such as Reference USA, mentioned above), through articles in local papers and through the Yellow Pages of your local phone directory. Target: Identify and research 5 new employers weekly and use them to fill your quota for #2, above.
6.) Contacting recruiters and employment agencies: It’s not appropriate for every job seeker to contact recruiters and employment agencies, but if this strategy makes sense for you, then by all means make use of them. Target: Contact 1 new recruiter or agency weekly.
7.) Making follow-up phone calls & sending thank you letters/cards: Sending out resumes and cover letters is only the first step in the process of developing relationships with employers. About 1 ½ to 2 weeks afterward, call them to verify they received your materials and to inquire about next steps. Always follow-up on interviews and make is a habit to send thank you letters or cards afterward as well. Target: Make 5-10 follow-up phone calls weekly and send a thank you letter or card for every job interview or informational interview you participate in each week.
8.) Managing your references: How do you “manage” references? Supply each one with a copy of each version of your resume. Keep them up-to-date on what is happening in your job search. You don’t need to call them weekly, but you should generate news every few weeks at least. Give your references a copy of all the references you’re using so each one can refer an employer on to someone else on the list if asked. Prepare your references by giving them background information, adjectives and descriptive words that “sell” your best stuff. Target: Contact each reference at least once per month during your active job search and contact everyone when that perfect opportunity comes along to prepare them.
9.) Practicing interview answers: Don’t just practice the night before an interview. Target: Practice your interview answers and questions at least 1 time per week.
10.) Practicing the salary negotiations process: Ditto with salary negotiations. Target: Practice your strategies and responses at least 1-2 times per week.
11.) Staying socially connected with employed others: Job searching is extremely lonely, so make sure you stay socially involved with family and friends. Target: Get out of the house at least 2 times weekly to see friends or extended family.
12.) Managing your attitude and energy: This is the most important building block of all, because without a positive attitude and high, focused energy, you won’t achieve the result you want. Targets: Do at least 1 fun and creative thing outside your house weekly.
Why not take Fridays off (if you’re unemployed) and enjoy! Absolutely, categorically don’t job search on weekends. Exercise, take care of your body, and journal. Feed your mind good books and your spirit hope.
Strengthen or do more of what works. Adapt, replace or fix what does not work. Reevaluate your search progress every 30 days for as long as it takes for you to find the work you really want. And, if your job search results do not markedly improve within 45 days, see a career search professional for individualized assistance.
Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they’ve always wanted to live. Cheryl is the author of over 30 print/Internet articles and the founder of Coaching Solutions For Women, a coaching website that produces and showcases career, business, and life solutions that improve the life balance of today’s busy women. For a complimentary copy of her latest e-book, Ten-Minute Stress Zappers for Women Service Business Owners, visit http://www.coachingsolutionsforwomen.com.
