Looking For a Job? Turn OFF the TV!!!

One of the most valuable assets you can have in a job search is a PMA (Positive Mental Attitude).

It makes you a more attractive candidate to any employer, and makes your search much easier to endure.  One of the biggest killers of a positive attitude is the TV!

Watching the evening news or one of the 24-hour News Networks, you’d think the unemployment rate was 92% rather than 8%!  They obviously don’t believe in putting things in perspective, but focus only on bad news.  Every announced layoff, every heart wrenching story of hardship, every declining economic indicator gets featured play 24/7.  Even when news isn’t necessarily bad, they have a way of turning it into a crisis.

In December of last year, new unemployment figures for November were reported in multiple news stories as a tragic development. New unemployment claims rose by thousands. That is tragic for those that were laid off.  However, late in each of those stories, barely mentioned, was another fact.  The Unemployment Rate had not risen for the month.  Meaning: as many people got new jobs in November as lost jobs.  That’s actually pretty good news!  And it certainly could have been reported that way, but it wasn’t.  Apparently Bad News Sells, and good news doesn’t.

I’m not recommending putting your head in the sand and becoming ignorant of what’s happening in the world or the economy.  However, feeding your mind with a constant stream of bad news is destructive to anyone’s positive attitude.  When you’re looking for a job, the economy that matters most, is your own.  If you get a new job, that’s a 100% jump in your economic indicators!  The fact is, there’s a lot of hirin’ goin’ on!  It’s not 1999, when you could make five calls and get a job offer, but there are a lot of people getting hired into new jobs every single day.  You can be one of them if you apply some good job search skills and have a great attitude.

“OK”, you may say.  “That makes sense, I won’t watch so much news.”  “But what’s wrong with… my favorite soap opera, or sitcom, or murder mystery, or reality show, etc.?”

I often enjoy watching TV as well.  My wife, kids, and I love watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, or American Idol together.  There are other shows I enjoy watching as well.  With the exception of a small handful of shows though, most leave you feeling down, or discouraged, or sleazy, or mindless.  Sometimes I need ‘mindless’ to help me wind down after a busy day, but it’s pretty rare to come away from the TV feeling inspired, or encouraged, or charged up. 

In a job search, there are plenty of things that can leave you discouraged.  Why add more?  I believe one of the best things you can do when you’re looking for a job… or any time, is to guard your optimism and your positive attitude fiercely.   Constantly be looking for ways to build it up, and avoid the things that can tear it down.

Obviously, I’m not expecting any of the TV networks or cable companies to advertise on this blog any time soon!  However, this blog is aimed at helping you be as successful as you can in your job search.  To that end, consider the old computer acronym: GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).  The same holds true with our minds.

In order to maintain a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), be careful of what you take in!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

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Can You Get a Job Online?

Can you get a job online? No. 

Short, quick answer, huh? 

I’m sure someone will respond to me to tell me how they actually did, but I can tell you that they would be the infinitesimal exception rather than the rule.

So is it worth looking for a job online?  Absolutely!

There are a tremendous number of online resources that are invaluable in your job search.  I’m a huge proponent of being online for your job search, and have written about some of those resources in: 10 ‘Must Use’ Websites For Your Job Search!!!, Twitter For A Job Search… Really? and The Internet Job Search Super Tool!

However, all of those tools only provide opportunities to gather information and possibly connect initially.  None of them will get you a job offer!  In order to get an offer, you actually have to talk to someone!

Now most of you may be saying “DUH! Of course you have to talk to someone.”  However, I can tell you through my experience in working with hundreds of job seekers that their time each day is overwhelmingly focused online. 

The internet is a blessing and a curse at the same time.  It’s a blessing because of the wealth of information that can be found.  And it’s also a curse because of the overwhelming amount of information that can be found and the time that it can suck away from your day.  If you’re spending hours per day in front of the computer for your job search, you are not being very effective at getting closer to your next job.  Ouch… I know that hits a sore spot with many of you.  Sorry, but it’s true.

Most people spend an inordinate amount of time online because it’s less intimidating to them than actually having to pick up the phone and call someone or go out to meet someone.   However, a phone conversation or a meeting will be infinitely more effective than just sending an email.  90% of the other candidates are emailing a resume and waiting for a call.  Most of the people that got an interview… called.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and many other sites can be great places to find a contact name.  However, it’s critical at that point to get on the phone and call that person.  Preparation is important, and there are also great online resources to help you with that call including “I’ve Got a Contact Name. Now What?”.  But if you’re not making an effort to connect with people verbally or face-to-face, it’s virtually impossible to stand out from the vast majority of other ‘also ran’ candidates.

Calling people, asking for referrals of others to network with, going to networking meetings, setting up networking interviews, and connecting with as many people as you can in the REAL world, not just virtually, is the thing that will make you much more effective in your search.

In order to spend more time actually ‘interfacing’ with other people, you have to schedule your time effectively.  Block out computer time during your week, be deliberate in what you do during that time, and get off the computer and on the phone when your allotted time is up!

The reality is, the more people you actually talk to… the higher likelihood you will have of finding a new job quickly.  So get on the phone!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

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How Competent Are You?

 

 

Psychology describes a learning model based on 4 stages of Competence.  Wikipedia explains the process like this:

1. Unconscious incompetence
   The individual neither understands or knows how to do something, nor recognizes the deficit or has a desire to address it.
   
2. Conscious incompetence
   Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, he or she does recognize the deficit, without yet addressing it.
   
3. Conscious competence
   The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires a great deal of consciousness or concentration.
   
4. Unconscious competence
   The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it becomes "second nature" and can be performed easily (often without concentrating too deeply). He or she may or may not be able teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.

Over the years as I’ve trained several people in recruiting, or my kids in a new sport or skill, I’ve seen this process unfold many times. 

People often start out to do something, like calling a new networking contact in a job search, and not even realizing they are poor at it (Unconscious incompetence). 

After making a few calls and making no, or negative progress, they realize: “Wow, I’m not very good at this!” (Conscious incompetence).

Hopefully, they get some help, seek tips, workshops, and training.  They write scripts for themselves. They practice on their own, and with a friend.  They start making better calls, and although each one takes a lot of thought step-by-step, they begin getting results (Conscious competence).

If they continue honing their scripts, their presentation style, their responses, and practice, it begins to become natural for them.  They’ve developed a skill that no longer requires thought, but becomes instinctive (Unconscious competence).  Most people never achieve this level of skill.  People in this stage are generally top performers in their field or with that particular skill  (i.e. Tiger Woods).

How are your job search skills?  Have you just begun your job search and think “I know what I need to do!  I don’t need any help. I just gotta’ get talking to some people and I’ll get the job I need in no time!”?   Besides, the last time you had to look for a job, in 1999, all you had to do was post your resume online and you got 10 calls in a week and were in a new job in 3 weeks.

I’ve got news… the job market is different than it was in 1999, and you were early in your career then, looking for a $45,000 job.  There were, and still are, a LOT of jobs in that range.  Now you’re a Manager looking to replace a $95,000 salary.  Then, and now, there are far fewer jobs in that higher range.  You’re shooting for a tougher target, and need to ratchet up your approach accordingly.

If you’ve just been laid-off and begun your search you may be inclined to do what’s common. Most people immediately rush to get a resume together and get it sent out to as many places as they can in the hopes of getting a new job as quickly as possible.  My Job Search classes are usually full of people that send out hundreds of resumes and make calls right after their layoff.  After several weeks with no response or some bad interviews (Unconscious incompetence), they realize they need to improve their approach (Conscious incompetence).

Taking some time to learn skills and best practices will make your search much more effective and successful sooner!  Take time to learn about:

• Effective resumes
• Networking skills
• Scripting effective calls
• Developing an effective “Elevator Speech”
• Effective ways to get noticed for a job
• Using effective tools on-line
• Using Recruiters
• Preparing for Phone Screens
• Preparing for Interviews
• Negotiating offers
• and more

Even someone that’s been in a hiring role for a number of years, learns quickly that life is very different on the other side of the job hunt process.  Even someone that is very articulate and quick on their feet, finds that they can be MUCH more effective if they are well prepared.  Even someone who has gone through multiple job searches in the past, will find that a job search in this economic environment is different and will have more success with updated skills.

How competent are you?  Be honest with yourself, and spend some time to learn and practice!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

Read more!

10 "Must Use" Websites For Your Job Search!!!

There is a wealth of job search tools available out there to help you in your quest. What are some of the most useful resources?


1) LinkedIn

LinkedIn is by far, in my opinion, the most important and most powerful tool on the web for your job search. It is THE place to see and be seen. Posting your profile is terrific to “be found”, but even greater value for a job seeker comes in the ability to search for contacts at companies, learn about companies, learn about a contact prior to a phone call or interview, and find potential “hidden” contacts through references on other people’s profiles. I’ve written more about LinkedIn here.

Another great resource for LinkedIn is Jason Alba’s book: I'm on LinkedIn--Now What???



2) Google

Everyone knows Google is priceless in finding anything online. Used creatively, Google is also priceless in finding information you might not otherwise think of! LinkedIn is FULL of valuable contacts for you, but if you’re just starting out and only have 15 connections, you’re not getting the vast majority of contacts you want from your search in LinkedIn. Through Google you can find ALL the public profiles on LinkedIn! (i.e. if you’re a sales person, looking for a Sales Manager to contact in the Minneapolis area, you might do a search like: site:www.linkedin.com “Sales Manager” "Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area" -NOT Directory ) You’ll be amazed at the results.

Say you find a contact name on LinkedIn, or through other networking, use Google to find their contact information. First, try simply searching their name in quotes to see what you find. If you get too many results, narrow it down. If you know the domain of their company, you know the last part of their email is @companyname.com so search: “firstname lastname” “@companyname.com”

These don’t always work, but I succeed at least half the time. Get creative, you “have the whole world in your hands!”


3) Jigsaw

Learn, contribute, and use JigSaw.com! This is an extremely powerful tool to find contact information. JigSaw is probably the worlds largest “Rolodex”. You can either “Play” by adding your own contacts and gaining points, or “Pay” by purchasing points to gain contacts. I always prefer FREE, so find all the business cards you have and start entering the information! They have the business card information of millions of people and if you can’t find a phone number or email address through other contacts or Google… THIS is the place to go!


4) JibberJobber

Keeping your contacts, job postings you’re interested in, schedule, record of connections, and everything else in your search organized can be a colossal headache! JibberJobber is a tremendous tool to keep it all together in one place. Another Jason Alba creation, it’s highly useful for free, but even more powerful with some of the premium services. This is a great tool if you’re having trouble with keeping track of everything!


5-6) SimplyHired and Indeed

Searching all the job boards out there can be overwhelming and extremely time consuming. SimplyHired and Indeed are consolidation sites that scour all the major (Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder) and many minor and specialized job boards to bring all the results together for you into one place. They each allow you to set up automated searches as well. They are terrific timesavers!


7) Linkup

Similar to SimplyHired and Indeed, LinkUp.com consolidates results for you, but instead of scouring job boards, it scours company websites to produce results that may not be listed anywhere else. It’s a great resource to find opportunities that you might otherwise never see.


8) Jobirn

Jobirn is a newer, but great site to gain entry into companies that you might not be able to penetrate otherwise. Many companies out there offer their employees referral bonuses for presenting a candidate that gets hired for one of their open positions. Employees wanting to find candidates to get those bonuses, register here. You can send them your resume, and get referred for an opening by an internal employee. MUCH better than applying online!


9) Twitter

Twitter can be the biggest time waster and most productive real-time asset in your job search all wrapped into one. It’s fun, it’s fast, it’s chaotic, and has an unbelievable wealth of information for you. It’s ability to give you access to people, leads, ideas, and information is unmatched, but you have to be very strategic and deliberate in how you use it. I wrote some helpful ideas for you here. Learn it and use it… you may be amazed at what you find!


10) The Wise Job Search

I’d be remiss (and a poor self-promoter) if I didn’t encourage you to keep reading the other articles posted here. I believe good practical advice is hard to find sometimes, I hope this site helps!
(OK, it might not be one of the 10 most important sites out there, but it’s my site and my list!)


There are obviously many more excellent resources available on the web, and I’ll be highlighting more of them later. However, these are tremendous places to jump-start and manage an effective job search!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

Read more!

The "Weakness" Question!

You’re in an interview, things seem to be going well, and then they ask one of the most commonly asked, and most poorly answered questions: “What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?”

Common thinking has been to give an answer that turns a negative into a positive; like: “My biggest weakness is that I work too hard and don’t know when to turn it off sometimes. Or “I push myself too hard.”

To which, the typical UNSPOKEN sarcastic response is: “Yeah, right!”

Or else people answer “I can’t think of any.” Or “I don’t have any!”

Whoo!


Saying you don’t know indicates you’re either clueless about yourself, or essentially telling them “I’m not going to answer that because it will hurt my chances at this job.” Not a good response. Telling them you have none makes you seem like you’re very full of yourself! Also not a good response.

So, how should that question be answered? Think in terms of what might make you an attractive candidate. What are they looking for? None of us, not me, and not you is perfect. We all have faults and real weaknesses. Generally, an interviewer is attracted to someone that’s real, self-aware, and honest.

I believe the most effective answer is one that is true! It has to be chosen carefully, but it will make you a much more “real” person with whom they can see spending 8 hours a day.

It should not be a weakness that’s critical to the position, like “I don’t have a great eye for detail” when you’re interviewing for a position as an accountant! It should not be a weakness that makes you out to be a slug, like “I’m not a morning person and have trouble getting to work on time.” And it should not be a weakness that makes it appear you may be problem, like “I get annoyed at other people’s bad habits”!

Any answer you give should show that you’re aware of the weakness and doing something about it. A good example would be: “I sometimes have had trouble doing presentations to a group, so I’ve joined ToastMasters to learn how to become more confident and a better speaker.” Or “Sometimes I have a tendency to get distracted by things that come up throughout the day, so I’ve learned how to use my calendar and task lists effectively to keep me on track.”

Those kinds of answers show you are real, willing to discuss your vulnerabilities, self aware, and interested in improving yourself. Now THAT’s turning a negative into a positive!

As with any interview question, preparation and practice will make you a much better candidate. Spend some time to think about what weaknesses to share, and how to present it best!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

Read more!

I Know! I'll Let a Recruiter Find Me a Job!

It’s a tough job market out there! You’re struggling finding your next job and it dawns on you… “I should use a recruiter!” “They can be my agent, and they’ll find a job for me!” Wrong!

There’s no question, a recruiter can be a wonderful resource. I am one… have been for over 20 years and love the fact that I often get to help people find their dream job. I feel like it’s been a good day when I’ve been of value to someone. However, although I want everyone I have conversations with to feel like I’ve helped them in some way, I only place a very small percentage of the people I talk to. In fact, recruiters as a whole only place 3% to 5% of the positions that get filled!

Additionally, although I talk to people all the time that I’d love to help, my primary responsibility is to my client company that pays the bill. They pay me a very substantial fee to find the best person for a particular job. That’s the person that has the best skills, experience, culture and personality match for that specific role. I may have someone I think of quite highly, but if they don’t match all those criteria, I can’t place them.

A recruiter can be a resource, but certainly not your primary resource. The only one responsible to find you a new position… is you! You certainly want them to be aware of you, have a very positive and professionally credible impression of you so that they do call you if an appropriate opportunity does arise. However, your attitude ought to be that it’s a bonus if you do get an opportunity from them, rather than an expectation. Your primary focus should be networking, and proactively pursuing companies you have an interest in on your own.

When you do work with recruiters, here are some key points to help you be most effective:

• Although a good recruiter will be able to provide great advice, they are primarily looking at you as a hiring company would. Consider your time with them a job interview, not a career counseling session. Put your best professional foot forward.
  
  
• A good recruiter may market you proactively to their clients IF they view you as bringing unique skills, an above average professionalism, or an exceptional presentation to the table. If you want them to market you, it’s your responsibility to help them see that.
  
  
• Be accessible. If they are trying to reach you with an opportunity, they want to talk to you right away, and will move on to someone else if it’s too difficult or takes too long to get in touch. Furthermore, if they have too hard a time reaching you one time, they may not try again with other opportunities later.
  
  
• Know what you want. In speaking with a recruiter, as when you’re networking with others, they can’t help you if they are not clear on what you are looking for. They don’t want to send a candidate to their client that is wishy-washy in their objectives.
  
  
• Don’t stick them with surprises, and be reliable with what you agree to. Don’t tell their client something different than you tell them… especially salary history and expectations.
  
  
• Be flexible. Make it easy for them to schedule interviews for you. They are less likely to work with you if they can’t find common times that you and their client are available to meet.
  
  
• Be upbeat and cheerful. You don’t have to be the “life of the party”, but no one wants to work with a grouch.
  
  
• Show confidence, but not cocky. “I’m your dream candidate” kind of an approach will alienate them, not make you more attractive.
  
  
• Be focused and concise. Rambling on and on to make sure they know “all” about you will not help. Give them the key points, and let them ask questions. Then give succinct answers.
  
  
• Keep careful documentation of the company contacts you’ve had. Do not have a recruiter pursue a company you’ve already presented to, and do not allow more than one recruiter pursue the same companies for you. You will likely miss out on an opportunity because of the confusion of the source of your information.

Work with recruiters, but they are not your “agent”, they are the company’s agent to find the best candidate for a job. They are an additional arrow in your job search quiver, but not the “silver bullet”!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

Read more!

Always Ask For More... Right?

When is the right time to start negotiating the amount of an offer? And no matter what it is… it’s always better to ask for more… Isn’t it?

One of the most common questions I come across from Job Seekers is how, and when, to negotiate an offer. As part of a Job Networking group, each time we present a topic on “Compensation Strategies” it becomes one of the best attended sessions. There seem to be many misconceptions of the process, and often one of the most poorly handled parts of getting a job.

One of the best things you can do, long before you get an offer, is to write out for yourself your criteria for an offer. Salary is important, and more always feels better, however, often other things might be of more value to you than another $2,000 in salary. If you determine your “must haves” before you receive an offer, you’ll be able to make a much more rational and objective decision.

Rank a number of factors in their importance to you (A, B, or C):

• Salary
• Incentive pay
• Stock Options
• Amount of paid time off
• Tuition or training assistance
• 401(k) contributions and vesting
• Pension
• Health Plan coverage and costs
• Short and Long term disability insurance
• Life Insurance
• Child care assistance
• Health Club or Country Club Membership
• Expense account
• Administrative assistance
• Ability to work from home full-time or part-time
• Office environment

Also, be aware of your real “salary range” when asked earlier in the interview process. Often people don’t really know what their bottom line is, and state something on the low end that they are really not in a position to accept. If you stated a range of $70,000 to $80,000; they present an offer of $72,000, and you then say it’s too low to accept, they question your credibility since that’s within the range you gave them.

My experience has been that most companies want to present an offer that makes the candidate feel good about accepting and coming to work at that company. It’s very rare that I’ve truly seen a company try to “low ball” an offer because they think they can grab someone “on the cheap”. Many candidates seem to think that the company is always trying to see how cheap they can get them. I don’t believe that’s true. There may be other reasons, like a fixed salary grade for a given position that forces the company to make an offer that’s lower than the candidate is seeking, but usually not because they are intentionally trying to under pay what a candidate is worth.

Conversely, candidates that try to negotiate for more, even when the offer was in their stated range, appear as if they are trying to suck out of the company anything they can. They may get it, but then show up for work with their manager looking at them with an attitude of “OK hotshot, you better prove that you’re worth it!” Not the most productive way to start a new job!

Here are a number of points to consider regarding an offer:

• Don’t start negotiating an offer prior to receiving one, except for answering specific questions they may ask. It’s presumptive and may hurt your chances of actually receiving an offer at all.

• Always ask to consider an offer overnight. No matter how good it is, take time to evaluate the entire offer (Salary, benefits, position, etc.). It is not reasonable, in most cases, to ask for more than a day before giving an answer. If you are going to turn it down, they want to be able to pursue the next candidate ASAP. They deserve a timely answer.
  

• Don’t negotiate unless you are prepared to accept the offer if they agree to what you are asking. Having them consider a change, and agree, and then still turn it down will burn a bridge you may need in the future.
  

• If you have a competing offer that is higher, that is a good reason to negotiate. HOWEVER, don’t use it if you won’t accept even if they beat it, and NEVER make one up. It’s morally and ethically wrong, and they may refuse to counter offer, then it becomes very difficult to accept the original.
  

• Never ask for more money using personal reasons (i.e. “I can’t make my house payments on that salary”). Always use objective reasons that matter to them (i.e. “Based on salary surveys I’ve seen for this level of position…” or “Based on the level of experience I’ve gained in my career…”).
  

• What appears to be a great salary offer, may be offset by a poor benefits package, or not enough vacation time, or many other factors. Consider the entire offer and compare it to the criteria you wrote out ahead of time. How does it match your priorities?
  

• If the salary is low and they can’t raise it, but you want the job… ask for other concessions that have a direct impact on your wallet… i.e. more vacation, more tuition reimbursement or additional training, club membership, stock options, bonuses, paid parking, early salary review, expanded expense reimbursement, etc.
  

• If there are multiple points you want to negotiate, let them know that and then start with the “big” ones first. Ask for the salary increase before you ask for parking reimbursement. If you ask for the small ones first, they agree, and then you lay a big one on them it creates a very awkward discussion.
  

• Keep a win-win attitude in your negotiation. You want to start a job feeling good about the offer. The company wants an employee that feels good but is paid fairly in their view and structure.
  

“Always go for more” is usually not a good approach. If the offer is acceptable, it’s often best to take it or leave it based on the overall picture.

Often, the best route to a great offer, is to make your value clear in the interview process!

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Footnote:

Thank you for visiting The Wise Job Search. I truly appreciate your interest. If you like the material here and would like to help keep it viable, please peruse and visit book recommendations, and other resources posted throughout the site. Best wishes on your continued search, and feedback is always welcome!

Read more!