Career Chaos

HOW TO FIND A JOB

In December, I posted my top tips for finding a job in 2007. Well, I was interviewed on local TV about just that topic on December 20, 2006! View my Kansas City Live apearance here. It's only 5 minutes long...

HOW DO YOU GET PROMOTED?

I attended an interesting seminar yesterday, delivered by a business professor. She presented the topic, "Myths on Moving Up the Ladder." A lot of good stuff here, but one thing in particular really resonated:

You won't get promoted at work as a reward for how well you do your job, but rather only for how your promotion will play in to the company's overall succession planning process. It's all about the company's needs - not yours.

Interesting - is this really true?

JOB SEARCH SITE FOR OVER 40

Challenged at finding job opportunities if you are over 40? Check out this new job search site. It offers a lot possibilities: Jobs 4.0. I'm interested in your feedback.

CAREER MEGA SITE

Need a place for some career self-help? Check out Quintessential Careers for lots of resources and advice. Enjoy!

CAREER CHAOS ISN'T EASY, BUT IT'S WORTH IT!

Making changes under pressure usually results in the wrong decisions. Who can think clearly if you've just lost your job? However, if you have the financial resources and peace of mind, then, by all means, take the time following layoff or termination to carefully explore the changes you want to make in your next career move.

"Change Isn't As Easy As It Sounds" (Kansas City Star, 12-31-06) addresses the dilemma of how much change one should undertake in finding a new job after layoff or termination. It makes for an interesting read, but fails to tell the stories of those who did make radical career changes successfully.

As a career coach, my files are filled with those success stories. It is possible to make radical career changes that result in your increased happiness and overall job satisfaction. It's up to you to decide when you are ready to change instead of just looking for a job that pays you for doing the same old thing.

WANT TO CHANGE JOBS IN 2007?

It's that time of year again. You know, goal-setting and New Year's resolutions with all the best of intentions. If you are one of the many wanting to change jobs in 2007, here are a few basic tips:

1. Know what you want in a new job.

Make sure you're moving toward a better job and not just running away from one you don't like. What are your values and how do they align with a new company's culture? What will make this new job better than the old one? (Money may not be the most important reason to change jobs.) A coach can help you work through the confusion.

2. Create a professional resume.

Your resume acts as your introduction to a company. It makes your first impression for you. Find books with resume samples to guide you or hire a professional resume writer who is trained, experienced and certified in this field. Make sure your resume reflects your work achievements. Don't forget to send cover letters and interview thank you letters to show you understand business etiquette.

3. Evaluate your network of contacts.

The job search process is a lot like dating - prospects usually don't come knocking on your door! You have to get out and meet people. More people get new jobs through networking than any other activity - up to 80% according to several surveys. Look at the business relationships you already have and what you do to cultivate them. What professional, civic and social groups do you belong to? Where do the people hang out that can introduce you to the right opportunities.

4. Practice your interviewing skills.

Most hiring authorities use "behavioral or situational" interviewing methods. Prepare for interviews with storytelling techniques. Write down examples from your work experience of specific challenges or situation, the actions you took to resolve those challenges, and the positive results of outcomes of your actions. Be ready to discuss these stories in any interview to demonstrate the value you have to offer an employer.

5. Test for business reality before saying, "yes."

Find out the salary, benefits, overtime expectations, relocation/travel requirements - you don't want any surprises after you start a new job. Some executives even negotiate exit agreements before signing acceptance letters - kind of like pre-nuptial agreements!

6. Revisit old opportunities.

If the job you really want doesn't choose you, check in with the employer 6-8 weeks later to see how their new hire is working out. Sometimes - not always - you can head off your competition and get a foot in the door before a second job vacancy notice is issued.

WHY WORKERS CHANGE JOBS

More money or something else? According to an 11/13/06 article in the Wall Street Journal ("Opportunity Knocks, and It Pays a Lot Better" by Erin White, section B-3), a recent survey of top performers showed that 71% considered compensation to be one of the top three reasons for changing jobs.

What's up with this? I disagree with this survey. In fact, when interviewed by the reporter for my take on this finding, I said that money is often an employee's camouflage for some other reason, such as career stagnation, boredom, or feeling unappreciated. (See my quote in the article.)

How about you? What do you see as the main reason people change jobs? What would be your reason?

DEFINING JOB SECURITY

After 35 years of dedicated service to a job he could count on everyday, my father retired from his company in 1985 with a good pension. Unfortunately, many of us will not see such a reward for the years we put into our careers. In fact, most of us won’t spend our entire lives working for the same employer.

The American dream of retiring from a company after working there a lifetime is no longer a realistic expectation for today’s workforce. Instead, thousands of workers who entered the workforce believing in retirement benefits have fallen victim to company downsizing, or rightsizing, as the process may be labeled today in an effort to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

How can we survive in a work world where there is no job security? Today’s job security must come from within. Each of us must ensure his or her own job security by becoming so competent and so self-confident in whatever we do that we can do it anywhere.

How do we accomplish this?

• We must adopt an assertive learning style by earning that college degree or by finishing that advanced training.
• We do it by attending professional seminars and networking with colleagues.
• We do it by becoming experts in our fields, sharing our knowledge and showing others that we have what it takes to do it best.
• We ask our companies for cross training and we volunteer our services for special projects.
• We constantly search for ways to update our skills, knowing that change is the only constant in today’s workplace.
• Acknowledge that no one is indispensable; don’t take your job for granted.
• Accept the fact that everyday we must continue to earn the right to keep our jobs.

Build your job security by taking risks. Submit that application for a new and challenging position, even if you are comfortable and satisfied with your present job. Always be ready for the unexpected. Don’t ignore the proverbial “writing on the wall.”

Did you know that the best time to write your resume is immediately after starting a new job? That way you always have your resume up-to-date and ready to go on short notice. Have you ever seen that perfect position in the Sunday help wanted ads, but didn’t have the time with your busy work schedule to write a resume and submit it before the application deadline?

The worst time to write your resume is when you are hit with an unexpected termination or layoff. Emotions will take their toll when this happens making it next to impossible to organize your thoughts into a sharp, professional resume. Instead, be prepared!

Become friends with the unknown. Embrace change as an opportunity for career growth. “Fortune favors the bold,” is an observation from Virgil, a wise poet of long ago, that holds true even today. Are you bold enough to create your own job security? You will need to do just that to survive in this rapidly changing work world of the new millennium.

Our economy has endured many layoffs over the past several years. While the economy has definitely improved of late, do not take your job for granted. Don’t wait until the proverbial handwriting appears on your own company’s wall. Take charge of your own career so that you can design for yourself a happy, productive life.

WORKFORCE DISSATISFACTION

Workers are not only still unhappy at work, but getting more unhappy, according to a recent Harris Interactive Survey as reported in the business section of the Kansas City Star today.

"Fifty-eight percent of 1,050 adult full-time American workers recently surveyed by the Harris Interactive said they might leave their jobs if the economy continues to improve, an increase of 12 percentage points from the 2005 survey."

When will employers start to "get it" that workers need more than a paycheck to stay happy on the job? They need to be shown respect, appreciation, and have the opportunity to stretch their skills set. And they need decent benefits.

What else would keep you happy?

THE ULTIMATE JOB INSULT

Fired by email - what's this work world coming to? Several hundred Radio Shack employees have started dusting off their resumes after learning their job fate this week electronically. Though they had advance warning of layoffs in the air, can you imagine the shock when you log on to your computer and find out you've been permanently logged off?

In this fast-paced electronic age, we seem to have lost our human touch and compassion. Is this firing by email another new job trend we just have to get used to?