it takes 5 hours to get home because 270 N is closed.
you hit the snooze button but 200 pounds of dogs have decided it is time to get up.
you realize all your income is tied up in Accounts Receivables that are over 90 days due.
you get home from a long day and all three of your dogs have been sick.
you show up to teach a class and the client had forgotten about the class.
What defines your bad day?
Expectations of time and deliverables can be the driving wedge between consultant and client. Lack of communicating those expectation is the consultant’s responsibility to mange. Not only does the consultant need to listen, they need to anticipate, read body language and read minds! It can be a hard and frustration process but it is the business.
Situation:
You were just awarded a new contract. A kick-off meeting is scheduled and the excitement of starting a new project runs through the whole team. Everyone has in their mind what the end deliverable will look like. But…can that be communicated?
Kick-off meeting happens and it was very successful! Client is happy, team is excited and upper management is happy because things are moving forward. Everything just starts falling into place. But…is it really?
Two months later and the excitement of the project is wearing off. Meetings are starting to be just a long list of what needs to be done. Both sides are starting to feel the frustration. The Client is feeling as if their expectation is not being heard and the consultant feels like they are doing what the client wants. But…is it what the client really wants?
How do you, as the consultant, handle this? Do you tell the client what they want and what they are getting? Do you bang your head against the wall?
Just finished this video for the DMAW Social Media Marketing Event June 23, 2011. You should come!
I am feeling as the lone lioness on the prowl. Trying to find her next meal to feed her cubs as the pride needs to grow. Somehow this lioness has become tangled in the thorns of branding but the struggle will be worth it!
This is a tricky path I am on right now. Working with my design team to build the brand of White Lion Social. So many things need to be taken into consideration and there is no ‘easing in’ around here. I am determined to have everything in place before the brand is revealed. The benefit of phasing in the brand is lost on me. Why half way do it? Go for the whole picture or go home!
Over the years I have represented different company by taking on their brand and I was expected to put their logo on and more ahead. I did this willingly as that was all I knew. Now the world has changed!
Thank you for sharing this journey with me!
Magic Whites
Are you aware of the pollution you are causing with your auto tweets?
There are times that I can be hit with as many as 11 auto tweets all at once. Yes, one right after the other! That is the pollution I am talking about! Help keep the twitter stream free of auto tweets and Go Green!
Try using a different tool such as Buffer. Buffer gives you all the control. Tweets are scheduled throughout the day. Allowing the twitter stream to flow by without splashing in my face! And yes there is a Free version. Test it out! You might just like it and I can guarantee I will like it!
See you on the other side of the stream!
Thanks for listening.
I have asked this of myself so many times. struggling to make the decision that I thought I was ready for but then something happens. It can be small or big but it still begs the question to be asked! How will I know when I am ready?
It all is a leap of faith into a land where no answers are known. I am here to take chances, here to move myself and here to make this work. Even though I may not know what will come out of the process, I do know I am ready.
Late at night as I close my eyes I remind myself of the fear that I have faced today. The strength that I have used to stand up to the struggle and still come back to struggle again.
I know why I am here and I know I am ready. Are you ready?
‘When you start something new you savor every moment on the newness. When you speak, the flow of words are new and shiny. They roll off your tongue and when you hear the words you smile at the happiness of reaching this place.’
I wrote that Monday in my business journal. It is an accomplishment to have arrived at my next step. I have released what was not working and gained the knowledge of changing. I can feel the difference.
White Lion Social has been released from the cave!
The twist and turns we take in our lives take us down paths we never imagined. If we could have foreseen the path ahead, would our choices still be the same? Do you really want to see through the fog?
For me I say no. It I knew where I was going it might make me feel safe for the moment but I would lose the excitement of when the fog lifts. I would lose the calmness of realizing this is exactly where I was meant to be.
With our environment changing so rabidly through technology we need to hold on to any delayed gratification that we can. We live in a world of instant answers, instant reactions, even instant love.
So again for me I am happy for the butterflies in my stomach as the fog lifts.
Making the transition from unemployed to consultant is a strange twist of the brain. You would think it wouldn’t be hard because you are selling yourself either way but it is. A different kind of selling perhaps. Certainly a different feeling.
Every morning I get up and head into the world as a different person. No longer ‘undiscovered’. I have ‘discovered’ myself but now I need to sell it. Now instead of HR interviewing me it is clients. One after another. The funny thing is I can’t say ‘no’ because I feel I must work to make up for lost time. I am working 12 to 14 hours day to prove I can.
Who do I have to prove myself to? Everyone! From myself to my husband to the unemployment office to society. I am another stat to be counted. One more person that has given up on the traditional process of finding a job. One more person that is making it happen for themselves instead of waiting for an employer.
I want to be more than a ‘stat’ this is why I am doing this. The ‘how’ will come with my success.
The answer is YES!
After being out of work for 14 months I was really wondering if I could go back to working. I was ready but could I quickly get back into the swing. Not only would I be dealing with the learning curve of a new job but add on to that adjustment to ‘office life’ again.
When my new opportunity arrived I was ready for the challenge. Quickly the day overwhelmed me. I pushed through the day but my nerves were shot. The 2nd day was just as bad. I did not know what I was doing! The stress was huge!
Over the weekend I started to get a cold and it went straight to my throat. I lost my voice. It is a good thing I am a contractor and not an employee because I had to take Monday & Tuesday off. During those days I realized I was creating excuses because I was so afraid to go back to work. I wanted to go but the fear was taking over. The good news is once I said I was scared I was motivated to get back to work on Wednesday.
Now I feel like my normal organized self dealing with a new job situation.
As a job seeker I understand the varies obstacles that can hold you back from a job but I am tired of hearing the ‘age discrimination’ reason. Age discrimination has been around forever just as women, religion and many other discriminations. This is not new news!
There are so many reasons we can all use when we don’t get an offer or an interview.
It’s the economy’s fault
They think I am to old
They don’t like women
Their qualifications are ridiculous
They want someone who has 10 recommendations on LinkedIn
They think I am to young
I could go on and on but I would rather look for solutions. It is my own fault that I don’t have a job. That does not mean I should take the fact that I wasn’t called for an interviewed personal. For the company it is personal but not being chosen is not my personal. The fault lies with me when I don’t adjust to the market or update my skills or update my presentation.
As an ‘experienced’ job seeker I am an expert as problem solving. So why am I not using those skills on myself and figure out what I can do? If I am selling myself to companies as their solution to their pain points yet I can’s solve my own problems. That does not look good.
I don’t want to put my picture on LinkedIn because of age discrimination. That is just BS! Don’t use excuses to put obstacles in front of yourself. What about the companies that just want to see their candidates to make sure they are real? Are you going to shut down your possibilities because of a few?
I don’t believe in LinkedIn. Again, BS! If 75% of recruiters are using LinkedIn to verity candidates and you aren’t on it? Crazy. Just get over it. Ask for help and get your information up on LinkedIn.
I don’t understand all this Social Media stuff so I am just going to ignore it. BS! If you are still snail mailing your resume and your haven’t received an offer. Well, I am not surprised. By the time your resume as been received the job as been filled! Also, what if you are in an interview and they ask you about your LinkedIn or Twitter account. What will you say? Saying you don’t understand it so you are ignoring it is just not a good idea. You will show your lack of flexibility and give them reason to say you are too old.
Think of it this way…if you had someone working for you that is always learning new things and staying on top of the industry. On the other side you have someone who does the same thing everyday the same way. Now that person does a good job at what they do but would you promote them? Most likely not. You would promote the person that was always improving.
Here is a quote from “The Sloan Center on Aging & Working”:
Both older and younger job seekers reported trying a range of strategies to reconnect to the labor market. Young people appear to be doing more to enhance their workplace skills and create job search networks, however. Just 12% of the older workers surveyed had taken new education or training courses in the past year, for example, compared to 20% of younger job seekers. At the same time, only 13% of older job seekers had used online social networking sites, compared to 28% of younger job seekers. Of those who use the internet, older seekers tended to use online bulletin boards (56%) while younger seekers most frequently opted to use Facebook (51%).
Interestingly, those aged 55 and over seem to recognize that their strategies are not effective. Overall, 64% of older job seekers rated the job search tools they were using as not helpful, compared to less than half (49%) of younger job seekers.
The second paragraph is what blows my mind. If you recognize your strategy is not working would you not look to change it?
Find solutions! Color your hair, update your make-up, update your clothes, update your glasses, take a class, ask for help!
Yea I'm 50!
In my opinion the answer is, yes. Or better yet can you tweet too much about your blog post?
Just let me say that I love reading blogs and I feel they are a great source of information. When someone I follow writes a blog post a day, I feel connected to them. When someone writes a blog post a week, I feel updated on what is going on. When someone writes a blog post a month, well I have to remind myself who they are then read.
But what really bothers me is when every 15 minutes you tweet about another blog post. Each 15 minute tweet is about a different post or a different quote. I get to the point of not seeing you anymore. You become noise to me. When 99% of your tweets are about a quote or a blog post you have written I start to wonder who is behind the twitter handle.
In my opinion tweeting only about your own blog post or quotes every 15 minutes is just a bad twitter strategy. You have put me on ‘information overload’ and I will get tired of listening.
Who remembers this line that Jack Nicholson so nicely yelled at Tom Crusie? We all have joked around by saying this to each other and then laughing.
But it is true.
The truth is so hard to hear and so hard to deliver.
Perhaps this is why jobseekers don’t get the feedback they are so desperately seeking from hiring managers.
Put yourself in their shoes…
(screen goes blurry. As the dream sequence starts it slowly comes back into focus.)
Here you are about ready to tell someone something that will rock their world. You don’t even know who you are calling as you only spent perhaps 60 minutes with them. As you pick-up the phone your palms are sweaty as this is the 15 call you have had to make today and it isn’t even lunch yet! Will this one argue or cry or yell or hang-up. You take a deep breath as you dial the phone….
(Screen goes blurry again as we move back to present moment.)
Now does that sound like a pleasant job? Would you be able to do that? Would you want to do that? I know that if that was my job within time I would not be returning calls or I would be saying ‘its not you….’
As jobseekers lets all keep this in mind next time we are asking for feedback.
While driving home from a very long drive I changed from talk radio to a CD my husband had left in his truck. I found myself listening to James Morrison’s song ‘Undiscovered’.
Hey that was me! I’m not lost or unemployed just undiscovered! If only…if only…I don’t want to sound whinny…but…if only I was discovered. I have a lot to offer but I have to be discovered to share my expertise. Is this anyone’s fault? Nope. There is no fault. On any given day my chances are just as good another. My hope is that someone will look further than my resume, further than my online presence.
Meet @tylerweaver & @kleinpau. They have a dream. A different dream but still a dream.
They want to write & produce a comic book and then go to a short film. Dare I ask who reads comic book anymore? Well…I did ask and the response was pure excitement!
Tyler and Paul are in a position that most of us find ourselves in right now. No money. But they want to pursue their dream. So their turned to IndieGoGo which helps them navigate the waters of fund raising. By supporting their dream, their project you can be drawn into the comic book, literally. And if you really want to do some different advertising give a little more and your company can be featured in an ad! Now when was the last time you advertised in a comic book?
Lets help them pursue their dream and participate in their success! Go out to their site and read about their progress. Give a little or a lot. Either way you are a hero!
Slowly you go off course. You give your self permission to take a day off or do laundry or take an extra long lunch. Then you start doing the minimum time looking for a job because the draw of learning a new tool or Twitter or anything other than looking for a job pulls you away. You drift off course with no one but yourself to put you back on course.
Accountability is the toughest to apply to ourselves. When you were employed you had a boss that kept you accountable for your work. We spend most of our lives working and being accountable to someone even if that someone is a client you still have that structure.
While unemployed who is to ask you why you didn’t apply for 10 jobs? Your spouse? No, not a good idea.
You need an accountability coach and that could be anyone. As long as they can truly hold you accountable. Career or life coaches work well for many of us as they give us the structure to succeed. Or it could be a friend or an associate in your industry.
Once you choose your accountability coach map out your plan. Start out with reachable goals to help you build the new structure. Just like when you start a new job there is a learning curve. Treat unemployment just the same. Put together a 30, 60 & 90 day plan. Move forward one step at a time.
Hopefully soon we all can be saying ‘Who’s you daddy?‘ when we nail that new job!
Do you find yourself saying “being on LinkedIn is big deal for me”! Then your age is showing!
Readjust yourself and move into the job search market of today. Even if you aren’t looking for a job in the technology world, you still need to use the tools.
Don’t let age be a separator in your competition for a job. By pursuing at least a basic understanding you are building a bridge to the younger generations. You are proving your ability to broaden your skills and be flexible in a changing environment.
Social Media is not a cold and sterile world lacking in personal contact. It is a way to communicate with people you would not normally have the opportunity to connect with. It is a way to gain new knowledge with out shifting through the many links that appear from a Google search.
Being unemployed reminds me of the many things I don’t have any control over but the things I can change I will jump on. Gaining more knowledge and expanding my view is within my control. Learning makes me feel younger and allows me to show my passion.
Tonight I am at McLean Bible Church to hear Jason Alba. It is just under 100 miles one way for me so you know Jason is worth it! Jason is the founder of JibberJobber and a major expert on LinkedIn, Facebook and anything he decides to speak on. If you want to know how to work the job market he is the one to listen to, read and connect with.
This is my first time here at McLean Bible Church for their Career Network Ministry which they do every week on Tuesday nights. For the first hour they have many volunteer to help us job seekers navigate the job search river. What a great organization! Very impressed.
Notes from Jason’s presentation:
What is your story? Did you know before you were let go from your job?
Did you feel like networking is cheating on your present job? Have you let your gas tank on your career run on empty?
Job security should be called income security which is a sub set of career management. Multiple streams of income. Hmm…interesting thoughts.
Do you have a personal brand? Let’s think about this. Then he asked what isn’t your personal brand? I always think it is interesting when the question gets turned around. It really helps to realize what you did not realize you knew or had.
Single task verses multi tasking. Which are you? 10% more effective by single tasking.
Perception of our generation is an inherited brand. As well as where we are from or where we went to school.
Bad branding! 99.9% is in our pitches.
Make your brand intentional.
Grow your network with relevant contacts. Use these three things as a guide line: location, profession and industry.
Read this book - never eat alone by keith ferrazzi.
Write a book. An e-book. Yes it is that easy.
Have three target company in mind. This gives you a lead to talking to others about what you are looking for job wise.
Join Yahoo groups or Google groups.
Top three thing to have or do on LinkedIn. Must have a good profile that contains keywords.Use inkedIn answers and LinkedIn companies.
Write a job search newsletters that you can sent to friends and relatives. Had not thought of that but Jason,I feel strange about it. Include in the newsletter where you have applied/interviewed. The titles applied/interviewed to/for. Where you want an intro to.
Have an accountability coach. Should not be your spouse.
Do informational interviews.
The presentation was then wrapped up with the final reminder to send thank you notes via email and snail mail.
It was a good presentation that was worth my drive. In fact I think I will come to the meeting next week even though Jason won’t be there!
Thanks for listening!
When you are out of work for a time then…you start a new job it is a shock to the system. The adjustment is huge. No longer are you stumbling out of bed to jump on the computer to see the latest job postings. No longer are you living in your sweats without makeup.
I bring this up because I just started a new job. It isn’t my dream job because it is in sales but it does get me out the house.
In preparation of starting the job my list of ‘to do’ was long. I had not realized how much it takes to have a job or perhaps it was how much I wasn’t doing for myself anymore.
Now every morning I get up and put on makeup, fix my hair, put on stockings and a suit. Now when I look in the mirror I see that person that my resume represents. I see that person that can do anything.
And I have my own desk…
Me at my desk.
My desk without me.
Last week @turnageb RT’d @hern_jenn’s tweet of Dangerous Minds post called “creative intellectual lives are not self-indulgent”. This was a wonderful post as it reminds us that we do need to follow our passion and no, it is not self-indulgent.
“Wonderful and thought-provoking essay at The Chronicle of Higher Eduction website from Nation/New Republic contributor, William Deresiewicz about not boxing yourself and your life into what others think you should do with your short time on this planet. You will only ever get one life, so live it wisely, but of course, that’s easier said than done and Deresiewicz counsels constantly questioning the choices you’ve made and not being afraid to face up to what your heart desires.”
After reading the post you can’t help but remember your passion. Give yourself permission to nurture your passion. Be your own advocate and champion your ideas. Support yourself.
If you need more permission you can read @thisissethsblog‘s latest post “Do you need a permit?“.
Buck your old thoughts and go for it!
Run for your passion!
As a jobseeker I have been told to not be negative. To be careful of what I write or tweet because a potential employer could be reading. To not be mad because I don’t have a job. To embrace the process.
Well, I have! Now could the HR departments, hiring managers and recruiters please take your own advice?
I am so tired of being told what not to do or what I am doing wrong or being treated as I am as dumb as dirt.
Two examples from the last 15 minutes:
Forbes magazine puts an article up called “13 Big Mistakes Job Seekers Make“. I read the article but no where did it list the 13 things. Then I realized why. The 13 things were done in pictures! Now that was funny! Not! The article sounded like it was written for an 11 year old to understand. The salt in the wound was the pictures. Here you are saying that I could not understand a list so you better use pictures. Give me a break!
Now the second example was written by a hiring manager, Melanie Szlucha. She called her article “Job Seekers, Sometimes I Don’t Think You Want a Job“. Please, don’t assume all job seekers are alike and don’t assume that we aren’t on top of our game as many of us are.
Can HR, hiring managers and recruiters please stop being Negative Nancy’s? Stop venting and telling everyone that job seeker don’t want jobs or that they are only smart enough to look at pictures. We are told to not be negative or to not grip when we don’t get phone calls back or to not be aggravated when HR calls and they don’t even know what the job is or when recruiters call and they really haven’t read your resume or….need I go on? Can we all just get along?
I am asking for a truce. An agreement that everyone play nice together. Now can we all join hands and sing a song? Only kidding!
Oops, I did it again! Typo!
I’m just going to jump into this one. This subject is a tough one for us job seekers.
I just read @dawnbugni‘s post on “What are YOU saying about you?” and it hit home. My confidence has taken a break from me and is hiding in my back pocket. Occasionally it will come out and assist me but for the most part it is gone.
I read my resume and wonder who that person is? If I find a job can I bring that person back to life?
My value is tied to my ability to offer value. But the twist is I don’t have to be paid for it! Yes, think about that for a moment. I offer value in the many things that I do but I am not paid. I am going to make this adjustment and find my confidence in my back pocket.
I do not have to be paid to bring value! (repeat 10 times a day)
A number of years ago when I took some time off to travel I spent a great deal of time driving my RV from place to place. During my drives I would listen to music and put together playlist to use in my yoga classes that I was teaching.
I loved doing themed classes where the music selection guided the yoga practice. I would use music from the 60′s or metal or head banging or Motown, etc. I enjoy music so much that I wanted to bring it into my yoga practice and who said you could only do yoga to that strange yoga music!
At the end of every class as everyone was packing up I would play ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’. I wanted to send everyone out into the world with a little feeling of dancing.
The song still brings that out in me. When I have had a bad day or a feeling of heaviness I play the song. By the end I am feeling the need to listen to more music and leave my struggle behind.
Take a moment to figure out what helps you. Keep it close. When the feeling hits you reach for it. Trust the process of distraction and release what brings you down.
What does opportunity sound like? Will I recognize the knock?
Making decisions about my future have left me struggling. I don’t want to make a decision that could impact my job search yet I need to move on and provide for myself. Does that make sense? How long can I wait for a job offer to appear? How long can I play the safe role of my job search? When do I step out and make my own way without waiting for a job offer?
Everyday I feel myself holding back. Not wanting to get to far away from my search. Not wanting to shut any door. Is it time?
Last week I had an opportunity to speak with a recruiter at a company that I have been building a relationship with. You know the story. Emails being passed back and forth to set up a time. Then the time came and went. She emailed and backed the time to speak to 3pm but I had a radio show planned at 3pm. I emailed back and it was decided that we would speak in the morning but she also asked me how she could listen to my radio program. I emailed the link. That was the last email I heard from her. Did I decide wrong? Did she listen to the show and decide I wasn’t a fit? Or did she decide I was too much trouble to connect with? I am confused. My husband feels I made the wrong decision and I should have canned my show. Am I wrong?
Everyday I make decisions based on my job search and I always put it first but lately I have wanted to step out on my own. I have wanted to be me and not the me that is always looking for a job. I want to be the me that paves my own way. The me that stumbles and get right back up. The me that looks at the big picture and does not sweat the small stuff. The me that isn’t looking for a job 24/7. I think I will be the me that looks for a job 8/5. So yes opportunity is knocking and I plan on answering!
Most Job Seekers jump into social media thinking that this is the new way to find a job. The problem with that is that every task needs a process and every process needs a project and every project needs a strategy.
Let’s take these one at a time.
Looking at the big picture before you jump in allows you to use your time efficiently. Research by reading blogs, ask questions, join LinkedIn groups and engage.
When someone mentions ‘job fairs’ I am off like a dirty shirt!
Here are a few opinions:
@emilyB_PHR: I just recently attended a job fair and was very surprised the employers I visited (based on my experience/observations) were not accepting paper resumes. Rather, they were directing everyone to apply online. I reached out to Kimba Green today to inquire about her experiences at Job Fairs since I was aware she had attended several in the past and it sounds like she had some similar experiences. Also, one other HR Professional I recently met shared that the job fairs she attended.. same thing.
@jenbaty: I experienced the same thing. The next time that I went to a job fair or networking party where recruiters would be, I used a different strategy that might help you. I looked over the list of participating companies before the event, and went to their job boards to apply ahead of time for any positions of interest. I printed off the job descriptions, wrote down some questions about the particular role, and then printed off the resumes I had tailored to the particular job. When I met the recruiter I was armed with questions to get them engaged so they would remember who I was…that I was prepared…that I already knew what they were hiring for. I followed up with calls, and this did lead to an interview.
@ed_han: In all honesty, I have long ago dismissed job fairs as a meaningful investment of my time. I recognize that my position is a minority one, but my experiences have uniformly shown that:
1. The people at the tables are invariably the most junior HR representatives the organization has. Therefore, their value for networking is suboptimal and their views on the corporate culture are generally not as informed as I would ideally like.
2. Organizations do not accept paper resumes but rather direct attendees to their website. What purpose does that serve if you have one or two people out of the office if all they do is that?
3. Nobody I know personally has landed a job offer from a job fair. No one.
For those reasons, I only attend job fairs organized by affiliated job clubs, and honestly, I’m attending to support the organization rather than any real expectation of a positive result.
Having said all of that:
A. Job fairs can be a great way to network with other job seekers, esp while on line at a popular booth. While some advise against networking much with others in transition, I am not a fan of that advice: the majority of people in my own network are employed and I bet that’s true for most job seekers.
B. Jennifer’s advice re: scoping out postings the night before & having informed questions is excellent. That kind of approach most certainly will make you stand out vis a vis other job fair attendees.
@iamvictorialand: Had good luck making connections – even got an offer – I will definitely attend another and network like crazy afterwards.
@nancy_carbone: My job fair experience has seen mainly sales jobs. Yet I still go. Also, good mock interview.
@michaellunsford: you get to meet HR folks without gatekeepers getting in the way.
Job fairs are not for everyone but there must be some kind of return as they are well attended.
What are your thoughts?
Leave me a comment or participate in my LinkedIn Poll.
Thanks for listening!
Perception: ”What one perceives is a result of interplays between past experiences, including one’s culture, and the interpretation of the perceived. “
Growing up in a large family taught me to look past my own perceptions as each one of my siblings will remember the same event differently. Believe me when I say it caused a lot of fights! The challenge is to melt the perceptions together. That is the key to quality customer service and intuitive management.
Perception is something that all of us have. We deal with different perceptions whether it is a client, boss, co-worker, employees, family, etc.
After 20+ years of managing I merge my staff’s perception into my own without really thinking.
It is our perception of the event that builds our memories and grows our perception. Good or bad, right or wrong it is our perception.
Now try something fun!
Check out this blog posting by The Design Matrix. Take the test (30 seconds, maybe!) then move on to Part 2.
It is very interesting to see how perceptive you are to the big picture when focusing on the details.
Who are you? Where are you going? Who will recognize you when you get there?
Serious questions when you are on the search for a job.
What kind of job are you looking for? What is your elevator speech? What are your qualifications? Why should you be hired over the other guy?
The process is overwhelming.
Your resume is how long? You included what on your resume? You should never put that on your resume?
Need I go on?
The world of job searching is a job of learning that takes 10 hours a day to get up to speed. Even once you are up to speed you will always be learning or re-writing or trying something new. The job of jobseeking is never learned and forgotten.
So how do you maneuver through these waters?
The bad news is there isn’t a key that will unlock your dream job. The good news is there is a way for jobseekers to receive the expertise and guidance they are looking for.
That way is through HireFriday on Twitter. This movement was founded by @HRMargo and was put together to support jobseekers. The concept is different is the way that as the jobseeker you tweet out your “statement” and others RT you. Your network expands with every tweet!
Check out @HRMargo‘s latest blog post on some guidelines for successful HireFriday tweets!
What’s the word jellybird? HireFriday!
See you in the twitterverse!
Watching the Twitterverse!
Thanks for listening!
I wrote my first blog post for a Blog Contest because of @julieWalraven. She sent me a tweet saying that @jacobshare of JobMob was holding a contest and yes there could be cash involved!
Please read the post and comment or share. The more traffic I received on the post the higher my chances are to win!
BTW the blog post is short!
Thanks for listening!
Communicate with the client.
Communicate with executive staff.
Communicate with the team.
Communication is what will make or break your project success. Without it the project can breakdown faster than sugar dissolves in water! Tell it like it is even if the client does not want to hear it. That goes for the executive staff as well. If we assume that everyone understands…well…as the saying goes “assume makes an ass (of) u (and) me!” Assume nothing! Explain everything! And listen all the time!
Clients, stakeholders, and users need to know that you have their six as well as their seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve. The only way they will know that is if you give it to them straight. If requirements are being requested that were never addressed in the requirements gathers phase than say something. Do not assume that everyone has read the documentation or that everyone understands what they read. Explain the issues if the path of changing requirements is followed. The list is long as to why requirement changing could be being addressed. Ask the questions, supply some answers and keep your cool! The key to communication is to communicate in a positive way.
Executive staff want to continually support the project but at times doubts can surface. Address them head on. Provide weekly status reports. Talk about possible concerns and have solutions. Having buy-in from your executive staff is not something that is done once. Everyday is an opportunity to keep buy-in alive. Your executive staff want to give you buy-in so sell them some!
The team you have put together will look to you for guidance in many different situations. In the beginning they will listen to you to hear how they should move forward. Give them the communication. Tell them your vision and the vision of the executive staff. Let them know that communication is top on the list. With the proper communication skills your team will make the project successful. When they hear you discuss concerns and solutions they will start to do the same. Lead with an open communication style and you will never have to use a heavy hand.
Thank you for listening!
I have survived many critiques and most recently I had one of my worst.
It started quite innocently. A tweet on twitter looking for job seekers’ and the next thing I know I am on a radio program. This is not just any program. It is the ‘Ex Recruiter Extreme Candidate Makeover Show’. I was very excited for the opportunity.
Here I was 8 months without work and I had the good fortune to be “made over” by some of the leading experts. I was over the moon!
Two days before I sat down to write out some questions for the panel. I wanted my questions to be good as I have been doing this “job seeking” for sometime so I felt I needed to ask quality questions that would offer value to myself as well as the audience. I also practiced with my husband on taking criticism on a body of work that I was proud of. I wanted to be open to the critique knowing that on the other side I would received the benefit of the expert’s knowledge.
When the day arrived I was ready. I had index cards written out with my questions, a cup of tea, a glass of water, my resume and pen and paper. I started to get nervous when I realized that no one on the panel had called me as I was told could be the case. I told myself it was okay and I started to dial the phone number.
The panel of experts were introduced as @resumestrategy @Execjobcoach @jobsearchcoach and we were on our way! They started with the candidate I was sharing the show with, @CMannis1. I was very focused while they went through her resume as I did not want to miss a thing!
Then it was my turn. Karen, @resumestrategy, went first. She spoke so quickly that I was struggling to keep up and I use shorthand! She gave me some good thoughts but I was sure I was missing some key points! Next went Janice, @Execjobcoach. This I was not prepared for. For the next 5 minutes she went on about font size and the fact that my resume, which has boxes, made her schizophrenic. After she was done I asked what was a good font size. The answer I received was that she should be able to read it without her glasses. Quite honestly the rest was a blur of statements. From the fact that Janice liked everything above the comments on my resume (that would be my name and my headers). Then she took apart my headers with such statements as the word “visionary” was from the 90′s. I was also told I did not have any keywords yet when I asked for some keywords my question was sidestepped. I listened the best I could struggling to stay open because the suggestions of improving my resume were just around the corner. @jobsearchcoach, Jeremy went next. I knew Jeremy from twitter so I was hoping for some great job search advice as that is his specialty. That did not happen.
Now for my disclaimer. I do not want to alienate the community that I have worked very hard to be a part of. This is my opinion and my story and if that offends then so be it but this is not written with malice. In fact it has taken me 10 days before I could sit down and write about this.
I was expecting a “makeover” and my definition of that is after my resume is critiqued it would be built back up. That would include solid advice that would have specific changes so in the end I would be “made over” and ready to take on my job search once again. I was not asked about my pain points. In fact I was not asked questions.
I do feel that the criticism went over board when I was told my reference’s comments on my resume could have come from my neighbor and even though I referenced that all of these were from LinkedIn it still fell into the “not believing” pile. I was also told that my “soft skills” were not important as everyone has them and anyone can manage people.
I was numb for the rest of the day. I felt like how could I have been handing out this piece of crap to people. How did I even get interviews when my resume caused such mayhem.
Then my husband stepped in. He knows the work and the research I have done. He know that I have 12 different version of my resume to hand out according to the job I am applying for. He knows that I have had many people read my resume and I have tweaked it accordingly. He said, “How can that many people be wrong and these 3 people be so right?” He was right.
My resume is a living document and there is many ways I can improve it but it is not possible for it to be so wrong. I have had compliments and suggestions. I have been told that I was called just because they like the way I wrote my resume. That doesn’t mean I won’t take the suggestions that were given to me on the show but it does mean that I will take it with a grain of salt or perhaps a pound of salt!
I want to leave with a suggestion to @paris22, the host of the show. Please change the name. It is not a “makeover” show. It is a resume critique show.
When I was working for myself I received this question quite often and the best way to answer is to turn it back to the person asking. How do you start your own business?
Broad Strokes:
1. What do you want to provide. Service or product.
2. Define that service or product. (Only a few lines.)
3. What is the targeted market. Companies or individuals.
Now go back and start expanding 1-3 and add:
4. What do I need. Equipment or staff
5. How to contact my targeted market.
6. What is the bare minimum cash investment I need to start-up.
Now go back again and expand even more on 1-3 and detail out 4-6 and add:
7. Write down why do you want to do this and what do you hope to get out of this venture.
Now re-read 1-7 and make any changes.
This is only the broad strokes but it will offer you the insight you will need to decide how to start your own business.
You now have your vision!
This question has been asked of me quite a lot lately and I still don’t have a good answer. Why wouldn’t I want to start my own business and run it the way I wanted to? Why wouldn’t I want to charge into the great unknown and take the world by storm? Why wouldn’t I seek out new opportunities in this great big universe?
I have been there! I know what it takes, I know the toll it takes on my home life, I know when you aren’t working you aren’t being paid, I know how hard it is! But still the question hangs there. Hangs right in front of me. Every which way I turn it is there. It haunts me! OK, I will stop now as you get the message.
I am a very precise person that focuses on the facts. I research, I read, I investigate and I make educated smart decision. But moving into starting my own company is moving into the unknown where no matter how much research I have done things still might not go as planned. I can handle that when I am working for a company but when making my own decisions I like to be right! Go ahead ask my husband! I like to be right! Owning my own business is all-consuming! I did it for over 15 years and that was all I did. Yes, I had a great house, had a different husband, had a great company but I did not have a “me”. I was the business and the business was me. I know most are saying, “but if you are doing what you love…” well that isn’t always true. Owning your own business can take what you loved and move it into the category of “never want to do that again”! That is what happened. I thought I had good boundaries, good time management skills and a good support system but somewhere along the way you start comprising your boundaries and your time. Before you know it you have to work the hours to make your life work. That is when owning your own business sucks.
I spent many sleepless nights wondering how I would pay the mortgage while my husband at the time bought another car to refurbish or another new piece of equipment. I would push myself harder to find more clients and make more money. Since I had this thing of providing good service I literally stopped sleeping to keep up with the demand. Yes I know I made the decisions and now that I know what not to do perhaps I can make better decisions. But can I? What is the guarantee that things won’t be the same?
My present husband, yes I have had a few, reminds me ‘I can’t go back’ so it will be different. Just jump into that big wide unknown! So now I am jumping and my eyes are squeezed shut. Wait…maybe I should open my eyes as this is MY business!
Thanks for listening!
BTW, I have my first client!
This is all @juliewalraven‘s fault!
What is a gift? Why is it so hard to receive? And what do I do with it now?
Let me first say what I think a gift is.
The gift of chocolate!
A gift is anything that we give freely. We give without strings, without expectations. That is the catch that usually gets all of us. We want to know that the gift was received well and that it is loved and cared for. I feel that once a gift if given you need to let it go. Let the received decide what is next and let go.
Let us just tweak you...
For me it is a constant battle to let go of what I give and somethings my gifts to another is not giving to them what I think they need. Such as, keeping my mouth shut, only supporting and not saving, being a tree for someone to rest abound but not the wall that stops them. A gift is many things that are not material. And those can be the hardest gifts to give and receive.
When working with your team you stride to understand what they are seeking. What they are motivated by and provide that. The catch is they might not see it. Here is where the expectations kick in. Don’t expect every gift to be well received and live happily ever after. The higher your job level the less likely you will hear thank you but if you look closely you will see the results.
One of my team members that was with me at my last job had indicated that he wanted to go into management. I had know him for 2 years and never in that time had he express that but I took it in. I wrote it up in his yearly assessment and I made a point of telling upper management. About 6 months after I was laid off I heard that he was offered a management position. That was my gift. Now I only laid the ground work and I did not give him the promotion but I can enjoy the fact I helped. Will that be recognized? I doubt it but does it really matter? I know my gift was received and even though I wasn’t there to see it through does not take the value away.
Most of our gifts are behind the scenes but they still are gifts. Recognize those around you and accept those gifts as well as giving those gifts. Release the strings and don’t try to control the out come. Just give. With the freedom to give you will also receive the knowledge to know what to do with those gifts.
Thanks for listening!
How do you let go? Do you push through it and just tell yourself to move on? Do you sit with it for a while before you let go?
This is all about letting go of a failed project. We have all been there in one way or another. The project or program or contract just is not working and either the company or the client decides it is time. To process the closing down of a failed project is just like processing anything that has failed. We need to try to handle it in phases and as the project manager you need to also help your team. It can be an overwhelming process if you take it personal so don’t. Be bigger then the failure!
I have been thinking about this because I was laid off from a failed project. Well the project didn’t really fail but that is another story! Failure is a complicated beast and deciding how to be bigger is the key to success. Many things went into my failed project and most of those were not my doing but the failure still reflects upon me. Doesn’t it? No it doesn’t. Being associated with a failure does not make me a failure. It only means that things happen. I can be bigger and I am bigger.
I handled the failure just like I was closing down a project. I sat down and wrote out lessons learned from the experience. This gives me the perspective I need to project while I am interviewing for my next position. If I keep the negative I will sound negative.
So….the next time I am walking into an interview I will be saying to myself, let it go already!
Thanks for listening!
For many reasons this question has been on my mind. With the job market as it is and nothing on the near horizon, I have had to make some adjustments.
The first adjustment is my state of mind. Don’t panic! Being out of work is not the end of the world and as every week goes by I have more proof that there is life after being laid off!
The second adjustment is my plan. Don’t panic! I say that again because finding a job has always been a knee jerk reaction and now is not the time. Plan and have a strategy. If I am not quite sure what I am doing than I take moment or a few days to figure it out. I can still change the plan but I have a plan.
The third adjustment is my availability. Don’t panic! Just because I am available does not mean I can’t do anything to fill that time. I get in my head that I need to wait and be available. No way! I am getting out there and doing all the things I have wanted to do! All the things I said I would do if I had the time. Now I have the time and as long as those things are affordable I am doing them.
The fourth adjustment is my image. Don’t panic! The thought of being concerned about my image gave me images of the “stuck-up” girls I went to school with. No way! Well I am wrong. It is all about the package and if I look good on paper but my picture on LinkedIn is from my last vacation 6 years ago. Do you think you would hire me? I asked myself that question and my answer was not good. I went and had pictures taken of myself and the process was hard but worth it. I now own 37 pictures of myself and I like every single one. Now my picture and my experience match the image I am packaging.
The fifth adjustment is my white space on my resume. Don’t panic! I have a lot of fellow job seekers that are in the same spot and we all have a lot of white space! I am now listing what I am really doing with my time. Everything that I am doing relates to a job somehow. It is all about the words and I am learning.
The sixth adjustment is my conversations. Don’t panic! Wait, panic about conversations? Yea, conversations! What do I tell people about not working? No working has been a source of embarrassment for me. I am old school and I have always had a job. Now things are different and not working should not be a source of embarrassment for me. Big adjustment but I am making it.
The seventh adjustment is my view of myself. Don’t panic and don’t fear change! Things will never go back to the way they were but I think they will be better because I am better.
Thanks for listening!
I wrote a post about being the “mad jobseeker”. It was a bit tongue and cheek with a sprinkle of frustration. Ok, Ok! A lot of frustration! It is tough to find a job right now and the process can sent any sane person screaming for the hills. Hence I called the post “mad jobseeker”!
Since writing the post I have been given the opportunity to read about the other side. I knew about the other side and I thought I understood the other side but I think I forgot my compassion for the other side. The other side is the hiring managers, the recruiters and the HR people. It seems they are struggling too. I have read a number of posts about the volume of resumes and the fact that with the economy most are doing the jobs of more than one person. So…I am offering my compassion. I am still upset about the lack of communication but I understand it.
I still would like to see a uniformed method to provide the information that HR needs but I understand that that is impossible. I still want an e-mail or a confirmation of receiving my resume but I understand. I still want to be called a week later after my interview as I was told but I understand.
The reasons I have enjoyed looking for a job:
Thank you for supporting my job search.
Yes, I said it! I am mad! Sometimes crazy mad and sometimes angry mad. It doesn’t really matter which because bottom line is I am unemployed and when you are unemployed you feel as if you don’t have a voice.
This is where I am coming from. As of September 25, 2009 I was let go from my job due to a lack of contract renewal. Since I am a Project Manager I handled this situation just like I would handle a project. I researched, studied the market, put together a risk analysts, plotted out my activities and hit the road hard and fast. I felt I had a strong resume, I was on Twitter and I was set-up on LinkedIn. I don’t have a problem with networking, I attend events, I go to job fairs and I swear I have listed myself on every possible job site! But still nothing.
As the holidays grew closer I reassured myself that this was not the time to expect phone calls about jobs. I still stuck to searches and posting my resume but my expectations were in line with the time of year. I kept telling myself it was OK and the new year would be better.
When January finally hit I was ready for success. I had revamped my resume, made my LinkedIn profile stronger, wrote my blog, networked until the cows came home and still nothing. January had hit me hard. No job. Not even a call, unless you count the American Insurance whatever that calls you so you can sell their insurance.
Then February was here. I pulled myself back up and gave myself a pep talk. I started to read everything I could about resumes, interviewing, elevator speeches, and career coaching. I had always stayed on top of this information but now I was burying myself in it. I started connecting with the industry experts on Twitter and having conversations. I asked for advice and I used the advice. I made changes. I worked around my walls, I did not sit for long in my failures, and I listened. Why was I not getting any calls to interview? Was it my resume? I rewrote it again with several good blog postings in front of me to help me stay the course. I was ready again. But was I?
My head was swimming for all the advice I had received. All the blogs I was reading. All the tweets that were twitted. I was feeling overwhelmed with advice. And in the middle of it I had a few interview. I have no idea how I did because I still haven’t heard from them. As @dawnbugni just reminded me for every week in our world that is one day in HR world. Hurry up and wait for the phone call!
March is here and I think it is time to call the professionals in! Resume writers to the rescue! I started the research of deciding what I wanted or at least what I did not want. I did not want a resume writing chop shop. One of the job sites I joined sent me an e-mail with some comments about my resume. I can handle criticism but I don’t handle stupid well. If you are going to evaluate my resume at least read it.
This is where my story ends for now. I am in the process of deciding my next steps with the couple of resume writers I have contacted.
I will leave you with my list of things I hate about looking for a job.
Have you ever sat through a meeting, took a ton of notes and felt like you truly grasped what the client needed only to find out that you were on the wrong highway? Are you wondering how that happened? What can you do next time?
While sitting in a meeting with an agenda before the topic is changed, repeat what you think the end result was. Repeat the tasks and the assigned parties. Repeat the expectations including deadlines. Repeat what you think you heard.
While sitting in a meeting without an agenda as you feel the topic changing just bring it back and repeat what you think the end result was. Don’t assume that everyone has written down their assignments. In fact, don’t assume anything. And along those lines put together your own agenda. If the meetings you attend tend to be non-agenda meeting just jot down what you need to cover and get your answers. Then if the meeting goes off course you can re-direct or excuse yourself.
Client meeting tend to be tough especially when they are performance meetings. Practice with your team prior to the meeting. Run through those tough questions and practice answering them. Don’t just cover the easy stuff! Practicing the hard questions gives you the time to research supporting information and perhaps even to develop a new report to answer the questions of performance. Doing client meeting can be stressful but practicing you answers can give you the confidence you will need to handle the tough moments.
Final thought…if you have practiced your meeting skills, researched your information, and prepared your reports you will be on top of hearing the client. If your focus is not on what you are going to say but rather on what the client is saying you will hear what your client needs and how to provide it.
The art of networking can be a walk on a tight rope. Ending every conversation the same way…’If you hear about a job please let me know!’
I noticed the way I end conversations with new people the other day while leaving the Social Media Club (DC) event. I was walking out with @shonali & @mikeschaffer. We all were heading to the Metro. While walking I felt I dominated the conversation about being “funemployed”. Once we parted to our trains I wondered if I can talk about anything other than finding a job? Is that 100% on my mind 24/7?
Everyday I struggle with finding a job. I live in front of my computer using all the SM tools. I search for jobs on job boards, I follow every tweet about a job, I run every lead down, I network by going to events and connecting with people. I understand that to find a job I need to be engaged on many levels. But am I doing it at a cost? Am I driving everyone crazy with my networking?
As a Project Manager you are responsible for the overall health of a project as well as your team. Education is something that I feel to be very important and supporting a team in furthering their education is top priority.
Now the problem is my own education. Being responsible for others has allowed me to put my own education on the back burner. I hear myself saying that I just don’t have time. The very amusing thing is I don’t accept that excuse from my team! So why do I accept that from myself?! I have been doing project management for way to many years yet I have not taken my test to become certified. The reason is because I have not given myself the time to take the 35 hours worth of education. Now that is just a kick in the pants!
Lead by example is what I like to say but in this instance I did not. Yes, I am changing that!
No end in sight? What do we do? Where do we go from here?
Everyday we are faced with these questions. Whether it is about finding a job or keeping a job or paying the bills or motivating your team.
As a project managers we search for the solutions. We reach back into our experience to find the answers. We rely on the many resources that have provided our education. Many of those resources are just “gut” and how do we explain that? Just like we can’t explain where we get our strength from as it is just a feeling, we can’t explain where the “gut” comes from. It is just a known. We rely on it and we bank our careers on it.
In the morning just as we are waking up, before we realize what is ahead of us, we have that feeling of peace. That feeling that everything will be just fine. No matter how much we struggle, we will be fine. That is the feeling that we need to hold onto to. That is the feeling that will give us strength when we think it just won’t work anymore.
Trust what you know and trust what you feel even when you can’t explain where it came from. Believe in the peace and believe in yourself even when there is no end in sight.
Letting go!
Have you ever been in the situation when mentored was the last thing you needed? When the person mentoring you felt they needed to break you down before they can mentor you up or they felt mentoring meant telling you what to do?
Mentoring gone bad!
Mentoring is a responsibility.
Mentoring to grow together.
How to handle situations:
I know none of these suggestions will truly work as I only provided them as a laughable moment.
When you are in a ‘Mentoring gone bad’ situation there is very little you can do. It is a wave that you just have to ride out. Perhaps seek guidance from a senior advisor or from HR.
One last thing, your mentor’s lack of skills is not a reflection on you. Their dysfunction, their problem. Take what ever you can from the experience and turn it into a positive by learning what not to do when you are mentoring.
Working together as a team
Developing good team dynamics is work. It doesn’t just happen because you want it to. Most teams are thrown together and are just expected to work it out. The longer they are together without team guidance the more dysfunctional they can become.
There is a lot of discussion as to whether team building is important. In fact some believe it is a waste of time and those some can be on your team. The moment you mention a “team building exercise” a long moan will be released by the group.
Just move through the moans and laugh it off. Over time the group will adjust.
A team that knows one another will work harder for each other.
You can bring your team together in many ways and for the most part you will let your experience guide you as to what excercise to run through. One of the easier ones is to have them answer some questions about themselves.
Call an importune meeting. Hand out the list of questions. Give them 5 minutes to fill it out during the meeting. If you are still getting to know your team, you will learn a lot as to how they deal with filling out the questions.
Once the questions are answered you collect the papers. Then read the questions and answers aloud to have the group guess who wrote it. Keep the tone light and let the group have fun with each other. Don’t let it become a “make fun of someone” session.
examples of questions:
The questions can be a mixture of anything that may break the ice with your team. If you make exercises light and amusing you will get light and funny responses which is what you are aiming for. People let their guard down when they are laughing.
You can learn that a team member has aspirations to move into management or they make beer or they want to learn to improve their time management or their passion is their work. But the biggest difference you will see will be your team interacting with each other on a different level.
Are you ready if next week you don’t have a job? Are you so deeply into your job that you are not looking around for the signs? Don’t be caught off guard. At least prepared what you can for the change if it happens.
It would be nice if this was not a concern but it is. When you work for someone you never know when the business has changed. Don’t be surprised if it does happen and don’t take it personal. Even if you feel it was personal it is out of your control. You can not fit into every environment!
Those of you that know me know that I am a big fan of Marvin Gaye. ’Mercy, mercy me’ is a song that I pay attention to. I loose things, I gain things or things change. Which ever it is mercy is needed to understand and learn.
Moving past a year full of struggle is only tough when you aren’t ready to let it go. This thought applies to everything I do!
My gains of the year are more than my disappointment but what is amazing is that I did not realize that until I started to write this. I learned new lessons and skills, read great books, met amazing people, grew bonds that are very strong, and gained another year of insight.
Now with remembering all that I have gained I don’t have a reason to write about the struggles. Those struggles are gone! Just like a project that crashed and burned. Move on!
It is time to sit down and write. It never ceases to amaze me how I struggle with my blog post. That is until I sit down and start to write. It just comes out. I write a title and somehow the words find me!
My last two weeks have been hard because I have been sick with the flu and my wisdom teeth are moving. Bad combination. It has been hard to stay on top of everything but it does remind me that being out of work is a blessing.
Next week will mark the end of my third month without a job and I am fine with that. A year ago I would not have been but times are different now. Who I am is not my job. I have been working on that statement for years and now I think I can say it and mean it.
I am a Project Manager but it isn’t my only “title”. I organize, I facilitate, I empower, and I am whatever I need to be. I can adjust to what is needed to do a job. For pay or not.
This is what I do….
This is not a complete list of what I do but do you see how hard it would be to describe myself to a potential employer? Especially with these job boards. You are to put down the title of the job you are looking for? Am I the only one that see this to be an issue? How can I say the industry that I want to work in when the options are so open? How do you market yourself? How do you make sure that the “right” people see you?
Your thoughts?
