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Do Results Matter?

February 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment

St Louis, Missouri

Let’s say I had a woman come to me for coaching who wanted a specific job. And, just for the sake of illustration, that she wanted a job working as the head of the manufacturing division of a Fortune 10 company within twenty minutes of downtown St. Louis.

First of all, that’s not what the real client wanted – this is an illustration.

Second, hypothetically, of course, when you do a search for a Fortune 10 company with a manufacturing division within twenty minutes of downtown St. Louis, you come up with only one candidate.

And let’s say, purely for illustration purposes, that this is the precise company that let the prospective client go.

So, what the woman really wanted was her old job back.

And when I asked her, “Is that what you want?” she said, “No! But there has to be another company like that! I don’t want to have to move, or change my commute, or do anything different!”

[She did really want her old job back, didn't she?]

Her search was so targeted, and so specific, and maybe even a little “I am going to right a wrong”, that she was doomed to failure before she even started.

This is  a real  dichotomy – experts suggest that you make your job search specific enough that you can create a target list, but if your target list is too specific you find that you have too few prospects.

I say, the most vital part of your job search depends…on your results.

If you’re in the middle of a job search – and the new rules of work require us to function in a permanent job search mode – and you’ve got a good sense of who you are and what you can do (rather than who you were and what you did), and you can talk about it easily in person, and in your resume, and you’re connecting with your networking, and still you’re not getting interviews, then it’s time to be less specific.

You’re not getting results with your strategy? Change the strategy.

Especially when time is of the essence.

And I see organizations hiring. Right now. So, time is, indeed, of the essence.

If you have a vision of your dream job – go ahead, list out all the key requirements on a piece of paper – and you know your own skills – list those, too – then ask yourself this question:

Who needs what I have to offer, regardless of category? Who offers what I need?

Take a job that meets at least 80% of your key needs, and that utilizes 80% of what you have to offer.

Even if it’s not your dream job.

Because you never do the same things on your first day of work that you do on your last, do you?

You can grow. You will grow.

And, who knows, the opportunity you uncover may just turn into an absolute dream job over time.

Even if it’s more than twenty minutes from downtown St. Louis.

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Career Coaching, Clarity, Getting Unstuck, WiseWork Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment

Working? Looking? What You Need Right Now

September 16, 2012 By 5 Comments

 

Last week a friend told me about a job she’s filling and asked if I had any candidates to recommend. It’s a senior job that will pay in the good six-figures, with budget and people authority. It’s with an organization with a mission, and it’s often in the news.

Immediately, I thought of a perfect candidate and told my friend that I’d send over the candidate’s LinkedIn profile so she could get a sense of the person and see if there appeared to be a match.

Now, wait a minute. I didn’t say I’d send over a resume, did I? No, I said I’d send a LinkedIn profile. Because contacting the candidate and getting her resume might take days. Maybe even a week if her resume isn’t current and updated. LinkedIn is quick, and quiet.

This is the new way of the world.

But here’s what happened when I went to LinkedIn and searched for the candidate I wanted to recommend:

  • She had two profiles listed under her name – one was clearly started and abandoned because it had zero information
  • The second profile had one job listed (the one she had the job before last) and no contact info

So, obviously, I couldn’t quietly send my friend anything that would allow her to determine whether to take my candidate to the next level.

Some of you are no doubt wondering about this.

Wondering what the big deal is with LinkedIn. Is it the same as Facebook? Or Twitter? Some of you feel overwhelmed just reading the words “Facebook” and “Twitter”, and adding “LinkedIn” to the conversation makes you a little sweaty and slightly nauseous.

OK. But here’s the deal. LinkedIn has emerged as the single most important thing you can do to support your career.

Back in 2008 more than the stock market and housing prices shifted – work also changed, dramatically. Today, anyone can be fired at any time. Organizations – businesses, non-profits, governments both state and local – cut back and shed employees. To be truly successful right now all of us need to be in permanent job search mode.

And LinkedIn gives you a place to effectively showcase your resume, skills, capabilities and network in a way that’s totally appreciated and understood by the community.

Because everyone else on LinkedIn is doing the same thing.

Now, some people tell me that they don’t want to have a LinkedIn profile because then everyone in the office will know they are “looking” and that would be … bad.

[Of course, if you work in such a punitive office then you really, really need a great LinkedIn presence. Just sayin'.]

But your boss can relax. Tons of opportunities come via LinkedIn – not just new jobs. With the specialized groups on the network, you might learn about conferences or workshops you might not otherwise have heard about. You might get asked to speak on a panel, or write an article which raises the profile of the organization. You might make alliances that generate business for your employer.

Lots of good stuff.

But none of it happens if you have an incomplete or rudimentary profile.

Here’s your task: Get on there, and paste in your bio or write one up. List your professional work history, and note any certifications you have. List your colleges. Get a few people to write recommendations for you. Write a few for other people. Have a good picture of yourself taken (remind me to tell you the story of the guy whose LinkedIn photo was of him with a bucket hat and a beer – he changed his picture to something more professional and spruced up his bio… and was hired within a week. Again, just sayin’.).

And connect with people.

Upload your contacts – LinkedIn doesn’t save the data, so it’s OK – and send requests to people you know and have worked with in the past. Accept requests from people you know and meet at professional networking events. Work toward having around 100 connections at the minimum, because when people search you they will often look to see who you know in common. It’s a good way to create rapport and connection. And to demonstrate your influence.

Someone is reading this right now and saying, “I don’t have any influence and the whole thing feels like an invasion of privacy. I don’t want anyone searching me!”

And I feel you, pal. You’re probably still mourning the loss of the buggy whip manufacturing industry, too.

Times have changed. The way of doing business has changed, too. A recruiter recently told me that if a candidate has no LinkedIn profile, then he or she simply does not exist. Because LinkedIn is a vital tool for people who are trying to fill jobs.

Tell you what – let’s make it easy for you. Just put up your profile and get those 100 connections. Then you can stop, and do nothing more.

Nothing, but watch the opportunity open up. Open up really wide.

[my LinkedIn profile: Michele Woodward]

 

Filed Under: Books, Career Coaching, Managing Change Tagged With: , , , , 5 Comments

Really Can’t Wait

August 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

 

 

There’s often a very rational, reasonable cycle people like me suggest to people like you:

Dream it ->Vision it -> Feel it -> Break it down into doable chunks ->Start doing those chunks, one by one by one -> Steadily, slowly, carefully, collect data along the way and adjust your actions or your dreams accordingly.

Jeez, that sounds deathly boring when I write it out like that. And time-consuming. And dull.

Watching-paint-dry slow, even.

When I see people who are stuck or struggling, even though they’re doing everything they should and following the “process” to a T, there’s something vital missing: they don’t really know why they’re doing it.

Motivation is the “why” you want to do a thing – like get a job, or get a contract, or get a client. Why write a book, or make a film? Why create something? Why do it?

You say: “Because I paid all this money for the degree, so I guess I should…” Or, “What would people say if I wasn’t a doctor/lawyer/Indian Chief after all this time?” Or maybe your answer is more like: “Everyone’s doing it – maybe that’s my ticket to Easy Street at last.”

[And you wonder why you're stuck and nothing's happening.]

You’re stuck because those things aren’t truly motivating – they’re all about fear. And fear will stop you in your tracks.

Most of the time, fear whispers “Wait. Slow down. Stop.” while motivation shouts, “Go. Do. Don’t wait. Can’t wait.”

That’s it, right there. The thing I’ve seen in the most successful people I’ve ever known:

The spirit of can’t wait.

In many forms, can’t wait is extremely motivating. There’s the excited, toes-curled-up kind of “can’t wait!” or the seize-the-moment, the-time-is-now “can’t wait.” And there’s also the compelling, creative, “this idea cannot wait inside me – it must come out.”

If you’re dawdling, and can’t seem to make anything happen even though you’ve dreamed and visioned and felt it in your body and broken it down into manageable steps, maybe… maybe take a step back, and ask yourself “where’s my can’t wait on this thing?”

If you answer, “can’t find it”, then stop banging your head against the wall and look for something else that feels exciting, timely and compelling.

And if your answer is, “It can wait” then take a break and focus on other things that cannot wait. It’s likely that you have something else going on in your life which needs your full attention.

But if you answer, “Yep. I cannot wait to get this going! The time is now! I have to!” – guess what?

You will. And nothing – nothing, not even fear – will hold you back.

Stop waiting. Know your why. Start your doing.

It really can’t wait.

 

Filed Under: Career Coaching, Clarity, Getting Unstuck Tagged With: , , , , , Leave a Comment

The Results Club

January 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

My friend and fellow Master Coach Chris Brandt and I were talking about how we could contribute to the world in 2009. If we were to use our skills to “be a force for good,” as I put it, what would that look like? How could we put our skills and talents together to meet a need? The result of that conversation is The Results Club.

The headlines tell the story: “Unemployment Rises,” “No Sector Untouched,” “Executives Downsized.” The global unemployment is higher than many of us have ever seen. And finding a job right now can be tough. Especially for a mid-career executive who’s highly skilled, and highly paid.

To answer precisely this need, Chris and I have built an 8-week support program for mid/upper-level professionals who find themselves in job search mode, called The Results Club.

This unique and innovative program provides a step-by-step approach to any executive job search. Plus, each class is supplemented by a secure discussion forum, where tools, ideas, tactics and information can be shared within The Results Club community.

Drawing on our own networks and our many years of experience — Chris as a Human Resources executive with organizations like News Corporation and Swiss Re, plus various financial services companies and startups, and my leadership positions in corporate America, with dot-com startups, and at the White House, as well as my job as Career Advice Coach at www.BettyConfidential.com — we have assembled a fantastic slate of speakers who can offer cutting edge advice to today’s job search.

Each webinar class will feature an interview with an expert, offer innovative tips & tools, and the opportunity for one-on-one coaching with me and Chris. Here’s the schedule:

January 28th – Taking Stock & Making a Plan: Featuring an interview with Dr. Martha Beck, author of Finding Your Own North Star and Steering By Starlight

February 4th – Creating a Resume that Works: Featuring an interview with Bonnie Kurka, Vice President of the National Resume Writers Association

February 11th – Speak Up! How to Interview: Featuring an interview with Cyndi Maxey and Kevin O’Connor, co-authors of Speak Up! How to Present Like a Pro

February 18th – Networking: Featuring an interview with Liz Lynch, author of Smart Networking

February 25th – Maximizing Social Media: Featuring an interview with Pam Slim, blogging expert and author of Escape From Cubicle Nation

March 4th – Reinventing Your Career in Mid-life: Featuring an interview with Mary Beth Sammons, author of Second Acts That Change Lives

March 11th – Salary Negotiations/Working with Recruiters: Featuring an interview with executive recruiters

March 18th Staying on Course: tips, tactics and plans to keep your job search moving forward, featuring a panel of career coaches.

The total cost for the 8-week program is $375 (USD). Space is limited – register today!

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Finding A Job 2.0

July 20, 2008 By 1 Comment


You need a job. $4 Gas has come and gone in the rearview mirror. And milk is more expensive than gas! You really need a job. Like yesterday.

Helpful people are telling you that no one’s hiring, times are tough, you might as well give up, yadda yadda yadda.

Depressing. Especially if you want a job in, oh, energy, banking, the car industry…

But let me fill you in on a little secret: jobs are open in other sectors and people are getting hired.

So, how do you find those open positions and get yourself in the interview pool? Use the tools I call “Finding A Job 2.0″. Ready?

Think big. Big picture, that is. Take a really big picture look at your skills — it doesn’t matter what the industry is, if you know how to manage people, you know how to manage people. Ditto for handling budgets, problem solving, strategic planning, program management and tons of other areas. Focus on your most transferable skills, and make these the backbone of your search.

Know what you want to do. I know, you need a job. Any job. But when you succinctly define what it is you can do, it makes it so much easier for other people to understand and help you. Develop your own “elevator speech” — two to three sentences that capture the essence of what you want. For instance, “I’m looking for an executive director or VP position at a non-profit working on green issues. I’ve worked in this field for fifteen years and really know the issues, and like managing people.” I understand that completely, and can refer you to two or three people who can help you.

Network with people you know. Over 70% of jobs are filled by personal referral. That means your Christmas card list, cell phone directory, email contacts, alumni directory and community phone book are your most important tools. Go through these personal lists and identify people who are already in the field where you want to work. Contact them, give them your elevator speech and ask if they know of any openings. Even if they don’t have an immediate lightbulb moment, you’ve planted a seed in their minds — they’ll remember you the next time they hear about something that would be perfect for you.

Network with people you don’t know. If a friend says, “You should really meet my friend Tom”, then go see Tom. Worst case scenario? You’ll meet a new friend. Best case? Tom will know of a job for you. You can also use LinkedIn, Facebook, alumni discussion boards. Consider these opportunities to expand the reach of your resume and bio. Word to the wise? You can spend more time “updating” your social marketing pages than you do working on your job search. Use your time wisely.

Morph your resume. Gone are the days when you had one resume that a printer typeset for you on ivory laid paper. Many resumes are scanned into a humungous database, so make certain the words you use are keywords recruiters will use to fill a position like the one you seek. If you’re responding to a particular job opening, tailor your resume to that job. Use the same keywords they use in the job posting. Stress that you have the skills they seek. And feel free to alter your resume for the next opening you pursue.

Write thank you notes. Sure, it’s a holdover tactic from Finding A Job 1.0, but, hey, don’t fix what ain’t broke! The number of people who write thank you notes by hand is dwindling, so you will stand out when you’re one of the few who use this tactic. Plus, gratitude is a happy place to be. Expressing your gratitude will increase your overall happiness and keep you positive for your next job interview.

Searching for a job in uncertain economic times is… uncertain. But by employing 2.0 tactics, you can make your job search efficient, effective and maybe, just maybe, quick.

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