Baltimore Jobing Community Blogs

This content is provided by Doug Mayes, Jobing.com Community Relations Director.

Fellow Employers,
In our tough economy, it seems that employers and HR professionals fall into two divergent camps, both of which can pose significant challenges and opportunities. 

Camp 1.  I'm hiring.  With what news people call a "flood of talent" on the market, some will say you have an embarassment of riches.  Some will say you have the opportunity to get the very best...on the cheap.  However, you may feel quite differently.  Perhaps you're overwhelmed with unsolicited responses.  If you post a job, your email system goes berserk and you're so buried that you can't give people the attention required to make a strategic decision.  Some candidates who are motivated by financial pressures from recent layoffs, are applying to all sorts of jobs indiscriminately further compounding the issue.  You may be dealing with candidates who are bitter or feel entitled to a job.  Just because they were a big deal at their last job doesn't mean they're right for your organization.  I bet you're feeling this pinch, whether you'd admit it in polite conversation or not. 

This landscape poses real management challenges for the HR professional.  I was recruiting in the pharmaceutical biz when the 911 recession hit and I saw this situation play out with some of my clients.  Some companies abused the buyer's market treating people like cattle, artificially driving down wages, and generally forgetting what it's like to be a job seeker.  Although they got fat off the land for a hot minute, I think this treatment caused employees to behave like mercenaries.  Since relatively little effort was made to create a compelling employment brand or establish engagement upon hiring, employees soon split for the next big thing.  They felt "disposable", so they took their passion, skills, and brain power to the competitor down the street.     

Other companies saw this as an opportunity to get the right people on the bus.   They did this by communicating their employment brand.  They built great employment pages on their websites that communicated their culture.  Remember Google?  Nobody did this better than Google!  Southwest Airlines was superb as well.  They invested in high-touch candidate application systems with automated email responses.  They kept their name top-of-mind by being active in the community.  They created strong relationships with colleges to ensure a pipeline of talent when the market inevitably tightened.  All these branding efforts helped them whittle down the giant stack of resumes and make strategic hires.  Thus, we came up with the basic equation of my business.  Strong employment brand=Strong company. 

Camp 2.  I'm not hiring.  Many wonderful companies have been set back on their heels.  Hard working HR people in these organizations perservere in a pressure cooker of layoffs, personal uncertainty, and unemployment claims, all the while trying not to be a "cost center."  God forbid you should appear too expensive.  Touchy-feely things like an employment brand may be the last thing on your mind.  They're the provenance of $500/hr consultants. 

Careful now...although it may be easy to toss aside the brand you worked so hard to create, consider the risks.  In tough times your employment brand is even more important.  Candidates believe what they hear, especially if it's bad.  What message are you sending to your potential candidates?  Are you on top of your PR strategy?  Is your company just recuperating between rounds, or are you down for the count permanently?  Surely, you care about every single one of your employees and the way you treat them on the way out will help you or haunt you when this economy turns.  Building your employment brand is never a bad investment and by doing this you'll be prepared to rocket out of the gate before your competitors when our economy rebounds.  We must think strategically about all this stuff, even though things are wild right now. 

This is the time every year for HR professionals throughout Maryland to get together in one place and learn not only from the great sessions and speakers, but also from each other!

This year's conference is entitled "Diversity and Inclusion: A Competitive Imperative" and will be held December 7, 2009, with a bonus SHRM Business Course on December 8th... Join 300+ of your closest HR friends this year at the UMUC Marriott Inn and Conference Center in Adelphi, MD.

This year's Keynote Speakers are Grace Odums and Eric Peterson, SHRM's Manager of Diversity and Inclusion.  Check out their bios by clicking on their names or photos.

An organization that recognizes and develops a culture that operates on acceptance can overcome diversity-related business challenges.  Increasing performance through enhanced engagement is just the beginning.  At its zenith acceptance of diversity of thought can drive a shift in organizational culture that stimulates creativity and innovation, and engenders and appreciation of all aspects of diversity. - Audra Bohannon 

This conference has been pre-approved for recertification credits with HRCI for 6.75 hours on December 7th and 7.5 hours on December 8th.

REGISTER TODAY!

 

Congratulations on getting that interview!  You’ve been sending out resumes and applying for jobs online.  You crafted that perfect cover letter, found a position you qualify for and have been selected for an interview!  That’s awesome!  Celebrate for a few minutes but then it’s time to prepare for it.

Research – Do your best to research everything you can prior to the interview.  Of course you’ll study up on the company but also look into their competitors and the industry as a whole.  Find out as many specifics about the job as you can.  See if the company website has info about the recruiter you’re interviewing with.  Look for recent news articles too.  You’ll touch on a few things naturally while interviewing.  This will make you look good.

Questions – Write a list of questions to ask.  Typically the interviewer will ask what questions you have toward the end.  If they don’t bring it up go ahead and tell them you have a few questions.  Having good questions shows that you care enough about the position to be well prepared.

What to Bring – Be sure to bring several copies of your resume.  I would make it a point to also bring a few covers letters and printed references.  Of course, store everything in a professional portfolio.  Make sure you have a pen or pencil with you too. 

Getting There – Confirm the address and print a map.  Make sure you understand exactly where you’re going.  Ask about parking beforehand.  The last thing you want is to be late because you’re lost or didn’t know where to park.  In case of emergency bring the company phone number with you.  Call if you’re going to be late for any reason.

You’ve gotten your chance.  Make the best of it.  Good luck!

Ready to kick off 2010 with a big bang?  Join Jobing.com and many great HR exhibitors at the Maryland SHRM State Conference on Monday, December 7, 2009.  We'll be there meeting with more than 300 HR professionals from across the state. 

There is no better economic stimulus than to meet face to face with great human resource professionals that are in need of your company's services.  Maryland’s HR leaders will be drawn to this event for the outstanding networking and educational opportunities.  This event has been “sold out” the past 5 years! Sponsorships and exhibit space is limited to provide attendees ample time to meet you and learn about your products and services, without sacrificing session offerings or duration.

For more information on Exhibiting at the MD SHRM State Conference, visit http://md.shrm.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/?z=3&a=60 or contact Karlyn Young at KYoung@howardcc.edu.

AND... HR professionals... be sure to attend!  December 7th is worth 7.5 HRCI credits.  SHRM Business Course available on December 8th... For more information, visit http://md.shrm.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/?z=3&a=97.

(This post is based on some of the principles included in my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough which I wrote with San Diego-based executive coach, Duncan Mathison. For a free sample chapter, visit the book's official site: www.unlockthehiddenjobmarket.com )

If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll know that I’ve been writing about networking a lot lately. Or at least it seems like it. Networking, networking, networking. Maybe it’s me but don’t you think that when you say it out loud enough, it begins to sound like earwax? Okay…it’s probably just me.

Networking doesn’t have much appeal, does it? It doesn’t sound nearly as much fun as going to your local Applebee’s with some friends for a beer and some wings. Now there’s a problem with even that Applebee’s scenario. Based on the emails I’ve been getting, a lot of you are feeling that you don’t have too many friends either. And the ones you do have are getting, like, really tired of hearing you talk about your struggles to land a job. And you’re getting really tired of talking about it too. In fact, you’d just wish they’d change the subject.

I don’t think my readers are social losers. (At least I hope not, but, then again, what are you doing reading this blog post when it’s such a pretty day outside?) When you’ve been out of work for any amount o time, it’s easy to feel that you have run aground in the contacts department – especially in recent years when we’ve all been so busy taking care of our jobs and our families. We’ve let outside friendships perhaps atrophy. Maybe all your friends were work-related. And now that you’re out of work, you’re also fresh out of buddies. Or you’ve moved to a new town where you really, really don’t know anyone.

Whatever the reason for your feelings of isolation, you know you have to mix it up a little bit, well, a lot. Get some fresh meat, I mean talent, into your tight circles of relationships. Get out of the house. So I thought I’d offer some tips in that direction.

Remember that one thing leads to another. The thing about circulating is that your first dip into big world probably won’t net you a job. It’s a cumulative kind of thing. So leave that desperate, graspy, over-eager feeling at home when you head out the door. Just be open to meeting who you meet. Maybe tonight you’re destined to actually help someone else. And you’ll come home feeling just a little better about yourself.

Look for opportunities where you can become a regular. And no, I don’t mean the Applebee’s bar. When your face starts becoming familiar, you will emerge from invisibility to someone who people will be glad to see. Maybe they’ll even shout out your name, like, “Norm!” (But don’t count on it.) If you try a business mixer or worship service or volunteer opportunity, and people completely ignore you, keep going. Week after week. Introduce yourself as often as you can. And just let the cumulative effects of time work their wonders.

Stay away from solitary pursuits, even if they’re out of the house. Going to a matinee movie doesn’t count as “getting out there.” Go to local economic development or chamber of commerce meetings, receptions, mixers. Your local bookstore probably offers booksignings, author lectures or special classes. A friend of mine who is a professional coach is part of a team who gives courses at Whole Foods! Go! The home improvement stores offer free courses. Go! The American Red Cross offers courses in first aid, cpr, etc. Go!

Make job-related networking events only a small percentage of your out-of-the-house activities. First of all, you’re so much more than unemployed. And you need to nurture those other parts of who you are. At the very least, this way you’ll lead with an opener that’s so much more interesting than, “Hi, gotta job?” But most importantly is that your self-definition has a chance to stay strong and defined beyond this immediate need of landing a gig. You will also stand a better chance of meeting people other than fellow job-seekers. You know…people who already have jobs? And who would be thrilled to help you get inside their companies or organizations.

Learn something. Go to local college courses – especially the ones at night, when employed people go to school. You don’t have to matriculate and take on the expense of a formal semester. Continuing ed courses can be inexpensive. The teachers are often professionals in the community (hint: employed people!). It’s probably best if you took a course that would help you be more qualified for the kind of job you’re looking for. But even taking a non-job related course will at least remind you that there’s more to life than your daily bread (although, it’s kind of hard to make that argument right now, I know).

Teach something. Surely you know something that will benefit others. How to read, for adult literacy programs, for instance. If you have a profession or skill that’s useful in the for-profit world, surely you can introduce at least the basics to young people. Convene a panel of other experts and put on a program! (You’ll be able to find a venue. A friend of mine hosted the annual meeting of his professional association – on the premises of the company that had just laid him off. Awkward.)

Volunteer. Those same skills you can teach you can donate. It will make you feel good about being who you are and what you can do. That boost in self-esteem will give you the added confidence that will send out the signal that you’re a valuable contributor to the world.

Call old friends – even if they haven’t heard from you in a long time. This is where Facebook comes in handy. The other day I heard from a dear friend for the first time in about 8 years. We’d been looking for each other off and on over recent years but, thanks to Facebook, she found me first! And we talked on the phone for a full three hours. A lot of it was catching up. But, she was also very candid about the fact that she needed some professional advice from me. Did I see this as a cheesy ulterior motive? Heck no! First off all, I owed her a gigantic favor from 10 years ago (I mean, huge). Secondly, I love her and I know she loves me. So whatever I have is hers. (Advice, I mean.)

Ask for introductions. Unless you’re a bitter whiner who needs to blow your nose and brush your teeth (and, uhm, a little roll-on?), the friends you have should be happy to give you introductions you need to move your job search forward. If they’re reluctant to help you, find out why. Wouldn’t you want to know the truth, especially if it was something you could fix? And, if they’re possessive with or protective of their contacts to the point where they’re keeping you from helping yourself, or making you feel judged, it’s best that you should know that now. You might have just discovered a brand new opening in your group of friends to fill.

They say that once you achieve a certain age, it gets harder and harder to make new friends. Everyone is set in their habits, patterns, commuting routine, relationships. Well, one of the upshots of these economic times is that everyone is thrown higgledy-piggledy into a big pile of confusion and some flavor of disconnectedness. Now is a fantastic time to build new circles of friends and business contacts.

And vow to take better care of them in the future. Like, don’t wait 8 years before picking up the phone.

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension or California (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

 

In recent weeks I’ve been watching events unfold in Sedona  -- that whole James Arthur Ray thing and how people died in an ersatz sweat lodge.  I suppose for many people, a terrible event such as this (where people paid $9,000 for the privilege of dying a horrible death, surrounded in the gloom by their vomiting and fainting companions) is so exotic to most people that “that could never happen to me” is a thought that briefly passes through our minds.  And that would probably be true.

 

However, this whole clutch of motivation and self-help teachers has been bugging me over recent years. While a multitude of programs are offered every year that don't involve ambulances and homicide investigations, many of them are damaging in the way they take advantage of intelligent, open-minded individuals looking for a better way out of frustration and despair.  And the cumulative effect of little damages everywhere can also be very destructive indeed. And I’m worried that the general public might be even more at risk as the economy continues its stagger, stagger, crawl mode.  These are emotional frontiers we’re in, folks, and the woods are lousy with snake oil salesmen – people who promise to give you a breakthrough secret to life in a week or a weekend, for the price of a semester of college or a small car.

 I have had in my bookshelf for a couple of years now the book, SHAM, by Steven Salerno. And I’ve been really reluctant to read it. Primarily because I knew he would blow the lid off of the mechanics behind self-help gurus and their business models. And at the time I was also reading Martin Seligman (the very legitimate founder of the very legitimate positive psychology movement), and I was also dabbling in more than a little Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Marianne Williamson and even Joel Osteen. And, frankly, I liked the way their messages made me feel.  And while I certainly didn’t buy The Secret’s promises hook, link and sucker (I mean, sinker), having grown up in a family whose mantra was mainly, “ain’t it awful, ain’t it tragic,”  I knew there is definitely something to be said for willfully focusing on the positive side of things. If you have read my earlier postings, you’ll know that I believe that a positive attitude is more conducive to creative thinking and endurance during a time where everything seems to be hitting the fan.  At least it makes the ride a little more tolerable.

 But I also know a manipulative head-game when I see one. (At least I hope I do.) I certainly learned to recognize the signs when I’ve bought into one, much to my ever-lasting regret pretty quickly thereafter.  So, I thought I’d lay out a list of danger signs for you – with the hopes of helping you keep your money in your pocket.  (I get the fact that this could mean that I might miss out on a few sales of my own books – but at the end of this post I’m actually going to offer you my first book for free. I won’t even ask you for your email address as one of those cheesy quid pro quo gambits.)

 Avoid any course with titles containing such words as “breakthrough,” “success,” “transform,” “dream,” and whose tuition includes a comma.  Speaking from personal experience here.  These kinds of courses are mostly warmed over material drawn directly from the texts of books that you can purchase for $20 to $30.  There will be much playing of John Denver and hugging of total strangers  -- most who look like they either haven’t been hugged in decades or they’re really really really looking forward to hugging you. The break times are dedicated to urging you to sign up for the advanced course at twice the price (but today – and only today – slashed to the same amount you just paid for the basic course). My memories of those break times involve softly trance-inducing singing from the stage and a certain zombie-ness of the people moving to the back of the room where tables are conveniently set up, where staffers cheerfully accepted credit cards. Did I get anything of value from that basic week? Yes…my mastermind group is still intact after almost five years. We meet on the phone every other week and have become supportive friends. But have our circumstances changed significantly since we met that that “breakthrough” week?  Nope.  (As you can imagine, I’m usually the cranky one on our phone calls.)

 If you go to any course with a title that includes the words “spirit,” “warrior,” “vision quest,” make sure there is an EMT on call at all times before laying your money down. Most spiritual quests are flat-out scary. Who are these people to say they know the way, and will lead us there through a regimen of fasting, meditation and bodily deprivation? The way people refer to spirituality as Spirit, as if Spirit is their next door neighbor with handy cable piracy skills, is revolting. And the way white Americans romanticize the mysteries of Native American life and traditions is deeply hypocritical or willfully shallow. If they’re so enchanted by the Native American way, how about coming out to the Southwest, don't stop at the spas or casinos, and spend that week teaching Native American children to say no to crystal meth addiction and alcoholism? Share the inspiring benefits of your own education, skills and privilege, rather than trying to siphon off a few sips of mysticism from authentic traditions that you will never get anyway?

 If someone wants to teach you how to be rich (for whatever price), first find out how he got rich himself.  Look at the frequent fliers of this particular line of work, and you’ll find out that most of them got rich by sticking their hands into pockets of people just like you (and me). And they’re getting richer.  Did he ever grow a company, other than the staff of eager minions he has working for him now? Did he turn around a major corporation? Did he emerge from his own family of alcoholics and desperados to blaze his own trail by making something or contributing something useful to society (that is other than an ultra-expensive retreat)?  Is he an unimpeachable researcher who has the gift of translating esoteric, hard-to-understand information into immediately useful ideas that anyone can have for the price of a book?  That might be someone worth paying some attention to.

 When someone tells you that you’re nowhere without his secrets or gift, laugh and walk away. Need I say more? Okay, I will. I know of one so-called Buddhist guru (she’s American) who actually replaced the words “Higher Power” in the 12 Step Program with her own name.  That’s amazing. But what’s even more amazing is that hundreds of otherwise intelligent people said, “Duh, okay.”

 Just say no to any product marketed to you via email by someone you’ve never heard of but endorsed by someone you have. These people exchange mailing lists, knowing full well that purchasers of self-help products are the most likely to come back for more and more. The cynicism is mind-blowing.

 Avoid self-help books that were Number 1 on Amazon for, like, three hours one day.  Again, it’s the lists at work. These people know how to game the system and they use each others’ lists to snag that coveted spot, even for an instant. This way they can call themselves “bestselling authors.”  Big whup.

 Don’t give up your own dreams.  Life is full of true mysteries. My personal favorite one is the mystery of synchronicity. I’m a total sucker for those stories, and I have true, first-hand stories of my own that would curl your hair. But I wouldn’t bet the ranch on a synchronicity that I perceive to be an omen. (Even though, in my heart of hearts, I kind of hope it is.)

We all need fresh infusions of inspiration now and then. And  personal growth does involve keeping your mind open and venturing into uncomfortable zones now and then. But no breakthrough experience should necessitate group puking or even close bodily contact with strangers to the strains of “Sunshine On My Shoulders.”

 Keep your wallet in your pants. Or purse.

 (Now for the free offer:  I will give you a free copy of my very first book, Find Your Calling, Love Your Life. For absolutely nothing. Not even your email address.  Just go to www.unlockthehiddenjobmarket.com and click the green button that will lead you to free downloads. You can also have a free sample chapter of my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market.  Naturally, my coauthor and I would love it if you also purchased that book. But you know what? You don’t have to.)

 

 

 

As part of my job here at Jobing.com I receive a lot of feedback and comments from job seekers.  The number one comment lately has been a lack of communication from employers.  People who interview for positions aren’t hearing back from the employers.  Often times, the interviewee has been told, “We’ll follow up with you either way.”  These job seekers use words like frustrated, insensitive, demoralizing and inconsiderate.  Most of them would love a simple note saying the position has been filled.

We’ve all been stretched at work recently as companies must find ways to become more efficient.  Sending out a quick email to everyone who interviewed for the position isn’t that tough.  It could come from HR or the hiring manager.  The job seekers don’t care.  They just want to know.  If the fear is starting a confrontation use a no reply email address.  Better yet, tap in to the potential of your ATS and let the technology work for you.

This little bit of goodwill can go a long way for your company reputation, referrals and even the bottom line.  

This is a post by Jobing.com Social Media Manager, Brett Farmiloe.  Thanks Brett

In case anyone was wondering what the fuss is with social media, here it goes.

What is social media?

Social media is an integration of words, pictures, video and/or audio with an element of human interaction. (Essentially, the words, pics, videos are the "media"...the human interactivity of commenting on a Twitter status update, tagging someone in a Facebook photo, watching a video on Youtube and forwarding on to your friends...that's the "social" element of the umbrella term, 'social media'.)

A couple other fun stats to throw around about social media:

3 out of 4 Americans use social technology - Forrester Research, 2008 (Meaning, not just Gen Y. This means that my mom and my dad are my friends on Facebook.)

Visiting social sites is more of a popular online activity now than checking personal email, Nielson 2009

93% of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media (meaning, users are open to being a fan of your company on Facebook. It's not intrusive if your company is on there...as 300,000 businesses have found out on Facebook (currently, 300,000 business have Facebook pages)

Of the 4,000+ tools that can be grouped into the growing 'social media' bucket, there are only about 4 or 5 that matter when it comes to recruitment.

1) Facebook. The reason it matters in recruitment?

There are over 300 million users on Facebook.

There's no other social media site or tool that's better to brand your company. On a fan page, you can share video about what it's like to work at your company, show them what it's like to work at your company with photos, and you can post status updates that go directly to a fan's home page. Plus, there are a couple recruitment applications that integrate your jobs into Facebook and allow fans to share these jobs with their friends (Jobing offers this application, plug intended.)

2) Twitter. The reason it matters in recruitment?

You have to look at Twitter as a chat room and as a listening tool. You listen to the people you're following, and you chat with the people who are talking about your company by monitoring with tools such as Tweetdeck or Twitter Search. All Twitter is good for is for your company to interact with potential candidates so it positively impacts your brand.

3) Linkedin. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Allows recruiters to mine a database of resumes (aka Linkedin profiles) to find potential candidates.

4) Youtube. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Video arguably is one of the best branding tools for a company. Youtube is one of the largest search engines on the internet. Put the two together and you've got a winning social media site.

5) Myspace. The reason it matters in recruitment?

Myspace is the forgotten son of social media. The other week I was in Texas and asked a woman who was the HR manager for a call center if she had looked into using Myspace to recruit. She responded by saying that Myspace was full of pedophiles and teenie boppers...which may be true, but it still doesn't change the fact that more people go to Myspace than Twitter and Linkedin. The numbers and traffic alone make Myspace a tool to keep in the tool belt.

Whew! Those are the tools that are slowly changing the world of recruiting...

Brett Farmiloe is the social media manager for Jobing.com. He'd love it if you became a fan of Jobing on Facebook, and a follower on Twitter. Ecstatic, actually. Also, feel free to contact and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or by good ol' email (brett(at)jobing.com) for any social media questions.

Martha Finney's new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market:  6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough, is available online and in bookstores everywhere. Follow her on www.twitter.com/hiddenjobmarket.

Last night I received an email from a reader who had this to say:

"What if I'm not shy? What if I'm just not good at the art of shameless self-promotion and have difficulty identifying my value proposition? Then what?"

Hmmmm. Hate networking as shameless self-promotion? AND you're having trouble identifying your value proposition?  If you had one of those two problems, I'd take you at face value. But put the two of them together, and I'm hearing code for "shy."  But, whatever, call it what you want.

I think you might have missed one of the core points of my earlier post on networking shyness.  To wit: Even though you're networking to find and land a good job, if you hate networking, don't make it about yourself. Make it about discovering how you can contribute your gifts, skills and energy out there in the big wide world.

You can set the tone of how your networking activities come off. Networking is not about shameless self-promotion (unless you're a shameless self-promoting kinda guy, which evidently you're not). If you want a real, authentic, interaction with a full calendar of people who you hope will ultimately lead you to your next job, have a real, authentic interaction. You're out there trying to figure out how and where you fit in. If anyone criticizes you for that, well, that's their problem. Move along to the next appointment on your calendar.

Moving to your next issue about not knowing what your value proposition is, that's not an issue to take lightly. It goes straight to one of the main pieces of your place in the world. And with the marketplace changing as rapidly as it is, it's practically impossible to keep up with how your place in the world changes in relation to the world itself.  I think three generations of working adults are going through a mid-life crisis at the same time, right now.

The good news here, for you especially, is that if you're struggling with "who am I" questions, you're going to come off authentically humble in networking meetings. So instead of worrying about "shamelessly" promoting a self when you don't even know who that self is (at least vis a vis your working life), approach your networking from the point of view of gathering data about how you might fit into the changed world now.

Use your early networking meetings to ask questions. And be sincerely interested in the answers. Then ask more questions. And be sincerely interested in those answers. (Remember, we're talking questions about work, not "how're the kids?")  Eventually you'll start seeing how you fit into the world as you're coming to understand it because of those questions. And your value proposition will make itself known to you.

It's about questioning, not crowing.

(There are a lot of books out there that help you discover what your value proposition is. If you'd like to read a collection of inspiring stories of people on that journey, email me and I'll send you a free copy of my book Find Your Calling, Love Your Life.)

Most of us go into a job search thinking we may be a little rusty, but confident that, basically, we know what to do.  Then you do it, and the galling indifference and humiliating rejection begin.  Employers don’t acknowledge your resume submissions, executive search and staffing firms don’t return your calls, and recruiters act as if you are damaged goods.  It’s hard not to feel as if you’re a failure.

And yet, you’re not.  Let me say that again: You are not a failure.  You are not a loser or a deadbeat or a flop.  Your belief that you are (or your concern that may be) is based on two misconceptions.  You think your career should unfold in a straight line.  And, you believe that today’s job market is just like those of the past, only tougher.

Those views are widely held, and they are completely wrong.  They may have been correct in the 20 th Century, but today, they’re as accurate as a stock broker’s predictions.  So when you buy into them, you throw yourself into a well of defeat that leaves you believing that you’ve done something wrong.  Or, that you haven’t done something right.  Whichever it is, the conclusion you draw is the same: you’ve let yourself and your family down.

It’s a terrible self-indictment, and you don’t deserve it.  Let me say that again: You are not a failure.  Only you can get rid of that felling, however, and there’s only one way to do it.  You have to clear up those misperceptions.  You have to view the job market and the workplace as they actually are.  Not as they used to be or you wished they were.  Do that, see today’s world of work for what it really is, and you will turn what used to be called failure into what is now genuine success.

Correcting the Misperception of a Straight Line Career

You have probably never thought about it much, but if you’re like most of us in the workforce, you assume that a career will unfold today just as it did in the last century.  Your progress in the workplace will trace a straight line.  You’ll begin at point A and if you do well, you will move up to point B and from there, you will advance to point C and so on.  Ever onward and ever upward.

The image of this traditional kind of movement, of course, was the career ladder.  It prescribed one way up and you either kept moving along the rungs or you fell off, got pushed off or retired.  The dynamic was Darwinian, but at least you always knew where you stood.

Well, that career ladder is now gone.  It’s been tossed out by employers that can no longer support the human resource management infrastructure to manage your career for you (and everyone else).  The straight line approach has, as a result, been replaced by the zigzag career.  Ever forward, but not necessarily always up.

The image of this new kind of movement is the career jungle gym.  As you may recall from your schoolyard days, the jungle gym had two alluring qualities.  First, you got to pick your own way forward—there was no teacher and today there is no employer telling you where to go.  And second, sometimes you might move straight up, but occasionally you would move from side-to-side and even down and around to get where you were going.  There was no discredit, disgrace or dishonor in the path you picked, because (a) everyone got to pick their own way and (b) if you kept your eye on your goal, you would eventually get there.  The same is true with your career.

Correcting the Misperception of a Normal Job Market

It would be reassuring, I guess, to believe that today’s job market is just like the ones of yore, only tougher.  If that were true, we would at least know the rules of the game.  Unfortunately, however, it’s not.  The rules have changed, and we must adapt if we want to succeed.
Historically, we had a “come as you are” job market.  In other words, the skill set you had in your last job was sufficient to find a new job.  All you had to do, therefore, was update your resume, send it out to a bunch of employers, do a little networking around the edges and bitta-bang, bitta-boom, you would land a job that was as good as or better than the one you had before.

Today, the opposite is true.  If you are in transition, the skills you had to be effective in your last job are not sufficient to find a new one.  If you have any doubt about that, consider this: given a choice between two equally qualified candidates, one who is employed and the other who is in transition, recruiters will select the employed candidate 99.9 percent of the time.  Why?  Because, whether it’s true or not, they believe the employed person is more capable and therefore more likely to make a valuable contribution to their organization.

How can you overcome such a disadvantage?  You have to reinvent yourself even as you are looking for a job.  Update your skill set or add a new skill that will enable you to apply what you can already do in a broader set of circumstances.  Enroll in an academic or training program or take a course from your professional association, and then, add that fact to your resume.  Such a notation demonstrates that (a) you understand the importance of always getting better in today’s workplace and (b) you take personal responsibility for doing so.  Those two attributes will help to set you apart in the job market and restart your career.

Looking for a job in the current environment is definitely frustrating and often discouraging.  It does not, however, make you a failure.  Let me say that again: You are not a failure.  What’s happening today is simply proof positive that the rules of the game have changed.  If you change with them—if you correct the way you look at the job market—you’ll have what it takes to turn what used to be called failure into the modern definition of success.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

A friend of mine recently lost his job.  We spoke shortly thereafter and he was doing several things that really impressed me.  I’m certain that he will find employment soon as a result.

1.        Stay Positive – When losing a job, your first reaction might be anger, resentment, sadness, etc.  The sooner you clear your mind of these thoughts the better off you’ll be.  Wallowing in self pity will not help your cause.  Instead, look for positives.  Maybe you’ll really love your next job!  Maybe your next employer will pay you better, treat you better or give you better benefits!  Perhaps you’ll find a new passion! 

2.        Ask Around – My friend did a number of smart things right away.  He spoke  with his former co-workers about finding a new job.  Several had suggestions based on things they noticed and had even interviewed for recently.  My friend also visited the company he worked for prior to his last job.  They are currently in talks about getting back together.  Lastly, he shot an email to his address book mentioning his need to look for work again.  I’m certain at least a few people will recommend a contact, resource or actual job opening.

3.        Be Flexible – If you are currently out of work, take stock of how long you can reasonably pay the bills.  Some of us are in better shape than others.  Based on this, determine how flexible you must be.  Maybe you’ll have to accept a little less money this time around.  Perhaps you should consider a slightly different field of work.  Take a transition job if that makes sense.  Heck, I’d deliver pizzas, shuffle boxes in a warehouse or bus restaurant tables to stay busy and pay the bills.  There are many things available that still allow time to focus on finding something you really like.

This blog was originally posted several months ago.  My friend ended up taking a relatively low paying position with a retail store near his house.  He intended to keep the job until finding something in his field.  Since then, several other employees left the store and my friend developed a great rapport with the owners.  He's been trained for all positions, was upgraded to full time, has received two raises and sees a management opportunity coming up soon!!!

My friend Patricia is probably the only person I would call a natural networker. Her worldly possessions have been in storage for most of the last 10 years as she goes where her heart tells her to (always beautiful places: Hawaii; Aspen; Naples, FL;  San Diego; hey! Why not?). Jobs and projects fall into her lap no matter where she goes (and right now she’s in Austria after having spent a couple of weeks in Spain).  She always has friends to stay with or a house to borrow.  I would say she’s female version of Tim Ferris. But she’s her own self.  And she makes her way in the world through relationships she builds along the way.

 

You ever have one of those right-words-at-the-right-time moments that blasts all your illusions away?  Patricia gave me the right words at the right time and showed me the way to think about networking.  It was a few years ago while she was visiting me on Cape Cod. I was feeling rudderless, pitiful, unnecessary, unwanted,  all those un’s that make it such a drag to get up in the morning. Patricia and I were sitting in the livingroom wrapped in blankets and drinking coffee (well, she was drinking herbal tea, of course). I was saying that I just couldn’t bring myself to knocking on Cape Cod businesses begging for a job.  And she gently said this:

 

“It’s not about what you need, it’s about what you can contribute.”

 

Oh.

 

Ohhhhhhhhhhh.

 

I’d been thinking about networking all wrong! It wasn’t about what a pitiful needy, loser, user I was. It was about letting the world know that I was here to help. Patricia certainly isn’t a needy, loser, user. She moves through the world like a queen (in a good way), and people take their cue from her – treating her accordingly.  And she benefits a lot of lives as she goes.  She may not have a permanent address (other than her Naples PO box). But she has real friends who love her, and she earns an honest living (thanks to laptops and cell phones), growing spiritually, emotionally  and professionally along the way.

 

You may not want to live the life that Patricia has (although, for me, every time she breezes through Santa Fe, where I live right now, ever fiber of my being screams ROAD TRIP!).  And you may not have the flexibility of treating the entire planet as your own personal marketplace.

 

But then again, maybe you do.  At the very least the marketplace that you most naturally belong to needs you! But it may not know you’re there. If your resistance to networking is keeping you shy, I don’t blame you. So maybe the thing to do is examine your beliefs around networking. And maybe change your mind just a little.

 

Networking is a waste of time.  It could be, depending on what you expect from your networking activities. If you want a job right this very minute (of course you do, just bear with me here for a minute), you’re probably going to think that networking activities are a waste of time because what are the chances that any given networking encounter will result in a job offer? To be honest – practically zero. 

 

Yes, I get that you need a job – right this very minute. And networking will eventually bring you that job. But it’s a cumulative effect kind of thing.  One person leads to another who leads to another who leads to five others.  As my coauthor for Unlock the Hidden Job Market, Duncan Mathison, says: Networking is about planting seeds. Lots and lots of them. Some will sprout. But the more networking you do, the more of those seedlings will sprout. And some – not to drive a metaphor in the ground or anything – will bear fruit.

 

Still not convinced?  What are the chances that staying at home will result in a job offer? Guaranteed: Zeeee-roe.

 

The only people I meet at networking events are people who are out of work themselves. That would be true.  Those networking events are the worst.  They suck the life right out of you. They waste your time. And feed your growing sense of despair and overwhelm. So. Stop going to them.

 

Networking is not  about going to networking events. It’s meeting people one-on-one, showing sincere interest in what they do, your shared industry or profession, your community, future trends, ideas, etc. 

 

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t network with other people who are out of jobs. But still make those one-on-one events, high-quality conversations where both of you end up with a growing list of ideas, connections, phone numbers, companies, introductions. 

 

People don’t want to meet me. How do you know? Somewhere someone needs you.  And that will only happen if you get the heck out of the house.

 

Just because you don’t have a job, that doesn’t mean you don’t have value and that you have nothing to contribute. People need you. To use Patricia’s philosophy: Get out and find out who they are.  Under other conditions would you let negative self-talk prevent you from lending a hand where your unique strengths and gifts can really make life easier for someone?  Of course not. So why let the inner gremlins have the power now?

 

People only want to hire to people who already have jobs. That’s a myth.  If you’re unemployed right now, you actually have some advantages working for you.  You’re available now.  You’re not coming in with that entitled “what can you do for me” attitude. You won’t be taking their offer back to your current boss to try to snag a sweeter offer.  Everyone knows that really great talent is on the loose right now because of the massive trend of lay-offs.  The fact that you’re between jobs right now is not a black mark on your record.  It’s just one of those things.

 

There’s no point in starting now, since the holidays are around the corner.  Wrong. This is absolutely a terrific time to look for a job. Budgets are being formulated for Q1. So while you might not start until January 1, you’d be making great use of your holidays by networking your brains out.  And just think,  if everyone else thinks that there’s no point in job hunting right now, you are out there with very little competition.

 

For a great article on this subject, check out: T’is The Season To Follow the Money.

 

I look like hell.  That might be true. If you’ve been stuck at home all day, not having seen the business end of a razor in weeks,  it might be time to put on your go-to-meetin’ clothes (assuming they still fit) and see if your car will start.  

 

Not judging here. In recent months I’ve been stuck at home writing books. Yoga pants and t-shirts have been my friends.  My business clothes have been on the floor, serving as bedding for the cats.  And just yesterday I spotted a coyote sauntering past my windows. And, while I was admiring its glossy coat and bushy tail, the thought came to me that it is better groomed that I am.  I picked up the phone and made an appointment. For tomorrow.  Can’t wait.

 

If you look like hell, you know what to do.  You probably won’t look like Heidi Klum, once you’ve spruced up. But you won’t look like Tom Hanks in Castaway either.

 

People will know that I’m only networking because I need a job.  So what?  You’re not the only one looking for a job. The question is: are you the person they’re looking for? It’s up to you how they’ll regard you. They’ll take their cues from you. If you act ashamed or frustrated, they’ll pick up shame and frustration and treat you like you have a contagious disease.  Figure out what it will take to behave with confidence, calm and professionalism. And do that.

 

Focus your conversation not on what you need but on what they need, what they think, who they might introduce you to, who you might introduce them to, etc.  Remember: It’s about contribution, not need.

 

I’ve already done everything I can think of to get my resume into circulation. No you haven’t.  Networking is not about bugging your family, friends, the Rotor Rooter man. A reader actually wrote to me saying that she gave her resume to her mail carrier.  

 

Networking is about expanding your circles of contacts, acquaintances, colleagues. It’s about making lists of people and their phone numbers. Then picking up the phone and calling those folks.  It’s difficult, I know, especially for people who don’t enjoy calling strangers.  But remember, you’re calling colleagues and peers…people you have something or someone in common with.

 

These are people you might be able to help.

 

And that’s what it’s all about.

 

Special note from Martha:  These principles have been borrowed from my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market, which I wrote with Duncan Mathison. To learn more, visit our website!

The utility of social media sites as recruiting resources has been challenged by a recent Workforce magazine article on the compliance issues and potential adverse impact of over-relying on them.  The social aspects of our profession remain important, however, even in what have traditionally been unsocial sourcing methods.  Indeed, the Internet has actually created a social side to online recruitment advertising.

There are five dimensions to the social side of posting a job ad on the Web:

The sites you select;

The title of your posting;

The content of your posting;

The follow up communication with applicants; and

The candidate experience that follows your advertising interaction.

What’s social about these advertising activities?  Let me explain.

The Sites You Select

The key to effective online recruitment advertising is to initiate a social interaction with the right candidate population.  And to do that, you have to advertise on the right sites.  Unfortunately, there is no one site that will connect you with 100% of your target demographic.  Shotgunning your ad out over the Web simply makes your organization look as if it doesn’t know what it’s doing.  A better strategy, I would suggest, is to select 7 specific sites using the formula 2GP + 3N +2D:

2GP or general purpose posting sites where you can probe the full range of prospects online;

3N or niche sites where you can plumb the full depth of the candidate population—use one site that targets the occupational field for which you’re recruiting, one that covers your employer’s industry, and one that specializes in the geographic location of your opening; and

2D or diversity sites so that you ensure (and prove) that you’re making a good faith effort to tap all of the talent in the candidate population.

The Title of Your Posting

The title of your posting is your greeting to candidates.  It’s how you introduce your organization and its brand as an employer.  The surest way to get the interaction off on the wrong foot is to use bureaucratic position titles—Research Scientist VI—or unintelligible abbreviations and in-house jargon.  On the other hand, you can effectively convey a “candidate friendly” message by providing a title which enables the reader to decide quickly and accurately if the opening is for them.  Such a title has three elements that form the acronym LSS:

L or the location of the job—generally people want to work where they live;

S or the skill and skill level required to perform the job—Senior Pharmaceutical Research Scientist; and

S or sizzle—some aspect of your culture, compensation system or community that will set your ad apart and make it especially intriguing or appealing.

The Content of Your Posting

The surest way to be viewed as an anti-social advertiser is to create a posting that is uninformative, incomplete, boring, filled with misspellings and grammatical errors, or all of the above.  You’re trying to establish a relationship with the best candidates, so show them the same courtesy and respect that you would like to be shown if you were in their shoes.  What does such an ad look like?  It has five sections that form the acronym S-ABC-S:

S, the Summary or first four lines of your ad are your invitation to top talent to read on—if you create an interesting and compelling message, they likely will (even if they’re employed), while the opposite message will ensure they won’t (and all you’ll get are the most desperate of applicants);

ABC or the body of the ad—it presents the position’s requirements and responsibilities but does so from the candidate’s perspective, and what they want to know about are its Advantages (for them), its Benefits (tailored to them) and the Capabilities they must have to be successful in the role;

S or the Sign-off is best viewed as a call to action—encourage the reader to take one or more of three steps: apply for the position, refer it to others (because top talent knows other top talent) and/or opt-in to an ongoing dialogue that you maintain with potential applicants.

The past five years have seen advertising, in general, become much more interactive and engaging, especially online.  Those of us who are trying to sell the best prospects on our organization’s value proposition as an employer would do well to follow that trend and focus on the social side of our recruitment advertising.  I’ll finish the last two of the five dimensions of that strategy in my next column.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including Recognizing Richard Rabbit, a fable of self-discovery for working adults, and Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

As a recruiter in today’s marketplace there’s no doubt you see a lot of great candidates.  Some of them you just have their resume.  Some of them you interviewed.  At some point in the future, when unemployment shifts again, you’ll be wishing for the days when good applicants were easier to come by.  What are you doing to keep in touch with these people? 

I recall years ago a software company in California that received recognition for a system they developed to keep in touch with great applicants.  Some candidates were narrowly edged out during interviews.  Some were people honing their skills and would develop into future talent.  Whatever the case, this company wanted the ability to stay in touch.

The organization designed a special page on their website which contained company information and the status of upcoming positions.  They told people what skills would be desired in the future.  A monthly newsletter went out via email.  By adding a little marketing twist, people became interested in the company and were hopeful a position would open up fitting their skill set.  People told their friends and colleagues about this cool company.  Those people got in on the action.

You know how things turned out.  The employment market tightened up.  Good people, especially skilled people, were becoming very tough to find.  The organization I mentioned was easily able to find the people they needed while other organizations struggled.  They were able to move quickly, make great hires and the business prospered!