Blog entries January 2009
01/30/2009How to Deal with Challenging Times
- Accept the fact that these are unusual times and be prepared to do unusual things. Be willing to relocate, work odd hours and maybe take a second job. Don't be too proud! Be a survivor till the sun comes back out.
- Understand that this is not the time to change careers without years of advanced training and preparation. Today's competition will trump your inexperience. If you can, stay in your field...for now!
- Don't take anything personally. It hurts to get down-sized and terminated. No response from a weak resume hurts as does no offer from that interview you thought you nailed. These are performance factors upon which you can improve. You mojo's not gone; you just need to learn how to deliver.
- Have get-togethers with family, friends and other job seekers. The presence of people will make you feel better and may bring opportunity as your network increases. The most enjoyable entertainment involves people not stuff.
- Talk to someone who's been through the Great Depression (if you can find someone) and they'll tell you that this too shall pass. It always does. Perhaps it's time we realize that the things that bring the greatest joy in life are not for sale.
- Take a bridge job. That's a job that will bring in money while you wait until you can again, be a careerist. You won't be judged badly for feeding your family. Only a Martian won't understand why you took your fashion background and took a job at Home Depot.
- Don't skimp on your job search. It's self-defeating and there's too much competition to take chances. Hire a job search coach, have your resume professionally written and don't cut corners on your interview clothes. Getting eliminated from going back to work because the next guy's resume had more punch is tragic and unnecessary. If you get hired one week early you'll make your investment back!
Janice Worthington
01/23/2009Are You A Deer in the Headlights These Days?
In my career coaching practice I never find myself preaching to the choir. These days there are no choir members in my office, only plenty of deer blinded by headlights, and oddly the longer my two-legged deer remain paralyzed by the unexpected, the more their vision declines. Except for an occasional morsel of counseling, the choir doesn't require my assistance at this time. The choir visits me every couple of years, and its members were last seen by me in the late the 1990's. Because they had the foresight and insight to continuously reevaluate their career paths, faithfully witness and study changing employment climates and stay abreast of hiring trends, they now know what to do. The following is a mere small sampling dedicated to those deer wishing to be in the choir:
Any entrepreneur or commissioned-only professional understands survival mode. It not only requires unexpected lifestyle decisions and changes upon demand but only succeeds in the presence of optimism. "We all lost money in the markets, but I didn't want to retire anyway." "Did I really need a larger house?" "Let's drive instead of flying the family this summer; we need to see more of our country." "Or better yet, let's enjoy our city." Get it?
Last year I watched "Saving Private Ryan" and last weekend I finally saw "Windtalkers," a proud account of how our Navajo brothers saved the day during World War II. Later that evening I channel surfed into "The Patriot," Mel Gibson's reality reminder of the ultimate sacrifices required during the American Revolution.
We are not the first generation to experience challenging times. And like those before us we will adjust and survive. Our past and current American military stays prepared, sleeping with one eye open to what may happen. Soldiers sometimes sing when they practice marching into battle. Perhaps the American worker should adopt this spirited example and forge ahead!
Janice Worthington
01/14/2009Career Coach Takes A New Job!
No that's not me! That's Adam Worthington, of the 137th Aviation Regiment, Ohio National Guard. He left for his Iraq mission in 11 days ago to return in January 2010. He has a wife, two teen-agers, two brothers, a sister, a mom (me) and dad. We all have new jobs.
My guess is that if you're reading this blog you also have a new job! If you're the one on a mission for a new place to land let your job search be conducted with optimism and courage. Know that you have access to career experts for leadership, encouragement and a never-ending stream of advice. Much like our troops you will perform better if you establish a network of like-minded job hunters. Going it alone depletes your spirit.
At his Call to Deployment ceremony our soldiers were reminded of how proud we were of their strength. Dignitaries and military commanders each stepped up to speak. We too, were reminded of our call to duty as families.
On Saturday, January 3rd we families were called to be supportive and to realize that without our soldiers for a year, each day would be less than perfect. Mollie will get her driver's license, Morgan will turn twenty, and I will text my soldier every night, not for his response, but to remind him each day that I'm onboard for the long haul.
So whether a spouse, neighbor or child of a job hunter you also have a call to duty. We will all have challenging journeys in 2009 but we also have the responsibility to fulfill our obligations as encouragers till we can truly say, "mission accomplished!"
Janice Worthington
01/08/2009Operation Landing- 2009
Advice on Getting Hired from EmployersStephanie Watson, Director of Human Resources, Heartland Bank--- "Never make assumptions. When you show less respect to someone you assume is a secretary, receptionist, or assistant you take two risks. One, the person you are talking to may be an officer in the organization who will be upset by your disrespect. Two, the person may have more influence in the decisions his boss makes than you have given him credit for."
"Be precise when you answer questions. Interviewers get distracted just like everyone else. When you give unnecessary details or take too long to get to the point of your answer, you may lose the interviewers attention and therefore his or her ability to appreciate what you have said."
Artie Isaac...Former President, Young Isaac, Inc.--- "Be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone else. We've hired people who were not genuine when they interviewed. In the end, usually after just a couple weeks, they were revealed. Suddenly, everyone recognized that our decision to hire (and their decision to accept) was a bad idea. Be yourself and (as my eighth grade grammar teacher often said), 'beat the rush, embarrass yourself early.' That way, you're more likely to get a job that matches your true self."
Liz Lane...Managing Editor, WCMH NBC-4 News--- "In TV newsrooms you must be aggressive. Show us you know who you are!"
"Believe it or not, READ THE MORNING NEWSPAPER!!!! (You have no idea how many don't!!!) Even if you have to read it online, get a sense of what is going on in the world today. Know your community. You are living in it...working in it....playing in it, so I shouldn't have to tell you who the Mayor of Columbus is!!!!"
Janice Worthington