Blog entries March 2009
03/30/2009Sentences That Speak to Me
Note from Janice - No matter how "together" the next guy appears, when no one is looking he too falls apart! Thus, these words help me when I need help starting my motor!
- You will never leave where you are until you decide where you want to be.
- Stress is always caused by doing things you know you shouldn't do and not doing the things you know you should do!
- You will never do anything well until you do it many times poorly.
- The real measure of your character is what you would do if you knew you would never get caught.
- You will always find the time to do the things you really want to do.
- The reason people fail is not because of what they don't know, it is because they refuse to put into practice that which they do know.
- Winners finish what they start!
- Nothing matters until you make it matter!
Janice Worthington
03/25/2009Lakeland's Job Shop
Last Monday I had the pleasure of speaking to the Job Shop participants at Lakeland Community College. I met some of the finest talent I'd seen in one auditorium. Engineers, Controllers, Manufacturing Managers, Marketing Managers, Account Executives, Advertising Managers, IT professionals and Technical Writers. Great signature statements!
But what made the day special was the presence of the Baby Boomer faction and I liked that! Sure lots are looking for work but those of us educated in the 1960s and 1970s know what we need to do. 90% of success is just showing up and we did!
On my way to Cleveland from Columbus I stopped at Cracker Barrel and purchased an authentic box of Cracker Jacks. We don't see them much anymore. They have gone the way of telephone booths and typewriters. But the Cracker Jacks served to remind me that we who remember them must remember to move beyond what we knew and reach for what we need to learn that will get us all hired! For instance:
1. Learn to Twitter! I didn't know what it was last year but I'm finding job openings for my clients in my network. There is no intimidating technology required; just go and explore.
http://www.twitter.com/ I'm ExecJobCoach on Twitter. Follow me! It's free!
2. Use LinkedIn! If you want to go to work for Cleveland Clinic or Nationwide Insurance find out who works there and ask for help! Connect with colleagues, ask for endorsements and be willing to endorse others! Let people see you! It's free!
3. Pursue companies that have jobs compatible with your skills. Don't just wait for job openings! Go to them and let them know you're ready to do the job! I have two clients seriously interviewing with a company that has official openings for neither!
4. Dress up! If you look like you're ready to clean the garage I'll question your judgment. You never know who your going to see and there's nothing worse that a sloppily dressed Baby Boomer!
5. Don't be cynical, arrogant or bitter. Oh sure have at it for the first couple days after you get downsized but then leave the negativity for good! Companies need heroes and encouragers.
Try to remember the last time you survived challenging times. We survived wars, protests and assassinations in the 1960's and if we persevere and be there for employers to see us, there will be job offers. Remember people who don't get hired either don't know how or aren't willing to do what it takes! Thanks again, Lakeland Job Shop... see ya next year!
Janice Worthington
03/20/2009Meet Your Coach & Network!
Monday, March 23, at 9:00 AM
Lakeland Community College's Job Shop
7700
Clocktower Drive -
Kirtland, Ohio 44094-5198
My topic will focus on the Job Search Triathlon...
Preparing a Killer Resume
Networking into an Interview
Being Chosen! Getting The Offer
Lakeland Community College is located at I-90 and Rt. 306 in
Kirtland (main entrance is just south of I-90, to the left). The presentation will take place in Room T-129. As you come up the main drive from Rt. 306, take a right at the stop sign. Continue counter-clockwise around the campus, making a right turn at Building E (before the second story pedestrian
connecter bridge). Keep going counter-clockwise until you come to a small traffic circle. T-Building entrance will be to the left.
Janice Worthington
03/16/2009From a Strong Job Seeker!
Last week I was downsized, again. This is not the first time I've been displaced; several years ago my previous company was acquired. After three weeks in an outplacement workshop I was on my own. I never believed this would happen the first time; now here I am again, a veteran job seeker.
To those who seek to offer comfort, please don't. I won't go gently into the realm of "everything happens for a reason" or "when a door closes a window opens." I'm mad as hell and now possess a power I never thought possible. To those I will soon be meeting in the interview marathon please know the following:
I give myself permission to be angry and sad for two weeks - Well maybe a month, but I'm not going to put on my game face just yet. Anger turned inward is depression and I can avoid emotional immobility by allowing a designated period of time to grieve. Those I can trust need to be willing to listen endlessly to my ritualistic ranting until I tire of such activity. Only then can I move on in a position of strength.
I refuse to be devalued because I'm not working - I am still worthy of the package I was paid when I was laid off. However I understand the crisis at-hand in some industries, and while I know I might have to be financially flexible, I will not allow you to negotiate my compensation toward a lower package because I presently have no paycheck.
I refuse to get lost in your database or human resources chasm - I will be compliant in submitting my resume to your web site but I will not allow you to reduce me to a file amidst thousands of others. I will learn enough about your company to be able to make contact with associates who work there; I will seek folks who might be willing to network me in or even hire me directly!
I refuse to allow you to invalidate me with rejection - I understand the competitive nature of the job market. If you choose another I will not be diverted from completing my mission. Who I am is based on how I am and what I've accomplished, not merely by your random selection. I will allow myself to be disappointed but not stalled. I know that no champion wins all matches. In job search it only takes one victory!
I'm not old or over-qualified - This rationale is merely a quick fix to avoid admitting to myself that I may have under-performed in an interview. The sooner I get real about my mistakes in this journey the sooner I will succeed. I can't blame decision makers for the message I failed to deliver. My performance under interview interrogation could well predict my performance on the job. If I weren't a potential fit you wouldn't have extended an invitation. It's easy to write-off mistakes with excuses, and it's wrong.
Janice Worthington
03/09/2009Your Layoff Is Unique - Just Like the Rest of Ours
Joe Cortez is my guest blogger this week. A veteran of television news, Joe is also a victim of this economy's circumstance. He can be reached at josephlcortez49@yahoo.com.
It is happening left and right these days - after years upon years of service to a company or career, the great boss in the top-level corner office whom you've never even heard of has summoned you. Fearing the worst, the sum of your sleepless nights and stowing away money comes true. You are being laid off not because of poor performance, but because the company can't afford you anymore. It isn't personal - its just business.
As this is my third time being unemployed in the last 12 months alone, I feel qualified to give some advice on how to deal with things. While it is a blow to one's ego (three times to mine), there are healthy ways to approach this.
- When was the last time you took a little time off? I'm not talking about going on vacation, or taking a trip away - I'm talking about taking a little time for you? Doing what you want to do? Now that you're unemployed, you have that luxury - and if you have a severance, you have that advantage a little easier. Take a week or so, and do what you want to do. Work on that lawn chair that has been squeaking, or take a drive in the country. It's your day off... all week!
- Once your week-off ends, its time to get back to the job of job hunting. When was the last time you looked at your resume? If you're like me, it has been neglected while you've been employed. No time better than the present to look at it, and have it polished until it shines for your new employer!
- Pound the pavement. I'm sending out at least ten resumes a day. Why? Because the wider I cast my net, the more fish I'm bound to get. As a former journalist, I've got many skills that I can apply to data entry, writing, office work, anything along those lines. But I'll never know how to get them if I don't at least apply. That way, I can say that I'm doing everything I can until that perfect career comes through.
- Relax - I'm not the only one in this situation right now, and neither are you. This is a tough market all over right now, and sometimes doing everything you can is good enough. Remember -you are a smart, capable, and hard working person just caught in a bad situation. Don't get down on yourself because you've sent out 25 resumes and aren't hired yet. Keep trying until the right job hits. I've been forcing myself to eat at regular intervals, and have been playing The Sims 2 when things get too stressful. Find something that gets your head refreshed when things get too heavy, but remember to come back to your task before you get too carried away.
This is not the end of the world. Keep your head up, and keep moving forward - that next opportunity could be as close as turning the next bend! And remember: no matter who you are and what you were relieved from, you are never alone. Your individual situation and layoff is unique - just like the rest of ours.
Janice Worthington
03/02/2009Don't Wear a Tee Shirt to a Job Fair!
Been to a job fair lately? You know those places where company representatives put up display booths to meet 'n greet prospective employees. Last week 4,755 job seekers attended a job fair at the Columbus Zoo. Times are competitive all right so job seekers need to make sure they are strong hunters and good competitors. Silly as it may seem here are solid rules for impressing at job fairs:
Don't Wear a Tee Shirt - Remember before employers hear you they see you, and if you dress in flip-flops and shorts what sort of judgment does it indicate you have? Be sure your clothes fit!Sometimes we don't want to admit to a size increase but as you walk up to me you don't want to look constricted. Wear comfortable shoes.
Don't Eat the Candy - Actually I wouldn't remove anything from the employer tables. No pens, no pads of paper and no squishy balls. You are there to communicate with people not objects! Eating can really be tempting. I love those caramel wraps but they ruin your image... not to mention your figure!
Bring Resumes and Business Cards - Bring a pad of paper and a decent writing instrument. Your pen won't really be scrutinized unless you're unaware and bring the ball point that the baby chews at home. Bad things are memorable. Be organized and be ready to store the materials you receive while passing out your information.
Don't Wear the Dolce Gabbana Perfume - Should you dab a bit too much and should the employer be allergic you might do yourself more harm than good. In fact don't wear anything that can be misconstrued as sexy. What worked at the club won't do the job anywhere else.
Have Your Signature Statement in Tact - You finally made it to the front of the line and you're shaking hands with the first contact to your next job. This is the time to discuss what you have done and what you have to offer a company. Learn the concept of 15 second communication; that may be all the time you have.
Janice Worthington