Career Management Alliance Blog

Over on the Compensation Force blog, there’s an interesting post about internal job posting policies at large companies and their potential impact on employee retention. Companies with strict posting policies that state that employees must be in their current jobs for one or even two years before posting for a new position may inadvertently be sabotaging their retention strategies. The new crop of Gen Y job seekers are ambitious, demanding, question everything, and less loyal to their companies than past generations according to a recent article in Fortune Magazine. Posting policies that were accepted by the Baby Boomer generation may be difficult for the Millenials to swallow. My prediction is that the companies that break away from structured job posting policies will fare better over the next decade and be more successful at retaining key contributors and building increased loyalty towards the organization.

During your job search, it’s important to find out as much information as you can about a company’s culture. If upward mobility is an important priority for you in your next job, try to learn about the job posting policies in your target companies so you can achieve your career goals at a rate that is appropriate for you.

Posted by Barbara Safani

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I certainly don’t need to tell you that a job-search is stressful, especially if it’s being conducted from a place of unemployment. Most searchers go through a range of emotions including anger, anxiety, shame, and sadness. For some the roller coaster ride is the most difficult part of the entire process. The good news is that the ups and downs can be leveled out and the length of the ride reduced. Here are a few tips:

- Manage emotions. Anger, for example, is a normal emotion. When you feel anger, a good way to control and shift it is through physical activity, such as going for a vigorous walk or run. You can also set a time limit for how long you will allow the emotion before you set it aside and continue working on your search. For example, “I will feel sad for 30 minutes, then I will take a 20-minute walk and make three phone calls.”

- Control negative “self talk”. Negative self talk can be paralyzing. Listen to the things you say to yourself and reframe them. Instead of “I will never get a job in this economy,” reframe it to say, “I am employed full time in the job of locating my next fulfilling and satisfying position.” Or, “I’ve done it before, and I can handle this with ease.”

- Be consistent. This will eliminate a lot of the roller coaster ride. For most, this means developing a weekday schedule and maintaining some discipline around it. Set a goal and work backward. If your objective is to have three meetings per week, how many contacts must be in the pipeline 10, 20, 30? How many phone calls to get in touch with one contact 20, 40, 60?

- Work someplace else. If you tend to get distracted at home, consider working at a coffee house or library. Moving to a different location with people around is also good if you find your energy level waning.

- Celebrate your efforts as well as your successes, and be easy on yourself. If you find that you’re having trouble achieving your objectives, lower them until you can achieve them. Keep track, and reward yourself at the end of the week.

Posted by Michele Haffner

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Chances are your weekend activities will be punctuated by the realization that your day off was established as Decoration Day 139 years ago. The day was officially proclaimed to decorate the graves of Civil War Soldiers; today we recognize those who have served our nation in numerous wars.

Those who choose military or volunteer service generally do so because of their values and passion, and also as a means to achieve future career goals. In most cases, they are uncertain about their ability to pursue higher education, and their vocational path may not be appealing or clear. Perhaps this holiday weekend is an appropriate time to evaluate the cost – in life, limb, mental health, and dollars – that young people and their families pay in exchange for the promise of a career.

Financial aid and in-service education are offered to encourage military enlistment of high school graduates and college students. Some who promote the exploration of alternative funding sources criticize military recruitment ads, claiming there are strings attached to the Montgomery G.I. Bill that may diminish the value of the benefits advertised: ” ‘Join the Army and earn up to $70,000 for college.’ The ads seem to say that if you join the military, college is all but paid for. But only 35% of recruits receive any education benefits from the military. Most that do get money receive far less than $70,000.”

According to the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, those who enlist with the hope of securing education benefits may be steered toward the least transferable military jobs. Furthermore, students are required to complete their education within strict time limits that may be unrealistic for returning veterans who must earn a living while studying.

Conundrum #2 is that many military jobs do not easily transfer to the civilian workforce. Returning veterans are offered assistance from the Veterans Administration and local government-sponsored CareerLinks; unfortunately much of this assistance comes from civil servants who are not career professionals. Returning veterans would be wise to seek help from specialized career consultants; in addition, an excellent guide to many high quality and FREE resources is available online through Quintessential Careers.

Bob Woodruff, the ABC News anchor who experienced Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as a result of injuries incurred while reporting on the war in Iraq, has raised the nation’s awareness to the situation faced by the large number of veterans returning with physical and mental disabilities. This is conundrum #3 and it is a huge one: How will the nation’s employers and colleges respond to these scarred men and women who return from service and must find jobs and pursue careers? How will career professionals respond to the expectations of these potential clients? View this photo

In addition to the military, another option is National Service. Wikipedia lists 30 nations who offer numerous worthwhile options for those who want to serve without fighting. In the United States, those who opt for programs such as Teach for America (TFA) and AmeriCorps are competitively recruited from some of the most respected universities and colleges. Last year, 2,400 graduates accepted hardship teaching placements at very low salaries; similarly, 70,000 idealists joined AmeriCorps to work in fields such as education and the environment. Like their military counterparts, many of these stressed-out volunteers must pay to gain the educational credentials that are demanded of them while they are teaching (e.g. Los Angeles Unified School District. Once they complete service, those who wish to pursue advanced degrees must again compete with one another for the few scholarships and assistantships that are available.

So now that the issue has been framed, how can we go back to firing up the grill? What are your suggestions for cracking the career conundrum? Propose some ideas so we can enjoy the holiday without feeling guilty about the bargain that many people make in the hopes of realizing the American Dream.

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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Renee Montagne, a commentator and reporter on NPR’s Morning Edition – May 18th, asked a question that many prospective employers must ask when confronted with glowing written testimonials. If the outgoing President of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, “acted in good faith,” as their written statement indicates, then why is he leaving?

This is not the forum to debate the judgment of Mr. Wolfowitz or even the World Bank Board. The way in which “Wolfie” departed his post offers a teaching moment for those of us interested in references, recommendations, and testimonials. According to the 2004 Reference and Background Checking Survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 96% of all organizations conduct some kind of background or reference check on prospective hires, and almost 50% of survey respondents reported that reference checks found inconsistencies in dates of previous employment, criminal records, former job titles, and past salaries. So unless you are a high profile policy wonk, honesty is important.

*How can we reveal a credible and acceptable analysis of what may have been a tumultuous departure?
*How can we offer references and recommendations when employment may not have terminated on our terms?

For most of us, the reasons for our departure from a previous job are not so visible, political, or even egregious. Nevertheless, we need to be able to acknowledge our incompatibilities and look for a new start without the enmity or cloud of a former employer. Some ideas:

*Give yourself some time to go through the “mourning process,” which includes anger and denial. Once you are ready to accept the departure, identify what you gained from the previous position and prepare a self-reflective “exit summary.”

*Contact others with whom you’ve worked, e.g. other managers, colleagues, vendors, customers, and ask a few of them if they’ll serve as a reference for you.

*Coach your references so they can honestly speak to aspects of your work relationship that you believe represent your talents.

*Request written recommendations only if you are in a field that requires them, e.g. academia and teaching. Written recommendations for candidates in other fields are viewed as self-serving. Why would a candidate carry around and distribute a testimonial that was not glowing?

Most of us have encountered untenable situations in our work life, and we learn and grow as a result. As Oscar Wilde said, “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.“

Mr. Wolfowitz has apparently not learned from his mistakes, as he insisted that the Board share responsibility for his errors of judgment, and demanded that a written list of his accomplishments be published. We can do better.

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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How sweet it is to be affirmed in the venerable New York Times!

David Koeppel’s recent article, To Land a High-Paying Job, Some Try an Executive Coach offers anecdotal evidence of the return on investment that candidates can expect from employing a qualified career coach or resume writer.

A few points are worth emphasizing:

• Choose a reputable coach and rely on your instinct to select someone with whom you have good rapport. The NYT author recommends Coach U; readers can also use sources such as: Career Masters Institute, National Resume Writers Association, and the Professional Association of Resume Writers
• Executives understand that search firms represent the interest of their customer, the employer. For those seeking 6-figure salaries, the services, support, and motivation provided by career coaches is a worthwhile investment.
• Candidates must be willing to do his or her part; it is not reasonable to rely solely on the expertise and energy of the coach.

The author interviewed Kate Wendleton, president of the Five O’Clock Club in New York, who reaffirmed the additional benefits candidates can achieve through participation in group strategy sessions.

The most important take-away from this article is that utilizing the services of a career professional should save an executive candidate time in what is likely to be a 6-month search process.

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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There’s a great article in HR Magazine this month about the Y generation and how growing up with technology has influenced their expectations about work and brought new challenges to employers. According to the article, millennials are technologically savvy, exceptionally in-tune with global and diversity issues, team-oriented, and great multi-taskers. Growing up in a much flatter world where overseas friends can be made in a “click-beat” and kids and young adults routinely spend time in a chat room while downloading music and watching a You Tube video are proof that Gen Y’ers can excel at these tasks.

But they may lack certain qualities that their boomer bosses take for granted such as discretion, independence, realistic expectations, patience, and basic grammar skills. We may have MySpace, helicopter parents, and spell check to thank for these issues.

Every generation comes with its unique culture and experience and the Y generation is no exception. The takeaway is that over the next few decades, several generations of workers will be in the sandbox together and boomers, Gen X’ers, Gen Y’ers and whoever comes next will need to manage up, manage down, and manage sideways to build a profitable and rewarding work environment.

Posted by Barbara Safani

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After the cards, flowers, and brunch, what’s in store for Mom on the Monday after Mother’s Day?

*Chances are she is among the 65.7 million women who work outside the home

*According to a 2006 AFL-CIO fact sheet, being a mom means she is likely to be underpaid and underemployed:

• *Women >35 years of age earn 76% of the earnings of their male counterparts;

• *Women ages 16-24 earn 95% of their male counterparts

Families with working mothers are experiencing the “maternal wall” – a complex set of sociological and economic barriers that lead to a myriad of problems, including lost income, poor health, work-family conflict, etc. The maternal wall is sometimes imposed on working adults by employers whose workplace policies are not family-friendly. In this case, the maternal wall is known as “family responsibilities discrimination” or “frd” – a new name for a familiar barrier that prevents women from achieving economic self-sufficiency and parity.

The bricks and mortar of the maternal wall are issues like:

• While most parents work outside the home, childcare resources are frequently limited, expensive, and disappointing. It is a status symbol for a parent to be able to stay at home to raise children.

• While women have earned more bachelor’s and master’s degrees than men since 1982, many are squandering their education and experience as they opt for less demanding, lower paying, and oftentimes, “dead-end” jobs in an effort to achieve work/life balance.

• Careers that offer high salaries and status usually require work habits that conflict with raising children, e.g. expectations of 24/7 availability, travel, relocation, etc.

• Women who opt-out of the workforce to raise their families are taking a risk: they could become single parents or widows with limited work experience, undeveloped networks, and inadequate health care insurance and retirement security.

So what can be done about it? How to honor our mothers and grandmothers who have hit the wall?

• Lobby employers to adopt values neutral human resources policies, e.g. without respect to gender or family status

• Encourage a re-examination of 24/7 expectations of successful professionals/executives

• Use tele-commuting and other technological advances to help women and men remain current in their field and visible to colleagues and management

• Expand options for quality childcare and eldercare, and for childcare/eldercare workers

Volunteer for a sympathetic candidate’s campaign or join an activist group like MomsRising.org. or Women Work! Write a check to the political campaign of a candidate who supports polices to make America truly family friendly. Scale the Maternal Wall – Do it to honor your mother!

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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In a March 2007 survey of 309 employers, 89% said they would watch a video resume if it was submitted. The survey, conducted by Vault.com, a leading research firm, showed that while only 17% of the respondents had actually viewed a video resume, the majority are receptive to the concept. A quick search of YouTube turned up 1,100 video resumes; however a recent USA Today article reported the site contained more than 4,000 video resumes.

While YouTube may have spawned the idea, others have been quick to jump into the fray. CareerBuilder, Jobster, WorkBlast, and Vault are offering video resume services, and Monster.com is considering the idea.

My HR background of course had me wondering if it’s legal. Essentially, there is no legislation and little EEOC guidance around the use of video resumes. Employers are warned not to let any information related to race, gender, or disability affect hiring decisions (this law has been on the books as long as I’ve been around). Still, from a policy viewpoint, it should be interesting to see how employers react.

In the meantime, what makes a good video resume? According to CareerBuilder, you should:

– Keep it short: Three minutes or less, so busy hiring managers don’t turn you off before you’ve made yourself memorable.

- Dress for success: This is going to be your first impression, so dress like you’re heading for a job interview.

- Know your audience: Tailor your video for the job and industry that interests you. One-size-fits-all videos aren’t as effective.

- Say “cheese”: This is your chance to go beyond your paper. Rather than simply reading aloud, highlight your personality so hiring managers know you’re a good fit.

Posted by Michele Haffner

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Gaining the attention of the hiring manager through an on-line posting process is similar to trying to get an audience with “the great and powerful” Oz. Sometimes candidates feel like the list of job requirements on postings are of Herculean proportion and that they will only meet the expectations of the hiring manager if they can bring back the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Candidates are more likely to get in front of a hiring manager when they have built a relationship with someone who can advocate for their candidacy. Remember how much help the good witch Glinda was to Dorothy? Over on the Technical Careers at Microsoft blog, there’s a post that discusses what hiring managers look for in Design and Research candidates. I love the fact that this isn’t a standard job posting from some unknown company representative who is not willing to display their contact information. It is an inside scoop on what recruiters at Microsoft look for when filling these positions and the post invites conversation and offers visitors an opportunity to build rapport with a potential decision maker.

If you are in a job search, try to avoid the “man behind the curtain” who is trying to scare you with his overblown job description. Find the real decision maker and build a relationship with him directly. And when you get the interview, don’t forget to wear your ruby red slippers!

Posted by Barbara Safani

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Millions of job seekers and employers alike are using social networks to conduct searches. From an employer’s point-of-view, a social network is an excellent place to recruit qualified candidates that may not be in an active search. For a job seeker (active or not), social networks are a great place to obtain inside advice on companies and careers, as well as a vehicle to promote a personal brand. LinkedIn (LI) the best-known career social network, reported 89% growth in members from 2005-2006 and has more than eight million members.

According to eMarketer younger workers are more likely to view career networks as beneficial: 75% of GenYers said they viewed these networks as very important, compared with 66% of workers age 30-39 and 61% of workers age 40+. Jeffrey Grau, Senior Analyst at eMarketer notes, “The proliferation of social networking sites, blogs and online discussion groups organized around niche topics enables employers to find job candidates with specialized knowledge and skills.”

So, should you be running to LI and setting up a profile? Probably. You might consider at least checking it out. And, if you’re serious about using LinkedIn, join a user’s group such as Yahoo! Groups’ My LinkedIn Power Forum. In fact, Yahoo! Groups currently has 188 LinkedIn specialty groups based on occupation, geography, age, and other interests!

Finally, if you’re still not sure, read this comprehensive article at PC Magazine. It gives a full review including a helpful slideshow.

Posted by Michele Haffner

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