Career Management Alliance Blog

I just finished reading Career Distinction by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixon. The authors stress the importance of proactively and continuously building professional credibility, visibility, personality, and professional style to build and nurture your personal brand. This strategy is one of the most important components of an effective career management strategy. Arruda and Dixon speculate that in the future, employers will be actively looking for candidates with greater frequency than candidates will be looking for employers. Therefore a strong on-line presence will be key to a candidate’s future job search success.

One of the best ways to assess the strength of your current brand is to monitor your on-line identity via a regular Google search. Arruda and Dixon recommend Googling yourself every Monday morning to stay on top of your identity metrics. Keep track of the number of times your full name (enclosed in quotes) is listed and the relevancy of each listing. If you have no Google presence or if you share your name with others, don’t despair. It’s never too late to start building your own unique on-line brand. Check out tools such as Zoom Info, Ziggs, and Naymz to get started. Everyone will need at least “15 minutes of fame” (or at least three relevant pages on Google) to compete for jobs successfully in the 21st century.

Posted by Barbara Safani

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Stanford University Professor Robert I. Sutton recently published a very interesting book. More than likely you won’t find the title in any print publications (well, except for the book itself) because the title is, well…it’s very descriptive. Most individuals can probably think of at least one person they work with now or in the past that fits the title.

Professor Sutton theorized that it might be good for organizations to keep a token individual around just to show the other employees how not to behave. However, since writing the book, he cited more recent evidence showing even one of these people in an organization could produce a downward spiral. It’s the “one bad apple can spoil the bunch” routine.

According to Sutton, the consequences to an organization may include:

- Anger management and other training to reform bad behavior
- Legal costs for inside and outside counsel
- Settlement fees and successful litigation by victims and the perpetrators
- Compensation for internal and external consultants, executive coaches, and therapists
- Health insurance costs

So, how do you spot one of these individuals? Sutton lists examples of their common everyday behavior:

- Personal insults
- Invading personal space
- Uninvited physical contact
- Threats and intimidation, both verbal and nonverbal
- Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as insult delivery systems
- Withering e-mail flames
- Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims
- Public shaming or status degradation rituals
- Rude interruptions
- Two-faced attacks
- Dirty looks
- Treating people as if they are invisible

Are you one of them? Take this quiz to find out. Read the questions carefully and answer truthfully. If you’re like me, you might find that you are not a “certified” individual, but might be on the borderline. If so, pick up the book – and try not to let the title offend you.

Posted by Michele Haffner

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In April ’07, blogs were buzzing about Marilee Jones, who left her job at M.I.T. because of a lie she told years ago… The basic learning point = telling lies may result in shame and perhaps, being fired. In June ’07, Jack and Suzy Welch, the GE power couple who became Business Week pundits in January 2006, wrote about the importance of being truthful during the interview process. The basic learning point = telling the truth may result in being hired.

Their point is one that I like to stress: candidates must present a credible picture of themselves.

* Few candidates over the age of 30 have pursued a career path that has not included a few speed-bumps. The reasons for such bumps are legion, and the assignment of blame something that we need to “get over.”
* Decision-makers are likely to be more than 30-years old; you can be sure they’ve experienced some disappointments along with their successes.
* It is likely that your self-reflective, non-judgmental, and mature analysis will be disarming: people will like you! After all the degrees, accomplishments, and keywords are posted, it comes down to “fit:” people hire those whom they like.

Career decisions are not without emotional baggage and consequences; work through your “Grief Cycle” and recognize your strengths with the help of a job search strategy coach.

* Listen to your former colleagues and your current network for clues as to what happened in the previous position - look forward.
* Test realistic solutions and investigate new opportunities through networking, reading, and self-reflection - look forward.

When you are ready, present yourself as a credible candidate by demonstrating that you are self-reflective, that you accept ownership for your behavior, and that you have gained insight that will help you be more valuable as you move forward.

The friend described in Own Up to Getting Sacked was offered a new job within weeks of telling a prospective employer: “I’m sitting here with you because didn’t have the guts to move out employees who couldn’t meet their numbers, and I tweaked costs instead of taking the full-bore approach that was necessary. But I can assure you, those mistakes won’t happen again. Let me prove it to you.”

Recognizing and telling the truth is a powerful job search strategy…

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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Clients tell me this is one of their toughest challenges. I know it is. Still, by devoting yourself fully to work during work hours, and working steadily on your job search during off times, you can make progress in both. Is there a project in which to engage at work? Are there colleagues to mentor? Can you write operating instructions or improve processes? By continuing to achieve at work, you diffuse suspicion that you’re looking. Plus, the possibility exists that you may stay with your current employer, or ask to return (it happens).

But, “I hate my job!” You can still be productive if you can find your “flow.” Behavioral psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s, author of Finding Flow: the Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life, describes “flow” as a time when you truly become engaged in your work. In his research, Csikszentmihalyi found that when people are doing tasks they want to do or have to do, they are generally happy or at least engaged in their activities. It is in the period of time when they have nothing to do that they flounder. Wandering aimlessly and proceeding without goals seems to be the nastiest form of punishment for most people.

So, here are a few tips for finding your flow:

- Develop a job-search plan and work the plan. The feeling of making progress and advancing your goals is a key ingredient in the flow.
- Avoid turning important job-search processes, such as networking, into unplanned activities. Rather, set weekly goals and check them off as you achieve them.
- Recall a time when you were confident, powerful, poised, charismatic, etc. Think about how you felt both mentally and physically. Put yourself into that same frame of mind and make a networking call. Now, imagine doing your next interview with that same level of enthusiasm.

Posted by Michele Haffner

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While the story in the Wall Street Journal Online, “Firms Tidy Up Clients’ Bad Online Reputations” is extreme, it drives home a critical point. Your digital identity is permanent. And it is important. So much so that there is a whole industry cropping up to help people whose online identity paints a less than desirable picture.

Words are powerful. Once you commit them to paper, hit send or post, and send them out into cyberspace, they can reappear at the most inopportune times.

Like, for example, after a recruiter reads your amazing resume, but before he or she picks up the phone to call you because he is one of the 85% of recruiters who use online resources to uncover “information” about candidates and among the 35% of recruiters who eliminate candidates based on what he finds.

Or, when you have an opportunity to meet with a very influential contact following a warm introduction, and he happens to be one of the 23% of individuals who Googles a colleague prior to meeting with them for the first time.

Go ahead and pound the keyboard in a moment of anger or passion, just don’t hit the send button until you have thought about what you’ve said, how you’ve said it, and who might find it in cyberspace.

Posted by Cindy Kraft

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Graduates who weren’t scooped-up by the campus recruiters need not despair: 2007 is projected to be a good year for all grads. According to a survey of employer job postings through Monster Worldwide:

• 76% of employers reported that they plan to hire 2007 graduates in the spring and summer, an increase from 72% in 2006.

While the outlook is good, the competition will be keen: the same survey reports that:

• 73 candidates will vie for each entry-level opportunity.

Dustin Hoffman, The Graduate in the Mike Nichols film, may have preferred
the following tips to the suggestion that he pursue “plastics:”

• Present yourself as a whole person - write a strong “Profile” statement that tells the reader who are. Save the “Objective” for your targeted cover letter.
• Practice networking by talking with people in situations that are natural and comfortable for you, e.g., graduation parties, summer jobs, stores.
• Be able to speak the language of the field you want to join. Read business newspapers and magazines, listen to NPR, read business-related blogs. Would you play soccer without cleats, shin guards, and a ball? Don’t think so. Then accumulate the tools you need to be a player in business.
• Ask people about their career choices: how they found their way to their current jobs, what they like and don’t like. Use your ears in proportion to your mouth - listen twice as much as you talk.
• Once you have gathered data about yourself and the careers of others, practice telling your personal story - where you’ve been, what you have to offer, and what you’d like to explore or do. K-I-S-S…

Remember that networking is a reciprocal activity: do some thinking or research so that you have something to offer those you recruit into your network. Don’t use people like tissues - nurture your network for a lifetime of career success.

While you may have graduated from a degree program, there is tremendous value in
practicing everything you learned in Kindergarten. Accordiing to the MonstrerTRAK survey, 35% of 2006 graduates did not send thank-you notes. In the spirit of Mr. Robinson, remember the most important two words, “thank you.” Say it and
write it - in a timely manner after every encounter, and in a tone that reflects your sincerity.

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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When I counsel clients on their job search during the summer months, they often tell me that they plan to put their search on hold because they
think that everyone is out of town and no one is hiring during this season.

Actually, the summer months can be the best time to step up your search campaign because so many applicants believe this misperception of the market. Consider the
following:

Fewer people in town could mean more opportunity.

Savvy job seekers know that the more visible they are, the greater the chances of meeting the person that can connect them with a viable job opportunity. This concept may be even more important when you are searching during the summer months. Some job seekers make the mistake of taking a break from their search during the summer months because they assume that no one is in the hiring mode. The reality is that
summer networking may be more productive. Decision makers’ schedules are not as tight and they may be more generous with their time. By establishing relationships with the key players now, you are more likely to be remembered when the hiring picks up.

People do more entertaining during the summer months.

Fourth of July weekend is synonymous with firing up the grill, throwing a pool party, and planning informal gatherings. These venues are excellent opportunities to reconnect with old friends and hook up with new contacts. There is always a chance to share information about what you do at these events.

Networking options increase in the warm summer months.

With the warm weather comes the opportunity to network in places that you can’t network in the colder months. One such place is the golf course. Golf continues to be one of the most effective places for referrals and new business. If you have children, consider spending more time with them in the playground. Parks are filled with people who have connections to others. Parents tend to gravitate to certain playgrounds on a regular
basis so you have a chance to establish and grow the relationship over several visits. Bring along toys that encourage cooperative play including balls, Frisbees, and jump ropes and you’ll have an audience of eager kids and adults in no time.

Family obligations may be reduced during summer.

If you have older children, your family obligations may be reduced during the summer months. Children typically aren’t juggling as many activities and their time away from you may be extended if they are in a day or sleep away camp program. This could be the perfect time to participate in some early morning or after hours meetings and activities that are difficult to commit to during the school year.

Establishing relationships in the summer time is an excellent way to make inroads
with decision makers who may be hiring in the fall. Hiring managers may be more accessible, more relaxed, and just in a better frame of mind during the summer months.

Posted by Barbara Safani

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A recent article in SHRM’s HR Magazine (subscription required) suggests that some of today’s job seekers have studied interview books so thoroughly that it is hard for the hiring manager to uncover authentic answers to their questions. Candidates are answering questions with what they believe is the “correct” answer as deemed by a book on interview strategy rather than speaking about their specific experiences.

Nothing kills a candidate’s chances for a job faster than a perceived lack of authenticity. When I prepare candidates for interviews, I recommend forgetting about the interview books and concentrating on success stories. Write out your stories using the PAR system. Look at Problems faced on the job, the Actions you took to fix the problems, and the quantifiable Results of your actions. Look for trends within your stories and group your experiences into categories based on the story themes. Create groupings of stories that effectively demonstrate your competencies as a leader, decision maker, creative problem solver, collaborative business partner, or anything else that is an integral part of your professional brand.

By using this strategy, you eliminate the need to use stale responses to the hiring manager’s questions. Regardless of the question asked, you will have an authentic story that demonstrates your competency within a given area. Good interviewing is all about building a relationship with a hiring authority. Offer responses that showcase your success and prove your value add. You will generate immediate credibility with the hiring authority and score big points in the interview game.

Posted by Barbara Safani

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