Career Management Alliance Blog

In today’s mail, I received a large envelope containing evaluations from two seminars I had presented in July. They were very thoughtful, kind remarks — no nasty ones. Whew! This one (below) though, absolutely blew me away! I am going to frame this young man’s handwritten words…scrawled on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of blue notebook paper:

Dear Billie Ruth Sucher,

Thank you for not being boring.

You are interesting.

Awake,

Andy B.

It is probably fair to say that in my 20+ years of getting feedback from program participants, this is simply the best and my favorite, by far! And yes, I am going to hang his soon-to-be framed letter on my office wall for all to see.

As a job seeker, consultant, entrepreneur, business owner, employee — whatever your role — take a moment to make someone’s day brighter with a little handwritten note. It doesn’t have to be a lot of words. Less is more. Make a little dent in someone’s life with a few good words.

posted by: billie sucher

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I had a call from a client yesterday needing a resume. She had been employed since college with one company - very rare, and thus had never done a resume. Unfortunately, her company decided to eliminate her division, so at the age of 51 she is looking for a job for the first time.

Have you noticed the signs of change on the job search front? Maybe it is just the end of the year budget crunch, but I’ve been contacted by former clients from at least three companies in the last week whose positions have been eliminated.

So are you prepared for a layoff? Does your resume reflect changes in your work status, a promotion, new technology you’ve learned, a hot certification you’ve earned? Peter Newfield, one of the top resume writers in the country, has a checklist in his newsletter, Job Seekers Secrets, that can help you determine if your resume needs updating.

And if you don’t have a resume, make it a priority to get one done ASAP. You never know what’s coming “down the pike” and it is always good to be ready should an opportunity present itself.

Posted by Julianne Franke

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Do people like you? Simple enough question, but is it tough for you to answer? What are the elements that make you likeable, anyway? Is it your…

Genuineness? Sincerity?

Approachability? Optimistic, upbeat attitude? Ready smile?

Unconditional listening? Caring, concern for others? Responsiveness?

Your happy demeanor? Competence? Willingness to take time? Comfortableness with self?

Ability to be the real you? True interest in others? Sense of humor? Trustworthiness?

Being there during the good and rough times? Willingness to laugh at self? Consistency?

Cooperative attitude? Kindness? Thoughtfulness? Being nice? Knowing who you are (and aren’t)?

Knowledge base? Integrity? Character?

In Tim Sander’s book, The Likeability Factor (Crown, April 2005), he talks about four aspects of likeability that you can measure and improve:

1. friendliness

2. relevance

3. empathy

4. realness

You can take his L-Factor Self-Assessment to see how you’re doing.

posted by: billie sucher

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In a recent article entitled Are You Stuck in a Toxic Job?, the global staffing firm, Robert Half International Inc., offers clues and quick fixes for determining if your career situation is potentially poisonous. Here’s a sampling from the article:

• The Wimpy Workload: Too many days of underutilized time might spell danger. Request a discussion with your supervisor on your interest in assuming greater responsibilities.
• The Sideways Shuffle: Although you’ve assumed increasingly complex and visible projects for the next level, the position you’re aiming for is not available anytime soon. Have a candid conversation with your boss about your career path.
• Big Brother Blues: Can’t seem to shake your boss from checking up on you? If so, assess your professional behavior to identify any potential problem areas that may be the culprit. Then develop and implement a performance improvement plan with your manager.
• Dynamic Deficit: If your responsibilities have become rote, you either need more responsibility, a different position or both. Speak to your supervisor about more diverse assignments.

It’s important to evaluate your career situation before it reaches a critical point. The article also presents a few tips on how to exit from your employer with grace.

Posted by Louise Garver

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Are career opportunities for older workers expanding?

I read a recent article offering strategies for career changers over 50 and it piqued my interest - seeing as I am among the 50 something set! This and other articles have stated that the shrinking pool of employment will open up more opportunities for older workers and that older workers offer benefits over younger workers - more loyal, dependable, and likely to stay in a position for a longer period of time. But is it really true that employers will be receptive to welcoming older workers back into the work force, even if there is a shortage?

A great majority of my clients over the past ten years have been 45 or older, unfortunate victims of corporate down-sizings. The majority of them were in the prime of their careers, having been steadily and progressively employed in their fields. As their coach, I helped many of them make successful transitions to similar employment or to new careers in some cases. Unfortunately, some of them were in the same position again when they were laid off several years later. They were in the vulnerable role of “last hired, first fired” or simply in a volatile industry such as the technology field several years ago. Sales people seem to have the toughest time as they get older. Many find they can’t continue to exceed sales quotas that are constantly being raised especially when they are competing with their younger highly ambitious sales counterparts.

So what kinds of opportunities are out there for the older, semi-retired or career changing 50 or 60 something professional? A 2003 survey by AARP identified the 25 best companies for older workers based on benefits and work/life balance. The companies represented in their survey are concentrated primarily in the health care, financial, and higher education fields, as these are suffering the greatest impacts of the worker shortage. And technical expertise is always in demand, providing options for consultants, as long as their expertise has not been outdated.

If you are in one of these select fields, you may feel some relief if you are looking to work for awhile or returning to work after retirement. But if you are an aging sales representative or in a more volatile industry, you are still at risk. A study conducted in 2006 by the University of Michigan found that only half of older workers (56 or older) that were displaced found new jobs at their level.

What can you do if you are at risk? I recommend you visit an excellent online resource on the Quintessential Careers site Job and Career Resources
for Mature and Older Job-Seekers — Including the Baby Boomers. It has some great tips and information. You can also develop new skills such as technology skills or other technical skills that are marketable. Finally, if you find yourself unemployed, unhappy in your job or at risk of losing your job and don’t know what options are out there, hire a career or life coach who can help you find your passion and support you to make a successful transition. It’s worth the investment.

Posted by Julianne Franke

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Charles Schultz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip, wrote a book called Happiness Is a Warm Puppy. I thought of that recently when I came across some articles on the subject of happiness at work. According to a Time Magazine blog, a Gallup Poll shows that 77% of Americans hate their jobs.

In a Boston Globe, article, author Penelope Trunk listed five factors that contribute to happiness on the job. Her factors were:

1. A short, predictable commute
2. A thermostat you can control
3. Workflow you can manage
4. Clear goals that are challenging
5. Respect

Looking at matters from the opposite perspective, Patrick Lencioni has written a book called Three Signs of a Miserable Job, in which he offers three elements that contribute to unhappiness:

1. Irrelevance
2. Immeasurability
3. Anonymity

Or maybe the secret to happiness lies in the solution a former client of mine came up with when she negotiated an unusual perk: the opportunity to bring her dog to work with her.

Posted by Wendy Gelberg

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I love it when clients are well-prepared for our meetings. For instance, last week a new client pulled out a one-page agenda. He’d brought an extra copy for me. Organization. Details. Love it! Question number one on his notepad:

Am I too old?

Not good at guessing people’s ages, I ball parked his age at maybe 35. So I read aloud his question…Am I too old? I asked him to tell me more about that. He did, too. He proceeded to explain that he’d “heard” that you needed to be “established” in a career by age 35. I asked him if he believed that. Well, he didn’t know what to think. “I’m 37 and still trying to get it together.”

What’s old, anyway? Is it the age of 42? 70? 64? 53? 37? I don’t know. Are you too old?

posted by: billie sucher

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