Career Management Alliance Blog

Every year on Halloween I always take note of the kids who have the most unique costumes. Usually they are home made and obviously required a lot of thought, time, and effort. They are memorable because they are creative, they make as laugh, they make us scream, or they even make us think.

Resumes are a lot like Halloween costumes. The best resumes, like the best costumes, are not what we expect. They challenge the senses and the mind. They make us think “Wow, this is someone I need to know” or “Maybe this person can help solve my company’s problems.” They invite conversation, inquiry, and perhaps even debate.

So who are you on your resume? Is your persona “off the shelf” and do you look like so many of your competitors, or are you different, exciting, and “custom made”?

Posted by Barbara Safani

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Last week, I was asked the following question and I thought it was a great one:

Is there a recipe for WOW?

At the time, I couldn’t think of a response — profound, so-so, or even lame, so I gave the inquirer my best answer, “I don’t know — let me see what I can come up with.” Since then, I have thought about it, and in fact, have spent a fair amount of time researching same on the Internet. Google to the rescue. Wow + recipe. I got a bunch of hits — 2.65 million to be exact, from bow wow to chicken wow to who-knows-what wow!

This may be the best recipe ever, or it may not be to your liking at all…to be sure, it’s an original. Check out the ingredients below and see what you can whip up to create your own WOW recipe for you and your career!

Assessment + action + achievement. Appearance + attitude. Ability + ambition.

Brand + best. Behaviors + believability + baggage-less.

Character + credibility + connect-ability. Confidence + common sense. Consistency + creativity. Coolness (as in okay-ness) with craziness + chaos.

Doer doing + details. Drive + determination + diplomacy.

Excellence in everything! Engaging + expert. Examples + energy. Essential + essence.

Fun + fail-proof + fear-less.

Giving + grace + gratitude.

Image + integrity. Intellect + ideas + imagine it + invested.

Just because.

Knowledge + know-how. Karma + kindness.

Lessons + learning. Likability + listening. Laughter + love.

Message + mantra. Marketing + measurement. Magic + mistakes.

Needs + necessary. Notions + no-nonsense. Networks + niceness.

Opportunity + obstacles + openness.

Perception + persistence. Problem-solving + practical. Pedigree + passion.

Questions + quirks + quest.

Relevance + resilience. Risk + reward. Reliability + resources. Results + reputation.

Sensitivity + solutions. Support + sensibilities. Skills + Sense of Humor.

Truthfulness + Timeliness + Trust.

Uniqueness + Understanding.

Value + Values.

Words + Ways.

Xcellence + Xtra. Xtraordinary + Xclamation!

You + yesterday. Years + yes.

eZ. Make it eZ.

Blend above ingredients together. Add a dash of optimism here, an ounce of change there, and a smattering of don’t take self too seriously everywhere. Stir well.

For best results, use fresh ingredients. Chill to desired temp. Add, reduce, delete ingredients to suit individual taste. Don’t overheat. Check to see that recipe rises as it bakes. If by chance mixture falls flat, dump it. Start over — from scratch. Repeat as often as necessary until you create a WOW recipe, just right for you.

posted by: billie sucher

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It seems to be a Law of the Universe: The phone call you’ve been hoping for will come at the least convenient time.

Maybe you’re just coming into the house and you grab the phone on the last ring. You’re out of breath and slightly distracted. Or you’re leaving the house, your mind focused on the activity you’re headed off to, when you turn back to get the phone, “just in case.” Maybe your kids are fighting in the background. Or, as a client of mine experienced, the call comes on your cell phone and you’re in a noisy grocery store aisle. Or driving.

All too often you’re caught off guard and you don’t have the presence of mind to handle the call as you would have if you had been expecting the call at that moment. Fortunately, the solution is easy and effective: Tell the caller you’d be happy to talk, but ask if could you put them on hold for just a minute so you can go to another room and take the call where there are fewer distractions.

They’ll say yes – they always do – and you’ve bought yourself a couple of minutes to catch your breath, clear your head, and organize your thoughts. Then,

• If you’re at home, find your job search files so you can quickly refresh your memory about this particular company and the position you applied for, and get your appointment book along with paper and pen to jot down a few notes while you talk.
• If you’re on your cell phone, stop whatever you were doing (pull off the road, please), and go someplace quiet where you get good reception. If you have the option to call back immediately from a landline, do so to minimize the risk of annoying the caller due to static or a poor connection. Get pen and paper ready.

Take a deep breath. Smile. Now you’re ready to return to the phone with a clear head and in command of the conversation. You can ask the caller to repeat any information you didn’t catch initially (because of the distractions you mentioned earlier), and after that, you’re off and running. For more information on acing the phone interview, check out the article from Anne Fisher, found on CNNMoney.

If you expect the unexpected, you won’t be caught off guard.

posted by Wendy Gelberg

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As a career transition consultant, I keep hearing the word “overwhelmed” said more and more by clients. Overwhelmed at work. Overwhelmed at home. Overwhelmed with the new job. Overwhelmed with no job. Overwhelmed by the job search. Overwhelmed by expectations of the new boss. Overwhelmed by …………………………(please fill in the blank).

And, I don’t recall hearing that word this much until the last few years. Now, it’s quite common. Just listen to people around you; even in casual conversation, you’ll hear the word creep into the dialog.

Do you ever stop and wonder why things are so overwhelming? Or, maybe you’re the type of person who doesn’t get overwhelmed? Overwhelmed can also have a positive connotation: I was absolutely overwhelmed the first time I saw the Grand Canyon.

Take a look at the specific words you inserted into the “please fill in the blank” space above. What, if anything, is within your control to help ease, change, diminish, eradicate or better manage your sense of “overwhelmed-ness”, if indeed you’re feeling overwhelmed?

posted by: billie sucher

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Although I believe in acta non verba, there has certainly been lots of talk at the 2007 meeting of public relations practitioners, held from October 20-23, 2007 in Philadelphia. Celebrity Keynotes have included Mia Farrow, Tim Russert, Donna Brazile, and native son, Brian Tierney.

My brother-in-law, Peter Brinch, has been bunking with us while attending this year’s PRSA International Conference. Peter, who is also published as Soren Brinch, is a business communications “utility infielder,” who also reviews books about and specializes in organizational crisis management.

During our limited time together over the last few days, we Boomers have been discussing the merits of the new social media, including podcasts, blogs, and social networking tools, including Facebook and LinkedIn.com. My question to the readers and bloggers of the Career Management Alliance is:

Are we well ahead of the curve…are we trendsetters, smart followers, or are we late bloomers…as we use these tools to grow our businesses, and to raise the online profile of our clients?

For some interesting reading related to blogging and marketing for small businesses, check-out some of the gurus of the Public Relations field:

• Paul Gillen is a specialist in advising business-to-business marketers on strategies to optimize their use of online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is particularly interested in social media and the application of personal publishing to brand awareness and business marketing. His new book is: The New Influencers (2007)

• Eric Schwartzman established his Los Angeles-based firm in 1999 to offer technology, media and entertainment clients a full range of public relations services with an emphasis on integrating the Web into every aspect of media, community, analyst and industry relations. Schwartzman is a known advocate and early adopter of leading-edge technology, such as blogs and podcasts. He is offering a New Media PR Boot Camp on November 6 & 7, 2007, to be held at New York University. (PR Boot Camps are scheduled in locations throughout the country through the end of the year.)

Peter and I challenged one another, going ’round and ’round about self-marketing and personal branding! We agreed that technology will drive even more radical changes in communication in the years to come. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, we can only imagine “…the Places We Could Go”

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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A recent blog post on the Executive Recruiter’s Exchange network caught my eye – the heading read:

“No women at the top at Apple”

The article, based on an Oct 16, 2007 story in the San Diego Mercury News highlighted the fact that the glass ceiling is still prevalent, especially in California. The fact that Apple Computers, one of the top technology companies in the world, does not have a single woman in the executive suite, in a state considered to be one of the most progressive in the nation is a real eye opener. A 2007 survey by UC-Davis reported that only 9% of companies in Santa Clara County, California, which is home to Silicon Valley, have promoted a woman to a top position. This sad scenario is reflected in businesses throughout the country, despite the fact that women are increasing their involvement in male-dominated industries and are pursuing graduate degrees in record numbers in business, science and engineering.

A study by Catalyst, a New York non-profit that works to expand opportunities for women in business, found that companies with women directors achieved higher profits. Catalyst’s latest study, released this month, showed that Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women on their boards attained significantly higher financial
performance, on average, than those with the lowest representation of women board directors.

These companies, that have given women opportunities to advance to higher levels, deserve to applauded:

• Hewlett-Packard is among the top 25 companies in the 2007 UC-Davis survey.
• Kyphon, eBay, Cisco Systems and Intuit each have four women on boards or in top posts.
• An additional 12 Silicon Valley companies have three women at the top: SJW Corp., Applied Micro Circuits Corp., Netgear, Credence Systems Corp., Palm, SVB Financial Group, Synopsys, California Water Service Group, Omnicell, Adobe, Google and Sun Microsystems.
• Safra Catz is President, Chief Financial Officer and member of the board of directors at Oracle
• Meg Whitman is President, CEO and board member at eBay
• Susan Decker is President of Yahoo

So what needs to happen for more women to break the glass ceiling and get the recognition they deserve? Companies need to realize the rich perspective that women bring to the table and make hiring decisions with diversity in mind.As an executive coach, I work with women who have struggled with this issue. In many cases, they possess the intelligence and skills to succeed in senior leadership roles, yet don’t get promoted due a lack of aggressiveness that for many women is inherent in their female upbring. Coaching can help women step beyond their limitations and achieve goals they never thought possible. It’s a step in the right direction, if the men making the decisions will give them a chance.

Posted by Julianne Franke

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Last week, I went to a popular coffee shop to meet a client who’s become a good friend. At 9:00 A.M., the place was packed with business people and there were few vacant seats left. Finally, I spied a spot near the front door where I could relax and watch for my friend. As I took a seat on a small couch, I smiled and offered a greeting of “good morning” to Man Staring at Laptop Screen. He was occupying a chair about five or six feet away.

He glanced at me, gave me the “opposite” of a smiley face and said nothing. Quickly, I grabbed my cell phone, pretending to be quite busy, checking messages that didn’t exist. Within minutes, my friend arrived and we went on our way.

Do you smile at others? Do your colleagues smile? What about your clients? Or supervisors? Do they smile?

In today’s competitive, bottom-line driven workplace, a smile is still a big deal, in my opinion. Whether you’re waiting for a friend, or collaborating on a project, or trying to make a favorable first impression at an interview, a smile matters, a smile counts. In fact, a smile might be the difference between you and the next equally qualified candidate. To cite Victor Borge’s famous quotation, no matter what language it’s spoken in:

una sonrisa es la distancia más corta entre dos personas.

posted by: billie sucher

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I read an interesting article on amednews.com (newspaper for American physicians) that indicated the number of women entering general surgery residencies in 2007 has doubled over the past 10 years to almost 40%. In fact, now across the US surgical programs are comprised of 30% to 50% women.

Medicine is not the only career which is experiencing a nontraditional shift. Over the past several years governmental initiatives have been encouraging men and women to consider nontraditional careers. With the large number of baby boomers reaching retirement age, there will be even more opportunities for men and women to assume nontraditional careers as the healthcare industry expands to meet the needs of older Americans.

If you are thinking of a nontraditional career, you will want to do your homework first. Career assessment and research can help you identify your interests, motivated skills and other factors key to making an informed career decision that is right for you.

There are several books on the subject of career planning that can help with your initial self assessment: Richard Bolles’ What Color Is Your Parachute, Miller Mattson’s The Truth About You and Kate Wendleton’s Targeting a Great Career. The exercises in these books may help you determine possible job targets in nontraditional work.

Posted by Louise Garver

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In the job search workshops I run, we always begin by going around the room and allowing people to introduce themselves in about 30-60 seconds. These introductions are often referred to as a 30-second elevator pitch, because they give you an opportunity, in about the time you would have in an encounter on an elevator, to explain enough about yourself to entice the other person to want to learn more about you or what you have to offer. Most people, I find, don’t know how to use their 30-60 seconds effectively.

For example, people often begin by naming the industry they’ve worked in. “I’ve been in banking for 25 years.” Interesting to know, but the listener might not know what to say next. It doesn’t tell anyone what, precisely, you do – have you been the custodian, a teller, or a bank VP, or all of the above? – or what you’re looking to do next or what you can do for the person you’re speaking with.

Sometimes people identify themselves using only their job title. “I’m a design engineer, worked for XYZ for 12 years.” In one workshop we had a design engineer sitting next to a design consultant. Similar titles, but very different jobs. When asked to elaborate, the design engineer said he designs parts to make your computer work more efficiently; the design consultant said she helps you envision a new kitchen for your home. If listeners don’t understand the distinction, they may provide design consultant leads to the design engineer.

Effective answers are tailored to the audience. They will be slightly different in a social context than in a work-related or job search context. It’s reasonable to expect that someone in your industry will be familiar with your job title, but someone outside your industry may not be. In a social encounter, try relating what you do to an experience the listener is familiar with. An insurance actuary described herself by saying, “I’m the person who tells you what your car is worth after you’ve had an accident.” Give a one- or two-sentence example. Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon, in Make Your Contacts Count, offer some excellent examples of personal introductions in networking conversations.

You can expect to be asked for a similar introduction during a job interview, with the well-known question, “Tell me about yourself.” In this context, take the opportunity to present one or two short examples of professional accomplishments that illustrate the kind of results you’re likely to produce for the new employer.

In all cases, keep the answer brief – remember that elevator ride – but plan in advance what you want to say so you can pack a lot of punch in your answer.

posted by Wendy Gelberg

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New research on expats provides more evidence to support the trend that work-life balance issues are becoming increasingly important to executives. A survey conducted by SHRM and careerjournal.com stated that organizations are not providing adequate support and communication to employees on expat assignments. Another SHRM article written by J.J. Smith (October 2007) stated that employees on international assignments are working more hours per week than their US counterparts and that a majority felt the extra work hours were disrupting their family life. Some of the findings from the study:

• Expats face additional stress from cultural and language differences.
• Female expatriates have higher levels of work-related stress than their male counterparts.
• Expatriates and HR staff have contradicting views regarding work/life balance policies and practices.

Of the expat workers surveyed, 79% of them stated that despite the stress created by a foreign assignment, their companies do not have work/life balance policies to respond to the pressures.

It is no wonder that executives are turning to external coaching to cope with the mounting pressures and increasing demands of their high level responsibilities in today’s corporations. And if HR departments aren’t responsive to their needs for greater work-life balance by providing supportive programs, more executives will surely choose to opt out of the rat race and find other career paths.

Posted by Julianne Franke

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