Career Management Alliance Blog

Should there be a downturn, and downsizing hits your company, you want the odds of staying to remain in your favor. Building or enhancing a positive reputation helps, no matter what the circumstances.  But if you can lift yourself even slightly above the crowd, you will be ahead of the game.  Employees, whose skills, knowledge and attitude raise departmental performance, even slightly, and helps create a positive, supportive environment are valued.  So, how do you establish yourself?

First, make sure you are conversant from a laymen perpective with any technology relevant to your job or department.  Get beyond the email and understand how your job is impacted by whatever technology is relevant.  If the products you sell are computer-based, achieve a basic understanding of how these work.  If the tools of your job, in areas such as manufacturing, finance or logistics, depend on information systems take the time to learn how technology helps manage these areas.  And, if you have an opportunity to learn how a new piece of equipment works, or how a software application drives the business, get familiar with it.  Most people are like drivers.  They can drive the car but have no idea what goes where under the hood.  You don’t have to become an expert but a little knowledge with some depth can go a long way in raising your status in the eyes of peers and supervisors.  Ideally, if you become the “go to” person on even minor technical questions, it makes a difference.

Volunteer for those activities that others shun, such as the annual charity drives, the holiday events, the company activities, environmental programs, industry awards programs, safety committee and on and on.  There are three benefits to these activities.  Even though senior managers may not want to participate, they will be grateful because these are all morale building activities.  And, the positive exposure to senior management doesn’t hurt. 

Continue to network, both inside and outside the company by joining professional or trade organizations and business forums.  The ability to speak knowledgably about the competition or the industry, especially to your boss, can be very helpful as a person who keeps in touch.  It also makes you more employable by building outside contacts.  Even networking within the company is helpful.  It is always good to know what’s going on because you can gain a greater sense of how you fit into the company.  You may also discover opportunities in another department.  Don’t forget, most new job opportunities never get posted.

When evaluating employees it is easy to forget their small, but helpful, accomplishments.  One way to maintain your visibility is by creating a paper trail.  When a project is completed write a summary and send it to those who should know about the results.  If you discover a way to save some time or money share the information with your colleagues.  Over time these items mount and a personnel file full of memos about accomplishments can’t hurt.  Just be sure to take credit cautiously and diplomatically.  If you have saved the company some money tell your boss one-on-one, not in meetings.

However, while it makes sense to share positive results, it is also a good idea to keep knowledge to yourself.  After all, if there are certain aspects of the business you know best, don’t write them down because you want your boss to understand that if they lose you, they also lose a knowledgeable person. 

Working hard to create a credible reputation as a competent professional may not be easy.  People are encouraged to be innovative and creative, yet in a team context.  Establishing your individuality, yet performing within a team can be a contradiction and create potential conflict.  Yet, we are on our own and have to deal with it.

Judit Price

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Thanks to Louise Fletcher for her recent blog echoing a frustration I sometimes have with clients editing resumes I’ve written for them. She calls it “worditis” when job seekers insist on including every defining moment in their careers, from the time they entered the workforce.

Some executives come to me believing their resumes need to be complete career bios, especially if they haven’t been in the job market for several years and/or haven’t been in on reviewing resumes for new talent recruitment. I educate my clients in the early stages of our partnership about branding and differentiating them in their resumes, and have them view samples of my work to gain an understanding of what top interview-generating resumes look like today and what they can expect in their resumes.

Even so, when presented with the final product, some find it hard to let go of all the details encompassing their career history and concentrate on only the most salient points that will drive home their value. It can be painful for them to choose some contributions to set aside, although I reassure them their career story can be supplemented through supporting documents and in interviewing.

This dilemma presents itself only occasionally, but when it does, it can be a challenge to convince some job seekers that less really is more. Along with determining what information is the most important and compelling to include, part of my job as a resume writer is to package it all in a document that will actually be read. A resume needs to provide just enough information to capture and hold the reader’s attention. That can be accomplished in 2 pages. Too much information can turn the reader off and land their resume in the “maybe later” pile.

It makes sense that, with so many hiring decision-makers reviewing career marketing documents on Blackberries, possibly while they’re on the go, resumes offering concise, hard-hitting bites that are easy to get to will be better received than those packed tight with dense paragraphs. These “new” resumes make their jobs easier and can truly help the job seeker hit the mark and land faster.

Meg Guiseppi

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On his Personal Branding Blog, Dan Schwabel lists a series of insightful quotes he’s come up with over the years. He encourages anyone to use these gems, as long as he’s given credited.

I was particularly drawn to this one, which I think is dead-on advice for defining and crafting one’s authentic brand:

“You are the chief marketing officer for the brand called you, but what others say about your brand is more impactful than what you say about yourself.”

After all, your own evaluation of yourself is just one person’s opinion. Seeking the opinions of those who know your work and style well validates your own assessment and opens you to a deeper appreciation of your value, as well as what differentiates you from others doing the same work.

In my executive resume writing practice, I follow this direction when developing branding for my clients’ career marketing documents – especially for stand-alone brand statements. I have them ask several people who work closely with them about their performance and leadership talent. What these co-workers say may be the best indicator of my clients’ true value to their next employer.

Often the feedback is consistent and certain qualities and strengths shine through with each person’s input. Using this consensus, my job – differentiating my clients and reinforcing their brands throughout any documents I create – becomes much easier.

Posted by Meg Guiseppi

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People frequently respond to the question “Why did you leave your job?” with “My boss is a …” “The company strategy is. (fill in the blank with an appropriate expletive).  And while the extent to which this is true is probably exaggerated, given the challenges of today’s work life, the dynamics between staff and strategy has become more intense, with less margin for error. The fact is fighting about a process or philosophy or “principle” is simply not worth it unless a fundamental business issue is at stake, such as a customer issue, product quality, safety or revenue implications.  Unfortunately many people are severely limited, because their skills and experience create situations in which success is tied with survival rather than growth. This is manifested through efforts to encourage change from a weak position to influence events.Employees are encouraged to move forward cautiously, always from a positive perspective.  Suggest that there may be a better approach with constructive suggestions, backed up with supportive evidence.  A substantive suggestion, backed up with hard data and delivered with tact may make headway.  Yet, armed with more powerful analytical tools can increase leverage in making impact. The second problem, incompatible work styles, is the trickiest, because it can create tensions for which there is no good solution.  People have different work styles, approach decision-making in different ways, view risk differently and deal with stress another way.  The point is these differences can be the foundation of major frustration on both sides.  Unfortunately, as a result of this incompatibility, conflict is likely, unless addressed.  And we know the outcome. First, recognize there is a problem.  If you get frustrated by the amount of time you spend in seemingly unproductive meetings, remember your boss thinks it is important.  If time management is an on-going problem, take a look at how you get work done.  If the teams you are on seem to always get bogged down and unproductive, take an honest look at how you might be contributing to the problem.  Think about why your good ideas generate little or no positive response.  Try to understand why it is so difficult to get your bosses attention. Take a look at how the manager approaches problems and makes decisions, manages people, time and other resources.  Think about whether you are cooperating or fighting.  Understand clearly the key goals.   You may be inadvertently working at cross purposes to organization goals and not even know it.  If you don’t even know what are the key goals and what issues are of greatest concern, you are just not contributing as a team player.  And that is the kiss of death. The fact is survival depends on your supporting your manager’s priorities, even if you disagree.  You and your boss may have irreconcilable differences in which case you need to make sure your resume is updated and your network is in tact.  If not, some honest introspection and adaptation to reality is needed.

Judit Price

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Each Spring in our community, there is a massive clean-up effort where residents can discard household goods, furnishings, and appliances curbside and city clean-up crews will haul them away. Last Saturday and Sunday were dumping days and I found myself rather intrigued by the commotion of this event.

Throughout the weekend, both day and night, trucks, pick-ups, cars, and mini-vans all trickled by ever so slowly, spying the curbside trash and debris, stopping, gazing, reflecting upon something in the pile of junk. Sometimes, the cruise-by would trigger a more in-depth investigation, necessitating a back-up, pull over, and closer scrutiny of the potential new-found treasure.

As I was watching all of this, it occurred to me…one man’s junk, another man’s treasure…sort of like being “tossed out” or “dumped out” of a job after five, 10, 15, or even 20 years of dedicated service. If you’ve ever been “released” from a job, perhaps you felt your value was diminished or worth less, not more. The reality is this: somebody, somewhere, sometime, somehow will once again notice, value, appreciate, and respect the wonderful, amazing gift of you, your assets, and your worth.

Be not dismayed or disheartened. Look around. Dig. Discover your options. Take a closer look. Scrutinize your prospects. Be discerning. And sooner or later, I suspect that you will find a new home and a new place to shine.

posted by: billie sucher

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It’s awards season. Diversity Inc., Fortune, Black Enterprise, disABLED, Hispanic Business, Human Rights Campaign, Working Mother, G.I. Jobs, AARP and other publications are releasing their annual lists of the best companies to work for. The directories are another valuable tool for use in your job search.  

To effectively make use of these lists we recommend that you take the following steps: 

• Determine that the organization uses legitimate selection criteria* and making decisions on the amount advertising dollars spent by a company
• Read the website’s rationale for choosing each employer by clicking on the links above
• Review the publication’s lists from the previous years to determine a company’s history as an employer of choice
• Research the employer – learn how at Quintessential Careers and job-hunt.org.
• Check out the company’s to website assess its commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Connect with the company’s diversity offices, recruitment programs and employee resource groups
• Network with industry-related professional associations that represent people of diverse backgrounds

Using these strategies can help you identify employment opportunities, determine your fit with the corporate culture, secure interviews, and increase your chances of getting hired.  

* How do credible publications chose which companies are the best employers?  Robert Bard, publisher of LATINA Style Magazine says that, “to select the annual list of 50 Top Companies for Latinas, we use  an extensive and transparent process listed on our website including a 140 question comprehensive survey (developed with the assistance of Catalyst, Working Mother Magazine, U.S. Census, Department of Labor and EEOC), conduct confidential interviews with Latina employees, verify applicant submissions through additional research and an outside review committee. It is a combination of many factors, not just a human resources issue; diversity must translate into all areas of a corporation.” 

Bard adds that, “We go to extreme lengths to insure that the Latina Style 50 is unimpeachable.  A company cannot buy its way onto the list. The majority of companies that are selected have never advertised with LATINA Style Magazine.” 

Posted by Murray A. Mann; cross-posted on Diversity Intelligence

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You have all the information you need, you’ve identified your differentiating personal/leadership brand attributes, and you know what skills, qualifications, and personal qualities are required for the position you’re seeking. You’re ready to put it all together.

Pay close attention to the most important section of your resume.

The make-or-break area of your resume is the top of the first page, since it will be read first. Use it to your best advantage. This lead-in bite should introduce and encapsulate your personal brand and value proposition. It should be able to stand on its own to pre-qualify you for the position. Pack in as much critical information here as possible to draw in readers and compel them to consider you. It’s okay to bring forward select contributions that would chronologically land on the second page and place them in this eye-catching location.

Include a personal brand statement.

A stand-alone brand statement is still fairly cutting-edge so, in itself, will differentiate you. Of course, the unique and compelling content you deliver here will turn heads too. You may feel this isn’t right for your particular field or circumstances, or you may not be comfortable with such a bold statement. Your resume will still have great differentiating impact if you weave your unique combination of personal brand attributes throughout your resume and other career marketing documents.

Write from your own voice.

Cut the resume-speak. You’ve probably reviewed many resumes when recruiting new talent. You know how boring and lifeless they can be when riddled with trite catch phrases that don’t give any indication of who that person really is and what value they will bring to your company. Complement rich key word phrases with strategically placed colloquial phrases that echo your speaking voice and evidence your brand.

Limit your resume to 2 pages.

Pare down to the essentials. You need to include just enough to capture and hold the readers’ attention – you can do this in 2 pages. To provide deeper slices of standout contributions and further support your brand, supplement your resume with a suite of 1 to 2 page brand-focused, value-driven collateral documents – achievement or leadership initiatives summary, career biography, reference dossier, etc.

For the sake of brevity, in the “Professional Experience” section, there is no need to include repetitive lists of obvious responsibilities for each position you’ve held. And replace the overused phrase “responsible for” with robust action verbs – launched, pioneered, spearheaded, capitalized on, maximized, etc.

Always keep in mind that the purpose of your resume is to differentiate you from everyone else competing for the same jobs and to best generate interest in you as a candidate. Branding your resume and loading it with concise, vibrant content will help you make this happen.

Meg Guiseppi

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 Many of the people I see have had some level of senior or executive management responsibility.  They all shared a common set of duties which included a people supervision component, project management needs, measurable goals and objectives, and some administrative procedures and tasks.  Most approached their responsibilities with diligence, reflect a clear understanding of the assignment, and could articulate concrete accomplishments.  Yet something was missing and they seem to have hit a wall. 

The career coaching profession, including myself, has long articulated a set of principles revolving around the idea that the world of work has radically changed.  Everyone must take responsibility for their own career, adopt new techniques and practices and engage in more aggressive self-promotion built on a long term strategy of career development.  In addition, once employed, every position must be viewed from a perspective that goes well beyond the initial job description for which the candidate was hired.   

This is also true at every level of management.  Any professional who sees himself or herself in some sort of senior management track must understand that every management position today extends well beyond the assigned tasks and goals and administrative processes.  This is especially true of senior managers who have a operational responsibilities for the success of an organization and the employees who support it. 

One way of looking at the new standard for the successful manager is by contrasting the manager as administrator with the manager as leader. 

The manager who views the job as an administrator generally focuses on deadlines, too often at the expense of quality.  They also focus too much on process, expending unnecessary time and effort on explaining and insisting that some tasks must be accomplished in a certain way, consistent with an established procedure.  Here the focus is on means not ends.  

The challenge for the manager as leader is to view the process as the enabler for results and to constantly question the process for turning out the work.  The leader must seek ways to inspire the team to deliver better quality and do it more efficiently.  Most importantly, for career growth the leader must be able to articulate a vision that addresses the continually evolving needs of their responsibilities in ways that complement the dynamics of the larger organization. 

The pressures of competition, the need for constantly improved productivity and the challenges of fostering creativity influence every organization, including government and non-profits.  Companies and other organizations are determined to find, develop and promote leaders, and minimize the impact of managers whose slavish focus on process or short term goals that add little value and can be a real hindrance over the long term. 

One way to measure management effectiveness is by examining what is new or streamlined from a year earlier.  Consider the problems that existed and identify how creative solutions contributed to resolution.  Think about how the greater organization has changed or evolved and how specific actions by the manager helped facilitate that change. 

A client, who recently got caught in a corporate downsizing, was explaining his management philosophy.  He made sure that everyone in his organization was aware of the overall goals of the group, including financial metrics.  When I asked what each of these employees were required to do that was different or better in order to achieve their new goals, he indicated that everyone simply had to “work smarter not harder”, a common cliché.   

I pointed out that when everyone is responsible, no one is responsible.  Rather, it was essential that the manager articulate a vision of how the group could succeed.  Then armed with the vision, help each member of the team clearly articulate how they could contribute to that vision.  The manager must both inspire the team members, but make sure that inspiration fits a logical approach that makes sense for the group as a whole. 

My client did not understand the importance of re-evaluating his own job based on the evolving needs, build a vision to accomplish the new goals, articulate the vision clearly and ensure the vision was understood and built into the activities of each team member. Clearly, he did not understand the difference between the manager as administrator and manager as leader. 

My experience working with executives leads me to believe there are very few secrets in a company.  Everyone knows who the leaders are and which departments or divisions add value.  If a manager knows his department is redundant or can be done more efficiently outsourced, he can be sure that upper management knows it as well. 

The day to day pressures often obscure the role a manager plays in the overall scheme of activity in an organization.  Nevertheless, either when starting a new job or working in the present one, re-evaluating your role and how you do contribute versus how you should contribute may be critical in solidifying your standing.  

Judit Price

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I review websites of staffing companies daily.  I also talk to executives about incorporating targeted networking strategies in their job search.  During those conversations, I find that career seekers draw different conclusions about executive search firms that sometimes are not accurate.

I ran across an article that accurately explained why the search profession has grown so much and the benefit to people looking for new work.

Why Has The Executive Search Profession Grown So Extensively? 

The predominant reason is today’s maturing of management as a professional function. This development brought about a realization that the success of an organization depends largely on the quality and performance of its people.

The organization with the best executives is most likely to move ahead of its competitors. Therefore, ways had to be found to develop the best from within and recruit the best from outside.

The gradual understanding that executive search firms are the main means of bringing about better utilization of scarce executive talent has been seen and endorsed by many successful businesses.

There is no way that a frustrated executive can advertise his desire for a bigger job that does not exist for him in his present organization. Nor can companies and other organizations usually broadcast their confidential executive requirements. Search firms become the much needed instrument for bringing under-utilized executives into organizations in which their talents could be more effectively applied.

Confidentiality; the organization may not want a decision or strategy to be known either internally or within the business community. Under those circumstances a third party must do the searching, protecting the identity of the organization.

The cost of errors in executive selection has become increasingly evident. The impact of a wrong match will effect an organization in many ways. These events lead to the importance of professional assistance in finding The Right Match ® for the organization.

The ability to thoroughly search out the very best candidates regardless of where they may be or how invisible they are. The infrastructure and experience required to evaluate more than a hundred prospective candidates and select the two or three who would be the best performers. Counseling the organization on handling candidates from the first telephone contact through the interviews and continuing until the executive is in place. The especially useful role of a professional third party in negotiations between organization and candidate that are often difficult and complex. The special abilities needed to conduct confidential and delicate inquires into the candidate’s qualifications and reputation in a way that will not create embarrassment for anyone yet leave no stone unturned. The ability to counsel the selected candidate in extricating himself smoothly from his present organization and community and in establishing himself in his new position. The ability to smooth out any problems for either the organization or the new executive during the beginning phase of their new relationship. By maintaining a constant vigil for the best talent and clients, and to bring that creative power to all. Truly successful search firms specialize in an industry function or market niche. Generalists do not succeed as well because of the continued time expense of relearning each company or technology, etc.

posted by Jim McFarland

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Your job interview is going just as you envisioned and prepared for. You think you’ve nailed it. Then you’re blindsided with an illegal, inappropriate, or offensive question.  Minorities, women, people with disabilities, and immigrants are more likely to encounter this dilemma.  

So what do you do if it happens to you? 

We recommend reading Emily Sanderson’s detailed post How to Answer Questionable Questions in a Job Interview. “Whether the question is legal or not, you still might have an incentive to answer it,” says Bill Coleman, senior vice president and chief compensation officer at Salary.com. . .”  

What if you believe that this is not a totally insensitive, discriminatory interviewer, but that the person slipped up in the phrasing of the question? Perhaps you are truly interested in this company, and feel that the interviewer’s insensitivity or inappropriateness may not be representative of the employer as a whole. On the other hand, you may believe that the interview does reflect the company’s treatment of people of different backgrounds.

This delicate situation becomes a real balancing act. We recommend that you choose to address these questions in a manner that supports your best interest in securing a job that fits your values and goals.  

While you can’t control the questions that are asked, you do control how you respond. Think about how you might TRIUMPH™ over illegal, inappropriate, or offensive questions by using the simple options below.

Take a step back; evaluate the question and the situation.

Respond to the question directly.

Identify the intent behind the question and respond indirectly with an answer that relates to the requirements of the position.

Upstage and ignore the question by redirecting the conversation.

Mention the error diplomatically.

Politely refuse to answer the question.

Hit the road. Gracefully and professionally excuse yourself.

To see examples for implementing the TRIUMPH™ strategy go to Diversity Intelligence . Posted by Murray A. Mann

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