Career Management Alliance Blog

I don’t know about you, but for a lot of people the notion of success, as it relates to them, remains one of those vague topics that hovers on the edge of consciousness.  In my opinion, what a pity!  A vast source of energy, focus, motivation,  and inspiration remains untapped as long as we don’t have a crystal-clear personal definition of success that illuminates what we’re striving for, what’s ultimately important to us, in our careers and beyond.

How do we arrive at that personal definition of success?  Mel Robbins, on Donny Deutsch’s The Big Idea blog, has a great suggestion for creating clarity and focus on a day-to-day basis.   She suggests approaching any task, big or small, with a question - “what would being successful at this look like or feel like?” - and then acting the part!

If being a marathon runner is part of your dream of success, don’t wait until you’re in better condition or have more time or have updated your iPod.  Think of yourself as a marathon runner today, and eat, exercise, motivate yourself accordingly.  Before long that series of little things will add up and you will be a marathon runner.  This is just logic….No miracle necessary!

After years of being perplexed by the number of people who wanted to feel successful but couldn’t create a picture of what that would look like, I created a game to help.  Players are guided to create their personal big-picture vision and formulate it in concrete terms to complete the sentence, “I know I’m successful when….”

One of the most satisfying experiences for me as Game Facilitator is the moment when someone recognizes that s/he is already living significant portions of their vision.   Chances are, they got there by creating the small building blocks Ms. Robbins describes, acting the part of “successful” on a daily basis.

So whether you come to your success vision from day-to-day experience or by devoting some time to creating a big-picture vision, please recognize the vein of gold - fuel for you endeavors, a compass for important decisions and transitions - that you tap into when you “furnish” your personal success vision with the details of your aspirations, dreams, gifts and values.

To your success!   Nina Ham

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Focus, focus, focus … that’s what I reinforce with my professional and executive clients daily. As well, differentiate yourself within that target area. Be compelling. Tell your story. Assess, rework your resume language, assess it some more and continue to refine the content until your story, word by word, statement by statement, fits you like a glove. The nuances of words, phrases and action statements are integral in a stand apart resume. Too many career movers follow the crowd, aspiring to ensure their resume format, language and tone fit the mold, thereby, sabotaging their own career propulsion.

Reviewing other marketing materials, website copy, brochures, bleeding edge journals, periodicals, newspapers (including the Wall Street Journal), can stimulate ideas. Designing boxes, headlines, sub-headlines, tables, charts, graphs and more within which to position your career brand will create visual appeal, grab the reader emotionally and draw the reader closer to you.

I developed a senior financial executive resume recently, and using leading-edge content and inventive strategies resulted in a ‘cool’ (her words) result. As well, we seriously addressed her top brand areas related to her target goal in the financial arena; i.e., she isn’t described as ‘just another cookie-cutter senior financial executive.’ We explored gradations of her career identity and pinpointed just the right words to paint her picture.

These strategies and techniques might be considered unusual for what many consider a conservative industry (finance).

Moreover, a technology leader who landed successfully at Dell after we investigated and spun his story into a bold, unique brand with hard-hitting results and sobering references to corporate challenges he tackled and won, earned approval by recruiters and decision-makers alike for his ability to successfully vie for their attention.

In summary, I encourage those in career transition to unfetter their minds when it comes to building their career resume, and consider their options, versus limitations, and confidently steer their career marketing vehicle.

By Jacqui Barrett

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You’ve worked hard to get that new job! Sometimes the process must have seemed a full-time job in itself.

How natural to want to put that all behind you and get on with your work. In this post, you’ll find a way to make that happen and still manage your career well.

It all starts on your very first day. Settling in can easily burn up a week. You’ll probably be scheduled for an orientation, a session where you fill out forms, time set aside to review the company handbook—necessary, but seemingly endless rounds of administrivia.

But it’s likely you won’t be scheduled for an important action you should take—the single event that maximizes your value to your boss and the team members you’ll work with every day. I encourage you strongly to take this action on your very first day on the job and plan it even before you report for work.

Get on your boss’ calendar. Start as you sign the letter of offer accepting the job. Contact his or her administrative assistant and ask for an appointment of about 30 minutes. Tell the assistant precisely what you are doing: you want to explore how you can become productive right from the start.

Setting up this appointment allows you to build a good relationship with the administrative assistant—the gatekeeper for your boss. Ask the assistant about your supervisor’s style. Does he prefer emails? Phone calls? What are her pet peeves?

Your initial meeting with your boss will take place under the best possible conditions. His already positive view of you should be enhanced when he sees the priority you put on your relationship to him. How much better to iron out any details now, before the first crisis.

What subjects should you explore? If you haven’t already done so, find out what the most pressing problems facing your boss are. That leads naturally to discussions about resources you should have under your control such as budgetary authority, access to the leadership team, hiring and firing power, and the like.

Also, be sure to ask which visible indicators of your performance he will use to judge your success. (Great applicants use those same questions during the interviews.)

Finally, ask about introductions to others with whom you will work. Nothing gets you off on a better footing than having your boss introduce you…personally. That could happen in a staff meeting, in a “tour” of the office, or in meetings with clients.

Right after that first official meeting with your boss, take a moment to jot down what you heard. Over the next few weeks, don’t forget to review it as you complete tasks or generate new ideas.

Think of this meeting as the transition between the final interview and the first day in your performance review period. The interviews focused on general concepts; the meeting gets to the heart of your work. After all, wasn’t that your goal when you first drafted your résumé?

Your competition knows first impressions make a difference. Now you know how to control that first impression to everybody’s advantage.

Posted by Don Orlando

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… A frequently heard question from my clients - usually uttered in desperation after only a few weeks of search efforts.

Of course, there is no simple answer. The variables are too many: the overall economy, the state of your particular field, and the type and level of the position you are targeting (the higher up, the fewer positions there are, so the longer it takes).

Most importantly, it’s the amount of effort you put in and the quality of your efforts that matters. Are you spinning your wheels using ineffective, outdated methods in an attempt to secure your next job, or do you have a solid job search strategy in place?

All factors that are food for thought and material for another blog. For now, I will try to answer the question, keeping in mind that there are no real “averages” when it comes to matters as complex as these.

I think it is fair to say that for a lot of people, searching several months for their next position - up to 6 months even - is not unusual.

My assessment stems from conversations with other resume writers/career coaches, and of course, from hearing clients’ stories.

In the current economical climate, people remain in-between jobs longer than before. Long-term unemployment (6 months and more) seems to be on the rise.

An article on CNNMoney.com by Chris Isidore from last January explains this - and why the unemployment rate by itself is not a good indicator of the state of the job market.

Another article that appeared on CareerJournal.com (the online careers section of The Wall Street Journal) by Perri Capell also covers this topic.

All this to say: Don’t despair if you’ve been out there for a few weeks with no tangible results yet. It is important to have realistic expectations so you don’t become discouraged early on - or, worse: take it personal - and with that lose momentum altogether.

Last but not least: Make sure you are being effective; if you’re mainly relying on the Internet to find your next job, diversify your strategies and/or consider talking to a coach to put a personalized job search plan together that makes sense for you.

Do you have personal stories of your job search you’d like to share? We welcome your comments!

Posted by Ilona Vanderwoude

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Do you have an “ethnic”-sounding name? Do you suspect you may be discriminated against when submitting your resume to employers? If so, have you tried to come up with a strategy to prevent this from happening again?
As a resume writer and career coach, some clients ask me how to handle their “ethnic”-sounding names on their resumes. “Is it ok to use initials only?” “Should I include or omit academic or volunteer affiliations that indicate ethnicity?”

There is no hard and fast answer and I hear both sides of the argument from job seekers. Some refuse to “hide” their names as they wouldn’t want to work for a company that is willing to discriminate against them based on their names - and thus their backgrounds.

Others say they want to make it through that first round to be able to judge for themselves if they’d be interested in the organization. After all, the actions of an HR manager or recruiter making these selections are not necessarily representative of an overall discriminatory sentiment within the company.

Also, what may be perceived as discrimination could be a hiring person’s preference to call back a candidate with an easy-to-pronounce name. This way, the recruiter or HR person saves him/herself the embarrassment of mispronunciation.

This article (The Regional Economist, 2006), details several studies that have been conducted on the topic and shows contradictory, even inconclusive, outcomes.

The flip side of the coin is applying with an organization you know is trying to diversify when you actually fit their profile. This article gives some tips on how to capitalize on your ethnicity or gender.

In another part of the world, in the Netherlands, temp agency Manpower and the city of Nijmegen performed two experiments last year with “anonymous applications” to see if this would increase the employability of, mainly, the Muslim population. The tests have been halted as all tests indicated this was not the case. If these experiments had been successful, the measure would have been implemented for all government applications.

While we’re on another continent, and in case you’d like to get very technical, this article focuses on discrimination in the Swedish labor market against candidates with an Arabic name.

In the end, it is up to the candidate to determine what he or she is comfortable with when it comes to masking or emphasizing ethnicity. For most people, this will be based on a combination of their convictions, their own experiences in the job market, and possibly the experiences of relatives and friends. There is no right or wrong in deciding how to deal with it.

If you do want to disguise your ethnicity, and it’s mainly your first name that sounds “ethnic,” consider these options:

• Use initials only - followed by your last name.
• Use your first initial and your middle name in full if that one is not “ethnic” - followed by your last name.
• Shorten your first name if it’s very long and “ethnic” (as in some African or Indian names) - but only if that results in something that makes sense as a name.
• Use your “nickname” your peers, friends, colleagues, etc. consistently use for you. This works only if your nickname is an actual name, not something goofy.

Here are a few additional ideas on how to maximize your identity on paper.

Something I also wonder is whether having a black presidential candidate with a very “ethnic” name will have an effect on people’s perceptions of “ethnic” names - and with that, these people’s capabilities. Do you think it will?

What is your personal experience with having an ethnic name and your job transition? Have you tried masking it? Or would you never do this?

Alternatively, have you emphasized your ethnicity or gender by using your name and affiliations when you thought it might be to your benefit?

Share you experiences and comments with us!

Posted by Ilona Vanderwoude

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Too many interviews turn into interrogations. But what’s really wanted–for you and for the interviewer–is a collaboration.  If an interrogation is a one-way street, the interviewer may, or may not, learn the truth about your value to the firm. Wouldn’t a two way conversation be better?You’ll learn a lot about a company by researching it before the interview. But there is no substitute for actually speaking with the person who will be your boss. You’re about to see a critical question you can ask to see if the interviewer, and his or her company, is the right choice for both of you. However, before you read the question, I want you to see the law that governs it.Orlando’s First Law of Employment states this: Everything you see, everything you hear, as you talk with a prospective employer is endorsed or condoned by the leadership–without exception! You know this is true whenever you deal with an employee of  any company. Great employees are there because management rewarded their ability to defend the brand. Bad employees remain because the boss wasn’t paying any attention.  Bad employees act as they do because they know their bosses will let them get away with it.With the law in mind, here’s the question you can ask early in the interview: “What’s the biggest problem your company has (in your career field)?” You may also ask the question like this: “If there was one thing I could do for you (in my career field) in the first six months, what would that one thing be?” Or. . .and this will really test to see if the interviewer is prepared. . .”Supposed I have been on your team for six months and I have exceeded your expectations. What would I have done to reach that level?”You want a real answer. Words like “. . .working hard and playing hard across the bridge to the next paradigm shift. . .” tell you the interviewer won’t know how to define your sucess. And he’s already working for the company! You want a real answer. Words like “. . .working hard and playing hard across the bridge to next paradigm shift. . .” tell you the interviewer won’t know how to define success. And he’s already employed!Another wrong answer is to repeat minimum standards like these: “. . .building relationships with our customers, being energetic and professional. . . ”Nobody would hire anybody who wasn’t all these things. A good answer is your doorway to explore how you can help the company. It’s the gateway to telling the powerful stories the prove how you can be most productive right from the start.  Posted by Don Orlando 

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I’m often surprised to notice how many people wanting a career change are motivated by a far-off vision of success, but, like the legendary unicorn, whether their definition of success truly exists and what it looks like remain elusive.

What’s the antidote for this? I like the strong case made by blogger Tom Volkar that success is an inside job, or at least originates there.  But once you know that, where do you look to discover more?

Tom talks about changing one’s perspective in order to recognize the vast array of possibilities that are open to us every day.  I have a favorite way of framing this for my clients: “Every time you notice yourself “knowing” something, an opinion about ‘the way things are’, turn it into a question and let curiosity take you where it will.”

Another fruitful line of inquiry is to think about the impact you want to have had, when all is said and done.  I often ask my clients what they want their legacy to be, or - for the strong of heart - what they want to be acknowledged for in their obituary.  Interestingly - and this may not surprise any of you -more often than not the answers that come back aren’t about acquisitions or achievements; they’re about commitments to living a particular way, or becoming a particular kind of person.  This is summed up in the old saw, one I heartily endorse: “Success is a journey, not a destination.”

Here’s one last suggestion for adding clarity to your success vision, and it may stir some disagreement. Be sure it’s a stretch.  If it fits easily, it probably isn’t big enough!  What distinguishes us from all other mammals, after all, is striving.  The exhilaration of “getting there”, the sense of fulfillment, comes from doing - or being - that which we didn’t know we could do or be.

What do you think?  Please join the conversation.  After all, there’s no “one size fits all” about true success.

Nina Ham

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There are many professions in which career changers are welcome.
Experience, valued skills, and employers who appreciate new ideas and fresh
perspectives can facilitate the transition.

Unfortunately, that level of acceptance and receptivity to career changers
is not universal.  Each career changer has to recognize the challenges may
be significant.  There are barriers that must be overcome and it is
important to be realistic.  The fact is when many hiring managers
contemplate hiring career changers, they view that hire with a greater
degree of risk.  Without a track record in a particular job there is a real
downside in considering a career changer for a position.  Will the candidate
decide to change careers again?  Does this person really have the staying
power despite their obvious qualifications?  Do I want to take that risk
when there are plenty of unemployed people available?  And what happens if
the person decides that this company or industry or organization culture is
a poor fit?  Here today, gone tomorrow?

These are some of the questions many hiring managers will ask themselves.
As a result, career changers faced with potential employers who consider
these issues have to develop some new strategies to cope.

The most important strategy is a laser-like focus on the industry,
organization, and firm.  After establishing a new and clear set of career
goals, focus on specific companies or organizations that might be the best
fit.  Network with people who work in that niche.  Forget about being open
to “other alternatives” (in your communication with others).  It should
become easily apparent to anyone with whom you communicate regarding
opportunities, that you know precisely where you want to go.  People like
that.  If you meet strangers in professional forums, be very specific.
Nobody wants to hear that you are a “people person.”

Become familiar with the jargon of the industry.  Each profession has its
own language and people instantly recognize if you are part of the cohort by
use of language.  When you get an interview make sure you are familiar with
the terminology and the firm.  If you are still in the research stage and
haven’t yet built your knowledge base, it is possible to waste opportunities
that might have become available at a later time.

In interviews, discuss specifics.  Demonstrate how examples of your success
in the previous career relate to many of the challenges in the new career.
The important point is making the interviewer comfortable with the
understanding that you really appreciate the major hurdles in their
industry.

Never ask for a chance, an opportunity to show what you can do.  Focus
exclusively on the specifics of what you have done.  The key is
communicating the depth and breadth of your experience and its applicability
to the new situation.  No hiring manager is going to hire based on sympathy
and your shiny disposition.  Their jobs are also on the line, today more
than ever.  Than means they have to have the specific data to justify to
their manager a decision to hire.

Ignore headhunters.  These people are paid to find the best employees that
have been doing the same thing for a long time.  Headhunters are really not
interested in career changers because they are hard to sell.  Remember, they
get job profiles that are quite specific.  That chances of a career changer
fitting that profile is slim.

Finally, remember that positioning is everything.  The interviewer can only
see what you reveal.  Call for an interview and position yourself as someone
who has done specific work with a track record of success, again with
specifics in a defined area, finance, manufacturing, marketing and so forth.
That is very different from looking like an unfocused wannabe looking for an
opportunity, any opportunity.

In today’s reality, hiring managers will go “extra miles” to find the
perfect candidate.  Good enough isn’t good enough, and “being willing” and
“tries hard” will be rejected.  With a strong emphasis on basic skills and
complementary organizational capabilities, the career changer can
successfully position themselves as being right for the firm and right for
the times.

 Judit Price

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An article by Sarah Needleman in the Wall Street Journal over a year ago so deftly covers how blogging can help you land a job, that I wanted to point it out, in case you hadn’t seen it.

Whether you accept it or not, you’re going to be Googled in a job search and your online identity can make or break your chances to land in a job you want. Take advantage of blogging to help control what people find out about you online.

Recruiters routinely troll the blogosphere to locate, learn about, and assess top talent. Robust blogging gives an indication of your knowledge level, niche expertise, passions, personal brand, and, of course, your writing skill.

Writing about non-career-related topics provides evidence of how well rounded you are, generating the kind of chemistry that can help recruiters determine whether you’re a good fit for their client companies.

Sarah’s 7 tips to make your blog recruiter-friendly are right on the mark:

1. Clearly identify your specialty. Include a tagline in your blog’s banner so its theme can be quickly recognized. Also, write a concise “about me” blurb that readers can easily find.

2. Show you’re current on hot topics. For example, relate a recent news item about your area of expertise to a project you completed and link to tangible evidence of your work, such as a press clipping or PowerPoint presentation.

3. Provide more information. Include a downloadable resume and if you have a profile on a networking site such as LinkedIn.com, link to it.

4. Exercise common sense. Never write about anything negative or proprietary concerning current or former employers.

5. Omit personal information. Unless it’s relevant to the job you want, avoid writing about how much you love Fido or the cute things your kids do.

6. Keep it polished and current. Post new entries at least three times a month to show that you’re committed.

7. Contribute to other blogs. Insert an inbound link to your blog to draw more traffic and boost its search-engine rankings.

If you want to attract the kind of recruiters who can help get you into your next job, blogging is a great way to do it. It also affords myriad opportunities to build community and networking connections, while expanding your personal brand online.

Don’t have the time to invest in your own blog? The next best thing is guest blogging on another blog, as I do here on this blog. Look to relevant sites where you can share your expertise, such as professional associations or maybe company alumni sites.

Posted by Meg Guiseppi

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Jason Alba posed a question a few day ago on his Jibber Jobber blog:

“If only 3% of jobs are found from job boards, why do you spend more than 3% of your time on job boards”?

He points to his own “unbalanced” job search strategy, devoting 90% of his efforts to job boards.

Although he supports concentrating most heavily on networking to land your next job, he suggests designating some time to niche job boards, instead of Monster and CareerBuilder.

His broad list of 30 niche job boards, contributed by Eric Shannon and based on data from Google, offers plenty of avenues to explore.

Posted by Meg Guiseppi

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