Career Management Alliance Blog

The employment news isn’t all bad - according to a CareerBuilder.com survey, 32% of all employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in 2008.

But perhaps you are in a company or industry that is suffering and you have good reasons to suspect that a layoff is a very real possibility for you.

This is a scary feeling, yet there are things you can do to prepare for such an upheaval. Doing something feels better than fretting and doing nothing.

Here are things you should do to prepare for layoff, from Kate Lorenz of CareerBuilder.com, as reported in CareerJournal.com:

Get organized. Print and take home personal files on your computer and locate copies of your performance appraisals and other personnel records. Review your status reports and project files to help you update your résumé so that it reflects all of your recent accomplishments and newly acquired skills. Think about what you might want to do next and whom you might want to use as a reference.

Get what’s coming to you. Take advantage of any perks and benefits to which you are entitled. Schedule your checkups and tend to any dental or medical issues while you’re still insured — especially if you’ve already met your deductibles. If you’ve got a flexible spending account, turn in all outstanding claims to avoid forfeiting any balances. In addition, know exactly how much vacation and floating holiday time you’ve used and make sure you’ve taken credit for your holidays. (Most companies will not honor unused holidays, but will pay you for any remaining vacation.)

Get connected. Spend at least one to two hours a day networking. Call your friends, former co-workers and clients. Attend your professional association meetings. Talk to headhunters and corporate recruiters. This is a good time to help others who may be helpful to you in the future.

Get searching. Visit the Web sites of any relevant trade and professional associations as well as companies where you’d like to work. Check print and online job postings to see what requirements are being asked for in your desired next job and note any gaps in your experience or skill base.

Get an exit strategy. The HR folks will be working from a script when they give you the news. Make sure you know what you should say, too. If no information about severance pay has been communicated, check the company policy manual to find out what is standard practice. Do not agree to sign anything then and there; say that you need to review the proposed agreement with your legal and financial advisers. The National Employee Rights Institute contends that employees have more bargaining power than they realize — and not only about the amount of severance pay. Assess your situation, so that you can negotiate aspects of the termination that will have the most value for you.

Get fired up! When layoffs are looming, stay positive and place yourself in a position of strength. Remember, change is an accelerating mechanism. It can bring about hardship and anxiety if you try to avoid it, but tremendous opportunity if you accept and welcome it.

Posted by Heather Mundell

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The dynamics of the workplace continue as we enter a period of economic uncertainty. While jobs may be available, these positions are frequently packaged in ways that are quite new, requiring greater flexibility by both employer and the employee. The onus for finding employment is largely, but not completely, left up to the job seekers themselves. The older notion of moving within a narrow band of job opportunities among companies is largely gone.

It is clear job seekers and career changer who master new job search strategies and develop skill in marketing themselves will have more options. They will be of more value to employers and better positioned for employment opportunities. For career changers non-profits can be an attractive option.

As with any profession, the work has its own set of challenges and frustrations. However, work satisfaction can also be huge, and many people have found very fruitful careers doing well by doing good. It is not uncommon for people to find their work passion initially as a volunteer, never recognizing this work can also offer career prospects. As an employee these positions offer opportunities to influence and contribute in ways that are impossible as a volunteer.

Since non-profits tend to be private, with focus on their mission, determining the practical elements important to a job search is more difficult, but still essential. It is important to understand the mission, to ensure compatibility with your interests. Is the staff small and totally dependent upon volunteers for fundraising, or is there a larger professional staff working with public and private firms to raise funds and pursue their mission? Either may be appropriate, but you have to determine that based on your own interests and values.

To what extent would you be responsible for fundraising? This is extremely important because fundraising represents the lifeblood of most non-profits, and the responsibilities are huge. Strong and aggressive organizational and planning skills are very transferable into a non-profit environment. If you are the type of dynamic person that likes objective measurements for job performance, fundraising may be very attractive. Also, fundraisers are highly prized.

Examine the programming and services to determine what new and creative ideas have been introduced. Is this an organization that seeks and values new ideas, new concepts, new programs? Is it looking to expand into new areas, or searching for better ways to deliver services to their current recipients? In the first instance creativity and innovative thinking is important, while in the second strong administrative skills may be more important.

Take a look at how the public views the organization. Non-profits like to do a lot of public outreach. Communications, media affairs, public speaking opportunities and related activities are often crucial elements of success. For someone who has experience in communications, either as a practitioner or a public speaker, these skills and experience can be extremely valuable. Skills in developing marketing communications material, advertising campaigns and promotional activities offer significant opportunities, particularly with non-profit groups that compete for funding from public solicitations.

If you have any type of computer background, look for the organizations involvement in technology. There have been dramatic successes by non-profits in reaching out to prospective donors through the Internet. Compiling lists, building databases and managing the process enables those who have these skills an opportunity to apply them in a totally different environment.

Finally, examine the organization carefully to ensure a match between your interests, skills, and values. Re-structure your marketing tools, create new messages and look for opportunities to gain exposure to the group. Remember, these organizations are also part of the hidden job market.

Judit Price

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Too many people come to me to help them change careers.  For most, a job change, a different boss, new projects or more responsibility may be the answer because a career change really is a big decision and has to be done for the right reasons.  People who genuinely feel little or no passion about their work and simply go through the motions are candidates for career change.  People who believe in the importance of making a meaningful contribution in ways that provide personal, internal pride and satisfaction are the people who should explore career alternatives. However, career changers frequently make common mistakes.·       

• They assume they must reinvent themselves rather than seek understanding of who they are.·       
•  They take a very broad approach to “what is out there” rather than establish a clear focus.·       
• They put too much emphasis on finding security, rather than learning, challenge and growth.·       
• They focus on less cosmetic matters such as title or staff size, rather than satisfaction and enrichment.

 It is important to also think about those qualities that go beyond quantifiable skills.  Leadership, dealing with pressure, listening skills, and cross-cultural sensitivities are a few examples of abilities or soft skills that can contribute to success in new careers.  Understanding those skills and experiences and the values that accompany them form a baseline that provides a direction and focus for that new endeavor. Non-essential considerations, such as job title, organizational hierarchy, staff size and others pale in comparison to the essential need to find a career path that provides personal fulfillment.   Finally, with a direction, there is a reasonable expectation of growing security and confidence because as the individual grows in the new career the toolbox of expertise through learning and experience can grow. 

Posted By Judit Price

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I just got an email from staffing.org listing relatively new vocabulary for HR: 

“Speak the Language of the C Suite!” Some of the terms are familiar, some less so. Overall, the impression is one of the growing professionalism of the staffing function and, in particular, tying staffing productivity to the business as a whole (ROI).

Some examples listed:

Right and Wrong Staffing Practices, Keys to Staffing Performance: New hire quality, time to start, hiring manager, satisfaction, internal & external recruiting costs

What does all this mean for job seekers? Less reliance on resumes, perhaps, and more on newer assessment instruments? More reliance on professional resumes, perhaps, due to their ability to communicate brand and success stories? Anyway, get ready for HR to upgrade its own performance!

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My two favorite indoor “sports” are careers and politics; a recent book written by Chris Matthews makes some interesting observations about the intersection of these endeavors.

Life’s A Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation, and Success is the latest book written by this journalist and TV pundit; I renewed it from the Library so I could share a few thoughts that might spark some conversation from readers…
Matthews, (who confesses to his terrible listening skills) , suggests that:

“The whole trick of life is therefore to (a) find people who like you on first meeting, (b) put effort into winning over those people you can, and (c) recognize those whom, to use Donald Trump’s phrase, you need to ‘work around.’ This is what politicians call campaigning. It’s something you’ll find you have to do in life even if you never run in a single election.”

So, what about it - do successful candidates employ similar strategies when seeking career change or transition? Are we correct to refer to the job search process as a campaign?

• Clearly, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are candidates for the same job? Have you ever competed with a “friendly foe” for the same job? What happened to the relationship after the position was filled? While it is not likely that the outcome of this a contest will result in a “win-win,” must the outcome produce both a winner and a loser?
• Is there something about the terminology, “job search campaign,” that symbolizes the process as “sport” at the expense of work/life planning?
• How are the voters and/or the press doing in fulfilling the role of “hiring managers?” Have we referred the right candidates on for the final interview?
• What role will the Super Delegates play? Are they the Senior Management team or CEO?

What can career changers and job seekers learn from the experience of these political candidates? What can advice can experienced career managers offer to the politicians?

Karen P. Katz

cross-posted on Career Acceleration Notes

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While catching up with an acquaintance regarding her offspring and college plans, I was thrilled to hear her state that her son was “shadowing” several specialists to help him identify the area of medicine he would like to pursue.  I nearly did a happy dance right there in public.  Most of us put more time and thought in to the weekly TV schedule than we do our career choices.  Imagine, if you will, my excitement at uncovering the little known fact that February 1, 2008 is the nationwide kick-off of “Job Shadow 2008“.  A chance for students to shadow and professionals to mentor!  Everyone wins!  My brother, an Ohio State Trooper, believes one of the reasons so many forensics programs have waiting lists is due to the glamorized CSI programs popular now.  Try to imagine the watershed disappointment when reality hits these young men and women after graduation.  Not all of them will land jobs in Miami and (horrors) some of them still won’t be good-looking!  Shadowing could have saved them endless heartache and introduced them to the “real world” of forensic studies.  I always recommend shadowing to my job search candidates that want to “make a change” and very few of them ever do it.  It is refreshing to see education getting involved.

Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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Did you know that 20% of Fortune 500 firms and all of the top 10 recruiters go to ZoomInfo.com to look for strong candidates? Staffing.org listed those statistics in a recent newsletter.

Go to ZoomInfo now and enter your name in the search space. Do you come up near or at the top of page one? That’s where you want to be. If you are not there or don’t like what you see, you can create your own profile rather than allow ZoomInfo to compile data on you from all over the Internet. According to Staffing.org, ZoomInfo.com has profiles on 39 million people and 3.6 million companies, with thousands of new profiles added daily. If you’re on LinkedIn.com you probably already have a personal brand summary that you can copy over into Zoom Info’s format. Or start from scratch using one of ZoomInfo’s as a model.

It’s all part of the changing nature of both search and job seeking. Recruiters and hiring managers proactively go out and search for top candidates whether they are employed or not. Job seekers are increasingly building distinctive personal brands that help make them the go-to person for a specific role. So be out there. Make sure your name and the information you want people to see shows up.

For ideas on building and strengthening your brand, you can’t do better than William Arruda’s and Kirsten Dixson’s Career Distinction. Start your New Year off right!

Posted by Jean Cummings

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One of the many frustrations I encounter with candidates is the over-emphasis on resumes.  Many candidates approach the resume as the “holy grail” of job search - the “silver bullet” of employment woes.  Skill assessment, identifying interests and strengths, employment histories, are viewed as time-wasters until the “real” work of writing the resume begins. 

With the advent of a new year, many people take stock of life situations, including employment, and find them lacking in some respect.  Jennifer Remling, a former recruiter, is touring the country interviewing people who have successfully made career changes.  Her statement today on the MSNBC site:

“If you don’t stop and take time to ask yourself why I’m unhappy — if it’s the actual job, the company, the day to day activities — then you end up in a vicious cycle … always moving from job to job searching for greener pastures but you just end up on different grass.” 

Isn’t our life’s work important enough to garner some time and attention?  Especially when you look at it in terms of hours:  If we are all going to spend 2000-3000 hours at work this year, what is a couple hours spent identifying what makes us happy?

Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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Carmine Gallo, contributor to BusinessWeek and a communications coach and author, recently reiterated his compelling suggestion that “the most exciting business ideas fit on the back of an airplane napkin.” How does this relate to career changers, job seekers, and career professionals? Let’s compare the vision to the brand…

The vision can be compared to a clearly articulated branding statement that appears at the top of your resume and on the tip of your tongue. Gallo makes the point that a vision is not a mission statement. The mission statement resembles a narrative profile; both may use too many words and can be lost on the “About” page of a a web site. Yet the vision statement is economical: it is “simple, memorable, and concise.”Some examples of “concise, profound visions:”

1. Larry Page & Segey Brin’s vision: “Google provides access to the world’s information in one click.”
2. John Chambers: “Cisco changes the way we live, work, play and learn.”
3. Bill Gates & his father to Steve Ballmer: “MS is going to put a computer on every desk in every home”
4. Doug Ducey, projected that: “Cold Stone Creamery would become the ultimate ice cream experience”

Articulate your brand with similar verbal enthusiasm; try to create a kinetic or visual image; make it clear that your brand delivers ROI. Be sure that your statement is the “hook” that enables you to tell the rest of your story in a way that encourages others to join the brand-wagon. If you tell it, they will embrace it.

Posted by Karen P. Katz 

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This week, I volunteered to meet with job seekers and career changers at the CareerBuilder Job Fair held in Valley Forge, just outside of Philadelphia. It was sometimes fun and consistently challenging to meet so many people. Within a six-hour period, I must have spoken with 40-50 curious candidates; each one presented a unique story and a somewhat fragile sense of themselves. I ended the day wondering if these brief encounters would have a lasting impact on the job search campaigns of the candidates. Let me share my driving-home thoughts with you:

• If I could have collected $10 from every candidate whose resume
  included an amorphous “Objective,” I would have more than $500! Then
  add another $10 for repeated use of each of the following:

• small fonts;
• densely packed paragraphs of text;
• descriptions of job duties rather than accomplishments; and,
• repeated use of the dreaded phrase, “responsible for…”

Oh, the places I could go with the funds I could have collected!

A carefully branded and well-written resume serves as a powerful marketing tool that reflects on previous success stories; properly designed, it navigates a path to where
you want to be - in the future. The people I spoke with wanted to be doing something else, but their resumes kept them neatly tied-into their past. Some of Bob Dylan’s lyrics played in my head, “no direction home…like a rolling stone…”

Please click here to review an article that appeared in more than 10 Sunday newspapers that subscribe to CareerBuilder (Download 0405-TRIBUNE_EDITED_E-MAIL.pdf); I posted it here to share some of the tips I offered to “avoid the round file.” My impression is that most of the job fair candidates do not wish to invest in the services of a professional; they want to write their own resumes. To do so, these candidates are advised to consult articles and books written on this topic. Among many others, they may consider Quintessential Careers and the Riley Guide online; Enelow and Kursmark
in-print. It is important to create and update an effective resume, but remember that resumes are not the only tool you’ll need to launch an effective job search campaign and maintain your career health. To accelerate your career, consider the benefits of hiring an expert; click here to find a member of the Career Management Alliance.

Posted by Karen P. Katz

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