I received a wonderfully inspiring letter from a reader that I want to share with you:
For the past two years, I’d been working for a Fortune 500 company as a demonstration coordinator. I loved what I did and discovered a true delight in working with customers and organizing in-store events. However, when a new store manager was promoted, things at that location rapidly went downhill. After a few months, no matter what I did, I was criticized up one side and down the other. For a company that boasts about their ”appreciation of team members”, praise was few and far between for anyone at that location.
I realized that I was using my hour-long commute as time to consciously relax so that I wouldn’t take my rotten day out on my daughters. I didn’t want my daughters to see their mom “trapped” in a job that I didn’t like so I set out to do something about it. While talking with a salesperson at a shop in Kohler I discovered that Woodlake Market, a specialty grocery store, was looking to boost their image. “Hmmmm… I could help them!”, I thought to myself. After mulling it over for about 30 seconds, I went home and created a PowerPoint presentation of my resume showcasing the events I’d done over the past 18 months at my current employer as well as how I’d like to bring those talents to their store. Then I e-mailed it off to the marketing director of the Shops at Woodlake - Kohler , who forwarded it to the store manager of Woodlake Market.
Though it took five months for the position to be approved (they asked me to write the job description for it!), Kohler Company believed in me and gave me the opportunity to “strut my stuff”. I’m the new Special Events Coordinator!
Thin Pink Line kudos to her! Here’s what I hope you will take away from her story:
- Be a role model for your daughters. Ask yourself if you would want them to be treated the way you’re being treated at work.
- Know when it’s time to vote with your feet. If you’ve tried to turn around a difficult situation and it isn’t working, don’t remain a victim. Your self-esteem and self-confidence will only suffer.
- Advertise yourself. I love that this woman created a presentation to sell herself into a job that didn’t even exist! Go the extra mile and potential employers will see how you add value.
- Be open, creative, and take risks. The writer found her next job by simply talking to people at a shop she frequented. Be alert to the opportunities around you.
- Ask. As this writer found out, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Don’t talk yourself out of a job before you even ask.
TAGS: Job Search, job transitions, Leaving a bad boss or a job you hate
Maureen Dowd’s NY Times column on Sunday veered away from her usual wickedly withering political commentary - instead, she interviewed Father Pat O’Connor, a 79 year old Catholic priest about how to recognize a potentially problematic husband before you marry him.
It occurred to me how much of Father O’Connor’s sage advice applied to making a decision about whether to take a new job. He notes that it is important for young people to hear his thoughts before they fall seriously in love because once they fall in love, it’s too late. “Infatuation trumps judgment.” So too for job seekers - do your due diligence before you get seduced by the job title, the money or the career possibilities it might lead to - by then, you’re too emotionally invested. (more…)
TAGS: career change, career derailment, careers, Job Search, Marriage, Maureen Dowd
A young woman called the other day and asked how to handle being suddenly ”laid off.” I asked a few questions about the size of the company, how many other people were laid off, etc. As it turns out, she was the only one let go. Listen up, girlfriends. When only one person is laid off it’s not a lay-off — it’s a termination. Weak, incompetent bosses who don’t have the guts to do their jobs by giving feedback to employees for how they can improve performance often use the euphemism laid off when they really mean fired. If you find yourself in this situation, here’s what you do:
- Ask yourself how you missed the clues leading up to this. Were you given subtle feedback that you ignored? Did you not take your boss seriously when he or she told you to do a few things differently? Did you not take time to build relationships with people who might have been honest with you about your performance? Being fired should never come as a surprise if you are vigilant about the verbal and nonverbal messages being conveyed all the time in the workplace.
- Ask the boss or HR for feedback. Without being argumentative or defensive, simply ask for feedback that would help you to avoid being in this situation in the future. Cowardly bosses won’t be honest but with any luck you might get some good insights to work on at the next job.
- Negotiate. It’s easier to find a job when you have a job, so see if you can negotiate to keep your office for a finite period of time or be given a workspace from which to conduct your job search. Ask the company to keep you on the payroll until you’ve used up vacation time, PTO, or sick time. This way you can legitimately say you are currently employed. Similarly, negotiate a severence package that includes extended health insurance and other benefits. If needed, hire a good labor lawyer to help you with this.
- Remember that job search is a numbers game. There’s something called the “Rule of 21″ in job search. For every 21 contacts you make you’ll get one positive response (not necessarily an offer but perhaps an interview or request for more information). This means you need to cast your net wide and call in any favors that might be due to you.
- Don’t look for a good job, look for a good fit. Many times people are let go because they don’t quite fit in. It could have nothing to do with your capability and everything to do with the fact that you don’t go out for drinks after work with the rest of the crowd. Interview the interviewers by asking questions that give you a feel for how good a match you are for the company and vice versa.
TAGS: Job Search, job transitions, lay-offs, managing your career, termination
Cynthia Shapiro sent me a copy of her latest book, What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here? 44 Insider Secrets that Will Get You Hired. Much like her last book, Corporate Confidential, it provides practical advice to help you get the job of your dreams. Here are just a few of her tips:
- Cover letters can cause immediate exclusion. If they’re not well-written the hiring manager won’t even look at the resume.
- Professional references are a waste of time. The law prevents previous bosses or employers from revealing much about you.
- There is a “type” who always gets the offer. That type is usually someone most like the hiring manager.
If you’re in the market for a new job I’d say this book is more than worth the $14.95 cover price (less on amazon.com) and definitely worth taking the time to read.
TAGS: Cynthia Shapiro, Interview skills, Job Search
