On Careers
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6 Ways to Be a Great Listener
Continue reading… 2 CommentsI knew an executive whose career success was widely attributed to his extraordinary ability to listen. When he was with you, he was with you. He recognized that listening carefully is one of the greatest of compliments.
Here are some basic listening tips:
Listen for a theme. Rather than getting distracted by trivia, listen for the main message. It may be hidden amid unrelated facts but your job is to determine what the person is trying to say.
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You're Not Scaring Me
Continue reading… 5 CommentsI deal frequently with people who are less than pleased with a management decision. Usually this decision involves a layoff. Fine, I understand. I wouldn't be pleased with being laid off.
When this happens—and the employee wants me to say: "You are right. Even though you are screaming at me and using foul language, we never should have selected you for termination. Let me re-activate you right now or perhaps double your severance"—sometimes they pull out the "big gun."
"I'm going to call my lawyer."
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What if Success Is Inevitable?
Continue reading… 2 CommentsThere's a well-known self-exploration question that goes, "What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?" It's a way to help people shine a light on their dreams. Unfortunately, when it comes to taking those dreams back to the real world, too many people default to a negative response.
They look at a dream and say, "I can't do that," or, "That's not possible," or, "I'll just fail anyway, so why bother trying?" Of course, if that's what they believe, odds are good that they'll turn it into truth.
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Help Your Kid This Summer
Continue reading… 13 CommentsMuch has been written about helicopter parents being too involved. The stories—attending college classes with their kids, calling bosses at their first job—are embarrassing. Parents need to let go and let the little darlings blossom or fail.
Except for this: Most kids get summer jobs—"internships" if they're of college age—with no idea what they are doing. Still, any job is good for these kids. They learn basic skills, like getting up on time and showing up with brushed teeth. Personally, hard work made me what I am today. I spent summers helping my dad farm and I wanted NO part of it as an adult. The point is, we all learn from these first jobs.
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What to Ask at Your Interview
Continue reading… 10 CommentsThe best job interviews aren't one-sided interrogations but rather two-way conversations designed to let both sides figure out if they'd be a good fit. Since your goal shouldn't be just to get a job offer but to land in a position in which you'll thrive and in an environment you won't dread as you come to work every day, you should be interviewing the interviewer right back.
Yet, I encounter many candidates who don't have many—or even any—questions when I ask what I can answer for them. While this isn't fatal, asking the right questions shows a level of thoughtfulness and engagement. After all, your interviewer wants to know that you're interested in the details of the job, the department you'll be working in, your prospective supervisor's management style, and the culture of the organization. Otherwise, you risk signaling that you're either not that interested or just haven't thought very much about it.
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How High Gas Prices Can Help You
Continue reading… 3 CommentsWith sustainability issues and astronomical gas prices dominating the evening news, now is the perfect time to take these unfortunate circumstances and attempt to use them to your benefit.
Ask for a Raise. The cost of living is rising dramatically, but rather than pay people accordingly, most companies are tightening their belts. Even if the organization denies your request, you've accomplished two very important things. First, you've laid the groundwork for a salary bump later in the year. Second, you'll feel better that you asked and were rejected. It's better than not asking at all. (Never make a threat, but don't forget that hiring new staff is an expense, one your company might not want to incur at this time.)
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7 Things to Avoid in a Job Interview
Continue reading… 0 Comments1. Excessive use of "I." When it's "I" this and "I" that, the interviewers may wonder if you ever worked on a team and, if so, how much credit you gave to your colleagues. Conversely, if you never mention the advances you were able to achieve, they may fear that you are team-dependent. Seek a balance.
2. Getting lost in the weeds. Far too many applicants prepare for the complicated questions and then fall into a blank stare when asked basic ones, such as "Why do you want this job?" and "Why should we hire you?"
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3 Lessons From the Golf Course
Continue reading… 3 CommentsMy golf buddy and I play a weekly nine holes. This week the weather was irritable to say the least. The parking lot was cold, the first fairway warm, the fourth tee rainy, and at the fifth tee it hailed.
Needless to say, I played one of my worst rounds in a long time. But, it got me to thinking about the business lessons that can be learned on the golf course.
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Just Say No to ObamcCaintalk
Continue reading… 4 CommentsIt is hard to remain neutral when everyone is talking presidential politics and taking sides. But if you lead or manage anyone at work, my advice is: Be like Switzerland. Stay neutral, keep your PIN number safe, and carry a funny-looking little knife.
Conversations around the water cooler start off informative and may even be helpful to new voters. Some people want to know about the issues and how positions taken by the candidates will help or hinder. Fine and good.
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Be Patient—and Impatient
Continue reading… 2 CommentsIf you're feeling the itch to change careers, you're probably ready for it to happen, ohhhhh, like, yesterday. While that impatience can be a great source of motivation, by itself it can also get in your way.
Making substantial, sustainable change takes both impatience and patience. It's about combining the urge for immediate action with the awareness that it's a long-term investment that unfolds over time.
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Read This Before You Accept That Promotion
Continue reading… 1 CommentI'm often amazed at how the majority of workers have an autopilot mind-set of: "I want a promotion." While most of us want to earn more, it's important to understand that it's not always worth the trip. I'm not suggesting you take the path of least resistance; I'm merely asking you to think it through from every angle.
Is the next step up worth it as far as money, mobility, and résumé-building? Also, what are the short- and long-term implications for your career? Not to mention the dozens of intangibles, all of which can leave you desperate to get out.
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You've Made a Mistake at Work. Now What?
Continue reading… 9 CommentsWhen you make a mistake at work, how you handle its immediate aftermath can often overshadow the mistake itself.
First, here's what not to do:
1. Don't hope that if you act like it wasn't a big deal, your boss might think it wasn't a big deal either. This strategy will actually compound the damage: Your boss will be far more alarmed that you don't really care that you made a mistake than she will be by the mistake itself. Rather than making the mistake less noticeable, what will really stand out is that you're not taking responsibility for it.
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3 Questions Posed in Every Job Interview
Continue reading… 0 CommentsThere are three questions that applicants must put to rest in every job interview:
- Can I trust this person?
- Will this person embarrass me?
- Will this person fit in?
These questions might not be asked, but the concerns behind them are the interview's backdrop. The applicant who reassures the employer on each point will be far ahead of those who do not. Let's consider the components:
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3 Steps to Jump-Starting Your Job Dreams
Continue reading… 1 CommentIn response to my post last week about dreaming, Earl from New York said:
I am so busy with work during the day and family at night that I have no idea what I want to do but I know I need a change. Do you have any advice about how to start dreaming again?
That's such a common experience, the answer merits a post of its own. So here are three steps to jump-start your dream discovery:
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Confidence Makes a Leader
Continue reading… 4 CommentsOf course, it's important to have the skills, but that's only a portion of the pie chart. The most important characteristic of leadership is confidence.
Many people will argue that confidence is gained through failure and success. That may be true in some instances—it may even help you become a leader.
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Employers Still Want You, Just for Less Money
Continue reading… 1 CommentNew graduates and experienced job seekers alike in the fields of technology, project management, governmental contracting, and finance may encounter a change in how companies are willing to compensate them for their services. As the economy continues to face a downturn, businesses are faced with a dilemma in hiring for these positions.
JobFox gave the latest outlook for these professions with their latest May 2008 release of the "most wanted U.S. job candidates."
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Sales Is Not a Dirty Word
Continue reading… 8 Comments"There ain't hardly no business done what ain't went after."
Too homespun? Aw shucks, then Trace Adkins should write it in a country song.
In my companies, I have been identified as—even accused of—being too close to, or enamored with, "sales." Whatever "sales" wants, I want, they say.
Yep.
Which is why it makes me cringe when I hear young people act like sales is, like, dude, the worst possible place. Few schools even teach it, preferring to teach "marketing." Why? Because they can't teach sales, that's why. Can you just see it now? Some pissant college sophomore asking, "So, professor, how did you do in sales?"
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The Job Interview Starts From the First E-mail
Continue reading… 3 CommentsI frequently see job candidates acting as if only "official" contacts—like interviews and formal writing samples—count during the hiring process. They'll send flawlessly edited cover letters and writing samples and then check up on their applications with sloppily written E-mails with spelling errors. Or they'll be charming and polite to me but rude to an assistant.
If you're job searching, remember that employers are gathering information about you at every interaction, not just in the interview itself. For example:
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4 Ways to Beat Office Stress Before It Starts
Continue reading… 1 CommentYou know the drill. It's a quiet day at work and you're looking forward to paying your bills online and catching up on your favorite blogs. Then it happens...
It could be an E-mail with a red exclamation point or the ring of a phone. Your boss needs something—and needs it now.
The blood rushes to your face and the office suddenly feels like a furnace. If this sounds like you, fear not, there is a cure. Here are some pre-emptive tips for confronting a stressful assignment before it's issued:
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Dear Employee: Unwritten Resignation Accepted
Continue reading… 7 CommentsDear Disgruntled Employee,
We have received your letter of resignation. Of course, it was not a written one, using paper and ink, and you may be surprised that we are ending our employment relationship. We've finally caught on, however, to what your conduct has been saying on a daily basis: "I've resigned."
The beginning paragraph of your unwritten resignation was when you missed the deadline on submitting an important report to the executive board. Although a dedicated employee—to use an old-fashioned term—would have been apologetic, you just shrugged, walked back to your desk, and improved your Solitaire skills. We were surprised you gave no sign of embarrassment, but at that point, of course, we didn't understand: In order to be embarrassed, one must first care.
