Memorable

Memorable, a photo by Filipão 28 on Flickr.

How To Make Yourself Memorable For Your Job Search

If you’ve been actively job hunting for a while, by now you’ve gotten over any fears of letting the world know about it.

Or have you?

Job candidates are always told to hone their resume-writing skills, and they are reminded to finesse their interview skills all the time. And every Monday morning they don’t hesitate to answer job ads online—the lowest-hanging fruit that rarely achieves results unless they’re a senior engineer or a credentialed actuary.

But you have to rise above the typical noise that the throngs of job hunters make.  So how do you ride that fine line between boldly tooting your horn about what a great hire you’d be, and sounding annoying?

When you market yourself to Hiring Managers, a dose of humility goes a long way. You should focus on solving their business problems. Stop thinking about how good the job will look like on your resume, or how getting it will get you the 2-bedroom with the view.

A successful job search is the second cousin to a successful sales pitch--especially when it doesn’t sound like a sales pitch at all. The smartest salespeople know that if they engage their prospect in meaningful dialogue, the prospect will reveal their biggest concerns. The sales person, in turn, will offer customized solutions to address his needs.

Notice that I used the word customized. Listen to what the Hiring Manager’s biggest problems are, and show him what you’ve done that can specifically relieve him of his pain.

The most successful salespeople are almost always subtle. They bring up only the specific features of their product or service that are appropriate to the customer. As a job hunter you can subtlely show off your accolades, starting with your resume. List your metrics—your measurable on-the-job results—in the upper third of your resume. Continue to focus on your metrics in your dialogue as well. When you explain to a Hiring Manager that you surpassed your quotas by 120% and established 25 new accounts last year, driving $1. 2 million in new business, you’re bragging in a low key way. With metrics you’re speaking the Hiring Manager’s language, and he’s starting to picture you in that vacant seat on his team, taking away his pain and solving his problem.

Once you’ve put your metrics out there, forget your track record and shift the conversation to the future. At this point, forward thinking is needed. Like a good salesperson, you’re only as good as your last deal, so you need another way to stay memorable. Make new connections to others in the Hiring Manager's organization, reinforce your brand and stay visible. Join the company's talent community on their Facebook corporate page and be a part of the dialogue. Comment sparingly on blogs and articles, and include your LinkedIn URL in your signature. Trust me, folks will check you out if you make honest contributions to the conversation.

This concept of self-marketing is a subtle shift in how to position yourself as a job hunter. You don't want to do is come on too strong--but the last thing you want to do is blend in with all the other job hunters. Which version of you is more memorable: when you're a guest at the party or when you work the party like you're the host?

What A Good Day In Your Job Search Looks Like...Part Two.

New Light Through Old Windows, a photo by _basquiat_ on Flickr.

Last week you read about five examples of what a good day looks like when you're job hunting, if you applied a few important tools to your arsenal.  Here are five more that ensure success:

You gave yourself an attitude adjustment.  You finally got into the mindset that an employer isn’t going to offer you an interview, job offer or even a conversation if it’s all about what you need. You realized they want to talk to you only when you demonstrate how you can solve their problem. You laughed at how pivotal this simple attitude shift was in your approach. Now you understand that every conversation, email or comment you have with influencers needs to prove how you can add value to their organization. Now you carefully gear every communication to show how hiring you will add to their company’s productivity, their bottom line, or will save them money--and not focus on what a job offer can do for you.

You recognized good feedback when you heard it.  After you had a great conversation with a hiring manager, you felt a real connection. Your answers to his questions seemed to resonate. So you boldly asked why he felt you’d be an asset to his company. He mentioned the points you made that were memorable. He even suggested other points he wanted to hear more about. As you ponder next steps with this manager, you think about his feedback and remember to apply what he said to future influencers you network with.

Your timing was right.   After a great career conversation with a company leader, you realize that your timing was perfect. You know it wasn’t because the stars were aligned or because your moon was rising in Aquarius—it was because you wrote on your calendar three months ago when this manager was going to reassess his hiring needs, and today was the perfect day to follow up. And it paid off.

You found two entirely new industries where your skill set and personality could add value.  You’ve been a public relations genius in the pharmaceutical industry for years but you’ve always had a deep interest in changing lives. So today you decided to consider a stretch position for yourself—where you can bring needed skills to solve a new company’s problem but you get to learn new competencies that interest you, too. You consider doing PR for a large hospital or an international non-profit. You already started making lists of companies and leaders where you may have a common connection, and you’ve started to reach out to them.

You helped someone in their job search and didn’t expect anything in return.  You remembered that the true meaning of networking is staying in touch with your circle because you’re contributing to a greater community. Yes, some day you might reach out to these folks for help in your job search. But today someone reached out to you and asked for help, and you offered them a contact name and an introduction. You knew that networking isn’t about working a room and collecting leads and business cards from everyone just for your own benefit—you knew it’s about the give and take, the sharing of information.

 And today you remembered that.

What A Good Day Looks Like When You're Job Hunting (Part One).

Sunshine through the blind, a photo by libertygrace0 on Flickr.

What A Good Day Looks Like if You’re Job Hunting (Part One).

Like any important project, your job search needs momentum or it can never move forward. There will be days when you stare at your phone, willing it to ring—or even worse, you default to hours of spray and pray--answering tons of job ads on Monster whose titles come closest to your current or most recent one, hoping for someone to respond.

Then there are days when your actions move your job search forward. Here’s what those days might look like:

You added two valuable people to your network.  Mind you, I’m not talking about the two strangers you added to your LinkedIn account. These two were the result of live conversations you had with someone you have a working or personal relationship with, who knows your value and suggested you connect. When you spoke to these two new contacts, you also asked them for leads of others you can connect with. This expanded your network beyond options you were already aware of.

You refined your personal brand and your elevator speech.  You temporarily forgot your interest in switching careers or industries. Instead, you reiterated what you are known for right now—that thing you do that makes you so memorable. Leveraging what you're famous for, you distilled your message down to better articulate your brand to everyone who learns about your job search.

You updated your LinkedIn profile with an added skill or two.  That’s because you spent time in an online course last month learning HTML, or you took the course your company offered that helped you get Six Sigma certified. You plan on updating your business profile regularly to keep it fresh and interesting, sharing updates with your circle regularly.

You added to your business acumen.  Last week you tuned in to your company’s hour-long quarterly financial forecast, instead of reading a blurb about it online. You also sat in on the meeting of another department that generates the lion’s share of revenue for your company. You got to know someone in Finance and learned which teams impact your company’s bottom line the most. You discovered that your current department is a cost center than a revenue generator, and you just decided it makes sense to switch teams.

You improved your answers to common behavioral interview questions.  Being prepared for behavioral interviews means you have an arsenal of well-rehearsed, detailed examples of your approach to past business problems-- how you succeeded and what you and the company gained from the experience. To demonstrate maturity, you also have carefully-selected examples of mistakes you've made in past jobs and what you've learned from them. But after two recent interviews, you haven’t proceeded to final rounds or a job offer. So today you thought about how you might modify your examples. You rehearsed them with someone whose opinion you value and asked for honest feedback, no matter how painful the answer might be. Now you feel confident your new answers will have a more favorable outcome. 

Like your day so far?  Next week: Part Two.

Finding Meaningful Work--and Finding meaning In Your Work

Gear , a photo by avrene on Flickr.

For the nine or more hours a day we devote to our jobs, we expect, even demand to find meaning in it. I’ve noticed lately that when people kvetch about their job dissatisfaction, they are shamed into changing the subject. Well-meaning friends and co-workers remind them that downsized execs they know are now selling lumber at Lowe’s. Eventually they stuff down their frustrations and are guilted into silence.

Should we just consider ourselves lucky to have a job these days?

If we take an academic approach to the quest for meaningful work, we find the usual answers (often found in books and Myers Briggs tests).  If you are guided by a kind of calling, you should be a priest or work in non-profit; maybe join the Peace Corp.  Those of you who want to help lives will find meaningful work in becoming doctors, teachers or policemen/women. Others that are creators will become artists, designers and architects. If you are a certain personality type, your test says that you should be in sales or leadership.

When the answer isn’t so black and white (and most of us can relate), consider another approach that allows you to find meaning in the work you already do. I’m all for reinventing your career, but in today’s precarious job market you may not have to abandon a career you’ve already invested in:

Take the time to investigate the mission of your company. On the surface, your job building computer hard-drives may seem to only benefit the company shareholders. But does your company donate laptops to children in impoverished countries? Is your organization developing technology that helps scientists detect cancer faster and cheaper? Look at the lives your work touches. You might find meaning in your work when you see your role as part of the bigger picture.

Learn a new skill. You may be in the same financial role for a number of years, and you’ve got a strong reputation for success. Can you build on what you already do well and take on bigger tasks? Get out of your comfort zone—lead a project, mentor a new employee or switch to a department where you can leverage your knack for numbers.

Make it personal and avoid fear-based career decisions. When you live from the inside out, you learn to understand what’s deeply satisfying to you. Eventually a pattern emerges—for example, you are naturally drawn to new cultures or you enjoy consulting work. Pinpoint that thing you do so well and focus on your natural talents. There’s no sense in swimming against the tide.

Do you beat yourself up over missed job opportunities? If you abandoned veterinary school because it didn’t feel right at the time, it probably wasn’t. Pragmatic jobs (often chosen by our parents) in the medical field or in teaching are wonderful choices, unless you are squeamish or impatient. Making fear-based career choices is like bargaining with the devil. Have faith in the choices you’ve made.

Focus on moments vs. accomplishments. Your annual review is largely based on a year of metrics and production results. In other words, your bonus and raise is largely dependent upon the projects you’ve completed. This is how the corporate world works—but it can suck the life out of finding joy in your work. If you don’t want to count the hours until the weekend arrives, while you are focusing on your accomplishments, try to find satisfaction in the daily mastery of your work. Remind yourself that you found a skill you are really, really good at. Appreciate that you made a co-worker’s job easier, or that a customer personally thanked you for your contribution.

Because at the end of the day, week, month or year, getting satisfaction out of completing a task well and delivering results makes our work and our lives meaningful. Being of service makes us feel good about ourselves.

Patience Vs. Action Is A Juggling Act

Juggling, a photo by andrewmalone on Flickr.

A friend of mine has a big decision to make. She was presented with a job offer that could add an interesting dimension to her career trajectory. But the job isn’t perfect. She isn’t sure if she should give up the secure one she is already in.

Patience vs. action is a juggling act. When a career opportunity presents itself, how inclined are you to act upon it?

Creativity can be snuffed out by too much inaction. You may have a brilliant business idea whose time has come, and a small window of time to execute it. In my friend’s case, you may have a tight deadline to accept the job offer.

But patience should not be interpreted as procrastination.  To consider the words of Lao Tzu: Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself? With patience, time allows details and alternative perspectives to rise to the surface. You might see possibilities that weren’t apparent before.

If you feel discomfort about not acting quickly, it’s probably your ego whispering in your ear, saying I’ve lost my edge as a great decision-maker or I need to be more resolute. The ego doesn’t care about the big picture. It cares more about winning the new job and proving to your current bosses that you can do better. The ego thrusts your attention toward winning the race of getting a new business idea to market. Avoid acting impulsively on this kind of advice.

Instead, ask yourself: By taking on the new job offer (or project)…am I moving toward my bigger goal, or am I simply running away from a situation I’m just not happy with? 

Here's another point to consider. It’s really tempting to let others make the decision for you. My colleague wants to get past the insecurity of making a potential mistake with her career. Should her family weigh in? Should I help her decide? Will it work itself out? Should she leave it to God?

Whether she decides to take the new job or not, it’s within all of us to appreciate a decision we’ve weighed for ourselves. I think that in the end, we want to know that we discovered the choice on our own. We need to use our own power to choose.

Perhaps the best thing to do is take small actions WHILE being patient. You can take incremental steps with your bigger goals in mind, and if you fail, you won't beat yourself up. This way, you'll still have your eye on what’s most important to you.

How Do You Identify Yourself?

name badges, a photo by juxtapozerz on Flickr.

On this celebration of Mother’s Day, I started thinking about the ways I define myself. I’m the mother of two beautiful children. I’m also a wife, an employee, a daughter and a friend.

In the context of the larger world, women are often conflicted about balancing work with family life. Statistics tell us that the brunt of household responsibilities still falls on women’s shoulders. But I think it’s safe to say that women like myself take pride in wearing a few name badges at once. In fact, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

But what happens when we suffer disappointments? As I get older (and hopefully wiser) I’m always looking for a better way of thinking. Lately I’ve been working on blurring the ways that I identify myself and I’ve been trying to live from the 

inside-out.

We have to love ourselves before anyone else can meet our needs, right? Living from the inside-out increases happiness because by doing so, we decide to live authentically.

And in the workplace, like a thin layer of armor, this powerful force carries us through job losses, missed promotional opportunities and lots of other setbacks.

There are plenty of work-related reasons to live from the inside-out. It makes sense that we need to stop aspiring to unattainable standards—like working twelve-hour days in order to get promoted. And we don’t have to be Road Warriors that travel constantly in order to prove ourselves worthy, either. We don’t have to be myopically single-minded to convince investors we can run a profitable company.

The alternative is scary. 

If I am what I do for a living, and I base my self-identity solely on what my superiors think of me, then—who am I if I no longer have that job?

It may sound airy-fairy, but I’d rather regard myself as a child of the Universe, bringing with that name badge all my strengths and all my imperfections to the world. I will not define myself through what I do for a living.

A child of the Universe. That’s how I will categorize myself. It’s hard—but I’m working on it.

I think women thrive on being counted-upon by bosses, spouses, children, friends and others at once. We enjoy wearing more than one name badge. The hard part is remembering to balance everyone else’s opinion of us with what we are inspired to be and to do.

Never lose sight of the desire that burns inside of you.

Happy Mother’s Day.

What's Really Driving Your Career?

This isn’t a blog post about rethinking your job choices because the economy tanked or what to do when other outside forces are at play. It’s about becoming aware of what drives your job choices in the first place.

I’ve always envied people who knew what they wanted to do for a living since they were five. Like kids who become scientists or engineers due to a deep inner calling, giving them plenty of time to nurture their craft because they figured it out so early.

I suspect most people just stumble into their career paths, like I did when I answered a NY Times ad one Sunday to become a Wall Street headhunter. 

Some will get that deeper calling.

But one thing I know for sure. Most career decisions are tripped up by our egos. It’s really hard to remove the ego from our career trajectory because ego, by its very definition, is how we separate ourselves. It’s what makes us special. It's how we differentiate our resume from others when we compete for the same jobs.

Like Seinfeld’s George Costanza, who admitted he would have married a girlfriend he hated just to prove that he could make a commitment, our egos can make us stumble.

·      Are you thinking of leaving your job because you see others progressing more rapidly around you?

·      Do you defend your own bad decisions? Is it more important to be right than to fix a problem at work?

·      Do you grandstand to show off your talents?

You might consider a job change because you’ve been passed over for a promotion. Maybe you are comparing your track record to someone else who moved up the ladder, even though his sales numbers or metrics weren’t as strong as your own. But remind yourself that these comparisons with colleagues can be misleading. It might be only part of the picture. Your need to defend your ego and your drive to win makes you forget that he might possess other necessary talents you don’t have (soft skills, cultural fit, a knack with presentations) that got him promoted. Do you really see the whole picture?

If you’re the boss, are you holding onto a bad employee because you were the one that convinced the company to hire them and you don’t want to admit you made a bad decision? This may be hindering your own development.

Our egos are notorious for giving us selective hearing. Maybe you’re an employee who got a less-than-favorable annual review this year. Granted, many companies create bell curves for performance evaluations, preventing salary increases for many. Your manager may have to justify why you didn’t get a raise. But as you sift through your manager’s feedback, there are likely morsels of truth about your performance that are genuine. Don’t let your ego make you ignore these.

Grandstanding is the most obvious display of our ego in the workplace. Remember that it is a pattern that cannot be sustained. Showing off your wins and monopolizing the conversation at teammeetings will wear you out. It will wear out others around you, too.

So how do you make career decisions from the right place? Remember that ego is a needed part of our psyche and we shouldn’t completely ignore it. It’s where we derive our inspiration and our desires—for work and every other area of our lives.

But for starters, we know we make a good career choice when the decision feels physically good. When you tell the important people in your life what you do for a living, or where you work, is your body relaxed? Are you at peace?

Or do you get a clammy feeling in the pit of your stomach? If you tell everyone you are leaving your job, do you feel a restlessness?

Maybe it’s because you think the new company would look better on your resume.

Most important, are you moving toward a better career, or are you really running away from something, instead?

Ego focuses on pride. 

The I vs. the We. 

Earning, acquiring. Getting.

Separating us from others. 

That’s our ego at work. It will always play a role in our career decisions, but don’t let it overwhelm you. Awareness is the best way to keep it from controlling you.

Big head, a photo by xJason.Rogersx on Flickr.