“I’ve landed!” One Woman’s Secrets to Finding a Job in a Tough Market.

Tania Jones’ job search lasted ten months, one week and five days. She counted each one of them. Unexpectedly laid off in the depths of the 2009 job slump, she had been diligent and proactive in sending out her resume, and seeking out contacts and opportunities, but, apart from one potential job that was pulled as she was about to receive an offer, the landscape was forbiddingly bare. That was until January 22, when she found a listing on a job site. (At this point, it may be appropriate to plug job sites as a credible source of potential employment opportunities : – ) )

Long used to the black hole that usually swallows the resume that is sent off without a networking contact to shepherd it through to friendly eyes, she did not have high expectations of any response. But, to her surprise, she was called within the week and invited to an interview on January 28. Before she had time to send a thank you note, her phone rang and she was invited back to do a presentation before a group of managers and further interviews. Excited at this turn of events, she went to her regular job networking group and told her story. As luck would have it, someone who had interviewed for the same position and been rejected was kind enough to share what she knew about the questions she had been asked and the specific values and concerns expressed at her own interview, so our heroine was well prepared. Not content with just that information, she dug further, going onto Linked In and asking her contacts for an introduction to an insider who showed up as a second degree connection, who could give her even more insight into the company and people who would be interviewing her.

Prepared to within an inch of her life, she gave a presentation she was proud of (along with name tents, handouts, interactive exercises and a skillfully put together powerpoint deck) and then went on to ace two of the three interviews, but stayed calm through the third, even though the interviewer was quite tough and challenging. By February 8, she received a note from the recruiting manager asking for references (which she gave, along with a link to the 37 references she had solicited about herself on Linked In), and on Feb 12 she received an offer. After a little negotiation, the deal was signed, on Valentine’s Day, a sweetheart deal if ever there was one.

The whole process took 21 days. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

But when I interviewed Tania, I saw the swan effect in action. It looks as though someone glides effortlessly from one place to another, but look beneath the surface and they are paddling like crazy. Luck really does favor the prepared mind.

Let’s unpack some of the hard work Tania did over the previous months to enable her to be perfectly ready when the right moment arrived.

And let’s see how her actions reflect the model I’ve talked about in previous blogs. Take care of the four important Re’s (Research, Relationships, Resume, Resilience) and the Results will take care of themselves.

Research

• Tania kept an open mind about the industries she could work in. As it turns out, she was able to make a switch from financial services to non-profit health care.
• She diligently kept her functional skills fresh and attended webinars, classes and lectures, making use of the many free or low cost options available.
• She not only relied on “passive research” ie scouring job boards, but also kept an eye out for organizations she thought might be growing or could use her services and proactively contacted them, through Linked In (no, they are not paying me!), requesting informational interviews.

Relationships

• She never abused the informational interview or networking opportunity by asking directly for work, but she made clear who she was and what she was looking for. Her primary focus was to build relationships and she did it with consummate skill. The secret? Pleasant, low key conversations over coffee and regular but infrequent stay-in-touch emails.
• She became the Queen of Linked In, using it actively and frequently. Also, not only did she make herself ask people for recommendations, but she also generously wrote unsolicited recommendations for others.
• As an Introvert, she also had to make herself attend networking events, speak to people and proactively ask for and follow up with contacts. By the end of the ten months, she felt a great sense of personal development and growth in this arena, as she learned to actually enjoy building relationships.

Resume

• In addition to a strong, well put together resume, she also compiled a portfolio of documents which she could refer to in the interview as evidence of different kinds of work she had done.
• She was very selective in the use of this powerful tool, only offering to share something if it came up in the conversation and it seemed totally relevant.

Resilience

• She was lucky to have a supportive family and friends, and made a conscious choice to enjoy the time she was able to spend with her kids.
• She took her knitting wherever she went.
• Whenever she did have the rare phone screen or face to face interview, she took notes of the questions she was asked and added them to her list, preparing answers to each one of them. By the end, there was no question she had not prepared for.
• She had a few confidantes to whom she allowed herself to vent when she felt miserable and frustrated, but refused to allow herself to wallow. She insisted on staying upbeat most of the time, and just trusting that one day her fortunes would change. And they did!

Fredia Woolf , founder of Woolf Consulting, blogs to help people improve their workplace effectiveness and optimize their careers. As an organizational consultant and leadership coach, she works with clients to increase insight, inspiration and impact. She can be reached at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.

What the Movies can teach you about Leadership and Job Performance

What the Movies can teach you about Leadership and Job Performance

The movie Invictus has some powerful messages for aspiring leaders and job-seekers alike.  Based on a true story about how Nelson Mandela engaged the South African rugby team to unite people in his fledgling ‘”rainbow” nation after the fall of apartheid, the movie can inspire anyone who has encountered difficulties or who wants to lead positive change.  The title (which means “unconquered” in Latin) comes from a 19^th century English poem, but its key message, often quoted in the movie by Mandela, is as relevant today as when it was written:

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

So what specific lessons can we apply to the workplace?

1. No-one is a victim.  If a man can be confined to a small cell for twenty seven years and made to break rocks in sunshine so harsh it damaged his eyes, and still believe he is in control of his destiny and holds the power to change the course of his life – let alone history – then so can you.
2. Mandela notices people and connects with them without arrogance or displaying his power.  Treating people you work with and those who work for you with courtesy and politeness pays dividends in loyalty and performance.
3. On his first day as President, Mandela calls all the former administration’s employees who are convinced they will lose their jobs, to a meeting, reassures them of their value to him, and appeals to them to stay.  Addressing people’s concerns and acknowledging them as individuals brings humanity to the workplace and transforms faceless employees, colleagues or customers into engaged human beings who want to work with you and want you to do well.
4. Mandela’s bodyguards comprise two clashing sub-groups – former security police, enforcers of the old regime, and former so-called terrorists – who have to learn to work as a team despite their lack of trust and former enmity. When there is conflict in the workplace – because of differing ideas, opinions, work styles, backgrounds or anything else – help people to focus on a common goal, set the expectation that they have to find ways of working together and allow them to work things out for themselves.  With a powerful unifying vision, differences can slowly dissolve over time.
5. Mandela overturns conventional wisdom and rejects the common assumptions that every vestige of the past should go.  He insists that the name and colors of the country’s rugby team be kept, but transformed to become more inclusive and have meaning not just for a select few.  He enlists the support of Matt Damon who convincingly plays the Springbok rugby captain.  It is left to him to win his teammates over. When large culture change has to happen, engage key allies, ignite a spark in them, and let the change work its way virally.  Expect resistance and opposition, because people are likely to want to stay entrenched in their positions, but by stirring people’s emotions, you will help them see beyond their fear of change, and will engage their hearts and minds.
6. Mandela dons the green and gold uniform of the Springboks on the day of the big game, to show his support and solidarity. Symbolic acts are powerful.  Every leader should understand how to convey messages without words.
7. An airplane flies over the stadium, not to threaten, but to wish the team good luck.  The entire nation is behind them.  A lackluster team a year earlier, they go on to win the world cup.  The key takeaway here is that any team is capable of extraordinary performance if they are motivated, encouraged and moved to put in the dedication and hard work required to accomplish remarkable things.  It takes a very special leader to unleash all this energy, but we can all learn from what great people do.

Have you seen Invictus?  What did it mean to you?

Fredia Woolf , founder of Woolf Consulting, helps people to manage change and achieve positive results for their careers, teams and organizations.  As an organizational consultant and leadership coach, she works with clients to increase their effectiveness and impact, to manage transitions successfully, and to define and create a leadership legacy. She can be reached at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.

Spice Up Your Job Search in 2010

The new year is here. It is time to refresh your career strategy, and, if you are looking for a job, time to re-embark on your job search with vigor and focus, and not allow this feeling of resolve and optimism to dissolve into sporadic activity and apathy. So what should you do to get off to a great start for the new year?

Follow the principles below, remind yourself of them each day, and you will remain on target for reaching your goal: finding a great new job.

I call it the SALT and PEPPER plan.

SALT refers to the four fundamentals of a successful job search strategy:

Self-knowledge – Take the time to really get to understand what kind of role and environment you will flourish in, what your preferred strengths and best skills are, what really matters to you, and what you are willing to sacrifice in a trade-off. Without that deep inner core of self-knowledge, you may find yourself chasing after shiny opportunities that tarnish all too easily.

Analysis of the marketplace – Be very clear about what current hiring trends are in your field and if you have the right skill set to make a simple transition. If that is not the case, do further analysis to understand what functions or industries are growing, so you can apply your transferable skills. Reading, talking to people, and making lateral connections are all ways of extracting information about possible job opportunities. Job search boards are particularly rich sources of hiring trends and needs – even if the single opportunity you are seeking needs further digging to be uncovered.

Learning –The job search is a learning journey. Everything that happens can teach you something – about jobs, people, how to behave and how not to behave, and about the way the world works. If you treat it as an adventure, it will feel less of a chore, and lessons learned will probably hold you in good stead in the future.

Targeting – You need to learn the art of targeting a small number of realistic possibilities at any one time, so that your job search is focused and productive. Focus your efforts only on positions to which you know you will be well suited, and do not spend time chasing unrealistic dreams.

PEPPER is the mnemonic you can use to guide your networking strategy, since there is an 80% probability that this is going to be the way you will surface your next opportunity. All your networking efforts should be:

Persistent – Be relentless in getting in touch with old contacts, forming new contacts, telling your story, and asking for leads, advice or other contacts. Set a target for “touching” a certain number of people each week, and make sure that you meet it.

Effective – The point is to do the above with charm, grace and friendliness, and not behave like an intense monomaniac. You need people to want to help you, so the likeability factor must remain high.

Productive – Learn how to evaluate and increase the yield of your networking efforts. The more specific you can be about what you are looking for, the more productive your networking conversations will be. Saying “I’m looking for work, do you know anyone who can help me?” is far less productive than asking “Do you happen to know any social media experts/health care development officers I might be able to speak to?” Your networking productivity will also increase if you are a little selective in the leads you follow and the opportunities you target. By chasing up every idea indiscriminately, you may wind up going down some rabbit holes and wasting precious time

Participative – Often action is more powerful than words. By actually doing things with others, volunteering, participating in committees or community events, you will demonstrate what you are capable of doing while expanding your network. And when you attend formal networking events, don’t stay passive, waiting for others to greet or introduce you. Actively engage in conversations with others that go beyond the formal business card exchange.

Enjoyable – Networking should not feel like having an elective root canal. If it isn’t enjoyable at some level – talking to people about a subject that interests you – then you will need to change your tactics.

Relationship-building – Remember it is not only about you and your needs. Networking is a way of learning about others and offering them help too.

The start of the year is a good time to spice up your job search – don’t forget the SALT and PEPPER!

Fredia Woolf , founder of Woolf Consulting, helps people to manage change and achieve positive results for their careers, teams and organizations. As an organizational consultant and leadership coach, she works with clients to increase their effectiveness and impact, to manage transitions successfully, and to define and create a leadership legacy. She can be reached at fwoolf@woolfconsulting.com.

What is your Employer Brand?

Your organization has decided to fill a key position and you need to hire someone. What is the first thing you do?

Panic?
Where on earth will you find the right person with the right skills who will be the right fit?

Feel complacent?
Maybe you figure there are so many people looking for work out there, it will be a breeze to fill any position you like.

Procrastinate?
There is so much else on your plate, you will get round to doing something tomorrow, and in any case, you’re getting by without making that difficult hire, aren’t you? (never mind that everyone on your team is already stretched beyond their limits).

Call your friendly search firm?
You hope they will do all the heavy lifting to find that ideal person.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

There is something you have forgotten.

And that is, before anything else, to do some hard but necessary organizational self reflection.

You may be very clear about the mission of your organization and the stakeholders you are trying to serve.
But are you equally clear about your Employer Brand?

What kind of organization are you? What is it like to work for you? What is your reputation among potential job seekers? What kind of culture do you have? How attractive do people find you relative to your competitors? What kind of response do you get when you advertise for new hires? Is that because of the state of the economy or because of how desirable it is to work at your organization? What statistics have you gathered about how long people stay working at your organization? Do you notice any patterns? Do you conduct exit interviews when they leave? Do you ever ask your people their opinions about your organization?

If it is so important to find someone who is “the right fit”, it is critical to be totally clear and explicit about what you are expecting candidates to fit with.

So, before you conduct your search for a new employee or leader, take the time to answer the above questions.
If you are happy with the answers, and are convinced that the Employer Brand of your organization is everything you want it to be, and that you are able to articulate it clearly and succinctly, then you are ready to conduct a successful candidate search. Use this information as the cornerstone of your job description or position profile, so potential candidates understand what you are looking for beyond specific skill sets and how they might contribute to your organization. You will also have an explicit framework of your organizational values, to help you screen, evaluate and select candidates, which will save time and increase the likelihood of a successful search.

If, on the other hand, you find the questions reveal some inconsistencies or areas needing clarification or improvement, get to work on those. In the next few blogs, we will address what you, as organizational leaders, can do to deepen your understanding of your Employer Brand, and what you can do to enhance it.

Recruiter Communication Etiquette

A tight job market creates pressure for everyone. Job seekers and recruiters alike are experiencing frustration and annoyance, and there are some people who are behaving badly, perhaps without even realizing it.

So let’s set out some Rules of Fair Play in how recruiters and job seekers should communicate with one another.

Job Seekers’ Frustrations
• There are simply not enough jobs to go around
• Bills have to be paid and time is marching on – this creates urgency, maybe even desperation
• It is hard to unearth opportunities – where is this “hidden” job market?
• After all the networking and job board scouring, there are slim pickings
• Organizations are being pickier than ever; if you don’t have a 100% match, you don’t get a look in
• Sending a resume off is like dropping it into a black hole – it seems to disappear without trace
• How many hours can you spend crafting the perfect cover letter, only to be discouraged by non-responsiveness?
• Even if you are fortunate enough to be called to an interview, you often don’t hear back for weeks, if ever

Job Seeker’s Behavior
• Blasting resumes anywhere, whether they are a good fit or not, in the belief that it’s a numbers game and something may stick
• Not taking the time to write a well thought out cover letter
• Not researching the organization fully enough
• Not being prepared for the interview
• Harassing recruiters and others with multiple calls and emails, in the hope that the squeaky wheel will get more attention
• Harassing one’s networking sources – tapping them for more than they are able to provide

Recommendations
• Take the perspective of the recruiter – what would annoy or impress you?
• Prepare your story thoroughly and communicate it clearly in your documents – resume, cover letter – and your interview
• Show respect and appreciation for people’s time – remember the thank you notes after every interaction, and be succinct
• Show interest in the organization’s activities, needs, mission – it’s about them as much as it’s about you
• Develop a sensible follow up strategy and do not overstep the mark.
• If you have sent an application and have not heard back after a week, it is ok to call or email and politely ask about a status update “Sorry to bother you, but just checking to see where you are in the hiring process. May I still hold out hope that my application is in the running? Do you have any indication about when or whether I can hear back from you?” That’s it. Learn from them how they are dealing with applications and do not call again, unless they explicitly give you permission to do so.
• If you have had an interview and have not heard back, you have greater leverage, but do not abuse it. Be sure to end your interview by asking them about their hiring process and what you should expect as next steps. Ask for permission to follow up within a certain period. That way your call is expected and you are in dialogue with the organization. If they say “Don’t call us, we’ll call you”, you are going to have to respect their wishes. Repeated calls will not advance your case.
• Monitor your tone. Always keep your communication polite and brief. Entitled whiners are a turn-off to recruiters.

Recruiters’ Frustrations
• Being deluged with resumes
• Lack of clarity from the recruiting organization about what exactly they want or what their time line is
• Working with search committees who may not be aligned or available

Recruiters’ Behavior
• Not communicating in a timely fashion with candidates
• Not treating job seekers with dignity and respect

Recommendations
• Create an auto-response to all email submissions, so at least people know you have received their resume. Even better, let them know what to expect, even if you tell them they will only hear back from you if they are being considered for the position.
• Have a policy of contacting every candidate who has been called for interview, whether it is with good news or bad.
• For extra credit, give candidates some constructive feedback. This will set you apart from the crowd and build long term relationships with people who could ultimately become your clients.

Better communication etiquette between job seekers and recruiters will help everyone.

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