Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Tips if Your Job Hunt Goes On and On

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Is your job search getting too lengthy for your taste?  A Wall Street Journal online article, How to Hunt for Jobs as Time Out of Work Drags On and On, by Joann Lublin reports:

18.3% of jobless Americans in January had been out of work for at least 27 weeks. The figure far exceeds the 11.1% of those who had gone as long without work when a recession began in March 2001.

Lublin suggests several strategies for you if you are in the same boat.  (I love to quote experts who agree with the advice I give clients!)  Some ideas she suggests (in bold):

Reassess your strengths and weaknesses.  If you were a brand, why wouldn’t you be selling?  Seek advice and figure out what makes you special so you know how to sell yourself.

One reason may be a flawed résumé.  Lublin notes, “A professionally written résumé counts more than an attractive typeface.”   Ensure that your resume conveys exactly what you have to offer.  Don’t make the potential employer figure out how you fit in.  Connect the dots for your reader.

Don’t waste a lot of time sending online applications. This article notes:

“Posting résumés on job sites should be the smallest part of your search,” because you rarely land positions that way, says Annie Stevens, a managing partner at ClearRock, a Boston outplacement and executive-coaching firm. Nearly two-thirds of applicants find work through networking, ExecuNet surveys show.

Network, network, network, network.  Even if you are shy, be sure to take advantage of the #1 job search strategy!  (Follow the 5 links in this paragraph to get you started on the right foot!)

Consider re-meeting with your references to ensure that they are highlighting your best skills.  Keeping in touch with referees is an important job search strategy from day one, but if you have gotten to the reference-checking stage without landing a job, this could be an important evaluation point.

Do what you can to keep up your spirits.  Frequent exercise, support or networking groups and chocolate can be good stress relievers!  Don’t spend every minute on your job hunt.  You still need to have a life!  Plus, you never know – it could be someone you meet on a trip to the grocery store or a seatmate on an airplane while on vacation who winds up linking you to your next job!

Job search dragging on?  Get some professional help!  Keppie Careers is here for you.  We’ll make sure that your resume is top notch and coach you every step of the way.  Save time and money – hire Keppie Careers!  www.keppiecareers.com

Solutions for Work Gossip

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Did you know that 60% of employees consider gossip their number one pet peeve at work?  This, according to a Randstad USA survey reported in Newsweek’s March 10th issue, Loose Lips Sink Shifts, by Anna Kuchment. 

Kuchment’s article reports that, at one small Chicago firm, the problem was so big that they attacked the issue of office gossip by forcing an employee who says something negative about another person behind his or her back to repeat it to their colleague’s face.  One might imagine that this would stem the tide!

The article acknowledges that some gossip helps employees connect and learn important information that wouldn’t be available to them otherwise.  However, Kuchment offers several tips to keep in mind if gossip is getting out of hand at your office:

Separate the good from the bad.  Venting can be helpful, but mean-spirited bad mouthing is not.

Learn to deflect. Try not to get sucked in to a gossip mill.  If someone makes a nasty comment, stay neutral and consider playing dumb.

Set a time limit. Are layoff rumors running rampant?  Make a point to touch in with a reliable source once a week, but don’t spend the rest of your time spreading unproductive gossip.

Don’t overshare.  Keep personal sharing to a few close friends who will keep your confidence.

Never gossip by e-mail.  A paper trail is dangerous – and hard to deny!  Plus, you never know who might “accidentally” forward your scurrilous e-mail message to the entire office. 

Is the word at work that jobs are in danger?  Can’t stand your gossip-y colleagues?  Keppie Careers will get you ready for your job search!  We’ll write your resume, prep you for interviews and coach you along the way!  www.keppiecareers.com

Cross-Generational Offices: Is Gen Y Narcissistic?

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As regular readers may know, I’ve been reading Tamara Erickson’s book, Retire Retirement:  Career Strategies for the Boomer Generation, which is scheduled for release on March 10th.  One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is Erickson’s description of how each generation’s influences (society and culture, formative teen years, etc.) impact who they are as people, and consequently, how they tend to interact in the workplace.  (Stay tuned for a complete review.)

So, today, when I saw Erickson’s article, Gen Y:  Really All That Narcissistic? in BusinessWeek.com, one message really resonated:  In the workplace, it’s valuable to consider our colleagues’ backgrounds and upbringing in order to interact successfully. 

Unlike in life, where we can choose our friends, we don’t always have a choice about co-workers.   Cross-generational workplaces are the norm in most cases, and (per Erickson’s research) will continue to be the norm as Boomers continue to participate in the paid working world long after the traditional retirement age. 

So, what should we know about Gen Y?

Erickson describes research that tags Gen Y as “30 percent more narcissistic in 2006 than was the average student in 1982.”  Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at the University of San Diego, came to this conclusion by analyzing data from an inventory that asks participants to rate themselves based on statements such as “I think I am a special person.”

Having been raised by parents who have been telling them how special they are for their entire lives, it would seem odd for Gen Y respondents NOT to agree that they are special!  I would suggest that a parent might worry if their young person rates themselves low on the “special” scale. 

Erickson points out that this is a shift in our perceptions.  She observes, “In 1982, saying that you were a “special person” would have been a fairly odd thing to do.” 

So, Gen Y members were raised to believe they are special.  They also have a propensity for praise, having grown accustomed to regular positive feedback.  As workers, they may expect supervisors to shower them with compliments and attention.  Boomers and Gen Xers may see Gen Y as spoiled or lazy (expecting praise for the smallest accomplishment). 

Erickson’s book points out that Boomers have only themselves to blame.  After all, they were the ones passing out trophies to winners and “not winners,” and giving their Gen Y children the sense of entitlement they now resent in the workplace.

So, Boomer and Gen X bosses can be more sensitive to the fact that their Gen Y employees thrive on praise.  Gen Y employees can appreciate that workers from previous generations don’t think that “excessive” praise is necessary in the workplace.  A little understanding can go a long way!

PS – Tammy Erickson’s next book targets Gen Y – Plugged In:  The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, is expected in November 2008.

Keppie Careers can help you at any stage of your career.  We’ll write your resume and coach you through the job hunt:  www.keppiecareers.com

Career Advice from a Comic Book?

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In the March 3rd issue of BusinessWeek, Susan Berfield wrote about a new career advice genre:  the comic book.  Berfield explains that many business publishers have been adjusting their products to be read in limited time slots, such as a two-hour plane ride.  The comic book appeals to those who don’t have time for too many words on one page.

Due out in April, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko:  The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need, by Daniel H. Pink, who also wrote Free Agent Nation and A Whole New Mind, is targeted to college students.  Pink says, “College students are making all kinds of assumptions about their careers that are just wrong.”

Berfield reports that there are six lessons in the book:

  • There is no plan.
  • Think strengths, not weaknesses.
  • It’s not about you.
  • Persistence trumps talent.
  • Make excellent mistakes.
  • Leave an imprint.

All interesting points.  I am curious to see how Pink elaborates on them in his book, which is touted to be a useful and entertaining work that can be read in an hour.

Seeking career advice targeted directly to you?  Keppie Careers will write your resume and coach you through the job hunt maze.

Prepare for Your Interview

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There are many things to consider as you prepare for an interview.  The most important thing is to remember that the interview is another opportunity for you to SELL YOURSELF!  Your resume got you in the door, the interview is your chance to show the employer that you really  have what it takes to join their team.

  • Conduct a thorough self-assessment. Review your education, experience, interests, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses and values.
  • Study your resume. Be able to support everything with specific examples, as you will be asked to elaborate on some of them during the interview.
  • Analyze the position for which you will be interviewing. Be able to describe how you will fit in and be able to contribute to the organization. Think about how the job will enable you to reach your professional goals and what you have to offer!
  • Research the organization. Leave no stone unturned.  Learn as much as you can about the organization’s culture and values, as well as specifics such as size, products and services. Hopefully, you have done some informational interviews before you were offered the job interview.  Speaking with employees of the company and people in the same profession is invaluable preparation for job interviews. 
  • Know how your experience, education and interests relate to the position and anticipate possible questions.  (I’ll post more about interview questions soon.)  This knowledge will allow you to answer why, when and where questions, and reflect your self-confidence and your ability to communicate and relate to others effectively.
  • Practice Interviewing. Talk to people in the field, and even your friends. Discuss techniques and practice in front of a professional. If possible, arrange a mock interview. (Keppie Careers offers mock interviews.) 
  • Acknowledge all preliminary correspondence promptly. This includes verifying the specifics of your interview including date, time, place, individuals conducting the interview and an itinerary.  Don’t make the mistake a friend made and assume an out-of-town interview will be over the phone when the employer expects to see you in person! 
  •  Clarify who will bear the costs of necessary transportation, meals, and overnight lodging, if applicable.  Find out what receipts you will need to provide and who will make the arrangements.

Remember:  If you appear prepared and competent in your interview, you will be perceived to be a prepared and competent employee. The reverse is true as well!

Stay tuned for more about preparing for an interview!

Keppie Careers will assist you with your job search.  We offer resume writing, career coaching, mock interviews and more!  www.keppiecareers.com