Unemployment Déjà Vu

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Ever experience déjà vu?  That funny, strange sensation that you’ve been in exactly the same situation before?

It’s completely unsettling and it messes with your mind.  I’m experiencing déjà vu right now – either that or those holiday brownies someone sent us are a bit off.  I’m sitting in my home office, a cold wind blowing outside, computer fired up and once again I find myself in a job search situation.

Hello, unemployment, my old friend!  I’ve come to visit you again.  Wait, that sounds like an old Simon and Garfunkel song.  

True, I’ve been to the Land of Layoff before, but this time something feels different. More relaxed, maybe?  Less stressful?  I hope I’m not settling into indifference or defeat.

No, it’s more of a confidence, which seems like an odd feeling to have when one is looking for a job.

I guess there’s some comfort – if that’s a good word here – in having done this before.  I’ve got experience and I know what steps to take, unlike before, when I put on a brave face but was a bit all-over-the-board when it came to knowing what to do.

Having a sense of calm is a good thing when it comes to a job search.  I’m finding that it allows me to think more clearly, outlining my job search strategy and work the plan, rather than throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if anything sticks.

My confidence is higher this time around – I know that not only will I find another opportunity, but it will be a great opportunity.  And if it takes some time?  I know that I will find small jobs to fill in the gaps.

Most important is that I’m not panicking.  This is a bit like revisiting a favorite vacation destination, the place you go to year after year and know so well.  I should be good at this, since Hubby and I visit the same place each summer.  Friends wonder why we do this, and we can sum it up in one word: experience.

With experience visiting the same place, we know what to expect.  We know what to pack and what to leave at home; we know exactly what to do when we get there, where to eat, what to see and how to manage our time to get the maximum return on our vacation.

While I hope my visit to the Land of Layoff is a short one, at least this time I know my way around. I’ve got my strategy down and am working the plan; there’s no room for panic. This is simply another stop in my career journey.

I’m optimistic, and the rest of you visiting the Land of Layoff should be too. Get your plan in place and start working or re-work the plan you have, if necessary.  I’ll be right there with you.

2014 is going to be a great year!

Adventures In The Discomfort Zone

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It’s hard for most of us to leave our comfort zones – even if we’re the ones who initiate the change. Changing jobs or careers–either due to layoff or on our own–forces us to be uncomfortable. Yes, it’s painful and sometimes unpleasant. The good news is, it’s only temporary, and if we press through the “Discomfort Zone”, we will usually come out just fine on the other side.

I first touched on this theme in my debut book, Tales of the Terminated: A Humorous Look at Life After a Layoff. Since then, I wanted to talk in more depth about the discomfort and challenges of career relaunch and life changes. That’s why I put together a new ebook, available exclusively on Amazon.com entitled Adventures in the Discomfort Zone: Tales from One Woman’s Career Relaunch Experience.

In this ebook, I chronicle my experiences, observations and humor about career relaunch, my brush with life-threatening illness, mean ol’ mothers-in-law and even monogamous interviewing.

As my gift to you this holiday season, for a limited time this book is FREE on Amazon.com! Even if you don’t have a Kindle; you can get the free Kindle Reading app from Amazon and read it on virtually any device!

Merry Christmas, friends.  And join me for new adventures, a few tears, and more than a few laughs in the Discomfort Zone!

The Millennial Hustle

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Remember the glorious days of college?  The stay-out-late nights despite early morning classes? I was rarely concerned with lack of sleep because I knew that I had to focus just long enough to make it through the class.  Yes, there was the intense course work and late night study sessions too, but they were just temporary.  We always had a holiday or a summer break to look forward to. 

Reality came crashing in during my first job after graduation when I realized there was no “break”.  Work was five days a week, fifty-two weeks a year – minus a miniscule two-week vacation and the occasional company holiday. 

I remember thinking, “Where’s my semester break?  What do you mean; we only get one day off at Christmas?” 

Today’s post is written by a young friend-of-a-friend who is just starting out.  He’s experiencing a similar reality-check, although he seems to be working through it a bit better than I did.  I believe I went to the mall to ask Santa for my holidays back. 

What’s interesting about this young man is that he seems to defy the Millennial stereotype, the one that says new graduates feel and act entitled to a job.  Rather than wait for someone to hand him a job, this guy is hustling, working hard now for future opportunities. Even if that means giving up his summer break.

With that kind of attitude, his future looks bright.  See for yourself.

Graduates: The Summer is Not Yours

By Noah Smith; Class of 2013 

I think my journey from full time student to steady employment is one that truly illustrates what today’s graduates go through when leaving college and stepping into the real world.

Students everywhere are studying for finals and going for a late night snack one day, and then they’re at home on the computer looking for jobs the next.

My last day of college, I finished working at 4 a.m. left my nametag and went back to finish packing up my car. Done by around 5:10 a.m., I finalized the paperwork with the night clerk and left for home at 5:30 a.m.

Within the week, the next stage in life had begun: the endless hunt for jobs and internships. I searched job sites for anything in my major and would open a new tab on my browser every time I found a potential opening. When I had more than15 tabs open I would look at them all, ensuring that I fit the requirements of each and would approve of the job. Finally, I would apply for them. I did this everyday and at first completed two to four a day; when I had the flow down, I got about five done.

I did this the majority of the time, May through July, minus my five-week class and the weekend. Of course, I would eat, try to exercise some days and watch YouTube videos– but looking for a job was my job. It was not the best summer I have ever had but looking back, I realize two things: I should have enjoyed my summer more, yet if I didn’t work as hard as I did, I would not have found the positions I now hold.

That’s the inevitable truth that graduates have to face: you can frolic in the summer wind and enjoy it all or you can face truth and know that the summer break is not yours. You have to work to get what you want and put in the hours to reap the reward. Facing reality is the next step after graduating, and then comes the job or internship.

Nevertheless, over the course of this summer I earned five interviews after applying for more than 60. Some I was qualified for and others I wasn’t, it’s the name of the game. Sometimes you have to keep putting your name out there, practicing and perfecting what to say in every email and every cover letter. By the end, you start to discover what gets a response and what fails to capture the reader’s attention. After I sent my cover letter to multiple companies, I started getting better with the wording and how to present myself.

At the end of all that work, I earned two internships and one job. The work was well worth it and I’m satisfied with my current employment. It shows that if you want something badly enough then you will put the energy and time in. I wanted it badly enough, I wanted to graduate within four years and get a job.

I succeeded in both; like I said to my boss, I’m young so I have to keep hustling to get what I desire. There will always be next summer to enjoy the weather. You never know, maybe I will be someplace tropical next summer enjoying my time off.

 

It’s All About Bright, Shiny Objects

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Disco Ball

Years ago I worked with a “master presenter”.  This guy was superb at creating PowerPoints that were almost works of art.  His verbal presentation skills were stellar.  At his meetings, attendees would almost enter a trance-like state, hanging on his every word.

At the end of each presentation, applause ensued and attendees headed back to their desks praising this genius and his words of wisdom.  All wanted to work under his tutelage because surely he had all the answers.

We were all attracted to the “bright, shiny object” that was his presentation.

After attending a few of his meetings, I realized his true genius.  He actually said NOTHING in his presentations.  There was no strategy, no goals, no tactics to execute.  Oh, the presentations were beautiful, but they were empty of true business substance, filled only with lots of theory and questions to ponder.

If a company could be successful by simply thinking of ideas without considering execution and outcome, or discussing other lofty thoughts that may or may not be on strategy, this guy was your man.

That was his genius; he was so good at positioning himself and his ideas that we all believed without questioning.

Call me crazy, but I would rather have a straightforward presentation that provides serious content that can help with my business needs.

I recently met another such “genius”.   His presentation was full of cool graphics and he spoke with such confidence that some were ready to buy without asking critical questions.   This presenter used the age-old tactic of rapidly speaking and moving through the presentation, so fast it was difficult to take notes.

Since this was not my first rodeo, I recognized the bright, shiny object approach. 

Most of the presentation was “Marketing 101”; nothing new.   The words on the paper sounded good, yet there were no specific goals, tactics for execution or metrics for success.

Lack of clear metrics alone should have been a red flag for everyone in the meeting. Most disturbing to me was that this was something he had done years ago and he was relying on past success, despite the fact that the business landscape has changed with the wide-spread use of social media.

But he had a bright, shiny object.  

Apparently, bright, shiny objects appeal to lots of people, including executives.  This was a reminder to me that even if you have a great product or a fabulous idea, if it’s not positioned well it won’t sell.

The same can be said for job interviews.  Candidates that position themselves well have a better chance of landing the job.  While experience and education are required, the entire “presentation” must be packaged well to gain the attention of the hiring manager in order to win the job.

That includes a well-presented resume, dressing appropriately, showing confidence, asking the right questions and providing stellar answers.

Shouldn’t hiring managers dig deep and ask probing questions to make sure a candidate is truly the best for the job?  In a perfect world, yes.  But managers are short-staffed and pressed for time.   Doesn’t matter if you are the better candidate in terms of experience, your total presentation will be the final test.

I’ve got to remember to position myself in the best possible way during interviews, providing great information that shows the hiring manager know I’m the best candidate.  Let’s just hope the job opportunity isn’t a dud, packaged as a ‘bright shiny object’.

Direction Unknown

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Ever feel like you’re spinning out of control? That life is controlling you, instead of you taking the lead?

It seems like I always feel that way. Too much to do, not enough time.

This is not a bad thing.  I’ve got so many interests that I could be busy 24/7.  Could be worse; I could have no interests at all and struggle to find ways to fill my days.  Yet I may have too much of a good thing – between work, writing, family, volunteering, exercising and other assorted hobbies, it’s hard to find even a minute to sit back and relax.

It happened again Saturday night, the overwhelming feeling of “must do this, must do that” overtaking me.   

Saturday night used to be “Date Night”.  A sacred time when we were free from work and stress, when we allowed ourselves time to simply have fun.  Unfortunately Hubby and I had forgotten this ritual and again found ourselves, late afternoon on Saturday, with no plans at all for that evening.

Guess we just hoped that something exciting would happen without any forethought on our part.

I tried to calm myself, as I could feel a meltdown coming on.  Hubby was trying his best to get into the spirit of a last-minute date night, even stepping outside to call me on the phone from the backyard to ask me out.

“Humph! Don’t you think it’s kind of late to be asking me out, an hour before you want to leave?”  I cried.  “Do you just assume I’m sitting around waiting for you to call?”

Amazing how easily I reverted back to single-gal mode, huh?

Knowing that we were reaching critical mass and tears were imminent, Hubby came up with a back-up plan that most women love to hear: “Let’s have dinner and go shopping!”   Gotta love Hubby; he sure knows how to make a girl smile.  Food and fashion are always a win with me.

While this was a nice short-term fix, we still have the bigger issue of our lives spinning out of control.  A planner at heart, I know that direction, not intention, determines destination.  Hubby and I made a promise that night to work on planning more fun, rather than waiting for fun to find us.

This is true for careers as well as date nights.

When I was laid-off, I took this to heart and mapped out a plan.  Starting with the end result, I worked backwards to figure out how to accomplish my job search goals.  I even wrote everything down on a grease board.  Sometimes it seems like writing it down makes plans more real.  After all, it doesn’t matter how much you want something to happen – without a plan, chances are you’ll stay put.

Simply intending to work on a job search is not enough. We need to have direction – a plan – in order to reach our destination of a job offer.

Even now that Hubby and I are working again we still need to map out our career goals as well as our life goals to make sure they work together in harmony.  Hard to remember this, but we are trying.

Yes, I’ve forgiven Hubby for asking me out at the last-minute.  Although I’m sure next time he’ll remember to plan in advance.

Right, Hubby? Hubby?

Girl Power

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One of the benefits of being an author is that I get invited to speak at different groups and events.  And that means I get to meet new people – always a plus for a social person like me.  It’s especially good if there’s food involved; bonus points if there’s chocolate.  

Recently I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful group of women who are part of an organization designed specifically to support local business women.  They meet regularly to talk about business issues in general as well as those specific to women.  They want to empower themselves and other women through constant learning and growing. 

During my time with them, we focused on reinventing yourself in your career.  It was a wonderfully engaging conversation.  We talked about almost everything: our careers, the economy, even shoes.  It’s a universal rule: whenever two are more women are gathered, there will be a discussion at some point about shoes.

This was “Girl-Power” at its finest.  Or whatever you call it now that we are adults.

Although I was the guest speaker, I felt immediately like part of the group. The chatter flowed effortlessly as though we had been friends for years.   And I was reminded about the importance of supporting our friends and colleagues as we journey through our business lives. 

Last week I wrote about neglect as it pertains to our resumes and interview skills.  This meeting reminded me that we also need to keep our friendships thriving – both personal friendships as well as business acquaintances. 

This is beyond networking; this is a support system.  And it’s vital to our career growth. 

I, for one, am guilty of neglecting my support system.  Not talking about family here.  Hubby looks wounded, like he’s been kicked off my support team.  He is my rock, and always will be.  It’s just that everyone – women and men – need a business support system outside of the family.   People who are objective third parties.

This group of women reminded me that I need to make my support system a priority, although that’s easier said than done. We’re all busy, and adding one more thing to the schedule seems like a monumental task.  It’s important for me to do this so I can continue to grow in my career and as a person.

I sure don’t want to wait until a layoff or I’m desperate to begin a job search to try and round up my friends and colleagues.  Yikes.  That would be like asking friends to come to my wedding at the last minute. 

To my Girl-Power friends out there, I’m sorry I’ve neglected you.  It’s about time we re-grouped for a friendly networking event.  If I’m in charge, there will be lots of food and plenty of beverages – and definitely chocolate. 

And don’t forget to put your best foot forward – shoes will be the first topic on the agenda.