Empowering People To Change

Usually people associate dining out with fun, pleasure and a relaxed atmosphere. All true statements until you are trying to land a job while going out for lunch. Candidates normally asked themselves why an employer would want to conduct an interview over a meal. There are many reasons why. The hiring manager may not want the office to know they are interviewing for a certain position. The position may require heavy client interaction and business meetings and not only are you being considered for the position but also you are being observed on how you perform in an open environment. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, but in an extremely tight job market you the candidate need to be prepared.
Here are a couple of Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind.

The Do’s
 Shut off your cell phone – I know it’s very tempting to check you blackberry or phone but resist temptation. Even if your interviewer is checking their phone do not check yours.
 Learn the Restaurant – Find out something about the restaurant that can be associated with something you are interested in. Engage your interviewer about the restaurant ask a question “Have you been here before?” “What do you recommend?”
 Inquire about your interviewer – You need to break the ice, ask questions such as “What do you like most about the company?” “How did you get your position here?”
 Keep your guard up – Remember this is an interview not a social setting. Keep focused on what’s at stake. Some companies will send an employee that is similar in age and background that will try to possibly stay something that you should not have.

The Do Not’s
 Talk Excessively – Better known as the pregnant pause used by interviewers. When you are done answering a question do not fill the open air. It is interesting what is said when someone is nervous.
 Being Late – Whether it’s for an in office interview or lunch interview always arrive about 15 minutes early.
 Rude to Restaurant Workers – This rank’s number one as the biggest blunder. Be polite to your waiter/waitress. Be patient and keep you focus on why you are there.
 Your Ordering Taste – Keep in mind the price of the items on the menu. Ordering the most expensive item. Skip dessert and only order coffee if the hiring manager is having something. This shows that you are fiscally responsible. Beware of what you order. Order something that you need to use a fork, and stay away from onions and garlic.

Following these easy to remember tips will help you land your new position. Lunch interviews just added some more complexity to the hiring process. Also always do your research on the company and be prepared.

Due to the recent hard economic times in the United States Economy employers are finding ways to cut back on costs without laying off their labor force. Companies are looking at ways to reduce variable costs since they are locked into fixed costs such as leases.

In an effort to control and manage costs companies are reviewing current benefit programs that their employees are entitled to receive as full time workers. Some fortune 500 companies are looking to introduce taking away the 401k match they offer employees, or have their current employee pick up the full tab for their healthcare benefits. State and government offices are also looking for ways to reduce their spending by introducing furloughs instead of laying off workers. Employees are not standing still even in these tough economic times once notified of their reduced benefits most begin their search for new work elsewhere.

Although companies believe that the economy will begin to have an upturn heading into 2010 most said that the cuts were necessary for their survival, and they believe that more cuts can still happen heading into the 4ths quarter of 2009. These late recession layoffs often cost the company more money due to severance packages, and they need to rehire staff, retraining, and recruitment fees once the economy has recovered.

Companies also putting in place hiring freezes which result in 1) having your current workforce work longer hours to pick up the slack, or 2) reach out for temporary workers to help fill the void. Temporary assignments have been on the rise, and will continue into the early parts of 2010. The workload for companies has not reduced, and they still need able bodies to help complete pending deadlines such as system implementations, SOX compliance, and internal controls documentation.

Furthermore until we see a steady climb in our economy companies will still try to manage their variable costs by hiring temporary help thus saving the company money from paying out full time benefits such as 401k, healthcare, pensions, car allowance, and many other benefits.

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There really is an art to writing a resume. It’s not something that can be thrown together in a span of a few hours. You should approach your resume as if you’re writing a paper for college. What do I mean by that? Basically, you should sit down and figure out a plan of action or create an outline of what you want your resume to include.

Your resume should always be evolving, and because of this, you are more than likely going to have to write a rough draft, followed by another draft, and yet another draft before you come up with your final revision. Knowing this, you should go into battle with a good idea of the content you want to include, a format that looks appealing to the eye and is professional, and a flow that makes sense. There are multiple books that can be found that give you examples of what a good resume looks like, and while these are very helpful and there are definite guidelines to follow, you want to be sure that your resume reflects some of your personality as well. A great place to accomplish this is in your resume objective or cover letter. Remember, you can still be professional, but you need to do something that people will remember so you are set apart from the others. The resume should serve one function, which is to land you an interview.
All too often, people get wrapped up in the parts of the resume that really are not crucially important. For example, if you don’t have an Ivy League education, you can get caught up in whether or not you should put your school background down, or how exactly you should represent what major you had. Perhaps you’re questioning whether you should include clubs or organizations that you belonged to. It is a fact that, while these can be added bonuses, they do not make or break you. Hiring managers are going to be looking for visually appealing resumes, something that follows a nice format and flow. Then, they will look at the objective or cover letter of your resume, and because of this, the next two topics are SO important.

Be sure to state in your objective, not only what you want to ultimately achieve with the company, but also state what you can give back to them. This promotes an idea of a synergistic, long-term relationship that could be established between yourself and your potential employer, and that is exactly what they are looking for. This is what will ultimately be the pay off for you. Make sure you don’t spend too much time sweating the small stuff, but do pay attention to the key elements of the resume that are being revealed to you right now.

The other key element of a resume that is often botched up is your contact email address. While free addresses from places like Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc., are fine, you want to make sure your email address sounds professional. You should not be sending out resumes with email addresses like CrazyCatChick467824@gmail.com. It reflects poorly on you and communicates to the hiring manager that you are not as professional as you may seem. This can ruin your resume…hiring managers will read through your entire resume, think it’s outstanding, get ready to write you an email asking for an interview, and then read the email address you put on the resume. This is where they stop, and this is where the hiring process ends. Your resume gets filed in a folder and probably never gets glanced at again. This is something that is so easily fixed and avoidable. Be sure, prior to sending your resume out, that you have a professional email address.

Resumes are important to you and to hiring managers. They give you a sense of pride when you look at all of your accomplishments and skill sets, but remember, their ultimate role is to land you an interview. From that point on, the ball is in your court. At that point, you must prepare yourself and create the mindset that you will get your dream job. These tips are guidelines to assist you with creating the perfect resume, so you can concentrate on the next step, which is what will land you the job in the end.

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Let’s face the facts folks. The job market right now is highly competitive. Once upon a time there may have been only 20 people competing for the same job as you. Now, with the economy the way it is, you can multiply that number by 10, if not more. Think about that…quite possibly there are 10, 20, maybe even 30 people competing for the same job as you. Here’s where people start to become disheartened, but…I’ll tell you a trick that can put you in the forefront of the job race. That secret, that key to your success, is…MINDSET! Mindset and taking stock of yourself can set you apart from the others.

Some people are not familiar with the term mindset and may not know what we mean by that. Mindset is the belief in yourself and your massive potential. You have to reboot your system, and wash away all the propaganda that has been fed to us since birth. Stop thinking about what you are unable to do, or what you don’t have the degree for, or that you don’t have the right college on your resume. Unleash the concept, and truly believe in the fact that every single person has unique skills and assets to offer any company. Take stock of yourself and understand what your goals are, what would be the ultimate job for you, and how you can go about achieving that job RIGHT NOW.

A useful tip might be to write down on a whiteboard, or even in a journal you might keep, what really drives you. You have to understand yourself enough to know what really drives you, or it will come across in an interview, in your resume, or ultimately land you a job that you are not happy with. Take a personality test. Some may think that is an old-school tactic, but 89 of the Fortune 100 companies rely on the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator to assess each of their candidates, and it has proven to land them the perfect employees time and time again. That shows that these methods are proven, and if they can help employers find employees, then they can certainly help you figure out what job suits you the best.

Once you have taken stock of yourself, and have put yourself in the right mindset to believe that you can truly accomplish every goal you set out for yourself, you will appear more confident in your job search. Your personality and your abilities will shine, and your competitors will appear to be an average candidate…number 256 out of 300, but the interviewer will remember YOU, they will remember your name and the fact that you vocalized that you always wanted to be a chef, a buyer, or a CEO of a technology company. Your passion and conviction will set you apart from the others, and your resume will become merely a list of attributes that is referred back to every now and then.

We’ve all been watching the news.  We know what it’s like to watch the big boys get bailed out and still get nice salaries, while the little guy gets laid off.  We sit there, frustrated, demanding answers.  We’re all in the same boat, and we’re tired of the corporate structures that have led to our demise.  But, when you’re searchingfor a job, are you now at the mercy of these corporations to take you in?  Absolutely not!

Many companies are much more forward-thinking and understand that there is a reason why these antiquated business models failed.  Companies like Google are opening up their structure to be more democratic rather than a regime.  What does that mean?  That means these companies believe in the fact that individual employees have an equal say in how the business is run.  The decisions and input are no longer exclusive to just a select group of 2-5 executives.  So how do you find these companies?

Keep a look out for companies that embrace an open atmosphere.  When you walk into the office, does the structure turn you off?  Or do they have open desks and cubes, soda machines, video games, etc.?  Remember, you’re potentially going to be working in this environment every day, so make sure it’s an environment that you’re comfortable with.  Companies that promote employee understanding generally know that the understanding must be present in every aspect of their work, including their environment.

Do research on the company.  These days most, if not all, companies have reviews and profiles that can be found online.  Check with your contacts, and see if you have someone who can give you an insider’s eye as to what it’s like to work there.  A good mindset to follow is that not only is the company interviewing you, but you’re also interviewing the company.  Don’t settle, always strive for what you think you deserve.

When you’re interviewing with the company, be sure to come with a list of questions.  Don’t be afraid to ask them about their structure and policies.  Ask them directly how they feel employees fit in within their organization and whether you will have a voice.  Inquire what the company’s goals are and how they act as an ethical business.

Remember, even though times are tough, it does not mean that this isn’t a time to negotiate or find the job that is meant for you.  Don’t sacrifice you’re overall well-being, health, and aspirations because of a job opening.  One can even argue that the times are ripe for thinking and acting out-of-the-box.  It tends to make you stand out above the rest, and in these times, when the unemployment rate keeps skyrocketing higher and higher, being an individual in a group sounds good to me.

A little extra effort will go a long.

When i played football in college as a receiver we are always told to fight for the extra inch and move the offensive line. I have always applied this desire in my life and will continue to fight for the extra inch with tremendous amounts of effort. When you are done with what must be done, go ahead and do more. This applies to everything and finding a job requires this desire and extra effort.

Once you’ve established some good, solid momentum, make full use of it. When you’re in the mode of accomplishment, keep on cranking out those accomplishments. Beyond your original goal is the opportunity to raise your performance to a higher level. With more effort you can get a lot of extra rewards, and realize the value of your determination.  

Fighting for the extra one percent can make the difference between being the best and being the same as all the rest. Every day fight for that extra inch and give that extra one percent. Persistent effort will get you almost there, and a little extra effort will carry you over the top. Once you think you’ve done all you can, find a way to do a little more.

Focus your thoughts on how much more you can do to accomplish your goals and the results will be spectacular. So today set a goal on what you what to accomplish and raise your expectations with doing more to achieve your goal.

 In a tough time it can seem like everyone’s leaning on you as a leader.  It can be extremely frustrating and overwhelming.  Employees are coming to you for answers that you used to have, but no longer do.  Many employees have little faith in their company’s business model and managers.  So how can you act as a professional leader and show off your skills as a manager?  Prevent yourself from being a habitual user of bad habits.

A common bad habit that many managers are now using as a crutch is expressing their concerns and worries to their employees.  Even though you may be just as stressed, if not more, than your fellow employees, you are still their leader.  Try encouraging and motivating your employees, as hard as that may seem to be.  They’ll appreciate your efforts.  In the meantime, take out your stress in a healthy way be talking with a good friend, exercising or taking up a new hobby.

At the same time, don’t blow sunshine where it doesn’t belong.  If times are tough and you feel the company is in a serious predicament, make your employees aware.  If you are honest with them, at least they will feel like there’s a possibility that they can have a hand in turning the bad situation around, given enough warning.  They’ll also appreciate the heads-up if they know they need to start looking for a job elsewhere, not if you lay them off the next day without any notice.  Plus, no one will think you’re a strong leader when you’re lying to them on a regular basis.

Even worse than lying to your employees, is intimidating them with the bad economy.  If someone needs to go to a doctor’s appointment or is not feeling well, don’t make them feel bad for asking for time off, and don’t make them feel like they will lose their job for doing so.  This will only lower productivity as it decreases the morale of the employee.  They’ll feel as if they’re one step away from losing their job, so what is the point? 

Last, but most certainly not least, don’t hide in your office or behind a locked door.  Even if you feel like you can’t answer any of your employees’ questions, they will appreciate the fact that you are being a strong leader by at least providing your presence and uplifting words.  Hiding in your office will only prompt more questions and concerns from your employees and cause a vicious circle.  Face your employees head-on with integrity and motivation, and your productivity will increase because you are boosting your relationships with your employees.