Billie Sucher Blog

Job Candidate Number Five

Based on a true story...

Let’s suppose that you are a Hiring Manager – a hiring manager that happens to love baseball. Along comes the fifth candidate out of the five you and your team have chosen to interview in person. After the small talk about the weather and did you have any trouble finding the place, you lead off with…

So, how come you are no longer employed…I notice your employment with ABC Company ended in December 2011?  

And you, the candidate sitting in the hot seat, freeze. While you thought this question might be asked of you, you had not counted on it being asked so abruptly at the beginning of the conversation.

Um, well, I guess you could say it was a bad fit – a bad choice…and so I just quit after about a year…resigned in December.

So, am I to presume you are a quitter and one who makes bad choices?

Well, no that’s not exactly what I meant….

So, what exactly did you mean?

Well I meant… I just thought it was a bad fit, you know, a bad pick.

A bad fit? A bad pick? So, tell me, Candidate Number 5, are you saying you also make bad decisions and bad picks on behalf of your employer?

See how this conversation is going nowhere and mostly nowhere fast for you, the Job Candidate Number Five?

Five Tips to Keep A Job Interview Conversation From Going in the Ditch:

1. Know that one of the Hiring Manager’s many jobs is to give you ample fodder to A) keep you in the game and/or B) to listen attentively to your responses to see if you do yourself in and / or take yourself out of the running.

2. Know that one of the Hiring Manager’s many tasks is to assess what you are made of and evaluate how you will add value via the proof / evidence that you deliver in the interview conversation.

3. Know that the Hiring Manager is expecting you to convince him or her that you are a strong contender for the j-o-b and that no matter what “negative bait” you are given, you can manage it with confidence, grace and style.

4. Know that it is your job, as the candidate, to consistently present positive-sounding responses to questions that may be negatively rooted. (So, then, are we to assume that you have poor decision-making abilities and why or why not?)

5. Know that no matter what comes at you – knuckle ball, spit ball, curve ball, fast ball, cutter, slider, slurve, change up – whatever it is, be ready, be prepared – and know it’s coming at you for the purpose of keeping you in or getting you out of the job search game. So swing batta’ batta’ at something good, something that keeps you headed for home plate.

Drip Dry

Wouldn’t it be nice if there existed one universal hand-dryer system?  I was in a beautiful new office building yesterday and for the life of me, could not get the towel dispenser to work. No matter what I tried, nothing happened.

Have you ever noticed the many types, styles, makes, models and solutions for drying your hands? Pull the paper, motion the paper, roll the paper, touch the paper, do not touch the paper, extreme air, warm air, jet air, hot air.

My hands were dripping wet and finally, after several seconds, I gave up and let them drip dry. Seriously, I could not figure out how to make the system work. And then I laughed at myself, recalling the conversation that had taken place with a client earlier in the day.

When everyone claims to be an expert on résumé writing these days, who  really knows the right  way to write a professional resume?

Wonderful question! And here’s my answer:

The right way to write a résumé is to write it in such a way that generates an interview for you, the job seeker.

What one person thinks is an amazing, awesome, top-notch, state-of-the-art, best practices 2012 résumé may very well get ripped on by another set of eyes.

What one person thinks is a horrible résumé may in fact be the one that lands you an interview.

What one person thinks is a terrible résumé may in fact be a terrible résumé.

While I have written hundreds and hundreds of résumés with and for my clients, that doesn’t mean that my way is the one way, the right way or the only way any more than it means that your way, or someone else’s way is the one and only way.

What it means for you, the job seeker, is that you will find as many opinions, thoughts and ideas about résumé writing as there are hand-drying systems. And what really matters is this:

Does your existing résumé work for you?

Does your existing résumé help you get your foot in the door?

Does your existing résumé get noticed by the people you want to notice it?

Does your existing résumé result in a call or an email from a decision-maker, recruiter or HR Manager?

Does your existing résumé deliver your best skills, credentials, relevance and value for the job?

Résumés. Hand dryers. Find one that works.

Tippy-Toeing, Not Through the Tulips

Tippy-toeing around the inevitable. Not talking. Shhh! Don’t want anyone to know. Holding off. Just keep it quiet. Leave the house each morning as per usual, pretending everything is all right when you know for a fact that everything is all wrong.  Don’t tell the kids. Can’t tell my wife. Better not say anything to my husband right now. And I for sure don’t want my friends and neighbors to find out!

Losing a job, whether you are 28, 38, 48, 58 or 68 hurts. For most, it is not fun. For many, it is a painful, unpleasant experience and you know that’s true if you have ever been through it.  It is, though, what happens every day of the week across America, and elsewhere around the world. Recently, I met a man who in his entire 30+ years of working had not once experienced losing a job. Until the other day. And that was it…just like that. He got a phone call: “We need you to come up to the office now.” And if you have ever lost a job, you know what comes next. The talk – then the walk. The walk out the door. Thirty years and one box of memories as you are escorted out “the back way.”  

And you wind up in some career transition management professional’s office a few days later because you simply don’t know where else to go. You share with her (or him) that you have not yet told your spouse, or your kids, or anyone, for that matter, that you don’t have a job. And the career management professional invites you to practice telling those that need to be told – your immediate family and your closest friends. You role play your “lines” with the stranger and realize that you can find the words to tell your wife, husband, partner, friend, roommate, son or daughter that you lost your job and that you really do want them to know. 

In the event you get downsized, right-sized, terminated, dismissed, or fired this afternoon, or this morning, I hope that you will get in touch with those who need to know, sooner than later. I hope that you will readily inform those closest to you that your job was eliminated today. I hope that you will not feel too ashamed, too embarrassed or too proud to tell those who love you the most what happened at your place of work this day. And if you are too ashamed, too embarrassed or too proud to let others know your current occupational status, the world is also full of experienced career management professionals who can help you find the courage to tell.

How To Find a Job When There Are No Jobs, According to Someone Who Found One

For nearly six years, I have been a contributing blogger over at Career Hub, and more recently, here at my own blog. During this time, I have shared oodles of “free advice” to help job seekers. Today, though, I wanted to share a job search success story in the words of one of my clients. “Ben” was kind enough to accommodate my request for his thoughts on “How Did You Land Your Dream Job When There Are No Jobs?”  Ben has an inspiring story to tell and I found his words worth sharing. I hope they will make a little dent in your life as a job seeker.

Snapshot of Ben:  Male, Gen X, Supervisor / Team Lead level; resigned his job after 20+ years of employment with a market leader.

How did you find the courage to “quit” your job after so many years of employment in a supervisory / team leadership role? 

After my mother’s death, family became especially important to me. I wanted to see my son play baseball and football. I wanted to have weekends off and be with my family on holidays. In retail, you work when everyone else is off. I did not feel appreciated at work. Every year, you worked harder and you received less. 

How long did it take you to find another job in a job market where there are no jobs?

I started looking for a new job at the end of September 2011. By mid-October 2011, I found a new job and gave notice. By mid-November 2011, I knew I had made a big mistake with the new job I started. I came to the reality that for the last two years, I hated my job. On December 23, 2011, I decided I would put myself first before everyone else. This was the first time in my life that I was going to quit a job without having another. On 01/26/12 I found my dream job, Monday – Friday 7am. to 4pm.  

What job search strategies worked best for you?

Your résumé is an investment. Invest in yourself and your future. Spend the money on your résumé to display the real you. The way the résumé is written in 2012 is totally different than in 2000.  Have four great professional references. You need to network with your friends and family. The last two jobs I found, I sent my résumé to someone who knew someone. In my new job, I let my present employer know that I just dropped my wife off at the airport. My new employer noticed that my wife worked for the same company and asked what she did.  

What is the single-best-piece of advice you would offer today’s job seeker to do?

I have a super résumé. I have a personnel endorsement on page one and two of my résumé.  I had my second interview on a Monday and on a Tuesday, I received two emails that my personal references were contacted by my new boss. My personnel reference knew I was looking for a job but I never contacted them to let them know that my second interview was a homerun.   

What was the defining moment of your job search?

The position I applied for had a reference number. For this position, I noticed there were four different references numbers. I applied for each position, even though the only difference was the reference number. In my last interview, I had asked why all the different reference numbers for this position.   

What did you do on the days if and when you felt like giving up on the search, got discouraged and/or lacked motivation to look for work?

Call a great friend, pray, cook, take a walk, clean and re-clean house or car.   

What do you think today’s job seeker could do to enhance their chances of standing out from the crowd?

Take the time to research the company you want to work at. If you get a phone interview or an in-person interview, make sure you have six great questions to ask the interviewers. Wear your best business suit. Get a business card so that you can send a thank you email. Make sure you have copies of your résumé on quality paper. Wow your interviewers. Interviews are hard to get. First impressions are huge.   

What other words of wisdom might you offer to job seekers today?

Don’t give up. On a daily basis, keep track of who you sent a résumé to and rate yourself from 1-10 on your job search performance.

Anything else you learned about finding a job in a competitive market that would be of value to job seekers?

It is not fun not having a job. Make sure you do not take it out on your family. I sent out over 40 résumés.  I had three phone interviews and three in-person interviews. I received 15+ decline letters and the rest of the résumés I did not hear back from. Keep your chin up. Some résumé and application forms took four hours to complete. After you fill out the application, some companies have you take timed tests and ask how you would handle a certain situation, math and computer skills. Many companies you send résumés to go to a third party to sort. I would call the local HR office and they did not hear of the position that was open. HR is a 24 hour operation. Many times I would receive decline letters in the middle of the night.•

Others

During a blogging and job search presentation I delivered a few weeks ago, one of the participant questions had to do with “what to say when you write a blog or make a tweet." A tip one of my English teachers taught me years ago was to think of one word of interest and then, write one thought about it. Turn that one thought into one line and then, a few more lines. Turn the few more lines into a paragraph. And a paragraph to a page. And a page into an article or story or book, depending upon your goal. So, the word my client and I were discussing yesterday afternoon was this one:  others.  After she left my office, I gave further thought to the word and posted below is what I came up with. As a job seeker, what additional thoughts might you add to this post about the word others?

Listening to others.

Asking others.

Paying attention to others.

Helping others.

Encouraging others.

Convincing others.

Motivating others.

Included by others.

Inspiring others.

Inviting others.

Interested in others.

Influencing others.

Excluded by others.

Opening the eyes of others.

Engaging others.

Opening the hearts of others.

Learning from others.

Respecting others.

Building up others.

Persuading others.

Serving others.

Sharing with others.

Training others.

Trusting others.

Accepting others.

Accepted by others.

Rejected by others.

Commending others.

Connecting with others.

Disappointing others.

Advocating for others.

Figuring out others.

Getting frustrated with others.

Avoiding others.

Complaining to others.

Finding fault with others.

Looking for the best in others.

Praising others.

Greeting others.

Reconnecting with others.

Supporting others.

Talking to others.

Reaching out to others.

Recognizing others.

Caring about others.

Being nice to others.

Showing thoughtfulness to others.

Valuing all others.

Seven Questions for Today's Job Seeker

As a career management professional, I love to ask questions of clients. And the reason I love to ask questions is that I almost always get answers that reveal important information to help me better serve them. Take, for example, my recent interaction with a job seeker who had lost his job and wanted to update his resume. When I asked him this basic question:

What is your new target goal work-wise?

he indicated he had "not a clue" what he wanted to do in the future. Armed with this single bit of information, we quickly shifted from resume-writing to a career transition conversation. The client, by his own admission, was nowhere near ready to write a resume, yet that's what he thought he was "supposed" to do because he didn't know where else to start. When asked about his overall job search strategy, he said his search so far had been one of "Throw some mud and see what sticks."

At the conclusion of our coaching session, he offered "For the first time in months, I feel like there's some hope for me." Hope, indeed! As a job seeker, if you have "not a clue" what you want to do regarding a job or a career, do yourself a favor and take a few steps back before you try to go forward and write a new resume. As a way of getting started with that process, listed below are some questions for you to ask yourself. Take some time to craft your answers. You will then be much better equipped to move forward in the various job search phases, including resume writing.

Question 1: Who are you?

Question 2: What do you want?

Question 3: When you consider your greatest achievements, accomplishments and successes in the last five years, what five come to mind?

Question 4: Where do you want to work?

Question 5: Why are you the best candidate for the job?

Question 6: How will you add value to an organization?

Question 7: How much money do you expect in exchange for your talent?

Homework Exercise:

To get started with this activity today, pick one of the questions from the above list. Do your very best to come up with thoughts and ideas to help formulate answers to each respective question. Tomorrow, pick another question and the day after, yet another. Within a week's time, perhaps you will have compiled some solid information about the who, what, when, where, why, how and how much of an amazing job seeker named Y-O-U!

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming

This is not a test. For each of the movie lines below, can you name the movie associated with each quote? Who knows, maybe one day in a job interview you will be asked to cite your favorite movie line of all time. (Answers at end of post.)

A. “Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” 

B. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” 

C. “You’re either in or you’re out, right now.”

D. “My Mama always said, 'Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.'" 

E. “When life gets you down, you know what you gotta’ do? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.”

The other day, someone mentioned “Keep swimming, keep swimming” and it has stayed with me since. I like that line. I especially like it for job seekers and job search…and life in general.

When things don’t go your way, just keep swimming.

When the phone doesn’t ring, just keep swimming.

When the eighth rejection letter arrives, just keep swimming.

When the voice message announces that you are the #2 candidate, just keep swimming.

When your resume is ripped on for the fourth time, just keep swimming.

When no one returns your phone calls or emails, just keep swimming.

When the bank says you can’t get the loan to start your small business, just keep swimming.

When your immediate supervisor says we need to talk, just keep swimming.

When your appointment cancels on you 20 minutes before the scheduled meeting time, just keep swimming.

When you are advised that your position has been eliminated and that a box and a security guard are waiting by your desk, just keep swimming.

When you go to an interview and a representative informs you that the position has been put on hold for now, just keep swimming.

When you have submitted numerous applications and heard back from no one, just keep swimming.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

Answers to this is not a test.

A. from What A Girl Wants movie.

B. from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie.

C. from Ocean’s 11 movie.

D. from Forrest Gump movie.

E. from Finding Nemo movie.

Do You Show Up?

Imagine that you are a business, trying to make a buck in this competitive market. Imagine that you have cut your staff to a skeleton crew to keep things afloat. Imagine what happens when one or more of your employees don’t show up for work. What do you do? Work 18 hours instead of the customary 10, 12 or 14? When someone doesn’t show, do you pay the price? Do your team members have to pick up the slack for the person who isn’t there?

Showing up is a big deal.

Not only is showing up a big deal for your employer, showing up online is also a big deal if you are a job seeker.

Here’s a true story the president (and hiring manager) of a small business (approximately 25 employees) shared with me:

Hiring Manager receives your two-page resume. Nice!

Hiring Manager googles you. Nothing! (Strike 1)

Hiring Manager bings you. Nothing! (Strike 2)

Hiring Manager returns to google to see if you are on LinkedIn. Nothing. (Strike 3)

Hiring Manager re-googles (is that a word?) your first and last name, along with your middle initial from resume.

Alas, some luck.

Hiring Manager spies a “John J. Smith” fourth entry from the top of the first page of google results….but oh wait….that “John J. Smith” lives in Arizona and is a CPA / lawyer…um, probably not you, anyway.

And it isn’t you because you are absent online.

You do not show up.

You are not present.

You are not there.

You are not here.

You cannot be found online.

In the Hiring Manager’s mind, do you even exist?

The Hiring Manager clicks out and mumbles to his assistant “Next.”

As 2012 gets underway, what steps can you take as a job seeker to make sure that you can be found online the first time a Hiring Manager searches for you? What, if anything, can you do to enhance your chances of showing up online in a way that provides value and credibility to your candidacy?

Homework Exercise:

Sometime this week, consider doing these three simple tasks:

1. Google yourself – do you show up? Yes? No?

2. Bing yourself – do you show up? Yes? No?

3. Do you show up in a LinkedIn search? Yes? No?

The president / hiring manager of the above-referenced company in this post told me that he is a baseball fan (Cards not Cubs) and relates baseball to everything in business: “Three strikes, you’re out.”

Hmm.

Letting Go

I can’t decide if I would rather be referred to as the MOG (mother of groom) or GM (groom’s mom). I think I am more of a GM than a MOG. Either way, in five months, our son is gettin’ hitched. Some people know this tidbit and have offered their wisdom:

“Oh, it’s soooooooo hard to let go” or

“Letting go of your kids sure is tough.” 

Or, “Things will never be the same.”

Or “Good luck with that -- I can’t stand my daughter-in-law.”

Or, “Get ready, you’ll be a mess!”

Or, “A son is a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life.”

Holy cow, I thought I was supposed to be getting happier about this upcoming major life event, not growing more forlorn. Does anyone have any uplifting advice for this GM? Anyone? Anyone?

Anyway, back to letting go…

My client and I were speaking about the letting go concept the other day. He lost his job. And as we talked, I encouraged him to make a list of what he was losing.

I lost my company car.

I lost my laptop.

I lost my cell phone.

I lost my desk. 

I lost my expense account.

I lost my golf club membership.

I lost my health club pass.

I lost my health care insurance.

I lost my company credit card.

I lost my dental coverage.

I lost my swipe card.

I lost my pride. 

I lost my job title.

I lost my business cards.

And he continued on with his list.

Our conversation then turned to “So what did you get to keep?”  That was tougher to think about. The words did not flow so quickly. The pauses were longer between thoughts. 

What did I get to keep – now, that’s a tough question. 

Here are some things you get to keep when you lose your job:

You get to keep your knowledge.

You get to keep your skills.

You get to keep your talents.

You get to keep the gifts you have been given.

You get to keep your ability to generate revenue.

You get to keep your good name and stellar reputation.

You get to keep your close friends and confidantes.

You get to keep your best buddies from your former place of work.

You get to keep in touch with the people who have your back.

You get to keep your memories, preferably the good ones.

You get to keep your thoughtfulness.

You get to keep your mental capacity.

You get to keep your motivation and positive attitude.

You get to keep your inspiration and passion.

You get to keep your interests.

You get to keep your value.

You get to keep your drive and ambition.

You get to keep your ability to volunteer.

You get to keep your ability to think.

You get to keep your ability to read and write.

You get to keep your ability to help others succeed.

You get to keep your ability to give of your time, your interest.

You get to keep your ability to stay connected.

You get to keep your perseverance.

You get to keep your chance to start over.

You get to keep your track record of success.

You get to keep all that you have learned.

You get to keep all that makes you, you!

You get to keep your …………. (fill-in-the-blank).

Some think it’s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it’s letting go.

– Sylvia Robinson 

The Intermission

In the early 90’s, I discovered a life-changing book written by Dr. William Bridges. If you have not yet read this work: Transitions, Making Sense of Life’s Changes, perhaps it’s a gift to give yourself in the New Year. 

According to Dr. Bridges, transitions are composed of these three phases: 1. an ending, 2. a neutral zone, and 3. a new beginning. Today, I have been thinking about “the neutral zone.” In my work with individuals who have lost jobs, I hear them speak of getting a new job, a new place to work, a new boss, and a new health care plan. All of their emphasis is on the new beginning. While, naturally, finding a new opportunity (hopefully, the right one) as soon as possible is the goal in a job hunt, an equally important part of the transition process is that critical interval between the old and the new.  Listed below are some words clients have used to describe the neutral zone – the space between losing the job and getting on down the road to the next one: 

Confusing.  

Frustrating.

Unknown.  Uncertainty. Unsure. Uneasiness.

Messy. Problematic. Disgusting.

Cluttered.

Discombobulated.

Out of it.

Discouraging. Empty. Disturbing.

Hollow. Lonely. Sad. 

Perplexing. Bewildering.  Strange.

Nowhere Land.

Disorganized. Overwhelming. Disruptive.

Chaotic. Indecisive. Painful.

Clueless. Lack of focus. Directionless.

Uninspired.  De-motivated.

And then one day, the phone rings. Or you see a job of interest as you peruse Indeed. You get a lead from a friend. You get an idea for a new business. You read something that inspires you. Your former co-worker calls you with an opening at his company. You get a thought and a plan. You start putting the pieces of the puzzle together – not in the old way, but in a new and different way that works for you now, at this time in your life. You start feeling more like your “old self” again with a renewed sense of energy, purpose, drive, and determination. And somehow, you know you are well on your way to…

Change.

Transformation. 

Rebuilding. 

Renewal.

A new direction. 

A new start. 

A new you. 

And a new beginning.