Billie Sucher Weblog

The Sprout

Early last Saturday morning in The Windy City, we were walking along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan, hoping to catch a glimpse of sunrise. The day was overcast and cool, though, and you could feel a hint of Fall in the air. As we sauntered along looking for a park bench, there it was, in the middle of nowhere, one little green sprout -- no bigger than a button and no taller than one inch (as shown here in the photo). The sprout had taken root in the most unlikely of places -- the sandy shores of Lake Michigan where humans and their canines gather together for outdoor enjoyment and entertainment.

The lone sprout. Unexpected. A surprise. Out of place. Most unusual, yet there it was. One small sprout amidst thousands and thousands of grains of sand. One tiny seed that had somehow made its way to life and sunshine and survival in an environment that changes daily when man and machine arrive to smooth, tend and maintain the sandy shoreline.

The entire scenario reminded me of my clients and their search for new employment, fresh starts and new beginnings in today's tumultuous, competitive and ever-changing times. No matter how challenging you may find your search for a new opportunity, stay positive and focused and undeterred by negativity, naysayers, and the plethora of no's you may hear. No matter how many times you're told we're not hiring or business is bad or we're cutting staff - again, keep knocking on doors, keep connecting with people; keep on it;  keep at it. No matter how many times someone tells you what you can't do, don't give up on the possibilities and goals and dreams of the things you can do! No matter what the forecast for the future, be it glorious or gloomy, go ahead and plant a seed anyway! Who knows what may surface in the most unlikely, uncommon, unusual, unanticipated, and unexpected of places.

You Can Lead A Horse to Water...

The other day, I asked my client to describe one of the earliest projects she could recall -- take, for instance, middle school I offered. She laughed and said she couldn't think back that far. I remained quiet as she recalled an earlier time in her life. Within a minute or so, she began recounting with fondness a specific project, how she went a bout it, and its eventual successful outcome.

We then turned our conversation to the career transition project she found herself in the midst of now, and how she could apply the skills she already possesses to make this project as successful as any other she'd done previously at work, at home, or in the community. She seemed surprised -- she'd not thought of it that way...a project is a project, after all.

Have you considered managing your career transition project as yet another important project to plan, organize, and execute? As with any project that you've embarked upon, what is the way you go about it? What's your style? What works for you? What is your specific goal -- have you written it down somewhere, or is it rumbling around in your head? What resources in the way of people, data and things do you need to assemble to support project success? What's the first action step, next step and the one after that? What gets top priority? What's your time line? How will you measure progress? What's your definition of project success? What's your strategy when things go awry? What's your backup plan -JIC -- just in case?

While it is of immense value to tap into all of the career resources available to you -- free and/or not-so-free, it is equally important to tap into what you already know to be true about yourself and how you go about doing things in management of life's projects, including career-related ones -- just because you're you and you know you, hopefully better than anyone else. As a good friend in HR once said, you can lead a horse to water...

Why Should I Hire You?

Looking for a job in today's competitive market? Then you won't be surprised when the employer's representative pops the question, Why Should I Hire You?

Are you surprised when a hiring manager asks you that question? Are you fully prepared to answer such a question in ways valuable to the employer? Does your response keep you in contention for the job, or does it close the door to further conversation and consideration?

Routinely, when I am helping clients prepare for an interview, I hear the usual, customary responses to this question..."Well, as you can see, I am very experienced in this field and that experience well qualifies me for this job...along with my education, of course."

While that is an okay, lukewarm, mediocre response, it simply isn't helpful, valuable, and in no way, does it make you rock, shine, stand out, or memorable. If you are an Idol fan, you know that Simon doesn't hesitate to tell Idol wanna-a-be's that they are "memorable" or "forgettable." And if you're a job contestant in today's highly competitive market, employers don't have the time to figure you out, distill your assets, and / or your value on their time, their dime. You either make yourself memorable from the get-go, or you don't.

That said, consider responding to this Why Should I Hire You FAQ in a way that suggests to the employer that you have done some solid research on the organization's mission, values, products, services, markets, key competitors, changes, trends, shifts, acquisitions, people, philanthropies. In essence, you know what makes them run; you know what matters to them; you know what they care about. And let's just suppose for a moment that you find it absolutely impossible to discover information -- maybe they're a new start-up and not much data is available, yet. In that case, ask around -- find someone who knows someone who knows someone at the organization you're interested in. Does that take time, energy, commitment, resourcefulness, tenacity, frustration, ingenuity, perseverance, among other ingredients? Clearly, it does -- it may also yield you a hefty ROI in the form of a job offer -- music to your ears.

So, the next time you are asked Why Should I Hire You, drive in a homerun by speaking the employer's language -- music to their ears -- by how you will contribute to their profits, revenues, efficiencies, growth, employee retention, customer retention, margins, market share, cost controls, expense reductions, image, competitive market position, productivity, compliance, etc...words that will make you memorable...words that say I get it...words that will hopefully get you hired...words that communicate I know what matters to you and here's how my product can help you achieve just that.

"Dooced"

Last night I was looking for one thing on the Internet and stumbled upon another. The thing I found (that I wasn't looking for) was a word unfamiliar to me. Have you heard the word "dooced" before? I hadn't. I was reading a blog post about social networking data presents challenges and spotted the word. If you know what "dooced" means, no need to read further. If you don't, here's one definition of dooced:

the act of being fired for blogging about one's employer

You can read more about the word and its origin here. Having a fascination of words, I now have a new one to add to my existing list that describes a person's involuntary departure from an organization: fired, downsized, rightsized, eliminated, reduced, dismissed, made redundant, terminated, RIF, let go and as of last evening, "dooced." Perhaps you've already seen this word listed on a job application as reason for leaving.

The Auction

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last Saturday, I went to an auction. I hadn't been to an auction in 20+ years, at least. When I received the announcement in the mail, I said to myself "August 1st, that will be a tough day for 'Jane' -- I must go and be there with her." Jane lost her mother a year ago and shortly thereafter, her dad, afflicted with dementia, was placed in a care facility. Jane and I met in graduate school and have been good friends since. Together, we've known good times and rough patches.

At the auction, everything that had accumulated in her parents' lifetime was for sale, from books, sheet music, dishes, dolls, antique furniture, and equipment to beautiful goblets from Italy and old coins from Europe. You name it, it was for sale at the auction. Souvenirs from another time. Remnants of a different day. Reminders of loved ones now gone. As my friend and I were watching the events of the day unfold, we overheard various conversations of strangers remarking about this item or that thing for sale. Strangers inspecting, dissecting, holding and conversing about yesterday's memories, yesterday's experiences.

Jane spoke about how none of the stuff really mattered to her...the few items that had meant the most, she had already put aside. Stuff, all just stuff, she said to me...a lifetime of stuff for sale.

I have been thinking about Jane and the auction. Once again, it was an up-close-and-personal reality check of what really matters and what really counts. Perhaps, by now, you are wondering how these words are in any way career-related...these are the thoughts I scribbled in my notepad on the drive home from The Auction:

~ Whatever it is you want to do, or be, don't put if off any longer. Today is the day to start the process of becoming it. If you want to start a business, figure out how to make it happen. If you want to work for someone beyond yourself, figure out how to do that. If you know in your heart, and head, you need to finish the 12 hours to earn your college degree, what needs to happen for that to happen?

~ Whatever life you can touch, touch it now, not tomorrow.

~ Whomever you can help, help. Offer a hand up, not a hand out, preferably sooner than later.

~ Whatever you can do to make someone's life easier or better, do so this day.

~ Whatever excuses you're making for your life or career, stop making them and start doing something different today to better honor and respect yourself so that you can, in turn, be of greater service to others.

~ Whatever you're struggling with, wrestling with, or needing guidance on, enlist some help to keep you moving forward. As my friend Jane said...you can never go back; you can only go forward.

~ Whatever you need to let go of, be it a person, place, or thing, let go of it and allow the process of healing to begin, this day.

~ Whomever you need to forgive to move on in your life and / or career, forgive them...maybe it's your boss, or colleagues, or professor, or family member, or friend. If you are having trouble in the forgiveness department, focus on the second syllable of the word forgive.

Wherever you are in your career or professional life, today is the day you have to work with, not tomorrow, nor the day after. Make today matter. Make today count.

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson