Billie Sucher Blog

What To Do When You Are Absolutely, Totally and Completely Lost

Six of us were headed to Bamonte's Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn for a celebratory dinner. Novices to navigating New York City's subway system, we took the wrong train and de-boarded in the middle of nowhere!

Within a short while, a taxi came along and the driver said he couldn't help us because there were too many people for his car. A while later, another cab came by and advised that he was from Manhattan and did not know of our destination. Finally (third time's a charm) out of nowhere came a wonderful cab driver (a Yankees' fan) who was more than happy to help out a very lost Cubs'- loving family from the Heartland.

Lost indeed! We knew our destination -- the end goal was clear -- we just didn't know how to get there! Sound familiar if you are looking for a job? If so, here are a few ideas that being lost on a train somewhere in the city of New York taught me about getting where you want to go...

1. Get really good directions from various sources and make sure that you've covered your bases. Clarify and verify information you have heard or read about job search. Just because somebody told you something doesn't make it so (or true!). Verify, verify, verify!

2. Do not panic if you are lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Do not 'freak out' if you are lost about what to do next in your job search. Stay calm and focused and look for help from those you know and those you need to get to know.

3. Do not get frustrated with people if they cannot or will not help you. There are many others who will help if you keep asking for help in a friendly, pleasant and polite manner.

4. Do not easily give up or get derailed in your quest to get to your goal. There are multiple routes to get to your destination...select the one that seems to make the most sense and will work the best for you.

5. Rely upon your team to help you, guide you and support you (emotionally) in getting where you want to go.

6. Be wary of turning your job search totally over to technology. While your Droid (and the Internet) are amazing tools, resources and devices -- they are not human. Do not overlook the 'human element' of your search. As we readily discovered, the best Droid in the world with all its many apps isn't worth a flip if it refuses to work in the middle of nowhere. (Sorry, Droid -- please know that you are loved most days!) When you are going to an interview, for example, be certain to confirm the exact location and directions on how to get there from a 'real' person. While I love "Betty" and her many GPS powers, she is of little value when she decides not to work when you desperately need her!

7. Do your best to get on the right train so you will be on the right track as you move forward with your job search. And, in the midst of your job search expedition, when and if you realize you are going the wrong way or stuck in the wrong place, stop, regroup, and redo that which needs to be redone.

8. Do not give up in reaching your target destination. While it might be easier to give up, quit, and stop trying, that choice doesn't change the fact that you still need a j - o - b. Do the most you can each and every day to put forth your best effort in achieving your desired goals.

9. Be okay with detours in your job search. Sometimes, the path is smooth and the ride is lovely...others times, the road is filled with reroutes, shutdowns and no-goes before you finally arrive at your intended destination.

10. Be grateful for the ride. Show your gratitude. Speak your gratitude. Have some fun! Say 'thank you' and 'please' along the way.

Here's to your job search success...and here's to The Big Apple!

Bed Bugs, Brands and Your Job Search

Recently I watched a story about bed bugs on one of my favorite television programs, CBS Sunday Morning. One of the things that caught my attention was how a business name had been changed from First Rate Exterminators to First Rate Solutions. If you have bed bugs, do you really care about the name of the business or do you simply want to rid your dwelling of the nasty critters? As long as the bed bugs are gone, the business name really doesn't matter, at least to me!

Last Sunday morning, I was once again reminded of what's in a name and how words can make such a difference in consumer buying behavior. Just think about it...would you buy services from a career management pro who called her business Crappy to Happy Counseling? Maybe you would; maybe you wouldn't. Maybe with a name like that, you might think you will get less than stellar results? Hence, the significance of renaming things to offer a more favorable brand response.

Take the words "job" and "search"....maybe now is the time to rename that whole process...drop the words "job" and "search" and rename it something that you, the job seeker, may like better. Take, for example, "Money Mission." After all, a job search is about 1. money and 2. a mission to find new work.

Do you think that renaming "Job Search" to "Money Mission" would help you, the job seeker, become more engaged, excited and energized in exploring possibilities to generate revenue? What do you think? If you could rename job search, what new (family-friendly) name would you invent?

Get In, Sit Down, Shut Up & Hang On!

Nearly 14 years ago, on my son's twelfth birthday, I asked him what he wanted for his special day. He said he wanted one thing and I sighed with relief thinking, oh good, this birthday will be easy...just one thing. Clarifying what the one thing was, he said with great conviction "a Viper". A Viper, huh? This, he offered to the woman who drove him around ad nauseam in a used station wagon about as long as an 18-wheeler with a bumper sticker that read "Steal My Car".

Viper. No problem! After all, his mother, a career counselor, was never at a loss for another idea! (Hmmm.) I looked under V's for Viper in the Yellow Pages and struck out. Went on to A's for Auto Dealers and had better luck. Yes, the man at the dealership told me that were six Viper owners in the community that he was aware of, and while he "shouldn't" tell me, I sounded like a trustworthy person, so he would break the rules and give me some names. He gave me three, complete with phone numbers. One of the three Viper owners answered and when I explained my situation, he agreed to go along with the birthday idea and offer my son a ride in his new red Viper.

When we arrived at the Viper owner's house, it was raining. While the ride was out due to the rain, the owner invited my son to get behind the wheel. I sat in the passenger seat and still recall the sign on the dashboard: Get In, Sit Down, Shut Up & Hang On!

As my son's 26th birthday is approaching, we are once again talking about the one thing he would like for his birthday. While there has been no mention of Vipers, our conversation has turned to job interviews...telephone interviews in particular. I shared with him: Dress Up, Stand Up, Speak Up!

DRESS UP for your telephone interview. When carrying on an important professional business conversation about your future, dress up for the occasion. Put on your suit! Put on your best! While you may think this sounds silly, it simply means that you're serious. It means that with intention and purpose you move from casual to professional in both conversation and attire. And who knows, maybe it's that little extra that generates a face-to-face interview.

STAND UP for your telephone interview. If you are in the midst of preparation for a telephone interview scheduled for this week and find yourself comfortably seated while doing so, stand up now as you practice. How do you feel? More confident? More in control?

SPEAK UP during your telephone interview. Not only will you want to speak loudly enough to be easily heard, you will also want to speak with energy, passion and conviction. While the employer may not be able to 'see' you in a telephone interview, you are creating a visual first impression through your words. Make them count!  

Bottom line, whether you're hoping for a Viper or wishing for a face-to-face interview, you are in the driver's seat! Get In, Sit Down, Shut Up & Hang On!