Billie Sucher Blog

Can I Have an Ice Cream Cone?

Mommy, can I have an ice cream cone?

Mommy, I want a cone now!

Mommy, can I have an ice cream cone?

Mommy, please please please can I?

Mommy said not now, son.

But Mommy I want an ice cream cone.

Maybe later.

Mommy, can I please please please have an ice cream cone?

You know what I said – not now.

Mommy, can I pretty please have an ice cream cone.

Oh alright – just this time though.

I guessed the age of the little boy in the above scenario to be about five or six. Clearly, he wanted ice cream and clearly, he persisted until he was successful in achieving his goal. As I observed this parent / child exchange, I wondered when we ‘learn’ to stop persisting, stop asking and stop pursuing with fervor whatever it is we want? At what age does this happen? Or, have you always been the type of person who persists until you get what you want, regardless of your age?

In my practice, one of the many things I discuss with clients is the concept of ‘asking for help.’ These four words:

I need your help

are four powerful words to employ, especially if you are immersed in a job hunt. Use these four powerful words to invite others to become a vital, valuable part of your successful career transition. As you can see from the little boy and the ice cream story, persistence pays. Maybe he’ll be told no next time, and the time after that, though I suspect he won’t quit asking – for a while at least.

Are you exploring new career opportunities with relentless passion and persistence? Have you given yourself permission to find the courage to ask for help?

 

 

 

 

It's About the "Re's" in My Life

Everything in my life

Starts with a re—

What exactly is going on?

And what is happening to me?

 

The re’s of the world

Are here, there and everywhere

From rebound to revamp to

Restructure and repair.

 

Reboot, reset, reorganize

Reevaluate this and that

Reconsider the strategy

And reduce the corporate fat.

 

Redesign and retool

Reconcile and recommend

Rebuild and rebrand

Will this re- stuff never end?

 

My counselor says to recover

My boss says to resign

My professor says to rediscover

And the tv says to redesign.

 

How can one ever know

Which re- they should pursue

Do you restore your faith in self

When redundancy gets to you?

 

Reenergize, experts will tell you

Refocus, recoup, redo

Readjust your attitude

Realign your view.

 

Recover, rethink, rebuild

Is what a job seeker is coached to do.

What do you need to re-

What re- will work for you?

*With sincere thanks to my client (you know who you are) who made me think (and rethink) about the "re's" of life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Impressions and Your Job Hunt

I stared at the wedding reception invitation wondering what on earth I would find to wear to the event which is going to be held at a lovely country club. My clothes fall into two basic categories:  work clothes or go-to-the-garden clothes. I don’t really have fancy dresses or ‘cute’ as my friend says or ‘hot’ as another offers as it relates to clothing descriptors.  Cute – a cat is cute. A puppy is cute, but an outfit? Really? And hot is exactly what my office has been this week – the kind of hot where sweat blocks my thinking or drips down the side of my client’s face. I mean, that is hot! Cute or hot -- whatever -- off to the store!

I begged (bribed) my youngest daughter to go shopping with me for ideas and inspiration. I did so because I spend more time contemplating what book to buy or what flower to add to my garden than I do on clothes shopping. Plus, I needed her feedback and input which was swift and succinct: 

That’s disgusting.

Don’t ever wear that!

Seriously, NO!

That really sucks.

You look like a ________(fill-in-the-blank)  

Grrrrrrrreeeat! My esteem was soaring, along with the 115-degree heat index permeating the dressing room. Hot indeed!

I hope you will have as much fun selecting your job interview attire as I did searching for a dress. A few “Ps” to consider as it relates to appropriate interview attire and your visual presentation:

Professional – Keep your attire professional regardless of the type of position for which you are interviewing. If the Hiring Manager thinks you’re dressed for the club instead of the conference room, you will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Project a business-like appearance.

Perfumes/Fragrances/Colognes – If the employer can ‘smell you before they see you’, you may give them a headache – seriously!  Be remembered for your sense, not your scents!

Pressed / Polished – A few years ago, a colleague and I were retained to screen / interview three top-level candidates for a VP Sales vacancy. One of the candidates we both really liked kept telling us he was ‘a fanatic about details’. When he stood up to remove his suit jacket, his designer shirt was ironed only on the front – the balance of the shirt was full of wrinkles. His shoes were scuffed and dull. Right – details.

Practice – Whatever attire you select for the big day, wear it in advance. Execute a dress rehearsal. Do a trial run. The most beautiful new pumps in the world will do you in if you have to walk nine blocks off the El stop to your interview in downtown Chicago (or wherever).

Presentation – Carefully evaluate yourself from top-to-toe. As the saying goes:

"You never get a second chance to make a good first impression."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teleprompters

Where is that teleprompter when you need it? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a teleprompter accompany you to that next job interview? You know, a teleprompter that would tell you exactly what to say at just the right moment? The kind of teleprompter that would help you avoid guesswork, help you not shoot from the hip, help you know exactly what to say and when to say it?  Wouldn’t that be cool? Reality, though, is that a job search doesn’t come equipped with a teleprompter app.

This morning, my client and I spent the better part of our session together working on what to say to someone when you would like to connect with them or interview with them. Now, if you are a smooth talker and you find it easy to string words together, have no qualms about meeting new people because you already excel at that task, and asking others for help comes naturally….well, you’re lucky.

If, on the other hand, you are like many of my clients – it is often hard, difficult, frustrating and challenging (did I mention a lot of work?) to learn how to speak about yourself and your brand. Here are a few ideas my client and I explored together today:

Script your message.

What specifically would you like to convey about yourself to your audience? Whatever it is, write it down. Do not focus on writing a masterpiece or writing text with perfection. Simply jot notes, thoughts and ideas about yourself to support your candidacy for a particular job.

Think Tweet:  Less is More.

Carefully review your text for keywords. Few hiring managers, regardless of how patient they may be, want to listen to a candidate ramble on and on and on and on and on about themselves. Identify the essence of the message you wish to share with your listeners, and delete all other words. Focus on key points only. Delete verbiage that bears no brand relevance. Less is more.

Practice Alone.

Stand before a mirror in a quiet place where you feel relaxed and comfortable.  If you can’t stand being in your living room because of the sweltering heat, go find a more comfortable place conducive to practice without distraction. Then, practice at least 25 times what it is you wish to say. Notice how you need to look at your notes less and less as you practice more and more.

Practice with a Neutral Third Party.

Once you have executed your own practice session(s), find someone who will listen to your conversation, presentation or speech – someone who will be objective and fair in their feedback and someone whose opinion you respect. Invite them to share three aspects of your interview presentation that you did well, and a couple of things to enhance. The more you practice, the more confident you may begin to feel. And also, remember to

Smile

Breathe

Pause

Slow Down

Convey Warmth and Confidence

Deliver When It Counts.  The next time you get a chance to go to an interview, do your best! Let the hiring manager see you shine! Rock out! Knock ‘em dead! Break a leg! No longer will you be a job candidate who does their practice with a decision-maker. Take note of how you are managing your responses to tough questions. Take note of how you respond to the FAQs “Tell Me About Yourself’ or “Why should I hire you?” Consider implementing the above steps into your career management / marketing conversations to build your confidence level.

Evaluate for Excellence – Never get too comfortable or too overly confident in your interview presentation– that could well be your un-doing. Stay sharp, stay-on point, stay alert, stay humble. Consider how you might enhance your next presentation and always strive for continuous improvement.

 

 

Confidence: How Do You Build It?

Today’s early morning query came from a caller who inquired:

My Mom told me to call you to see if you could help me with getting some confidence.

Confidence, a word defined by Merriam-Webster as: 

a : a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances <had perfect confidence in her ability to succeed>

Listed below are a few ideas I thought of as it relates to boosting confidence. What tips might you offer a job seeker should they ask you how to build their confidence?

Comes from within, by

Overcoming obstacles, fears and barriers, by

Never giving up on yourself (or others) and your ability to change and grow and by

Finding people who ‘act confident’ and inviting them to share any ideas / tips, and by

Investing in a public speaking program such as Toastmasters International and by

Doing one small thing each day to stretch yourself in developing your confidence muscles and by

Expecting to gain, versus never get, some confidence and by

Noticing and noting (tracking) your actions when you feel more confident and by

Creating opportunities to heighten your chances of confidence-building success and by

Educating yourself each and every day, both online and offline, by learning something new to expand your level of confidence.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Trenches With the Unemployed, Anyone, Anyone?

In the 1986 hit movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there is a line that the economics teacher keeps repeating as he is trying to teach his class. The teacher keeps quizzing his students with the tired refrain of ‘anyone, anyone’ to which no one replies. Fast forward to early June 2011 in my office when a client said these words to me:

Is anyone listening to the plight of we the people with no jobs…anyone, anyone?

Though I still don’t know exactly what I want to say, I have wanted to write this post for a while. Usually, I write an educational, motivational or inspirational blog post in minutes – this one (I’m not sure what kind of –al I can affix to it) has been percolating for several days, even weeks. So, I decided to let it flow and however the words roll out, that’s how the post will go. I hope that even one little shred of what I write might strike a chord with anyone, anyone?

As a career management professional, I would love to be so confident arrogant glib as to suggest that I know what to tell you, the person who hasn’t had a job in nine months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months, or 36 months and beyond, precisely what to do to find one. Actually, I have no clue. I have no clue because I really, really don’t know and quite frankly, I would love to meet the person who claims to know the answers and the solution to this unemployment fix we’re in. Anyone, anyone?

In my 25+ years in the career management industry, I have taken great pains to develop an expansive base of knowledge about the subject of job search. And I have consistently continued to expand that knowledge given my passion for excellence in educating and training job seekers to become efficient and expeditious in landing that next job.  I have studied well…I am a ‘life-long’ learner; I have focused deeply. I have listened intently, I have cared much and served well and I continue to do all of the above…learn, listen, care, focus, and serve. I know more tips, tricks and tactics about job search than you can shake a stick at, so my friends say.

I have written books to help job seekers find jobs. I have blogged and tweeted ad naseum about the subject of careers and job search. I have counseled many, many unemployed people from all walks of life and at all levels of the corporate ladder. That said, sometimes I feel like the words I am saying -- the last few months in particular --  sound shallow, hollow, and empty when it comes to the many unemployed workers.

Do you know what to say to the unemployed, super-talented, well-educated workers with stellar track records of achievement, accomplishment and contribution who haven’t had an interview in over a year, anyone, anyone? Do you know what to say to the unemployed entry-level clerk or the unemployed middle-aged, mid-level manager about what to do to find a job when they have already done all of the ‘right’ things they are ‘supposed to do’ to find a job, anyone, anyone?” Hang in there sounds hollow. Keep your chin up sounds lame. You’ll be fine doesn’t begin to sound credible. Don’t cry over spilled milk doesn’t cut it.

Is anyone listening to the guy who is losing his house because both he and his wife lost their decent-paying jobs, anyone, anyone? Is anyone listening to the single Mom who has 50 grand in college debt, three kids, and no job because it was merged, anyone, anyone? Is anyone listening to the first-generation college grad who went to school thanks to his parent’s second-mortgaged home, and now the home is in foreclosure and the kid with the degree can’t find a j-o-b, anyone, anyone? Is anyone listening to the unemployed people who now find themselves taking multiple medications (which they can’t afford) to cope with the depression and anxiety of being jobless for an extended period of time, anyone, anyone? What words would you choose to console the out-of-work client who claims they’re worth more dead than alive, anyone, anyone?

What might you say to the unemployed person in America today, anyone, anyone?

 

How Do You Define Passion As It Relates to the Workplace?

Twenty-six years ago when a nurse placed our newborn son in my arms, I vividly remember the first four words I ever uttered to him: I love you infinity. I have no idea where those four words came from, nor do I ever recall using the word infinity prior to that moment. If you have been following my posts on Career Hub, you know that I am infinitely passionate about my work in the career management profession.

So, along the lines of infinity and infinitely passionate, fast forward to yesterday on the Iowa State University campus during my Life After High School presentation to participants at the 2011 Youth Leadership Forum. One of the PowerPoint slides had the word passion on a heart image that read “What are you passionate about” which led me to ask the students what they thought passion meant as it related to the workplace:

Passion is awesome

Passion means you love it

Passion is not boring

Passion is happy

Passion is interesting

Passion doesn’t suck

Passion is fun

Passion is no question about it

Passion is cool

Agreed. Passion. Passion doesn’t suck. Passion is cool. Passion is fun. Passion means you love it. Get it. Find it. Feel it. Be it. Do it. Live it. Breathe it. Use it. Share it. Make a living by it. Trust it.

How do you define passion as it relates to the workplace?

Hogscald Hollow and Would You Go Jump Off A Cliff?

See the guy in this picture? His first name is Mitch. Never met him before and don’t know his last name. As this stranger was passing by our family safely standing at the top of this cliff, I said, “Are you really going to do this – jump off this cliff.”  And he said with great confidence, “Yes, just waiting for my two spotters.”  Within minutes, his two spotters appeared. Mitch was as calm and cool as could be and offered “I need to keep my arms straight up when I jump.”

Mitch’s two spotters and our family watched as he jumped off this cliff over the 4^th of July weekend at a place called Hogscald Hollow in Arkansas.

Would you be like Mitch and jump? As you think about you, your life, your career and who you are, would you go jump off this cliff?

Mitch jumped... and here’s the photo to prove it.

“Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.” ~ Ray Bradbury

Photo courtesy Sarah Sucher