Billie Sucher Blog

The Lesson

Once upon a time there was a young attorney who took his job very, very seriously. Among his many duties, his boss instructed him to take care of the PITA processing. So he did. He did it well. He processed them quickly and efficiently. He made no errors. His boss knew he was good at the PITA task and entrusted him with taking care of this important matter. Excellence in all things legal, including PITA processing!

The young attorney was in court one day and another more senior attorney asked him what he was doing.  He said he was working on some PITA processing.

PITA processing, huh? 

Yes, I have several of them.

So they never taught you in law school about PITAs?

No sir, I  had not heard of the PITA process until I started working on-the-job.

So you seriously don’t know what PITA stands for? 

Um, not really. Should I? 

Let me clarify….PITA stands for Pain in the……….(long pause)…….backside, my friend. 

Months later, a brand new attorney was hired. 

Young attorney gave brand new attorney the PITA processing task. 

Brand new attorney inquired, “so, what’s a PITA process?”

Young attorney offered, “Oh, it's just some business thing we didn’t learn in law school.”

Brand new attorney: “Very well, then.” 

Recipes and Remedies

For the last several days, I have been battling the winter crud, cold and laryngitis. My friends, family members and even clients have offered remedies, cures and solutions as to how to get rid of this stuff. The get-well quick fixes cover a host of recommendations, including: 

Load up on Vitamin C.

Drink black tea; sip green tea.

Live on ColdEeze.

Take Tylenol Cold medicine.

Gargle with salt water four or five  times per day.

Try my grandmother’s homemade hot toddy.

Go to the emergency room and tell them you are very sick.

Rest and drink lots of orange juice.  Avoid coffee and teas. 

Get some of those zinc things.

Call the doctor back and tell him you are getting worse, not better.

Grease with Mentholatum; grease with Vicks Vapor rub.

Go to the pharmacy and ask for that purple (or maybe it’s blue?) over-the-counter-as seen on tv stuff you are supposed to take before you go to sleep.

To date, I have tried several of the above-recommended fixes, homemade remedies, and yep, I feel just about as crappy now as when the crud all started right before the New Year. While my voice is all crackly and I can’t really talk other than a whisper, my mind has been mulling over all of the ideas I have been given as a cure for the cold. I appreciate them – all of them. 

And it somehow reminds me of the many  ideas I heard years ago when I announced I was going to resign my job. Quit. Step away. Stop doing what I was doing. While I was not giving up on work by any stretch of the imagination. I just wasn’t going to do that line of work and that job anymore. And it wasn’t about my bosses, my colleagues, the national / international distributors I worked with – they were all truly wonderful people -- it was simply coming to a fork in the road and as Yogi would offer…taking it. 

And the unsolicited, well-intentioned advice I got before, during and after  r e s i g n i n g  from that great job was a boat load:             

Who will hire you now?            

Nobody in their right mind quits a good job like that.    

Are you nuts?            

Go to graduate school? Are you serious…you have a kid, and a husband,  and….well, a dog.            

This will look bad on your record.            

I just don’t understand you.            

You have it made…why would you do this?            

Are you feeling okay?           

People don’t quit good jobs.             

Are you sure you want to do this?             

That’s a bad idea; wouldn’t do that if I were you.             

I’ll be surprised if you ever find another opportunity like that.            

Something must be bothering you; what’s really going on? 

I am not sure when I will get my voice back and I am not sure when I will be 100% done with this crud. I will have to wait, though, until it runs its course. That, I know.  And I also know this. 

You can start over.

I did.

And so can you.

Whether you lost your job or your job lost you. 

Whether you quit your job or someone quit it for you. 

Trust in yourself. 

Believe in yourself.

Even when you doubt yourself and your decision(s).

It isn’t easy to change and start over.

It takes courage.

And tenacity.

And commitment.

To look forward to what’s ahead of you, and not dwell on what’s behind you.

And to listen to your heart, while consulting your head, and trusting your gut.

And to let negative incoming go in one ear and out the other if it serves no worthy purpose.

When someone tells you something weird or strange or ridiculous, most times they are just trying to help. So, say thank you.

In the interim, don’t give up on discovering your own recipes and remedies.

And solutions.

And fixes.

Be it for a bad cold – or a good career. 

Charisma? Attractive Personality?

Watching one of my favorite television programs, CBS Sunday Morning, I was particularly interested in the piece about “Charisma.”  The story reminded me of some teachings in a Napoleon Hill book I recently read again. Lesson Ten from the The Law of Success, copyright 1928, is titled “Pleasing Personality.”

What, exactly, is a pleasing personality?

According to Napoleon Hill, there are seven important factors that enter into the development of an “attractive personality.” Pay particular attention to the second and fourth factor, as he claims that these are most important. The essence of Mr. Hill’s seven factors are highlighted here. While his book is from another time and another century, the relevance for today’s job seeker is timeless: 

1. Interest yourself in other people – find out about them and speak of them in terms of praise.
2. Develop an ability to speak with force and conviction, in day-to-day conversations and in public speaking.
3. Dress in a fashion that showcases your physical build and occupation. (His exact words: “Clothe yourself in a style...). 
4. Develop a positive character.
5. Learn how to shake hands to express warmth and enthusiasm.
6. Attract other people to you by first “attracting yourself” to them.
7. Your only limitation (within reason) is what you establish in your own mind. 

So how about it. job seekers?

Do you have charisma? Do you have an attractive personality? 

How does your sociometer stack up against your competition?

How can you best utilize your charisma and an attractive personality to win a job in 2012?

 ~ Be Your Very Best Always. ~    

The R Word: Rejection

Another year has rolled around and another rejection letter has arrived. 2012 is here and you read and then re-read the text you just received ….Thnx Ben for your time tho we filled position w/ another candidate. Good luck in future! RJL

And you quietly repeat the words: Good luck in future…..good luck in future…good luck in future.

Let’s say you are now up to 23 rejections; maybe more; maybe less since your job hunt started. Getting rejected, for most of us, is no fun. Getting rejected hurts. Getting rejected, in the words of many of my clients, sucks with a capital S.  That said, you have also probably heard the old adage….Rejection goes with the territory.

Whether it’s the job you didn’t get, the promotion that hasn’t happened, or the date who tells you you’re an awesome person, but….. rejection really does goes with the territory.

Listed below are a few ideas to consider as you deal with the R word: rejection!

1. Make a list of the one thing (and/or everything) you feel rejected about. Make the list as long as you want. Maybe it will be three words; maybe it will be three pages. Instead of stuffing and replaying the R-word script over and over in your head, dump it. Deal with it, dump it, be done with it. (That’s all easier said in a blog post than done…still, it’s a start!)
2. Instead of focusing on all that is wrong with you, why not focus on some ‘things’ that are right with you – your assets, gifts, strengths, talents, and competencies?
3. Instead of beating yourself up over one more rejection as though you deserved it or had it coming, why not build yourself up? What’s one thing you could do right now to build yourself up and/or alleviate some of the stress you may be feeling? Maybe it’s something as simple (and special) as reaching out to a good friend or family member and hearing their voice.
4. Keep the R word in perspective. My clients and friends who work as professional sales executives / representatives will be the first to tell you:  it takes a lot of no’s to get to a yes.
5. Establish a Coping With Rejection List and keep it handy. If you don’t know what to put on the list, ask others how they manage rejection. (Or ask Google!). Read, take a walk, listen to music, meditate, journal, go to the library, help somebody with something.
6. What, if anything, can you change about your job search to change the results and outcomes of your efforts? If you are struggling to figure this out, consider hiring a professional to help you think this through.
7. Consider how you must be doing something right and how you can’t win if you don’t play. Yesterday, my client and I were discussing how job search is a game of strategy. What additional strategies can you add to your job hunt to garner more interviews? As you know, more interviews lead to more chances to a. get a job offer and/or b. get rejected again. Aren’t you worth giving yourself another chance to go for an offer?
8. Do not take yourself out of the job search game! In the words of Vince Lombardi, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” You are not a quitter, so don’t quit on yourself and on your chances of finding a good fit.
9. Keep going on job search dates. I like my colleague’s wisdom: Have yourself a perfect pity party and then, get about your business. Go on another date with another organization and keep going out on dates until you find the one who wants to marry you.
10. What has worked for you in dealing with rejection in the job search?

 “Do not waste yourself in rejection; do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Job Seekers: Here's to You and Fresh Starts in 2012!

Looking forward to 2012, my friend and I were chatting about words that end in –al and how they seem to provide a launch pad for goals, changes, fresh starts and dreams for a new year.  As you peruse this list below, perhaps you will contemplate how each of these –al words might play a part in your job search, career and professional life in 2012:

Analytical – When a hiring manager scans your career marketing materials with an analytical eye, what conclusion might they draw?

Controversial – What controversial subjects do you plan to avoid in job interviews and at networking events?

Conversational – How might you enhance your conversational abilities in 2012?

Denial – What, if any, 2011 issues have you brought forward to 2012 and what, if anything, will you do to deal with them in the immediate future? 

Economical – What one thing will you do in 2012 to contribute to the economical betterment of your community and world?

Educational – What one educational goal do you intend to pursue this year?

Emotional – What, if anything, needs some attention with regard to your emotional well-being?

Essential – What are the most important matters that will demand your full attention in 2012?

Financial – What are your financial goals for the coming year?

Impractical – What decisions did you make in 2011 that may now be impractical in 2012?

Individual – What, if anything, could you do to improve the individual Brand You 2012?

Influential – What subjects would you like to become more influential about in 2012?

Inspirational – From what sources and resources will you derive your inspiration in the New Year?

Intellectual – How can you better share the intellectual abilities and gifts you have been given?

Intentional – What good things do you plan to do with intention and purpose in 2012?

Interpersonal – What, if anything, can you do to refine your interpersonal skills in 2012?

Managerial – In managing your career transition project (or work projects) what can you do this year to improve upon last year’s performance?

Mental -- How would you best describe your mental toughness should you find yourself in a state of career transition?

Motivational – What are three specific motivators that you plan to maximize in 2012?

Occupational – Are you working in or working toward an opportunity that holds interest and passion for you?

Organizational – What steps can you take today to better organize your job search activities to produce more desirable results in 2012?

Original – In what ways are you original and how can leverage that originality to better serve your job search efforts and outcomes?

Personal – What one thing would you like to change, add to, or delete from your personal brand in 2012?

Physical – What, if any, physical goals do you have in the works for the New Year?

Potential – If an organization asked you to describe your potential in 2012, what would you say?

Professional – When December 31, 2012 arrives, what is the single best thing you will have achieved professionally?

Psychological – If you have been struggling with a particular issue or concern in 2011, what plans, if any, do you have in place to address this matter in the New Year?

Relational – As you review your relationships and connections in your life, do those on your list have a habit of ‘building you up’ or ‘bringing you down’ and what, if any, improvements could be made as you move forward in 2012?

Social – How would you best describe your social life / network (both offline and online) and what, if anything, might be enhanced in 2012?

Spiritual – What, if any, spiritual goals have you thought about for 2012? 

Survival – If you lose your job in 2012, what plans do you have in place to maneuver through and manage the transition phase?

Testimonial – Have you considered how the voice of others can leverage your candidacy for a job, interim assignment or independent contracting opportunity?

Transformational – If you could transform one thing about yourself in the next 90 days, what might that be and how would it be of value to you, or to others?

Transitional – How can you more effectively manage each 2012 ‘work day’ as you explore new career options?

Verbal – How would your most recent supervisor rate your verbal skills and what might you do to improve them in 2012?

Vital – No matter what else you do in the New Year, what three to five things would you most like to accomplish by the time the ball drops in 2013?

Vocational – What, if anything, would you like to do differently this year regarding your employment situation?

Happy New Year to You! Wishing you good health and much happiness in 2012 with a sincere thank you for reading this blog!

Job Search Trivia

Here’s a trivia question for you: what do you call a group of lions?  

1. a business
2. a gang
3. a tower
4. a romp
5. a prickle
6. a covey
7. a pride
8. a streak
9. a pod
10. a pack
11. a team
12. a crash

If you selected answer number seven, congratulations, you are correct.  And that’s what this post is about: the word pride.

This morning, my client and I discussed at length the word pride and how his pride kept him from reaching out to others, how his pride got in the way of asking for help and how his pride stopped him from talking to certain people that might offer ideas, tips, support, leads, and comfort during his time of transition.

Pride.

Pride – the kind that stalls you, stymies you and keeps you stuck in a rut. Pride – the kind that stops you from doing what you know you need to do to move on and move forward.

I invited him to write the word pride on a piece of paper for our on-the-spot activity.

I then asked him a series of questions which required a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. Some of the questions are listed here:

Does pride find you a job? His answer: NO

Does pride put bread and butter on your table? His answer: NO

Does pride pay your bills? His answer: NO

Does pride provide you with job leads? NO

Does pride help you connect with others? NO

After a series of ‘no’  responses, my client came to the conclusion that it doesn’t make much sense to let pride get in the way of getting on down the road to a new future, a new job and a new year.

Pride is a powerful narcotic, but it doesn't do much for the auto-immune system. ~ Stuart Stevens

Happy Holidays From the Heartland

Memories are those moments

Tucked away in your heart.

Somehow they stay with you,

They’re an important part.

 

Of who you once were,

Of what you are now,

Of who you hope to become

Even though you wonder how.

 

Time passes so quickly

The clock’s ticking away

And you say to yourself

Oh, it’s just another day.

 

Well, this day is upon you,

It’s yours for the taking

So prize it immensely

In the plans you are making.

 

We can’t predict the future,

Nor dwell on the past

We can only treasure this moment

And love it while it lasts.

 

And if someone’s touched your life

Or made a difference to you.

Now’s a good time to tell them

If that’s possible to do.

 

Remember, our moments are the magic

And in our dreams dwell the hope

Offering a chance to start anew

As we imagine and we cope.

 

So, celebrate each new day

And find more good than bad

Treat each day as the last

And not the first to be had.

 

Wishing you abundance and joy

Prosperity and peace be with you.

And may life’s richest rewards

Be ever-present with you, too.                          

Copyright 1995, 2011 Billie Sucher

With Bad Advice, Do You Pay the Price?

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

Remember the last time you randomly asked someone for directions to get to a place? Remember how they told you to go down there a couple of blocks, then turn left at the light, go a couple miles that way, make a sharp right and that should do it? Remember how you did that and ended up more lost than ever?

Reminds me of bad directions for a job search. Unfortunately, I have heard quite a few bad directions from job seekers who tell me that their well-intentioned neighbor, friend, cousin, roommate, or stranger told them how to write a resume or told them this or that about finding a job. Some would argue that it really doesn’t matter who tells you what, as long as it works to find new employment.

However, if the counsel you have received doesn’t, didn’t or hasn’t worked for you and you have been between jobs for six, 12, 18, 24, 30+ months or longer, perhaps you might consider the accuracy of the information you’re getting. While it is important to reach out to people to support you, guide you, help you and be by your side in your quest for new employment, it surely doesn’t do you much good if you wind up at the rest stop of the job search trip because you took an exit based on bad directions and/or just because they were free.  

If the directions, free advice, free counsel, and job hunt input you have been given by countless caring people simply isn’t working for you, here’s some more advice and yes, it is also free:

Ask five people for the name of a career management professional in the community / country that (in their opinion) has a good stellar reputation in the industry. If you do not get any names, ask five more people and keep asking until you get a name.

Go to LinkedIn and see if that person has a LinkedIn profile. Read about them. Read their recommendations. Contact someone you may know listed in the pro’s  recommendations; call them and listen closely to their response when you ask them the following questions:

• What did you like best about your experience in working with So and So?
• What, if anything, did you not like about your experience in working with So and So?
• Would you still recommend So and So and would you work with him/her again if you had a career need?
• On a scale of 1 – 10, what number would you give So and So with 1 being very poor and 10 being over the top good?
• Is there anything else about So and So that would be of value to know?

Call the pro(s) whose name(s) you have been given and ask the following questions, well before you ask them about their professional fee structure. (Something to consider:  Would you call a brain surgeon if you desperately needed brain surgery and start the conversation with : “Hello there, how much do you charge?” Probably not, though it happens frequently in the career management industry). Instead, you could engage the pro by asking the following questions before inquiring about their respective fees. It doesn’t take but a few minutes to run through the questions listed below and it could save you precious time (and money) in the long run.

1. What is your background?

2. When did you get started in the business?

3. What population do you serve?

4. What qualifies you to dispense career information?

5. What is your level of success?

6. How will we work together: via phone, IM, in office, Starbucks?

7. What can I expect from you and your services?

8. Why should I choose you over Brand A and Brand B?

9. Help me understand your fee structure and payment requirements.

If you find yourself sitting at a career crossroads still contemplating which road to take next, how about the possibility of seeking professional help, guidance, direction and support? To discover more information about how to find a career coach/counselor in your area, consider reading Appendix B: A Guide to Choosing A Career Coach or Counselor in the book What Color Is Your Parachute – Pages 288-303 in the 2011 Edition.

“The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a cheap price is forgotten.”

Stay Hungry, My Friend, Stay Hungry

In the late 80’s, I was lucky enough to meet a management consultant who turned out to be one of my most influential mentors and teachers and now today, a very treasured friend. Prior to starting his consulting business, he taught at a major public university and later traveled the country working in the public sector.  As we got to know each other, and later work on some projects together, he had a particular line he’d always tell me. Not sure if he would recall the impact it made on me, but it did. He told me:

Stay Hungry, My Friend – Stay Hungry.

I never did ask him what he meant, for sure, but I have never forgotten his words. And the reason I never asked him to explain to me what he meant was because he would have no doubt told me to "figure out your own definition.” And more recently, while listening to Steve Jobs’ 2005 Commencement address at Stanford University, I picked up on the following words:  

Stay hungry, stay foolish.

As a job seeker, are you hungry?

Hungry to amass as much knowledge as possible?

Hungry to start over?

Hungry to overcome the many obstacles, roadblocks and hurdles you may encounter?

Hungry to build relationships?

Hungry to help someone succeed?

Hungry to give to others?

Hungry to be better tomorrow than you are today?

Hungry to school yourself regarding 2011/2012 best practices for job search?

Hungry to seek new ideas and possibilities for employment?

Hungry to share with someone why you are unemployed, in transition or between jobs?

Hungry to stop saying what you can’t or won’t do and start thinking about what you can do and will do?

Hungry for the future?

Hungry to stretch yourself in ways you have never imagined?

Hungry to increase your computer skills?

Hungry for a positive attitude and an energetic spirit others find contagious?

Hungry to track down new job leads even though the last 50 have led to nowhere.

Hungry to embrace social media?

Hungry to step out of your comfort zone?

Hungry to put your pride aside and ask for career help?

Hungry to get out of the box you find yourself in?

Hungry to write the first line (or any line) of the book or blog that’s buried within you?

Hungry to investigate personal branding and how it could be of benefit to you?

Hungry to take a stop-gap job to support your household until the right one comes along?

Hungry to volunteer in your local community?

Hungry to go back to college and complete the six-hour shortage?

Hungry to share your knowledge, skills, abilities and value at a job interview?

Hungry to take the plunge and build a business in 2012?

Hungry to do something thoughtful, kind and nice for someone without them ever knowing that it was courtesy of you?

Stay hungry, my friend, stay hungry.

Gerbils and Job Search

Have you ever watched a gerbil running on a wheel? Although I haven’t owned any gerbils, I have learned that if you can get them to run on a wheel when they are young, they will spend much time exercising on it - going around and around and around in a circle. Never really going anywhere, mind you, but around and around and around to absolutely nowhere.

As a job seeker, has it ever occurred to you that perhaps you are running around and around, not really going anywhere? Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. Perhaps you are familiar with the following Albert Einstein quotation:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

If you are looking for a job in today’s intensely competitive market, how long have you been doing the same job search activities over and over, but not yet achieving the type of results you desire? Here are a few questions to ponder:

1.      What, if anything, can you stop doing that doesn’t seem to be working in your favor?

2.      What, if anything, can you start doing, that you haven’t yet been doing?

3.      Have you drafted (and practiced, practiced, practiced) solid answers to these specific questions:

a.      How does your brand differ from 14,000,000 others, or even 50 others?

b.      Can you name five specific reasons an employer ‘should’ hire you and can you provide proof / direct evidence for each reason cited?

c.      Can you name five of your best work skills (with supporting examples) that you feel passionate about applying in the market place?

d.      Can you name five words that do not sound the same (or similar) to those articulated by 14,000,000, or even 50  other job seekers?  (Hint: name qualities that align with your specific target goal for optimum brand alignment.)

e.      Can you cite three specific examples of how you will contribute to an organization’s bottom line.   (Hint: do not say “Well, because I have a great track record and successful experience”;  get specific, not generic to distinguish yourself from the competition.

As 2011 draws to a close, now would be a good time to consider how you would like your 2012 to take shape regarding your job hunt. What strategies need your immediate attention? What practices can you improve? What small steps can you take today that will result in your ability to run a better job search race tomorrow?