Billie Sucher Blog

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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?

 

Template? Original? What Say You, Job Hunter?

Again this week, I received a voice message that went something like this:

Hey Billie, I was at the bookstore the other day and I saw your résumé work in So and So book and I was wondering...could you send me a template of your résumé from page 124? If you could, that would be awesome! Thanks!

What is a "template" anyway? According to the dictionary, one definition of the word is:

anything that determines or serves as a pattern; a model.

Are you a template? For your sake in today's highly competitive job search market, I surely hope not! I hope you are now and forevermore a job seeker who is an:

ORIGINAL!

According to the dictionary, a few of the noun definitions of the word "original" include:

~ an original work, writing, or the like, as opposed to any copy of imitation...

~ the person or thing represented by a picture, description, etc...

~ a person whose ways of thinking or acting are original...

Résumé template? Résumé original?

Which one best represents you and your brand?

 

FAQ From #Jobseekers: How Do You Ever Know What to Say on Twitter?

Over on Twitter last week, I posted this tweet:

FAQ from #jobseekers: "How do you ever know what to say on Twitter?" #jobhunt #outplacement #careers #Twitter #in

While I don't have a specific answer, I do have a general idea that may help you, if you are a brand new contributor to Twitter, or you are thinking about signing up for Twitter. Perhaps a few of these ideas (tweets) stated below will help you get started and keep going as U tweet away from this day 4ward!

Think about a subject of interest that you want linked with your name and your brand.

What do you know about that you could freely (passionately/interestingly) share w/others?

In as few words as possible, write a thought to create one 'practice' tweet.

Tweak your thought (tweet) until it's about 120 of the 140-character limit.

Try 'trial tweets' of 25 or so to build confidence before you click on Tweet.

Engage readers w/ strong content, ltd. self-promotion and a +sounding attitude. (Add hashtags if U like: #jobhunt)

Reply with thanks & appreciation when you get retweets, followers, mentions.

That said, I recall my very first tweet, some 5,000 tweets ago and I think it went something like this...

"This is my very first tweet on Twitter."

So #jobseekers, how about giving it a try...what will be your very first #tweet on #Twitter?

P.S. Feel free to Follow Me on Twitter: @billiesucher

 

 

Je ne sais quoi and The Job Search

Job seekers, pretend for a moment that you are completing an application and it states that you must complete the following question and submit it with your resume, cover letter, references, and salary history.

Here's the question:

What is your je ne sais quoi?

Yesterday, I was sharing this French word with clients based on a very interesting story I'd heard on a morning radio program. For the sake of this post, let's give this term an English translation:

~ What is 'that certain something' you have that makes your brand distinctive and attractive?

~ What is the 'indescribable quality' you possess as a job candidate?

~ What 'charm' or 'indefinable enchantment' do you possess that is simply hard to explain?

Bottom line, what might you offer in response to the employer's query? Something to think about as you consider your je ne sais quoi.

Au revoir!

P.S. Homework Exercise: To best serve you, your brand and your chances of getting hired faster, please take the time to formulate rock-solid answers to the above questions.

Job Seekers: Never Never Never Give Up!

Over lunch today, my client-turned-good friend and I were discussing the reality of looking for new employment in today's uber-competitive job market. Our takeaway from the conversation was this: never never never give up on yourself and others. If you're a job seeker exploring new work opportunities, take a moment to consider these thoughts:  

No matter how many résumés you have sent and heard nothing back, never never never give up.

No matter how many people you've networked with and still no job leads, never never never give up.

No matter how many times you have been told no and no thank you, never never never give up.

No matter how many people may be rude, abrupt, unkind, thoughtless or disinterested in you and your unique brand, never never never give up.

No matter how many job interviews you've attended resulting in zero call-backs or offers, never never never give up.

No matter how many times you try to get ahold of someone and they don't return your call, email, text or tweet, never never never give up.

No matter how many people say they will get back in touch with you and don't, never never never give up.

No matter how discouraged, disheartened and disenchanted you may be with today's job search activities, never never never give up.

No matter how many times you have rewritten, redesigned and rebuilt your résumé, never never never give up.

No matter how many negative things you may hear online and offline about the employment or unemployment situation, never never never give up.

No matter how many rejection letters are in your no pile, never never never give up.

No matter how many people you thought were on your team, yet they haven't yet stepped up, never never never give up.

No matter how many times someone tells you what you cannot do or be when it is your dream, not theirs, never never never give up.

No matter how many days, weeks or months it has been since you have drawn a 'real paycheck', never never never give up.

No matter how many career-related blog posts, tweets, books or articles you may read about how to find a job in 2011, never never never give up on yourself until you get what you want or need. Never never never give up!

What Will You 'BE' in 2011?

My client and I were chatting about all the things they wanted to 'be' in 2011 which got me to thinking about some ideas for you, The Job Seeker of 2011. Feel free to add to this list any words you want to 'be' as the New Year progresses...

Action-driven, ambitious, accepting, authentic, accountable, accessible, approachable

Better, brave, bold, branded, big picture

Courageous, common-sense, confident, connected, consistent, curious, creative, civil, caring, clear, compassionate, coach-able, considerate, cheerful

Doggedly determined, dedicated, diligent, decisive, disciplined

Energetic, excellent, educated, efficient, enough, engaging, entrepreneurial

Fun, found, forgiving, focused, fair, forward-thinking

Grateful, good, great, giving, genuine

Hopeful, helpful, happy, humble

Imaginative, interesting, invested, inspired, intentional, interested, investigative

Joyful, just

Kind, knowledgeable

Level-headed, like-able, learning, loving, of laughter

Marketing-minded

Networked, necessary, needed, nice

Optimistic, open-minded, observant, overcoming of obstacles, opportunity-minded, options-oriented

Professional, personable, polite, purposeful, a partner, paying attention, practical, prepared, punctual, possibility-driven, problem solver, present, persistent

Quick on feet, quick-thinking, quality-driven

Ready, well read, realistic

Supportive, steadfast, self-directed, sense of humor, sure, sensible, selfless, sociable, succinct, strong, sharing

Trustworthy, tenacious, tactful, #thinking: tweet

Uber-understanding, unique

Victorious, valuable, valued

Warm, worthwhile, worthy, well

Xcellent

Youthful in spirit, young at heart

Zestful

What will you 'BE' in 2011?

On Thanksgiving: 12 Thoughts

T Time to treasure and take stock of the abundance in your life.

H Harnessing an attitude of thankfulness for all that you are, and can become.

A Appreciating your assets, acknowledging your liabilities, always striving to improve.

N Never giving up, no matter what, until you get what you need.

K Kindling a spirit of caring, kindness and civility for all people.

S Seeing the best in others; scouting possibilities in both the best and worst of times.

G Giving of your time, your talents, your knowledge to help someone succeed.

I Imagination, inspiration, ingenuity and ideas to create a better today and tomorrow.

V Voice that you find when you least expect it.

I Intentional in serving others with professionalism, integrity, excellence, and ethics.

N No, negative, and nothing which can lead to yes, positive, and something.

G Gratitude for family, friendships, clients, colleagues, connections and followers  around the globe.

~ Happy Thanksgiving to All and Thank You for reading and contributing to this blog ~