Act Now: Results Follow

Changing employment is a lot like buying your next house. It isn’t something you do every day, it can be tricky, and in many cases, daunting if not downright scary—especially when you are not sure what you’re next move is going to be. Even when you have conducted plenty of research, most tend to proceed cautiously.

In both cases, the mind has a tendency to play tricks on us. Are we making a wise decision? Will we encounter buyer’s remorse? It the time right for making a move? When we don’t know the answers to these questions, or they become all consuming, we tend to procrastinate.

In other words, the fear of making a material mistake overshadows the rational thinking process. Many people go into quiet desperation, resulting in mental gridlock. Procrastination and mental gridlock are one in the same. The result tends to be strikingly similar.

Those working with a game plan, or if you prefer, a strategic plan, generally tend to encounter far less difficulty. This applies to buying real estate, just as well as changing employment.

Once you have done your basic job research, the time to act and put things in motion has arrived. To be successful at this often requires you to restructure your thought process. Eighty percent of those desiring to change employment—regardless of the circumstances—be that a layoff, termination, or a new challenge, need to proceed in a state of Zen.

What prey tell is a state of Zen? For these purposes, an overly simplified definition is living in the present, and relying upon one’s quiet instinct. You will know when you have achieved a state of Zen when you avoid acting impulsively or in a state of panic.

Invariably, those who proceed in a state of Zen tend to exude introspectiveness, self-confidence and calmness. They tend toward the natural flow of things, rather than conniving to achieve results. Think of a Zen state as the antithesis of panic and irrational behavior.

Once you have worked with thousands of job seekers, it is easy to spot those who are in crisis mode. Those are the job seekers grabbing at straws, falling for get-rich schemes or running in a half-dozen directions.

It requires a certain mindset to successfully pursue and garner new employment. Doing that in a state of Zen is merely a suggested option.  

How sacred American symbols now belong to China

Your Future Employment verses Hidden Agendas

How sacred American symbols now belong to China

Sometimes, you have to be around a while to see the big picture. One individual who had been around for eons was Big Al. I called on Big Al whenever the need for a big-picture perspective arose. For those who have forgotten him, Big Al worked for NASA as one of the government’s most brilliant soothsayers.

In real life, Big Al was a NASA physicist who helped put the men on the Moon. He, however, only laid claim to being a simple mathematician, responsible for predicting the future and educating his masters. According to him, “My mission was to accurately predict the future, and in so doing, make the world a better place for mankind.”

Back then, those long-lost ideals represented a thrilling challenge and monumental undertaking. Big Al was one of those rare individuals who actually enjoyed his work. That enthusiasm lasted until 1981. That year his assignment changed. Within nine months of the new administration taking office, NASA’s original mission morphed into a purely political cause célèbre. What was once good for mankind was unceremoniously replaced with what was now good for military purposes.

The change in NASA’s mission epitomizes where we as a nation are today. Once the military branch implemented its agenda, the nation’s economy and your lifestyle changed rapidly. If you were one of those preoccupied with living the good life, chances are you barely took notice.

Back in 1984, I recall Big Al’s soothsaying predictions. He had scientific journals packed with real-life issues, ranging from population explosion, agrochemical pollution, and climate changes, to unemployment projections—sans political manipulation. It rankled Big Al’s last good nerve whenever his superiors misrepresented his calculations and predictions.

The average working American didn’t connect the cause-and-effect dots, because Big Al’s predictions were not having an immediate impact on our daily lives. Furthermore, most Americans become mind-numbingly bored when confronted with statistics. Nonetheless, Big Al repeatedly assured people that math—unlike theology—was an exact science: He was certain his predictions were accurate and correct.

One of his predictions was that by 2005, American would run out of employment opportunities. He stated that that alone would have serious quality-of-life ramifications in the following years. As far back as the Nixon Administration, when he first brought this potential problem to the attention of his government masters, he was cautioned not to go public—less he desired to cause a change his employment status.

According to Big Al, those holding high political office were preoccupied with releasing negative research information to the masses unless it could be effectively used to serve a political agenda. According to his superiors, the last thing public officials wanted to address was reality.

While the government has long practiced the mushroom theory of keeping the working massed in the dark, it was not until 1984 when everything abruptly shifted into high gear. Practically overnight, everything the national government did—including NASA research was placed under the National Secrecy Act.

It was that same year when Big Al turned to me and halfheartedly quipped in his deep voice that resonated with caution, “At the rate we are shipping jobs and factories overseas, I predict we will lose our manufacturing edge, along with the technical expertise. Mark my words: The day will come when Asia will be eating our lunch.”

Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Someday, you’ll wake up and discover that even our most sacred American symbols will be made somewhere else.” Big Al’s detractors dismissed his predictions as un-American and anti-big business. Now that American’s athletic representatives showed up at the 2012 Olympics wearing China made uniforms, I am curious to see how our new Vulture Capitalistic society plans to rationalize this. 

The tale of two job seekers

Moe and Joe had nothing in common—yet they had everything in common. Their similarities were striking, if not a reflection of the other. Both were of the same gender, age, race and marital status: They even lived in adjacent suburbs. They held identical master degrees, one graduating Ohio State and the other from Ohio University. They held nearly identical positions with competing organizations. Coincidentally, both applied for the same opportunity when the advertised position opened up.

Beyond those similarities, Moe and Joe had nothing in common. Moe was a listener, while Joe was a bragger. Moe had mojo and moxie. His outlook on life slanted toward the holistic, and he observed the principle of do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Joe’s outlook on life slanted in one direction—himself, first, foremost and always. He observed the principle of do unto others before they have a chance to do unto you.

Both Moe and Joe had come to me within days of each other for résumés. Suffice to say, Moe’s project assembled as easy as setting up lawn furniture. Joe’s project quickly became a headache. Moe encouraged me to apply my creativity, while Joe insisted I adhere to his preconceived notions. In short, Moe’s résumé was solid and concise, while Joe’s job-seeking material ran in all directions.

Moe’s résumé project zeroed in and targeted the new position. Joe’s résumé—upon his insistence, of course—remained general, vague and cluttered with everything under the sun. (In the résumé business, we refer to this as the shotgun approach.)

While Moe’s résumé was well focused, Joe stated, "I need to remain open for whatever becomes available." Moe presented an image of what he could do for the next employer, while Joe's project morphed into Mulligan Stew. He laid claim to being able to do anything and everything. Naturally, his top concern focused on what the next employer could do for him.

The last I heard, Moe was in the second-interview stage for the position. Joe never made it past the washout screening process. No surprise there.

You work at anything long enough, such as corporate recruiting, résumé writing or interviewing people, by default; you become a student of human nature. Eventually, you are able to spot the Moe’s and Joe’s, or if you prefer, the glad handers and wannabes from the real McCoy.

If you are finding your job search more difficult and disconcerting than you might otherwise prefer, you may need to look within. As the comic script character, Pogo once quipped, “I have met the enemy and it is us.”

Improving Your Interviewing Charisma

The ideas for the following 10-items to enhancing your charisma appeared in MoneyWatch (March 14, 2012 edition), authored by Tom Searcy. The article credits Cynthia Burnham, author of The Charisma Edge. Burnham coaches Fortune 500 executives being groomed for senior-level management.

I have borrowed some of Burnham’s suggestions and applied them to job-interviewing situations. Once you review them, it is easy to envision how and why a hot career opening can easily go south. Rarely do we see ourselves as others see us. Nonetheless, these are invaluable recommendations when you want to connect to others.

Stand and sit-up straight:

It is inconceivable to imagine that anyone would walk into a job interview looking downtrodden and stoop-shouldered, but it happens. When you want to portray self-confidence, you have to stand and sit tall. A slumped over image projects a lack of confidence.

Practice handshaking:

Ever shake hands with someone as if he or she were handing you a dirty rag? Research shows that employers prefer those with a better handshake. A good handshake consists of an appropriate grip and a measure of pressure. Pretend you are on a campaign trail.

Hold eye contact—without staring:

Staring usually makes others uncomfortable, yet if you avoid making eye contact, you project the image of not being trustworthy. Somewhere in between there is a happy balance. Upon initial meeting, making and briefly holding eye contact is highly important.

Lower your voice—not volume:

Do not confuse lowering your voice with speaking softly or whispering. Lowering one’s voice just a decibel or one notch will make a tremendous difference for those with a squeaky or high-pitched voice. A lower voice implies credibility.

Avoid chopping gestures:

Everyone has a few annoying tics. TV character, Adrian Monk, comes to mind. If you have a tendency toward waving your arms, over-gesturing or perhaps fidgeting, you may need to tone it down during job interviews.

Pause before responding:

Even if you are armed and ready with your response to an interviewing question, do not be in a hurry to blurt it out. Pretend the question caught you off guard, or take a breath before answering. This will help you appear thoughtful, rather than rehearsed.

Reduce extraneous nodding:

Avoid undermining yourself with too much head nodding. It is supposed to signal others that you either understand or agree. That say, however, excessive head nodding can make you appear as a bobble-head. After the interview and once out of earshot, too much nodding may make you the subject of comment.

Speak and enunciate properly:

Nothing will kill a job interview faster than sloppy speech habits. Furthermore, poor enunciation often leads to miscommunications. There is a famous old saying to keep in mind: Speak so that I may see you.

Flash smile:

Smiling signals others that you are pleased to see them. This also helps reduce your interviewer’s stress level. They are just as nervous as you are, but for other reasons: They worry about making hiring mistakes. Smile, even if your interviewer fails to do so.

Laugh:

While job interviewing is serious business, you should avoid taking yourself so seriously you inhibit your ability to laugh. It is okay to laugh at yourself. The key is to appear genuine. Naturally, if you are afflicted with a nervous laugh, that is a separate issue.

While you may not be able to address all these issues, consider selecting two or three of the ones posing the greatest challenge. Focus on those, and the less important ones will standout less. From the big-picture prospective, you want to avoid unwittingly setting yourself up for failure.

Unemployed Advice

Advice for Unemployed

            The moment you acquire non-employment status, something strange happens: You begin changing your daily routines. This change can range from sleeping in to staying up half the night, or occupying your daytime hours with “busy work.” The bottom line is that not going to work each day becomes the new norm. This new norm will take 21 days before it fully manifests itself into your daily habits.

            Once you form a habit—especially a nonproductive one, it becomes nigh to impossible to break. Smoking, snacking and drinking sugar water are three classic examples, but there are many others. These might include watching daytime television, excessive Internet surfing, or perhaps visiting a favored coffee shop to fritter away the hours commiserating with others who have nothing better to do.

            An unexpected drop in income can also affect one’s behaviors. Those with substantial financial reserves might elect to postpone changing their daily routines by implementing a proactive job-search campaign. That of course, would be ideal, but far too often it is not the case. Those without financial reserves shift into panic mode.

            As one’s job-searching efforts are prolonged, fear inevitably sets in. Once the fear factor sets in, irrational behaviors begin to surface. It is easy for skilled job interviewers to observe this in job seekers, but those who are in full panic mode are rarely unaware of their own abnormal behaviors.

            The combination of fear and new routine habits can have a debilitating effect on searching for new employment. While fears and habits are separate issues, they are connected. Both mutually coexist at the subconscious level. Fears (or phobias) can occur overnight, while habits—good or bad, are acquired over 21 days before they manifest themselves.[1]

There are no known exceptions to habit formation other than the one mentioned in the footnote. You cannot speed up the process. If you desire to break a habit or irrational fear, it will not occur in less than 21 days. You may need to factor this in when planning your interviewing strategy and job-seeking action plan.

This 21-day cycle may have something to do with the human genetic structure. Though I am not a phylogenetic specialist, this is an established scientific fact. Therefore, if you plan to break bad interviewing and/or eating habits, it is recommended you commence the moment you become unemployed.

This 21-day cycle applies to whether you are attempting to replace bad habits, or acquire new ones. You can have the greatest résumé on the planet, but if bad interviewing and poor eating habits run interference—those bad routines have stacked the odds against you.

Some clients complain about my emphasis placed on their poor eating habits, and want to know why this is so importance? What you eat directly affects your brain’s performance. The most dangerous food poison is sugar—also known as fructose.[2] According to world-renowned Dr. Amen, sugar not only makes humans fat--it also makes us stupid.

The last thing you want to appear during a high-stress job interview is dimwitted simply because you consumed too much sugar poison and too many carbohydrates. While sugar and carbs provides a temporary stimulus, it will not last. Thirty minutes is about tops. Afterwards, you begin to mentally crash. (Those who are hypoglycemic and need to maintain their glucose levels face an additional challenge.)

Breaking the sugar-addiction habit is a Herculean challenge. Sugar is every bit as addicting as cocaine. No amount of wishing will make a hard-core problem disappear. In the case of toxic sugar (and sugar-based products), once you break that addiction, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your mental and physical energy levels—especially the ability to remain mentally focused. That, my friend, is a good thing—particularly during those challenging job interviews.

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[1]  Point of clarification: We are not talking about drug-induced habits such as those resulting from the use of crystal methane and crack-cocaine addictions. These chemically induced addictive habits can occur instantly.

[2]   We are not talking about natural fructose found in fiber-rich fresh fruit. Your body metabolizes this type of natural sugar into glucose: The glucose then generates mental and physical energy. This type of fructose combines naturally with the fruit’s high fiber content. That said; Dr. Mercola strongly recommends limited your fructose intake to no more than 25 grams per day.

In 1975, Americans were consuming dangerous levels (63 pounds) of sugar toxin annually. Currently, the average American is consuming more than 140 pounds annually. That one toxin alone accounts for the skyrocketing statistics in obesity, depression, fatty liver disease, liver failure, hypertension, diabetes, high-blood presser and Metabolic Syndrome.

Do not confuse fruit drinks with raw fruit. During industrial food processing, the high fiber content is removed to extend product shelf life. When this occurs, it renders the product virtually worthless. Do not be fooled by advertised semantic nonsense. Words like natural product or all natural mean nothing in the commercial food-processing industry.

Not In Your Right Mind

Not In Your Right Mind

            Some of us have organizational disciplines and some of us creativity skills. As you move away from modest amounts of either, you may qualify as super-organized, or super-creative, which is around 15% of the population. There are, of course, the outer extremes. (For the purpose of this article, you need not concern yourself with the outer fringes. These individuals pose no threat to job seekers.)

            Few of us see ourselves as normal when our job hunting efforts hit a brick wall. Overnight, our daily routines become broken, we feel out-of-step or out of sync with those who are working. For these job-seekers, the lack of daily productive routine becomes the new norm.

            The job-hunting population is somewhat divided in their organizational disciplines and creativity skills. Half are better organized, and the other half more creative. Thus, some job seekers are more left-brain dominated, and those who are not, tend to be more right-brain dominated.

            As we move further away from the statistical center, there are those who are super-organized, and those who qualify as super-creative. To simplify this, think of a teeter-totter. As one side go up, the other side goes down. The more organized an individual is, the less creativity is utilized, and vice versa. Those who are super-creative tend to be far less well organized.

            In the active job market, those individuals who are more left-brain (organized and structured) tend to fare better than those who are right-brain dominated. Those who lean toward being more structured and well-organized, have a distinct advantage over those who are less structured. From a job-seeking prospective, having organizational tenacity trumps having creative genius.

            Ask yourself this question: Are you more organized or more creative? This is one of those know thy-self questions. You will lean more one way than the other. If you believe you are equally balanced in both arenas you are an anomaly, or you may lack self-awareness.

            In the event you tend to be more right-brain, you need to focus on being more organized—at least during the job search period. Relying on your creativity alone will not serve you well in the job market. How many times have you asked yourself, “Why haven’t I fared better employment-wise?”

            Job seekers historically tend to overgeneralize. They see a few highly creative, innovative individuals succeed (or be discovered), while the majority of right-brained individual stagnate and struggle. Then they proceed one-step further and quietly blame themselves. If you are a right-brained job-seeker and desire to compensate for this, you literally have to force yourself to become better organized. In fact, you may have to overcompensate just to rebalance your employment teeter-totter.

            I rarely mention friends, three of whom qualify as right-brained and super creative. All suffer from employment disasters. Two individuals have IQs above 160. If called upon to identify their dominating weakness, it would be lack of organizational skills. Each has held employment far below their potential.

            In addition to those known personally, there are been a long parade of right-brained clients who relied solely upon my skills as a résumé writer to salvage their careers. Only one-third of those individuals achieve serious employment success. The balance accepted employment well below their creative genius.

            In analyzing their job securing performance, their organizational and preplanning skills consistently rank low. Either they failed to adequately prepare for their interviews, or they threw caution to the wind playing the numbers game. The common denominator was their lack of having a structured focus. In short, they failed to have a structured job-seeking strategy, and therefore, they had no plan to follow.

            Now here is a rub. Most key decision makers—in this case we are referring to those who make the ultimate hiring decisions—tend to be very highly structured. In the vast majority of the cases, that is how these individuals rose to the top.

            Don’t take my word for this. Analyze it for yourself. Randomly select the top-tier individuals from any organization. Unless they crawled their way up from the bottom, those hired in at the top will have degrees in accounting, finance or business. With few exceptions, these individuals are left-brained—some more so than others.

            The more right-brain dominated you are, the less likely far-left brained individuals will invite you into their highly structured organization. They see such individuals as misfits, maladjusted or not fitting into their organizational structure. They may advertise for creative genius, but when that materializes into reality, remember: Organization trumps creativity.

Now you know: Proceed with your job search accordingly.

Your Worst Enemy

Your Worst Enemy

            “I have met the enemy, and it is us.”

                  —En homage to the cartoon character, Pogo

For sure, Pogo’s grammatical entendre was intentional. 

The moment you make the decision to enter the employment job-seeking arena, you have enter the war zone. It is you against all the other candidates. Either you are up to doing battle, or you are not. Sadly, most are not.

When you are in the heat of battle, you are not privy to the big picture. The big picture at present is the state of the employment marketplace. When employment stakes are high for employers, there is fierce competition to grab the best pieces of labor fruit. When employment stakes are low, employers get to cherry pick among the low-hanging fruit.

Where you are on this employment tree directly influences your chances of being picked—especially during hard times. If you have positioned yourself so that you are too difficult to reach, you are less likely to be selected. To be identified as ripe for picking, you have to stand out.

Now here is a ray of good news: You do not always have to be the quintessential job candidate. You merely have to be within the top group of candidates. The absolute top-notch, primo candidate with ABC Company is most likely the top-notch, promo-candidate with XYZ Company also. 

To increase your odds, and avoid becoming your own worst enemy, here is a quick checklist of 10 things you need to ask yourself.

¨         Are you up-to-date on all the current terms (lingo) in your occupation?

¨         Are you technically aware and proficient in using you industry's technology?

¨         Are you knowledgeable about the trends and challenges facing your field?

¨         Are you prepared to interview for employment offers? In other words, can you respond effectively and creatively to tricky interview questions?

¨         Is your résumé fresh and up to date?

¨         Have you checked everything in your credit files within the last 90 days?

¨         Have you been in contact with each job reference within the last 30 day?

¨         Is your interviewing wardrobe up to date?

¨         Do you physically look healthy?

¨         Do you have a positive mindset, and can-do attitude? 

If you can honestly check off all the above, you are good to go into battle. The fewer obstacles left unresolved, the greater the odds you will be a battlefield casualty.

Indeed, these are harsh, sobering realities. Best advice is to minimize your liabilities and maximize your strengths.