10 Great Last Minute Gifts for the Job Seeker's Soul

This holiday season buy a gift that will inspire, ignite and excite a job seeker's soul.  Think about the last time you opened a present and were truly excited to receive it. The best part about gift giving is knowing the person and what to give them.

Looking for a new job, particularly in one of the worst economic climates since the Great Depression, brings about frustration, a lack of energy and exhaustion. Those who are employed might not understand how difficult and tiring it actually is to job search, albeit full-time or part-time.  

Here are 10 great last-minute gift ideas for the today's job seekers:

1. 30 or 60-minute massage (aha, relaxation)
2. Fandango movie gift certificates (2 hours of mind-numbing release)
3. 30 day subscription to TheLadders.com premium service
4. New briefcase
5. Nordstrom gift card to buy a new interviewing outfit
6. Gift certificate for a new market-focused resume
7. The hottest new job search book "Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game"
8. Fresh manicure (to use the day before an interview)
9. Restaurant.com gift card (everyone deserves a night out)
10. Babysitting services (for interview day or just to get away)

The best part about many of these is that you can log online, order the gift card and viola - shopping and the gift - are done in less than 10 minutes! Now that's a holiday gift that makes both of you happy.

Feed Your Soul and Your Job Search

When was the last time you were frustrated with your job search? If you're like any many of the job seekers I have the pleasure of speaking with every day it was probably within the past week.  Looking for a new job is frustrating and tiring. Yes, for those of you who aren't looking for a job full-time, it's a tiring pursuit.

Job Search Drain

How can job searching be so damn draining on your body? What drains your body is your mind and your mental state. When you had a job you were used to a routine that likely included waking up, getting dressed and heading to work for a day of productivity before coming back home for the night. Being out of work also means being out of a daily routine and that weighs on your mind, body and your soul. According to FamilyDoctor.org, losing your job can cause everything from a change in appetite to high blood pressure, extreme tiredness or insomnia and heart palpitations. 

Fuel Your Job Search

Fuel Your Job Search. Feed Your Soul

If you want to fuel your job search you need to fuel your soul. This time of the year is better than any to find ways to feed your soul.  If you love children, support Operation Smile. Are you a traveling nomad? Fuel your soul and volunteer abroad with Cross Cultural Solutions. Want to stay close to home and explore different ways to fuel your soul and job search? Check out VolunteerMatch

Benefits of Fueling Up

Does feeding your soul really fuel your job search? According to the United Way, in addition to the sheer soul improving feelings of giving back (which I know is why you want to do it, right?), your resume gets a kick too. Employers like to see that you're keeping your teamwork skills active and it's a great way to make networking contacts. Volunteering can also be included as a current activity in the "community involvement" section of your resume showing that you're engaged and care about the community at large.

Sales Job Recruiting Event December 1st

If you've been waiting for a chance to land the coveted face-to-face interview, here it is. For sales professionals looking for entry to mid-level jobs, some that have earning potential upwards of $200K, get your resume polished because Wednesday, December 1st you have the chance to interview with companies that are hiring. Here are the details:

When: Wednesday, December 1st
Time: 9a.m. to 1p.m.
Where: Embassy Suites, 707 East Butterfield Rd., Lombard, IL 60148
Who Should Attend: Entry to Mid-level Sales Professionals
What Companies Are Hiring:

• Forest Pharmaceuticals | Pharmaceutical Sales Reps
• New York Life | Financial Sales Reps, $200K potential
• Prudential Financial | Financial Services Reps, includes base salary
• Paychex | Outside Payroll Sales Reps and Account Managers
• Sales Jobs Network Direct | Medical Equipment Reps, Specialty Pharmaceutical Sales Reps
• Westwood College | Enrollment Counselors

Avoid The Competition
These companies will be on-site holding face-to-face interviews. This is your chance to bypass the resume overload and get in front of hiring managers. Meet in-person and sell yourself to the company. Let them know why you are the right person for the job and avoid the competition of applying online where 90% of resumes get thrown in the trash.

To be considered for these positions, attendance at this event is strongly encouraged. Event Sponsorship by Sales Job Network who advises interested candidates to bring 15 copies of their resume.

3 Tips for Interview Success

1. Dress Professionally - Wear a traditional black, gray or navy blue tailored suit that you're comfortable in and remember to polish your shoes (and nails ladies). Keep jewelry to a minimum.
2. Fresh Breath is Best - Keep a pocket or purse full of Listerine breath strips or mints, it's a good investment in your future. Avoid chewing gum.
3. Be Yourself - When you're in the interview, maintain your self-confidence and keep your nerves at bay by being yourself.

Guarantee Yourself an Interview
The event sponsors are expecting a great turnout, from both candidates and additional employers. To ensure you get the interview you want, and possibly more interviews, reserve your space by pre-registering online here.

Best of luck to everyone who attends the event. If you know of an upcoming event in your area, send it to us and we'll be happy to spread the word.

The Letter For When You Don't Get the Job

You told yourself not to get your hopes up, but you did anyway. In your heart you knew this was going to be "the one", the job that finally came through for you. You just knew it.

The phone rang, or your inbox chimed. They selected another candidate. Even worse, they chose you but they have a hiring freeze and your position is on hold, indefinitely. What now?

Write a Thank You Letter

Get your pen, or fingers, ready and start writing. Remember that 27.3% of new hires come from employee referrals and your (non)hiring manager is one of those employees, as is the human resources manager that worked with you through the interview process.

Among the Best

In today's fierce job market place, and we all know it's fierce out there, you want to be known as one of the best. What better way than to send a "thank you for not hiring me" letter? When you consider that a mere 5% of candidates send thank you letters after an interview, you are certain to stand out when you send a thank you after being told they selected a different candidate.

What to Write

Keep your letter simple, concise, professional and polite. This letter is the time to say "thank you" and express your continued interest in the company. Here's a sample letter:

Dear Steve:

I would be lying if I said I'm anything but keenly disappointed that I wasn't your final choice for the (job title) position. However, knowing how professionally and thoroughly each candidate was interviewed, and having made it to the "final (number)", I'm also honored to have been on that short list. I appreciate that your job of selection was very, very difficult.

It was a pleasure getting to know you and seeing how well your team works together.  (Customize this area: You are a skilled and rare manager. I particularly appreciated how well your team works together and sincerely hope that sometime in the future we have the opportunity to work together.)

I wish you and your team continued success. Thank you again for all your efforts on my behalf; I look forward to seeing you at (event..e.g. one of the area association meetings).

Regards,

Ethan Richards

Who to Send It To

In today's market it has become more common that there are 2, 3, 4 even 10+ interviews in many cases. When that's the case, who do you send the thank you letter to? Unlike an interview thank you note which goes to each person you meet with, this is a far more select group of people.

You always want to send it to the human resources person, ideally the recruiter or HR manager. The other person is the decision maker or hiring manager. In some cases, you can also include the next level up if you met with the person face-to-face and feel it's an appropriate decision that will be well received by both that person and the decision-maker.

Effective, Easy and Free Coaching

Career Coach. Life Coach. Business Coach. Executive Coach. 

Coaching is effective; studies show that coaching has a 500% return on investment. When working with a career coach, your self-confidence increases by 52%. How do you gain the benefits of career coaching or life coaching if your budget can't afford $150 or $250/session?

Step 1: Decide if coaching is right for you by asking yourself this question:
Do I want to change my life/career/health?

Step 2: Identify coachable goal(s) to create results
Do you want a new job?
Do you want to lose weight?
Want to make more money?
What about being happier?
Adding to your net worth?

Step 3: Write down 10-15 questions that directly correlate to your coachable goal(s).
Here are some example questions:
On a scale of 1-10, how happy was I today?
Did I eat healthy & balanced today?
What did I do to move my job search forward today?

Step 4: Find a friend, peer, colleague to be your peer coach.
Have your peer coach do Steps 1-3.

Step 5: Set a time to do your peer coaching calls every day, seven days a week.

Make a commitment to each other and peer coach, at the same time each day, for at least 30 days. At the end of 30 days, get together for a results and recognition session. Track your progress throughout the coaching month and celebrate the success each of you has made. Recognize your peer coach for the work they've done with you, and thank each other for coaching you to success.

Have good results? Go for 60 days this time - who needs New Year's Resolutions when you have a peer coaching system already in place!

P.S. - As a professional expert coach, I have my own peer coach that I do this with daily at 7a.m. It's a great system I believe in, that works.

Top 5 Ways Social Media Can Get You Fired

Stories about employers catching their staff online during working hours are nothing new but getting fired for it? It's happening more often than you might think. Why?

Employees are posting YouTube videos about their companies that are, lets just say, less than positive reflections of the company. These social media faux pas are tough to manage when posted by customers but when posted by employees, they can be managed by terminating them. According to a study released by Proofpoint, Inc, 21% of companies have disciplined employees for violating social networking policies vs. 13% in 2008 and 9% of those companies had fired an employee for violating these same policies, up 5% from just two years ago.

Anyone having flashbacks to the Dominos Pizza YouTube video showing an employee sticking cheese up his nose and passing gas on the food? Yep, that's what I'm referring to...not quite what Domino's was thinking about.

# 1: Violate company policy
Matthew Azzano, an employee at Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility in OH, was fired after he was found to be posting threatening and racial comments on his Facebook page. Why? It was a direct violation of company policy and procedure.



# 2: Badmouth your customers
Ashley Johnson,  a former waitress in North Carolina, was fired for complaining about her customers on Facebook. "Thanks for eating at Brixx" she wrote before using profanity and calling the customers "cheap" in her post.


#3: Post inappropriate pics
A high school teacher in GA was forced to resign when her principal questioned her Facebook page, which included pictures of her holding wine, beer and an expletive.


# 4: Trash talk the boss
Common sense should rule here but, not in this case. A young lady in the UK was fired after she posted this on her Facebook page: "OMG, I HATE MY JOB!! My boss is a total pervvy (sic) w**ker, always making me do s**t stuff just to p**s me off!! W**ker!
The boss responded with a few comments of his own, ending with "And lastly, you also seem to have forgotten that you have two weeks left on your six-month trial period. Don't bother coming in tomorrow. I'll pop your P45 in the post and you can come in whenever you like to pick up any stuff you've left here. And, yes, I'm serious."

# 5: Call in Sick, then Post about it
A Swiss insurance worker called in sick claiming she needed to lie in the dark and couldn't sit in front of a computer all die. Problem? She was caught online, and on Facebook, by a colleague. Her boss fired her claiming she was untrustworthy rather than because of her Facebook activity.

Facebook and Twitter both posted year over year growth at over 50% which means you're likely active on one, if not, both of these popular social networks. If you're going to post, tweet, or socialize online, be savvy and use it to your advantage.

First Interview Etiquette

As I sit here in my office preparing for a speaking engagement in San Diego next week I find myself distracted by the engineers welding on my heating system. 5 minutes they told me...3 1/2 hours ago. So often, what we're told or expect is different than what we receive. That's how I stumbled upon today's blog topic, Interview Etiquette.

How often have you shown up to an interview only to have it be completely different than what you expected? To be fair, this happens on the other side of the table too. In fact, it happens more than you think. Earlier this week I was speaking about interview stories, similar to the ones in this blog post, while on the radio during a social media marathon discussing my book, "Career Sudoku", and shared that these stories help job seekers improve their skills by learning from other's mishaps.  On with the learning...

Let's use dating as an analogy. Consider the in-person interview a first-date, there's the "are they the one" question lingering in both your minds. You both want this to be the right fit; the "ONE". They're tired of interviewing candidate upon candidate only to be disappointed and you're tired of going on interview after interview only to have your hopes shot down.

Just like a first date though, there are some rules to the game, or etiquette standards, that you need to follow to give yourself a winning chance to landing the job.

No Kids

As an aunt to four amazing nephews, I know how cute those little guys can be and just how manipulative they get when they want to go somewhere. This is not the time to give in. Interviews, and for that matter, dates, are not a place for children. Hire a babysitter and book a back-up sitter. (This is not based on a true story; it is a true story.)

Eat Before You LeaveDo some interviews happen over lunch or dinner? Yes. If that's the case, you'll be notified by the company in advance. Otherwise, eat in advance. Do not bring your lunch to an interview where the hiring manager is not eating and explain that you're running behind, didn't have time to eat and are "starving". (This is also a true story).

The Power of Assistants

If you've ever been one, you already know this. If you haven't and you treated one poorly, you know this as well. However, this is where you learn the less "do unto others as you would have done unto you". One V.P., Human Resources told me that their Receptionist started using Instant Messaging to tell them which candidates were polite, professional and seemed put-together. She became so good at predicting which applicants to hire that the interview panelists now message her for inside information before they'll even talk to the candidates.

Respect Boundaries

When an interview is going well personal topics, such as kids or hobbies, may come up. While that's a good sign and it's nice to discuss these things, be careful to respect the boundaries and realize you're still on a "first date". Realize that you've only been with this person for an hour and avoid getting too personal by discussing religion, politics and the like.

Fresh Breath

Do you remember the last time you talked to someone with bad breath? Of course you do. Who wants to interview a victim of bad breath? Thankfully everyone from Listerine to Lifesavers have invented all sorts of tongue papers and mints to kill this for you. What you want to steer clear from is gum. Never chew gum in an interview. It can fly out of your mouth while answering a question (it's happened) or you may need to spit it out during the interview (also a true story). Stick to the mints and both you, and the interviewer, will be happy.

Holiday Hiring: Not Just for Seasonal Help

Happy Holidays: Apply Within
This holiday season has more jobs in store than ever and I'm not talking about the usual gift wrapping, Santa's helpers and seasonal retail workers. Imagine, a lovely fall harvest, delicious Thanksgiving season and beautiful Holiday plus a new job. Now that sounds like a Happy Holiday!

Personal spending is up 2.6% from a year ago according to the Commerce Department and in return, companies like Omnicom Group's MarketSar and Red Ventures are adding staff in greater numbers than they were a year ago. The positions they have open are professional, full-time jobs that include benefits.

Hewlett-Packard | Technology & Product Management
H.P. may still be experiencing downsizing in some divisions, however, they're hiring in others. Specifically, this computer group is looking for technology engineers and project managers with specific titles including database engineer and infrastructure technology project manager. The positions are temporary and lower on the hourly scale however, they plan to keep the folks they hire on until 2011 and there's a potential for full-time sales and research and development too.  If you've got a Bachelor's Degree and 2-5 years computer science skills, log on here to see if you can snag of the computer giant's temp positions this season.

Wells Fargo | 5,000 Jobs in 60 Days
Rates are low and consumers are taking advantage by refinancing their homes and buying new ones. October showed a 21% increase in refinances and 8.5% increase in new home purchases; that means new job opportunities in Denver, Minneapolis and Charlotte for Wells Fargo. If you've got experience as a consumer loan manager, underwriter or administration manager, apply here for one of the 5,000 jobs they're adding in the next two months.

MarketStar | 1,000 Product Specialists
Focused on driving consumer sales for key clients Whirlpool, Verizon and Sony, MarketStar, based in Utah, is adding nearly 1,000 new team members.  MarketStar hires and trains product representatives on the "finer details" of consumer electronic and appliance brands and then sends them out to large retailers (e.g. Best Buy) to answer shopper questions and boost sales. The initial position is to help the company, and these top consumer brand clients, get through the holiday season however, there's a potential for top performers to land a full-time job and stay on after the season ends.  Apply here for a MarketStar product specialist position.

Red Ventures | 340 Sales & Marketing Jobs
It's not often you find a 6-figure sales or marketing job in North Carolina much less with a growing organization looking to hire 340 employees in the next two months.  As a social media and online business enthusiast, I knew this had to be a part of the company and, it is. Red Ventures does online marketing promotion for groups that are in the midst of a marketing war. That's good news for you if you're a Sales Director, Vice President or work in a related capacity.  The positions are all full-time and based in Charlotte, NC, Fort Hill and Miami.  Find out more about these careers here.

Starbucks Digital Network to Boost Your Job Search

If you're a caffeine-addicted business enthusiast like me, you probably use the free Wi-Fi Starbucks offers (as of July 1st) across the U.S. in between meetings or even on the weekends. Life just got better.

Starting today, the Starbucks Digital Network  is here. This, unlike selling wine and beer alongside mochas and frappucinos, is a concept I immediately understood and am in love with to boot. Imagine launching your browser to find the robust SDN with loads of free content from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and for job seekers, the best part is yet to come.

SDN has partnered with uber-premium professional social network, LinkedIn, to create exclusive video and blog content available to users in this channel. It gets better; the network also provides job search candidates a 30-day free trial for a premium account.

As an advocate of social networking, this is where the term comes together both online and offline and creates a powerful ability for you to take your job search into your neighborhood Starbucks. Pack up your iPad, laptop or netbook and head over to your nearest Starbucks to log on to the SDN and start socially networking - both online and offline - to land the 80% of jobs that are landed through networking.

Undercover Boss Role Reversal

Sunday night at 9/8c, CBS  airs the show Undercover Boss. Each week a different C.E.O. goes "undercover" into the trenches of his, or her, business and gets their hands dirty rotating into a series of different jobs day after day for the duration of the week. This icognito effort serves to give the C.E.O. the inside scoop on what's really going on and to ignite change at the senior management level. Last night's episode featured Bryan Bedford, top dog at Frontier Airlines, cleaning out lavatories and serving drinks as a flight attendant. Weeks past include Mike White, head of DIRECTV, installing satellites and taking customer services calls.

Your Job Search and Undercover Boss
What does this have to do with your job search or career change? Last week alone I was asked by five people, four of whom were clients and one of whom was a support person from godaddy.com (our site hosting company), how great it is to be the owner of a company.

Job searching can be long, arduous and frustrating. The process of finding a new job can lead to aggrivation and make you wonder if it's time to start your own company. If you've received news that layoffs are coming soon you might be thinking now is the time to go out on your own.

Undercover Boss Role Reversal
I thought a little Undercover Boss Role Reversal would serve well for you job seekers thinking of giving it a go on your own. Here's what the life of a Small Business C.E.O. looks like:

Sunday, 6a.m. to Monday 8a.m. (yes, this is my weekend day):
6a.m. - wake up, check email, social networks, brew coffee
7a.m. - shower, coffee #1, post to social networks
8a.m. - sales and market strategy meeting over coffee #2
9a.m. - breakfast w/the girls coffee #3, 4 and 5
10a.m. - drop off girls
11a.m. - drive to suburbs to say hi to mom, call w/beau in car, check email (coffee #6)
1p.m. - drive to farther suburb to see brother's family and nephews, confirm this week's meetings via phone
2p.m. - check email, respond to 20+ emails, play game w/2 nephews
3p.m. - help brother build roof and soffit for shed
5p.m. - dinner w/brother's family
6p.m. - give 3 nephews baths, change them for bed
6:30p.m. - drive back to city (coffee #7), check email, call w/beau
7:50p.m. - get pulled over for talking on the phone w/out headset (oyey)
8p.m. - arrive at home office, brew coffee, check email and social networks
8:30p.m. - start writing weekly column, coffee #8 and 9
9:30p.m. - finish working, sign off networks and email, prep for tomorrow
11p.m. - shut down for evening

Monday (the 'official' work week begins)
5:30a.m. - ah, the day begins, coffee starts to brew
5:40a.m. - check email, social networks, jump in shower
6a.m. - coffee pot overflows into kitchen, mess everywhere. C.E.O. becomes janitor.
6:10a.m. - mess cleaned up, head out the door to Starbucks.
6:20a.m. - walking, checking social networks and e/mail (confirm post went live at 4:30a.m.)
6:21a.m. - coffee #1 in hand. sigh of relief.
6:25a.m. - walking to office, ready to start the day.
6:45a.m. - send attorney update on legal matters
7:00a.m. - check status on new website with Tony in Egypt via Skype
7:20a.m. - call Hammad about QuickBooks question (in Bangladesh) via Skype
7:30a.m. - time for coffee #2 and review of today's news on wsj.com, forbes.com, cnn.com and msnbc.com
8a.m. - tweet today's hot topics and take my daily vitamins
8:10a.m. - call mom to say good morning

Life as a "boss" is far less glamorous, exciting and wonderful than it sounds. What is it? Motivating and Exhausting. I work more now than I ever did before and I can honestly say that Thanksgiving is just another Thursday and every other holiday is just another day of the week. I take no holidays and no days off, they're all just days of the week.

Just Do It

If you're tired of your job search think about what you truly want to do and start doing it. Get clear about what you want and take Nike's advice, Just Do It. (p.s. - all credit to Nike's brand team on that slogan).

Got The Job Search Blues?

You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, rather than buying it from the local cafe like you used to not so long ago, and head straight for your laptop. Powering it up you hope for those tiny three little words "You've got mail." Okay, you might not actually hear the words but you still hope that your inbox will hold news from one of the resumes you sent. Just one response email, today, please. You open your email only to realize that today the only offer you've received is from Viagra, and while it enhance something, it isn't your checking account.

Another day on the job search, what's a job search candidate to do? Here are some tactics to get you through the job search blues and lighten your spirits along the way.

1. Focus your frustration -  Match.com and Monster.com might as well be sisters. If you're posting your resume on Monster and hoping the right employer will find you, you might be waiting until 2012. Take your frustration and focus it on a niche site, like SalesLadder.com (aka JDate ), where a particular group is looking for someone just like you. You'll have better results although you still need a catchy headline.

2. Work It Off - I know, I know, this is exactly what you're trying to do, work. There is more way than one to work it off. Get out of the house and walk, run, bike or snowshoe. A study published on WebMD concluded that just 10 minutes of exercise improves mood, helps you feel more clear-headed, reduces feelings of fatigue and increases vigor. Sitting for 30 minutes has no effect on mood.

3. Give Back - While you're out, walk on over to your local community outreach center and volunteer. It's good for your soul, and your job search. According to World Volunteer, 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteer experience over one without and 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to an employee's skills.

4. Smile - Remember the old adage 'fake it until you make it'? Well, if you're not happy yet, smile until you are happy. There's now science that suggests we can fool our brains into thinking we are happy simply by smiling. I'm a believer in this and I live it by smiling as often as possible. Don't believe it? Fake it until you do.

September Unemployment Numbers Give Little Insight

The U.S. Dept of Labor released the September unemployment numbers under speculation that America's employment situation has continued to get worse. The speculation proved to be just that, as the numbers show no change staying at 9.6% in September, the same rate as in August. Some economists chose to rely on more relevant data as these numbers show the employment situation for the previous month and today's market is changing on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

A recent survey conducted by Monster.com shows that there's been a 1% increase in Job Board postings as of late, however it still remains a fact that networking is how 80% of the jobs are landed in today's market (ABC News). Adding to this news is that about 80% of employers surveyed by Manpower last month reported that they would not be increasing their hiring in fourth quarter.

"It's the toughest employment market in most our lifetimes, and hopefully it won't get any worse." said Richard Wahlquist, CEO of American Staffing Association. "But it's not likely to get any better in the coming months."

3 Questions Every Candidate Should Ask in the Interview

During my morning coffee today, I logged on to my LinkedIn profile  to peruse the job postings of the day for a few clients I had in the back of my mind.  As I was on there I realized it had been a while since I answered any job seeker questions and made a quick mental note to go back this afternoon and do so.

We all know how great mental notes are when you're past the age of...mmm...sorry, must have gotten a pretzel crumb stuck in my throat there. I digress. In any event, my crackberry reminder beeped to remind me that I wanted to post an article I read this morning on Yahoo! Finance about the drop in jobless benefit applications. Somehow in my insane entrepreneurial mind that told me that I needed to head back to LinkedIn and do some question and answer posting.

Meet Carl. A candidate who posted the question "What questions are good to ask in an interview?" If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I'd have a whole lot of dollars. This is such a frequently asked job search question, I have dedicated: a sub-chapter of my book, "Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game", created a Do-It-Yourself Impressive Interview Kit and professional speak at conferences around the country on Impressive Interviewing in Today's Market.

It occurred to me that it's been a while since I wrote about this on my blog. What's a candidate need to ask in today's interview? Here are a few questions to get you started.

Six months from now how will you know you hired the right candidate?
This question elicits information on how your performance will be measured in the position. If the interviewer is unsure in their response, proceed with caution. Your performance may be measured subjectively rather than objectively at this company.

Listen carefully as the answer also provides insight into what characteristics the hiring manager is looking for in a new team member.

What do you see at the Top 3 challenges in this position?
Set yourself up to win before you even land the job starting when you ask this question. The answer to this one gives you the functions to address on days one through ninety of your new position. This is also good information to use when formulating answers during a second interview and in writing your personalized thank-you note.

If you had one piece of advice to give the person coming in to this position, what would it be?

I love this question. It always takes the interviewer by surprise, a good surprise. It also elicits some of the best "insider" information and can quickly get to the root of a company's culture.

Real Life Story: One of my clients had a day of back-to-back interviews and asked each person she met with this question. Her most surprising answer came from the last person she met with who said, "Eat oatmeal." When the interviewer saw the surprised look on her face, he elaborated. "everyone here eats oatmeal every morning. If you want to fit in right away, bring oatmeal and eat it every morning. It's the easiest way to fit in."  She wasn't sure if he was serious. She scanned the office as she was being walked out and noticed 3 large containers of Quakers Oats around the office. A few weeks later she was sitting in her new office eating a nice big bowl of oatmeal and chatting up her new colleagues who were all delighted to see that she, too, loved oatmeal. What a coincidence.

Interview questions are a way to make connections both during, and after, the hiring process.  The guy that gave her the inside scoop on the oatmeal has become one of her closest colleagues and has helped her establish everything from new accounts to procedures along the way.

Career Coach Confession: Candidates that walk in with at least 4 to 6 questions written down in advance on a pad folio convey confidence, interest and motivation.

Women's Wage Gap - Is this really news?

Women in Washington, D.C. make an average of $54,000/year (they ranked #1) compared to women in Puerto Rico who make an average of just $20,000/year (they ranked last). Hold on to your hats though because the ladies in Puerto Rico are pulling in 103.3 cents for every one dollar man makes compared to just 88.2 cents in Washington, D.C.

Okay, I'll admit that these stats and facts are interesting but is it really news? The whole idea that this is something "new" is a bit insane to me. As a Hispanic woman, I've known that I make less than white men for a long time (read: over 17 years). Why is the media so up in arms about this? By the way, as a group, Hispanic women are the lowest paid professionals.

Here's the skinny on what American women really make, by ethnicity. According to the U.S. Census Data, updated, and released, in September 2010:

Rate per white male dollar:
All Races, women | 77 cents
White, non-Hispanic, women | 75 cents
Black, or African-American women | 61.9 cents
Asian women | 82.3 cents
Hispanic women | 52.9 cents

Interestingly enough, I just read a new report, apparently released on Tuesday from another government agency, that gives different figures from those above. Is it surprising that two government agencies have different figures for the same data? Of course not. Then again, they have different dates on this data so I'll cut them a bit of slack.

The Government Accountability Office released their report after 20 years of data showing that, as of 2007, women earned 81 cents to every one dollar a male manager earned, up from 77 cents in 2000. Only problem is that this information is already three years old. Thanks for the timely data, GAO. Oh yeah, this is the report that the national and local media outlets are all hyped up over. Hey, Bloomberg, anyone bother to notice that three year old wage data is about as relevant as three year old unemployment numbers. Oh wait, it's not relevant. Women don't make 81 cents/dollar; we make 77 cents/dollar.

Here's a little proof for that pudding. My book, "Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game" was published on July 14, 2010. The statistics about this wage gap issue, including the breakdown by gender and race, are listed on page 206 and address head on how to take the bull by the horns and negotiate your way to a better paycheck.

The one piece of insight the GAO report had was what having children does to a woman's paycheck. As Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, (Democrat, New York) said, "When working women have kids, they know it will change their lives, but they are stunned at how much it will change their paycheck."  Just how much does it change their paycheck? According to the GAO report, mothers earned 79% compared to fathers, and their married, childless colleagues earned 83%.

Career Coach Confession: This news is not at all surprising to a Hispanic businesswoman and recovering Fortune 500 executive. I do think I'm happy I don't have kids just yet though. (sorry, mom)

Questions NOT To Ask During The Interview

I am often asked "What questions should I ask during an interview?" and "How do I answer____ question?"  Fill in the blank with any of the Top 10 Toughest Interview Questions from "Tell me a little about yourself" to "What are your weaknesses?"  

What surprises me is that candidates rarely ask me what questions they should avoid asking during an interview. This was exactly what Maria Hanson, contributing writer for Monster HotJobs (formerly Yahoo! HotJobs), asked me and other career industry experts, for her article "14 Questions You Should Never Ask At An Interview".

In a conversation this morning this very topic came up and a senior manager for The City of Chicago looked at me and said "I know exactly what to ask in an interview.  There's only two questions and they are completely appropriate. How much are you going to pay me and When do I start?"

I grinned and replied to him, "That first question was the number one question to avoid asking in an interview; based on asking it the answer to your second question is likely never." Given that he and I are friends, we had a good chuckle. He has had the luxury of not interviewing in....44 years. Realizing that the 55+ age group is one of the most impacted in today's market, and many have not interviewed in 20+ years, I share this story because it's important to learn from others.

Today's Confession of a Career Coach: Use a padfolio to write down interview questions (to ask) in advance of your interview. This keeps you from asking "dangerous" questions and shows the hiring manager you're interested, smart and motivated.

Lessons from "The Apprentice"

Last Thursday night, I cancelled my business dinner and curled up on my couch for a little "me" time. We all have those nights when we need to just relax alone and this was one of those nights for me. I put on my glasses, a comfy pair of pants, t-shirt and grabbed my remote. Ah, time for a little TV. Donald Trump had other plans for me when he announced this season of "The Apprentice" was recession-based. What? My mind jumped to action.

My clients can definitely benefit from this season's show!  So much for relaxing TV night. My ears perked up, along with my posture, and I was tuned in to the show like it was CNN's latest report on the unemployment numbers.

This week's lesson from "The Apprentice" that all job seekers in America can use:

Lesson #1:  You are what you wear
Clint, while in the Boardroom, decided to show up for the most important interview of his life, without a tie. Did it go without comment? Nope. Don Jr. called him out in front of all 16 candidates, Donald Trump Sr. and Ivanka. Clint's response was that he'd wear a tux, a suit with tie or anything else if it meant getting the job.

The reality is that he didn't though, he showed up in the boardroom dressed too casually and it showed. Every other person in that room (a.k.a. his competition) was dressed to impress and ready to take the job right from under him at any minute.

Always remember that you are what you wear and the details matter.  Donald Trump responded that years ago Wall Street guys would show up in shorts and shirts to sell him and now every one of them walks in his office in a suit, tie and polished shoes.

Tonight's episode of  "The Apprentice" airs on NBC at 10/9c and if you're in the high-stakes game of looking for a job, you just might want to tune in...or set your DVR to record it. You can bet I'll be tuning in each week to find out what these feisty candidates are up to and how I can coach you on turning their antics into successful job search strategies the next week!

/AL

Nice Girls End Up on Welfare

Across the table from me sat Amy, a lovely blond who is one of the city's best financial advisers around. She also happens to be in her early 30's and look as though she's in her late teens. Amy has spent the majority of her life being a "nice girl" when it comes to negotiating for herself despite the fact that she's been a hard-nosed, kick 'em in the teeth financial advising guru when it came to her clients.

Here we sat sipping on fresh brewed coffee and Amy was about to be the nice girl again.  Three major clients had left her firm and she was the ticket to getting them back. The only problem was that they were no longer in the division that Amy was a part of, and to get them back she would have to take a pay cut and go back to work for a guy that paid her less money, and less respect.

I don't think so, Amy.  Enter the "Nice Girls End Up on Welfare" conversation.  This is not only a tag line and conversation, it's a topic I speak about across the country.

Why is it that when it comes to ourselves, we women tend to do things for "free" or "less" than we would if it were for other people?  We give and give and give. No more, at least not for Amy.

What did she really want, I asked.  She responded promptly.  She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to tell me.

"Does he have a way with women that's different than he does with men?" I prodded her

"Yes" she said as she chuckled

"Perfect. Wear a beautifully tailored skirt suit. Nice, professional jewelry and your best 4 1/2 inch heels. Unbutton your shirt just a tad bit low and get ready to negotiate using everything, and I do mean everything, you've got. Most importantly, use your best asset, your brain."

"Keep it fact-based and non-emotional." I continued "The difference here is he needs you, you don't need him. Make sure he knows that you know that. Ask for one thing you don't really care about. Let him be able to say 'no' to something so he can maintain his ego as the boss and feel like he won. Start higher than where you want to be so you have room to negotiate."

"And remember, you're happy where you are. As long as you're willing to walk away, you win."

All of a sudden Amy was beaming. Her confidence was shining through her like the sun after a rain shower. I loved that she felt the strength that she knew she had within and was going to win the negotiation she deserved to win all along.

The reality is that nice girls end up on welfare because we're nice. Yes, I include me in this group. For a long time I coached professionals on career transitions and their job searches for free. I would help with their resumes, give interview advice and provide counter-offer strategies for job offers without charging a dime. Where did it get me? Exhausted and frustrated. I was charging nothing for hours and hours of coaching that took years of expertise leaving the other person feeling excited and ready to go while I felt exhausted and spent. Where's the win-win in that?

Smart Girls End Up On A Yacht! Go Girls Go!

Job Posting to Interview in 24 Hours

In a market where landing a new job takes an average of 211 days (or just over 7 months), it can become frustrating to continue the search. If you're a job seeker that's been strategically approaching your search, know that there will be a time when success comes your way and your unique qualifications and talents are the right fit for a position out there.

When I got a call this week from Richard* sharing his success story, I requested his permission to share it here. His success is an example of what you can, and will, experience with the type of focused persistence he applied to this position.  In the spirit of full disclosure, Richard is a recent career coaching client of mine; I coached him on a new Resume That Gets Results and a new Pimped Out Linked In Profile focused on a strategic search plan based on networking. 
*names have been changed to protect actual client confidentiality

Richard's 24-hour Success
10:00 a.m.
Noticed position posting for Vice President at Company X, posted on 8/25
3:00 p.m.Based on networking advice, he created a targeted profile and applied on-line.
3:30 p.m.
Logged in to Linked In to search for a contact he knew at Company X. Identified Jason, a Recruiter within Company X he'd met at a career networking class he attended just last week.
4:00 p.m.
Sent Jason an email referencing the class they attended.
4:05 p.m.
Jason responded via email with the contact information for the recruiter on the V.P. position.
7:00 p.m.
Crafted customized cover letter to accompany resume and sent it to the recruiter, and Jason.
7:15 p.m.
Jason responded to my email; he's sent a personal note to the recruiter.
7:30 p.m.
The recruiter responded; scheduled a phone interview for 10:00a.m. tomorrow.
10:00 a.m.
Phone interview with the recruiter went great; Richard is now 1 of only 5 candidates being submitted to the Chief Marketing Officer for an in-person interview.

Why did Richard have this type of success in a 24 hour period? Preparation. Using every tool in his tool box and Taking Swift, Clear Action.

Richard's highly qualified for this position and clearly got in on the interviewing schedule at the last minute, bypassing the stacks and stacks of resumes that the recruiter had received. If you're going to go after a position posted on Monster.com, Yahoo! HotJobs (now owned by Monster), Careerbuilder.com, TheLadders.com or any other top job board, it's to your advantage to take a comprehensive approach and create a strategy around landing that job rather than merely submitting your resume online.

Shape of your job search

The Chicago Tribune published an article on the front cover the career section on Sunday, August 29th titled "Body of Evidence" that focused on the link between a candidate's physique and ability to get hired.  Before you start emailing and calling The Chicago Tribune, know that their article is based on the findings of a Newsweek Magazine survey of over 200 national hiring managers. Of those surveyed, 60 percent were men and 40 percent were women, something to keep in mind when you consider the results. Here's what the survey found:

• 63% believe physical attractiveness is beneficial to men; 72% believe it's beneficial to women
• Looks matter more than education: 59% advised spending as much time and money on making sure you look attractive in person as you do on paper. 
• Ladies, we've got it worse. Respondents said women are better off wearing figure flattering clothing at work yet 47% agree that women are penalized for being too good-looking in the workplace. 39% believe being "very good-looking" is an advantage for women.
• Being fat is the worst (despite most of us are). Almost 75% of Americans may be overweight according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, yet 2/3, nearly 67%, of hiring managers would hesitate before hiring a candidate that's qualified but significantly overweight.
• Ageism, alive and well. If you're older looking, it's even worse. 84% of hiring managers said they believe bosses would hesitate before hiring a qualified candidate who looks much older than his, or her, co-workers. Facelift? Botox?
• 64% of hiring managers believe companies should be allowed to hire employees based on looks.
• Confidence matters. When ranking the Top 2 qualities in a candidate, hiring managers listed confidence and experience first and second.

This past week I was asked by a reporter to comment on this article and my response will likely cause controversy. While I believe there's a serious issue with the perception of what overweight looks like in America, I also think that hiring managers have to consider hiring practices that keep their bottom-lines healthy.

Hiring an overweight candidate can have a serious impact on the health of their bottom-line. Let me clarify what I mean when I say overweight. As a slender woman people think I automatically think everyone needs to be a size 0 or 2. The average American woman is a size 12, that's healthy. America's distorted sense of weight has no part in hiring practices. On the other hand, hiring obese candidates (men or women) causes a strain on companies. Here are a few facts on what obesity is costing employers*:

1. $93 billion in direct medical costs
2. $3.4 billion annually for sick leave
3. $2.5 billion annually for obesity-related life insurance spending
4. $1.1 billion spent on disability insurance

When hiring a normal weight employee, the annual health care premium average is $4,016 which nearly doubles for an obese employee (BMI >40) to $8,359*. (*source: Optifast)

Hiring a candidate that keeps their weight under control and takes care of their body directly impacts the company's productivity, health insurance costs and, as a result, the bottom-line.  When it comes to hiring a new employee, the hiring manager has a responsibility to consider more than just the look of a candidate. They need to consider the productivity, cost of the candidate to the business both short-term and long-term, the impact on the team and their qualifications.

As a veteran career coach, former HR executive and hiring manager, I'm an advocate for equitable hiring practices. As a woman, minority, family member of an obese person and career coach of high caliber 45+ candidates, I am far too familiar with unfair hiring practices. This study is not new information, it's simply confirmation of what we knew has gone on for decades.

Monster works?

Joe and I spoke on Friday about his desire to land a new position as an engineer. One of the questions I asked him was how he landed his current position. He went a bit quiet as he thought back and then started to chuckle as he replied, "Believe it or not, I think I had my resume on Monster and a recruiter called me." 

I responded, "You sound surprised."

"I am. Those things never work."

"I agree. That's why I focus my clients on networking. It's just amazing to hear someone who actually landed a job off Monster say that it doesn't work. They do work 20% of the time, it's just such a small percentage that, particularly with the merger of Monster and Yahoo! HotJobs, you have as good a chance at finding a needle in a haystack."

"I agree. I'm still shocked I got the call from the recruiter here."

Joe and I had a good laugh about his experience landing his job off Monster. Here's a top notch engineer that landed a job with a premier technology company four years ago, off Monster.com, and he has no faith in job boards.  As we continued to chat about what he was looking for from a career coach, I was impressed by Joe's initiative to get his resume organized and laid out in a fashion that put his best foot forward in today's high-stakes market.

Is Joe's job in jeopardy? No.
Has Joe been forewarned of a layoff? No.
Why is Joe preparing his Resume?

He's the same as 25% of all employed professionals that are keeping their eyes and ears open for other opportunities in today's market. Having your resume and Linked In profile reviewed and revised by a professional career coach gives you the upper hand in today's overcrowded market. It gets your phone ringing before something happens that requires you to start making outbound calls.