The Good News, The Bad News, and The Future

 I love it when a plan comes together. All the stress about money and my future is behind me and I'm headed back to work! The good news is, despite being in the job market in the midst of the worst economy in over 25 years, I received not one but TWO job offers. The bad news is that I won't have as much time to blog, to spend with my kids, to get projects done around the house, to sleep in, or just hang out with my friends.

Remember when I started this blog and I told you I was really good at job hunting? Yeah....well....I wasn't lying! Now, before my head gets too big or I break my arm from patting myself on the back too rigorously, let me take a moment to digress.

Tip Of the Day

Finding a job takes time, effort, luck, organization, skill, and a good first impression.

In a nutshell, my tips do work. Really, they do. Everything I shared with you in this blog I did, and more. Finding a job is the result of many little things and they all count. Every week you need to devote time to your job search. You need to network, update your resume, order business cards, and buy thank you cards. You need to keep a list of the companies you have contacted and follow up with them. If your resume is lacking in one skill set or another, take a class or read a book to find the answer to filling that gap. Take inventory of your closet, and put together interview outfits that make you look and feel fabulous! Shine your shoes, spend time with friends and family who support you, make chili or brownies, exercise outside, and find a creative outlet.

No, this is not my last blog post. I am merely taking this opportunity to present you with a brief summary of all that I've shared with you, thus far. Although my posts will be less frequent due to the new obligation that is my job, I will continue to share ideas on how you can develop your job seeking skills and then find yourself in the enviable position of juggling two job offers.

In future blogs you'll learn about where to find resources for free and low cost items that you'll need for your job search. I'll share with you my super duper top secret “X List”. I look forward to sharing ideas on how to use internet search engines, Facebook, and Linked In to find people that you need to know. And, I still have many, many, more tricks up my sleeve...

In addition to my name, phone number, and email address; the business cards I use while networking or job hunting also list my personal mantra: My future's so bright, I gotta' wear shades! (inspired by that tacky song from the 80's that you may not wish to admit that you know.) Attitude is everything and a good attitude reflects positively in everything you do.

Visualize your future, think of where you'd like to be and how you want to get there....and you will.

Why Interviewing Is Like Dating

We have many opportunities in life to leverage our experience in one area of our lives, with another.  If, for instance, you are a good parent you’re probably a pretty good party planner or project manager. If you are very detail oriented, and love that about yourself, you might be a kick ass editor even if you’ve never considered it as a career path.  If you have not been on a date in many years, or if you just went on one yesterday, you can also apply those social skills (or fond memories of the experience of dating) to interviewing.

Yes.  Scary, but true.  Think about it.  You talk on the phone or email to confirm the details.  You do a little bit of research on the internet about the other person beforehand.  (Or…um…is that just me?)  You want to make a good first impression.  You consider the outfit you’re going to wear and might even make a trip to the dry cleaners or get a haircut before hand.  Sound familiar?

Whether you’re on a date or an interview you have an opportunity to meet someone new, to present yourself and skill set and personality for their consideration, and decide if that opportunity to spend more time together (via a job offer) is one that suits your needs.

Tip of The Day

Interviewing is like dating, so have fun and be your genuine self!

The inspiration for today’s blog came from a conversation I had this past week with my BFF.  I was recounting how jobs are like men.  I wish I could take the really short commute from this job, the great pay from that job, the nice boss from the other job, and the great workspace from the other one….to create the perfect job.

But, alas, there is no perfect job, or man, or woman.  Whether you are dating or interviewing you'll weigh the good and bad aspects of an opportunity, find your deal breakers that would make you run the other way, and decide that although you understand that you don’t really know what the end result will be; you’re willing to take the risk and move forward with what you do know....and hope that it’ll all work out.

A few years ago I published my first book, Women Seeking Men.  It is a compilation of several ads that I placed in the Women Seeking Men section of Craig’s List, and the men’s responses to them.  Looking back, I deeply appreciate what a really great learning opportunity it was for me. I stepped out of my comfort zone and listed my strengths and weaknesses for the world to see and asked complete strangers “What’s wrong with me?”

There is nothing wrong with me. (unless you ask my ex-husband, he might disagree here.) There is nothing wrong with you. (and I’m sure you can find an ex-boss or ex-lover to find a flaw in your perfect self as well.)  We are all just different grades of perfection in progress. How refreshing! Just think, there actually is also no perfect candidate, manager, employee, interview, job, or company.  Stop trying to find one!!!  Instead, take a step back and view them all with your dating glasses on, weighing both the positive and negative attributes.

Finally, when interviewing (and dating, of course) have fun but most importantly, be genuine.  If you are your true self you'll get a far more accurate perspective of how well you and your employer can work together than if you were to "fake it till you make it".

Don't forget, if the job does not work out as you planned, you at least had the opportunity to learn something new about yourself and move on.  After all, nothing ventured.....nothing gained.

Cover Letters - "You had me at Hello."

First Impressionists are people that trust their gut instinct about people so much so that virtually nothing matters to them after their first impression. Everything that is said after “Hello” just sounds like blah blah blah. (and, yes, I stole that phrase from the movie “Jerry McGuire” for the purposes of this blog.) I have heard that when dating, the man will make the decision about a second date within 8 seconds of meeting on the first one. I have also heard that homeowners make the decision to buy their new home within 30 seconds of walking into it!

While the actual numbers may or may not be true, they certainly seem to support the well known fact that first impressions matter. This is not the first time I've mentioned this in my blog so let's just say that it's so important, it bears repeating. Today, however, we're going to talk about another way to establish yourself in the hiring manager's memory banks, namely; with your cover letter.

Your cover letter is, in many many cases, your very first impression. It's the first thing that hiring managers see before they click on the attachment that is your resume. I know, it's a hassle and a bother and seems to be superfluous but, cover letters matter. Since your first contact with an employer will most likely be via email it only makes sense that it would include a somewhat formal cover letter, NOT as an attachment, but as the body of the email itself.

Tip of the Day

Cover letters ARE very necessary and should be a brief, but creative, summary of your resume.

The Format – Begin with the submission date. Next, address it to the company and the interviewing manager using as much information as you have. (Yes, even the company address and the zip code.) If you do not have a name, address it to “Hiring Manager”. Then, list your name and address. After a brief introductory sentence, a paragraph that highlights your skill set, and a sentence expressing interest; close the letter with “Sincerely” and use your formal name with your first name, middle initial, and last name.

The Content – Put yourself in the employer's shoes. They do not care about you. (Sorry, but it's a fact.) They only care about what you can do for THEM. So, do NOT start your introductory sentence with the word “I”. In keeping with well-known speech writing techniques aimed at getting an audience's attention, my cover letter actually begins with a question:

“Are you seeking a results and detail oriented ......management professional with exceptional

multi-tasking, negotiation and communication skills?

Of course they are!

Your summary paragraph should briefly summarize your resume including, most importantly, how many years of experience you have, working in your field of expertise. Don't be afraid to use a bold font and underline key statements in your cover letter. They should be the ones that most closely reflect the job description for the position you are applying for. Feel free to even use the job posting as a guideline for your cover letter content as well. (Super Duper Top Secret Tip: You can even cut and paste it!)

The Closer – Recruiting professionals will tell you that if you want the job, say so! Your closing statement in your cover letter should be not only a description of your work style, your personality, and other attributes you would like them to know about you; but a statement of interest as well. Here is an example:

“I am flexible, creative, outgoing, available immediately; and looking forward to hearing from you so that we can discuss your needs further.”

Last week I applied for a job and took my own advice. I cut and pasted part of the job posting into my cover letter. The employer literally called me within 15 minutes of receiving my email to schedule an interview. I have no doubt that it's because my cover letter did it's job of making a good first impression.

Wish me luck!

Thank You Cards - The Lost Art Form

I love, love, love, facebook. I am an email junkie. I buy music on iTunes. I write a blog (Duh!?) and am currently developing a new website. I fully embrace technology and all the benefits that come with it.

Ironically, however, with all of the technological tools we have available it's still surprisingly easy to lose touch. Our facebook friends have replaced actual ones and email is the normal mode of correspondence between personal friends and professional colleagues alike. Today's cut-and-paste world had led to an oddly impersonal world of either small and scattered bits and pieces of the real story, or TMI. (Too Much Information?!)

It's kinda' sad.

So, how long has it been since you sat down and wrote a letter to someone you deeply care about, put it in an envelope, and mailed it to them?

Setting aside my romantic thoughts for a moment, let me ask you; After your last job interview, did you send a Thank You Card?

Tip of the Day

An email does not replace the personal touch of a handwritten Thank You card.

Go to Staples, or Office Depot, or your nearest paper supply store and spend $2.99 on a pack of eight (8) Thank You cards. Go to the post office. Buy a book of stamps. (Stamps, however, come in sheets of 10. Does the “hot dog vs. bun makers” argument ring a bell here!?)  Now set them both someplace where they are easy to find.

It's simple and easy to make a good SECOND impression via a handwritten note to everyone you interview with. Even if they call you, or email you, to tell you that they have decided to go with another candidate...send a Thank You card. You never know. The candidate they chose might not work out. They might have another position become available that you would be qualified for. They are far, far more likely to remember you if they have opened a personal handwritten note from you and, besides, it gives you an opportunity to give them another one of your personal business cards!

Thank you cards, however, are not just for people that you have interviewed with. Last week I sat down for over 2 hours and wrote notes to everyone who has met with me over coffee, offered me thoughtful advice, and encouraged me lately. I am thankful to say, the list was long. In the last few days I have received numerous emails (yeah, ironic) thanking me for the “kind thoughts”.

I am a writer, however, so writing comes easy to me. My advice to you is not to worry about the content too much. Just a couple of sentences will do. Here are a few examples that you can use:

“Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to interview me for the ….. position.

I appreciate your consideration and the opportunity to meet you.

I am sure I would be a great fit for your organization

and look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Sincerely, ….”

“Thank you for the interview.

I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your company.

While I understand that you have decided to move forward with another candidate I am writing to thank you for your consideration and kindly ask that you keep me in mind for future opportunities.

Sincerely.....”

"Thank you for taking time to meet with me over coffee last week.

I really appreciate your kind advice, ongoing support, and thoughtful encouragement.

You are a good friend and a valued colleague.

Sincerely......"

In conclusion, I have to warn you.  If you have not written with a pen for long periods of time, in a while, be prepared for painful finger cramps. 

How embarrassing!

De-clutter your Job Search

Have you ever watched those shows on cable TV where a family dumps the entire contents of their house on the front lawn and then, only the items which the host deems are absolutely necessary or truly loved, are allowed back in? I LOVE those shows but, then again, I'm kind of an Organization Junkie. You won't find everything in my house in perfect order, by any means, but I feel so much better about life and myself in general when everything HAS a place and everything is IN it's place.

One of the things I love most about being unemployed is having the time to get projects done and, room by room reorganizing is definitely towards the top of my list. If you're thinking of starting an organization project of your own, I would strongly suggest starting with your job search. Organizing the tools you need to find a job, having them all in one place, within arms reach, and easily accessible; will make your job search easier, less stressful and take a lot less time.

Tip of the Day

An organized space will make you feel better about yourself and create less stress in your life!

Your Computer – I have an appointment next week at the Oregon Unemployment office and I will be required to show them evidence of my job search in order to continue receiving unemployment benefits. (getting that money is kinda' important since it helps my family eat!) That meeting, however, does not stress me out. I actually relish the opportunity to log onto my email and show them the folder marked “Job Search” with literally dozens, if not hundreds, of emails sent in response to job ads or as correspondence with recruiters and agencies. If you have not done so already, go through your email inbox as well as your computer's document folder and your computer's desktop to make it easier to find your resumes, cover letters, letters of recommendations, a list of your references, etc...

Your office – Even if you do not have a room designated as “an office” or even a desk, you can create an organized office with a large drawer or cupboard. WARNING: This project SUCKS! If you have not gone through your bills, tax returns, letters from the school, children's report cards, old resumes, and what ever mail and paperwork has been piling up....be prepared for a long day. Sit on the couch. Put your piles of papers on one side. Put a garbage can on the other side and a laundry basket. After your first sort, everything that's in the laundry basket then goes into a accordion folder or file box by category. Wine or beer and an entertaining movie will help you get through this project and if you don't have a hangover when you're done you'll feel sooooo much better!

Job Search Tools – I had an interview last week for a construction company. Knowing that construction experience was really important to them I opened my newly completed business card binder, easily and quickly located two business cards, and emailed those colleagues from my last $25M project and asked them for letters of recommendations. They both agreed and I showed up at that interview confident that my new prospective employer would be impressed with my resourcefulness. Damn! Even I was impressed with not only my resourcefulness but also how quickly and easily that particular task was completed! Several copies of your resume printed on nice paper, thank you cards with stamped envelopes, a half dozen “nice” pens, well organized business cards from colleagues and networking events, and your personal business cards should all be one place. A nice basket or bin does the trick and can be stored anywhere!

Not so long ago I organized my garage and got the kids involved. I gave my daughter a pen and paper and my son a tape gun. I opened each box, read off the contents, my daughter wrote them on a 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper, and my son taped the papers to the boxes. Those neatly stacked boxes now have a somewhat comedic reoccurring theme. Even today, reading the labels that read “Christmas crap”, “Painting crap”, “Tools and crap”, and “Garage Sale crap” makes me giggle.

Organizing doesn't always have to be boring, turn up the music, it might actually be a little fun!