If you had to downsize staff-would you let go Mary or Ted?

We’ve discussed appearing desperate in interviews.  We’ve addressed how one shouldn’t talk about grievances about past employers and employees during the job interview and today, I’m going to talk about fairness on the job or better yet the lack of it.

This is a difficult post to write for I would like to say that companies treat employees fairly.  If I’m living in a glass is half full world, then I would say that I believe most companies try their best to be fair to their employees.  But, at the end of the day, every employee knows that the HR department is there to protect the company and not the employee. There’s just no way around that fact.  It’s written into the DNA of business.

If you have worked for any period of time, I’m sure you have witnessed some things that just made no sense and thus, you had to internally process it and move forward the best you could for there are some things that just aren’t fair like…

• When you hear that a job/promotion you were up for and should have gotten, ultimately went to a friend of the boss who had no prior experience.
• Or you’ve conducted several interviews for a position and then hear they’ve put the job on hold.
• Or you’ve worked your tail end off and you’ve been promised a promotion that ultimately goes to the worker that you’ve been cleaning up after.
• Or the company is downsizing by 3 percent, so they let you go and kept your boss who knows barely nothing.
• Or when they change your shift and suddenly, you the one with tenure, has to work nights again.

I was talking to a friend about this phenomenon today…the phenomenon of when good people are let go and weaker ones get to stay.  And as such, he reminded me of the last episode of the 70′s hit TV show “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” where new management takes over the WJM-TV station.  The new executives fire the entire staff, except the klutzy, tongue-tied, vain, buffoonish newscaster Ted Baxter.  I thought how true that episode was.  How many times have you seen great people be let go and the better “sweet talkers,” less experienced people get to stay. It’s just the way of life.

In another side note, I had a different discussion with a fellow freelancer and he made another astute point that I never really thought of before. He recently spoke to a class of freelancers and he gave some great sage advice.  He told them the truth.  He said that we all have competition in our fields and usually it isn’t the best one who gets hired…it’s the one that the boss (client) wants to hang out with. He emphasized the fact that if the client is comfortable with you, then they will keep hiring you.  And you know what there is some truth to that.

So, when you’re on the job, expect that some unfairness will come your way and quickly learn how to brush that off.  Remember who you are and what you bring to the table and forget about that issue as best you can.  One tip that will help you stay at the job longer is my second point today – have a comfortable relationship with your boss. Be the go-to person when things are topsy turvy in his life. Help alleviate stress – be there for him/her as a support.  It will go a long way and if she/he loses their job, then they will want to hire you at their next position.  Why? Because that’s the fair thing to do.

Great advice for everyone

We’ve discussed the importance of not showing any desperation during the job interview process.  And now, we’re going to discuss another by-product that is equally important to understand. And this one is as important.   It’s the after effects of suffering loss – and that by-product is anger.

Unemployment is a wily ride!

It’s natural not to be happy about losing your job.  With that, comes an emotional roller coaster ride like you’ve never experienced.  And sadly, there’s nothing you can do about the ups and downs of unemployment. It’s inbred in the process.

One cannot help but have some anger seep in as your life gets put on hold and your finances get squeezed.  One cannot but wonder why they were chosen in a lay-off and not another co-worker.  Or feel sad about losing all the perks of employment – lunches with co-workers; brainstorming meetings; car allowances; expense reports and having a sense of purpose on the job.

As these things disappear or become lost in your life, anger does rear its head at times.  The best to deal with it is to acknowledge it, but only with yourself or someone safe.  Never bring your dissatisfaction about past bosses or the negative manner in which you were laid-off front and center in an interview.  Choose your words carefully. No one wants to hire a disgruntled employee. Don’t let your anger ever show during the interview.

There are ways in which you can address lay-offs, terminations and downsizing in positive messaging.  If they ask about why you left…I don’t know what the reason was…but taking the “High Road” is always the best road.

Some statements one can say are….

I was part of re-structuring plan, where the company laid off 100 employees in a downsizing effort.

A new administration took over the company and with it, they brought in their own executives.

The boss eliminated my position.

The company changed the position and went in a different direction.

We will present how to answer tough interview questions in another post.  But, whenever the interviewer throws in a negative question, always turn it around to be a positive answer.

Like natural gas…anger needs to vent.  With all the pressure swirling inside us, we need to vent. Vent in a safe place and get it out of your system. Don’t let it stew or fester for you don’t want an explosion during an interview.

Take care,

Cindy

Never Let Them See You Sweat!

I know you want a job. I know that for some of you that you will take any job offered. With that being said, please remember this important point – NEVER LET THE INTERVIEWER SENSE DESPERATION.

You may be desperate, but NO ONE who ever comes in contact with you who is a decision-maker, must ever know of that fact. To them, you are the most qualified person for the position and you aced the interview so they are the ones desperate to hire you.

Never let anyone see you sweat!

Just ask yourself these questions. Does pleading, begging or whining depict confidence or weakness? If the job had decision-making involved would you hire a desperate person?

Even though I know you need the job, I don’t want you to do anything that will hurt your chances of getting the job. You can tell them how much you would like to work for the company and tell them you have always wanted to work there because of how well they treat their employees. You can also say it would be a dream come true to be employed by them. But, don’t beg, plead or sweat. Be confident. Sit straight in your chair and exude a confident presence. Make them honored to hire you! Not the other way around.

Believe in who you are all…all those attributes you named about yourself exhibit those. Interview with strength not weakness.

Leave all desperation in the car and walk into your interview a confident, certain, stable and strong professional. If you do this, you will stand a much better chance of staying in the game to get the job. Believe me….you will not soon be forgotten and they will remember you as a strong candidate. Not a desperate individual.

There’s no desperation here!

Don't Underestimate This Word in Job Search

Just this week I read about the importance of “why” in two leading national business periodicals.  As a result, this observation told me that this is something new that we all should look at-that this “why” word is becoming a trend.

Why? You may ask…I’ll tell you why.

The Power of WHY

Why is “why” so important?  If an interviewer asks you why you want the job and you don’t have a solid answer, you’re sunk. Therefore, answering “why” questions can make or break you in the interview process.  A little three letter word could kill your chances at landing that job that you want.

Let’s look at other why questions.

Why is there a gap in your unemployment record?

Why did you leave your last job?

Why are you changing careers?

All tough questions that need appropriate and spot on strong, reliable answers that will convince the interviewer why you are the right candidate for the job.

But, “why” doesn’t only affect the interviewee….”why” is just as important of a tool for the job seeker to use.  Since you always should ask a question when the interview is over….go ahead and ask this probing why question and see how they answer:

Why is this position open?

Here’s another reason “why” is important.  This an excerpt from INC. Magazine article written by Jason Fried in the June 2010 issue. The article is titled Never Read Another Resume, but he also addresses why.

“During interviews, we love when potential hires ask questions. But all questions aren’t equal. A red flag goes up when someone asks how. “How do I do that?” “How can I find out this or that?” You want people who ask why, not how. Why is good — it’s a sign of deep interest in a subject. It signals a healthy dose of curiosity. How is a sign that someone isn’t used to figuring things out for him- or herself. How is a sign that this person is going to be a drain on others. Avoid hows.”

I hope you found this post helpful and let me know “why” you liked it and not how it changed your life.

Talk soon,

Cindy

I Only Wish I Weighted 100 lbs.

I hope you are not like me, but since I’ve been unemployed I’ve gained weight.  And this weight gain, I’m sure is caused by a number of factors including I’m less active and the refrigerator is always nearby.  It is also that one is prone to frustrations and stress being without a job which in turn can lead to minor depression.  And we all know how comforting food can be at those times.  So this post today is about the need for you to take care of your body as well as your mind.

Right now, JobWorkTeam is having your look deep within yourself to discover and believe your wonderful qualities and ambitions.  Now, we want you to do the same for your body.  Take charge again of what you’re eating and how much you are exercising.  I know it’s hard to say “no” to that glazed donut sitting there in that box on your kitchen counter or that candy bar tucked into your desk drawer, but stop it. Just say no to processed foods.  Stop eating fast food and buy fresh from your grocers.  Ask your family to help you stay in the best shape you can and have them change their eating habits too. And when you’ve done that….get out those walking shoes and use them.  Walk around the block or better yet actually use that gym membership you’re paying for, but are not using.

There's No Excuses for No Exercise

Be good to yourself. Eat right. Exercise well and keep your mind focused on positive thoughts.  If you follow that combination, you’ll soon be unstoppable. It’s a win-win for everyone – for you, your family and friends.  You can do it.  Start a new plan for your life tomorrow and let me know how you are doing.

Pretty Proud of my Gym Rat Badge on Foursquare

And I have to say that I’m practicing what I’m preaching. You can follow my trips to gym by checking in on my foursquare progress. I’m now the Mayor of my gym and I’ve unlocked the gym rat badge.  And more importantly, I’m dropping weight.  I’ve turned the corner. I’m eating right, exercising well and focusing my mind on positive thoughts! If I can do it, so can you.

See you on the elliptical.

-Cindy

Stop what you are doing right now and watch this inspiring video.

So now my question for you is…what would you write on your lemon? If you could what would want to do?

Keep thinking about that…and let yourself feel the happiness that starts to seep through your body.  You can pursue your dreams.  You can make lemonade out of your lemons and it can be beautiful. Have you ever tasted lemonade that was bad…nope, it’s always delicious and refreshing.

Dream.  And tell me what you would write on your lemon.  I am giving you permission. Go for it.

Make A List of All Your Wonderful Attributes

I know you have many things to remember, like your elevator speech – but don’t forget to keep in your mind the fact that you will find a job, we just don’t know when.  Rejection isn’t fun and believe me, I can empathize with you about that.  Just hold tight to things that you know about yourself.  All those attributes you listed about yourself when you were preparing your elevator pitch. Things like that you are:

• Detail oriented
• Multi-tasker
• Leader
• Successful manager
• Creative thinker
• Skilled negotiator
• Great arbitrator
• A comforting caretaker
• Loyal
• Passionate
• Hard working
• Dependable
• Trustworthy
• Reliable
• etc. etc. etc.

All this is true so keep these thoughts in your head and play them over and over and over until you believe them once again.  Stay positive and stay focused.  Next…read about dreaming your dreams….The Lemonade Movie.

“The 30-Second Elevator Speech”

“The 30-Second Elevator Speech” is by far the most important step in the entire process of job search – so don’t worry if you are giving this assignment a great deal of thought and time.  From this step, all other steps will fall into place and assist you in landing that wonderful job that you have always wanted.

Your Elevator Pitch is How You Introduce Yourself When Job Networking

Please spend time on this step…for if it is not clear to you what you want…it won’t be clear to anyone else either.

What is this?  The elevator speech is a quick two or three sentences of how you describe yourself and your past work history, accomplishments and goals for the future to someone you’ve just met.  That’s a lot to fit in in 30-seconds you may be thinking, but it does work – trust me.

So the first thing you need to do is grab a piece of paper and pen or give yourself a new template online to start writing attributes about yourself regarding your career.

1.  Who are you? Are you an award-winning sales executive who saved your last company thousands of dollars? Are you a warehouse manager who brought in new organizational methods that cut back on overtime?  Are you a successful customer service representative who received company reviews of the highest marks.

Were you an employee who rarely missed a day of work?  Are you loyal employee who has stayed at companies for a long periods of time?  Are you a resourceful office worker who implemented new methods for ordering supplies?  Were you a team player who participated in brainstorming sessions?  Did you do whatever it took to get the job done, even it it meant working overtime?

Are you getting the drift…have fun thinking about all the positive things you have brought to your previuos jobs.  Jot all that stuff down.

2. A common theme...is there a common thread that ties all your jobs together?  I label myself a communications executive.  Are you a sales person?  A clerk? A service technician? If you don’t have a particular job area…is there a commonality that you can use…customer service, inventory specialist, mechanical services, military or are you a generalist.

3.  Attributes...What kind of person are you?  Write these attributes all down on that paper.  Are you detail-oriented? Creative? Mechanically inclinded? Passionate? Thoughtful? Loyal? Resourceful? Hard-working? Hospitable? Caring? Athletically? Preserving? Dependable? etc., etc.

If you are having difficulty thinking about yourself like this…ask some of your friends or family members how they would describe you.  It’s a great morale booster hearing how you matter and contribute to their lives. Have fun with this.

4.   Past Work Experience…On your sheet of paper, write down at least three of the last companies you have worked for….if they are large corporations that happen to be Fortune 500 companies too say that.

5.  Job/Companies You are Targeting

This is the last part of your elevator speech and sometimes it is the most difficult.  What job are your seeking and what companies are you targeting?  Would you like an entry-level position at an amusement park? Would you like a administration position at a bank?  Would you like to work as a flight attendant for an airline?

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT…YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WHAT so others can help you…they might know someone at one of your target companies!

Using the above examples as well, examples…you need to go deeper in your answers…Regarding reference one – I would like to work as a ride attendant at either Disneyland or Magic Mountain.  Or the second reference would be…I would like to work for the president of a local bank in the City of Pineville at either a Chase, Wells Fargo or Bank of America.  Or I would like to be a flight attendant stationed out of Long Beach, CA for either Jet Blue or American Airlines.

Be specific.

And then it’s time to put it all together to craft your elevator speech.  To give you an example, here’s mine.

I am an award-winning communications executive who has spent the majority of professional career working in the field of corporate communications and publicity at major entertainment companies such as Fox Broadcasting Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Hearst Corporation/Walt Disney. I am looking for a similar position in social media/publicity in the entertainment industry and until then, I am a media consultant who builds strategies for entertainment companies, entertainers, non-profits, start-ups and entrepreneurs to gain influence, awareness and exposure.  Companies that I am targeting include Google, Yahoo! and DirecTV, among others.

Now, that you have all your elements you can start to write it out. Once written, you need to start saying it out loud, over and over and over again.  You keep reciting it until it’s memorized and you can recite it to anyone you meet on the streets or elevator. You can also keep changing it too along the way.  As you change and get comfortable with what you want it…it will flow out of your mouth beautifully. Trust me. You’re going to be great at this.

There is a tremendous amount to this first step and I promise I will add to this post…but I wanted to get something up quickly so we can start on our speeches.

If you have some difficulties with your elevator speech, please contact us and we’ll try and help you put something together.  Also, send us your’s so we can add more examples.

Contact us at help@jobworkteam.com.

Resources for Job Search Are Included on This Site

If you have heard the words you’re fired or laid-off or feel like you might be hearing those words soon – then this site if for you. You’ve come to right place.

Although, losing your job is personal, you do not have to bear its consequences alone.  If you are not involved in a job search work team – you are on one now.  You are no longer alone in this process.  Welcome.

When I look back on my career which has included periods of five lay-offs, I notice that all of my jobs have come as a result of knowing someone.  Someone referred me for the position or put my resume in front of the right person.  That’s why finding a job is not a solo effort.  The more people you know the better your chances are of landing a job.  That’s why we all need to work as a team.

Each member of the team is equally important and brings with them a wealth of connections.  Thereby, the only rule that we require for you to join our team is be willing to help others and always ask “how can I help you.”

So how can we help you?  Please let us know by contacting us personally via this email address: help@jobworkteam.com.

Here’s to your next job.

Cindy Ronzoni

JobWorkTeam.com