Reference Rules of the Road, Rigorous, Reliable, Respectable and Repeatable

So you finally passed muster in the 15 interviews you endured at ABC Company over two weeks.  You are exhausted. You lost about eight pounds, sweated bullets and are in the final throes of that seemingly elusive job offer.  Now comes the hard part.  Who and what references can you provide that will help seal the deal and pave the way towards the job offer that has had you in the waiting room for what appears to be a lifetime.  References are critical to bringing to a close your search for your next gig.
 

So as you compile your list, pay heed to the quality of your references.  Be rigorous in your selection.   Pick colleagues who are reliable, rational and repeatable and by all means respectable.  Here are some rules of the road on reference givers that can help you avoid the potholes that invariably and mysteriously appear on the highway to career contentment. 

1.      Former superiors or bosses.  This is generally a good idea particularly if you have had a good, productive relationship.  It is not advisable if your boss has ever appeared on Fortune magazine’s 10 Toughest Bosses lists or could be categorized as a screamer.  Generally a tough boss may crucify you or simply allow the reference checker to read between the lines.  And this is not always good.  So insure that you select prior superiors with whom you have had a solid relationship.  You would do well to inform them ahead of time and provide guidance on the areas of your job and performance most related to the new position you are hopeful to obtain.

 

2.      Co-Workers.  People with whom you have worked day to day can make excellent references for potential new employers.  Stick with true colleagues who know and appreciate your experience, value and work ethic.  Avoid folks with whom you have only had a casual work relationship.  You will want to stick with people who have shared tough times as well as victories.  Also choose a diverse base of former colleagues from differing job categories so that you portray your ability to easily navigate across the full spectrum of an enterprise. Inform the references ahead of time of potential reference checks and outline those areas on which you may want them to focus.   Encourage them to tell stories of an accomplishment or two.

 

3.      Friends.  This can be tricky.  Friends will always support you and likely convey all the good aspects about you.  But reference checkers generally stay away from friends for obvious reasons.  If you feel compelled, select friends who have known you for a long time.  Friends that may have been exposed to your work habits, academic credentials or volunteer work.  You want friends to be able to address your value and lifetime achievements.  As with other references, let them know in advance that the may be receiving a call and coach them on the job that you are being referenced about.

4.      Family. This is a category of people you would do well to avoid.  Yes, sure, your Mom knows everything about you and she is your biggest fan.  But a potential employer is not going to call your Mom or even your Dad, sister or brother.  Where is the objectivity?  The only circumstance where you may need to use a family member is if you were employed in the family business.  Make this clear to the reference checker or company HR folks.  And of course warn your family of the eventuality and make sure they know about the position you are seeking in advance.

5.      Others not elsewhere classified.  If you are not able to identify a sufficient population of references from the groups above, consider people with whom you have interacted in your life such as a preacher or priest, mentor, college professor, Scout Leader (Girl, Boy or Cub,) guidance counselor, teacher, coach or other professionals who know and respect you.  Avoid your mailperson, milkperson, grocery delivery person, or purloiner of your favorite substance.  These folks generally will not hold sway over your credentials or credibility.  As always, let any of your references know ahead of time of the possibility of an email or phone call about your character and employability. 

                                                                                                                                                                                               

How Best to Employ Your Inner Voice in the Job Search - Respect Your Gut

You just finished three job interviews in a week and are still Monday quarterbacking about how well you did or did not.  You are analyzing every question and answer to grade your performance with the hope that you got a touchdown and will soon be on your second interview cycle with the offer letter close behind.  Then reality sets in and you hear nothing for the next several weeks except the sound of your own criticism and an occasional heartbeat.  What to do?  Did you answer all the questions well?  "Was it something I said?"  "Did I say enough?"  The pain and uncertainty are killing you. 

Take a deep breath!  One, two, three, etc.....  Ok relax. Compose yourself as well as a thoughtful note of gratitude for having been given the opportunity to present your case for the job.  Use your interview notes, analysis and intuition to present three essential points for why you are right person for the job.  Then get on with it. Put it past you.  Get beyond the distraction.  If you used well your inner voice to communicate your value proposition, the hiring manager or HR person may take note and likely include you in the consideration set for the next round of interviews (or not.) If not, kiss that position goodbye, learn from it and move on.  Here are a few other thoughts about employing your inner voice to de-stress about your interview. 

1. Remember the law of averages.  The more you interview the higher the probability you will connect with the right opportunity that will feel right and be the right fit.  Trust your gut. The sober thought is that it is going to take time to find the right fit.  But it will happen.  A good friend of mine just landed after three years on the hunt -- a bear of an adventure he dares and hopes not to reprise.

2. Keep your expectations in check.  If the job does not feel right, do the interview anyway for the experience.  You may learn something about yourself and what makes you tick. Remember, the higher the expectations the greater the disappointment.

3. Maintain perspective.  It is only one job. In your heart and mind you know there are others.  Deep down you sensed that the job was just ok.  Your heart did not race at the prospect of working for Mr. or Mrs. Big and your inner voice could care less.  No big deal.

4. Recognize the chemistry.  When you do get the interview for the job that is meant for you, there will be a ping of adrenalin that gets your mind racing and hopefully your imagimnation soaring.  In this case, give it all you've got.  Picture yourself in the role and let your inner voice speak about what you can accomplish and why the glove fit.  Follow up with the authentic you and not some prepackaged response you got out of an outplacement manual.  When the call comes, go for it. Otherwise move to Step 5

5. Go to step and repeat.   When all else fails, respect your gut.       

                                             

The Three Legged Stool of Career Management

Effectively managing your career in the economy of 2011 is a vastly different world than it was just a few short years ago. No longer does it suffice to have just a resume of qualifications and access to job boards and a few connections to executive search firms. Managing a career in the public relations and communications industry can often be a full time job akin to managing the communications strategy for a Fortune 1000 firm or being a product promotion specialist in the world of technology.

Successfully moving up the ladder of career accomplishment or searching for your next gig is a three legged stool, whereby the absence of just one strut can leave you without a competent platform to seek, secure and settle into an engaging role in public relations. Let me explain.



The resume is the first leg. While some may argue that the resume is an anachronism in today’s social media soaked society, the resume is perhaps the first piece of documentation that introduces you to hiring managers and other critical people in the supply chain of human capital formation. The big change though is how the resume has evolved, what it conveys and how it is now used.



Resumes are no longer just a recitation of the jobs you have held in your career. It is a window on your accomplishments and a critical piece of evidence that conveys how you have performed for prior and current employers. Done well, the resume can make all the difference in whether you end up in the select in pile or the circular file. The resume can contain many things about you. But given the fact that the hiring manager or HR person spends from 30 seconds to a minute and a half on the resume , you need to make it easy to read and a compelling sell.

Rules of thumb: The resume launches with a Summary, which is your thirty second elevator speech about you and your value. Next is the Experience section which succinctly details in reverse chronology your accomplishments in bulleted form surrounded by a tight row of white space that allows the achievement to pop. The current job should show three to five accomplishments and prior jobs no more than three. Professional Affiliations should be detailed to add weight to your career accomplishments and be relevant to the job you are seeking. Bringing up the rear are Honors and Awards. That is it. Forget computer skills, hobbies and the name of your pet.



The Network is Part Deux. It is said that 80 percent of people landing jobs today are doing it through their network. So do not over do it on job boards, search firms, classified ads or mass mailings. The network is where it is at. If you have one, expand it. If you do not, start building it. Here is how.

Pick your social platform of choice like Linkedin, Facebook, Plaxo, Ning, Viadeo, Unthink, Foundation3, etc. Take your existing Rolodex (if you are old enough to remember) or Contact list and begin inviting friends, acquaintances and colleagues to become part of your network. Institutionalizing your network on a social platform frees you from ever needing to update addresses or hiring a private eye to find your long lost friend. Most social networks are self sufficient.



And please do not limit yourself to the virtual world. Networking requires “pressing the flesh.” Get out there and meet people. Help them to know you well enough to enables them to render an opinion of your value and worth. It only takes one solid connection to get the gig you want. So do everything in your power to shine a light on your ability. And by the way, networking is a two way street. Remember the old adage, “It is better to give than receive.” There is much wisdom behind those words. If you can help someone, it will likely come back to you four fold. At least that is what the nuns told us in grade school. It works.



The last leg, “Virtual Me” – Can you be found is the essential question in the second decade of the 21st Century. The first destination of most hiring managers , human resource executives and search firm personnel is Google, followed closely behind by Bing and platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. If you do not show up on the radar, you may just as well look for an island beach in the Pacific.


There are ways, though, to raise your profile in cyberspace that are not taxing and require no investment other than your public relations skills. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Get engaged with your communities! Do you belong to industry or professional groups? If you do and are not engaged, consider getting involved. Join a committee, run for an office or board position, volunteer for an event. Often times being a part of a group that is doing worthwhile work can attract attention.

 2. If you have a passion, blog!!! If you want to be recognized for something and develop a following, blogging can be a useful device. In fact, if you have a passion, blogging is a natural. But the key word is “passion.” If you are a thought leader or expert on something let people know and become recognized for your knowledge and enthusiasm. http://wordpress.com, http://blogspot.com and http://www.posterous.com are useful and free platforms to express yourself.


3. Join in social media platforms like Facebook, Linkedin, Plaxo, Ning, Foundation3, etc. Employing platforms like these enable you to craft the type of profile that spotlights your professional career and equally important your professional and personal accomplishments. Be sure to target those platforms that fit with your profession and your personal brand.


4. Take control of third party web-based databases. These would include but are not limited to www.zoominfo.com, www.spoke.com, www.jigsaw.com, www.spokeo.com, etc. Many of these sites allow you to take ownership of your profile and manage the content. Make sure to delete errors or mistakes that could derail your consideration.


5. Establish a showcase on www.slideshare.com. Slideshare is a fabulous and rich content site on which you can upload presentations. In this case, what you will do is produce a PowerPoint presentation about you not unlike a C.V. You can include your resume, links and URLs to your web content, expanded accomplishments, academic credentials, professional photos and video, publications and other career information that help you tell a compelling story about you as a brand and as a professional.


6. Highlight your career on www.visualCV.com. VisualCV portrays itself as “Your resume, only better.” VisualCV is customizable and can serve as a resume, online professional profile, business development tool or mini website. And to top it off, just like Slideshare, it is included in Google search engine results.


7. Don’t forget about Google and Google plus. Build a Google profile. Yes Google gives you the ability to have a profile. If you already have a Google or Gmail account, a Google profile is the next step. Just go to www.google.com/profiles. Google provides the ability to include basic information about who, what, why, where and when. You can also include information on where you live or have lived, your web links, personal and professional interests, education, employers and aliases. Best of all, the profile is included in search.


8. Become an active Twitterer! Yes I realize this seems strange because you really care not to daily Tweet your food choices. Well don’t. Instead, employ Twitter as a strategic tool to add value to the knowledge stream on the web. If you are an expert or thought leader on a particular topic or topics then provide a steady stream of pithy and helpful commentary that enlightens and entertains.

Can You Hear me Now? How to Handle “Radio Silence.

There is nothing more frustrating in a job search than the lack of response by hiring managers or recruiters. You follow all the rules of a compelling cover letter. You compose a custom resume that matches your accomplishments to the job specifications posted by the company or the recruiter. You have scoured your network to find insiders at the company and you have followed their advice to the letter. Following all of this fine preparation you end up with radio silence that is both deafening and frustrating. How should you move forward with this scenario? Here are some constructive ideas:

Be patient. There are no hard and fast rules regarding wait time. The higher the position, the greater the time to response. Many firms take an inordinate amount of time to conduct due diligence. Hiring managers have a job to do and spending lots of time reviewing resumes and responding in a timely manner is not the order of the day. While it is extremely frustrating, a watched pot never boils. And neither should you. If the job is a fit, you will get a response in three to four weeks. If not, you may never get a response. The sad fact is courtesy often is pushed aside due to lack of good sense and sensitivity. Get past it.

Tap the network. If you are fortunate enough to have people from your network that are already employed with the ( j)object of your desire, contact them and ask them to inquire on the status of the company’s consideration of your candidacy. I have seen this done successfully but make sure that you are familiar enough with your contacts to make “the ask.” And when you do, volunteer to reciprocate at some point. Never expect something for nothing. But always give something for nothing. It pays in the long run.

Grab a hook. Give some thought to additional information that you may want to provide to the hiring manager or the recruiter as an incentive to ramp up consideration. Pay attention to the news of the day, changes in the market or some current event that would give you a rationale to introduce a new reason or “hook” to entice those with the hiring responsibility to hasten the search or put a priority on you as the candidate. For example, is there a competing company that has an interest in you and expressed as much or has the market had a competitive shift that warrants a change in business strategy. This could be reason enough for you to call the company directly or send an urgent email that explains the situation and the need for more urgent action in the
company’s hiring plans.

Move on. You never heard back – nada, zip, nothing. “What is wrong with those people? Why do they not respond? I have taken a lot of intellectual energy and time to make the case for my candidacy. Could they not be courteous and let me know if I have a shot or not?” The fact is that your priorities are just that – yours. Companies today do not have the time or inclination to hold hands and make everyone comfy. And in this tumultuous economy, backed by “beltway bickering” good sense and good manners are out the door. Just move on. It is not worth your sanity to get uptight or ticked off. Hopefully there are other fish to fry and the law of averages argues putting lost causes behind you and pushing forward with other firms and opportunities. The more the merrier.

Cover Your Bases and Home Runs - The Job Pitch Letter

Cover letters and resumes play critical roles in career management and job search.  You can argue that one trumps the other but the fact is they work together as a team.  And the cover letter plays a starring role because it can get the recruiter, HR folks and the hiring manager warmed up for the main pitch of the resume.   In short, the cover letter should cover your bases and home runs.

I recently read a blog that talked about what should not be in the cover letter.  Well how about we talk about what should be in the cover letter.  After all, it pays to operate with the glass half full rather than half empty.  So here goes: 

1.   Relevance.  Tell the recipient why you are writing, something like “I am writing to present my credentials for the role of director of corporate relations. “   Make it short, sweet and to the point.

2.   Elevator speech.  You should be able to describe succinctly who you are in a statement that embeds your essential value.   Note well that the elevator speech (the 30-second variety) is the same one you employ when you meet someone and greet them with your introduction.  It pays to know who you are and have it roll off the tongue consistently and forcefully each and every time you employ it.  In this case, it is the written version of the elevator pitch of no more than two sentences.

3.   The bases.  The cover letter should enumerate how the candidate matches the requirements of the position based on a thorough analysis and understanding of the job specs covering all the bases.  And it would not hurt to elaborate how the candidate’s experience exceeds the major critical job specs.

 

4.   Home runs.  This is the best part and frankly should be the best part.  Here is where you talk about your record home runs.  You do not need to list them all.   Just discuss the best two or three, tops.  Employers want to get a sense of how you will perform for them.  And describing your best hits is one of the best means for potential bosses to envision your performance.

5.   Availability.  Let the employer or recruiter know that you are available at their convenience to further discuss your credentials and their needs.

6.   Gratitude.  Express it well and sincerely.  Thank the employer or recruiter for taking time to be considerate of you, your expression of interest and credentials.

How to Invent Your Next Job

As government bickering and inaction continues, job seekers are growing ever restless, frustrated and annoyed because, for many folks, there just are no jobs to be had.  You are either too old, too young, suffering the stigma of no job or you have run out of runway in your network.  According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, “More than one in three of the unemployed were out of work for at least a year in a handful of U.S. states that appear to be disproportionately caught up in the long-term unemployment problem.”   So if you are sitting in the unemployment barrel with a bunch of lemons, it is high time to make lemonade. 

Have you thought about making a job for yourself?  And I am not talking about flipping burgers.  Let’s look at the landscape that is you.  A key to inventing a job is to take inventory and look within yourself to your hobbies, interests, passions and skills.  Here is a potential subscription for engineering your own gig:

Many people have hobbies and passions that allow them to escape the madness of the daily grind.   According to the Oxford Dictionary, a hobby is “an activity that you do for pleasure when you are not working.”  What do you for a hobby: collect stamps, ride a motorcycle, write poetry or sample every restaurant in town?  Take a hard look at what you do for leisure and see if there might be a business model for earning a living. 

1. Make a spreadsheet listing all of your passions, hobbies, interests and skills.  Rank them in order of priority or interest level.

2. Scour the internet for information on each and make note of which ones have potential for being a market or a potential revenue generator and are already a business for someone.

3. Absorb and digest everything you find in cyberspace, paying strict attention to facts that validate their business potential.

4. Consider different business models for monetizing your hobby.  For example, can you take your knowledge of the subject matter and sell it as a commodity or turn it into a saleable product?  Can you make what you enjoy a service for others to purchase? 

5. If so, develop a thumbnail business plan that outlines the product or service and how it can be sold and serviced and to whom.

6. Set up a brain storming session with family, and a few friends or colleagues and bounce off the ideas to them taking note of their commentary, good or bad.

7. Select a model you feel works well for you based on your research with friends and family.

8. Assess your capital needs.  You may be surprised at how little investment you need to kick start the business.  If it requires more than you have, develop is list of potential investors who are willing to take a flyer on you.  Also look at other creative financing such as selling that old antique car or HO train set that is sitting in your closet collecting dust.  Worst comes to worse use your credit cards but sparingly.  And don’t forget about sweat equity.

9. Start building your own “thought leadership” credentials by blogging, commenting, tweeting or employing numerous other social infrastructure platforms.  Stay focused and comment heavily on what you know and for what you have a passion.  If you start, don’t stop. 

10. Brand yourself consistently and tightly.  Take a review of your online presence.  Review every social platform in which you participate.  Update the platforms so that you present yourself uniformly and consistently.  Have the same positioning, platform to platform.  For example, make sure your single-minded brand identity and thought leadership comes to the fore on Facebook, Linkedin, Quora, Twitter, FourSquare, MyWebCareer, Google+, Plaxo, VisualCV, Slideshare, etc., etc.  Leave no stone unturned.

For better or worse, we are living in unusual times that are fast becoming the usual.  You often are your only back up plan.  So take control of your own destiny and make one.

Connectiquette - The Etiquette of Managing Connections

Connectiquette is not a typo or a new state in the U.S.  It refers to a process of thoughtful deliberation. 

This age of the network and personal collaboration is bringing important benefits to people around the world.  Technology has brought us all closer together, afforded the ability to create like communities, given voice to all and particularly to those who previously had no voice and enabled countless good deeds and beneficiaries.  The proliferation of social collaboration platforms is making it easy to connect with long-lost friends and family, new friends, business colleagues and other people who have similar interests, aspirations and goals.  And these same platforms have become crucial in job search and career management.  We now have the ability and liberty to identify hiring managers and influencers that play significant roles in the hiring process. 

But with all good things comes the idea of responsibility, taking care to be ethical and transparent about how we use technology to advance and effectively manage our careers and career goals.  So in the spirit of being responsible, here are several recommendations on how to handle networking and connecting with people you feel can have an influence on your job search or career development. 

Making the Ask: 

1.     Typically only connect with people you know and who know you. 

2.     If you want to connect with someone you have not met, ask for a referral from someone you know who does have a connection.  Explain your rationale for wanting to link and make the ask.  Also do not forget to offer to reciprocate.  

3.     If you do not have any linkage to someone to whom you absolutely, positively must connect, do your research, strategize on  your ask,” compose a logical pitch and make the ask.  If your request is reasonable, logical, friendly, open and you offer to return the courtesy, your chances of a connection are significantly higher than if you did not do your due diligence.

4.     One other technique to consider is a simple, yet thoughtful, hand-written letter of introduction that you send via snail mail to outline your background and mission in requesting to connect.  Many times this technique will achieve the desired effect because it is different, offline and in some circles, considered classy and unique. 

Considering the Ask 

1.     Connect.  If you know the person and have had positive interaction, your decision is easy.  Frankly, the larger your personal network of people the better equipped you will be in your business or in a job search.  You never know when some opportunity or challenge comes along where you will require some help or an appropriate connection in your job.  So why tempt fate?  Connect. 

2.     Do due diligence.  If you receive a request by an unknown person to link, closely examine the name and conduct a quick background check.  If the person and the company are to your liking and you see value, connect. 

3.      A positive link.  If the requestor is connected to someone you know, respect and appreciate and the person has provided a reason to link, you may want to connect.   

4.      Assess the potential.  If the requestor is unknown, try a Google search.  Check Linkedin and/or Facebook or even Jigsaw, Ning, Spoke or Plaxo.  If the person moves in your sphere, is engaged in your business, and has potential as a connection to you, make an educated guesstimate to their value to you and your value to them.  If it is positive and additive, just connect!

Taking a Pass? 

1.     Forget the guilt.  If you do not know the person and they live in Nigeria, there may be reason to take a pass. 

2.     Be honest and respond.  If you cannot muster any interest or logical reason to connect after doing due diligence on your requestor, take a pass.  If you are compassionate nonetheless, respond with a “Thanks you for your request to connect.  Being honest though, I do not know you, have no link with your network and you have provided no logical reason to connect, I am going to take a pass.  I wish you all the best.” 

As has been said many times, networking can be both benefit and bane.  The key is to manage the network so that you have the ability to receive its rewards and the opportunity to pay it forward or back.  What is clear is that networks are essential to human progress. They are useless unless you effectively employ them to gain advantage or give advantage.  The key is to operate them in a way that is mutually beneficial, efficient to manage and implemented with respect, reciprocity and rigor.