Work, success, and meaning at every stage of your career
I had a client who had a great interview out of state. So great, in fact, that the recruiter called him before he left the city to offer him the job. When the final offer letter came, the salary was just below the ‘low $40,000 range’ mentioned in the interview. He liked the job; liked the company, but didn’t know how to open the negotiation without losing the offer.”
Artie Lynnworth has over 40 years of management and hiring experience. He is the scheduled speaker for the May 26, 2011 meeting of the WorkSource Professional Network. He’s also the author of “Slice the Salami One Slice at a Time: Tips for Life and Leadership.” We had a discussion about jobseekers and interviews.
One of the barriers to change, according to the authors, is the unhelpful advice people give you when they see you have a problem. We’ve all experienced this and the authors call it “Results masked as advice.” In other words, people are telling you what results that want you to achieve, instead of telling you what to do next. “Be a team player” or “Be more open to constructive criticism” sound like good advice, until you actually try to do it.
Change Anything is subtitled “The New Science of Personal Success.” Written by Kerry Patterson , Joseph Grenny , David Maxfield , Ron McMillan , and Al Switzler, the book bills itself as a strategic, step by step system for adopting—and sticking to—better behaviors. The authors have tested behavior changing methods, and claim to be able to help anyone break bad habits – from addiction to overeating to being stuck in your career.
John Durfee wrote to me recently about his experience in transitioning from Gunnery Sargent to business. John, like many veterans, found that choosing a new career was a daunting task. It certainly wasn’t the piece of cake that the U.S. Army ads made it seem. “They made it look easy; a female soldier in fatigues running across a training course, and then she morphs into a business executive holding a attaché case. Looks easy right?” Without the special effects, it’s a longer challenge for most vets.
One of the reasons I find it hard to ask for recommendations is that I sometimes get asked for one by people I don’t know well. I take my reputation very seriously, and giving a personal endorsement to someone is for me, a very big deal. After all, your reputation hangs on this person’s future performance. If the person turns out not to be competent, your judgment is questioned. If the person does something bad, your character is in question.
Do you use your middle name as your given name? Has it created any confusion in your job search?
Employers are using scanning technology and key word internet searches to find the best candidates for their needs. Specific phrases with quantitative proofs will help you get found; think of it as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your career.
Monster has introduced a mobile app for job seekers through iTunes. It’s a valuable resource for anyone looking for a job that has access to iTunes. And best of all, the app is free.
What I’ve learned is this:
Everything you need is already inside of you.
Don’t be afraid of change; embrace it as an adventure.
Believe in the value of who you are and what you do.
Do whatever it takes to set yourself up to succeed today.
