Optimism vs Fantasy
In order to get productive leads (operative word being productive), it is necessary to be clear about what you are qualified to do and actually competitive for in this market. Using casual language to explain what you want or need, typically leads to wild goose chases and lots of tail chasing.
People have called it “optimism” when they speak of their “dream” job to others. My position is, when you are unemployed in a market like this and you oversell yourself, it is “fantasy”, not optimism. Most people truly want to help, but they can’t if you haven’t been honest with yourself first.
Describing the role you aspire to obtain, rather than describing what is really likely and possible, only delays your moving forward. There is much less likelihood of rejection if you consider the low hanging fruit, and it could be your chance to get yourself headed in the right direction. To be clear: low hanging doesn’t mean rotten – it means within your reach.
If you have been unemployed for longer than you like, then it is time to make a change in your thinking and your strategy (or lack thereof) :
Get real. Stop your wishful thinking and take action where you really can make a difference.
Do your homework. Be aware of what employers are really asking for when they post job descriptions.
Know your competition. Be aware of what you are up against and what it will require to be considered a competitive candidate.
Set goals. Being real doesn’t mean giving up or going in a ditch. Setting goals for getting to where you really want to be, with a plan to get there, helps ensure that you will stay on track.
You have to get off the bench first. Once you get back on track, you can then use your optimism to move you forward.
What’s your next move?
Developing a Sense of Urgency
It struck me today, how easy it is to miss an opportunity by one day, or even an hour, and the impact it can have that changes things for a much longer period. After I watched my retirement pretty much go in the toilet this past fall, I vowed to act faster the next time we saw signs indicating we should make changes. We talked about it, and talked about it, and by February we finally agreed to make a change in our investments. Between the time we agreed and subsequently made the call, everything took another dive. And there we were, in worse straights than days earlier. Missing the urgency in taking action immediately can affect us in many ways, but in today’s world, dealing with financial or employment issues can have a longer, more devastating effect.
Every day I counsel people on actions they should be taking to get employed or even to defend their position in a tough market. And every day, someone misses an opportunity to follow up on a lead, cement a deal, or learn more about a situation that could vastly change their lives. Somehow my call to urgency is missed in the noise of everyday life. Distractions tell them an action related to their search can wait, because the car needs to be washed or the clothes need to be picked up at the dry cleaners. Or maybe they still believe a “fun” project they committed to way back when they had money and a job is still more important than taking immediate action on an employment related issue right now.
Likewise, people that have failed to invest in a network over the past few years are now turning up in droves, asking for help. They didn’t make the time to maintain their network, but now they have an urgent need to call out for help. A typical group email I receive reads “if you know of anything, please let me know”. Attached is a resume, they have frantically passed around, as if someone is really going to look at it, let alone, do anything with it.
Beyond the obvious lack of action in regard to staying in touch, is the insistence by many to adhere to “business as usual” when it comes to only working on their job search limited hours Monday through Friday. Don’t get me wrong, I support balance, but somehow when someone is facing foreclosure or they are unable to pay their heating bill, it seems like sticking with old ideas about work/life balance is a behavior that actually jeopardizes the very values they say they want to protect. Losing a home seems to tip the balance a bit in the wrong direction. If it means working on Saturdays and Sundays to complete projects that will lead to renewed income, then just maybe a temporary deviation until the threat is removed is required.
In today’s market, more than any time I can remember, it is the early bird that catches the worm. And, you will only be as strong as your network. If you are unclear about where the worm is, investing in some help to get clear is a good idea. Here are some additional actions steps:
- Establish a true financial picture. Do not wait until it is too late before you get a grip.
- Stop relying on unemployment insurance benefits as the answer to the problem. Use it for what it is meant to be – a stop gap until you get work.
- Stop living on credit cards, or in a house of cards, or with dreams of winning the lotto.
- Make sure your priorities are clear. If you have a mortgage or rent to pay, and you do not have six months of income saved, then you need to go to work now.
- Know where you really stand in relationship to what is going on in the market, your competition and your true number of options.
- Spend less time talking about how bad things are, and more time taking action to fix it.
- Remember to thank those who are offering assistance along the way. You never know when you might need them again.
What one thing can you do differently that would increase your chance for righting your tipped ship?
Networking Etiquette
No one will dispute that we are knee deep in a recession. Or that times are tough for everyone. You may be distracted or feeling harried. Somewhere along the line, in spite of the stress we all may be under, it is important to remember basic courtesies and the Golden Rule. This is a quick reminder intended to help keep people from burning their bridges and perhaps stifling relationships that could prove to be valuable down the road. If you have asked others for help with your job search or with your career development issues, then please take a minute to read these tips.
1. Pay attention! If you are going to ask for help, then be ready to respond. All too often, a please for assistance goes out, and responses are sent, yet the initiator may take days to respond. Not good form. If you have put out a request for help (for absolutely anything), then by all means, make yourself available for the answer. Further, remember to thank those that respond, even if they are unable to provide the information you requested.
2. Be prepared. In order to get an introduction, your ducks need to be in a row. That means you have prepared an introductory paragraph that can be used by your contact to introduce you to the party you have requested to meet. Valuable time is wasted while the person in between thinks of the right thing to say about you. If you have already been introduced, then you also need to be prepared to take immediate action. Be prepared to follow up by sending a recruiter a resume, or by answering questions from the 3rd party. In either case, allowing for days to pass in between only diminishes the likelihood that the person will make themselves available at a later date, or for that matter, remember who the heck you are when/if you finally surface.
3. Be responsive. If you have asked for an introduction, and consequently get one, then follow up within 48 hours! There is simply no excuse for not following up immediately, even if it is to notify the party that you are in Brazil and will be getting back to them when you return in two weeks.
4. Keep the referring party (parties) in the loop. Any time someone helps connect you, they have a stake in what happens next. Their reputation is on the line. As a professional courtesy, it is appropriate for the person in between to be cc’d on your correspondence. They will then know what has transpired, and will be able to determine if their contact is responsive or not, or if you have represented them well. If there are a series of connections, then it may be important for those parties along the way to be aware of the trail.
5. Circle back. After it is all said and done, once you have connected with the person you have asked to meet, it is important to thank them for their time, and apprise the originator of the outcome.
Please describe the differences you have seen when you or someone else have/has been responsive and courteous in your/their networking efforts, versus when things have fallen through the cracks.
