Resiliency- How Do You Measure Up?
This has been a year filled with endings: banks failing, businesses closing their doors, homes going into foreclosure. Everyone has been impacted by the turbulence in the business world, and the need to adjust quickly is greater than ever. If we don’t learn another thing from the economic wake left behind, resiliency is a quality everyone needs to understand and develop to carry on in the years ahead.
The initial thought for this blog came about because of two events. The first to set me off was an article about consumers experiencing mortgage foreclosures. The people interviewed stated the “bank should have known better” than to loan them that much money because their debt to income ratio was so far off. That may be true, but isn’t there a need for someone to know what is reasonable for their own good, rather than allow a bank dictate what they should or shouldn’t do?
The 2nd event, in just so many hours, was an email I received from someone that had been traumatized by an interview. The candidate was so consumed by how awful the experience was and how badly they felt they had been treated, they were canceling attendance at events for the next month, and were still “not sure” how they would be feeling to attend an event six weeks away. It was difficult for me to imagine that an interview could be so paralyzing that it would be necessary to shut down for 4-6 weeks. (A death or great loss, maybe, but an interview?).
Naturally, there are two sides to every story. I happened to be familiar enough with the employer to give them a call and learn their perspective of how the interview had played out. The point I found interesting was that the employer reported the candidate had shown up 15 minutes late, and of course for the recruiter, that had set the tone for the interview to some degree. The employer did acknowledge that one of the others present during the interview was “an odd duck”, but they typically use the person in interviews to determine a candidate’s ability to deal with difficult people.
There were many other points about the interview the employer addressed that revealed it had not gone altogether that badly, including the fact that the employer had not closed the door on this candidate. The point that stuck in my mind most however, was that the candidate never mentioned having arrived late, but only spoke about how humiliated they had felt after the interview. When I mentioned the tardy arrival, it was dismissed as insignificant and the focus remained on the bad behavior of the interviewers. I don’t condone playing “victim”, and have little tolerance for those that won’t help themselves. So from my perspective, it became clear that it seemed easier to this candidate to evaluate what the employer had done wrong, than to admit to any teensy bit of culpability with their own behavior that could have contributed to the situation turning out as badly as they felt it had.
The point to this (rant?) is to address the need to develop resiliency and to learn to be accountable for one’s actions, whether it is about spending money or making money. Since I am not an expert on finance, I’ll address the latter issue, which relates to employment and re-employability. The following are areas to consider if you are either unemployed, facing a change in your current position or in the event your current position is eliminated,
Take responsibility. When things don’t go the way you intended, look for what you can do about things as they are from this point forward. Learn from your mistakes and take a different tact next time. Blaming someone else wastes time and energy and it does not fix the problem. Decide what you will do next to make things happen the way you want. Make sure your expectations are realistic, and do what you can to make things move in the right direction.
Build a strong network. This requires more than randomly adding contacts on LinkedIn. It means paying attention to others. Know what is important to them so you can be a resource before you need one. Ask your contacts what they are interested in, what they enjoy about their work (or don’t). If you are networked with insiders at the companies you are interested in, ask about strong personalities, political issues, and potential “land mines”.
Pay attention. Look around to your company’s other departments and to other companies. Read. Know about changes in your industry as they develop. Ask questions when you see contradictions. Visit companies long in advance of seeking employment with them. The interview should not be your only encounter with them before you make a decision about working there.
Get over yourself. If you have been doing the same things, the same way and not getting results, then perhaps something needs to change. I find that people are always happy to ask strangers about their resumes, and will make 57 changes to it before examining their total approach to their job search. It typically isn’t about the resume needing a change. It is their strategy (or lack of), attitude, and expectations behind the resume that typically need to be changed. When people offer assistance, listen to it. Before you decide you know more, deserve more, or are different than everyone else, determine what you actually have to lose by listening to others’ points of view and trying a different approach to what you are trying to obtain.
Adapt. Move forward when things change, rather than staying stuck in what you hope will last. Change your short term goals and stretch your long term goals. Staying stuck on only what you want, how you want to have it, when you want it, without taking into account outside occurrences that can influence your desired outcomes, leads to blaming and disappointment more frequently than when someone makes adjustments to adapt to the realities of the moment.
Learn new skills. Waiting until you are asked to learn something new means you have waited too long. Seek out opportunities to learn about advances in technology that would benefit your work performance. Be ahead of the curve, so if there is a lay off and a choice is to be made between you and others, you will be perceived as having greater value.
Stop whining and take action. The world isn’t a perfect place. Sitting still and expecting it to change for you is not only a time waster, but it is pretty unrealistic. If you have been left in the dust, lick your wounds, put a plan together and move on.
What about your approach needs changing to help you remain resilient in today’s economy?
Making Ends Meet in a Slow Economy
A bartender/server we recently met at a new wine shop in a nearby neighborhood captured my attention. Watching him and listening to his small talk with patrons struck me as something pretty significant- enough to write this blog. This tribute is to his work ethic.
In these tough times, it is easy to get complacent. Easier still to use the bad economy as a reason to give up any efforts to reconcile what is needed to be done to take care of one’s financial obligations and what one’s expectations are. I am talking about expectations related to how someone will earn their income, how much that income will be, or how many sources might be required. Here is a great example of doing what it takes.
This server (I’ll call him Ray to maintain his anonymity) took considerable care describing the appetizers and wines currently on special, and offering tastes as he spoke. We watched as another patron turned up her nose at two offerings, and then ordered an appetizer she also promptly rejected. Ray didn’t flinch, and told her he would buy it for her. Every exchange was done politely, with a smile, with a little bit more small talk, without any hint that he was in any way put off by her reactions to his suggestions.
Ray is articulate, speaks with a smile and has a nonchalant, but matter of fact tone, without a hint of dissatisfaction with his work. We learned Ray is an artist, but also has a strong interest in food and interacting with people. He told us about his commute, the hours he worked, and his long distance girlfriend. He has a 9 to 5 day job downtown that is related to the work he does as an artist, but between that and the sale of his art work he is still missing the people facing/food element he desires and some extra money to invest in supplies. He buses from the downtown area of Seattle to this neighborhood in the southwest part of the city about 30 minutes away to fulfill his role as a part time bartender/server.
What captured my attention even more than his pleasant attitude and the positive way he described his status, was what he told us he did to secure this 2nd job. He said he personally visited upwards of 75 restaurants in about a 20 mile radius until he got “yeses” from two. (He even brought a loaf of homemade bread to the owners of this wine shop!) The other position he was offered didn’t work out with his schedule, so he is still on the hunt for a 2nd part time job, and is continuing his in person quest to find the right restaurant.
Now I am guessing that Ray is about 20 years younger than me. So, I was surprised to hear his story, based on my experience with job seekers over the past 20 years. It took me way back to the days I held five part time jobs to make sure I could cover my mortgage in the 80’s. Or, in the late 90’s when I was catching a ferry at 5:00 AM to travel across the water to earn $19 an hour delivering training that had already taken 30 (uncompensated) hours to develop. It is just what had to be done at the time to help me move forward toward my goals.
Today’s market is tough – no doubt about it. But Ray’s story took me back a bit, and made me think about the number of people today that stay unemployed altogether because they are not finding the one job that pays what they used to earn when times were good, or the one job that pays what they think they deserve. I think about how many others I know that have stayed unemployed because the currently available jobs seem beneath them, or were too much effort to look into. In my work, I hear about it or see it firsthand almost every day. I work hard to help job seekers think out of the box – To think about getting back in the game and position themselves for that time two to three years from now when the market is back to some kind of stability.
I was so impressed with Ray’s attitude and perseverance, I just had to share. I hope his story is an inspiration for others to make a little more effort to reach their goals, and to keep things from going completely into a ditch during these slow times.
What are you doing differently to make sure you stay in the game or make sure your bills get paid? How has your thinking changed?
How to know when it is time to change your approach to your job search
You are not working and:
- You live in Seattle and already have a tan
- You have not missed one of your kids’ softball or soccer games or practices, and they begin at 3:00 PM on week days
- You have planned for vacations and social events, but the rest of your schedule is wide open
- You have filled up punch cards from 3 different coffee retailers in the past month
- You have a new 40′ x 40′ garden and there are no weeds
- You are working out at the gym at 10:00 AM or 2:00 every day
- It takes more than 12 hours for you to respond to emails from employers or others trying to help you
- You are still taking nights and weekends off
- Your networking plan consists of linking with as many people as you can on Linked In, but you have no other strategy for following up with any of them
- You still think HR is the only advocate for you when you are pursuing a position
- You are 5 months into your unemployment and still applying for jobs posted on Craigslist.org
- You have been unemployed for 18 months and are passing up roles that pay less than your prior role (at your former employer of 20 years) because you are certain you are worth more in this market
- You have had more than 4 interviews but received 0 offers
- When someone asks what you are doing, your only answer is “looking for a job”
- You are hoping for an extension on your unemployment
- You think I am kidding
Taming a Random Search
There is a big difference between random acts and keeping an open mind. Random acts tend to take a person in many directions, without much discrimination or evaluation, and can use up considerable energy. Having an open mind will still allow a person to add new possibilities to the mix, but the outcome is based on a specific goal, with a focus on many elements related to that goal, and it involves careful consideration of the possibilities presented. Are you thinking it is only semantics? I don’t think so, so I’ll illustrate the difference.
When a person does not evaluate the reasons they have chosen to pursue a job, and are solely basing their actions on “needing a job”, they can be led down roads that are dead ends or end up with less than satisfying work/work places. Following all or any leads without a goal in mind, and without carefully considering how it fits into a life plan, is what I consider “random job search”. In my experience, when job seekers break out in any direction that leads to a pay check, the employment scenario rarely ends up in something satisfying or long term, and is only a short term fix or stop gap. When job seekers carefully consider their motives, the long term implications of decisions, and the potential benefits from each and every employment scenario (which may not be obvious on the surface), they ultimately end up spending less time and energy over the long haul. They end up with a workable situation that may even be temporary, but it is in alignment with their long term goals. The energy spent produces results that lead to a sustainable win over the long haul.
Does that mean you should ignore leads? No! It means you need to start out with carefully considered goals, and be willing to evaluate all leads from the perspective of what can be gained beyond the moment. Once you have a clear purpose behind the goals you have established, you can ask yourself these questions related to any new lead or possibility:
• What tools will the experience allow you to add to your kit?
• How will you be able to expand your network?
• How visible is the role?
• Where can you move inside the organization once this door has been opened?
• What similar organizations might look favorably on this experience?
• How would a short term assignment build a bridge to something more sustaining?
Taking a controlled approach to your job search may actually lead you to having more options than you previously thought were possible. It may also lead you to ways of bridging the gap on your resume in a more relevant manner, which makes it far easier to explain to the next employer.
If you have re-directed your search activities by setting a clearer goal, or considered new options than you had previously thought possible, please let us know.
Internet Risks, Part 1: The Problem – contributed by MyOffice Tech
There is no doubt that folks in the job market spend a lot of time on the Internet doing research, visiting many different sites to research companies, read blogs, and study articles. Every job seeker and employed individuals receive many emails with employment-related links and attachments, some of which may not be legitimate. And, let’s not forget about all those “free” tools available to us out there on the web, along with those ubiquitous “work-from-home” ads and links!
Most people know that your electronic link to the outside world can be very hazardous to your computer’s health and can spiral into nasty personal consequences if your personal and confidential information is stolen. Without a doubt, there is nothing as destructive as malware getting onto your system. In fact, instances of system downtime resulting from malware infection far exceed downtime resulting from hardware failure. The current status of online threats can be summarized as simply as this: they are dangerous, rapidly-evolving and widespread. But, many people don’t know how a computer becomes compromised, and what to do to minimize the risks.
The information provided here applies predominantly to Microsoft Windows systems. Apple Macs and Linux-based systems (such as Ubuntu) are more secure at the moment, since they are less-targeted (there are fewer of them) and their architecture is different.
I. Types of Threats and Terminology: The most common threats to us currently are:
- Malware (broad classification): Viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, bots, scareware, meanware, hidden proxies, and keyloggers.
- Scareware: A special sub-class of malware which uses fake anti-virus pop-ups to inform you that your system is infected when it really isn’t.
- Meanware: A special sub-class of malware that damages or destroys your system just for the sick amusement of whoever wrote it.
- Hidden proxies: Silently redirects all of your internet communications through a third party which watches your web browsing.
- Keyloggers: A special sub-class of malware that records your keystrokes and sends them to the criminals.
- Bots: Hidden malware which runs undetected in the background, usually hijacking your email address book and sending out spam without your knowledge.
- Phishing: Anything that tries to trick you into doing something that will cause you to reveal personal or confidential information.
- Scams: Anything that tries to get you to pay for or send money for something that doesn’t exist, is phony, or disreputable.
- Spam: Useless or unwanted information, in the form of emails, blog or forum posts, pop-ups, or text messages that tries to get you to perform an action that results in any of the above, or for the purpose of spreading website URLs for search engine ratings increases, or just to bother people.
II. Anti-virus systems can’t keep up: Today, most malware is written and deployed by organized crime. This software is smart and is getting smarter. Old-school malware had static “profiles” or “signatures” and could be easily detected by anti-virus suites. Now, new malware constantly changes its internals so that it is not detected by traditional “signature-based” anti-virus software. This is frightening.
To attempt to keep up with such insidious, shape-shifting threats, state-of-the art anti-virus software utilize what is known as “heuristics” to detect and halt suspicious activity. Some advanced anti-virus software, in addition to signatures and heuristics, send unrecognized executable files and known executables that have been altered to the “cloud” for multiple scans. However, be aware that these do make mistakes and “false positives” result, and malware still slips though undetected.
III. Methods of Infection: The primary “attack vector” today is the Internet. The old-school infection method used to be to get the computer user to open an infected email attachment. While this still happens, it is no longer the preferred attack vector. The Internet is a far more efficient means of infection.
Today, to become infected with malware, all you have to do is visit an infected (“compromised”) website. You don’t even have to click on anything in the site. It is that simple.
So, how do the bad guys utilize the web for their nefarious activities? The most common methods are:
- They understand and use human nature against us. They target popular but weak websites, hack into them, insert their malicious code, and wait for people to visit them. Or, they place infected ads, or just set up their own infected websites. They know what application and operating system vulnerabilities exist and write their malware to exploit them. High-risk website categories are: social networking, celebrity, cooking, music lyrics, adult sites, work-from-home schemes, avatar generators, free stuff – anything that draws large numbers of visitors. Anything “free”, such as free anti-virus, screensavers, toolbars, desktop themes, video player codecs/plugins, picture viewers, utility programs, drivers, etc., are extremely risky if they come from untrusted sources.
- They prey on the human errors: at some point in time you will misspell a URL or use “.com” instead of “.org” or “.gov”. There are malicious websites set up under these common errors just for these opportune moments.
- They utilize “social engineering” to get you to visit bad websites. They send you emails and messages that look legitimate or official, but have a link that will take you to a malicious website. Users of social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter are at particular risk. “Official” email links are usually clicked out of uncertainty or fear (i.e., the email appears to be from your bank, the IRS or Census Bureau).
- They “poison” the web infrastructure’s “DNS” servers, your “DNS” cache, or hosts file so that when you try to go one site you actually go to another.
Another common attack vector is exploiting insecure application programs that run on your computer:
- Unpatched Adobe Reader, or Adobe Reader with JavaScript enabled is a prime target. If you click on a web link that opens an infected PDF file, or you open one in an email attachment, and you have a vulnerability it can exploit, your system will be infected. Adobe regularly updates their software with security patches but unfortunately, on many people’s computers these updates are broken.
- Java’s run-time environment and its components are another prime culprit. Many computers are operating with old, insecure Java versions because the updating mechanism is broken or old versions co-exist with new versions. Java’s updating mechanism is truly a mess.
Many firewalls are ineffective because they are weak, faulty, or configured improperly:
- Such firewalls allow unsolicited and malicious traffic into your system.
- The firewall replies to Internet “pings” from malicious sources, revealing to them that your system “exists”. They will now try to attack your system with even more zeal.
- The firewall allows malicious processes already on your machine to communicate with their criminal “command and control centers”, sending out personal or confidential information.
Please continue to Part 2 to read about how to fight back and minimize your risks.
Ed Meadows
Manager
MyOffice Tech, LLC
http://MyOfficeTechLLC.com
Support@MyOfficeTechLLC.com
360-769-0050
Internet Risks, Part 2: Fighting Back – contributed by MyOffice Tech
How in the world can anybody be safe today? The short answer is that you cannot be completely safe. There are just too many attacks on too many fronts for you to be successful in fending off all of them. But, short of disconnecting yourself, there are specific things you can do to reduce your risk:
- Windows updates: First and foremost, keep your system updated. Apply critical updates immediately and reboot when instructed to do so.
- Backups: Make sure you have an excellent computer backup system and methodology. You need to use a backup system that automatically and regularly creates image backups of your hard drives to a USB or network drive.
- High-risk website categories: If at all possible, stay away from them. If you must browse risky sites, do so while logged on to a “limited” or “standard” Windows user account as opposed to an “administrator” account. This will limit the amount of damage that malware can do if it does get on your system.
- Links: Do not click any links in emails, instant messages, or in other communications unless you are certain of the authenticity of the message and trust the destination of the link. Never click any link in an unsolicited message. This is the primary attack vector for social networking sites, and phony messages from “friends” can appear to be quite real, so be very suspicious of any links in them. Do not click on ads or external links on high-risk websites.
- Suspicious emails: Immediately delete strange emails from unknown senders without opening them.
- Anti-virus Systems: Select and use a top-rated anti-virus program or suite. There are quite a few that cluster around the top but all of these have strong and weak points. Remember that some free anti-virus programs are quite good, while some you have to pay for are sub-standard. Visit www.av-comparatives.org for unbiased ratings and reviews.
- Secondary Anti-Virus Systems: Run several manual/”on-demand” anti-virus programs in addition to your main suite for a “second opinion”. No single anti-virus suite or program is good at finding every type of malware. I recommend that you download and install Malwarebytes (www.malwarebytes.org), Superantispyware (www.superantispyware.com), HitMan Pro (www.surfright.nl), and SpyBot (www.safer-networking.org). Update them and run them often, but be aware of false positives. Any malware found should be quarantined if possible, not deleted, to allow recovery of a file or files in the event of a false positive.
- Hardware Firewall: Use a quality appliance, one that performs “stateful packet inspection” and employs NAT (network address translation). You must keep your firewall’s firmware updated.
- Software Firewall: These are usually included with higher-rated anti-virus suites. Carefully read any messages presented to you by them, and research the processes that are requesting access before you allow it. Generally, hardware firewalls and software firewalls do not conflict with each other.
- Applications: Keep your non-Microsoft applications, such as Adobe Reader and Java, updated. Bear in mind that Windows Updates do not update such applications, and many of their update mechanisms are broken. The best way to keep them secure is to use a fantastic piece of software called Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI). It identifies apps on your machine that are insecure and suggests how to fix them. This program is free to non-commercial users and can be downloaded at: http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal
- Internet Browser: Use a more secure browser. Mozilla Firefox is regarded as being more secure than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, and is faster, too. If you can tolerate re-logging into your favorite sites every time you reopen your browser, I recommend that you set your browser to automatically delete your history and cookies every time you exit.
- Browser add-ons: For Mozilla Firefox, I emphatically recommend “Web of Trust” and “BetterPrivacy”. Web of Trust is one of best security tools you can have.
- Scan your downloads: Send any files you have download to Virus Total (www.virustotal.com) for analysis before you open, execute, or install them. The current upload limit size is 15 MB.
- JavaScript: Disable JavaScript in your Adobe Reader.
- Email Preview Pane: If you can live without it, turn it off.
- Online banking: If at all possible, avoid it. You can always use a bank’s automated telephone service for many of the tasks you perform online. There is a new class of malware in the wild called “banker trojans” that are truly scary. The usual method of operation is like this: It sits on your computer, disguised and undetected, and waits for you to visit a banking site. When you do, it redirects you to a phony, look-alike site where you “log in”. This is where your credentials are stolen. It then sends you to your bank’s real site and logs you in. From your perspective, everything appears to be normal. The malware then quietly deletes itself. Funds are then transferred out of your bank account, usually in small amounts over a period of days or weeks so as not to trigger bank alerts.
You may still become infected at some point, despite your best efforts. The malware may be able to be removed and the damage repaired. If not, your system will have to be restored from an uninfected image backup from an earlier date. If no image backups are available, your system will have to be wiped clean and the operating system reinstalled. Depending upon the extent of the damage, your data may or may not be able to be saved before the restore or wipe.
The burden of remaining secure is high, but the costs of not doing so are much higher. We cannot reduce our risks to zero, but we can certainly fight back.
MyOffice Tech is experienced in computer security and computer health issues for individuals and small businesses. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding these subjects and to assist you with implementation of enhanced security measures.
Ed Meadows
Manager
MyOffice Tech, LLC
http://MyOfficeTechLLC.com
Support@MyOfficeTechLLC.com
360-769-0050
Are you ready to React or Effectively Respond?
How fast are you able to take action when an opportunity surfaces or a lead comes your way?
People say the first step to success (winning) is showing up. The next step is knowing how to play the game. Knowledge, strategy and timing are critical. (If you don’t have a strategy then please read all of my previous blog posts.) The third step is taking action.
Immediate responses are much more likely to bring results, but the key is in how well prepared your response is and how it is delivered. There is a big difference between an urgent, yet controlled response and a knee jerk reaction or over reaction. If you have done your homework, then you will have:
Researched the industry you are pursuing. The only way to present yourself well, either through a cover letter, or resume or during an interview is to have an understanding of the industry you are stepping into. That doesn’t happen overnight.
Researched the players. This means all the companies you might be interested in, in advance. Why? Because a last minute prowl on Linked In or Google cannot produce what you could have learned over time by contacting people in the company, long before a position is posted. Waiting until a posting appears is simply too late to learn about internal political issues, project failures, attitudes that have an impact on the role you are pursuing. Developing a strategy requires an awareness of all of that. Interviewing without background information, and having only a mission of getting the job leaves a candidate at an extreme disadvantage.
Prepared a “Master” resume. In order to quickly tailor a resume to fit each and every position you pursue, a detailed “Master” needs to be available to work from. Working from scratch will require too much time to carefully tailor carefully a resume in time to meet the demand of an urgent request. A sloppy resume or a “generic” resume will miss the mark.
Prepared a list of references. The time to notify your references is long in advance. Advise them of what you are looking at and why. Your list of current, relevant references should be ready to take with you when you are called in to interview.
Researched market information for salaries. You can count on being asked the money question. Know the market; know your value. Don’t wait until you get the question to think through your answer.
Resolved any unfinished projects/issues. If you need to go to work, then your house needs to be in order. Repairs to home, car, mind and body need to be completed. If there is anything at all that needs to be done that could interrupt your ability to report for work, then a plan needs to be in place before you interview. Schedule the dates and plan on how you can work around it, so that the needed time can be negotiated at the time an offer is made (not before!). If that is not possible, then you aren’t ready to go to work.
What have you thought of that might throw you into “reaction mode” rather than “response mode”?
Creating Opportunity
Most people who appear to get what they want begin with a vision or a goal. The clearer they become about what it is they are going after, the easier it is to set their sights on it and go after it. You might ask: “How do some people figure out or know what they want?” Perhaps in the beginning, they didn’t. But the difference between many that have what they want, and those that are still wishing, is that they did something more than wish about it to help themselves get more clear.
If you are unsure of what you want to do or can do, then the first step is to learn about what is out there. Start asking questions. You can ask people about different types of work, companies or industries you are interested in. You can ask people what they enjoy, what they are challenged by, or are what they are concerned about. You can ask anything that helps you move toward a target and will help you look beyond postings on job boards. Even if you don’t yet know what the full extent of your questions are, you can begin to move forward by asking the more obvious ones and move on from there as you learn more. Staying stuck, over-thinking things with only your own perspective to relate to, and not asking questions, is unlikely to change anything.
Once you have asked your first question, you will likely be prompted to learn more. There is a boat load of information on the Internet. You can type any kind of query into Bing or Google, and you are bound to come back with something of interest. You can research companies and people on LinkedIn to get a better idea of who is doing what, and for what company. You can piece together clues about a company’s culture by reading the profiles of their employees on LinkedIn. If you like tracking clues or investigating, then this should be the fun part. Take each sliver of information and consider the possibilities. Rather than only seeing the face value of what you learn, think it through. Look for clues to how the information could be a stepping stone in the right direction, rather than the ultimate goal. Pay close attention and seek out the less than obvious implications.
Each day I spend several hours researching companies to identify what they do, what their needs are, what they might be looking forward to. I read articles and news from many sites. I talk to recruiters, managers, and every day working people in all walks of life. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, but it does require motivation and commitment. I use the information to help people go to work. If you want to go to work sooner than later, then you can do it too.
So, now you might be asking: “What’s it take to find this stuff?” It requires reading, talking to people, listening for clues and following up on every single lead to the very end. Leads to opportunities are dropped in our laps every day; nuggets of information with potential for opportunities. It’s really what we then do with the information that makes all of the difference.
As an example, if someone tells you about a company that is moving to your area, why wait until there is a job posting? Find out what the company does, and determine if there is something you can offer that would be of value. Find someone to talk to in the company to learn more, and to develop a relationship with. Learn what their time lines are. There may be fallout from people not wishing to relocate. Don’t wait until after they move or after a posting goes out announcing their need before you contact them. If you wait until their need is common knowledge, you’ll be one of 1,000 other candidates contacting them.
If you have an idea of what you want to do and for whom, go after it. Stop passively chasing job announcements and proactively create opportunity.
What examples can you add for finding opportunity?
Nurture Your Network
What are you doing each day to nurture your network? Are you actively seeking ways to help others? Are you conscious of others’ needs as you go through your day? Do you listen and look for clues to situations or opportunities for others, or are you stuck on your own issues and needs?
Truly helping others means it is necessary to look beyond the surface. Having 3,000 Linked In contacts doesn’t lead a person to opportunity in and of itself, nor will it lead others to opportunity if the contacts are superficial. Certainly, having more contacts could lead to opportunities to develop new and productive relationships, but it requires work. Evaluate your motives. Are you truly interested in helping others or do you simply want to be visible?
Each day, time needs to be dedicated to thinking of others, reaching out, and nurturing those relationships. You might relate this to the old rule of quality vs. quantity. More isn’t better if you don’t know the people or aren’t nurturing your contacts. Being visible doesn’t equate to or take the place of having meaningful, productive relationships.
Ways to nurture:
- Be aware of what people really need or want. Ask them if you don’ t know.
- Send meaningful information to people that will actually resonate with them.
- Pay attention to the information available to you to get to know people better. (i.e., LinkedIn profiles, bios or info on other social networking sites.)
- Ask for advice on topics the individual would be knowledgeable in.
- Offer to connect people because you know something about them, not just because they asked to “be linked”.
- Do something thoughtful for someone you know without expecting reciprocation.
- Offer to help someone with something they are struggling with.
- Be respectful of other people’s time; be aware of their schedules or activities to ensure you are communicating in ways and at times that make sense.
How are you nurturing your network?
It’s the Easy Stuff That Can Make a Difference
It seems everyone waits for the ‘magic pill’ or ‘the answer’ to getting what they need or want. In the process, the most obvious things get overlooked. Take a look at the people you know that seem to be getting what they want: information, friends, the right job, or whatever it is the set their sights on. Do you really think it is just luck or some twist of fate? Probably not.
Some of what needs to be done is just plain simple. The people that get what they want get up early and approach each day as an opportunity to learn more, do more, and see more. They are hungry for information. They actively research to learn more, and use the information to create strategies for getting what they want. They are active, not passive. They follow up on every clue, every sliver of information. They follow up immediately with people they meet and begin to form relationships that will grow over time. They communicate their status and are responsive when contacted.
People that are doing what they want to do know that life is not static. They stay on top of their game by building skills and looking forward. They help others. Not with the intent of getting something back, but knowing that it just will work out that way over time. They answer questions, provide information, and stay connected to others.
People that are moving in the direction they desire are thoughtful about how they present themselves. They plan what they will say and are careful to present a professional image of themselves. They respect other people’s time by thinking through and editing correspondence or requests, to ensure the receiver gets just what they need to be able to easily help or respond.
People that seem to be on the right track are not waiting for others to help them. They do a little bit every day to move forward and eventually achieve their goals.
It’s all pretty simple. Are you able or willing to do the easy stuff?
• Get focused.
• Get up earlier!
• Stay active.
• Listen.
• Stay connected.
• Help others.
• Communicate clearly.
• Be respectful of other people’s time.
