A Thank You A Day Keeps Your Job Search In Play!

Do you want to add more energy to your job search? Commit to sending out at least one thank you letter a day. Truly motivated individuals will shoot for more. Why assign a goal to the process of sending out thank you letters? It's simple. When you have a goal like that you are more likely to stay focused on having the type of contact with people that would warrant sending a thank you. This contact dramatically increases the odds of you finding employment sooner.

As much as I appreciate job seekers realizing the importance of sending thank you letters in general, it is stunning to me how many only have the occasional need to send one out. If you are only cranking out one or two a month, you've got trouble! Either you're neglecting to say thanks or you simply aren't doing enough to justify more. As much as the first possibility disappoints me, the second is worse. Insufficient activity can be your worst enemy during a search. Imagine the momentum you could be experiencing if you had thirty people to thank each month versus two. Tell yourself each day I'm going to connect with at least one person in a way that warrants follow-up with a thank you note. Every week that goes by with you adding 7 people to your job search efforts will bring you closer to the prize.

Are You Fixing What's Truly Broken?

A dear friend of mine is on the umpteenth version of her resume. She's constantly tweaking the content. She's been looking for a job for several months now and keeps feeling the need to make changes. Everyone is weighing in on what could be different or better.

What's interesting to me is she hasn't really had trouble landing interviews and connecting with people. Since the resume serves as part of the foot in the door process, my bet is that she is fixing something that isn't broken. The best indicator your resume needs work is the absence of interviews. Since she's doing fine in that area, something further down the line is likely causing her problems. It could be any number of things. The key is identifying where the problem is in the process and focusing on correcting likely causes. Investing time, energy and resources repairing what is already working well for you in a job search won't change the outcome.

Another friend has been working very hard on interviewing techniques. He's read many books and attended a number of workshops on the subject. Great idea, but he has the opposite problem of the friend I described previously. He rarely gets called for interviews. Though it's valuable to refine interview skills, for him he probably needs to devote more time to improving his flow of job leads, his resume and his introduction to companies. His ability to interview well won't amount to much if he doesn't repair whatever is preventing him from having a chance to show that skill off.

So, how do you know what to fix? Break the process of landing a job down into categories and figure out where you are coming up short. If you aren't getting interviews, perhaps your resume and means of identifying job leads are failing you. If you are getting plenty of first interviews, but aren't being invited back as a finalist, something may be wrong with how you engage the decision maker, show your relevance for the job and address the questions asked of you. If you get to the final stage and aren't getting acceptable offers, you likely are fine in the resume and question answering department. Your attention probably needs to be directed towards your efforts to close the deal. Perhaps you are lacking in negotiation skills or in the way you highlight how your strengths translate to bottom line value for the company. Another unfortunate possibility is that your references are causing a snag. Something to think about.

In a nutshell, there are things job seekers need to fix along the way. Keeping an open mind to how you or your strategy should change is important. Make sure you are fixing the part of your search that is actually broken, however. Focusing on the wrong things just adds to the frustration one feels when putting forth a lot of effort with minimal return.

Don't Be A Momentum Killer

When I encounter a job seeker determined to dwell on the negative, it feels a lot like when a slow moving vehicle pulls out in front of me and forces me to take my foot off the gas pedal. One moment I'm cruising along, accomplishing things on my mission. In the next moment, I'm stuck waiting for a person to speed up or pull over so I can continue on my way.

I understand there are many things that stink about looking for a job. Times are tough and the list of potential things to complain about is long. Perhaps your own mission lacks momentum at the moment, but others may have what it takes to lead the way out of this mess. If you meet people traveling at a fast pace and aren't prepared to stay ahead of or beside them, pull to the side and let the leaders roll by. No one benefits if everyone gets to the finish line late. Ride in the draft. It will make the journey easier for all. When you aren't at the top of your game, the best contribution you can make to a team effort is to avoid getting in the way. Who knows? After drafting you may find the power to move to the front when others run out of energy.

Palm-to-Forehead Moments

Have you ever had a palm-to-forehead moment after an interview when you realized you failed to mention key details about your qualifications and accomplishments? You're not alone. I'm going to skip the lecture on how proper preparation prior to an interview helps prevent this outcome and jump right to what to do when it happens.

Keep in mind what employers hope to accomplish from an interview. The goal is to process as much relevant information as possible to determine if the person can do the job well, enhance the team, be retained for a reasonable amount of time and help meet corporate objectives. If there is something about your background that is important to figuring out if you are the right person for the job, decision makers usually want to know. Your "I wish I would have said that" could easily result in "I wish I would have known that" for employers if you leave information off the table.

So, what's a good plan for fixing the problem? The decision to reject you for a job usually comes quickly after an interview. Whatever you failed to share with an interviewer needs to be addressed immediately. That means an email or phone call is in order. I recommend an email because it can be shared readily with other decision makers and included in your file.

Here's an example of what I would say...

Dear Tom,

Thank you for the time you took to meet with me today. My interest in the Sales Manager role is high. After reflecting on our conversation, I realized I have additional information that may help you determine if I am the best fit for your opportunity and wanted to share it with you immediately.

First, I am an active member of 'XYZ Association' and have access to a number of corporate and community leaders. These contacts would enhance my efforts to grow your business. Second, I am fluent in French. Your company has operations in Quebec. In the event having a bilingual individual on staff would benefit you, I wanted to be sure you were aware of my language abilities.

Thank you again for your consideration. I hope the additional information I provided was helpful. If you would appreciate further details, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

....

That gives you an idea. The key is to make it clear the information is being shared to benefit the decision maker. There is no need to dig into why you forgot to mention this or that. Keep it simple and get to the point quickly. Feel free to beef this up with an additional paragraph reiterating what you revealed in your interview that makes you a fit, just don't turn the email into a novel. The point of this message is damage control. If you supply this information and are still rejected for a job, at least you'll know you were ruled out with all critical information on the table. You won't have to wonder if the outcome would have been different had the decision maker known what you failed to share.

Um, Who?

When interviewing someone, one of the main things I look for is whether or not the person gets it. Now, what is "it?" In a nutshell, the person needs to show me they have a clue of what it takes to successfully navigate the job. Their words and actions must convey they are engaged in the task of delivering quality work versus simply going through the motions or telling me what I want to hear.

To help make my point, I'm going to toss in a quick story. Jake, not his real name, applied to be a recruiter on my team several years ago. He patted himself on the back for his ability to build connections. Connections are the name of the game in recruiting. Jake pulled out a stack of business cards approximately 2 inches thick and set them on my desk. "These are the connections I've made just in the past few weeks," he bragged. The stack looked impressive. I picked up the stack, selected a card from the middle, showed him the card and asked him to tell me about that person. Jake's response was to tell me the person's name, title and company. Great, he can read a business card. I wanted more. "Tell me about the person, Jake. In connecting with this person, what did you come to learn about him and his company?" Jake's eyeballs rolled up in his brain to look for a good answer. There wasn't one to be had.

Jake found himself in the unfortunate category of those who don't get it. His mind told him having a person's business card equaled having a relationship. Not so. Jake lacked the basic understanding of what it took to be successful in the job he was convinced was a fit. When I pointed out Jake didn't really have relationships with these individuals, he became defensive. Clearly I didn't appreciate his abilities. He was no longer interested in working for me. In his mind, I didn't get it. Me, the one with "President's Club" and "Million Dollar Producer" stamped on my business card.

So, what to do with this tidbit? Honestly, I don't know. It's hard to be aware of when you may not "get it" at times. You can reduce your chances of falling into this category by truly considering what it would take to be successful with every job you apply for. Be honest with yourself about where your talents truly lie. When interviewers hint you may be coming up short in some way, give the points consideration before becoming defensive. Not getting it doesn't have to be a permanent condition.

Help Me Get Lansing Professionals Working

Some of you are aware I am working on a special project to bring unemployed professionals together and increase their exposure to corporate decision makers in the Lansing, Michigan. As of last week, Capital Area Michigan Works has given me the green light to organize career networking groups. These groups will be organized by profession, meet regularly at Capital Area Michigan Works, encourage the exchange of leads, provide ideas on job search strategy and allow companies a direct means of reaching out to specific career types. There is no cost to participate. Meeting dates and times will be determined once we have an idea what works best with the schedules of those participating.

If you know of individuals in the Lansing area who are unemployed and have a background or interest in the professional categories listed below, I'd appreciate you putting them in touch with me. I am looking for individuals who would benefit from participating in the networking groups. They are set to launch in early March. There will be an opportunity for some of have a leadership role within the groups, increasing their likelihood of collaborating with corporate decision makers.

Here are the categories for the career networking groups:

1. Business Management (HR, Accounting, Admin, Operations)
2. Information Technology / Information Systems
3. Sales / Marketing / Business Development
4. Health / Medical
5. Science / Engineering / Manufacturing
6. Just for Boomers (Cross Professional)

This is an exciting and much needed initiative. I appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word. Interested individuals can message me through Twitter (www.Twitter.com/RecruiterUncens) or email me at Lisa(at)FindAFit(dot)com. Hopefully I've avoided spam by recording my email address this way. Time will tell.

I'd like to close with a big THANK YOU to Kate Tykocki and the rest of the Capital Area Michigan Works team for helping to get this idea off the ground! By the way, I recommend following Kate on Twitter. She frequently Tweets jobs in Mid-Michigan. You can find her at camwkate.

Another THANK YOU goes out to a fantastic group of job seekers who participate in my round table who are helping to launch these groups. You guys are great. Especially, I must thank Bill Nurmi whose Tweet started all of this goodness in motion.

Sob Stories

Sob stories are problematic. When I find myself on the receiving end of one there is often the sense the individual spinning the tale believes he or she is the only person to have experienced some sort of obstacle or set back in life. Solutions and suggestions of how to look at the experience in a more positive way are met with head shakes and comments about not understanding. I haven't walked in that person's shoes, you see. I don't get just how uniquely impossible the situation is.

At the risk of sounding insensitive, it seems necessary to say few things in life are rare. Those who believe they have an obstacle others couldn't possibly understand are likely wrong. Most people experience wrenches along the way. I don't have to specifically walk in another person's shoes to understand loss, fear, rejection, exhaustion, anger, inequality and insecurity. The human experience dictates most of us will struggle with all of these in our own way through life. The bad things in life that happen to us don't define who we are. How we address them and move forward plays a greater role. Those stuck in the belief their sob story tops all others and is responsible for goals remaining out of reach fail to consider those they complain to may have overcome that and more.

I used to work with a woman who was a magnet for obstacles. You wouldn't know it by looking at her, but just about every thing that could go wrong in her world did. She kept her chin up and her eyes on the future. Just like me, she sat across the desk from many people who dismissed her point of view as coming from a person who couldn't possibly understand. She was successful and happy, you see. Little did they know their problems would have been a nice vacation for her. She didn't wear it on her sleeve. When she gave people advice, advice that was dismissed, she really did understand.

My advice, when you're having a hard time with something don't write off those who seem to have had an easier path as not understanding. Don't dismiss their advice as coming from someone with a charmed existence. There really is no way to know the experiences of others. Anyone who has found a way to be healthy, successful and happy deserves consideration. It is highly unlikely, if they are indeed human, to have gotten as far as they have in life without some sort of sleep robbing, ulcer generating, ego slicing problem popping up along the way. The person you are sure couldn't possibly understand may turn out to be the person with the best ideas for how to overcome your problems.