Thursday’s Thought: Never Give Up

It was around 1983 and I was playing baseball on a team that I felt was the best 9 players ever to play together on one team. We were in the Nationals (similar to the Little League World Series which is now seen on ESPN - but for 16 year-old kids), and we losing 16-4 in the last inning and I was first to bat. I struck out. One out. The next player grounded out. Two outs. We starting taking off our cleats, putting away our equipment, and staring at the one "weirdo" on our team that was still in the cheering mode (clapping and rooting for the guy at the plate), when the coach (who was coaching on third base) called time-out and walked across the diamond to the first-base side dugout). He obviously saw what the rest of us were doing and for the first time ever, raised his voice to us and had a never ending speech about how we were winners, we were the best team, we never quit when we got down in previous games, and how we need to put our shoes back on and never give up. Well, as you might expect, we put on one of our famous rally's that other teams had witnessed in the past, and with the score now 16-14 with the bases loaded, the coach did something very strange. Remember that guy that was cheering when the rest of us were quitting? The coach called time out and brought Chris into the game as a pinch hitter. Chris was a good player, but probably the worst one on a team of 18. But Chris never gave up when the going got tough. And as you might imagine, Chris hit a ball that left the yard in 2 seconds flat. We won the game, but as I look back on that day now, I know I won something more than a game.

Just recently, I came across the poem below. I think it is fitting to those seeking employment.

Never Give Up!

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit –
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things go wrong that you must not quit.

Author Unknown

Tuesday’s Tip: No One Returns Your Voice-mails, Do They?

Let's face it, leaving someone a voice-mail is a crap-shoot. You are giving them control (which you need to keep at all times during your job search) when you leave that message and hope they call you back. You might have better luck betting on the Bears to win the Superbowl this year than hearing from them. So, it is time to get a little tricky.

If you want a call back, here is what you say in a real excited, upbeat voice, "Hi, this is Kevin Crews calling from 312-555-1212 and I am excited to tell you all about..." -click- (you hang up the phone in mid sentence). Their curiosity alone will pressure them to call you back. And when they do, it is your opportunity to sell yourself as a great candidate, or discuss what you were hopelessly going to leave them a voice-mail about.

Will they know that you have tricked them into calling you? Probably not, and you're not going to tell are you? Especially, since you're going to be too busy getting your message across to them while your competition is waiting for the phone to ring.

Thursday’s Thought: Scrooge Has Not Left The Building!

Every year about this time, I start to invite the snow into my life, welcome the joys of the Christmas season, and even look forward to wearing the heavy artillery because the temperatures have fallen to unmentionable degrees. I am even prepared to deal with the crazy shoppers that scurry to the malls like they are going out of business and just gotta have that third Mickey Mouse Pancake Maker in their household.

However, I am not prepared for the "attitude" that I encounter, and probably never will be receptive to people with bad attitudes (at least in a business environment). I may notice this more because I am a people watcher. If you have not tried this past-time activity, I encourage you to try it. I observe people. And I have seen Mr. & Mrs. Scrooge just about everywhere I go. They show up in restaurants, shopping areas, interviews, networking clubs, and even entertainment venues (how ironic). Since my attitude hasn't been 100% perfect in the general public (because let's face it, people make you mad sometimes), I can overlook those areas of misconduct, but I cannot forgive the job related or networking related attitudes that are running rampant in the business world.

Just in the past two weeks, I have witnessed the meltdown of Frosty the Optimistic Jobseeker Snowman. I know times are hard but your attitude will come across in both verbal and non-verbal communications. In the past, I have said that 95% of all recruiters are incompetent (and that is still true), but I also would say that 95% of all recruiters DO have the ability to sniff out a bad attitude. That is one trait that almost all recruiters are capable of doing. Thus, you might have the "ability" to do the job, but you are not getting an offer because your attitude is not up to par. People don't want to hire a scrooge. If you have to fake it until you make it, I suggest you do that, because Hiring Managers are observant, and are rejecting people because of "fit". And one of those main components of "fit" is your attitude. Think about it this way, "Would you hire you (and your attitude)?"

Tuesday’s Tip: Get Your Own Domain Name

Okay, I think we can safely say that this Internet thing is more than a fad... It just might be around for awhile. So, with my bold prediction, I want you to go out an invest in this phenomenon. A very wise investment would be to purchase a domain name for your business or brand. I have purchased www.kevincrews.com and www.corporatetransitionservices.com (however the latter is not ready for prime-time yet). I want you to come up with a few names that you see as a relevant description of you or your brand. Then, go to www.checkdomain.com to see if that name is available. If it is, you can go to a number of providers to register that name. The one I use is www.godaddy.com. It will probably cost you under $15 per year (note: you can get discounts if you buy that name for multiple years). Once you have registered that name, all you need now is someone to "host" your site. Go Daddy will also do that for you, but most people recommend to have a separate site (from where you registered that name) to host your content. Go to www.webhostingsearch.com to find the different prices for web hosting. It will cost around $4 per month. Now you are ready to increase your brand awareness by putting your resume on your new domain name, starting a blog that discusses your area of expertise, publish content to draw people to your site, and begin to develop your internet presence.

With companies not valuing employees like they did in the 70's, 80's and early 90's, people are changing jobs every few years. You need a place to provide and nurture an ongoing brand of "you". When you leave a company, they keep all of their assets, except your knowledge. They can't have that. But if it is only in your mind, how are other people going to know you are an expert in that area. You will also demonstrate that you are technically savvy. See the value?

Thursday’s Thought: Happy Thanksgiving

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Eat well, rest well, and then starting tomorrow, work off those extra pounds you gobbled up today by showing up at your targeted companies, park in the last row and walk into their lobby with confidence that you are there to solve their problems. Your "energy" alone should shed 1-2 pounds! If I could give you a Holiday gift, it would be a brand new attitude. Let's forget about the past, be thankful for what we do have, and concentrate on that bright future ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Kevin Crews - The Career Gobbler

Tuesday’s Tip: I Have to Click That Apply Button

Most job seekers that I meet have a very bad addiction. They turn on their computers every morning, look on the job boards for positions that they are interested in and before they take a second sip of their coffee, they have clicked "Apply" two or three times already.

Why are you so determined to be the first resume to enter the Black Hole? Is there a prize that I am not aware of that goes to the person who gets their resume in first? Clicking that apply button will actually hurt your chances of getting the position. Here's why...

Most jobs these days are obtained through networking and a large component of that networking comes through employee referrals. Most large companies have an employee referral program where current employees get paid a "finders fee" for submitting a resume that eventually gets hired.

So instead of clicking the apply button on the job board, I feel you should spend about a week trying to network with other people that are currently working for that company, in hopes that you establish a good relationship with them and after they are impressed with you, they would be comfortable submitting you as a candidate. The company's perception is that good employees hang out with and know other good people with a like skill set. Thus, that is why they pay a finder's fee to that employee. For example, when Michael Jordan was playing basketball, don't you think he hung out with and knew other great players? If he was to recommend a player to his coach, don't you think they would "interview" him? Absolutely. This is the same concept in corporate America.

Thus, if you apply for that job through the job board, and then start networking with an employee who wants to submit you via the internal employee referral program, they are going to loose that desire to help you when they learn you already submitted your resume via another channel. Why? Because when your fast fingers clicked "apply", the system time-stamped dated that point in time and the employee who wants to submit you has no chance of getting paid because the applicant tracking system will award the "find" to that job board that you were so determined to partner with by clicking on their pretty little button.

You do not have to be the first resume into the company's database. Recruiters will not begin to work on that newly posted position for at least a week. They are busy working on other requisitions that have been open for a longer time period. Be patient, work your network, and let others help you as well. To nail down my point one more time, how many times has the Apply button gotten you the job? Exactly!

Thursday’s Thought: Mushy Gushy Time

Since I often describe myself as the Simon Cowell for Career Consulting, I usually don't get too touchy feely. But we all need to step out of our comfort zone from time to time. There are a lot of great unemployed talent out there these days and I wanted to attempt to provide my heartfelt advice (or at least as much that could possibly come from a Simon Cowell type advise giver).

Lately, as I have talked with individuals 1:1, or in group settings, it appears that people have started to give up. The attendance at networking groups is down, the excitement and desire to win this game is no longer present, and the fire-in-the-eye attitude that they used to bring each day to work is going out. There have even been some that decided to no longer pursue this thing that we call "life".

With a large percentage of people being unemployed for 6 months or more, some do not see the light at the end of the tunnel and thus have lost hope.

Below is an Aborigine Philosophy that I heard from Jimmy Buffett:

Life's adventures are the verses and choruses of a unique song. And when it's over, you are dead. Adventures don't come calling like unexpected cousins visiting from out of town. You have to go looking for them.

Are you still looking for them?

If you look back at your life, and remember the rough spots (and adventures), didn't you learn or grow from them? Are those rough spots still bringing you down? Most are probably very smooth and shiny looking to you by now. Time, patience, and trust have turned your perception of them around.

You will get out of this unemployment mess that you find yourself in, and my bet is that you will look back to this time period in a few years and see the value you gained from this journey.

Bottom line message for today's post is: Like most males, we don't want to stop and ask for directions. We think we can do it on our own. However, this unemployment game is a team sport. When you are feeling that you can't play anymore, ask for help. You don't have to go through this alone.

Charged by momentum, driven by determination,

Kevin

Tuesday’s Tip: Are You Shooting Bull’s Eyes At Your Targeted Companies

Often times, people add a company to their targeted list, just because. They have not done detailed research into that company and they have no plan of action. Taking a strategic approach will help you, as well as people in your network, identify those companies where you should spend most of your job search time.

Your targeted companies are a "work-in-progress". You should always be researching companies to add to your list. Start with a manageable size (10-20) and work them until you can delete them. Then research and add some more. Also, don't forget the little guys! Most hiring these days are in small to medium sized companies.

Too many people are only targeting companies that are in their geographic region. If you fall into this category, you are missing opportunities at great companies that allow telecommuting. Some studies show that over 40% of companies offer some telecommuting options.

Note: on your Handbills, you should not only list your Targeted Companies, you should also list your desired contacts within those companies. For example:

Targeted Companies:

Allstate (VP's or Directors in Marketing)

Sears (Management levels in Retail)

Since most people in the world are visual learners, on your Handbill, include a picture of yourself so that people will remember you. They meet with a lot of people each week, and the chances of them remembering you a few weeks later when they have a lead for you will only be enhanced if you include a picture on your handbill to make the memories come back!

Thursday’s Thought: Laid Off? Start Your Own Business Immediately (If Not Sooner)

I have talked about discrimination in a previous post, but let's re-address one of those issues now... A lot of employers seem to think that the unemployed are not working for a valid reason, and in this economy, they feel that they have the "pick of the litter" and often choose to only contact and interview candidates that are currently employed. They even have a term for these candidates. They call them "Passive Candidates". The "other" ones are "Active Candidates".

To counter attack their flawed logic, you need to start your own "consulting" business as soon as you get laid off so that it looks like you do not have a gap in employment. It also looks like you are currently employed. Put a few bullet points under your new company listing some of the skills and accomplishments that you have gained thus far in your career, and you have most likely fooled the fools!

Tuesday’s Tip: Laid Off On Monday? Start Your Own Business On Tuesday!

When you get that dreaded call from HR, asking you to come to a conference room, you are about to be let go. No matter how good of a "quick talker" you are, you are not going to change their mind! Don't even try. However, there are some things that you might be able to get.

The first thing to remember is to never sign anything on the same day that you are given your walking papers and/or severance package. By law, they have to give you reasonable time (sometimes up to 60 days) to review the documents and they CANNOT revoke any of the severance offerings because you are asking for time to review the material/package.

The delay tactic should be used because it is a very emotional time and you are not in the right frame of mind to make logical decisions after being shown the door. Your goal over the next few days/weeks is to see if you can obtain more than is initially offered to you. It doesn't hurt to ask, and what are they going to do to you, fire you again?

Some things that you should make sure is in the severance package:

• Payout of vacation days, sick days, personal days earned, but not used


• Any upcoming bonuses (prorated)


• Continuance of health benefits for a few months (before COBRA kicks in)


• A positive reference from the company


• A minimum of 2 weeks of pay for each year of service

There are many other things that you might want to negotiate, but they are dependent upon your level in the company and your negotiating power. If they perceive you as an intellectual threat or someone that may initiate litigation, you may get more than someone else. The bottom line is not to take their first offering. You dedicated your time and energy to the company, and if they didn't pay the CEO a gazillion dollars, they might be able to keep some employees around for a longer time frame.

Thursday's post will discuss starting your own business.