Thursday, May 27, 2010

"It's all about doing the things others are unwilling to do."

   I was watching the movie "Rudy" the other night with my wife and kids. "Rudy" is the story of a person with a dream that is seemingly so impossible that everyone dismisses it except for the dreamer himself. Rudy wants to go to Notre Dame and to play football for the Irish. Rudy's grades aren't very good, he is a little guy and playing collegiate football is hard on the body if not downright dangerous. But, Rudy sticks with it despite every challenge and in the end is carried off the field a hero and achieves a degree from Notre Dame University.

   How many times in life are we tired, beat up and bloodied and still we get up and go at it again? That is the message of the "Rudy" story. Keeping your eye on the goal and if you lose sight of the goal, refocus and keep going. This happens everyday and some people pick themselves up and continue and others quit and give up the goal.

   Todd Smith, of "Little Things Matter" once commented to me, "It's all about doing the things that others are unwilling to do." Think about that for a minute...

   So what are you willing to do to move your career along? Will you humbly promote yourself? I hear people say... "I don't like blowing my own horn!" So who will if you won't? Not the competition, I've never heard the Ford Motor Company say, "Gee aren't those GM cars and trucks the best!" Blow your horn; write down and keep track of your accomplishments and develop them into success stories! It take work to stop and think and log in the experience and then hone it down to a story people will want to hear. But it's worth it, because the other guy is likely unwilling to do it--because they don't want to blow their own horn!

   I heard a stat once that 60% of all interviews are never acknowledged with a thank-you! Seriously, 60% of the time people don't say thank you to the interviewer for taking time to meet with them. Not a note or email or phone call... because??? Who knows why?... Does it matter? If you send a thank-you you've moved into the 40% who do. And maybe only 4%, four out of a hundred, will make a phone call to thank the interviewer. If the interviewer only interviews five or six people you'll probably be the only one who will make the call. That's one way to distinguish yourself among the crowd.

   If it's about doing what others are unwilling to do... what are you willing to do?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

"I really liked him, but..."


On the way out to my next appointment, the manager stopped me to ask me what we were talking about. I had been working with a client at a local Caribou Coffee shop discussing  networking and interviewing techniques. She over heard me making a point to my client. 

Maria told me that they had a Job Fair the other weekend from 9:00 to 1:00 and 30 people came in to fill out applications and interview. She shared with me some of her experiences from the Job Fair and as a manager interviewing candidates. 

She had one young fellow that was really sharp and had really great answers to all of her questions. She really liked him and would have hired him but... he was wearing a baseball hat backwards during the interview. She went on to tell me that they have a uniform at Caribou and she doubted that he would respect the uniform. 

Maria told me to her, little things really matter - a lot! How someone dresses, do they have a pen and a copy of their resume all shout to her about the person's attitude. "If they're not prepared for the interview, how prepared will they be on the job?"

Maria shared with me a frustration she has with professionals in transition. These folks may have had big jobs managing big budgets or departments; in the interview they talk about what they did in the past job without consideration of what she is looking for. She's looking for people who can make a year or more commitment and can demonstrate customer service and teamwork skills.

It's important for folks to remember that it may be a survival job to you, but to the interviewer it is their career. What messages are being sent? The interviewer may be looking for punctuality and dependability, and feel patronized when the discussion moves to how you managed a million dollar budget.

This is not dumbing down your resume, it's presenting your skills and abilities in response to the interviewer's needs. It's putting your focus on the job and not on your needs  or making yourself feel important. 

So, if it's a survival job your looking at or even the next step in your career remember everyone's favorite radio station is WII-FM. (What's in it for me!) Play the songs and tell the stories they want to hear. Be prepared to make a favorable impression by presenting yourself in a positive light.

Good hunting...

Monday, May 10, 2010

Inspirational Books and Movies


   A few weeks ago I asked the readers of my blog to comment on the books, movies and music that inspire them and have helped them deal with difficult times in their lives. The movies that people reported that were inspirational to them are:


Endurance (the story of Ernest Shackleton), by Alfred Lansing
Survivor's Club, by Ben Sherwood
Jump Start Your Brain, by Doug Hall & David Wecker
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John Maxwell
Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will, by Noel M. Tichy & Stratford Sherman
Who Moved my Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, M.D.
The Power of Focus, by Jack Canfield, et. al.
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.
The Laidoff Ninja, by Craig Brown & Javed Ikbal
90 Minutes in Heaven, by Rev. Don Piper


I want to thank Rien, Jim, Sharon, Chuck and Katy for their suggestions. I also recommend:


How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie 
Leadership Jazz, by Max DePree 
Success The Glenn Bland Method, by Glenn Bland 
How to Have Power and Confidence in Dealing With People, by Les Giblin 
See You at the Top, by Zig Ziglar

   These are very good books for anyone in sales or a job search. And as I have said before, but bears repeating, to maintain a positive attitude you need to put positive things into your brain. Reading is the most powerful way to influence your attitude. Many of these books are also on tape or CD. However, listening to a book is great in the car but research cites that a listener needs to hear the recording as many as 4 times to get the same impact as reading. Often I read the book and then get a recorded edition to reinforce what I've read previously.


   Sadly, I found out that if you don't have a Google account, Live Journal, Wordpress, TypePad, AIM  or OpenID account you cannot comment on my blog. I'm sorry for that inconvenience. I also only got two movie suggestions: Jerimiah Johnson and The Outlaw Jose Wales. To that I add the Shawshank Redemption as one of the best inspirational movies. 


   One final thought. Of all the books, movies and songs suggested, I read 90 Minutes in Heaven for the first time. Wow. Regardless of your life situation this story really hit the nail on the head regarding transition. I will be doing a presentation in the near future on "90 Minutes: A Life Metaphor." Before this suggestion, whenever someone had a tragedy in their life, I offered them one of two books to read. First, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, by Harold S. Kushner and second The Gift of Peace, by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. Now I have a third book to offer. All three of these books and the stories they contain confirm what Viktor Frankl wrote in Man's Search for Meaning, namely if you believe that you have someone in your corner, you can survive anything and thrive beyond the tragedy you suffer.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Would you hire yourself?

  I recently gave a talk where I posed the question which is the title of this blog entry. The question leads one to access what is unique about oneself. What are my strengths? What do I do which people would consider me an expert? Above and beyond this is the question; once I get noticed as the special and unique person I  am, how do I get a job offer? 
“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”  
  Dr. Norman Vincent Peale makes a point that we should revisit on a regular basis and constantly remind ourselves. I've often said, all things being equal or near equal, the hiring manager will hire the person they like best. Among all the things that makes us most likable is enthusiasm. An enthusiastic person is most likely to make a more favorable impression than a pragmatist or a pessimist.

  There are other benefits to being enthusiastic too. Enthusiasm builds energy in us. When we are more enthusiastic we are more creative. We are quicker to see and seize on opportunities. However when we are filled with fear or feel defeated due to our job search it feels like we have no energy or joy. We're flat as a cold  pancake. This is the worst place to be when seeking a new job.
 
  So if you are feeling down, depressed and/or bored... You need to pump yourself up. One of the questions from that workshop was, "How do you stay positive when you've been over a year looking for a job?"

  The answer is a difficult one and really depends on the person asking the question. For some people who may be clinically depressed they need to see their doctor or a psychotherapist and seek professional assistance. Regardless of the treatment, medication or therapy or both, fixing this needs to be a priority. A successful job search is nearly impossible if you're suffering from depression. 

  If you're not suffering from depression there are other things you can do to pump yourself up. Read a good book, something spiritual or inspiring. Listen to professional speakers on tape or CD; people like Zig Ziggler, Denis Waitley, or Stedman Graham. Listen to positive radio or internet radio broadcasts. For example, Joe Takash of Victory Consulting does an internet broadcast for VoiceAmerica Business <link> or there is Joy Maguire-Dooley's radio show Job Talk on AM 1530 broadcast out of WJJG in Elmhurst, IL. 

  In order to be positive at a difficult time in your life, you have to put positive things into your brain by reading, watching and listening. Be around positive people and run away from negative people with "stinkin' thinking" attitudes. Stay away from the evening news; even NPR which has loads of positive stuff, still has stories that will bring you down when you need to be pumping yourself up.  

  Finally, exercise, a balanced diet and sleep are essential to good physical and mental health. If your body is out of wack you'll not deliver the message you want when meeting with people. If you are sleep deprived it's hard to be enthusiastic. If you're in physical pain you'll be distracted and miss opportunities to shine.