By Tory Johnson
From LA…
What impressed me the most last week at Maria Shriver’s California Women’s Conference was not the star power—CBS anchor Katie Couric, White House advisor Valerie Jarrett and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, among others—but the positive and upbeat mood among the thousands of women who attended this estrogen expo.
These smart women are clearly looking forward—not back—and seem anything but depressed, despite their state’s hard hit economy. I could feel it in the room as I spoke to them about my own fired to hired story and then afterward in their thoughtful and probing questions about today’s job market. Ever gracious Shriver told the crowd that I used to work for her at NBC and then joked that someday she’ll be asking me for help in finding a job. I think not, but it was nice to get such a warm compliment from a woman I have always admired.
Jillian Michaels, who has guided so many people on NBC’s Biggest Loser, showed her very serious side when she told a hushed audience to stop playing by antiquated rules that tell them to put themselves last. Couric talked about resilience. When boss after boss told her she wasn’t good enough, instead of crawling into a hole, she worked harder and harder…always giving what she called her best. Shriver also spoke so lovingly about recently losing her best friend, her mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She said everyone should embrace being loved and nurtured by other people–and that when you lose someone it’s ok to grieve on your timeframe, not anyone else’s. Lisa Niemi—Patrick Swayze’s widow –eloquently revealed the cruelty of the gossip tabloids that tried to steal their hope after his devastating diagnosis.
Jarrett hammered home one of my favorite themes—that women must help women. And Albright had the 12,000 women roaring with her infamous line that there’s a special place in hell for those who don’t help one another.
Each of these women focused on perseverance. Instead of succumbing to any number of obstacles, they’ve carved their own paths and broken through challenges.
…to NYC
I was reminded again of the California Women’s Conference this past Sunday when I cheered my brother on the streets of Manhattan during the ING New York City Marathon. He and more than 40,000 others took to the streets in an awesome display of mind-blowing achievement. Runners of all ages, shapes and abilities shared one clear trait: They set their sights on a goal and their bodies delivered.
Each and every one of them reminded me that it’s too easy to make excuses about why we can’t do something, when in reality if you really want it, everything is indeed possible.
…and then to Houston
I’ll see that spirit on display in Houston this month at the Texas Governor’s Conference for Women.
What are you setting your sights on right now—and what are you doing to break through the challenges to make it happen? Share your experiences here.
From California to the Streets of New York: Everything is Possible
5 Mistakes Job-Seekers Make
By Tory Johnson
Get a leg up on your job search: avoid pessimism, generic pitches. There's no room for error in your job search these days - not with unemployment at its highest level since 1992.
Jobs are scarce and the competition is brutal. You've got to look and act the part of the qualified candidate and stand out from the crowd as a top-notch jobseeker.
Some top mistakes to avoid on your job search:
Share with your family - not your future boss. Yes, these are hard times and you may be facing some personal financial woes. But whether you're networking or interviewing, never share mortgage woes, credit card debt or child care challenges with anyone you're talking to about a job. Focus on your skills and abilities and what you bring to the particular position and the organization, not on what the job means to your personal finances.
Don't wait by the phone. Don't sit there waiting for HR to call. Be pro-active: make that phone ring by following up on every resume you've submitted. Internet referrals are the leading source of new hire leads at every large employer, so get involved with social networks like LinkedIn.com and Facebook. (If you apply to company XYZ, go to LinkedIn and search for that company, its location and the job title recruiter or HR manager. Most times a name will pop up for you to call.) You can also Google the name of the company, along with the words "recruiter" or "hr manager" and see if a name pops up because that person has appeared in the media or on an industry Web site. That'll give you a starting point to begin the follow-up. If you think you're too old for this stuff, think again and ask someone younger about it. They'll get you going in a few minutes.
Be specific about what you've been up to. If you've been out of work for several months or more, expect to be asked what you've been doing during that time. Saying you've just been job-searching is not impressive. It means you've attempted something unsuccessfully for quite some time. Even though we're in a recession, that's not a good enough answer. Instead, share a story about how you've spent the time: focus on a volunteer initiative you've taken on, the books you're reading, or the classes you're taking. Have something positive to briefly discuss to account for your time. "Looking for a job" is a non-starter.
While I'm at it, if you're like many job seekers, you're probably tempted to tell an interviewer that you're a "team player." You and the rest of the world! It's too generic because if pressed for details, how would you back up that label? "I say yes whenever anyone asks me to do anything. I'll do anything for anyone." That's not necessarily a team player; that's a pushover in the workplace! Instead, focus on a specific example of a time you brought together a group. Or a time when you listened so effectively that you were able to understand and overcome the concerns of your department to bring about consensus. Be ready to cite specific anecdotes from your work history. This is where many people get tongue-tied -- so you'll be ahead of the pack with examples at the ready.
Do not fidget, shift in your seat, play with hair. Interviewers look for body language that shouts poor confidence: averting eyes, shifting in a seat, playing with hair, chewing gum, or clicking a pen. Those things distract from the conversation and can make the other person uncomfortable. Instead, offer a firm handshake, maintain eye contact, stand and sit tall and always smile. That'll bolster your presentation.
Keep upbeat. This is true not only in any job-related conversation or interview, but even privately. Even though it seems there's little to be hopeful about given rising unemployment and underemployment, measured optimism is essential as you face each day. Optimism alone won't get you hired, but great skills and pessimism will keep you unemployed. In the search process, camaraderie and character can sometimes trump credentials, so the right attitude is essential.
Don't let interviewer ask all the questions. Even though you'll spend most of your time selling yourself in an interview, don't cede all the decision-making to the other side. You've got to evaluate the prospective employer, too. Be curious.
Two questions you must ask: Why is this position vacant? (Maybe someone was promoted from within, which could be a good sign. Or maybe turnover is a huge concern. You don't want to find out on day one that you're the fifth person in six months to sit at that desk.)
The other question: If you could change one thing about the culture of this department or company, what would it be? (This is a polite way of asking what's wrong with the place without being rude. It will offer you valuable insights.)
12 Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
By Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire
Gone are the days of simply mailing your resume, receiving a call, shaking hands at the interview and agreeing on a start date for that new job. The Internet has taken over the recruiting landscape and everyone is required to submit a resume online. While that brings greater efficiency to the process for employers, it can be awfully maddening for job seekers. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you know how to navigate the system.
Consider these 12 tips before pressing “submit:”
1) Search job boards and the websites of employers that appeal to you. Print out the job postings that you’re interested in pursuing before you apply.
2) Use a highlighter to mark the keywords and industry language used to describe the requirements and responsibilities.
3) Compare those words and phrases to the language that appears in your current resume.
4) Figure out how and where to add the most relevant keywords to your resume, assuming you have the specific knowledge, skills and experience. Applicant tracking systems will search for keyword matches – the more matches, the better, which often determines if a recruiter opts to view your resume.
5) Once you’re confident that your resume reflects a strong match, go ahead and submit that targeted resume online.
6) If the system requests a cover letter, write a short one that expresses why
you’re a strong match and why you’d like to join the organization. This is a chance to tout your research on the role.
7) Never submit a generic, one-size-fits-all resume or cover letter. If you really want the position, you’ll customize all documents for each job.
8) Once you apply, get to work to find an internal referral to make a personal introduction. Here’s how:
-- Make a list of 50 people you know and ask each one if they know someone who works (or has worked) at that employer.
-- Attend job fairs to meet face-to-face with employers and other professionals.
-- Create a free profile and become active on LinkedIn.com or Facebook.com, which boast a combined 60 million users. Surely you can find someone who knows someone to make that connection.
-- Create a free Twitter.com account and “follow” friends and post requests for help. (You can follow me at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson where I post job leads and where fellow followers can help with contacts.
-- Join an association in your field and network with like-minded peers.
-- Connect with your high school and college alumni groups. Old pals could be new connectors.
-- Talk to your unlikely network. For example, look at the class list of the parents of your kids’ friends. Anytime my kids hear about a friend’s mom or dad who’s lost a job, they tell them to call me. Even though we don’t know each other, we have a common connection that can sometimes lead to a contact.
9) Follow up with a call or email to the recruiter responsible for filling the position. Never say, “Did you get my resume?” Instead be ready to reiterate your strong qualifications and interest in the role. You’ll have just a brief moment to sell yourself, so rehearse before making the call or sending the email.
10) Don’t know the name of the right person? Cold-call the company and ask an operator to put you through. If that doesn’t work, Google the term “recruiter” or “HR director” along with the name of your employer of choice. The results may reveal the name you’re trying to find. LinkedIn is another resource to find the correct name.
11) Stay top of mind. Every recruiter is different, which makes this a challenge. Some say you’re welcome to follow up weekly. Others say every other week is enough. And then there are some who’ll tell you to never call. Find the right balance so you’re politely persistent without crossing over to a pest.
12) Ask directly for advice on how and when to follow up. A simple question, “What’s the best way to keep in touch?” will give you the details you need to stay ahead of the pack.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Search for a New Job Without Jeopardizing the One You Have
By: Tory Johnson, CEO, Women For Hire
Most employed job seekers want to protect their current paycheck while seeking a new opportunity. To avoid getting caught by their current employers, which would subject them to possible termination, discretion is key. There's some proper etiquette to follow and a few traps to avoid when looking to jump ship.
Promote your expertise, not your availability. An engineer who's looking for a new boss can promote her expertise without overtly advertising her availability. She can speak at industry events or serve on panels. She can post comments on reputable industry blogs to showcase her knowledge. She can write articles for industry publications or Web sites. All of this can benefit her employer too, so she doesn't have to hide her actions. By being active and raising her profile, which applies to many industries, it's almost certain that she'll be approached with employment inquiries.
Don't leverage clients or vendors at your employer's expense.
Use privacy settings on job boards. This prevents your current employer from finding your resume online. (Many employers -- especially large ones -- specifically look for resumes of their employees to see who's posting in the big resume banks.) New sites, such as JobFox.com, allow employed job seekers to use an alias to protect their identities among top employers searching for new talent.
Don't give your current boss as a reference. Unless you and your boss are close enough that he or she knows you're looking, and has given you permission to use his or her name as a reference, skip it. Former employers are totally acceptable as references, as are vendors and clients who can speak to your work style.
Ask for confidentiality. When applying for a job or going on an interview, be clear about the need for discretion. Don't be shy about saying, "Since my current employer does not know that I'm pursuing a more challenging opportunity, please respect the confidential nature of this application [or this interview]."
Don't bad mouth your current employer. You won't impress the competition by trashing the company that pays you now. The prospective boss will assume that if you do this about one boss, you'll eventually do it about the next one, too
Schedule after-hours interviews. Instead of saying, "Sure, I can come in anytime because my boss will never know if I'm gone," make it known that you have respect for your current job so you can't just slink out at any old time to meet. Good recruiters get this, and they're accustomed to meeting early morning and early evening to accommodate this.
Make time to job search. When you're already holding down a full-time job, your time is limited. If you don't schedule job search time or make it a priority in your routine, your search will drag on for much longer than you'd like. Be deliberate in your efforts.
Don't check out mentally. Once you decide you want a new job, it often makes even the smallest nuisance at work a big deal. Everything bugs you, and you lose interest. That's when you put yourself in jeopardy of getting fired.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Bad Credit, Now What?
By: Tory Johnson, CEO, Women For Hire
We all know that our personal credit history affects our ability to secure a home loan or open an account at a department store. But most Americans are unaware that bad credit could cost them a job. Many employers use credit history as a tool in their pre-employment screening as just one measure of judgment and character. If you can't manage your financial obligations, they wonder if it's a sign of irresponsibility. If your monthly debt payment is higher than your salary, some employers worry that it may distract from your performance.
If you have poor credit, it doesn't automatically mean you're unemployable. You should focus on three steps so you don't lose out on positions.
Check your credit report. Even if you're not actively job searching, everyone should know what's in their credit report. Under federal law, you have the right to receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. (Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to access those reports.) Don't bury your head; if you have problems with your credit or you find mistakes on the report, address them immediately with creditors and the reporting company. This will come in very handy should you find yourself looking for work.
Ask the employer's policy. Then when it comes to job searching, avoid voluntarily discussing credit history during the interview process. There's no need to knock yourself out of the running prematurely. When you receive an offer that's contingent on a background check, ask directly, "I'm thrilled at the prospect of working here. What is your policy on background checks? I'd like to know what specific screenings you use and the general timeframe for that process." At this point, they've said they want you, so you're in a good position to ask such a question with relative ease. Most employers will gladly walk you through their process.
Speak up with confidence. If an employer says the background screening includes a credit check _ and you've seen the negative activity on your credit report _ then you should consider speaking up. You can say, "I'd like to tell you what in advance you're likely to find on my personal credit report. Please allow me the opportunity to explain it, too." It's important to have a solid rationale. Maybe you hit a challenge because of an unexpected layoff, a divorce, a medical necessity, or a problem with your mortgage. Maybe there are mistakes on your report that you're working to fix.
Talking about personal credit can be embarrassing and difficult for anyone _ you're not alone _ so at this moment it's essential to have a clear, confident explanation that you've rehearsed. You don't want to babble or look like a deer in the headlights. Speaking up at the right moment can make or break the job opportunity.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Start Talking To Strangers
| By Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire | |
As you think about ways to grow your career, put yourself in a position to try new things. If you never learn anything new or take your skills to the next level, you're not bettering yourself, let alone increasing your value in the workplace.
I would often attend industry functions because it's the thing to do if you're running a business or looking to grow your career. One day I thought, "I keep going to all of these things, but I'm not really getting anything out of them. What's wrong with this picture?" I wondered if I should stop going, and then realized that probably wasn't the best idea -- there's a reason I was drawn to them in the first place.
As I went through this self-analysis, I discovered that I always brought a friend with me. We would stand in a corner talking about everyone, instead of talking to everyone. I was missing opportunities within any given event because I was afraid to stick my neck out.So I started to go alone and I made a pact with myself: I couldn't leave an event until I introduced myself to at least three people.
I've got to tell you, at the first several events with this self-imposed new policy, those three people were all waiters. While there's nothing wrong with that, I realized I needed to introduce myself to other attendees. It's unnerving at first, but you get used to it quickly.
Today I still talk to the waiters, and I always talk to the participants too. Sometimes nothing comes of it. Other times -- more often than not -- something does: a new resource, a new nugget of information, a new friend, a new client, a new something that I wouldn't have gotten had I not put myself out there.
Many women attend our Women For Hire events because they want to talk to one or five or even 30 specific employers. That's great. But they're missing out on the larger opportunity when they don't also introduce themselves to the other women who are there, too. You never know who you'll meet.
So promise yourself that before you leave any event -- a company picnic, your friend's wedding, a kid's soccer game, a big industry function -- you'll introduce yourself to at least three new people. The bigger the event, the more people you must target.
You're not doing this because you're always looking for someone to help you. You're doing it because it's a savvy habit for anyone who cares about professional growth. Not everyone you meet will have all the answers, or even any answers, but always be willing to put yourself out there.
It should go without saying that you must volunteer to reciprocate. Look for opportunities to extend a hand to others even when there isn't an obvious favor in return. Step out of your comfort zone when giving and receiving, and you'll be glad you did.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. She co-authored Take This Book to Work: How to Ask For (and Get) Money, Fulfillment and Advancement, which was released in paperback in September 2007. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Questions Every Jobseeker Should Ask
| By Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire | |
As unemployment rises and a new crop of college grads faces the most challenging job market in years, there's little doubt that the competition for positions is stiff. Anyone looking for work must step up her game in the job search.
3) Am I memorable?: Standing out from the pack in a positive (not hokey) way will improve your chances for being considered. Showing up dressed like a clown or mailing inappropriate gimmicks to catch the attention of an employer will likely backfire. One college student created a magazine about herself that caught the attention of a recruiter who hired her. That tactic would work for a professional at any age -- creativity shouldn't be limited or defined by age. An event planner could put together a packet with photographs of her best functions. A sales professional can bind copies of reference letters from impressive clients who can vouch for his or her expertise and service. Don't wait to be asked for such collateral -- be proactive about producing something that's neat and brings your passion, your personality and your professional skills to life.
4) Am I casting a wide net?: Even though one or two job postings might scream your name, do not rely on too few positions. You need many, many sticks in the fire because you have no way of knowing which will catch. Even if one opportunity looks promising, don't slow down the search until you receive a firm offer. Apply to positions on your own, submit resumes through multiple job boards, and register with placement agencies in your area (big ones and boutique firms). Remember, the agencies don't work for you; they work for the company that's paying them for the best hire. This means you must treat agencies with the same professionalism and respect as you would a direct employer.
5) Am I interview-ready? In the past, you might have gotten away with interviewing with one or two people and shaking hands on an immediate offer. Today, you should expect to go through more interviews with more people than ever before. Treat each one as if it's the most important because even one person in the process can nix your chances by raising doubts about your candidacy. Practice every possible question you think you may be asked, and research the employer and its competition thoroughly. While you might not be grilled on that, it demonstrates an interest in this particular job and field.
6) Am I being flexible?: Offer to freelance or accept contract work if that's what it takes to get your foot in the door. You can also negotiate working from home part of the time as a benefit to both parties. Don't hold out for the most perfect opportunity if it means passing up one that could work well for you right now. Generating an income and closing a gap in your work history can be benefits on their own. Be selective about the kind of work you want, but not unrealistic, given the current economic conditions.
7) Am I actively following up? You may find yourself frustrated from submitting dozens and dozens of resumes online?and getting no response. Don't rely on applying online and waiting for the phone to ring. It won't ring. It is up to you to follow up once you've applied. Cold call to find out who the decision-maker is and then use all of your connections (or make new ones) to figure out how to get your name in front of that decision-maker. Be ready to make a smart, strong, succinct case for why you deserve to be considered for that role. When you interview, don't leave without asking about the next steps: when they expect to make a decision, and when you should hear from someone.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. She co-authored Take This Book to Work: How to Ask For (and Get) Money, Fulfillment and Advancement, which was released in paperback in September 2007. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com
Tory Johnson is founder and CEO of Women For Hire, the first and only company devoted to a comprehensive array of recruitment services for women. Johnson is the Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America, and the co-author of three books on career advancement.