March 17, 2012.
The Magnolias Bloomed
The magnolias bloomed the day Alex was buried.
Their pink buds slowly opened, revealing their fleshy innards.
Crocuses were peeking out of the ground.
Hyacinths finally broke through the earth, spreading their perfume.
Yet, in spite of these signs of Spring, it was a grey day.
Fitting for a funeral.
People lined the aisles of the Roman Catholic church in Forest Hills.
Military guards accompanied the flag-draped coffin down the aisle.
Alex’s grieving widow, draped in black, followed, escorted by her brother and close family.
After stopping at the baptismal, the coffin made its way to the alter.
There, a shroud replaced the flag.
A special service was held.
The priest spoke as did close relatives and colleagues.
Alex was born in Bulgaria.
I learned that day that he had watched his father being tortured by the Communists after they had taken over Bulgaria.
For the rest of his life, Alex would hate the Communists, the Socialists, the Left.
He would be adamantly against liberals, welfare and handouts.
Hard work, perseverance, individual initiative, free enterprise would be his mantra.
That is how he had made his way in the world and in this country.
This is not to say that Alex did not care about people.
He studied medicine in Greece and came to the USA to become a doctor.
A radiologist, Alex loved the hospital where he worked as well as his colleagues.
He cared deeply for his wife, his patients and his friends.
He was always there for them.
Story after story was told that funereal day about his helping friends in time of need.
You knew you could always count on him.
People took Holy Communion.
The service had ended.
Slowly, the coffin exited the church and made its way to the cemetery.
On a sloping hill in a beautiful cemetery in Kew Gardens, Alex’s flag-draped coffin came to rest.
Rose petals were strewn around the gravesite, rescapees from the beautiful bouquets.
Breaking the silence, taps were played.
The skies grew greyer.
Soft silent raindrops slowly fell from the sky.
It was almost as though the heavens were weeping.
Black umbrellas slowly unfurled sheltering the mourners.
The flag was meticulously folded and handed over to the widow.
The priest read his prayers and benedictions and offered comforting words to the grieving widow.
Family and friends lay red flowers on the casket, bidding a last farewell.
The funeral was over.
Thank you Alex. For being a true friend, doctor, colleague, husband and American.
Thank you for having a sly, cutting sense of humor. For always having a kind word to say. Or timely well thought out advice.
Gone. But not forgotten.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Friday, September 9, 2011
Carla Visser Career Talk: Carla Visser Career Talk: An Ordinary Flight - in ...
Carla Visser Career Talk: Carla Visser Career Talk: An Ordinary Flight - in ...: An Ordinary Flight Carla Visser Written on September 21 2001 Home. Home. I was going home. My only thought as I boarded the flight to ...
Carla Visser Career Talk: An Ordinary Flight - in memory of September 11
An Ordinary Flight
Carla Visser
Written on September 21 2001
Home. Home. I was going home.
My only thought as I boarded the flight to New York from Paris.
Filled with emotion, I scrutinized the crew and passengers.
Would they be my companions on an ordinary flight?
Or human sacrifices on a flight to eternity?
Please, please, let this be a commuter flight.
So many times I had taken it, the same time, the same place.
This same flight last week was cancelled.
New York airports closed.
After the attack on the World Trade Center.
Quick! I wanted to go home
To be with family and friends
To show determination and resolve.
Business class check- in. Quick, efficient.
Low-risk profile. Frequent flier.
Returning US citizen.
Razor in checked luggage.
Have to get used to new regulations.
Hand luggage searched.
Airport jammed, many people, long lines, people sleeping on cots.
Plane full, business class sparse.
Individual touch screen.
News blanked out.
Funny movie playing.
To distract against the drumroll of war.
War - against whom? A megalamania?
The ruined country of Afghanistan? Iran? Iraq? Syria?
Who else? With what objectives?
With what means? With what victory?
At take off, I thought of the passengers on the hijacked flights of last week.
They, too, had left on a business or pleasure trip.
They, too, had kissed their loved ones goodbye.
They, too, had eaten breakfast.
They, too, had put on their comfortable clothes or business suits. They, too, had packed their luggage.
They, too, had brought their cell phones and electronic organizers. They, too, had checked their luggage and gone through security. They, too, had brought their hand luggage on the plane.
They, too, had settled in the plane.
They, too, had listened to music or watched a movie.
They, too, had eaten and smiled at the steward and stewardesses. They, too, had planned the days ahead.
They, too, had observed the blue sky and billowing clouds.
And the sea below.
Admiring the approaching view of New York.
At what point were they held captive?
At what point did they realize that their fate was sealed?
At what point did they descend into hell?
At what point did they realize that their destiny was eternity? Total silence on the plane.
People quiet, very quiet
Perhaps all with the same thoughts. Bumpy landing.
Pilot announcement: Welcome to the United States of America, John F Kennedy airport. Applause. The whole plane exploded.
No pushing, no shoving to get off.
Quiet, orderly, people, helping one another A silent bond uniting them.
No, this was not an ordinary flight. But a rebirth from the ashes.
Carla Visser is a writer based in Franklin Park, New Jersey. Carlavisser2002@yahoo.com. She lived in France for 12 years, was in Paris on September 11, 2001 and visited her son in New York the week after September 11.
Carla Visser
Written on September 21 2001
Home. Home. I was going home.
My only thought as I boarded the flight to New York from Paris.
Filled with emotion, I scrutinized the crew and passengers.
Would they be my companions on an ordinary flight?
Or human sacrifices on a flight to eternity?
Please, please, let this be a commuter flight.
So many times I had taken it, the same time, the same place.
This same flight last week was cancelled.
New York airports closed.
After the attack on the World Trade Center.
Quick! I wanted to go home
To be with family and friends
To show determination and resolve.
Business class check- in. Quick, efficient.
Low-risk profile. Frequent flier.
Returning US citizen.
Razor in checked luggage.
Have to get used to new regulations.
Hand luggage searched.
Airport jammed, many people, long lines, people sleeping on cots.
Plane full, business class sparse.
Individual touch screen.
News blanked out.
Funny movie playing.
To distract against the drumroll of war.
War - against whom? A megalamania?
The ruined country of Afghanistan? Iran? Iraq? Syria?
Who else? With what objectives?
With what means? With what victory?
At take off, I thought of the passengers on the hijacked flights of last week.
They, too, had left on a business or pleasure trip.
They, too, had kissed their loved ones goodbye.
They, too, had eaten breakfast.
They, too, had put on their comfortable clothes or business suits. They, too, had packed their luggage.
They, too, had brought their cell phones and electronic organizers. They, too, had checked their luggage and gone through security. They, too, had brought their hand luggage on the plane.
They, too, had settled in the plane.
They, too, had listened to music or watched a movie.
They, too, had eaten and smiled at the steward and stewardesses. They, too, had planned the days ahead.
They, too, had observed the blue sky and billowing clouds.
And the sea below.
Admiring the approaching view of New York.
At what point were they held captive?
At what point did they realize that their fate was sealed?
At what point did they descend into hell?
At what point did they realize that their destiny was eternity? Total silence on the plane.
People quiet, very quiet
Perhaps all with the same thoughts. Bumpy landing.
Pilot announcement: Welcome to the United States of America, John F Kennedy airport. Applause. The whole plane exploded.
No pushing, no shoving to get off.
Quiet, orderly, people, helping one another A silent bond uniting them.
No, this was not an ordinary flight. But a rebirth from the ashes.
Carla Visser is a writer based in Franklin Park, New Jersey. Carlavisser2002@yahoo.com. She lived in France for 12 years, was in Paris on September 11, 2001 and visited her son in New York the week after September 11.
An Ordinary Flight - in memory of September 11
An Ordinary Flight
Carla Visser
Written on September 21 2001
Home. Home. I was going home.
My only thought as I boarded the flight to New York from Paris.
Filled with emotion, I scrutinized the crew and passengers.
Would they be my companions on an ordinary flight?
Or human sacrifices on a flight to eternity?
Please, please, let this be a commuter flight.
So many times I had taken it, the same time, the same place.
This same flight last week was cancelled.
New York airports closed.
After the attack on the World Trade Center.
Quick! I wanted to go home.
To be with family and friends.
To show determination and resolve.
Business class check- in.
Quick, efficient.
Low-risk profile.
Frequent flier.
Returning US citizen.
Razor in checked luggage.
Have to get used to the new regulations.
Hand luggage searched.
Airport jammed, many people, long lines, people sleeping on cots.
Plane full, business class sparse.
Individual touch screen.
News blanked out.
Funny movie playing.
To distract against the drumroll of war.
War - against whom? A megalamania?
The ruined country of Afghanistan?
Iran? Iraq? Syria? Who else?
With what objectives?
With what means?
With what victory?
As the flight took off, I thought of the passengers on the hijacked flights of last week.
They, too, had left on a business or pleasure trip.
They, too, had kissed their loved ones goodbye.
They, too, had eaten breakfast.
They, too, had put on their comfortable clothes or business suits. They, too, had packed their luggage.
They, too, had brought their cell phones and electronic organizers. They, too, had checked their luggage and gone through security. They, too, had brought their hand luggage on the plane.
They, too, had settled in the plane.
They, too, had listened to music or watched a movie.
They, too, had eaten and smiled at the steward and stewardesses. They, too, had planned the days ahead.
They, too, had observed the blue sky and billowing clouds.
And the sea below. That would be their gravesite.
At what point were they held captive?
At what point did they realize that their fate was sealed?
At what point did they descend into hell?
At what point did they realize that their destiny was eternity?
Total silence on the plane.
People quiet, very quiet
Perhaps all with the same thoughts. Bumpy landing.
Pilot announcement: Welcome to the United States of America, John F Kennedy airport.
Applause.
The whole plane exploded.
No pushing, no shoving to get off.
Quiet, orderly, people, helping one another.
A silent bond uniting them.
No, this was not an ordinary flight. But a rebirth from the ashes.
Carla Visser is a writer based in Franklin Park, New Jersey. Carlavisser2002@yahoo.com. She lived in France for 12 years, was in Paris on September 11, 2001 and visited her son in New York th
Carla Visser
Written on September 21 2001
Home. Home. I was going home.
My only thought as I boarded the flight to New York from Paris.
Filled with emotion, I scrutinized the crew and passengers.
Would they be my companions on an ordinary flight?
Or human sacrifices on a flight to eternity?
Please, please, let this be a commuter flight.
So many times I had taken it, the same time, the same place.
This same flight last week was cancelled.
New York airports closed.
After the attack on the World Trade Center.
Quick! I wanted to go home.
To be with family and friends.
To show determination and resolve.
Business class check- in.
Quick, efficient.
Low-risk profile.
Frequent flier.
Returning US citizen.
Razor in checked luggage.
Have to get used to the new regulations.
Hand luggage searched.
Airport jammed, many people, long lines, people sleeping on cots.
Plane full, business class sparse.
Individual touch screen.
News blanked out.
Funny movie playing.
To distract against the drumroll of war.
War - against whom? A megalamania?
The ruined country of Afghanistan?
Iran? Iraq? Syria? Who else?
With what objectives?
With what means?
With what victory?
As the flight took off, I thought of the passengers on the hijacked flights of last week.
They, too, had left on a business or pleasure trip.
They, too, had kissed their loved ones goodbye.
They, too, had eaten breakfast.
They, too, had put on their comfortable clothes or business suits. They, too, had packed their luggage.
They, too, had brought their cell phones and electronic organizers. They, too, had checked their luggage and gone through security. They, too, had brought their hand luggage on the plane.
They, too, had settled in the plane.
They, too, had listened to music or watched a movie.
They, too, had eaten and smiled at the steward and stewardesses. They, too, had planned the days ahead.
They, too, had observed the blue sky and billowing clouds.
And the sea below. That would be their gravesite.
At what point were they held captive?
At what point did they realize that their fate was sealed?
At what point did they descend into hell?
At what point did they realize that their destiny was eternity?
Total silence on the plane.
People quiet, very quiet
Perhaps all with the same thoughts. Bumpy landing.
Pilot announcement: Welcome to the United States of America, John F Kennedy airport.
Applause.
The whole plane exploded.
No pushing, no shoving to get off.
Quiet, orderly, people, helping one another.
A silent bond uniting them.
No, this was not an ordinary flight. But a rebirth from the ashes.
Carla Visser is a writer based in Franklin Park, New Jersey. Carlavisser2002@yahoo.com. She lived in France for 12 years, was in Paris on September 11, 2001 and visited her son in New York th
Friday, March 4, 2011
Critical Issues when Considering Immigration to the USA
Reality Check: Critical Issues to consider when Immigrating to the USA Part 1
As I work with many international professionals and executives who are exploring immigrating to other countries or who have come to the US as expats, I have held many discussions about the differences of living in the USA compared to their mother countries
Recent studies have shown that with developing countries economies improving and many job opportunities overseas, there is reverse immigration going on, with American and immigrants choosing to go back to their countries and overseas. With tough immigration laws, anti-immigration sentiments, the lingering recession and high unemployment, these are challenging times to immigrate to the United States if you decide to come on your own.
Here are some critical factors to consider if you are thinking of immigrating to the United States. This is the first part of a multi-part series.
Healthcare
The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. It is a privatized system with a range of options including employer-based, private and government healthcare for the poor. According to the 2009 Census, at least 51 million people do not have healthcare in the United States. In addition, at the current time, efforts are being made by states to reduce healthcare programs for the poor. In 2014, if the health care legislation passed in 2010 is fully implemented, all people will be mandated to have health coverage to spread the risks of this insurance so that healthy people, people with health conditions, young and old will be included in the system.
Be aware that the healthcare system in the USA is not like those in most developed countries. Be prepared to spend money on your healthcare costs. The actual costs depend on your health condition. If you have a regular job with employer-provided benefits, you will have a choice of healthcare plans from which to choose. Have your Human Resources department review with you the differences between these plans as they can be very confusing. Be sure to understand what is covered and what is not covered and the limitations placed on the different types of services and hospital services
Most people will incur costs for their care even under their employer plans. You will pay when you see a doctor and for a range of services Health plans can have limits on certain types of care, like certain tests, hospital visits, physical therapy or psychological care. There may be limits on the amount of money that the health insurance will pay every year for individuals and families. Anything over that amount is your own responsibility. The cost for drugs can also be expensive as the government does not negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies, as governments do in other countries. Insurance companies can raise the cost of their plans and drug costs without letting you know about these changes. You get an individual card that has the name of the company and the type of plans and the costs of doctors and drugs.
If you lose your job, there is a federal law called COBRA that guarantees that you will have health insurance for 18 months longer. However, you pay for the full cost of this coverage as your employer no longer subsidizes these costs. It can cost more than $1000 for a family to have health coverage under COBRA. Thus, some people decide not to have health coverage at all. If they need healthcare, they go to hospitals where they will get billed for this care. Some hospitals will absorb these costs, but some won’t and people can risk going bankrupt due to expensive hospitalizations and procedures without health coverage. If you finish COBRA or are self-employed, you can buy private health insurance which can be very expensive for individuals and families. It can be even more expensive if you have pre-existing health conditions. There are separate health plans for your overall health, your eyes (vision plans) and dental plans for your teeth. So make sure you understand the different plans, costs and limitations of these plans. By 2014, under the health care legislation passed in 2010, you will be able to buy private healthcare through state health insurance exchanges. Every state will have different insurance plans. Subsidies will be given to those unable to pay for healthcare.
For more information about the healthcare system in the United States, please read the following article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_United_States
While healthcare will be a major budget item and consideration when you live in the United States, education will be another critical area as well.
Education
Public elementary and secondary education is free and open to all. The funding for public education occurs at the federal, state and local levels through property taxes. Every child starting at the age of 4 or 5, depending on the state and the school system, must be enrolled in school or have home schooling that is approved by the state. Please note that, in general, public pre-school or childcare before the age of 4 does not exist. There is also no system of publically-funded and trained day care workers, day care centers or creches. Thus, working parents with babies and young children make their own private arrangements, using babysitters, nannies or private pre-schools. Private pre-schools can be expensive - as expensive as private colleges- as well as very competitive in New York City. In New York City, children often need to take exams to get into private pre-schools where places are limited.
As education in the United States is not national but is controlled locally, every school system is different. Thus, you need to research the schools and school system in the community where you are thinking of living to make sure that it will meet the needs of your children.
After high school, the cost of higher education is also private and paid by families. In the United States, many families start saving money for the cost of college for their children when the children are young, if they can, and a part of their paycheck will go towards saving for education. If they have not saved enough, then students will need to take out private loans, get scholarships if they qualify or even work. There are some scholarships and grants available from federal, state and private foundations such as the Hope Scholarships, which give students several thousand dollars towards college. Some colleges provide need-based or merit-based scholarships. Students and parents need to research these options.
There are a range of options for higher education, including community colleges, private and public universities. The cost of college varies greatly, with public universities costing much less than private universities.
For more information about education in the United States, please read the article in Wkipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States.
I will write about other critical factors to consider when thinking about immigrating to the United States. I hope that this information is helpful. It is important to be an educated consumer and to be well-informed when considering immigration. I welcome your comments and feedback.
As I work with many international professionals and executives who are exploring immigrating to other countries or who have come to the US as expats, I have held many discussions about the differences of living in the USA compared to their mother countries
Recent studies have shown that with developing countries economies improving and many job opportunities overseas, there is reverse immigration going on, with American and immigrants choosing to go back to their countries and overseas. With tough immigration laws, anti-immigration sentiments, the lingering recession and high unemployment, these are challenging times to immigrate to the United States if you decide to come on your own.
Here are some critical factors to consider if you are thinking of immigrating to the United States. This is the first part of a multi-part series.
Healthcare
The United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. It is a privatized system with a range of options including employer-based, private and government healthcare for the poor. According to the 2009 Census, at least 51 million people do not have healthcare in the United States. In addition, at the current time, efforts are being made by states to reduce healthcare programs for the poor. In 2014, if the health care legislation passed in 2010 is fully implemented, all people will be mandated to have health coverage to spread the risks of this insurance so that healthy people, people with health conditions, young and old will be included in the system.
Be aware that the healthcare system in the USA is not like those in most developed countries. Be prepared to spend money on your healthcare costs. The actual costs depend on your health condition. If you have a regular job with employer-provided benefits, you will have a choice of healthcare plans from which to choose. Have your Human Resources department review with you the differences between these plans as they can be very confusing. Be sure to understand what is covered and what is not covered and the limitations placed on the different types of services and hospital services
Most people will incur costs for their care even under their employer plans. You will pay when you see a doctor and for a range of services Health plans can have limits on certain types of care, like certain tests, hospital visits, physical therapy or psychological care. There may be limits on the amount of money that the health insurance will pay every year for individuals and families. Anything over that amount is your own responsibility. The cost for drugs can also be expensive as the government does not negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies, as governments do in other countries. Insurance companies can raise the cost of their plans and drug costs without letting you know about these changes. You get an individual card that has the name of the company and the type of plans and the costs of doctors and drugs.
If you lose your job, there is a federal law called COBRA that guarantees that you will have health insurance for 18 months longer. However, you pay for the full cost of this coverage as your employer no longer subsidizes these costs. It can cost more than $1000 for a family to have health coverage under COBRA. Thus, some people decide not to have health coverage at all. If they need healthcare, they go to hospitals where they will get billed for this care. Some hospitals will absorb these costs, but some won’t and people can risk going bankrupt due to expensive hospitalizations and procedures without health coverage. If you finish COBRA or are self-employed, you can buy private health insurance which can be very expensive for individuals and families. It can be even more expensive if you have pre-existing health conditions. There are separate health plans for your overall health, your eyes (vision plans) and dental plans for your teeth. So make sure you understand the different plans, costs and limitations of these plans. By 2014, under the health care legislation passed in 2010, you will be able to buy private healthcare through state health insurance exchanges. Every state will have different insurance plans. Subsidies will be given to those unable to pay for healthcare.
For more information about the healthcare system in the United States, please read the following article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_United_States
While healthcare will be a major budget item and consideration when you live in the United States, education will be another critical area as well.
Education
Public elementary and secondary education is free and open to all. The funding for public education occurs at the federal, state and local levels through property taxes. Every child starting at the age of 4 or 5, depending on the state and the school system, must be enrolled in school or have home schooling that is approved by the state. Please note that, in general, public pre-school or childcare before the age of 4 does not exist. There is also no system of publically-funded and trained day care workers, day care centers or creches. Thus, working parents with babies and young children make their own private arrangements, using babysitters, nannies or private pre-schools. Private pre-schools can be expensive - as expensive as private colleges- as well as very competitive in New York City. In New York City, children often need to take exams to get into private pre-schools where places are limited.
As education in the United States is not national but is controlled locally, every school system is different. Thus, you need to research the schools and school system in the community where you are thinking of living to make sure that it will meet the needs of your children.
After high school, the cost of higher education is also private and paid by families. In the United States, many families start saving money for the cost of college for their children when the children are young, if they can, and a part of their paycheck will go towards saving for education. If they have not saved enough, then students will need to take out private loans, get scholarships if they qualify or even work. There are some scholarships and grants available from federal, state and private foundations such as the Hope Scholarships, which give students several thousand dollars towards college. Some colleges provide need-based or merit-based scholarships. Students and parents need to research these options.
There are a range of options for higher education, including community colleges, private and public universities. The cost of college varies greatly, with public universities costing much less than private universities.
For more information about education in the United States, please read the article in Wkipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States.
I will write about other critical factors to consider when thinking about immigrating to the United States. I hope that this information is helpful. It is important to be an educated consumer and to be well-informed when considering immigration. I welcome your comments and feedback.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Power of the People (updated version)
The Power of the People (updated version)
Mesmerizing. Awe-Inspiring. Courageous. Scary.
These are the words that come to mind when watching the uprising in Egypt. The power of the people, to overthrow an authoritarian government of 30 years, is truly remarkable to see.
Having been a student in France in May ‘68, I have been in the streets when the people rose up to demand change. May ‘68 was started by students in lycees and universities to protest a change in admissions to universities. It snowballed into eleven million workers and others joining in a general strike, demanding changes in society and cultural values as well as a greater democratization of institutions. May ‘68 closed down the country, lasted two weeks, weakened DeGualle, who subsequently resigned and did transform key institutions. Even though elections were held in June and the Gaullists decisively won, the changes perpetrated by this uprising sent a shock wave through this conservative society opening up a more liberal approach to society and moral values. It also transformed educational institutions with greater participation by students.
Of course, May ’68 was an uprising in a democratic country with many democratic institutions and processes in place. This is not the case in Egypt. Thus, we do not know where this uprising will lead and if, in fact, it will lead to a more democratic and liberal society or an Islamization of Egypt.
The tremors, however, are being felt throughout the region, with the Jordanian government dissolved and calling for fundamental changes. And of course an anxious Israel and the West are watching and waiting to see how these monumental changes transform the geopolitical realities of the Middle East.
One can only hope and pray that the people, who have spoken in Egypt, do have the opportunity to transform their country into a more democratic society supported by key economic and political stakeholders. A prosperous, peaceful, democratic Middle East would be the greatest gift to the world. It would be as monumental as the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Mesmerizing. Awe-Inspiring. Courageous. Scary.
These are the words that come to mind when watching the uprising in Egypt. The power of the people, to overthrow an authoritarian government of 30 years, is truly remarkable to see.
Having been a student in France in May ‘68, I have been in the streets when the people rose up to demand change. May ‘68 was started by students in lycees and universities to protest a change in admissions to universities. It snowballed into eleven million workers and others joining in a general strike, demanding changes in society and cultural values as well as a greater democratization of institutions. May ‘68 closed down the country, lasted two weeks, weakened DeGualle, who subsequently resigned and did transform key institutions. Even though elections were held in June and the Gaullists decisively won, the changes perpetrated by this uprising sent a shock wave through this conservative society opening up a more liberal approach to society and moral values. It also transformed educational institutions with greater participation by students.
Of course, May ’68 was an uprising in a democratic country with many democratic institutions and processes in place. This is not the case in Egypt. Thus, we do not know where this uprising will lead and if, in fact, it will lead to a more democratic and liberal society or an Islamization of Egypt.
The tremors, however, are being felt throughout the region, with the Jordanian government dissolved and calling for fundamental changes. And of course an anxious Israel and the West are watching and waiting to see how these monumental changes transform the geopolitical realities of the Middle East.
One can only hope and pray that the people, who have spoken in Egypt, do have the opportunity to transform their country into a more democratic society supported by key economic and political stakeholders. A prosperous, peaceful, democratic Middle East would be the greatest gift to the world. It would be as monumental as the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Ode to American Inventiveness
Ode to American Inventiveness
American inventiveness is fueling revolutions in the Middle East. One can only marvel at how Facebook, Twitter and You Tube have been instrumental in enabling fledgling democracy movements to fan their flames and come to life.
Right now, today, Friday January 28, the Egyptians have shut down the Internet, an American invention originating in Arpanet, a network for engineers and scientists working for the government that was established in the late 60s. Arpanet spawned the birth of the commercial Internet that exploded in the 90s. We all know how the Internet has totally transformed our lives, our work and our culture.
Other American inventions such as Facebook, Twitter and You Tube have enabled the pro-democracy movements in the Middle East to communicate with each other and the world. I remember how striking it was when the American government asked Twitter not to take down its network for maintenance during the uprising in Iran as Twitter was a major tool for communications during this event.
These tools have largely surpassed and supplanted traditional media outlets and will be, in fact, transforming them.
So during this time of economic uncertainty with many people still mired in unemployment, I urge my fellow Americans to keep dreaming, hoping and inventing to keep American inventiveness as a force for major change.
I welcome your reactions to this post. How lucky we are that we can blog so freely!
American inventiveness is fueling revolutions in the Middle East. One can only marvel at how Facebook, Twitter and You Tube have been instrumental in enabling fledgling democracy movements to fan their flames and come to life.
Right now, today, Friday January 28, the Egyptians have shut down the Internet, an American invention originating in Arpanet, a network for engineers and scientists working for the government that was established in the late 60s. Arpanet spawned the birth of the commercial Internet that exploded in the 90s. We all know how the Internet has totally transformed our lives, our work and our culture.
Other American inventions such as Facebook, Twitter and You Tube have enabled the pro-democracy movements in the Middle East to communicate with each other and the world. I remember how striking it was when the American government asked Twitter not to take down its network for maintenance during the uprising in Iran as Twitter was a major tool for communications during this event.
These tools have largely surpassed and supplanted traditional media outlets and will be, in fact, transforming them.
So during this time of economic uncertainty with many people still mired in unemployment, I urge my fellow Americans to keep dreaming, hoping and inventing to keep American inventiveness as a force for major change.
I welcome your reactions to this post. How lucky we are that we can blog so freely!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
20 Jobs with Fast Growing Salaries
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011
Jobs 2011: 20 Fast-Growing Salaries
You waited weeks to receive your offer letter, but after you tore open the envelope and scanned the form for the salary figure, your excitement was replaced by a wave of disappointment. If this sounds familiar, you're one of the masses.
There is often a disconnect between what workers think they should earn and what their employers are actually willing to pay them. It's also common for companies to intentionally lowball on the first salary offer. In fact, 58 percent of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com say they leave some negotiating room in their first salary offers.
It pays, then, to negotiate with your employer to boost your starting pay. The key is to know your market value -- this will ensure that you accept an offer that's fair, but also prevent you from pricing yourself out of any position. (For example, if you're demanding $100,000 for an entry-level coordinator role, you may need to rethink your strategy.)
The Internet is an excellent source for finding salary information. For example, visit CBsalary.com, a site powered by CareerBuilder.com and PayScale (www.payscale.com) to offer free, comprehensive salary information and advice to help you negotiate your pay. On CBsalary.com, users can conduct a quick search for their position and city. For a fee, users can access a detailed salary report that factors in academic degrees, years of experience, type of employer, commute, bonus and other specifics.
Also consider your industry when evaluating your salary offer. Working in a hot industry can catapult you into a higher salary range and give you more negotiating power. Healthcare workers, for example, are commanding higher salaries as employers struggle to fill their staffs.
If you're looking for a job with negotiation muscle, check out this list of 20 jobs with the highest salary growth in the fastest-growing industries, according to data from CareerBuilder.com and Payscale:
Accounting/Finance Jobs with high salary growth:
· Personal banker -- $37,700
· Commercial loan officer -- $75,700
Healthcare Jobs with high salary growth:
· Clinical research associate -- $61,300
· Anesthesiologist -- $225,000
Information Technology Jobs with high salary growth:
· Webmaster -- $49,200
· Senior database administrator -- $93,300
Engineering Jobs with high salary growth:
· Civil engineer -- $57,200
· Project engineer -- $65,200
Sales Jobs with high salary growth:
· Sales assistant -- $35,800
· Sales engineer -- $79,900
Administrative support Jobs with high salary growth:
· Human resources coordinator -- $40,200
· Financial controller -- $79,900
Professional and business services Jobs with high salary growth:
· Paralegal -- $39,500
· Financial analyst -- $70,500
Retail Jobs with high salary growth:
· Retail store assistant manager -- $39,100
· Buyer -- $47,900
Hospitality Jobs with high salary growth:
· Restaurant general manager -- $49,800
· Hotel general manager -- $56,600
Customer service Jobs with high salary growth:
· Technical support specialist -- $49,100
· Call center manager -- $53,800
By Kate Lorenz,
On JobiJobs January 26, 2011.
Jobs 2011: 20 Fast-Growing Salaries
You waited weeks to receive your offer letter, but after you tore open the envelope and scanned the form for the salary figure, your excitement was replaced by a wave of disappointment. If this sounds familiar, you're one of the masses.
There is often a disconnect between what workers think they should earn and what their employers are actually willing to pay them. It's also common for companies to intentionally lowball on the first salary offer. In fact, 58 percent of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com say they leave some negotiating room in their first salary offers.
It pays, then, to negotiate with your employer to boost your starting pay. The key is to know your market value -- this will ensure that you accept an offer that's fair, but also prevent you from pricing yourself out of any position. (For example, if you're demanding $100,000 for an entry-level coordinator role, you may need to rethink your strategy.)
The Internet is an excellent source for finding salary information. For example, visit CBsalary.com, a site powered by CareerBuilder.com and PayScale (www.payscale.com) to offer free, comprehensive salary information and advice to help you negotiate your pay. On CBsalary.com, users can conduct a quick search for their position and city. For a fee, users can access a detailed salary report that factors in academic degrees, years of experience, type of employer, commute, bonus and other specifics.
Also consider your industry when evaluating your salary offer. Working in a hot industry can catapult you into a higher salary range and give you more negotiating power. Healthcare workers, for example, are commanding higher salaries as employers struggle to fill their staffs.
If you're looking for a job with negotiation muscle, check out this list of 20 jobs with the highest salary growth in the fastest-growing industries, according to data from CareerBuilder.com and Payscale:
Accounting/Finance Jobs with high salary growth:
· Personal banker -- $37,700
· Commercial loan officer -- $75,700
Healthcare Jobs with high salary growth:
· Clinical research associate -- $61,300
· Anesthesiologist -- $225,000
Information Technology Jobs with high salary growth:
· Webmaster -- $49,200
· Senior database administrator -- $93,300
Engineering Jobs with high salary growth:
· Civil engineer -- $57,200
· Project engineer -- $65,200
Sales Jobs with high salary growth:
· Sales assistant -- $35,800
· Sales engineer -- $79,900
Administrative support Jobs with high salary growth:
· Human resources coordinator -- $40,200
· Financial controller -- $79,900
Professional and business services Jobs with high salary growth:
· Paralegal -- $39,500
· Financial analyst -- $70,500
Retail Jobs with high salary growth:
· Retail store assistant manager -- $39,100
· Buyer -- $47,900
Hospitality Jobs with high salary growth:
· Restaurant general manager -- $49,800
· Hotel general manager -- $56,600
Customer service Jobs with high salary growth:
· Technical support specialist -- $49,100
· Call center manager -- $53,800
By Kate Lorenz,
On JobiJobs January 26, 2011.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
New Year, You Want a New Career, Now What???
A New Year and You Want A New Career, Now What????
So it’s a New Year and you have decided to change careers. You jump into a program that will be the golden gate to this new career, spend time, money and years on new training. Then you discover that there are few if any opportunities in this new field, you could not support yourself in this field, you do not really like this field and you end up going back to your former career. Has this happened to you or someone you know?
People may spend more time researching a new car that researching their new career.
Kicking the tires and being an EDUCATED CONSUMER before taking the plunge are just as important as trying out your new car before you buy it.
Here are some things you can do to fully investigate that new career about which you are thinking.
Does it Reflect You?
Think about who you are and what you enjoy doing. What are your strengths and talents? What do you love doing and want to do more? What do you hate doing and want to do less or not at all? What type of environment do you thrive in and what type of environment do you hate? What kinds of people do you want to work with? What is really important to you in your career and your life? Read Richard Bolles’ book “What Color is your Parachute? and complete the flower exercise. Post that on a wall near your computer to keep it in mind as you research your new career
I also recommend that clients take on-line self-assessments as the Self-Directed Search (www.selfdirectedsearch.com) to find out careers that match your career interests and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (www.humanmetrics.com) to identify your personality type. They are free or quite inexpensive and can provide insights into careers that match your personality and profile.
Research is Key
After defining yourself, you want to match your profile to the market and the employer who would be interested in employing you. You will want to conduct secondary as well as primary research to find out about
• The occupation that matches your skills, values, interests, preferred work environment, etc.
• The occupational outlook for this field - is this field in demand, growing or shrinking?
• Salary trends – would this field support your life style or would you have to change?
• How your skills match this field and the new skills you may have to develop
• Trends in the field – new developments, emerging standards and trends, challenges
• Potential employers and key decision-makers
• Professional associations for networking
• Professional magazines and journals
• Targeted job boards for job leads
• Recruiters and headhunters in this field
The website Onetcenter (http://online.onetcenter.org) provides valuable career information such as job descriptions, skills, job conditions, job requirements and other important information. Another web site, the Occupational Outlook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs020.htm ) will give you the outlook on this career.
Information Interviews
Nothing beats meeting people in the field in which you are interested to find out what it is really like. Contact people on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and at networking meetings and set up information interviews to ask the following questions:
1. What are the main functions of this job?
2. What is a typical day like?
3. What kind of people are successful in this job?
4. What are the positive things about this job?
5. What are the negative things about this job?
6. What are the most challenging things about this job?
7. What are the trends in this occupation?
8. What are the hiring trends?
9. What does it take to be successful in this job?
10. What are some professional associations associated with this field?
11. What are the salary ranges of this job?
12. Do you know other people doing this job with whom I can meet?
Kick the Tires
I highly recommend that you seriously consider shadowing someone in your new career to find out what really goes on during a typical day. I once took a week off from work to spend a day at the different settings of a particular field to see if I would like to work in this field and in which setting. In the end, I decided that it was not for me. Ask people if you might be able to spend a day with them just to get a better idea of the type of work, environment, challenges, etc. This may or may not be possible for certain fields. You may have to sign non-disclosure forms or get patients’ or clients’ permission. However, this is an invaluable exercise in finding out if this would be a good match for you.
Educational Training
Once you have decided on a particular field, it is really important to be an EDUCATED CONSUMER about the institutions providing training for this new field. Everyone is out to get your money and promise you the moon.
First of all, find out if you need to get additional training or will you get it on- the- job? Some organizations, including Google, hire highly skilled people and will train them in their content and ways of doing things. Other companies prefer to hire off the shelf professionals who require very little or no training.
Carefully research the institutions providing training for this field. Compare curriculum, costs, reputation, professors’ qualifications, career services support and placement, internship and employment opportunities, graduation rates, jobs that graduates have gotten, alumni of the program and networking opportunities. Speak to current students and alumni of the program to get their opinion of the quality of the program.
During your information interviews, ask people in the field about recommended institutions to get training and from which institutions they recruit. If the same program exists at Columbia University or a community college, ask your networking contacts which institution they would recommend and from where they would hire. Sometimes brand recognition can make a difference in hiring decisions.
Networking is Key
Start developing a network in this new field and go to networking meetings to develop contacts in the field, find out what is going on in the field, where the opportunities are, which organizations you would like to work for as well as which ones to avoid. This will be your window into your new field and will provide invaluable insights as well as job leads.
These are just a few tips on how to investigate a new career to make sure it is a good match before you take the plunge. Be an EDUCATED CONSUMER and know what you are getting into before wasting your valuable time and money. Let me know additional insights that you may have on this topic.
carlavisser@ghrsonline.com
www.ghrsonline.com
So it’s a New Year and you have decided to change careers. You jump into a program that will be the golden gate to this new career, spend time, money and years on new training. Then you discover that there are few if any opportunities in this new field, you could not support yourself in this field, you do not really like this field and you end up going back to your former career. Has this happened to you or someone you know?
People may spend more time researching a new car that researching their new career.
Kicking the tires and being an EDUCATED CONSUMER before taking the plunge are just as important as trying out your new car before you buy it.
Here are some things you can do to fully investigate that new career about which you are thinking.
Does it Reflect You?
Think about who you are and what you enjoy doing. What are your strengths and talents? What do you love doing and want to do more? What do you hate doing and want to do less or not at all? What type of environment do you thrive in and what type of environment do you hate? What kinds of people do you want to work with? What is really important to you in your career and your life? Read Richard Bolles’ book “What Color is your Parachute? and complete the flower exercise. Post that on a wall near your computer to keep it in mind as you research your new career
I also recommend that clients take on-line self-assessments as the Self-Directed Search (www.selfdirectedsearch.com) to find out careers that match your career interests and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (www.humanmetrics.com) to identify your personality type. They are free or quite inexpensive and can provide insights into careers that match your personality and profile.
Research is Key
After defining yourself, you want to match your profile to the market and the employer who would be interested in employing you. You will want to conduct secondary as well as primary research to find out about
• The occupation that matches your skills, values, interests, preferred work environment, etc.
• The occupational outlook for this field - is this field in demand, growing or shrinking?
• Salary trends – would this field support your life style or would you have to change?
• How your skills match this field and the new skills you may have to develop
• Trends in the field – new developments, emerging standards and trends, challenges
• Potential employers and key decision-makers
• Professional associations for networking
• Professional magazines and journals
• Targeted job boards for job leads
• Recruiters and headhunters in this field
The website Onetcenter (http://online.onetcenter.org) provides valuable career information such as job descriptions, skills, job conditions, job requirements and other important information. Another web site, the Occupational Outlook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs020.htm ) will give you the outlook on this career.
Information Interviews
Nothing beats meeting people in the field in which you are interested to find out what it is really like. Contact people on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and at networking meetings and set up information interviews to ask the following questions:
1. What are the main functions of this job?
2. What is a typical day like?
3. What kind of people are successful in this job?
4. What are the positive things about this job?
5. What are the negative things about this job?
6. What are the most challenging things about this job?
7. What are the trends in this occupation?
8. What are the hiring trends?
9. What does it take to be successful in this job?
10. What are some professional associations associated with this field?
11. What are the salary ranges of this job?
12. Do you know other people doing this job with whom I can meet?
Kick the Tires
I highly recommend that you seriously consider shadowing someone in your new career to find out what really goes on during a typical day. I once took a week off from work to spend a day at the different settings of a particular field to see if I would like to work in this field and in which setting. In the end, I decided that it was not for me. Ask people if you might be able to spend a day with them just to get a better idea of the type of work, environment, challenges, etc. This may or may not be possible for certain fields. You may have to sign non-disclosure forms or get patients’ or clients’ permission. However, this is an invaluable exercise in finding out if this would be a good match for you.
Educational Training
Once you have decided on a particular field, it is really important to be an EDUCATED CONSUMER about the institutions providing training for this new field. Everyone is out to get your money and promise you the moon.
First of all, find out if you need to get additional training or will you get it on- the- job? Some organizations, including Google, hire highly skilled people and will train them in their content and ways of doing things. Other companies prefer to hire off the shelf professionals who require very little or no training.
Carefully research the institutions providing training for this field. Compare curriculum, costs, reputation, professors’ qualifications, career services support and placement, internship and employment opportunities, graduation rates, jobs that graduates have gotten, alumni of the program and networking opportunities. Speak to current students and alumni of the program to get their opinion of the quality of the program.
During your information interviews, ask people in the field about recommended institutions to get training and from which institutions they recruit. If the same program exists at Columbia University or a community college, ask your networking contacts which institution they would recommend and from where they would hire. Sometimes brand recognition can make a difference in hiring decisions.
Networking is Key
Start developing a network in this new field and go to networking meetings to develop contacts in the field, find out what is going on in the field, where the opportunities are, which organizations you would like to work for as well as which ones to avoid. This will be your window into your new field and will provide invaluable insights as well as job leads.
These are just a few tips on how to investigate a new career to make sure it is a good match before you take the plunge. Be an EDUCATED CONSUMER and know what you are getting into before wasting your valuable time and money. Let me know additional insights that you may have on this topic.
carlavisser@ghrsonline.com
www.ghrsonline.com
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Telecommuting comes to Washington!
Telecommuting comes to Washington!
In today’s New York Times (July 15, p. A20 in the National Section), it was reported that “federal agencies would be required to establish policies to encourage more employees to work from home, under a bill passed by the House on Wednesday.”
The Senate bill had approved a similar bill in May. Both bills would give guidance to managers and employees on telecommuting or “telework.” Government agencies would put someone in charge of these policies and would allow employees to work offsite, at home or at telework centers. Employees precluded from this new way of work were those who had downloaded pornographic materials or why had a high rate of absenteeism or tardiness.
This is good news for the videoconferencing world as videoconferencing would be an important tool in managing remote and virtual teams. Videoconferencing fosters communications and collaboration, enhancing teamwork, problem solving and decision making.
Of course, passing a bill does not make it happen. A major culture change also needs to accompany this bill with a different management culture that focuses on objectives and results instead of face time. Employees need to feel that they will not be “out of touch” if out of the office Managers need to feel that they have not lost control and can count on their employees to achieve their goals.
So Federal videoconferencing teams- sharpen your sales plans and road tours to show the great products and services you can provide to help managers and employees embark on a new era of work.
In today’s New York Times (July 15, p. A20 in the National Section), it was reported that “federal agencies would be required to establish policies to encourage more employees to work from home, under a bill passed by the House on Wednesday.”
The Senate bill had approved a similar bill in May. Both bills would give guidance to managers and employees on telecommuting or “telework.” Government agencies would put someone in charge of these policies and would allow employees to work offsite, at home or at telework centers. Employees precluded from this new way of work were those who had downloaded pornographic materials or why had a high rate of absenteeism or tardiness.
This is good news for the videoconferencing world as videoconferencing would be an important tool in managing remote and virtual teams. Videoconferencing fosters communications and collaboration, enhancing teamwork, problem solving and decision making.
Of course, passing a bill does not make it happen. A major culture change also needs to accompany this bill with a different management culture that focuses on objectives and results instead of face time. Employees need to feel that they will not be “out of touch” if out of the office Managers need to feel that they have not lost control and can count on their employees to achieve their goals.
So Federal videoconferencing teams- sharpen your sales plans and road tours to show the great products and services you can provide to help managers and employees embark on a new era of work.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tipping Point for Telepresence
Tipping Point in Videoconferencing/Telepresence and Unified Communications
A tipping point has been reached in the videoconferencing/Telepresence/Unified Communications industry. As defined in Wikipedia, tipping points are “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable."[1] Martin Gladwell defines a tipping point as a sociological term: "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point."
This is precisely what is happening in the videoconferencing/Telepresence space. A convergence of factors is driving this industry’s growth. Travel disruptions, cost containment, budget cuts, carbon footprint and social responsibility concerns, the need to enhance client and partner engagements and team decision making, quicker product introductions, telecommuting, the globalization of work, all these factors point to a need for all corporations and organizations to seriously look at videoconference, Unified Communications and Telepresence solutions.
Videoconferencing now features a range of solutions, from desktop to HDVideo Telepresence room solutions. The cost of hardware is falling in this competitive market. Most importantly, Polycom has launched a major interoperability forum, the UCIF, which will ensure compatibility between vendors. The UCIF initiative should spur additional competition in the field with a subsequent growth of the market. It should also reassure users about the viability of their investment.
I recently learned about two organization who could benefit tremendously from videoconferencing solutions. A non-profit organization, with budget problems, had people attend to a one day conference, disrupting work, spending money on food, travel and conference facilities instead of using a videoconferencing solution that would have enabled it to accomplish the same goals. Another non-profit organization is planning a new training program that would require constant training on a regional basis with its training consultants on the road constantly. Both of these organizations, with limited budgets, would benefit tremendously from videoconferencing solutions.
The business case for a videoconference solutions shows that companies recoup their investment quickly by reducing their travel time and expenses while improving their productivity, communications and collaboration across the organization as well as externally with clients and partners.
When we look at our limited resources, be they natural or personal, it is incumbent upon every company and organization to seriously consider using videoconferencing, Unified Communications and Telepresence solutions to improve their business operations as well as their profits. As a shareholder, contributor, partner or client, ask key executives of an organization, be it a non-profit or a profit-making company, the question: have you recently looked at how you can benefit from the latest advances in videoconferencing, Unified Communications and Telepresence solutions? Sometimes just asking the question can get the ball rolling. The payoff can be tremendous, to the environment, to employees, shareholders and society as a whole.
A tipping point has been reached in the videoconferencing/Telepresence/Unified Communications industry. As defined in Wikipedia, tipping points are “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable."[1] Martin Gladwell defines a tipping point as a sociological term: "the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point."
This is precisely what is happening in the videoconferencing/Telepresence space. A convergence of factors is driving this industry’s growth. Travel disruptions, cost containment, budget cuts, carbon footprint and social responsibility concerns, the need to enhance client and partner engagements and team decision making, quicker product introductions, telecommuting, the globalization of work, all these factors point to a need for all corporations and organizations to seriously look at videoconference, Unified Communications and Telepresence solutions.
Videoconferencing now features a range of solutions, from desktop to HDVideo Telepresence room solutions. The cost of hardware is falling in this competitive market. Most importantly, Polycom has launched a major interoperability forum, the UCIF, which will ensure compatibility between vendors. The UCIF initiative should spur additional competition in the field with a subsequent growth of the market. It should also reassure users about the viability of their investment.
I recently learned about two organization who could benefit tremendously from videoconferencing solutions. A non-profit organization, with budget problems, had people attend to a one day conference, disrupting work, spending money on food, travel and conference facilities instead of using a videoconferencing solution that would have enabled it to accomplish the same goals. Another non-profit organization is planning a new training program that would require constant training on a regional basis with its training consultants on the road constantly. Both of these organizations, with limited budgets, would benefit tremendously from videoconferencing solutions.
The business case for a videoconference solutions shows that companies recoup their investment quickly by reducing their travel time and expenses while improving their productivity, communications and collaboration across the organization as well as externally with clients and partners.
When we look at our limited resources, be they natural or personal, it is incumbent upon every company and organization to seriously consider using videoconferencing, Unified Communications and Telepresence solutions to improve their business operations as well as their profits. As a shareholder, contributor, partner or client, ask key executives of an organization, be it a non-profit or a profit-making company, the question: have you recently looked at how you can benefit from the latest advances in videoconferencing, Unified Communications and Telepresence solutions? Sometimes just asking the question can get the ball rolling. The payoff can be tremendous, to the environment, to employees, shareholders and society as a whole.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Check out the culture of an organization
Check out the Culture of the Organization
It’s important when you are looking for a job to check out the culture of the organization for which you are seeking to work.
Getting a job is like getting married and compatibility is key to your success. Employers will be checking you out with your references. You, in turn, should check out the employer to find out about the culture and management style of the organization and if it matches your personality.
Here are some ways you can check out the culture of the organization to see if this would be a match made in heaven.
Know your Personality and Career Interests
First of all, it’s important to understand your own personality and career interests. Two tests that you can take to identify your personality and career interests are the Meyers Briggs Inventory (MBTI). You can take this assessment for free on www.humanmetrics.com.
Another important assessment is to identify your career interests on www.selfdirectedsearch.com (very low fee).
With this information, you will have a better understanding of yourself and should look at organizations that match your personality. For example, the Self-Directed Search may reveal that you are Entrepreneurial, Social and Artistic. In this case, it may be very stressful for you to work at a staid, bureaucratic organization that does not value creativity, autonomy and new ideas.
JobVent
Check out what employees say about their companies on this free web site. Employees anonymously provide insights into the culture and management styles of their companies. It can provide some good insights. Of course, one vignette does not a company make. See if there are several comments as this would indicate a trend.
LinkedIn
Find out about the culture of a company by asking information from current and former employees of this company. Go to LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and connect with current and former employees. Ask them about the culture, management style, good points, strong points, areas to be improved.
Best Companies to Work for Lists
See if the company is listed among the Best Companies to Work for Lists. If a company is consistently listed, that is a very positive factor.
Get Engaged First
Another way to check out the culture is to work on a short-term contract or project first. This will give you an opportunity to view firsthand the management style, the decision- making culture, the personalities of key players, the team work or lack of thereof and many other things. If it is a good match, then your part-time gig can turn into a full-time job with a company that is a good fit to whom you are.
Interview Questions
During the interview, listen carefully to the questions they ask you. Which questions keep coming up? What do they indicate about the organization or the company?
For example, if questions are asked about resolving conflicts on teams, after describing how you handled the situation, you can ask if this has been a problem in the organization and find about situations and how the conflicts were resolved.
One of my clients was interviewed at a large non-profit. She has a very positive, optimistic personality. During the interview, she was asked if her personality ever got her in trouble at work. What did this tell her about the organization and its culture, its personality?
As if the position for which you are being interviewed is a new position or a replacement. If new, why? If a replacement, why? Discomfort with addressing replacement questions can indicate a problem. Frequent turnover at an organization also clearly indicates a problem.
Ask questions about the company’s culture and management style. For example, how would you describe the management style and culture of the company? How are projects initiated and managed?
What kind of person succeeds in this organization? What kind of person are you looking for?
Ask strategic questions to provide context to the interview and your subsequent questions. What is the current situation in the organization? What challenges are you facing? What initiatives are you undertaking to meet these challenges? This information can give you important background information to understand the challenges and needs of the business.
An Educated Consumer
Last, but not least, be an educated consumer in your job search. Listen to what people tell you about the organization. If you keep hearing the same refrain over and over, something must be going on. Research the company to find out about lawsuits, businesses sold, businesses bought, mergers and acquisitions, profits and losses, stock price over time, management changes, layoffs, etc. Do your due diligence to know what you are getting into. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
It’s important when you are looking for a job to check out the culture of the organization for which you are seeking to work.
Getting a job is like getting married and compatibility is key to your success. Employers will be checking you out with your references. You, in turn, should check out the employer to find out about the culture and management style of the organization and if it matches your personality.
Here are some ways you can check out the culture of the organization to see if this would be a match made in heaven.
Know your Personality and Career Interests
First of all, it’s important to understand your own personality and career interests. Two tests that you can take to identify your personality and career interests are the Meyers Briggs Inventory (MBTI). You can take this assessment for free on www.humanmetrics.com.
Another important assessment is to identify your career interests on www.selfdirectedsearch.com (very low fee).
With this information, you will have a better understanding of yourself and should look at organizations that match your personality. For example, the Self-Directed Search may reveal that you are Entrepreneurial, Social and Artistic. In this case, it may be very stressful for you to work at a staid, bureaucratic organization that does not value creativity, autonomy and new ideas.
JobVent
Check out what employees say about their companies on this free web site. Employees anonymously provide insights into the culture and management styles of their companies. It can provide some good insights. Of course, one vignette does not a company make. See if there are several comments as this would indicate a trend.
Find out about the culture of a company by asking information from current and former employees of this company. Go to LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and connect with current and former employees. Ask them about the culture, management style, good points, strong points, areas to be improved.
Best Companies to Work for Lists
See if the company is listed among the Best Companies to Work for Lists. If a company is consistently listed, that is a very positive factor.
Get Engaged First
Another way to check out the culture is to work on a short-term contract or project first. This will give you an opportunity to view firsthand the management style, the decision- making culture, the personalities of key players, the team work or lack of thereof and many other things. If it is a good match, then your part-time gig can turn into a full-time job with a company that is a good fit to whom you are.
Interview Questions
During the interview, listen carefully to the questions they ask you. Which questions keep coming up? What do they indicate about the organization or the company?
For example, if questions are asked about resolving conflicts on teams, after describing how you handled the situation, you can ask if this has been a problem in the organization and find about situations and how the conflicts were resolved.
One of my clients was interviewed at a large non-profit. She has a very positive, optimistic personality. During the interview, she was asked if her personality ever got her in trouble at work. What did this tell her about the organization and its culture, its personality?
As if the position for which you are being interviewed is a new position or a replacement. If new, why? If a replacement, why? Discomfort with addressing replacement questions can indicate a problem. Frequent turnover at an organization also clearly indicates a problem.
Ask questions about the company’s culture and management style. For example, how would you describe the management style and culture of the company? How are projects initiated and managed?
What kind of person succeeds in this organization? What kind of person are you looking for?
Ask strategic questions to provide context to the interview and your subsequent questions. What is the current situation in the organization? What challenges are you facing? What initiatives are you undertaking to meet these challenges? This information can give you important background information to understand the challenges and needs of the business.
An Educated Consumer
Last, but not least, be an educated consumer in your job search. Listen to what people tell you about the organization. If you keep hearing the same refrain over and over, something must be going on. Research the company to find out about lawsuits, businesses sold, businesses bought, mergers and acquisitions, profits and losses, stock price over time, management changes, layoffs, etc. Do your due diligence to know what you are getting into. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Promote your Business in the New Year
Promote Your Business in the New Year!
Goal-Setting
The New Year is an optimal time to review your personal and professional goals, establish personal and professional objectives, undertake new business initiatives as well as expand your client base.
Some questions to ask yourself include
• What are my strong skills?
• What do I enjoy doing and derive pleasure out of doing?
• What do I want to do more?
• What things do I want to do less ?
• What are my short-term and long-term professional and personal goals?
• What areas in law do I want to focus on more ?
• Which areas do I want to focus on less or eliminate entirely?
• What new and emerging areas in my field could enhance my professional skills and provide additional revenue streams?
• Where can I get additional training in the areas I want to focus on?
• How can I enhance existing relationships?
• What new relationships do I want to develop?
• What new audiences and clients do I want to attract?
• If I want to leave my field, what new areas do I want to pursue and what are the opportunities in these fields?
Target Your Audience
Having done some soul-searching, identified your skills and professional and personal goals, you need to target your audience.
• Who are you trying to reach? Which market? Which audience?
• What are their needs and interests?
• What are some challenges they are facing that you can help them with?
• What value-added skills, knowledge and experience do you bring to help them with these challenges?
• What is the best way to reach this audience?
Develop your Marketing Materials
Having targeted your audience and analyzed their needs, you should then develop your targeted marketing materials. These materials could include:
• A 30 second commercial – to use when networking with clients and other professionals
• A personal Web site
• LinkedIn Profile (www.linkedin.com)
• Brochures (http://www.printingforless.com/)
• Business Cards (www.vistaprint.com)
• Promotional Offers – e.g. free legal checkup
• Blog (www.blogger.com)
• Twitter account (www.twitter.com)
• Client database ( Microsoft Outlook Business Manager, Access)
• Email service ( www.constantcontact.com)
• Webconferencing service (https://www2.gotomeeting.com/en_US/m/g2mab_More2LMlp.tmpl)
• A business plan to give you direction in expanding your business. Small business development centers at univerisites and colleges can help with these plans.
(Please note that the above resources are examples. I do not have any links to these resources, do not endorse their products or services and take no responsibility for the quality of these products or services).
All of the marketing materials listed above should highlight Your Value Proposition you bring to your targeted audience:
• Your Background and Experience
• Your Skills and Expertise
• Your specialized knowledge
• Your Accomplishments and Results
• Your key differentiators: what makes you different from other people in your field
Your 30 Second Commercial
It’s important to develop a 30-second commercial to use when networking with new clients or other professionals at networking meetings. The purpose of a 30 second commercial, also called an elevator pitch, is to quickly and succinctly introduce yourself highlighting your background and area of expertise to arouse interest from a prospective client. To develop this pitch., use the outline below:
• Your name: Introduce yourself fully, first name and last name
• Professional Brand Identify and Experience:
• What you are seeking:
Example of a 30 Second Commercial
Name: I am Kathy Jackson
Professional Brand Identify and Experience: I am a lawyer specializing in commercial litigation in the construction industry. I have worked for major law firms and have won more than $ a million dollars in cases.
Seeking: I am looking for help commercial construction companies successfully resolve their litigation cases.
Push versus Pull Techniques
To attract new clients, you can use push and pull techniques. Using a combination of techniques will strengthen your marketing efforts.
Push techniques are when you reach out directly to new clients. This can include conducting targeted marketing campaigns to reach out to new clients using email services and your client contact database as well as online groups.
Pull techniques are when you attract new clients to you by giving free talks to professional associations, networking groups, writing articles, publishing a blog giving tips about your area of expertise, sending Tweets about your areas of expertise and alerting potential clients to your blogs and articles and using LinkedIn to provide tips to your contacts and groups.
Use Networking to Reach new Clients
The purpose of networking is to establish reciprocal relationships. It is a quid-pro-quo where you give as well as you get.
After you have targeted the audience you are trying to reach, identify the professional associations and groups where you can reach this audience. Attend their meetings and network with participants. Get the business cards of people with whom you connected and schedule follow up meetings. Meet them for a coffee or a drink. Join organizations and get involved in special committees. Chair certain events. Give talks. Volunteer at organizations. Join their board to help them with their strategy and direction. Join alumni associations and reach out to alumni, always a welcoming group of people.
Reach out to your inner circle of friends, family and professionals. Let them know what your plans are. Expand your inner circle into an outer circle of professionals that you have met through your expanded networking efforts. Be open to new connections and suggestions from your networking contacts. Treat this as an opportunity to expand your horizons.
Use Social Media
Needless to say, social media has become a very important medium to communicate and reach potential clients. The most important questions to ask before using social media are “who do I want to reach? what are my goals with social media? and what is the best way to reach my audience?” Examples of social media include the following applications:
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Facebook
• You Tube
• Meet up
• Stumble Upon
• Delicious
• Digg
• Flickr
• Tumblr
• Wikis
• Blogs
• Nings
Experiment and learn how to use these tools to reach your targeted audience. Unless you have a full time social media marketing manager, focus on using the top three or four tools that enable you to reach your targeted audience. On-line social media tools are a powerful way to attract new clients and grow your market.
Summary
As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day” so draw up your plan to promote yourself and your business and take small steps, one day at a time. Small incremental steps can add up to you significantly increasing your knowledge about your targeted audience and the best way to reach them.
Carla Visser
Founder, Global Human Resource Solutions LLC
www.ghrsonline.com
carlavisser@ghrsonline.com
718-793-3451
Goal-Setting
The New Year is an optimal time to review your personal and professional goals, establish personal and professional objectives, undertake new business initiatives as well as expand your client base.
Some questions to ask yourself include
• What are my strong skills?
• What do I enjoy doing and derive pleasure out of doing?
• What do I want to do more?
• What things do I want to do less ?
• What are my short-term and long-term professional and personal goals?
• What areas in law do I want to focus on more ?
• Which areas do I want to focus on less or eliminate entirely?
• What new and emerging areas in my field could enhance my professional skills and provide additional revenue streams?
• Where can I get additional training in the areas I want to focus on?
• How can I enhance existing relationships?
• What new relationships do I want to develop?
• What new audiences and clients do I want to attract?
• If I want to leave my field, what new areas do I want to pursue and what are the opportunities in these fields?
Target Your Audience
Having done some soul-searching, identified your skills and professional and personal goals, you need to target your audience.
• Who are you trying to reach? Which market? Which audience?
• What are their needs and interests?
• What are some challenges they are facing that you can help them with?
• What value-added skills, knowledge and experience do you bring to help them with these challenges?
• What is the best way to reach this audience?
Develop your Marketing Materials
Having targeted your audience and analyzed their needs, you should then develop your targeted marketing materials. These materials could include:
• A 30 second commercial – to use when networking with clients and other professionals
• A personal Web site
• LinkedIn Profile (www.linkedin.com)
• Brochures (http://www.printingforless.com/)
• Business Cards (www.vistaprint.com)
• Promotional Offers – e.g. free legal checkup
• Blog (www.blogger.com)
• Twitter account (www.twitter.com)
• Client database ( Microsoft Outlook Business Manager, Access)
• Email service ( www.constantcontact.com)
• Webconferencing service (https://www2.gotomeeting.com/en_US/m/g2mab_More2LMlp.tmpl)
• A business plan to give you direction in expanding your business. Small business development centers at univerisites and colleges can help with these plans.
(Please note that the above resources are examples. I do not have any links to these resources, do not endorse their products or services and take no responsibility for the quality of these products or services).
All of the marketing materials listed above should highlight Your Value Proposition you bring to your targeted audience:
• Your Background and Experience
• Your Skills and Expertise
• Your specialized knowledge
• Your Accomplishments and Results
• Your key differentiators: what makes you different from other people in your field
Your 30 Second Commercial
It’s important to develop a 30-second commercial to use when networking with new clients or other professionals at networking meetings. The purpose of a 30 second commercial, also called an elevator pitch, is to quickly and succinctly introduce yourself highlighting your background and area of expertise to arouse interest from a prospective client. To develop this pitch., use the outline below:
• Your name: Introduce yourself fully, first name and last name
• Professional Brand Identify and Experience:
• What you are seeking:
Example of a 30 Second Commercial
Name: I am Kathy Jackson
Professional Brand Identify and Experience: I am a lawyer specializing in commercial litigation in the construction industry. I have worked for major law firms and have won more than $ a million dollars in cases.
Seeking: I am looking for help commercial construction companies successfully resolve their litigation cases.
Push versus Pull Techniques
To attract new clients, you can use push and pull techniques. Using a combination of techniques will strengthen your marketing efforts.
Push techniques are when you reach out directly to new clients. This can include conducting targeted marketing campaigns to reach out to new clients using email services and your client contact database as well as online groups.
Pull techniques are when you attract new clients to you by giving free talks to professional associations, networking groups, writing articles, publishing a blog giving tips about your area of expertise, sending Tweets about your areas of expertise and alerting potential clients to your blogs and articles and using LinkedIn to provide tips to your contacts and groups.
Use Networking to Reach new Clients
The purpose of networking is to establish reciprocal relationships. It is a quid-pro-quo where you give as well as you get.
After you have targeted the audience you are trying to reach, identify the professional associations and groups where you can reach this audience. Attend their meetings and network with participants. Get the business cards of people with whom you connected and schedule follow up meetings. Meet them for a coffee or a drink. Join organizations and get involved in special committees. Chair certain events. Give talks. Volunteer at organizations. Join their board to help them with their strategy and direction. Join alumni associations and reach out to alumni, always a welcoming group of people.
Reach out to your inner circle of friends, family and professionals. Let them know what your plans are. Expand your inner circle into an outer circle of professionals that you have met through your expanded networking efforts. Be open to new connections and suggestions from your networking contacts. Treat this as an opportunity to expand your horizons.
Use Social Media
Needless to say, social media has become a very important medium to communicate and reach potential clients. The most important questions to ask before using social media are “who do I want to reach? what are my goals with social media? and what is the best way to reach my audience?” Examples of social media include the following applications:
• You Tube
• Meet up
• Stumble Upon
• Delicious
• Digg
• Flickr
• Tumblr
• Wikis
• Blogs
• Nings
Experiment and learn how to use these tools to reach your targeted audience. Unless you have a full time social media marketing manager, focus on using the top three or four tools that enable you to reach your targeted audience. On-line social media tools are a powerful way to attract new clients and grow your market.
Summary
As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day” so draw up your plan to promote yourself and your business and take small steps, one day at a time. Small incremental steps can add up to you significantly increasing your knowledge about your targeted audience and the best way to reach them.
Carla Visser
Founder, Global Human Resource Solutions LLC
www.ghrsonline.com
carlavisser@ghrsonline.com
718-793-3451
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
March 17, 2009.
Turn Interviews into Job Offers - Updated with point 8 - offer concrete solutions as suggested by one of the readers
In this competitive job market, how can you transform interviews into job offers? What does it take to close the sale?
Below are some suggestions on how you can transform interviews into job offers.
1. Know Yourself: It is critical that you identify your special skills, abilities, talents, values and knowledge that make you a unique candidate. If you do not know yourself and what you bring to the table, how can you market yourself? So identify your value proposition as it relates to the career in which you are interested. Specifically, identify your skills, strengths, knowledge, values, interests, accomplishments and key differentiators (what makes you different from other people) so that you can articulate this when you interview for positions.
2. Define your Preferred Job: Identify the key attributes of your dream career: location, industry, size of company, type of work/job function, type of colleagues and management culture, benefits, travel and other key aspects of the job. Doing this will enable you to know when it is the dream job you want or not.
3. Know the market and the company: Make sure you research the market to identify key trends. Research the company to see how they mirror these trends, what their major goals and plans are and what their unique needs might be. Network in the industry to find out more about the company, its reputation and challenges, meet people from the company and from the industry to get the inside scoop.
4. Put on a consultant’s hat when you interview: When you go for the interview, think like a consultant to find out what is going on at the company and the organization so that you can articulate how you can help them fulfill their plans and meet their challenges. Ask open-ended questions such as What are your goals and how are you planning on achieving them? What are some key challenges you are facing? These questions enable you to get a broad picture of what is happening at the company.
5. Ask questions about the company and organization: Interviewing is a two-way street with them interviewing you and you interviewing them. This is the time to learn more about the manager and the organization. As questions such as what are the key goals of the job? What are the most urgent things to accomplish? What needs to get done in the first six months? What does success look like in this job? What type of person are you looking for? If the shoe fits, go for it and you can wear it. If not, trust your instinct and walk away as nothing hurts more than shoes that do not fit!!!
6. Be prepared to summarize your experience, special skills and accomplishments in two minutes of less: the ability to be articulate and speak concisely speaks volumes about your professionalism so summarize your experience, skills and key accomplishments in less than two minutes
7. Be prepared to tell stories about your experiences and accomplishments and how you have handled difficult challenging assignments
8. Be prepared to offer concrete solutions about how you could help the manager address the needs of the organization.
9. Be prepared to discuss your career goals: reassure the interviewer that you are not interested in their job but that your main priorities are to learn about the company, contribute to the company and help the company achieve its goals.
10. Find out the timing of the hiring process, the next steps, your competition and how you compare to the competition.
11. Show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and state your interest in the job at the end of the interview.
12. Engage the interviewer and establish rapport: This is a key component of the interview as if there is no chemistry or click, you will not get hired. You have to pass the airline test – can you sit for 8 hours in a plane with this person? You establish rapport with a person by
-coming early to the interview and reading the organization newsletter so that you can start the conversation by discussing what you read in the newsletter
-researching the person prior to the meeting (on LinkedIn or his/her bio on the company site or through networking contacts) so that you can comment on his experience and shared experiences;
-when you enter the office, take note of the room – paintings, pictures, books, etc. and commenting on them. If the room is bare, then this is not an expressive person which leads me to the next point;
-identify the communications style of the person: is the person a relater, a thinker, a socializer or a director? A relater focuses on relationships, likes to work in teams and speaks slowly. A thinker is task-oriented, likes to work alone, focuses on intellectual matters and also speaks slowly. A socializer focuses on relationships, likes excitement and change, is persuasive and speaks quickly. A director is task-oriented, likes to get things done through others and speaks quickly.(Source: Communicating at Work, Tony Alessandra and Phil Hunsaker, Simon and Shuster, 1993). By becoming aware of the communications style of the interviewer, you need to adapt your communications style to mirror the communications style of the person interviewing you. So look and listen. Lean in to show interest. Mirror the communications style of the other person by speaking faster or slower. This is critical to developing a feeling of comfort. People hire people with whom they are comfortable.
13. Follow up your interview with an email thanking the interviewer for meeting with you and describe how can accomplish the goals of the job and meet the challenges of the organization. Reiterate your interest in the job. Ask for the opportunity to have another meeting to learn more about the job and the organization. A first interview is an opportunity to learn about the job and have other meetings to learn even more and to market yourself!
14. Last, but not least, follow up your interview to find out the status of the position. Send a brief email to show your interest. Place a call to find out how the process is proceeding.
Remember to have many opportunities in the pipeline so that you do not have all your eggs in one basket. Many things can happen to job opportunities such as budget changes, job freezes, plans changing. Hedge your risk. Focus your energy on multiple opportunities. This also gives you leverage when you negotiate your job offer.
I welcome your comments and suggestions so please share!
Turn Interviews into Job Offers - Updated with point 8 - offer concrete solutions as suggested by one of the readers
In this competitive job market, how can you transform interviews into job offers? What does it take to close the sale?
Below are some suggestions on how you can transform interviews into job offers.
1. Know Yourself: It is critical that you identify your special skills, abilities, talents, values and knowledge that make you a unique candidate. If you do not know yourself and what you bring to the table, how can you market yourself? So identify your value proposition as it relates to the career in which you are interested. Specifically, identify your skills, strengths, knowledge, values, interests, accomplishments and key differentiators (what makes you different from other people) so that you can articulate this when you interview for positions.
2. Define your Preferred Job: Identify the key attributes of your dream career: location, industry, size of company, type of work/job function, type of colleagues and management culture, benefits, travel and other key aspects of the job. Doing this will enable you to know when it is the dream job you want or not.
3. Know the market and the company: Make sure you research the market to identify key trends. Research the company to see how they mirror these trends, what their major goals and plans are and what their unique needs might be. Network in the industry to find out more about the company, its reputation and challenges, meet people from the company and from the industry to get the inside scoop.
4. Put on a consultant’s hat when you interview: When you go for the interview, think like a consultant to find out what is going on at the company and the organization so that you can articulate how you can help them fulfill their plans and meet their challenges. Ask open-ended questions such as What are your goals and how are you planning on achieving them? What are some key challenges you are facing? These questions enable you to get a broad picture of what is happening at the company.
5. Ask questions about the company and organization: Interviewing is a two-way street with them interviewing you and you interviewing them. This is the time to learn more about the manager and the organization. As questions such as what are the key goals of the job? What are the most urgent things to accomplish? What needs to get done in the first six months? What does success look like in this job? What type of person are you looking for? If the shoe fits, go for it and you can wear it. If not, trust your instinct and walk away as nothing hurts more than shoes that do not fit!!!
6. Be prepared to summarize your experience, special skills and accomplishments in two minutes of less: the ability to be articulate and speak concisely speaks volumes about your professionalism so summarize your experience, skills and key accomplishments in less than two minutes
7. Be prepared to tell stories about your experiences and accomplishments and how you have handled difficult challenging assignments
8. Be prepared to offer concrete solutions about how you could help the manager address the needs of the organization.
9. Be prepared to discuss your career goals: reassure the interviewer that you are not interested in their job but that your main priorities are to learn about the company, contribute to the company and help the company achieve its goals.
10. Find out the timing of the hiring process, the next steps, your competition and how you compare to the competition.
11. Show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and state your interest in the job at the end of the interview.
12. Engage the interviewer and establish rapport: This is a key component of the interview as if there is no chemistry or click, you will not get hired. You have to pass the airline test – can you sit for 8 hours in a plane with this person? You establish rapport with a person by
-coming early to the interview and reading the organization newsletter so that you can start the conversation by discussing what you read in the newsletter
-researching the person prior to the meeting (on LinkedIn or his/her bio on the company site or through networking contacts) so that you can comment on his experience and shared experiences;
-when you enter the office, take note of the room – paintings, pictures, books, etc. and commenting on them. If the room is bare, then this is not an expressive person which leads me to the next point;
-identify the communications style of the person: is the person a relater, a thinker, a socializer or a director? A relater focuses on relationships, likes to work in teams and speaks slowly. A thinker is task-oriented, likes to work alone, focuses on intellectual matters and also speaks slowly. A socializer focuses on relationships, likes excitement and change, is persuasive and speaks quickly. A director is task-oriented, likes to get things done through others and speaks quickly.(Source: Communicating at Work, Tony Alessandra and Phil Hunsaker, Simon and Shuster, 1993). By becoming aware of the communications style of the interviewer, you need to adapt your communications style to mirror the communications style of the person interviewing you. So look and listen. Lean in to show interest. Mirror the communications style of the other person by speaking faster or slower. This is critical to developing a feeling of comfort. People hire people with whom they are comfortable.
13. Follow up your interview with an email thanking the interviewer for meeting with you and describe how can accomplish the goals of the job and meet the challenges of the organization. Reiterate your interest in the job. Ask for the opportunity to have another meeting to learn more about the job and the organization. A first interview is an opportunity to learn about the job and have other meetings to learn even more and to market yourself!
14. Last, but not least, follow up your interview to find out the status of the position. Send a brief email to show your interest. Place a call to find out how the process is proceeding.
Remember to have many opportunities in the pipeline so that you do not have all your eggs in one basket. Many things can happen to job opportunities such as budget changes, job freezes, plans changing. Hedge your risk. Focus your energy on multiple opportunities. This also gives you leverage when you negotiate your job offer.
I welcome your comments and suggestions so please share!
Turn Interviews Into Jobs!
March 17, 2009.
Turn Interviews into Job Offers
In this competitive job market, how can you transform interviews into job offers? What does it take to close the sale?
Below are some suggestions on how you can transform interviews into job offers.
1. Know Yourself: It is critical that you identify your special skills, abilities, talents, values and knowledge that make you a unique candidate. If you do not know yourself and what you bring to the table, how can you market yourself? So identify your value proposition as it relates to the career in which you are interested. Specifically, identify your skills, strengths, knowledge, values, interests, accomplishments and key differentiators (what makes you different from other people) so that you can articulate this when you interview for positions.
2. Define your Preferred Job: Identify the key attributes of your dream career: location, industry, size of company, type of work/job function, type of colleagues and management culture, benefits, travel and other key aspects of the job. Doing this will enable you to know when it is the dream job you want or not.
3. Know the market and the company: Make sure you research the market to identify key trends. Research the company to see how they mirror these trends, what their major goals and plans are and what their unique needs might be. Network in the industry to find out more about the company, its reputation and challenges, meet people from the company and from the industry to get the inside scoop.
4. Put on a consultant’s hat when you interview: When you go for the interview, think like a consultant to find out what is going on at the company and the organization so that you can articulate how you can help them fulfill their plans and meet their challenges. Ask open-ended questions such as What are your goals and how are you planning on achieving them? What are some key challenges you are facing? These questions enable you to get a broad picture of what is happening at the company.
5. Ask questions about the company and organization: Interviewing is a two-way street with them interviewing you and you interviewing them. This is the time to learn more about the manager and the organization. As questions such as what are the key goals of the job? What are the most urgent things to accomplish? What needs to get done in the first six months? What does success look like in this job? What type of person are you looking for? If the shoe fits, go for it and you can wear it. If not, trust your instinct and walk away as nothing hurts more than shoes that do not fit!!!
6. Be prepared to summarize your experience, special skills and accomplishments in two minutes of less: the ability to be articulate and speak concisely speaks volumes about your professionalism so summarize your experience, skills and key accomplishments in less than two minutes
7. Be prepared to tell stories about your experiences and accomplishments and how you have handled difficult challenging assignments
8. Be prepared to discuss your career goals: reassure the interviewer that you are not interested in their job but that your main priorities are to learn about the company, contribute to the company and help the company achieve its goals.
9. Find out the timing of the hiring process, the next steps, your competition and how you compare to the competition.
10. Show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and state your interest in the job at the end of the interview.
11. Engage the interviewer and establish rapport: This is a key component of the interview as if there is no chemistry or click, you will not get hired. You have to pass the airline test – can you sit for 8 hours in a plane with this person? You establish rapport with a person by
-coming early to the interview and reading the organization newsletter so that you can start the conversation by discussing what you read in the newsletter
-researching the person prior to the meeting (on LinkedIn or his/her bio on the company site or through networking contacts) so that you can comment on his experience and shared experiences;
-when you enter the office, take note of the room – paintings, pictures, books, etc. and commenting on them. If the room is bare, then this is not an expressive person which leads me to the next point;
-identify the communications style of the person: is the person a relater, a thinker, a socializer or a director? A relater focuses on relationships, likes to work in teams and speaks slowly. A thinker is task-oriented, likes to work alone, focuses on intellectual matters and also speaks slowly. A socializer focuses on relationships, likes excitement and change, is persuasive and speaks quickly. A director is task-oriented, likes to get things done through others and speaks quickly.(Source: Communicating at Work, Tony Alessandra and Phil Hunsaker, Simon and Shuster, 1993). By becoming aware of the communications style of the interviewer, you need to adapt your communications style to mirror the communications style of the person interviewing you. So look and listen. Lean in to show interest. Mirror the communications style of the other person by speaking faster or slower. This is critical to developing a feeling of comfort. People hire people with whom they are comfortable.
12. Follow up your interview with an email thanking the interviewer for meeting with you and describes how can accomplish the goals of the job and meet the challenges of the organization. Reiterate your interest in the job. Ask for the opportunity to have another meeting to learn more about the job and the organization. A first interview is an opportunity to learn about the job and have other meetings to learn even more and to market yourself.
13. Last, but not least, follow up your interview to find out the status of the position. Send a brief email to show your interest. Place a call to find out how the process is proceeding.
Remember to have many opportunities in the pipeline so that you do not have all your eggs in one basket. Many things can happen to job opportunities such as budget changes, job freezes, plans changing. Hedge your risk. Focus your energy on multiple opportunities. This also gives you leverage when you negotiate your job offer.
Turn Interviews into Job Offers
In this competitive job market, how can you transform interviews into job offers? What does it take to close the sale?
Below are some suggestions on how you can transform interviews into job offers.
1. Know Yourself: It is critical that you identify your special skills, abilities, talents, values and knowledge that make you a unique candidate. If you do not know yourself and what you bring to the table, how can you market yourself? So identify your value proposition as it relates to the career in which you are interested. Specifically, identify your skills, strengths, knowledge, values, interests, accomplishments and key differentiators (what makes you different from other people) so that you can articulate this when you interview for positions.
2. Define your Preferred Job: Identify the key attributes of your dream career: location, industry, size of company, type of work/job function, type of colleagues and management culture, benefits, travel and other key aspects of the job. Doing this will enable you to know when it is the dream job you want or not.
3. Know the market and the company: Make sure you research the market to identify key trends. Research the company to see how they mirror these trends, what their major goals and plans are and what their unique needs might be. Network in the industry to find out more about the company, its reputation and challenges, meet people from the company and from the industry to get the inside scoop.
4. Put on a consultant’s hat when you interview: When you go for the interview, think like a consultant to find out what is going on at the company and the organization so that you can articulate how you can help them fulfill their plans and meet their challenges. Ask open-ended questions such as What are your goals and how are you planning on achieving them? What are some key challenges you are facing? These questions enable you to get a broad picture of what is happening at the company.
5. Ask questions about the company and organization: Interviewing is a two-way street with them interviewing you and you interviewing them. This is the time to learn more about the manager and the organization. As questions such as what are the key goals of the job? What are the most urgent things to accomplish? What needs to get done in the first six months? What does success look like in this job? What type of person are you looking for? If the shoe fits, go for it and you can wear it. If not, trust your instinct and walk away as nothing hurts more than shoes that do not fit!!!
6. Be prepared to summarize your experience, special skills and accomplishments in two minutes of less: the ability to be articulate and speak concisely speaks volumes about your professionalism so summarize your experience, skills and key accomplishments in less than two minutes
7. Be prepared to tell stories about your experiences and accomplishments and how you have handled difficult challenging assignments
8. Be prepared to discuss your career goals: reassure the interviewer that you are not interested in their job but that your main priorities are to learn about the company, contribute to the company and help the company achieve its goals.
9. Find out the timing of the hiring process, the next steps, your competition and how you compare to the competition.
10. Show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and state your interest in the job at the end of the interview.
11. Engage the interviewer and establish rapport: This is a key component of the interview as if there is no chemistry or click, you will not get hired. You have to pass the airline test – can you sit for 8 hours in a plane with this person? You establish rapport with a person by
-coming early to the interview and reading the organization newsletter so that you can start the conversation by discussing what you read in the newsletter
-researching the person prior to the meeting (on LinkedIn or his/her bio on the company site or through networking contacts) so that you can comment on his experience and shared experiences;
-when you enter the office, take note of the room – paintings, pictures, books, etc. and commenting on them. If the room is bare, then this is not an expressive person which leads me to the next point;
-identify the communications style of the person: is the person a relater, a thinker, a socializer or a director? A relater focuses on relationships, likes to work in teams and speaks slowly. A thinker is task-oriented, likes to work alone, focuses on intellectual matters and also speaks slowly. A socializer focuses on relationships, likes excitement and change, is persuasive and speaks quickly. A director is task-oriented, likes to get things done through others and speaks quickly.(Source: Communicating at Work, Tony Alessandra and Phil Hunsaker, Simon and Shuster, 1993). By becoming aware of the communications style of the interviewer, you need to adapt your communications style to mirror the communications style of the person interviewing you. So look and listen. Lean in to show interest. Mirror the communications style of the other person by speaking faster or slower. This is critical to developing a feeling of comfort. People hire people with whom they are comfortable.
12. Follow up your interview with an email thanking the interviewer for meeting with you and describes how can accomplish the goals of the job and meet the challenges of the organization. Reiterate your interest in the job. Ask for the opportunity to have another meeting to learn more about the job and the organization. A first interview is an opportunity to learn about the job and have other meetings to learn even more and to market yourself.
13. Last, but not least, follow up your interview to find out the status of the position. Send a brief email to show your interest. Place a call to find out how the process is proceeding.
Remember to have many opportunities in the pipeline so that you do not have all your eggs in one basket. Many things can happen to job opportunities such as budget changes, job freezes, plans changing. Hedge your risk. Focus your energy on multiple opportunities. This also gives you leverage when you negotiate your job offer.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Use Technology To Find a New Career
Use Technology to Find a New Career
The world of work and networking has been transformed by the Internet. New tools are now available to help you connect with professionals around the world. As Thomas Friedman pointed out in his book, The World is Flat, the world is flat and distance is no longer a factor. Au contraire! In a few seconds, you can communicate with people around the world, identify jobs around the world, and speak with people from around the world at practically no cost!
I am going to review how you can use these new on-line networking tools in your job search. I will NOT be focusing on job posting websites in this discussion. I will start with LINKEDIN for this discussion. I encourage people to share their experience with using LinkedIn if I have missed some important features or benefits.
LINKEDIN: THE CADILLAC OF PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING
LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/) is definitely the CADILLAC and SUPERHERO of professional networking. It has so many wonderful features such as
-Your own personalized professional profile that gives you a presence on the web so that people can look you up. This eliminates the need for you to create a web site, which can be quite costly.
-A repository for professional recommendations where colleagues and client can describe you and the services you provide. What a terrific way to showcase your experience skills and talents! Hopefully, recruiters will be looking you up on LinkedIn to see your recommendations and references eliminating the need for paperwork, emails and phone calls!
-Contacts: through LinkedIn, you can create a vast network of contacts with former and current colleagues, alumni of schools and others to create a huge personal professional network that can help you identify new professional opportunities. This is truly the most powerful aspect of LinkedIn. The power of number is at play here. For example, I have 366 network connections (contacts) on my profile. This, in fact, translates into more than 7,231,000 potential contacts in my own private professional network!
-Company listings in different fields so that you can create a targeted list of companies for your job search
-Job listings that only appear on LinkedIn
-Professional Associations that you can join to connect with professionals in your field. This can help you network to a new job as well as find candidates for jobs. You can also let people know about information, jobs and services through these associations for a targeted approach to the market. These professional associations are natural conduits for Knowledge Sharing with people sharing and seeking insights, tips and jobs in an open professional environment.
-People listings to help you locate former colleagues or people who work for companies you have targeted in your job search or potential candidates for jobs to be filled.
-Applications such as presentations where you can upload presentations to highlight your services or accomplishments.
-Ask a Question to get answers to different types of questions (like ASK.com)
-Email inbox where you can communicate with your contacts
-Listing of your personal or company web site
As LinkedIn is constantly adding new features, the list above is just a start. To say the least, this professional networking tool will transform your career transition.
LinkedIn comes in different flavors. There is the free service as well as premium services that cost a monthly fee. The free service limits you to 500 searches that you can do in a certain period of time and also limits the amount of invitations that you can send to add people to your network. The premium services offer you a greater amount of searches and invitations. Personally, I have never felt the need to get the premium service but depending on how you use it, it could certainly be worth your while to upgrade to the premium services.
HOW TO USE LINKED IN FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH
Here are some tips on how to use LinkedIn in your job search:
-Complete your Professional Profile on LinkedIn, listing your work experience and positions, education, recommendations, your website address, awards, interests and professional associations which you have joined in LinkedIn. Include a professional picture to personalize your site.
-Build your Contacts. LinkedIn will copy your address book from your email address book and let you know which people are using LinkedIn. You can then request these people to join your network by sending a Join my Network invitation. Using the people Search function, you can also search for people in the companies where you have worked or look up friends and alumni of schools you have attended and invite them as well.
It is recommended that you start your network with people you know as you will turn to them for advice. However, you may expand your network to include others who are in the field in which you would like to work or people with whom you share a common professional interest.
-Request recommendations from colleagues and clients so that you can showcase your skills and abilities. You may also recommend colleagues with whom you have worked to do the same for them. Keep your recommendations short but extremely relevant to highlight the special skills of the person you are recommending.
-Join Professional Associations: This is the key to opening the door to professionals like yourself with whom you can network, share information and identify job opportunities. The relationships you forget can change your life. Identify the groups you want to join by using the Search function. Use these associations to ask questions, share information, get job listings, network to get advice and feedback and identify career opportunities and identify candidates for jobs.
-Identify Companies you would like to target to develop a targeted company list. Once you have identified the companies, start searching for people who work in these companies. You can invite them to be part of your network and start networking with them.
-Contact People in Your Targeted Companies: you can contact people in the targeted companies by calling them or emailing them. You can email them through LinkedIn if they have their email on their address. Or you can communicate with them if they become part of your network. Another way is calling them at work after being connected through the main number of the company, introducing yourself as a member of LinkedIn and asking if you would be able to send them an introductory email to introduce yourself and set a time to speak or meeting with them to get their advice and feedback on your career plans. Networking is the best approach to contacting people to establish a reciprocal relationship to get their advice and feedback on your career plans as opposed to asking them for a job. Asking for a job can be a negative experience with a lose-lose outcome whereas asking for their advice, feedback and contacts linked to your job search can be a win-win situation.
-Use Professional Associations you have joined to ask for advice and feedback on your career plans. People are always posting job listings on these sites.
-Use the Job Site to identify potential jobs that may be exclusive to LinkedIn.
Search for recruiters to let them know about your career plans and send them your resume. Recruiters have been using LinkedIn as a recruitment tool and may contact you if you meet their search criteria.
-Use LinkedIn when you respond to a job advertisement: as a member of LinkedIn, it will appear on your screen when you look at a job ad and let you know how many people are in your network who work for the company in which you are interested! This is truly cutting edge!
I hope that this tutorial has given some insights into how to use this powerful professional networking tool. It is truly a remarkable professional networking tool that can transform your career transition by combining so many important functions in one professional networking tool.
One word of warning about LinkedIn: it is definitely addictive and you can spend all your time on the Internet and not enough time out of the house networking with people at professional associations, meetings and other events. So budget your time and make time for meeting with people outside the house. Use LinkedIn as tool to meet and network with people in person as well as on the Internet!
The world of work and networking has been transformed by the Internet. New tools are now available to help you connect with professionals around the world. As Thomas Friedman pointed out in his book, The World is Flat, the world is flat and distance is no longer a factor. Au contraire! In a few seconds, you can communicate with people around the world, identify jobs around the world, and speak with people from around the world at practically no cost!
I am going to review how you can use these new on-line networking tools in your job search. I will NOT be focusing on job posting websites in this discussion. I will start with LINKEDIN for this discussion. I encourage people to share their experience with using LinkedIn if I have missed some important features or benefits.
LINKEDIN: THE CADILLAC OF PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING
LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/) is definitely the CADILLAC and SUPERHERO of professional networking. It has so many wonderful features such as
-Your own personalized professional profile that gives you a presence on the web so that people can look you up. This eliminates the need for you to create a web site, which can be quite costly.
-A repository for professional recommendations where colleagues and client can describe you and the services you provide. What a terrific way to showcase your experience skills and talents! Hopefully, recruiters will be looking you up on LinkedIn to see your recommendations and references eliminating the need for paperwork, emails and phone calls!
-Contacts: through LinkedIn, you can create a vast network of contacts with former and current colleagues, alumni of schools and others to create a huge personal professional network that can help you identify new professional opportunities. This is truly the most powerful aspect of LinkedIn. The power of number is at play here. For example, I have 366 network connections (contacts) on my profile. This, in fact, translates into more than 7,231,000 potential contacts in my own private professional network!
-Company listings in different fields so that you can create a targeted list of companies for your job search
-Job listings that only appear on LinkedIn
-Professional Associations that you can join to connect with professionals in your field. This can help you network to a new job as well as find candidates for jobs. You can also let people know about information, jobs and services through these associations for a targeted approach to the market. These professional associations are natural conduits for Knowledge Sharing with people sharing and seeking insights, tips and jobs in an open professional environment.
-People listings to help you locate former colleagues or people who work for companies you have targeted in your job search or potential candidates for jobs to be filled.
-Applications such as presentations where you can upload presentations to highlight your services or accomplishments.
-Ask a Question to get answers to different types of questions (like ASK.com)
-Email inbox where you can communicate with your contacts
-Listing of your personal or company web site
As LinkedIn is constantly adding new features, the list above is just a start. To say the least, this professional networking tool will transform your career transition.
LinkedIn comes in different flavors. There is the free service as well as premium services that cost a monthly fee. The free service limits you to 500 searches that you can do in a certain period of time and also limits the amount of invitations that you can send to add people to your network. The premium services offer you a greater amount of searches and invitations. Personally, I have never felt the need to get the premium service but depending on how you use it, it could certainly be worth your while to upgrade to the premium services.
HOW TO USE LINKED IN FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH
Here are some tips on how to use LinkedIn in your job search:
-Complete your Professional Profile on LinkedIn, listing your work experience and positions, education, recommendations, your website address, awards, interests and professional associations which you have joined in LinkedIn. Include a professional picture to personalize your site.
-Build your Contacts. LinkedIn will copy your address book from your email address book and let you know which people are using LinkedIn. You can then request these people to join your network by sending a Join my Network invitation. Using the people Search function, you can also search for people in the companies where you have worked or look up friends and alumni of schools you have attended and invite them as well.
It is recommended that you start your network with people you know as you will turn to them for advice. However, you may expand your network to include others who are in the field in which you would like to work or people with whom you share a common professional interest.
-Request recommendations from colleagues and clients so that you can showcase your skills and abilities. You may also recommend colleagues with whom you have worked to do the same for them. Keep your recommendations short but extremely relevant to highlight the special skills of the person you are recommending.
-Join Professional Associations: This is the key to opening the door to professionals like yourself with whom you can network, share information and identify job opportunities. The relationships you forget can change your life. Identify the groups you want to join by using the Search function. Use these associations to ask questions, share information, get job listings, network to get advice and feedback and identify career opportunities and identify candidates for jobs.
-Identify Companies you would like to target to develop a targeted company list. Once you have identified the companies, start searching for people who work in these companies. You can invite them to be part of your network and start networking with them.
-Contact People in Your Targeted Companies: you can contact people in the targeted companies by calling them or emailing them. You can email them through LinkedIn if they have their email on their address. Or you can communicate with them if they become part of your network. Another way is calling them at work after being connected through the main number of the company, introducing yourself as a member of LinkedIn and asking if you would be able to send them an introductory email to introduce yourself and set a time to speak or meeting with them to get their advice and feedback on your career plans. Networking is the best approach to contacting people to establish a reciprocal relationship to get their advice and feedback on your career plans as opposed to asking them for a job. Asking for a job can be a negative experience with a lose-lose outcome whereas asking for their advice, feedback and contacts linked to your job search can be a win-win situation.
-Use Professional Associations you have joined to ask for advice and feedback on your career plans. People are always posting job listings on these sites.
-Use the Job Site to identify potential jobs that may be exclusive to LinkedIn.
Search for recruiters to let them know about your career plans and send them your resume. Recruiters have been using LinkedIn as a recruitment tool and may contact you if you meet their search criteria.
-Use LinkedIn when you respond to a job advertisement: as a member of LinkedIn, it will appear on your screen when you look at a job ad and let you know how many people are in your network who work for the company in which you are interested! This is truly cutting edge!
I hope that this tutorial has given some insights into how to use this powerful professional networking tool. It is truly a remarkable professional networking tool that can transform your career transition by combining so many important functions in one professional networking tool.
One word of warning about LinkedIn: it is definitely addictive and you can spend all your time on the Internet and not enough time out of the house networking with people at professional associations, meetings and other events. So budget your time and make time for meeting with people outside the house. Use LinkedIn as tool to meet and network with people in person as well as on the Internet!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
To Stay or To Leave: That is the Question
To Stay or to Leave: That is the Question
Recently, I was asked to write about the dilemma some people find themselves in now. These people have a job so they are lucky yet they are not very happy in their current position for a variety of reasons. Should they stay or should they leave?
Asking the question means that they are not satisfied with their current job. But, given the economic situation, they feel forced to stay where they are.
So here is some food for thought about this question.
Your Misery Index
The first key question is how miserable are you in your current situation?
Are you not at all, a little, a lot or horribly miserable in your current job?
If you are more on the lower end of this scale, then my advice would be stay in your current job. However, if you are more on the upper scale and horribly miserable, with a rotten boss, low morale, even getting sick from your current job, start looking for a better position. People are still getting hired into great jobs in spite of the gloom and doom.
If you have enough money to tide you over for at least 6 months, then you can even leave and devote yourself fulltime to finding a new position. Of course, in general, it is better to look for a job while you are employed as it puts you in a more competitive situation. But it can be a Catch 22 situation where you do not have the time to look because of your current job responsibilities. So your financial situation is a key ingredient to making this decision. You may also be able to take advantage of or negotiate a separation package.
Stay and Transform your Current Job into a Winner!
If you decide to stay because the company is not that bad, your boss is okay and your job is kind of interesting, then ask yourself how you can make your job even more compelling. Today’s market demands marketable skills. Maybe it’s time to take stock of your career and see how you can improve your current job. Ask yourself questions such as
Ø What is happening in my field?
Ø What are some new innovative practices that are emerging?
Ø How can I learn about these practices and perhaps incorporate them in my work?
Ø What courses could I take to sharpen my skills?
Ø What professional organizations can I join to network and learn more about the industry?
Ø What is happening in my company and how can I get involved in new projects to learn new skills and grow even further?
Ø What are some challenges facing my company and my organization and how can I help them meet these challenges?
Ø What projects can I volunteer for that will benefit my company as well as myself?
Ø How can I improve my relationships with my boss, my peers and my subordinates?
Stay and Invest in External Activities
Another option is stay in your current job and get involved externally - in volunteer organizations and professional associations to develop a different perspective, learn new skills and try on another hat to see if it suits you. If you wanted to get experience in a new function, do it with a volunteer organization to get that experience. Take some short courses in this area as well to see if you would like to change careers. Definitely get out and start networking. Unfortunately, we forget to keep up our network when we are working and only activate it when looking for a job so get ahead of the curve and develop and refresh that network.
Update your Resume and Keep Track of your Accomplishments
In any case, update your resume and keep track of your accomplishment in a small notebook. Describe your projects and accomplishments using the format Problem (what was the problem or situation you faced), Action: what action did you undertake; Results: what were your results? Use this information for performance reviews and your resume and for your One Minute Pitch.
One Minute Pitch
Share with your boss and his boss your One Minute Pitch to update them on your progress and projects. When you see them, let me know in one minute or less the results of that big project you had. It is good to keep people informed of your work in a concise high impact manner and that is the purpose of the One Minute Pitch. All too often, we get so involved in our work that we forget to let people know about our progress and results!
If You Decide to Leave
If you decide to leave your position, then follow the Five Steps to a New Job that I previously described in my first blog. People are being hired for jobs as I write. It may take longer, the salary may not be as high as in the past but companies are still hiring even while they are laying people off.
I welcome your thoughts on this topic.
Recently, I was asked to write about the dilemma some people find themselves in now. These people have a job so they are lucky yet they are not very happy in their current position for a variety of reasons. Should they stay or should they leave?
Asking the question means that they are not satisfied with their current job. But, given the economic situation, they feel forced to stay where they are.
So here is some food for thought about this question.
Your Misery Index
The first key question is how miserable are you in your current situation?
Are you not at all, a little, a lot or horribly miserable in your current job?
If you are more on the lower end of this scale, then my advice would be stay in your current job. However, if you are more on the upper scale and horribly miserable, with a rotten boss, low morale, even getting sick from your current job, start looking for a better position. People are still getting hired into great jobs in spite of the gloom and doom.
If you have enough money to tide you over for at least 6 months, then you can even leave and devote yourself fulltime to finding a new position. Of course, in general, it is better to look for a job while you are employed as it puts you in a more competitive situation. But it can be a Catch 22 situation where you do not have the time to look because of your current job responsibilities. So your financial situation is a key ingredient to making this decision. You may also be able to take advantage of or negotiate a separation package.
Stay and Transform your Current Job into a Winner!
If you decide to stay because the company is not that bad, your boss is okay and your job is kind of interesting, then ask yourself how you can make your job even more compelling. Today’s market demands marketable skills. Maybe it’s time to take stock of your career and see how you can improve your current job. Ask yourself questions such as
Ø What is happening in my field?
Ø What are some new innovative practices that are emerging?
Ø How can I learn about these practices and perhaps incorporate them in my work?
Ø What courses could I take to sharpen my skills?
Ø What professional organizations can I join to network and learn more about the industry?
Ø What is happening in my company and how can I get involved in new projects to learn new skills and grow even further?
Ø What are some challenges facing my company and my organization and how can I help them meet these challenges?
Ø What projects can I volunteer for that will benefit my company as well as myself?
Ø How can I improve my relationships with my boss, my peers and my subordinates?
Stay and Invest in External Activities
Another option is stay in your current job and get involved externally - in volunteer organizations and professional associations to develop a different perspective, learn new skills and try on another hat to see if it suits you. If you wanted to get experience in a new function, do it with a volunteer organization to get that experience. Take some short courses in this area as well to see if you would like to change careers. Definitely get out and start networking. Unfortunately, we forget to keep up our network when we are working and only activate it when looking for a job so get ahead of the curve and develop and refresh that network.
Update your Resume and Keep Track of your Accomplishments
In any case, update your resume and keep track of your accomplishment in a small notebook. Describe your projects and accomplishments using the format Problem (what was the problem or situation you faced), Action: what action did you undertake; Results: what were your results? Use this information for performance reviews and your resume and for your One Minute Pitch.
One Minute Pitch
Share with your boss and his boss your One Minute Pitch to update them on your progress and projects. When you see them, let me know in one minute or less the results of that big project you had. It is good to keep people informed of your work in a concise high impact manner and that is the purpose of the One Minute Pitch. All too often, we get so involved in our work that we forget to let people know about our progress and results!
If You Decide to Leave
If you decide to leave your position, then follow the Five Steps to a New Job that I previously described in my first blog. People are being hired for jobs as I write. It may take longer, the salary may not be as high as in the past but companies are still hiring even while they are laying people off.
I welcome your thoughts on this topic.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Take Control of Your Life in 2009
December 24, 2008.
Take Control of Your Life in 2009
Feeling under siege due to the economic meltdown? It seems like many of us feel that we have lost control of our lives - jobs, finances, future plans and dreams. However, there are some critical elements that you can control - here, now and today that do not cost a lot of money.
Your Health
Start taking control of your health. This is probably one of the most important factors in your longevity and financial situation. So what are some key steps that you can take to improve your health?
Eat Healthier
Start eating healthy, more fruits and vegetables, more natural foods as opposed to processed foods, more whole grains, less fatty foods.
Start listening to your body when you're eating and stop when you are no longer hungry. Take smaller portions.
Have a salad with lunch and dinner. Have a fruit with every meal or at least two meals. Eat whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta. Skip dessert and eat a fruit instead.
Exercise
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. The simplest exercises are the best - swimming, which is wonderful for your aches and pains and flexibility and which exercises all your muscles. Walking – put on a pair of athletic shoes and get out there and visit your neighborhood or discover other neighborhoods. You can walk anywhere, at any time, at any place. Indoors – on a treadmill – or outdoors. Start your day by walking to get off to a great start and arm yourself for the day. Keep a pair of sneakers at work to walk at lunchtime.
Manage Stress
Feel stressed out? Try some meditation. Carve out some quiet time, even at your desk, to close your eyes and meditate. Think of your favorite vacation place. Keep a postcard of this place at your desk.
Think of your favorite color. Repeat to yourself a phrase that relaxes you such as “everything will be okay” or even a prayer or chant.
Take a break during the day to walk to de-stress and gain a new perspective. You will kill two birds with one stone – exercise and de-stress. Listen to calm, soothing music to calm your nerves. Identify your stressors and how to minimize them.
Improve your Attitude and Mental Outlook
A positive outlook is key to your success, on a professional and personal level. So, when looking for a new job, focus on your new plans and think positive thoughts. There is no point looking back except to identify the great things that you have accomplished and what you can bring to a new employer or new business.
As looking for a job is stressful, make sure you take some time out to relax, refresh and reflect so that you are relaxed when you network and interview. People will react to your attitude.
Take advantage of the time that is given to you to enjoy your family and friends. Catch up on your medical appointments. Organize your office or home so that you feel more in control. Reward your search efforts by taking some time to visit museums, maybe catch a movie or rent some videos of movies you have missed. Host a movie party at home with friends and family. Host a pot luck dinner during the holidays to discover the culinary expertise of your friends and family.
Enjoy the simple things in Life
Some of the best things in life are free or cost very little. Reading the paper in the morning over a good cup of coffee. Going to free events in the city – there are tons of free events every week. Discovering a new neighborhood. Playing games with your children. Keeping a journal to record your feelings. Volunteering for a worthwhile cause. Reading a good book. Networking with people. Painting a picture. Watching a great movie or program on public television. Getting involved in politics. Cocooning in your home and seeing how you can re-arrange the furniture for a new look or make some little changes or clean out your office.
Count your blessings every day
Finally, count your blessings every day. Every day, at the end of the day, keep a notebook by your bed and record the things that you are grateful for – family, friends, pets, health, new opportunities, professional contacts who have graciously given you their time, your creativity and great ideas.
Focus on the positive and look at the positive side of things and life. Positive thoughts will go a long way in helping you through challenging times. As a saying goes, “Life is not for cowards.” Successfully meeting challenges and learning from them is, in fact, a gift that keeps giving as the lessons you learn you will keep your whole life.
I look forward to hearing your ideas about this topic.
Happy Holidays to you all!
Carla Visser
Global Human Resource Solutions LLC
www.ghrsonline.com
718-793-3451
Take Control of Your Life in 2009
Feeling under siege due to the economic meltdown? It seems like many of us feel that we have lost control of our lives - jobs, finances, future plans and dreams. However, there are some critical elements that you can control - here, now and today that do not cost a lot of money.
Your Health
Start taking control of your health. This is probably one of the most important factors in your longevity and financial situation. So what are some key steps that you can take to improve your health?
Eat Healthier
Start eating healthy, more fruits and vegetables, more natural foods as opposed to processed foods, more whole grains, less fatty foods.
Start listening to your body when you're eating and stop when you are no longer hungry. Take smaller portions.
Have a salad with lunch and dinner. Have a fruit with every meal or at least two meals. Eat whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta. Skip dessert and eat a fruit instead.
Exercise
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. The simplest exercises are the best - swimming, which is wonderful for your aches and pains and flexibility and which exercises all your muscles. Walking – put on a pair of athletic shoes and get out there and visit your neighborhood or discover other neighborhoods. You can walk anywhere, at any time, at any place. Indoors – on a treadmill – or outdoors. Start your day by walking to get off to a great start and arm yourself for the day. Keep a pair of sneakers at work to walk at lunchtime.
Manage Stress
Feel stressed out? Try some meditation. Carve out some quiet time, even at your desk, to close your eyes and meditate. Think of your favorite vacation place. Keep a postcard of this place at your desk.
Think of your favorite color. Repeat to yourself a phrase that relaxes you such as “everything will be okay” or even a prayer or chant.
Take a break during the day to walk to de-stress and gain a new perspective. You will kill two birds with one stone – exercise and de-stress. Listen to calm, soothing music to calm your nerves. Identify your stressors and how to minimize them.
Improve your Attitude and Mental Outlook
A positive outlook is key to your success, on a professional and personal level. So, when looking for a new job, focus on your new plans and think positive thoughts. There is no point looking back except to identify the great things that you have accomplished and what you can bring to a new employer or new business.
As looking for a job is stressful, make sure you take some time out to relax, refresh and reflect so that you are relaxed when you network and interview. People will react to your attitude.
Take advantage of the time that is given to you to enjoy your family and friends. Catch up on your medical appointments. Organize your office or home so that you feel more in control. Reward your search efforts by taking some time to visit museums, maybe catch a movie or rent some videos of movies you have missed. Host a movie party at home with friends and family. Host a pot luck dinner during the holidays to discover the culinary expertise of your friends and family.
Enjoy the simple things in Life
Some of the best things in life are free or cost very little. Reading the paper in the morning over a good cup of coffee. Going to free events in the city – there are tons of free events every week. Discovering a new neighborhood. Playing games with your children. Keeping a journal to record your feelings. Volunteering for a worthwhile cause. Reading a good book. Networking with people. Painting a picture. Watching a great movie or program on public television. Getting involved in politics. Cocooning in your home and seeing how you can re-arrange the furniture for a new look or make some little changes or clean out your office.
Count your blessings every day
Finally, count your blessings every day. Every day, at the end of the day, keep a notebook by your bed and record the things that you are grateful for – family, friends, pets, health, new opportunities, professional contacts who have graciously given you their time, your creativity and great ideas.
Focus on the positive and look at the positive side of things and life. Positive thoughts will go a long way in helping you through challenging times. As a saying goes, “Life is not for cowards.” Successfully meeting challenges and learning from them is, in fact, a gift that keeps giving as the lessons you learn you will keep your whole life.
I look forward to hearing your ideas about this topic.
Happy Holidays to you all!
Carla Visser
Global Human Resource Solutions LLC
www.ghrsonline.com
718-793-3451
Monday, December 15, 2008
Five Steps to a new job in the New Year!
December 15, 2008.
Five Steps to New Job
This has been a roller coaster year for many. The transformative election of Barack Obama, the financial crisis, the auto industry in peril, the ups and downs of the stock market that make retirement fading into a dream for many, people losing their jobs - what a cliff hanger of a year it has been! How would you like to regain control of your career and your lives again?
As a holiday present, I propose the following Five Steps to a New Job in the New Year. These five steps will help you identify, pursue and obtain a new job. The key ingredients of success underlying these steps are focus, targeting and perseverance. Leave the negative soothsayers behind. Even in an economic downturn, people are getting hired. Close the radio and TV and open your heart to what you really would like to do.
The five steps are intuitive. They start with you and who you are and what you would like to do.
Step One: Start with you
So what do you enjoy doing, what are your strengths, key values, interests and abilities. What makes you happy? What kind of environment do you like working in? What kinds of things have you done of which you are proud? What are your short-term and long term plans? Identify and explore different career options that would match this profile. Develop a marketing plan with the career options and targeted companies.
Step Two: Develop your Marketing Materials
Now, translate this profile of yourself into materials you will use to market yourself. These materials include a two minute pitch, resume, cover letters, networking letter and perhaps a bio. You will use the two minute pitch when you network, interview and include it in cover letters and networking letters. The cover letter will be used to apply for jobs. The networking letter will be used in email blasts to potential employers or professional contacts to set up networking meetings. The bio can be used when you network to give people an idea of your background.
These tools are part of your marketing toolkit that you will use and customize for each communications. A basic rule of communications is customize your communications to your audience.
Step Three: Pursue your Career Options
Now get out and start contacting potential employers in your targeted companies. The most common means of finding jobs are ads, recruiters/headhunters, direct contact with employers and networking.
While you want to use all methods, the ones you want to focus on are direct contact with employers and networking. Each method, in fact, can reinforce the other.
For example, if you go to professional associations and meet people from a company and you see a job ad from this company, you can use your network to learn more about the ad, get introduced to the hiring manager or contact the hiring manager directly!
Use the web as a research tool to see which companies are hiring but spend most of your time contacting your future boss directly and networking to find out what is happening in your field.
In other words, get out there and talk with people.
Step Four: Shine at Interviews
Interviews are the opportunity for you to learn more about the company, the organization and the job and sell yourself. The goal for an interview is to have more meetings to continue learning about the organization and have people learn more about you.
So put on your consultant's hat. Research the company. Come to the interview with questions about the company, the organization and the job. Bring insights that you can share about what you have learned from your networking and research.
Prepare your stories about your accomplishment and results. Think about who you are and the job requirements and answer the questions: Can you do the job? Will you do the job? Will you fit into the organization?
Practice answering common interview questions. Be prepared to describe how you have handled different situations. You may have a telephone interview before a face-to-face interview. Stand and smile during this telephone interview as people can hear your smile!
Dress smartly and conservatively for the interview. Not too much jewelry or make up, nice suit or dress, nails done, shoes shined, briefcase, copies of your resume in a folder.
Take notes during the interview to note the questions and concerns addressed. Send a follow up note addressing these questions and concerns and how you would handle them.
Suggest a follow up meeting. Call your interviewees to schedule more meetings. Show that you are really interested in the job and you will be noticed.
Step Five: Negotiate your Offer
When an offer is extended to you, make sure you understand the offer, the job and the organization including your function, reporting structure, company structure, financial rewards, the culture of the organization, the management style of the organization, their financial and legal situation. Think back to your profile and evaluate if this offer is a good match and what it does for your career.
Negotiate the offer to ensure that you get the best conditions. If the salary does not meet your expectations but you like the job, the organization and the experience that you will get, negotiate time off and/or flexible working arrangements to help you achieve work/life balance and the opportunity to pursue other interests.
Now you can celebrate and prepare for your new job. If you can, take some time off before you start the new job to decompress and get ready for your new responsibilities.
Contact Carla Visser, career management consultant, to see how she can help you with your career transition. www. ghrsonline.com. carlavisser@ghrsonline.com. 718-793-3451. Let me be your partner in mobility!
Five Steps to New Job
This has been a roller coaster year for many. The transformative election of Barack Obama, the financial crisis, the auto industry in peril, the ups and downs of the stock market that make retirement fading into a dream for many, people losing their jobs - what a cliff hanger of a year it has been! How would you like to regain control of your career and your lives again?
As a holiday present, I propose the following Five Steps to a New Job in the New Year. These five steps will help you identify, pursue and obtain a new job. The key ingredients of success underlying these steps are focus, targeting and perseverance. Leave the negative soothsayers behind. Even in an economic downturn, people are getting hired. Close the radio and TV and open your heart to what you really would like to do.
The five steps are intuitive. They start with you and who you are and what you would like to do.
Step One: Start with you
So what do you enjoy doing, what are your strengths, key values, interests and abilities. What makes you happy? What kind of environment do you like working in? What kinds of things have you done of which you are proud? What are your short-term and long term plans? Identify and explore different career options that would match this profile. Develop a marketing plan with the career options and targeted companies.
Step Two: Develop your Marketing Materials
Now, translate this profile of yourself into materials you will use to market yourself. These materials include a two minute pitch, resume, cover letters, networking letter and perhaps a bio. You will use the two minute pitch when you network, interview and include it in cover letters and networking letters. The cover letter will be used to apply for jobs. The networking letter will be used in email blasts to potential employers or professional contacts to set up networking meetings. The bio can be used when you network to give people an idea of your background.
These tools are part of your marketing toolkit that you will use and customize for each communications. A basic rule of communications is customize your communications to your audience.
Step Three: Pursue your Career Options
Now get out and start contacting potential employers in your targeted companies. The most common means of finding jobs are ads, recruiters/headhunters, direct contact with employers and networking.
While you want to use all methods, the ones you want to focus on are direct contact with employers and networking. Each method, in fact, can reinforce the other.
For example, if you go to professional associations and meet people from a company and you see a job ad from this company, you can use your network to learn more about the ad, get introduced to the hiring manager or contact the hiring manager directly!
Use the web as a research tool to see which companies are hiring but spend most of your time contacting your future boss directly and networking to find out what is happening in your field.
In other words, get out there and talk with people.
Step Four: Shine at Interviews
Interviews are the opportunity for you to learn more about the company, the organization and the job and sell yourself. The goal for an interview is to have more meetings to continue learning about the organization and have people learn more about you.
So put on your consultant's hat. Research the company. Come to the interview with questions about the company, the organization and the job. Bring insights that you can share about what you have learned from your networking and research.
Prepare your stories about your accomplishment and results. Think about who you are and the job requirements and answer the questions: Can you do the job? Will you do the job? Will you fit into the organization?
Practice answering common interview questions. Be prepared to describe how you have handled different situations. You may have a telephone interview before a face-to-face interview. Stand and smile during this telephone interview as people can hear your smile!
Dress smartly and conservatively for the interview. Not too much jewelry or make up, nice suit or dress, nails done, shoes shined, briefcase, copies of your resume in a folder.
Take notes during the interview to note the questions and concerns addressed. Send a follow up note addressing these questions and concerns and how you would handle them.
Suggest a follow up meeting. Call your interviewees to schedule more meetings. Show that you are really interested in the job and you will be noticed.
Step Five: Negotiate your Offer
When an offer is extended to you, make sure you understand the offer, the job and the organization including your function, reporting structure, company structure, financial rewards, the culture of the organization, the management style of the organization, their financial and legal situation. Think back to your profile and evaluate if this offer is a good match and what it does for your career.
Negotiate the offer to ensure that you get the best conditions. If the salary does not meet your expectations but you like the job, the organization and the experience that you will get, negotiate time off and/or flexible working arrangements to help you achieve work/life balance and the opportunity to pursue other interests.
Now you can celebrate and prepare for your new job. If you can, take some time off before you start the new job to decompress and get ready for your new responsibilities.
Contact Carla Visser, career management consultant, to see how she can help you with your career transition. www. ghrsonline.com. carlavisser@ghrsonline.com. 718-793-3451. Let me be your partner in mobility!
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