The Atlanta Business Chronicle (ABC) not only cares about the unemployment problem, they are doing something about it.
The word is getting out about the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s new hiring initiative, Hire One Atlanta. It has even received national attention. But if you haven’t heard about it you need to. The Hire One Atlanta initiative is the brainchild of Ed Baker, publisher of Atlanta Business Chronicle, who was looking for a way to stimulate the economy by getting companies to hire the unemployed.
The Challenge
In a public-private partnership to put Atlantans back to work -- Hire One Atlanta -- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta Business Chronicle are challenging employers to hire at least one new employee this year. In return, Atlanta Business Chronicle will spotlight all companies that hire a new employee in a special ad that will run every week in this year.
“We want to adjust the attitude in the marketplace,” Baker said. “We hope we can celebrate the companies that are doing the right thing.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed revealed in an interview on MSNBC Thursday that the Hire One Atlanta initiative has resulted in 546 new jobs by 109 companies, including Georgia-Pacific, Delta Air Lines Inc. and OfficeMax Inc.
The initiative is a metro-wide partnership that includes the Atlanta Business League, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the SHRM-Atlanta and the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta Inc. All those organizations have agreed to work with their members, their communities and other organizations to encourage participation.
How the ABC Helps Every Job Seeker Every Day
Smart job seekers already know the importance of the ABC to the job search.
The Book of Lists is an invaluable resource for identifying target companies. Even though the retail price is $69, this book is so valuable that most, if not all, bookstores have placed it behind the cash wrap unit. Job seekers should read the Book of Lists cover to cover to understand what companies are in Metro Atlanta and identify which companies peak their interest for further research and possible targeting.
The new Book of Organizations, included as an insert in a May issue, lists many of the industry and special interest networking groups. These groups are where hiring managers and your future peers network. These are the places you want to go to network to find out about the hidden job market and into your future company.
And finally, the weekly ABC is packed with hot off the press information about what is happening in business in Atlanta. Even reading what company signed a real estate deal gives the job seeker a heads up on who will be hiring, enabling the job seeker to network into the company even before the positions are posted.
Job Seekers: Now It Is Our Turn
Job seekers: consider subscribing to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. My subscription guy is Thomas Sander and his number is 404-249-1744. Tell him Judi of RightChanges sent you and he will offer you a discount and even the discounted price can be split into three payments.
If, after talking with Thomas, you decide you absolutely cannot afford to subscribe at this time, go to your public library’s reference section to make use of their copy of the Book of Lists, go each weekend and read the ABC cover to cover, and support the businesses who hire through this initiative. Then, when you are employed, subscribe to the ABC. Remember your last job is not your last and you will want to be in the know about what is happening in business in Atlanta and network at the groups mentioned in the Book of Organizations.
One last thing you can do, join me in thanking Mr. Baker and Mayor Reed!
From this job search coach and former job seeker: Thank you Mr. Baker and Mayor Reed!
Judi Adams
RightChanges.biz
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The 4 Killer Job Search Mistakes - Part 1
This series, written by Judi Adams, is being published on the Crossroads Career Network web site and then republished on this blog. Go to CrossroadsCareer.org for the next part of this four part series.
This is a very tough job market. Many highly skilled, extremely professional job seekers are taking an unprecedented amount of time to find a job. There are, though, four killer mistakes that job seekers are making that turn a long job search into an even longer one. This multiple part series will cover these mistakes and give the job seeker (you) tools to overcome them.
Mistake 1: A Bad Attitude
In the Crossroads Career Network Program, there are 6 steps to the job search.
1) Attitude
2) Aptitude
3) Altitude
4) Search
5) Sort
6) Select
Notice Attitude is the first step. In fact, it is the most important step.
When I am speaking to a group, I illustrate the importance that attitude has on the job search. I let them know I am about to say something and I challenge them to tell me if they believe me or not. Once I have their attention, I stick out my left hip with my left hand on it, shrug my shoulders as I turn my head up at an angle to the right and roll my eyes as I take a deep breath. As I’m exhaling I say “I’m thrilled to be here”. “No” is the response from the room. They don’t believe me. I ask them why they don’t believe me; I said I was thrilled to be here. Some will say my stance, others my tone or facial expression all which can be summed up as my body language. I verify that what they are saying then is that they believe my body language over the words I speak and they agree.
The same is true for you. You can NAIL all of the answers in an interview; you can give the best answers that have ever been given to the questions. If your body language is either lacking confidence, closed, or showing anger, your body is saying DO NOT HIRE ME and they will believe your body language over the words you speak.
No one ever claimed the job search is fun; that is because it’s not. There are a number of things that must be addressed in order to have a good attitude during a job search.
1) Understanding that the job market has changed and in what ways it has changed
2) Processing the loss
3) Dealing with pressure points
Understanding the New Job Market
You can’t navigate in the job market unless you know what it is. If you have heard me speak or read any of my articles, you know that I use a lot of analogies. Navigating in the market without understanding it is like navigating in a pitch black warehouse and being told you need to get to the other side of the room. It is so dark you can’t even see your hand in front of your face so you can’t see the other side of the room or the multitude of obstacles in the way. You can work as hard as you possibly can; there is just no way to see if you are making any progress. You will feel like a hamster on a hamster wheel.
Knowing how the job market has changed and what is now required to find a job is like turning on the lights in the warehouse. You can see where you need to go; you can see the obstacles in the way, how to get around them, and you can see that you are making progress. Is it a lovely place where we want to spend a lot of time? No! Yet with the lights on, we can navigate the job market and walk into the next job.
So let’s turn that light on and understand how the job market has changed.
I now turn to another analogy, the telephone.
Rotary Dial Phone
In your grandfather’s day or your great grandfather’s day, they had the large rotary dial phone. The phone weighed a ton and was hard wired into the wall. There was only one phone in the house and it was either in the kitchen (think back to the Lassie show) or at the bottom of the stairs (think Leave it To Beaver). That is like the job market of that day. They had only one or two jobs in a lifetime. My father was in the Navy and then joined Civil Service. My grandfather was a farmer. Think about the oystermen and shrimpers in the Gulf. That is the only job they have ever known and it’s the only job their fathers and their father’s fathers have ever know. Whether you worked in a glass factory or automotive plant, or served as a police officer or fireman, that was your only job.
• One job
• You retired at 65 with a gold watch, a pension, and benefits for life
• All of the services were done in house. No services were outsourced.
• Big companies meant stability. “As GM, so goes the nation”.
That is the job market of yester-year.
Modular Phone
Then the world moved to modular phones. In almost every room there is a modular plug. You plug a phone into the outlet and expect the phone to work well there and you unplug it and plug it in elsewhere and expect it to work just as well there. You still plugged into the wall though; you worked as an employee for an employer.
• People had up to 12 jobs and up to 4 different careers in a lifetime.
• The day of assuming you will receive a pension is gone and many companies now are cutting back on benefits and 401K company contributions.
• People are living longer healthier lives and don’t really think they will completely retire; they may just change what they do for a living.
• Smaller companies are more stable than huge companies because they are easier to turn around when the industry or technology changes.
This is the job market of yesterday.
Cell Phone
But how many of you don’t even have a home phone anymore; I don’t. For more and more people every day, the cell phone serves as the home phone as well. In the analogy, that means we will work with but not for companies. Another reality of today’s job market is that your next job is not your last. You will be on the job market again.
In this new job market, we are responsible for our own retirement plans and even healthcare. Even if a company offers a 401K match, you may not be there long enough to get vested. Recent graduates may consider purchasing a term life plan that goes from job to job with them than invest in a group plan that is worthless once they leave the company. Instead of going with group health plans, people may consider getting health insurance that continues regardless of the employment situation.
As more and more companies outsource work, we will not be employees but actually contract with companies.
In today’s job market, job stability is a personal responsibility. In this recession, there has not been an industry or professional that has not been touched by this latest recession. We can no longer look to companies to provide job stability. Our identities cannot come from the company we work for but instead from knowing the value we bring.
We may not like the new job market. We may long for the way it used to be. The reality is that the job market has changed and so must our approach to it in order to succeed.
Processing the Loss
We are all human and we were made to go through a certain process in order to heal from a loss. When we lose a family member, we give ourselves time and permission to grieve. The same should be true when we lose a job. Whether we left by choice or where invited to leave, it is a loss. We go through the same stages of grieving as we do when we lose a family member. We have to go through anger, denial, depression, bargaining, and then finally acceptance in order to heal and move on.
At one event where I was the guest speaker, the person introducing me wanted to make a comment to the group first. Part of his comment was advising job seekers not to have a pity party. I actually disagree. Have a pity party. I did in 2002 when I was out of work for so long. Get party hats and noise makers, cry, get angry, and feel bad. And then like any party, there is a quitting time. Set a quitting time on your pity party but while the party is on, do it right. Give yourself time to process the loss. If you don’t, that baggage will still be there as you are searching and can come out at the most inopportune time, like the middle of an interview.
Then, after you get to the last stage of grieving, which is acceptance, go one step further and accept the opportunity. There is a plan that will prosper you and not harm you, that will give you a hope and a future. God promises it in Jeremiah 29:11-17. How exciting! What could be behind that next door? I left a 20+ year career in IT and now I own my own company serving as a job search coach and I LOVE it! Trust me, starting a career as a job search coach after that many years in IT is a real left turn; it is not the normal career path for a techie. People can see though how much I love what I do. You can have a job you love too. What is the plan He has for you? I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Dealing with Pressure Points
As we have agreed, the job search process is not fun. In addition we need to keep the roof over the head, the car in the driveway, and food on the table. The job search is also stressful on relationships.
Let me ask you a question. Would you hesitate to call 911 if your house was on fire? So far I have not yet met a person who said they would. That’s because it would be absurd not to call 911 if the house was on fire. Even if we were trained firemen, it would be crazy not to call 911 if our house was on fire because we’d like to use the pump truck over our little garden hose and because we’d like the help of others.
So we agree there is no shame in asking for help, in fact it would be crazy not to ask when we need it.
We have 911 for first responders. We have 411 for information. We have 511 for the Department of Transportation (please do not dial it while driving). We also have 211. 211 is the nationwide number for the United Way.
If you think you may need help down the road or at least you want to know your options, call 211. The United Way is the coordinating agency between hundreds of organizations that offer all types of assistance or advice (free or on a sliding scale). Credit card counseling, rent assistance, the latest on mortgage programs, food banks, and emotional support and counseling are just a few of the services provided by the United Way organizations. Just dial 211 and they will ask you the type of advice / assistance you need and your zip code and they will then connect you with an organization nearest to you that provides the type of assistance you desire.
There is no shame in asking for help; it is actually crazy not to. When you get your next job (and you will, God promises it) just give to the United Way.
A bad attitude will sabotage your job search. Attitude is a choice. Accept that the job market has changed, process the loss, look forward to the opportunity, and get help for pressure points. Choose a positive attitude and begin the search.
This is a very tough job market. Many highly skilled, extremely professional job seekers are taking an unprecedented amount of time to find a job. There are, though, four killer mistakes that job seekers are making that turn a long job search into an even longer one. This multiple part series will cover these mistakes and give the job seeker (you) tools to overcome them.
Mistake 1: A Bad Attitude
In the Crossroads Career Network Program, there are 6 steps to the job search.
1) Attitude
2) Aptitude
3) Altitude
4) Search
5) Sort
6) Select
Notice Attitude is the first step. In fact, it is the most important step.
When I am speaking to a group, I illustrate the importance that attitude has on the job search. I let them know I am about to say something and I challenge them to tell me if they believe me or not. Once I have their attention, I stick out my left hip with my left hand on it, shrug my shoulders as I turn my head up at an angle to the right and roll my eyes as I take a deep breath. As I’m exhaling I say “I’m thrilled to be here”. “No” is the response from the room. They don’t believe me. I ask them why they don’t believe me; I said I was thrilled to be here. Some will say my stance, others my tone or facial expression all which can be summed up as my body language. I verify that what they are saying then is that they believe my body language over the words I speak and they agree.
The same is true for you. You can NAIL all of the answers in an interview; you can give the best answers that have ever been given to the questions. If your body language is either lacking confidence, closed, or showing anger, your body is saying DO NOT HIRE ME and they will believe your body language over the words you speak.
No one ever claimed the job search is fun; that is because it’s not. There are a number of things that must be addressed in order to have a good attitude during a job search.
1) Understanding that the job market has changed and in what ways it has changed
2) Processing the loss
3) Dealing with pressure points
Understanding the New Job Market
You can’t navigate in the job market unless you know what it is. If you have heard me speak or read any of my articles, you know that I use a lot of analogies. Navigating in the market without understanding it is like navigating in a pitch black warehouse and being told you need to get to the other side of the room. It is so dark you can’t even see your hand in front of your face so you can’t see the other side of the room or the multitude of obstacles in the way. You can work as hard as you possibly can; there is just no way to see if you are making any progress. You will feel like a hamster on a hamster wheel.
Knowing how the job market has changed and what is now required to find a job is like turning on the lights in the warehouse. You can see where you need to go; you can see the obstacles in the way, how to get around them, and you can see that you are making progress. Is it a lovely place where we want to spend a lot of time? No! Yet with the lights on, we can navigate the job market and walk into the next job.
So let’s turn that light on and understand how the job market has changed.
I now turn to another analogy, the telephone.
Rotary Dial Phone
In your grandfather’s day or your great grandfather’s day, they had the large rotary dial phone. The phone weighed a ton and was hard wired into the wall. There was only one phone in the house and it was either in the kitchen (think back to the Lassie show) or at the bottom of the stairs (think Leave it To Beaver). That is like the job market of that day. They had only one or two jobs in a lifetime. My father was in the Navy and then joined Civil Service. My grandfather was a farmer. Think about the oystermen and shrimpers in the Gulf. That is the only job they have ever known and it’s the only job their fathers and their father’s fathers have ever know. Whether you worked in a glass factory or automotive plant, or served as a police officer or fireman, that was your only job.
• One job
• You retired at 65 with a gold watch, a pension, and benefits for life
• All of the services were done in house. No services were outsourced.
• Big companies meant stability. “As GM, so goes the nation”.
That is the job market of yester-year.
Modular Phone
Then the world moved to modular phones. In almost every room there is a modular plug. You plug a phone into the outlet and expect the phone to work well there and you unplug it and plug it in elsewhere and expect it to work just as well there. You still plugged into the wall though; you worked as an employee for an employer.
• People had up to 12 jobs and up to 4 different careers in a lifetime.
• The day of assuming you will receive a pension is gone and many companies now are cutting back on benefits and 401K company contributions.
• People are living longer healthier lives and don’t really think they will completely retire; they may just change what they do for a living.
• Smaller companies are more stable than huge companies because they are easier to turn around when the industry or technology changes.
This is the job market of yesterday.
Cell Phone
But how many of you don’t even have a home phone anymore; I don’t. For more and more people every day, the cell phone serves as the home phone as well. In the analogy, that means we will work with but not for companies. Another reality of today’s job market is that your next job is not your last. You will be on the job market again.
In this new job market, we are responsible for our own retirement plans and even healthcare. Even if a company offers a 401K match, you may not be there long enough to get vested. Recent graduates may consider purchasing a term life plan that goes from job to job with them than invest in a group plan that is worthless once they leave the company. Instead of going with group health plans, people may consider getting health insurance that continues regardless of the employment situation.
As more and more companies outsource work, we will not be employees but actually contract with companies.
In today’s job market, job stability is a personal responsibility. In this recession, there has not been an industry or professional that has not been touched by this latest recession. We can no longer look to companies to provide job stability. Our identities cannot come from the company we work for but instead from knowing the value we bring.
We may not like the new job market. We may long for the way it used to be. The reality is that the job market has changed and so must our approach to it in order to succeed.
Processing the Loss
We are all human and we were made to go through a certain process in order to heal from a loss. When we lose a family member, we give ourselves time and permission to grieve. The same should be true when we lose a job. Whether we left by choice or where invited to leave, it is a loss. We go through the same stages of grieving as we do when we lose a family member. We have to go through anger, denial, depression, bargaining, and then finally acceptance in order to heal and move on.
At one event where I was the guest speaker, the person introducing me wanted to make a comment to the group first. Part of his comment was advising job seekers not to have a pity party. I actually disagree. Have a pity party. I did in 2002 when I was out of work for so long. Get party hats and noise makers, cry, get angry, and feel bad. And then like any party, there is a quitting time. Set a quitting time on your pity party but while the party is on, do it right. Give yourself time to process the loss. If you don’t, that baggage will still be there as you are searching and can come out at the most inopportune time, like the middle of an interview.
Then, after you get to the last stage of grieving, which is acceptance, go one step further and accept the opportunity. There is a plan that will prosper you and not harm you, that will give you a hope and a future. God promises it in Jeremiah 29:11-17. How exciting! What could be behind that next door? I left a 20+ year career in IT and now I own my own company serving as a job search coach and I LOVE it! Trust me, starting a career as a job search coach after that many years in IT is a real left turn; it is not the normal career path for a techie. People can see though how much I love what I do. You can have a job you love too. What is the plan He has for you? I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Dealing with Pressure Points
As we have agreed, the job search process is not fun. In addition we need to keep the roof over the head, the car in the driveway, and food on the table. The job search is also stressful on relationships.
Let me ask you a question. Would you hesitate to call 911 if your house was on fire? So far I have not yet met a person who said they would. That’s because it would be absurd not to call 911 if the house was on fire. Even if we were trained firemen, it would be crazy not to call 911 if our house was on fire because we’d like to use the pump truck over our little garden hose and because we’d like the help of others.
So we agree there is no shame in asking for help, in fact it would be crazy not to ask when we need it.
We have 911 for first responders. We have 411 for information. We have 511 for the Department of Transportation (please do not dial it while driving). We also have 211. 211 is the nationwide number for the United Way.
If you think you may need help down the road or at least you want to know your options, call 211. The United Way is the coordinating agency between hundreds of organizations that offer all types of assistance or advice (free or on a sliding scale). Credit card counseling, rent assistance, the latest on mortgage programs, food banks, and emotional support and counseling are just a few of the services provided by the United Way organizations. Just dial 211 and they will ask you the type of advice / assistance you need and your zip code and they will then connect you with an organization nearest to you that provides the type of assistance you desire.
There is no shame in asking for help; it is actually crazy not to. When you get your next job (and you will, God promises it) just give to the United Way.
A bad attitude will sabotage your job search. Attitude is a choice. Accept that the job market has changed, process the loss, look forward to the opportunity, and get help for pressure points. Choose a positive attitude and begin the search.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Phone Interview Checklist
The phone interview is now a typical step in the hiring process because in-person interviews are a logistical challenge and time consuming. The phone interview is used to take a pool of candidates and, through a series of questions that confirm that the information provided is accurate and that the person is professional and articulate, select the top contenders to be brought in to interview.
The following is a checklist of to do’s for a phone interview.
As Soon as You Apply:
1) When you apply for a job or send your resume to a company, research the company and go beyond just what is on their web site. Google their name and click on all of the links on at least the first two pages of results to discover all of the information about the company that you can. Take notes or print the most important pages.
2) Go into Linked In and see who in your network has contacts in the company. Contact them and see what they have to say about the company. A client told me that they were dissuaded by a current employee from pursuing a position within the company (“it’s awful here).
3) Develop a list of questions you want answered about the company, the department, and the position to be sure YOU want to move on to an in-person interview.
When You Get the Call:
1) If you receive an unexpected call requesting a phone interview, do not take the interview then; propose an alternate time. You want time to prepare. No one expects you to be available without prior notice. Deferring the call to a scheduled time will not ruin your chances; in fact, being prepared before the interview will increase your chances.
2) Review your list of accomplishments (STARs).
3) Lay out your resume, cover letter (if applicable), company research, the list of questions you want to ask, paper and pen in order to take notes, and your calendar.
4) Be sure you are in an absolutely quiet location. You may be surprised how much noise can be picked up over the phone.
5) Stand up while talking. When we sit with no one else in the room, we are not as conscience about our posture and can slump, collapsing the diaphragm and sounding like we have no energy.
6) Stand in front of a mirror to reflect your body language. This might help you remember to smile and a smile is heard over the phone.
7) Keep your answers a tad shorter than you normally would. You are without the benefit of seeing the interviewer’s body language to know that your answer was sufficient (nodding of a head) or that she is ready to move on to the next question (she looks down at her list of questions).
8) If you need to think about an answer, say so; don’t just go silent. Silence may cause the interviewer to think the phone connection has dropped.
9) If asked about your salary requirements, reply that it is early in the interview process and that you need to understand more about the position before you could answer that question.
10) Express interest, if indeed you are interested. If this is not a fit for you, there are two options:
a) Continue with the interviewing process to get the experience. Don’t take this too far though; if they understand you were not interested from the start, you could get your name on the “never call again” list.
b) Say it is not a fit. The hiring personnel will appreciate your honesty.
11) Ask for and understand the next steps and approximate timeframes.
After the Interview:
1) Unless they immediately schedule an in-person interview, handwrite and US mail a thank you note.
2) As is the case in all areas of the job search, follow-up is your responsibility.
Know what to do to prepare for and pass the phone interview and begin your preparation now.
The following is a checklist of to do’s for a phone interview.
As Soon as You Apply:
1) When you apply for a job or send your resume to a company, research the company and go beyond just what is on their web site. Google their name and click on all of the links on at least the first two pages of results to discover all of the information about the company that you can. Take notes or print the most important pages.
2) Go into Linked In and see who in your network has contacts in the company. Contact them and see what they have to say about the company. A client told me that they were dissuaded by a current employee from pursuing a position within the company (“it’s awful here).
3) Develop a list of questions you want answered about the company, the department, and the position to be sure YOU want to move on to an in-person interview.
When You Get the Call:
1) If you receive an unexpected call requesting a phone interview, do not take the interview then; propose an alternate time. You want time to prepare. No one expects you to be available without prior notice. Deferring the call to a scheduled time will not ruin your chances; in fact, being prepared before the interview will increase your chances.
2) Review your list of accomplishments (STARs).
3) Lay out your resume, cover letter (if applicable), company research, the list of questions you want to ask, paper and pen in order to take notes, and your calendar.
4) Be sure you are in an absolutely quiet location. You may be surprised how much noise can be picked up over the phone.
5) Stand up while talking. When we sit with no one else in the room, we are not as conscience about our posture and can slump, collapsing the diaphragm and sounding like we have no energy.
6) Stand in front of a mirror to reflect your body language. This might help you remember to smile and a smile is heard over the phone.
7) Keep your answers a tad shorter than you normally would. You are without the benefit of seeing the interviewer’s body language to know that your answer was sufficient (nodding of a head) or that she is ready to move on to the next question (she looks down at her list of questions).
8) If you need to think about an answer, say so; don’t just go silent. Silence may cause the interviewer to think the phone connection has dropped.
9) If asked about your salary requirements, reply that it is early in the interview process and that you need to understand more about the position before you could answer that question.
10) Express interest, if indeed you are interested. If this is not a fit for you, there are two options:
a) Continue with the interviewing process to get the experience. Don’t take this too far though; if they understand you were not interested from the start, you could get your name on the “never call again” list.
b) Say it is not a fit. The hiring personnel will appreciate your honesty.
11) Ask for and understand the next steps and approximate timeframes.
After the Interview:
1) Unless they immediately schedule an in-person interview, handwrite and US mail a thank you note.
2) As is the case in all areas of the job search, follow-up is your responsibility.
Know what to do to prepare for and pass the phone interview and begin your preparation now.
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