Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

6 Reasons You're Not Getting Hired

Kate Lorenz is one of my favorite career advice writers, and a great piece she released recently is on the most common reasons you might have been on the market for a year or more and still don’t have a job in hand. I see this problem all the time.  Most people have unreasonable expectations as to what an effective job search involves. They think they can simply spend an afternoon writing a resume, post it on a few job boards, get invited for a handful of interviews…and voila. And when things don’t go their way immediately, they get disillusioned and de-motivated.

Kate’s source for this article is Tony Beshara - president and owner of Dallas-based job placement firm Babich and Associates and an occasional contributor on The Dr. Phil Show. According to Beshara, here are some issues that might be preventing you from landing that offer.

1. You're not making finding a job a job itself!  Many people don't adopt a committed, passionate, failure-is-not-an-option attitude and don't recognize that finding a job is a numbers game. When it comes to interviews, it's all numbers: the more interviews you get, the better your chances of getting called back; the more times you're called back, the better your chances of landing a good job.
2. You haven't developed a system of finding a job. The system should entail everything from goals and intentions that dictate planned activity to role-playing of interviews.
3. You have an unrealistic idea about the market for your skills.  There is a tendency for people to over-inflate the ease of their ability to find a job, based on a distorted view of the marketability of their skills. This can lead to frustration and disappointment when the job search takes longer than expected.
4. You aren't acknowledging the psychological and emotional stress that changing jobs entails.  By denying this reality, people operate out of fear of rejection. They confuse activity with productivity and focus on minor things that appear to be job-finding activities, but aren't the most fruitful activities.
5. You don't prepare well for interviews. Most people are either not confident in themselves or act arrogant in the interviewing process simply because they are not as prepared as they should be. They don't prepare and practice presentations on themselves with others.
6. You're not selling yourself. The vast majority of people going into an interviewing situation simply don't sell themselves very well. People neglect to do everything from dress properly to focus on what they can do for a prospective employer. And worst of all, they don't come right out and ask for the job.

If you’ve been job hunting for a while with no results, perhaps you should try to look at yourself objectively and see if any of these applies to you.  Realizing that there's an issue is the first step to getting on the right track!

21st Century Career: The Virtual Assistant

Flexible work opportunities just keep on expanding, as evidenced by this week’s Today Show segment. Karen Reddick is a Virtual Assistant (VA) who helps small businesses like Holland Travel in St. Louis successfully run their businesses virtually - from her home office in Colorado. Karen, owner of V-And-E Services, is a former executive assistant and originally conceived the idea for her business following 9/11.  Starting her new career was her way to put family first and be home for her teenage daughter.  Karen helps clients by working remotely and uses the latest technology to deliver creative administrative support and technical business services to busy professionals. She charges $45 an hour, and projects and personal schedules are often handled by e-mail and instant messaging.

Most attractive to her clients is perhaps the fact that VAs are responsible for their own taxes, training, healthcare, insurance, and overhead costs that make hiring an in-house employee expensive. Says Karen: “My clients pay only for the time actually spent working on their projects. They don’t pay for my coffee breaks, visits to colleagues or other things that happen in a normal office environment. This is a great benefit for them to pay on an as-needed basis.”

I just love this idea.  It provides business owners who might not have the cash to hire a full time, salaried employee, the ability to focus on the big picture of running their operations, without spending precious time and resources on administrative concerns.  Plus, it allows people like Karen to do their jobs effectively, make good money, and achieve the ultimate work/life balance.  There are currently around 4,000 VAs in the US now, and I suspect that the profession is going to take off.  Who knows, maybe it’s your next career!

12 Ways to Overcome Phone Phobia

Calling people, especially ones I haven’t spoken to before, is not one of my favorite activities, this advice from Heather Mundell at Life @Work and the bloggers at Hiring Revolution. Heather’s post is dedicated to people who will do just about anything to avoid picking up the phone.  For these folks, the worst types of calls are when you need to ask for something, talk to your boss’s boss, or tell someone news they aren’t going to like.

E-mail has been somewhat of a life saver in this regard, but as Heather says, it only take us so far when it comes to relationship building.  Tips for overcoming phone phobia include the following:

1. Know your purpose for calling
2. Imagine a successful outcome to the call
3. Ask if you're calling at a good time
4. Actively listen
5. Smile to add warmth to your voice
6. Practice a lot
7. Put on music that pumps you up
8. Stand up when you make the call
9. Sketch out a script of what you want to say
10. Exercise and then make the call
11. Just go make the call without thinking too much
12. Decide to do something enjoyable right after the call, no matter how it goes

I’ve done some of these myself, and I can say that calls do get easier (although not more fun) over time. As your number of positive outcomes increases, so does your confidence. And when the rare negative situation does occur, what’s the worst that can happen? You hang up the phone, dust yourself off, and in a few days it will be a memory. Heather is right: being able to make calls in support of yourself and your goals is a key skill to learn.  After all, if you don’t do it, who will?

Can Your Boss Count On You?

I’ve been taking on some new management responsibilities recently. And you know what I realized?  The number one quality I appreciate most in a direct report is reliability.  By reliable, I mean a person who says she is going to do something, and then actually does it in the agreed-upon manner.

You’d think this one would be kind of a no brainer for employees, especially when it comes to the boss who hands out the paychecks. But time and time again, in both my personal and professional life, I come across people who nod and smile when I ask them to help out with something, make promises they never intend to keep, or volunteer to assist with projects because it makes them look good. As a result, I develop the dangerous expectation that I can stop worrying about that particular aspect of the project, that I can count on this person to take care of it. And imagine how disheartened I am when the deadline approaches (or worse, passes), and I either have to nag my report to complete the task and put it back on my own plate. I’ve fallen victim to my mother’s old warning: “if you let someone else’s lack of planning become your emergency, you’re a fool.”

A lot of the time, people who don’t keep their word aren’t doing it maliciously. They fully intend to get the task done, but they forget, get distracted with something else, or keep telling themselves they’ll get to it eventually. Nevertheless, it’s exactly these types of situations that make me a manager who delegates reluctantly. I know that if a project is in my hands, I can control how and when it gets done.  But if I have to trust another person, it’s a different situation entirely.

I know that I’m not alone in this. If you want to be the kind of employee bosses love, do your job without being prodded, and once you agree to a task, don’t let it slide. Always meet your deadlines, and if something comes up that makes that impossible, give your manager plenty of heads up. Never underestimate the importance of being the person who brings peace of mind to the team, the person who makes it possible for the boss to ask once and then walk away confidently, knowing that the task in good, capable hands

It's Reflection Time: Jobacle Career Quiz

This “Tag, You’re It” quiz was sent over by Andrew at Jobacle.com. Andrew says that our careers all have their ups and downs, and when we share the ride with the world, everyone sees that they are not alone. He thought my answers might be of interest to readers, so here goes!

Worst Boss

It would have to be my boss in my first full-time PR gig.  I don’t know if I made a bad first impression or was unconsciously obnoxious to her or what, but this woman loathed me. In addition to having unclear and often conflicting expectations, she would periodically call me into her office and berate me, saying that my career was self-destructing and that no one in the office liked me. One time, I got so upset I had to leave the building.  The worst part of it was, my boss saved her poison just for me. She was sweet as pie to everyone else. 

Best Boss

The honor goes to one of my early bosses at Edelman. She led by example, and taught me so many things about how to survive and succeed in the business world. I remember her taking the time to sit down with me and formulate long-range career goals, goals that would not just help achieve the job at hand, but would also facilitate my professional development. She always valued my contributions, even though I was an underling, and gave me the freedom to manage projects in a way that meshed with my natural style.

Most Innovative Colleague

I really admire colleagues who start out in a well-defined and crowded area (like career counseling), and create a marketable niche for themselves. Some examples: Penelope Trunk used her bold and unapologetic writing style to create a blog brand, Abby Wilner coined the phrase “quarterlife crisis” and transformed herself into a generational consultant, and Jason Alba drew upon his experiences job hunting to develop the perfect networking application.

Most Rewarding Task

It’s a tie between finishing a 100,000 word book, and successfully pulling off a huge media event with dozens of moving parts.

Best Item You "Permanently Borrowed"

A co-worker’s copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Most Embarrassing Moment

I’m assuming you want one that is career-related? Most recently, during a panel discussion in front of a few hundred people, I called one of the speakers by the wrong name. I wondered why no one answered my question, and then I realized it was because they had no idea who I was talking about.

Lowest Pay

In high school, I got paid $6 an hour to run and be the hostess at children’s birthday parties.

Worst Holiday Gift

This is a good one.  How about the cheap metal compass I got in one of those Secret Santa exchanges?

Bonus: Your Typical Day

In my consulting role as a VP at Edelman, I oversee Web marketing and online community engagement projects, consult with Fortune 500 clients on their interactive strategy, and develop systems that make our group operate more efficiently.  I spend two and a half work days a week in my office in downtown Chicago attending meetings and brainstorms, coordinating teams, answering questions by e-mail, and developing program plans. During the days in my home office, I’ll spend a few hours on the phone doing a media interview or talking to a source for one of my books. Sometimes I’ll have lunch with a colleague in the career advice field. I spend the remainder of the time researching and writing book chapters and developing presentation materials for my corporate and university seminars.

20-Somethings Need Financial "Aid"

U.S. News and World Report has reported that the vast majority of young workers are failing to sign up for myriad tax-advantaged accounts, potentially leaving hundreds if not thousands of dollars of benefits on the table. Though the vast majority of eligible baby boomers participate in their 401(k)s, less than a third of workers 25 and under are contributing to these employer sponsored retirement plans. Even worse, only 4% of young workers are maxing out their workplace retirement plans, according to a recent survey by the tax information service CCH.  Only 19% of young workers say they plan to fund a traditional or Roth IRA this year, and the majority of 18- to 24-year-olds don't even know whether they qualify to fund various types of IRAs. Ironically, these accounts are more important to young workers than to older Americans. That's because the majority of younger workers aren't covered by an old-fashioned guaranteed pension. Moreover, every dollar that twenty-somethings save will be more valuable over the course of their lives than the same dollar will be for older workers. That's because young workers have more time to invest their savings and then let that money grow, tax-deferred.  I am so glad that Ramit Sethi’s financial awareness blog, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, is gathering such a following, because this is a very sad situation.  Given the tremendous size of the current generation of twenty-somethings, and the fact that the baby boomers will have drained the nation’s Social Security long before these young people get to retirement age, it has never been more important that those under 30 save for their future. For those of you who long to have your own businesses but currently work for a company that offers financial benefits like these, I challenge you to take advantage of them immediately.  After all, if you want to be an entrepreneur, they won’t be around forever!

Without This Business Skill, You're Dead

My colleague Steve Rubel participated in a teleconference for PR professionals hosted by the Public Relations Society of America. During the session, the moderator, Peter Himler, asked him what three essential sites or tools that professionals should be using as they go out and navigate this crazy new media landscape.

Steve says that his reaction at first was to go to the usual answer - an RSS reader, etc. But then he thought about it. Of course there are a bunch of core technologies that any businessperson can pick up, install or sign up for that will certainly make mastering this whole Web 2.0 thing a lot easier. However, all too often we overlook the soft tools that make up our character.

Steve ended up telling his audience that the most important tool you can have today in business is insatiable curiosity. The minute you lose it, he says, you're dead.

Steve reads constantly about business, leadership, marketing, and technology. Even though he was a PR professional by trade, curiosity is what led him in 2003 to start dabbling with RSS readers and blogging software. It's what drives him today to play with all of the latest social networks, rich Internet applications, and IPTV systems.  It’s what makes him one of the best known bloggers in the communications industry, possibly even on the Internet, and allows him to continuously stay ahead of the curve so that every day, he brings new and valuable information to readers, clients, and colleagues like me.

No matter what career you’re in, curiosity, or a hunger to learn, will serve you well. Business changes so quickly now that it’s not enough just to keep up with all of the developments. You have to know enough to anticipate trends before they happen, and be willing to consider how today’s piece of news or invention will affect tomorrow’s world. Thanks, Steve, for pointing out that there isn’t a magic formula to your type of success, and that people can achieve great things if they just take the time to look around.

Just Graduating? 5 Career Tips You Won't Learn In School

In the fall of 2004, I published a book called They Don't Teach Corporate in College, which was based upon my experiences as an overachieving twenty-something slogging her way through the business world.  Around this time of year, I always get asked for a few tips for surviving your first job out of college.  For those of you about to make the leap, good luck, and I hope you find these helpful:

• DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT.  DO be a can-do, enthusiastic employee who expects to work hard for your salary and perks.  Demonstrate that you are willing to learn from any assignment, even if it’s just setting up a meeting, and that you can juggle multiple tasks without breaking a sweat. Be humble – you may be smart, but your colleagues have valuable experience that should be respected.

• DON’T FREAK IF YOU HAVE THE BOSS FROM HELL.  DO establish a profitable relationship with her, even if she’s an egomaniac or psychologically disturbed.  Determine her priorities, find out what she wants from you, and think of ways to surpass her expectations. Don’t take unjust criticism personally. Sit down with her and address the conflict directly, asking her how you can improve the relationship. 

• DON’T RUN WITH THE WRONG CROWD.  DO get to know a little about a lot of people instead of the other way around.  In your first days at a company, it’s hard to read the office politics, and you want to avoid being aligned with a particular group.  Understand the difference between work friends and real friends, and don’t trust people blindly.

• DON’T USE THE MEGAPHONE RIGHT AWAY. DO lay low in your first few weeks, and take the time to study your new company, including how people present themselves and how they work together. You might be eager to show the company what you’re made of, but the most successful employees are able to effectively assimilate into their company’s culture without making waves.

• DON’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE CONTRIBUTING.  DO think of yourself as a publicist promoting “you.”  Instead of hiding out in your cube and churning out work, subtly showcase your achievements by sending thank you e-mails when you’ve finished a project.  Get to know the players in your department, and keep those people informed about what you’re working on.

Thought "Please" Was the Magic Word? Think Again

Will Schwalbe, a guest blogger at Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist, is senior vice president, editor in chief of Hyperion Books, and has just published a cool new book called Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home. I’ve yet to receive my copy of the book from Amazon, but I have been following Will’s tips on the Brazen Careerist blog.  I thought his advice on four words that sound nice when spoke but not in email were worth sharing. Here’s the gist: 1. Please We are taught from an early age to say “please” when we ask for things. “Can I have some milk” doesn’t, in most houses, get milk to the requester. It has to be, “Please, can I have some milk.” So we are conditioned to believe that “please” is a polite word. And it can be, when it’s said politely. But it’s also often used in a preemptory, scolding, or sarcastic tone. “Please remember” usually has the implication of, “You’ve been told this before. Why can’t you remember? Is it so hard?” The same goes for “Please make sure to….” or “Please don’t forget…” or, basically, the word “please” with any command other than something obviously and overwhelmingly positive like “be my guest” or “help yourself” or “stay as long as you like.” 2. Okay and fine These usually sound upbeat in speech but deflating in print. We live in a culture of hyperbole, and both words have suffered from it. In email, “great” equals “fine” and “good” equals “okay.”  So it’s a good idea to make the substitution if you don’t want to disappoint. This is especially true when the words appear alone. If you write someone a long and detailed proposal and get back one word, and that word is “fine” or “okay,” it appears to be anything but. 3. Thank you The problem with “thank you” comes not when you use it after someone has done something for you, but when you use it before the person has done the thing.  When you thank someone in advance, it’s really a command disguised as premature gratitude. So, “Thank you for bringing the donuts to the meeting” is nice if the meeting has occurred and the donuts were brought. But it’s galling to be thanked if the meeting is yet to take place, and really infuriating if the meeting has taken place and you were supposed to bring the donuts and forgot. Then it’s pure sarcasm. It’s kind of funny how technology has completely usurped our lives, and yet things like this never occur to us though they affect our communication every day. I’ve taken to using the abbreviation pls. in email, because it just sounds more friendly and casual and less like a demand. Even better than pls. is just saying “can you?”  I think Will’s point is that in email, you have to make an extra effort to ensure that a polite intent comes across, because if you get sloppy about it, you risk misunderstandings and hurt feelings - or worse, annoying your boss

Interview with Lindsey Pollak: New Career Author

My friend Lindsey Pollak has a new book out called Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World.  I interviewed Lindsey over the weekend and thought I’d share some of her thoughts with you!

Alex:  How do you think college students today different from previous generations?

Lindsey:  A few major differences come to mind—of course these are generalizations, but here are some trends I’ve found with the students I meet:

1. Technology has changed the college and job search experience.  Most job searches today start on the Internet and most first impressions are now made by email instead of in person or by phone.  There are advantages—today’s students are very good researchers and have a ton of information at their fingertips—but there are also drawbacks.  Most jobs are found through networking, so you can’t hide behind a computer all day long. You have to get out and meet people face to face!

2. Today’s graduating students want “real work” right now.  They are often not interested in entry-level “grunt” work, which most previous generations saw as the ticket to admission in the real world.

3. College students are thinking much more about the short-term rather than the long-term.  The average student today stays in a first job about two years.  In previous generations, young people looked for a company where they would work for life. 

4. Today’s college students are aware of work/life balance issues.  It hadn’t occurred to me to talk about this issue in my book (and I hadn’t been aware of it when I was graduating 11 years ago), but students across the country often asked me how they could choose a career where they would have balance.  Now it’s a big theme in the book and in my college workshops—how to have a career and a life.

Alex: How does your new book help them?

Lindsey: I believe that continuous action is the key to job hunting success.  That’s why I wrote the book in the form of 90 action-oriented tips, with “make this work for you” exercises to help each student apply the advice to his or her individual situation. I also wrote the book specifically for Gen Y—addressing such issues as Facebook, globalization, student loan debt and other really current issues.

Alex: What inspired you to write it?

Lindsey: I wrote the book I wish I’d had when I graduated from college.  I wrote the book I wish my younger sister and brother had had.  I wanted to answer all of the common questions, address the weird dilemmas and de-mystify the job hunting process for a new generation of graduates.

Alex: Sounds great.  What is your next project?

Lindsey: Right now I’m traveling around the country speaking on college campuses and to students in corporate intern programs.  I’m also working on my next idea, a “pre-quel” to the current book—it will be a career advice guide (action-oriented, of course!) for underclassmen wanting to get a head start on their careers.  I would also love to write an advice column for college students.

Feel free to write in your questions for Lindsey, and I’ll ask her to answer them on here!