Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

Turn a Temp Job into a Permanent One

My friend and colleague Anita Bruzzese wrote a great piece for her Gannett News Service column and her blog, 45 Things.  She was kind enough to feature my thoughts on turning a temp job into a permanent one, as well as terrific advice from Martha Finney, president of Engagement Journeys.  Here’s what Anita had to say:

“Employers, still nervous about the health of the economy, have kept their permanent staff numbers lean, but have boosted their number of temporary workers. So, the question is: if you’re a temporary employee, how to you get an employer to hire you on a permanent basis when companies seem in no rush to do so?

“Ask,” says Alexandra Levit, a career expert. “Some people may be hesitant to do so, but you’ve got to ask if there are fulltime opportunities. Otherwise, you’ll never know.”  Levit, author of “New Job, New You” cautions that before such an inquiry you should make sure you’ve been doing a great job at the position you were hired to fill as a temp.

Martha Finney, president and CEO of Engagement Journeys LLC, agrees. “You’ve got to demonstrate that even as a temp, you’re a great fit for the company. Smile, be friendly and treat the job like it’s permanent and you own it. Treating it with respect sends out the right signal.”

The latest unemployment figures for December found that an additional 46,500 temporary workers were added by employers. This continues a trend for the previous month, when more than 50,000 temp workers were added.  For companies, hiring temps can cost about 30 percent less than regular workers, mostly because they don’t have to pay for health benefits and unemployment. And while many workers seek permanent jobs specifically to get benefits, Finney says some temp agencies offer benefits, “so that’s not necessarily the only reason you should want to work for an employer fulltime.” 

Finney, co-author of “ Unlock the Hidden Job Market,” points out that working as a temp can give someone a unique chance to see if a company and its culture would be “a good fit.” “Lots of companies turn down job candidates because they say they’re just ‘not a good fit.’ Well, the same can be true of an employer. Being a temp gives you a chance to see if you appreciate their style,” she says.

Levit and Finney say that anyone wanting to try and move from a temporary job into a permanent position with an employer should:

• Make connections. “Even if you’re only there for a day, make sure you send the supervisor a hand-written thank you note, and follow it up with an e-mail. Ask if she might be willing to brainstorm some ideas with you later about how to get your foot in the door,” Finney says.
• Fix what is broken. “Look around and try and see what you can do to make yourself indispensable. How can you help them?” Levit says. 
• Watch the schmooze. “Organizations understand that temps are more than their day job, but don’t reach beyond your job if it doesn’t feel comfortable. The most important thing is to first do your job really well, then you can network,” Levit says.

 

Lessons Learned from New Job, New You

Sometimes success hits you when you least expect it:  I worked on promotional tactics like the New Job, New You webinar and website for a good chunk of the last four months.  And while these did reasonably well, none of them compared to the incredible response I received from the Chicago launch event at Rockit Wrigley Bar & Grill on January 12^th.  The event was planned more or less at the last minute, but nevertheless we had 250 people register and a waiting list of 50.  More than 80% of registrants attended, and I received a flood of e-mails the next day telling me how much the event had helped them from a networking perspective.  The lesson?  You can try your best, but sometimes the stars are in alignment and sometimes they aren’t. 

Being tolerant helps you cope:  I always try to help my friends when they have new projects coming out, and a lot of my friends did the same for me with the release of New Job, New You.  They posted reviews on Amazon, came to my events, and publicized the book on their blogs and other online outlets.  In the past, though, I would have been upset with the friends who didn’t help.  This time, I decided to let it go.  Everyone has different priorities, and people will do what they’re going to do regardless of how I feel about it.  Since I’ve realized that negativity only hurts me, I am working toward tolerance, and I feel so much better!

It’s good to have something to aspire to:  New Job, New You has done reasonably well, but it’s a long way from being a bestseller – and that’s okay.  I look at my bestselling author friends Gretchen Rubin and Dan Pink and see them as role models who I hope I can eventually emulate.  I’m just 33 years old, and learning and growing and improving is all part of the process.  Being #1 is a tough burden to bear, because how do you stay there, and then where do you go?  I’m lucky to have several published books and a career that allows me to do what I love and spend a good amount of time with my family.  And that's the most important thing, right?

How to Conquer Self Doubt

Self doubt has been something I’ve struggled with all my life, from debating whether I could get into a top tier university to believing I could succeed as a writer. It’s a very human emotion, and it’s made worse for some people because of life experiences or temperament.

Self doubt also makes you feel alone. Sometimes you think you’re the only person in the universe who suffers from a crisis of confidence, and you wish that you could be more like your successful, self-assured neighbor. Well, I guarantee that your neighbor doubts himself every now and then too.

You won’t ever be able to rid yourself of doubt entirely – believe me, I’ve tried. But I hope that these suggestions will lessen your pain when dark thoughts are all around you.

Go back in time: The first step to overcoming self doubt is to recognize that it’s there in the first place. Think about the circumstances that are leading you to feel insecure, and see if you notice any patterns. Are there particular situations (for example, dealing with a new boss, speaking in public) that prompt you to feel this way? Make a note of times in the past when you doubted yourself but ended up coming through with flying colors. Knowledge and recognition of your past successes will bolster your courage regarding what you can achieve in the future.

Defeat the doubtful thoughts: In one column, write a doubtful thought, and in the opposite column, write facts that dispute that doubtful thought. For instance, suppose you are afraid to invite a new colleague to lunch because you’re afraid you won’t have anything to talk about and she won’t like me. Statements that refute that thought might be: “We can spend at least an hour talking about the office culture here and what she did before this” and “She will like me because I’ve made a sincere overture to get to know her better.”

Keep an event journal: If you are a person who experiences a lot of self doubt, then it’s time for a test. In the course of a single day, write down all of the things – simple and complex – that you accomplished without a hitch. These can be things like “ran productive staff meeting” or “had great talk with Brandon over coffee.” Then, write down the things that didn’t go so well. You will inevitably notice that the list of things that went well far outweighs the list of things that didn’t, and this will hopefully allow you to see your doubt in a different light.

Call on your cheerleaders: Often, our loved ones can see our lives much more objectively than we can. Being a natural introvert, I sometimes doubt my interpersonal skills, and when someone doesn’t respond to me in the way that I expect, I occasionally get paranoid. It always helps to call one of my best friends so that she can assure me that I do in fact have a lot of wonderful relationships in my life.

Celebrate your successes: When a situation in which you doubted yourself turns out better than you expected, don’t just nod and smile and move immediately on to the next thing. Take a moment and reward yourself for a positive outcome. Do something you enjoy like going to your favorite restaurant or eating a delectable dessert. Taking the time to cement positive emotions in your mind will hopefully make the doubt disappear more quickly next time.

30/20 Vision: The Future of Work

Join me and my fabulous co-hosts, Christine Hassler (author of The 20-Something Manifesto) and Lindsey Pollak (author of Getting from College to Career), for our next 30/20 Vision podcast on Wednesday, January 20th at 5:00pm EST.

Our topic this month is The Future of Work: what it will look like and what that means for you.

Click here to join us live or download the episode anytime.

Book Review: B-A-M: Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World

My friend and colleague Barry Moltz has finally written the customer service book that should be required reading for anyone who interfaces with current or potential buyers.   B-A-M, which stands for Bust-A-Myth, debunks the 20 common myths of customer service-from "The customer is always right" to "Customer service means the same thing to everyone," to "Companies achieve customer service by under-promising and over-delivering.” 

In an era where just about everything is a commodity and it’s easier to buy – and slam – something online, strong customer service is more critical than ever.  Yet many companies use these myths as the foundation of their customer service infrastructure and lose money every day in the process.  B-A-M delivers a customer service manifesto for the twenty-first century.  Some of my favorite lessons are the ones that some of the organizations I’ve interacted with recently (that would be you, Orbitz) really need to learn:

·         We will resolve your issues in a reasonable manner and in a reasonable timeframe, or give you a refund or compensate you in manner that leaves you as satisfied as possible.

·         We will empower our employees to resolve an issue at the point it occurs.  

·         We will admit when we made a mistake.

·         When we decide to change something in our agreement, we will let you know in advance in a very public way.

·         We will offer several convenient ways for you to provide feedback on our products or services.

For those of you who don’t know Barry, he’s a small business veteran.  After successfully selling his last operating business, Barry has branched out into a number of entrepreneurship-related activities.  If you’re considering launching a small business, his radio show, Business Insanity, is a must-listen. 

Millennials Are Still Optimistic About the Future

Against a backdrop of economic volatility, the vast majority of young professional women believe they will have rewarding careers balanced with fulfilling personal lives, according to research just released by Accenture.  The research also generated the Accenture Millennial Women Workplace Success Index, which identified two primary qualities as key to workplace success – the ability to balance personal and professional lives and a job where they can make a difference.

Ultimately, more than half of the respondents define success as doing meaningful work, while maintaining balance between their personal and professional lives (cited by 66 percent and 59 percent, respectively).  Other factors of workplace success include stable employment that provides financial security, a positive work environment, open and honest communication with supervisors and opportunities to grow professionally.

Almost all of the respondents – 94 percent – believe they can achieve a balance between a satisfying professional life and a gratifying personal life.  Similarly, when asked to list typical qualities of a successful female business leader, seven in 10 (70 percent) cited “maintains work/life balance,” followed by “is flexible” and “is able to make an impact” (reported by 66 percent and 64 percent, respectively).  At the same time, almost six in ten (59 percent) report being at least somewhat negatively affected by the current economic downturn, and one-third (33 percent) are more concerned with keeping their jobs than achieving work/life balance.

For these respondents, quality of life is often more important than their career growth.  Seven in ten (70 percent) reported that they believe they will be successful, and fully one-third of these young female professionals said they believe they will reach the top of their professions.  However, they cited medical benefits and flexible hours (reported by 63 percent and 50 percent, respectively) as drivers of professional success, compared to classes and training for professional advancement (37 percent).  Similarly, when asked about what is important to them, 66 percent cited family life, compared to 29 percent who cited career success.

Perhaps fueling confidence in their future, respondents reported that barriers to professional success are changing.  When asked to rank barriers to their careers, just 12 percent cited marriage, and 19 percent mentioned maternity policies, compared to 30 percent who cited pay scale for women.   Respondents also reported that women are increasingly joining the ranks of senior executives.  Fewer than one in ten (seven percent) reported that fewer women are being appointed to C-suite positions and boards of directors than five years ago.  

Yet gender barriers have not disappeared completely.  According to respondents, ongoing gender obstacles include a corporate culture that favors men, general stereotypes/ preconceptions and sexism (reported by 28 percent, 26 percent and 22 percent, respectively). 

Thou Shall Not Slander

In the last few months, I have spotted no fewer than three examples of one person in our social networking community slandering another person in our social networking community.   I use the word slander, although technically it's more like libel because the articles are written by bloggers who are read by thousands.  I am not going to tell you who they are because A) I will not stoop to their level and B) that would send even more attention their way, which is exactly what some of them want.

Personal blogs and social networks make it way too easy for us to spout off malicious judgments and/or hurtful falsehoods about other people.  Did someone wrong you?  Do you hate his work or what he stands for?   Why bother to approach the person and share your views in a civilized manner when it makes you feel powerful and vindicated to rant in a public online forum where you can see just how many people agree with you?

I'll tell you why.  Because even if it makes you feel better for the time being, it's not worth it.  First of all, there's the issue of your personal brand.  Everything published online has a long life, even if you later change your mind and try to delete it.  Whether they have cause or not, people who slam others online are perceived by most observers to be petty, immature, and even cruel.  Imagine that a few years down the road, an employer is searching for you.  Do you want them to come upon your rant and drop your resume in the recycling bin, fearing that you'll shoot your mouth off the second the company does something that's not to your liking?

In our litigious society, it's also a dumb idea to cut someone down using their real name.  I guarantee that person will find out, either through word of mouth or via a Google search.  And they might be mad enough to sue you.  It doesn't really matter if they don't win (most libel suits get thrown out eventually, especially if the plaintiff is well-known).  You'll still have to pay big bucks to a lawyer to defend yourself. 

Even if the person doesn't sue you, you've probably burned a bridge.  The fact is, you never know when that person might cross your path again, and god forbid he's ever in a position to get back at you (he gets famous, becomes a client, etc.).  Then you could really be in trouble.

Prefacing statements that are downright mean or compromising by saying they're "just your opinion" does not take away from the damage they may do to you and your reputation.  Please people, just think before you type. 

Manage Your Career Via Your iPhone

My friend and role model Stephen Covey and his partner Jennifer Colosimo, have just released the new book, Great Work, Great Career: How to Create Your Ultimate Job and Make an Extraordinary Contribution.  Even better, though, they've developed a companion application for the iPhone so that you can think about your career and pursue action steps during downtime!  Features are based on the key content areas of the book and include:

• Know Your Strengths – Research-based assessments help users to discover personality, strengths and career interests
• Define Your Contribution – A contribution statement builder helps users specifically define how they can match their strengths, talents and passions to an opportunity that matters to an employer.
• Build Your Village – A unique network-building and -nurturing tool; enables users to take specific actions and track them to build and maintain their most important career relationships
• Find Resources – Helps users identify “hidden resources” that can assist them to overcome specific challenges, or take advantage of promising opportunities, in building their career
• Action Center – Tracks, prioritizes and accomplishes all the necessary tasks to build and maintain a great career
• Ask an Expert – Allows users to submit questions to Stephen Covey and Jennifer Colosimo as well as get answers to frequently asked career questions.

In addition, Great Career iPhone app users can watch a range of FranklinCovey videos to support their career growth, as well as learn about and get discounts to FranklinCovey events. And iPhone users can receive much-needed support and advice from the Great Work, Great Career community on FranklinCovey.com.

The Great Career iPhone app is available here or at the Apple App Store for an introductory price of $9.99 for both the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check it out!

Nonfiction and Fiction Writing - Worlds Apart

One of my role models is Cory Doctorow.  Cory's the co-editor of Boing Boing and the author of Little Brother, a teen sci fi adventure set in San Francisco in the near future. 

I love Cory because like me, he has about ten jobs, and I admire him because he's made a successful transition from nonfiction to fiction writing.  You heard it here - this year I'm hoping to publish my YA (young adult) novel, Doubtful Sound.  The book is in editing right now, and here are some things I've learned about how writing fiction for teens is different from writing career advice for the over twenty set:

Good fiction writing does not happen on command:  When I'm on deadline for a Wall Street Journal piece, I just sit down and write.  It doesn't matter if I'm not in the mood, I produce anyway, and I'm fortunate in that the quality does not suffer.   For my fiction to be any good, however, I have to feel inspired, and such a feeling is often difficult to pin down.  If I had to earn a living every week based on how many decent fiction paragraphs I could churn out, I would probably starve.

Good fiction writing is an art form:  To write my journalism articles, and even my nonfiction books, I follow a strict process that begins with research, continues with interviewing and draft writing, and finishes with one - maybe two - edits.  When my editors provide feedback, it's usually in the form of nips and tucks.  Novel writing, on the the other hand, involves mixing a pallet of characters, settings, and plot lines.  Sometimes you get lucky and you come across something brilliant, and sometimes it all goes horribly wrong.  And the editing is often done by chainsaw. 

An objective style will kill you:  My nonfiction editors balk when I insert too much of myself in my material, even when it's an opinion piece.  My job is to be a non partisan distributor of information, and I am to do that job as parsimoniously as possible.  As a fiction writer, though, I am expected to possess an artistic style that is unlike anyone else on the planet, and to feel comfortable expressing that style fully.  A removed, unrelatable author and/or narrator is the kiss of death.  This takes some getting used to, and I'm still working at it. 

Immersion helps:  I write nonfiction pieces on so many different careers and aspects of the business world that if I were to go onsite and experience each and every one for myself, I would never get anything done.  I rely instead on the accounts and experiences of others to make my material true to life.  As a writer of YA fiction, I can't get away with this.  In order to accurately portray the lives of teens in the early 2000s, I need to be among them.  For this reason, I workshopped my novel at a private school in Chicago among 60 eighth graders.  What I lost in time, I more than made up for in authenticity.

Maybe it's different for everyone who writes both nonfiction and fiction, but for me, the latter is much, much, more difficult.  Fiction writing is more creative, but you shouldn't be fooled.  The effort and strategy that go into every strong novel are immense and sometimes overwhelming.  I am humbled to think that someday my book can stand alongside the novels of authors who make it look easy.