Thank you, clients

As I consider my work this year, I marvel at how difficult life has been in 2009 for so many people.  And some of you found your way to me.  You think I helped you, and I hope that’s so.  You think I know the answers, or maybe you have figured out that I only know a few of them.

What you don’t know is how much I have learned/been reminded of from you this year.  Here is a sampling:

• creative people can also be organized, and need help in explaining that to others,
• organized people yearn to express their creativity, which is also hard to explain,
• family leave is an excellent time to explore career changes,
• people can internalize trends in their own professions, which can be depressing indeed,
• fearful people can take enormous risks,
• spiritual struggles are hard for some people to express, easy and natural for others,
• keeping your day job can be okay if you are doing it with a purpose in mind,
• writers just keep on writing no matter what,
• new college graduates can get discouraged way too easily in this economy,
• the most confident-appearing people need positive feedback as much as anyone,
• career clients are almost all willing to do homework that is specific, not willing to do it if it is vague,
• career counselors can be struck dumb by their own ignorance sometimes, which may be a good thing.

Thank you for reaching out.  Thank you for keeping your appointments and for coming on time (our horrendous traffic notwithstanding).  Thank you for paying promptly. Thank you for sharing your work experience and your aspirations.  Thank you for showing me your portfolios. Thank you for letting me know how the interview went.  Thank you for recommending me to your friends. Thank you for your amazing understanding when I am forgetful. Thank you for reading my blog and making comments.

A message from The Career Clinic’s Maureen Anderson

Maureen Anderson here, host of The Career Clinic radio show, career blogger at www.thecareerclinic.com, and friend of Anne’s. I’m so happy to fill in for Anne on this post, and I volunteered to do that so I could share–the way we did on the radio recently–my top ten reasons we at The Career Clinic love Anne. Anne didn’t feel right about passing this list along herself, and I understand. Plus as I recently pointed out on my own blog, getting someone else to share your story is the sweetest way to do it, I think. “Don’t take my word for it. Take hers…” So here goes. In no particular order…

1. Anne has spunk, and at The Career Clinic, unlike Lou Grant, we love spunk.
2. Anne experiments with her life, by doing radio interviews–for example (lucky for us), so she has more credibility when she suggests her clients experiment with their lives.
3. She stays on me to do things–like blog–that are good for my career.
4. She lets me stay on her to do things–like write a book about leaving a job with class–that I think are good for her career.
5. She tells me what she thinks I’m doing right.
6. Perhaps more importantly, she cares enough about me and trusts our relationship enough to suggest things I could do better.
7. She posts comments on my blog!
8. She sends me great guest ideas for the radio show.
9. She’s funny, and fun.
10. When I tell her I worry that she isn’t getting enough out of our relationship, she objects–and tells me why in detail.

I am aware that Anne is compiling her 2nd annual Gift Guide for the Unemployed. I propose that we all take the time to appreciate our friends who are out there in the job market by letting them know why they are special to us and why they will be an asset on the next job.  Feel free to take the Late Night format of the Top Ten List to express appreciation  - we all need this feedback.

What Color is your Parachute 2010 – what’s new?

Does anything really have to be new to make this a great book? No, it’s still the classic go-to book for job hunters.  Written by Richard N. Bolles, for several decades, it has been the first/best/most comprehensive source of information and inspiration for the unemployed.  Most people would admit to have a copy of it in their collection, but too few turn to it when it’s needed.

I’m going to make a few observations about this newest edition in the next postings.  If you have a question or comment about the 2010 edition, be sure to add a comment now so I can address your point during the month of November.

Today’s observation jumps out from the cover:  this book is called the “Hard Times” edition.  And Bolles jumps right in.  Chapters 1 and 2 are specifically related to tough times.  If you are discouraged because of the barrage of bad news that is served up daily in the newspapers, online, and over the airwaves, this section is for you.  Yes, unemployment figures are high (and some say will go higher).  Yes, it will take you longer to get a new job.  Yes, there is increased competition out there for you.

Heard enough?  Time for a dash of Bollesian logic.  He takes you through the process of working through the numbers in a way that just might make you smile.  He quite possibly proves that it’s not hopeless, that there is a place for you, that you have done it before, that you will become gainfully employed once again.

Probably the most startling thing to me that he doesn’t back down from his long-held belief that one should begin one’s job search with an identification of one’s passion, something he calls one’s mission in life.

In tough times, it is so easy to forget that mission stuff, to just go for the nearest attainable job.  Whereas Bolles agrees that for now, you may well have to take that stop-gap job, he never suggests for a minute that you let go of what you are meant to do on this earth.  You just may have to get there via smaller steps.

Interested?  Stay tuned for a few more thoughts on Parachute 2010.  Meanwhile, get yourself a copy!

Gift Giving Guide – a call for help

I’m in the process of upgrading my 2009 top ten gifts for the job hunter and I’m seeking your help. Last year’s list elicited quite a positive response from readers, and was linked by other sites.  Now it’s time to reconsider the nicest, most comforting, most inspiring, most useful (and sometimes the most tactful) items that a job hunter could receive.

Is it the gift of time?  Something luxurious?  Something classic? Something basic?

You tell me.  If you are unemployed right now, what would you welcome into your life in December (besides a new job, we know!)?

I’ll be releasing my list on Black Friday, but until that time, I’m happy to have some suggestions.  Just add a comment to this posting and I promise to consider your suggestion carefully.

Job Postings a la française: quelle surprise!

On a recent trip to France, I was reading one of those employment sections of the regional newspaper Ouest, Very similar to our supplements that seem to come out so often with our own papers, this one had pictures of long lines of job hunters, photos of earnest-looking people being interviewed, and those alarming statistics about so many people applying for so few jobs.

The thing that most caught my attention, though, was the content of classified ads.  I noted several job openings for front desk jobs in hotels in medium-sized towns, each one stating h/f, or hommes/femmes (men or women).  And they said to send a resume, letter of intention, and photo.

Male?  Female?  Send photo?  I was amazed at what felt like a step backward.  Many of us well remember the help wanted – male, help wanted-female ads.  Our laws, customs, and expectations have changed.  Seeing these details in the employment section of the newspaper made me grateful for all the legal struggles that have brought us into a more open world of employment.

The truth about the truth on resumes

Tonight on the evening news, I learned that there is an increase in the frequency of lies on resumes currently in circulation.  I also learned that 96% of employers are checking facts on resumes of candidates under consideration.

I find this appalling, yet understandable.  Times are tough, unemployment really hurts, the competition is intense, and applicants must be feeling a bit desperate.

It’s wrong to falsify, exaggerate, or claim more responsibility than you have actually done.  It’s also stupid.  Here’s why:

• The internet makes fact-checking easy and quick.  Employers know this.
• Caught in one lie, you will not be trusted.  How could they know when to trust you?
• It’s morally bad.  And people don’t like it.
• It’s a small world.  You can be sure that someone in the targeted workplace actually went to the college from which you claim a degree.  That person can check (and will be asked to do so).
• Someone else belongs to the professional association in which you claim to be active.  That person may discover that you are not listed among the members.
• You will feel burdened, perhaps by guilt, certainly by anxiety that you’ll be discovered.

There is an easy solution out of this mire of guilt and anxiety.  Don’t lie.  Don’t stretch the truth.  Don’t make claims you can’t substantiate.  Don’t claim authorship when you were a lowly fact-checker.  In this small world, someone knows someone who knows the truth.

It is understandably tempting to want to put yourself in a favorable position.  Please remember that the best recipe for a successful candidate  includes a dash of humility, a refreshing pinch of modesty, and a generous helping of team membership.

Ask an Intern: What did you do this summer?

If other interns are like Jackie Witkowski, they are going back to college with stories to tell – beyond their expectations.  Jackie is completing a twelve-weeks’ stint at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, and will be heading back to DePaul University in Chicago.

What did Jackie, a twenty-one year old from St. Louis, actually expect?  Well, she expected that she would do whatever she was asked, that maybe she would get involved in a special project, and generally enjoy her first visit to the nation’s capital.

True, she enjoyed herself.  But her 40-hour work week quickly progressed from all-around helper in the Education Department of the museum to, well, running a few things on her own.  Here’s the short version of how her responsibilities rocketed upward:  the already-small department was depleted by job changers, including the Intern Coordinator and the Volunteer Coordinator.

• Suddenly, instead of assisting the intern coordinator, she was organizing other interns in all the departments for training, sharing, and socializing.
• Instead of assisting the volunteer coordinator in continuing education training,  she was herself  coordinating a special tour at the National Gallery of Art for the museum docents.
• Instead of reporting to coordinators, she suddenly reported directly to the Director of Education.

As one of the weekly volunteer docents at this museum. I noticed Jackie early in the summer.  She introduced herself to one and all, asked to sit at the information desk and began to learn the answers to questions posted by visitors.  She remembered names from week to week.  She kept on smiling as her workload shifted in responsibility.

Jackie’s performance did not go unnoticed.  The chairperson of the Department of Education, Deborah Gaston, describes Jackie as a rock star.  Ms. Gaston, who has seen many interns, says you can tell early in the summer who will be capable of increasing responsibility and ownership of projects.  She cites evidence of the high quality of Jackie’s work:

• She wrote enthusiastically, prolifically, and  professionally for the new blog on the museum’s website (http://womeninthearts.wordpress.com).
• She displayed an excellent work ethic.
• She had a fine grasp of the basics of art history, as shown in her blog postings.
• She asked for help when she needed it.
• She continually showed a fine sense of humor, something needed in an art museum in these tight times.

As Jackie returns to her senior year in college, she reflects on the lessons learned during her internship:

• You need to immerse yourself in your work as soon as you arrive – there is no time to lose.
• You need to meet every single person you can and learn as much as you can about the work of the whole organization.
• You can leave your internship with vastly increased confidence in your own ability.
• There are many career paths that lead to your goal, not just the ones that professors tell you about in the classroom.
• You can stay in touch with your new friends and associates, because you’ll be looking for a job very soon.
• You can plan a return visit as soon as possible because it will keep your network alive.

Ms. Witkowski has set a high standard for interns at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  She is to be congratulated for  recognizing  opportunities and for creating solid accomplishments to carry back to college.  Other interns, please take note!

Time for a Job Change

How do you know when it’s time for a job change?

I am not talking about the obvious – being laid off, being told to start looking.  Those painful situations have the advantage of clarity – you know what you have to do.

For others, the situation is not clear.  I think there is an art to knowing when it is time to take steps.

Signs:

• Your role in staff meetings comes under fire,
• You become identified as a problem when you raise a concern,
• You are not given the tools/authority/assistance/space  you need to do your job.

I know one person whose job included bidding on contracts for continuing education.  He consistently told his superiors that there was increased competition for a major contract, and he needed to come in with a lower cost.  They refused to let him do this.  To no one’s surprise, the contract was awarded to someone else.  I mentioned that yes, it was time to look for another job before people started noticing that this was a highly-paid individual without much to do. The loss of the contract could be blamed on him.  Yes, he started looking, and now has a very responsible job in a major university.

Are you getting an uneasy feeling that nothing is going your way?  I suggest that you take a few steps now:

• Update your resume,
• Set up a few lunch meetings,
• Get on an ad hoc committee to solve an industry-wide problem,
• Get your financial affairs in order for a time of transition.

Yes, tough times make it challenging even to consider leaving a job with a steady salary.  Take the time you need. You will feel better knowing that you are moving in a direction of more respect, more opportunity for success and recognition, more real satisfaction.

If you would like to share some signs that it is time to look for another job, I invite you to post a comment.  This will be of help to other readers.

The Enemy of the Successful Job Search

If there is one thing than can defeat even the most talented or experienced job seeker, it is inertia.  Call it boredom, depression, discouragement, frustration, I am referring to the condition of doing nothing.  Nothing.  No phone calls, no neighborly chats, no research, most of all, no human contact.

Remember the lottery slogan, You Gotta Play to Win? There is such obvious truth in it that we need to consider it here.

The small mistakes that people can make while looking for a job (not sending a thank-you letter, not asking references for permission to use them, not doing adequate research on a company of interest) pale beside the error of doing absolutely nothing.  If you are in this situation, Couch Potato, it is time to take a step forward.

(Well, hey, I’m reading a career counselor’s blog, doesn’t that count?)

Reading a blog or a website only really counts if you take the effort to write a comment, follow up on the advice you gained, read a suggested book or article, or otherwise show that you gained from reading the item.

What are you going to do today?

• But it’s Sunday and nobody’s at work…
• I have three applications out there.
• Haven’t you heard about the high unemployment rate?

I’m not impressed with the above-listed whines.

• Yes, it’s Sunday. And tomorrow, people will be checking their email and listening for phone messages.  Will yours be there?
• You can leave messages about those applications, restating your interest.
• Yes, unemployment is climbing.  And I could name you a few clients of mine who just got good to great jobs.  Why?  Because they worked at it.  They aren’t really any smarter or more experienced than you.  They’re hard workers.

Need more of a nudge?  Feel free to contact me through my website, www.anneheadley.com.  I’d love to help you recover from your inertia.

Looking back at unemployment: what will you say about it?

I’m speaking to you if you are unemployed, underemployed, or stuck in an unpleasant job because of today’s tight economy.  I know that you listen to experts about the economic recovery, and wonder when the economic recovery will happen for you.  And the answers are not immediately reassuring.

New employment will remain dismal for a few more months.  Economists tell us that full-time jobs are the last step in recovery from a recession.

Is it all bad news?  No!

Someday you’ll be telling your grandchildren about the great recession of ‘09 just as many of us heard about the Great Depression from our grandparents.  The story you tell is entirely within your ability to form.  When they ask you what you did, you can be embarrassed to relate that the answer was “not much”, or you can tell them that it was the nudge you needed to get going.

I met a person the other day who is planning to go back home and bake gourmet cupcakes to sell to tourists.  I was skeptical at first, but she convinced me that it is in fact a really good option for a few months.  Not a career, but survival.  And fun.

I know another young person who is enrolling in a short-term nurses’ assistant training program at a community college.  It is possible that she will be employed within the year, bringing in a bit of money while continuing her professional training.

Note that both these examples depend on the support of others.  I am observing that in tough times, families and friends have new opportunities to support each other.  Those who have enough are thinking of others and extending a hand in whatever way they can.

When you tell your story to your grandchildren a few years from now, what will you say about this year?  It is part of your legacy and will live on long after you.  Make it a great story, make it inspiring, make it about the stepping stones to a successful future.