Being fired is one of the most emotional experiences an employee can experience.  In the midst of the tragedy, professionals look to save face by acting in a manner that could be deemed unprofessional.  Employers act in less than ethical manners, treat their employees badly, and fire some times without cause or reason.  Does that give people the justification to react in a similar fashion?  Can you “go off” or “freak out” when speaking to the manager or HR representative that has just let you go?  Have you been saving up for the time where you can simply say enough is enough to give them what they deserve.  Before you do that – hold your tongue and think about what could happen.

Emotional responses typically are the wrong ones.  They lead people to make comments and decisions that at the moment seems okay but in the long term cause damage far greater than the employee ever gives thought to.  Companies, no matter how unethical or wrong, simply have the advantage over the individual employee.  They are established entities in the midst of a sea of employees, whose simple words can destroy the career of an ex-employee.  With that sort of power comes specific responsibility on how to handle it, in addition a significant amount of respect must be given the company due to that power.  So when the day comes when your beloved employer cuts the ties between you and your economic security – be brave and calm.  Do not over react.  Get fired the right way.

What does that mean?  I have been asked on several occasions about being fired with dignity or respect.  I do not think that the image of what people want to happen will ever be the case.  The fact remains that being is fired is ugly.  Not too much pretty about it.  Simply put they have no more work for you or they simply do not like you.  All that considered, there is a way to make things smoother even in the roughest of times.

Take these points:

1. Keep Quiet.  When you are let go, the natural action is to respond in some anger.  Relax, bite your tongue, and show respect for yourself.  Remember there is life past this situation.
2. Follow policy.  Return all corp assets, leave the facility immediately after you have returned all materials.
3. Keep Quiet after you have left.  One of the largest mistakes made after someone leaves is bad mouthing the company upon your departure.  Do not make the same mistake.
4. Keep some distance from co-workers.  When people get fired, they want to know why if they are in the dark.  They call the office, speak to people and gather segments of information from each person trying to diagnose the reasons.  More than often the bits and pieces do not build the case and lead people the wrong way.  In addition, managers do not like former employees calling the office and this could lead to a non favorable reference in the future.

Bottom line, being fired is one of the worst things you might experience.  But it will not be the last time something in your life goes wrong.  Most of the time, when placed in perspective, people realize that the event turned out to be the best thing for them as it moved them to a better opportunity.  No matter the eventual outcome, the emotions of the situation need to remain under control.  Keep your professionalism, follow the rules and shut your mouth.  With that, you will be doing all the right things even when getting fired.

I read a great blog post the other day that I commented on with Twitter.  It got some press time, but not enough.  When I read the post – the focus was on burning the ships.  I looked at the title, saying why would anyone burn the ships that they just sailed on.  However after thinking it over, it became clear that the answer was correct – however my vision was blunted and I was not thinking the way I needed to.  To be sold out was the key and the road was now straight!

Burning the ships showed the dedication to success.  The post reflected on the army coming over on ships, then being burned to allow no thought of retreat from the enemy.  WOW.  The idea that a general or leader would allow no way back rose a spirit within the men they led.  The men now instead of considering if they would win or lose, thought of simply HOW they would win.  Losing never was a possibility.  They had no where to turn, no where to run, only to move forward and face the objective at hand.

The job search is to be looked at with the same intensity and voracity.  One professional with a focus on getting the position, with no options in turning back, is a formidable opponent and the type of employee companies are looking for in this economy.  Job seekers today still remain passive.  People look at the economy, think negatively and resign themselves to sitting on the sidelines.  Get into the game, make a difference and know there is no way but forward.  With the proper attitude, potential employees become unable to part with foundations of their employers.

Read the article, decide for yourself.  But know this – when you approach your job search in this manner nothing can stop you from making your mark.

We have been listening to the words recession for the past year, all in hopes that soon one day this will pass and life will return to days of bliss and million dollar bonuses.  Now some will say those days are still among us – since we still hear constantly the winds of pay continue to swell around financial and other companies.  However for most people, those days are over.  But has everyone really looked at their pay and asked themselves if they are possibly overpaid, or asking too much if making a move, etc.  Not most of us, and more importantly no one wants to think that possibly they are paid too much.

Take a look at this recent article on football negotiations - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jeff_pearlman/08/07/crabtree/index.html?bcnn=yes.  Do not jump to the conclusion that this does not apply to you since the numbers are so large.  It applies in more ways the one.  Hold out, over pay, not employed, etc. are all common key factors that resonate in this article and in the general job market.  To summarize, certain players continue to inflate their worth on paper without a proven track record of success (MBAs coming out of school).  Some with good track records continue to drive up salaries or hold out from playing (essentially taking themselves out of the job market).  I find interesting the fact that these professionals are not looking at the general economic condition and asking themselves if they are doing the right thing.

Look at one of the examples given here:

Just nine years ago Matt Harrington, a highly touted high school pitcher out of Palmdale, Calif., was selected seventh overall by the Colorado Rockies. At the advice of his agent,Tommy Tanzer, Harrington rejected the team’s $4.9 million offer and re-entered the 2001 draft. Then the 2002 draft. Then the 2003 draft. Then the 2004 draft. To make a long — and ultimately tragic — story short, at last check Harrington was earning $11.50 per hour installing tires at a Costco.

Now think about that and apply that to our technical world.  Employees out of work looking for the next position that will pay them 75/hr.   They hold out and hold out more in hopes that one day it will come.  A year passes, technology changes and they find themselves not even able to earn 50/hr with outdated skills.  Some will say, never me.  But this happens all the time.  Recently I had a professional turn down a long term contract for a short term 3 month one with a competitor over 4/hr.  Now he is miserable, looking for work and wishing that he had taken the role we had.

Short term decisions on pay are dangerous.  When you look at compensation think about the employer, the benefits, the stability of the role or contract, likelihood for extension, and how it builds upon your current skill set.  If these do not add up, an extra 4/hr is useless.  Swallow your pride.  Put it simple and sweet and let it go, as the 50/hr paid vs. 55/hr unemployed is a big difference.  Positions are paying less and that is something we need to become comfortable with.  If not, you might find yourself the next 11.50 Costco employee installing tires.

Credit reports are coming under high scrutiny recently with the rising number of the unemployed.  Unless you have not applied for a job recently, you are certain to have heard of the screening tool that many companies throughout the US are using – your Credit Report.  Why – is the first and most popular question raised by many.  If you are not handling money or working in finance, why would it be important to know about my credit.  The reasons are many.

The argument is essentially simple.  If you cannot keep your own house in order, then you cannot manage a job at an employer.  People that tend to have higher credit scores provide a stability factor that employers want to see more of.  The argument has been made that people with better scores are better employees.  Now all of this is suspect, as the data is limited as the practice is new.  However, there is a large momentum to the movement and more than 40% of all US based companies use the report during the hiring process.

Well that might be changing!  HR 3149 is something we will following and my suggestion is you might want to as well.  Here are the details from the most recent press report.

By Learned Foote- Talk Radio News Service

House Democrats on Tuesday introduced H.R. 3149, otherwise known as the “Equal Employment For All Act,” which aims to reduce the burden of unemployment on individuals with poor credit scores.

The bill would prohibit employers from using credit reports to guide hiring decisions and from asking applicants to voluntarily provide this information.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who wrote the legislation, said that 43% of employers use credit checks during the hiring process.

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), a co-sponsor of the bill, called such credit checks “unnecessary barriers to employment.” Rep. Cohen cited a study by the American Psychological Society, and said that unless the job “involves significant financial responsibility,” these credit reports have “no relevance to a person’s qualifications or ability to do jobs.”

Some employers would be exempt from the legislation, including financial institutions and some governmental agencies.

The congressmen argued that bad credit reports often result from factors that cannot be controlled by the individuals in question, including medical issues and job loss during troubled economic times. Rep. Cohen cited studies emphasizing that racial minorities often have worse credit report ratings than whites. “We shouldn’t allow for credit reports that don’t help employers, but only aggravate circumstances in parts of the communities most hurt,” he said.

Rep. Gutiérrez said that “too many Americans are caught in the preventible cycle of debt.” He said that “they’ve fallen into bad credit and as a result they cannot do the one thing that would enable them to climb out: get a job, work hard, and earn a better score.”

The bill has 31 cosponsors, most of whom are members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

This could change a great deal of employers habits and actually remove the obstacle from employees that have, at no fault of their own, bad credit.  Is it fair?  Either way, frankly it is bothersome.  People need to use common sense and get back to knowing people instead of hard data reports.  If the credit report is poor to medical bills that happened during an emergency – that is understandable.  But if someone shows a compelling pattern of running of credit cards and not paying – I think an employer should be able to know that.  But with this legislation and this new government poking their noses everywhere – companies might be placed at a disadvantage, flying blind not knowing what someone is all about.  But for some, it just might be the break they are looking for.

I never ceased at the amazement of the impact of the in person interview.  The phone, email, txt, conf call, and all the technology never can replace that human contact which people crave and ultimately make their decisions on.  I read more and more books on making decisions with smaller amounts of information.  Those bits of information rely more in intuition and human calls then statistical narratives that people continue to drown themselves in.

With that being said, all comes down to the in person meeting.  How does one do when you are across the desk from the person that will decide to offer the job or not.  Who knows?  Sometimes you will be on your game, sometimes not…but there are some foundational pieces that are universal and cannot be discounted.

I say all this due to a recent scenario where the person did not show up and demanded a phone interview in place of an in person meeting due to location.  The result was a good interview, however the client proceeded with the other person since they came in person.  The client stated “that they were unable to come to the level of comfort with the candidate that an in person meeting would have provided”.  Simply put, if he would have shown up – it would have been him.  But the bottom line is people want to know who they are hiring, regardless of contract or perm roles.  Place a face with the name, voice, etc.

Few key high level points:

1. Professional dress and presentation.  First impressions are the key.  If you start off badly, there is little that can be done to reverse the trend.  Show yourself to be detailed, well presented, and put together.  That tells more about you than clothes.
2. Be prepared.  Know the company, know the job, know yourself.  Practice the interview, understand what people are looking for and why – have answers or ideas prepared to leverage in your answers.  This will come across in your interview.  If you cannot talk to the hot points, you are finished.
3. Be on time.  Does anything say more about the person that comes late to an interview?  It ends the meeting before the meeting ever took place.  What a hard start to overcome?  Know the address, drive to the location the night before, and plan for traffic.  ” Traffic was bad” is not the answer.  Its bad everywhere.

Those should help you avoid the major potholes of the in person meeting.  Good luck!!

I read a great deal of fitness and health related material during my down time.  In all of them I see a constant and recurring theme that all of us need apply to see success in our bodies – consistency.  I was reading something earlier and it struck me.  Why not approach the job search as we do health related exercise.  There are an abundance of similarities and it seems that they all apply to the job search as well as our health.  Lets look at a few:

Planned Schedule

One of the most important things that people that exercise do is work out regularly.  There is a plan that is drawn out.  What they are going to do and when…all worked intricately together to ensure that the end result is met.  You work different parts of the body on one day, then another, as well as cardio.  All the components worked into balance to achieve your individual result.  All planned out.

Job seekers can do the same.  Schedule tasks for certain portions of the day, what is to be done and for what amount of time and the deisred result from such action.  It must be a part of the larger plan, a micro piece of the plan, that allows the overall search to be benefited.  But plan each section, from working Linked In and social networks, to writing customized resumes, to submitting online – all scheduled in accordance to a plan with a purpose.

Consistency

In the health area, this is man’s worse enemy.  Lack of consistency is always cited as the number one reason for the lack of reaching end results and personal achievement.  If you draw a plan, but do not follow it, there is nothing that will be accomplished.  Going “when you want” to the gym, or taking that run outside only half the time will not assist you in reaching the goal.  You are only permitting yourself to fail.

The job search is the same thing.  It must be executed daily with a certain duration and specific tasks.  Once the plan is drawn up, it must be executed daily – each and every day.  Remember looking for the next job or next contract is a full time job all in itself.  Working only some of the time or not each day will result in exactly what you do not want to happen – being unemployed.

Fuel (Diet)

What goes in to the body will dictate a great deal of the body’s response to the exercise plan.  If you continue to feed yourself garbage, the idea that you will become ripped and lean is a far fetched pipe dream.  But when you eat the proper diet and exercise consistently and with a plan, all of the three major pillars come together and form a healthy and life altering change.

What is the diet of the job seeker?  The data you consume.  Where are you applying, who are you speaking with, how do you get your leads, what social networks are you spending most of your time on?  These are all of the data sources, the diet of your job search at its core.  Work all you want but if you spend time looking in the wrong places.  Well you know.  You are the same guy who works out all the time but eats Twinkies and drinks Coke 3 times a day.  You are not going to see much with that plan.

So next time you stare down the eyes of the unemployed, look at it like a workout plan.  Develop one, stick to it, and eat right.  Before you know it things will look good and the job doors will open!  Happy hunting.

National Geographic has to be one of those mags that simply amazes the young and old.  Pictures of creation, landscape, animals, and all life that inspire one to truly look at themselves and wonder who they are and what they are doing.  Being a passionate person, certain things bring about a distinct emotion within me making for a great writing.

Turtles…not something I was overly fond of when growing up.  Actually I think my mom scared me off from them circling back to bacteria and such.  In any case, as days pass and maturity keeps gaining momentum – I look at things like turtles and wonder.  Pretty amazing.  When you think about it, something that most of us should consider when working.  More of us should be turtles.

A turtle has a very solid slate of great working characteristics.  Take a look:

1. Hard outer shell.  Protects the animal from the outside world and shields it from things that would otherwise harm it (predators and the like).
2. Neck.  One of the more interesting parts of the creature…a neck that can expand and retract as an element of confidence or fear.
3. 4 legs, a formidable moving system allowing for the creature to move effectively – not too fast, not too slow – but just in time.

So lets think about this, is being a turtle so bad?  I do not think so.  Use it for us and take a look at the benefits.

1. Hard outer shell.  Well most of us need this to survive in the business world.   Unfortunately few people actually have it, although more people will claim it than should.  The ability to seperate the business from personal, offer a formidable barrier between your heart and the business at hand.  If more of us had this, business would be cleaner and less fads like change management and other people factors would need to be addressed.
2. Neck.  I love this one.  A neck is a great asset and suppose we used it like the turtle.  First, take a look and understand what you are suppossed to be doing.  Extend it out and get a better view if you need to.  However when things start flying around, and you need to get down to business and avoid the business climate – retract it and stay in your own world.  Keep it out there too long, you might get it cut off.
3. Legs.  Movement.  Time and speed is what we hear about all the time.   But speed is becoming less hype, and people are more focused on results and the steadiness of getting things done correctly the first time.  Maybe slowing down like the turtle might not be so bad if you are suffering for your speed approach.

I think the turtle has it right.  He goes at his own pace, remains available and knowledge to the outside world, and keeps a hard exterior to protect against his enemies.  Come to think of it, don’t think that the turtle ever cries either.  Hmmmm…maybe there is more to the turtle than we thought.

Ahhhh, the break time.  Well I have been on hiatus or whatever they call simply doing everything but writing.  Barely been reading any of the normal blogs I do, simply working and expanding of the footprint of the business.  Which I might add is doing very very well.  Consulting has been screaming along and our intention is to leverage that for the establishment of a more formal business development effort with centralized location penetration requirements of our employees.

In any case, glad to be back and sorry been away so long.  Look forward to reading and writing a good deal more about this business we work in.

The job search and better yet the career path that one takes has a genuine undertone that I think inevitably shapes the thoughts and minds of the seeker.  That is the person’s passion.  Passion is under-used criteria in the search process as most people think that passion is lost when they need to “grow up” and move out into the world.    I researched passion and this is what I found “Passion can be expressed as a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion towards a subject, idea, person, or object. A person is said to have a passion for something when they have a strong positive affinity for it. A love for something and a passion for something are very similar feelings.”  Does this sound like something we need more or less in the work place?

To me I would say more.  I have recruited, placed and built departments in the IT world for 10 yrs plus now (I am getting older….LOL).  The thing that makes a person or a place great is the passion the team or professional brings to the job and the environment.  So many of us do not have passion for our daily duties.  A real love of what we do, how we do it, how we can make it better.  I read once that a person with a job has too much time, and a person with a career never has enough.  I believe that this makes a strong alignment to the passion one feels and the career that spurns from that love.  Jobs are boring, careers tend to be better, but what about a passion that happens to be what you do for work?  That has power, creativity, efficiency, and hard work written all over it.  It is the key to making your job what no one else haves….a part of your daily life that you love doing and happen to get paid for.

How do we capture this in our search for a new role, or even create it in a role we currently have and enjoy?  I think that bringing passion to the search is far easier than creating it from scratch.  So we will begin there.  I know that people have heard in all sorts of forums the need for a professional job seeker to look for what they love and apply that to the search.  But that does not really address the idea of passion.  People love to do a great deal of things, most of which cannot sustain a living.  So what about a passion?  Well…pick it and I think we can come to a handful of positions in which that passion can be leveraged to create a career.  Passion is the key in what needs to be defined.

So lets do it….what is your passion?

Ask yourself:

• What do you wake up thinking about?
• What brings you more fulfillment than anything else?
• What spurs a restlessness in your heart when you discuss it?
• What can someone say, or bring up, that immediately floods you with passion to talk about, act on, or defend?

These are all defining comments on passion.  If these are answered truthfully, passion is easy to define.  Once defined, you need to incorporate that into a what positions use or leverage that passion to succeed in their business or objective.  Those are the positions and companies you need to align yourself with knowing that you are progressing the cause in which you have a great deal of passion.

Over time it has become apparent in reading and listening to people within organizations that a sense or lack of manager care is constant in the work place.  Management, both executive and supervisory, are pressed with the bottom line offering little consciousness of the impact.  Expecting more and demanding more, employees become less and less engaged.  They work endless hours to serve “the man” just in the hopes that they will keep their job in the sliding economy.  The downward pressure continues to build until the release factor – quitting or getting fired – becomes a reality. 

I know in a great amount of the time this is true.  Economics on a worldwide stage are brutal, offering little to make one feel comfortable about the future prospects.  But is management to blame?  Better put, are managers the only ones to blame?  Until recently, I would have easily laid the pressure on their shoulders without thinking twice.  Mocking them as much as others would be a natural and easy step until most recently.  I read the story of a certain professional whose story becomes not so uncommon.  And in this, we can all see that management is not alone.

Derrick is an employee currently working in a customer focused environment.  He works for a large services company operating in their 2nd level support function bringing customer solutions to people that have purchased products from his employer.  Recently, it has been rumored to increase the bottom line and continue growth – the US based call centers will be closing and transferring responsibilities to off-shore call centers in India and Brazil.  This has worried a great deal of people including Derrick.

Derrick’s company has been very good about communicating the strategy and not all positions will be moving overseas.  The lower level roles will be moving, but all critical care, management, and project management roles will be staying here in the US.  Those positions will be filled with professionals in the company already and external people if the talent pool is not present.  Derrick, a 5 yr employee, is quite interested in remaining employed and inquires from his manager how he can be involved with one of the company’s remaining positions.  His manager offers him a clean strategy of to collect professional reviews, references, and annual evaluations to show that he can handle the new positions increased responsibility.  He also was told to break down his current role, inquire from business intelligence on how he stands statistically and bring all of that to the table.

Despite the advice and direction offered by his manager – Derrick decides to “show” his manager what type of person he is.  He continues doing the work he is doing, but working extended hours and filling roles where other people are falling short or have quit.  He feels that in this manner management will see his efforts and place him into one of the newly created roles.  Logically, as Derrick sees it, the actions he is taking make him appear like “management material” and the company will see with sweat and tears that he is a needed part of the team.

Fast forward to the end, Derrick lost his job – not to India but to another professional that came in from outside the company.  When he questioned the decision citing his more than 5 yrs of service, management told him that the information available for decisions and moving people into this role did not offer them a clear view that he had done, nor would be capable of the increased responsibility.  Therefore they went in a different direction. 

WOW.  Derrick was floored but to whose fault. He leaves there thinking little of the company and that he never stood a chance in getting the role.  But did he do what he could to get the new position.  Was he truly listening to the powers at be to place himself in the best seat to take advantage of the changes.  In this scenario, he had all of the information he needed to make the jump.  He simply did not execute.  However, when the picture is less clear, are we helping ourselves or doing more of the same in hopes people see us different?

I read a recent article about the art of confidence and how one is to garner it.  Take a look at the post on The Career Encouragementblog.  I noticed as I was reading the post that places together a quick list of ways to gain self confidence that something was missing.  The list of ways to gain self confidence did not cover what I think is the number 1 reason and method for building your internal power when heading to an interview.  Preparation.

Preparation is the number one way people feel confident in their approach to a meeting, an interview, pretty much anything.  You can walk fast, speak loud and dress for the black tie event.  If you are not prepared mentally with a knowledge of the subject matter, of the audience, of the purpose of your meeting – you are doomed for failure.  The people that are prepared are not only the most confident, they typically do not have to lather on some of the surface mannerisms that try to masquerade as confidence allowing people to quickly realize their expertise thus immediately taking them in as a trusted resource.

The great thing about preparation.  It is the easiest and cheapest method as well.  With the web, the limitless resources available for one to read and become aware of a subject make for a sea of opportunity when prepping for that big meeting.  So instead of running out to purchase that 1000 suit, running to the gym one more time, or sitting in the front row yelling your head off  – do the simplest thing.  Sit tight, take time off and spend it in front of the research instrument most all of us have available.  You will find it is time well spent.

Written by Jason Monastra

I have been investigating the job motivation area since I see a trend that has evolved since our last major recession in the 2000-2001 time frame.  People are looking for jobs, applying for new roles, even leaving positions for uncertain futures during a time when positions are not as plentiful.  Why is that?  Why is their turnover when people are being laid off by the thousands?  Why are the open chairs when unemployment is so high?  Motivation and the keys to why people work are becoming of large interest to me, to my clients, and to my company.

Motivation in the job market has really become a strong subject where experts are popping up like grass on the subject, citing numerous areas of speciality and telling companies what drives people.  The truth of the matter is as I evaluate my own employees, my family, and the people I speak to that are leaving positions during this recession for something “better” – I find a consistent theme.  Recognition.  Man what a driver this recognition is.  Professionals want to know they are doing a good job, and when they are they want to told so, identified in front of a group of peers, and made to know they count. 

Funny enough, recognition is one of the most widely unused management tools used around the globe.  We are quick to point out, finger, or even yell to the mountain tops when we identify a gap or see someone doing something wrong.  Why do we do that?  Does that build our fellow worker?  Does it increase productivity?  Does it inspire innovation or change?  Actually it does none.  What it does it make people sit back in their desks, complain about work, surf the net for new jobs, and lose countless hours and precious dollars on things that have nothing to do with their job.  So why is recognition not used.  Simply put, managers do not get it.

Management believes that dollars and cents are all that count.  People are motivated by money.  As I read and learn more from one-one personal conversations, professionals are motivated less by money than you would think.  In the midst of all the benefits of a job, pay is 3rd or 4th continually on all lists.  The two leading criteria are personal learning and recognition.  Those lead the lists above money every single time.  WOW.  When I read that I was confused…you know why – I am a manager.  Learning not a very good manager.  Simple recognition of a job well done, an innovative idea, cost cutting measure introduced, etc. brings to life an inner spectrum untouched by money and one of far more value.  People seize the opportunity and elate when their deeds are made known to others.  Why?  Well there are countless reasons why, but the fact remains that recognition is the key. 

I have been implementing and designing ways to foster this not only in my business life, but my personal as well with extraordinary results.  Small things, simple touches that let people know how well they are doing are met with joy, smiles, and most of all – HARDER work.  People begin trusting, develop respect, and have a deeper devotion to the job and the company.  All things we want and at a far less dollar cost than giving a raise.  If you are not using them, or even considering it – hesitate no longer, look no farther, and start down the road of recognition.  I think you will find the results are far more than you can imagine.

Written by Jason Monastra

Online branding is becoming one of the critical components of the job search process.  I find that as the increasing number of social media outlets come available – the pressure to become involved is rapidly increasing.  The rage on Facebook, Twitter, the blogs, etc.  There is a tremendous amount of information to digest and for the most the task is daunting. 

Released today is a good look at the subject and how to harness the power to have better results.  Me 2.0 was released today and I will be sure to be picking up a copy.  I read a good amount of blogs from the contributors that are sited, so I am excited to hear about their perspective and what the process is in building a true self brand.  Something I think few people ever really master.

Will read and get back with thoughts.  If anyone else reads it let me know what you think.

Confidence is a unique skill, one that is difficult to muster for most but easy to shed at the first hint of objection.  Confidence is a must have in the job search.  A trait that before now could have been something depending on your skills that was not needed, but now with increased applicants and an ever expanding pool of new opportunities in this economy – CONFIDENCE IS A MUST HAVE.

I normally stick to the process when coaching people on the how’s of interviewing.  But challenged recently with a great consultant that who had not interviewed in person for some time.  All of the previous engagements had come from referrals or phone discussions, but this client wanted to see him before the process began.  A change in process for this consultant and one that got him thinking about his own self confidence.  Most of the time people do not even realize they have an issue till they find themselves posed with a situation that they are not accustomed to.  Previous to this meeting, I assure you this professional felt no lack of confidence given his track record.  But when moved outside the norm of what he “knows”, that confidence is gone.  That made me question – how does someone that has done so well do when that confidence is removed?

I actually came to the conclusion on my way to a dinner meeting.  As most of you know I am a believing Christian and was praying on my way to the meeting.  One for a positive meeting, the other for a better outlook into people’s challenging events.  With that came a clear view into something that I had not previously seen….what if this professional saw the event taking place as being the same process he was in before, thus restoring his confidence level?  What had thrown this guy was that he was doing something not previously done.  But what if it was the same thing he was doing – he just did not know it.

So the answer was clear, make him understand the process and align it to what he was doing.  The meeting in person was exactly the same as him being there on the first day of an assignment, only occurring before.  I proceeded to discuss with him the idea of an in person meeting – what the purpose was and that he had the job essentially.  They knew he could do the work (technical screenings had already occurred), the idea of the person meeting was to see if they could work together and rub shoulders on a daily basis.  Working with the RIGHT people is just as important as working with people you LIKE.  Once the interview was turned into a meeting of building rapport and not an overview of this guy’s entire life – the process relaxed and he could relate to this being the same sort of thing that occurs during the first week of an assignment.

Bottom line, CONFIDENCE returned and the process went fine.  So if confidence is something you are lacking due to being laid off, or some other circumstances; bring the process back to something you know and understand that YOU CAN DO what is needed to land this job, assignment or project.  Be confident and things will be easier during the process.  Keep your heads up everyone, your time is right around the corner.

Written by Jason Monastra

People are running to and fro suspended in disbelief regarding the economic downturn and the announcement of ever increasing layoffs.  Passions are at a high, and people are lucky to get a job is the general view all around.  Does that leave no room for negotiation I was asked?  If I get selected, can I still negotiate salary or are they simply going to select the next person out of the 100 applicants.  What am I to do?

Lets talk about Jennifer.

Jennifer is a mid level systems administrator with good skills in infrastructure, engineering, routers/switches/wireless APs, server configuration and administration as well as some security.  She is currently employed but the company is being downsized, with positions going offshore.  There is a large concern over her career future and she is interviewing at a local employer for a similar role.  She makes 68,000 currently.  Recently she added her CCNA to her MCSE, MCP certification list.  She is also nearing completion of her PMP.

With the uncertainly of her employer, she has began the search process and was referred to a role within a local company.  After interviewing under strict competition, she has been selected as the lead candidate and they are beginning to discuss compensation, benefits, vacation – the overall package.  That overall package has changed since her original discussion with the company.  At the beginning, the manager had discussed approx 70k.  Not a large increase, however with stability and their benefits – it is attractive.  HR has now issued an offer letter with an annual salary of 63,500 and no bonus (another perk the manager had mentioned).

How do I respond?  What do I do?  I like the company, they are doing real well and it would offer stability.  But now I am taking a step back, the numbers are not what the manager said.  Is this a trend I should look at?  Are all promises going to undelivered on?  Can I negotiate without pushing them off?  What are my options?

This is not uncommon nor unavoidable.  Companies are in the driving seat these days.  How do we work with them to ensure stability and fairness throughout the process.  They know Jennifer’s company is folding and that she will be without a job soon enough.  Are they hard balling her?  Do they really want her or want the best person they can get for the cheapest price?  Be really interested in how you would advise this candidate?

I am motivated to write this however will begin in saying that I pray my words do not lead anyone to believe I am not sensitive to what is going on in the country and the economic situation of people all over the world.  However I write on the comments and expectations I see sewn throughout the conversations on the net about the changing government and the increase our new leadership will offer.

Let us be honest, if change happens – our government will have done little for our victory.  The people, when enacted to build a better life, act in coordination with the truth and look to better themselves is what makes  a country move in action.  My spiritual beliefs find that this is a foundational principle in Jesus Christ.  The nation, people all across the country need and have to want to better themselves.  Our country was founded on principles of freedom but born on the backbone of hard work and ethics.  We have lost that and in that we have started down a path that offers little for the future.  Take a look at the following:

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.

Apathy is defined as a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest or concern to emotional, social, or physical life. They may also exhibit an insensibility or sluggishness. 

Does this not define our culture.  A sluggishness…little concern for others or ourselves.  All the while moving towards dependence.  Dependence and faith in government (remember government is people – nothing more) all in the hopes that they may hand us or fix our problems.  Where have we gone I ask?

I am in the process of reading a book on influencing people’s behavior.  It is a well written best seller offering insight into how people have solved some of the world’s largest problems while having nearly no resources to speak of.  All in all…it came down to one thing.  Simple things make HUGE changes.  Let us see and identify how we can make these changes in our job search.  Maybe we need to make some large changes – like move cross country.  Or maybe it means driving a farther commute than would be ideal.  Possibly – it is beginning a new career by starting a company to solve an issue no one will address.  No matter the change, it is time we looked past what others will give us and really push ourselves.

Resume Blasting is something that I have a strong opinion on – that is NEVER do it.  It looks desperate, something that a less qualified candidate would do in a shotgun approach to offload their resume to as many sharks as possible.  Does one really think that works?  A recruiter or HR manager receives an email from one of the blasting services – something that is non personal and gives little attention to the person whose resume they are sending.  Better yet…..the professional using the service rarely ever knows of where the resume is being sent.  How does this benefit anyone again?

A new trend that I am seeing is from candidates themselves, sending their own blasts of sorts to their network.  I received one this morning and let us discuss. 

Good Day Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please review the attached detail and if applicable update systems accordingly.

Availability:  1st or 2nd week of Feb…
Pay:  W2 or 1099…
Rate:  Negotiable…
Type:  Contract or Perm…
Passport:  Yes

I have no obligations or commitments.  Single, healthy, no house to sell, no children, etc…completed last contract in October.

Sincerest Thanks

I am reading this letter, only to see that in the address line there are 22 other recruiters listed.  I think to myself, well I am certainly not someone this person wants to work with.  He must have spoken to me once or simply seen my name somewhere and thrown me into his list.  There is no rapport, relationship or reason for me to do anything but hit “delete”.  In the far off chance, I have something that matches his skill set perfectly I might call.  But otherwise, I offer little as I was given nothing.

When people contact through our website, i call or email to discuss their skills – regardless of their match to a current opening.  They have gone through our form, told us their interest in working with us, and therefore deserve to be contacted.  Now I am not 100% perfect doing every time but I make a large effort to offer the same level of professionalism they have offered.  I would say that people considering their resume blast professional should think the same.  Regardless of whether using a service or doing it personally, stay away from bulk mail and spend time developing relationships.

This is a subject and conversation that I have had with so many people over the years.  With it there comes a lot of strong opinions from all sides stating their perspective on why/why not to do this, or how to approach it.  It surfaced this morning in a discussion about why people will not take certain jobs, and the fact that a high powered engineer we were working with has been turning down job offers in this economy.  Do people do that I was asked……the answer is YES and for good reason.

Turning the interview on its head is what some people call it.  I get a lot of fear when discussing this subject, as most people discuss being uncertain of how they will be perceived when asking serious and in-depth questions surrounding the role.  Logically, I think when people really look at it, there fears are crazy.  Why would anyone go into an interview, discuss their capabilities and really leave there not knowing exactly what the role is.

Now I say this with caution, as the approach and how one is to do this becomes ever more important.  In speaking to some managers, they cannot stand when they feel the candidate is attempting to take over the conversation and really run the entire process.  That is not at all what I saying here and really do not want that to be the point of the message.  The real idea here is to leave with a conscious understanding of the role, with explicit information, without the manager feeling like he got grilled.  And I think there is an easy way to do this.

One of the reasons most people get caught in not know enough information is the format of the interview.  The candidate answers questions, waiting for the 10 second time frame at the end where the manager says “do you have any questions” leaving the candidate not knowing which of the 50 that are going through their mind should be asked first.  The key is to re-format the interview without upsetting the flow.  Create the flow by making the interview conversational and asking questions, or follow ups to certain subjects the interview wishes to discuss – as the interview is progressing.  Doing this will allow you to get details answered without ending the interview with the 2 minute jam as much down the manager’s mouth as I can session.

Interview flow – keep the interview progressing as any conversation.  Asking and answering questions without taking over the conversation.  Ensure to stay on subject, allowing client to get the information they need as well.  They are interviewing you for a role.  Do that and you will find it easier to leave the meeting knowing more, the manager knowing you, and the two of you knowing whether or not to continue the process.

I was reading through a number of blogs and one of the more interesting things that was discussed was language, not the inappropriate kind, but of the cliches and annoying phrases that people use in common chit chatter that all too often make their way into the interview world.  What if, by some chance, we could eliminate those during the interview?  Would that help or assist us?  More importantly, would people even notice?

First and foremost, alot of people do not notice the small things that make people great.  However they will be quick to speak out when they see something trivial that annoys them.  So if you are not getting the kudos from the boss about some of things fine but trust me, you might see them on your next appraisal if you speak them too often.

• It is not rocket science – WOW.  I know I know I say it all the time, but what an overused phrase that I am certain has no place in the interview room.  Of course, nothing is rocket science except possibly organic bio-chemistry or maybe quantum physics but those phrases never caught on.  Regardless, leave them at the house when you come to the interview table.
• Please.  And not the one that is meant before asking for something in a polite manner.  I hear constantly, the Please in question form as a sense of that cannot be.  Well it is, and be sure to speak that in another fashion.  Please begins a sentence people, it is not a sentence!
• The truth of the matter.  No, I want the lie.  Uhhhh….can someone tell me how this even started?  The truth of the matter is what you should always be saying – so not sure how this caught on but it did and should be avoided.  Keep the truth all the time and no reason to repeat it.

I think we all get the point, stick with what works and what is – stay away from the over used phrases that might itch someone the wrong way during the interview process.

I have been asked recently about what I would do if looking for a job.  This differs from the most common questions asking for advice, and I thought – let me see what the shoe would look like on the other foot.  How would I address my search.  For the most part here is what I would do.

First and foremost, Data Gathering:

Jason Monastra, ten plus year veteran of job search and recruitment.  Strong willed, with excellent track record of success across various projects including utilities, financial, engineering and IT recruitment needs.  Full scale recruiting experience with expansion and new development projects handling high tech requirements in excess of 350 plus.  Jason Monastra – technically….I would draw on previous experience and detail what I know I have done and am capable of.

Jason Monastra – the person.  I think this is where you make who you are.  Go getter, excellent communicator, fast paced, immediate impact, awesome experience, well presented, excellent references.  Person you want on the team, results oriented – gets the job done, makes things happen, work as team member or leader, brings passion and excitement to the office, etc.  This is who I am and what I bring from intangible perspective.  I would document those and see what would bring the most impact to a certain environment.

Jason Monastra – client references.  Whom enjoys working with Jason Monastra?  Key component of success and a great testimony when looking at other employers.  What they will say shows a great deal about me and who I am within the industry.  If Jason Monastra has bad references, not so good.  If good, then Jason Monastra looks good to other employers.

Jason Monastra – personal references.  What people that do not work with me say?  They usually know me better than clients.  What about people that work with me?  What would they say and how would they categorize me?  I would speak to them, find out what they see, and then proceed.

Jason Monastra – the numbers.  Revenue.  Dollars.  This makes a large portion of the data gathering…what I have done in raw dollars and how I have impacted companies I have worked for.  Gather those.

2nd, when I have finished Data Gathering:

Write a resume, long and short version.  Stay away from objectives – lean more towards summary and provide detailed view into background.  Also short baseball card resume telling the impact and why other people hired me.

3rd, Pound the phone and hit the street:

Nothing beats elbow greese in this business of finding work.  Talk to people, meet folks and you never know what could happen.  Honestly and this just happened today…I am working out and discussing some details after the workout about economy and other factors, only to find out this guy runs one of the most profitable public companies in Charlotte.  Never knew him or who he was, simply heard his name in the market.  I find myself sitting down with him and now planning a meeting to discuss partnership opps.  You never know who you are speaking to, make the most of it.

I know this is a little quick snap and go, but I wanted to think off the cuff what I would be doing if I found myself without a position.