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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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| What time is it? Wrong answer. |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone? (Thurber)
After the last of 16 mounting screws has been removed from an access cover, it will be discovered that the wrong access cover has been removed. (De La Lastra's Last Law)
What time is it? Wrong answer.
I swear that if I ask 10 people, "What time is it?" that I will get at least one person who will tell me in infinite detail how to build a watch. Every day I talk to someone who answers the wrong question. And I can't get the right answer no matter how hard I try!
Stop thinking of what you need and want all the time. Concentrate on what the person you are talking to needs to know. The man interviewing you needs to know how you will help him. The best way to show that is to listen to his questions and answer them simply.
If you are asked, "How did you save your company money?" you probably want to give a brief example. Don't say, "I used time and motion studies. Under Deming and standard TQM it is SOP to..." That's too long and not at all specific. Say, "In one case we shortened a two hour process to 15 minutes by cutting out unnecessary steps. It saved $24,000 the first year."
Any answer that takes more than two minutes in an interview is too long. If you think you may have talked too long, STOP. Ask if you have told them what they want to know. Then listen. Stop and listen.
What time is it? 7:25 a.m. It is time to go to work. Two good answers.
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Something To Do Today
Just for the fun of it, when someone asks you, "What time is it?" give them the answer and ask them why the need to know. You may be surprised at how little you knew of their motivation.
In my seminars on interviews at www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com I go over a lot of things you can do to ace phone and in-person interviews.
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| Newspapers sell (like a resume should) |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again. (Marin County's newspaper listing for The Wizard of Oz)
Newspapers sell (like a resume should)
Headlines sell newspapers. Short, bold, snappy paragraphs suck you in. Then advertisers convince you that you will be inferior without their help. Sounds like the perfect resume to me.
Grab a newspaper. The columns are under 3 inches wide. Paragraphs are short. They are written at a fifth grade reading level. All of these things make them easy to digest. They don't challenge a reader=s skill. They soothe your eyes and intellect.
Notice the headline in your newspaper, an attention grabbing subject. Now just read the title of every story. The titles entice you to read the first sentence. The first sentence gives you enough information that your curiosity makes you finish the first paragraph.
Newspapers aren't mystery stories. Newspapers are written in a top down style. You should be able to stop after the first paragraph and know the critical facts of the story. The next paragraph clarifies a detail. Each succeeding paragraph clarifies another detail.
Is your resume written like a newspaper? Can a secretary see in 10 seconds that you are qualified? Can she pick it back up and see you have some depth with a 45 second read? When she passes it to the hiring manager will he decide it is worth keeping after his 10 second review?
Your resume only has one job, to get you an interview. Do the headlines and titles sell? Do short, bold, snappy paragraphs suck you in? Does your resume convince the hiring manager that you alone can get him his next bonus? Is your resume doing its job?
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Something To Do Today
Grab a newspaper. Notice how you read it. Where do your eyes naturally focus? What tricks do the editors use? How do advertisers get you to focus on the ads? Can you use any newspaper techniques in your resume?
Need help with your resume? I can help you through one-on-one coaching. Give me a call. I have also put together some seminars that may be of help at my seminars.
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Tuesday, June 02, 2009
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| The Rush Limbaugh job interview |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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I have half my brain tied behind my back, just to make it fair. (Rush Limbaugh)
The Rush Limbaugh job interview
Can you imagine interviewing someone with Rush Limbaugh's on-air attitude? It might go something like this:
Q. What are your most current skills?
A. I not only have skills, I have abilities, insight and a keen intellect that will be focused with laser-like intensity on your problems. You no longer need to think. You only need to hire me and stand back. I have come to save you with Talent on loan from God. (Translation: I will come to work.)
Q. What can you do for our company?
A. Do? With the blazing brainpower you are blessed to see before you, I will revolutionize your company. The darkest cranny and the most exposed pinnacle will be dazzlingly transformed and transmuted into veritable gold. I have come to solve every intractable problem that has heretofore escaped resolution. (Translation: I will think while working.)
Do you say as little with so many impressive words?
In an interview or on your resume do you embroider your answer with colors that confuse? Do you try to show your enthusiasm with concrete accomplishments, or do you camouflage with flowery verbiage?
I do interviews and read resumes every day. I prefer facts simply spoken. I enjoy examples plainly displayed. I delight in crisp clean thought.
Give an interviewer what he craves, and he'll give you a job. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Tell what you actually have done and can do. You'll stand out and be noticed. Your accomplishments will be remembered. You'll be asked to accept a job.
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Something To Do Today
Focus on what you do best and what makes you different. Take everything else out of your resume. Why tell a hiring manager that water is wet? Tell him what sets you apart.
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Friday, May 29, 2009
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| Hymnbooks and resumes |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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To be chosen, you first must be seen.
Hymnbooks and resumes
A resume should be created with a hymnbook in mind. A hymnbook is created so that a singer may read the text and the music without shifting their eyes. An organist can play a measure or two with one glance. A chorus director can read all 4 singing parts and the text in quick glances.
From the top line of the top staff of music to the bottom line of the bottom staff of music is 1 to 1 1/2 inches. The width of one measure is usually the same. A trained musician can read two measures wide, or about 3 inches of music, in one glance. Have you noticed that when there are too many verses, some are moved from between the music staffs to the bottom of the page? If the line gets too wide, it takes two glances to read it.
Your resume must be set up for maximum impact to get you an interview. It should be created in high impact sections. Each section should be the same size and shape as two measures of music in a hymnbook: 1 to 1 1/2 inches high by 2-3 inches wide.
Most people look at a page in rectangular sections. Go to some high volume internet sites. They are arranged in small rectangular sections with high impact. Pull down menus in computer programs are also sized about the same. The reason is because you can read all that information at a glance.
Your resume has to sing to get you an interview. A reader=s eyes will naturally pause in three or four places on your resume. That is where the most compelling evidence of your attitude and productivity must be displayed. Bullet points break up an unreadable paragraph into high impact, one glance sections. Key words in bold become the center of focus.
Look at your resume. Does it read like a hymnbook in one glance rectangular sections? Or does it look like a monotonous term paper with huge paragraphs strung completely across a page. Time to get it into readable rectangular impact areas.
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My free resume planner is available at www.agicc.com/resplangeneral.pdf .
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
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| I can’t believe what I saw at the library |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Invest in yourself. Your mind is the only thing the government can't take from you.
I can't believe what I saw at the library
My email signature is, "The harder I work on me, the better my life gets." There is only one person I can control. There is only one person I can manipulate into changing. Me.
Years ago I decided I can work on me an extra 30-45 minutes a day. I converted brain dead commuting time into learning time.
My local library is as large as an average two bedroom house. Small. So, I decided to go to a much larger library 10 miles away. I expected to go in and find a few dozen books on tape. That's not what I found.
The library had thousands of books on tape and CD. There were courses in physics, history, philosophy, music, foreign languages and a hundred other subjects. Novels, biographies and non-fiction books that have been bestsellers filled bookcase after bookcase. I can even order them by inter-library loan from our little library.
I listened to a book on how to think. What makes a genius like Leonardo Da Vinci a genius, different, and great? Another series of books was on Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Napoleon, and others. I listened to Freakonomics. I'm learning.
"If you want to be truly successful invest in yourself to get the knowledge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere your success will blossom." (Sidney Madwed)
I've got the next 30 years figured out. I'm learning something. I'm going to invest in myself.
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Something To Do Today
What is your dead time? How can you most easily transform your dead time into head time?
Click Here for an aggressive book on interview questions and how to handle them. There is a lot to learn from an author that pushes the envelope, even if you dont adopt all of his suggestions.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
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| The job spec is wrong again, and how to beat it |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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What happens if you are looking for the wrong person?
The job spec is wrong again, and how to beat it
CEO's don't have to be people oriented. Success does not correlate with being a "people person" as a CEO.
MBA's don't do better as CEO's. Lawyers don't either.
Being famous is actually a negative. The more well known a CEO is, the less likely he is to continue to succeed.
A good CEO is "organized, dogged, anal-retentive, and slightly boring."
Funny thing is that every job spec I see for a CEO asks for degrees, incredible people skills, and being well known in the industry. They are all wrong. (see this article )
The same thing happens for most jobs.
The hiring folks ask for the wrong person. If tests are given, they are often for the wrong traits for the job. (Don't get me started on tests!) And the interviews usually center on useless, unimportant questions.
Here's how to fix it
Rely on reality. Instead of focusing on personality, focus on accomplishments.
A resume that focuses on accomplishments cannot be ignored.
A job candidate who brings the conversation back to what he has actually done has a leg up on the glittery airhead.
The best thing you can do for your job search or career is to sit down and think. List the things you have done. Prove what you have done with examples and numbers. Then take that proof to employers or your boss.
There is something about irrefutable proof that wins. Since, in most situations, people compete for a job or a promotion without PROOF of what they can do, you'll win if you have proof.
Impress them with your genius, enthusiasm, and love of the job. Prove it. Get the job.
My 11 hour series on how to get a job is availble at www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm . It goes through step by step instructions on how to prove your accomplishments on a resume and in an inteview.
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Monday, May 18, 2009
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| Use the feedback |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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If feedback is the breakfast of champions - then reglar feedback is a diet we can live on forever. (Peter Thomson)
Use the feedback
Do you only want positive feedback in your job search or career? You could be in world of hurt if that is the case.
The stupidest things I have done in my career have been because of LACK of previous feedback. People were afraid to tell me what they really thought. I didn't know what I was doing right or wrong. I a hole so deep I couldn't climb out. On one occasion I was passed over for a promotion and had no clue why. Another time my manager took me into his office, closed the door, and yelled. On another I had 7 teammates finally get fed up and take me to the woodshed for an hour in a team meeting.
Many people I talk to quit their jobs because they don't get feedback. Even more quit their jobs because they don't like their performance reviews. And people looking for a job only want to hear, "Yes".
So let me give you some hints about feedback you need to track and use.1. Keep every job evaluation you get from your employer. Take them home.
2. Track your accomplishments in your own weekly job journal. Then give your list of accomplishments to your boss. Believe me, if you don't, he'll forget almost all of the good things you have done. So will you.
3. Keep track of your resume versions, how many you send out, and what the response is. A resume that gets you a call back is great. One that doesn't get a call back is useless. If a change works or kills your job search, you had better know.
4. Track recruiters. Which help you? Which don't? Why?
5. How many phone calls did you convert to in-person interviews and how many fizzled? Why?
6. How many in-person interviews turned into second interviews. Why?
If you really track this information, it will help in your career and your job search.
That 11 hour series on how to get a job is availble at www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm .
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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| First or last person laid off? |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Never apologize for requesting a life preserver on a sinking ship.
First or last person laid off ?
The trouble with being the best is that you are the last person laid off.
The nicest thing is that you might not be laid off if you are the best.
I would rather be the best, and start looking for a job while I am still employed. It sounds disloyal, doesn't it? But if layoffs are happening now, how loyal is your employer to his employees? He may be doing his best, but bare financial facts forced him to lay people off. He's not disloyal, he's surviving. What about you?
What do bare financial facts tell YOU?
If you are the last person laid off, it won't be because company and worldwide economic prospects are finally starting to improve. It will be because things are worse than ever. There is less hope. Prospects are they worst they've ever been.
Do you want to desperately look for a job when things are bleakest? Me neither.
Two possibilities if you are the best.
1. Get a guaranteed separation package
2. Start looking.
If you are expected to risk your future, your family, your house, and your career, ask for a guarantee. Get it in writing. It's a funny thing, but many of the executives who appear so loyal have guaranteed separation packages. They can be loyal and get a year or two's worth of pay when they are laid off. Guaranteed. Is it too much for you to ask for some guarantees if you face a bleak future without looking for a job?
Can't get a guarantee? Start looking. Don't be obnoxious. Be discreet. And when you find the perfect company, do a lot of research. Talk to others in the company. And if you have any doubts, ask for a guaranteed separation package. If the other company is doing so well, have them put it in writing.
Do NOT ask for the guarantee until they are dickering over how much to pay you. You may ask for a guarantee, and they may offer you more salary. That works too. It is a great negotiation point along with vacation, benefits, and the company car.
If you are the first person laid off, go find a job. If you are lingering in fear, get a guarantee or start looking.
"Finding jobs and using recruiters" is the subject of the seminar I will be giving Friday. It will be 1-2 pm Eastern time. I will be explaining ways to use the internet and recruiters to find the less obvious jobs. If you sign up you can have this and the other 10 seminars for the $20 startup price. Immediately after this seminar, the price for the series goes up to $195.
The seminars are available at www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm . See you there.
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Monday, May 11, 2009
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| Dead or learning |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. (unknown)
Dead or learning
"I lost my job. There are no openings. No one needs my skills."
I do hear that often. To me it means you need to do one of two things:
1. Figure out how to effectively look for a job.
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2. Retrain.
The first one I can help with in my seminars and personal coaching.
Retraining should be a constant exercise. If your skills are no longer desirable, learn something new. Don't give up and die.
Think about it. As soon as you learn a new skill you gain a place on the assembly line of jobs. More people will be trained after you. If your skills get better and better, you keep getting a new widget added and you are moved to the next stage of the assembly line.
With training you keep getting better and more desirable. Even if you never change job titles, you are better than the people just getting trained.
The folks who joined the assembly line after you can never catch up. You keep learning and improving. You have a lead they can't make up.
When you relax for a few years, you allow all those people who are behind you to catch up. You get caught in a glut on the assembly line. Instead of being the obvious next person for a job, you become one of a million interchangeable parts. All of a sudden there is nothing special about you.
Are you in that position? Then it is time to start retraining. If you don't have time now, you will when you are laid off. But then you won't have the money.
But my employer won't pay for training!
So what? He won't be paying YOU if he can find a newly trained person to replace you for less.
If you don't keep learning, your skills get old. If your boss doesn't train you, you had better train yourself. I admit, it cuts into your spending ability to pay for your own training. But being unemployed cuts back your spending even more.
Take the time. Get training. Pay for it yourself. If you are unemployed. Get training. You have got to set yourself apart. Your choice, learning or job death. Choose wisely.
The seminars are available at www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm . See you there.
http://tinyurl.com/beggingjobs is an article about how some jobs are still going begging. Notice, it is jobs with special training required.
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Monday, May 04, 2009
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| Interviews and Winning a 500 mile race by 1 ½ seconds |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Yellow is the color of cowardice; mustard is the color of superiority and dominance. (Dwight Schrute)
Interviews and Winning a 500 mile race by 1 ½ seconds
At the Indy 500 the average margin of victory over the past 10 years has been about 1 ½ seconds. That is a 500 mile race. The difference is a lug nut dropped during a change of tires. 1 ½ seconds can be lost in an unsuccessful attempt to pass another car. Little things make all the difference.
A clip I watch several times a week is http://www.nc212movie.com/ . It reminds me of how close a thing winning usually is.
The quote to start this letter shows how little a thing as a word can make in your interview. A phone interview or screen is one of those job search moments that is critical. And it is often lost by a word or two.
I have debriefed hundreds of employers after phone interviews. Different people, different circumstances. In some cases the candidate was missing an essential skillset. He loses. That is what a phone screen is for. It saves everyone's time.
Most phone screens are lost because of the feel of the call. I talk to the client afterwards and he says, "The guy just wasn't sharp." Or I'll hear, "He didn't seem focused." Sometimes it is, "His attitude just wasn't right."
When I dig down, it is usually a word, a phrase, or a comment that just didn't sit right. Something that would never have been said if the candidate were at the top of his game.
Those are the complaints I hear all the time. There are a lot of things to do. The most important thing of all is:
Prepare.
Take the phone interview as seriously as you would a final interview with the CEO. If you don't get past the phone screening, you have no chance.
Today and tomorrow I will be doing seminars on interviews. We'll go over preparation, phone screening, answering tough questions, and great questions for you to ask. These are things that change folks from eternal second place finishers to winners. Big winners.
The seminars are available at www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm . See you there.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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| Resumes that work |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. (Yogi Berra)
Resumes that work
But my professors all said it was a great resume!!
No one is calling you back. Your resume stinks like week old road kill.
Professors, professional resume writers, and HR (Human Resources) people don't necessarily know what works. They do know what works for them. What they like. They don't see the cruel, cut-throat job market recruiters see.
Recruiters see how big of an impact resumes have, or don't have. Any recruiter worth his salt has submitted a thousand resumes. If he pays attention, he sees which ones get call backs. Then he starts selecting candidates for his clients based on what works.
Unfortunately most recruiters won't take more than a few minutes to help you with your resume. They don't get paid for it. It is easier for them to call three more people and find a better resume. Sometimes recruiters stop worrying about people and only worry about the resume that will make them cash.
If your resume gets recruiters excited, it is probably pretty good. If you submit your resume to recruiters and you only get the auto-reply email, you are in trouble. If you are qualified for a job and you send your resume to HR, you better be getting calls. If not, there is something wrong.
Fixing a resume can take hours. That's why recruiters don't help you more than superficially. And getting bad help may be worse than no help at all.
What can you do? Get some solid resume writing coaching. It won't be cheap. I charge $90-$290 to coach. I charge $1000 to actually write your resume for you. There are a lot of good coaches and writers if you can find someone who is interested in "effective" as well as "pretty."
You can also find ways around the resume. People get hired without resumes all the time. They use networking and other guerilla tactics to get the jobs.
Friday and Monday I did webinars on how to write a resume. I taught what works the best. Tomorrow I'm teaching about job search plans. How to make sure you are doing the most important things first and getting interviews and a job. Today I'll be teaching about all the miscellaneous communication with companies in your job search.
I'm doing 10 seminars total. If you want to hear them all, go to www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm and sign up for $20. For that $20 you get replay privileges on all 10 seminars for over a month, and you can listen live to the new ones at noon for 6 more days..
I'm not stuck on 10 sessions. There may be more.
Pass it on. This is open to anyone.
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Friday, April 24, 2009
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| Don’t change who you are, change the format |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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There is only one you... Don't you dare change just because you're outnumbered! (Charles Swindoll)
Don't change who you are, change the format
At EDS my boss asked me to not be so happy when I answered the phone. I was devastated. I gave it a shot.
The people who regularly called me at work all asked what the problem was. I told them. After 3 weeks I was starting to get depressed.
I couldn't answer the phone the way my boss wanted. I had a choice: get my boss mad and do it the old way, stay depressed, or figure out something else that would work.
So I transfigured my external interface. In English, I changed my presentation. I continued to be very upbeat. I also gave a slightly toned down hello, not so bubbly. But then I made the rest of the conversation very upbeat, a little more so.
It worked. I was able to work for several more years at EDS before I quit to start AGI. Now being upbeat is one of the things I do for a living. It's great.
The trick was to change the format of my phone and corporate persona, but not try to change me. I needed to be upbeat and have fun with people. I found a way to do that a little later in the call and not upset my boss. I changed my format, not my message or my personality.
Have you fallen in love with your resume? Is the format perfect? Does it describe you and your past jobs absolutely accurately?
Then you may have to reformat it. Seriously, you got it all wrong.
Future employers need your resumes to tell them what THEY want to know. That does not necessarily include all the stuff about you. Your resume is NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about what the hirer needs.
To give the hirer the information he needs, you may have to change the format dramatically. Think about THE HIRER first. Then think about your last job and what you like to do. Don't change yourself. Change the presentation. Change the format.
Friday and Monday I'm giving different 1 hour seminars on resumes. Friday is all about catching the eye of the hirer. Monday is about format.
I'm doing 10 seminars. If you want to hear them all, go to www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm and sign up for $20. For that $20 you get replay privileges on all 10 seminars for over a month, and you can listen live to the new ones at noon for 8 more days..
I'm not stuck on 10 sessions. There may be more.
Pass it on. This is open to anyone.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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| Killer Accomplishments - stop them dead in their tracks so they call you |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. (Doug Larson)
Doing the impossible will also get you your next job if you tell the story right.
If you were going to hire an audit manager which of these two skill sets sounds better:1. Managed large audit department for 3 years.
2. Managed 18 person audit department. As many as 7 audits occurred simultaneously in 9 locations in 3 countries. $18M recovered over a period of 3 years. Not a hard choice is it?
I am teaching how to do that Thursday at noon eastern time. Friday and Monday I'll continue showing you how to create a resume that gets you called back. Then it is on to interview, networking, salary negotiation, organizing your job search and more.
I'm doing a 10 session job search training webinar starting yesterday, Wednesday. Each session lasts up to an hour. If you get in before the last one is done, you can enjoy all the replays. Total cost? Don't laugh. $20. I'm just trying to cover my costs. I'll sell it later for a whole lot more. Go to www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm
I'm not stuck on 10 sessions. There may be more.
Pass it on. This is open to anyone.
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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| Shameless networking without embarrassment |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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I think on-stage nudity is disgusting, shameful and damaging to all things American. But if I were 22 with a great body, it would be artistic, tasteful, patriotic and a progressive religious experience. (Shelly Winters)
Shameless networking without embarrassment
I love that beginning quote. Can you apply it to your job search?
The biggest problem with networking is letting down your friends. It is hurting the people who are helping you. It is being a fraud.
So don't.
Make sure the people you network with are proud of you. Ask them to help you impress someone because you are impressive.
That means you need an incredible 30 second elevator speech, and an irresistible resume. If you have both of those, everyone who helps you will be grateful they were able to help.
30 second elevator speech
This is what you say when someone asks, "What do you do for a living?" It is exactly the same speech that you give when they ask, "What kind of job are you looking for?"
You need to list 2 or 3 of your top accomplishments. Things that couldn't have gotten done without you. Those accomplishments have to prove that anyone with an opening who didn't hire you is brain dead. They force the questioner to ask more questions.
Practice your elevator speech in front of a mirror. Time it. Keep it under 30 seconds. Get help coming up with the speech if you need it. It is one of the things a good coach can help with.
Irresistible resume
Those same riveting accomplishments we just talked about should be the first thing someone reads when they get your resume. You can't hide them in a paragraph. They have to be boldly placed where the hiring manager's eyes naturally look.
Don't ask how long your resume should be. The real question is, "How can I get my hooks into the hiring manager and force him to call me?"
If your resume has hooks, networking is natural. People you DON'T know will want to help you find a job. They know they will look good when their network sees what a sharp person you are. Yes, I'm talking about you.
I do get resumes and verbal referrals from folks I barely know. They call me and say, "Bryan, you've got to talk to this woman. She's incredible. I can't believe she is unemployed."
If your 30 second elevator speech and your irresistible resume are as good as they should be, I'll be getting that call about you.
I'm doing a 10 session job search training webinar starting Wednesday at noon eastern time. Each session will last up to an hour. There will be replays available afterwards. Total cost? Don't laugh. $20. I'm just trying to cover my costs. I'll sell it later for a whole lot more. www.agicc.com/job-search-training.htm
Pass it on. This is open to anyone.
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Friday, April 17, 2009
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| The First Law of Survival - wilderness or corporate |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value. (Arthur C. Clarke)
The First Law of Survival - wilderness or corporate
If you were the only survivor of a plane crash, what would you do?
If you lost your job in a depression, what would you do?
Passed over for a promotion? What would you do?
The first law of wilderness survival is:"Strive to completely control that which you can control completely. Let God provide the rest." Once the plane is down, and everyone else is dead, you can't bring them back to life. You can't fly the wreckage to civilization. You can't control the weather. There is no way to control the rescue operation.
So you set out to completely control that which you can control completely. First you take care of your wounds. Then you get to a safe location. You have to figure out how to survive the weather. Water is essential. Food is important after a few days. And how are the rescuers going to find you?
Did you notice I didn't say to immediately start writing the book about your survival? You know, the one that will make you a millionaire after you are rescued. That isn't important right now.
Start controlling what you can completely control. Use your energy on the most important things first. Then expand your absolute control to things that are important but not immediately necessary for survival. Let God provide the rest.
Surviving job loss or missing a promotion
The same rule applies in a career disaster. Strive to completely control that which you can control completely. Let God provide the rest.
Out of work? Apply for unemployment benefits. Check out COBRA for healthcare. Cut all your expenses immediately to a minimum. Get an exact picture of your financial situation. How are you going to eat? Pay the bills? How long can you go before you are kicked out of your house? (In PA it is 2 years.)
Now, time to figure out how the rescuers will find you. Resume? Job Boards? Networking? Unadvertised jobs? Start a company? Keep a great attitude? One by one completely control those things you can control. You may need a coach. How much is cutting 1 month off of your job search worth to you? How about cutting off 6 months?
Passed over for a promotion? First make sure you don't' lose your current position. Talk to the boss about your performance. Ask for suggestions. Get him to mentor you for the next promotion. Look at the job ads. Get a career coach. Completely control that which you can completely control. Let God provide the rest.
The absolutely best part about using the first law of survival is that you will regain control. You will feel better. Your attitude will improve. Stress goes down. Creativity increases. You make good use of all your resources. You get help that will make a difference instead of panicking and investing in a $25,000 seminar on starting a business you don't really want.
Get complete control over what you can control. You'll survive. Let God provide the rest. You'll feel happier, and recover faster.
www.agicc.com/5-weeks.htm is a way to completely control your job search instead of leaving it to the job boards. Need to figure out what you need? www.agicc.com/get-a-job.htm is a survey that will give some hints about what you may need to work on controlling next. Take it and I'll send you a ChangeGrid chart and let you know what it says.
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
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Thursday, April 16, 2009
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| Do what is necessary |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary. (Winston Churchill)
Do what is necessary
A boatload of folks are FIRED for doing their best.
More are NEVER HIRED because they did everything they were asked to do.
I also know incompetent people who never get their assigned tasks done that will never get fired, and always have job offers open from other companies.
A friend who is a Bishop told me, "When I got this job, I was told I will never be able to get everything done again. It will be impossible."
The Bishop is an amazing man. He learned that you have to let a bunch of non-productive "comfort tasks" remain undone. Those comfort tasks are things that are on your to-do list, but don't really have as much effect as something else will.
Find your essential tasks
You have to find out which tasks return the biggest investment on your time. They are the things you do that make your boss look good. They get really important things accomplished. Essential tasks make a huge difference. They produce accomplishments.
Real accomplishments get you raises and promotions. Real accomplishments get recruiters and hiring managers to call you. They are the accomplishments that look so good on your resume that no one cares whether you even got a high school diploma.
Concentrate, just say "No"
Once you know you essential tasks, and the accomplishments that will follow, concentrate. Here's how.
When someone asks you to do something, say "No." Okay, if you can't say "No", you can say, "Here are the important things I am working on. Which ones should I drop to do what you asked?"
Bosses love it when you do that!
I've found it even works with my kids and my wife. When I take 20 seconds to explain what I am doing, they quickly accept my priorities.
It isn't fair
People are FIRED for doing their best-at less important tasks.
More are NEVER HIRED because they did everything they were asked to do, and dropped the ball on the earth shatteringly important tasks.
Figure out what you need to do. Then say no to the rest.
Your ability to pick your greatest accomplishments is on the list of questions at www.agicc.com/get-a-job.htm . It is a survey that will give some hints about how much control you feel in your job search. Take it and I'll send you a ChangeGrid chart and let you know what it tells me.
Also, if you need help with your resume, I'll be happy to consult with you about it.
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Next: The first law of survival
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
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Tuesday, April 07, 2009
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| Can sleeping right get you a job? |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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When I woke up this morning my girlfriend asked me, "Did you sleep good?" I said, "No, I made a few mistakes." (Steven Wright)
Can sleeping right get you a job?
Did you ever go to sleep dreading the next day? How well did you sleep? I bet the next morning your waking thought was, "This is going to be terrible because." You fill in the rest.
As I was first consuming the words of Dale Carnegie, Earl Nightingale, and other life changing motivators, I was surprised by their emphasis on sleeping right. I was not expecting that message. But, I was prepared.
When I was 10 years old, I had one bad sleepless night. My father took a record out of its sleeve and put it on the turntable. It was by a friend of his and had been a hit. It wasn't music. It was his friend telling people how to relax and go to sleep. It gave a formula for going to sleep and waking up energized. It didn't matter what your state of mind was during the day.
As I listened to that record and did the simple exercises, I relaxed. Finally all the troubles of a kid's day disappeared. I fell asleep.
I was so impressed by the record that I listened to it a few more times until I had the technique down perfectly. Now I can go to sleep at will no matter how life is raging around me.
I have added two more things to my sleep habits since then.
First. As I go to sleep I imagine the wonderful things I want to have happen tomorrow. Not exciting ones, just the ones that would be wonderful. . Sometimes the thought is of finding a job for someone and how they react. It can be having a client thank me for finding such a great employee for them. It can also be allegorical. I might drift off thinking of blessings pouring into my house, filling it up, and pouring out the windows.
Second. When I wake up I use 3 words to bring me out of tiredness into full wakefulness. In my mind, with great enthusiasm, I say, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" That enthusiastic start has no focus yet. Just saying those words wakes me up excited. I usually end up saying it more and raising my arms in victory as I roll to my knees to start the day with a prayer.
I still haven't taught you those sleep exercises I learned as a kid. Maybe I'll do it some other day. I have found what I just told you to be even more important.
If you try surrounding your sleep with the two very positive exercises I just described, your life will change. Your job search and your career will change completely. Each night as you go to bed you are programming your mind to find what you think about. Each morning you start the day feeling good.
Just these changes will make you a better interviewer, resume writer, and researcher.
There are a lot more mundane job search skills I teach. Ones that deal with more than how you fall asleep. www.agicc.com/get-a-job.htm is a survey that will give some hints about how much control you feel in your job search. Take it and I'll send you a ChangeGrid chart and let you know what it tells me.
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Something To Do Today
Go to sleep thinking of the most wonderful thing can happen tomorrow. Not something exciting, just something wonderful. In the morning let your first conscious thought be a shouted, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" in your mind. You'll be surprised how good you feel.
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009
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| Social Network Diseases |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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They certainly give very strange names to diseases. (Plato)
Social Network Diseases
I'm watching you. I'm not trying to, but I am.
Are you having trouble getting hired? You may have a social network disease. A couple of years ago you may have put some entries in Facebook that you shouldn't have. Then you forgot about the account.
I can find most social networks you belong to. When I put your name and email address into my new database, it magically looks you up. It downloads the information from a few social networks, and gives me links to the rest.
I don't even remember some of the networks I found out I belong to.
Every boss out there has access to the same tool. It may not be as tightly integrated into their applicant tracking system, but it is there.
Worried? You should be. This information hangs around for a long time in databases like mine. If I don't touch your record for a year, that year old information is still in my database. It could be very embarrassing.
Now it is time to do something about it. Clean up the ones you know about.
If you want me to do a Social Network Disease check on you, go to www.agicc.com/social-network-disease.html. Follow the instructions there.
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www.agicc.com/get-a-job.htm is a survey that will give some hints about your job search skills and attitudes. I'll send you a ChangeGrid chart and let you know what it tells me.
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Something To Do Today
Clean up your social networks! They are incredibly accessible now.
Tomorrow (maybe): It=s a blizzard! There=s nothing I can do!
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
Archived articles are available at http://www.getresponse.com/archive/dailyjobhunter
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Monday, March 30, 2009
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| Some good job locations |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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It is a good morning exercise for a research scientist to discard a pet hypothesis every day before breakfast. It keeps him young. (Konrad Lorenz)
Some good job locations
The whole country is not depressed. You may be. Not the whole country.
It turns out that a lot of middle sized towns are actually doing pretty well. Loan defaults are low and the economy is humming.
A lot of people who read this know where York, PA is. That's one good place. There are a few more mentioned in this great article in the Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123836090755767077.html
Take a look.
Now it is time to do something about it. Later today I will be putting a link on www.agicc.com/get-a-job.htm . It will be to a quiz that will give some hints about your job search skills and attitudes. I'll make sure you get a reading of it if you take the survey. It should be there by noon.
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Something To Do Today
After noon got to www.agicc.com/get-a-job.htm and take the survey.
Tomorrow (maybe): It=s a blizzard! There=s nothing I can do!
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
Archived articles are available at www.getresponse.com/archive/dailyjobhunter
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Friday, April 17, 2009
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| Motal combat:win every time |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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I exhort you also to take part in the great combat, which is the combat of life, and greater than every other earthly combat. (Plato)
Mortal combat: win every time
If you job hunt (or go to work) expecting mortal combat, where the other guy must lose, you'll fail. If you have a strong attitude that, "The company, my manager and I are going to win big," you'll succeed. In mortal combat you must defeat the real enemy every time. You'll lose every time if you fight your allies.
Are companies idiots for not hiring you? Is every interviewer prejudiced? Let=s look at your job. Do you assume that your workplace is run by fools? Do you know more than your boss? Do you hang around the complainers and whiners at work? Are you the ringleader? Are people out to get you?
People really may be out to get you if you have a bad attitude. A hiring manager wants someone who will help and support him. Promotions come to people who help raise team spirits and achieve goals. Raises are given when a person is worth more than they are being paid.
Often you have to train your manager. She doesn't have your perspective on problems. You need to constantly bring things to her attention that she may not know. You need to train her patiently, the way you would like to be trained.
Would you like to get pats on the back for the good things you do along with the occasional pointer on how to correct a mistake? Do the same with your boss. Positive reinforcement sets the stage for your negative comments to be heard. Take an attitude check today. Are you saying 5 positive things for every negative you voice? Keep track.
Are you job hunting? Can the interviewer tell how you engage in mortal combat? Is that why they are avoiding you? If the right attitude shines through, they'll hire you.
Business really is mortal combat. You have to plan on winning every time. Are you going to defeat stupidity with perfect logic and rapier sharp attacks? No, you'll lose. Do you plan on patiently helping everyone learn, grow and win? Your victory is assured.
An attitude of constant improvement will win. Constant carping criticism loses every time.
If you need help getting your job search moving, let me help you with a 5 week plan.
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Something To Do Today
Keep a notepad with you. Make two columns. Put a check in one column for every positive thing you say. Put a check in the other column for every negative thing you say. Do the positives outstrip the negatives by 5 to 1?
It's almost Friday and month-end. Time to document your week at work in your job journal. What are your quantifiable achievements and failures? Make an upbeat report for your manager in a format she can use. Turn it in whether she asked for it or not.
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Tomorrow: I can't believe what I saw at the library!
Later: Hymnbooks and resumes
The Rush Limbaugh job interview
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Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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| I want to be a fireman when I grow up |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. (Aristotle)
I want to be a fireman when I grow up
I went to a Boy Scout camp where a fire company put on a rescue demonstration. They had 3 cars. One by one they ripped them apart using hydraulic tools. Right then I decided that I want to be a fireman when I grow up. I was 49 and ineligible, but I'm willing to dream.
A friend told me that he was the fastest machine operator at the plant where he worked. They always put him in the job that would challenge him the most. If there was a bottleneck, he'd clear it up. He also cried at times because he hated the work so much. Now he is studying to take up a different profession. One that uses his mechanical talents and also intrigues him.
Why do people stay in jobs they hate? No one is legally bound as an indentured servant or slave anymore. Why do people need help finding what they like to do? There are a lot of reasons. Fear, money, social pressure and unexplored possibilities can all be reasons.
You are a slave if you believe you cannot change. You are free when you think about, study for and work towards a change for the better. So take a little time today and write down a list of things you always wanted to do. Make a list of jobs and careers you might enjoy.
Need help? Every university has a department to help students discover what they would like to study. The internet has sites to help you choose a career. Every state run job center will give you interest and aptitude tests for free. Friends and family are always happy to tell you where to go and what to do when you get there.
You may want to consult a career coach like me. I not only train people to get jobs, I can coach you along the path to getting the job that fits best. www.agicc.com/my-best-future.htm tells a little more about it.
It's worth taking time to find out if you really want to be a fireman, mechanic, professor or plumber. If you start working towards a career goal you can always turn back later and be better off for trying. However, you will never get anywhere without taking the first steps to think about, study for and work towards a change.
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Something To Do Today
Make a list of every hobby you have attempted. List every subject you have studied. Rank them all as "liked", "don't care", and "disliked". Look for a pattern. You may be surprised. Take an interest test or two. They're actually fun. Many are free. Give me a call. I can help too. Bryan Dilts 717-975-9001
Tomorrow: Mortal combat: win every time.
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Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My newsletter blog is www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com/blog/
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Copyright 2005 thru 2009 by Bryan Dilts. AHow to REALLY get a GREAT JOB@ and AREALLY get a GREAT@ are trademarks of Bryan Dilts. Connecting the Best People, With the Best Companies is a trademark of AGI. All rights reserved.
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
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| Olympic class talent |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess. (Mark Twain)
Olympic class talent
It doesn't matter how hard I practice, I will never be an Olympic class sprinter. My muscles aren't built for it. If I had large, efficient lungs, I might be an Olympic marathon runner. I don=t. My talents are the natural advantages I have over others.
I have a lot of talents. I'm good with computers. I'm a decent salesman. People trust me. Some things just aren't my talents. I like running and physics, but they are not my talents. How do I know? I am slow at learning the basics. I'm always in the bottom third when I run. There are many things I like. Some things I am good at. My talents are the things I learn more quickly and do better than the average person, like working with computers.
Some talents are difficult to develop. They require years of effort. The average professional concert musician practices their instrument 5000 hours before getting good enough to regularly solo professionally. Louis L'Amour, a prolific writer, submitted story after story at the beginning of his career and very few were published. He developed his talent until he sold over 100 million books.
So how do you discover your talents?
Take an aptitude test. They give them at job centers and military recruiting centers. They are designed to find out what you do well, not what you like. If the test asks a lot of questions about what you like the most, it is NOT an aptitude test.
Honestly assess what you found easiest in school. Where did you get by with the least effort? What teachers liked your attitude the most? When did others come to you with questions?
At work you have probably been given some particular tasks. Is it because you are better at those things? Maybe that's a talent of yours. Do other people have trouble seeing answers that seem obvious to you? That could point to a talent.
Discover your talents and you can use the gifts you've been given to excel. That=s what Olympic athletes do. You will find work more interesting when you are flexing a talent.
You will also be paid better. Talents are worth discovering.
If you need help discovering your talents, aptitudes, loves, and potential career options, give me a call or go to www.agicc.com/my-best-future.htm .
I do career coaching. That means I help people create their best future.
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Something To Do Today
Write down what you can do easily or what you excel at. What do you pick up more quickly than others?
Tomorrow: I want to be a fireman when I grow up.
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Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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| IBD and what's hot |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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The contest does not always go to the strong, nor the race to the swift, but that's the way to place your bet.
IBD and what's hot
Q. Bryan, what industry will pay me the most over the next 10 years?
A. I know how you can find out what industries are hot today. I'm not that good at predicting the distant future.
What is hot today? Follow the money. To which industries is money flowing the most heavily? What are people investing in? Where is the greatest potential for growth? Where will it be the easiest to get hired and promoted?
If you really want to know, you need to go to your local newsstand. Ask for a copy of "Investor's Business Daily." Hidden on page B-4 is a chart that will tell you what you need to know. It is called, "IBD's 197 Industry Group Rankings". It is cheaper to buy the paper, but you can also subscribe to www.investors.com to get the information.
The chart lists all the major industry sectors in the USA. Then it ranks them according to how well stocks have performed in the last 6 months. The industries at the top of the chart are the ones everyone is investing in. The ones at the end are the ones being abandoned.
Just because money is flowing out of an industry does not mean it is doomed. It does mean that it will be hard to find a new job in that industry. It means that you have to show a strong ability to save big money or make big profits to get hired.
I always try to fish where the fish are abundant. I hunt where the animals I seek are the thickest. I job search where the jobs and promotions are plentiful. Time to do a little research to make sure you are looking where the jobs are plentiful.
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Something To Do Today
Buy a copy of Investor's Business Daily. Cut out the Industry Group Rankings chart and pin it to your wall. Study it so that you understand each column. Compare what is hot today to what was hot a year ago. Are you hunting where the jobs are thickest?
Tomorrow: Olympic class talent
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Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My newsletter blog is www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com/blog/
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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| Ash breeze and sailing |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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The harder I work on me, the better my life gets.
Ash breeze and sailing
You won't go anywhere in your sailboat if you are becalmed. Sailors on the old 3 mast boats used to dread finding themselves where there was no wind. There are places in the ocean where you can go weeks without a breeze. The old mariners often had only one way out, "ash breeze."
When becalmed, a rowboat full of men would be sent out tied to the front of the ship. They would take their ash wood oars and start rowing. Progress was always painfully slow. Any breeze would move a ship faster, but "ash breeze" was better than dying becalmed.
Are you becalmed? Are you stuck in a company or job that just isn't getting you anywhere? The book, "Carry On Mr. Bowditch," is the story of one of the greatest mariners of our age.
Bowditch was stuck in a nowhere job. Born in 1773, with little formal education and apprenticed to a storeowner, Bowditch became an expert bookkeeper. He wasn't where he wanted to be. He studied mathematics and astronomy on his own. Eventually he became a sea captain, author and educator. He received an honorary PhD for his accomplishments. His book on celestial navigation is still used at the US Naval Academy.
The most important thing you have is your attitude. Couple attitude with an intense desire to better yourself and you cannot be stopped. Start preparing now for the job you want to have in five years. Learn what you need to learn. The more you work on YOU, the better your life will get.
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Something To Do Today
Read the book, "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch," by Latham.
Tomorrow: IBD and what's hot
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Monday, March 16, 2009
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| Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 3 |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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If you kill time, you'll murder your future.
Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 3
Up until the 1980's it was common to put people with Down Syndrome into asylums. They never learned to read, talk, be toilet trained or do much of anything. They seemed to be content. They'd sit in the corner and rock or wiggle their fingers in front of their eyes. Most died before the age of 21.
The singing cowboy Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans had a baby with Down Syndrome, which they refused to give up. Dale Evans wrote a book about the child's two years of life. She began a revolution. Kids like my daughter Merrilee now learn to read to a fifth grade level, are toilet trained, and live to be at least 50.
Merrilee would sit in a corner and rock or wiggle her fingers in front of her face if she didn't have something more interesting to do. Job seekers with down syndrome often end up doing something equivalent. They find an essentially useless, brainless task and concentrate on it. They don't want to think. They just want to be doing SOMETHING.
Do you keep submitting the same resume online to hundreds of jobs with no result? Do you mail a resume to all the ads in the paper without getting an interview? Do you just watch TV because it is less painful than trying to get a job?
You really do have amazing potential. Sometimes discovering your talents is painful and difficult. Worse, trying to get paid for those talents the first time, before you have "experience", can take the wind right out of your sails.
Try something new. Make a completely different resume and submit it a few places. Call a few companies and ask for the person who would be your new supervisor. Do some serious networking by having friends critique your resume for you. Study interviewing skills at the library. Read, "How To Win Friends and Influence People," by Dale Carnegie. Read "Acres of Diamonds" by Russell Conwell (Google for it)
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Free training
Monday at noon eastern time I will be giving a seminar on using LinkedIn.com to find a job. If you can't make it, register anyway, and I'll send the link to a free replay.
Send an email to live@agicc.com .
I'll send the details and put you on the list for training notification.
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Something To Do Today
Try something new.
Tomorrow: Ash wind and sailing
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My newsletter blog is www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com/blog/
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Friday, March 13, 2009
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| Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 2 |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Understand the emotions and actions, ignore the words.
Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 2
Merrilee has Down Syndrome. At 9 years old she could read 150 words. She understands only very simple sentences. Yet, she's brilliant. She understands very clearly what people are doing and feeling. She is not distracted by their words, clothing or cars.
Job seekers with down syndrome communicate verbally and in writing much better than Merrilee. Their down syndrome, however, makes it very difficult for them to understand, interpret and act on the emotions and actions of others.
Attitude really is everything in job hunting. A hiring authority told me, "I hire almost entirely on attitude. It's easy to train someone if they have a good attitude." If a job hunter has down syndrome it doesn't matter what they know, they will be a problem employee.
Job seekers with down syndrome assume the people around them are mean spirited, harsh, cruel, difficult and/or unfeeling. When an HR department fails to respond to their resume, they assume rudeness. When no one gets back to them after an interview they figure the interviewer is a rude jerk. When they are probed about why they left their last job they think it's an unnecessary mean streak. Having down syndrome causes you to find the worst no matter what happens.
When Merrilee, with Down Syndrome, is told, "No," she understands the word. She doesn't understand explanations so she figures out what the other person's real emotions are. She understands that mostly "no" means, not now. She can feel when "no" means not for a long time. She gets it when "no" means she could get seriously injured.
Your job hunting will be much more successful if you focus on what people are feeling and watch what they are actually doing. Make it a habit to never take offense. That company may literally have 500 worthless applications for one job and cannot reply to each applicant. Your interviewer may be impressed, but unable to hire you. He probably told HR that you have been turned down and HR is swamped with other work so they didn't call to let you know.
Keep trying to get into the jobs and companies you are most interested in. This month I called a manager about a job he filled the previous month. He said, "That job is open again. Can you help me fill it?" One month later someone new will be hired. Those who already gave up are out of the running. His previous "no" meant "not now."
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Free training
Monday at noon eastern time I will be giving a seminar on using LinkedIn.com to find a job. If you can't make it, register anyway, and I'll send the link to a free replay.
Send an email to live@agicc.com .
I'll send the details and put you on the list for training notification.
Something To Do Today
If it has been over 3 months since you talked to someone at a target company, time to get back in touch. Things change. Find out what is happening there today.
Next Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 3
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My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My newsletter blog is www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com/blog/
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
How to get as much personal help as you need www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
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Thursday, March 12, 2009
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| Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 1 |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. (Coolidge)
Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 1
My daughter Merrilee has Down Syndrome. Her IQ is 57. She has a lot of advantages over job seekers with down syndrome. Job seekers with down syndrome accept what happens to them fatalistically. My daughter with Down Syndrome got an extra half chromosome that makes it impossible for her to be fatalistic. I'll show you what I mean.
Merrilee loves cartoon videos. We limit the time she spends watching them. We lock them in the boys room so she can't get them. Yet she shows up with a cartoon video in her hand while I am at the computer or reading and hands it to me almost every day.
How does she get the video? She knows eventually one of her brothers will leave the door unlocked or the key down where she can get it. She checks the door several times a day. Not obsessively, just whenever she goes by their room.
She can't talk clearly, but I know when she hands me a video that she wants me to play it. She gives it to me when I am busy so I won't go upstairs to lock the room. I hand it back and say, put it on the TV stand. She does. 10 or 20 minutes later she brings another. This goes on until I play a video for her or put the videos away and lock the boys door.
If I tell her, "No," she'll be back. If I lock the boy's door, she'll be back. She's gentle and loving. She's quietly persistent. She's not unreasonable. I want to help her. She does what I ask when I tell her to put the video on the TV stand.
A job seeker with down syndrome sadly lacks Merrilee's gentle persistence.
Be persistent. Don't give up on the job or promotion you want. Figure out how to gently and kindly get your qualifications before the decision maker. Be reasonable, persistent, helpful and kind. Take your resume to HR every time they ask. Ask what you can do to qualify for and get the job. Then do what they say. After a month or two, try again.
If you make yourself qualified and have a great attitude, eventually someone will leave the door unlocked. Someone will quit or the department will expand. If you are kindly persistent and not irritatingly pestilent, you'll have a great shot at the job.
You can't have the blessing of the extra half chromosome that Merrilee has. However, you can develop her persistence, love and patience.
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Something To Do Today
Is there a promotion you really want? Are there companies you really want to work for? Go to your job journal and write a plan for getting what you want by being persistent in a nice way. Decide how often you can try again. Set appointments on your calendar to try again.
Tomorrow: Down Syndrome vs down syndrome part 2
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Career and Job Search Coaching at www.agicc.com/coaching-options.htm
Sign up for this newsletter at www.agicc.com/lists.htm
My job journal blog is www.reallygreatjob.com . What I am working on.
My newsletter blog is www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com/blog/
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Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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| Am I showing up? |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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If they can't see you, you aren't there. If they can't take their eyes off you, there's no competition.
Am I showing up?
What is the difference between these scenarios? 1. You send out 100 resumes in an hour and get no response.
2. You spend two days deciding who to send resumes to, send out 3 resumes, and get no response.
3. You go fishing. From a job search perspective, there isn't much difference. If you are getting absolutely no response from your job search efforts, change something. Experiment. What can it really hurt if you completely change what you are doing 10% of the time? Can the response get any worse?
Get creative. Here are some things others have tried:
Make a trial resume each week. Do severe changes or just rearrange the bullets. Send your normal resume out to most jobs. Send your trial resume to 5 or 10 companies. Do you get a response?
Call up 10 friends and ask them to critique your resume. Send them a copy and find out what they think. You don't have to make the changes they suggest. In addition to getting some good and bad help, you'll be networking. They'll know exactly what you can do and be looking for an opportunity to help you.
Call half the companies you want to send a resume to. Ask for the person who would be your supervisor. If you get HR (Human Resources) that's okay. Whoever you get, ask them what skills they are having the hardest time finding. If you have the skills, make them the first line in your resume, in bold print.
Once a week walk down the street in a business park and ask for the owner of each business. Whether you talk to the owner or the receptionist, tell them you are looking for a job. Take a resume and a sincere desire to help. It can't hurt. Ask everyone you meet who they know that can use you.
Add a recommendation letter to your resume. Get your last boss or a coworker to write a letter telling how hard you work and how much you help. Make it the first page of your resume. It's bragging when you say it, it's proof when someone else says it.
Think. Earl Nightingale suggests spending an hour each day with a pencil and a pad of paper just thinking and listing ideas of how to reach your goal. Exercise your brain. You'll throw most of the ideas away, but you'll also come up with some gems. Think. What can you change that will make you stand out? What can you do that will draw positive attention to yourself? Is there any REAL risk? Probably not. So try it a few times. See what the response is.
Learn. Do better each week.
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Something To Do Today
Decide what you will do different. What will you change? Try your experiment out 5 or 10 times and see what happens.
I can coach you on your resume and job search. I'd be happy to do a free 15 minute consultation.
Some longer term possibilities are listed at www.agicc.com/coachingfees.htm
Get this blog as an email www.agicc.com/lists.htm
Tomorrow: Down Syndrome vs down syndrome
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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| Resumes and elephant guns |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the world. (Archimedes)
Resumes and elephant guns
In the old Tarzan movies a "great white hunter" is walking through the African plains followed by a couple of trusty gun bearers. Suddenly, out of the trees, an elephant charges. He reaches back and his huge elephant gun is placed in his hands. He takes aim and waits. When the elephant is a mere 30 yards away he fires. The elephant falls to the ground at his feet.
What would happen if the hunter reached back and a bow and arrow were placed in his hands? Well, there wouldn't be enough left of the hunter to have a funeral.
For every job there are a few key experiences that will get you an interview. They are the elephant guns in your job hunt. If you have those experiences, you will get an interview.
Before you submit your resume for any job you have to ask yourself, "What is the elephant gun for this job? Is there one?" You may have to read the job description two or three times before you know. If you are still confused, call up the company and find out. Ask for the person in charge of that job. Whether you get HR (Human Resources) or the hiring manager, ask what the most difficult to find skills for that job are.
We submitted one resume for a job using an elephant gun. The candidate did not have the college degree necessary. He was not a CPA and had never been an auditor. Still, the company phoned back immediately. They were excited that we had found a candidate with the one skill they absolutely had to have. He had several years of experience collecting the data to fill out a particular set of government forms.
We knew what the elephant gun for the job was. The candidate got the interview.
Are you using a bow and arrow resume when you could be using an elephant gun?
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Something To Do Today
If you are actively looking for a job, you have seen an ad that is picky, an ad that asks for 10 different skills and a lot of experience. Find out what the elephant gun is for that ad. Call the company and ask what the most important skill sets are and which are not essential.
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Monday, March 09, 2009
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| That pesky resume. Is it working? |
| Posted by: Bryan Dilts |
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If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape. If it should move and doesn't, use WD-40. You can fix anything if you can figure out why it isn't working.
That pesky resume. Is it working?
In college there was a 1930's Rolls Royce in our apartment's garage. It was gorgeous. It didn't run. It was useless for transportation. Is your resume like that Rolls Royce? Is it beautiful, but not doing what you need it to do?
Resumes are only supposed to do one thing...get you an interview. No matter how pretty it is, how hard you worked on it or how much you paid to get it written, it is not working unless it gets you an interview.
6.3 reasons why resumes don't get interviews
1. You are not qualified.
2. The resume doesn't address the job requirements
3. Your qualifications are hidden or camouflaged
4. Only responsibilities are mentioned, not accomplishments
5. There is nothing memorable
6.3 You don't send it out
If you are not qualified, don't cry because no one calls you back. You are relying on luck and luck is fickle.
If you don't send out any resumes, no one will answer you either. (Duhhh!)
The other four points will take longer to go over. We'll do that in the next few days.
That Rolls Royce was a collector=s item. It was for looking at. Your resume is not a collector's item. It is not a job application. It is not a due diligence audit. It is not your life history. It has one job...to get you an interview.
If you are not getting interviews, let's fix the resume.
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There will be a conference call today at noon eastern time. The subject will be networking. I was unable to record
Friday's conference call on resumes. Hopefully I have it all figured out now. If you are interested in the call, send an email to
firstconferences@agicc.com
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