Archive for the ‘follow up’ Category

don’t rationalize rude behavior – part 1

Friday, August 6th, 2010 by Judi

rudeIn order to get a job, people will rationalize red flags and  fail to make a connection between an isolated event or two and the much larger picture.    I saw this often as a recruiter when I asked candidates questions about their previous jobs.    I see it now with my clients – or people who send me emails – when they are clearly taking something  just to take something,and I counsel them against moving forward in the process and why that is.

These same red flags show up for me too.  That’s because we’re all marketing ourselves in one way or another.    You – the job seekers -  with your resume and cover letter, and me through various means in order to reach more job seekers. 

Although writing and speaking opportunities find me, I also look for them: ezines, newspapers, authors and journalists that might be interested in quoting me or carrying my articles.

One of the reasons I so actively advocate following up is because having been a straight-commission, top-producing sales person who earned my living building relationships with people, I know how important following up is and why it’s necessary.  And I know the frustrations of it, too.  I also know from experience that the red flag is relative to the person, and have nothing to do with me.

When I make a cold call, first I inquire. Then I follow up.  By then, usually I have a dialogue started because the person to whom I’m inquiring gets back with me.  If not, I follow up a third time, and a fourth.   I repeat the reason for calling.  I refresh their memory as to my earlier communications.  I mention that I’ve left a few messages.  I’m always polite.  By the last time, I specifically say I’ve left several messages and would they please take a few minutes to call me back?  So they have to actively and consciously decide not to do that.  It’s not as if they’ve forgotten who I am.

Truthfully, by the fourth time, I’m more interested in just seeing what happens.  I’m not really expecting anything and not sure that if the opportunity presents itself at that point that I even want to pursue it any longer.  The lack of professionalism some people exhibit is astounding.

You have this happen all the time.  You follow up on a resume.  Nothing.  You speak with a recruiter, and then can never get a hold of them again.  They promised to call you about a great opportunity.  Nothing.  You schedule a meeting.  The person doesn’t show up or was called away.  You follow up on an interview.  No return call.

Rude, rude, and rude.  Them, not you.

I don’t care who they are.  I’ve read about singers, movie stars, and even the President, who make a point of answering every letter they receive, although they’re generally form letters sent by people hired to do that.  I’ve called CEOs of large corporations or hospitals, and although I might not speak with them immediately or ever, the admin assistant  phones back.  

The point is that the contact was acknowledged.  Who has such a big ego, or is so busy that they can’t take a minute to even delegate that task to someone?  It leaves me shaking my head in wonder.

Let’s put this statement “them, not you” into perspective.  When I’m selling various newspapers around the U.S. on carrying my column, I share that I was syndicated for 2 years in over 300 major metropolitan markets until they changed their format.  I mention I’ve been a Sunday columnist for the New Haven (CT) Register for four years, and that I’ve written over 50 articles for a trade magazine with which I used to be associated. 

Generally, I’m received enthusiastically and so newspapers around the US are carrying my columns for free in return for my ability to reach more job seekers.  (With newspapers having trouble, they often assign an editor or a reporter to do their columns, so asking for payment would be pointless). 

Yet, with my local paper, a small weekly one, the editor had to talk to the board, and the board, which convenes once per month, would have to vote on it.  The editor forgot to bring it up and after several conversations, it wasn’t worth it.  They’ve gone through several editors since then.  Gee – what  surprise.

Part 2 – an incredible example of a jerk and what all this means to you.  Look for it next week.

Posted in behavior/psychology, case studies, follow up, interviewing, job offers, true life tales | 1 Comment »

it all begins in your head part 2

Friday, July 30th, 2010 by Judi

in your headPart 1 is below this entry.

Last entry I showed you how and why your thoughts, verbalizations, and intents create what you experience. To quote Mark Twain: “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.”  So if you don’t like what’s happening with your job search, look to how you’re thinking and what you’re saying about the process, because your ability to find the perfect job is determined by your attitude and beliefs.            

Those who are determined to find their perfect job know what it looks like and know it’s out there.  Their paperwork invites interest.  They sell themselves in a compelling manner.  They know what they’re looking for.  They eliminate anything that doesn’t fit and doggedly pursue what does.            

By contrast, there are those who would rather play victim.  “There’s nothing out there.”  “I’m never going to find something that pays what I make now.”  “I’ve been unemployed so long I’m going to lose my house!”  “I got fired; I’ll never find a job now.”  And after multiple interviews and no offers, comes the wail that perpetuates the situation:  “No one’s going to hire me!”           

It’s no coincidence that this group hasn’t made sure their cover letter and resume are eye-catching and worth reading, nor are they pro-active in their search.  And because they don’t know what they want, they’re interviewing – and trying to get an offer – for any job that seems reasonable.  They’re sending out blurry, vague intent.  What do they expect back?          

So if your search isn’t producing the desired results, how do you change it?   You change your thinking.  When you change your thinking, you change your intent, and what you say and do is a reflection of that.            

Ever hear those lottery stories? Sometimes a family member or friend says, “He always said he’d win one day!” And then there’s the other side of that train of thought: “Oh, I play the lottery sometimes. But I never win!” When you think like that you might as well save your money, because you never will win.            

By paying attention to your words and thoughts, you’ll begin to notice where you’re creating, perpetuating, and accepting negative energy, not only in your job search, but your daily existence.  And then you can begin to make choices that create different results.  The shorter the gap between your thoughts and the appearance of what you’re thinking about, the better you are at creating.           

Pay attention to the words of other people that, out of habit, you agree with.  Every time you say, think, or hear something negative, don’t accept it.  Counter with the positive.  

  • “Watch me screw this up” becomes “I choose to pay attention and do the best I can.  If I make a mistake I’ll learn from it.”
  • Change “What a lousy day!” to “This rain makes everything so beautifully green!”
  • Don’t over dramatize a situation.  When you catch yourself saying “I lost my keys again! I’m so stupid!” replace it with “No, I’m not stupid, but sometimes I’m forgetful, so I’ll create a specific place to put my keys, and I’ll know where they are.”         

Simplified, it’s about choice.  Things are what they are.  You can choose to change what’s happening or change your attitude about what’s happening.  It takes practice to stay conscious.  But until you begin to make your choices conscious, you won’t realize how many of them have been unconscious.   And if you’re not paying attention to that, you’re not aware of the consequences or benefits that come with each choice.            

Only you are responsible for your life and where you are right now.  You made the choices, and you created it.  If you’re on a job search and aren’t satisfied with what’s taking place, no matter how outlandish this topic seems, why not choose a different approach?  You just might find your perfect job!

Posted in behavior/psychology, cover letters, follow up, interviewing, networking, resumes, salary | No Comments »

Internetus Readus Beware-us (made-up Latin for “don’t believe everything you read on the internet”)

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 by Judi Perkins

fat lady singsWhile perusing various discussions and items on the LinkedIn groups to which I belong, I came across a post from another career coach. Like my made up expression says, just because the person is an “expert” doesn’t mean they have a clue.

A job seeker had asked about follow up. She’d had a phone interview, then a face-to-face, had followed up two weeks later and been told the decision wouldn’t be made for another 2 – 4 weeks. Her questions were a) how long should she wait to follow up again and b) with whom? HR or the hiring manager?

The answer was: follow up often enough to follow up, but not too often that you seem to be stalking them. Also, don’t get stressed out, don’t worry because you still have time, and companies have paychecks and jobs so they don’t feel a sense of urgency, and I don’t think she ever answered with whom the person should actually follow up.

I’d like to amend her answer.

The person who asked the question (let’s call her Patty) followed up with HR. First, it’s excellent that she followed up since so many people don’t. It’s even better that she’s willing to do it again, because it’s so scary for so many people.

However – Patty’s missing two critical pieces of information: where is SHE witihin the process and what does the HIRING AUTHORITY think?

At that point, Patty having spoken with HR, I would have advised her to phone the hiring authority. Don’t wait – phone now! The following is very general, because were Patty asking me the question, I’d have wanted to know the answers to a number of questions about the first interview in order to better advice her of how to handle the phone call with the hiring authority.

So on a general basis, components of the call: open with an enthusiastic voice and expression of interest in the company and position. Next, “I’m calling because I’m wondering if you’ve begun scheduling second interviews yet or when you’ll be doing that?”

And no matter what the hiring authority says, Patty says “Wonderful!” Then – with a big smile on her face (because it translates over the phone) “Where am I within your process?”

Notice she didn’t ask IF she was still under consideration. If there was a good rapport during the interview, she might get an answer of a couple of sentences, and if so, she can stretch it a bit by asking if they’re going to finish all the firsts, then make a decision on the seconds; if they’re making decisions on seconds as they go; if anyone has been eliminated from consideration; if there were any concerns or questions the hiring authority might have (if she didn’t ask this at the end of the interview), and any other questions that might arise out of what the hiring authority was sharing.

Her objective is to find out the process, how they’ve structure it, and where she is within that process. If there wasn’t a good rapport, or if the hiring authority is strictly by the book, Patty might get very little and a directive to ask HR. So..nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I’ll tell you this – though things are a bit different these days, the fact remains, when they know, they know. And if it’s not a yes, it’s a no. Companies have an annoying habit of keeping people in the wings “just in case.” Patty, speaking to HR, found she was still in the running, but that doesn’t really tell her what her standing is. Hence the questions about how they’re moving through the process. In that case, if she gets the answers, then she knows where she really stands even if they say she’s “still under consideration.”

The last thing is – and the career coach was right about this – don’t ever put your eggs in one basket. Too many job seekers live on a pipe dream. I can’t tell you, as a recruiter, how many candidates told me they had offers, and when I qualified that, the “offer” was an interview. As a career coach, I’ve heard the stories of optimism, where the person lived on a hope and a prayer, only to find they were under consideration and then dumped, and consequently lost weeks when they could have been productive.

Find out the specifics. And if you can’t find those out – and even if you can – don’t sit around. An offer isn’t an offer til they’ve invited you to join the company and given you a salary figure. In other words, it ain’t over til the fat lady sings.

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give a clue (and get more results)

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 by Judi Perkins

ask judi question markYou’re selling a product and the product is you, so much of what I teach involves advanced sales techniques as they apply to job hunting.  That’s because job seekers are too “me” focused when the buyer, which is the hiring company, wants to know what’s in it for them. 

When the buyer is about “me” and the job seeker is about “me,” the interview won’t be very successful because both parties are thinking “what’s in it for me?”  They’re neglecting to take into consideration the other side of the equation.  That’s okay for the company to do, but it’s not okay for you. 

Failing to consider the other person’s side extends to following up on resumes.  “Hi my name is Mary Johnson.  I sent you my resume last week, and I was wondering if you received it.”  The response, invariably, is “If you sent it, we have it.”  And Mary hangs up the phone frustrated, no wiser than before she called.

The reason is that she was expecting the person to remember her.  Failing that, she expected the person to invest their time in finding the answer.  The odds are very low on both.  Had she said, “Hi my name is Mary Johnson. I have 10 years experience in marketing, specialize in product rollouts and spent last summer in Italy.  I sent in my resume for the Director of Marketing position and was wondering if you’d received it?”  She’d have had better luck receiving an answer. 

The reason this method is more successful is because first, she clued the person in as to the position to which she was connected.  Secondly assuming product rollout experience was a requirement in the ad, she indicated she had relevant experience.  And third, she’s mentioned something that probably has made her stand out among the others who sent in a resume.  

The memorable fact doesn’t need to be related to the position, but it does need to be something unique so it’s likely to cause a bell to go off.   Odds are very few resumes listed spending any time in Italy.  And lastly, she hasn’t assumed anything.  She’s made helping her convenient for the person with whom she’s speaking by giving that person a clue as to who she is.   

Another common example of failing to give a clue occurs in emails.  People have an annoying habit of hitting reply and typing their message without giving any thought to the subject line.  Consequently, it’s assumed that the sender’s name is sufficient enough to get the email read.  The subject line is there for a reason: to indicate the contents of the email message.  

When the recipient is making decisions as to which emails to read first, the sender’s email may be deleted, designated as not urgent, or mistakenly filed without ever being looked at. If you’re emailing with a hiring authority during the hiring process, this can cost you time, being heard, lack of recognition or worse, a bit of annoyance – connected to you – every time they read your emails.  Additionally, when a thread continues with the same subject but the topic changes, it’s difficult to find the email you’re looking for. 

In the message people commit the same violation they do in the phone example above. They fail to fill in the circumstances or tag themselves to facilitate identification.  They behave as if the person they’re emailing doesn’t email with anyone else or has been sitting at their desk, waiting for this particular email. 

In the Q & A teleseminars I do, I frequently ask people to email me with more information, and what I receive is an email that requires I either send it back and ask the person to refresh my memory as to which question they asked, or go looking for it myself. 

 Pay attention.  Think your communication through from the other person’s viewpoint.  Don’t take it for granted that they know who you are. Wouldn’t you rather your name be connected to appreciation rather than annoyance?

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