1st Place in the Job Search Race

Happy New Year! It’s time to make Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

David Bowie’s song , Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes, Turn and face the strain, Ch-ch-Changes…is playing in my head.  Now, anyone that knows me is reading this  entry and is shocked that I would even know about David Bowie’s songs, especially my husband who is a musician and thinks that I am musically challenged in every way possible. I would have to agree with him.

Because it’s a new year I wanted to share some interesting facts with you about job searchers and how  they think when they find themselves without a job or in a career transition.

1) They always visualize themselves in last place in the job search race.

Ok what does t his mean? It means that they feel that because they are unemployed that they have to take $10-20K less.

It means that they feel rejected, devalued, lost, and most of all insecure about their skillset. They will make a lot of concessions to hiring managers just to get their next job. It’s normal to feel this way but it won’t help your job search.

I ask my clients to do the following to overcome this type of thinking and behavior.

1) Visualize yourself in 1st place in your job search race.

What do I mean by this? When I was a kid  I loved to play sports. I wasn’t very good but I wanted to be.  I tried out for every sport in elementary and middle school. I loved to run track, play baseball and basketball.

I had a great attitude but I was an average player. I wasn’t a fast runner but I had a lot of spirit. I loved to swim and joined the Gilroy Gators swim team. Once again I was average. But when I stepped onto the block to dive into the water,  I always visualized myself finishing in 1st place. When I started running in the race and passed the baton to my running partner I always visualized myself finishing in first place. I ran as hard as I could. I never finished in first place in sports but that didn’t matter because I always believed in myself and never gave up.

So what does this mean to you and your job search? Don’t visualize yourself in last place when you start your job search.

1) Know that you deserve and can get the right job for you at the right time.

2) Know that you will get the right salary and earn your market value.

3) Know that you will find the right hiring manager and team to work with at your new company.

4) Know that their is a company out there waiting for you and ready to make you an offer.

5) Know that you can reject job offers.

6) Know that you are interviewing them and that you deserve to work with smart, kind, intelligent, professional and compassionate people.

7) Don’t give up!!!

I wish you success in 2011!

Rebecca, Career Coach/Advisor and your partner in this Job Search Race!

Authentic Cover Letters – It’s ok to be you!

I wanted to share one of our dear jane client’s cover letter with you and feel free to forward this sample to your friends and colleagues.  I have changed the names to protect the innocent and received permission from this client to share her cover letter with you.

What is amazing about this cover letter is that our client communicates her passion, dedication to her hobby/sports interests, and professionalism within this letter.

She is a stay at home mom re-entering the workforce and this job is 10 minutes from her home and she has never had any retail experience.

Based on her research of the company she realized that her personal and professional values are aligned with Patagonia’s values.

I love cover letters like this. Based on my former recruiting experience and now my coaching experience, I know that 50% of hiring managers and human resource professionals read cover letters and 50% of them don’t. It’s so important if you want your cover letter to be read to make it real, authentic and personable. It’s crucial to show the future hiring manager or hr representative that you have done your homework on the company you are applying for and that you have a real interest in working at the company you are targeting.

SAMPLE COVER LETTER BELOW

Jane Doe

1111 Doe Lane

Encinitas, Ca  92024

Patagonia                                                     August 2, 2010

2185 San Elijo Avenue

Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA  92007

John Does, Manager

Jane Doe, Assistant Manager

Dear Jane and John,

Patagonia in Cardiff first caught my eye because of my love of surfing and the store’s emphasis on surfing.  The special events, community enrichment and the inventory were of interest to me and I saw the benefits Patagonia was providing to our coastal area.

Now that my children are grown and I desire to reenter the work force, I looked for a company with a philosophy that matched mine.  I researched Patagonia and found a connection to the corporate values and operations, besides just the great products.  I appreciate the innovation and constant desire to improve products; the commitment to deal with factories that meet Patagonia standards; and the company’s choice to look for ways to be “green”.

In addition, I feel a connection to the people who make up Patagonia because I too am an active, environmentally conscious, outdoor loving person.  I wear Patagonia clothing and can personally attest to its durability, quality and style.

I would like to bring my current skills and past sales experience to the Patagonia Cardiff store as a part time employee.  I know I could add value to the team and look forward to the opportunity to work for Patagonia.  I am available immediately and have no schedule limitations. My completed application is attached. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

cell: 000-555-9999   email: doe@gmail.com

Warning Signs that your job search isn’t working!

The last time I read the labor statistics report it stated that millions of people were unemployed in CA alone and that 65% of the people had been unemployed for at least 1.5 years.

This is sad and it saddens me to know that people are suffering out there. They don’t need to suffer. Ok warning signs below will help you in your job search.

Your way: You have posted your resume on the job boards and no one is calling you.

The dear jane way: Recruiters and human resource professionals live on the job boards, however, they only look at the last two days of postings. So every three days you need to upload the SAME resume so you will stay at the top of the search engines.

Your way: You can’t get to the second interview.

The dear jane way: Contact us for our list of 34 questions and once you have answered them you will definitely advance to the second interview. www.clientservices@dearjane.info.

Your way: You never leave your home office or your house in job search.

The dear jane way: We expect our clients to work 4-5 hours a day on their job search. We also suggest that they put a schedule together and give themselves at least two-three hours of time away from the house to enjoy their day. Also, you can conduct your search at the nearest starbucks, peets, or diner.

Your way: You make a decision to leave the profession/career that you loved so much because you can’t get interview.

The dear jane way: Making decisions based on assumptions is not the right thing to do especially when you are in job search. Nobody said getting a job was easy. It takes consistency, persistence and hard work. We assume that if recruiters don’t call and we can’t get interviews that we should give it all up and head to the mountains. Before you do that invest the time and energy into your search.

Your way: You change your resume content every other day to please the other side (hiring managers, recruiters, and human resource professionals) and/or you submit 10 different resumes.

The dear jane way: As our clients at dear jane say, “1″ resume “3″ jobs. The only thing you need to tweek and customize is your summary of qualifications and your cover letter. That’s it. You don’t need 10 resumes because you really shouldn’t be applying to 10 different jobs.

Your way: You have a great conversation with a recruiter or human resource professional and then you never hear back from them.

The dear jane way: First of all we hear this about 10-20 times a day from our clients. Please remember to have a pen and piece of paper with you at all times when you are talking with a recruiter or hr professional. Make sure you ask for their name, email, phone number, website, etc. Ask them how you can stay in touch with them. Then don’t forget to call them and email them.

The Fearless Resume

Why is it so hard for people to invest in themselves? I always read resumes that really don’t represent the facts about who people really are. A lot of people are always trying to figure out what the other side (hiring managers, recruiters and human resource professionals) are wanting them to write and miss out on an opportunity to communicate about exactly who they are and what they stand for.

Do you let other people write your resumes? I had a client once that had his sister write his resume and when he got to the interview he bombed it because he didn’t even review it with his sister and wasn’t prepared.

Ok, please ask yourself if you think you are worth it. Take the time to write a strong resume. I know people that spend hours and days on writing their cover letters but can’t spend more than 2 hours on writing their resume. I think I know why this is an issue.

We don’t value ourselves and we really don’t know what to say about ourselves. We also listen to everyone but the experts or ourselves and get side tracked by other people’s advice. Trust yourself.

We are also afraid to admit, yes I know but it’s true. We are afraid to admit that we don’t know how to write a resume that describes our accomplishments. We take ourselves for granted.

Let’s get back to basics. Think about the facts of each of your jobs. Think about exactly what functions you performed. Just do a data dump on each position for each job. That will be your first draft.

If you can stick to the facts and document your history then we can figure out where you want to go next. If we can’t figure out where you have been then we really won’t be able to get you to where you want to go.  Don’t try to please others with your resume, please yourself and document your expertise and work history.

MYTH: Hiring managers don’t want to or won’t read a 2-3 page resume.

FACT: Hiring managers don’t read more than 2-5 resumes per position and yes they will read 2-3 page resumes.

MYTH:  My past experience from 10-20 years ago doesn’t matter.

FACT: Everything matters when it comes to writing your resume and telling YOUR story. Every position that you have had from your past is important because you have learned new skills along the way that are transferrable and important to your future job.

MYTH: Nobody cares about what I did in my last job or previous jobs.

FACT: Yes we do and so should you.

MYTH: Why should they hire me when there are people that are more skilled and qualified in this market?

FACT: If you feel that way then you probably won’t get hired.

MYTH: I don’t have a college education so I know I won’t get hired.

FACT: There are many hiring managers that don’t have college educations that will hire you. Also, we are looking for expertise and I am sure you have what it takes to get the job.

MYTH: Everybody hiring has had a perfect career track record.

FACT: No they haven’t, they have made mistakes, failed, succeeded, gotten fired, resigned without giving two weeks notice, etc. They are human too.

CAREER STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A STRONG AND LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE

CAREER STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING A STRONG AND LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE

No matter what industry you are in or what profession you have chosen, below are some tips and advice on how to build a stronger customer base.

I coach people all the time who are in mid-life with their careers or maybe just starting out in their new profession. They are always looking for new ways to generate revenue and build new relationships with customers or clients and maintain stronger relationships in business.

It’s so important to know who you are, what differentiates you and what your value proposition is. Take some time to really ask yourself these questions. Also, I would recommend that you buy books that Thom Singer and Peggy Klaus have written. The books they have written are great tools to use and they share a warehouse of information with the reader that will help increase business success.

TIPS!

1) First ask yourself “what is unique about you” and how you personally and professionally are different from your competitors. In today’s world people are buying from people, not companies anymore. So you will always need to differentiate yourself and learn how to communicate a stronger value proposition. Do you know what your value proposition is?

2) Make sure you have profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. You will need to market yourself, your brand and your business products and services to everyone, not just the same old audience. Our customers come from all ages and backgrounds. Reaching a younger audience is also imperative to your success.

3) Build a contact database and send out newsletters, tips, strategies, and information. Give people options. If you have a database start using it. ICONTACT and CONSTANT CONTACT are great newsletter programs and are really affordable.

4) Build a schedule for yourself and devote at least 3 hours per day on prospecting and cold calling.

5) Don’t give up. The harder you work the luckier you are!

6) From a product standpoint you will have to become an expert in your product but also know your competitors products and learn how to sell against them while never showing the customer that’s what you are doing.

7) Link your products with their needs. Conduct a lot of research up front about the customer or potential customer and really make them feel like you understand their business and want to help their business. It’s all about saving money and generating a profit, so if you can’t help them save money on then show them how you can help them improve their business operations, and reduce their risk and liability, etc.

People don’t trust big companies anymore and they sure don’t trust financial institutions. So keep telling your customers or potential customers how you are different. Find out what their personal and professional goals are long term and help them to achieve their goals.

9) Increasing their exposure! How can you help them market their businesses? Can you set up a referral program? QUID PRO QUO – give to get!

Using Social Media in the Higher Education Job Search

Using Social Media in the Higher Education Job Search

I just wanted to share an article that I thought was interesting. We were interviewed in the article as well, which is exciting for us because our mission at dear jane Inc. is to communicate real-time, up-to-date career management tips, techniques and strategies as well as real life client stories to help you land a job, get a promotion, and stay plugged in today’s job market!

Using Social Media in the Higher Education Job Search
by Jenna Spinelle

With Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many other tools in cyberspace, the need for both recruiters and job searchers to be strategic is greater than ever. Both job seekers and university employment professionals say that clear objectives and goals — not number of followers or fans — should drive social media efforts.

Jennifer Pedde, a Syracuse University graduate currently looking for a job in higher education, joined Twitter a year ago after hearing about its power as a professional connection tool.

“I lived abroad in Korea for two years and wanted to start making contacts when I came back,” Pedde said. “I found that it’s been the biggest help in my job search because it’s so easy to connect with other people — if you start following someone, chances are they’ll follow you back and respond to your messages.”

Pedde also participates in Twitter’s Job Hunt Chat, an event held every Monday at 8 p.m. where the community weighs on questions posed by job seekers. Although a Twitter account is required to participate in the chat, anyone can follow along by searching the hashtag #jobhuntchat on Twitter’s search engine.

Jacqui Washington, an Atlanta-based career coach, said she encourages her clients to use Twitter to connect with companies and, if possible, recruiters and hiring managers. She also maintains a Twitter account that she uses to find leads for her clients.

“I encourage people to think outside the box and work toward creating the job they want, rather than waiting for jobs to be posted,” Washington said. “These tools can help them take those steps.”

While Twitter provides quick connections and communications, LinkedIn allows job seekers a chance to list more detailed information about themselves and their companies, connect with current and past colleagues, and have longer conversations in groups geared toward specific professions and interests. Rebecca Martin, a career coach and founder of Dear Jane Inc., said an updated and polished LinkedIn profile is nearly as important as a resume in today’s job market.

“If you don’t have an updated LinkedIn profile, it really looks like you don’t know what’s going on,” Martin said. “Recruiters and hiring managers are starting to consider a LinkedIn profile just as important as a resume.”

Elements of a good profile, Martin said, include clearly-defined career summaries and objectives, information about non-work activities, and mentions of any awards or honors received.

“Most people don’t sell themselves enough,” Martin said. “If you don’t put the information out there, recruiters and hiring managers may never know about it.”

Pedde said she uses LinkedIn to connect with people she meets on Twitter, so that she can learn more about them and they can see more detailed information about her and her career objectives. Her social media efforts recently landed her a spot on “Extreme Candidate Makeover,” an online talk radio show where job seekers have their resumes reviewed by job coaches.

“They gave me a great set of tips and a lot of new ideas to think about and it was all because of a post I responded to on Twitter,” Pedde said.

How Recruiters Search Using LinkedIn & What We Look For

Here is another article that a client sent me regarding linkedin.com. Very informative.

check out brad’s website at www.impacthiringsolutions.com

How Recruiters Search Using LinkedIn & What We Look For

So much has been written on the importance of a complete and compelling LinkedIn profile.  I am currently working on two searches for which I am extensively using LinkedIn to source candidates. From what I have seen, one would think that LinkedIn is either a new or non-essential tool. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the last two weeks, I have looked at well over three hundred profiles on LinkedIn. Only one thought comes to mind and I hope I speak for most recruiters (internal and external) when I say, “What a major disappointment!” or “Now I understand exactly why so many candidates are in transition so much longer than necessary.”

I firmly believe that most profiles are viewed, and then passed over time and time again. Most  LinkedIn members who are looking for a position don’t even know how many times someone has reviewed their profile and never contacted them simply because their profile completely, “SUCKS.”

Profile after profile indicated “open to being contacted for career opportunities,” but the profile wouldn’t even include the person’s name!

If that isn’t  ridiculous enough,  my favorite examples are the ones that state in the headline, “Unemployed or Actively Seeking a New Position.”  One would think that since this person took the time to announce to the world that they are in transition, that they would at least upload their resume. But “NO.”   OK,  surely they will at least complete their profile so people reviewing it will know what they do?  Nope, why let recruiters and others searching for candidates have this information?

Give me a break,  do they expect me to engage them based on their picture? Are recruiters supposed to just know this information via osmosis?

Here is how I search for candidates on LinkedIn. I hope this will help you as well as help recruiters help you.

1. I start out using the advanced search feature for people.
2. I want to throw a wide net.  My goal is to be inclusive at this point, rather than to exclude someone.
3. I usually start with just a few criteria. Generally, title, location (I use zip code and 50 mile radius), industry and function. That is it.
4. There are exceptions to this but this is the starting point.
5. I leave all other fields set to the  “All . . ” category in the drop down boxes. Meaning search all my groups, search in and out of my network, etc. I want a wide net.

Generally, hundreds of profiles appear. Now the search really begins, as does the frustration.

I begin scanning through the summaries of the profiles that appear. There is not a lot of information in the summary but enough to give the reader a good idea of whether it’s worth it to view the person’s full profile.

So often there is no need to even review a person’s profile. I can tell just from the summary that the information on the profile is either missing or completely worthless. For example, no picture, no name, no companies listed, vague titles, no contacts, background missing, no work history, etc. Yet, they want to be contacted for career opportunities.

Once I start looking at the profile, I usually decide in about 10-20 seconds if I should click out or read on.  So many profiles are so incomplete that I wonder why this person even took the time to post a profile. What exactly were they expecting when they posted this worthless profile?

I also look at the picture to see if it is professional or one that will embarrass me for referring the person if my client views it. That’s assuming there is a picture at all.

I then begin looking for the box checking stuff my client is requiring such as education, experience, current or past titles, years of experience, level, etc. You can read more about this in an article I wrote, “How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less.” Click here if you are interested.

I also look for recommendations and may read some. What are others saying about you? If nobody is willing to say anything good about you, it certainly isn’t a knock out, but I am curious about that.

I will also scroll down the profile summary and work history, and if a resume is uploaded I will review it. Rarely is a resume uploaded. Most of the time this is where it ends. The profile is so incomplete, the work history so brief, the description of work so worthless, that I can’t figure out what they were responsible for.  The profile has little or no company information, so I have no idea if their past companies were even in the right industry. Finally, the summary at the top is meaningless. Most don’t even include specialties.

I scroll to the very bottom and sure enough they want to be contacted regarding career opportunities. Some are even helpful at this point and will say, “Prefer to be contacted on my cell phone.” or  “Please use my personal email address.” Neither of which are included in the profile. Hey, I can’t make this stuff up.

GOODBYE. I have better things to do and a lot more people to consider.

This person probably just lost a great opportunity, or at the very least an opportunity to discuss a position. Even if they aren’t interested,  just knowing what is going on in their market is helpful. Just getting a feel for comparable compensation is a good data point for anyone to know.

The lunacy doesn’t end here. At least 50% of  these people are not working. Their work history will be 2007-2009.  What planet are they on? I’m sure they are frustrated, and complaining about how long they have been out of work and how bad the market is. This may be completely true, but they aren’t helping themselves with their profile.

If this search fails to produce viable candidates, I will go back and change the title or industry and try again. Not necessarily change the search, just some of the criteria. I’ll try to throw a wider net in a different part of LinkedIn’s membership.

Finally, I may eventually search by company name. If I know of a specific company that is right, I will search using the company name. That brings up all of the people that are currently working for this company or have in the past.

This is why your complete and compelling profile is so important on LinkedIn.  In today’s world, the search for candidates so often starts on LinkedIn. The sad part is, it also often ends there too.

Take away nothing else from this article but this one thing: In today’s market, companies (right or wrong) are looking for the kings and queens in their field, not the jack of all trades. If your profile doesn’t shout out loud and clear, “I’m an EXPERT,” you may be missing opportunities. Sadly, this happens and it is so easy to fix.

On March 26th we are having a webinar on how you can leverage LinkedIn to find your next job. We believe this is the most comprehensive webinar we have seen on this topic. We’ll have over 35 slides (we’ll give you all the slides) on how you can build a compelling and complete profile. We will show you step-by-step where the tools are and how you can use them to be the “EXPERT.” These slides and the audio recording of the webinar are included. If you want a profile that puts you in the top 10%, then you should visit brad’s website. At a minimum you should download our 8-Level LinkedIn Self Assessment Profile. This tool is a great start towards building a great profile. 

Finally, if you are on LinkedIn, join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. There are more than 4,800 members in the group. It is one of the fastest growing groups on LinkedIn that focuses on job search issues.  I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Brad Remillard

www.impacthiringsolutions.com

How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less

  I wanted to send this to everyone. I found this on Brad Remillard’s website. A Client referred me to this website. Everything he says is true.www.impacthiringsolutions.com

How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less

The 10 or 20 seconds it takes to read a resume seems to always generate a lot of controversy. Candidates comment on how disrespectful it is, how one can’t possibly read a resume in that time and some get angry at recruiters when we talk about this. I hope this article will help everyone understand how we do this. I realize that some still may not like it and will still be angry, but at least you can understand how it works.

First, let me say I’ve been a recruiter for 30 years.  I’m sure I have reviewed over 500,000 resumes. I can’t prove this but I’m reasonably confident that this is the case, as this is only an average of about 46 a day. I know many days I have reviewed hundreds of resumes and most in less than 20 seconds. I would say the average is probably around 5 to 7 seconds.

So for the record when you hear or read about, “reading a resume in 20 seconds,” that isn’t completely true. It is more than likely, “reviewed the resume in 20 seconds.”

Here is my process for getting through 100’s of resumes in a short period of time. Others may have different ways and I welcome your comments.

I set up a hierarchy of certain “must haves” or you’re out, so at first I’m really just box checking. Generally, 80% of the time these are my knock out blows. There are exceptions to each of these, but I’m dealing with the 80/20 rule. These are not cumulative times.  This is box checking, if I see any one of these as I scan your resume you will be excluded.

1. Location. If the client is in Los Angeles, CA and you aren’t – goodbye. Few if any clients want to relocate anyone in this economy, and I believe most shouldn’t have to. Especially in a huge metropolitan area like Los Angeles. If they do have to consider relocation the position has to require some very unique experience that few jobs do. I can do this in about 1 second.

2. Industry. If my client is in banking and your background is primarily manufacturing – goodbye.  These two often are so different that the client isn’t open to considering such different industries. This works both ways, if you have a manufacturing background I’m not going to consider someone with banking. 2-3  seconds to determine this.

3. Function. If I’m doing a sales search and your background isn’t sales – goodbye. Generally companies are paying recruiters to find them a perfect fit. We never do find a perfect fit, but we have to be very close. They don’t need a recruiter to find them someone in a completely different function. 2 seconds to figure this one out.

4. Level. If I’m doing a VP level search and your title is “manager” and you have never been a VP – goodbye. There are exceptions to this, but again it is the 80/20 rule. Again, clients pay me to find them the perfect fit. It is generally way too big of a jump from manager level to VP level, all other things being equal. It works the other way too. If  I’m looking for a manager and you are a VP – goodbye. I know you are qualified to do a manager level role, but it is clear you have grown past. Most clients and recruiters aren’t willing to take the chance that when a VP level position comes along that you won’t be gone. Less than 5 seconds to figure out.

5. Recent Experience. There is some overlap on this one. If I’m searching for someone with international sales experience in the aerospace industry and the last time you held an international sales position in this industry was 20 years ago and since then you have been in retail – goodbye.  I can find people with more relevant experience and that is what my client expects me to do. 5 seconds to do this.

6. Education Like it or not, I will only work with people that have a college education and most of the time a master’s degree. This is mainly because, as I indicated before, I need to find the very best for my clients. I realize an education doesn’t mean by itself that the candidate is the best, but it is one qualifier of many. Also all of my clients require at least a BA.

7. Turnover. If you have had 6 jobs in the last 4 years, or have a track record of high turnover – goodbye. I realize there are good reasons for turnover and that falls into the 20% of the 80/20 rule. I can’t define high turnover, but I know it when I see it. 3 – 5 seconds.

8. Functional resume. I don’t read them. It is obvious when one has a functional resume they are trying to hide something and I’m rarely going to take the time to attempt to figure it out. 1 second.

9. Obvious things such as, spelling errors, poor format, errors in grammar, too long, verbose and rambling. If after reading it I still can’t figure out what you do, goodbye. 5 – 10 seconds

After all this, 80 – 100% have been eliminated. If there are any left, then I will take the time to actually read them in detail.

If this was helpful to you, please pass it along to help others in  your network. Consider adding it to your status on LinkedIn, posting on Twitter, or emailing the link to your network. Please help others if this helped you.

I welcome your thought and comments.

Brad Remillard

 Check out Brad’s website.www.impacthiringsolutions.com

What do you do when you have been forced or pushed out of a job you loved

I have coached many clients and people (myself included) on how to deal with being forced to resign or being pushed out of a job that they really liked or even loved.

Most of us have had this happen.  If you have never experienced this type of treatment in your career you are blessed. If you know anyone that has, please forward this message on to them.

I have been coaching people for 13 years and I have been working for the past 25 years. I have seen a lot of abuse, mismanagement, harassment and unbelievably disturbing and bizarre behavior in my corporate career and in my client’s careers.

I am writing this blog entry today because I just finished writing to a client and coaching her on how to deal with this issue. So hopefully this will help you or someone you know. Most of us are shocked when this happens to us. It comes out of nowhere. One day we are on top of the world, everybody loves us at work, we can do no wrong, then, in 24 hours, our manager, the executives, and co-workers CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND BEHAVIOR towards us and we become the enemy, the pariah and the outcast. We then feel threatened, confused, shocked and dismayed. The battle begins to keep our job and our wits about us.

Most of us know why this happens IF we take 10 minutes to think back on the actual date and time that memorable “event, conversation, or thing” occurred or took place that affected our fate at work.

We can usually trace it back to something we didn’t go along with, or something we challenged the boss on, etc. On that day we sealed our fate. We became the enemy. Unfortunately, for most of us that are ethical and don’t play games and just work hard for a paycheck so we can take care of ourselves and our families and hopefully derive some sort of satisfaction out of our jobs, have been putting up with or going along with some type of unprofessionalism for a long time before the day we just decide to say STOP. I am not going to have you push me anymore or go along with the unethical or bad behavior anymore.

That is when we became the TARGET! I know if you are reading this blog you know what I mean or have dealt with a similar situation or know someone that has. In 2007 I had 4 clients with cancer, one on medical stress leave, and one that had a nervous breakdown and all because of things that happened in their careers.

And believe me, these are professional upstanding corporate citizens that didn’t do anything wrong. They did their jobs and they were ethical and professional.

How do you deal with this? Like most of us. The manager works hard at removing you from the situation and you work hard at getting what you need from the management and the company to transition you out of the situation.

So first you need to know that there is nothing you can do about changing their minds about keeping you in the current role. So accept and move on to your action plan of TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. No matter how hard it is during this time it is SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR PROFESSIONALISM INTACT and your sense of humor.

I want you to work with management to get you the best package you deserve. This will have to be done privately and confidentially with management and your key confidante within the organization.

Don’t involve Human Resources because they have to support the company that is their job. So they have to be neutral.

People say to me all the time, there is no way I can ask for all of this or there is no way they will even listen to me or help me transition out. This is NOT TRUE. They have guilt (well some people do) and they usually will help you transition quickly.

You are right sometimes, they might not be able to help you but you can always ask. First I ask my clients, find someone in the organization that you really trust. Go to this person first and confide in them. Ask them to help you get what you need to transition out of this job. Tell them your personal situation. Let them know you need financial help and time to get another job, that you need medical benefits. Yes you need to humble yourself. It’s ok. This is not about begging this is about taking care of your family and having to make business decisions that will help you do this. So if you have to tell people more personal information that you have in the past, well that’s ok.

Taking care of yourself and your family is the most important thing you have. You can ALWAYS get another job.

So I have documented a general statement or demand letter that I have been using for the last 15 years. Please try and get what you need, if you ever have to endure this type of situation. Don’t be afraid. You have NOTHING to LOSE. All you have to do is ask.

“I wanted to discuss my employment with you. I have been thinking a lot about what happened regarding my employment this past month…. When I was told that I needed to resign or get another job two weeks ago… I was completely taken back and a little shocked. However, because I am a professional and was told not to tell anyone which by the way has put me in an uncomfortable position throughout these last couple of weeks, I realized that I didn’t communicate what I needed because I was in shock. I need help through this transition so me and my family are not heavily impacted.

As a professional and a person with a lot of integrity, I would like to ask you for a couple of things as I go through this transition (that was completely unexpected). As you know I have loved my work and been extremely successful in my role. We both know that we are dedicated to making this a smooth transition for both parties involved. Since I was not ready to make this transition financially and I have a family to support (or maybe you are single and have a mortgage), I would like you to consider the following:

 I would like to remain in my position until I find other employment. Let’s revisit this every two months. As you know I am looking for a new job in one of the worst job markets in the history of our economy. I also need medical benefits for me and my family. Based on my research and I am sure you know that it takes approximately 3 months to get a job in a perfect economy. It might take me longer than the amount of time you are giving me to get another job. I don’t want to feel more pressure especially because of a decision that was made on my behalf and for no apparent reason.

As I stated, I am a professional and have kept my word and haven’t told anyone the reason why I am leaving, however, this puts me in a very awkward position with new hiring managers because basically I am being asked to lie about why I left. I do not like to be put in this position.

So once again, I will go along with your request (just until you get out of the company and then you can tell all of your co-workers the truth) but I need to request some things from you. 1) I need a severance package. 2) I need benefits until the end of 2011. 3) I need all my vacation paid out. 4) I need to stay employed until I find a job and I am willing to work at my home office. 4) I will need additional compensation to hire a career coach or work with a career transition services company that can help me through this transition. (this is assuming they don’t offer this to you and don’t forget to put a dollar amount on the career coaching).

Good luck and don’t forget to write us at clientservices@dearjane.info and give us your feedback on this blog post.
Regard,

Rebecca Martin

CEO, dear jane Inc.

Should I join the military in my teens?

Should I join the military right out of high school?

I have been asked this question a lot. Below is an answer I have submitted in the past. I know how many young people need financial help with their future education and how they also need support in today’s job market. Some young people don’t feel that they have anyone supporting them and joining the military creates an instant family. My thoughts are based on my career in coaching and not based on my personal feelings one way or another in terms of the military.

dear jane’s advice: Hi, I have been a career coach for over 13 years. I have worked with people from all ages, backgrounds and professions. I have also worked with miltary clients who are now trying to work in the private sector. First I would ask yourself, Why do I want to join the military? Second, have you interviewed with the military and asked them a lot of questions? Do you like their answers? Also, if you are looking to get your education paid for it’s a great way to go. It’s a short commitment and it looks great on a resume and you get paid. So unless you are worried about going to war, I would say just do what your intuition tells you. Trust yourself. It’s hard when you are young and you can’t make any mistakes in terms of your career because when we interview people about their specific career and education choices, as long as you tell the truth of why you made those choices, most human resource professionals and hiring managers understand because they are people too who had to make similar choices at your age. I hope this helps.

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