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.

Thoughts from the Bart Station

Thoughts from the Bart station!

By Rebecca Martin

Founder, dear jane…a career services company…

 

As I drove into the Bart station this past Tuesday morning I was amazed at how crowded the parking lot was. I was pleasantly surprised. In my world, people are either on the verge of losing their jobs or have recently lost their jobs. As I locked up my car, I felt the hurried and frenetic pace of people running and racing to catch the 7:30 am Bart train. Thank goodness I didn’t have to be one of those people that day. I was on my way to San Francisco to deliver career transition services packages to two individuals who were being notified that they were going to lose their jobs that day. (aka – getting their pink slips).

 

They were being notified at 9:30 am and I only had to visit with two of them which was a relief.  I wondered to myself what it was going to be like and having witnessed and been engaged in these situations before for the past five years, I thought to myself, will they cry? Get angry? Or have the deer in the headlight look? I have seen it so many times over the past 5 years since I have been a career coach. Sometimes I see terror, fear, shame, guilt, and embarrassment in their eyes. Their faces become flush and they become very quiet and detached. It’s awful and rarely do I see someone who is happy and when I do it’s a relief.  

 

I don’t know how people survive days like this. Especially when it comes as a complete and total shock. I think they are numb for the first 48 hours and maybe even a week. What I know today, is the panic and fear is more than just losing their job, it’s about CHANGE, about PRIDE, what their family and friends will think of them, what their spouses or children will think of them, what their grandparents and parents will think of them, especially if the individuals are from different cultures, they take it the hardest and feel the most shame.

 

It is so sad because they now have to worry about feeding their families, a lack of income, property, prestige, and it’s about feeling that they did something wrong, that they failed their companies, themselves and most of all their loved ones. How do people get through these tough times?

 

I wonder how they feel when they have to tell their loved ones, spouses, kids, parents, neighbors? Do some people even tell their loved ones? Some don’t. If you haven’t seen the movie the Full Monty you should rent it. J It really chronicles the life of several men who get laid off and how they all deal with it on an individual basis and at a group level.

 

Most clients I work with and people that I know always worry that it’s their fault, that they did something wrong to cause themselves to be laid off.

 

I know from experience, since I have been a career coach that I can’t fix their problems and relieve their anxiety, but I can help ease their fear and share with them that they are not alone and that they have a lot of options when it comes to getting a new job. I can show true compassion and kindness instead of treating them like they are pariahs.

 

For me it’s about BASIC NEEDS, Food, Water and Shelter. My approach to coaching is all about helping the individual identify what their needs are in terms of salary, time frame, etc. People need to do what’s best for them and their families and they need to start taking care of themselves first.

 

People have so much shame and embarrassment around losing their jobs which is normal. Even in this market when everything around them is crumbling and everyone around them is getting laid off, they still take it personal. Well it’s so hard not to, but I am here to tell you that it might have been the best thing that could of ever happened to you. Most of us won’t make a change even if we are unhappy or even miserable. Change is so scary.

 

I was pushed out of my last corporate job because I didn’t fit the corporate culture. The manager inherited me because his company purchased the start up I was working for and I happened to be the Top Sales Producer at the start up during the acquisition. After six months from the sale of the company, and after my six figure guarantee ran out, I was kicked to the curb. My manager went cold and treated me like he didn’t know me or like me. It was so bizarre. He stripped me of my sales territory and at the time I was 41 years old. I had to train my 27 year old replacement. It was so tough and basically hideous.

At that time I was so tired and ended up quitting. I would have never started my company if that didn’t happen to me. So thank you to the old company. They did me a huge favor but at the time I didn’t see it that way. J So good things do come from being laid off, well ok sometimes.

 

One of the hardest parts of my job is helping people process unusual behavior right before they get laid off. For example, when I talk to clients and they tell me that there manager had just promoted them and given them a $10-20K raise one month before they were going to be laid off. Or when their managers told them “not to worry,” they wouldn’t be on the targeted list of people losing their jobs and then the next day or week they get laid off. It’s so confusing and it feels like a betrayal. I do know after talking to a lot of executives and managers that sometimes their direct managers really didn’t know.

 

Another hard situation to help people with is when they get laid off right after they increased revenues for their company which affected the top line growth and they still get laid off and sent packing! That always boggles people’s minds.

 

It’s never about anything personal. “Yeah that’s what they all say.” And what do we always hear, it’s business and the company had to RIFF people to remain profitable and to please wall street. Well I don’t agree necessarily, IT IS PERSONAL to the person losing their job. It may not be personal to the company or the management team and it’s easy for people to say these kinds of things but it is personal. So don’t feel bad about taking it personal. I just don’t want you to take it so personal that you go into a deep depression or isolate and stop focusing on your strengths and everything that is unique and great about you! Remember there are thousands of jobs and hiring managers that are just waiting for your resume to pop up in their inbox. So send your resumes and start cold calling into companies!

 

I survived 7 RIFF’s at my last company and the only reason I survived was because the executive management team trusted me, my work ethic and my ability to deliver. They liked me because I was low maintenance and I also got lucky!

 

So what it boils down to is that change is inevitable and half of us and maybe more didn’t even like our jobs or some of the people we worked with. We really wanted to change but didn’t know how to make CHANGE happen.

Please buy the book “Who Moved My Cheese.” It’s a great book and also while you are buying that book, I want you to buy the book “Brag, The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn.” You will love both of these books.

 

Let’s start working on the FEAR of Changing and Change in general when it comes to your job search and your career. I know, I know, this isn’t the best market to make changes in but REMEMBER THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF JOBS WAITING FOR EACH ONE OF YOU READING THIS BLOG ENTRY. JJ

 

So take some time to reflect on what CHANGE represents to you? Or what losing your job and getting laid off represents to you and makes you feel. Is it a lack of control, power, security, “You” decide. Work through this and make sure you feel the feelings and process the feelings.

 

Join a therapy group or a job search support group; start conducting informational interviews to find out about your next career move; join linkedin.com and start networking with people from your past or present.

 

Don’t isolate and think you are the only one feeling the way you do. Trust me, I talked to hundreds of people per month that feel the same way you do!! YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Good luck!

Are you bored? Are you interested in finding part-time work while you look for a full-time job?

Networking Tips

 

 

What is Networking?

• The exchange of information or services among individuals, groups or institutions. Sharing information by having personal and professional conversations.

 

Why is Networking so important to your job search?

• It’s the best way to get your own message out there. It’s about gathering information such as: Company, Salary, Market, etc.

 

What is the “hidden job market”?

• It refers to positions that are not posted or advertised on job boards, in newspapers, on company websites, etc. — and it’s best uncovered through networking.

• Hiring managers don’t want these positions advertised for many reasons:
• They might be confidentially replacing someone already in the role.
• They might prefer to interview only referrals and people they know.
• They might not want to be buried under hundreds of resumes.
• Networking is the key to uncovering open positions in the “hidden job market.”
• Getting a job in this economy by uncovering the “hidden job market” will require you to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

 

People want to network with you because…

• They are networking, too! They might be in the same position in the future and want to build their network.
• They operate on the “good karma” principle — they are nice people who want to help you.
• They want to help their friend who referred you.
• They might make money! If they refer you for a job opening within their company, they’ll probably get paid a referral bonus if you get hired.
• They might have a position open that isn’t posted.
• It’s free! They don’t have to pay a recruiter to find you.

 

What is Social Networking?

•          A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Popular methods now combine many of these, with Facebook widely used worldwide; MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn Nexopia Bebo, Hi5, dol2day Tagged, XING; Skyrock Orkut and Friendster, Multiply, Xiaonei and Cyworld, Nexopia, Bebo,Hi5, MySpace, dol2day, Tagged, XING; Skyrock, Orkut, Hi5 Friendster, Multiply, Xiaonei and Cyworld.

www.dearjane.info                blog: www.dearjanedialogues.com           www.youtube.com/dearjanedialogues

(925) 292- 9019                    email: clientservices@dearjane.info         Toll Free: (866) 822-7298

 

Women in Technology Conference www.witi.com

Hi everyone, I know it’s been awhile since I have blogged and I have missed it. The good news is that dear jane…is getting a lot of exposure and we are trying to get the message of hope to the public and to those that really need to get back to work. Julie and I and the dear jane…team are working hard to get people back to work. We have been asked to speak at a lot of the local librarys and we were just interviewed by Cheryl Jennings at Channel 7 for a segment on “Beyond the Headlines.” Don’t miss it!

We are proud to announce that we are one of the sponsors at the Women in Technology Conference in Santa Clara, CA this weekend. check out their website at www.witi.com. So come by and say hello if you attend.

So they made you an offer….

I need a raise…Can I negotiate for more money in this economy?

I need a raise! Can I negotiate for more money in this economy?

Most people right now are being treated like they are lucky to have a job. Right? Well wrong, we aren’t lucky to have a job, the employer is lucky to have us. Why? Because we are doing three times the amount of work for 3 times less pay.

I talk to clients all the time that tell me, “Rebecca I need a raise but I don’t know how to negotiate.”  Or “Rebecca, I will take any job that I can get right now.” They are so afraid that they won’t be able to get a job in this economy.

I tell my clients that if you are ready to lose your house or spinning out of control with fear and anxiety then yes, taking a job right now with less pay is understandable and the right thing to do. 

So how does one get a raise or the money they deserve? It’s easy, you need to do your research if you want more money. Our clients that are prepared get the money and salary they want.

Go to salary.com, indeed.com, and salaryexpert.com to find your market value. Visit dearjane and sign up for the salary and negotiation class or buy the career e-guide and learn more. Get What You’re Worth!  Let the experts show you how to effectively negotiate salary and compensation. Let the pros show you how to comfortably negotiate salary as well as compensation packages to ensure you get your value.

HOT TIPS FOR JOB SEEKERS IN TODAY’S Market – 2009!

Job Searching in 2009

When you’re competing with thousands, get a job with these guerrilla tactics

Let go of all assumptions about how job searches worked in the past — or even last year. The rules have changed. It’s a new game, so pull out your playbook and build an offense that works NOW.

1. Work with recruiters or hire a career coach to reduce the amount of time you will be out of work.
2. Document all your job search activity in a career journal so you can be honest with yourself about how much effort you are really putting into finding work.
3. List consulting in your field, with your name as the company name, as your current job on both your LinkedIn profile and your resume — and tell everyone you know that you will consult for a fee or pro bono if necessary. It shows that you are driven and will do whatever it takes to get work.
4. Use your resume to communicate both your quantitative and qualitative accomplishments. To land you an interview, your resume — a representation of who you are — must be GREAT and filled with your value proposition.
5. Fill gaps in your resume with education or expertise — and if you are light on both, use persistence and cold calls as your main tool to get noticed.
6. Get more hits on your resume by posting it for both permanent and contract employment. Most of my clients are getting full-time consultant and contract work because companies don’t want to hire permanent employees — it’s too much of a risk in today’s economy.

Visit www.dearjane.info or contact Rebecca.martin@dearjane.info for more information — and check out our blog at www.dearjanedialogues.com.

Bragging! You need to do a lot of it during your job search process.

One of my clients just finished a great [short] book that you may find helpful,  Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It.  Peggy Klaus is a communications coach who works with individuals and Fortune 500 companies on a national/international basis.  My client has known Peggy for many years through a professional woman’s organization and seen her coaching in action!   Her book is a quick read and builds on some of the concepts that we’ve talked about in the dear jane blog. Peggy is especially effective at crafting short “brag bites” and “bragologues” that we can use in just about any situation. Many of the local libraries carry her book (non fiction, 650.1 K).    You can buy it on amazon.com as well.

The Fearless Resume… It’s a process…

“You have to figure out where you have been and what you have done, in order to know where you are going.”

 

 

 

The statement above pretty much captures my philosophy on resume writing. I have been writing and editing resumes for 12 years. I never get sick of it because I am always telling a new story about an interesting person. I learn a lot too!

 

 

 

 The goal of the resume is to get you interviews, so you can get that much closer to the offer.

 People ask me how my clients are getting jobs everyday and every week. I tell them it all starts with the resume. I help my clients tell their professional story and communicate a factual and multidimensional view of who they are. 

 I am writing resumes based on my client’s history not their mothers, fathers, neighbors, etc. It is their story on paper. 

I believe that you need to be in an exploratory mode when you are writing your resume. The first step is writing the outline which is basically documenting all of your jobs and titles, etc. Second, do the Brain or Data Dump or some clients call it a Cranial Plunk! Transport yourself back to each job in your mind and write everything you did in that job. Third, go back and then ask yourself two questions. How did I do it (document your strategy) and how did I help my company or client? Your resume should be at least a couple of pages during this process. Then you can go back and edit the entire document so you can produce a final document.

 The resume is your first interview advantage! Recruiters, Hiring Managers and Human Resource Professionals believe in the concept “Neat on Paper, Neat in Person.” It is shocking to me that job seekers don’t spend more time on their resume.

 Below is a list of what you don’t want to do when writing a resume.

            Don’t try to figure out what the other side is thinking, meaning the hiring managers or recruiters. Just write the facts about your professional story. Remember, like attracts like and if they don’t like what you are writing then they won’t hire you and that’s what you want. You want to attract people that value you and your history.

            Don’t write a one page resume when you have 10+ years. A two to three page resume is acceptable. People don’t realize that hiring managers only read five resumes per position. The recruiters do all the screening.

            Don’t let anyone else write your resume. They can edit it for you all day long but only you should be writing your resume.

            Don’t forget to spell check the document!

            Don’t forget to add your awards, professional associations and volunteerism, etc.

            I could go on and on but the most important thing to remember when writing a resume is to represent your story and just write the facts. That’s all you have is your story and its good enough. Don’t try to figure out what the Hiring Manager wants because you will never know. Good luck.

 

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