Blog: Doug Mayes

Back in the day, accomplishments at work were only accomplishments if they were acknowledged by a supervisor.  That reality had at least two downsides for you.  First, it limited the definition of an accomplishment to whatever made sense to your supervisor, whether or not it made any sense at all for you.  And second, your accomplishments were only recognized if your supervisor bothered to do so, and sadly, not all supervisors have good human relations skills.

The net effect of this situation was to diminish your perception of your accomplishments.  If you have any doubt about that, think back to the last time you wrote a resume.  Remember how hard it was to recall your achievements in your most recent job, let alone those in jobs you held before that?  That fuzziness indicates how little impact your accomplishments have had on your own sense of success at work.

Such a malformed view of your role at work is a threat to you and to your career.  It undermines your self-image and, ultimately, your self-confidence in your own capability.  And, it clouds how people see your contribution on-the-job and potential in the workplace.  If you are only as accomplished as your supervisor acknowledges, they are in control of what happens to you and your career, and nothing could be more dangerous in today’s much more demanding world of work.

What should you do about this situation?

Throw out supervisor-defined accomplishments and focus, instead, on personal “career victories.”  A career victory is different from an old fashioned accomplishment in several ways:

·          First, a career victory is defined by you.  You set a goal—I will improve my work skills or I will increase my output on-the-job—and you determine what constitutes reaching that goal—I will improve my work skills by completing this course of instruction or I will increase my output on-the-job by learning how to use that software program.

·          Second, career victories occur wherever you say they do.  They may happen on-the-job or outside it, in an academic institution, a professional association or a volunteer activity.  A career victory is not limited to what happens in your employer’s workplace; it describes what happens to you—the self-improvements you realize by reaching goals you set—in whatever venue you select.

·          Third, career victories occur however you say they do.  They are not dictated by what best serves your supervisor or employer.  A career victory may certainly do that, but its purpose is to reinforce your self-esteem and advance your career.  You decide what self-improvement will do you the most good and the conditions under which it will be realized.

·          Fourth, career victories occur whenever you say they do.  They don’t depend upon your supervisor’s ability to recognize them or their willingness to express that recognition in a way that will do you any good.  A career victory is a success that you recognize, and it is a well deserved pat on the back that you give yourself.

Career victories are based on a very simple, but powerful premise.  It analogizes achieving career success to riding a bicycle.  In other words, you can coast for a short while in your career, but most of the time, you’re going to have to peddle—you’re going to have to engage in continuous self-improvement—to keep making steady progress.  If you don’t, your career will start to wobble and eventually topple over.

Although this concept may seem a bit strange at first, it’s not all that hard to get used to.  After all, almost all of us know how to ride a bike.  And even if we haven’t done so for awhile, it’s one of those skills you never really lose and thus can quickly regain.  Achieving career victories, therefore, is something anybody and everybody can do.  They are a democratic activity.  And, unlike accomplishments, where recognition can be colored by the biases and limitations of your supervisor, they are an equal opportunity form of celebration.

You can use your career victories in several ways.  To start, I suggest that you memorialize your victories in writing by creating a “career record”—a diary of sorts that describes all of your work-related successes.  This document isn’t a resume, although it can certainly make writing a resume much easier.  It is, instead, a simple listing of your self-improvement goals and what you did to meet them.  That record, in turn, can help you see your progress in the world of work so you can celebrate your successes (whether or not they are recognized by your employer’s performance appraisal system).  And, it can provide a wake-up call if you find yourself coasting along and losing momentum in your career.

Focusing on your career victories doesn’t mean that your contributions on-the-job are any less important.  Indeed, they can and should be career victories to which you aspire and for which you strive.  The reason you do so, however, is not to gain the recognition of your supervisor, but instead to express and experience the best you can be.  That’s the true definition of success in the modern workplace.

Thanks for reading,

Peter

Visit me at www.Weddles.com

Peter Weddle is the author of over two dozen employment-related books, including his latest, Work Strong, Your Personal Career Fitness System.

© Copyright 2009 WEDDLE’s LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

Hello New Mexico.  We're all about keeping you posted with the latest employment news, so we'd like to invite you to sign up for updates via SMS text.  If you're often away from your computer or can't use Facebook at the office, this is a killer way to stay current.  Here's what you have to do.

1. Visit our Facebook fan page.  
2. Become our fan.  
3. On the left side of the page, click "subscribe via SMS."
4.  Follow the instructions to set up the text service on your phone.  

It's that easy.  See you on the trail.

Don't forget this month's JSEC meeting.  We have a great community project starting with  Peanut Butter and Jelly Family Services, Inc. and breakfast of course!   
 
Thursday,  November 12th 
8:00 am  to 10:00 am 
ITT Technical Institute 
5100 Masthead St. NE 
Theory Room 4    

You must RSVP to: tlieber2@comcast.net  
Designated parking is recommended for all guests located
on the East Side of the building.

The New Mexico SHRM State Council is pleased to announce an impressive lineup of keynote speakers for its 2010 conference.  This event provides an opportunity to hear some of the brightest speakers on HR matters working today.  The conference will feature China Gorman, Chief Member Engagement Officer for National SHRM, employee recognition expert Chester Elton, an engagement guru Robert Van Arlen.  Click here to see more information about the conference.  Early Bird discounted rates are in effect right now.  Sign up today.  

China Gorman 
HR:  WHY IT IS CRITICAL IN TODAY’S ECONOMY

Every day, HR professionals are stepping up to the plate to help their organizations confront the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.  They are being called upon to address a daunting array of workforce challenges that could significantly impact whether their organizations survive the current downturn and have in place a solid foundation for success when the economy recovers.  This presentation will highlight innovative strategies HR professionals are employing to avoid or minimize crippling layoffs, to maintain morale and employee engagement, and to retain and develop top talent during this crisis period.   Participants in this session will look at best practices they can employ, drawing from SHRM Economic Stimulus Prize case studies, recent research by SHRM and other authoritative sources, as well as statements by leading CEOs and CHROs.   

Chester Elton

The Carrot Principle:  How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage their People, Retain Talent and Accelerate Performance

Turnover can absorb resources at an astonishing rate. It is the most significant uncalculated expense in corporate America . Some estimates to replace a departing employee range up to a stunning 250% of that person’s annual salary. Turnover is an issue for organizations, especially in today’s economy, organizations that fail to effectively recognize their employees are losing the workers they wish they could keep. Retaining outstanding performers is critical, whether in a recession or boom. Elton will show how the transformative power of purposed based recognition produces astonishing results for you and the managers in your organization.  As an HR professional, learn the tools to help your managers motivate their employees to achieve higher productivity, engagement, retention and customer satisfaction.  This exceptional session presents the simple steps to becoming a carrot principle organization and to building a recognition culture in your organizations.  Following these simple steps will make you a high performance leader and take your team to a new level of achievement. 

Robert Van Arlen

Focused Synergy

Through Focused Synergy, he has developed a process for learning what challenges his audiences to think, react and change to achieve the results they desire for themselves, businesses or organizations.   You will  walk away with specific techniques to inspire growth, you will learn the value of practicing excellence, teams will improve alignment and everyone takes something away that they can share with others. Robert speaks about the power of Vision and how HR professionals are critical to the process of achieving vision and values alignment within their organization.

Hello Employers, 

I'd like to introduce you to a program that provides rent assistance to prevent homelessness in our community.  They are looking to reach out to local business and we're pleased to help.  Contact them directly to learn more. 

HPRP was made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in Collaboration with the City of Albuquerque and US Department of Housing and Urban Development.Our mission is to prevent community members from falling into homelessness.  Through our rental assistance program, individuals can access stimulus funds to pay rent up to 12 months.

·   Are you currently being evicted from your apartment? Or are you homeless?

·   Are you able and willing to work?

·   Have you worked at least 3 consecutive months during the past 18 months?

·   Have your hours at work been reduced, or you have currently lost your job?

·   Is you annual income at 50% or less than the median income for your household size?

·   Does your apartment meet HUD Fair Market Rate?

·   Do you have a birth certificate, state issued id and SS Number?

If you answered yes to these questions, you may be able to access support from HPRP. For more information please contact our main office at 724-4615. We will be conducting phone screens to determine full eligibility. 

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension or California http://tucson.jobing.com/company_profile.asp?i=127019} (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University {http://tucson.jobing.com/company_profile.asp?i=127036}  (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

The Employer's Disability Resource and New Mexico Business Leadership Network invite you to join them for their annual gala celebration on Thursday November 19th from 5pm-7:30pm.  The event will feature recognitions, networking, food and drinks, and a keynote address from John Kemp, Executive Director of the U.S. Business Leadership Network.  

This event will be held at Hotel Albuquerque in the Old Town.  Please rsvp to Tessah Latson by November 12th. 

Tessah Latson
tessah@newmexicobln.com
Phone:  (505) 379-0572
Fax:  (505) 449-4474
www.newmexicobln.com

This post is by our Social Media Manager, Brett Farmiloe.  Thanks Brett.

One of our community relations managers has been asked to sit on a panel of social media experts to discuss how social media impacts recruiting. She asked for some insight, I had a green tea, and my caffienated self went on a roll. I figured I'd post the email here in case anyone was wondering what the fuss is with social media.

Here it goes:

What is social media?

Social media is an integration of words, pictures, video and/or audio with an element of human interaction. (Essentially, the words, pics, videos are the "media"...the human interactivity of commenting on a Twitter status update, tagging someone in a Facebook photo, watching a video on Youtube and forwarding on to your friends...that's the "social" element of the umbrella term, 'social media'.)

A couple other fun stats to throw around about social media:

 

3 out of 4 Americans use social technology - Forrester Research, 2008 (Meaning, not just Gen Y. This means that my mom and my dad are my friends on Facebook.)

Visiting social sites is more of a popular online activity now than checking personal email, Nielson 2009

93% of social media users believe a company should have a presence in social media (meaning, users are open to being a fan of your company on Facebook. It's not intrusive if your company is on there...as 300,000 businesses have found out on Facebook (currently, 300,000 business have Facebook pages)

 

Of the 4,000+ tools that can be grouped into the growing 'social media' bucket, there are only about 4 or 5 that matter when it comes to recruitment.

1) Facebook. The reason it matters in recruitment?

 

There are over 300 million users on Facebook.

There's no other social media site or tool that's better to brand your company. On a fan page, you can share video about what it's like to work at your company, show them what it's like to work at your company with photos, and you can post status updates that go directly to a fan's home page. Plus, there are a couple recruitment applications that integrate your jobs into Facebook and allow fans to share these jobs with their friends (Jobing offers this application, plug intended.)

 

2) Twitter. The reason it matters in recruitment?

 

You have to look at Twitter as a chat room and as a listening tool. You listen to the people you're following, and you chat with the people who are talking about your company by monitoring with tools such as Tweetdeck or Twitter Search. All Twitter is good for is for your company to interact with potential candidates so it positively impacts your brand.

 

3) Linkedin. The reason it matters in recruitment?

 

Allows recruiters to mine a database of resumes (aka Linkedin profiles) to find potential candidates.

 

4) Youtube. The reason it matters in recruitment?

 

Video arguably is one of the best branding tools for a company. Youtube is one of the largest search engines on the internet. Put the two together and you've got a winning social media site.

 

5) Myspace. The reason it matters in recruitment?

 

Myspace is the forgotten son of social media. The other week I was in Texas and asked a woman who was the HR manager for a call center if she had looked into using Myspace to recruit. She responded by saying that Myspace was full of pedophiles and teenie boppers...which may be true, but it still doesn't change the fact that more people go to Myspace than Twitter and Linkedin. The numbers and traffic alone make Myspace a tool to keep in the tool belt.

 

Whew! Those are the tools that are slowly changing the world of recruiting...

Brett Farmiloe is the social media manager for Jobing.com. He'd love it if you became a fan of Jobing on Facebook, and a follower on Twitter. Ecstatic, actually. Also, feel free to contact and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or by good ol' email (brett(at)jobing.com) for any social media questions.

I know you had success at Gobs of Jobs.  I just know it.  So, here are some tips to help you follow-up on all the great employment leads you got at the event. 

1.  Say "thanks" the old-school way.  Send a written note to the recruiter thanking them for their time.  There's something classy, and memorable about this approach and it will set you apart from those who aren't so polite.  An email or a phone message is ok in a pinch too.  Just keep it brief and professional.  

2.  Do any assigned homework ASAP.  Many companies will ask you to fill out an online application, or develop an action plan for your position.  You will be judged by the quality and timeliness of your work, so jump on this stuff right away.  When I was interviewing to join the Jobing team, I had to develop a six-month attack plan for my new role.  This was not busy work!  I was being tested, and had I blown this assignment, I wouldn't be here now.  

3.  Be politely persistent.  Every recruiter likes a candidate with persistence and follow-up.  Every recruiter dislikes a scary stalker candidate.  Please learn the difference.  If you don't hear back from a recruiter, give it several days and then try to reach them in a different way.  Some recruiters respond more quickly to one form of communication over another.  If you get frustrated, take a step back and realize that recruiters are really busy people.  Do not take a detour into Crazy Town, people.  Recruiters do have caller ID, you know.

This post is reprinted from an article by the great Laura Smith Proulx.  Thank you Laura
One of the big mysteries that confounds job hunters is that they see a great job posting, apply to it, and then... nothing. Why isn't the phone ringing? It's often that automated systems are "reading" your resume--and they don't like what they see.

Under siege from job seekers, employers are trying to filter out unqualified applicants as hard as they're trying to get IN. If you're not receiving a response from your resume, there are a number of ways you can look at changing it, and this should start with keyword content.

Keywords are simply terms for skills, certifications, and other qualifications that are required for each job. Automated systems make looking for keywords on resumes much easier, and these applications are designed to count the number of times that crucial terms appear in each document.

To ensure that your resume gets read by your desired audience (meaning that picky scanning system!), alter the keyword count using these strategies:

1 - Take out irrelevant terms.

If you possess skills that are transferable to more than one career, consider creating more than one resume version, and then take OUT the keywords that don't apply to that field.

Be aware that including extraneous information can confuse the HUMAN reader too. Like any other marketing document, your resume gives the reader an impression of what you offer... and when it's filled with phrases that relate to a different type of job, employers often react by taking a pass.

One way to gauge whether to take out certain words is to look carefully at the jobs to which you are applying. If your resume contains a large number of skills that are NOT in these descriptions, then it's time to remove them.

2 - Add new keyword content that fits your goal.

Another reason to take a second look at your desired jobs is to see the type of keywords you SHOULD be using.

Many sales leaders, for example, don't give a second thought to mentioning that their skills include prospecting, relationship management, or business development. Yet, the positions they apply to may contain these terms, and the scanner can reject their resumes if it doesn't find a match.

A good rule of thumb is to make a composite list of terms commonly appearing in jobs you are targeting, and then ensure that your resume contains a representative cross-section of the keywords that apply to your background.

3 - Keep in mind that keywords can also communicate the breadth of your skills.

Often, scanning systems will account for synonyms, and may ferret out your resume into a different sub-section reserved for more advanced professionals.

For example, a new account executive might put "relationship management" on a r‚sum‚, but a more experienced sales representative could add "revenue improvement" and "profit growth."

By the same token, an operations manager may add tactical skills such as "production capacity," while a COO can sharpen the focus to add "strategic production planning."

The bottom line? It's important to stand out by backing your resume achievements up with a host of skills that employers seek-meaning keywords. This is a crucial step for anyone who wants to increase results and distinguish themselves from lesser-qualified competitors.

Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC, is a former recruiter, a credentialed executive resume writer, and the principal of An Expert Resume, a career services firm that caters to organizational leaders. Published in 6 career bestsellers and cited for global resume industry awards, she partners with executives and seasoned professionals to win interviews with powerful and compelling leadership presentations.

by Brett Farmiloe, Pursue the Passion - Phoenix 

Twitter is making a big push to get companies and corporations to use its micro blogging website for business purposes.  They are educating business owners everywhere about how to use the technology in hopes that its website will become the pulse of the planet by 2013.  

If you’re interested in using Twitter for business purposes, one of the first questions you’ll begin to ponder is ‘What do I tweet about?’  Below is a presentation examining 20 different ways companies, corporations, and small businesses are using Twitter to tweet.

Enjoy. 20 Ways To Tweet: For Companies, Corporations & Small BusinessesView more presentations from Brett Farmiloe.

Brett Farmiloe is one of two social media managers for Jobing.com.  He consults with companies interested in social media through a product he co-founded called Jobing Social Media Solutions.  He also frequently keynotes speeches about social media, including a couple breakout sessions at the upcoming Arizona SHRM Conference.  For any questions regarding social media, you can reach Brett on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or through the Jobing Social Media Solutions contact form.

There's a debate raging about the importance of passion in work.  Employment types and career coaches wax poetically about the importance of finding passion in our jobs.  We fall all over ourselves with emotional appeals and say things like "if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." Blah blah blah.  Pass the Kleenex.  I'm getting all choked up.  

Others like Laurie Ruettiman couldn't agree less.  Laurie says that people work because working provides us the means to finance the things we truly care about...our families and our hobbies.  In fact, she thinks we should all just grow up and get over ourselves.  This is a much less romantic and perhaps more realistic view.  I think I fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.  Call me a mushy moderate.        

Is all this talk of passion in your job just a bunch of overblown Pollyanna hot air?  Has our tough job market beaten the idealism out of us, making us bitter and resigned?  Are we just a bunch a mercenaries bouncing around to the highest bidder?  I hope not.  If there was ever a time for enthusiasm, this is it.  

Let's not forget the practical ramifications either.  Recruiters are bombarded with responses from candidates if they choose to post a job.  If you make the first cut but show up to an interview with a nasty cynical attitude you've had it.  So, here's my modest proposal.  Regardless of how you feel about the importance of doing work that makes your heart go pitty pat, realize this.  There's genuine utility in approaching your job search with a positive attitude and an open mind.  We never know where an interview or a networking connection or a meeting over coffee will take us.  

What do you think about this?  Is passion important nowadays?  I'd love to hear what you have to say.   

 

Jack Welch, as many of you surely know already, is the legendary former CEO of GE.  The general consensus is that he's one of the best businesspeople on the planet and a management legend.  I'm listening to his book Winning on CD now.  In his chapter on picking the right job he related an interesting story.  

During his time at GE, a colleague of Welch received a request for an informational interview from a Harvard Senior.  The Senior was exploring opportunities in investment banking and management consulting.  He arrived in a proper suit and tie, the whole bit.  He asked about 30 minutes of polite questions and took notes dutifully.  When the meeting was over as they shook hands, he dropped his notes on the floor.  The executive discovered that the "notes" were actually beautifully detailed pictures of cars.  

Rather than being offended, the executive asked "did you draw those? These are great."  For the first time during the meeting the Senior was animated and excited.  He said, "all I've ever wanted to do since I was five years old is design cars.  My walls are covered with pictures of cars.  I drove by myself to the Indy 500 last year.  Cars are my passion."  The executive replied, "then why are you asking about banking and consulting?  You've got to go work in Detroit.  You'll never enjoy banking when your passion is cars."  The senior replied, "my dad says the car business is dead."  The two parted ways.  A few months later, the executive bumped into the student's father who proudly shared that his son was busy working 80 hour weeks in a Wall St. investment firm.  

Did the kid sell out?  What do you think?   

Have you found your "Detroit" and are you chasing down that dream?  If your "Detroit" hasn't come down the pike yet, how do you manage the tradeoffs that are a natural part of the career decision process?  Is your day gig your passion or is your day gig a means to finance your passion?  Comment on this blog and let me know what you're thinking. 
 

Just when we employment types convince ourselves that we’ve turned interviewing into some kind of science, we’re reminded of the types of questions people actually get asked.  “Why is there fuzz on a tennis ball?”  Really? 

According to our friends at www.cheezhead.com, here is a random smattering of interview questions that anyone should be prepared to answer.  I don’t claim to know the preferred answer to all of these but that’s never stopped me before.  My opinion is just that…my humble, imperfect opinion, and you know what they say about those.    

Tell me about yourself.   Keep it professional here.  They do not want to know about your family, hobbies, or political opinions.  An interview is not the appropriate place for this conversation because these things don’t affect your ability to do the job.  Save this stuff for happy hour. 

What are your strengths?  How can you help us solve the problems we’re trying to solve?  How will you help me save time and make money? 

What are your weaknesses?  Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by going into exhaustive detail about your inadequacies.  Put a positive spin on a weakness by showing the interviewer how you’ve learned to work around your weakness so it doesn’t hurt your performance.  Make sure the weakness you mention is not critical to the performance of the job.  If you hate multitasking, but the job mandates that you’re an expert multitasker, rethink your fit for the position. 

Who was your favorite manager and why?  Will you get along with your boss, or will they drive you crazy? 

What kind of personality do you work best with and why?  Will you get along with your team, or will you drive them crazy?

Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?  Will you stay with our company or are you just here for your check?  Some companies want lifers and some don’t.  You have to find this out so that you can answer appropriately. 

Tell me about your proudest achievement.  What is your proudest professional achievement?  Do you value the same things we do?  Do we define success the same way? 

If you were at a business lunch and you ordered a rare steak and they brought it to you well done, what would you do?  Show me how you’d handle a difficult situation without being a wimp or a jerk.  Can you stand your ground and act in the best interests of the company?  How will you represent the company in public?     

 

 

What's up New Mexico

We all know that Facebook is a great way to connect with friends, but there's more to FB than Mafia Wars and "what hot dog condiment are you?" quizzes.  It's actually a great job search and recruitment tool. 

We want to reach more job seekers and employers in New Mexico, so we created a Jobing.com NM Facebook fan page.  Check it out here.
The page contains great local jobs, career advice, employment events, blogs, and even video.  I'm excited about it and I hope you'll check us out soon.   Become our fan!