Hank London's Blog

Marco, a brilliant graphic designer has worked for the same advertising agency for nearly ten years and received a number of awards for his artwork.  But recently, there were some issues at work that nearly cost him his job.  If Marco had been familiar with his employer’s policies and procedures, he could have saved himself a lot of aggravation, and not had to deal with his employer’s dissatisfaction.

Policy and Procedure Manuals (or P&P’s) are very common in most businesses that have more than 10 employees.  At their core, they are written to provide basic guidelines about acceptable behaviors, best business practices, legal concerns, and methodologies for dealing with complaints and disciplinary issues.  Some are written better than others, many are very detailed with explanations about how everything should be handled, and others have just cursory operational information.  The depth and detail provided in a P&P is frequently determined by the nature of the company’s business, and its legal responsibilities to its staff, and customers.

There are P&P templates available that cover a wide variety of detail and contingencies for almost any business and industry, but for P&P’s to be effective documents two things need to happen:  First, the document must be customized to represent the specifics of that particular business; and secondly they must be read and adhered to by all staff.  There can be no selective enforcement of the rules!

But the problem is that P&P’s aren’t reviewed with any regular frequency by employees.  It’s not that the documents change dramatically or too often, but employees will typically give their company’s P&P a cursory glance upon receipt shortly after being hired and then not look at them again.  And that’s where Marco ran into problems.

It seems that Marco had used his employer’s computer servers to store some very large files that were not part of his company work.  Yes, Marco had been freelancing on the side.  Compounding matters, Marco was doing work for some high-profile clients that his employer was trying to woo contracts with.  Marco’s faux pas were discovered when an in-house network administrator noticed an unusual amount of server space being consumed.  Researching the problem, the administrator traced the files to Marco.

Marco’s direct supervisor was notified of the issue, and asked him about his unusually high computer storage usage.  He explained that he was having his personal system upgraded and that these files were content that he needed to quickly access for some personal projects; and the files would only be stored on the company’s servers until he got his own computer back from the shop. Marco was open and honest about the situation, and didn’t think there would be a problem for his short-term usage.

The supervisor questioned the nature of the content Marco was storing to make sure it was nothing illegal or inappropriate.  Marco told his supervisor he’d been doing some freelancing and been making some extra money, and the “outside” work was not interfering with his company duties, or the quality of his work.  He wasn’t a fan of using cloud storage to hold his files temporarily, claiming the process of accessing and using the files was too slow in the cloud.   But because Marco’s personal files were being stored on his employer’s computers, the supervisor felt he was obligated to know more about the files.  When the supervisor learned the projects were for accounts the company was trying to win, Marco got his biggest clue that he was in hot water with his employer!

Marco thought that since he’s been a respected long-term employee he wouldn’t have any difficulties storing his files for a few days.  But had he reviewed his company’s P&P, he would have been reminded that there were clearly delineated rules governing his missteps and the possible repercussions for his actions.

Certainly Marco’s mistakes weren’t the most egregious he could have made. In the grand scheme of things, his offenses were relatively minor, and without malice.  But there within his company’s Policies & Procedures manual, in plain English (Marco’s native language!), were rules governing the use of company computers, their use for personal endeavors, and other regulations about employee freelancing, conflicts of interest and non-competition issues were also outlined in great detail.

Marco’s actions had violated several company policies, enough so that the company could have fired him for his mistakes.  Luckily for him, his employer really liked his work, and Marco was suspended for a month without pay, and placed on probation for six months.  If Marco enjoys the job security provided by his employer, he needs to follow the rules.  He now knows that if he fails to comply with the company’s P&P, he will be fired and looking for a new job.

Oh, before I forget, I gotta say that Scott Thompson\, now the former CEO of Yahoo should have read my post  Keep Track Of The Past.

For more  job search tips and employment strategies for getting hired or keeping your job, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Tags: policies

Back in the day, workers spent a lot more years with a single employer than they do today.  We once thought we’d spend our entire careers with a single employer, but this is no longer the case.  In fact, it’s becoming increasingly rare for employees to spend more than 5 years with a single employer.  Younger workers are certainly more inclined to quit one job and move on than their older colleagues. But, whatever the reasons for leaving a company, having a strategy for making your exit has become a critical component of career development.

Unless you’re retiring (and there is nothing wrong with that!) or you leave your present job in a hurry due to dismissal or frustration, you should make sure you have another job in place before you give notice to your current employer!  Even with any trepidation you may have about working for a new/different employer, the security of knowing you’ll still have an income will go a long way to easing the stress of exiting one company and going to another.

Most employers generally request that you give them 2-3 weeks notice prior to your departure. Giving appropriate notice, completing tasks, helping preparing for your successor, etc. will demonstrate your good character and professionalism, and help you maintain a positive impression with soon-to-be former management.  You don’t want to burn any bridges when you leave; you may need a good word from some of these people!

It is best to have a private and personal conversation with a supervisor or manager to announce your intentions to leave. And at that time you should also have a formal letter of resignation to hand over.  Your letter should be brief and direct, with your exact exit date.  If you know you have benefits due you at the time of your exit, or if you are one of the few whose employer will continue to pay health benefits after your departure, your resignation letter is good place to include such information.  You do not need to provide any written explanation of why you’re departing or what you’ll be doing after you go.  If you are leaving because you are very unhappy with your employer, it’s best to not put any details in writing.  Even if you’re miserable and hate the people you’re walking away from, it is always best to leave in a positive way.

If exiting one job for another, you should let the new employer know that you want to leave your current firm on good terms.  Tell them you can start the new job after you complete the time you gave between the announcement of your departure and your actual exit date.

You may also want to discuss with the future employer that you’d like to take at least a few days off for yourself before beginning a new job. In most cases, you may not be able to take any official time off from the new job until you have accumulated sufficient PTO (paid time off), and that could take about six months.

Most likely you’ll know you intend to depart a job before you actually give notice. Don’t discuss your departure plans with anyone at the firm, with friends at competing companies, prospective new employers, or anyone else who could accidentally leak word of your imminent departure until you are ready to give notice.  You don’t want your intentions revealed by anyone other than yourself, and only when you are ready to let others officially know.

Before you go, start collecting email addresses and other contact info from the people you’ve worked with.  You may have other contacts from outside the office whose contact information you may also want to gather.  This not only facilitates networking, but having details for providing references.

A word of caution:  There may be files or other information you might want to copy before you go.  You do this at your own risk!  Be careful that what you copy or take with you doesn’t open you up to any legal action by your soon-to-be former employer for removing proprietary or other information that they may believe no one else should have.

After you’ve given notice, don’t forget to send out LinkedIn invites so you can build your network and maintain your personal and professional connections.

So give some advance thought to how you will leave your current or future employer, Leaving your current employer in the lurch, or with bad feelings toward you, can hurt your reputation. That negativity about you could circulate very quickly within industry circles, and spread outside your immediate sphere to disparage your character and credibility.  It could also impede your chances of finding new employment.  Plan your exit strategy thoughtfully before you head toward the door.

For more tips on job search and employment strategies for getting hired or leaving a job, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Was recently discussing customer service issues and experiences when the question came up:  Would you feel guilty if an employee was fired because of the poor customer service you experienced?  Obviously, the answer depends on the circumstances of the employee’s errors; the punishment should fit the crime.  Customer service is the lifeblood of so many businesses; their success or failure is largely dependent on the quality of the customer’s experience.

In many cases, bad customer service is a matter of poor training and a lack of oversight by management, where a reprimand and constructive instruction can usually fix the problem and minimize repetition of the same mistakes.  But sometimes an employee’s actions and behaviors surpass the need for admonishment and require actual dismissal.  Here are some examples worth thinking about:

During a recent visit to the Gulf Coast of Florida, my customer service experiences were less than optimal.  We were there for a family get-together. All the out of town relatives stayed at the same hotel to be in close proximity to each other and the scheduled events.  Our reservations were made several months in advance, and then about a month before our stay, we extended our original reservation for an extra night.

Upon arrival, the desk clerk had a difficult time confirming our extra night’s stay because the additional night was listed as a separate reservation. Merging the two reservations into one proved difficult for him, and he then told us we may have to switch rooms for the additional night.  I told him this was unacceptable!  A few hours later the clerk called our room to say the reservations had been merged, and we could keep the same room for the duration of our stay.  Problem solved?

Not so fast:   Our “final” bill with the wrong room rate was slipped under the door prematurely; we weren’t checking out for another day.  And when we returned from breakfast that same morning our electronic keys wouldn’t open our room because the reservations had NOT been merged.  Their systems still thought we were checking out and changed the room keys’ codes.

Should the desk clerk or reservations agent be fired for these errors?

No, these are training and computer issues that can be addressed.  The clerk made a genuine, albeit futile attempt to merge the two reservations.  It wasn’t his fault the computer still thought we were checking out.  While these issues were a nuisance, they weren’t something someone should be fired over.

Let’s see how you feel about this next part of the story.

Leaving the hotel one morning around 9, we saw housekeeping staff a couple of doors down from our room, and asked them to please clean the room as soon as possible. They clearly understood the request!  We returned at noon and discovered that our room still had not been cleaned.  I confronted one of the housekeepers standing right outside our room, and she said it would be done in about 10 minutes.  Annoyed, we went downstairs for about 45 minutes and returned to find our room had still not been cleaned.  After a call to the housekeeping supervisor, someone finally came in to clean the room, close to 5 hours after I asked it be done.

A few hours later, I saw 3 of the housekeeping staff hanging out, chatting and watching TV in one of the other guest rooms on our floor. Sadly I did not have camera at that moment to document this.  Their brazen lollygagging was visible to anyone who walked by and was clearly the reason they couldn’t do their jobs in a timely manner.

Should anyone have been fired over any of this?

If this was a first offense for the responsible members of the housekeeping crew, no, they shouldn’t be fired.  But if this issue has occurred before, I’d encourage management to do some housecleaning, and fire a few people.  The staff getting caught openly watching tv reflects very poorly on the hotel and they should be fired, as should those who did not clean the room as they said they would.  The housekeeping department manager(s) jobs’ should also be at risk.  If they had been doing their job the room would have been cleaned on time, and staff would never think of goofing off in a guest room!

These issues were taken up directly with hotel management and its corporate management to ensure they were effectively addressed. Poor service makes customers unhappy, and can really hurt a business. The high costs of hiring and effective training limit some employers’ ability to invest the necessary time and money, or risk making personnel changes.  But when that happens, customer satisfaction erodes, confidence evaporates, the business bleeds red ink, and it’s no holiday at the inn for the business or the customer.

For more tips on job search and employment strategies, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

A recent story in the Wall Street Journal (links below) started a firestorm of reactions across the country from both employers and job seekers, as well as from legal corners and privacy rights groups.  There is a growing trend by employers to demand that applicants provide their logins and security passwords to their Facebook and other social networking accounts in order to be considered for hiring.  Employers have been viewing applicants’ profile pages for a long time now. But demanding passwords and logins as a condition of hiring?  This is a serious violation of privacy and it needs to be stopped!

Congress is presently debating the legality of an employer’s right to see your private information, so keeping your online act clean has taken on a whole new level of importance.  If your online profiles and social networking content is clean and presents you as a law-abiding citizen, you’ve got nothing to worry about.  Maybe!  If you want to make your personal information available to a prospective employer, that is your choice to do so, but providing (or not) your online information should not be a condition of employment

Let me be perfectly clear here:  I believe in a citizen’s right to privacy!  I do not believe that an employer (or anyone else for that matter) has any more right to demand you allow them to view your personal online content any more than they have the right to view a hand-written personal journal.

I understand that employers think that by accessing your personal information they will get a better understanding of your character and behavior, and how that might reflect on how you will behave on the job!   But I have been encouraging job seekers to clean up their online presence for long time, so this isn’t new ground here!

But – and this is very important – by current federal employment law there are a lot of things that employers are not allowed to ask applicants.  Topics such as religion, age, marital status, family makeup, sexual orientation, disability and many other subjects may not be brought up by employers so that these factors will not be part of the hiring decision.  Yet in many an online presence those exact same details are revealed.  Birthdays, religious or political affiliations, social memberships, personal interests and other characteristics that employers are not legally permitted to ask about are often part of those online profiles. Giving employers access to this information contradicts the same laws that were meant to protect job seeker’s privacy.

Again, if there aren’t pictures of you doing something questionable, employers might still see something in your photos or posts that they don’t agree with or don’t approve.  From perusing your social networking pages employers can draw potentially erroneous conclusions about you, your personality, writing style, outside interests, behaviors, friends, and other criteria that could negatively influence their hiring decisions.  And it should not!  Employers should NOT be allowed to demand access to these personal spaces!

No matter how you feel about turning over your passwords and logins to employers I still encourage job seekers and professionals to keep their online profiles clean.  Of course if you know how to hide the less-than-flattering content, you’ll feel safer about strangers viewing your pages.

You have a couple of options if an employer asks for your passwords:

Don’t give employers passwords or logins, but do offer to log in and let them look around in your presence. If they see something they want to question, you are there to offer explanation or clarification.

Excuse yourself from consideration from working at a company that wants to violate your right to privacy.  Don’t allow them access to your accounts in any way, and keep looking for another job.

Grin and bear it.  Allow employers access to your personal information without restriction.  However, no matter how much you want this job, do you really want to encourage this kind of behavior and loss of freedom?

And while mine is not a legal opinion, I do believe that employers demanding access to such private information is in direct violation of the employment laws as protected by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC).  Let your elected representatives know how you feel about this issue, and quickly, before more of your rights to privacy are eroded.  Your privacy is at stake!

To contact your elected representatives, use the tools on these sites:
USA.gov  Contact Elected Officials
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

Congress.org  Find Your Elected Officials
http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/

If you’d like to follow this story more closely, check out these links.
WSJ-Can Job Applicants Be Asked For Facebook Passwords?
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/03/21/can-job-applicants-be-asked-for-facebook-passwords/

Huffington Post – Facebook Protection Amendment Voted Down In House
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/27/facebook-password-protection-amendment-congress_n_1384045.html?ref=politics

Facebook – Protecting Your Passwords And Your Privacy
https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-and-privacy/protecting-your-passwords-and-your-privacy/326598317390057

For more tips on job search and employment strategies, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Let me know if any of this sounds familiar:  You’ve been in contact with someone you’ve known for a long time, someone you know well who works in your chosen profession.  You feel there is a genuine rapport, and honestly believe you like each other and trust each other.  You also believe the other person is interested in seeing you succeed, and has at various times earlier in your relationship indicated that they would love to work with you.  But now that you’re in the midst of a serious job search, the other person is still friendly, but not showing you the professional interest or help you had thought might be coming your way.  Indeed the other person may in fact really like you, but do they respect you and your work?

In your mind, you now question this relationship.  If the person does like you, why aren’t they willing to really help you?  Maybe the employed person isn’t in a position to provide any tangible assistance in getting you hired beyond offering encouragement?  Ok, no problem!  But when they indicated that they would like to work with you, was this person merely being polite; not thinking that you would ever ask them for a job?

Does knowing the answer to these questions make you feel better about the relationship?  No!  You feel slighted that you aren’t being taken seriously, or question the value and quality of your work and your efforts to get into your chosen field. You also question whether the other person thinks you are actually good enough.  Do they respect your work or not?  If this person is truly your friend, they of course want to see you succeed.  But unfortunately ovations of employment and working together from friends are too often less than truly genuine, and sometimes not really a good idea.

With so many industries being highly competitive, any opportunity you have for getting your foot in the door to fill a job vacancy is a good thing.  And because many of our networks are frequently built on the foundation of long standing professional relationships and friendships, it stands to reason that when looking for work, you will reach out to those who know you longest and best.

In situations like these, where we want to nurture the connection between ourselves and the people we know, we must differentiate between friendships and professional relationships.  Yes, we believe that our friends will go the extra mile for us, but friends are sometimes less than forthcoming about their doubts about your work, and if they aren’t in the same industry may not fully understand what you do.  On the other hand, a professional acquaintance might be more objective with their opinions about your skills and (hopefully) more up front with you about your professional abilities, and honest about their willingness to help you out.

This is one of the core reasons employers ask for professional references rather than personal or familial ones.  And all the more reason for you to nurture as many professional references as possible. Employers expect your friends and family to say positive things about you if contacted.  But to a hiring manager, department head or human resources rep, comments about your skills provided by former employers, supervisors or even coworkers have far more impact.

It’s very important to nurture your networks, more so the people you see in the flesh over those who are part of your online social networks, especially the professional ones.  One-on-one relationships with other professionals can build a stronger understanding of what you can provide to a prospective employer, than the connections we build online. Also, that in-person contact allows you to better demonstrate your inter-personal skills, social graces and other factors that make others truly want to be around you.

Friends, even though they care about you, may not fully understand the scope of the work you’ve done, know the breadth of your skills or your abilities the way another professional might, which further clouds the issue.  So, if someone makes an ovation about working together, before you put too much stock into their suggestion, ask for clarification.  How do they see you working together?  Under what circumstances do they think you’d fit in?

For better or worse, sometimes others see things in us that we don’t/can’t/won’t see in ourselves.  And some people just weren’t meant to work together!  Job search makes life tough enough without the addition of false promises.  If you are being encouraged to work with someone you know, ask lots of relevant questions to judge if they are being sincere, rather than being polite because they like you.  No matter what kind of work you do, your day will be so much better when you like and respect those around you!

For more tips on job search strategies and employment survival, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Bob went for his interview at a major market radio station excited and grateful that he was being considered to fill a rare and much coveted on-air news position.  He felt prepared to meet the station’s news director, and had done a lot of research about this station, its lengthy ratings dominance, its audience and the community it serves.  He also knew the area well from working a similar position 2 hours down the road.  The station where he was interviewing had a great reputation for the quality of its programming and its knowledgeable and involved staff.  Bob knew he never would have received a positive response to his audition if he didn’t have the skills and experience the station was looking for. This put a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

The news director put Bob through his paces.  She asked Bob a string of tough interview questions, checked his knowledge of current events, and asked what he knew about various people and places in their community, and those in the news with hard to pronounce foreign names.  His confidence continued to grow as he appeared to have correctly answered everything she could throw his way.

After the lengthy, nerve-wracking interview, Bob was given a tour of the broadcaster’s facilities.  He took it as a good sign that the news director took so much of her valuable time beyond the interview to show him around, and he was even a bit flattered that she introduced him to other important members of the staff, many of whom Bob already knew by reputation.

He tried not to show it, but on the inside, Bob was feeling quite pleased with himself and his chances of receiving a job offer.  Things were going well enough that the stresses of the interview started to fade, and Bob began to feel comfortable in his surroundings, despite the chaos of the newsroom and surrounding work areas.  Television monitors displayed the feeds from the various cable news channels and the station’s network news broadcasts, in addition to traffic monitors and audio feeds from different sources. The place was busy, and Bob felt at home.

Bob took advantage of his tour at the station to ask questions of staffers.  While talking with a member of the news crew about his contributions and perspectives, Bob noticed a familiar face on one of the tv monitors.  Without thinking about it, Bob made a brief, sarcastic remark about the person on the monitor screen; a punchline to an old joke he had heard told at a local comedy club a long time ago.  No one within earshot seemed to acknowledge Bob’s remark.  But Bob realized – an unfortunate moment too late – that what he was thinking was heard out loud. He hoped it was recognized as an attempt at humor.  But it was one of those “Doh!!” moments, and once out, he couldn’t take it back.

Obviously, Bob was not in a comedy club, and the joke was only funny to him because only he knew the setup and the reference.  In fact, many of the people who surrounded him at the station had deep rooted respect and admiration for the person on the screen. Considering how long ago he’d heard the joke, Bob knew the face on the screen had been a local news fixture for many years.  Sadly, Bob’s attempt at humor was perceived as rude and unkind.  And after Bob left the station, the news staffer he was talking to told the news director about his comment, at which point Bob’s chances of getting hired completely evaporated.  Unbeknownst to Bob, both the news director and staffer were personally acquainted with the person on the screen, and they both considered him a mentor and an inspiration.

Bob let his guard down in the prospective employer’s space. And in the process, albeit innocently and unintentionally, he generated enough ill will to get himself excluded from consideration.  Thankfully, the news director and staffer did not tweet about what had happened.  Had it gone viral, eventually getting back to Bob’s current employer, it could have jeopardized Bob’s current position and his reputation.  In a tight industry like broadcasting – where pretty much everyone knows everyone else – there was still a good chance that his comment could make its way back to his current boss. Sad but true that silly comments like these could be career suicide!

Was the connection the news director and her staffer had with the person on the screen the kind of detail Bob could have uncovered prior to his interview so he could steer away from such a comment?  Possibly!  Extensive research could reveal such details!  But Bob should have known better.

But the point is, using humor in an interview situation is risky.  You never know how others will perceive what you believe to be funny.  And even if you are funny, is humor appropriate for this situation?  Maybe, but not usually!   Humor can be a wonderful ice-breaker, but very few can pull it off without sounding forced.  With competition for good jobs so fierce these days, do you want to take the risk that something you mean as humor will be misconstrued?  I hope not!  Stay conscious of where you are, and don’t let yourself get so comfortable that you say the wrong thing out of nervousness or a sincere attempt to be funny.  Not everyone is a comedian, and your interview is not the place to try to be one!

For more tips on job search and employment strategies, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Among the issues I get to frequently talk to job seekers about is how to transition from one career to another.  For many shifting gears and their career focus, there is an almost natural progression that might emanate from the development of new skills or successfully tackling a progression of more difficult responsibilities.  For others, there is a radical shift in their career paths – leaving one area behind and pursuing something completely different.

One way some people pursue the natural transition is through additional education, to update existing skills, or get specialized training needed to qualify for a new position.   The core aspects of their work remain related and the heart of each of these transitions remains similar to the original career.

For example:

A licensed massage therapist who pursues a career in acupuncture goes after a nursing degree.
A nurse who returns to school to become a doctor.
A graphic designer who transitions to architecture, or becomes an art teacher.
A music journalist who decides to become a radio dj (or vice versa).
The still photographer who becomes a videographer or film maker.

But many job seekers, however, make career transitions that are more deliberate, pursuing paths unrelated to previous employment.  Some make the choice to do something completely different, and for others – for all kinds of reasons – the change in work direction is mandatory; they can no longer do what they previously did!  This isn’t to say there has been an abandonment of their skills or knowledge; it’s possible that their skill sets will be transferable, though not always.

Some examples of more extreme transitions:

The attorney who buys a restaurant and becomes the head chef.
The gardener who after 25 years becomes a lawyer.
The MD who gives up his practice to drive a delivery truck.
The professional studio drummer who becomes a CPA (certified public accountant).
The touring bass player who becomes a university professor of American History.

Taking that leap of faith required to go into previously unchartered territory can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. One method of entering a new field could be through volunteering to get your feet wet, and discovering how much affinity one really has for a particular kind of endeavor.  You can also take classes that give you both the new skills necessary for success, and provide a deeper understanding of what’s involved in that new career.  Many transitioners look for part-time entry level positions in their new chosen fields, so they learn from the ground up, and can build their new careers with a fuller perspective.

If you’re thinking about your own possible career transition, you needn’t proceed blindly.  There is a wealth of resources available to help you make an educated decision and build your confidence before you take that leap.  Check out related professional associations and organizations that represent the industries that interest you.  Talk to your local librarian or the career counselors at nearby universities, or make an appointment with an independent career advisor like me.  Visit a S.C.O.R.E. (Service Corps of Retired Executives) office where you might find someone with experience in your next career.

Another way to try on a new career is through a company called Vocation Vacation, a fee based service that helps people discover their next occupation.  Claiming to offer clients the chance to test-drive over 125 unique careers with the aid of about 300 expert mentors, those who have the financial resources to invest in their next endeavor, this company or others like it that may exist, may find this an advantageous method of next-career exploration.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that whether you’re pursuing a natural career transition or making a more extreme move to a new vocation, a good bit of networking will serve you well.  Get out there, press the flesh, shake some hands, collect lots of contact info, and keep in touch. Whether via smart phone, professional social network. online video chatting, or meeting face-to-face over some food and beverages. And extend your reach by asking others who they know who may be able to help you with information or even more contacts.

Yes, I’ve covered some of this ground before; so feel free to read my entries entitled: It’s Never Too Late and Transitions for additional perspectives.

Change is inevitable, and it can also be good.  So if you want to make a major change in your career, you probably have more options than you realize.  Keep an open mind, do your research, and when you finally decide to make that leap, you’ll do so with confidence and promise.  I’m rooting for you!

For more tips on career transitions, job search and employment success, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

You’ve probably heard the expression, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”  Well, when it comes to job search, and the self-promotion required to successfully obtain work, we’ve seen a tremendous evolution in the ways we apply for employment.  Newspaper classifieds have given way to the online job boards, industry-specific sites and community-focused portals.  Recruiters and H.R. personnel don’t always post the openings they are trying to fill; instead they mine online candidate pools, scour profiles on professional social networking sites, and use their own personal network to source direct contact with potential applicants, or ask for recommendations from those they trust.  And if they do post a job, it’s more likely to be found on a social network than on a public job board!

The way resumes are submitted has changed too.  Once upon a time each resume was individually typed (or even hand-written!) and hand-delivered or mailed.  When the convenience of inexpensive photocopies came along, job seekers had an unprecedented ability to market themselves.  And the millions of resumes that have been submitted electronically (fax and email) in the last twenty years has  contributed to a major loss of US Postal Service revenue!

There are also job seekers out there with amazing credentials, who don’t submit resumes or CV’s; they post their professional profiles on social networking sites, they tweet, they blog, use all kinds of “connectivity” tools, and direct face-to-face interpersonal contact, in the hopes of getting found and recruited.  Let’s call it a tactic of mostly pounding the electronic pavement.  Like any other job search method, if it works for you, it’s good!

No matter the change of how people find work, the fact is that employers are still trying to match their needs with the abilities and availabilities of suitable candidates.  Unfortunately, there are many employers out there who are not so clear about what they want or need from their job candidates, complicating things for everyone!

There will always be more job seekers than available jobs, even in the best of economic times and periods of boundless job growth.  This means that effective job seekers have to up their game, and explore and utilize multiple strategies to promote themselves and their skills to prospective employers who need what they can do. Job applicants have got to find that combination of efforts that gets them noticed and considered as viable to fill the employer’s needs.

And more important than ever before, job seekers must present a consistent message across all their forms of self-promotion.  Whether using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, industry-specific online networks, creating online portfolios, their own personal/professional webpages and blogs, or contributing to others blogs, or on their resumes, job seekers must emphasize the same strengths and credentials that show them in the best light.  Because of the ease with which recruiters and hiring managers can search for candidates online, a consistent message gives you the chance to reinforce your strengths, accomplishments position titles and functions performed.

Also keep in mind that posting recommendations and references from those who know your work will further support your claims and can lend added credibility to your efforts.  Politely ask other professionals in your network (the ones you really know!) for their support in written form.  Not everyone you ask will accommodate you, but a few good references can go a long a way.  But don’t forget to ask their permission before posting their comments, or providing their information to prospective employers as further references.

The way people go about looking for work will continue to evolve.  But no matter how things change, people will always be looking for work, and employers will (sometimes) be hiring.  And, as always, the more concisely a candidate indicates what s/he can do for an employer, and the more accurately an employer describes what their needs are for their open positions, the easier it will become for job seekers to find work, and employers to fill their openings.  That would be a change for the better!

BTW:  Congratulations to the New York Giants and their fans on their Super Bowl victory.

For more tips on job search and employment success, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Last time out I wrote about the importance of clarity in work communication and its effects on job survival.  While at the gigantic Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month, I was continuously reminded of the importance of clarity in brevity, particularly when it comes to what we often refer to as the “elevator speech” – succinctly conveying your target message in a few seconds.  At a trade show with over 150 thousand attendees from all over the world, those little spiels were frequent, and I was impressed by how well they were delivered by the broadest spectrum of workers you could imagine. Some better than others, but the best networkers get their message across in the opening seconds of each interaction.

Whether speaking with company owners, engineers, sales or marketing personnel, or the freelance temporary tradeshow workers, everyone had plenty of opportunity to perfect the delivery of their particular message.  The commonality and frequency of questions like: “What do you do?”; “Tell me about your product?” and “What does this thing do?”, necessitated that those working the event had the ability to clearly provide answers and information that would either entice further, deeper queries, or filter out those who were merely curious so attention could be given to those most important to their mission for being at the show.

When you are looking for work, and networking, you will often be asked, “What do you do?”, or some other job related inquiry that could determine if you’ll have further contact with this person.  Your ability to briefly yet clearly inform others of your target goals and provide details about your skills and experiences, will frequently impact the interest others take in seeking more details about you and employment goals.

Here are some guidelines for mastering the art of the job search elevator speech.

Focus on finding succinct verbiage that is specific to your line of work or job goal.

Use everyday language rather than industry specific jargon, as you never know how much your listener knows about your industry and line of work.

When possible, say something about the circumstances under which you perform your duties, i.e. “…my experience involves working with small teams to develop applications for ….”   Or, “I am a high level administrator who complements and supports the efforts of senior executives and managers.”

Keep your pitch relevant to the kind of work you seek.

Don’t limit or pigeon-hole your objectives into too narrow a target.  Frequently our skills are applicable in broader terms than we actually get to use them.

If your past experience includes something quantifiable such as sales figures or other measurable metrics or monetary gains, try to include them.  Not to brag, but to emphasize the tangible contributions you’re capable of making.

Know how to express your most important assets in more than one way so you are best prepared for any situation .

Add a tight accomplishment statement to provide support examples of what you do and how well you do it!  (Check out the post Accomplishment Clarity for more info.)

Your objective is to get comfortable giving strangers information about your skills or goals to encourage more contact.  But it takes practice.  Develop a couple of clear and concise observations that cover your strongest attributes most relevant to your reason for making contact with the other person.  Ask a friend or family member to listen to your statements to help you better prepare your pitch.  Get the input of more than one person and practice until your comfort level increases.

But the best way to strengthen this all important skill, is to get out there and network! Go to events and locations where you’re likely to meet other professionals, introduce yourself to strangers, ask about what they do, and surely they will ask about your interests.  The right message in the right time can make a real difference in the way others understand your goals and the contributions you can make.  And when a decision maker thinks you can make a difference, your chances of advancing your career improve dramatically.   The Right Message In The Right Time does make a difference!

For more tips on clear communication and improving your chances for job search and career success, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Regardless of the kind of work you do, or where ever you are located, if you have or want a job, you will interact with other people! (Well “Duh!” That’s obvious!) Bear with me! The basic give-and-take of what is sometimes simple communication, is how we get through our day. Sometimes the information being passed along seems insignificant, and other times it could be life altering. But being able to tell one from the other, and acting accordingly, can be the difference between job survival and the unemployment line.

In business, whether via oral or written communication, recognizing the importance of what is being communicated is paramount. No matter your position or achievement level, being able to follow instructions is an important business skill. Equally important is the ability to accurately convey and relay instructions or other details to others in a manner that is comprehendible to the listener. And sometimes, this isn’t easy!

Learning styles, listening skills and attention spans are among the contributing factors to the way people understand and respond to written and oral communication. And because of these differences in human information processing it becomes all the more important for people to take extra steps to ensure their information has been received and appropriately comprehended.

In casual conversation we frequently imply certain details rather than get overly specific because of our familiarity with the listener, awareness of their foreknowledge, experiences, etc. But in business you can’t take the chance that your intended meaning will get misconstrued because of assumptions. It is better to overstate something – provide extra details – for the sake of clarity, than it is to assume the other party knows and understands what you are referring to.

And in fact, let’s take that one step further. In business it is usually a good idea when giving instructions or passing along important information to ask the other party if they fully understand your meaning. There’s nothing wrong with requesting that your listener or the party receiving your written communications, verify their understanding, maybe even asking them to repeat your instructions to ensure comprehension. In doing so, you not only get confirmation that the other party fully understands you, but can also help them prioritize necessary actions based on the confirmation of the information’s importance.

You may be saying to yourself that you have no trouble understanding instructions or getting accurate details on your job. Excellent! Good for you! But not everyone is so lucky. In many situations understanding information may also be impeded by language. Whether we use local or common vernacular in our communications or use slang or buzz words related to your industry, we must also remember that not everyone uses language the same way. In our multicultural society it is quite possible that information can be misunderstood because one party or other is not a native speaker of the English language. And because of the increasing volume of immigrants to our domestic workforce, someone may be using the same language, but with a thick accent or inflection that can influence understanding in spoken communication. Subtleties of language that we take for granted or assume are a part of another’s understanding can get lost, further complicating one’s ability to fully understand what is being said.

Another part of this equation in the accurate sharing of detailed information is providing the follow-up, when requested, in a timely manner. If someone tells you they require additional details or more information in order to perform tasks related to the discussion, get that information to them as soon as possible. Don’t procrastinate! In doing so, you make it more difficult, and possibly uncomfortable, for the other party to have the full picture of the information they need for full comprehension and action. Quickly providing the adjunct details, whether the required information is as simple as a web link or phone number, or more complex details like procedural instructions, allows the other person to get on with their responsibilities and strengthens their ability to complete work on time. And it can also increase one’s confidence that the work will be done correctly because you have provided all necessary information.

Whether the majority of your communication is verbal or written, your ability to clearly convey thoughts and information to others is what makes the world go ‘round. But don’t assume others understand your directions! Check in with them periodically to ensure that your meaning has not been misconstrued. If others do not consistently understand the details you provide them, the tenure of your job will be shorter than you’d like. Your job survival does depend on your clarity!

For more tips about job search, and how to survive the world of employment, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Ah yes, the end of the year.  Now is the time year when almost anyone with an audience looks back on the past twelve months to reflect on the best of this, and most important of that.  Brief perspectives such as the “top ten list” can be very handy in providing a close-up view of a particular subject.  But this time, rather than look back, I think we should all look forward with hopeful optimism, and make plans to move positively into the new year of 2012.

Here are my suggestions for the top ten things serious job seekers should vow to do in the coming year.

Drum roll please!

Number 10:

Rewrite your cover letter and update your resume. (I’m counting them as one because the work together!) It is time to craft communication that is tight and succinct, that clearly conveys your strengths and their relevant applicability to the jobs you are applying for.  If you’re applying for different types of work, make sure that each version you write of your cover letter and resume is relevant to the jobs and companies where you want to work.  Remember to take out all the irrelevant and old info that no longer pertains to your current strengths and experiences.

Number 9:

Refine on your elevator speech.  Memorize some brief statements that clearly and concisely express your specialties, what you’re interested in doing with those skills, and the successes you’ve experienced utilizing your best attributes. You never know who you’ll run into and what you’ll need to tell them!

Number 8:

Update your profiles on the social networking sites.  Make sure that your LinkedIn presence is completely focused on the professional you.  And make sure your YouTube and Facebook ages don’t convey anything you wouldn’t want your employer to see.  Keep your professional image as clean as possible.

Number 7:

Identify blogs and other sites relevant to your profession and start making regular contributions to their forums and discussions.  Keep your content focused and on-topic and try to show that you are a leader and a professional, that your experience is up-to-date and that your contributions to your industry are making a positive impact.

Number 6:

Vow to make a regular contribution to the betterment of others’ lives.  Commit yourself to volunteering for a local nonprofit, reading to children, feeding the homeless, mentoring a student, or performing other acts and deeds that improve the lives of others in your community.  No matter how bad you think your life is, remember that there are always those who suffer far more than you do!

Number 5:

Update your references. Make sure anyone whose name you will use as a reference can comfortably and knowledgably talk about your strengths and integrity, and that they are aware that you are looking for work, and the kind of work you seek and the strengths you’d like them to highlight on your behalf. Never use anyone for a reference who is unaware that you are passing around their name and contact information.

Number 4:

Identify and research companies where you’d like to work.  Dig deep into their background, history, staff, products and services to uncover names and ideas so that you can make contact with the company and show how you can make an impact on their bottom line.

Number 3:

Schedule informational interviews at companies where you’d like to work.  The research you just did for Number 4 will reveal names of people to contact providing you the chance to be the one conducting the interview, and learning all you can about the positions, the corporate culture, and what they and what it takes to get your foot in the door.

Number 2:

Network, network, network!  Social networking online is fine, but it doesn’t build the same kind of strong relationships of confidence and camaraderie that can be nurtured face-to-face.  Get out there, meet new people, use that elevator speech and get to know other professionals in a real personal manner that can move your career forward.

And the Number 1 Job Seeker Resolution for the New Year:

Get Hired!!!

Wishing you all the Best Holidays, and a Very Happy, Healthy, Safe and Prosperous New Year.

And, as always, for more tips about job search, and how to improve your odds of getting hired, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Recently, I was reviewing resumes, cover letters and doing some interview preparation for job seekers at a job fair.  Although the age of the participants skewed a bit older than most of these events, the employment hopefuls were as diversified in their skills, experience and positions of interest, as would be expected. But one of the things that many of them had in common was the inability to convey their strengths and experience without saturating their documents with the words “I” and “My”.  And too many “I” and “My” statements cause I Fatigue!

Keep in mind that all of job search – resumes, cover letters, interviewing and networking – is really all about how your skills and experience meet the needs of the employer!  Or, to paraphrase JFK’s inaugural speech, “Ask not what the employer can do for you. Ask what you can do for the employer.”  All your documents and responses must be focused on how you can fulfill the employer’s needs!

Certainly, your first instinct is to provide answers and information that begin with, or include statements such as: “I did such and such.”  “I’m good at …”  “My experience has taught me …”  “While I was at Company X, I generated …” But when you do use these phrases the reader of your resumes and cover letters (the employer!) sees that your focus is only on you and not what benefit you can provide the prospective employer.

These types of statements don’t always communicate how you use your particular skills and knowledge and their relevant benefits to the employer’s needs. Therefore they make it harder for the reader to extract pertinent information about your experience and its applicability to the job being offered.

Here are some examples excerpted from actual resumes and cover letters of too many “I” and “My” statements, and suggestions on to rephrase them to keep the emphasis on the job and employer.

Example 1:    (cover letter)

Instead of this: I will bring my qualifications and professional knowledge to your organization, including my expertise in product production and marketing.

Try this:  The qualifications and professional knowledge gained over 10 years at Company X, can be integrated into your organization’s culture, and will include expertise in product production and marketing that will support your initiatives.

Example 1 isn’t too bad.  But one “I” and two “My” in two lines of text is a bit much. The second version is certainly more assertive, albeit wordier.

Example 2:    (resume)

Instead of this: I worked closely with the development departments and I helped ensure that our plans and tactical calendars were synergistic.  I wanted to avoid personnel and budgetary conflicts or compromise of messages.

Try this:  Worked closely with the development departments to ensure that our plans and tactical calendars were synergistic, avoiding personnel and budgetary conflicts, or compromises to the important messages of our campaigns.

Example 2 has too many sentences beginning with “I”, with the suggested version brings those multiple thoughts into one cohesive and connected thought.

Example 3:    (cover letter)

Instead of this:  I was responsible for the expansion of a start-up support services firm.  I grew the company from 10 to 200 + workstations.  I was then able to provide multilingual services to Fortune 500 companies.

Try this:  Being responsible for the expansion of a start-up support services firm empowered me to grow the company from 10 to over 200 workstations, including providing multilingual services to Fortune 500 companies.

In example 3, again there were too many “I”, and the stated actions come across dryly.  But since the accomplishments were interrelated, the second version conveys more strength and conviction in what the applicant can do.

In each example the emphasis is on the accomplishment, not the candidate!  Remember that you’re not trying to dissociate yourself from the work, but you are trying to tone down the ego part of selling yourself.

It may be possible to write a letter about yourself without using “I” or “My”, but you don’t have to!  Don’t eliminate “I” and “My” entirely, just reduce their usage from dominant to occasional, and try to avoid using them at the beginning of too many sentences.  It will cut down on the I Fatigue suffered by hiring managers and improve your chances of being considered a serious candidate.

For more tips about job search, and how to improve the readability of your documents, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Now that you’ve made it through the Thanksgiving Weekend with or without a tryptophan induced hangover, and with or without bruises from the Black Friday melee, maybe you’re at work not quite feeling the gratitude the holiday name suggests. Understandable!  Due to our sustained economic doldrums, many employers are cutting down on office celebrations, bonuses, gifts, benefit contributions and raises.  Sure, you’re very thankful that you have a job, but don’t you wish there was a stronger air of appreciation and thanks for your efforts all year long?

If you are employed at one of the many businesses that have made the afore mentioned cutbacks, “holiday cheer” seems like an oxymoron.  Maybe your employer will forgo the whole-office holiday party.  Yes, those events present opportunities to meet, network and chat with coworkers whom you may not see frequently, if at all, during the course of the regular work day. But for some, being around so many strangers can be a bit daunting.  And office parties also tend to break down into cliques of workers who do see each other regularly, and with whom they are comfortable.

So instead, take it upon yourselves to create some spirit.  Do something nice for yourselves. Invite your closest work buddies to plan a group activity. There are so many things you can do among your coworkers and office pals to infuse a little thankfulness and appreciation, as well as holiday cheer that is sure to improve workplace morale. You don’t have to think expensive and complex; simple and sincere are good!  A little effort, planning and cooperation will go a long way!  Here are just a few suggestions:

Pick a date and plan to meet at a comedy or jazz club.  Everyone will be responsible for their own ticket, drink and food tabs.  Contact the venue and ask if they’ll give you a group discount if you bring a certain number of people.  Clubs want butts in seats, so it’s not unlikely they’ll be willing to accommodate this kind of request.

If you live near a body of water, a dinner cruise may be an option (as is any group dining option) for getting together with your closest workmates to share an evening of camaraderie, food and spirit.  As these can be popular options, particularly on weekends, you might want to book your gathering on a weeknight to increase your chances of getting seats.

Have brunch brought in to the office.  It’s amazing how many smiles and how much good will can be generated over fresh bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon.

Invest in a couple of pounds of really good coffee, and swap out the mediocre blend consumed daily.

Find out if any of your coworkers play musical instruments in their spare time. A few may play in garage bands.  If they don’t, assemble an office band, and find a place to play for your associates.  If no one plays, maybe a night of karaoke is in order!

Go bowling!

Is your office involved with any charitable events or endeavors?  Get a few people together and help prepare a meal at a shelter or collect food donations for your local food bank.  Or, visit with, and read to seniors at a nursing home. How about putting on a skit or little play for children stuck in the hospital?  You will feel a lot better about yourself and your own situation when you help those less fortunate.  And that’s a good idea all year long!

And don’t forget to actually say “Thanks” to the coworkers who make each day bearable.  Everyone needs to be appreciated, and a simple expression of your gratitude for others’ daily contributions can do wonders for boosting morale and wellbeing.

So now that the holiday season is officially here, take a few minutes to express your appreciation and gratitude in simple and meaningful ways.  When it comes to letting others know they are appreciated, a little does go a long way.

For more tips about job search, workplace morale and other ideas, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

There was a time not too long ago when job seekers routinely sent out their job search documents to unknown recipients. More times than not job announcements instructed job seekers to send their resumes and cover letters to blind addresses – Post Office boxes or routing numbers in care of the newspaper that ran the recruitment ad – or fax numbers, all with no real indication of the name of the hiring company.  Blind recruitment ads are still common today; job seekers now send their documents to blind email addresses. But it has become more necessary than ever for the motivated job prospector to dig out as much information as possible when they are looking for a job.  Identifying the right person to send your resumes and cover letters can mean the difference between getting an interview and wasting your time.

Job search is a bit like mining for precious metals, gems or stones.  Prospectors have an inkling of where to stake their claim, either through geologic reports or other research, before they start to break ground.  Similarly, a job seeker must have an idea of where and whom to send their documents in order have the best opportunity for job search success.

Whereas in days gone by the job seeker would use old newspaper clipping and magazine articles, either in hard copy or stored on microfilm, to research companies of interest, today through the internet and social networking, information about prospective employers is much closer at hand.

These days, almost every employer, and many small firms too, have a presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and/or other social networking site, in addition to their own corporate web pages. You might even find YouTube videos featuring department managers or corporate executives.  And although what you see on a company’s social networking pages shouldn’t contradict what’s on their own website, it may very well provide supplemental information and insight about senior and general staff.  Dig for a few names, then research them on those networking sites, and any blogs or trade groups/associations’ sites affiliated with their industry.  And don’t forget to search the company’s annual report, where you will learn more about their financial stability, years in business, key initiatives, products or services, etc.

Don’t forget to read the company’s blog.  It likely has contributions from senior management as well as regular staff that reveals projects that are being pursued, conveys some of the personalities and interests of potential coworkers, indicate the type of environment that surrounds them, facilities, in-house events, charitable endeavors, etc.

Prospecting for employment also means mining other areas that weigh on an individual’s wants and needs from an employer, such as its size, location, accessibility, benefits, professional development, reimbursement programs for transportation or education expenses.  For some perspective on those considerations, check out my post: What Do You Need? What Do You Want?

Now that you have some names of people at your targeted companies, the inevitable question is:  Should you contact them directly?

Yes and No!

If you want to schedule an informational interview, yes, make contact.  But if the people you’ve unearthed aren’t directly related to a position you’re qualified to fill, don’t waste their time or yours.  You can’t really expect a complete stranger will forward your resume to the HR department or hiring manager.  Also understand that when you make contact with a complete stranger, even on a professional basis, your motives might be questioned.

But certainly there’s no harm in trying to establish a professional networking relationship, especially when your interests of employment with their company are not foremost on your agenda (even though it really is, you just can’t show it right away!).  Try to find out where the movers and shakers for these companies hang out.  Is there someplace nearby where they congregate for after work libation and sustenance?  Keep it social and investigative at the earliest stages.  You can ask about openings known to them soon enough.  You are more likely to get an assist in getting your foot in the door with their employer after you’ve established a relationship.

In our gotta-have-it-now information age, your research may produce a lot of names and details you’ll need to sift through before you find the nugget of a contact you’ll need for directly uncovering openings or submitting your resume and cover letters.  But the overall process of mining for leads takes almost as much effort as it ever has. You’ve got to be thorough, and you’ve got to dig deep.  Don’t assume you’ll find the right HR director, or department manager with only a cursory search!  Get out there and do some real prospecting for your next job.

For more tips about mining for job search gold, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

In the previous blog entry I tried to illustrate the diversity of unseen and unsung talent required to put on a live production.  Many of the people who work in these positions are freelancers and independent contractors, as opposed to regular employees, who know a thing or two about looking for work and self promotion.  If they are part of a regular crew who tour with the performers, they could be working steadily for a long stretch. But when that tour ends, it could be a while before a behind-the-scenes specialist finds another gig!  You’ve got to be hearty to lead a deliberately insecure existence!

As in many professions, those who are considered the best at what they do, have less trouble finding work.  They are “in demand”. And the rest, the majority, all very worthy and qualified, compete like crazy for the limited work that is out there.  This is especially true for the thousands of technical professionals who don’t want to tour; who choose to work with local production companies. And in many cases, they may not be working full time!

The reasons people choose these careers are as diversified as the people themselves.  A love for music, art and performance, their own creative expression, wanting to work in a creative, fast paced environment, thriving on pressure, tight schedules and precise timing, and more.

But how do people get into these careers?

The simple answer, like it is for many careers, is that some pursue their backstage path through formal education, and others must learn on the job by doing.

All around the globe, there are universities and colleges with coursework in fields associated directly with the performing arts, as well as other areas of study that can be applied to supporting that art.  There are also many respected private schools that provide specialized training in these careers.  Some pursue these avenues of study with the specific goal of working in the entertainment arts, and others discover the applicability of their interests to the arts later on.  Here are just a few of the courses of study that can be applied to the performance arts:

• Recording Engineering and Sound Reinforcement, Sound Production and Design programs for learning how to capture the action to a recording medium, or amplify what’s on the stage for all to hear properly.
• Acoustical Engineering, for the design of speakers, amplifiers, and acoustical environments.
• Electrical Engineering for designing circuits to control lights, mixing consoles, amplifiers
• Fashion design and Art History are frequently studied by costumers, set designers, and prop procurers, so they know where to look for period related references and create accurate staging and attire.
• Literature and Writing courses always come in handy, whether your interest is developing screen plays, developing narratives or generating business proposals and marketing materials. Learning how to write well will serve you in any professional endeavor!
• Architectural Design, Drafting and Structural Engineering can all inspire creativity in set design, staging and rigging, to understand how pieces of the sets can work together, last through the setups and tear downs of touring, to support appropriate weight loads, etc.
• Those interested in the business side of the performance arts will always benefit from business courses, including Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Management, Finance, Advertising, Marketing and Promotions.
• Law courses can help creatives understand the management of intellectual property, copyrights and trademarks; all necessary for protecting their work.
• Lighting Design, Broadcast Engineering, Television Production, Photography, Videography and Editing, all support both the presentation, projection and capturing of a performance for larger audiences and (physical and transmitted) product distribution.

But what about those folks who are already out of school, or who don’t want to take college courses in these areas?

Many back stage artists went to the school of hard knocks by helping other professionals. They learned their craft by doing!  Some got their start by making contact with those who perform these backstage tasks, offering to assist them in any way possible, just to get their foot in the door, then watching the pros and learning the tricks of their trade.  Developing a relationship with someone who can mentor you, who has been around the block a few times, can be a great starting point for an internship.  Don’t make a pest of yourself, but respectfully convey that you want to learn, and you want to be hands-on.  Getting the opportunity to be hands-on may take some time, but one’s willingness to work hard, listen carefully, and learn from others can go a long way to getting a backstage career off the ground.

Sure the potential irregularity of these jobs and employment choices can be deliberately insecure, but it can also be rewarding and personally satisfying, something that not every employee can claim, but something that every worker aspires to.

For more tips about job search – back stage or front of the house, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Like many people, I enjoy going to theater performances, concerts, festivals, and other live-entertainment events, and I’m lucky enough to attend a variety of shows throughout the year.  There’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into the production and presentation of every performance, from some very talented behind-the-scenes, unsung and unseen heroes, who rarely get the public acknowledgement they rightfully deserve.

When we buy tickets to a concert or attend a show, we may know the names of the performers, musicians, or composers, but it is unlikely we’ll know the names of any of the people in the background who are needed to make that event happen.  Yet, it is because of the dedicated and coordinated efforts of those talented and skilled people whom we don’t see, that we (hopefully) get to enjoy those who do appear on stage.  And when these hidden folks do their jobs well, their contributions become seamless and integral to your enjoyment of the performance you want to see.

Putting on a live performance takes teamwork.  The people on stage – actors, singers or musicians – must work together to create a presentation that appears cohesive and polished. And there are people in the background whose coordinated efforts with both the talent and other technicians make the artists and performers look and sound their best.

Let’s now give proper respect to all those it takes to put on a show, including:

• Sound and lighting professionals who don’t get enough credit for setting the right mood and tone for a performance! If something goes wrong on their end, it will likely be what you remember most (negatively) about the performance.  Not much worse than going to a show where you can’t see one of the performers, or can’t hear another.
• The electrician who’s there to ensure that anything and everything that lights or moves or otherwise gets plugged in, gets the juice it needs without blowing a fuse.
• The carpenters and designers who create, build and paint sets and backgrounds, and those who procure and manage stage props to create the appropriate ambiance of location, time and space.  Stage scenery today is very intricate, and frequently individual pieces are rotated, turned and manipulated to be used differently in multiple scenes in the course of a production.
• And let’s not forget the stage riggers who build the structural support for the production.
• There are the costume designers who create what is worn on stage, and the dressers who assist talent getting into and out of their attire in a short amount of time, frequently multiple times throughout a performance.
• Much respect to the roadies who haul tons of heavy equipment in and out of venues before and after gigs.
• We can’t forget those involved with the booking of performances, who work long and hard to ensure productions happen on schedule.
• Although a lot of tickets are procured online these days, box office personnel are also an integral part of the operations.  As are the finance managers who make certain that budgets are kept and met, and people get paid on time.
• Ushers and security staffs also must be acknowledged for getting us to our seats, removing the rowdies and making way for emergency personnel if they are needed.  And a tip of the hat to the maintenance, sanitation and cleanup crews who get venues presentable for each show.
• And of course, no disrespect intended to anyone omitted.

Whether these hard working, talented professionals live and work locally, or travel on tour with the performers doesn’t matter, they work invisibly so you can enjoy the production to the fullest.

So, why am I going on about all these behind the scenes people?  Like I said at the outset, I see a lot of performances each year, and have much respect for those who make them happen.  The San Francisco area is blessed to have a wealth of entertainment options year round, and the great climate allows for many outdoor festivals and concerts.

Every fall, one of my favorite events is the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, which just celebrated its 11th year.  The diversity and wealth of talent presented at this annual event is staggering, but so is the insane volume of work it takes to put all that talent on six stages simultaneously for three solid days.  Those behind the scenes who make this event happen may be unseen and unsung but they truly deserve serious acknowledgement for the gargantuan undertaking that draws over a half million people into Golden Gate Park to enjoy the fruits of their extensive labors! It’s an enormous amount of collaborative work for all those involved, and I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks, respect and appreciation to everyone for yet another fabulous event.

For more tips about teamwork, collaboration and  job search, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Unless you’re devoid of any feelings, one of the toughest things to hear from someone is that they lost their job.  This is a hard thing to hear from anyone, particularly if you know the person well, and know that they have committed themselves for a long time to that gig.  And even if you aren’t closely acquainted, it’s hard to not feel sympathetic toward someone who has lost their income, and frequently their purpose, through job loss.

Being let go from a job is not uncommon.  It’s probably happened to most adults at least once in their working lives, and usually through no fault of their own.  In the last few years, the most frequent stories of job loss have come through company-wide layoffs, where you’re not alone in losing your job.  And while some employers are quick to provide or arrange for job seeking services to those being let go, there are too many people who get terminated with little or no assistance from their (now former) employer.

Larger employers have more choices for assisting those being terminated. They can contract with private service providers to conduct workshops and meet one-on-one with those being let go to help them move forward toward a new job.  Larger employers can also arrange assistance from the local employment development department.

But our nation’s work force is not primarily those employed by large corporations. In fact, most workers are employed by small businesses.  And without the support and guidance of trained professionals to provide job search training and assistance, those who lose their jobs can flounder unproductively for too long.

Regardless the size of the business, when an employer decides to cut your job it can be quite painful.  And if you don’t see the cut coming, it can be even worse.  It’s probably hardest for those who get terminated right after returning to work from vacations, honeymoons or sick leaves. I have heard too many horror stories recently from people removed from their jobs upon returning with renewed energies and dedication after time away; time off that was calendared and approved.  I personally think that employers who fire workers without due cause right after they have returned from a vacation or honeymoon are the lowest of the low!  And those who terminate their workers just before the holidays don’t win any points either.

OK, sometimes these cuts are necessities to save a business, but if you’re the one being cut, all the rationalizations in the world mean diddely.  And the excuses employers provide when they cut staff are frequently fabricated to cover their assets, with little bearing on the reality of the worker’s productivity or performance.

So, what do you do if you’re the one cut?

• First of all, don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself.  In this economy, you have little time for a pity party.  And unless you’re one of the few to get a generous severance package, start living as frugally as possible right away.  Get your act together because you will have competition from others looking for the same or similar type jobs.
• Get as much information about the reasons for your dismissal as possible.  And if you can, get something in writing that explains why you were let go.
• File for unemployment insurance as soon as possible.
• Get the names and full contact information for supervisors, management and coworkers, and ask for written references right away while the quality of your contributions and performance can be easily recalled.
• Get permission from these people to use them as references for your upcoming job applications.  It’s ok to use others who have been terminated as references; don’t let that they too were fired keep you from asking for their support, and provide the same for them too.
• Update your resume and cover letters right away.  Make sure to describe the contributions you made on the job clearly and concisely.
• Let everyone in your network know that you are looking for a new job, and be concise in the way you describe what kind of job you are looking for.  Provide those in your network copies of your resume, and encourage them to pass it around.   Post your resume on social and professional networking websites, as well as job search boards.

While there’s no justice in the way many people are laid off, there’s no shame in being fired; it happens to millions of people all the time.  Just don’t let the experience affect your ability to move forward.  Talk with your family and friends about your feelings and your need to find work.  And if anger and resentment are affecting your ability to focus on your job search, seek professional help.  Don’t “stuff your feelings”, as it won’t serve your productivity and could be a detriment to your getting your next job.

Good luck!  I’m rooting for you!

For more tips about  job search, surviving layoffs and maximizing your networking, please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Over the last 10-15 years there have been a lot of changes in the way we look for work.  Some of these changes have been subtle, while others have been more dramatic.  But at the core of a search job seekers must still get their work histories and skills in front of decision makers.  And while it might help if you have a few of those decision makers as close personal friends, if not, then you’ve got to start making their acquaintance.

The old adage: “It’s not what you know, but who you know!” has never been truer!  Yes, what you know is still important but establishing and maintaining ties with professionals who are interested in what you know and what you do is truly more important than at any time in the past.

And therein lies the difficulty for many job seekers: How to meet the right people?  Identifying certain decision makers may have gotten somewhat easier, but meeting them and having a positive, memorable personal exchange of ideas, remains allusive for many.

Thankfully in this era of online social networking, it is getting a bit easier to connect and build relationships with decision makers and like-minded professionals. Yes, it remains valid and important for you to investigate industry specific and specialized trade groups and attend their events, read name tags and introduce yourself!  Active participation in such events can get you noticed.  Seeing up close and personal how professionals from particular groups interact can go a long way to understanding their work cultures, but getting to these events is sometimes difficult and costly.

But online social networking has evolved substantially beyond the broad generalist scope of sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, or more recently, Google+.  As useful as these sites are, there are an ever increasing number of specialized social networking sites aimed at professionals in particular industries.  And the number of industry specific sites is growing rapidly. There are social networking sites for a wide variety of professionals and those seeking to become professionals in fields such as law, engineering, architecture, teaching, nursing, and members of many other professions.

By sheer coincidence while putting this piece together, I received a link from the very generous, and astute, Melanie Slaugh, that includes a number of social networking sites for a diverse array of professions. Check out: http://www.myispfinder.org/ispblog/2011/10-career-enhancing-social-networking-sites

And thanks to my old friend, Joanne Green, I can also share one of several sites for legal pros:  https://www.mycourthouse.com

If you’re looking for a social networking site for a specialty that’s not listed here, don’t hesitate to do a search for the areas that interest you the most.

Use these sites as a foray for establishing and building relationships with like-minded professionals. Certainly you will be able to exchange and share information and ideas online. But most importantly, use these tools to create opportunities for meeting face-to-face, if not in the same room, then via Skype or Net Meeting. And maybe you can encourage the managers of these sites to sponsor local or regional events for more one-on-one in person networking.

No matter how you make contact with new members of your network, online or a live social event, the same rules of etiquette and respect apply.  Keep your topics relevant and appropriate, be respectful of other’s time, ask them about their preferences for connecting, and don’t monopolize anyone at a public gathering – get their contact info and set up another time to meet for a more lengthy discussion.  Networking is a skill that gets stronger the more you use it.  So go online, do some research for social networking groups that match your interests, and get plugged in.  Your network will grow, and so will your opportunities for personal and professional growth.

For more about  job search, career development issues and networking ideas,  please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

Happy Labor Day to all!  Here it is September again, the year is ¾’s over and students are returning to their classrooms.  While colleges and universities struggle to maintain standards because of their rising costs, curricula continue to evolve.  Instruction of business and entrepreneurial coursework is on the rise, and many programs are focusing on areas such as marketing, promotions, idea development and business operations.  This is all good!

But while enrollment in business programs is filling up classrooms, scientific, engineering and technological studies are on the decline in the US.  Have we reached a point where college students think it is more important to know how to sell than to develop the skills necessary to explore new technologies and create new products?  Could this explain why top jobs in these fields are being filled with graduates from universities in India and China?

To a large degree, the answer is, Yes.  Right now there are many areas of scientific study that are not being pursued in the numbers that will sustain existing industries.   How can we promote the development of new industries in this country when it’s getting harder for employers to find the talent they need here at home?  This necessitates either outsourcing the work to other countries, or importing the talent from outside our borders!

There’s no denying that part of this situation is the high cost of education for students and the universities.  Students are fearful of loan programs that will indenture them for decades after they get their degrees, and the schools are having a tough time keeping quality educators and maintaining facilities as their costs continue to rise.  Funding for many educational programs is drying up, leaving a quality education available to far fewer students.

Are there any easy solutions?  Not really.  But here are some thoughts for consideration:

Maybe it’s time for more employers to provide directly relevant education and training in their own facilities for the most motivated and interested in their particular fields.  I believe we would we see an increase in productivity and idea / product development if students were given the tools and encouragement to develop their talents and interests while applying them directly on the job, at companies where their interests can be more fully explored and nurtured.

Institutions of higher learning should be establishing long-term relationships with large and small science, technology and research companies to provide more students access to on-the-job training (OJT) programs that would contribute to their motivation and skills development in addition to helping them acquire their degrees and certifications.

Don’t mistake this rant to suggest we should do away with degree and certificate programs!  On the contrary!  Plenty of professions and specialties warrant advanced degrees and learning, as well as achievement of an approved level of competency!  And I’m sure there are more professions that should require a focused degree program that as yet do not!  That measured level of accomplishment then encourages employers to look more deeply at an applicant’s potential to make important contributions, then give them the tools they need to succeed.

But there should also be more programs for intense on the job learning that provide accelerated opportunities for career development, mentoring and growth.  This would put the onus for finding appropriately trained professionals on the corporations, who would then see to it that their staffs had the tools to learn and produce, to think and create.  Engineering, science and technology businesses would then be more inclined to source their workers domestically, because they would be directly overseeing the development, growth and execution of the particular skill-sets they need, and reaping the rewards of loyalty and commitment from providing that encouraging environment!

On-the-job training programs have been around for many years, but unfortunately they have too frequently been relegated to mechanical and manual jobs rather than for the acquisition of high-end skills.  It is time we rethink the OJT paradigm to include more technical specialties.  Could corporate sponsored OJT programs improve the quality of work and products being developed?  I certainly believe OJT’s can have a positive impact on the quality of our workforce, as well as bringing ideas to fruition and products to market.    That’s a win-win for students and business!

For more about  job search and career development issues,  please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com

The guy next to me during a recent flight didn’t seem much like talking so we never introduced ourselves, but we’ll call him Bob.  After the in-flight crew made the announcement that it was “ok to use your electronic devices,” Bob pulled out his laptop. Whether he was going to be productive or merely pass the time on a long flight, Bob’s computer usage was none of my concern.  And though I was trying hard not to pay attention to what Bob was doing or what was on his screen, the proximity between airline seats makes that almost impossible.  But it became readily apparent that Bob didn’t care that anyone else knew what he was doing.

The screen on Bob’s laptop was about 17 inches; hard to completely ignore in adjacent coach seats.  So, unless my eyes were closed his computer usage was unavoidable.  Even more interesting, it didn’t seem to bother Bob that every key stroke he made was recited by his computer.  Apparently one of the features of his laptop was activated and announcing every key he hit, so when Bob accessed the internet via the plane’s onboard wi-fi connection and ordered something online, every entered element and number of his order, credit card, email, home address and other details was easily heard by the people around him, in spite of the airplane’s interior din.  Were one so inclined, they could have easily noted Bob’s personal information and used it in a number of inappropriate ways.

Now, it is possible that Bob really needed this audio feature of his computer to be turned on because of a disability, but maybe not.  If he deliberately engaged this feature, you’d think he would wear headphones or use ear buds to prevent others from hearing what he typed.  But such was not the case, and he appeared unfazed by his computer’s recitations.  And even if the audio feature had not been activated, Bob still “shared” his screen with others because everything he wrote was easily visible to all his seatmates, and the people across from him or moving through the aisle.

You should always exercise a modicum of caution and awareness of your surroundings when conducting business online or by phone, particularly in close quarters to strangers.  These days, there are too many ways for your privacy to be invaded. Whether by hacker, scam artist, snooping, mail theft, or myriad other methods, there are people out there – professionals and amateurs – who are anxious to take advantage of you and your personal information, for their own fun and profit.  These criminals can derail your life, your credit, your relationships, and your productivity, affecting you for years!  So when I encounter someone like Bob, who is so open and unconcerned about others seeing (hearing?) what’s on his computer screen in public spaces, I’m inclined to encourage some prudence.

Would it have been as important for Bob (or anyone else!) to protect his privacy if he was “merely” working on a resume or a spreadsheet? Yes!  If unscrupulous eyes catch your return address on your screen, too much of your information would suddenly be in the wrong hands, and usable for unfavorable behaviors.

Not just on planes, but using a computer or phone in any public space, someone could be watching for you to enter personal and private information and use if for their own gains.  If your back is to a clear window, someone could be outside looking in from the parking lot with a pair of binoculars.  Identity thieves also frequently stalk public phones watching for people to use their credit cards.

You may not be able to avoid every attempt to gain your personal information.  Conducting business online or making telephone transactions, we are at risk of identity theft too frequently.  But there are steps we can take to protect ourselves more diligently.

• Check your surroundings to minimize the chance of prying eyes!
• Make sure the online sites you order from are using secure servers (you’ll see https at the beginning of the web address instead of just http).
• Get a privacy mesh that slips over your computer’s monitor to impede viewing from all side angles, while remaining legible from straight ahead.
• Keep your anti-virus tools, spam filters and your operating system up to date.  Frequent updates are provided to minimize online threats from malicious software and attachments.
• Avoid using wireless phones when conducting transactions at home.  The frequencies used between handset and base can be monitored from outside your home.

Protecting yourself from prying eyes is not rocket science.  A little caution and awareness can go a long way to preventing identity theft, and keeping your personal information private.  For more information on ID Theft, Privacy, & Security go to:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data.shtm

For more about  job search, your privacy, career development, and balancing work/life issues,  please search this blog and visit:  hanklondon.com