The Five Most Important Steps to Thriving in a Jobless Recovery
February 10th, 2010 by Alisa Weinstein
It’s no secret that finding a job in this economy is difficult at best. Since the recession hit in 2007 there are now more than 15-million unemployed Americans facing the loss of their homes, savings, and sanity. (US Department of Labor, 2010) The latest numbers show an unemployment rate of ten percent but that number doesn’t take into account the job seekers who have become discouraged and have liken finding a job to finding a needle in a haystack. Economists are predicting a slow recovery for 2010; so, what can you do to sharpen your competitive edge?
Narrow Your Search:
Throwing your résumé out to every outlet, headhunter and website is called “spraying and praying.” Looking for a job is like dating. You need to be discerning about who you give your resume to. Putting yourself out there to everyone and anyone can make you look desperate. Look with in your industry but also look at the industries and sectors that are expanding: Education, Health Care, hospitality and Energy.
Tailored to Fit:
Let’s face it, you are not perfect for every job but the goal here is to get your foot in the door. Let your qualifications on paper stand out. Before you hit the send button or stamp your envelope, make sure you do your due diligence and research the company and position you’re hoping to fill. You can highlight your experience and tailor it to complement the prospective job you are looking for. This is not about lying on your résumé; this is about showcasing your talents and qualifications for the open position.
No Means Maybe:
Looking for work is work. This is not for the faint of heart and chances are with such a saturated market, you may never know why you didn’t make the cut or get the interview. This is about persistence, being able to be your own PR agency and not taking rejection personally. Some of the greatest minds and inventors have been rejected and experienced failure time and time again before they made it.
• Don’t take it personal – it’s not about you. Let it go and move forward.
• Look at the lesson – maybe you blew it on the interview or your résumé wasn’t up to par. Take the lesson and make it different the next time around.
• Take it as experience – Take a trip down memory lane and look at the rejections and passes you received from past job hunts. Did you give up? Did those rejections define you? Did you survive and better yet did you find a job that was a better fit? A “no” doesn’t mean “never.”
Practice your Pitch:
You’ve heard this before. You walk into an elevator and the CEO of the very company you have been hoping to work for walks in with you. You have until the 7th floor to convince him to give you an interview, what do you say? This is why you need your elevator pitch because you never know when or where you may run into someone who asks what it is you do or what you’re looking for. You want to be direct, concise, and pique their interest to want to hear more.
Never Give UP:
I am not a Pollyanna and I’m not expecting you to be one either. You are facing a tough market and your courage and strength during this near impossible time is to be commended; but no matter how bad you feel or how discouraged you become, you must do something every day to reach your goal of getting that job. A phone call, a connection, a networking event, even using social networking as a way to let your friends and associates know you are looking and what you are qualified to do. No one will knock on your door and hand you the job of your dreams, this is something that you will have to make happen on your own.
Alisa Weinstein is a certified coach, business executive, and entrepreneur. She supports companies and entrepreneurs to help them create and build their businesses. Alisa serves her clients through individual and group coaching, seminars, and public speaking. For more information, www.CoachingElement.com or please contact Alisa at: Alisa@CoachingElement.com
Bibliography
US Department of Labor. (2010, January 8). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from US Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Happy Holidays!!
December 22nd, 2009 by sysadmin
Get One At – Friendster Comments
The Holiday Party Tip Sheet:
December 9th, 2009 by Alisa Weinstein
Tis the season to be jolly but not at your office holiday party! Think of the office holiday party as a nice day/evening at the office where all office rules apply from your demeanor to your fashion sense. Remember, this is a time for you to celebrate the holiday not become the butt (literally) of jokes or an internet sensation on Facebook or Youtube.
Here are some strategies you should use before you use the office as Party Central:
The Sobering Truth: Don’t drink (or don’t overindulge) While you may want to partake in the alcoholic festivities I always err of the side of caution. You are not partying with friends, you are socializing with co-workers. One drink can loosen up you up enough to say something or do something that might raise some eyebrows, not to mention effect your ability to drive home. Besides you may have to be the designated driver for another co-worker who didn’t read this tip sheet.
Fashion Forward: Remember, this is still an office event. Keep it simple and tasteful and what the occasion will allow. Women should avoid low-cut and provocative attire — the attention you attract is not likely to advance your career.
Socializing with the Boss: This is not the time to ask for that raise (or even joke about it), or get into detailed work conversations and if you’re thinking that this is you big opportunity to make points with the boss by kissing-up – don’t do it. Keep the conversation light and friendly and whatever you do, do not engage in back stabbing, scheming or political conversations.
Greeting your co-workers: Flirting and suggestive behavior is will possibly ding your reputation so, a firm handshake is always safe and correct. Treat this event as if your every move is being watched, because it is.
Remember Your Manors: Thanking the person responsible for planning the event is a big plus and you might want to send a Thank you note to top management for hosing the party.
Diversify Your Life
November 19th, 2009 by Alisa Weinstein
My Mother always told me to never put all you eggs in one basket. This was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn as I like things to be concise, neat and easy but alas life is none of those things and my Mother was right, not just with people but with business as well. At first blush it sounds like this is a glowing endorsement to not trust anyone or anything but that‘s not the case at all. In fact; it’s almost unfair to expect a person to be all things to everyone just as you wouldn’t want your business or finances to be bound in one account or with one customer!
Being flexible and diversifying both in business and in life opens you up to more opportunity, more money, and less risk. In business you would buy stock in various different industries, this would lessen your risk, loss and create stability in an unstable market and economic time. In life you can also diversify, do various activities, learn new things and meet new people. This is actually the key to keeping you alert and happy and helps keep you creative and young, something my Mother didn’t have to tell me, all I had to do was follow her lead and I knew I’d be just fine.
“The way to become rich is to put all your eggs in one basket and then watch
that basket.” ~Andrew Carnegie
Business is Personal
August 26th, 2009 by Alisa Weinstein
As a Business Coach and life strategist people usually ask how they can make more money in their careers (of course) but then they forget to also focus on their personal lives. After all, your business life should be separate from your personal life, right? Wrong!
Everything you do effects how you make decisions, treat others, and most importantly, view your outlook. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for over twenty years and I’ve had almost every job from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the heap but it was one boss when I was first starting out that taught me about business and how, who you are reflects the business you will create. This boss (I won’t mention his name) was feared by everyone, he was rumored to have once thrown a typewriter at his assistant for misspelling a name on his call in sheet. One day I misplaced a file that he needed. I didn’t want to bother trying to cover up my mistake so I walked over to him and told him that I made a mistake and apologized saying it would not happen again. He immediately ordered me into his office and slammed the door shut… I was sure he would fire me, or yell or something but I was numb because I was tired of anticipating someone else’s bad mood. He did neither – in fact, once the door shut, he turned around and yelled “congratulations!” I was bewildered – I had never seen him like this… He told me that if only all his employees would just admit what they did and move on he would never be so angry all the time, but since he had such a bad reputation he knew that it was in people’s nature to cover up or tell a lie instead of state the truth and move forward to remedy the problem. Apparently I was one of the rare assistants that did the latter and because of this he sat with me for over two hours teaching me about the principles of business. I will share the first six with you today.
Rule #1 – Always tell the truth: This is important always. You never have to remember the little white lie you told anyone and people appreciate someone who tells it like it is. It saves a lot of time and hassle in the long run.
Rule #2 – Create a clear vision of the business you want to build: Map out what it is you want to do, who you want to serve, what benefits your business will bring to consumers, and why they should choose your product. Who is your ideal customer? Where are they from? What is their age range? What is their average income? These are all questions that you need to identify so you can target your ideal clients/customers and target that market.
Rule #3 – Focus on your goal and only your goal: Just as you would get a map for a long cross country trip, do the same for your journey towards your goal. What are the things that you have to do every day that will help you reach your goal? Don’t get sidetracked with other peoples agenda’s… This is something that you must put time into, thought into and most of all you must take action. Every little step will become leaps in the weeks and months to come.
Rule #4 – Always do your best: Strive to do your best whether it’s answering a telephone or leading a presentation. You only get one bite out of the apple and sometimes your actions are judged when you think no one is watching.
Rule #5 – Business is always personal: what is happening in your life is always going to spill over to your business, profession, and how you communicate with people. Take care of yourself, leave enough time in your day for you, eat well, exercise your body as well as your brain (read a book, newspaper, or play the crossword puzzles), get enough sleep and don’t get caught up in drowning your emotions in food, alcohol, or drugs (everyone will know what you’re doing and rehab is not fun).
Rule #6 – Believe in your own success: don’t wait for someone to give you the compliment or tell you they believe in you. Know that you have the power to have the business of your dreams. If you believe in yourself it becomes contagious… people will in turn believe in you.
My time with this boss was invaluable in so many ways – He empowered me and took me under his wing and coached me on the basics of business in the corporate world but most of all he believed enough in a young impressionable woman and paid it forward, something I appreciate and have made sure I did the same.
P.S. He also gave me the critical steps to creating success in the boardroom as well as the living room…. I’ll tell you all about that next time!
Alisa Weinstein is a certified coach, business executive, and entrepreneur. As owner of Coaching Element, She supports other entrepreneurs to create businesses starting with focus, vision and, action. She serves clients through individual and group coaching, seminars, and public speaking. For more information, please visit www.CoachingElement.com.