It's a JUNGLE out there...whether you are hiring or looking for a job.
Come and share your positive ideas about job change, employment trends, workplace issues and more. You'll find it all in the Job Search Jungle!
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Climbing out of the jungle and into the spotlight! Vote for Carolyn Thompson to have her OWN show on the Oprah Network. See these topics in action! Follow the link!
Carolyn’s Auditionhttp://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=2386&promo_id=1
No matter your walk of life, career development is a major part of everyone’s personal path. My OWN show would focus on all aspects of career development from resume prep, to job search, to negotiation skills, to promotion techniques, to company hiring practices. Improving communication issues in the workplace, one-on-one interviews with notable successful business people and celebrities, getting behind the scenes at the major US employers including the federal government. Anything and everything related to careers, job search, employment, and getting promoted. Take a listen and please vote!
Tags: advice, Career Confidential, careers, coaching, interviewing, Job Search, Oprah, OWN, resumes, skills
Old dogs CAN learn new tricks! Every day, we are challenged with new issues which are opportunities to learn something about ourselves.
As a seasoned recruiter who has trained thousands of people, I had a meeting today about time management purely because I felt like things were slipping through the cracks and I needed to grab hold before everything collapsed around me. (It’s not just me, right?)
Whether you are a job seeker planning your personal marketing strategy, a business person trying to gain market share, or an executive recruiter looking to capitalize on the resurgence in the hiring market, remember these tips when planning your day:
1. You need to plan! Fail to plan, plan to fail! As a member of the Pinnacle Society (www.pinnaclesociety.org”) we discuss our business strategies for success openly and the number one indicator of success is your ability to plan!
o Where will you call and why?
o What do you have that is of interest or need for someone?
o Who should you contact or ask for and why?
§ Find names on linkedIn
o What’s in it for them?
o Don’t forget to ask for referrals!
2. Block out your activities in one or two hour chunks.
o Your calls will sound fresher if you are remain interested and are not bored with your subject matter.
o Work all the angles you need to work each day, not one per day. For example, if you are a recruiter that works job orders and makes marketing calls, do some of each every day. You’ll find you’ll cover a lot more ground with renewed enthusiasm if you get to the end of the first page of calls and can check that off your list and move onto your next one.
o Only plan 75% of your time.
§ You need to be flexible to deal with interruptions and the results of your hard work!
3. Think outside the box!
o In my office we look for CPA’s every day. Sometimes, looking for the names of CPA firms turns up candidates we didn’t find doing a search for “CPA”.
o If you are looking for a job, don’t just search for job titles; create a list of target companies and research them for related positions they may be advertising. If they have ads for positions in and around your field, they would likely have a job for you somewhere, sometime…you just need to find out who reviews the resumes for that department and mail them a copy of yours via priority mail. They will get it!
4. As a business person looking to expand your client base as the economy begins to recover, start with your clients from the past three years before trying to earn someone’s trust you’ve never worked with before.
o A check in call is a powerful thing. Find out how they are doing and how your services may be of assistance in their economic recovery.
Even if you aren’t an old dog, it is never too early to pick up on what the slightly wizened canines have to offer! Visit my website www.carolynthompson.net for webinars on these topics!
Carolyn Thompson
Tags: business strategy, candidate search, check in call, clients, economy, executive recruiter, executive recruiters, flexibility, follow up, hiring, Job Search, job seekers, job titles, lnkedin, mail, marketing calls, new tricks, recruiter, searching, success, time management
Season’s Greetings from the Jungle!
This week I did two interviews about holiday job search, which got me thinking about the seasons of the jungle. Follow the links to see more.
http://watch.ctv.ca/news/top-picks/holiday-jobs/#clip243570
http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/04/news/economy/job_seasons/index.htm
A little research turned up that the jungle has two distinct seasons; wet and dry. During a dry season, the days are hot and sunny, the vegetation becomes sparser, and watering holes dry up forcing animals to look elsewhere. Conversely, during a wet season, the air quality improves, freshwater quality improves, and vegetation grows significantly. The wet season is also referred to as “green season.”
Today, I got a call from one of my long time coaching clients who has been working two part time jobs to make ends meet since her husband’s death a few years ago. She has gone back to college to complete her degree and worked very hard to obtain the necessary computer skills to compete in today’s job market. She has an excellent background in customer service, community project management and has been working diligently to network and expand her personal sphere of influence. Exactly the right things to get that competitive advantage in your job search!
For the past year, she’s been on many interviews and has been passed over for countless positions she was well qualified for; moving from one dried up water source to the next, not because she couldn’t do the job, but because she has over 20 years work experience in total, and was considered overqualified. Many of the jobs she applied for required a bachelors or “equivalent” experience, and she lost out time and again to recent college grads with less life experience than she had, but she kept plugging away through her dry season.
TODAY, I got the call I’ve been waiting for. She got a job offer! In the salary range she was targeting! With benefits! I was so proud of her! Her comment to me was that once someone else showed they believed in her, she began to believe in herself.
She was the last person on my mental list of people who have been looking for some time that would be great employees! Now she will be enjoying the prosperity and growth of her green season.
If you have friends or family out there looking for work, let them know you believe in them. It will really help them find a new job!
For information on personal executive coaching, visit my website www.carolynthompson.net. I have a spot open now that my client found a job today!!!
Carolyn Thompson
Tags: believe, coaching, computer skills, continuing education, dry, economy, education, education vs experience, Job Search, networking, overqualify, success
Have you ever left an interview thinking that you could have done better? Or maybe it was the interviewer who prevented you from showing what you are worth? It seems that bad interviews happen more than good ones and we shouldn’t cling to the negative aspects. Companies interview more than one person for every available position; and it usually takes more than one interview to finally obtain the job. It is understandable that you can’t ace them every time.
“BAD INTERVIEWS” can fall into a couple of categories:
1 – An interview where you feel you performed poorly or
2 – An interview where the interviewer was not prepared or ill-equipped to perform the interview
1. There’s nothing worse than getting in the car, cab, or subway after an interview and remembering something you wish you would have said better. It’s the old “shoulda woulda coulda” game and it happens to everyone at some point. Knowing how to let go of the bad and cling to the good is how the Koala stays in the tree. Keeping a journal or jotting down your thoughts helps you to avoid the same mistakes twice and recognize and avoid the “weak branches”. If you are keeping a well organized job search folder, you can refer back to your previous notes as reminders before the next interview.
Then there’s the time where you realize you said something you shouldn’t have. Again, making notes of what went well or poorly will help you avoid repeating mistakes. Do your best to avoid negative topics like, what your boss does wrong, what you don’t like or (worse yet) who you don’t like. Even if you’re feeling comfortable with someone, don’t let them drag you into the gossip mill. Find something positive to say about all those people instead of the easy to point out flaws. The more positive or stronger the topics or branches, the higher you will climb in the interviewer’s regard. For example, working for a boss that is never available could be re-worded to something like “my boss was very active in many parts of the company which required me to make special effort to get on their calendar to get my questions answered which, ultimately, made me a better time manager.”
2. It is possible a bad interview stems from the interviewer themselves being not adequately prepared or in the proper frame of mind to focus on you at the appointed time. The interviewer seems distracted reading their emails, taking phone calls, or someone pops in. In today’s hectic business climate, interruptions are expected. Don’t take them personally! Arriving well prepared with a list of questions about the job, the company, and specific projects that have been going on the past six months or so help you to bring these frequently distracted interviewers’ focus on you, the job, and why you are the fittest for the climb.
There’s also the interview where you just don’t hit it off with the person with whom you are interviewing. There are certain techniques you can use to establish rapport quickly to ensure you navigate the sparse branches and make the best first impression every time. For instance, people like to talk about themselves, so attempt to draw them out!
Remember, interviewing is a subjective exercise. There’s no way you can predict the outcome so the best way to win is to listen carefully to the questions being asked, thinking about “what’s in it for them (the company)” not “what’s in it for you”. Focus on the company’s needs as they state them and offer specific examples of how you have performed those duties in the past or could contribute directly.
Be like the Koala and steer clear of the weak branches of conversation, look out for opportunities to climb high on positive topics, and be prepared to wade through a sparse tree and help the interviewer focus.
A few quick tips to keep in mind: Show good manners. Say please and thank you to everyone you meet, not just the decision maker. Dress professionally, even if it’s a casual environment Sit up straight, be engaged in the conversation, and DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Research the company so you know what they do and who their major competitors are so you can ask thoughtful questions. Show them you’re into them…and always send a thank you note!
For a webinar on this topic, please visit http://www.carolynthompson.net/interviewingskillswebinar.htm.
Carolyn Thompson
Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!
Tags: advice, bad interview, conversation, interview, interviewer, interviewing, Job Search, mistakes, opportunity, preparation, regret, tips
Posted by Carolyn Thompson on Sep 21, 2009 in
Thinking Positive The economy lately has been a little like the California wildfires that recently littered the news; hot and cold areas, hopping from hill to hill, changing directions without warning, rapidly igniting then ultimately extinguishing, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake, yet opening up opportunities for re-growth and rebuilding.
Last week I had the occasion to interview a fantastic candidate; Carl Adams. Carl was recently the Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer with a large publicly traded local company and is now looking for a new position. A CPA who led a staff of over 40 professionals, we got to talking about best practices of hiring, and I thought about how similar hiring after a downturn in the economy was to rebuilding the jungle or a forest after a fire.
Plant strategically- when rebuilding a forest, or a team, you need to think about the growth path and what the landscape will look like down the road, as people grow and evolve in their jobs. Don’t choose a large group of similarly experienced people without a clear growth path for the future laid out. You’ll end up losing them when you can’t promote them all at once.
Instead, compliment your own strengths and weaknesses to build a team that will grow together, complement each other in their skills, creating a harmonious group with differing levels of expertise and experience.
It may still look barren now, but the strongest seeds have survived and will sprout into amazingly resilient plants. None of the variety and color has been lost in the heat of the flames. Don’t pass up opportunities to hire candidates who will strengthen your team and your company. A good candidate will require a little room to grow and show what they are made of and fill up the gaps.
Follow one simple rule that is a surefire strategy for success when evaluating people – Ask yourself: does this person have 75-80% of what I’m looking for? If the answer is yes, then the remaining 20-25% is their growth path that they need to see in order to remain engaged long term. This one idea will ensure every person you hire has a growth path and will ultimately result in longer-term employees and less turnover.
Back to Carl Adams…if you’re interested in seeing a copy of his resume, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Check out my webinar on Goal Setting! http://www.carolynthompson.net/settinggoalsforsuccesswebinar.htm
Carolyn Thompson
Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!
Tags: candidate, economy, experience, goals, groups, growth, job growth, new hires, skills, strengths, turnover
Posted by Carolyn Thompson on Aug 18, 2009 in
Thinking Positive 
Tropical rainforests have some of the largest rivers in the world. These mega-rivers are fed by countless smaller tributaries, streams, and creeks. Tropical streams and creeks are even more variable than tropical rivers and can change from a virtually dry river bed to a raging torrent 30 feet deep in a matter of hours during a heavy rain.
While the recent national economic news is trending positively, like more rain for the forest, each of us has a responsibility to help support our local economy. The larger rivers of the rainforests are pretty steady through even the worst droughts, but it is the strength of the smaller rivers and streams which are the truest indicator of whether the droughts are over.
Small businesses account for over 80% of the employers in our country. Whether that’s a locally owned restaurant or café, a clothing boutique, a government contractor, or auto dealership, businesses in your area depend on your patronage for their survival.
Consciously supporting small businesses in your own community is a direct path to economic recovery for everyone.
Small Businesses:
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-Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.
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-Employ about half of all private sector employees.
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-Pay nearly 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
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-Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
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-Create more than half of nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP).
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-Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer workers).
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-Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.
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-Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced 28.9 percent of the known export value in FY 2006.
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-Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.
Support your local economy and help out the smaller rivers of the rainforests by investing in the small businesses.
These statistics provided by SBA about small business and its direct correlation to employment supports this – http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/sbfaq.pdf
Tropical Rainforest facts found at http://rainforests.mongabay.com
Carolyn Thompson
Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!
Tags: community, drought, economic recovery, economy, employer, hiring, jobs, new jobs, small business, statistics
Even the jungle has seasons. One of those seasons is a period of less rain called a drought or the dry season. We can think of it as the jungle’s downturn.
Recently the US and World economies have had a period of less prosperity or a drought just like a dry season in the jungle. This is a normal part of the cycle. Droughts help weed out the weak so new species can take hold. They also cause animals to adapt or move in search of food. You must adapt in order to survive and here are some tips on how to survive through this “financial drought.” Droughts tend to strengthen the jungle in the long run just like downturns help to weed out outdated companies or workers who need to improve on their skills set.
The strong survive. You must learn to search for opportunities in new ways and employ those strategies by adapting. If you do this, you will end up stronger in the long run and subsequently, be more successful.
When you suspect that you are going to be laid off or when the layoff actually occurs, you must be polite and accept the news with grace and dignity. You do not want to burn any bridges. Ask about your company’s severance package (if they are offering one) before you leave or get the correct contact information for the HR representative who can help you if you have any questions. You should also thank your manager or boss for the opportunity to work for him or her and ask politely if they would be willing to give you a good reference. Leave, go home and relax. Regroup over the next few days and then start your job search. Do not take months off because you will be sorry if it takes a while to find a new job and you have already taken time off. The average job search takes 2 weeks per ten thousand dollars (so a $50,000 candidate will take about two and a half months to find a job.)
Adapt. Be honest with yourself. Were you laid off or are you having a hard time finding a job because the job that you do is outdated or no longer needed? Do you have older software skills or is your education light compared to what is normally required to do the job that you want? If your answer to these questions is yes, you need to improve your skills to compete in the market.
If you are sending out resume after resume online and are not getting any call backs, you need to adapt the way that you are conducting your search. Be sure your resume is well written. A good resource for this is Ten Easy Steps To a Perfect Resume by Carolyn Thompson available on Amazon.com. You can also have a recruiter or friend read your resume for grammar and ease of understanding. If you know a company has a job and you have not heard back after submitting your resume, call the manager directly and ask if they have seen your resume yet. For example; if you applied for an AP Processor position and you haven’t heard back, call the company and ask to be connected to the AP Manager. When you get them on the phone, ask if they have seen your resume and offer to send it over for their review. Trust me, this works!
Remember, everything has a time of plenty and times that are lean. It is natural. By staying strong and adapting, you will come out of the other end stronger and better prepared than you were before.
Webinars on Resume Writing and Job Search Techniques are available at http://www.carolynthompson.net/webinars.htm
Jake Hanson
Senior Associate, CMCS
Tags: adapt, advice, drought, economy, education, layoffs, opportunities, resume, strategies
Four Gifts For Grads:
1. Even though you are smart and have accomplished completing your degree, you’re likely going to have to start at the bottom and work your way up just like any tree in a thick forest environment. All seeds start growing from within the earth and the more experience they have, the larger they grow until they are high above the rest getting the most light! If you set your expectations that you will learn the business from the ground up, you’ll get where you want to go eventually, right above the canopy!
2. If you’re thinking more education is the answer, think again! Yes, there probably will be more jobs in a couple of years when you get your additional degree, but you still need some practical work experience to combine with your education in order to get ahead. Starting at an entry level spot somewhere that has a tuition reimbursement program is often a better bet than pursuing another degree full time. Learn while you grow in your experience. A tree needs to grow upwards before it can really spread its branches. You will never make it through the thick rooftop of the jungle if your “branches” are too wide to penetrate the leafy ceiling. Ultimately, you don’t want to have more education combined with a lack of practical work experience, now or later!
3. NETWORK! 80% of all jobs are obtained through networking. Even in my office we are looking for an entry level/intern type person and only had 2 qualified responses! The tallest trees that form the canopy of the forest help the smaller trees and shade them from rough winds and other inhospitable elements while they are still young and new. Ask your parents, their friends, and your friends parents for help. Be patient, and keep your Facebook page looking professional, too!
4. Fail to plan, plan to fail! Create a plan based on solid market research and go after jobs at the companies where you want to work. Seek to meet people who already work there by volunteering at charity events their companies sponsor. Those people can refer you internally as jobs open up. Create some good solid roots that will support you and hold you steady as you grow. The better your foundation, and the more you network, the higher you will be able to grow in the job search jungle!
For more information on this topic visit: http://www.carolynthompson.net/jobsearchwebinar.htm
Carolyn Thompson
Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!
Tags: advice, education, entry level, expectations, experience, Facebook, graduates, networking, students, volunteer
There’s a famous fable about a skunk, a lion and a hawk who debated as to which of them was the most dangerous and feared animal in the jungle.
The hawk claimed to be “top dog”: “I win because I hit ’em from above, and from above, I have the best view of all. I can see things nobody else can!”
The lion rejoined: “Nonsense! I’m the most powerful animal of all, with the longest, sharpest, teeth and claws. I’m the most dangerous, for sure!”
Then the skunk said: “I can stink up the whole jungle and run out every man or beast in the territory.”
And so they argued, on and on, until a big old bear came along and swallowed the three of them, Hawk, Lion and Stinker!
With the uncertainty we are all faced with every day, losing your job is high on the list of people’s fears right now. Anxieties are high in both the executive office and in the sea of cubicles where all the work is actually done. Here are a couple of tips for quelling your anxieties so you can conquer your fears so if the Bear (layoffs) comes along, it won’t kill you.
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1. Start by identifying the source of your worry. In the case of your job is it the loss of pay or the dreaded job search that you just don’t feel like doing right now? Talking to someone about your fears or concerns can help differentiate between the products of your imagination and those things truly deserving of worry. It helps to know if the source of your worry is something you can control, or something over which you have no control. If the cause of your worry is something you can affect, then channel that worry into action.
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2. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen if my fear becomes reality?” Think it through logically. If you are prepared for the worst, you can make a pro-active plan for dealing with the cause of your worry and then carry it through. Such a reaction is a positive use of worry helping you to overcome potential problems and threats. However, if there is nothing you can do about the source of your worry, it’s just as important to act to counter that worry, rather than letting it build up harmfully inside you. You need to learn to let go. If something beyond your control might happen, it either will or won’t. Worrying about it will produce only harmful, not positive results.
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3. Another strategy is to simply switch gears. Think of something over which you do have control. Turn to an enjoyable activity, perhaps with a friend, and focus on that rather than the source of your worry. Look to exercise, a fantastic way to relieve stress, burn calories, decrease depression and refocus your attention. Your goal is to stop the worry before it has the opportunity to take control of your emotions and thoughts. You must work quickly and strike when you first become aware of the negative thoughts that fuel worry. Do something, no matter how small, to help you refocus: exercise, splash cold water on your face, snap a rubber band, call a friend, or even imagine a big flashing stop sign in your mind’s eye.
Admittedly, it does take practice to refocus your thoughts away from worry to something positive. However, it can soon become second nature to relax, exercise or change thoughts, rather than resorting to counterproductive worrying.
And sharing your worry in the workplace with colleagues is just like putting leftovers in a trashcan at your campsite in the jungle…the Bear will come straight to you if you invite him!
Carolyn Thompson
Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME…available on Amazon.com!
and TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB…available on Amazon.com!
Tags: advice, community, control, economy, fear, layoffs, proactive, relieve stress
CAROLYN THOMPSON, Author of TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME is a leading FREE TO THE PUBLIC resume workshop Thursday, APRIL 23rd in MD.
The job market is very competitive right now, so it’s important to have an informative and complete resume. It’s often difficult for people to narrow down what’s important and what’s not on their resume. TEN EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT RESUME gives a solid roadmap to anyone looking to create a well organized, content driven, resume. Please bring your current resume to work from, and a friend! Whether you are looking for a job now, just need to update your resume, or have no idea where to start, this FREE WORKSHOP is for you!
Location:THURSDAY, APRIL 23rd, 2009 at 3pm.
MARRIOTT BWI
1743 West Nursery Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
After Carolyn’s Presentation at the Baltimore Metro Area American Payroll Association Luncheon.
We’ll go through the Ten Steps, discuss them in detail, and answer individual questions as time permits. Copies of the book are available on Amazon and in select bookstores and libraries. Post workshop individual resume critiques are also offered.
Carolyn’s second book in her series is now available at Amazon; TEN STEPS TO FINDING THE PERFECT JOB.
See you there!
Tags: community, economy, resume, resume workshop
