What's On Your Answering Machine?

It's amazing how many tries it takes before I get the recording on my answering machine or voicemail just right.  Professional.  Personal.  Just the right amount of enthusiasm.  I'm not looking for a lot of detail like the date or time, as my machine gives me that information anyway.  I always hate it when I'm asked to leave the date and time as sometimes I'm not sure about either when put on the spot.  In addition to a name I want a phone number.   It really annoys me when people leave their name without a number, assuming I already know it.  And while I may have it somewhere, unless I have caller ID, I'll probably have to look it up.  Had the caller simply responded to my request and left their number it would have saved me time and I wouldn't have to feel as if my request, the number, had been ignored.

The message on your answering machine or voicemail when you're not involved in a job search can be funny, cute, include heavy metal music or your kids' voices.  The message when you're involved in job search must be professional and in your voice.  Remember that everything you do creates an impression and you don't want a potential employer to be put off by a loud, off color or cutesy message.  I actually counseled my son to change the message on his cell phone when he was applying to colleges for the same reason.

The other thing to consider is who answers your phone when you're not around.  If it's another adult, coach them how to respond to a potential employer.  There are two critical rules for answering a job search related call.

1.  The person who answers the phone should not give out any information about you -  your whereabouts, how excited you are about the job, whether you're interviewing elsewhere or who you're out with.  Their job is to acknowledge that you're not available and take a message.

2.  Their key responsibility is to take an accurate message which includes the caller's name, the company they're calling from and a contact number.  Coach the person who may answer the phone to ask for the spelling of the caller's name and the company name unless it's something simple like Susan Jones from IBM.  Have them repeat the phone number back to the caller to make sure they've got it right.

In order to insure that you get the information you need, put a note pad next to each phone with blanks for name of caller, company name and phone number.

It there are teens in the house, younger children or someone not capable of getting the information correctly, ask them to refrain from answering the phone at all.  Make sure you have an answering machine that allows those at home to listen to who's on the phone so they know whether to pick up or let the answering machine handle the call.  If they pick up and it is a business call, tell them to ask the caller to call back and leave a message. 

If you have two phones in the house, designate one your job search number and make it clear that the only person who will answer that phone is you.  Another way to avoid having your 4 year old son or 87 year old mother answering the phone, is to only provide your cell phone number, thereby eliminating the need for almost all of the advice I've included above.



 

Tips on Telephone Interviews

Today we are seeing more and more screening done via phone.  While this definitely cuts down on commutation costs and dry cleaning bills, it's a lot tougher to impress someone over the phone and even more difficult to know whether you're on the right track when you can't see your interviewer's face.  The only thing that helps you sell what you say via phone is the way you say it.  Here are some things you can do to energize your telephone interviews:

Always stand when interviewing via phone.  Pace. Wave your hands around.  Sitting not only flattens the diaphragm, or at least that's one thing I've been told, you can also get just too relaxed and comfortable which may cut into your tone and volume.  When you pace, your energy is up.  When you use your hands or smile as you would in a face to face interview, it tends to energize your voice as well. 

Check out your facial expression in a mirror.  Pass by a mirror while you're interviewing via phone.  Watch your facial expression.  If it's flat or lifeless, you can bet your voice is reflecting what you're seeing. 

Watch your pace, volume and tone.  It is hard enough to keep up with a fast talker when they're sitting in front of you.  Speaking too quickly when interviewing via phone can really damage your chances to make it to the next round.  Likewise, if you are soft-spoken, you may come across as weak or unsure.  There is a time and place for soft-spoken and the telephone interview is not it.

Know your space fillers.  We all have space fillers, things we say when we're reaching for our next answer.  Your space filler may be 'you know' or 'like' or 'uhm'.  Whatever it is, be aware of how often you use the space filler because it can really detract from the important information you're trying to convey. This is true in person and especially true when you're interviewing via phone.

Do NOT multitask when on the phone!  You know how easy it is to talk to someone with your laptop open in front of you.  This is not the time to multi-task.  Focus on the interview.  Your e-mail will wait until you're through.

If it won't make you crazy, have someone coach you while you interview via phone.  You can actually talk to them so you are interacting with someone in the room.  Know your own tendencies to either speak too quickly or quietly and have your coach signal you to either slow down or speak up.

With the volume of resumes floating around today, it is likely you will have to go through at least one phone screen.  Have your stories ready to tell.  Get your walking shoes on and be ready to wow them with your energy and enthusiasm.

The Benefits of Being Grateful

While there are days that it's harder to remember that I have blessings to count, on this Thanksgiving, as well as most other days, I try to spend at least a moment reviewing what I have versus what I don't have or what I want.  Examining this a bit closer, I try to focus on what I need versus what I want.  Focusing on wants often brings me to things other than the those that really matter - a warm home, food on the table, the ability to pay my bills, the support and love of family and friends.

This may all seem unrelated to job search, yet we know that those who convey a positive attitude will land sooner than those who don't.  Those who have a positive attitude on the job tend to keep their jobs longer, even when their skill set is not as strong as a colleague who complains a lot. 

Until a decade ago, the focus of psychological research was heavily skewed towards what makes people sad or depressed.  During the past ten years, there has been a shift towards examining what makes people happy.  The evidence is overwhelming - those who are grateful, which has a direct link into being happy, are healthier, more productive and more likely reach their goals.  The results of one major study on the impact of gratitude clearly indicates that taking the time to count our blessings makes a huge difference in how we face the world each day.

So today, I am not only grateful for the smell of the turkey cooking in the oven and the knowledge that I will be surrounded by friends and family later in the day, I am also grateful to all of the people who were strangers to me several months ago and are now part of my network.  I am grateful for the time and energy they've put into meeting with me, the guidance and advice they've offered and the people they've connected me to.  Today I focus on all that has gone right with my job search and remind myself that I am making progress, make the choice to believe that each 'no' brings me a step closer to my 'yes' and count my blessings.  I truly have a lot to be grateful for.

Convert that Turndown to a Network Opportunity

I did something today I really wasn't looking forward to.  I met with someone who had chosen the other person rather than me.  While the turn down was supportive and the feedback was positive, it was still a turn down and it still cut into my self-esteem.  I counsel others to view a rejections as a networking opportunity, especially when they come close to the finish line.  When you know you're a top contender, you also know there are folks at the hiring company who were impressed with your skills and experience.  These same folks might feel bad about not being able to offer you the position and would most likely agree to see you in order to provide feedback and guidance.  In an effort to follow my own advice, I scheduled an appointment with the manager who didn't hire me. Going back in was something I knew I should do, but the desire to do this was right up there next to having a tooth pulled!

As I've said so many times before in other posts, you just never know what will happen when you walk into one of these network meetings.  In this case, it was just terrific.  I went in to get advice about what I can do to strengthen my candidacy next time a similar position opens up.  I walked out feeling confident that the volunteer work I'm doing will help establish my credentials working with undergraduates, experience I know is missing on my current resume.  I also walked out with network connections at three other universities and some ideas about alternative avenues to explore.  The interview I'd been on for the position I didn't get was with seven people.  Meeting one-on-one to network with the hiring manager gave me the opportunity to better establish myself and build rapport with someone who will likely be in the position to hire someone in the future.

So, all in all, I did what I was supposed to do and, in this case, got more than I expected.  You simply never know where these network meetings will take you.  Next time you come in second, remember to reframe the turn down as a networking opportunity.

A New Job Search Strategy: Volunteering

I have been working as career counselor for over 20 years, and while volunteer work was sometimes suggested to those involved in a job search, it was more often seen as a diversion, something that would steal time away from the real work of finding a job.  Not so today.

Volunteer work can be a real part of a search strategy and serves a multitude of purposes.  Working as a volunteer one can...

• make new contacts
• feel good about themselves and connected to others
• be reminded of the skills and energy they bring to the work place
• explore new opportunities, possibly even a total job shift
• discover all that it takes to run a non-profit organization, including accounting, marketing, etc.
• uncover consulting opportunities
• walk in the shoes you hope to step into to see if they're a good fit - this is really helpful to those thinking of a true career transition
  

I am working with one woman with a legal background who is volunteering for a tourism group.  The group plans walking tours of New York City and needed a lot of research done.  They expected the first project they assigned her to take at least a month.  Two weeks later the work was done and exceeded expectations both in terms of time and quality.  My client is now working on several other projects for this group and the hope is that they will be able to hire her at least part-time in the next few months.

During one of my network interviews I was told about a woman who wanted to work in college admissions, but had never worked in admissions or on a college campus.  She offered to volunteer in the admissions office and ended up working two days a week.  She confirmed her belief that she really liked the work and became a known resource in the department.  The following year when the college had a part-time opening in admissions, she was the logical choice.  This year she's on board full-time.

One critical thing to remember is that your search doesn't stop because you spend some time volunteering.  If you hear yourself say you don't have the time to get that resume out or make a network call because you're too busy with your volunteer work, then volunteering is serving as a means of avoiding your job search.  While you need to take volunteer work seriously, an interview for a paying job that can only be scheduled when you are supposed to do your volunteer work trumps the volunteer work.  You notify the agency, give your apologies and put on your interview suit.

When we're honest with ourselves, most of us have to admit that we don't spend all of our time working on our search.  So, there is time to spend volunteering and it's often time spent more productively and with more value (see bullets above) than simply killing time at home.

If you don't know where you want to volunteer, there are numerous placement agencies that can help you identify opportunities.  Google 'volunteer opportunities in (your town or county)' and see what comes up.  Sites like idealist.org and Volunteer Match are places to research the types of volunteer opportunities out there and to connect with the organizations in need of help.

One of the challenges in this market is maintaining a sense of self worth.  Volunteering is one way to  contribute to something important and to get the acknowledgment and appreciation that's hard to find sitting by yourself in front of a computer screen.

Keeping the Faith

I admit it.  This networking thing can be tough and demoralizing.  I keep facing two big challenges.

1. How to keep yourself from taking it personally when you do everything right and don't get any response.  You use the right connection.  You make it clear that you're looking for guidance and advice.  You make yourself totally available to work within their time schedule.  And still, you don't get so much as a 'sorry I'm busy'.  You simply get no response!  It is tough when you make the warm call or outreach using a mutual contact as the connection and get no response.  It's hard not to personalize it or somehow feel rejected.
   
2. How many ways can you approach someone to try to get that meeting without feeling like a nag.  You get no response the first time, and after waiting a few days or a week, you try to come up with a clever way to connect with your network contact and score that meeting.  No response this time can really cut into your self-esteem.
   

This is hard work!  

Back to the facts.  This is a tough market.  People are getting inundated with resumes and requests to network.  I choose to believe that most of those on the other end want to reply and be helpful and just can't find their way around the volume. 

When networking works, it works.  When it doesn't, the most important thing for me to remember is that it's not about me or what I bring to the party because more often than not the person I'm trying to network into doesn't know me.  It's about the market.  It's about the volume.  It's about the person at the other end.  

So, I keep at it knowing that I've gotten every job I've ever had through my network, and keep the faith that it will happen this time as well.

Why This an Ideal Time to Find Your Next Job

There are three realities that make this a great time to network and land your next job. 

1. Budgets for next year are often set in the next few weeks which means managers know they have the money to fund their open positions and start to search for the right person to fill the spot.
   
2. People get into the holiday spirit and are often more open to network meetings.
3. Many job seekers assume that nothing will happen during the holidays and decide to drop out of the market until January, so there's less competition.

And I have proof - my husband was offered one of his jobs at 4 p. m. on Christmas Eve, so it can happen!

This is not the time to take a breather.  It is the time to keep the energy up and keep plugging.