9/4/2008
In the Labor Day (September 1, 2008) issue of The Hartford Courant (the nation’s oldest, continuously published newspaper), staff writer Eric Gershon explored some of the dynamics of today’s volatile job market, shaky economy, and job satisfaction. I was delighted to be quoted in the cover story and share the article below (the article can also be accessed through courant.com at http://www.courant.com/business/hc-labor0901. artsep01,0,2355849.story).
 Workers Happy To Have Jobs,
But Unhappy In Them
By Eric Gershon, Courant Staff Writer
For 25 years, Jan Melnik, a career coach in Durham, has been helping people look for work, from salesmen to real estate brokers to fed-up physicians looking for different avenues of employment.
Some clients come to Melnik jobless. But most, 85 or 90 percent, she says, are fully employed — unhappily.
As employers have reacted to more than a year of economic turmoil by cutting staff, slashing budgets and expecting more from fewer workers, she finds an even larger number of people getting less pleasure from work.
"People just aren’t getting a sense of reward and personal accomplishment," said Melnik, founder of Absolute Advantage. "They’re being thwarted by circumstances totally outside of their control."
To the unemployed desperate for a paycheck, seeking personal fulfillment from a job may seem a luxury. In Connecticut and the United States as a whole, unemployment is rising — although it’s still below 6 percent — even as mass layoffs remain relatively rare.
The U.S. economy has shed more than 400,000 jobs since the start of 2008, and Connecticut job creation is flat, meaning the opportunities for workers to move around are limited.
But however plentiful or scarce, employment doesn’t necessarily bring satisfaction. And as the 114th Labor Day passes, there is evidence that Americans are feeling fretful and frustrated at work because of changing labor conditions and broad economic stress.
Surveys show a stable, and in some cases growing, level of overall job satisfaction. But that masks deeper problems, many experts say.
"A lot of people like their job because they like having a job," said Carl Van Horn of the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, which on Thursday released a report called "The Anxious American Worker." "They don’t necessarily like the aspects of the job."
At some companies, layoffs, even a small number of them, have generated a pervasive fear that others will follow. Disappearing colleagues and hiring freezes leave remaining workers with more to do, often without pay increases, and less time for each task, breeding resentment.
Management changes and reorganization in the wake of layoffs and mergers often leave workers with new or uncertain responsibilities.
"All of those things lead to dissatisfaction, not only with work, but with life," said James O’Toole, author of "The New American Workplace" and a business professor at the University of Denver.
Among other things, the Rutgers study, based on a May survey of 1,000 randomly selected U.S. residents, found that 13 percent of respondents said they had been laid off since 2005, nearly 60 percent of them in the 12 months before the survey.
Of respondents who had survived a round of layoffs, 60 percent reported feeling that morale had decreased as a result, and nearly 50 percent said they began to fear being laid off, according to the study.
At the same time, salaried workers reported working longer hours, and hourly workers fewer and feeling hostage to employers’ demands. And pay has lagged inflation for many workers.
The result: The economic expansion of 2001 to 2007 was the first one ever in which median family income did not rise, according to "The State of Working America 2008-09," released this weekend by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank.
In Connecticut, the median hourly wage — the level at which half of all workers earn less and half earn more — stood at $18.51 in 2007, according to a new report, "The State of Working Connecticut," by Connecticut Voices for Children. That was down from $18.88 in 2001, adjusted for inflation. The decline happened even as worker output climbed steadily.
In those same years, the percentage of workers provided health insurance by their employers fell from 65 to 60, the report shows.
In a heady economy, unhappy workers might simply quit for a better job. That’s not easy now. Unable to find positions they like better, most workers keep the jobs they have, minimizing turnover.
Economic pressures combine with workplace conditions, contributing to workers’ stress. For example, falling home prices and inflation that’s outpacing wage growth serve to heighten anxiety about financial security.
Melnik, the Durham career counselor, says she’s working with salesmen who have found their territories expanded and requirements to travel more on weekends, and computer technicians who are being asked to take nine service calls in a day when six used to be the norm.
She’s also seeing doctors, not for her health, but their peace of mind. Fed up with the demands of insurance companies, she said, more private practice physicians seem to be thinking of other careers, such as working with medical device manufacturers.
"There are a lot of MDs that are miserable," she said. "It is something I never saw before the last two years."
Contact Eric Gershon at egershon@courant.com.
Copyright © 2008, The Hartford Courant
8/16/2008
… "A Complete Guide to Landing an Executive Job"
So says author Thad Greer (Young Author Publications, 2008) in the title of his new book. The content promises to deliver such strategies as: Learn the specific rules you must follow if you want to land a great job in today’s hyper-competitive job market, how to market your capabilities and potential contributions to the appropriate employers, and why your resume could be holding back your chances of landing a great job (something I have just a bit of expertise in  ).
Seven key career questions are framed - with excellent prompts to foster self-reflection and career prep:
1) What do you really want?
2) What direction is your career headed?
3) What is your personality type?
4) What do you bring to the table?
5) What are your environmental preferences?
6) What are you willing to risk?
and, my favorite:
7) What are you waiting for?!
In addition to chapters on using job boards, working with headhunters, and utilizing such social networks as MySpace and LinkedIn, Thad thoroughly discusses the steps to ‘nailing an interview’ (sneak preview: preparation breeds … casual professionalism … and establish expectations/build an action plan). Thad, a managing partner wth Executive Management Search, Inc., works with companies and organizations in need of qualified C-level candidates. He works as both an executive recruiter as well as a career coach (the latter of which defines one of the roles I play in working with clients). More info about Thad can be found at www.ThadGreer.com.
I highly recommend this insightful look into job search, particularly for folks at the senior level. The insights provided by a true insider are bound to be helpful to the job-seeking or career-changing executive or career-tracking C-suite-bound professional.
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
7/6/2008
According to CNNmoney.com, "U.S. workers produce an average $63,885 of wealth per person per year, making them the world’s most productive. Longer hours are part of the reason (no surprise, right?). Americans work an average of 1,804 hours a year–compared to 1,564 for the French (viva la France!) and a mere 1,407 for Norwegians."
Norway, anyone?
– Jan Melnik, CCM, MRW, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
5/30/2008
Weddle’s Source of Employment Survey (conducted from March of 2007 to March of 2008) revealed some interesting statistics from more than 15,000 job seekers. Respondents were 65% male, 35% female with a median age of 40 to 45. More than 60% described themselves as managers, mid-level professionals, or executives.
When asked to identify how they found their last position, the following sources were listed as their top ten:
13.3% - ad posted on an Internet job board
7.0% - a tip from a friend or colleague
6.8% - other
6.3% - a newspaper ad
6.2% - they posted their resume on a job board
6.0% - a call from a headhunter
5.8% - they were referred by an employee of the company/organization
5.2% - they sent a resume to the company/organization
4.9% - at a career fair
4.8% - by networking at work
Visit www.weddles.com for more details. (Information extracted from elist of PARW.com, the Professional Association of Resume Writers)
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
5/12/2008
"Many employers would like to be able to hire cheap, temporary teams of seasoned pros with experience managing $2 billion investment portfolios, running ad campaigns, or earning Ph.D.s in neuroscience," says Sue Shellenberger, work and family writer for Career Journal. "But few know the secret to finding temps of that caliber." One can find them wherever moms connect: on playgrounds and at PTA meetings, neighborhood networks, church events, and even their children’s birthday parties.
"The decision among some highly educated women to stay home with children is sparking a countertrend: The rise of the mommy ‘SWAT team.’ The acronym, for ‘Smart Women with Available Time,’ is one mother’s label for all-mom teams assembled quickly through networking and staffing firms to handle crash projects. Employers get lots of voltage, cheap, while the women get a skills update and a taste of the professional challenges they miss," reports Shellenberger.
Types of work these moms do:
* One team taught leadership skills to 100 MBA candidates last year by role-playing difficult management situations with them and critiquing their performances. The simulation training was so successful that enrollment doubled this spring and Kenan-Flagler made it mandatory for leadership training. Cost to the B-school: $21 an hour per woman.
* In another case, a team of five at-home moms hopped on a one-month project at Lending Tree to rewrite 600 job descriptions after several acquisitions and integrate them into its organization chart.
What’s different about these teams is that they’re available on short notice because the women are usually at home; they tend to work cheap because their main motive is to keep their skills fresh; and they’re often extraordinarily well-qualified, having left the work force voluntarily when their careers were on the ascent.
Examples of their executive skills:
* Michelle Fenton used to manage $2 billion in assets for Invesco AIM.
* Fenton’s marketing partner on the project used to direct the Levi Strauss, Dockers, and Pillsbury brands for the ad agency Foote, Cone & Belding; then ran her own successful ad consultancy for several years.
* Jamie Pennington was a former stockbroker and investment banker.
* Ashley Hewitt was a former human resources director for Duke Energy.
What’s in it for these moms? For Donnabeth Leffler, a former news executive, "Using the brain cells, making the contacts, feeling productive and useful … and being in a room with people a lot like me … make such projects worth the effort." Source: The Wall Street Journal and Career Management Alliance E-Bridge.
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
4/20/2008
In the recent months, I’ve seen a marked increase–a return, if you will–to the once-standard resume starter: Use of an objective statement. My opinion–echoed by my top career-management peers as well as hiring authorities/recruiters–is that this is not a good trend. Yes, of course, as you conduct a job search, it should be all about pursuing opportunities where you can make a difference, bring about desired/necessary change, add value, grow! But it’s essential to pick-and-choose those salient points that have value to the hiring manager–and reserve for your own use in job search and ultimate decision making the characteristics of the right job.
Here’s why: Most objective statements focus entirely on the candidate and his/her desires, goals, needs. Little if any emphasis is placed on what that candidate will do in their new position. In other words, it’s too self-absorbed an approach. We’ve all read the tired and overused "seek a challenging opportunity affording growth and advancement in which I can grow and thrive …" That introduces another problem: Use of the word "I" on the resume. That’s one of the few absolutes in resume-writing–it’s fine to use "I" liberally in a cover letter, but never in the resume.
So what to do in lieu of an objective statement? Communicate value through a qualifications profile section/summary that presents distinctive characteristics, unique strengths and attributes–effectively, your value proposition. Back it up with a few pristine examples that demonstrate what you can do. Support these claims with CAR story vignettes (concise stories illustrating challenge-action-result *and* resulting impact) throughout the resume. This is the best way to reflect your signature strengths and shine a positive light on your candidacy.
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
3/10/2008
According to information released by Career Journal, a recent Towers Perrin survey indicates that salary budgets in the United States are set to "increase an average of 3.9% in 2008 – the same increase employers reported in 2007. The survey of 4,000 companies in 60 countries highlights a growing shift in the way companies pay employees. Rather than awarding increases in fixed pay, they are increasingly tying pay raises to employee performance, human resources consultants say."
As expected, the gap is widening between the raises awarded to top and bottom performers. Top-rated employees received an average raise of 5.6% in 2007, while the lowest-rated performers received only 1.8%, according to human-resources consultant Mercer.
Many countries in the Towers Perrin survey are expecting larger-percentage increases in salaries than in the U.S. Not surprising, in India, salaries are expected to rise 15% next year, compared with 14% in 2007. In China, employers are projected to award raises of 9%, up from 8% this year.
Source: Career Journal, http://careerpath.org/salaryhiring/hotissues/20071214-athavaley.html
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
1/17/2008
… or your "True North." That’s the title of Harvard B-school professor and former Medtronic CEO Bill George’s newest book. I had an opportunity to participate in a teleseminar with Bill today, courtesy of the Leadership Coach Academy and Susan Britton Whitcomb/Nancy Branton.
Bill shared five key dimensions for achieving authentic leadership:
1) you need to be clear about the purpose of leadership
2) you need to practice values consistently
3) you must lead with your heart, not just your head
4) you must build long-term connected relationships
5) you must be able to lead with a sense of self-discipline
He says that the real challenge is how a leader stays true to their values and principles in the face of adversity or when there are great pressures from the outside world or when there are competing demands/seductions that pull a leader off course. "True North" explores staying on course with one’s own compass.
He advocates that leaders develop the following in themselves to help ensure success:
1) high level of self-awareness … using feedback from others to see one’s self as others see us
2) practice values under pressure … many hold back and think they can develop outside the arena
3) understanding motivations: extrinsic (money, fame, power, glory) and intrinsic (help others, develop, make difference in the world, develop self, take on causes)
*** If you are able to combine these motivations with your greatest capabilities, you’ll achieve your "sweet spot."
4) areas of development: how one builds long-term relationships … having strong support team around – leadership can be very lonely – we all need people to support us in difficult times … having mentors is key or a support group
5) leading an integrated life … can’t sacrifice personal life – integrate in all aspects of life, personal, family, work, active in community - balance
Bill stated that, without question, the hardest person one ever has to lead is yourself. If you can do all these things and be positioned to empower others around a sense of purpose and what you (team) want(s) to do, you are well on the road to effective leadership.
-- Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
12/17/2007
The following "food-for-thought" derives originally from an article by Susan Whitcomb (Career Masters Alliance) … enjoy, as you ponder the possibilities for 2008:
What’s next on the horizon for your career? Are you looking for greener pastures? It often pays to start by looking in your own back yard! A full-scale job search is a serious undertaking that, when done right, requires a great deal of work and a certain amount of risk. What many fail to recognize is that those greener pastures are often located in their own back yard … with their current employer. In other words, you have the power to create greener pastures by watering your own back yard!
As a career-minded professional, you know how to set goals. You know the "why" behind the goal, and the "how to’s" of execution. Have you considered the "why’s" and "how to’s" of winning an internal promotion? When it comes to getting promoted, there’s a tendency to focus on the how to’s. Some of those how to’s include deepening trust with key players in the organization, managing internal politics, proposing ideas and strategies that will boost net profit, and living out a clear value proposition 24/7.
It’s also important to understand the "why" behind your drive to be promoted. When you’re clear on why you want something and what it will mean to your life, you’ll have more focus and energy to go after it. It’s easy to get caught up in the hectic pace of business and forget why you’re working. In general, the why’s for wanting a promotion typically point to three primal motivations:
1. Money: The desire for financial reward is a serious motivator for many, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A healthy desire for personal financial reward often goes hand-in-hand with an ability to make money for your company, and that’s a good thing. Profit keeps the company in business and you paid well. When it comes to your salary, however, just be sure to have answers to questions such as, "how much is enough" and "what do I expect my dream salary to do for me." A handsome salary will afford you the luxury of the latest toys and a lifestyle of ease, but it won’t reduce stress or improve your relationships with friends or family members.
Tip: When discussing a raise, leave any personal financial woes out of the picture. Your boss doesn’t care that you’ve got to pay off student loans for that new Executive MBA you just finished, or that your kid has chosen to go to an expensive college, or that you have alimony payments to make, or that you need to help pay for an aging parent’s move into assisted living! Salary negotiations must always be based on the value you provide to the company, not your financial needs.
2. Ego: Many people have a healthy, well-balanced sense of confidence and self-esteem, including a desire to be recognized for their contributions. At the far end of the spectrum, however, are those who lean toward egoism, with an excessive concern about themselves and an overzealous desire to impress others—their primary motivation for making decisions is whether other people will think favorably about them.
Chris, a senior executive for a major pharmaceutical company, has made hundreds of hiring and promotion decisions over the years. He offered an interesting insight on this topic: "When it comes to wanting a promotion, I see ego, and not money, as the primary push for most people. Salary increases are often minimal with internal promotions. The prestige of the title means more to them than the paycheck." A survey by JobFox, reported in a recent SHRM newsletter, reveals that advancement opportunities top the list of what candidates most often seek. The complete results are listed here:
- An opportunity to advance, cited by 55 percent.
- More leadership responsibility, 41 percent.
- Work/life balance, 38 percent.
- Leadership that is respected and admired, 36 percent.
- A sense of accomplishment, 36 percent.
- A higher salary, 28 percent.
- 401(k) matching, 28 percent.
- A flexible schedule, 27 percent.
- A collaborative environment, 22 percent.
- Performance bonuses, 20 percent.
As with the first motivator listed earlier (money), a healthy sense of ego isn’t a bad thing. It will serve you best when balanced with a commitment to growing your career and contributing value, which brings us to motivator number three.
3. Itch: Itch is the desire to be more, learn more, and do more. It’s the urge to stretch and grow … the hunger to create something new … the drive to contribute more significantly or leave a bigger mark on your corner of the world. Motivator #3, the itch, is the motivator that the "powers that be" will be most impressed with. Why? Because it answers your CEO’s or manager’s critical question of "what’s in it for me." The "itch" shows that you’re interested in the company’s overall success and not just your own. This builds trust and will go far with your team. It tells them that you’re going to make decisions and act in a manner that will be best for the company.
There will be plenty of obstacles on the road to promotion—politics to navigate, misperceptions of you that will need to turned around, pundits to be persuaded. The higher your drive for itch, the more momentum you will have to overcome any roadblocks to promotion.
Tip: Employers have good reason to put people into roles that satisfy their itch! The Gallup organization, in a survey on the impact of employee attitudes on business outcomes, noted that organizations where employees have above-average attitudes toward their work had 38% higher customer satisfaction scores, 22% higher productivity, and 27% higher profits.
So what’s driving you? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 (1 being not at all true for me and 10 being very true for me) for each item—money, ego, itch. Did you score higher in money and/or ego than you did in the itch category? If so, what would it take for you to make a shift, where the focus is less on you and more on the company? Your boss is far more likely to grant you greater power when you’re itching to make a contribution!
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
12/4/2007
A few key stats about LinkedIn:
It’s the #1 business networking site with 15 million active users …
It has 4 million visitors each month and 35,000 new members daily …
The average LinkedIn user is approximately 39 years old …
And, for job-seekers, it maintains an online resume of each user (an electronic version that you create). Don’t miss this opportunity, which is being used more and more by recruiters to source candidates.
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
11/20/2007
No, of course it is not a game … but to ace your college application essay, it’s helpful to know the rules.
* Special Invitation - for Connecticut Clients with High School Students
This coming Tuesday, November 27, I will be presenting an interactive workshop on the college application process at the Durham Public Library (Main Street, Durham 860-349-9544) at 7 p.m. The workshop is free and open to the public. I will facilitate a program about the highly competitive college admissions process for high school seniors, juniors (who are planning ahead!), and their parents. I will present inside secrets from admissions deans from colleges and universities around the country as highlighted in my newest book, One-Hour College Application Essay.
I’ll also discuss recommended strategies from the other group of experts: college students who successfully gained admission to their preferred schools. Some of the material I’ll share was initially presented in a webinar attended by high school guidance counselors from around the country and includes highlights from a recent NBC series I did about college admissions. The program will run about an hour and will allow plenty of time afterwards for questions-and-answers. I’ll also have copies of my book available for purchase/signing for those who are interested. It can also be found at amazon.com.
10/29/2007
Consider the following – extracted from a recent newsletter of the Career Masters Alliance:
* In 2006, about 59% of women were in the labor force.
* Since the early 1980s, women’s and men’s unemployment rates have continued to be similar (in 2006, they were identical).
* From 1975 to 2000, the rate of working mothers with children under age 18 rose from 47% to 73%, where it remained in 2006.
* One-third of women in the labor force had college degrees as of 2006.
* In 2006, women accounted for 50.6% of those employed in management, professional, and related occupations.
* Employed Asian women were more likely to work in higher-paying management, professional, and related occupations than Caucasian, African-American, or Latino women in the labor force.
* By industry, more than 50% of women were employed in financial activities, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality.
* Women working full time in 2006 had median weekly earnings of $600, compared to median income of men at $743 weekly.
* Women with college degrees earned 81% more than women with only a high school diploma.
Interesting food for thought!
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
9/29/2007
I’m delighted to announce the publication of my newest book, "One-Hour College Application Essay" (JIST, Indianapolis). I’m tempted to say birth as this really was a labor of love. The timing echoed the experience of my twins in their college application endeavors, so there were a number of similarities.
Two of the very best things about researching this book were the relationships I developed with some exceptional admissions deans at schools around the country – and the chance to "meet" some talented college underclassmen, so generous in sharing their stories. Perhaps most exciting of all is the fact that my youngest son (now a high school senior) gets to mine all the incredible information these experts provided as he tackles the college admissions process.
Incidentally – it is NOT possible, nor even recommended, to try to write a complete college application essay in just one hour. But what I do impart is a method for developing a concrete draft, which is the foundation of a solid essay. The technique is as ideal for procrastinating students as it is for those who just don’t know where to begin!
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
8/28/2007
If you’re readying your job-search materials (resume, bio, cover letter, critical leadership initiatives addendum, networking card, etc.) for an immediate launch after Labor Day, here’s a quick primer on enhancing the power of the linchpin in the career document lineup. More than anything else, two key things are essential in your resume: The Qualifications Profile (summary, career highlights, whatever you name it at the top of your resume, right below contact information) … and the "stories you tell" (vis a vis CAR-story format: Challenge - Action - Result … and, importantly, IMPACT!).
Here’s a brief look at what these two components do for you. Your Profile section should be as targeted as possible to the needs of the hiring organization (explicit - if you have an ad, a lead, info that tells you what they are actually seeking … or implicit - based on your due diligence, inside leads, industry intelligence) while communicating very clearly your distinctive brand, the value you offer. Most effective today is careful selection and placement of keywords describing the position by title/level that you are qualified to fill - matching how the organization titles folks holding the role(s) you want to fill backed up by key areas of expertise that align with, again, their needs. A few examples of what you do best should be integrated (and backed up elsewhere in the resume with the salient details) into the profile. Resist the urge to include an Objective - these are considered passe. Instead, with targeted keywords and a profile that hones in on exactly what you have/that they’re seeking plus a dynamic cover letter, you’ve communicated your objective.
Moving on to CAR stories: Describe the situation you faced or challenge presented to you … discuss the initiatives or actions you took to address the problem (briefly – each CAR story should take up no more than 3-4 lines of concisely written copy on your resume with some additional space devoted to 2-3 sub-bullet points) … present the results (quantified wherever possible using numbers, percentages, statistics) … and - lastly - detail the impact it had on the organization, overall success, positioning for future success. Strive to produce three or four CAR stories for each of your most recent positions. These are the key talking points on your resume and they should present a broad cross-section of your capabilities.
Now, does your resume past the test? Can you quickly see the brand you present in your profile section? Does each position listed on your resume brim with examples of leadership, success, and results – and, most importantly, compel the reader to contact you?
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
7/9/2007
Labor Day falls on September 3rd this year … that’s just eight weeks away from today. It’s when the unofficial end-of-summer arrives as many folks think of back-to-school, back-to-work, and back-to-job-search. If you’re in that last category, my advice to you is NOT to wait until September 4th to start a search in earnest. Take advantage of these eight weeks to get everything in line all while beginning to build momentum.
First step, of course, is assuring that your resume, cover letter, critical leadership addendum, and other search materials are polished, reflective of the added-value you provide, and ready to make a compelling statement.
Next is actually getting yourself out there, making contacts, renewing your network. You say, "everyone’s away on vacation," "no one is making decisions," "it’s a waste of time" … some of that *might* be right, but I guarantee that entire offices do not empty out for eight solid weeks. And if well-publicized stats around the sorry state of American vacations are to be believed, most managers aren’t taking anywhere near their allotted vacation time. Hence, you’re quite likely to actually make contact and catch most folks "in" somewhere over the course of the next eight weeks.
You’ll get a jump on the majority of job-seekers who do say ‘why bother’ when it comes to summer searching … you’ll already be in the appropriate queues to meet returning managers and peers … you’ll have a definite headstart on most everyone else. And, worst case, let’s say the committee that needs to meet with you and ultimately tender the offer can’t be convened till the middle of September, isn’t it better to be right there, already in the system?
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
Be sure to visit http://careerhub.typepad.com/main/ for additional advice!
6/14/2007
Once or twice a year, I use this forum to do a little updating … partially to respond to client queries who’ve come to know me/my family and partly to chronicle somewhere a few of the milestones of life. Hey, it’s my blog and I can say what I like, right? Unlike several of the professional blogs to which I contribute regularly, I do occasionally like to take to the soapbox and just write about whatever topics are on my mind at a given point in time.
My off-topic musings this time are over the incredible speed with which the recent (academic) year has passed. Seemed only a few months ago that I was describing the successful conclusion of an active year-long college search, application process, etc. with my twins – and lo and behold – they are home now for the summer! They’ve *been* home for a month already, leaving their younger brother to pine for the day when he, too, can be a college guy and out of school in May.
The twins had a spectacular first year away at college … strong academic results, smooth adjustment to living independently (in a residence hall) and adapting to a third roommate, and ready acclimation to participating in three seasons of Division I sports while getting the grades. We’re proud of them … and probably most delighted that they are truly happy with their entire experience. It’s what parents most hope for, I think.
Spring was especially busy in the offices of the Absolute Advantage as I interspersed my client schedule with a new book project. This one is in an entirely new-to-me vein in terms of publishing, but one with which I have a great deal of familiarity: The college search process. The book, being published by JIST in August 2007, is "One-Hour College Application Essay." In addition to sharing many success secrets for college searching, visiting, and applications in general, I focus primarily on the essay itself – considered by many prospective college students to be the most vexing part of the entire process! Two parts of this project were especially rewarding: Developing wonderful relationships with some of the top admissions experts at respected universities throughout the country and getting to know, very well, many talented college students and understanding the processes they underwent in developing their own applications and essays. All of this will prove incredibly valuable as son #3 begins HIS application-writing process this summer (he begins his senior year and will be deeply immersed in college applications in just a few months).
Stay tuned … I’ll be posting some powerful new search ideas and strategies for careerists all summer long – around some much-needed vacation time at the Cape and in Germany. Happy trails!
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
5/1/2007
(for Connecticut residents) … Make sure that investment in your college degree pays off with the right resume-writing and job-search techniques! On Sunday, May 6, at 2 p.m., local author and career expert Jan Melnik will deliver a free, one-hour talk focusing on students (and parents!) at Border Books in Meriden Square (470 Lewis Ave.).
You’ll get the best-in-class strategies for taking that newly minted degree and perfecting your resume, optimizing your job search, and interviewing for success. She’ll share tips from her newest book.
You (or your parents) have spent thousands on your college education … as you prepare to graduate, why not spend an hour learning skills that will help you notch up the level of your resume and success of your job search? Learn the 7 best secrets for getting in the door to the job you want … and the 5 key mistakes to avoid.
Jan Melnik’s slogan is, "Be inspired. It’s your career. It’s your life.” She helps clients coast-to-coast with career strategies, resumes, and coaching services and high school/college students with applications, college search, and job search. She is the president of Absolute Advantage, a career management, resume-writing, and job-search coaching practice she founded in Durham 24 years ago. A Master Resume Writer and Credentialed Career Master, she is the careers and business start-up expert on Money Matters radio, syndicated nationwide.
Jan has written six books for Globe Pequot and JIST; her seventh title, One-Hour College Application Essay, will be available in August. She has been featured in numerous periodicals, including the LA Times, USA Today, Entrepreneur, Woman’s Day, Country Living, Business Investor’s Daily, Family Circle, and many local newspapers. She does a regular career and entrepreneurial segment on NBC television.
For more info, contact Jan at www.janmelnik.com or call Border Books at 203.237.5510.
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
4/24/2007
Part of preparing to interview effectively includes developing three or four exceptional questions for the conclusion of the interview based on your research. It is perfectly acceptable to jot these down at the top of a legal pad in the portfolio you bring to the interview. Obviously (but you’d be surprised the number of times I hear from hiring authorities how often this advice is disregarded), pay attention throughout the interview—you may already have gotten answers to some of the questions you’ve crafted; to ask them again near the close of the interview is a sure nail in the coffin of your candidacy.
As the interview begins to wrap up, you’ll undoubtedly be asked if you have any additional questions. Should the interviewer announce the conclusion of the interview by standing up without this question, you most certainly want to take control by quickly interjecting something along the lines of, “Before we wrap up, Dana, I did have a few additional questions.” Then segue into your best-of-best, previously researched questions.
Consider including the following as additional questions for the very end of the company-specific queries you’ve previously formulated from your due diligence: • How does my candidacy stack up against your expectations and the competition? • What would you expect me to be doing to earn a rave of “excellent job” 90 days into the position? • Or, worded another way: How will you measure my success in this role 90 days, 180 days, and one year from now? • Are there any questions you may still have that keep you from knowing I’m absolutely the most qualified candidate for this opportunity? • What are the next steps in the interview process? Who should I anticipate meeting with next? • When do you expect to make a decision?
Whether it’s your first interview with this company for a coveted position—or the fourth: Remember to immediately prepare and send formal thanks for the interview opportunity to everyone who spent time with you. Go beyond the courtesy thanks to reflect on several key points from each exchange. Use the thank you as a platform for strengthening any replies you felt were weak. Likewise, use the note to bring forward additional information you may have overlooked (but, of course, remembered in the elevator after the interview). Asking strong closing questions helps to cement your candidacy in the mind of the interviewer. When interspersed among several very specific questions you’ve carefully researched, this will also create a positive, lasting impression.
Finally, as mom would say, remember your manners, thank the interviewer, reiterate (with enthusiasm) your interest about coming on board, and offer a big smile with that handshake.
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
3/17/2007
There are any number of reasons a career ascent can be derailed. David Dotlich and Peter Cairo have authored "Why CEO’s Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top–and How to Manage Them." Their findings could apply to nearly anyone. Drawing heavily from research by psychologist Dr. Robert Hogan, they also tap their own knowledge as executive coaches.
Take a look at the list of the "11 derailers most common among executives" … and see if you can avoid checking off any of them:
1. Arrogance—they think that they are right, and everyone else is wrong.
2. Melodrama—they need to be the center of attention.
3. Volatility—they are subject to mood swings.
4. Excessive Caution—they are afraid to make decisions.
5. Habitual Distrust—they focus on the negatives.
6. Aloofness—they are disengaged and disconnected.
7. Mischievousness—they believe the rules are made to be broken.
8. Eccentricity—they try to be different just for the sake of it.
9. Passive Resistance—what they say is not what they really believe.
10. Perfectionism—they get the little things right and the big things wrong.
11. Eagerness to Please—they try to win the popularity of others.
(from Career Masters Institute newsletter, courtesy of Jerry Haynesworth)
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
2/26/2007
A recent hiring survey by CareerXroads showed some changing statistics among the 1.2 million employees responding (along with nearly 2,000 recruiters/sourcers filling some 188K positions during 2006). Most notable:
* 33.9% of all open positions were filled by internal transfers and promotions
* Referrals (25.6%) are arguably the number one external source with employee referrals making up some 95% of all hires in this category
* The Internet is increasingly the major means to apply and communicate no matter what the original source
* 20.7% of all external hires attributed to "company website"
* Hires attributed to specific job boards and generic niche boards represent 12.3% of external hires (this is a significant jump over the 5-7% often reported in recent years)
* Importantly, the largest trends were the growth of re-hires as a source of hire and the emergence of search engine advertising; direct sourcing also remains strong. Anyone thinking of coming back out of retirement?
(Source: Zoom Info: http://digbig.com/4rpgs as reported via weekly newsletter of Career Masters Institute: www.cminstitute.com)
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW, President, Absolute Advantage
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