A cup of coffee can make all the difference...

I just read a really interesting article in the Los Angeles Times. A recent study was conducted that showed people warm up to you faster if you have warm hands. Likewise, you are more open and friendly with people when your hands are warm. So should you hold a cup of coffee in your hands for a few seconds before a client meeting or job interview, as the article suggests? It can't hurt! Here's a link to the article, written by Denise Gellene:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-sci-hot24-2008oct24,0,2072016.story

So happy to have made your acquaintance...

The world is small. Really, really small. If you have the time and inclination, you can connect with people a world away without ever having to leave your home office. This happened to me today and I give the time and inclination credit all to my new friend, Sai Browne. (Or Saideh, as her mom would prefer...) Long story short, Sai is a an accomplished author. In gathering resources for her next book (focusing on Gen Xers who are redefining their lives) she put out a query on HARO http://www.helpareporter.com/, seeking Gen X contributors. I think I'd be an interesting case study for a number of books, so I sent her out an email. A few hours later, I got a phone call.
Let me back up. Before I sent an email to her, I checked out her blog at http://www.liferemixedradio.com/ and found it funny, real, topical and thought-provoking. As a matter of fact, I felt like after reading a few blog posts, I really knew her well. So in a matter of just a few minutes of her call, we were chatting like good friends. It didn't hurt that she too, is a Project Runway/Tim Gunn fan! (How awesome would it be to have Tim standing over me and my stack of unfinished resumes, saying "Make it work, Lauren!"
After our conversation, I thought for a moment how amazing this interaction was, and how unlikely something like this would have been years ago. I hope you, dear readers, have something just as cool happen to you this week.

New York Times article - The New Workplace Perk...

I was recently interviewed for an article in the New York Times about how gas prices are negatively affecting employees. Read the article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/fashion/07Work.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&sq=resumayday&st=cse&scp=1

A caveat to using LinkedIn as a job-search tool

Talk to me about your job search for more than 5 minutes, and you'll know that I'm a big fan of LinkedIn. Essentially, your L.I. profile can become your on-line resume, which is great! At the same time, doesn't that mean that your profile should follow the same guidelines as your resume?

As a resume writer, I strongly discourage job seekers to include their picture on the resume. That just makes sense, right? But what about your L.I. profile? Should that also exclude your picture? I tend to think it does but with all of the technology offerings that are out there today, it's going to be difficult to remain as anonymous as a traditional resume allows. (Don't even get me started on the ...$!%#@... video resume!)

My recommendation is that job seekers omit pictures from their profiles but instead, make sure the profile is as strong as possible - lots of accomplishments and as many endorsements as possible. My friend and LinkedIn coach, April Williams, recommends that anyone concerned about posting their picture to a worldwide audience chooses a group photo instead. I love this idea!

In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to worry about this at all, but that's an entirely different topic for a different day!

Yahoo! HotJobs Article

I was recently interviewed for a HotJobs article regarding The Biggest Resume Mistake. The final article, written by Caroline Potter, is here: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-the_biggest_resume_mistake_you_can_make-436. For anyone who has worked with us, you know that we really do emphasize a person's accomplishments and contributions, rather than tasks and functions. It's crucial, considering that we are in the midst of the toughest job market that our country has seen in 20+ years.

The New York Times called and told me they were reprinting a portion of this article in this Thursday's edition.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this article - share your comments here!

Excellent Resource For Our Clients - And Other Job Seekers

I want to introduce you to someone you should know. John Navin is a Financial and Investment Planner who owns his own firm, Financial Designs, Inc. I feel that it's important to stress that John is the owner of his own firm, so that it's realized up front that he doesn't come with a pre-planned agenda regarding specific financial tools or products.
Here's why I like John and am comfortable referring him to you:
1) He's a very honest, trustworthy, shoot-from-the-hip kind of guy.
2) He's extremely knowledgeable about all of his products, but won't bore you with things that aren't important to you and your financial plan.
3) He has a strong belief in doing what's right and having a positive impact on his community.
4) He's very likeable and knows how to have a good time. He throws parties and BBQs for his clients every year!

Why do want to call him?
1) 401k rollovers - a must, if you are changing employers.
2) Income Analyzer - measures current income vs. future goals.
3) Other financial tools based on your specific needs (too many to mention here!)

How do you get in touch with John?
Call him at 866-369-9029, email him at john@johnnavin.com or visit his site at www.johnnavin.com.

An example of treating a customer poorly...

After the long holiday weekend, I had an unusually large amount of emails to read. I clicked on one from a person that works for the bank that holds all of my personal and business accounts. Here's the message:

"REMOVE MY EMAIL OFF YOUR LIST AND STOP EMAILING ME, IMMEDIATELY."
Vito Salatino, Jr.

I knew that I hadn't sent Vito any emails but just to be sure, I checked my 'sent' folder. Nothing to Vito. We met some time ago at a networking event at a time that my business account rep was leaving for a different position in the company, which was upsetting to me because I was less than thrilled with his replacement. Vito told me that if I needed any help with my account, I could call him. Up until this morning, I would have told you that Vito was a nice guy.

After verifying that I hadn't sent him any emails, I called him. I introduced myself and asked about his email. He angrily told me that he received a few emails asking that he update his information through my CardScan account but that he wouldn't, because he didn't know who I was. (CardScan sends these out periodically - I have nothing to do with it.) I reminded him that we had met, that I was a current customer and that he should have looked up my information in his account system, before sending off this type of correspondence. He agreed, but the damage was done.

Banking is a competitive industry and I know for a fact that this bank is trying to 'chase' every customer they can. How difficult would it have been to update his information, when asked to do so by a loyal customer? I do this plenty for others who also use a business cards scanner and it takes no more than 10 seconds to stay in touch with customers, vendors or just great connections. Apparently, Vito has a different take on it.

That's how my week started, how about you?

Questions to ask during an interview:

I am a co-host (one of four) of a weekly Internet-based radio show (archives can be found at www.mydreambiz.net, click on 'radio show'. Every week, the four hosts tackle one subject, and discuss this subject from our own areas of expertise. Last Tuesday, the subject was "Key Questions To Ask In Your Business". During my segment, I discussed questions that job seekers should ask during an interview.
This is a big point of interest for my clients. Everyone knows that at the end of interviewer, you will be asked, "Do you have any questions for me?".
If this is the first interview, it's still the discovery phase. What I mean by this is you (the job-seeker) need to assess the company, the manager, the team and the environment in order to properly determine if it's a good fit for you. How do you do this? Ask questions that dig deep. Ask questions that will peel back the layers to really find out what you need to know. Here are a few of my faves:

1) If I were hired and able to prove my worth, what would be the typical career path of someone in my position?

2) How does your company measure employee performance and how often is this done?

3) In your opinion, what is the best part of this job?

4) How long have you worked for this company?

5) When do you think you will be making a hiring decision? (This could determine whether you send an email thank you or a handwritten note.)

6) (For salespeople) Where will I get my leads? (You want to spend your time in sales presentations, not trying to generate your next prospect.)

7) May I accompany you on a sales call?

8) May I have a tour of the office?

9) What problem do you hope to solve by filling this position: higher profits, increased sales, closing an out-of-reach client, team building, training in new procedures/technology? (At this point, your task is to show how you can help the company achieve that goal. Show that you can do the job. Be prepared to highlight the steps that you would take to solve the employer's problem and to reach the employer's goal. Show the manager how you think and how you work. Show how the company will profit from hiring you. "Be ready to tackle the issue of profitability: How is your way of doing this work going to reduce costs or increase revenues? Put a number on it. The number doesn't have to be right, but you should be prepared to defend it intelligently.)

10) What advice would you offer to the person who is hired for this position?

And the very last question you should ALWAYS ask is…

11) I am very interested in this position. Is there any other information I can provide to you to assure you that I’m the best candidate?

What do you think about this list? Can you see yourself asking these in your next interview? Would you like to add any? Comment away, the floor is yours!

Follow up from the radio show

If you read my prior blog entry, you'll see that I discussed some things to keep in mind when resigning from your job. This topic was spun from the topic of this week's radio show: Creating an Exit Strategy. Leo, John and Carl tackled this topic from a standpoint of business ownership.
Three gems that I encourage all job seekers to keep in mind are:
1) Think of yourself first. While you still have access, make sure to gather pertinent content that will add value to your resume or portfolio, such as sales numbers, production numbers and other relevant facts. Let me stress that I am not encouraging anyone to take confidential or proprietary information from their employer, but rather, open information that will support you in your career advancement. The very moment you turn in your notice, it's quite possible (and likely) that you will lose access to your computer files so gather this information before, not afterwards.

2) Ask to schedule a meeting with your manager. It's a professional courtesy to resign during a scheduled meeting, rather than blindsiding your boss while she's busy putting out other fires. It also gives you the chance to gather your thoughts, and sets a firm time for the conversation. You can't procrastinate or chicken out if your manager has already blocked that time out for you.

3) Spend your remaining time cleaning up your projects, training your co-workers and introducing your clients to the person taking over their account. Don't leave your work in disarray. This is unprofessional and will undermine all the good work you've done during your tenure. (The last impression will be how others remember you.)

As a business owner, I recently had the amazing opportunity to turn two of my former employers into clients. That wouldn't have been possible if I had left on a bad note! It was so interesting to interact with these two people again, but our roles were completely reversed. Both of my former managers are great people - in life and in business - and I was honored to work with each of them.

Every week, I contribute to an online radio show; my area of expertise is Career Advancement. Our topic for next week is How to Keep Your Business Running, Without Letting Your Business Run You Ragged. My part of the discussion will be on conducting an effective and strategic job search - while you are still employed.

Resigning from your job

The topic of today's radio show is creating an exit strategy. For Leo, John and Carl, this will mean creating an exit strategy from your own business, whether you are selling it or closing it. For my portion, I'll be talking about an exit strategy for employees. Sometimes, leaving gracefully can be difficult and depending on the circumstances surrounding your departure, it can be sooooo tempting to give everyone a piece of your mind. It's like a break-up...lots of emotions are floating around. I would encourage everyone, even in the craziest of situations to take the high road and not burn those bridges. I'll talk a little bit about strategies that will leave your managers talking how professional you were, long after you're gone.
And for those of you who still want to raise a little drama, just remember, living well is the best revenge. (Why didn't anyone tell me that in my 20's???)

Check back here in a few days; I'll recap the strategies discussed on the radio show.

Online networking

I am the moderator of a Yahoo group called the Chicago Women's Network, or Chicwomen. If you'd like to join and make great connections, go to Yahoo / Groups and search 'chicwomen'. From there, you can introduce you and you company, ask for job search advice, post an event or discuss any other topic. If you are not familiar with this type of format, our group is a great one to start with - a very friendly group. Once you join, you can invite your friends or coworkers to do the same. Hope to see you there!

Women's Leadership Exchange Conference

I attended WLE's conference yesterday at the Schaumburg Ikea. I met some really wonderful people and saw a few familiar faces (hi Kathryn and Mattine!). All in all, it was a great day and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. However, I have to wonder if I'm the only person who wishes that more emphasis was placed on business strategies, rather than family issues. I understand I was in a very large room filled with lots of moms. I get it, I really do. But the opposite is true of conferences or events that host women and men. Why is that? My first break-out session was about marketing and generating referrals. Yet the speaker spent the majority of her presentation giving analogies about her daughter and grandmother. Would she have done that in a room full of men? Probably not. So why the need to speak to a female audience in a different manner than a male audience, especially when there are so few women who are in C-level positions of major corporations? I just don't get it. I'm not a communications or psychology expert so I can't say that one is right or wrong and as long as business still gets done, value exists in both. Right?

On another topic, I was one of the fortunate few who walked away with a gorgeous gift basket from Ikea. My basket had a TON of cooking items. (Here ya go, Dan!) The first thing I opened was the Ikea cookbook for their Swedish meatballs, which are amazing. I was shocked, and then not shocked at all to find that all the measurements are in metrics. How much is 250 grams of minced pork? When do I stop pouring to get 3 DL of cream? I seriously felt like Spinal Tap trying to figure out military time. My next google search: metrics vs. english. You should have seen my two dogs looking at me while I held the whisk and spatula. I think it was a new experience for them.

Next Tuesday, I'll be joining Leo, Carl and John on the "Livin' the Dream" internet-based radio show! I'm really excited and think it's going to be a great mix. My topic will be career advancement. Leo fluidly handles business ownership, John is our financial planning whiz and Carl strategically maneuvers the world of investing in commercial real estate. All of these topics tie-in nicely together and the three of us have a great rapport. I'm looking forward to seeing how that rapport will translate on the show. Here is a link to the show where you can listen live (11AM CST every Tuesday) or to the archives: http://www.mydreambiz.net/

Until next time, have a great week!