Past Five

Advice for the Class of 2012: Do What You Love

So many blog posts and articles I’ve read recently have spouted endless advice for 2012 graduates. Forbes contributor Mike Myatt advised graduates to cultivate and maintain relationships, continue learning throughout their lives and live below their means.

A Wall Street Journal blog post was less coddling….basically deflating the egos of this generation and saying they are less intelligent, charming and invaluable than their professors made them believe.

While all this advice is beneficial, albeit somewhat harsh, one piece was missing. Do what you love. It’s that simple.

Too many recent graduates accept offers for positions they know they won’t enjoy merely to have a job. They are nervous to be unemployed with a degree and college loans, so they jump at the first opportunity.

I recently interviewed a candidate who was considering accepting a job in sales…but they hated sales and knew it wasn’t what they wanted to do. Why even consider the offer?

Why not take a temporary position to earn money, gain experience and augment a skill set until a dream job is determined or secured? In the long run, I believe this will make millennials happier and more successful.

Relocation: A Viable Option for the Long-Term Unemployed

The Congressional Budget Office recently announced that as of January 2012, 5.5. million workers had been unemployed for six months or longer, and nearly 2 million of those had been jobless for 99 weeks or more. So what can the long-term unemployed do to find a job? In my previous post I mentioned being willing to make sacrifices, such as taking a pay cut. One highly overlooked avenue is relocation. However, few people consider this option due to the poor housing market.

But why not call in the moving vans? If your job search is fruitless and you live in an area where jobs are scarce, it might pay to relocate.

History has taught us that people go where there is opportunity. Europeans immigrated to America in search of a better life and settlers ventured out west chasing the promise of riches, both with measurable results.

But today we have the mentality that we can’t uproot our families; the reality is people move all
the time with few (if any) long-term detrimental effects to themselves or their children.

Constraining a job search to geographic locations limits the number of potential opportunities
available and creates another hurdle to finding a job if you are unemployed.

Trapped in Unemployment or Trapped in a Selective Search?

Last night I watched “Trapped in Unemployment,” a segment which appeared on 60 Minutes. Although the show detailed Joe Carbone’s educational program for the long-term unemployed in Connecticut (Platform for Employment), it was overshadowed by the students who were interviewed.

One participant shared his unwillingness to accept work he felt was below him, such as part-time positions and working at a local grocery store; yet he bemoaned his inability to find a job for over two years. Ironic. Strangely enough, this is too often a sentiment shared among the unemployed. While some of those who are out of work are willing to do anything to support their families, others remain selective in their job search.

Those who are unemployed need to realize there are jobs available, they may be part-time positions or positions with a lower compensation rate, but nonetheless, they are opportunities.

Unemployed job seekers must be willing to make sacrifices to secure a position, such as taking a pay cut, learning new skills, and volunteering their time to expand their business acumen. If they do this, I believe they will find themselves among the ranks of the employed.

While there are instances where it is acceptable to wait for a higher offer, when you are collecting unemployment is not the right time. No matter how much money you end up getting, waiting for a position with a higher salary is not as important as having a job.

Benefits Abound for Temp-to-Perm Employment

Today, many companies are opting to hire new employees on a temporary-to-permanent basis instead of diving right in to direct hire. However, at LaSalle we are finding that job seekers are hesitant to accept these positions because of negative connotations associated with temporary hiring.

If you are able to disregard the so-called, "stigma," associated with temporary work, you will see there are many benefits of temporary-to-permanent employment.

Test Drive: Temp-to-perm employment allows you up to 12 weeks to experience everything the job has to offer. Perhaps the position is exactly what you are looking for, but maybe your micromanaging supervisor is too much to handle. In either case, it's a win-win situation. If you don't like the position, you can end the assignment and search for other opportunities. If you love it and work hard, there may be a job offer at the end.

Expand Your Knowledge: A temp-to-perm position is a great opportunity to learn another line of business, acquire a new set of skills or absorb information that could be useful in the future. Many companies also offer training programs for their temp-to-perm employees. In these instances, if an offer is extended you will have all the tools to succeed on the job. If an offer is not extended, you will have added to your skill set and increased your wealth of knowledge, escalating your market value as a job seeker.

Potential Pay Increase: If you work hard and collaborate well with staff, it's possible you will be extended a permanent offer. Not only will you now receive company benefits, but you will also earn a pay increase. The amount will vary depending on the company and position.

Other benefits of temporary-to-permanent employment that stress the temporary side include:

Boost Your Resume Experience: If you have minimal work experience, a temp-to-perm position is perfect for beefing up your resume. Although the position may not be your ideal career, you can include newly acquired skills on your resume that may help you snag your dream job.

Pursue a Variety of Careers: If you are uncertain of your career path, a temp-to-perm position allows you to dapple in a variety of fields in order to find the perfect fit.

Earn Money: If you are unemployed and job searching, a temp-to-perm position allows you to earn money while continuing your job search on the weekends.

How to Ask for a Raise

In this economy, is it even possible to ask for a raise?

The answer is, maybe. But, it’s not that simple. There are certain steps you must take before you even consider asking the question.

1. Evaluate Your Company. Is your company profitable? If not, then the answer is a definite no.
2. Be Realistic. Don’t just go to salary.com, you must look at yourself comparatively to people doing the same job as you. Are you doing better than them? Are you bringing extra value to the role and company? If so, consider asking.
3. Assess Your Worth. Have you taken on slack for an employee who recently left the company? How have you affected morale? Do you add or take away from the culture? What tangible results have you produced for the company?

If you can positively answer these questions then you should consider asking, but first you must master the “art” of asking for a raise.

1. Be Confident, Not Cocky. When asking for more money, your tone of voice matters. Make sure to be confident, yet not come across as demanding.
2. Know When to Ask. The best time to ask for a raise is during a performance review or when feedback from your manager is positive. If you’re continuously delivering at high levels and receiving consistent positive feedback, this is a clear sign a raise may be in sight.
3. Have Good Reasoning and Tangible Examples. Outline your job description in comparison to what you are doing on a day-to-day basis. Make sure to provide in detail the tasks or initiatives you independently began or what you did that was above and beyond management's expectations. If you’ve directly helped or developed a product to increase profit, revenue, or the customer base make sure to mention it.

Remember even if you do all the steps above, make sure you’re mentally prepared if your employer says no. Instead of becoming upset or quitting, ask your boss how you can improve and what steps you need to take in order to receive a raise in the future. If you’re proactive and positive, your chances of a raise will one day be in sight.

For more information, see LaSalle Network's segment on NBC's Smart Money

 

 

Why Jobs Are Still Going Unfilled

I wrote this post several weeks ago for the Crain's Chicago Business small business blog, Enterprise City, and I thought I'd share...

With unemployment still in the 9% range, many people are wondering why any job is going unfilled. It's a logical question, with a logical answer. 

Many companies, large and small, got fat during the good economy of 2002 to 2007 — and they don't want to make the same mistake again. While they were growing during this stretch, they added people without always having a strategy or reason to do so. There was business to fulfill, and they needed people.

Haphazardly adding employees achieved two results for many companies:

1. They overpaid for talent. 

2. They hired people who weren't the right level of talent for the job. 

Over the past 18 months, companies have realized they can work more efficiently, make profits and have less turnover and higher morale. Or at least equal morale as before the recession. (Having good morale with a lazy workforce isn't positive, either.) Why? Because many of the people they let go were their lowest performers. 

Don't get me wrong — there were some very talented people let go in the past three years for very legitimate reasons. However, there are more people who were let go because they were the least-valuable people in their department and in their organization. I meet with CEOs, vice-presidents of HR, CFOs, etc., all the time, and not once have one of them said they were letting go of their "best" employee because of the economy. 

Unemployed professionals need to look at their communication skills, their experience and their compensation and figure out why they are unemployed and what they can improve on to make it back into the workforce. 

It's hard to take a step back in pay. However, if no one is willing to pay you what you were making . . . do you have another choice?

Stand out from the sea of unemployed

With 15 million people unemployed and only 3.1 million available jobs, job seekers need to differentiate themselves from the crowd by pinpointing companies and industries instead of appealing to the masses. Prior to the Great Recession where candidates displayed a multitude of skills and expertise to potential employers, today’s job seeker needs to deliver only what the employer asks for in order to get noticed.

I've seen thousands of generic cover letters and resumes over the past 18 months. Create a niche for yourself. Just as Pottery Barn caters toward home decorators or ESPN targets sports lovers, job seekers must do the same. Whether you are a .NET developer, customer service representative, or accountant, the recruiter or hiring manager is seeking something specific, so give it to them.

Create tailored cover letters and resumes, each highlighting a specific skill set and background, and spend considerable time and energy getting the information into the right hands. It’s more effective to exhibit passion and expertise about one or two skills related to the position than a multitude of unrelated talents.

One of the largest mistakes job seekers make is not dedicating enough time to their cover letter or introductory email. Ninety percent of job seekers have generic cover letters that reiterate bullet points on their resume. A cover letter or intro email is the first document an employer reads: make it stand out. The key to a cover letter is to prove to the employer that you are knowledgeable about their company and industry and would add value from day one. Use the company website and research current events that pertain to the industry and incorporate this information. Doing this will allow you to stand out as a well-informed and valuable candidate.

Tweak your resume depending on the job; be certain to align your skills and experience on your resume with the job description provided. Remember your goal is to compose a resume that is congruent with what the company desires in an ideal candidate without fabricating your professional experience. Regardless of the vernacular used at your previous employer, always use verbiage future employers will recognize. For example, sales versus business development, telemarketing versus telesales, customer service versus account management. Companies will tell you what they are looking for in their job description, so use their words.

Don’t network. It’s just turned into an excuse to drink free booze. Instead of going through your immediate connections and attending happy hours with no follow-through, work backwards. Focus your attention on five companies you are interested in and go from there. Locate current and past employees on LinkedIn or the company’s website and schedule a meeting with them. One of the largest mistakes job seekers make is acting too desperate for a job. Instead of asking employees about job openings, take this meeting as an opportunity to pick their brain and find out about their company’s culture, growth strategy, and business practices. These meeting are twofold. One, you become knowledgeable and educated about the company. Two, you will gain internal advocates who can provide additional exposure and support outside of the traditional hiring process.  

How to End on a High Note

Beginning a new job is exciting, but you must remember that leaving your old job professionally is integral to your career success. Moving on to a new employment opportunity and leaving your job is more challenging than you think. It’s crucial to leave your current job on a high note, and the tips below can aid you in a positive transition out.

Tell key people that you are resigning. First and foremost, you want to talk to your supervisor, and explain clearly and concisely why you are leaving. The delivery of your resignation letter should be via conversation not via e-mail. Next, talk to others in management with whom you worked closely, mentors and people that you may have mentored. You don’t want key people you’ve worked with to “hear it through the grapevine.”

Be considerate of your employer and coworkers. Giving your employer adequate time to find someone to replace you, transition someone into your role, etc. is crucial. Two weeks is customary and expected. You want to get organized as well. Make a list of assignments and projects that you will complete before you leave. Next, compile a list for your supervisor of projects that are pending. You want your transition out to be as seamless as possible for you and your employer. Leave names of contacts, user IDs and passwords, and guides and manuals to help those who take on your role. Stay focused, and work hard, if not harder, than you have in this position all along.

Be positive! Let your colleagues and supervisors know you appreciate the time you spent with the company and working with each of them. Discuss particular projects on which you enjoyed working. Thank them for memories you’ve shared. Leave your contact information and be sure to get theirs. These soon-to-be former colleagues should be part of your network, and supervisors should be part of your reference network.

To avoid burning any bridges, follow the advice above, and you’re sure to end on a high note.

How to Land and Capitalize on Summer Employment

Spring has begun, and summer is just around the corner. Do you, or your kids, have a job lined up to capitalize on those summer months? A summer job is more than just mowing lawns or flipping burgers; it is a chance to make connections that will prove helpful throughout your career, and in this flooded market, students need to start their summer job search NOW.

Start NOW

Now, right now. Go. It’s never too early to begin your summer job search. Whether you plan on going home for the summer, traveling out of state or setting up shop on-campus, it’s important to start researching potential summer employment now. Target companies in your area and contact them directly inquiring about summer help. Reach out to local staffing and recruiting firms regarding project work. Go to the local library to peruse posted flyers. Wait until June to search for a summer job and you may find yourself holding down your parents’ couch instead of building your resume during the summer months.

Cast a Wiiiiide Net

Everyone should know you’re looking for summer employment including your family, friends, friends’ parents, parents’ friends, professors, advisors, old coaches and teachers, your family doctor, the grocery store clerk, you get the idea. The more people who know you’re looking for a job the more quickly you will secure one.  

Inform your contacts on what your ideal job is and sell them on why you should be hired. When selling yourself to your network include information like major, year in school, previous relevant work experience, interest in the company, industry or position, work schedule flexibility and positive attitude. The more your network knows about what you want in a summer job and why, the easier it will be for them to be an effective mouthpiece for your job search.

Target Internships

Even in this stringent market, many companies continue to offer summer internships to eager college students. Do your research on the target companies for which you’d like to work and inquire about summer internship programs, however, be sure to remain open to companies and industries outside your ideal. Internships are a hot commodity for college students, and the candidate pool will be competitive, so be sure to maintain an open mind and attitude to all opportunities.

Don’t expect to get paid for your summer internship. Many employers are cutting back budgets for these types of programs, and landing internship experience is priceless, regardless of the immediate monetary rewards.

Don’t Treat it Like “Just Another Summer Job”

Yes, your summer job may not be directly congruent with your long-term career goals; however, the contacts you meet now will prove valuable partners in the future. Treat every interview, every interaction with employers and every hour of your work day as you would a “real” job. Your performance, attitude and professionalism during summer employment are a reflection of you and your work ethic, no matter how irrelevant your summer job may seem. Make a good impression on your summer employer, and you will find yourself with a valuable resource with whom to reconnect after graduation.

 

Unemployment Jumps the Shark

Unemployment jumped the shark today.  The elusive 10% barrier has been crossed.  What does this mean? 

 

As I was waiting for the report this morning, I "knew", as much as anyone can know, that it would cross 10 percent today.  The healthcare bill is up for grabs, two democratic states in 2008 (NJ and VA) elected Republican governors....the tide was coming and it was spouting, "No good news for D.C."

 

My thought is that as unemployment rises and this "jobless recovery" continues and the DJIA goes above 10,000....is this good for the current administration?  Does it scream to the American public, "do more, fast!!!" in order to save us?  I hope not.  All cycles are just that, cycles.  The government did the right thing in stepping in to save GM and the financial services bail out, now we need to let the market settle in...let capitalism take over...and let small businesses grow!

 

We need to encourage small businesses to become large businesses.  To encourage companies to go public.  To foster the creation of start up companies.  We must, as a society, embrace people who are willing to risk everything, reputation, savings, etc. to start a company.  Entrepreneurs are the job creators of America; hopefully our politicians will realize this.  Extending unemployment benefits another 20 weeks is not the answer.  Giving an incentive for people not to take any job is a disservice to the countless men and women who will do anything to put food on their family's table.