Past Five

No Tattoos in the Workplace

Tattoos are very common place today...it is not just construction workers, as the stereo type was a quarter century ago. Today, kids get little ones on their shoulders or hips or ankles, and people have them as reminders of bets or challenges. It doesn't mean anything other than that you chose to do something to your body. Problem is...they don't go away.

So what does this have to do with a blog on jobs and recruiting? I was walking out of my office yesterday when I saw a woman wearing a tank top (Chicago in July!), and she had tattoos all over her chest. I thought to myself, What if one of her company’s clients was offended by that? What if the owner was offended by that?

From a career development perspective, you have to be very careful to either A) not offend someone who can affect your advancement, or B) be so good at your job, your appearance is irrelevant.

“B” doesn't apply to most people. Life is hard enough, and work is hard enough....if you have a tattoo, simply don't wear clothes that expose it at the office.

Be Thankful You're Busy

There is some irony to this recession thing that I keep hearing about on the news. I listen to the candidates for President speak about tax cuts for lower and middleclass Americans who need the break. I agree that the tax system is messed up, and we may in fact be in the midst of a recession, however, there is also something wrong with the work ethic of some people...or perhaps they are not complaining, because they have no work ethic. Either the politicians are speaking for people they really aren't in touch with (probably), or people really don't want to get ahead. We all see and hear it every day. The hourly worker who volunteers to be the first one let go on their shift when it is slow, yet complains they have no money. The salesperson who puts their work out ahead of making another sales call. The accountant who doesn't double check their analysis to make sure the numbers add up.  It's all around us.

My story of the week: I was dropping my car off at the mechanic, and they have this great service where they will drive you to your house, train, wherever. One of the workers just pulls up front, and you hop in and go. Wonderful. As we pull out of the parking lot, I ask the guy how business is. He says it is crazy busy. Believing there is a recession going on from all of the news reports, I said back that he is lucky, and that's great that it is so busy. He tells me not really, he has to work Saturdays, and he'd rather be fishing.

With people getting laid off all the time, the idea that you are so busy I would think would be a good thing. I have worked at least six days a week or an hours equivalent to that for over 10 years. It is how you get ahead. It really is a simple concept. Do more than the person next to you, and A. you stay employed, B. you stay in business and C. you get ahead.

The fact that people are upset that they have to work more when tens of thousands wish they had jobs is absurd to me. I am thankful every day that I have too much work to do; it makes me more valuable to my company!

Recession Proofing Tips in Salt Lake City Tribune

The Salt Lake City Tribune invited me to do an interview on tips for recession proofing your job. The article is now up over in their Business Insight section. Here's a few tips from the article:

What can you do to show your boss/company your value as an employee?

Control what you can control. You can't control the economy or the state of your company, but you can control how hard you work. You have to do your job better and do more. Take on more. Execute. Know your performance and results at all times, and take an interest in all aspects of the business to become more valuable to your employer. Don't worry so much about being laid off, worry about doing your job better.

What should you do if you are laid off?

Start your job search! Reach out to your network first. That includes anyone you have ever worked with at any company. Attend networking events in your area. Chat up people on the elevator. You never know who can help you - but be sure to be willing to help back.

Staffing and recruiting firms are also a great resource in your job search. They have connections to a vast amount of clients within varying industries and can help connect you with the right career. The key is finding a staffing and recruiting firm that takes a personal interest in your career aspirations and who will walk you through the process.

To see more tips about recession proofing your job, check out the Salt Lake City Tribune article.

Recession Proofing Your Job

People are whispering about a recession. Employees are hiding in office corners whenever their bosses walk by fearing they will be the next jobless statistic. So, how do you make sure that you won't be the next one to get the axe?

Make yourself indispensable. Companies are looking for the dead weight to let go first, so this is the time to really show how valuable you are! Here's some suggestions on how to recession proof your job:

1) Kiss Up or Kiss Your Butt Goodbye - Kidding, but there's some truth to it. You don't have to do your bosses laundry, but staying late at work a few nights a week wouldn't hurt. Let your boss know that you understand the company's state and want to help in any way you can! A few extra hours isn't going to kill you, and it just may save your job!

2) Try Out for Company Cheerleader - Companies want team players. Dive into a group brainstorming session or raise your hand to organize the next office party. Go from the nameless person in cubicle #48 to the nameless person whose always involved, and even though you're still nameless, you'll still be employed.

3) Give it to Me Straight - Be honest. Be transparent. If things aren't looking so good and coworkers are dropping like flies, talk to your boss. Be bold and ask what you can do to save your job. Most of the time, but not always, you'll get a straight answer. If it doesn't go well, at least you got a head start on the new job search!

If Terry Tate can do it...so can you.

What's Up With The Economy?!

Everyone from Barack Obama to Mitt Romney to people advertisements during the Super Bowl to your mother to your neighbor are talking about the economy and looming recession. Sub-prime mortgages have definitely thrown a wrench into the economy. Anytime billions of dollars are written off by corporations, it is going to wreck havoc in other areas.

Everyday, my clients and candidates searching for jobs ask me, "Tom, how's the job market? It's gotta be a good time to find people with downsizing going on...right?" People ask these questions as if all of the downsizing is occurring for the positions they have open. It's absolutely crazy. It has to be a great time to find an accountant, right? As if that is what Merrill Lynch, Citibank and Bear Stearns did...they laid off all of their accountants in Chicago! Absurd! And if they did, would they let go of their best ones?

First of all, we're not in a recession...yet. There is an economic definition of a recession: "x" amounts of negative growth with unemployment, yada yada yada...and there is the actual feelings of the people in the country. People who lose their jobs feel the economy is bad. It can be the best economy in the world and if your company goes out of business, then the economy isn't treating you real well. You can have the worst economy in the world, yet if your company is doing well and growing, then the business is great. Last quarter Exxon Mobile had the largest quarterly profit in the history of the United States...don't tell the oil industry that the economy is doing poorly.

Oh my goodness, the housing market stinks! That must mean the economy is in the toilet. Are you tying to sell your house? I had a friend tell me he can't believe how many houses in his neighborhood are on the market and not selling. I asked, "Are you planning on selling your house?" He said "no." I asked him why he was worrying then. The simple fact is, if you need to sell your house because you are relocating, then you are a legitimate victim of a poor housing market. Most people are not in that category. If you need to sell your house because you cannot afford your mortgage...you created the dilemma you are in. In fact, to blame the economy because you can't afford your mortgage payment if like not voting in an election and then being mad about who is elected. You did this.

What you can do is control what you can control. That is your earning potential, your career stability and how much you spend. Stop buying Starbucks for $3.25 everyday, start making your lunch rather than buying it and focus on doing your job better than ever so you have more job security and you earn a raise, a bonus. And when the recession does come, you will have job security because your company would be foolish to let you go!

Thanks to Strategic Sourceror for picking up on my quotes in BusinessWeek about why it helps to hire during a recession rather than fire. They've got a good post up about recession-proofing your business...so check it out!

After Work Socializing

This is a big part of the career experience, for a number of reasons. To begin with, it is important for you to invest your time beyond the "9-5" experience. By showing your coworkers that you want to spend time with them, you are opening up the communication doors at a whole new level. You don't have to be a big drinker, all you need to do is be able to smile, talk and listen.

The key is, do you genuinely care about making this relationship work? If the answer is no, it's just a job, and you don't want to spend anymore time with your coworkers than the 40 hours you must, it will show through. If you don't want to get to know them, you are losing out on a valuable experience!

Why would you not want to expand your social horizons and become friendlier with a new group of people? I read once, you can never have too many friends...and the ability to make friends with people whose income is dependent on the same things as yours is a good thing! "We're in this together" is the message you should send to your team. Plus, it can be a great opportunity for you to get to know people you don't interact with every day. Who knows, maybe one day they will actually be able to help you accomplish something.

Plus the coworkers get sick of your excuses as to why you can't join them.

1. The man's excuse of "My wife won't let me go" is unfair to wives everywhere. They want a night off to go shopping, drinking with friends or simply to watch reality television by themselves while eating fluffernutter sandwiches in bed alone.
2. Women...you're men can fend for themselves. You know, he'd rather have fast food any way, or simply drink beer and watch rodeo on ESPN 2. Let them have their night.

So, lose your lame excuses, invest in your career, and have some fun, make some friends and don't drink and drive!

Realizing You May Not Be The Right Fit For The Job

I recently came across this article by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans about finding the "right fit." I think Beverly and Sharon make a good point that managers have the clearest sense of the "right fit," but I think the employee also carries some responsibility for knowing their own skill sets and seeking a job that suits them.

A while back I had an employee who was so excited to get into recruiting and staffing, though he had never done the job before.  He was going to study and read, listen and observe, really dive into what we were doing.  He said that he had never failed at anything and he really, really wanted to be successful.  To make a long story short, he wasn't good at the job.  There is a ton of multi-tasking in our business in addition to sales, negotiations, administrative skills and the ability to work well in a team.  We gave this guy many chances and allowed him to fail and use the experiences as learning opportunities. 

But he didn't get better. We couldn't understand what was going on.  Was he lazy?  He must be, why else wouldn't he do the things he was asked!  Perhaps he was insubordinate?  Maybe. He didn't always do what was asked, no matter how many times we asked him. 

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.  He wasn't any of those things.  He simply didn't have the skill set or understanding to do this job.  He was being the best HE could be.  It simply wasn't good enough for the job.  I found peace of mind when I realized that he wasn't taking advantage of me or the company or that he wasn't wasting his intelligence.

He just wasn't good.  It would be like me trying to play professional football.  No matter how hard I tried to remember all the plays and the exercise regimen and the training, I couldn't succeed.

Sometimes employees have to accept the fact they don't have the abilities to do a certain job.  It can be a humbling experience...it is a humbling experience.  However if you can come to terms with the fact that no matter how hard you try, you can't grasp it, you will make yourself happier because you will begin to search for a job which requires a different skill set - yours!

First Business - Managing Millenials

A clip from my interview with Tom Hudson on First Business Morning News talking about how to manage the next generation of employees - Millennials.