By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

Does it sometimes feel that as if you are in the world described by the 1999 Matrix movie where humans are living in an artificial world and that the world is not quite what it seems to be and a menacing conspiracy is at work against you?  How do you unplug from the matrix and bring logic to your job search and life?

For whatever reason this thought came to mind as I prepare my final lecture for the semester.  What final wisdom can I leave my students? We have been together already (online) for 12 weeks.  {SLS 1301 Career and Life Planning}  The measured outcomes for this course are based on a student’s ability to identify aptitudes, interests, values and personality as related to their career decision-making and their personal life.

First I like to ‘ring a bell’ and remind my students to view their instructor (and other authoritarian figures) not as the sage on the stage but rather their guide on the side?  Greater longer lasting success is achieved in the classroom when education becomes student centered which translates to where students are given tools and hands-on experiences and taught to think by analyzing, reasoning and synthesizing to develop their own learning.  This is in contrast to where in the old days that we as teachers lectured and students were led to believe that the words and wisdom of the instructor is omnipotent.   (This approach would be considered instructor-centered teaching.)

I am thinking of closing this semester with the thought that a job search is not an isolated experience. All that my students learned this semester has a connection, not only to each of their assignments, but to that which they do on a daily basis as well as prior life experiences (like Experiential Learning).  For example, take something as simple as me going to the supermarket. It is not just about me going to the grocery store to purchase food.  To go to the store I have to consider whom am I cooking for this week?  Am I the only cook or will Lori be cooking this week too?  Will Lori’s mother be with us at dinner?  Are their health issues that we have to consider?  How can the food we purchase help us be healthier and live longer?  (Darn my parents!  Why did they make me leave a clean plate?) What is my work schedule?  What is Lori’s schedule?   And what about other experiences such as three weeks ago when Lori cooked a vegan lasagna that was actually good, for not having any meat.  (Do you understanding where I am going?  Do get my point?  If I was thinking of Lori’s lasagna for three weeks, how could it be an isolated experience if it was still in my thoughts?  Giving time I could bring in many more examples that a simple visit to the super market is not an isolated experience.

This premise that there is no such thing as ‘isolated’ holds true for the job search experience as well.  Like my supermarket trip there is more involved in a job search than only the specific event.  This is the message that I imparted last week when I spoke to c-level executives at the local workforce program and afterwards to ‘soon-be-graduates of our Honor College.  I like my students, with this final lecture, to understand that a job search is really a series of staged opportunities waiting for a successful experience to occur.  {Here are activities that could become staged opportunities; distributing a résumé, delivering a 30 – 45 seconds selling (elevator) speech, attending a networking business event, sitting for an interview, canvassing and cold calling, making a telephone sales call, or responding to an employer’s objections.}

Each of these activities is an event by itself.  How my students go about to achieve success in these activities now or following graduation is directly related to everything they have done in life to this point.  What they learned in their fifth grade writing class set a foundation for their résumé, or a high school speech class gave preparation for building networking skills, past work history establishing an employer’s attitude about their work expectations, or possibly accomplishments and achievements in other areas such as being a member of an association will have consider impact on what happens to them now in their job search and planning a career.   So to say a job search is an isolated experience is just not so.

I will share with my students that to be successful today, they must be mindful of all of their choices and decisions as they move through life if they want to boost their personal performance for improving job search effectiveness.  The message is to do their best, no matter.  Build success by doing everything well, whenever and wherever.  To be effective, they must keep in mind that their success is an accumulation of all their prior experiences and training that have led to this opportunity.

So where am I in preparing my final lecture?  Should the topic be, that there can not be an isolated job search (or life plan) experience?  Everything is connected.  Or maybe for now, I will just encourage my students to build a plan drawing from what learned in this course.  Write it down.   This makes it real.  Let this plan give you direction.

I have two weeks to decide.

Here’s my personal plan.  Use it to develop your own career and life map.

1. Define Yourself.
2. Follow a Plan. Write it down.
3. Retrain.  Don’t let your education and time pass you by.
4. Stay Informed in your field or where you want to go.
5. Get Involved.  Talk to people.
6. Stage your opportunities.
7. Keep in the Line of Sight of Decision-makers.
8. Measure everything – You don’t manage what you don’t measure.
9. Job Search – Ready Aim Fire

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

The reason that many job seekers do not secure an interview through networking may be that they approach the networking experience more as an  introduction rather than a closing.  I am talking about a closing like in securing a signature on a purchase contract.  Many networking experiences end in “Thank you, I’ll hold on to that information” or “good luck, I know you will be successful” rather than the employer inviting the job seeker to an interview appointment.

Job seekers attend networking events to secure interviews by introducing themselves through the stating of occupational title(s), talents, skills, achievements and accomplishments.  You have been told probably many times to rehearse this networking ‘speech’ to friends or to practice with other colleagues at networking groups.  Most job seekers follow this flawed process even though there are many road blocks in following this tack. The chief ruse of the job seeker is to ‘talk’ the employer into asking them to come in for an appointment.  This method does not work.  Sales are not made by talking.

Another view of this scenario is for the same job seeker to enter a networking event with a mindset of gaining access to interviews by getting potential employers to talk.  One approach is to follow the same techniques applied by successful sales professionals.  That is to become a good listener and ask targeted questions.  Sales are made by hearing first from the potential purchaser.  Successful sales people listen for clues.  These clues are tips. They could be issues, needs or barriers faced by the purchaser or an objection to products or services.

This is why I shout, “Long Live Objections! Objections are gateways that lead to successful networking experiences”! The secret of networking success is to ask questions.  The goal is to ‘bring out loud’ what is on the potential employer’s mind.  What are they thinking that you can use to open a door in order to promote your skills?  How can you use this information to promote your talents that may be good for them?   Strangely enough you asking questions will minimize your need to talk   This ability to ask questions may also give you control of the networking experience. [Keep in mind however that someone with objections is probably someone not listening. They may have tuned you out so it is important for you to be alert to signals such as body language in order to maintain their attention.]

The next time you stand in front of a mirror, do so by practicing your questions.  Develop a ‘handful’ of questions to bring with you to a networking event.  Aim your questions at getting the employers to talk about their barriers, the ones they face each day.   This is what you need to hear so you can initiate an offense to address (and eliminate) their objections.  Although this method maybe more frightening, it is through objections that you are able to identify real employer needs and what they really object to in giving you an interview.

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

[When hires do not produce positive results, the costs are Thousands of dollars, Upset customers and Loss productivity to an organization.  Business success is all about Good Hires/Bad Hire.  Employers ask, “What can this candidate do for me?".   Job seekers must think, "What can I do for this employer?"]

Future Blogs on these Subjects

A Job Search activity is a staged opportunity for a successful experience to occur.©

Objections are gateways that lead to successful networking experiences! Long Live Objections!©

There is no such thing as is an isolated job search experience.©

The only difficult interview question is the one you did not practice.©

A job search is more than just a résumé.©

There are only five interview questions?

A successful job search is one which identifies an employer’s needs and fills those needs.©

Those who apply for a job called Anything end up with Nothing?©

You will end up somewhere else if your job search is missing an occupational title.©

Don’t leave your job search to chance.

Don’t leave your career to chance.

A Job Search is defined to place, period, and people.©

Don’t look only for job openings – Look for companies that hire people with your skill sets or occupations like the ones you seek.

Put yourself in the line of sight of the employer.

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

It is Spring Break and Larry’s on the move.  This time we have a double plan.   The first plan is that you will find me speaking in Plant City, Florida offering tips on  Effective Job Search Strategies, (Bruton Memorial Library Presentation).  Plan two is that I am in Plant City, Florida during its annual Strawberry Festival and you know what I will be doing.  Just how much time I will have to slurp up a strawberry shake and chuck down a huge slice of strawberry pie with lots of real whip cream will be questionable.  Because in hindsight it may appear that I am going for a new Guinness Record.

In just one hour you will learn how to job search from the employer’s perspective—a job search which identifies an employer’s needs and how to fill those needs.  You will understand the cycle of a job search and how to Stage a Self-Directed Outcome-Based Job Search.  My message is straight-forth.  A job search is more than a résumé.  If you leave your job search to chance, you will end up with someone else’s dream.

Attendees will discover how to:

• Identify the best ways to job search
• Write an attention-getting resume
• Interview with impact and authority
• Answers to the most difficult interview questions
• Design and implement a strategic job search plan.

…and even if you do not have a sweet tooth I hope you find time to join us, if you are in the area.

A successful networking speech is understanding the difference between marketing and sales By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

The purpose of networking when seeking a job is to secure an appointment for an interview.  This is literally the same as walking away with a signed contract at a sale.  Most job seekers think they are selling when they are really marketing during the networking experience. Marketing is the period when you promote your product or service. A sale is when you walk away from a meeting with a signed agreement or cash in hand.

Most workforce agencies refer to this process as developing an elevator speech.  The classic explanation of an elevator speech of course is that it takes place in an elevator.  For example you and I are in an elevator in a local multi-story hotel coming down from a job fair.  The elevator stops on the third floor and the door opens.   In walks a local employer.  He recognizes me as the job coach and says, “Hi Larry, How are you? I’m so glad to see you.  It just so happens that we have a great opening for a supervisor.”  He goes on to explain the skills they are seeking.

I am thrilled.  He just described your skills. I point to you and exclaim, “What a coincidence!”  I introduce you and tell the employer that you have these very skills.  Then I ask you to give him a brief introduction.

You have 30 seconds or less to capture his attention and secure an interview.

What do you say?

Are prepared?

This could happen to you at any time, in any place, with anybody.

The 30-second elevator speech is an essential talent that you must carry with you at all times. It is your prepared attention-getting mini-presentation that can be performed in a matter of seconds.  My problem with most elevator speeches is that they have the wrong focus.

Preparing an Effective Speech

So what is a good elevator speech?  What do you say?  How do you prepare an effective presentation that you can recall and present in a matter of seconds?  Most job seekers are taught to tell the potential employer about themselves.

• Give your name.
• Tell your industry experience.
• State a few accomplishments.
• Point out your strengths.
• Close with the type of position you seek.

What do you think a professional sales trainer would say about this example of an elevator speech?  They probably would say this is a marketing speech.  Any sales trainer will tell you that you can not sell when you are talking. Networking must be a two way conversation. Creating successful sales is to eliminate the objections or barriers that prevent you from closing the deal.  You cannot eliminate the objections to your sales presentation until you know the problem you are trying to correct.

Every employer has some sort of business pain.  When the pain gets great enough, they advertise a position seeking someone who can ease that pain.  Your task is to prepare your elevator speech in a way to identify this pain and to demonstrate your ability to fix it.   And you have to do it in 30 seconds.

The real value in networking is learning how to engage the potential employer. Most job seekers think networking is about telling employers about themselves.  Keep in mind however, a job search at this stage is not really about you, but rather what you can do for employers by using examples of what you have done for others.  If your elevator speech demonstrates your ability to fix your prospective employers’ problems, your opportunities to be remembered will improve dramatically.  Remember, it’s not about you; it’s about what you can do for them.

Jaazle Technicolor 30 Second (Elevator) Commercial

1. Introduce yourself with a Technicolor Statement
2. Identify issues or problems the employer faces in their business
3. Promote your accomplishments, achievements and benefits on how you can fix these issues
4. Connect your skills, talents and value
5. Close by asking for the appointment

Key Points about Your Elevator Speech

• Never be without one
• Fit to the position you seek
• Practice makes perfect

Important Findings on Where to Look for Job

My Top Tutorials for Learning Social Media  

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

It is Grammy night in our house or it seems.   Lori’s Mom Shirley, (all 84 + years) is doing her own version of ‘pants go down’ while swinging to the Grammys on her wide screen.  At dinner tonight Shirley was even sharing with Lori and me the similarities and differences between Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, and Lady GaGa.  This is happening while Lori is focus on her work with the HR Florida 2010 conference and I am making final preparation on choosing which videos I will select to welcome my students back at the local community college.

In the vein of the Grammys it is equally difficult to choose what job search issues I would select as my nominees for the biggest barriers to employment search success.  I thought maybe I would share with you my nominees for poor performer of the year in the job search category.

Will the five nominees, in no particular order, please come forth.

First is the failure to recognize how your personality affects your decisions.   Each of us as individuals has a natural preference for our personality and our behavior.  It is like which hand do you prefer?  Is it your left or right?   Not knowing your orientation in assimilating this information places you at a big disadvantage in your job search. Understanding how you make your decisions or how you take in information  can give you a whole new outlook on the approach you use to seek employment.

Next we have Poor Preparation.  A job search is much more than just the distribution of your résumé.  For example do you carry a networking card?  Have you prepared a top-notch voice mail message to leave with a potential employer?  How effective is your 30 second marketing message?   Have you created a list of 50 contacts to begin your networking?  Great athletes don’t just step on the field and perform at maximum efficiency.  They break records because they prepare and prepare and….

Third is failure to launch.  What is your plan?  What will you do each day to conduct an effective job search?  How many contacts do you need to make in order to achieve a specific number of interviews each week?  There are many ways to seek employment.  Here are some suggestions: Networking, Social Media, Collaboration, Personal and Professional Contacts, Recruiters, Online Job Boards, Employer sites, Business locations, Cold Calling and Job Fairs. 

Here is a plan you can implement if you do not have anything in place:  Don’t look only for job openings.  Look for companies that hire people with your skill sets or occupations like the ones you seek.  And if you really, really need to move quickly – follow this direction for reaching out to potential employers:  READY, AIM, FIRE.  In other words find ways to place yourself in the ‘eyesight’ of the decision makers (lots of them) fast.  Get yourself out there.  

Lack of an occupational title is our fourth nominee.  There is no job called anything.  You will end up somewhere else if your job search is void of an occupational title.  Define yourself.  Seeking employment is difficult if you cannot wake up each day knowing what kind of position you will seek today.   (It does not have to be an occupational title.  It can be two or three skills that are transferable to a variety of occupations and industries.) 

Lastly our nominee is that many résumés are career obituaries.  They speak to the past and do not make the jump to the future.  In other words, the résumé does not focus on what the employer is seeking.  The majority of résumés are a chronological list of work history with the focus mostly limited to company names, dates of employment, and job titles.

Employers are not mind readers. Your résumé must make it clear how your skills match what they seek.  Be very careful not to make your résumé a recollection of things dead and gone.  Make it a living reflection that points out how you can fix your prospective employers’ problems.

PS  One résumé does not fit all.  How could it match the position completely if your résumé is written before the ad is posted?  Your résumé must be tweaked to fit each position you apply. 

So who is my winner this Grammy season?  Who will go home with the trophy?

It is YOU!  You are the winner because you can integrate this information into your strategic plan which will lead you to your desired outcome.  You will achieve results by improving your effectiveness, which in turn will increase your opportunities.

Michael VanDervort, author of “Human Race Horses” blog, has a great post, “Why Al Gore Should Be This Year’s SHRM Annual Keynote Speaker” http://bit.ly/7t4rnx

Margaret Finney, graciously wrote a guest post with an opposite opinion. . http://bit.ly/5FSRW3

I’m simply reacting to our reactions when we disagree with a choice or opinion. Mike pointed out in reply to me that Margaret made excellent alternative suggestions for speakers, which is absolutely true. I just believe in listening with an open mind.

There are lots of great responses on  http://www.thehumanracehorses.com/ Here was my response:

I agree with Mike’s take on the reasons why SHRM should have Al Gore as the keynote speaker.

There are even greater issues at stake here.

Setting aside the issue of global warming, when did it become a bad thing to listen to another opinion? By keeping our minds open, we might actually learn something new.  Our opinion may not change. At least we can walk away with a broader perspective.  When I was growing up my father and grandfather would give me books to read and afterwards we’d have discussions.  They would play devil’s advocate as I struggled to make my case.  Any one of us can put the spin on most anything and we do.

HR Florida received flack from having Edward James Olmos’ as a keynote.  We were told that his message was too strong and not appropriate for an HR group.  If diversity is not appropriate topic for HR folks, the ones who should be spearheading their organizational cultures into one of inclusion, then tell me who?

The real problem rests with the folks that really need to hear the message and learn. Their minds are already made up and their ears are closed. How sad for us as a nation that civility seems to be on its last breath.

We are a country founded on capitalism, so I can’t blame Al Gore for making money either.  His rivals do, too.

On the topic of global warming, whether you believe it exists or not, we have not been good stewards of our planet.  How deep of a carbon footprint do you want to leave your children, grandchildren and future generations?

.

By Larry Goldsmith, CWDP, P.E.T.

DOL Challenge

[VOTE NOW.  Jaazle is proud to be included in the DOL Challenge with its Building the Looking-Glass Résumé book and its visionary Jaazle’s Outcome-Based Job Search© program.]        The Twitter Guide Book Here

Kudos  to the DOL.  Awesome!  Insightful!  Shrewd!  The United State’s Department of Labor (DOL) has set its sights on uncovering the most effective on-line job hunting tools available to job seekers.  DOL is challenging workforce professionals, private ‘entrepreneurs’ and workforce agencies throughout the U.S., to showcase their best through the Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge!

The DOL’s Employment and Training Administration agency wants to make sure job seekers have the best possible job search resources available to them [via the national network of One Stop Career Centers].  The challenge is designed to add to the full range of services available through One Stops by inviting enterprising entrepreneurs and organizations to showcase their on-line solutions.  By making these resources available, workforce system decision-makers will expand workforce resources and put into play the best tools available to address career and life goals.

The challenge enters Phase II on January 4, 2010, where all of the posted tools can be explored, commented on, and recommendation(s) made on the on-line tools that are most appealing.  At the conclusion of the Challenge, ETA will publicize the leading tools [in order for the more than 20 million job seekers they serve each year], to most effectively and more quickly connect their job search with job openings.  

You can view http://dolchallenge.ideascale.com/ the entire postings of on-line job search tools and vote for what you consider the best of the  best.  Jaazle is pleased to be a part of this challenge with its Building the Looking-Glass Résumé book and its visionaryJaazle’s Outcome-Based Job Search© program. 

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