I recently worked on a pro bono project for a friend, and it reminded me of a time early in my career and how lucky I was then to get such great advice from the more seasoned pros around me. Advice that ultimately saved me from some major pitfalls. I made mistakes here and there over the course of nearly 20 years of projects, but with each hiccup came a lesson. Here are some takeaways from my lessons learned and all that sage advice.
Clients come to us designers for our expertise, and it is our job to guide them through the process. We are helping them find clarity about their vision and goals for their project. To do that well means asking questions! It is important to remember that not all clients are going to be good at communicating their vision—and that's okay. You can still work with them and get amazing results by asking them lots of questions and following up on those answers with more questions until you're both on the same page. This dialogue will help set clear expectations for project scope, deliverables, and everything in between while avoiding frustration for both parties.
Think about the word 'classic.' Now think of five things that could be described as 'classic'—it probably varies wildly, right? So, which version does your client imagine? You could guess… or you could clarify with more questions like "Can you show me an example of what 'classic' looks like to you?" or "What makes this classic?" And so on. It's a silly example, but it illustrates just how subjective descriptions can be and how necessary it is to have good communication between you and the client. Remember that your clients don't do this for a living, so asking questions will help you get to the root of any issue quickly with less time spent guessing. And no, it won't look unprofessional if you ask a lot of questions, but it will make you a better creative.
On one side of the table, you have a designer with knowledge and experience. On the other side of the table, you have the client who knows their business, audience, and goals. As creatives, we have to remember that we are on the same team as our clients and aim at collaboration over confrontation. Design should be a collaborative process: both parties are at the table with different perspectives and different knowledge to contribute. It is this diversity of viewpoints that will make the creative stronger and your client ultimately happier.
When you work collaboratively with your clients, they'll often tell you what they need before even realizing it themselves—and sometimes, those needs are things that they didn't even realize they wanted until after having talked it through with someone else! This is because people often have trouble articulating what they need out loud (even if they think they know exactly what they want), so getting clients involved in the process can help ensure that everyone's needs and project goals are met.
It all boils down to communication. Everyone at the table, both clients and designers, want to feel heard and respected. Good communication and listening skills are a way to ensure that clients understand that they don't need to be designers themselves, but they are still contributing meaningfully to the project. This helps keep them fully invested in a great outcome.
Contracts can help you set clear expectations for both parties. The best way to protect your business and make sure you don’t get burned by a client is to have a signed contract before doing any design work. If you’ve ever been burned by a client (or had to fire one) it’s probably because you didn’t have a contract in place when you started the project with them.
As a designer, it can feel a little awkward to send a contract and you may be tempted to just dive right into the work even when a client hasn't signed a contract. But there are several reasons why you should always, ALWAYS get a contract signed before doing any design work.
First, this will help you protect yourself from scope creep. Clearly defining the project scope is essential. If the client wants to add extra elements or changes their mind four times about what they need to be designed, it's much easier when you have a contract and clearly defined deliverables to say, "Sorry, but we have to go back and renegotiate the scope of our agreement." This way, you won't end up doing more work than you agreed on.
Second, a contract will help your client trust you. When working with someone new, trust is everything—and they need to know that they can rely on what you say and how it will be delivered. A contract helps build that trust by setting expectations around quality and deadlines.
Third, contracts help clarify your client's definition of "done." If there are any questions about what constitutes acceptable deliverables for them (or if their definition changes), it's much easier for all parties involved if those questions are answered in writing before any work begins.
Finally, if something goes wrong and you need legal help, your contract can help prove that you did what was agreed upon in the first place or at least show that there was an agreement in place.
You were built with intuition; use it! Learn to trust your gut when working with clients. I've found that clients who don't seem like they are being straight with me are often problematic. I don't run into these issues very often these days because time and experience (and a good contract) have made me better at spotting potential issues. When I meet with clients I make mental notes of red flags and green lights. Red flags are the things that a client or potential client might do that give you a moment of pause or make you worry a little. Green lights are, of course, the opposite.
Red flag clients will push boundaries like expanding the scope of work but expecting the cost to stay the same, or delaying payment in an attempt to negotiate a lower price after the work is done despite being happy with the project results. Sometimes it is better to pass on a problematic project; it leaves you open to take on a great one. That's a hard pill to swallow when you are first starting out because you are excited and want to take on as many paying projects as possible. I simply urge you to beware. If something doesn't feel right about a client then it is probably your intuition throwing up a red flag.
Ultimately, it is up to you if you take on the project. Just remember, if you do decide to proceed, get a deposit to start, have a signed contract and make sure it is specific with a detailed deliverables list.
Last but never least, this one seems like a no-brainer to me but I feel it is essential to call out. Deliver on everything that you say you will do for clients—and do it with a smile! I can't stress how important it is to nurture relationships and build a reputation of being trustworthy, reliable, and awesome to work with. When clients trust you, life just gets easier. They will value your design decisions more easily, they will continue to work with you, and they will recommend you to others that need your services. I promise it is a win-win.
You’ve made it through the rigorous interview process successfully and the organization has extended you an offer for employment. Congratulations! Now, it’s time to take a better look at what the offer includes.
Here are some tips for understanding the job offer letter:
In most cases, the offer letter should include information about how you will be paid. This may state the frequency of paychecks, whether you will be paid hourly or on a salary basis, and if you will be eligible for commission or bonus payments. In most cases, your compensation will be stated before taxes, so your take-home pay may be very different than what is stated in the offer. If you need help in determining how much you will actually be bringing home in each paycheck, you may want to consult an accountant or ask your HR representative to help you with the calculations.
For commission-based positions, it’s wise to ask about draws and how often commission checks are issued. Some companies only pay commissions one time per month, so it’s important to know this information up front for budgeting purposes.
A job is much more than just a title, so many companies include information about the daily responsibilities or some type of job description. You should understand the schedule for the job and what will be expected of you. If this information isn’t included, ask the hiring manager for a copy of the job description. This doesn’t mean that it’s written in stone and you will only be required to do those things listed in the description, but it is a good starting point to learn about what you will be doing when you start the position.
If your position is full-time, it’s likely that you will be offered some type of benefits package by the employer. You should pay careful attention to what is offered because these benefits can actually add significant value to the overall compensation package.
Look for information on insurance plans, 401(k) or other retirement savings plans, and other benefits offerings that may be available to you. Employer-based benefits plans can actually add significant value to a position. Some companies offer matching for their retirement savings plans, contributions towards insurance, and tuition reimbursement. If you take advantage of any or all of these options, you may end up with a much more lucrative position than was initially indicated in just the compensation portion of the offer.
Some employers include information about the next steps in their offer letters. For example, if you must undergo a background check or drug test, that information may be included in the offer letter. The letter may also indicate when you can start or how to determine your start date. Now is the time to ask questions if something is unclear or if you need additional information.
Don’t accept the offer if you’re unsure of what the position entails. The recruiter or hiring manager should be able to answer these questions before you start. Good luck finding your next job, and make sure you fully understand the job offer before you accept it!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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It can be tough getting that promotion at work, especially when you're not sure how to show you deserve one. If you want to get a promotion (and a raise!), attend this live event and learn how to make the case for a higher job title and salary.
Not sure if it's time to change careers, or how to make a career change when you ARE ready? Sign up for this live event to learn exactly how to make a career change when you've been laid off.
It's very common in today's market for employers to dismiss a job applicant's resume because they are “overqualified."
Sometimes there's an abundant supply of highly qualified candidates but not enough jobs to go around for everyone. In those cases, job seekers may resort to applying for positions where the level of expertise required on the job is below their previous position's requirements. In addition, those making a career change often need to seek out entry-level positions, where there may be more job opportunities.
The challenge for job seekers is not simply competing with so many other applicants but finding a fine balance of information to place on their resume without coming off as overqualified. Employers are mostly concerned that, if you take a lesser position, you will leave once you find a position that is more commensurate with your skills.
Here are a few tips to help guide you in preparing your resume for the next job opportunity and avoid coming off as overqualified and ruining your chances of landing the job offer:
Focus on what the employer is looking for and show them you can do it. If some of your management experience is not a part of their job description, then don't mention it. This tip is especially critical for applicants moving from one career to another.
For instance, if you had your own mortgage or construction firm and are now just looking for a sales job, just speak to your experience driving sales. You can also change your title from "Owner" to "Sales Manager." As you list your professional experience, be sure to quantify your sales results.
Many of today's positions require candidates to have a bachelor's or master's degree. If you continued to pursue education to obtain other degrees, earning you the title of Ph.D., M.D., or others, don't be so quick to include that information on your resume.
You have to ask if it is at all relevant to the job you are applying for. It's great if you moved on to obtain your Ph.D. in neuroscience, but if the employer's business and the job is focused on finance and accounting for toy manufacturing/distribution, your additional education will be of little relevance and may sway an employer to reconsider whether you are right for the position.
Write a disruptive cover letter that tells a story about why you're passionate about the position, how you feel a connection to the company, and how your experience, skills, and talent make you the right fit. If there's a chance your resume comes off as overqualified, even after following the tips above, make sure to provide sufficient explanation in your cover letter.
Give the employer confidence that you are challenged by the opportunity and will be there a year from now. The employer needs to know that you are not simply taking the job because you can't find anything better. They also need to be assured you aren't going to be quick to run off to another job as soon as the market improves or another opportunity opens up that is more in line with your level of experience from your previous positions.
Your resume is a marketing tool to help get your foot in the door for an interview. Placing too much information or irrelevant information will only give the employer more reason to dismiss you. Carefully review the job posting and do your research to really understand what skills and experience are desired for the position so that you present your resume and qualifications in the best light. Not everything you've accomplished, regardless of how significant it is, is appropriate to include on your resume.
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Disagreeing with other people, without taking a body count or courting disaster, is something most people try to avoid. Nevertheless, we recognize we can't always agree with everything that comes our way—even if it comes from the boss.
Many of us think disagreeing with the boss is one of those career-limiting moves to be avoided at all costs. Think again. Most managers want to think they've hired brilliant people who can think and act well on the company's behalf. That includes not letting them (or anyone else) drive off a metaphorical cliff. This means you are being paid to use your brain AND mouth.
The diversity that takes place in the workplace isn't just about race or religion; it's about ideas, perspectives, and insight. If you are truly engaging in what is taking place at work, it's not possible to agree with your boss 100% of the time.
You can disagree with your boss and make that disagreement a win-win for both of you. You can win because you can use it for career enhancement. The boss can win because they will come off as an engaging manager and get a much better end result.
Here are eight tips to turn disagreement into a great thing for your career.
When something strikes you as wrong or out of line, keep your emotions in check. No one, especially the boss, will appreciate an emotionally charged rebuttal. People tend to mirror each other's energy level, and if you turn red and flap your arms, it will be met with equal intensity.
The conversation will go much better if you are addressing the issue or topic and not making your disagreement about the person, your boss.
If you can't articulate what is troubling you about something, wait until you can be clear. If you can't be clear, you will not have a conversation that will make any sense to the other person. A confusing conversation will not leave a great impression.
Nothing falls flatter than squashing an idea only to have nothing to replace it with. If you can't think up a better idea, then what good is the disagreement? Sure, you might not like the idea, but if you can't come up with something else, then go with what you have. You have to solve problems to be an asset.
Depending on the setting and issue, you may need to take your disagreement to a private setting with your boss. This allows you to cover whatever you need to, have a discussion, and keep both of you looking good to the rest of the office.
You never want to embarrass your boss; if you do, they will remember it for much too long. They will appreciate your sensitivity and professionalism when you have the insight to know when it's time to have a private discussion.
Many conflicts and disagreements are rooted in a failure to communicate and understand the other person. When something does arise that doesn't hit you right, ask questions and gain clarity. You may discover that you do agree after all. Doing this will also help you avoid discomfort.
This is more than simply sucking up to the boss. This is agreeing with the boss at the cost of your character, values, and career. You might think it will enhance your career, but it will backfire against you as the higher-ups see that your contributions are limited.
The biggest issue that managers have when employees disagree is their becoming insubordinate and undermining efforts. If you have followed all of these steps and you still have a disagreement, then it's time for you to disagree and commit yourself to whatever is being proposed. After all, the idea or direction might really work out well. Your manager will think you are truly a professional if you can work through your disagreement, offer solutions, and be able to "get on board."
Certainly, out there in the universe are managers with fragile egos who can't tolerate anyone disagreeing with their mandates or directions. They too will only get just so far in their career. Anytime you limit the free flow of thought and contribution, you limit the possibilities.
You need to screen for these people in your job search. If you wound up with a boss like that, you should consider a different team or job. But most managers enjoy discussion and debate as a means of developing great ideas and direction. They understand that disagreement is part of the process.
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Brand storytelling is an integral part of a brand’s identity and the way to communicate its personality. It is the ability to tell stories about your brand that build trust, loyalty, and advocacy with your customers.
Authenticity always comes through. Make sure you're telling stories that make sense for your brand and its culture. It does you a disservice to sound like someone else or worse—multiple people. It can be confusing to customers when they get mixed personalities for one brand. Brands that don't use their brand voice sound the same as everyone else and get lost in a sea of sameness. Use every opportunity you can to infuse your content with more you. Need help figuring that out, let me know—I can help.
Share a sneak peek about how something is made, or behind-the-scenes content with the people on your team just being people. Let your audience see your company culture doing its thing. Shining a spotlight on the humans who keep your brand running not only lets customers see more of your story, it makes employees feel valued and respected, and that they are part of a true team. You already have product experts on your team—tap them to help you create content that they know customers are looking for. They are solving your customers' pain points daily and can probably provide more content ideas than you imagine.
Every touchpoint is an opportunity to tell a little more of your brand story. Your website, your packaging, and even something mundane as a confirmation message or a 404 error is an opportunity to say something in your brand voice. USE IT! Every touchpoint with your customer should be consistent. If you are funny on the website, be funny on the 404 too, why not?
Sharing your brand story and message is important, but having an actual conversation with your customers can be a game-changer. Sometimes, it can be as simple as asking a question. Why spend hours trying to figure out what your audience wants to see when you can ask them, and incorporate them into the process? It is a win-win for everyone. Your audience gets relevant, personalized content, and your brand gets an engaged audience and original content for practically nothing. Using customer-generated content shows you value their opinions and experience and helps connect them to your brand.
Check the data—a powerful tool you may have not even thought to use but can tell a compelling story is data. What? How do I turn spreadsheets into stories? Start by looking for patterns. Look for what is missing. Look for relationships. Data can come from internal sources like customer surveys, sales data, or even website analytics. For example, seeing what people respond to online or knowing the most searched FAQ data can help you see what your customers are looking for from you. If you cant use internal sources try to find reliable external sources like Pew Research or do a search for topic-specific sources.
There are lots of other ways to tell your brand story. Whatever you do, make sure your messaging is consistent with your brand and its culture, and use your voice to stand out and be authentically you.
So, you received a call back for an in-person interview. Now what? The week leading up to the in-person interview probably deserves more effort and preparation than any other portion of the job search process. Here's a step-by-step guide on preparing for an interview.
These are some things you should do immediately after getting an interview:
Respond promptly - Waiting to respond may send a message that you're not interested (bad!) or have poor follow-up (also bad!). Respond promptly, thank the employer for the opportunity, and express your excitement without being over the top.
Ask about logistics - Aside from nailing down the location, it's generally acceptable to ask about the company's dress code and the names of those you'll be interviewing with. Avoid asking questions that you (or Google) can answer yourself (e.g. directions).
Clear your schedule - If you're currently employed or have other commitments, make sure the appropriate people know you will not be available on the day of your interview.
Your interview is a week away! Get prepared by doing the following:
Research the company - Even if you did this before applying for the job (which you should have!), it's time to revisit the company website, its blog and social media accounts, and recent news articles.
Research the hiring managers - If you know who the interviewers are, do a little research. Look for them on the company's team page and on online networks like LinkedIn. Try to get a feel for who the interviewers are and for the type of person the company employs.
Decide what to wear to the interview - Don't wait until the night before. Try on your interview outfit, ask others for their opinion, and make sure you don't need a trip to the dry cleaner or cobbler.
In order to be completely prepared for your interview, make sure to do these things the day before:
Review the job posting - It will be far easier to tailor your interview answers if the job description is fresh in your mind.
Practice answering common interview questions - There are certain questions you can expect to be asked during a job interview. Look up the generic ones as well as ones specific to your industry, then rehearse them with a friend, family member, or patient pet.
Prepare questions for the employer - At the end of an interview, you will be given the opportunity to ask questions. It's an important part of the interview and the questions you ask could make or break your chances of landing the job offer, so put some serious thought into them.
Map the directions - One of the last things you want to do is be late for your interview. Find how long it should take you to get there, then give yourself plenty of extra time in case you get lost, stuck in traffic, or detoured.
Gather your day-of materials - Even if the hiring manager doesn't ask, it's common practice to bring enough copies of your resume for yourself and for each of the interviewers. You should also bring a pen and paper to take notes, as well as anything else specifically requested by the employer. Other things to consider include mints, grooming materials, money for parking, and a backup interview outfit (just in case you spill your Starbucks all over your lap).
Do the obvious things - Go to bed at a reasonable hour and set at least one alarm.
Think positively - Visualizing a positive outcome has a surprising impact on real-life performance. Think about past successes and envision, in detail, a stellar interview in your mind.
What steps do you take when preparing for an interview?
If you need more help preparing for your next job interview, we're here for you!
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Technology is one of the largest budget items for an organization, but does it seem like employees aren’t using the systems as efficiently as they could be? I’ve found that the first step is to make sure you’re offering training to all of the employees—more than just handing them a user manual.
Your organization just purchased a brand-new system and wants to make sure they maximize the use of it. One key is to make sure everyone is trained so they understand how to use the system. Training is typically focused on when the new system is first implemented. Many organizations will have the vendor come onsite to train. Employees sign up to attend scheduled training sessions, or it may be a train-the-trainer scenario wherein designated trainers (department super users) train the rest of the organization. This gets your system implementation off on the right foot.
It would be considerably better if the organization offers continual training. This means providing formal training activities for new employees joining the organization months later, major system upgrades released annually, and when individuals simply want “refresher” training. Did you know that individuals typically only remember a fraction of the information from a training session?
The second step is to have a variety of training options. It’s important to understand that individuals learn differently (different methods and different speeds) as well as there may be various logistics to consider. For example:
Even with the above differences, there are specific concepts that will help individuals retain what they’ve learned during training. This includes:
A comprehensive and up-to-date training curriculum is an investment. Organizations that make this investment are demonstrating that employee development is important! Employees will appreciate the efforts to grow and make them more knowledgeable.
For more information on offering training to maximize the use of your technology, follow me on LinkedIn!
Anyone that buys or sells music has discovered that COVID-19 brought upon us all a new set of consumer expectations. Companies using outdated pre-COVID-19 music sales strategies will not survive in a post-COVID-19 world. If you are distributing music in a traditional way, such as streaming, and your sales strategies are similar to a few years ago chances are that those distribution methods are outdated which means that you may be unconsciously losing fanbase market share.
I recognize the pain points and that everyone has anxiety due to recent market shifts, and might be afraid or fearful about cryptocurrency, stock market concerns, economic unrest, and the like, but don’t put this off because the rough spots in the market will pass, however, you cannot afford to not use NFTs as a true distribution source for music. NFTs are a differentiator for your record label. This is guaranteed and if you do not innovate others will pass you by.
I was working for one of the world's largest gaming companies, negotiating Influencer and streetwear licensing deals, when the pandemic hit and it was an overnight shift in how we saw buying. We use microtransactions for gamers' avatar vanity capsules, however, after COVID-19 the gamers began gaming differently, and music artists began broadcasting concerts in the gaming vertical on Twitch. Consumers started to communicate how they wanted to be contacted, how they wanted to buy, which platform, when, and how they made their own decisions. They were becoming a different type of consumer and this directly empowered them.
It’s been painful to observe record labels struggling with artist music releases, where rollout plans have horribly failed for large artists, and where labels have failed to engage fans as they are not paying attention to new consumer patterns of buying and they keep doing the status quo.
Those who have tuned in to see where fans are hanging out like in Discord NFT rooms and Twitter rooms, community collaboration events with other music and NFT peers, and are open to experimenting with cryptocurrency, have shared insights of who will be able to differentiate or who will be successful.
From the cryptocurrency, Web3 conversations, which can be overwhelming and confusing as the market shifts, sometimes can provide a looking glass into the future.
Still, navigating the space will prove to be the key for successful labels, and without adoption of new strategies, it may also just be the grounds for early disqualification by fans. Especially for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, embracing NFTs as a form of distribution is beneficial for the artist fans and the labels and will be profitable for all.
What has been your experience with the modernization of the sales process and engaging modern buyers? I would love to get your perspective.
LiquidPiston is an engineering service company that develops compact and efficient engines for vehicles and power generation. Their rotary engines are the first disruption to engine technology in over a century, and they're always on the lookout for talented engineers to join their team.
Are you interested in developing efficient thermodynamic combustion engines? Here's why you should consider working for LiquidPiston.
LiquidPiston develops advanced rotary internal combustion engines based on the company’s patented thermodynamic cycle and engine architecture at their state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in Bloomfield, CT. Their combustion engines are compact, powerful, quiet, efficient, low-vibration, and multi-fuel capable, and are scalable from 1HP to over 1000 HP.
These engines are not Wankel engines; they're better. LiquidPiston boasts that their X Engine has "10x more power" and is "30% more efficient," improving on efficiency, weight, size, vibration, and noise.
LiquidPiston is currently focusing on military and aerospace markets but plans to enter industrial and commercial, marine, UAV, urban mobility, and automotive markets in the near future.
The engineering company was also featured on How It’s Made, a documentary series from the Science Channel.
1. Work with an open-minded team with varied engineering backgrounds
LiquidPiston's team of engineers are trailblazers and mavericks, people who challenge the status quo and are the first to bring new ideas to market.
2. See your own ideas implemented (in 1-2 weeks vs. 1-2 years)
Innovation is rewarded at LiquidPiston. Employees are encouraged to push the boundaries in the world of combustion.
3. Operate with minimal red tape
At LiquidPiston, you have the freedom to explore your passion, which can lead to incredible opportunities.
4. Work with a broad scope
You'll participate in the whole engine/product development process from scratch and under one roof.
If you're interested in working at LiquidPiston, visit the company's careers page to learn more!
One of my jobs as a career coach is to help you see things from the recruiter's perspective. I actually was in the staffing recruiting industry before I became a career coach, so I know what they're thinking. And in this case, I don't want you to think of recruiters as the enemy. You want to enter into any conversation with a recruiter very informed, very calm, and very confident. Because if you do that, you're going to build a great relationship and get the results you're looking for.
@j.t.odonnell Reply to @jannaandschnorkie @j.t.odonnell How I salary negotiate with recruiters. #edutok #salary #salarynegotiation #learnontiktok #careertiktok #careeradvice #recruitment #recruiting #recruiter #jobtips #jobsearch #careermode ♬ original sound - J.T. O'Donnell
Let's break this down. A recruiter cannot waste their time on you if they can't afford you. So when they're asking you about your salary expectations, they're just trying to figure out whether or not they can even present opportunities to you.
If a recruiter asks you about salary expectations, respond with a range.
Your salary range consists of two things:
Now, your ideal salary is based on market research. It needs to be within alignment with the market. You need to make sure that you're not overreaching on that range and, at the same time, you don't want to sell yourself short. So you do your homework and figure out, based on your skill set and your location, what your ideal salary is.
Your salary range could be big, maybe tens of thousands of dollars difference between the lowest number (the walkaway rate), and the highest number (your ideal salary). But it's a range. And you should present that to the recruiter and say...
"My range is (blank). This is the least amount of money I can take, and this is what I'm hoping to make. And that's really dependent upon the benefits, the opportunity itself, and what's involved. Do you have any opportunities that fit that range?"
That's how you start this conversation.
Recruiters hate it when people avoid the salary conversation. If you went into a store as a customer and asked, "How much does this cost?" and the salesperson said, "Well, let's get to know each other more before I tell you," that would feel super shady, wouldn't it? Well, that's what you're doing in this situation if you're not upfront because the recruiters are the buyers, the customers, and you're the business-of-one, the service provider selling your services.
So, when negotiating salary with a recruiter, you should be very confident, calm, and relaxed, and be able to explain your range. When you do that, you look so professional. And now the recruiter is excited because this is their first interaction with you. They're thinking, "This person—they know their range, they know their worth, they know what they want. I can work with this person."
Ultimately, it's all about doing some research and knowing your value as an employee, and then communicating that effectively with a salary range. That's all you have to do to successfully negotiate salary with a recruiter.
If you need more help negotiating salary with a recruiter or hiring manager, I can help.
I'd love it if you joined my FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction. More importantly, I have tons of resources inside this community that can help you prepare for your next job search.
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In order to have a productive discussion about career growth with your boss, it is important for you to prepare and think through some key items ahead of time. You want to be in full control of your career path and the best way to do that is to approach your manager with confidence and conviction around your career growth goals.
To prepare for the discussion, start by answering some basic questions about yourself and your career:
What is your personal branding statement with regard to your career?
This response should focus on what you hope to achieve in your career.
What are your values?
This response should include your top five values in life. The importance of answering this question is to be sure your career goals match your current values. For example, if you value innovation, that influences your career choice and objectives.
What are your motivators?
This response includes examples of what motivates you. Is it fast-paced work with short deadlines? Is it structured work or flexible work? As with your values, you want to be sure your career objectives align with your motivators.
What is your short-term career objective?
This response should be about where you see yourself in the next 12 months. If you want to be in a new assignment, then you should state that, as well as what that assignment could be. If you want to remain in your current role but perhaps take on additional duties, then include that information in this question response.
What is your long-term career objective?
This response highlights your ultimate career growth objective. Some people do not know what this is, but if you do, it is important to share it with your manager. This helps your career plan to be tailored toward reaching your ultimate career goals.
What are your strengths?
This response focuses on your current strengths that you can leverage as you grow in your career.
What are your developmental areas?
This is about the areas where you need to grow so you can reach your career objective.
What are you willing to do in the next 12 months to reach your career objective(s)?
This response should focus on some specific, tactical items (SMART goals) that you can work on over the next 12 months. Consider this your action plan to reach your objective.
After you have these questions answered and feel comfortable with your responses, it is time to share this information with your manager. Ask your boss for input on your career growth objectives and whether they feel these are reasonable and achievable.
Ask them for input on your strengths and development areas and also request their support of your action plan. This will aid in your ability to be successful in reaching your objectives.
By taking the time to answer these questions and prepare for your career discussion, it will be much more productive and, hopefully, a more engaging discussion for both you and your manager.
Not sure how to grow your career? We can help!
A lot of people tell you to follow your passion, follow your dreams, or do what makes you happy. But how many people are really doing it?
Survey after survey indicates that the majority of employees are unhappy in their professions or wished they had pursued other passions earlier. So, why do they stay?
In reality, it may be a case of not really understanding what they want to do. Finding your work passion is tough when you have no idea where to start. However, the alternative of not figuring it out can leave you even more unhappy, bitter, and unproductive.
When you realize you want to do something else but have no idea where to begin, follow these steps to get started:
In order to find your work passion, you have to evaluate what drives you. What makes you tick? What issues do you feel particularly excited about? What cause or stance would make you drop everything to make life better?
Answering these questions can help you to assess your interests and decide where you can place them in your professional life. They can also help you create an interview bucket list, which is vital to a strategic job search.
Not every interest translates into a career. For example, just because you love soccer doesn't mean you can make a career out of it. Instead, focus on the strengths that you have and connect these strengths to a career path. So, for the person who's interested in soccer, perhaps you also have a real interest in how the sport is marketed. You may want to look into sports marketing positions, which can fulfill both interests.
(P.S. If you want to know which careers you'd thrive in based on your workplace persona, check out our free quiz!)
You may be a great public speaker. However, that doesn't mean you should be the president.
Setting realistic expectations can help you to navigate these strengths into a suitable career. While not everyone can be the president, you can pursue public speaking opportunities elsewhere. To help you, try making a list of all of the jobs you would like to have and narrow them down to jobs you have the most chance of actually landing.
Networking and gaining the right connections can have dual benefits. First, networking can help you meet people with similar dreams and work passions. These connections can then let you know how they got to where they are, share pros and cons about your passion, and provide some real insight into what you can expect.
Next, networking and gaining the right connections can help you break into an industry. Think of it as that golden ticket to finding and then landing those jobs you would do anything for. This is particularly vital to those who haven't worked in the given space, even if they love it.
Being bold can get you far in life. It's how so many innovators and leaders reached that level of greatness.
While your work passion may be out there, it's necessary to pursue it if it's important enough to you. Sure, it's probably going to take a lot of hours and late nights. However, being bold means taking the good with the bad and moving forward with the notion that it's all worth it. And if it's not worth it, then you can move on to something that is.
Finding your work passion and relevant jobs when you have no idea where to start can be very frustrating. However, once you understand what your passion is, you can get busy getting your life started, and be happier because of it.
If you could use more help figuring out what you're passionate about, we're here for you!
When I first started as a call centre trainer, I listened to a sales team leader’s briefing. Like many naturally talented salespeople, he couldn’t explain how he was so good.
He told his team to build rapport with their customers. One recent recruit asked: “How do we build rapport?” He replied: “Be yourself!”
I thought to myself: “What does that mean? There must be a way to train for this.”
I did some research on the internet and found various techniques. These are the top four which I included in the first training session of our agents’ onboarding course.
1. Use the other person’s name
Dale Carnegie said people like nothing more than the sound of their own name. Using a person’s name can get and hold their attention very effectively. Like all games, this one has rules.
Make sure you know how to pronounce it. I work with people from all over the world. I often first see their names in written form. So I will ask them, “How do I pronounce your name?” No one wants to hear someone mispronounce their name, and they will appreciate that you have taken the trouble to say it correctly.
Don’t overuse it. The classic stereotype of the “slimy sales guy” uses a customer’s name at the end of every sentence. Use the person’s name at the start of the conversation, and then at points where you want her to pay special attention. That should not be more than once or twice.
Names can be a sensitive topic. In the English-speaking world, using first names with complete strangers is considered normal. In the Czech Republic, it’s still common to use “Mr.”/“Mrs.” and a surname. Be careful to fit in with what’s normal for their culture, or you could be seen as disrespectful.
2. Question, answer, comment (QAC)
When two people talk for the first time, they often ask each other questions.
At a conference, you might ask: “What do you think of the event?”
When your partner replies, respond with a comment before asking the next question. Here’s an example:
“What do you think of the event?”
“It’s not what I expected. I was hoping there would be more presentations.”
“Really? What aspect of XYZ are you interested in?”
The comment, “Really?” shows you are interested in her answer.
Two points to note: your comment needs to be appropriate to the answer, and you should not use the same comment for every answer, otherwise, you will sound like a bored telemarketer.
3. Something in common
Finding something in common with the other person is a good rapport-building technique. If you are talking to someone, you are in the same physical or virtual environment.
You could ask a question or comment about the event you are both attending.
You could comment about the signal quality of the video conference call you are on.
If you meet face to face, you could do the classic British thing and talk about the weather!
You could also volunteer some personal information, such as mentioning your children or pets. People love to respond with a similar comment of their own. Suddenly, you find that you both have teenage sons or Jack Russell terriers. You have something in common to talk about!
4. Humour
This is the most effective, but the riskiest way to build rapport. Humour is usually culturally specific. What makes one person laugh could leave another person cold, or even get you a fist in the face.
I wait for the other person to make the first joke, to gauge what works for her.
If you’re going to make a joke, don’t make a joke at the expense of anyone you are talking to.
I know someone who was talking to the managing director of another company. He made a humorous comment about salespeople. The managing director had spent the first 20 years of his career in sales.
You may think that self-deprecatory humour is a safe option, but in some cultures, making jokes about yourself is seen as a sign of insecurity and weakness.
Start by watching other people and how they build rapport.
Watch what other people do in meetings or conversations. Watch TV or films where people have conversations. Police dramas are great since police officers usually try to build rapport with witnesses and suspects who they interview.
Start actively practicing by trying one technique at a time in conversations. Watch how your conversational partners react, and take that as feedback.
I used a practice activity where every new trainee had to ask the other trainees five questions to get to know each other. They had to use rapport-building techniques. Fifteen minutes after the exercise kicked off, the classroom sounded like a party!
If you go to a networking event, prepare four or five simple questions and go around the room and try to talk to everyone, using the rapport-building techniques. See how they react.
I love hearing how people get on when they use these techniques, what works for them and what doesn’t. Send me a message and let me know how you got on!
Part One: Data Strategy Is More Important than Ever in an Age of AI.
This will be a multiple-part series on data strategy and how it is the precursor to data management and data governance.
Firms often skip many essential steps to creating a data strategy favoring data lineage/governance, usually for regulatory compliance rather than creating a holistic yet integrated vision for data. While practicality is always good, it can be at the bane of getting the most out of the firm's data over time. When a data strategy does not guide data governance, this keeps data governance in a defensive position in general; it is a big mistake that keeps data governance in the basement of the organization, being perceived as a cost center and not the revenue and monetization driver that data governance can be.
Let's start with what a data strategy is and why your organization needs one. Then we will discuss in future articles how data governance needs a tighter connection to strategy.
Data strategy and how I like to think about it is a sharp vision for how your data is organized and turned into knowledge throughout the organization.
There is data, information, and knowledge. Each of these has some organization of data and planned use cases. I like this pyramid or hierarchy paradigm for data strategy. As you go higher, it's about generating insights and improving the quality of decisions based on clean fit-for-purpose quality data.
Some key considerations in your data strategy, and I will not prescribe the answers to these considerations here:
1) How do you define quality data?
2) Who gets to move data and to where?
3) Is there a planned level of data duplication, or is it, as they say, the "Wild West" with replication all over the place?
4) Do we want to have one version of the truth or multiple versions of the truth? What are the risks and benefits of each?
5) Are we using an ETL process or ELT in the age of big data?
6) What types of data models are we using? Logical layers (star Schemas) no SQL, blob storage?
7) Are we using open gardens or data lakes, or a pond approach?
8) How do we define our data fabric at the firm?
9) What newer tools do we use for moving data. Are we using AI-based tools (RPA, etc.)?
10) Who can access PII or NPII data, and how do we create highly secured data zones?
11) How many self-service analytics tools do we allow? Do we need both PowerBI and Tableau?
12) Do we have an on-prem cloud approach or a full-on cloud data strategy?
13) Where do AI and cognitive technologies get their data?
14) Do we have transparency in business rules and algorithms that drive our business?
15) How do we monetize our data, and at what point in the data lifecycle?
16) How many customer keys or unique identifiers do we carry?.
17) What is the role of generative AI?
18) How do we resolve the identities of both prospects and customers?
19) Who owns the data? Do we have producers and consumer-defined roles?
20) Do we have a centralized or decentralized approach to data management, and is our organization clear about how we operate?
There is no formal data strategy if the firm doesn't have clear answers to many of these questions. In addition, a data strategy is not a data management framework, which would come next once you have defined the strategy.
"Why is this important?" you ask. It will help you set the priorities for data governance and data management organizations (DMOs), rather than just having them fall into a project or two and perhaps only viewing them as the people who handle compliance issues or controls. Remember DMOs, enable data science, marketing automation, AI, CRM, and many other revenue-generating functions. An integrated enterprise data strategy will allow you to scale your data management and governance efforts, making the work more important and meaningful and increasing the focus on the business objectives and ROI.
I look forward to your thoughts on why you think the tail is often wagging the dog regarding data governance versus data strategy.
In our next issue, I will discuss master data management and data governance in detail.
Today, more and more employers are conducting phone interviews before inviting job candidates to an in-person meeting. With more applicants available for each opening, employers do not have the time to invest in a meeting for every candidate that simply looks good on paper.
Phone interviews make it easier to screen candidates. Some of these phone interviews may include standard questions that ask about facts, such as your experience and any specific skills you have. However, there are also employers who dive right into some of the most challenging questions, such as giving you a scenario and asking for your response and plan to handle the situation described.
As a job applicant, there are benefits and disadvantages to a phone interview. Some people are well-spoken and are great on the phone, but in person, their nervousness gets to them. Some are more comfortable speaking in person but lack personality on the phone. Under both situations, it can be a challenge when you don’t have feedback that may typically appear through face-to-face contact.
Regardless of the situation, you need to put your best voice forward to leave the employer with a good impression. This may be the only shot you have at getting a step closer to securing a job offer with them. Remember that the employer may change their mind about inviting you in for an interview if you fall short of their expectations or leave a negative impression on the phone.
Note that in a phone interview, your intonation is most important in how you come across, so you should be energetic and enthusiastic and change your tone to better engage the interviewer. You should also be prepared to ask some basic questions, although save the big ones for a formal interview.
Take the tips offered here to help put your best voice forward and further advance on an opportunity to a job offer:
Phone interviews may not always be scheduled. An employer may call you to respond to your submitted cover letter and resume, and the moment you pick up the phone an interview may occur right then.
Most employers will be courteous to first ask you if this is a good time, but that does not always happen. So, if you believe there is a chance an employer may be calling, be prepared by providing a professional greeting on your voicemail or when you pick up. Also, be conscious of what the caller may hear in the background if you pick up the phone. If it’s not an appropriate time or place to talk, let it go to voicemail, but try to call back immediately when it is more appropriate for you to talk.
Since the interviewer will not see your face, all they have to work off of is the voice you present, so make sure it sounds enthusiastic and energized with confidence. Try keeping a smile on your face as you talk and be aware of your tone and pitch so you do not come off sounding monotone.
Keep a “can do” attitude when you talk. It will leave a more positive impression than if an employer were to hear, “I can’t,” “I don’t,” or “I haven’t.” Also, be conscious of how you speak; avoid the “Ahs,” “Errs,” and “Ums.” You can come across as unsure of yourself and lacking in confidence.
Many people list their cell phone number on job applications, cover letters, and resumes, which is fine, as long as when the phone is answered you have good reception. If you are the one initiating the phone call, use a landline to avoid static or dropped calls. It's also important to find a quiet location where you will not be disturbed or distracted.
Keep in mind points that you can use to help explain how your previous experiences or skills make you a good fit for the open position. Also, always have questions in mind to ask during the interview that show your interest and desire to work with the company. Don’t forget to also keep your resume, a sheet of paper, and a pen on hand. You’ll need these items for reference or to take notes while on the call.
Interviews, whether in person or over the phone, should end with an understanding of what the next steps are. If it was not covered, be sure to ask. The employer may also view this question in a positive way that you care about this opportunity and have a desire for it.
Remember, phone interviews deserve a follow-up thank-you note or email to the individual(s) you spoke with—just as you would do after an in-person interview.
Treat phone interviews as important as face-to-face interviews. The impression you make on the phone will also be taken into consideration when the employer is trying to decide between you and another candidate for the position.
We know how difficult it can be to ace a job interview, on the phone or in person. If you're still not feeling confident in your interview abilities, we can help.
There are typically two different situations that a job seeker with an incomplete degree can be in. Either you didn't finish your degree and don't plan to, or you're currently completing it. I know job seekers in both situations and there is a great way to handle the incomplete degree scenario.
So how do you address your incomplete education on your resume?
Let's look at both scenarios: those job seekers currently pursuing a degree, and those who've decided not to return to school.
I personally think it's important to include your degree or coursework on your resume, especially when it's related to your current or desired career field. There are two ways I would suggest tackling this:
1. List the college you went to, the program area you studied, and dates you attended school. You're not including a degree here because one was not awarded.
2. State the university you attended, relevant courses you completed (especially if they're related to a position you're pursuing), and dates you attended the school.
You have to be careful when including this information on your resume. You don't want to mislead an employer into thinking you have a degree that you don't have. This can come back to bite you if you're offered the position and they fact-check.
Plus, the goal here isn't to deceive anyone into thinking that you have a degree you don't actually have. The goal is to include any education you have received—which, in my opinion, is important to show.
You should absolutely include information about pursuing a degree on your resume—especially if the position requires whatever degree or certification you're pursuing. There are two great ways to handle including this information on your resume:
1. State the college you're attending, degree you're pursuing, your area of study, current GPA (if 3.0 or higher) and include your anticipated graduation date; this is very important if your graduation date is within the next 12 months.
2. List the university you're attending, degree you're pursuing, area of study, current GPA (if 3.0 or higher), and the words In Progress. This works well if you're still going to be in school for a couple of years.
If the degree or certification is a requirement for the opportunity and it has been recently obtained or will soon be completed, I recommend putting your education information at the top of the resume.
If the degree or education you have isn't required or directly related to the position, put it at the end of the resume. This is also the case if you want to share with the employer that you have some education but you don't want to advertise that you didn't complete your education.
No matter if you're a college dropout or a current college student, your resume can look complete and professional with these two strategies!
Need more help writing your resume? We're here for you!
It’s exciting, no doubt about it. Your expertise, hard work, and perseverance paid off. You got the big promotion you were working toward. Then, along with exuberance, reality sets in with a bit of nerves for this new challenge. Now you have to deliver.
Even though promotions are exhilarating, they can also leave recipients uneasy about the change. Going from a position where you had proven yourself into a position with some inherent uncertainty will put a knot in the most confident stomachs.
Oftentimes, the easiest kind of promotion is where you’re promoted into a new environment with a new team to work with. That is like a clean slate. Much harder can be the transition within a business unit. Not to mention, the move from peer to boss can definitely be a minefield. Like it or not, we create an identity at work and many of our co-workers identify us with our role. Change our role or give us more responsibility, and people around us sometimes have difficulty adapting. There are also occasions when the person promoted has difficulty adjusting.
Let’s take a look at some of the steps the newly promoted can take to ensure a smooth, effective transition.
Embrace the newness and recognize your stakeholders—those affected by your work and your team’s work. Even if you are working with some of the same people, there is a good chance you have new stakeholders or new relationships with stakeholders. Meet with them and listen to their feedback. From employees to suppliers to customers to your boss, they will let you know what’s going well and what needs improvement from their perspectives.
Note the emphasis on listening. You don’t need to promise the world just because you’re in a new role. You are there to gather their feedback so you can ensure expectations are met. You will learn a lot when you actively listen and these people will notice your engagement.
Your promotion was a competitive process. Your boss saw something in you that persuaded them to give you this opportunity. There is almost always a learning curve to your new position, but during the transition, put together a plan for yourself and your role going forward. You bring a skill set, expertise, and a new perspective. These are all ways you can add value.
Determine 30-, 90-, and 180-day milestones about what you are going to learn and how you will proceed in making positive contributions. Utilize the SMART principle for goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound). The promotion is not the high water mark. You have greater things in store.
Be as transparent as possible about your goals and expectations. This communication should be the case up and down the chain of command, and you have to actively invite feedback and demonstrate a willingness to listen to it.
Once you have developed your plan and milestones, meet with your supervisor to discuss them. If you have not worked closely with this person before, it may be helpful to meet regularly, at least while you get your feet wet. Get to know his or her expectations and communication preferences. See to it that you’re both on the same page strategically and tactically.
The same holds true if you have any employees reporting to you. They should be aware of the direction you want them going in, and they should know how you prefer to communicate. Share your goals and plans. Research has shown that we are more successful at working toward goals and implementing new habits when we communicate them to others. We allow people to hold us accountable. In a team environment, there is no other way to move the needle.
Finally, you may be asking, “Why so much emphasis on communication preferences?” Relationships at work function much better when the individuals involved have clear understandings. This becomes even more important in workplaces with flexible schedules and working arrangements, different communication media available, and where teams are distributed and function in a virtual environment. Sending an urgent email to your boss when she only checks email once a day can be useless.
Taking the time to understand these important details can ultimately pave the way for cohesiveness and long-term success after your promotion. Good luck!
We know how tricky it can be to navigate a promotion at work. If you're struggling to adjust to your new role, we can help.
Reading LinkedIn, you might think that the average office is a caring, sharing environment. Everyone adopts a nurturing attitude towards their colleagues. Managers give their staff kind words of encouragement even when they make expensive mistakes.
Perhaps your experience was different? Mine was.
I’ve worked with organizations where positivity and empathy were not among the corporate values.
Encounters with managers in the military, law enforcement, accounting firms, sales teams, and outsourced call centres can be bruising experiences.
So why would anyone tell a Navy chief petty officer, a tax inspector, or a Russian call centre manager that using positive and encouraging language might be a good idea? Why would they believe it?
Positive language makes working a more pleasant experience.
Staff are more likely to be productive, stay with the company instead of move on, and perhaps even persuade their friends to work there.
The financial benefits of increased productivity are obvious.
Reducing staff turnover means less time and effort spent recruiting and training replacements, and fewer periods of sub-par productivity from partially trained employees.
Most companies have “recommend a friend” schemes. The savings can be substantial. A UK company offers a GBP 1,000 bonus for staff who successfully recruit their friends. Most recruitment firms charge three months’ salary for the same thing. This could easily amount to two or three times the bonus, even for quite junior positions.
The frequent use of negative language has the opposite effect.
Resentful staff have less reason to be productive and so earn less for the company.
Resentful staff are more likely to leave at the first opportunity. HR will need to recruit and train more new hires to replace them. This costs more and has a negative impact on productivity.
Resentful staff are more likely to tell their friends and relatives how bad the company is to work for, so dissuading people from working there.
Positive language need not be sickly sweet. It has four distinct characteristics:
Surprisingly little. Here are some examples of negative phrases people use, and their more positive substitutes.
“You didn’t...”
This looks back to the past. It says what the person didn’t do without offering alternatives. It makes it clear that the fault lies with the listener. Suppose we replace this with “Next time, try...”? This looks forward. It doesn’t point the finger and it gives the listener an alternative course of action.
“You should/must...”
This is very forceful and puts the blame firmly on the listener. How would the listener react to “It would be better if you...” or maybe “We should/must...”? The first option presents an alternative course of action. If the issue is related to legal obligations or safety requirements, then saying “We should/must...” takes away the sting by emphasizing that everyone has to do it.
“You didn’t understand...”
As a trainer, I try to avoid saying this. If my trainee doesn’t understand, then that’s not her fault, it’s my fault. I didn’t present it properly. I prefer to say: “I didn’t tell you properly/clearly enough...”
These phrases are guaranteed to lead to fights and divorce proceedings.
“Yes, but...”
This says: “I have listened to you. It doesn’t matter.” Try replacing the word “but” with “and.” You’ll find that the conversation moves along faster and with less antagonism.
“You should have...”
This focuses on the past and the person’s “mistake.” It shows no respect for the listener and blames him for not having your superior knowledge. A more positive substitute might be: “Next time, try...” That conveys the same message, but looks forward to getting it right in the future.
“Why...?”
“Why” questions often sound like accusations. We all remember teachers asking us why we didn’t do our homework. “Why” questions often put people into “excuse giving” mode. They answer the question with excuses rather than properly thought-out root causes. Coaches recommend replacing “Why” with “What...?” transforming the question “Why didn’t you do your homework” into “What prevented you from doing your homework?"
“Calm down!”
Saying this usually has the opposite effect! It tells your listener that you do not care about their emotions. You just want them to stop expressing them. If you really want to help a person become less emotional, try telling him, “I want to help you, I need you to tell me what the problem is.” If the person shouts, it’s more effective if you take them aside and let them vent. Often, once the person has expressed their anger, they can speak more rationally and will apologize for their outbursts.
Think of the conversations you have had recently.
How many negative phrases have you heard? What effect did they have on you?
How many negative phrases have you used yourself? Now that you know more about positive and negative language, how would you conduct these conversations differently?
Once you’ve thought about these questions, get in touch and tell me your thoughts!
When you’re training your staff, your choice of language can have a massive effect on their learning. To find out more about how to train staff, please read my posts “Training for Non-Trainers” and “Explaining How Things Work: How To Do It And Why It Matters.”
Are you concerned about age discrimination? While most job seekers fear discrimination by hiring managers, the truth is that you’re more likely to be discriminated against by a computer.
Most 50-something or older job seekers don’t realize that the technology they leverage to apply for jobs may be screening them out of consideration. Sadly, this is one of the most common reasons that job seekers don’t get the interviews they want and deserve.
Here’s the key thing you need to know. The databases, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), that employers, recruiters, and job boards use to parse, store, and analyze incoming resumes are capable of estimating how much experience you possess. When recruiters or hiring executives search these databases for candidates with a certain amount of experience—let’s say 12-15 years—the ATS will screen out candidates who possess anything other than 12, 13, 14, or 15 years. As a result, your resume or LinkedIn profile will not be listed in the resulting candidate search. This eliminates your candidacy before a human even sees your resume or LinkedIn profile.
Please note that while job boards, companies, and recruiters are not intending to discriminate, the technology they are using to organize the flood of resumes they receive is doing so inadvertently. This means that every time your resume is entered into a job board system, company website, or recruiter website, the experience filtering described above may occur. It also means that your LinkedIn profile could be subjected to this same filtering process any time a company or recruiter searches for candidates like you with a specific amount of experience in mind.
If you’re currently in or plan to launch a part-time or full-time search for a new role, take time to age-proof your resume and LinkedIn profile. Three simple changes will boost your candidacy, help you attract more opportunities, and win you more job interviews:
While we strongly recommend a professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile picture (you can get one in most markets for $100-$200), an amateur photographer might work if you know one who takes good portrait shots. The key is an attractive pose that makes the most of your facial characteristics and personality while minimizing any age-related deficits.
If you have silver hair, for example, consider using a dark background or black & white photo to reduce the risk of a washed-out appearance. Select a pose that conveys energy and vitality and hints at the wisdom youth simply can’t replicate. Use a full-face smile to project energy with the photo and make sure you dress in interview-ready attire. You want to seem professional yet approachable.
It’s standard these days for most folks over 30 to omit education dates from resumes and their LinkedIn profile. This is easy enough to do on your resume where you can also omit dates of training, certifications, licensure, or affiliations.
In short, omit any date prior to 2000, since most recruiters only want to see the last 10-15 years of your experience on your resume or LinkedIn profile. To achieve this on LinkedIn, go to your profile and then edit your "Education" section. Select the “—“option in the drop-down box for your start and finish dates. Eliminate dates from other sections as well.
This is a little more complex but well worth doing. On your resume, list your post-2000 work experience in your "Work History" section and separate your pre-2000 experience into an "Additional Experience" section. For your pre-2000 jobs, omit your dates of employment and list the amounts instead. For example, if you worked at GE from 1992-2000, report that as “8 years.”
LinkedIn doesn’t allow members to omit dates from employment so your only choice is to eliminate pre-2000 jobs altogether. Try embedding a short version of older jobs in your first post-2000 listing or briefly noting relevant older roles in your LinkedIn summary. Either tactic will help you win more LinkedIn profile views.
While we don’t recommend using online job boards as a key component in an effective job search at almost any age (there are other more powerful and faster ways to create and pursue career opportunities for yourself), the truth is that these systems inadvertently “discriminate” against candidates with more than 15 years of work experience. Unfortunately, this same potential exists on LinkedIn and company/recruiter websites anytime a hiring manager or recruiter conducts a candidate search based on the amount of experience job seekers possess.
The good news is that a few simple tricks can protect your resume and LinkedIn profile from age discrimination and give you greater access to the career opportunities you want and deserve.
Need more help age-proofing your resume and LinkedIn profile?
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Have you ever heard of a "lone wolf" culture or a "me" culture? It's common in corporate America, but if you're looking for a job, you should probably avoid companies with this type of workplace culture. Here's why...
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For many years, companies have been hiring what they call the "best" worker. They look for the best performer. And in the beginning, when a company hires employees like that, they see a lot of results because everybody's working their very hardest. But when you hire people to be the best, it gets competitive. Over time, you start to see the backstabbing and the politics. People protect themselves and throw each other under the bus. So the "lone wolf" or "me" cultures tap out. And, unfortunately, we have a lot of companies here in America that still have that "lone wolf" culture, and it's creating a lot of problems.
The solution is to evolve into a "we" culture where the best idea, the best process wins—where we don't look at individuals to be the best, we look at the team to create the best work. And that requires a culture shift.
If you want to know how to get hired at the "we" culture companies, the best places to work, check out my FREE community where professionals are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction, and overcome job burnout once and for all.
Finding a job as an executive is 10X HARDER than it is for less experienced professionals. That’s because your REPUTATION plays a large role in the opportunities you attract.
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Ask yourself the following:
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J.T. O'Donnell has been in the HR, employment, and career coaching industry for 18+ years. She founded Work It Daily to disrupt the industry and bring career coaching and job search support to workers in all professions and at all skill levels.
With over 2.6M followers on LinkedIn and more than 1M on TikTok, O'Donnell is a proven expert in the area of online executive presence. O'Donnell designed this executive community to empower the next generation of leaders to build their reputations online so they can earn the trust and respect needed to make a larger impact within their industry and profession.
There are many positive things you can do that can help you get ahead at work. In fact, the value of these tasks is they make you more motivated—therefore, giving you the career boost you need.
I know. How can you ever feel enthusiastic about work, especially when you already feel sluggish with the same work after a few years? It is precisely this reason I ask you to be enthusiastic. To be enthusiastic at work is about a mental state. You need to make the decision to be enthusiastic. Start by saying, "I will be an eager participant in this project or task."
Attack your task with energy. Do not drag your feet. The more you tell yourself, "This is so boring," or whatever the excuse may be, the worse you will feel. Get interested in the work, and the energy will come naturally. Then, decide to be eagerly involved. You cannot get ahead at work without energy.
Strive to be the most efficient worker on your team. According to Webster's Universal College Dictionary, to be efficient means "performing or functioning effectively with the least waste of time and effort." When you are effective, you're producing the intended result. When you are efficient, you do it with the least waste of time and effort. That means you are capable and competent.
If you constantly strive to be the most efficient worker, then you will eventually get ahead in your career. You will get a career boost because you are the most capable and competent on the team.
Of the five things you can do to get ahead in the workplace, this one probably calls for you to give yourself some pressure. A little pressure is good since it makes you push yourself harder. Strive for excellence in everything you do. Do not be content with good. Go for great.
Exceed expectations by knowing good is sometimes not good enough. Give everything your utmost best. You will naturally see how this becomes your career booster. When you strive for excellence in everything you do, you naturally surpass others in your work.
Have you ever thought that showing up to work early can get you ahead at work? It can, especially when your workplace practices flextime. Many people take flextime for granted. They stroll in and out at their own pace, not knowing they have probably wasted productive time.
Start early at work. Some of my most productive days are those I start early before the phone rings and before my staff walks in with questions. Clear your emails from last night and craft that important email when there are no disturbances.
Make every effort to be the easiest person to work with in the office. Now, I am not saying compromise your need for excellence. For example, this means don't complain and grumble each time there is a team meeting. No one likes to work with someone who nags all the time.
When you are easy to work with, you make working enjoyable for your co-workers too. An upbeat workplace is welcomed everywhere, and you give yourself a competitive edge. That competitive edge is your career booster.
Want to know how your interact with your co-workers, and how it impacts your work? This FREE quiz will tell you your workplace strengths and how to use them to your advantage.
There is no need for complicated plans to get a career boost. Doing these simple things can help you get you ahead at work.
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To get good at it, our answer is yes...
Updated this article to include design principles and other elements, as CDOs and CDAOs continue to prove the value of data analytics to COOs and CEOs. The path to the C-suite is in proving the ROI of data analytics, setting up the tests, and providing the evidence.
As an analytics practitioner and leader, I have always stressed the need to create a predictable, repeatable, stable process for analytical data innovation. A data innovation process would help the firm monetize its critical data assets. A monetization capability has applications for several marketing and business domains such as campaign management, customer experience, product development, customer and prospect segmentation, and more (risk, etc.). A good data monetization process has at its core the ability to generate pilots every quarter to facilitate more significant tests and learning. Analytical data innovation has a direct impact on customer satisfaction and retention.
This article was written a few years back initially; however, at that time, the only thing we seemed to hear about was quick wins and not about setting up monetization and test and learn as a process. I posit that the continued focus on quick wins only and not creating a process for learning may be hindering analytical adoption and moving data analytics maturity to the next level. There are good quick wins and bad quick wins depending on whether they are measurable and scalable. It might now be time to suggest a more defined team and process be stood up within the CDAO and design worlds to hit the accelerator on monetizations. In some firms, particularly in Fintech, design practices joined at the hip with CDAOs are beginning to create such a process. My updates to the process are below.
The challenges in developing the analytical data innovation process include:
For each pilot, a monetization process needs to be followed, starting with defining the business case and vetting it with business partners and executives. Is the business willing to make changes and deploy the learnings? After gaining concurrence from the business partners, assemble the right team to keep the monetization effort on track, including executive sponsors, consultants/analytics experts, academics, design practice experts, prototyping firms, line of business sponsors, and IT.
To create the proper pilot development process, you can borrow from both Agile and SDLC, which ensures the formulation of the appropriate business and data requirements. Take the best elements from different project management methods to create the criteria. For example, a development process method can ensure success measures are established for the project.
The following steps are to perform feasibility analysis, create a prototype, and validate the pilot. For most analytical pilots, this involved creating test segmentations or models which can then be deployed in the market so one can read and validate the results. Some of the steps I have gone through in validating pilots included ensuring that we had actual data and systems to deploy the analytic solution. For example, some models require unique data sources to be able to score and implement them at their point of use.
The final step is to determine how far along the monetization cycle you will take an analytical pilot. For example, many times in segmentation, you may find a profitable segment but the segment cannot quickly grow or scale. On the other hand, a pilot that goes into implementation will require execution support and the establishment of success metrics. One new comment on this is that the pilot should have a definition of done and clear success metrics that the CEO and COO are aware of and endorses so that when the pilot is a success, it can be rolled out and celebrated.
My philosophy is to maintain a pipeline of analytical pilots, knowing that only 10%-20% will be fully monetized. This is the central premise behind the test that learns and fails fast and cheaply. Design practices can now help expand the number of pilots that are monetized. See Randy Bean's book Fail Fast Learn Faster for perspectives on this.
Ideally, there is enough diversity of pilots in the queue to generate new analytical products quarterly. This process is iterative as the pilots should be viewed as living solutions, and permanent departments, squads, and tribes should be set up to perpetuate this model.
Given that many CDAOs are still struggling with tenure and investment and proving the ROI, I want your thoughts on how this process can help and what you think is the state of the state is on test and learn and monetization. Are quick wins still quick, or does this process need to usurp quick wins?
Creating your resume, but stumped for ideas beyond your job titles, places of employment, and education? Getting employers to pick up the phone requires a much stronger brand message!
If you haven't focused on your ROI—the benefit companies get when hiring you—your job search can go on indefinitely. You might believe that recruiters or hiring managers will "get" this message from reading about your past jobs or span of authority. But guess what? With plenty of resumes to review, most hiring managers won't take the time to connect the dots in your background.
Therefore, if you've made a significant difference at past employers, but your resume doesn't provide this evidence, you'll lose your shot at landing an interview (while employers hire your competition instead).
So, as you write your resume, consider adding these quantifiable measures of your performance to emphasize your ROI and stand out to hiring managers.
Do you wear many hats at your current job? Employees who can perform more than one job simultaneously are often credited with improving the company's bottom line. On your resume, you'll be able to show the savings gained by helping your employer avoid the need to hire or train an additional staff member, as in these examples:
ROI can also be demonstrated by comparing your work to others on your team, or to a predecessor who held the same role prior to your tenure. You may be more efficient or better able to understand customer needs—saving your employer additional effort (such as multiple sales calls or additional work on technical problems)—than your counterparts. If so, put these savings into a dollar figure by calculating the cost of rework for use on your resume.
Remember: the key to demonstrating your ROI is by listing quantifiable information on your resume. This means adding numbers to each bullet point under your job titles.
Will anything get an employer's attention faster than telling them you'll bring sizeable profits? Probably not. However, unless you're in a sales role (or another revenue-specific job), you might find this exercise difficult. After all, how does a project manager or operations director make money for the company?
The secret to pulling out a revenue or profit figure (when your job isn't tied directly to money) is to look higher in the company for the impact of your work. This means taking into account the value of the project to your employer (a new service line that will create revenue opportunities), or the impact of the new equipment you implemented (improving production and fulfilling more orders). As in this example of a resume statement, your work as part of a larger effort can be conveyed in the impact of the entire project:
If your job involves technology, consider the monetary value of the improvements gained with a new solution you implemented. Once you put the emphasis on your work at a company or department level, the revenue or profit equation can make sense. Of course, you'll need to share the credit for increasing profits with your team or colleagues, but it's an important measure of your benefit to a new employer.
Cost savings are a high-priority area for many companies, especially those in industries directly affected by the pandemic. Of course, showing your impact on expenses is easy if you're the one negotiating new vendor contracts or preparing a budget. Even if your responsibilities don't seem related to costs, think about your ability to produce work faster or with less resources—then add the costs associated with this acceleration into your resume.
For example, an office manager who arranges shifts to cover the phone (without hiring an additional employee) is directly saving significant payroll and training costs. An IT director might be able to point out the projects completed in less time due to a newly acquired software tool, with related opportunity costs allowing the team to take on other projects. These examples show different ways to state cost savings on your resume:
Perhaps you've monitored expenses within your team, and figured out ways to generate the same amount of revenue with less overhead. These figures can be estimated, or specified in percentages of savings, to show your impact on costs.
The bottom line? Your employment automatically comes at a cost to your employer. If you can demonstrate a substantial ROI over the expense of hiring you, companies will be eager to bring you on board—even with a raise in salary—despite a competitive job market.
Need more help demonstrating your ROI on your resume? We're here for you!
While it's not so difficult to add a connection on LinkedIn when you already know the person, approaching someone you don't know, like a hiring manager, recruiter, the head of the department you want to work for, or a contact that can help get you through to the decision-maker is a different story.
Here are five tips on how to approach people you don't know, or don't know very well, and what you can say to get them to connect with you on LinkedIn:
Don't send a blank (or default) invitation to connect. It's unlikely that the person you're trying to connect with will accept it.
If it's a hiring manager who interviewed you, but you didn't get the job, it may still be a relationship worth maintaining. Your message could say, "Thank you for the interview opportunity. I would love to be considered for future positions that come up and have you as a professional connection no matter where we may possibly cross paths again."
The act of simply taking the time to write a personal message with your invitation makes you worthy of consideration.
In your LinkedIn connection request, find ways to form an instant bond by sharing what you have in common. For example, when you're both a member of the same group, club, or volunteer organization, it's easier to approach the individual.
People also want to know or be reminded of how you know them or found them. So you can say something like, "I'm also a member of XYZ on LinkedIn. I noticed you're the head of the marketing department at 123 Company, and I was hoping you could share some advice on how you got started in your career because I'm looking to pursue a similar path."
This approach is less likely to come off like a cold call. If there are other things you have in common, like a similar education or background, share that as well.
Whenever possible, it's easier to start an introduction with the help of a mutual acquaintance. After the help of an introduction, it's up to you to build rapport.
If you connect with someone who works for a company you want to work for, you may consider a message like, "I'm a former colleague of John Smith, who's told me a lot about you and your work. I'm considering a position at 123 Company. Would you mind if I ask you some questions related to your experience with the application and interview process?"
The saying, "It's not what you know. It's who you know," has never been truer. Take advantage of your current connections and use them to expand your professional network today.
Avoid sending your resume on first contact, or asking if your new connection knows of any job openings at their company. Your first message to a new connection should focus on starting a conversation, and you can effectively do that by asking for general advice rather than inquiring about a job.
Also, remember to keep questions open-ended so you can build conversation, not end it.
Who doesn't like to be greeted with a nice word of recognition like "Congratulations on the recent award!" or "Great article! I found it really insightful"? It informs the individual you admire their work, making it easier to get their attention and find a reason to connect with you.
If you're already connected, giving kudos to this person will strengthen your relationship and make them more willing to help you in your career.
Having a good network of connections is NOT about quantity but the quality of the people and the strength of the relationships. Take the time to really evaluate who is worth connecting with, and when you do try, have a compelling reason why you want to connect with them so they will sincerely consider your request.
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If you are going to an interview, there are many things you will want to consider. Many people think that knowing how to accurately answer the questions is the only thing that needs to be practiced. In reality, you also need to master your nonverbal communication to demonstrate your best attributes to the interviewer.
There are a few things you will need to think about. Your nonverbal communication is one of the most important aspects of an interview. This includes factors such as your gestures, body language, facial expressions, and more. These communication signals are important because they send a multitude of messages to the interviewer. Many times, nonverbal communication is subconscious, but it is still something that people will notice. Just as you will control what you verbally say, you will want to control what you communicate nonverbally, too.
It is a good idea to have your verbal match your nonverbal communication. This means if you say you are confident that you can give the business what it needs because you have years of experience, you do not want to come off as timid, shy, and unsure of yourself. Instead, you want to exude confidence.
Here are a few interview tips for nonverbal communication in an interview:
One of the best things you can do is to practice your interview ahead of time. You can do this by yourself, though you will want to have a mirror or video recording so you can evaluate your communication signals, or with a friend via a mock interview. When practicing for a job interview, you should think about the things you appear to be saying nonverbally and think about how you can change them to give the impression you are looking for.
You should be aware of how you are communicating during the interview, but be sure not to overthink and become distracted from the interview questions. For example, if you want to demonstrate your confidence, then you need to think about having excellent posture, keeping eye contact with your interviewer, and making sure to keep a calm demeanor.
A big issue many people face when they are in an interview is that they do not know what to do with their hands. Individuals should avoid fidgeting and touching their hair and face because the interviewer can read these communication signals negatively. These nervous movements and fidgets may be a sign of anything from uncertainty in your qualifications to lying about something.
It is also important to give the interviewer an open body position without crossing your arms, which shows that you are comfortable and open to discussion. By crossing your arms, you are sending the message that you are closed off, which makes an interviewer think you may have something to hide or feel negatively about the interview. You can keep your arms at your side or on your lap. Using your hands when you explain something is fine as well, and it is seen as a very open gesture to show your palms to the other individual while explaining.
While thinking about the right thing to say both verbally and nonverbally, you need to think about the message you are getting from the interviewer. For instance, if you see them lean back or look uncomfortable, you may be in their personal space. If the interviewer seems impatient or uncomfortable, you may want to try to explain yourself better or offer shorter and more concise answers.
There are many different aspects to think about with nonverbal communication and what it means in the business world. If you are finding that you are not having the success you want with an interview, you may find it helpful to take a class on nonverbal communication so you can achieve the results you are looking for.
Or you could join our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.
One of the most daunting tasks (in the USA and globally) that is not discussed in commercial research circles very often is the challenge data scientists have getting their data into the cloud AND convincing information security to configure cloud-based tools to allow access to critical data.
We all know the benefits of the cloud are many, including less expensive ways to store data, the scalability of big data platforms, and an advanced tool kit with many AI and machine learning tools (data and machine learning operations.) Risk and information security professionals still have many concerns about cloud data security, including adequate staffing and configuration expertise to make broad-scale use of cloud data a reality. There is often confusion about the current software stack and the scope of their cloud capabilities (on-prem versus cloud), further complicating the maze of issues surrounding using data in the cloud.
Chief data officers should be joined at the hip with chief technology officers and information security professionals to allow the migration of analytics data to the cloud and provide configuration of access tools (i.e. MS, Azure, or AWS).
I hope this post helps frame some of the issues and recommended solutions. I look forward to your thoughts and any additions you might have.
What should you do when you and another co-worker like each other? Worse yet, what happens if you have a crush on your boss, or that most terrible of taboos, on your secretary?
Rather than ignore the problem or act on your instincts, you should learn how to stop being attracted to someone at work. Here are 10 tips for handling the lust genie and putting her back in the bottle where she belongs:
The first step in dealing with attraction at work is to acknowledge the problem. In all likelihood, you have pushed these feelings to the side of your mind. Unfortunately, they are sitting there fermenting and probably deepening.
Bringing your feelings to the top of your to-do list will help you logically deal with them. In cases of workplace attraction, you are going to need every ounce of Dr. Spock you can muster.
You should absolutely talk to a friend about your work crush, preferably to someone who is not employed by the same company, your spouse, or the target of your attraction.
Talking about your feelings is another way of acknowledging the problem. In addition, you will acquire an ally who will help you cope with the issue.
Reading the black and white company policy about what can happen if you act on your attraction is sometimes enough to change those feelings of amore into slight sickness whenever you see the person.
In the world of business, there are many ways to get ahead. Some people have learned that ignoring office etiquette and company rules about relationships is a quick way to gain a competitive edge. It's very difficult, but try to realistically evaluate the skills of the other person.
Have they earned their position through brilliance, dedication, and hard work? Or did they just sort of miraculously appear?
Maybe your home life isn't as blissful as it could be. This doesn't mean that acting on your instincts with the person at work is going to be the dream relationship.
That possible relationship might be better, but in all likelihood you will be exchanging one set of problems for another.
In love with your boss? Have you ever heard of Stockholm syndrome? People in positions of power are often attractive even if they are absolutely horrible.
Romance at work (even between consenting single adults) often translates into negative repercussions. It can create sordid rumors and much worse.
If you truly have found the love of your life, get proactive about moving jobs or changing departments so you can continue your romance without worry.
Not willing to do that? Maybe this isn't the "one."
This will make coping much easier. Social decorum dictates that most intimacy doesn't occur in the presence of others. Design strategies that remove direct and private contact with the person.
Whenever possible, interact with the person only when there are other people around. This will prevent intimacy and, with luck, the workplace crush will fade.
So many of us get absolutely absorbed in work. It is our lives. When this is the case, it is perfectly natural to look for affection and intimacy at work. Make your social life outside of work a priority.
Once other people enter your life, the attraction for that colleague often disappears.
This approach rarely leads to a happy ending.
First, if the attraction is mutual, the crush will likely escalate into a full-blown affair. Second, if the attraction is not mutual, you face rejection and possibly a sexual harassment lawsuit.
We are all human and human interaction is sexual. Having a crush or being attracted to a co-worker is natural. But natural doesn't necessarily make it good for you!
Use these 10 tips to fight attraction in the workplace, because most of the time it isn't worth the risk.
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You should be obsessed with what’s in your closet because that’s how you create an image that gets you noticed—in a good way. When was the last time you looked at every single article of clothing and each accessory in your closet to determine if you love and wear it? Let’s be honest. It’s probably been a while.
A recent study showed women wear 20-30% of their clothes. So, for every 10 pieces of clothing in a woman’s closet, she’s only wearing two or three pieces. That’s crazy! Especially when we look at that closet full of clothes and think, “I have nothing to wear.” It’s probably time for a closet audit to see what you own and what type of use you’re getting out of it.
I highly recommend going through that exercise. Do it yourself or work with a personal stylist. You’ve probably heard the saying that if you haven’t worn something in the past year, get rid of it. I’m not completely stuck on that rule, especially with the pandemic. We weren’t going anywhere for a time but that’s no reason to get rid of your entire wardrobe. You may have been wearing the comfy uniform (sweatpants and a t-shirt) but now are getting back in the public eye and need to dust off the pants and blouses.
Going through your closet and determining what you want to keep should be easy. Discard things you are not wearing. Again, that won’t be too hard. Then you’ll have things in between. For advice on what to do with those pieces? Well, that’s what I get paid for.
One question is what to do with clothing and accessories you don’t wear anymore. Here are a few options:
Ten million tons of clothing fill landfills every year. That’s deplorable. We must stop this and become better stewards of our planet. One out of every two articles of clothing is thrown away. There’s no need for that (see above options).
The average woman spends $960 annually on new clothes. (Depending on who you are, that may be a shocking statistic. Frankly, I wish I could get it down that low. I’m sure my husband does too). Where is she going to put them? She needs to have a closet audit and throw out the old so she can bring in the new.
A great time to do a closet audit is the change of seasons, spring and fall. Before you pack away the previous season’s wardrobe, make sure it’s all worth keeping. As a personal stylist, I help people with this process, organize their closets, and show them how to rotate their clothes so they never have to do another audit. It’s very liberating, by the way.
That takes me to another point of an efficient closet. ORGANIZATION. How can you responsibly dress if you don’t even know what you have? Categorize clothing. For example, all coats should be together as well as footwear like boots and sandals. It will help you get ready faster and become very clear on what you’re not wearing.
Don’t just stop at your closet. Go through drawers and sweater bins. You also need to do this process with jewelry boxes and armoires. There are vendors that travel the country buying metals like gold and silver. A friend recently brought old gold jewelry to one and got about $400 in cash. Pretty nice for less than an hour’s work.
Sustainability is really coming to the forefront in the fashion industry, and I’m glad to see it. Be part of the solution and not the problem.
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