I participate as a coach in a program called "CareerTrack". It is run by TechColumbus (www.techcolumbus.org), a organization that does a wonderful job of promoting the technology community and business here in central Ohio.
The CareerTrack program provides services to job seekers in the technology market place to assist them in landing their next position. Among other things, we have monthly meetings where speakers present a topic, and and provide opportunities for networking and exchange of ideas. An additional benefit of CareerTrack is that the job seeker gets one on one time with a career coach to be used in any manner desired (resume' review, interviewing, how to look for positions, etc.).
Surprisingly, not all of the program participants take advantage of this coaching session, in spite of the fact that those who have used it provide positive reviews. I also see many of the same faces come to the monthly meetings who do not participate in discussions, or who keep to themselves during networking time.
A key themes with job seekers (and all professionals for that matter) is the need to constantly network, speak with other professionals and stay in touch with the market and opportunities. Now, I realize that a lot of technology folks aren't necessarily extroverts, so meeting new folks and striking up conversation is not something that comes naturally. I spend many of my coaching sessions in networking role plays with job seekers, and provide tips on what to do when they meet new people.
We are talking basic stuff: what to say, how to introduce yourself, etc. So, I thought "I'll make my next blog post about how to network".
Thankfully, this has been already been addressed by others:
http://tinyurl.com/2eg3t9a
In her post, Debbie Langford brings up a number of great points as well as resources for learning how to network, and there is way too much to cover in a simple post. Her key message is not so much technique related but more along the lines of "getting your head in the right place", and "becoming the type of person others want to meet" so that you become a successful networker. This, I find, is key in many fields of endeavor and being connected is a common characteristic of successful individuals in all walks of life.
In summary, if you are struggling with the whole concept of networking, there is a lot that can be gained by revisiting what we learned in our Psych 101. Spend some time reaquainting yourself with principles and basics of positive human interaction, remembering what we all know down deep, and networking will become a lot easier.
Happy hunting!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Creating A Career Tracking and Assessment History
Objective self assessment is a wonderful thing. The moments where we recognize our strengths and weaknesses can lead us to the most impactful learning we will ever experience.
I had one of these moments a few years ago. I observed throughout my career that it always seemed that when I invested time in personal and professional development, an opportunity would arise where I could apply my newly found knowledge and skills, an opportunity that led to bigger, better things, or new challenges.
I was curious about this, and happened to be talking with my team about personal and professional development at the time. So, I put together a spreadsheet with the following headings:
Calendar Year - Year of my career, starting with the first year of my professional career
Personal / Professional Growth Activity - What kind of personal and or professional growth I did that year, ranging from going to college to physical conditioning to almost anything that helped grow my knowledge and abilities
Employer - The company I worked for
Career Activity - What happened in my career that year. Whether I was promoted, recognized, received additional opportunity or responsibility, etc.
Relative Development - A somewhat subjective asssessment of how much energy I put into self development. I used a 0 (no activity) to 5 (full time learning / college) scale.
Income - How much money I earned that year. I used my annual Social Security Benefits Statement to help with this!
Income Change From Previous Year - Simple calculation.
Income Change From Base - Treating the first year of my career (1981 for me) as the "base" level, what percentage change from that point year. Helpful to see how long it took to double, triple, etc. my income level.
Comments - Observations I have about my Personal / Professional Development activity and what happened.
I'be posted a sanitized version of my personal Career Tracking and Assessment tool in another post:
http://richgrunenwald.blogspot.com/2010/10/career-tracking-and-assessment-history.html
(I am having trouble with sizing this, so please bear with me!)
The results were fascinating. Some of the things I expected to see, and a couple things I didn't.
1) The General Benefits of Self Development.
When I spent effort on personal and professional development, something would happen that would allow me to apply my knowledge and ability. The most interesting part was that the specific development activity and the impact on what happened from a career perspective were sometimes not directly related.
For example, in 1995 and 1996, I studied Information Engineering and prepped for the PMI exam. I ended up being promoted to an operations management / recruiting manager role. Why? Because I was perceived as aggressive and driven to success and would figure out what I didn't know if I had to as demonstrated by my self study.
I compare self development to exercise. Pretty much all exercise is good for you, whether you are training to run a marathon or you are just looking to improve your health. The same goes for self development. Devoting time to your personal and professional well being is beneficial whether or not you have a specific end goal in mind.
2) Sometimes, You Have To Take A Risk
There have been a number of critical junctures during my career, where I conciously chose to take a risk:
- In 1983 when I left a secure and promising position with a great company to get experience to improve long term marketability
- In 1993 when I left a secure management position for the opportunity to grow as a Project Manager and learn other environments
- In 1996 when I left a revenue producing consulting position to go to an overhead, operations management position.
- In 2000, when I went into sales. 'Nuff said about the risks associated with sales!
- In 2004, when I left a company where I had been for twelve years to go to a company where I had to earn my reputation and value
In my mind, at each of these junctures I was presented with the trade-off of short term risk vs. long term reward. I had to evaluate whether going to something new would ultimately be better than the current state I was in.
We need to remind ourselves periodically that we have to force ourselves into this situation, to create our own "burning platform" for change and growth, to prove to ourselves we still have it. Early in our careers when we get that first job, we do it without thinking. Later in our careers, we tend to stay in our comfort zones and become risk averse because of what is at stake (disruption to our personal lives, perceived risk of failure, etc.). We stop pushing into new territory, and it almost always ends badly.
Have you ever met a person like this? That played it so safe and risk averse that they ended up having little market value? They end up with five years of experience and knowledge maybe three or four times over, rather than 15 or 20 years of valuable, progressive experience that reflects viability and the zest thrive in any situation.
You don't want to be that guy.
SUMMARY
I regularly suggest to people to do this analysis for themselves. It is very tempting to play it safe, particularly when you have a job where you are in good standing, that is interesting, and pays the bills. It is easy to lull yourself into becoming comfortable.
However, we do so at our own risk. The pace of change in the world of work is such that if we don't develop skills and knowledge to assist us with being relevant, it will leave us behind, talking about the good old days, rather than a vision of what might be, what we can create.
I had one of these moments a few years ago. I observed throughout my career that it always seemed that when I invested time in personal and professional development, an opportunity would arise where I could apply my newly found knowledge and skills, an opportunity that led to bigger, better things, or new challenges.
I was curious about this, and happened to be talking with my team about personal and professional development at the time. So, I put together a spreadsheet with the following headings:
Calendar Year - Year of my career, starting with the first year of my professional career
Personal / Professional Growth Activity - What kind of personal and or professional growth I did that year, ranging from going to college to physical conditioning to almost anything that helped grow my knowledge and abilities
Employer - The company I worked for
Career Activity - What happened in my career that year. Whether I was promoted, recognized, received additional opportunity or responsibility, etc.
Relative Development - A somewhat subjective asssessment of how much energy I put into self development. I used a 0 (no activity) to 5 (full time learning / college) scale.
Income - How much money I earned that year. I used my annual Social Security Benefits Statement to help with this!
Income Change From Previous Year - Simple calculation.
Income Change From Base - Treating the first year of my career (1981 for me) as the "base" level, what percentage change from that point year. Helpful to see how long it took to double, triple, etc. my income level.
Comments - Observations I have about my Personal / Professional Development activity and what happened.
I'be posted a sanitized version of my personal Career Tracking and Assessment tool in another post:
http://richgrunenwald.blogspot.com/2010/10/career-tracking-and-assessment-history.html
(I am having trouble with sizing this, so please bear with me!)
The results were fascinating. Some of the things I expected to see, and a couple things I didn't.
1) The General Benefits of Self Development.
When I spent effort on personal and professional development, something would happen that would allow me to apply my knowledge and ability. The most interesting part was that the specific development activity and the impact on what happened from a career perspective were sometimes not directly related.
For example, in 1995 and 1996, I studied Information Engineering and prepped for the PMI exam. I ended up being promoted to an operations management / recruiting manager role. Why? Because I was perceived as aggressive and driven to success and would figure out what I didn't know if I had to as demonstrated by my self study.
I compare self development to exercise. Pretty much all exercise is good for you, whether you are training to run a marathon or you are just looking to improve your health. The same goes for self development. Devoting time to your personal and professional well being is beneficial whether or not you have a specific end goal in mind.
2) Sometimes, You Have To Take A Risk
There have been a number of critical junctures during my career, where I conciously chose to take a risk:
- In 1983 when I left a secure and promising position with a great company to get experience to improve long term marketability
- In 1993 when I left a secure management position for the opportunity to grow as a Project Manager and learn other environments
- In 1996 when I left a revenue producing consulting position to go to an overhead, operations management position.
- In 2000, when I went into sales. 'Nuff said about the risks associated with sales!
- In 2004, when I left a company where I had been for twelve years to go to a company where I had to earn my reputation and value
In my mind, at each of these junctures I was presented with the trade-off of short term risk vs. long term reward. I had to evaluate whether going to something new would ultimately be better than the current state I was in.
We need to remind ourselves periodically that we have to force ourselves into this situation, to create our own "burning platform" for change and growth, to prove to ourselves we still have it. Early in our careers when we get that first job, we do it without thinking. Later in our careers, we tend to stay in our comfort zones and become risk averse because of what is at stake (disruption to our personal lives, perceived risk of failure, etc.). We stop pushing into new territory, and it almost always ends badly.
Have you ever met a person like this? That played it so safe and risk averse that they ended up having little market value? They end up with five years of experience and knowledge maybe three or four times over, rather than 15 or 20 years of valuable, progressive experience that reflects viability and the zest thrive in any situation.
You don't want to be that guy.
SUMMARY
I regularly suggest to people to do this analysis for themselves. It is very tempting to play it safe, particularly when you have a job where you are in good standing, that is interesting, and pays the bills. It is easy to lull yourself into becoming comfortable.
However, we do so at our own risk. The pace of change in the world of work is such that if we don't develop skills and knowledge to assist us with being relevant, it will leave us behind, talking about the good old days, rather than a vision of what might be, what we can create.
Developing Your Personal Inventory
An observation from the past 30 or so years of my career is that fate has put me into very different jobs and roles. I have worked for different types and sizes of companies, and currently work for a company that is the second largest in its market space from a global perspective.
What has been a pleasant surprise has been the fact that I have managed to be fairly successful in most all of these roles and environments. On the surface, "C Programmer" and "Account Executive" (aka "Sales Guy") would seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. I similarly have met others that have enjoyed a wide variance of activity in their careers. Some have turned their hobbies or passions into their full time jobs, and others seem to move from one industry and role to another with apparent ease.
This seems to fly in the face of most corporate wisdom that requests a higher and / or broader degree of expertise in one's chosen field, and often rewards for this by moving people up the promotional food chain.
Upon some reflection, I thought about the knowledge, skills, experience, aptitudes, and interests I have, and how I have (subconciously) been able to apply these things to roles and companies I have been at. This led to the creation of what I refer to as a "Personal Inventory" that brings all of our talents to visibility.
The premise behind the Personal Inventory (PI for short) is that we all have a lot more skills, talents, and knowledge than we typically give ourselves credit for. After 20 or so years in a career, do any of us remember the significant accomplishments we had early on? Do we even remember what made us successful at that time? Probably not, and we should as these talents are there, waiting, within us ready to be applied to the next challenge we face.
It's like having a big toolchest full of tools, and forgetting what we can do with them!
The approach I use for the PI is to start an inventory of skills, talents, etc., de-coupling them from the roles we used them in and the jobs we've held. Then, we can start to look at how these characteristics can be combined for endeavors we thought were never possible before.
For example, I once found myself interviewing for a Director of Business Development position at a skilled care / assisted living facility, and thirty minutes into the interview it was apparent to both myself and the interviewer that I was a viable candidate for the job. How could this be? I never worked in health care, and this was about as far away from my core field of Information Technology as you could get.
A few weeks later, I thought the reasons I would have succeeded at that job include:
- Desire to do something socially worthwhile
- Understanding of the challenges that caring for a loved one brings to the family
- Ability to talk to relative strangers about difficult subjects
These characterisitics as well as others accumulated during the past thirty or so years could all be combined and applied to do something totally outside of the field I have been in. This led me to the creation of my own PI, which is an active collection of skills and talents and knowldege that makes up what I bring.
My PI has the following column headings, and under each I simply add things as I recognize them.
Job Titles: The formal titles of the jobs (both professional and personal) I've held. Ex: Programmer, Resource Manager, Managing Director, Coach, Treasurer, Master of Ceremonies, etc.).
Roles: The roles I've played in my professional and personal lives. Ex: HR manager, strategic business advisor, BOD member, sales person, mechanic, supervisor, event chairman, IT application designer, project manager, etc.
Industry and Company Experience: Self explanatory. The industries and companies I have become familiar with. Insurance, Contract Research, Education, Mail Order Sales, Automotive, etc. i0
Subject Matter Expertise and Business Knowledge: The knowledge areas and subject matter expertise I've accumulated. Consulting, Project Management, Staffing, Hiring, Business Plan Development, Recruiting, Hiring, Strategic Business Consulting, Profit and Loss Management, Budget Management, Auto Racing, etc.
Technical and Professional Skills: The detail technical and professional skills I've accumulated. Ex: Sales methodologies, negotiating skills, C programming, COBOL programming, business analysis, social networking, marketing for small business, etc.
Personal Characteristics and Aptitiudes: The things that are naturally a part of my make-up, that others would say about me, as well as the things that seem to come easy to me or that I seem to be naturally good at. Ex: Easy to talk with, high integrity, like meeting new people, good questioner, math, dependable, etc.
Passions, Interests, and Hobbies: The activities that I get excited about and am interested in. Another way to look at it is that these are the activities where we would spend our time if we were free to choose. Ex: Helping people through life transitions, sharing ideas / public speaking, cooking, driving skills, writing, history and research, auto racing, auto and motorcycle repair and restoration, career coaching / job hunting and advising, sales and marketing, teaching, etc.
I advise people on taking at least a week to put this together. Start it with as much as you can, and then set it aside. Come back and add to it as you come up with things. Go back to all your old performance reviews and read them to see what you accomplished. Ask a close friend for ideas. Better yet, keep it as an active document that you are always enhancing.
Take a look and see what you've collected. I am betting that it is way more than you ever thought. At the very least, you've done a huge exercise in self affirmation - please, no Stuart Smalley jokes!
Now, start thinking about how these abilities and such can be called upon and combined to do things you never dreamed were possible. All of a sudden, the field of play from a personal and career perspective has just expanded exponentially!
Creation of a "personal inventory" is by no means a new idea. Scour the web for sites on career management and job hunting and the like, and you will find several that begin with a person taking stock in their skills and talents, leading to a job hunting exercise of some sort.
My belief is that a PI is not something you only do when looking for a job. Instead, you do it throughout your life and career in order to realize your potential and spend your energy and talent where you want instead of where you feel you have to.
A sample PI is included in another post.
What has been a pleasant surprise has been the fact that I have managed to be fairly successful in most all of these roles and environments. On the surface, "C Programmer" and "Account Executive" (aka "Sales Guy") would seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. I similarly have met others that have enjoyed a wide variance of activity in their careers. Some have turned their hobbies or passions into their full time jobs, and others seem to move from one industry and role to another with apparent ease.
This seems to fly in the face of most corporate wisdom that requests a higher and / or broader degree of expertise in one's chosen field, and often rewards for this by moving people up the promotional food chain.
Upon some reflection, I thought about the knowledge, skills, experience, aptitudes, and interests I have, and how I have (subconciously) been able to apply these things to roles and companies I have been at. This led to the creation of what I refer to as a "Personal Inventory" that brings all of our talents to visibility.
The premise behind the Personal Inventory (PI for short) is that we all have a lot more skills, talents, and knowledge than we typically give ourselves credit for. After 20 or so years in a career, do any of us remember the significant accomplishments we had early on? Do we even remember what made us successful at that time? Probably not, and we should as these talents are there, waiting, within us ready to be applied to the next challenge we face.
It's like having a big toolchest full of tools, and forgetting what we can do with them!
The approach I use for the PI is to start an inventory of skills, talents, etc., de-coupling them from the roles we used them in and the jobs we've held. Then, we can start to look at how these characteristics can be combined for endeavors we thought were never possible before.
For example, I once found myself interviewing for a Director of Business Development position at a skilled care / assisted living facility, and thirty minutes into the interview it was apparent to both myself and the interviewer that I was a viable candidate for the job. How could this be? I never worked in health care, and this was about as far away from my core field of Information Technology as you could get.
A few weeks later, I thought the reasons I would have succeeded at that job include:
- Desire to do something socially worthwhile
- Understanding of the challenges that caring for a loved one brings to the family
- Ability to talk to relative strangers about difficult subjects
These characterisitics as well as others accumulated during the past thirty or so years could all be combined and applied to do something totally outside of the field I have been in. This led me to the creation of my own PI, which is an active collection of skills and talents and knowldege that makes up what I bring.
My PI has the following column headings, and under each I simply add things as I recognize them.
Job Titles: The formal titles of the jobs (both professional and personal) I've held. Ex: Programmer, Resource Manager, Managing Director, Coach, Treasurer, Master of Ceremonies, etc.).
Roles: The roles I've played in my professional and personal lives. Ex: HR manager, strategic business advisor, BOD member, sales person, mechanic, supervisor, event chairman, IT application designer, project manager, etc.
Industry and Company Experience: Self explanatory. The industries and companies I have become familiar with. Insurance, Contract Research, Education, Mail Order Sales, Automotive, etc. i0
Subject Matter Expertise and Business Knowledge: The knowledge areas and subject matter expertise I've accumulated. Consulting, Project Management, Staffing, Hiring, Business Plan Development, Recruiting, Hiring, Strategic Business Consulting, Profit and Loss Management, Budget Management, Auto Racing, etc.
Technical and Professional Skills: The detail technical and professional skills I've accumulated. Ex: Sales methodologies, negotiating skills, C programming, COBOL programming, business analysis, social networking, marketing for small business, etc.
Personal Characteristics and Aptitiudes: The things that are naturally a part of my make-up, that others would say about me, as well as the things that seem to come easy to me or that I seem to be naturally good at. Ex: Easy to talk with, high integrity, like meeting new people, good questioner, math, dependable, etc.
Passions, Interests, and Hobbies: The activities that I get excited about and am interested in. Another way to look at it is that these are the activities where we would spend our time if we were free to choose. Ex: Helping people through life transitions, sharing ideas / public speaking, cooking, driving skills, writing, history and research, auto racing, auto and motorcycle repair and restoration, career coaching / job hunting and advising, sales and marketing, teaching, etc.
I advise people on taking at least a week to put this together. Start it with as much as you can, and then set it aside. Come back and add to it as you come up with things. Go back to all your old performance reviews and read them to see what you accomplished. Ask a close friend for ideas. Better yet, keep it as an active document that you are always enhancing.
Take a look and see what you've collected. I am betting that it is way more than you ever thought. At the very least, you've done a huge exercise in self affirmation - please, no Stuart Smalley jokes!
Now, start thinking about how these abilities and such can be called upon and combined to do things you never dreamed were possible. All of a sudden, the field of play from a personal and career perspective has just expanded exponentially!
Creation of a "personal inventory" is by no means a new idea. Scour the web for sites on career management and job hunting and the like, and you will find several that begin with a person taking stock in their skills and talents, leading to a job hunting exercise of some sort.
My belief is that a PI is not something you only do when looking for a job. Instead, you do it throughout your life and career in order to realize your potential and spend your energy and talent where you want instead of where you feel you have to.
A sample PI is included in another post.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
How I Spent My Summer Vacation - Work Related?
I just returned from vacationing for 8 days or so in Lincoln, NE. Lincoln is not exactly a hotspot resort destination for the general public, but it is a mecca for a group of auto racing drivers.
To get a flavor for what motivates 1,200 or so drivers from all over the country to spend a week or more in Nebraska, check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzWGwBd0DBg
My experience is at
http://forum.ovr-scca.org/index.php?topic=533.0
Why bring this up?
There are passions that drive all of us and provide balance in a world full of activity. This is one of the passions in my world.
In my mind, the true definition of recreation is the activity that takes you away from your regular life, where you spend "me time", and do things that bring inner satisfaction. For some, recreation involves high energy and intense activities. For others, recreation is more introspective, thoughtful, calm. I am sure there are some deep psychological reasonings behind why some choose yoga and others choose mountain climbing.
For me, it is pretty easy. As a 6 year old, the guy next door had a '57 Bel Air that he was all the time working on, and I was the kid hanging around. Since then, I've always had an interest in things mechanical and racing.
The thing to remember is to remember is to make time for the passions you have. If you don't, your world will be consumed with everyone else's priorities instead of your own.
To get a flavor for what motivates 1,200 or so drivers from all over the country to spend a week or more in Nebraska, check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzWGwBd0DBg
My experience is at
http://forum.ovr-scca.org/index.php?topic=533.0
Why bring this up?
There are passions that drive all of us and provide balance in a world full of activity. This is one of the passions in my world.
In my mind, the true definition of recreation is the activity that takes you away from your regular life, where you spend "me time", and do things that bring inner satisfaction. For some, recreation involves high energy and intense activities. For others, recreation is more introspective, thoughtful, calm. I am sure there are some deep psychological reasonings behind why some choose yoga and others choose mountain climbing.
For me, it is pretty easy. As a 6 year old, the guy next door had a '57 Bel Air that he was all the time working on, and I was the kid hanging around. Since then, I've always had an interest in things mechanical and racing.
The thing to remember is to remember is to make time for the passions you have. If you don't, your world will be consumed with everyone else's priorities instead of your own.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Change...Then and Now
A bit off the path of regular business...
I have been fortunate in my life and career in that at a very young and impressionable age I was introduced to Change. "Mr. C" as I sometimes call him made a brash and unannounced entry into my world when I was a lad of maybe 11 or 12 years old.
I remember distinctly the moment. As the oldest of 6 kids, I of course felt responsible for many weighty and serious things, that it was my duty to help ensure things went smooth for the family, that I set a good example for my younger sibs. This meant doing things like chores around the house or making personal sacrifices to enable the greater good. For a 12 year old, it translated into earning my own money by cutting grass and being happy to have hand-me-downs from the cousins.
Of course being the oldest also had its benefits. I usually got to ride up front in the family 9 passenger VW Microbus with Dad, while Mom tended to the rest of the family in the back two rows of seats (yes, I managed to grow up in a perilous, front seat environment, and lived to tell about it).
All was well in my idyllic world when on one of our many trips, Mom announced she was pregnant. Again. Personally, I had about had it with adding kids to the family. I told Mom and Dad that this was a bad idea, that we didn't have room for another kid and we certainly didn't have the spare money. I stopped short of telling them to put it up for adoption, although the thought did cross my mind, and I even rehearsed a speech about it.
I was really upset about this turn of events as it was going to take even more work on my part to make sure things went smooth, and here I was 12 and a half years old, almost a teenager, and starting to think that girls were not all that bad. What were they thinking? Didn't they understand how this would impact me and my world?
Mom smiled as she always did when she was pregnant, and had that beautiful look that all pregnant women have when they know they are carrying a new life within them. She said a new baby was a "...gift from God..." and would be a wonderful addition to our family. Dad, being the engineer and all, was much more pragmatic. "What's the big deal? Our VW is a 9 passenger anyhow and we have an empty seat". He then went on to talk about dinner or Steeler's footbal or something, and I was left to stew in my own pre-teen juices.
It was at that precise moment I came to meet and begin to know Mr. C. Mr. C. taught me that no matter how bad an idea I thought this was, no matter how it might impact me, no matter how misguided my parents were, it was going to happen and I had to deal with it. More importantly, it was up to me to decide how I was going to deal with it and react to it.
It is a lesson in life I value today, particularly during the volatile business times we find ourselves in. During the past few years, I have seen colleagues out of work, companies merge or go under, and the nature of my industry change substantially as many of the skills that were highly valued yesterday become commoditized. You can fight it, you can deny it, and sometimes you can hide from it. But the best thing to do is recognize it, adjust, and adapt.
For example, my own company was recently acquired by a much larger, global staffing and services firm, a leader in the world market. This means many things for me and my team. More resources to draw on, more experiences, more services we can offer, more opportunity for career growth. It also means, new processes and bureaucracy we have to follow, more rules and guidelines we need to adhere to, a new office and location to move to, and probably a hundred other things that impact the world in which me and my team live.
I see some people in other organizations face change like this, and run and hide. Or they stalwartly deny it or secretly subvert it. And in the process, they make themselves and those surrounding them miserable through their actiions and attitudes.
Yet, I see others that consistently prosper and rise to the occasion. Perhaps they disagree with the direction their firm or industry is headed in, and they switch to something better aligned to their beliefs. Others accept change openly and figure out how to successfully play the hand that is given them. In either case, the folks that prosper when their world changes are those that recognize it and leverage it to drive their actions.
With every change, there are things we learn and ways in which we grow that help us be better leaders, parents, co-workers, and people. The upside of accepting and dealing with change is always way better than the downside of resisting it. Sure, there's some downside at times. Comp plans may change and maybe initially not for the better. Roles and responsibilities get shuffled around, and sometimes you lose the "front seat of the bus". At the same time, these are the things that make us "stretch our muscles" and become stronger professionals.
If I have learned nothing else, sometimes Mr. C walks in the door and makes himself right at home without being asked. It's my choice whether to welcome him to the family, avoid him, or try to throw him out.
Much like what happened when my kid brother was announced to a 12 year old many years ago.
Make your reaction to change count in a positive manner.
I have been fortunate in my life and career in that at a very young and impressionable age I was introduced to Change. "Mr. C" as I sometimes call him made a brash and unannounced entry into my world when I was a lad of maybe 11 or 12 years old.
I remember distinctly the moment. As the oldest of 6 kids, I of course felt responsible for many weighty and serious things, that it was my duty to help ensure things went smooth for the family, that I set a good example for my younger sibs. This meant doing things like chores around the house or making personal sacrifices to enable the greater good. For a 12 year old, it translated into earning my own money by cutting grass and being happy to have hand-me-downs from the cousins.
Of course being the oldest also had its benefits. I usually got to ride up front in the family 9 passenger VW Microbus with Dad, while Mom tended to the rest of the family in the back two rows of seats (yes, I managed to grow up in a perilous, front seat environment, and lived to tell about it).
All was well in my idyllic world when on one of our many trips, Mom announced she was pregnant. Again. Personally, I had about had it with adding kids to the family. I told Mom and Dad that this was a bad idea, that we didn't have room for another kid and we certainly didn't have the spare money. I stopped short of telling them to put it up for adoption, although the thought did cross my mind, and I even rehearsed a speech about it.
I was really upset about this turn of events as it was going to take even more work on my part to make sure things went smooth, and here I was 12 and a half years old, almost a teenager, and starting to think that girls were not all that bad. What were they thinking? Didn't they understand how this would impact me and my world?
Mom smiled as she always did when she was pregnant, and had that beautiful look that all pregnant women have when they know they are carrying a new life within them. She said a new baby was a "...gift from God..." and would be a wonderful addition to our family. Dad, being the engineer and all, was much more pragmatic. "What's the big deal? Our VW is a 9 passenger anyhow and we have an empty seat". He then went on to talk about dinner or Steeler's footbal or something, and I was left to stew in my own pre-teen juices.
It was at that precise moment I came to meet and begin to know Mr. C. Mr. C. taught me that no matter how bad an idea I thought this was, no matter how it might impact me, no matter how misguided my parents were, it was going to happen and I had to deal with it. More importantly, it was up to me to decide how I was going to deal with it and react to it.
It is a lesson in life I value today, particularly during the volatile business times we find ourselves in. During the past few years, I have seen colleagues out of work, companies merge or go under, and the nature of my industry change substantially as many of the skills that were highly valued yesterday become commoditized. You can fight it, you can deny it, and sometimes you can hide from it. But the best thing to do is recognize it, adjust, and adapt.
For example, my own company was recently acquired by a much larger, global staffing and services firm, a leader in the world market. This means many things for me and my team. More resources to draw on, more experiences, more services we can offer, more opportunity for career growth. It also means, new processes and bureaucracy we have to follow, more rules and guidelines we need to adhere to, a new office and location to move to, and probably a hundred other things that impact the world in which me and my team live.
I see some people in other organizations face change like this, and run and hide. Or they stalwartly deny it or secretly subvert it. And in the process, they make themselves and those surrounding them miserable through their actiions and attitudes.
Yet, I see others that consistently prosper and rise to the occasion. Perhaps they disagree with the direction their firm or industry is headed in, and they switch to something better aligned to their beliefs. Others accept change openly and figure out how to successfully play the hand that is given them. In either case, the folks that prosper when their world changes are those that recognize it and leverage it to drive their actions.
With every change, there are things we learn and ways in which we grow that help us be better leaders, parents, co-workers, and people. The upside of accepting and dealing with change is always way better than the downside of resisting it. Sure, there's some downside at times. Comp plans may change and maybe initially not for the better. Roles and responsibilities get shuffled around, and sometimes you lose the "front seat of the bus". At the same time, these are the things that make us "stretch our muscles" and become stronger professionals.
If I have learned nothing else, sometimes Mr. C walks in the door and makes himself right at home without being asked. It's my choice whether to welcome him to the family, avoid him, or try to throw him out.
Much like what happened when my kid brother was announced to a 12 year old many years ago.
Make your reaction to change count in a positive manner.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Employment Outlook
My company, Manpower, has been producing this survey for 47 years, and it has proven to be an accurate assessment of the outlook for employment.
Manpower US Pressroom
To me, the most interesting aspect of this is that it reflects a general optimism, and is consistent what I see here in central Ohio. Clients are starting to be concerned again about finding the right resources, and there is contention for resources.
What does this mean?
If you have been unemployed or underemployed for awhile, now is the time to polish up your resume', start networking, and find that job and company you can love. Along these lines, here's another discussion by our CEO:
http://press.manpower.com/blog/2010/is-quitting-a-good-sign/
The net of it is that we are riding a positive wave of hiring which is good for all. Take advantage of it!
Manpower US Pressroom
To me, the most interesting aspect of this is that it reflects a general optimism, and is consistent what I see here in central Ohio. Clients are starting to be concerned again about finding the right resources, and there is contention for resources.
What does this mean?
If you have been unemployed or underemployed for awhile, now is the time to polish up your resume', start networking, and find that job and company you can love. Along these lines, here's another discussion by our CEO:
http://press.manpower.com/blog/2010/is-quitting-a-good-sign/
The net of it is that we are riding a positive wave of hiring which is good for all. Take advantage of it!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
10 Questions To Ask An IT Staffing Company Before Working With Them
Given so many technology folks are entering the contingent labor market for the first time in their careers, I am often asked "How should I decide on which firm or firms to work with?".
Here is a list of 10 questions and answers I provided to a friend recently.
1. Ask the recruiter / sales person / everyone you talk to how long they have been with the company. It should generally be two years or more.
a. If the tenure is short, then the consulting company likely has high turnover in its internal staff. Given staffing is a relationship driven business, high turnover translates to weak sales and consultant relationships.
2. Tell me about your client base. How many client companies do you have? How many are new this past year? Who are your largest three clients?
a. Ideally, the consulting company will have five or more client companies and will have opened at least one new client during the past year. A broad and growing client base is important as it is an indicator of the strength of the sales team and number of opportunities that may be available to you.
3. What is your policy on converting over to full time with the client?
a. Some firms discourage and even prohibit this. If your plan is to eventually go to full time employment with the end client, then it is important.
4. How do I get paid? W2 Salary? W2 Hourly? As an Independent Contractor?
a. See other posts in my blog for a discussion of this. Regardless of your preference, you need to understand pay and benefits!
5. Tell me about your employment agreement. Is there a non-compete clause? Can you give me a copy for review?
a. Some staffing company employment agreements have restrictive non-compete clauses that prohibit the consultant from working for other consulting companies should they leave. A reasonable non-compete is one that allows you to work for other consulting companies, but prohibits you from going back in to the same client for up to a year.
6. Tell me about your benefits.
a. Seems simple, but you would be surprised at the number of companies that don’t offer benefits. Don’t “assume”. This can be a "gotcha" if you don't find out until the end of the negotiation.
7. What can I expect if I allow you to represent me to your clients?
a. You should expect simple things, like:
i. Being asked for your permission to be submitted to a client (some firms send your resume’ all over town without your knowledge or consent!)
ii. Coming to agreement on a salary BEFORE being submitted to a position. Some companies are vague about a salary, have you interview, and then when the client wants you, they offer a salary lower than what you discussed initially.
iii. Getting regular (weekly) feedback on sales and interview activity.
8. How long has your company been in this market?
a. Firms come and go in this space all the time. Related to the tenure question, it takes some time to develop relationships and a steady stream of business. Also reflects the firm’s commitment to the market.
9. Tell me about training opportunities.
a. Given that IT consulting has shifted towards temporary staffing, there is less and less company supported training, and even then most of it is on your own time. However, if it’s important, ask. This is only important if you actually devote time to self development.
10. What happens when my assignment is winding down and coming to an end? What happens after my assignment ends?
a. This is where your questions about “the bench” are answered. Most firms today do not carry folks off assignment, or if they do it is for a very limited time. Generally, when your assignment ends, your employment ends. The firm should be able to articulate a remarketing program to you so that as you come to the end of your engagement, sales activities are ramped up to help you stay on assignment.
I am sure there are many more good questions, and I welcome your thoughts!
Here is a list of 10 questions and answers I provided to a friend recently.
1. Ask the recruiter / sales person / everyone you talk to how long they have been with the company. It should generally be two years or more.
a. If the tenure is short, then the consulting company likely has high turnover in its internal staff. Given staffing is a relationship driven business, high turnover translates to weak sales and consultant relationships.
2. Tell me about your client base. How many client companies do you have? How many are new this past year? Who are your largest three clients?
a. Ideally, the consulting company will have five or more client companies and will have opened at least one new client during the past year. A broad and growing client base is important as it is an indicator of the strength of the sales team and number of opportunities that may be available to you.
3. What is your policy on converting over to full time with the client?
a. Some firms discourage and even prohibit this. If your plan is to eventually go to full time employment with the end client, then it is important.
4. How do I get paid? W2 Salary? W2 Hourly? As an Independent Contractor?
a. See other posts in my blog for a discussion of this. Regardless of your preference, you need to understand pay and benefits!
5. Tell me about your employment agreement. Is there a non-compete clause? Can you give me a copy for review?
a. Some staffing company employment agreements have restrictive non-compete clauses that prohibit the consultant from working for other consulting companies should they leave. A reasonable non-compete is one that allows you to work for other consulting companies, but prohibits you from going back in to the same client for up to a year.
6. Tell me about your benefits.
a. Seems simple, but you would be surprised at the number of companies that don’t offer benefits. Don’t “assume”. This can be a "gotcha" if you don't find out until the end of the negotiation.
7. What can I expect if I allow you to represent me to your clients?
a. You should expect simple things, like:
i. Being asked for your permission to be submitted to a client (some firms send your resume’ all over town without your knowledge or consent!)
ii. Coming to agreement on a salary BEFORE being submitted to a position. Some companies are vague about a salary, have you interview, and then when the client wants you, they offer a salary lower than what you discussed initially.
iii. Getting regular (weekly) feedback on sales and interview activity.
8. How long has your company been in this market?
a. Firms come and go in this space all the time. Related to the tenure question, it takes some time to develop relationships and a steady stream of business. Also reflects the firm’s commitment to the market.
9. Tell me about training opportunities.
a. Given that IT consulting has shifted towards temporary staffing, there is less and less company supported training, and even then most of it is on your own time. However, if it’s important, ask. This is only important if you actually devote time to self development.
10. What happens when my assignment is winding down and coming to an end? What happens after my assignment ends?
a. This is where your questions about “the bench” are answered. Most firms today do not carry folks off assignment, or if they do it is for a very limited time. Generally, when your assignment ends, your employment ends. The firm should be able to articulate a remarketing program to you so that as you come to the end of your engagement, sales activities are ramped up to help you stay on assignment.
I am sure there are many more good questions, and I welcome your thoughts!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Light the Fire Within!
A good friend of mine from high school is Tom "Tommy" Angelo. Tom is one of the most intelligent people I know and gave up a college degree in Aeronautical Engineering (aka "Rocket Science") to pursue his passion with music and poker. Today, he is a very successful poker player and coach, author, and I am sure still pretty good on the piano and drums.
He has a recent post on his blog that I found quite timely and thought provoking:
http://tinyurl.com/ydwp86g
Timely because I just attended a show by one of my musical favorites. Thought provoking because as the years move on I find I still get turned on and jazzed about the old stuff that I always have, PLUS the new interests I've picked up over the past 10 or 15 years.
We need to re-acquaint and remind ourselves of these things, and keep the fires burning that really bring passion to our lives. The demands of modern life pull us in so many directions we sometimes forget about ourselves. Spend a little personal time and get re-acquainted with your old passions and interests. It pays big dividends in your overall happiness.
He has a recent post on his blog that I found quite timely and thought provoking:
http://tinyurl.com/ydwp86g
Timely because I just attended a show by one of my musical favorites. Thought provoking because as the years move on I find I still get turned on and jazzed about the old stuff that I always have, PLUS the new interests I've picked up over the past 10 or 15 years.
We need to re-acquaint and remind ourselves of these things, and keep the fires burning that really bring passion to our lives. The demands of modern life pull us in so many directions we sometimes forget about ourselves. Spend a little personal time and get re-acquainted with your old passions and interests. It pays big dividends in your overall happiness.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Using Your Resume' To Turn Inquiries Into Interviews
A couple of quick items to help your resume' turn inquiries into interviews.
Catherine Lang-Cline and Kristen Harris at Portfolio Creative shared with me an old saying in the newspaper business: "Above the fold". In newspaper terms, this means that to get the reader to open up the paper and read it, it has to attract attention on the top half of the page.
Think about it. We pick up a newspaper, and thumb through the (ever decreasing!) sections glancing at the top half of the page. If we see something we like, we stop, open up the paper, and read it.
Your resume' has to work in much the same way. When the HR person or hiring manager picks it up, the top half has to grab their attention. The resume' has to convince the reader that you are the kind of person that warrants a closer look. If the skills, knowledge, and experience of interest to the employer are at the bottom of page 1 or buried in page 2, they may never be seen.
For as much as we painstakingly choose our words to describe ourselves, if the hiring manager doesn't see what they are looking for in the first few paragraphs, odds are your work of artistic expression is headed for the reject pile. This is yet another reason for tailoring your resume' for specific positions, particularly those where you have direct access to the hiring manager.
In today's digital world, the corallary to "above the fold" is "on the first screen". Most resume's are distributed electronically. The employer is going to click on the the document and pull it up in MS Word or Adobe. What they see on "on the first screen" is going to conciously or subconciously make an impression and guide whether they continue to consider you as a candidate.
For example, I just posted an ad for an IT Project Manager with strong experience in application development projects, financial services background, and large enterprise experience. One resume' I received read more or less as follows:
SUMMARY
Accomplished professional with strong track record of delivering projects on time and within budget. Over twenty years of experience in a variety of environments and technologies with unparalleled customer satisfaction. Familiar with current project management techniques and certified in Project Management from PMI.
EXPERIENCE
XYZ Consulting Company 2007 - 2009
Project Manager
Data Center Updgrade Project
As Project Manager, established and led the project team from inception to completion. Developed scope for the effort and managed to this scope to ensure project was completed as scheduled and to desired quality.
Catherine Lang-Cline and Kristen Harris at Portfolio Creative shared with me an old saying in the newspaper business: "Above the fold". In newspaper terms, this means that to get the reader to open up the paper and read it, it has to attract attention on the top half of the page.
Think about it. We pick up a newspaper, and thumb through the (ever decreasing!) sections glancing at the top half of the page. If we see something we like, we stop, open up the paper, and read it.
Your resume' has to work in much the same way. When the HR person or hiring manager picks it up, the top half has to grab their attention. The resume' has to convince the reader that you are the kind of person that warrants a closer look. If the skills, knowledge, and experience of interest to the employer are at the bottom of page 1 or buried in page 2, they may never be seen.
For as much as we painstakingly choose our words to describe ourselves, if the hiring manager doesn't see what they are looking for in the first few paragraphs, odds are your work of artistic expression is headed for the reject pile. This is yet another reason for tailoring your resume' for specific positions, particularly those where you have direct access to the hiring manager.
In today's digital world, the corallary to "above the fold" is "on the first screen". Most resume's are distributed electronically. The employer is going to click on the the document and pull it up in MS Word or Adobe. What they see on "on the first screen" is going to conciously or subconciously make an impression and guide whether they continue to consider you as a candidate.
For example, I just posted an ad for an IT Project Manager with strong experience in application development projects, financial services background, and large enterprise experience. One resume' I received read more or less as follows:
SUMMARY
Accomplished professional with strong track record of delivering projects on time and within budget. Over twenty years of experience in a variety of environments and technologies with unparalleled customer satisfaction. Familiar with current project management techniques and certified in Project Management from PMI.
EXPERIENCE
XYZ Consulting Company 2007 - 2009
Project Manager
Data Center Updgrade Project
As Project Manager, established and led the project team from inception to completion. Developed scope for the effort and managed to this scope to ensure project was completed as scheduled and to desired quality.
- Upgraded hardware and software from a variety of Windows and Unix boxes to a VMWare environment.
- etc.
Reading "above the fold" results in this candidate being set aside. Why? Even though the candidate had 17 years of application development experience in large enterprises, there was nothing said about it "above the fold" or "on the first screen". Looking at the rest of her resume', she appeared to be eminently qualified, but the typical reviewer never would have known as the relevant skills and experience began towards the bottom of the page.
("set aside". What a pleasant euphenism for "rejected")
My recommendation: Look at the last several job inquiries you've made, and compare your resume' "above the fold" to the job description. Does it line up with the top three or four skills / experiences for that position?
If it doesn't, you have work to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
