As the job losses mount and as the economy gets tougher, those left with having to do multiple jobs because of the cutbacks often have to face both, the survivors’ guilt and having to do the jobs of those who no longer work there, but whose tasks devolve down to the survivors! Under these conditions it is often the survivors who seek out other opportunities to start afresh and make a break from their past where they feel stuck.

This very approach breeds a vicious cycle for those seeking change, spiraling down their career momentum, often ending up having to face a lay-off themselves.

In tough times there is an alternate way to get what you want with some planning, patience, and a different outlook!

Contrary to what is apparent, an organization in tough times faces many challenges that need addressing. Normally, these challenges will not be visible to most and will not be addressed even by aggressive managers because nothing warrants addressing them. But, in tough times they can make a difference between survival and a company’s demise! With abundance of such opportunities the right approach is to initiate a change based on where the leverage is and to propose to your manager what must be done to remedy the situation. In tough times managers are willing to take greater risks to alleviate a situation than they would otherwise.

Seeking tough assignments and executing on them provides a great “laboratory” for employees to go beyond what they are normally expected to do. In tough times it is much easier to assume a license to do what it takes to make things better, much more than when everyone is doing well and spending their time politicking. Ironically, in tough time players who rely on such tactics hunker down and even disappear!

Seeking assignments that reflect your next level of responsibilities will automatically allow you to bolster your resume and, as a side benefit, protect your job because of the additional value you are creating and delivering in your otherwise routine—even mundane—job! Just two or three bullets on your current resume with such initiatives can greatly increase your prospects for a promotion outside (even inside) the company as the economy improves and as the hiring begins to ease. Most underestimate the power of this strategy because they are too busy surviving and staying under the “radar” to protect their jobs. I suggest the exact opposite, not only to protect your job but to come out ahead when you are seeking a change on your terms, moving out!

So, what are the steps to changing your perspective and to getting yourself ready even before the good times roll? Well, here is a summary:

1. Identify the pain points for the company, not just in your own department, but anywhere there is an opportunity. Collaborate cross-functionally if you must and propose a solution to your manager or someone higher up.
2. Clearly identify for yourself how this change will help you capture the experience needed to show your qualifications for a job at a higher level of responsibility.
3. Show leadership in how you go about solving the problem and showing how you alleviate the company’s pain. Make sure that there are clear measurements “before” and “after,” so that you can put these on your resume without any reservations.
4. Update your profile to reflect your new responsibilities and if you use LinkedIn (you must) get Recommendations from those who matter. A sudden surge of Recommendations in your LinkedIn Profile can raise some flags, but if you do this as a matter of practice it is less likely to raise suspicion.
5. Remember, that even in tough times companies hire; it is just that they hire only those who create substantial value for them. So, do not be shy about approaching companies that you wish to pursue even prospectively by highlighting what you have done at your own company and what you can do for them. Generally, if you are courting a competitor this makes it even easier to make your case.
6. Review job descriptions for position that you wish to seek and make sure that you have enough ammunition in your message (resume) to overcome possible objections for a higher-level job even without the experience of that job. Often, qualifications carry more weight that experience.
7. Actively network and seek help from outside to meet your objectives. Develop contacts in competitor companies.
8. Do not be shy to trumpet your success, not just your new assignments. Send success emails with copies to your chain of command to increase your visibility.
9. Send emails thanking all those who cooperated with you on your initiatives to acknowledge their help. In so doing, you become visible yourself!
10. Be confident, smile a lot, and do not let anyone stop you. It is amazing how well this works, especially when everyone else is worried and is wondering about if their name on the next lay-off list

Good luck!

Whenever I mention to my clients, who are going after open jobs, to write cover letters in their response I get incredulous looks and an insinuation that I am hopelessly out of date and impractical. Why? They have heard from many recruiters that cover letters are a waste of time because no one reads them!

Wrong!

Yes, recruiters see thousands of resumes and their job is to winnow the stack to a few and present them to the hiring manager for further action. Typically, recruiters spend from three to 20 seconds scanning a resume and then making a decision about the resume. A cover letter takes time away from this. Beside, most (90% of the applicants) do not know the real function of a cover letter and how much impact it can make in the hiring manager’s mind about your candidacy.

In all my writings about resume design I categorically state that a resume is not about you, rather, it is about how what you have to offer aligns with the job that you are pursuing. If the resume is about the job, then the cover letter must be about the company and the hiring manager’s pain!

Right on!

Most applicants, typically, summarize their credentials in the top part of the cover letter and in the bottom, they copy and paste the key attributes from the job description. The final line in the letter is typically a claim of how well-matched the two narratives are and hence their qualifications for the job!

Only a fool would fall for this trick. To make a cover letter mean anything to the reader (the hiring manager) it must have the following elements:

1. A clear statement of what you bring to the job and why that is going to be important to the hiring manager
2. A clear understanding of the state of the industry, the company, and the specific pain points of the department where you would be hired. How can one get all this information? If you are on top of what is going on in your own area of expertise the first two items are not that difficult to glean from the research that you can do. Now, for the specific hiring manager’s pain you must make some inferences from the available information and by talking to your network embedded in the company. All you need to make is a plausibility argument, not a forensic one!
3. In your letter you must clearly show that you understand these three vital elements and that you will deliver on your promise to eliminate the hiring manager’s pain if they hired you. It is that simple.
4. The entire package must be delivered to the hiring manager by some unusual means, in addition to the regular channels (responding on the company’s Website). Sending a package by US Mail or by overnight courier usually does the trick.
5. You MUST follow-up in a week by calling the hiring manager!

A Cover letter is much like a closing argument a lawyer makes to the court before his case goes to the jury. It is the message that goes with each juror into the jury room and the one that carries most impact because of its freshness and the conviction it presents about your take on the case. Without that passion and conviction any closing argument will ring hollow!

If you are serious about a job opportunity you must send a great resume with an equally worthy cover letter and rest your case!

Good luck!

“How you leave a job can say more about you than all the work you ever did–particularly if leave badly.”–A CTO

Few people realize that there comes a time in their job when work is no longer fun, but a drag. Sometimes, this happens suddenly, when they get a new boss who does not like them, or that working conditions suddenly change due to a variety of reasons. In most cases, though, reaching this state of no fun happens over time for most and that is why most even do not recognize it. Their pent-up stress eventually become unbearable.

The following list of warning signs is a good check to assess if you are ready to make a transition to a different job (inside or out):

1. You do not get energized to go to work on Mondays. Mondays are good barometers of how much you like your job. If you dread going to work on Mondays this is a good sign that you have run the course with your job and that you must move on or make a change. Yet another symptom: once the week gets going, you cannot wait for the weekend and you start planning for that from the first day of the week. Mondays, especially seem to drag on, right from the first hour on the job. For some, this feeling is not just limited to Mondays but every day that they have to go to work. Many seek respite by frequent visits to the restroom, reading material in their hands! Some even take up smoking so that they get to go out to have a puff or two, away from their desk.
2. You have a lot on your mind, just not work. The work doesn’t challenge you and time hangs. In meetings you day dream and do not participate. You dread going to meetings to which you are invited and wonder about those where you are not.
3. In meetings your inputs get ignored. This is another sign that you are no longer an important part of the team. Even if you suggest something great, it is looked upon with furrowed brow, ignored, or worse, attributed to someone else for credit a bit later.
4. You do not get important memos/emails. This is yet another sign that you are on your way out—or should be—and that your existence is tantamount to that of a “parasite.”
5. You get no-win assignments. If you see yourself being set up for a series of no-win assignments, then you can assume that your boss is setting you up for a “special review” that documents how you have flubbed a series of assignments in a row.
6. Nearly completed assignments get yanked. You are about to complete an important project. The project is a bit late for no fault of yours and your boss knows that. Just before you are about to put the final piece of the puzzle in place to complete the project, your boss yanks you from the project and gives it to someone else, who then finishes “on schedule,” taking full credit for it.
7. Someone more junior acts as the boss’s proxy. Someone you regarded as your junior will bring a message from the boss telling you to do something on their behalf.
8. Things change, not to your advantage. The boss you got along with so well leaves, or worse, takes on a new favorite employee. Eventually, that person gets layered in above you on the corporate ladder, intercepting your access to the boss, taking over plum projects and moving you out of the decision-making loop. The change is subtle at first, but your loss of status compounds over time.Yet another unmistakable sign that you are superfluous is that when your company merges or acquires other companies, those less experienced than you, come to your organization with titles higher than yours.
9. Your boss takes you for granted. You do something well and you get pigeonholed as the company expert in that area. Or you’re no longer seen as having potential for new projects. Or, just as bad, you’re known as the good corporate citizen who’ll do whatever you’re asked – including relocating multiple times. Another unmistakable sign of your redundancy is that your boss does not include you on a committee that is set up to review something in your area of expertise. When you confront them, a typical rationalization is “I did not want to distract you from what you were doing.”
10. You pigeonhole yourself. Some top performers stay at their jobs because they don’t believe they could succeed elsewhere. The longer you’re at a place, the more you think that success depends on your environment, or you lose confidence that you can do anything else. This is particularly true of senior professionals in their mid 40s who are otherwise ready for a promotion (Director, VP)
11. Your mood ranges from angry to angrier. No matter how well-regarded your work is, or once was, if you develop a reputation as a querulous crank, colleagues will distance themselves. And that isolation can make you more vulnerable in a layoff.
12. You feel like hell. Unhappiness can undermine your health. Early signs of excess stress: stomachaches, headaches and insomnia.
13. Everyone looks like they’re having fun. You sulk and isolate yourself because no one comes to you for advice.

Hiring may be sparse in your field. You may be supporting a family and need the money—to say nothing of the health insurance. You only have a few years before fully vesting in your stock options. Or you’re retiring in less than 15 years and want to maximize the pension you get.

If that’s the case and you plan to stay, do more than just sucking it up.

Don’t see yourself as a wage slave. See your job as a funding source for what you want to do next. Do what’s required and do it as quickly as you can, then network with those who can give you the growth you need for the next job.

And try to develop new skills that will serve you well when you do leave.

Because the trouble with waiting–to vest, to retire, to get promoted–is that it doesn’t always pay off. There’s nothing stopping employers from letting you go five minutes before you reach your goal. And the terms of your exit will be theirs, not yours.

Sticky Wickets

In any working environment it is not uncommon to encounter situations where important relationships are compromised and you become vulnerable. Your dream job becomes your nightmare and you are suddenly exposed to the threat of termination or that you can no longer perform effectively or in a dignified manner. Let’s look at some typical circumstances where such a possibility can arise:

1. The CEO or someone in the chain of command assigns their family member (child, wife, brother/sister) to work under you; the person does not deliver and they do their own thing.
2. An important customer inveigles the CEO to hire one of their family members reporting to you
3. Your boss hits on you
4. Your colleagues/associates hit on you
5. Your colleagues/associates make ongoing attempts to hijack your project
6. Your initiative that has helped the company in a major way is hijacked away from you; you are “reassigned.”
7. Your colleagues treat you in a demeaning way
8. You have a fleeting affair with your boss or someone in the direct chain of command
9. You catch a higher-up in a compromising situation (fraud, sexual encounter)
10. You see shenanigans going on that is hurting the company
11. Your boss (or someone higher up) is engaged in a repugnant–even illegal–activity

Although this is not an inclusive list of misfortunes that can cross your career path or even derail your plans, if not your career, they are representative of today’s workplace. They, actually, go back to prehistoric times as their existence stems from the basic human condition. The incidence of aberrant behaviors in the corporate world is no different than what you’d see in the world as a whole. If you are morally centered and have a good sense of balance between “right” and “wrong,” you will be outraged by such encounters. Somehow, people think that inside the walls of the corporate world, you should be insulated from anything aberrant. But, when you see this within the confines of the hallowed walls of your own company, all your enthusiasm about your work and about making a difference will be sucked out from you and you may find it difficult getting up and going to work.

This, however, is an emotional reaction to what is happening and the best strategy is to drain the emotion and to deal with it rationally–a very difficult thing to do when you are in the middle of an experience. The following suggestions my help in moving ahead:

1. Do not react in ways that can put you at a disadvantage as far as how others perceive you in your reaction to what has happened to you. You have witnessed what happened to you first hand, but others are merely a party to your reaction to it. Your emotional reaction alone may vitiate the injustice and the outrage you feel. You must keep it bottled up and deal with it in a coolly calculated and rational way. An indignant or even hysterical response may seem appropriate, but it can diminish your power to pursue the correct course of action. Often, as time passes, people merely remember only the affect of your hysteria; the event that triggered it may by undermined by it.
2. Before going to someone within your own organization and giving them an earful, be mindful that everyone has their own agenda. Someone may use this opportunity to further their own agenda by making your situation worse for you. Even if they act with an altruistic motive to help, you do not know how they are going to do it and how that is going to affect your situation. In an emotionally charged situation what is said and what is communicated are often in disagreement.
3. Talk it over immediately with someone you trust–preferably from the outside–so that you can get an objective assessment of what is happening. Be truthful so that you can get an honest assessment of what is happening. Do not embellish or hide parts of what you did if they were less than honorable.
4. If you are going to react to an episode in a continuing saga, pick your battles and use your judgment to take appropriate action. Do not cry wolf!
5. If the person causing you grief is a peer or is at a level below you, dealing with them is easier. Either go to them directly, their immediate superior, or to the HR representative.
6. Some companies have ombudsman function that is assigned to a high-level executive, often off-site. If you trust this process, make an appointment. It is not uncommon, though, to not have the kind of secrecy or even privacy you expect from such meetings. After all, everyone is somehow connected in a company.
7. If you assess that you are fighting an uphill battle, chose a path that allows you to stay for a while, but make your résumé and start looking outside.
8. While you are there, placate those who can help you — especially if they happen to be your boss or superior — and pretend like nothing is wrong, even if you are seething with outrage from within. Interestingly, those who are morally corrupt, expect others to be like them!
9. Get out at the first chance and do not raise a stink.
10. Just in case the entire matter suddenly takes on a legal turn, keep all your ‘evidence” in a safe and accessible place (not the company computer) and write your own notes to document what is happening. If you maintain a calendar make entries of appointments with peoples’ names and topics of the meeting.
11. Do not threaten legal action unless you have an attorney first. Assay the merits of the case first with your attorney.

Some Exit Strategies

Nearly everyone goes through phases in their jobs and careers where they doubt their future and value to their organization. If this feeling becomes chronic there is a time to reflect and act. Of course, your response to what is happening to you depends on the level at which you participate. For example a fresh graduate receiving an occasional heave-ho from their teammates or even their boss every now and then may not be a cause of concern. But, if a senior manager receives a series of signals, despite their ongoing and great contributions, must weigh their situation against the options and act on them with some studied reflection.

The following list is provided as a preparation to getting ready when a combination of circumstances, outlined in the 13 warning signs presented previously, become everyday part of your job:

1. Always have your résumé up to date. Find what assignments you can get in your current job that will enhance your résumé if you were to move on. On an ongoing basis look for such assignments and ask your boss before anyone else gets them.
2. Go above and beyond what is expected: provide the exceptional! This will give you a great avenue to write your leadership stories in the résumé and make you marketable on an ongoing basis.
3. Work quietly and stay in the background. Visible employees tend to get into trouble when things shift. Always focus on your work and not on your politics.
4. Do not speak ill of anyone. In an organization rumor mill is the main means of communication. Do not become a part of rumormongers.
5. Always stay positive. Even if you do not agree with a decision, carry out the assignment without complaining and to the best of your abilities.
6. Always make yourself dispensable by sharing what you do with others and leaving a trail of “what to do in case of…,” so that the organization does not suffer because you become unavailable. Share this with others so they know where to find the trail. Acting this way shows confidence in your own worth. Those who keep secrets about how they do things often get booted out, contrary to what they expect.
7. Always stay positive and optimistic, smiling often. It may not make you successful and let you get what you want, but how it annoys others might alone make it worthwhile to act this way!
8. If someone is undermining your efforts, observe carefully and then confront the person. Practice straight talk and see if you can understand their motives. Do not reciprocate by doing the same to them. Always be in your element. If undermining others and engaging in subterfuge is not your game, do not learn it just to survive in the changed circumstances; you will do poorly and get exposed.
9. If you do not believe in your boss’s leadership you must answer the question: can I live with this person as my manager? As we discussed in Chapter-3 leadership and being a manger are two entirely different relationships. Leaders inspire and make you forget that you are working. Instead they create an environment where their followers spontaneously do their best in ways they cannot explain. True leadership is a magical force. Is this happening in your everyday existence? If the answer is no, then you must ask yourself the next obvious question of being able to tolerate your manager.
10. The best way to really understand the relationship you have with your boss is to have a heart-to-heart talk where you discuss the deeper issues of your relationship with them in a non-confrontational way. Having a “straight talk” and seeking responses to your issues is the best way to understand the relationship between you and your boss. After all, leadership is about relationship, inspiration, and trust. If you do not see a flow of that energy then your boss is not a leader. It is difficult to sustain and be creative in such an environment. You must decide what your real options are from then on. Going in denial over what is happening merely prolongs the agony.
11. In some cases, a boss will sense your unhappiness after such a meeting (# 10 above) and may try to placate you by giving you a “promotion” and a title to go with it. But, in terms of real authority you may have little or none. Once the allure of the fancy title is vitiated by the lack of commensurate authority and power, you may start feeling worse than you did before your change of status. Now, if you are sidelined, you gradually lose your career momentum and paint yourself in a corner, with no place to go. The best strategy in such cases is to confront such situations early and keep your career momentum by either looking for other opportunities inside or going out aggressively after what you really want.
12. If the CEO or someone at or near the top ostracizes you because of a personal grudge and that you cannot repair that damage, do not expect even your most loyal colleagues to go to bat for you. They may feign that loyalty, but their own loyalty is to their job. Do not be misled by a misplaced sense of false loyalty.
13. If the source of the wrath is from really high place (s), but your boss likes you and your work, see if they will shield you and let you continue in a diminished role.
14. If, in spite of your good work and behavior, you start seeing the 13 warning signs listed at the beginning of this Appendix, prepare to leave.
15. Leave with dignity and grace.

Leaving with Dignity

Regardless of what prompts your departure you must remain unemotional about the whole process of leaving your employer (see Emotional Intelligence in Appendix-IV). The following tips are offered to make your departure not a liability on your career balance sheet:

1. Meet with your boss and state that you need to move on. Do not complain do not explain.
2. If you have something in hand already lined up that is great. If not do not lie. It is always a good idea to look for a job when you have one. Looking for a job when out of work often puts you at a disadvantage, but sometimes this becomes an inevitable reality. In such a case see if you can work out an arrangement with your boss, so that you can “park” yourself looking for work, inside or out, and get reassigned for a reasonable period.
3. Make oral presentation of your departure plans, the status of projects, etc. and explain that you plan to provide details when you present your letter of resignation. This is generally done in a day or so after the initial meeting.
4. Give at least two weeks’ notice
5. Ask whom you should brief on your pending assignments so that they can continue as you leave your job.
6. Give details of how your boss may be able to reach you in case something crops up after you depart. Set the parameters of your availability.
7. Thank your boss for the opportunities and their support. This may be difficult if the situation is causing a forced departure. Mention that for the most part you enjoyed working at the place. Do not let your immediate experience taint your entire tenure at the company.
8. Do not take parting shots at any one or any thing.
9. Do not expect a bon voyage party.
10. Do not loan your items to anyone with the excuse of coming back to visit and retrieving them once you leave. Most loaned items ¾ especially books ¾ are usually never returned.

Take all your personal files, belongings, and items with you on your way out. Do not expect them to be available later for you to retrieve.

Multiple Targeting

Early in the planning stages, before you launch your job-search campaign, it pays to have carefully targeted companies where you hope to seek employment. By managing a campaign it is a good idea to plan the events so that many job interviews at companies that interest you run nearly concurrently. This is not as difficult as most feel. It just takes good planning skills. Once you start getting action on just a few fronts it is easy to leverage that into a full-blown campaign of interviews. Once one offer breaks lose (even though it may be an offer from a “C” company) it is easy to leverage that into getting an “A” company to make you an offer, even though it may not be quite ready to do that.

In addition to getting yourself situated for multiple offers the following items can greatly accelerate a good conclusion to your campaign.

References

A process where references are concerned can vary depending on the level of the reference. Although they all deserve to be treated with consideration and courtesy, those who offer to give you high-level reference need to be treated with special care and you should let them know that!

The following guide may help you finesse your references well:

1. Identify your references early in the process. Let them know that you are planning to include them in the reference process. Remind them about the aspect of your reference you expect them to provide.
2. Some companies ask for references early. You do not want to unnecessarily impose on your references, especially if you are going after a major campaign. The best strategy is to identify the references and give a list of names and titles/your connection, without contact information to the potential employer. Tell them you are doing this to protect your references and that you will give them full details at the final stage of the process.
3. Some companies have a policy of not providing a reference. Many managers, however, are willing to provide a personal reference. This is why asking early in the process can help you position your references so that there are no surprises.
4. Occasionally some will agree to give you a written reference. If this happens while you are in the job associated with this person it is that much more convenient. In any case if the person agrees to a written reference, write the reference letter yourself and pass it by the person. This way you can decide what is appropriate from that reference in the context of your needs. Do not assume that that person will reference you the way you need it. Usually, it is much easier to merely edit a letter and sign it than to draft it first. Use this advantage to modulate the message–within some constraints.
5. Carry these letters of reference in your interview portfolio and when the time comes for the reference discussion show the person asking the question. Sometimes this may obviate the need to calling your reference and hasten the process to your advantage (see #2)
6. When the potential employer is ready, call your references, even though you had put them on notice earlier. The reason is that for final referencing, you may need to remind them again, and it also gives you another chance to prepare them to respond in line with what the needs are to bolster your case. Request the reference to highlight that aspect of the discussion that you think is relevant.
7. If appropriate, request that they call you upon being contacted by the potential employer. This is a courtesy to you and this helps you confirm that the process is underway. Do not expect this courtesy from all references.
8. Once you know that the process is complete, either through the offer made, or rejection, or any other means, promptly call each of the references or send a note (email acceptable) of thanks. If the offer is made, going the extra distance–a Thank you! Card, flowers, or a gift as appropriate, can protect your references for your future needs.
9. During the referencing process check with the contact to whom you gave the reference list to see if there are any problems contacting the references. It is appropriate for the references to call that person as well, if you so chose.
10. It is not appropriate to call and ask the potential employer what the references said about you, especially if you are turned down for the job.
11. If you are turned down, it is a good idea to ask for a debrief. This, again, is a courtesy that the company is extending to you. If the debrief mentions any items related to a reference that surprises you, do not probe for details unless they are volunteered as a part of the debrief.
12. After you confirm that the process is completed, call all your references and inform them that the process is complete. Tell them the outcome if you already know it and thank them for being your reference. Some of them may not have been called and they should know that they are now off the hook! You must promptly communicate with all your references and thank them even if you did not get the job!

Negotiating Offers

The following is a summary of how best to navigate during this critical step:

1. Do not assume that you can negotiate what is being offered. Ask.
2. Always go back to the last person who made the offer and not necessarily to your hiring manager.
3. If you are negotiating a “C” offer, give heads-up to an “A” company that an offer is being made and that you would appreciate some response from them as they are your “A” target. Don’t tell them that the pending offer is from a “C” company or who they are, unless they are a big name or their competitor.
4. Do not assume that just because you are in negotiations that you will get what you are seeking. The offer can be withdrawn if he employer so decides. This is why having multiple offers is to your advantage at this stage.
5. Tread lightly. You should decide before entering into negotiations the down side. You should be willing to walk away if the negotiations take that route.
6. After you have been turned down and your offer is withdrawn, do not go back begging for the same or lesser job for a lower pay!
7. Decide on which items you want to negotiate, lay them out as you enter the discussions and then stop after the process is completed. If the outcome is not favorable, do not plan to move on to other items of your offer.
8. Above all be pleasant, flexible, and courteous throughout the process. Always remind them that you are excited about the job. You can always turn them down if a better offer comes along later, but before their time expires. Turn down offers by first calling on the phone and then emailing.
9. You should negotiate based on the value you see creating in the new job. Having comparative information (salary.com) can help you fortify your case. Always state that you see yourself as a top performer and expect to be compensated accordingly. Let the salary figure come from the employer and not from you.

Acknowledging Help

During your job search many provide help, even unbeknown to you or some even unexpectedly and pleasantly! Keep a list of all those who have helped you, going all the way back to the original lead that got you the first interview. The following suggestions list what you can do after the process is completed:

1. Depending upon the significance of the help you received from a person thank them appropriately. Those who provided help above and beyond acknowledge it commensurately: a gift, lunch, Thank you! Card can be some suggestions in this department.
2. Acknowledge your gratitude in a timely way. The times following a job offer can be hectic. Within the first month of your being offered the job is a good time.
3. Be specific about acknowledging the help that got you the job. Merely stating a vacant “Thanks for your help” is not as impactful and proper as saying “John your lead and the insight you gave me about where the company was and what I could present them during my interviews were instrumental in my landing this job. Thank you very much!” is far more appropriate. The person who went out of their way to help you likes to know that you acknowledged correctly what that person did to help you in the process. Do not skip this detail because you feel that the person already should know. It is not what they know it is how you acknowledge it that makes for the proper acknowledgement!
4. Do not forget to thank all those with whom you came in contact during the interview process at the company where you would be working. They are now your colleagues and associates. Even the person in the lobby who greeted you on the first interview is worth sending a thank you to! If you do that it would be much easier to make them your friends once you start working there!

Starting your New Job

Starting a new job can be exciting, especially if you are coming out of being jobless. The following guidelines are offered at this stage of the process of your transition:

1. On the first day show up on time. Dressed a bit more formally than you would normally at that company. You may be taken around and introduced to others that day; your photo might be taken. If you are senior staff (Director and above), you might even be introduced to important clients and dignitaries!
2. During the initial stages of employment be patient with all the administrative work that has to be done properly. Do not show your impatience with those who are trying to get this done. Let them do their job!
3. Express to your manager that you are glad to be on board and that you are looking forward to teaming with this person.
4. Many companies have initiation traditions that can be as benign as going out to lunches or bars at the end of the day. Accommodate these rituals, even if they seem odd, and enjoy them.
5. If you have some habits that define how you do your job, be open to seeing how things are done at your new place.
6. Do not criticize something just because it looks odd or different to you. Wait to offer your opinion. Go with the flow, at least initially.
7. Do not to gossip and talk behind someone’s back. Understand the power structure in the new place before you decide which camp you want to belong to! This can portend your future there!
8. One week after you have started in your new job, visit all the job boards and Websites where you had originally posted your résumé and delete it!

Image and identity are two complementary attributes about an individual. While an image is a perception created in others’ minds, an identity is who you are. A person’s identity does not change, but their image can. Metaphorically, one’s identity is like the tree and their image, its shadow.

The Importance of Image

Our interactions with others and how we behave in conducting our affairs leave a “footprint” that, over time, conveys something unique about us. This is a perception that others form and hold about how we behave in a predictable way. Building an image takes time, so to change it takes a special effort. Once people form an expectation about you their opinions about you are then driven by that perception. In the corporate world one’s image can be a major factor in their success; conversely, a poorly managed image can result in the person missing out on opportunities without their being even aware of the missed opportunities. Managing one’s image goes beyond doing a good job and being a good employee.

When it comes to a major promotion, good job performance is expected. Such attributes can be viewed as “context,” where everyone qualified for a promotion may exhibit that same context. What differentiates the winner is the “core” competency that they exhibit that differentiates them from the rest. Many times it is difficult to articulate the “core” competency; it can be called their je ne sais quoa! To focus on improving your chances for career progression knowing how others view you (your image) is important because it is this image that can make or break your chances of success in the corporate world and outside. Carefully crafting and nurturing an image are critical as one moves up on the career ladder.

Your image is a filter that others wear to “see” you. So, when they are wearing that filter they may not even “see” you if you drastically change your image. This is often proven easily in how celebrities dodge paparazzi by changing their appearance (not looks) or their usually accepted accouterments. The same strategy can be used in the corporate world to your advantage.

The following prescription is suggested for improving your image in a positive way:

1. First make an evaluation of why you want to change your image. Changing your image takes consistent, diligent, and sometimes ego-deflating work, unless you have an army of PR pros helping you full time. If you are happy with your situation and that you don’t care what others think of you and your work you may not need to go through this process. The only judge of your work is your boss, and if you are getting good reports on your performance you may have little to worry about in that department.
2. If you come to the conclusion that for you to move ahead in your career, either within your own company or outside, then you need to make an assessment of what is blocking you. Typical blocks for moving ahead are: marginal job performance, limited social skills, limited interpersonal skills, poor self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, and so on. You must make a list of these factors so that you have some starting point. Rank these factors from your own perspective.
3. Make a list of six to eight people (this is your advisory team) from your own work group. This sample should reflect a good cross-section for a 360-degree review. A few of your colleagues, one or two superiors, one or two junior colleagues, and any outside stake holders who work with you. This 360-degree review you are undertaking for your own self-initiated development is informal and is different from your departmental review that is done periodically. In fact, you may not even need to call it a 360 precisely to avoid this conflict with the formal process.
4. Approach each person with a personal plea suggesting that you have decided to seek outside help to improve yourself and that you are approaching them for some constructive feedback. Make a list of 10-15 items that relate to work and rank them in priority that is dictated by why you are doing this exercise in the first place. For example, if you think that your communication skills need improvement (see #2) and that repeatedly comes out as something needing your attention, then this would be ranked #1 and so on.
5. After an initial meeting with each individual you have selected, set up a time to meet with them for a longer meeting (one hour if they allow it). In these meetings go through each of the 10-15 items with every person and listen to how you can improve in the areas in which they have specific actionable feedback. You must use this time wisely for things such as getting actionable feedback and having specific inputs critical for your success. One key element of success: regardless of how harsh the feedback is, you must not get defensive, but merely seek clarification. If you get defensive the entire process will be vitiated and you will get very little actionable feedback from then on. As you listen to their inputs about what you must improve, your first “yes, but” will permanently damage your chances for any useful inputs from then on!
6. Once you make the first round with the entire group, look for patterns and find common themes. Make a summary of the entire discovery and distribute to all the members within your group who gave you their feedback. Thank them for their insights and time and give them your concise action plan on how things are going to change for you as a result of this process. Remember, they are all doing this to personally help you and are not at all obligated in any way to give you their time.
7. Immediately after each meeting, thank the person with whom you met and specifically state what helped you. Each person is making an investment in your development, both in time and emotions. Be mindful that to do this well, each person will deal with their own difficulties in giving you an actionable input.
8. After the first round with your advisory team, summarize the themes and outline what they mean to you in terms of the actions you are going to take to change yourself, and, more importantly, how they will experience it working with the changing you. This is a difficult thing to do, but done well, can set yourself on the right path to transform your image.
9. Set up another time to meet (three months after you have sent the initial discovery), when you would be checking your progress on each of the items to which you have committed for making improvements. Ask each person how much improvement (on a scale of 1-10) they have observed during this three month period.
10. Once you have a sense of your change momentum you may want to adjust the frequency of your future meetings accordingly.
11. Make an assessment of what is working and what is not. Without being a pest, informally check with your close associates (outside of your advisory team) if they mention something spontaneously of what they are observing about the changes in you. Do not push it if inappropriate. The interesting outcome of using this 360-degree approach is that even though you may not have changes all that much in what you actually do, the process has a built in “perceptual amplifier.” This means that the mere fact that you have taken this approach to self-improvement forces others to see the change even before it is apparent even to you. A good thing!
12. One of the most immediate ways to show a change in your image is your wardrobe. If that is one of the areas that comes up, or even if you suspect that you could benefit from a makeover, get yourself some nice wardrobe and accessorize it so that you are seen as someone who is changing their image almost as others see you parading in your new wardrobe. After a few days of practice you will develop a level of comfort with your new look and will feel less and less conscious about the change in your looks.
13. The best way to stay on track is change something every day that you think will take you in the direction that you seek. This should also be seen by others around you so that your change is seen publicly.
14. Managing the change is critical to success. Too much change too fast can wear on others; too slow a change may not even be notices by others. Making an initial fast change and then suffering from a flameout is something you must avoid. If you must, seek help from a coach, mentor, or someone you trust.

Changing you image is a good move to improve you prospects at work. It will help you outside your work as well!

Deprogramming the Campus Mindset

Many students do not adequately plan, well before graduation, during their college days to position themselves more strongly for their first job. Why? For one, they do not have a clear understanding of what the business world expects from them. Also, they simply do not know how to do things differently in college so that they are better positioned when they start their job search. This is the state of “unconscious incompetence.” Most academic curricula and programs promote keeping students insulated from the realities of the business world because those who run these institutions take great pride in “academic purity!” The campus career-counseling center sometimes is not much help, either. Many, who staff it, are more involved in its administrative functioning and its political stature than almost anything else. Often, in a university setting there is a very definite “social order;” how a career center is run depends largely on who is running it and how they fit in that scheme. The purpose of this brief discussion is to move the student reader to “conscious incompetence.” It is provided so that they can look for help or become aware of what they do not know.

Four years is a long time during the impressionable years to imprint your mind with beliefs that are counter to those that run the business world. This is why it is important to start changing your imprinting early, as you get closer to leaving your academic environment. When on the campus the focus is on getting the degree quickly and making the grades. The academic focus is also on solitary (solo) achievements. In the outside world of the jobs, business, and economy all of this matters not as much as most think. Very few employers care to check how fast you graduated. Many do not pay as much attention to the grades (GPA) as those on the campus believe. In today’s business reality, teams are in, solo player is out. So, what is important to the “real world?”

The following checklist may provide some insights on how to manage your student affairs more carefully so that you are better positioned to enter the business world:

• When engaging in part-time work as a student, summer internships, project work, final team project, or any other activity that defines your “brand,” make a conscious effort to differentiate yourself. Rather than just doing what the job is, going out of the way to make something better for the employer on your own initiative has much more value. Create value beyond merely earning your paycheck. When you take on a class assignment don’t be a passive participant to hurry the project, but provide creative suggestions to make the project unique. All of these differentiators can be on your first résumé and they matter more than your GPA. These factors show your independent thinking and your thought leadership.
• Many final-year projects are team efforts, especially for engineering and science graduates. Make sure that you participate fully in the team and understand how teams work. Most of the academic life is spent in solitary assignments and those graduating do not appreciate the value of teamwork, which is expected in business life. Make an effort to understand the team dynamic and how you made a difference to how your team performed. (Here, teamwork does not imply collaborating to earn a better grade than otherwise possible!)
• Take on a role in activities that are outside the academic sphere to develop your leadership qualities. Participating in the campus newspaper, student activities, taking a project to make the departmental laboratory or library a better place and so on. All of these accomplishments can be put on your first résumé and they will go a long way to differentiate yourself from the pack in your first job.
• Identify your own “development gaps” and make a conscious effort to overcome them. For example, if you are afraid to speak publicly, join Toastmasters or a similar group and develop your elocutionary skills. This will not only make you a better leader, but it will also strengthen your résumé. This is now your differentiator.
• In your senior year take on someone who has just entered the college campus and help them in some way to make their life easier. Remember your own early days and see how it might have made it better for you. In doing this work you make yourself a better person and it is something you can write in your otherwise “empty” first résumé. In the business world this is called mentoring. Empower yourself to mentor others.

How these suggestions translate into a “Business” résumé for a fresh graduate can be easily visualized by comparing it to its quotidian “Academic” counterpart, where a person merely lists their academic credentials, list their coursework, and grades. In the Academic résumé the job seekers keep their focus on the scholarly achievements. Such message does not capture the business world’s attention because it does not speak the employers’ language. The “Business” résumé, however, presents a good rounding out of activities on the campus and shows how using the business language to present credentials, makes for a compelling résumé. In transitioning from the academic world to the business world one must learn how to translate their scholarship into leadership.

The Biggest Transition

Why is going from being a student to getting a full-time job is such a big deal? There are many reasons: the foremost is that being a student in your school, college, or university, you enjoy a “rank” that few share. You were the top dog in the highly ordered academic world during your graduation year. Many fraternities bestow unlimited powers on the graduating class, allowing them to “order around” any one else of “lower” rank, even those graduating barely a year behind them. You enjoy certain freedoms of expressions that others respected and even promoted.

All of that comes to a sudden halt at the doorstep of your first job. In fact, your status completely reverses. In your first job, you are the new kid on the block. You don’t know anything! Although no one says that to your face, the treatment and its implications become apparent in every interaction you suffer, even at the hands of those who are hierarchically “below” you. Your ability to adjust to this new treatment and how quickly you adjust to this shift determine how quickly you integrate in the new culture. Some bring their campus “nerdiness” to their jobs and expect the business world to respect it. They are the ones who find that their integration periods are the longest; some never do integrate and stay on the fringe, hoping that others my join in or that the future fresh crop of recruits will bring in more of their own type. Nearly 20% of new hires drop out in two years in the labor market because of this problem.

Your First Job-Some Considerations

How you land your first job is driven by many variables. The most influential are your own vision of yourself, how you have managed your academic development, and the state of the economy. Here, academic development does not merely mean scholarship and grades; it includes how you rounded out your overall development and the perspective you hold of how the world really works. If you just graduated, you are full of hopes and expectations.

Many graduate without knowing what they are going to pursue because they have little or no idea if a job provides what they are looking for. Many are happy just getting a paying job that allows them to apply what they have learned in their years of schooling. Many are so deep in debt, especially with student loans and permissive credit card limits that they jump at the chance of making “real money.” In such situations, and some others as well, many end up going after the highest-paying job available, regardless of other important factors. Often this means taking a job that pays well, but without knowing what they are getting into.

The reason why merely looking at how much money you make in your first job is myopic—albeit seductive—is that there is a reason why some jobs pay such high salaries compared to other jobs for similarly qualified candidates. Some reasons: high-risk jobs (oil exploration), and dead-end jobs (construction). The other aspect of going after such jobs is that once you get used to the salary what matters is how you are able to derive some satisfaction from what you do. If the job offers no lateral expansion into other areas to enrich your career because similar jobs pay much lower salaries in other industry verticals, it is financially difficult to consider making a move into other areas before it gets too late to make such a change. Then the job does become a dead-end job and the career even more so!

Acing the Interview

Once you have decided on how to go after the right job the following tips are offered to ace the interview and get the right offer:

• Research the company well and know the questions to ask about your job, company, and industry
• Get a great resume pulled together that shows a good balance between your scholarship and leadership.
• Get your business card ready. Few bother with this. A well-presented business card with a clever tagline can make a big impact. For example if you are software engineer have a tagline A Software Acrobat!
• During the interview don’t allow yourself to be interrogated. Ask intelligent questions (see #1) and engage in a dialog. Interlace your research in a conversational way.
• Be confident, poised, and alert. You must show your eagerness and alacrity to win over the interviewer. Express your interest in the company and what it does, even if it is “C” company for you.
• Line up several serial interviews and land multiple offers in a short time. Ask to be given a few weeks to make a decision. This will allow you to collect multiple offers and sit on them until you are ready to make the best decision. You may even be able to negotiate an offer from an “A” company to get the best package. Then determine which one keeps you on the best career track.
• Do not choose an offer based on money alone, especially if it is abnormally high

Going after your first job after your degree is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Make sure that it is the right one!