After earning a Bachelor’s degree from Dominican University with a major in Communications, Nancy knew she wanted to pursue a career in public relations or advertising. She described herself as the classic people person but when she landed a job in an ad agency, she soon learned that this was not an ideal fit. It was through trial and error, tenacity, and some incredible mentoring that Nancy forged an amazing professional journey that has given her opportunities to work in a myriad of career sectors. [Read more...]
Career Coach • Author • Speaker
Jacqueline Edelberg, Author, Advocate: How to Walk to School: Blueprint for a Neighborhood School Renaissance
August 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
An academic by training, Jacqueline Edelberg earned her PhD in Political Science and taught at the University of Osnabrück in Germany as a Fulbright scholar. After the international teaching stint, Jacqueline returned to her beloved Chicago with her husband, Andrew ready to give birth to their first child. After a very complicated and difficult delivery, Jacqueline was relieved and fortunate to have a healthy baby. The experience ignited her maternal instincts and she wanted to focus completely on nurturing her infant daughter for the next six months. [Read more...]
What HR Managers Never Tell You
August 24, 2011 By 1 Comment
Sometimes what we don’t know can hurt us, especially in the job market. Kenneth McGrath, a Producer at KHQ shared these real life quotes from Human Resources professionals nationally that may make you rethink your technique in the job hunt.
1. “When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter how nice your résumé is or how great your experience may be, it’s all about connections.” –HR director at a health-care facility
2. “We will judge you based on your e-mail address. Especially if it’s something inappropriate like kinkyboots101@hotmail.com or johnnylikestodrink@gmail.com.” –Recruiting consultant in Philadelphia
3. “There’s a myth out there that a résumé has to be one page. Some people send their résumé in a two-point font. Nobody is going to read that.” –HR director at a financial services firm
4. “Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.” –HR professional in the Boston area
5. “Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.” - Recruiting consultant in Philadelphia
6. “It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.” –HR professional in New York City
7. “Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.” –HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8. “If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.” –HR manager at a medical-equipment sales firm
9. “On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.” –HR professional in Alabama
10. “I once hired someone and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.” –HR professional in New York City
Janet Sanders, The Diabetes Coach
July 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Janet Sanders went to law school because she wanted to exercise her philanthropic muscles. After reading an article in Time magazine about a parent/child support center, she aspired to open a similar facility in her native Philadelphia. By pursuing a law degree, Janet thought she would gain the skill set and professional competencies necessary to realize her dream. She did in fact hone these transferable skills, but her career went in a different direction than she had planned. [Read more...]
The Law of Attraction
June 5, 2011 By 2 Comments
Two years ago, Deborah Stephens, a friend and mentor on my personal Board of Directors sat me down and asked what I wanted to accomplish professionally in the next 5 years. She asked me to be very specific and envision my future goals so I could develop strategies to make them happen.
At the time, my goals seemed so out of reach and far off in the future but this exercise with Deborah taught me that first I needed to announce my goals out loud, then write them down, and then continue on the path of making them a reality. I remember announcing to my family that I was writing a book and at that time I was still early on in the research phase. They politely said – “that’s nice” and the conversation moved on to other things. My family loves me but I’m not sure they really believed I was serious about the book in the early days.
When I began telling everyone in my circle of trust (and beyond) that I was writing a book, the dream became a reality for me and people with publishing expertise started popping up in my world. Coincidence – maybe, but I really believe it was the law of attraction at work. My family began to realize I was serious and began to appreciate my vision more seriously.
When I fully owned my dreams and goals, the plan began to unfold and people started entering my life who became an integral part of my book journey. I’m not saying these people just fell out of the sky but I am saying that when I owned my goals and repeatedly announced them, the strategy became clearer and the resources I needed became available. This also illustrated the power of positive networking.
Many of you who have heard me speak know that my newest goal is to develop a TV show based on my book that will enable me to spread my message of career reinvention, empowerment, and playing to your strengths to a wider audience. I started sharing this dream aloud about 6 months ago, wrote down my goals, and true to the law of attraction have begun to assemble a fabulous team of media professionals who share my vision of making this TV show a reality. I knew very few of these people 6 months ago but the energy surrounding this project is palpable and contagious and I’m thrilled to be working towards a new goal.
So as you tap members of your personal Board of Directors, think very specifically about what you want to accomplish. Write it down, say it out loud to all who will listen, work hard, and be open to the people who will enter your life to assist you in realizing your goals.
Create your career destiny -don’t let it happen by default!
Are Your Nurturing Your Network?
May 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Networking is a skill and it can be hard to keep up with the extended book of contacts you worked so diligently to develop. The follow-up step is the key to maintaining strong professional relationships since the one-and-done effort leaves people feeling ill-used and less than willing to share their time and expertise with you again.
Kevin Eikenberry wrote a great piece for Superperformance.com illustrating how to nurture your network to keep your connections current and make sure they are feeling your professional love.
Commit – make the decision to retain the relationships that matter and nurture your network.
Call Them – instead of sending an email, pick up the phone and call someone. No need to have an agenda or a reason. Just call to say hello and that you are thinking of them. It’s refreshing to call just to touch base instead of always having a request.
Send a Card – the written note is a dying art so you can distinguish yourself with this technique. A brief note of thanks, encouragement, or just to say hello can be a huge opportunity to nurture a relationship.
Learn About Their Interests – know what people are interested in and send them things related to it like, articles, programs, etc. You don’t have to share the same interests to be on the lookout for something they may find useful. It doesn’t have to be professional – finding information about your colleague’s antique model train collection is a great way to touch base and show that you care.
Learn About Their Goals – when you know what other people are working to achieve you are in a better position to assist. Ask them what they need, then listen and look for ways to help.
Offer to Help and then Help – Be a connector, share ideas and information and offer to help when you can. Be sure to follow-up and keep your promises because the connector relationship can be very powerful.
Follow-up – be consistent about following up on all commitments you make. Period.
Don’t Worry About You – keep your focus on helping, aiding, and assisting the other person. The seeds you plant by assisting another will grow into great things for you.
Do it Now – start now and commit to nurturing your network on a regular basis. If your contact list is large then do this incrementally and systematically so the task is enjoyable and feasible. But the sooner the better so get to it!
All Eyes are on You
May 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I find it fascinating how many people don’t utilize the power of strong eye contact when communicating in-person these days. We have indeed become a technology driven work force but well used eye contact is still imperative and separates us from the electronic gadgets by putting a human touch on our communication that will never become obsolete.
When interviewing for a job or meeting someone for the first time in a networking scenario, using appropriate eye contact can make or break your first impression. Jack Junier writes for Helium online and shared some great food for thought about why eye contact can help you make a fantastic first impression as a well-rounded and socially adept candidate.
Confidence – looking down in a conversation is a classic sign of submission and indicates a lack of confidence about the subject matter at hand. If you spend your time looking at the table during your interview, your recruiter will wonder how you will react in front of clients or when asked to be accountable for a project.
Competence – watch out for the side-to-side tennis match syndrome as well as the downward eye focus as this may indicate that you are not trustworthy. Body language speaks volumes and bouncing your gaze around the room will indicate that you are flighty and unable to focus.
Focus and Drive – if you have ever experienced a conversation with someone whose gaze was fixed on some point off in the distance you know the awkward feeling of not being taken seriously in a discussion. This lack of visual focus is a major red flag and indicates that you might not have the clarity to concentrate enough to get the job done.
Aggression – while eye contact is important you don’t want to stalk your interviewer or invade their personal space. Staring can create mistrust and indicate that you are interested in dominating the conversation.
Conversation and Tone – the best interview or networking scenario is one that is conversational in tone and natural enough to feel like a conversation with family or friends. Make eye contact initially, always when someone begins speaking, and again when you give your answer. If you look away, do so sparingly and turn your head slightly to the side keeping a serious and thoughtful expression so you send the signal that you are still engaged in the conversation.
Natural eye contact takes practice so be observant of others who do it well and practice in a mirror to see what your facial expressions depict. If possible, have a mock interview recorded to really see what message your eye contact and body language is conveying.
What Do You Do?
April 27, 2011 By 1 Comment
No doubt you have been asked this question at a cocktail party or when meeting someone for the first time. It seems to be the American Way and the quintessential question to start off a conversation with a person whom you don’t know.
I’ve seen men and women in career transition flinch from this question especially if they are unemployed at the time. Others base their entire identity on their career and launch into a long winded discussion about the details of their job.
In the USA, most of us default into answering this question based on our career or professional lives. While in most other parts of the world, particularly in Europe, the asker wants to know about your hobbies, how you spend your free time, and what your interests are beyond work? I’ve even heard an international colleague stop a responder from launching into a discussion about her career by saying – “Please tell me about you and what you do beyond work.”
I’m not suggesting that you shy away from a discussion about the professional you but feel free to take a chance and steer the conversation towards the avocation side of your life. It might be refreshing to start a conversation and establish a new friendship with someone based on who you are as opposed to what you do.
In the spirit of good networking, it’s not always about the professional arena. You can and should build your community of new contacts with people who do interesting things that appeal to you in addition to potential professional connections. You can always steer the conversation back to the career world but it would be refreshing to learn about your interest in organic gardening before you launch into your Project Manager role at company X.
Starting a conversation with your interests can also build trust and help others feel safe since inappropriate networkers are everywhere and blatantly ask for job leads making people feel uncomfortable and threatened by a new introduction.
Be confident in discussing who you are and not what you do as this refreshing change may lead to a more long term relationship that lasts beyond the cocktail reception.
Job Search Fatigue
March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I was recently featured in a CareerBuilder.com article written by Rachel Farrell discussing job search fatigue. The reality is that job searching is a full-time endeavor and can be frustrating and mentally exhausting, especially when it drags on for an extended period of time.
As Rachel indicated in her piece, the economy is rebounding but that does not mean automatic work for job seekers and managing expectations is very important. I encourage those questing for work to be cautiously optimistic and not let it get the emotional best of you.
Jenny Foss, of Ladder Recruiting Group was also featured in the article and shared that there are many emotions that go along with long term unemployment including inadequacy, anger, terror, and shame but they key is to manage these emotions and tap into your resiliency skills.
With the reality of the hidden job market it’s impossible to conduct an effective job search just by applying to posted positions. Jenny Foss and I offered up these tips in the article to get you jumpstarted.
- Consider your job search a full-time job.
- Catch your breath. Calm down before you scramble to find a new plan.
- Know what your strengths are. Develop your special sauce story so you can illustrate why you are a value-add to an organization.
- Focus on your competencies not just job titles.
- Polish your interview and storytelling abilities. A great interview is a fluid conversation — not stock answers.
- Explore social media techniques for job search like Facebook, Twitter, a personal blog and LinkedIn.
- Craft a formal game plan. Don’t flail your way through every day. Have a plan and a schedule for each day.
- Stop playing the blame game. At the end of the day figure out what is not working and then craft a strategy around it. If you can’t find your way in through the front door, find the side door. It’s all about being creative and strategic in order to be successful.
Are You Following-Up?
February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I speak to so many people who honestly believe they are networking well by sending an email or leaving a single voice mail. When they don’t get a response, they abandon the contact. The follow-up is the most crucial part of building and maintaining any professional relationship.
My first suggestion is to distinguish yourself by calling instead of emailing. Everybody is inundated with multiple emails but we are drawn to the human voice in a more compelling way. Compose a script and practice your call before you make it. Your content should be clear, concise, and enticing to the listener. If you get voice mail be ready to leave a well thought out message that includes your contact information.
Speaking slowly and clearly is imperative since you don’t have the benefit of eye contact. If you repeat your name and phone number at the end of the message you get extra points since the listener won’t have to replay the message to jot down your info.
If you’ve left a voice mail and perhaps even an email and still have not heard back from your contact – wait 2 weeks and ping them again. People are busy and you want to give them the benefit of the doubt without becoming a stalker. If they have not responded after the 2 weeks, retry then move on. No doesn’t mean no forever, but it does mean no for now. You can try back in a few months to see if you get a different response.
By being an active follow-upper you are also able to steward relationships in your current pipeline. Let’s say you’ve met with an individual for coffee and conducted an informational interview about their career because it is of interest to you. In addition to the hand-written thank you note, you should circle back in a few weeks to check-in and update this person about your progress.
Falling off the radar screen makes you a passive follow-upper and easily forgettable. It’s a competitive marketplace out there and out of sight is out of mind. There is great fortune in the follow-up and you don’t have to ask for something each time you make contact. A wonderful reason to follow-up is to share your additional thanks or to keep the individual informed about your current status.
Always remember, the rule of good networking is to consider how you can reciprocate by paying-it-forward. An ideal reason to follow-up up with your contact is to ask – How can I help you?
