In the world of social networks it has become relatively easy to connect with people that before you might have had to work very hard to get to meet never mind get to know.  This can be really rewarding. The opportunities to co-create and  collaborate that flow from those connections can be huge.

But some people miss the link between connecting and forming a relationship.

And this is where they run into trouble.

I was struck by this post by Alison at Ask a Manager ( her posts are always such good value!). When I was reading it I  was thinking that someone was having a laugh. But then I read Alison’s response and I realised that that has happened to me too.

I have had emails from people I have no relationship with asking me to help them get a job . I offer coaching for job search . My clients pay for that.  When I respond that way I don’t hear from them again. Worth a try maybe …

I regularly get invitations to connect from people ( who usually say I am their friend in the invitation – don’t get me started) who when I ask them why they  want to connect with me tell me it is because they want to find a job in Edinburgh, or with a company that I might know … . They admit completely up front that they want to connect with me so that they can use me or my contacts to help them without so much as sending me a personal LinkedIn message to explain that. I still might not connect but at least they would have taken the time to say hello .

The trickier area is when someone asks me to make an introduction to someone else when we only barely know each other.  How can  I honestly say to someone who trusts me that they should meet someone I know nothing about?

I am happy now to respond with a simple ” I am sorry but I can’t help you with that ” kind of message. I am sure someone will. And I understand that times are tough out there.

But it’s in times like these that it is even more important to spend time on relationships – maintain the ones you have and to work on developing new ones .  That way  you are increasing the the chances of other people stepping up to help you all the time.

It was both an eye-opener and a bit of a disappointment. Some of those who didn’t stand out at school were now very successful and nice people to boot ( not that those 2 things are mutually exclusive you understand) and some of the others were – well – just normal and just like me.

Of course a lot of that was about confidence – teen confidence and 30 something confidence are a bit different.

But human nature often pulls us towards comparing ourselves to others.

Some of that comes across when I speak to people in their career transition and is often manifested by looking at what others are doing and aspiring to that rather than really looking at themselves and what they really want to do themselves.

Some of the younger folk I meet compare themselves to family members – “successful” parents and siblings – which hinders real thought into what success would look like for them.

There will probably be times when having a comparison can be helpful . I remember thinking that someone I thought had a great job  until I got the chance to have a glass of wine and relaxed chat with them and they told me that that was the first evening that they had not been in the office until 10pm that month. That soon put things into perspective.

So – who are you comparing yourself with right now? And just how helpful is that?

” A person’s status as his or her estimation of self worth rather than the estimation placed on that person by others.”

and follows this with

“It is a personal and internal judgment and as such is completely-self controlled — nobody can ‘make’ you feel unimportant .”

Oh so true…

I have met people whose ranking  on an organisational chart might be several layers below the CEO but who believes – truly – that they are just as important. That what they deliver in their job matters.

And I have met people who tell me that they are “just a…”  [whatever they define themselves as] which screams that that is what they think of themselves .

Now when I mention topics like this in Scotland I am often met with

“Oh well you don’t want to get above yourself do you?” – to which the question has to be ” by what measure?

or ” I don’t want to sound big headed” – and again “by who’s standards?”

Playing down your skills, talents and experience only does a disservice to you yourself – it will have limited impact on anybody else. But go ahead and do that if it makes you feel better. And when you have  -  watch those who pass you by and get the “good jobs”

If you think the time has come to consider what you are truly worth  - to your existing or to a potential employer – but need some help why not get in touch for a no obligation chat about how coaching can help jackie@consultcameron.com

AND -  if you have not signed up for the Harvard Business Review ( HBR)’s daily updates – do yourself a favour and do it now!  www.hbr.org

In a recent post on this blog I was talking about when people choose to leave their job rather than thinking about what they want to go to.  The HBR suggests that often what employees are looking to leave behind are bad bosses or awful co -workers – and that that sometimes panics them into action and sometimes prompts comments like -

“That’s it…I can’t stand another day with  [insert name/names here]!”

If that sounds like you then one thing you have to consider in your search for your new job is that  people like [insert name/names here] might also hang out in the new place – and then what will you do?

Why not talk to someone you trust about how you feel and see if you can find a different way to respond to people like them? Sometimes a little insight and taking time to step into their shoes to look at things from their perspective can make all the difference.

And if you are basing your jobsearch on working “anywhere but here…”  what does that place look like?  What kind of jobs are they advertising?

Wanting to run from a bad situation is natural. The difference here is that  - for most of us – being able to  pay the bills and have a reasonable quality of life away from work is quite important.

Now  might be the time to do a bit of research about what else might be possible ( it’s amazing how encouraging that can be), consider options, talk to people you trust and develop a plan of action.

If you would like to find out more about how working with me as your coach while you refine your job search strategy please get in touch for a no obligation chat  jackie@consultcameron.com

Link to HBR post  -  Harvard Business Review 

Now – let’s think about how that advice might work for your career.

What you have to offer is attractive – check!

You have worked with good quality businesses that will be recognised by others – check!

Your work experience  is varied and interesting – check!

BUT – how relevant is what you have done in the past to  today’s market?

Sadly for many people the demand for what they have to offer has dropped off . So what can they do?  Put things on hold until the market turns?

What do you think?

Imagine if the antiques expert said that there would never again be a market for that decorative bowl but mosaics made from smashed antique pottery could not be produced quickly enough to meet demand.  I am sure the owner of the bowl would hold up his hands in horror and refuse to do something so dramatic.

But how about applying that to your next career step. By breaking up your past experience(s) and reforming and presenting them to a potential employer in a new, attractive way might that be the way forward for you?

Let me help you review your career so far, recognise what you have to offer and work out how to present that to potential employers. Take a look here for what I offer

A comment he made during this interview has been much reported. When he was asked to comment on the ( apparent) view of younger people that Linkedin is for old people ( ie people in their 40s) he came back with  ”What the people who can give you a job?”

And this is key.

I speak widely to younger people – in college and university – and have run workshops to explain how important it is to have an online professional profile on LinkedIn.  They have skills in using social media – Facebook, Youtube etc – which, on the face of it, should mean that using LinkedIn should be an extension of that. But it’s a hard message to get across.

They all know about using search engines. A recruiter searching for someone with skills they have are not really likely to find them through the content on their Facebook page are they?

All of the recruiters I know are using Linkedin routinely to search for potential candidates.

I have lots of senior businesspeople and business owners in my network – all using Linkedin and the numbers are growing.

I regularly hear stories about people whose Linkedin profile contributed to getting the job they are in now.

So how much sense does it make to say – I am going to put information about me that a potential employer might be interested in in a place where they don’t visit?

It’s almost like a “Where’s Wally” ( where’s Waldo if you live in the US) scenario. Go on.See if you can find me.

If you know of  a younger person who is looking for their first job or who is maybe in a temporary job waiting for their big opportunity ask them if they have a Linkedin profile – and if they don’t maybe encourage them to get started?

And point them to read this post about Elle – who left school not that long ago.

If Linkedin seems like too big a step – or you would like to explore other ways of being visible online to those who have jobs to offer this site is also interesting http://www.cvdemon.com/

Bottom line – don’t miss out on the chance of a job because you can’t be found!

By the way – for the avoidance of doubt – this advice holds good for job hunters of any age!

Schools went back in Scotland a couple of weeks ago  and the new school uniforms in some cases are already starting to take a knock.

A couple of friends have been talking about taking night or weekend classes and have been signing up quickly so as not to miss the chance.

It’s all go…..

For the new students, youngsters back at school and more “mature” learners the September start will soon become routine and the freshness of the start will fade as the nitty gritty of what is required becomes clearer and students and teachers alike focus on how to reach their goals.

But what about people not currently involved in a structured learning programme ? What happened to you over the summer? Did you take a holiday break  – and if so did you take the chance to come back refreshed and ready to go?

If the answer is “no” then what about a new start for you in September? It might be about understanding what you want to do in the next stage of your career . It’s amazing how much a week or so away from your desk can help you recognise how you feel about your job. Of course we can’t live our lives as if we were permanently on holiday – even if we could afford to . Even those who have enough money to do that often find ways to occupy their time to give them some purpose or focus.

Traditionally there are 2 times of the year when the number of people looking for new jobs spikes – January  of course as part of the “New Year Resolution” cycle and September. Even in difficult economic times I doubt that will change much.

So if you went back to work after a summer break with a heavy heart – or even if it was just motivation to make a change  in what you are doing – September is as good a time as any to think about what you want to do now.

Contact me if you would like to have a chat about what coaching could do to help you focus – jackie@consultcameron.com

Or why not look at the range of workshops coming up from Career Hub Scotland in September

You might find yourself immersed in your work a few days after returning from holiday and saying “it feels like I’ve never been away” . Some of that will be the natural comedown from having had a great experience  but for some they will return to a pile of work, backlog of messages  or deadlines now fast looming and it is not hard to see how that might quickly take away the benefit of the holiday.

Recruiters often say that there are 2 peak times of the year for people wanting to change jobs – New Year ( and resolutions) and when they come back from holiday. But it is important to be sure that deciding to move jobs is not a kneejerk reaction to the fun and enjoyment of the holiday break but really something that you want to focus your energy on.

In a recent post I talked about  the difference between leaving a job or going to a new one. That might be a good place to start.

Working with a coach can help you see and plan your way forward and if you would like to find out more about that just get in touch jackie@consultcameron.com

And why not take a moment to see what my workshops my colleagues at Career Hub Scotland have coming up the next couple 0f months.  Don’t miss out on the early bird rates.

• to help you gather your thoughts if you forget what you were going to say
• to help your audience stay connected – by giving them time to think about what you just said

A couple of things that happened this week made me think about the  “Power of the Pause” generally.

I had kind of thought that the Summer Months ( when they actually are is difficult to pin down in Scotland  – our summer comes in fits and starts!) would be a quiet time as my clients would be on holiday. What has happened though is that I have taken this free time to spend with others to be creative and put plans into action for the Autumn. All of this of course has been exciting and stimulating  – which is fantastic but when I turned the calendar over the August at the beginning of the week I realised that the time I had for the “quiet time” I had anticipated was almost up.

Now as humans we need time for rest – to recharge our batteries. Sleep does that on a daily basis and the importance of a break from what you do daily cannot be underestimated. 

So when a colleague apologied that he had not been in touch by email because he had had his Mum staying with him it really made me take another look at what pausing means.

We can pause to spend time with loved ones  and pause to spend time in a beautiful place. We can pause to read.  We can pause in a hot bubble bath.  We can pause by taking time to simply sit….

The power of pausing comes from taking time to be in the moment – and enjoying that.

From a career perspective pausing can also be really valuable. Aside from the obvious disconnection with work by taking a holiday ( and switching off the mobile phone and email – c’mon folks. Really!) taking time to pause and think about what you are doing can be really helpful for recognising and appreciating what you are doing and how you are doing it because when you do you should have an insight into what else might be possible.

Pausing at work might be as simple as going for a walk at lunchtime instead of eating a sandwich at your desk or it could be just kicking back and chatting to a colleague. Your organisation might offer coaching and/or mentoring where you would have time to pause and reflect  – supported by another person.

Why not take a moment to pause and think about when you recharge your batteries at the moment and consider what you might do to improve that.

And if you are interested in the power of the pause for public speaking you can find out more about this and other tips here.

If you would like to take time to pause and reflect on your work or career you can find out more about my coaching services here

• I need to get away from this job
• I want to move to another job

It should be obvious when you read them together like that.  But I often hear from people who get stuck in the first.

So often the saying “jumping from the frying pan into the fire” comes to mind when I hear about some exit “strategies” because unless you have some sort of insight into what is making your current job so unbearable how can you be sure that you are not heading somewhere where you might feel exactly the same.

According to the CIPD’s Employee Outlook report for Summer 2011  54% of respondents said that they would like to change their job to “increase salary and benefits”  which is likely to be more challenging in this current economic climate than at other times.  Respondents cited a range of things and amongst them was “increased job satisfaction” and “unhappy with leadership or management”.

It is easy to understand why those might be prompts to look for a new job  – leaving behind a bad situation and moving to what – you hope – will be better .

A couple of other reasons for looking to move on are “opportunities for promotion” and  “Opportunity to learn new things” which implies that the employee understands what they want and they are heading towards that.

Clients often start working with me when they want to change jobs.  When asked what they are looking for a common response is ” I don’t know but I know it’s not what I am doing now” . That’s a starting point for planning their job move. Sometimes they even find the move inside their current organisation!

It can be difficult to recognise what might be a good next step. But wouldn’t you rather it was running towards something rather than running away?

Information about coaching with me here. Please get in touch to arrange a no obligation chat  – jacki@consultcameron.com

Career Hub Scotland will be running career workshops in Edinburgh this autumn. A series of introductory workshops are scheduled for September and October – take a look here for more information