Jackie Cameron - Coaching and Communication

When is it OK to badmouth your employer? Here are some suggestions -

• On your Facebook page - it’s your own private place after all and everybody is entitled to a private life
• In the bar - loudly - at the end of a stressful week because offloading is healthy!
• In an interview with a potential new employer - they need to know why you are so keen to join them.
• With a colleague in the lift on the way to your desk - they will know where you are coming from!
• When you have moved to another employer - it doesn’t matter any more does it?

Let’s  be clear here - it is never, ever OK to badmouth your employer to other people ( significant others in the privacy of your own home excluded).

If a situation at work is bothering you the person you should be talking to about that is your boss. Now we all know that in the real world some bosses are better than others. It would be wonderful if  there were more that followed what Steve Roesler advises in this excellent post where he says  ”If you take time to ask people what they’re looking for, they will tell you. And that makes your job a whole lot easier.” But still  - if you don’t raise your concersn with your boss how can anything even begin to change?

The  next time you are about to tell the world and it’s auntie how truly awful your employer is think about how it reflects on you.

• does the fact that you disagree with something mean you should broadcast that to the world on you social networks ( where it stays for a Very. Long .Time.)
• because your guard is down after a couple of beers does not mean that everyone is quite so - ahem - relaxed
• a potential employer might rate loyalty very highly in an employee  - which is exactly what you are demonstrating  - yes?
• your colleague might just need you to work closely with them  and to be able to do that they need to be able to trust you - but are they now wondering what will you say about them behind their back?
• so you moved into a new job and left all that behind until it turns out the new boss hired in to manage your department comes from - wait for it - your old employer. It happens!

Here’s a suggestion - instead of saying  ”my boss is an idiot” - try turning it into “I don’t understand what my boss is trying to do..” and see where it goes from there.

Would really love your thoughts on this one!

Job hunters need to be smarter than ever to find the few jobs that are around when they are looking. The traditional newspaper and journal job adverts, along with online recruitment sites are a good place to start and  here  are some suggestions of how to use social networking online to support the search.

1 Make sure your professional profile is up to date no matter what sites you use

Always keep in mind that Google ( and other search engines) might find your Facebook/Linkedin/Twitter activity and you have to take advantage of that! There is nothing worse than searching for someone and finding an incomplete profile - or a dormant one! So take a look at what you are currently saying about yourself and give it a bit of polish.

2 Keep your CV live and visible on Linkedin

Linkedin makes it really easy for you. Just follow the steps and hey presto you have their equivalent of a CV.  Of course when you are applying for a job you should tailor your CV or application to fit the description but a generic Linkedin profile might just be the route to your next employer finding you without having to go to the “market”. Keep it short and relevant. Use language that fits with the sector you are or want to be in. Mention strengths that would appeal to a potential employer in a way that will cross over sectors ( ie leaving out the jargon) if you are looking to transition into something new!

Remember to keep it up to date - especially if you have a series of fixed term contracts. Linkedin highlights changes in your profile to your contacts which might just be the prompt they need to either get back in touch or mention you to someone they know that is looking for someone just like you.

3 Want to work in a specific sector or for a particular company - use your network for research

In a recent Radio 4 programme working with people who had lost their jobs one of the mentors was working with a guy who had been in IT but had always really wanted to be a teacher. The mentor asked him if he knew any teachers - and on checking his network he remembered that he had a couple of friends with teacher partners. The next suggestion was that he ask them for suggestions about how he might get into teaching. People like to help .  In the next programme he had been invited into a school to see for himself what it felt like and given links to where to get more information.

4 Build your credibility by answering questions

Linkedin has a question and answer section. If you feel you have something valuable to add do it! It will show up that you answer questions and indeed your contribution might even be ranked “best answer” . People ask questions all the time on Twitter . Do a Twitter search on topics you know about and then offer your advice or your knowledge too.  If they like what you say they will probably tell their friends. And other people will see you do it…

5 Make connections for others  when you can

This works when you do it honestly and without an agenda. You have people in your network - friends/contacts- that possibly could work together  so you make the introduction - and stand back to see what happens. When someone does you a good turn - genuinely  - you know how much you want to repay that kindness.

6 Talk about what you are up to - especially if you have a gap between jobs

This might seem counterintuitive - do you really want a future employer to know that you have been out of work? That works on the assumption that there is some sort of shame in not having a job. Many people who find themselves in that situation try to cover it up and miss out on reflecting on what they learned about themselves during what is a difficult time.

Clearly if you spend your time watching daytime TV between visits to the Job Centre you will have less to talk about than if you have done some volunteering. Think long and hard about everything you have done to fill the day and reflect on what that tells you about your approach, attitude and application….and log it on your profile at the time.

7 Ask for help

Following on from 3 above - think about what help you need and ask friends and contacts for  it.  Ask them to put you in touch with someone who can help answer questions, point you to useful web links, make introductions, highlight useful events.

And  - seriously - consider the impact of these

8 Review pictures online that include you

You may not like it but it is a fact of life - your private life as it is presented on your social networking sites is open to be seen by whomever you give permission and this includes potential employers. So take a look at the pictures available on your own pages and those tagged by others and do either a clean up or make them private  -  at least for  the duration of your job search.

9 Mind your language

Four suggestions here

First - if you are in the habit of swearing in your comments on Twitter or Facebook - while you are searching for a job think about how that might come across to a potential boss ( similar theme as pics)

Second - big yourself up. You are not “quite” good at something - simply “good” works.  Think about the difference removing “some” in front of “experience” has .

Third - don’t use text or online speak…

Four - never ever badmouth your current ( or indeed former) employers online. Disloyalty is not usually a good selling point!

A final suggestion

10 Saying thank you

Thank - and be seen to thank - anybody and everybody that has helped you. The people who have helped you will like it and others will admire gratitude as an attractive attribute!

Remember there can be no guarantees in job hunting but you owe it to yourself to give what you do your best shot.And when you do get that precious interview for the ideal job think about your preparation for that .  

I offer coaching for interviews, workshops and coaching for using social networking and advice and guidance on CVs and job applications. Get in touch for more information   jackie@consultcameron.com

You know the scene. You meet someone new , introduce yourself , shake hands and then the “what do you do ” question comes up.

What do you say?

And just as importantly - how do you say it?

Do you use  limiting words like “I’m just a…” ( often - I am sorry to say still in this day and age - followed with “housewife” - as if that was an easy job!)

And the converse “I’m a highly qualified, master in the field of…” as an opener can be a little offputting ( hold that for when you get to know each other a bit better)

Do you simply give your profession  eg “I’am an accountant/banker/lawyer” as if that says it all and that all accountants/bankers/lawyers were clones of each other

Do you take the opportunity to plough straight in with a sales pitch ” I am with Blah and co…when can I meet with you to talk about our products/services?”…before you have taken any time to find out about the other person.

If you talk about your own company do you list your products instead of using the “first impression” time to highlight one to grab the attention and interest of the person you are speaking to?

If you are introducing yourself to a group do you make eye contact with them all when you are speaking - or do you look at your notes( it’s your own job/business  - you must know enough to be able to speak about it without prompts?)

I am being deliberately provocative here.

We all get nervous when meeting people for the first time and trying to build rapport - especially when it is with someone you would love to do business with - piles on the pressure.

How do you get past that - well the number 1 best suggestion is to PRACTICE!

Why not put together something that avoids the pitfalls mentioned above and practice it - on your own or better still with friends who you can trust to give you helpful feedback.

• Start with the content…what you want to say
• Then think about the structure - even for the shortest response it should have a beginning , middle and end
• And then focus on your delivery - eye contact, tone of voice, body language, gestures

You might want to consider joining a speakers club to improve your confidence - take a look at the Toastmasters International  website to see what they do. Remember public speaking is not only about being on stage - it equally applies when you are speaking in groups and indeed to introduce yourself.

If you are based in the Central Belt of Scotland and would be interested in a workshop on this specific topic get in touch

jackie@consultcameron.com

And….if you have any general questions - or stories of great elevator pitches - I would love it if you would leave a  comment !!!

There is an UK TV programme called Come Dine With Me.  Over the course of a week 4 people who have never met before cook a meal for each other and the guests score each meal with  £1000 up for grabs for the person with the highest score.  As with all “reality” shows the group of people are picked for entertainment value as well as their ability to cook. Often the “entertainment” comes where there is  some disagreement amongst the participants.

Once, in the introductions one participant said that they were a very “honest” person and that meant that they would have to tell the host if they were not enjoying dinner.

Now it is clear that they are playing a game and they may not be like that in real life but what if they are? Can you think of circumstances where you would tell your host that you were not enjoying their hospitality with the justification for doing that being that you are an “honest” person. Does a guest have an obligation to accept what is offered by the host graciously and if there really is a need to mention something that did not work for you might there be a sensitive and helpful way of doing it? And in any case what purpose would it serve ? Probably to ensure that you are never invited back at the very least.

This is not to say that effective feedback cannot be helpful (regular readers will know that it is a recurrent theme on this blog! ) What is important is to remember that your “truth” is based in your values, situation, perception, knowledge etc. So if you choose to give feedback  it is important to remember that .

To take participant from the TV as an example - what they considered wrong with the meal was at odds with what the others thought ( they are interviewed separately). That did not make any of them right - or wrong for that matter. They each had an opinion based on their own  preferences.

So if you are tempted to say “I would like to be honest with you …”  take a moment to recognise what that means and think about how that will be helpful.

And remember one person’s truth is another person’s opinion!

When little children are asked this question they might come up with the usual suspects - teacher, doctor, nurse, firefighter. Some will want to be spacemen or fairies. One little chap in a local nursery  said he wanted to be a dinosaur but I am not sure he really had the hang of what he was being asked.

Jump forward and ask teenagers in secondary school this and there will still be some who are sticking to their original plans, others might have moderated them slightly and still more will shrug and respond with “no idea”. When  making study choices - those with a  career plan should be clear.  For others this is likely to be a lot more vague.

Moving forward again to graduates from college or university hitting the job market. Where does that leave those with the previously unplanned career path?

With their whole lives ahead of them and with time to try out different jobs and develop skills and recognise their talents. But just as this  might sound like a great plan ( or lack of it…) most young people have to start earning a living to at least pay of student debts never mind set up in their own place, buy a car  etc. And getting onto that first step can be such a challenge in 2010 - but it is just the first step.

For the more grey haired amongst us though who might grumble about Generation Y approach let me ask this question  -

Are you doing now what you said you would when you were little?

If not how did you end up doing what you are doing now?

Did this take you back? Is it making you smile - or cringe???

Now think some more. Is what you do now what you started out doing in your very first job?  Even if you have a profession - eg lawyer, accountant, teacher - are you doing now what you were doing then? Do you now have managment responsibilities? Are you using new technology?

Here’s yet another question -

If  money was no object  would you do what you do now for the rest of your working life? 

Lots of people love what they do for a living ( far more than we think). . They may have started out with a clear idea  of what that would be but there is a fair chance that they didn’t. For most of them they tried out different things to get there.

So if you don’t love what you are doing now why not go back to the kindergarten question

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” - there is still time!