Denver Jobing Community Blogs

Continuing on my discussion about dress codes, I now turn to the sticky issue of religious discrimination and, particularly, head coverings. Religious beliefs are entitled to protection under Title VII (the Federal Statue that prohibits discrimination in the workplace). The term "religion" includes all aspects of religious observance and practice as well as belief, and the definition of a "sincerely held belief" includes atheists. Under Title VII, an employer must offer a reasonable accommodation to resolve a conflict between an employee's sincerely held belief and a condition of employment – including a dress code – unless the accommodation would create an undue hardship for the employer. Whether a belief is "sincerely held" determines whether that belief is entitled to the protections of Title VII, and making that determination is "more often than not a difficult and delicate task." What does it even mean?; even judges struggle to answer that question.  A dress code that restricts employees' ability to wear hats or headdresses have a disparate impact on employees who hold certain sincerely held beliefs and observe those beliefs through their attire. If employers take adverse employment actions against employees because of their religious headdress, or unreasonably fail to accommodate an employee's religious observance or practice without undue hardships on the conduct of the employer's business, liability could result. Despite this difficulty, courts remain willing to engage in the exercise of confirming that an employee has a "religious" or sincerely held belief, and that the headdress is actually protected religious expression under Title VII. The cases on this issue run the spectrum of unpredictable to "did you make that up?"  For example, in McGlothin v. Jackson Municipal Separate School District, the court held that the discharged employee failed to establish that she wore African-style head wraps based upon her religious beliefs, and therefore failed to prove a violation of Title VII. Instead, the McGlothin court found that the employee's beliefs were "cultural." By contrast, a Washington state court held that it was discriminatory to refuse to promote a server to a more desirable shift because she wore a Muslim headdress. In addition, an Ohio state court held that the Catholic Church discriminated against an employee by firing him for wearing a monk's hood without formal recognition from the church. The court held that the church failed to prove that allowing plaintiff to wear the hood presented an undue hardship.  Even if appearance issues are directly tied to an employee's religion, an employer may be able to regulate headdresses to a certain extent. Safety concerns provide a good example of this exception. A New York court held that an employer may require all employees to wear hard hats, even if doing so interferes with an employee's religious expression or belief that requires wearing a headdress or other covering. This article is intended as a general discussion and information on the topic covered, and is not to be construed as rendering legal advice. If legal advice is needed, you should consult an attorney. This article may not be reprinted or reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of the author. Laura J. Hazen is a Director at Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, P.C. In her employment practice, Hazen provides day-to-day advice and coaching to public and private companies on various employment matters. She also has an active litigation practice where she concentrates on representing business in all aspects of complex business and employment disputes. You can contact her by email at

lhazen@irelandstapleton.com or by phone at 303-623-2700.

We would like to offer you a great special. 

Take any one of the following classes for $300 and get a free Resume/Interview Class.          

Classes you can take for $300:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Office
• Telecommunication

 
Take any one of the following classes for $450 and get a free Resume/Interview Class.          

Classes you can take for $450:

• Office Procedures
• Customer Service

Classes are given throughout the months of November and December.  Call us for dates on the classes listed above.

Thank you,

Accounting and Business School Staff

303-755-6885

Daniel@ABSRschool.com

Have you ever stopped to really think about how powerful our minds are?  I started to better understand the control my own thoughts had over me a few years ago after becoming part of a local toastmasters group.  The feedback and positive energy I received there started to have a profound effect on my way of thinking.  Is that voice inside you a coach or a critic?  Sometimes I think we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to reaching our personal and professional goals.

What if we could apply the concepts of sports psychology to our work life?  Coaches tell players to focus their thoughts on what they should be doing rather than thinking about avoiding what they should not do.  For example, a golfer should think about following through on her swing rather than avoiding the sand trap.  I’m an avid runner and tell myself to land on the balls of my feet rather than saying, don’t land heels first.  This is made easier with my Newton running shoes developed right here in Boulder http://www.newtonrunning.com/.  While approaching the stage to make a presentation, think about smiling hand having good posture rather than trying not to trip.  If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.

If you want to change your outcome, start to gain awareness of your thoughts.  Change your thoughts to coach rather than criticize yourself.  Focus on your talents and abilities.  Star athletes apply this to their game.  How might you express yourself in an interview, network more effectively or be a better boss by changing the way you think?

Let’s see your “A” game!

Attend the Fall Job Fair at Arapahoe Community College, Thursday, November 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Second Floor Lobby, free if attending as a job seeker.  Meet with  20 - 30 employers from government, financial, retail, nonprofit, hospitality, health, marketing, military and more.  Find part-time and full-time jobs!  Bring your resume!  You can also attend How to Stand Out in a Tough Job Market' free presentation by Andrea Hoffman, Community Relations Manager with Jobing.com, from 12 -1 p.m. in Room M1800 (Half Moon).  Parking is free in the ACC parking lots during the event.  Arapahoe Community College is located at 5900 South Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.  Cross streets are Santa Fe Drive and Church Street.  See you there!

Did you know that more than half of all U.S. workers are female? A recently released report from the Center for American Progress and California First Lady Maria Shriver shows this, along with the fact that mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in two-thirds of U.S. families. In 1967, women made up only one-third of all workers. Today, that statistic has flipped, where less than 21 percent of families with children living at home have a husband who holds a job while the wife does not.

The current recession has both amplified and accelerated this trend. This same report notes that men have lost three out of every four jobs since December 2007. It also predicts that occupations in women-dominated service industries will experience the most growth through 2016.

What does this mean for employers? Well, the report's authors argue that families need more flexible work schedules, comprehensive child care policies, redesigned family and medical leave, and equal pay to adapt to the increasing role of women in the workplace. The United States is the only industrialized country without any requirement that employers provide paid family leave. It will be interesting to see what kind of changes there may be in U.S. law to address this issue.

Workers in Happy Relationships  

We can conjecture that employees who enjoy relational health at home, in their intimate relationships, and among their peers are more productive, more effective team members and make better leaders. They are happier, healthier, more confident, positive, and motivated.  

Studies show that individuals in happy, stable, and successful relationships have greater skills in areas such as communication, flexibility, listening, problem solving, collaboration, personality compatibility, and conflict resolution. The connection between these skills and the workplace are obvious ­and are worth cultivating.

According to a 2006 study, when dual-income couples are happy in marriage, they are more loyal to their employers, thus turnover is lowered. The cost-saving benefits of not having to train new employees leads to greater profitability.  

We found several studies that break down the returns on investment (ROI) in employee wellness programs. While most companies report initial losses because of having to find the "right fit" for their employees, long-term results show savings of $1.40 - $4.90 per every dollar spent, and an ROI of up to $6.85 for every dollar invested in employee relationship wellness programs.  

When your company invests in such relationship wellness programs, like those that Connection Coaching, LLC offers, you will benefit by greater loyalty of your employees, reduced turnover, more effective teamwork, increased sales, productivity, and positive morale of the workforce. Who wouldn't want that? Happy Couples = Effective Employees = Profitable Businesses - a winning formula!

Greg R. Thiel CFLE, MA, & Author

Connection Coaching, LLC

303-798-2456 x3

www.RelationshipCoach.us

Why Work With A Coach?  

There are personal and professional reasons to employ the services of a coach. Most often you have a challenge or opportunity that requires new thinking, new attitudes or new behavior. A professional coach can help you reorient your life and priorities to meet the challenge. A coach is someone to hold you accountable for your life, to make sure you live up to your potential.

Another reason to work with a coach is that you realize there is a gap between what you know and where you want to go. Often a coach can help you identify and acquire new skills and make life or career course corrections.

Perhaps you are not sure what strengths you have and need help in identifying those qualities. Or perhaps you have always had a dream and you want to hire a coach to support you in bringing your dream to life.

With coaching, you are able to create the life you want. You will learn how to organize and self-manage, so you can reach your professional, personal and spiritual goals. So that you create your future!

Find A Coach

To find a coach go to www.denvercoach.com and click on Find A Coach. Use search words like career, relationships, financial, wellness, life, family, spiritual, etc., to identify coaches that specialize in the area you want support. Select several coaches and set up interviews with them to find the best match for you and your goals.

Upcoming Topic: What Coaching Expertise Is Available?                                                                               

Submitted by Denver Coach Federation

PR Committee Liaison, Greg R. Thiel

www.RelationshipCoach.us

Have you been laid off at no fault of your own? Have you received or are receiving unemployment? If you can answer YES to one or both of these questions and are interested in receiving FREE Office Skills training, read on. The Accounting and Business School of the Rockies has partnered with Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Center and Snelling Staffing Services of Littleton to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime.

If you are interested in receiving FREE, customized Office Skills training and are over the age of 24, then contact the Accounting and Business School of the Rockies at 303-755-6885 to begin the training that could change your life.

Classes begin November 16, 2009. You must commit to 4 hours per day, 5 days a week, for 5 weeks of training. The times are 9:00am to 1:00am at the Accounting and Business School (5420 S. Quebec Street, suite 100    Greenwood Village, CO 80111). Upon completion of the program, there will be opportunities to apply for available positions.

Classes include:

1. Office Procedures

2. Two Levels of Microsoft Excel training

3. Accounting/Bookkeeping

4. Accounting Technician

5. Resume Writing

6. Interviewing Skills

 

If you are interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact the Accounting and Business School of the Rockies at 303-755-6885. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Most people do not like looking for a job. Most people do not like the feeling of uncertainty that comes with being unemployed. Most people do not like to interview.

The above statements come from my years of working with people that are unemployed.

Human beings, when they feel they are threatened, get to a point where the “fight or flight” response kicks in. Especially when lack of finances get to be an issue. This is why some people become so angry when looking for a job. They are in the “fight” mode.

Acceptance and non-resistance. A great spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle (A New Earth and The Power of Now) speaks of the concepts of acceptance and non-resistance. When people are out of work the tendency is to, at first, be in denial, then anger, then acceptance. A person will not be successful in a job search until the acceptance point has been reached. {Note:Acceptance does not cause “non action” to occur}

The human being has a tendency to be unconscious. The way unconsciousness manifests itself is by spending mental and emotional energy thinking about and regretting the past or worrying about the future. By doing this we are taken out of the “NOW”. We are taken out of the “is ness” of the moment. The present moment seems too painful. In fact, the comment may be, “I don’t like how this feels”, “being unemployed”. The reason for this pain is manifold. One main reason is humans identify with things. We become our job. We become the role we have lost. So it feels like we have lost ourselves. The truth is we are NOT our jobs. We are much more then that. In fact being unemployed can be an opportunity to “find ourselves” or, it can just be painful.

So unemployment can be an opportunity to face and learn from “OUR HUMAN CONDITION”. The more we fight or resist our unemployment the longer it will take, or more painful it will be, to find a position. The more we resist and allow the negative thoughts and emotions that often come with unemployment to rule us the longer it will take to find a job.

So prior to starting a search allow yourself to have your negative thoughts and feeling. Do not make them wrong but try to look at yourself as a disinterested “third party”. I see anger in myself. I see resentment in myself. I see fear in myself. I see uncertainty in myself. I see doubt in myself. Acknowledge the thoughts and feeling, do not make them wrong. (Let yourself be in the now.)

Do not resist them. And remember the phrase “this too will pass”.

We are on this planet to OVERCOME AND TRANSEND our human condition and our circumstances.

We are not here to be victims. We are here to be of service and to be creators. When I work with people one on one to support them in their job search, it is not I that gets them the job. I may be the source of the job openings or they may be the source of the job openings. Where the job comes from does not matter. But ultimately they create the position coming into there lives and the biggest thing I can do is help them become the creators they are.

A good resume, a strategic job search plan, interview skill practice, how to analyze your strengths and communicate them. How to interview the interviewer. These are all important skills I teach. But the number one element to work on is ATTITUDE, having the right consciousness. When this is right miracles happen. It really is not about the ECONOMY. You can do nothing about the economy. But you can do a lot about your viewpoint towards yourself and your situation.

You are here to OVERCOME and TRANSEND the job market, (and your human condition), not be a victim to it.

Steve Gehrke

SKG Career Services

Job and Career Coach-reasonable rates, great results

Always free to people on SSDI or SSI disability

720-231-8093

(This post is based on some of the principles included in my new book, Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough which I wrote with San Diego-based executive coach, Duncan Mathison. For a free sample chapter, visit the book's official site: www.unlockthehiddenjobmarket.com )

If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll know that I’ve been writing about networking a lot lately. Or at least it seems like it. Networking, networking, networking. Maybe it’s me but don’t you think that when you say it out loud enough, it begins to sound like earwax? Okay…it’s probably just me.

Networking doesn’t have much appeal, does it? It doesn’t sound nearly as much fun as going to your local Applebee’s with some friends for a beer and some wings. Now there’s a problem with even that Applebee’s scenario. Based on the emails I’ve been getting, a lot of you are feeling that you don’t have too many friends either. And the ones you do have are getting, like, really tired of hearing you talk about your struggles to land a job. And you’re getting really tired of talking about it too. In fact, you’d just wish they’d change the subject.

I don’t think my readers are social losers. (At least I hope not, but, then again, what are you doing reading this blog post when it’s such a pretty day outside?) When you’ve been out of work for any amount o time, it’s easy to feel that you have run aground in the contacts department – especially in recent years when we’ve all been so busy taking care of our jobs and our families. We’ve let outside friendships perhaps atrophy. Maybe all your friends were work-related. And now that you’re out of work, you’re also fresh out of buddies. Or you’ve moved to a new town where you really, really don’t know anyone.

Whatever the reason for your feelings of isolation, you know you have to mix it up a little bit, well, a lot. Get some fresh meat, I mean talent, into your tight circles of relationships. Get out of the house. So I thought I’d offer some tips in that direction.

Remember that one thing leads to another. The thing about circulating is that your first dip into big world probably won’t net you a job. It’s a cumulative kind of thing. So leave that desperate, graspy, over-eager feeling at home when you head out the door. Just be open to meeting who you meet. Maybe tonight you’re destined to actually help someone else. And you’ll come home feeling just a little better about yourself.

Look for opportunities where you can become a regular. And no, I don’t mean the Applebee’s bar. When your face starts becoming familiar, you will emerge from invisibility to someone who people will be glad to see. Maybe they’ll even shout out your name, like, “Norm!” (But don’t count on it.) If you try a business mixer or worship service or volunteer opportunity, and people completely ignore you, keep going. Week after week. Introduce yourself as often as you can. And just let the cumulative effects of time work their wonders.

Stay away from solitary pursuits, even if they’re out of the house. Going to a matinee movie doesn’t count as “getting out there.” Go to local economic development or chamber of commerce meetings, receptions, mixers. Your local bookstore probably offers booksignings, author lectures or special classes. A friend of mine who is a professional coach is part of a team who gives courses at Whole Foods! Go! The home improvement stores offer free courses. Go! The American Red Cross offers courses in first aid, cpr, etc. Go!

Make job-related networking events only a small percentage of your out-of-the-house activities. First of all, you’re so much more than unemployed. And you need to nurture those other parts of who you are. At the very least, this way you’ll lead with an opener that’s so much more interesting than, “Hi, gotta job?” But most importantly is that your self-definition has a chance to stay strong and defined beyond this immediate need of landing a gig. You will also stand a better chance of meeting people other than fellow job-seekers. You know…people who already have jobs? And who would be thrilled to help you get inside their companies or organizations.

Learn something. Go to local college courses – especially the ones at night, when employed people go to school. You don’t have to matriculate and take on the expense of a formal semester. Continuing ed courses can be inexpensive. The teachers are often professionals in the community (hint: employed people!). It’s probably best if you took a course that would help you be more qualified for the kind of job you’re looking for. But even taking a non-job related course will at least remind you that there’s more to life than your daily bread (although, it’s kind of hard to make that argument right now, I know).

Teach something. Surely you know something that will benefit others. How to read, for adult literacy programs, for instance. If you have a profession or skill that’s useful in the for-profit world, surely you can introduce at least the basics to young people. Convene a panel of other experts and put on a program! (You’ll be able to find a venue. A friend of mine hosted the annual meeting of his professional association – on the premises of the company that had just laid him off. Awkward.)

Volunteer. Those same skills you can teach you can donate. It will make you feel good about being who you are and what you can do. That boost in self-esteem will give you the added confidence that will send out the signal that you’re a valuable contributor to the world.

Call old friends – even if they haven’t heard from you in a long time. This is where Facebook comes in handy. The other day I heard from a dear friend for the first time in about 8 years. We’d been looking for each other off and on over recent years but, thanks to Facebook, she found me first! And we talked on the phone for a full three hours. A lot of it was catching up. But, she was also very candid about the fact that she needed some professional advice from me. Did I see this as a cheesy ulterior motive? Heck no! First off all, I owed her a gigantic favor from 10 years ago (I mean, huge). Secondly, I love her and I know she loves me. So whatever I have is hers. (Advice, I mean.)

Ask for introductions. Unless you’re a bitter whiner who needs to blow your nose and brush your teeth (and, uhm, a little roll-on?), the friends you have should be happy to give you introductions you need to move your job search forward. If they’re reluctant to help you, find out why. Wouldn’t you want to know the truth, especially if it was something you could fix? And, if they’re possessive with or protective of their contacts to the point where they’re keeping you from helping yourself, or making you feel judged, it’s best that you should know that now. You might have just discovered a brand new opening in your group of friends to fill.

They say that once you achieve a certain age, it gets harder and harder to make new friends. Everyone is set in their habits, patterns, commuting routine, relationships. Well, one of the upshots of these economic times is that everyone is thrown higgledy-piggledy into a big pile of confusion and some flavor of disconnectedness. Now is a fantastic time to build new circles of friends and business contacts.

And vow to take better care of them in the future. Like, don’t wait 8 years before picking up the phone.

Have you been laid off at no fault of your own? Have you received or are receiving unemployment? If you can answer YES to one or both of these questions and are interested in receiving FREE Office Skills training, read on. The Accounting and Business School of the Rockies has partnered with Arapahoe/Douglas Workforce Center and Snelling Staffing Services of Littleton to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime.

If you are interested in receiving FREE, customized Office Skills training and are over the age of 24, then contact the Accounting and Business School of the Rockies at 303-755-6885 to begin the training that could change your life.

Classes begin November 16, 2009. You must commit to 4 hours per day, 5 days a week, for 5 weeks of training. The times are 9:00am to 1:00am at the Accounting and Business School (5420 S. Quebec Street, suite 100    Greenwood Village, CO 80111). Upon completion of the program, there will be opportunities to apply for available positions.

Classes include:

1. Office Procedures

2. Two Levels of Microsoft Excel training

3. Accounting/Bookkeeping

4. Accounting Technician

5. Resume Writing

6. Interviewing Skills

 

If you are interested in learning more about this exciting opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact the Accounting and Business School of the Rockies at 303-755-6885. We look forward to seeing you soon!

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension or California (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University  (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

In our current economic environment, it is all too common that employee morale is suffering.  Co-worker positions have been eliminated and folks are left behind to pick up the extra slack.  Managers are pressured to reach higher profit goals with fewer resources.  Employees may still be wondering if their job will be cut next.  Emotional stress is coming at us from every direction in the workplace.  As a leader, if you are not doing something about it now, expect a mass exodus of your top people in the near future.  Disengagement and the departure of critical talent have a huge impact on your bottom line. 

The link between engaged employees and happy, repeat customers is undeniable.  There are all kinds of studies out there that show the connection between employee engagement and business results.  A study conducted by Towers Perrin found that 84% of highly engaged employees believe they can impact the quality of their organization’s work product compared to 31% of the disengaged.  James K. Harter, Ph.D., Gallup ’s chief scientist of workplace management and well-being says “in good times, employee engagement is the difference between being good and being great, and in bad times, it’s the difference between surviving and not.  In good times and bad, low engagement reduces performance and profit.”  Gallup states that companies with engaged staff have 38% higher customer satisfaction, 22% higher productivity and up to 27% higher profits.  According to the Corporate Leadership Council, engaged employees perform 20% better and are 87% less likely to leave.

Ok, so as leaders, what do we do to engage our people or even ourselves?  It’s simple, but easier said than done.  I see it as a three-tiered, cyclical approach that organizations need to take.  Communication is a common thread.

Talk About Your Vision - Your vision describes what a company will look like when it reaches its goals.  It should inspire, focus and clarify everyone’s work within the organization.  Your vision helps employees understand where they are going.  Keep talking about it.  Reinforce ideas that are driving you and determining the direction of the company.

Align Your Practices With the Vision - Is the way you are doing business and the initiatives you decide to take on moving you closer to realizing your organization’s vision?  Employees need to see that you are doing what you say you are going to do.  Are you walking the talk or is your vision just lip service?

Developing Leaders – Your top talent wants to have opportunities to grow.  Providing those opportunities is a powerful retention tool for the employees that share your vision.  These are the people you want to keep.  Also, in order to continue communicating the vision and aligning your practices accordingly, you need to have leaders and managers with necessary skills and abilities.  You need other leaders that share your vision and have the skills to execute.

For any size company, this is a continuous cycle and it is the leaders’ job to keep the process going by creating commitment and alignment among everyone in the organization.  According to Dr. Gary Rhoads, Alliance Engagement Expert, “managers have a significant impact on how much employees like their jobs, how they feel about their role in the organization, and how much their role benefits themselves, customers and the company.  When managers do not support employees, do not lead by example, and do not exhibit actions that are consistent with the values of the company, then employees are less likely to be emotionally engaged.”  So, for the sake of your bottom line, get out there, set a good example and engage your staff.

I think everyone can attest to the fact that the job search market is demanding much more creativity and engagement than ever before.  It is interesting to observe ourselves throughout our day as to what engages us and what makes us check out and go numb?  I get that some folks are so tired of searching and not finding, tired of sending resumes and not getting any response, tired of sitting in front of the computer day in and day out.  So Take a Break!!!  All of these activities when done too much can create a glazed, automatic response that clearly does not engage us but numbs us out.  While you have to continue to post your resume, watch the job boards and be in front of your computer.  You do not need to be chained to it.  Pick any new activity you have incorporated into your life and in the beginning it is fun and exciting and you are encouraged by the activity but then once it becomes pattern and old news it almost becomes rote and our actions become automatic without any feeling attached to it.  So what keeps you engaged in the job search or the current job you have?  For me it is taking breaks, doing things that make my body move and give my brain a rest, like breathing, taking a walk, and standing up and stretching, even a 10 minute walk around the block helps me wake up and pay attention.  Laughing is a great way to zap the numb zone.  And honestly I find I numb out when my energy is drained, when I am not being stimulated and when I feel over-stressed. 

If we could look at every action in our search as a place of discovery how different would our response to it be?  If we take time in our week to meet people for coffee, get away from the computer and build relationships with others in the search, with others employed, with friend’s of friend’s.  And to approach these conversations from a place of curiosity and discovery how different would our experience be of that exchange?  If we approached our job search and life from a place of no expectations of what won’t happen, no preconceived ideas of what we hope will happen, acknowledging the fear if there is any and doing it anyway and approaching the action from a place of curiosity like a child.  Would that keep us more engaged and alive?  When we meet people not just focusing on giving them our resume or talking about what we want but finding out about them and how you can help them.  Approaching the conversation from wonder of what you will learn about them, their life and who they genuinely are.  Taking the focus off of ourselves and our crisis may just lighten up our day and allow for us to help others and feel really appreciated and engaged about giving back.  Volunteering is a great way to not get stuck in our own story, our own drama even if it is helping out a friend or family member something that keeps you giving will always open the door to receiving.  And who knows if what you might be receiving is a job offer or a promotion.

Live Well,

Katie

Katie Smith is a professional life coach & executive search consultant. Her expertise lies in helping individuals that are interested in bringing their goals into reality, reinventing themselves and their livelihoods and creating a more relaxed joy filled life.  www.katiebsmith.com

That, my friend, is a cold hard fact of life.

And most job seekers I meet get a sour look on their face when they think of themselves as 'selling' themselves.

They're OK having conversations with people, happy to talk about themselves and even bat around ideas, but when they think of selling, they think of:

*Pushy
*Dishonest
*Selfish
*Manipulative

And a dozen other words that describe the stereotypical bad salesmen.

And those people exist - we both know that.

But at some point you're going to start getting interviews, and if you don't know how to sell effectively, you're going to leave yourself at the same competitive level as everyone else...skills and experience.

In this market you'll lose at that level 99 times out of 100, and you have literally NO control or influence over the hiring decision.

GOOD sales people rarely get enough credit for how and what they do. They are the ones that help companies dig down, figure out the real problem, develop a solution, and stitch it all together.

If you can get your arms around 'selling' yourself in a way that mimics what these good salespeople do, you'll not only stand out, but you won't leave interviews feeling like you did a great job, and then get gob smacked by the dreaded, "We've decided to go with another candidate" letter.

What's a good sales person do?

Selling for the "no."

That's right. Bad sales people (see the list above) put the sale and commission above the customer's needs. Good salespeople are looking for any and every reason to disqualify their product and service by asking as many stringent questions as they can.

Simple as that. They walk into the conversation expecting that their primary role is to be of help, and they ask questions designed to get past the surface level issues and discover the true motives behind those surface level issues.

Most interviews are guided by interviewers who have not been trained in interview skills (or won't take the time to interview well), and so they are NOT asking the right questions. Your job as a 'seller' of yourself is to force the interview down to the right level.

Not "x,y,z skills" but "What will x,y and z allow you to accomplish better given the tasks ahead of you?" Or "X, Y and Z are great - why are they important to you at this particular point on this particular hire?"

If you've seen my Self-Marketing Pyramid then you know that the reason most resumes fail as marketing tools is that they don't get past skills and experiences to the real problems companies are trying to solve.

(If you haven't, email me and I'll send it to you with an explanation).

It's the same in interviews. NO ONE gets hired at the skills and experience level. People get hired because the 'buyer' trusts that you understand and will be 100% committed to helping them solve their problems, challenges and opportunities.

Even if they can't articulate it or ask you the right questions to see whether you can or can't.

A good salesperson knows that if they rely on the customer to connect all the dots, they'll lose the vast majority of the time.

But if they develop a system (and the right mindset) to guide potential customers through a discovery (question and answer) process faster, they'll eliminate non-fitting deals faster, leaving them more time to win more of the deals they SHOULD be winning.

And if they develop solid, credible answers to the top 8 or 10 objections they regularly hear, they'll sell even more.

How are your sales skills?

 

(BTW - my next group coaching "Bobsled Run" program starts in a week...check it out here.