Mark Hirschfeld

I talked to someone recently who was successful in a sales role that required quite a bit of travel. At one time he was fine with that, but he recent changes in his personal life made him question whether life on the road was still okay.

It turns out, the answer, right for him now, was no.

Our priorities will change, and because of that our career goals will change:

~ Perhaps you used to like working on your own, but would rather be part of a team…

~ Or you didn’t mind a commute, but would rather find a job closer to home…

~ Maybe you were okay with a compensation plan that was more variable, but would prefer something more consistent.

As you pursue your next role, make sure your priorities and what you would value in a job are aligned with your current thinking.

It’s a new day. Make it joyful and productive.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources 

#career #careercoach #jobhuntingtips #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch #jobsearchtips#jobsearchcoach #jobsearchhelp

Our son, who is on the autism spectrum, came home from work a while back. Based on his demeanor we wondered if his day didn’t go so well. We’ve all had those, right?

My wife asked him: “Jacob, did you have a hard day at work?”

He thought about the question for a moment and then replied: “No mom, it was still pretty soft.”

In your job search, and in your current work for that matter, you want to find work that Jacob would describe as “soft”.

To Jacob, a “soft day” is one where he still works hard, but he feels supported by his manager and gets along with his coworkers. A “soft” day may be one where there is a challenge or two, but he gets help when he needs it and puts in the effort to get his work done. A “soft” day is one where his efforts are appreciated, and where he goes home feeling a sense of satisfaction and pride in being part of something larger than himself.

Where he’s valued.

We all want those kinds of “soft days”, right?

If you’re in the job search, look to gain insights about the culture of your prospective employer, how they treat people, and the reputation of the leadership.

Life is too short to have what Jacob would consider a “hard day”.

Find a place where most of your days at work will be “soft”.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

There are free training videos on the web site of my faith community: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

My friend Leigh Branham published a great book on why good employees leave. The book is based on his study of thousands of people who left their employer.

Many of the reasons why good employees leave can be impacted by your direct manager, but that doesn’t mean that senior leaders don’t chase good people away.

They do.

You can look on sites such as GlassDoor to view ratings of senior leadership at a prospective employer, and that’s a good thing.

But you can dig more.

You can learn more from your interviews as well as from coaches.

There’s a saying that “the fish rots from the head down”. Companies can also rot from the head down, so do your homework and find out about the effectiveness of senior leaders at prospective employers.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Grab a copy of Leigh’s book at: https://tinyurl.com/y3e64fcq

Why good folks leave jobs–reason #6: Workers suffer from stress due to overwork and work-life imbalance.

My friend Leigh Branham published a book on why good employees leave. The book is based on his study of thousands of people who left their employer.

There’s a company I know of that future employees know there are opportunities for significant income, but there will be significant hours each week. For some that may be just fine, but according to Leigh’s research this can be a factor that leads to people leaving good jobs.

Job stress and burnout can have an impact, so do what you can to determine if the work load requirements and the stress that may result fit with your values. Many employers are finding ways to accommodate different schedules to help balance work and life, so explore if those can be options.

We all want work that is meaningful and helps us achieve our goals, but make sure you fully understand  if stress and a lack of work-life balance may wear on you in a new job, and you leave as a result.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch Grab a copy of Leigh’s book at: https://tinyurl.com/y3e64fcq

After what happened at 38th and Chicago in my hometown of Minneapolis there has been greater interest in creating a more inclusive workplace. Here’s an article on the value of inclusion, with first person accounts from an employer: https://theconversation.com/inclusion-starts-with-better-management-heres-what-employees-say-about-making-diversity-work-141878

Advice for job seekers:

My friend Leigh Branham published a great book on why good employees leave. The book is based on his study of thousands of people who left their employer.

Any of you suffering out there from too much recognition?

Of course not.

Although we might jest about this, the research is clear—if employees are not appreciated, they will find a place where they are valued and recognized.

Recognition can certainly come in salary and benefits, but it’s much more than that. To the degree you can, learn about how prospective employers value employees. Are their formal programs? Informal ones? Do managers truly value employees?

People will put up with a lot, but they won’t put up with being ignored and devalued. Don’t put yourself in an environment where they take you for granted—you deserve better.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch Grab a copy of Leigh’s book at: https://tinyurl.com/y3e64fcq

My friend Leigh Branham published a book on why good employees leave. The book is based on his study of thousands of people who left their employer.

If career opportunities are important to you in your next position, you can likely learn a lot about that via formal and informal channels.

On the web site of many employers they will describe what opportunities may be available, but I strongly recommend you ask about this in your interviews as well. Additionally, ask people in your network who may have insights.

You may also want to think through what kind of career path(s) are important to you. Some options:

~ Doing the same kind of work you’ve done before,

~ Taking a lateral move from a prior job, or

~ A promotion from a prior job.

Each of these may have different career development paths.

Don’t put yourself into a position where you find a new job and later learn you don’t have opportunities to pursue your career goals.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Grab a copy of Leigh’s book at: https://tinyurl.com/y3e64fcq

My friend Leigh Branham published a book on why good employees leave. It is based on his study of thousands of “exit surveys” of people who left their employer. Job seekers can gain from his insights.

I am often teased by colleagues how often I say: “feedback is a gift.”

But I do mean it.

We have a chance to grow when we receive feedback and coaching, when we learn more about what we’re doing well as well as areas we can improve.

Not all cultures are built that way. Some company cultures don’t have ways for employees to learn and grow via coaching and feedback. The reasons for this lack can vary, but the end result can be employees who feel lost, have a lack of confidence, and are generally adrift.

As a job seeker, you again have the potential to learn about a prospective employer. For networking contacts, ask:

~ Are current employees provided meaningful feedback about their performance?

~ Is that feedback frequent, or do folks have to wait for an annual review?

~ Do managers spend time working with employees, including one-on-one time, to support the growth of their direct reports?

Do your homework. Learn about the culture of a prospective employer.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch Grab a copy of Leigh’s book at: https://tinyurl.com/y3e64fcq

My colleague Leigh Branham wrote an important book on why good employees leave. The book is based on his study of thousands of “exit surveys” of people who left their employer. Over the week I’ll comment on how each of these factors can impact your career and job search.

A friend just recently interviewed for a job. He got to the second interview and found out that the job had different roles and responsibilities than was listed in the job posting. Although the job did have some appeal, there were parts of the role that really didn’t fit his skills or interests.

After considering their offer, he declined to take the job.

In these challenging times, it may be tempting to take a job, any job.  But Leigh’s research clearly shows that folks will more likely leave work that is a mismatch, so think through your interests, skills, goals and aspirations before you jump to a job you may ultimately regret.

#jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

If a job isn’t a great match, you might want to think about using it as a “bridge” to another opportunity. I write about that at https://markhirschfeld.com/2020/08/02/job-search-tip-50-making-the-most-of-a-bridge-job/

Grab a copy of Leigh’s book at: https://tinyurl.com/y3e64fcq

My colleague Leigh Branham wrote an important book on why good employees leave. The book is based on his study of thousands of “exit surveys” of people who left their employer. Over the week I’ll comment on how each of these factors can impact your career and job search.

Job seekers have more information available to them than ever before about prospective employers.

There are numerous sources of information in the public domain that can help you research companies, from something as simple as a Google search to the web site of an employer. Job boards and social networking sites also have information about employers, including participant ratings.

But folks can often gain additional useful information from personal networking with:

~ Current or former employees,

~ Current or former customers,

~ Current or former supply chain partners (vendors),

~ Professional associations/trade groups,

~ Neighboring employers, or

~ Regulatory agencies.

Don’t put yourself in a situation where you get a new job and then learn the work or culture is significantly different than you expected.

Do your homework.

#career #jobhunting #jobsearch