Mark Hirschfeld

Within a year, Jay lost three jobs as a result of downsizings or mergers. In all cases his performance wasn’t at issue—he was a hard worker.

You would think that after the third layoff Jay would become upset or dejected, perhaps even giving up.

If he did, he didn’t show it.

Jay had a plan and he continued to work his plan. Whenever we met he was positive and had ideas about what he could be doing for the coming week.

I’m sure Jay had bad days, but he didn’t let them get him down. He didn’t need to seek professional help, but if you need help please consider doing so. When prospective employers asked him about his changes, he was honest. He also had secured references from each of his employers.

Jay did land another, and has been doing well ever since. Throughout his challenges he kept his focus on what he could control and kept focused on making progress every day.

To the degree you can, take some inspiration from Jay. Keep working. Keep networking. Keep up a positive attitude.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

For a time I had a “hitch” in my speech. I said “you know” waaaay too much.

I didn’t realize it, but my frequently saying “you know” was distracting to others. The “you know” thing tended to get worse when I was nervous… like in a job interview.

Do you have a “hitch”?

You’ll never be able to replicate this perfectly, but practicing a job interview with someone may reveal a problem that could be distracting to an interviewer. Ideally, you would push “video” on your phone so could review the interview.

By the way, this advice is NOT directed to folks who have a disability that affects their speech which, sadly, will frequently be a bias they will have to overcome in securing a job.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Practicing for an interview can be painful, but rather you get feedback from a friend who cares for you that your answers don’t make any sense than in front of a recruiter or hiring manager.

Give your coach a list of questions. There are a set of common questions on the web site listed below you can start with, but also write some questions you believe will be asked for a specific job interview. In particular, write questions that ask you to explain how your past experiences and successes can be applied to the position for which you are interviewing.

To make it more spontaneous, have your coach throw in a surprise or two. They could do that by mixing up the order of the questions, or dropping in a question you didn’t expect.

You’ll need to get good at this, so practice, and then practice again. Heck, practice some more.

As it is said: “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” When it comes to your job interviews, don’t let that be your epitaph.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

People who offer to give references have your best interests in mind, but it’s often helpful to provide them information about your job search and the company that is asking for your reference.

You can do that by sending your reference information about the job for which you are applying. It’s also helpful to send the reference a copy of your resume and highlight the experiences or successes you think might be particularly valuable for the reference to discuss with a potential employer.

This communication can be particularly helpful for someone who hasn’t worked with you for a time and isn’t as familiar with your recent activities.

As a person who has given references, it is always a relief if I receive this kind of information. I’m in a much better position to provide truthful and helpful information to the potential employer.

There is often a feeling that as job seekers we don’t have a lot of control, and that’s true. This is something you can have some control over—help your references to best tell your story.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

I once worked with a gentleman named Will. He had been in one industry for a long time as an engineer with experiences very unique to that industry. He was looking for opportunities outside the industry, in part so he didn’t have to relocate.

Will put together a functional resume, a format which helped prospective employers easily see his skills and experiences that could be used in the other industry. As an engineer he did a lot of project management and was very skilled with computers.

He got a job with a company in that new industry. I happened to know the hiring manager, and I asked him why he hired Will.

He said: “The job he will be taking is one where the products are new to all of us, so he’s not at a disadvantage. And as an engineer I like how Will thinks.”

He’s continued to do well in that new industry.

Can you jump to another industry? It’s quite possible, particularly if you tell your story—understand what skills you can bring to that new industry and make your case.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

I conducted a very non-scientific survey of ten experts on job search. I asked them: what were the three biggest mistakes they saw job seekers make? I received eleven replies with 22 ideas, but the following five were by far the most frequently cited:

1. Not knowing what you want in a job that would fit your skills, interests and values,
2. Relying only on applying for jobs and ignoring the value and power of networking,
3. Not researching companies, using information in the public domain and also what you can learn from personal networking,
4. Being unprepared for networking and job interviews, and
5. Using “one-size-fits-all” communications, such as cover letters and resumes.

The consensus makes great sense to me, and I’ll continue to comment on each of these in future posts.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

When I started coaching job seekers in 1994 I didn’t have to worry about social media presence… because platforms like Facebook didn’t exist! We did dump things in 1994, but they weren’t on a platform that could be seen across the globe.

Each of is free to express our views online, from our passions about binge-worthy shows to commenting on the politics of the day. But we need to keep in mind that our online activities can be seen and reviewed by prospective employers.

Even the most open-minded of employers may be concerned about some of your online content, including those photos you willingly posed for last weekend where you may not be practicing social distancing at a beach party.

So if you’re in a job search, just think a bit about whether something needs to be posted to one of the many online portals. And if you’re worried that less activity might bring the social media giants to their knees, I’ll think they’ll be just fine.

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

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Several years ago I worked with a company to conduct their annual employee engagement survey. After I presented their results I was asked to come back a few weeks later for another meeting. As I was waiting in the lobby I noticed a book on the coffee table.

I opened it up and found copies of all the reports of the survey I had just presented.

I was stunned.

When my contact came to fetch me I asked her why this was in the lobby: “We talked about it as a leadership team, and we decided that we wanted everyone who visits us, including prospective employees, to know how employees feel about working here.”

“As you know, not everything is positive in that report, but we wanted to be as transparent as possible.”

Then I was impressed.

Most companies don’t do this, but you can still learn about potential employers. Check out online company ratings. You can also talk with former and current employees.

Do your homework.

There are twelve training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free. Please consider passing along to friend or loved one who may need help: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Even under the best of circumstances, holidays can be stressful. Although Father’s Day happens to be happy for my family, this isn’t the case for everyone. For some of you, Father’s Day is more about difficult experiences and memories. If that is the case, I’m sending good thoughts.

It can be even more stressful if you don’t have a job.

We each deal with stress differently. For some of you it would be good to be (safely) around family and friends, and for others to get some alone time.

I find that accomplishing some task, even a modest one, feels good, and for others it’s better to have a “do nothing” day. Maybe this is a day when you find a way to help someone out who is in need, or maybe it’s a day when you ask someone for some needed help.

Do what’s right for you.

Hey, maybe the most expensive gifts aren’t necessary, and a home-cooked meal would be great instead of going out.

To the degree you can today, lean into family and friends who bring you joy and avoid those you don’t.

When you’re ready to resume your job search activities, there are twelve videos on the web site of my faith community. This content is free. Please also consider passing along: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch