Month: October 2011

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church… Monday morning, October 31 at 10 AM

The Church is located just north of Midway Road and the George Bush Tollway (190)… 4000 Midway Road, Carrollton, TX., 75007.  It is on the NE corner of Midway and International Parkway… The meeting is held in the Conference Center which is a one story building  just east of the main worship center.

This is one of our communities fine job search support groups.  The Careerpilot, Bob Maher, CMF, will be presenting his introductory core topic, Embracing the OTHER Job Market.

Please come and bring a friend in need!

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Embracing The OTHER Job Market

In every marketplace, there are buyers and sellers.  In the traditional job market, the one that our Department of Labor measures for us, job seekers are the sellers and their potential employers are the buyers.  The commodity is productive work and the competition is fierce.

The time worn “round peg in the round hole” theory of a good FIT is dysfunctional, at best.

In the OTHER Job Market, buyers and sellers hold equal responsibility for the recruitment process.  When employers have a need for someone to fulfill a specific role, often the most desired candidates are employed individuals with the credentials they seek.  Thus the employer must sell their Company to potential employees in the marketplace in order to attract the best of the lot.  Once identified, they simply select their choice and buy their services.

If an individual is under-employed, seeking a change, or actually unemployed, they must be visible to potential employers who are seeking their services.  Creating this visibility is strategic, personal market planning and execution—in can be marketability without rejection! 

A good FIT with a job can become a great Career FIT for the individual, a more planful, strategic viewpoint. 

Personal Marketing is a contact sport.

For MORE INFO on this topic… GO TO the RESOURCES area of this website!

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NEXT EVENT: Thursday, November 3rd, 9-10:30 AM at The Egg and I Restaurant (NW quadrant of Arapaho and Montfort, 1 blk east of Tollway) TOPIC: Embracing The OTHER Job Market

This is the INTRODUCTORY SESSION in a weekly series of FREE career transition workshop events. Yes, networking happens at these events, but our purpose is to learn innovative “HOW TO” approaches into The OTHER Job Market. Both strategic and tactical issues and models are incorporated… this week?…

Embracing The OTHER Job Market

We will overview the entire job search/ career transition process, addressing the OTHER marketplace at every step… As always, consistent and focused efforts are keys to your success. Some selected topics to address:

-BEING PREPARED to conduct an effective job search
– Developing your network… an evolutionary process.
-An interview request is NEVER a cold call
-ASKING questions effectively
-Answering questions effectively
-Creating and closing all communication ‘loops’

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

– Professionals who seek “job security” for the rest of their career
– Professionals formerly reluctant to engage “all-IN” networking
-Job seekers who gain interviews, but can’t Close The Deal

As always, GUESTS of our DFWCareerpilot regulars, and…

First time visitors… this session is a great place to start!

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MONEY-SPEAK… What IS Your Next Position WORTH?

Let’s separate two definitive forms of negotiation.  First, and most frequent, that which occurs during networking and interviewing, PRIOR TO any offer of employment.  Your mission is to treat the issue of money as just another bit of information.  However, in this case, remember,

“He who mentions money first, often loses in salary negotiation.” 

Second, negotiation often occurs as a result of an offer of employment. Your mission, of course, is to maximize the actual offer.  At the very least you will want to maintain and enhance current value of your employment.  Base salary is simply a part of the “position WORTH” package.

These two forms of negotiation call for very different skills.   Staying with our context of effective PRE-OFFER Negotiation tactics, let’s utilize the basic guidelines for answering questions effectively, this time relative to the discussion of money…

  1. ANSWER THE QUESTION… The implication, here, is that you have heard and fully understand the nature of the question.  If this is true, simply answer the question in a straight forward, brief manner… and then stop talking!  Often the challenges come in knowing when to stop talking.
  2. LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE AND CONFIRM YOUR STRENGTHS… Your purpose is to drive home your communication strategy–that set of key words and strengths that define your “message.”  So, when a question is asked that relative to a job related strength, answer the question and confirm the strength by stating a behavioral example. 
  3. AT LEAST ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A QUESTION Before blocking, turning around, or in any other way changing the subject… Salary negotiation, illegal questions and other non-standard questions often call for extraordinary responses.  Stay focused, get results… but never manipulate or deceive with your answer.  Q: How much did you make in base salary last year?  A: Last year?  My former position was worth $ X, but the responsibilities we have discussed seem to be worth a base salary much closer to $ X+… don’t you agree?

What is a position WORTH?

While most any working condition of employment and relocation is often negotiable, it is to your advantage to negotiate utilizing the total monetary value of an employed position.

  1. Base Salary… That structured part of total value that is paid to you on a regular and frequent basis.  This is usually the most visible, and emotional, component of the value package, your position worth.
  2. Structured additions to salary, or other actual monies… also paid on a regular and frequent basis.  For example, sales commission or project completion bonuses.  Once paid, it is your to keep.  These first two items are regulated to factor in to 401K Plans, and often drive pension formulae…

     And now “the rules” shift…

  1. Unstructured additions to salary, or any discretionary monies… these payments can be huge or insignificant (a holiday turkey), taxable or not, and come in a wide range of creative descriptions.  They are typically not used in retirement or pension equations– but can be.  Discretionary is the keyword, here.
  2. Benefits… For budget purposes, standard benefits are usually calculated at a fixed percentage of structured salary monies.  Health care, sick pay, short term disability, etc can represent 20-50% or more of structured monies within a position’s worth.
  3. Perks… Payments made on behalf of an employee, before or after taxes.  These are usually non-standard things relative to certain positions, like company cars, country club memberships, special equipment allowances, expense money, etc.
  4. First Year Vacation… While most companies pay vacation money on a very standard timetable, it is paid out of existing budget–usually your structured salary monies.  This makes vacation monies essentially a negotiation giveaway for those who ask.  Using the fairly standard two weeks, that’s roughly 4% of position worth.
  5. Start Date… Yes, start date.  For employed professionals making a career transition, even start date may influence their total value package.  Once again, the drivers are structured monies paid to the employee.

For more information on negotiation strategies, GO TO Resources and read the handout on Money-Speak

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NEXT EVENT: Thursday, October 27th, 9-10:30 AM at The Egg and I Restaurant (NW quadrant of Arapaho and Montfort, 1 blk east of Tollway)

This is the next in a weekly series of FREE career transition workshop events. Yes, networking happens at these events, but our purpose is to learn innovative “HOW TO” approaches into The OTHER Job Market. Both strategic and tactical issues and models are incorporated… this week?

NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES: Pre and Post OFFER!

We will explore an overall strategy that will enable you to perform well in all interviews, AND delve into an easy to remember interview strategy that organizes and focuses your interview time and effectiveness. As always, consistent and focused efforts are keys to your success. Some selected topics to address:

  • Developing your network… an evolutionary process.
  • Responding to premature discussion of money
  • ASKING questions effectively
  • Answering questions effectively… Creating and closing all communication ‘loops’
  • Negotiating an actual offer

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

– Professionals who seek “job security” for the rest of their career
– Professionals formerly reluctant to engage “all-IN” networking
-Job seekers who gain interviews, but can’t Close The Deal or optimize their offers!

As always, GUESTS of our DFWCareerpilot regulars, and…

First time visitors… this session is a great place to start!

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“CLOSING THE DEAL” Begins with preparation and practice!

Develop and maintain a productive mindset during any career transition.. This specifically relates to your ability to tell your well positioned “story” to others, answer questions effectively, conduct productive negotiations, and, in general, fine tune your personal salesmanship skills.  So what are those basics that will allow you to effectively “close the deal?”

  1. Practice your two minute drill every chance you get…. it’s the fundamental building material of your communication strategy–your verbal collaterals!
  2. Practice your exit and qualification statements… most all potential employers and networking contacts will want to know your current situation and why you are available.
  3. Practice answering both common and tough questions… including pre-offer negotiation tactics.

The most asked question during career transition is, “Tell me about yourself.”  Appropriate use of your two-minute drill and related verbal strategies, your “verbal collaterals,” is a key ingredient to personal salesmanship…

  • A verbal resume…  A tightly focused, upbeat telling of “your story” told in a high impact two minute format.  With practice, can be easily personalized to your listener.
  • An “elevator pitch”…  A succinct summary of your qualifications for a specifically positioned function or opportunity.  With practice, can become quite spontaneous.

Brag bytes…  Wordcraft various collections of words, phrases and sentences to capture memorable moments or accomplishments–the best you have to offer!  Remember Waypoint #2… Always communicate yourself in a positive, future-oriented manner.

For MORE INFO… GO TO: “Resources” Tab, above!

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NEXT EVENT: Thursday, October 20th, 9-10:30 AM at The Egg and I Restaurant (NW quadrant of Arapaho and Montfort, 1 blk east of Tollway)

This is the next in a weekly series of FREE career transition workshop events. Yes, networking happens at these events, but our purpose is to learn innovative “HOW TO” approaches into The OTHER Job Market. Both strategic and tactical issues and models are incorporated… this week?…

CLOSING THE DEAL

We will explore an overall telephone strategy to secure interviews, AND delve into an easy to remember interview strategy that organizes and focuses your interview time and effectiveness. As always, consistent and focused efforts are keys to your success. Some selected topics to address:

-Developing your network… an evolutionary process.
-An interview request is NEVER a cold call
-ASKING questions effectively
-Answering questions effectively
-Creating and closing all communication ‘loops’

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

– Professionals who seek “job security” for the rest of their career
– Professionals formerly reluctant to engage “all-IN” networking
-Job seekers who gain interviews, but can’t Close The Deal

As always, GUESTS of our DFWCareerpilot regulars, and…

First time visitors… this session is a great place to start!

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Leveraging Your LinkedIn Network

The Careerpilot’s high TECH-HIGH TOUCH philosophy comes into play with the explosive growth of business professionals using social networks to build relationships, meet new contacts, and market themselves.  While the Internet provides many choices, diving into the virtual meet-and-greet can represent a real challenge.  Which one is worthy of your start-up investment: learning curve time and actual ROI of your efforts…  Where to begin? The Careerpilot encourages a choice that reasonably assures one’s confidentiality, has a multitude of useful applications, and can serve as your focal point of networking decisions. 

A terrific launching site for such an effort is LinkedIn. Developed specifically for business, the site doesn’t run the risk of blurring your professional life with your private one; and with more than 25 million users, it serves virtually every industry and profession.

Joining a network like LinkedIn is simple, but turning it into a powerful networking tool takes a bit of savvy. Here’s how to build a network, leveraging your available time… and put it all to work — without HIGH TECH, social-networking anxiety…

Attend this week’s event on Thursday, October 13th, at The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison, TX… 9-10:30 AM

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NEXT EVENT: Thursday, October 13th, 9-10:30 AM at The Egg and I Restaurant (NW quadrant of Arapaho and Montfort, 1 blk east of Tollway)

This is the next in a weekly series of FREE career transition workshop events. Yes, networking happens at these events, but our purpose is to learn innovative “HOW TO” approaches into The OTHER Job Market. Both strategic and tactical issues and models are incorporated… this week?…

Leveraging LinkedIn to Develop Your Network

This is Task #2 involving LinkedIn.  We will explore the many ways to develop your network and increase your SEO performance.  Activity level, focus, and consistency are keys to your success.  LinkedIn can serve as your roadmap!Some selected topics to address:

  1. Developing your network… an evolutionary process.
  2. To SEO or not to SEO… finding appropriate ‘middle ground’
  3. Group activity
  4. When is a network not a network?
  5. ANSWERS
  6. Creating and closing all communication ‘loops’

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

– Professionals who seek “job security” for the rest of their career
– Professionals formerly reluctant to engage “all-IN” networking
– As always, GUESTS of our DFWCareerpilot regulars, and…

First time visitors… this session is a great place to start!

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This week’s topic: Implementing Your Personal Marketing Plan

In every marketplace, there are buyers and sellers.  In the traditional job market, the one that our Department of Labor measures for us, job seekers are the sellers and their potential employers are the buyers.  The commodity is JOBs and the competition is fierce.

In the OTHER Job Market, buyers and sellers hold equal responsibility for the recruitment process.   The commodity is available, productive WORK. 

When employers have a need for someone to fulfill a specific role, often the most desired candidates are employed individuals with the credentials they seek.  Thus the employer must sell their Company to potential employees in the marketplace in order to attract the best of the lot.  Once identified, they simply select their choice and buy their services. 

This week we will explore the strategies and tactics of identifying opportunities and securing your next position.  MORE >> GO TO RESOURCES Page