Posts Tagged ‘job’

My dad has a saying: "Live as if you'll be found out because you will!" In this post, I will cover a story that plays right into that statement.

While I was browsing "updates" from friends on Facebook the other day, I noticed one of them had joined a "Fan Page" entitled, "Tim Martins is My Hero!"

I was a little perplexed; I hadn't heard of anyone by that name doing something heroic on the news. So, I clicked through to find out what all the fuss was about.

What I found was a page dedicated to someone, who, in the pursuit of his 15-minutes of fame, had made grievous errors in judgment. These errors will now follow him for the rest of his life.

The Beginning of End

It all started innocently enough. Tim Martins is a First Officer (co-pilot) for American Eagle Airlines (the regional carrier for American Airlines). He is also a member of the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), which is the union representing thousands of professional pilots at several airlines.

In the wake of recent bad press surrounding the airline industry, ALPA decided to write articles in their member magazine featuring pilots who typified their Code of Ethics and set them up as "role models." Two of the tenants in the Code of Ethics include 'representing their airline with the utmost professionalism in both appearance and conduct ' and 'being a good citizen of the community'.

To be featured in an article, a pilot is nominated by a peer and then approved by top members of ALPA. Tim Martins was nominated, approved, and then interviewed by Jan Steenblik, a long-time technical editor for ALPA's magazine.

The article, entitled, "Mature Beyond His Years," was the cover story for the April 2010 issue. In the magazine, Tim Martins, who is approximately 25 years old, told the story of his "rise" through the aviation ranks.

Tim Martins claimed he had graduated from a flight school at 19, stated that he had worked at and was furloughed by Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA - now defunct), started flying F-16s and was an active member of the NJ Air National Guard, and then was subsequently hired by American Eagle.

Further, in the article he claimed to be a FDNY firefighter / paramedic in his off time (quoted as saying he is carrying on a family tradition) as a member of Ladder Company 2 located in midtown Manhattan. He also stated he works in the food pantry at a church near his home and builds houses for Habitat for Humanity as part of his "community service."

Pretty impressive, right? The only problem is, about 90% of what he told the Steenblik wasn't true (a journalist not fact-checking a story is incomprehensible and unprofessional - but, that's another story).

"Outed" By His Peers

As thousands of ALPA members received the newest issue and began reading the article, there was no way to predict that this story would become a "runaway train" without any signs of stopping it.

First, you must understand that the aviation industry (both civilian and military) is a very tight-knit group, and pilots, like other true professionals, don't like individuals putting their chosen career in a bad light.

And, in my opinion, after working in the airline industry for many years, believe they have the right to expect that "one of their own" would not do something to put a "black eye" on an already struggling industry.

I belong to several aviation-related message boards where pilots discuss different aspects of the industry. One member started a thread about this article and Tim Martins, questioning the validity of the information.

What started as an innocent thread, giving Martins the benefit of the doubt (and questioning that perhaps he had been misquoted), turned into a real "fact-checking" mission.

After the thread was posted, several other pilots started to "chime in" with information to disprove what had been written about Martins regarding his airline career. He had never worked at ACA (verified through the seniority list from pilots who had worked there). He also never graduated from the aviation college he claimed in the article.

Then, other members questioned and found out from their military pilot counterparts that Martins had never been a member of the NJ Air National Guard. The military personnel were so incensed (they have every right to be) that Martins was purporting himself to be a military pilot that they called ALPA's national headquarters to bring this issue to light.

Further checking revealed that Martins also was not a member of FDNY Ladder Company 2 - not even as a volunteer.

But, it didn't end there. These pilots were now very upset. They Googled Tim Martins and found his Facebook page and LinkedIn profile.

On those pages, he claimed to be a pilot for Southwest Airlines, a Captain in the US Air Force, a Rescue Diver, and a US Air Force Academy graduate. His Facebook photo page showed pictures of him supposedly working at FDNY and in the cockpit of an F-16 (where he had given himself the name, "Timmy 'The Milkman' Martins").

The only fact that could be verified was that Martins was indeed a First Officer for American Eagle.

Opportunity to "Save Face"

In the true spirit of compassion, the aviation community gave every opportunity for Tim Martins to "come clean" and admit his mistakes.

However, Martins, even with all the facts staring him in the face, continued to deny that he had lied. He even made up "screen names" on these message boards to try to save his reputation by posing as "friends" who knew him and could verify his military background. It didn't work, and he finally "half-way" admitted he had stretched the truth a bit (that was putting it lightly).

But, by this time, it was too late. From there, the information went viral. Even the NY Post jumped on the bandwagon, as a freelance journalist, Christine Negroni, broke the story.

And now, Martins has the auspicious honor of having a "Facebook Fan Page" that doesn't shine a very pleasant light on him.

The Aftermath

Now, allegedly, Martins has been suspended from his job at American Eagle. If he gets fired, it will be unlikely that Martins will ever be hired into another job in aviation. He has shown that he cannot be honest, and trust is everything between flight crew members.

In addition, there may even be repercussions from Martins claiming to be a military service member under the "Stolen Valor Act." Further, I am certain that FDNY is not very happy with him either.

What Lessons Can Be Gleaned From This Story?

So, what can professionals and job seekers learn from this story?

First, live your life with integrity. Don't claim to be someone you're not. Be happy with who you are and what you have accomplished.

Second, don't post bogus information about yourself online or provide false information to a journalist.

Remember, every time you post something online, you leave a Digital Footprint that can be uncovered and used against you. Further, any comments you make to a journalist for an article will likely end up in print, and that information will never go away.

Third, know that if you do lie about your career, it WILL catch up to you. No one likes a "poser" and people will "out you;" it's just human nature.

Finally, if you do make a mistake, own up to it. Your co-workers will be more likely to forgive a mistake if you admit it and apologize.

What we have here is an example of a “loaded question.”  Are you asking because you think it does, and you need someone to confirm it? Or perhaps you love the dress and are fishing for a compliment. Another possibility is that you really do not know how it looks and you need someone to tell you. How one answers that question varies from individual to individual and has as much to do with personal preferences as it does with good fashion sense. Ask 10 people, and you may get 10 different answers.

A similar scenario holds true when a job seeker solicits feedback on their résumé. Here’s a recent example of how this plays out: Last week I completed the first draft of a résumé and sent it to the client. She was extremely pleased and with some minor adjustments, we were ready to finalize it. Then she showed it to a “headhunter” who recommended some additional changes. After incorporating those changes, she met with another headhunter, who also recommended changes. I would be willing to bet that if she were to show it to two or three other headhunters, colleagues, friends or family members, she would hear two or three additional recommendations of what she should change.

For most people, looking for work is not something they enjoy doing. No one likes to put themselves out there and risk being rejected. Often job seekers will avoid putting them selves out there by repeatedly “massaging” their résumé until it is “perfect.” And as long as they keep soliciting feedback that will lead to more changes, the résumé will never be perfect – thus they can avoid the stress of putting themselves out there.

When a job seeker asks me to give them feedback on their résumé, I always begin by asking three questions:

•  Is the content accurate?
• When you read it, do you feel proud – does it show off your best features and make you “look fabulous?”
• Is it getting you interviews for the types of positions you are seeking that pay you the salary you deserve?

If he or she answers “yes” to every question, than it really does not matter what I - or anyone else - has to say about the document. As with dresses, there are many styles of resumes and many opinions about what is good and what needs fixing. Find what works for you – then use it!

In today's technologically advanced environment, many people are using social media tools to communicate with friends and family, and reconnect with old acquaintances. But, should you use social media to look for work? Absolutely!

However, before charging out and jumping on the social media bandwagon, I think it is important to understand how to utilize social media to attain the most positive results.

In the first post of this two-part series, I will cover why job seekers might want to use social media as an avenue to attain a job, the types of tools available,  and some guidelines. In Part Two, I will share stories of people who have successfully utilized social media to land a great job.

Why Should Job Seekers Use Social Media?

Social media tools can be very helpful in the job search, if utilized wisely. They can help highlight your expertise, provide visibility in search engines when HR or Recruiters decide to Google your name,  and allow you to network with current / former colleagues and friends who may be able to assist in your goal of landing a great position.

What Social Media Tools Should Job Search Candidates Use?

While there are many social media tools available to job seekers, I am going to cover the major players. It is important to not only know what they are, but how they differ, and the methods to successfully utilize them.

Blogs:

Blogs (aka Weblogs) can be utilized by job seekers to show their expertise in a certain subject matter or industry. Successful blogs have a consistent brand - the readers have a clear picture of who the blogger is and can identify a consistent theme to the posts.

In a blog, job search candidate can convey information on industry trends, provide opinions on topics (without offending or bashing anyone), and seek to educate readers. The content should be engaging and useful to the reader.

Putting together a blog is rather easy. There are several free services available, including WordPress and Blogger, that can walk you through the process of establishing a blog.

If you aren't technically savvy, I would suggest enlisting the help of someone who is. If you don't have friends or family members who can help, you can have your project completed rather inexpensively on Elance.com.

LinkedIn.com:

LinkedIn is a free website where you can develop your professional network and look for jobs. It is the most prominent tool used today by recruiters to source "active and passive candidates."

On LinkedIn, it is important to convey your personal brand with a strong profile and "job title." When using this tool, I would suggest linking with people who can help with your job search, which includes current or former colleagues, customers, vendors, etc.

One very important measurement recruiters use when reviewing candidates profiles is the amount of solid recommendations you have on your profile. They need to be very specific to your expertise and from individuals who have directly worked with you in some capacity.

While the "magic number" of recommendations hovers around 3-5, I would suggest you tap into your network and obtain as many "comprehensive" recommendations of your expertise as possible.

Remember though - networking is a two-way street. If you ask for recommendations, be sure to provide them, as well.

Facebook:

Facebook is a great place to connect with old / current friends and family, and if you want, current / former colleagues. It is more of a relaxed atmosphere than LinkedIn. However, stay true to your brand, and don't post information that is too personal or pictures that show you in a bad light.

While you can set your "home page" as "public," I would suggest setting your other pages to "friends only." This way, your private information and photos cannot be seen by HR Managers and Recruiters.

Twitter:

Twitter is a great tool to convey information in a very concise way - you only have 140 characters to get your information out there. The posts you make on Twitter are called "Tweets."

So, what should you "Tweet" about? You can post a short description and link to a blog post you wrote or specific industry information gleaned from articles you have found on the Internet, such as, "SalesForce.com introduces new tool (then link to the article)."  You can also "Tweet" general factual information you have found through research, for instance, "38% of computer users are switching to Mac."

You will need to have an account to "shorten" your URLs so your "Tweets" don't surpass the 140 character limit. I suggest Bit.ly, as it allows you to track how many people have clicked on the links included in your Tweets.

Also, a great book has recently been published regarding how to use Twitter in your job search: The Twitter Job Search Guide: Find a Job and Advance Your Career in Just 15 Minutes a Day.

Guidelines for Effectively Using Social Media

Here are some general and specific guidelines to follow when using social media:

General Tips:

• Post a picture of yourself on all of your social media pages. However, make sure the photo is a professional head shot. There are several freelance photographers listed in US-Photographers or formal portrait studios, including B2BPortraits or JC Penney that can provide you with a digital photo format.
• Establish your brand and stick to it.
• Don't write about controversial topics unless it relates to your personal brand.
• Make sure what you are writing is fact-based - not some information or trends you have made up.
• Make sure your opinions on a particular topic are useful and positive.
• Contribute to "conversations" on other people's blogs. But, do it in a positive, meaningful way. Post information that solves problems - not creates more discourse.
• Remember that your reputation is key to your success - don't bash other people or products.
• Think before you post. If what you are writing can be misconstrued, don't write it.

Blogs:

• Do not write blog posts that are inconsistent with your brand. An example would be a computer expert blogging about different programs and / or industry trends. Then, out of the blue, he posts a message about Healthcare Reform. Unless he can tie information technology to health care reform, then the post should not be written.
• Don't post 10 blog topics in a week and then not post for a month. The key to successful blogging is to be consistent. If you only have time to blog once a week, that's fine. Just set a day every week to write a blog post and stick with it.

Twitter:

• Do find and follow other experts who don't directly compete with you. For instance, if you are a dog trainer, you don't want to connect with other dog trainers (unless it is Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer). Why? Because this negates the purpose of being viewed as an expert. However, you might want to connect with veterinarians, canine nutrition experts, and small business owners who sell merchandise, like collars, leashes, dog beds, etc. These people can enhance your knowledge and will show your followers that you aren't a "one-trick pony."
• Do "retweet" (think of this like forwarding an email to someone) Twitter posts made by experts you follow that are relevant to your brand or industry. Not only will it provide them with visibility, but it will show you are connected with experts and they will likely "retweet" items of interest that you post.
• Don't Tweet about topics that are off-brand. These include tweets about how you are walking your dog, having breakfast, or getting ready to go on vacation.  Once again, be consistent in your theme and ensure the content is useful.

LinkedIn:

• Do connect with people that can help in your job search.
• Make sure you have a descriptive job title and thorough profile that highlights your expertise and skills.
• Don't "spam" people you don't know to try and connect with them - you'll get your account taken away from you.
• If you do want to connect with someone you don't know, either find someone in your network that's connected to the person or write a meaningful "in-mail" that conveys WHY you want to connect with the person.
• Ask for and provide solid recommendations to people in your network.

Facebook:

• Do be careful what your write in your updates. Don't post personal information about your divorce, how you are going out drinking every night, etc.
• Don't post pictures of yourself in compromising positions, i.e., photos of drinking, nudity, etc.
• Don't be a lurker. If friends posts something about their family, job, or life in general, write a comment. Just be sure you don't comment on posts related to their "bad behavior."

Watch for my next post that will highlight job seekers who have successfully utilized social media to land a great job!

A few years ago I drove past a billboard that read “Look Better Naked.” The advertisement was for a fitness club. That’s good advertising! To often businesses advertise their product or service by describing what they are offering. This business cut to the chase – they found my pain point and positioned themselves as the solution.

Too often job seekers approach employers (their prospective customers) by trying to “sell” them with all they have to offer: education, skills, and experience. Whenever I begin working with a job seeker, I always ask this one question: “If I were an employer/company, what problem(s) can you help me solve?”

Are you a trainer that can turn my novice sales staff into rainmakers? Are you a HR manager that can reduce staff anxiety while riding the waves of change? Are you a maintenance mechanic that has a sixth sense about how a machine should sound and can preempt a costly breakdown?

You see, employers hire people because they have problems that need to be solved. It could be a good problem – such as landing a huge commercial account and needing more personnel to help ramp up production; or a bad problem – such as loosing their market lead over the competition and needing a new approach to advertising.

To be effective in your job search, you need to figure out the problem and position yourself as the solution. Then develop your job search communication message (elevator pitch, résumé, cover letter and interview responses) around strong examples of how you have solved similar problems for other employers.

As for me, I always thought fitness clubs were overpriced and too upscale for my taste, but this particular club sure did sell me on the idea of looking better naked! Some problems we are willing to pay a premium price to solve and when the “seller” offers the solution, it is easy to forego the competition. Think about it - what solutions do you have to offer that will make employers willing to pay a premium price and forego the competition?

If you're an executive-level job seeker and are having difficulty landing a position, you won't want to miss the next Career Clinicians Radio Show!

We will be interviewing John Swigard, author of "The Executive's 'How To' Guide for the Job Search."

John is not your typical author who espouses "theory." He's been in your shoes as an executive-level job seeker in this tough economy!

On our radio show, he’ll share “tried and true” methods that garnered him multiple interviews with top companies and enabled him to land a fantastic executive-level job.

Join us on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 7 pm ET on Blog Talk Radio. Here is the link to listen to the live broadcast: http://bit.ly/9EyYDa

We will also be taking live calls during the show: (917) 889-9043.

I admit it - I watch The Bachelor® on ABC. But, not for the same reasons that other people watch it. You know, the "let's see if he really finds his true love" deal. No, I watch it for another reason.

By nature, I am a strategist and I like to observe how other people make decisions and try to figure out the psychology behind WHY they make the choices they do. To me, this show is fascinating because the audience is never really given a reason why The Bachelor sends people home. So, I like to put my own reasoning to the test.

Now, if you aren't familiar with how the show works, basically ABC chooses a Bachelor and then finds him 25 women (to start) from which he is supposedly going to find his true love. In the first episode, he meets with them at a cocktail party and gets to know something about each one by sitting down with her for a few minutes.

At the end of every show, there is a "Rose Ceremony" where he hands out roses to the women he wants to stay and continue in the process. Then, as the season progresses, he keeps choosing until he is down to the final two women. From 1 of these 2 women, he selects the person he will propose to, and then (supposedly) will end up marrying.

On this season of The Bachelor®, Jake Pavelka, a 31-year-old commercial airline pilot from Denton, Texas is looking for his true love. This season intrigued me more because I worked in the airline industry for 16 years. So, I decided I had to watch it.

Even though we are only three episodes into the season, there have been some interesting twists AND some great (and not so great) decisions made by Jake based upon limited information he gathers from the women.

Based upon some of his decisions, I began to think about his process from a job search perspective because there are some definite parallels between finding a job and spouse.

Here are the parallels I see and how they can be applied to searching for a job:

1. Start with a list of 25 employers (or find 25 positions) that fit your criteria. Unlike the show finding the women for Jake, no one chooses 25 companies for you. You have to do that on your own. However, Jake must have given ABC some criteria of what he was looking for in a potential spouse. So, think about what you want in your next employer and identify those companies that fit the bill.
2. Do your research on those companies. On the show, Jake gets to read the bios of the women before he meets them. While he probably doesn't have a lot of information to work with in the beginning, as a job seeker, you have the Internet, the library, company annual reports (if they are publicly held), and possibly "insiders" at the companies from your network. However, one of the best informational websites on companies is www.glassdoor.com, which provides "dirt" and "positive" information about companies anonymously supplied by employees.
3. Conduct "informational interviews." Jake gets to conduct "information gathering" sessions with each woman on every episode. This happens through "group" or "one-on-one" dates. His time is limited to make the right decision about the women. However, as a job seeker, you can conduct multiple, longer informational interviews with individuals who work for ypur targeted companies. However, do not approach these sessions as a way to "trick" employers into a real interview. Your sole mission is to gather "intelligence."
4. Take input from other people. On this season's first show, Jake had the opportunity to receive input from last season's couple, Ed and Jillian. He also got the "low-down" on one of the women he gave a rose to from the other ladies in the 3rd episode. They basically told him that she was a "different person" with him then she was with the other women. As a job search candidate, it is important to listen to what other people say, which leads us to my next point.
5. Evaluate the information you have received. On the first show, Jillian and Ed told Jake to eliminate a woman named Michelle. In my opinion, they gave him correct information. However, it was up to him to evaluate whether their opinion was accurate. In the job search, you will receive many opinions about companies and positions. My advice is to listen to what is being said, and if the same comments (good or bad) keep surfacing regarding a certain company, pay attention.
6. Decide which companies are a "true match" for you against your established criteria. Just as Jake needs to decide which woman is his "ultimate soulmate," as a job seeker you need to stay true to your values and find a job that fits at least 90% of your established criteria. If not, you will settle for any job, end up unhappy, and start job-hopping.
7. Eliminate those companies who aren't a good fit for you. In the 3rd episode, Jake eliminated two women BEFORE the Rose Ceremony. He realized that one of the women was just playing "games" with him and the other (Michelle, the one he was told to eliminate on the 1st show) was just not right for him. He wanted to focus on the women he was really interested in and give them a chance to stay on the show.  This same premise is true when you are evaluating companies. If there's a company that isn't a good match, walk away and focus on the companies that are right for you.

While Jake may or may not find the love of his life in six weeks with limited information, I believe that in the same amount of time, you can find a great job by utilizing the methods I have detailed above during your job search.

"It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark." Howard Ruff

This past Wednesday on The Career Divas Radio Show, we were talking about "Keeping Your Career Mojo throughout 2010."

At one point in the show, the topic came up regarding how job seekers, and even professionals who are not currently in the job market, should be prepared at all times with an up-to-date resume and cover letter.

I used the quote above during the show to provide a vivid analogy that most everyone can relate to, as there was a very positive outcome from Noah building the Ark BEFORE the rains descended upon the Earth.

Personally, I believe that having an updated resume, whether you are currently looking for a job or not, is one of the soundest pieces of advice given during our show.  And, I don't state that just because I am a professional resume writer!

Allow me to share a personal story.

Back when I was working in corporate America, there was a supervisor opening in the department where I worked.

I wanted that promotion. I had worked hard, developed and / or changed many processes and procedures to increase efficiency, always said "yes" to any extra project that needed to be done, received excellent performance evaluations, had managed people at a previous company, and knew my job and the department "inside-out."

So, I submitted my resume for consideration. I prepared for my interview and it went really well. However, I wasn't selected for the position. They gave the job to a person that wasn't even in my department and did not have half the qualifications that I did!

To say that I was stunned is an understatement. I went to my boss to ask him why I had not received the promotion. His answer?

"Kathy, you were very qualified for the position. However, when you submitted your resume, you didn't even take the time to update it with the position you currently hold. That tells me you really didn't take applying for this position seriously."

At first I was mad. I mean, really, he knew what contributions I had made, that I was a great worker, and constantly sacrificed my personal life for the department. How could he give the promotion to someone who had never even worked in our department and make her my supervisor?

After I calmed down, I began to let what he had said sink in. You know, he was right! I hadn't shown him that I was "ready" to lead others because I didn't take the time to "prepare" for that leadership position.

So, why do I share this story? There are two reasons.

First, like I did several years ago, many people assume that their internal superiors know what contributions they have made and the successes that came as a result of their efforts. So, they feel like they don't really need a "stellar" presentation of their achievements on paper when the time comes to apply for a promotion.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Managers are busy with the latest crisis, and they usually don't remember what you did yesterday (unless it was bad), let alone what accomplishments you achieved during the last year or throughout your career. You need to be proactive and have your resume ready, showcasing your skills and achievements in an attractive format in case a fantastic opportunity is presented.

Second, what happens if you are suddenly downsized or a recruiter calls you and says they have a great position available? Either way, you are now "behind the eight ball" if your resume isn't up-to-date.

When either of these situations happens, the individual now has to "scramble" to get his / her resume together under a tight deadline. It becomes an almost impossible or overwhelming task for the individual because stress takes over and makes it difficult to think clearly about specifics for each job.

So, be like Noah, and start building your "ark" before the rain starts falling so you'll be prepared before the "flood" strikes in your life.

Whether you write your resume or hire a professional resume writer to compose one for you, set a date for completion and stick to it. I promise that you’ll feel more in control and you’ll look like a professional who is always ready for any situation that may arise.