Do you have gratitude in your attitude?

A young, 21 year old college student asked to meet with me yesterday.   He was ending an internship and wanted to ask me several questions that might help him when he entered the real work force next year.

He asked me all the normal questions about how I achieved my success.  He wanted to know about my family, and if I considered myself successful.  I answered those questions with rather sterotypical responses which seemed to satisfy him.  Then, he asked me something which surprised me a little bit, and my answer seemed to surprise him too.

“So Mike, I really appreciate your time today.  You’ve really helped me.  I have one more question for you.  What life lesson or advice would you give a 21 year college student?” he asked.

I sat for a second and said “Be grateful for everything you have and don’t waste time wishing for the things you don’t.  Celebrate your health.  Appreciate your family, friends and the love you have in your life.   If you have a car, be grateful that you do, and don’t waste time being sad it isn’t better.  If you take the time to be grateful for what you have, God, the Universe, or whatever you believe in will provide more opportunities for you to have more of it.”

He looked at me for a second a little puzzled.  I assumed he thought I was some sort of new -age nut, but then he said “No one has ever said that to me.  Everyone else just said to work hard, etc.  It is a really great answer.  Thank you so much.”  And, he left.

I do start each day being grateful for everything I have.  I am not a robot or a chanting monk, but I work hard at saying out loud that I am happy for everything the Universe has given me, and I honestly get more.  I grateful for every reader that this blog helps.

Feel free to email me at mike@directyourcareer.com

The only thing worse than a weak competitor, is no competitor at all

When I was a young businessman, the company for whom I worked was a rather successful retailer in a niche space.  We were part of the warehouse club industry like Wal-Mart’s  Sam’s Clubs.  As we continued to achieve more success, some of our competitors were not so fortunate.  Some went out of business while others were acquired by larger companies.

I thought this was great news and felt no reason not to celebrate our success openly with my colleagues.  We would often talk about our “weaker sisters” and in some morbid way we would joke about how long they would be in business.  It was what is sometimes called gallows humor, but nonetheless, we loved talking about our dominance.

One day we were all talking in a little circle on a coffee break.  We were chatting about the imminent demise of one of our closest competitors, when an older executive overheard our conversation.

“Mr. Hayes, did you hear the news?” I asked.

“No, what news?” the executive replied.

“The Warehouse Club just posted another loss for the quarter.  They will be out of business in no time.”

“Well, that isn’t really good news.  We are much better operators than they are, and when customers don’t have something to compare to, they won’t know how good we really are.”  And, he left.

I stood there and realized how important having a competitor is.  Without short people, I would not know I was tall.  Without less intelligent people, you would not know you were more intelligent than some.  Without John McCain, Barak Obama would not have become president.

Having a competitor, a weak competitor is very important to your success.  We need competition.   Don’t try to kill your competition.  Rather, keep your competition, your weak competition near so everyone can see how good you really are.

Hope this helps.

Mike

The hidden secrets of applying online for jobs?

Many, many companies today have taken to accepting only on line job applications. It reduces paperwork, resume reading, and all the time it takes to decide whether or not you are qualified. It gives those wacky, overworked HR guys time to have a second cup of coffee, a quick smoke, follow-up on harassment complaints, reduce your benefits, and weed out lesser qualified candidates without ever having to read the application. I just love technology, don’t you?

But there are some secret things you need to know about filling out an online app. The most important thing you need to know is to make sure you use important keywords in the application that are very particular to the position for which you are applying. You see, that great software not only creates a nice little online resume for you, but it looks for words in your application that it can match against a job description or position announcement in an effort to hook you up or kick you to the curb!! For example, if you want to work in a restaurant, make sure all the keywords pertaining to restaurant work are in the work history part of the application. Use words like cook, chef, food poisoning, to let the computer know that you know food preparation. The same goes for any position from sales to CEO. (side note: If you are a CEO using an online app, the company has no openings).

Also, make sure the application is as complete as possible. Omissions are gaps that the scanning software will determine as your not having the necessary requirements. You need to answer every question in as much detail as possible, but remember, use keywords that are very specific to the job!!!

And the same advice goes for software that scans your resume and turns it into an online resume. It too is looking for those all important keywords, so make sure they are in there as well!! No human is going to read your resume if the computer says no.

Well that is it for today. Hope this helps!!! If you have any questions you can call:1-800-INEEDSOMEADVICEONFILLINGOUTANONLINEJOBAPP

Or email me at:mike@directyourcareer.com

Birds of a feather – why we hire who we hire

Many years ago, I attended a business seminar in Florida. In between the major speakers, were small “break-out sessions” where like minded people could discuss topics of particular interest to them. These sessions were called “birds of a feather” meetings.

For my younger readers, there used to be a common saying that went “birds of a feather, flock together”. Basically, it meant that like minded people always seemed to hang out together. I never forgot that concept, because it is the basis for social order, even in business.

Managers and employees seem to “flock together”. Most managers hire people with whom they are comfortable. They seem to have the same values, work ethic, and general overall view of the world. In general, they are usually not much smarter or less intelligent than the boss either. Basically, most managers hire themselves into key positions.

Normally, if not taken to the extreme, this concept works out fine. It is especially effective if the boss himself was a good hire by his boss. But, what if he was not a good hire. Well, then all hell can break loose.

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I was employed by a company once where several of the top managers were marginally competent. They barely knew their jobs, and hired people much like themselves. The company suddenly found itself in a weed infested garden of mediocrity. The problem was that no one at the top could see it because they were all the same – birds of a feather. It took years to clean it up and it was very painful.

In its extreme, the birds of a feather problem can breed racial and gender predjudice. The hiring authority only hires people just like themselves. The “incestuous” hiring practice is not only illegal, but basically dilutes the gene pool where the same old ideas are recycled as new because that is all they know.

It is extremely important to hire and promote a diverse work force. It is important to find employees that will challenge you and your ideas. If you are in management, you need find a few people that are nothing like you at all. And if you are an employee, you too need to get into an organization that is diverse in its outlook on hiring. If you do the same thing as you’ve always done, you will only achieve the same result as you’ve always gotten.

Hope this helps!

Email your questions and comments to mike@directyourcareer.com.

I will answer every one!!

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Business is not a democracy – it is a benevolent dictatorship

Many of us living in the western world have been raised under democratically elected governments. The basic premise of majority rule permeates nearly every organization in which we participate from student council to the garden club. We elect the club’s president, secretary and treasurer, and limit their terms in many instances to ensure that we don’t create some sort of accidental dictatorship.

Unfortuntately, when people come into the workplace, they expect some semblance of those democratic principles to be in place in the company as well. But, they are often surprised to find that business is basically a benevolent dictatorship. Yes, a dictatorship of unelected officials who are chosen by a business junta to run the business in the best interest of share holders, or the owners. Now, this is not a bad thing. You just need to understand what this means for you.

In my opinion, this is a good thing. In a highly effective company, the decision making is efficient and very quick. In a democracy, it can months or years of backroom deals, negotiations, promises, and compromises to get things done. Can you imagine Congress working on your next raise? Ha!! Please no, not that.

One of the best decision trees in history is a benevolent dictatorship called the U.S armed forces. The chain of command is clear. Rank is worn on your uniform. There is very little debate, and things get done.

In business, when the president surrounds him or herself with competent leaders, he solicits information to make a decision, then decides. He then clearly communicates that decision, and the company executes. It is honestly that simple.

For you to be effective in your career, remember that your boss was not elected. He was appointed. He has all the authority necessary to do that job. And, if he is effective, he will create an environment where feedback and alternative thought is encouraged – also known as creativity.

Hope this helps!!

Email me at mike@directyourcareer.com and I will answer every question or read my blog at www.directyourcareer.com/blog

Persistence – Don’t leave before the miracle happens

I learned the hard way that the primary key to success is not talent. It isn’t brains, looks, or education. It isn’t any of the things that you are taught growing up. No, the key to success at any level is persistence. To succeed, one needs to continually strive to get what they want. And when I say continually strive, I don’t mean work harder, etc., I mean picking yourself up when knocked down and continuing the fight until you get what it is you want and to expect and learn from your failures.

Some people call it suit up and show up. When I was a freshman in high school in 1776, I played soccer on the school’s soccer team. I didn’t go out for soccer because of some deep love of the game. No, as an American I played soccer because I knew it would force me to get into excellent physical condition for my first sport love, basketball. Even then I understood my own shortcomings and knew that if I didn’t have someone or something driving me to workout, I would not have been in good enough shape for basketball.

Before each practice, our soccer coach made us run about 2 miles around the soccer field as a warm up run. We would then perform additional stretching and strength exercises that I hated more than anything. You see, I was very lazy and didn’t want to do it even though I knew that is why I went out for soccer. And worse yet, my coach knew I was lazy and that didn’t particularly sit well with him. He didn’t really like me.

As I said, we ran before each practice, but I what I didn’t tell you was that the players that came in first, second and third in the run were guaranteed to start in the next game no matter how well or poorly they practiced. It was an incentive or reward for working hard. I can assure you, I never started any games and never came in first or second. Nope, lazy guys coast.

Before practice one warm afternoon, I was feeling pretty good for no particular reason and got out to an early lead in front of the pack. Once there, I was surprised at how well I was running and was so excited about the prospect of winning and starting the next game. I just kept running, building a bigger and bigger lead. I allowed myself to project ahead at how the coach would meet me at the finish line, pat me on the back, and tell me he always knew I had it in me. I could envision my team mates expressing their support. I could even see myself inviting my parents to the next game to see me start. Yes, I saw a whole new life starting for me as I put one foot in front of the other.

As I was rounding the final turn to come down the home stretch, I was firmly in second place, well ahead of all of the rest of the players. I was cruising home and realizing I was about to accomplish something great this day. As I glanced over to the area where the coaches were normally standing and waiting for us to finish, I could see no coaches. I panned around looking for them, but there were no adults anywhere to be found.

I was shocked and angry. I couldn’t believe that I had done all this hard work, run two miles in pursuit of a goal that was becoming fleeting, and one that in the end I would not accomplish at all. I was so mortified I just stopped. I simply gave up. I stopped running about 100 yards short of the finish line.

As each of my team mates ran past me looking at me with puzzled confusion, I just wallowed in my anger and self pity, cursing my coach and life itself under my breath. I walked over to the gathering of my team mates and stood there fuming. A couple of them asked me why I had stopped just short of the finish line, but I didn’t answer. Anger had my tongue and consumed my thoughts. Silent scorn reigned king.

A few minutes went by and the coaches finally joined us. They had been in a team meeting that ran a little long. I secretly glared at my coach, barely supressing the rage I had at his inconsiderate behavior when he looked up and asked the group “ok guys, who came in first, second and third?”

What did he just say? What just happened? I couldn’t believe my ears. Wait, I came in second!!! Well, I almost did. I was in second the whole time, but….but, I let my anger and self-inflicted defeatism prevent me from succeeding and receiving my just rewards. My anger and frustration at my coach now turned inward into self-loathing and disappointment at having quit just yards from my goal. I let my momentary, insignificant set-back totally prevent me from achieving this reward that moments earlier I had worked so hard for.It didn’t hit me then, but later I realized that I could never let that happen again. I had to find it within me to achieve my dreams without the promise of reward. I had to do what was required to persist beyond the expectations of others, high or low, and set the bar high enough for me.

Don’t leave before the miracle happens.

Let me know what you think.If you have any questions, please feel free to email at mike@directyourcareer.com

How can I negotiate a higher salary?

Brad Karsh, Yahoo! HotJobs

Question: I just received a job offer, but I feel the salary is too low. How can I negotiate a higher salary?

Answer: More money. Let’s be honest, we all want it. So how can you get it?

When it comes to negotiating your new job offer, you walk the fine line between coming off like a savvy employee looking to maximize your worth and being greedy. Here’s what you do.

1. Know what you’re worth.

Knowledge is power. It’s much easier to negotiate if you know where you stand relative to others in your field. Your first stop should be the Yahoo! HotJobs salary calculator. Also check with friends and family who may work in your field or at your level. See what they make.

Once you have that information in hand, here’s what you might say:

“From the information I’ve pulled from salary surveys, a financial analyst with four years of experience in Cleveland makes between $65,000-$75,000. I feel that your offer of $62,000 is low. Based on my experience and accomplishments, a salary of $70,000 which falls in the middle of the range would be more appropriate.”

2. Think beyond salary.

Salary may be cool, but the job offer is king.

Often, companies have fairly set salaries based on pre-determined compensation “bands.” For instance, they may never pay a four-year accountant more than $62K per year. However, there are a host of other benefits you might have more luck negotiating:

Signing bonus
Relocation allowance
Clothing/car allowance
Vacation days
Year-end bonus
Medical and dental benefits
Profit sharing/401(k)
Flexible work hours/days
Company computer/phone
Some companies may offer these benefits and might be persuaded to up the ante for you — if you ask. Think about it this way. If you make $104,000 a year, and you can negotiate an extra week of vacation, you just gave yourself a $2,000 raise.

Here’s what you say: “I understand that you can’t raise my salary, but at my former job, I had three weeks of vacation. I’d like to see if it’s possible to get an extra week of vacation each year.”

3. Just say it.

Don’t beat around the bush, don’t hem and haw, and don’t think that you should feel bad about negotiating. Once they are ready to have the talk, many job seekers ruin their chances by not being assertive.

Bad: “I was wondering if perhaps you might consider offering some type of compensation for my move. I mean if not, it’s no big deal, but hopefully you have a few extra dollars. Maybe?”
Good: “Since I’ll be moving from Pittsburgh to New York, I’ll be incurring substantial moving expenses. What type of relocation assistance do you offer?”
Negotiating your offer is never easy, but with the right approach it could turn into some extra cash. Good luck!

Choosing Your Career – The Perfect Job

As a career coach and senior executive, I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “I just don’t know what to do with my life.” It is a very tough question, and I am here to tell you that that question is not always coming from high school seniors either. Many of my clients, men and women in the 40′s and 50′s still express the same concern. Their dilemma is very understandable since we really receive little or no actual guidance on this subject in our youth. High school guidance counselors are geared more to making sure you get into college if that is what you want to do.

Most people simply seem to either trip into their careers, or have their careers chosen for them by their parents. Choosing a job is not that hard. Anyone can do it. Just look around you and say “I want to be that when I grow up.” But, choosing a career that you will enjoy for a long time, if not the rest of your life is a true challenge. It does take a little planning on your part though. The plan will also take on a different form depending upon your age and current financial needs.

The first advice I give anyone when choosing a career or considering a career change is to take some time to write down the three great passions in their life. I want them to actually sit down and consider what it is they love to do. Do they love music, sports, children, golf, or sewing? Do they love the theater, the beach, the outdoors, boating or cooking? What are your three passions? What just made you smile thinking about it?

What is interesting about that question is that most people can write down one passion pretty quickly, but they have more difficulty coming up with number two and three. As you work on your list, you will start to realize that you have one really great passion that you could do every day if you had the time. That one thing makes your pulse race a little bit. That one thing that gets you excited and has gotten you excited at the very thought of doing it for most of your life whether you are 18 or 80.

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Now, it absolutely does not matter what that thing is that you love to do. But, doing it, and making money at it is now the basis for the career you will choose. What is your passion? Is it music? Is it art? Is it writing? Do you love to cook and experiment with food? Do you love sports and just love the feeling of being the gym, the game, the outdoors? Maybe you love music, but you can’t sing, what then?

Once you decide what your passion is, the next thing you have to do is research that field and creatively think about what jobs are available. We will stay with music for this example. Maybe you can’t sing or play an instrument, but love listening to and knowing about music. Are you the person everyone wants to talk about music with? If so, what are some of the careers that in and around music other than singing? Are you a writer and could write about music? Are you good with your hands and could learn to make guitars or tune pianos? Are you a talented computer technician and could learn to mix music tracks or create samplings? There are hundreds of jobs in the music industry that you might be able to use your second or third passion to combine into a career. You see where I am going now?

Now let’s discuss money for minute. If you start out looking for jobs that make a lot of money, you will end up becoming a slave to a job that you will absolutely hate some day. I know many doctors that are rich, and so miserable. I mean miserable. Unless your true passion is making money, if you actually only work for the money, you will live for weekends and vacations, but hate Monday through Friday. That is not the way to live. If you are starting out, don’t worry about the compensation. As you gain more experience, you will figure out how to make more money. The money will come to you – don’t chase it. If you are already experienced, then you may have to downsize to make a career change, and take a pay cut. Sorry, but if you really need to do this, that is your sacrifice. Or, you can think about trying something part-time to learn the field and then branch out on your own. Either way it will be tough, but at the risk of being repetitive, do you want to be happy doing what you love, or trudging down a path of professional misery?

Whether you love healthcare, children, tennis or cars, all you have to do is say to yourself “I love that. I really love that.” Then, you can start looking for the great jobs that support it and decided what your career will be. So here is the bottom line, work at something you love and you will never work a day in your life.

Have a great day and if you like my writing, please check out my blog for more like this or contact me at mike@directyourcareer.com

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Should you ever take a counter offer?

The great thing about looking for a new job is that you will eventually find one. You get to enjoy the rush and stress of intervewing, the code words you have to use to break away from work so you can go on an interview without burning a vacation day (dental appointment = interview), and finding that one person you trust to tell them how it went!!

Then comes the moment of truth when you get the offer. The comp is a little less than you wanted, but 15% more than you make now, and you don’t have all that baggage to carry along with you. Nope, when you start the new job, you have all the credibility and respect you deserve.

But then you go into your manager and say “Frank, I have some bad news. I have taken another job.” You then prepare for the worst. You think old Frank is going to erupt into a cacophony of expletives telling you how ungrateful you are!!!! But, no. He looks sad. He isn’t happy, but he isn’t mad. He is, how should I say it? Disappointed. Why would you leave him? Hasn’t he taken care of you these past 5 years? And here is the question you may or may not have expected “What would it take to make you stay?”

What? Is he asking me if I want more money? A raise? A promotion? Suddenly you are thinking “I can stay. I can negotiate all sorts of things. I have the upper hand!!!” You are giddy with excitement!!!

Well, think again. If you were trying to set this up this way, then shame on you. If you only resigned to wangle a raise, you are making a big mistake. If you start the interviewing process, you need to be emotionally invested in leaving, not creating a negotiating ploy.

Why?” you ask. Because you can only do this once, and you will leave a bad taste in management’s mouth. I recommend that you never accept a counter offer. Once you resign, leave. Go to your new employer, head held high and leave your current one on excellent terms. Thank everyone, good and bad, for what they have meant to your success. But, leave. It simply never works out. And if you are a manager, do not counter. Unless your pain be so great, let them leave.

Once someone has gone through the emotional shift of looking for a new job, interviewing, accepting and resigning, they have disengaged from your company and at best, you will keep them six months before they get the itch to leave again. Besides, their name is on the street and other opportunities will present themselves.

Hope this helps!!Mike@directyourcareer.com

One law of Physics – Things cannot stay the same

Several years ago, a friend was struggling with a personal issue. He was dating two people at the same time, and as he started to have stronger feelings for one of the women he fould himself feeling something less for the other. Perplexed, he asked me “Why can’t things just stay the same?” I smiled and said “According to one law of physics, things must either get larger, or they must get smaller. But, nothing can remain the same. The stronger your feelings become for one of the women, the weaker your feelings will become for the other. Emotions are as finite as any other form of energy.”

He looked at me strangely, but decided to break off one of the relationships and the one he kept got stronger.

The same is true of your career, your health, your family or God. If you are not balancing the right amount of time required to nurture each, one will surely suffer, get smaller, and die.

Pay attention to the law of physics, and you will keep your life in perfect harmonic balance.