The Career Salon

Sorry to this Man

This video and meme of KeKe Palmer swept across the internet this past year, after she stated she did not know “This Man” referring to a global figurehead and former Vice President shown to her in a picture. It was quite funny, yet she was apologetic because she just knew he was a person that she probably should know, but she didn’t.

How many times have you been asked if you knew someone because they indicated your name on an application as “someone I know” or  asked to give a referral? Asked to pass a person’s resume along to a hiring manager/Human Resources? Professionals need to evaluate more closely who they decide to put stock into when these requests are made to them. Even on LinkedIn there are easy options to endorse individuals for various skills. People have endorsed us on LinkedIn and they’ve never worked with us or experienced our quality of work. The gesture is nice, but we would caution you to think about who you are endorsing without more information.  It may seem cruel, especially if you have a long history with a person. If you do not recognize the clear signs of someone you shouldn’t be referring, maybe consider the points below to protect your reputation:

  1. They volunteer your name in an interview process without talking to you first
  2. They have been separated (not laid off)  from several jobs in the last few years and cannot explain why or do not feel comfortable talking about it
  3. They are unpresentable 
  4. They’ve shared information with you regarding policies they have violated at previous jobs, such as stealing
  5. You’ve seen no progressive track record or work history since you last worked with them

As a quality professional, we’re sure you want your stamps of approval to have value. Remember to do your due diligence or in the words of Keke Palmer,  just say “Sorry to this Man (Woman)”.

FacebookTwitterPinterest

How The Grinch Stole Your Fire

Tips on how to get motivated again in the New Year!

Happy Holidays!!!

This is the time of the year where we usually encourage everyone to set new goals, make steps to reach new heights in your career, and seek new opportunities if needed. In all the excitement about the holidays, we do not want to forget those of us that may be in a funk about our current career status. Let’s look at some reasons (the GRINCHes) that we may feel career despair:

  1. You feel like you do not have the necessary skills to get promoted or obtain an advanced  level job
  2. Your manager says disparaging comments to you consistently that make you feel like you cannot do better
  3. Everyone around you has been promoted or received better jobs opportunities and you feel left out
  4. You are not getting any call backs from job applications you have submitted
  5. You are not making enough MONEY

Those are very real and valid reasons to feel like “The Grinch” has stolen your fire, but there is hope. The power to change your circumstances is in you. Here are some corresponding tips to the GRINCHes above:

  1. A sure thing for success is, Confidence. If you feel like you do not have the necessary skills to do an advanced job, look for educational and certification resources to hone and upgrade your skills. Take advantage of educational advancement benefits from your current job. There are also free educational resources such as webinars,  online training courses, etc. You can also get a mentor that works in the position you want to be in. 
  2. Do your current job consistently well. It makes it more difficult to refute your skillset or work when you do most things well. Continue to do this until you get your new opportunity. If you feel comfortable communicating with your manager you may want to mention how you feel.
  3. It may seem like everyone is getting what they want except you but that is just a cycle of life. Don’t let it get you down. Keep applying and reaching for your goals. As the cycle continues you will be apart of that group that is advancing and someone else is not. Your time is coming if you keep trying
  4. In this day in age sometimes just applying is not enough. You might have to do some investigative work and send an email or LinkedIn message to the hiring manager. Network with someone that works at the company you want to be at and see if they can give you some insight on the job. You can search to see if any of your connections on LinkedIn have ties to the company you are interested in.
  5. Not making enough money to sustain your living or the amount worth your value could make you feel down. Continue to work on Steps 1-4. While you are going through those steps, try to seek out other resources to gain additional income such as a part-time job. Who knows, this might be the time to start doing your passion as side work and generating income from that.  

Well folks the ball is in your court! Don’t let the Grinch steal your fire. We have great hopes for you in 2020. Get out there and do it, because you are unique and you can do anything if you believe.

FacebookTwitterPinterest

Stay Woke: Bad Interviewers

Stay Woke!

I’ve conducted interviews for 12 years with various companies, WOW! During this time I’ve seen many a hiring managers come into conference rooms bumbling and fumbling, unprepared for interviewing. As a representative of the company, it really upsets me that people don’t prepare for interviews. Candidates take time off and sacrifice to interview so it’s only respectful for hiring teams to take time and review the candidate’s background and experience BEFORE they are in the reception area. Some companies really get it right and the rest well…Here are some things to look out for when evaluating a company and it’s representatives in an interview.

Illegal Questions

Due to lack of training, many interviewers have no idea that some of the questions they may ask are illegal. The EEOC has plenty of information on what constitutes a prohibited practice when it comes to hiring and employment. It’s important that you educate yourself and are able to tactfully handle these situations. In some cases, you may even respectfully decline to answer a question you know is illegal.

No Eye Contact/Distractions

This is a recurring issue in many interviews I’ve witnessed. The interviewer doesn’t make a concerted effort to engage in the interview. I get it, people are very busy and they could be doing other things besides interviewing candidates for positions in the organization. There is no excuse! If you see an interviewer with their computer or cell phone up, not paying attention or respecting your time, that’s a red flag. I would maybe ask a question or make a comment to get their attention. If that doesn’t work, this may not be a place you want to work.

Lack of familiarity with background/resume

What an embarrassment on the interviewer’s part, to come into an interview and ask where you work currently, or where you went to school. It’s obviously on the resume that he or she didn’t read. This could be a point of concern. I would encourage bringing copies of your resume to interviews, even if the recruiter or HR representative has the resume. You can’t trust it’s been distributed or reviewed these days. Be prepared for the unknown!

Disorganized interview panel

Ever been in an interview and random people come in and out or the team is trying to find people to meet you. This might be a red flag, that the team wasn’t prepared to meet you or initial interviewers passed on interviewing because they had something more “important” to do. I would always encourage candidates to ask for a list of people they might interview with prior to the interview day. This also gives you the opportunity to do research on the person and learn about their background.

It’s important that you look out for red flags in an interview to make an educated decision if and when an offer comes your way.

Tell us about your experience with bad interviewers in the comments!

FacebookTwitterPinterest

Friday Feature: The Importance of Networking for HER!

It's National Wine Day!

We have a special guest in salon today! Long-time friend and peer in the HR world, Maleka Jackson. Maleka has over 10 years of experience working with diverse student/candidate populations and leading teams that focus on the career and professional development of recent graduates with the goal of assisting them in obtaining full time opportunities in their degree/field of study. Maleka is consistently leading change management, process improvements, creating career development programs, managing performance, and career/performance coaching. Enjoy her thoughts on the importance of networking for HER!

by Maleka Jackson

Women trail their male counterparts in building networks that help propel their career and grow their businesses. We’re great at social gatherings, but as a whole, we can be timid at gathering for a purpose. Networking.

Many women struggle with the balancing act. We look at networking as a social outing and not a business imperative.

“Happy hour. I don’t have time to grab wine, when I could be _______”  “I am too busy to hang out.” “This is just one more thing to do, when I could be taking care of something that really needs to be done.”

Some women wonder why they are so talented – yet stuck in the same role over time as their male counterparts pass them by. It could be your network, or lack thereof. It’s not just about who you know, but more so who knows you.

We see networking as a social activity and not a business must. We see asking for help with our careers as weakness, when partnerships are what we need. We see speaking of our accomplishments and achievements as bragging.  You can’t garner the necessary partnerships, if you don’t have the partners in your network.  And your partners won’t think of you when opportunities come along if they don’t know how you can contribute.

Showing up matters.  It’s not enough to just be in the room. You need to be present in the moment. When we don’t purposely show up, the next person will.  Being great at what you do is not enough. Shrinking yourself is not an option. If you want to progress in your career, you have to be deliberate and purposeful in your actions. Don’t be a missed opportunity. It’s okay to be transactional. It’s okay to have “an ask” in mind. Going after what you want professionally takes nothing away from the many other titles you wear or your femininity. Nothing comes to those who wait, except for what the go getters leave behind. If male counterparts, hold the door open for us, then that’s great – but if not, we have to be comfortable, opening our own doors and walking through them…And making the most of the networking event.

FacebookTwitterPinterest

Why do Recruiters Hate Phone Screens

 

why recruiters hate phone screens- (1)

Okay, I’m back! Recruiting got busy for a minute so I took a much needed break.  During this heavy recruiting season my disdain for phone interviews has increased. Trust me I’m not the only one! It amazes me how many people want jobs and those that get the opportunity to interview don’t prepare themselves.

Phone interviews can be tricky because you have to put a level of energy and preparedness into a conversation where you can’t see the person. If you want to get your dream position, most likely a phone interview will be a part of the equation. Here are some tips that will guide you in preparing for a successful phone interview:

  • Familiarize yourself with the company
    • This is almost a deal breaker for me. To know that a candidate is “interested” in a position with a company they know nothing about is truly disappointing. Research the company website, use LinkedIn and other social medias sites to find out about the organization and it’s inner workings as much as you can.
  • Smile and stay engaged
    • Make sure you are energized and smiling before you get on the phone. This can help translate your interests and level of engagement to the interviewer.
  •  Know your resume
    • Please make sure you are familiar with the work you’ve done (i.e. dates, companies, major projects, project results, etc.). If you don’t have a copy of your resume readily available study your work history, so you are better prepared.
  • Be able to give specific examples
    • Not only are hiring managers looking for results-oriented individuals, recruiters are as well. If a question begins with, tell me about a time… or give me an example of… it requires an example that is specific (Behavior, Action, Results).
  • Have questions prepared
    • Nothing like asking a candidate if they have any questions and they say, “No, I think you’ve answered most of my questions” or “No, I don’t have any questions”. If you are interested in a position you should ALWAYS have questions. Not only is the company interviewing you, but you are interviewing them as well.
  • Send a thank you note
    • Follow-up notes are scarce these days but I believe in them for all stages of the interview process. Even if it’s just a phone interview, thank you notes can separate you from other candidates.

I hope these tips get you started on the right track to becoming a better phone interviewee!

FacebookTwitterPinterest

Smiling Faces

Help end global warming

You think you’re awesome…In fact, you do good work and it’s regularly documented in your performance reviews.  I hate to be one that has to bring out what goes on behind the scenes, but this will help you if you let it. Corporate America and some of the leaders it produces will have you living a farce.  If you are not having regular discussions with your manager discussing your performance, key performance indicators, constructive feedback, etc. you might not be doing well as you think.  I’ve heard many stories and seen things (i.e. out of the blue terminations, performance improvement plans after years of mediocrity) that indicate there are managers who are scared to manage, which is a disservice to your career.

Let’s take a recent case study, Pepsi (a moment of silence)… There are many reasons why the advertisement was a disaster but that’s for another post. Who was the rockstar marketing executive who signed off on the mediocre misguided musings of their direct report(s)? It’s unfortunate, but leadership is fading and the consequence is your reputation and your job. Leaders need to step up and tell the truth instead of going behind closed doors with their colleagues to say “Johnny isn’t cutting the mustard” or “Becky is good but not great.” Where are the fruitful honest conversations that are needed to produce high-performance? I’ve seen many managers that are afraid to have direct conversations in the workplace, that then want to fire an employee without warning or documented conversations. If you wear a passive aggressive ‘banner’ you should not be a manager.

I’m very passionate about great leadership as you can tell but don’t let management’s incompetence diminish the responsibility you have for YOUR career. You have a duty to be proactive and take control of your career. Don’t take what your manager has to say for face-value. Have those conversations and really dig deep on your work performance. We all have areas of improvement and those need to be discussed on a regular basis along with the kudos. Here are some recommendations on how to be proactive with the status of your work performance.

  1. One-to-One Meetings – If your manager is not facilitating bi-weekly or monthly conversations with you, take it upon yourself to set those up. Be proactive when it comes to your career. Receive and give feedback on a regular basis.
  2. Thought out goals/objectives – Make sure you have carefully thought out goals and objectives. Consider your company and team objectives to come up with individual goals that are achievable and challenge you to do something amazing.
  3. Professional mentorship – Reach out for mentorship within the company and another point of view. Sometimes higher level individuals within the company who don’t manage you directly can give feedback or suggestions that are more direct especially if your manager is not forthcoming enough.

Sometimes when I think about passive aggressive managers in Corporate America, a tune by The Undisputed Truth, “Smiling Faces” comes to mind:

“Beware. Beware of the handshake that hides the snake,
I’m tellin’ you beware of the pat on the back it just might hold you back.
Jealousy, (Jealousy) misery, (misery) envy.
I tell you can’t see behind

Smiling faces, Smiling Faces, Sometimes they don’t tell the truth.
Smiling faces, smiling faces tell lies and I got proof.
Your enemy won’t do you no harm, ’cause you’ll know where he’s comin’ from;
don’t let the handshake and the smile fool ya.
Take my advice I’m only tryin’ to school ya.”

https://youtu.be/8CJZcVi5BA4

FacebookTwitterPinterest