NEW YEAR, NEW POSSIBILITIES

What are your new possibilities for the New Year?

Today I want you to take a step back from your life and look at the bigger picture. Look at all the events that have brought you to where you are today. I’m sure you’ve had some crooked paths, some back-tracking, some do-over’s and a few straight and narrow paths. Thinking about just 2009, have you advanced your cause? Are you closer to your goals? Or, did the year just disappear into busy-ness?

This is the traditional time to take stock and think about resolutions. So, we promise to live like monks (not spending money, saving all we can, going to the gym, not eating as much as we want to) and then find out in February, we are NOT cut out for the monastic life. No surprise there. This year I am taking a different path.

My theme for 2010 is, “All things are possible.”

I am going to focus on all the things that I am good at now and improve them. I spent a lot of time trying to improve my weaknesses in 2009. I think now, that I just wasted my time. Why work on something I am not good at or is not in my character to do, when I could accomplish so much more by focusing on a strength? I think that by reinforcing my strengths, I will correct some of weaknesses as part of the process.

One of my (many) weaknesses is I don’t have a neat office. I have a tendency to stack stuff. I get busy and don’t file things away. One of my strengths is being organized. I think by shifting my focus to “being more organized,” I will file things away as part of the process of being more organized.

This is not just semantics. It is really a shift in how you see the world and yourself in that world. It is shifting from attacking yourself to accepting yourself. It is shifting from being part of the problem to being the solution. It is shifting away from fear and towards love.

I invite you to think positively too. Instead of trying to change who you are, go with your strengths. Improve the best parts of you and the rest will take care of itself.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,
Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund
Executive and Life Coaching
Telephone: 916 • 803•1494
E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

DID 2009 GO AS YOU HAD PLANNED?

2009 is almost over. Did it go as you had planned? I know mine didn’t. The economic picture just hasn’t improved as predicted (or hoped for). Self-reliance is still the best way to plan. You know you can depend upon yourself. Finding a new job probably took longer than you had planned. Companies are being more selective than ever. Employers are adding more interviews into their processes. I have heard of as many as ten interviews for one job for the top candidate. This is in addition to the fact that employers probably already know the candidate. Who You Know Now more than ever, it is who you know. For years you have heard, “Networking, networking, and more networking is the way to a job.” More true than ever! Eighty percent of the jobs are not advertised. With the unemployment rate over 12%, you need to find one of the jobs in that 80% pool. So try volunteering where you want to work. Get an internship, paid or not. Internships aren’t just for those out of college. Find ways to make connections. Go to industry, association or other meetings where the folks who do the hiring or do the work you want to do gather. Do informational interviews. No risk, no gain, no job. If you read me regularly, you know I am all about self-evaluations. So do the self evaluations (already) so you know what you are best suited for and pursue the job out of it.

The Final Analysis

There are only eleven more days to 2009. See where you have been. Sit down for a moment with a pen and paper and jot down answers to the following:

• What were your greatest accomplishments in 2009?
• What did you learn from each of these accomplishments?
• What were your biggest failures or disappointments in 2009?
• What did you learn from your failures and disappointments?
• How did you limit yourself in 2009?

Now analyze this information and use your conclusions to amaze yourself in 2010. If the questions seem overwhelming, just do the first three accomplishments/disappointments that pop into your head as you read the questions. 2010 and Your Future Unless you are really jazzed about what you are doing, I encourage you to pursue your dream job. If your job “isn’t so bad” and you feel “ok,” you should be scared. It is this mindset that will let 30 years slip on down the road, and suddenly you feel like you wasted time and opportunity. It isn’t that you wasted time so much as “did time.” Is that the working legacy that you want to leave? How does “doing time” in a job affect your family? Or, do you want days where you leap out of bed in the morning so excited by the prospect of working? At the end of the day do you want to be happy and satisfied about the day’s job or just “ok”? Life is too short to just be "ok." The choice is yours. A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream. Warmly, Elisabeth Elisabeth Adler-Lund Executive and Life Coaching Telephone: 916 • 803•1494 E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

Can You Do the Job?

Last week we talked about being ready for the interview. The employer is looking for two things, can you do the job and will you fit in with the team. Last week we talked about “fitting in” and what that looks like. This week we move on to some sample questions. The following is adapted from a CareerBuilder article.

1. Tell us about yourself.

Bad answer: “I graduated four years ago from the University of Michigan, with a Bachelor’s in Biology – but I decided that wasn’t the right path for me. So I switched gears and got my first job, working in sales for a startup. Then I went on to work in marketing for a law firm. After that, I took a few months off to travel. Finally, I came back and worked in marketing again. And now, here I am, looking for a more challenging marketing role.”

Instead of giving a chronological work history (which is in your résumé), focus on your strengths and how they pertain to the role. Illustrate with examples whenever possible.

Good answer: “I’m really energetic, and a great communicator. Working in sales for two years helped me build confidence, and taught me the importance of customer loyalty. I’ve also got a track record of success. In my last role, I launched a company newsletter, which helped us build on our existing relationships and create new ones. Because of this, we ended up seeing a revenue increase of 10% over two years. I’m also really interested in how companies can use web tools to better market themselves, and would be committed to building on your existing platform.”

2. What do you think of your previous boss?

Bad answer: “He was completely incompetent, and a nightmare to work with, which is why I’ve moved on”

Remember: if you get the job, the person interviewing you will some day be your previous boss. The last thing they want is to hire someone who they know is going to badmouth them some day. Instead of trashing your former employer, stay positive, and focus on what you learned from him (no matter how awful he really was).

Good answer: “My last boss taught me the importance of time management – he didn’t pull any punches, and was extremely deadline-driven. His no-nonsense attitude pushed me to work harder, and to meet deadlines I never even thought were possible.”

3. Why are you leaving your current role?

Bad answer: “I can’t stand my boss, or the work I’m doing.”

Again, stay away from negativity of your job or employer. Focus on the positive.

Good answer: “I’ve learned a lot from my current role, but now I’m looking for a new challenge, to broaden my horizons and to gain a new skill-set – all of which, I see the potential for in this job.”

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Bad answer: “Relaxing on a beach in Maui,” or “Doing your job.”

There’s really no right answer to this question, but the interviewer wants to know that you’re ambitious, career-oriented, and committed to a future with the company. So instead of sharing your dream for early retirement, or trying to be funny, give them an answer that illustrates your drive and commitment.

Good answer: “In five years I’d like to have an even better understanding of this industry. Also, I really love working with people. Ultimately, I’d like to be in some type of managerial role at this company, where I can use my people skills and industry knowledge to benefit the people working for me, and the company as a whole."

5. What’s your greatest weakness?

Bad answer: “I work too hard,” or for the comedian, “Blondes.”

This question is a great opportunity to put a positive spin on something negative, but you don’t want your answer to be cliché – joking or not. Instead, try to use a real example of a weakness you have learned to overcome.

Good answer: “I’ve never been very comfortable with public speaking – which as you know, can be a hindrance in the workplace. Realizing this was a problem, I asked my previous employer if I could enroll in a speech workshop. He said “yes.” I took the class, and was able to overcome my lifelong fear. Since then, I’ve given lots of presentations to audiences of over a 100 high level executives – I still don’t love it, but no one else can tell!”

6. What salary are you looking for?

Bad answer: “In my last job I earned $35,000 – so, now I’m looking for $40,000”

Try not to give an exact number. The first person to name a price in a salary negotiation loses. Instead, re-iterate your commitment to the job itself. If you have to, give a broad range based on research you’ve conducted on that particular role, in your particular city.

Good answer: “I’m more interested in the role itself than the pay. That said, I’d expect to be paid within the appropriate range for this role, based on my five years of experience. I also think a fair salary would bear in mind the cost of living here in Sacramento.”

7. Why should I hire you?

Bad answer: “I’m the best candidate for the role.”

A good answer will reiterate your qualifications, and will highlight what makes you unique. In what way are you the best candidate?

Good answer: “I’ve been an Executive Assistant for the past ten years – my boss has said time and time again that without me, the organization would fall apart. I’ve also taken the time to educate myself on some of the software I regularly use (but didn’t really understand the ins and outs of). I’m an Excel wiz now, which means I can work faster, and take over some of what my boss would traditionally have had to do himself. What’s good enough for most people is never really good enough for me.”

8. What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?

Bad answer: I never finished law school – and everything that’s happened since has taught me that giving up, just because the going gets tough, is a huge mistake.”

You don’t want to actually highlight a major regret – especially one that exposes an overall dissatisfaction with your life. Instead, focus on a smaller, but significant, mishap, and how it has made you a better professional.

Good answer: “When I was in college, I took an art class to supplement my curriculum. I didn’t take it very seriously, and assumed that, compared to my Engineering classes; it would be a walk in the park. My failing grades at midterm showed me otherwise. I’d even jeopardized my scholarship status. I knew I had to get my act together. I spent the rest of the semester making up for it, ended up getting a decent grade in the class. I learned that no matter what I’m doing, I should strive to do it to the best of my ability. Otherwise, it’s not worth doing at all.”

9. How do you explain your gap in employment?

Bad answer: "I was so tired of working, and I needed a break,” or “I just can’t find a job.”

Employment gaps are always tough to explain. You don’t want to come across as lazy or unhireable. Find a way to make your extended unemployment seem like a choice you made, based on the right reasons.

Good answer: “My work is important to me, so I won’t be satisfied with any old job. Instead of rushing to accept the first thing that comes my way, I’m taking my time and being selective to make sure my next role is the right one."

10. When were you most satisfied in your job?

Bad answer: "I was most satisfied when I did well, and got praised for my work.”

Don’t give vague answers. Instead, think about something you did well – and enjoyed –that will be relevant at this new job. This is an opportunity for you to share your interests, prove that you’re a great fit for the job and showcase your enthusiasm.

Good answer: “I’m a people person. I was always happiest – and most satisfied – when I was interacting with customers, making sure I was able to meet their needs and giving them the best possible customer experience. It was my favorite part of the job, and it showed – I was rated as “Good or Excellent” 95% of the time. Part of the reason I’m interested in this job is that I know I’d have even more interaction with customers, on an even more critical level."

Bonus: What motivates you?

Bad answer: "Doing a good job and being rewarded for it.”

It’s not that this answer is wrong – it’s just that it wastes an opportunity. This question is practically begging you to highlight your positive attributes. So don’t give a vague, generic response – it tells them very little about you. Instead, try and use this question as an opportunity to give the interviewer some insight into your character, and use examples where possible.

Good answer: “I’ve always been motivated by the challenge of meeting a tough deadline – in my last role, I was responsible for a 100% success rate in terms of delivering our products on time and within budget. I know that this job is very fast-paced, and deadline-driven – I’m more than up for the challenge. In fact, I thrive on it.”

Describing your abilities

This is how you demonstrate your ability to do the job. You simply describe how you will do the job and how you have successfully done the job in the past. Rehearsing your answers with friends and family will help you relax and remember all the good stuff you have done in prior jobs.

If you are changing careers, draw parallels between what did in the past and what you will do for this industry or employer. In career transition, the question, “why should I hire you?” is frequently asked. A good answer will draw the picture. “In my last job as a programmer, documenting bugs, best practices and work-arounds in writing code was a big part of my job. This helped not only me, but the entire department provide better and more reliable code. In many ways, that is just cross-training another person to avoid pitfalls in their duties. In this job, cross-training other staff members is a major function. I already have that mind-set and will be able to bring those skills to the role of business director for your non-profit.”

Remember, it really isn’t personal. The employer just wants to know, “Will this candidate be able to do the job?” Paint word pictures of how you will do the job for them and how you have done it in the past. Describe how you are the right candidate for the job.

Confucius said, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Have you found the job you love? Let me know what your dream job is and how you demonstrated you could do it to the employer. I’d love to know what your particular challenges are and your strategy for dealing with them.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

Warmly,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

ARE YOU READY TO INTERVIEW?

Here it comes – the dreaded job interview. No matter your résumé and talents, if you mess up the interview you won’t get that job. In today’s tough economy you need every possible edge. It can be a simple equation: You want to be liked — not hated. Think of it as … not personal. I can hear you now. “What do you mean, ‘not personal’?” An interview feels intensely personal. They ask difficult questions, silly questions, stupid questions and easy questions; all to find out if you can do the job and will fit in with the existing team and corporate culture. That’s it – just two objectives. I have a list of frequent interview questions with good and bad answers for my next posting, so let’s start with the chemistry. The Chemistry Part of the fitting in is “do they like me?” This is the chemistry of relationships. Just like dating, there will be a lot that happens below the surface. Unlike dating, you can do some research on the company and corporate culture to find out what it is. Watch people as they go in to work in the morning and go home at night. How are they dressed? What is their body language saying – eager and energetic or tired and anxious? Do they greet each other? Talk to someone who works there. Find out what the corporate culture says formally on the company website and does that match the office? What are the unwritten rules that everyone knows? For more on this, and to see if this is a place you want to work, check out this previous post, Are You a Match? Armed with this information, you can tailor your demeanor and answers to the company culture. If you’ve gotten this far, you probably have done some of this already with your résumé and other application materials. For more details on what I mean, see my previous posting How to Get Hired. Let’s say that during your research you find that although the company website talks about work/life balance, there is an expectation of consistent overtime. If you are willing to do consistent overtime, say so during the interview. How you act, your word choices, your use of humor, or not, all will go towards the question of “fit.” How can you maximize your ability to appear to be the right fit? Here is a top ten list to help you be the fit. 1. Relax. Yes, relax during the interview. Stay alert and focused, but be physically relaxed. This will immediately stop the excessive smiling that often happens due to nervousness. Or it’s opposite, no smiling at all. As a person who has been on many interviews, both are scary. Too much smiling will appear phony and not enough smiling will appear anti social. Just be your normal pleasant self. 2. Dress appropriately. Dressing appropriately means two things: professional and comfortable. The business suit still works for the interview. Wear it as you plan to for the interview for friends. Yes, with the tie for men and silky blouse for women. As you sit there, notice if you get uncomfortable. Sweat will be seen as a sign of weakness and nervousness. Be comfortable in your clothes. 3. Silence can be golden. You want to be knowledgeable about the company and the job. After the exchange of pleasantries, you don’t need to fill the void with celebrity gossip or information about your favorite blog (mine, right?). Sometimes, the panel needs to breathe and finish their notes. If it seems to drag on, ask one of your questions about the company or the job. This will demonstrate your ability to go with the flow of the interview and that you remain focused on the topic at hand. Pockets of silence are better than padding an interview with random babble. 4. Be eager and enthusiastic. Interviewers are seeking candidates eager to take on challenging projects and jobs. Hesitance and negative attitude will be as visible as gravy on your collar. Practice saying “yes” to questions about your interest in tasks and work that might normally give you pause. 5. Focus on the job. The interview is not the place to ask about the location of the lunchroom or routine elements or functions of a company: where stuff is, the size of your cube, and company policy on coffee breaks. This is also not the place to talk about salary. Save the salary discussion for after they offer you the job. 6. Be honest. Employers read the studies that show employees lie frequently in the workplace. Lying won’t get you a job. Even a slight exaggeration is lying. Just don’t. Never stretch your résumé or embellish accomplishments. There’s a difference between speaking with a measured confidence and engaging in BS. One lie can ruin your entire interview, and the skilled interviewer will spot the lie and show you out the door. 7. Use humor judiciously. Humor tends to be subjective. You’ve got to be careful about your material. You probably will know nothing about the sensibilities of your interviewer, let alone what makes them laugh. On the other hand, nothing disarms the tension of a job interview like a little laughter. Take your cues from the interviewer and use only G-rated humor. Make it situational, rather than an actual joke. So you can probably score at least a courtesy chuckle mentioning that it’s “perfect weather for a job interview!” 8. Be flexible. If you start talking about the ideal office temperature, the perfect chair for your tricky back, and if the cafeteria serves mochas, chances are you’ll be shown a polite smile and the door, regardless of your qualifications. Nobody hiring today is going to be looking for someone who’s going to be finicky about their workspace. This includes if you think you’ll get a cubicle. Don’t ask about the office noise policy for cube-mates. 9. Do have good questions ready. During every job interview, the candidate is given the chance to ask questions. Make yours intelligent, to the point and watch the person across the desk for visual cues whether you’ve asked enough. If one of your questions got answered during the interview, don’t ask it. Show you were paying attention. Don’t ask questions to just ask questions. You’ll be seen as a time-waster. If it wasn’t completely answered, restate what you know and ask about the missing piece. 10. Be positive. Bad things have happened to everyone on the job at one time. That is just part of life. So don’t trash talk a former employer or criticize an employee or take credit for someone else’s work. If you put someone down, the interviewer will wonder how you will characterize them later. Or, they might be tempted to call that employer to find out the “real” scoop. If your boss was a challenge, just say you had different values and leave it at that. Back to Chemistry This is how you demonstrate your chemistry for the job. There will be a lot that happens below the surface. You may understand that you “clicked” during the interview, or not. Just relax and be true to who you are. How you act, your word choices, how you used humor, all will go towards the question of “fit.” It really isn’t personal. The employer just wants to know, "Will this candidate fit in?" If you are a round peg, you will not fit in a company’s square hole. It really is much better to find that out now, rather than a month into the job. Find the round job opening that will fit you best. That is the best way to job search and to find meaningful employment. Confucius said, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Thank you for reading and I hope you found this helpful. Stay tuned for next week, when I tackle some common interview questions. I’ll present some common bad answers along with the preferable good answers. Let me know how your job search is going. I’d love to know what your particular challenges are and your strategy for dealing with them. A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream. Warmly, Elisabeth Elisabeth Adler-Lund Executive and Life Coaching Telephone: 916 • 803•1494 E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

Stress Relief is Just a Laugh Away

CareerBuilder (CB) did a survey of human resource managers on quirky requests by employees. Here is my top 10 from the CB list.

1. Allow clothes changing in cubicles
2. Tanning bed in the break room
3. Beer in the vending machine
4. Request to have jail covered under Family Medical Leave Act
5. Instituting Bikini Fridays
6. Time off to pursue side business as a clown
7. Replace desk with a futon so employee could lie down and work
8. Request to only be required to work during daylight hours because employee is scared of the dark.
9. Request for a special smoking area for medical marijuana.

10. 10.Request to have the team meeting to be held in Hawaii.

You just know number 5 was a submitted by a guy! Although if number 1 is approved, he might just get number 5!

Keeping your spirits up is crucial when job-hunting. Actively seek out amusing things like the above list. It will make you smile and relieve your stress. Speaking of stress ...

Two weeks ago I talked about Holiday Stress. My local newspaper, the Sacramento Bee had an article today on, “Don’t let stress ruin holidays.” Here is the link to the full story. Here are some highlights and additional comments.

Simplify. Be courageous and say "no" to excessive obligations or overindulgence. Downsize your obligations so you can up-size your fun.

Boost your energy with exercise. Find ways to incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into your daily regimen, even if it means parking far away in the mall parking lot. You will decrease your stress levels and increase your energy.

Sleep seven to eight hours a night. Chronic sleep deprivation increases fatigue and stress.

Continued sleep deprivation can result in trouble concentrating, blurry vision, impaired judgment, and even more severe mental effects. After just a few days of no sleep, people can begin to experience hallucinations, mania, and nausea. Luckily, if you repay your sleep debt right away, those effects vanish immediately. The immune system is also thought to be maintained while asleep; people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be more susceptible to infections and have slower healing times.

Sleep deprivation also has an effect on how the brain stores information. A study showed that those who were taught a task and allowed to sleep afterward remembered what they had learned better than those that didn’t sleep. Among school-aged children, those who get even one less hour of sleep than their peers have shown to perform more poorly on tests of memory and attention.

Get some sunlight. Make sure you are in the sun at least 20 minutes a day to help boost your vitamin D and maintain your diurnal rhythm and mood.

Take time for you. Try to get 20 minutes a day to yourself, away from TV. Meditate or listen to your favorite music – it will help you decompress. Break it into two segments: try 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night. I do my time at sunrise and in the evening about 12 hours later. It balances my day and keeps me on an even keel. I’m alone at sunrise, which means I’m uninterrupted! Bonus.

Rethink your spending. A consumer study in October by Context-Based Research Group showed, surprisingly, that many people feel the recession has positively affected their mood. Many are focused on doing meaningful activities in place of spending: 50 percent of adults plan to give gifts in the form of volunteering, and 80 percent are spending more time with their family and friends this year.

See your doctor if increasing depression, anxiety, fatigue or stress is affecting your relationships with others, your performance at work or your health.

Practice gratitude. Learn to love each moment and to live a life you love. This is an amazing de-stressor.

Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” This also applies to you and your life. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait until … you’ve lost weight; after the holidays; when “I’m not so stressed out”; you get a job/better job; or whatever your "something" is gets improved. Just start doing the change you want in your life.

What are you grateful for? How often do you ask yourself and others this powerful question? Sadly, many of us don’t take the time to ask or answer this question on a regular basis – especially in the midst of these difficult times.

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to spend some time acknowledging what you’re grateful for this week and over the next few weeks during the holiday season. However, focusing on gratitude is something that we can do all the time, not just on special occasions or during holidays. Sadly, we often feel “funny” or get embarrassed expressing our appreciation and gratitude. Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions and states of beings we have access to.

Gratitude not only makes us feel good, it’s also one of the greatest attractors of abundance, love, peace, success, health, connection, and more. The more we focus on what we already have, the wonderful aspects of our lives, and what we appreciate; the more we end up having to be grateful for. Stop for a moment right now and think about some of the things that you’re grateful for in your own life. Make a list – either in your head or on paper. We each have so much. When we take the time to acknowledge our many blessings, we utilize the power of gratitude in a way that benefits us and those around us in a profound way.

An Attitude of Gratitude. We can expand our capacity for gratitude in our lives by creating simple and genuine practices. It doesn’t really matter what we do or how we do it, just that we come up with easy and meaningful ways to focus on what we’re grateful for all the time. Below is a short list of some different possible gratitude practices. Pick one, many or choose something else:

• Write cards or emails expressing your gratitude for others – and do this for no specific reason or occasion
• Meditate/pray and focus on what you’re grateful for
• Have everyone at the dinner table share something they’re grateful before you eat (or go around in the car or other times you’re together with your family and play this “grateful game”)
• Ask people what they’re grateful for (and/or ask this question as part of your outgoing voice mail message)
• Use a “gratitude journal” and write in it regularly

While so many of us understand and know about the power of gratitude, it’s the practice and expression of it that really has impact. When we take the time to think about, feel, and express our gratitude and appreciation for life, others, and ourselves – we can literally transform our lives and relationships in a beautiful way.

Let me know how your job hunt is going. What are your particular challenges? What is your attitude of gratitude? Send me an email to eal@EALCoaching.com . I’d love to know how you are doing and what strategies you are using.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

Warmly, Elisabeth Elisabeth Adler-Lund Executive And Life Coaching Telephone: 916 • 803•1494 E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com