Answers to Job Seekers' Frequently Asked Questions
 

By: Joe Hodowanes
Career Strategy Advisor
www.jmwanes.com
 

Question: I was downsized out of my position as a manager of financial products and services. For many years, I saw reductions going on around me, but I always believed that if you were doing good work and adding value to the organization, you would somehow be immune. How can a person win in this non-loyal work environment?

Answer: Good work? Adding value? These are no longer defenses against searing competition and relentless restructuring.

Regardless of where you open your briefcase each day -- at a large corporation, a small business, or the end of your dining room table -- the message is the same. You are on your own; the paternalistic model of long-term employment is dead and buried.

Brace yourself for a future that may include temping (yes, temping), shifting careers, working from home, consulting, running your own business, returning to college, or all of the above.

To prosper in this volatile world of work, you must be ready to reinvent yourself. To you and other uprooted employees, I offer three pieces of advice:

• Become a perpetual learning machine - the one competitive advantage you have is your ability to learn. If you accept the premise that there is no longer any loyalty and there are no jobs for life, then you need to develop skills employers will pay for. One of the best ways to do this is to develop a relationship with the people and organizations that will eventually buy those skills from you.
   
• Think of your career broadly - be creative. Do not limit yourself to a small sense of who you are and what you can do. Skills are more transferable than most people think.
   
• Embrace networking - work hard at keeping up with former coworkers, friends, neighbors, customers, former suppliers, etc. Unfortunately, in many instances, it is still who you know, not what you know.
   

Question: For several years now, I have seriously thought about going into business for myself. My question: What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur in today's business economy? Or maybe the more appropriate question should be: Why do most entrepreneurs who go into business fail?

Answer: Before you start down the entrepreneurial path, understand that in the vast majority of instances, those who go into business for themselves and fail, do so for the following three reasons:

• First, they failed to develop a high level of expertise in any particular field, and they did not stay in business long enough to give the local business community a chance to get to know them as experts in that field. In short, those who were most successful at it over the years stayed with a specific area long enough to become outstanding in it, or else achieved the same results unwittingly, because they loved what they did and didn't want to abandon it for forays into closely-related fields.
   
• Secondly, first-time entrepreneurs can improve their odds significantly to succeed in their own business by not trying to be all things to all people. That may work well in their personal lives, but it is lethal in the business arena.
   
• Thirdly, I know from talking with small business owners that people who fail often cite under-capitalization as the reason why, saying, "I wasn't successful because I didn't have enough money." No doubt, in some instances, that is so. But in a larger proportion of cases, the most important capital the person possessed -- time, energy and brainpower -- was simply squandered.

One final piece of advice: If you are lucky enough to see what the right business is for you, do it. The biggest mistake many of us make in our employment life is to erroneously believe that we work for someone else.

Question: After graduating from college over a year ago, I landed my first job with a small high-tech start-up company. Needless to say, I was very proud and happy. I thought that it was everything I wanted. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, it didn't work out. I am the kind of individual who tries to learn from my experiences. The one thing I learned from this job is that, although I thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie that exist at small companies, career results are hard to predict. I have two questions that I hope you can answer: (1) What are your feelings on the viability of pursuing employment opportunities with small companies? and (2) What do you think is more important in negotiations with small e-commerce companies: less money and more stocks, or more money and less stocks?

Answer: First, accept the facts for what they are. Who you are, what you are, and what you can do are under your control. What career results you can achieve are often under the control of others. For instance, if you work for a family-owned organization and are not a member of the family, that fact has nothing to do with your value and ability. However, it has a great deal to do with where you can go within that company. In today's volatile economy, I would share the following two thoughts with you: Working for a small company is often safer than working for a large company. Maybe I have become jaded over the years from working with countless job seekers who have repeatedly shared their horror stories with me regarding employment with large companies. My own current observation: Hardly a day goes by that I can't help but notice big companies constantly announcing layoffs, hiring freezes and cost reductions; while small companies, publicly and privately held, are having a hard time finding enough qualified people to hire. Obviously, I am not saying that all small companies are safe, but growth is safer than stagnation, and that is something every new college graduate pondering his/her career should carefully consider.

With regard to your second question: There are many instances when newly-emerging e-commerce companies' stock can be more valuable than the same amount of money. Internet stock valuations may be gravity-defying, nosebleed-inducing and vertigo-producing, but that doesn't mean they're all over-priced. Most employees of tech companies, and certainly of Internet companies, will gladly exchange a pay raise for more stock options. In addition, most Internet mergers and acquisitions are done for stock, not cash, even with the Securities and Exchange Commission discouraging big up-front write-offs. Nobody wants cash anymore; it's too final. Give them some stock currency and they feel they have received something a lot more valuable. The dollar is backed, at least sentimentally, by the gold sitting in Fort Knox. Stock in small Internet companies, on the other hand, is backed by smart entrepreneurs who work like dogs, day and night, to increase the value of their company. In my opinion, entrepreneurship is the most powerful economic, social, cultural and psychological force in the world today. It enriches individuals with much more than money.

Question: I know there is a saying, "Everything in life is negotiable," However, I have just reached a point in the interview process with a major corporation concerning pay issues. I like everything about the potential position except the pay level. The company policy states that no one can be hired from the outside in the upper end of the pay range, or with a title higher than vice president. We seem to be at an impasse, and I was hoping you could share a strategy that could possibly break through this salary issue.

Answer: Negotiations ... It is not a game -- and it is not war. In successful negotiations, everybody wins. Therefore, think of negotiations as a cooperative enterprise. One of the best ways to find this cooperative enterprise involves the use of questions. To know what a company is thinking and striving for, you must turn detective. You must apply various methods and techniques to your primary objective of recognizing the needs of the company, while building your own value into salary negotiations.

The problem involves communication -- how to get through to people. The seasoned negotiator is ever on the alert for tip-offs on the mental processes of the interviewer, for clues that will reveal motivations. He or she pays careful attention to the interviewer's words and actions, mannerisms and gestures, recurrent phrases and modes of expression. All are clues to his or her thinking, desires and hidden needs.

The usual way to get information, of course, is to ask a question. Questions are windows to the mind. In an appropriate situation, I have often asked my company representatives questions such as: What do you expect from this individual? What would you like this individual to accomplish during their first six months of employment? Besides education, skill sets and experience, what type of attitude or personality does this person need to fit in? Through such straightforward probes, in addition to other information, I often succeed in finding out my interviewer's needs and aims, and then guide my future negotiations accordingly.

The use of questions is a powerful negotiating tool and must be employed with discretion and judgment. The question determines the direction in which the conversation will move. The question you ask also controls the amount of information that is likely to be given back to you, much as turning the water faucet controls the flow of water.

By the judicious use of questions, you can easily secure immediate attention, maintain interest in the item under discussion, and direct the course that you want the conversation to take. Very often, by questions, the interviewer can be led toward the outcome you desire.

Question: To say that I do not like networking would be a mild statement ... I hate it. I find myself feeling so awkward when I attempt networking. Any good suggestions as to how to make this thing they call "networking" a little easier?

Answer: The biggest mistake most job hunters make when it comes to networking is not doing enough of it. However, the key is to do pinpoint networking.

Talking with everyone you know and getting the names of everyone they know during your job hunt have become a cliché of today's search practices. But by fine-tuning your efforts, networking will continue to be the single most effective search strategy. What is critical is tailoring your request to each person you meet, so you develop true professional resources, not a chain of empty promises from people who'd rather not see you again.

Networking should not be used as a technique. It is about developing relationships and building alliances, which is more of a human process. Some people lose the spirit of networking, the meaning of it, until it becomes misused.

Look at networking as a chance to help others who help you. By tapping into people's good will for our own ends, we're really violating networking's good purpose. But it can be done in an empathetic way, with real concern for the person.

Question: What is a personal prospecting letter? At a recent job search support group meeting, I heard this phrase mentioned, but was unable to get a sample of this type of letter, or a full understanding as to whom this letter should be sent. Can you help me out?

Answer: Personal prospecting letters are letters you write to people you already know. You write friends, acquaintances, former colleagues or members of your industry, asking for suggestions that might help in your job search. Most often, they will refer you to people they know or possibly even tell you about others in their industry who are hiring. Prospecting letters should always be short, friendly and to the point. You do not beg for help or in any way "put the arm on them." Prospecting letters should be a part of your networking efforts. For a quick reference, I have included a sample of a prospecting letter.

 

Dear Joe:


 

Recent downsizing in our industry caused the ABC Company to eliminate the department where I have worked for 10 years. While I have several possibilities for further employment within the company, none of them look like they will have the future I would prefer. With the company's help, I am looking for outside opportunities as a possible alternative.


 

Joe, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I do not expect that you presently know of anything that might be suitable for me; however, I wanted you to know that I am now available. You know my general background and experience. The enclosed resume will provide you with more details. If you have any suggestions that might help me in my campaign, I would appreciate it if you would let me know. Perhaps you know people in other companies who might be able to give me some assistance.


 

If you have time next week, I would like to come in and chat with you to get your thoughts on my job search. I will call on Monday to see if there is a convenient time for you.


 

Sincerely,


A word of caution: Keep the letter courteous and short. Include only necessary information. Remember, "That which is well said, is briefly said."

 

Question: In the last 2-½ months, I have called everyone I know, answered every want ad germane to my profession, called and mailed to search firms, and still find myself unemployed with very few new leads. Even though I have impeccable educational credentials and big company experience, I can't seem to land an interview. What am I doing wrong?

Do not rely exclusively on classified ads and search firms. When you utilize this "let-the-other-guy-do-it" approach, you are giving up control and putting the burden of responsibility on others who, in most cases, do not know you or care about your future. You may be making the same mistake that most job hunters make, by contacting only the big, visible companies, when you would be better off generating a list of the smaller, newer ones. After all, the latter are more likely to be interested in someone with a big company background, who might bring a depth of experience or expertise that up to this point, they simply haven't developed. Of course, none of this will mean anything if you do not develop an ongoing job search strategy. For instance, each week, go to the library and promise yourself that you will not leave without having a list of 25 new companies that you are going to target next week.

A second strategy could be to prospect among your industry's competitors (depending on whether or not you have a non-compete or non-disclosure agreement). For example, cable companies compete amongst themselves, but who else do they compete with for subscriber dollars? Suppose you were in marketing for a cable company. Wouldn't traditional TV networks, home shopping channels and Direct TV be competitors?

A third strategy is to change the way you look at classified ads. Review every classified ad as the tip of an iceberg. If a particular position is opened at one company, it may also indicate opportunities at similar companies.

Question: Due to corporate cutbacks, I am anticipating the elimination of my job in the next month or two. If this unfortunate event occurs, what are some tips for putting together a list of references for future employers?

Answer: You can begin to prepare yourself by starting to assemble your list now. When assembling your list, keep the following three items in mind:

• Limit the number of references - there is a circulating myth out there that says there is safety in numbers. But when you provide 12, 15 or 20 references, you are giving up one very important item, control. If someone is giving you a negative or a neutral reference, your chances of tracking it down are slim. Unless you are specifically asked for more references, stay with six -- three business and three personal. Clearly illustrate which ones are which. With business references, list titles and verify where they want to take incoming reference calls. Some business references prefer to take calls at home, instead of at work. On the personal references, if you have known them for a long time, stipulate how long you have known each person. This shows that you are able to establish long-term relationships.
  
   
• Never give references until potential employers specifically ask for them - when a prospective employer brings up references, have your list ready, neatly typed, including addresses and phone numbers. If your reference has an e-mail address, you may want to include it.
  
   
• Make a two-way promise - that you will keep your references abreast of strong possibilities, and they will also keep you informed regarding any calls they receive. At this critical stage in the hiring process, they will have a strong sense of how positive your would-be employer is feeling about you. You can fully appreciate how valuable this inside intelligence can be for your closing negotiations.
   
   

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