Some interesting info for job seekers:

This is from a New York Times interview in yesterday’s paper with Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft:

Q. How do you assess job candidates?

A. If they come from inside the business, the best predictor of future success is past success. It’s not 100 percent, but it’s a reasonable predictor. For an external candidate, what I’ve found is that reference checks are super-important. I didn’t used to believe so much in reference checks. You can always get somebody to say something nice about you. But the truth is, if you ask enough questions and you ask around, you can really get a profile of who’s accomplished various things and who hasn’t.

And I try to figure out sort of a combination of I.Q. and passion. I just ask somebody to tell me what they’ve done that they are really proud of and tell me about it. And if it’s something you are proud of, you should be able to answer any question I can come up with, at least at a level that would satisfy my interest. I ought to be able to see your passion. It might be quiet passion; it might be bubbly passion. But I should be able to sense that you are one of those people who just sort of throws themselves into things.

So how do you manage what references are going to say about you? The clearest method I can think of is to make sure you can articulate your most important accomplishments clearly and concisely–not only to people who are interviewing you for a job, but to people you have worked for in the past. They need to be reminded of your accomplishments in your former jobs.
Also in the Times this weekend: an article about a woman in her 40s who changed careers, from journalism to nursing. You’ll see that the shift wasn’t as radical as you might think. She was able to transfer her skills as a reporter–taking copious notes, staying focused, finishing what she started. The article is inspiring and fascinating. It shows that you can reinvent yourself in midlife, or beyond.

Tags: career, Five O'Clock Club, jobs, Microsoft

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In addition to being an entrepreneurship coach I work at the Five O’Clock Club with people looking for jobs and career change. Because of the economy, the Club has expanded its New York City meetings  to three nights a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and now Thursdays. I coach every Thursday evening at the CUNY Graduate Center on Fifth Avenue and 34th St. If you’d like to join us, let me know.

My new group met for the first time last Thursday and we dove into assessing where everyone stood in their search. While each person had a different career interest and expertise, there were common denominators that defined the current status of everyone’s search. If you or someone you know is looking for a job this may resonate with you. Here’s what I emailed the group after our meeting:
1. Everyone needs to have a crystal clear focus of who you are, what you offer the world uniquely, and what you want. The Club calls this your 2-Minute-Pitch. To get the pitch right, you have to lay the foundation: that’s why it’s vital to do the 7-Stories Exercise and the 40-Year Vision. [These are two assessments we use at the Club. If you'd like to know more about them, get in touch with me.]

2. Activity level needs to be higher. If you are employed, you need to carve our at least 12 hours a week to have a good search going. If you are not employed, 35 hours. Keep track, do a time sheet. Make believe looking for a job is a job–because it is.

3.Targets need to be deeper. Most people are not yet targeting 200 positions (not actual job openings–but positions you would qualify for).  You need to do this so that you will always have 6-10 things in the works, which is critical because 5 of them will fall away through no fault of your own. It’s a numbers game. Target more companies and industries and get more velocity in your search.

There are so many career coaching organizations out there, but as far I know from my research, only the Five O’Clock Club has created a unifying methodology that works. Have job-search tips to share? Please comment.

Tags: career change, Five O'Clock Club, jobs

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In the small business I own, I’ve noticed an ebb and flow through the years–periods when I am really “on it” and other times when I am either coasting or not as engaged as I need to be. Fortunately, I’ve been very much on my game for the past two years (thanks in no small part to my collaboration with my coach). For the two years prior to that I was up and down and, no surprise, my results were erratic. I have been thinking about what’s different now compared with then in terms of my activity and attitude. I bet that anyone with a small business goes through the same cycles. Maybe if you read this you’ll snap out of a down cycle and get back on your game. Read more…

Tags: entrepreneurship, small business

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