How To Be Unforgettable To Employers

Want to know how you can be unforgettable to employers? The answer is the “rule of three.”

Whether you’re giving a presentation, telling a story, submitting a proposal or selling your services – keep in mind the “Rule of Three.” Have you ever noticed the pattern of “3” in many of our traditional childhood stories — three blind mice, the three stooges, the three little pigs, Goldilocks’ three bears, three wishes… the list goes on and on.

Research has shown there is a rationale behind the use of “three” in our societal storytelling – our brains tend to naturally think in threes. Add one more element and the memory pattern tends to slip. Why not take advantage of this human tendency when interacting with others?

Knowing the “Rule of Three” and using it in your presentations, your “elevator pitch,” your cover letter, your letter to that important client, and other key communication pieces can be incredibly impactful. Use the “Rule of Three,” and people will tend to remember what you said and will likely remember YOU said it.

As you wrestle with formulating your very next presentation, pick three stories, three key points or three ideas that best illustrate the message you are attempting to convey. Repeat those three elements throughout your presentation. End your presentation by going back to those three elements. The “Rule of Three” works and is a powerful tool for facilitating retention.

Learn To Say ‘No’ When You Have Too Much On Your Plate At Work

Have you ever had experience with a toddler who has just learned the power in the word, “No?” It is an impressive sight to see, isn’t it? The child who has just decided that he/she has the power to deny any request has tremendous power. Whether it pertains to potty training or eating their vegetables, there isn’t an adult on the planet that can question the power behind the word, “no” when dealing with a recalcitrant tot.

Given that we learn the power of “no” at such a tender age, what happens to us that we lose the power to use that word by the time we are working adults? Most of the job burnout that is symptomatic throughout so much of our workforce is undoubtedly the result of an inability to establish healthy boundaries and an apparent unwillingness or an inability to say “no” at the appropriate times.

Let’s face facts, however. Given how easy it is to get fired these days, sometimes fear is what drives one’s (in)ability to assert boundaries at work. I believe that some of us also mistakenly believe that we can make ourselves “indispensable.” Consider for just a moment, however…if you were to drop dead (God forbid) in the next 5 minutes…someone somewhere would wind up taking on your workload. No one is indispensable. That is just a fact.

It is time to establish reasonable and healthy boundaries at work if you haven’t done that already. What can you do to say “no” at work without giving offense and without conveying the mistaken notion that you aren’t doing your fair share?

1. Make sure you don’t say “no” to every request.

To build credibility and trust, you may need to take on the occasional additional task so that when you do say, “no,” your supervisor or manager will know that you have good reason.

2. Don’t be defensive and don’t over-explain.

If you have built a reputation for being a good worker who is willing to take on extra duty on occasion, you don’t have to fall all over yourself explaining why you can’t take on an extra task on occasion. Don’t feel compelled to provide lengthy explanations or rationale. Just state your case and leave it at that.

3. Offer to trade off tasks based on priorities and level of importance.

Sometimes things come up that feel—and are—more urgent than other times. If your company is suddenly faced with an unexpected expedited deadline that requires you to step up, then offer to put something else on the back burner or trade off with someone less encumbered to see if that is a possibility.

4. Always say “no” in person.

When you have been asked to take on extra responsibility for which you have no time, don’t make the mistake of offering the rejection of the request in an email. Instead, arrange for a face-to-face meeting. You may wind up negotiating an agreement that suits both you and your boss. An email interferes with the possibility of such negotiation.

5. Make sure you are using your time wisely.

It would be a mistake to refuse a request that might help you be perceived as someone who deserves a promotion or more responsibility that could result in a raise. Be sure that you have so many important things to do that you don’t have time for the added responsibility. Avoid wasting time on meaningless activities so that you can, perhaps, have time to work on a project that could showcase your particular talents and abilities.

Let’s face it…whether it is at work or home, sometimes it is hard to say “no.” We want people to like us. We want to be admired. We want to be perceived as someone who can “do it all.” The fact is, however, that you cannot do it all, and there is nothing to be gained from your feeling that you have to say “yes” to everything when it doesn’t serve you. Attempting to “do it all” will ultimately impact your health, or your general sense of well-being in a negative way. Take time to learn to say no with grace, however. Avoid saying it every time. Use your ability to say “no” judiciously and with thoughtfulness. You will be better off in the long run, and so will your company.

What To Do When Your E-mail Goes Unanswered

It talks about how our minds start racing with thoughts about what could be wrong. In short, we see “no news” as bad news.

E-mail Panic = Even Worse With Job Seekers

Anxiety from unanswered e-mails is especially prominent in job seekers. At least once a day, a client contacts me in a frustrated panic because the e-mail they sent days ago to a colleague, perspective networking contact, online application, recruiter, and so on hasn’t been answered. Each time, I walk them through the three tips that should be followed to increase the chances we get a response. They are:

1. Wait One Full Business Week Before Following Up

While it feels like months to you, to the person you sent the e-mail to, a week feels like a day. If they didn’t answer you yet, it just means you weren’t viewed as needing an immediate response. It doesn’t mean they are saying “no” to your request, they are just saying “not now.”

2. Never Send A Nudge On A Monday

Even the happiest of people feel a little off on Mondays. We call it the Weekend Flu, you might call it the Monday Blues. Regardless, it puts people in a mood to say “no” more quickly. So, even if it’s been a full business week, if it’s Monday – don’t do anything.

3. Send Value Next Time, Not Another Request For Help

When you finally do follow up, don’t send a, “Just wanted to check in and see if you got my request…” note. That’s like taking a hot poker and pushing it in their back. They know they haven’t responded to you, and they most likely don’t feel good about it. They don’t need you to point it out.

Instead, find an article online that you think they would find interesting and pass it along with a simple note like this: “Saw this article and thought of you – hope you enjoy it!” That’s it. You’ll be respected for your restraint from asking the obvious. Moreover, you’ll be appreciated for offering up something of professional value. As they say, you gotta give to get!

Follow the tips above and I guarantee more of your e-mails will get answered. While some may still ultimately say “no,” or never respond, the chances the folks who failed to respond initially will finally follow up increases when you are patient, polite, and most importantly, focused on helping them, too.

3 Things You MUST Do Before Your Next Informational Interview

1. Give them some options.

“The good news is, most people will want to help someone new to the business world,” said Twete. “The bad news is, people are busy!”

When you reach out to a potential networking connection, be respectful of his or her time by providing more than just a handful of dates you might be available to meet.

Instead, offer to come to their office or to a coffee shop near them, even if it requires a long drive or a train ride on your part. Or, ask for a quick 15 minute phone call.

“Someone is much more apt to give you 15 minutes on the phone than an hour in person,” said Twete. “If you come to the table with great questions on that call, they’ll be more likely to want to meet you and mentor you.”

2. Do your homework.

“No one wants to dedicate an hour to a meeting and spend the first 20 minutes talking about things you could learn from a LinkedIn profile,” said Twete.

Come with questions that are pertinent to that individual’s background and be curious about how that relates to your own potential career path.

Not only will it make you feel more confident, but it can give you topic ideas. Twete suggests finding the answers to these questions before you meet with someone.

• Where did he/she go to school?
• What does his/her company do?
• How long has he/she been in her position?

“When a college student or recent graduate meets me armed with great questions and it’s clear she has done her research, that’s when I’m ready to open my network and help her grow,” she said.

3. Keep your social media on point.

“Your online persona introduces you to anyone you’re meeting well before you do,” said Twete.

In this day and age, you should expect to be Googled by employers, recruiters, and other professionals, especially if you’re meeting with them.

Make sure your social media profiles are either private or 100% appropriate for business consumption. The last thing you want to do is show off that infamous picture from Spring Break 2010. Not a good look.

In addition to managing your social media presence, consider creating an online portfolio with a .com in your name. Start a blog. Upload your portfolio. Showcase your branding statement. This will help you control your online reputation and make you look super professional.

What’s The First Step When You’re Ready For A Career Change?

You’ve moved past restlessness into the “Must Switch Gears” phase of your career. You know that if you wait any longer, you’ll become bitter and jaded. It’s time.

People stand on this precipice thinking that their next move is a leap – the more dramatic, the better. They often find themselves paralyzed because the jump is too scary. But the truth is, when you’re at this point, you need to get focused and gather data. You need to know exactly where you’re going before you can embark on your journey.

If you only know that you want to get away, it’s like going to the airport for a trip without a ticket. You can’t just leave where you’ve been, you’ve got to know where you’re going.

Recently, I talked to new client, and he said, “I have some serious constraints in my job search. I need to be within a 30-minute commute of my home, I have a specific job title in mind, and I know I want to be in high tech.” He was apologizing for being too picky, and I was applauding him for being so focused.

If this client’s example freaks you out because how to even begin to describe what you want, don’t worry. First, you’re not alone. You’re not deficient. There’s nothing wrong with you. You just haven’t had a structured approach to exploring what lights you up plus what the market is buying.

Your first step is the process is to decide what you want. Before you can go out there looking for it, you’ve got to know what it is.

The optimal exercise to begin to outline what you want is to walk through your ideal work day. Get quiet and centered and imagine yourself on a typical work day a year from now (or use whatever time frame feels appropriate for you). Walk through every moment of the day:

• What time do you wake up? Where are you – geographically in the world (what are the weather conditions?)? What’s your home look like? Who are you with? Do you wake up naturally or does the alarm go off?
• What’s your morning routine? Are you getting kids off to school? Working out? Attending to your pets? Include every detail down to what you’re wearing. I once did this exercise with a client who looked down at the shoes she was wearing, and that gave her a pivotal clue about her work.
• How do you get to work? Do you even leave the house (maybe you work at home)? How long does it take? What’s your mode of transportation? What’s your energy? Are you rushed, multi-tasking on the commuter train?
• Where do you work? Who’s around you? What are they doing? Describe this scene as if you were watching it in a movie.
• What are you doing? What tools or equipment are you using? How do you know you’re doing a good job? I once did this exercise with a client, and she had children’s drawings on the walls of her office that were given to her in gratitude for her work – she knew exactly the work she was meant to do from that image alone.
• Walk through all of the other details of your day: your lunch, your trip home, how you spend your leisure time, what you’re eating, who you’re with. It all adds up to a picture of what you want to create for yourself.

It’s important to harvest what you’ve learned from this exercise, so share it with someone who can focus on you and help you pull out the important details. That person may be a friend or family member, and if you’re not sure who to ask to help you distill your learning, consider asking a career coach for guidance in unpacking what you’ve discovered.

Use this information to inform your path. It’s your first step on your journey to a new you in a new career.

How To Answer 5 Important Phone Interview Questions

Phone interviews are really phone screens. Employers are looking for reasons to cut you from the list of people they’re interested in (because it cuts time and expense from their interviewing process).

No matter what career field you’re in, there are several common phone interview questions employers like to ask to get a feel for you as a candidate. Answer these well and you’ll set yourself apart and have a much greater chance of making it through this hurdle and into a face-to-face interview.

1. “Tell me about yourself.”

In any interview, this is a common opening question. However, it’s so open-ended, many job seekers flub the answer by talking about personal things (where you live, your family, hobbies, etc.) or not knowing what to say at all (“um…”). This is your first chance to sell yourself for the job.

Start with your education, which means what degree you have or recent (relevant) classes or certifications. Then, mention a few noteworthy accomplishments that would be especially interesting to someone hiring you for the job—check the job description if you need help.

2. “Why are you leaving your current job?” (Or, “Why did you leave your last job?”)

While you might be leaving your job for negative reasons, it’s important not to mention anything negative in this answer. It’s never a good idea to be negative in any way during a job interview.

A good, positive way to answer this is to focus on why you are running TO this job, instead of why you are running AWAY from your old job.

For instance: “I enjoy the work environment of my current job, but I feel that it isn’t challenging enough. I’m looking for an opportunity to better use my skills, and I think that [this position] at [this company] will allow me to do this.”

Or, “This job is such a perfect fit for me that I couldn’t pass it up. I believe I could be very successful in this role because of my skills in X, Y, and Z, and I am excited about the opportunity.”

If you were let go at your last job and you can truthfully say it was a mass layoff/organizational shakeup that didn’t have anything to do with your job performance, make sure you mention that.

3. “Why did you apply for this job?”

Just like anyone else potentially entering a relationship, the interviewer wants to know your level of interest and your motivation for wanting to be there. A good answer would sound something like: “This job is a great fit. My skills and background in A, B, and C mean that I would be successful.”

As much as you can, talk about how you not only meet their qualifications for this job, you exceed them in some way.

4. “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Among other things, your answer here will help them see that this job is a reasonable step in your long-term plan, not a stopgap that keeps you afloat until you find something better.

Don’t automatically say that you see yourself in a management or executive position. In large corporations, it may be OK, but in smaller companies, there may not be room for advancement like that. Stick with the safer answer that mentions how you expect to have honed the skills you have now, developed new ones, and contributed in a meaningful way to the company.

5. “Why should we invite you for an on-site (face-to-face) interview?”

This question is the phone interview version of, ‘Why should we hire you?’ Your answer could be along the lines of, “I believe I can contribute in a meaningful way to the success of [this company], and that my skills and personal values match this position perfectly. When we meet in person, I think you’ll see that I’m a great fit for this job and the company.”

5 Traits That Are Sabotaging Your Career Transition

Here’s something interesting: the way you respond to specific situations tends to be the way you respond across the board. This is nothing mysterious; it simply reveals some of our character traits underlying our behavior. The goal here is to be aware of your behavior patterns during your career transition.

For example: If some of your friends you frequently hang out with make plans to get together without you, what is your first reaction? Do you feel rejected, do you get angry, or do you simply wonder what they’re up to and assume they were just about to ask you?

Your reaction to this kind of situation is likely the same you’ll have when you don’t hear back after applying somewhere.

(And, as an aside: There are SO many reasons you may not hear back after sending in your resume – especially in response to a job posting – that have NOTHING to do with you. )

Another example – a personal one this time:

I tend to want to be prepared and have my ducks in a row. Not very convenient when you’re running a business. So, I’m trying my best to unlearn this trait. It’s also not handy if you’re in career transition, as it may prevent you from taking action until you are “ready” – which, if you’re like me, you’ll never be!

Perfection is unattainable. Progress, on the other hand, is a fantastic goal.

5 Traits That Are Sabotaging Your Career Transition

Making a career transition? Look at this list. Do you have any of these problems?

1. You’re Always Late

Are you someone who is always late? If so, you probably have a hard time getting to your interviews on time as well. Make sure to figure in extra time to avoid this major faux-pas!

2. You’re Rude

Do you get curt with service staff in restaurants and other places?When going on interviews, be mindful of how you treat receptionists and assistants at these companies as they are often asked about their impressions of the candidates! (And, what were you thinking in the first place? Show some respect for your fellow citizens – regardless of their socio-economic position!)

3. You’re Not Involved

Are you used to outsourcing everything but your sleep and love life? If so, chances are you think you can outsource your job transition to professionals and assistants. As much as I am a believer in – and practitioner of – outsourcing, I need to tell you that there’s a place and a time for everything. Your career transition needs hands-on involvement from you.

4. You’re Not Open To Change

Do you like to “stick with what works?” Are you someone who keeps buying the same brand products forever, who goes to the same vacation place year after year, and lives by “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”? Great! But listen up: the past few years have seen more changes in the arena of recruitment, hiring, and job searching than in the all the years prior since the introduction of the electronic typewriter.

So, ditch the two spaces after periods (a left-over thing from the typewriter days), and, more importantly, get up to speed with career transitions a la 2014. It’s truly a different world out there!

So, if you got some great career management advice in the 90s or even the early 2000s that made sense to you and that worked back then; realize that what ain’t updated may very well cost you opportunities today.

5. You’re Too Proud

Are you a proud person who doesn’t need anyone and likes to “make it on your own?” Respect! You probably don’t ask for help easily (or at all!) and you love to help others. Just make sure not to translate this too rigidly to the careers arena.

There are people – and I have a dear friend in particular who is very stubborn about this; you know who you are! – who won’t even accept connections to get more information (and possibly leads). I’m not talking about insider information that can land you in jail. I’m talking about plain and simple networking. The stuff that lands about 80% of the people their next jobs. Vital in today’s economy and job market.

It reminds me of that joke about some guy sitting at his roof trying to survive a flood. A boat with rescuers comes to get him, but he sends them away, because “God will rescue him.” Yeah… God just sent that boat with rescuers his way – but he turned it down… same principle applies here.