Hannah Morgan

Loss- A Time for Reflection

The loss of a job.  The loss of a family member.  Divorce.  These endings are bitter sweet.  They mark the end of life as we knew it.  They also create new opportunities and open a new chapter in our lives.

There are predictable emotions that we all must go through after a loss.  Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote about them and I described them here.  While going through these emotions, I hope you take the time to reflect on what you've learned.  Ask what you've loved doing.  Ask yourself what you want to be known for.  Muddle these answers around in your head for awhile. Share the answers with friends and family.  Out of the past comes our future and there is most certainly a bright light for you to move toward.

I am finally ready to write this post.  My father, whom we called Pop, passed away in early January. He was and always will be my moral compass, mentor, biggest fan, and hero.  As I cope with his loss, I've been reflecting on his life.  Sympathy cards flood the mailbox with wonderful memories from the many people who's lives he touched.  They've called him a connector, they've said he could light up a room, they've recalled how he loved to tell jokes and stories.  Yes, all these are true.  They all stem from his love and interest of people.  He could and would start conversations with anyone.  His interest in other people is his legacy.  

Professionally, Pop was a search consultant, ie executive recruiter. He found high level executives for high profile companies. His love of people created his vast network which allowed him to be successful in his profession.  He wasn't always a recruiter, but that innate talent for building and nurturing relationships was his niche.  He knew what he was good at and he stayed true to that.

I am grateful for the lessons he taught me.  I am sad he won't be around to teach me more.  Yet, as I reflect on what he loved doing and what he was known for and what he wanted to be known for, there is a consistency.  He was true to his calling and his values.  

As you grieve the loss of your job, don't you owe it to yourself to reflect on your past.  Take from those experiences the consistent pieces and map out your legacy, personally and professionally.  It is not the end.  It is the beginning.

Thank you Pop.

Go Team!

  
 Working alone can be very lonely sometimes.  Ask any one who has had to do it.  Oh, you already know what it is like if you are unemployed and seeking a new job, don't you. 

It doesn't have to be lonely.  As a matter of fact, you are probably hurting your chances of finding work by going at it solo. 

But help is out there.  Today, more than ever, there are job clubs and networking groups popping up all over.  They can be found in One-Stop Centers, churches, alumni offices/college campuses, even coffee shops. Look and ye shall find.

Liz Lynch wrote a piece the other day on the powerful impact of group support.  How the Company You Keep Can Fuel or Foil Your Success. 

She cites a Wall Street Journal article that discussed group training for marathons, a fad in the 1980's that is making a successful come-back. The article said that those marathoners who trained in a group did better.  Not really a surprise.

Liz Lynch continues in her article to explain how a less than positive group can zap your energy and motivation.  Again, no surprise.  It is however, a reminder that we need to chose carefully and constantly evaluate that group behavior on our success and motivation.

Liz encourages her readers to ask themselves these questions about the company they keep:

Are they:

• Taking responsibility for their actions or waiting for circumstances
      or people around them to change?
• Talking about the future or whining on and on about the "injustices"
      of the past?
• Looking for the opportunities ahead or wanting things to go back the
      way they were?
• Taking steps to reinvent themselves knowing the world is more
      competitive now or hoping for a rising tide to lift their boat?
• Learning new skills that will make them more marketable or
      convinced that years on the job are all that should matter?

It is probably unrealistic for a job seeker to find the support and encouragement they need solely from a spouse or partner.  Remember, they are frightened, more so than you.  They don't have control of the situation, only you do.  These are stressful times for families.  Communication is critical.  Take control of your search and communicate regularly with those you love so that they know what you are doing.  You are not asking for permission, you are explaining your actions. 

There's Something Wrong with Our Country When...

I just spent over an hour trying to research flights from Boston to sunny Key West.  It would be easy if the connecting flights went through Miami or Atlanta, but alas, that couldn't be.  So I searched for options with alternate connections.

What I found was, if your flight originates from Florida and you wanted to fly directly to Key West, guess what, it seems impossible, unless you live in Miami.  Otherwise, you would have to fly from Florida to New York, New Jersey or Georgia to get to your destination back within Florida. 

The airlines are troubled.  I understand that, but when you end up on wild goose chases throughout the country, there's something wrong. 

How about health insurance.  I'll take that on too.  You lose your job, you can't afford COBRA so, your options are?  In New York, your choices are slim.  You could attempt to apply for HealthyNY, but make sure your family income is really low.  Perhaps you could attempt SSI, again, I hope you make close to nothing.  Chambers of Commerce sometimes are an option, and sometimes a little better than COBRA.  Those are your choices folks.

What are the solutions for the middle income?  Risk not having any insurance?  These are the people who will be facing a crisis soon.  There is nothing in place for them.

Take the health insurance coverage out of the hands of employers and you have something portable, like life insurance, you own it, no matter your employment situation.

Our labor market has been more unstable.  People are finding themselves suddenly and unexpectedly without a job.  What if they can't afford health insurance?  Once they get a new job, will their pre-existing conditions block them from gaining access to the coverage for the treatments they need? 

OK, the other situation is that some people are so fearful about losing their health insurance, they hold onto jobs they don't like, do the bare minimum just to hold on to health insurance.  That is not a win win.  The employer gets less out of these employees.

I could go on and on about the health care issue.  I don't know the best answer, perhaps none of us do, but please, it is so broken, almost anything would be better than doing nothing.  Somebody, please, propose a solution.

5 Ways to Save Money

Most of us don't have 6, 9, or 12 months of living expenses saved up if we lose our jobs.  Gosh, how much would that actually be...a year's worth of living expenses is a lot!  The reality is that most mid level career seekers will be spending 6-12 months searching for their next job right now. 

Look at this problem backwards.  If you will be out of work 12 months, how much money will you need to survive?  How much are you collecting from unemployment and how long will that last?  There's a gap right?  You need to find a way to fill in that income.  Figure this out today!

There are so many ways to cut expenses.  Come up with a plan on how you are going to make some easy money over the next few months. 

Sell, Sell Sell

What can you sell?  Are there things you no longer need or use?  Can you sell them on Craigs List?  What about taking these things to a consignment shop?  Or, there are still some weeks of good weather, have a garage sale.  No, you aren't going to get rich doing this, however, you will have some extra money.

Go Green

All the rage right now, going green can mean a lot of different things.  Buying used.  Cutting energy consumption in your house and in your car. Lessen your carbon foot print.  Let me go a little deeper here.  Buying used or new to you clothing is the easiest way to save money. Instead of paying $25-45 on a new purse (and not even a high end purse), you can pay $6.50 for a stunning Tommy Hilfiger black leather, smart looking, almost new, purse.  Courtesy of VOA.  Or you could find that great new jacket, suit or interview outfit at Salvation Army or a consignment shop.  Stop buying new.  There's plenty of good stuff out there, not being used.  Not only is this saving you money, it is saving the planet.

Drive Smart

How much would you save in one year if you got rid of your car?  Gas, car payments, insurance.  It could be the best money you saved.  This doesn't seem practical or even feasible in some cases but people do it all the time.  Our neighbor, with 4 kids, just dumped one car.  They do a lot of carpooling.  Heck, if they can do it, so can you.  

Talk to your bank

If your mortgage company and credit card companies don't know you've lost your job, they should.  Call them today and see what they can do to lessen your monthly payments for now.  Sure, you will have to make those up later, but you need some of that money right now to live on.

Ask for help

There are food cupboards, low cost health treatment facilities and all sorts of resources available for anyone in need.  Check with your church, local Chamber of Commerce and City Hall to learn what some of these resources are today, before you may actually need them.  Don't forget to let friends and family know how they can help.  You may feel like you are asking a lot of them, but chances are, they want to help.

Survivability demands that we learn some of these things today, rather than when we are traumatized by bill collectors.  Many of the job seekers out there today are Baby Boomers who have never, ever had to think of any of these things before. 

Print this post and give it to someone you know.   Many, not all, but many, Boomer seekers don't read blogs.  If you've been through this before, you know some of this, if you've never been through this, what I am saying sounds foreign. Help educate those who need the help.

The End of the Recession Means...

If you are the kind of person who believes in studies and data from studies, then you have to read Robert Half's most recent study completed in conjunction with Career Builder EDGE 2009 Study:

The key findings include:

• In the next 12 months, more than half of employers polled plan to hire full-time employees, four in 10 will hire contract, temporary or project workers, and four in 10 will hire part-time employees. 
• Technology, customer service and sales are the top three areas in which employers expect to add jobs first once the economy rebounds.
• The average time to fill open positions, depending on the job level, is 4.5 to 14.4 weeks, the same time range as last year.
• Despite an abundant labor pool, six in 10 employers are willing to negotiate with qualified candidates for higher compensation.
• Four in 10 employers expect the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create jobs in their organizations over the next two years.
• More than half of employees polled plan to make a career change or go back to school when the economy recovers. 
• Forty percent of hiring managers said that when the economy improves, giving pay raises will be their primary method for retaining top performers.

There's some good news in here.  6 in 10 employers are willing to negotiate for higher compensation and 40% of hiring managers will consider giving pay raises to retain top performers.  These factors could increase the decreasing salary ranges we've been hearing and seeing.

On a more realistic note, it takes employers 4.5 to 14.4 weeks to fill a position. What this means is that it is going to take you longer than you expected or wanted to land that job.  Be frugal.

Employers are also predicting that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create jobs.  This is foggy.  The act doesn't specifically create jobs it is supporting initiatives.  We'll wait and see on this one.

We've heard and seen that we're coming out of this recession.  The hope I have is that we never forget and become complacent with our jobs and our lifestyles again.  This was a wake up call, one long overdue. 

Employer Bias's Are Alive and Well

A good colleague, Mike Lally, forwarded me the link to the WSJ article "Only the Employed Need Apply" to get my goat.  What this article points out is that employers (in general terms) all have bias's.  It is the filter they use to select the right candidate.  Here are just some bias's that you should be aware of and have a solid strategy for overcoming or dismissing.

• Unemployed
• New college graduate
• Long-term employment by one employer
• Over 50 years old
• Male
• Female
• Owned your own business
• Over qualified
• Under qualified
• Over educated

Dan Erwin wrote a post/commentary about it too. 

It is unfortunate, but so often true.

But please, don't get mad.  Don't be angry. Realize what you can and cannot change and move forward. 

Take Control of Your Job Search

If you've been in job search, you've discovered that feeling vulnerable, victimized and useless can really impact your ability to look for work. 

Over on Career Hub, Billie Sucher lists 21 things every job seeker needs to do.  I added one to her wonderful list.

22)  Be enthusiastic if not passionate about what you are pursuing.

Being enthusiastic will require that you know what's going on in the company before you go in for the interview.  Do some serious research on the company.   Be able to explain (without being asked, hopefully), who you really are, what makes you special and what can you do for the company.  There's a  post to read to better understand this logic.  Ace the Executive interview with Visibility, Value and  Vision.

There is so much great advice out there.  There's no reason to feel sorry for yourself.  There are jobs for the right people.  Take control today.

Rejuvenation

In a meeting with a job seeker this week, a wise co-worker asked a super question:  "What do you do to keep yourself positive and motivated?"  His answer began with "I first dealt with all the emotions, anger, frustration, fear, anxiety, etc."  Once he had those out of the way, he was able to focus on moving forward.  He admitted that took longer than he thought it would.  His ex co-workers called to share their frustration over the event and his family needed him to run errands and do projects.  These distractions also helped him get over the loss.

Emotions frequently get in the way of a productive job search and even a successful career.  It is imperative that we learn how to manage our emotions.  So, what does that mean?  Take care of you.  What rejuvenates you? 

As we head into summer, it is sometimes easier to get that boost of energy.  When you walk out of your house in the morning, pay attention to the smells, sights and sounds of the morning.  Clear you mind of all other distractions.  What do you sense?  How do you feel?  What memories come to mind?

OK, that might not work for all of you.  Get on your bike, put on your shoes, sit on the grass, and now try clearing your mind.  Where does you mind go?  Are you recalling something happy from your past.  Stay focused on that. 

Still not working?  What happy moment can you re-invent?  Is it a beach-side cocktail at sunset?  Perhaps a volleyball game with friends?  Making the perfect decadent dessert, and/or eating it?  Finding the greatest bargain?  Is it Yoga?  Hanging with friends or family?  Do it.  No excuses.  Just enjoy the moment. 

I know.  You will not be magically removed from the task ahead.  You still have a job search in front of you when this experiment is all over. But you might be able to approach your search with re-newed energy, beliefs and a new outlook.

What is Your Threshold for Change?

We have a fixed capacity for change.  Change, whether good or bad (wanted our unwanted) adds up like water in a glass.  Each person can only handle a certain level, because the glass can only hold so much.  Once it reaches the top, it overflows and kablooie, and we flip/tilt/explode/blow.

This why resiliency is important.  The more resilient, the higher the threshold for change or the taller the glass of water. 

I attended a presentation, Change for Change Agents, in which Karen Barrow discussed the complexities of implementing change within an organization.  Karen has significant experience in OD (organization development) and corporate change consulting.

What I walked away from her presentation with was that more than ever before we are our own business.  The term Me Inc has been around awhile.  Everytime a reference was made to the company or organization, I replaced it with Me Inc.  It all worked.

Me Inc needs to find a way to make change acceptable. This means Me Inc needs a plan.  Here are the things that need to be considered by Me Inc's plan.

Perceptions of the change

Because we avoid abiguity, we need to provide ways of implementing direct and indirect control of the uncertainty.

Motivation toward change

Resistance is a multi-step process.  Each step leads closer to acceptance of change and when that happens, there is motivation.

Commitment to change

This too, is a process.  Preparation, acceptance and committment.

If you want to understand more about organization change, Managing at the Speed of Change, by Darryl Connor is an good source of information and an easy read.

If you want to read more about Me, Inc concepts, you'll want to read Tom Peters early article on the Brand called You.

Who Is Unemployed- A, B and C Players

In order to be the best job seeker possible, you need an understanding of what is going on in the heads of hiring professionals.  In the current economic situation, with hundreds of thousands of people out of work, how can the overwhelmed HR professionals and recruiters possibly handle the volume of resumes they receive?  Well, that's sort of a related question.

On Nick Corcodolis's, Ask the Headhunter, he sited and summarized "Why hiring is paradoxically harder in a downturn" by Auren Hoffman. 

Here's my take away from reading Hoffman's piece:

The world of work is made up a A, B, and C Players.  (A players are the best and C players do the job).  Of course, most companies want to hire A players.  The other important fact is that there are more B players than A players and even more C players than B.  This makes A players scarce.

When layoffs occur, usually the C players are let go first.  The company will try and hold on to A players, yet that isn't always possible. (i.e. Construction, Financial and Legal industries were hit hard and all players lost their jobs despite how well they performed)   

The challenge now for companies is to find the A Players among the see of B and C Players applying for jobs.  The resume isn't the greatest tool to use in screening these players. 

An A player is innovative and hard working and their resume demonstrates that with accomplishments.  NOT the words "innovative" and "hard working".

The other lesson here is that you want to be known for being an A Player, not a slacker.  Do whatever you can do to change the way you do your job to become an A Player! 

Coping with Job Loss

The Washington Post has a regular feature called How To...Survive A Layoff.  In a recent Q&A, titled Coping with Job Loss, Dr. Lynn Joseph wrote about visualization.  

This caught my eye for a number of reasons:

1. Job search is darn hard and I love it when professionals admit it
2. She refers to Tiger Woods' success strategy and so do I
3. The practice of visualization is easy and highly successful
4. We all need a little help in our lives and it is worth trying
5. Depression and negative self-talk are real and prevalent, this will help

You've heard the saying before, if you continue to do the same things, you will continue to get the same results.  So, CHANGE today.  Try something new or different.  Step outside of your comfort zone. Admit you have something to learn.

Changing What We Do

There was an article in the NYTimes this week about the conditions of the labor market in a Wisconsin town that lost over 4,000 GM jobs.  These overpaid ($28/hr) workers are now being forced to re-tool themselves for jobs that won't come close to paying them what they used to make. Here is a sample of the transitioning career paths:

Electrician to Radiology Technician

Truck Driver to Logistics and Warehouse Management

Machine Operator to Veterinarian Assistant

Employee to Restaurateur

The US economy used to be a balance of manufacturing and service sector jobs.  However, that changed.  We don't make many things in the United States today.  That means that the millions of people with manufacturing backgrounds will have little choice but to take their careers in a new direction. 

The NY State Dept of Labor publishs monthly newsletters. In the latest edition, it stated that in the Finger lakes there were over 1,500 new jobs created in Educational and Health care services from 2007 to 2008.  Not huge numbers, but one of the few growing industries in the region.  

So the message that I am passing along is this:  Think service, think independent, think global marketplace.  Any job that physically requires that you touch or help isn't going anywhere yet.  

We can't even predict what the "in demand" occupations will be 10 years from now (though they still try).  That comes from the DOL.  It is so difficult to predict what the future holds. You can look back historically to see how this country rose out of previous recessions, but all those times this country's makeup was hugely manufacturing based.  That isn't the case, we can't hope that making more cars, tanks, airplanes, anything, will bring us out of where we are.  The jobs that are hopefully going to come from the current stimulus package are foggy.  However, this we know.  They won't be paying $28/hr. 

Re-tooling and re-budgeting are the answers.  Down size personal budgets.  Simplify your life style.  If you can't make a lot of money, then you might as well love what you do! 

Dealing with Change

What is it about change that scares the pants off of some people?  I don't really care for change much myself.  I get very comfortable in my routines and surroundings.  I rely on them as a source of stability.  When things around me are changing so quickly, I sometimes dig in deeper to hold on to my routines and surroundings. Is it human nature...perhaps for some.  But change is inevitable.

I think what scares so many people is the fact that the change happened and they had no control over it- or did they?  They felt like they had no control.  Now they are forced to make new choices.  That is difficult. Whether it is a lay off, restructuring, being passed over for a promotion or raise, these conditions force us to adapt to change.  We can rise to the occasion or wallow in self pity. Take the high road and embrace this wonderful new opportunity. 

If we are serious about our careers and lives, we should be looking at ways to change ourselves regularly.  When we are in control of change, it feels better as well as prepares us to manage unforeseen change more comfortably.  Is managing change a skill?  The more practice you have, the easier it generally is.  So practice handling change. Expect change.

Being comfortable with ourselves professionally and personally may not be, no definitely, is NOT a good thing.  We need to continue to learn, develop, grow and modify ourselves, sometimes even re-invent in order to survive in today's volatile world of employment.

Job Loss- a reminder

It is worth repeating, Job Loss is an emotional roller coaster.  We all know that.  Lorraine Henderson, a talented Organizational Development consultant first introduced me to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's study. 

I wrote about her study in November, here it is again Job Loss

Kubler-Ross says that these emotions are predictable.  She also states we have to go through all of them in order to reach the other side. It may get easier to move through some of these emotional phases, but you can skip them.  

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

The bottom line- take care of yourself emotionally, physically and spiritually.  Maintain balance in your life.  Carve time out to do the things you love.  If you are not volunteering, give back- it can be extremely fulfilling.