by Angela Copeland | Oct 28, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Interviewing, Newsletter
Happy Halloween! In celebration, I want to share one of my frightening job interview stories.
Years ago, I interviewed for a job in Pittsburgh. I flew in late at night, with the interview scheduled first thing the next morning. As I unpacked, I realized I had forgotten the pants to my suit. My mind was racing as I went through the options of what to do.
Could I wear the pants I’d flown there in? No, they were sweatpants. Could I call a cab to take me to a mall? No, it was late and everything was closed. Could I have a pair of pants shipped to me from home? No, all the shippers were closed for the day.
This brainstorming went on for an hour. I wracked my brain as I tried to think of a creative solution to this big problem.
It turned out, packages could be dropped off directly at the airport until around midnight for FedEx, and could be delivered by six the next morning. The only catch was getting the pants to the airport.
My apartment manager was the only one with a key to my apartment, but I didn’t have her phone number. So, I called a neighbor who was friends with another neighbor who had a dog that the building manager walked every day. I knew he would have the building manager’s phone, and I knew my other neighbor had the dog owner’s phone number.
After a few calls, I found the building manager’s phone number. I called and asked her to give my key to a friend who was willing to drive the pants to the airport. My friend entered my apartment and called to locate the correct pair of pants. Then, he drove them to FedEx, and mailed them.
Afterward, I alerted the hotel desk to contact me the moment the pants arrived—which they did. The interview went smoothly and nobody noticed anything unusual.
One of the questions they asked was, “Tell us about a time you encountered a problem and were able to find a creative way to solve it.” It was the perfect opportunity to share my story. The interviewers were both surprised and impressed. What started as a nightmare turned out to be a big win!
I don’t remember if I got that job, but I do remember that the interview went well.
The lesson: When it comes to job interviews, don’t expect everything to go perfectly. There’s often something that will go wrong. If you can plan on that thing, it’s much easier to roll with the punches and have a positive experience.
Interviewing is not about answering every question correctly. The hiring manager is more likely to remember how they felt about you than how you answered each question. It’s like going to a live comedy show. You don’t remember each joke, but you remember whether you had a good time.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Oct 23, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Inclusion, Job Search, Newsletter
Why do you think that most job seekers are looking for a new job? Many managers would confidently report that their employees leave because they are looking for more pay. And, to some degree, this theory makes sense. Employees are often not honest with their previous employer about why they’re leaving. Employees often take a “it’s not you, it’s me” approach to breaking up the work relationship. In exit interviews, employees will often avoid sharing the real reason they are moving on to another job.
As you can imagine, the truth about why they are leaving is typically very different. Most employees are uncomfortable with change. Change is one of the last things that they want to sign up for. An employee looks for a new job as a last resort. Many employees won’t fully commit to a job search until they are crying in the bathroom stall at work, and are unable to sleep at night. And, those tears have very little to do with pay.
Jessica Hardeman from Indeed.com recently interviewed ibelong CEO Rajkumari Neogy on the topic of how leaders can reclaim diversity, equity, and inclusion during a divisive time. Rajkumari shared a personal story about feeling excluded at work, and the unnecessarily difficult experience it can cause for employees. Exclusion is a tool that can be used to make an employee feel like an outsider, and that they aren’t welcome to bring their whole self to work. Neogy shared that after moving on to a new role, it became apparent how much exclusion had made an impact.
Neogy also stressed the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. Walking on eggshells each day can be emotionally taxing, and can create a difficult dynamic both for impacted employees and those around them. It’s hard to share your ideas when you don’t feel they will be accepted or even considered. It’s hard to let your guard down enough to share.
When workers feel more accepted and understood, they are able to perform at a higher level. And, ultimately the company benefits from reduced turnover and increased productivity. In other words, companies where employees feel included and accepted make more money.
In terms of inclusivity and psychological safety, there is one group that stands out as doing a great job. I was initially surprised to see Gen Z employees being so supportive of one another. Gen Z employees seem less competitive with one another, and more supportive of the success of their colleagues. They are not out to try to tear one another down. On the whole, they try to support and build each other up. In addition, Gen Z is far more accepting and inclusive of other people who are different than they are. This creates a more collaborative and effective team.
There is something that we can all learn from Neogy and our Gen Z colleagues. There’s an incredibly positive power in inclusivity.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Sep 10, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Newsletter
Managers are often drained by the people part of their jobs. After working for years as an individual contributor, they are finally rewarded with a management role. But, management is not as fun as they had hoped. In addition to their old tasks, the manager is now saddled with a job that feels like a combination of a therapist and a babysitter. But, instead of watching over children, they are tending to middle-aged adults.
The interesting thing about this challenge is that the manager often creates it themselves. You heard that right. There is an easier way to manage that’s less taxing and takes up less time.
There are basics, such as treating your team with respect. Then comes trust and empowerment. Beyond these however, is something not often thought about. Many managers serve as the person who works out the problems of their employees.
On paper, this sounds great. Who doesn’t want a manager that helps them to move boulders? But, many work problems are not boulders. Most problems are comprised of a mix of misunderstandings and feelings.
Early in my own management career, I began to test a strategy that I employ to this day. I’m happy to be a sounding board for employees if something frustrating is happening. Often, an employee will share an upsetting interaction they had in a meeting or on a project. Then, they may ask me to intervene.
This is where managers can waste emotional cycles and degrade their work culture. If they take the problem and run with it, they are hearing only one side. When they approach the other person, it becomes clear that people are talking about one another. And, it doesn’t allow the employees to grow closer.
It can be draining for the manager. And, can create a cycle that is not sustainable in a busy work culture. So, what is a manager to do?
Be a good listener. Most people simply want to be heard. If an employee is venting, they may need a listening ear more than an answer. Keep the conversation confidential, if possible. Employees want to know they can count on their boss to be trustworthy.
Ask the employee what they believe is the best solution. They may already have an idea. If not, this will put them into the practice of their own conflict resolution.
If the employee asks you to step in, consider another path. Encourage the frustrated employee to have one conversation with the other person. Discuss the goals of the conversation. Then, ask that the employee report back afterward.
Assure them that if the entire thing goes off the rails, you are the backup plan. Having this can help the employee to feel more comfortable to try something new.
Surprisingly, most employee conflicts are able to be resolved by having a single conversation. It also builds a closer, more trustworthy relationship between employees. And, it makes management easier.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Aug 27, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Interview Questions, Interviewing, Job Search, Newsletter
Most job seekers have very strong feelings on one particular topic: job interview assessments. It is not uncommon in today’s job market for an employer to ask you to take an assessment. Yes, they may ask you to take a test.
An employer may ask you to “do a case study.” An employer may ask you to take an IQ test or to write a paper. Or, an employer may ask you to write a sample marketing plan.
Very often, I hear from job seekers that they feel that these assessment are ridiculous. Job seekers believe they are a waste of time. The company is asking the job seeker to do free work. And, many job seekers feel that companies do assessments such as these in order to steal their ideas. Job seekers often feel that their resume should speak for itself.
But, what if we think about the other side of this issue? Yes, assessments do take more time. And, when it comes to test taking, it could be debated that they are not always perfectly fair.
Assessments do however give a company a bird’s eye view into how you think. For example, what if the manager who hires you doesn’t like your ideas, or your working style? Doing an assessment may give you the opportunity to avoid a company that’s not for you.
Plus, it is not uncommon to compete against Ivy League graduates in a job interview. If you only needed a resume, the Harvard graduate might win every interview. An assessment can allow an underdog candidate to be taken more seriously. It can show a hiring manager that you understand their business, and are willing to work hard.
I once used an assessment when interviewing candidates for a graphic artist role. Each person was asked to create an image. In fairness, I provided each person with a small payment for their work. But, this small project allowed me to clearly see who the most talented designers were. It allowed all bias to be set aside, and to focus on results.
Think of it this way. An assessment can help to set you apart from the competition.
And, on the topic of stealing ideas, I hate to break it to you. Your ideas are not that original. Neither are mine. It is not uncommon for two people to come up with the same idea. Not only that, a company cannot sustain on a few ideas that may have been shared in a job interview assessment. The likelihood that a company is interviewing you in order to take ideas from you is low.
Rather than be upset about an assessment, look at it as an opportunity. It’s your chance to shine, and it’s your chance to get a new job offer. Many candidates drop out on the assessment step. Be the candidate who takes a risk, and wins big. You might get the opportunity to implement the ideas you created.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Aug 5, 2024 | Career Corner Column, Layoff, Newsletter
Do you remember when layoffs were unusual? They were a last resort that companies would only take if they had no other choice. Layoffs were shocking. They were a mark of shame on employers who couldn’t seem to find any other option.
Today, layoffs are commonplace. In fact, they can be a badge of honor for a company. A company’s stock price may go up following a layoff. Layoffs have evolved from a last resort to a first stop on the list of ways to save money.
Layoffs have become so normal that at times executive leadership may fail to mention to anyone that a layoff has occurred. And, the annual reviews that were once used to help improve someone’s career are now the first place an employer may look for the best candidates to lay off.
All in all, this is inhumane. What is going on for the employee who was walked out the door? Have layoffs been so normalized that these employees are not personally impacted?
The answer is: no. Employees who are laid off for any reason can face career-long ramifications that we often don’t think about. It’s such a painful topic that those who were laid off often don’t talk about it. Or, they may pretend that it’s normal.
According to Kyra Bobinet’s book, Unstoppable Brain, layoffs bring “long-term negative consequences, including health issues, significant mental and financial stress, and a 1.3 to 3 times risk of suicide.” A Harvard Business Review article also noted that, “displaced workers have twice the risk of developing depression, and four times the risk of substance abuse.” It also notes the cumulative effect of unemployment. Displaced workers often experience long-term income loss that stick around for their entire career. “For example, workers laid off during the 1980s recession saw a 30 percent earnings decline, and twenty years later, most of them still earned 20 percent less than peers who retained their jobs.”
These are startling statistics. Job loss might be compared to the deal of a spouse. It’s losing a big part of your identity that is shocking and hard to recover from. In our achievement-based culture, it can feel like a reflection on who you are as a person. It can feel like a reflection of failed performance.
If you have gone through a layoff, I empathize with your experience. But, do not take too much time off between opportunities. Start looking as fast as you can. The quicker you find something new, the more you will minimize the financial and emotional impact of the experience. And, the less likely the layoff will follow you through your career and your finances.
Reach out to your loved ones for support. Many people have had similar tough experiences. But, sadly, we often don’t talk about it enough. Understanding that you are not alone in this experience can also help to move you forward to your next chapter.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on
Apple Podcasts or
Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in
iTunes or
Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
Happy Halloween! In celebration, I want to share one of my frightening job interview stories.
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