by Angela Copeland | Aug 1, 2017 | Advice, Happiness, Podcast
Episode 139 is live! This week, we talk with Howard Behar in Seattle, WA.
Howard is a business leader, author, speaker, and mentor. For 21 years, Howard led Starbuck’s domestic business as President of North America, and he became the founding President of Starbucks International, opening the very first store outside of North America in Japan. He has authored two books, including It’s Not About The Coffee: Lessons On Putting People First from a Life at Starbucks – and The Magic Cup: A Business Parable About a Leader, a Team, and the Power of Putting People and Values First.
On today’s episode, Howard shares his insights on why the human connection is so important in business and at Starbucks. He also shares tips on how to understand what our employees’ value, the 6 values we should pursue in our careers, and how to tell if a company aligns to our core values.
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Howard, visit his website here: http://howardbehar.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter at @HowardBehar.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 26, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, First Job
When most job seekers think of using social media to apply for a new job, they think of networking website LinkedIn. But, McDonald’s and Snapchat recently pushed the boundaries of recruiting. McDonald’s partnered up with Snapchat to recruit and hire new employees this summer. Previously rolled out in Australia earlier this year, they’re calling the recruiting effort “Snaplications.”
According to the Washington Post, McDonald’s plans to fill 250,000 summer jobs. Most are front-line customer service employees in their teens are early twenties. And, those job seekers are using Snapchat. The app has approximately 166 million daily users, with the largest group being in the same age range that McDonald’s is targeting for future hires.
A job seeker is given the opportunity to submit a ten second video through Snapchat. Then, the job seeker is directed through a lengthier, traditional online application process. The video sounds similar to an elevator pitch, or the answer to the question, “Tell me about yourself.”
In an ever changing online world, it’s tough to know exactly what to make of this unusual application process. But, in a certain regard, the concept of applying quickly is similar to what other job sites are already trying to create for job seekers. Sites like LinkedIn and Indeed offer easy application processes that are often just one click. The job seeker pre-loads information about their work history. Then, when they see a job they’re interested in, their application can be submitted in just seconds. This allows the job seeker to apply quickly to many different jobs.
The other factor at play with a quick video application is the first impression. Research shows that the average time you have to make a first impression is approximately seven seconds. And, in many fields, much of the job seeker’s success is tied to just that – first impressions. So, a video application is not that different in certain ways then what happens in real life. (It should be noted that just because first impressions matter doesn’t mean they’re fair. Videos, much like photos or age, have the potential to introduce bias into the job search process.)
Also in real life, you must decide quickly and on the spot as to whether or not you’re interested in a particular job. Decisions become more of a gut reaction than we might like to admit to ourselves.
When I reached out to Snapchat to learn more, I found that the McDonald’s campaign recently ended. But, another company may soon hire through Snapchat too. McDonald’s used existing Snapchat advertising technology to create the Snaplications campaign. That same technology could be taken advantage of by other companies seeking to recruit young talent.
Right or wrong, one lesson to take away from Snaplications is this. You never know when or where you may be hired next. Do your best to represent yourself in a professional light no matter what setting you’re in – online or offline. And, be ready to submit your application and your resume wherever you happen to be.
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 19, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, High School Job
A reader recently wrote to me with an interesting question. He was seeking advice on how his teenage daughter might find an after school job for her high school years. His logic makes sense. He wants her to learn discipline and to gain a work ethic. These are great qualities for a young student to develop. Although I respect this method of getting there, I also suggested an alternative path.
When I was growing up, I was also encouraged to take a high school job. Where I lived, most options for teenagers focused on fast food. Although I could have made extra money this way, I decided to try something else. And, I’ll be honest – it was fairly controversial at the time.
I made the decision not to take a job during high school. In order to do this, I committed to spending as little money as possible, and to saving everything I could. This made my plan more feasible.
Then, I set out to use my spare time differently. I studied day and night in order to get the best grades I could. With my remaining free time, I looked for volunteer projects. I also founded a mentorship program at my high school for high risk third graders. Nobody paid me for these projects. But, they were an investment in myself, and in my community. I learned similar lessons about disciple and I gained a work ethic.
When it was time to apply to college, I now had a wealth of experience that I could include on my applications. I had initiated a community project that made me stand out from the other college applicants. I gained real experience that I could include on my resume. This experience, along with my high marks, resulted in scholarship money I desperately needed to go away to college.
In fact, the scholarships I received were for far more than I ever would have made working after school and on the weekends for a tiny paycheck. Given the minimum wage at the time, it would have taken me four years working full-time forty hours per week to earn the amount of money I received in scholarships.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand that choosing not to work during high school is a luxury that not all kids have. I don’t want to knock on the teenagers who are working many hours on top of high school in order to contribute to their family’s expenses. I have incredible respect for these teenagers.
But, for the high schoolers who are lucky enough to get to choose, think past the basic options. Soon, you’ll pay someone else thousands to take college courses you may never use. Don’t assume being paid is always the number one priority. Think about what profession or real world cause you’d like to learn more about and go from there. You will gain new skills, differentiate yourself from your peers, and may even get a little scholarship money along the way.
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 18, 2017 | Advice, HR, Human Resources, Podcast, Recruiter
Episode 137 is live! This week, we talk with Jennifer McClure in Cincinnati, OH.
Jennifer is a professional speaker and business advisor. She helps leaders embrace the future of work and leverage their influence to create positive, lasting change in and through their organizations. Jennifer has also served in various roles, including as a Human Resources Executive, Executive Recruiter, and Executive Coach.
On today’s episode, Jennifer shares what we need to do to prepare for the future of work. She also shares insights on the role of Human Resources in the job interview process, and what we can do to work better with HR.
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
To learn more about Jennifer, visit her website at http://jennifermcclure.net/. You can also find her on Twitter at @JenniferMcClure, and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure/.
Thanks to everyone for listening! And, thank you to those who sent me questions. You can send your questions to Angela@CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I am Copeland Coaching.
Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review!
by Angela Copeland | Jul 12, 2017 | Advice, Bullying, Career Corner Column, Happiness
Growing up, it seemed like one of the perks of being an adult was a lack of bullies. After all, bullying stops after high school graduation, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. A few bullies sneak through life without giving up their bullying ways. Often, these meanies resurface at work, making your eight hours there much less rewarding. Maybe they’re unhappy with their own lives, or perhaps they have other personal issues at play. Whatever the cause, being on the receiving end of bullying is never fun.
After meeting a number of people who have experienced bullying, a few common themes emerge. First, being bullied is something we feel shameful about. We don’t talk about it openly because we feel bad that it’s happening to us. We assume we are the only person it’s happening to. We keep our thoughts locked up and allow them to eat away at us.
But, bullying is real. According to a 2017 study released by the Workplace Bullying Institute, 19% of Americans are bullied at work and another 19% witness it. Bullying affects 60 million Americans.
If we’ve been bullied, we may wonder what’s wrong with us. We assume the bullying is a reflection of us. We think that maybe we’ve chosen the wrong career path. Maybe we’re completely unqualified. We’ve been pulling off a total show until this bully figured out our game.
This internalization of workplace bullying is one of the most toxic experiences we can go through at work. It’s stressful. It takes away our power. And, it can undermine our confidence and our performance. 40% of bullied targets are believed to suffer adverse health effects.
Because I have the good fortune to meet many job seekers, I get a chance to see behind the curtains of what we’re all going through. If you are on the receiving end of bullying, you should know that you’re not alone. A workplace bully’s efforts is not a reflection of your abilities.
Aggressive behavior, whether it’s name calling, back stabbing, or undermining, is never okay at work. Period.
If you have found yourself on the receiving end of a bully, work to build your personal team of advocates. Find people you trust that you can talk to and who will be supportive of you as you find a way out of this situation. Document your experience, so you can reflect back on what’s happening over time. Look for opportunities to reach out to folks within your organization for help, such as your manager, coworkers, or human resources. And, consider looking for a job at a new company.
The solution to making it through bullying is not to just survive the day. Your end game is to thrive. You deserve to be treated with respect. Sticking up for yourself in this time of crisis is critical to your future success. Don’t let a bully’s efforts go on until you are both physically and emotionally run down. Work to end this cycle of unhealthy behavior today.
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 5, 2017 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Career Transition, Change, Fired, Unemployment
A reader recently wrote to me with a unique situation. They landed an impressive contract position. Everything was going along great for eleven months until one day, they were let go. The company laid off a large number of people all at the same time. After soliciting feedback, the reader was given a good review and sent on their way.
It wasn’t personal. Or, was it? Just a few days after being let go, their contract job appeared online as an open position. It was the same job at the same company. Then, a friend of the reader was hired at the same company. They asked what had happened. They were told the reader was let go due to poor performance issues.
How could this be? The reader had never been given any negative feedback. They were told it wasn’t about them.
After this incident, the reader has had multiple job interviews. This has left them with a difficult question. “What should I say in future job interviews if someone asks ‘Why did you leave the company?’ How do I honestly answer that without bad mouthing anyone?”
Reader, let me say first, I am so sorry this happened to you. Being let go from a company is difficult enough. Receiving conflicting messages about it later is even worse.
When you interview, it’s very important to be honest. It’s also important to be as accurate as possible. The problem here is that the company may not have been honest with you. If there was a performance issue as you have heard, it’s possible that your manager avoided their duties by not giving you direct and constructive feedback.
The problem is, you don’t really know the truth. What you’ve heard is third hand information at best. It’s tough to know how much of what you were told is a rumor and how much is reality. For example, did the feedback come from your boss or from an old coworker who likes to gossip?
In a case like this, it can be tough to know what to say in an interview. But, the best course of action may be to go with the company line. You were part of a random company layoff. It wasn’t personal. Your performance ratings were good. It’s what is documented in your employee file.
Unfortunately, when someone leaves a company, others have a tendency to talk. Often, they may try to guess the reasons someone left. This gossip can spread misinformation.
Even if the rumor is true, how would you validate it? And how would it benefit you to do so? It would not be helpful to provide unproven, negative information to a future employer. It would also not be helpful to explain a long story of events about your departure and the rumors that followed.
Stick with what you were officially told and move on to a more exciting and fulfilling opportunity with a manager who appreciates your skills and talents. Best of luck in your job search!
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
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