by Angela Copeland | Aug 24, 2016 | Career Corner Column, Media, Networking
Have you ever wondered where you can make the biggest investment into your career? At first glance, another advanced degree might make sense. Or, perhaps an online certification course would be beneficial. Although these things will help to beef up your resume, there’s a cheaper alternative that very well may be more impactful: networking.
Unfortunately, networking can be a foreign (and potentially scary) concept. People often say, “I don’t want to be a bother” or “Why would that person want to talk to me?” It can be hard to know where to begin.
When I was a child, I thought of networking as a grown up way of making new friends. In a certain regard, that’s exactly what it is. When you are in high school or college, you often make friends with your classmates, your scout group, or your sports team. Friends are readily available in a way we rarely experience as adults.
Although networking contacts don’t fill the gap of long term friendships, thinking of networking as making new friends can often help to get started and to stay committed. Similar to friendships, networking is a long term commitment that requires nurturing. It’s an investment in the future. It’s not a one-time event.
Many people try to network only when they’re looking for a job. And, it makes sense. We’re all busy with work and our personal lives. Networking is just another chore to do. But, think of it from another perspective. Should a networking contact recommend someone for a job that they don’t know? It’s hard for a networking contact to speak about your character if they don’t really know you or have never worked with you.
When you’re ready to begin networking, start by looking for local professional events. There are many groups designed for certain ages or industries that can be found on websites such as Meetup.com. These events are often open to guests and are an easy way to get started. An even better way to grow your network is through existing friends and family. And, if you’re feeling adventurous, try introducing yourself to someone you don’t know on LinkedIn.
If you start to have self-doubt, and wonder if you’re going to bother other people, just remember this. The most senior executives at a company rarely got there on smarts alone. They’ve honed their own people skills, and spent years networking over coffees and lunches. In the same way that you’re looking to have networking meetings now, they have in the past.
Not everyone will have time to network, but it’s rarely a reflection on you. The person may be going through a difficult time at home, or may be extra busy at work. If someone declines your invitation, or doesn’t respond at all, move on to the next person.
Even a handful of high quality contacts can make all the difference when you’re growing your career. And, like anything else, it takes practice. With enough time and experience, you’ll be networking with no fear.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 4, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media
I hope you’re having a really wonderful 4th of July weekend. Hopefully, you are spending it with loved ones — and have at least three days off of work!
Speaking of work and Independence Day, here are a few tips on how to hang onto your career independence.
- Always be networking – Never take the power of networking for granted. Despite how old you may be or how many contacts you may have, there’s no excuse not to network. Networking is the #1 way job seekers find new jobs.
- Continue to learn – One of the biggest career mistakes people often make is not keeping their skill set up to date. You never know when you may need to move to a new company. In order to be able to do this, keep learning. Always.
- Don’t tell them you’re looking – When you tell your boss you’re looking, you take away your own power. It’s not unheard of for a company to fire an employee because they’ve learned the person is looking for a new job.
- Save – What would happen if you had enough money in an emergency savings account to last you six months or a year? How nice would it be to go in to work every day because you want to, not because you have to?
- Keep fixed expenses low – If you want to retain your independence, one way you can do it is by keeping your fixed expenses at a reasonable level. I’m talking about the amount you may pay for your rent or mortgage, for your car, and any other expense that you are required to pay every single month. If you keep these low, it’s easier to tighten your belt when things get rough.
- Pursue other interests – One of the fastest ways you can get pigeon holed into a particular role is to not pursue anything else. Keep your interests diversified, and you’ll keep your options open.
- Keep your cool – The more you can go with the flow and keep your cool, the more likely you are to be liked at work. And, the more you’re liked, the more control you have over whether or not you’ll be sticking around in the future.
- Follow the rules – Following the rules can ensure your employer doesn’t have a good reason to get rid of you. But, first you’ve got to know the rules. Be sure to review your employee handbook and pay close attention to rules around social media. Following the rules leaves you in control.
- Switch companies from time to time – This can seem counter intuitive, but by finding a new job every three to five years will increase your salary, diversify your network, and will strengthen your skill set. This will give you more choices over time.
Maintaining your career independence will empower you to make the choice of where you work. Even on bad days, you’ll still have hope for the future — because you know you’re in control of your own destiny.
I wish you the very best Independence Day!
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 Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jun 22, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media, Negotiating
One of the worst things that can happen to any employee is to find out they aren’t being treated the same as their coworkers. We’ve all been there. Perhaps you didn’t realize the person who sits next to you gets a week more of vacation. Or, maybe they have special permission to leave early every day. Or, they make more money than you do. Perhaps their mobile phone is paid for.
This grim discovery can make an otherwise pleasant job feel miserable. It’s like a wakeup call. You realize that your company doesn’t value you or your talents in the way you thought they did. It makes you second guess your future there. It makes you angry. It’s like your company has been cheating on you with someone else – someone younger.
Common complaints are that the coworker is less experienced, less knowledgeable, and produces less value for the company. “They don’t know what they’re doing!” you may argue.
Unfortunately, in the corporate world of work, salaries and perks are not always decided in a way that’s considered fair. They’re based on other factors. First and foremost, they’re based on negotiation skills. They may also be based on other details, such as the school you went to or your salary history.
If you’ve discovered your benefits are out of balance, what should you do? One option is to go to your human resources department. You can certainly go through the process of asking for a better compensation package. And, in some cases, this may be a sound idea.
But, for the vast majority of cases, take the time to reflect on the situation. If you make a case and win, then what happens? Will you enjoy working for a company that wasn’t straightforward with you? Do you want to work for a boss who doesn’t believe in your skills enough to compensate you fairly?
It may seem a bit passive, but I’d encourage you to consider focusing on your future rather than on your past. Be happy that you finally know you’re being treated differently. Allow this knowledge to be a catalyst for change.
Take the time to look for a new company who will appreciate what you bring to the table. Find a new boss who will stand behind you and be your advocate. Look for a new place where you can truly grow your career.
Search for just the right opportunity. You want to avoid recreating the negative situation you have today. While you’re looking, don’t quit your current job. It may take time to find something new.
Once you find the perfect job, negotiate for a higher salary and more vacation. By ensuring you’re paid fairly, you will likely see a considerable pay bump on your way into the door of this new organization. Not only will you reap the benefits of more financial stability, but you will also know that your new boss truly values you – and is willing to pay you what you’re worth.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 15, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media, Relocation
With the summer finally here, you may be planning a fun vacation. That vacation to visit a far away, relaxing location can leave you dreaming of moving to a new place. The farther along you are in your career, the trickier moving can feel. At times, it’s hard to know where to even begin.
If you’re part of a unique profession where companies struggle to find candidates, you’re one of the lucky ones. Headhunters and company recruiters will seek you out. Companies will court you and offer to pay to move you and your entire family to their headquarters.
But, if you are not one of this select group, you may be struggling to figure out how to make a move. Organizations often want to recruit local talent first. And, it makes sense. Someone local doesn’t require relocation. They can often start sooner, and the recruiter can get references from other employers in the city about their work.
What can you do? First, don’t just apply online. I harp on this topic, but applying through the company website only will rarely land a job offer. This is especially true if that job is in another city.
Instead, consider this approach. Plan a trip to your target city. The trip could last anywhere from a few days to a week, but be sure to go on weekdays, when business offices are open. Stay away from big holiday weekends when employees are out of town.
Before you go, reach out to as many people as possible to setup meetings. Start with your existing network, including friends, family, and former colleagues. Then, contact local recruiters in your target city. Last, reach out to potential hiring managers are companies you’re interested in. You can find these people through websites like LinkedIn. When you reach out, mention that you will be in town only for a short time, but that you’d love the opportunity to take the person to coffee or lunch while you’re visiting.
Break each day into three parts: morning, midday, and evening. Try to schedule a coffee meeting in the morning and a lunch meeting midday for each day you visit. In the evenings, look for networking events to attend.
A great place to look for networking events is Meetup.com. You can search the website by the type of event you’re looking for in a particular location. You can also search the local Chamber of Commerce website, and other professional organizations that you may already be a member of.
For every meeting and event you attend, be sure to bring extra business cards and resumes. You never know when you might meet someone who’s looking to hire you. And, bring at least one suit, just in case you land an interview while you’re there.
This approach is much more in depth than applying online, however it is also much more effective. By meeting you in person, you become more than just a resume and you show potential employers that you’re serious about your move.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 8, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media
When we’re looking for a new job, we often spend all our time perfecting our resume and applying online to random openings. These tactics can sometimes work, but is there a better way? What about the times when we’re ready for a career change, but aren’t quite sure where to look for something new?
There’s a very special way to boost your search strategy. It’s cheap and easy to do. It can even be fun. In fact, you may be doing it already and don’t even realize it. The secret is called “informational interviewing.”
At first glance, informational interviewing may sound quite intimidating. After all, this phrase contains the word interview. In reality, informational interviews are quite relaxed. They’re more of an educational exercise than anything else.
Instead of calling them informational interviews, perhaps we should rename them “get to know someone new who works in a different industry or company than you do” or more simply, “networking.” Networking sounds a bit more reasonable, doesn’t it?
To set up informational interviews, reach out to those people you’d like to learn more about. Perhaps they work in an interesting industry, or maybe they have a particular job title that peaks your curiosity. Give the person a call, send an e-mail, or write a note on LinkedIn. Tell them that you admire their work, and would be grateful if they’d take just a few minutes to speak with you over the phone. If they seem especially receptive, ask them if you can take them for a coffee, or if you can meet in person at their office.
Before the meeting, do your homework. Learn everything you can about their career and their company. Come prepared with a list of questions. If you aren’t sure what to ask, think of things you’d like to know that will help you to understand more about their company, or more about their career path.
Sample questions include: How did you get into marketing? What convinced you to work at your company? What was the process like for you to switch your career path? What do you like the most about your job?
Be prepared to answer questions about yourself too. The most common question is, “Tell me about yourself.” If you aren’t sure what you want to do next, be honest. However, avoid confusing the other person. The fastest way to do this is to provide a laundry list of possibilities for what you want to do next. If you have a few specific choices in mind, speak about the one most relevant to the person you’re talking to.
Be conscious of time. Show up a little early, and be careful not to keep the person too long. Afterward, send a thank you e-mail and a hand written thank you note. And, don’t forget to connect to the person on LinkedIn and to check in occasionally. The connections created from an informational interview can often turn into a new job offer in the long run.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
by Angela Copeland | Jun 1, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Media
In the most difficult of cases, a job search can take a year or more. The process is grueling and emotionally exhausting. We spend many days and lots of money perfecting our look, networking with new people, and trying to find just the right fit.
Once we finally find the perfect job, it would be easy to think that things should be smooth sailing. We went through the difficult part during the interview, right? Things should be easy now.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In fact, in the worse scenario, we can mess up a good thing with just a few wrong moves. When that happens, we’re back to square one – wondering if we should find a new job, again.
To start off on the right foot, the first thing to work on is our perception of our coworkers and our boss. Arrive to work early and stay late. Dress as if you belong at company. In other words, don’t be too casual or too dressy. It can be hard to imagine, but visual cues like these can make a world of difference.
You should also take initiative and avoid office politics. Offer to help your coworkers when they need it. And, when they help you in return, be sure to say thank you often. Avoid those who seem to dwell on the negative or talk badly about one another. Be humble, and don’t attempt to stand out from the crowd (at least not in the beginning).
Take the time to get to know your coworkers. Socialize with them outside of the office. Consider going to lunch with them, or to drinks after work. But, be sure to check your personal life at the door. There may come a time that deep personal sharing makes sense, but that’s not the case when you first start.
It’s also important to learn about your new company. Look up how the company was started and any key facts that may impact the business today. Your boss and coworkers will have respect for the time you’ve taken to learn about the company.
As strange as it may seem, take the time to read the company handbook. When you start out, human resources typically gives you a book of information about the policies at work. If you don’t review it, you may assume that your new company has similar policies as your last workplace. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. For example, some companies allow you to post your personal views publically on social media, while others will terminate you for it. This is a big difference!
As you can see, first impressions are often based on things like how likeable you are – or how much of a team player you’re perceived to be. Fortunately, these are things that are easy to do as long as you are aware of expectations. Following these straight forward guidelines will help to make sure you start off on the right foot – and will cement your future success.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
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