by Angela Copeland | Mar 14, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
Some people seem to have all the luck. From the outside, they appear to get every promotion, make more money, drive a nicer car and live in a nicer house. It’s like they are surrounded by a ray of sunshine all day. This seems especially true of celebrities, company heads and professional athletes. How do they get so lucky, and when will my luck change?
I would argue that luck isn’t really luck at all. As Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Those we perceive as lucky are often working very hard behind the scenes to perfect their craft. They spend hours becoming their very best in hopes of shining in one important moment – whether it’s in a board meeting, on a stage or in a sporting arena.
In Malcom Gladwell’s book “Outliers,” he mentions the 10,000 Hour Rule. Gladwell believes that a large part of success is determined by how much you practice a specific task or skill. He says, “Practice isn’t the thing you do when you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
The same principle applies when you’re looking to grow your career. Seek out opportunities to improve your skills. At work, consider offering to assist someone with a task that’s outside of your expertise. Ask them to teach you a little about what they do. They’ll often be happy to help, and you’ll be given the chance to learn something new.
If you don’t have an opportunity to grow your skills at work, take charge and look outside of your cubicle walls. Consider donating your time to a local nonprofit or a friend who’s starting a business. For example, if you’ve wondered what it’s like to work in social media, volunteer to setup a Facebook page and Twitter campaign for a nonprofit that can’t afford to hire someone. If you want to become a better public speaker, volunteer to give a presentation to a community group on a topic you know about. This will help grow your skills, and give back to the community at the same time.
As you add more tools to your skill set, include them on your resume and LinkedIn profile. Consistently building on your existing foundation will help to boost your career’s value. But, don’t expect it to happen overnight. It takes months, years, and even decades to truly develop professionally.
Remember that today’s professional environment isn’t the one your grandparents grew up in. Employees can no longer sit back and assume their company will develop them over time. Even if you work full time job, you are still the CEO of your own career. It’s up to you to take charge of your personal career development.
Continuously looking for opportunities to improve, and practicing your skills is the one clear path to success. If you do these things and work hard, one day you may find yourself answering questions to your friends and family about how you became so lucky in your career.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day week!
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 | Mar 7, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
The unfortunate truth of today’s job searching climate is that applying for jobs is competitive – very competitive. Employers can be picky about who they hire and how much they’re willing to pay. For many job seekers over 50, the search process is a longer, harder road than they remember from years past.
Many companies view an older employee as a big risk. They’re typically more expensive, and more likely to quit since they’re creeping up on retirement. An older applicant may be looked at as less flexible, and behind the times when it comes to technology.
I’ve worked with many clients who share the same story. They want to switch jobs, but they feel trapped. They’re certain another company won’t take a risk to hire them. The interesting thing is, the age someone guesses you as is largely determined by signals you send and have control over.
If you’re facing this dilemma, start by taking a long look in the mirror. Ensure that your hairstyle and makeup are still current. Consider a visit to your dentist to whiten your teeth if they’re stained from coffee and tea. If your glasses are old, consider a new pair or switching to contacts.
Evaluate your interview attire. If your shoes are scuffed, purchase one new pair you only wear to interviews. The same goes for a business suit. If your suits are outdated, consider purchasing one new suit. If you meet with the same company multiple times, change your shirt and tie or jewelry instead of buying an entirely new wardrobe.
Next, evaluate your technology. If you’re using an outdated flip phone, or an old brick phone with those keys that stick out, it’s time to see your mobile carrier. Upgrade to one of the many smartphones that are available like an Android or an iPhone. Consider signing up for and participating in social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If you’re using an old email address, it’s time to sign-up for a free G-mail account. If you’re not sure whether or not your email is outdated, think of how long you’ve had it and where it came from. If you’ve had it more than 10 years, and it ends in your Internet service provider’s name, you could be at risk.
Last, clean up your resume. Remove positions from the beginning of your career that are no longer relevant to what you do today. Do not include your high school at all, and keep any college related activities to a bare minimum. It’s no longer relevant that you were the president of the college chess team. You can even consider removing your college graduation year from your resume. It’s much harder to guess your age if you don’t provide the year you entered school.
Start with these simple tips, and you’ll quickly find that you shave years off your appearance and your resume. Although you can’t eliminate age discrimination altogether, you certainly can reduce the likelihood that it significantly impacts your search.
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 | Feb 22, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
I meet with job seekers every day. It’s no surprise that they are often frustrated with the process of finding a new job. Between the energy applying takes, and then being rejected — looking for a job can be exhausting.
One question I always ask is, “Where are you getting stuck?” More than half of the time, the job seeker identifies the biggest hurdle as their resume. If it was better, they would get a job faster.
I completely agree that a good resume is one of the keys to a successful job search. But, I don’t put quite as much weight on it as you might think.
That must be surprising, right? After all, resumes are kind of my thing.
First, let me say again – a good resume is one of the keys to a successful search. But, there are a number of other important things:
- How well you network and stay in touch with people you’ve worked with, or know professionally
- How up to date your LinkedIn profile is
- How comfortable you are at reaching out to people you don’t know
- How well you delivery your elevator pitch
- How well written your cover letter is
- How specific your job search criteria is
- How much money you want to make
- How in demand your job is — and how much competition exists
I could go on and on. There are a number of factors that influence your job search that go beyond your resume. And, if you are ignoring these other pieces in order to focus on your resume, it’s possible you may struggle more than you need to.
But, if you want to get your resume right, so you can move on to the other parts of your search, here are a few tips to get you started:
- Check for spelling errors. There is nothing worse than having a hiring manager find a typo in your resume.
- Look for inconsistencies. Very often, we may start using one format at the beginning of our resume and switch to another without noticing. For example, we may start off with having our company name above our job title. And, a few jobs later, we’re putting the job title above our company name. Either way is okay, but be consistent.
- Check out your tenses. Very often in resumes, we use bullets to describe our work experience. And, those bullets typically begin with action verbs. If you’re using this format, be sure that things you did in the past are listed in past tense. Things you do today should be in present tense.
- Use a professional looking e-mail address. Stay away from old e-mails, such as AOL. Stay away from an e-mail with your birth year, your graduation year, or any other year with a significance. Stay away from using the names of hobbies in your e-mail address. Use your name, plain and simple.
- Your resume should be one entire page, or two entire pages. This is not a free form document. A resume is a formal presentation of your work history. It shouldn’t be one and a half pages, two and a half pages, or three pages. If you’re putting together a CV, the number of pages could vary, but for a resume, stick with this recommendation.
- Don’t use a resume writer! I can’t stress this enough. If you need help, reach out to a coach who can read your resume and provide feedback. Then, you make those changes. The most embarrassing resume moments I have seen have always (and I mean always) happened as a result of a resume writer. The writer doesn’t know the job seeker’s entire history and does their best to translate their lengthy experience into a two page document. But, they make a mistake. And, the job seeker ultimately doesn’t notice it until it’s too late.
These are just a few of my resume tips. Remember: a resume is not the single key to success. It’s one of many keys. Spend the time to update your resume, but don’t spend ALL of your time on it. Get it to a good place and then move on to the other keys of success.
Anytime I’m thinking of resumes, this quote comes to mind: “Done is better than perfect.”
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 | Feb 15, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend. I hope it was positively memorable and special in whatever way you were hoping for. And, I hope you were able to spend it with loved ones, whether that was a spouse, significant other, or close friend.
If you have been single in the last two years, you will probably agree with me when I say that dating has really changed. And, frankly, it hasn’t changed for the better. I tell my married friends, “If you’re unhappy – work it out. Dating is not what you remember.”
Job seeking can be much the same way. It requires much more work, many more interviews, attention to personal brand, and even then, things can go wrong.
Here are five of the top things that are very similar between dating and searching for a job. I hope you enjoy!
- Defining your personal brand is the first step. Your image is important. Dates often judge you on things that are sometimes tough to think about, like your appearance and your clothes. Online dates especially will take note when you making spelling mistakes, when your grammar is off, or when your profile photo is ugly or out of date. Have you ever heard of someone dropping a Tinder match because they used “your” instead of “you’re” in a text message? It happens in dating, and it happens in job searching. Take the time to be sure you’re representing yourself in a way you are comfortable with. Employers aren’t just looking for the smartest person. That’s hard to measure. They are looking for someone who represents themselves well.
- Knowing your target market will bring you closer to success. When it comes to dating, there’s a good chance you have a type in mind that you prefer. When you create an online profile, you’ll look to include photos or information that might appeal to the kind of person you’re trying to attract. For example, if you are a man looking to attract women, you might play it safe and not post a photo filled with dead animals you recently captured on a hunting trip. The same concept applies to potential employers. Pay attention to the type of company you want to work for, and the type of employee they are targeting. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs. Remember, you’re there to sell yourself.
- You must perfect your pitch. A first date (especially one that started on one of those ‘swiping’ sites) almost always starts out with a question along the lines of, “Tell me about yourself” (because frankly, you know very little when you’re matched). Typically, you share personal information, such as where you grew up, what your hobbies are, and maybe a little about your family. Most likely, you don’t share all of your negative personal baggage right then. You’re giving a high level view of who you are and what you’re about. The same thing goes for a job interview — except instead of sharing personal information, you share career information. Think of specific things like your work experience and educational background that the employer might want to know more about.
- You probably won’t marry the first person you date. This sounds obvious, right? You have probably never been to a first date, just hoping and praying the person is going to want to marry you. That would be nuts! You need to get to know them a little first, right? Well, the same thing goes for a potential employer. If you know nothing about them, why would you hope that they’d hire you? You’ll be spending eight to ten hours a day with them for years. Rather than focus on your fear of rejection, take the time to get to know the company in the same way they’re getting to know you.
- If your first date doesn’t want a second one, there’s a chance they will just stop calling. This is one of the biggest changes in dating that has come along with the internet. It is really rare that anyone will directly say, “You know, I really enjoyed our first date together, but I don’t think we’re a great match.” If you’ve gotten this sort of feedback, consider yourself lucky. Instead, a date will stop texting, answering the phone, and returning e-mails. Heck, they may even defriend you on Facebook. That’s the new signal that they’re not interested. And, it’s also the approach many companies are taking. The same way this is frustrating to daters, it’s incredibly frustrating to job seekers. You’ve taken the time to update your resume, you’ve written a create cover letter, you snuck out of work two or three times. Then, boom — nothing! The company doesn’t let you know that you weren’t picked, and they certainly don’t let you know why. It’s such a disrespectful way to end a date — and an interview.
Again, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. This e-mail was meant to bring a little humor to the process we’ve all been a part of — whether dating or job seeking.
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 | Feb 8, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
Chances are good that you are one of the millions of people who watched the Super Bowl yesterday. Whether you tuned in to cheer on the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers, to watch the latest Super Bowl commercials, or to listen to Coldplay perform live, I hope you had a great time!
As you can imagine, getting to the Super Bowl isn’t easy for anyone! The football players have been practicing their entire lives for this moment. The advertisers work hard to perfect their spots, and the musicians have spent years performing together.
Ending up at something like the Super Bowl is rarely an accident, unless perhaps you’re a really lucky fan. And, even that seems unlikely.
For the players, it takes planning, practice, and years of endurance. It takes strategy. It takes not giving up. It’s not just their job; it’s their career.
Are you happy with you career? Is there an overarching strategy that drives you toward the end of the field? If your strategy is lacking, there’s a good chance you aren’t terribly happy with your job, or you may be frustrated with your job search.
When you’re thinking of strategy, there are a few key things to keep in mind. The first is presentation. Although perfection is not expected, you should avoid embarking on a big job search until you’ve polished your presentation.
Presentation includes your resume. It includes your LinkedIn, and your business cards. It even includes what you might wear to an interview. If you don’t have at least one suit in your closet, what will you do when someone calls you for an interview? And, what about those times when a friend asks you to e-mail them a copy of your resume — but you don’t have one?
After putting your presentation together, it’s all about execution — and not giving up!
It’s very common in today’s internet age to only look for jobs online. Unfortunately, this method rarely works well. It’s funny considering it’s the #1 method recommended by many companies and HR professionals.
With that in mind, focus on your offline game. What will you do to get around the online process? Who do you know in real life that might help you? What events can you attend to meet new people? Who can you start to check in with regularly, to stay on their radar?
Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do, turn those activities into goals. For example, do you want to go to one networking event per week? Do you have time to send one e-mail per day to stay in touch with special colleagues?
In short, get a game plan check list together. Include things like:
- Update my personal goals
- Revise my resume
- Refresh my LinkedIn
- Ensure I have one nice suit available that fits
- Practice my elevator pitch
- Research & attend networking events
- Stay in touch with colleagues via e-mail and phone
When you’ve taken the time to reflect on what you want, and you have the courage to go after it, that’s when your goals start to be fulfilled. You’ll find yourself in a better job, feeling happier and more positive.
As you can see, the key to job search success is to come up with your own personal game plan.
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 | Feb 1, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
It’s that time of year again: time for the dreaded employee performance evaluation.
Most companies that do these reviews tend to do them in the same way. And, frankly, they’re a bit disconnected. Typically, your boss gives you little direction about the review, other than to schedule a meeting to go over it. In the meantime, you log into an antiquated online system where you rate how well you’ve done this year.
The rating system is often a bit strange. You have a particular goal listed to explain what you were supposed to do at a high level; for example, “lead implementation of new company website.” For each goal, you give yourself a numerical rating (say a 5 out of 5), and then explain why you believe you qualify for this score.
When it comes time for the review with your boss, you print out your self scores and take them to have a discussion about how your boss’ ratings compare to yours.
There are good and bad things about this ratings process. One bad thing is that it doesn’t encourage you to get the most out of your review. The good thing is — if you do extra work to stand out, you’ll probably be the only one of your coworkers who does.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Don’t wait until the last minute to do your self evaluation. The last thing you want is to be rushed.
- Take your evaluation seriously! Just because your evaluation is not part of your official ‘job’ responsibilities, it’s still important. It’s your one opportunity all year to shine and show off what you’ve done.
- Don’t undersell yourself. Give honest ratings and be ready to back them up with examples of your hard work.
- When you meet with your manager, bring printed copies of everything — one for you and one for your boss.
- Be prepared to have discussions about your annual performance bonus, your annual salary increase, and the possibility of a promotion. This meeting is the perfect time for those discussions. Don’t assume they’re off limits.
- Be open to honest feedback and potential criticisms. Your manager will often look to give you suggestions on how to improve. Many managers feel this is part of their responsibility. Don’t be hurt if they give you a few pointers.
- Do more than the minimum. I’ve witnessed even senior level employees doing the bare minimum on their performance review. Take the time to do something a little extra, and you will stand out from all of your peers. An easy way to do this is to prepare a PowerPoint presentation that highlights your accomplishments. Come up with solid examples of your work, and be prepared to present them.
This leaves one open question. What if your company doesn’t do performance evaluations? Sometimes, smaller organizations don’t incorporate this into their policy and unless you have a particularly ambitious boss, you may not automatically have one. If this is the case, ask your boss to do a less formal performance review with you. You can go through all of the steps listed above, even without the online system. Going through the process (even when one doesn’t exist) will show drive, it will give you the chance to present your work, and it will allow you to get feedback from your boss regarding your performance.
Whatever route you take, best of luck with your upcoming review!!
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
This newsletter was originally published in the Memphis Daily News.
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