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Successful Modern Phone Etiquette

by Angela Copeland | Sep 21, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

A lot has changed in the last twenty years with regards to how we use the phone. Once tethered to the wall for an entire family to share, cell phones can be found in the pockets of everyone. Even small children have cell phones. They’re no longer reserved for the elite business person, or successful celebrity.

Often, homes no longer have land lines at all. When I arrange interviews for my career podcast, I ask guests to use a land line if possible. For many guests, finding a traditional phone is virtually impossible.

In the past, when you called someone at home, a family member would often answer first. Now, it’s very rare for anyone else to answer your personal cell phone but you.

In addition, we now often text rather than call. And, if we do receive a call from a number we don’t know, we’ll let it go to voicemail so we can screen it before deciding if we want to call back.

Along with all of these changes comes a net set of rules and etiquette. And, unfortunately, we’re not all following those rules.

Here are a few tips that will help you to be at the top of your phone game:

When you answer your phone, introduce yourself. This is especially important if it’s a business call. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had a conversation that’s gone something like this:
- Bob: “Hello?”
- Angela: “Hello. Is this Bob?”
- Bob: “Yes.” (silence)
- Angela: “Hi Bob. This is Angela. We have a meeting scheduled for this time. Is this still a good time to talk…?” Talk about awkward. A much better solution would have been something more like this:
- Bob: “Hello, this is Bob.”
- Angela: “Hi Bob. This is Angela. Is this still a good time to talk?” When the phone is answered with an empty hello, the caller may think they’ve dialed the wrong number. They also think the person they’re calling has forgotten they have a call scheduled.
If you answer someone else’s phone, explain that when you answer. I had this happen recently. It was both confusing and a bit off putting. The conversation went something like this:
- Jane (answering Susan’s phone): “Hello?”
- Angela: “Hello. Is this Susan?”
- Jane: “No. This is Jane.”
- Angela: “Oh. I must have the wrong number.”
- Jane: “No. I’m answering Susan’s phone.”
- Angela: “Oh. Is Susan available?”
- Jane: “Yes. Hold on.” Wow! Talk about a mess. Answering someone else’s phone can be helpful, especially if they can’t get to it in time. But, introduce yourself and explain the situation on the front end. Something like this would have been more helpful, and far less confusing:
- Jane (answering Susan’s phone): “Hello. This is Jane; answering Susan’s phone.”
- Angela: “Hi Jane. This is Angela. I’m calling for Susan. Is she available?”
- Jane: “Yes. Please hold on just a moment.”
Setup a voice mail message on your phone you can be proud of. So often, voicemail on our phones doesn’t represent us in the best light. Listen to yours. Is there wind blowing in the background? Can you hear cars, children, music playing, or dogs barking? Is your voice clear and professional? Do you introduce yourself? Stay away from messages like this, “Hi guys! I’m not available. Leave a message.” Instead, try something like, “Hello, you’ve reached the phone of Michael Smith. I’m not available right now. Please leave your name and number and I will call you back as soon as possible.” A clear, concise message (in a quiet room) that asks the caller to leave their information will be a much more effective use of your voicemail. It will also sound far more professional to a potential employer.
When you leave a voicemail, make it professional. Voicemails should be short and concise. Think before you speak and be brief. Voicemail is not the place to share every detail or thought you’re having at that moment. Say your name, phone number, and the reason for your call. Request a call back and thank the person. That’s it. Keep it short and sweet. If you blunder, many voicemail systems will allow you to rerecord your message. Take advantage of this feature if you need to. A short, concise message will ensure that someone actually listens to your entire message and it will get them to call you back faster.
In a business setting, use text messages sparingly. Text messaging is on average very generational. People of different ages use texting differently and have varying opinions of what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Reserve text messaging for those you are truly comfortable with or who have texted you first. If you are interested to text with someone from work, but don’t know their perspective on texting, ask them. And whatever you do, don’t use text messaging when you’re interviewing for a job. It should be reserved for after you’ve landed the job.
Be aware of the time of day you make phone calls and send text messages. I cannot stress this point enough. You may turn your phone off when you go to sleep at night (so late night calls might not bother you), but not everyone does. Try to limit work communications to work hours: 8 or 9 AM to 5 or 6 PM. Keep personal communications between the hours of 9 AM and 9 PM. For some close friends you talk with regularly, these rules may not apply. But, don’t assume everyone is comfortable receiving random text messages or phone calls at 10 PM. It can be both rude and frustrating for the person you’re contacting.

In business, much of your success is tied to your personal brand. And, your ability to know and follow the rules of phone etiquette are very much a part of that brand. Be conscious of these simple rules and you’ll be on your way!

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 and 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

How to use your academic experience to land a corporate job

by Angela Copeland | Sep 14, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

How to use your academic experience to land a corporate job

There’s an issue that has come up a number of times since starting my business. Job seekers who are looking for a job for the first time in their 30s or 40s find it tough to know where to start. This is a very common occurrence for those who have spent their entire careers in academia or research.

They’ve gone to school for many years without stopping. At the end, they have a long list of awesome accomplishments. But, because a full time corporate job typically isn’t one of them, the thought of going down this path can be very daunting.

I was recently interviewed by Fast Company on this very topic, because they’re hearing about the same issue!

If you find yourself in this situation, with mainly academic experience, here are a few of my tips for writing your resume for a corporate job.

Leave out your GPA. In the corporate world, it’s rare that anyone will want to know your academic grade point average.
Get your own e-mail address. Using your school’s e-mail for job applications just makes you look young and inexperienced.
Keep your resume short and sweet. One or two pages is the maximum length a resume should be. Corporations don’t have time to read a 10 page CV. Be concise.
Use plain language. There will inevitably be people who read your resume that don’t have the same impressive credentials that you do. Write your resume in such a way that a human resources pro or a recruiter could understand it. They’re often the first person to screen your resume. And, if they don’t understand it, you’re dead in the water.
Don’t list every publication you’ve ever been in. Or, if you do, consider a format that’s readable. A long bibliography written in a highly technical format is rarely appropriate in a corporate resume.
Be aware of your formatting. Your resume should have a consistent look and feel throughout.
Use bold to emphasize important things. But, keep it to a minimum. Use it to highlight important parts are your background, such as your titles.
Include internships, speaking events, and leadership activities. Although you may not have been paid, these activities provide students with valuable experience that translate into the working world.
Include class projects. It may sound silly, but very often, professors give you real life problems to work on. Sometimes, you even get to interface with the companies to solve them. Again, just because you weren’t paid doesn’t mean your experience doesn’t translate. Include these pieces of your work to show your future employer what you can do.
Save your resume as a PDF. So often, when we e-mail our resume to someone else as a Word document, the formatting gets all mixed up. Keep things simple and save your resume as a PDF before you send it.

Once you get your resume ready, it’s time to head out and find a job. Although good for research, the internet is not your ultimate answer to landing an interview. Take the time to network and get your feet wet in the community.

And, when you do land an interview, keep in mind that the most important thing in terms of hiring is can often be whether or not the employer likes you – rather than your degree. Take the time to both refine your personal brand, and work on being relatable. Show up to interviews looking polished and be approachable.

At the end of the day, you want to package up your years of academic prowess into an intelligent, relatable, refined brand.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Did you know that workplace stress is as bad for you as second-hand smoke?

by Angela Copeland | Sep 7, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

Happy Labor Day!

Sometimes called “second-hand stress,” the stress you are exposed to at work really makes a difference. Researchers at Harvard and Stanford recently completed a study to analyze the impact of workplace stress on your health.

The study, conducted by Joel Goh, Jeffrey Pfeffer, and Stefanos Zenios, analyzed the findings of 228 scientific studies. They found that stress from work can be as bad for you as second-hand smoke. In fact, 120,000 deaths each year, and $190 billion in healthcare costs are linked to it.

That’s a big deal!

So, what should you be on the lookout for? These are the 10 workplace stressors the study considered:

Work family conflict
Job insecurity
Shift work
Long working hours
Low levels of fairness at work
Low levels of control at work
High job demands
Lack of employer provided healthcare
Layoffs and unemployment
Low social support at work

You’re probably wondering — what does this mean for you? First of all, if you’re interviewing for a job, be on the lookout for these signs. If you spot too many of them, it may not be the job for you.

If you’re already working someplace that has a high level of workplace stress, there are things you can do. It’s important to focus your energy on what you can control, as many of the things on the list are outside of your control. Remember that even when the environment isn’t great (and other people are jerks), you can control your own behavior. Take the time to be kind to those around you.

Another thing that can make a big difference is your financial safety net. Often, work stress is compounded when you know that if anything happened to your job, you’d be toast. It can make you feel like you can’t leave, and that feeling makes everything worse. It takes time, but try to build a six to twelve month emergency fund. This is a fund that stays in a savings account and is separate from your retirement. That way, when the stock market fluctuates, you’ll be safe.

Beyond creating a financial cushion, you should also take the time to take care of YOU. Below are tips for self-care that can help to reduce your overall stress level.

Get enough sleep. We often underestimate the power of eight hours of solid sleep.
Practice healthy eating and drinking habits. Fast food or binge drinking will only contribute to your stress. Be conscious of what you’re feeding your body.
Exercise, or take a walk. Working out has benefits to both your body and your mind.
Practice yoga or meditation. It can help to calm your mind, and help your entire body to feel better.
Talk to your loved ones. Having social support is one of the most important components of dealing with work stress.
Set personal goals. You may not be able to control your workplace today, but you can certainly control your future.

Successfully managing your stress is just as important as any other part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. If you take the time to take care of you, you’ll be happier and healthier, even when things at work are stressful.

However, if you find yourself waking up each day with dread, or crying at work, it may be time to look for something new. The same applies to a work environment with a boss who makes you feel unsafe, or who is being a bully toward you. If you find yourself in one of these dead end situations, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m happy to help.

To learn more on this topic, check out my recent interview on WREG’s Live @ 9 here.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

The Top 10 LinkedIn Mistakes You’re Making Right Now

by Angela Copeland | Aug 31, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

LinkedIn has become a critical tool in the job search process. Using LinkedIn, you can find jobs, get recommendations, and even reach out to hiring managers.

But, in order for LinkedIn to be effective, you can’t wait until you’re looking. There are steps you should be taking right now to prepare yourself for the future.

When it comes to LinkedIn, here are a few of the mistakes you may very well be making right now.

Not having a LinkedIn account at all – Before you do anything else, sign up for a LinkedIn account. If you’ve had doubts (as many people do), you should know this. LinkedIn is actually helpful. People do find real jobs through LinkedIn. Recruiters do find candidates using LinkedIn. Really. So, if you’ve been putting it off, today’s the day!
No photo – This is the next biggest mistake people make. It’s critical you have a photo. Otherwise, how does anyone know it’s you? For example, from what I can tell, there are around 300 people with the name “Angela Copeland” in the U.S. If I didn’t have a photo on LinkedIn, how would you find me? When you select a photo, pick one that shows your face clearly. The photo should look like you look now (not years ago with a different hairstyle). The photo doesn’t need to be an expensive headshot, but it should look professional. You should be the only person in the photo. There should be no pets, no children, no spouse, no significant other, no hobbies. You get the idea. The goal is a photo of your face that looks like you look now – ideally, you’ll be smiling.
Multiple LinkedIn accounts for one person – This drives me a little crazy. When you have more than one account, how can anyone decide which one to send a request to? If you’re wondering how this happens, you’re not alone. Multiple accounts can accidentally be created when you don’t put all of your e-mail addresses into one account. For example, you have a work e-mail and a personal e-mail. You’ve been using your personal e-mail for LinkedIn. One day, your coworker sends you a LinkedIn connection request to your work e-mail. You accept. Suddenly, you have two LinkedIn accounts. To prevent this from happening, add all of the e-mail addresses you use to your settings. That way, all requests will go to the same place, no matter which e-mail is used.
Not turning off notifications – Do you ever get those LinkedIn e-mails that say, “Congratulate Bob on his new job!”? When you want everyone to know what’s going on, these messages can be great. But, often when you start looking for a job, the first thing you do is update your LinkedIn profile. You may have been promoted, or you want to update your title to something a little more impressive. The last thing you want is for your boss to get e-mails showing you’re making updates. What an awkward conversation that will be! To prevent this from happening, check your notification settings.
Not connecting to your network – This may sound silly, but part of what makes LinkedIn work is the connections. The number of connections you have is displayed on your profile. Once you hit 500 connections, your profile will say “500+” whether you have 500 or 5,000. Having under 500 connections makes you look a little disconnected, and not well liked in your field. Clearly, this isn’t true. So at a minimum, work to get the number of connections you have above 500. You can do this fairly quickly by downloading the LinkedIn app on your smart phone. It allows you to search through your phone’s contacts and quickly add those you know who are already on LinkedIn.
Not customizing your headline – Your headline is such a great place to highlight who you are. It’s a big part of your personal brand. But, if you don’t fill it out, it will automatically populate your current job title.
Sharing things better left to social media – LinkedIn is not the same as Facebook. Don’t share things you would normally share on social media with your friends and family. Participating is great! But, look for things like business articles, or pertinent studies.
Including religious or political beliefs – This goes along with #7, but it deserves its own point. You may be very proud of your religious and political beliefs, but do you want them to prevent you from getting a job? The only time it’s appropriate to share these beliefs on LinkedIn is if you work for a religious or political organization – or you want to work for one in the future. Otherwise, save these details for your private life.
Sharing publicly that you’re looking, while you’re still employed – Ouch! This mistake can really hurt. Remember that your boss may be able to see your LinkedIn page – whether you’re directly connected, your page is public, or you have a mutual connection who shows the page to your boss. And, in many places within the U.S., you can be fired for no reason at all. When you’re looking, it’s important to be very, very careful to keep your search a secret.
Making it tough to get in touch with you – If you’re looking for a job, you want new people to be able to get in touch with you. I often see job seekers who have their privacy settings so tight that I can only send a connection request if I know their e-mail address. And, there e-mail is nowhere to be found on their profile. If you’re actively looking, make it easy to connect to you.

As it’s probably obvious, LinkedIn isn’t something you setup once and walk away from. It’s another form of social media that needs nurturing and care. And, when you continuously update it, nobody will wonder if you’re looking for a job when you do!

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Finally Achieving Inbox Zero

by Angela Copeland | Aug 24, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

In the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about something: my inbox. Back when I worked a corporate job, the inbox was almost like a filing cabinet.

The e-mail inbox is where things would sit until you could get around to them. It could be one day, one week, one month, or even longer in some cases.

The long delay seemed to happen because you, like most of your coworkers, were doing the job of two or three people. Perhaps someone from your team left and their position was never replaced. You were told to do their job (along with your job), but to “work smarter, not harder.”

At some point, something has to give. You begin to prioritize the concerns of the loudest voice, or the squeaky wheel. Many other concerns fall to the side. And often, this is considered acceptable. Because, you know, everyone else is doing it too.

Frankly, now that I’m not in corporate, this ho hum attitude about e-mail drives me bananas.

You may wonder what changed for me. Let me put it simply. When you work a corporate job, you are guaranteed to get a paycheck — a salary. It shows up every few weeks in your bank account without fail. The one thing you need to do to keep that paycheck coming is to make one person happy: your boss. If your boss is happy, you’re happy. Well, maybe not happy, but you are certainly paid.

As an entrepreneur, you have many customers. Since starting my business, I have literally worked with hundreds of people. Most of those people contact me to setup an appointment using e-mail. If I don’t respond to them right away, they will find someone else to do business with. They’re looking for a job now and they need help right then.

The same thing goes for requests to do speaking, consulting, or TV interviews. If I’m not on top of my e-mail game, opportunities will slip away.

When your paycheck is tied so closely to customer service and speed, your response time becomes a top priority.

But, there’s a lesson to be learned here. Even in a corporate job, your response time should be a priority. Whether you’re interacting with coworkers, vendors, or external business partners, speed is important.

The first question you may ask is, “How quickly should I respond?” My personal philosophy on this is 24-business-hours. The sender should never have to go more than one day without hearing back from you.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect every e-mail to be completely resolved in one day. But, at a minimum, you should acknowledge that you’ve received their message. Even better, set an expectation on when you’ll be able to get back to the sender with an answer to their question, and then follow back up by that time.

Allowing e-mails to sit for days and days just makes you look unprofessional. It really does. It hurts others’ perceptions of you. And, if you make it a habit, you can certainly guarantee that you won’t be at the top of anyone’s list when they’re looking for job candidates to recruit.

The other negative side effect to not responding in a timely manner is that the sender will wonder if you ever received their message. It leaves them in murky waters — questioning if they should resend their e-mail. Did you receive it? Did it go to spam? Did you forget? Are they being annoying by contacting you again? Oh the pain!

Spare your “customers” and “business partners” this internal dialogue and respond. If you’re going to be out of the office, set up an out of office response. If you’re bogged down with work, consider setting up an automatic reply that says you’ve received the message and will get back with them ASAP, but that you are currently attending a conference (or whatever the reason).

Now that we’ve set an expectation of 24 hours, the next question becomes, “How in the heck can I wade through all my e-mail in one day and get anything ELSE done? That sounds impossible!”

So often, I hear “But, I get 200 e-mails a day!” It’s almost like a bragging right. Listen, at this point, everyone is getting 200 e-mails a day. It’s not just you. That’s just the reality of the situation.

Here are a few of the things I’ve implemented over the past year that has led me to successfully achieve “inbox zero.”

Set aside time on your calendar every day to respond to e-mails. I set aside one hour in the morning. That way, if I don’t have time to respond to e-mails during the day because of other priorities, I know I’ll do it the next morning.
Use extra time to delete e-mails. If I’m in line at the grocery store or waiting for my breakfast to cook, I will take a few minutes to delete e-mails from my inbox that aren’t sent by individual people. I’m talking about the almost daily e-mails from Petco and Macy’s and the twenty other coupon e-mails I get.
Setup filtering within your inbox. If you receive an e-mail receipt from a certain website every month (for example), setup an automatic filter that will move it to a certain folder for you. This reduces the number of e-mails you need to sort through.
Create a folder for things you’ve responded to, but need to know for future reference. This was one of the most helpful things I did to clean out my inbox. I had a handful of e-mails in my inbox (about 20) that I kept there because they had some piece of information in them I might need in the future. Put those in a folder that’s easy to access, but allows you to get the messages out of your main inbox.
Stop using “reply-all.” This practice fills up our inboxes much faster than it should. Use reply-all sparingly and help to reduce the amount of e-mail being sent all the way around.
Export events to your calendar. Do this right away to keep from having to go back and remember what’s happening when.
Keep a task list. Add larger requests you’ve received through e-mail to your task list. Respond to the sender to confirm your receipt of the message and set a realistic expectation on when you’ll follow up. Then, review the task list daily to ensure you close out the task when promised.
Consider using apps. Although my app use within e-mail is at a minimum, many people swear by them. If you’re struggling to clean out your inbox, you may want to try a few.

If all else fails, consider declaring “e-mail bankruptcy.” This is a term coined in 2002 by Dr. Sherry Turkle (and in 2004 by Lawrence Lessig) that describes the decision to delete all old e-mails, due to the large volume of messages that are backed up. You delete all your messages. Then, you send an e-mail to everyone in your contact list explaining the situation. You request that if they still need a response from you, they resend their original message. This method is clearly a last resort.

Whatever you do, good luck at cleaning out your e-mail inbox! When you succeed, you’ll find it’s a huge emotional weight off your shoulders each day — and it will make you look on top of things and professional.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Build a Better Business Card

by Angela Copeland | Aug 17, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

Your business card is a critical piece of your brand. It’s right up there with the suit you wear to your interview.

So often, I attend networking events where I meet new and interesting people. People I want to stay in touch with afterward.

Unfortunately, it can be tough to do. “Why?” you might ask. Well, not everyone has a business card. Or, more accurately, not everyone brings a business card.

The reason this happens can vary, but the two biggest excuses for not having one are: “I don’t have a job right now” and “I forgot.”

I’m not sure which is worse: being out of work, or being lazy. If you don’t have a job, take heart. It’s easy to create your own card. If you want to switch to a new profession, this applies to you too. Creating a new card is a great way to get people to think of you differently.

Of the cards I do receive, some are amazing — and we’ll talk about what you can learn from the amazing cards that will help you. Some cards on the other hand totally bomb. A bad card can make it almost as hard to follow up as no card at all.

Here are some of the common business card mistakes:

Shiny paper – The person you give your card to will want to make a note on it about how they met you, or something you talked about. When you use shiny cards, you take away their opportunity to do this.
Strangely shaped cards – Unusually shaped business cards can be fun – for about 10 seconds. After that, the person you’re giving your card to will try to put it in their wallet or business card holder. They’ll be left wondering what to do with it when your card doesn’t fit.
Too much information – Keep your card simple and clean. Jamming your card full of information is only a good idea if it’s useful. And, chances are, if it’s filled with too much information, nobody will read it closely enough to know if it’s useful.

Truth be told, I met a number of very interesting people at a recent networking event. It’s what got me thinking about this topic. I collected a huge stack of business cards — all people I intend to follow up with.

But, when I went back to write notes on them and file the cards away, I ran into trouble. I couldn’t write on many of the cards because they were a dark color on both sides. Many were slick. And, most were so packed full of so much information, there was nowhere to write. I literally had to find one of those permanent “Sharpie” markers to write on these cards. And, on many, you can’t even see it!

So, what can you do to build a better business card? Here are ten tips of what to do:

Do include your name, your phone number, and your e-mail address.
Don’t add your picture – unless you are a realtor.
Print them on U.S. sized paper. Pick the plain Jane rectangle shape.
Use relatively neutral color. Bright pink or green cards, for example, are distracting.
If you don’t have a job title, or if you want to change careers, leave out a job title.
Don’t include a logo unless you are a graphic designer or have one on retainer.
Don’t get too creative. This is a business card, not an art project.
Leave space on the card where someone could take notes if they wanted to.
Don’t get the free cards that have some company’s website listed on them. Your card should only advertise you. At most, business cards are about $50 for a box.
Use an e-mail address that represents your personal brand well. An e-mail address that includes your favorite hobby, your birth year, or your nick name are not appropriate for a business card.

Here’s a sample of my business card. I hope it gives you a few ideas.

If you’ve decided to make a card, but aren’t sure where to get them, there are a number of great websites you can check out. I don’t advocate for one site or another, but my own cards are made with GotPrint.com. Moo.com also makes an excellent card if you want to go into sales or marketing. If you would like some in person assistance with your cards, check out a FedEx Office location. There are often people who will help you on site.

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.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

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