by Angela Copeland | Jul 27, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Personal Brand, Religion
A reader contacted me today with an important question for consideration. She asked when it was appropriate to wear clothing, jewelry, or other items associated with her religion to an interview or to work. Her concern was about being judged in the office for her religious affiliation.
As you can imagine, this is a very tricky and personal question. I will share my thoughts with you, but at the end of the day, it’s a very individual choice.
I often think of a job interview much like a dinner party. At a dinner party, you meet many new people who may have different viewpoints than you. Conversations tend to be high level, centered on pleasant topics, such as the weather. Etiquette experts say that the potentially taboo topics to avoid include politics, religion, and money. These hold true in an interview as well.
Unfortunately, when it comes to getting hired, studies show that managers aren’t free of biases. Those biases can influence who’s landing the job offer. Details as minor as hair and makeup can influence the interviewer’s impression of a candidate. Even a candidate’s height can make a difference.
Religion however is more personal, and much more important, than hair, makeup, or height. It can be a large part of one’s identity. In today’s climate, sharing your religious viewpoints with others can cause them to judge you, either positively or negatively. When they judge you negatively, it can potentially hurt your chances of getting hired.
A great organization to share your religious views with is one whose perspective aligns well to yours. For example, some private universities, non-profits, and corporations have a foundation that is based on specific beliefs.
A vast majority of organizations however are not based upon these views. Their employees are made up of people from around the U.S. and the world, who have a host of different affiliations. When interviewing at an organization like this, it’s important to be aware of the choice you decide to make.
If you want to minimize the likelihood that someone may unfairly judge you, think of all of the places you may send out cues to others about your views. Check the volunteer opportunities on your resume. Look at the organizations you follow on LinkedIn. Check your Facebook privacy settings. And, consider the pieces of your interview outfit that may signal an interviewer.
As I mentioned in the beginning of the column, this is a personal choice. I’m not here to influence you in one direction or another, or to discourage you from holding true to your beliefs. But, it is wise to consider the positive and negative implications of your decision – and to make it consciously based upon what you feel most comfortable with.
After you’ve landed a job, you have a new choice to make – whether or not you want to share your views with your new coworkers. While it’s important to be yourself, remember that your story is one to be earned over time through trust.
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 26, 2016 | Advice, Podcast
Episode 108 is live! This week, we talk with Austin Baker in Memphis, TN.
Austin is the President and Chairman of the Board at his company, HRO Partners. HRO Partners is a human resource consulting and outsourcing company. They become the HR department for companies that don’t have one and provide more horsepower to companies that do.
On today’s episode, Austin shares his tips on getting into Human Resources and an insider’s perspective on successful job searching and negotiation — for all job seekers. He also shares information about Human Resources networking group SHRM.
Listen and learn more! You can play the podcast here, or download it for free on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the program, subscribe today to the Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher to ensure you don’t miss an episode!
To learn more about Austin’s company, visit his website at HRO-Partners.com. You can also find HRO Partners on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Thank you to those who sent me questions! You can send your questions to Angela(at)CopelandCoaching.com. You can also send me questions via Twitter. I’m at @CopelandCoach. And, on Facebook, I’m Copeland Coaching. Don’t forget to help me out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and leave me a review.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 25, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter
For better or worse, as a child, you were probably taught not to brag. It’s rude. You may have also been taught to be a good child and wait your turn for things. If you deserve to have them, they will happen.
Ever wonder how everyone else keeps getting promotions? Opportunities don’t fall from the sky. The reason your colleagues get promoted is because they’ve decided to be their own advocate. They’re not waiting on someone else to tell them they can do something. They’re doing it.
And, they’re doing it by being willing to speak up and share about themselves. They may share where they went to school, where they worked previously, or what they’re good at. In other words, they’re comfortable giving their elevator pitch to anyone and everyone.
And, they ask for what they want. If they’d like to have an informational interview with someone, they ask for it. If they want a promotion, they say it. If they want to be considered for a job, they put themselves out there.
They do not wait for others to “allow” them to move forward in their life and career. They do it.
As I write this newsletter, I realize it may be time to take some of my own medicine! Did you know that I host a podcast? Yes, I do! I recently learned that some of my newsletter readers didn’t realize it — probably because I haven’t been talking about the podcast much in my newsletter. I tend to assume that people already know about it, and that if they want to listen, they will. Well, lesson learned… here are the details.
My podcast is called the Copeland Coaching Podcast. It’s a career improvement podcast that’s focused on job searching. I interview a different industry expert each week to talk about topics ranging from switching careers to what to wear in an interview. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
And, here’s the thing. I recently learned that there’s not just one thing that’s important to getting your podcast found in Apple Podcasts. There are three! And, I need your help with these!
- Subscribe to the Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts. It turns out that the number of subscriptions actually impacts your ranking within Apple Podcasts. So, please subscribe here.
- Listen to the podcast! I think you’ll really enjoy it. I’ve been recording the podcast for over two years and have built up over 100 episodes of free content and tips for job seekers. Listen here.
- Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. I almost never ask for reviews because it always seems to be too much. But, you have to ask for what you need, right? And, I need more reviews. These also impact my show’s ranking on Apple Podcasts. You can leave a review here.
Here are a few episodes I think you might really like. Check them out by clicking on their links below.
As I started out this newsletter, it’s important to speak up and ask for what you want. Please keep this in mind with your job search (even when it’s tough to do). And, thanks in advance for your support of my podcast. I appreciate you helping me out, even though it’s tough to ask!
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 | Jul 24, 2016 | Job Posting
The National Labor Relations Board is seeking a Regional Director in Los Angeles, CA.
This is a Career-Reserved position and therefore must be filled by a career appointee. Candidates are not required to have previous SES career service before applying. The selected candidate executive/managerial qualifications must be certified by the Office of Personnel Management prior to an initial SES career appointment. Positions in the SES are ungraded.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the National Labor Relations Board website.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 23, 2016 | Job Posting
MGM Resorts is seeking a Manager of Strategic Operations in Las Vegas, NV.
The Manager, Strategic Operations will report to the Director, Strategic Operations. This position will be responsible for providing ongoing support in designing and administering the Company-wide strategic planning function within MGM Resorts International. In conjunction with the other members of the department, the position will manage the strategic planning process across the Company’s multiple casino resorts in the U.S. as well as various corporate-level divisions. In addition, this position will be responsible for managing a variety of strategic initiatives and ad hoc projects for senior executives and other key stakeholders that drive the Company’s strategic direction and priorities. Finally, this position will oversee the utilization and project assignments of junior team members within the department. All duties are to be performed in accordance with departmental and MGM Resorts policies, practices and procedures.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the MGM Resorts website.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 22, 2016 | Job Posting
Facebook is seeking a Director of Business Integrity in Austin, TX or Menlo Park, CA.
Facebook is seeking a leader to manage the Business Integrity functions within the Sales Planning & Operations organization. The Sales Planning & Operations organization is the operational engine that scales Facebook’s advertising businesses, including a set of global shared services focused on scaling our digital supply chain with an emphasis on operational excellence, quality, and data/analytics. The Business Integrity team protects users and ensures safe connections between users and businesses through the operational enforcement of ads, pages, and other business policies.
This individual will assume leadership responsibilities in developing our talented team members around the world as well as driving cross-functional impact with our internal and external partners. Internal partners span everyone from product and engineering to global policy and legal, as well as partnering with other SP&O functions across business planning, field enablement, and sister operational teams. External partners are our outsourcing vendors with a large core operational footprint globally.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Facebook website.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 22, 2016 | Job Posting
The University of Memphis is seeking a Chief Information Officer in Memphis, TN.
Principal functions:
-providing leadership, vision, strategy, policies and planning for all campus-wide computing and communications activities
-management of all centralized information technology, including academic and administrative computing, video and telecommunications resources
-supervision of the Advanced Learning
Center which includes IT training, faculty
support for online and web enabled course
development, IT fluency initiatives, and deep learning initiatives
-serves as the Data Security Officer for the University
-management responsibility for major administrative units with a staff of over 100 members, annual budgets of -$15 million dollars. This includes a University instituted technology fee of currently $112.50 per semester which supports IT for instructional purposes with an annual total of $4.5 million. The institutional IT infrastructure is extensive and supports two main campuses and other off-campus locations.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the University of Memphis website.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 21, 2016 | Job Posting
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is seeking a Supervisory Special Investigator in Jefferson, LA.
This position is located within the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), National Investigations Program (NIP). The incumbent serves as a Special Investigator and leads, plans, and conducts investigations of alleged violations of and reportable incidents administered by the BSEE. This is a permanent, full-time, career/career conditional appointment. BSEE has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s website.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 21, 2016 | Job Posting
Porter Leath is seeking a Contract Management Specialist I in Memphis, TN.
The Contract Management Specialist I will research, analyze and document system deficiencies for enhancement of existing systems and processes. Assist the Director in developing and executing Porter-Leath’s compliance plan, and assist in the day to day execution of internal reviews. Serve in an administrative capacity for all contract matters. Provide value-added advice and support to programs on the creation or modification of policies, procedures, processes or services to ensure an appropriate level of internal control and compliance is maintained.
To learn more, or to apply online, visit the Porter Leath website.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 20, 2016 | Advice, Career Corner Column, Career Fulfillment, Education, Podcast
Last week, I had the good fortune to attend a work conference in Chicago. It wasn’t your average work conference though. Attendees wanted to be there. In fact, their companies didn’t pay for them to go. Attendees paid their own way. And, they went to all of the workshops offered – even at the end, when everyone was tired.
The conference is called Podcast Movement, and its purpose it to help educate podcasters about hosting their own radio-like programs. It’s the second year I’ve attended and what struck me last year was how passionate this group is about their work. People told me how podcasting has changed their lives. A few podcasters even got teary eyed when they were talking about their shows. Have you ever had a job that got you teary eyed with positive emotion? Me either.
This year, the speech that stuck with me the most was given by Kevin Smith. You might remember Kevin from movies like Clerks and Mallrats. He’s the filmmaker who played Silent Bob. Kevin talked about two main topics: the importance of self-expression in your work, and doing what you love. Kevin said that he had the misfortune to get paid for what he loved to do early on in his career. For a time, it caused him to refuse to work on projects he loved, unless he was paid.
His talk brought up an interesting point. As we grow in our careers, we often opt out of anything work related unless we receive a paycheck. Why is that? It could be that our personal time has been more valuable, or maybe we’re just accustomed to our companies paying for things like training, mileage, and cell phones.
But, what would happen if we explored our career interests a bit more – even if we weren’t paid for it? Chances are good that new doors and avenues would open up for us that we had never thought of. We might even enjoy our jobs a bit more.
Perhaps we’d change careers altogether. That’s what many podcasters are hoping for. Most podcast hosts create a show about a hobby or interest they have that’s unrelated to their day job. To put together a show, a host will often spend a large amount of their own money on microphones, educational workshops, and technical equipment. Some people even install sound booths in their homes for recording. They spend many hours each week planning an individual episode, seeking our guests, recording, and editing. Rarely are they paid for their work – at least not initially.
This group learns and invests in themselves and their podcasts because they love it. They aspire to one day be paid to do it full time. Until then, they share stories about how podcasting has truly impacted their own lives for the better.
So, what inspires you, and what kind of work would you do for free? If money were out of the picture, where would you invest your time and resources to grow yourself?
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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