Category Archives: Career Advice & Tips

Job crafting: The concept and the benefits

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According to a 2009 Gallup survey, the majority of Australian workers (82%) are not engaged with their work. This is obviously a problem from both an employee and a company perspective. The post on recruitment website Destination Talent, called The majority of Australians don’t like their jobs, goes on to say that this lack of engagement costs Australian companies between $33-42 billion each year.

Surveys of employees from the most junior to the most senior within companies show that employees value good leadership, having career development opportunities and working for a company that has a good culture and values aligned with their own.

Clearly there is some disconnect between what companies are offering and what employees are experiencing. Most people don’t go to work to do a bad job and be disengaged. They want to experience challenges, achievements and a sense of purpose in their work, yet companies need to consider how to better facilitate this, particularly in a tough economic climate where funds may be limited for further training and development, promotions or pay increases.

One way to create a more connected workforce is via the concept of ‘job crafting’. According to the paper What is job crafting and why does it matter?by Justin Berg, Jane Dutton and Amy Wrzesniewski: “Job crafting captures the active changes employees make to their own job designs in ways that can bring about numerous positive outcomes, including engagement, job satisfaction, resilience and thriving.”

Job crafting is a concept that is not readily discussed, however is certainly one worth learning more about if you company is looking to increase employee engagement.

What is job crafting and why does it matter? offers a comprehensive insight into the concept, including how the process benefits employees, managers and companies alike. It also includes some of the drawbacks, if the process is not managed correctly. One of the interesting points the paper makes is that employees are often job-crafting their roles, without their managers being aware. They do so via assessing the most viable options available to them with the purpose of achieving a more satisfying worklife for themselves. It’s not necessarily to benefit the company – though companies can leverage this by having more formal job-crafting processes in place.

To read the full blog post visit Leading Company

 

Re-thinking Leadership & Power – Keeping Your Hands Clean!

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I have written about this brilliant book before, ‘Power – The 48 Laws’ by Robert Greene & Joost Elffers.  It never ceases to amaze me how far fetched, yet sometimes relevant these laws are in today’s workplaces.  Some of the messages really resonant and can assist people in both better managing and advancing their careers.

An extract from the Law of ‘Keep Your Hands Clean’ states “As a leader you may imagine constant diligence, and the appearance of working harder than anyone else, signify power. Actually, though, they have the opposite effect: They imply weakness. The truly powerful seem to never be in a hurry or overburdened. While others work their fingers to the bone, they take their leisure. They know how to find the right people to put in the effort while they save their energy and keep their hands out of the fire.”

I suspect if you reflect on your career or those around you – examples of such ‘leadership’ or getting ahead can be found via the use of scapegoats.

Have you followed up on any interviews lately? Why keeping in touch is a good career management strategy

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While job seeking has its ups and downs, there are certainly things you can be doing to build relationships, your networks and potentially your pipeline of job opportunities. Better still by doing these you stand out from the crowd.

It is unfortunate that there is not enough professionalism and general courtesy in the recruitment process by those doing the hiring. As job seekers, the lack of acknowledgement of applications is frustrating, as is the lack of communication following phone calls and interviews. In the instances where you never hear anything back, follow up once or twice however if there is no response then move on. It is their loss!

Just because some of those doing the hiring lack professionalism – you can rise above it.

After an interview, do follow up with a thank you email or letter?

Even if you receive the call to say that you were not successful with a particular role, be it with an agency or employer direct, thank them for their time and indicate that you would like to keep in touch about future opportunities. Particularly with an employer that you felt was the right organisational fit for you. It is worth mentioning this and that you would welcome the opportunity to be considered and contacted about upcoming jobs. Schedule to send an email or call every few months to check in with them.

Rather than doing what most job seekers do when unsuccessful (which is to throw away the business card of the hirer in disappointment) look at it as a potential longer term opportunity to build your pipeline of job opportunities.  

You just never know what is around the corner, and believe me – this small action can make a big difference.  

Why online job seeking is similar to playing the pokies. How to change your strategy to increase your odds of hitting the jackpot!

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Dedicating most of the job search to applying for online job ads is the same as playing the pokies. It is a numbers game and the odds are against you. Yes, it offers a simple way to apply however, it isn’t particularly effective. It leads to a decrease in morale and motivation by job seekers as they are applying for jobs of various authenticity.

While there are some genuine advertisers, job ads are often posted by advertisers and recruiters to:

  • Fish for candidates,
  • Fill their databases,
  • Meet their interview quotas, and
  • Follow policy to advertise jobs even though the preferred candidate has already been identified.

Job sites traditionally assist job seekers who are an ‘exact match’ of what the employer or recruiter is looking for, and too many job seekers waste their time applying for jobs that they simply don’t match. Job seekers haves no idea about which stage the recruitment process is at, sometimes applying for jobs that are at third round interviews! All of this adds to the frustration and despair of the job seeker – not to mention time wasted.

So how does a job seeker change their strategy to hit the employment jackpot?

I am dogmatic with my coaching clients in getting them to follow the 70/30 rule when it comes to job seeking. It’s a message that if often repeated many times before a client will change their behaviours. The first step – long before applying for jobs – is to ensure they have a strategic job search plan in place.

The formula for a successful strategy is generated from:

  • Identifying and articulating jobs you want to do,
  • Why you want that kind of job, and
  • What you have to offer prospective employers (your pitch).

To execute your job search strategy, you should spend 70% of your time conducting informational interviews, calling, or organising coffees with people in your network. You must begin to expand your networks to help you get in front of the right people – the decision makers.

I allow about 30% of time to be dedicated to online research, job boards, or social media sites such as Linkedin. That is not to say that I am not an advocate of social media and job sites – I certainly am. As the co-founder of the former exclusive jobs and careers site Six Figures, I certainly saw high income earners sourcing employment via websites. However, online job searching should form a part of the job seekers strategy not the majority of it.

Another key step in successful job seeking is face-to-face interaction. I encourage my clients to keep in mind that very few sales are done via email! The best way to sell yourself and close the deal on your next great new job is to be out there meeting with the right people who can assist you in securing your next role.

Three steps to a successful job seeking strategy:

  • Build a strategy based on the preliminary work you have done on yourself,
  • Follow the 70/30 rule by dedicating the majority of your time on the phone or in face-to-face meetings; and
  • Don’t get hooked on the pokies!

Find out why today’s career success is dependent on having five business cards not one!

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Howard Figler, author of ‘The Complete Job Search Handbook’ is one of the greats when it comes to career management and job searching. He is in the same league as Richard Nelson Bolles, author of ‘What Colour Is Your Parachute?’ While flicking through one of his books this week, ‘The Career Counsellors Handbook’ I was taken with what he wrote in regards to business cards.

Figler suggests we should all carry five business cards. He does not literally mean five business cards, rather five business cards that pitch us and our various services / products we offer the marketplace.  In the age where the growth in contracting is surpassing full time permanent jobs, it certainly makes sense to have more than one income generating identity.  His thinking is more akin to having a portfolio career.

Increasingly the ‘employee’ is not tied to one employer, rather they have outside interests, and revenue generating streams. This can vary from sitting on paid boards, to interests in race horses, property development, online businesses, start ups, distributor, paid blogger / writer and so on.  We all know that the world of work is an uncertain one, and having multiple revenue generating streams to rely upon is a good career risk management strategy.

In ’The Career Counsellors Handbook’ Figler suggests ideas for what may be on these five business cards;

  • Two or three different employers who have contracted your services
  •  A part time business that supports you when you are between jobs
  • A business you have developed to supplement your income
  • Other business ideas you are cultivating
  • A source of income you are building for your retirement

While five may seem a lot and you may feel like you are not committed to any one business / job , the reality is that all of these will be at different stages, requiring different degrees of time and/or financial investment. Given the economy turns so quickly, it makes sense to hedge your bets and have options. In my opinion and from personal experience, it also makes for a far more exciting and richer work life.

Share your thoughts and experiences on having 5 business cards.

Terrific Careers Event in March, Melbourne – Not To Be Missed

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On Monday 26th March a fellow Career Coach & Strategist Melissa Martin and myself are hosting a breakfast for existing and prospective clients.

The breakfast will provide you with the opportunity to learn some great tips to help you with your job search or career change.

Some of the areas we will be discussing include:

  • Where to start when making a career change
  • Job search strategies (including networking)
  • Salary & employment contract negotiation

It is also an opportunity to meet with Melissa Martin, who will be available to see clients while I take a couple of months leave in June / July.

Register: for this free event or to find out more email kellymagowan@hotmail.com as places are limited.

Venue: Redmon, York Street South Melbourne.

Date & Time: Monday 26th March 9am to 10am.  (beverages & morning tea provided)

 

Why Staying Employed Can Hinge On Some Superficial Criteria

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This weekend I read in one of the newspapers careers sections about some research done by Hays Recruitment about how employees are now more focussed on dressing up for work.

According to this research and article, due to the uncertain economic climate employees are increasingly fearful of losing their jobs. Based on the Hays research it seems an increasing number of employees are opting to dress more formally during the work week, including on casual Fridays for fear or losing their jobs.  It strikes me given this that employees don’t have much faith in how organisations measure employee productivity!

The idea of ‘been seen’ and ‘looking professional’ by the right people (your bosses etc) at work still pervades.  Being seen is more important than productivity and output. Perhaps this is due to many organisations still unable or unwilling to put in place measures to actually understand and measure their employee’s productivity.  Instead of focussing on output, many are still focussed on the old school way of tracking performance.  While I can appreciate some professions are easier to measure than others in relation to output by each employee, such as sales – there are certainly more effective systems that can be incorporated for tracking output across all professions that are less superficial.

So it seems that if you are at work on time and work the set hours (often recorded via your security pass and/or computer login times), are seen by the right people and look professional your likelihood of staying employed are increased.

Share your views on the subject. Have you experienced this in your career? Do you think organisations need to be better equipped to measure employee productivity?

Liars Poker, Hitting the Wall & Finding Meaning in Your Work

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I found myself re-reading the Financial Review article, ’Hitting the wall – Michael Lewis figures out what went wrong, 30 January 2009’  by Michael Lewis, author of Liar’s Poker over the summer holidays.

For those of you not familiar with the book Liar’s Poker it takes you through the fall of Salomon Brothers through the perspective of a former employee Michael Lewis.  One of the key figures in the book is the “immensely rich chairman of Salomon Brothers, John Gutfreund.”  Gutfreund was eventually forced to resign from Salomon Brothers, and supposedly fell on harder times. Lewis tracked him down to find that he was working on a panel about Wall Street at Columbia Business School. “When his time came to speak, he advised students to find something more meaningful to do with their lives. As he began to describe his career, he broke down and wept.”

The book Liars Poker and article provide a fascinating read on a number of levels, particularly around the trading and packing of the mortgage bond. As I re-read the article the message of having a sense of meaning and purpose in your work emerged. A topic that I covered in a previous post ‘Questions to Help You Find ‘Meaning’ in Your Work’

While for some, the concept of having meaningful work may appear soft or perhaps simply impossible – the reality is that for most of us having a meaningful work life, brings a sense of purpose and satisfaction. Would Gutfreund have experienced this insight had he not fallen on hard times? I would like to think so.  Regardless, it certianly offers food for thought.

 

Powerful Words to Sell Your Skills, Engage the Reader & Get the Interview

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Most Executives and Senior Professionals find preparing their resume a challenge. As a result the resume is put together quickly and reluctantly, and reads like a chronological list of their education and work experience. At its basic level this is what the resume needs to be, however if actually want your resume to stand out and engage the reader, more energy needs to go into how you write about and sell your skills and experiences. It is difficult for most of us to sell ourselves effectively in a couple of pages of text, yet essential for job search success.

Quantify and Qualify Your Skills!

A sentence that says you have ‘exceptional interpersonal and communication skills’ is largely a waste of text! It tells the reader nothing, yet many resumes have a listing of skills or competencies with no supporting evidence to demonstrate them. You know why you are skilled in certain areas however unless you can communicate them to the reader in a powerful way, they are empty words.

Including specific examples, where you can demonstrate these skills or competencies in a past or current job is crucial as they create a picture in the readers mind and offer credibility to what you are saying. Without it, the words are pointless. If you cannot quantify or qualify everything in your resume (aside from your personal details) then the information is taking up valuable real estate that you could be using to really sell yourself to the reader and secure that next brilliant role.

Always avoid including lists and sentences that don’t describe in detail with a relevant example your skills or competencies. Rather than, ‘I have excellent client relationship skills demonstrated through 10 years in Sales‘, the example below tells the reader you deliver client satisfaction which is more important than how many years you have been using these skills. Being specific and outcome orientated wins hands down.

Example: Client Relationship Skills: In over 100 client assignments I have never received negative feedback from a client. I have used each new project as an opportunity to develop my client relationship skills to ensure their continued satisfaction.

Below is a listing of words to assist in selling your skills more effectively in your Resume and in the interview. These relate to everything from data to people and systems. Using powerful action orientated words create a positive impression.

 Accomplished  Administered  Analyzed  Built  Completed  Composed  Conducted  Controlled  Coordinated  Created  Decreased  Delivered  Demonstrated  Designed  Developed  Directed  Eliminated  Established  Evaluated  Expanded  Founded  Generated  Guided  Implemented  Improved  Increased  Initiated  Instructed  Invented  Launched  Led  Maintained  Managed  Modified  Motivated  Negotiated  Organized  Originated  Participated In  Performed  Planned  Produced  Proved  Provided  Recommended  Reduced  Re-organized  Researched  Revised  Saved  Sold  Solved  Streamlined  Supervised  Trained

The resume is often only looked at when you change employers. Such an important document warrants more attention and together with these tips you should see your resume have more impact.

Tips to Write & Sell Work Achievements in Your CV

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Achievementsare a critical part of your resume, perhaps more important than responsibilities, and therefore should be given prime resume real estate. Ensure that any achievements that are already listed on your resume are engaging to the reader and actually quantify or qualify what you have achieved. If they are fairly un-inspiring due to how you have presented them, either edit or remove them and update with more exciting and relevant examples. When describing your achievements, remember to think about how your reader is interpreting what you are saying. A couple of well written, relevant examples paint a more positive and engaging picture and far outshine a long list of basic and poorly written achievements.

Consider reading the following statements whilst reflecting on your more recent jobs. Take down notes of situations that come to mind.

Have you designed or introduced a new process that may have increased efficiency or sales?

  • Have you solved a difficult problem?
  • Have you received any awards?
  • What has been your experience with managing or training difficult people?
  • Have you mentored or coached colleagues or those external to your business?
  • Have you developed a new system, a product, etc?
  • Have you designed something?
  • Can you think of something you have done for the first time?
  • Have you prepared any reports, papers, articles etc that others could not?
  • Have you saved your company or department money?

It is worth compiling this information as it happens, get into the habit of documenting your achievements either as they occur or regularly with enough detail that you can recall what you did when it comes to updating your resume. With these examples at hand, it will help enhance your resume and create more compelling stories for the interview. When documenting your achievements, it is important that they are detailed, relevant and engaging to the reader. Below is a weak and strong example of the same achievement.

Weak Example: The introduction of new rebate initiatives, that was successful in saving the company a substantial amount of money.

Strong Example: I successfully negotiated revised annual trading terms by offering lower rebate terms to the company’s key accounts through incentive targets and the introduction of promotional rebates. This initiative generated a cost saving of $700,000 within six months of the change.

If you are unsure if your achievements are coming across strongly, ask a colleague or friend to review.