patti wilson's blog

Job Search Rejection

As we roll into a broader down turn. I have noticed a familiar behavior rearing it's dysfunctional head. Avoidance behavior in the face of having to do a job search. But it is cureable and it's not contagious.

Looking for new work tends to be more dreaded and avoided than visiting the dentist because it inevitably means a certain amount of rejection, and disappointment. Many professionals take the easiest most passive route and post their resumes online because being ignored is somewhat less an affront then outright rejection.

The newest type of job search rejection is now due to social networking. It happens when you make a request in Linkedin.com using a string of so-called "trusted" connections and you hear nothing back. Nada, zilch. Just like sending in a resume to a cool job you think you are perfect for and you hear nothing back but worse. Because it's totally personal in social networking. It's not some nameless recruiter you don't hear back from. Ouch!

Not to belabor the point but typically we try to avoid pain and seek out pleasure or least we seek a lessor amount of pain. This is why people stay in crummy jobs long after they stopped doing them any good because doing a never-ending job search filled with rejections would be far worse. How do you avoid the discomfort of disappointment in a job search? Well, you don't but you can mitigate it....a lot.

I have seen professionals form Success Teams where they meet weekly to offer feedback, support and comfort while looking for a new position. The beauty of the group process is there is always at least one  person who is up rather than down to help bouy your spirits.

Other people can give you perspective that you don't have being too close to the situation. And there's always the old adage that misery loves company. At least there are other people that understand what you are going through because they are in it too.

Another option is a simple self-talk system that reinforces a positive outlook regardless of negative input from the world. Write out a list of your top career strengths, best business accomplishments, and most superlative attributes in the workplace.

Post your list to the bathroom mirror and refrigerator, two places we always know to look, and so will read them frequently during the day. This personal moral support system helps lessen the sting of rejection. The bonus is that you are committing to memory valuable self-branding sound bites that will come in handy to use when you do get that interview.

Finally there is the most challenging, difficult but most successful solution: find companies that want to hire you and only apply to them. Think about it. Ultimately this is exactly what happens, so why not expedite the process and only seek them out?

Somebody famous said something to the effect that nobody can make you feel bad about yourself unless you agree to it. Rejection works that way. Just because an employer choose on another candidate and not you is not a personal rejection unless you take it as such.

Things to Do With Linkedin: A List

This is how I and others I have talked to use Linkedin.com

1. Write a great profile, not the resume part below but the summary above….make it a great branding piece because people read the summary and the endorsements.

2. Get lots of endorsements (recommendations) from all your former colleagues current colleagues, etc. It’s like instant references in advance of quitting the job

3. Look up former employees of small companies and see how many people have bailed out in the past year…not a good sign

4. Contact former employees of companies you are interested in for information and leads into the company.

5. Find long lost friends, clients, colleagues, etc.

6. Ask questions that highlight your expertise in the Answers section

7. Brand every email you send with your linkedin address as you have just attached your “resume” …..what’s your boss going to say? He/she is probably on linkedin too.

8. Make sure your linkedin address like mine(linkedin.com/in/pattiwilson)  is your name and not some random assigned number.

9. Unless you are not into open networking make all the contacts you can through joining the following Yahoo groups: LIONS@yahoogroups.com, MyPowerLInkedinNetwork@yahoogroups.com

What doesn't work well with Linkedin:

1. Don’t send a request asking anyone for a job, or a referral to a job in their company. It just won’t happen…..or rarely happens.

2. If you don't make a compelling request that let’s someone know what’s in it for them to bother responding to you, they won't.

3. Don’t complain to your direct contacts because your request through them hasn’t been answered …..it’s not their problem

4. Use other social sites as well: Doostang, Viadeo, Ecademy, NIng, Konnect, Orkut, Xing, Facebook, Zoominfo, Mazur to expand your visilbity online...Linkedin isn't the end all be all.

5. Put the same profile you use on Linkedin on all sites otherwise you will confuse people

6. Linkedin is not going to get you a job but it will help

7. There is no substitute for meeting someone in real time by phone or in person to really build a relationship, but there are levels of relationships and connections….

8. I like being able to call on thousands for help in different e-groups, social networks, and virtual communities. I believe and have faith in people’s willingness to help strangers that they have a modicum of connection to and commonality with.

Google: the food, the frenzy, the fun

Recanting my position

Last year I had the opportunity to visit several Google campuses in Seattle, New York and Mountain View and meet the employees there.  It was an interesting and enlightening experience that changed my perspective on the company.

I wrote a blog post on Google that found fault with it being an employer of choice and at the top of the “best employers to work for” list. At risk of being compared to an average politician, I have flip flopped on my position and for good reason. I got to see first hand what it’s like to work, and eat at Google.

Let’s start with food

I had lunch on “seafood Friday” in Mountain View which puts Red Lobster in the category of MacDonald’s. Envision clams and oysters on the half shell, steamed salmon, grilled prawns and Alaskan king crab legs. If that didn’t suit your fancy, there was a Mexican grill, sushi bar, Chinese stir fry, plus the usual hot entrees, sandwiches and salads.

It was all healthy, high quality, upscale not to mention free and all you can eat. On every floor of each building there is a mini-restaurant with healthy snacks and beverages plus gourmet coffee.  Somebody actually put in a vending machine selling junk snacks such as cheetos, bad candy bars, etc as a joke.

In Seattle the catering for the event where I presented was better than the vast majority of weddings I have attended. Imagine poached pear salad with lavender flavored crème fresh topping. And that wasn’t dessert which included petite fours. Good Washington State wine flowed too.

New York was a tad more modest as they had a big employee event the same night and the employees got the better food than the visiting event. Forget image. Google weighs in on the side of talent happiness. Not withstanding, the food in New York far surpassed any Silicon Valley professional association buffet by a mile.

Moving on to location and environment

Though it did vary by location, all the sites made a workplace feel relaxed, comfortable, convenient and even as fun as possible. This had nothing to do with age but everything to do with the quality of furniture, the color schemes, the amenities, the sound level, and privacy.

Beyond a dry cleaners, Laundromat, bookmobile, mobile medical clinic, volleyball courts, gyms, game rooms, fun lounges and a door to door commuter shuttle service,  it was just plain nice to be there.  And that showed in the energy, attitude and ease of the people working there.

Professional Development and Marketing

Every floor in Mountain View has an area for 30-40 person mini auditoriums where talks and presentations occur on a regular basis. They bring in thought leaders, and cutting edge speakers from outside as well as keep people up to date on internal developments.

On most floors there are cabinets that are refilled weekly with tee shirts and other Google branded clothing that quickly empty out to the first takers.  One could presume if you prompt enough, you need not do laundry but just wear a new every week.

I came away with a Google Seattle mug and a bunch of Google spiral notepads and pens.

Money and Merit

The biggest complaints that most people have about their work is the politics. Translated that means: co-workers who don’t pull their own weight; recognition doled out to those who suck up to their managers; and rewards given not for work well done but to buddies and insiders. 

I can’t say that none of that exists at Google but I can say that the noise to sound ratio is in the favor of meritocracy. Everyone’s goals for the quarter are posted to the internal web thus everyone knows what everyone else is supposed to be doing and when. Pay is given for performance. Being self-employed I totally get that concept.

In many companies where longtime tenure, politics and complacency has set-in actually doing a day’s work for a day’s pay may be hard to grasp. But more importantly, in many other high tech companies you are worked just as hard but the politics have far greater sway over human resource decisions. A person may do the best job in the company and still not be recognized and rewarded amply for their efforts.

Born again

I admit it. I am now a Google convert and will gladly help anyone get into the company….if they are up to it. It’s a demanding, but fair, environment. So if you like to play large, value excellence and being openly responsible then Google is for you.

Some may think I have again gone over to the dark side, the first time being when I announced my opinion that Microsoft was one of the best employers in tech. I still believe that to be the case and think Yahoo could do a lot worse than get bought by them.

But that’s another story.

The New Corporate CEO

According to Warren Bennis and a host of other management experts a new type of corporate leader is emerging today. The New York Times article, with the tagline "Has the time come for C.E.O. Version 3.0?".  According to the article, the corporate world now wants leaders with people skills:

Now, management experts and longtime watchers of corporate America say the current environment demands, and is attracting, yet another kind of chief executive: the team builder.  “It’s someone who can assemble a team that functions as smoothly as a jazz sextet,” said Warren Bennis.“ They’ve got to have not just the cognitive ability to run a major firm, .... but the ability to make people feel like they’re working together,”

Some of the key attributes of these leaders includes initiating change and not being hated for it, learning to listen to the culture if hired new from the outside, and stimulating internal growth through motivating people, and sparking creativity and innovation. 

Leveraging Google’s Orkut

The glut of social networking sites can overwhelm your ability to discriminate among them. There are, though, statistics on the big ones that enable anyone to pinpoint their networking goals to demographic targets and geographical areas with at least side-of-the-barn accuracy.

Ecademy was founded by Thomas Powers in Great Britain and is known for a solid European base of members. A recent newcomer to that geo area is multilingual Viadeo having originated in France, it is considered an upcoming competitor to Linkedin for EU professionals.

The most interesting news of late is the Business Week article about Google's plans to expand Orkut, its invitation only social network. The article lamented the fact that Orkut had geographical limitations. Perspective is everything, right? What is one person’s poison is another’s perfume.   

According to Business Week, “…..Asia and Latin America, which account for nearly all of Orkut's 24.6 million monthly users, the site's traffic remains simply anemic—totaling just 600,000 in North America and about 1.2 million in Europe, and not growing very fast.”

This is a problem?

Perhaps for Google it is a business concern but not for recruiters, deal makers, business developers, job seekers and geo-focused networkers who seek contacts in those areas. Orkut is the perfect venue to penetrate Latin American and Asian markets which adds up to about to about 22.6 million potential connections, especially in Brazil.

The old saying goes something like: to catch fish you need to cast your line in water. Same holds true for social networking sites. The idea is to join those sites that most closely target the population that you seek. 

My offer to you to join Orkut.

I was invited to join Orkut when it first started several years ago. If you are interested in networking in Asia and Latin America please add a comment to this post. In return, I will invite you to join Orkut using the email address you left with your comment. Please don’t send me an email, the quid pro quo here is the trade of a comment for an invite.

In a Strong Headwind the Stronger Brands Prevail

I subscribe to Commercial Property News, "the Business of Real Estate" to stay up to date on economic trends from that vantage point. The current issue interviews Aik Hong Tan, president of Richfield Hospitality Inc. who currently manages 29 hotels.

He commented about what lenders wanted to see when providing financing for a hotel deal,  “They are definitely looking at the brand of the hotel, and they want to see a top brand.  When you start moving into a headwind, the stronger brands will prevail.”

Certainly, we can consider this as a universal statement of the times to apply to multiple business issues such as the attracting and recruiting talent of or our own personal branding.

All other things being equal, the stronger company brand or personal brand will have the competitive advantage in a commoditized world. Since brand is a matter of perception, managing bad on line visibility, accentuating the good on line visibility on line serves to build a positive brand experience and reputation.

Companies, struggling to recruit great talent, especially in small to mid-sized range, give little or no attention to the attractiveness and promotion of their cultural brand which aside from the product serves to attract the right talent to them. This starts with an inviting jobs and careers web page with clear, engaging information about who they are and what they have to offer prospective employees.

Of course, the recruitment branding experience extends to employee referral programs, new hire orientations, employee blogs, job ads and promotions.They all have to be developed and managed to ensure a positive, strong and visible brand.

In some cases, a well-done recruitment brand can enable the David, small company, to slay the Goliath, bigger company, who is less well branded.   

Build Your Career and Consulting Practice: Join the WednesdayNetwork.com

In 2001 this egroup was founded and called the Wednesdayjobgroup. It brought together professionals in high tech to support, give feedback and network with one another online. The group has grown to nearly 2000 members. It is time to improve this service and bring it up to date. When started as an online career and job group back then, it was a new concept that has since proliferated to 100's of similar egroups. Its time to do more, better and a sort of social network.   

Yes, another free online community, but this one, the WednesdayNetwork , is different.
I know that's what they all say but it is! Why? Because it is a no hassle, no obligation, no problem, great offer that will only benefit you otherwise I wouldn't do it.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

Sooner or later you may be looking for a new consulting opportunity, position, or deal. If you are a consultant, you already know how competitive and tough the market is in your field. There are lots of formerly employed boomers offering services out there.

Grow your network and visiblity now passively! Remember how much everyone was networking when they were unemployed? How hard it was? Keeping up contacts? Staying visible? The WednesdayNetwork, enables you to quickly and easily leverage your visiblity and networking reach without any extra work or time.

HOW?  WE DO IT FOR YOU! HOW HARD IS THAT?

Just submit your name and the URL of your linkedin profile, professional blog or website and we will add you to the community list posted on the WednesdayNetwork blogsite. That's why it is a blog and not a website. It is easy and fast for us to add you to the list and for you to link with others on the list as well.

I keep saying a blog doesn't have to be used as a daily log. The WednesdayNetwork blogsite is a landing page for all your connections (links).

WHAT YOU GET

Immediate greater visiblity with all the search engines as blogs come up with higher rankings than websites. Additional leverage of your existing profiles online. Go to the WednesdayNetwork and check it out. Recruiters search Google by keywords so do prospective buyers of services. this makes it easier for them to find you . You get a FREE listing of your name and/or the URL of your Linkedin Profile, Professional Blog or Website.   

If you email your name and the URL address that you want to use to the Career Company, we will do the rest and post it on the WednesdayNetwork blogsite.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

It is a personal crusade to get as many people as possible to have an online professional profile, the ultimate passive job search and self-marketing tool.   Being connected up to multiple networks gives you as much visiblity as possible for the same reason.

Read the main statement on the Career Company homepage: "today a successful career is about Connecting, Collaborating and making a Contribution".

Yes, the economy is healthy right now, so hiring is up and the majority of professionals in the Valley are working as employees or consultants.Or " please don't look at my Linkedin Profile " as you haven't had time to update it, or it has only three connections, or you don't even have one.   Once again, we have all pushed the collective snooze button!  Many of you now tell me that you have no time to network.

The WednesdayNetwork is an easy, fast, simple way to attract potential opportunities.

Who is ZoomInfo? It's Linkedin's Search on Steroids

"ZoomInfo is a search engine that continually scans millions of Web sites, electronic news sources, SEC filings, and other on-line resources and provides results in concise, easy-to-use summaries. ZoomInfo PowerSearch helps recruiters source passive candidates by providing information on more than 36 million business professionals. ZoomInfo JobCast is a campaign tool that uses proven email best practices to help you efficiently reach these candidates. Try out ZoomInfo on some of your own searches!"

ERE the Recruiter's Mother-ship

This ad was included in an email announcement from ERE, a 30,000 member on-line recruitment community and publisher of Electronic Recruitment Daily. ERE is probably the most influential resource for the recruitment industry. 

Zoominfo a big advertiser on ERE's website and newsletters, has grown into a powerhouse resource for recruiters, deal makers and sales/marketing folks. It scrapes websites for data, organizes the information by person and provides depths of detail to users for free or in various fee-based levels similar to Linkedin.

Zoominfo is Raw Capitalism

But that's where the similarity to Linkedin ends. While Linkedin is based on a mutuality, an exchange of value, and the understanding that connections are made through known commodities. Zoominfo is pure raw capitalism, allowing you to gather as much data on a person and their affiliations as possible and go after them freely and relentlessly. Of course how you go after them is up to you as no introductions through shared mutuality and other niceties are available through Zoominfo. It's up to an organization to ferret out the data and drive the deal

This makes Zoominfo one of the most fertile aggregators of data on people and companies existing today outside of Homeland Security's records with potential to seek and recruit talent with speed and efficiencies escalated to the steroid level of employment search on the Internet. It makes even using Google's search tools pale in comparison because Zoominfo does the search for you. They take out the guesswork and the effort.

DeadlineNews.com Repurposes San Jose Mercury News Journalist

Much has been said about the disintermediation (you got to love that word) of the newspaper business caused by the Internet.  Statistics show that more than 80% of gen Y reads their news online.  The movement away from the daily paper has only accelerated with Web 2.0 blogs. Daily Kos has done more to influence and report about politics than any TV or print commentators.

Silicon Valley’s own San Jose Mercury News has been hard hit with layoffs over the past few years. Most recently, Knight Ridder, the publisher sold the paper. Where does that leave the talented, hardworking journalists in the print media? Out of work? Maybe?   

Many have found new venues online such as Margaret Steen, former careers writer, now freelance journalist. And Dan Gilmore, former technology columnist, now Director of the Center for Citizen Media, after a failed attempt at citizen journalism with  the Bayosphere blog.

Recently, I tripped over online, the best repurposing of a former Mercury News journalist yet in the form of Broderick Perkins.   His company’s,  DeadlineNews.com, tagline is “News that really hits home!”  Yup, you got it, he is writing all about real estate and he was the former real estate writer for the Merc. He is fun, credible, astute and with totally up to date information about real estate finance, markets, home improvement and the latest developments locally and nationally.

Check him out. There is life after disintermediation.

Learning from IBM...despite NY Times Glowing Article

IBM is in the throes of change in order to survive against global competition, and the message should be clear to us all. The New York Times article referred to IBM as a nimble giant that is running as fast as it can to move up the specialization food chain, re-organize into a global structure, and shed itself on low profit product lines.

The Valley Wag attributed the New York Times gentle handling of IBM to the ad dollars the company applies to full page print ads. Be that as it may, aren’t we all microcosm equivalents of the Big Blue macrocosm.  Geoffrey Moore, in Dealing with Darwin, talks about how a company must evolve or become extinct. As professionals, don’t we all?

The Times asked, “The unanswered question about I.B.M. is, Can the new, higher-margin business grow fast enough to offset the maturing of its traditional services business and rising competition from the Indian outsourcers?”

There may not be an answer at this point but the question, in some form or other, is one that needs to be addressed by every worker and company in the USA.  How IBM fares can be the mirror to us all. How can we collectively and individually change, re-tool, specialize and run faster to remain competitive?