WTIA Event & Job Website

Do your career prospects even REMOTELY relate to the world of technology?   If so, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with the many useful offerings of the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) if you haven’t done so already.  As the trade association for over 1,000 Washington State high-tech companies, WTIA is a clearinghouse of useful information, events, and resources related to the entire spectrum (e.g. software, mobile, Internet, hardware, etc.) of tech-related companies here in the local area.

Why is this subject on  my brain?  Because I’m actually delivering two speeches today on “Marketing Yourself Successfully” as part of the WTIA’s wonderful “Back to Work” event.  I’ve already got the first speech under my belt, in fact, and am just sitting here in the break room recharging my introvert batteries before I head out for round two.  If you weren’t able to attend this event, and were interested in the material presented, you’ll find a link to my slides here that you’re more than welcome to download and review — although you’ll miss out on all of my brilliant ad-libs and color commentary, of course…

Additionally, let me be one of the first to tell you about the brand-new WTIA Job Center that the organization has just launched, since this employment portal is likely going to be gaining a lot of steam in the months to come — and will undoubtedly emerge as one of the top sources of local technology industry jobs.  Right now, there are 178 open positions listed in the system, ranging from senior account executive to embedded software engineer, but expect this number to grow as the fine folks at WTIA continue to promote this hiring resource aggressively among their corporate membership.

Make sure you check out their Industry Directory, too.  It’s a terrific source for turning up technology company prospects, whether of the startup or gargantuan variety!

Audio Clip: Positioning Yourself as an Expert

At a recent Career Horizons networking event, we had the pleasure of being joined by publicity guru Nancy Juetten, who was kind enough to share a series of terrific tips with regard to the subject of “positioning yourself as an expert” in the marketplace.  Better yet, she recorded the audio of her presentation and converted it into an MP3 file!

So if any of you out there are entrepreneurs looking to generate more “buzz” for your  business — or job hunters seeking to brand yourself as a subject matter expert or thought leader within your field — click the link below and give Nancy’s talk a listen.

15 Tips for Positioning Yourself as an Expert

Like what you hear?  Then definitely make a trip to Nancy’s Main Street Media Savvy website, where you’ll find a treasure trove of additional audio files and useful resources on the subject of brand-building, publicity, and public relations.  She really knows her stuff!

Words From a Successful Job Hunter

Given the recent stretch of “success stories” I commented about a few posts ago, I asked some of these clients to document their journey and share some insights and observation about the job search process, now that they’re on the other side of it.  I’ll be keeping these commentaries anonymous, for various reasons, but am confident the experiences of these individuals will be helpful to those of you still in the hunt!

Comments From a Sucessful Career Horizons Client

1)  “The numbers matter – number of emails, new introductions, referrals from referrals, etc.  It was fairly critical to make sure time was spent on at least 5 intros per day.  Even when it was semi-painful because of zero followup on the other end.”

2)  “I found it very effective to hang out with ‘lucky people’ I have known in the past vs. job seekers.  I did not go to many “job seeker” type parties or events because there was generally too many woes.  Rather I focused on other networking events  – or events that were industry-related, but not job specific.”

3)  “I kind-of-sort-of viewed myself as a ‘free agent’ in the past – but I definitely view my career as that right now. This was a lesson that only I am responsible for my career and progress.”

4)  “I made a list of horrible companies I interviewed with and will NEVER do business with them again. Yes, it sounds spiteful, but the experiences were so bad that it felt good to make a decision to simply not do any business with them. Ever.”

There you have it — agree or disagree, you’ve at least now heard the thoughts of one professional who has taken on the job market recently, beaten it, and accumulated a valuable dose of perspective along the way!

And Now, Let Me Contradict Myself…

Sorry about the headline — just a little rummy Friday afternoon humor heading into the weekend!  Having written a fairly depressing post earlier today about the inescapibility of politics in today’s corporate world, however, I thought it was rather ironic that I received an e-mail from my friends at the Puget Sound Business Journal, announcing the 66 winners and finalists of their annual “Washington’s Best Workplaces” survey.

So while I still don’t believe it’s healthy to expect to find paradise out there in the working world, I do think that this list the PSBJ has compiled (accessible here) is one of the best resources around for identifying the organizations in Puget Sound that have the best track record of engaging in good business practices and doing right by their employees.  Sure, there’s a public relations angle underlying these kinds of things, without question, but it’s still an incredible handy cheat sheet for people trying to find a healthy, functional corporate culture to work in.  Check it out…

Re-Engaging After Job Loss

If you’re a member of Generation X, I have a hunch it will take you less than three seconds to recognize the slice of movie transcript below.  If not, click here to watch the movie clip live (warning: contains mild foul language…)

Merlin: “C’mon, let’s get back in the game, Maverick!”
Maverick: “Nah, it’s no good.”
Merlin: “Get in there, Maverick!”
Maverick: “It’s no good.”
Navy Commander: “Damn it, Maverick’s disengaging!”
Merlin: “Get in there Maverick, you can’t leave him!  Come on, Maverick!”
Maverick: “Talk to me, Goose!”
Merlin: “Get in there, for Chrissake!  Ice is in trouble!  You can’t leave him!”
Maverick: “Talk to me, Goose!”
Merlin: “Get in there Maverick, he won’t last down there alone!  Get in the fight!”
(Maverick gazes intently at his fallen comrade’s dogtags; seems to see/hear something from “beyond”…)
Navy Lieutenant: “Maverick’s re-engaging, sir!”

The point of all this?  This famous scene from Top Gun pops into my head several times each day, every time a client tells me (which happens a lot) that they are fed up with the corporate world, sick of the politics, and thoroughly burnt out on the rat race and all its trappings.  Each time I hear this, I instantly flash back to Tom Cruise, the crackerjack fighter pilot who suddenly loses his nerve — and is afraid to go into combat — due to the tragic death of his navigator several months previously during a training exercise.  Luckily, for the sake of his fellow pilots (and the plot of the movie) it only takes Tom 10 seconds of intense soul-searching before he regains his composure, re-enters the fight, and mops up the enemy in short order!

Would that it were this easy for job seekers.  For many people, it can take weeks, months, or even a lifetime to overcome some of the emotional scars that can occur as the result of unexpected job loss.  I’ll never forget one client of mine, in fact, who I was catching up with over coffee, a full year after I’d worked with her following the loss of her position as a hospital executive.  Everything seemed to be going well and she’d moved on to a promising new opportunity, but when I asked “Do you keep in touch with any of your former co-workers from XYZ Hospital?” she instantly burst into tears, clearly still affected by the circumstances of how the departure from her previous organization had taken place.  What’s more, she kept apologizing to me through her tears saying “I don’t know why I’m crying!  I thought I was over all this…”

So clearly, as much as some people adopt a stiff upper lip and pretend otherwise, there’s a grieving process that always takes place when it comes to the loss of a job — even in cases when the transition is voluntary.  The problem (from my annoyingly pragmatic standpoint) is that most people can’t afford to grieve these wounds indefinitely or “take as much time as they need” to heal, process things, and come to peace with what’s happened to them.  Most individuals out of work, at least the ones I encounter, have little choice but to get back on the horse and focus on re-entering the corporate world sooner, rather than later, due to financial concerns.  They can’t indulge themselves by thinking they’re going to be able to find a job, or a new place of employment, where they’ll be immune from politics and won’t run into some of the same frustrations, challenges, ethical issues, or bureaucracy that cropped up in their last position.

Over 80% of all jobs in this country, after all, involve working in the private sector where predictable bottom-line profit concerns tend to be the root cause of most of the shenanigans that working professionals complain about.  Additionally, in my experience, corporate politics are really nothing more than an inescapable side-effect of people working with other people — so you’re going to run into these no matter what you do, even if you try to chart an escape route into academia, the public sector, or the non-profit world.  Just ask anybody who’s been there!

So from my standpoint, short of the self-employment route (which isn’t a practical option for many people) I tend to suggest that time-sensitive job seekers learn to read the warning signs of a truly toxic work culture, in advance, or focus on acquiring better strategies and coping mechanisms for handling conflict and corporate B.S. when it arises.  But I find the concept of “disengagement” itself to be a dangerous thing.  I don’t care if you end up clutching dogtags, like Maverick, or coming up with your own rituals and remedies for relieving the sting of your last job experience, it’s important to get past that stage — and get back in the game!

Corporate Want Ads: Signs of Evolution?

Following the article I posted yesterday about candidates needing to be able to sell themselves as solutions, and showcase the added-value they can bring to an organization, one of my astute readers (thanks Michael!) sent me a published advertisement that he thought related closely to the concepts I was trying to get across.  He came across a Full-Charge Bookkeeper listing (pasted below) that starts out looking like any other boring, formulaic advertisement on the surface.  When you get near the end, however, you’ll see a special twist that the company has thrown into the application process!

Personally, I’m astounded that more and more companies haven’t adopted this approach in their hiring process.  If you’re really looking for the best and the brightest talent, and for employees who are articulate, creative, and willing to go the extra mile, why not challenge them to make the case for themselves — beyond simply sending in their resume in zombie-like fashion?  The answers to questions #4, #5, and #6 at the end of this advertisement would reveal far more about the mindset and interest level of the various folks in your candidate pool than all of the other stuff in this ad put together, I’d conjecture…

Full Charge Bookkeeper for Retail E-commerce Company

We are looking for an experienced Bookkeeper to join our operations team. This position will report directly to the Controller. Must have 3+ years of work history as a bookkeeper with strong references. We are looking for a person who can check and enter data with precision and find the source of any irregularities. Good interpersonal skills and phone and writing skills will be required to work with our many vendors and clients.
We seek only those with a wide array of experience, ready to get their hands dirty in all aspects of book keeping.
Experience in an e-commerce company is a plus.
Primary Responsibilities:
• Accounts Payable (Checking Invoices for accuracy against PO System)
• Accounts Receivable (Light collections from corporate clients)
• Reconciling Settlement Reports to Deposits (Containing several thousand transactions)
• Reconciling Bank Statements
• Preparing Monthly and Quarterly Tax Reports
• Handle Customer Credit Card Charge backs (Write letter to Bank)
• Data Entry into QuickBooks Pro
• Running Reports
• Some light administrative duties
Employee Skills:
• Exceptional, Clear & Concise Writing Abilities For Correspondence with Vendors & Customers
• QuickBooks
• MS Excel
• MS Access
• Good problem solving and multi-tasking skills are essential.
• Professional, High-energy, team-player
Employee Requirements:
• Extremely Organized and Detail Oriented
• Fast Learner With Desire to Grow Into New Skills
• Ability to Handle Large, Fast Paced Workload
• At least 3 Years As a Bookkeeper
• Must possess a positive attitude and be friendly and professional.
3 days per week (approximately 20 hours per week), on-site in Georgetown offices
Full-time may be a possibility
Please reply with the following information. Please include all information, or your reply will not be considered.
1. Your pay history and desired pay
2. Your desired schedule
3. Your resume
4. A 1-2 paragraph answer to this question: “What can you offer to add value in this position?”
5. A 1-2 paragraph answer to this question: “Why would you love to have this job?”
6. A 1-2 paragraph answer to this question: “What is the single most important thing in the accounting department that makes a great company different than an average company?”

Job Hunters = Expert Problem-Solvers

How much would you pay me to go get my MBA?  What’s it worth to you that I helped a previous employer install an ERP system, eight years ago?  How much cash would you cough up to have me come on board and see if there might perhaps be something, somewhere in your company that I might be able to help with?  Seriously, what’s your offer?

These questions sound crazy, I know, but they’re actually not all that far off from how many job hunters are marketing themselves these days.  One of the biggest mistakes the average job seeker makes, in fact, is to channel all of their energy into trying to get companies interested in their skills, education, experience, and qualifications.  What’s wrong with this approach?  When you stop and think about it, none of these items has even one penny of intrinsic value to the employer.  If you disagree with this, I’d urge you to read the above questions again and whip out your checkbook, since I’m dying to find somebody who will reimburse me for my college education and the laundry list of new skills I’ve acquired in these past few years as an entrepreneur!

In the real world, where jobs get won and lost, I’ve arrived at the unshakable belief that companies pay people not for their qualifications, but for the SOLUTIONS these qualifications will ostensibly allow them to realize on the employer’s behalf.  This is an extremely important distinction.  If you’re spending most of your time in the interview reciting your skills or telling war stories about your past, instead of selling your bright future, you may get treated to a lot of friendly head-nods and a heartwarming display of passive/aggressive behavior — but it’s highly unlikely you’ll bag the prize you’re really after: a job offer!

So rather than belabor this point, let me just challenge you with five exercises that will quickly determine how oriented (or not) you are to positioning yourself as an “expert-problem solver” out in the market:

1)  “Hi, my name is ____________ and the kinds of problems I’d love to solve for an organization are __________, ___________, and ___________.”

2)  “Hi, my name is ___________ and if you happen to hear anybody complaining about __________, ___________, or ___________, have them give me a call — those kinds of issues are right up my alley!”

3)  “Hi, my name is ___________ and the way my work generates positive ROI (Return On Investment) for employers is __________________.”

4)  “Hi, my name is ___________ and if I had suddenly been hit by a bus in my last job, and unable to work for a month, my previous employer would have really suffered in the areas of _________________.”

5)  “Hi, my name is ___________ and the challenges that companies really seem to be struggling with right now, related to my professional field, are __________, ___________, and ___________.”

How’d you do?  Was it easy to fill in the blanks or were you stumped a bit trying to figure out what to say?  If the latter, that’s a clear sign that you may have more homework to do in terms of identifying the specific, tangible results you can achieve for a company and making this your sales focus, going forward.  Fully-prepared job seekers, on the other hand, should be able to rattle these kinds of statements off like a machine gun!

[Editor's Note: Just in case it's unclear, PLEASE understand that the above five "templates" are merely practice drills, not recommended interviewing or networking scripts you should follow!  Especially #4.  People would think you had a screw loose...]

Seven Days, Eight New Jobs!

Wow, what a week it’s been!  While I’m certainly not going to jump to any wild conclusions, or claim that the recession is now in the rear-view mirror, I can report some very positive news — which is that no fewer than eight Career Horizons clients have landed new jobs over the past seven days!

This is a tremendous run, statistically speaking, and hopefully serves as a sign of good things to come for September and beyond.  Lest there be any confusion, too, at least four of the folks who recently updated me on their status used the words “dream job” to describe their new position — and none of the eight has taken what might be considered a “survival” job where they settled for something far below their capabilities.

So in light of this sudden happy uptick, I’m going to dust off some advice I always love to give, which is a checklist of steps that I encourage all newly-landed professionals to go through in order to wind their search down on the most successful note possible:

#1. Thank the Academy.  Everybody and their brother these days is craving some positive news, so don’t miss this golden opportunity to spread some good cheer, for a change!  As soon as your new job is solidified, send out an e-mail to all of the friends, contacts, and acquaintances you’ve corresponded with during the course of your job search — no matter how peripherally they were involved — and share your good news and a few pertinent details about where you’ve ended up.  Thank them wholeheartedly for their support, of course, and graciously offer to reciprocate and return the favor any way you can, down the road.

#2. Give SPECIAL Thanks to Key Supporters. Once you’ve sent out the group message, above, make a point to extend special appreciation to the handful of folks who were the most supportive/helpful of all during your search.  If appropriate, give them a special gift (e.g. a great book, gift card, sports tickets, etc.) that you know they’ll love or will be able to put to good use.  Or as an fun alternative, invite your cadre of key allies out to a celebration dinner or cocktail hour.  Letting them bask in your success will be the single most effective way to ensuring they’ll help you again in the future, should you ever need it!

#3. Update Your LinkedIn Profile. As soon as you have your new job title and start date nailed down, make sure to update your LinkedIn profile (and any other social media sites you frequent) with your new information.  This is not only a good habit to get into, in the spirit of creating maximum ongoing marketability for yourself, but LinkedIn will automatically display your news in the “Network Updates” tab of the site — which could lead to everything from some friendly atta-boys to some unexpected business opportunities!

#4. Capture Lessons Learned. While I’ve got a whole page in my workbook about this, it’s right near the end, and I suspect many people forget it’s there or never quite come across it in the first place.  In my opinion, however, every successful job hunter would do themselves an immeasurable favor if they simply took 20-30 minutes, once they’ve locked down a new position, to think back on the course of their job hunt and capture any key insights, wisdom, or lessons learned that came out of the experience.  These kinds of transitions can be a time of great clarity and personal/professional growth, so if you fail to write these lessons down and capture them, in concrete form, they may be lost — and you may be doomed to repeat them down the road!

For example, as an idea of what you might journal about, ask yourself: What did I learn about the value of networking and relationships during this process?  What did I learn about my strengths?  My weaknesses?  What did I learn about the right and wrong ways to conduct a job search?  What challenges did I overcome that I can be proud of?  What new habits will I try to maintain, going forward, to avoid finding myself in this position again?  I wish I could say that no clients of mine have ever “fallen back asleep at the wheel” and ended up repeating the same bad habits that caused them career distress in the first place, but sadly, that just isn’t the case…

#5. Pay it Forward. This one should be simple, but I’ve seen lots of people violate it.  If you’re like most job hunters, you’ve likely experienced some moments of angst and frustration during your search at some of the flaky, rude, and unprofessional behavior you’ve encountered from both employers and other individuals in your network.  Have people blown off your calls?  Have companies not communicated with you clearly?  Have people promised you introductions and favors, but never come through with them?  It’s time you commit to being part of the solution, not part of the problem.  Fight the temptation to repeat these same sins, going forward, when you’re hiring new employees or when anxious folks come to you for a helping hand with their career situation.

Landing a new job is always a great experience, and by applying the five simple steps outlined above, you can make this exciting time even more meaningful and powerful both for yourself and those around you.  Now I’ve just got one last piece of advice to pass along…

#6. Enjoy Your Final Days of Freedom! Were you smart enough to negotiate a delayed start date for your next assignment?  Good for you!  Now go enjoy that last week or two before you start punching a clock again.  Chances are that your job search hasn’t felt like much of a “vacation” so far, so it’s time to let your hair down, relax, and do some much-needed recharging before you report for duty…

Pitch-Challenged? Help Is On The Way…

It may sound hard to believe, but for many professionals in transition, one of the hardest (if not THE hardest) questions they’ll encounter in their job search is the innocuous little query “What are you looking for?”

This question, which forms the backbone of almost every networking interaction, is a vital part of every job hunter’s self-marketing toolbox and will have enormous implications on the amount (and quality) of assistance, leads, and referrals a person is able to generate from the people around them.  And yet, in my experience, the majority of job seekers are extremely unprepared and uncomfortable when it comes to answering this question.  Some people go completely blank.   Others stutter out stiff-sounding answers that sound like they’ve been lifted verbatim right off their resume.  And others, still, commit the greatest sin of all and take you on a guided tour of their entire career history and each and every one of their former feats of glory.  What you rarely hear out there is a polished, powerful statement that clearly outlines a person’s career goals and gets you really jazzed up to help them!

So if you’re in transition, yourself, you simply can’t afford to ignore this aspect of your search.  You need to set aside dedicated time to draft, polish, and practice a 30-60 second “elevator pitch” that will educate the people around you about what you do, who needs it, and how the person you’re chatting with can potentially help you.  Please hear me loud and clear on this: This step isn’t optional if you want to have a serious chance of finding work in today’s competitive marketplace.

What should go into this magical message?  Well, that’s where it gets tricky.  If you read books or start searching on-line for advice about elevator pitches, you’ll find a wide range of different opinions about what you should include in your presentation and how long it should ideally be.  And while most of the advice you’ll come across is probably more or less on target, it still tends to leave a lot to the imagination — as well as the individual’s own creativity and copywriting skills.

So I’m going to take things one step further and give you a basic, functional, fill-in-the-blanks template that you can use to get started if you’re “pitch-challenged” and struggling to pull your piece together:

Matt’s Handy-Dandy Elevator Pitch Template

“Hi, nice to meet you.  I’m __________________________.   At the moment, I’m actually between assignments, but am searching around actively for a new opportunity in the _________________ field.  Specifically, the kinds of problems I’d love to help solve for a company include _________, _________ and _________ and the types of organizations (or industries) I’m therefore targeting most heavily are ____________ and ________________.  For example, ______________ and ______________ are both companies I’ve got my eye on at the moment.  And while I do have a few promising things in the hopper, I’m obviously not going to count my chickens until they hatch, so I’m always looking for more leads and contacts that might be relevant to my expertise.  In fact, if you had a few minutes, I’d love to get your help with (or thoughts on) ____________________________________.”

Is this pitch infallible?  Or as brilliant as such messages could possibly be?  Not even close.  It’s basic vanilla — and you’ll definitely need to put your own spin on it, deck it out, and throw some sprinkles on it to really make it your own and turn it into something highly effective.  If nothing else, however, this paint-by-numbers approach will hopefully get some of you pointed in the right direction and illustrate some of the core components that need to go into this type of communication.

Remember, if somebody doesn’t understand what you do, or who needs it, it will be almost impossible for them to provide useful assistance — and help you get that next great job!

Value, Part II: Local Establishments

For those who just read my latest posting about value, and its role in the hiring process, I wanted to follow up and examine the concept from a slightly different (and perhaps more tangible) angle.  What I was trying to communicate in so many words, earlier, was that we ALL tend to recognize value immediately when we experience it — whether we’re a consumer of “employee talent” or consumers of just about anything else out there one can conceivably purchase in the market.

For example, if I were to think about the places where I feel I receive great “value” on a regular basis, in my daily life, a quick list of the establishments that come to mind are:

Teriyaki & More: While there’s hundreds of eateries around to choose from, I find myself making at least one or two trips each week to an unassuming little place called Teriyaki & More that’s located in the Eastgate strip mall, behind Dairy Queen.  Why is this the case?  Because every time I go there for lunch, I know I can count on receiving a gargantuan plate of very good food (I’m a big eater — and the portions here easily last me two meals) for under eight bucks.  It almost seems unfair how much you get for your money — and they don’t even charge you extra for brown rice, like so many places!

Mediterranean Kitchen: As for those times when I’m not in a big hurry — and might be craving a dining destination that’s a little more upscale?  In these situations, I often head over to Mediterranean Kitchen in downtown Bellevue, where for years I’ve been impressed by the friendly service and the fact that you get a full sit-down meal (appetizer, bowl of soup, huge portion of Lebanese food) for a mere $12 or so.  The garlic breath that comes with this choice?  Alas, there’s no shaking that side effect.  But again, this restaurant never disappoints me, and I count on it to provide consistent value, time after time.

Beijing Herbal Massage: Okay, this one may sound a little weird, but a friend of mine (very credible — she’s a massage therapist!) talked me into trying out this “hole in the wall” in Kirkland’s Park Place mall where you can get a one-hour massage for dirt cheap.  Man, what a hidden gem!  For $25 plus tip, you’re greeted by a very enthusiastic employee who will give you a one-hour foot, back, head, and shoulder massage for about a third of what you’d pay anywhere else.  It’s the perfect antidote to a crummy day or way to treat yourself to an affordable luxury, on occasion.  And apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this.  Check out a few of the rave reviews the place has received on Yelp and other websites…

Seattle Premium Outlets (Tulalip): Other budget-savvy destinations that come to mind?  When I’ve got several larger purchases to make, such as buying a new computer or perhaps picking up some new dress clothes, or a pair of shoes, I’ll often drive an hour north to see what I can scrounge up at the Seattle Premium Outlets mall near Maryville.  If you’ve never visited this shopping center, you’ll find it puts most of the other outlet malls to shame both in terms of product scope and selection.  You’ll find a link here listing all the various stores available in this one facility.  As for my personal favorites?  I usually make a beeline to Brooks Brothers to pick up some high-quality (but well-priced) clothing, with another stop by Clarks for shoes and perhaps a peek into the Sony Outlet Store if I need a new computer or laptop accessory.

Again, all of these suggestions are just ones I’ve come up with off the top my head, based on places where I’ve had multiple positive experiences and know I’ll be able to savor that great feeling of “wow, my dollar really went far with that purchase!”  So on one hand, I’m hoping they illustrate the importance of positioning yourself in similar fashion to an employer, where the company can barely believe how much they’re going to get back from the investment they make in hiring you.  That’s the feeling you want them to have — and it’s one that will protect you like a suit of armor, no matter how the economy may be contorting itself.

While we’re at it, too, given that many professionals today have become a bit pinched in the pocketbook, I’d love to hear your suggestions of other local spots where people can expect strong value for their money.  Any recommendations you’d add to my above list?  Any retail establishments, restaurants, or other service providers you swear by?  Any “best kept secrets” you’d be willing to share with your fellow readers?