Author Archives: Dorothy Dalton

instantly available current CV

Why you’re in trouble without an instantly available, current CV

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I have seen two instances today alone where individuals were thrown off-balance because they did not have an instantly available current CV which was easily accessible and up to date .

One case didn’t matter – the other did.

Whether in a candidate driven market or one where jobs are in short supply, opportunities are disappearing at record speed,  so being prepared is key.

Test: if someone asked you right now to  send in your resumé how long would it take?

How did you do?

The world turns in ever strange but increasingly fast circles and the need to have our professional credentials readily available is greater than ever. None of us know when we might have a chance encounter or an unexpected request to provide a current professional profile. I am not even talking about layoffs.

These situations do arise.

What are the best practices?

  • Keep a copy of your up-to-date CV on your tablet or smart phone for instant forwarding. You will not have a chance to customise it, but if someone wants a resume on the spot the chances are that is less important. Sometimes they may be interested in your overall skills with no specific job in mind.
  • Not into gizzmos? Well store a copy in an account that is accessible from any computer: gmail, hotmail, Google Docs. Today that is dating you so become tech savvy as soon as you can.
  •  A complete and up to date LinkedIn profile which you can share from your phone. Connect immediately from any device with the recipient.
  • Add your LinkedIn url to your business card and email signature.
  • Carry a hard copy in an envelope in your computer bag or brief case. There are occasionally still techno dinosaurs around.

Lesson: You can never be too prepared.

What other suggestions can you make to make your CV readily available?

Are you struggling? Need career coaching?  Don’t wait, get in touch now.

 

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Mobbing in the workplace

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MobbingMOBBING  – URBAN DICTIONARY

Bullying, psychological terror or aggression, hostile workplace behavior, workplace trauma, incivility, emotional violence resulting in emotional injury affecting the target’s mental and physical health.

Mobbing is an English word, but one I first came across being used by non Anglophones to describe the subtle difference between covert emotional abuse in the work place by a group, from more overt and recognisable bullying,  which can be carried out by individuals.

Mobbing is emotional abuse by stealth in an organisation or community.

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It manifests itself as “ganging up” by co-workers, superiors or subordinates to force someone out of the workplace through rumour, innuendo, intimidation, humiliation, isolation, undermining and discrediting. The result will be a negative impact on the target’s emotional, psychological and physical well-being. It is generally malicious non-sexual, non -racial general harassment.

Mobbing is not an isolated incident or the type conflict or disagreement that often arises in offices which can be moderated. It is not always highly visible although rudeness and shouting can be components. Mobbing is a sustained war of attrition on the target, with  focus on a specific vulnerability to generate malaise and conflict.  It can be employer on employee, coworker on coworker and even subordinate on superior abuse. It can be seen amongst community members and neighbours.

If you are suffering from bullying harassment or mobbing, check out the individual coaching programmes.

Ringer leader

The mob usually has a ringleader who drives the bullying “programme.”  Leaders can be both extroverted and introverted, with the latter considered more dangerous, as their actions are under-cover. Sometimes while appearing to be publicly agreeable, they direct others from behind the scenes to perpetrate the “mobbing ”  on their behalf.

There are a number of reasons why a person instigates mobbing. It is always associated with their own feelings of insecurity. They might feel threatened by the skills, success, popularity, age or even the appearance of the target. There maybe a Machiavellian component of power seeking. Sometimes more complex clinically identifiable personality disorders are involved.

Bystander syndrome

Ringleaders  engage, manipulate or recruit the rest of the mob to support or carry out mobbing activities. These can range from passing on and carrying out instructions to colleagues or reports,  or circulating vicious rumours or gossip to undermine the target. If the ring leader is senior,  the authority is legitimized. The recruits comply because they fear becoming a target themselves  or they simply get a kick out of seeing other people suffer.  Others are more passive bystanders who  enable the mobbing situation, by failing to take action against it, thus becoming complicit and endorsing it.

If the ring leader is senior,  the authority is legitimized.

One case study

Gabriella works in a small NGO in Brussels. Multi-lingual and highly qualified, with post-graduate certifications in her speciality, she has 20 years’ experience running complex international research assignments and teams. In the two years she has been in her position she has become increasingly isolated in her office, with only one of her co-workers willing to talk to her on a daily basis. The office intern has been instructed not to respond to her instructions. Every aspect of her work is micro-managed and despite the size of the office,  all communication is via email, very often aggressive in tone.

The departmental head has downgraded the content of her role and using the office manager as an interlocutor she has been given a series of projects normally associated with entry leve skills. During a client presentation Gabriella was stopped mid-way and replaced in front of the audience by a junior team member who was not familiar with the content. She has been sent to cover conferences not relevant to the activities of the organization and requested to produce lengthy reports to tight deadlines. These reports to date have not been read.

She has no job description or objectives and her requests to discuss the situation and establish her goals with the office manager and senior manager have been ignored. Gabriella’s queries on what has been going on have been labelled as a disruptive refusal to co-operate.

This is “mobbing”.

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Diagnosed with depression, Gabriella went on sick leave today. Should her next step be a lawyer? Can she even prove what has happened?

What do you think?  If you have any similar experiences  please share them.

long term unemployment

Waiting for the bounce – surviving long term unemployment

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There is quite often less sympathy for senior people impacted by job loss.  A general feeling pervades, perpetuated by the media that the 6 and 7 digit golden parachute exit packages we hear about in the press are the norm. But that is simply not the case.  Not all individuals who have had successful careers are exempt from pain.  In fact the further the drop  – the harder the fall and very often there is no bounce at all. Many struggle with the challenges of long term unemployment.

“The harder you fall the higher the bounce”

The challenge of long term unemployment

Long term unemployment can be very difficult for senior people.

Rachel is quadri-lingual  with a double masters in International Law and Finance. She had a successful career in the financial services sector until she was dealt three bitter blows in close succession: redundancy, a serious car accident and the need to care for an elderly parent who required two major  surgeries. She has been off the job market for 5 years. Today she works as a baby sitter and is applying unsuccessfully for sales assistant positions.

Oliver had 15 years’ experience in international marketing before he lost his job in 2008.  He has tapped into his network for some ad interim positions but currently can barely cover his costs.  He lives on state benefits, can no longer afford to run a car and sold his house to move to a lower cost area. His savings are depleted and his marriage broke up with the strain.  He struggles to get to sleep and also to get up in the morning (or even afternoon).

Gerry was summarily dismissed 18 months ago for alleged poor performance. Within 30 minutes his professional reputation was shattered with no prior warning.  He lost  his company car, health insurance,  school fees support, his phone, his lap top, luncheon vouchers and gym membership. His wife’s income as a mid-level communications manager covers about 25% or their  bills.  He settled out of court for unfair dismissal,  but 20% of the payment covered his legal fees.  Their house has been on the market for five months with little interest.  He’s taking antidepressants.

Are you struggling with long term unemployment? Take a look at the  individual coaching programmes 

How long is a piece of string? 

When a senior job seeker first hits the job market one of the first questions he/she will ask is how long will it take to find  a new job? They both fear but don’t consider the prospect of long term unemployment. Frustratingly  there is no single, correct answer. The answer will depend on:

  • Level and salary  – there are simply fewer jobs at the top of the pyramid.
  • Skill set  – how populated is the market?
  • Sector –  how buoyant is it?
  • Geographic location  –  ditto.

So for those job seekers with a very special skill set, or equally very common skills,  at a senior level,  focusing on a very narrow geographic reach,  the answer could  easily be 9-12 months, perhaps longer. If there are additional barriers  (old-fashioned CV, no online presence, reluctance to/ or weak network)  then it could take longer.  It is this frightening realisation that causes the onset of job search panic and a flood of non strategic activity. This generally is unsuccessful and followed by the onset of deepening demotivation and depression , which increases with the passage of time.

Non strategic activity is generally unsuccessful.

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Quite often there can also be an immediate onset of avoidance tactics including: self medicating, disrupted sleeping patterns, isolation from family, friends and networks, busy-ness – unfocused non job search activity, usually on the internet, food issues (over eating/under eating)  and so on.

 

So what can anyone do in what seems like a hopeless situation. The key message is to do something differently:

  • Re evaluate: career goals,  passions and values. Have they changed?  So many millions of people have lost their jobs in the last 5 years it no longer carries the same stigma as it once did.  Many find that they don’t want to carry on along the same path.
  • Reality check  – how are things now? How far are you from your goals?   Do you need  temporary medical support? Do you need professional job search input?   I see a high number of execs with inconsistent levels of success converting outplacement packages to cash believing they can transition themselves on the cheap.  This generally is not a wise move. Later on,  budget can be a genuine restriction,  but never before has there been such a wide range of  excellent free or low-cost advice. If what you’re doing isn’t working – that is a message to try something new. But also many find their goals have simply changed and the loss causes them to reconsider  their futures.
  • Re-frame your current strategy what needs changing? What options to do you have? Can you volunteer to extend your network and gain new experience ?
Very often pride, not only budget can be a barrier.

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  • Re-consider the role of pride:   For many not having a job title is tantamount to losing  part of their persona and the thought of attending a networking event with no business card can be a major psychological deterrent.   Now, use your USP instead’ “John Smith Tri-lingual MBA,  15 years Brand Management experience” .     Many also don’t like to put in the calls to their  “Go-To” Top 10  connections in an emergency.  Call them. If you have maintained your network they will understand.
  • Re-position :  Has your CV been tweaked to cover a gap?Have you composed a cover letter to explain the absence? What  are you doing to stay up to date? Have you re- formated your CV so that the dates are not highlighted to draw attention to the gap? Are you fully aware of your transferable skills? Do you have a functional CV? Even though that might send out a signal that there is something not quite right to any savvy head hunter  or recruiter, at least you have the chance to present yourself.
  • Reduce expenses :   This is the hardest part  for those who are  used to generous salaries. Ask yourselves if there is anything that could be cut,  using Skype or WebEx  for phone calls, even public libraries to save on heating bills. Gym –  walk. Car – take the bus or train.
  • Reserves: the modern lesson is that we are now told we need to save 40% of our salaries. Most of us don’t or can’t do that.   For any on that career ladder on the way to the top – this is a takeaway lesson. Observe and learn.

What else could you suggest?

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Do you have a “Go-To” Top 10?

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All of us have situations which are problematic. They can range from  minor irritations and something irksome, to outright  emergencies.   To get out of a hole we might need repairmen, baby sitters or service providers in a wide range of fields.  But one area which we woefully neglect  is the development of strategic alliances to support an emergency in our careers. We all need a Go-To Top 10 in our strategic network.

What is a Go-To Top 10?

These will be your top 10 top professional connections to whom you can turn in a crisis or even with a problem or a question.

All our requirements are different when we assess who should be included on that list.  Broadly speaking there are some general guidelines that apply to us all.  There will be variations according to the severity of the situation:  whether it’s a little situational glitch, a specific question or something more major requiring a full  emergency landing.

Who to include in your Go-To Top10

  • Go-To Top 1: Do you have a mentor?  This would be the senior or elder states person in your professional life who can share their deep experience and wisdom.  This will be immediately calming and informative as appropriate, or both.
  • Go-To Top 2:  Do you have an internal sponsor?  This role will be filled by a confidante,  a door opener, someone whose  professional status and standing will be sufficiently significant to catalyze responses to calls and emails,  or even better to effect introductions to contacts beyond your reach .
  • Go-To  Top 3, 4 and 5: Do you have external sponsors?  See above, but with a wider reach in your geographic region or functional or market sector. Having one for each segment of activity would be even more beneficial. If you have connections in line with your longer term goals so much the better.
  • Go-To  Top 6: Do you know a super-connector?  This will be different for all of us. I count on my super connectors, but in turn fulfill that function for others. They are the ones who say  ” Let me think… have you tried …????.”
  • Go-To Top 7:  Do you know a curator? We all come across the person whose catch phrases are ” have you seen? or ” have you read?” These individuals will be veritable gold mines of information, sometimes obscure, sometimes less so. They will know where to look for any key information on and  in the latest emergency and can send you there quickly, thus saving you hours of valuable time.
  • Go-To  Top 8:  Do you have a port in a storm? We all need a sympathetic shoulder to lean on,  some one who will be there only for us. Their role is not to advise  but perhaps put the kettle on,  open a bottle of something cold and white (or warm and red) and just listen neutrally.   Very often this role is best  fulfilled outside an intimate relationship,  although  not always.
  • Go-To Top 9:  Do you have a devil’s advocate?  Their role in any Go-To Top 10 is to give you the viewpoint from the other side. Their skill in constructive communication will be peerless as they force us to examine our own roles and responsibilities in any debacle and communicate that to us in a way we can hear .  They risk our moods, wrath and petulance or even worse. They are people who know us well.
  • Go-To  Top 10:  Do you have a  list of specialists  Whether this includes doctors, lawyers, coaches, bank managers   accountants or any other type of professional  or technical specialist, it’s always useful to have a full,  up to date list of people you can call on.  If anyone in a network has no problem being contacted out of the blue after years of neglect, it’s usually because they are charging a significant fee.

Who would you put on your list for a Go To Top 10 strategic network?

If you need support building a strategic network and a Go-To Top 10 – get in touch

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5 types of senior women who don’t care about the talent pipeline

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Why should we expect women at the top to care?

Why should we expect women at the top to care?

Over recent years we have seen untold column inches and broadcasting minutes given over to the lack of women at a senior level in almost all organizations. But organizations are pyramids and the number of openings at the top of the pile is limited, leaving competition tight for men and women alike.

Only 18 women running Fortune 500 companies, 3.4% of the roles and only a further 19 head up the Fortune 1000 to reach the giddy heights of 3.8% of roles. This overall and much publicized discrepancy suggests an abysmally poor number in relation to the other 48% of women in the workplace.
So why are we so pre-occupied with these numbers?

According to Ilene H. Lang, President of Catalyst “Women in corporate leadership can also send a critical message to people entering the workforce. Women leaders are role models to early and mid-career women and, simply by being there at the top, encourage pipeline women to aspire to senior positions. They see that their skills will be valued and rewarded”.

Messages

But what happens when these senior women are not interested in the women in the pipeline? How do we evaluate the impact of that particular critical message on their juniors? Not all women who reach those elevated heights are treated correctly just because they are senior. We saw this very clearly last year with Virginia Rometty being excluded from the Augusta Golf Club. Nor are they necessarily interested in taking a stance either for women in the pipeline or crusading for women in general, just because of shared gender.

Look at Marissa Meyer. Back at the office before we could say “post partem” after the birth of her baby and now cutting tele-commuting at Yahoo. Many women are dependent on the benefits of workplace flexibility and will be seriously dismayed at this development. But Meyer is there to get Yahoo back in the game and gender repercussions are not on her agenda. Besides she has her own private nursery in the C-Suite which is her own work/flex benefit.

So truthfully, gender balance changes can be introduced just as successfully by men, as they can be catastrophically up-ended by women.  I can’t help but wonder why we focus so much energy on women achieving these point positions. Could it be that this energy is mis-directed and more focus is needed for the women in the metaphoric trenches?

At the risk of seeming frivolous I’ve identified profiles of women at the top who don’t  seem to care about the women below them.

  • Alpha bitches: these women, not through any particular ill-will, just think that women need to suck it up and get on with it and believe the contribution they make trail blazing and paving the way for others is sufficient on its own. They believe the women below them should be grateful. Their modus operandi is “step up or shut up”. They are just simply not interested in what goes on in the ranks in gender terms. Men or women just need to get the job done. End of!
  •  Business first brigade: these women are corporate bodies to their cores and although they may champion gender balance policies, this is only if they don’t interfere with bottom line imperatives. Virginia Rometty, turned the other cheek (even joked about it) when she was snubbed by the Augusta Golf Club in April 2012. IBM’s overall business interests seem to come before striking a blow for women, or even presenting the mildest reaction to a very public slight. If she made any comment then I have not seen it. Was she taking a hit for the team? Possibly. But then she was appointed Chairman in October 2012. So we’ll never know if it was vested personal interest or corporate acumen!
  • Men in Skirts: these women are the only women in the room and are OK that way. Unlike the alpha bitches, they are pretty oblivious to their female colleagues and have been completely absorbed and accepted into male corporate culture. They don’t feel they have done anything special because of their gender. They are not averse to other women being there as long as they fit in.
  •  Mascara Mafia: they are at the top of the pile and like it there. They have clawed their way to the top with their French manicures and are not letting anyone else in. Unlike the Men in Skirts they enjoy being in the minority and actively want to protect their patch.  This is the famously quoted “Queen Bee Syndrome.”  Dr. Sharon Eden British psychologist told me this is rooted, even today, in women being genetically hardwired for child-bearing reasons to keep the best men for themselves. It’s old fashioned protection of the species! In a 21st century corporate environment the “best men” are found at the top of the organogram.
  • Genuinely Oblivious Gang : they have never encountered any gender issues in their own careers, they are completely mystified and have no idea what all the fuss is about. A sort of raised global eyebrow “que?” or “quoi?” about it all. “What gender issues?” they ask. “So 1970s!  Hasn’t that  all been taken care of?”

So are the demands we make on our women leaders to expect them to care about the women coming through the ranks simply unrealistic? Is this another reason to let them get on with it and shift our focus to the pipeline?

What do you think?

career management

How to create a career management strategy when ALL jobs are temporary.

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So you think that change will fly by and leave your career plans untouched?

You do?

Then I suggest you watch this video!

Do you have career insurance or a career management strategy?

One of the greatest challenges is planning a career strategy in a job market that is changing faster than we are.   All the goal posts are moving and staying current is becoming not only challenging, but confusing in economic times where no one  ( yes NO ONE)  is indispensable.

Youth unemployment is soaring to unprecedented heights, default retirement ages are being deferred or even abolished. Benefits offered by corporations have been eroded and the expectation of career longevity with any one organisation is a concept of a bye gone era. None of us would think of not taking out house, car, medical or travel insurance to meet all sorts of contingencies. Yet many of us don’t consider applying these measures professionally.

Career management has shifted to become professional protection which requires career insurance.  But despite the widely available  information about declining economies, many are confronted by change unprepared and uninsured

What can you do?

Create an ongoing personal development plan:  at one time it was enough to work hard, meet or exceed objectives and recognition and reward would follow. This is no longer  necessarily the case. We all have to invest in the ongoing development and widening of our skill sets.  The pace of change is so rapid that many aspects of all our jobs could disappear or be re-allocated.  We have no idea what new jobs will be needed or created. If you have not added formally to your skill set in any way in the past 2-3 years –  this should be a priority. Attend a course or sign up for a webinar. Access to educational opportunities has never been wider and more affordable, especially online and distance learning to fit in with our full schedules and budgets.

Stay current:  if you are part of the brigade that eschews online platforms and technological change you need to get over that. Rapidly.  These platforms offer access to up to date information in all sectors which is easily available and cheap, or even free. There is no excuse for not registering for alerts and staying in touch. All serious professionals would now be expected  to have a complete online professional profile. Make sure you have one.

Do you have career insurance?

Do you have career insurance?

Create a networking strategy: despite  all the clichéd homilies about not digging wells when we’re thirsty or fixing roofs in the rain – many do exactly that.  Make networking part of your daily routine,  on and offline.

Do you have a “go-to 10? ” These are  your ten contacts for an emergency. Maintain those relationships attentively because no one likes people  they haven’t seen for years, pitching up out of the blue when they need something. Set up an advisory board of professional contacts or mentors whom you can tap into for ongoing advice.

Get out and meet people:  make this part of your annual strategy whether this is at conferences,  or lunches/breakfasts, within your organisation or externally.  It is a vital part of your career protection strategy.

Raise your visibility: speak in meetings, join professional associations,  write articles, offer to mentor junior staff or contacts,  or try to become a conference speaker.

Are you doing everything you can to protect your career?

If you need support building career insurance –  get in touch NOW! 

bored businesman

Are you a job search bore? Story telling and job search

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Story telling in job search is a talent.

There are some natural raconteurs who have the gift of the gab. Most of us with less ability have to work on developing those skills. Many will wonder why that matters at all – but the reality is that it does. Story telling in job search is critical to creating a compelling narrative.

Don’t people just want to know where we’ve worked and what we’ve done? Yes and no. They also want to hear what we’ve achieved, but delivered in such a way that we don’t sound arrogant and pompous, or make them nod off into their coffees in utter boredom.

Synthesise

Being able to synthesise and take an overview of our own lives and deliver it in digestible soundbites, that promotes engagement and creates dialogue takes a lot of work, especially to do it well.  Our story line,  whether this takes place in a networking event, in a social situation,   a formal interview or even on a date, is going to be very different each time.

I like to use the metaphors of hats. We wouldn’t wear a fascinator to the office or ski helmet to a cocktail party (at least not unless we were a little weird). There are times when we need to take one hat off and put another one on.  The type of information we highlight will also vary according to the context.

story telling in job search

Just as if we were being introduced to someone at a dinner party we wouldn’t deliver our life story in historical order, but pull out nuggets of interest, because to do otherwise would be really dull.  We have all been cornered by the sports bore who will give detailed, blow  by blow accounts of their last match or game. Or the doting parent who discusses their children ad nauseam. Or the divorcee who rants interminably about their ex.

Job search

Anyone involved in the hiring process will tell you that the casual “Tell me about yourself ” is a trick question! Most responses will cover a chronological account of professional lives backed up by  the detail of the tasks carried out   “….in 1996 I joined Better Company as a Sales Executive  servicing accounts in x region.. and then in 1998 I moved to ” and so on.

Almost immediately eyes will glaze over as the hapless candidate delivers a 5 minute monologue, giving a task focused chronology of their career, rather than extracting key elements of interest. I’ve also seen good story tellers be unable to transfer their verbal energy into the written word.  This is why many are disappointed about disappearing into a cyber black hole and not getting that vital call to an interview.

But even when that does happen, an interview can seem to be give us permission to deliver a soliloquy. But this is a false impression. What is being looked for is an indication of what we are good at and whether we can bring that success into a new business environment.

How compelling is your job search story telling ?

If you need help for your job search story telling – get in touch NOW 

Left holding the baby: Maternity leave without a strategy

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Left holding the baby: Maternity leave without strategy

Left holding the baby: Maternity leave without a strategy

According to the Economist (December 31, 1999) the oral contraceptive is ”the greatest science and technology advance in the twentieth century“. This gave men and women hitherto unparalleled access in the developed world, to widely available and sophisticated birth control.

Pregnancy now is an event that is usually carefully planned. Well mostly! It seems that after conception is when the planning becomes a bit haphazard! When I coach clients around their maternity leave, it tends to be to deal with a problem on re-entry to the workplace. This can be in any time timeframe from months to years. Very few women are like  Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer who bounced back within a couple of weeks!

I can count on one hand the number of times I have coached a woman prior to maternity leave.

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Small print
Women, depending where they are located, could normally expect to return to a similar position, at a similar level to the one they held  prior to their maternity leave. The length of time can vary between countries. Note well, that the phrase does not stipulate “the exact same job, in the exact same place, doing the exact same thing“.

This small phrase can cover a multitude of possibilities.

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It is important that women have put their stake into the ground with regard to their return as early as possible. This is particularly important for senior women who are more difficult to replace on an ad interim basis than those in junior roles. In these cases if organisational shifts are made to accommodate the absence,  then additional  attention is advisable.

What strategies should a woman consider prior to her maternity leave?

  • Understand your company’s policy and  your statutory rights:  Many women become unstuck simply because they fail to inform themselves on maternity leave policies and the protocol for communication in their organisations or even their legal position. There can be wide differences from one organisation to another and between geographies. It would generally be expected that you inform your immediate superior and/or the HR function,  normally in writing. Initially you will only be able to give an estimate of the timeframe involved until your due date is confirmed.  .
  •  Be part of the cover strategy: If you are serious about your career you will indicate that you intend to return to work. Make sure you are part of the process to find a replacement or arrange cover. You have the right to change your mind later about your return. Some women do, but this is a luxury that many cannot afford. If you are running a team you should have succession plans in place. If you don’t, now is a good time to start making them.
  • Establish communication lines:  in some countries employers are not allowed to contact employees while on maternity leave. Nor do you want to be caught up in business minutiae while “topping and tailing” your new born. If you are a senior employee, particularly in an operational role, you will set guidelines with your direct reports regarding how you want to be contacted, the timing and frequency of the contact and for which issues.
  • Preparing for the unexpected:  Sometimes events overtake everyone. Bosses are replaced, mergers and other organisational restructuring can happen in your absence. Don’t allow yourself to be sidelined in any discussions if possible,  although this can be difficult if you are in the middle of giving birth and all you can anticipate is the next contraction. Before you leave make sure you have all key emails and documents relating to your own performance, job description, address book and maternity leave agreements off site or on your own computer. I have a catalogue of nightmare scenarios reported by women whose statutory and contractual rights have been ignored or abused while away from their offices in times of change.
  • Maintaining visibility: At a senior level drifting off the radar is never a good idea. During your maternity leave consider scheduling ad hoc attendance at some key meeting, or perhaps a monthly briefing call with your replacement. You need to do more than drop by with the new arrival on your arm.
  • Establish childcare support in advance:  check out childcare options and decide which suits you best. Some crèches and day-care centres  actually have waiting lists. You may want to set up hiring processes for nannies. Some women are also shocked at the cost of childcare and how it eats into net salary. Think of this as a strategic long-term investment in your career.  Also factor in the arrangements you make with your partner  about the distribution of childcare responsibilities. As Shirley Conran said

 

“You don’t need a pair of breasts to take a child to the dentist.”

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  • Plan for contingencies:  Think ahead –  what will you do if your baby become sick or there are other issues? Have back-up plans. Note the plural.
  • Re-entry debriefing:  Prior to your return,  set up meetings with key stakeholders to establish the process you are going to follow for your strategic re-integration. This could involve  discussions on the future role of your replacement who will now go back to a more junior role,  announcements, hand-over procedures, kick-off meetings etc.

Clear communication and managing expectations can support a smooth transition and go a long way to avoiding those unexpected surprises.

What has been your experience?

LinkedIn endorsements – why I’ve done an about turn

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When LinkedIn rolled out their skill endorsement programme my immediate reaction was not positive. My inner voice said “Tacky, superficial, transactional. Tapping into the worst aspects of social media interaction and white noise, akin to Facebook “likes” and Twitter Follow Fridays. 

There was no way to quantify the scope or quality of any endorsement and it all seemed like a silly popularity contest.  They are no substitute for a detailed and thought out Recommendation from a colleague or superior,  who actually knows the work of the person involved and can genuinely reference that particular quality.

DD LI Endorsements

Downward trend?

It’s hard to know why LinkedIn followed this trend other than following the money. It has to be the correlation between advertising revenue and member engagement and page views. This is one way of generating inter-connectivity via the alerts which appear on your LinkedIn dashboard, in your updates and as an email.

The other is that apparently as many as 60% of profiles on LinkedIn are incomplete, making it difficult for recruiters to tap into profiles via keyword searches. By allocating keywords to each other, we very obligingly save the individual work and provide the LinkedIn algorithms with the necessary keyworded skills on his or her behalf.

So this seems to be a way of improving results for recruiters, thus making LinkedIn more attractive and by extension enhancing their revenue stream.

Downsides

The danger is that we can endorse skills provided conveniently in the pop up window which may not be skills that the person actually has. I am regularly endorsed for very peripheral skills and even activities in which I don’t specialise. I can only assume that someone has clicked the yellow endorse button, which covers all skills,  rather than deleting the spurious skill which I don’t have.

LinkedIn endorsements

However, despite this, I do confess to being something of a convert. I have not done a complete 360°, but certainly a bit of an about turn. Definitely  a 180°!

Here’s why I’v done an about turn on LinkedIn endorsements.

  • Although not as strong as  a recommendation, a LinkedIn endorsement is a way for a person to acknowledge a small courtesy or service.  I have received endorsements from individuals whose path I have crossed years ago, perhaps in some minor way.  It’s a way of saying thank you and showing appreciation.
  • It can be a form of networking and staying in touch. It’s a quick and easy way to let someone know you have been on their radar with a bonus of public recognition,  rather than just an email. It’s a way of leaving a digital footprint in your network while eliminating  the nuisance factor.
  • It can be a way of acknowledging skills the individuals  themselves don’t recognise  or perhaps they don’t even understand they have. It is really useful for introverts to have that done for them, or those starting out on the online profile path. I’ve just endorsed the deserving members of my MBA  Career Management workshop for leadership, team playing and engagement. All important factors in contributing to the success of my sessions.

 

And more reasons

  • We can manage our endorsements  – we  have full control over which skills are endorsed and which endorsers are visible on our profiles. If  specific skills are targeted or even if the preference is to have endorsements hidden, this is our choice. We can leave key influencers in our networks visible.
  • Endorsements provide feedback.
  • They provide an opportunity to strengthen relationships,  not by automatic reciprocation but via the initiation of dialogue.
  • We don’t have to approve endorsements from people we don’t know.
  • We don’t have to reciprocate if the endorsement is not genuine.

 

LinkedIn logoSo  it seems provided that we all behave sensibly, genuinely and with integrity there is no reason why the endorsement system can’t provide some added value.

Like with many other processes, it’s the responsibility of the user not to become the abuser.]

How do you use LinkedIn endorsements to enhance your online presence?

If you need help with your online job search- get in touch NOW

7 thoughtful job seeker details I would thank you for

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Or why the devil is in the job seeker details!

I don’t have a great eye for detail so it’s something I have had to be mindful of throughout my career. But, I have found, there are two types of attention to detail in job search.

This detail can make a difference between you and the cyber black hole or the job seeker’s trash can.

The first is self sabotaging carelessness: Much is written about the mistakes that job seekers make with long list of careless errors and cautionary caveats. If those errors get to bother me, then you can be sure they are glaring. For my detail focused colleagues you have already induced bouts of frenzied perfectionist palpitations. Result – you have been cut. But I’m not going to focus on those. I’m going to focus on the other kind of details!

The second is value adding detail: These are the extra details that are thoughtful and considerate, those additional elements that add value. These are the details I (and others) will THANK YOU for. Why? because they make my life easier and smoother. They can even help me avoid making mistakes myself.

As a job seeker, rightly or wrongly, this is not always about you.

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  •  File saving for easy retrieval: Thank you for naming your file so it can be saved and retrieved easily by the recipient,  not some generic incomprehensible code for your own system : JNV_CV_Jan2013 is one I saw this week. Who is JNV?   Try: JohnNVaughan_CV_ MarketingManagerXcompany. I saw one suggestion of using a Name + USP as the file name.  That’s not a bad idea. Just make sure you have a short USP. Please use both names too!
  • Easy copy pasting: Thank you for not using a pdf format. Someone like me may need to copy/paste your details onto a data base or into an address book.  We can’t carry 8 numbers in our head for 20 seconds. This could lead to mistakes in transferring the information and is one reason why you get lost in job search space. Job seekers worry that someone might alter their CV. If you are sending your document to a reputable person this will not happen, unless it’s to improve it for a client. Otherwise, trust me we don’t have time.
  • Sensible email address – firstname.lastname@provider, thank you for facilitating easy retrieval. If you have a common name something as near to possible as you can manage.
  • Insert  hyperlinks: into your text so we can click-through easily to your LinkedIn profile and email address.  Thank you for saving me time.
  • Connect with me on LinkedIn:  it puts you in the forefront of our minds, shows you are switched on and another thank you for that time saver.  
  • Send a thank you mail:  I’m not one of these people who would expect a hand written note. In fact personally I would prefer not.  But a thoughtful email goes down well and sets the scene for another opening. Thanks for that too and for not adding to my paper recycling pile!
  • Source – not the right candidate?  Offer to share with your network. In these tough economic times that is helpful and considerate to any number of people. We will all thank you!

What other extra details are important to you? 

Get in touch if you need support with your job search!