Your Brand in a Word

What word best describes you as a professional?  If you find that word, you can use it as a tool to carve out your personal brand.  Start by making a list of 5- 10 words that best describe you.  Test each word.  Play with it.  How does that word help you tell others who you are as a professional and what value you can bring them?

The word in itself is not your brand.  It’s a seed.  You have to cultivate it and grow it over time.  For many people, the word will change, which usually signals some kind of promotion or career change.  Don’t cling too tightly to any word or brand.  There is always a time to adapt and change.

In making a list of words for myself, the first word was reliable.  Nice, but not good enough.  I couldn’t run a business for 8 years without being reliable.  That word is a good start of a brand statement for someone early in their career.  Later on my list, I found the word strategy.  Everything I do – whether writing or coaching – depends on strategy, finding a message and a way to deliver it.  My brand is about helping other people market themselves and deliver messages.  To do that, I have be a good strategist, which is the simplest way of presenting my brand.

Find your word and work with it.  Practice telling other people who you are as a professional.  Think about how you will present yourself when looking for a job, seeking a promotion, or introducing yourself to a co-worker or client.  Branding sounds like a mysterious concept.  It’s not.  We do it all the time.  The trick is to brand yourself so people want to work with you.  Start by find your word.

Getting Too Personal

A friend of mine is in HR, and he told me two interesting stories about how candidates talked themselves out of a job by focusing too much on personal issues.

In one case, a candidate whose primary function was not client facing said that he did not really care to interact with the company’s type of client.  In one sense, it shouldn’t matter since he’d seldom meet a client.  Still, a VP told my client that he wants an organization that is totally client focused.  By talking too much about his personal preferences, this candidate talked himself out of a job.

In the other case, a candidate rambled on for 10 minutes about his daughter’s professional accomplishments.  Both my client and his boss tried to redirect the candidate to his qualifications for the job, but he was determined to finish his story about his daughter.  In doing so, he showed terrible communications skills and a lack of respect.  It’s great that this candidate loves his daughter, but his demonstration of love was not appropriate for a job interview.

Bottom line: Keep business about business.  Revealing personal information in a job interview can often boomerang and hurt a candidate’s chance of landing a job.  Keep focused on what the company needs and how you can contribute to its success.

Doubling Salary

One of my clients called today to tell me she has a new job.  She has found a job at a bank and will more than double her salary in the new role.  Few people are this fortunate in finding a new job.  Even so, many people who change employers end up getting larger raises than they would if they remained with employers that give 1%-3% annual raises.

When this client’s previous employer, also a bank, started cutting staff and freezing wages, she didn’t wait for bad news.  She became proactive and found a job in less than two months.  She didn’t wait for success to find her.  She went out and found a better employer.  If you’re unhappy, don’t wait.  Start looking.

One Way to Deal with a Bad Boss

I always learn great lessons from my clients.  Today a client told me about a boss who was trying to intimidate him into signing a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).  In most cases, PIPs lead to termination.  My client has been at his current job less than a year.  In that time, his unit has been recognized as the top performing unit in the nation.

When presented with the PIP, my client kept his cool.  He has more than 25 years experience in his industry.  He asked his District Manager why this step was being taken.  The District Manager gave a vague answer and asked him to sign the PIP.  My client then asked about how he was being evaluated and how he was evaluated by other employers.  Again, the District Manager did not address his point.  He said signing is not a big deal.  In reality, it is an admission of poor performance that can lead to termination.  My client knows this and refused to sign.

Then he did something very bold.  He offered two weeks notice.  At this point, the District Manager backed down and said they would discuss the matter later.  My client informed his boss that the issue was not personal.  He then put an exclamation mark on the affair by buying lunch for the person who was trying to set him up for termination.

For me, this client is a role model in knowing how to evaluate his own performance and having the courage to stand up for himself.  Could he be fired?  Of course.  However, signing the PIP would drag out the process and usually have the same result.  My client is not waiting to see what will happen next.  He has begun looking for a new job. The good news is that he can do so with a feeling of self-respect.  He did not let a bad boss bully him.

Career Management Lessons from 42

This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing 42, the new film about Jackie Robinson.  I love baseball and have read much about Robinson, the first African American to play in the major leagues.  The film also had some interesting things to say about work and career.

1.  Listen to the boss

To be successful, Robinson had to follow Branch Rickey’s strategy of not fighting back.  In turn, Rickey had to understand Robinson’s situation and keep him motivated in standing against racist taunts and physical abuse.  The films also shows two other great examples of bosses in control.  Rickey tells Robinson’s first manager to treat his new player as he would white players.  He then warns the manager that he will be fired if he doesn’t do so.  Later in the film, Phillies manager Ben Chapman rained vulgar slurs at Robinson.  His team’s executive orders the racist Chapman to pose for a picture with Robinson.  Wanting to keep his job, the bigoted manager posed with Jackie Robinson.  Moral of the story:  want to keep the job?  Listen to the boss – or find a new job with a better boss.

2.  Be willing to take risks

Both Rickey and Robinson took great risks in going against the long established color code.  Rickey bucked the system.  Robinson literally put his life on the line.  In the end, their risks changed the game and did much to open the eyes of a country.  There is still racism in America, but men like Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey changed the game because they were willing to challenge accept wisdom and customs. To achieve our professional goals, we need to be ready to take risks and face our inner fears.

3.  Be willing to change

A few of Robinson’s teammates welcomed him.  Most did not.  However, the film shows them learning to accept him and, more importantly, respect him.  From what I’ve read, the transition wasn’t as fast or smooth as the film depicts.  But, as Robinson endured, his teammates accepted him.  In many work experiences, accepting change is the first step to being successful.

4.  Don’t quit

If I were only given one word to describe Jackie Robinson, it would be strength.  He faced hate from all angles.  His life was threatened.  Still, he did not quit.  Robinson knew what kind of treatment he would face, and his determination opened the door for other African American players.  It made baseball a better game and America a more equal nation.  In the end, Robinson’s fame is as much a matter of his mental strength as it is his great accomplishments on the field.  Again, he is a role model for any worker who faces obstacles and still achieves a goal.

I don’t mean to make 42 into a simplistic story.  It’s not.  I strongly recommend the movie as a great biography and as source of inspiration.

Want to Work Close to Home?

I’ve worked with several clients who want to work close to home.  Most of them use a job board that has the option of a geographical search.  This method is fine, but there is another way:  Make a map.

Start by outlining the boundaries of the area in which you want to work.  Then identify potential companies in that area that could hire you.  This is not an easy task, and it usually cannot be completed in a day or two.  Give yourself enough time to build a map.  While you’re doing that investigation, you can check the websites of companies you have identified and apply for jobs.  You can also work your network to uncover anyone connected to those companies.

It’s great to work close to home (I work 5 minutes from my office).  It’s not always easy to find such a job.  However, if that is your goal, give yourself every possibility.  Draw a good map.

Great Advice about Work-Life Balance

Writing in Huffington Post, Martha Beck offers some great advice about work-life balance:  Keep it separate.  I urge you to read her article.  It offers lessons too many of us ignore.

Workplace Clichés

Huffington Post offers a list of clichéd phrases that should not be used in the workplace.  I like the list and agree with it.  Moreover, it cuts behind the thoughtlessness behind these words, which often mean the opposite of what they say.

If you find yourself repeating words or phrases that you hate, take the time to think about how you can make your point without the verbal crutch. Write the phrase down, and play with different ways to get beyond “win-win.”

Falling Wages for Young College Graduates

We frequently hear that college graduate earn more than those without degrees.  That claim may be true, but it ignores an important trend:  young college graduates wages are falling.

 Daily Kos reports that the real hourly wages for young male graduates is $17.81 and $16.60 for young female graduates.  As recently as 2009, males earned more than $20 and females more than $18.  The article also points out that this group saw no real growth between the years of 2000-2007.  Given the heavy debt many students have taken on, lower wages will mean that post-2000 college graduates will buy homes later – if they buy them at all.  They will also probably spend less on cars and “luxuries.”

This article and the great graph accompanying it is further evidence that we have a wage problem that is much more significant than unemployment.  New jobs will only be created when the economy expands, which is a function of spending.  If people like new college grads are losing ground, the future of our economy and the future of the middle class is very dim.

What can you do if you’re a new graduate or someone who cares about a new graduate?  Teach them to play the salary game.  Don’t stay at one company and wait for a raise that will be small – if there is a raise at all.  New grads should keep dusting their resume off every 18-24 months.  Keep looking for a new employer who will pay more.  It’s not fun to look for work.  It’s worse to work for less – and less.

Go Beyond the Headlines

Beware of sensational headlines.  For example, today’s Huffington Post features an article with the front page headline of “Poll: Huge Number of American Want Christianity as State Religion.”  However, when you follow the link, the headline and story change tone:  “Christianity as State Religion Supported by One-Third of Americans, Poll Finds.”  That same headline could be rewritten to say that two-thirds of Americans reject Christianity as a state religion.

I often see a similar problem in writing about careers and jobs.  Simple claims, often negative news, takes on significance because they are reposted from website to website.  For example, about a year ago there was a meme that said you would not be hired unless you are currently employed.  Some employers posted a help wanted ads that said only currently employed workers should apply.  Only a few companies did this.  The megaphone power of the Internet turned this minor problem into reality for many people who were unemployed.

What should we do?  Test all claims that seem too easy to believe.  When clients brought up the example of companies only hiring people who were employed, I’d ask them to put themselves in the employer’s position.  If two candidates are equally (or even similarly) qualified, would you hire someone who is employed or unemployed?  Most employers would go with the unemployed candidate because that person would be cheaper.  Some who is employed is able to negotiate and even say no. The widely posted claim made no sense.

Media loves simple, scary stories.  As the two examples above show, they often are not true.  Yes, a third of Americans might want a national religion, but a third is not even close to a majority.  Yes, a few employers may have wanted to hire people who are currently employed.  But, again, it’s not logical to assume most employers would do this.  Whenever you’re faced with the scary headline, test its claim.  Usually you’ll find the claim is overblown, if not totally false.