Be Kind To The Downtrodden

Be Kind To The Downtrodden The following post was really hard to write. Ive been thinking about it for months. As you read this you might wonder about JibberJobbers current state and future. Dont worry about that this is all stuff during my time unemployed. Currently JibberJobber has the capital and cash flow for at least the next 3 years. The point of this post is summed up in the very last paragraph. I went from General Manager to Unemployed (yes, that has a capital U). I was the average American, living from paycheck-to-paycheck but at least I could pay for things like my brakes going out, or a plumbing leak. And overnight I became the neighbor, friend or guy in church that didnt have a job. It was embarrassing, degrading and unsettling. I really didnt expect help from anyone because when I saw people between jobs I didnt help them. I didnt know what I could offer them. I couldnt imagine taking some of my money to give to them as charity. I can see now that I was a Scrooge. Partly because I didnt want to give my loot away, and partly because I didnt know how to do it gracefully. But over this last year my family has been the recipient of various forms of charity. And Ive discovered just how valuable a little bit of thought and help means. I hope this post can inspire you to be a little kinder, a little more open-minded, and maybe even pay it forward for someone that you know that is having problems right now. Here are some of the most amazing, meaningful things that have happened to us since weve been laid off (some where anonymous, some where not): Someone left us $600 in gift cards to our local grocery store. People left us clothes and food on our porch. Someone paid $200 to a utility bill (about 3 or 4 months worth). Good friends who had been out of work for months brought over two boxes of food and shared survival techniques for about an hour, leaving us in much better spirits. Someone left $100 in our mailbox, with a very kind note. Various church members chipped in and asked our congregation leader to give us some cash for Christmas. A family sponsored us for Christmas. Our kids got amazing toys and clothes, stuff that we wouldnt have bought even if we had a job! Our neighbor brought over frozen dinners from MyGirlfriendsKitchen very helpful considering my wife taught piano until about 5:30 and both of us were way stressed to pre-plan dinners. My wifes good friend invited her out to Chiles for a lunch just the girls. Something that we wouldnt budget for, a very nice treat, and encouragement to make it through. A piano students mom paid an extra $120 one month. Just because. My wife went to a movie/lunch play date with the kids and another mom insisted on paying for our family. Our parents immediately chipped in with loans no terms, no expectations. My dad said Ill expect you to be out of work for at least six months I couldnt believe that, I thought Id be back to work in about four weeks. But he was right. The job search was long and fruitless. It was incredible knowing that his support would not turn sour after a couple of months. It was depressing enough, I didnt need a major supporter to have a deadline associated with the support. He also bought me a cell phone, attached to his plan, and he called me every day. See, he had been unemployed for a while after law school, and knows how discouraging it can be, and wanted to chat and gauge my mental state. I think it cost about $10/month extra but it allowed me to have a cell phone in hopes of getting a call from an employer, and the show of support was invaluable. People would share produce with us a bag of fruits and vegetables. It was nice to not worry that our kids were going to get scurvy from a no-produce diet. When I cut my hand open my doctor didnt charge me. And later I went in for something else and he didnt charge me. I didnt abuse this, but how amazing it was that the Doctor considered my situation and saved me over $70 for each of these visits. Our neighbor-plumber came to fix things on two ocassions. And we never got a bill. They said to not worry about it. Many friends and neighbors would quickly offer us contacts. This cost nothing but allowed us to begin networking (remember, we were fairly new to the area and didnt have a bunch of network contacts). A neighborhood family that owns a successful business invited our family to go to a local amusement park with their company for the day. We NEVER would have afforded this, and thought this type of celebration would have been years away. All we had to pay was gas, and even then they gave us some spending cash. Im not sharing this so you can see how cool we are. Or how blessed my family has been. Its hard to receive charity. Its humbling. I went too school to darn long to have to scrape by like this. Im sharing this with the hope that you can reconsider someone that is in need, and without judging their situation, why they are there or what they should be doing, figure out a meaningful way to help them, lift their spirits, help them get through one more day or one more week. Each of the things listed above (and more that arent listed) have brought a huge amount of gratitude, tears, and a desire to be more helpful to those that are downtrodden. Please, think of someone to help this week. And do something significant for them (it may be insignificant to you). You have no idea how much of an impact you will have. Be Kind To The Downtrodden The following post was really hard to write. Ive been thinking about it for months. As you read this you might wonder about JibberJobbers current state and future. Dont worry about that this is all stuff during my time unemployed. Currently JibberJobber has the capital and cash flow for at least the next 3 years. The point of this post is summed up in the very last paragraph. I went from General Manager to Unemployed (yes, that has a capital U). I was the average American, living from paycheck-to-paycheck but at least I could pay for things like my brakes going out, or a plumbing leak. And overnight I became the neighbor, friend or guy in church that didnt have a job. It was embarrassing, degrading and unsettling. I really didnt expect help from anyone because when I saw people between jobs I didnt help them. I didnt know what I could offer them. I couldnt imagine taking some of my money to give to them as charity. I can see now that I was a Scrooge. Partly because I didnt want to give my loot away, and partly because I didnt know how to do it gracefully. But over this last year my family has been the recipient of various forms of charity. And Ive discovered just how valuable a little bit of thought and help means. I hope this post can inspire you to be a little kinder, a little more open-minded, and maybe even pay it forward for someone that you know that is having problems right now. Here are some of the most amazing, meaningful things that have happened to us since weve been laid off (some where anonymous, some where not): Someone left us $600 in gift cards to our local grocery store. People left us clothes and food on our porch. Someone paid $200 to a utility bill (about 3 or 4 months worth). Good friends who had been out of work for months brought over two boxes of food and shared survival techniques for about an hour, leaving us in much better spirits. Someone left $100 in our mailbox, with a very kind note. Various church members chipped in and asked our congregation leader to give us some cash for Christmas. A family sponsored us for Christmas. Our kids got amazing toys and clothes, stuff that we wouldnt have bought even if we had a job! Our neighbor brought over frozen dinners from MyGirlfriendsKitchen very helpful considering my wife taught piano until about 5:30 and both of us were way stressed to pre-plan dinners. My wifes good friend invited her out to Chiles for a lunch just the girls. Something that we wouldnt budget for, a very nice treat, and encouragement to make it through. A piano students mom paid an extra $120 one month. Just because. My wife went to a movie/lunch play date with the kids and another mom insisted on paying for our family. Our parents immediately chipped in with loans no terms, no expectations. My dad said Ill expect you to be out of work for at least six months I couldnt believe that, I thought Id be back to work in about four weeks. But he was right. The job search was long and fruitless. It was incredible knowing that his support would not turn sour after a couple of months. It was depressing enough, I didnt need a major supporter to have a deadline associated with the support. He also bought me a cell phone, attached to his plan, and he called me every day. See, he had been unemployed for a while after law school, and knows how discouraging it can be, and wanted to chat and gauge my mental state. I think it cost about $10/month extra but it allowed me to have a cell phone in hopes of getting a call from an employer, and the show of support was invaluable. People would share produce with us a bag of fruits and vegetables. It was nice to not worry that our kids were going to get scurvy from a no-produce diet. When I cut my hand open my doctor didnt charge me. And later I went in for something else and he didnt charge me. I didnt abuse this, but how amazing it was that the Doctor considered my situation and saved me over $70 for each of these visits. Our neighbor-plumber came to fix things on two ocassions. And we never got a bill. They said to not worry about it. Many friends and neighbors would quickly offer us contacts. This cost nothing but allowed us to begin networking (remember, we were fairly new to the area and didnt have a bunch of network contacts). A neighborhood family that owns a successful business invited our family to go to a local amusement park with their company for the day. We NEVER would have afforded this, and thought this type of celebration would have been years away. All we had to pay was gas, and even then they gave us some spending cash. Im not sharing this so you can see how cool we are. Or how blessed my family has been. Its hard to receive charity. Its humbling. I went too school to darn long to have to scrape by like this. Im sharing this with the hope that you can reconsider someone that is in need, and without judging their situation, why they are there or what they should be doing, figure out a meaningful way to help them, lift their spirits, help them get through one more day or one more week. Each of the things listed above (and more that arent listed) have brought a huge amount of gratitude, tears, and a desire to be more helpful to those that are downtrodden. Please, think of someone to help this week. And do something significant for them (it may be insignificant to you). You have no idea how much of an impact you will have.

Battling Age Discrimination - Young and Old - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Battling Age Discrimination - Young and Old - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Age discrimination is a reality in the current job market. It affects two vastly different groups: Young The young men and women graduating from college over the last five years have had it tough. In fact, this generation has the highest unemployment in the last fifty years. Age discrimination is rampant because this generation does not have the exact skills or experience employers are wanting. Old Ask anyone who is over fifty years of age and has been unemployed whether there is age discrimination in the job market. The answer will almost always be YES! Age discrimination is rampant because this generation is perceived as both not having kept their skills up to date and expecting to be paid at the higher end of the pay spectrum because of their experience. Notice both groups battle age discrimination due to issues in employers perceptions of their skills and experience. What is interesting is that both groups can use the same strategies to combat age discrimination. It is all about demonstrating and not telling what you can do to solve your future employers problems. Who you know and who knows you is critical! The days of waiting for a position to be posted and then applying for it are over. More than any time in history, personal relationships are paramount to your employment. The issue is these two groups have different definitions of what constitutes a relationship. If you are under 30, you likely define relationships in online terms. If you follow someone on Twitter, friend someone on Facebook, or are connected to someone on LinkedIn, you will likely say you have a relationship. If you are over 50, you likely define relations in offline terms. If you have met someone in person (or at least talked to someone on the phone), you will likely say you have a relationship. The problem is that todays world requires both! I serve an Austin based non-profit, Launch Pad Job Club, where I was asked recently by an over 50 job seeker if they need to be on Twitter. My answer was YES! They asked why. My response was that, if I hope to get a response from a recruiter, I will tweet to them. I will adapt to the communication medium that they are most comfortable with. I was recently giving a workshop on the Multi-Generational Workplace and was asked by a millennial participant about the problems she gets into with her mother. She always texts her mother. I had explained that different generations need to adapt to each other. If she wants to develop relationships with someone over 50, she will likely need to talk to them. Each group needs to adapt. You need to build relationships both online and offline. Create a Platform Creating a social media platform is key to demonstrating that you know your stuff and, therefore, battles age discrimination. You can now: Attach work product to your LinkedIn profile. This could be presentations on SlideShare, PowerPoint slide decks, videos, sample documents of your work, links to code you have written, and just about anything that can be found on the Internet. LinkedIn Publisher is now a platform that will be available for you to publish to anyone. This is an excellent way to demonstrate that you know your stuff. Once you have established a platform , showing that you know your stuff, you need to promote, promote, and promote some more. You do this by connecting effectively on social media. Each group has issues. The younger you are, the less likely you will have work samples to demonstrate what you know. In that case, create them! The older you are, the less likely you will want to promote and connect. It is not how we were raised. Get over it. Overcoming Age Discrimination If you want to overcome age discrimination, it is about targeting key employers and developing key relationships using both online and offline methods. Once the relationship is established, you need to be able to show them that you know your stuff. Whether you are experiencing age discrimination at the beginning or at the end of your career, it is all about relationships! Marc Miller â€" Career Pivot Check out my book Repurpose Your Career â€" A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers Do not forget to follow me on Twitter or FaceBook

Fall Fashion Trends for the Office

Fall Fashion Trends for the Office Fall is the favorite season of many, with lots of holidays to look forward to and prepare for. Something, however, that can cause a problem for a lot of women is knowing just how to dress for the office during this unpredictable transitional season. The weather can be beautiful one day, and then more wintery the next. It makes preparing a stable wardrobe a difficult task. To help guide you in the right direction for the season, here is some great fashion advice for looking good in the office during fall. Blazers Blazers are a classic office staple that are perfect for the fall season going into winter and then even into spring. They are the perfect combination of stylish and office-appropriate, and there are plenty of cuts and patterns to experiment with. Bold pinstripe blazers are something that never go out of style. Blouses Blouses are versatile and always give a put together polished look. Perfect for wearing on their own or under a cardigan, they are a fashion item worth investing in. when it comes to styles and clours, the options are endless: on websites like Luisaviaroma, you can find a vast selection on blouses, for example the tops by Alberta Ferretti are perfect for fall office looks. Just like a blazer, they are professional and practical whilst still being stylish and fashionable. Cashmere Sweater Cashmere is a thin material that still holds its fair share of warmth when needed, which is perfect for fall workdays when you cant be certain of how the weather is going to behave. Cashmere sweaters with bold necklaces are a great pairing option. Black Trousers You cant go wrong with a look that starts with basic, good quality black trousers. Think of black trousers as the base for you to be able to experiment with more vibrant blouses and blazers. In particular this season, the tailored crop black trouser is a big trend. Trench Coat An outer layer is a must during the fall, and trench coats have the appropriate length whilst not being heavy or overbearing in a mild fall climate. You cant go wrong with a beautiful neutral beige trench coat. Wrap Coat Alternatively, a wrap coat is a great choice for the fall office environment. They are well regarded for their versatility in terms of leisure and business wear and being able to bridge the gap between the two. Kitten Heels The drama of summer is done with, and you can afford to scale down your footwear slightly if you wish. A nice pair of kitten heels are perfect for the office. In some environments, you might even get away with a pair of loafers. Ultimately, the fun thing about fall fashion is that it features elements for both mild weather and cold weather, giving you the opportunity to have fun and experiment with different patterns, colours and textures. Its all about playing around until you find the combination that works for you.

Unresponsive Managers What Message Are You Sending to Employees

Unresponsive Managers â€" What Message Are You Sending to Employees Great managers are masters of multi-tasking, communicating with team members while inspiring achievement and delivering results. However, there’s often that ONE manager who never responds to your emails or phone calls. Now, I’m not referring to the C-level executive who is rarely seen around the office because he or she is busy running the company. I’m talking about that person in middle management, who oversees a team of employees and claims their “door is always open.” Of course, when you do eventually speak with them, they’ll tell you how busy they are. But the next time this manager requests something of you, try using that excuse and see how well it works. The truth is, we’re ALL busy, but some managers use this as an excuse for poor communication skills. While non-managerial workers have no choice but to juggle multiple responsibilities while responding promptly when something is asked of them, there’s always the occasional manager who chooses not to respond to anyone in a lower pay bracket, simply because their title allows it. So what message does this send to employees? We all know that actions speak louder than words. Perhaps unresponsive managers aren’t aware of how their actions may be perceived by their subordinates. Let’s take a look at some of these perceptions. Do As I Say, Not As I Do It’s hard for a manager to build trust when he or she expects one thing of team members but practices another. If a manager’s actions say, “When I need something, I expect you to jump, but when you need something, I’ll only respond if I have nothing better to do,” it sets a double standard that sends a message of hypocrisy and distrust. It also sets a poor example for employees in terms of responding to clients or coworkers. A Culture of Disrespect When a manager regularly ignores an employee’s emails or calls, it tells the employee that their request isn’t important enough to warrant a response. Respect is a two-way street â€" in order to get it, one must give it. The quickest way for a manager to lose employees’ respect (or never gain it in the first place) is to treat them like they don’t matter. The Kiss-Up Many times, when a manager is too busy to respond to an employee, if they’re contacted by someone in a senior role, their schedule miraculously clears like rain clouds on a summer day. Those managers who clearly are only willing to devote a few minutes to those of equal or higher stature at the company appear self-serving by not taking the time to respond to anyone unable to advance their career. Communication Breakdown One of the most basic requirements for every job is good communication skills. It appears on every job description ever written, right next to “detail-oriented” and “ability to multi-task.” What kind of precedent is set for employees when the person in charge of managing their team can’t handle the most basic skills requirement? Just because an individual holds a managerial role doesn’t mean they should forget the basics. Poor Employee Experience Much has been written lately about the importance of candidate experience. It’s currently a candidate’s market, and employers who ignore candidates or treat them with apathy or indifference during the job application process will soon find them working elsewhere. But what about after they’re hired? Should a good candidate experience turn into a bad employee experience? It’s important for managers to treat employees well for the exact same reason it’s important for hiring managers to treat candidates well. If they don’t, they can expect their top talent to transition to competitor companies. While we’re all busy at work, managers are often busier than the rest, as their role includes being responsible for their team’s work as well as their own. However, with the increased respect and higher pay comes an elevated level of responsibility â€" to lead by example. Most employees can name at least one manager who taught them, inspired them and helped shape their career. While neglecting to respond to employees’ communication doesn’t necessarily make for a bad manager, it sends an important message â€" one lacking in respect, prioritization and time management. When this behavior becomes routine, it could result in strained working relationships, employee disengagement, and high turnover. So a word of advice to managers â€" your communication with employees speaks volumes…literally.

Hire The Services Of Professional Resume Writing Services In Chennai

Hire The Services Of Professional Resume Writing Services In ChennaiIf you are looking for professional resume writing services in Chennai, then your search ends here. In Chennai, people can find numerous and experienced professional resume writing services. These services not only give good and high quality resumes but also help people write effective resumes.Resume writing services in Chennai are mostly provided by different people who have expertise and experience in the field of resume writing. All these professionals know how to use these resume writing services in order to prepare a good and appealing resume. The professional resume writing services in Chennai helps people in writing a resume that will attract the attention of their employers. People who hire such services for professional resume writing services in Chennai can save a lot of time and effort by putting together a good and catchy resume.Writing a resume can be easy if you hire the services of good quality and exp erienced writers. People who hire such services in Chennai can find out an appropriate way to address their employer. If the hiring person is a newly qualified person, he or she should also mention the name of the company and the date of his appointment to the company. This means that the hiring person is more interested in acquiring a new job rather than being fixed in the company.People who hire professional resume writing services in Chennai can also find out the best way to address the other members of the staff in the company. A good resume needs to provide clear information about a person's achievements. The hiring person will be interested in hiring a person who has achieved success within the company. Hiring professionals in Chennai can also give valuable tips on how to write a good and attractive resume.People who hire these services should be aware of certain career fields that are less competitive. The companies may need to hire people who have a specialization in some sp ecific area of the industry. These professionals in Chennai can also help people to construct a good resume for someone who is in their target career area.The resume writing service in Chennai can also help people who do not have the required academic qualifications. The hiring service professionals in Chennai can suggest qualified candidates who have obtained a qualification in the field which the company requires. Such companies can also benefit from hiring the services of professional resume writing services in Chennai. The hiring person may even provide his or her name and contact number so that the person can be referred to.Professional resume writing services in Chennai can also help people get in touch with their current employers. For those who have a legitimate reason for making use of such services, it is better to make a resume that includes all the relevant information. It is a fact that some employers may require the candidates to submit a professional resume before the y can hire them. Those who are in search of professional resume writing services in Chennai should not only use this service as a resume maker but also use it as a reference.Professional resume writing services in Chennai can help people improve their chances of getting hired. This is because the resumes written by people with the right kind of experience and qualifications will attract the attention of employers. The hiring people should take care of the resume format and ensure that the information provided is very clear and concise. This will help the hiring person to attract the attention of the employer while writing a resume.

Portfolios Are Not Just for Creative Professionals

Portfolios Are Not Just for Creative Professionals Over on the Simply Hired Blog, there is a post about the value of candidate portfolios and I couldnt agree more. Lately I have been working on an assignment consulting with a number of career transition clients in creative fields including art directors, photo retouchers, writers, and web developers. They proudly show me their portfolios which helps me create an immediate tangible and visual understanding of what they do and how they can add value to a future organization. In addition, the portfolios quickly brand them and speak volumes about the type of corporate culture they will be successful in. Other job seekers can learn quite a bit from creative professionals. Creativity is not limited to an original piece of writing or art or a portfolio of photographscreativity abounds in all professions. While some work might be considered proprietary, most job seekers have examples of their work that they can show without compromising confidentiality. An IT professional can showcase a proj ect status report from a previous project. A financial executive can submit a deal sheet. A human resources executive can offer a benefits vendor analysis report. Operations professionals can develop a list of customer retention strategies and their success rates. Sales executives can prepare a presentation with graphs and charts to identify various metrics associated with business growth. Candidates can create web-based or paper portfolios to build credibility in their candidacy and accelerate their search. They say a picture is worth a thousand wordsa great portfolio might be worth several thousand dollars in additional income if it builds your brand and helps you land your next job!

Job Negotiation Tips

Job Negotiation Tips Recently I had the honor of presenting at  SWIGGIS Austin, on job negotiation strategies to a group of smart and accomplished women.   I love teaching new concepts and tools to individuals, but I often learn just as much from the individuals who attend the presentation.   The wealth of information we all have is amazing and I’m glad I could facilitate a forum to share it. A big takeaway from last night’s presentation: Our ‘inner critic’ is powerful when it comes to negotiation.   Our inner critic might tell us or ask us the following: “we aren’t good at negotiating” “are we sure we are worth what we are asking?” “we might cause conflict with our manager by asking for too much” “we aren’t a team player if we negotiate salary” That inner critic often stops us from asking for a higher salary, to take on a new project, to grow our skills and develop.   The inner critic will always be with us, but we want to work to quiet the inner critic. One of the ways we can quiet our inner critic is by gathering information. Information can be power. Spend some time researching. Find out the job salaries for those in your position with your skills and experience. (See our post on using glassdoor.com.) Understand when budgets are released at your company or when decisions might be made.   Learn about how others succeeded or failed at your company by asking for a raise, a new project, a new position, etc.   Having data can help you feel more confident when you negotiate with your boss or a hiring manager. It is just one way to quiet that inner critic. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more tools, techniques and concepts that we talked about last night.   Negotiation is a learned skill. I believe everyone can become more comfortable with negotiating by learning tools/techniques, creating their plan, practicing, making mistakes, learning from mistakes, negotiating again and continuing the cycle.