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Friday, July 30, 2004

The best time of day for sending resumes is...

Return Path reports that emails sent early in the morning and early in the week get delivered at a significantly higher rate than at other times. The early hours of the weekend are among the best, along with the early and late hours of Monday and Tuesday, according to a study that looked at 16,000 email campaigns. READ: Early Emails Delivered More Often

Thursday, July 29, 2004

How To Seal The Deal In Seven Seconds

Very interesting article! When reading it, substitute the word "sale" for "interview." (wink)


How To Seal The Deal In Seven Seconds
by: Lydia Ramsey

Can you close a sale in just seven seconds? You can do it even faster if you make a great first impression. Seven seconds is the average length of time you have to make a first impression. If your first impression is not good you won' t get another chance with that potential client. But if you make a great first impression you can bet that the client is more likely to take you and your company seriously.

Whether your initial meeting is face-to-face, over the phone or via the Internet, you do not have time to waste. It pays for you to understand how people make their first judgment and what you can do to be in control of the results.

1. LEARN WHAT PEOPLE USE TO FORM THEIR FIRST OPINION.

When you meet someone face-to-face, 93% of how you are judged is based on non-verbal data - your appearance and your body language. Only 7% is influenced by the words that you speak. Whoever said that you can't judge a book by its cover failed to note that people do. When your initial encounter is over the phone, 70% of how you are perceived is based on your tone of voice and 30% on your words. Clearly, it's not what you say - it's the way that you say it.

2. CHOOSE YOUR FIRST TWELVE WORDS CAREFULLY.

Although research shows that your words make up a mere 7% of what people think of you in a one-on-one encounter, don't leave them to chance. Express some form of thank you when you meet the client. Perhaps, it is "Thank you for taking your time to see me today" or "Thank you for joining me for lunch." Clients appreciate you when you appreciate them.

3. USE THE OTHER PERSON'S NAME IMMEDIATELY.

There is no sweeter sound than that of our own name. When you use the client 's name in conversation within your first twelve words and the first seven seconds, you are sending a message that you value that person and are focused on him. Nothing gets other people's attention as effectively as calling them by name.

4. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR HAIR.

Your clients will. In fact, they will notice your hair and face first. Putting off that much-needed haircut or color job may cost you the deal. Very few people want to do business with someone who is unkempt or whose hairstyle does not look professional. Don't let a bad hair day cost you the connection.

5. KEEP YOUR SHOES IN MINT CONDITION.

People will look from your face to your feet. If your shoes aren't well maintained, the client will question whether you pay attention to other details. Shoes should be polished as well as appropriate for the business environment. They may be the last thing you put on before you walk out the door, but they are often the first thing your client notices.

6. WALK FAST.

Studies show that people who walk 10-20% faster than others are viewed as important and energetic - just the kind of person your clients want to do business with. Pick up the pace and walk with purpose if you want to impress. You never know who may be watching.

7. FINE TUNE YOUR HANDSHAKE.

The first move you make when meeting your prospective client is to put out your hand. There isn't a businessperson anywhere who can't tell you that the good business handshake should be a firm one. Yet time and again people offer a limp hand to the client. You'll be assured of giving an impressive grip and getting off to a good start if you position your hand to make complete contact with the other person's hand. Once you've connected, close your thumb over the back of the other person's hand and give a slight squeeze. You'll have the beginning of a good business relationship.

8. MAKE INTRODUCTIONS WITH STYLE.

It does matter whose name you say first and what words you use when making introductions in business. Because business etiquette is based on rank and hierarchy, you want to honor the senior or highest ranking person by saying his name first. When the client is present, he is always the most important person. Say the client's name first and introduce other people to the client. The correct words to use are "I'd like to introduce..." or "I'd like to introduce to you..." followed by the name of the other person.

9. NEVER LEAVE THE OFFICE WITHOUT YOUR BUSINESS CARDS.

Your business cards and how you handle them contribute to your total image. Have a good supply of them with you at all times since you never know when and where you will encounter a potential client. How unimpressive is it to ask for a person's card and have them say, " Oh, I'm sorry. I think I just gave my last one away." You get the feeling that this person has already met everyone he wants to know. Keep your cards in a card case or holder where they are protected from wear and tear. That way you will be able to find them without a lot of fumbling around, and they will always be in pristine condition.

10. MATCH YOUR BODY LANGUAGE TO YOUR VERBAL MESSAGE.

A smile or pleasant expression tells your clients that you are glad to be with them. Eye contact says you are paying attention and are interested in what is being said. Leaning in toward the client makes you appear engaged and involved in the conversation. Use as many signals as you can to look interested and interesting.

In the business environment, you plan your every move with potential clients. You arrange for the appointment, you prepare for the meeting, you rehearse for the presentation, but in spite of your best efforts, potential clients pop up in the most unexpected places and at the most bizarre times. For that reason, leave nothing to chance. Every time you walk out of your office, be ready to make a powerful first impression.

(c) 2004, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about her programs, products and services, e-mail her at lydia@mannersthatsell.com or visit her web site http://www.mannersthatsell.com.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Go to jail and get a job...

David Day has a bounce in his step and a glint in his eye unexpected in someone who makes nearly 400 telemarketing calls a day for less than $200 a month. That's because he has a coveted job where few exist: behind bars. READ: Inmates vs. outsourcing and then ask yourself what I did, "Why didn't they hire senior citizens and/or disabled workers instead?"

Job Letter Samples

Do need to reject a job offer or accept one? How about withdrawing your application for the position or making a counter offer? Here are a variety of employment-related letters you can edit to fit your circumstances.:

AUDIO: 18 year-old strikes gold with blog

Entrepreneur Brian Stelter talks about his passion for cable news and how it garnered him national attention. *Original broadcast was 6-1-04.(2:54)

UPDATE: Cablenewser has hit the big time and is now part of Mediabistro. Not bad for an 18-year old.

click to play

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

The Rat Race Rebellion

PRESS RELEASE: Staffcentrix, a leading advocate of virtual (home-based) work and provider of virtual career solutions to the US Air Force and other branches, announces the launch of The Rat Race Rebellion, a weekly bulletin of screened telework and freelance jobs. The first in a series of pro-family work-at-home newsletters from Staffcentrix, The Rat Race Rebellion will feature a broad selection of legitimate job leads, chosen by a research team that eliminates an average of 30 opportunities for every one selected.Click here for more info

Mommas making money from home

You've opted to stay home to care for the kids. But you wouldn't mind making some extra income during those hours between sending your charges off to school and picking them up again. Read: Mrs. Businessmom

AUDIO: Myths and realities of working from home.

Today's Guest: Pamela La Gioia, President of Telework Recruiting.

Telework Recruiting was recently cited in Fortune Magazine as a resource for obtaining professional telecommuting jobs. Pamela discusses the myths and realities of working from home.(3:03)

click to play

How many job leads have you missed because of outdated email?

How aggravating would it be to hear about a job you missed out on simply because you changed jobs and lost your email address? Or how about when you change your ISP and lose your coveted "AOL" address? One sure way to safeguard against that is to register your own domain name (like JimStroud.com-wink), but if you are technologically adverse (or just not geeky enough to set this up) there is an alternative.

Return Path http://www.returnpath.com/ Return Path has a nice little grab bag of goodies. With this tool you can forward email from your old email address to your new one. Find email addresses for lost friends, notify contacts about your new email address and control your email such that you can see who has asked for your new email address and who you approved to have it.

Question: "How many contacts have you lost track of because of outdated emails?

Plaxo http://www.plaxo.com A very popular tool for this (if not THE tool for keeping contacts up to date) is Plaxo. They recently announced that in the six months following the launch of their flagship product in May 2003, more than 800,000 members in over 200 countries have downloaded and used Plaxo Contacts, which provides a simple and secure way to keep individuals' contact information up-to-date and complete.

Monday, July 26, 2004

This is a cool tool for company research...

Remember that issue of Business 2.0 showcasing the top 101 business bloopers of 2002? What about Advertising Age's "Global Agency Of The Year" issue? If you do or don't, there must have been some special issue over the past year or so that you would not mind revisiting. If so, check out http://www.Specialissues.com, a solution for tracking and finding industrial and trade magazine special issues. In a nutshell, Specialissues.com is an online database of editorial calendars, special issues and content "mined" from trade and industrial magazine websites. A great tool to use when researching a potential employer. Bookmark it!.

The 25 Most Popular Online Jobsites In The World!

Click

So, how is the job market REALLY doing these days?

By industry, the leading sources of hiring turn out to be restaurants, temporary hiring agencies and building services. These three categories, which make up only 9.7 percent of total nonfarm payrolls, accounted for 25 percent of the cumulative growth in overall hiring from March to June. Hiring has also accelerated at clothing stores, courier services, hotels, grocery stores, trucking businesses, hospitals, social work agencies, business support companies and providers of personal and laundry services. This group, which makes up 12 percent of the nonfarm work force, accounted for 19 percent of the total growth in business payrolls over the past four months.

That's not to say there hasn't been any improvement at the upper end of the labor market, with the construction industry leading the way. At the same time, there has been increased hiring in several of the higher-end professions: there is more demand for lawyers, architects, engineers, computer scientists and bankers. Manufacturing, however, has continued to lag.

Putting these pieces together, there can be no mistaking the unusual bifurcation of the recent improvement in the American labor market. Lower-end industries, which employ 22 percent of the work force, accounted for 44 percent of new hiring from March to June. Higher-end industries, which make up 24 percent of overall employment, accounted for 29 percent of total job growth over the past four months.

In short, jobs are growing at both ends of the spectrum, but the low-paying jobs are growing much more quickly. The contribution of low-end industries to the recent pick-up in hiring has been almost double the share attributable to high-end industries.

Want more? Read more of this New York Times article: "More Jobs, Worse Work"

Friday, July 23, 2004

Candidates say the darndest things (Part 2)

A candidate answered an ad for a job by sending a half-page-long resume as well as a color photo of him lounging on a beach, wearing a bathing suit, baseball cap on backwards and large, dark sunglasses. A note attached to the picture read: "I am in St. Martin. I figured you'd like to see the guy you'll be hiring. How about sending me a picture of the person who'll be launching me on a million-dollar career?"

Read these Strange, but true interview experiences here.

AUDIO: A new spin on working vacations

Today's Guest: Brian Kurth, Founder and President of VocationVacations

Vocation Vacations is the only vacation company of its kind that offers you a risk-free opportunity to test out the job of your dreams under the guidance of an expert mentor who shares your passion. Now you can dive right into the career of your choice for a couple of days while on an otherwise traditional vacation -- and you won’t even have to quit your day job!

click to play

Thursday, July 22, 2004

When the Home Office Is the Boss's Home

"EVERYWHERE you look lately people are working from home. Home-based offices are the solution to the down-sized, the entrepreneurial and those seeking balance. With luck and with time, a lot of those one-person businesses will be successful, creating the need for the at-home worker to hire other workers - to work at the boss's house. And while lots of attention has been given to the growing exodus of workers to their own homes, very little has been said about those who find themselves working from someone else's." Read: When the Home Office Is the Boss's Home

AUDIO: Tony Lee, Editor in Chief, General Manager of CareerJournal.com

Today's Guest: Tony Lee, Editor in Chief, General Manager of CareerJournal.com 

CareerJournal.com is the Internet's premier career site for executives, managers and professionals. Content comes from the powerful editorial resources of The Wall Street Journal and CareerJournal's editorial team.

click to play

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Now Hiring: Urgent need for 3,000 workers...

After slashing more than 27,000 local jobs in three years, Boeing is putting its pink slips away and will add up to 3,000 workers in the Puget Sound area by the end of the year. Read: Boeing will hire up to 3,000: Navy deal, brighter forecast for jets create demand

If you can't beat them, join them...

"For all the complaints about American jobs migrating here through outsourcing, few Americans have thought to follow them. Eight months ago, Josh Bornstein did. He quit his job at an investment banking firm in Los Angeles and came to this southern city on the Deccan plateau. He pays $110 a month to share a two-bedroom apartment with a Japanese roommate. He takes the company bus to work at the Infosys campus, as lush and large as Microsoft's in Seattle. He has Indian, European, Israeli and Asian friends, and he has become a familiar figure on this city's thriving pub scene. 'Everyone talks about globalization left and right,' he said. 'This is the way the world is moving."

Read: A Young American Outsources Himself to India

AUDIO: A Day In The Life Of A Pharmaceutical Sales Rep

Jim Stroud interviews Lisa Alexander, author of "Pharm Rep Select: Your Complete Guide To Getting A Job In Pharmaceutical Sales." (2:35)

Meet Lisa Alexander tonight at the Job-Fair Preparation and Interview Success Seminar. The seminar is free, but Registration by Telephone is Required (678-319-4449). Embassy Suites 1030 Crown Pointe Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia (Dunwoody) 7:00pm-8:00pm EST

click to play

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

This is why you dot your I's and cross your tees...

What Your Handwriting Says About Your Career

The best job-prospecting list online...

The World's 2000 Leading Companies

"The Forbes 2000 is our new comprehensive ranking of the world's biggest companies, measured by a composite of sales, profits, assets and market value. The list spans 51 countries and 27 industries. Collectively, the Forbes 2000 account for a healthy chunk of global business: Aggregate sales are $19 trillion; profits, $760 billion; assets, $68 trillion; market value, $24 trillion; and worldwide employees, 64 million." Forbes.com

AUDIO: What to do when jobhunting overseas...

Today's Guest: Janet Walsh

The president of Birchtree is Janet Walsh. Janet has twenty years, senior human resource management experience in domestic and international manufacturing, high-tech, telecommunications and financial businesses. (3:15)

click to play

Monday, July 19, 2004

"...the first rule of work from home job hunting is never to pay."

The best job sites for finding work at home job postings aren't necessarily the sites that focus on work at home jobs. Many of those sites, unfortunately, do little more than solicit your money. And remember, the first rule of work from home job hunting is never to pay." Read Allison Doyle's "Top Work at Home Job Sites"

A $100,000.00 job you did not know about.

Broadcast captioning (the words you see scrolling across the bottom of the TV screen for the deaf and hard of hearing) will be required by the federal government on all new programming by January 1, 2006. Today, there are about 500 people doing this kind of work, typing the words in real-time as they listen to a broadcast from their homes. But with the federal mandate, this workforce is going to expand incredibly by 2006. Who are these workers and where will they be coming from? They are almost all former court reporters that know how to use steno machines, and are certified by the National Court Reporters Association at up to 260 words per minute. The creation of new jobs in broadcast captioning is leaving a void in the courts, however. Twenty-five schools are currently offering two-year programs for what is called communication access real-time translation (CART), and the jobs can pay up to $100,000 per year.

AUDIO: Jay Litton and The wwWOW Interview

Today's Guest: Jay Litton

Since 1997, Jay Litton, President of The LittonGroup has worked with thousands of job seekers. At the same time, he has been personally hired by over 400 professional job seekers representing dozens of industries. Since Jay left the corporate world in 2002, numerous companies have also hired The LittonGroup to recruit candidates or provide outplacement services using the wwWoW!™ methodology.

click to play

Friday, July 16, 2004

Have you thought of becoming a volunteer deputy?

Some jobseekers fill their time by voluntering for charity. There are some however that perform a public service of a different kind. If you have ever received an email from an African businessman willing to share his vast fortune with you (I have received many), then this story will definitely hit your funny bone. Read: Scamming the scammers as a public service

In case you are an artist looking for work...

Job Hunting for Artists

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: The Consequences Of Netweaving"

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: How To Netweave
Bob Littell is Chief Netweaver of Littel Consulting Services. Bob is the featured guest all this week as we focus on Netweaving. Today Bob talks about "The Consequences Of Netweaving." (3:39)
click to play

Thursday, July 15, 2004

I need your credit score before I can accept your resume.

Just a heads up! Some companies are checking the credit of job applicants as a way of qualifying them for the position. The industries most interested in credit checks are defense, chemical, pharmaceutical and financial services. Read more about it here

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: "How To Netweave"

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: How To Netweave
Bob Littell is Chief Netweaver of Littel Consulting Services. Bob is the featured guest all this week as we focus on Netweaving. Today Bob talks about The "How-To" Of Netweaving
click to play

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Check out Senior Job Bank

Career site for Over-50 Job Seekers

Honesty in resumes is preferred by 10 out of 10 recruiters...

"Employers are rewarding honesty with respect to résumés these days," said Joseph McCool, the editor of Executive Recruiter News. "That means being direct, honest, and succinct. They don't want vague résumés, and they don't want juiced-up résumés."

McCool said that as the economy improves and more U.S. employers increase hiring, workers most likely to find new employment will be those who are forthright and honest about their experience. Hiding dates, exaggerating compensation and providing vague descriptions of work habits will hurt an applicant's chances, he said.

Read more here

No, I don't mind a 6-hour commute. Hire me!

On a recent afternoon, Chris Marquis finished work early to get home for his daughter's graduation party -- so he checked out of the Cincinnati hotel he's lived in since January, and set off on what has become an all-too-familiar six-hour commute.People are going where the jobs are, no matter where they are

AUDIO: Bob Littel explains, "How To Pay It Forward."

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: Pay It Forward"
Bob Littell is Chief Netweaver of Littel Consulting Services. Bob is the featured guest all this week as we focus on Netweaving. Today Bob talks about "Paying It Forward"
click to play

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Are you sure you want that telecommuting job?

So you're ready to telecommute, and your company is willing to set you up with a fancy-schmancy home computer. Are you sure you want it? Read this first: Telecommuting on Whose PC?

The wisdom of failure

Failure is an action, not an identity. It is not who we are; rather it is an event or situation, or it is related to a choice we have made. Yet, most of us, at some point in our lives, have worn failure as an identity. Read: The wisdom of failure

AUDIO: Netweaving Week Continues: "The Heart And Art Of Netweaving"

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: The Heart and Art Of Netweaving"
Bob Littell is Chief Netweaver of Littel Consulting Services. Bob is the featured guest all this week as we focus on Netweaving. Today Bob talks about his new book, "The Heart And Art Of Netweaving"
click to play

Nothing beats that personal touch...

The Internet might have become an indispensable job-hunting tool, but experts say that alone might not be enough to land a job. Workers, they say, still should follow up with telephone calls, build contacts within the company and use friends and family members to help them get a foot in the door. Those are traditional pieces of advice that experts said have been lost in recent years as Internet job sites and company Web pages have flourished. Read more about it here.

Monday, July 12, 2004

This is by far, the best job application I have ever seen...

If I am recruiting engineers, I would LOVE a way to laser in on the best candidate. Google has done just that! Check out: Mysterious Billboard Recruits Geeks For Google.

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: "What is Netweaving?"

AUDIO: Netweaving Week: "What is Netweaving?"
Bob Littell is Chief Netweaver of Littel Consulting Services. Bob is the featured guest all this week as we focus on Netweaving. Today's message, "What is netweaving?" (3:10)
click to play

Friday, July 09, 2004

Wow!

"Imagine a company where employees set their own hours; where there are no offices, no job titles, no business plans; where employees get to endorse or veto any new venture; where kids are encouraged to run the halls; and where the CEO lets other people make nearly all the decisions. This company Semco actually exists, and despite a seeming recipe for chaos, its revenues have grown from $35 million to $160 million in the last six years. It has virtually no staff turnover, and there are no signs that its growth will stop any time soon." READ: The Seven-Day Weekend: Changing the Way Work Works

What is it going to take for (corporate) blogging to become a job skill?

Very interesting article and... something to consider adding to your resume? Read: What is it going to take for (corporate) blogging to become a job skill?

AUDIO: 3 trick question every recruiter asks...

INTERVIEW ADVICE
Jim Stroud reveals 3 trick questions every recruiter asks. Be prepared and know the answers before your next interview. (2:40)
click to play

Thursday, July 08, 2004

Its good to be a veteran...

Transition Assistance Online, a leader in online military transition recruiting, reports that the demand for ex-military has increased among companies that wish to deploy them in international roles. The need for security clearances, coupled with a desire for previous experience in the region, has resulted in a high level of ex-military recruitment, particularly for positions in the Middle East. For those that qualify for the jobs, the monetary rewards are significant, often in excess of $200,000 per year along with relocation costs and various expenses. Check out their website here.

Job applicants say the darndest things...

When they say, "Why should I hire you?" Do not say things like this:

"I would be an asset to the company softball team."
"I'm tired of watching tv at home."
"Because I won't stop calling you until you do (hire me)."

Click here for the rest of the story...

Guidance by gut...

The Creative Group -This may not come as a surprise to recruiters who have heard, "I'll know it when I see it," but a new survey reveals that 95 percent of hiring managers rely on intuition at least some of the time in making hiring decisions. The study, commissioned by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service, showed that of 250 respondents, 46 percent said hiring decisions were "very much" influenced by gut instinct. Another 49 percent of the hiring managers said the decisions were "somewhat" affected. Read: "Survey: Execs go with their gut in hiring"

Hmmm... reminds me of netweaving...

At New Directions, finance executives who volunteer to teach job-hunting skills have been finding that the benefits are not simply a one-way street. Read: What Goes Around, Comes Around

Tips for getting more callbacks...

Good article:Improve Your Chances of Reaching Top Recruiters

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

AUDIO: Gate-3 is the future of working...

"I have seen the future of working
and it is the Gate 3 Workclub..."

Jim Stroud

VERY
COOL!

The Gate 3 Workclub in San Francisco is where work and pleasure mix. Listen to my interview with Neil Goldberg, CEO of Gate-3 Workclub. (4:04)

this is an audio post - click to play

Almost...
Sexy?

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Reality television without the tv...

Sixteen people competed fiercely on national television for a chance to become Donald Trump's apprentice. After all, even the losers received national television exposure, and the winner was rewarded with a job paying $250,000 a year.

Less clear is why 27 unemployed people would spend nearly a month competing for a $40,000-a-year entry-level job as a junior programmer in the Jersey City offices of Maple Securities U.S.A. Read: 'The Apprentice' Without TV, Trump or a High-Salary Job

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER accept a counter-offer! Here's why...

"Although you think you're staying, you're really still leaving, but now it will be on their terms, not yours." (Special thanks to the kind people at http://www.creativenetworkinc.com for allowing this to be reprinted here.)

A counteroffer is merely any type of inducement your current employer uses to dissuade you from leaving, once you have submitted your resignation. They invariably involve some type of a promise from your boss. In most situations, a counteroffer will involve higher levels of compensation for you if you stay, and your boss will usually refer to the promotion the company was planning for you, or how he or she was about to change your job description to make it more satisfying for you. Most people fail to ask themselves the obvious question, "If the company holds me in such high regard, why did I have to resign to get what I deserve?" This, of course, begs the follow-up question, "Will I have to threaten to quit in the future to get what I deserve?" The sad truth is there is an extremely high probability that you won't even be there in the future.

Believe it or not, when you announce your resignation, your employer's first thought is not about what this means to you, but rather how this will impact him or her. Just a few possible examples of your boss's immediate thoughts would be:

This couldn't come at a worse time.

I am spread too thin as it is, my department is already behind schedule, and this going to hurt morale.

My review is just around the corner, and this loss is going to take a toll on my performance.

It is not going to be easy to replace this person on such short notice, and my department's year-to-date performance was setting me up for a nice bonus.

If I can keep this person in place just until I find a suitable replacement, that would make my life a lot easier and might just salvage my vacation plans.

On the other hand, what your boss will actually say to you will be a far cry from what he or she is really feeling. Some possible examples would be:

I'm really shocked to hear you were this unhappy, let's put our heads together to see what we can come up with so you will want to stay.

This really hurts, especially since I had just worked out the details of your upcoming promotion, but upper management asked me to keep it confidential until next month.

I was going to give you a raise next quarter.

How about we make it retroactive to the beginning of this quarter?

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the size of the increase I have arranged for you.

I don't want to see you make a mistake here, I have heard some disturbing information about your prospective employer.

After all I have done for you, this is how you repay me.

Unfortunately, most bosses know a subordinate's emotional framework as well, if not better, than the person does. They can be very adept at pushing any or all of your emotional buttons - guilt, greed, fear, the need for recognition, and the need for companionship. When it comes to the resignation process, if you don't maintain a "business decision mindset" (similar to the mentality of a boss who decides to downsize his work force), then you run the risk falling prey to the superficial lure of the counteroffer. Before you yield to the lure of a generous counteroffer, consider these undeniable truths:

1. Regardless of what a company says when it is extending a counteroffer, you will, from that moment forward, be considered a fidelity risk. You will lose your status as a team player and your place in the inner circle. This will come into play in future decisions regarding promotions and career-enhancing opportunities.

2. Statistically, over 85% of executives who accept counteroffers are gone from that employer within 18 months of accepting the counteroffer.

3. Counteroffers are usually nothing more than a means of stalling your departure to give your employer time to figure out how to replace you.

4. When the word gets out that you resigned and then accepted a counteroffer to stay, your relationship with your peer group in the workplace will become strained as some measure of resentment will begin to surface.

The reasons that prompted you to entertain outside opportunities in the first place will still be there. Your boss's concessions will make the situation a little more tolerable in the short run, but the underlying sources of your original dissatisfaction will eventually surface again.

If, after you have learned the truths about counteroffers, and you still succumb to your boss's persuasive tactics, then there is one final reality you would do well to embrace. Although you think you're staying, you're really still leaving, but now it will be on their terms, not yours.

Ten Reasons for not Accepting a Counteroffer (Provided by the trainer Bob Marshall):

1. What type of company do you work for if you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you are worth?

2. From where is the money for the counteroffer coming? Is it your next raise, early? (All companies have strict wage and salary guidelines which must be followed).

3. Your company will immediately start looking for a new person at a lower salary price.

4. You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy. From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.

5. When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal, and who wasn't.

6. When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback with you.

7. The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept a counteroffer.

8. Statistics show that if you accept a counteroffer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six months or being let go within one year is extremely high.

9. Accepting a counteroffer is an insult to your intelligence and a blow to your personal pride, knowing that you were bought.

10. Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your co-workers will never be the same. You will lose the personal satisfaction of peer group acceptance.

You're Fired! But Life Goes On...

Interesting article...

AUDIO: Increase Your Odds For Finding Work

AUDIO: Increase Your Odds For Finding Work
Corey Weiss, VP of Integrated Marketing and Promotions for Palisades Media Group, Inc, encourages frustrated jobseekers in ways to increase their odds of finding work. (3:47)
click to play

They are hiring in Saudi Arabia and Americans are applying. In droves...

If recruiter Joanne Chicco's inbox is any measure, Americans continue to pursue jobs in Saudi Arabia despite escalating violence against Westerners. Most days, Chicco, based in Wayne, receives more than three dozen e-mails from job seekers around the world, including the United States, eager to work in the oil-rich kingdom. The flow has not subsided, she said, even as attacks against Westerners make headlines and the State Department warns U.S. citizens against travel there. Others, such as job-posting Web sites, say they also have not seen a drop-off in interest

Read: Saudi jobs still luring Americans

Friday, July 02, 2004

AUDIO: Debbie Rodkin and The Layoff Lounge

AUDIO: Debbie Rodkin and "The Layoff Lounge"
Debbie Rodkin is the Atlanta City Director for The Layoff Lounge. She discusses the origins, virtues and successes of her organization. (3:10)
click to play

Technical Difficulties, please stand by...

This server has suffered a viral attack. The problem is being fixed and all will be restored shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

I-Spy For Uncle Sam

Thousands of truckers, bus drivers and rest-stop workers are being enlisted to spot terrorists. Read this article in TIME Magazine

Crash-test dummies for your job...

"Giant digital cameras capture a woman striding down a walkway in the darkened room, her coordination monitored by red sensors. Thin black lines track her movements on a large graph as a handful of spectators look on. The experiment on how to prevent slips and falls in the workplace is among several routinely conducted at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, where scientists in white lab coats battle repetitive strain, collisions, back pain, falls, and other accidents or injuries than cause workers compensation claims to soar.

'Right now, there are 6 million occupational injuries per year in the United States,' said Tom Leamon, director of the institute."

I thought crash-test dummies only tested seatbelts.

Preparing the frustrated jobseeker for the market's inevitable return.

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