May 2014 – New Century Dynamics Executive Search

May 27, 2014

Five Tips for Improving your Attitude

Originally Posted on May 6, 2014 by Richard Kirby, Executive Impact

Are you happy with your boss, your income, your career progression to date, your opportunities for advancement, your choice of profession, your industry’s outlook and your employer’s culture? If so, then you probably don’t need to read this. If you are not happy with any of these, however, I want to help you. Consider this….
Most of us have been encouraged to get a good education and become knowledgeable in our professions. Many have spent thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of hours earning credentials and gaining professional expertise. While these (may) have been good investments in your career and your future, how much of that time did you invest in thoughtfully developing and improving your attitude? If your answer is “Not much”, then please keep reading!
I suggest in the first chapter of my career book that “Attitude is important in landing a job, keeping a job, and being proactively prepared to change jobs.” Beyond this, I also believe your attitude is an important contributor to having a satisfying career and happy life. If you would like more career satisfaction and happiness, then it will definitely be worth your time to try one or more of these five tips for improving your attitude:
1. Select a point in time during your work day and monitor your thoughts for ten to twenty minutes. Categorize each thought you have as positive or negative. Avoid cheating by labeling thoughts as neutral. Keep score and see how you do. Make a game out of rephrasing your negative thoughts into positive ones.
2. With your physician’s agreement, start a consistent exercise program that is appropriate for your current health condition. Get your endorphins flowing! They naturally make you feel better and that contributes to a more positive disposition.
3. Notice the types of media you consume and consider eliminating as many negative inputs as possible. Examples would be most television news programs, movies that are violent or lack uplifting story lines, and publications that focus on what’s wrong with the world. Reducing negative inputs and replacing them with positive ones is likely to help support a better mood.
4. Pay attention to the people with whom you associate. Are they predominantly happy and positive … or not? Increasing your time spent with positive people and reducing or eliminating the negatives will definitely be beneficial.
5. Last, but certainly not least, seek out a capable life coach or (if you are more serious about this quest) psychologist. My wife is a psychologist and virtually every person I have sent her way in the past eight years has benefitted.
Your attitude is always showing. You project it in every interaction with your boss, your peers, your subordinates, your friends and your family. They may not notice in all cases and they may not tell you even when they notice something that is unflattering. However, you are putting it out there all the time … like CNN or Fox News.
I believe you deserve the best career possible, not just some mundane job that pays the rent and puts food on the table. Don’t you?
You have the power to improve your career results…. and your attitude can be one of your biggest contributors to your success. Try some of my tips this week and let me know what you think.

May 19, 2014

Five Steps to employment for the over-50 Job-search Part 3: Your Image Matters!

A few years ago I let my image deteriorate. I put on a lot of weight that slowed me down and affected my self-worth. I had outgrown my wardrobe so I decided to take action. For me, that is a big deal as my suits and trousers are organized by "thin," "normal," and "big-boy." When I began to move beyond "big-boy" status, I knew that I was in serious trouble. Okay, to be honest my golf group had a bet to see who could lose the most weight before our annual Spring Trip, six months out. So, now in my mid-50s, I knew that weight loss would be a bit more challenging. In the past, when I went on a weight-loss program, I counted and logged my calorie intake and had a solid exercise routine. This time, I followed the same formula, but signed up for Weight-watchers’ on-line program. Their app is loaded with useful tools and convenient to use when added to your iPhone. My exercise routine was a little less aggressive, substituting a brisk 30-minute walk five days a week for my former jogging routine. Hey, I don't want to stop playing golf because I ruined my knees.

Additionally, I did some dietary research to learn the latest in healthy eating. From that research I learned two things. First, I needed to get more protein in my diet, approximately 90 grams a day. Also, white starchy carbohydrates, especially salty snacks, had to go. I am happy to say that within 6 months, I had reached my ideal weight, and won the bet. Of the 12 people in the who started, only two of us stayed with our goal. Both of us were using the Weight Watchers program, otherwise we were not that different from rest of the group. The fact that we are Fraternity Brothers probably did not make much difference either. My biggest take-away form this effort is that a proper diet becomes more important to weight loss as we age because the ability to power through via exercise becomes more difficult.

(Your image makes a difference!) It is important to the prospective hiring manager, and to you! The hiring manager is making an evaluation of your health and stamina, reflecting your ability to keep up with the demands of the job. She is also considering how the company will be judged if you are its representative. Your confidence and self-worth is likely impacted by your approval of your image. If your self-confidence is negatively affected by your image, you will not perform well at interviews or at networking. The self-confidence that comes from having a good physical image will result in a more successful job-search campaign.

I am by no means an image consultant so the wisdom I am passing along is based on my personal history. My intention is to reinforce some obvious points and pique your interest. In doing a bit of research on The Web, I found quite a bit of information on the subject. If you are interested in exploring this topic further, you are only a click away from a wealth of information. Now, to be fair, (when I think speak of image, I am thinking "age-appropriate.") I do not recommend trying to craft an image better fitting a twenty, or thirty-something. Believe me, you will not be taken seriously if you go in that direction. The benefit of age is experience and wisdom. Personally, that is exactly what I want my image to reflect, plus a healthy dose of energy and zest for life. I hope you agree.

(While you are between jobs, work on your image.) Do something for yourself. An appropriate physical activity will help you look and feel better. It will also burn off a lot of the stress that comes from the ups and downs of job-search.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

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Jim Weber, President

New Century Dynamics Executive Search

www.newcenturydynamics.com

May 12, 2014

Five Reasons Your Attitude Is Hurting Your Career

Originally Posted on May 6, 2014 by Richard Kirby, President Executive Impact

This post is about trying to help you, not about criticizing you. Please consider it in that light.
Your attitude is one of the most important factors in creating your long-term career happiness. As noted in the first chapter of my career book, “Attitude is important in landing a job, keeping a job, and being proactively prepared to change jobs.”

Whether you recognize it or not, your attitude IS affecting your career…. either positively or negatively. In this article, I want to help alert you if it could be retarding your progress or standing in the way of achieving the career results you desire.

If you are happy with your boss, your peers, your subordinates, your income, your job title, your career progression, your opportunity for advancement, your profession, your industry, and your employer’s culture, then the odds are high that your attitude is in good shape. If you are not happy with one or more of these items, however, then one or more of the following “yellow flags” could be worth examining:

1. You have a troll for a boss who makes your workdays unpleasant, possibly because you attracted him/her or because you have stayed in your job when you know you should have left long ago.

2. You have jerks on your team who you don’t enjoy, possibly because you lack the self-confidence to professionally confront them or to refer the situation to someone with the authority to correct the situation.

3. You have a troublesome employee who is disruptive to your team, possibly because you feel you do not have the power to replace him or her.

4. Your income has become stagnant or dropped and this is creating financial stress, possibly because you don’t feel comfortable promoting your value within your employer or to other employers.

5. Your job title makes your position sound less responsible than it is and this creates a perception problem on your resume, possibly because you have not advocated strongly enough to have your title corrected/improved.

Yes, Virginia, I actually have the unmitigated gall to suggest that you have created your current career circumstances through your own personal choices and that those choices are likely to have been influenced by your attitude. Conversely, I want to offer you the genuine possibility that you have the power to improve all of these situations. Not by complaining. Not overnight. Not from terrible to fantastic in one fell swoop. But yes. You have the power to improve them.

How? Please stay tuned. I promise to address this in a few weeks. Until then, consider conducting some internet searches and seek out articles that offer ways to improve your attitude. The rewards could be huge!

Richard Kirby is an executive career consultant, recruiting manager, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!).

May 9, 2014

Five Steps to employment for the over-50 Job-search Part 2. Networking: Your Job-search Engine

If self-assessment is the foundation, networking is the engine for job-search. Most jobs are still landed through networking so this is where you need to spend your time. Your network is probably your most powerful asset, especially in job search, and a competitive advantage for the more mature job candidate. With time, job moves, and geographical moves it is likely that your network is larger and more powerful than younger competitors. There is a vast library of articles devoted to building your network. My point today is about helping you become more effective using your network to land that next job. Your success in job search will depend on the vitality of your networking.

So, let's assume that you have alerted your network that you are in the market and they have helped you shape a positioning strategy to find that next, great opportunity. You have researched the opportunity you seek; you understand the industry segment and you know the job you want to pursue. You have identified key people familiar with that opportunity who are hiring managers or linked to hiring managers. You have made a good start, but now what? Well, now you must keep your network energized and active on your behalf.

Effective Communication is the key to managing your network. These folks want to help you! You must make it easy for them to do so. You need to stay top-of-mind without being intrusive or obnoxious. Your Facebook and LinkedIn networks are easy enough to update, but how do you manage the bulk of your network who may not be connected to you on these venues?

How to communicate:

Avoid long, drawn-out telephone calls. My preference is to use email.
Put your network into Groups or Circles so that you can efficiently communicate your updates and status.
I would urge you to use a merge-mail function, a feature in Outlook, to personalize your emails.
Save phone calls for important, targeted communication.

What to communicate:

Routine updates as to your progress every few weeks.
Any change in direction or dead ends encountered.
Successes/problems you are having executing your plan.
Keep it short and to the point. No tomes!
A note about a personal interest is always a welcomed addition.

For new contacts, make it easy for me to know how to help you:

Be crystal-clear as to what you are trying to accomplish.
Help me understand how I can help you.
Your elevator speech must be compelling, so I will remember you.
Do your homework. Be prepared for our conversation.

Don’t make me guess at what might be a good connection for you.

Make it easy for me to introduce you to my network:

Give me a handful of your business cards.
Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+
Send me updates on your progress and what you are trying to accomplish.

Make it easy for me to contact you: Don't waste my time looking for your contact information.

Your email correspondence must include a complete signature section.
I rely heavily on my IPhone so having the ability to tap your phone number, email address, or website is a critical time saving function.
Understand your networking contact’s preferred method of communication and comply.

Networking must be a way of life for professionals, especially if you are over 50. It is all too common for people to neglect their network while they are working, and then hustle to reconnect when between jobs. Failure to nurture your network while you are working increases your time to reconnect when you are not working. You have a lot of simple tools at your disposal to stay in touch easily and effectively. Use them!