More on The Apprentice: Sometimes You Have to Keep Quiet

Last week I commented on the Apprentice candidate who quit, standing up to Donald's harsh words: "I hate a quitter." This week's decision was both easier and harder. Candidate Merisa wouldn't shut up, even in the Boardroom. Placed in charge of Marketing, Merisa kept pushing her ideas. Change the name of the salad. Put some chickens on the street. When she failed to sell her team, she wouldn't stop. Even in the Boardroom, she interrupted The Donald as well as everyone else. Sounds far-fetched, doesn't it? How could a smart, attractive business woman make this mistake? Anyone who asks hasn't been a career consultant very long. For example, my client "Ursula" was a talented smart marketing manager of a professional services company. She'd been fast-tracked all the way. Until her new boss gave her a less than steller performance review. Ursula called me. "I've brought up the point several times. He just doesn't want to talk about it." After we talked, Ursula realized reluctantly that she had to move on. If she pressed the point, she'd just irritate her new boss further. She realized she may already be at the top of the pay scale in her job category, so her manager may decide to hold back and let others catch up. (Fair? I have no idea. Reality? Often, yes.) She realized she was completing an assignment from her previous boss that her current boss dismissed as a waste of time. Dropping the project was not an option. And she realized that new bosses, like new brooms, sometimes sweep clean. The solution? Drop the subject. Her boss was an ardent football fan so we agreed she would say nothing. But if asked, she would draw an analogy to a team that didn't like the ref's call but chose to go on with the game. And that's not all. Ursula needed to identify an appropriate, ethical recruiter. She might not begin a job search energetically, but she needed to have all her ducks lined up, just in case. And she needed to get into some pretty aggressive networking. I'm not sure what happened. I did get a one-line email: "All goes well. Thanks for the help!"

Career Strategy: When you win by walking away

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Maybe you’ve heard this line before. I disagree. Sometimes winners are the ones who walk away. Thinking of leaving a program, course, job or career? Here are some ways to frame the decision. (1) Are you a misfit? Example: Carly Fiorina quit law school for a secretarial job and never regretted the move. She was a misfit for law but found her niche in business, ultimately becoming CEO of Hewlett-Packard. (2) You know the ax is going to fall. Are there gains from resigning in lieu of waiting to be fired? Some experts say no. Carly Fiorina refused to let H-P soften the description of her departure. “The Board fired me,” she announced. Sometimes you really can create a positive impression by resigning. But you may lose severance and benefits by leaving voluntarily, so consultations with a lawyer and/or accountant may be appropriate. And often everyone can read between the lines anyway. (3) Do you need an extra burst of energy to reach the finish line? Often success comes just past the point when we’re ready to toss in the towel. For example: You’ve completed all the requirements for a degree except the dissertation. You’re no longer interested in your topic. Quitting can make sense if you’ve got a great job that fills all your time. Quitting makes even more sense if you’ve chosen a school with a so-so reputation. http://www.cathygoodwin.com/schoolbk.html But a graduate degree can open doors to teaching, writing a book and certain types of consulting, so I wouldn’t bolt too soon. I’d negotiate for a new, more relevant dissertation topic. (4) Will quitting actually help your resume? My acquaintance Lionel accepted a low-paying admin job in a non-profit organization. He quit six weeks later: “If I leave now, I can just omit this job from my resume,” he reasoned. Frankly, I was horrified. Lionel’s savings were dwindling and he had no prospects for future jobs. Lionel was right. A few weeks later he had moved to a part-time job where he could display his talents. Six months later he was on the payroll as a full-time, satisfied employee with benefits. (5) Can you wait too long to quit? Following a scary bout of unemployment, Nancy accepted a low-level clerical position with a stodgy financial institution. The move was supposed to be temporary but she got comfortable. Five years passed. Nancy needs to find a way to quit. If she stays, she’s vulnerable to layoffs, takeovers and bad bosses, because she’s no longer marketable. Nancy’s first step is to construct a safety net so she can take a big leap while she still can. Bottom Line: Each decision is a judgment call. No responsible career consultant will advise you to quit. My rule is, “If you need to ask, the answer is no.”

Laid off? Outplacement For Job Search: The good, the bad and the ugly

This morning's Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran an article about outplacement services, a newswire story that originated in Providence, RI. The story's theme: Companies try to help laid-off workers get jobs by offering outplacement. These services do an inventory of skills and interests, then try to help laid-off workers find new jobs. Company spokespersons note that about 2/3 of lower-level managers and half of senior level managers within 3 months. So are they successful? What I tell my clients (1) Outplacement firms work for your employer, not for you. Their goal is to defuse emotions so you won't sue (or worse). They want to place you as quickly as possible so you'll move on and, incidentally, have no reason to make a claim on your previous employer. If you're earning a good salary, you can't claim financial loss or hardship. (2) Let's get real. Most outplaced workers are employable and even marketable. If you've got a good track record with Firm Blue, if you're not above the age norms for your field, and if your industry isn't about to go belly-up, then you have a good chance to win a similar position in Firms Green, Yellow and Orange. A few job hunting strategies will go a long way. (3) Most aptitude and interest tests are a waste of time and money. See my article on this topic. Outplacement firms use them to gain time: you'll do well on these tests and get into a better mood, so you're more likely to do well on the job market. But when push comes to shove, your outplacement firm doesn't care if you're happy. They want you employed so you make them look good. Is this goal bad? Not necessarily. Getting on a payroll -- any payroll -- often makes a lot of sense. Just don't kid yourself about what's going on. (4) If you're over your industry age norms, outplacement firms may not help. Above a certain age, you need to consider self-employment, whether you have the aptitude or desire. By all means continue looking for a real job with benefits. But insist on an interview with your local Small Business Administration. I have a list of resources to help my own clients and website visitors get started on the Internet. Learn more. (5) You may get lucky. Some outplacement firms have superb consultants and wise leadership. Others do not. Several years ago I met a displaced executive who had no luck with the resume his outplacement firm had put together -- a functional resume that did not show off his superb track record. I made a few suggestions and he was soon happily employed. OK, I am tooting my own horn here, but many career consultants could do the same. I find that outplacement services seem to recommend functional resumes, which turn off employers. Experienced career consultants rarely recommend them. See my own ebook: Irreverent Job Search Guide Bottom Line: If your company offers outplacement, don't turn it down! But stay aware of realities and don't surrender control of your job search to anyone, ever.

Donald Trump: The Apprentice Los Angeles: A Quitter I admire

Okay, so The Apprentice reality television show is pretty grim this year. It’s fun to watch scenes from Los Angeles flash by. No matter how many times I’ve visited, LA always seems exotic and special to me. For those who (wisely) avoid television, reality and otherwise: On this show 18 smart men and women come from all over the Western Hemisphere to compete for a job in billionaire Donald Trump’s organization. The job pays $250K USD a year, which would be a pay cut for some contestants. But they seek adventure, prestige and exposure. Each week teams compete in marketing tasks that have marginal relevance to the real work they did before and will do later. But last night an Apprentice did the unthinkable. She quit. Donald Trump was furious. She’d messed up his carefully orchestrated game plan. “She should have stayed to take her medicine,” Trump’s designated hench man grumbled. Why? I wondered? She knew she’d done a lousy job. So did everybody else. Why waste half an hour hashing out the reasons? And she made a good point: she hadn’t planned to sleep in a tent when she joined the show. She didn’t function well in Tent City. Why stick around and wait for more? “Would you quit if you had won?” asked The Donald. “Probably,” she said. I think she could have said, “Probably not. If I’d done a good job and we won, I would know I could function in this environment.” I admire her spirit. She didn’t waver or back down or cry. She even gave a cheery little wave as she headed down the driveway, pulling her suitcase on wheels...no doubt a staged performance, as there’s no place to roll in LA.

Last page of your resume

It must be the time of year: I’ve had several resume questions lately (always happy to hear from readers). In my experience, job changers tend to ignore the last part of their resumes – the part where you put professional memberships, education and “personal.” So here are the 3 resume tips that are easiest to overlook. (1) List only memberships that relate directly to your targeted job and/or those where you have held office or documented significant accomplishments. Membership in an organization sends a signal that you know (or don’t know) your tribal customs. Does everyone belong to American Marketing Association or the Sales & Marketing Executives group? Be aware that listing some professional organizations may actually send a negative message. For example, I’ve found people react strongly to memberships in Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs. Some are positive; others negative. Memberships in Magnolia Historical Society and the local Garden Club are best omitted, unless you’re applying for a job in a museum or a plant shop. If you belong to several organizations, list only those where you have played an active role. After all, many organizations admit anyone who can pay dues. (2) List education at the end of your resume (unless you’re applying for an academic job). Begin with your most recent degree. Include certificates that relate directly to the job you’re targeting. Accuracy is critical. I actually met someone who was asked to explain why she wrote “Minor: French” when no minor was noted on her transcript. She explained that she had taken more courses than most schools require for a minor, but her school didn’t offer that option. Her company seems a little detail-oriented, to put it mildly, but why take a chance? (3) Use “Personal Information” as an opportunity to present a positive view of yourself as a well-rounded individual. It’s not a time to reveal that you have a pet rat and play war games in your basement (unless those qualities would be valued in your field). True story: A manger told me casually, “X has a lot of community service activities and even more hobbies. We work long hours here. Will he want to give up all those commitments? We aren’t willing to take a chance.” And X’s resume went straight to the reject pile. Another true story: In my academic years, my Personal section included “Single with two (2) cats.” I knew I’d raise an eyebrow or two, but the job market was good and I wanted to work with folks who had a sense of humor. Would I advise a client to do this? No way.

Career Tips from The Apprentice LA? Don't do it!

As a long-time Apprentice fan I looked forward to the move to Los Angeles. This one was over the top. First, do you believe the losing team really slept outside in the tents? This scene has to be staged! Second, we need two judges. This time around, Donald has decided that the winning project manager can sit in the Boardroom to have input on the big decision: who gets fired. Bad idea. In the old show, Donald had not one but two people to be his "eyes and ears." Now he just has one -- his daughter, an attractive woman who seems very smart. But she can't be everywhere. And she just lacks the edge. Trump made a huge mistake when he fired Carolyn Kepcher. She cut through the nonsense to ask just the right questions. We had fire in the boardroom. Last night's boardroom went all over the place. The best part came when the candidate simply couldn't believe he was fired. Donald chose the nice-guy fatherly approach: "I'd hire you as a lawyer. You could teach my children. But you won't do the nitty-gritty stuff..." Actually he's got a point. Corporate life is about tending to mind-numbing details, over and over again, while you're all dressed up in a nice suit. Read Carly Fiorina's book, Tough Choices, for an eye-opening view of life at the top (not to mention the perches along the way). As for other new rules: the winning project manager gets to stay in charge until his or her team loses. Again, bad idea! How will we assess the leadership skills of the other team members? OK, let's face it. This show gets driven by ratings, not realism. Good watching. Bad business.

7 Time Management Strategies To Complete Your Stalled Projects

Q. I have several projects going at once -- but I never seem to finish them! I'm pulled in so many different directions -- and I end up with nothing to show for my efforts! A. While you're in a creative mode, you're most likely to be swamped with ideas! Feeling swamped can be a source of stress. Here's how to deal with the "too many to finish" challenge. (1) Stop berating yourself for not finishing a project. Instead, say, "I don't feel ready to move in that direction. I'll write down the idea and file it away for the future." (2) Tell a story about what would happen if you finished each project. "Susan finished all her art projects and..." You may be surprised what comes up. One client resisted finishing a book because she dreaded getting a slew of rejections from agents. Another resisted applying for jobs because she dreaded spending eight hours chained to a desk. (3) Review your finances. If you're desperate to finish these projects to make money, fear may be blocking your intuition. You'll have trouble thinking clearly and setting priorities. On the other hand, if you don't need the work, you may not be motivated. Some people need a certain amount of pressure to get moving. (4) List up to three goals that you'd like to accomplish in the next six months, even if you do nothing else. Some people need to focus on a single goal or they get hopelessly distracted. However, others (including most gifted adults) are multi-taskers, who aren't happy unless they're juggling several balls in the air. (5) Study the market for each project you are considering. Once you've identified your target customers and the need you'll be meeting -- and made sure people will pay for what you offer -- you'll realize whether moving forward makes sense. (6) File each new idea in a computer or paper folder or set up an "idea board" near your desk. As you think of ways to flesh out an idea, add notes to each folder. Give each idea time to mature. Some will fade away on their own; others will ripen into exciting opportunities. (7) Create a strong support system, even if you have to hire a consultant or coach. As Julia Cameron wrote in The Artist's Way, the notion of solitary creativity is nothing but a stereotype. Writers, artists, business owners and professionals need opportunities to talk about their progress. They need to feel someone cares about what they're doing and believes in them. In my experience, this lack of a support network tends to be the single greatest source of success in any field. Are you ready to take your Time Management system to the 21st Century? Click here and begin adding hours (and accomplishments) to your day. You may reprint this article in your ezine or blog if you make no changes and include this resource box with live links: Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is a career consultant specializing in midlife professionals who want to manage any area of their career: office politics, job search, career advancement or striking out in a whole new direction. Visit http://www.cathygoodwin.com Discover the 5 essential ingredients of successful career change: http://www.cathygoodwin.com/subscribe.html

Career Change: Not Just a Transfer of Skills

Q. “I’ve been a teacher. Can I transfer these skills to become a trainer or professional speaker?” A. You’ve probably heard, “Career change is about transferring skills.” As far as I’m concerned, that’s an urban legend. Skills transfers make sense for some jobs, such as telephone operators who become call center reps. But managers often don’t transfer skills. They join tribes. Teaching and training both call for speaking in front of groups. There the resemblance ends. Teachers have captive audiences. They don’t structure lectures the way a trainer will design a session, much less the way a professional speaker will develop and present a motivational talk. Whether you join a company or offer your services as a consultant, you’ll be expected to join a tribe, with unwritten rules, norms and values. You may be a gifted writer, but some public relations jobs require a degree in journalism. A marketing or business degree won’t count. (1) Use talents to choose a life that feels meaningful. You will probably be most happy and successful when you use your natural talents. And you’ll feel purposeful and authentic. (2) Use skills to create your career makeover. To earn a living, you sell skills, whether you work for a company or for yourself. In other words, you package your talents and get evidence that you know how to use your talents in a way that benefits an organization, group, community or person. ➢ You may have artistic talent, but you get paid for producing a work that will sell in a gallery, designing a website, or creating a knock-your-socks-off advertising piece. ➢ You may write brilliantly, but you get paid for producing articles or books on deadline in a form that meets the demands of your market. ➢ You may be a naturally intuitive person but you get paid for helping clients make measurable changes in their businesses, relationships and/or lives. (3) Get credentials that have meaning to the tribe you want to join. “Vaughn” found his MBA didn’t count with a group of publicity executives. They valued journalism degrees. “Carla” drew rave reviews from students but needed a PhD to get a full-time university job. “Pete” found he needed a CPA to compete for high-level finance jobs, although he’d made money for several companies. When I began to seek speaking opportunities, what drew a sparkle to the eyes of meeting coordinators? My Ph.D.? My years of teaching and speaking on services marketing? My media credentials? Everything helped. But their eyes lit up when I told them I took second place at the regional level in a humorous speaking contest, sponsored by Toastmasters. My former university colleagues would have dissed the whole idea (“you got involved in what?!”). But to my new tribe, this award had real value. Somehow I’d managed to pass an initiation rite without realizing what I was up to. So I encourage my clients to think of the 3-step process – talent to skill to credential – and go where they’ll be valued. You may reprint this article in your ezine or blog if you make no changes and include this resource box with live links: Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is a career consultant specializing in midlife professionals who want to manage any area of their career: office politics, job search, career advancement or striking out in a whole new direction. Visit http://www.cathygoodwin.com Discover the 5 essential ingredients of successful career change: http://www.cathygoodwin.com/subscribe.html

What I've been reading...

I’ve been reading Carly Fiorina’s book, Tough Choices. She’s the H-P CEO who was fired after 5 years of missed targets. A fascinating glimpse of corporate life and I’d love to hear what readers think. Read more. After years of living with cluttered offices, I finally feel vindicated. Last week the New York Times ran an article, “Say Yes to Mess,” by Penelope Green. New experts urge us to embrace clutter and stop beating ourselves up. About time, I’d say. Read it here: Read the article here.