Three weeks till the job starts

You just won the job - congratulations! You gave notice and quit your old job. Or maybe you have been looking for a long time and you finally landed the Big One. Yaay!!!

But your new job doesn't start for another 3 weeks. What do you do?

First, be sure you have a written offer.

Don't be insulted by this suggestion. Many seasoned professionals assume, "Organizations are honorable. They will keep their word."

Usually that's true. But I personally know 2 professionals -- each with over 10 years experience -- who experienced huge losses when a future employer failed to follow up on a verbal offer.

If you don't have a written offer, you don't have a job yet. Keep looking!

Second, if you are still working at your current job, continue to turn in good work. Two cautions:

Do not offer to return after you've left. If your skills are still needed, your company will pay you -- or someone else -- as a consultant.

And do not disclose the details of your new job, no matter how strongly you're asked. Some employers actually say, "We need to know this for our recruiting."

You are not responsible for their recruiting or for helping them determine market value. Worst case, simply say, "I have a written contract that forbids this disclosure" or just turn and walk away.

Third, if you are not working, recognize you have a mini-sabbatical. Make a plan to use the time effectively. You may be able to anticipate knowledge requirements for the new job, so you can hit the ground running. Or you can plan activities that will be satisfying to you -- extra time for family, sports, reading, movies, and more. See my article on
planning a sabbatical.

And just as you don't offer to help your past employer after you've left, don't offer to help your future employer before you arrive. If they have pre-employment requests, they'll come forward.

From beginning to end of your job, communicate non-verbally, "I work for you when I am on the payroll." You'd never say those words aloud, but you need to send a signal.

What are your experiences? Add comments.

How to Showcase Long Achievements in a Short Resume

Q. I want to emphasize my experience, including some significant accomplishments from 20 years ago. But I want to keep the length reasonable. And some of my best success stories might sound lame, given how much technology has changed. As a librarian and information specialist, I realize technology will be relevant to my new job.

A. Good question. Ideally your resume will be just an adjunct to your search. You'll find your next job by formal and informal networking.

But resumes can make a difference in a hiring decision. And some fields (such as academia)require formal applications and resumes, no matter what.

A few suggestions. Readers, please share your reactions and feel free to add further ideas (or disagree with mine):

(1) Focus on qualities and skills in your future job description, not on what you've already done.

After twenty-plus years, you are most likely seeking a management or senior level position. Your future employer will be looking for evidence that you can complete projects on budget, motivate others and possibly come up with new programs and plans.

So you begin as many sentences as possible with "Organized, "Developed," "Managed," and "Designed."

When you're over 15, you don't have tasks and duties. You have responsibilities and accomplishments.

(2) Focus on how you completed projects - not the nitty gritty of what.

An imaginary example: You organized a new card catalog. You asked supervisors from four departments to contribute sections, coordinated their input and created a master card file.

Card catalogs may be dinosaurs -but you can talk about coordinating 4 managers to create an interactive information resource!

If that's too far-fetched, just use the word "project." Or be specific but emphasize the "how" rather than the "what."

(3) Summarize multiple jobs from your early years, even if you worked for different companies.

For example (I'm inventing details):

Reference Librarian 1980-1991 --San Francisco Public Library 1980-1984 --San Rafael Public Libray 1985-1989 --Levi Strauss Corporate Library 1989-1991

The HR folks will be happy: you gave them dates with no gaps.

Then you have a short paragraph or two with the best stories from all the positions.

(4) Emphasize outcomes more than process in the early jobs; include both when describing later jobs.

"As a result of this project, satisfaction ratings increased from X percent to Y percent." "The new system saved five thousand dollars and allowed us to reduce staff by two." "The new system allowed us to serve three times as many customers while increasing our budget by twenty percent."

(5) Apply for positions where your skills will be appreciated and welcomed.

If your future employer feels threatened by your resume, I would see a red flag warning.

Many articles and books target midlife professionals and retirees with the message, "Don't worry about being overqualified."

They're wrong.

Some folks happily take a step back in their careers. I once met a branch manager of a major corporation who returned to the sales force rather than accept a move. She seemed happy. I've also met former corporate executives who found new joy as coffee shop baristas, sales clerks and restaurant staff.

But in my experience, most professionals find themselves more stressed when they take a job where their experience appears to be devalued. That's why so many end up starting their own businesses.

And often you get tapped to accept extra responsibility, with no extra reward, because "you know so much."

Of course, if you need a job, you won't be fussy. But keep your job search open till you find a place where you will be recognized (and rewarded) for what you can bring to the table.

Talking back to the head hunter on performance reviews.

On a recent post, a recruiter "The Headhunter" columnist answered a reader's question about performance reviews. "I haven't had a review in 4 years," the reader said. "What should I do?"

The columnist advised the reader to press the issue. If necessary, he said, "Go to the Human Resource department. It's possible your boss isn't following policy."

But here's a counter argument.

What are the nonverbal signals? Are you getting raises and rewards? What's your relationship with your boss?

More important: Are you more marketable today than you were 4 years ago? One year ago? Six months ago?

Staying marketable is your best protection against bad reviews, no matter what.

For more:
http://wwww.midlifecareerstrategy.com/perfreviewbook.html

Career Advice from Family? A no-brainer!

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Today's WSJ (March 27) Cubicle Culture Section - Page B1 if you have the paper version - carries a helpful story: "Our Better Halves Sometimes Expose Our Worst Side." Consultant Jane Genova, according to the story, sought advice for dealing with a difficult client. She turned to her significant other. He suggested she summarize her requirements in a letter. Her clients ridiculed her and the situation got worse. Now, the WSJ says, Ms. Genova hires help. She pays experts with titles like "coach," "therapist," and "consultant." I'm biased. I couldn't agree more. But even I was surprised at the consequences of family advice. Apparently colleagues can recognize the signs: an overnight change of opinion, applications for positions for which the employee is vastly unqualified, and self-destructive decisions. Many years ago, my colleague "Heather" was offered a new position at a more prestigious university. She'd earn a bigger salary with a lower teaching load. Heather's husband, a financial consultant, advised against it. "You won't be happy anywhere," he warned. Heather happened to be seeing a therapist to deal with depression following a personal loss. She mentioned her career to Heather, almost as an afterthought. Heather got lucky. Her therapist was familiar with the academic world. "If you don't take this job," she said, "you may be stuck in your current location for a long time, perhaps forever." Heather took the job and thrived. Family doesn't help. They can do harm, way beyond the cost of hiring a coach or consultant for a few hours. I'm biased, of course. So I was delighted to read this advice in a respected business newspaper.

Job Search Strategy: Do You Fit Their Culture?

Q. I’m looking at a job offer from Mega Company that sounds absolutely perfect for me. A big step up: exciting challenges, salary increase, even a good location. But how do I know I can fit in with the culture? I want to land in a place where I can stay awhile. A. Evaluating culture can be challenging, but it’s absolutely essential. Even the most competent professional can be challenged to perform effectively when she’s labeled a misfit or he’s branded as an outsider. A few tips: (1) How did you feel during the interview? Did you find your stomach clenching? Did all the wrong words come out of your mouth? Or were you relaxed – maybe even sorry to say good-by at the end of the day? (2) How did the office look? Clean desks or clutter? Casual dress or formal? (3) Was your interview smooth? Were you left sitting by yourself when someone was late? To get additional perspective on this challenging topic, I consulted with Dr. Janet Scarborough of Seattle-based www.bridgewaycareer.com. She brought up three additional suggestions: (4) How do your future colleagues behave outside the office setting? “People tend to let down their guard when they leave an organizational setting,” says Dr. Scarborough, “and it is more difficult to sustain a false good impression outside of the artificial interview situation. Especially note how they treat the staff at restaurants.” (5) Can you uncover people who know employees of your future company? Mention the company’s name everywhere you go. You may be surprised to find someone who’s got a friend of a friend at your future company. You may even be able to ask questions like, "What type of boss is Ms. Smith?" “The most reassuring responses are glowing,” says Dr. Scarborough. “Neutral or lukewarm comments are probably negative.” (6) Can you google some of your future colleagues? “So many people have Web sites and blogs these days,” says Dr. Scarborough, “you can find out as much information as most competitive intelligence researchers.” Of course in some conservative industries, you may be dealing with luddites who still live in the Dark Ages. In other fieldsl you’ll find people who share a lot more than they should.

"But they promised..."

For some reason, queries tend to follow patterns. And recently I heard from two people, in two different industries, at opposite ends of the US: "Hi Cathy, "Last year we decided to buy a house. We fell in love with a home that's a 30-minute commute from where I work. I went to my boss. I explained that we were buying a home. He assured me there was no reason to worry about my job. "A few months later I got a horrendous performance review. Now I'm on track to be terminated. If I take another job, I'm facing a 2-hour commute or we will have to sell our dream house. "What went wrong?" Of course I can't read your boss's mind. But I have the following suggestions for anyone who considers buying a home: (1) Make sure you have funds to cover at least 6-12 months of living expenses in case your job is unexpectedly terminated. (2) I advise my clients not to discuss personal affairs with their bosses. The only exception might be maternity leave or legally-mandated family leave, and then you go through HR and dot all the i's. You'll never know what feelings your announcement will create among your bosses and colleagues. Maybe she's thinking, "They're buying a house in Gardenville? Hmm...I can't afford to live there. Must have a rich spouse." Or maybe he just notices you more. Now he's thinking, "I notice Lilianne seems to miss meetings a lot." Or, "Manuel needs to improve his writing skills." Or she thinks, "Why is Helene so concerned about her job? Maybe she's covering..." Of course your boss might be genuinely happy for you. But most of us can't control our subconscious, not-so-nice feelings. We're not even aware of them. (3) Want some assurance of job security? Talk to a lawyer first. Find out if your boss's email to you ("Nothing to worry about! Congrats on the new home!") has any legal standing. I am not a lawyer. I am not giving legal advice. But my experience says you can't take those assurances to the bank, let alone the courtroom. If you're a lawyer reading this post, please add a comment. Verbal assurance? Forget it. Unless your boss makes a big announcement on tape, or you've got credible witnesses unconnected with the company, it's your word against his. A contract? Now you've got a new ball game...and the lawyers are the ones who pass the ball around. Finally, apart from the job, think marketability. When you move to a location where you'll have trouble basing a new job search, you're losing marketability. Believe me, I've been there! If your current employer is the only game in town -- and maybe in a 25-mile radius -- you're taking a risk. Nothing wrong with risks. But when you go out on a stormy sea in a leaky boat, you'll wear a life preserver. You won't wait till you get out on the ocean to decide if you need to pack one or not. My readers are smart. You get the drift. Check out my website for more.

3 Ferocious Career Killers (and how to avoid them)

In her book What To Do With the Rest of Your Life, Robin Ryan identifies 10 career killers. Today we’ll look at two and explore a third, all related to self-presentation. Click here to look up the book. Killer #1: Wait to be noticed. Expect that you’ll be recognized if you do good work, so don’t announce your successes. You just finished a degree, won an award and maybe got a paper published. Have you shared your news with those who have the power to reward you? Positive colleague and bosses want to hear about your successes. If their response is lack of interest or even jealousy, you’re seeing red flags all over the place. And if you’re a solo-preneur, share triumphs with customers and clients. They want to know they’re dealing with a winner. Killer #2: Demand credit you don’t deserve. Claim credit for the success of others. Brag about skills and talents beyond what you have. These days, most of us work in a spotlight. It’s too easy to be exposed for inauthentic self-promotion. Not worth the risk, in my opinion. Killer #3: Get noticed for the wrong reasons. Share potentially damaging personal information about yourself. Last weekend I saw the movie Notes on a Scandal, an outrageous example of inappropriate self-disclosures and weak boundaries. With coworkers and colleagues, you’re always “on.” Even experienced professionals can drop their guard and share personal information when they’re feeling stressed and/or lonely. We’re most vulnerable right after a major move or career change. (Did you see the movie Notes on a Scandal? An outrageous example of confiding in the wrong person, among other things.) During a career change or other transition, most people need 2 kinds of support: personal and informational. Personal support –from family and close friends -- gives you a safe place to talk about feelings. Informational support – from professional colleagues, mentors and consultants – provides perspective: you get to figure out what’s really going on. Self-presentation can be a great career challenge for anyone. Ultimately, in my experience, it’s a combination of judgment and support.