Turning Your Passion into a Career

A dear friend of mine turned 65 Wednesday with 9,999 others who reach that milestone daily in America. He didn’t celebrate with a gold watch and there is no retirement party in his immediate future. He worked really hard all day at a job he loves and said there was no where else he would rather spend a birthday. His career has transformed since we met 22 years ago when we worked as medical sales representatives. Now he’s the owner of a successful boutique winery in the Temecula Valley east of San Diego that bears his family name.

Twenty years ago, it was a dream. During a break at a sales meeting, he was reading about vintners in Napa Valley that gave up their day jobs to follow their hearts into the wine business. “One day I would love to do something like that,” and sighed one of those sighs after you buy a lottery ticket when the jackpot is $200 million. One of these days. Ever the cheery, encouraging friend, I suggested he just go for it. “No, it’s just a dream of mine,” he replied and we were off to the next sales training workshop.

Years pass and things begin to fall into place without him seeing the big picture of what was happening. (It happens like that sometimes). My friend acquires some land to grow palm trees for sale on weekends as a side business to generate extra income. He and his family built a farmhouse on the property by hand. The commercial palm tree business was sizzling and sales of capital medical equipment was still booming in the 1990s.

Over time, as you know, work situations change and what we want out of our lives continually evolves too. Retiring about eight years ago, my friend stood at a professional crossroad. He just dedicated twenty-five years of his work life to one company. At 57 years old, finding a mid-career position in Corporate America providing fulfillment seemed unlikely, so he threw himself into volunteer work and earning a real estate license. Through those two endeavors, a lot of interesting (and helpful) people crossed his path. If you are in good health and have a passion, 57 years old seems too early to call it quits and live out our days watching reality television.

It helped that this friend also had an undergraduate degree in microbiology (read: mad scientist) and an MBA in Finance from a top notch business school (read: brilliant business mind). Of course, this true corporate fairy tale has a happy ending—or I never would have posted it.

Over time, the palm tree business’ season came & went. In the meantime, the Temecula Valley became known as a great place to grow wine grapes and wineries were moving in all around. “Amazingly” the right mentors, advisors and helpers showed up in his life and he listened, learned and most importantly acted. Now, Chapin Family Vineyards is not a dream; it is a reality. It is a blend of passion, science and the art of wine-making. Several years from the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon release in 2006 followed by a fruity Syrah, later a Zinfandel and Summit Meritage—the “dream” is being written about in Southern California media, served in upscale restaurants and wine club members are buying by the case. One reviewer gave the vineyard perhaps the ultimate compliment calling it, “an undiscovered gem, on the edge of something big.”

No matter our age or circumstances, if we’ll nurture our passion and stay open to the possibilities; a world of opportunity can still open for you. So Happy Belated 65^th Birthday, Steve! Lift a glass for me.

Winning the Interview—Part Two

In Part One, the different types of interviews were highlighted along with interview trends. In this post, I will tackle behavioral interview questions recruiters seem intent on asking along with the illegal questions recruiters are not supposed to ask. The final post of the Winning the Interview series--Part Three, I will address how to handle gaps in employment and other tough questions.

Illegal Questions:

I’ve been asked some of these questions  early in my career and I have answered them and got the job. I’m not saying you should answer illegal interview questions. When you see them, you will notice many of them are focused on younger females (because they are around family planning). One caution in answering illigal questions is they could be a signal of worse situations to come in that work environment. Certainly, corporate-trained hiring managers and recruiters know these questions are off limits and would not put their company at risk:

1.      How old are you? (often disguised as a compliment, it is still inappropriate and illegal)

2.      Were you born in the United States?

3.      Travel is a big part of this job. Will your (boyfriend) or girlfriend be alright with the travel? Do you have a boyfriend (or girlfriend)? Are you married?

4.      I see your ankle is wrapped. How did you hurt yourself?

5.      Do you have children?

6.      Are you planning to have children?

7.      What political party do you belong to?

8.      Do you go to church? What religion are you? Would your religion beliefs allow you to work Sundays?

9.      What’s your race? What country are your parents from? You have a Hispanic-sounding last name, but you look Caucasian-which are you?

10.  What is your sexual orientation? (even if it is couched in a “that’s-okay-here,” we have a GLBT affinity group), like question #1 it is inappropriate and illegal).

Behavioral Interview Questions:

As established career professionals, we’ve lived through the interviews that were straightforward—“What are you strengths and weaknesses?” “Do you like working independently?” And now, behavioral-based interview questions are becoming more prevalent as the economy has tightened. Human resources professionals believe that how you actually reacted in the past will give them a glimpse into how you will handle situations in the future at their company. These are typical behavioral-based questions to prepare for your interview:

1.       Tell me about a time when you were faced with a problem and you initially did not know what to do? What course of action did you take and what was the outcome?

2.      Describe a situation where you had to deal with an angry customer. How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?

3.      Tell me about a time when you had to make a quick decision and what was your thought process.

When handling behavioral interview questions, be prepared with a quick example or story that addresses the specific situation. Keep it as current as possible—two years ago or less if you can. The interviewer wants to know if you have what it takes to be successful in the job. Behavioral interview questions are less about questions than they are statements asking you to cite a specific example. Remember to give the interviewer the outcome in your story or example. The time the company invests in hiring, training and orienting you into the position is just that—an investment. And, like any investment, the company is looking for a return on investment. That is the intent of the behavioral interview--helping the company make a good investment. Hiring managers want someone who will be productive; someone who will stay with the company for a while-to recoup their initial training investment and someone promotable into the next level or two.

When you read the job description or during your phone interview, try to identify the competencies and attributes considered most important for this job. It can even be one of the questions you ask during the telephone interview. Then, think about your current position and examples or stories you can give from your current work experience that highlight your use of the competencies and attributes. Examples of attributes include:

A strong work ethic (important in sales and positions where you work independently)

A sense of urgency

Emotional intelligence

Good judgment and decision-making skills

Strategic-orientation (the ability to see the big picture)

Resourcefulness

Credibility

Interpersonal Skills

Preparation is critical to interviewing success. Remember you've made it this far, so you definitely are in the inner circle to get the job. Congratulations!

Winning the Job Interview--Part One

Job interviews are often a stressful time. It is not something we do very often (if we are fortunate) and many people have a tough time talking themselves “up” to others because they are concerned about bragging. The job interview is the one place where you must temper your modesty and present yourself and your achievements with confidence and passion.

With 9% unemployment and four generations in the workforce, experienced workers may have to update their interviewing skills to win today’s jobs.  Here are a few insider secrets to help you on your next interview.

PRE-Screening:

With hundreds or maybe even thousands of applicants for a single opening, HR recruiters have to narrow the field to the most qualified candidates based on the skills they “must” have and the skills it would be “nice to have”. Many larger companies and staffing agencies use an applicant tracking systems to help them find the most qualified candidates to move forward in the interview process. They enter search criteria based on the essential job “musts” for the best candidates to surface. (See the August 6 post, “Successful Online Job Search Techniques”).  

• Larger corporations may have several questions online that you must answer before submitting your resume as their prescreening tool

• Other companies may have a staff member call and ask 7-10 questions related to the position.

• The trend is toward group interviews for more entry level positions. Hiring managers can observe your interpersonal skills, how you get along with others and your social skills in this format. After the group interviews, individual interviews are scheduled.

The Phone Interview:

After surviving the first round of elimination during the pre-screening, now you are ready for the phone interview. Your phone interview is Numero Uno in moving pass the gatekeepers to meet the hiring manager face-to-face. These interviews usually take place with a Human Resources recruiter.  Some of their biggest complaints include candidates giving a phone number that doesn’t work or low batteries on a cell phone that disconnects mid-interview or the candidate who forgot about the interview and the recruiter heard dogs barking a blaring TV & babies crying in the background. Take the telephone interview seriously; many job-seekers take this step too lightly. Remember it is critical to securing that all important face-to-face interview.

• Project an enthusiastic tone over the telephone

• Don’t ramble on & on—keep your answers succinct and relevant

• Keep your examples current, in the last 1-4 years

• Do not mention anything age-related or make a joke about being older

• Have a three well-thought out questions ready for the interviewer

Face-to-Face Interview:

If you’ve made it this far, the job could easily be yours. As you prepare for this stage of the interview process unless you are interviewing for a position with a small business, you should expect a series of interviewers. Make sure you are well-rested and prepared for a long day (which also shows the interviewers your stamina).

• First impressions are key—err on the side of conservatism: being dressed appropriately, firm-but not overbearing handshake, maintain eye contact without have a ‘stare down’ & BE ON TIME!!

• Answer questions directly without getting distracted or going off onto a tangent

• Assure each interviewer that you meet or exceed the required criteria for the role and ask them if they would support you for the role—if not, handle any objection they mention in a non-defensive, non-hostile way

• Send a thank you e-mail to each interviewer and confirm your interest in the position and mention a line about how you will add value to the role

It is “Lay-off Season” in Corporate America: Brace Yourself

Saturday night while at dinner with several friends from the Human Resources part of my life, the conversation was light and fun. The food was delicious and our experienced server had perfect timing balancing leaving us alone to talk & laugh and making sure our needs were met. We reminisced on the old days of doing employee benefit enrollment by hand with paper before it was automated. Everything was going great and as the entrée arrived the workforce planning consultant among us cast a pall over the mood as he reminded us his practice was busier than ever because it was “layoff season” with a glint in his eye that seemed a little evil to me. My appetite weakened and all eyes darted toward me because it was my idea to invite him—it was like the “Grim Reaper” joining us for dinner.  At the risk of knowing this would turn into a blog post, the consultant continued to talk throughout the entrée course—as consultants often do.

So, brace yourself, lay-offs are coming.

An HR spouse commented that it seemed a shame that corporate lay-offs occurred so close to the holidays and ruined Thanksgiving and Christmas with job loss notices. Our consultant friend reminded us that many activities happen BEFORE a person receives their lay-off notice and severance agreement. (I guess that is what pays for the gleaming new luxury car he drove into the parking lot.) The terms downsizing, right-sizing, lay-off, reduction in force (RIFs) are all yesterday. Today’s clients call it “headcount reductions” and the workforce planner’s task seems very mathematical and legal in nature. Sometimes senior management (usually the finance department) will engage him without much interaction with human resources because the HR department is also going to lose people too. Despite what we think, the target is not always long-tenured highly-compensated mature employees. Because of the litigious nature of people, he’s clear to first document the business need for laying people off. His team, which includes an attorney and statistician conducts an adverse impact analysis shared with his client’s in-house counsel, finance person and VP of Human Resources. That’s the step that insures or allegedly insures the mature workers are not singled out for lay-off. If you or a friend find yourself laid off, here are steps you should consider:

#1- Even if you are short on cash, invest the money in having an employment attorney review the severance agreement and general release you are being asked to sign. Not every company hires a knowledgeable consultant or has the skills in-house to properly prepare an adverse-impact analysis. In the United States, workers >40 years old are protected by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act. In a group termination, there are special considerations for older workers and courts are trending toward invalidating template-styled releases companies obtain through the Internet or professional associations. I cannot suggest this strongly enough. Would you rather spend $200 for an hour of an attorney’s time or be cheated out of thousands of dollars or maybe even your job? It’s money well-spent.

#2- Have the employment attorney explain every section of what you give up by signing the release (generally it is the right to sue-which is usually pointless anyway). Use that document to bargain or negotiate if you need more $$ than the severance plan allows or extended benefits before you go onto COBRA or to propose continuing as a consultant. No matter what, make sure you react in a timely way to the release, so you don’t lose what the company is offering you.

#3- Immediately contact your state’s unemployment office to find out how soon after receiving your severance you qualify for unemployment, the process and how much you will receive.

#4-There’s a lot of emotional upheaval for a person who is laid-off. Surround yourself with supportive people and begin networking as soon as you can work through any anger or bitterness that comes through you. It sounds cliché, but it is so true, one door closes and another opens.

The good news is—the workforce planning consultant says the lay-offs are not as deep as 2008 and 2009. The business reasons are generally corporate acquisitions and mergers. Uniquely qualified people are still in demand, so while the company is reducing headcount in some areas—there are other areas of the same company still hiring—primarily I/T, systems and technology. Dessert finally arrived and the discussion was light again. (Note to self)--don’t invite the workforce planning consultant to what is supposed to be a relaxing dinner with friends. Make it a great work week!

Career Wisdom from the Legacy of Steve Jobs

iPads, iPhones, and iMacs spread the news of the death of Steve Jobs at age 56 on Wednesday. I was at a meeting in Naperville, IL (a Chicago suburb) when an Associated Press alert on my iPhone gave me the news. I shared the information with the people I was with and e-mailed it to two others. Later, we saw candles lit and flowers laid out in front of the Jefferson Street Apple Store in Naperville. Steve Jobs redefined media and the tools we use to access it; that is the legacy he leaves us.

At some point all of us will leave a legacy for our families, friends and work colleagues. I was talking about it with a good friend who said most people don’t care what their legacy will be which began a very spirited debate about why people do the things they do at work. We got into the concept about whether people work to live or live to work. Certainly we know the place “work” had in the life of Steve Jobs. He discussed his career when he gave the 2005 Stanford commencement address and a couple of key concepts came out of that talk that are even more applicable to midlife professionals than newly-minted college graduates.

#1: Careers Make More Sense When You Look Back on Them—

Steve Jobs told the graduating class, “you cannot connect dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”  How many times have you looked back on a career move and thought, “how did I end up here?” Later we realized we were right where we needed to be all along. We met people we needed to meet; had experiences we needed to have and learned essential things. It is hard sometimes to understand that when we’re in the thick of it. We've all experienced it; taking a backwards glance puts a lot of things (personal and professional) into perspective.

#2: You’ve Got To Find What You Love—

Jobs told the commencement audience, “I was lucky. I found what I loved to do quite early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parent’s garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion dollar company with over 4,000 employees.” Then he talked about getting very publicly fired. Talk about a backwards glance---he started NeXT and Pixar, met a woman he fell in love with and married. As he mentioned in #1 you cannot connect the dots looking forward. Apple purchased NeXT, the company he started and hired him back with a salary of $1 per year (he certainly didn’t need the money) and stock options. The rest, of course, is history.

#3: Living Your Own Life—

He advised the class to follow their hearts. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Even if we live much longer than Steve Jobs, life is still too short not to step out and do some of the things you always wanted to do. There’s never a “right time”; you’re never going to have enough saved and the economy will never make you feel comfortable. You have to take that leap of faith. I remember leaving a corporate job with good pay, great benefits and fantastic co-workers to start my own business in 2001. As a  one-income, single Mom with a 10-year-old, people thought I was crazy. I never worked harder or traveled more than I did those four years of entrepreneurial craziness. But the people I met, the experiences I had and the things I learned….Steve Jobs was right.

Turbocharge Your Career with Social Media

Can LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and YouTube impact your business and career? You Bet!Social media is the darling of savvy corporate recruiters for many reasons. It wasn't  just celebrities sending 50 million tweets per day in 2010. Entrepreneurs and corporate types alike leverage social media to get their message out to customers (& potential customers), increase their visibility to further their careers and become known as experts in their profession. Follow these 5 steps to turn website visitors into customers or take your career to the next level using social media.

Step #1: Leverage LinkedIn. It’s where savvy corporate recruiters are mining their next $100,000+ hire. From medical sales, marketing professionals to IT hotshots, I personally know people recruited from their LinkedIn profile. There are others that have made business connections through this platform. What does that mean to you? Create a profile if you don’t have one personally or for your business. Have a professional photo taken (if you’re within driving distance to Indiana; I recommend Michael Florence Photography-he’s on LinkedIn). Write a career summary that POPS!! If you are in job seeking mode, focus your career section on results or achievement NOT job duties.

Step #2: BLOG. When results from the search engines repeatedly point to you, people will take notice. Blogging is the fastest way to go from local to global. Blogging takes commitment (from a woman who only had 2 posts in September). When you blog, remember Content Rules!! And Frequency is a very close second (and no, 2 blog posts a month are not good enough). Can’t decide what to blog about? Start with your area of expertise. What do you want to be known for? Head to Blogger, Wordpress or if you are an artist, check out Tumblr and start your blog.

Step #3: TIYF. Technology is Your Friend. Repeat it until you believe it. If you are in the corporate arena, a smart phone is de rigueur. Link your e-mail account to it even if you only check at certain points throughout the day. Take a class, many libraries offer free courses on software and many community organizations offer free or low-cost programs on social media.

Step #4: Consolidate Platforms. You have to manage all the information, and not let the information take over. If I’ve overwhelmed you with the idea a personal social media strategy is just one more thing for the to-do list—there’s a simpler way. From a free platform like, Tweetdeck (my preference) or HootSuite or Hellotxt among other being launched daily, you can manage your social media from one site and update them all at once.

Step #5:  Smile, You’re on Candid Camera! If you read this blog, you probably remember Candid Camera. Today’s version is YouTube. Spice up your blog with video (expect to see some here soon)! A friend of mine had an interview with a company in Dubai via Skype. He got the chance to travel to the United Arab Emirates for the in-person interview and landed a new job. More companies will adopt video recruiting technology like HireVue, LiveHire and OVIA. So get ready for your close-up, it is the next big thing. Entrepreneurs-video of your products/services or video customer testimonials will help you convert your web visitors into customers.

There’s a lot out there in the world of social media and it can seem overwhelming at times. Rest assured, the technology community is a friendly place with lots of people willing to share their expertise. So jump right in and give your business or career a boost!

Five September Career Tips

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the cooler weather, dining al fresco wearing a sweater and the kaleidoscope of colors courtesy of the trees in Indiana. Even though it isn’t officially here yet, here are a few autumn career housekeeping reminders. I recently read an article that said people spend more time planning their summer vacations than they do their careers. You can change that.

If you are currently working:

(1)   Review your performance appraisal from last year. Are you happy with your performance assessment for 2010? Are you likely to be assessed the same or higher for 2011? Schedule time in September for a face-to-face meeting with whoever writes your review. What is their perception of your work this year? Let them know you want to improve your rating. It shows two things: (1) that you are planning for the future & (2) that you care about your appraisal. One of the issue workers in their 50s and 60s face is managers begin to think you are less engaged because you are thinking of retirement.

(2)  It’s Employee Benefit Time! It is a time of year near and dear to my heart from years of working with my team to have a smooth annual benefit enrollment. From the employee perspective, that pesky information is staring you in the face AGAIN. I can tell you from experience, you never truly appreciate your company-paid employee benefits until you don’t have any. Take the time to look at the package from the benefits department and call the 800# if you have questions. Paying attention to your benefit choices and options can put more money in your packet (and who doesn’t need more $$)? Benefits like your Flexible Spending Account and Child Care Accounts cannot roll over from year-to-year and have to be updated annually. So think about 2012— need new glasses? Daycare having a tuition increase? Wisdom teeth out for those older kids?

(3)  Since you are already in benefit mode, it is probably a good idea to check the website of your 401(k) or 403(b) provider. Yes, it is (pick one) SCARY, DEPRESSING, HORRIFYING,  USELESS, but it is a part of your retirement nest egg. During my years in the employee benefits world, our 401(k) provider recommended employees increase their contributions at merit increase (aka, raise) time, so it would be a less noticeable in your pay. I know some companies are delaying or freezing merit increases, but if you still do receive one, it is good advice.

For the Job-Seekers:

(1)   October is the perfect month to find seasonal employment. If you are looking for a full-time job and you have been out of the job market a long time, what do you have to lose? I highly recommend working during the holiday season. There are so many positives to earning money, even if it is minimal. Working gets you out with new people (aka-networking), forces you to put on your happy face and it could lead to something full-time. Employers seem more open to mature workers for seasonal jobs. I understand if you are receiving unemployment benefits that you cannot compromise your benefits with a holiday job. If you are among the long-term unemployed not receiving benefits anyway---retail outlets, shipping services like UPS and Federal Express, entertainment venues, catering companies and call centers generally need more people during the October-January timeframe.

(2)  Job Searchers take heart. 2012 budgets are being created as you read this. And your new job? It is in the budget. Now is the time to position your self for the headcount being added for 2012. Your perfect job is out there.