I was told by a friend that “It’s okay to be angry.” My internal response
was, “At who? For what?” My former company made a budget decision.
It’s the cost of doing business. I confirmed it had nothing to do with
job performance and began to see that good could and would come out of
the situation. I could have screamed or punched a wall. I guess I realized
early on that logic and action would get me to my next goal. I chose to
pursue my goals with action and not waste unnecessary energy on What
Could Have Been scenarios. Your work identity with your old company
ended on the day that you left. Now is the time to pursue the next stage
in your life. I only recall one truly bad day where I felt that nothing was
going right, as you may recall from the headhunter chapter. You’ll find
out about the day when I genuinely understood how headhunters worked
in an upcoming chapter.

Even looking back on the sea of red-colored Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
cells showing all my rejections or leads with no progress, I only saw
that the next phone call or email would be the one to change the course
of my life and career. If I had wasted time, someone else may have been
landing my job. I chose to attack the situation with a strong work ethic—
my job was to look for a job. I was working for myself and for my family
and I wanted to succeed—I had to get over it. It was not unusual for me
to put in ten to twelve hour days looking for my next job, knowing that
the payoff would be worth it.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

If now isn’t a good time to call in some favors, when is? We never want
to be indebted to anyone, and we should always be thinking about
reciprocity. Personally I don’t keep score as to who owes me. However,
there are helpful people you know, and some you haven’t even met yet,
who are secondary contacts who will welcome the opportunity to assist
you in any way. My wife always says that “Things always equal out in the
end,” whether it’s finding a quarter or losing one. If someone owes you,
you wouldn’t want him or her to feel obligated to reciprocate, but I do
feel confident that I’ve surrounded myself with many people who would
anyway. The key message is to not be afraid to call in a favor.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

According to discussions with several career centers, consultants, and
recruiters, I’ve heard that networking directly contributed to hiring
by as much as 85 percent. I believe it. Are you spending the majority of
your time putting in as many applications as possible, roaming websites,
or establishing networking sessions? Are you spending the right amount
of time with the right people? I want to continue to emphasize the need
to keep all options open, but it’s also important to evaluate your time and
prioritize how you choose to spend it.

I was invited to a local networking group about an hour away—in
Maine, everything is considered local based on how spread out the state is. I
strongly considered going until I compared the amount of time to get there
and aligned the types of business people who would be there compared to
my goals. Most of the attendees would be owners of small businesses. As
much as I am a supporter of small business, my immediate goals would
have been sacrificed each week for several hours to attend. I couldn’t afford
to give up prime contact hours. I don’t want to contradict my emphasis on
casting a broad net, but we can only throw it so far when there are only
twenty-four hours in a day. I chose to reprioritize my time around these
prime hours. There are a growing number of professional groups that are
phenomenal in getting people together to share stories and provide opportunities.
This particular one didn’t work out for me, but I was able to attend
several others at libraries and career centers that were productive for me as
one-time shots. It’s important to regularly evaluate whether something is
moving you forward toward your goals. The value may change over time, as
well, so be sure to reevaluate as time goes on.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

According to the August 2013 article “When Clubs Mean Business”
by Jennifer L. Blanck in Toastmaster Magazine, “Communication
and leadership skills ranked at the top of employers’ list of attributes desired
in new hires, in both 2011 and 2012 Corporate Recruiters Survey.”
This is consistent with many other studies that show the importance of
communicating, influencing, and inspiring. Go back and read some of
your past performance appraisals and talk with past managers, friends,
and colleagues, to learn which specific skills you have and which ones you
need to refine. Strong communication and leadership skills are a requirement
to not only land most jobs, but to succeed in them. When you can
prove that you can do both, companies will be willing to pay for these
skills.

“Why should we hire you?” This standard question often throws off
too many people. Simply saying that you have these skills out loud won’t
get you very far. Many people already know the importance of these skills
and will say, “I’m a great communicator and leader.” However, what is
that person really saying? It’s hard to tell. When you go down this route,
you must provide tangible examples of both. More importantly, it’s important
to clearly articulate what value you will add to the company. Do
you truly understand your unique value? How can you distinguish yourself?
In addition to the experiences that may help, what is your expertise?

I liked to provide examples of instances when I showed extreme flexibility,
cleaned up some messes, or started up brand new pieces of the
business. I will caution you of the dangers of living in the past only. To be
effective, you should be able to take these past experiences and translate
them into your future—how you will make the new business better. Your
SWOT, multi-generation plan, and more importantly, your differentiating
story, can start to come alive with specific context. That is the value
proposition.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby

As part of your homework, it’s critical that you know with whom you
are talking—not just his or her name and title. Do you know their
interests, their past roles, their accomplishments? If it’s not an interview
but a networking session, it may be a slightly different conversation since
you’re not restricted to protocol about interview boundaries. I wouldn’t
recommend being too casual, but I suggest being more creative in your
approach about topics to discuss.

I suggest keeping things professional; however, you do have more latitude
to talk about potential common interests and connection points.
For example, you can talk about running marathons or how many kids
he or she may have in their family, when it makes sense. Conversely, try to
understand what topics are taboo. I once asked a contact how his wife was
doing, as I knew the couple when they used to live nearby. He mentioned
their recent divorce. I couldn’t have gotten every bit of information in
advance to ensure the conversation went smoothly, but I could have been
more attentive to the fact that he was only talking about his kids, and not
pressed the question about his spouse unless it came up more naturally.
It made the discussion awkward for a little bit. We recovered, but it was a
good lesson in the importance of a better awareness of the surroundings
and situations. As much as personal connections will enhance the relationship,
I’ve learned to do enough homework to be sure, allow others to
bring subjects up first, or to stay away from personal topics until a deeper
relationship is forged.

What do you know about the audience with whom you’re interviewing?
Look for more than personal facts, especially in an interview, since
the dynamics are slightly different from a pure networking session. Do
you know the person’s style and personality type? Does the person you’re
interviewing with like humor? Are they “down-to-earth;” are they shirtand-
tie-type where everything stays extremely professional; are they looking
for past history or go-forward dialog? Stay true to yourself in the
interview but when you know how to adapt, it can be a key factor to
making the most of the conversation.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book and eBook purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

MP3 Downloads of “From Fear to Success:  A Practical Public-speaking Guide” are available at Apple iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Emusic, Nokia, Xbox Music, Spotify, Omnifone, Google Music Store, Rdio, Muve Music, Bloom.fm, Slacker Radio, MediaNet, 7digital, 24-7, Rumblefish, and Shazam “From Fear to Success” MP3 on CD Baby