If you’re fortunate to have a job currently, I still suggest having your
résumé ready now. Within minutes of the fateful call, I was circulating
my résumé around the company, which jumpstarted my search and, subsequently,
my chances of success. Résumés are fluent and ever-evolving
documents; I recommend setting up a recurring quarterly appointment
to keep yours fully updated. You should never have to scramble or invest
time to do this with any urgency, as urgency increases the risk of mistakes
and can show disorganized thoughts. Being ready now reduces or eliminates
these risks, while showing potential employers how prepared and
diligent you really are.

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 , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Are you prepared for this moment? If you even hesitated to answer,
it’s time to start preparing yourself. As stable as we think we are
in any employment situation, including your current position if you are
employed, that situation can change at any time. You must plan for the
worst-case scenario or valuable time will be wasted as you scramble to
figure out your next step. If you are scrambling, don’t forget about the
emotional rollercoaster you’ll be on—meaning your head won’t be on
straight and your thinking will most likely not be clear to start the process.
Whether you are in a seemingly stable job now or you’re out of
work at this moment, do you know your strategy? What’s your end game?
What are your immediate and long-term goals?

It’s important to have a clear vision—in writing. When we are in the scrambling
mode, we make quick decisions, rash judgments, or we go back and
forth between strategies and actions we want to execute. To avoid that,
investing time to clarify your goals ahead of time will be beneficial because
it provides a map to follow. This is your playbook, giving you the tactics
needed to get where you want to go. Once you write it all out, it starts to
feed and expand the vision further, which will only help. Try not to become
so focused on your targeted goals that you lose sight of the peripherals, such
as maintaining a strong network. Written goals, however, have been proven
time and time again to exponentially increase success. It’s okay to also have
multiple paths on this journey—AKA Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C—but the
more clearly laid out the paths are, the more you can proactively take the
actions needed to get you to your end goal.

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 , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Didn’t I just mention in the last post that you should know your
lowest acceptable compensation offer? So, you may be asking where
the other two salaries come from? Sometimes we can’t get what we want,
while other times we undervalue our services due to what we perceive
as desperate circumstances. If you land with the right organization, you
should be paid in close proximity to your worth. However, only you define
that worth, and you need to be ready to negotiate. In some cases, you
must be willing to walk away. The three salaries you must know are:

1. Your dream job. What is your high end of the scale?
2. What is the acceptable range? What are you worth based on your
experience, your skills, and the job for which you are applying? You
must do your homework.
3. What is the absolute lowest, drop-dead number that can be put on
the table that you will still accept? You obviously won’t start negotiations
with this number, but you need to be prepared for it.

As for negotiations, you must assume that every company negotiates.
Be prepared for that, and don’t simply take the first offer without some
discussion. Some companies may not negotiate, but it’s always worth asking
rather than assuming. Even non-management positions most likely
work within a range.

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 , eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

Spell check doesn’t count as editing—just ask any manger [sic] or, on
one of my résumé examples, where I wrote business singular when
I meant it to be plural businesses. There are some techniques to tighten
up the process, which include waiting until the day after writing to
proofread, printing something out, reading it backward, and reading it
aloud. What you must remember is that your mind substitutes missing
and wrong letters and words naturally for you. As much as we may convince
ourselves that we can do it on our own, you should not proofread
your own work.

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

If you have a significant amount of expertise in a certain field, there are plenty of opportunities to contract and consult. There are pros and cons. The consultant or independent contractor is typically paid better, because companies don’t have the extra expense of health benefit costs and they have a clear ending deadline, paying only for actual work being done. For both parties, it can become a trial for potential full-time work. On the downside, as a contractor, you must always be concerned with the length of your contract, and try to stay ahead of when the next potential contract may come. Additionally, contractors often put in a lot of work in a condensed period of time. However, you get higher pay and have an independent and entrepreneurial approach to getting the work done. At the very least, it can bridge the gap between full-time jobs. It is worth an individual assessment to see if it can work for you.

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

Without shoving my résumé and marketing plan down everyone’s
throat, I wasn’t shy about including it in emails and handing it
out as much as possible—when it made sense. In addition to attaching it
to every networking invitation, I made it part of my daily routine to create
an online profile with companies I was interested in, and also uploaded
it to career-assistance websites. These types of opportunities surround
us if we look hard enough. For example, I found a strong information
source with Career Management Associates. CMA is an HR consulting
firm for Northern New England (www.cmacareer.com). Although more
jobs will come from networking connections, there are opportunities locally,
regionally, and nationally where companies and recruiters actively
scan these types of websites. What could it hurt?

Another reason for getting the résumé out there is an objective opinion.
Being unemployed had me staring at my résumé for what seemed
like hours each day. As your résumé is being circulated, people will inevitably
provide unsolicited advice (or solicited if we’re smart enough to
ask). Some of the better pieces of feedback came from these objective
observers. A second set of eyes can also pick up on any typos. If you are
adjusting the résumé along the way—as you should in order to target
positions with your competencies—you may miss a crucial edit. What
always seems like a simple, quick change has a tendency to go unnoticed
until the most inopportune time.

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

Effective listening skills will get you far in the interviewing process.
Interviewing is a two-way dialog, not just a question and answer
session. The discussion goes both ways. However, many times candidates
feel the need to talk as much about themselves as possible, as quickly as
possible, in order to make sure they fit everything within the interview
timeframe. It’s good to be able to confidently talk about yourself (e.g.,
“It’s Not Bragging if It’s a Fact”), but the overall quantity must be carefully
thought out. Unfortunately, I fell into this trap in one of my interviews.

In doing my homework for a position, I learned that the hiring manager
was concerned that, although I was a leader of many tasks specific
to the role for which I was interviewing, she wanted examples of when
I’d rolled up my sleeves and actually done the job. I was prepared with
multiple examples, and tried to find a way to include them all—and I
mean all. I needed to better listen to the questions, stay succinct, and remain
on task with my answers. I overwhelmed the interviewer and spent
most of the time talking, and in my own view, unfairly dominating the
discussion. The interviewer most likely felt that she’d lost control of the
interview, that I wasn’t engaged, and that I was simply sticking to my
own agenda. Listening skills are critical to ensure that both parties get the
most out of the dialog. Ironically, I went back to my handwritten notes
and noticed insider information that I needed to remember: “(Hiring
manager) likes to talk.”

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

As an interviewer, I once sat back for twenty minutes and waited for
a candidate to finish answering the first question of the interview,
“Tell me a little bit about yourself professionally.” The answer was rambling
and meandered all around with no particular end in sight. I could
have stopped him, but part of the interview was to determine how effectively
an individual could communicate with others. When in an interview,
it’s important to provide an answer that has context to the question,
supported with a strong example, than a quick wrap up and conclusion.
Rambling creates questions in the interviewer’s mind about your overall
communication style, skills, and ability. You obviously don’t want oneword
responses, but you do want to use solid and supporting examples
using an economy of words.

As I teach in From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide,
there can never be too much practice and preparation, whether you are
doing mock interviews or practicing in front of a mirror using any one
of the thousands of “typical” interview questions you can find on the
Internet. It’s not about memorization—it’s about using an economy of
words that hits the interviewer between the eyes with an unforgettable
impact. Pull out a list of ten to twenty questions, write out your answers,
and practice speaking them. The self-assessment on whether you are babbling
or hitting the mark can make a huge difference in being invited
back for more interviews, or even offered the job.

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

As isolated as we may feel in this sea of angst, we have a support
system. The support can come from your immediate family, your
extended family, your old friends, new friends you meet along the way,
your social network, and your business network. It is not possible to do it
alone. As much as you may feel alone in the process, it is critical to lean
on the people around you for support, for a shoulder to cry on, for the
push you need but may not want. Your success is dependent on the people
around you. Statistically, the analysis will tell you that networking is
the main reason for successful job searches. Even for a little bit of sanity
during the process, you can use the people around you to help you think
more clearly or to be the wall to throw something at to see if it sticks. As
much as you may feel alone in the process, you are not—just ask my running
partner, Kevin. Okay, he’s not a person, he’s a dog, but the morning
jogs with him were just as much for clearing my head as they were for
physical wellness.

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