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Make a Blazing Hot Cold Introduction

By Jared Cole on Monday, November 26, 2012

Have you ever sat down to enjoy a good warm meal, only to be abruptly interrupted by a telemarketer trying to sell you something? Having your time wasted by someone trying to sell you something, donate to their cause, or support a political candidate can be annoying at best. Intruding on someone’s busy day to get a sale or even sell your personal brand is a very tricky art to master.

However, it’s also effective. If approached properly, cold introductions can be a great way to generate leads and develop networks that can help you find a job. Here are ways you can make effective cold introductions without coming across as a pushy salesman.

It’s About Them
The most important thing to remember when introducing yourself is to remember – it’s about them, not you. You have a short amount of time to get your point across, so don’t use it to talk about your past work experiences, achievements, or any other reasons why you are a remarkable worker. Instead, focus on their company goals and culture, and showing how you can meet their needs.
One of the first things a sales associate does when selling a product is to find the challenges the customer is facing and explain how his company’s product can help solve that problem. If you can’t quickly communicate why those you are addressing should be interested in what you have to say, and how you can further their organization, you’ll lose their attention.

It’s Personal
Assuming you are actively seeking these connections, you should have already researched them and their employer before trying to meet. If you meet with people you already know some information about, you will separate yourself as someone who is prepared and eager to meet you. They will be more open to talk and give you useful advice since you took the time to learn more about them than just asking general interview questions.

It’s also important to be sincere. When researching the people or employer, find aspects that really interest you and give you reason to ask for clarity. Questions or statements shouldn’t be made for the sake of asking questions. The more sincere you are about something, the more likely the other person will see your passion, which will lead to deeper conversations and stronger relationships.

It’s Not Always Direct
Some people are hard to reach. They have a strict schedule and sometimes they stick to it without interruption. That’s why you might have to warm up a cold introduction before you meet. If a potential contact has an assistant, receptionist, or office manager, build a relationship with them first. Asking them for help, remembering their name, and always thanking them, even after you meet with the potential contact will go a long way.

If you would like a less direct approach, social media can be a useful tool to slowly build a rapport before meeting someone. First, find people of interest on Twitter and follow them. Then when they tweet, comment on their posts and compliment them on their references. You can also follow their company pages on LinkedIn and Facebook and comment on and compliment the posts.

Cold introductions don’t have to be as scary or annoying as most people make them out to be. With a little research and confidence, you can introduce yourself to anyone and build a strong, reliable network. What are some of your stories of how a cold introduction led to career success?

Career Options The Job Search

J.O.B. 1: Behind the Right Job

By Jared Cole on Friday, November 23, 2012

What job is right for you? It’s a big question to ask when you start your job search. While pay and work hours should be major factors, one of the most important things to look for is a job you can see yourself enjoying.

In a global study by BlessingWhite, an employee engagement and leadership development consulting firm, the top reason employees worldwide give for staying with their employer is “My work. I like the work that I do.”

To help you get started, check out in to J.O.B.1’s: Behind the Right Job to hear a story of how one woman’s talents, passions, and ideal work environment led to a job that helps her grow and excel in the workplace.

Current Affairs Inside Express

Give Thanks This Thanksgiving

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, November 21, 2012

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, shift your focus beyond the workplace or the job market, but to focus inwardly and reflect on the past and where you are today. Even if you are dealing with long periods of unemployment or an unsatisfying work environment, there are opportunities you can still be thankful for and you can use this time to focus on positive, forward thinking.

Thanksgiving and its traditions date back to 1621, which have given generations time to focus on everything to be grateful about. This holiday is about seeing the good in our lives and being appreciative regardless of our surroundings or situations.

It’s not about how many job offers you’ve received or how close you are to a promotion, it’s about being content with who, what, and where you are right now. It’s also about having appreciation for how far you’ve come and the challenges you’ve overcome.

Gratitude
Job searching isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s tempting to focus on the rejection and disappointment when not offered a job. Take this Thanksgiving break to focus on the positive. Positive thinking can attract abundance and prosperity, which you need in any stressful situation. You can’t control things outside of yourself, but you are in control of what you think, feel, and do.

Prosperity
What you think about, you bring about. When you are with family this Thanksgiving, remember how you feel. When the stress of job searching or piling deadlines gets too heavy this holiday season, you can focus on that inner joy and vision to turn your attitude on positive things. And, as you’ve heard many times, “Attitude is everything.” Take the time to find inner prosperity, so it can be louder than the stressful noise outside.

No limits
Be grateful even when certain job opportunities fall through, and always detach from a specific outcome. When you’re passed on a job opening, it wasn’t right for you. The best job for you will come at the right time. Instead, focus on what you’d want if you had no limitations. Forward thinking will help you stay on track and maintain a positive attitude. In the end, your job search is about you and meeting your own needs. Sometimes you need to take a break and remind yourself of that fact.

Everyone at Movin’ On Up and Express Employment Professionals would like to wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving. No matter where you are in life, there is plenty for which to be thankful. Take a break, enjoy time surrounded by friends and loved ones, and focus on what you already have and cherish it. What are you most thankful for? Share with us in the comments section below.

The Job Search

Job Searching… Where do I Start?

By Jared Cole on Monday, November 19, 2012

Losing or leaving a job can bring even the most positive person down. And, if you find yourself in this situation, it’s important to remember when starting your job search to think upwardly – in your attitude and actions. Staying optimistic can keep you motivated and energized during your search, be an impressive quality to potential employers, and help point you in the right direction.

Thinking “up” isn’t just in your attitude, it’s in every aspect of your job search. You can remember these three “ups” that will give you a starting point for your job search:

Touch up
First, start internally by updating and touching up your resume. Don’t worry about how long it is, just start updating by listing your previous jobs and include your achievements in each job. Employers look for tangible, real figures like the number of customers you have served in a day, how much money you saved the company, how much you increased your employer’s business, how many products you sold, or the amount of people you managed in a team and how it impacted your employer. Don’t just list your job duties. Listing specific achievements will catch a hiring manager’s attention. Once you find the job openings you want, then you can customize your resume with the right experience that best fits that job description for a tighter, more effective résumé.

Lookup
Now that you are ready to market yourself as a job candidate, it’s time to find your venues. First, look up former employees or managers you worked closely with and ask for their permission to serve as references. Some employers require a list and contact information for those who can vouch for your work, and you’ll need to have it ready. Think outside the box too. If you volunteer or have any group hobbies, include someone who can say good things about your leadership or soft skills. These references can also help connect you with decision makers and influencers in your field that you can build relationships with in the future.

Use an internet search to find local professional clubs or groups in your area. Most of the time, their websites will have job postings, networking events, and chances for you to grow and develop trending skills in your industry if you attend their meetings. You can also find out where employers and recruiters post the kinds of jobs you need, and you can find where you can post your resume so it can get the most attention. If you have an idea of some companies you’d like to work for, research their websites and find some people who work for them to get to know the company better. Check your network to see if you know any current employees.

Set up
With the people and venues you’ve found, the next step is to get ready. You may be rusty or haven’t had much practice interviewing or building a resume, so here is your chance to get some peer review. Call and schedule time for an informational interview with your references, leaders in your professional association, or the new contacts you made at a company of interest to you. These informational interviews can help you see what you’re good at and identify areas you need to improve. They can tell you what you should focus your resume on and what to leave out. You’ll feel more confident and comfortable when you go in for a real interview.

It’s also a good idea to set up professional or work-related social media profiles like Twitter, Linkedin, or a blog to help build a professional image when employers research your name.

Did you start your job search a little differently? Tell us your story about starting a new job search in the comments section below.

At Work Workplace Safety

Listen up! Protect Your Hearing

By Jared Cole on Monday, November 12, 2012

For many years, rockers and music enthusiasts would say, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old!” But in reality, if it’s too loud, you’re risking a valuable asset – your hearing.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that approximately 30 million people in the U.S. are exposed to hazardous noise at work, 125,000 workers suffer significant hearing loss, and 21,000 report cases of permanent hearing loss. Working around high levels of noise can cause permanent hearing loss. While it may not seem like an immediate threat, it can cause physical and psychological stress, reduce your productivity, and can make it more difficult to hear warning signals, which would make you more prone to other accidents.

Hearing damage can take time before you realize the effects, and by then, the damage could be irreversible. Neither surgery or a hearing aid can help correct conditions like tinnitus caused by hearing loss. Hear us out on these ways you can keep your workplace safe from seriously damaging noise.

Co-Worker, Can You Hear me?
How can you tell if you’re at risk of damaging your hearing at work? There are several warning signs to look out for when deciding whether or not your workplace is in danger of being too noisy. Notice how you feel after working a shift. Do you hear ringing or humming in your ears, or even temporary loss of hearing for a small period of time after work? You may get this type of feeling after attending a concert or major sporting event. If you experience it regularly at work, you may be in danger of damaging your hearing.

Also, take notice of how you communicate with your co-workers or managers. Do you have to shout to be heard by a colleague or boss who is only an arm’s length away? If you have to yell at people who are within a short distance of you, you may be at risk of working in an environment that is too loud.

Protection to Hear the Sound of Silence
While it’s always important to have effective hearing protection like earplugs or muffs, they shouldn’t be your only line of defense against hearing damage. There are several different grades of ear protection and you have to get the right kind of protection that best fits with your job and industry. Before you work in a noisy environment, check with your employer that you have the proper protective equipment.

What Can I Do?
There are a few simple things you can take to help reduce the noise in your workplace. One option is to use engineering controls that reduce sound exposure levels that can be installed or modified for loud equipment. This can be a relatively simple solution that can greatly reduce noise hazards. You can also do small things like making sure your equipment is properly lubricated, placing a barrier between you and the noise, or isolating or enclosing the noise source.

If machines at your workplace are naturally loud, your employer should have a hearing conservation program implemented. Get with your manager to find out if your employer has a plan. The plan can include precautions like operating loud machinery during shifts when fewer people will be exposed to it, limiting the time an employee can work on equipment, installing noise monitoring devices, or conducting periodical hearing tests. If you feel like your employer should implement a program, talk to your HR manager to find out what can be done.

Remember, hearing loss from extreme noise exposure can’t be repaired naturally or medically. Many famous musicians, engineers, and producers have destroyed the same tool that gained them career success. Don’t pay the same price for a successful career.

At Work Teamwork Workplace Relationships

Dealing with Criticism at Work

By Jared Cole on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

It’s inevitable. No matter what you say or do, someone will disagree with you and give you criticism. If you want to grow your responsibilities, develop your skills, and be ready for management, you are going to face criticism. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said, “If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.”

Facing criticism can impact not only your work life, but also your everyday life. It can add stress to your increasing workflow, distract you from your important duties, and bleed into your thoughts after work – if you let it. If you don’t handle criticism effectively, it can potentially derail your career.

While you can’t prevent criticism, you can control your reaction so a possible negative situation can be turned into a positive one. Not all criticism is bad and it isn’t always personal. It’s a chance for someone to provide feedback that’s valuable to your career goals. Here is a simple process to handle criticism and improve your career.

Don’t Get Defensive
Whenever we are criticized, generally our first reaction is to shoot down any opposition. It’s easy to take personally and can make you feel like you’ve been put in a corner. Before you quickly rise to defend yourself, give your managers or co-workers the opportunity to express their opinion. They have different perspectives and can see things you don’t. They might have a reasonable point that could get lost if you’re too busy trying to defend yourself.

Pull away from the situation. Treat it like you were observing someone else’s life. This will help you determine whether you are being overly sensitive or if whoever is criticizing you is just being hateful. Being open to the feedback will help you stay cool, calm, and collected. The calmer you are, the more rational you will be, which will help you make better decisions.

Search Your Feelings. You Know Them to be True
Stress and pressure can build when you don’t acknowledge what’s bothering you. Your feelings are a key part of your work performance. By ignoring feelings, you create a larger problem to deal with later. By accepting and then expressing them, you’ll be able to deal more effectively with issues from the start. When you understand how you feel, you can work with your supervisors and co-workers to communicate feedback in a way that is more acceptable and clear to avoid hurting feelings.

Rather than hiding emotions, notice them as they arise without judging yourself or blaming others for making you upset. Find out what your feelings are saying. What are the feelings asking you to do? What new choices can you make to help yourself feel at peace about the criticism? Getting to the bottom of your emotions can help you know the best ways you receive information and feedback and how you can better communicate it.

There’s a Nugget of Gold in There Somewhere
One of the simplest ways prospectors extracted gold during the 19th century was by panning for the valued metal. It was a cheap and easy process dating back to ancient Rome where gravel is scooped into a pan, gently agitated in water, and then the gold sinks to the bottom of the pan. Just as a gold prospector would have to sift through a large number of minerals to find the pieces of gold, you should sift through all criticism of you or your work and determine which ones are worth implementing.

Even if the feedback was conveyed in a less than nice manner, there could be some truth to what is being said to you. You don’t have to be the only deciding factor. If criticism is given from a co-worker, take the feedback to your boss, a mentor, or industry peers to see if it’s valid. You don’t have to make changes from all criticism, but always work to understand them and determine which ones could actually help you.

Get Out There and Grow
Now that you know what feedback is useful, it’s time to implement it. If you’re unsure, discuss it with the person who criticized you to see how you can best apply their ideas. It can build a stronger working relationship when you are showing effort to change your ways and asking for feedback to make those changes. If criticism is coming from your boss, it’s a great opportunity to display your maturity by working to change negative feedback instead of blowing it out of proportion. This way your manager will be more trusting of you and will be more open to giving you honest quality feedback, which will make you a better employee.

Don’t think of criticism as an attack. While you may have to deal with difficult co-workers, most of the time, feedback is meant to be constructive. It’s up to you as to which criticism is useful and which to ignore. If you really can’t handle criticism and really want to avoid it at all costs, you can follow the Greek philosopher Aristotle’s advice, “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”

At Work New Job Tips

The Dos and Don’ts of Business Travel

By Jared Cole on Monday, October 22, 2012

If you ever get the opportunity to travel for your company, it’s generally not the time to bust out the flip flops and shorts. Business travel isn’t the same as a road trip. When you do any corporate traveling, you are representing your employer in everything you do. But different employers have different rules on business travel, and they may even have unspoken expectations on what is acceptable behavior when traveling. To help point you in the right direction, here are some dos and don’ts when on a business trip.

DO Check Policies and Procedures
Most employers have rules and guidelines for business travel, and it’s important that you’re familiar with them before you go anywhere. It’s best not to claim ignorance and be ready to follow company procedures before traveling anywhere. If your company doesn’t have travel procedures, meet with your manager to find out if there is anything you need to know before you go.

DO Carry a Small Refresher Kit
You never know when a small accident might happen. If you need to look and feel professional while you are away, you need to be ready. Have a small bag that include items like floss, mints, aspirin, stain remover pens, and anything else you might need to look and feel your best.

DO Keep Your Receipts
It’s best to keep all of your receipts just in case your employer has any questions or concerns after you file for reimbursement. Keeping them organized in an envelope will help make your expense report easier and lowers your chances of mistakes. Check with your supervisor or HR director if you have any questions about employer reimbursements.

DON’T Pack Everything
When you pack everything you think you may need, your time going through the airport can take longer than expected. Going through security lines, finding storage space on the plane, and hailing a taxi or renting a car can be a lot more stressful and time consuming when you have to carry a 40-pound bag. Your trip will be quicker and less stressful when you pack lightly.

If all you have for a carry-on is your old sports duffle bag you’ve had for five years, you may want to consider purchasing a regular black rolling suitcase. It looks more professional and fits better in airplane compartments.

DON’T Assume Everything is in Writing
There may be actions or attire that may be allowed, but is generally frowned upon. You may be off duty after a certain time where you can wear casual clothes and be free to do what you want, but it may be considered inappropriate to stay out too late enjoying the night life.

DON’T Forget the Thank You
Most people associate sending thank-you cards to a job interview, but you should also consider sending them after your business trip. Depending on what type of business you’re doing, it makes a big impact to send a thank-you note to a client, potential customer, new partners, or conference leader. It’s also a great way to build relationships and carry on the conversation after the trip.

While business travel and regular travel have many similarities, there are also key differences that you should know. Are there any tips you’d like to give regarding the first time you traveled for business? Share them in the comments below.