Throughout the year as Santa’s head career coach and employment specialist along with the Grinch who serves as the North Pole’s Chief Motivational Officer (CMO), we manage hiring, talent management, training, onboarding, and more for Santa, the Elves, Flying Reindeer, Toy Making Operations, Cooking Making & Baking Operations, Gift Wrapping Operations, and much more. 

Operations at the North Pole have grown exponentially over the years requiring more and more maintenance and repairs for equipment, facilities, Santa’s sled, and operations. Santa also needed more help for decorations of the North Pole including lights, holiday displays, and placing the star on the holiday tree in the center courtyard of the Campus. Over time, the team experienced many injuries as the Elves had to climb tall ladders to perform the maintenance.

Santa decided to hire a Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager to take over the job the Elves tried to accomplish. This would free the Elves to focus on their specific jobs of toy making, wrapping, baking, packing, and other tasks while preventing injuries. 

I spoke with Santa to develop the position description and job requisition order to place on LinkedIn and Indeed. We decided that the new Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager needed to be a licensed electrician and be at least six feet or much taller. We also decided that after hiring and onboarding this Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager we would then hire a Facilities & Equipment Maintenance team to support the new manager. 

By putting on my coaching hat I asked Santa several questions to accurately craft the perfect position description for our new Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager. My questions included specific position responsibilities, cultural requirements, particular qualifications, and education/certifications. 

The Grinch and I then drafted the position description and listing:

JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT / POSITION DESCRIPTION

Reference Code: Operation FIXTOY

Job Title: Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager 

Location: North Pole

Position Description:

Santa is seeking a Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager professional with a passion for overseeing large-scale and multi-faceted operations. We need a professional to keep the North Pole toy making, gift wrapping, reindeer facilities, the Campus facilities, and more running like a well-oiled machine. 

This position is on-site at the North Pole and requires a manager who appreciates cold weather, snow, and ice. The Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager will need to appreciate the joy of the holidays, and have a passion for on-schedule toy delivery services globally while serving thousands of Elves working at the North Pole.

Desirable Qualifications: More than 6 feet tall

Position Responsibilities

• Supervise the daily activities of multi-disciplinary teams of electricians, plumbers (HVAC) and custodial workers to maintain and repair grounds, reindeer pastures, enclosures and training facilities, Santa’s sleigh, the toy shops, baking facilities and kitchens, and other facilities. 

• Schedule and assign duties in carpentry, electrical, painting, plumbing, heating / ventilating, lighting, decorating, and roofing for the Toy Making, Gift Wrapping, Decorating, Cooking Baking, and other operations facilities.

• Routinely inspect buildings, sites, and equipment for needed repair and respond to emergency maintenance requests from Elves or Santa as required.

• Work with vendors as needed and oversee execution of contracted services.

• Maintain records and prepare reports for management review, including work orders.

Minimum Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor’s degree preferred

• 5+ years of hands-on management or leadership experience in high-volume manufacturing and distribution centers

• Experience with mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), landscaping, HVAC, and electrical systems

• Licensed Electrician

• Strong problem-solving and communication skills. Communicate with management team regularly (Santa, the Grinch, Rudolph, and Operational Directors)

• Manage heights and ladders well

• Appreciate extremely cold weather – below -20 Fahrenheit 

Sweet Benefits, Perks & Stocking Options

• All expenses paid Santa’s sleigh ride to home of origin for 3-month R&R from January to March

• 401(k) with 8% employer match. Multiple bonus programs, including profit sharing

• Lodging and meals including Gingerbread, Candy Canes, and Mrs. Claus’ cookies and hot cocoa

• Nightly display of colorful flickering lights dancing across the sky

• Classes in Time Travel

• Flying Reindeer Rides

• Gym membership

• One annual dental cleaning

• On-site fitness center and beautifully maintained walking paths across the frozen tundra

• Tuition Assistance Program that covers professional continuing education

We received scores of résumés including the résumé from Bumble – The Abominable Snow Monster of the North. Since we knew that he had a previous relationship with Rudolph and Rudolph recommended Bumble, we decided to interview him. His résumé was impressive and the Grinch and I asked several questions to further validate his expertise and experience. 

• Why do you want to be a Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager for the North Pole?

• What is your main area of expertise?

• You are currently living in a different country – are you okay with moving to the North Pole? 

• What will happen if you become the Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager and you do not like it or feel like you do not fit in the role?

• Are you a micromanager? Why or why not?

• How do you motivate others? Provide an example. 

• What does team player mean to you? Provide an example.

• How do you resolve conflict? Provide an example.

• Describe your ability to multi-task and meet specific deadlines. Provide an example. 

• What do you value most in a job? Provide an example.

• What do you believe makes a successful leader? Provide an example.

• What value can you bring to Santa’s operations by being the Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager? Provide an example.

• What questions do you have for us?

Bumble was very honest in his responses and explained that held a high level position for another company – but the company’s mission was not his passion. He believed that working with the Elves, Rudolph, and Santa to make and deliver toys to children globally and prosper the mission of goodwill would meet with his values and motivational factors. He also explained that his height and ability to bounce and be soft and fluffy would bring great value to the North Pole and the Elves. He also explained that his knowledge of maintaining highly specialized equipment like wind tunnels, arc jets, high bays, vertical motion simulators, and other similar complex, technical assets would benefit time travel and Santa’s sleigh operations. 

He did bring some Diane’s Whole-Person Theory issues to the discussions, where he described the situation where he was considered an angry monster when he had a previous run-in with Rudolph. It, however, did get resolved. (For background on The Abominable Snow Monster of the North, he was the villain in Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but has reformed and is a friend of Rudolph. The Abominable Snow Monster of the North is a giant yeti and the main antagonist in the 1964 Rankin/Bass special Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. In the 2001 sequel, he is Yukon Cornielius' bumbling sidekick. Yukon calls him Bumble.)

Santa, the Grinch, and I deliberated on the hiring of Bumble and agreed he would make a wonderful new additional to the North Pole leadership team. In our offer letter to Bumble, Santa invited him to put the star on the holiday tree in the Campus courtyard as his first assignment – to demonstrate joy and team unity to the Elves. 

Best wishes for a very joyous holiday season and prosperous New Year - Diane

The Abominable Snow Monster (Bumble)

of the North | 000-222-555 | bumble@gmail.com

Target: North Pole Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager

QUALIFICATIONS

Licensed Electrician | HVAC | Facilities & Equipment Maintenance and Management | Sustainability | Environment Management | Planning | Budgeting | Strategic Infrastructure | Customer Satisfaction | Capital Improvements | Facility Engineering Level 2 Certification | Project Management Professional (PMP) | Building Modernization 

• Reach tall heights. Climb tall ladders. Able to place the star on the holiday tree – due to my height

• Bounce – soft and fluffy – an extra bonus when Elves fall from tall ladders

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Chief, Facilities Engineering and Real Property Division | Mountains of Asia | forever to present

Direct a staff of 42 personnel and 500+ contractors. Manage engineering support operations. Provide oversight leadership for a Campus of 3,000 acres and 5.1 million square feet of facilities worth more than $4.5 Billion. Oversee engineering analysis, design, construction, Campus maintenance, grounds care, energy conservation, minor construction, facility planning, facility utilization, real property management, and more. Direct the development and execution of building modernization initiatives supporting energy efficiency, sustainability, and tenant satisfaction.

Maintain and repair highly specialized equipment and infrastructure that provides technical capabilities such as wind tunnels, arc jets, high bays, vertical motion simulators, and other similar complex, technical assets. 

Key Leadership Initiatives & Accomplishments 

• Chaired the Research Center Facility Utilization Review Board. Revised the format and instituted an action tracker that held leaders and project officers accountable for meeting their deadlines and tracking progress on initiatives. 

• Led major initiatives including multi-million-dollar renovations of historic buildings, relocation of the motor pool, and identifying the location for the new multi-million-dollar Engineering Services Building.

• Constantly look for new and innovative ways to make facilities management more efficient, cost effective and satisfactory to customers. Introduce industry best practices to improve management practices. 

• Led the planning and execution of the Lean Six Sigma Kaizen Blitz Week. Led teams to introduce improvement and savings including a 40% reduction in set up time for water cooled test articles and 50% reduction in set up time for non-water-cooled test articles for the Aerodynamic Heating Facility (AHF) model installation and alignment.

• Engaged staff in a way that empowered them and created a culture of innovation and individual ownership that will have long range benefits for the future wellbeing of the complex.

• Changed the way shipping containers were purchased and placed on the Campus preventing them from becoming habitable space. The resulting inventories identified and disposed of hazardous materials that were being improperly stored in the containers. 

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• BS in Engineering 

• Licensed Electrician 

• Project Management Professional (PMP)

• Facility Engineering Level 2 Certification

In March 2020 – much of the workforce was sent home to work via government-mandated work-from-home orders. Companies scrambled to move employees out of offices and into their homes. Many employees did not have the capability to work from home. They did not have dedicated office space, internet or robust enough internet, a computer, or other required equipment. Previously, many people required to now work from home only used or had access to a company computer at the office site and a personal cell phone. Many did not have printers or large/external computer screens. Even if the company provided a laptop for the employee to use at home, the company often did not provide internet or cellular access. The employees absorbed these expenses. Laptops and computer equipment became scarce in retail stores and at Amazon. 

Many of my clients began working from their kitchen tables, bedrooms, and basements. 

Many employees lost their jobs – either temporarily or long-term. They feared losing their paycheck and medical insurance benefits. 

Children were sent home from school to begin education from home via laptops – which meant, in many cases, parents had to remain home to be with their children and manage their education. Many parents of younger children were forced to work around the children’s schedules, waking early to work for hours before their children attended online classes, and they again worked later in the evening. 

Many elementary-aged children experienced a lack of socialization. 

Many youths experienced canceled graduations, proms, and other educational and life milestone events. These same youths experienced loneliness, frustration, and heartache. 

Some workers never worked from home – those in emergency medicine, grocery retail, and other critical/essential sectors. Many of these workers became burned out and left their professions. I have spoken with many nurses who quit nursing after a year of working through the COVID-19 time.   

These events describe Diane’s Whole-Person Theory to a T. Grief permeated the experience, which lasted two or more years.

As a career coach, I worked with my clients to embrace working from home and finding workarounds to the disruption of working from home. Parents unaccustomed to working from home experienced upheaval in many cases, for example, trying to work from home with a new infant or holding office Teams or Zoom meetings in the kitchen with the TV blaring in the background. I heard many of my clients shouting at their spouses: “Be quiet. I need an hour for this meeting. I will help you when I am done.”

I coached these clients to create systems for working from home by requesting equipment from their employers, creatively finding space in their homes to work quietly (one client set up an office in a large closet), and sharing responsibilities with a spouse who worked and cared for children attending school at home.

I also coached managers and supervisors of personnel who became frustrated with their employees who they believed were underperforming. I asked questions like, “How did John perform before he was sent home to work?” If the answer was very good, one of the highest performers. I then coached the manager to adjust to the work-from-order mandate and learn to coach his employee to make his performance just as successful from home. The manager had to change his mind set and accommodate the employees.

Some companies and government agencies did not renew leases to save money and shrink their footprint. Some employees moved away from the office they once worked in.  

Everyone was “retrained” in their thinking of productivity and work-from-home styles, schedules, and accommodations. Many people learned to work effectively from home or remotely. Even basic medicine, e.g., doctors treated medical conditions via Telehealth platforms (my doctor asked me if I had a thermometer and blood pressure machine at my house for one telehealth appointment I experienced). 

In a flip-the-switch, many companies have mandated that employees return to the office in the last two years. According to a ResumeBuilder article from 2023, 90% of employers planned to return to the office during 2024, and 28% of those companies said they would fire employees who do not return. 

Companies requiring employees to return to the office include JP Morgan Chase, Google, Apple, law firms, Tesla, SpaceX, Citigroup, AMX, and many government agencies. 

Employers have stated that collaboration, employee engagement, knowledge sharing, and mentorship suffer when employees work from home. Ideas are shared easily in an office/team environment. Those working from home state they are just as productive and create as many new ideas as possible in virtual meetings. 

Some companies have required employees to return to the office one or more days a week, up to five days a week. Interestingly, I have coached some companies that brought employees back to the office one day a week as a show of support to the rest of the team, who are required to work five days a week; the managers want camaraderie and knowledge sharing. Yet, the one-day-a-week-in-the-office employees do not have a designated office space/cubicle and are, in fact, working isolated in a conference room. It begs the question, is that motivational to any of the staff?

I work with some clients who have to register in advance to secure a cubicle to work in the office, and some days the cubicles are unavailable. Some employees try to book cubicles as many days in a row in advance as possible. This also means that the same team members are not always in the office for collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

Some employers that employ remote workers also ask employees to sign waivers indicating why they work remotely, how many remote days a week, and the number of remote hours. These waivers include statements like: “The company is not liable or responsible for providing internet or a cell phone; the company is not liable in the case of an accident at the employee’s worksite (home), and the company expects any equipment provided to the employee to be returned immediately upon employment termination for any reason, or the employee can expect a fine or lawsuit.” 

I always say that if such a statement is required to be sent to employees and signed, something evidently happened that made the company liable for something that happened at an employee’s home—the employee’s place of work.

When I coach an employee who is upset about having to return to work, I ask them to prioritize the pros and cons of working at home over working in the office. They must decide what is most important: working from home or having no job and finding new employment. 

For those who are insistent about working remotely, and if they know of some personnel in their company who are allowed to work from home, I coach them to prepare an accomplishment resume to justify their work-from-home productivity to present to their company’s management. Sometimes, managers can request notable exceptions for exceptional personnel to allow them to work remotely. 

The past few years have been a time of considerable and complex career transition for many in the workforce. Changes are continuing to permeate the workplace. How we respond, adapt, and move forward is vital for ourselves, our families, and our clients.

Interviewing for a new job can be fun, exciting, and encouraging. Or, it can be nerve-wracking and challenging. The key, either way, is preparation. The number one reason recruiters and hiring managers I speak with do not select a candidate is the lack of preparation. 

These are comments I received from recruiters and hiring managers concerning interviewing: 

• Hiring manager for an employee seeking a promotion: I expect my employees to take the afternoon off before an interview the next day – it demonstrates devotion and preparation.

• Recruiter: A candidate should prepare for 40 hours for one interview.

• Interview panelist: The candidate should always have a question or two for the interview panel. We rarely select a candidate who does not ask the panel a question.

• Hiring manager: The candidate should know about the company, its mission, competitors, and the position's duties from the vacancy announcement.

• Recruiter: I negotiate salary on behalf of my client and instruct my clients not to discuss salary before it is appropriate. 

• Interview panel: Candidates should tell me what they can do for me—not what I can do for them. For example, some ask questions like, “How many vacation days will I receive?” “Will I be required to work overtime?” “What is the starting salary?” The unfortunate thing is we have just started the interview. I do not know yet if the candidate is a good fit. 

• Interviewer and hiring official to a candidate: “It's all about practice. Practice your responses to be much snappier in your cadence. Sometimes, I felt like there were long pauses in the way that you provided your answer. You know what your scenarios are. Please take advantage of the opportunity to practice them, get them right, and get a nice, crisp cadence. I would also shorten them up. Avoid providing unnecessary details. Remember, the panels are all human beings. We are in interview after interview, so we get mentally tired, and it's hard for us to stay focused on the person's responses all the time. The longer you go on, the less focused the panel becomes. You want to be more crisp and to the point.”

One of my coaching techniques is to invite other interviewers to my clients’ interview preparation sessions. I do this mainly for executive clients. This technique ensures my client receives a more realistic picture of experiencing an executive panel interview. I also learn a lot each time I work with other experts.

Recently, I coached a client seeking a transition from industry to Senior Executive Service in the federal sector—from the private to the public sector. She had never engaged in a panel interview before and wanted to experience it before the actual interview. 

To begin, I provided an interview prep session for the two of us. I posed some general questions:

• “Tell Me About Yourself (TMAY).”

• “What is your greatest weakness?”

• “Why should we hire you?” 

• “What is your greatest strength?”

I also posed some multi-part, specific questions about the position and questions about leadership style and communications. I asked the client if she had questions for me. 

Overall, the client performed well. However, as I timed each response – some ran into 8+ minutes. The client sometimes spoke a bit too fast, and her eye contact moved around. 

I coached her to reframe some responses – so that she could incorporate more specific information; I made suggestions for changing some responses to ensure she did not offend any particular population – e.g., Baby Boomers or Millennials and other changes.

The following interview prep session included two other interviewers in her field of expertise. I served as the HR specialist during the interview prep session with two other interviewers. I opened the interview by introducing the interviewers and explaining that we would be taking notes and timing responses. I asked the first couple of questions:

• “Tell us about yourself.”

• “Why do you want to move from the private sector to the public sector?”

I then asked the other interviewers to ask questions. We were listening for the candidate to tell accomplishment stories in the CPR (Context, Process, Results) format. 

I always tell my clients that they can prepare for 1,000 questions, and they will get asked 1,001—the one they did not prepare for—and my theory was proved in this panel interview.

In one question, a panelist asked the candidate to describe the theoretical framework that undergirds her programs.

The candidate delivered a story about her programs and projects with good actions and results. She named programs and projects. However, she never stated the theoretical framework she used to build her programs. 

She also failed to fully answer a question posed by the other panelist.

In this round of interview preparation – the candidate seemed nervous, and her voice cracked sometimes, and she used more “Ums.” She still spoke a bit fast.

At the end, I asked her if she had questions for the panel, and she asked the following:

• One question was very specific to the organization and internal requirements

• The other question was: “What will be considered success for the person hired within six months on the job?”

As a panel, after the interview, we then provided constructive feedback and coaching:

• Too many Ums

• Try to speak a bit slower

• Listen carefully and use a pen and paper to write the questions or ask the panelist to repeat the question to ensure you answer the question thoroughly and do not miss any part or element of the question

• Do not speak to Presidential Administrations by name (e.g., President XXX or President XXX) – instead, refer to it as “the Administration.” The interview needs to remain completely bi-partisan

• Sharpen the response to TMAY

• Avoid negative references to generational differences

• Keep responses to 4 to 6 minutes max

• Continue to respond to questions in the CPR format. Questions that are posed as “Tell me about a time” or “Describe your experience as…” signify a story response

• Look at the camera

Interview coaching is part of the career coaching package. After I coached my client to develop her accomplishments and leadership stories and build her senior executive service resume portfolio, I used the stories to prepare for the interview. The accomplishment stories are her “crib notes.”

She is now well-prepared to engage in subsequent interviews, but she still requests more interview coaching. She wants to be as well-prepared as possible – and able to manage zinger question 1,002.

When we think of salary negotiations, we often think of an executive. However, anyone at any level can negotiate a salary. Even a one-dollar-an-hour salary increase can significantly affect the long-term for a candidate. 

I interviewed several recruiters, hiring managers, employment specialists, and compensation managers to learn about today’s salary negotiation requirements. It has evolved over the years and things have changed.

Some changes: 

There is a difference between negotiating with a large company and a small company; a recruiter; or a human resources specialist:

• A small company may not have a salary range. It may only have a set salary – take it or leave it. However, smaller companies may offer other perks including paying for the candidate to complete a degree or certification; attend conferences; or include a gas allowance. 

• Larger companies typically have a salary range. The range may need to be negotiated between the candidate, the hiring manager, and the accounting department. Typically, the salary number/offer will be below the salary of the staff already onboard, and typically, the offer is below the top of the salary range so that the candidate has room for salary growth. The candidate’s goal is to negotiate the salary closer to the top of the range – to maximize the salary, 401K match, top 35 years of social security, promotion potential, bonuses and commissions, and future negotiations as the candidate moves up the career ladder at the same company or other companies

• A recruiter typically negotiates the salary between the candidate and the company. The salary number is usually transparent at the outset for the candidate. The recruiter will determine a salary target based on the candidate’s years of experience, education, credentials, and other skill sets compared to the other candidates. A recruiter works for the company – not the candidate. One recruiter told me that he can tell by looking at a candidate’s résumé – what he is worth – so the résumé should be in strong shape (résumé can refer to a résumé, CV, LinkedIn profile, or other written career marketing document). 

• A human resources specialist typically will not offer a position to a candidate if the candidate does not meet the minimum posted qualifications – or fear reprisal from the EEOC or other regulatory institution. For example, if an announcement states, “must have 2 years of experience as an accountant” and the candidate only has 18 months of experience as an accountant – he is not qualified. If the HR specialist were to offer the applicant with only 18 months of experience the position – and an applicant with more than 2 years of experience found out – the applicant with more than 2 years of required experience may have a viable lawsuit. I would coach the applicant with 18 months of experience to gain 6 more months of experience and then apply for the position. 

Pay Transparency Laws

Pay transparency was created to reduce pay inequities and prevent possible pay discrimination by sexual orientation, gender, age, race, religion, and more. According to February 2023 research published in the Harvard Business Review, “If you know the range an employer is willing to pay for a job, then you know how much you can expect to earn. That knowledge could help existing employees and new hires during salary negotiations.” Also, a SHRM survey found that 73% of U.S. workers are more likely to trust organizations that provide pay ranges, and about the same number are less interested in applying to jobs without pay ranges listed.

Federal, state, and military government jobs have listed salary ranges for years – they are easy to find, typically on the announcement – or for federal for example, on the Office of Personnel Management website – under pay tables. As tax papers, we pay these salaries and they are public knowledge. 

The new pay transparency laws include requiring employers to disclose wage rates and salary ranges upon request by a job candidate or employee; employers must list pay ranges internally to existing employees and externally in job postings; and employers must file annual reports that disclose salary and wage compensation. The states adopting pay transparency laws/requirements include Colorado, California, New York, Connecticut, Nevada, Maryland, Washington, and Rhode Island. And more are joining.

Salary Negotiation Career Coaching

Your clients have options when they are negotiating salary and benefits. They need to decide their bottom-line salary figure, e.g., what number will they accept as a minimum? 

Then engage your clients in coaching questions to help them determine what is most important to them for a positive work-life balance:

• What is most important – a high salary or a better work-life balance? 

• Does this job suit you? Is it a good fit?

• Does this job risk your “whole-person” well-being? (Diane’s Whole-Person Theory)

• Where will you be in five years?

They also need to consider the negotiating options. Some companies will offer many other perks to entice a candidate. All or any of these options can be negotiated at the time of the initial negotiations and the employment contract. Some of these items are more for executives, but many work for any level of candidate:  

• Base Salary

• Bonuses / Commissions

• Transportation/Relocation

• Leave Time

• Work Schedule / Work-from-home / Virtual or Hybrid Schedule / Work hours: 4/10s or 3/12s

• Mid-year and year-end raises

• Promotions

• Position Title and Position Description

• Medical/Dental/Vision packages

• Education / Degrees

• Certifications and CEUs

• Professional Conferences 

• Gym membership, cell phone, car or car/gas/mileage allowance

• Childcare

• Milestone events (finish degree, obtain requisite experience in xx years required)

• 401K Contributions

• Severance Packages and Job Search Assistance / Outplacement

• Stock Options

• Non-disclosures / Non-competes 

• Bring Pet to work

• Other perks (Corner office with window) 

The one tip I provide my clients – is to ask for a salary range. The first person that names a number – loses in the negotiations. For example, if a candidate says her salary range is $50K to $60K – and the company was going to offer $75K – at a minimum, she lost $15K. I coach my clients on salary negotiations by conducting interview sessions to ensure they are comfortable with the piece about dancing around the salary question. 

The most effective salary negotiations happen after the candidate has been offered the position and has reviewed the offer package. I always coach my clients to review the offer package in-depth, and discuss it with a spouse/significant other if needed, think about it, write a list of things to negotiate – and draft a letter requesting the increased salary and other perks. I ensure my client’s letter is positive and indicates that he will accept the position even if the negotiations are not in his favor. He can always decline if the company comes back with a negative offer. 

If the candidate has multiple offers flowing in at the same time, I coach my client to request a few extra days to return his decisions. This provides him time to compare offers, make decisions, and negotiate the best offer. 

Finally, I coach my client to consider the interview tactics used by the company, any “gut” feelings about the company or potential boss and team members, and the negotiation process. The candidate does not have to take the job – if she feels uncomfortable – she can decline the offer and continue her career management campaign action plan.

All job seekers engaged in transition are focused on exploration and discovery. Each job seeker experiences different transition requirements, as each person comes from a different background. Career transitions range from seeking a promotion to securing retirement, to landing a new job, or accepting a first-ever job. 

The transition scenarios range from military to industry, mom to work, student to work, mid-career to senior career, senior career to executive, disabled to work, incarcerated to work, laid-off to work, fired to work, those seeking to transition to self-employment / owning a business, those seeking only virtual work, those seeking an encore career, those who believe they are being discriminated against (50 and ups), and others. 

As a career coach, I plan to engage each career seeker in exploration, discovery, goal development, and action planning to support important career path decision-making. I focus on identifying relatable skills. There are some general questions I may use for most populations:

• What salary are you seeking?

• What do you expect from a career coach?

• Why this job search now?

• What are your short-term and long-term goals?

Then, I focus on exploration for each client population. Let’s look at a few career transition scenarios and just a couple of specific questions used for each population, as each has different requirements and specific needs:

Military to Industry or Federal: The transition from the military to corporate/industry is two-fold: there is the job search part and the lifestyle change part. Military personnel leave a culture when they transition to non-military. They may be writing a résumé for the first time ever, they may engage in an interview for the first time ever, and they may onboard with a new company outside the military for the first time ever. 

Also, they are making a lifestyle change; they are accustomed to wearing a uniform, speaking military time, titles, and jargon, and living on a military base. To coach them to make a positive transition, I speak to them like a “civilian” by calling them Mr. or Ms. instead of a military rank; I speak their language by asking for military documents by their names, e.g., DD214 (military discharge document), their MOS (military occupational specialty), and focusing on their strengths. To get them started on exploration I ask many questions that include:

• Have you written a résumé before?

• When was the last time you engaged in an interview?

• What job(s) will you target in the industry? Why?

• What is your greatest concern/discomfort in making this transition? 

• What is your MOS? Versus, what did you do on the job? – let’s explore both and identify the transferable skill sets. 

• Of course there are many other targeted questions that I ask like, Do we need to prepare a budget as you transition? Where are you moving to? 

Mom or Dad to Work: Moms or Dads must explore their transferable skill sets and gain confidence. Many feel inadequate due to a long gap in employment. We must explore jobs, industries, interests, and long-term goals. I coach them to explore and drill into transferable skill sets:

• Tell me about volunteer positions you held in the past 10-plus years.

• What is your dream job? What do you want to do?

• Do you need to consider education or a credential to reach your goals?

• What is your biggest concern in this new job search?

• Have you written a résumé?

Fired to Work: This can be a difficult population to coach, as oftentimes there are preconceived ideas of what type of performer this person may be on the next job. I collaborate with this client population to explore why they were fired and how we can discover a path to new employment by overcoming the negative feelings and circumstances of being fired. These clients need confidence-building – and a bit of Diane’s Chief Motivational Officer (CMO).

• Why were you fired? Explain the circumstances. 

• If the firing was due to poor performance: What can you do to turn around this performance issue?

• If the firing was due to a disagreement with supervisors: How can we prevent this from happening at a new workplace? 

• Do you have a positive reference? If not, how can you get a positive reference?

Work to Self-employment: Those seeking to leave corporate America to own a business need to understand that it may take years of concerted effort to make a business thrive. I coach them through building a business plan and monitoring progress. 

• What is prompting this decision to become self-employed?

• Have you prepared a business plan?

• Do you have any capital funds to launch a business?

• Will you keep your day job until you launch your business?

• How can I help you best to meet your endeavor? 

Mid-Career to Senior-Career Promotion: Seeking a promotion requires determination and knowledge of the job and company. The promotion should be sought in the best interest of the candidate (rather than – trying to overtake a colleague, or does not like the boss, etc.). I will coach this client to work the requirements to obtain a promotion – and or seek new employment elsewhere if the promotion does not materialize. 

• Why are you seeking a promotion? Why now? 

• What are the benefits and rewards of the promotion?

• What are the obstacles that are preventing you from getting the promotion?

• What are your greatest strengths against the backdrop of the higher position?

• Do you need an updated résumé?

• What gaps do you identify that may prevent you from obtaining this promotion? How can we course-correct the gaps? Are there detail assignments available to fill the gaps? 

• Who do you need to speak to internally about the promotion?

Work to Retirement: Awesome! Congratulations as your client prepares to retire. These individuals have spent a lifetime working – 30, 40, 50+ years. Some have already engaged in an encore career. I coach these clients to prepare a budget, identify opportunities to contribute to the community, or make plans and develop goals for travel or other hobbies. Retirement is a major life transition and it affects my clients differently.

• Why are you wanting to retire now?

• What will you do in retirement?

• Are you prepared financially – do we need to prepare a retirement budget? (e.g., is your mortgage paid off? What debts do you have (credit cards, car loans, other loans)? 

• Have you spoken to your financial advisor about 401K or IRA withdrawals? 

• Have you signed up for Social Security and Medicare per the required deadlines to prevent penalties?

• Will you draw any income from side gigs?

• Will you volunteer your expertise and time in the community when you retire? 

These are just a few client transition scenarios and the associated questions to coach them to explore their options and discover opportunities for future employment. I coach my clients to make wise employment and career path decisions as they explore and discover new and exciting career opportunities that will meet their passions, bring them a sense of self-worth, and adequately compensate them to meet their needs.