I envisioned a half-mile long line of college juniors and seniors eagerly waiting to get into the university career resource center, because the center’s approach to career management was revolutionarily exciting, motivational, and effective.  

Margaret Phares, PARWCC’s Executive Director, and I had a conversation in a recently taped segment for PARWCC’s LinkedIn Live Series.  Margaret asked me a series of questions that ultimately brought us back to discussing the formation of PARWCC in 1990.  We examined the differences and similarities of the job search and hiring processes between then and now.  And at the conclusion of our conversation, Margaret asked me what my vision is of where the resume writing, career coaching, and employment industry is heading.  And it was this question that sparked this article.

“What’s my vision of the future?” Margaret asked, and I provided a laconic answer – my vision as succinctly as I could put it.  A few hours after our conversation, while vacuuming my condo, I began to think about my answer to Margaret’s question.  And I became instantly troubled by my answer. 

First, let me share with you that back in the early 1990’s, I had a coach who told me, “Mr. Block, I suggest you never go to bed as stupid as you woke up.  Every day find a way to maximize or expand what you know and what you do.”  

And I have tried my very best to heed his advice ever since.  This single piece of advice was the cornerstone of my success, as I questioned everything I knew and did, so I could optimize or advance everything I knew and did… daily!  So when Margaret asked me what my vision was for our profession moving forward… I realized it was the exact same vision I had 1990!

If I have the same vision today that I had back in 1990, have I not grown?  Did I fail to articulate my own vision to others?  Is my vision and my dream for our profession just an illusion – unrealistic? Did I waste 30-plus years chasing a mirage in my mind? Did I not maximize and expand what I knew and did?  I stopped vacuuming. I sat and pondered. 

I have asked this question over and over since 1990.  “How many job seekers need sleeping pills to get to sleep at night because they’re so excited about waking in the morning to conduct their job search?”  To this day, I still get giggles, outright laughs, or a thumb-index finger shaped zero.  No one.  When Margaret asked me what my vision was for our profession, it was the same one I had in 1990… that our approach, processes, and tools would be so revolutionary, so exciting, so life-changing, that everyone ‘would’ need sleeping pills to get to sleep at night, because job seekers are so jazzed to work with us – to design their futures on their terms.   

Managing distractions

Margaret asked me what I thought the most pressing issue was facing resume writing and career coaching entrepreneurs, as well as employed industry professionals.  I suggested distractions.  I believe the one major issue that is most pressing is that we all have a gazillion distractions vying for our attention on a minute-to-minute basis, both external and internal, and both conscious and subconscious.  

Think about it, a job seeker and an entrepreneur have the same goal… to influence a “YES.”  But in the process of developing tools and strategies to influence a “YES,” there are a mind-blowing number of texts, emails, phone calls, social media time, podcasts, radio and TV programs, streaming and seemingly endless on and off line venues demanding attention.  Then there’s family, friends, adversities, and our own inner thoughts pleading for time.  Alisha says that a lack of money is her big issue.  But the only way Alisha can resolve her money issue is to reduce her distractions, so she can more constructively focus on solutions.  Managing distractions is a life-saving skill, not just a rapid employment one.

Technology

Of course the topic of technology came up in our discussion, and Margaret asked me what I thought.  And here again, my answers aligned with my vision – my dream.  I replied to Margaret by saying that I believed AI, ChatGPT, and all advanced technologies will teach, coach, and be responsible for  the general, mundane, and  everyday job search stuff moving forward – from resumes to interviewing and beyond.  And mostly, it will teach the same stuff that’s been taught since the dawn of our industry.  

The vision, as I see it, is the collaboration of AI (technology) and human empowerment.  Technology alone, will ensure the status quo insofar as fear, pain, anxiety, and underachievement are associated with the job search process.  But when the processes are totally changed, when the systems are reformed, and when the hiring process itself becomes comfortable and fully engaging, that’s where the opportunities are almost endless. 

The future opportunities, I believe, lie in 1) the ongoing collaboration between technology and human coaches to maximize and advance the rapid employment process, and 2) the development and implementation of new, transformational processes that inspire and empower optimal job seeker engagement – every step of the way.  

PARWCC membership 

Margaret and I talked about the contributions PARWCC members make to their clients, and the contributions PARWCC makes to its members.  My one-word response was, “priceless.”  For more than 25 years, The Jay Block Companies rode the coattails of PARWCC, and so can every member.  The programs, the training, and the camaraderie were invaluable to me.  I am confident I would not have achieved the level of success I did without being an active member of PARWCC.  

And today, PARWCC is more important than ever.  Collectively and collaboratively members must anticipate and envision the future - and create new programs and new tools to meet the future they envision.  A new question and answer:  “How many job seekers need sleeping pills to get to sleep at night because they’re so excited about waking in the morning to begin designing their future?”  Everyone!  What a silly question. 

Helicopter flies on Mars 

It’s all about vision.  Someone had to envision a man on the moon and a helicopter flying on Mars.  Someone had to envision a phone without a cord, and ATMs to get money faster, easier, and friendlier.  So where is the vision in our profession?  

Can you envision a quarter-mile long line of college students excited to work with the elite career empowerment professionals in the university career resource center who have designed a whole new curriculum and process to empower success?  

Can you envision a quarter-mile long line of veterans excited to work with the elite career empowerment professionals in the military’s TAP Career Resource Center who have designed a whole new process that empowers success?  

Can you envision a quarter-mile long line of transitional employees excited to work with the elite career empowerment professionals in the Department of Labor’s Career Resource Centers who have designed a whole new process that empowers success?  

Can you envision, as an entrepreneur, a 2-3 week pipeline of new clients excited to work with you – as an elite career empowerment coach who has differentiated themselves from their old-school competition - and challenges their job seekers to embrace a whole new process – a joyful and effective one?  

For me, it’s the dream that got away.  But the seeds have been planted for the future.  

If you see it and believe it – work to achieve it!

Margaret and I have had many discussions over the years regarding our industry and profession. This past conversation brought back thoughts of my own visions - past and future for PARWCC.  I believe that 1) if we don’t know what we want, we’ll be forced to settle for what we get, and 2) We can either make things happen for us, or allow things to happen to us.  

Today, I believe membership and active collaboration within PARWCC, is more important than ever.  Why?  Because with technology blazing the trail and the mind-blowing changes occurring within our society politically, socially, and culturally, it will take an association with a group of visionaries leading it.  In 1990 a small group of people had a vision – and PARWCC was formed.  Success!  

In 1990, I had a vision – a long line of students eagerly waiting to get into the university career resource center, because their approach to career management was revolutionarily exciting, motivational, and effective.  Not a success.  But now, an opportunity for those who see it as one. 

Thanks Margaret for the opportunity to discuss these issues.

It’s not the furious winds or the raging sea that matters.  What matters is the set of the sail and mastery of the sailor at the helm. Whether one is fired from a job, diagnosed with cancer, or forced to evacuate a hurricane, it’s always our emotional state of mind – our attitude – that determines how successfully and dignified we address and resolve our issues. 

Most recently, Hurricanes Helene and Milton two-punched the west coast of Florida. Flood waters visited many homes and businesses, including three feet of salt water that occupied my son’s home in Tampa during Helene. A week after Helene, everything that was on the first floor was on the side of the road, from the refrigerator to every piece of furniture, flooring, and all things soaked. Two weeks later, like everyone else in the area, he was forced to evacuate as Hurricane Milton followed Helene as an even greater threat. What do I take? What will I return to? Where will I stay and for how long? How much will this disaster cost me? When will things return to normal? Etc., etc. 

Job Seekers experience their own hurricanes

I have always suggested that, as a profession, we don’t give enough attention to the range of fear-based and destructive emotions job seekers’ experience from being unemployed. We write resumes, teach interviewing, and coach good and valuable employment-related stuff. But if we don’t address the emotional issues at the beginning, the process of recovery and ultimate success becomes one of unnecessary struggle.  

Successfully recovering from a diagnosis, a hurricane, or a job loss requires a peak-performing state of mind that optimizes one’s energy to recover, heal, and move on. From a purely emotional and psychological perspective, it’s been stated that the pain of losing a loved one and the pain of losing a job are similar -exploring the concept of "grief."  I think we can add the loss of one’s home and possessions to that list.  

Investment of energy

All of us, including job seekers, have a limited amount of energy to employ in the course of a day. The goal is to optimize positive energy to create a better future. Negative energy, spending our limited resources on the problem and not the solution, will delay or destroy hope for a successful  and timely recovery.  

Not unlike the emotions one experiences evacuating from, riding out, and recovering from a hurricane, job seekers are dealing with their own emotional storms. Every job seeker is going through their own internal hurricane - from simple discomfort (category 1 hurricane) to total and all-consuming fear and suffering (category 5 hurricane). In the end, how job seekers invest their energy and direct their mindset during life’s storms determines 1) the speed of success and 2) The class and dignity displayed while in the process of achieving success. 

The “Identity Factor”

To be clear, I speak and coach from experience. I lived 31 years on the east coast of Florida and rode out six category 2 and 3 hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. Forget all the category one hurricanes and tropical storms I hunkered down for, or prepared to live through. And in 1992, we evacuated our home when Hurricane Andrew (cat 5) came to town and destroyed everything in its path south of Miami.  

From a health standpoint, my new bride, Ellen, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Aggressive Breast Cancer in 2003 - just four months after we were married, and was given a 35% chance of living two years. Then she endured a year of almost inhumane treatment. So I know, from a real life and death scenario, that mindset plays the starring role in outcome. It helped save Ellen’s life, now 20+ years cured and a yoga teacher.

Oh, and I was fired by one of my closest friends in 1992 and found myself unexpectedly and uncomfortably unemployed. I became a full time job seeker at age 39. And this is what I ultimately discovered: When we are forced to deal with adversities like hurricanes and health issues, we still have our identities firmly in place. In fact, perhaps even more so. When hurricanes, diagnoses, and other life altering stuff happens, moms and dads rise to the occasion and become the family heroes and protectors. We still believe in ourselves and our abilities to recover, regardless of magnitude. We still have jobs to return to once the disruption ends.  We still have each other to lean on and find comfort in, and can cry together, rebuild, and celebrate together in the victory.

Not job seekers.  

When most hard-working people find themselves unemployed and on the job hunt, something far worse than being jobless takes place. They lose self-respect. And I’m not sure there is anything worse that could happen in life to an individual, never mind in times of crisis. 

When I was fired and officially unemployed, I suddenly became a failed father, a humiliation to my spouse, and pretty much a useless human being. Wherever we go, we get the question, “So, what do you do for a living?” Unlike any challenge or confrontational issue I had ever faced in my life, I had never questioned my identity or relevance. I suddenly felt like a satellite in the wrong orbit, spinning out of control. And that’s how the vast majority of job seekers feel. We help them with job search tools and strategies, but don’t do a good enough job helping them address the main obstacles – seeing themselves as a failure… as a dad, as a mom, as a human being - not just in the workplace.  

A written plan 

When we evacuated south Florida for Hurricane Andrew, it was awful. Beyond an inconvenience, we had no idea what we’d return to; if there would be anything to return to. But we had each other. And most importantly, we had hope. When we had to evacuate or, the dozens of times we had to prepare for an oncoming hurricane, we had a plan. When we lost power for over a week, we had a plan. And of course, when Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer, the next day in the midst of fears and tears, we created a “Get Cured” plan. 

Job seekers have no plans

When I lost my job, I unknowingly had a plan. It was called: “Winging It.” Think about it… successful pilots, military leaders, sports coaches, interior designers – even you and me going shopping - have a well thought out written plan (shopping list) with goals and specifics needed to achieve those goals. Not job seekers. Ask a job seeker to show you their written rapid employment plan - with daily tasks, weekly goals, and the different strategies they chose to land a job quickly. You’ll be hard-pressed to find one. 

My son’s house in Tampa is totaled – three feet of water complements of Helene, and a tree crashing through the roof thanks to Milton. But he has a plan, he has a team around him, and he has hope. And everyone I know or have studied who has successfully dealt with a health issue, has had a plan, a solid team around them, and hope. 

Job seekers have no written plans, are going at it alone, and have little hope of rapid success. This is where empowerment coaching opportunities exist to help job seekers find hope in their futures… and believe in themselves to achieve their vision.  

Empowerment coaching 

1. Job seekers, like those who lost everything in the hurricanes or who are going through serious healthcare issues, must focus and invest 90% of their resources (time, money, energy)  on solutions, recovery, and successful outcomes – not the problem itself.  We attract what we focus on.  When we focus on success, we will inevitably achieve it.

2. Employ the Socratic Method and ask courageous and recovery/healing-driven questions… not ‘why me?’ / ‘self-pity’ questions.  It’s a law of human nature:  The quality of questions we ask, determines the quality of answers we get – and the speed and quality of recovery and success we achieve.  

3. Vision creates hope.  If we can see success in our mind’s eye, and believe it, we can achieve it.  In my opinion, there is nothing more important than a hope-filled vision.  When job seekers envision themselves in exciting new jobs, when cancer patients envision themselves cured, healthy, and playing with their grandchildren, and when those who lost their homes in the storms envision a better future with all the trimmings of yet-to-appear blessings in disguise… those blessing will appear.

A Game-Changer for Coaches

Melissa Venable, Ph.D., writing for Best Colleges, says, “Almost 30% of Gen. Z workers report that interviewing is their biggest job search challenge, and it’s 24% for millennials (i.e., ages 26-41).”  So, how are young job seekers addressing their interviewing discomforts? 

CNBC (among other reliable sources), reports that many Gen Zers are bringing their parents to job interviews.  “College graduations are in full swing and so are job interviews for Gen Z candidates. But with a slowdown in hiring by many companies and a job market flooded with certain kinds of talent, some younger workers are turning to an unlikely source to help set themselves apart from the competition: their parents.  One in four Gen Zers have brought a parent to a job interview over the past year, and roughly one-quarter have had their parents submit job applications on their behalf, according to a new survey of nearly 1,500 Gen Zers by ResumeTemplates.com. Another 13% admit to having their parents complete their human resources screening calls.” 

Problems When Parents Become Career Coaches

Paul Wolfe, former chief human resources officer for Indeed, and author of Human Beings First says, “It’s good to see and hear of parents wanting to help their kids with the job search and mock interviews.  But parents have to realize that they need to let their kids fly on their own in a job interview. The young person is the one we’re interested in hiring, not the parent. We’re trying to assess whether that candidate has the skills to do the job (on their own).”

But here’s another thing.  I’ve found that, in general, when parents help their Gen Zer kids with their job search, these well-intentioned parents are using outdated tools, strategies, and mindsets.  Many lack the technical, AI (Chat GPT), and social media expertise to be of full value.  Furthermore, when parents rely on information gathered online to help their kids, they discover differing and, often conflicting, advice.  One source says no more than 650-750 words on a resume, while another says a two-page  resume can contain up to 1,500 words.  

And let’s face it, the technology used by employers today to recruit, screen, and select applicants makes it confusing to almost everyone, including Gen Zers and their parents.  ATS tracking, PDF attachment, keywords, key phrases, value propositions, diversity interviewing, leveraged interviewing, and employment agreements are just a few of the areas that most, parents are undereducated in. 

Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder, says, “Some parents haven’t looked for a new job in 10 or 20 years. If your kid needs help finding a job, get an expert to help them. You’re not an expert just because you have a job.”  

Finally, Deane Budney, executive recruiter says, “I’m actually surprised to see parents getting this involved in interviews.  In my mind, this alone speaks volumes of the candidate I would be interviewing.  That said, I don’t blame the kids; it’s the parents who create this ‘awkward’ situation.  I would quickly and politely ask them to get lost, and then I have a one-on-one with the candidate – alone.”

Interview Coaching for Job Seekers and Their Parents

If 25% of Gen Zers have taken a parent to a job interview in the past year, and it appears this trend is only accelerating, this topic must be addressed in all  job interview training.  Consider Gene Marks, whose LinkedIn article is entitled:  Parents attending their child's job interview… as a manager, I'm all for it.   

Marks writes, “Many have thrown up their hands in horror at news that one in four of Gen Z job applicants, those aged between 18 and 27, have admitted to bringing a parent to their job interview. What a bunch of snowflakes.  They’re old enough to vote, join the military, see R rated movies, and even live independently. And what, they can't go on a job interview without bringing along their mommy and daddy?

“Well I love it. Let's embrace these parents. Invite them in. Give them coffee. Encourage their participation. Why?  Because a parent can reveal a lot.” (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/parents-attending-childs-job-interview-manager-im-all-gene-marks-cpa-fy1le/). 

Our Opinion Doesn’t Matter 

Whether we throw up our hands in horror, or love the idea, career and job interview coaches must accept that this is now a reality of the hiring process – like it or not.  Coaches now must learn to coach BOTH job seeker and their parents.  And I can assure you this is not easy.  And I can also assure you that this new aspect of interviewing is just evolving.  There are no protocols.  Yes, for now there is common sense.  But as we know, what is common sense to one can be the opposite to another.

In addition to all that is taught to prepare job seeker for interviews, the same must be taught to the parents and then… the really hard part… alignment!  For example, the interviewer asks a question and the job seeker shakes his head up and down indicating, ‘yes,’ while his parents shake their heads back and forth indicating, ‘no.’   This presents a unique perspective for the interviewer.   

Chris Bevin, communications expert says, “You have to teach nonverbal communication as much as the verbal aspect of interviewing.  And mirroring each other, both parents and job seekers, is critical.  When a job seeker confidently gives an answer and the parents frown, that’s telling.  In my opinion, parents attending interview with their kids make it more challenging for their kids because there are now more moving parts.  Meaning, more things can go wrong than can go right.”

This is not the venue to discuss the psychological and social aspects of why this is all occurring.  But it is important to understand some of the contributing factors because when we better understand circumstances, we can better coach for success.  

Lenore Skenazy and Jonathan Haidt of Let Grow call it, “The Fragile Generation.”  They write, “The problem has been brewing for at least a generation:  Beginning in the 1980s, American childhood changed. For a variety of reasons—including shifts in parenting norms, new academic expectations, increased regulation, technological advances, and especially a heightened fear of abduction (missing kids on milk cartons made it feel as if this exceedingly rare crime was rampant)—children largely lost the experience of having large swaths of unsupervised time to play, explore, and resolve conflicts on their own. This has left them more fragile, more easily offended, and more reliant on others.”

But, Vicki Phillips, writing for Forbes says, “Gen Z is drinking less, learning more, and embracing a spirit of global agency and impact that prior generations could not even imagine. Which raises the question: what were later Boomers and Gen-Xers doing when they were 15, 16 and 17?  As someone who has actually worked with Gen-Zers, I can tell you, the kids these days are more than alright.”  

Let’s Agree On This:

Given the many differing opinions on this issue, there is pretty much universal agreement that, since the beginning of time, most job candidates go into a job interview unprepared or underprepared.  Now, consider what LZ Granderson wrote in a June 2024 edition of the Los Angeles Times:  “Let’s start with employers saying younger applicants are unprepared. That should not be altogether surprising given the havoc the pandemic played on the world’s education system and the lives of young people during formative years. The ramifications stemming from years of interruption in learning and social development are beginning to show up in the workforce.”

My point here is this.  Interviewing was always been a fearful, if not terrifying, activity.  Twenty years ago I worked Kirk Bluin, the Police Chief of Palm Beach, Florida (now retired).  He was a military veteran, a SWAT team leader, and a good and fearless cop.  In helping him interview for the job of Police Chief, I was not surprised that he was terrified of interviewing with Palm Beach’s leaders - some highly influential people.  He was never afraid of bullets in protecting the nation or the people of Palm Beach.  But he was totally fearful of a job interview.  

Fast-forward to post-pandemic times, there can be no argument that Gen Zers face an even greater fear of what was already a fearful activity.  The reality is this:  One-in-four job seekers are bringing a parent to a job interview.  And for employment professionals and career coaches, when working with young job seekers, the focus must be on successfully coaching a whole new phenomenon: job seeker-parent interview coaching.

Job Seeker-Parent Interview Coaching

The protocols for this new phenomenon are still very much under construction (and being integrated into PARWCC’s Certified Interview Coach - CIC).  But one thing is for certain, coaching Job Seeker-Parent Interviewing will be totally unlike anything interview coaches have done in the past, because it requires a whole new skillset that is beyond critical:

• Job seeker-parent nonverbal alignment  

• Job seeker-parent job interview goals alignment 

• Job-seeker-parent communication style alignment 

• Job seeker-parent expectations alignment

Just for starters.

“A tongue has no bones. But it is strong enough to break a heart, a dream, or any hope for the future. So be wise with the words you choose to use.” 

- Anonymous 

We are in the word business. The words we use when we coach, the words job seekers use in interviews, and the words documented on resumes and online matter, because words determine how we feel, act, and react.  The expression, “Sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt you,” is a misnomer. There are more people lying on therapists’ couches and underachieving not because of the sticks, stones or the broken bones, but because of the words that wounded them. 

Language creates emotion

The words we use create emotion, both high and low. This is especially relevant today where political correctness also matters. In its simplest definition, political correctness “refers to language that seems intended to give the least amount of offense, especially when describing groups identified by external markers such as race, gender, culture, or sexual orientation.”  But, I was first introduced to this ‘verbal correctness’ early on when I was not allowed to say ‘shut up’ at home.  I could say ‘be quiet’ or ‘zip it,’ but not ‘shut up.’ 

Most people are more comfortable addressing a person as one who passed away, rather than one who died.  A deceased individual is preferred over a dead person. A stewardess has become a flight attendant, a trash collector is now a sanitation engineer, retail sales people are now team associates, and receptionists have become directors of first impressions.  Why the title changes?  It’s about emotion – how one feels.  I recently scheduled an Uber to the airport and when I got into the Prius, the diver said, “Good morning.  I’m Fernando, your transportation specialist.”  You see, Fernando isn’t just an Uber driver.  He is a transportation specialist working for Uber.  And it shows.

On resumes 

Recent research by TalentWorks, analyzed over 6,000 job applications from 66 industries, and suggested the perfect and recommended resume length is between 475 and 600 words.  For me, when writing a two-page executive resume, there are  between 1,000 – 1,500 words. No matter whether it’s 475 or 1,500 words, the resume is intended to influence interviews.  And this is determined strictly by the emotions the words and phrases on the resume communicate.  

There are more than 170,000 words in the English language available to job seekers and resume professionals.  That said, there seems to be just a few that the majority like to use, and seldom deviate from.  I’m referring to words like:  Self-motivated, results driven, highly energetic, good communication skills, a problem solver, a people person (so is my dog), and I could bore you with umpteenth more, but you get the point.  

If everyone is increasing sales, we might consider a stronger word like, ‘igniting’ or ‘propelling’ sales.  Instead of, ‘reduced expenses 27%,’ we could consider a more powerful word like, ‘slashed expenses 27%.’  Rather than, ‘provided outstanding levels of service,’ we might option, ‘provided evidence-based, industry-leading levels of service.’  With the ability to instantly use an online thesaurus, it would be advantageous for job seekers and resume pros to consider reviewing their work – with emphasis on optimizing and advancing language to achieve rapid results.   

Interviewing

Interviewers listen for key words – but not the keywords you might imagine.  When I interviewed the hundreds of hiring decision-makers for my McGraw-Hill book, Great Answers; Great Questions For Your Job Interview, The majority told me that they listen for differential phrases like, ‘I will,’ instead of ‘I hope.’  Other phrases included, ‘I look forward to,’ and “I am eager to,’ strike a chord.  In PARWCC’s Certified Interview Coach Training (CIC), aligning vocabulary is an easy, yet powerful strategy taught to build rapport and likability – to get hired!

On the coaching front

Human behaviorist, Ivan Pavlov, recognized that words produce associative reflexes.  Words such as, full recovery, curable, and healthy give people a subconscious lift because they have been conditioned, in a positive way, to feel better when they hear them.  Other words such as disease, cancer, surgery, and ‘you’ve been diagnosed with’… create fear and anxiety because they too, have been conditioned, in a defeating manner, so people feel distress when they hear them.

When coaching job seekers, whether creating resumes or the full complement of career coaching and employment services, words matter.  No client I ever worked with ever got excited about doing ‘homework.’  Yet most industry professionals still use that word.  On the other hand, when you present job seekers with ‘rapid employment assignments,’ they become much more engaged - just by changing words.  Eugene H. Peterson, an American scholar, theologian, and author, said, “We cannot be too careful about the words we use; we start out using them and they end up using us.”

What’s the difference between being terminated and being downsized?  Whether it’s true or not, if I was terminated, the belief is it’s my fault.  If I was downsized, the belief is it’s the company’s fault. Are your clients unemployed or are they in transition?  Are they conducting an aimless job search or a high-energy rapid employment campaign?  Even in wartime, battles have names like, Operation Overlord or Operation Desert Shield.  How many job seekers have emotionally charged, enthusiastic names for their job campaigns?  It makes a difference in attitude and self-confidence – and outcome.

AI can teach but not inspire

In PARWVV’s Certified Empowerment and Motivational Professional program (CEMP), Language Management is a key emotional channeling strategy we cover.  Having been fired myself by a best friend at age 39, I fully understand how emotions either create or destroy an employment campaign.  The goal, in coaching, is not to eliminate the negative, but to de-intensify the negative.  And words and phrases do this stunningly.

Seeking a job, as is all of life, is like a battery.  Half negative and half positive.  The negative will never leave the stage of life.  There will always be rejection, disappointment, and resistance.  The goal is to keep negativity at the back of the stage and not allow it to play a starring role.  To acknowledge it but not become consumed by it.  And one way to achieve this is to incorporate empowering language.  For instance:  

• “I’m scared” could become, “I have a healthy concern.”  

• “I’m a wreck” could become, “I’m experiencing some challenges.”

• “I’m livid” could become, “I’m pleasantly perturbed (or annoyed :-)”

• “I hate this” could become,  “I could do without this.”

• “I’m facing adversity” could become, “I’m looking for the blessings in disguise.”

• “This is a nightmare” could become, “this is a test of character.”

• “I’m depressed” could become, “I’m a bit out of whack.”

• “I’m fearful” could become, “I’m fearless.”

• “I have a problem” could become,” I have a challenge.”

Case Study from CEMP: The Rice Brothers

As adults, each twin stood approximately 2 feet 10 inches tall. As babies, their natural parents abandoned John and Greg Rice. They were told their parents got up one night and just left. The twins had been diagnosed at birth as dwarves, a condition that was apparently too much for their parents to handle. Frank Windsor, an elementary school janitor, and his wife Mildred provided a loving home and later adopted the twins.  

The Windsors also gave the boys something priceless - an outlook on life they would never forget. They reinforced in each boy that they could be anything they wanted to be. The twins would later say, “it was these words that defined our future and our lives.”  This is the story of a couple of big-time Palm Beach millionaires who own big houses, big fleets of cars, and a highly successful company called “Think Big.” Consider the power of words and meaning just in the naming of their company.

Because John and Greg Rice thought big, these small-in-stature guys made it big. With their adoptive parents’ inspirational language ingrained deep in their hearts, the twins built a thriving real estate and investment empire before expanding into other lucrative endeavors, including motivational speaking.  The technique of Language Management produced a big success story, considering the huge obstacles little John and Greg Rice faced.  (Note: John Rice died in 2005, at the age of 54)

The bottom line 

If you want to improve your client’s level of performance or effectiveness in seeking and securing the right job with the right company at the right compensation, consider paying attention to the words and phrases you are using and that they are using.  And then ask, “does this inspire optimal success?” 

“A tongue has no bones. But it is strong enough to create hope, instill confidence, and present a powerfully exciting vision of the future. So be wise with the words you choose to use.” 

- Jay Block

The famous Zen master visited Boston and ordered a hotdog ‘with the works,’ from a hot dog vendor outside his hotel. The hot dog vendor, recognizing the famous customer, fixed a killer hot dog and handed it to the Zen master, who paid with a $50 bill. The vendor smiled, said thank-you, put the bill in the cash register, and went on to serve his next customer.  "Excuse me, but where’s my change?" asked the Zen master. The vendor turned and said, "You know, as well as I do, that change must come from within."

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This is not an article on God, religion, and the job search. Well, parts of it may address the topic a bit because, according to Statistica in a 2023 report, 74% of job seekers believe in God, and most are going at it alone. If a job seeker believes in God, why not suggest that they, at least consider,  partnering up with their God throughout the entire job campaign, 24/7, rather than just a few hours over the weekend, then going it alone fearfully the rest of the week.

Faith (Trust) and Spirituality (Inner Peace)

This article is on faith and spirituality. For my coaching purposes, faith means trust, and spirituality means one’s inner peace. For more than three decades it’s been my experience that when job seekers have an abundance of faith, as well as the ability to maintain a high degree of inner peace, especially when the spaghetti hits the fan, rapid employment is pretty much a sure thing.   

I don’t know about you, but if my clients didn’t have faith in me, my process, and my unwavering commitment to their success, what good would I have been to them? How is rapid success possible when there is no faith in a coach, a methodology, or a job seeker’s own abilities and belief in themselves? You know the cliché, “You can’t love someone else, unless you first love yourself.” If this is true, I think we could successfully argue that, “A job seeker can’t achieve rapid success until they first have faith in themselves, that they deserve and can achieve rapid success.”  

In addition to faith, I believe success requires a connection to one’s spirituality – which for this discussion means one’s inner peace of mind.  Bryant McGill writes, “Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.” Then there’s the widely known expression, "In the eye of the storm, find your calmness and let it guide you." When a job seeker’s inner spirit is able to quiet their mind’s fears, impatience, and pessimism, a new, rejuvenated mindset can then redirect negative thoughts to resourceful, constructive and resolution-driven ones. The power of positive thinking through Spiritual Bridging.   

Spiritual Bridging 

In PARWCC’s CEMP program (Certified Empowerment and Motivational Professional), Spiritual Bridging is presented as one of the 14 emotional channeling techniques covered that job seekers can employ to successfully ride the emotional roller-coaster to a new job.   

Spiritual Bridging is a strategy that 1) inspires job seekers to optimize  faith (in themselves, the process, and perhaps, a higher power) to achieve rapid employment, and 2) guides job seekers through the employment process with a deep, genuine sense of peace, calm, and inner confidence.

The expression goes, “If you’re not willing to go within, you’ll have to go without.” Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” And musical lyrics pose the question, “How you gon’ win, if you ain’t right within?”

Spiritual Bridging is a most effective way for job seekers to just rest the mind – and reconnect with their own being, if not their individual divine connection. If you think about it, we humans are really not human ‘beings,’ but rather, human ‘doings’. We’re always doing something or trying to do something. Even when we sleep, we’re doing things in our dreams.  Spiritual Bridging is about spending a small (quality) amount of time to recharge the battery when the battery needs recharging, through a spiritual (however one defines that) connection.  

There are many different ways to conduct a Spiritual Bridging practice to elevate one’s faith and peace of mind. Below are just a few highly effective ones.  

Finding a Sense of Peace and Reinforcing Faith

• Meditation

• Quiet walks in the woods, or along a lake or the ocean

• Prayers in a house of worship or other faith-based activities 

• Reading faith-based books and resources 

• Yoga, Tai Chi, and deep breathing exercises   

• Electronic downtime (perhaps listening to quiet jazz 30 minutes a day)

• Joining a spiritual community

These are just a few of the seemingly endless ways to bridge. It’s a personal experience, and as a career coach, I have found it extremely valuable to ask those I work with… “If you are, in any way, a spiritual person, are you optimizing your spiritual-ness to achieve your goals?”   

Quick Personal Story

For the first 50 years of my life, inner peace was like a unicorn, something I sought but never found. People told me to meditate, but when I did, I could only think about bills that were coming due and other such worries. Forget religion because I take things way too literally and think too much about too much stuff. I even tried Zen meditation. Try not thinking about anything for even 10 seconds, and you’ll find it’s like someone telling you not to think of the color red. What else are you going to think of? When you tell the brain not to think – it just laughs at you because the root cause of not being at peace is thinking itself. Not quieting the mind.

I took up yoga at age 50 and after six months, my yoga master asked me, “How’s your meditation practice coming along?” I answered, “Not well.  My mind won’t shut off – mostly negative stuff.” She smiled and handed me an old book by Jeffrey Kagel (Krishna Das), called, Chants of a Lifetime.  Bottom line, I discovered the practice of Kirtan chanting, and this was the most perfect way for me to achieve inner peace, and experience a spiritual connection I had never experienced before. It was life-changing – personally and professionally.  

And that’s when I truly realized that a major component missing in most rapid employment campaigns, was a spiritual one. For most job seekers, there’s a disconnect between their inner spirit and their (negative) way of thinking.  

I don’t discuss religion, God, or one’s beliefs about the divine. I simply ask job seekers what they are doing to recharge their emotional batteries to achieve a sense of peace or calm, to achieve success.  

I ask, “If you are, in any way, a spiritual person, are you optimizing your spiritual-ness to achieve your goals?” Most are not. In fact, most haven’t given it a thought.  

Five Guidelines for Spiritual Bridging for Job Seekers  

1. Put time aside each day for Spiritual Bridging by developing a daily  bridging practice. Even just 10 minutes a day can be life-changing. It’s all up to each individual job seeker to develop their own practice.  Some will read passages from the Bible. Others will meditate or do slow, easy yoga poses. Some will listen to soft music or guided meditations. The goal is to distract the mind, and allow it to rest. To find peace.   

2. Collaborate with others who share your spiritual beliefs and values. This can be done in person or in online group settings. Many churches, synagogues, and faith-based organizations offer career guidance and support. Going at it alone is usually not a good strategy.

3. Develop a mantra: When I worked with job seekers, I asked them to create a REM – Rapid Employment Mantra for their job campaign – that had a Spiritual Bridging twist. A few examples include: “I will be fully and faithfully engaged at all times.” “I will partner with the Divine and trust that together, the best is yet to come.” “I am at peace today, knowing my faith will lead to a better tomorrow.”

4. Focus on and visualize the goal, not one’s current situation. When it was decided to go to the moon, no one knew how to get there and back. But scientists and engineers focused on getting to the moon, not being stuck on earth. Same for job seekers. Within the Spiritual Bridging process, the focus is on being happily employed, not being stuck unemployed or in their current situation.   

5. Develop a Gratitude practice within the Spiritual Bridging process. This simply means being appreciative of what one has, in pursuit of what one desires. Most people take what is going right in their life for granted. But thank God, most job seekers have eyes that work, a heart that beats, and about a million other things going well they’re unaware of. Gratitude, when job seekers focus on it, attracts success.  

Conclusion

Spiritual Bridging during a rapid employment campaign helps job seekers stay grounded and empowered amidst uncertainties and setbacks, to achieve the results they deserve. It fosters a positive mindset where faith and a calm, peaceful spirit (attitude) leads the way for clearer decision-making and, most importantly, an unbreakable bond with one's deepest values.

Questions like, “Why did this happen to me?” or, “How long and difficult will it take to get another job?” or, “Am I too old to get a new job?" do not inspire high-quality answers or rapid employment.  In the fast-paced, post pandemic world of conducting a job campaign, the adage ‘knowledge is power’ has never been more significant. Yet, it's not just about the quantity of knowledge one acquires, but the quality of the questions one asks to attain it.  High quality questions (In PARWCC’s CEMP certification, I refer to them as, ‘courageous questions’), hold an unparalleled power in conducting successful rapid employment campaigns, not to mention creating even better masterpiece resumes.

Not all questions are created equal

Consider the typical job interview when, toward the end of the interview the job seeker is asked if they have any questions to ask the interviewer.  Rather than asking customary and unimaginative questions like, "Can you share the specific expectations of this role?," a more courageous question might be, "If hired today, a year from now, how will you know I exceeded your wildest expectations?”

Keep in mind that the quality of questions asked determines the quality of one’s emotions.  And the quality of one’s emotions has a direct effect on the quality of one’s responses and subsequent actions.  Picture a spouse who returns home at the end of the day ragged, and looking like she’s been through the ringer and back.  Is there a difference if her spouse greets her at the door and asks, “What’s wrong with you?” as opposed to, “What’s troubling you?”  Or later, “What do you want for supper” as opposed to, “What can I make you for dinner that you’d enjoy?”

Now consider a job seeker who has just been downsized who asks, “How am I ever going to face my family?” as opposed to, “How can I rally my family to help me land a better opportunity, and to be an example to others on how to overcome adversity with class and dignity.”

When job seekers ask more precise, penetrating questions, they can easily filter through the noise of generalities, repetition, and monotony that their competition will embrace, to elevate every aspect of the job campaign including killing it on resumes, when networking, and in interviews.  Not to mention, consistently remaining in a peak-performing state of mind especially when encountering bumps in the road. 

Resume writers and career coaches inspire job seekers to ask courageous questions

Imagine the difference when you inspire job seekers to transition their inquiry from “Why on earth do I have to endure another torturous day of job hunting ?” to, “What action must I take to ensure that I control what I can control, so I design my future on my terms?” 

Don’t reframe questions – recreate them

Reframing questions is not what we do.  We don’t reframe – we recreate. By definition, reframing a questions is a methodology to solve problems by looking at problems with a new outlook or from a different perspective.  That’s great, but the problem with reframing questions is that the problem remains the same problem!  By asking courageous questions, we seek to transform the problem into an opportunity or possibility, with no deception, BS, or smoke and mirrors. For example:

Negative question:                        Why do I have to network and beg people for a job?

Reframed question:                      How can I successfully network for a job, and truly enjoy the process?

Courageous question:                 How can I successfully recruit an active sales force to promote me – for free!?

Let’s be honest, how many people say, “I can’t get to sleep at night because I’m so excited to wake up in the morning to start networking for a job?”   In reality, to most job seekers, networking means begging - massive pain. 

But when we give this more thought, we discover that networking is merely the process of recruiting a proactive personal salesforce (promotions team).  When job seekers share their unique selling propositions and organizational value with people they know, they create a team that will be on the lookout for job opportunities within their respective communities. 

I think you’ll agree that most job seekers will work harder, smarter, and more enthusiastically knowing they have a personal salesforce, as opposed to their typical association to networking.  When job seekers ask courageous questions, this opens their mindsets to come up with courageous answers to achieve their goals – while being fully and enthusiastically engaged.

When Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, asking courageous questions allowed him to accept and battle the disease in a constructive and dignified manner. He asked the question, “What good can come from this, and how can I turn this around?” He came up with a courageous answer. He said, “I can’t control the disease, but I can become an active participant in raising money to find a cure for this disease.”

Fox also asked the question: “What do I have to do to live as normal a life as I possibly can, and accept that lifestyle?” Here again, he asked courageous questions that resulted in courageous answers. “I came to the realization that Parkinson’s changes you. I’ve discovered a certain level of surrender to it, which isn’t to say capitulation or allowing it to overwhelm me.  By accepting it, it saves me a whole lot of mental work. It is what it is.”

Courageous questions are questions that inspire empowering answers, reduce fear, and ignite hope.  Consider the following:

•              How have I successfully dealt with this problem in the past? 

•              How have others effectively dealt with this issue in the past?

•              How do I turn this problem into a challenge and meet this challenge with a positive attitude?

•              What can I learn from this, and how can I apply this to achieve the success I deserve? 

•              Who do I need to work with, or invest in, to ensure I achieve my goals quickly and enjoyably?

•              Will this matter a year from now?

•              How can I be a hero to myself and to others by meeting this challenge head on?

•              Am I spending more time on the problem than on the solution?

Taylor Swift’s journey to success, like most success stories, was not easy. She faced many challenges, including public scrutiny, personal attacks, and lawsuits. But she says that the questions she asks when dealing with difficult times is what keeps her going.  Swift habitually asks, “Am I willing to give up on my dreams?” and “Am I prepared to compromise my values and not be true to myself,” and “Isn’t everything I do a force for good - the whole reason to relentlessly and persistently do what I do – and accept the uncomfortable?” 

The opposite of a courageous question is a destructive question.  Destructive questions are those that destroy (or limit) optimism, possibility, and potential.  When job seekers become aware / mindful of questions they ask, they can then begin replacing destructive questions with courageous questions that lead to rapid success… while actually enjoying the journey in pursuit of a new job.

Destructive question:                  Why does this always happen to me?

Courageous question:                 What’s the blessing in disguise?

Destructive question:                  Why is the job search so uncomfortable and painful?

Courageous question:                 How can I become fully engaged in designing my future on my terms?

Destructive question:                  Will my spouse stay with me through this ordeal?

Courageous question:                 How can we enrich our lives by effectively resolving our manageable issues?

Destructive question:                  How will I ever get a new job at the same pay at my age?

Courageous question:                 How do I showcase achievements I’ve made in past jobs to land a great new one?

Destructive question:                  How long will the job search take?

Courageous question:                 How do I enjoy every day, knowing it’s one less I’ll have in this lifetime?

Destructive question:                  Where can I get my resume done the cheapest – or free online?

Courageous question:                 Who can I invest in to create a resume so I don’t cheapen my future?

Summary

The journey towards rapid employment in today's ever-evolving, artificial intelligence-driven job market, necessitates having the courage to ask higher quality, courageous questions.  This often means questioning the, “this is how we’ve always done it” wall of resistance.   Courageous questions to break through the wall might include, “Does this serve me?” or “Does this even make sense,” or “Do I know this to be true?”  or, “Is this the most empowering question I can ask in this situation?”

By empowering job seekers to harness the power of inquiry, they can better, and more rapidly, navigate the complexities of the employment landscape (and life) with confidence – and, most importantly, with a high degree of enthusiasm and engagement. 

* For more information: https://parwcc.com/page/CEMP_new

When we see it, and when we believe it, only then can we achieve it. The ‘it’ is often referred to as the light at the end of the tunnel.

Consider Mellanie who’s been seeking a job for five months, but recently had two great interviews and feels confident she’ll be offered the job. She says, “Finally, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.” After five months of hoping, Mellanie now expects to land a job. The transformation from hope to expectation, is the light at the end of the tunnel. Even in the wake of possible, or imminent  disappointment, expectation prevails over hope, because the vision is so powerfully ‘real.’

But why did it take five months for Melanie to see the light ? 

Now consider Delmar. He says, “The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming freight train about to decimate my hopes and dreams.” Delma is a negative, pessimistic job seeker whose hope of landing a job is just that, a hope, because he hasn’t transformed hope into expectation. He can’t envision the success he desires because his vision is that of a freight train about to destroy his future. As a result, this lack of vision, and/or belief in the vision, creates unnecessary pain and suffering. And this results in underachievement, at best. 

Finally, consider husband and wife, Jessica and Dennis Jackson, who opened a career coaching business in January of 2024. Their business coach, Griffin Blank, asked, “A year from now, on December 31, 2024, how will you know, specifically, that you had a most successful first year in business?” The Jackson’s weren’t sure. Of course they wanted to achieve success, but exactly what that looked like, in specific terms, was unclear. Griffin Blank then asked, “At this point in time, can you honestly see the light at the end of the tunnel – achieving your vision?” The Jacksons concurred, “No, Not yet.”  The business coach then said, “We must address that first, because we can’t achieve success if we can’t clearly identify and envision what success actually is.” 

Timing matters!

Apologies for the exclamation mark, but that’s the whole point of this article: Timing matters!  When do job seekers see the light at the end of the tunnel – at the beginning of the job search, or only when a job offer is imminent? Empowerment career coaches agree that rapid employment begins when job seekers first envision the perfect job offer, in their mind’s eye, at the beginning of the process, well before it becomes an almost-sure-thing. Walt Disney passed away before EPCOT Theme Park was completed. When EPCOT opened, a construction worker said to Roy Disney, Walt’s brother, “It’s a shame Walt isn’t alive to see this.” And Roy Disney replied, “The only reason we can see it today is because Walt saw it a long time ago.”  

Job seekers must also see their success in advance; they must be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel (job offers), even before they begin writing their résumés. This is important because this is the light (a feeling of certainty) that keeps job seekers highly engaged during good times and, especially, in the wake of setbacks and disappointment. The light is a vision of success, a belief in that vision, and high expectation that success is not just possible, but inevitable. So the light at the end of the tunnel (a job offer) is best envisioned at the beginning of the job search process… not just when a job offer is looming.  

The Chief Visionary Officer (CVO) of the job campaign

Of course, the job seeker must be the Chief Visionary Officer for their job campaign. The job seeker / Chief Visionary Officer (CVO), is future-oriented, has an exciting picture of their future in their mind and in their heart (what the perfect job offer would look like), regardless of what the present situation actually is. One may be unemployed, but they have a clear, inviting picture of the job they want and deserve, and thus, invest all their resources in the vision, not their current situation.

Collaboration between coach and job seeker

Résumé writing and career coaching professionals must first encourage clients to assume the role of CVO before the résumé process is even discussed. What good is a masterpiece résumé in the hands of job seekers with no vision or excitement in their vision?  What I’m suggesting here is that vision - an exciting and engaging visualization of success - must come first, before any of the specific components of the job search process.  

Think of it this way. You want to build your own home. You know you want four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a big living room, a family room, a sizable backyard, and so on. But before the house can be built, you must envision the home finished before you start to build it. Why? Because the blueprints come from how you visualize the end result. In other words, you can’t start building a house until you first see it completed in your mind. The same is true for job seekers.    

6 Tips for a Chief Visionary Officer

1. CVOs set time aside: CVOs set aside 10-15 minutes (at least) every day to sit in a quiet, relaxed, and uninterrupted space to visualize working in the perfect job. They not only see it, but they feel it. CVOs abide by the Visionary’s Credo: “If you don’t go within (and visualize) – you’ll have to go without” (and settle for less-than-an-ideal job).

2. CVOs create meaningful synergies: Job seekers never underestimate the influence of people they surround themselves and interact with. CVOs spend most of their time with like-minded, positive people who share their vision and inspire meaningful action toward a successful end.  

3. CVOs envision and prepare for obstacles and barriers to success: CVOs proactively envision and address anticipated and unanticipated roadblocks that might obstruct or inhibit success. They understand that all visions will be tested, so CVOs always plan for and expect the best, but are well-prepared for worst case scenarios with winning strategies to neutralize or eliminate them.

4. CVOs are focused and present: When CVOs are focused and present, they connect better with all aspects of their job campaign. They live and work in-the-moment and are not stuck in the past or worried about the future. When job seekers envision an exciting future, they remain focused and stay proactive in the present, investing their resources (time, money, energy) to achieve rapid results – in this case, employment. They leave it all on the field every day, no matter what. 

5. CVOs have open minds: These are job seekers who don’t limit themselves to their own thoughts and ideas. When you talk to a CVO about their job campaign, they are open to new ways of thinking and re-thinking what they think they know. They listen to options, alternatives, and even out-of-left-field ideas, and welcome all constructive thoughts to the brainstorming process. The vision itself is carved in stone, but the means-to-an-end are not.  

6. CVOs don’t waste time: They work as many hours as it takes in pursuit of their goals – their visions. They focus on what’s most important and don’t major in minor things. They make rest a necessity not an objective because the light at the end of the tunnel is shining so bright, they are too excited to rest.  In other words, their visions are so powerfully compelling, the pursuit becomes all-consuming.  

Summary 

Like a child who dreams of becoming an astronaut, the vision of success begins well before the pursuit. When résumé professionals and career coaches empower their job seekers to become the CVOs of their own job campaigns, to clearly see, and believe in, the light at the end of the tunnel - at the beginning of the job campaign process - rapid employment becomes, pretty much, a sure thing.

Murphy’s Law says that if I could prep my interview clients to effectively respond to “one million” specific interview questions, you can be sure the first three questions asked in the interview will be the one-millionth-one, one millionth-two, and the one-millionth-three… ones we didn’t prepare for. Composure lost. Job offer lost.

Another scenario. I successfully prep my interview client Joseph so well that he can confidently respond to any question asked in the interview. And sure enough, Joseph was able to address all questions and discussion points that were expected. What wasn’t expected, and what Joseph wasn’t prepared for, was the negative and confrontational tone of voice in which the interviewer asked some questions. Not only was the interviewer’s contemptuous voice a throw-off, but their facial expression shouted out “uninterested”. Composure lost. Job offer lost.

Ready For Anything

RFA is an acronym for Ready For Anything. RFA mindset interview coaching is an empowering method for preparing job seekers to, not only make a compelling case for their candidacy, but also to confidently confront unexpected situations or circumstance that might arise in an interview. It’s a mindset that results in a skill set that no matter what, job seekers exit the interview having left powerful, influential messages, or a demeanor that leads to the next steps in the hiring process.  

Pittsburgh interview coach Deloris Jackson told me, “I recently worked with Angela for an important upcoming interview. We covered just about every topic, but interestingly enough, we did not, specifically, discuss how best to respond in an interview if a car came crashing through the front door of the office. But it happened. Complete chaos, confusion, and cacophony obviously disrupted the interview.  

“But Angela responded in such a way that she exited the interview having left a powerful, influential message, and a demeanor that led to her eventual hire. She quickly asked the interviewer how she could help, and assisted as best she could. When she got home, she sent a brief email to the interviewer, just saying she hoped everyone was okay – without any mention of the job or the interview. Her professionalism and character during a crisis were on display, in part because of her level of confidence going into the interview.”   

No coach, regardless of how seasoned or expert they are, can prepare a job candidate for every conceivable situation and question that could arise in an interview, because there are an infinite number to prepare for. Consider one last actual situation:  

Brandon was in the reception area waiting to be interviewed by Mrs. Sharma. Just before he was invited in, she received a phone call: “Mrs. Sharma, this is the school nurse. Now everything is okay, but your daughter slipped going up the slide at recess and sustained a few bumps and bruises. We cleaned them up, she has a few bandages to show off her battle scars, and she’s now resting comfortably. She doesn’t need stitches or to see a doctor, but whenever you or your husband can pick her up, I’m sure she’ll recuperate better with you at home.”   

Brandon is whisked into Mrs. Sharma’s office unaware of the situation, but feels something is off because… he can feel the tension. Brandon knows something is wrong because he’s lost Mrs. Sharma’s attention.  His initial thoughts are, “What did I do wrong?” or, “Did she decide on someone else and this is just a courtesy interview?” or, “Why doesn’t she like me?”

But Brandon was coached in RFA mindset interviewing - Ready For Anything. He is so confident and self-assured based on his preparation, he can manage any situation, especially unanticipated and uncomfortable ones. He knows the goal: always remain poised and always exit the interview having left a powerful, influential message or a demeanor that will result in successfully proceeding to the next step of the hiring process.  

As Brandon leaves the abridged interview he says, “I apologize if I did not adequately communicate my ability to contribute to your warehouse operations - as a dependable, honest and trustworthy employee. If you believe, as I do, that I would be an asset to your company, I’d welcome the opportunity to return to demonstrate this. In any case, thank you for your time and consideration.” 

The next day, Brandon received an apology email from Mrs. Sharma, a second interview, and an eventual job offer. You see, in Brandon’s Gotta Knows Intelligence Report, he discovered that the former warehouse person, whose position Brandon was interviewing for, was fired due to theft. Thus, he knew that honesty and trustworthiness were an important hot button. 

The ‘Gotta Knows’ Intelligence Report 

Self-confidence is born from wisdom, while composure is born out of self-confidence – believing in oneself and one’s messages. When you inspire your students in the art of RFA mindset interviewing, fear turns into courage, doubt becomes confidence, and composure leads the way. It’s a mindset that optimizes their interviewing skill set.

The Gotta Knows Intelligence Report provides the wisdom that results in confident RFA mindset interviewing. In PARWCC’s CIC program (Certified Interview Coach), it’s referred to as the Gotta Knows. When job candidates enter job interviews with a firm grasp of the 8 Gotta Knows…   they will be Ready For Anything that comes up in an interview – simply because an abundance of confidence and composure lead the way. 

(Note: Not every interview will lead to success.  RFA mindset interviewing also acknowledges that if, for whatever reason, the interview is not going well and cannot continue, one of the ‘Ready For Anything’ options includes professionally walking out of the interview). 

1. You GOTTA KNOW: The company (and interviewer(s)

• Job seekers need to know, not just the company’s products and services, but relevant information, that might include reputation, culture, industry presence (local, national, international), successes and challenges, the leadership team, etc.  

• If the interviewer is known in advance, obviously job seekers must research them and uncover as much as possible to quickly establish rapport. 

2. You GOTTA KNOW: Why you want to work for the company

• In some way, shape, or form, the question will be asked, “What draws you to our company?”  The expression, no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care, is relevant here.  So the response to the question, “Why do you care to work for us?” must be a passionate, confident and believable one.

3. You GOTTA KNOW: What you can deliver, generate, and produce for your paycheck 

• Consider that the best plumbers, quarterbacks, parents, and job coaches have the same job responsibilities.  The difference between the best and the worst is ‘results.’ Knowing the ultimate results that are worthy of one’s compensation is the all-important hot button to influence job offers. If you don’t know what you bring to the table, it’s hard to get invited.   

4. You GOTTA KNOW: The Hierarchy of your skills and qualifications  

• In today’s short-attention-span-world, it’s not just what we say and how we say it, it’s also the order (hierarchy) in which we present it.  Job seekers must know their core skills, qualifications, and traits that produce results (#3 above).  If an interviewer wants to know X, Y, and Z and a job seeker presents A, B, and C followed by X, Y, and Z… it might be too late; focus lost.  Hierarchy matters.     

5. You GOTTA KNOW: How to validate that you can, indeed, produce the results you claim you can deliver.

• It’s called providing evidence.  Job candidates must provide qualitative and quantitative achievements and then explain, how they actually accomplished them” (STAR).  

• As noted in many of my books, written brought-to-the-interview ‘reference portfolios’ (or PDF-ready attachments) that confirm and validate past results, constitute a secret weapon to rapid job offers. 

6. You GOTTA KNOW: The Industry 

• Remember, this is RFA mindset interviewing, so relevant industry history, growth potential, effects of AI, logistics, trends, challenges, etc. are important to know.  Not to be a know-it-all, but to demonstrate a keen interest in the industry as well as the company. 

7. You GOTTA KNOW: Obstacles to hire, and the Law of Ignoring

• The interview coach asks her student, “What questions do you hope to God the interviewer doesn’t ask?”  Great question!  The Law of Ignoring says, “Whatever you ignore gets worse in time, or comes back to bite you in the butt.”  Adress all skeletons in the closet and red flags… then identify creative and credible ways to neutralize them.  

8. You GOTTA KNOW: 3-5 ‘tip-the-scale-in-your-favor’ questions to ask the interviewer

• When a job candidate has 3-5 powerful and well-thought-out questions that show a strong interest, confidence soars and employers are pleasantly impressed.  For instance, “A year from now, if hired today, how will you know I exceeded your high expectations?” 

Summary

RFA mindset interviewing is a comprehensive interview prep strategy where job seekers have a firm grasp of the Gotta Knows, to use their personal power to successfully manage anything that arises in the interview with confidence and poise. And, of course, with the primary goal of exiting the interview having left powerful, influential messages, and a demeanor that leads to the next steps in the hiring process.

According to CareerBuilder, “Just over half of hiring managers (51%) know within the first 5 minutes of an interview if a candidate is a good fit for a position.”  And without question, the other 49% are well on their way to making that determination. Exactly what is it and what occurs in those first 5 minutes that account for hiring managers coming to such an important hiring, or non-hiring, decision?  

Interview -resume misalignment

Former international recruiter Deane Budney told me, “If I had ten dollars for every time I asked myself, ‘who wrote this person’s resume?’ during an interview, I’d be driving a Ferrari. Even the language differs. I recall a resume where the job candidate wrote that he brought a positive and phlegmatic management style to the company. I asked him what a phlegmatic management style was, because I never heard of the word and was impressed with the use of it. And you know what? He looked at me as if I asked him to explain the theory of general relativity and its effect on space-time.”  

The unintentional fake out

CPRW Wendy Glascow worked with Vance, an outgoing and energetic candidate. Based on all the information she had gathered and knowing Vance’s personality, she wrote his resume. “What I didn’t know,” Wendy said, “was that interviews intimidate Vance so much that he doesn’t interview well. His outgoing personality and confidence turns into a deer in a headlight. He believes he’s being judged which adds to his discomfort. Yes, his resume aligned with his personality when we were creating it, but it didn’t align with his interviewing style. So we had two choices: One option was to dummy-down the resume. Unacceptable. The other option was to empower better interviewing skills. A no-brainer.”

Nonverbal communicative misalignment 

Nonverbal communications includes 1) Visual (sight),  and 2) Auditory (sound).  Communication experts tell us that in most everyday interactions, 55% of all communications is Visual, 38% is Auditory, and only 7% is Verbal (words). But when it comes to interviews, I believe the breakdown is 1) 1/3 Visual, 1/3 Auditory, and 1/3 Verbal (words). But here’s the thing, not in that first five minutes.  In most cases, in the first 5 minutes it’s 80% Visual, 15% Auditory, and only 5% Verbal (words).

Example: A job seeker is escorted into the interviewer’s office by her secretary. The interviewer is getting off a phone call and smiles as she watches the job seeker enter her office and approach her desk.  Visual leads the parade… attire, physiology, facial expression, confidence level, appearance, tall, short, and so on are all on display before a single word is uttered. Initial opinions are formed.Then, they shake hands and the job candidate says, “Hello, it’s a ‘plesha to meet cha,” in a rich Irish Bostonian accent. Auditory kicks in. Whether it’s good, bad, or something in between, significant hiring opinions are already being formed before any job-related discussions begin.  

Another example. The job candidate enters the ZOOM interview and, in full view of the interviewer, fidgets with her camera, then fiddles with her hair ensuring nothing is out of place, and looks into the camera like she’s trying to find someone. By then, the interviewer had 15-20  seconds of initial visual contact. Then, the dog barks unexpectedly and she whispers (into her live microphone) to hush, and then says, “Hello, can you hear me?” Auditory. Once again, significant hiring opinions are being formed in the first 5 minutes (or less) of an interview based on 80% visual, 15% auditory, and 5% verbal.  

Knowing this, what’s the goal?

The 5-minute opportunity  

We all know the cliché, “We seldom get a second chance to make a good first impression.”   That’s what the first 5 minutes of an interview are all about - to make a grandiose impression.  Unfortunately, most interviewing advice ignores the first 5 minutes of an interview completely.   And this is the most important 5 minutes of the interview because, “all things being equal, employers will hire people they come to know, like, and trust. The first 5 minutes is about the knowing and, most importantly, the liking. If this is successfully accomplished, the rest of the interview is about trusting;  trusting the job candidate can meet and exceed job expectations.  

Michael Betrus, employment specialist and co-author of many of my McGraw-Hill books (including Great Answers, Great Questions For Your Job Interview), says, “As a recruiter and employment author, I know that HR and hiring managers have, on rare occasion, hired candidates who were not the best qualified or the best fit, because there was something about them they believed in. But never, without exception, have I or anyone I ever interviewed, hired someone we didn’t like.”

Likeability – goes beyond building rapport

The primary goal, in the first 5 minutes of an interview, is to establish likability.  And likability is NOT the same as building rapport. Building rapport is establishing an amicable relationship between interviewer and interviewee. Comfortability is the goal of building rapport. In the case of job seekers, to build rapport in hopes of getting a job offer. In contrast, the goal of establishing likeability is to create a deeper feeling of congeniality, one that influences a job offer.

Establishing likability with Robbie-the-Robot (AI / ChatGPT)

It’s not surprising to learn that technology-driven interviewing software, with all its state-of-the-art facial recognition programs, can now identify frowns, smiles, eye activity, head posture and movements, flinches, and a host of other NONVERBAL variables – including energy levels. In other words, likability. In PARWCC’s Certified Interview Coach (CIC), groundbreaking methods to establish likeability with humans and Robbie-the-Robot in the first 5 minutes, and throughout the interview, are covered in depth.  But below are a few steps that represent a good start. 

• Be well-prepared for worse-case scenario discussions  

When job seekers have mega confidence knowing that they can manage and shine in a worst-case-scenario situation during an interview, likeability is much easier to establish.  A good question to ask a job candidate preparing for an interview is: “What questions do you hope to God the interviewer doesn’t ask?” Then create confidence-building responses so they go into the interview focused on establishing likability, not fearing worst-case-scenario questions and discussions.  

What if the interview began with a let’s-get-to-the-point question like: “Elliot, thanks for coming in today.  So let’s just cut to the chase. In a sentence or two, why do you believe you’re the best candidate for this job?” Being confidently prepared for worse-case-scenario situations makes a huge difference in mindset and, thus, how job candidates carry themselves and are perceived in the first 5 minutes.

• Equal the energy level of the interviewer  

If a Type ‘A’ job seeker is interviewing with a Type ‘B’ personality, the job seeker needs to tone it down and reduce their energy level to communicate at the Type ‘B’ level; that of the interviewer. Follow the energy. If the interviewer doesn’t smile much, the job seeker shouldn’t smile much. If the interviewer is leaning forward, the job seeker should be as well. Energy attracts like energy and opposites do NOT attract in the first 5 minutes of an interview.

• Rethink the response to: “Tell me about yourself” 

The question “Tell me about yourself,” is the perfect opportunity, in the first 5 minutes, to create likability. This is not the ideal time to promote one’s value proposition. Rather, it’s a unique opportunity to create likeability – a bond.  

Elaine knows, based on her research and preparation, that the interviewer is competitive, likes tennis, and showcases her family on social media. She also knows the company is very active in the community. So, when asked the question, “Tell me about yourself,” Elaine might respond by saying, “Thank you for this opportunity. I am a rather competitive individual who’s a former girls’ basketball player in college - and Celtics fan - who brings a winning mindset to everything I do, professionally and personally. I am also a devoted wife and mother of two teenage daughters, and our family is highly active in many community activities.” It’s called establishing areas of commonality to establish likability in the first 5 minutes.   

Summary

Most interview prep advice focuses on hiring and value messaging, addressing red flags, scripting answers to questions, dressing for success, and developing good questions to ask.  But when analytics provide indisputable evidence that the first 5 minutes of an interview establish the critical foundation – likability – that all other discussions will be based on, a major shift must be made in the way today’s successful interview prep is taught. 

For more information, see PARWCC’s Certified Interview Coach: https://parwcc.com/page/CIC

I like secret weapons. If they work, that is. It’s the unexpected that very often tips the scale in favor of rapid success. When it comes to resumes, there are two secret weapons that can be incorporated into a 2024 document to provide job seekers with a clear competitive advantage. 

Now to be straightforward, the only reason they’re secret weapons is not because the concepts are some hidden, rocket-science-type secret. It’s because 1) few are willing to go the extra mile to prepare and incorporate them into their resumes, 2) they are reluctant to alter their traditional approach, or 3) Both.

Evidence-based game changer

Both secret weapons (or “success strategies” if you prefer), are time-tested, evidenced-based, and validated by today’s hiring professionals. Though I could conduct a workshop on each secret weapon, below is an abridged presentation of two ‘game-changing’ strategies for crafting elite rapid employment resumes.  

Secret Weapon #1: 

Beyond the Links

Writing for The Muse, lyse Kalish quoted The Muse’s job search expert, Clayton Wert: “It’s acceptable to use links in your resume, cover letter, or any form of the job application—assuming you’re submitting it online. I’m of the belief that 90% of applications are now online, and (job seekers) should be adding links to their portfolios, LinkedIn pages, and possibly more depending on their industry and the type of work that they’ve done. It’s best to put as much out there as possible when applying to jobs, because attention is everything in the job search.” (https://rb.gy/cd0a83) 

The Indeed Editorial Team wrote, “Including links on a resume, gives hiring managers insights into your additional credentials and expertise. Traditional resumes are usually longer than a page, require more time to read and might leave (hiring decision-makers) with some doubts, as they may not verify all the claims in a candidate's resume. Links help you optimize your resume and highlight proof of your work, making it easy for the hiring team to identify your credibility.”  (https://rb.gy/ntdznu). 

Beyond the Links: The Real Secret Weapon

The real secret weapon is the preparation that goes into the posts directed by the links on the resume. When working with her job seekers, Vivian Davenport says, “Anyone can insert their links for Facebook, LinkedIn, and other online venues. But my objective is to ensure that when potential employers click on the links, they find it well worth their brief attention.” Just like a resume, whenever the links are opened, the content must shout out key value messages that WOW them. What do you bring to the table that will get you invited to the table? Often this takes a few days or a week or more before the job search actually begins because we must get the right information on the links. 

“So well before we place links on the resume,” Davenport continues, “we make sure the content – on blogs, posts, articles, websites, videos, etc., align with the selling or value proposition on the resume. For instance, we identify the key hiring messages, relevant achievements, current and future industry trends, and perhaps 12-15 critical key words / phrases. And then we integrate them into the targeted online venues so when recruiters and hiring managers open the links – they immediately see the WOW messages.”

Wert said, “In the technical space, it’s imperative that (hiring decision-makers) know that you’ve successfully built out various projects that they can easily click to, and from, them on your resume, cover letter, portfolio, etc. But that doesn’t mean it’s not important for other fields as well—editorial, production, marketing, PR, design, to name a few. Even webinars, speaking engagements, media interviews you were a part of are sometimes worth including.”  

The secret weapon goes far beyond just placing links on resumes. It is the strategic preparation and immediate delivery of key information (WOW messages) when the links are opened. 

Secret Weapon #2: 

Professional Reference Portfolio

We live in a litigative society and as a result, it’s next to impossible for most companies to get quick and accurate references from prior employers when looking to hire new employees. The professional reference portfolio is a powerful tool that deviates from traditional ways of thinking, and may very well be the most powerful tool in a job seeker’s tool box.

If you grab a few books from your library and examine the back covers, chances are you’ll see a few short testimonials, perhaps two or three sentences long, that passionately promote the books. A reference portfolio is exactly the same. It’s a one-page document with four to six short reference testimonials that passionately promote job seekers.

AND IT’S THE LAST PAGE OF THE RESUME!

In a recent survey, 78% of recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers said they have “a healthy degree of skepticism’ when first reading resumes – expecting some level of exaggeration, embellishment, and misinformation. A reference portfolio is a ‘game changer’ because, when used strategically, it eliminates that initial skepticism. In fact, it replaces it with positive engagement!

The portfolio is made up of professional references that confirm or validate the information, achievements, and value propositions presented on the résumé. Recent grads or job seekers with limited (or no) work-related references, will identify non-employment-related professional references that attest to their employment value.  

Once job seekers have identified and confirmed four to six people who agreed to provide references, I advise job seekers to write the references themselves (with the help, of course, of their coaches) because:

1. Most people hate writing references. 

2. Most people don’t know what to write.  

3. If they know what to write, it’s usually boilerplate and underwhelming.

4. Most people take forever to write the reference. 

   • Remember, the reference portfolio is the last page of the resume, so getting this wrapped up quickly and effectively is critical.

   • Job seekers obviously know the people they’re asking to provide a reference. Which means they know what and how to word the reference so it aligns with the resume.

It’s important that job seekers, and their coaches, write the references because they know exactly what needs to be written that supports and confirms the selling points on the resume. For example, if a job seeker states on their resume that they can increase efficiency, and they provide specific achievements of doing this in past jobs, a reference from a former boss validating this on the reference portfolio is beyond powerful. 

How this works: 

Job seekers will (with the help of their coaches): 

1. Identify 4-6 people who agree to be references.  

2. Write the references in a few compelling sentences, or one short reader-friendly paragraph.

3. Present the finished written references to the people for their approval and/or edification.   

4. Compile the finalized 4-6 references on a single page in an organized, reader-friendly manner, including contact information… and incorporate it as the last page of the resume.

What if people prefer to write the references themselves?

No worries, but job seekers will want to request that they focus on one or two topics. For example, Jack is seeking a new job and Alyssa agreed to be a reference.  

Jack: “Alyssa, thanks for agreeing to provide a reference.  I know this is a bit inconvenient, and time is of the essence, so would you have any objection if I write out a few lines – then send it to you for your review, so you can make any changes you want to make?” 

Alyssa: “Actually, thanks, Jack, but I don’t mind at all. I’d love to write it myself.”

Jack: “Great, thanks. If you would, please focus on my skill of increasing and optimizing efficiency, as this is a skill I am promoting on my resume.  And if possible, I want to begin my job search next week, so could you have this completed by the end of this week?” 

The Secret Weapon that Introduces the Secret Weapon

Once the reference portfolio is complete, it becomes the last page of the resume. Then use another secret weapon to introduce it in cover letters and emails.  It’s a P.S. (in BOLD):  

P.S.: I have enclosed a reference portfolio as the last page of my resume, to validate that the information contained on my resume is truthful and accurate.

By doing this, hiring professionals will read the résumé with a level of positive engagement almost never experienced. Most have no idea what a reference portfolio is and will go directly to the portfolio. Then to the resume. Then to a scheduled interview.  

JANET R. WILSON

Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 (561) 555.1212

email@email.com

Reference Portfolio

John P. Hendricks, Director of Operations email@email.com

THE PGA COMPANIES

 “Janet Wilson was, without question, the best assistant warehouse manager The PGA Companies has ever had. She single handedly designed and implemented a JIT inventory program that reduced inventory 23% while improving customer services levels to a record 98.7%. She will be a valuable asset to any company requiring leadership in warehouse management.”

Ed Shuman, Senior Buyer email@email.com

PING CORPORATION (212) 555-6012

 “Janet is the ultimate warehouse management professional. As Assistant Manager for The PGA Companies, we worked exclusively with her – and developed a positive and effective win-win relationship. She negotiated a number of innovative terms and conditions with our company that reduced her organization’s on-hand inventory levels by 38% but increased annual sales volume 26%. This was so successful; we are now offering this system to our other customers.”

Susan B. Johnston, Assistant Warehouse Manager email@email.com

SOUTH MICHIGAN GOLF OUTLET

“I would not have the job I have today without the training, supervision, and empowerment of Janet Wilson. I worked for Janet at The PGA Companies for 4 years and, in that time, she taught me how to be a highly effective leader in warehouse management. So few people ever get the unique opportunity to learn from a true professional and better human being. I can’t imagine anyone more qualified than Janet to be a warehouse manager in a high volume, fast-track environment.”

Frank Fordum, Warehouse Manager (email@email.com

THE PGA COMPANIES (561) 555-7234

“Janet Wilson has worked as my Assistant Warehouse Manager for the past seven years. There is not one aspect of high-volume warehouse operations that she is not an expert at.  In fact, it is said that everyone is replaceable – but when Janet leaves The PGA Companies when she and her family relocate to the West Coast, she will be sorely missed… and almost irreplaceable.”

Sydney Rebecca Muhammad, Project Coordinator, WPB, FL email@email.com

MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION 

“This is not a professional, work-related reference. But let it be known that Janet Wilson has been an active volunteer at Make-A-Wish, West Palm Beach for the past six years, and her character is constructed of compassion, patience-under-fire, and integrity. If these are important attributes to an employer, Janet sets a pretty high bar.”

Troy Johnson was the TAP Manager (Transition Assistance Program) at MacDill Airforce Base in Tampa, Florida for the Military & Family Readiness Center between 2003 and 2022. When he took over, the TAP resource center looked like most others – ordinary and unexciting. Within a year, the center resembled a professional sports locker room with motivational posters all over the place, an appealing and engaging atmosphere, and positive energy. What happened?

 Troy Johnson

Basic Combat Training

Basic Training, also known as Boot Camp, is a 10-13 week program required of all new enlisted soldiers. According to most simple definitions, it’s meant to “create a strong foundation for their armed forces experience and future goals”. But what does that mean? Troy explained it like this:  

“Basic Training, or Boot Camp, is a process where we strip recruits of their civilian way of thinking, their mindsets, and reboot them with a military way of thinking - a fighting-spirit mindset. This is important because we don’t want fearful, undisciplined soldiers going into battle.”

So, what happened at MacDill AFB was that Troy introduced Basic Training/Bootcamp for job seekers, for all transitioning military personnel and their families. Not only did the facility itself, change to become an exciting place, but the curriculum and process did as well. Troy continued: 

“Before we teach the TAP material, the first step is Basic Training, or Boot Camp, for all transitioning personnel. Here, we strip job seekers of fears, their self-doubt, and their negative mindsets, and reboot them with highly confident and engaged ones. An attitude shift, if you will. They develop a fighting spirit and a courageous, disciplined mindset to battle for jobs they deserve.”

Arguably, two of the most difficult situations in life that cause emotional distress are the loss of a loved one and the loss of a job (or the pursuit of both). So it’s important that employment professionals consider the onslaught of negative emotions most job seekers are feeling. As you think back on those people you’ve worked with over the year… what condition was their mindset in? Were they stunned, terrified, or filled with self-doubt? Were they experiencing high anxiety or even bouts of depression – in a place called “I can’t believe this is happening to me,” or “how will I ever get through this”? These are just some of the emotions experienced by people whose lives are turned upside down when they lose their jobs, leave college to enter the workplace or, for whatever reason, find themselves seeking new opportunities in highly competitive job markets.

Regardless of what job seekers are facing, in most cases, worry takes over and emotions go uncontrollably berserk. Initial questions will pervade their thoughts: “Will I survive this?” “Why did this happen to me?” “How long will I have to live at home?” “How long before I land a good job?” “Where will the money come from?” “Will I be able to keep my home?” “How will this affect my quality of life?” “Will I be a burden to my family?” 

The worst-case scenario takes center stage in the theater of their minds, and fear plays the starring role.

Landing a new job begins when job seekers constructively and proactively manage and control their fears and negative emotions. Success is born from a fearless constitution. There are two primary components for effectively managing job loss, transitioning from education to the workplace, and securing a new job for any reason. The first is to assume personal responsibility and maintain a confident and positive attitude. The second is to use a peak performing state of mind to plan and execute a flawless job campaign. This includes productively working through setbacks, disappointments, and fear. 

A word about fear:

Fear is normal—it can’t be eliminated, nor should it be ignored. Fear must be conquered. It’s been proven that landing a new, more rewarding job begins as soon as job seekers learn how to conquer their fears and manage their mindsets, just like in the military. Disarming and conquering fear begins with recognizing its presence, accepting it, and taking action to manage it. 

And fear grips not just job seekers, but all those who are part of their circle of influence—spouses, children, parents, and friends. John Costello was a sales professional in Florida working in his family’s business. He was unable to meet his financial obligations for himself and his son, Francesco, and he sought a new job. 

“My emotions were on a constant roller-coaster ride. One day I was hopeful that my contacts would help me find a new position. Then anger, fear, and despair took over. I realized I was going to need help working through my emotions. And when I learned how to take control of my emotions, I immediately took control of my future in a positive and effective manner and landed the job I wanted in less than two months.”

A positive attitude and confident approach to landing a new job not only makes the associated traumas and dramas bearable, but will also result in securing a new job quickly and gratifyingly. International job coach Martin Buckland, principal of Elite Executive Career Management Services headquartered in Ontario, Canada, says, 

“Controlling negative emotions in a positive way is critical to any job campaign. The more out of control you are emotionally, the longer the campaign will take, and chances are, you won’t land the kind of job you deserve. I work as hard with clients on their emotions as I do on their résumés.”

The difference between motivation and empowerment

Motivation has a limited shelf life, empowerment lasts forever. Motivation wears off over time, but empowerment evolves and expands. The motivational coach motivates his job seeking client. But tomorrow, when the job seeker wakes up and the coach isn’t there, when those never-ending negative thoughts and pessimistic family members begin their daily routines, the motivation vanishes. But the empowerment coach provides specific techniques to drown out those negative voices, so job seekers focus on their rapid employment campaigns. Adversity will show up. Disappointment too. It’s inevitable. But the techniques and strategies taught by empowerment job coaches are key to quickly overcoming adversity and disabling disappointment to achieve job offers your clients and students deserve. 

“HOW”—how do we ‘suck it up’ or ‘make lemonade from lemons?’

Have you ever given thought that, in the midst of real issues that are tearing at us, we’re told things like: think positive, make the best of a bad situation, grin and bear it, when the going gets tough the tough get going – so just get going, seek the blessing in disguise, get on with it if you can’t get over it, take the high road, and don’t worry what others think?  

How do we do this? Jasmine says, “I came to work and was told I was being terminated; cost cutting. I had a 5-star review two weeks ago and was given a hefty raise. I gave the company 12 years of my life – always doing more than expected. Oh, and my daughter’s wedding is in seven months and, what, you want me to see a silver lining – seriously?”

CEMP is PARWCC’s Boot Camp

I’ve had a 30-year vision that has yet to come true. It’s a college or university with a ½-mile long line of seniors waiting to get into the Rapid Employment Career Resource Center because of its extraordinary reputation for making the employment process empowering and life-changing, so all grads optimize the wisdom they invested in. If we can fly a helicopter on Mars, why not this on earth? Is it a matter of vision? Troy Johnson would say, “yes.”

AI and ChatGPT will capture the best material in our industry and select something like Robbie-the-Robot to teach it – and Robbie will do it effectively! But it won’t know how to empower because empowerment has never been a wide-spread career coaching component – until PARWCC introduced it in 2020.

PARWCC’s Basic Training / Boot Camp called CEMP (Certified Empowerment and Motivation Coach), is a program that teaches ‘how’ to coach your job seeking students to successfully ride the emotional roller coaster associated with employment and job transition – to achieve the goals they depend on you for rapidly and confidently. 

I invite you to check it out:  https://parwcc.com/page/CEMP_new. 

Churchill said, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”  I say, “Those who learn from history and then add their own special twist, are doomed to succeed.”

Introduction 

In my day, it was DOS, floppy disks, big fat bulky computer monitors, brick-sized mobile phones, and dial-up modems that connected us to the Internet, while destroying our eardrums. Everything was different, especially marketing. Actually, the marketing and promotional methods were different, but the strategies behind the methods are the same today as they were back in the late eighties and early nineties. So, let’s travel back in time and review four Good-Old-Days marketing methods, and the success strategies behind them, that you can use to advance your business and profession. 

1. The Yellow Pages

Don’t laugh, it wasn’t as easy as you might think.  First, credit wasn’t as accessible then as it is today, and in the early 1990’s, a full page Yellow Pages ad cost $90,000 a year to be in multiple phone books.  A half page ad would have set you back almost $50,000; a quarter page about $25,000.  And you had to sign a contract and personally guarantee the full year’s contract price, no matter what.  

Second, since it was by far, the most effective method of marketing, anyone who provided resume and career coaching services was in the Yellow Pages.  Successful practitioners had to stand out and clearly identify their target audiences to strategically provide the ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ messages. It was ridiculously competitive. 

What we can learn from the Yellow Pages

Today it’s ridiculously more competitive than ever, with a gazillion more voices vying for attention.   But there are three strategies we used to successfully compete in the Yellow Pages that you must optimize today:  1) Your selling messages must be delivered rapidly, 2) Your selling messages must provoke massive emotion to influence action, and 3) Those messages must be consistently communicated across all channels.  

Whatever method you use to sell and promote your products and services, one strategy that failed in the 1980’s and 1990’s, remains a failing strategy today.  And that is, depending on “free.”  Business growth and success  requires an investment of money.  Social media rarely propels success without capital investment.  Today thankfully, you don’t have to spend $50,000 or more a year to market yourself.  But nothing invested brings little in return.  Invest in methods and strategies that will ultimately invest in your ROI.

2. Bundling: How many copies would you like?

Flo would have been proud, because back in the early 1990’s, we were already bundling.  “For the $125 deluxe package, you get a resume, cover letter, and 25 copies of your resume.  Extra copies are $5.00 per 25 copies; $15 if you want our custom paper.”

Most people didn’t have laser printers back then and printing companies were expensive.  In the early 1990’s, resume writing companies emerged offering job seekers a valuable alternative – professional looking resumes provided by resume professionals.  And in 1992, specialty resume paper emerged to make the documents more exciting.  In fact, two specialty resume paper companies were highly active members of PARW(CC).  When job seekers received their resumes on this truly different paper stock (well-received by employers), they were beyond excited and eager to show them around.

What we can learn from providing hard copies

Simple… bring excitement into the process.  That’s what the paper stock did.  There were dozens of ‘professional’ colors and variations to choose from; it added sizzle to the substance.  It brought a degree of job seeker self-confidence never seen or experienced before in our profession.  For the first time, job seekers believed in, and were proud of the product they were selling – themselves.  In whatever manner this is achieved today, inspiring positive engagement will be the heartbeat of your professional future.

And when you bundle, keep in mind that bundling doesn’t always mean bundling for instantaneous financial gain.  Rather, bundling free and valuable extras, and delivering more in value than customers expect, is the easiest, fastest, and most professional way to enhance and expand your brand, increase sales, and improve your income. 

3. Local newspapers and media

Like pay phones, local newspapers do exist today.  But 30+ years ago, they were in almost every household on a consistent daily/weekly basis.  And they were read cover-to-cover.  Advertising in local newspapers was another highly effective method of advertising.  And those who advertised regularly, often got free advertisements or significantly reduced rates.  And free articles!  Actually in the 1990’s, most successful resume writers and career coaches had close ties throughout their local media. Radio talk show hosts were always looking for good material and people to interview.  

One of the ironies I see today when people build their businesses, is that they seek global prospects via online and social media, yet job seekers directly across the street don’t know of them.  Hey, if you have the money, connections, and desire, you can dominate the world.  But until then, why not dominate your backyard? 

What we can learn from local newspapers and media

The strategy is to take full advantage of the media by consistently sending out compelling press releases promoting your services and products.  And the strategy is still free! In the old days, there was just radio, newspapers, and TV.  But today, there are podcasts, net radio programs, online web shows, etc., and without question, talk show hosts are always looking for new material.  It’s easy to send out press releases every few weeks to all your local media venues, as well as targeted national/international media outlets (Beware – it’s also easy not to).  

If you have a unique or valuable twist to share with the media’s audience, this is free marketing.  Personally, this is how I dominated my market.  I sent our press releases dependably every two weeks and was always in the local media and on national programs, like Good Morning America. Today, there are virtually unlimited tiny-to-mega media venues that are just waiting for you and your special messages about what you do to positively impact the media’s audience. 

4. In-person presentations 

Public speaking and the art of engaging and influencing an audience was an important skill back in the early 1990’s.  Live performances, not video.  When I first started out, my coach said, “Mr. Block, if you want to dominate your market, you have to be out there giving as many free presentations as possible, because when people see how important your messages are and how well you present them, they’ll actually want to pay you in the future.  But you first have to learn how to present well and that takes lots of practice.”  

I would be willing to bet that in the first five years I was in business, I did more free presentations than I’ve done paid ones in my 30-year career.  And you might be surprised at the venues I first began practicing at.  Bus stops were my favorite at first because no one would walk out on me and miss their bus.  I had to keep it short and powerful because who knew when the bus would show up.  And I had to change up my material because the same people often showed up at the same bus stop, and my goal was to captivate them. Nothing beats a live performance (that’s why you might consider attending THRIVE 2024). 

What we can learn from in-person presentations

The strategy is to master the art of communicating so well, you’d get a standing ovation at a bus stop.  I am still a very firm believer in doing live, local presentations as a key marketing and growth strategy.  There’s nothing like a live audience and their energy.  Yet, today’s technology allows for the next best thing – live performance on Zoom / video.  (But this, I contend, is much more challenging because audience feedback - energy - is often missing).  But the strategy remains the same: engage the audience, no matter what methods are used.  Better yet, blow em’ away and wow them!

Summary

All professionals climbing the mountain of success, can gain valuable information from past (maybe outdated) marketing processes. Compare the process of traveling by horse and buggy on narrow dirt roads to the process of traveling today in cars and trucks on super highways.  The methods are different but the core strategies remain the same: finding better ways to drive mindfully (defensively), arrive on time, and arrive safely and enjoyably.  And Google ads is a drastically different marketing process than the Yellow Pages.  But both attempt to optimize the strategy of communicating powerful emotional messages to inspire favorable outcomes… like greater sales, new clients, higher incomes, rapid employment… and enriched quality of lives.  

Success is simple.  Learn from history, then add your own special twist.

His teachings taught me that my way was not the only way.  He taught me that I needed to be open to the immutable concept that everyone is different and approaches life and their careers differently.  He said that no two people can be coached in the exact same way, but both can achieve the exact same successes. Hence, back in the late 1980’s, the man taught me that, in most things in life, there are no carved-in-stone rules, and that it’s beneficial to stop and think about what we do, rather than just robotically doing it. 

Downtown Boston 

The Hotdog Man had a bustling hotdog stand in front of busy Filenes Basement, smack dab in the center of the hurried Boston Shopping District. Steve Harris was successful and made well over $100,000 a year (a handsome sum back then) working week-day lunch hours. The Hotdog man knew everyone who was anyone because everyone, including VIPs and government officials, spent lunch time in the Shopping District. And lessons learned over a 12-year period selling hotdogs on the streets year-round outdoors, regardless of the Boston weather, were invaluable.

The Hotdog Man had one philosophy of life and business, that surpassed all others. He told me, “A left-handed person can sell hotdogs as well as a right-handed person. But they’ll go about it differently, and to be efficiently successful, they each have to make it work for them. So my number one rule is, as best you can: make it work for you.”  

Resume Writing and the Hotdog Man’s Philosophy

I break down the process of resume writing into four primary buckets:

1. Information gathering 

2. Digesting the information and creating compelling content 

3. Formatting and presenting the compelling content 

4. Proofreading, editing, test marketing, and finalizing the document

The Hotdog Man’s philosophy suggests that, unlike all the rules that exist for resume writing, there are actually none. Of course there are goals – like meeting and exceeding customer expectations. And yes, there are guidelines. For instance, one guideline might include writing whatever needs to be written on a resume that will influence a favorable outcome (interview, job offer, etc.). But how you achieve the goals and whether you follow, or how you follow the guidelines, is entirely up to you and your job seeking client. As the Hotdog Man said, “You’ve got to make it work for you!”

1) Information Gathering

Some professionals use a questionnaire, predominantly, to obtain relevant information from job seekers. Others use a questionnaire and then spend 30-60 minutes (or more) in consultation reviewing responses to the questionnaire. Then there are those pros who forgo the questionnaire altogether, and work one-on-one with job seekers, asking questions, taking notes, and doing most of the preliminary work. And I  assume there are other methods of information gathering I haven’t even been introduced to yet.

The late Jerry Bills from Colorado Springs, met with job seekers (at all levels) in person and in his office, where he wrote their resumes in front of them - in an hour. That was his brand… The 1-Hour Resume Pro. In fact, to ensure it was no more than an hour, Jerry had his clients sit on an uncomfortable church pew during the 1-hour process, to ensure they didn’t want to stay longer than an hour.  “How can you write a professional resume in an hour?” I asked him over and over again. For me, it was a 3-4 hour process. But he was highly successful and created outstanding documents that helped his clients land jobs. Jerry made it work for him. 

Bottom Line:  There is no one best way to gather job seeker information.  Using your unique talents, assets, and personality, you must make it work for you! 

2) Digesting the Information and Creating Compelling Content

There are a myriad of ways to create content today, including employing AI - ChatGPT. Many professionals work exclusively from detailed questionnaires to create compelling content. Others schedule a phone call or Zoom session and pose questions, take notes, and create content from the notes they take. And then, there are professionals, not unlike Jerry, who create the content with job seekers in their physical or virtual presence.

Seleste is a successful career coach who makes it perfectly clear that she “hates” writing resumes, but demands her job seeking customers have high-quality documents. So she takes meticulous care in gathering all the information needed for resume development (Bucket #1 above), using her proprietary process. Then, Seleste passes on the detailed information to a contract resume writer she hires, who organizes and creates the compelling content.  In this case, her contract writers digests the information, wordsmiths it, and returns the draft back to Seleste who performs the final proofing and editing with her clients. Seleste makes it work for her. 

Bottom Line:  There is no one best way to digest the information and create compelling content.  Using your unique talents, assets, and personality, you must make it work for you! 

3) Formatting and Presenting the Compelling Content 

You can use color; you cannot  use color.  You can use pictures and graphics; you cannot use pictures and graphics. You should keep the resume to two pages or less; you should make it as long as necessary to promote your value based on the job/industry. The problem is, and has been, that there are too many conflicting viewpoints on the job search in general, and resume writing in particular, that it makes it near-impossible to know what the current best practices are. Knowing that no two people read resumes the same, and that major corporations, government entities, and small-to-mid-sized businesses process and systematize resumes differently, how you format and present resumes is an individual decision.  

Walter Schuette, a former resume professional and author from Southern California, had 13 different formats he would choose from. Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, two noted resume professionals and authors, pretty much use a single, highly modifiable resume template. And then there’s Diane Galveston, a retired 20+ year resume pro in the Midwest, who created every resume from scratch. “I am a left and right brain professional, so I liked creating new formats with my right brain to complement the content I created with my left.” Walt, Wendy, Louise, and Diane made it work for them.

Bottom Line:  There is no one best way to format and present compelling content.  Using your unique talents, assets, and personality, you must make it work for you! 

4) Proofreading, Editing, Test Marketing, and Finalizing the Document

In my 30+ years of writing resumes, I never took responsibility for final proofreading – not for typos, grammatical errors, format inconsistencies, or any other editing miscues. Why? As an author of 12 McGraw-Hill books and having worked with untold editors, it is my belief that authors (writers) cannot be final proofreaders. So each client I work with “test markets” their resumes when we are done. They show it to 4-6 people whose opinions they value, to proofread the document and provide feedback. Then, based on the feedback, we’ll make the necessary changes.  

But most of you assume responsibility for proofreading, and if that works for you, then go with it.  Bruce Walgren, originally from Baltimore, said, “Microsoft Word has a Read Aloud feature. So, I use that feature where Siri reads the resume back to me. If I write ‘it’ instead of ‘in’ – I hear the mistake whereas I’d miss it with my eyes if I were proofreading. That catches 99% of the mistakes. My clients catch the other 1%.”  Bruce makes it work for him.

Bottom Line: There is no one best way to proofread, edit, test market, and finalize the document.  Using your unique talents, assets, and personality, you must make it work for you! 

Summary

The Hotdog Man said, “The problem for most people is they are taught how to do something, it works somewhat, but they never fully use or improve what they are taught. In fact, most people rarely question if what they’re doing even makes sense anymore, given how quickly change takes place. So my number one rule in life and in business is: have a goal and achieve it; but make it work for you.”  

I second that. 

I begin with thoughts about the military’s Boot Camp, along with quotes from three people to help drive home this month’s message which is: Elite resume professionals, career coaches, and thus job seekers, must know that shifting the balance of power in favor of job seekers, does not begin with a world-class resume, having a passionate career goal, or creating a powerful online presence.  It does, however, begin with one’s mindset – and one belief that transcends all others.

Brooks Koepka, PGA Golf Professional; One of the Top Players in the World 

After failing to win this year’s 2023 Masters Golf Tournament after leading when entering the final round, only to play poorly and finish second, Brooks Koepka told reporters that he learned from that failure.  He said, “It had nothing to do with my skill level or my equipment. The problem was I played with the mindset not to lose, rather than playing to win.” Just weeks later, again leading going into the final day, Koepka won the PGA Tour Championship by one shot. When asked what he did differently to prepare for, and win, this major Championship, he responded with the same answer: “It was my mindset; this time I played to win.”  

Henry Ford - Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed

Henry Ford boasted an 8th grade education and was average, at best, academically. Yet he changed how the world traveled, how we mass produced things, and was one of the wealthiest people in the world at the time.  And he could barely read! So when asked his philosophy on success, he replied with a quote that is one of his most famous, “If you think you can, or if you think you can’t, you’re right.” 

Oprah Winfrey - Not Born with a Silver Spoon

Quite the contrary. After overcoming a myriad of personal and professional tragedies and adversities, Oprah attained world-famous notoriety and wealth. In Oprah Magazine, when asked what one overriding factor led to her success, she replied, “Attitude. We are each responsible for our lives and, more important, the thoughts we create. If we want our life to be more rewarding, we only have to change the way we think; our attitude.  And when we change our attitude, we can change and achieve anything.”

The Military’s Boot Camp

Or Basic Training. Why must all new military recruits attend Boot Camp?  In a sentence, it’s to strip them of their civilian mindset, and to reboot them with a military mindset, because we wouldn’t want fearful, undisciplined soldiers in battle. So, why would we want fearful, undisciplined job seekers in battle for jobs they have been well-prepared for, and deserve? I re-pose my now infamous question that I began asking 30-odd years ago… “How many job seekers have trouble falling asleep at night because they’re so darn excited about waking up in the morning to conduct their job search?” Well, why not? Why not a Rapid Employment Boot Camp? (PARWCC has one – CEMP, https://parwcc.com/page/CEMP_new).

Determined Self-Confidence: The One Belief That Shifts the Balance of Power in Favor of Your Customers

It’s been my experience that most proactive job seekers meticulously and strategically create resumes and prepare for interviews with the belief that if they perform the proper due diligence, communicate the right keywords, articulate their value propositions, and present their qualifications professionally, they will hopefully, or luckily, win the job opportunities they seek. 

But thoughts such as hopefully or if-I’m-lucky are not thoughts of elite job seekers. Elite job seekers meticulously and strategically write resumes and prepare for interviews fully confident that they performed the proper due diligence, nailed the right keywords and value propositions, and presented their qualifications professionally to influence the job opportunities they seek. They make employers offers they cannot refuse. 

The one belief that shifts the balance of power in favor of your customers is one of determined self-confidence.  One that genuinely is ingrained with the belief that “I control my destiny”. Consider the following beliefs.  In my opinion, and I expect yours as well, they are all extremely important in the planning and conducting of a successful rapid employment campaign.   

• Job seekers must believe in themselves.

• Job seekers must believe in their skills, education, vocation, and talents to produce results.

• Job seekers must believe in their coaches, resumes, and job search strategies to land jobs quickly.

But the most important belief that totally shifts the balance of power in favor of elite job seekers is the belief that they have the power to control their future, and influence job offers they want and deserve. A mindset of determined self-confidence. 

From the get-go, this belief must transcend all others because it provides the foundation for all others. Why?  Because when job seekers believe they have the power to control their destinies and influence job offers they want and deserve, their level of engagement explodes! Then, in collaboration with the right tools and strategies, rapid employment is virtually guaranteed. 

Consider sports, entertainment, science… and the job search

No, this does not mean elite job seekers win every job offer. But their mindsets never waiver, especially in the midst of adversity and setbacks. Top baseball players are successful only 30% of the time, but their elite mindsets are  always in control – engaged and confident. They expect to get a hit every time they come to bat, knowing they will fail 70% (or more) of the time. The same holds true in entertainment, science, and throughout society. Elite competitors don’t hope they’ll succeed… they expect to. The same is true for elite job seekers. Below are just a few of the 14 ways to begin building determined self-confidence. 

1. Elite job seekers FOCUS on the ultimate goal, not on their current situation. They visualize (regularly) on achieving their goals. They FOCUS on the positive, on solutions, and on opportunities… not on the negative, problems, excuses, or blame. When we committed to landing on and returning safely from the moon, scientists and engineers FOCUSED on the goal, and spent very little (if any) time complaining about being stuck on earth. When job seekers become disciplined and FOCUS on what they want, and believe they can influence achievement, the balance of power shifts in their favor.  

2. Elite job seekers have, what Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich) called, a MASTERMIND GROUP. A MASTERMIND GROUP is simply a proactive, engaging group of advisors (approximately 2-5 people) who support and advise a job seeker throughout their employment campaign; usually meeting weekly. Columnist Maggie Wooll writes, “Job search depression is real, and one of the easiest and most effective ways to take control of the process, is to have a small group of advisors (MASTERMIND GROUP), that meets regularly in a collaborative effort to ensure success (to maintain a high level of determined self-confidence).”

3. Elite job seekers work with EMPOWERMENT CAREER COACHES to learn a few strategies for managing the tough stuff – obstacles, setbacks, and adversity. Techniques (covered in detail in CEMP) include Reference Validation and Contrast Analysis. When job seekers learn to reference others who have achieved the success they want to achieve, it provides authentic hope, as well as specifics on how. When they contrast their problems with those who have it much worse than they do, it provides perspective so they can refocus on what they need to do to succeed. EMPOWERMENT CAREER COACHES teach job seekers how to ask higher quality questions to get higher quality answers… to achieve higher quality results. And when the spaghetti really hits the fan, Humor Integration and  Pragmatic Evaluation are two strategies job seekers can learn from masterful EMPOWERMENT COACHES to remain calm and in control of their emotions, to land the jobs they want – quickly.    

Summary

It begins well before the resume. It’s akin to Boot Camp. Barbara Markway, in Psychology Today, says, “The more confident (job seekers) become, the more they’ll be able to calm the voice inside of them that says, ‘I can’t do it.’ They’ll be able to unhook from their old, disempowering beliefs, and take action in line with their values and life goals. By filling up their tanks with an abundance of confidence, they’ll be able to break the cycle of self-doubt and fear, and be free to pursue all they deserve.”  

It’s called ‘Determined Self-Confidence,’ and it’s a mindset that truly shifts the balance of power in favor of your customers.

A side hustle according to Indeed.

“A side hustle is an additional employment opportunity outside of a person's full-time job that provides supplemental income. Unlike a part-time job, a side hustle commonly has more freedom and more control over what a person does, when they do it and how many hours they devote to it. Individuals can typically pursue a side hustle that involves their passions and talents, and some may eventually make their side hustle their primary career.”

In my day, the only option to a full-time job was a part-time job.  A gig was a live performance of some sort, usually conducted by musicians.  And side hustles occurred  around pool tables and in alleyways.  

But thinking back now, I had many side-hustles as a kid and into my late teens.  Some at the same time!  I mowed lawns, sold Christmas cards door-to-door, shoveled snow, had 2 paper routes, and worked for untold local companies part-time to help pay my way.   And all the jobs fit my schedule (around school and sports) and they allowed me to do and buy what I needed at that time.  They were called “odd-jobs.” 

Odd-jobs are now side hustles – with more passion and focus. 

Perhaps like you, I’ve been side hustling all my life.  And I’ve been teaching it, as well.  I didn’t call it a side hustle, I called it additional income streams.  But today, everyone knows what a side hustle is because there is a clear definition of it.  The odd-job has been promoted to a side hustle. And the side hustle is more than just an odd job.  It now includes key ingredients like passion, freedom, creativity, purpose, and on-my-terms income opportunities.   

Many résumé writers and companies began as a side hustle.  Subsequently, and as a result of their success, they transformed into full time gigs.  The point of the matter is that many people today, in this unprecedented economy and workplace, are thinking about, or outright wanting to start a side hustle.  There’s a difference between how we coach for a full time, must-have job, and how we coach for a side hustle.  It’s a matter of mindset and strategy.  And in many cases, a side hustle is an entrepreneurial endeavor.  A whole different coaching animal. 

Below are some thoughts on side hustles that I’ve found particularly valuable in my own life-long career of having odd jobs, as well as coaching the topic, adding new income streams… today known as side hustles.

• “I’m not placing all my eggs in one basket.”

This is about freedom; freedom to have options.  If one needs to transition out of their full time job, a side hustle can provide a bridge to the next opportunity.  Even if the side hustle accounts for only 10%-15% of one’s incomes, it’s a financial platform to seek out and secure a new opportunity.  Clayton works as an assistant HR Manager for Jet Blue Airlines, and has two side hustles: writing a couple resumés a month and selling signed books on eBay.  He says, “There are no jobs for life, and there’s an absence of loyalty in the workplace.  I like what I do with Jet Blue.  But my side hustles are enjoyable and, at times, somewhat lucrative.  But more than a financial return, they provide a sense of freedom that’s important to me.”

• “The money adds up.”

It’s called financial well-being.  It’s another income stream.  A local dental assistant, a single mom, studied resume writing and got her CPRW.  She wrote one resume a month for $300.  All extra cash.  After two years she was writing two a month. After just three years, she had over $11,000 in her children’s college fund, all deposited from her side hustle.  She would call it a financial life preserver.  “I’m a good swimmer, but I always feel safer knowing there’s lifesaving equipment nearby.” 

• “I like to mix some work time with my passions.”

You don’t have to love your job.  Like it, enjoy it, find meaning in it… sure.  But with a side hustle, why not?  Stephen is a 65-year old lifetime baseball card collector.   A fanatic would be an understatement.  Today he runs an unexpectedly lucrative side hustle selling and trading baseball cards.  

Diana is one of the highest paid Master Chefs in the Hamptons.  “Can you believe that after preparing food all day at work, my unwinding time is spent cooking brownies?  Different varieties of brownies.  Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been addicted to the rascals.”  She began selling her brownies as an insignificant side hustle, donating the money to charity.  Today, she says the donations are “significant.”  

• “Flexibility is important to me.”

Tammy, who is an accountant by day and personal trainer by side hustle, enjoys having complete control over her time.  “If I have a tough week at work, I can choose to reduce my side hustle hours.  All my clients understand this and are flexible as well.”  It’s flexibility with accountability.   Side hustle flexibility is fine, so long as it’s not at the expense or disrespect of anyone.  

• “My side hustle must fit into my life.”

The side hustle must pose as little inconvenience as possible to one’s hectic life and full-time job.  Lea, who cuts hair as a side hustle says, “My side hustle must fit into my life.  I don’t miss my kids’ activities or skimp on my own personal and professional demands.  Yes, it can be a bit of a pain at times, but for sure, 95% of my hustle is fully aligned with my life.”  

• “I like the tax advantage.” 

In the course of a year, many of the activities we participate in, such as dinners and lunches, personal development, and even some weekend events or vacations can be a tax write off, if it is business / side-hustle-related.  If you work your side hustle from home, it may be possible to write some of your rent/mortgage off.  If you purchase a computer or other equipment for your side hustle, that’s also a possible tax write off.  It’s legal and the savings can add up depending on the side hustle.  (Caution – always consult your accountant first). 

• “I want to make a career change down the road.”

Robyn is a successful real estate agent in New York City.  Last year, she earned over $200,000 renting apartments.  Her side hustle is her life’s dream, to become a successful comedian.  She performs standup comedy twice a week earning $200 - on a good week.  But this is her start to her hopeful transition from real estate into comedy.  

Teddy, a New Englander, envisions owning a golf driving range in Virginia when he retires in three years.  He has had a successful 37 year career in commercial property management, but is a golf fanatic.  He recently landed a side hustle at the local driving range as the weekend manager.  He’s getting paid $16 an hour as a side hustle where he can learn the business he wants to enter in three years.  

• “I need to discover my creativity.”

Creativity is in everyone. So if you’ve been itching to do something creative, but don’t have the outlet for it in your everyday life, a side hustle can be the perfect opportunity to awaken your creativity; while making a couple extra bucks, euros, whatever.  Sandra, an oil painter says, “Today, my side hustle provides only a couple hundred dollars a month, if I’m lucky.  But I have a good secure job with the Postal Service, but it requires little creativity.  So painting inspires my creative juices and, who knows, maybe someday my $200 a month in sales will be $200,000. Haha.”  

• “Nothing grows confidence more than invested wisdom”

Often times, a side hustle becomes a testing ground for a full plunge, transitioning the side hustle into a full-time gig.  Paulette confessed, “Honestly, I was afraid to start my own resume writing business, but the pull was too darn strong. So, I started a side hustle as a contract resume writer.  After a year of writing and improving my techniques for someone else, I started my own company.  It was a year of  learning and actually doing resumes that increased my self-confidence to go out on my own.” 

Summary.

There are many good reasons to start a side hustle or two; or three.  It’s called multiple streams of income and contentment. Which leads me to my final comment.  It’s also an untapped coaching opportunity.  Perhaps a side hustle coaching side hustles?

Perhaps you already offer this service, paid or unpaid. If you do, kudos to you because most job candidates who land new jobs have no idea what they need to do to keep it; to grow in it. If you are indeed coaching this, you’re in an elite coaching category because, in addition to helping job seekers land jobs, you’re inspiring them to thrive in them. And if you are not, this is a special invitation to consider it.  

Did you enjoy the job search enough to want to do it again real soon?

It’s a good question to ask job seekers who have won job offers and are preparing to start their new jobs. Career Coach Teresa Brown’s client, Joe, just won a job offer. Upon hearing the good news from Joe, she quickly poses this question to her 34-year old engineer, “Hey Joe, did you enjoy the job search enough to want to do it again real soon?” Joe replies, “Are you kidding me? If I’m lucky, I’ll never have to do another job search again in my life!”  

Well, the odds are reasonably favorable that he will need to conduct another job search, of some sort, during his lifetime. But to ensure it won’t happen again soon, or unnecessarily, there are things Joe can proactively and strategically do, with Career Coach Teresa Brown’s guidance, to keep and grow in his new job. It’s called: “How to keep, grow, and thrive in a job once you land it.”  

Optimize Your ROI – Be a Coach For Life

You work hard to turn prospects into résumé or career coaching clients. It costs time, money, and energy (resources) to acquire new clients. One way to maximize your return on investment is to offer additional coaching services to clients once you’ve successfully completed the résumé or coaching services for which they initially contracted with you. The most obvious is to provide services to ensure they keep and grow in the new jobs you helped them land.

Your résumé and career coaching expertise was instrumental in helping them land jobs. Your personality and expertise established a reputation for excellence – and that success creates a solid foundation to becoming their career coach for life. In other words, your clients already know how unique and valuable you are - why not continue the journey? When your résumé or career coaching clients are blown away with your work and land good jobs, they will be eager to work with you to ensure they thrive in them.  But only if you have a program to offer.

How to Keep, Grow, and Thrive in a Job Once You Land It.

1. Begin with the end in mind.

This is an easy one. We do this when we go on vacation. We decide first where we’re going, and then we know what to pack in the suitcase. We won’t need goose-down parkas on the French Riviera in mid-August. Here’s a good question coaches can ask a new-hire:  “A year from now, when you are fully engaged in your first annual performance review with your boss, what will be the most significant thing you will be evaluated on that speaks to your success the first year?”  Then work your way back, by beginning with #2 below.

2. Identify, specifically, what you need to produce/deliver/achieve in the first 30 days.

Regardless of whether this is a formal or informal 30, 60, or 90 day probationary period, new-hires must be crystal clear about the few things they need to focus on most to succeed in the first 30 days. Perhaps it’s closing one sale. Maybe it’s grasping specific corporate protocols, processes, and systems. Career coaches assist new-hires to accurately identify exactly what must be accomplished - job performance wise - in the first 30 days.

3. Identify, specifically, what you need to produce/deliver/achieve in the first 60 days.

This is the same as #2 above, this time for the 30-60-day period. Sixty days represents two-thirds of the 90-day probationary period, so ensuring a new-hire is on the right track is critical at this juncture. If things are not going all that well, the new employee has 30 days to turn things around, and their career coach becomes instrumental in helping to develop a tactical strategy to do just that. 

4. Identify, specifically, what you need to produce/deliver/achieve in the first 90 days.

Obviously, this is the same as #1 and #2 above, only for the 60-90-day period. Many companies employ a 90-day probationary period (formal or informal) to ensure the new-hire is the right hire. It is important that new hires build continual momentum in learning and adapting to the new job, and achieving (exceeding) all 90-day expectations. The coach’s job is to challenge new-hires to be highly focused to achieve and exceed 90-day job expectations, monitoring and adjusting strategies as necessary, every step of the way.

5. Identify key relationships you need to make and nurture to ensure success.

All things being equal, people will hire, promote, and support people they come to know, like, and trust. So, one of the primary goals, in new-hire cases, will be to encourage new-hires to identify those important relationships that need to become rock solid and rock steady. Not sucking up, mind you; rather forging relational foundations for success. This is not always as easy as it reads. That said, being authentic and genuine is an important trait when determining the best ways to build relationships. Some people you can take to lunch, while others require a more strategic approach. Bottom line – building and growing key relationships may be the most important strategy of all strategies. 

6. Identify integration skills needed to feel comfortable in a new work environment. 

Maybe it’s learning the company’s proprietary computer system. In most cases, it will be the skill of quickly learning or adapting to the company’s technologies and protocols. We’re talking about integration skills here. How do new-hires adjust to the new company’s culture and  environment? Are they timid or confident? How do they handle mistakes? How do they communicate in a highly diversified workplace? How do they adjust, adapt, and thrive? This is where career coaches can be invaluable. 

7. Seek out a viable mentor, internal or external.

You, the career coach, are the front line mentor. Many coaches will meet weekly with new-hires for the first 13 weeks in the new job, to review the previous week’s plan and execution, and then plan for the upcoming one. That said, an internal mentor or advisor (a boss, coworker) would be valuable. As a substitute or in addition, external mentors can be paid coaches, friends, or family members. This is about building a team to anticipate, prepare for, and influence success… not just hoping it happens. 

8. Stand out in a subtle manner.  

Experienced coaches know that subtle is a success strategy. Flamboyant showoffs and praise-seekers tend to be a turn-off in most cultures; not unlike a child screaming out over and over again, “Mommy, watch me.” Subtle means humble but noticeable, confident but not arrogant, and collaborative but not sucking up. Coaches can identify ways new-hires can pursue success in a subtle manner. It could be as simple as showing up a half hour early, or achieving success while giving credit to others, or going the extra mile under the radar. Subtle is noticed and respected.

Communications 

Communication is so important for new-hires. A recent Forbes survey revealed that more than 25% of employees said that they didn’t receive enough information about their job before accepting the offer. Another 40%  said that their new jobs did not fully reflect how the position was described during the interview process. Furthermore, 33% of new-hires "dread" adapting to office politics, more than learning organizational protocols and adapting to a new environment.  

This creates virtually untapped opportunities for coaches to further support new-hires. Bumps-in-the-road and even significant adversities will inevitably arise  (difficult coworkers or challenges learning the company’s complex AI systems, for example). Many new-hires feel intimidated or uncomfortable asking for help or advice, as it may be viewed as a sign of weakness or incompetence. Others allow fear and discouragement to go unchecked, leading to even greater problems.  

With highly effective services to help new-hires succeed in their new jobs, career coaches can become indispensable assets in both the short term (30-90 days) and long term (A year and longer). “Did you enjoy the job search enough to want to do it again real soon?” It’s a good question to ask your clients who just landed new jobs. Then introduce them to your world-class service: “How to keep, grow, and thrive in a job once you land it.” And become their career coach for life. 

* Additional Resource: Harvard Business Review: When-you-start-a-new-job-pay-attention-to-these-5-aspects-of-company-culture:

https://hbr.org/2018/03/when-you-start-a-new-job-pay-attention-to-these-5-aspects-of-company-culture?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=LinkedIn&tpcc=orgsocial_edit

Using Coincidence as an Ally to Land Jobs Quickly

A low bar

You can teach job seekers how to interview better than 99 percent of their competition for one primary reason… the bar isn’t set very high for most job seekers. The majority arrive at interviews at a disadvantage - nervous, unsettled, fearful, and/or unprepared to make a good first impression. Or the opposite, overconfident and annoying. Bottom line: Most job candidates are unprepared to influence favorable outcomes – job offers. 

Truth be known, the bar isn’t set very high for interviewers either. Most people who conduct hiring interviews are unprepared, untrained, and/or totally disorganized in effective protocols for conducting unbiased, professional, and thorough  interviews to attract the most qualified candidates.  But even if job seekers interview with highly seasoned interviewers and have strong competition, once you coach them to master the two principles outlined below, they will still interview better than 99 percent of their competition.  

Principle #1: 

Believe in Yourself - Genuinely

This is easier said than done. Earl Nightingale, the Dean of Personal Development, said, “Belief in ourselves is one of our most difficult accomplishments. We tend to believe that others can accomplish the things we would like to accomplish; but somehow lack the same faith in ourselves. We are conditioned, early on, to focus more on our weaknesses, faults, and shortcomings than on our strengths and positive attributes. We’re aware of all the things we can’t do well, and underestimate, or even shun, those skills and abilities we excel in.”

We often tell ourselves incredible stories when it comes to “us versus others”. We tend to accord more ability and worthiness to others than we do ourselves. Perhaps you’re familiar with that voice inside our heads that says, “We can’t do it. We’ll never be good enough. We’re going to fail”. The inner voice always finds ways to mess with our heads, thus, our state of mind. We know we shouldn’t let self-doubt and fear bother us, but they are devious. As much as we try, that little voice always seems to get the best of us and, in the end, we just stop believing in ourselves.  

Unless we take action to silence it!

Yes, the voice has to be reckoned with because no successful person has ever sold, marketed, promoted, or influenced decision makers without first believing in themselves. You’ve heard the expression - effective sales people must first sell themselves, then their products and services. Timidity and reticence are not virtuous, especially when interviewing for a job. Job candidates can’t go into interviews without believing deeply in what they are promoting: themselves. They must show genuine self-confidence before anything else, because the most valuable asset they have to offer employers is themselves. Authenticity, integrity, and character come first; then skills and qualifications.  

A Few Tips

No matter how many books we read on interviewing and no matter how much training we have, if we don’t teach job seekers how to walk into the interview (in person or virtual), believing in themselves and knowing who they really are, they’ll begin the interview at a distinct disadvantage.

Tips for Job Seekers:

(Areas you can coach your clients in)

1. A positive opinion about oneself: Having a positive opinion and attitude toward oneself obviously enhances the chances of success. Oftentimes, coaches just need to encourage job candidates to first look outside the workplace for clear cut examples, and then integrate them into career related activities. 

2. A list of accomplishments: Before any career work at all is performed (including a résumé), prepare a list of your 6-8 most important accomplishments (personal and professional), supported by short, compelling storylines. This helps job candidates better appreciate their contributional value.  

3. Stop comparing: When one compares and evaluates their contributional value to potential employers’ needs and goals, not to other job candidates, their odds of winning job offers increase significantly. 

4. One’s online digital footprint: Turn social media into professional media. When one steers their online presence to a professional presence with a professional social personality, odds turn in their favor. 

5. What one says, how one says it and… Today, it’s not just what we say and how we say it.  It’s also the order in which we present it.  In a short-attention-span world, if a hiring manager wants to hear A,B, and C – and an interviewee delivers X, Y, and Z and then A, B, C, it’s probably too late. Influencing messages must be presented quickly and in the correct hierarchy. 

Principle #2: 

Know How to Prepare

You know the expression. It’s not practice that makes it perfect; it’s perfect practice. Same for interviewing.  Most hiring authorities agree that the #1 mistake job seekers make in interviews is assuming it’s all about answering questions correctly. The truth is, job interviews are merely meetings where two parties gather and exchange information to assess if a win-win situation exists. Both have wants and needs, and the discussions are about determining if they are a good fit for each other in fulfilling each other’s wants and needs.

So the first concept job seekers must understand is that an interview is just a meeting. You may not believe that this is a big deal, but let me assure you it has the same impact as one who views a glass as half empty or half full. When job seekers make this shift in thinking, they will present themselves more effectively and confidently.

11 things job seekers must know to ensure a successful meeting:

(Areas you can coach your clients in)

1. Know yourself: Know your passions, your values, and your personal attributes. Know your strengths, areas of expertise, and the ways you can contribute to the company worthy of your compensation.  

2. Know the company: Know the company’s needs, goals, mission statements, values, and culture.  Know the company’s history, products and services, and why you want to work for the company.   

3. Know the job:  Know the job requirements and qualifications, performance expectations, and what you need to do to excel in the job. 

4. Know the industry: Know the history of the industry, emerging trends, the key players, and how the company is positioned within the industry.  And, what attracts you to the industry.

5. Know the interviewer: Most people know the names of the people they will interview with beforehand. Research them on Google, the company’s website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter… everywhere you can. The more “intelligence” you gather about the people you will be meeting with, the better prepared you will be to build rapport and communicate effectively.

6. Know the three key factors:  

   1. Do you fit well into the company’s culture; do they like you?

   2. Do you have the skills/qualifications required to produce the results you’ll be paid to produce?

   3. Do you bring a value-added feature to the job; what differentiates you from other candidates?

7. Know your stories: Know what achievements and contributions you’ve made in the past that indicate you can replicate success in the future.  Oftentimes, job candidates must share relevant anecdotes from outside the workplace, such as family, community, educational, and/or volunteer highlights that present significant workplace potential.

8. Know how to address the ‘salary’ issue: When you know the job, the company, the geography, and your value, you will be prepared to confidently discuss salary whenever the topic arises.

9. Know thy skeletons: Job candidates must be ready to confidently address any past challenges that might arise in the interview – skeletons in your closet. This includes bankruptcies, prior convictions, unflattering references, and a myriad of potentially damaging issues that could arise. Ignoring issues and hoping they won’t come up is not a sound strategy.  Because they will.     

10. Know illegal questions are part of the meeting: If illegal questions are asked, unless it is highly egregious, simply respond as calmly and professionally as possible. In many cases, employers have valid reasons for asking them. The goal here is to win the job offer – then one can decide if they want to accept the job offer or not. 

11. Know what questions to ask: Remember, this is a two-way meeting. It’s important to arrive at the interview with well-thought-out questions that reveal serious interest and intent. The quality of questions job candidates ask, can in many instances, tip the hiring scale in their favor.  

Conclusion

Approximately 100% of job seekers have résumés, 90% have cover letters, and 70% have LinkedIn profiles.  But 99% of job seekers fail to properly prepare for interviews. This is where you can be a hero to your clients/students, and inspire them to interview better than 99% of their competition – to win the job offers they came to you to win.

* For more information on PARWCC/s Certified interview Coach (CIC), please visit: https://parwcc.com/page/CIC

From a former PARWCC Member 

Introduction

We need to laugh more. Especially in our profession. Especially at ourselves. Especially with our clients.  We’ve become too serious. We’re afraid of cracking jokes or sharing funny anecdotes because they might unintentionally offend. Always on guard; walking on eggshells; defensive communications.  As a society, we’ve become way too sensitive, thus, we build powerful walls to keep joy out, while living with constant stress and discomfort. And when we do laugh, it’s usually to escape reality, rather than joyfully celebrate it. When it comes to the process of seeking new jobs, most job seekers and coaches tend to disengage entirely from humor. What could possibly be funny about a job search?

Laughter is the best medicine

I’ve told this story before, I worked with Andrea when she was a job candidate. A few years later, she left the workforce and became a successful entrepreneur, as she launched her own upscale consignment shop. After just her first year in business, she hosted a grand opening in her new dream location. I was out of town and unable to attend, so I sent flowers.

Weeks later, when I called Andrea to follow up, she shared the excitement about the grand opening and thanked me for the flowers. She said, “The flowers you sent were gorgeous – way over the top.  But what did the message that came with the flowers mean?” 

“What?” I asked.  I didn’t understand the question. 

“It said, ‘may you rest in peace,’” Andrea replied.

I nearly fell over in my seat. This was a $200 flower arrangement! And the note I dictated over the phone to Tony, was definitely not, may you rest in peace. “Oh my, Andrea. The florist obviously sent the wrong note. I am so, so sorry,” I cried out, totally embarrassed; and not too happy with my bud, Tony the Florist.

Andrea laughingly replied, “The flowers were sensational and the note was hilarious. I will never forget either.” Nice, but not my intention.

Later, I called Tony the Florist. “Hey, Tony it’s Jay. You know I love you, but not so much right now. That $200 arrangement you sent out for me two weeks ago, to Andrea… you sent it with the message, May you rest in peace,” I bellowed out. 

Silence. Then, “Hey Jay,” Tony said laughing. “I’m really sorry. You are correct, we sent the wrong note. But the good news is - thank goodness Andrea got the right flowers! And hey, come to think of it, can you imagine the expressions on the faces of the deceased’s family, when they read your note to the deceased: Wishing you the best in your new location!”   

I cracked up. Then, with a huge smile, I re-envisioned Andrea getting the ‘rest in peace’ message. That’s a story she’ll always remember and tell. My frustration and disappointment were curtailed; actually transformed. Many times, in the midst of fear or anguish, someone says a funny one-liner and it breaks the ice for everyone. When used correctly, humor is the best medicine for emotional distress.  

Consider the following quotes from a few notables:

• "Doing nothing is very hard to do… you never know when you're finished." (Leslie Nielsen)

• "The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen." (Sarah Brown)

• “When you’re green, you're growing, and when you’re ripe, you start to rot.” (Ray Kroc)

• "Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?" (Edgar Bergen)

• “If you can’t convince ‘em, confuse ‘em.”  (Harry Truman)

• “I’m extraordinarily patient so long as I get my own way.” (Margaret Thatcher)

• "I always give 100% at work: 10% Monday, 23% Tuesday, 40% Wednesday, 22% Thursday, and 5% Friday." (Anonymous)

• "My first boss suggested I begin every training presentation with a joke. So, the first slide of my presentation was my paycheck." (Jay Block)

Just by asking the question “What’s funny about this?” can change your emotions and how you feel – instantly. When job seekers and coaching professionals integrate humor more often and more consciously into job campaigns, rapid success ensues. Or they make the best of any situation.  

For example…

After 22 years of loyal service to her company, Alisia Gonzales lost her job following a health issue. Her employer appeared unappreciative and insensitive to both her 22 years of contribution, and her illness. She was upset, fearful, humiliated, and beside herself. Stress and overwhelm were beginning to set in, but Alisia was mindfully aware of this. 

Upon realizing she was entering the Danger Zone emotionally, Alisia made the decision to ‘change her attitude.’   She picked up a copy of Peter S. Herzog’s,  How To Prolong Your Job Search: A Humorous Guide to the Pitfalls of Resume Writing, a way for her to begin thinking about her upcoming job campaign in a humorous way.   

Alisia laughed continuously as she read about resume mishaps – resumes she will be competing against. She immediately felt better knowing she was in control of her emotions, and would create a kick-ass resume that would stand out and get noticed. Though she was still unemployed, Alisia was able to better manage her emotions and approach her job campaign in a more productive and enjoyable way. Humor kept her in balance; kept her in the game; a game she rapidly succeeded in! 

This is a good time to touch upon what we all know to be true, but often have trouble coming to terms with, emotionally. We know we are going to die. Some have argued that the two greatest pains people experience, is the loss of a loved one and the loss of a job. Yet, many people have difficulty integrating humor into the subject of death; not unlike the subject of unemployment. Humor can provide relief for anxieties surrounding our own mortality, and can help us cope with the death of others. Humor can be a bridge that unites those people facing death with their family members and friends who are doing their best to manage their own pain and sadness. Humor reinforces the fact that, “I am not dead yet, you are not dead yet, so we can share and enjoy the moments we still have together.”

Aunt Sophie was a hospice patient. She was very near death and refused to eat. She told her family she was ready to die. The following day, Aunt Sophie again announced her intention to die and again refused food. Yet another day passed without her demise, and again no food. This went on for several days.  

Five days later, Aunt Sophie arose from her bed and joined the rest of the family at the breakfast table. Family members were pleasantly surprised and asked her what brought her down to breakfast, after refusing to eat for so many days.

The elderly woman turned to her family and with a frail smile answered… “So, who wants to die on an empty stomach?”

If humor works in life and death situations – it works in landing a job

In 1964, well-renowned physician, Norman Cousins, was diagnosed with a crippling and extremely painful inflammation of his body known as ankylosing spondylitis, a progressive degenerative disease. Dr. Cousins had a strong will to live and knew if he focused on humor, he could generate positive emotions. He experimented with laughter to create a positive factor in altering his body chemistry to be in a healing mode. He watched Candid Camera classics, Marx Brothers films, and read books like Sub-Treasury of American Humor and The Enjoyment of Laughter.  

He later wrote, “I made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.”  Dr. Cousins recovered from this condition and spent the next 20 years teaching about the merits of laughter and humor in medicine and throughout the medical community. He spent over 10 years performing clinical research at UCLA Medical School and established the Humor Task Force. Bottom line: The results of scientific studies on the effects of laughter have led most experts to agree that laughter is remarkably therapeutic.  And this would include mindful laughter integration while planning and conducting a job campaign. 

Summary

Planning and conducting a rapid employment job campaign is serious business. But serious business does not mean void of laughter or humor. To better integrate laughter into our coaching repertoire, perhaps we can begin by encouraging job seekers to ask…   

• What’s funny about this? 

• What could be funny about this? 

• Do I choose humor as an ally to land my next job, or allow stress and fear to sabotage my efforts? 

• Am I watching programs and reading materials that make me laugh, or distress me?

• Am I hanging out with people who love to laugh and who are lighthearted and amusing?

Yes, laughter is the best medicine. But only when we remember that it’s available to us at any time. And only when we make the decision to take it.

This month’s message is so important, I am presenting the bottom line, take-home message first (Presidential Message for CICs).  If you get nothing else out of this month’s article, it’s this:  There are two types of job seekers:  Professionals and Amateurs.  And the critical difference is how they address and manage the tough stuff.

The professional acknowledges and skillfully manages resistance; the amateur does not.  The professional never settles in the wake of adversity, the amateur… well, this is his MO.  The professional enjoys the discomfort of growth because she knows all great achievements require discomfort.  The amateur invests most of his energy repelling resistance and discomfort, thus attracting even more.  In the end, professionals achieve rapid success.  Amateurs rarely do, if at all. 

Resistance

Resistance is any and all factors that attempt to impede success and personal fulfillment.  This includes fear, self-doubt, procrastination, illness, natural disasters, lack of discipline, slothfulness, lack of preparation, toxic environments, poor focus, antiquated strategies, asking low quality questions, unexpected tragedies… and the list has no end.  

(often referred to as ‘the devil’). 

Resistance (adversity) arrives in two ways: 1) via forces we cannot control such as floods, hurricanes, and pandemics, and 2) via forces we can control, like taking two aspirins when resistance arrives in the form of a headache.  It’s how well we manage resistance that can be managed, and how well we react and respond to resistance we cannot manage, that differentiates the pro from the amateur. 

Before I work with a client, I find it valuable to know if I am working with a pro or an amateur.  It determines how I coach.  I’ve painfully discovered that you can’t send a duck to eagle school, and expect him to graduate an eagle.  So, to ensure expectations are high but not unrealistic, I ask them to complete a short preliminary evaluation form.  It looks something like this: 

Dear Job Seeker:  

Rapid success is achieved by professionals, not amateurs.  Not unlike in sports, entertainment, or business, the professional does what the amateur is unwilling to do.  She hangs in there when the amateur lets go and quits.  The professional focuses on the major aspects of achievement, while the amateur majors in minor things.  So, in an effort to ensure you achieve rapid success, I am asking you to complete this 8-question evaluation form.  It will determine how we proceed, and it will be instrumental in setting realistic expectations. 

The Professional v. Amateur Job Seeker Evaluation Inquiry Form:

You are about to plan and implement a high-energy, kick-ass job campaign to land the job you want, at the pay you expect, so you can live the life you deserve.  Professionals get there rapidly and enjoy the process.  Amateurs, not so much.  Professional job candidates achieve; amateurs settle.   That said, and utilizing “honest self-observation,” please circle the answer that best represents your approach to your upcoming job campaign: 

1. Professionals show up every day and in every way, no matter what. I do  /  I don’t

2. Professionals work a full day regardless of resistance; and leave it all on the field. I do  /  I don’t

3. Professionals have a grand vision (the “why”), and are fully committed to that vision. I do  /  I don’t

4. Professionals know the stakes are high, and accept all challenges.  They are fearless. I am  / I am not

5. Professionals rally, are resourceful, and are highly disciplined. They always find a way. I am  /  I am not

6. Professionals don’t specialize in blame or excuses – they hold themselves fully accountable. I do  /  I don’t

7. Professionals admit they don’t know it all, and constantly improve and advance their expertise. I do  /  I don’t

8. Professionals expect high rewards for their efforts ($$), and take pride in their achievements. I do  /  I don’t

When job coaches challenge their clients/students to transition from amateurs to professionals, in action as well as theory – the results are beyond stunning.

Most job seekers are amateurs

It makes perfect sense when you think about it.  Where and when were people trained to be professional job seekers?  Not in high school.  And certainly not in college.  Consider that approximately 100% of college students invest their precious time and hard-earned money to attend college, for the sole purpose of enhancing job opportunities to live a higher quality life, yet leaders in Higher Education have made it crystal clear they’ll provide the wisdom, but not the skills to optimize it.  

As a result, graduate students leave the college experience with a valuable degree, but they leave as amateur job seekers.  They haven’t been taught how to successfully and confidently navigate their worklife to optimize their whole life.  So, if Higher Education shirks its responsibility,  where do graduates go to learn how to transition from amateur to professional job seekers?   

“You will meet resistance”

The amateur wants to win the lottery.  The problem, besides the odds of winning being 5 million-to-1, is that he never buys a ticket.  The professional, on the other hand, buys a ticket; maybe two or three.  Not 500; she’s a professional.  Why is she a pro even though she has the same ridiculously long odds of winning?   Because she took action. It’s about showing up every week – responsibly.   She treats her job campaign the same way.

All worthy endeavors, such as conducting a successful job campaign, inevitably encounter resistance – PROBLEMS!  Resistance is a constant aggravation because it will do anything and everything to thwart success achievement. The professional accepts this and learns and utilizes strategies to fend it off; to triumph in the wake of resistance.  Mastery.  On the other side of the coin, the amateur fears and fights resistance.  As a result, precious resources of time, money, and energy are wasted focusing on problems, not solutions.   Amateurishness. 

 If you build it, they will come

The professional creates a well-thought-out WRITTEN success plan; the amateur just wings it.  The professional knows that if she builds it (a strategic campaign), the right job will come - rapidly.  Over the past 30 years, I’ve discovered that if we help job candidates orchestrate and conduct a well-planned, written, strategic job campaign, resistance automatically goes on the defensive, because resistance hates organization, discipline, and taking massive action.  

On the other hand, resistance loves its victims - underachievers, procrastinators, self-doubters, and those with negative, pessimistic attitudes.  But, when job seekers become aware of this slimy character, and unleash unstoppable positive and optimistic mindsets, they proactively ensure resistance never shows up as the star of the scenario.  Agreed, resistance never goes away; it never leaves the stage of life.  But the professional knows how to keep resistance at the back of the stage.  

Employ the professional job seeker within

In his book, The War of Art, Steven Pressfield suggests that professionals distance themselves from their instrument.  Meaning, the professional is not who she appears when doing her job.  Pressfield writes, “Does Madonna walk around the house in cone bras and come f—k me bustiers?  No, she’s too busy planning and living her life.  Madonna does not identify with “Madonna.”  Madonna hires Madonna.”  If you ever attended a Jay Block seminar or training program, you’d never believe I am actually an introvert.  You see, I employ Jay Block the presenter because I can’t do this as myself.  I hire the actor within!

The professional job seeker does not identify herself as a job candidate.  She identifies herself as a human being; a mother, wife, friend, and neighbor.  And for a short period of time, the professional employs the masterful job candidate within herself, to plan and conduct a winning job campaign – to live an extraordinary life.  The amateur, unfortunately, identifies with his situation.  He is his circumstance.  He loses self-respect for who he truly is, because that’s what amateurs do.    

Summary

There’s a success strategy that professional writers and coaches know, that amateur writers and coaches are unaware of.  And that is, it’s not the writing part that’s difficult.  What’s difficult is actually ‘sitting down’ to write.  “I’ll wait until I get inspired,” Joe says. Amateur.  Brenda says, “I’ll sit, and invite inspiration to join me.” Professional.     

Finally – when I share my Professional v. Amateur Job Seeker Evaluation Inquiry Form (presented above), with clients (and especially, prospects), I know, instinctively, most people don’t want to associate with being an amateur.  But in the end, it’s all about attitudes that empower and maximize skillsets.  The professional knows resistance is real, embraces it, and employs it as an ally - seeking the blessings in disguise.  She takes the road less travelled.  On the other hand, the amateur fights resistance, complains about it, and does his best to push resistance aside, or worse, ignore it.  This only invites more resistance.  Thus, the amateur job seeker consistently takes the road most congested. 

If you have $100 in your pocket to influence an outcome you really want, but don’t use it, or even realize you have it, what good is it?  The same question can be asked when it comes to influencing your clients/students in the pursuit of landing the right jobs.  If job seekers have valuable assets that ensure rapid employment, and don’t use those assets, why have them at all? 

Leverage creates the tipping point

For the purposes of this discussion, leverage is the power you have to influence favorable outcomes.  It’s the control you have to get what you want, whether it’s getting your kids to clean their rooms, influencing students to buy-into your teaching methods, prompting prospects to become paying clients, or just influencing your own attitude to reach a higher altitude.  And yes, coaching job seekers to optimize their leverage, to influence job offers.

Subtle or obvious 

Leverage can be obvious or subtle.  An obvious example would be a mother telling her seven-year old that he can’t play with his friends until he cleans his room.  She has that power – and uses it overtly.  A subtle example might be saying to her son, “Wait till your father comes home and sees your room.”  Subtle fear!  

Identifying Job Seekers’ Leverage Advantage

How does leverage work when it comes to planning and conducting a rapid employment campaign?  Actually, it’s an invaluable tool for elevating self-confidence, accentuating value propositions, and eliminating defeating beliefs that are keeping job seekers from reaching their fullest potential.  Most of us have experienced painful, confusing, and demoralizing circumstances.  It’s normal to feel emotions like sadness, anger and loss when challenges overwhelm us, like being terminated from a job, overlooked for a promotion, or not closing enough sales.  The key is how we react and respond to life’s challenges.  

And it’s how we optimize our assets to rapidly react, respond, and recover from setbacks and obstacles, in pursuit of worthwhile pursuits.  This first requires we identify the leverage advantage. The leverage advantage is one, or a combination of factors, that provide job seekers (or anyone, for that matter) with the upper hand. There can be little denying that those job candidates who identify and optimize their leverage, will meet and exceed their wildest expectations, pretty consistently. 

Assets You Can Leverage For Optimal Success

 1. Leverage time

Time is more valuable than money.  You can always get more money, but you can never get more time.  When it’s gone – it’s gone.  While many people languish, complain, and throw away Mondays (can’t trust that day), others leverage their 24 hours every Monday, and cross the finish line first.  Stephanie uses Microsoft Word’s Dictate and Read Aloud functions to complete résumés  in four hours.  Ben is clueless about this technology; it takes him six hours to do a resumé.  Stephanie leverages her skills and knowledge to free up two hours that Ben will never have.  If Ben writes five résumés a week, he’ll lose 10 hours a week to Stephanie.  Now multiply 10 by 48 weeks a year.  Leverage of time is mega power.  Clear advantage: Stephanie. 

One tip for practicing leverage in a job campaign (or any environment), entails organizing one’s workload effectively. A job candidate can create more time when she groups several similar activities that have the same goal. For instance, if she’s working on her LinkedIn campaign on the computer, it’s best to do as many other tasks as possible while the computer is open, so she can better invest valuable and productive time off the computer.

Another way to use the power of time leverage is via delegation, perhaps to friends, family members, or paid services – like secretarial and administrative services.  What can a job candidate get off his plate to free up time to better focus on what really matters?  Delegation and collaboration are powerful leveraging skills to optimize time to optimize success. 

 2. Leverage achievement

After 35 years in the profession, I’m still blown away by the number of people, at all levels, who don’t know their achievements, contributions, and value.  Professional athletes do.  Entertainers do.  CEOs responsible for stock values do.  But most working people return home after work, never giving thought to what they did or delivered that day to earn their pay and self-respect.  Indeed, you and every résumé writer and career coach, knows the importance of noting achievements on résumés and in interviews.  But I suggest there are more creative and effective ways to advance and optimize achievements to leverage one’s value.  The same is true for professionals managing their own businesses.  How can you use your achievements as leverage to grow – to dominate?  In ways you haven’t thought about yet? 

 3. Leverage connections and build a sales team 

To leverage the power of one’s connections (and potential connections), and to empower a more upbeat and confident mindset to attain rapid employment, I encourage job candidates to build their own personal sales team from their connections. Job candidates hate networking, but love assembling their own personal sales force.  Yes, in essence, it’s networking, just with a new term.  In this scenario, job candidates leverage connections by leveraging a more positive and confident mindset.  They feel better about themselves and their jobs when building (and managing) a sales force, as opposed to networking (begging), in the same way flight attendants feel better about themselves and their job, as opposed to being stewardesses.  Thus, with a newfound mindset and the skill of using leverage, job candidates take full advantage of their resources; cultivating and informing relationships, instead of awkwardly forcing them. It’s about respect and collaboration, not manipulation. 

A job candidate’s sales team (connections) will let them know about available jobs before they even hit the job boards (the ones they would have spent hours researching). A connection may be able to provide an introduction to a hiring decision-maker.  Getting past gatekeepers may take hours in research and phone calls. However, members of a job candidate’s sales team might be able to open doors of opportunity with a single email.  Bottom line: Job candidates will better leverage their connections to achieve the success they desire, when they re-think the process of networking, and instead, build a sale team to support the campaign. 

 4. Leverage your talents and skills

It’s been my experience that those people who take their talent for granted, or fail to realize its contributional value, consistently fail to leverage their assets to optimize their potential and, thus, settle for far less in the workplace – and life.  How does the power of leverage tie into a job candidate’s natural talents and mastered skills?  Plumber “A” is an outstanding plumber who has a reputation for getting it right the first time.  But if you asked him, he’d tell you it’s no big deal.  He just does his thing without giving it much thought.  Plumber “B” is also an outstanding plumber with a reputation for getting it right the first time.  In his case, if you asked him, he’d tell you he works at his craft, improves this and that constantly, and learns new stuff all the time.  He knows this is important to both his employer and its customers.  With a much greater, mindful, appreciation of his skills and talents, Plumber “B” will leverage his assets of talents to influence favorable outcomes. Advantage: Plumber “B.” 

 5. Leverage your mindset

Pai Silva, writing for Forbes says, “Your attitude, whether it's good or bad, will impact nearly every aspect of your business (and job campaign). If you're looking to improve operations, sales, and everything else that affects your bottom line, the first thing to ask is whether your attitude is in the right place.  When looking for (a new employer), it's common to make a list of all (your) required skills. While there's nothing wrong with this, if you really want to (land the best job with the best company), a positive attitude should be your first requirement. If (a job candidate) is missing a skill or two, but they've got that can-do attitude that (a company) is looking for, (they will) hire that person.”  Attitude is leverage.  Perhaps the most powerful of all strategies.

(https://www.forbes.com/sites/piasilva/2021/04/30/why-attitude-affects-everything-especially-when-looking-to-improve-your-bottom-line/?sh=763b4b277eba)

6. Leverage intangibles

In addition to skills, qualifications, and personality/character traits, another seldom used asset that often contains mega doses of leverage is intangibles.  A renowned reputation is an intangible.  The reputation itself is not a skill, trait, or qualification, but it is a highly valued intangible asset.  A job candidate is hired primarily because of her 16 successful years in nuclear engineering.  Sixteen years’ experience is not a skill, qualification, or trait, but it was the key intangible asset that resulted in a hire.

A résumé writer who is also a published author, can leverage ‘being an author,’ to grow her business.  Being an author is not a skill, qualification, or trait.  But it is a valuable intangible asset.  Perhaps a job seeker was interviewed in the media about her vast industry expertise; that media appearance can be touted to leverage a job offer.  An intangible asset.  

Summary:

Mastering leverage is a valuable life-long skill.  And the first step to mastery is recognizing its value.   And if you know this, how are you optimizing and/or advancing it?  This is the exciting, life-long question. 

Prelude:  It was the goal she wouldn’t allow herself to have.

Maria’s January Blues

Another underwhelming year was coming to an end for Maria.  A New England résumé writing professional with almost 20 years’ of experience, Maria was well respected among her peers; a success by anyone’s standards.  And she was an astute businesswoman who started and grew a highly successful home-based business, soon after the birth of her first child. 

Still, January had always been a tough month mentally.  Something missing.  Something a little sad.  Her marriage to her high school sweetheart was solid, and her two children in their early twenties, were the brightest stars in her universe.  Friends, finances, and her spiritual faith were also solid.  She was living the good life, most would contend.  So would Maria.

Yet, every January following the festive holiday season, a reality set in, a reality that another year was beginning, causing her January Blues.  Her feelings of melancholy were manageable; unnoticeable to others and gone by February.  Except for her husband and a few close friends, she kept her feelings to herself. 

The Day That Turned Her Life Around   

It was an unexpected, life-changing question. From a stranger.  It was Saturday January 13th, 2018.  Maria and her family travelled to Daytona Beach to celebrate a family member’s 80th birthday.  That afternoon, Maria was sipping a strawberry margarita, while gliding through the waist-high water of the resort swimming pool.  Stalking just behind her was Brice, her husband,  They were discussing Maria’s January Angst. 

Brice asked her if it might have to do with a let-down after the holidays; maybe not having exciting goals or plans to look forward to.  Maria replied that she’d already rehashed this with a couple of therapists.  She also boasted that she had just completed a half-day goals-setting workshop in December, and had her professional, personal, relationship, health, finance, and stuff I want but don’t need goals.  And added, “But I really don’t remember most of them.”  

At the same time, a lady was surreptitiously lurking in the same section of the pool.  In general, she was unremarkable, except she had the face of an angel with intense, piercing green eyes, and a smile that was indubitably sincere.  Raising her Bud Light beer bottle higher, as she approached Maria and Brice in chest-high water, for her, she asked if they believed in New Years’ Resolutions to start the year.  Maria frowned and said, “It’s been my experience that New Years’ Resolutions are for correcting weaknesses; not exciting.  The idea that we have to lose this, stop that, or change this is painful if not delusional.  That’s why most New Years’ resolutions are forgotten by this time in January.  At least mine are.” \

The lady smiled, then agreeably asked where they were from and what brought them to Daytona Beach.  After a brief conversation she asked what they did professionally.  Brice said he was a physician’s assistant, and Maria chimed in, “I’m a résumé professional.  Do you know anyone who hates their job and needs a résumé?”

The lady chuckled and answered softly, “Don’t most people?”  And that was it.  Abruptly, and quite unexpectedly, the lady raised her beer bottle to confirm it was empty.  Then she said with a heartfelt smile, “It was nice chatting with you, enjoy your stay.”  She sauntered in a semicircle and headed for the stairs.  Just before stepping out, she turned to Maria and Brice and asked… 

“If you could achieve just 1 or 2 outcomes – goals - by the end of this year, that would SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER - and that you would commit to, what would they be?”  

She pointed to her heart and said, “from here,” and climbed out of the pool.  This was the unexpected, life-changing question. 

The Life-Changing Question Requires Vision and Courage

As they meandered back toward the side of the pool, Maria and Brice looked at each other and Brice said, “I have no idea how to answer that lady’s question.” Maria admitted, “Me either.”  Unexpectedly, a voice from the patio area above declared, “If you don’t know what you want, you’ll have to settle for what you get.”  The voice, of course, came from the lady, who was now sitting in a lounge chair enjoying her refill.

Maria and Brice left the pool and pulled up lounge chairs in front of the lady.  “Okay, we’re listening,” Maria said.  “Obviously, we’ve met you for a reason.”  

Without hesitation, the lady said, “I call it the life-changing question because it is, for those who have the courage to ask it.  And ask from the heart.  Honestly, most people hate this question because it takes courage to answer it.  Very few people are willing to pursue their dreams and desires because they’re unwilling to risk the inevitable - ridicule, rejection, and resistance.  In fact, the primary question most people ask is, ‘What if I fail?’

“And I would respond, ‘But, what if you could fly?’  You fly by having a compelling vision – that comes from the heart.  When the heart said, ‘let’s go to the moon,’ the head initially responded, ‘sounds like the dumbest idea ever.’  But we got there because, where there’s a will, there’s a way.  It all begins with a grand vision.  This is why I asked you the life-changing question.  Our brains are not capable of remembering - and chasing - 10, 20, 30 or more goals. But when we identify and pursue just 1 or 2 of the most important, passionate, and life-altering ambitions… well, the brain can easily get excited and focus on those 1 or 2… and ultimately deliver the most extraordinary results.”

The Breakthrough 

When Maria returned home, she took a full day off to reflect on the life-changing question the lady in the pool proposed: “If I could achieve just 1 or 2 outcomes – goals - by the end of this year, that would SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER - and that I would commit to, what would they be?”  

Maria listened to her heart.  What would truly alter her life for the better; something that would be all-important to her?  She allowed for truthful reflection and honest observation.  What were her deepest, grandest, but hidden desires?  When she allowed herself to honestly reflect on this question, she had a major breakthrough.

Maria realized – actually admitted – that she had always felt self-conscious, and experienced a sense of regret that she never graduated college.  She completed two years before getting married and starting a family.  Subconsciously, this always nagged at her.  But she knew that if she could return to school and get a degree, this would totally revolutionize her life for the better.  It would result in a feeling of deep personal accomplishment; pride; self-respect.  

This was something that deeply mattered to Maria, but she never allowed herself to address it.  She realized that she always found a reason to put it off.  Yes, usually to focus on others, or not wanting to impose on anyone.  But now, she understood that this would be totally life-changing for her, both the pursuit and the realization. 

Then, another joyful thought hit Maria.  A constant, troublesome burden of having to lose 25 pounds – doctor’s orders - had just become an exciting one.  She envisioned herself graduating college at her ideal weight, and how beautiful she’d look in her cap and gown, at age 50.  Not to mention enjoying a healthier lifestyle.  

So now, Maria had her 2 exciting, life-inspiring goals for the year; goals that would significantly enhance the quality of her life for the better:  1) being at her ideal weight, and 2) being enrolled in college by the end of the year - or sooner!

Maria realized that her January Blues were not a result of not having goals to start the year, but not having high-quality, life enriching ones.  When she had the courage to ask the life-changing question, and realized how life-changing it could be (and was), it became an all-consuming obsession.  An adventure.  

The Day That Turned Her Life Around 

The day Maria asked that life-changing question - and began answering it - was the day that turned her life around.  She enrolled and graduated Harvard University’s Extension Program, and looked exquisite at her graduation.  

She said, “It was a goal I wouldn’t allow myself to have.  And it’s not the only one.  And you know, the academics and changing to a healthier lifestyle was easy.  What was agonizing was keeping it inside of me all these years.  The lady-in-the-pool’s question is not just life-changing… it’s liberating, as well.  I ask it every December, and have never had the January Blues again.”   

* Thank you for following me in 2022.  Let’s make 2023 the best year ever!

An expert is one whose skills, wisdom, and chi deliver 

consistent, superior, and positive results

Yes, I’ve mentioned his theory many times over the years - the 10,000 hour theory for achieving the level of expert, as suggested by Malcolm Gladwell in his acclaimed book, Outliers. He suggests that it takes 10,000 hours of practice / experience to achieve the level of expert.  

Is this true?  Think about it.  If a person spends 10,000 hours practicing the wrong things, like a golfer hooking his shots into the woods, how could he possibly become an expert at golf?  Or if a wanna-be wealth manager spends 10,000 hours in the stock market with a dismal track record of losing money, how can she be an expert at wealth-building?   And if a résumé writer spends 10,000 hours writing documents that, pretty much fail to help job seekers in a significant way, how can she be called an expert?  

Doesn’t becoming an expert require 10,000 hours of the right practice and execution?  And aren’t there other factors to consider besides hours – like passion, age, skill development, intelligence, levels of common sense, and even DNA?    

Hey, what’s an expert anyway?

Google it.  You’ll be besieged with differing definitions; some of which are bizarre.  Take George Siemens for example.  Writing for Quora, he penned, “An expert is someone who has sufficient experience and knowledge in a field to be able to recognize novel patterns from noise. Or, more abstractly, it's the ability to collapse possibilities of a topic/domain to their most salient in order to decide/act meaningfully.”   See what I mean?  I don’t even know what this means.   

So let’s cut to the chase.  Here’s my definition of an expert:  An expert is one whose skills, wisdom, and chi deliver consistent, superior, and positive results.

The word ‘positive’ in the definition

The golfer, after 10,000 hours of practice and experience, has become an expert at launching golf balls into the woods - not at the game of golf itself. (negative).  The wealth manager, after her 10,000 hours, has become an expert at losing money (negative).  And yes, the résumé writer, after her 10,000 hours of writing subpar documents, has become an expert at writing subpar résumés. So, moving forward, we will examine expertise only in the positive light, where one’s skills, wisdom, and chi (energy / life-force / attitude) deliver consistent and superior positive results.

Why becoming a résumé writing expert is so difficult

Résumés, for employment purposes, are hiring proposals. And hiring proposals must communicate in such a way as to influence positive outcomes – interviews (and subsequent job offers).  In order to be considered an expert résumé professional who creates masterful documents that do, in fact, influence positive outcomes, one must be an expert in three distinct disciplines:  

1. Content Expertise:  

The ability to get, understand, wordsmith, and powerfully communicate the unique value proposition and supporting marketing messages. The ROI triggers.  

2. Packaging Expertise:  

It’s not just what we say, it’s also how we package and present what we say.  

3. Strategy Expertise:

When we seek first to understand (employers’ needs and job candidates’ contributional value to meet those need) - we can strategically be better understood on résumés.  Strategy matters. A lot.

1) Content Expertise  

It’s not easy being a content or subject matter expert.  Content is what’s communicated on a job seeker’s résumé that promotes value, and influences prospective employers to want to interview them.  It takes no skill to write someone’s biography. Anyone can throw together a bunch of job descriptions and list educational experience in an unexciting manner. Over the years, I’ve seen my fair share of folks who are experts at writing chronological obituaries (negative).  But (positive) expertise comes when a chronological obituary is transformed into a powerful conceived marketing document that shouts out, “I am the best – the only - candidate who can deliver the results you want!”  

When it comes to creating content, there are two specialized skills required to be considered an expert.  1) Inspiring full engagement from job seekers to provide you with the required information needed to produce a killer document.  2) Once the information is attained, transitioning the raw information into content-rich prose to deliver hard-hitting, compelling messages that result in favorable interviews and, ultimately, favorable job offers. 

2) Presentation Expertise

It’s not easy being a presentation expert.  Recently I worked with three résumé writers and career coaches; each having more than 15 years’ experience writing résumés.  Without exception, here’s what I discovered… they did NOT know how to use all the critical functions of Microsoft Word to create top-shelf résumé presentations.  They did not how to import and format graphics; how to optimize margins and page layouts; how to incorporate dividers and borders; and how to best utilize fonts.  

Another highly respected professional did not know how to navigate the MS Word menu bar; had never used the indent, spacing or page color options.  Another person told me she never knew how to import bullets by using symbols; and didn’t know how to Superscript or Subscript symbols like ®, or ©, or ™.  Even the use of headers and footers was foreign to her after 15+ years of using Word.  And most people I speak with are unaware that MS Word has a DICTATE – and READ ALOUD functions, making writing and proofreading easier and more accurate than ever. 

A résumé is powerful marketing document with both sizzle & substance (only after the masterpiece résumé is completed, do we then create a plain text ATS version).  It must be an artistic masterpiece that is reader friendly, exciting, and presented in such a manner as to spark positive emotion with prospective employers.  What good is great content presented haphazardly and in a disorganized fashion?  

And today, most job seekers must be able to tweak / modify their résumés to align with specific jobs they apply for.  So it’s wise to ensure that the résumé presentation is both exciting and tweakable – easy for job seekers, if they wish, to align each résumé with the specific job requirements for each job they apply for. 

3) Strategic Expertise

It’s not easy being a strategy expert.  What appears first on the résumé, experience or education?  How are job gaps handled?  How is long term unemployment addressed?  How are multiple jobs worked in a short period of time managed?  How are disability, age, and other potentially discriminatory issues adequately addressed?

You know this.  When you write a résumé for clients, you’re not writing them for the client as much as you are for prospective employers of clients.  This is where strategy becomes all-important.  What do prospective employers need to read in the first 15 seconds that will grab positive attention? What are the emotional hiring hot buttons?  What are potential red flags that must be neutralized or eliminated without coming across deceptively?  And strategy will fluctuate based on profession, vocation, geography, personality, market variances, and a host of other considerations.  

How will job seekers distribute their résumés?  There are only about 10-11 job campaign strategies, and job seekers will take their own individualize approach.  And to achieve optimal results – the right interviews and job offers – job seekers are encouraged to align their résumés with the job campaign strategy.  Employing the wrong strategy (i.e. pictures on ATS résumés) can be underachieving, at best.  On the other hand, employing the right strategy on résumés, pretty much assures that they will get reviewed, leading to interviews and rapid employment.  

Final comment

The book, Outliers, came out in 2008.  I took out my calculator and calculated: Forty hours a week (way conservative) times 48 weeks a year that I work, means 1,920 hours a year of experience – rounded  off to 2,000.  I began my profession in 1989, so some 19 years of experience between then and 2008.  After adding up the hours, I was astonished to see that it totaled 36,000 hours.  

So I guess I was an expert after 5 years in the business in 1994 (positive).  I never considered my professional evolution before – have you?  But then, I am reminded of a quote told to me years ago by a mentor, Denis Waitley.  He said, “Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise.”  Only constant and never-ending improvement can keep an expert an expert.  We all want to be sure that the next 10,000 hours is more meaningful and valuable than the last 10,000. 

Regardless of whether the theory is true or not. 

“Don't be the best in the world at what you do; be the only one in the world who does what you do.”

Jerry Garcia, the genius behind The Grateful Dead, quoted it in an interview.  And yes, he certainly lived it while he was alive.  Me, I first heard it back in the mid-1990s at a workshop in Fort Lauderdale facilitated by Tom Peters, best-selling author of, In Search of Excellence and The Pursuit of Wow.  He said, “Here’s the secret to success:  Don't be the best in the world at what you do; be the only one in the world who does what you do.”  

Now, some 30 years later, as I recall that moment and write this column, I’d be willing to bet that nearly 100% of the attendees heard that message.  After all, everyone paid a hefty fee to attend this exclusive workshop.  So yes, I’m sure everyone paid attention and heard this.  But I’d also be willing to bet only a handful actually got the message, took action on it, and optimized their careers.  I was one on them.  

This was the most significant strategy/philosophy that led to my own very unexpected success in the workplace, after being fired by a best friend at age 39.  As a result of that seminar, and this one life-changing message that I took away from it, I changed everything about how I coached – and lived!  

“While the majority of job seekers were positioning themselves as the best candidates for jobs, on résumés and in interviews, I positioned them as the only ones who could do what employers wanted and would pay for.”

I use the same strategy when training résumé writing and career coaching professionals.  Like now.   But I’d also be willing to bet only a handful of those who read this article will actually get the message, and take action on it to optimize their careers.  If you’ve made it this far – I expect you are one of them.

It’s a mindset  

Don't be the best in the world at what you do; be the only one in the world who does what you do, is a way of thinking, a mindset - a strategy, if you will.  As Peters says, it’s the pursuit of excellence; the pursuit of being  the only one in the world who does what you do.  As I’ve said a billion times, it’s about the journey – always striving.  Striving to be better… the best… the one and only.  It becomes an obsession!  

For organizations and individual practitioners

Those organizations and individual practitioners committed to incorporating this thought-process (mindset) into their organizational DNA, will create a corporate culture that goes ‘far beyond’ excellence, in achieving consistent, rapid success.  Mega success, actually.  The job transition campaign becomes transformative both in process and outcome… for both job coaches/career navigators, and job candidates. 

It's about the power to influence - period 

We write résumés to influence interviews.  We coach interviewing to influence job offers.  I would argue that the power to influence is the most important skill we can learn and master in life.  Your official title may be résumé writer, case manager, job coach, or career navigator.  But in reality, you’re an employment influencer, who inspires your students/clients to become employment influencers - on their own behalf.

When I first entered the résumé writing business in the late 1980s, I would tell people I was a résumé writer.  The popular response I got was, can you actually make money writing résumés? Or, is that actually a profession?   When I hear something enough times, I begin to pay attention to it; like getting hit over the head with a hammer enough times that you finally say, enough is enough.  I got to the point where I actually had to consider these two questions: Can I make a good income writing résumés and, what is really my profession?  The year was 1990.

The answer to my two questions was, yes and no.  Yes, I can make (a lot of) money writing my style of résumés.  But no, it actually wasn’t a profession.  At the time, most résumés were self-typed, or they were prepared by secretarial/administrative services (and if you weren’t around then, you wouldn’t believe the sheer number of abominable obituaries, in the name of résumés, that were generated by typewriters).  

In the early 1990’s, I came to realize that I was actually a specialized marketing professional, not unlike a Madison Avenue marketing guru promoting products, like Charmin.  And I asked myself, If we can package and position toilet paper in a fun and exciting manner to achieve success, why not job candidates?    

This is how I began the process of ‘striving’ to be the only one who did what I did – to become the first empowerment career coach and author.  And what positioned me as the only one who did what I did, was that I identified and then incorporated powerful strategies (CEMP) to ensure that every job seeker and coach I worked with, all had trouble falling asleep at night – because they were so jazzed to wake up in the morning to design their futures – on their terms.  No more painful and fearful job searching or worse, job hunting.  And no more underachieving, old-school business planning for private practitioners.  

2 factors to consider, when striving be the only one in the world who does what you do

Successful marketing and sales, is simply the art of influential communications.  In the pursuit of being the only one in the world who does what we do, we must communicate at a higher, more intense level to influence favorable outcomes, focusing primarily on:  

1. Indispensability factors

2. Beyond successful outcomes

All things being equal, people will hire, promote, and do business with people they come to know, like and trust.  In my case, I developed a successful technique-based method so job candidates could do just that: influence hiring managers to come to know, like, and trust them, thus, influencing job offers (CIC).  When job candidates communicate (with confidence) those key factors that make them indispensable to companies, highlighted by their ability to deliver beyond successful outcomes, rapid employment is virtually guaranteed.   

It's a process

Maybe we never achieve it.  Perhaps we are one of the best at what we do, but who knows who is the best of the best?   Or maybe we’re not even close.  But it’s a goal to strive for.  If a recent college grad is just starting out as a junior accountant and desires to be a CFO – the best of the best - the mindset begins right away.  It’s a building or evolutionary process.  For instance, my friend and colleague, Wendy Enelow, fully believed she was the only résumé professional and author who could do what she did, well before she achieved it.  Thirty years later, I think she’s now authored over 25 books, and still churning em out.  Once she believed that she was not just the best in the world at what she did, that she was the only one in the world who did what she did… she killed it.     

Final comment

It’s not about ego.  It’s not about delusion.  And it’s not a smoke & mirrors, voodoo strategy.  Everyone has unique qualities and assets; attributes that make them valuable.  Like an onion, often we need to peel away the layers to find them.  This takes time, introspection, and determination.  Oh, and courage.  Because sometimes, the peeling away can be uncomfortable at best.  But hey, what else do we have to do in the short time we’re here on this planet – other than to challenge ourselves and job seekers to not only be the best – but the one and only?  

Supplement

Below is a partial list of strategies I use with clients to begin the process of building a ”Don't be the best in the world at what you do; be the only one in the world who does what you do” mindset.  And once the mindset buys in to the concept fully… action takes over and success follows.   

● Create a compelling vision 

● Nail your niche   

● Nail your culture (your MO)

● Document a compelling desire (The all-important “why”)

● Identify and communicate the indispensability messages

● Identify and communicate the seal-the-deal differentiator(s) 

● Forecast the future and demonstrate how you can dominate in it

● Ensure your digital footprint has no equal

● Optimize leverage 

● Create a 15 second “unique story” to captivate and engage

● Win the likability contest 

● What can you guarantee that no one else can?

● Identify “valuable” free extras (value-added) that cost you nothing

“Diligence is the Mother of Good Luck”

For most, it’s all about the kite, the lightning bolt, and the discovery of electricity.  However, Franklin was one of the first writers to address the concept of self-making.  When Franklin first introduced Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1732, he used blank spaces between the crop data and the weather information to add witty bits of motivational advice (He is considered one of the first formal motivational speakers/authors of our time).  The purpose was to help people live better quality lives by the process he called, self-making - the art of making one’s own life rich and fulfilling. Satisfying.

You surely recall the phrase, fish and company start to stink after three days.  This was one of the hundreds of comments Franklin made about the subject of life.  Another was, Diligence is the mother of good luck.  Often we hear about a new musical group or movie star that became an overnight success.  We assume that they were in the right place, at the right time, and knew the right people.  But the reality is that most of the time, their overnight success required many arduous years (some, decades) of labor, overcoming mountains of adversity, and yes, experiencing some good fortune along the way.  It’s true, diligence (persistence) is the mother of good luck.

Self-Making versus Self-Delusion

Self-making is the art of taking personal accountability to achieve success and satisfaction in life (and in one’s career).  Franklin noted that, unfortunately, a good number of well-intentioned people (and organizations) lacked the skills required for self-making; resulting in self-deception.  How many times have you heard, or seen signs stipulating: it’s not my responsibility, or, we’re not responsible for your (anything) anymore?  And the sad truth is, that far too many people believe they are successful and happy; yet they have only mastered the skill of self-deception.  Masking their own discontent. (Not unlike a killer website masking an underachieving entrepreneur).

And she walked away in silence,

It's strange how you never know.

But we'd both gotten what we'd asked for,

Such a long, long time ago.

You see she was gonna be an actress.

And I was gonna learn to fly.

She took off to find the footlights.

And I took off for the sky.

And here, she's acting happy,

Inside her handsome home.

And me, I'm flying in my taxi,

Taking tips and getting stoned.

I go flying so high, when I'm stoned.

- Taxi, Harry Chapin

Indeed, far too many people have not mastered the art of self-making, like job seekers watching too much TV rather than working on their job campaigns.  As a result, unnecessary underachievement leads the way throughout life.  On the other hand, those who embrace self-making, as an enriching lifelong pursuit, will squeeze the juice from every day and maximize their potential. 

In addition to Franklin’s discoveries, humor, and motivation, he provided three principles of success that have weathered the test of time.  Perhaps relevant for job seekers; and all of us.

1)    Principle #1:  Happiness doesn’t come from huge successes; rather from small, daily achievements

Franklin suggests that happiness is a means to an end, not an end unto itself.  Too often we say, I’ll be happy when I get more customers… a new job… or more money.  But that is a deception.  We don’t become happy when something happens. We attract what happens because we are happy with what we have, in pursuit of our ambitions. 

When we focus on small daily achievements, such as waking to another opportunistic day, or appreciating our eyesight, or making an extra phone call to a networking contact in pursuit of a new job, or doing 11 pushups when just a week ago, we could only do five… we find joy in the small stuff – every day.  Perhaps our daily successes come from our kid’s achievements, or catching up with old friends (not isolating), or baking a cake we’ve been putting off, or taking walks on the beach.  Small stuff.  But important stuff.  When I had back surgery, my goal was to ski again in four months.  My daily joy, at first, came from just walking around my hospital bed, with the goal of making measurable progress every day.  And celebrating that progress!

Yes, Franklin believed in setting big goals and seeking huge successes.  But on route to these lofty ambitions, he strongly believed that happiness (emotional integrity), while in the pursuit, was the key to high achievement.  

2)    Principle #2:  Life is not rigid

Franklin believed that each of us has the power to mold ourselves and our environments. We have the ability to think, rethink, rethink what we just rethought, change, and adapt to impermanence, which is one of life’s few permanent guarantees.  Franklin said that it’s up to each of us to begin the molding process, and become and achieve all that we aspire to, which requires flexibility and a non-rigid approach to life.  And this written back in the 1760s! 

By exploiting our resourceful minds and investing our full capabilities, we find that being flexible is transformative both in process and outcome.  Holding on to confining beliefs and habits is self-limiting.  However, when we let go of the rigid, outdated, and often illogical demands that we place upon ourselves and others, we can actually enjoy the journey (including the tough stuff)… as we chase our ambitious goals… in the short time we have to chase them.

3)    Principle #3:  Success is a pleasure

Franklin contends that if what we are doing today is not satisfying or gratifying, we can’t possibly view ourselves as successful.  In fact, quite the contrary.  If what we are doing today is not satisfying and is not pleasurable, he claims that we are laying the foundation for a non-satisfying future as well. 

Franklin argued that regardless of how many worldly possessions we own, how much money we have, or the loving people we have in our lives, if we are unable to find pleasure in all that we experience, we cannot consider ourselves successful.  And if we require evidence to support this principle, we need only look to the many people in Hollywood, sports, or business (or closer to home), who seem to have it all – yet don’t find authentic pleasure in their successes.

One acknowledgment you’ll almost always get from highly successful people is that they are happy because they envision something big, and commit to it.  But more importantly, they expect and embrace the inevitable adversity and obstacles that will arise along the way.  Below is the best example I can provide to defend Franklin’s proposition.         

Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz

Dorothy is a good example of Benjamin Franklin’s concept of Self-Making.  She found herself in a new and frightening environment.  She was scared and only wanted to go home; that was her big ambition.  Yet, she taught us that happiness doesn’t come from achieving the grand dream.  Dorothy found happiness in the small, daily achievements in pursuit of the larger goal.  In fact, after all her fears and challenges, she had a difficult time leaving her friends when it was time to go home.  She knew life was not rigid; that she had to adapt without complaining, finding excuses, or blaming others. 

Dorothy adapted when she headed down the Yellow Brick Road alone; not knowing what was in store for her.  She adapted when she discovered that the great OZ wasn’t so great.  She adapted when the Wicked Witch captured her.  But Dorothy also taught us that success (the process of getting home) is a pleasure.  Even though her dream of returning home had yet to be realized, she found pleasure in the small things along the way – even the challenges, the fears, and disappointments.  Dorothy was a success because she made the most of every moment and every experience.  She faced what she had to face – with pleasure.  That’s success.

Summary: Franklin’s 3 principles of success. 

1)    Big achievements come from many small achievements. Celebrate them.

2)    We have the power to mold our lives to enrich our lives, if we can envision and commit to a better future.  And this requires being flexible and adaptable in the molding process. 

3)    Success is measured through pleasure.  Actually, this is the key principle.  We’ve got to be happy along the way, even when we encounter challenges. This means patting ourselves on the back when we achieve the little goals, and lightening up on ourselves when we slip and fall.  Just get up and get on with it.  Oh, and no more self-deception.

Good advice, I think, for job seekers, career coaches, résumé writers… and the whole human race. 

Thanks, Ben.

And she said, "How are you, Harry?"
I said, "How are you, Sue?
Through the too many miles and the too little smiles,
I still remember you."

When I first started out in our profession, my first coach suggested that I study success, because he said success leaves clues. And I thought to myself, what a novel idea; I never knew that success was a study.  And I certainly never thought to consciously study success to try and replicate it.

I discovered that about 6-8 things make 90% of the difference

When it comes to raising good kids, growing a healthy marriage, building a business enterprise, maintaining vibrant health, and securing good jobs, there are only about 6-8 things that make 90% of the difference in achieving success.  We call these the fundamentals - the foundational principles.   And with a strong foundation, you can build almost anything.  This is how I changed my life at age 39 and built a successful business, after being fired by a best friend.  I identified and focused on the 6-8 things that made the most difference, and then invested 90% of my resources on those 6-8 things (Prior to that, I was majoring in minor things).

Creating a Code of Conduct from the initial impression points

We humans get headaches, have family quarrels, and constantly face emotional stuff.  As a result, we rarely show up for work the same way each day.  But customers depend on our peak-performing energy and wisdom to help support their goals and ambitions.  I discovered that highly successful people (and organizations) have rigorous Codes of Conduct for, not only servicing customers, but interacting with them.  This creates  a culture that virtually guarantees unparalleled levels of customer interaction (and service) - consistently.  Even during bad days.  Especially during bad days.

Below are my 7 fundamentals for interacting with customers - my Code of Conduct for Customer Interaction.  What’s your Code that makes you a hero to your customers?  Is it cookie cutter and outdated, or vibrant and motivational?  Whether you work for the Department of Labor’s CareerSource job centers, the military’s TAP system, a college career resource facility, or run your own business – your Code of Conduct matters when it comes to interacting, servicing, and inspiring customers to achieve rapid success – like rapid employment. 

1)     CARE:  No one cares how much I know, until they know how much I care

2)     IMPRESS FROM THE START:  No one cares to know anything when my first impressions are underwhelming

3)     EDUCATE:  Educating is my most effective manner of selling and getting my points across

4)     IT’S ABOUT LIFE:  Vision matters – it’s all about helping job seekers focus on the ‘bigger picture’

5)     CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT:  I provide unrivalled wisdom (I never stop learning)

6)     THE BEST INVESTMENT IN LIFE:  I always give more in value than I’m paid for (or what’s expected)

7)     EXPECT AND DEFEAT ADVERSITY:  I guarantee adversity will show up - and how to defeat it

**************************

1)     CARE:  No one cares how much I know, until they know how much I care

This is my “golden rule.”  It does me no good to tell prospective clients how many books I’ve written and how many awards I’ve received because they just don’t care.  They get no royalties from my books and receive no benefit from my career achievements.  The only thing they want to know is that I genuinely care about them. It’s not about making a sale or getting to work on the résumé or job campaign.  It’s about building trust.  I believe the most important philosophy of customer interaction excellence is understanding that – all things being equal, job seekers will work optimally with, and hire those professionals they come to know, like, and trust.

2)     IMPRESS FROM THE START:  No one cares to know anything when my first impressions are underwhelming

“Hi, you’ve reached ABC Résumé Service.  We’re unable to take your call at this time, but your call is very important to us. Please leave… blah, blah, blah.”  If I am seeking a creative professional to set me apart, and this is his first impression, my first impression is beyond skeptical.  When I was growing my business, the phone, the Yellow Pages (Google it if you don’t know what this is), and my front door where the first impression points. “Hi, and thanks so much for calling the Jay Block Companies – and we’re all about you.  This is Marie, how may I help you?”  Sound corny to you?  Not then and not now.  Know your first impression points, including websites and all online platforms and then… dare to be different.  If you impress from the very start in a BIG and emotional way, I dare you (and your job seeking customers) to fail. 

3)     EDUCATE:  Educating is my most effective manner of selling and getting my points across

When I  first began in business, I was constantly criticized for spending too much time with new prospects or explaining new ideas.  But it was the only way I knew to get them to know, like and trust me.  For instance, a job seeker calls to inquire about my résumé service.  I ask him what a résumé is to him, and he gives me the same old monotonous responses.  So I take time to explain (educate) that a résumé is a hiring proposal – and we need to make this an exciting and valuable document.  When I educate job seekers that networking is not begging, but the activity of building their own personal sales force, they become excited.  It’s called edutainment.  Google it.   

4)     IT’S ABOUT LIFE:  Vision matters – it’s all about helping job seekers focus on the ‘bigger picture’

Question. When do you begin to build a house?   Answer.  Once it’s finished in your mind’s eye; when you have the vision.  That’s where blue prints come from.  I’m an amateur on the Bible, but somewhere it reads, where there is no vision, the people perish.  Here’s my take… where there is no vision, the people’s potential  perishes.

What are most job seekers thinking?  They’re thinking they need a job.  I remind them they have a life.  So I ask them, What 3-5 things will you be able to do once you land a job, that you cannot do now – things that would totally transform the quality of your life for the better?”  When people have a greater vision beyond landing a job, they’ll pay almost any price to land that job… in eager pursuit of those 3-5 things.

5)     CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT:  I provide unrivalled wisdom (I never stop learning)

Have you ever been in a race where you’re in the lead and look over your shoulders to see who’s catching up?  What if I told you there was a way to run the race where every time you looked behind you, you saw your competition further and further behind, while you were raking in abundance?  There is.  Always learn something new every day; especially the uncomfortable.  Learn from other industries, other leaders, other colleagues, and history.  Then introduce it into our profession.  Our profession needs new wisdom – the anti-status quo.  By mindlessly following the status quo, the professional/organization is saying, instead of learning anything new, we’re playing it safe by continuing our slow decline into obsolescence.  It takes courage to be an outlier or change agent.  But when we share exceptionally valuable wisdom with prospects and customers, most will come to realize that you are the only one they want to work with!

6)     THE BEST INVESTMENT IN LIFE:  I always give more in value than I’m paid (or what’s expected)

Do you constantly give more to your customers than they pay for or expect?  Tom Peters, the best-selling author of, In Search of Excellence, writes about the WOW Factor.  Like when you write a résumé and your client says, wow, look at this résumé, I’d hire myself.  But what about providing extras – lots of extras?   When I first started out, I emailed relevant weekly tips, gave away company t-shirts, pens, and laminated success tips (to place on refrigerators) to every client.  I also made sure I provided many FREE services with my main service (rather than nickel and dime them to death).  And I always give more time than what clients expect (unlike an hour massage that’s only 50 minutes).  It’s a good universal philosophy – when we always give more in value than we’re paid (or what’s expected), it’s the best investment we can make in our future.

7)     EXPECT AND DEFEAT ADVERSITY:  I guarantee adversity will show up - and how to defeat it

This is where PARWCC’s CEMP comes in. As the world spins emotionally out of control, how do we maintain our emotional sanity - and teach it?  You and I know that in the pursuit of anything worthwhile, we will meet adversity – resistance (just watch babies in their months-long journeys to walk).   Negative is one-half of life – just ask a battery.  So I guarantee all those I work with that they will face adversity, and how to neutralize it. 

Rejection, frustration, fear and all those negative emotions seek to quash success.  Two strategies we teach in CEMP are 1) ask a better question and 2) change your focus.  When we change the question, why me God? to, who can I recruit to help me land a job quickly? – the odds of success turn in our favor.  If watching the news gets us down, we can instantly feel great just by changing our focus to a comedy station.  Mindset optimizes skills set, so our customers learn how to remain in emotional control, especially when the spaghetti hits the fan. 

SUMMARY: 

We don’t just service customers, we interact (communicate) with them.  Communication matters – the verbal and nonverbal.   Most people I work with are in some pain.  My goal, no matter how I feel, is to make them feel important and honored.  That’s my mantra:  Inspire – no matter what.  And my Code of Conduct for Customer Interaction ensures I consistently  do this, to the best of my ability.  Does yours?

Let’s first begin with a little quiz.  Can you identify what specifically the scenarios below all have in common?

1.     The résumé writer / career advisor helps her client prepare a résumé.

2.     The trainer teaches the Labrador Retriever to become a guide dog.

3.     Parents explain the consequences of driving a car drunk to their son who just received his driver’s license.

4.     After two successful job interviews, the job candidate is at the last one, with the decision-maker.

5.     The lady asked the waiter if it was possible to replace the mushroom vegetable with asparagus.

6.     After two years of delivering exceptional results, the sales professional asked for a meeting with her boss to discuss a promotion. 

So, how is teaching a dog new tricks similar to seeking a promotion?  Yes, they both seek to attain a valuable result.  But how is the result of winning a job offer related to a teenager never driving under the influence?  Other than desiring a valuable result… what do these scenarios all have in common?  

And this one commonality is what elevated CEIP to CIC!

This is why it’s important to you

Just 4 words created a monumental breakthrough; not unlike going from D.O.S. to Windows 95.  And the concept behind the 4 words is ‘beyond valuable,’ not only preparing students/clients for job interviews, but when preparing résumés and teaching networking, salary negotiation, even fear management.  And with almost a quarter century of success, CEIP / CIC is an ‘evidence-based,’ life-changing program – for coaches and job seekers.  No smoke and mirrors.

What are the 4 words?

Patience 😊.  Before I reveal the 4 words, and the concept behind them, I challenge you to identify the concept yourself.  Begin by taking a moment to put everything down, find a quiet and secluded place to invest 3-5 minutes (tops), and consider this question:

In your opinion, what is the 1 most important skill we can learn and master to enrich every aspect of life?   Asked differently, of all the skills we teach our children, which one tops your list that will best serve them for a lifetime?     

A number of people I asked said that the skill of decision-making would be the one they would put atop their list.  One person said, “Destiny is determined in moments of decision.” (He must be a Tony Robins fan). Other folks chimed in and suggested that communication skills were most paramount, especially listening skills.  One lady quipped, “Two ears and one mouth for a reason. The problem is God made our mouths too big.”  The third most popular response, when I conducted this unscientific survey, was building and maintaining self-confidence.  The job seeker says, “Yes, I can absolutely do the job,” while is body language, little to his knowledge, communicates just the opposite.

The Organizational Message Chart^©

Over 23 years, CEIP has been the cream of the crop of all interviewing programs due to the many forward-thinking, industry-leading tools and strategies taught, led by the now infamous Organizational Message Chart^©  (OMC^©).  The OMC is a revolutionary (not overstated) hierarchical and fully flexible communications model that powerfully supports you and your clients/students, in identifying the most essential communicative value messages to influence a favorable outcome (notice the italics are 4 words).

In CEIP/CIC, we teach that there are about 6-8 messages that make 90% of the difference in influencing job offers, promotions, raises, and bonuses.  And hey, it’s not just the messages – it's how they’re delivered!  The OMC is a confidence-building model used, not only to identify the messages that influence favorable outcomes, but the ranking (hierarchy of importance) for differing situations.  

Job seeker confidence comes from knowing what to say, how to say it, and the order in which it needs to be said.

For example, the first interviewer wants to hear A, B, and C and is an analytical decision-maker.  The second interviewer wants to hear B, C, and D and is a congenial decision-maker.  The third and last interviewer, who has the final say in the selection process, wants to hear C, A, D, and F, and is a pragmatic decision-maker. 

Your client/student nails the job offer!  How?  Because you taught her how to use the OMC to confidently prepare for each interview, thus, winning a job offer by influencing 3 different personalities with 3 different agendas and decision-making styles… all with an abundance of confidence and poise.

The Infamous 4 words: The power to influence

Can you think of a more important skill to learn and master throughout life then the power to influence (others and ourselves)?  Like the power to influence your own thoughts and beliefs, or the power to influence your kids not to drink and drive, or the power to influence job seekers to follow your advice to land jobs quickly, or the power to influence an animal to do extraordinary things – like detect cancer, or the power to influence potential employers to interview your clients/students because your résumés influenced them to do so?  This is what all 6 scenarios, at the beginning of this article, had in common.  In each, someone was trying to influence a favorable outcome.

Over the years, those who became certified in the CEIP program, revealed that the program goes FAR BEYOND employment interviewing.  The unique breakthrough methods and strategies taught (and updated annually) work stunningly in every other area of the job campaign - résumés, networking, salary negotiation… the whole ball of wax.  CEIP has been an internationally acclaimed communications program that is based on the premise that interviewing, like all communications, comes down to the 4 words that transformed CEIP into CIC:  The Power to Influence

Everything we learn and master in CIC is for the sole purpose of influencing favorable job offers, promotions, raises… outcomes.  We do not leave it up to luck or happenstance.  How effective will your kick-ass résumé be, for a client who gives a half-assed effort?  Here’s a better question.  How do you influence the other 50% of the missing effort?   What a concept, huh?

It's still 55% - 38% - 7%

Have you ever gone to an event where you saw someone across the room whom you never met or saw before, and instantly hated him. Or instantly liked her?  This is a result of nonverbal communications.  When I studied communications in college 45 years ago, Dr. Mehrabian devised a formula to describe how our minds determine meaning, and he concluded that the interpretation of messages (communications) is 7 percent words, 38 percent auditory, and 55 percent visual.  Still accepted today.

The conclusion was that 93 percent of communication is nonverbal in nature.  How many times have you been introduced to someone and forgot their name three minutes later?  “Jay Block meet Joe Smith.  Joe Smith, meet Jay Block.”  Ten minutes later I ask my wife, ”What was that guy’s name again – the one with crooked teeth and a high pitched voice?” 

Traditionally, most interviewing programs focus on the verbal – coming up with the right answers, the right questions to ask, and the right stories to support value propositions.  All important stuff.  But what about the other 93% of the communications – the ones that really matter. 

In CIC, we teach how to be likeable in interviews.  I’ve interviewed in excess of 12,000 hiring professionals over the past 30+ years.  And without exception, no one ever told me that they ever hired someone they really disliked – regardless of how well they could do the job (Note: I’m sure there are exceptions – but very few, at most).  Nonverbal communications matter!

 Everything has a hierarchy

What’s more important to you, your hearing or your eyesight?  Yes, they are both critically important but they are not equal in value.  If you had to give up one, which one would it be?   Why do I ask?  To show that hierarchy - syntax - matters in communications.  For instance, if your eyesight is more important to you,  but for me it’s my hearing, if we were to attend a concert together, we’d both hear the music and see the show.  But you’d focus more on the drummer drumming and the guitar player twanging his instrument – the visual. Me, I’d focus more on the bass, treble, volume, and tempo of the music - the auditory.  Same show, different experience.

The same is true in all communications – especially interviewing or when trying to influence any favorable result.  It’s important to know that all hiring decision-makers have conscious or subconscious hierarchies of requirements in terms of 1) skills and abilities, 2) values and culture, and 3) personality and character.  Each has its own hierarchy – and it can change with every interview and every interviewer.   But when we teach our students/clients how to master the tools and strategies taught in CIC, to align with all three… bingo, we’ve helped influence job offers, promotions, and raises! 

All things being equal, employment decision-makers will hire and promote those people they come to know, like, and trust

This is why the new CIC program/designation is important to you.  CIC and the power to influence is all about the skill of influencing strangers to eagerly know us, like us, and trust us… to produce results they will invest in (paychecks).  Whether it be a job offer, a promotion, or a new client sale… CIC is about communicating at a whole new influencing level – to live the life we deserve.

I invite you to check it out, and watch my short intro video on the PARWCC website:  https://parwcc.com/page/CIC.  Or email me personally to schedule a time to discuss: jayblock@jayblock.com.

PARWCC offers CPRW, CEIP (now CIC), CEMP, and CPCC programs.  BTW, and FYI, these are certifications.  Speaking of creds, many of you evaluate and write résumés for job seekers who have BA, MBA, AA, JD, AS, BN, PhD, BBA and - my favorite - BS degrees; perhaps followed by a GPA.  And kudus to some of the well-respected institutions that provide these credentials including UCLA, LSU, USC, SONY, BYU, and my alma mater, UNH. 

This past weekend I watched a few hours of TV.  I caught the MLB on CBS, the USGA’s US Open on ABC, and to relax, NCIS of TNT – all on my new LG HD TV.  I’m six months away from my 70^th birthday – and I consistently TNM (take no meds).  But if you’re like me, you’ve become sick and tired of all the pharmaceutical commercials – most for medications I can’t even pronounce, never mind know what disease they’re for… ED, MS, PTSD, ADD, COPD, TB, OCD, or RA.  All approved, by the way, by the CDC. 

Chris Skinner, in his blog post entitled: Most Bank Names Are Meaningless, wrote, “Why are most bank brands just acronyms? I know it’s a silly question, as banks are acronyms because who wants to say John Pierpont Morgan Chase when it’s easier just to say JPM, but it is endemic to banking that banks are acronyms. I was just writing down a few: HSBC, SCB, OCBC, DBS, ICICI, ICBC, ANZ, BOA, BBVA, RBS, BNP, ING, TSB, DNB, AIB … and the list goes on and on. In fact, when I look at a variety of industries, banking is the only one with large-scale acronym mania.

“In the top brands in automotive industries, there is only one acronym: BMW; in technology there’s IBM, HP and SAP; in retail you get CVS, H&M and IKEA (or would you rather say Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd?).

“But in banking there’s loads. Now I know it’s because their names are often too long to articulate, but it’s also because banking is very B2B oriented. When you’re dealing with commerce and trade, people don’t mind abbreviating the company name to a few letters, but when you’re a retailer … well, you need a cool name: Apple, Nike, Samsung, Amazon, Disney.”   (https://thefinanser.com/2017/11/bank-names-meaningless.html/)

IT Clients

To this day, I don’t get excited about creating IT résumés.  Years ago, an IT résumé client called to remind me, “Don’t forget to include that I am proficient in WAN, LAN, CISCO 2501 Router, 3Com 10/100 Super Stack II VLAN Ethernet applications, ISP High Speed Data, Voice Over IP, SQL, Frame Relay, T-1, T-3, DSL, ADSL, ISDN, Difinity G-3-6, 75, 25, Legend, INTER-TEL, SAMSUNG, 56EX / 120MX, 408/612/816, NORTEL Opt 61,11c, VODAVI, ATLAS, Telrad 818,128, 400, SB1, SB2, SB3, TIE, AT&T Intuity, MICROCALL, and XTEND call accounting.”

“Ten-four, Jack. Got it.  Where do I send your refund?” 

Ramblings…

My 33-year old son texted me recently with a well thought-out, highly sophisticated message… “Hay.”  That’s it.  “Hay.”  I put my iPhone down and said to myself, “Self, WTF, I haven’t heard from this kid in two weeks, and all I get is ”Hay?”  But my sister-in-law, an astute acronymic communications specialist, set me straight by translating this. “Hay is really HAY – meaning: How Are You?” 

Seriously?  I was taught that hay was for horses.

I once attended an R.E.M. concert, and was extremely disappointed because they never played songs from their hit album, Hi Infidelity.  As we left, my friends laughed and informed me that that was REO Speedwagon.  In my time, we had groups like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, the Jefferson Airplane, and the Supremes.  How did ABBA, U2, AC/DC, The B-52’s, KISS, NERD and ZZ Top get in the picture?  WTH?

And finally - OMG, was I disappointed to learn that the famous TED Talks weren’t originated by anyone named Ted. Because I wanted to interview him. And don’t think that’s so outlandish; a Ted started TBS. 

When we communicate via acronymic communications, do we not lose something special… like the true emotional; the true feeling that we want to convey?

PARWCC’s NYC Program

I am definitely registering for PARWCC’s NYC certification program “Acronyms for Dummies.”  (BTW – NYC stands for Not Yet Created).  Even so, I believe all members would benefit from such a program. But common sense (which is not so common – Voltaire) suggests this will never happen.  Why?  Because of – you guessed it - AI.

I understand MADD, but not BADD (Bikers Against Dumb Drivers). And since you’re in the business, did you know that WORK is an acronym for: Whiny, Overwhelming Recreation-Killer? And here’s one that almost everyone totally misses the boat on – a tip.  TIP stands for “To Insure Performance.,”  So how can you insure performance when you tip at the end - when it’s already too late?

A COP is a constable on patrol.  Nabisco is the National Biscuit Company.  And TTYL (talk to you later) is a ridiculous acronym because there is no talking.  BUT… yes, there are the BEWARES we need to learn, starting with “28 Internet acronyms every parent should know.” 

https://www.cnn.com/2014/12/08/living/internet-acronyms-every-parent-should-know/index.html

Let’s Talk Military

The best way to describe the military’s language, is with its own acronym: FUBAR (f***ed up beyond all repair). Want an example from a real résumé?  (WARNING: Best to read on an empty stomach).

Analyze manpower programming and budgeting data in the AMC portion of the Army Program Objective Memorandum (POM), the Army Budget Estimate Submission (BES), and the Command Plan for AMC MSC/SRA, to ensure that MTOE/TDA developed under TAADS reflect the approved military and civilian manpower program by appropriation and authorization, and that authorization data tracks to that reflected in the DA Standard Army Manpower Authorization System (SAMAS),

If you don’t think this is something we constantly see on a daily basis, you’ve definitely been AWOL from most military transition résumés and campaigns.  What is this job candidate trying to communicate?  Perhaps we begin by noting that this person is skilled at analyzing specific and detailed criteria to ensure that there are sufficient people (military or civilian), to staff positions in the U.S. Army. So, we’d translate this into civilianeeze by saying… that this person is a Human Resource Specialist / Manager who…

Analyzes manpower and budget data/information to plan for, and meet, demanding staffing requirements across all disciplines and job titles - on time and on budget. This results in new recruits consistently exceeding performance expectations.

What Has this Got to Do with Résumés and Career Coaching?

For one thing, many military personnel who have courageously served our country, ask us to assist them with résumé prep.  Then, we discover that they speak an entirely different language. The same is true with college grads.  College grads navigate their way through academia and earn their degree. And undoubtedly, they are masters of acronymic communications. They were brought up with it.  So now what?  You gotta put more than “HAY” on a résumé! 

And students now have to learn businesseeze, because business has its own non-words that they must become familiar with - TQM, COG, COO, CEO, BID, COB, GPM, POC, DBA, MSI, P&L, ROI, and QC… just to mention the tip of the tip of the business acronymic iceberg.  (https://www.themuse.com/advice/your-ultimate-cheat-sheet-to-deciphering-the-123-most-common-business-acronyms).

Now add social media patois, business technology lingo, crypto currency jargon, and enough cultural and multi-cultural slang to fill a library… and it’s clear why some of us older folks neither wear our hearing aids anymore, nor opt for thicker glasses. 

And at this point, I don’t have time to even begin to cover ‘government’ acronyms because if I  were to list them all, it would be longer than a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica - for those who remember what that was.

I Will Lose the Battle

Four weeks ago, my car battery died in the middle of a PNC Bank ATM station.  Because I couldn’t remember how many A’s were in the name, I took a wild stab and called AA to get a jump.  The next thing I knew, my car was towed and I was introduced to people in a meeting.  Nice people – but where’s my Jeep?

I suggest as writers and marketers, we collectively do our best to bring back those exquisite words that make up the rich, vibrant and effervescent English language. Those ones that create emotions – feelings. For me - how about just understanding ?

I’ll take GE, IBM, 3M, AT&T, and a few others.  Everything with balance.  But we’ve crossed the Rubicon.  Maybe  I’m old fashioned, but I know words are power and I know language creates the right emotions for the right moments – to achieve the right results.  On the other hand, texting and social media acronymic communications do anything but; they tend to breed communicative indifference (unless it goes viral, of course).

I know I will lose this battle.  It’s inevitable.  But I’m grateful for the fact that, by the time I can no longer understand 50% of what people are saying, I’ll be SFU (six feet under).  

Time’s up.  G2G.

Just about everything in life is/has a process, including chaos.  Baking an apple pie is a process. Getting into college and graduating are both processes. Nature’s build-up to hurricanes and tornados  involve specific processes.  Getting dressed is a process, as most don’t put shoes on before socks.   

And I suggest landing the right job, with the right company, at the right pay, in the right amount of time, requires a proven, “evidence-based” process.  However, in the 80+ year history of the résumé writing / employment coaching industry, leaders and practitioners have never seriously considered, or agreed upon, an effective and empowering process to inspire employment success. 

And if a process does exist, it’s been a haphazard, fear and pain-based process of 1) writing assembly line chronological obituaries (résumés) , 2) learning to beg for jobs (networking), 3) preparing for behavioral questions and being judged (interviewing) and, perhaps, 4) taking a swipe at salary negotiations.   If the current processes work so well, why do most job seekers hate it?  Fear it?  Fail at it?

In my 2009 McGraw-Hill bestselling book 101 Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times, released during the Great Recession, I presented a 5-step process to rapid employment – one that virtually guarantees rapid employment, regardless of the state of the economy.  One that is uplifting, motivational, and an engaging campaign – not a mindless search or hunt.  When the 2^nd edition was released in 2014, it was renamed: 5 Steps to Rapid Employment.  

The process introduced in the book has been an international success story since 2010. 

So here are the Cliffs Notes: 5 Steps to Rapid Employment:

Step 1: MINDSET:  Technique-based Basic Wellness Training

In the military it’s called basic training or boot camp.  The primary purpose is to strip new recruits of their civilian mindsets and rebuild them with military mindsets.  What good are the best technologies and strategies in the hands of untrained, fearful and undisciplined soldiers?   Similarly, what good are the best résumés and job campaign strategies in the hands of untrained, fearful and undisciplined job seekers?   Step 1 is Basic Wellness Training for job candidates, so they face the campaign in a fearless and confident manner; regardless of the adversities they’ll inevitably face.

Step 1 goes far beyond motivation. 

We’re talking about empowerment here.  Motivation has a limited shelf life.  Empowerment – unlimited. Empowerment teaches the HOW.  HOW do job seekers remain at their emotional best (mindset/attitude), when the spaghetti hits the fan and well-meaning people say, “think positive” or “make the best of a bad situation?”   Or better yet, HOW do they manage their emotions to  benefit from the predicament they face (often called, blessings in disguise)?   

Step 1 is Basic Wellness Training to re-condition job seekers with a proactive, self-confident, and success driven mindset.  They learn specific techniques to take personal responsibility and disciplined action, no matter what.  And, all the while - enjoying the process of designing their future… on their terms!

Step 2: A DEFINING GOAL: Workplace opportunities to inspire an enriched life

When we lead with the head and don't like where we end up, we say, “my heart's not in it anymore.”  Step 2, of the 5 Steps to Rapid Employment process, challenges job candidates to lead with the heart.  The heart says, “let’s go to the moon.” and the head finds a way.  It’s the “where there's a will (the heart) there's a way (the head) philosophy.

Step 2 introduces a revolutionary values-driven approach on how to define workplace goals to enrich one’s life – enjoyably!  Envision a boat with an engine. Now picture the boat as your life and the engine as your job/career. The purpose of the engine is to power the boat to go where you want, and to do/accomplish all that you desire.  Metaphorically speaking, the boat is life - with all one’s values, beliefs, and ambitions aboard.  The engine is one’s job/career, and the purpose is to empower a good life.  The problem is that most people spend the first 13-17 years (or more) of their lives in academia, learning how to address the engine – at the expense of the boat.

When job seekers envision a better life, they’ll work harder, smarter, and longer on their job campaigns to achieve the future they envision.  Step 2 introduces the T-Bar Model, the Circle of Options Model, and the Workplace & Life FTH Strategy – an award-winning process of identifying and achieving meaningful workplace goals. (BTW:  Vocational tests fail because the head – intellect – always leads the way, at the expense of the heart).

Step 3: JOB CAMPAIGN TOOLS: Résumés, LI profiles, etc. 

Let me make this as simple as I can.  A résumé must STAND OUT, be exciting, and communicate a job seeker’s VALUE (the reason they are paid) to prospective employers, inclusive of ATS résumé format limitations, and limitations of résumé preparers.

Can you name one successful product or service, in the history of the world, that has ever been successfully marketed in the same dull, fearful, and pain-induced manner that job seekers are encouraged to market themselves?  Job searches begin with uninspiring, look-alike, chronological obituaries, serving as résumés and LinkedIn profiles.  Then, it only gets worse.

But a job campaign is a marketing campaign.  And successful marketing campaigns assumes a strong belief in the product, the ability to communicate the features and benefits of the product, and the confidence to influence favorable outcomes. 

Those responsible for hiring don’t have time to read stacks of boring biographies from strangers. They want to know quickly what specific contributions job candidates can make and the results they can produce -worthy of a paycheck.

A value-based résumé offers a number of specific advantages::

• Value (ROI). Job candidates are able to effectively identify and communicate their value to prospective employers. Their résumés clearly communicate bottom-line results and organizational contributions they can produce / deliver - to earn their pay.   
• Differential factors.  Job seekers must be challenged to identify potential differential factors that set them apart from their competition, which can often tip the hiring scales in their favor. Perhaps an industry reputation, a current book of business, or being trilingual.  When you help job candidates identify labor assets that set them apart from other qualified job seekers, you’ll provide them with a distinct advantage in securing rapid employment.
• Confidence builder. What’s more important than this?  When you create value-based résumés that 1) communicate contributional deliverables, 2) set your clients/students apart from the competition, and 3) are presented in fresh and exciting formats, they’ll gain a whole new level of confidence to enthusiastically promote themselves throughout the job campaign.   
• Door opener. Exciting, well-presented résumés open doors of opportunity that otherwise would be closed.  They race to the top of the pile because they scream out to employers, “This is what I can do for you… why I’m the best qualified candidate for the job.”
• Writing the résumé with the interview in mind. When you challenge job candidates to think about the interview while developing the résumé, you are indirectly providing interview prep training.  When job candidates take the time to properly prepare their résumés thinking about the key messages that will win job offers, they can then showcase those messages powerfully on the résumé.

Other Tools:  Additional job campaign tools, noted in the book, include LinkedIn profiles, reference and case study portfolios, letters of introduction, and social media platforms. A full arsenal of tools for rapid employment.

Step 4:  MAPPING YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS: Going beyond the plan of ‘winging it’

Pilots have written flight plans, interior designers have written floor plans, sports coaches have written game plans, military leaders have written battle plans, and shoppers have written shopping lists. Yet, nearly 100% of job candidates seeking a job for the benefit of a richer more rewarding future, have no written plan.  They’re winging it.

Step 4 is about strategy, where job candidates create written MAPs – Meticulous Action Plans.  MAPs encompass weekly activities – a highly structured schedule of tasks and goals for each day of the week. This includes personal, social, and fitness activities as well (because everything affects everything else).  Unemployed job seekers can invest 40, 50 or more hours a week in their “campaigns.”  Those employed and seeking new opportunities may only have 5 or 10 hours a week to invest.  It isn’t surprising that success is determined by 1) the number of hours job candidates consistently invest in their campaigns, 2) the effort they put into the hours, and 3) the adjustments they make along the way.

Step 5: TAKING MASSIVE ACTION: And mastering a few self-marketing strategies

Actions do speak louder than words.  Step 5 is called the miracle piece to rapid employment.  If job candidates have  positive attitudes, well-defined goals, strong résumé and communication tools, well-thought-out action plans… but take no action, they’ll get no results.  Rapid employment and job campaign success come from taking massive action. 

A short list of actionable topics covered.  Take action to:

• Establish a campaign headquarters
• Create a campaign board of advisors
• Engage key contacts (develop a personal sales force)
• Implement the MAP (action plan)
• Measure and adapt the plan regularly
• Eliminate red flags / obstacles to success
• Master interviewing – the art of influence
• Line up quality references

Just 5 steps – not 50

That’s it, an easy 5-step process that ensures rapid employment.  Job candidate’s need only work attentively at what’s easy - while enjoying the process.  What a concept, huh?

Would it be fair to assume that résumé writing professionals and career coaches have ‘always’ been dealing with their clients’/students’ mental health issues in some way, shape, or form?

Back in the 50’s and 60’s, we seldom spoke about it.  Check that… we never spoke about it.  A neighbor, just three houses away from ours, Dicky Reimer, was mentally retarded.  That’s what it was called back then.  “Treat him with compassion and respect,” my mother always reminded us.  But that was it.  There were never any discussions about what it must be like to live with a family member like Dicky.  So loving, yet so demanding of time and emotion.

I was aware of the huge, enigmatic, brick building atop a hill in Danvers, Massachusetts, which housed the mentally ill.  It overlooked a highway we travelled when we visited both sets of grandparents.  Whenever we passed it, my brothers and I would acknowledge the nut house; but I don’t recall a single discussion on the topic of mental illness.  And we were a family that discussed everything.  Well, almost everything.

But today, some 60 years later, it’s hard to do anything without the topic of mental health coming up - in sports, entertainment, business, crime… you name it.  It seems like just about everyone is talking or thinking about the topic, and many are actually experiencing unique forms of mental illness, to some degree.  Like me, for instance!

2 Episodes

#1) Last fall, my boss at a golf facility where I work part-time, handed me five 20-dollar bills, and said, “Please go to the bank and get a hundred dollars in fives; we’re short on five-dollar bills.” 

No problem.  I went to my bank and handed the teller the five 20s and asked for a hundred dollars in fives.  When she returned with a thin stack of five-dollar bills, I immediately knew she had made a mistake.  I said, “This can’t be a hundred five-dollar bills.” 

After a spirited debate, she smiled inquisitively and asked me to put my hand out - palm up.  She began placing five-dollar bills in my hand and counting aloud… “five, ten, fifteen…” up to a hundred.  Suddenly, akin to being hit alongside the head by a demolition wrecking ball, I felt as stupid and humiliated as I ever remembered feeling.  My mind was thinking 100 fives – not 100 dollars in fives. Is my intermittent post-COVID brain fog a form of mental illness? 

#2) Last December, I emailed my family and close friends, excited that I was having a unique birthday on 2/2/22, given my favorite number is 22.  My father-in-law, a 92-year-old Frenchman living in Paris, immediately emailed me back and asked, “Is this a test of my memory?  Isn’t your birthday in January?”  Was this yet another mental health/illness issue I was suffering from?

What Is Mental Illness?

For many of us, we hear the term so exhaustively these days, we tend to become numb and indifferent to it.  We’re inclined to equate mental illness to homeless people, violent criminals, persons suffering trauma, and those conceived with birth-related irregularities.

But what we tend to underappreciate is that mental health issues have varying degrees and levels of intensity, which affect almost everyone to some extent - from mild stress to unmanageable overwhelm; from controllable anger to mindless rage; from intense love to ferocious jealousy, and everything in between.  

Then, there’s that emotional perpetrator that creates so much of life’s emotional (mental health) upheavals – worry.  Mild to massive; occasional to chronic; healthy to ghastly unhealthy.  Everyone experiences their daily dose of worry, with many suffering from considerably more than a daily dose.  And this, undoubtedly, would include most job seekers.    

So, what is mental illness?

Mental Illness Definition - American Psychiatric Association

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.

For job seekers – mental health issues have always been part of the job search process

When you consider the mindsets of job seekers, most are propelled by negative and defeating attitudes, i.e.  pessimism, fear, doubt, pain, overwhelm, stress, and a lack of confidence.  By definition – mental health issues. 

I’ve asked this question countless times: How many job seekers have trouble getting to sleep at night because they’re so excited to wake up in the morning to conduct their job search - to enrich their lives?  Have you ever given serious thought to the mental health (mindset) of your clients/students?  Would it be fair to assume that résumé writing professionals and career coaches have ‘always’ been dealing with their clients’/students’ mental health issues in some way, shape, or form?

The military: mindset optimizes skill set

Consider the military.  The primary purpose of basic training (boot camp) for all new recruits, is to strip them of their civilian mindset and rebuild them with a military mindset.  What good are state-of-the-art technologies and strategies in the hands of fearful and undisciplined soldiers?   Similarly, what good are state-of-the-art résumés and job search strategies in the hands of fearful and undisciplined job seekers?  

Wouldn’t job seekers benefit from some form of bootcamp, to re-build them with a success-oriented job campaign mindset?  Is this not considered an effective and successful form of mental wellness conditioning?

Varying degrees of mental health challenges

I believe there was a sizable mental health disparity, in terms of emotional intensity and reaction, between my brain fog issues and what Will Smith showcased at the Academy Awards.  Furthermore, I’d contend that the whole world is grappling with an accelerated rate of mental wellness issues… from physical outbursts on planes to emotional bullying on social media; from minor disagreements to major you-can’t-unring-the-bell altercations; and from the inconsequential day-to-day stuff to life-threatening thoughts and actions. 

In terms of the quality of life… emotions matter.  And to the extent emotions matter (and they all do), this governs the condition of our mental wellness.  And this, in turn, determines how well we (and your clients/students), function or don’t function at any given time.  And what we achieve or don’t achieve in life. 

Mental wellness

Not everyone would agree that they suffer from mental health issues, but most might agree they do suffer some form of mental wellness issues.  I’m just fine.  I’m down today.  I’m in the zone.  I’m depressed.  I’m mad as hell.  I’m as happy as could be.   All varying forms of mental wellness - some high, some low.  When a best friend fired me back in 1992, I had some significant mental wellness problems that were sabotaging my life, and that I needed to get resolved.

In comparison to mental health or mental illness, the term mental wellness is more welcoming, less intimidating and embarrassing, and overall, more acceptable in terms of empowering massive action to achieve favorable outcomes.  Don’t we modify words and phrases throughout society to feel better to achieve more?  For example, a stewardess is now a flight attendant; a garbage/trash collector is now a sanitation engineer; a former salesclerk is now a team associate.  Mentally retarded people are now emotionally challenged.  And were you aware that many receptionists now hold the new-fangled title of Director of 1^st Impressions?

The fact is, we can’t fix what we don’t acknowledge.  I believe more people would benefit from adopting the phrase mental wellness, first to acknowledge that their mindset would benefit from a reset.  And then, to enthusiastically take the appropriate actions to achieve more with an optimally empowered mindset.   

3 ways to help job seekers better address their mental wellness issues

1. Empowering Terminology. 

   When I work with clients, I refer to résumés as hiring proposals.  I explain that networking is nothing more than building your own personal sales force.  Interviewing is an employment meeting, and a job search must not be a haphazard hunt for the proverbial needle in the haystack.  Rather, we transition the job search into a kick-ass self-marketing campaign, to design a better future.  Problems are merely a challenge, unemployment is simply a transitional process to enrich life, and adversities and setbacks are inevitable nuisances on the road to success.  When we change the language and terminology we use, we change how job seekers feel.  And this in turn promotes “healthy” mental wellness – and rapid employment.

    

2. Focus Management:  

   If you watch the news on TV and become anxious, stressed, or even depressed – you just need to click the remote control and change to a comedy channel.  Then instantly, you can be laughing, relaxed, and content.  So, a powerful technique to empower optimal mental wellness is to challenge job seekers to 1) focus on all they have, in pursuit of all they want, 2) focus on where they’re going, not where they are, and 3) resourcefully focus on solutions and opportunities, not problems and obstacles.

    

3. Reference Validation: Reference validation instills a new belief - a feeling of confidence - because someone else successfully overcame similar barriers, obstacles, and adversities to those faced by job seekers; not unlike a support group.  When job seekers realize that other job seekers, just like them, successfully landed great jobs, you can use these success stories to instill a high degree of hope – that they too can replicate that success.  Reference validation is a highly effective stratagem that inspires job seeker confidence, by providing “evidence” (articles, videos, blogs, testimonials, etc.) of other job seekers who quickly transitioned from unemployed to employed.  It’s the “if they can do it – I can do it” tactic.

Summary

Today, it’s hard to go anywhere or watch, listen, or read anything without the topic of mental health being covered.  Everyone is dealing with, in varying degrees, mental wellness – from emotional calm to emotional chaos. Coaches, teachers, and trainers do not have to become PhD’s in psychology to meet the emotional and mental wellness issues and needs of most clients/students.  But it will be almost impossible to coach anything moving forward, without considering mental health / mental wellness issues. 

CEMP might be a good place to start. https://parwcc.com/page/CEMP_new

Not that many years ago, bank tellers, supermarket checkout cashiers, and bookstore owners never believed machines would, or could, replace them.  And do a better job! 

It would be a mistake to believe most jobs being replaced by automation are mainly blue-collar, assembly line,  and lower-wage positions.  Consider the many high-salaried stockbrokers being displaced by no-commission apps like TD Ameritrade.  White collar tax accountants are being displaced with sophisticated technology – Turbo Tax, for instance.  Drones are replacing pilots.  John and KiKi Winters earned over $250,000 a year taking arial photos of high-end properties from their single engine plane, for upscale real estate brokers.  But drones do it for ten-cents-on-a-dollar and take better photos because they can access air space that planes cannot.  And when self-driving vehicles inevitably replace humans, where will all the drivers go? 

It can never happen to me

In just about every instance, no one initially believed a machine could replace them; never mind do a better job.  But the digital workplace is here and organizations, leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, and just about everyone at every level are struggling to adapt.  For example, JPMorgan Chase now employs AI software to perform the tedious job of interpreting tens of thousands of commercial loans, reducing more than 750,000 hours of lawyer-billing-time a year.  Where will these attorneys transition to?

AI software can now identify leukemia in photos and X-rays, learning and adapting more rapidly than technicians. Amazon.com reduced new hire training to only two days, because of its newest robotics used in shipping.  When was the last time you actually had to stop to pay a toll?  I once had over 700 books in my library.  Now, most are on my Kindle.

AI’s impact on the employment space

What influence will AI have on the résumé writing, career coaching, and employment professions moving forward?  It’s already having an impact.  There are a significant number of companies providing virtual, non-human résumé writing and career coaching services – for a fraction of the cost most of us humans charge.  So, this is a good time to raise a cautionary red flag here.  Anyone who believes AI will ‘pass over’ the career coaching and résumé writing industry, must do so at their own peril.

Free résumés

When I Googled Free Résumés in preparation for drafting this article, the first few pages were flooded with free résumé services. The few I tried were automated and the final products were passable.  I sprang for a $4.98 upgrade on one service, and the résumé I received was surprisingly good.  Yes, perhaps many of the free services included a bait and hook strategy to upsell.  But they did all provide a free passable résumé quickly and, for the most part, effortlessly.

Career coaching

Any manner of performance-related coaching, including career coaching, tends to be viewed as personal, individualized, and non-replicable.  This is because coaching requires back and forth conversations, feedback, and interpretation - the human connection.  But what if there was an industry-wide transformation taking place, one where career and résumé coaches weren’t human?  Artificial Intelligence has already made its way into the learning and development sectors of society, and more recently it’s been showing up in the coaching space.  And evidence suggests that, generally speaking, AI-enabled coaching performs as well, or better, than humans.

Where it began – in the 1960s

If you research AI-enabled coaching, you’ll discover that one of the first AI robots was a chatbot named ELIZA.  It was built in an MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab back in the 1960s.  It was programmed to simulate a session with a psychotherapist using basic natural language processing technology. When ELIZA was first introduced, some users thought they were conversing with a real human.  And this using 1960s technology. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA).

Update – 2022:  Today, a behavioral coaching chatbot, Tess, addresses different facets of behavioral health, such as depression and anxiety. Available 24/7, Tess delivers customized integrative support, psychoeducation, and interventions through brief conversations via existing communication channels - i.e., SMS text messaging and Facebook Messenger (https://academic.oup.com/tbm/article-abstract/9/3/440/5489496).

The economics can’t be ignored

Traditionally, coaching doesn’t scale well.  Coaching is costly because the average career coach charges between $100 and $500+ an hour.  Most job seekers can’t, or won’t, invest that amount of money.  As a result, coaching opportunities are limited, due mainly to price considerations (based mainly on time considerations).  But when AI can deliver comparable quality of service that can easily reach tens of thousands (millions) of customers simultaneously… the price point plumets to levels where people can afford it - $49.95 to $99.00.  It’s happening!  AI can be programmed as a planning and measurement tool to allow job seekers to reflect on assignments, complete tasks, and navigate through course work.  AI can follow up with endless numbers of job seekers, sending daily notifications and individual reminders and updates based on their personal situations. 

And this is just the tip of the AI capability iceberg.  The big question is, and will continue to be:  What can you do that Artificial Intelligence can’t? 

How Human Career Coaches Can Thrive

First, let me point out that those who fear, fight, or refuse to acknowledge AI, will invariably struggle.  It ain’t going away.  And the quality of work that AI performs is consistently above average and improving.  The key to thriving in the future is to accept, collaborate, and grow with AI.  And for sure, there are numerous ways in which human coaches can compete with and surpass the capabilities of AI technologies.  Below are a few to get you started:

1)           KAIZEN – take advantage of the “lag time” and “new opportunities”

AI requires a lot of data.  And the data is always evolving and changing.  If a group of programmers were to spend a month with 10 top résumé professionals, they could develop (and have, actually), an AI résumé program that would equal the quality of work of the 10 professionals. In most applicable circumstances, when there’s enough quality data, AI is extremely effective at simulating the human coaching process. 

But if the human process is continuously growing and improving (Kaizen – continuous improvement), there will always be significant ‘lag time opportunities’ from when coaches first introduce new materials and methodologies, to when AI ultimately catches up.

Additionally, new jobs will be created to gather more data and information faster and more accurately for AI improvements (which means human coaches must always stay ahead of AI, or else…).  Yes, AI may eliminate some job types.  But it will also create new ones; some we can’t imagine today.  The key is to be on the constant lookout for new opportunities, and then be one of the first to take advantage of them once identified. 

2)           Empowerment integration

This, undoubtedly, will be the most important skill career coaches and résumé professionals will need to learn and master for achieving success moving forward.  Not unlike successful sport and entertainment coaches who integrate mindset with skillset training, job coaches will thrive by combining empowerment strategies with their job search coaching expertise (CEMP certification and John Maxwell Training, as examples). 

AI cannot look into a job seeker’s eyes and see her fear, her pain, or her discomfort.  In other words, AI cannot assess or address feelings.  Human coaches can.  If AI asks a job seeker, “Do you like your résumé?,” and the job seeker responds, “Yes,” AI is unable to see or detect any possible uncertainty associated with the job seeker’s response.  Human coaches can.  AI cannot feel the job seeker’s feelings and attitudes.  Human coaches can. 

Coaches, in all disciplines, who integrate motivational, empowerment, and emotional support services and techniques, will not only fend off an AI takeover, but will greatly benefit professionally and financially.  AI integration helps optimize efficiency, productivity, quality, best practices, and time management.  This allows you, the professional, to grow, expand, develop new best practices, and do more of what you love to do. 

3)           I know enough Spanish to get around, but…

I know enough Spanish to get around, but not enough to have a conversation discussing politics, history, or my dreams last night.  This is a reasonable analogy as to how AI communicates today.  Have you ever been on the phone with a robot that tells you it understands complete sentences?  Next time, ask it what it thinks of climate change.  Bottom line - AI is incapable of small talk. For now.

In 2022, AI-enabled (non-human) career coaching remains rudimentary.  But we must keep in mind that rudimentary calculators (once provided free in boxes of Cracker Jacks), still added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided quicker and more accurately than most humans. That said, there is no evidence that any form of AI can simulate a real, deep, back-and-forth coaching conversation today. This is where opportunities exist for human coaches.  But here too, the window of opportunity is closing.

Quantum technology. Quantum technology will revolutionize everything about the employment space.  What is Quantum technology?  It is an emerging field of physics and engineering, which relies on the principles of quantum physics. Quantum computing, quantum sensors, quantum cryptography, quantum simulation, quantum metrology, and quantum imaging are all examples of quantum technologies, where properties of quantum mechanics, especially quantum entanglement, quantum superposition, and quantum tunnelling, are important (WIKIPEDIA). 

Areas where Quantum technology is currently being efficaciously used includes Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Computational Chemistry, Drug Design & Development, Cybersecurity & Cryptography, Financial Modelling, Logistics Optimization, and Weather Forecasting.  It is not unreasonable to anticipate that in 5-10 years, Quantum technologies will produce non-human AI that will be quite capable of simulating real, deep, back-and-forth coaching conversations. 

4)           Virtual coaching

It’s quite likely that many AI, non-human coaching programs, will need to be expanded to offer human coaching services (for additional fees).  Those coaches who proactively reach out and collaborate with AI technical teams and organizations will find lucrative opportunities.  In fact, there are members of PARWCC currently launching AI, non-human career coaching and résumé writing services.  No doubt, they will need to integrate human-to-human coaching services at some point.  Collaboration will be the name of the game.

5)           AI and challenged populations

When working with volatile, unpredictable, and other challenged populations and groups (hearing impaired, blind, disabled, PTSD, welfare-to-work, ex-offender populations, etc.), human coaching will be in demand.  Mind you, most career coaching software programs will use AI as it’s foundation - for tasks such as record keeping, billing, and client progress charting.  But coaching opportunities working with challenged populations will remain strong.

Summary: AI’s future in the career coaching space

Forbes Insights, in collaboration with Accenture, Avanade, and Microsoft - companies using AI, surveyed 305 global executives entitled “Human AI Is Here.”  The results were not surprising – all companies reported more significant growth than companies that did not use AI.  (https://www.avanade.com/-/media/asset/thinking/human-ai-is-here-report.pdf) 

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to foresee AI as a fundamental player in the future of the career and employment coaching space.  The only question that needs to be asked is: What can you do that Artificial Intelligence can’t? 

It’s an important question.

That awful movie

Have you ever gone to an awful movie, perhaps one you actually walked out on, or fell asleep through?  So, let me ask you, would you go back to watch that dreadful movie again? Would you invest your money, time, and emotional energy to go back to this ‘dark space’ dozens of times?  Of course not.  It wouldn’t feel good and, intellectually, it defies common sense.   

When we study highly successful people, we soon come to realize that success derives from one main principle – managing one’s focus.  And if we were to study highly successful job seekers, those who quickly and enjoyably secured the right jobs, at the right pay, with the right companies, we’d also discover that their success all came down to what they consistently focused on - namely, the outcome they desired.

Phil and Tom

Phil and Tom both hired Deloris to create their résumés.  During the process, Phil focused on his termination, the disloyal, greedy company that downsized him, the way they fired him, and the high 8% unemployment rate that will surely impede his job search.  His anger and negative energy follow him everywhere, including into his personal life. Deloris encouraged him to focus on the résumé, the assignments she gave him, and his future.  But Phil continued to focus on the negative.  Deloris is a highly experienced CPRW, but she can only work with what she is given.  In Phil’s case, negative focus. 

Tom, on the other hand, focused on future opportunities.  He envisioned his future employer (still unknown) and how aligned that employer would be with his values – his ideal work environment.  He focused on planning and conducting a winning job campaign, as well as focusing on the employment rate – not the unemployment rate.  Even with the unemployment rate at 8%, Tom knew he had a 92% chance of becoming employed – he’d love to have a 92% chance of winning the lottery.  Positive focus.

The negative movies in the theater of our mind

So, why do most job seekers (and most people, in general), go back time and time again, to revisit that awful movie playing in the theater of their minds – starring the negative.  The negative includes worst-case scenario thoughts, low quality questions, and defeating attitudes?  The answer is simple. This is the way most of us have been conditioned to think, feel, and act.  Ten good things could happen to us today, along with just one bad experience, and if we’re like most people, we’ll go home and burden our family and ourselves with the one bad thing – never even recalling the 10 good ones. 

But what’s most exciting about focus management skill training, is that you can easily empower your clients/students to recondition conditioned thoughts and beliefs, by empowering them to change their focus. 

Whatever we focus on, we invite into our lives

Think about it.  When we decided to go to the moon, did we spend time, money, and energy focusing on remaining on planet earth?  Of course not, the focus was on the impossible – going to the moon.  Achievement in pursuit of any worthwhile endeavor, first requires a disciplined focus on the desired outcome, not the current situation. 

Pay attention to what you pay attention to

Yes, we all can live a courageous, high-quality life regardless of what challenges we face, simply by paying attention to what we pay attention to, and then re-focusing our thoughts when negativity prevails in the theater of our mind. In other words, we can control how we think and what we think about just as quickly as changing from the news to the comedy channel with your television remote.

My parents loved each other more the day my mother died than the day they were married. My mother was ill with heart disease for 20 years, and this was extremely difficult on my dad, who happened to be a world-class bridge player. He played competitive bridge on a regular basis to take his mind temporarily off my mother’s health issues, especially near the end of her life. By refocusing entirely on bridge for just a few hours, he was able to rejuvenate and reenergize himself so he could be a loving husband and caregiver.

In 1982, after a glorious boxing career, Mohammed Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. From that point on, Ali focused primarily on giving back to the world. He started the Mohammed Ali Parkinson’s Foundation and made frequent appearances to raise money to find a cure. Ali’s wife, Lonnie, focused on the benefits and the blessings to having Parkinson’s disease.  She stated in People Magazine, “Mohammed knows he has this illness for a reason. It’s not by chance.  Parkinson’s disease has made him a more spiritual person. Mohammed believes God gave it to him to focus on helping others; to create another destiny.”

In the October 2007 edition of The Oprah Magazine, the cover headline read “How to Calm Down, Cheer Up: Oprah’s Guide to Soothing Your Mind.” Oprah suggests that you, “Distract yourself, put on music and dance, scrub the bathtub spotless - whatever engrosses you.” In other words, what Oprah is saying is: change your focus.

The Law of Creation- including creating new job opportunities

Some people call it the self-fulfilling prophecy, others call it the Law of Attraction, and I call it the Law of Creation.  In basic terms this phenomenon is the ability to attract into our lives whatever we consistently focus on, with a high level of passion and intensity.  If we focus on negative doom and gloom, we will remain under that cloud. If we focus on positive thoughts and have goals that we truly aim to achieve… where there’s a will, there’s a way.

What are your job seekers focusing on when you create their résumés?

When a best friend fired me back in 1992, all I focused on was the negative - fear, anger, humiliation, and a sense of hopelessness.  I spent more time (like 90%) on the problem not the solution; on my current dilemma and failure, not future successes.  Then I met a wise teacher who suggested I refocus my attention. He said, “If you’re watching a TV program, like the news, where you become stressed and distraught, you can immediately click the remote to change to the comedy channel - and be laughing almost immediately.  And, Mr. Block, you too can do the same with your mindset… if you’re interested.”  And I was.  And I do.

Years later when I finally got my act together, I began working with job seekers who were in the same position I was – emotionally.  I soon realized their mindsets towards the job search and résumé development were similar – they were not focused on the future; rather, they were stuck in the present.  I’m sure you’ve also found this to be true.  When you work with job candidates needing an effective résumé to achieve their workplace goals - what are they focusing on?  It’s an important question!

Most job seekers are focused on the negative, the fear, the worst-case scenario, and their current situation – not on their goals or envisioning their future successes.  When they work on your résumé questionnaire, what other thoughts are going through their minds that are sabotaging the quality of their efforts? 

With all the countless voices vying for attention these days, how do you inspire your clients/students to focus primarily on the job campaign, so your job is easier and more effective – and their job campaign is a grand success?  Below are a few tips to empower your clients/students to re-focus – to enrich the quality of their résumé, job campaign… and life.

1. The primary benefit:  Ask your clients/students to write down on paper in 3 sentences or less, how landing a good job will enrich their lives?  And they must make it emotional.  When job seekers can clearly see and get excited about the myriad of benefits their job campaign will deliver to them and their families – they’ll grind! (Notice its written in the present tense).

    

   Example: I will be a hero to my family and myself. We will be able to take that vacation to Disney World we’ve always wanted to take. I’ll be saving again every month rather than watching my savings dwindle.  And the stress I am constantly under will no longer poison my life.  

    

2. Now see it to achieve it:  Ask your clients/students to find a quiet place once or twice a day, for five-minutes each time, to visualize their next “ideal” job.  Encourage them to envision their new office, a great new boss, their peers, their paychecks – all that is important to them in their next job.  When they visualize every day on what they want, that’s focus.  And consistent focus attracts.  This is so easy to do.  The problem is, it’s also easy not to do.

    

3. The mastermind group.  It’s important that your clients/students surround themselves with a small positive team of advisors – like a board of advisors.  Even if it’s just one person. In most instances, the people we surround ourselves determine the quality of our future.  Job seekers tend to isolate and remain in negative mindsets.  A small collaborate and positive mastermind helps brainstorm, provides support and advice, and constructive criticism when needed.  The best way to explain this is the expression: “no one makes it alone.”

Summary

Focus is power.  When driving a car, you frequently check your rearview mirror and side mirrors.  But most of your focus, to ensure a safe and successful journey, is on where you’re going, not where you are, or came from. The same holds true for job seekers. 

Caution: As You Step Into the Future…

Don’t Go It Alone 

"Each of us needs all of us, and all of us need each of us!" - Jim Rohn

It was Dr. Stephen Covey’s sixth habit: Synergy, and it’s best described by the cliché; two heads are better than one.  Professionally and personally, the future, with or without COVID, will be unlike any future the human race has ever witnessed.  The post-pandemic workplace will also be unlike anything ever seen before, pre or postindustrial age.  Mass resignations, early retirements, career transitions, labor shortages, political instability, new and emerging industries, struggling and declining industries, remote work and learning, space travel, crypto currencies, and about a million other variables – many still unknown – will directly affect life, the workplace, and what and how you coach tomorrow and in the future.

Technology, propelled by artificial intelligence, will become a transformative agent that will alter the employment industry in ways no one can accurately predict.  You know this.  But what I really want to reinforce here is that collaborations – strategic and trusting – will drive future success.    And anyone going it alone is doomed to struggle and underachieve – at best.   The most important skill that you and your clients/students will need to master to survive and thrive in 2022 and beyond – personally and professionally – is developing and expanding key collaborative associations.

The 3 key factors that led to success after being fired by a best friend

When asked what I attribute to achieving my success after being fired by a best friend at age 39, the three factors are carved in stone; meaning they are immutable.  And most successful coaches will confirm that these are the three foundational principles for success moving forward.  

1. I found and invested in the right mentors

   “Mr. Block, for anything to change for the better for you, you must first change you.  When you change you, everything will change for you – for the better.”  I could not afford to work with Tony Robbins after I was fired.  But I couldn’t afford not to.  I expected great things from myself – to be an example for my son, like my father was for me.  And I was anything but.  I was an embarrassment. 

   You might be thinking that you cannot afford mentors, as I originally did. But here’s what I discovered. The problem is seldom a lack of resources, it’s a lack  of resourcefulness.  There’s always a way if we’re committed.  So resourcefulness is another invaluable and teachable skill. 

   My mentors were from eclectic  environments: communications, leadership, motivation and empowerment, psychology – even yoga.  Then I brought what I learned into the career / employment industry because I believed the industry (and my clients) would benefit from it.  And each time when I couldn’t afford a mentor, I found them in books: Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Benjamin Franklin, and Claire Wineland for instance. 

   Mentors provide new perspectives – successful ones.  They are honest, tactful, and compassionate – and help eliminate, to the extent possible, the trial and error strategy.  I found that by age 39, the  trial and error strategy took too long and was too painful.  So I invested in a new success tactic… and the ROI was incalculable.  Yes, the financial return was beyond what I ever imagined.  But the #1 ROI was the friendships, collaborations, and lifelong relationships I made.    

2. I identified and established active, collaborative relationships with dozens and dozens of industry professionals

   Mentors and coaches are invaluable.  But collaborative associations are everything.  When you connect with a team of collaborative colleagues, you innovate, discuss differing perspectives while exchanging divergent solutions (with open minds), and resolve problem and issues cooperatively. 

   Collaborative association is the activity of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems or new solutions to future challenges anticipated.  How will artificial intelligence (AI) affect you, your business, and your profession?  How long will there be a worker shortage?  When will résumés become outdated except online?  Will the Great Resignation return people to the workplace; if so where, when, and how?  How long before the supply chain is relinked?

   We have a choice.  We can consciously work alone and interact with colleagues only on occasion, believing we have the crystal ball that will provide the all-important answers to successfully meet the future.  Delusional at best, if you were to ask me. 

   Indeed, 2022 will be the year of shared and collaborative vision planning.  And it will take all of us to support and inspire each of us. And it will take each of us to contribute to all of us.  In the spy world, it’s called intelligence gathering.  In the military world it’s called playing war games – predicting and planning for all future possibilities.  In Napoleon Hills’s book, Think & Grow Rich – it’s called developing a mastermind.

   3. Let’s kill the myth

   One thing I want to point out.  There has been an age-old believe in our industry that if I share something with my colleagues, I am giving up top secret strategies.  In the early years, we grew because we collaborated.  My first McGraw-Hill book, 101 Best Résumés, included some 90 résumés from PARWCC members.   It wasn’t about me or my résumés; it was about our collective efforts.  My first five résumé and cover letter books were collaborative efforts, and many contributors went on to become bestselling authors as well. 

   Contrary to what some industry professionals believe, there are no earth-shattering trade secrets.  So I encourage all of us to share what we know, and allow our creative, resourceful, and humanistic nature to compete in the marketplace.  Lawyers do.  Accountants do.  Plumbers do.   Why not us?

   Simple ways to begin collaborating   

1. Pick up the phone and proactively reach out and create your key collaborate associations
2. Attend the annual PARWCC conference (Personally, this was my #1 way to collaborate)
3. Create regional associations in your geography.  Perhaps meet in person or Zoom to discuss best practices and emerging best practices
4. Connect with members on the PARWCC website – groups, webinars, etc.

    

I identified 6-8 things that most successful professionals were doing – and sought ways to do it better

When I first entered the industry in 1988, few things made any common sense to me.  The job search process was painful, fearful, and stress-filled for most.  Résumés were boring, look-alike chronological obituaries because the books and career counselors, at the time,  claimed that the best way to stand out to win job offers, was to blend in.  What other product or service do you know of, that has been successfully marketed in the same boring, painful, and fear-based way job seekers are encouraged to promote themselves?  I’ve been asking this question for 30 years – no one has produced a good answer.

So I would attend annual conferences, workshops, and any other forum where I could meet and interact with other members and industry professionals.  And my primary goal was always to identify 6-8 things they all did well – a common thread among all 6-8 professionals. Then I would find ways to do them better.  

We all shared and we all benefited because in the end, givers do gain.  Many members chose select niches:  I became an outlier, believing the industry needed empowerment and motivational programs.  Wendy Enelow, John Suarez, and Louise Kursmark, among others, brought résumé writing to a whole new level.  It was collaboration that created the industry you now work in.  And it will be collaboration that will successfully steer industry practitioners through the post-COVID workplace. 

Sitting in a pew: Jerry Bill’s story

Jerry, a former banker who became a tax-return accountant in Colorado Springs, also opened up a résumé writing company back in the mid 1990’s.  His claim to fame was that he believed a quality résumé could be written from scratch in one hour – for anyone.  And he had a church pew in his office for his clients to sit on while he created the 1-hour résumé – because no client could sit comfortably in a pew for more than one hour. 

Jerry attended the PARWCC annual conference in 1997 and met many members who shared their approach to résumés – most requiring more than an hour.  Jerry was open to other methods, but he also saw a greater opportunity. He discovered that many independent résumé  writers struggled with marketing – getting new clients.  So he collaborated with many members and launched a website that brought in hundreds of résumé prospects a week.  And over the years, he dished out new résumé business to untold members for a 20% cut.  And in 1999, he hosted the annual PARWCC conference in Colorado Springs. 

Because of collaboration, Jerry Bills grew from a one-man local résumé-writing company serving clients on a pew – to a respected industry collaborator who helped dozens and dozens of members achieve success they otherwise would not have achieved (Jerry passed in 2018). 

Summary

Going at it alone in 2022 and beyond will be a dangerous strategy.  But key collaborative associations with members and other industry professionals will be the success strategy moving forward.  Collaboratively we can…

• Ensure sustainable economic stability and growth
• Strategically address shared goals and agendas
• Identify and expand best practices – including technology / AI integration
• Pursue new and emerging opportunities
• Promote causes within and outside the industry
• Invigorate the industry brand in the buying public’s eye
• Set expectations for the future – internal and external
• Create expanded collaborations with HR professionals, recruiters, TAP managers, workforce and college resource center personnel, and industry/educational leaders.

Two heads may be better than one.  But it will take all of us - collectively - to chart our industry’s course post pandemic and pre full-blown AI, so each of us can flourish and thrive.    And speaking of thriving – the April PARWCC THRIVE conference would be an ideal environment to start.  Hope to see you there.

No question - people are exhausted as the world enters a third year of a relentless pandemic.  But a new year gives us the opportunity to do new things, experience new experiences, and attempt new attempts.  So, as we exit the holiday season and begin a new journey into a new year, let me ask you:  What’s new with you?  

And this is a good question to pose to job seekers when it comes to their job campaigns, because if we’re not creating anything new on a habitual basis, we’re probably heading in the wrong direction… or about to.  If we’re not consistently creating something new, in some way, shape, or form, we are probably destroying real possibilities and opportunities to enrich our lives.

New Mindset

All too often we hear the cliché, maintain a positive attitude… and simply pay lip service to it.  When we are feeling unhappy or experiencing adversity, we are told to grin and bear it or, make the best of a bad situation.  The problem is that we are not taught HOW to maintain a good, positive attitude in the wake of setbacks, obstacles, and unexpected circumstances that throw our lives into chaos. This would include navigating COVID – with all the anxiety, uncertainty, and discomfort that pandemics produce. So the first step to creating anything new is to consciously manage our mindsets.  We can do this by:

1. Focus Management: Focusing on all that we have to be grateful for, in pursuit of all that we want. And focusing on the successful end-result and all its benefits, to help keep us moving forward when adversity strikes. And focusing on gratitude is perhaps the most powerful strategy.  Michael J. Fox said in a December, 2021 interview with The AARP Magazine, “As I came through the darkness, I had an insight about being grateful and how gratitude makes optimism sustainable. 
   
2. People Management:  Surrounding ourselves with wise, optimistic people, while avoiding or outright eliminating negative voices of influence. There are some people we can spend an hour with.  But not two.  
3. Wellness Management:  Committing to living a healthy and vibrant lifestyle because good health and good energy lead to good fortune.  If we have our health, we do have almost everything. 
   
   
   

   New Thoughts

   New thoughts can only be destructive and inhibiting when our mindset is functioning on autopilot; a state we call, mindlessness.  But with a healthy, mindful, and positive mindset, we can create new, empowering thoughts. 

   It’s been repeated throughout history that we can’t fix a problem with the same mind that created it.  No matter how hard we work or how committed we are to achieving our goals, if we don’t continually rethink what we think we know, the same thoughts will become old-thought gatekeepers; and no new viewpoints or perspectives will be considered.   

   New thoughts create new goals, new dreams, new jobs and promotions, and a new life because new thoughts create new beliefs and new emotions – excitement and passion for instance.  New thoughts that create new beliefs empower us to lose weight, stop smoking, repair damaged relationships, overcome life challenges, land new jobs, win promotions, enhance business opportunities, and enrich life.  When we create new thoughts and new beliefs, we then create new habits.  We do this by:

   • Asking Higher Quality Questions (for instance: “What is possible for me that I currently believe is impossible?”).  Asking higher quality questions is known as the Socratic Methodology, a universally recognized strategy that is the single-most effective critical thinking process available to humans.  New thoughts and new beliefs derive from asking ourselves, and others, higher quality questions – which lead to higher quality answers.

    

   New Habits

   A recent study conducted by Duke University noted that more than 40 percent of our daily actions are habits (https://www.danpink.com/2012/03/the-power-of-habits-and-the-power-to-change-them/).   Some habits serve us; others do not.  The key is learning how to recondition limiting or destructive habits that don’t serve us. I use the word “recondition” because most habits have been conditioned at the subconscious level. 

   As you go through your day, try and identify how many times you find yourself doing the same things, going the same way, and following a regimen just because that’s how you’ve always done it.  Some people wake up in the morning and habitually grab a cigarette, or their phone, or get out of bed and grab a cup of coffee.  Habits determine whether we exercise or not, how much television we watch, how many books we read, how we treat and respond to others, and how we grow or fail to grow.  By becomingmindful of our habits, we can better understand our actions and, in turn, make more deliberate and success-oriented choices.

   Once we become AWARE (mindful) of our habits, and we identify those that do NOT serve or benefit us, we can change our thoughts and beliefs to create new routines and new actions to generate new outcomes.  New habits create a better quality of life.  For example, I replaced a nightly habit of chocolate with fresh fruit.  Not easy at first for this chocoholic.  But I sleep better now; and interestingly enough – don’t miss the chocolate all that much.  Perhaps the most significant habit-change I made in my life was terminating a 3-pack-a-day habit of smoking cigarettes back in my twenties (I was the Marlboro Man).  I became mindful that I couldn’t make it up a flight of stairs without gasping for breath.  Me, a lifelong athlete, suddenly (and thankfully) became aware. 

   The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is make my bed. Why?   Because that’s how I’ve always done it.  Maybe it was my mom telling me, as a kid,  that I’d at least achieve one goal for the day – and it would lead to others.  But I recently became mindfulthat I did not feel good when I arrived at my coffee after walking around my bed six times, smacking my hands and fingers on the platform tucking in the sheets, fighting my OCD tendencies in eliminating “all” wrinkles, and feeling somewhat nauseous after bending over multiple times to get all the pillows situated “perfectly.”  The first morning I had coffee before I made my bed, was like sitting with your legs crossed the other way that you’re used to.  But wow, after just a few days, my whole day started differently – for the better – just by changing a habit.   How do we change habits (once we’re mindful and decide to change)?

   1. Using Discipline as our guide. Discipline means being conscious of our thoughts, beliefs, and habits.  Discipline means doing what we don’t want to do in pursuit of what we want.  Discipline means taking self-responsibility to do those things we need to do that enrich the quality of our lives.
   2. Embracing Discomfort.  To break any habit and replace it with a new one that will provide us the opportunity to live a better quality life, suggests that we will need to accept and endure some degree of discomfort.  Discomfort DOES NOT equal pain.  In fact, discomfort suggests liberation and freedom from old, limiting, and destructive habits. For the first few nights, it might be a bit discomforting to eat the apple rather than the ice cream.  But when we embrace the discomfort and envision the significant benefits of switching from ice cream to an apple (a healthier body and lifestyle), we then recondition our habits and will soon routinely reach for the apple a day. 

    

   New Desires 

   Napoleon Hill, author of the book, Think and Grow Rich (the bible of all success books), said, “Desire is the starting point of all achievement… not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

   We often undervalue goals and ambitions that would make life more valuable.  Author Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God), said, “Somewhere between the age of 40 and 50, most people have given up on their grandest dreams, set aside their highest hopes, and settled for their lowest expectations… or nothing at all.” 

   Why do most people place limitations on their abilities and potential? The answer is fear.  Most people are afraid to set significant goals for themselves because they fear they can’t achieve them.  They fear failure, rejection, ridicule, and resistance.  Hill said it so well when he says, “a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”  When desire transcends everything, there is no such thing as debilitating fear of failure, rejection, ridicule, or resistance.  And if there is… it doesn’t matter!  As Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery over fear – but not absence of fear.”

   Ask job seekers and folks you know, what has to happen in 2022 so this year will be the best year of their lives. Most won’t have a clue.  Ask them what their true potential is and what’s genuinely possible for them in a world of unlimited possibilities, and most flat out don’t know.  But the fact is, we all have pulsating desires.  We only need to muster the courage to identify and tap into them.  We can do this by:

1. Taking the Time to Go Within.  Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”  Though I’m not sure I agree with the not worth living part, an unexamined life certainly results in underachievement – even regret at the end.  So we must take the time and examine what our hearts yearn for; what our deepest desires are that we are neglecting.  Once we begin to awaken the giant within and allow our hearts to have a say in our future, our minds will adapt and produce strategies and plans to achieve those desires.  Where there’s a will (the heart) there’s a way (the mindset).
2. Acknowledging the Consequences of Settling For Less. The consequences of knowing we never gave life our best shot… that there are no do-overs.  Perhaps this shot of reality, this shot of self-inflicted pain, will be the catalyst for going for the gold in the short time we have on this planet,

Have you ever heard the expression: “We only live once.”   Let me correct this:  “We get to live every day. We only die once.”  So, hey… what’s new?  Hopefully, you won’t respond… “Same ole same ole.”  So come up with lots of new “stuff” for 2022 – and make it a great and productive year. 

You can either get through the day or you can get from the day.  Translation: You can live your life on autopilot (also known as sleepwalking through life) and hoping that destiny will be kind to you.  Or you can become a mindful, proactive, and energetic pilot of your own life - and place your destiny in your hands.  

You see, while most people are hustling and bustling just to make it through the day, a much smaller group is getting from the day - reaping the rewards and benefits, and enjoying the gifts inherent in every day.  Including all the adversities that life throws at them. 

This smaller, idiosyncratic group acknowledges that life’s greatest gifts, existent in every day, are often disguised as adversities.  So getting from the day means embracing it all - the easy and the tough stuff.  Why?  Because they know it’s one of the best investments they can make in their future… and their family’s future.

28,000 days

A quarter-century ago, a wise teacher taught me that a single day was a significant and irreplaceable amount of time. 

“Time is more valuable than money, Mr. Block.  If you lose money, you can always make it back.  But if you lose (or waste) time, it can never be recovered. If you’re lucky to make it to eighty, that’s just over 29,000 days.  You probably don’t remember the first three or four years of life, so figure you’ve got about 28,000 days to make something of yourself on this planet – if you’re lucky.

“And every day that concludes is one less day you have to create whatever it is you want to create.  So never leave a day without identifying its special gifts, and bring them into tomorrow to grow, contribute, and become all you can be… before the curtain drops.”

He suggested that at the end of every day, I take just 10 minutes to reflect on the day.  Who did I see, what did I do, what did I like, what did I not like, what did I learn, what do I need to learn, what do I have to be proud of, and what did I leave behind that made a difference?  And finally, what one thing can I take from today and bring into tomorrow to enrich my future? 

Can you imagine doing this at the end of every day?  Now imagine stringing 365 consecutive “getting-from-the-day” days together, and you have a year.  A full year of getting from, not through your time above ground.  Can you imagine all that you can accomplish, all that you can leave behind that others can benefit from, and all that you can be genuinely proud of?

  And if you’re lucky, you might get eighty of them.  Years, I mean.  And here you are, about to close out another one.  2021 is coming to an end.  Did you live it on your terms, regardless of the pandemic and other challenges you had to face?  Did you even have those terms identified?  Do you have your “living life on your terms” requirements clarified for 2022?  I’ve written this thousands of times: If we don’t know what we want, we’ll have to settle for what we get.  And this pretty much ends up being underwhelming and disappointing – at best.

Getting from the year

December is the ideal month to begin the process of getting from the year.  Indeed, the last two years have been a challenge for most of us.  Nonetheless, what were your six-to-eight greatest achievements last year?  Most people can instantly list their six-to-eight greatest disasters and problems… but tend to ignore or bypass the cool stuff they achieved.  I challenge you to take a few hours of alone time and identify:

• Six-to-eight personal achievements in 2021
• Six-to-eight professional achievements in 2021
• Six-to-eight challenges you successfully faced and overcame in 2021
• Six-to-eight lessons you learned in 2021 to help you grow and prosper in 2022
• Six-to-eight best decisions you made in 2021

Decisions

If you get nothing out of this article except this, it can be life-changing:  Destiny is determined in moments of decision.  I would argue decision-making is the single greatest skill we can learn and master.  Our decisions (your decisions) determine the quality of life.  Who you marry.  Whether you drink and drive rather than call a taxi.  Whether you continue to read this article or not… everything.   And when we are mindful and take stock of what is - in order to plan for what will be - we will make better decisions to take full advantage of all the new opportunities that exist. 

Here’s another thing.  Most humans are conditioned to think about the worst-case scenario, i.e., the negative; the problems.  Why?  Who knows?  But the fact is, we tend to delete the best-case scenarios, the positives; the solutions.  Hey, ten good things could happen to you today along with just one bad thing… and if you’re like most people, you’ll go home and burden yourself and your family with the one bad thing while totally disregarding the ten good things.  Can you relate? 

But when we take just five or ten minutes out of every day to get from the day, we remind ourselves of what we tend to overlook… the best-case scenarios – the positives – the solutions. 

And when we do address the worst-case scenarios - the negative - the problems, in the five-to-ten-minute daily review, the only question that matters is: what did I learn from this?   By asking this important question, we seek a higher level of self-resourcefulness to make better decisions to achieve our end-goals. 

And knowing that we can’t control everything in life, the question, what did I learn from this?  challenges us to control how we respond and react to situations and circumstances.  It’s never the strong wind or rough seas that matter… rather, it’s always the set of the sail.  When we learn to set a better sail to each day, we won’t care what kind of wind blows or how treacherous the seas are, because we’re in control of our mindset, and thus, our decisions.  And destiny.

Beyond resolutions and goals

Expectations equal achievement.  When we set the bar low, results are usually disappointing.  But when we set the bar high, the most extraordinary dreams and ambitions are more than possible; they become probable.  Potential is optimized.  The impossible becomes possible.  Destiny becomes a lasting legacy.

Getting from the year is just that; acknowledging the efforts you made in the prior year to better appreciate the path you might take next year.   What it is not is a hapless effort at identifying those delusional New Year’s resolutions that last, at most, a few weeks.

Getting from the year is a constructive, positive, and honest review of the past year, focusing primarily on what you tend to delete, the dozens / hundreds of success stories and achievements you paid little or no attention to in 2021.

Yet, we allow those small, nagging irritants to persist for hours, days, weeks, perhaps a lifetime in some cases.  Once you invest quality time reviewing all of 2021, acknowledging and HONORING ALL YOUR SUCCESSES, you then can ignite your positive and unstoppable energy and enthusiasm to conquer all that you set out to accomplish in 2022.

In search of lessons learned

This process of getting from each day, each week, each month, and each year is about personal growth, evolution, and progress.  When you invest time getting from the year, the goal is to identify LESSONS LEARNED.  Your past is not to be judged.  Rather it’s best that you simply review, evaluate, and learn from the past – treating it as a school - not a jury in a courtroom. 

Learning and growth assume awareness.  You can’t fix what you’re not aware of.  As well, you can’t accelerate and intensify your already successful efforts, if you are mindless of what those efforts are. Tomorrow’s success is seeded in what you learned from past experience and adjustments you make.  If I assess, tonight, that I drank too much Coca Cola (sugar and calories), and not enough water today, my health only improves when I make adjustments to my lifestyle based on my evaluation.  Knowledge without applied action is self-delusion.  So I must take action and ditch the Coke, and go for a lot more H²O tomorrow.  A good question to ask is: what did I learn today and how can I use it optimally tomorrow?

One last thing.  Getting from the day and getting from the year allows you to open your heart and your consciousness (your mind) to many thoughts and ideas you may already have, but thoughts that you’ve filed away, or placed on hold for the rest of your life.  All a result of fear - fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of ridicule, resistance, or rejection.  Fear of some kind – even success (fear of responsibility). 

But when you allow yourself to clearly see future possibilities in the theater of your mind, this propels courage to defeat fear.  You must first see it and believe it, in your mind and heart, and only then will you be able to achieve it.  This is what getting from the day and year means.  Taking the time to know what you want and why you deserve to achieve it.

Self-appreciation: The magic to even greater happiness and achievement

The magic comes when you give yourself the gift of “introspection;” to get from the day, week, month, year, or your whole life.   When you invest a little time and focus on achieving a deeper level of awareness, you will magically identify past successes you’ve been ignoring, as well as valuable lessons learned from previous setbacks.  But mostly, the exercise is about “self-appreciation.” 

Once you begin to honor yourself and appreciate all that you accomplished in 2021, you’ll then be able to forge ahead and make 2022 the best year of your life.  You have the capability and you have the power.   Why not give 2022, and beyond, your very best shot?   

Before the curtain drops. 

If only I knew this coming out of college, I wouldn’t have lost more than $200,000 trying to build two businesses back in my late twenties and early-to-mid thirties.  I was one missed payment short of bankruptcy.  Both were good businesses with almost unlimited potential.  And both were plagued with a disease I brought to each enterprise called: “Marketing Ignorance.”

I was fortunate to run across Jay Abraham, through a mentor referral.  I couldn’t afford him at the time ($5,000 an hour – in 1995), but I purchased his most comprehensive audio workshop.  At the time he said, “Most people don’t realize that the cost of acquiring a customer is substantial, while the cost of selling them more or selling them more often is significantly less.”

More on this later.

Once I learned this marketing approach in my early forties, my company, over the past 30 years, has grown beyond my wildest expectations.  So I want to introduce the foundational concepts to growing a successful business or professional practice.   Just about all successful enterprises are based on the understanding of the simplicity and importance of this foundation.  And I have personally coached and mentored countless résumé writers, career coaches, and business owners who achieved stunning success as well. 

The ONLY 3 Ways to Grow a Business or Professional Practice

1)     The first one is obvious.  It’s increasing the number of clients.  This is the one method that almost everybody focuses the majority of their attention and resources on.  But the second and third strategies are actually where you have the greatest potential for leverage, growth… and income. 

2)     The second strategy is increasing your average transaction value.  This simply means increasing the size of the sale and profit of each transaction.  In the past, it was a rare occurrence when I would take on a résumé client and didn’t ADD ON (upsell) additional revenues for increased profits.  Not at the expense of my clients – but to better serve them.  A win-win scenario. By bundling résumé services  with empowerment coaching, career coaching services, or books and other products I created, I increased sales and profits.   

Yes, prospects called me inquiring about my résumé prices, but I took the time to educate them on my rapid employment process. Then, as a result, they could better identify what additional services I could provide to help them meet their goals, while I increased my average transaction of most sales.

3)     The third strategy is increasing the frequency of purchase.  This means you get residual value out of every customer, and this tends to be a huge barrier for most résumé writers and career coaches.  Once you have completed the résumé project, what is your client going to come back for next week? Next month?   How many times a year do you visit the supermarket, your dry cleaner, and hair stylist?  You have satisfied résumé clients.  You consistently exceed client expectations.  Now what? 

What can you sell them next week / next month to optimize your exposure?  Increasing the frequency of purchase means you entice clients to come back more often to purchase more products and services from you.  Because you’ve earned this trust!

Indeed, the cost of acquiring a customer is substantial.  But the cost of selling them more or selling them more often is generally inconsequential.  So let’s take a closer look at the three strategies. 

I.               Increasing the Number of Clients

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to increase the number of clients.  Based on my experience and those of highly successful industry practitioners, here are three ways to cost-effectively grow your customer base.

1)     Referral Marketing:  I suggest to my business and professional clients that they identify and contact 15-20 potential referral sources that would benefit by referring business to them.  There is absolutely nothing more thrilling than creating a team of referral sources that value your services and feed a steady stream of clients your way.  On my team, I had therapists, psychologists, substance abuse facilities, and other “mental health” professionals.  Many of their clients/patients needed jobs. 

Divorce lawyers are a good referral source because in many cases, one of the divorced couples will need a job.  Private and vocational educational institutions that have low-budget career resource facilities are also ideal referral sources. 

Also professional associations.  Almost every industry has one – like PARWCC.  Associations benefit from having a resource for unemployed members because employed members keep the dues and revenues flowing in.  Most association leaders acknowledge that offering / referring career and employment services is a valuable member benefit.

2)     Public Speaking:   While so many industry practitioners are working hard to dominate the world, they are barely dominating their own market.  What I am suggesting here is that “market domination” and a full pipeline of business can, in most cases, be easily achieved by focusing on your local market and positioning yourself as the local market guru.  And today with Zoom taking center stage, there are so many more opportunities to speak and become recognized.

When you hone your messages and create a compelling and memorable presentation, you’ll be able to enhance your market brand by speaking at every opportunity, at special events, meetings, networking venues, and the list is almost endless.   You probably won’t be paid for many of these gigs, but when you nail the presentation and hand out business cards and professional marketing materials, attendees will remember, refer, and use your services.  And, of course, you want to collect as many emails as you can to add to your database.

3)     Online and Offline PR:  This is how I got on Good Morning America.  Within and outside your marketplace, there are publications, organizations, and associations with newsletters, as well as online and offline media (local and national), that are hungry for information and topics of interest.  Keep in mind that when it comes to this marketing strategy, it’s all about them, not you.  So when you present material for online and offline publication or in press kits, the subject matter must be provocative, interesting, relevant, and beneficial to the medias’ audiences.

II.              Increasing the Average Transaction Value

Once again, there are many ways to increase the average transactional value.  But this requires that you expand your menu of services.  Highly successful industry practitioners achieve this using two primary strategies, and they both involve various forms of bundling / combining services.

1)     In-house:  Bundle services and products yourself.  The more you have to bundle, the easier it is to increase the average transaction value of each sale.  For instance: bundling your résumé service with LinkedIn profiles, or interview coaching, or social media optimization, or any form of career coaching.  Over the 30 years I worked with job seekers, I called this service: RésuméPLUS. 

2)     Referral Partners:  Everything affects everything else.  If your client is having a challenge getting a job, he might also be having health, relationship, or financial challenges.  And these ‘other’ challenges will negatively impact the job campaign. 

That said, there are many clients you can help in areas you might never have even considered.  Many need help with relationships (spouse / family), health (including depression, anger management, and self-esteem / confidence issues), debt and finances, and other situations and circumstances that are NOT directly related to writing résumés and career coaching.  If you get a 10%-20% referral fee to help clients in areas you are not adept at, that’s PASSIVE INCOME. 

3)     And then there are industry professionals who do NOT do it all.  There are résumé writers who don’t career coach.  There are career coaches who don’t write résumés.  There are résumé writers and career coaches who don’t provide social media services.  Then there are professionals who only want to work with specific populations such as teenagers, executives, or  single moms.  If you get a 10%-20% referral fee by referring clients you prefer not to work with, that’s PASSIVE INCOME. 

III.            Increasing Frequency of Purchase: 

We can break this methodology down to two specific strategies that most high-income industry professionals use to ensure strong repeat business.  The challenge here is that when the résumé or coaching services are done, why would satisfied clients have a reason to come back soon?

1)     Strategy #1: Communications:  Stay in touch with former clients on a consistent basis.  Perhaps you use an email service, or use your own information-based newsletter to stay in touch with them.  Here again, your menu of services must be expanded to offer additional amenities.  Some coaches I’ve worked with send out email newsletters (as I do with Constant Contact), or even call clients a few weeks after they work with them to introduce additional programs such as:

·       How to Keep a New Job Once You Land It

·       How to Ask For a Raise without Begging

·       How to Plan the Next 3 Years Climbing the Ladder of Success

·       How to Start a Part Time Business To Create a Secondary Income Source

The goal is to stay in touch and to have clients interested in you staying in touch.  If you send a weekly newsletter to clients and it’s all about selling more services… you won’t get much repeat business.  In fact, they’ll probably unsubscribe or avoid you.  But, if you send valuable information to clients who LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING it because it’s full of substantive information they can use, you stay top-of-mind with clients and they’ll be back for more.

How many résumé writers or career coaches do you think make a phone call to clients a week after the completion of services – just to be sure they are completely satisfied?  How many send out evaluation forms?  How many send clients a tee shirt or a “promotional gift” a week or month after the services are completed? 

Answer: Only the rich and famous.

2)     Strategy #2: Deliver Quality Services that are Simply Unsurpassed.  This final principle is all-important.  Whatever services and products your provide, author Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence),  suggests you, “WOW YOUR CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS TO DEATH WITH EXTRAORDINARY QUALITY.” 

If you’re providing the same level of service today that you were delivering a week ago… your business is probably in trouble.  The three ways to grow a business or profession all depend on constant and never-ending improvement.  Like new, improved IPhones that are released on a regular basis, you too must keep your services and products fresh, exciting, effective… best-in-class. 

Then, forge ahead and reap the financial and personal rewards.

The Birds “Will” Get Some of the Seed

Admittedly, I’m an amateur when it comes to antiquity, and that includes the Bible.  But there are a few parables and anecdotes I was taught that teach one of two lessons we can take away from ancient stories:  Behold and Beware.  So in this month’s Spotlight, I want to share my personal interpretation of the Parable of the Sower - as it pertains to job seekers (as well as you and me). It’s a Behold lesson for those who embrace the concepts.  It’s a Beware lesson for those who don’t.

In ancient days, the Sower was the person who planted the crops.  Quite simply, the Sower prepared the field and enriched the soil as best he could.  Then, with a bag of seed, he would walk across the field and sow the seed.  In this story, the Sower was successful.  He sowed well and harvested a good crop.  But not without challenges.  Like birds eating the seed.

The Sower used an unpretentious process that portrays a captivating story – a process job seekers can replicate using subtle, yet important qualities for landing a job (Or growing a business or professional brand).  Below are the qualities as I interpret the anecdote.

Quality #1: Wisdom

The first quality of success achievement demonstrated by the Sower was that the Sower was a wise man.  I’m sure you would agree that wisdom has its advantages over ignorance; and that ignorance is NOT bliss.  We wouldn’t want to send an ignorant person in the field to plant.  We’d all starve!  And a job seeker who has wisdom, has a significant advantage over the ignorant job seeker in achieving rapid employment.

Quality #2: Ambition Supported by Gratitude

The second quality of success achievement demonstrated by the Sower is that he was ambitious.  Ambition is an admirable quality, but one that must also be tempered.  It’s important to be both ambitious and appreciative.  That’s a unique combination of characteristics.  This means the Sower was grateful for all he had, in pursuit of all that he wanted.  Job seekers must also be grateful for all they have in pursuit of a new job.  It’s a matter of what they choose to focus on. Energy attracts like energy, and there is no better energy to propel one’s ambition then genuine gratitude.   

Quality #3: Hard Work

The third quality of success achievement demonstrated by the Sower is that he was a hard worker.  Indeed, it takes “labor” to create new life and a good harvest.  Wisdom uninvested in labor is wasted.  What good is knowledge in the hands of a slothful Sower?  To make an idea tangible; to turn seed into a bountiful harvest the Sower must sow.  This requires hard work and self-motivation.   Here’s a good phrase to share with job seekers. “Don’t wish things were easier – wish you worked harder and became more masterful in conducting a successful job campaign.” No one I know ever “drifted” to the top of a mountain.  You have to climb – and that requires hard work.

Quality #4: The Best Resources

The fourth quality of success achievement demonstrated by the Sower is that he used the best seed.  What can be more exciting than working with the best resources available and creating the best resources possible – be it the best résumé, the best campaign strategy, and the best team of professionals… the best of everything?   When job seekers amass the very best resources in pursuit of rapid employment, rapid promotions, rapid anything of any kind – success is right around the corner.  And keep in mind that the best resource is, in most cases, one’s own resourcefulness.

The Law of Averages

The law of averages, in its most simplistic form, says that if you throw enough mud against the wall, assuming a non-zero probability, some will stick.  An example we are all familiar with is, "If I send my résumé to enough places, the law of averages says that someone will eventually hire me."

Once again, assuming a non-zero probability, it is true that the greater the effort, the greater the odds of success.  I failed thirty-two times, over a nine-month period, in getting my manuscript accepted by a major  publisher.  I succeeded on the 33^rd attempt.  I was one for thirty-three.  When I first began selling my résumé services back in 1991, I closed three out of ten phone inquiries.  As I improved and mastered my what’s-in-it-for-you sales presentation, I peaked at eight out of ten.  You see, the law of averages improves as we improve our skills.  A lesson we need to inspire in our clients/students. 

The Birds Will Get Their Unfair Share

The Sower knew that when he planted his seed, inevitably, the law of averages would kick in and the birds would eat some (or a lot) of the seed.  They always do.  But the intelligent Sower ignores the birds and keeps on sowing.  He understands that this is part of the process.  The same is true for successful job seekers. Job seekers must understand that the birds will always get part of the seed; meaning sending out just one résumé won’t cut it. 

The law of averages suggests that if a job seeker sends out ten résumés, the birds might get five of them.   In this example, the birds (metaphorically speaking), might be résumés that don’t make it through fire walls, or résumés that are deleted or passed over.  Or the bird might be nepotism or better qualified candidates. 

Keep in mind that in pursuit of anything worthwhile, we will meet resistance; adversity.  The intelligent job seeker, like the intelligent Sower, knows that resistance and adversity are unavoidable components of the success process.  And the only way to achieve rapid, high quality outcomes – like landing a new job - is to plant more seeds.

Disappointment

As the Sower continued sowing the seed, and while birds devoured some of them, other seed fell on rocky ground and in shallow soil.  Once again, the law of averages kicks in.  Even if the seed takes root and a plant starts to grow, the soil is not conducive to a good harvest.  On the first hot day, the little plant will wither and die.  Disappointment is part of the process.

A job seeker is a good sower and plants her seeds.  One of them leads to the perfect job opportunity and she is told that she’s the ideal candidate; it’s her job to lose.  And sure enough, one month and four interviews later, she is informed she was beaten out by one other person.  How, why, and for what reason – who knows?  

But the lesson here is that when we learn to plant seeds of opportunity in greater numbers (without compromising quality or settling for less), the law of averages will limit disappointment.  This is a significant part of success achievement – overcoming disappointment.  The Sower, like all successful job seekers, limits disappointment and moves on, focusing on planting more seed and nurturing the seed he has already planted.

Frustration

The Sower plants his seeds and the plants start to grow.  But a prolonged period of rain floods the field and some of the seeds drown.  Birds. Poor soil. Now this.  Frustrating!

Once again, frustration is unavoidable and part of the scenario.  How do people respond to adverse weather conditions?   The weather is certainly an excuse many people use for not pushing on and getting the job done; for quitting. Perhaps there is a fifth quality of the Sower I didn’t mention previously:  tenacity; perseverance; relentless determination… in other words, “resolve.”

The intelligent Sower, like the intelligent job seeker,  grinds through the frustration and keeps on sowing.  The reason for this is simple.  They understand and ‘have trust’ in the law of averages.

Finally – Success

The Sower keeps on planting because he is well-schooled in the numbers game - the law of averages.  He knows the birds will get some of the seed.  He knows some seed will be planted on shallow soil, and the weather will get its inevitable tally.  Obviously, the Sower was introduced to the educational institution known as, “The School of Hard Knocks.”  He understands and accepts the inevitable process - and just keeps on sowing.

Finally, a good percentage of seed fell on good soil and escaped the birds, the shallow soil, and the weather.  And a bountiful harvest resulted.  Success.  And it’s been my experience, over 30+ years, that when job seekers replicate the Sower’s strategies and philosophies -  they too will enjoy a bountiful harvest – rapid employment.

Wouldn’t it be interesting if you, and all PARWCC members, wrote down your own 10 commandments for résumé development as you perceive them to be, and then we had the opportunity to exchange viewpoints?  I’m sure this would be incredibly valuable.  Unfortunately, we don’t have that capability in this forum, so I’ll begin by sharing my 10 commandments.

Before I list them, I recently Googled the keywords, “Résumé Writing Tips.”  I have been doing this for years - even before there was a Google.  And in all that time, I can sadly report that the vast majority of résumé writing tips offered today, are about the same tiresome ones they offered 30 years ago. 

For instance, when I Googled “résumé writing tips,” on June 10^th of this year for this article, the first result (following a half-page of paid ads for résumé writing companies), was an article by Jody Porowski, writing for themuse, entitled: 20 Basic Resume Writing Rules That'll Put You Ahead of the Competition.  (https://www.themuse.com/advice/20-basic-resume-writing-rules-thatll-put-you-ahead-of-the-competition.  Her first five tips: 1. Keep it to One Page, 2. Avoid Spelling or Grammar Errors, 3. Watch Your Tenses, 4. Avoid the First Person Pronouns, 5. Send Your Résumé as a PDF. 

And these were her top tier tips!  It gets more nauseating as you read down the list.  Look, I believe that most of the résumé writing tips given back in 1990 weren’t all that valuable - and today, are even less so.  The overall philosophy of the traditional job search is, and has been, to instruct job seekers to:

• Blend in to stand out.
• Conduct a painful job search rather than an exciting, self-confident, and proactive job campaign.
• Be grounded in fear, frustration, and hopelessness - rather than courage, confidence, and optimism.
• Follow mindless rules for one of the most important activities in life – landing a good job to live a rich, fulfilling life.

2 presuppositions

1. Jay’s definition of a résumé:It is a hiring proposal.And a hiring proposal is a marketing presentation that communicates one’s “value” in a compelling manner, as to ultimately influence a favorable outcome (interviewing opportunities leading to rapid employment).
2. A résumé is a marketing document that must communicate what RESULTS a job seeker can produce, worthy of being compensated to produce those results. Résumés must influence a positive emotional response leading to interviews and job offers. When done – this creates a level of job seeker confidence and resolve that is virtually unstoppable!

Where my commandments come from

I have interviewed over 12,000 hiring professionals (HR managers, recruiters, staffing professionals, TAP directors, and small-to-large-sized business owners), consistently over the past 30+ years.  This has helped me to better understand what, in particular, turns them on and off when it comes to all phases of hiring – including résumés.  Once determined, I wrote 12 McGraw-Hill books on employment topics – six on résumés that highlighted dozens of PARWCC members’ best résumés.  I created industry training and certification programs, but most importantly, I have successfully worked with thousands of clients since 1989 – helping them achieve rapid employment – to live a higher quality of life.  For these reasons, and more – I present you with Jay’s 10 Commandments For Résumé Development.

Commandment #1:  There are no rules – just effective strategies

Strategy is everything.  There are NO RULES for résumé development, because rules, like a red stop light, mean WITHOUT EXCEPTION.  And there are no hard-and-fast, carved-in-stone rules.  If there is a "strategic" reason to deviate from the norm - deviate.  I recently worked with a higher education executive who had a 27 page résumé.  In all my years in the industry, I’ve never seen anything like it!  But apparently, that is what this institution wanted. As of this writing, he is one of the finalist for the job.   

            And if a lower wage earner handwrites a résumé with crayons on yellow-lined paper – and has a strategic reason for doing so, who’s to say this won’t work for him?  I challenge our industry to stop with all the rules.  Provide guidelines, but please, stop the insanity.

Commandment #2;  Seek first to understand, to be better understood

Though you are writing résumés for job seekers, you are actually writing them for hiring decision-makers.  Stephen Covey, author of, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, said, “If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”  The fatal flaw of most job seekers is that they rarely present exciting and compelling “evidence” that they understand the needs and objectives of the companies they are applying to, and then demonstrate they have the skills and abilities to meet (exceed) them.  In other words, seek first to understand - to be better understood - to win job offers!

Commandment #3: Create your résumé as a hiring proposal, not a chronological obituary

Employers are only interested in one’s value - not one’s biography.  For the most part, every résumé must address 4 questions – the first three in 15 seconds or less: 

1. Who are you and why are you here ? (what do you do for a living that is relevant to me and my company?)
2. What results can you produce that would get me excited enough to want to interview, hire, and compensate you to produce those results?
3. What are your core expertise and traits that would lead me to believe you can produce those results?
4. Can you prove it?Where have you produced results in the past that would be a key indicator that you can produce them for us in the future.

Commandment #4: Remember these all-important 4 words: “I respect your time"

Post-pandemic interviews and discussions I have had with hiring managers, indicate that job seekers need to be more respectful of hiring managers’ time.  In most cases, résumés must be shorter, more precise, and more compelling given all the challenges hiring managers face – at work and at home.  Especially on cover letters, be as brief as possible, don’t replicate what’s on the résumé (unless it’s the selling proposition), don’t lecture (a sales manager knows that sales is the heartbeat of a business; he doesn’t need to be reminded by a job candidate), and keep in mind that we live in a short-attention-span world; one where most people experience some degree of attention-deficit-disorder.  Respect the hiring decision-makers’ time – and keep the résumé as short as possible, reader-friendly, consistent in flow, and stay on message (unless you have a strategic reason to deviate).

Commandment #5: Communicate with emotion because emotion sells

There's almost nothing more boring than a boring résumé.  The fact is, people act and make decisions based on emotion.  All things being equal, people will do business with, refer business to, and hire people they come to know, like, and trust.  This requires emotional engagement.  Human beings have about 60,000 thoughts a day, and only pay attention to the few dozen that speak the greatest emotion – high or low.  Same with hiring decision-makers!

So the goal is to inspire potential employers (hiring decision-makers) to read a résumé and say, “Wow - I have a GOOD FEELING about this candidate – let’s bring him/her in for an interview.”   Feelings – emotion sell.  Résumés must elicit positive emotion – for both job seekers and hiring decision makers (there are very few exceptions to this Commandment).

Commandment #6: Love the product you are promoting

It's difficult to successfully promote something you don't believe in.  Especially ourselves.  For most people, it’s near-impossible to sell themselves confidently and effectively; communicating to the world how great they are. Consider that top professional athletes and entertainers don’t promote themselves; they have agents to promote them.  Company CEOs and presidents have sales managers and VP’s of marketing to promote their companies. 

Yet job seekers, who have never been taught the art of self-marketing for career and workplace success, are forced to do it themselves – flying solo without any confidence at all.  But with a masterpiece résumé created as a kick-ass hiring proposal, this will inspire job seeker confidence; even self-love in the product he / she is marketing.  A game changer.

Commandment #7: Don’t conduct the interview in the résumé

A résumé is like a book report – it doesn’t tell the whole story.  Much like book reports, résumés convey only the important aspects of job candidates – aspects that portray the essence of their ability to contribute in such a way as to inspire a company to want to pay them for their contributions.  Remember, no one gets paid for “doing” their jobs.  They are paid for the “results” produced as an outcome of doing the job.  A full review of the candidate is conducted in the interview, but the résumé is a tool to “dangle the carrot” – to win interviews.

Commandment #8: Tell the truth, but not the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Job seekers must be honest; not deceptive.  But the résumé doesn't have to tell it all.  Marketing is about identifying and communicating exciting and engaging value propositions.  For instance, unless there is a “strategic purpose” for a job seeker to go back to 1976, covering every job between 1976 and 2021, is ill advised.  The take home message here is this:  Résumés must be truthful, accurate, and nondeceptive.  But they don’t have to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  That’s what interviews are for.

Commandment #9: Use key words and key phrases – but avoid clichés (like the plague!)

Résumé keywords are critical to helping job seekers get their documents noticed by employers. Keywords are words or short phrases that align with specific requirements and deliverables for a job. They can be skills, abilities, credentials, culture / personality qualities, and action verb deliverables (increased sales by… decreased expenses by…). 

When hiring managers and ATS software scour through piles of résumés. they scan them seeking out these keywords. By identifying and embedding keywords in résumés and cover letters, job seekers have a significant advantage in getting noticed – and hired.

That said, clichés should be avoided.  They are sayings that have been repeated so often, they've lost most or all of their meaning.  Examples: A motivated and results-driven individual… think outside the box… take it to the next level… teamwork makes the dreamwork… etc., etc.

Commandment #10: Optimize substance and sizzle; but lose the gimmicks

            I ask this one question thousands of times a year:  “Can you name just one product or service (in the history of the world) that has been SUCCESSFULLY packaged and marketed in the same vanilla, unexciting way we ask job seekers to package and promote themselves?”  The answer: None!  Even toilet paper is packaged more excitingly than most job seekers’ résumés.  Résumé professionals are marketing professionals.  Market your clients/students.  Indeed, gimmicks normally sabotage job campaigns.  But substance and professional sizzle – sell.  Always has.  Always will.

Everyone Has A Hole in Their Roof

* Note:  All accounts / events in this article are true and accurate

FAITH: When we have complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

The ex con struggled to get in my car in arguably the poorest section of Detroit.  It was Tuesday, January 26^th, 2010.  When he finally settled in, I helped buckle the seatbelt behind him because I couldn’t stand to listen to the seatbelt warning beep for the entire trip.  Honestly, I felt a bit uneasy sitting next to the six-foot five giant who weighed over 450 pounds.  As I pulled away from the curb, he said, “Head down Trumbull Avenue. In about a mile take Interstate 94 east towards Southfield.” 

There is a great deal of truth to the statement be careful what you wish for.

The Criminal

The man sitting in my car preferred to be called Henry.  Henry admitted to me that he committed just about every crime imaginable, except murder and the crime he was accused of committing, but was innocent of – manslaughter.  He served seven years in a maximum security prison for this crime he didn’t commit.  But he was a drug addict and eventually a drug dealer where heroine was the drug of choice.  Money, he said, came in faster than he, and any 10 other people could spend it.  Henry admitted he sought respect and attention through intimidation and fear.  It worked rather effectively. 

Henry’s life began in Brooklyn in a rat-infested apartment, where he and his six siblings lived.  At age five, his mother was sent away to Bedford Hills, a maximum security prison for women.  The crime… attempted murder – of her husband; Henry’s father.  Henry’s childhood, if you can call it that, consisted of smoking cigarettes and pot, purse snatching; then moving up to grand theft auto and armed robbery. 

While Jay Block was growing up in Marblehead, an upscale suburb of Boston, without a care in the world, the guy sitting next to me was waving guns in front of people demanding cash, wallets, and jewelry.  When Henry was released from prison, he tried to turn his life around.  He married his teenage sweetheart, Annette, who gave birth to a son who was born three months premature.  And who died five days after birth.  The pain and sorrow, bitterness and anger associated with the loss of his child, were too much.  Henry returned to his old ways. 

The Vision

Henry and I were heading to his favorite restaurant - Big Boy; a hamburger joint. Somehow this didn’t surprise me.  On the way, he told me he made one near-fatal mistake shortly after the death of his son.  “I stole drugs from drug dealers I used to work for,” he said.  “I hid behind trash cans in front of my house armed with a shotgun waiting for them to kill me.  It was at this time that I had a vision for my future. I looked up and asked, ‘Will you save me, Jesus? If I promise to give myself to you, will you save me tonight?’  And I meant it,” he said.  As we pulled into the restaurant parking lot, Henry turned and looked at me. “You know… the drug dealers never did find me.” 

Before we got out of the car, Henry said, “All this took place about two weeks before Easter.  And all during that time I fought hard to get off the heroine.  I took Nyquil ten times a day and prayed practically all the time.  And then on Easter Sunday, I asked Annette a question: ‘What’s keeping you from going to God?’ Her answer brought us here to Detroit. ‘You are,’ she admitted.  That’s when I had a clear vision; that I was going to become a pastor.

How I Met Henry Covington

Over the Christmas Holiday, 2009, I was in Chicago and received a book, Have a Little Faith. The author, Mitch Albom, you may know from some of his other books, including Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven.  Have a Little Faith is about Albom’s interaction with both his rabbi and a pastor.  Mitch lives in the Detroit area and became an advocate for the homeless.  One day as he traveled to a homeless shelter in Detroit, Mitch came across a huge Gothic structure – a church that, as he says in the book, looked like it “blew in from another century.”  His connection with the rabbi was unique; but I was touched most by his relationship with the pastor, Henry, who served an impoverished and homeless congregation in the poorest section of Detroit.  I was so impressed with what I read about this man in the book, I left Chicago and headed to Detroit to meet the man.

The Hole In the Roof

Henry Covington’s church had a huge 10-foot hole in the roof. Exactly over the area the congregation sat during worship services. This invited year-round rain, bitter cold, and snow in the winter, and who knows what else sneaked in through the hole in the roof, year round. 

With no money to pay the electric bill, let alone fix the roof, the homeless did their best to stay warm and dry, feed themselves, and find some semblance of comfort. This had been going on for years.  And all that time, Henry had faith.  He didn’t know how the hole in the roof would get repaired.  But he had faith it would; eventually.  He said to me, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way – when faith leads the way.  We wanted the hole in the ceiling fixed.  Every day we closed our eyes and saw the hole in the ceiling fixed. And we believed the Lord would work his miracle.”

But Mitch Albom wasn’t an immediate believer that Henry, the ex con, was for real. He admitted that when he first met Henry, he didn’t trust him. In fact, he wrote in the book, “If this is a man of God, I’m the man in the moon.” 

However, after numerous visits to the, I am My Brother’s Keeper Church, and many conversations with the ex con-turned-pastor, Mitch concluded that Henry truly was a man of God.  Also a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press, Albom began writing articles about the church and the infamous hole in the roof.  Soon thereafter, the community began donating food, clothing, and money to the church – so much so that a new roof was put on the church.  Having a little faith paid off !  (Watch the Mayor of Detroit and the community celebrate the roof repair: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqyhV3ucIv4).

I was, personally, moved by this story; more than any other parable or anecdote I’ve come across. Why?  Because the hole in the roof has become a powerful metaphor for me when working with job seekers, because all job seekers have holes in their roofs (Problems in their lives).

And they have asked you, other PARWCC members, and me to help repair them.

When you step on the brakes of your car…

Whenever I can, I share the Hole In the Roof story with job seekers, coaches I coach, and my audiences.   I explain that we all have holes in our roofs. Career and workplace holes.  Relationship and health holes.  Finance and quality of life holes.  Flood, forest fire, hurricane, and tornado holes.  Almost endless, right? 

And the starting point for all repair work, for resolving the issues we face, is to have a little faith. Heck, if it worked for this ex-con, “it will work for anyone,” Henry promised.

Bringing a Little Faith into the conversation

When you get on a plane, don't you have faith that you'll land at your destination safely?  How about when you step on the breaks of your car, don’t you have faith that the car will slow down or stop every single time – without fail? 

We need to have faith to live any kind of quality life.  Don’t you have faith that you and your loved ones will wake up healthy tomorrow?  Faith can be the belief that a higher power will partner with you to address your challenges. Alternatively, faith can be the unconditional belief that you have strong faith in yourself; in the process, and/or in others to achieve success. 

Your clients and students have faith in you!  When you work with clients/students, they must have faith in themselves and in the process - even when faced with fear, setbacks, and misfortune. Shalanda needs a new job. William wants a promotion. And Jacquelyn has been waiting too long for a well-deserved pay raise. How will they achieve their goals?

When facing fear, doubt, and adversity in pursuit of all worthy desires, including landing a great new job, faith is the life support line that they will cling to as they journey through the process.  Faith means they are not quite sure how they will fix their hole in the roof, but that they have a strong feeling of certainty that they will. 

** Sadly, Henry died at age 53, exactly one year after I met him.  He was in New York with Mitch Albom filming an appearance on Good Morning America when he had a heart attack and died in his sleep.   December 2010. 

The client says, “I’m a positive person, and I only look at the glass as half full.”

The coach responds, “That’s foolish, because 95% of all opportunities exist in the half empty space.”

Negativity is not to be ignored

Everywhere you look, especially on social media, motivational quotes and positive affirmations run rampant.  It’s overwhelming, actually.  Now please don’t misunderstand me; there is nothing wrong with positive thinking and wanting to live an inspired life.  But you can’t ignore the negative. And you shouldn’t ignore the negative – because negative can be the catalyst for turning your life around – for the better! 

The fact is that life, like a battery, takes place in between the positive and the negative.  The reason we have never seen a battery with two positive or two negative ends, is that both are required to give the battery juice – life.  The same is true for our lives.  It’s impossible to live life without experiencing both the positive and the negative.

The story of the frog and the scorpion

Perhaps you know this story.  According to the storyteller, the frog and the scorpion appeared on the riverbank at about the same time.  The frog was about to jump in the river and swim to the other side.  The scorpion saw the frog and yelled out, “Hey Mr. Frog, I see that you’re about to head to the other side of the river.  Since I am a scorpion and can’t swim, would you let me hop on your back and deposit me on the other side?  I would be very appreciative if you could do this for me.”

The frog looked at the scorpion and said, “No way!  I’d get half way across the river with you riding on my back and you’d sting me and I’d die.  How can you possibly believe I am that crazy and naïve as to put my own life in danger?”

The scorpion replied, “Whoa, hold on a minute.  With your little frog brain, you can’t be thinking straight.  If I were to sting you half way across the river, yes, I would kill you.  But I too would die since I can’t swim.  That would be kind of foolish, don’t you think?”

The frog considered the scorpion’s reasoning and said, “I guess that makes sense.  Hop on.” 

So the scorpion hopped onto the frog’s back and they began their journey to the other side of the river and everything started off well.  But sure enough, about half way across, the scorpion stung the frog.  They were both about to go down for the third and final time when the frog, straining to inhale his last few breaths, said, “Why did you do that?  I’m about to drown and die; but so are you.  What were you thinking?”

The scorpion, also straining to gather his last breath, responded, “because I’m a scorpion, and that’s what scorpions do!”

The realities of life

It’s important to understand the story of the frog and the scorpion.  Positive thinking is important, but so is negative thinking.  The reality is, there are shepherds, there are sheep, and there are wolves.  Wise teachers teach that some wolves are so clever, they’ve learned how to dress up like sheep; just like weeds in the garden that dress up disguised to look like flowers.  In other words – the negative.  If we don’t think negative and acknowledge and kill the wolf that’s disguised as a sheep, he’ll take the herd.  And if we think positive all the time and allow the weeds to have their way, they’ll kill the flowers and take the garden.  The full drama of life always, and without exception, takes place between the positive and the negative.  Doesn’t the mother think negative when she envisions her baby getting into the poisons under the sink – and thus, child-proofs the cabinet doors?  It’s important to think negative – in a positive and constructive way.

To Every Thing, Turn, Turn, Turn

In 1965, the Byrds released a hit song, Turn, Turn, Turn.  Some of the lyrics go like this, “To everything, turn, turn, turn.  There is a season turn, turn, turn.  And a time to every purpose, under heaven.  A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap; a time to kill, a time to heal; a time to laugh, a time to weep.”  Positive and negative. 

We’ve got to become so sophisticated and well-educated that we accept the fact that negative is a necessary and constructive aspect of life.  We can’t laugh when it’s time to cry.  The negative side of life is critically important and can’t possibly be ignored.  The key to mastering life is not learning how to handle the positive… that’s easy!  The key to life is to acknowledge the negative and allow it to be part of the scenario.  Building walls to keep the negative out is not a success strategy.  In fact, it will make life’s journey a real challenge because the walls that keep out disappointment and negativity also keep out happiness and positive experiences. 

Yes, you can have a preference

If you had a menu and could choose good health or sickness, I’m rather certain that you would select the former.  If you could choose between wealth and poverty, surely you would select wealth.  Of course you have preferences; who wouldn’t want to spend more time on the positive side of life than the negative?  But negativity is a reality and an essential component of life – and it’s best not to ignore it.  You’ve got to think negative when things are positive, and you’ve got to think positive when things are negative.  This is what I call “life mastery.” 

When you purchase life insurance when you’re healthy, aren’t you thinking negative?  Don’t the squirrels think negative in the summer when they work hard to gather their food getting ready for a cold winter?  And when you have to face the negative, such as a serious illness, don’t you think positive and muster the disciplines and positive energy to do whatever you have to do to recover; or at least make the best of any situation?  When all is said and done, when you acknowledge and accept the negative as a necessary aspect of life, it makes life more manageable because you don’t have to wrestle or struggle with it.  You just accept and embrace it all - then work through it all as best you can...  seeking out the blessings in disguise.

And that’s what’s exciting about the negative.  Because within all negative situations, lies the seeds of greater opportunities.  We just need to focus on seeking out the hidden blessings, not dwelling on the problem. 

Turning your life around – and helping clients’ turn their lives around

Negativity can be a powerful force for change.  It plays a key role in the day that turns your life around; a concept taught to me years ago by the late Jim Rohn.  I think that’s why negativity exists – so we work harder to live a more fulfilling life.  Jim taught me that there are four stages to the day that turns your life around: 

1. Disgust.Disgust says, “I’ve had it !I won’t take this negativity anymore.”
2. Decision. Decision is when you decide it’s time to transform the negative into positive.
3. Action:Action is doing something to turn negative into positive – not just thinking about it.
4. Resolve: Resolve is making a promise to yourself that you’ll never give up enriching your life.

Many years ago, one of my best friends fired me after I worked for him for a year.  Welcome, Mr. Block to Disgust.  I then made the decision to change and took new, often uncomfortable actions to turn my negative experiences into positive ones.  And resolve led the way… I never quit even though negativity seduced me over and over again to give up.  The day I was fired (extreme negativity and disgust) was the day that turned my life around.

During your life, and the lives of your clients/students, there will be, “a time to build up, a time to break down; a time to dance, a time to mourn; a time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together.  A time of war, a time of peace; a time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing.”  And there will be, “a time to gain, a time to lose; a time to rend, a time to sew; a time for love, a time for hate; a time for peace… I swear it’s not too late.”

The power of negative thinking is a necessary skill you and your clients/students must acknowledge, embrace, and master in order to live a worthwhile existence.  Think, anticipate, and react to negativity in a positive, dignified, and respectful way.  When you work hard on mastering the power of negative thinking… it will play a key role in the day that turns your life around – for those interested in doing just that.

“I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired with my career – spending half of my waking hours doing what I don’t want to do.  It’s time for a change!”

As the year-long pandemic continues to plague the world, with no global end in sight (even though the US is doing well), many people are re-thinking their place in the workplace. “I want to do something that is meaningful; that contributes in some way.”

Remember TWA in June of 1974, I flew that airline from Boston to Paris to get married. Not five minutes into the flight, the captain turned off the “no smoking sign.”  And I lit up a Marlboro cigarette. The smoking section was so smoky, you couldn’t see the face of someone two seats away.  But today, forget smoking (which I gave up 40 years ago). I can’t even bring a bottle of water through security. The 9-11 terrorist attacks changed almost everything about how we travel. And those changes haven’t changed in 20 years.

Often times, it takes a cataclysmic event to induce cataclysmic change in, and throughout, society. And when we review and evaluate people’s work lives, there has been, perhaps, no greater disruptor than the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the Dot Com bust, the 9-11 attacks, and the Great Recession, most things returned to normal in the workplace. This will not be the case after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many workplace changes that are taking place today, are not temporary. They’re the new normal.   

Many people got laid off or were suddenly working at their jobs from home… from anywhere. Over 600,000 Americans lost their lives to COVID, many were gainfully employed prior to the pandemic. Others got sick. Untold others worried about their safety and the safety of family members. Homeschooling, face coverings, social distancing, leisure time and vacation restrictions, businesses forced to close, uncertainty about vaccines, and a host of other diversions made 2020 and the start of 2021 a numbing reality. Life as we know it has changed.  For everyone.

And however, folks survived the global health crisis and all its crippling sideshows, it has caused many people to evaluate and re-evaluate their lives. And their careers top the list. The pandemic, that has resulted in work-from-home, educate-your-kids from home, and create-a-gym at home, has given many people a new, eye-opening perspective on life.  It’s provided a new-found awareness that living to work and settling for less, is not an ideal strategy for living an optimal life.  Many are re-thinking how they invest their time in the workplace – and opting to work at jobs that give them a life; where they can make a difference. Where they can be happy.

For Jacqueline Halfrin, it meant quitting accounting school and going to work for an animal shelter at minimum wage.  She found a roommate to help pay the rent and began reassessing her educational needs so she could make a difference in caring for animals. She decided to become a vet, and this required a pivot in her studies.  Veterinary school instead of an accounting degree.

Devin Quail was a hairstylist who lost his job at Sundial Hair Salon. He spent the pandemic creating a business plan and identifying a suitable location to open his own exclusive hair salon. He said he never had the courage to do this before – though it was always a dream of his. And his dream finally became a reality in May of 2021.

Peter Lawston was planning to work two more years as a custodian at a local middle school before retiring. He realized that time was more valuable than money – he had enough money; it was time that was in short supply. He retired, and now enjoys time with his children and grandchildren, is involved with new hobbies and activities, and spends quality time with friends.

There are a lot of people seeking the “blessings in disguise,” hidden within the pandemic. Some will never have to endure long commutes again because they’ll never work in a formal office again. Others will never attend an in-person interview because they will be conducted via video technology. Employers will do something they have seldom done in the past – hire new employees without a face-to-face meeting.

But a key “blessing in disguise” that many people are gravitating towards, is the search for meaning and purpose in the workplace. 

• Why am I doing this work?
• What purpose does this serve?
• Does this work enrich my life?
• What difference am I making?
• What legacy will I leave?

The number of people considering a professional change is approaching an all-time high. Indeed, there are a number of businesses and industries that are in steep decline, or that are disappearing because of the pandemic. A doctor recently announced to me that he was retiring and was going to become a patient safety advocate. He said, “I didn’t get into medicine to “tele-zoom” on a computer. Patient safety is my passion – and it’s time to follow my passions.”  COVID gave him that opportunity.

The pandemic has reminded so many folks that life is short. More than half a million people have died in the US, and over 3 million have perished worldwide due to COVID-19. Death has always been a reality of life. But today, living in the midst of a pandemic, human mortality has seldom been more top-of-mind. And the journey to find a greater purpose has seldom been more pressing. So why not pursue a happier and more meaningful workplace opportunity?  If not now – when?

The Boston Globe recently reported on a 2021 poll conducted by LinkedIn. The results showed that two-thirds of respondents had either left their jobs in the past year to pursue a “passion project,” or were considering doing so.

A survey by the staffing agency, Robert Half, indicated that a quarter of the professionals it polled, said the pandemic has made them want to pursue more fulfilling jobs. 

And approximately 25% of jobs were vacated voluntarily last year (2020), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  And that could result in even more people abandoning ship this year, as the labor market stabilizes, and greater workplace opportunities present themselves.

The exodus has already begun in high-burnout industries such as human services (nursing, home care, assisted living, etc.), which grappled with the impact of COVID daily. And as more companies and organizations expect workers to report to the office… the departure is likely to spread. To address these likely departures, and the need to recruit and hire more qualified workers, employers may very well need to adapt, or totally rethink, their employment protocols.

Rajiv Patel left Atlanta and rented a small 900 square foot A-framed house in rural New Hampshire early last May. He continued to work remotely as an R&D assistant for Northside Hospital. After spending six months there with his wife (and before the cold New Hampshire winter set in), the couple moved to California, renting Airbnb’s in different towns, which allowed them to surf, hike, and ponder their future. 

Patel, 31, had a background in, and passion for, the mental health field. He wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. As he researched the industry, he confirmed that the growth and need for mental health services professionals was very much on the rise. And he felt a special calling to work in the field in a meaningful capacity. So he quit his job and began working for a reputable mental health provider, as a clinical recruiting coordinator. His long-term goal is to become a director of a mental health facility. 

Thomas Kochan, codirector of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research said, “It’s unclear if there will be an onslaught of resignations as things ease back to normal. But employers who haven’t treated their workers well will surely suffer.  The companies that did a really good job of managing the workforce, showing flexibility, showing concern, staying in touch, are going to be rewarded with loyalty. Companies that seem to have just focused on, ‘How am I going to keep my business going?’ and lost sight of their workforce responsibilities, are the ones who are going to pay the price.”

Chamber of Commerce statistics reveal that even organizations that traditionally don’t experience much employee turnover, are seeing a 5% - 10% increase in employee resignations – attributed to the pandemic. Much attention is being placed on the extra unemployment compensation the feds are handing out to many unemployed Americans, to account for a shortage of workers throughout the US. But statistics indicate that, though this is surely a factor, it is not the primary one. The primary factor, and the new reality, seems to be that more and more people are re-evaluating their careers (jobs), and making workplace decisions to enrich their lives.

When we experience the kind of loss we have experienced over the past 15 months – a what’s most important to me in life that makes me happy assessment (or reassessment) is prudent.

Thus, a new post-pandemic mantra is sweeping the workplace: “I want to make a difference, not just a living; a job I can be happy at.”

Summary

If you offer professional services that assist clients/students to identify new career and workplace opportunities – where they can make a difference, where they can be happy, and where their decisions support their life values, then you’re in the right place at the right time in the right profession.       

And if you don’t provide services that assist clients/students to identify career and workplace opportunities, I would encourage you to team up and partner with colleagues that do. This is an excellent way to earn referral fees and, perhaps, work on résumés after a new career path has been determined. When job seekers pursue opportunities that turn them on… it will turn you on as well.  It’s a career coach’s dream.

During PARWCC’s virtual conference this past April, I was asked by many members how I came to co-found PARW / PARWCC.  For those who appreciate history, with all its uniqueness - the expected, the unexpected, and everything in between - below is a brief history of how PARWCC came to be.

The PARWCC virtual conference this past April 20^th and 21^st was a grand success.  The event was well attended, and over the coming months and years, literally thousands of industry professionals will review and study the videos of the well-presented sessions from this two-day event.  And all this, following a successful, pre-pandemic conference in 2019 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, that was attended by more than 250 members, speakers, sponsors, and guests.

And the new PARWCC leadership team has added so many new member programs, online tools, and communication platforms, you’d need a calculator to count them all. Kudos to Margaret and Doug for adding so many new and valuable member benefits over the past 18 months or so. 

PARWCC is the first, largest, and most respected résumé and career coaching association on the planet.  And every day and in every way, the 2,000+ members are contributing to their profession and their industry.  They are collaborating with colleagues, expanding their knowledge and skills, and helping clients/students achieve rewarding workplace opportunities - to enrich their lives. 

It’s an exciting time to be a member of our profession and of our professional association. 

But how did we get here?

The year was 1988.  A young kid sat in the waiting room.  Probably mid-twenties.  He was referred by his dad, and he asked me how much I would charge to write his résumé.  I told him there must be some mistake because I don’t write résumés, and asked him why he thought I did. 

Back then I wrote business plans for people who were selling or growing their small enterprises.  The kid proceeded to tell me that the résumé I included in his father’s business plan helped his father land a job – after the business plan helped him sell his business.  Yikes!  Two birds with one stone!

What’s important to understand at this juncture, is that I had relocated to Florida two years earlier from New England, where I had lived the first 33 years of my life.  I had moved to Fort Lauderdale to play “Miami Vice” and to become Don Johnson - without a gun.   

And in 1986, before I headed off for Florida, I paid an outplacement company $325 to write a professional résumé for me.  Imagine, $325 for a résumé back in 1986!  I had owned a law enforcement uniform company, that I started, grew, and sold after five years.  So now, how does a former business owner write a résumé seeking a job as an employee?  I had no clue.  So I hired a reputable company to write a professional résumé so I could land a job when I got to Florida. 

Soon after arriving in Florida, I realized my $325 résumé was pretty much useless.  So I launched a business plan writing firm that focused on small businesses being started, being sold, and/or seeking capital, that required a business plan to achieve their goals.

Anyway, to this day, I don’t recall the kid’s name, but he sure had a significant impact on my life.  The résumé I wrote for his father was more of a marketing document that included color, graphics, and “sizzle” to complement the substance.  Tom Jackson would not have approved.  Either would Dick Bolles.  (These were two industry icons and top authors at the time – The Perfect Résumé by Jackson and What Color is Your Parachute? By Bolles.

I told the kid that I would write his résumé for free.  And if, by chance, he were to become as fortunate as his father and land a job using the résumé, he could send me a check for whatever he thought it was worth.  To my utter surprise, the kid sent me $200 three weeks later.  Could this be a new niche opportunity?

In addition to the book, The Perfect Résumé, the only other résumé book at the time was called,  Do Not Use a Résumé, Use A Qualifications Brief, by Richard Lathrop.  They pretty much taught job seekers how to write the typical chronological obituary – an unexciting, look-alike document.  The philosophy taught to job seekers back then, which is still pretty much taught today, is: Blend in – in order to stand out.  And this didn’t make much sense to me.

I had already purchased one of the first laser printers sold ($7,500 back then), to produce business plans on; so why not résumés?  I began taking on a few résumé clients just to “test market” my idea - that job seekers need to promote themselves like all other successful products and services – with excitement and sizzle to complement the value and substance.   

Also, anticipating that a unique door of opportunity was opening for me, I began interviewing HR managers, recruiters, and hiring managers asking them what they liked and disliked about résumés.  And I realized the door of opportunity was wide open, because most of what I was told by these hiring professionals, was the opposite of what the books and most career counselors were advocating at the time. 

Over a short six-month period of time in 1988, I had written 16 résumés for clients, and without exception, every client landed a job quickly and confidently.  Their successes ended up leading to my new profession.  To my 30+ year career!

           After reading everything I could get my hands on about résumés, which wasn’t much, I created an instructional résumé product I planned to sell to secretarial services, so they could re-sell it to their customers:  The name was 30 Minutes to a Perfect Résumé.  I made 100 copies. 

Now all I needed to do was find a way to get them in the hands of secretarial services.  I did my research and found an association for secretarial services – NASS (National Association of Secretarial Services), with 1,600 members.  And to my complete surprise, the association was located in Florida.  I was living in Boca Raton and NASS was headquartered in St. Petersburg, a three and a half hour drive.  I called the association and reached the executive director, a guy by the name of Frank Fox.

“I have this new résumé product that I’d like to sell to your members.  It’s a résumé preparation kit  for job seekers, with worksheets in order to create a new type of résumé – a more exciting and engaging document. 

“Your members can make money two ways – first, when they sell the kit and, then again, when customers return with the completed handwritten forms to be typed up on a computer and printed out professionally.  And you get to sell it wholesale – so you make money for the association.  A win-win-win proposition.” 

Frank was interested.  He told me to mail it to him and he’d review it.  But I suggested we meet face-to-face where I could personally introduce the product over lunch.  He agreed. 

We met in the summer of 1988.  Little did we know at the time, what we were getting into.  Our lunch would soon lead to a 30+ year friendship, and a business collaboration that would launch a new industry.  It would not be an overstatement to say this lunch totally revolutionized both our lives – and the lives of many up-and-coming members and emerging industry leaders.

During our initial lunch meeting, I asked Frank if he would consider launching a professional résumé association.  I explained that I believed that the secretarial business would recede because computer and laser printer costs would soon become affordable to the public.  But I told Frank that I thought a résumé writing association had a long-term future if the focus was on professionalizing an industry – transitioning it from a secretarial service to a professional marketing service.  After all, job seekers needed to package, position, and promote themselves in competitive job markets as well as Geico.  He agreed! 

A few weeks following our initial lunch in St. Petersburg, Frank and I got back together and began planning this new association.  Frank decided to call it the Professional Association of Résumé Writers.  He developed the logo and coined the name “Spotlight” for the monthly newsletter.  And since the first newsletter went out via US Mail – we haven’t missed a month in31+ years.

We spent most of 1989 planning PARW, and in January of 1990, the Professional Association of Résumé Writers was officially launched.  Over 60 NASS members joined for the introductory annual fee of $60.  We quickly realized we were not professionalizing an industry - we were actually starting a new one.

The excitement back then was contagious.  In 1990, the first CPRW certification was launched and then improved again in 1992 – led by Wendy Enelow.  By the end of 1990, the first year, PARW had over 125 members.  We scheduled the first annual PARW conference for 1991 on St. Petersburg Beach.  Over 65 people attended that first conference.  The industry was exploding quickly.  You could feel the excitement, the passion, the energy.  Those first 10 years were growth years for PARW, and the new, expanding industry.

During those first 10 years, PARW members began to dominate the résumé and career space in bookstores.  My first McGraw-Hill book (1996), 101 Best Résumés, featured 60 résumés created by 26 PARW members who showcased their works and got exposure.  My next four résumé books featured over 300 résumés written by 53 members.  And many went on to become best-selling authors themselves – Wendy Enelow, Louise Kursmark, Jan Melnick, Susan Whitcombe, Walter Schuette – just to name a few. 

In 1998, the second PARW certification was released – the Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP).  Also about that time, we implemented “phase 2” of PARW’s evolution – adding CC to PARW.  Career Coaching.  PARW became PARWCC, and by 2010, we reached 1,000 members.

My good friend and colleague, Diane Hudson, launched the Certified Professional Career Coach program (CPCC) in 2005, and this made up the trio of certifications under the Frank Fox administration.  Between 2010 and 2019, PARWCC remained primarily on autopilot… not many new programs.  But membership continued to grow. Heading toward 2,000.

Just a few months after PARWCC’s 2019 conference in Clearwater Beach, FL, PARWCC’s ownership changed for the first time since PARW’s inception.  Frank Fox transferred ownership to the present leadership team – Margaret and Doug Phares. 

In less than two years, Margaret and Doug have done nothing less than revitalize and revolutionize the association and, thus, the industry.   A new website, new training programs, new ways to communicate and collaborate with other members, new certifications, new conferences… a game changing period of time for our industry.

My challenge to all members

            I was fortunate.  I found an opportunity and someone else, Frank Fox, who shared my vision.  More importantly, he took action and made it happen.  Ideas are a dime a dozen.  But action taken on ideas is priceless.  Frank took action – and so did countless members who have contributed so much to PARWCC’s success - Don Orlando, John Suarez, Debbie O’Reilly, the late Jerry Bills, Barbara Adams – and I just offended hundreds of others who I don’t have the space to acknowledge.

But there are UNLIMITED opportunities now – and moving forward.  The oldies but goodies, like me, will soon ride into the sunset - staking out pastures where we will enjoy our final years.  Are you one of our future leaders?  Do you have a vision for the industry?  Are you giving thought to how technology, globalization, pandemics, and big companies eating up little ones are affecting the job market?   What about outsourcing? 

I say it every day – the status quo cannot be followed any longer.  It’s outdated, irrelevant, and even dangerous to our future.  Are you ready and willing to be part of the leadership team that introduces the new vision – a new status quo?  I hope so.  I know from personal experience, that we are all limited only by the limitations we place on ourselves.

So, I wonder.  What will you be writing about 30 years from now about your profession, industry, and association?

What You Need To Know About Interview Coaching In the Post-COVID Workplace

Like we haven’t had enough of “Breaking News” throughout the past year, right?  But it was recently reported that a Hong Kong startup company launched an artificial intelligence (AI) software product that identifies and analyzes emotions – including exuberance, sorrow, stress, overwhelm; even disinterest.  It was first created during the pandemic to “help teachers gauge how children were responding to home schooling.  It helps teachers read the room when students are not in the room – but at home.”

In CEMP, we advocate that mindset drives skillset.  And now, at a time where most schooling and coaching are online, new technologies have been developed to help educators and coaches to better understand their students’ state of mind… in real time!  This only confirms the obvious:  Mindset really does drive skill set.  And this is especially true when you must partake in an activity you’d rather not partake in -  like tax preparation, dieting, or conducting a job search.

AI Identifying Emotions Is Here To Stay – And Will Expand

AI-based interviewing and recruiting technologies is not new.  Artificial intelligence has been transforming the interviewing and recruitment process for years now.  And it’s growing in popularity as costs come down and make it more affordable to all size companies. 

Why?  Because AI interviewing platforms theoretically allow businesses and organizations to greatly reduce the time it takes to identify and hire top talent. New-hire-productivity and return-on-investment contribute more rapidly when using AI.  Thus, AI interviewing and recruiting reduce hiring costs, while increasing output quicker than traditional human led interviewing and recruiting processes. 

However, the most popular selling point of AI interviewing being touted around the business and legal world, is the assumption that AI interviewing can reduce or even eliminate “human bias” in the hiring process.  Right up until the pandemic, AI interviewing and recruiting software used algorithms to assess job seeker skills, abilities, experience, education, and even personalities. 

But 4 Little Trees is taking it over the top!  And soon, this technology will be available to the employment industry.  In other words, in the very near future, AI interviewing technologies will have the ability to probe a job candidate’s emotional mindset – to help identify attitude, disposition, and temperament during the interview.  Yikes!

A Little Background

The company that created the software is a startup company, Find Solution AI.  The school in Hong Kong that first integrated Find Solution’s AI software is, True Light College.  And the AI software goes by the name of, 4 Little Trees.

While the use of artificial intelligence that analyzes emotions in schools and other settings has initially caused some concern, founder Viola Lam says it can make the virtual classroom as good as - or better than - the real thing. 

Students work at home on class assignments, tests, and homework on the AI platform.  While they work on their studies and assignments, the AI measures muscle points on their faces (via the cameras on their computers or devices), and identifies emotions - including happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, and fear. 

Facial expression recognition AI identifies emotions with human-level accuracy.

Additionally, the AI platform monitors how long students take to respond to questions, records  grades and performance history, generates reports on their strengths, weaknesses, and motivation levels, and even has the capability of forecasting future grades.  And even more impressive, the program can adapt to each individual student, targeting knowledge gaps and offering edutainment-style tests, designed to make learning more enjoyable and sustainable.  Studies show that students perform 10% better in exams when using and learning from 4 Little Trees software.  Top of Form

Viola Viola Lam says the technology has been especially useful to teachers during the pandemic because it allows them to remotely monitor their students' emotions as they learn, and believes the technology's benefits will outlast the pandemic.  In addition to the emotions analysis characteristic of the software program, the technology’s platform and capabilities also reduce the administrative load teachers must bear, by creating and reviewing personalized classwork, quizzes, tests, and students’ overall grasp of the subject matter. And, unlike teachers who cannot see and evaluate each student’s mindset and emotions simultaneously, 4 Little Trees expression-reading AI can - even in a large class.

How Will This Impact Employment Interviewing?

You can count on this software being integrated into the hiring and interviewing process sooner rather than later.  So we must, today, ask the question: What ramifications will this have on the hiring, and in particular, the interviewing process tomorrow?  Will you have to coach clients/students on how to manage, not only their verbal responses to questions, but nonverbal, facial, and reactionary responses as well? 

Technology that monitors people’s faces has continually raised concerns about privacy - in fighting crime as well as in fighting a pandemic.  Founder, Lam, says that 4 Little Trees records facial muscle data.  This is how the AI interprets emotional expressions.  However, it does not video students' faces.  Of course, the question is how does one define transparency in China?  And one would suggest the same question be asked wherever the AI platforms are employed.  If used in an employment interview in the US, will the same be true?  Will the AI software be able to interpret emotional expressions without video and without bias? 

But bias remains problematic at this stage of development.  The biases that AI are supposed to alleviate or eliminate in the hiring process, particularly when it comes to analyzing and measuring emotion, is imperfect; actually flawed in its current state.  Why?  Because at this time in its development, racial bias is a serious issue for AI because the emotional analysis technology has difficulty identifying the emotions of darker skinned faces.  It is important to know that if used today, the technology’s algorithm is developed with a human predisposition – because it pretty much can only identify emotions from mostly white faces. 

Lam programmed the AI with facial data to match the students’ demographics, and it has worked well in Hong Kong's predominantly Chinese society.  The AI's emotion recognition works with 85% - 95% accuracy in Hong Kong, studies show.  But she admitted that they were fully aware that more ethnically-mixed communities could be a bigger challenge for the software.  So more work still needs to be done.

And at this time in its development, AI is often not sophisticated enough to recognize cultural differences in expressing and reading emotions, making it difficult to draw accurate conclusions. For instance, a smile might mean one thing in Germany and another in Japan. In CEIP, we cover CCM’s (Cultural Communication Miscalculations) due to distinct and often conflicting non-verbal communication patterns among cultures.  Confusing these meanings can lead businesses to make incorrect hiring decisions.

With the pandemic and post-COVID-19 workplace, do we shake hands, arm bump, fist bump, bow, or head nod when arriving at an in-person interview?  And on Zoom and other video platforms, how are facial responses and nonverbal communications interpreted by AI when technology or, better yet, problems associated with technology (audio or visual problems, time delays, etc.) cause facial responses misinterpreted as communicative problems.  In other words, is a job candidate’s problematic facial response due to their skills and abilities, or reactions to the technology – having nothing to do with a candidate’s value and ability to perform well?

It is important to realize that AI is already being used. The only question is… when will the emotional algorithms kick in and work accurately and without bias?  AI developers believe soon – 2022 for sure!  So yes, it is best we begin to pay close attention to AI in all facets of the hiring process.  If we can land a rover on Mars and create multiple COVID-19 vaccines in a matter of months not years - you can bet this technology will be advanced and perfected in short order.  More and more, artificial intelligence will come to dominate the employment process – and job coaches must be prepared to advise their clients/students on how best to master communicating with machines.

Can AI Outperform Humans?

Results in Hong Kong indicate that the emotional AI software is more accurate in identifying emotions than human interpretation, Lam suggested.  And she said that this is a great start because “most people can't identify complex emotions with any greater level of accuracy.  As a rule, human beings are not good at reading facial expressions.  We can train machines to be ... better than the average human."

As AI emotions recognition technologies improve, business applications are in the works, in an attempt to better understand participants' emotions and attitudes, to increase engagement in all online communications… including interviews.  AI is becoming a reality of life, where human communication is striving to facilitate improved interactions and outcomes – with more accuracy, with less bias, in less time, and at a reduced cost.

Are your clients/students ready for this technology pivot?

Are you?

Advice From 2 Well-Respected Hiring Pros

On Interviewing and Résumés

It had little to do with intelligence

My success in the résumé and career coaching profession is not a result of having a high IQ.  In fact, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be impressed with my score, whatever it is. And truthfully, if asked, I’d refuse to take an IQ test because, in my case, ignorance is probably bliss.

But I do pride myself on my intuitive nature and, for the most part, common sense.  And I used these two attributes to my advantage some 30 years ago - and still do to this day.  I began meeting with hiring professionals – recruiters, HR specialists, staffing professionals, and hiring managers from small to mega-sized businesses – and interviewed them.  I inquired about the processes and mindsets they employed when recruiting new hires. 

Over time, I found (and am still discovering) common threads among them – qualities that turned them on, and qualities that turned them off.  And I became somewhat of an industry outlier because most of the feedback I received from hiring professionals, was at odds with what most books, articles and career advisors were (and are) disseminating. 

My success is a result of being an intuitive outlier, that resulted in extraordinary success for my clients, as well as a dozen bestselling McGraw-Hill books.  I don’t tell you this to impress you.  I tell you this to impress upon you that it does not require a rocket science IQ to achieve unrestrained success.  But it does require an intuitive nature and a willingness to act on it.

Recently, I came across two articles from well-respected industry icons – and I intuitively felt  that this month’s article should include their relevant voices.  Enjoy.

Google VP says she always listens for these 6 things during the job interview:

‘They’re not often easy to spot’

By Bonita C. Stewart, Vice President of Global Partnerships at Google

I’ve picked up quite a bit on what to look for in a job candidate in my three decades at the helm of major businesses — and specifically, in my nearly 15 years at Google, where I’m currently vice president of global partnerships.

When it comes to hiring the right people, Google sets high standards and requirements across role-related knowledge, leadership expectations and diversified perspectives. I also apply the foundation of my value system, which came from my father, called the four Cs: Concentration, culture, courage, and character.

Of course, they aren’t often easy to spot — or, for an applicant, to display. So here are six important things I always listen for during job interviews:

1. Talk about transferable skills, experience

Depending on what position you’re applying for, you must have some sort of relevant experience. But expertise can be garnered in a number of ways, not purely academic.

Perhaps someone without a master’s degree has gained tremendous experience through interesting personal projects or hobbies, like a side hustle they started outside of work.

For example, if you’re interviewing for an entry-level marketing position, it’s okay to not have 10 marketing internships under your belt. Perhaps you organized a community service event in your hometown. Tell me about the creative strategies you used to get people to pay attention, care and participate.

2. Ask questions—lots of them

This shows natural curiosity, which is a valuable asset in just about every workplace. But move beyond questions you can easily find answers to on your own (e.g., through a Google search).

Instead, focus on coupling a fact with an open-ended question to draw out a personal perspective on a strategic topic. Consider doing this in essential areas such as strategy, product, and industry positioning, nurturing high performing teams and inclusive leadership.

For example, “Your team is already performing well in [X], but what about enlisting someone to do [Y], which I believe could help improve [Z]?”

Two other questions that I wish more candidates would ask during job interviews:

What does your team need that isn’t being done now?

How can I contribute in ways that go beyond the job listing responsibilities?

3. List accomplishments, but don’t make it all about yourself

I admire and respect people who embrace a “we” mindset, because people don’t achieve big successes on their own.  I want to hire people who uplift, not undermine, team spirit.

I want to learn about your accomplishments, but it’s always a bonus when a candidate acknowledges the help and guidance they received along the way, no matter how small or big.

If you only talk about the successes you claim to have done on your own, it tells me you’re not a team player, and that you don’t pull together with others or share credit. I want to hire people who uplift, not undermine, team spirit.

4. Take ownership of your mistakes

Messing up and having the courage to talk about it is a quality I always take note of — in a good way.

We all make mistakes. Tell me about a project that didn’t go as planned. What was your thought process? How did things pivot? What did you learn? What would you do differently if it happened again?

Problems are going to come up, no matter how smart and capable you are at your job, and I want to understand how you’ll respond when they do.

The way you tell the story is just as important. Don’t trail off or go off tangent (something that people tend to do when talking about their oversights). Have a story planned and make sure the details are concise and easy to follow.

5. Personal agility

The rapid acceleration of technology has created a work culture where business transformation is the norm. Make sure you study the company and identify what unique perspectives you can bring.

For example, I look for candidates who are eager to be helpful to our clients, so that when an industry evolves, such as news and media, we have the right talent to come up with creative strategies to meet the needs of our partners.

This is also about thinking fast, leading with innovation, and readily accepting new ideas that come from everyone and everywhere.

6. Show that you work well with others

Finally, collaboration is key. Building a team is about more than a single hire. It’s about how skills and strengths complement each other. I’ve embraced the notion of hiring in multiples, as it helps us avoid tokenism and makes sure no one person is the “only” of anything in a workplace.

Define the quantifiable benefits you bring. Self-awareness is a big one. Team members, particularly leaders, can transmit their feelings, whether positive or negative, to others. And if you’re self-aware, you’re more likely to spread encouragement and positive energy.

________________________________________________________________________________

6 things I loved about the most impressive resume I’ve ever seen

—based on 20 years of hiring

 By Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn Ferry

I’ve received thousands of resumes throughout my entire career — and believe me, I’ve seen them all: Too long, too short, too boring, too many typos, too hard to read and every layout imaginable.

To be completely honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of resumes. Heck, I even wrote a book about all the things that are more important than the resume. Yes, you do need one, but what most experts don’t tell you is that resumes only account for 10% of the hiring decision.

That said, it would take a lot to wow a tough critic like myself. A few years ago, however, I was surprised to find a resume that actually managed to impress me.

In fact, it was one of the best resumes I had ever seen in my 20 years of hiring and interviewing. It had no gimmicks; no Fortune 500 company listed and wasn’t folded into an origami airplane. Needless to say, I hired the candidate.

Here’s what made it stand out from the rest:

1. It was easy to read

This resume had plenty of white space and was two pages long, which is expected if you have more than 10 years of experience.

Everything was nicely organized: Line spacing was just right, company names in bold, titles italicized and job details arranged in bullet points. Oh, and not a single typo to be found.

I liked that the font was nothing fancy. Too many candidates waste time obsessing over which font to use. I won’t weigh in on Times New Roman versus Calibri, but I will say that it should always be simple and easy to read.

2. It told a story

This resume told a story about the candidate’s career journey. There were no information gaps (i.e., a missing summer). From top to bottom, there was a clear “before and after.” In just a few seconds, I was able to see a “staircase pattern” of the candidate’s career growth.

In other words, the chronological list of work history — in order of date, with the most recent position at the top — showed a clear progression of more senior roles and more advanced responsibilities.

3. It listed accomplishments, rather than just responsibilities

I’m not interested in reading what you copied and pasted from the original job description listing. What employers really want to know is whether you’re an above average candidate who’s capable of delivering quantifiable results — and this person did a great job of proving that they were.

It’s always better to highlight your responsibilities by detailing your most impressive accomplishments:

Examples:

Instead of “expanded operations to international markets,” say “expanded operations to eight new countries in Latin America.”

Instead of “led marketing and sales team,” say “supervised marketing and sales team and achieved 15% annual growth vs. 0.5% budget.”

4. It told the truth

There weren’t any discrepancies that raised red flags. Everything was believable and the numbers weren’t exaggerated.

Even better, the resume had links to the person’s LinkedIn page and professional website, which included a portfolio of their work. This made it easier for me to fact-check the resume, which in turn made the candidate seem like an honest person.

My advice? Tell the truth — period. A colleague once told me about someone who listed “convicted felon” on her resume. The candidate submitted her resume, then called the hiring manager and asked, “Would you hire an ex-convict?” After a series of questions and some due diligence, they offered her the job. And based on what I’ve heard, she ended up being an excellent hire.

While big accomplishments and recognizable company names will give you an advantage, make no mistake: Employers will do a reference check — and if they find out that you lied about something, it’s game over.

5. It didn’t have any cliché claims

There were no generic and high-level claims such as “creative,” “hard-working,” “results-driven,” “excellent communicator” or, my least favorite, “team player.”

Including any of these cliché terms will make your hiring manager roll their eyes in less than a second. Skip the cheesy adjectives and overused terms and go for action verbs instead.

Examples:

Instead of “excellent communicator,” say “presented at face-to-face client meetings and spoke at college recruiting events.”

Instead of “highly creative,” say “designed and implemented new global application monitoring platform.”

6. It came through a recommendation

Not everyone will have a connection at their dream company, but knowing someone who can refer you is the most effective way to get an employer’s attention.

The fact that this resume came through a recommendation from a respected colleague played a significant role in getting me to open the PDF file. That, in addition to the few seconds I spent skimming it, was the one-two punch that made me want to know more about the candidate.

Blasting your resume everywhere won’t get you anywhere. I get sent dozens of resumes on the daily from people I don’t know, and the vast majority of them go unopened.

That might seem harsh, but here’s the truth: You should always go out of your way to get a warm introduction. If you don’t have a connection, do some research, and find a friend of a friend who knows someone who has an “in.”

The Strangest Miracle

Amanda’s Story

Sometimes, good things unexpectedly occur in life that we just can’t explain. We call these events mysteries of the mind, or miracles. And with this introduction, perhaps you can explain… the strangest miracle. 

“I’m not on drugs, nor am I delusional,” Amanda said; her dark brown eyes piercing mine. 

I responded by smiling and simply saying, “You seem quite normal to me.”

Amanda retained me as her executive career coach. I had been working with her for a few weeks and found her to be highly intelligent, hard-working, and fully committed to her job campaign – to securing a better job.  She was a well-respected IT professional, a loving mother of two children, happily married to her college sweetheart, and was actively involved with numerous community charities and organizations. Amanda had a strong personality and seemed well in control of her emotions, so I found her comment somewhat out of character.

She called because she needed to schedule a session with me, but wouldn’t explain the urgency.  Amanda was making good progress in pursuing a new job after her employer, Graham & Cromwell Medical Billing, was forced to terminate her after they merged with a national firm.  But just last week, Amanda experienced a major setback.  The one job she wanted most of all, fell through.  She was one of two finalists for an executive IT position for a Fortune 100 company, and was informed she finished a strong second. Not good.  So I assumed her session with me had to do with this disappointment.

Amanda, in her late thirties always dressed professionally and carried herself with confidence.  Today was no different.  However, today she seemed distracted; almost distant.  As she ran her hands through her long black hair, she turned her head and stared out the window to her left – in silence. I wasn’t sure where the conversation was heading.  Or when it would actually start.  I just sat patiently, and waited.

After a moment of silence, Amanda began. “My mother and I have always been close; in fact, she’s always been my best friend.  No matter what I faced in life, no matter how old I was, and no matter what she was going through herself, my mom was always there for me and always had the right answers at the right time for any situation. So last Wednesday, I was sitting by myself at Chelsea’s Restaurant having a cup of coffee, pondering my future while worrying about the present. This was just a few hours after I was told I lost out on the job I really wanted. I casually looked up from my newly created things-still-to-do list, and to my utter surprise, I saw my mother enter the restaurant.  The next thing I knew, she was sitting across from me.  I was speechless.”

While Amanda was telling her story, she was staring out of my office window.  Or so it seemed.  And now she was silent again. I uncomfortably broke the silence, and asked, “Did your mother know about your interview?”

Amanda seemed not to hear my question.  She just continued on with her narrative.  In a trance-like state she said, “When I saw my mom, I wiped my eyes and could hardly speak. I barely whispered, ‘Mom, how can…’

“Honey,” Amanda’s mom interrupted. “Listen to me. Remember back when you played soccer as a child and, just before the championship game you sprained  your ankle in practice?  You were devastated.  But you came home and were determined to do whatever it took to play in the championship game.  And not only did you play, but you also scored the winning goal.” 

Amanda turned to me and said, “You know, Jay - I did win that game.  And my ankle was broken when they x-rayed it after the game.  Can you believe it?  I played with a broken ankle!”  Her eyes returned to the window and she continued speaking; as if in a stupor.  “My mother then reminded me of my first love in high school, Dustin Winters, who ended up breaking my heart.  My mother then explained to me that life is like a symphony; that there are both high happy notes – as well as the low, sad notes.  And this is what makes a symphony.  ‘You don’t walk out of the symphony when you hear the low, sad notes,’ my mother said.  ‘Or the angry clash of the symbols. You take them in.  You embrace it all.

“‘Likewise, you don’t walk out on the low, sad, and angry events or situations in life either… like a symphony, you embrace them.  That’s what makes up life… the good and the bad; the highs and the lows.  The ups and the downs.’ You see, Jay, my mother was always very wise.  She always had a special way of communicating with me so I would understand.  She had a gift of explaining life that always helped me live it better – to help me through the tough times.”

I interjected, “So I assume your mother had some words of wisdom and support to help you overcome the disappointment of last week?”

“Yes, and quite unexpectedly,” Amanda answered, now directing her gaze directly at me; or should I say through me.  “As my mother sat across from me in that restaurant, I kept asking myself how could she be here at this moment, feel my pain, and have the right words to comfort and encourage me?  I mean, I just got the bad news a couple hours ago.

“As I began to ask her how this could be happening, my mother interrupted again.  In her affectionate and comforting way she said, ‘Everything will be fine, sweetheart.  There isn’t anything you can’t do or overcome.  Think back at when you were diagnosed with Crohns Disease at age 28.  Through diet and nutrition - and a burning desire to heal, you have fully controlled this health issue. Now you just need to muster the same strength, belief in yourself, resourcefulness, and conviction to secure a new job.  If you focus your energy and thoughts on what you have and what you have overcome throughout the years, you’ll use this positive energy to land an even better job that you just interviewed for.  Remember, energy attracts like energy. You are what you think and you attract your thoughts. Think good thoughts and you’ll attract all that you deserve.’

“Mom reached across the table and took my hand,” Amanda continued.  When her hand touched mine, I felt a warm sensation I’d never felt before.  I suddenly felt empowered and in control.  Mom smiled at me and said something she said hundreds of times throughout my life. ‘There’s nothing you can’t accomplish if you set your mind to it.  You have everything it takes to succeed.  Never quit; never give up; and never settle for less than you can be.’  I then looked deep into my mother’s eyes and saw the confidence she had in me.  At that moment, I knew I would be fine; that I would land a job in a matter of days, not weeks.” Amanda reiterated her timeline with conviction. “Days, Jay, not weeks!”

Amanda gazed up at the ceiling, at nothing in particular, and then said to me. “That afternoon, when our discussion was seemingly winding down, my mom smiled; her love for me ever-present, and she said, ‘Take control.  Don’t leave a day without planting good seeds; for when you plant well, you’ll reap all the rewards you want and deserve.’  My mother then, quite unexpectedly, rose from her seat, blew me a kiss, and left.  Suddenly, the waitress disrupted the moment and handed me the check.  I took it, and after a few moments of watching my mom disappear, looked at the check.  All that was on the check were the words…YOU ARE WORTHY.  Amanda then fumbled through her pocketbook and pulled out the check she saved, and handed it to me.  I read it. YOU ARE WORTHY.

Amanda said, “Somehow, and don’t ask me how, when I saw my mother’s words, Janet Clayton’s name came to my consciousness. Janet, as you know, is the executive recruiter I’ve been working with.  So I called Janet just to check in with her.  Can you believe it – she told me she was just about to call me!  She had a senior IT position to fill with Whirlwind Media – and that I was the perfect candidate for the position. Long story short, after 4 days of interviewing with Whirlwind Media this week, I was offered a job yesterday.  And I accepted the position this morning. It’s truly the perfect job for me and I start next week! 

Amanda then thanked me for the support I had provided. As she rose from her seat, there were tears in her eyes; I assumed tears of joy.  I asked, “I’m sure you shared the good news with you mom.  What did she say?” 

Amanda lowered her head, picked up her pocketbook, and wiped a tear or two from her eyes.  As she turned to leave my office she said, “My mother passed away three years ago.”

Try to imagine a company like Pfizer investing 17 years and millions of dollars, successfully developing a drug to cure cancer, but having no marketing plan.  Or imagine, if you will, Ford Motor Company spending 17 years and millions of dollars, developing self-driving automobiles – with no marketing plan when they come rolling off the assembly line.

You can’t. In fact, you’d expect these companies to have exciting, kick-ass marketing campaigns in place to achieve their goals. Yet, leaders of higher education in America don’t understand this.

For the typical person in the US, the scholastic assembly line begins with kindergarten (maybe pre-school), and continues through high school – 13+ years.  Then college is next, requiring another several years and tens, if not, hundreds of thousands of dollars more.  Then, the student comes rolling off the scholastic assembly line as a new college grad. 

Yet, the vast majority of graduates have no clue what to do next.  They have no inkling how to secure the jobs they went to school to attract, or how to manage their careers throughout their lives.  There is no marketing plan.

It’s beyond irrational.

Leaders of higher education help create the demand:  if we don’t go to college, we won’t amount to much.  They eagerly take our money without regard to consequence and thus, student debt is at a staggering all-time high.  And they require a multi-year commitment and investment in time and money to attain a degree.  For all of this, we receive a nicely framed parchment diploma and a cap and gown. 

After some 17 years on the scholastic assembly line, students come rolling off as exciting, valuable new products, with absolutely no idea and no training on how best to 1) leverage their education, 2) optimize their wisdom, and 3) secure employment over a lifetime to build wealth and live rich and rewarding lives.

The Only Reason We Invest in Higher Education

The only reason most people attend college or university is to enable them to secure better jobs.  Yes, there’s sex, drugs, alcohol, rock n’ roll, and all those sideshows.  But in the end, the investment of time and money in higher education is made for only one reason: to land better jobs at better pay – over a lifetime.  Period!

In my case, by the time I entered the University of New Hampshire (UNH), I had been on the scholastic assembly line for 13 years (K-12).  I knew how to read, write, and learned enough math to know how to budget and build a net worth.

The only reason I went to college, was to gain additional wisdom that would lead to better job opportunities and greater pay.  And yet, when I graduated UNH in 1976, I had no idea how to write a résumé or secure employment.  I never entered or even contacted the campus career resource center and they never contacted me.  So I struggled badly because I was never taught how to conduct an exciting, upbeat job campaign.  I was left to search and hunt on my own – activities full of fear and pain.  And my struggles lasted for more years than I care to admit.

Sadly, the Most Underutilized Department on Campus

The numbers are all over the place, but most research indicates that fewer than 20% of all students ever visit their college career resource facility.   However, conflicting statistics run rampant.  For instance, NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, states, “Among the Class of 2017, 85.6 percent of students who had begun the job search had visited the career center—either at its office or on its website.”  But hold on – how can this possibly be impressive?

According to NACE, some 85.6% of graduating students “visited” the school’s career resource website for a short time or spent a few minutes with a career advisor.  After 17 (+/-) years of attending classes, doing homework, taking tests, cramming for finals, stressing over grades, report card anxiety, time spent in detention, filling out applications for college, and the crushing cost to attend higher education …the marketing plan for 85.6% of students consists of an inconsequential visit to the website or an advisor?

Excuses and Stagnation

“Jay, the problem is, if you think it’s political in Washington DC, it’s worse in higher education.  It takes 7 committees and 4 years to change anything, including a light bulb.” 

This comment was stated to me a few years  ago by a well-respected Michigan leader in higher education. But I have heard this over and over again stated in different language throughout the years. 

But here’s what is exciting.  Higher education could lead the charge in changing how we all perceive the workplace - how to enter and thrive in it.  Here’s how:

There must be a mandatory semester-long career management course required

before anyone graduates and receives a diploma; one that is marketing, not search driven.

A Word about Freshman English

In May of 2020, The Best Schools posted an online article:  College Courses That Should Be Mandatory: (https://thebestschools.org/magazine/15-subjects-mandatory-arent/). They include: Nutrition, Automobile Maintenance, Budgeting, Cooking, First Aid, Etiquette, Insurance, Negotiating, Social Media Safety, Stress Management, Taxes, Survival Skills.  

Ah, survival skills.  Is career / workplace management not a survival skill?  Where is the one critical course that instructs all academic graduates – high school and above – how to master the skill of workplace management?  How to optimize one’s investment in education?

When I attended UNH (back in the 70’s), I was required to take Freshman English.  I believe most institutions still require Freshman English for a 4-year program (bachelor’s degree).  Even if one is not majoring in English.  Why?

To be accepted into UNH, I had to take the standardized SATs. As you know, one of the two SAT exams is  English.  I was accepted into UNH because, among other attributes, my SAT scores were acceptable.  Including English!  So why did I need to take Freshman English? 

Why not eliminate Freshman English, move this open slot to the junior or senior year – and transition it from Freshman English to:  How to Attract and Keep Good Jobs? Career Management For a Lifetime.

Give a Fish – Teach How To Fish

College grads experience a number of emotions when they graduate.  The first is excitement.  Then comes fear.  For many, sheer terror.  Once the pomp and circumstance is over, feelings of loss, uncertainty, and inadequacy of knowing how to confidently market themselves replaces excitement.  Fear rules!

Over the decades, most college and university career centers prided themselves on giving students a fish, rather than teaching them how to fish.  They would bring employers on campus to help match students to jobs.  What ever happened to teaching students how to fish – how to take personal responsibility, incorporate discipline, and plan and execute their own exciting and proactive job campaigns?

What is Job Search?

It’s long past the time when we need to view the job search not as a search or a hunt, but as a well-run marketing campaign.  Most universities have business schools and most colleges have business programs that address marketing and marketing strategies.  And marketing classes teach specific methodologies and processes to effectively and confidently promote, market, and sell products and services in competitive free market arenas.

And isn’t this what we want college grads to do upon graduation: to use specific strategies and processes to effectively and confidently promote, market, and sell themselves in competitive free market arenas – to land great jobs at good pay?

The Consequences Are Staggering

We graduate college, but have NOT been taught self-marketing skills to ensure we land great jobs.  As a consequence…

• We accept jobs we’d rather not work at.
• We have too much month at the end of the money – and have to live with our parents.
• We remain in toxic and demeaning jobs because we have no idea how to get out of them.
• We work withbosses who under-appreciate and underpay us, but we suck it up and remain unhappily in them because we have no idea how to change our destiny.
• We place our health and relationships in jeopardy because we are miserable at work and it’s hard to be a loving, upbeat person after a day of hell in the office.

The consequences?  Author Neal Donald Walsch might have said it best.  “By the age of 40 or 50, most people have given up on their grandest dreams, set aside their highest hopes, and have settled for their lowest expectations or nothing at all.”

This is NOT why we send our children to institutions of higher education !

Initial Recommendations:

1. All colleges and universities must mandate a full semester course be taken in self -marketing / career management - for a lifetime.
2. The program must be presented by professionals who understand branding, value propositions, and how to conduct exciting, proactive job campaigns (not searches).
3. The process / curriculum must be understood and supported by alumni associations, to help alumni in the workplace well after college.

It’s time for higher education to step up to the plate and to play the key role it was meant to play, i.e., to ensure all graduating students are well equipped, scholastically to land great jobs and most importantly, to show them how to land and keep them.  It’s time leaders of higher education became part of the solution.

Please Note:  This essay is directed at top leaders of higher education and not career resource center directors and staff.  I have consistently acknowledged and honored career resource center efforts, despite underwhelming support from leadership.

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.”

If we were to be honest with ourselves, we would acknowledge that while most people spend their time struggling to earn a living – a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.   Rather than simply working to make a living, this smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying abundance.  In the workplace and throughout life.

Keep in mind that abundance, in no way, pertains exclusively to finances.  This smaller group seeks out and possesses an abundance of love, health, friendships, and dreams.  For those in the larger segment of society, they tend to believe that everything is just destined to work out for this smaller, more fortunate group.  You know, the lucky few.  The larger group can only wonder how life can be so unfair.  Contrary to reality, they feel permanently stuck and out of luck.

Admittedly, I used to be a member of the larger group until 1992 when I turned 39 years old.  It was at this time that I began searching for the secret formula that differentiated the two diverse groups because I was underachieving at the halfway point of my life.  I was  financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually behind on my big-mouth promises to myself and my family.  And I knew it!  So I made the conscious decision to leave the larger group and join the smaller one - even though I had no idea how.

The Power Most People Relinquish

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives, including our families, the schools we attended, the communities we were raised in, the friends we had, the amount of income our parents earned, or the handicaps and challenges we encountered along the way – nothing in this world has as much potential power for affecting our lives as our ability to dream – nothing!   When an idea is exciting, passionate, and captivates our attention around the clock, life-changing breakthroughs are inevitable.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life we want to lead – and

the future we want to create for ourselves and our families.

When we have compelling desires/goals that we are committed to, this encourages us to meet expected obstacles and adversities head on – and with an abundance of confidence and resolve.  Dreams (or passionate goals) are the pull of the future; an awesome force that inspires us to employ discipline and self-responsibility in pursuit of all that awaits us in the future.  You see, when we allow our dreams to pull us forward, they unleash a creative and resourceful energy that will overpower any obstacle or adversity in our path.  It creates abundance.

To Unleash This Power, Dreams Must Be Well Defined

Fuzzy ambitions have limited pulling power, whereas well-defined, laser sharp dreams have remarkable pulling power.  To achieve a burning desire and to help clients/students achieve theirs, our pursuits and expectations must be rich, exciting, and vivid.  Like a child excited about going on a vacation.

Success is achieved when our desires are stronger

than the adversities we’ll face in the pursuit of them.

You’ve Got to Be a Good Dreamer in 2021

As we approach the end of a difficult 2020 marked by a global pandemic, political discord, social unrest and protests, economic uncertainty, and high unemployment… what are your dreams for 2021?   And if you believe the idea of identifying and pursuing dreams is some kind of New Age fad, perhaps just ask yourself this question:  A year from now when December 2021 rolls around, how will I know that 2021 was one of the finest years of my life?   If you don’t know what you want – you’ll have to settle for what you get.  This is NOT a New Age concept. 

We must envision a post-COVID-19 world today before the vaccine arrives.  Job seekers must vividly and confidently envision themselves in a great new job before the résumé is even created.  In other words, we have to see and feel abundance today in pursuit of achieving abundance in the future.  This is the incredible force I call the pull of the future – the ultimate motivator.  It’s also called the Law of Attraction.  Whatever the mind (and the heart) can conceive and believe – you (and your clients/students) can achieve.

What We Focus On – We Attract

The Wright Brothers did not focus on what was – they focused on what was possible. Walt Disney did not focus on what was – he focused on what was possible.  Steve Jobs did not focus on what was – he focused on what was possible.  When I set out to write and publish my first book back in the mid 1990’s, I did not focus on what was (unpublished with people telling me I had a better chance of winning the lottery than getting published).  I focused on what was possible – my dream.

Everyone and anyone who has ever achieved success – abundance – has experienced significant setbacks, rejections, failures, and obstacles.  To achieve your dreams and to realize abundance, and to help your clients/students do the same, you have to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing what is uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable.  This is how you achieve your dreams – how you realize true potential. Like when you learned to walk, ride a bicycle without training wheels, learned the alphabet, and memorized your addition and subtraction tables. 

It is impossible to grow without discomfort,

so best we treat discomfort as an ally not an enemy.

Dreaming is NOT a New Age Concept

Scientists discovered a COVID-19 vaccine because they first dreamed of it, the same way scientists once dreamed of cures for polio, smallpox, and measles.  Researchers are dreaming of cures for cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, and a host of other life-threatening and debilitating illnesses.  Developing self-driving cars is a dream.  For many, cleaning up the planet is a dream.  Finding a soulmate, building wealth, and establishing good health are dreams for many.  Building a business, finding a great job, nailing a promotion, or any endeavor that enriches our lives are dreams – pursuits to improve the quality of life. 

A 2021 Reset

As we approach the final weeks of 2020, what are you thinking about - how difficult 2020 was, or how you can make 2021 the best year ever?  Remember, expectations equal achievement.  If we set the bar low, we achieve very little.  If we set the bar high, there is no limit to what we can achieve… abundance.  Abundance of self-pride, ambition, love, friendships, health, contribution, wealth, and legacy. 

So let me share with you four key principles that I have been teaching my audiences that helped them achieve so many of their dreams and ambitions.  These principles will help you dream big and, most importantly, to “believe” in those dreams.  It’s been my experience that a goal unsupported by a strong belief in that goal, is wasted.  So why not expect big things for you, your family, and your clients/students for 2021… so abundance will thrill you throughout the year.

1. Allow yourself to dream big without trying to figure out how you’ll achieve your dreams.Most people don’t allow themselves to dream big for fear of never achieving them.Don’t fear falling short of achieving your dreams. Rather, fear leaving this life without giving your dreams a fighting chance to be realized.Remember – where there’s a will (dream) there’s a way.

    

2. Allow your dreams to breathe.In other words, let your dreams breathe within you. Visualize your dreams daily, as this is the authentic breath of success.See it today, in your mind’s eye, so you can achieve it in the future.The only way you can build a house is to see it finished before you start to build it.That’s where blueprints come from – envisioning the house in your mind’s eye.It’s difficult to create what you can’t see.
3. Create a dream team.Share your dreams. Sharing your dreams begins the process of making them more real. Identify and hang out with people that will support you and your ambitions. Supportive people are good listeners, non-judgmental, optimistic, are able to partner with or mentor you; and are big dreamers themselves. They are possibilitarians.

    

   On the other hand, don’t share your dreams with negative people who are not supportive of your ambitions.  Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Oprah Winfrey, and many great dreamers started out poor, illiterate, or with severe handicaps.  Their dreams came true because of their strong fortitude to achieve them – and a dream team they assembled that provided key support.

    

4. Expect adversity and meet it head on.All dreams and success assume you will meet adversity, setbacks, and significant obstacles.It’s inevitable and part of the process.You didn’t walk the first time you tried – and you won’t achieve your dreams the first time you try.Know you will fall – sometimes over and over again.But that is why you walk today – and this is how you’ll realize your dreams tomorrow, because falling is inevitable.Embrace the fall.Then get up and try again.It’s called muscle building. So, as you plan for 2021, forget New Year’s resolutions. Instead, identify just 2 or 3 “dreams” you want to achieve in 2021, commit to them, and then fire up your success engines and make them come true.

Happy Holidays!