Your Attitude and The Job Search Attitude, personality, interests and intuition may land you a job or the right career change. Attitude is a very abstract term, but we all recognize what it is when we encounter a bad one or a good one for that matter. As it pertains to the jobs and careers, attitude encompasses such concepts as flexibility, thinking outside the box, and self-confidence. A positive attitude is a must when job searching or exploring career changes. This is rather obvious, but it may be less obvious that it is counter-productive to internalize rejections and obstacles when your job search or career choice takes longer than planned. Keep the altitude in your attitude by following some of the tips below: • Keep rejection notices in perspective by remembering that business-based rejections are not personal rejections, but best-fit selections. • Flex your thinking processes. Stretch your mind beyond the mundane and familiar. • Get some exercise and synergize the physical and the mental. • Develop the actor in you by displaying enthusiasm easily by remembering a past event that triggers this response. • Remind yourself frequently that we live in an imperfect world and imperfection does not automatically lead to career paralysis. Attitude is also a part of your personality to a certain extent, but your business personality is a composite of individual traits and characteristics that reveal your style of doing things. Are you aware of your personality profile? Awareness of your personality profile gives you the freedom to focus on the interaction styles of others and to make adjustments in your style in order to achieve positive results. The advantage is yours when you know yourself. So get in touch with your human resources representative for assistance in obtaining a personality profile if you are not aware of yours, or visit a library or bookstore to read up on this subject. This may be very insightful if you are considering a major job or career change. Mix your interests and intuition along with your attitude and personality, and trust yourself. There is a niche that is uniquely suited to you, but only you can determine when you are ready to fill it. Your niche should excite you, engage your energy and your mind. For example, recently a college student who was not sure of what major to declare commented, "I want to work in an area that really interests me because I don't want to be forty and miserable." Many people make career or job choices based on what they are considered good at. Avoid the I'm-good-at trap. Being good at something is not a limitation, but a window full of many opportunities. When you feel charged-up and the light comes on in your eyes, then you and those around you will know that everyone's choice was the right choice. Should I change jobs? The latest report from the Department of Labor indicates that the unemployment rate among African-Americans is at a 30-year low. Overall the unemployment rate is low and the demand for qualified employees is high. Knowing that your skills might be in demand may lead to personal introspection and reflection on one's current career status. If you've been at the same job for a while, eventually, the big question looms: Is now the time to switch jobs or to change careers? As you ponder answers to this question, gather as much relevant information as you can before you move to the next level. It is clearly your decision, but it is not an informed decision until you have evaluated yourself, your targeted job or career, and the environment of your targeted industry. First, you must be clear on what you want. For example, after talking with several professional recruiters, a number of them commented that people who have skipped this process approach them often. When they ask these people, "What do you want to do?" a typical response is, "I want to get into management." Recruiter‘s follow-up with "What do you want to manage"? The responses to this question range from unintelligible stammers, to blank stares, to "I don't know." If you are not certain about what you want to do, how can you expect someone else to know? You can avoid a similar scenario if you are seriously thinking about a management career by reading some of the literature from the list below. 1. The New Manager's Survival Manual, 2nd. Ed. by Clay Carr 2. Essential Manager's Manual by Robert Heller and Tim Hindle 3. Listening: The Forgotten Skill, A Self-teaching Guide, 2nd. Ed. by Madelyn Burley-Allen 4. Learning To Lead: A Workbook On Becoming A Leader by Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith 5. The Code of the Executive by Don Schmincke Second, talk with people who are doing what you think you would like to do. This may sound simplistic, but it is one of the best methods of gaining insight into issues that may not be apparent to someone on the outside. Include people with different levels of responsibility in your attempts to gather information, and take note of those that encourage you and seem willing to help you. They may provide more information or assistance later on. Third, formulate a plan, a strategy, for moving from your current status to your envisioned future status. Planning helps you to chart alternative courses for reaching goals when you encounter barriers as well as a means of tracking and measuring progress. Once you have girded yourself with the appropriate equipment for entering the playing field, you are ready and set to jump! Why didn't I get promoted? Are you one of many dedicated employees who have been passed over numerous times when promotion opportunities are available? Do you think that the next one is yours because your job performance is good, you're a team player, and you get along well with co-workers? If this describes you, then maybe there are other factors that may influence the decision-making process. Of course, if you happen to be classified as a minority, then discrimination is a possible factor. However, if others of similar backgrounds have received promotions, then use the hypothetical situations below to determine your promotion quotient (what have you done for the people above you lately?). It is important to be honest with yourself as you respond to each situation. 1. Your child has a special event scheduled during the day, and you have used all your personal days. Would you just call in sick, or talk with your boss and offer a solution? 2. You have a knack for working "smart" not "hard." When you have free time, do you offer to help others, or ask for additional responsibilities, or do you just goof off until it is time to leave? 3. Deadlines are important to your boss. Do you meet them consistently, or wait until the day before something is due to inform your boss of problems, or ask for help? 4. A major project must be completed by tomorrow for one of the company's loyal customers. Would you offer to help, or offer justification for leaving at your regular time? 5. You have been assigned a major project to work on independently, but you are clueless as to where to begin? Would you admit that you need help, and ask for it, or would you stonewall until cornered? 6. You become aware of a customer's dissatisfaction during a social function. Would you forward the information to the appropriate department, or simply shrug it off, and say that you don't get paid enough to deal with the situation? 7. You have a project progress report to make to your boss. The information you have is not favorable. Would you report the facts, and offer strategies for improvement, or would you report what the boss wants to hear, and hope that everything will work out in the end? 8. You overheard some unfavorable gossip about a co-worker. Would you repeat it at every opportunity, or keep it to yourself? 9. You carry a heavy workload, and you rarely take a full lunch break Would you simply complain, or schedule time with you boss to discuss the situation? 10. Your boss has just announced changes in the department that will take effect immediately. Would you voice opposition to the changes, or reserve your opinion until after the changes have been implemented? After you have honestly responded to all of the situations above, draw your own conclusion. Based on your responses, would you promote yourself if you were the boss? If your answer is yes, then your promotion quotient is very high, and you deserve an environment where your contributions are recognized and rewarded. Four Job Search Blunders After many years in recruiting, I have noticed that most of us commit one or all of the following blunders when conducting a job search. Minority Career News describes these blunders so the next time you are conducting a job search you can remain on track and be successful. Blunder #1 Many job seekers never figure out what they really want in their careers. Please use common sense before starting to look for a new job. Ask yourself the following questions: • What kind of work environment does I like best? • What are my special skills? • Does my personality and work style fit in this organization? • Can they pay me the salary I want or need? Blunder #2 Relying strictly on want ads. Any job search should encompass all possible sources of leads networking, ads, direct mail, and headhunters. Blunder #3 Not doing research on jobs, companies, and industries before starting a job search campaign. Be sure you have a solid understanding of the industry, company, and position. Blunder #4 Spending all your time developing the perfect generic resume. Do not get all hung up on having the "perfect resume." Instead, use your computer to custom tailor each resume to each company's specific job description. Write a Winning Résumé Your most important calling card is your résumé. Here are some tips for making your resume professional and thus increasing your chances of getting interviewed. First appearances and functionality should guide the design of your résumé. Consider what you are trying to achieve. Consider who your audience is. And consider what these people really need to know about you. • Make sure prospective employers can find you. At the top of the document, include your name, telephone number, and complete address -- both your college address and a permanent address, if relevant. • Use 8 1/2" x 11" high-quality paper -- not the stuff used in photocopiers. Use a neutral shade, such as white, light gray, or buff. • Aim for a clean, uncluttered look. Put the most important information near the top where it will be easy to find. Choose a font that is easy to read and be sure to leave plenty of white space. • Limit yourself to one page if possible, unless you need to cover a great deal of relevant experience. • Don't photocopy your résumé. Either print each copy on good paper with a laser printer or use an offset printing service. Your résumé will probably be duplicated several times each place you apply. Photocopies degrade quickly. If you have to make photocopies of your resume to pass out, make sure you have nice-looking professional quality copies made. Good organization is vital in making a solid first impression. Think hard about your reader here. Make life easy for that person, who probably has to read thousands of résumés. • Label each section clearly. • Put work experience in one category and education in another. Cover work first, since it will mean more to most employers than what college you attended or what you studied. • List the jobs you've held in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent. Do the same for schools and degrees in your education section. Include dates and locations. For jobs, include appropriate contact information. Prospective employers often want to talk to your most recent supervisor (not friends or co-workers). • Be positive. Be brief. If something needs to be explained, do it in a follow-up interview. • Be honest and accurate! Employers do check, and people who make false claims get fired. Your cover letter introduces you to prospective employers. Use it to show that you know something about this company and really want to work there. That means you'll have to read up: ask for information from the company's public relations and personnel offices. Customize each cover letter. It's good to state your professional objectives, but emphasize skills and experiences the employer can use, not your own interests.

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