You Never Know Who'll Read Your Email Posts

So, last Sunday night I was sitting in front of the TV multi-tasking and sending out random emails to amuse myself. I wound up on the WGN website for WGN Morning news. I thought I'd be clever and send a note to Larry Potash - I watch WGN every morning and they are hilarious...I told Larry he could reinvent himself by reading my new book "Take Back Your Career"..... here's the response to my email - http://www.wgntv.com/videogallery/66738358/Home/Voicemail-12-13 I didn't get to see it live...two Linkedin contacts sent me notes about it so I called WGN and asked for the link. They were great about getting me the info quickly....moral of the story....good things happen to people from Nebraska who are saving the adverb!

A Tribute to Stan the Man

Today's is my father's birthday. He would have been 103 years old. And even though he's been gone for more than ten years, I think about him every day. I think about how he hated flies because "he knew where they'd been". I think about him every time I leave my back door open because he'd tell us to "close the door...were you born in a barn?".

He was born Stanley Edgar Echternacht. He changed Edgar to Edward because he didn't like Edgar. He fought in Burma in WWII; went to pharmacy school on the GI bill; owned a small-town pharmacy for more than fifty years and loved Nebraska. He knew the license plate number for every county. My father was brilliant. He worked crossword puzzles with a pen and took naps. He and my Mom Rita raised five children. He and my grandfather built several Sears kit houses in my home town and they also built our first house. Stan was not a good visitor, but he was kind and loving and generous and my brothers and sister called him "Stan the Man" because he was the best man we ever knew and we were lucky to have him for our father.

Take Back Your Career

I've taken back my career four times. The first time I was laid off I was completed devastated. I didn't see it coming and I wasn't prepared I didn't have a current resume. My network was nonexistent. I didn't know where to start a job search or who I needed to talk to about getting another position. My job search took several months. When I finally found another job, I promised myself I'd never been unprepared again. However, I soon forgot that promise because I was feeling comfortable...I couldn't get laid off again. Yeah, right! Little did I know I'd be laid off three more times. After the second time, I kept my promise. In today's market with restructures and buyouts, job security is gone. Do yourself a favor and update your resume, rebuild your network and begin building a strong personal brand. Better yet, buy my book-Take Back Your Career!

Stay Motivated!

Five Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated During a Job Search

Staying motivated during a job search is always challenging…especially in today’s competitive market. I should know. I’ve survived four job transitions. After my last layoff, I decided to form my company-High Gain Companies, Inc-to help job transitioners. That was six years ago….Since then I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to stay motivated when you’re in transition. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from successful clients:

1. Set daily goals and structure each and every day. It’s essential that you measure your results so you can see that you’re making progress.

2. Find an accountability partner….someone who will help you stay focused. Choose someone you trust and someone who can be brutally honest with you. DO NOT choose your spouse, significant other or family member….they love you too much.

3. Volunteer your time. Helping others gets you “out of yourself” and gives you more energy and purpose. It feels great to help others.

4. Celebrate your accomplishments. Treat yourself to an ice cream cone or a Snickers bar….something special. Food always does the trick for me.

5. Keep your sense of humor. Read a funny book like “Bossy Pants” by Tina Fey and watch a funny movie. Keep your laugh muscles toned.

Four Things to Keep Your Career Alive

1. Keep your network fresh and dynamic. Continuously expanding your network is essential in today’s business environment. If you don’t’ your career is doomed.
2. Maintain your professional personal brand. You are marketing yourself everyday. If you don’t have a personal brand, start building one. If you don’t, your career is double doomed.
3. Continue your involvement in professional associations and industry groups. Industry contacts are a great way to spot trends and opportunities. If you don’t, your career is on its last breathe.
4. Keep up with your social networking. Keep your name in front of people. You never know when you’ll be in job search mode. If you don’t, you can order a coffin for your career!

7 Essentials You Need to Know About Your Career Transition

1. You can’t to go through it alone – join a local career transition group. It may take a couple of tries to discover a group that fits your needs, but it’s worth it. These groups help you with ideas and strategies. You’ll having an easier time figuring out what you want by talking to others.

2. Your successful transition rides on your plan – treat your transition like a project and put a detailed plan together. Set weekly goals and actions to move you toward reaching your goals.

3. You can visit pity city, but you can’t live there – everyone has problems. They don’t want to hear about yours. Feeling sorry for yourself and spreading your pity around doesn’t win followers. Practice keeping your head in a good positive place.

4. You need an accountability partner – find someone who’ll hold you accountable for reaching your goals. (Hint-spouses, significant others, family don’t make good accountability partners….they’ll let you slide)

5. You are the product – from today on, you are the product. What are your features? Most importantly, what are your benefits? What makes your marketable and what is your unique contribution?

6. You’re in charge – you own your career. The days of companies being responsible for your career growth are gone. YOU are totally responsible for your successes. Become a life-long networker and keep your network alive.

7. You must have a strong online presence. There are three places you want to be online: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. These services are free and let you develop a powerful personal brand. Also, I recommend using gmail for your email needs. Gmail offers many additional free services.

The High Gain Zone: The High Gain Zone: Take Back Your Career

The High Gain Zone: The High Gain Zone: Take Back Your Career

The High Gain Zone: Take Back Your Career

The High Gain Zone: Take Back Your Career

Take Back Your Career

This was the expression on my face the last time I got laid off!  I was angry and frustrated.  Angry because I got laid off over the phone.  Frustrated because I knew this call had been coming for a very long time.


This was the moment I knew I had to take back my career.  I decided not to leave my future in the hands of others.  I'd been coasting for years-telecommuting from my home.  Hiding in my basement office.  I've been miserable for years, but I didn't have the courage to do anything about it.  I made myself a promise that day that I would take back control of my life and career and make things happen.  


What I discovered in this process is that my main job is to "show up" every day.  By that I mean I commit daily to moving toward my goals.  Completing actions plans that keep me focused and driven to achieving success.


So, here I am today....President of my own successful personal branding company:  High Gain Companies, Inc.  I also wrote and recently published a book "Take Back Your Career" which is available on Amazon.com. 


My next goal is to host a national TV show dedicated to helping others take back their personal power.  I'm on a roll and nothing can stop me! 

Feed Your Spirit!

Our spirit is like a plant….we need to water and feed it regularly. Why? Your spirit takes a real beating during a job search or career transition. We call on our spirit regularly to keep us strong and optimistic. We use our will power and spirit to help us weather the daunting work of being at our best during the search process. However, our spirit can run out of stream. You’ll know your need to feed your spirit when you lose your sense of joy, your sense of humor and your sense of adventure. You need all three to win the career game searching for a new job is a big adventure which can give you great joy. You also need a sense of humor so that you don’t become grim, boring and unimaginative.

There will be times when you want to give up and bury yourself under the covers. Hiding is one option however replenishing your spirit and persisting in your job search is a far better option. We need you in the marketplace. We need your talent and ideas and energy and spirit!

Make a list today of ten ways you can feed your spirit so you’ll have it ready when you need it. Here’s my list and I don’t care if you steal the ideas…sharing is good:

1. Spend an hour in nature just listening.

2. Go to an art museum

3. Meditate

4. Eat ice cream

5. Take a walk

6. Read your favorite book

7. Sing or whistle

8. Look at your favorite photos

9. Play with your pet

Day drea

Feed Your Spirit!

Our spirit is like a plant….we need to water and feed it regularly. Why? Your spirit takes a real beating during a job search or career transition. We call on our spirit regularly to keep us strong and optimistic. We use our will power and spirit to help us weather the daunting work of being at our best during the search process. However, our spirit can run out of stream. You’ll know your need to feed your spirit when you lose your sense of joy, your sense of humor and your sense of adventure. You need all three to win the career game searching for a new job is a big adventure which can give you great joy. You also need a sense of humor so that you don’t become grim, boring and unimaginative.

There will be times when you want to give up and bury yourself under the covers. Hiding is one option however replenishing your spirit and persisting in your job search is a far better option. We need you in the marketplace. We need your talent and ideas and energy and spirit!

Make a list today of ten ways you can feed your spirit so you’ll have it ready when you need it. Here’s my list and I don’t care if you steal the ideas…sharing is good:

1. Spend an hour in nature just listening.

2. Go to an art museum

3. Meditate

4. Eat ice cream

5. Take a walk

6. Read your favorite book

7. Sing or whistle

8. Look at your favorite photos

9. Play with your pet

Day drea

Game Momentum Changers-Your Job Search

You've applied to twenty companies and got no response. Or, you've gotten the interview, but didn't make the first cut. Or, you secured a phone interview and the call didn't go well. So, now you sit and fume about "if you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck!" Your frustration level is off the charts and your confidence is badly shaken....and this is just the first month of your job search!

This calls for a game momentum changer - some event which will change the momentum of your job search in your favor. An action that will help you regain your perspective. It can be a huge victory like acing an interview or some small and significant win like creating a fresh, new cover letter. Here are a few other momentum changers:

• Volunteer an hour of your time...you will contribute to others and feel good about yourself
• Complete a project you've been meaning to finish and feel like you're accomplished something.
• Help another job seeker who's asked for your help-helping others is a great momentum changer
• Write down the five accomplishments you're proudest of...read them out loud. Notice how your pride of accomplishments builds
• Write a hand-written note to a colleague just to touch base.
• Call a friend and meet for coffee - talk about how well your search is going even if it isn't..."act as if"

You can change your job search momentum by positive actions and thoughts. Try some if out this week and let me know how well they worked for you!

Take Back Your Career-How To Play Today's Career Game

In May of 1990, I was laid off for the first time. That was my introduction to the world of career transition—a world I have experienced three times since then. I wish I could say that with each merger or downsizing it got easier . . . but it didn’t. What I can say is that each time was different. Each time, I learned something new about myself—and the process of job hunting and career management. And each time, I kept saying, “There has to be a better way.”

For the past five years I’ve been on a mission to discover a better process for managing my career. I decided that one way to learn what was needed to devise a better process was to volunteer at the local community career center. I’ve also been a senior advisor and consultant to major outplacement firms. I’ve coached over fifteen hundred people who were searching for new jobs. I’ve learned so much from all of them, but one client in particular has always stuck with me.

Tim was a COO who told me that he wanted to “get back in the game.” He was tired of being on the bench. He said the longer he was out of the game, the more the game changed and he wasn’t in the thick of it. I didn’t understand what he meant until he explained that, for him, work and career were THE ultimate competition sport. He saw it as a competitive game where you had to stay in shape, continuously work your game plans, scout out the competition, know the field of play, and, above all, craft your winning plays.

Tim was so right in his sports analogy of career management. Once I started looking at the process from a competitive, contact sports angle it became obvious that the disciplines needed for sports are also necessary when managing your career. When you start to understand this concept, you see that you want to be able to lead and play on a team, remain marketable in a competitive environment, and develop and execute game-winning plays.

So, what happens when you look at career management as THE ultimate contact sport? First, you declare that you want to get into the game and win! Then you want to know the following:

• How the game has changed
• What the playing field looks like
• The rules
• How to form your winning team
• What uniforms and tools you’ll be using
• How to get into peak shape
• What plays you’ll run
• How to keep up a winning streak

I’m writing this book to give you a better understanding of the new career management game. Because here’s the thing: Everything about this contact sport has changed in the last few years. There are new rules, new playing fields, new team members, new competition. I’ve always believed that learning a new sport from an expert is crucial; for this game, I’ll be your coach. This book is your playbook. It will supply you with the necessary information, exercises, and examples to guide you in creating your personalized career management game plan. You’re closer to a breakthrough career than you think.

Ready? Game on!

New Book - "Take Back Your Career"

"Take Back Your Career" - Available Soon

Today's career game is very different than it was five years ago. The rules, playing field, scrimmages and winning plays have changed dramatically. Social networking, life-long networking and personal branding are now essentials.

As companies continue to change to meet the demands of a global marketplace, we are all being affected. You may find yourself in a job search or you may be stuck in a job you hate. Either way, "Take Back Your Career" shows you how to position yourself for career success. You'll learn how to develop and implement a game-winning plan. You'll read about the real-life experiences of others who have become star players and continue their winning streaks. You'll also learn how to develop and implement a dynamic career plan enabling you to "Take Back Your Career"!

Confidence - A Tricky Trait

Pam is a Human Resource professional who specializes in labor relations and performance management. She is in a career transition that has lasted ten months. The job market has been very tight and although she's had lots of interviews, Pam still doesn't have an offer. For some people this situation can be a real confidence killer; not Pam. She is always confident, professional, and ready to tackle whatever comes her way. I asked her how she keeps her confidence up. She replied there are three things that help her through the rough times:

1. Use positive affirmations/self-talk. When Pam starts to hear those negative messages in her head, she stops them immediately. She reminds herself of her self worth and personal power.
2. Volunteer to help others. She has daily contact with others. Pam explained that helping others takes her "out of my self pity" and she feels like she accomplishes something through her volunteer work.
3. Reviews accomplishments - identify the situation, take action, and most importantly remember the results achieved. This exercise reminds her of her unique skills and successes.

So, what's your confidence level? It may be time to claim your confidence. Remind yourself you are successful and significant!

Your Sales Pitch - You're Up!

Selling yourself can be the easiest or the hardest thing you ever do. It’s up to you. Think about it. Most of us have never really been encouraged to talk that much about ourselves and how talented we are. Clients tell me so many times about how hard it is to clearly state their value and accomplishments. Pam for example said the interview question she dreads is "tell me about yourself." She says she's always tongue-tied when she begins to answer. She knows that she's missing out on great opportunities to let others know what value she can bring to the market; however, the nagging word that creeps into her mind is “bragging”.

Let me give you the lowdown on this whole bragging notion......

If you were born and raised in the Midwest, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, chances are somewhere along the line parents or teachers drilled into your head that bragging about yourself was bad form. It was showing off and tooting your own horn and parents or teachers were on a mission to put you in your place. It's now time to understand and believe that telling the truth about yourself is a good thing. You've worked hard and you have every right to let the marketplace know! Start putting the marketing of yourself in a new context. Ask yourself; “What do I bring to the market?” “ What is my value to a company?” How do I impact the bottom line? What results have I delivered? Develop your marketing pitch based on the answer to those questions and you'll be ready to hit it out of the park!

"Lost in the Headlights"

New Job Realities

I met Vince for the first time at a networking event last year. He had that “lost in the headlights” look about him as he shyly introduced himself.

It was painful to listen to him stammer through his qualifications. I didn’t know anyone could blush that many colors of red. He told us that his specialty was “utilizing geographical analysis to develop corporate strategy”. None of us had any idea of what that meant and no one asked. The meeting broke up and I ran into Vince in the parking lot. I asked him exactly what his profession was hoping I’d get a better description and this time I did. He explained that he used geographic information and demographics to select store sights of his company i.e. where to put the next McDonald’s or Walgreen’s or Costco. He’s just been laid off and this was the first time he’d looked for a job since college.

He said this was the first networking event he’d ever attended and he was very uncomfortable introducing himself to people he didn’t know. He leaned against his car and shaking his head said that he was highly regarded in his industry, but he’d been in the job market for three months and still hadn’t gotten an interview. He said that people kept telling him that the rules had changed for a job search, but he couldn’t get a handle on what the new rules were. You can probably identify with Vince.

Chances are that the last time you thought about the Career Game, the rules were very different. If you are in a job search you could call the last recruiter you used or answer an ad online and get an interview. The recruiter probably remembered you and even had a file on you. You could get the pertinent information about the position and get scheduled for a face-to-face within a reasonable amount of time. You could probably interview once with the HR manager and once with the hiring manager and that was it. No more!

To be continued.....

YOU are the product

YOU are the product is the message we hear. It sounds good. Promoting yourself makes perfect sense in today's marketplace. Yet, when we sit down to actually put a marketing piece together for ourselves, it's one of the hardest tasks ever!

There's a process I've used that's helped a great deal. Every product has features. Think about your smart phone. It's features include: easy-to-read screen, small size, multi-functional, great connectivity. Those features are what the product does. Your phone also has benefits....that's what the product does for you. So, the features of your smart phone would be that it allows you to communicate on different media. You can work from anywhere and you are more productive.

So, what are your features? Your education, experience, industry knowledge. people skills, communication skills, special training and talents all qualify as features. What are the benefits of these features to an organization? Your educational benefits are that you have reasoning and decision-making skills. Your experience means you can "hit the ground running". Your industry knowledge means less on-the-job training. People and communication skills means you are a team player and can explain ideas.

So, sit down and write a list of your features and benefits and create your marketing piece. You're a great product and we need you!

New Year's Resolutions

Our guest blogger is Pam Waits. Pam is an HR executive who is passionate about her work. She's very good at it! Pam is expanding her reach through writing and as you'll discover she's an excellent writer as well. Enjoy!

This blog is directed to all of you employers out there and it’s from those of us who are seeking new employment.

There are a lot of us in the market and we have great ideas so please pay attention. The list is comprehensive and I invite you to take a few minutes to read these resolutions. They could help you discover an incredibly talented, loyal batch of new employees who will help you outpace your competition. Here goes.

I, Employer, will:

1. Treat you with respect. I will never lose sight of the fact that even if I don’t hire you, you could be my customer. And while I’m at it, I will be sure to treat the people who already work for me with respect, too.

2. Keep you the job seeker informed throughout the process. I know that your timetable is different than mine. You have a greater sense of urgency and I shouldn’t keep you hanging. Specifically, here is what I plan to do:

A. Acknowledge receipt of your resume/application. At the very least, I will use some form of auto response. I know that you often feel like you are sending information into a black hole and I want you to know that your effort has been successful.

B. Let you know after completing a phone interview if you are moving on to the next step or if it’s the end of the line. By doing this, we can both move on and you won’t need to take your time or that of my recruiters by leaving messages.

C. Provide as much information to you as I can if I decide to interview you face-to-face (e.g., job description, work environment, company culture). In return, I expect you to review this information before the interview and withdraw your candidacy if you aren’t qualified for or interested in working for me.

D. Provide you a status report if you go through face-to-face interviews. I will let you know if there’s another step, what that looks like, whether you will be participating and the expected timeframe.

E. I will notify you even if you didn’t get the job so you can move on. I will make every effort to do this on the phone instead of e-mail as a sign of my professionalism and respect for you. I think this will enhance my reputation as a top employer.

3. Return your calls and/or e-mails if I somehow fail to keep the lines of communication open. If nothing else, I will let you know that I got your message and that I don’t have an update to give you. This demonstrates that I am courteous and respect you. I expect you to show me that same courtesy and respect in return.

4. Start and end appointments (phone and face-to-face interviews) with you on time. If there is a schedule change, I will let you know as soon as I know.

5. Keep the interview process as simple as possible. If I need multiple interviews with you, I will only ask if you are one of my finalists.

6. Interview you only if I am interested in hiring you – not to tap into your expertise or benchmark your salary.

7. Not interview you until I have approval to fill a position or until I know what I want. I don’t want to waste my time or get your hopes up.

8. Not check your references unless I intend to make you an offer. To do otherwise wastes my time and the time of your references. It also sets an inaccurate expectation with you that I intend to make an offer and that just isn’t fair.

9. Consider you if you meet my qualifications, even if you don’t have experience in my industry. I will be open to the fact that you could bring a fresh perspective that would benefit my organization. I will even take that one step farther and start interviewing people from “outside the box” to see what new dynamism I can bring into my organization. I think I have been missing talent and opportunity by limiting myself given that many talented people are trying to transition to new careers and news areas of expertise.

10. Not discount you just because you are currently unemployed. I will be mindful that many people are out of work through no fault of their own and that the talent pool of the unemployed is very rich.

11. Not take advantage of the fact that you are unemployed. If I make you a job offer, I will compensate you fairly in line with your experience and qualifications.

12. Talk to you about my opportunity if I think there might be a fit, even if I think you are overqualified or the pay I am offering is too low. I will have an open discussion with you about my concerns and give you the opportunity to respond.

13. Vow to be realistic in my requirements and to make a decision. I won’t keep positions posted for months trying to find the candidate who “walks on water”. I will choose the candidate who meets my qualifications and will fit in with the culture of the organization.

14. Broaden my sources for filling positions to include networking (both formal and informal channels). I realize that in many cases posting jobs on Internet job sites only seems to create work for my HR staff. Many times the best candidates are found through referrals, not online.

Thanks to the people who contributed to and inspired this list of resolutions - may we inspire the employers who read it!