5 Ways Dating & Looking for a Job Are the Same

by Angela Copeland | Feb 15, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend. I hope it was positively memorable and special in whatever way you were hoping for. And, I hope you were able to spend it with loved ones, whether that was a spouse, significant other, or close friend.

If you have been single in the last two years, you will probably agree with me when I say that dating has really changed. And, frankly, it hasn’t changed for the better. I tell my married friends, “If you’re unhappy – work it out. Dating is not what you remember.”

Job seeking can be much the same way. It requires much more work, many more interviews, attention to personal brand, and even then, things can go wrong.

Here are five of the top things that are very similar between dating and searching for a job. I hope you enjoy!

1. Defining your personal brand is the first step. Your image is important. Dates often judge you on things that are sometimes tough to think about, like your appearance and your clothes. Online dates especially will take note when you making spelling mistakes, when your grammar is off, or when your profile photo is ugly or out of date. Have you ever heard of someone dropping a Tinder match because they used “your” instead of “you’re” in a text message? It happens in dating, and it happens in job searching. Take the time to be sure you’re representing yourself in a way you are comfortable with. Employers aren’t just looking for the smartest person. That’s hard to measure. They are looking for someone who represents themselves well.
2. Knowing your target market will bring you closer to success. When it comes to dating, there’s a good chance you have a type in mind that you prefer. When you create an online profile, you’ll look to include photos or information that might appeal to the kind of person you’re trying to attract. For example, if you are a man looking to attract women, you might play it safe and not post a photo filled with dead animals you recently captured on a hunting trip. The same concept applies to potential employers. Pay attention to the type of company you want to work for, and the type of employee they are targeting. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs. Remember, you’re there to sell yourself.
3. You must perfect your pitch. A first date (especially one that started on one of those ‘swiping’ sites) almost always starts out with a question along the lines of, “Tell me about yourself” (because frankly, you know very little when you’re matched). Typically, you share personal information, such as where you grew up, what your hobbies are, and maybe a little about your family. Most likely, you don’t share all of your negative personal baggage right then. You’re giving a high level view of who you are and what you’re about. The same thing goes for a job interview — except instead of sharing personal information, you share career information. Think of specific things like your work experience and educational background that the employer might want to know more about.
4. You probably won’t marry the first person you date. This sounds obvious, right? You have probably never been to a first date, just hoping and praying the person is going to want to marry you. That would be nuts! You need to get to know them a little first, right? Well, the same thing goes for a potential employer. If you know nothing about them, why would you hope that they’d hire you? You’ll be spending eight to ten hours a day with them for years. Rather than focus on your fear of rejection, take the time to get to know the company in the same way they’re getting to know you.
5. If your first date doesn’t want a second one, there’s a chance they will just stop calling. This is one of the biggest changes in dating that has come along with the internet. It is really rare that anyone will directly say, “You know, I really enjoyed our first date together, but I don’t think we’re a great match.” If you’ve gotten this sort of feedback, consider yourself lucky. Instead, a date will stop texting, answering the phone, and returning e-mails. Heck, they may even defriend you on Facebook. That’s the new signal that they’re not interested. And, it’s also the approach many companies are taking. The same way this is frustrating to daters, it’s incredibly frustrating to job seekers. You’ve taken the time to update your resume, you’ve written a create cover letter, you snuck out of work two or three times. Then, boom — nothing! The company doesn’t let you know that you weren’t picked, and they certainly don’t let you know why. It’s such a disrespectful way to end a date — and an interview.

Again, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. This e-mail was meant to bring a little humor to the process we’ve all been a part of — whether dating or job seeking.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

What’s your job search game plan?

by Angela Copeland | Feb 8, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter

Chances are good that you are one of the millions of people who watched the Super Bowl yesterday. Whether you tuned in to cheer on the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers, to watch the latest Super Bowl commercials, or to listen to Coldplay perform live, I hope you had a great time!

As you can imagine, getting to the Super Bowl isn’t easy for anyone! The football players have been practicing their entire lives for this moment. The advertisers work hard to perfect their spots, and the musicians have spent years performing together.

Ending up at something like the Super Bowl is rarely an accident, unless perhaps you’re a really lucky fan. And, even that seems unlikely.

For the players, it takes planning, practice, and years of endurance. It takes strategy. It takes not giving up. It’s not just their job; it’s their career.

Are you happy with you career? Is there an overarching strategy that drives you toward the end of the field? If your strategy is lacking, there’s a good chance you aren’t terribly happy with your job, or you may be frustrated with your job search.

When you’re thinking of strategy, there are a few key things to keep in mind. The first is presentation. Although perfection is not expected, you should avoid embarking on a big job search until you’ve polished your presentation.

Presentation includes your resume. It includes your LinkedIn, and your business cards. It even includes what you might wear to an interview. If you don’t have at least one suit in your closet, what will you do when someone calls you for an interview? And, what about those times when a friend asks you to e-mail them a copy of your resume — but you don’t have one?

After putting your presentation together, it’s all about execution — and not giving up!

It’s very common in today’s internet age to only look for jobs online. Unfortunately, this method rarely works well. It’s funny considering it’s the #1 method recommended by many companies and HR professionals.

With that in mind, focus on your offline game. What will you do to get around the online process? Who do you know in real life that might help you? What events can you attend to meet new people? Who can you start to check in with regularly, to stay on their radar?

Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do, turn those activities into goals. For example, do you want to go to one networking event per week? Do you have time to send one e-mail per day to stay in touch with special colleagues?

In short, get a game plan check list together. Include things like:

• Update my personal goals
• Revise my resume
• Refresh my LinkedIn
• Ensure I have one nice suit available that fits
• Practice my elevator pitch
• Research & attend networking events
• Stay in touch with colleagues via e-mail and phone

When you’ve taken the time to reflect on what you want, and you have the courage to go after it, that’s when your goals start to be fulfilled. You’ll find yourself in a better job, feeling happier and more positive.

As you can see, the key to job search success is to come up with your own personal game plan.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Are you getting the most out of your performance review?

by Angela Copeland | Feb 1, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter

It’s that time of year again: time for the dreaded employee performance evaluation.

Most companies that do these reviews tend to do them in the same way. And, frankly, they’re a bit disconnected. Typically, your boss gives you little direction about the review, other than to schedule a meeting to go over it. In the meantime, you log into an antiquated online system where you rate how well you’ve done this year.

The rating system is often a bit strange. You have a particular goal listed to explain what you were supposed to do at a high level; for example, “lead implementation of new company website.” For each goal, you give yourself a numerical rating (say a 5 out of 5), and then explain why you believe you qualify for this score.

When it comes time for the review with your boss, you print out your self scores and take them to have a discussion about how your boss’ ratings compare to yours.

There are good and bad things about this ratings process. One bad thing is that it doesn’t encourage you to get the most out of your review. The good thing is — if you do extra work to stand out, you’ll probably be the only one of your coworkers who does.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to do your self evaluation. The last thing you want is to be rushed.
2. Take your evaluation seriously! Just because your evaluation is not part of your official ‘job’ responsibilities, it’s still important. It’s your one opportunity all year to shine and show off what you’ve done.
3. Don’t undersell yourself. Give honest ratings and be ready to back them up with examples of your hard work.
4. When you meet with your manager, bring printed copies of everything — one for you and one for your boss.
5. Be prepared to have discussions about your annual performance bonus, your annual salary increase, and the possibility of a promotion. This meeting is the perfect time for those discussions. Don’t assume they’re off limits.
6. Be open to honest feedback and potential criticisms. Your manager will often look to give you suggestions on how to improve. Many managers feel this is part of their responsibility. Don’t be hurt if they give you a few pointers.
7. Do more than the minimum. I’ve witnessed even senior level employees doing the bare minimum on their performance review. Take the time to do something a little extra, and you will stand out from all of your peers. An easy way to do this is to prepare a PowerPoint presentation that highlights your accomplishments. Come up with solid examples of your work, and be prepared to present them.

This leaves one open question. What if your company doesn’t do performance evaluations? Sometimes, smaller organizations don’t incorporate this into their policy and unless you have a particularly ambitious boss, you may not automatically have one. If this is the case, ask your boss to do a less formal performance review with you. You can go through all of the steps listed above, even without the online system. Going through the process (even when one doesn’t exist) will show drive, it will give you the chance to present your work, and it will allow you to get feedback from your boss regarding your performance.

Whatever route you take, best of luck with your upcoming review!!

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

This newsletter was originally published in the Memphis Daily News.