by Angela Copeland | Jul 29, 2014 | Advice, Career Fulfillment, Podcast
Episode 10 of the Copeland Coaching Podcast is live!
This week we talk with Dr. Sam Sanders from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Sanders is the College Chair for the University of Phoenix School of Business.
Dr. Sanders recently completed a survey that links career success to personal fulfillment. In the interview, Dr. Sanders shares amazing insights from his many years as both an educator and career coach. We discuss how to achieve career success and to find an opportunity that aligns with your personal values.
Listen and learn more! (You can play the podcast below, or download it for free on Apple Podcasts).
by Angela Copeland | Jul 28, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter, References
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. As you prepare for your next big opportunity, one of the most important things is to secure reliable, insightful references.
References become an issue at the beginning and the end of the application process. At the beginning, you must furnish them along with your application. At the end, your references are checked just before you receive the job offer. Sometimes, you receive the offer first, which is contingent upon positive reference checks.
I’ve received a number of questions lately about how to approach someone, and the best way to get references. Below are my do’s and don’ts when it comes to getting the best references possible.
DO: Ask your references in advance. They need to have the opportunity to prepare.
DO: Communicate about interviews in a private place. You need to keep it a secret that you’re looking.
DO: Ask your previous boss, previous co-workers, and previous employees. These are considered relevant references.
DO: Give your references a heads up on what the job is and send your latest resume. This is especially true if you haven’t worked together in some time, or if you’re changing your career.
DO: If you’re making a major career change, try to speak to your references over the phone in advance. This will give you an opportunity to explain why you think this change is appropriate for you.
DO: Keep the contact information for your references in your phone. You never know when you may need to provide them to a future employer.
DO: Select references who can speak to your strengths. You want someone who will advocate for you.
DO: Stay in touch with your references. If you’re listing someone you worked with ten years ago, be sure you’ve spoken from time to time.
DO: Ensure you have correct contact information for your references. You don’t want to provide outdated information.
DO: Find out what your references will say about you. You want to ensure your references will give you a glowing review.
DO: Select relevant references. If you have a reference who is in the same industry, select them over someone who doesn’t know about the new job you want.
DO: Identify negative references and remove them from your reference list. If you find that not all of your references are putting you in the best light, try to identify where the problem may be to minimize damage.
DON’T: Fail to tell your references that calls may be coming. They should not be surprised when they receive calls.
DON’T: Use your current manager as a reference. This is never a good idea.
DON’T: Use current coworkers or employees as references. This puts them in a bad position and doesn’t poise you for success.
DON’T: List a reference you are unsure about. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
DON’T: Ask for a written reference. Most references are provided via the phone.
DON’T: List your references in your resume. They’re provided in your application when you apply for the job. Listing them in your resume takes up precious space you could be using to highlight your skills.
DON’T: Include family members or friends you have never worked with. These aren’t considered relevant references.
DON’T: Forget to follow up with your references to thank them, even if you don’t get the job. They’ve done you a huge favor, and you will most likely ask them to help out more than once.
DON’T: Overuse your references. It’s a special thing that they’re taking the time to help you with; appreciate it.
As you can see, there are a number of things you can do to help your chances when it comes to securing successful references.
Although reference checking is often the last step of the interview process, the importance of this step should not be underestimated.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jul 22, 2014 | Advice, Change, Informational Interviewing, Interviewing, Podcast
Episode 9 of the Copeland Coaching Podcast is live! I’m so excited to share this great episode with you!
This week we talk with Julianne Watt, Project Coordinator at RedRover Sales and Marketing. Julianne shares her secrets to changing career fields, and how to find your perfect next job.
Listen and learn more! (You can play the podcast below, and you can also download it on Apple Podcasts.)
If you’re not familiar with RedRover Sales & Marketing already, it’s an advertising agency that integrates sales training and coaching with marketing and public relations, combining traditional and guerrilla strategies.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 21, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I hope you had a wonderful weekend! The weather in much of the country has been beautiful the past few days. I hope you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy it.
If you missed my newsletter last week, please be sure to check it out here. I tried making a few adjustments to the that may have prevented you from receiving it. In it, I covered summer job search strategies and discussed my recent interview with job website Glassdoor.com’s Career Trends Analyst, Scott Dobroski. In particular, I show you how to research company salaries on Glassdoor.
This week, I want to know – What’s your exit strategy?
With the unstable economy we’ve been experiencing for years now, keeping an exit strategy in mind is a must. Do you have yours nailed down? If your exit strategy is dependent on hope and crossed fingers, it’s time to rethink things.
Ideally, you shouldn’t wait until signs of trouble to plan your next career move. But, at a minimum, when those signs appear, it’s time to move. In some industries, you may experience what’s known as a RPE – a “resume producing event.” It could come in the form of an intense company meeting, or other warning signs that your organization could be in trouble.
If you ignore these signs and wait, you become a sitting duck. You lose your power of negotiation because when you look for a new job, you have no choice but to find one. You’ve given up all your leverage.
Getting ahead of the game gives you increased negotiating power and the time to wait for the right opportunity.
Here are a few tips to create your very own exit strategy:
- Always keep your resume up to date – You never know when the right opportunity could come along. Even if your job is great, wouldn’t you consider a job that offered twice the pay? You always want to be prepared because you never know what might happen. The other advantage is you don’t have to go back and remember important facts later. Keep track of them as they’re happening!
- Always participate in LinkedIn – If you only update your LinkedIn profile when you’re looking for a job, it’s a dead give away that something’s up. Keeping your LinkedIn profile continuously fresh can help to quiet suspicions.
- Keep it quiet – It can be so tempting to share that you’re looking for another job. Your best friend at work is sitting right next to you and they’re equally frustrated. You don’t want to leave your awesome boss in the lurch. Although you have good intentions, they can backfire. Even a manager who considers you to be a friend often feels obligated to tell their supervisor. Worst case scenario, you can be walked out of the building when your news leaks. This takes your power away and reduces your timeline, so keep your lips sealed.
- Stay connected with your old coworkers – When you start searching, you’ll need references from your previous employers. It’s important to keep in touch with your former managers, coworkers, and employees, so you’ll have a bank of folks to offer when it’s time to do a background check.
- Keep your certifications up to date – Don’t rely on your current employer to keep your education up to date. Attend courses, take webinars, and look for other opportunities to continue your learning. It will benefit you when you are interviewing for your next big opportunity.
- Keep working and follow the rules – Keep delivering the same high quality of work you do every day. Follow company guidelines and rules. Although you may want to run from the building, this is the not the time to slack off. Show that you will produce the same high quality of work, regardless of the situation.
- Take personal items home – Slowly and quietly, take some of your personal belongings home. The last thing you’ll want on your last day is to carry out boxes and boxes of things that have piled up at your desk over the years.
- Research your company’s vacation policy – Many employers will reimburse you for the time you don’t take. Find out in advance what vacation you’ll be reimbursed for, if any.
- Taken inventory of your finances – If worst came to worst, would you be prepared to be unemployed for six months? For many job seekers, this timeline is a reality. Look closely at your finances to ensure you’ll be able to survive if you had to.
- Leave on good terms – When you do finally leave, do it in a positive way. Give at least two weeks notice and keep your word. Think very carefully before you bash your boss in an exit interview. Put in your best work until your very last day.
Leaving can be a tough process. Many people look at changing jobs like a breakup or divorce. Do your best to be prepared, so you can walk toward a better situation rather than just running from a bad one. It will help you keep your peace of mind and it will give you negotiating power in your interview process.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jul 18, 2014 | Advice, Media, Networking
My latest Memphis Daily News column is out, “Networking How To’s.” In it, I provide a step by step strategy for expanding your network quickly.
One of the best ways to advance a career in a competitive market is through networking. In many ways, it’s both the easiest and hardest part of a search. Today, I received two questions on the topic of networking best practices.
When you’re networking for the purpose of getting ahead, you will want to meet and connect with certain people. For example, if you’re a graphic artist, you may want to meet marketers. If you’re a computer programmer, you may want to get to know more IT professionals. And, if you’re a programmer who wants to become a graphic artist, you’ll want to connect with both.
The first step is to identify events where the people you’re targeting socialize. To learn how to identify these events and what to do when you arrive, read my entire Memphis Daily News column here.
by Angela Copeland | Jul 15, 2014 | Advice, Podcast
Episode 8 of the Copeland Coaching Podcast is live! I’m so excited to share this great episode with you!
This week we talk with Scott Dobroski, Career Trends Analyst at Glassdoor.com. Scott shares great insights on how to perform salary negotiation, how to determine if a company is the right place for you, and how to level the playing field in your job search.
Listen and learn more!
If you’re not familiar with Glassdoor already, it’s a wonderful job search resource that contains job postings, company ratings, and salary information – among other things. And last year, Glassdoor won the Webby Awards prize for Best Employment Site.
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