Are you really thankful this week?

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week with your loved ones!

As I sat down to write today’s newsletter, I struggled a bit. On the week of Thanksgiving, the obvious topic is about being thankful.

So much of what we accomplish in our careers and in our life is tied to the generosity of others. And, taking the time to thank those people gives us a good feeling inside – and it ensures they want to be helpful to us again in the future. It strengthens our bonds.

This is a fact.

But, the flip side of this coin is feeling underappreciated.

In the past few weeks, I’ve randomly spoken with a number of people who are in a negative situation at their workplace.

It almost feels like a bad relationship. The kind where you wish your friend would break up with their partner, but they just keep going back, no matter how bad things get. It seems they’re always thinking that things will change and get better “if only…”

One of the most important things about at work is feeling appreciated. It can make even an awful workload seem okay. In fact, feeling underappreciated is the number one reason people leave.

We sometimes feel underappreciated because our boss never says thank you. Other times, it’s because we aren’t paid fairly and feel a financial strain at home. Or, we don’t have enough vacation days to visit our family often as we’d like.

To drive the point home, many people would be willing to take less money in salary if they felt more appreciated at work. It sounds crazy on the surface, but how much would you give up to feel a little more appreciated, happy, and purposeful every day? If you could have your dream job, I bet you would. Happiness is worth something to you.

In fact, employees who complain about money are more often than not actually feeling undervalued in some other way.

Don’t get me wrong. We should all be thankful for having a job. We should be thankful for the good things other people are doing for us.

But, sometimes you don’t feel truly thankful. If you genuinely feel taken advantage of, it’s time to listen to yourself.

Things may change. Anything it possible. But, the reality is, the likelihood of change in your current environment is small.

A great way to change how you’re feeling at work is to change where you work. But, when you do find a new job, be careful not to recreate the negative situation you have now.

And, this brings me to my next point. When you’re chasing after your big job offer, don’t make a decision just based on the money. Or the awesome vacation. Or even the distance from your home.

Those things are all important. But, what’s even more important is fit.

Fit’s a hard thing to measure. And, even harder to figure out in the few measly hours you spend interviewing with a company.

The first thing to keep in mind is that interviewing, much like dating, is a two way street. When is the last time you went on a first date and just wished that this stranger might be willing to marry you? I hope never! In the same way, it is as important that you like a company (and especially the hiring manager) as that they like you.

When you go on interviews, listen to yourself. Think about how you feel about the people you meet. Think about how the company treated you. Did they follow through on what they said they’d do? Did the offer look the way you were expecting it to?

Once you find the environment that’s right for you, you’ll no longer spend your days wishing for the “if only.” You’ll start to be truly thankful for those around you. You’ll want to give back and say thanks – on more than just Thanksgiving.

I hope you have a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving holiday! Take a little time to take care of you.

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.

Salute To Our Veterans

First, I’d like to say thank you to all of our military veterans, and active duty military. With Veterans Day coming up on Wednesday, it’s important to take a moment to highlight this special group of people. I feel thankful to live in a country where men and women volunteer to put themselves in harm’s way for the greater good.

But, the sacrifice of the veteran doesn’t end when they leave the military. Transitioning back into the civilian corporate working world is a very difficult process for most veterans. Like most people, I was relatively unaware of this issue before starting my business.

Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to both work with military veterans in my coaching practice, and to interview military veterans for my podcast. I’ve learned a great deal from these folks that has given me a much broader perspective on life after the military.

Some of the common struggles military veterans face when transitioning into the civilian workforce include:

• Having great experience on their resume that doesn’t translate well to the corporate hiring manager
• Feeling the hiring manager may be negatively biased towards veterans
• Not having a professional network that expands beyond the military
• Limited experience applying for or interviewing for jobs
• Difficulty finding a position that will pay enough to support the same quality of life
• Not enough professional support provided to assist with these issues while making the transition

Many of these struggles are common for job seekers from all industries, but they can be especially challenging for veterans. From what has been shared with me from those who have actually lived it, the experience reminds me a bit of leaving an impressive job with a great title that everyone respects – and then transitioning into a brand new field and industry where you have no prior experience, no connections, and you don’t really know how the whole game is played. It’s like everyone is speaking a foreign language. And, in a way, you’ve lost your own identity.

You spent years honing your political prowess and leadership skills, but those rules don’t apply anymore. You’ve got to start from scratch – and quickly – to be able to maintain the quality of life for you and your family. It’s scary, stressful, and definitely not the way it was described when you were still in the military.

If you, or someone you love is facing these issues, here are a few tips to help out:

• Start networking – Focus the largest part of your job search on networking. When you apply online, it’s rare that any person will actually see your resume. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply online. But, it means that you should put a significant focus on the offline world.
• Get a LinkedIn account – This is important. It will help you with networking, and it will help you to locate hiring managers. LinkedIn really is important. Don’t skip it.
• Ask for help with you resume – Find a career coach, or a friend who can help. Ask someone with no military experience to read your resume. Find out if they understand what you did. Take their feedback into consideration.
• Be open to feedback – The process of finding a job completely changed when Monster.com launched in 1999. If you’ve been in the military for a number of years, finding a job is a totally different world than you probably remember. Be willing to listen to feedback and try things outside of your comfort zone. It may be uncomfortable, but it will pay off in the end.
• Reach out to other veterans – There are many veterans out there who successfully made the transition, and can empathize with the difficult process. Reach out to them for support and assistance during your search.
• Know that it’s a numbers game – You will not, I repeat, will not get an interview for every job you apply for. You will also not, I repeat, also not get an offer for every interview you have. This is true for everyone. Applying for a job has become a bit of a numbers game. Expect it. It will help to give you realistic expectations.
• Give yourself a break – Remember, finding a job is a job. And, given the state of our economy and number of other factors, transitioning into your dream corporate job is probably not going to be a fast process. But, don’t stop trying. Don’t assume something is wrong with you. Keep knocking on doors and one will eventually open.

Tomorrow, I’m going to rebroadcast a previous episode of the Copeland Coaching Podcast. It’s an interview I did over the summer with Eric Gates when I visited Austin, Texas. Eric is a Minister at Central Christian Church now, but he is also a veteran. After the military, he spent time working as a police officer. And, he knows first-hand just how hard the transition can be. He shared his experience very candidly with me. It was such an informative and honest episode that I wanted to share it with you again, in honor of Veterans Day. I hope you will enjoy it!

THANK YOU again to our active military and all of the veterans who have made personal sacrifices for everyone!

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.

After coaching job seekers for almost ten years, I opened the doors to Copeland Coaching just two years ago. Thank you so much to all of my amazing friends and clients who have helped to make this dream possible!

Whether you helped with my office, my website, my podcast, graphic design, my videos, or any other part of the business, I truly appreciate your help. I could not do this without you!

Often, we you start a business, it’s because you have expertise in a particular area. I reflect on the experience of small business owners who are doctors, dentists, or lawyers. They open the business to help people with one particular area, but there are many other tasks around setting up and running a business that you don’t have experience in. Unlike a corporate job where you have teams of people who are also experts and are available at a moments notice, you have to figure out how to get things done. One your own.

I have been incredibly lucky that each and every time I’ve needed help, someone has stepped up. On more than one occasion, someone has volunteered to help out from the goodness of their hearts.

I’m excited to say that in the last two years, we’ve accomplished a lot together, including–

• Getting the Copeland Coaching website up and running!
• Publishing e-book “Breaking The Rules & Getting The Job”
• Developing and writing the Career Corner column that appears in both the Memphis Daily News and the Nashville Ledger
• Publishing 75 Copeland Coaching Podcasts (so far) with smart, interesting guests
• Being interviewed for TV, radio, newspaper, and the internet on career success, including The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show Online, U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, and more!
• And working with hundreds of awesome job seekers to turn their search into a SLAM DUNK!

Starting a business can be a frighting venture. But, all your support and encouragement has made it an incredibly fun and rewarding experience!

Thank you for being part of the Copeland Coaching Team. I look forward to achieving continued success together!

THANK YOU!

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 and 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

It’s a big week for basketball! On Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers for their first official game of the season.

Already, the team is receiving positive feedback from sports analysts and fans alike. ESPN even ranked the team the 2nd best franchise among all professional sports, behind the #1 ranked San Antonio Spurs.

But, when the players step on the court next week, it’s not going to be the first time they’ve thought about the game since last season. They’ve been staying in shape, practicing, and preparing for the months ahead.

Just like the Grizzlies practice to perfect their game, you’ve got to practice to keep up your interview and job searching skills. Going in for an interview cold after not searching for a job for years can be a huge shock to the system — just like it would be to play a professional basketball game when you’re out of shape.

So, what can you do to keep up your game, even when you’re not actively looking? Here are a few tips:

1. Keep Your LinkedIn Up To Date – One of the #1 things people forget about is LinkedIn. Just because you’re not looking doesn’t mean you don’t need to keep it up to date. Often, a job will find you when a recruiter happens to come across your LinkedIn profile. But, if it’s not up to date with your latest skills, they won’t have enough information to convince them you’re the right one.
2. Use a Universal E-mail Address – What I mean by this is, make sure your contacts have an easy way to find you. If you’ve been at the same company for 10 years, and everyone e-mails you at work – how would they reach out to you if you suddenly didn’t have a job?
3. Keep a Backup of Your Contact List – This has the same origins as the previous tip. If you no longer had access to your e-mail box at work, how would you contact people? In addition to losing your job, your computer can crash. There’s little more damaging to your long game than not having the phone numbers and e-mail address of those who can help you. If you don’t know how to back up your contacts, Google it! There are tons of great tutorials available.
4. Always Carry Business Cards – You never know where you might make a new contact, or meet your new boss. Avoid being one of those people who’s always saying, “Wow! I wish we could stay in touch, but I completely forgot to pack my cards!”
5. Keep Your Resume Up To Date – This may sound silly when you’re not looking for a job, but trust me, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. The worst time to create a resume from scratch is when you’re applying for a job. First, it’s a ton of pressure. Second (and most importantly), you want to include performance numbers in your resume. How will you remember them if you don’t keep track over the years?

Speaking of getting things done, for this week’s podcast, I interviewed Rick Trotter, the Public Address Announcer for the Memphis Grizzlies. Rick shares how he landed a job in professional sports, advice for others interested to work in sports, and how you can create a slam dunk career.

If you’ve ever thought of working for the NBA or other professional sports, this podcast is the one for you! I hope you’ll tune in Tuesday to hear my entire interview with Rick.

Go Grizzlies!

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 and 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