In the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about something: my inbox. Back when I worked a corporate job, the inbox was almost like a filing cabinet.

The e-mail inbox is where things would sit until you could get around to them. It could be one day, one week, one month, or even longer in some cases.

The long delay seemed to happen because you, like most of your coworkers, were doing the job of two or three people. Perhaps someone from your team left and their position was never replaced. You were told to do their job (along with your job), but to “work smarter, not harder.”

At some point, something has to give. You begin to prioritize the concerns of the loudest voice, or the squeaky wheel. Many other concerns fall to the side. And often, this is considered acceptable. Because, you know, everyone else is doing it too.

Frankly, now that I’m not in corporate, this ho hum attitude about e-mail drives me bananas.

You may wonder what changed for me. Let me put it simply. When you work a corporate job, you are guaranteed to get a paycheck — a salary. It shows up every few weeks in your bank account without fail. The one thing you need to do to keep that paycheck coming is to make one person happy: your boss. If your boss is happy, you’re happy. Well, maybe not happy, but you are certainly paid.

As an entrepreneur, you have many customers. Since starting my business, I have literally worked with hundreds of people. Most of those people contact me to setup an appointment using e-mail. If I don’t respond to them right away, they will find someone else to do business with. They’re looking for a job now and they need help right then.

The same thing goes for requests to do speaking, consulting, or TV interviews. If I’m not on top of my e-mail game, opportunities will slip away.

When your paycheck is tied so closely to customer service and speed, your response time becomes a top priority.

But, there’s a lesson to be learned here. Even in a corporate job, your response time should be a priority. Whether you’re interacting with coworkers, vendors, or external business partners, speed is important.

The first question you may ask is, “How quickly should I respond?” My personal philosophy on this is 24-business-hours. The sender should never have to go more than one day without hearing back from you.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t expect every e-mail to be completely resolved in one day. But, at a minimum, you should acknowledge that you’ve received their message. Even better, set an expectation on when you’ll be able to get back to the sender with an answer to their question, and then follow back up by that time.

Allowing e-mails to sit for days and days just makes you look unprofessional. It really does. It hurts others’ perceptions of you. And, if you make it a habit, you can certainly guarantee that you won’t be at the top of anyone’s list when they’re looking for job candidates to recruit.

The other negative side effect to not responding in a timely manner is that the sender will wonder if you ever received their message. It leaves them in murky waters — questioning if they should resend their e-mail. Did you receive it? Did it go to spam? Did you forget? Are they being annoying by contacting you again? Oh the pain!

Spare your “customers” and “business partners” this internal dialogue and respond. If you’re going to be out of the office, set up an out of office response. If you’re bogged down with work, consider setting up an automatic reply that says you’ve received the message and will get back with them ASAP, but that you are currently attending a conference (or whatever the reason).

Now that we’ve set an expectation of 24 hours, the next question becomes, “How in the heck can I wade through all my e-mail in one day and get anything ELSE done? That sounds impossible!”

So often, I hear “But, I get 200 e-mails a day!” It’s almost like a bragging right. Listen, at this point, everyone is getting 200 e-mails a day. It’s not just you. That’s just the reality of the situation.

Here are a few of the things I’ve implemented over the past year that has led me to successfully achieve “inbox zero.”

1. Set aside time on your calendar every day to respond to e-mails. I set aside one hour in the morning. That way, if I don’t have time to respond to e-mails during the day because of other priorities, I know I’ll do it the next morning.
2. Use extra time to delete e-mails. If I’m in line at the grocery store or waiting for my breakfast to cook, I will take a few minutes to delete e-mails from my inbox that aren’t sent by individual people. I’m talking about the almost daily e-mails from Petco and Macy’s and the twenty other coupon e-mails I get.
3. Setup filtering within your inbox. If you receive an e-mail receipt from a certain website every month (for example), setup an automatic filter that will move it to a certain folder for you. This reduces the number of e-mails you need to sort through.
4. Create a folder for things you’ve responded to, but need to know for future reference. This was one of the most helpful things I did to clean out my inbox. I had a handful of e-mails in my inbox (about 20) that I kept there because they had some piece of information in them I might need in the future. Put those in a folder that’s easy to access, but allows you to get the messages out of your main inbox.
5. Stop using “reply-all.” This practice fills up our inboxes much faster than it should. Use reply-all sparingly and help to reduce the amount of e-mail being sent all the way around.
6. Export events to your calendar. Do this right away to keep from having to go back and remember what’s happening when.
7. Keep a task list. Add larger requests you’ve received through e-mail to your task list. Respond to the sender to confirm your receipt of the message and set a realistic expectation on when you’ll follow up. Then, review the task list daily to ensure you close out the task when promised.
8. Consider using apps. Although my app use within e-mail is at a minimum, many people swear by them. If you’re struggling to clean out your inbox, you may want to try a few.

If all else fails, consider declaring “e-mail bankruptcy.” This is a term coined in 2002 by Dr. Sherry Turkle (and in 2004 by Lawrence Lessig) that describes the decision to delete all old e-mails, due to the large volume of messages that are backed up. You delete all your messages. Then, you send an e-mail to everyone in your contact list explaining the situation. You request that if they still need a response from you, they resend their original message. This method is clearly a last resort.

Whatever you do, good luck at cleaning out your e-mail inbox! When you succeed, you’ll find it’s a huge emotional weight off your shoulders each day — and it will make you look on top of things and professional.

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

Your business card is a critical piece of your brand. It’s right up there with the suit you wear to your interview.

So often, I attend networking events where I meet new and interesting people. People I want to stay in touch with afterward.

Unfortunately, it can be tough to do. “Why?” you might ask. Well, not everyone has a business card. Or, more accurately, not everyone brings a business card.

The reason this happens can vary, but the two biggest excuses for not having one are: “I don’t have a job right now” and “I forgot.”

I’m not sure which is worse: being out of work, or being lazy. If you don’t have a job, take heart. It’s easy to create your own card. If you want to switch  to a new profession, this applies to you too. Creating a new card is a great way to get people to think of you differently.

Of the cards I do receive, some are amazing — and we’ll talk about what you can learn from the amazing cards that will help you. Some cards on the other hand totally bomb. A bad card can make it almost as hard to follow up as no card at all.

Here are some of the common business card mistakes:

1. Shiny paper – The person you give your card to will want to make a note on it about how they met you, or something you talked about. When you use shiny cards, you take away their opportunity to do this.
2. Strangely shaped cards – Unusually shaped business cards can be fun – for about 10 seconds. After that, the person you’re giving your card to will try to put it in their wallet or business card holder. They’ll be left wondering what to do with it when your card doesn’t fit.
3. Too much information – Keep your card simple and clean. Jamming your card full of information is only a good idea if it’s useful. And, chances are, if it’s filled with too much information, nobody will read it closely enough to know if it’s useful.

Truth be told, I met a number of very interesting people at a recent networking event. It’s what got me thinking about this topic. I collected a huge stack of business cards — all people I intend to follow up with.

But, when I went back to write notes on them and file the cards away, I ran into trouble. I couldn’t write on many of the cards because they were a dark color on both sides. Many were slick. And, most were so packed full of so much information, there was nowhere to write. I literally had to find one of those permanent “Sharpie” markers to write on these cards. And, on many, you can’t even see it!

So, what can you do to build a better business card? Here are ten tips of what to do:

1. Do include your name, your phone number, and your e-mail address.
2. Don’t add your picture – unless you are a realtor.
3. Print them on U.S. sized paper. Pick the plain Jane rectangle shape.
4. Use relatively neutral color. Bright pink or green cards, for example, are distracting.
5. If you don’t have a job title, or if you want to change careers, leave out a job title.
6. Don’t include a logo unless you are a graphic designer or have one on retainer.
7. Don’t get too creative. This is a business card, not an art project.
8. Leave space on the card where someone could take notes if they wanted to.
9. Don’t get the free cards that have some company’s website listed on them. Your card should only advertise you. At most, business cards are about $50 for a box.
10. Use an e-mail address that represents your personal brand well. An e-mail address that includes your favorite hobby, your birth year, or your nick name are not appropriate for a business card.

Here’s a sample of my business card. I hope it gives you a few ideas.

If you’ve decided to make a card, but aren’t sure where to get them, there are a number of great websites you can check out. I don’t advocate for one site or another, but my own cards are made with GotPrint.com. Moo.com also makes an excellent card if you want to go into sales or marketing. If you would like some in person assistance with your cards, check out a FedEx Office location. There are often people who will help you on site.

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

Last week, ABC Family launched a new reality TV program called “Job or No Job.” Every episode features a young job seeker who’s struggling to land their first gig.

The show is an interesting concept as it focuses on millennials. Millennials are one of the groups most likely to be unemployed, and living at home. They’re struggling to find their way in a job market filled with older, more experienced competition.

Each episode features CEO and author, Jane Buckingham. Jane coaches each candidate through their interview process, in hopes that they land a job.

The season premiere featured a young job seeker named Gabrielle McBey. Gabrielle lives in Dallas where she’s a private chef who hopes to open her own restaurant in five years.

She travels to Chicago to interview with three well-known restaurants, and we (the viewer) get a bird’s-eye view into the entire process. A number of great lessons are on display that any job seeker, young or old, should take note of.

Here are just a few:

• Bring your resume! I know, I know. You submitted a copy of your resume during the online application process. You also forwarded a copy of it to your friend who hand delivered it to the hiring manager. And, you gave a copy to the HR person who called to setup your interview. But really, bring a copy. In fact, bring a bunch of copies. In most interviews, you are interviewed by more than one person. One is the hiring manager, and the others are doing the hiring manager a favor. Don’t assume everyone is going to print your resume. At the end of the day, you’re the one who looks unprepared!
• First impressions matter. Employers want to hire people they like. It’s hard to really tell who’s the most qualified in an interview. But, it’s easy to decide who you like the best. Dress to impress. Show up with your game face on. Pay attention to your posture, and speak confidently.
• Ask questions. Oh my gosh. It surprises me how often candidates don’t ask questions when they’re given the opportunity at the end of the interview. This is your chance to learn more. And, it’s an opportunity to show you’re prepared. Write your questions down and have them with you in a notebook. Not asking questions says one of two things– either you are disinterested, or you aren’t prepared. Both are bad. Ask questions!
• Stay calm. In many interviews today, you may be asked to do something to demonstrate your abilities. I have personally been asked to do the following in interviews: solve math problems, take an IQ test, take a personality test, write a computer program, build a website, and give a presentation about myself. You may not always know every answer, but keep a good attitude and you’ll do well.
• Prioritize. On the show, Gabrielle focused her energy on all of the things she wanted. She had a big list that included money, type of job, location, etc. Now, I’m not saying these are bad things. But! You’ve got to prioritize. It’s rare that every job you’ll be offered is exactly 100% of what you’re looking for — especially if you’re just starting out, or are changing careers.
• Don’t swear during your interview. Enough said.
• Don’t cry during your interview. This is also self-explanatory.
• Don’t ask about money! So many young people make this mistake. The interview is not at all the time to ask how much money you’ll be making. Don’t do it. It’s completely inappropriate. The time to talk about money is when an offer is extended to you. Wait until then.

As you can see, Gabrielle’s job search on “Job or No Job” provided some great insight and lessons we can all learn from. And good news, on her third interview, Gabrielle received a job offer from her favorite restaurant. Congrats Gabrielle!

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

There’s probably been once or twice when you’ve thought of saying, “I quit!” and walking out of work. Or, better yet — just not going back again tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could forget about your current job and just start over?

Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy. As much as you may hate to admit it, your current job will influence your next job and your job after that. Leaving a workplace is an art form.

In some cases, it may be fairly easy. But, in others, it can be very tricky. You’ll find that some of your coworkers treat your departure much like a breakup. There may be drama, and it’s possible there are people you’re close with now who you’ll never see again.

Keep it quiet

At times, looking for a job can feel like no big deal. You may think, “Everyone’s looking, right? What is there to hide?” But, think again. Telling your work buddy or cube-mate about your plans could get you into hot water. In many states, your employer can fire you for no reason. If your boss believes you’ve become disloyal to the company (because you’re searching for a new job), don’t expect to stay around for long. In fact, you could be fired the same day. Losing your job unexpectedly not only creates bad blood between you and your company — it takes away your power.

Tell your boss in person

When you have a new job offer, tell your boss about your new plans. But, wait until it’s in writing and signed. Keep in mind that this change could come as a surprise to your boss. Take the time to tell them first, and do it in person. Don’t let them hear rumors from other departments — and definitely don’t send an e-mail. Even if you don’t care for your boss, tell them in person.

Don’t give too much notice

This may sound counter-intuitive, but I don’t recommend giving an overly long period of notice. If you look closely, you’ll find that many top executives only give the required two weeks notice when they shift to a new company. Generally speaking, transitioning your work to someone new takes two to three weeks. Beyond that, you’ll find you will continue to work your normal job up to the two or three week mark. For example, if you give two months, chances are good that the transition won’t actually happen until the end. But, in that long period of notice, people will begin behaving differently. Knowing you’re leaving soon, they may act out toward you or try to take out their frustrations on you. It’s not a guaranteed outcome, but it’s definitely a possibility when you give more notice than what’s needed.

Do a great job — every single day

Your reputation is the most important thing you have career wise. The last few weeks of your employment with a company is not the time to slack off. Don’t leave your coworkers and old boss left to wonder if they really knew you or your work. Force yourself to show up on time, stay all day, and do your best work ever. Work hard to transition your projects to someone new. Your efforts will not go unnoticed.

Keep your negative thoughts to yourself

Often (or lets be honest — almost always), you leave a job because you’re not happy. If you were, you’d stay there. Makes sense, right? So, by the time you’ve found a new job, you may be ready to really tell it like it is. On top of that, once your coworkers know you’re leaving, a crazy thing starts to happen. Everyone starts to show up in your office. They want to know your gossip. They want to tell you their gossip. They want your help leaving their job. They want to tell you how unhappy they are. It’s amazing how much dirt you can learn in just the last few weeks with the company. But, be careful. Spreading rumors or talking trash about your employer is never helpful.

Think twice about exit interviews

Yep, you read that right. Exit interviews are often provided by Human Resources as an optional way to leave feedback about your experience. It’s presented as a positive thing, and many employees love participating. It gives them a chance to feel heard. But, beware of the potential trap. If you’re leaving because you dislike your boss, this is not the time to air your dirty laundry. First of all, your company probably already knows about your boss — and hey, the boss still works there. What good will your negative comments really do in the long run? What they may do however is burn a bridge between you and a former boss.

Don’t burn bridges

Even if you got your new job without the help of your current company, you will need them again at some point. Even if someone isn’t your favorite, keep the door open for future possibilities. Do your best not to write people off on your way out. And, realize that they may also be really unhappy at their jobs. Leaving the door open creates future opportunities you never even thought of.

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

So often, job seekers assume salary is 100% tied to something as simple as how well they perform their job. We think the job market is a fair place, and our hard work will pay off. And, why shouldn’t we believe that? Our parents and grandparents taught us that we should find a good company to work at for thirty or more years. As long as we worked hard, the company would give us a generous retirement and we’d never have to worry.

Unfortunately, this is often not the case in today’s job market. Compensation is more of a reflection on two things that are not at all related to hard work. The first is your skill at negotiation, and the second is your willingness to change jobs. Almost always, you will receive much larger raises over time if you switch companies than if you wait for your current company to recognize you for your hard work.

When you decide you’re ready to look for a new job and make more money, your negotiation ability will strongly influence how much you walk away with. The good news is negotiation is easier than you might think. Even if you’ve never tried it, you can learn. And, to become better at it, the number one thing you need is practice.

But, there are a few guidelines you should know before you get started:

1. Do your research – Before you begin a negotiation (or really, an interview), do your homework! Find out how much your new job should pay. Websites like Salary.com and Glassdoor.com often allow you to research as far down as a particular position at a certain company in a specific city. Realize that companies can offer a wide range of pay for one particular position. For example, project managers can make anywhere from $50,000 per year to $150,000 per year. Understand the range for the job you’re considering.
2. Don’t reveal your number first – Providing your salary history to the company you’re interviewing with is almost never helpful to you. If you make less than the company is planning to offer, they will give you less. If you make more, they may walk away too quickly, assuming you’ll be expensive. In early conversations, the hiring manager, recruiter, or human resources representative will often ask you how much you are currently making. Do your best to sidestep the question of salary. If possible, ask the company to share their range with you.
3. Know your limits – If you are currently unemployed, you may feel desperate to find a job right away. If you have a great job, you may be able to wait a year or more to find your next gig. Take into account your personal situation, including your family and children. Determine ahead of time how risky you want to be. The more you’re able to risk, the more you may gain. But, if you don’t have anything to risk, you may want to play your negotiation on the safe side.
4. Keep fear at bay – Fear is one of the biggest reasons many people don’t negotiate for more money. All sorts of questions will run through their heads. What if the company says no? What if they take the offer away? What if they laugh at me, or think my request is too much? Keep this in mind – it doesn’t surprise employers that you want to negotiate. As long as you’re respectful in your request, they will respond with an equal amount of respect. Companies cannot always honor your exact request, but they won’t take the offer away from you. If you ask for more and they say no, it will be up to you to decide if you would like to accept their original offer or not.
5. Be willing to walk away – If your risk tolerance is quite high, this can be one of the strongest and most effective tools in negotiation. Be willing to turn down an offer if it’s not right. If you cannot come to an agreement with your future employer, thank them and move on. Just having this mindset will let the company know you’re not desperate for work. You’re a top performer, and you expected to be compensated as such. If something doesn’t work out, avoid hard feelings and move on. Your next big offer could be right around the corner, and you may find another opportunity to work together in the future.

At the end of the day, companies expect you to negotiate. Frankly, they respect it. A hiring manager will never give you their best offer first. They leave wiggle room, so they can move up when you ask for more.

Before you negotiate, be sure you know your facts. Take notes about the reasons you feel you deserve more money. Focus on things like the revenue you’ll add to the bottom line, and stay away from personal arguments such as the number of children you have.

Practice your negotiation in the same way you would practice your elevator pitch. The more you try it, the less nervous you’ll feel and the more prepared you will be. And, remember – practice makes perfect. If your first few negotiations feel rocky, learn from them and move on. Your next negotiation will be that much better!

Although this process can be an uncomfortable one, you will find the five or ten minutes required for a negotiation can add thousands of dollars per year – and possibly hundreds of thousands over the course of your lifetime! Take the time to learn to negotiate; you won’t regret it.

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