THE CAREER SECRETS™ NEWSLETTER
Revealing what’s “working” for you…
FREE Career Management News and Ideas from Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP, For Working and Careers-Industry Professionals.
September 15, 2001. Copyright Hunter Arts Publishing.
Editor@CareerSecrets.com; http://www.CareerSecrets.com ; 1-877-5-RECRUIT
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Welcome from the Publisher
2. CareerTips
3. CareerNews
4. CareerResources
5. CareerThoughts
6. CareerCalendar
7. CareerHumor

<1>------------WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER-------------<>

Welcome to the fourth issue of our newsletter. As mentioned in my short note earlier this week, though this issue was late as it is, I chose to delay it a bit more due to recent events. Given it was prepared prior to Tuesday, I’ll leave the beneficial content intact…and simply add additional, now perhaps more timely, information.

Let me first provide my deepest condolences for everyone touched by the tragedies of September 11, both those with specific friends, family, and loved ones involved in the destruction and all of us “touched” in ways still unfolding. Though we no doubt face a lengthy process of healing, I am encouraged by the words of Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to continue to move through total disaster.”

Wholehearted apologies for this issue being delayed a couple months. Just know that plenty of “career action” has taken place as continued research for this newsletter. I appreciate your readership, and will always do my best to supply you with regular updates.

Just a reminder: this is an opt-in only publication. Thank you for accepting the invitation to subscribe, whether from an article, a forwarded newsletter from a friend, or the opt-in box on either of our sites, http://www.CareerSecrets.com or http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com. (If this was forwarded to you by a friend, please feel free to opt-in at either of the above sites and join us!)

As always, we would love to include your relevant articles, comments, questions, Career Secrets™, humor, and anything else you think will support the cause. Please give what you can: the next time you notice an interesting career statistic or resource site, read something humorous about the workplace, or get moved by the thought of “the work” we’re all meant to do here, let me know.

All the Best to You and Yours,

Darrell W. Gurney, Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), Certified Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), Licensed Spiritual Counselor (RScP)
Editor@CareerSecrets.com
Hunter Arts Publishing & A Permanent Success National Career/Search Partners
http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com and http://www.APSCareerSearch.com

<2>-------------------CAREERTIPS----------------------<>

Due to the favorable response from the advice nuggets in the last issue, we continue this month with tips we've offered subscribers. Remember: these are freebies, and you get what you pay for. (Definition of an expert: “ex”—a has been; “spurt”—a drip under pressure.) Actually, it's good advice but, remember, the opinions expressed represent those of the author/editor alone, and bear no relation to what you might actually agree with. Also, they're created on the fly, so we claim artistic consultant's license when it comes to grammatical concerns.

Again, we can't get to all the questions so, if it's really important, remember our career coaching services (see below).

QUESTION:
Donna wrote:
Darrell,
When you're interviewing for a job, and the interviewer asks you what your biggest weakness is, how are you supposed to answer that? I got stumped on that one a long time ago on an interview, and my husband thinks he just goofed up when they asked him a few weeks ago. What do you think?

ANSWER:
Hi Donna,
One of the bonuses in ordering my book online is The Career Secrets™ Interview Prep Guide. In it, I spell out exactly what to say in these situations. You never say a real weakness. Rather, you take something true (but good) about yourself and couch it in "weakness" terms. Make sure it's real...and not a canned response. Examples might be: "I guess I like things done right...maybe I'm too anal, but I end up staying late at work because I want to feel it's right when I leave" or "Maybe I'm so focused on my work sometimes that I don't play and let my hair down socially enough with my co-workers." Yes, these particular ones sound canned...but you want to similarly find something "good" about yourself and “spin” it like a weakness.

In today's "behavioral interviews" you might lose points by appearing to not have enough of a read on yourself to know that you actually have weaknesses. However, if you get into discussing your deepest, darkest stuff...you just don't know where that will lead. So, try to keep your darkest stuff to yourself--usually we're our own worst critics anyway--and give them more surface stuff like above. If you really have a dark weakness that will affect you in your work, then that will have to come out with time and self-experience. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt by getting the job you want and not shooting yourself in the foot by being Freud on yourself in the interview.

QUESTION:
Jennifer wrote:
Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago, I was laid off from a job that I enjoyed. I recently received a call from my boss, asking if I would like to fill a different position. The pay is fine, but I'm unsure if I will like this other position.

I am 28 years old and have no idea what I really want to do with my life. I have taken an assessment test, but did not feel satisfied with the results. I have gone through employment counselor/agencies, but felt pushed into taking a job so that the agency could hurry and get their money. It resulted in a job with a terrible boss and atmosphere.

Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated. I feel as though I'm never going to be happy with my career.

ANSWER:
Hi Jennifer,
Well, don't think you're alone: many of us get to be 38, 48, and 58 and still "have no idea what [we] really want to do with [our] life." So, you're in company with most people. Personally, I'm finding it to be a lifelong process rather than a finally-found-the-answer-so-now-I-can-stay-locked-in-and-safe-for-the-rest-of-my-life kind of thing. The great thing is that you're seeing earlier than many that the ideas we all bought into that life was about stability at all costs are bunk. I've heard said
that we have jobs to pay the bills, careers to develop proficiency and knowledge, and "life's work" to express our passion. The idea is to continue on the path of finding the ways in which we can both connect with and pursue our "life's work" while participating in jobs and careers along the way. Hey, do you know Harry S. Truman failed in every business venture he tried and only began what became his "life's work"--public service--in his 40's? So, fret not...but keep exploring.

Yes, recruiters make their living by filling positions. They're not wrong, that's just what they do. So, best to really know what you want before working with them. Someone once said, "If you don't use your own mind, someone will." I'd say with the negative talk around the economy, if you can stand the old place and the old people and are willing to at least explore a new position there, go for it...while knowing that, now that you've become "enlightened," you're real job for both the short- and long-term is to begin the process of exploration. There are tons of books, programs, and plenty of career counselors/coaches available to assist you. The real test is if you can have your "day job" while you begin to put heavy personal attention and resources into finding your "life's work." Discovering and expressing your "life's work" is really the only job worth having.

QUESTION:
Linnea wrote:
Hi,
Next month I will be 52. I have an Ed.D. and have been generally involved in education and grants for many years. My last 'real' job was with the University of Chicago (medical education), leaving there in '96 to pursue other interests. I have been paying the bills by teaching karate, but I can't seem to find another 'real' job...mostly because I just don't know where to look anymore.

The above preamble is to prep you for my question: where can I find a recruiter who could help me figure out which employers might want what I have to offer?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Spinning Circles in Chicago.

ANSWER:
Linnea,
Hopefully you want the straight dope, because that's all I can offer. Many and/or most recruiters won't be able to help you. You're not wrong for doing what you've done, it's just that recruiters are paid by the client companies to find people who fit
exactly what they need and come directly from doing it. In other words, your break makes you way less marketable from a recruiters perspective. Even if you could find recruiters specializing in "education and grants," the gap won't help.

What I'd recommend is heavy networking on your part. Be your own recruiter by talking to friends, former colleagues, etc., about any and all people or organizations they know of who might have a need for someone such as yourself. Since such a referral costs the potential hiring company nothing (as opposed to the fee they have to pay recruiters), they might be more flexible and look past certain gaps in employment or certain not-the-exact-fit-ness on your part.

Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP
Need a Career Coach? E-mail the CareerMeister@CareerSecrets.com
http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com and http://www.CareerSecrets.com

<3>--------------------CAREERNEWS---------------------<>

I had the distinct pleasure last month of throwing a surprise retirement party for my parents whom retired in March.. Five months in the making, with the brunt of the planning taking place via e-mail and conference calls to local coordinators in Texas and Louisiana, this was a semi-major feat to accomplish--especially given the fact that 70 local friends, family, and co-workers in attendance never spilled the beans! Since this is “The Career Secrets™ Newsletter”, I think it appropriate to fill you in on a few of my insights.

First, as the son or daughter of our parents, we generally relate to them from this relationship…as opposed to simply the people that they are, which their co-workers see. What a wonderful, perception-expanding experience it was to operate as an undercover spy with those who’ve known my parents in the trenches for the last 40-something years, hearing first-hand the deep and profound impact each had in their own special way. I believe the fast-career focus of recent history causes us to lose sight of the ways in which we touch individual lives. Hearing the high and warm regards paid to my parents caused me, for one, to consider the “residue” I leave with each interaction in my day. Just as we wonder what will be said at our funeral, what would your co-workers say about you at your own retirement party?

Careers are now drastically different from my parents’ day. Dad just finished a 23 year stint with one company, after a mid-life switch from his first employer of 16 years. Mom completed 25 years with the same company in which she began as a temp…her first real job. Such tenures are now nostalgic memories of the past. Statistics state that the average person now changes jobs every 2-4 years. Years ago, one might not need a long-term “vision” for one’s career, given a greater sense of employer “security.” Today, it not only pays, but is critical to one’s success, to have a well-defined direction of career travel. People must now treat themselves as an owners of “their own businesses” if they are to ensure the greatest return from their assets. How are you investing your “employable assets?”

Though one’s responsibilities in life (e.g., kids, house payment, etc.) still carry heavy sway over one’s career options, people are less likely today to stay in a dead-end job if their heart left it long ago. I believe my parents loved their work. Yet many individuals were more likely to accept an “occupation” in the past in exchange for an “avocation”--a calling. Now, people demand meaning in their careers: perhaps not liking every aspect of their workday, most at least want to sense the pursuit of personal fulfillment. In the ‘70s words of Diana Ross, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?”

Darrell W. Gurney, CPC, JCTC, RScP
Need a Career Coach? E-mail the CareerMeister@CareerSecrets.com
http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com and http://www.CareerSecrets.com

<4>-----------------CAREERRESOURCES-------------------<>

I recently completed a four-year licensing program as a Spiritual Counselor. Of the many texts used, one of my favorites was written in 1983 and is perfect for today’s economic/employment conditions. “Spiritual Economics: The Principles and Process of True Prosperity” by Eric Butterworth replaces any ideas of victimization brought about by market (or terrorist) forces with healthy thinking.

“There is a great need to establish ourselves in those things that are conducive to prosperity. We need to turn the focus of our attention away from lack, layoffs, and limitations, and on to the omnipresence of universal substance. We can see it in the everywhere presence of life all through nature, and we can feel it in the endless flow of creative ideas that issues forth from our minds in moments of inspiration. Just as there are experiences that are healthful to us, so are there experiences that are ‘wealthful.’”
--Eric Butterworth, Spiritual Economics, Preface

I can’t recommend this book enough and feel that, considering all we face as a nation on the economic and emotional mend, it may be more relevant today than at any other time.

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<5>--------------------CAREERTHOUGHTS-----------------<>

It’s a Paper Jungle Out There:

5 Points for Resume Submission

1. Include your resume both in the body of the e-mail (never snail mail) as well as in an attached Word file. Some career experts advise not including an attachment due to virus scares, but I disagree. If a recruiter has interest in you, he or she will want a nice hardcopy of your resume to present to hiring companies. If you’re sending to a company directly, a professionally formatted version of your information always looks better on a hiring manager’s desk. Since most organizations utilize anti-virus software these days, the attachment is not feared. Plus, if your resume is in the body of the e-mail as well, they can choose, based upon interest, whether to open the attachment or not.

2. State the title and location of the position for which you are applying. Recruiters and companies posting positions to various online job boards are often assigned a listing ID#, to which they pay no attention. When you apply for “Position ID# 1234567”, they have no idea which opening you mean. So, state where you saw the position listed as well as the title and location…to help them focus more quickly on evaluating your qualifications for the job. If you’re just sending in for any applicable positions, state this instead of any particular position you saw.

3. Always include every bit of personal contact information in your cover letter and resume, including both cel phone and private e-mail address (as opposed to corporate). Not only are all avenues then made available for immediate contact, but there’s a greater chance that at least one avenue will still be “live” when the recruiter tries to call you again a year later when another appropriate opportunity arises. If you’re smart, you’ll keep all your “career partners” updated anytime you move (homes, employers, etc.), but in case you forget, they’ll have an easier time tracking you down with more contact info. If you’ve submitted to a recruiter once, you might as well continually update it, keeping it “live” in their system for other opportunities that would interest you down the road. You’ll never move unless it’s right for you, but it never hurts to hear what’s going on in your field.

4. Include basic cover letter information in the body of the e-mail such as positions and industries desired (for general openings submissions), preferred locations, and salary history. Drop the salary info for letters going directly to companies, but definitely include it for placement services.

5. Sounds silly, but e-mail yourself first, to get a sense of what you’re sending out. Make sure your e-mail text flows smoothly and all attachments are attached.

More great tips and a Lifetime Career Management™ philosophy available in
“Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for
Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters”

Darrell W. Gurney, Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), Certified Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Licensed Spiritual Counselor (RScP), is Principal of A Permanent Success National Career/Search Partners and author of “Headhunters Revealed! Career Secrets for Choosing and Using Professional Recruiters” ($14.95, Softcover), available online at http://www.HeadhuntersRevealed.com or by calling 1-877-4-HEADHUNT. “Headhunters Revealed!” received the 2001 Clarion Award for Best Book by the Association for Women in Communications (http://www.womcom.org), was reviewed in Publishers Weekly and the American Library Association's Booklist, and has been featured in nationally syndicated career columnist Joyce Lain Kennedy's "Careers Now."

If you are a Careers Industry professional with a Web site, check out our Affiliate Program at: http://www.HeadHuntersRevealed.com/educate.html for a 20% commission on every book sold from your site’s sent traffic. Help a career-minded individual…and buy yourself lunch.

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Want to Sponsor this newsletter? With over 1200 subscribers and growing, your message will reach a hungry careers audience. Contact: Editor@CareerSecrets.com
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Refer your friends in career pain to us for coaching and get a free copy of “Headhunters Revealed!”. Send all referrals to CareerMeister@CareerSecrets.com.

<6>----------------CAREERCALENDAR---------------------<>

Darrell Gurney, CPC, JCTC, will be speaking at the following upcoming events:

The Learning Annex will host Darrell for the topic “How to Ma$ter the Hidden Job Market”, an evening of discussion on both recruiting and career coaching tools which allow the uncovering of the jobs you never hear about. Dates are September 24, October 23, November 19, December 18, and January 21 in Los Angeles. 6:30-9:30pm. Cost is $29 for members and $39 for non-members. You and your friends can sign up at http://www.learningannex.com

The Orange County Chapter of the American Marketing Association will host Darrell for the topic “The Job Market: What It Is, What It Was, What It Shall Be!” on November 1. Check out the details under “Career Forum Dates” at http://ocama.oc-net.com/Events/index.htm

<7>-----------------CAREERHUMOR-----------------------<>

Hate your job? (compliments of Sandra Navarro)

When you have an "I hate my job" day try this:

On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section.

You will need to purchase a rectal thermometer made by "Q-tip." Be very sure that you get this brand.

When you get home, lock your doors, draw the drapes, and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed during your therapy.

Change to very comfortable clothing, such as a sweat suit and lie down on your bed.

Open the package and remove the thermometer.

Carefully place it on the bedside table so that it will not become chipped or broken.

Take out the written material that accompanies the thermometer and read it.

You will notice that in small print there is a statement: "Every rectal thermometer made by Q-tip is personally tested."

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, "I am so glad I do not work in quality control at the Q-tip Company."

E-mail your CareerHumor and CareerQuotes to Editor@CareerSecrets.com.

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Hunter Arts Publishing, Darrell W. Gurney, Certified Personnel Consultant, Certified Job & Career Transition Coach, Licensed Spiritual Counselor, Author, Publisher, Speaker
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