“It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That’s what defines your career.” – Carlton Fisk

The Career Quote of the Week comes from Carlton Fisk- a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for 24 years with both the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. 

We believe that his quote applies to all occupations- not just to athletes. The unemployed should also find motivation from this quote, knowing that overcoming rough patches is what eventually distinguishes a career.

Resigning from a job is very emotional, no matter how long you have been with a company. The best advice I can give anyone is resign immediatly, do not wait for a perfect time, you will be so much happier once you have given notice. Your mind will be at ease, you can focus on preparing for your new role! 

Some employers may pressure you to tell them where you have accepted. You have every right to keep that information confidential – and you should! Just stay professional, inform them that once you are settled you will send them an email with your updated contact information.

When giving notice do not go into too much detailed information. You may feel that it is necessary, but it really is not. It is important to tell them that you enjoyed your time with the company, you have learned a great deal but you feel this is the right decision and you are very happy with it. 

When giving notice you should try to speak to your immediate supervisor, if they are not available either speak to their supervisor or human resources. It is also perfectly acceptable to give notice via a phone call or an email.

At the point where you have accepted another offer, your loyalty should be to your new employer. Whatever requests your current company asks of you it is very important to remember not to agree to anything that could ruffle feathers with your new company. An example is your current company asking for you to stay longer then the standard notice period. Remember people give notice every day and companies survive.

When you resign, typically one of three things can occur. One is that the company congratulates you on your new role, thanks  you for all your time and wishes you luck on the new chapter of your life. They may even offer to throw you a going away party. That would be considered the best case scenerio! The second thing that can happen is that they can become angry with you, make you clear out your desk immeditely, and escort you put of the building. That can be hurtful, but remember that you have a great job waiting for you on the other side of the door. The third thing that can happen is that your boss will try to counter offer you. It is never in your long term best interest to accept a counter offer. Staying with a company once they know you are looking is a bad idea for a few reasons. They can offer you the moon and the stars, but the reality is nothing will really change. Also they are likely just keep you on long enough to find a replacement. At that point you will be out of two jobs! Once you make a decision to give notice, stick with it no matter what comes up. Be excited about what your future holds!

  Samara  Appelbaum Chopra
  EXECUTIVE RECRUITER – Healthcare

As a recruiter, I have seen many job seekers turn down potential job opportunities for many reasons. Some of these reasons are well thought out and end up proving to be the “right” choice, but one reason for turning down a job that has proven unsuccessful is accepting a counter offer from your current employer. A counter offer is when your current employer tries to offer you something in order to prevent you from accepting another job offer. As tempting as counter offers may be, they rarely come to fruition. According to a Wall Street Journal article on the danger of accepting counter offers, “A raise won’t permanently cushion thorns in the nest.”
 
The amount of job seekers who return to the job market shortly after receiving a counter offer from their current employer is astounding. People often agree to stay at their current employer when their boss agrees to give them the raise they have been asking about for years. Other times, a company will suddenly decide the job seeker is ready to take on a management role that they have been working tirelessly for. However, similar to the honeymoon stage of a relationship, this positive relationship with your employer may not last forever.  

Below are some questions to ask yourself when considering a counter offer:     

• What type of company do you work for if you have to threaten to quit or resign before they give you what you are worth?
• Where is the money coming from to give you a salary increase? Where was it before? Is this money that you would get in your next raise?
• How do you think your current employer feels knowing that you wanted to leave? Do you think they will start looking for a new employee to fill your spot, since they are aware that you were out in the job  market?  It’s easy for them to give you what you want in the meantime, so your job doesn’t become vacant, but what about if they replace you? Then you are out of two jobs!
• If cutbacks become necessary, who will they let go first? It is likely that the person who makes more money then his/her colleagues will be the first to go.

Am I saying to never consider a counter offer? Not necessarily….. As  a job seeker, you’ll have to evaluate each individual opportunity and situation as it comes, but be wise when considering accepting something of this nature.  Oftentimes, the same circumstances that originally caused you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly at jkessler@execu-search.com if you have a specific scenario you would like to speak about.

  Jennifer Kessler
  Executive Recruiter- Healthcare

We’ve already told you that Execu|Search is on Twitter- but now you have a way to follow all of our Tweets at once! We have created a “Twitter List” that aggregates all of our Twitter accounts:

    http://twitter.com/ExecuSearch/execu-search-tweets

As a recruiter, I am often asked for interviewing tips.  While there are many factors that are out of our control in a job search, I truly believe that a positive attitude is the key to success.  Having an optimistic outlook will help you find the job you want!

Every day I meet and speak with new people and the ones that I remember are not always the people with the most impressive background, but rather the people with the most impressive attitudes.  Your experience and your qualifications are not something that you can change, but your personality and your demeanor are factors that you can control!  Think about it, who wouldn’t want to work with someone with a great personality who is going to get along well with everyone at the company and make a positive contribution there?

While I am a very positive person myself, I know that this does not come as easily for most people.  So these are my suggestions on what you can do to take control of your attitude and get the job you want now!

• Smile. Smiling not only makes you feel better, but smiling on an interview can make your interviewer feel good as well. It can hide those nerves and as they say smiles are contagious!
• Dress the part.  When you look good, you feel better.  Wearing a suit is always best for interviews, not matter who you are meeting with it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.  Pick out a special outfit for your interview!  Lay it out the night before and be prepared.  You don’t want to be unhappy with your appearance because it’ll definitely affect your mood. 
• Get excited Channel your nervous energy into excitement.  View every new situation as an opportunity!  You never know who you are going to meet or what is going to happen in the future. When people are excited about interviews they tend to do better.
• Be enthusiastic. It is important to be and stay enthusiastic throughout the whole interview, even if you hear something you don’t like it is always better to get an offer and turn it down than to leave with a bad impression.
• Stay Positive. It is inevitable that you will not be successful in every interview.  Even if your job search takes longer than planned, do not give up!  If you become bitter it is not going to hurt anyone but yourself.  It is imperative to believe that you will find the right job! After all, like they say “seeing is believing.” No matter what, do not give in to negativity.

The right job is out there and eventually you will find your perfect match. While many of these tips may seem obvious, you will be amazed what can happen if you actually put these into practice how much better you will feel and as a result how much better you will do!

    Becky Garson
    Executive Recruiter – Healthcare

Whether you are looking for work or you are back to the daily grind at the office- organizing your tasks and work space can help you efficiently achieve your daily goals. 

FACTS:

• 

  The average American wastes almost an hour a day (12 weeks/year) looking for things they know they own but can’t find, reported – Newsweek Magazine
• The desk of the average white collar worker holds 36 hours of uncompleted work. That desk’s occupant spends 3  hours per week sorting piles to find and organize the project/s being worked upon. -The Overload Syndrome, by Richard Swenson
• Sales reps in a survey were most productive when they assigned themselves only three tasks per day. It gave them a greater sense of accomplishment when they were able to cross off those tasks. – Accountemps
• Being more organized can also save you time and money and helps to prevent stress.

Tips to Getting Started

1. Make a to-do list. It may sound elementary, but this basic form of organizing thoughts and tasks can help you stay focused and achieve more over time. Everyone has different ways of creating a to-do list- so whether you write it all down, keep it on your phone, or create a list on an organizational site such as Evernote, it doesn’t matter- just get your goals organized in priority order! According to MindTools.com, if you use To-Do Lists, you will ensure that:

• You remember to carry out all necessary tasks
• You tackle the most important jobs first, and do not waste time on trivial tasks.
• You do not get stressed by a large number of unimportant jobs.

2. Sort and Separate. Have a bunch of papers or books or items that just keep piling up? Sort and separate them into groups based on how you would mentally label them- whether your labels are “Home, Work, School;”  “Budget Sheets, Best Practice Guides, and communication;” or anything else- just make sure that the groups make sense to you. Now either file or compile these items in separate containers, so that you can easily find what you are looking for.

3. Organize your computer. Try to get files off the desktop—they are visual clutter. Reserve your desktop for the files you access every day. Create folders in your Documents folder to encompass a range of files: Recipes, Events, etcetera. Create categories and subcategories that make sense to you. Set up files for your e-mail inbox and sort e-mails after the first time you read them- this way you won’t waste time reading the same e-mail over and over again just to remember what it was about.

4. Think Long Term. The best way to keep track of longer term goals, projects, and future events, is to have a calendar that is frequently updated and easily accessible to you. Your to-do list may include items that will take you longer than a week or two- so make sure those “due dates” are on your calendar, as well. We suggest using Google Calendar (see these great Google Calendar organizational tips on Mashable), a calendar that you can access on your phone at all times, or a daily planner that can function as your to-do list and calendar all in one.

5. Throw it out! Clutter buster Mia Lotringer gave the following advice on WebMd.com:“Go through your items quickly and make snap judgments—that first inclination is generally a good one. Then repeat the process. Often, you will find more items that you can live without. If you are holding onto something in case you ‘might’ need it in the far off future, get rid of it! You can always buy whatever it is when you actually need it. (If you are a business, throw out all tax papers older than 11 years; individuals can safely throw out all financial papers older than seven years. Do keep birth and marriage certificates, social security cards, driver’s licenses and passports, along with the deed/title to your home, homeowner’s insurance in a safety deposit box or in a fireproof lock box and/or with copies with the family lawyer/financial advisor.)”

It only gets easier over time

Fortunately, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers, “once you learn good systems, habits, and tools, change becomes easier, as does bouncing back from an unexpected detour or period of feeling overwhelmed.”

My colleague and I recently attended a recruiters‘ conference and the topic was a novel idea   regarding how to improve retention: manage your employees’ dreams. The concept was created by Matthew Kelly and is documented in his book “The Dream Manager.”  It’s a refreshing take on how managers can make their employees loyal, happy and productive by being actively involved in helping to make their dreams a reality. 

Kelly suggests that companies should designate a Dream Manager to consistently ask employees what their dreams are and how they are going about achieving them.  The mere act of caring and providing even minute assistance and support to employees can make them more valuable and happier overall.

I believe that this idea is extremely forward thinking and many companies could benefit from implementing similar programs. I recommend that all job seekers and career people read “The Dream Manager,” as it is an eye-opening and ground breaking concept.

  Katie Niekrash
  Executive Recruiter, Healthcare

We found today’s Career Quote in IAB’s SmartBrief Newsletter which provides useful news for advertising, marketing and media professionals. We feel that this quote is applicable in all industries and careers:

“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word — excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” -Pearl Buck, Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer

Do you agree?

To temp or not to temp? Many an unemployed candidate has come across this dilemma while conducting his or her job search. I specialize in placing administrative support staff in temp, temp to hire, and direct hire positions through our Bridgewater, New Jersey office. The nature of my job is working with highly skilled administrative assistants who have just been let go from permanent positions. Many have received a wonderful severance package and even have the opportunity to take some time off before trudging full speed ahead in their job search.  But here’s the thing: for the most part, these people are looking for a permanent position – with an ultimate goal to find a new work “home.”  My suggestion is to keep in mind that your new home can come in many different packages.

There are no guarantees!  I have seen candidates get hired directly for a position, only to leave or be let go a few months later when it is discovered to be a weak fit, or due to company layoffs. Remember: last one in can be first one out.

I have had assignments lasting six weeks come across my desk and had many qualified candidates turn down these positions because the length of the assignment was so short. In many cases, the person who did accept the short term job ended up with a permanent offer in their lap because the client loved them so much.

We all know these are tough economic times. It is tough for the candidates, tough for the companies with shrunken budgets, and even tough for some agencies to connect the two. There are a lot of people who are out of work and looking, and only so many jobs out there right now. Competition can be tough; human resources and hiring managers sometimes view hundreds and hundreds of resumes for one position.  You know that you are wonderful and amazing, but they don’t! Your resume is just a foot in the door, but temp work can get you working in the door at a great company. People want to work with people they know, like and trust! 

The only way to make that happen is to get yourself out there and build relationships with great companies. I’ll use myself as an example. When I was first out of college, I accepted a week-long assignment at a company in NYC.  One week turned into a permanent position that lasted for five years.  If someone had told me that before I started my temp job, I would have thought they were crazy! But, it worked out.  I got out there, and in turn, they liked me and the work I did. Before I knew it, I became a part of the “ work family.”

Also remember: just because you have accepted a contract assignment does not mean you have to halt your search for a permanent position.  Keep up your searching and keep on interviewing!  After spending too much time at home, some people can experience depression, so keep yourself in the game! There is nothing worse than getting a phone call from a job seeking candidate who is in the process of losing his or her home after failing to factor in the difficulty of landing a new job in these tough times. The attitudes of these candidates has shifted from confident to a frantic “I’ll take anything! Help!” 

Take it from me; go on out there and build your relationships!  Keep up your skills or try learning a new skill.  Before turning down a possible temporary position, reconsider. You never know, with any luck, you may just find your new work home! 

   Stacie Renna, Staffing Coordinator

New York, October 2009- The Execu|Search Group has established itself on various social media sites in order to connect with job seekers in the City of New York and Tri-State Area. Adding to a 20+ year track record of innovation and excellence, The Execu|Search Group is one of the first regional recruitment firms to launch a social media initiative to assist job seekers.

Utilizing multiple Twitter accounts, a Facebook fan page, LinkedIn, and a company blog (blog.execu-search.com), The Execu|Search Group interacts with job seekers and career people alike, sharing the latest career-related news, job seeker tips, and up-to-the-minute job opportunities. The Execu|Search Group believes that staying on the cutting edge of technology is necessary to success in the recruitment industry.

“With more job seekers turning to the internet each day for networking and job opportunities, we are pleased with our online presence- particularly on social networking sites,” said Edward Fleischman, CEO of The Execu|Search Group. “It allows us to interact and assist them with their job search in ways that were not possible just a couple of years ago.”

Social media is just one part of the innovative online resources The Execu|Search Group offers job seekers. Earlier this year, The Execu|Search Group website was listed as one of “The 20 Best Job Search Web Sites” by PCMag, one of the world’s best-known publishers of leading technology-based digital content products. Links to all of the company’s social media profiles can be found on the company’s website by visiting www.execu-search.com/socialmedia.

The Execu|Search Group has been one of the City of New York and the Tri-State Area’s leading recruitment, temporary/consulting, and retained search firms. Since opening its doors in 1985, the firm has grown to service several practice areas. Headquartered in New York City with branch offices in Purchase, NY and Bridgewater, NJ, recruiters at the Execu|Search Group specialize in practice areas including: Accounting/Finance; Architecture & Engineering; Financial Services including Front Office; Graphics; Health Services: Allied Health, Healthcare, Physicians; Human Resources; Information Technology, and Office Support.

For more information regarding The Execu|Search Group’s website and social media efforts, please contact Stephanie Urban at (212) 204-5123, or via e-mail at surban@execu-search.com.