Make It Happen

Reference and Recommendations

Whenever you are considered for a new relationship - as a supplier, customer or investor - the "buyer" needs to check you out. This is especially true when it comes to applying for a new role. The dreaded reference check (or background check) need not be that stressful, if only you considered a few simple points:

1. The value of pre-emptive disclosure: Background checks can be as simple as a few calls to your references, or a detailed investigation by an independent professional. It's important for you to understand that the more critical your role, the more important it is for them to identify any risk you might represent. It is naive to assume that there will be no background check of any type.
   
   Recommendation: If there is a "red flag" to be found, then it is better to disclose it yourself during earlier discussions, where the issue can be put into context. Discovering it by surprise in a background check will usually lead to your disqualification.

2. A clean slate is best: For a no-surprise background check, resolve any outstanding third-party disputes or pending items. Two simple things that can be done would include reviewing credit reports for discrepancies and ensuring any legal actions are settled. If you are being considered for a senior role in a large organization, you may even wish to pay to get a background check done on yourself, just to ensure that you find any discrepencies first. (A background check can sometimes expose situations where someone else with the same name as you has a red flag; nothing you can do about it, except let them know that something might come up, and it's not you...)

3. Social Media profile review: With Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, ZoomInfo, etc, much of our private lives have moved into the public domain. Since reference-checkers will be looking for you on these sites, spend time "looking at how you look", removing questionable content, adding appropriate (and consistent) professional information, etc.

4. Google review: Periodically do a "Google Search" on your name, to see how (and where) it appears. The more senior you are, the greater the number of references there will be - and not all of them positive. Armed with this information, you can address any issues during the interview process beforehand. Google even has a free service called Google Alerts that can be set up so that every time your name is newly mentioned online, the link to it is emailed to you.

5. Prep your references: While your career history and your job responsibilities might be clear to you, they are not likely top-of-mind with your references. Spend time maintaining and improving your relationships with your references. When it is time to use the references, provide details of the new position, reminders from your time working together, and any other important details. (And afterwards, of course, send a thank-you note.)

This week's action item: Make a list of your top five references, then consider what they will think when they see your profile on Social Media sites such as LinkedIn and Plaxo. If your references don't think positively about you when they see your profile, what do you think their reference will sound like? This week, make your profiles positive, at least to the references. And if you haven't yet done so, ask them for a public recommendation.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Ten Career Planning Tips that we can learn from Barack Obama (and John McCain)

Now that the dust has settled with the American Presidential election, all of the pundits can begin prognosticating on how Obama will do once he's on the job.

For those in the midst of a job search, however, attention must return to more mundane matters - like getting a job. Yet, are there any job search and career planning lessons that can be learned from Obama's historic victory? The answer, of course, is yes.

1) Anyone can grow up to be the President of the United States. And you can do any job that you want as well. Set a goal, make sure you are qualified, and "apply" for the position.

2) The road to success is long and hard. Obama didn't wake up one day and decide to be President. First he got an education, then he worked in the community, then he was elected to Senate, then he ran for the Democrat's nomination, and then finally, for President. While no one may know (including Obama himself) where a path might lead, working hard each day pretty much guarantees progress.

3) The value of Networking. Obama certainly didn't do it by himself - by some accounts, he had over one million others helping him reach his goal. How are you using - and growing - your network?

4) The value of the Internet. Beyond the basics of a web site, he had Blogs, Videos, Social Networking, discussion groups, ecommerce, and email. You name it, Obama used it to amplify his message and reach out to his audience.

5) The power of a personal brand. More than anything else, his message was singular and on-track: a message of change and hope. While this might not be your Personal Brand, especially during a job search, this focus defined him to others, and helped these others amplify his message even further. Of course, it helped that his brand was completely congruent: the way he looked, the way he acted, the way he sounded, his message, his attitude - everything.

6) The importance of an interview. Each time he was in front of the camera, he was poised, fluent, and answered in an authentic manner. Most people don't enjoy interviews, so consider: Obama did 5-10+ interviews each day. Practice makes perfect.

7) Support of family and friends. Often, a politician's family is wrongfully seen as a prop, to appear when needed, and to be put away when completed. In reality, though, a public figure is also a private figure: with relationships, personal responsibilities, interests, and requirements. And their families are often the keystone to this private life, providing the support that allows them to work successfully in the public eye. Those of us who "merely" work - or are looking for work - sometimes forget that our family and friends are there to support us, and that it is our responsibility to reach out and ask.

8) The importance of thank you. Obama's acceptance speech was both inspiring, and humble. He didn't shirk from acknowledging all of the people who helped along the way. During the next month or two, this will continue with thousands (if not millions) of emails, letters, and phone calls. It isn't hard to say thank you, yet sometimes we too easily forget.

9) The value of a rest before you start. Obama was elected on November 4th, but won't actually be sworn in until January. No doubt he will use the time to pull together his team, but he may also take a few days break and recharge from his long campaign. If you are between jobs, take a few days - or even a week - before you start. That short break will leave you re-energized.

10) There really aren't any losers when you step up to the plate. While John McCain and Sarah Palin lost the election, did they also not gain something from it? John McCain earned 46% of the popular vote - not too shabby. He built a team, and has become a greater influence within his party. Sarah Palin has put her name on the map, gaining valuable experience on a national stage. While neither won the prize they were seeking, they both are further ahead than before, and this will help them as they consider their own next steps. When it comes to your own job search, even if you don't get the job - or the promotion - the fact that you were considered for the role says something about you. And the interview experience, networking, and research have even greater value.

Randall Craig
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com
www.RandallCraig.com/blog

Randall Craig is the author of several Career Planning Books, including the best-seller "Personal Balance Sheet". He speaks to groups on Career Planning, Work-Life Balance, and Networking for Career Success. He has never met President-Elect Obama, but would be thrilled to do so. Randall can be reached directly at randall (at) personalbalancesheet (dot) com, or at 416-256-7773

Serving Non-customers Profitably

Marcus, every organization focuses on profit first, right? While this is true for the corporate world, it often isn't true in the not-for-profit sector, nor in government. These organizations typically have many different stakeholders, including the communities they serve, donors, regulators, media, and special interest groups. And the goals of these stakeholders move well beyond profitability.

If you have only developed skills to grow sales and reduce costs, then you might be perfectly well-suited for the corporate world... of ten years ago. Just as individuals grow and learn, so do corporations.

Over the last decade, many corporate entities have looked at the not-for-profit sector and recognized that focusing on the needs of a wider stakeholder group is precisely the means to a [profitability] end. At the same time, not-for-profits have changed by learning from the corporate world: many have developed sophisticated marketing and fundraising programs, strong technological foundations, and tremendous management focus. Developing skills beyond profit and loss is critical for personal success in the corporate world of today: relationship-building skills, communications skills, analytical skills, and conflict management skills are but a few.

This week's action item: Identify the stakeholders who you serve. Some will be your "customers", both internal and external: this week, it's the "non-customers" that you want to think about. Who are they? What are their needs? And what can you do to better serve them? Answer these questions, and commit to doing at least one thing beyond the normal. Learn from the not-for-profit world: while you may have clear performance objectives that are related to profitability, success comes from serving non-customers profitably.

Note: The Make It Happen Tipsheet is also available by email. Go to www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news to register.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com
www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com/news

Recently someone asked me to discuss how to choose interview questions, and specifically how to look for for people with a great work ethic. Here's how I answered:

If you are of the mind that past performance is an indicator of future performance, then part of what you want to do is dig for examples of the performance that you are seeking. Just about any question that starts with "Describe a situation where..." will do the job.

This by itself will never be enough, though. A more critical part of the exercise is the verification that you do with their references. In addition to any standard fact-checking, make sure that you ask the references questions that allow you to verify the candidate's answers. These questions will always start with "I understand that they were involved in ______; can you describe..."

Some other questions that can use this ask/verifty model:

- How have you dealt with slower-paced colleagues...
- Provide two examples where your speed of delivery made a difference, and what you learned from the process...

The other possibility is to move away from exclusively using the traditional "behavioral" interviews, and consider using experiential or case-interviews in addition. Experiential interviews involve giving the candidate a task, and observing how they do it. A typical task might be to pull together a presentation, and then deliver it. A verbal case interview is when a candidate is given a business situation, and has to solve it. Based on the pace of the candidate's questions, it isn't that tough to sort out those who naturally process quickly vs those who are slower.

Randall Craig
www.RandallCraig.com