Six Things to Consider When Choosing a Career in Healthcare

Six Things to Consider When Choosing a Career in Healthcare

Healthcare is an interdisciplinary, expanding field that offers enormous benefits and mounting job opportunities for those pursuing it. Medical professionals seek educational enhancement and skill development while observing cutting-edge practices due to emerging novel infections, persistent deadly viruses, and the latest technological discoveries. Choosing a career involves a thorough understanding of your qualification, interests, personality, […]

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“What Are Your Three Things?” — Interview Technique For Hiring Managers

“What Are Your Three Things?” — Interview Technique For Hiring Managers

Many years ago, I was working at a recruiting fair with a colleague. We spoke to a student every 30 minutes for nine hours. To say the least, it was exhausting.

During the event, my colleague and I prepared questions to ask each candidate as a litmus test for determining who would receive a second interview. Like many suggestions on LinkedIn, we focused on behavioral questions versus technical ones.

My colleague kept asking the same question at the end of each interview…

“What are the three things I need to remember about you after you leave this interview?”

Lesson For Me: How To Remember Everyone I Have Interviewed?

Hiring manager listens to a job candidate during an interview

I was reasonably young when I learned this technique. We would sit in a conference room a week or so after the event, and we would narrow our suggestion to two or three candidates. Because time had passed, my recollection of the conversations grew “fuzzy.” My colleague was quite clear, and I needed to know why.

“How do you remember so many details from this many different conversations?”

His response? The three things.

The more unique these three responses are, the more my colleague remembered the conversation. He could recall nuances, which I forgot. He remembered details like their mannerisms, clothing, and responses to our questions. He had nearly perfect recall.

As he explained, he used the three questions as a pneumonic device to recall information—or a trigger. He would re-read the three things and instantly return to the conversation. He said with practice, I could do the same.

History Of My Use Of The Three Things…

Hiring manager shakes hands with a job candidate after an interview

When I ask the question, I add one caveat. “Tell me three things I want to remember about you after this interview, and make the third one truly unique to you.” Then I sit quietly and wait.

Some interviewees are quick on their feet and riffle through the answers. Others tend to overthink about what I want to hear, and I encourage them to simply give me an answer from the gut. Interviewees who give me canned answers or anticipate what I want to hear may not get the job. The candidates who give me something special always get my attention.

Most candidates want to tell me they are: hardworking, customer oriented, organized, willing to learn, able to lead, like trying new things, get along well with others, and many of the “typical” coached responses to a question. Some people only give me these answers without the unique one. That is OK; however, I cannot guarantee their interview is memorable.

The ones who really dig deep and share something personal… These people I remember and still have friendships with to this very day.

What Kind Of Answers Do I Get?

Hiring manager smiles at a job candidate

Here are a few candidates who have given me memorable responses (if my network knows who these people are, don’t spoil it for others):

  • Hired around 2003 — I was in a terrible car accident my junior year of high school and spent six months in a hospital bed because of the plate in my forehead.
  • Hired around 2007 — I have jumped from 1500 perfectly good airplanes (parachuting enthusiast).
  • Hired 2015 — My grandmother is Native American, and my middle name is “Sky” because of my heritage.
  • Hired 2016 — I raise “sugar babies” and have dozens of them in my home. (Look them up if you don’t know—I had to.)
  • Interviewed in 2011 — I love really bad European EDM music, and I make my own music on weekends.
  • Hired 2016 — I am working with my girlfriend on my own fingernail polish company. We sell on Amazon already and are looking for long-term distribution.
  • Interviewed 2021 — My family owns and plays 1400+ board games.
  • Hired 2022 — I grew up in a town with less than 300 people, and we literally have one stop light.
  • Hired 2020 and 2022 — My friends call me “Captain Redbeard!”
  • And mine — I listen to speed & thrash metal music every day (and when I share this with a candidate, I often get the “you!?” and a confused look in response).

As I write these responses, I can recall elements of our conversations; I can remember names, and I see the faces. Several of these people are still in my life and will be for many years to come. Others I will simply remember the time spent together in the conversation. Regardless, I will remember the truly unique people in my life.

So What?

Hiring manager reads a job candidate's resume during an interview

I am not going to tell you this question will work for everyone. Similar to the Dale Carnegie approach to learning someone’s name, I am simply recommending a device, a tool, a trick to remembering candidates. I also recommend you make the question your own and tweak it as I did.

Do I think this question helps me? Yes.

Do I ask this question to every single candidate? No.

The interviewees who I want to work with or hire always get the question. I am curious to watch how they approach the question, and more importantly, I want to learn something fascinating about the person across the table from me.

The most rewarding part, I have known some very cool and intriguing people in my life, and years later, I can clearly remember the most remarkable ones who share a little piece of themselves with someone they really do not know. That is the reward!

How To Create A Successful Crisis Communications Plan

How To Create A Successful Crisis Communications Plan

I was beyond excited to work for Foodmaker, the corporate arm of Jack in the Box, early on in my marketing career. We had just launched a new product called the Monster Burger and I got the opportunity to work on a nationwide brand refresh initiative that was a dream project for me. And then E. coli hit. The outbreak involved 73 Jack in the Box restaurants across the west and was the most infamous food poisoning outbreak in history—killing four children, the majority under 10 years old, infecting 732 people across four states, permanently injuring 178, including kidney and brain damage, and almost bankrupting Jack in the Box.

A PR Nightmare

Jack in the Box fast food restaurant

A number of memorable things happened after the E. coli outbreak. First, local Jack in the Box franchise owners were on the news talking to the media about how awful things were at their local restaurant. This was notable to me because I hadn’t seen any communications about how to respond to media inquiries from corporate and this misstep was being displayed all over the news.

Second, three days after Jack in the Box was told E. coli had been linked to its meat, it tried to distance itself from responsibility saying others were at fault. It was later learned that Jack in the Box had been warned by local health departments and its own employees that its hamburgers (specifically the Monster Burger due to the size of the burger) were being undercooked, but had decided that cooking them to the required 155 degrees made them too tough. The chain soon after pledged to “do everything that is morally right for those individuals who had experienced illness after at Jack in the Box restaurants as well as their families.”

Third, Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak had received wide media coverage to the point that President Bill Clinton was fielding questions at a local media event about it.

Fourth, at the corporate office, we were being served constantly with lawsuits; it was non-stop. This was officially a PR nightmare.

A Crisis Communication Plan

crisis communication plan concept

Years later I was the Director of Marketing & Communications at Pepperdine University’s business school. I had used my learnings from Jack in the Box to ensure that we had a crisis communication plan in place. This learning paid off tenfold as I encountered late-night and weekend crisis situations at Pepperdine (i.e., campuses closing due to CA wildfires) utilizing this well-prepared crisis communication plan.

During a crisis situation, people need a simple plan of action that is easily understood and can be put in place quickly. I’ve found that successful crisis communication plans have a number of key elements. Here is my checklist that I include in crisis communication plans:

  • Identify Crisis Communication Team & Spokesperson
  • Develop Key Messages
  • Determine What Channels to Communicate Efforts
  • Develop FAQ to Answer Questions
  • Plan for Media Inquiries
  • Develop Internal Communications Procedures
  • Train Personnel on Action Plan
  • Contact and Media List
  • Review & Update Crisis Communication Plan Regularly

Benefits Of A Crisis Communication Plan

crisis, domino effect concept

After the dust settled with the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak, settlements for individual and class-action claimants reached over $50 million, the largest payment related to foodborne illness at the time. Jack in the Box also lost approximately $160 million in court and from lost sales. Having a well-prepared crisis communication plan comes with many benefits:

  • Predicts Crisis
  • Reduces Seriousness of Crisis
  • Protects Company for Legal Exposure
  • Protects Employees & Stakeholders During Crisis
  • Aligns Internal & External Messages
  • Reduces Time it Takes to Respond to Crisis
  • Maintains Company Reputation
  • Ensures Business Continuity

Having a well-prepared crisis communication plan can make or break your business should a crisis situation strike.

8 Tips For Conducting An Effective Job Search

8 Tips For Conducting An Effective Job Search

If you’re conducting an active job search, you’ve probably realized the traditional methods used to obtain employment are no longer effective. If you only apply for job opportunities using job boards and wait for calls to roll in, it won’t get you very far these days. So, we’ve developed eight tips for conducting an effective job search that will make a noticeable difference.

Here are the basics:

​1. Get To Know Yourself

Before starting a job search, getting to know more about who you are and what you’re looking for is critical. Write down what your hobbies and interest are, take a self-assessment, and be sure to utilize aides like these affordable career resources.

2. Ensure Your Job Application Is Professional & Highlights Your Skills

Man writes an effective job search strategy

Your job application includes your resume, cover letter, portfolio (if applicable), and LinkedIn profile. All of these materials are very important to your job search.

Your Resume

This must be well written and organized in a way that a potential reader can quickly see what sets you apart from other candidates. Identify what skills you have, quantify those skills and accomplishments on your resume, and customize your resume for each position you are applying for. By doing these few things, you’ll show employers a glimpse of the value you could bring to their organization, and your resume will be more likely to get past the ATS (applicant tracking systems).

Your Cover Letter

It’s not enough to write a cookie-cutter cover letter anymore. For an effective job search, write a disruptive cover letter for every job application you send out. It should tell a story and demonstrate why you would be a good fit for the organization.

Your Portfolio

Not everyone will need a portfolio, but if you are in a field that requires examples of your work, a portfolio is crucial to your job search. Include a digital portfolio of your best work. Employers want to pre-screen your work before they decide to call you in for an interview.

Your LinkedIn Profile

If you are not on LinkedIn you don’t exist in the employment world. The vast majority of employers use LinkedIn to recruit new employees. Make sure that your LinkedIn profile is optimized and the information listed matches what you have on your resume.

​3. Establish A Brand

Man establishes a brand for an effective job search on his phone

Your brand is formed in various ways including in person, on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and on personal websites and correspondence. You always want to leave a good impression on others, no matter if it happens in person or online.

That’s why tip number one is so important to personal branding. You must know what you are good at. You also need to know what skills and expertise you possess that you want to leave with people. This will become your brand.

If you perfect the art of personal branding, employers will initiate contact with you.

4. Network Frequently

Woman networks on her laptop for an effective job search

The first place to start when searching for employment is your personal network (former co-workers, family, friends, church members, and even friends on social media). These are the people who know you the best and will be more willing to refer you for an open position.

You must make networking a regular part of your activities, though, not just something you do during a job search. Join organizations related to your field of choice, attend networking events, and become active on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Do what works best for you and be sure to have balance.

​5. Target Desired Companies & Positions

Man on laptop targets companies for an effective job search

Target positions that you would like to have and companies that offer those types of positions, then see if you have any connections to company insiders (referrals are the leading source for obtaining interviews).

How do you figure out which companies to target? Create an interview bucket list—a list of 10 to 20 companies that you would love to work for that also hire for your skill sets.

Be proactive and contact hiring managers, even when there aren’t open positions posted on their company websites. Introduce yourself and see if you can obtain an informational interview to find out more about the company and what they look for in candidates.

​6. Create Job Search Plans & Strategies

Woman on phone executes an effective job search strategy

After you’ve targeted the companies that you feel passionate about working for, put together a plan that will help you get hired at one of them.

Regularly evaluate your plans and strategies and stick with things that have had positive results. If what you are doing is not bringing results, it’s time to try a new approach.

​7. Follow Up With Employers

Man on phone follows up with employers during his job search

Once you have taken the steps to apply or inquire about a position, follow up with employers. Send a quick note that reiterates your passion for the company and desire to work there, and share an interesting article or video that you think they would find interesting. It’s about providing value in the little ways that you can to strengthen the connection.

The goal is to stay at the forefront of the hiring manager’s mind so when they need to fill an open position, you’ll be at the top of their list to contact first.

​8. Increase Your Marketability While You Search

Woman on laptop researches effective job search tips

Don’t get comfortable with your accomplishments. Continue to develop your skills and gain more experience while you are conducting your job search—and even when you are employed.

In your career, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. Seek professional development opportunities to make yourself more marketable to employers. Work on your career every day. To truly stand out in a competitive job market, you can’t afford to think you have what it takes to get hired. You need to prove it.

Always be looking for opportunities to grow your career!

In order to conduct an effective job search, it’s important to follow the tips above.

School doesn’t teach us how to get the job. So, don’t be so hard on yourself! You can (and will!) find a job. Give these steps a try and see how much of a difference it makes in your job search.

Need more help with your job search?

We’d love it if you signed up for Work It Daily’s Event Subscription! Get your career questions answered in our next live event!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.







Why Am I Not Getting Interviews? 15 Common Reasons

Why Am I Not Getting Interviews? 15 Common Reasons

Figuring out why you’re not getting job interviews can be frustrating because it requires you to rethink your job search approach. This guide will go over the most common reasons why you can’t get an interview, and what you can do about it. 1. You Need More Experience Here is one of the most common […]

The post Why Am I Not Getting Interviews? 15 Common Reasons appeared first on Career Sherpa.

It’s Not The Marketing Funnel. It’s The Full Funnel Powered By CDP 2.0.

It’s Not The Marketing Funnel. It’s The Full Funnel Powered By CDP 2.0.

Concepts such as the marketing funnel are discussed less often these days as we focus more on digital. But as the lines continue to blur between sales and marketing, with packaged solutions for customer journey analytics and customer data platforms introduced almost every day, the funnel is undergoing a bit of an upgrade, and new dialogue and buzz are emerging.

The marketing funnel is now referred to as the full funnel, cutting across every interaction the consumer has with the firm—from awareness through consideration and purchase.

The full funnel considers the journey of the suspect, the prospect, and the customer. More than ever before, we are closer to being able to capture all of these moments of truth by using these tools:

  • Open gardens and APIs
  • Advertising ecosystems
  • Marketing ecosystems
  • CRM solutions and more
  • Customer data platforms (CDPs) what I called CDPs 2.0 or tools line Snowflake

(Quick history tangent: The marketing funnel leveraged prospect and customer databases. When CDPs were developed, these databases were integrated. I refer to enhancements to current CDPs, including the integration of real-time data and prospect/customer states, as CDP 2.0.)

These tools, especially CDP 2.0, have improved our ability to connect the dots across the full funnel allowing us to capture these events and experiences, to track more of the journey.

The full funnel includes sales, customer management, and other moments of truth. A snapshot of the prospect or customer can be captured and stored in the CDP 2.0 for future analyses and action. This connected ecosystem allows marketing, sales, and customer professionals to optimize the full funnel at all points along the journey, from early awareness and exploration of options in various channels to product or service purchases. Additionally, the full funnel allows us to understand how customers advance in their journey or relationship, engaging with the brand’s products and services or buying additional products thereby deepening their relationship. This idea of knowing or understanding both the marketing and sales funnels advances the relationship and gives the firm a leg up in designing the right offering and overall experience.

This chain of events view is a step change in our thinking. Previously, using the marketing (or sales) funnel, businesses focused on optimizing dropouts. With technology giving us a more robust, more comprehensive view of prospects, customers, and their behaviors, we can analyze what activities and engagements led to a sale. What led to someone dropping out of an application or a pipeline for a particular product or service? There are micro-pipelines that we can now analyze and optimize. We can understand the profile of specific customers and the media that they came in on. Does that SEM channel or keyword the consumer searched create a customer? More importantly, will it create a profitable customer? We can decide on where to spend the next marketing dollar based on impact and plan for better customer journeys and outcomes.

Gone are the days of only looking at marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) and sales-qualified leads (SQLs). Now we can examine the full view of everything and view MQLs/SQLs as micro-optimizations with the broader, fuller customer picture in mind.

So What Business Activities Are Supported By The Full Funnel?

Marketing or sales funnel concept

1. Manage contacts across more channels, including the metaverse and AR/VR

2. Quickly recognize customers and prospects in any channel

3. Understand what conversations, offers, and interactions work at the micro level and in real-time (not just at the segment level)

4. Understand how people score on various algorithms at different points in time and across channels to increase relevancy and reduce friction

5. Understand customer and prospect value as well as potential value over time

6. Understand channel usage and behavior in real time and across channel types

7. Understand the consumer journey from suspect to prospect to customer

8. Partner with and understand third-party data where it adds value for the consumer

9. Leverage auto ML/AI to learn in real time and consider the full multidimensionality of the data in the CDP 2.0

10. Understand service events and outcomes, especially their impact on the customer journey

So, if you are thinking about canceling your investments in your CDP, reconsider.

In summary, the connected ecosystem powered by cloud solutions (including CDPs of the 2.0 variety) and Analytics as a Service (AAAS) has provided many opportunities for the entire organization to work together to understand more about prospects and customers than ever before. The focus on pipelines and deal dropouts has been supplanted by looking at the comprehensive full funnel from top down, from digital advertising to predicting churn from multiple relationship customers.

I look forward to your thoughts on how your firm has changed its view of funnels, CDPs, and the idea of the 360 view of the customer.

3 Cool Things To Know About Working At Reilly Architectural

3 Cool Things To Know About Working At Reilly Architectural

Reilly Architectural makes custom windows and doors for the country’s most prestigious properties. The company is an architect and builder’s best choice for any project that requires custom hardwood or metal windows and doors.

In 1981, Michael Reilly created his first custom millwork and cabinetry shop in his garage, which quickly grew to fill a large, commercial chicken coop. This was how Reilly Architectural got its start. Today, the company operates out of a repurposed airplane hangar with both a metal and glass shop in addition to the woodworking shop. In 2016, the company’s success caught the attention of Pella Corporation. Currently, Reilly Architectural, supported by Pella Corporation, works independently to exceed our customers’ expectations.

If you’re curious about working for Reilly Architectural, here are three things you should know…

1. Reilly Architectural Has An Amazing Company Culture

Team outing for employees at Reilly Architectural

Reilly Architectural has a culture that’s focused on team initiatives, workplace safety, accelerating growth, driving operational excellence, and building a talent advantage. The company cares for the whole team member, and provides benefits to provide healthy living, financial security, and work-life balance.

Here are some benefits Reilly Architectural offers to its employees:

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage for team members and their eligible dependents
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Health savings accounts with a generous company match
  • Short- and long-term disability
  • Life insurance
  • Retirement savings 401(k) plan with generous company match
  • Eight company-paid holidays
  • Generous paid time off allotments
  • Employee Assistance Program providing support for life’s most challenging times

2. Servant Leadership Is Important At Reilly Architectural

Manufacturing location for Reilly Architectural

As a company, Reilly Architectural is very focused on leadership qualities that are consistent with the servant leader. What does that mean? Simply put, Reilly Architectural believes its leaders are here to serve their team members, to make sure they have everything they need so that they are the ones who are running the company.

Ultimately, Reilly Architectural is a very team-oriented organization, and it has a unique culture that its employees are proud to be a part of.

3. Reilly Architectural Is A Good Corporate Citizen

Michael Reilly, founder of Reilly Architectural, at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital during COVID-19.

One of the most impressive things about Reilly Architectural is that it is a good corporate citizen. The company supports volunteer programs, scholarship programs, and energy efficiency initiatives, and is doing its part where it can.

Reilly Architectural is also utilizing state-of-the-art systems to maximize quality and efficiencies through technology and automation.

Want To Work For Reilly Architectural?

Employees at Reilly Architectural

Reilly Architectural provides a unique product to its end customers that is designed to inspire and delight, while also maintaining a strong company culture that makes employees feel valued and in control of their careers. It’s a great place to work for talented craftsmen and craftswomen alike.

Interested in a job at Reilly Architectural? Check out the company’s careers page!

“How Did You Hear About This Position?” Example Answers

“How Did You Hear About This Position?” Example Answers

“How did you hear about this position?” is an interview question that seems innocent enough. However, it’s still important to know how to answer it effectively! This guide will explain why interviewers ask this question and help you come up with an impressive answer. Table of contents Why This Question Gets Asked in Interviews How […]

The post “How Did You Hear About This Position?” Example Answers appeared first on Career Sherpa.

How To Get A Hiring Manager’s Name

How To Get A Hiring Manager’s Name

How can you get a hiring manager’s name? Job listings posted all over the place simply read “no phone calls” and “direct resume to BD,” or some other letter combination at some post office box or no-reply email address. Getting a name is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

We won’t lie. Finding a hiring manager’s name is tough, very tough. It can be done, though! It takes work and a bit of sleuthing. Anything that is worth something is worth working for—right?

So, here are seven effective ways to find a hiring manager’s name…

1. Call The Receptionist

Try calling the receptionist at the company where you are applying. You can ask him or her for the name of a person in human resources.

If you are nice and engage the person on the phone, you will likely come away with a name. It sounds easy, and sometimes it is as easy as making a phone call and asking for what you’re looking for.

2. Ask To Be Directed To The HR Department

Woman asks to be directed to the HR department to find the hiring manager's name

When calling a company, ask to be directed to the human resources department. You will likely get the voicemail of a person within the department.

Even if he or she is not the right person, when your resume shows up, they will pass it along to the appropriate counterpart in the department.

3. Use Social Media

Man uses social media to try to find the name of a hiring manager

Looking for the name of a hiring manager after having no luck with the tips above? This takes more digging.

Use LinkedIn and Facebook to find people. If you are on LinkedIn, you will need to do a lot of looking to identify people who are associated with the company you are targeting. Join affiliated groups so that you can write to those people directly without an introduction.

Is that sneaky? No. LinkedIn is a tool like any other. You need to know how to use it.

From there, you can introduce yourself to a person at your targeted company, network with them, and obtain a name. Facebook takes a little more work because you need to introduce yourself and be added as a friend. We recommend sticking with LinkedIn if you can.

4. Find A Listing Of Senior Management

Job seeker finds the name of the hiring manager at her dream company

Traditional research also works. When doing research on a company, oftentimes the company will have a listing of senior management. You can start there.

Send a letter or email to one of those people. You never know—you might get a response asking you to send your resume to them directly, or they might even give you the name of someone to reach out to within the company.

Your best bet at receiving a response is by writing your disruptive cover letter in the body of the email. That is, tell a compelling story about why you’re passionate about the company and the problem you think you can help them solve.

Never underestimate the power of storytelling!

5. Network With Everyone You Know

Unemployed man networks to find the name of a hiring manager

The rule of six degrees of separation is what LinkedIn is all about. Everyone is six or fewer connections away from each other. Therefore, you should step up your networking efforts.

You can find the name of a hiring manager from friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, and many, many others.

6. Use Hunter.io

Woman finds the name of a hiring manager during her job search

Hunter.io is a site that can help you track down emails of people at a specific company. This is an incredibly useful tool to have in your job search. Use it to find the name of a hiring manager in seconds!

7. Get A Trade Publication

Man looks in a trade publication to find the name of a hiring manager

The trades publish newsworthy information about what is going on in a specific industry and continuously publish the names of people and companies. It is a great way to maintain abreast of industry happenings, too.

When people are promoted or move to a different company, a name is often published. This can help you find the name of a hiring manager in a direct or indirect way.

There is no such thing as anonymity anymore. If you want to find someone, you most certainly can. Use these seven tips to find the hiring manager’s name you’re looking for. Happy hunting!

Need more help with your job search?

We’d love it if you signed up for Work It Daily’s Event Subscription! Get your career questions answered in our next live event!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Things You Need Before You Start an Online Business

Things You Need Before You Start an Online Business

In case you are considering beginning your online business or even new article, this is definitely the right time so that you can get ahead. Today’s quick technological improvements have produced available numerous online equipment at a significantly lower cost to help you effortlessly bring your company online not to mention start earning revenue. Whether or not you want an completely new income-generating avenue […]

The post Things Anyone Need Before You Commence an internet business made an appearance first on Jobacle. possuindo .

How To Explain Why You Want A Job After Owning A Business

How To Explain Why You Want A Job After Owning A Business

There are a lot of business owners out there right now that might not want to own a business anymore. They want to work for someone else.

When you first become a business owner, you think you’ll be doing this one thing you dreamed of doing all day long. Nope. That’s only about 10% of your job. The rest of the time you’re doing things that you hate doing in order to run the business.

I’ve worked with many people who’ve said, “I’m done running the company.” But recruiters are critical of professionals who suddenly want a job after owning a business.

What Recruiters Are Thinking

@j.t.odonnell Replying to @bookbae256 How to explain why you want a job after owning a business. #careerchange #resume #businessowner #jobsearchhelp #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #boss #career #howto #howtotiktok #explainyourself ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

When recruiters see that you’ve owned a business, they’re thinking a few things:

  • Did the business fail?
  • Is there something going on in your personal life?
  • Are you sick?
  • What’s making you not be able to handle running a business anymore?
  • If you do work for us, are you going to be a know-it-all?
  • Are you going to want to run everything because you’ve always been in charge?
  • Will you get bored easily?
  • Is this going to work for you because you’ve never reported to anyone?

These are all the negative things that go through a recruiter’s head when they see that you’ve owned a business and now want a job at their organization. Your job is to disrupt that mindset.

A Connection Story Is Key

Happy woman on laptop writes a disruptive cover letter

You’re not going to disrupt that negative mindset by writing a good resume. How you do this is through your networking strategy and through what we call your connection story.

You need to create a great narrative, a connection story about what you’ve experienced and what’s making you want to make this transition. Now, you’re not going to be brutally honest, but what you can say is something like this…

“I’ve done all I can as a business owner. It’s been a great and powerful experience. Yes, it’s had a lot of upsides, but there are a lot of downsides, too. What I’d like to do now is work in a larger organization, bigger than the one that I’ve owned, collaborate with like-minded people, and learn and grow. When you’re the only person, you’re not learning or growing as much. So I think it’s been a great run as a business owner, but now I want to learn more about this and I want to grow in this area. And taking on a job like this would give me the opportunity to do that. Plus, having run a business, I really understand what goes into it and how hard it is, and no one will be more respectful than me because I will understand what you’re going through. So I will work like I own the business, but I’m not going to act like the business owner.”

This is how you can shift a recruiter’s perspective because you’re able to explain to them valid business reasons why it would make sense to go and work for someone else. But that comes from your narrative, from your connection story, and the best way to share that is with your disruptive cover letter. This way, the recruiter is reading that story in your disruptive cover letter first, and then when they see your resume, they’re not misinterpreting it. And that’s really the secret to explaining why you want a job after owning a business.

Need more help with your job search?

I’d love it if you signed up for Work It Daily’s Event Subscription! I look forward to answering all of your career questions in our next live event!

Daily Management Meeting — For An Engineering (Or Any Professional) Team?

Daily Management Meeting — For An Engineering (Or Any Professional) Team?

Why do I talk to my team every day?

In lean principles, many manufacturing teams have a daily management or “stand-up” meeting at the beginning of a shift. The purpose of this meeting is to have daily contact with employees, set objectives, review metrics, and simply communicate what is happening within the team. Common goals for this meeting include setting the tone for the day and helping employees feel connected.

Can this work for professional teams as well?

They Will Hate It… At First.

Team meeting in the office

I have been conducting a daily management meeting with my engineering teams for more than 15 years now. My meetings are NEVER perfect, and I have found them difficult to start with a new group.

Engineers do not behave like production, so these teams have been very resistant to my implementation of the daily meeting. “Why do we need to do this?” “We know what’s going on.” “We know what to do.” “This is a waste of my time—I could be coding right now.” Regardless of the words, these professionals resist the need to meet.

What I have found is that these daily meetings take several months to take hold. At first, everyone is resistant to taking 15-30 minutes every day to “talk.” Over time, you win over a few early adopters because they see the value of getting information. On a small team, this period is shorter. The larger teams always have one or two true naysayers who dig in.

The truly resistant teammates in the process are sometimes the very best reason for the meeting. They complain the most and get the most from the discussion. As the weeks pass, the biggest haters often convert into the greatest advocates. They tend to be the first to complain when a meeting is canceled because they had something to say. They feel engaged despite not “liking” seeing everyone each day. I find they secretly have learned to like these meetings.

Tips For A Successful Meeting:

Team has a daily management meeting

​To begin, I have adopted my format based on each individual team. Time, place, duration, and content are dependent on the needs of the team and will change over time. The following are simply a few things I have found successful.

  • Same time and place — every single day: at first, you need to meet every day to build a habit, and I will not relent on this for at least a year. Location and time must also have consistency for the habit.
  • Minimize the agenda to a few key topics — initially, I begin with announcements for the day, a review of major projects, key milestones, and open concerns. If you have more than five topics, you will not be effective. Be concise.
  • Limit meeting time — always limit the conversation. Twenty minutes is my average, and I am consistently less than 30 with very few exceptions.
  • No one is permitted to skip the meeting without asking prior permission. I usually ask for 24 hours’ notice, and you are expected to participate unless you receive a pass for the day. Myself included.
  • Promptness is key — meetings begin at 11:30 am and make that known. Enforce it. Having the team show up on time is a level of respect for your teammates. Don’t allow tardiness to go unnoticed.
  • Allow for sidebar and silliness… to a point — not everything in a team needs to be transactional or business oriented. Many of my meetings have gone off the rails early and ended with good team building. If everything is transaction based, the team will have a robotic feel.
  • Allow the team to form the meeting — in the beginning, commanding control is necessary to build confidence in the process. Over time, allow the team to morph into what it needs to be successful. Many of my teams have abandoned my original agenda within four to six months and developed their own feel. The purpose of the meeting is for the team—not your own agenda.

(P.S. I used this very effectively during COVID-19, and when my team works from home, we still meet virtually to remain connected. These meetings do not need to have a physical presence to work.)

How Does This Benefit Me And My Team?

Employees have a daily management meeting

Connection—teams need to know they are connected and feel part of something greater than themselves. A good team builds rapport over time and learns to feed off one another.

I have built some strong teams in my career. My first team where I employed this process was very disjointed, and I had many lone wolves asking to be left alone. Give me my work, and get out of my way. Each person was great and a true expert in their niche. However, they did not work together to learn, grow, and become better.

I made many mistakes with this process, and after the first year, we still were finding our stride. In the second year, we began to gel. In year three, our meetings became more than expected. Problems were solved in minutes, not days. Issues were in the open versus the behind-the-back discussions. We won internal business challenges between teams by orders of magnitude. Everyone was in it for the benefit of the group—even the lone wolves. Years late after I moved on, two of my “toughest” engineers actually thanked me and missed those meetings in their career. They agreed they still hated the meeting, and they remembered how great our team performed.

Can you do the same? I say yes. The secret sauce is the discipline to push beyond the initial hatred and allow the process to grow. My mentor who asked me to begin this process knew I hated it as well, and he pushed me to keep trying. He could see the benefits before I could.

When a team communicates well, shares the same objectives, and solves problems openly, no one can stop their performance. Would you like to have this same experience?

Summing Everything Up…

Team members support each other at work

As I hinted earlier, I was an initial skeptic. I did not want to “waste” time with a 20-30 minute meeting every day. Add all our hours up over a year, and my lean mentor would show me the thousands of seconds lost! I persevered.

Remember, the key to the process is communicating. At first, you will be the leader doing most of the speaking hoping someone listens. Eventually, others will open up and share as well. Even the naysayers will pick up on some of the discussion allowing it to seep in slowly. Regardless, be consistent. Push the team to interact and develop the habit. Use command/control initially, and give the team room to breathe. See how it grows.

The first few meetings will be 100% for you as the leader. Eventually, the tide will shift and become about the team members. If you have an exceptional team, the discussion will become something even greater than imagined. You will see your team care for one another, discuss issues respectfully, and perform better than you imagined… all because you made them talk to each other for 20 minutes a day. Stating it like that, it is such a small investment with immeasurable returns!