Making the decision to start out as a freelancer or professional contractor can be one of the most exciting periods of your life. Itâs a turning point for many people that signifies years of hard work and hustle finally paying off. After all, who doesnât want to be their own boss and the master of […]
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(NOTE: This message is laced with sarcasm to prove a point. Reader beware and enter at your own risk.)
One of my mentors taught me a very valuable lesson the hard way. He told me I had great ideas, and my sales approach was crap. He even sent me to âSales Trainingâ to get better at making my point.
I admit I was terrible. I have gotten better over the years and by making mistakes. One good idea after another thrown in the circular file until I learned an invaluable lesson from my mentor.
Executives only care about two thingsâ¦
#1 â MONEY
And
#2 â MONEY!!!!
One of the first questions after someone poses an idea to an executive is: “What will this cost?”
Money #1 is about how much outlay of cash, time, or effort this idea will cost me. Is this idea an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars? Capital? Expense? How long will it take? Who needs to be involved?
Everything in business comes with a cost. If the executive decides to put effort into something, she needs to know what it will cost her. Do I need to change the schedule on another project making it late? Is she hiring someone to complete this project? Does she need to pay overtime? Invest cash? Take out a loan? Everything comes with a price tag.
When presenting your ideas to an executive, make sure you have these details ready at a macro level. Too much detail, you lose their interest. Not enough facts and you will be sent back to the drawing board. What is the right level of detail?
Each executive will have different motivations. See if you can identify them before the conversation and leverage their preferences. Going to a CFO with highly complicated technology will confuse him. Seeking financial support from the Director of Engineering without discussing the details? Good luck. Determine their preference and use it!
The second question: “How much can we make off this idea” The corollary question: “What are the savings?”
Money #2 is more about what is in it for me. How much will we profit from this exercise? Will it increase revenue? Can it save me money elsewhere in the business? What do I get from my investment?
If an idea is simply for an idea’s sake, you better have a flawless argument to get approval. Asking for money (#1) without stating what is in it for me (#2) is suicide. If you approached your mother for $100, would you simply get it? Sure, sheâs Mom, and she loves you. Dad on the other hand wants a mowed lawn, clean garage, or something in return. (NOTE: This is a stereotype. See warning above.)
Executives need to know their investment will pay off. Some want immediate results, and others may be playing the long game of two to three years out. Either way, for their $100 today, they want something in return in the near future.
How can you save the business? Will the idea drive more revenue and improve cash flow? Is your production line 30% more efficient saving time and labor hours? Can we make and sell more widgets this month?
Approach your executive with some idea of what is in it for them. Show the way your idea can help meet (or exceed) their goals. If you ask for $100K, demonstrate the return of $200K, $300K, $500K, or more for the investment in your project.
Subjects like safety, risk mitigation, and even simply making a product right for the customer may not have hard dollars in return. Focus on cost avoidance when you cannot provide hard cash. Avoiding litigation and the lawyer fees associated to defend your product liability can be worth millions. Saving a personâs life is immeasurable. These costs are indirect, and they are potentially real.
In order to get Money #1 to begin your project, you must show how Money #2 pays itself back. Without it, your idea is nothing more than a dream.
I learned this lesson early in my career. As stated, my mentor saw potential in my new ideas. He knew I put a lot of effort into the concept and how it could help the business. I had opportunities to drive real change.
My presentation sucked. I spoke of the technical merits. I showed efficiency gains. I described in detail the plan of implementation. I knew generally what the âcashâ costs were in the conversation. I could give him more detail than he needed.
In the end, he asked me what it would cost. I had the cash value of the idea, and I neglected the time and human capital. His second question: “How does this affect the bottom line (the return)?” I did not always have this level of detail.
Business is supposed to be simple. I sell something for a price (Money #2) while making it for a cost (Money #1). When #2 is greater than #1, business is good. If #2 does not exist and you continue to spend #1, your business will not last.
Approaching an executive with these two concepts well prepared will serve you well. In everyday negotiations with my team, I often ask, “How much effort will this take?” and “Why should we do this?” In a way, my mentor is perched on each of my shoulders (like the angel and devil) reminding me of two thingsâ¦
MONEY and MONEY.
Go forth and sell your ideas better than I have in my past. Use the Money #1 and Money #2 tricks to your advantage. Get your paradigm-changing concepts implemented and improve your world!
Did you know that there are interview questions that might seem legitimate but are actually illegal? While there are some that are clearly inappropriate, not all of them are so obvious. Don’t overlook the different types of illegal interview questions!
Here are a few types of illegal interview questions you should watch out for during your next job interview.
Interview questions about your family life:
Interview questions about race:
So, what makes these questions illegal?
First, they have no relation to the job requirements. Second, there are strict laws in place that prevent interviewers from asking interview questions that can be discriminatory.
Unfortunately, there are bad interviewers out there who will try to slip some of these questions in on purpose (hello, workplace discrimination). There are also some inexperienced interviewers out there who simply don’t know these are illegal questions and are just trying to make conversation.
If you’re asked these questions, whether intentional or not, it’s best to be prepared so you don’t get flustered during the interview.
Sadly, these types of illegal interview questions are asked all of the time during interviews. Not sure how to prepare for them? We built an in-depth interview prep course that will help you understand how to respond to such questions.
We hope this article helps you identify any illegal questions you might be asked in a job interview. Good luck, and keep an eye out for those red flags!
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As a 20-year career coaching veteran who left corporate America and the staffing industry to become an advocate for you, the worker, I have a lot to say about this concept of quiet quitting.
@j.t.odonnell Replying to @messympath I would NEVER quiet quit, here’s why… #nono #quietquitting #quietquittingmyjob #learnontiktok #careeradvice #jobtok #careertiktok #careermode ⬠original sound – J.T. O’Donnell
First of all, it’s not the right term. If you really want to quiet quit, it’s very derogatory, it’s very negative, and it implies you’re phoning it in. And here’s my concern with that. If that’s the route you want to go and you want to outwardly give the impression that you’re phoning it in, you can’t. Because you’re a service provider to your employer. They pay you for a service. And if they’re in a pinch and they need that service and you’re capable of fulfilling that business need while having a checked-out attitude, then everything works fine.
But if the market changes and your company is in a position to get rid of some people, who are they going to get rid of? The quiet quitters. The ones they don’t feel are coming to work with the right attitude or working at the right level.
And that’s their prerogative. It’s just business.
If you’re feeling like you need to quiet quit because your company is taking advantage of you, you need to have a conversation with me about how to set boundaries and work smarter (not harder) while still making your employer happy.
I have worked with lots of women whose definition of success was working 60+ hours a week in corporate America. After having their first baby, they go back to their job and only work 40 hours a week. Then, in their next performance review, they get told their performance was average and they don’t get an outstanding rave review, and they’re so angry.
In your employer’s mind, you took something away. Whether it’s right or wrong doesn’t matter. That’s the perception.
This is why I’m really worried about all these people who love the idea of quiet quitting. If you don’t think it’s getting noticed, it is. And if the market shifts, you could see results that you’re not happy with.
It’s way more importantâif you are not feeling good about the environment you’re inâto learn how to become what I call a Workplace Renegade. That means an independent thinker, somebody who can figure out the best relationship for them and their company. And if that relationship isn’t working for you anymore, then we help you find something else and open up that job for someone who would be happy with it.
Take ownership of your career, folks. Stop being angry at the employer. You have more control than you think!
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Many candidates who come to us for resume help have the same question. They have years of professional work experience, but a lot of it isn’t relevant to the position they’re currently seeking.
On the one hand, they don’t want to waste resume space detailing work that doesn’t relate to their application. On the other hand, they don’t want to omit years of work that developed them as a professional.
How do you mention unrelated work experience on your resume?
We use a magic phrase to address this issue: “additional experience.” It’s perfectly fine to sum up large portions of your career in one section that lists previous employers, positions, leadership roles, certifications, associations, publications, awards, volunteer experience, and even significant hobbies (as long as the experience supports your professionalization in some way).
If you spent the first 10 years of your marketing career performing lower-level tasks, in your “Additional Experience” section at the end of your resume you could say: “Marketing positions with ABC, DEF, and XYZ (1990-2000).”
If your previous work was in an unrelated field, you can simply list the companies: “Positions with ABC, DEF, and XYZ.”
Whatever additional experience you decide to include on your resume, make sure you demonstrate why it’s important to the job you’re applying for by quantifying the work experience and your accomplishments.
This technique can also be very helpful for those who are concerned about age discrimination. We summarized the first 15 years of one candidate’s career into one sentence to downplay the fact that she was 55. Because her experience was relevant to her field, removing it from her resume entirely would have been a disservice, but we did not include the years that experience encompassed in her “Additional Experience” section.
We recently worked with another candidate who needed to show that she was a more experienced professional than her education suggested. This woman had worked for 10 years before going back to complete her bachelor’s degree. From looking at her graduation dates, you would assume she was in her 20s. In fact, she was an experienced manager in her 30sâa fact that was important to show for the level of job she was seeking.
By adding an “Additional Experience” section and putting her “Work History” section before her “Education” section, she was able to show employers that her graduation dates were not an indication of how much experience she had. Just because her work experience occurred before graduating doesn’t mean it was unrelated work experience. The right resume format will make it much easier to mention any kind of significant work experience you’ve had in your career.
Many of us have work experience that doesn’t fit neatly with our current goals and objectives. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving it off your resume altogether, using an “Additional Experience” section can help you mention the experience quickly without wasting precious resume space.
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Being terminated, laid off, or allow go could be a very psychologically taxing and frustrating encounter. Your self-confidence is unstable, you’re not sure exactly what you’re going to perform next, and you’re not really sure how you’re actually going to recover (especially if you’re late within your career). If you’re presently unemployed after a layoff, this live event is usually for you.
It’s not out of the ordinary for you to grieve for the lack of your job when an individual have sex off. But, while difficult as losing your own personal job may seem correct now, it can result in something positive.
Everything happens for a new reason. Getting laid away might provide you with the fresh begin you didn’t know anyone needed.
In this training, youâll learn how to:
Join our BOSS, J. T. O’Donnell, and even Director to train Growth & Coaching, Christina Burgio, for this live occasion on Wednesday, September twenty first at 12 pm AINSI QUE.
CAN’T ATTEND RESIDE? That’s alright. You’ll have access to help the recording as well as the workbook after the session!
Perhaps you have questioned for a job in addition to also caught off safeguard using the salary question? Carry out you find it difficult to identify a new reasonable salary range of which you feel comfortable using? If so, we’re right here to show you typically the right way to carry out salary research!
Nowadays, the employing manager or recruiter will certainly most likely ask concerning your salary expectations within the first or early on round of the meeting process. If you arenât looking forward to this conversation, that can make anyone looks unsuspecting, diffident, or worseâ¦. charging you the entire job opportunity.
Thus, let’s show you exactly how to avoid that and even discuss your desired wage with full confidence!
Inside this training, youâll understand how to:
Join our TOP DOG, J. T. O’Donnell, together with Director of Training Advancement & Coaching, Christina Burgio, for this live occasion on Wednesday, September 29th at 12 pm AINSI QUE.
CAN’T ATTEND RESIDE? That’s alright. You’ll have access to help it and the workbook after the session!
During times of crisis, many companies are forced to cut costs drastically, resulting in mass layoffs and hiring freezes. If the company isn’t making money (or worse, is losing money), it can’t afford to keep paying all of its employees.
If you’re worried your job might be in jeopardy, it’s important to get crystal clear on your ROI. As an employee, you need to ask yourself, “Am I saving or making the company money?”
Employees who save or make their company money are often viewed as “indispensable” and won’t be let go even during hard times.
Want to save your job? Here are some tips to help you stay employed during a recession:
Many companies are forced to cut costs during challenging or slow periods. If the company isn’t making money, it’s losing money. As an employee, you need to be able to justify the cost of your employment if you want to keep your job. What kind of return on investment can your employer expect?
Think about the main function of your job. Are you bringing in money in some way, shape, or form? For example, an email marketer impacts the bottom line by promoting products to gain new customers and bring back older customers. Or are you saving money somehow? For example, if you work in operations, you’re probably in charge of making processes more efficient so less time and money is spent on them.
It might not be obvious at first, but a company wouldn’t hire you if your role wasn’t helping them move the needle in some way. If you can identify where you truly impact the bottom line and focus on those activities, you’ll increase your chances of keeping your job.
During uncertain times, you need to be prepared to add more to your plate since there will likely be layoffs and hiring freezes. Is it going to be overwhelming? Yes. But, in times like these, you need to figure out how to be as efficient as possible to get everything done in order to add value (and stay sane).
So make sure you’re prioritizing effectively, focusing on high-payoff activities that move the needle, and closing down any distractions that could keep you from getting your work done. Make a list of your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks/projects, figure out your time sucks, and talk to your manager to make sure you’re prioritizing the right things.
It might be time to check in with your manager to make sure you’re both on the same page in terms of what you should be doing. There might be changes that will impact you, your boss, or your team, so make sure to touch base. During times of high stress, you might be expected to do more with less (or in less time).
Also, if your manager needs extra help, take things off their plate. Show them you’re willing to go above and beyond during challenging times (without complaining) to make their life easier. Demonstrate that you’re an asset to your team, not a liability.
Even if you’re a high-performer in your organization, there’s always a chance that you’ll be part of a mass layoff. When a company is going through hard financial times, it will be forced to cut costs and let employees go in order to survive. The good news is that, by following the tips above, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting laid off.
So, remember this adviceâand good luck!
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Job programs can be tough, specifically if you have little to simply no experience. It could be difficult for you to discern what makes a good memorable job application. Here is info your guide to wooing your potential employers together with an excellent CV and even thus increasing your likelihood of securing a job throughout todayâs financial climate. Â WHAT IS A […]
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When you’re looking for a job, you’re probably going to see opportunities out there that you shouldn’t take. But when does it make sense to turn down a job offer? How will you know?
Be sure to look out for these clear signs you should turn down a job offer when considering your employment options:
It’s important to assess every job opportunity very carefully.
For example, if a company is offering you a lot of money, WAY more money than you were making before, you have to ask yourself why.
It’s really important to kick the tires and look under the hood of every opportunity before you decide to move forward with it.
Another time you might want to turn down a job offer is when a company has a bad track record. You have to do your homework before you accept a job offer.
Go over to Glassdoor and check the reviews. What are people saying about the company? If there is a constant history of disgruntled employees and bad reviews, this is a major red flag.
It’s one thing to accept a job offer at a startup, but make sure you join one that has clear roles and responsibilities for you as an employee. If they can’t give you a defined role or an idea of how your success is going to be measured, that’s a warning sign.
You could get in there and they could pull a “bait and switch.” That’s when, all of the sudden, what you were told you were going to do and what they want you to do are two totally different thingsâand you’re stuck. So, be careful!
Hopefully, being aware of these three signs will give you a better idea of when to turn down a job offer. Bottom line: if you’re dealing with any of these situations, you might want to rethink the opportunity and/or do more research.
Need more help with your job search?
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How can you make an effective resume after getting fired? People get fired from their job for various reasons. However, to a potential new employer, it may leave an unfavorable connotation on the candidate.
If you find yourself in such a situation, you may have a number of questions concerning how to address the adverse reactions you may receive from a potential employer. You may have questions such as:
Understandably, there are many questions on your mind. And yet, there are ways to be truthful in answering the questions your potential new employer may have for you, along with tips to make such a situation feel a little less threatening. Essentially, before updating your resume for the next job opportunity, think about:
Is The Experience From Your Last Position Relevant?
If there is little to no relevance between the positions, you do not have to showcase it on your resume. The hiring company is primarily interested in relevant experience and skills you can bring to their company. You might be able to break your resume into “Relevant Experience” and “Additional Experience” sections.
How Long Were You In The Position?
If you were in the position for only a few months, it may not be necessary to mention it on your resume. Determine if the employment gap, should you choose not to include it, would be cause for concern by an employer. In today’s market, it’s not a surprise to see some candidates unemployed for a year before finding a new job.
How Severe Was The Cause For Firing?
Were you laid off or fired due to lack of performance or conditions outside of your control? If the latter, then you should put on the resume the reason such as âMajor Downsizing,” âCompany Relocated,” or âManagement Reorganization,” all of which indicate that the termination was not due to your performance. If the reason you were terminated was due to a minor issue that can be easily explained and seen from your point of view by a potential employer, than including the position on your resume should not be a concern. Be honest with yourself and think through your response to a potential interviewer.
Your answers to the questions above will tell you whether it is appropriate to include the job on your resume. If it is included, consider the following to help you through the application and interview process.
Your mission is to get your foot in the door for an interview and to make an outstanding impression. You do not need to bring up that you were fired or laid off from your last job on paper, especially if you were only there for a year or two. Instead of focusing on how your previous job ended, quantify what you accomplished while you were employed there.
If necessary, you will have the opportunity during an interview to explain further details.
Even if you were fired and have bitter feelings toward your former boss or co-workers, your resume is not the time nor the place to reveal it. It is seen as unprofessional and leads to questions that focus on negative aspects.
So, even if the interviewer wasn’t planning on asking you the reason for leaving, you may have just brought it upon yourself by insulting your past employer or hinting at a conflict there on your resume.
You should never lie on your resume. Don’t fabricate anything on your resume or your reason for looking for a new job. If asked about this during an interview, you need to address the question truthfully, but keep it brief regarding the reason for your departure and move on to more positive points. At least you now have your foot in the door and have a greater advantage of explaining the reason for departure in a more positive light.
You can also use it to your advantage to reinforce points of achievements and accomplishments that may apply to the job. Remember that companies do check references and background information. Any candidate caught lying is grounds for dismissal.
Gather people you worked with on the job as references, whether it’s co-workers, clients, or vendors. Individuals who worked with you on the job and who can speak positively about your work can help effectively rid any negative connotations associated with being fired.
In this instance, it makes sense to include references with your resume, especially written recommendations.
This is a last resort option. Functional resumes typically are not used since it lacks detail on dates of employmentâinformation most employers want to know.
A functional resume focuses on grouping specific skills and experiences together as the highlight of the resume. This type of format might also work for the career changer and those with gaps in employment history that are due to other pursuits, such as education or family.
This is the last resort, though. We recommend using a chronological resume format, even if you got fired. But it might be worth it to try a functional resume format if the chronological format isn’t working for you.
Being fired means you have an additional hurdle to overcome to find a new job, but it is not insurmountable. It’s all in the way you frame it on your resume and handle yourself in addressing the matter if the subject comes up. Remain positive, address any concerns succinctly and honestly, and then move on to the more positive highlights.
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You wouldâve come across folks that often seem to know precisely what to express and how towards react and react to almost any kind of situation, actually when theyâre put in the spot. Very frequently, these individuals arenât confident due to the fact they know all the exact right answers (itâs nearly impossible to find a person who does) – theyâre […]
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