Jay Wren – Page 71 – Be in the Top 1% in Mindset – Leadership

Turn Job Shopping into Job Hunting

Turn Job Shopping into Job Hunting

“I must create a System, or be enslav’d by another Man’s.” -William Blake

Shoppers buy products that are easy to find and are popular with other shoppers. When I go to the supermarket, I shop. I buy the things that the store has on hand.

The people who buy products for resale decide what products to buy based on the amount of profit in a product and how quickly a product sells. If a buyer invests in a product that sells for a 50 percent profit and takes six months to sell, the buyer might consider the product a good investment. If the product sells for a 1% profit and take six months to sell, the buyer might consider the product a risky investment. On the other hand, if the buyer invests in a product that returns a 1% profit and sells in one week for weeks on end, the buyer will more likely see that product as a lower risk. The buyer can sell that product four times before the bill comes due from the supplier.

The less space a product takes on the shelf is also important. Retailers try to make the most profit possible per square foot.

The place where the retailer is most likely to sell the most products is at the checkout stand. The simple reason is that everyone must go through the checkout aisle to buy any products.

Chewing gum, mints, and popular magazines take little space, sell very quickly, and get the premium spot in retail stores. Retailers place these products at the checkout stand where every customer must go before leaving with any purchases.

So when I go shopping, I am buying things that buyers consider a good investment. In most cases, shopping satisfies all my needs and wants.

When I hunt for a product, I take my efforts to a higher level. I want something that buyers may not consider a good investment and do not regularly stock.

Buyers value customers as much as they value profit on an individual product. I moved to Sacramento from Houston. While living in Houston, I developed a taste for Tab colas. When I moved to Sacramento, I discovered that most retailers do not even carry Tab and that the bottler shipped Tab only in six-packs and not in twelve-packs. The price of a six-pack of Tab was the same as the price of a twelve-pack of Coca-Cola.

To get all this information, I had to do some hunting. I spoke with the store manager at the Raley’s market where my wife and I regularly shop. I called the buyer at the Raley’s headquarters. I called the vice president of sales at the bottling company that made the Tab.

I became a product hunter. The bottling company agreed to bill the store where I bought Tab the twelve-pack price for two six-packs of Tab. The store began to stock Tab, which invariably sold out as soon as the product came in. In response to the out of stocks, the store began to keep a back room stock for me to pick up when I was in the store.

Retail shopping and job shopping are similar. Job shoppers go to the regular places everyone shops for jobs.

Job boards
Corporate Recruiters
Company websites
Current contacts in their networks

Job shoppers find the jobs that hiring companies promote the highest. Job shopping may fit your needs. You may find that you can pick from a variety of jobs.

However, you may not want to settle for what you find from job shopping. Just as I found when I moved from Houston to Sacramento and attempted to buy Tab Colas, you may need to go to the job sources to get the job for you. You may need to become a job hunter.

A job hunter decides what to hunt for and where to find it. If a job hunter wants to work as an aviation mechanic, the job hunter goes to an airport or airplane factory.

Job hunters decide what concessions or compromises to make. A job hunter who is willing to live anywhere will have more places to apply for a job. Job hunters who accept contract, full-time, part-time, or temporary work increase the number of jobs for which they can apply.

Job hunters take a direct approach to get a job with a specific company.

They create or expand their list of contacts who work for the company or have worked for the company.
This list has no value if job hunters do not use them. Job hunters introduce themselves or ask other people to introduce them to people who work for the company.
Through these introductions, job hunters build professional relationships who can help them know more people at the company.
They work with these relationships to get recommendations for the job they are seeking.

Building relationships in job hunting takes time. Some trails lead nowhere. Job hunters track more than one opportunity at a time.

Job hunters know that no matter how many relationships they make at a company, pursuing a career at that company may just never happen.

Yet there are always other companies and realizing when a trail is a dead-end is discouraging but helpful information.
Relationships at a company along a dead-end trail are sometimes the relationships who lead to the next opportunity.
Job hunters look for opportunities within opportunities. As their contact list grows, they look for overlaps in connections. A person who cannot help them can connect them with the person who can.

Job hunters take action.

Job hunters call people. If a job hunter needs to speak with someone, the job hunter picks up the phone and calls that person.
Job shoppers send emails asking people to call them.
Job shoppers are passive. They feel no need to be resourceful.
Job hunters are fearless and aggressive. They do not ask other people to take action. Job hunters act.

Not everyone needs to become a job hunter. The role does not fit everyone. However, there is a whole world of opportunity that exists only for the job hunters.

Listening Power

People prefer to think that they are smart. Most people also like to think that other people think that they are smart. Sometimes I can impress people more when I ask intelligent questions about what they have to say than saying anything.

People enjoy discussing things they like and people they like. People may even enjoy discussing things they do not like. People may also enjoy discussing people they do not like. Whether people enjoy the conversation depends on how much they agree with the conversation.

The best way I can know what people like is to listen to them.

I do not discuss some things. As a headhunter, I have found that applicants often talk too much about where they are interviewing. They are giving away information that competitors and recruiters can use. They are also discussing the confidential information of their perspective employers.

In giving career counseling to an executive, I told him to keep his interview activities to himself when meeting with hiring companies. I specifically told him that two of the companies with whom he had interviews were competitors and not to tell either about his interviews. Imagine my surprise when I learned that he had boasted to the president of one of the companies that he was also interviewing with the competition.

When the applying executive began to discuss the high level of interest of the competitor, the interview ended on that spot. In trying to impress the hiring president, the applicant blundered into boasting about things that were inflammatory and threatening to his potential employer.

When talking about other people, I find that it is often just better not to take part in the conversation. If I need to rail about how terrible another person might be, I often find that it is better just to vent on paper. One way to get things out of my system is to write a letter to the person who is making me angry. I can write everything I wish to say to the person. Then I mail the letter to myself. When I receive the letter, I usually find that I feel foolish to have been so upset in the first place.

Most people prefer a discussion to a lecture. Captivating speakers may spend time selecting their words. They may practice their timing. They may have become experts on their subject. They may research their material to check for accuracy. They carefully think about their audience and may add or remove material based on the audience.
I can apply these things to my speaking one on one. I prefer that people believe what I say. I prefer that people find the conversation interesting. I can also limit my comments to the things that are interesting to the listener.

I can pay attention to body language and facial expressions. People send signals when they are restless. They may not stand still. Their eyes may wander. When people are restless, I can do four things.

I can just be quiet.
I can ask them a question to draw their attention back to the conversation
I can excuse myself and give the person space.
If I know them well, I can ask them if they are okay.

To continue to speak without an awareness of a listener’s state of mind is pointless and could weaken my relationship. If the person is not listening to what I am saying, I do not gain anything from talking with the person. If I continue to talk when the person clearly prefers not to listen may even irritate the listener.

There are times when there is power in saying less. It is not the amount I speak, but when and why I speak. I can listen to let other people know I appreciate their intelligence. I can keep private information private. I can speak about things I know are correct. I can respect other people when I sense that I am wasting their time or making them uncomfortable.

The Power of Giving Recognition

People who give compliments and recognition are people I remember.

For several years, I have sent out a newsletter. Two people have regularly given me thanks for my work in creating and publishing that newsletter. One of these people is a senior executive at The Walt Disney Company. The other person was the Vice President of Sales at Nestle at age thirty-two and today places more C-level executives than any other corporate recruiter in the country.

In the past week, I got a marketing email from one of my favorite clients. The president of that company has been a loyal client and friend for twenty-five years. His company did a terrific job on the email. I sent him a note, complimenting him on his marketing campaign.

The best boss I ever had moved through levels of greater responsibility rapidly. He was a four-star Admiral. I once showed him some work I had just completed. He said that the work was outstanding. Then he said, “Of course, I would expect no less from you.”

I have read that the words people most like to hear are the words in their name. When I greet people, I say their name. Names are great for communication, so that people know that you are speaking with them. More important is that, when I say a person’s name, I am giving them recognition.

I compliment a person on their appearance to give them self-confidence and to let that person know that their presence adds value to my day. A receptionist in my office taught me a nice way to compliment people on their appearance. What she said was most comfortable for her was for someone to compliment something she was wearing. I try to remember that suggestion whether I am complimenting a man or a woman.

The real winners in giving recognition are the people giving the recognition. These people attract people to them. I remember people when they take time to give me recognition or a compliment. I find that especially is the case when I have done a large job and few people have said anything about the work I have done. I also find that I remember people who have repeatedly thanked me for my work or told me I did a good job.

Digital Marketing for Your Job: Do the Risks Outweigh the Rewards?

Digital Marketing for Your Job: Do the Risks Outweigh the Rewards?

You have worked hard to create an Internet presence. You have created a LinkedIn account, a Twitter account, and a Facebook account. You have polished your profile on these accounts. You have carefully selected people for your connections. You value your relationship with each person you have added as a connection. These are the people in your business, career, and social network. They are classmates, co-workers, bosses, clients, friends, and family.

You have connected your LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook accounts so that what you post on LinkedIn appears on all three accounts.

Late one night, you are reading through the updates on LinkedIn. You see something that disturbs you, perhaps a political article or some religious or social statement. You decide to post your opinion on this subject on your LinkedIn updates. The next morning you realize that what you posted is true but inflammatory.

You go back through your accounts and cut the comment. To your horror, you realize that your comment has created a thread of comments among people who completely disagree with your comment.

We all can say things that we regret. When we say these things in the privacy of our homes, we can more easily correct our wrongs. When say regrettable things in the office, we may find that we can correct our wrongs as long as we do not make a habit of saying regrettable things. When we post something on the Internet where hundreds or maybe thousands of people can read our comments, we suddenly find ourselves in situations that we can not correct.

In the media, broadcasters often work in teams of broadcasters who help each other review what they write. These broadcasters also may have editors with distinguished histories of cutting inappropriate statements.

Here are some good things to remember.

If what you are writing makes you wonder whether the material is proper, your instincts are sending you a warning sign that you should heed.
You have nothing to gain from posting anything you could regret.
The things you write on the Internet become public records. People may come across comments years from now. By that time, you may have changed your point of view and have different friends and associates who find your comments offensive.
You may not know you have offended someone and how that offense may have hurt you.
Stay off membership sites when you feel tired or angry. A weary mind and bad moods can make us say things we regret.
Avoid politics and religious discussions on membership sites. Membership sites are not political rallies or churches. They are places people go to learn what is current in business and in people’s lives.
If you can’t say anything nice, do not say anything at all.

Marketing through social media definitely helps build careers and businesses. The most important thing you can write in social media is your profile. Make it correct and positive. As for updates and comments, limit those to things that draw people to you.

Job Power: Get Digital.

Get digital.

Among business people, digital skills have become common place.

Some business executives may still consider anything on a computer either a programmer’s task or a clerical task and beneath the requirements of their job.

However, most executives I know use a smartphone to thumb through text messages, news, and emails as a routine part of the day.

Students learn computer skills as part of the learning process. By that statement I mean that first students must learn how to use the school’s computer and computer programs before the student can begin to study. So to learn social studies, the students first develop computer skills. These computer skills are skills that the student will use in other parts of the curriculum and are skills that the student will be able to use when going on to college or perhaps into a job.

School districts have used computers for student testing for some time. More recently, school districts in Virginia and California have purchased iPads and partnered with Pearson School to teach social studies. Khan Academy is a nonprofit educational service that teaches through its own website and through YouTube videos.

The greatest benefit I see from digital-based study programs is accessibility. Teachers only have so much time. Even parents only have so much time. Students can study when they can reach a computer.

There is no age limit on being a student. There is do-it-yourself study for every subject under the sun. I still study every day. I make studying part of my job.
There is a fork in the road for digital skills. One leads to programming. The other leads to use.

Developing a vocabulary for programming terminology is helpful and fun. If you develop a minimal vocabulary for computer languages you will have some understanding in a conversation among programmers and other co-workers. Contributing to a conversation is just one part of building your career.

What developers have done with network applications is fantastic for porting your work to remote locations. For my work, I use a PC, a laptop, a Chromebook, and an Android smartphone. I have always bought the least expensive products. I love them all. I have networked them to connect with each other anywhere.

I prefer the Google Chrome browser for work. Windows Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox have some fantastic capabilities for personal, professional, and developer use. However, Google has integrated the Chrome browser, the Android smartphone OS, and the OS for Chromebooks. I now find it easier to use the Chrome browser over all other browsers just because the Google system synchronizes everything and provides enough free storage for anything that I need. I can reach my bookmarks, applications, and files on any computer with a Chrome browser. Chrome browser works across any operating system as well.

If you are lucky enough to own a gorgeous Mac, an iPad, or an iPhone, you have beautiful and fantastic devices. You also have a tub full of harmonically integrated, free Apple apps. Apple devices have fantastic work applications also.

Getting digital with my job is a lot of fun and very productive. I enjoy learning new ways of doing my job. Actually, new computer devices and applications have made me love my job all over again. I can work from nearly any place that I can use my computer. When I need a new application, I can usually find one for free. I get more work done in less time. The digital creation is rewarding because it looks finished, polished, and clean. I can see the results of my work immediately. I know that I am doing work people will respect for its appearance as well as its content.

Jobs: How to Negotiate Anything from Pay Raises and Promotions to Job Offers

How to Negotiate Pay Raises, Promotions, and Job Offers

Whenever you negotiate anything, do your research. For example, when negotiating a pay raise, research the salary range of your job.

If you have an open, comfortable relationship with the human resources, simply ask for the salary range for your job. Some companies publish internal information on salary ranges. Some companies even post salary ranges on public job listings.

If you have the actual amount of the salaries in your company, ask for the pay raise in the increments of pay. If your company pays once a month, ask for a monthly pay raise that matches what your company actually pays for a month of work. If your company pays you once each month, you get twelve payments a year. If your company pays every four weeks, you get thirteen payments a year. Knowing the difference is important.

The arithmetic works like this. A monthly salary of $1000 per month is an annual salary of $12,000. A four-weekly salary of $1,000 (4 X 13 = 52) is an annual salary $13,000.

Knowledge from the Internet

On the Internet, you can research salary ranges for your job. Some companies do not show their compensation ranges to their employees. To learn the value of your job, click on the “Salaries” tab at the top of the page on JayWren.com. You will find a custom search engine built on multiple compensation sites.

Negotiating promotions is a fundamental part of your career. If you want your career to grow, make promotion negotiation an ongoing progress.

Watch for internal job postings.
When you see internal job postings, check your skills and education for a match.
If you do not have skills or education for a job that you seek, get them.
Apply for positions you would like to have.
Ask your supervisor for support in applying for a promotion.
Periodically update your supervisor on your accomplishments.
If proper, discuss your accomplishments with other managers in the company.
Treat everyone with respect. Your coworkers may someday be your boss.
When you go in for a performance review, write your own review of your performance. Give a copy to your boss.
Do your research. Network within your company. Say great things about yourself.

When you interview, you are negotiating for getting a job offer. Some people start negotiating the terms of an offer before they even get an offer. You should know the range of compensation and the details of a job during the interview process. However, before you can negotiate the amount of a job offer, you must first go through an interview process and get an offer. In other words, you are negotiating for an offer.

Apply the same principles of any negotiation in the interview process. Do your research. Show the hiring managers how their company benefits from hiring you.

Layout the Details

To prepare yourself for negotiating the details of a job offer, you can use a comparison chart. You can use nearly any word processing document or spreadsheet to create this table. You can use a pen and paper as well.

Here is a sample:

Details	Current Job	Job Offer	Difference
Salary
Bonus
Car
Investments
Retirement
Vacation
Health Ins
Dental Ins
Life Ins
Job Title
Job Function
Commute
Location
Travel
Job Interest

Once you have created your comparison table, you can begin a meaningful negotiation. If you believe that your table can help you as a presentation in your negotiation, you can give a copy of the table to the hiring manager.

10 Ways to Reduce Job Stress

10 Ways to Reduce Job Stress

I benefit several ways when I relax my mind.

I think more clearly.
I make better decisions.
I feel better.
I make other people feel better and help them think more clearly.
I am healthier. My heart rate goes down. My blood pressure goes down.
I have more energy. The weight of stress leaves my body.
I feel refreshed.
I have greater focus.
My intuition is greater.
I think at a higher level.

Every season has things that cause stress. Rather than list those things and give them attention, I will move on to the ways to find comfort in times of stress.

Learn to relax. You can seek professional help in learning to relax. You can find relaxation methods on the Internet. You can read books on relaxation. You can subscribe to magazines and newsletters on relaxation. All of these methods are excellent. They teach you to relax. They reinforce your belief in relaxing and remind you to relax.

Relaxation methods are simple. You do not have to join any organization or follow any teacher to learn simple methods of relaxation.

One popular method is to repeat a meaningless phrase silently. You can create you own phrase. Settle on something simple, one or two syllables. Choose soft sounds. Use the same phrase every time you practice this relaxation technique. Close your eyes. Just allow the phrase to float through your mind. If you find that your mind has wandered from your phrase, simply let it return softly.

Use breathing as a form of relaxation. Breathe in slowly. Breathe out slowly. For the first minute, simply focus on your breathing. Think about the sound of your breathing. Think about the physical sensation of your breathing.

You can add methods of counting as you focus on your breathing. Close your eyes. Breathe in to the count of four. Then breathe out to the count of four. As you breathe in, silently count, “one, two, three, four.” As you breathe out, silently count, “one, two, three, four.” This method of relaxation may help you fall asleep.

The quickest relaxation method is to count to ten. Sometimes just counting to ten becomes so comforting that I may just continue to count to ten. Counting to ten helps me find space before I say or do things I regret. I clear my mind. I have better judgment. I let each number come to my mind slowly, softly.

During your work breaks, leave the workplace. Take a walk. Sit in your car and listen to things that help you feel calm. Go to a quiet restaurant. Visit stores where you can browse quietly. If you have time, go to a museum or a park.

Find a place where you can sit quietly. Release thoughts of work. Whatever ideas come to your mind, just allow them to pass. If someone joins you, accept their presence quietly. If they say something, smile and tell them that you are taking some quiet time. They are welcome to stay and join you. Then close your eyes and sit quietly. If the person then speaks, just continue to sit quietly. Once they get the point, they might like to join you in quiet time.

Be a cheerful friend. Other people are more pleasant when I am more pleasant. I can set the tone in my relationships. When I meet people who are unpleasant, I can avoid them.

When people say things that disturb me, I try to let the comments pass. If you comment, you will increase the issue in your mind and in the mind of the other person.

Drink water and eat healthy. As you drink more water, you will drink the less sugared and caffeinated drinks. Also, as you drink more water, you will eat the less.

Energy drinks may give you a boost in energy. They can also make you feel manic and jumpy. For energy, eat a piece of fruit. Bananas can quiet your hunger pangs and your nerves.

Melt like ice. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Imagine your fingertips and toes melting. Imagine your hands and feet melting. Imagine your scalp melting. Slowly let your imagination melt your arms, legs, and face. Then relax and let you body melt into a calm pool of water. Enjoy the calm being like water.

Make Cyber Monday a Great Day on the Job.

While everyone else is sneaking peaks at deals, make Cyber Monday a great day to focus on finding a job or doing a great job.

This day is a giveaway day for many of your competitors. They are falling into the cyber pit of Internet deals. Move ahead of them. Use this day to find a job or do your job.

Claim some recognition on this day. Send your network an update on your job search or send your boss an update on your progress at work. Turn Cyber Monday into your job marketing day.

Make your browser history a success tracker. Fill you browser history with research for your job search or with research for your work projects. When you come across great ideas on the Internet, act on them. If you see a job listing, apply for the job. If you see a great idea for your job, send a link to your boss.

Make your desktop your success sheet. Fill your desktop with shortcuts to job listings for your job search. If you have a job, fill your desktop with shortcuts to great ideas and successful projects you have in progress.

Let your competitors throw away a day. While your competition is making a list of deals to find, make a list of opportunities you have and act on these opportunities. Beat the competition. Make Cyber Monday a great day to find a job or do your job.

Tis the Season to Get a Job!

Jobs are always in season. I have had applicants accept offers on nearly every day of the year. There are holidays year round. If hiring managers have a need to hire a person, they continue the recruiting process until they make that hire. If you going through a lag in activity, you can do things to create more activity in your job search.

Register with temporary agencies. Many temporary jobs become careers. I have made permanent hires that started as temporary referrals. I have a friend who started in a temporary job seven years ago. He did a great job. The company then funded his job as a full-time job. He is still working for the same company. He is in a larger role.

Look for seasonal jobs, part-time jobs, and full-time on the Internet. There are listings for part-time work at all levels. You can search Google for “part-time executive jobs,” “part-time director jobs,” and “part-time manager jobs.” You will find listings for part-time work for nearly every job imaginable.

Continue to contact people right through the holidays. Most people are still working. Whether they are working or not, nearly everyone is reading email either to stay ahead at work or simply from habit.

Reconnect with your recruiter network. Remind them that you are still out there. Add new recruiters to your list of contacts and connect with these recruiters.

Expand your connections through referrals. Remember to ask for referrals from each contact you make. People do not always think to offer help with referrals. However, some people will be very helpful to give you names of contacts who can help you.

Work with your career team. These are the people you really know. These are co-workers, bosses, people you have managed, friends, and family. If you call them to give them updates, they may have ideas that will land you a job.

Review your resume and online profile for keywords. Use action words and nouns. Action words show your accomplishments. These words are verbs. Nouns are names. Search engines look up names.

Remember that no matter what the season, you are responsible for your career. There are jobs out there in a very competitive market. The people who work the hardest at getting jobs are the people who are most likely to get a job. In you are in a period of inactivity, you can create activity with the suggestions above.

The Power of Purpose: How to Get Promoted

When I cannot tell myself what I hope to accomplish, I am probably doing something that I do not need to do.

By understanding the purpose of what I am doing, I work at a higher level.

1. I can know the best way to do a job. I have my goal in sight. I am doing my job based on my vision. I can see the finished product. I can see what belongs in the work and what does not belong in the finished product.
2. I can use the correct tools. If I am fixing a leaky faucet, I need wrenches and screwdrivers. If I am building a deck, I need a hammer and a saw.
3. I can work with the correct people. To build a website, I contact a website developer. To create images for my website, I contact a graphic designer.
4. I can help people understand how to help me. The best way to help people know what to do is let them know the goal of the project. Then when they are doing their part, they can know how to make the piece they make fit into the project.
5. I can set the correct priorities. If I am building a house, the first priority is to clear the land. The last priority is to hang the finished cabinets and fixtures.
6. I know when to set the deadline. If my clients need my work to fit into their larger project, I can set my deadline to get my work to them before they need it. They are happier. I can work to get my money more quickly. If my client does not know exactly how my work will fit into the total project, I can set my deadline when I know exactly what they want me to do.
7. I know who will benefit from the work and how to make the work fit the needs of those people.
8. I drop things that make my workday longer. If my goal is to write a new article for my blog, I can exhaust myself wandering around the Internet. I keep my research efforts to books and websites that I need for my article.
9. I can create a plan of action. Some work may take a day to complete. Some work may take weeks to pull together. Each piece adds service to my customers. I can never finish the total job. I plan to continue to add services. My plan of action is a series of plans that continue to expand my services. I know what I what I want to do. I create and adjust my plans of action to accomplish what I want to do.
10. I see the meaning of my work. I have a sense of purpose. I want to help people become successful. My work is meaningful to me. I want people to use the ideas and the services of my websites for their success.
11. I find energy from knowing my goals. I enjoy my work. Knowing that I am trying to help people makes my work fun.
12. I know at the end of my day where to step right into my job the next day. I wake up excited to start to work. I already know before I go to bed what I will do the first thing in the morning.
I set goals for the work I do. I know what I hope to accomplish. People who know the purpose of their work and fulfill that purpose put themselves on the list of people for promotion.