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I've had three jobs in five years.

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:43:34 GMT

Three jobs in five years...

During an interview, a candidate asked: “How will I explain why I have had three jobs in five years to a company hiring manager?”

First, you are not alone with this experience in your career. Second, worrying about this calendar of events of your career misses your value for the position you are seeking.

What do you do?

One direct answer is to note that each of your previous positions was progressive in responsibilities, accountability, and working up and down the organizational chart. You are able to relate to a larger group of people. You should also take the opportunity to explain that you now bring a variety of business culture experiences and explain how you are able to adapt and become effective at a quicker pace.

And finally, it would be valuable for you to ask what the on-boarding process is for the company. This gets you “inside the company” and helps you assess if you see their hiring process helping you succeed.

Defining Your Purpose

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 14:44:01 GMT

It's important.

In the pursuit of a fulfilling and meaningful life, understanding and defining your purpose can provide you with direction and clarity. While the journey to uncovering your purpose may seem daunting, it is a deeply personal and introspective process. Here are some considerations to help you start on the path of defining your purpose:

1. Self-Reflection: Take time for introspection and self-exploration to identify your core values, passions, and strengths. Reflect on moments that have brought you joy, fulfillment, and a sense of accomplishment, as they often offer insights into your true calling and purpose.

2. Identifying Personal Goals: Define short-term and long-term goals that align with your values and vision for the future. Setting achievable milestones can provide a sense of direction and serve as stepping stones toward realizing your purpose and aspirations.

3. Embracing Personal Growth: Cultivate a mindset of continuous learning and self-improvement. Embrace new experiences, challenges, and opportunities that facilitate personal and professional development.

4. Contributing to Others: Explore ways to contribute to the well-being of others and the community. Engaging in acts of kindness, volunteer work, or supporting causes that resonate with your values can foster a sense of fulfillment and purpose beyond personal achievements.

5. Cultivating Resilience: Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and resilience. Develop the ability to navigate setbacks and obstacles with a positive outlook, using them as catalysts for self-discovery and strength.

6. Creating a Vision: Write a clear vision for your future that embodies your values, passions, and aspirations. Visualize the impact you wish to make in your personal and professional life.

7. Nurturing Meaningful Relationships: Cultivate meaningful connections with individuals who support and inspire your personal and professional growth. Surround yourself with individuals who share similar values and aspirations. Develop a supportive network that encourages you to pursue your purpose with confidence and enthusiasm.

Defining your purpose is an ongoing journey that requires introspection, self-discovery, and a commitment to personal growth. By aligning your actions with your values and aspirations, you can create a life that reflects authenticity, meaning, and a deep sense of fulfillment.

When Failure is not Failure

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:53:53 GMT

Reframing Setbacks

In the journey of our lives, failure often conjures up images of disappointment and defeat. But, beneath the surface, failure holds the potential for positive change and growth. It is not a dead-end but provides us with valuable lessons that pave the way for eventual success.

Failure, when reframed as a learning opportunity, becomes a pathway toward self-discovery and personal development. It teaches us the importance of perseverance and the resilience required to rise above our challenges.

Failure acts as a test for our determination and passion. It separates those of us with a passing interest from those with a true commitment to our goals. It realigns our efforts with a new sense of purpose and clarity.

Failure offers us an opportunity to recalibrate. It encourages us to shift our perspective, looking at alternative solutions that may have been hidden by fearing failure. Reframing failure unlocks new thinking…"What are my new roads to success now?"

Ultimately, when failure is not perceived as failure but as a stepping stone towards success, it loses its power to demoralize. It encourages resilience, creativity, and perseverance. It instills within us the courage to continue the pursuit of our aspirations, not discouraged by temporary setbacks.

Reframe failure as a beginning not as an end…move forward....there are much better days ahead.

Overcoming Adversity

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:48:16 GMT

Cultivating a Positive Mindset

Adversity is an inevitable part of life. It strikes when we least expect it, and it challenges us in ways we never imagined. Whether it comes in the form of personal struggles, professional setbacks, or unforeseen circumstances, adversity has the power to shake our foundations and test the limits of our resilience. However, within the depths of adversity lie opportunities for growth, transformation, and the discovery of inner strength.

Embracing the Power of Perseverance

In the face of adversity, perseverance becomes our most valuable asset. It is the unwavering determination to push forward, to refuse to be defeated by the challenges that confront us. Through perseverance, we find the strength to weather the storms and continue moving towards our goals, no matter how insurmountable they may seem.

Cultivating a Positive Mindset

Maintaining a positive mindset is pivotal in navigating through challenging times. It involves adopting an optimistic outlook, even when the circumstances appear bleak. By focusing on the potential for growth and learning in every situation, we can shift our perspective and approach adversity as an opportunity for personal development and self-discovery.

Drawing Strength from Resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity with newfound vigor and determination. It is the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances and emerge stronger than before. By cultivating resilience, we build a solid foundation that enables us to withstand the trials and tribulations that come our way, ultimately leading us to triumph over the most daunting of challenges.

Learning from Setbacks

Adversity often presents us with valuable lessons and opportunities for growth. By examining the setbacks we encounter, we can identify areas for improvement and gain a deeper understanding of our own capabilities. Every obstacle becomes a chance to learn, adapt, and evolve, leading us to develop the skills and wisdom needed to confront future challenges with greater resilience and confidence.

Overcoming adversity is not just about surviving; it is about thriving in the face of hardship. It is about harnessing the power within us to transform challenges into opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. By embracing the lessons learned and drawing strength from within, we can emerge from adversity as resilient, empowered individuals, ready to embrace the future with renewed vigor and optimism.

Ghosting in the Professional World

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:47:51 GMT

A Growing Delema

“Ghosting”, once confined primarily to the world of personal relationships, has found its way into the professional world. This phenomenon, characterized by the sudden and unexplained ending of communication, can leave candidates and hiring companies frustrated. In the professional world, ghosting shows up in various ways, from job applicants disappearing after interviews, to new hires failing to show up on their first day of work, to companies wanting to do business with you and then fading away.

Job Applicants and Ghosting

One of the most common scenarios involving ghosting occurs during the recruitment process. Job applicants who have gone through several rounds of interviews and received job offers sometimes inexplicably vanish. They do not respond to emails or calls from the prospective employer or recruiter, leaving both in a state of confusion.

Ghosting can have significant consequences, particularly for smaller businesses or those with tight hiring timelines. It disrupts the hiring process, often forcing companies to restart their search for qualified candidates, suffering additional time and expenses.

The Disappearing Act

Ghosting is not limited to job applicants. In some cases, individuals who have accepted job offers fail to show up on their scheduled start date, leaving their would-be employers scrambling to fill the void. This type of ghosting can lead to lost productivity and increased workloads on existing staff.

Why Does Ghosting Occur?

Several reasons contribute to the rise of ghosting, but the basic premise is that people do not want confrontation. Many candidates dread the prospect of declining a job offer or admitting they've had a change of heart after accepting one. Ghosting can be seen as an avoidance tactic.

Some people feel that “no communication” is communication. It is not. In the world of professional recruiting and staffing, a candidate that is a “no-call, no-show” will not be considered in the future assignments. That is a pretty high price to pay instead of just saying “No”.

Addressing the Issue

I have thought long and hard about candidate ghosting. I have thought about companies who call and want your services and then ghost you. I have thought about the lack of professionalism that ghosting represents.

Here are my thoughts: “You’ve dodged a bullet…move on.”

Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:03:50 GMT

Shaping Your Reality

The way we perceive the world around us can have a profound impact on our lives. Our mindset, specifically whether we adopt an abundance or a scarcity mindset, can shape our reality in many ways. These two mindsets represent opposing approaches to life, and understanding the difference between them can be the key to unlocking personal growth and fulfillment.

Abundance Mindset

An abundance mindset is the belief that there are enough resources, opportunities, and successes to go around for everyone. Those who possess this mindset tend to see the world as a place of limitless possibilities. They are more likely to embrace change, take calculated risks, and view setbacks as valuable learning experiences rather than insurmountable obstacles.

Characteristics of an Abundance Mindset

1. Positive Outlook: Individuals with an abundance mindset tend to maintain a positive attitude. They focus on the potential for growth and development rather than dwelling on limitations.

2. Generosity: People with an abundance mindset are often more willing to share their knowledge, resources, and opportunities with others. They understand that helping others succeed doesn't diminish their own chances of success.

3. Resilience: These individuals bounce back quickly from failures and setbacks because they view them as temporary and see opportunities for improvement.

4. Continuous Learning: An abundance mindset encourages a commitment to lifelong learning and personal development, as individuals believe there is always more to discover and achieve.

Scarcity Mindset

Conversely, a scarcity mindset is the belief that resources, opportunities, and successes are limited and finite. People with this mindset often approach life with a fear of missing out, constantly worrying that there won't be enough to meet their needs or achieve their goals. This mindset can lead to anxiety, jealousy, and a reluctance to take risks.

Characteristics of a Scarcity Mindset

1. Fear and Anxiety: Those with a scarcity mindset often experience fear and anxiety about the future, constantly worrying about not having enough.

2. Competition: They may see others as threats rather than potential collaborators, leading to a competitive rather than cooperative approach to life.

3. Risk Aversion: Scarcity-minded individuals are more hesitant to take risks, fearing that any failure could be catastrophic and irreparable.

4. Fixed Mindset: They may believe that their abilities and circumstances are fixed and unchangeable, making personal growth and development more challenging.

Choosing Your Mindset

The good news is that our mindset is not fixed and can be changed with conscious effort and practice. Here are some steps to help you shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset:

1. Awareness: Start by becoming aware of your current mindset and how it may be limiting you.

2. Challenge Negative Thoughts: Whenever you catch yourself thinking in terms of scarcity, challenge those thoughts with evidence to the contrary.

3. Practice Gratitude: Cultivate a habit of gratitude by regularly acknowledging the positive aspects of your life and focusing on abundance.

4. Set Goals: Define clear, achievable goals and create a plan to work towards them. This can help shift your focus from limitations to possibilities.

5. Surround Yourself with Positivity: Spend time with people who have an abundance mindset and can inspire you to see the world in a more positive light.

The choice between an abundance and a scarcity mindset ultimately shapes your reality. By consciously choosing an abundance mindset and adopting its key characteristics, you can unlock your potential, foster personal growth, and create a more positive and fulfilling life. Remember that the world is full of opportunities, and how you perceive and seize them is up to you.

Your Job vs. Your Career

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:24:26 GMT

Understanding the Difference

In your life’s journey, you often hear people discussing their "jobs" and their "careers" as if these terms are interchangeable. However, it's important to recognize that a job and a career represent distinct aspects of your professional life, each with its own significance and implications. Understanding the difference between the two can help you make more informed decisions about your work and long-term goals.

Your Job: The Means to an End

A job is typically viewed as a means to an end. It's a specific role or position you undertake to earn a living, provide for your basic needs, and support your lifestyle. Jobs are often associated with short-term or immediate goals, such as paying bills, saving for a vacation, or covering daily expenses. While jobs are essential for financial stability, they may not necessarily align with your long-term ambitions and passions.

Jobs can vary widely in terms of responsibilities, compensation, and satisfaction. Some people find great fulfillment in their jobs, while others may view them as a means of making a living without much enthusiasm. The key characteristic of a job is that it tends to be driven primarily by external factors like financial necessity and immediate opportunities.

Your Career: A Long-term Pursuit

On the other hand, a career represents a long-term pursuit marked by personal and professional growth, development, and advancement. A career is the path you choose to follow, often guided by your interests, skills, and long-term goals. Unlike a job, a career is a journey that requires planning, dedication, and continuous effort.

Building a career involves setting clear objectives, acquiring new skills, gaining experience, and making strategic decisions that align with your aspirations. It's about finding a sense of purpose and direction in your professional life. A career can provide a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment because it allows you to pursue what truly motivates and excites you.

Finding the Balance

While jobs and careers may be different, they are not mutually exclusive. In fact, many people start with a job and gradually turn it into a career by investing time and effort into their personal and professional growth. It's essential to find a balance between the two, especially during different phases of your life.

At times, you may need a job to support yourself while you work on building your career. This transition period can be challenging but is often a necessary step towards achieving your long-term goals. As you gain experience and develop your skills, you can then explore opportunities that align more closely with your career aspirations.

Understanding the difference between your job and your career is crucial for making informed decisions about your professional life. A job provides immediate financial support, while a career represents a lifelong journey of personal and professional development. Striking a balance between the two can help you achieve financial stability while pursuing your passions and long-term goals, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful professional life.

Remember: Your employer owns your job...you own your career.

The Power of Positivity

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 14:23:46 GMT

Unlocking a Happier and Healthier Life

In a world filled with challenges, uncertainties, and setbacks, maintaining a positive outlook can be a game-changer. The value of being positive extends far beyond mere optimism; it has the potential to transform our lives in numerous ways, enhancing our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Let's explore the profound impact of positivity and why it's worth cultivating.

1. Improved Mental Health:

Positivity is like a shield against the storms of negativity that life can throw our way. When we adopt a positive mindset, we are better equipped to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. Optimistic individuals tend to have lower levels of these mental health issues, as they are more resilient and better at problem-solving. A positive outlook helps us bounce back from adversity, viewing challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles.

2. Enhanced Emotional Well-being:

Positivity is closely linked to emotional well-being. It enables us to experience and express gratitude, joy, and contentment. Positive people tend to savor life's small pleasures, leading to a greater overall sense of happiness. They also build stronger social connections and are more inclined to offer support and kindness to others, fostering a cycle of positivity in their relationships.

3. Increased Physical Health:

Surprisingly, a positive mindset can have a significant impact on our physical health as well. Studies have shown that positivity can boost our immune system, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and even extend our lifespan. This may be attributed to the lower levels of stress hormones associated with a positive outlook, which can lead to a healthier heart and better overall physical well-being.

4. Greater Resilience:

Positivity and resilience go hand in hand. When we approach challenges with a positive attitude, we become more adaptable and resourceful. Instead of dwelling on failures or setbacks, we see them as valuable learning experiences, enabling personal growth and development. This resilience empowers us to overcome obstacles and move forward with determination.

5. Increased Success:

Positivity is a magnet for success. Those who maintain a positive mindset are more likely to set and achieve goals, as they believe in their abilities and have the confidence to pursue their dreams. Positivity fosters creativity and problem-solving skills, making it easier to find innovative solutions to challenges.

6. Better Relationships:

Positive people tend to have stronger and more fulfilling relationships. Their optimistic outlook and kindness draw others toward them, creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual support. Additionally, positivity in relationships can help resolve conflicts more constructively and build lasting bonds.

7. Personal Fulfillment:

Ultimately, the value of being positive lies in its ability to bring personal fulfillment. When we approach life with a positive attitude, we are more likely to find purpose and meaning in our experiences. This leads to a richer, more fulfilling life where we can appreciate the beauty in everyday moments.

The value of being positive is immeasurable. It touches every aspect of our lives, from our mental and emotional well-being to our physical health and relationships. By cultivating a positive mindset, we unlock the potential for a happier, healthier, and more successful life. So, embrace positivity, and let it be your guiding light in navigating the journey of life.

The Importance of Streamlining Your Sales Hiring Process

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Mon, 22 May 2023 12:22:21 GMT

Hiring top-performing salespeople is crucial for the success of any company.

The sales industry is competitive, and companies are constantly vying to attract top-performing salespeople to join their teams. However, the hiring process can be time-consuming, costly, and often overwhelming for hiring managers.

Streamlining the sales hiring process is essential for companies that want to attract the best candidates, reduce costs, and improve the candidate experience. In this article, we'll discuss the importance of streamlining the sales hiring process and provide tips for companies looking to optimize their recruitment process.

Attract top talent: The sales industry is competitive, and top-performing salespeople are in high demand. By streamlining the hiring process, companies can attract top talent by presenting themselves as organized, efficient, and professional. This will help companies stand out from their competitors and attract the best candidates.
Save time and reduce costs: Hiring can be a time-consuming and costly process. By streamlining the hiring process, companies can save time and reduce costs associated with recruiting, such as job postings, candidate sourcing, and interviews. This can free up resources that can be allocated towards other business needs.
Improve candidate experience: A streamlined hiring process can improve the candidate experience. Candidates who have a positive experience during the hiring process are more likely to accept a job offer and recommend the company to others. This can help companies build a positive reputation and attract more qualified candidates in the future.
Reduce turnover: Hiring the wrong candidate can be costly for companies. A bad hire can lead to lost productivity, decreased morale, and increased turnover. By streamlining the hiring process and using pre-employment assessments, companies can reduce the risk of making a bad hire and improve retention rates.
Enhance diversity and reduce bias: Streamlining the hiring process can also help companies enhance diversity and reduce bias. By using pre-employment assessments and structured interviews, companies can evaluate candidates objectively and reduce the impact of unconscious bias. This can lead to a more diverse and inclusive workforce, which has been shown to improve business performance.

Here are some ways that companies can simplify and optimize their sales hiring process:

Refine job descriptions: The first step to streamlining the hiring process is to refine the job description. The job description should be specific, clear, and concise. It should outline the job requirements, responsibilities, and qualifications. This will attract the right candidates and weed out unqualified ones.
Leverage technology: Technology can help companies streamline their sales hiring process. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) can automate the resume screening process, saving time and reducing manual errors. Video interviews can help evaluate candidates remotely, saving time and money on in-person interviews. AI-powered tools can help assess candidate fit and predict their potential success in the role.
Use pre-employment assessments: Pre-employment assessments can help companies evaluate a candidate's skills, aptitude, and personality. These assessments can help predict the candidate's potential success in the role and reduce the risk of a bad hire. Some common types of pre-employment assessments include cognitive ability tests, personality tests, and situational judgement tests.
Have a structured interview process: A structured interview process can help hiring managers evaluate candidates objectively and consistently. The interview process should have a set of predetermined questions and criteria for evaluation. This will reduce bias and ensure that candidates are evaluated fairly.
Streamline the decision-making process: The hiring decision-making process should be streamlined to reduce the time to hire. The hiring team should establish clear timelines, communicate effectively, and have a defined process for making the final decision.
Offer competitive compensation: Offering competitive compensation can attract top talent and reduce the time to fill open positions. Companies should conduct market research to determine the appropriate salary range for the role and offer a competitive compensation package.
Partner with recruiting firms: Specialized recruiting firms can help companies find qualified sales candidates faster and more efficiently. These firms have access to a broad pool of candidates and can help screen and evaluate candidates to ensure a good cultural fit.

Why Hiring Managers Are Struggling to Find the Right Sales Candidates in 2023

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Sun, 07 May 2023 14:56:30 GMT

Why are hiring managers struggling to find the right sales candidates in 2023?

The hiring process can be a challenging task, especially for hiring managers trying to fill sales positions in 2023. Companies are having a hard time finding suitable salespeople, and this trend is expected to continue. According to a report by LinkedIn, sales roles have been one of the hardest jobs to fill for several years.

So why are hiring managers struggling to find the right sales candidates in 2023?

There are several factors at play, including:

A skills gap: The skills required for sales roles are constantly evolving. Many companies are looking for salespeople who possess a unique blend of soft and hard skills, including communication, problem-solving, and technical expertise. Finding candidates who meet these qualifications can be challenging.
Competition for talent: The demand for talented salespeople is high, and the supply is limited. Companies are competing for the same pool of candidates, making it difficult to find the right person for the job.
Changing job market: The job market is constantly evolving, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated these changes. Many sales professionals have had to adapt to new ways of selling, and some have left the industry altogether. This has created a shortage of experienced salespeople.
Remote work: Remote work has become more common, and many sales roles can be performed from anywhere in the world. This has expanded the pool of potential candidates, but it has also made it harder for hiring managers to evaluate candidates and assess cultural fit.
Inefficient hiring processes: Many companies have inefficient hiring processes that can make it difficult to find the right sales candidates. These processes can include poorly written job descriptions, long and complicated application processes, and outdated applicant tracking systems.

Overcoming the Loss of a Top Sales Performer: Strategies for Success in the Industrial Manufacturing Industry

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 14:15:11 GMT

Strategies for Success in the Industrial Manufacturing Industry

As a VP of Sales in the industrial manufacturing industry, losing a top sales performer can be a significant setback. It can leave you feeling like your team's goals are unachievable, but the good news is that it's not the end of the world. With the right strategies and support, you can get back on track and continue to achieve your sales goals.

The first step in overcoming this challenge is to understand the reasons behind the top performer's resignation. It could be a lack of support from management or colleagues, unfair compensation, or other reasons. Once you understand the root cause, you can identify any gaps in your sales strategy or team culture and take steps to address them.

Next, evaluate your team's strengths and weaknesses to identify areas where they could use additional training or support. Look for salespeople who can step up and fill the gap left by the top performer. Additionally, consider implementing a team-based approach to sales, where your team works together to achieve their goals. This can create a sense of shared responsibility and help build camaraderie, leading to increased sales and a stronger team.

Retaining top sales performers is another essential strategy to focus on. Ensure that they feel valued and appreciated and that their hard work is recognized and rewarded. Offering bonuses, promotions, or other incentives that encourage them to stay with your company can keep them motivated and performing at a high level.

Despite your best efforts, you may still find that you need a new salesperson to fill the gap left by the top performer. Finding the right candidate can be challenging and time-consuming, but you don't have to do it alone.

Recruiting services like Ability Professional Network specialize in recruiting salespeople for the industrial manufacturing industry. With our extensive network of qualified candidates and personalized approach to recruitment, we can help you find a salesperson who fits well with your team's culture and values.

Lastly, be patient and focus on the long term. Finding a replacement for a top sales performer may take time, but by developing a strong sales strategy and retaining your top performers, you can ensure that your team continues to thrive and meet its sales goals.

In conclusion, losing a top sales performer is a significant challenge, but it's not the end of the world. By understanding the root cause of their resignation, evaluating your team's strengths and weaknesses, implementing a team-based approach to sales, retaining top performers, and considering recruitment services like Ability Professional Network, you can overcome this challenge and continue to achieve your sales goals.

Why Professionalism Matters More than Performance

klazar@abilityprofessional.com (Ken Lazar) — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:34:44 GMT

Guest Author, Jason Burns, The Kortivity Team

Myth: Good performance is enough to create a successful career. Variations of this myth include: your work speaks for itself, and results matter most.

Yes, your performance and results matter. They are necessary ingredients for career success, but they aren’t enough. They aren’t even the most important.

Professionalism matters more.

What does Professionalism even mean?

The term professionalism may conjure up images of a person in a suit with a briefcase full of TPS reports, swiping their key card at 7:30am to beat everyone to the 8am meeting.

But that’s not what it is. A surfer whose job is to hang out on the beach waiting for the next righteous barrel can show more professionalism than an office worker.

Professionalism, in any industry, simply means that you treat others with respect, value people’s time, keep your commitments, and act with integrity.

Professionalism is essential to career success.

How can you practice Professionalism?

Show up on time . Showing up on time to meetings, lunches, phone calls, video chats, and appointments shows that you respect others and value their time. Of course, you can’t always control your circumstances. If you’re going to be late, let the other parties know. When you do arrive, be ready. If you find yourself perpetually late, allow for more time between appointments, leave earlier, or change the habits that make you late.
Maintain a professional image. Many modern workplaces have adopted more casual dress codes, offer remote work options, and encourage employees to be authentic. None of this should compromise your professional image. Dress appropriately for your situation, use respectful language, maintain eye contact, and actively listen regardless of where you are.
Be present . Get rid of distractions. Put your phone or watch on “do not disturb” and do not check messages while you’re in a meeting with others. Checking messages, looking around, or allowing your phone or watch to buzz over and over doesn’t make you look important, it makes you look unprofessional. If you’re too busy to be present in a meeting, you should reschedule it for another time.
Show integrity . Be accountable for your actions, take pride in your work, admit when you’ve made a mistake, and commit to fixing it.
Take ownership. Don’t ask questions you could easily look up. Think of possible solutions to a problem before you present it. Don’t turn in unfinished or sloppy work. Be honest with yourself and others about your capabilities and timeline.
Treat others the way you like to be treated. If you don’t like waiting on people when they’re late, not being listened to, sending emails or voicemails that don’t get a response, or being let down when you’re counting on someone, don’t do it to other people. Following this rule takes care of 95 percent of being professional.

Why does Professionalism matter more than performance?

It’s rare . Unfortunately, professionalism is becoming increasingly harder to find among job candidates. Especially in entry level positions, many people can do the work. Finding someone who will show up on time, treat others with respect, be present, take initiative, and act with integrity is much harder. But in the long run, it matters more. Professionalism is an attitude and a mindset. Performance requires skills and training that are easier to teach.
It’s transferable . Professionalism matters in every job, across every industry, in every location. Your performance and results may vary based on your tenure, position, and outside factors, but you can maintain professionalism in everything you do. It follows you throughout your career and sets you up for success.
It’s memorable . A truth (often attributed to Maya Angelou): “People will forget what you said. They’ll forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” Your professionalism or lack thereof in any work situation is more memorable than how you performed. Because it’s about treating yourself and others with respect. It communicates that they matter, and what you’re doing matters to you.

Your performance and results pale in comparison to your professionalism. Failing with professionalism will serve you better than succeeding without it. Your level of professionalism builds credibility, trust, and relationships or damages them. Great performances don’t require professionalism, great careers do.

Improve Your Memory to Improve Your Relationships

Fri, 29 Jan 2021 17:47:55 GMT

Guest Author, Jason Burns, President, Kortivity

We’ve all been there. Someone approaches you whose name you don’t remember. You’ve met each other a few times, but your mind goes blank… You manage to get through the interaction with a “hey, you!” and feel too embarrassed to ask for their name again, especially since they know yours. Whether they notice you didn’t remember their name or not, it is difficult to forge a strong relationship with the person if you don’t know their name!

Why does your memory fail you in moments like this? There could be a number of reasons. Research shows that the average American consumes at least 100,000 words and 34 GB of data per day! Given all of the information you consume on a daily basis, your brain cannot possibly store everything in your long term memory. Indeed, common reasons why you can’t remember something could be because it was never encoded into your memory in the first place, or you don’t have any “retrieval cues” to call the memory back into your mind.

Despite these challenges, remembering aspects about a person is essential not just for creating new relationships with people, but also for strengthening existing relationships. Forgetting someone’s name or an important detail can be a sign that you are not interested in the other person, which is the opposite of making a good first impression! Conversely, being able to remember details about your boss’ kids or a client’s favorite hobby goes a long way because it shows you genuinely care about them. What’s more, asking questions about recalling details and asking additional questions about them will cause them to associate positive memories with you, since psychologically, people love to talk about themselves.

Try these techniques the next time you want to commit important facts to memory:

Repeat it to yourself. According to research, your short term memory only lasts for 20-30 seconds, unless you try to repeat the information out loud or in your head. You can ask a clarifying question using the person’s name or restate what you just heard to make sure you understood correctly. After the interaction, try to repeat it again mentally to commit it to memory so you can retrieve it later. In fact, experts recommend “overlearning” the things you want to remember through repetition so that your new memory does not interfere with your existing memories.

Write it down. Studies show that your short term memory only holds about seven pieces of information. Since you’re not exactly in control of which seven pieces your brain will remember, a good idea is to write down important details in case you forget later. After a conversation with someone, make a note on your phone, on their business card, or on your laptop’s notepad with their name and any critical data. This is particularly important if you’ve offered to provide them with further information or connect them with someone.

Remove distractions. Don’t multitask when absorbing the new facts. Unless you’re using your phone to take notes about what you want to remember, put it away. If you’re juggling more than one task or multiple inputs, your brain has no choice but to prioritize one thing over the other. Another common distraction occurs when you’re not actively listening to the new information, and you’re thinking about something else or planning your next response. Instead, try to focus your complete attention on listening to the other person, and you’ll be more likely to remember what they say.

Make associations. To help yourself retrieve the memory later, make an association between the person and something easy to remember. This can help trigger the memory of the person and their name or important details. For example, if Sarah mentioned she’s going on a sailing trip, remembering “Sarah sails” will be easier to recall the next time you try to retrieve information about Sarah. Another example could be comparing the person to someone famous or someone you’ve met before. If your new acquaintance Matthew has brown hair like your cousin Matthew, making this association may help you recall his name the next time you interact with him.

Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep is essential for the formation of long-term memories. Furthermore, if you’re sleep deprived and tired, your ability to focus and learn new information will be impaired. After your next networking event or big meeting, make sure to get a good night’s sleep to increase your chances of being able to retain the significant facts you were exposed to during the day.

Remembering details about a person is a meaningful part of establishing a new relationship or strengthening an existing one. By failing to remember someone’s name or a significant aspect of someone’s life, it could be interpreted as you not being interested in them.

Solidify important facts in your mind by trying these tips to improve your memory, and reap the rewards in your relationships!

Networking Has Changed for Those Looking for Work During the Pandemic

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:33:35 GMT

By Olivia Wile | Multimedia Reporter | Spectrum 1 News

https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2021/01/18/networking-has-changed-for-those-looking-for-work-during-the-pandemic

DUBLIN, Ohio — Unemployment levels hit an all-time high at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, putting many Ohioans, like Beth Held, in situations they were not expecting.

What You Need To Know

Ohio resident Beth Held became unemployed during the pandemic
Challenges exist with virtual networking and interviews
Held urges Ohioans who have lost their jobs to reach out and talk with people and not be ashamed

“I have worked since I was 16 years old,” Held said. “his is the longest I have ever been off work.”

She was working in business administration when she was furloughed in April, something she was told would only last until the summer.

“I got a call again unexpectedly in late July that, no the furlough was going to end Aug. 1, and actually my position was being eliminated,” she said.

Ken lazar operates Ability Professional Network in Dublin where he helps place people into jobs — a task he said became challenging in the spring.

"In April, we were up 14 percent unemployment because everybody was laid off,” said Lazar

He said the pandemic is affecting how long it’s taking professionals to find jobs, and even how they are getting hired.

“Things have happened during the COVID period here, that have really not happened before,” he said. “And a lot of it has to deal with hiring over Zoom.”

It is a way of interviewing Held said she has had to adapt to.

“The way I have always been able to connect to people is the face to face, the body language, the eye contact,” Held said. “But when you’re on a computer, it’s like am I looking over here am I looking over here.”

While she said the process has been discouraging to navigate through, it has ended in her favor as she found a new job.

“While there's been a lot of frustration, I'm excited to be able to share with people, keep networking keep talking to people because your next role could be right around the corner,” she said.

How to Align Your Teams Around Revenue Growth

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 19:23:09 GMT

Guest Author, Ed Porter, President, Blue Chip CRO

Most companies struggle with sustainable revenue growth. And, it’s only getting harder to achieve. Today’s buyers are in complete control with endless information and choices at their fingertips. So, long gone are the days where revenue growth is just a sales problem.

If you want to bring in a steady amount of new customers AND make sure they stick around for the long run, leaders need to rethink how their teams, processes, and technology work together to create a seamless experience that buyers want.

Otherwise, your operations will end up misfiring. You bring in lots of new leads, but you can’t close them. Or, your close rates are high, but so is customer churn on the back end. All issues that prohibit growth.

Let’s look at what it takes to align your marketing, sales, and customer success (CS) teams to accelerate your revenue growth.

What Is Revenue?

First, let’s define revenue because the term is everywhere now. What does revenue actually mean in relation to your business?

It used to be reserved for accounting, focusing on metrics like invoice to cash ratios and days sales outstanding (DSO). Today’s leaders though use revenue broadly to encompass all activities in an organization that impact the bottom line — as it should!

Revenue is also finally getting an important seat at the c-suite table. In the past few years, the title Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) is now normal with their main responsibility to align the organization around the right strategies and tactics that will meet long-term revenue goals.

Unfortunately, many still fail to use the CRO title and its responsibilities effectively. Too often it’s still constrained just around sales!

What Is A Revenue Organization?

A revenue organization is the heartbeat of any company (sorry if that hurts the feelings of CTOs and developers out there building cool tech products) and its entire focus is on your buyer journey. So, it encompasses your marketing, sales, operations, and customer success teams.

It’s the end-to-end process of the:

Marketing team generating buyer awareness
Sales team conversing with buyers
Operations team providing data and the right access to your buyers
Customer success team onboarding and serving the buyers

Each of these teams interacts with your buyer directly and thus impacts revenue generation for the organization. When these teams and their leaders are aligned together properly, they keep your buyers happy and the pulse of your business beating healthy.

And, alignment isn’t just a corporate fluff word, it’s life and death. Well, sort of.

Think about it like this. In the human body, the heart’s main objective is to serve as the central hub that distributes blood to the rest of the body allowing everything else to function. To do that, your heart receives blood from both the left and right side and pumps it back through its four chambers (atriums and ventricles). But, if any of those pieces aren’t working together, the main objective of the heart fails, and triage is needed.

Now, let’s think about your business. Everyone in the revenue organization (the heart) needs to align and work together for the company (the body) to operate efficiently. When that happens, your buyers notice. They get a seamless experience from their first touchpoint to their onboarding and support from CS.

Warnings Signs Of Revenue Alignment Problems

But, most companies operate with misaligned teams and siloed data that hurts performance. Here’s how you know if your teams are operating together or not.

1. Finger Pointing Between Teams

The most common warning sign of alignment problems between teams is finger pointing. How familiar do these sound?

Marketing blames sales for not converting leads
Sales blames marketing for bad leads
Marketing and sales blames operations for being too slow, not prioritizing, or trying to influence sales process and strategy on what’s convenient in CRM
Sales blames customer success for issues in onboarding, training, and servicing customers
Customer success blames sales for selling features that aren’t in the product
Operations blames sales for doing things on their own like process changes, stage requirements, etc

When even just a few of these happen, they can hurt your bottom line as it wastes time and is counter-productive toward anything moving forward.

2. Siloed Teams And Data

Another common sign of misalignment is revenue teams working in silos, leading to poor messaging and missed handoffs between teams.

Marketing creates messaging that sales isn’t using
Sales discusses ways to solve buyer problems without relaying to customer success
Revenue operations align sequences and processes to buyer personas without marketing or sales
Sales creates messaging and personas without involving marketing
Customer success doesn’t use marketing’s content to educate customers

Even small companies (even you with 30 people) can easily operate in silos. When they do happen, your company suffers and the buyer is placed in the middle of your problems. They’ll receive conflicting or inconsistent experiences.

This poor buyer experience prohibits your growth as it leads to issues like few lead conversions, underperforming sales process, and high customer churn.

3. Not Aligning ALL Your Revenue Teams

Further, most companies tend to only focus on aligning marketing and sales. Do a quick Google search and there’s plenty of content supporting it. So, most companies stop there.

While it’s important to focus on these two, too many companies overlook aligning sales and customer success, which is the last step in enabling an end-to-end buyer experience.

Marketing generates leads, sales closes them, but then what? The transition from sales to customer success team becomes an afterthought, if one at all. There’s no parity, poor handoffs, and inconsistent communication between teams.

The result? Customer success becomes a dumping ground for any problems post-purchase like onboarding mishaps, ineffective training, invoice collection issues, support needs, etc. Sure these are all part of the job, but the problem usually isn’t just a lack of team training.

The real culprit is usually a fragmented process that doesn’t align CS with the rest of the revenue organization including marketing, sales, operations, and even the product team. Instead, the CS team is left to fight for themselves and usually try (and fail) to solve problems in isolation.

The Simple Fix To Aligning Your Revenue Teams

So, most companies understand (or at least see) why they aren’t operating efficiently. But, “how” do you fix it?

The magic bullet to fixing alignment issues is talking to each other.

Sound simple? That’s because it is!

But, most leaders don’t know how to communicate among teams effectively, consistently, and at scale.

If you want your revenue organization to have alignment or rhythm (heartbeat) , then all parts need to work together, while being held accountable for their individual parts. There’s no finger pointing between teams. There’s no band aid fixes that only solve part of a problem temporarily.

To keep everyone on the same pulse, then intentional conversations need to happen regularly to identify and solve problems before they become too destructive.

Conversing between teams can be as simple as daily huddles or strategic planning. Either way, you need a system of communication among leaders that’s streamlined, effective, and occurs frequently. You’d be amazed how many problems like messaging and handoffs between teams are solved through communication. (It’s something I help with daily too!)

Looking for guidance on how to communicate between teams? I personally recommend Mastering the Rockefeller Habits , it teaches you how to have conversations within your company like we’re talking about here.

Of course, implementing a system for conversations between teams and leaders is easier said than done. You have to consider when to do it, who to involve, ownership, accountability, etc.

I’m also not suggesting to have meetings just to have them. Any good leader knows that’s a big waste of time. Calendars booked solid with internal meetings that are just for brainstorming, debating, and off topic tangents won’t change anything. (Yes, I have become part of that problem at times too!)

Like Rockefeller habits teaches, internal conversation with revenue teams should have finite agendas and expectations. This keeps your meetings on topic and ensures you’re always moving the business forward by removing silos and building teams that work together instead of against each other.

How To Accelerate Your Revenue Growth

Why are we talking about aligning revenue organizations again? Because it’s the right way to accelerate your growth. It allows your teams to constantly focus on your buyer needs and experiences.

So, get your revenue teams talking and interacting. Bring new ideas and test them. Prevent problems before they become destructive and don’t put your buyer in the middle of disagreements between teams.

Remember everyone at your company is on the same team fighting for the same goals. We all just need to be reminded of that sometimes and find better ways to work together. And, that’s the power of alignment.

What is the true cost of a bad hire?

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:11:13 GMT

I ran across this terrific article written by Kellie Brown from Humantelligence on the cost of a bad hire. We all strive to be as careful as possible in our hiring protocol, but occasionally a bad apple gets through. We it does, the consequences can be very costly.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

As we mentioned, the average cost of an employees is usually 20% of his orher salary, which tends to be $6,000 to $15,000. However, when evaluating the cost of a more experienced employee or someone with more specialized skills you can be looking at as much as four times salary.

This includes everything from recruitment advertising fees, staff time, potential loss of customers, relocation and training costs for replacement hires, and more.

The entire article can be found at https://www.tlnt.com/what-you-can-do-to-avoid-bad-hires/.

I hope you have a successful week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO
Ability Professional Network, LLC
www.abilityprofessional.com
m 614-403-6079

What is the best time of day to conduct an in-person interview?

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 13:14:56 GMT

Last year, Dan Pink authored a book called When. Unlike many books who deal with “how to do things” or “what to do”, Dan’s book deals with the “when” or the best and worst times to do things. Here is a summary from his book:

…regardless of culture or differing daily rituals, our moods follow a rigorous pattern that is “crucial, unexpected and revealing”, according to Pink who believes the quality of the decisions we make are closely linked with their timing. Essentially, morning is a good time for coming to a judgment and afternoon is bad, he argues, backing the claim by quoting many other studies that show people tend to perform better in the morning and worse in the afternoon.

Anesthesia errors are 4 times more likely at 3 p.m. than 9 a.m.
In colonoscopies, they find half as many polyps in afternoon exams as in morning exams.
Doctors are more likely to prescribe unnecessary antibiotics in the afternoon than in the morning.

Generally speaking, in-person interviews should be conducted mid-morning when your ability to make good judgements is at its highest. Leave the afternoon for lower level tasks.

Have a terrific week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I hear that some states are not allowing you to ask candidates their salary in an interview. Is that true?

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 13:32:14 GMT

A: Effective April, 2019

Here are the cities and states where the salary question is banned according to HR Drive.

California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon (not surprising), Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Vermont, Wisconsin – HR Drive

Make sure that you are aware of this hiring constraint

Have a successful week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

614-403-6079

I am having a hard time attracting any sales candidates. What’s going on?

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 14:47:47 GMT

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are now a record high 902,000 more job openings than unemployed workers . Companies are struggling to fill over 7 million unfilled jobs for the first time in history.

If your corporate recruiters are having a difficult time finding good sales candidates, this may be one of the reasons.

They probably need help.

Recruiting the best sales talent is just plain hard work. We know how. We do it every day.

Give us the opportunity to help your recruiters find the best sales professionals for your team.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO
Ability Professional Network
614-403-6079

How long does it take to hire a sales representative?

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 15:09:22 GMT

I get that question a lot.

Several good sources are available that give us a good understanding of that statistic. Workable and DHI Hiring are two of the best. These organizations have been keeping data on this metric since 2000.

Depending upon the position, the average time-to-hire is between 40 and 50 days .

The significance of time-to-hire may not be in the number itself. The significance of the time-to-hire metric is that it has been steadily increasing since 2006. Right now, time-to-hire is the highest that it has been since 2001 and climbing.

Hiring good sales professionals seems to be taking an eternity. Many sales leaders are having to cover open territories or key customers themselves. It also opens the door to your competition.

Usually, I get the call when a company has an open position. Often, the company has been trying to fill it themselves for several weeks or months without success.

Here’s my thinking. Wouldn’t it better for our recruiters to build talent pools before there is a vacancy? I think so. We have a program for just that.

Have a successful week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What is the best recruiter contract?

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:24:10 GMT

Professional agency recruiters can be a very valuable resource to any company’s talent acquisition strategy. As the sheer number of open requisitions increase, agency recruiters are available to fill the gap.

But what is the best recruiter contract for you? Many companies believe that a traditional contingent search is the best contract to use. You only pay a recruiting fee if a candidate is hired. However, the contingent contract may not be best depending upon the position. Let’s take a closer look.

Considerations

First, why should your company consider contracting with a professional recruiting firm? Most often, employers use “third party” recruiters when one or more of the following situations arise:

You have trouble filling a position and there are no internal candidates.
You have seen high turnover rates for the position and seek expert help.
Your company has posted the position and has received a poor response.
You do not have internal resources and would rather outsource the recruiting process.
The position is highly specialized and you need a recruiter with special expertise with access to the appropriate candidates

Typical Fees

“When looking for a recruiter, you should not cut corners when it comes to fees. You get what you pay for. If a few extra thousand dollars in recruitment costs means better employees, it’s well worth it.” Jerry Sundheim, Contributor to Forbes Magazine.

Three basic recruiter contracts exist in the employment market today. Let’s explore each and discuss the pros and cons of each contract.

Contingent Contract

In signing a contingent recruiting contract, the company only pays a fee if the company hires a candidate submitted by the recruiter. Typical fees range from 20% to 30% in the current labor market.

I would not recommend negotiating a lower fee with a contingent recruiter in today’s employment. Why?

First of all, contingent recruiters work on many assignments at one time. The industry standard tells us that contingent recruiters fill an average of 25% of the assignments that they accept. So, assignments with higher fees get more attention.

Second, with a contingent contract, there is really not a strong commitment on behalf of the company or the recruiter. If a search takes too long, or their client stretches out the hiring process, the contingent recruiter can easily stop the search.

Third, contingent recruiters like to work on assignments where there is a relatively large pool of candidates qualified to fill the position. If the position were highly specialized with a small pool of candidates, I would recommend a different relationship with the recruiter.

Last, contingent recruiters will submit candidates, one at a time, as soon as they are qualified. Why? They may be in competition with other contingent recruiters that you may have contracted with and maybe even your internal recruiters. Candidates that they submit will definitely be qualified, but may not be the most qualified for the position. We will talk more about that in the retained search section.

One advantage of utilizing a contingent contract is that you can utilize more than one contingent recruiter for the same assignment and spread out the risk of filling the open position. There are many professional recruiters that will only work on a contingency basis.

Retained Search Contracts

Retained search firms are paid for the recruiting process whether a candidate is hired or not. Typically, retained search firms earn 30% – 40% of the candidate’s anticipated yearly compensation plus recruiting expenses. Fees are paid on a schedule of 1/3 of the fee due upon engagement, 1/3 due in 30 days and remaining 1/3 due in 60 days.

Retained search contracts will provide an exclusive relationship between your company and the search firm. Also, retained search firms will only submit qualified candidates to your company and not other companies during the search. Contingent search firms may submit the same candidate to several clients at the same time.

Retained search firms can be asked to evaluate both internal, as well as, external candidates. You will most likely be presented three of the most qualified candidates for the position all at once. Each job requirement is compared with each candidate’s qualifications side by side on a document called a “Slate”. The majority of the time, the final candidate is selected from the Slate.

Because retained search firms are not necessarily “on the clock” to submit candidates quickly, they tend to perform a deeper dive into the candidate pool.

“Contained Search Contracts” or “Client Priority Contracts”

This is my favorite contract. A Client Priority Contract is a hybrid between the contingent and retained contract. The recruiting fee ranges between 20% and 30% of the candidate’s first year’s estimated compensation. Typically, a non-refundable engagement fee of 20% of the total recruiting fee is paid to the recruiting firm up front with the remaining 80% paid upon a successful placement.

This contract is really the best of both worlds. The engagement fee represents a financial commitment on behalf of the company and the search firm is guaranteed some compensation if the assignment is cancelled. Also, the search firm will give you top priority over any contingent assignment that it is currently working on.

Ability Professional Network uses the Client Priority Agreement nearly exclusively on all assignments.

I hope this article gives you a better understanding of the three most widely used recruiting contracts and the information you need to make an informed decision.

I offer a free 30 minute consultation to help you make this very important decision.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network, LLC
(614) 403-6079

What should I know about the current employment market?

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 15:36:40 GMT

As you look at your hiring requirements for sales professionals, you should consider what recruiters are seeing in the current employment market. Here are five important influences that we would like you to know about.

It’s still a talent driven market.

Some analysts view the current unemployment rate with some skepticism. As a measurement of employment, critics say that the unemployment rate does not take into account people who have given up on finding employment or people who are working part-time and want full-time work. But, the unemployment rate, as it is defined, is little influenced by these factors.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been measuring the unemployment rate consistently since 1940. The trend is down significantly. Talent is controlling the market. No one disagrees with that. Adjust your recruiting strategy accordingly.

It’s OK to hire overqualified people.

Boomers still want to work. Many will be postponing retirement until their seventies or may never retire in the conventional manner. Unemployed or underemployed boomers are a bargain. They most likely will have a 10 to 15-year employment runway. Boomers are experienced, have a terrific work ethic and will typically reenter the workforce at a lower salary than when they left.

There is no statistical evidence that tells us that overqualified boomers, when reemployed, switch jobs as soon as a higher paying job comes along. Looking for a job when you are employed (or unemployed) is hard. Once employed…boomers stick. The average employment tenure for Boomers is seven years.

Seek out Millennials.

Millennials will soon be the largest sector of the workforce. The unemployment rate for Millennials is currently 12.8% and for non-technically degreed Millennials, it is significantly higher, maybe even 20%. Many Millennials are currently working in part-time jobs and carry a debt load of $45,000 in college loans.

If you have a good training program, hire Millennials. If you don’t have a good training program, start one. You will need to aggressively train in the near future. But, make sure you understand that Millennials stay in any one job for an average of two years. Bake the training costs into your talent acquisition budget.

Hire slow and fire fast – Old thinking .

I agree that you need to qualify candidates with multiple interviews and assessments before hiring. However, if you needlessly stretch out the hiring timeline, you are going to be in trouble. Top candidates have little patience for companies who cannot make a timely decision or have long periods of no contact. Compress the timeline. Top candidates now have several alternatives.

Is there a correlation between hiring slowly and hiring the right candidate? After spending a great deal of time on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, I find that the average tenure of employees in the workforce has remained relatively unchanged. Hiring slowly has had little effect on the length of time that employees stay on the job. Whether it has had an effect on the quality of hire remains to be seen.

If you have multiple steps in your hiring process, make sure your candidate (and your recruiter) understands the process. Stay in touch.

Companies who fire fast get a bad reputation. Take a look at company reviews on Glass Door. Occasionally, every company makes the wrong hiring decision. Before letting an employee go, make sure you truly have a person problem and not a situation problem. I have had the displeasure of firing several people in my career. It’s not fun. However, each was given a chance to improve before termination.

I only want to hire “A” Players.

I would suggest that you change your thinking, slightly. I suggest that you want to hire “A Potential” Players. Potential is much more valuable, but it’s hard to measure. Invest in a good pre-hire assessment to look into a candidate’s “DNA”.

I am sure you are familiar with the statement “Past performance is no indicator of future success.” Past performance should definitely be taken into account in making the hiring decision. However, what will the candidate’s potential be in your company? Will you create the same environment that has made the candidate successful in the past? Are you an “A Company”?

“A Potential” Players may be more affordable but just as effective. If you have not seen the film “Moneyball”, I suggest that you view it. “A” Players are expensive. If you have the budget, then by all means go after the highest performing, most expensive, players that you can find.

If not, then go after the lean, hungry and highly motivated “A Potential” players, and…grow your business.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

How do I recruit my ideal sales candidate?

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 15:54:33 GMT

Even in a COVID19 pandemic environment, US job creation will continue at a steady pace. Recruiting ideal candidates is becoming more difficult every day.

The number of job openings in the employment market has now exceeded pre-recessionary levels at nearly 5 million open positions but the hiring rate has not yet come close to that of ten years ago.

So why is it so hard to recruit and hire ideal candidates? Here are some of the reasons:

It’s a talent drive market.

Most all cities have returned to their pre-recession unemployment levels. Some cities, like Columbus, Ohio, have virtually reached full employment at 3.8%. Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate is at 4%, which is nearly the lowest rate since 2008.

We are hiring extremely slowly.

The average time to hire sales professionals is over 40 days. The number of days is not as significant as the fact that it is at the highest level it has ever been. We are interviewing and assessing our candidates forever.

I agree that you need to qualify candidates with multiple interviews and assessments before hiring. However, if you needlessly stretch out the hiring timeline, you are going to be in trouble.

Top candidates have little patience for companies who cannot make a timely decision or have long periods of no contact. Compress the timeline. Top candidates now have several alternatives. Ideal candidates will walk.

If you have multiple steps in your hiring process, make sure your candidate (and your recruiter) understands the process. Stay in touch.

We tend to overlook Boomers.

Boomers want to work. Many will be postponing retirement until their seventies or may never retire in the conventional manner. Unemployed or underemployed boomers are a bargain. They most likely will have a 10 to 15 year employment runway. Boomers are experienced, have a terrific work ethic and will typically reenter the workforce at a lower salary than when they left.

Filling sales positions are very hard.

Each year, ManpowerGroup publishes a listing of the top ten hardest jobs to fill in the US. For the past several years. The second most difficult job to fill in the US are sales representatives.

Why are sales positions so difficult to fill? Here are some of the reasons:

Younger workers feel that commissioned-based compensation is risky and therefore not as attractive as other positions. Working is sales is perceived to be risky and cut-throat.
Aging sales representatives are retiring and companies are struggling to replace them with equally qualified people.
Sales jobs now require more technical knowledge and analytical skills than ever before.
And as the Wall Street Journal puts it, “Sales is hard.”

So, how do I recruit my Ideal Candidate?

In light of the difficulties in finding top candidates, how do I find my ideal candidate? The process starts with developing an accurate description of the “Ideal Candidate.” In the case of sales representatives, here is where we begin:

Where does the candidate live?
How long has the candidate covered the territory?
How long has the candidate been in his current position?
Is the candidate’s current industry a match for the position requirements?
Where is the candidate in the tenure of his career?
Does the candidate’s education or and/or certifications match the position requirements?
What are the candidate’s sales accomplishments?
What is the candidate’s potential to be successful in his new role?

What about compensation? You will notice that we have not considered compensation when recruiting the ideal candidate. Compensation is not determined by the job description. Compensation is determined by the market.

Where do I find my Ideal Candidate?

Recruiting has become much more complicated. In a talent driven market, recruiters need to seek out ideal candidates…they are not necessarily looking for you. Here are several recruiting avenues to follow:

– Probably, not on job boards . It’s just too easy to apply for positions on job boards. Everyone applies to everything. Less than 5% of active candidates find their job on job boards. Passive candidates are not looking here.

– Definitely, networking in the community . Over seventy percent of candidates find their next position through networking. Are you networking with ideal candidates every week?

– Definitely, with recruiting agencies . We are pros. We recruit every day. We know a lot of recruiting avenues that most companies will not take the time to learn. We talk to talented people every day.

– Definitely, on LinkedIn . This is the best database for both active and passive candidates, but you need to know how to perform advanced search or you will waste a lot of time.

– Possibly at job fairs. Seems to still be effective for entry-level hourly positions but otherwise…ugh.

Summary

Finding ideal candidates for your company is a daily or weekly effort. Understand and define your ideal candidate. Develop a strategy of identifying and reaching out to potential candidates before you need them. Cultivate relationships. Expand your use of social media.

Get moving!

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Having trouble hiring good people?

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 08:12:59 GMT

Go buy a cup of coffee.

If you are a Starbucks coffee fan like I am, you probably know what I am going to say. Starbucks employees are some of the best, most customer focused and hardworking employees that I have seen.

It doesn’t matter which Starbucks that I visit, I receive the same excellent service. So how do they hire such great employees?

I recently read an interview conducted by Heather Wood Rudulf with Melissa Lang, Retail Recruiting Manager from Starbucks. Here are some of the requirements for working at Starbucks:

Starbucks is looking for employees from just about every career discipline.
Starbucks is making a concerted effort to attract Millennials, which represent 80 percent of its workforce.
Every candidate has to show a genuine desire for connection to the company and their community.
Every candidate needs to come in with questions specific to the business of Starbucks.
Starbucks has plenty of partners who don’t drink coffee.
Starbucks wants employees who live in the area so they can speak the language of the culture.
Starbucks wants people who are self-aware enough to talk about their past mistakes and reflect upon them.
If you are going to send a standard thank you email after your interview, don’t bother.
Starbucks gives clear expectations for candidates on the Careers page on their website: https://www.starbucks.com/careers/find-a-job/faq
The Starbucks interview process is focused on overall excellence, respect for customers and co-workers, and a dedication to corporate social responsibility.
No previous experience is required.

What don’t you see in the job description for working a Starbucks

Three-years barista experience required.
Must like coffee.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.

So, how does Starbucks get such amazing employees to work for them at a starting wage of only $9.50 per hour plus tips?

I suggest you visit your local Starbucks and ask one of their partners.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Who should I have in my business network?

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 08:21:29 GMT

Here is an article that we like to publish once each year to remind us who should be in our business network.

Top 10 People You Must Have in Your Network

by Tai Goodwin

So you know it is important to have the 2 Q’s as you build out your network: Quality and Quantity. But have you considered the importance of having a well-rounded network? In this labor market, having a strong network is critical to your professional survival. There are plenty of tips and articles on where to find people, how and when to connect to them and even what you need to say to attract and maintain your network. This article focuses on WHO should be in your network. Here are the top 10 people that should be in your network:

1. The Mentor: This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to have. You can learn from their success as well as their mistakes. Heed their wisdom and experience. This relationship offers a unique perspective because they have known you through several peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve.

2. The Coach: The coach is someone who comes in at different times in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached.

3. The Industry Insider: This is someone in your chosen field who has expert level information or access to it. This person will keep you informed of what’s happening now and what the next big thing is. Invite them to be a sounding board for your next innovative idea.

4. The Trendsetter: This is someone outside of your chosen industry that always has the latest buzz. It can be on any topic you find interesting. The goal in having this person in your network is to look for those connections that spark innovation via the unconventional. It will also help you keep your conversations interesting.

5. The Connector: This is a person who has access to people, resources and information. As soon as they come across something related to you, they are sending you an email or picking up the phone. Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to make connections, finding resources and opportunities most people would over look.

6. The Idealist: This is the person in your network you can dream with. No matter how “out there” your latest idea is, this is the person that will help you brainstorm ways to make it happen. Without judgment, they are focused on helping you flush out your dreams in high definition, even if you don’t have a solid plan yet on how to make it happen.

7. The Realist: On the flip side you still need the person who will help you keep it real. This is he person who will give you the raised eyebrow when your expectations exceed your effort. These are not people who knock down your dreams rather they challenge you to actively make your dream happen.

8. The Visionary: Visionary people inspire you by their journey. They are similar to the Idealist, but the visionary can help you envision an actual plan to reach your goal. One personal encounter with this type of person can powerfully change the direction of your thinking and life.

9. The Partner: You need to have someone who is in a similar place and on a similar path to share with. In fact, partners do a lot of sharing. This is a person you can share the wins and woes with. Partners will also share resources, opportunities and information.

10. The Wanna-be : This is someone you can serve as mentor to. Someone you can help shape and guide based on your experiences. One of the best ways to tell you understand something is to be able to explain it to someone else. And sometimes, one of the best motivators for pushing through obstacles and hardship is knowing someone is watching.

Obviously you will want to have more than 10 people in your network. The trick is to make sure you are building a diverse network by adding people from different industries, backgrounds, age groups, ethnic groups, etc…that fit into the roles listed above. Building a deep network by only including people from your current profession or business focus leaves too many stones unturned, limiting potential opportunities. Serious about building a strong professional network that can actually provide the leverage you need to make progress at work? Evaluate your current network and get started filling in the gaps.

Thank you for your great advice from Tai.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I need to hire several early career sales reps. What do I need to know?

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 08:38:55 GMT

We told our Millennial sons and daughters to go to college, work hard and after you graduate you will get a terrific job. That worked until the “Great Recession” when many of the Millennials graduated from college and entered the job market.

With the national unemployment rate hovering over 10%, graduating Millennials found themselves without work, and even now, the unemployment rate for our Millennials is still high. Gen Y was the last to enter the workforce and the first to be released. Half of the Millennials who are working are working at part-time jobs. Forty-five percent believe that a decent paying job is a privilege.

Without work, many Millennials went back to school to get their graduate degree.

Millennials are the most educated generation, but the average Millennial is now $65,000 in debt.

Parenthood and marriage are far ahead of the priorities of Millennials over career and financial success. Much like Gen X, use of technology identifies Millennials but in a much more pronounced manner. Millennials have integrated technology into all aspects of their life, both on and off the job. This is an important issue for companies who have established a stringent Internet access policy as 56% of Millennials won’t work for a company if it bans social media access.

Millennials want the same access to technology at work as they have at home. “Work/Life” balance has been replaced with “Life” balance – the boundaries between work and non-work are blurred.

When leading Millennials, realize that their average tenure is only about 2 years and 69% believe that attendance is unnecessary on a regular basis. They tend to do what their manager tells them to do to a much greater extent than older generations.

But more importantly, 80% of Millennials say they prefer on-the-spot recognition to formal reviews. This will be a major departure from the annual performance review that we have all come to know (and love?).

So, what are the dynamics when 60-year-old Boomers report to 30-year-old Millennials? I think the reversal of authority will be an amazing adventure. Maybe we should all make a pact that we Boomers will not treat our supervisors as our kids and our supervisors will not treat us as their parents.

Or maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Why Is It So Hard To Fill Sales Positions?

Thu, 04 Oct 2018 07:53:16 GMT

No matter your industry, there is a distinct lack of top caliber candidates to fill great sales roles. Why is that?

Consider these three points which may uncover some of the reasons why you’re battling to fill the sales positions in your company.

Public Perception

When you say “salesman”, most people will automatically conjure up a fast-talking, pushy used-car dealer, or a telemarketer who calls at 5:00 pm and simply won’t take no for an answer.

If that doesn’t raise alarm bells, then the words “great commission structure” will. A somewhat risky way to invest a whole lot of time and money in somebody else’s company with the very real possibility of failure is not a happy thought.

Yes, the public perception of the sales industry is pretty dire.

How do you combat this image?

Take a good look at your compensation package. Would you work for that basic salary, and on that commission structure? Too many companies consider their sales force as dispensable, but nothing can be further from the truth. It’s worthwhile making their compensation package as attractive as possible to attract – and retain – the high achievers.

Relationship Building

The skills and personality traits it takes to make a great career in sales are not common. You’re looking for a mix of ethics, morality, drive, and empathy. This rare combination means that your sales person will be able to form relationships quickly and effectively, gaining trust in their prospective customer.

Many sales people – sadly – do fit the mould of the glib and superficial shark out to get his share of the pie. And because of this, most hiring managers automatically look for these “hunter-type” personalities when they are hiring. Unfortunately, many of these abrasive personalities simply don’t make it past the first sales call.

Depending on your product or service, to look out for a careful, considered person with a strong moral code and a steely determination, may be a better option for you.

Problem Solving and Alternative Avenues

Sales is a tough job – no matter how you color it. It’s likely that some sales people may have a jaded perception of the traditional sales role, and not be eager to enter the fray again.

A good Sales Manager, however, will encourage his team to look for other ways to make their sales quota. To insist that they knock on cold doors for six hours of every day will wear down even the most resilient person.

However, a great sales leader will use a test and measure approach to teach his team that there are many ways to skin a cat – proverbially speaking – and to find the joy in it. Get rid of what’s not working, improve on what is, and the results will come pouring in.

There’s nothing more motivating to a sales person that a healthy check at the end of the month!

Trying a different approach to your sales recruitment, or changing the parameters of your ideal candidate, may be just what you need to find great sales talent for your business.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Who is Generation X? How do I Lead Them?

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 08:24:02 GMT

Generation X, the sons and daughters of Baby Boomers, represent a generation of over 82 million babies born between 1965 and 1979. This year, Generation X will surpass Baby Boomers in number and will hold the highest education level of any current age group in the workforce.

Unlike Baby Boomers who were shaped by the protest movements in the 60’s, JFK, RFK and MLK, Generation X has been shaped by other influences such as latchkeys, Watergate and the personal computer.

It has been said that Gen Xers have a difficult time finding their “generational persona.” “They’re savvy, skeptical and self-reliant; they’re not into preening or pampering, and they just might not give much of a hoot what others think of them, or whether others think of them at all.”

If you are managing Generation X employees, please keep these important points in mind:

The average tenure for members of Gen X in any one job is five years.
They are natural skeptics. Recessions, layoffs, outsourcing, “rightsizing” and hiring freezes have caused Gen X to be skeptical about their employers
They are not expecting any loyalty from their company; they view employment as a contract.
Gen Xers tends to embrace technology very quickly and are early adopters.
The best way to motivate a member of this generation is to say: “Do it your way” or “Find a new way to do this.”
Work-life balance is vital to Gen X.
Unlike Baby Boomers whose preferred method of communication is the telephone; email is the preferred method of communication for Gen Xers.

The best part of being a Gen Xer is that we Boomers have worked hard to give our sons and daughters as much as we could to give them a leg up in life…a good education, great healthcare, equality, opportunity and straight teeth.

And it’s time for Generation X to step up and take their place as the future leaders in the workforce. I think they will be great.

Move Over Beethoven.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I’ve heard the term “We hire slow and fire fast.” Does that way of hiring really work anymore?

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 13:27:12 GMT

I was fortunate to have recently been part of a panel to discuss hiring. Several of the members on the panel gave the audience some very good advice on managing their employees.

One of the panel members told the group that his company had the philosophy to “hire slow and fire fast”. This is certainly not a new philosophy, but one that I had not heard in quite some time. It gave me pause for thought.

Is the “hire slow and fire fast” still valid? I did some research.

Based on a study by the Department of Labor, the number of job openings has now exceeded pre-recession levels, about 5.4 million job openings. That’s good. However, the number of hires has not reached pre-recession levels, about 700,000 less. So even though we have plenty of job openings, we are not yet hiring at an equal level…interesting.

In addition, Dice Holdings has been keeping track of the average number of days it takes to fill a job. Guess what? We are at an all time high…47 days across all positions. Experts can explain this phenomenon away by a number of different factors such as the skills gap or slow GDP growth, but we are definitely hiring more slowly.

I will tell you what the effect of hiring slowly has had on highly qualified candidates…it makes them mad…and then they go away. Lately, I have seen more highly qualified candidates remove themselves from the hiring process simply because the company has needlessly taken too long.

Don’t get me wrong. I do recommend that you completely vet your candidates with multiple interviews and assessments, but keep the process moving forward and keep the candidates informed. Make sure your candidates completely understand your hiring process. Inform them of the next step within 48 hours of the previous step. Condense the timing. Taking two months to hire a candidate makes your company look indecisive not careful.

Hiring slowly may have worked in the past, but in today’s market, it can discourage top candidates from remaining in the process…and they go to your competitors.

Oh, and why in the world would you want to fire fast after you were so careful to hire slowly?

Keep the process moving!

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What are the 3 most important interview questions?

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 13:38:15 GMT

After 20 years of interviewing candidates, I have found that these three questions will tell you the most about your sales candidate:

Why do you want to work for my company?

You already know the candidate is interested in the role, but how much research has he done on your company? A sales professional is taught to thoroughly understand his customer’s organization. If your candidate had not taken the time to learn about yours, keep looking.

What will you accomplish in the first 3 months and in the first 6 months in this role?

Does your sales candidate understand territory management…or customer segmentation…or developing his sales team? How your candidate answers this question will give you a better understanding of his knowledge of the sales process.

Why do you feel that you are uniquely qualified for this role?

You candidate should now compare his qualifications to the requirements of the position. He should get across to you why he is better than his competition. Good sales people do this every day.

Adding these three questions to your favorites will help you qualify top performers.

Have a successful week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I am having a crisis. My sales candidates are asking for more money than my incumbents are making. What can I do?

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:48:29 GMT

Pay them.

Unfortunately in today’s economy, employers are not able to choose a candidate’s compensation, the market does.

I know what you are thinking. I have a budget for this sales position, and I am are not going over it. We will just keep looking.

It’s a matter of economics. You can choose to swallow hard and pay the going rate or sacrifice millions in lost revenue because your competitors are stealing your customers.

This issue is especially acute in hiring early career sales reps with engineering or other technical degrees. Because of the shortage of graduates who have STEM diplomas, they can pretty well demand a very high starting salary. But, if you need to build your sales force, there is no way of getting around the issue.

During the Great Recession, companies were making hires at very attractive compensation rates. Times have changed, and you are also going to have to elevate the rates of your incumbents or lose them.

It’s a cycle. This too will pass.

Have a successful week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Why is it important to stay technically relevant?

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:57:45 GMT

According to the Department of Labor, what percent of Americans hold jobs that were technically nonexistent 20 years ago?

a. 15% b. 35% c. 55% d. 70% e. I probably knew this at some point but most of my knowledge is obsolete.

The rate of change of technology is exponential. Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, had a prediction back in the mid 1960’s now known as Moore’s Law. Moore stated, The number of transistors on a computer chip will double every 2 years. Actually, Moore was a little conservative because we are seeing the speed of a microprocessor double about every year.

If the transistors in a microprocessor were represented by people, the number of people on an Intel 4004 back in 1972 would be about 2300 or about the capacity of the local Palace Theater. On the Core i7 Extreme chip introduced in 2011, the number of transistors were 1.3 billion or about the population of China.

Actually our smartphones are more powerful than the desktops that we were using in the early 90’s.

So what does this all mean? At the rate of change of technology today, the minute that we personally stop embracing new technology is he same minute that technology will pass us by. We need to continually update our skills otherwise our skills become…irrelevant.

The lesson here is to remain relevant…technically smart…and creative.

The answer to the question above is d. 70% . But I think you already knew that.

Everyone have a terrific week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I am crazy busy. Do I really need to sweat the small stuff?

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 14:05:17 GMT

Yes.

We have all read the numerous articles about proper dress and grooming for sales professionals. Most of them are just pretty elementary. Everyone knows this stuff…but…hold on.

A while back, we were asked to recruit and place a high level executive administrative assistant with a very large and well established manufacturing company. This administrative assistant was to be the face of the corporation to visitors, clients, supplier and business partners. This position reported to a very conservative Senior VP on the 17th floor…the floor.

We recruited the perfect candidate…an intelligent, well-spoken female with good references. She interviewed extremely well over the phone. It was time for the face-to-face interview. Our lead recruiter coached our candidate about the position, anticipated interview questions and proper dress. Every detail was discussed…or so we thought.

We eagerly waited for the feedback about the interview from the company’s HR manager. We finally got the call. The HR Manager told us our candidate had a solid interview. She was engaging, nailed all of the interview questions and looked very professional…except for one small detail…blue fingernail polish.

It took weeks of additional interviews with other senior managers and a great deal of discussion on our part to get past the fingernail issue. I know what you’re thinking. This issue should not have mattered. But the reality of the matter was that the conservative Senior VP could not get past blue fingernails. What could have been an immediate job offer for our candidate turned into a drawn out ordeal.

My message to you is, take a close look at your sales team. Make sure they look the part and are groomed according to the expectations of your customer.

It’s important.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What can I learn about recruiting from athletic coaches?

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 14:08:09 GMT

Sales Recruiting… a lot comes to mind when you read that word.

The first two things that come to my mind revolve around the world of business & college sports. Targeting the right recruit might be the most important aspect of your business. Why? Two very important reasons.

First, sales recruitment requires patience .

It used to be about finding the right person for a job. Now it’s about finding the right person that will do the job, enjoy the job, and want to stay and grow with the company. You have to know every detail of what your ideal candidate looks like to fit the culture of your company and target them relentlessly. This elite sales recruit is a special talent and is being targeted by your competition. Winning this recruiting battle not only helps your company immediately, but it also shrinks the talent pool for your competition.

College football and basketball coaches travel all over the country targeting recruits. In home visits, campus trips, and attending high school games are all part of the 365 days/7 days a week process. Recruiting is everything in business & college sports because without the right people nothing else matters. No matter what training or guidance you provide, you simply can’t win.

As great of a coach as Nick Saban is, he doesn’t win another national championship if his roster is the same as his opponent. He understands that. Coach Saban flys back to Alabama and on the next morning has a mandatory 7am staff meeting about recruiting because the NCAA window to start recruiting for next season opens the next day. If he takes the week off to enjoy the championship, he’ll be far behind on recruiting for next year’s team. When Coach K won the national championship at Duke, did any of those banners get raised at Cameron Indoor Stadium before elite recruits became Duke basketball players? Of course not.

Remember Urban Meyer’s time at Florida? He just won his second national championship in three years and was singing the fight song with the team as confetti rained down from above. After the last line, he rushed into the tunnel and locked himself in the coaches’ locker room. He began calling recruits. As confetti was still falling, he knew to stay on top of the mountain he needed the next great recruit.

Secondly, an effective sales recruitment and selection process reduces turnover .

Which option is best for your company?

Hiring the ideal candidate: They fit in the office culture. They know the region very well. They have proven results in that field that translate to success at your company. Production increases. That employee becomes a key member of your company and stays with you for decades.

Hiring someone that might be the right fit: Maybe it will work. Maybe it won’t. But the likely outcome is you aren’t happy with that employee after six months, production slows, and you have to rehire someone for the same position. How efficient is that? How much more time & money do you want to spend repeating this process?

This is critical.

If you try to teach the smartest, strongest fish to climb a tree, it’s never going to work. It’s not what they are meant to do and their skill set isn’t being utilized. It’s no different in sports. Imagine being an elite, pass catching tight end like Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots and your new coach decides to change the offense to a run option system like Georgia Tech. Your skill set didn’t get any worse, but you’re going to have a significantly lower impact on the team’s ability to win.

Business is no different.

Imagine you’re a salesman at Apple and you are beating every sales target in the world for five years. Microsoft offers you a job. You take it. All of a sudden your sales numbers are down? Did you become less of a salesman over night? No. You went from selling a product everyone wanted (iPod) to something no one did. The Microsoft Zune.

Matt

Matt Lazar, Business Development Officer

Ability Professional Network

(614) 595-5887

I’m looking for a sales rep that has a hunter mentality. What should I ask her in an interview?

Tue, 05 Dec 2017 14:52:11 GMT

Answer: “How do you manage your funnel?”

T his is a great interview question. The answer will tell you a lot about a sales candidate.

The sales process starts at the top of the funnel…prospecting. As David Mattson stated in his book The Sandler® Rules, 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them, “You never have to like prospecting…you just have to do it.”

A successful sales candidate will have a very good understanding of the total population of prospects that need to be at the top of the funnel at any point in time .

For example, in the recruiting industry, a recruiter needs to have a population of about 1500 client prospects at any point in time. If a recruiter makes 25 marketing calls each day, each prospective client will be touched once each quarter. These are clients that will potentially give a recruiter an assignment.

The recruiter also knows that the industry average for the number of clients in your funnel that will do business with you any point in time is about 4% or 60 clients. Contingent search assignments are about 25% successful so theoretically, using this formula, a recruiter will make 15 placements a year.

Successful sales candidates should be able to clearly explain their funnel to you and how it relates to their compensation plan.

Most sales reps concentrate on the bottom end of the funnel rather than the top. If a savvy sales professional manages the top of the funnel properly, the bottom will follow.

Most sales slumps can be directly attributed to lack of prospecting three months previously.

So, I would ask the candidate a follow-up question, “Have you ever been in a sales slump?” “What did you attribute the slump to?” “How did you resolve the situation?”

I would be interested in hearing your candidate’s response. Please send me an email at klazar@abilityprofessional.com .

Take care and have a terrific prospecting week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

How do I create an “A Player” environment for my team?

Sat, 18 Nov 2017 15:08:01 GMT

A: Every company wants to hire only “A Players”. I hear this all of the time.

“A Players”, however, are attracted to “A Companies”. Do you feel your company has an “A Company” environment or does it have something else? If you think you have less than an “A Company” environment, what can you do to change that?

Fortunately, it can be as straightforward as providing more flexibility in your workplace. The difference between a workplace that is heavily managed and controlled, and one that allows employees to “thrive not just survive” will make a difference in the way you attract “A Players” to your company.

Creating an “A Company” work environment can be accomplished in many different ways. Here are a few of them:

Make sure your staff feels safe and comfortable.

Your staff must feel both physically and emotionally safe in the work environment. Be sure that you are aware of any special needs required by any employee. As best as possible, meet those needs. You might encourage wellness by supporting healthy food options, workplace hygiene and exercise.

Support your team .

It is important, when and where possible, to support your employees as caretakers or parents. You might check into the possibility of workplace initiatives such as telecommuting, schedule flexibility, extended maternity/paternity leave and child care support.

When appropriate, encourage celebrations, friendly competitions and perhaps contests. The workplace can be fun as well as productive! To support improvement and engagement use rewards in addition to initiatives.

Be proactive in assuring that each employee understands his or her role clearly. Expect them to be and act like a team, supporting and encouraging each other as you do. Make sure your staff knows your expectations of using goal-setting means to realize the desired results together.

Consider mentoring employees, which will increase confidence and encourage better performance. Remember that supporting your employees will result in increased productivity together with longevity. If an employee understands why it matters, she is more likely to remain and execute her job well.

Encourage open communication and feedback.

Your employees need your feedback. This is a vital role in the process of creating a winning environment. Decide what is the most appropriate way to share your feedback with your team.

Let each employee know that they have access to direct communication with management. Communicate with each team member in private or with email when suitable. Let them know that you expect each of them to take responsibility, with you, for the quality of the environment.

One thing that can make a huge difference in fostering a healthy workplace is avoiding gossip. Let your staff know they can come to you with any issue, instead of gathering around the break room to whisper together about negative thoughts or feelings. Be available to team members who request your time.

Encourage and appreciate creativity.

Finally, one of the best ways to create a positive, “A Player” workplace is to encourage creativity. Be open to hearing employees’ suggestions. Make sure employees know you will be accountable to the suggestions by circulating changes initiated by your team members. When you are responsive to the needs of your staff you help assure their interest in the needs of the company. Try asking the staff how they think the workplace could be more positive.

Attracting “A Players”

The word gets around. Putting creative thought and effort into building an “A Company” work environment for your team will make a huge difference in the candidates you will attract. “A Players” attract other “A Players”. It’s a great cycle to develop.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

How to Rock the First 90 Days of Your New Job.

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 14:28:46 GMT

By Guy Kawasaki

There are two components to getting off to a great start on a new job: what to avoid and what to accomplish. This post explains both components. First, there are four ways to blow it. They form the acronym LAST:

Lazy people show up for work on time or late. Hardworking people show up early. Lazy people leave on time or early. Hardworking people leave late.

Arrogant people believe that they know what to do, how the company should operate, and what’s wrong with management. These kinds of people are called “90-day wonders” because they think they know everything after 90 days.

Stupid people do stupid things like cutting corners, cheating, and making uniformed decisions. (The combination of arrogance and stupidity is supremely ironic and common.)

Tacky people do dishonest, racist, sexist, sexual, or ageist things. They appear at functions in an inebriated state, and they spread rumors. They do creepy or inappropriate things because they are untrained, stupid, or insecure.

Second, let me provide 10 tips to climb to the top of the mountain.

Learn as much as you can about the company, competition, and industry before you start . Read all the recent news that you can find so that you are aware of the issues that your company faces. Read about your company’s history, so you can understand its DNA.
Learn as much as you can about your company’s executives before you start. Read their bios on the company website. Study their LinkedIn profiles. Watch their social-media accounts to learn about their interests. If they don’t use social media, that tells you something too.
Learn how to use the company’s product or service before you start. If you go to work for a large company, you will go through orientation and training, but a head start on your peers is still good. If you go to work for a startup, you should be productive before lunch on the first day.
Follow, like, circle, or subscribe to the company’s social-media accounts. These posts and responses are windows into the soul of your company. You need to understand how someone high in the company wants the company to be perceived.
Ask your manager what you can do before you start. Few new employees do this, so it’s bound to set you apart from the pack. And be sure to do what your manager suggests because you’ll look terrible if you ask for suggestions and don’t implement them.
Suck up to the right people. Secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, IT support staff, and security guards hold the keys to most organizations. Managers and executives will ask them what they think of you, and the answer should not be “arrogant,” “lazy,” or “pain in the ass.”
Default to yes. When people at your company ask you to help, agree and do it. Pay your dues. Humble yourself. Your academic, work experience, and connections helped you get the job, but they don’t mean anything after your first week. At that point, you either produce or you don’t.
Shut up and listen. Better to give people the impression that you’re the strong, silent, serious, and diligent type than the stupid, ignorant, arrogant, and brash type. It’s much easier to blossom later than undo negative impressions.
Under promise and over deliver. For the first 90 days and for the rest of your career, always under promise and over deliver. Get so consistent at this that people expect that you deliver more than you say you will — which is far better and radically different from most people who over promise and under deliver.
Get to work early and you leave late. Work hard while you’re there. Suck it up because you’re imprinting people with the impression that you are diligent. Don’t confuse working smart with working short — the two are not the same thing. Early on, you need to work smart and work long to make an impression.

Here’s a final power tip. Contrary to all the dog-eat-dog, zero-sum game, wolf-on-Wall-Street advice you might have heard, if you want to get ahead, you should make your boss look good . That’s right, good — because as your boss advances so will you.

The concept that you’re so awesome that you’ll get your boss’s job is a fantasy. Either you rise to the top together, or crash and burn together. When your boss gets more opportunities, so will you.

You can take this to the bank: if you make your boss look good, your career path will be better, faster, and easier because a rising tide floats all boats.

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley). He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He is also the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and nine other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

What are the real reasons why candidates don’t get hired?

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:46:52 GMT

Each year, ManpowerGroup publishes a great resource called the “Interview Handbook”. It’s full of excellent information about candidates who are going through the interview process. Here are the ten reasons why candidates don’t get hired. Maybe you share their conclusions.

Poor attitude. Many candidates come across as arrogant. While employers can afford to be self-centered, candidates cannot.
Appearance. Many candidates do not consider their appearance as much as they should. First impressions are quickly made in the first three to five minutes. Review your appearance checklist.
Lack of Research . It’s obvious when candidates haven’t learned about the job, company, or industry prior to the interview.

4. Not having questions to ask. Asking questions shows your interest in the company and the position. Prepare a list of intelligent questions in advance.

5. Not readily knowing the answers to interviewer’s questions. Anticipate and rehearse answers to tough questions about your background, such as recent termination or an employment gap.

6. Relying too much on resumes . Employers hire people, not paper. Although a resume can list qualification and skills, it’s the interview dialogue that will portray you as a committed responsive leader.

7. Too much humility. Being conditioned not to brag, candidates are sometimes reluctant to describe their accomplishments. Explaining how they reach difficult or impressive goals helps employers understand what you can do for them.

8. Not relating skills to employers’ needs. A list of sterling accomplishments means little if you can’t relate them to a company’s requirements.

9. Lack of Career Direction. Candidates who are not clear about their career goals often can’t spot or commit to appropriate opportunities. Not knowing what you want wastes everyone’s time.

10 . Job Shopping . Some candidates particularly those in certain high-tech, sales and marketing fields, will admit they’re just “shopping” for opportunities and have little intention of changing jobs.

I would be interested to know if you share ManpowerGroup’s findings.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What can I say to encourage my team?

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 07:43:49 GMT

Here is a great article written by Jeff Haden that has some terrific suggestions.

Ten Things that Extra-ordinary People Say Every Day.

– By Jeff Haden

They’re small things, but each has the power to dramatically change someone’s day. Including yours.

Want to make a huge difference in someone’s life? Here are things you should say every day to your employees, colleagues, family members, friends, and everyone you care about:

“ Here’s what I’m thinking.”

You’re in charge, but that doesn’t mean you’re smarter, savvier, or more insightful than everyone else. Back up your statements and decisions. Give reasons. Justify with logic, not with position or authority.

Though taking the time to explain your decisions opens those decisions up to discussion or criticism, it also opens up your decisions to improvement.

Authority can make you “right,” but collaboration makes everyone right–and makes everyone pull together.

“I was wrong.”

I once came up with what I thought was an awesome plan to improve overall productivity by moving a crew to a different shift on an open production line. The inconvenience to the crew was considerable, but the payoff seemed worth it. On paper, it was perfect.

In practice, it wasn’t.

So, a few weeks later, I met with the crew and said, “I know you didn’t think this would work, and you were right. I was wrong. Let’s move you back to your original shift.”

I felt terrible. I felt stupid. I was sure I’d lost any respect they had for me.

It turns out I was wrong about that, too. Later one employee said, “I didn’t really know you, but the fact you were willing to admit you were wrong told me everything I needed to know.”

When you’re wrong, say you’re wrong. You won’t lose respect–you’ll gain it.

“That was awesome.”

No one gets enough praise. No one. Pick someone–pick anyone–who does or did something well and say, “Wow, that was great how you…”

And feel free to go back in time. Saying “Earlier, I was thinking about how you handled that employee issue last month…” can make just as positive an impact today as it would have then. (It could even make a bigger impact, because it shows you still remember what happened last month, and you still think about it.)

Praise is a gift that costs the giver nothing but is priceless to the recipient. Start praising. The people around you will love you for it–and you’ll like yourself a little better, too.

“You’re welcome.”

Think about a time you gave a gift and the recipient seemed uncomfortable or awkward. Their reaction took away a little of the fun for you, right?

The same thing can happen when you are thanked or complimented or praised. Don’t spoil the moment or the fun for the other person. The spotlight may make you feel uneasy or insecure, but all you have to do is make eye contact and say, “Thank you.” Or make eye contact and say, “You’re welcome. I was glad to do it.”

Don’t let thanks, congratulations, or praise be all about you. Make it about the other person, too.

“Can you help me?”

When you need help, regardless of the type of help you need or the person you need it from, just say, sincerely and humbly, “Can you help me?”

I promise you’ll get help. And in the process you’ll show vulnerability, respect, and a willingness to listen–which, by the way, are all qualities of a great leader.

And are all qualities of a great friend.

“I’m sorry.”

We all make mistakes, so we all have things we need to apologize for: words, actions, omissions, failing to step up, step in, show support…

Say you’re sorry.

But never follow an apology with a disclaimer like “But I was really mad, because…” or “But I did think you were…” or any statement that in any way places even the smallest amount of blame back on the other person.

Say you’re sorry, say why you’re sorry, and take all the blame. No less. No more.

Then you both get to make the freshest of fresh starts.

“Can you show me?”

Advice is temporary; knowledge is forever. Knowing what to do helps, but knowing how or why to do it means everything.

When you ask to be taught or shown, several things happen: You implicitly show you respect the person giving the advice; you show you trust his or her experience, skill, and insight; and you get to better assess the value of the advice.

Don’t just ask for input. Ask to be taught or trained or shown.

Then you both win.

“Let me give you a hand.”

Many people see asking for help as a sign of weakness. So, many people hesitate to ask for help.

But everyone needs help.

Don’t just say, “Is there anything I can help you with?” Most people will give you a version of the reflexive “No, I’m just looking” reply to sales clerks and say, “No, I’m all right.”

Be specific. Find something you can help with. Say “I’ve got a few minutes. Can I help you finish that?” Offer in a way that feels collaborative, not patronizing or gratuitous. Model the behavior you want your employees to display.

Then actually roll up your sleeves and help.

Nothing.

Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing. If you’re upset, frustrated, or angry, stay quiet. You may think venting will make you feel better, but it never does.

That’s especially true where your employees are concerned. Results come and go, but feelings are forever. Criticize an employee in a group setting and it will seem like he eventually got over it, but inside, he never will.

Before you speak, spend more time considering how employees will think and feel than you do evaluating whether the decision makes objective sense. You can easily recover from a mistake made because of faulty data or inaccurate projections.

You’ll never recover from the damage you inflict on an employee’s self-esteem.

Be quiet until you know exactly what to say–and exactly what affect your words will have.

Thank you for the great article, Jeff.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I took a chance and hired a sales rep that is outside of our industry. He is really killing it! Is he an exception?

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 07:52:14 GMT

Definitely not.

Successful sales professionals follow a process. They understand their craft, how to develop a sales funnel, how to relate to customers and how to understand their compensation program.

Great sales professionals have great potential.

Hiring a candidate on potential rather than relying on experience is a much better strategy.

Let’s take the example of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright:

There is no evidence that Frank Lloyd Wright ever graduated from high school.
He never attended architectural school.
He designed 1,141 structures, 532 were built and 409 still stand.
Born in 1867, he is considered to be the greatest American architect.
Not until 1949 did he receive an award from the American Institute of Architects.
His son invented Lincoln Logs. (Who knew?)

Frank Lloyd Wright was not formally educated in his field, but had great potential even at an early age.

There is a lesson here. Look for the potential in a your next candidate rather that his experience. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Have a successful week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What are ten of your favorite interview questions?

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 09:15:27 GMT

Many articles have been written about potential questions you ask candidates during an interview. Most sales managers are now familiar with behavioral interviewing questions that give you an indication of how the candidate has performed in the past. From a behavioral standpoint, these questions are very appropriate. However, sales professionals are paid to perform. We need to dig deeper to uncover their sales process and success on developing new business.

Here are some of the best job interview questions to ask next time you’re screening a sales candidate, as well as, the answers that you should be looking for.

1. How do you prospect for leads?

Sales candidates that consider themselves “hunters” should respond with a very methodical way in which they prospects for new leads. Part of the answer to this question would be asking current customers for referrals. Prospecting through social media like LinkedIn should also be part of the prospecting process. Does the candidate use online databases? What type of telephone scripts has the candidate developed? How many prospecting calls does the candidate make in a week? How are they tracked? Is the candidate familiar with CRM software such as Salesforce.com? What is the candidates prospecting success record?

2. What do you think is the single most important skill for a salesperson?

There are several good answers to this question, but you want one answer to this question to be “Listening.” A successful salesperson has to be able to listen to his customer and read between the lines to really hear what the client is saying. Being able to determine the needs of your client and then find a way to fulfill the need is what will closes the sale. The sales person needs to be patient, letting the client ask questions and understand the client’s needs.

3. Give me an example of a time when you were able to use turn a difficult sale into a successful outcome.

Logical steps, including building a relationship and asking what the prospects needs are, should be the first two steps. Listen to see if they can describe selling on value rather than price. Is the importance of body language mentioned? Do they wait until the buyer is ready before attempting to close the sale?

4. Who were your last three sales managers? What do you think about them personally and professionally?

Your candidate should be able to give the names of his last three sales managers. Listen for clues about their relationship. Watch the candidate’s body language. Does the candidate talk in positive terms about his managers or are their clues of conflict? How was the candidate’s performance reviewed? How did the candidate feel he was mentored?

5. How do you close a sale?

There are a number of possibilities for this question. If the candidate has professional sales training, he should be able to discuss three types of closing techniques that are appropriate depending upon the situation. If the candidate cannot give an example of a proper close, then a big red flag should go up.

6. What was your most recent lost sale? What happened? If you could do it over again, what would you do differently?

Every sales person has lost a sale, or even experienced a bad streak. There are many reasons for losing a sale. What you should be looking for in the candidate’s response is his “lessons learned” from the experience. Also, does the candidate take ownership for the lost sale or does he place the blame on something or someone else. The candidate should admit quickly what occurred and then explain exactly what he would do differently if he had the chance. You don’t want a candidate who spends time lamenting or apologizing. You want a straightforward, clean and simple answer.

7. Tell me about the sales process at your current/previous company.

Most companies have a defined sales process and sales cycle. Top performers have mastered the sales process and have committed it to memory. Ask the candidate to draw the sales cycle of visually present it to you. If the candidate cannot define his current or past sales process (or says his company did not have one) then ask the candidate to define his personal sales process.

8. Tell me what you know about my company.

If the candidate has not researched your company in preparation for the interview, then his sales preparation will be exactly the same. Walk away.

9. Explain your role as a member of your sales team. How do you deal with disagreements with other members of the team?

The best answer to this question is that the candidate considers himself an excellent team player. Sales professionals, by nature, are competitive but candidates who aren’t willing to collaborate will hurt the morale of the team. An uncooperative attitude will also block knowledge sharing. Disagreements with others of the team should be dealt with through clear communication. The candidate should communicate that he proactively seeks out areas of potential conflict and tries to determine everyone’s motivation. Having a sincere desire to view conflict as opportunity to strengthen relationships is a strength of any sales professional.

10. Do you have any questions for me?

This is always a great last question. When you reverse roles you are telling the candidate that the company seeks an open dialogue. Asking the question will help you determine just how curious and knowledgeable a candidate is about your company. You should listen for insightful questions that demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of their understanding of the job, the company, the competitive landscape and the industry.

The way you structure your interview questions is also very important. Create a framework for conversation and dialogue. Try not to get sidetracked. A good strategy is to ground the interview in questions about past job performance. Throw in some situational questions to evaluate practical decision-making, and to learn a bit about how the job fits with a candidate’s skills.

Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. Throwing softball questions at someone whom you like, or who makes you feel comfortable, doesn’t help you get the best person for the job.

Good Luck!

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Shouldn’t a job interview be just like a sales call?

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 09:29:06 GMT

Good salespeople should be excellent interviewers. It is a learned skill. However, when you’re interviewing to fill a sales position, this skill that can really cause you significant problems. Since almost every salesperson you interview presents himself as the ideal candidate, which one actually is the best fit for your team?

One technique to see how a salesperson will handle himself on a sales call is to make the interview itself as much like a sales call as possible. Set the environment to be more like a sales situation. Put your candidate in the position of selling himself to you. If he doesn’t use sales skills or uses them poorly, it will tell you quite a lot about his future as a performer on your team.

Here are five ways you can make the interview a sales call.

Put yourself in the mindset of a prospect.

Imagine your candidate has a product (himself) that you might be interested in, but you’re not quite sure at this point. You should evaluate the presentation and decide whether or not to buy. If you want to see how the sales candidate reacts to potential buyers it is important that he do the selling, not you.

2. Is the candidate good at asking sales questions?

Generally, the traditional interview requires you to ask the majority of the questions and the candidate provides the answers. However, in this type of interview, you are testing whether the candidate is good at asking sales questions. Hence as you’re asking the usual questions, pause occasionally after his answer just to see how he handles the silence.

Will the candidate provide more details on his previous answer? Will he take the opportunity to ask a question of his own and “qualify” you? Or will he just start rambling nervously, saying anything he can think of to end the awkward silence? You will be able to tell quite a bit about how the candidate operates as a sales person.

3. Does the candidate try to build trust?

Be aware of whether or not the salesperson tries to build trust with you. As a highly important sales skill, building trust is one that you will definitely want your salespeople to have. How does the candidate go about building trust? How does your candidate go about trying to build trust?

4 . What is the candidate’s reaction when you challenge his resume?

Bring the candidate’s resume to the interview. Ask specific questions about details of the candidate’s background. Be obviously skeptical and challenge one or two of the accomplishments. See how he reacts when challenged. Does he react aggressively? Does he crumble under pressure? Does he get angry? To clarify your point of concern, does he ask you questions in return?

5. How does your candidate close?

In bringing the interview to a close, be vague and say something like, “Thanks for your time, we’ll get back to you.” If the candidate accepts your answer at face value and just leaves, he will probably do the same with a prospect.

The candidate should ask questions to try to clarify your timeline at the very least. He should attempt to find out, on the spot, if he is a candidate for the position or not. The salesperson that gets testy at this point probably isn’t a good choice.

Good luck!

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Do you trust your candidate?

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 09:37:45 GMT

A: I recently received an email from one of our candidates. She interviewed for a position that she was very qualified to fill. She felt that both interviews went extremely well. The interviewers said that they were going to forward her on to the next step in the interview process. Two days later, she received a “Ding Email”. There was no specific reason why she was not going forward.

The candidate was given an interview because she was well qualified for the position, but something happened during the interview that stopped the process. What happened?

Most all interview failures can be traced back to one fundamental reason.

The candidate failed to gain trust.

Managers hire people who they can trust; and the candidate did not gain that trust during the interview. I know what you are thinking. How can a candidate gain someone’s trust in a 60 minute interview? You definitely can. Politicians are trained to gain trust with just a smile, a handshake and addressing someone just like they were the only person in the room. You gain trust by being personally interested in your interviewer and offering creative solutions for that person’s problems.

One of the primary purposes of the interview is to begin to build a trusting relationship between you and the candidate. No trust…no job.

Trust me…

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

I Do Solemnly Swear…My Five Promises of Networking on LinkedIn.

Sat, 22 Oct 2016 08:53:04 GMT

By Jeff Young, Professional Networker and LinkedIn Guru

Why would it be necessary to make promises about networking? First of all, because I want people to get to know me, like me and trust me when it comes to networking. I want them to know that I am seeking to help not only the people IN my network, but those people who are NOT in my network YET.

Secondly, I believe the best way of networking in the first place is to “seek first to help others”. I’m not trying to go all religious or anything with “golden rules”, but I believe in my heart that if you have a philosophy of helping others first, that it will come back to you ten-fold and others will want to help you as well. I didn’t start this philosophy, I just strive to live by it.

So, here are my five promises to all those in my network and those I hope to network with in the future:

Number 1 – I Promise to Connect With You

If you take the time to send me more than “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” (and send it from my profile page instead of from an app on a Smartphone or Tablet) I will connect with you no matter where you are. I will thank you for taking the time to reach out to me.

If you and I are in the same geographic region, I will ask if you would like to get together and share backgrounds so we can build a win/win relationship.

Number 2 – I Promise to Thank You for Interacting

If you endorse me for my skills, if you write me a recommendation, if you actually join the conversation or share my Posts, Group Discussions or Updates I will make sure that I thank you for taking the time (as long as LinkedIn sends me a notification, yes sometimes they miss stuff).

Also, I will reciprocate with a comment, endorsement, or recommendation whenever possible and if I know you well enough.

Number 3 – I Promise I Will Provide Value

I am the LinkedIn Guru (or at least that’s what my network tells me). The value that I will provide will be focused on helping my network use LinkedIn effectively.

This may take the form of pointing to LinkedIn Help or to a person who can help, answering questions and/or providing tips on how to use LinkedIn on a regular basis. This is what I do to provide value and I promise I will do it for you as long as folks find it useful.

Number 4 – I Promise to Not Try to Sell You Anything

I do what I do for free. I do not provide one-on-one training, but I do provide free LinkedIn seminars (at least in my local community).

I realize that it is a little different, but once people get to know me I hope they understand that I do free LinkedIn seminars because it is my way of trying to make a difference in the community and I get SO MUCH out of doing it that I wouldn’t dream of charging for it.

Number 5 – I Promise I Will Stay in Touch

You should expect to hear from me because that is what Networkers do! Stay in touch! You should expect me to ask how I or the rest of my network can be of help.

I know the people in my network and I am willing to introduce you to any one of them. I believe that a good networker is a good connector and seeks first to help others. I look forward to being of help.

I look forward to continuing to get to know you and networking in the future.

Your Friendly Neighborhood LinkedIn Guru…

Thanks for the good words, Jeff!

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

41 interviewers in one day. Really?

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 08:58:20 GMT

Would you believe that a company would have a candidate interview with 41 different people in the same day? It’s true. It happened to a good friend of mine.

Ron, was in job transition. He works in the healthcare field and has for years. Ron was invited to fly to a midwestern city to interview for a leadership position at a hospital to manage one of their practices. When he arrived he found that they scheduled him to interview with 41 different people, both one-on-on and in a group setting, in one day…and they forgot to allow him time for lunch.

41? Really? Some of you know how I feel about the hiring process. Here is an example of just how bad it has become. I am not sure that 41 people could agree on anything let alone agreeing to hire a qualified candidate. It’s easy to say “no”. There is little risk in saying “no”. Saying “yes” makes you accountable…gives you ownership in the success of the candidate. Now, the hospital administration has 41 ways to say “no”.

I found a statistic that nearly 50% of new hires last only 18 months. It’s little wonder that organizations want to spread the hiring responsibility over as many people as possible. We should spend more time developing air-tight on-boarding and training processes rather than spending 41 man hours interviewing candidates.

Sorry about the rant.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What is a good way to stay up-to-date on current events? I don’t seem to have the time to read anymore.

Sat, 16 Jul 2016 09:10:08 GMT

I am a podcast addict. There, I admit it. Every morning at 6:30 am, rain or shine, I hitch up our dog and we go for the “long walk”. During our 35 minutes together, I listen to a podcast and our dog surveys the neighborhood. It’s how we get ready for the day.

Podcasts are wonderful things. You can listen to great talks and interviews on a variety of very interesting subjects. It’s amazing what you can learn. And, podcasts are absolutely free.

I downloaded the Podcasts app to my iPhone from iTunes. About once a month, I look through the hundreds of podcast series that are available on iTunes and subscribe to the ones that look interesting. Every time a new podcast in published from the series that I subscribed Podcasts automatically downloads the episode to my phone and notifies me that it’s ready to play. Amazing.

You can choose what you are interested in listening to, but here are some of the podcast series that are in my cloud:

Freakonomics Radio – If you already read the Freakonomics books, you will be thrilled with this series. If not, you should. Stephen Dubner discovers the hidden side of everything and challengers your thinking. It’s must listen.
Up First by NPR – This podcast arrives the first thing every morning with commentary on the events from the day before. Up First journalists must stay up all night recording the production.
RadioLab – A two-time Peabody award winning podcast, RadioLab is an investigation told through sounds and stories. The production is amazing. If you like NPR, you will love RadioLab.
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe – If you like quick 10 minute stories that make you say OMG afterward, Mike Rowe is your man.
Linkedinformed – This weekly podcast by Mark Williams keeps me informed of the updates and revisions to LinkedIn.com

I listen to several podcast series including recruiting, marketing and entrepreneurship that keep me current on my industry and my passion.

If you are a podcast addict like me, I would be very interested in learning more about what you are listening to. Please send an email to klazar@abilityprofessional.com and give me your favorites.

See you in the cloud.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Why did you leave your last job?

Sat, 11 Jun 2016 09:16:19 GMT

The answer to this question is what is typically called the candidate’s “Exit Speech”. Asking why a candidate left, or is leaving, his job may be one of the most important questions you can ask in an interview.The candidate should never badmouth his previous industry, company, board, boss, staff, employees or customers. This rule is sacred. The candidate should never be negative. If you hear works like “personality clash”, “didn’t get along”, or others, these tend to cast a shadow on your candidate’s competence, integrity, or temperament.

Also, your candidate should ever lie about having been fired. It’s unethical – and too easily checked. If his firing was the result of a takeover, merger, division wide layoff, etc., so much the better.

If your candidate was fired from his previous employer, even if it hurts, your candidate should describe his firing – candidly, succinctly and without a trace of bitterness – from the company’s point-of-view, indicating that he could understand why it happened and why the situation would never happen again.

You can learn a lot about your candidate by how he delivers his “Exit Speech.”

Have a successful week,

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Job Search Inertia

Sat, 21 May 2016 09:21:58 GMT

Sometimes your job search can take a lot longer than you expected.

It’s easy to get bogged down…even come to a complete stop. Once you slow down or even stop, it’s very hard to get started again. I call it…”Job Search Inertia”.

For those of you not familiar with the term “inertia”, it simply means that “it takes a lot more energy to start something moving than to keep it moving.” Ever pushed a car that ran out of gas? It takes about three people to get the car rolling, but once it’s rolling it only takes one person to push it…inertia. Make sense?

When you lose your job, it takes a lot of energy and focus to get over the initial shock. But, once your job search is in full swing, things start happening. You have overcome the inertia of getting started and begin to gain momentum. Things get easier. When you experience setbacks, it’s very easy to lose your momentum. You slow down. That’s normal. But, you need to continue to push forward. Don’t stop.

It takes a lot more energy to gain your momentum back when you stop. You have to overcome the inertia of stopping. Remember pushing the car? When I lose momentum, I go to a seminar or a networking meeting. I meet new people…listen to new ideas. I feel begin to better…overcoming inertia…keeping the car rolling…to the next gas station.

Everyone have a terrific week.

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network, LLC
Sales Recruiting Specialists
www.abilityprofessional.com
(614) 403-6079

How is the unemployment rate actually calculated?

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:47:53 GMT

I bet you are going to be surprised. It’s a survey! Here is an excerpt from www.bls.gov:

“Early each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor announces the total number of employed and unemployed persons in the United States for the previous month.

Some people think that to get these figures on unemployment, the Government uses the number of persons filing claims for unemployment insurance benefits under State or Federal Government programs.

Other people think that the Government counts every unemployed person each month. To do this, every home in the country would have to be contacted—just as in the population census every 10 years. This procedure would cost way too much and take far too long.

The Government actually conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country. The CPS has been conducted in the United States every month since 1940 , when it began as a Work Projects Administration project.

There are about 60,000 households in the sample for this survey. This translates into approximately 110,000 individuals.

Each month, 2,200 highly trained and experienced Census Bureau employees interview persons in the 60,000 sample households for information on the labor force activities.

The interviewer prepares a roster of the household members, including their personal characteristics (date of birth, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, veteran status, and so on) and their relationships to the person maintaining the household.

This information, relating to all household members 15 years of age and over, is entered by the interviewers into laptop computers; at the end of each day’s interviewing, the data collected are transmitted to the Census Bureau’s central computer in Washington, D.C. In addition, a portion of the sample is interviewed by phone through three central data collection facilities.

Respondents are never asked specifically if they are unemployed, nor are they given an opportunity to decide their own labor force status .

Unless they already know how the Government defines unemployment, many of them may not be sure of their actual classification when the interview is completed.

Similarly, interviewers do not decide the respondents’ labor force classification. They simply ask the questions in the prescribed way and record the answers. Based on information collected in the survey and definitions programmed into the computer, individuals are then classified as employed, unemployed, or not in the labor force.”

I personally haven’t been asked to take a survey yet. Have you?

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Why should I hire sales people who are social media savvy?

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 11:05:44 GMT

If you are in sales – at any level – then you need to know this fact.

Social sales specialist, Jim Keenan, reports that 78% of sales people, using social media tools, outperformed those who were not.

Here is another interesting statistic.

Eighty-one percent of consumers compare products and pricing online before making a major purchase according to a Major Purchase Shopper Study conducted by GE Capital Retail Bank.

Unless you have been off the grid for the past decade, you will be acutely aware of a shift in buyers’ habits. Further, if you know what to look for, there is an abundance of information available on the Internet revealing buying cycles, connections to business competitors, company news and much more.

Never before has it been easier to stalk your clients. Did I say stalk? I meant analyze.

It is exactly for this reason that you need social media savvy salespeople in your organization. Creative thinkers with technical know-how are outselling congenial personalities and great conversationalists.

Making sales and maintaining relationships is all about information. A good social networker will be able to pull up important information on the company that they are prospecting. LinkedIn is a conglomerate of data showing social events, new hires, promotions, company culture, big sales and so much more. It also shows B2B connections, which may tie together decision makers and maybe even your competition!

A salesperson who is using social platforms efficiently will be active on LinkedIn, FaceBook, Google+ and Twitter. Alerts are easily set up to communicate vital information to a watchful user. They allow tailored correspondence to be available to the right people at the right time. Or perhaps posting relevant content on a blog and sending it to a prospect may be a better approach?

A wise salesperson will avoid Harassment Avenue and head straight down Education Boulevard. They will use the social media tools at their disposal to listen, interact with and provide gentle solutions to their prospective clients.

It is vitally important to connect your sales people with your marketing department and create a professional and uniform online presence. It’s up to the company to create the boundaries, and for the salespeople to fill in the blanks with their individual personality.

Hiring a salesperson with social media skills puts your company out there for you clients to see. In conjunction with a targeted prospecting program, it may mean a quicker and more consultative approach to increasing sales.

Have a successful week,

Ken

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Arrange Your Work Space to Empower a Career Transition

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 11:10:22 GMT

Guest Author – Laura Staley, Owner, Cherish Your World

Living through a career or job transition poses challenges. For some, it creates an identity crisis: Who am I if I’m not a full-time parent? CEO? IT worker? Financial professional? Business owner? Who am I if I’m not employed? Some people in job transition can have a sense of clarity about a fabulous skill set they possess and are searching for the right fit in a new industry or company.

I’ve learned there’s often a larger context in which a career or job transition takes place, which may include the passing of loved ones, a relocation to a new living place, care taking of seriously ill loved ones, or other life circumstances.

As a feng shui consultant, I have talked to people about the workspace or office they use during their job transition. Here’s what I learned about what some people in job transition see as the purpose of this workspace or office:

A man cavea personal space
A place to look for a job
A place to pay bills, file, and do the business of the household
A place that supports and grounds the person’s values
A comfort zone
The place the person organizes his or her life
A means to an end, with the end being landing a job

Here’s what I learned about what they liked least about their workspace:

The mess and disorganization
The reminder of being unemployed and the feeling that they wanted be somewhere else
The experience of too much paper
The feelings of heaviness, loneliness, fear, and stress while in the space
The recognition that the workspace was the family junk room

The people in job transition told me they like the following things the most about their workspaces:

They could close the door and have privacy.
They loved their desk, perhaps because it connected them to a beloved family member who used it.
The fireplace in the office.
When it was organized, the workspace drew them in, welcomed them.
They communicated well with others in the space.
It had memorabilia that reminded them of beloved family.
A roll-top desk hid the mess.

When I asked what they wanted to be different in a year, here’s what I learned:

They will have an office!
The space would be decluttered and organized.
There would be more money coming into the household.
The space would be repurposed because it was no longer needed.
They’d own a roll-top desk to hide all the papers.

For a workspace that fosters a sense of empowerment in the midst of a job search, here are some ideas:

Consider the purpose of a workspace being connected to a vision and a dream that deeply inspires you, such as joyfully creating your new life calling or fulfilling a dream that will need all the love you can give. Or perhaps your dream is to help people save lives, prosper in retirement, enjoy the experience of eating delicious food, purchase clothes that make them feel attractive, thrive in their physical spaces, be inspired to go to work, find a career they love, find their dream home, create gardens that nourish their bodies and souls, transform the quality of their lives, furnish their homes with gently used furniture, find their soul mate, travel the world in the most economical way … A purpose or vision calls to your heart, is part of the answer to why you are here, and aligns with your gifts, skills, and talents.

Keep in mind that the purpose of a workspace includes productivity and creativity informed by your vision and your imagination. All the functions can then flow from this clear purpose. Simply said, it’s a place to fulfill your heart’s desire while doing meaningful work.

Consider that your career relates to cultivating courage. This may mean being fearless in expressing your unique skills, talents, perspective, and wisdom. Sometimes it involves breaking free from other people’s expectations for you, which may be limiting or not a good fit for you at this juncture. It often takes courage to be yourself and live true to your next calling. It takes courage to create a new career path.

Clear clutter—any items not aligned with the purpose of your workspace. Relocate these to another area of your home, recycle them, or donate them.

Consider clearing away items associated with past jobs you know you will never do again. Free your space and mind for the new adventure. I know that for some people this takes clarity and trust.

If possible, place your chair in the command position with a view of the door or the direction from which people will approach you. This allows the nervous system to calm down rather than be on high alert. Consider giving it a go for a week and see how you feel. If you cannot move your desk, place a mirror you can glance into like a rearview mirror. Many people feel empowered when they can see the door and look out a window.

Bring living things into your workspace, such as a plant, fresh flowers, or images of living things and nature.

Bring in some items that inspire your career vision, such as photos, artwork, quotes, and affirmations.

Laura Staley

Owner

Cherish Your World

Why You Should Research a Company Before Your Interview.

Sat, 24 Oct 2015 10:51:43 GMT

Here is some key information to look for when researching a company:

If you want to position yourself as a “stand out” candidate, make sure you extensively research your potential employer prior to your interview. Candidates who do their homework, know their interviewer and understand the needs of the company make the best impression. I recommend performing at least three hours of research and preparation for every one hour of interview time.

Are your experience and skills a match?

Review the company’s career page and job descriptions. What hard and soft skills is the company looking for in their employees? Reach out to past employees through LinkedIn and ask them about the company. What does the company value most in its employees. Make certain the fit is right for you.

Does the company have a competitive advantage in its industry?

Research the company’s competitors. Is the company an industry leader or an industry follower? What new products or services is the company bringing to market? Are the markets that the company serves expanding or contracting?

Review this information, as well as, any other basic information such as company history. You don’t really want to ask your interviewer a question about the company whose answer is front and center on the website.

LinkedIn is a great place to look up competitors. Go to the company page and scroll down to “Other Companies People Viewed.” Review the company’s competitors. You should be able to get a pretty good sense of who the other players are in the industry. Are they hiring?

Are you a fit for the company’s culture?

Make sure you honestly believe that you are a good fit for the company. Follow the company’s social media networks. Do you see yourself included in these posts in the future?

Check out Yelp.com, Manta.com, Careerbliss.com and the Better Business Bureau. How is the company is rated? Review Glassdoor.com to find out what positive or negative reviews that former employees posted about the company.

Check out the company’s financial health.

Navigate to the “Investor Relations” tab on the company’s website. Access their annual report and 10K report. These publications cover a wide range of financial that topics you won’t find elsewhere. Review areas such as company risks, new products and revenue revenues trends. Is the company stable and growing? If you are interviewing a startup, check out crunchbase.com. You can get funding information, recent hires, relevant press coverage and more.

Think like an investor. If you would not invest in this company, why would you want to work for it?

Review the company’s products, services and its clients .

Who are the company’s clients and what products and services are does the company offer? Do you personally use the company’s products? If not…why not?

Read through company blogs, white papers, case studies and more to give you an idea of their accomplishments.

Has the company recently been in the news?

You should always go into an interview having researched the company’s latest news and updates.

The company website should have a page dedicated to events and press releases. Check it out. Read the corporate blogs and research the company on Google. Is the company active in the community? What charitable organizations does it support? Perform this search on Google.com: (Company Name) business issues. What do you see?

LinkedIn is a good tool for picking up company news. Check its LinkedIn company page. You should download the profiles of the people you will be interviewing with and review the profiles prior to the interview.

Check out the company on Twitter and Facebook. Are the profiles professional or casual? Is there any recent activity? Remember any positive posts you find during your research to use during the interview.

Know your interviewer.

Research your interviewer on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Find out as much about your interviewer as possible and perhaps even some common interests.

Build trust with your interviewer by being genuinely interested in his or her background, interests and accomplishments. Remember, the final hiring decision will be made by a person not a company. People hire candidates they know, like and trust.

Be that candidate!

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What are some secrets to success?

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 12:23:32 GMT

A: Let’s take a look at what Mark Cuban has to say about success:

Mark Cuban’s 12 Secrets to Extraordinary Success

Mark Cuban lives a life most people envy. After selling his dot-com company in the late ’90s for $5.9 billion, Cuban has been able to live large. And live large, he has.

One of his biggest purchases was a majority stake of the Dallas Mavericks, and ever since, he’s become a huge voice in the sports world. What does it feel like to be a billionaire? Cuban told James Altucher on a podcast:

The billion was, ‘I can’t believe it.’ Literally, I was sitting in front of a computer, naked, hitting the refresh because we were close — waiting until my net worth hit that billion when the stock price got to a certain point, and then I kinda screamed and jumped around and then got dressed.”

Mark Cuban, the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner and “Shark Tank” investor, has built several companies and invested in more than 120 throughout his career. Before becoming even moderately successful, he was a recent college graduate sleeping on the couch (or floor) in a crowded apartment who decided to build a business after getting fired from his job. Through his journey to success, with all the ups and downs that come with it, he’s realized what works and what doesn’t.

In his book “How to Win at the Sport of Business,” he outlines the “Twelve Cuban Mantras for Success,” which we’ve summarized below.

1. Time is the greatest asset.

“How wisely you use your time will have far more impact on your life and success than any amount of money,” Cuban writes.

He started his first company, software distributor MicroSolutions, when he was 25 and had no money. After it became modestly successful, his secretary embezzled and ran away with $83,000 of the company’s $85,000. Rather than give up and try something else, Cuban writes, he studied PC software and coding relentlessly to gain an edge over the competition. He ended up selling MicroSolutions to H&R Block for $6 million in 1990.

2. It’s worth being nice to people.

“Being successful entails being able to not only get along with people, but also to give something back,” Cuban writes.

When the committee behind Dallas’ beloved St. Patrick’s Day Parade almost canceled the event after its largest sponsor pulled out in 2012, Cuban donated $40,000 to keep it afloat, adding an additional $25,000 to the committee’s fund for local schools. Beyond being a generous gesture to the community, it also won Cuban goodwill and an ongoing outlet to promote his basketball team and investments.

3. “No balls, no babies.”

“This is something a blackjack dealer once told me when I asked him if I should hit or stick,” Cuban writes. “It is also my favorite line and probably the thing I tell myself the most. Once you are prepared and you think you have every angle of preparation covered, you have to go for it.”

4. If you don’t set aside time to have fun, your work will suffer.

It’s understandable if you’re a new entrepreneur who is foregoing vacation time to get your business to scale — Cuban says he went seven years without one when he started — but you need a way to unwind or you’re not going to perform to your full potential, he says.

Cuban says his party days are behind him, but he still likes to “blow off steam” with pickup basketball games nearly every week.

5. You can change fear from an impediment to a motivator.

When adrenaline flows through your veins when you’re confronted with a crisis or significant challenge, you can frame that rush with an anxious mindset or a determined one. Use that fear to become more competitive, Cuban says.

And if you fail, you’ll realize that your life will continue. “I’ve been fired from more jobs than most people have had!” Cuban writes. But he kept trying anyway.

6. Always be ready for the unexpected.

It’s a form of preparation to realize that there are some things you can never see coming, Cuban says. With that understanding, you can prevent yourself from becoming impulsive when events take an unexpected turn and then take advantage of an opportunity others are ignoring.

7. Yelling is OK!

“If someone believed strongly enough in something and I was being passionate about something, I wanted them to match my level of passion,” Cuban writes. “So I told people that if they thought it was the only way to get through to me, go for it!”

He does note, however, that while open communication is best at every workplace, yelling may not be.

8. There will be times when you’re down, but you’ll be judged by how quickly you rebound.

“I can’t count how many times I have gotten up in the morning dreading the day,” Cuban writes. “EVERYONE goes through those moments,” but it’s the ones who fight through them the quickest, having learned something from the experience, that become truly successful.

9. “It’s not whether the glass is half empty or half full, it’s who’s pouring the water.”

Cuban says that he uses this twist on a common maxim to remind himself that while there will always be unpredictable events affecting him, he is ultimately responsible for his success and happiness.

And that means always striving to gain control of the game so that the competition plays by your rules.

10. Aspirations that aren’t acted on are meaningless.

Cuban believes that anyone with dreams can become successful, but that most people keep their goals hanging over their heads.

“When I catch myself daydreaming about how I’m going to do this or that, I always try to wake up and ask myself just how I’m going to get from where I am to where I want to be,” he writes.

11. “Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered.”

Cuban says he first heard this from his business partner Todd Wagner. Making a deal in business is an art, and those whose egos make them too greedy miss out on potentially valuable relationships.

“Every good deal has a win-win solution,” Cuban writes. He respects ambition but says “there is nothing I hate more than someone who tries to squeeze every last penny out of the deal.” He explains that he’s done deals with people who aggravated him so much in the negotiation process that he could never fully trust them and ended up ending the partnership.

12. It only takes one win to become successful.

“The beauty of success, whether it’s finding the girl of your dreams, the right job, or financial success, is that it doesn’t matter how many times you have failed, you only have to be right once,” Cuban writes.

Thank you for the advice, Mark.

Matt

Matt Lazar,

Business Development Officer

Ability Professional Network, LLC

(614)-595-5887

12 (Almost) Indisputable Facts About Resume Preparation

Sat, 14 Mar 2015 13:34:44 GMT

Here are twelve tips on how to immediately improve your resume.

Everyone will have an opinion about your resume. Listen only to the person who can hire you. If that person likes the resume then it’s great.
Title your resume with the job title that you are seeking. The body your resume must support that title.
The career objective is obsolete. Use a value statement instead. Companies are very interested in what you can do for them not what they can do for you.
Your resume, LinkedIn profile, business card, personal website and other social media content must send a consistent message.
No recruiter or hiring manager likes to receive a “functional resume”. If you don’t know what a functional resume is…fine.
Key words that support your job objective must appear in your resume multiple times in order for it to get a high ranking by applicant tracking software.
The first 1/3 of your resume is the most critical. Get your message across early.
Refrain from using bullets or other symbols that will be interpreted differently by different software. Stick with what is on your alphanumeric keyboard and leave the fancy symbols and shapes out.
Quantitative data is king. Use this type of data when stating your accomplishments.
Your resume should be two full pages…three at the most…unless you are in IT and then you have no limit. (Just kidding)
Go back only 10 years unless you have a good reason.
No Typos.

I am sure that some people will take issue with a few of these points. That’s why I call the “Almost Indisputable” facts. After all, if the job search was a perfect science, you wouldn’t be reading this post.

Happy Hunting!

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Is Your Resume Competitive?

Sat, 07 Mar 2015 13:43:43 GMT

Your resume is a very emotional document. I totally understand why. Your resume is a summary of your responsibilities and accomplishments throughout your career. Who wouldn’t be emotional about that?

I review hundreds of resumes each week. The majority of resumes that I review are not competitive. What I mean by “not competitive” is that these resumes were written in a vacuum. They were not compared with other resumes of similarly qualified candidates. Why is that important?

The job search is a competition. You are constantly compared against similarly qualified candidates in the market. Your resume and LinkedIn profile are the first place you are judged. If these profiles are not well constructed, well written and at least as good as other, equally qualified candidates, then you are eliminated early on.

So, how do I know if my resume is competitive? Good question.

I coach my clients to go on Google and perform a search for resumes of candidates in their field such as “Account Manager Resumes” and click on images. Google will pull up literally hundreds of resumes of Account Managers for you to review.

Take a look. Is your resume competitive to other the candidates’ resumes? Does reflect your hard skills, accomplishments and education is a similar manner? Which resume would you choose if you were the hiring manager?

Take a look at their LinkedIn profiles. Are you competitive on LinkedIn? If not, then you now have the opportunity to revise your profile to be more competitive.

I’m getting emotional just thinking about it.

Have a terrific week.

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What is the most valuable thing you have learned during your job search?

Sat, 25 Oct 2014 13:11:44 GMT

I received a call this week from one of our members who recently landed. She was very excited about her new role and was anxious to get back to work. Unemployment was something she had never expected. She had never been out of work before.

I asked her what was the most valuable thing that she had learned during her job search. After a very long pause, she said,

“I never thought there would be so many people who I would meet that were willing to help. I made a lot of new friends. They are great people who I would not have met if I had not been unemployed. I am going to be a much more helpful person in the future.”

That was an amazing statement. I thought about it for the rest of the day.

Reverend Billy Graham is credited with giving us this great quote “The Lord has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.”

What is the most valuable thing that you have learned during your job search?

Please let me know.

Everyone have a terrific week.

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

What is really important in finding your next job?

Sat, 02 Aug 2014 13:30:41 GMT

Several years ago, I found myself in my first serious job search. I was commuting 45 minutes, one-way, everyday to my old job. The commute had really gotten to me. So, I decided that the most important criteria for finding a new job was commuting no longer than 20 minutes, one way.

You can imagine that the 20 minute commute really narrowed the field of potential employers. My job search began to stall and I was becoming very discouraged.

One day, I bought a copy of What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles. For those of you who are not familiar with the book, it is the Holy Grail of job seekers. One of the exercises in the book is called the Flower Exercise. It is still one of the best priority setting exercises for job seekers that I have ever found. Anyway, I took one entire weekend and finished the Flower Exercise. It was very revealing.

One petal of the flower exercise required you to list 12 of the most important criteria that you are looking for in your new job like, a good salary, benefits, advancement, meaningful work, etc. After putting your criteria in a matrix you compared them one-on-one and then ranked your criteria from highest to lowest.

Guess where my 20 minute commute ranked? Ninth.

The moral of the story is to make sure that you understand what is really important in your job search before you spend a lot of time going in the wrong direction.

Have a terrific week,

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network, LLC
(614) 403-6079

The One Word That Will Help You Close More Sales

Sat, 10 Aug 2013 13:34:09 GMT

By Grant Cardone

One-word question missed by almost all sales people: “Why?”

The “why” will identify your prospective customers‘ dominant motives. Once you do that, you will almost always make the sale.

People buy things only to solve a problem. This is true even with emotional purchases. When you buy your wife flowers or jewelry, you do so to solve some problem. “No” you say, “I love my wife and that is why I bought her a dozen roses.” Look a little deeper and I assure you there is some problem you are trying to solve. Why do you think people say: “A happy wife is a happy life?”

Figure out the problem your customer or prospect is trying to solve and not only will you make the sale, you will make it quicker and it will be more profitable. The “why” is the fuel for every sale, what I also call the dominant buying motive.

Sometimes even your customers are not clear about their motivation. It is your job to clarify this. Getting them to answer the why will crystalize the reason they are doing business with you. Here are some specific questions that can help you get to the “why” of a customer’s potential purchase:

Why are you here today?
Why do you have interest in this product?
Why is that important to you?
Why did you agree to see me?
Why did you decide to do this now?
Why would you make this kind of investment?

Let’s look at the “why” behind the kid who borrows money from the government to go to school. The obvious reason is to get an education, but behind the obvious you will find the real why.

Let’s try it out:

Why do you want to go to school?
To get an education.
But really why?
So I can get a good job.
You can get a job without a degree. What’s the real reason?
I want to become a lawyer.
So why did you pick this school and why now? Why not wait?
My best friend is also applying here and we want to go to law school together.

Bingo. Now we finally got to the real reason: the best friend. Find the motivator, the why, and you will know how to close the deal.

Once I was working with a high-end watch store. A customer rushed in at lunch time asking for a specific watch. He had a type A personality and knew exactly what he wanted. When we put it on his wrist and shared the price of $57,000, he looked at it in admiration and asked what kind of price he could negotiate.

Before the sales person gave away the boutique’s profits, I jumped in.

“Why did you come here today?” I asked. He said he wanted to see if we had this specific watch. I pressed further.

“Why did you stop here today?” He didn’t know what I meant.

“Do you not want me here?” he asked.

“Of course we do. We appreciate you stopping by, love the fact that you know what you want and have such a great taste in time pieces. I’m just wondering why you decided to stop in today, not yesterday or last week or next week.” I knew digging deeper would get to the real “why” and then it came.

“Well, this weekend I am going to my best friend’s wedding in Santa Barbara and I’d love to have a new piece to wear.”

Boom. There’s the real why, the real motive and the $57,000 reason for my final question: “Would that be Amex or Visa?” He bought the watch and never brought up a discount again.

Someone serious about a $57,000 watch doesn’t really need to negotiate. There are other things they value more from the purchase. Once I showed him we were both clear on why he wanted to make the purchase, it was made without hesitation.

We see this dynamic in sales all the time. No one buys a $57,000 watch to tell time. People buy things to solve problems. The cost of the item isn’t what matters. Once the buyer is able to see the problem the product solves, their decision becomes much easier to resolve. Get to the “why” and the sale will follow.

Does your job search feel like Groundhog Day?

Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:54:10 GMT

I know how you feel. I felt the same way during my job search several years ago. You are doing all of the things that you feel you should be doing…applying online…going to networking events…having a coffee meeting with friends and members of Tuesday Tune-up…asking everyone you see if they know of any job openings. After a while, you get really good at your job search but with few results.

Bill Murray did the same thing in the movie. He got really good at everything he did while he was trapped in Groundhog Day. But, he never did get what he really needed until something special happened. He realized the world did not revolve around him.

Not until Bill began to truly help others and care about them, did he get exactly what he needed.

Ponder that for a moment. Honestly helping others…gets you what you need. Sound familiar?

This week, call some special people and ask them how you can help out…pick up their kids…run some errands…fix a broke faucet…paint the bedroom…volunteer at a non-profit.

Make this a part of your job search strategy.

Maybe when your alarm clock plays “I Got You Babe” tomorrow morning, special things will happen.

And the beat goes on…

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

“Everyone is in sales.”

Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:51:04 GMT

By Jeffrey Gitomer

R EALITY: Every single person in every single company is either in sales or affects sales. Every single person in every single company is either in service or affects service.

There’s an old business adage that goes: “Everyone is in sales.” The reality is that only salespeople believe this. Even customer service people that touch customers daily and spend hours with them in what might be considered a gateway to the next sale don’t think of themselves as in sales, or don’t think of themselves as salespeople.

KEY POINT OF UNDERSTANDING: Your customers are judging every aspect of every transaction and rating everything from friendliness of people, to ease of doing business, to quality of product, to service after the sale. They’re judging how easy it is to access someone on the phone. They’re judging how the package arrived. They’re judging what the instruction book is like. And they’re certainly judging service should they need it.

The dilemma is that leadership fails to communicate and teach the importance of customer’s interactions and perceptions as they relate to the success of the company. The reason everyone in the company doesn’t perceive or realize that they’re in sales is that no one has told them and no one has taught them.

Here are a few “teach tips” to get your team to the next level…

Teach EVERYONE that attitude is the foundation of success, both personal and business

• Teach EVERYONE the importance of friendliness

• Teach EVERYONE that speed of response is not an option

• Teach EVERYONE how to respond to customer complaints

• Teach EVERYONE that service is as important as sales.

• Teach EVERYONE to ask for more business

• Teach EVERYONE to suggest more

• Teach EVERYONE to thank the customer for their business

The key word is “teach” because these are courses that no one ever learned in school. Yet they are vital to your success – especially in these times.

These elements may seem fundamental – almost rudimentary – to anyone’s job function. But more business is lost to apathy, rudeness, slow response, poor attitude, and lack of friendliness than is lost to low price – times a thousand.

CHALLENGE: If you tell your people everyone is in sales, why don’t you follow through and help them sell?

THOUGHT: If everyone in the company is in sales, why are only salespeople invited to sales meetings?

REALITY: You are overlooking HUGE sales opportunities at a time when sales are harder to come by, and every sale counts.

5 Tips For A Successful Business Lunch

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:22:45 GMT

So, you’re going through the interview process with a great company. Everything is going well and you think you’ll receive an offer soon. Then, your interviewer invites you out to lunch. Although he or she may present the offer in a nonchalant, casual way, your interviewer is probably giving you one last chance to prove yourself before they make a decision.

5 Tips For A Successful Business Lunch by Shannon Mohan

Nervous? Don’t be! Here are a few tips to make sure you have a successful business lunch.

1. Leave Your Phone At Home

This may seem like a casual meal with a potential colleague, but in reality, it’s anything but casual. The word to remember is “potential.” You still have not received an offer, so you should treat this no differently than a formal interview. You wouldn’t take your phone out start replying to e-mails in a primary interview, so don’t do it here. A good way to beat temptation is to leave your phone at home or in the car. If you can’t stomach the thought of being without it, simply put it on silent mode and off of the table.

2. Ask A Few Prepared Questions

Much like in a formal interview, it’s always a good idea to ask questions. You may not talk about business during the entire meal but when you are, make sure it’s not a one-way conversation. Prepare a few open-ended questions to ask just in case you get overwhelmed, or even if you just need a conversation starter. Do a little bit of research on the company and your interviewer. Not a full background check (because no one wants to hire a stalker) but just a few things to bring up if your mind goes blank at any time.

3. Remember Your Basic Table Manners

Don’t put your elbows on the table, don’t talk with your mouth full, and don’t blow your nose in your napkin. Sounds like things your mother tells you right? Well, your mother may have helped you get this job. These are only a few common table manners to follow, but you can research more before hand if you’re not sure on what is acceptable or not. Take into account how you are eating. Never cut all of your food into pieces before you eat it – cut as you go. And the first thing you should do when you sit down is place your napkin in your lap.

4. Order The Right Food

Nothing is more awkward than trying to figure out how to eat nachos in front of your potential boss without making a mess. Always order something neat and simple that won’t make a mess or stain your clothes. As well as ordering the right food, remember to order the right drink. Not sure whether it’s appropriate to order an alcoholic beverage? A good rule of thumb is to wait and see if the interviewer suggests it or offers a drink first. Don’t take this as an invitation to get wasted. Know your limits and keep plenty of water nearby.

5. The Salt And Pepper Rule

Never, ever salt and pepper your food before you taste it. Like you have been reminded throughout this article, this is still a part of the interview process. Paying attention to details is essential. This rule seems silly, but for some, it can make or break their interview. Those who salt and pepper their food before tasting are seen as too assuming and that you jump to conclusions. For some this may be a hard habit to break so practice it leading up to the lunch. No one wants their downfall to be seasoning their potatoes too quickly.

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Twelve Tips on Working with a Professional Staffing Agency

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 14:36:20 GMT

A lot or people ask me, “Ken, exactly how do I work with a professional staffing agency?” Glad you asked. Here are twelve tips that when followed will go a long way to help you develop a long term relationship with a good staffing agency.

Twelve Tips on Working with a Staffing Agency – Ken Lazar

1. Do your Homework – Go online and perform a Google search for staffing companies that place temporary employees in your field. Go on the staffing agency’s website and determine if you feel that your occupation is in their core recruiting competency.

2. Contact your Target Companies – Contact the human resources department at your target companies (if you can get through) and ask them which staffing companies place candidates in your field with them. Is there a particular staffing recruiter they feel is very professional and like to work with?

3. Look at Job Postings – Once you have established your list of potential staffing firms, review their job postings on their internal website and on the internet job boards. Are they currently looking for candidates in your field?

4. Find Your Recruiter – Do an extensive search on LinkedIn and find the names of the recruiters who work at your target staffing agencies. Recruiters are open networkers and very easy to find.

5. Make Contact – Call the staffing agency and ask to speak with a recruiter in your field, or ask for one by name from your online and LinkedIn research. If the recruiter is not available, get the email address. Leave a message and call back. I suggest calling recruiters early in the day or last thing at night. Contact them after hours if you have their direct line.

6. Build Rapport – Have your elevator speech prepared when you make first contact. Understand that a professional staffing recruiter has a goal to meet each day for the number of candidates and hiring managers that she needs to contact. It’s a big number, so be brief, to the point and focused. A recruiter is always looking for a pipeline of good candidates in the positions that she recruits for. If a position is not available now, it may be tomorrow. Be pleasant…be positive…be brief. If the recruiter has an immediate need, she will engage you in additional conversation.

7. Be Available – New job orders come in every day. Usually, recruiters are required to submit initial candidates within 48 hours. If they can’t reach you, they go to the next available candidate. The client sets the schedule for interviews. Be available. Don’t ask to reschedule interviews once they are set or your competition will get the job.

8. Follow-up – There is a fine line between following up and being pushy…try not to cross it. Touch base with your recruiter via email each week. Do not expect a face-to-face interview with a recruiter unless they anticipate that you will be submitted for an open position.

9. Making Application – Staffing agencies all have various ways to enter you into their applicant tracking system. Follow their instructions, but I recommend that you always email your resume (in Microsoft Word format) to your recruiter.

10. Multiple Agencies – It’s OK to work with two or three agencies, but never with the same client or for the same position. Never play this game. You will lose and get a bad reputation.

11. Become a Resource – You are in job transition and meet people every day that could be valuable candidates to your recruiter. Make candidate referrals. You may even get a referral fee. Inform the recruiter about companies that you have found that are hiring.

12. Be Memorable in a Positive Way – Recruiters never get personally written thank you notes. They never get donuts or bagels. No candidates ever take them out to lunch. Do you get my message?

Follow this advice and you will significantly increase your chances of finding a good, long-term contract position.

Next week, I will give you 12 tips on how to deal with your spouse…just kidding

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

12 Tips For Working With a Professional Recruiter

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 14:29:10 GMT

Here are twelve tips that when followed will go a long way to help you develop a long term relationship with a good staffing agency.

Twelve Tips on Working with a Staffing Agency – Ken Lazar

1. Do your Homework – Go online and perform a Google search for recruiting firms that place employees in your field. Go on the recruiting firm’s website and determine if you feel that your occupation is in their core recruiting competency.

2. Contact your Target Companies – Contact the human resources department at your target companies (if you can get through) and ask them which recruiting firms place candidates in your field with them. Is there a particular recruiter they feel is very professional and like to work with?

3. Look at Job Postings – Once you have established your list of potential recruiting firms, review their job postings on their internal website and on the internet job boards. Are they currently looking for candidates in your field?

4. Find Your Recruiter – Do an extensive search on LinkedIn and find the names of the recruiters who work at your target recruiting firms. Recruiters are open networkers and very easy to find.

5. Make Contact – Call the recruiting firm and ask to speak with a recruiter in your field, or ask for one by name from your online and LinkedIn research. If the recruiter is not available, get the email address. Leave a message and call back. I suggest calling recruiters early in the day or last thing at night. Contact them after hours if you have their direct line.

9. Making Application – Recruiting firms all have various ways to enter you into their applicant tracking system. Follow their instructions, but I recommend that you always email your resume (in Microsoft Word format) to your recruiter.

10. Multiple Agencies – It’s OK to work with two or three firms, but never with the same client or for the same position. Never play this game. You will lose and get a bad reputation.

12. Be Memorable in a Positive Way – Recruiters never get personally written thank you notes. They never get donuts or bagels. No candidates ever take them out to lunch. Do you get my message?

Follow this advice and you will significantly increase your chances of finding a good, long-term contract position.

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Top 10 Business Dinner Etiquette Rules

clive@locallogy.com (Clive Clifford) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:44:59 GMT

Top Ten Business Dinner Etiquette Rules

Professional Imagery, Shelley Menduni Director, shelmend@yahoo.com

Rule # 1 – Start On The Outside. On a properly set table you usually see a series of forks on the left side of your plate and spoons and knives on your right. The very simple rule is to always work from the outside in. The cutlery farthest away from your plate is for the first course.

Rule # 2 – Build Bridges, Not Ramps . When you put your knives, forks, and spoons down, place the entire utensil on the plate (bridge). Do not put it back on the table, and do not rest it half on and half off the plate (ramp);

When you are finished, place your knife and fork together in the center of the plate slightly turned to the five o’clock position. This well let your server know you are done eating.

Rule # 3 – Cutting Your Food . You should always use both your knife and fork together. You should not cut your food up at the start and then use your fork only. You should only cut one edible piece of meat at a time.

Rule # 4 – Eating Soup . When eating soup, push your spoon away from you starting to the farthest edge of the soup bowl. Bring the spoon to your mouth and drink the soup from the edge of the spoon and not by putting the whole spoon in to your mouth. And, of course, do not slurp.

Rule # 5 – Napkins . Your napkin should be unfolded and placed on your lap immediately upon sitting down at the table, folded in half once, and the open end of the fold facing away from you. It is never acceptable to tuck your napkin in to the front of your shirt in business dinner etiquette.

If you must leave the table before you have finished, you should place your napkin on your seat. This tells the server that you plan to return.

Rule # 6 – Which Glass? Normally you will have two or more glasses at the table. Your glasses are on the right upper side of your plate. You can have up to four glasses. They are usually arranged in a diagonal or roughly square pattern. The top left glass is for red wine. It will usually have a fairly large bowl. Directly below that you will find the white wine glass, which will be smaller. At the top right, you will find a champagne glass. Your water glass is on the bottom righ

Rule # 7 – Sitting. You should not sit in your seat until your host or hostess has done so. If there is no host, then you should wait for the senior or oldest person at the table to sit first before you sit in your seat.

Rule # 8 – Starting To Eat. The same can be said for eating as well. You should not pick up your fork and begin eating until the host, hostess, or senior person at the table begins. You must not start eating until everyone has been served even if your food is getting cold. If there are a large number of guests, the host may indicate that you may begin before everyone is served. If this is the case, then you should begin.

Rule # 9 – Spitting Food Out. If you take a mouthful of food which contains something you cannot swallow, you should remove the piece of food by which ever means it entered your mouth.

Rule # 10 – Bread and Butter. When you begin to eat bread or any other food from a common bowl using business dinner etiquette, you should offer the bread basket to the person on your left and then begin passing the bowl around the table to the right.

If you are having bread with your meal there will usually be a small side plate on the left hand side of your place setting. Bread should torn with your fingers and never be cut with a knife if offered in the loaf form. When you wish to eat it, tear a bite sized piece off with your fingers. Use your butter knife to transfer a sufficient portion of butter for your bread. One get butter from the dish once. So, make sure that you get enough. Place it on the side of your side plate. You should butter each piece of bread as you eat it, rather than buttering it all up front.

Other Great Etiquette Rules & Tips

Do not salt your meal before you have tasted it.
Do not discuss politics, religion, sex, or other controversial subjects at the table.
Some foods can be difficult to eat. Save yourself trouble and embarrassment by just not ordering those foods!!
Don’t blow on hot food to cool it down, just let it cool down by itself.
Don’t move or turn your plate after your meal has been served.
Be sure to say thank you to your host before leaving and send a hand written thank you note the next day.
Dress conservatively!

You might think that these business dinner etiquette tips are outdated, but I assure you that people are always watching how you handle yourself at the table. If you already have a job and are eating with your boss, continually dinning with business dinner etiquette will set you up for future success. You never know when the opportunity to make a sale or land the next job offer will present itself. And, in today’s challenging job market, we all need as many tools and tricks in our bags to help us stay competitive as possible.

Talking Business at the Dinner Table

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:56:53 GMT

Published with permission, Shelley Menduni, Owner, Professional Imagery

When to discuss business

Generally, the host initiates the business discussion. Business, if not urgent, is often discussed toward the end of the meal or over coffee. Don’t wait too long, though, or you won’t have time to accomplish your objective.

If you are the junior member of a party, don’t dominate the discussion, but make comments and ask questions.

When the table isn’t involved in a general discussion, be a good conversationalist with the people seated on either side of you.

If you are the host, it’s your job to steer the conversation, to suggest topics for discussion, and to make sure that everyone at the table is given the opportunity to be part of the general conversation.

Essential conversational skills

A good conversationalist has many qualities.

She is knowledgeable about a variety of topics

Has a sense of humor that enables her to entertain others

She can laugh at herself

She has many interests and is able to vary conversation topics to fit the person or audience she is speaking to.

She is also a very good listener and is truly interested in what others have to say

Listening is probably the most important quality. The ability to listen to others even when we’re bored or uninterested is the greatest skill we can develop. Listen attentively to all information. It will amaze you how many times it will be information you will need in the future.

Being able to talk about a variety of topics, being sensitive to others, having an assortment of interests, and carefully listening to what others are saying and are interested in will enable you to come up with many appropriate dinner table conversation topics.

Knowing your audience

Consider your guests, clients, or audience.

If you’re discussing business over dinner with colleagues, then you may need to make small talk and discuss trivial matters for about a half an hour before business dominates the remainder of the conversation.

If business is the reason for the hour long lunch, then stick to business.

The conversations at dinner parties in people’s homes and at restaurants vary widely, depending upon the nature of the guests and the reason for the dinner.

Starting a conversation

One good place to start is to think of common interests.

If the other guests are people you see occasionally or associate with regularly, you can ask about recent developments in their lives or about what they’ve been doing since you last spoke.

If you’re going to be meeting many people at the dinner for the first time, get ready to make small talk.

Small talk subjects

Small talk can be a life saver in many situations. It fills the voids in conversations, helps ease tense moments, sets others at ease, and helps us become acquainted with others. There are two ways to make initiating small talk a little easier.

The first is to be well-informed, as all good conversationalists are. This means being able to discuss topics such as current best-selling books, news events, famous people, fitness crazes, medical and technological advances, travel, and sports. These are all appropriate small talk subjects.

The second way to ease into small talk is by asking others about themselves, their family, work, or hobby. If you know one of your guests or the host is particularly knowledgeable about wines or has wines as a hobby, you might steer conversation to that area.

Conversation stoppers

Asking a person generally about himself is acceptable. However, asking very personal or intimate questions is off-limits. Do not ask about:

- religious beliefs

- financial situation

- terminal illness or any illness

- details about a divorce or an affair

- someone’s weight, height, shoe size, age or mental health.

Exceptions are people who are best friends or who are absolutely comfortable discussing these subjects with one another.

Also avoid:

- harmful gossip; and

- telling racial, ethnic, and sexually oriented jokes.

You never know who’s going to be offended by them even if they don’t admit it or show it. Avoid issues that have been overly discussed and are no longer interesting to the majority of people.

Leave money matters at home.

Don’t bring up strongly debatable and controversial issues if you don’t know how the other person feels about them. Avoid discussing:

- abortion

- the rights of homosexuals

Responses to rudeness

If you are asked a rude question or are the recipient of a tactless comment:

- do not respond to or acknowledge the question or comment

- reply in a very vague manner or give them no answer at all

- say that you don’t want to discuss an issue

Monitoring conversations

Your job as the host includes mediating conversations if the need arises;

- switch to a lighter topic;

- end the chitchat and get on to business;

- make sure everyone is introduced to everyone else; and

- make sure that everyone is involved in conversation.

You don’t want to leave one or two people out of a conversation because they are shy or unfamiliar with the topic being discussed. Include them in a conversation by starting it with something you know they are involved or interested in.

Maintaining confidentiality

With the close proximity of tables in many restaurants today, check around to see who is near. Confidentiality is important. It is wise not to discuss anything that may be even slightly confidential when dining out in a restaurant. Also, be conscious of your voice level and speak softly.

Put aside any shoptalk of the critical or confidential kind. It can be tempting to relax when you’re outside the office, but remember to keep your professional demeanor. A slip of the tongue can cause you problems-plus you never know who might overhear.

Why Were You Fired?

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:57:51 GMT

What is the most often asked interview question? “Why did you leaver your last job?’ of course. And, the answer to that interview question must be positive and honest. But what if you were fired? It happens every day. Here is a great article that will help you craft your “exit speech” if you were fired from your last position.

Why Were You Fired? By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer

“I had a great boss, but he left. From the very beginning it was clear my new boss and I were going to be at odds — we just had different types of personalities. She kept changing the rules. One day, she would want it this way, and the next day she’d want it another way. I don’t usually have problems with bosses, but this woman was really overbearing in her management approach.”

That’s how Karen explains being fired from a previous job at an interview. This is not the best way to present the situation. Karen could be classified as a whiner. Badmouthing former employers during the interview is a bad idea. No one wants to hear about someone else’s shortcomings, particularly someone they don’t even know.

If you have ever been fired, you probably dread being asked about it in a job interview. Not only have you been fired, you now have to talk about it again and again. How you deal with questions about your firing will depend a lot on how you have resolved the issue with yourself.

Alice explains it this way: “I was fired after a major reorganization. The merging of different cultures had caused a major change in the way things were done. There were some differences of opinion between my boss and me. In the end, I was let go. I take responsibility for my part in the way things turned out. I learned a lot from the experience, and in retrospect, I would have handled it differently. But that is behind me now, and I am ready to move on with a new perspective.”

This answer demonstrates strength and self-confidence. Alice takes responsibility and deals with the question honestly.

Script Your Thoughts

Whether you were fired under unfair circumstances or for something you did that you regret, write down your thoughts on how you would explain the instance. Read your script aloud or use a tape recorder and practice until you like what you hear. Better yet, answer the question for someone else in a mock interview. Have him observe your interview technique — your body language, eye contact and comfort-level while discussing your experience. Feedback from someone else will help you improve your presentation.

Check with Your References

It is important to find out what your former employer will or will not say about you if called for a reference. What you say should be in sync with what your former employer will say. If you left the employer under agreeable terms, check with your former employer to find out what you can expect.

Don’t Lie

Probably the worst way to handle the firing is by lying. One lie usually leads to another, and before you know it you are in over your head. You always take a chance when you lie on an application. The application usually requires your signature, stating that the information is true and any false statements could be grounds for termination.

People get fired everyday. They move on and get new jobs, and you will too. No matter what the circumstances, put it behind you. Deal with your feelings about the firing, and prepare to talk about the experience in interviews. Being prepared will make you feel more confident and less emotional about the situation.

Great advice, Carole. Thanks for the article

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Clean Up Your Personal Brand

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:24:44 GMT

We talk a lot about personal branding these days as it pertains to job candidates. But do you need to change your brand to keep pace with the times? Here is a great article by Rosa Elizabeth Vargas about cleaning up your brand

Clean Up Your Personal Brand By Rosa Elizabeth Vargas, www.careersteering.com

Branding yourself was a great idea! You are well aware of your unique value offer; have leveraged it to position yourself as an expert in your field and “knockout” other heavy-weight champions. Great job!

What’s next? To stay current, you must always revisit your personal brand’s core values, ensure the value offer you’ve focused on is still in alignment with your target employer’s fluctuating needs. If it isn’t, you may need to re-brand yourself.

A re-tooling of your personal brand is sometimes necessary in reaction to fluid industry demands—very strategic and smart defense! HOWEVER, a proactive re-brand based on forecasted industry needs and a deep-dive self reassessment –is even smarter! (That’s offense, baby!)

So, is it time to re-evaluate, clean up, refocus, and polish your personal brand? Get your gloves, dust mops, and brooms… (pen and paper will work too).

Canvassing. Initiate contact with your target employer.

Learn. What is important to them as they plan for the future.

Evaluate. How does your personal brand meet their needs?

Adjust. Discard the old, remove barriers to the new you.

New . Package yourself anew this spring with a fresh and in-demand brand.

Great advice, Rosa. Thanks for the article

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

How Recruiters Find You On LinkedIn

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:32:40 GMT

These are notes taken from Abby Kohut’s (Absolutely Abby) presentation at one of our Tuesday Tune-up meetings:

How Recruiters find you on Linked In.

To narrow the field of potential candidates, most recruiters will search LinkedIn by

Job title
Location
“Current” – mainly to narrow the field
Key words and skills

Ensure your profile contains the following;

Various job titles for the type of position you are seeking. Example; Director of Marketing, Marketing Director, Director of Brand Management, Media Director, Advertising Director, etc, etc,
Create a current job even if you are unemployed, using the appropriate title(s). To do so you’ll also need a Company name. If you are a consultant, create a name for your Company or business. If you are not a consultant, the company name can be…”Seeking New Opportunity” or your title or profession in your location; such as “Marketing Professional in Columbus, Ohio”.
If you volunteer, you can use this as a current job (indicating volunteer), however realize the importance of titles in a recruiters search. Since you can have more than one current job, perhaps doing both would be the best approach.
Key words and skills are critical to include in your profile. The more inclusive the better. Remember that even if you download your resume on LinkedIn, the search feature on LinkedIn will NOT search your resume for the keywords, only the information on your profile.

Example; A search for an Administrative Assistant eliminated many candidates because they did not have Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint as keywords on their profiles. It is unlikely that they don’t have the skills; they just omitted them from their profiles.

You will also want your profile to be listed in the top 50 (if not top 25) profiles that are listed when a recruiter does a search for someone with your background. The following will have an impact how you’ll far up the list your profile will appear.

Your Job Titles are relevant
Your Key words and skills are a match
The closer you are to the recruiter in the LinkedIn network. 1st degree connections, 2nd degree, 3rd degree, groups.
Most recruiters have very large networks, so you’ll not only want to be as close to them as possible, but ensure the keywords and skills are included in your profile as well.
Consider connecting with LIONS to broaden your network. Also, internal and external recruiters for the target companies you are seeking.

T hank you for the tips, Abby!

In Your Job Search, You Need to Hustle Like an Entrepreneur

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:50:50 GMT

Reid Hoffman, Founder of LinkedIn, has recently written an new book titled The Start-up of You. I suggest that you put this book on top of your must read list. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 5 that has a great message for job seekers:

Every good entrepreneur has to hustle and be resourceful in order to get their business off the ground. For example, Pandora’s founder, Tim Westergren, pitched the company to over 300 VCs before receiving any funding and did all sorts of things to keep the company afloat in the meantime. In The Start-Up of You, we argue that the entrepreneur hustle is something everyone can and must do in their career.

Consider Chris Sacca. Today he is an investor in tech start-ups like Twitter. Previously he worked at Google. But before that, he was an out-of-work attorney in desperate need of income to help him pay off his student loans from law school.

Sacca started sneaking in through the back door of networking and tech industry events, utilizing his Spanish-language skills to smooth-talk the workers in the kitchen to let him in. Once he was in the door, he realized that handing his new acquaintances a business card that listed only his name wasn’t impressing anyone. So he hatched a clever plan to boost his credibility at the events he attended: create a consulting firm and employ himself there. He made new business cards, hired a developer to build a website, and enlisted his fiancée to draw a corporate logo. Then he went to the same networking events with new business cards that read, “Chris Sacca, Principal, Salinger Group.” Suddenly, the people he met were interested in talking more. Through these connections he eventually landed an executive job at a wireless company, and his career took flight.

Unemployed but toting fancy business cards with a consulting firm logo at the top — awesome!

Take a tip from Chris Sacca. If you haven’t already, have some high quality business cards printed up tomorrow as part of your personal branding and job search strategy. It’s important.

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Which Groups Should I Join on LinkedIn?

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:04:58 GMT

I am often asked, “Which groups should I join on LinkedIn?”

Great question! If I scan your LinkedIn groups, I would expect to see groups that are consistent with your personal brand. If you are looking for a job in engineering, I should see several engineering related groups. I should see your college alumni group. If your company has an alumni group, that group should also appear. I would expect to see technical networking groups in your target city…groups associated with the professional engineering organization that you are currently a member of.

Don’t confuse the reader by joining groups that conflict with your brand. For example, I would not expect an engineer to join marketing groups or groups associated with other occupations. This sends mixed signals.

Be focused. If a recruiter is reading your profile, make sure the LinkedIn groups that you join reinforce your personal brand.

Ken Lazar, CEO

Ability Professional Network

(614) 403-6079

Filling the Time Between Jobs Productively

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:16:14 GMT

By Kathy Keshemberg, NCRW, CCMC

We’ve all seen the reports; it’s taking (on average) three months to land a new gig. So what do you do with your time (besides look for a new job)? How will you answer the interview question, “What have you been doing since leaving your last employer?” Here are some ideas …

Volunteer — There are a multitude of organizations in your community who exist solely on the hours donated by volunteers. Not only is this an opportunity to make a difference by sharing your time and expertise, it’s also a great way to network. You’re not just “telling” what you can do, you’re demonstrating. Plus, it will be a rewarding life experience.
Internship — Typically reserved for new college grads, there is a growing trend of adults seeking internships to explore/learn about careers to transition into. You have the opportunity to learn first-hand the requirements of your new career path, but also it’s a foot in the door for possible full-time employment. Since an internship is a low-pay or no-pay position, the hours will be flexible so you can continue your job search activities.
Continuing Education — With technology and the work place changing so rapidly, taking a class to update or learn new skills, or beginning an advanced degree program is an excellent use of your time. This activity will demonstrate to your future employer that you are a life-long learner and that you are staying current within your area of expertise.
Leadership — Become involved in your trade association, community organizations, or other professional groups, but rather than simply attend meetings, accept a leadership role. Serve on the board of directors, chair a committee, spearhead an event – any of these activities will give you visibility and the chance to showcase your skills.
Consultant — Accept short-term consulting jobs, either for pay, as a volunteer, or even on a barter basis. The terms of your involvement don’t need to show up on your resume, but the experience and results you deliver will be impressive.
Job Seekers Group — Job search is a lonely activity! Meeting on a regular basis with a group of your peers in the same situation is a good way to gain support and to network.
Enjoy Yourself — Looking for work is a stressful time, so be sure to take time for you! Tackling some of those projects you didn’t have time to do while working will give you a real sense of accomplishment. And while finances are often tight during this time, there are plenty of low-cost activities you can do with your family such as bicycling, hiking, working out, or home organization projects. Taking time away from your job search is imperative for your sanity!

Volunteering During Your Job Search

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:11:42 GMT

Some of the most important and fulfilling work that people can do during their job search is to volunteer their time and energy in worthwhile community activities. Volunteering makes you feel good. And, at the same time, you are able to network with great people.

Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts – One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.
Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills – While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.
Volunteering increasing self-confidence – Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.
Volunteering combats depression – Reducing the risk of depression is another important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times.
Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy – Volunteering is good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.
Volunteering can advance your career – If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.
Volunteering can provide career experience – Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, if you’re interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home. Your volunteer work might also expose you to professional organizations or internships that could be of benefit to your career.
Volunteering can teach you valuable job skills – Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. For example, you could become an experienced crisis counselor while volunteering for a women’s shelter or a knowledgeable art historian while donating your time as a museum docent.
Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you might raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate while further developing and improving your public speaking, communication, and marketing skills. Offer benefits of joining the group. Offer benefits of volunteering and what is needed (hours of commitment).

How Effective is Job Networking?

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 09:22:06 GMT

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that 94% of successful job hunters claimed that job networking had made all the difference for them. Sixty to 90 percent of jobs are found informally – mainly through friends, relatives, and direct contacts.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 63.4% of all workers use informal job finding methods. Mark S. Granovetter, a Harvard sociologist, reported to Forbes magazine that “informal contacts” account for almost 75 percent of all successful job searches. Agencies find nine percent of new jobs for professional and technical people, and advertisements yield another 10 percent or so.

At least 60% of job openings in the U.S. are not filled through advertising, recruiters or other traditional methods. They are filled through job networking and informal contacts. The goal is to move into the hidden, unadvertised job market, using every available resource that contact with other people will provide you.

Current employees are among the best sources of referrals. Many firms report that 40 – 50% of their openings are filled by candidates referred to by staff members. Moreover, companies view such candidates more favorably than those brought in through other methods because they already know something about the organization and have a personal connection with it.

From the article “Network your way to your Dream Job” ( http://www.careerplaybook.com/guide/networking.asp )

More Advantages of Job Networking:

You can learn about job opportunities not yet advertised, therefore reducing your competition significantly.
A job may be specifically created for you based on an employer’s requirement.
You are in the enviable position of focusing attention on the qualities and strengths you possess.
Networking provides social contact and personal interaction.
Rather than having to make a cold calls or attend meetings with people who are unknown to you, you will gain referrals that will make the job search process much easier.
Job openings can sometimes be created for, you so be opportunistic and flexible. You must actively listen to the communication that is going on around you.
Networking is a two-way process that can enable you to help others.
Networking is a proactive job search method.
Networking puts you in control, setting your own pace and course. It is less stressful than sifting through tons of advertisements and is far more productive over time.

The Do’s of Job Networking : The Don’ts of Job Networking :

Give recognition for assistance, gifts and referrals.
Keep in contact with the people on your lists.
Share your resources, skills, knowledge and ideas.
Be someone who is involved.
Deliver on your promises.
Sometimes just surprise someone with a gift, note or even lunch.
Recommend people and be sincere in your compliments.
Keep your contacts updated on new events.
Always follow up on conversations and referrals

From the article “How to network in order to find a job?” (http://www.cvtips.com/job-search/how-to-network-in-order-to-find-a-job-.html)