Florida Jobing Community Blogs

I have done numerous workshops in our community and most recently, I did a Dress for Success, Resume and Interview Tips workshop for the Hollywood Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees)!

There were many people there from the community, including job seekers like yourself!

I was able to talk about how you need to have a professional resume and be able to present yourself in the best possible way in the interview process by being prepared. Another tip was to Dress for Success! We had Dillard's from Galleria Mall "in the house" to show us the latest business fashions.

Today, I became a fan of SYMS, just like Dillard's and I noticed this article they had published on their fan page. Lot os of information on Dressing for Success, so I thought I would share.

I would like to add that I know we live in Florida, but, we are too casual! I think we should all step it up to look more polished. I think it is appropriate and professional to wear pantyhose in an interview and most times when wearing a skirt or dress. (this is for women). There are many other things...put it this way... if you have to ask, should I take this out or maybe I should cut my hair, etc...chances are you should do it. So anyway, read on, and I hope you enjoy!

The Problem: In today's world, where casual dress is the rule and where too many people's sense of casual has crossed the line into slovenly, many people, especially young people, show up for white-collar job interviews dressed in a highly unprofessional fashion. ---- you see I told you!

The Experts: Here fashion expert Roger McKenzie and executive interview coach Trisha Scudder offer their views.
Both are based in NYC and are consultants to SYMS, a leading discount retailer of brand-name clothing, especially business attire, in and around NYC.

QUESTION: What rules of thumb do you offer regarding dressing for interviews for white-collar positions? In particular, what do you tell women, who do not have a business "uniform" as well-defined as a man's conservative dark suit, white shirt and tie? Indeed, many women show up at interviews dressed in too flashy or revealing a manner.

ROGER'S ANSWER: Since women have many more options in their fashion attire they have to be even more careful about what they wear to make sure it is appropriate. ( hence why you always go more conservative and with a dark suit... I know they will go over this, but I agree!)

* If a woman chooses to wear a skirt, the length should be at her knee, and slacks are welcome also.
* In general, a woman should stick to dark colors for the shell and earth tones for the under layer of the suit.
* It is acceptable to wear short sleeves but it should be paired with a jacket or cardigan. A twin set is a good way to put this look together.
* Women also need to be aware of the way their top fits; of course cleavage is a big no no.
* When it comes to accessories, it should be kept at a minimum: nothing too flashy, heel height should not exceed 3 inches, and makeup should be very clean and natural.

TRISHA'S ANSWER: A woman should always wear a suit. It demonstrates respect for the interviewer, the company and the position. For any job in financial services, wear a suit. Other tips that one should remember are:

* If you're a guy applying for a creative position in a creative industry then you might drop the tie, but still wear a suit jacket.
* For women, a suit also. And watch what you wear under it. Often women (of all ages) wear a business suit with a V-neck or low-cut blouse revealing cleavage during an interview. I can't say that backfires every time but most times that will send the wrong message whether you are interviewed by women or men.
* This is no time to make a fashion statement. Be conservatively dressed so that the attention is on your resume, your qualifications and your response to questions. Anything distracting about your clothes, shoes, jewelry or hair will only cause the interviewer to "vote" on it, and you lose.
* At conservative companies bare legs would be inappropriate at an interview. Wear pantyhose if you are wearing a suit with a skirt.
* Dental work. If you chipped a tooth or had one extracted, reschedule the interview for a time when your teeth are all accounted for! Seriously, I've had to tell two clients to get their teeth fixed before they proceed with interviews. ( if you are local, I have a great dentist!)
* Clean shoes and clothes, freshly pressed.
* Women, clean out and organize your handbag prior to the interview. If you have to find a pen or get a Kleenex you don't want to rummage through a rat's nest. ( yes, I know, I have to do this more often!)
* Create an attractive, professional way to carry and display your resume, references, work samples, etc.
* Practice your handshake. Ask a friend for feedback. Is it too soft? Too aggressive? Too limp? Are your eyes down? Are you solemn or smiling? Be sure your handshake is firm and enthusiastic and brief. You do not want a memorable handshake! ( no dead fish or clammy hands)
* Go to the restroom prior to the interview and look in the mirror. Swig some mouthwash or brush your teeth again. Wash your hands from the subway. Practice your smile. Stand tall. Stride in, chin up, and have a great interview! ( you must practice this before hand...it works! If you do not have nay one to practice with...Use a mirror or even a bottle of water...anything that you can look at.

QUESTION: What basic tips do you offer for putting together a wardrobe in a cost-effective manner after understanding what are the norms of attire in the workplace that one is joining?

ROGER'S ANSWER: You should have plethora of top options to pair up with a bottom which you can repeat a number of times. Remember when at an interview you are sitting across a desk so more than likely you won't see your lower half.

Thanks for reading and I wish you success in your job search! Have a great day!

Violet

 

I just have to be the ray of hope. I have been accused of being too upbeat at times. Finally, this is the time that my optimism is really needed. I have facts to bring you hope.

I have been, and sometimes still am, fearful too. I work as hard as I can, when I can and when there is the opportunity. I give my coaching clients and business clients 150%. Sometimes it's 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sometimes, it's not as plentiful and I get scared too.

Today, I saw the following news release from the NY Times. today It's all about theindustries that ARE hiring. I realize that we are really in control of our work situation. We must continue to nurture the relationships we have with colleagues and life long friends in the industries listed below.

These are the fields in which you will find work now. You are the only one that can make it happen:

• Home Health Care Services, up 10.8%
• Federal Government Except Postal Service, up 9.3%
• Oil & Gas Extraction, up 7.4%
• Pipeline Transportation, up 6.7%
• Outpatient Care Services, up 4.6%
• Hospitals, up 3.8%
• Computer Systems Design & Related Services, up 3.4%
• Nursing & Residential Care Facilities, up 3.2%
• Motion Picture & Sound Recording Industries, up 3.2%
• Educational Services, Excluding Government, up 3.1%
• Management & Technical Consulting Services, up 2.7%
• State Government Education Services, up 2.1%
• Utilities, up 2.0%
• Waste Management & Remediation Services, up 1.5%

Do something to stay connected to people you know in the fields. Look for opportunities to provide your talent and strengths and you will find a new job!

• Pick up the phone!
• Send an email.
• Invite a new LinkedIn connection.
• Facebook an old high school friend.
• Send a "tweet" containing advice on your area of expertise.
• Blog on a topic you are an expert on and love.
• Microblog.
• Send an informational YouTube video clip to your former bosses.

I promise to help you stay focused on who is hiring, where you can get a job and be there as the "half full", "partly sunny" side of the current workforce challenges. Granted, there are some days it's much harder than others. Then I see statistics like those I have listed above and I must share the hope with you. Now pick up the phone and call your contacts in the industries that are hiring. Ask them: "What is your biggest challenge in your company now?" And then, offer a solution or two using your area of expertise. You will reap the rewards of your generosity. Please let me know how this works for you.

I met with a admissions representative for WYOTECH on Monday 2nd of November. He had a lot to say about training automotive technicians, after high school ages 18 and on. For those of you that E Mail me from all over the Country and then some. Yes I did get your message and E mails even from overseas. WYOTECH has a very nice 9 month program, and to much more to list. Plus they can help place you in a job. I have written about other automotive training schools in the past, they also have good programs. WYOTECH teaches custom automotive interior, and much more in 6 different States including Daytona Fl. Needless to say they impressed me very much, as a fellow trainer. Darrell Pfiffner is the rep, give him a call if you are looking for training, he will send you a DVD of the school and programs. Very cool stuff if you love cars and hot rods like me. Check out the web site. www.Wyotech.edu Darrell Pfiffner 813-789-6505.

Have you seen our Facebook Fan Page this week? Our job seeker newsletter went out on Tuesday and the lead conversation was titled, "ENGAGE IN THE PAGE!", and engage they did! We gained over 30 fans that day and a ton of local, qualified job seekers have posted comments about what they are looking for. They are also reaching out in this new media fashion and soliciting help, guidance, and feedback.

Whether or not you are currently hiring, this is such a wonderful forum to be part of so you can engage in conversations with future candidates. What seems like basic career advice to some is very hard to come by information to others. Perhaps it is as simple as sharing a story of hope in how you might know someone who has landed a job in this economy, or maybe you have recently hired and you can share something specific that the candidate you hired possessed that afforded them the opportunity to rise to the top. This simple information could help others to brainstorm and consider situations and opportunities that otherwise might not have occurred to them.

I believe in today's job market it's a good bet that we all know at least one person close to us that is unemployed and this is a great way to personally make a difference and help them by having a place full of great relevant local contributions for them to turn to. I am excited to be sharing our Fan Page with the community as a place for job seekers to engage with each other and for employers and recruiters to also chime in and share real world examples and advice.

Please take a minute and if you have not already done so, BECOME A FAN, stay engaged, join a conversation, or even start one! Over the last several months that we have been promoting our fan page  I have received a lot of great feedback from the community as job seekers and employers are grateful to have this new media forum to engage in.

Let's together take it to the next level and get the page jumpin! South Florida Job Seekers are waiting to ENGAGE WITH YOU!

When searching for a job, I bet you notice how recently the position was posted – you might even filter your results to only view the freshest jobs around.  Similarly, employers search through resume databases looking for candidates that have recently updated their information.  To an employer, having recently updated information means:

1.  You are actively looking for new employment – now.

2.  Your information:  address, phone number, salary rate, and employment history are current and accurate.

3.  You are ready to interview, and perhaps even start your new job on a reasonable timetable. 

Go ahead and brush the dust off your resume every two weeks.  Your information may not be changing that often – but there are always improvements to make.  If you need ideas on how to keep your resume fresh: use feedback and ideas from your friends and peers, use tips from online articles and books, or maybe even just reorganize your existing info.  Whatever you do - keep your resume fresh – and keep it on the top of the stack! 

With the proliferation of information and technology it has become your professional responsibility to stay informed.  Do you know how the economic stimulus plan affects H1 visas or COBRA coverage?  Which applicant tracking program do other recruiters really like? 

Previously we relied on our education, books and colleagues when there was a subject for which we needed more information.  Now, we can just type our question/subject into an online search engine and get everything we need.  But…don’t just wait until questions come up.  Find a couple blogs that you enjoy and are relevant to your specific field.  Check them out each morning while you sip your coffee.  I liken it to watching the nightly local news before you go to bed.  Sign up for notification emails and newsletters.  

A few of my favorites include www.recruitingblogs.com, www.cheezhead.com, and www.renegadehr.net.  Search on your own and find a few you like.  Enjoy!

If you're like most people, the thought of public speaking kicks up the heart rate and brings sweat to your palms.  A lot of people get nervous speaking to small groups or even just their manager.  The ability to communicate effectively and confidently is something that can be learned.  This ability is something that can set you apart in interviews as well as on the job.  You will motivate, persuade and lead more effectively.  Your self confidence will improve.  People will look up to you, trust you and follow your advice.

Toastmasters is an organization that has been around for a long time.  There are chapters in all major cities that hold meetings, events and even competitions.  Take a look at www.toastmasters.org to find a chapter near you.  We write a lot about networking and this is a great place for it.  My experience with Toastmasters has been wonderful.  The people are great and you'll learn a lot.  Check it out!

Most reasonable human beings would agree that jumping from a perfectly good ship without a pirate's sword in your back is a sure case of self-sabotage. So what would make an employee carelessly toss a career overboard at the workplace water cooler?

"You're kidding, right?" "I can't believe it!" "Whaaaaaaat!"...And the list goes on. These are typical responses to topics too hot for the workplace water cooler. So where is this so-called water cooler and what could possibly be wrong with getting the latest updates from the "411 operator" of the office; aka the Office Gossip?

The present day water cooler takes on many forms. Most water cooler conversations happen in places where employees feel casual and safe. Designated smoking areas, restrooms, elevators, e-mails, text messages and seemingly deserted corridors are the unassuming planks from which many a career has been tossed to the sharks. The more informal the environment, people tend to erroneously presume an increased sense of security. Countless professionals from preachers to politicians will remorsefully attest to the fact that the microphone is ALWAYS ON. Emails should be written with the knowledge that all electronic communications are just a point and click away from the front page of every media source in the world.  Be aware that as long as you are in the workplace, there are policies, procedures and laws that govern employee communication. Even if you work from home, be conscientious of the nature of your work-related e-mails and telephone conversations.

While being open to communication is essential to being perceived as a team player, many employees blur the boundaries between their personal and workplace appropriate conversations, often resulting in situations that create issues with morale, confidentiality and integrity. It is also important to understand that organizational leaders have a duty to act when issues that may constitute a violation of civil rights or that constitute a potentially hostile work environment are exposed in the workplace. So even though you are just casually "sharing" with your supervisor (who is also your personal friend) regarding another co-worker's reluctant affair with her manager, your supervisor may have a duty to act upon the information you casually shared. The result could be several careers overboard.

So what are the guidelines for positive and productive workplace communications? Here are five simple tips to keep you from going overboard at the water cooler.

• Establish personal ground rules for workplace communication that address issues which may not already be covered in your organizational code of conduct. Issues such as religion, personal finance, race and ethnicity, physical features such as hair, baldness, birthmarks and skin tone; gender based lifestyle and personal romantic relationships. Discussion of these and other sensitive issues may cause co-workers to feel uncomfortable and may be factors in contributing to a hostile work environment. Remember that everyone may not share your level of comfort on highly personal topics and no employer wants to defend against allegations of a hostile work environment.
• Understand that the workplace is never as casual as it might seem. Those who bring gossip to you about other co-workers usually maintain their low standard of confidentiality when your personal information is available for dissemination to the masses. Yes, simply put they gossip about you too! Still, it is important to be social and not to alienate co-workers. A great way to manage the gossip and remain engaged as a trusted team member is to simply change the subject to the job or task that should be the gossip's primary focus at the time. Some people simply respond to the gossip, "That's T.M.I." (too much information). Gossips usually get the message and ship off to more lucrative dumping grounds.
• Beware of over-sharing your personal matters with workplace confidants. In this time of economic uncertainty it can be tempting to divulge personal information that would usually be relegated to the confines of the family table. After all, we sometimes spend more waking hours with our co-workers than we do with our own family members. Information on topics such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, marital or extra-marital problems and sensitive health care issues can pose potential damage to a person's career. Be very careful of placing your career at risk by exposing the details of private matters in the workplace. Hot potatoes are hard to hold onto and in the end you will have to consider how you contributed to the story of your life being placed on Front Street.
• Respected professional reputations are built on trust. You must decide whether the  momentary adrenaline rush of broadcasting the latest tidbit of gossip throughout the workplace is truly worth being branded as the leak that is sinking the Titanic.
• Before you take the plunge at the water cooler, count up the cost and remember the Golden Rule.

As you know, this past weekend was Halloween. I am always telling my clients to know their strengths, accomplishments, how they could be a value to their next employer, and most of all, know how to network and stand out from their competition. Think of this as your "30 second commercial" or snap shot of your business card.

Here is a great example of what happened this past weekend.

On Thursday before Halloween, I was the guest speaker at a meeting. I brought little bags of candy with my business card attached because I know how to do the little things that market my business. I had extra bags of candy and gave out the candy with my card attached on Halloween night.

The next day, Sunday, one of the parent's called me to say that was creative of me to attach my business card to the bag of candy. But more importantly, he is an HR Director for a local company and asked if I knew of individuals that had sales experience. I was excited to tell him yes, and actually it was a fellow neighbor that was looking for a job.

I called both of them, they spoke and tomorrow he has an interview!!! That is the power of Creative Networking!

Just like Jessica posted about helping each other out on the Fan Page...think outside the box. Even though the job may not be for you...do you know someone else who may be a fit!

Get creative...happy November! I'm here to help you too!

Blog submitted by Karen Austin, Certified Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC)

Job Searching Tips - Your Job Search and Your Resume
Many job seekers have discovered that today, it really does take a little more (effort, patience, skill, time - you name it) to get a job.  Let's explore each step of a job search in the short job search questionnaire below and find the opportunities you have to try new job searching techniques.  You could end up finding the right job fit for you.

Job Searching - How are you looking for jobs?

    * a.  When I search for jobs, I use the same job search criteria each time.
    * b.  I don't get email job alerts- the jobs aren't what I would pick anyway.
    * c.  I don't belong to any professional associations because I am not currently working.

If you are using one of the approaches above -what are the opportunities for you to get better results from your job searching?

1.Make a habit of searching for jobs in a variety of ways.  There isn't one way to describe a job (or any limit to the creativity of job titles) so branch out with your job search so you can improve your chances of success.  Try different job categories, companies, and keywords and see what search results you get.  The trick here is to mix  your job searching method up frequently and stay on top of your industry or field-related jargon.  Sometimes to find the right job, you really have to dig.

2. Set up as many job search alert agents as you can.  That way, you get more relevant jobs delivered right to your inbox instead of going to them.  You can also use twitter or  RSS feeds to receive jobs and job search information.  Become efficient in your job search and let relevant content come to you.

3. Join a local or national professional association and get to know your peers.  If you can, find a mentor in your field - someone who has achieved the success you want and can help provide the guidance you need to make the right career moves (including meeting the right people and avoiding common pitfalls in the field).  Staying connected to your field and your peers is especially important when you are unemployed.  If you stay on everyone's radar, you are much more likely to get a job referral.  So stay active and stay top-of-mind while job searching.
 
Resume - How well are you marketing yourself with your resume in your job search?

    * a.  I think if an employer could just meet me, I know they'd hire me.
    * b.  If I am honest about my resume, I'd have to admit - I have a hard time selling my relevant skills and prior job experience in writing.
    * c.  Sometimes I think, “Maybe it isn't me, maybe it's my resume”.
    * d.  I think my resume is fine - but I am not getting any calls.

If any one of these statements rings true to you - it is an indication your resume may need some help.

With the large number of resume templates out there and all kinds of career advice on the web, there is a strong tendency for people to tackle their resume with a do-it-yourself approach. This approach is fine; however, if you are going to  write your resume yourself - be sure to have the same standards with the end result as you would if you hired professional resume writing services.  For example, if you decided to hang your front door instead of getting a carpenter - you would still want to keep the expectation that the door could open and close properly.  The same is true for your resume.  If you don't get the job search results you want with your resume - keep working on it or get more help.  Help can be a a professional resume writing service like we offer at Jobing Career Services, a community service provider, or even reaching out to friends and family for resume feedback.  Whatever resume help you think will benefit you in your job searching efforts, I urge you to go get it.  Don't be satisfied with a marketing tool that isn't working!


My next blog post will uncover opportunities for improvement in Interviewing and Networking...

Karen Austin is a Certified Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) and resume writer for Jobing Career Services.  For more information about Jobing Career Services or to get professional help writing a resume - email resumereview@jobing.com or visit our information page at www.jobing.com/careerservices
 

Many of the clients I work with have experienced the problems that many boomers experience as they seek re-employment.  Many boomers have attempted transitioning their skills and experiences into industries outside of their core experience and have learned a difficult lesson.  Transitioning skills into new industries is one of the most difficult methods of job searching. Your skill set may be transitional however; your specific job experience may be a limiting factor in your choices, especially within the published market.  As you build your résumé and search strategy, hopefully your résumé shows a large number of successes within your field and job industry, this is good, but what about transitioning into a new industry?  

Many displaced boomers are being told that career transition is the answer to their unemployment problems. And it can be, if they learn the dynamics of the current job market and how they should approach the career transition solution.  Let us look at a typical example of a displaced Marketing VP other positions of course can apply. 

Our VP has a 20-year career with an office technology company and has launched many successful campaigns bringing products to market. The question; can this VP of Marketing be successful in marketing medical software?  Our VP of Marketing has mastered the science and rules of marketing and has the skills to bring virtually any product or service to market.  The skill set is transferable but what about the experience?  As our VP of marketing will discover while looking for a job, especially on the Internet, they have the skills but not the experience so they hit a major barrier.  This is where frustration results, “I can do the job with my eyes closed but I don’t have the experience.”(Almost sounds like the recent grad)  Most résumés will not get past the computer, or résumé screener, especially with the Internet positions.

# Does our boomer really need the industry experience to be successful as a VP of Marketing in a software company?
# How do you get the necessary experience? 
# How does the transitioning boomer get around that barrier? 

The answer to question one is determined by the market (the hiring companies) especially on published positions.  If you read “medical software marketing experience required” in the posting and you do not have the specific experience do not even apply for the job.  In general, the transitioning baby boomer will have little success finding a job in the published market because they are competing against those with skills and industry experience.

Can our VP of Marketing get necessary industry experience and become competitive in this job market?   Probably not at the VP level, one option might be to take a lower level marketing position in that industry to gain that experience.  Of course that opens a completely new problem set; you are now overqualified and will run into the “you are too qualified for this position” rejections.

Will attending an industry related certification program give you industry experience?  No, experience is just that, experience.  Obtaining industry related certifications will add value to your résumé and show that you are interested in the industry but never be a substitute for industry experience.  This is the biggest problem with the baby boomer and the published market, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, occasionally it might work but it is never a good fit.  As a baby boomer, you must develop a job search strategy that will get you in front of people who appreciate your skill set and accomplishments and that understand that industry experience, for the most part is overrated.

Tactics and strategies exist that can be employed by the transitioning boomer to make this process happen sooner rather than later.  The secret is lower your expectations of the published market if you are conducting a career transition search.  It takes a focused approach to be successful in your search.  The Internet and job boards will not be helpful to these individuals because they are competing with those who have current experience in that arena.  Getting in front of the right people and presenting yourself as the best solution for a problem a key decision maker is having is what networking is all about.  Future blogs will discuss why a baby boomer needs to have a very structured and executable networking strategy to be successful in using a career transition strategy.

I hear a lot from job seekers that they don't know what else to do and they feel they have done everything and are still coming up without a job. In a previous blog we discussed the importance of turning these frustrations into solutions. It's super easy to get caught up in the frustrations, but takes a truly dedicated and committed individual to not let them hold you back and instead turn it into something you can use.

To expand on this a bit more I also suggested to get engaged in our Facebook Fan page. I wanted to dive into this a bit more as I had a lot of great conversations last week in our community at Hispanic Unity's annual Diversity Career Fair and The BBLN's Annual Connections Job Fair for people with disabilities. It was great to have these conversations face-to-face with job seekers and give them the ability to become fans of our page while at the job fair. What I shared with each of them is simple, "Never before has there been a forum for job seekers to interact and talk to each other."

People reacted to this and it excited them. This is the something different everyone has been asking for. Will this absolutely get you a job quicker? I do not know.... Will this increase your opportunities? ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT!

So the cheezy line I kept hearing myself say over and over again was "Get engaged in the page!" Our Facebook Fan Page is a place for you to celebrate when you get an interview, offer support to those that might be stuck in a rut, and share best practices in the job search. Give it a go, a real true effort and GET ENGAGED IN THE PAGE!

On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, GMSHRM hosted its annual Diversity & Inclusion Awards during its October dinner meeting. This year’s award was presented to the Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/Monroe (ELCMDM).

THE EVENT

Miami Dade College's Stuido Jazz Ensemble opened the evening with its performance during the networking hour. The night’s dinner program then went on to be one of the most interesting ever, as it portrayed a best practices panel, comprised of a number of past Diversity & Inclusion award winners—VITAS, Akerman Senterfitt, Burger King Corporation, Ryder Systems Inc, and Miami Dade College. The panel was presented in a rarely-seen 'talk show' format directed by a moderator. Each panel member spoke about ways their company fosters diversity and inclusion in the workplace, sparking an insightful Q&A discussion with attendees.

The program was pre-certified for 1.25 HRCI recertification credits.

THE WINNER

Founded in 2000, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami Dade/Monroe offers a variety of affordable and innovative early education and voluntary pre-kindergarten programs serving more than 50,000 children in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.

The ELCMDM was elected as this year’s Diversity and Inclusion award recipient for its impressive inclusion efforts despite its limited resources. Worthy of mention are its innovative diversity training program now in place at other coalitions outside the Miami-Dade area, its recruitment of minority vendors through its RFP process, and its teen-mentoring program.

Below is a reprint of the scenario:

You work for a customer service phone center.  The work is more involved and more interesting than you thought it would be because you have to know a lot to solve caller problems and to provide callers with the wide range of information on the company’s products and services.  You have a come a long way in three months and are now one of the most knowledgeable phone representatives.  You have also mastered the ability to calm and reassure agitated customers.  However, last week the company hired a new supervisor for the customer service phone center.  Two days ago your supervisor chewed you out for being 10 minutes late.  Yesterday he told you that you spent too much time on the phone with a couple of callers.  Today the new supervisor installed a policy where all breaks and lunch hours are scheduled for set times.  Your buddy, who you go to lunch with every day, has a different lunch time than you do.  And to top the cake, everyone now has to ask permission before leaving their workstation to go to the bathroom.

What are your impressions of the new supervisor? 

First of all, yes the supervisor has made a key mistake, but it isn’t what the majority of the people that have responded to this scenario in the past identify.

Many people respond with comments like:

• The supervisor is a control freak.
• The supervisor is power-hungry.
• The supervisor is treating everyone like children.
• The supervisor has his/her priorities wrong.

The answer is: The supervisor has poor communication skills.

The supervisor has implemented the correct workplace rules for a customer service phone center.  Let me address each item to inform you why that is the case.

(1)    10 minutes late.  One of the goals of a customer service phone center is to minimize the time callers are on hold.  Callers that wait a long time on hold are dissatisfied customers and that could cause them to do business elsewhere.  Therefore, phone centers forecast the number of calls they expect in given time frames, and hire staff to ensure that the vast majority of calls can be handled in a timely fashion.  If you are 10 minutes late, the call center will not have the representatives it forecasted it needed to provide good customer service (acceptable hold time before speaking to a phone representative).  In fact some may wait so long they will hang up and call back later.  That results in additional calls later in the day, at a time when the phone center may not have enough staff to handle the increased volume and maintain good service levels.  Now, even more callers will hang up and call back another time; some may even call the next day.  So a ten minute tardy could result in poor service levels for days.  While this is not always (or even in some phone centers usually) the case; if it does happen, the results are always major problems for the business.  So good phone center supervisors manage their phone representatives time very closely.

(2)    Lunch and bathroom breaks.  The reason for scheduling breaks is the same as in number (1).  The supervisor needs to manage the number of phone representatives to the expected call volume.  If you are scheduled for a lunch time and want to switch, good supervisors will allow that assuming you can find someone to switch with you (on a permanent schedule basis, not day-to-day basis since too much time will be spent looking for someone to switch if done daily).

(3)    Too much time on the phone.  This is a concept many phone representatives find difficult to embrace.  After all, many believe they should spend as much time as needed with a customer to solve his/her problem and keep him/her satisfied.  However, the goal of the company is to provide good customer service to all.  If you spend 20 minutes with one customer, the result may be that 5 other customers are now waiting too long to connect with a representative.  Even of their questions are handled fine; they may be dissatisfied because of the long wait on hold to get to a phone representative.  One extremely satisfied customer and five dissatisfied customers is not a good outcome.  So what do you do?  Be sure that you only spend time with customers where the time is genuinely needed.  Do not spend extra time thinking that you’re providing superior service.  And after a necessary long call, be aware that a backlog of calls may have arisen and look to handle simple calls that follow courteously, but quickly.  In this case, assume you spent too long on calls that could have been handled more quickly.

Now onto what the supervisor did wrong.  Before implementing the changes, the supervisor should have called the staff together and explained why the changes were being implemented.  One of my favorite lines when I performed this task in the past was, “If you don’t like these rules, don’t say it’s because I have an ego problem, or that I’m treating you like children, or that I’m a control freak.  Instead say that you think my capacity planning model (the phone representatives I need based on expected call volumes) is bull.”  I found that after explaining how phone centers work, and why I implemented the rules at work that I did, that most representatives asked on their own, “how may callers are waiting” before asking if they could go to the bathroom.  They realized that if I managed the call traffic well, they had to deal with fewer irritated customers.

If you are a manger, supervisor, or business owner and like my scenario approach to training, click here to find out how I can create custom scenarios for your workplace.

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation to learn more.

Amanda M Holt, CMP | Senior Director 
4747 N 22nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85016
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