Hire Power: How to Find, Get and Keep a Job
By
Andrea Foy
Published by
Queen V Publishing at Smashwords
This book is available in print at AndreaFoy.com
Copyright © 2010 by Andrea Foy
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010920005
ebook ISBN-13: 978-0-9825984-3-6
ebook ISBN-10: 0-9825984-3-2
Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0-9817436-9-1
Paperback ISBN-10: 0-9817436-9-2
Cover design by Candace K
Edited by Tenita C. Johnson of SoItIsWritten.net and
Valerie J. Lewis Coleman of PenOfTheWriter.com
Dedication
This book is dedicated to…YOU!
Because YOU realized that YOU need to do everything possible to prepare for this fierce job market.
Acknowledgements
God, for revealing to me the right time, place and people to help and encourage me.
My fifth grade teacher who encouraged my parents to “keep her writing.”
Vanessa Miller (VanessaMiller.com), Self-published author of many Christian-fiction books. At a book signing in 2004, she gave me words of encouragement to write… and I have ever since.
Pen of the Writer’s Pen to Paper Literary Symposiums and Write On! Workshops for the knowledge.
Valerie L. Coleman of Queen V Publishing, I couldn’t have done it without your encouragement, patience and guidance.
Jackie Collins, Terri McMillan, John Grisham, Omar Tyree, E. Lynn Harris, Dr Wayne Dwyer, Joel Osteen, Dan Poynter, John Kremer and all of the other self-help, spiritual and fiction authors whose books I have read.
The self-published author with the book full of mistakes that convinced me that if he can do it, I can do it.
Mom, for every now and then saying, “Aren’t you supposed to be writing a book?”
“In many ways, life is really quite simple. People fall into one of three categories: those who MAKE things happen, those who WAIT for things to happen and those who WONDER what happened.
Unfortunately, 85% of people fall into the WAIT or WONDER categories. They wait for things to happen. They wait for their company to pay for the training they need or they wait for their co-worker or spouse to change. And as a result of waiting, they end up wondering what happened. They wonder why they were passed over for a promotion or they wonder why their team or family never came together.
Based on my fifteen years of university research and twenty-two years of professional consulting, I’m convinced that the most successful people are the 15% who MAKE things happen. They go out and get the training they need so they can achieve every one of their personal and professional goals.”
Reprint permission is granted when the following credit appears:
Dr. Alan Zimmerman, CSP, CPAE Speaker, Hall of Fame
Alan@DrZimmerman.com
800.621.7881
Table of Contents
Chapter 4: It's Not What You Say…
Chapter 6: Mr. Jones Will See You Now
Chapter 7: You Got the Job, Now What?
And Then Some
These three little words are the secrets to success.
They are the difference between average people and top people in most companies.
The top people always do what’s expected...
And then some.
They are thoughtful of others. They are considerate and kind…
And then some.
They meet their obligations and responsibilities fairly and squarely…
And then some.
They are good friends and helpful neighbors...
And then some.
They can be counted on in an emergency…
And then some.
I am thankful for people like this, for they make the world more livable.
Their spirit of service is summed up in these little words...
And then some.
Author Unknown
Introduction
For quite some time, I have wondered what I can do to give back or help. I am not rich or famous; I don’t have a fancy title or prestigious career. I just want to leave this planet a little better than I found it. Through a divinely orchestrated chain of events, God revealed my mission.
The catalyst for change began in September 2007 when I observed a young lady fail at a job interview like an unprepared high-school student fails a college-level calculus exam. Her future job prospects concerned me.
A month later, I attended a speech at an Ohio Urban League Young Professionals Conference. Talk-show host and commentator—Tavis Smiley—was the keynote speaker. He said many things that struck me, but the most prevalent was “Do the thing right in front of you. Do the best you can with what you have right where you are.”
He explained that the distance between the womb and the tomb is short and what you do with the time in between is important. He referenced a poem written by Linda Ellis, The Dash. In the poem, she explains that life is not defined by the dates of your birth and death, but rather the dash in the middle and what you do with it.
Mr. Smiley’s final point—“Sometimes you have to assign yourself”—prompted me to write this book, the gospel according to Andrea. After more than twenty years of work experience, eight jobs, countless training sessions, books, conferences and speeches on customer service, I can write on this subject. I put myself on assignment. Class is now in session.
Andrea Foy
The Catalyst for Change
In September of 2007, I bought my first home and decided to get a holiday job to help defray expenses. Dressed in creased slacks, a blouse and heels, I arrived at the retail store about fifteen minutes early for the interview. In the Human Resources office, I saw a young girl slumped in a chair with her elbow on a table. She wore shorts and tennis shoes.
I thought to myself, She must be waiting for someone who is being interviewed.
The store manager came out of his office, called a name and then looked at me. I greeted him. She stood to acknowledge that she was the person he had just called. She did not greet him or shake his hand, but rather looked at the floor as she followed him to the office.
I had over twenty years of experience in the customer service industry. I knew that she was not getting the job. I wondered who she was, where she came from and why no one had told her the following:
You do not slump in a chair, especially at a job interview.
You do not wear shorts and tennis shoes to an interview, even in 100-degree weather while interviewing for a Hawaiian lifeguard position.
When you greet someone, look them in the eyes, smile and then shake their hand.
Be enthusiastic.
Distracted by her unpreparedness, I almost did not see another manager who had come for me. Even as I smiled and extended my hand, my focus remained on the inappropriately-dressed interviewee. By the time I got into the adjacent office, sat and made small talk, I heard the door of the other office open. Her interview had taken less than ten minutes. As I provided pertinent and rehearsed answers, I wondered, How can you not get a retail job as bad as stores need people? I felt guilty for the judgmental thought.
Thirty minutes into my interview, I was offered the job. Successful in securing my part-time job, all I thought about was how she may not have hers. She needed a job or else she wouldn’t have interviewed for the position. I would have relinquished my job to her, but that was not an option. I felt helpless and selfish. I had two jobs and I was quite sure she didn’t have one.
On the way home, I thought about my life and how hard work was a value that was instilled in me. My father was a military man and entrepreneur with an upholstery business. My mother stayed home and took care of my brother and me.
Whenever my father caught us sitting idle, he said, “Get up and find something to do.” Most times, we resumed our laziness at an undisclosed safe haven, but we learned to keep an eye and ear out for him. Saturdays meant chores—mowing grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow—regardless of the season. He found something for us to do. I thought we were being abused because he never left us alone.
Even summer vacations meant working at my uncle’s farm. My grandfather was one of the first black land owners in a small North-Carolina town. He farmed over 100 acres of hard-earned land which is now owned by my uncle. To this day when I visit, I work in the fields or cook what came out of them. None of us are millionaires, but the majority of my extended family works hard and we do well.
I have been blessed. I appreciate all I have—my family, mentors and teachers—but I know that many people in my community have not had the same type of guidance, training and nurturing. A child reared in a single-parent household—where the mother may depend solely upon government assistance may not be equipped with the essential tools to succeed on an interview and definitely not the workplace. How could she? A mother cannot teach what she does not know and if she isn’t resourceful enough to find a qualified surrogate, then how will the children learn? Due to cutbacks, some schools have eliminated home economics courses—and based on what I have witnessed—everything that pertains to job preparation, so here is my two-cents worth.
Greatness Starts Somewhere
Some people are driven by success and will achieve it by delving into research and risk-taking. While others—no matter what programs, services and assistance are available to them—will simply do nothing.
This book is for those in between; those who want to succeed but don’t know how. Success is not about being good or bad, but knowing what to do and doing it. Hire Power is my way of sharing basic tips to get a job and be the best at it; my version of the Succeeding at the Job for Dummies book.
During a controversial town-hall meeting in a Black community, Bill Cosby commented on work ethic. A paraphrased summary of his statement follows:
Some people go around saying that they could make more money selling drugs than flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Then you have the Nigerians who come over and instead of thinking about flipping burgers, they think about managing the restaurant.
Greatness starts somewhere. Today it may be mopping the floor or working the drive-through window, but with initiative, hard work and talent, you can manage and eventually own the business. Even if you have no interest in ownership—I definitely do not—you can utilize the skills and abilities learned on previous jobs to attain your measure of success.
Every job provides a plethora of learning tools. Instead of having a bad attitude about why co-workers advanced ahead of me, I studied them to determine how to do what they did. I observed their actions, attempted to assess their motivation behind such actions and took advantage of corporate training. Workplace success—and success in life for that matter—is that simple, if you have the aptitude, interest and know-how to win at the game.
Chapter 1
While in college, I got a part-time job working for a major retailer. The clerical position required me to sit at a desk and make appointments for the home-improvement sales team. Boring! Several nights a week, I sat and watched people shop. On slow nights, I convinced a cashier to teach me the basics of the cash register, just to have something to do. That initiative and forward thinking helped my career.
I got restless, but instead of goofing off with my friends, hiding out in the break room or quitting, I decided to “find something to do.” One night, I picked up a home-improvement brochure from a display. I noticed that the store address was not printed on the pamphlet so I started writing it. The store manager walked up from behind me and stood next to the desk (Big Brother is always watching.).
Peering over my shoulder, he said, “Andrea, what are you doing?”
Startled, I dropped the pen and then hesitated to ease the nervous jitters. I cleared my throat and said, “I thought more people would shop here if they remembered where they picked up the brochure.”
He nodded his head and walked away. I didn’t know if I needed to pack up my belongings or expect a compliment. The next time I came to work, a box of brochures and an address stamp were on my desk.
Soon after that, we had a huge sale; one of those once-a-year-inventory-clearance campaigns. The store was packed with customers looking for a bargain. I sat at my desk hoping for a phone call until I decided to go on break. I went upstairs to “find something to do.” On my way back from the restroom, I was stopped by an irate customer. She wanted to buy furniture and could not find a sales associate. Instead of saying, “It’s not my department,” I went to the phone by the cash register and called for help. By the time I learned that every salesperson in the store was busy, I had a line of irate customers demanding service. They didn’t care that I had no practical experience operating the cash register. They wanted their furniture and they expected the store employee to honor that request. I called my aunt who also worked there and helped me get the job. She offered to come in to assist. I didn’t have time to wait, so she gave me instructions over the phone.
Once I got over the initial shock, I rang up several thousands of dollars in furniture with minimal cash-register training. The customers even took pity on me and tried to help. I did not make the excuses like “I don’t work here” or “I can’t sell furniture.” Shirking responsibility may have exacerbated the situation, lost sales for the company and made me look stupid. My dad wouldn’t tolerate a lame excuse and I wasn’t going out like that.
I went home exhausted and frustrated. Rude and impatient customers had beaten me up with nasty words and mean sneers, but I had thick skin. Upset about the situation, I typed a three-page training manual for the department.
The next day I went into the department manager’s office and (with a real attitude now that I look back on it) said, “Here is some information that people who work in the furniture department need to know.” I handed him the training manual I had created. “Hopefully they won’t go through what I went through last night.”
The manual contained things like: delivery charge amounts and schedules, basic cash register info, who to call to pick up the merchandise, how to ring up scratch-and-dent merchandise and pertinent discounts.
He furrowed his brow, turned up his lip and glared at me like I had just been released from the insane asylum.
I went to my desk and prepared to be escorted out of the store. I never heard a word from the manager, but the manual appeared at the cash register and stayed there for years.
Several months later, as I fought off the sleep monster at my desk, the store manager called me on the phone.
Oh Lord, they must have seen my head bobbing.
A stern voice said, “Andrea, would you be interested in management training?”
Company policy was to hand-pick candidates for the ten-week management training class and the top achiever was offered a position. I had been there less than a year and he offered me a chance at leadership!
After I passed all of the training and got the highest score on the final exam, I was offered a sales supervisor job. My responsibility spanned eighteen departments under the soft-lines manager. I stayed with the company for eighteen months, only leaving for a chance to fly the friendly skies.
This job was one of several where I took the initiative and went beyond the call of duty. I didn’t share this story to boast about my accomplishment, but to demonstrate how easy it is to promote yourself if that’s your desire. You have the Hire Power!
Chapter 2
Even in a down economy, thousands of jobs go unfilled. Several methods to aid the search process are available. The task is not easy, but with determination and persistence you can do it.
The Internet
I may be divulging my age; however, I grew up without the luxury of the Internet. I used the other methods listed in this chapter to facilitate my search, but I encourage you to start with the Internet. It is convenient and saves time. Prior to the cyberspace explosion, job seekers went from business to business submitting resumes or completing applications. Today, you can just about do it all—except the interview—on the World Wide Web and I bet it won’t be long before interviews will be conducted online as well.
A wealth of information about resume writing, interviewing and more is posted on websites like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com. The quest for a job is a dynamic process with ever-changing parameters, so don’t assume you know everything. Even with my experience and knowledge, I did extensive research to write this book.
Post your resume on several career websites and apply on the websites of the companies you have targeted. Some businesses only accept applications or resumes through their websites.
Job Fairs
A job fair is an event where various employers gather to connect with job seekers. The purpose for the company is to quickly interview or gather information about potential employees. As the job seeker, you get a chance to explore many companies in one location.
I landed a job by going to industry-specific job fairs where the companies were looking to hire many employees. These job fairs usually highlight companies in need of telephone-customer-service representatives or something similar. I filled out an application, interviewed with someone from Human Resources and was called for a second interview. In the midst of all that, I was offered a job.
If you go to a job fair, look your best and be prepared. Have plenty of resumes secured in a large envelope so they do not fall out or become crumpled.
Employment Agencies
Employment agencies will find you a job for a fee. Most times, the fee is charged to the company that wants to hire you. These agencies— are similar to temporary agencies—test your skills in Microsoft Office, typing and reasoning.
The Latin saying “Caveat Emptor” means let the buyer beware. If you are new to the job world, research and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to reject a job offer if it is not a good fit. Be aware that some agencies advertise a great salary, but don’t tell you that they take their cut out of that salary. For example, instead of getting $40,000, you could end up with $28,000 the first year, once the agency’s fee is deducted.
Temporary Agencies
I have tried temporary agencies many times while between jobs. Also referred to as temp-to-hire, contractual, seasonal or freelance; temporary agencies find you employment for a limited time period. Though I have not had long-term success with temporary agencies, some people have found permanent jobs through them. Most agencies specialize in general labor, accounting, technical, healthcare or secretarial jobs. These agencies take a portion of what they charge the client—the employer—for your work and are a good short-term source while you search for permanent employment. Note that benefits are not usually offered until at least six months of work is completed.
Newspaper Advertisements
Ah, the classifieds! Hard, but not impossible, to acquire. Businesses advertise for one job and get inundated with thousands of resumes.
I once landed a job by answering an ad in the newspaper. I walked in to deliver my resume to find the person watching As the World Turns. Since it was my favorite soap opera, I initiated a conversation about the show and we talked about it for a while. The next week, I received a call for an interview with the store manager, who then hired me. It may not have anything to do with the soap opera, but you never know.
One advantage to reading newspaper ads is that you learn how to describe your previous jobs and workplace strengths by using the language in the ads. Since the company that is hiring usually writes the ad, you see what the characteristics they desire in a candidate. Tailor your resume to fit the job description for better success.
Networking
Networking may not be easy, but it is a great option. Most of my jobs were a result of knowing someone who worked at a particular company. Ask around to find out who knows of job openings. Most of your associates will be willing to help you get a job. If not, seek feedback. It may be an issue of trust or your work ethic. Be mindful that you will be representing them as well as the company. How embarrassing is it to recommend someone for a job who turns out to be a horrible employee? Every job I got—especially through referral—I made sure I did my best considering their reputation as well as mine.
Chapter 3
The first thing you want to do when starting a job search is…DREAM! Take time to decide want you want to do. Back in my parents’ day, people worked for the same employer until retirement regardless even if they didn’t like the job. Nowadays the average is seven jobs before retirement. Whether it’s a desire to go to college after post-high-school employment, a planned career change or loss of work due to a volatile economy, employer/employee loyalty has waned. A little preparation while not employed will do wonders for your career and life.
Mind mapping is a great exercise to help organize employment options. The process starts with a broad theme and then incorporates brainstorming to narrow the focus. Use a sheet of paper or poster board and colored pencils to write what you like or want. For example, if you like animals write the word ANIMALS in the center of the paper and then circle it. From the circle, draw several lines so that it appears to be a sun with rays. The brainstorming component considers different professions that deal with your like: animals. Write each profession—veterinarian, pet-store owner, rescue shelter, zoologist, dog trainer, groomer, etc.—on a different sunray. The next phase of brainstorming looks at each profession in more detail. Consider what the job entails and what it takes to acquire the job. Let’s start with veterinarian. Draw several lines under the veterinarian sunray. Words like COLLEGE, INCOME, SICK PETS, SURGERY, EMPLOYEES, etc. will be placed on those lines. Repeat the process for each profession until you have developed a good list of information. If you choose to study veterinarian medicine for eight years, you can work as a receptionist at an animal clinic to gain experience and be close to your like.
Even if you are in dire need of a job, do not go with the first company that offers you a position. Do your research. Compare and contrast. Evaluate pay and benefits; analyze the location and traveling aspects. Consider work hours and your availability. You will do yourself a disservice by accepting a job that makes you miserable.
Apply for a job at a company where you’d like to work. Do the employees seem happy? What is the business’ appearance? Does the company promote from within? Can you envision management or even owing the business over time? Is the location easily accessible by car or mass transit? Begin with the end in mind. Think about the future beyond tomorrow. You may have to spend a lot of time away from family and friends, so why not make the work environment almost as enjoyable as being at home?