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Tim Tyrell-Smith - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Tim Tyrell-Smith is a 19 year veteran consumer packaged goods marketer who has always loved the creative side of brand management. He believes that new ideas are the momentum creator in any organization.
He writes the blog Quixoting™ - A Quest for New Ideas, a new site dedicated to bringing old and new ideas to life by releasing them to the world. An idea junkie himself, Tim created Quixoting as a place to empty ... [More]
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Tim Tyrell-Smith Email Alerts
- Are You a Kate Or a Katie? How Knowing Your Personality Can Help You Find Your Next Great Job
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] During a drive to San Diego a few weeks back, I heard an interesting question on a radio station. The question from the DJ was: Are you a Kate or a Katie? The question came at the end of a segment so I didn't hear the original context. Normally that would be frustrating for me. In this case, however, it was such an interesting question that I let it go.
- Quick Tip - Unqualified For a Job? Don't Apply
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] When I post jobs onto various job search networks, I am still surprised at the response. I would estimate that 70% of the resumes I receive are from well-meaning people who were clearly not qualified for the position. I'm not a recruiter, but I am trying to filter jobs on their way to the hiring manager. But, hey, I understand how it feels to be out of work. You see a job that fits a few concentric circles outside your experience and you have to apply, right?
- Are You in Hot Pursuit? The Importance of Having a Sense of Urgency in Job Search
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] One of my favorite shows as a kid in the mid 70's was called "Adam-12". For me though, I seem to remember the officers always being in "hot pursuit" - a term I never understood technically as a pre-teen. But I knew one thing. Hot pursuit meant a loud screeching u-turn along with a chance to flip on the lights and siren. An urgent need to get headed in a new direction.
- Job Search Advice - It's the Same Stuff We Learned As Kids
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] Sorry if this job search advice sounds preachy. I don't mean it that way. If it weren't for the people who break a few key rules, this post would not be necessary. But because I want you to succeed and because I realize that all of us are prone to mistakes and narcissistic behavior during a search, here are some things to remember.
- Job Search - If I Had a Spot on My Tie, Would You Tell Me?
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] In my younger days I might have shouted "Hey, where's the flood?". Lucky for him, I have matured dramatically since my younger days. My first thought as I continued on was about the many other afflictions that can drive an embarrassing or painful moment in one's life. What if this scenario was changed slightly? What if instead of it being a social issue it was related to job search?
- When Job Search Feels Like Jury Duty
[Business:Careers-Employment] Ask anyone who's been called for jury duty and you'll get one of two reactions. First are the folks who are proud and honored to have a way to serve their country (2% of respondents). Second are people who grumble loudly to everyone they know that the system is painful, inefficient, and not terribly empathetic to the participant (98% of respondents). Hmmm...Sounds a bit like job search on some days, right? So, how else are the two similar?
- Quick Tip - Looking For Work? Become a "Must Have" Connection
[Business:Networking] If you are looking for work, you've probably attended of number of networking functions in your target geography. How many people attended this job search event? An even more interesting question is: How many people came to the event with the hope of meeting YOU?
- Want to Attract Hiring Managers? Get in the Fight
[Business:Human-Resources] When I was in college I wrote an essay. Now, normally I wouldn't force a college essay on you. After all, I was only 22 when I wrote it. Hardly seasoned enough, right? To draw a typical college analogy, San Diego State is much like a food fight. Every day you have new ideas, opinions, opportunities and relationships thrown at you.
- Man Nearly Dies During Job Interview
[Business:Careers-Employment] December 8th started out like any other day for Josh Wellinson. Josh, a Director of Interior Technology for Irvine-based Igotit Networking Systems, found himself in a precarious situation in his fourth floor office early Monday morning. According to investigators on the scene, this was very nearly a dire situation.
- Don't Network Like Ty Cobb
[Business:Networking] If you are out of work and looking for help from those around you (and those who know those around you), here's one little piece of advice: Don't Network like Ty Cobb. Quick Tip: Networking is not about grit and toughness - it's a bit more warm and friendly. In fact, in networking, there are no official rules - you are how you act and you get what you give.
- When You Are the Sole Breadwinner
[Business:Careers-Employment] According to a recent Census Bureau study, the United States had an estimated 5.5 million "stay-at-home" parents - 5.4 million moms and 98,000 dads. Those numbers seems somewhat low to me, but the relative male and female numbers seems historically on target.
- Job Seekers Fall Into Three Categories - Which One Are You?
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] My experience as a hiring manager, networker and fellow job seeker tells me that there are three categories of job seekers. So beyond the pure enjoyment of dropping people into neat little boxes, what's the value of this? First of all, if you are a job seeker, you should know what category you are in so that you can be aware and act accordingly. Second, others are either already aware of your designation or are getting hints from you that send key signals about your categorization.
- 101 (Other) Things You Can Do While Looking For a Job
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] This one goes under the category called "The Psychology of Search". Why, you ask? Well, believe it or not, having other things on your mind besides job search helps clear your head. It allows you a few distractions so that you can stop checking e-mail every 10 minutes. Is that you?
- How Looking For a Job is Like Selling Your House
[Business:Careers-Employment] As you might expect, I was thinking this morning about all the people being released from their jobs these days. This economy is driving every company to reconsider the minimum staffing required to succeed and it may have already affected you. So, what's the impact on the market for jobs?
- The Benefit of a Quick Backward Glance
[Business:Careers-Employment] Your career. No matter how long you've been at it, your career has a memory and a history that deserves recognition. Now before that idea goes way over all of our heads, let me say it a different way. There is a benefit to looking back. Some say "don't look back" and "the past is the past". Hogwash.
- Quick Tip - Consider a Mock Interview
[Business:Careers-Employment] Have a big interview coming up? Are you ready? If you are ready, it means you've identified your strengths and weaknesses, you've researched the company, you know your prior accomplishments and have identified ways to make each of them relevant to the hiring manager, etc.
- Quick Tip - Use Vetting Techniques Like Obama
[Business:Careers-Employment] I think pretty much everyone has heard of the term "vetting". It is used a lot in politics to make sure that a decision is fully researched before it is made. o, based on this, it would seem that vetting should play a pretty important role in the job search community. You clearly get vetted by recruiters, hiring managers, HR people, the interview team at company X, fellow networkers and many others. When is it your turn?
- How Big is Your Ego?
[Business:Careers-Employment] If your ego was looking through a list of jobs, would it choose the same ones as you? You see, there is an ambitious type of person out there that wants the big job before they are ready to do it. Of course, the ego doesn't know that.
- 10 Dumb Things to Avoid in a Job Interview
[Business:Careers-Employment] I can't say I've seen it all, but in 15 years as a hiring manager, I've seen my share. It really is amazing what some people will say and do in an interview. I'm not trying to be callous, but if you read this post and avoid these missteps, you will surely live to interview another day.
- What's Your Linkedin Policy?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Social-Networking] I have a policy that I established a few years ago as I started to amass a larger number of contacts on Linkedin. My policy? If I don't know you, I generally won't add you without a phone call. And if I don't think it's a good fit, I may not confirm the connection.
- The #1 Networking Tool During Hard Times
[Business:Networking] I'll be honest. I've been struggling. I'm struggling to keep up with the requests of recruiters and job seekers who are networking with me to either find appropriate jobs or find appropriate candidates for current jobs. So, how did I solve this problem? A simple spreadsheet. I call my solution the Watchlyst™.
- The Cover Letter Segmentation Study
[Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] I am personally not a big fan of cover letters. I am also not a big reader of them unless they are short, crisp and very well written. What has caused my falling out? I have seen way too many cover letters that try too hard and, as a result, end up triggering a filter alarm that negatively predisposes that person's candidacy for the job.
- Signs That Your Job Search is on the Right Track
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] How do you know if you are on the right track? What indicates that you are doing the right things to maximize your chances to land that next great role? Are you looking for a horseshoe faced the right way or a lucky clover? So, what are the real signs that things are going well?
- Quick Tip - Interviewing? Be Yourself
[Business:Careers-Employment] When I was a kid I used to play air guitar with the best of 'em. The band of choice was, of course, KISS. We'd stand on the fireplace using the various tools to stoke or clean the fireplace as our lead guitar.
- The Rise and Fall of Sarah Palin - Key Learnings For Job Search
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] There are some good lessons to take from the rise and fall of Sarah Palin. Whether Republican, Democrat or Independent most agree a mistake was made in choosing the Alaska governor. I won't re-hash the same points made in the media but I did want to draw some comparisons with the job search many are going through or will go through in the coming years.
- First Things First - Build a Job Search Strategy
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] Stephen Covey wrote a book in 1994 called: First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy. In it he included what he called The four-quadrant matrix for importance and urgency. Said simply, he believes it is important to differentiate between urgent/not urgent and important/not important. His goal was to get people focused on those activities that would drive long-term positive results. As I got re-acquainted with Covey's idea, I started thinking: how can this be applied to job search?
- The Parallels of Surfing and Job Searching
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] First, let's get something straight. I am not a surfer. Oh, I've tried. Long board or short board, I am a miserable surfer.
- Job Search - Like an Out of Body Experience
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] I was thinking the other day about how sometimes during job search it is easy to lose perspective. That if you try to go it alone without strong, helpful people around you, the search process can start to feel a bit lonely. Then I thought while it is nice to have people around to guide you, wouldn't it even be better to guide yourself? To, in fact, watch yourself as you interview, network, meet with recruiters and introduce your job search situation to friends and neighbors. How do you think you'd look and sound?
- Quick Tip - Check Your Cell Phone Message
[Communications:Mobile-Cell-Phone] When you are out of work (aka "in transition"), your old office phone goes unanswered. Your old office door is locked and your old office mail bin is empty. Where and how are people now contacting you if there is interest in your resume and background? You'll either get an e-mail or a voice mail, right? The voice mail will come on your cell phone if you are smart. Why? It is a controllable medium (unlike the home phone which can be answered by an assortment of less than professional 6 year olds!).
- The Worst Days During a Job Search
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] In my experience, the worst days during a job search are those when nothing happens. No calls come in, no e-mails arrive, you have no events or coffees scheduled, etc. During my job search last year, I preferred a decision or any kind of communication (even if negative) to the emptiness of a quiet day. This article offers ideas and advice to drive activity and results in your job search.
- Helplessness and Chaos - Being Out of Work
[Business:Careers-Employment] If you are out of work today or have experienced a recent transition, you'll recognize the feelings of helplessness and chaos. Of course these feelings are very unpleasant and, in fact, may just be those that people hate the most.
- Networking - Once You've Arrived at a New Job
[Business:Networking] Arriving at a new job is incredibly satisfying. Depending on how long you were in transition, it can also be a huge relief from the stress, uncertainty, and frustration of a typical job search process. After all that hard work, countless interviews and the ironing of fancy shirts, you are now able to send out that big e-mail to everyone you know that you are back in business. As much as you might want to shift out of networking mode and focus 100% on the new job, think about this . . .
- Find a Networking Angel
[Business:Careers-Employment] There are a number of uses when it comes to the term "Angel". You have the traditional protective version typically called Guardian Angels (both real and the ones with a beret). You also have the more proactive uses. Examples include Angels in the Outfield - a kids baseball movie where real Angels help the Anaheim Angels baseball team find their confidence again. Also, Angel investors that help small businesses or start-ups with initial capital. But what are Networking Angels?
- Don't Settle on the Wrong Job Offer
[Business:Careers-Employment] Sometimes job search takes time. It can be frustrating, stressful and flat out painful. At times, you would give up many things for that recruiter call, HR manager e-mail or some other communication that suggests you are on your way out of the abyss.
- Job Interviews Can Be a Real Bore
[Business:Careers-Employment] I'm sorry, but job interviews can be a real bore. If you get an interview with a company and have four people to meet, the odds are that two of those interviews will be boring. What do I mean by boring? Well, there are a lot of people asked to interview who don't do it very often and don't really know what to ask. There are also those that are so scripted that the candidate is forced to fall back on answers that are also scripted. If the interviewer was nervous or unsure going into the meeting and remained that way through until the end, you will be blamed for it.
- The Psychology of Job Search
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] I found myself officially out of work and "in between" for the first time in 17 years. Five companies and multiple divisions of each but never on the street corner. Your first experience is part fear and part fantasy - the degree to which you sway is based, I think, on what you bring to the situation and what's happening in the job market at the time you become available.
- The Keys to a Great Phone Interview
[Business:Careers-Employment] Phone interviews have largely replaced the first interview for a lot of companies and are often completed by someone in HR - not the hiring manager - to act as a screener for first round interviews. They are often asking questions to both weed you out and to figure out your fit for the job. This article provides five simple tips for effective phone interviews.
- Tell Your Job Search Network What You Want
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] Sounds reasonable, right? "Tell your job search network what you want". Yet I can't tell you how many people don't really know or have a very difficult time getting it across. The result? A network that wants to help, but sadly, cannot.
- How to Measure the Success of Your Job Search
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] Being in between jobs for an extended period of time can be frustrating, financially painful and confusing. You can lose perspective. You are so busy "doing" that you forget to analyze results and, as necessary, make adjustments. This article helps readers measure the success of their search by proving general guidelines as well as specific hints on ways to measure their effectiveness.
- Job Search - Avoiding a Personal Bailout
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] Whether you are looking for a job today or fear the possibility of needing to dust off your resume involuntarily in the near future, you need to be conscious of the financial risks. Those risks need to be a driving force in your feeling a sense of urgency toward creating and proactively executing your job search strategy. This article discusses scenarios to illustrate the risks of not proactively preparing psychologically and physically for an extended transition period.
- Have a Job Search Strategy? Great - Now Act Like It
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] In my experience, there are two big risk areas for job seekers - even if you have a strategy. 1. Executing a bad strategy and 2. Executing a good strategy in a passive or disrespectful way. Now the risks here seem obvious, right? But until you read examples of ways people bring these risk areas to life you may not recognize that you may be guilty of them yourself. This article describes the pitfalls of misusing your network and suggests successful ways to use to build a strong one.
- What to Do With Your Old and New Ideas?
[Business:Entrepreneurialism] Everyone has a place for things that they're just not sure what to do with. For you it could be a bottom drawer or an old cigar box. It may include letters from an old girlfriend or a part to an old record player. This article discusses an important question: what do I do with all my ideas?
- How Much Money Should I Spend to Find a New Job?
[Business:Careers-Employment] For folks who are brand new to the job search process - meaning that you have been gainfully employed since graduation - you will ask: How much money should I spend to find a job? If you are a veteran of the search process having transitioned a number of times, your question is slightly different: How much money should I spend to find a job THIS TIME? This article reviews options job seekers have to pay for job search help and the author's advice as to whether each is worth the money.
- When Networking Meets Ego - Ouch!
[Business:Careers-Employment] This article is about ripping off the networking band-aid. In a job search, networking is one of the most painful parts of the process. You have to check your ego at the door - something most of us are not comfortable doing.
- How Strong is Your "Job Search Ethic"?
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] This article looks to define a new term "job search ethic" and differentiate it from the traditional work ethic. So how does a "work ethic" compare to a "job search ethic"? The answer is they contain a lot of similar attributes. For example, both include the defined aspects of hard work and diligence - that makes sense, right?
- Out of Work? Lucky You
[Business:Careers-Employment] During my recent "out of work" experience in late 2007 I got some great advice from a helpful career coach. Based on the premise that you can't possibly look for work 12 hours a day, there were some powerful ways, she said, to spend my transition time. In fact, this 3-6 month period may be the only significant block of free time in my entire adult. What could I do with it?
- How Many Plates Are You Spinning to Find a Job
[Business:Careers-Employment] Two basic truths about job search success are: you can't do it alone and you can't do it without tapping into your larger network. Far too many people rely on precious few resources to launch a search and often they are the least effective. This article discusses the wide range of micro networks that must be tapped to maximize your job search success.
- Landing is For Pilots, Not Job Seekers
[Business:Careers-Employment] There's a term in the job search community for when you find a job. You "land" a new job and you send out a "landing announcement" to your network so that everyone knows you are off the market. Sounds like a positive thing to "land", right? This article suggests a new phrase that better describes a more successful "and less bumpy" search strategy.
- Job Search - What a Spouse Needs to Know
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] When you are looking for a job, it is easy to become inwardly focused. If you see job search as a solo project and get obsessed with the task, you may leave an important and valuable partner out of the loop - your spouse. This article explains how this inward focus occurs and suggests ways to to include a spouse or significant other as a key member of your team.
- Do You Have a Job Search Strategy Or Are You Just Spinning?
[Business:Job-Search-Techniques] Tough times call for a new job search strategy. Being out of work in an uncertain economy can be stressful and frustrating. Being out of work without a strategy is just downright silly yet most people I meet who were in transition did not have a specific plan. There was outward confidence, activity, pride, but often not much else.
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