In this week’s interview, Chris O’Leary offers awesome advice for those of us who want new ways to make the most of any opportunity or even make our own opportunities.  The tips are straight from perspectives he offered in his book Elevator Pitch Essentials.

Chris O'Leary is a writer, speaker, consultant, and general expert in the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, new product development, sales, and marketing. Chris has contributed to the success of a number of successful start-up companies including SalesLogix, makers of the leading middle-market Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application. Chris is now an entrepreneur himself, running a small publishing and consulting firm.

Todd:  With so much interaction taking place virtually, is the Elevator Pitch really necessary?

Chris:  Absolutely.

The idea of an elevator pitch isn't just relevant to face to face communication, although that's its original and still primary use.  Instead, the elevator pitch tells you how to conduct yourself in any setting where you have a limited amount of time to get your point across. That includes e-mails, documents, and to a degree texts and tweets.

I would argue that, given how the pace of life is increasing and people are becoming increasingly pressed for time, the elevator pitch is an idea that is becoming more relevant, not less.

Todd:  In Elevator Pitch Essentials, you discuss The Nine C's. Tell us a little about them and why they are important.

Chris:  The Nine C's explain the characteristics of an effective elevator pitch in a way that's easy for people to remember. They reflect the mistakes that people tend to make in their elevator pitches and/or the
information they tend to omit.

In brief, an effective elevator pitch is...

1. Concise: An effective elevator pitch contains as few words as possible, but no fewer.

2. Clear: Rather than being filled with acronyms, MBA-speak, and ten-dollar words, an effective elevator pitch can be understood by your grandparents, your spouse, and your children.

3. Compelling: An effective elevator pitch explains the problem your solution solves.

4. Credible: An effective elevator pitch explains why you are qualified to see the problem and to build your solution.

5. Conceptual: An effective elevator pitch stays at a fairly high level and does not go into too much unnecessary detail.

6. Concrete: As much as is possible, an effective elevator pitch is also specific and tangible.

7. Consistent: Every version of an effective elevator pitch conveys the same basic message.

8. Customized: An effective elevator pitch addresses the specific interests and concerns of the audience.

9. Conversational: Rather than being to close the deal, the goal of an elevator pitch is to just get the ball rolling; to start a conversation, or dialogue, with the audience.

Todd:  What's the most important consideration in "pitching" your elevator pitch?

Chris:  Next to not explaining what problem their solution solves, the biggest mistake I see people make in their elevator pitches is not establishing their credibility. They never explain what qualifies them to see the problem and to solve it.

This is a major problem because experienced investors, managers, and other backers know that most ideas for new products and services have some fatal flaw. That's why 75 to 90 percent of new businesses fail. You have to convince the audience that you have some special knowledge, insight, and/or that will allow you to succeed where most
will fail.

Todd:  With the pitch being so short in duration, why do so few people have a well-developed and practiced pitch?

Chris:  It's precisely the short duration of an elevator pitch that makes it so hard to come up with a good one.

First, most entrepreneurs and project champions are fountains of information and could literally talk about their solution for hours. What's hard for them is cutting down all of that information into something that can fit into just a few minutes of time.

Second, most people tend to make a mistake that I call getting lost in the HOW. Because they spend so much time dealing with issues of HOW they are going to bring their solution to life, most people get right into the HOW of their solution without first just establishing WHAT it is and WHY people need it.

Third, there's also the issue that too few people actually take the time to practice and develop their pitch. They tend to just wing it.

Todd:  You're working on another book, The Paradox Of Pain. Can you give us a sneak peak?

Chris:  The Paradox Of Pain explains the relationship between pain, change, and innovation.

The premise of The Paradox Of Pain is that if you want to improve your ability to generate, evaluate, and communicate ideas for innovations, you must put pain at the center of the process. The logic is that only the existence of significant amounts of physical or psychological pain will ensure that people will overcome the pull of the status quo and actually change and adopt your solution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for the interview, Chris.

If you would like to learn more about Chris and his projects, check out his website.  Get more information on his book here.  You can purchase your own copy of Elevator Pitch Essentials on Amazon.

She stood in front of the room.  Cleared her throat.  She took a quick scan of the room before uttering a word.  Then, it happened.  Her mouth opened, only to let a shriek of indiscernible sound. 

It was obvious.  Adrenaline and Cortisol were flowing freely through her blood stream.  Her heart was racing.  Her muscles tightened.  Her pupils were growing larger.  Sweat was beginning to bead up on her brow. 

                                                                        

Yet, she pushed through the words she had memorized.  After only 4 minutes, she concluded.  The audience stood and applauded loudly.  The applause seemed to go on for minutes, only to cease as she took her seat.  A small came across her face.  I’m not sure if it was from relief or a sense of accomplishment.  Regardless, she was done and it was over.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

This was my first experience with Toastmasters, an organization dedicated to building speaking skills through a structured program in a supportive environment.

This got me to thinking.  Fear is an instinctual response.  It can paralyze.  Yet, here she was.  Staring her fear right in the face. 

I talked with her afterwards and she mentioned she was nervous.  That was obvious.  The strange thing was that she was speaking to friends.  These were people she knew.  There were no strangers in the room.  Yet, she could not control her response to the fear.

This young lady was not a high level executive.  She was just a regular hourly worker. 

If she can stand up there, battle her fears for the sake of improving her own skills and abilities, why can’t I?

As you tackle your own career, remember that FEAR is only an indication that you are lacking information and confidence. 

THE KEYS TO FIGHTING FEAR:

• Surround yourself with people that will support you, no matter what.

• Tackle your fears. 

• Beat them one at a time.

Now, imagine the world you can create for yourself and others.

It’s interesting that despite all of the new virtual tools we have for social networking, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., we still find ourselves going back to the old face-to-face interactions to get any ‘real’ benefit from our connections.  Thus, the major benefit for individuals seems to be that it allows them to connect with those they may not normally have access. However, just being connected or Linked doesn’t mean you’ll get any benefit from it. 

Some research suggests that it takes at least 9 exchanges with someone to create a relationship.  Let’s say you went on LinkedIn with the hope of finding someone who works at a GE.   You’d like to work for GE as a project engineer.  So, you find a few names of engineers in similar positions in that company.  Then, you find their email address format and send them an introduction letter that tells them who you are, how you found them and why you are contacting them.  Do you think the first email you send to them will accomplish your goal?  Probably not. 

While this is a good approach, it will take many exchanges to build a relationship conducive to the support you need.  I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t use virtual connections.  For best results, you must combine the Virtual world with the Real world.  Here are some suggestions.

1. Do the Virtual thing. Send an email.  Keep it informal and sincere.  If you’ve done a little homework on them, you may have something in common, such as college degree, alma mater, kids, or hometown.  Use this connection as a reason for reaching out to them.  Make the first interaction about that bond.  Learn as much as you can about them.  Take notes so you don’t forget.


2. Do the Real thing.  Face to face is the best method of communication.  If you feel that asking for a meeting of this type won’t work, such as lunch or coffee, then suggest a telephone call.  Speaking is the next best method for connecting.  Once you begin talking, try to avoid email.  Call whenever you can.  This allows them to learn about you by listening to your voice inflections, timber, tone, attitude and other things.  You don’t get that from email.  After a few calls, you should suggest the face to face meeting.

3. Lead with your hand out.  Not in asking but giving.  Find out what they like and support it in some way.  I had a friend once that send a high level executive an autographed baseball from a player on his favorite team.  The executive was so happy to get the baseball that he arranged an interview for my friend at his company.  You never know what a little kindness can do.  By the way…he got the job and did well for years.

4. Connect with their network. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to get into someone else’s network.  How?  Just ask.  If you are resourceful and learn about some of their connections, through the Internet, you can work your way into an introduction to a particular contact.  You could ask leading questions to that connection or the particular aspects about the connection you’d like to make.  In working on my next book, I talk to lots of MBA graduates.  I ask each graduate if they know other successful graduates who’ve had the success they have.  This almost always leads to a referral.  

5. Work the whole network.   All of this takes time and effort.  But it’s worth it.  Once you get a referral, you must respond.  Follow up with them.  Keep everyone in the loop on the conversation.  Take your new connection back to step #1 above.  Don’t lose the connections.  Follow-up with each one as often as you can.

As you go through the process, note what works and what doesn’t.  Optimize your skills and methods.  Failures will come.  Don’t worry too much about them.  Just learn from them and keep on moving.  The results you want will come.  It once took my 18 months to make a connection with a world renowned expert.  Sure, I felt like giving up at times but I really wanted that connection.  And….I got it.

One of the biggest challenges for those seeking a career change is in the determination of the resources to use.  If you are currently employed and seeking a job change, you likely don't have the time or skills to find a better opportunity. So, you could use the help from someone else.  If you are unemployed, you need to perform a massive search to get some options quickly.  Trying to do the search yourself is time-consuming because you must learn the current trends in resumes, networking, interviewing and so on.  Using a recruiter seems like a good option but they aren't necessarily motivated (or incentivized) to help YOU.  They are paid by companies to fill a slot and that's what they do. 

The dismal results job searchers get from trying to perform the search themselves or using a recruiter forces many to the question of using a retained job search company.  There are many such companies in business today.  Some good. Some bad.  So, you need to do some research before hiring a company.  This can simply be done by asking a few questions.  To help you find the best deal, ask the following questions to the company you are considering hiring.  Note their responses.  Then, decide what makes the best sense.

Questions to ask a retained job search company

1. Who actually performs the job search?  Most companies DON'T perform the job search. That is, they coach you. If a company doesn't do the search, how good do you think they are at finding jobs? Surely you don't want to do your own search while you are paying someone else to do it. 

2. Who creates all of the documents?  Most companies show YOU how to create your resume, cover letters, thank you letters, etc.  They may even critique it for you.  If they don't do the job searches but do resumes, are you sure they are up-to-date on current practices?  A company who performs job searches will know what the current practices and formats are since they'll see the responses from the employers. 

3. Do you have a database of company contacts or previous customers I can contact?  Most companies don't have a database of contacts (or employers) to share with you. Most just advise you on how to find your own contacts.  You know, like using LinkedIn or Facebook.   If they don't have a database of connections, is their advice on making them efficient and effective? Sounds like an academic exercise, doesn't it?

4. Who does the company research?  Most companies do provide interview coaching. This is important, especially if you feel you need it. BUT, most companies don't provide you significant info on the company itself or the individuals you will interview you. That's critical info for performing well in an interview.  Also, with the rapid pace of buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, you'll want to know if the company you are interviewing with is about to be sold or file Chapter 11.

5. Who sends out the resumes, intro letters, etc.?  Most companies make you send out your resumes, letters, etc.  While most of it is done on-line today, it's still time consuming.  If you are already out of work, sending out a lot resumes is what you want but will be  difficult.   And, of course, you don't want to just blanket email companies.  That mass marketing technique isn't very efficient.  Since most resumes are never seen by a real person (9 out of 10), you'll want someone with experience sending them for you.

6. Is there an opt-out period or refund available if I don't like the service?    Find out if you have to sign a contract at the start. If so, is there an opt-out or trial period to see if you like their service.  Some companies force you to sign a contract with no way out.  So, once you buy in, you're in and there's not much hope for getting out.   That means that if you don't like what they are doing, they still keep your money.  However, there are a few ways to approach this if you ever get in that situation. 

7. Do you help negotiate and evaluate the offers?  Many companies do very little to help you negotiate or evaluate a job offer. You'd think a company that helps people find jobs would be effective in getting a job. This is a skill that takes practice and must be done often to keep pace with current trends.  

8. Do you help develop a career strategy once I find a job?  Most companies don't help you build a career plan or strategy once you've found a new position. Once you get a job, they'll say "call me if you need anything." Many people want more than just a new job, they want a place where they can be more successful.  But how do you be more successful in a new company?  Is the new culture one you can be effective in?  Do they already have a lot of high performers?  How can you compete?


These questions are great for your first discussion with a retained company.  Don't let them spend a lot of your time with their marketing speeches.  They are entertaining but not real useful.  Before they dive off in their spill, ask these questions.  Take charge of the conversation.  You're the customer and deserve to know what you are buying.  If you get the right answers, then by all means proceed.  Otherwise, you could be wasting your time.  This is your career and your money.  Take charge of it.

In studying the career paths of many MBA graduates from the top tier schools for my new book, I've found
that networking has been instrumental to their continued success. IVY League graduates have an unusual
but strong dedication to one another. Lower tier schools don't have this. The IVYs hold networking events where
they meet face-to-face to share a bit of themselves with other IVYs. They meet for lunch, dinner and many
informal gatherings. They arrange these events themselves without a direct connection to their schools.
It's a bunch of professionals with a single bond, working together to promote each other's success. They
form book clubs, present to one another and draw in top executives from major companies to share their
insights.

They've found that, as an MBA graduate, they have most of the skills they need to be successful.  As one
participant told me, "MBAs don't get fired for being stupid, they get fired for their personality."  This is
a great point.  Relationship management in the workplace is key to continued success.  Most of us know that
making enemies in the workplace isn't helpful.  In fact, it can be detrimental.  So, instead of avoiding
making enemies, the IVYs focus on making a powerful network.

Many of my clients struggle with networking.  Finding groups to attach themselves to is difficult.  The first
place to look is on the web.  Most groups have posted access to their calendar of events and officers on
their website.  A simple search should bring up a list of groups to join.

For now, you must network! I don't mean spend a lot of time on the Internet making connections through
LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. These are important too but the real social interactions that allow you to really
know someone will be the relationships that will get you into their company, get your referred to their
friend who may be hiring, or simply get you recommendations from key organizational members. These
relationships will help you all throughout your career, not just the beginning.

Pick a group and become an active member. Networking is making personal connections and you can't do that
over the internet. Here a few groups to join:

1. http://www.mbaalliance.com/
2. Your alum group
3. Other alum groups, like http://www.hbsclubchicago.org/groups.html (yes...this is Harvard but don't let
that stop you. Contact the head of the group and ask to join).  There are many in your city.  Find them.  Join
them.

If you aren't getting results for face-to-face groups, network online to find more places to network in
person. Consider some of these sites:

http://www.foreignmba.com
http://www.mbafocus.net
http://www.mbahighway.com
http://www.associationofmbas.com
http://www.mbaconnect.net

Once you have gained graduate level education, you have the credentials and skills to be successful.  Now,
you just need the network.  If you don't have one, make one.

Lights...Camera...Job change!

One of the defining characteristics of the American economy is the quest for profits. Most of us
knows what that really means.  However, let's look at this from a different perspective by first
looking at the unemployment numbers for February 2009.

• Large businesses (500 or more employees) saw unemployment decline by 121,000.
• Medium businesses (50 to 499 employees) saw unemployment decline by 314,000.
• Small businesses (less than 50 employees) saw unemployment decline by 262,000.

These numbers indicate greater instability in medium to small companies.  Now, consider the fact
that many of these companies are private and owned by Venture Capitalists and investors.  The
ownership of one of these companies has a huge impact on every employee's career. 

Have you ever worked for a small or medium sized company that was owned by VCs.  They held a contract
to fund the company for 2-3 years with the guarantee of a certain return on investment.  At the end
of the contract, they have the option to keep on supporting the company or sell it off to someone else.
If the VCs aren't getting what they feel they should, they often sell the company, sparking a wave of
cost saving activities for the new owner.  I don't have to tell you what this implies.  Layoffs.

Now as this trend continues to grow, we begin to see the shaping of a new mobile workforce.  New owners
take over a company, reduce headcount, work the business for a few years and then sell it.  During this
time, the workforce can grow or reduce further.  In either case, the labor force fluctuations are in
response to the need for fast returns.

So what does this mean to you?  It means that you can expect to have more jobs in your career.  This
will eventually create new expectations for employees.  Employment will begin to be seen as temporary.
Durations will last only a few years and then you'll move on to the next project.  It will be just like
a movie set.  The crew comes in to setup the scenes.  Then, the big actors comes and do their thing, leaving
the cleanup to the crew.  Once they are done, they move on to the next movie.

While planning for a career never has been an easy task, it will certainly get more difficult.  You'll need to
consider the following ideas to maintain a sufficient level of success.

Transferable skills.  You'll need to ensure you are building skills that will elevate you in the next job
change.  Parallel moves are good but you'll want to be build skills that will put you in the driver's seat of
the negotiation.  Moving up the ladder can only be accomplished by jumping companies.

 Networking.  We've always known this was important.  Well, if this isn't on the top of your list for new
skills to develop, you better put it there now.  Ivy League graduates have always been good at this and use
it often to create more success for themselves.  It's the best way to plan that next jump (or any jump).

Planning.  If you've never considered building a career plan, the future will give you the opportunity to
build one.  Once you get into a company, start tapping your network to know what's available.  You don't have
to jump right away but you'll want to have a few landing spots identified, especially if you're tossed out of
the plane instead of jumping.

One last tip...when you interviewing for that next job, ask the company how they are funded and what that contract
looks like.  Is it up in one or two years?  This can give you an idea of when change will come.  If they are
a public company, then you can just review their performance by searching sites on the web.

Cut....that's a rap!

Stocks are down.  Companies are selling.  Jobs are scarce.  Well, except for high performers.   Those with high levels of education and a great track record within corporate America are usually safe in turbulent times.  Managers are always seeking those with unquestionable talent.  It would seem that for a select few, they have little to worry about when it comes to employment.  Right?  Maybe not.

Over the years, I’ve talked with many professionals about the steps they’ve made along the path of their career.  Mostly, I just wanted to learn what others have learned.  At first, I thought many of these super achievers had everything all planned out, working the system like a professional.  They knew what to do at every turn.  However, that was simply not the case.  Even the best and brightest suffer unexpected consequences. 

After reviewing many of these discussions, I realized that most of these career mistakes, or mis-steps, were caused by one of two factors: vision and emotion.  Both of these essentially blind them of the situation, relieving them of the ability to make logical moves.  Hopefully, by reviewing both of these factors, we can gain some insight that will allow us to avoid their gravitational pull.

Vision.  Ben was a talented engineer with ten years of successful creation of technology.  His dreams of becoming one of the best technical minds had been born from his thoughts and grew into a great career.  Having cleared the big hurdles in his path, he was ready to take on new ones.  These would have to be different.  They would push his skills in ways he never imagined.  Much like a great right-handed baseball pitcher who decides to become a left-handed pitcher.  Ben’s challenge was to learn more about the business side of corporate life.  He felt the quickest way was to cram as much information into his head as he possibly could.  Ben decided to get an MBA.  This would allow him to get into investment finance.  So, he enrolled in a top university.  He continued to work in the corporate world until he graduated.  With resume in hand, he set out to get that new job.  After a few interviews, his new career path was becoming clearer.  But it wasn’t we he expected.  The big investment houses were telling him that he needed experience before they could hire him.  They asked about college internships or previous investment experience.  He didn’t have it.  This was the most critical element in getting hired.  The MBA was just part of it.  How could he have missed it?  Somehow, he did.  Now, it was too late.  Ben never made it into investments.  He couldn’t see two years out.  He expected the degree would be sufficient.  It wasn’t. 

Ben eventually found a good position in another industry and has done well since.  But he wonders what it would have been like if he could have just understood how far his degree would take him.  Ben could have contacted several people in the investment industry to find out what the real requirements for employment were.  Networking is a requirement.  It’s the easiest way to learn.  It’s little effort with big returns.

Emotion.  Jenny was one of the best managers in her company.  She had proven herself many times over in the 6 years she had dedicated to the company.  Yet, somehow she didn’t feel she was rewarded for all she had given.  The late nights.  The long days.  The many accomplishments.  Her hard work and energy went out but nothing seemed to come back in.  These feelings began to drive her attitude.  She still did great things but she wasn’t devoted like she once was.  This attitude gave birth to new behavior when she heard the rumors about the sell of the company.   Thinking that things wouldn’t get better if the company did sell, she began to search for a new job.  After all, if they were selling the company, things were bad and opportunities would be scarce.  So Jenny found another company.  She interviewed with them 4 times before getting the offer and taking the job.   She had done her research. This was the company, or so it seemed.  About 6 months after she started, the honeymoon was over and the rumors had begun.  Jenny had fallen right back into the situation she had left at her last company. Except this time, she didn’t have enough time to create to create her defining star performer reputation.  Another 6 months after the purchase, Jenny was unemployed.  The two situations drained her energy, drive and passion for her work.  In an almost self-destructive manner, Jenny’s emotion drove her decision to change. 

Jenny eventually found work again but learned that emotion is a powerful force.  Her feelings controlled her view of the situation around her.  So much so that it blinded her abilities.  She was ready for a change, even if it only appeared to be better.  Career decisions, like many other decisions, are best made when you aren’t in a state of heightened emotions. 

These are stories from my clients.  They are highly educated people.  Most are high performers that accomplish great things.  They are survivors and find ways out of difficult situations.  But they still hit bumps along the path of their career.  The things that they experience are very similar to what many of the rest of us experience.   They learn from their mistakes.  Hopefully we can learn from them too.

Surviving Unemployment

I still remember it like it was yesterday.  The day my manager, whom I had served for a about one week (since we restructure so often), came to my desk and asked me to meet with him in his office.  As I entered the room, I saw the HR manager.  I immediately knew what was going to happen.  They talked with me for a while but I’m not sure I heard anything.  My heart was pounding so hard and my mind was racing wildly.  What was I going to do now?  My paycheck was the only one I have to support my family.  I took my letter from the company and headed home.

.. ..

This all took place at the beginning of the economic downturn.  The housing market was declining and unemployment was climbing.  It was the perfect storm.  Focusing on being positive, I began to prepare my plan for getting that next gig.  As I put everything together, I felt more positive about myself.  I was focused and determined. 

.. ..

But alas, two months later, discouragement set in.  So, I reached out to my close friends for support.  I didn’t ask them for a job at their company.  I just wanted encouragement.  They often reminded me that I didn’t appear to be extremely happy in the job anyhow.  Maybe this was the only way to get out of a bad situation.  If I had been released, I may have stayed in it and eventually affected my personal life.  After a few sessions with my friends, I came up with a new plan and was running again.   

.. ..

Entering month five, I started to feel hopeless.  I didn’t think I would ever find a job.  Feelings of anger would fill my head as I reflected on the events that put me in this whole situation.  I did what they asked me to do and look what they gave me in return.  If this is the way organizations worked, I didn’t want to be a part of it anymore.  Essentially, they have free reign and can do whatever they want.  Me, I had to have the job, so I guess I had to take it.  This is what I fought for some time.  It was destructive thought and I had to get rid of it.

.. ..

I got over it by changing my focus again.  I created a list of things I wanted to do that couldn’t be accomplished while I was working.  One thing that I did was to join a gym, talk with a trainer and put myself on a rigorous exercise program.  This kept the stress down, allowed me to make new friends and connections and most importantly, got me out of the house.  Getting my mind off of the situation was the only way to save my sanity.

.. ..

It took over nine months for my story to end.  I was exhausted.  My emotions kept me on a roller coaster ride.  However, changing my focus kept me from dwelling on the negative.  Here are a few things I found that were extremely beneficial in maintaining a positive attitude during such troubling times.

Create a job search plan.  Initially, the novelty in searching for work will be stimulating.  You’ll be hopeful that people who will be reviewing your credentials will be impressed and will want to talk with you.  You’ll also be learning a lot about others and what they do.  Most importantly, you’ll be figuring out how you could fit into their business.  Enjoy this.  The better you get at it, the more successful your search will be. 

.. ..

Note:  You’ll need to change your plan from time to time.  Maybe you try searching online for two weeks.  Then, you work with recruiters or local government services.  Other sources could be job groups, career fairs or even a career coach.  Some people may tell you to try everything at once but that could get daunting.  Change things up by focusing on one method at a time.....

.. ..

Create a support network.  Unemployment is a tough ordeal that strains your emotions, self esteem and self image.  Use your friends to support and motivate you.  Let them know that’s what you need.  Arrange special meetings that pick you up.  Consider sporting activities, dinner, hanging out at a club or a movie.  These are the times where you can get ideas on what to do while enjoying the camaraderie of your friends. 

.. ..

Note:  Get your friends to include you in their network.  Meet their friends and go to their events.  You never know when the next person you meet may be your next employer.....

Build your dream list.  This is the list of things you’ve always wanted to do but never had time for.  A job often takes up most of our time.  Now you have some.  Don’t focus all day of every day on getting the job.  Spend some time in the morning sending out resumes and making contacts.  Then, do one of the items on your dream list.  I went to the gym to exercise every day.  It was my stress relief.  Don’t let unemployment totally rearrange your life. Have a little fun too.

.. ..

Maintain a positive attitude.  This is critical.  A bad attitude will spill over into everything you do, especially an interview.  While your support network may support this, you’ll need more than one source if unemployment is prolonged.  Go to the library and check out some audio books by great motivational speakers.  Carry this with you everywhere (in the car, on your IPOD, etc).  I would listen to Anthony Robbins and Les Brown.  Find your favorites and dive in. 

.. ..

Note:  The lessons you learn from these experts are great for stories in the interview.  Questions like “how do you motivate others?” become extremely easy to answer.  ....

.. ..

Build new skills.  I’m not talking about going to a college to get a degree or certification, although, it’s not a bad idea, if you can.  While you are at the library getting your motivational fix, pick up a few books on something you’d like to learn about.  I chose team-building. I must have read and listened to 100 books on it.  I made myself an expert on it by learning what all the others experts thought, then adding my own experience and thoughts.  You can imagine how I could dazzle interviewers on team related questions.....

.. ..

Forget the past.  If you had a bad experience that left you unemployed, learn from it and forget it.  Put enough thought into to understand what went wrong and what you could have done to improve the situation.  Companies are made of people and people make mistakes.  Come to grips with this understanding quickly.  No matter what happened, you are where you are.  End of story.  Focus on building yourself a better place to be.

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Note:  I learned to get over my situation by helping others who experienced something similar.  Give. Give. Give.  You’ll feel much better about the past if you help others avoid similar situations.....

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The bumps in the road of our lives are great for putting things into perspective.  Treat them as learning experiences and opportunities for making your life better.  After all, when we are working, we have little time to change things, even those we know we should.  This is your time to get things back on track.

Although President G.W. Bush denied it for some time, many economists certainly feel as if the economy has finally reached a serious state of recession. Unemployment is at an all-time high and everything else is going with it. But this has a special mark on the average American struggle to climb the "corporate ladder."

Large corporations are downsizing, merging, acquiring, converging and a whole bunch of other -ing words that aren't good for the average American worker. A task that was already nearly insurmountable, succeeding in today's corporations has been increasingly more difficult. There are too many questions looming over the heads of young professionals.

Where do I go to succeed?
Who will help me?
What will be expected of me?
How will my performance be judged?
Insert your question here.

Chuck Shumpert, Newspaper editor