Are You a Victim or a Victor?

There many victims in this world. In fact, anyone can claim to be a victim. The poor may not have enough food, clothing, education, healthcare, nurturing, safety, role models, etc. The rich may have been spoiled, not enough time with loving parents, too much freedom, too much money, too many temptations, too much unstructured free time, too much access to drugs, sex, and mischief. Perhaps you are in the middle but had a negative teacher experience, a professor who could not teach, a boss who was unethical, etc. It is easy to blame others or our circumstances. It emotionally feels good to blame the system, blame our situation, and ignore our own responsibility. You might get compassion from a court of law or others but feeling like a victim does not solve anything. You will just remain a victim.

We have far fewer victors. A victor does not ignore the injustices in life. Instead, they feed off of wanting their lives to be different. They take any negative energy and turn it into positive motivation to become different. They want to provide food, clothing, opportunities, a better world and a better life for themselves and for their children and grand children. They choose to win at the game of life. They get up each morning determined to break through their past, their excuses, and their weaknesses to make a difference, to maximize their potential, and to ultimately leave a legacy.

Being a victim is easy. You don’t have to do anything.

Being a victor is hard. You have to be determined, work hard, persevere, and surround yourself with other like-minded victors to become successful. Many future victors are often surprised how many older victors are willing to reach out a hand to help those who are determined to win in life. These older victors have won already and are now working on paying it forward in order to leave a legacy for future generations of victors.

At the end of the day, the difference is what you decide to do with your life.

Will you be a victim or a victor?

The Financial Challenge for Graduates Trying to A Job

The first shock will be having to go home. The article cites that in 2009, 80% moved back home to Mom and Dad after graduation. Since the trend has been increasing, the 2010 numbers may likely be higher. You can read the full USA Today article by clicking here.

When they arrive home, many will have to start paying back their college loans. While the national average is cited as around $23 thousand, if you went to school in a top tier school in an expensive state, that number could easily be much, much higher. Unless their parents keep paying for them, the financial pressures will quickly mount.

For some, their parents may also be unemployed and financially struggling. The unforeseen train wreck may be just around the corner.

I have heard some people suggest that this year’s graduates, as well as for the last two years, will be the “lost generation.” That refers to far fewer getting jobs and lower starting salaries for those who do get a job. By starting with a lower salary, the impact to lifetime earnings can be staggering.

If you do the math, ongoing support at home + paying off student loans + job hunting expenses + risk of parents running out of money + the lifetime loss of earnings (from starting at a lower salary) = a frightening scenario for today’s graduates. Yet the article suggests that 50% of graduates are confident that they will get a job.

I hope that they do. I suspect that those who assume that the job will come to them or that simply trying to get a job the same way that their parents used to get a job will be very disappointed. The math, for most, just will not work.

So, what are their choices? The article suggests: a) staying in school, b) starting their own business, c) picking jobs that don’t fit their majors, d) taking internships to get experience, and e) accepting job offers when they get an offer.  These are all reasonable but miss the most important point; which is learning how to competitively sell and market themselves to get a job now and develop the skills that will help them develop a lifetime of success.

Of course, most people think that getting their resume updated, applying online for jobs, and learning how to interview is all that you need. That is why I am trying to get the message out about Jobpreneurshipä. If you have heard our presentations, attended our seminars, read our newsletters, blogs, testimonials, and books, then you know that our message is a paradigm shift to many but simply words of wisdom shared from insiders who want to help others. Those who want to take action can increase their opportunity for career, family, and future success.

If you agree with our message, please tell others about Job Doctors.  Thank you for helping us help others.

The Shocking Challenge for Graduates Getting A Job

The employment news on Friday, June 4, 2010 was that unemployment fell to 9.7% nationally. That sounds like an improvement. However, when you peal back the number, less than 10% of the improvement came from the private sector – far less than expected. The improvements came from government hiring but are clouded by how many are related to temporary Census workers.  The bottom line is that the employment picture for everyone has not really improved. The stock market understands this math and the DJIA fell 323 points.

So, what does that mean for graduates? First, most students don’t really know what is going on. They often believe that getting a job is something to think about when they graduate; and not before. The real shock will be when they enter the transition market that over 30 million Americans are experiencing.

Let’s look at some of the information provided by USA Today on May 19, 2010. You can read the article by clicking here.

First, 2.4 million new students have recently graduated. That does not include graduate level students. Many of them will struggle to get an interview, much less get hired.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is cited as showing five job seekers for every opening. Who knows where they get their numbers. My HR sources tell me that hundreds and thousands are applying for posted positions. I will let you decide which you believe is true for your dream job.

What is astounding is that the percentage of employers planning to hire recent graduates is continuing to go down! The article cites 79% in 2007, 58% in 2008, and 44% this year with last year around the same number.

There is no question that the markets are incredibly competitive with little improvement seen for the next several years.

However, many of these graduates have been accustomed to getting along and not worrying about the future. Many, not finding a job, will simply go back home while others will assume that their parents will continue to pay for their needs. To be blunt, that phenomena will probably be increasing. But believing that they should not have to compete for jobs or assuming someone, like their parents, will help them get a job is living in a bubble that, for many, will eventually end poorly.

The conclusion is that, “are simply not enough jobs to go around.”

I agree with the numbers but not with the implied conclusion. If everyone just sat around, being a victim, the sentiment would be reasonable. However, not everyone will just be sitting around. The ones who get hired will be those who are hungry enough to decide to learn how to compete regardless of the economy. Their attitude will be, “no excuses!” They will choose to learn how to cope and succeed in today’s market. When the market improves, they will be ahead of their peers and far ahead in knowing how to get their ultimate dream jobs.

So how will they learn these skills? Job Doctors is here to teach them. Few may wish to learn, but I want to be there to help them learn the secrets that insiders have always used and that anyone who wishes to be competitive in today’s marketplace must use to be working while others go home to their parents house waiting for more jobs to “go around.”

How about you? Are you taking steps to learn to be competitive? Can you help others know about these insider secrets so that they can also start moving toward their dream job?

Helping College Students and Graduates Get Jobs

The challenges for experienced workers to get a job in today’s market are sobering. The challenges for a college student to land a job after graduation are far worse.

In today’s market, this demographic is caught in the middle. First they are competing against double digit general unemployment, experienced people willing to take a step down just to have a job, retirees wanting to return to the labor force, graduates from prior years who are still unemployed and far fewer companies who are interested in hiring anyone.

I want to help. I will need your help for me to help them. Who is “them”? It may be you, your children, friends, or friend’s children.

My program includes a new book that will be out this summer, speaking at colleges, and offering seminars designed for college students and college graduates.

Will this program solve the problem? No. However, the information that I will be sharing will provide a competitive advantage to those who have the opportunity to listen and to learn.

So, for me to help them, I need your help.

The best way for me to help that population is to work within existing college and alumni programs that are already set up for speakers and continuing education materials for career days, assemblies, student leadership gatherings, conferences, etc.

If you are interested in finding out more, please check out http://www.JobDoctorsInternational.com/speaking/college.

If you are interested in helping me, what I am requesting is that you consider either forwarding my link ( http://www.JobDoctorsInternational.com/speaking/college ) or my brochure to anyone whom you know in your college or alumni organization with any of the following titles:

• Director/Coordinator of Student Affairs
• Coordinator of Greek Life
• Director of Career Services
• Director of Residential Life
• Presidents of Alumni Groups
• Trusted College Staff Relationships
• Trusted Relationships in Associations interested in helping college/graduate students

Please consider helping me to get my urgently needed message to the next generation. For some of us that might mean helping others, perhaps even your children, get off their parent’s dole and out of their parent’s house to move on to their own life adventure.

If you need any brochures or information, please feel free to call me at 888-420-6861 or email me at Jim@JobDoctorsIntl.com.

How does a Power Group Differ From Coaching?

A Power Group is a peer led group that does not use a coach. As a result, mutual leads and mutual confidential matters are easily shared but knowledge on how to search for jobs or develop one’s career is limited by the strongest member of the group. Since, in almost every case, no one in the group is a full-time coach or professional in Jobprenuership™, then groups can easily encourage one another to be taking actions that may not be best practice or developing themselves with wrong paradigm thinking.

Does that eliminate the use of a Power Group? Absolutely not! The advantages of joint networking, sharing leads, brain-storming, encouragement, and accountability for a potential lifetime of trusted friendships makes, in my opinion, a Power Group one of the world’s best kept secrets.

However, as you grow, if other’s in the group refuse to grow then you might later need to start another Power Group with more committed or mature members. Also, as you learn more about Jobpreneurship™, your opportunity to help other members will grow significantly. You might even suggest that the group include Jobpreneurship™ as the model to build upon. Another way of putting it is that Power Groups are useful – period. Jobpreneurship™ has been recognized as the best class model for job search, career development, and client development. By combining both concepts, you will only increase your effectiveness and long term results.

How does a Power Group Differ from a CEO / Functional Small Group or Roundtable?

A CEO or Trusted Advisor group, like the Vistage model, provides a structured approach with a pre-qualified facilitator. The quality of the facilitator will vary but they usually are trained. The focus of these groups, from personal experience and observation, is on business growth, leadership, and generally does touch upon deeper personal issues.

The challenge is that deeper personal issues are difficult to deal with in this environment and usually are best dealt with on a one-to-one session with the facilitator. This is particularly true when, as is most cases, the audience are mixed genders. In some cases, the group can work at a deeper level unless the discussion keeps centering around the same person which takes away from the other members.

Can these small groups help? Absolutely! I recommend Vistage – and they have recommended me. We do not compete. Their focus is not job search or career development. By design, members are often from completely different careers, companies, and environments that limits usefulness in helping each other but also reduces competitive threats or misuse of information.

Small functional groups are often far less structured. A good example might be a roundtable comprised of CFOs or similar career individuals. These groups are often lead by a less skilled individual who may best serve as a facilitator to encourage other members to brainstorm issues that they are facing. Again, these issues are generally profession related but having members from the same profession, yet different companies, can be immensely useful for sharing ideas and asking questions that may not be suitable within their own company.

Functional groups usually do not get too personal but can be low risk environments to meet others of similar mindset who then could become part a personal trusted advisor network or of a Power Group.

How does a Power Group Differ from a Mastermind Group?

A Mastermind Group can be similar. Both groups depend upon members to help each other, pass leads, brain-storm, and make the success of each member the success of each other. In both groups, self-serving members are soon asked to leave or are ignored.

In a typical Mastermind Group, there is often no leader or coach to facilitate the meetings. The same is true for Power Groups.

The major difference is that Mastermind Groups are typically used by entrepreneurs to help each other obtain customer or client leads, discuss business marketing, best practices, leadership, and a broad range of issues that are business focused.

A Power Group is usually job search or career development focused. Whereas business discussions can occur in both groups, a Power Group often gets far more personal, intimate, and may deal with very sensitive issues.

It is not unusual to see Mastermind Groups help each other at an arm’s length while Power Groups put their arms around each other. Both groups can develop into long term commitments but Power Groups have a stronger potential to develop into lifetime trusted relationships.

Which group should you join? It depends upon your objective. If you are in a job search or trying to develop your career, I recommend the Power Group. The only exception would be for those joining a Jobpreneurship™ Mastermind Group lead by a Job Doctors Certified Coach™.

College Career Services Tips For Alumni

I was recently asked, “How helpful can a college or university’s career services office be to alumni who are looking for jobs? Some colleges and universities provide services (free or for a fee) for job seeking alums, including resume writing, mock interviews and job listings. If so, what are the best way to utilize them?”

My response is:

• Using traditional methods, career service training value is rather limited. In addition, college career services offerings to alumni are seeing a significant growth in similar offerings from other groups. For example, churches across the country have begun career ministries which provide resume reviews, how to interview, job listings, and job search tip presentations. Also, the number of people hanging out a shingle to “review resumes and coach” is growing dramatically, with the quality of their services ranging wildly.

• What are my suggestions for career service offices to add more value to alumni? First, they already have strong relationships with many companies and alumni. This is an area that has tremendous value if properly leveraged.  This is a different mindset than job postings. Job postings are like cold calls. Instead, using the Relationship Referral Model is one of the top ten secrets to getting a good job quickly.

• My second suggestion is for career services offices to consider the need for a new paradigm. Resumes, interviews, and job listing cold calling is fine in a robust, low employment economy.  Today, proven strategies of personal development, marketing, sales, relationship development, and repeatable performance are what top achievers are using for both job seeking and career development. Career service offices may want to consider how they can partner with third parties who can introduce these dimensions through speaking engagements, books, and seminars. By tapping into leading edge thought leaders, college career services can make their offerings a guaranteed value to their alumni.

• If your college career service office does not offer these suggestions, you may want to speak to them. By you helping them to help you, you both win.

What suggestions or comments do you have?

Using Linked In – Fortune Article

Amazing timing! I just received the April 12th issue of Fortune Magazine where the cover story is on job seekers using LinkedIn as a “secret” weapon This is a must read. If I find the link, I will post it later.

The key for all of us is to remember that although LinkedIn is an incredible tool – a must use part of your strategy, it is only a tool. The principles of personal development, developing yourself as a product, learning how to market yourself, and learning how to sell and network are still required skills. The great news is that these are all teachable skills!

The caution is that using any networking without first being sure that you are ready for the public exposure could actually harm you more than help you. Use of the internet multiplies who you are faster than any other medium in history. You just want to be sure that what they see is the image that fits the job that you are trying to find, is easy for others to want to refer you, and shows the value that you can bring to the party.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Using LinkedIn, Part Five

Searching for a job?

First, check out the LinkedIn Job board. Many companies are beginning to post and use LinkedIn. Members are usually more professional than typical social groups. Also, LinkedIn appears to have aggregation capability from other boards.

Second, your groups might also have job postings. Here there is already some similarities with members, so the risk is less than a general population.

Third, after you have gone through Jobprenurshipä training, use your value proposition, brand, and communication message to focus on your targeted companies by searching through LinkedIn via company searches to find influencers, trusted advisors, and decision makers who might be interested in you. Also, look for those who recently worked in the company to obtain insights and connections that could be invaluable. This is invaluable when researching companies.

While you are networking and participating in groups, “pay it forward” by helping others. That will continue improving your brand and extend your network as someone who might be trustworthy.

One final word about LinkedIn, this is an incredible tool but only a tool. The ultimate purpose is not to replace face-to-face meetings. It is to help increase your productivity in getting face-to-face meetings where you can utilize the Jobpreneurshipä methodology of developing trusted networks, extending your brand in your community, and obtaining referrals.

Hiring decisions and larger cost buying decisions don’t happen merely through the internet. The risks are too high. You will need to still meet and greet, interview, and get friends to help you. You will need to get involved in associations or networking groups. You will need to pay it forward to help others. But intelligently using LinkedIn is a competitive advantage.

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