thecareerbeat.com Blog

Wacky but wise: “I Have Confidence”

I’ve talked and read a lot lately about how important a good, confident attitude is for getting a job and succeeding in one. But with all the bad news about the economy and unemployment, discouragement lurks at every turn. How to keep your attitude on the right track?

On some level we can all relate to Maria, the plucky heroine on The Sound of Music who faces a daunting new job as the governess of seven kids. Faced with self-doubt and fear of failure, she nonetheless takes a moment to reflect on the situation and — as is the case in all good musicals — sing about it.

Through the course of the “I Have Confidence” song she gets herself in the right frame of mind to tackle the job and succeed. If you’ve seen the movie (and who hasn’t?), you can’t help but smile and feel inspired by the end of the song.

Call me sentimental or cheesy, but the song can lend some perspective for doing your best in a job search, a job interview, or any number of obstacles in your career. (It’s better if you can also replay the scene in your mind with the guitar-swinging and skipping!)

You can also find some good non-musical tips for your attitude in these articles: “C’Mon Get Happy: Tips for Staying Positive at Work” or “Love the Job You Have.”

At the end of the day, a good attitude is critical to success, so do what it takes to get you there. And if it happens to be a bit of karaoke to Maria’s song, here are the lyrics for you:

(Full disclosure: I’ve had Sound of Music on my mind this week after seeing this fantastic video about a seemingly random moment in a European train station.)

‘Rule 6′: Words to hire by

The “Corner Office” feature in today’s NYT is an interview with Kevin W. Sharer, the CEO of Amgen. Among other topics, he discussed what he looks for when hiring: intelligence, sense of humor, ability to grow, and other common traits.

And he looks for people who don’t violate what he calls “Rule 6.” He explains:

“Rule 6 is, you don’t take yourself too seriously. Rule 5 is, refer to 6. And there is no Rule 1 through 4. I really, really have a hard time getting along with Rule 6 felons. We’re all human and so we’re going to be misdemeanor violators once in a while. But I look for people who are not Rule 6 felons, because they just don’t work out.”

Job seekers, take note!

Sunday reading: stimulus job idea and more

Noteworthy in today’s New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle…

How to create 6 million jobs
I don’t usually read former SF Mayor Willie Brown’s column in the Chronicle, but today he reported on a novel idea from local investing giant Charles Schwab. There are 6 million companies in the U.S., and Schwab suggests that each company should be challenged to hire one more employee.

“That would mean 6 million people with jobs, instantly,” Schwab said. “It won’t cure the recession, but it would be a start.” I hope somebody on Obama’s team read about it.

This moment: the “Great Disruption”
It seems we’re in a moment that has journalists in a land grab about how to interpret it. Thomas Friedman’s column today suggests we are at a juncture where both Mother Nature and Father Greed have hit the wall. While the piece isn’t specifically about jobs, Friedman’s optimism and creative ideas and solutions are always worth considering.

700 apply for janitor job
It’s getting extremely competitive to be a junior-high-school janitor in Massilon, Ohio.

The up-and-coming job: hydrologist
As water scarcity and other issues intensify, hydrologist jobs are expected to grow 24% by 2016, according to the BLS. That’s faster than the average for all other occupations; learn more in this NYT article.

Popov sales are up!
Yes, people are drinking more in this recession, and they’re reaching for the stuff on the bottom shelf. Popov sales are up 8% in the past year, according to an NYT article. Now I don’t feel so embarrassed by the bottles of Gordon’s vodka and gin in my freezer.

Love the job you have

The downward slide of the recession is not only changing the job market but also people’s attitudes about their jobs. You can summarize the shift in thinking  with the song title of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young hit, “Love the One You’re With.”

You may not have your dream job; but if you’ve got a job right now, make the most of it.

Satisfaction Gets a Boost

Job satisfaction actually rose during the first year of the recession, according to an annual Yahoo! HotJobs survey. In December 38% of respondents said they were “very satisfied” with their jobs, compared with 28% in December 2007.

“For many people, the deepening recession and ever-present threat of losing their jobs means modified expectations and requirements for job satisfaction,” says Liz Bywater, executive coach and president of Bywater Consulting Group. “Most people are just glad to have a job. They may be working longer hours, they may be picking up additional responsibilities as other jobs are cut, or they may not care for their coworkers or boss. Still, they’re employed. In today’s environment, that’s a huge plus.”

Author and career coach Hallie Crawford agrees, saying that workers are looking on the bright side. “Because it’s not a good time to look for another job, they are forced to be more positive and optimistic about theirs in order to maintain their sanity in a way. If they’re unhappy there but have to stay, they might as well make the best of it.”

Making the Most of Your Lot

If you’re one of those workers and need help seeing the bright side, I recommend the article “How to Love the Job You Have,” by Roberta Chinsky Matuson.

Of her many great tips, I’ll cite this one:

“Right now it may feel like you have no choice but to keep this job forever. However, this won’t be the case if you play your cards right. Use this recession as an opportunity to increase your options. Enroll in evening or online classes, volunteer to work on projects with high visibility and gain the experience you will need to move to a new place in your career. Who knows, this may just be the spark you need to reignite the flames of love again in the job you have.”

Which reminds me of the wisdom in another song, “For Now,” from the musical Avenue Q. The show’s closing song reminds us: “Everything thing in life is only for now.” From the mouths of puppets.

Career lessons from 2008’s stars

What do President-elect Barack Obama, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, and MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow have in common?

They gave us good examples of how to advance our careers in the new year. You can read more about it in “Career Do’s and Don’ts from 2008.”

The article has become a fun annual tradition for me at Yahoo! HotJobs, and I received more examples/lessons than I could use in the article. Here’s a great one from my neighbor Pat Mayfield, who is president of Pat Mayfield Consulting in San Francisco.

The lesson: “Don’t be at the airport when your ship comes in. When unexpected and unplanned opportunities appear, quickly react and take the detour. Lost opportunities can rarely be recovered.”

The example, of course, is Tina Fey stepping in to impersonate Gov. Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live” after she was tapped to be McCain’s running mate. Those detours from Fey’s “30 Rock” show did more than her Emmys to advance her career this year.

Volunteering bonus: career advancement

‘Tis the season for giving. Giving of your time, in addition to your money. Volunteering can actually yield great benefits beyond feeling joy at helping others. You could be chopping carrots next to your future boss!

Check out this news feature I saw this morning about the topic. It offers one more good reason to consider volunteering during this season.

In the meantime, happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday reading: Green the bailout

I have become a big fan of Thomas L. Friedman, who writes some great op-ed pieces for the New York Times.

His “Green the Bailout” column today is great, arguing that the big bailout, while necessary, should also build a foundation for a new movement or opportunity for our country to lead.  He advocates that the U.S. should launch a energy-technology revolution in conjunction with the bailout, one that will stimulate the economy by creating new types of jobs, from green-collar construction jobs to solar-panel designing jobs.

I definitely agree.  Both Friedman and Al Gore have offered our country a vision of what is possible.  I hope more leaders take up the mantle!

In the meantime, I will keep calling attention to green career opportunities.  There is a new piece on Yahoo! Green about a new resource for finding green jobs, called the “Green Jobs Guidebook.”  Check it out.

Sunday reading: Creativity and work

My inner novelist was stimulated by a few articles in today’s papers.So many of us long to be creative or artistic in some way, and outlets for those impulses usually don’t mesh with one’s work. An article in today’s SF Chronicle, “The Art of Working,” looks at how some people balance their jobs with their artistic pursuits. (I can’t find the link — I’ll keep looking.)

Fortunately I have a job that allows me to write and edit and be creative. I’m not churning out novels, but I am exercising important muscles in a satisfying way.

Mike George, the head of QVC, admits to having a passion for writing in today’s “The Boss” profile in the NYT. He indulges that passion by writing a weekly email to the whole company in which he shares his thoughts and personal experiences. While some might think it’s corny or “TMI,” George reports that it builds a great level of connection and community in his company. Interesting idea.

I believe today is the official start of autumn, my favorite season. And it’s going to be packed with interesting stuff to watch, like the Wall Street crisis and the presidential election — not to mention football!

Web entrepreneur/millionaire had humble start

Internet entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal — known as “G” — gives a quick story about his rise to business success in yesterday’s NY Times.

Chahal has become a much-watched figure in San Francisco after the sale of his advertising network, BlueLithium, to Yahoo! last year.  He is parlaying some of that status into television, as he will be part of the reality TV show “Secret Millionaire” later this year on Fox.

His story of humble beginnings and religious persecution in San Jose is inspiring.  I am also impressed at his ability to start two companies (ClickAgents, BlueLithium) and make them successful — all before turning 25.

He’s also a good self-promoter, from the look of his blog. It will be interesting to see what he does next.

Sometimes you gotta ditch a goal

I am so enjoying watching the Olympics. The athletes are so inspiring, not only with their achievements but also their dedication to their goals of winning.

I’m definitely a goal-oriented person, and I see in the Olympians much that I can learn from. But sometimes you have to let go of goals to get ahead, which is underscored in this thought-provoking column in yesterdays’ NYT, “Winner Never Quit? Well, Yes, They Do.”

The author makes a good case that goals — in your professional life, for example — are great, but one’s attitude toward them shouldn’t always be “Quitters never win.”

I think all professionals should read the piece, which ends with a great quote from W.C. Fields: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it.”