LinkUP- Thursday: Unemployed, Underemployed Or Somewhere In Between? We’re Here To Help

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

Good Morning Folks,

With so many high school and college graduates entering the workplace this summer, and a long weekend for beach reading, I thought I suspend out throwback post series until next week, so we can help those who urgently need career guidance at this critical time in their lives.

As the owner of FSO, I personally could not be more committed to finding good people and making them great. We currently have an eye open for finding great talent who have that skip in their step, fire in their belly, and twinkle in their eye to fill hundreds of new positions that will be added daily in our fast-growing company. Apply HERE

Today some links to tips for reinvigorating the passion you can bring to the workplace and to help you achieve all the success that you deserve.

Degree vs. Experience: Which one Truly Benefits Job Seekers? 

Checklist to Review Before You Start Your Job Search

A Very Different Future Of Work

5 Simple Changes to Ace Your Next Interview

How to Handle Office Criticism

7 Traits Of People Who Get Promoted

How Do You Interview Prospective Employers?  

The Power of Being Thoughtful and Kind 

What Baby Boomers' Retirement Means For the U.S. Economy

Millennials— If You Don't Develop Them, You'll Lose Them

Why Isn't Anyone Reading Your Resume? Your LinkUP To Job Search Success

By, For and All About Millennials!

Adding your Real-World College Experience to a Resume 

The “Why” Behind an Unsuccesful Promotion 

4 Steps to Write Professional Post-Interview Thank You Letters 

Personal Etiquette: How To Make A Good First Impression

Transform Temp/Contract Work Into A Permanent Job

9 Tips for Hiring the Best of the Class of 2013

How to Avoid Ending Up on the Unemployment Line

30 Exciting Summer Internships for College & Grad Students

My 10 Best Pieces of Career Advice for College Graduates

There is also a great special "advice to graduates" series running on LinkedIn where top Influencers share lessons from their youth. It's like 1000 of the best commencement addresses you'll ever hear. (at NPR The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever....

They’ve hand-picked over 300 addresses going back to 1774. Search by name, school, date or theme, and see our blog n.pr/ed for more)

Thanks to Recruiter.com, and thanks to you for “caring” then SHARING!.

Good luck with your career choices whatever they may be.

And... have a GREAT Day.

Love Life,

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

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“We need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable” 

~ Oscar Wilde.  (Hat Tip: FSO's Matthew Simon)

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Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing companies for the second consecutive year, FSO’s growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients’ bottom lines, as well as their employees’ careers and lives. See us in action HERE

"TO DO"

"At FSO, we want our employee's "to do" lists a short as 3 words 

"Make Clients Happy." 

Good Morning Folks,

Those of you who follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter know that I am a big fan of J.T. O'Donnell and her CAREEREALISM.com blog.

Today J.T. offers some suggestions on making daily "to do" lists and proffers what they should include. Sometimes writing the little things down to follow up with are the only way I can get them done.

Of course at FSO, we want our employee's "to do" lists a short as 3 words "Make Clients Happy." 

My Top 10 daily involves quite a bit to do with calling clients, making marketing calls, following companies that are making the news in my industry and making calls to them, identifying and speaking to top candidates and (since I work in recruitment) sending top candidates to clients. At the end of the day I give myself a minute to clear my thoughts.

From a sales guy's perspective:

1. Sell Something Every Day  

2. Create a new Customer or Grow an Existing Client every Day 

3. Set Appointments 

4. Conduct Appointments 

5. Follow Up from Appointments 

6. Target New Opportunities  

7. Inspect that your team is doing the same things 

8. Monitor 

9. Manage 1

10. Measure (3M's)

But J.T.'s list that follows has real practical implications to a wide group of workers (and job seekers too)as it fits your present needs. Others might have different priorities for the day. That might relate both to industry as well as to career stage. But I think the primary "common factor" here is that we should create for ourselves a daily routine of tasks to complete to remain sharp and satisfied.

J.T. Blogs, "I’ve never shared this list with anyone until now. It’s the list of ten things I try to do every workday. Yes, there are days when I don’t get them all done, but I do my best to deliver. It has proven very effective for me. They are:

• Read something related to my industry.
• Read something related to business development.
• Send two emails to touch base with old colleagues.
• Empty my private client inbox by responding to all career coaching questions within one business day.
• Check in with each team member on their progress.
• Have a short non-work related conversation with every employee.
• Review my top three goals for my company that are focused on it's growth.
• Identify and execute one task to support each of my top three goals.
• Post five valuable pieces of content on all my major social media accounts.
• Take a full minute to appreciate what I have and how far I’ve come.

Very interesting list, not only does it focus on staying updated with your industry but encourages networking with old associates which becomes a lesser priority to many individuals. It also reminds you to connect with your employees on a personal level that will encourage a friendlier atmosphere.

We often become too busy with what happens in our life that we forget to take time to thank those that help us. We should put this into practice more often and see how this small gesture makes our day.

I would add a few extras to J.T.'s list

1. Compliment someone. 
2. Do a favor without being asked. 
3. Listen before thinking. 
4. Think before speaking. 
5. Encourage someone. 
6. Remember there is life outside work.

When done with todo list: Breathe deep, put on some music or not, go outside, get a breathe of fresh air, sit by lake or serene location, look at the stars, give thanks, think or pray for those that are gone, you miss or are less fortunate than you and count your blessings.

These simple efforts leads to great results.

Have a GREAT day as I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

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"You have two hands. One to help yourself, the second to help others."
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LinkUP-Thursday: Note To Managers: Humor Is Good For Business

“There is definitely a wall that comes down between managers and employees when they can share a laugh. It can make people feel more at ease and less nervous, especially when first starting a new position. 

Good Morning Folks,

Humor is a great tool in the management box. We are all human, and the ability to laugh together about appropriate things combined with strong empathetic leadership, a great organizational system and a team mentality, creates a winning combination.

Humor is very important to life. Laughing is contagious and can change the mood of a situation instantly. When applied correctly in business, and not at the expense of others, it is extremely powerful. Learning to use it respectfully can strengthen internal relationships, diffuse conflict, show modesty and reminds us all that we are human. 

Being able to bond with others that you have to be around on a professional level is the key to the success, and adds light to almost any situation. Humor is a great icebreaker as well and plays a big role in one's attitude, and when you feel better you perform better in almost every aspect of life.

A good manager can use the humor in many ways. It can bring the enjoyment to his/her meeting room, drawing the smiles on his/her employee's faces, bonding with others and sometimes he/she can used it wisely to send a hidden messages to his /her employees in an appropriate way.

Of interest to our managers and leaders and those aspiring to be so, are your LinkUPs hand-curated by me after spanning the web over the past six weeks, included here:

Humor: Key to Management Success--And Happy Workers?

Note to Managers: Positivity Matters

Make Workplaces More Awe-some

7 Tips for Working More Happily With Your Colleagues

Are funny people more successful In business? As you’ll read, there is definitely a wall that comes down between managers and employees when they can share a laugh. It can make people feel more at ease and less nervous, especially when first starting a new position.

Have a GREAT day,

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here

Mitch's Monday Musings: The 4 Keys Of Great Managers

“The front-line manager is the key to attracting and retaining talented employees. No matter how generous its pay or how renowned its training, the company that lacks great front-line managers will suffer.”

Good Morning Folks,

The greatest managers in the world seem to have little in common. 

They differ in sex, age, and race. 

They employ vastly different styles and focus on different goals. 

In today's tight labor markets, companies compete to find and keep the best employees, using pay, benefits, promotions, and training. But these well-intentioned efforts often miss the mark. The front-line manager is the key to attracting and retaining talented employees. No matter how generous its pay or how renowned its training, the company that lacks great front-line managers will suffer. 

This amazing book explains why.

Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman of the Gallup Organization present the remarkable findings of their massive in-depth study of great managers across a wide variety of situations. Whatever their situations, the managers who ultimately became the focus of Gallup's research were invariably those who excelled at turning each employee's talent into performance.

Buckingham and Coffman explain how the best managers select an employee for talent rather than for skills or experience; how they set expectations for him or her -- they define the right outcomes rather than the right steps; how to motivate people – by building on each person's unique strengths rather than trying to fix weaknesses; and, finally, how great managers develop people -- they find the right fit for each person who don’t spend their days wondering why things went wrong, but how to find positive elements of the day. Like I tell our employees, “avoid the B.S. and drama, and focus what will make you happy.”

There are vital performance and career lessons here for managers at every level, and, best of all, the book shows you how to apply them to your own situation.

The essence of the findings lie in the 4 Keys of great managers and the 12 Questions that give organizations the information they need to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees.

The 4 Keys of Great Managers:

1. Select for Talent - 
The authors define talent as "recurring patterns of behavior" and state that great managers find the match between talents and roles.

2. Define the Right Outcomes - 
Managers needs to turn talent into performance. This can be done by defining the right outcomes and letting people find their own route toward the outcomes.

3. Focus on Strengths - 
Managers need to concentrate on strengths and not on weaknesses.

4. Find the Right Fit - 
Managers need to assign roles to employees that give the employees the greatest chance of success.

I give this book five stars because it’s consistent with my “Happiness-Centric” perspective. I call it hiring for “the twinkle in their eye, a skip in their step, the fire in their belly.” Any manager can train off the company manual, but you cannot train for the right attitude, one where an employee means it when he says, “How are you doing today?”

Our mantra at FSO is to always improve the customer’s business – no matter what; always take care of people, through better incentives, training and career pathing; and always save the customer money. For FSO itself, our model isn’t about profits; it’s about results.

Have a GREAT Day,

Love Life!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

LinkUP- Thursday: Unemployed, Underemployed Or Somewhere In Between? We’re Here To Help

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

Good Morning Folks,

As the owner of FSO, I personally could not be more committed to finding good people and making them great. We currently have an eye open for finding great talent who have that skip in their step, fire in their belly, and twinkle in their eye to fill hundreds of new positions that will be added daily in our fast-growing company. Apply HERE

Today some links to tips for reinvigorating the passion you can bring to the workplace and to help you achieve all the success that you deserve.

Degree vs. Experience: Which one Truly Benefits Job Seekers? 

5 Simple Changes to Ace Your Next Interview

How to Handle Office Criticism

Adding your Real-World College Experience to a Resume 

The “Why” Behind an Unsuccesful Promotion 

4 Steps to Write Professional Post-Interview Thank You Letters 

Personal Etiquette: How To Make A Good First Impression

Transform Temp/Contract Work Into A Permanent Job

9 Tips for Hiring the Best of the Class of 2013

How to Avoid Ending Up on the Unemployment Line

Thanks to Recruiter.com, and thanks to you for “caring” then SHARING!.

Good luck with your career choices whatever they may be.

And... have a GREAT Day.

Love Life,

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer  

(re)IMAGINE & Reboot Your Career: Putting People Back To Work

"When You Don't Ask, 

The Answer Is Always No" 

Good Morning Folks,

As we go back to work after a long holiday, and with our Onsite Insights giving you plenty to read (catch it here if you missed it in your mailbox), let us not forget those who are left behind: the unemployed, recent graduates just entering the workplace, or mature workers trying to reboot their careers.

So today our special about job search LinkUP will be dedicated to them -- offering career guidance, peer support, and inspiration to help change or (re)IMAGINE your career. All guaranteed to bring happiness, smiles and "can do" spirit to brighten their outlook this Monday.

Job-hunting is a selling process, and you need to use the right selling process the right way, whether you’re looking for another job or want to make a career move. As the expression goes "when you don't ask, the answer is alway's no."  These articles will help you learn how:

Class of 2013: Try the Unexpected
Class of 2013, you’re heading out into the world, and as with any new journey, it can be scary. I know some of you are worried about graduating into a tough economy. Some of you are...

High-Tech Jobs That Do Not Require a College Degree
When people think of high-tech jobs, they typically think of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Ivy League Ph.D.s. But according to a new definition of STEM jobs — those requiring skills in science, technology, engineering or math...

How to Answer ‘Why Do You Want This Job?’ in an Interview
So how do you give them that compelling reason? By treating this question as an opportunity for your sales pitch.

11 Reasons Graduates Lose Out on Jobs
With over 20 years of experience, Mark O'toole has outlined 11 reasons why graduates will lose out on jobs in this set of slides. Takeaways: Don't make...

Are You A Job Hopper? 3 Reasons Why You Can’t Stick It Out
If you’re a serial job hopper, don’t worry: I’m not here to pick on you. This article isn’t about placing blame; it’s about exploring motivation.

The Interview Question That Stumped Me
I've had many interviews over the course of my career, but one is particularly memorable because of the interview question that completely

How to Get a Job Past the Age of 50 

How to be an 'A' job candidate

Is It My Resume Or My Age?

Interviews: Learn to Bite Your Tongue!

How To Find A Job With A Criminal Record

Why Are So Many College Graduates Driving Taxis

Cultural Fit in An Interview May Matter More than Qualifications or Skills

Number Of Older Workers (55 And Over) Rises To New Record High

Good luck in your search and have a GREAT day,

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

Inspire ME Friday: Making A Great Employee Remarkable.

"The most delightful surprise in life is to suddenly recognize your own worth." - Maxwell Maltz

Good Morning Folks,
  
Forget good to great. Here's what makes a great employee remarkable.

Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive, diligent, great leaders and great followers... they possess a wide range of easily-defined, but hard-to-find qualities.

A few hit the next level. Some employees are remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals but nonetheless make a major impact on performance. 

 ==> 8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees By Jeff Haden 

Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees: 

==> They ignore job descriptions. 
The smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes, regardless of role or position, to get things done.

When a key customer's project is in jeopardy, remarkable employees know without being told there's a problem, and jump in without being asked - even if it's not their job.
  
==> They're eccentric... 
The best employees are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla group into a team with flair and flavor.

People who aren't afraid to be different naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come up with the best ideas.

==> But they know when to dial it back. 
An unusual personality is a lot of fun... until it isn't. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.

Remarkable employees know when to play and when to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge and when to back off. It's a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk that fine line with ease.
  
==> They publicly praise... 
Praise from a boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up to that person.

Remarkable employees recognize the contributions of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even greater.

==> And they privately complain. 
We all want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.

Remarkable employees come to you before or after a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group setting could set off a firestorm.

==> They speak when others won't. 
Some employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak up privately.

An employee once asked me a question about potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, "Why did you ask about that? You already know what's going on." He said, "I do, but a lot of other people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard the answer from you."

Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise important issues when others hesitate.
  
==>They like to prove others wrong. 
 Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong. 
  
The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn't have leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people wrong.

Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.

==> They're always fiddling. 
Some people are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering with something: reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.

Great employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those processes even better, not only because they are expected to... but because they just can't help it.  

Have a HAPPY, HEALTHY and JOYOUS Weekend,

Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer

LinkUP Thursday: Are You A Manager Or A Leader?

"Managers are people who do things right; Leaders are the people who do the right things." 

Good Morning Folks,

I heard a story that I’d like to share with you:

There is a group of people lost in rain forest. They are cutting the path through brushwood. There is a man shouting: "cut faster, cut wider, cut ...". Obviously a manager.

But where is a leader?

High atop the tree shouting down: "We are heading the wrong direction!"

The prototypical leader of the future will shift from the steely-eyed command-and-control type to one who is more open to feedback….one who specializes in communication, collaboration and coordination.

Thus, the most successful CEOs of their future will view customers not in a paternalistic way (at best) or as sales targets, but instead as partners… whose buy-in to a course of action will be the key component of their success.

Akin to this theory, researchers are actively examining the impact of the construct Psychological Capital (PsyCap) in the workplace. PsyCap is comprised of a number of key "state like" psychological resources. (The "HERO" resources; Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism). The HERO resources:
Hope. 
A belief in the ability to persevere toward goals and find paths to reach them.

==> Efficacy. 
The confidence that one can put forth the effort to affect outcomes.

==> Resilience. 
The ability to bounce back in the face of adversity or failure.

==> Optimism. 
A generally positive view of work and the potential of success.

Leadership involves and requires that a leader uses all possible and available resources people, equipment, and information in a way that seeks out the solutions, resolutions or the just the advantage and does it in the most efficient, or effective way.

A lot of people have the skills and knowledge to become managers but not all can be leaders. It takes special attributes, skills and knowledge and more importantly they are community builders, serve as role models, liberate and enable people, opportunists, facilitators who have a clear vision and steer the ship to it's destination.

A Manager can step up to be a Leader in four simple ways;

a) Start looking at the strengths of his or her coworkers and begin giving positive strokes to each one of them.

b) Start listening to your coworkers and their ideas

c) Start by seeing the "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" of the organization (the Big picture).

d) Start focusing on what is 'Right ' and what is the 'Right' thing to do rather than focusing on 'Fixing' mistakes or defects.

Leaders must have the "power support" to lead.  Their leadership status cannot be questioned. 

Managers must be able to develop clear-cut objectives, plan, organize, manage and control. 

In an ideal situation managers may also be good leaders and leaders be good managers.

A leader must also have the following competencies: network, interpersonal relationship and drive, in order to make it happen.

And now here’s today’s personally selected, hand-curated articles on leadership for you to change or reboot your career.  And your life.

Barry Moltz: 10 Simple Ways To Motivate Your Best People

How to Create a Winning Team

Hiring Managers: Don’t Try to Find the Perfect Employee!

5 Leadership Lessons An MBA Can’t Provide 

Note to Managers: Positivity Matters

5 Reasons Why Optimists Make Better Leader

Bill Marriott: The Four Most Important Words Employees Need To Hear From Their Boss

Have A GREAT Day!

Mitchell D. Weiner

Chief Happiness Officer

LinkUP With ME!

I am now microblogging in between posts here so be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter for up-to-the-minute news, information and career opportunities. (BTW, these are NEW accounts so if you have already subscribed on other pages the company has published, you'll need to reapply for my "personal" VIP list.)