Job Searching Tips

Unemployed? Try Working From Home

I’ve been reading and watching the news and doing my usual research. Like most Americans I’m concerned about this prolonged unemployment issue. Everywhere I go I hear people talking about how they wish that they had a job. I can relate. I was affected by this too but found a way out. I ran across an article on the Huffington Post about unemployment in the African-American community. Quite naturally with me being an African-American I was disturbed by the statistics that were mentioned in the article, yet amazed at how hesitant people are to even call me back when I enlighten them about the possibility of working from home.

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The statistic alone tells an interesting story—it’s estimated that 75 percent of folks wake-up on Monday morning uninspired about what they do for a living. In response to this epidemic, a plethora of experts, consultants and coaches are making their living telling us how to solve this unfortunate phenomenon. Most of the advice, I believe, isn’t getting to the root cause of why so many individuals aren’t able to bring their hearts to the office. We are afraid.

I’m not talking about the kind of fear that causes us to lock our car doors and bedroom windows, but rather the type that closes our spirit and puts us in self-preservation mode. We fear this isn’t the right career, or we’re nervous it is. In the backs

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Whether it is for personal reasons or professional, improving the sound of your speaking voice is something people are becoming aware of because they realize it is part of the image they project. What does your voice (the one you hear on your answering machine) say about you?

In today’s questionable economy, jobs are at a premium. Having the education and experience are not always enough to guarantee you the job or even the promotion. Because your competition is tough, it is up to you to have the best presentation skills possible. The people who are succeeding are those who speak effectively: they exude confidence.

Imagine that you are being considered for a position along with two other individuals.

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Ah, the handshake. The handshake that is the 2nd or 3rd thing in which others will judge you. First in line is your visual image. What follows is often a handshake, your name, or both, as you introduce yourself.

Have you ever considered the importance of your handshake and the image it presents?

If your handshake is too strong, it may tell others that you are aggressive. Too weak and it says that you are a wimp. Neither handshake is appropriate. What you should be offering is a firm grip that neither overpowers the other person nor lays limp in their hand.

I had a client who sounded like a wimp on the phone. Upon meeting him the next week, I was prepared for a handshake that would feel like Jello.

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ACTUAL CASE HISTORY: Like so many others at year’s end, an employee we will call “Nichole” for purposes of this article, was hoping for a solid raise in January. She was hopeful, too, that the promotion she’d sought for two years would finally now come through. For six years she’d led the marketing team of the nation’s third-largest office furniture manufacturer. The past year had been a good one from the marketing perspective: two new product lines had been successfully launched, and strategic partnerships had been formed with three major architectural-design firms. Though overall sales hadn’t yet taken off, expectations were high.

Unfortunately, Nichole wasn’t the best at asking for things like raises and promotions.

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