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Steve Jobs is the founder and CEO of Apple Computer, NeXT and Pixar.

“I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn’t all romantic. I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn’t have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it’s likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky that I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parent’s garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation – the Macintosh – a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down – that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me that I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything that all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope it’s the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960′s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

I’m on the phone with a potential candidate whom I’ve sent a LinkedIn request to call me.  The email or InMail I sent provides my name and telephone number.  I’m not allowed to put my website within the correspondence in some instances, but if the individual goes to my LinkedIn profile or has my email address, he or she can visit my website where the job is usually posted.  But frequently the candidate says, when he calls, “I’d like for you to send me the ad.”

Recruiters usually have limited time to fill positions.  They work fast and want you to look at the ad on your own.  Is this candidate so unfamiliar with social media, like LinkedIn, that he cannot click on my profile and then click on the spot for my website?  Next the candidate must determine that the “hot careers” tab is where the jobs are listed.  Is this difficult?  Most of my candidates are very, very bright engineers, many with advanced degrees, yet I am asked regularly to send ads, which are posted on my website.

Rarely would I be searching for the perfect candidate without posting an advertisement with the requirements, even if it’s a “confidential” search.  Doing your research before you ever connect endears you quickly to the recruiter.

Basically there are three or maybe four parts to the phone interview with the recruiter, but in order to “ace” the interview, you need to adequately prepare.

Research and Preparation

Let’s say the recruiter calls you out of the blue for a job you applied for several weeks ago.  You cannot recall the details but you want the job and ask, if you can answer the questions immediately.  Bad idea!  You need to find the ad, research the company before you take the call, if possible.  Research the recruiter’s name, too.  You may have mutual acquaintances or have attended the same university or worked in the same companies.  These are talking points which may help.  Ask to schedule a convenient time to assure no barking dog, no screaming children and a good phone connection.  I have had people want to do the phone screen while driving.  You need pen and paper to take notes.  The recruiter certainly doesn’t want to hear wailing sirens or listen to you crash into the car in front of you!

During your conversation, try to assess the personality of the interviewer.  Is he quick with short answers?  Is she very detailed?  That gives you a clue that your answers need to be quick or very detailed as some recruiters like details and others would rather move quickly to the next question.

Background, experience, personal qualities

The recruiter will undoubtedly ask your reason for leaving or interest in the new job.  Be prepared.  Practice the answer and do not be negative about the previous or current situation.  Red flags arise.  You need to be truthful if you were terminated but you can use terminology that keeps you on track rather than creates an opportunity for the recruiter to request unpleasant information.  You could simply say, “There was a re-organization and I no longer fit what was needed.  I’m excited about hearing more your group as it sounds like it would be an excellent opportunity for new challenges,”  or something similar.

If the job requires relocation, try to be open-minded.  The economy is awful.  If the job sounds good and you think you can sell your house, it may be the chance of a life time.  Please don’t waste your time or the recruiter’s.  You don’t want to leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth by interviewing in Chicago with no intention of moving.

You will probably be asked about your accomplishments, as well as duties.  What did you do that makes you a star?  You will probably be questioned about career progression and why you left some of your other jobs.  Some recruiters are very thorough and others, not so much. You must know how to talk, not only about your technical skills, but your strengths, such as organizational skills, ability to thrive in chaos and other notable attributes.  The initial phone screen is less likely to be technical as most recruiters do not understand the intricacies of all the jobs they recruit.  The technical skills would be ascertained in a second phone interview with someone more technical in the company or maybe not until the face to face interview.

Specific Skills

If you’ve reviewed the job description, this should be a “walk in the park” as you can address every one of the requirements with a specific story about how you’ve used the skills.  Be prepared for unexpected questions.  Some recruiters have been known to ask “trick” questions, so listen carefully.

Be prepared to ask a few good questions about the job, such as, “Is this a new position?”  Or maybe, “How soon do you expect to start interviewing?”  If you are told you will be actually interviewing on site, it is perfectly all right to ask who will be interviewing you.  You might not receive an answer but you may be given titles which can help, by researching LinkedIn for people in that company.  You can ask what you should wear to an interview and how long you will probably be on site.

Closing the Loop

Be sure to summarize the reasons why you feel you are qualified.  If you don’t want the job, gracefully withdraw.  Your attitude needs to demonstrate your interest.  Enthusiasm and sincere interest will help you, both on the phone and in that next step. Telling the interviewer you want the job is important.  Even if you are missing a few critical skills, you may be able to move to the next step with your stories of success and motivated demeanor.

Don’t forget to say “thanks” and if possible, quickly send a thank you note.  Now ACE the phone screen!  Preparation pays the bills.

By subscribing, you will be notified when Ruth Glover posts new articles for hiring managers and job seekers.  She is the author of MORE than a Paycheck: Inspiration and Tools for Career Change.

Perplexed and puzzled by job search, Jake attended the weekly accountability group. With seven months of unemployment under his belt and no viable job offers, he wants answers, leading quickly to a job.

Jake applied for over twenty positions and listened carefully when the facilitators at the various unemployment groups told him he must customize his resume for every opening. He claims he has 20 versions of his resume and his confusion centers upon how he can make his LinkedIn profile appealing to various hiring managers. He knows HR professionals, hiring managers, friends, neighbors and others will see his LinkedIn profile which might not agree with the resumes he’s submitted.

Dirk Spencer, is a fellow recruiter who speaks regularly on the topic of LinkedIn.

His most recent presentation entitled “LinkedIn for Recruiters” was held at the August luncheon of the Dallas Fort Worth Recruiters Network over 100 attendees. He responded to my inquiry.

Dirk

There should be very little difference between the resume and the LinkedIn profile with the core content and context. The smart job seeker is customizing both the resume and LinkedIn profile as he or she develops improved ways of communicating expertise.

Ruth

A resume or profile is never completed. A candidate must keep the profile fresh by periodically introducing nuances about skills. These updates can ensure the profile pops to the top or near the top of a search, whether in LinkedIn or posted on a resume job board like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com or Dice.com.

Dirk

This idea of “customized” resumes should be about variations of data compared to the risk associated with their competitive insights to their target companies.

Ruth

I agree. The same logic which makes having customized resumes a smart move requires making adjustments to a LinkedIn profile periodically, too.

Dirk, what about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), specifically including words in the profile and resume which will catch the search strings?

Dirk

SEO and search strings are two different concepts used interchangeable by mistake.

RUTH

Please explain this for our readers.

DIRK

A search engine does not use Boolean logic or a Boolean engine to index or catalog Internet web content. Most are now using sophisticated language pattern or inference engines. (Boolean is a particular way recruiters search for candidates online.)

Boolean logic engines are not all the same either. The Boolean engine inside Monster is not the same as the one inside of Dice or LinkedIn for that matter.

Bottom line – the software function of “search” and data “parsing” (mining) (Boolean, fussy logic, artificial intelligence…) are not created equal.

This is why it is important to know your industry’s history so you can traverse the keyword-yellow-brick road from keypunch to Droid apps.

RUTH

So you are saying it is important to know terminology from trends in business practice as described by the use of language or keywords?

DIRK

Yes. Candidates need to understand and use their industry jargon. It is important, not only to know the keywords and jargon, but also the abbreviations, acronyms and synonyms.

RUTH

How do you tie this together between the resume and profile on LinkedIn?

DIRK

The “how” is the secret sauce. The “how” forces people to do their homework.

Here are some examples of increased detail masquerading as “customized” resume content:

- Supported carrier based client

- Supported carrier based vendor

- Supported telephony carrier

- Supported telecom customer

- Supported area telecom company

- Supported carrier based telecom vendor

- Supported carrier telecom company Verizon®

Which statement is “customized” versus “clarified”?

Which statement belongs on the resume?

Which statement belongs on the LinkedIn profile?

If you said “it depends” and “all” then you understand!

“It depends” means you must weigh the risk associated with the research on the target job or target company against the level of detail that clearly defines your skills.

Ruth

Your examples are quite useful.

And the risk means you must add enough information in the resume that coordinates with the “core” data on the LinkedIn profile. If it deviates too radically in scale or scope it ultimately hurts the candidate.

Dirk

The resume and LinkedIn profile must be congruent, not identical, but congruent. If the data on the resume and the LinkedIn profile are not aligned, questions may arise instead of attracting the desired attention.

Consider the resume the Ying to your LinkedIn Yang. They should always complement each other. The same core data on both should be arranged to create your total brand message.

That is the goal!

Ruth

Thank you, Dirk, for sharing your insight. I urge our readers to attend your next presentation which is the Colorado Association Healthcare Executives (CAHE) 2011 Annual Conference.

If you are a recruiter, be sure to visit Dallas Ft. Worth Texas Recruiters Network to register for our next recruiter luncheon September 7, 2011.

Jason Leonard, Director of Recruiting at JC Penney will present Pipelining – Moving from Reactive to Proactive.

Be sure to connect with Dirk or Ruth on LinkedIn.

You may want to subscribe to be notified of new posts.

Ruth Glover is the author of MORE than a Paycheck: Inspiration and Tools for Career Change, a book especially for those who want to change or move their careers in various ways. Be sure to contact her for additional information at www.morethanapaycheck.net or www.ruthglover.com.

Maybe you’ll think this is a movie review but since I’m a recruiter, not a movie critic, you can understand my desire to comment on the film with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.  The movie, titled Larry Crowne, tells us nothing about the content, which is the story of the tribulations of an unemployed guy.  Perhaps this review will help you decide whether to see the movie, as well as give you pause for thought.

Plot

Larry Crowne, happily employed at a pseudo-Walmart, thinks he’s going to receive Employee of the Month at the beginning of the story.  Instead, he’s laid off as he lacks a college degree which thrusts him into the new box on the organizational chart called “no longer fit for the job.”  The HR lady is cold and the employee with the SMU degree leers pompously since he’s staying while Larry is left out in the cold.

Larry needs money.  He sells his house and many of his possessions, moves to a small apartment and goes back to college to further his education and position in life.  Along the way a sweet, young, pretty co-ed helps him dress a little less geeky. He returns the favor by helping her start a retail boutique.  He decides to ride a motor scooter and tries to sell his expensive SUV.  He lands a job as a cook through a friend to help support himself.  He falls for his professor in college.

What’s Right?

Anyone who has heard my presentations for job seekers knows I would approve of Larry’s march towards success.  He down sizes quickly, selling almost all his possessions.  Larry improves his appearance and upgrades his skills through classes to help him advance professionally.  By helping his friend he meets others and has some fun.  Although the scene where he provides his records to the bank to declare bankruptcy might have been sad, the blond actress played her role with the right amount of surprise and disdain, demonstrating the irony of our current, erratic economy.  Larry didn’t hesitate to use his prior cooking skills to support himself, let go of his home and try something new, when he couldn’t find retail management.  He listened and grew from the experience.

What’s Wrong?

The romance in the movie added some humor and a little love in what could have been a very bleak story.  Most of us know that Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are friends and they probably are making a mountain of money by inserting a bit of fluff which in another movie was called Fatal Attraction.  But the truth is, finding a new partner to play with during job search is not a good idea.  Larry needed to stay focused on the future JOB, not a girlfriend.  Unemployed people need friends but developing a new relationship while grieving for the loss of your business family is not a great idea, as too much change at once can lead a person down a very rocky road.

Larry didn’t seem to have any children, step-children, aged parents or siblings.  So many people today have financial AND family obligations that make returning to school very difficult.  Having to sell your kids’ possessions and move to a homeless shelter was not a part of this fluffy film.  The fear, angst, roller coaster of unemployment was superficial, at best.

Should you see it?

If you love Julia Roberts or Tom Hanks (as I do), you may want to see Larry Crowne.  Laugh a little, commiserate if you’re in transition, but don’t expect this to win any Oscars.

What can we learn?

If you are in Human Resources, you might want to see it as a reminder that if you must lay off people, do so with as much grace as you can muster.  If you appear uncaring and cold, it may haunt you when it happens to you. And it’s rarely easy for anyone concerned.

If you are a job seeker, you may take notice of Larry’s very positive outlook and action, despite the reality of the market place and the need to realize you may be obliged to find a different type of job.

If you are a hiring manager, I urge you to consider hiring the unemployed.  If you only hire employed people, our economy cannot improve.  If you’ve never experienced unemployment, you may not understand how difficult it is not to ever hear a response after an interview or know the extreme effort in preparing the perfect resume.  You are missing a tremendous opportunity if you discriminate against people in transition.  It happens to good people every day.  You could be next.  Let’s get more people back to work!

I’m glad I saw the show.  It was not whiny, tear jerker, but carries a sincere message of encouragement.  And it’s a reminder that we need to do more to help those in transition find new opportunities.

Note: I’ll be speaking at Watermark Church on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. on July 19, which is located at 7540 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway, Dallas, TX 75251.  Title of the interactive presentation is Driving Your Job Search to Work.

Many articles appear today detailing thoughts about the Supreme Court ruling on the Walmart lawsuit.  Was this the right decision from the Supreme Court?  What is John Q. Public saying about the results?  Basically, the court ruled against the plaintiffs.  Does this mean Big Business will be able to discriminate more or less?  No one knows but hopefully, employers will pay more, not less, attention to possible discrimination.  Maybe the Supreme Court ruling will encourage more women to step forward sooner to voice their concerns and be heard before finding a lawyer. Or maybe more people will start filing lawsuits, whether frivolous or factual, for unfair labor practices.  Does this mean employment lawyers will make more by filing and winning individual cases than with class actions?  Does it mean class actions will fall from favor?

In a quick call to Barbara Hale, Employment Law Attorney with Blanscet Sutherland Hooper & Hale, L.L.P., I asked about her thoughts on the Walmart case.  In essence she indicated the lawyers filed under a law which simply didn’t work for the EEOC, as the experience of each woman would have been different.  “The case was too massive and should not have been brought originally,” she said.  The women who filed can each bring suit and tell her story, but after waiting ten years for this suit to come to trial,  energy may have waned.

Only time will tell what will happen.  The article re-posted in full below is from Workforce Management Magazine.

Employment Law Landscape Changes With Wal-Mart Ruling

By Rita Pyrillis
The Supreme Court’s dismissal on June 20 of a huge sexual discrimination class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is a major victory for the retail giant and employers across the country, say employment lawyers, and sets guidelines for the way similar lawsuits can be structured and litigated.

“It’s a big win for employers because it sets new ground rules for the way in which class actions are constructed and defended,” said Gerald Maatman, a Chicago-based lawyer with Seyfarth Shaw, an employment and labor law firm. “The bar has been raised and tightened making it harder for plaintiffs to marshal the evidence needed for a class-action suit. In this case, the plaintiffs failed to establish a pattern or practice of unwritten discrimination.”

In a 5-4 ruling in the case of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. v. Betty Dukes, et al., the high court reversed a lower court decision that would have allowed as many as 1.5 million female workers to sue the nation’s biggest private employer for back pay and punitive damages that could have totaled billions of dollars.

The decision makes it more difficult for employees to file such lawsuits unless they are able to clearly identify a common injury, such as a companywide discriminatory policy, Maatman said.

The plaintiff’s key evidence was Wal-Mart’s policy of allowing local supervisors discretion over pay and promotion decisions, “which in and of itself was not evidence sufficient to raise an inference of discrimination,” Maatman said. The justices also deemed anecdotal evidence in the form of 120 affidavits as insufficient proof.

“The Supreme Court says there’s nothing sinister about subjective decision-making,” Maatman said. “It doesn’t lend itself to discrimination, which is what the plaintiffs asserted.”

Katherine Kimpel, a partner at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Sanford Wittels and Heisler, which filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of the plaintiffs, said that the ruling marks “a significant departure from previous cases in terms of what the Supreme Court will and will not countenance as actionable claims. It significantly limits the way individuals can stand up to Goliath corporations and effect change in policies and procedures. This decision takes away the possibility that through a lawsuit you can actually bring down Goliath.”

Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of people Gisel Ruiz said in a written statement: “Clearly today’s ruling in the Dukes case has important legal implications, but just as important, it pulls the rug out from under the accusations made against Walmart over the last 10 years. Every female associate and every customer can feel even better about the company as a result of today’s decision.”

Alison Davis, CEO of employee communications consulting firm Davis & Co., said companies’ initial reaction to the ruling may be to breathe easier. But, she said, “It doesn’t mean that they can relax.”

To avoid a lawsuit in the first place, business leaders she has spoken with have been trying to do a better job of communicating their policies, sharing job opportunities and listening to employee concerns.

An active, thorough approach to good employee relations is all the more important in today’s climate of workers who use Facebook and Twitter, Davis said. Complaints voiced by an employee in one location can grow into a groundswell quickly, she said.

“Social media has meant that these things go viral very fast,” she said.

Workforce Management Senior Editor Ed Frauenheim contributed to this story.

More articles for you:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304070104576399673899870098.html

http://blogs.forbes.com/danielfisher/2011/06/21/wal-mart-case-wounds-but-doesnt-kill-the-class-action/

Feel free to post your thoughts. You may subscribe for future posts.

Anthony Weiner, a formerly esteemed member of Congress, knows about Twitter. But he failed to realize how to stay relevant and not ruin his reputation.  Today you must vigilantly guard your profiles and messages as you never know when you may flip a message to a friend, thinking it is private, but it lands with 1700 of your connections.  Everyone makes mistakes periodically. Whether you are 25 or 55, employed or unemployed, you need to grasp the power and perils of social media practices with extreme care.  Whether it’s an email or a profile, checking it twice or more before post  is imperative.

Social media will continue to evolve. If you don’t have a Linkedin profile, you are missing an excellent opportunity to show the world you are relevant and professional.  If you are a hiring manager, your profile is extremely helpful for candidates.  Knowing where you went to college could engage your candidate quickly.  Your profile needs to be up to date, showing more than just your title and number of years’ experience, along with education.  It is not your resume but a short, concise statement, showing your professional expertise.

What good is a profile if it’s marked “private?”  What good does it do, if you say you are an engineering manager with no details regarding what kind and what products you develop?  Look at someone’s profile you admire or with similar background to find an example to assist you.

Some people are fearful that details will increase internet traffic and phone calls which will interfere with responsibilities.  If that happens, you simply mark the profile, “Not currently accepting InMail.”  I’ve been using Linkedin successfully for approximately four years with no unfortunate incidents.  Some refuse to connect with people they don’t know, which was the original intent, but the tool evolved to assist with electronic communication.  I rarely hear of inappropriate use.

For several years I resisted putting my photo on Linkedin as I didn’t think it added value.  I had a picture of my dog posted briefly before I realized that was a huge mistake: it made me look less than professional.  Facebook is ok for less formal communication with friends and family (and a picture of my dog).  Linkedin is for professional business associates.  Having your picture on Linkedin is almost like putting the fork on the left side of a dinner plate.

Probably before long another business network will become the new “ultimate source.” But for now, using social media effectively is a wonderful way to show you understand the power of technology.  Eventually, lawsuits may cause companies to create a policy to keep you from using it but it is currently the “tool of the day.”

Many older workers are refusing to learn about new methods using social media.  Many younger workers spend hours on end texting and using language which, when they start looking for a new job, may haunt them.  Too many people are wasting time on Farmville and other games, which can be seen by recruiters when they look for work.  “Hmmm!  Maybe that person will continue to play Farmville if I hire her.”  If you are a professional, act like one!

Whether you are 24, 44 or 64, using technology is important.  You may only want SKYPE for to see your grandchildren in Poughkeepsie, New York or you may need it for an interview with your Sales VP in Paris, France.  Keeping up with technology is like keeping your grass cut.  You want to be relevant, not old-fashioned or crass.  Social networking is here to stay in various formats.  You don’t want to act inappropriately or be known as a dinosaur.

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Last Tuesday Lamar Binns, Recruiter at St. Jude’s Medical in Plano, presented Get the Offer: Mastering the Interview at the JOB Group at Custer Road United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas.  I participated in a BAD mock interview with Jari Mussotter, as the recruiter, which wasn’t difficult for me, since I’m a recruiter who has witnessed more than a few, awful interviews.  Steve Sinclair and Tom Brown demonstrated a positive mock  interview.  All of us are participants in the JOB Group.

The catalyst for the program evolved from hearing our participants say, “I’ve recently interviewed five times and never received an offer.  I was pleased with the interview, so why didn’t I get the offer?”  Lamar offered practical suggestions such as getting enough sleep and  looking sharp but the main points he emphasized are the following:

• Be prepared: check the website, read other information about the company, make sure you know which requirements you meet and how you will overcome any obstacles.
• Keep your resume beside you and smile into the phone for the pre-screening call. Make sure the dog and children are unavailable for comments in the background.
• Know clearly where the company is located.  You may want to drive the route in advance, if it’s local.
• Provide enough facts to connect with the interviewer but short enough that eyes don’t glaze over.
• Be truthful.  If asked your bad points, share how you overcome the liabilities.
• You are not expected to know answers to 100% of the questions.  Explain how you would find an answer if you don’t know it.
• Explain very specifically to behavioral questions, such as “Tell me about a time you had a difficult boss.”
• Plan the questions you want to pose near the end of the interview to show enthusiasm and reinforce your desire to work for the company.
• Thank you notes are important, as so few thank the interviewing team.
• Prepare your references in advance of any calls from potential employers.

Our priority to stay on time caused us to omit information about closing the interview to assure the offer.   If you have the skills, the experience and the personality, you still  compete with similar individuals.  You must ask “high gain” questions and end the interview with the utmost care.  Asking if the interviewer has any concerns is one way to ascertain whether you need to provide more detail.  You must show confidence and a great desire for the position.  Attitude is more perceptible than you realize.  You have to ooze with the knowledge you can immediately impact their organization positively.  In an article titled How To Get a Job Offer From Every Interview by Dirk Wessels, he mentions not asking a yes or no question, as you want as much information as possible.  A substitute for, “Would it be ok if I call you next week?” would be, “I’m eager to go to the next step.  How soon do you expect to make the decision?  I’d like to contact you for status.”

Closing the interview is as important as the answer to “Tell me about yourself.”  You must clearly tell the interviewer you want the job and would like to work with the team.  Never, ever slink out of the office, but walk tall, with confidence that you did your very best. Your self-assurance, skills and experience will certainly help you get the offer, not just the interview.

A special thanks to Sherri Verner, our photographer at the meeting.

The JOB Group meets every Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Custer Road UMC, 6601 Custer Road in Plano, Texas 75023.

On Saturday, May 21, I facilitated panel interview and discussion at University of Texas-Dallas for the Project Management Institute (PMI).  When you receive the PMP certification, you must continue your education.  This was a free workshop for members with continuing education credits.  The topic was Career Development and the classroom was filled.

In the morning Sylvia Karmanoff, President of KEMSI, provided a presentation on many aspects of job search.  The panel discussion began the afternoon program.  Paul Bichler, of Experis (a division of Manpower), Jill Frakes of Oxford & Associates, plus Jonathan Beam of Lewis & Fowler comprised the panel. The audience voted for the panelists to concentrate on aspects of networking in job search, difficult questions and other job search resources, since the extensive training in the morning covered resumes and interviewing.  Their answers demonstrate extra power for your job search.

Should you continue to apply to one company?

Yes, although the process is time consuming, one rejection is no reason to ignore the company in the future.

What are some good ways to “network?”

User groups, such as the .NET group, the Java users group and the PMI group are all excellent resources.  Meet-up groups and the faith based groups in Dallas also provide ways to meet people who can provide leads and even present your resume to the hiring manager. Volunteering through professional associations is a great way to find the “hidden job market.”  Involvement in non-profit organizations pays in alternative ways!

Are the social networking sites actually helping recruiters find people?

Yes, all use Linkedin for professional hiring.  You need to understand how your contacts can be useful for you.  Be sure to update your profile regularly. Connecting with your friends and colleagues may be the best way to help you to your next career step.

What do you hate to hear from candidates?

One recruiter mentioned that candidates seem so fearful to share information which is needed, mentioning several candidates who didn’t want to share where they worked!   Another recruiter said when she asks, “What is important in your next job?” she doesn’t want to hear “security,” as layoffs occur in both start-ups and long established companies.  They like to meet with candidates, if local, as a phone personality can be very different from a face-to-face interview.  That personal interview can make or break the next step.

How do you determine billing rate for contractors?

Bill rate varies depending on many factors.  Knowing the billing rate has little to do with what you get paid if you are dealing with a reputable agency.  Candidates should only be concerned that they are paid fair market rate for their skills.  The places where you can find salary information are usually six months in arrears of reality.  You can ask the range but be sure you can live with the bottom of the range, which, in this economy, can often be the result.  Do not be afraid to discuss your former pay, even if lower than you want and deserve.  The recruiter wants your salary to be as high as possible.

Are references important in job search?

References are extremely important.  You must keep your reference list up to date and prepare your references about the job you would be doing they are contacted.  You want to know what your reference will say about you.

Does your organization do skills or personality testing?

Some clients require testing but most don’t.  If you are asked to test, you should accommodate the request as refusing may raise a red flag that you cannot perform the job.

Also on the program, Neelov Kar, Project Manager at Dell, presented “Essential Project Manager Experience from a Recruiter’s Perspective.”

Sylvia Karmanoff and Kamalesh Donthula, Vice-President of Marketing for the PMI organization and a Lead Project Lead for Thomson-Reuters deserve recognition for planning the event.  Not only was the day excellently executed but extremely valuable, both for career development and meeting new people in the industry.

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Last week I visited my family in Portland, Oregon.  I attended Charlotte’s eighth birthday party and had great fun with the five year old at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).  Although many high points occurred while I was there, the soccer game with the little guy demonstrated to me how much we resist change when it can yield fabulous rewards.

Lane played his last soccer game of the season indoors, thank goodness, as Portland is well known for rainy and chilly weather.  His mom had to leave early to meet Charlotte after school, so a neighbor would drive us home.  Since it was the last game, the moms and dads played against the team briefly at the end and then the kids had ice cream and took pictures.  I knew I was supposed to play but thought I’d just wiggle out of it somehow.

You see, I’ve never been good at sports. I give the term “klutz” a new meaning.  I never, ever played soccer in my life, although I was an avid soccer mom during my sons early years. I’m aware players kick the ball to one end of the field or the other.  That’s about it.  As the moms and dads started flooding onto the soccer floor, my little guy came to me, “Grandma, I want you to play, too!”  Oh, dear!  So I turned off my fears of failure from my childhood and joined the group.  And amazingly, I kicked the ball…not once, but THREE times.  I was the proudest Grandma on the field (and quite possibly the only Grandma).  The Mamas and the Papas and Grandma lost the game but it proved the importance of exuding confidence in the face of adversity!

Points to Ponder

1)                  We resist change from the time we are children. Change is harder than the status quo.

2)                  The tapes from our childhood remain in our subconscious forever.  Be careful what you say to your kids.

3)                  When faced with a new challenge, you need to try your best.  You may be pleasantly surprised what you can accomplish.

4)                  Thoughts are things! Clearly visualize your desired goal and think positive!

In my recruiting work I often hear hiring managers and HR professionals say, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

The truth is trying a new approach may be better for the team.  Trying new processes can actually improve productivity.  A hiring manager may not have tried team interviewing, preferring to have each team member interview candidates sequentially. However, group interviews could improve productivity.

I hear people say, “I’m too old to get a job offer.”

Attitude is paramount.  If you think you’re too old, that attitude will show unless you exhibit confidence and demonstrate ability to exceed expectations.  Negative thoughts from the past can interfere with the present.  “You’ll never amount to anything” better not surface when you are looking for a new job or career change.

If we are open to change, wonderful opportunities may arise.  Not always, but in the case of my amazing soccer debut, I received a Mother’s Day card from Lane with a big stick person and a little stick person with a circle between the two.  His explanation was, “That’s us playing soccer, Grandma.”  I will use that card as a bookmark for the rest of my life! It clearly illustrates that leaving your comfort zone and taking risks can ultimately bring new confidence and hefty rewards!

(The picture attached to this article is a copy of my valuable new bookmark!)

A special thanks to David Schaer for his editing.

This is a re-cycled article I published elsewhere last year.

“Would you like to see my $10,000 resume? I’ve sent 500 resumes which were supposed to result in employment and I haven’t had one interview.” Could this be you?

Predators are combing the Internet for candidates who are looking for professional positions. When contacted by unscrupulous vendors, these executives are told their contacts with C-level people will result in fabulous opportunities. They want to believe it will work. They fail to realize that finding a job is a job, a full time, challenging, sometimes discouraging, hard row to hoe. They think it will be an easy way to simply pay someone to do the job search.

Whether you are executive, manager or individual contributor, the method for finding work is the same:

1) Focus on your skills and strengths. Understand your personality traits.
2) Build an excellent resume, filled with terminology which reflects your focus and the terms that your next employer will need, especially technical terms from your industry.
3) Create your target marketing list and find real people to contact within the target companies. Start contacting them. The phone is your friend!!!
4) Network, network, network and follow up.

Our friend with the $10,000 resume trusted that the thieves who took his money truly knew people in the industry. He didn’t realize they would simply blast his resume to various companies and hope someone might call him. How these “retail” companies appeal to supposedly brilliant professionals is astounding. The stories are rampant!

TIPS

• If you need help with your resume, see a reputable career counselor or coach. Referrals from recruiters or others are probably your best source. You want recommendations that the individuals provide worthwhile services. Some charge a flat fee. Others have a menu of services with prices per service.
• Take advantage of any outplacement service you are provided.
• Use a professional network site like LinkedIn
• Attend networking meetings, especially professional associations

Temptation to take the easy route is often the longest way to success. Put you boots to work for you and move forward with courage and tenacity. You don’t need a $10,000 resume!

Addendum: the person in the story is now working with someone he knew previously in an amazing job, providing quality assurance for a federal program in renewable energy research. He did not use the $10,000 resume to get the job.