Get Inspired: How to use Ask The Headhunter

On March 8, 2021
Get Inspired: How to use Ask The Headhunter

By Kevin Kane
A long-time reader

get inspired

Ask The Headhunter (ATH) offers great advice about job hunting. But ATH is not merely about “getting a job.” It is about doing the work you love, at the highest level, to continually improve yourself and to be a bigger contributor to the world. Let me share how it helps me, and how you can use it during the job search and beyond.

Get inspired

The Headhunter likes Ayn Rand’s fiction. Her stories glorify productive achievement, showing work to be exalted and energizing rather than trite and tiring. Her characters work with ambition, verve, conviction, reason and tenacity. They make a difference; they make things better. It is hard to read Rand without wanting to jump up and change the world.

Work with the best; be one of the best

But inspiration is not enough. It was not until I discovered ATH that the seeds of how to implement Rand’s inspiration were planted.

Reading Nick’s work made me realize what it takes to be truly productive and invaluable in the workplace. You have to be honest. You can’t fake anything. Don’t lie about your “qualifications,” or waste time with HR if they do not ask you to demonstrate your work and to show how you can produce profit. Go to the people who do the work you want to do, the work that creates value, to talk and learn about how you can add value. You will know you are not faking it when you can clearly show a company how you can add value and profit to their particular business.

How I go “above and beyond” – and surprise managers!

I was talking with a company using a standard ATH approach. I talked to one employee after another, having each refer me to another as I built my reputation within the company. When I finally met a hiring manager, he must have heard I had talked to several people, because he said, “I’ve been in this business 11 years and frankly, no one has ever done what you did. What are you up to?” He was impressed, but shocked.

Sometimes my motivation to learn about a business makes its employees wonder if I am spying for a competitor. Why else would I be interested to learn so much about them? No mere “job hunter” would go to such trouble. But my interest in companies and their people is what gets me in their doors.

3 tips from Ask The Headhunter

There are three eminently useful lessons I’ve gleaned from ATH. Apply them yourself and see what a difference they make.

1. Be honest with yourself
If you don’t completely know something that could help you do stellar work, don’t pretend you do. Learn it. Overcome your fear to ask a stupid question, because it isn’t. When I have questions which seem dumb or elementary, I ask anyway. Even when I ask them of experts who’ve been doing good work in their fields for years, they sometimes say, “I have no idea, but that’s an interesting question! Maybe you should talk to…” That is how you expand your contacts.

2. Talk to the best sources
These people are not necessarily the most prestigious, but rather they are the ones who can most clearly and enthusiastically answer your questions. Especially valuable are those who not only know, but truly care. Once they see that you are reputable and have a sincere interest in their work, they say things like, “That’s a good question, but an even more important one to ask first is…” These people are gems! Treasure and cultivate your friendships with them.

3. Seek to be the best at what you want to do
Do what you absolutely really want to do, not what it seems like you presently need or have to do. Imagine you had all your needs met. What would you then do upon awakening in the morning? Once you answer that, try this kicker: What’s stopping you from doing that now?

Stay inspired

Rand inspires me, and ATH shows me how to use that inspiration. But like all of us, I sometimes get sidetracked. That is when I ask the very simple question, “Why am I really doing this?” It gets me back on track to what I really want. It connects my everyday actions to my most important dreams, dreams that are becoming more real one step at a time, and each step makes them seem even more attainable. Perhaps most importantly, this fills me with confidence that I really am contributing something significant and useful to the world.

Note: I don’t normally publish articles about Ask The Headhunter, but when Kevin Kane wrote to describe how he has used ATH, I was so impressed with his articulate summary that I wanted to share it. I hope other readers find it useful. Many thanks to Kevin for “taking time to teach!”  — Nick

Kevin Kane is a published commentator on mobile and wireless solutions, and is co-author of the article “Proactive Personality and the Successful Job Search,” in the Journal of Applied Psychology. 

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Earn A Network: Ask for the world’s smallest favor

On January 11, 2021
Earn A Network: Ask for the world’s smallest favor

By Matt Bud
Chairman, The FENG

network

It is always difficult to explain why you trust someone. That sometimes spawns within us the illusion of trust when we try to network.

In our daily encounters out in the world, we come across all kinds of folks. Most of the individuals we do business with on a daily basis don’t have to be our friends, and the nature of the exchanges we have with them don’t even require that we trust them.

As an example: purchasing gas. As long as we can bring ourselves to trust the gas station attendant not to pour the gas into the back seat of our car, there isn’t really much at risk. And, since we probably put this exchange on our credit card, there is no possibility that the value received isn’t the amount we paid. The only trust element, if you will, is that the station you have selected prices their products consistently with respect to their competition.

To be an effective networker requires an understanding and appreciation of how trust is created. Often a person has the illusion that any excuse will do to make a call, but we must face reality if such a networking attempt is to be effective. We cannot rely on an illusion.

When networking within The FENG (The Financial Executives Networking Group), a trust relationship is easily started just by just mentioning that you are a fellow member of our august body. It can then be furthered by developing sound “reasons why” you have contacted this particular member. Perhaps they worked at firms where you have worked, attended the same schools, live in the same town, or belong to the same special interest group(s).

One purpose for contacting individuals to network is to get introduced to others. How valuable and extensive the resulting referrals are depends on your ability to present yourself as a trustworthy person.

Relationships and trust take time to build. You can avoid illusion by creating real trust, if only on a low level. The approach I suggest is something I call “asking for the world’s smallest favor that you know will be granted.” For example, asking a networking contact if they know a few recruiters that they might recommend. Recruiters don’t have much value, and the likelihood that you will “burn” your networking contact is small. It is an easy favor to grant. Now that you have them granting you favors, some trust has been established and you can ask for more.

But don’t be foolish. Don’t expect more than you deserve. For example, asking someone too soon for an introduction to their boss requires them to take a tremendous leap of faith. Making “three wishes” along these lines — and expecting them to be granted — would be too much to ask based on what is in reality still a cold call from a stranger.

While you may be looking for just a name, what you’re asking for is probably of critical value to the other person. They will instantly calculate the possible risks to their own career before they introduce you to, say, their boss. Understanding this will help you focus on what you can and can’t ask. Asking for a favor not likely to be granted will ensure that no future favors are ever granted.

So, the best approach is to go slowly, with sincerity and respect, in building your level of trust with each networking contact. Don’t harbor the illusion that any excuse will do for asking a stranger for a favor.  Start by asking for the world’s smallest favor — one you know is likely to be granted.

The difference between illusion and reality in the world of personal relationships is often hard to distinguish. You are the magician. If you do your hocus pocus well, you will get the best out of those hard-to-make new friends and build a network with a solid base for the future.

Matt Bud is founder and Chairman of The FENG — The Financial Executives Networking Group — a forum where senior financial executives share job opportunities and experiences with over 40,000 members spread across the United States and internationally.

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Blowing Through Ageism: How to get hired at 70+

On October 26, 2020
Blowing Through Ageism: How to get hired at 70+

ageismI have experienced ageism and blew through it — several times. Pretty much solidly employed all my life, I usually changed jobs by my own choice.

A short history of my careers

I was not terminated until 56 years old. I found a job a few months later, lost that, and then found another relocating from North Carolina to Texas. Then the terminations became relatively frequent.

By Don Harkness

I was laid off at age 63 and spent many months job hunting, taking a part time job in retail at 64 while still looking. At this point, I changed direction and decided to try recruiting. I networked into a new job and career path at 65. I was terminated at age 66. The next day I started a new recruiting job and was terminated three years later. This time I aimed for a part-time recruiting job, and quickly networked into one at 69 and worked until age 76 when I left on my own.

I would still be there if I’d not moved.

Lessons about ageism

There are some lessons about dealing with ageism I’d like to share based on my experience.

Most important, through all I’ve described, I got all my jobs but one via networking and personal contacts. The only successful job application I ever filled out was for the part-time retail job at 64. That was just to keep busy while I job hunted!

1. The personal-contact method is the best and most manageable way to go.

And for now, in this economy, it is the way to go. Any time spent acquiring, restoring, helping and growing your personal contacts is time not wasted.

Remember, when you get an interview, not only do you have a job opportunity, you have a networking opportunity. And that applies to both sides of the table.

2. Damn right, there’s ageism.

The best way to deal with ageism (or age discrimination in hiring) is to ignore it and work your plan the way you feel you need to, and do it via personal contacts. Personal contacts cut to the chase. They know you’re long in the tooth, so the people they refer you to know as well! If the employer doesn’t want older workers, your contacts wouldn’t refer you. So in essence, your contacts are running interference for you, vetting their contacts.

Learn from that. It means that if you are job hunting on your own, without contacts, you must add one key thing to your search criteria. You must limit yourself to employers who don’t give a shit about your age and, even better, those that actually value it and recognize your age is firmly bolted to experience they value.

How do you do that? Adjust your mindset. You are interviewing them with an aim to finding out their attitude about age. If you don’t like what you see and hear, move on.

3. If you want social justice and to eliminate ageism, bless you.

That’s time consuming, expensive and gets strongly in the way of the main objective, getting meaningfully employed. Taking your time to battle ageism fits perfectly into one of my favorite mantras: “Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.”

More resources

Age 70, working and job hunting again

Age Discrimination: Help me market my dad!

I’m 64: Will you hire me anyway?

How Can I Change Careers?

10 facts about age discrimination

A really good way to combat ageism is to find your niche and, from there, help others land. In your new job, you can be a walking example that ignoring age is good business. You can ease the way for other “oldies.” Yes, I did this, as a recruiter for a company.

I think the best way to fight ageism is from the inside. Think about this the next time your employer asks you to interview a job applicant — and they’re an oldie.

4. Ageism swings both ways.

Keep this in mind: Ageism is a door that swings both ways. Be prepared to work for younger managers, possibly much younger.

Treat them as you want to be treated. Treat them as your boss. Look at them eye to eye, not down your nose. Park your ego.

If it works out right, your young boss will be perfectly aware you know more than they do. That’s why they hired you! I started working for younger people when I was 39 and it changed little after that.

5. Re-tool.

When I was laid off at age 63 from the computer industry, I did some thinking. High-tech is addicted to youth. I doubted my chances of re-landing in it. It would take intense effort and leaning hard into ageism. I worked 50+ years in software engineering and had ample personal contacts, but I knew this would be a grind.

The truth is, I’d had my fill. I took Social Security at 62. But I didn’t want to retire retire. So I decided to re-tool myself.

Rather than try the same-old thing again, I turned myself into a recruiter. That worked. Again, I did it with the help of personal contacts. This change in direction brought much into focus.

6. Focus.

Once focused on my new objective — to become a recruiter — not only did I make better use of my time, but I could help my contacts to better help me.

Despite much grumbling about recruiters, just about everyone knows a few recruiters. Talking with them got me in the door. The pace of my transition picked up. Was this easy? No, but it was doable.

In my case, I’m a 10th degree black-belt introvert. In a million years I’d never see myself doing this. But I did it. I’m not saying be a recruiter. I’m saying you can move out of a rigid habitual comfort zone. Focus on where you want to go next. If I can, you can.

7. Leverage your age. Pursue smaller companies that value expertise.

I not only changed my primary vocation, but eventually I changed industries. And size of employers, from mega-corporations to small and medium sized businesses. The last one was privately owned.

Both as a job hunter and a recruiter I can tell you that, if you are an older worker, give serious thought to focusing on small businesses. In a huge corporation you’re a statistic. In a small company you are a person, known by name.

And to quote the man who hired me, “I can’t understand the concept of ‘overqualified.’ Why would I turn aside someone with a lot of experience to offer?”

He did not give a hoot about anyone’s age.

If you go this route, you can turn age into an advantage. If, like me, you took Social Security early, you’ll find it not only frees you from chasing benefits, it will free a small business that hires you from messing up its health insurance costs. Believe me, for a small company the words “I don’t need your insurance” can be music to their ears — and for you, it’s a bargaining chip younger people can’t play.

8. Decide what you need.

I understand if you need a paycheck of a certain size. If that’s the case, this is a different discussion because it’s not specifically a problem of age. If you need money, my advice may not be for you.

But if you have some financial flexibility and what you need is to get back into the game, then do your financial homework. Know the difference between what’s nice to have and what’s necessary.

In my case, the “content” of my job has been more important than money. High on my list is an environment where I can work while being “retired” from B.S., stress and company politics.

I was pleasantly surprised at how shoving money and benefits out of the way empowered my job search and strategy. I hope you experience the same thing. I believe life is a trade-off. For everything you give up, you get something in return. Yeah, you may give up some pay, but you’ll get something in its place. If you decide what that is and what it’s worth to you, you may be able to find your way past ageism so you can work as long as you want to.

[UPDATE Feb. 18, 2021]

9. Get in shape

“Get in shape” physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally — but particularly physically. Get off your ass and get your mojo going. That really applies to all job hunters, but more so for oldsters! And don’t be surprised if you are talking with interviewers and hiring managers who need to do likewise.

There’s a lot of things in job hunting out of your control, which is why it can be so discouraging and energy draining. But getting and keeping in shape for the hunt is completely under your control and as such offers a sense of accomplishment. And that sense of accomplishment will greatly fuel your search.

If I can do it, so can you.

Sorry for pontificating. The gist of it is, age is an issue if you make it an issue. Stop chasing jobs, and start pursuing companies. Look for ones that equate experience with age. It won’t help you to apply — along with hordes of competitors — to job postings that will use a computer algorithm to select or reject you based on your “keywords.”

People who know you can help you. I’m now 81. Hold that thought. At 76 I was still working because I chose to work, and because I worked with employers that wanted the value of my expertise and age. If I can do it, so can you. Persist.

One more thing. At times I’m bored, drawn to using my business brain again, with urges to set up another part-time gig. My age never enters my mind as a reason not to. I still enjoy the fun thought of contacting someone and saying, “Hi Joe or Joanne, I’m 81 and…”

Don Harkness has been an active participant on the Ask The Headhunter discussion forum since 2004.

Don is a seemingly retired 81-year old warrior from a number of trades. A job hunter, hiring manager and recruiter, both domestically and Internationally, Don can relate to about any career situation you can name.

He worked 35 years for three Fortune 500 computer companies in the bowels of software R&D, mostly on the dark side as a Software Quality Assurance Manager. He lightened that up with tours as Program/Project Manager, Software Development Director, and sundry supporting functions in the computer industry. Don put frosting on that cake with 10+ years in I.T. recruiting. In addition to the school of life, he spent 4 years in the University of Science Math and Culture (U.S.M.C.) and holds an A.A. in Accounting and a B.A. in Business Administration. Don got off the merry-go-round and stopped working when he decided to, at age 76.

Copyright © Don Harkness 2020.

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Explaining A Bad Reference

On July 28, 2020
Explaining A Bad Reference

By Matt Bud, Chairman, The FENG

bad reference

I am always impressed by the eternal truthfulness of the many members of The FENG (The Financial Executives Networking Group). Unfortunately, it is one of the many things about us as financial folks that gets in the way of our finding a new job.

As many of you know, I spent nine years as Chief Financial Officer of an advertising agency. I won’t say from this public platform that I worked with a bunch of liars (please keep in mind that I didn’t say this), but it often felt like those around me were lying even when it wasn’t necessary, just so they wouldn’t get out of practice.

Kind of like on that old TV show “Get Smart” — “Would you believe…?”

Anyway, the issue at hand is coming up with an appropriate explanation for whatever negative experience you had at your last job. Perhaps you got into an ongoing argument with your immediate boss. (He wanted to cheat the government or the stockholders and you didn’t think it was a smart thing to do, and you fought about it.) Frankly, it could be just about any topic. The net result is that you are again in the market and you have this little hole in your resume.

Well, join the club. I was out of work for almost two years and that was followed by a five-month stint in a job from “heck.” I really was in need of an explanation for that one!

And, as one of my friends who was a recruiter would tell me, inquiring minds want to know why you left!

My first suggestion is to tell the truth. Now I am not talking about the whole truth. I am talking about the essence of the truth. (As you can imagine, we each in our own way can sure rattle on. FASB what?)

To supplement the truth, you also need to know what exactly your former boss is going to say about you. Sure, you would rather not use him as a reference, and you probably won’t list him, but you need to be concerned that someone who may want to hire you knows him, or knows others who do.

I thought I knew every method a job seeker could use to deal with a bad reference. My favorite is The Preemptive Reference. But my good friend Matt Bud has surprised me with this disarming and smart recommendation. -Nick
So, the approach is to call and ask what he will say. Don’t suggest things for him/her to say. The reason I say this is that in the heat of the moment your carefully scripted response may be forgotten. Call and ask what will be said if he/she is asked for a reference on you and carefully listen to and write down the answer. DON’T RESPOND! First of all, there is no point, and second, that is not how you are going to use it.

If asked for a reference from your most recent employer you are going to repeat the exact words you just recorded (for the person seeking the referral) and then you are going to add that they need to understand the circumstances under which you left. Don’t rattle on at length or you fall into “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” syndrome. Just be matter of fact about it. Hey, you’re an adult and your boss was an adult and you agreed to disagree. End it with, “You may call if you want to, but this is what will be said.”

If they call, there will be no surprises on the part of the person seeking the referral. This is the important part. Since you copied down the exact words, they should pretty much match with the “caught off-guard response” from that individual “with whom you spent so many pleasant hours.” Since there is no difference, their opinion doesn’t matter. You have already explained it away!

Matt Bud is founder and Chairman of The FENG — The Financial Executives Networking Group — a forum where senior financial executives share job opportunities and experiences with over 40,000 members spread across the United States and internationally.

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Employment Contracts: Everyone needs promise protection

On June 29, 2020
Employment Contracts: Everyone needs promise protection

By Bernard C. Dietz, Esq.

You would never think of buying a home without a written contract setting out all of the details of the sale. It would be impossible to buy a new car without signing a contract that sets out the price to be paid and the terms of the deal. And you can’t get a credit card without signing a formal application contract.

So why do people routinely accept job offers without written employment contracts?

employment contractsEmployment contracts aren’t just for CEOs

Your job is the source of the income used to pay for your house, your new car and your credit cards, yet very few people have written contacts with the companies that hire them detailing the terms of their employment. Sure, CEOs and other senior executives have written contracts covering their jobs, but why don’t the rest of us?

The vast majority of the workforce would benefit from a written contract that covers how we’ll be treated, how we’ll be compensated, what we’ll be doing, and more. Otherwise, what governs all of the time we spend away from our families five or more days a week? It is important and prudent to ensure that promises made at hiring time will be respected during the course of employment.

The problems with verbal job offers

In general, at the time of an offer and acceptance of a new job, most new employees are verbally told the details of their new employment, including the rate at which they’ll be paid. But verbal offers are not good for employees for a few reasons:

  1. If the information is not written down and there is a dispute or misunderstanding as to what was said in the past, you will find it very difficult to prove your version of the original agreement.
  2. The manager that made all of the verbal promises may move to another part of the company, or quit, or be fired, leaving no confirmation of your agreement. (See: Gotcha! Get job offer concessions in writing!)
  3. The manager may not have been authorized by the company to make certain promises to you, and the company may refuse to stand behind the manager. The consequences can be profound if you have already resigned your old job and uprooted your family for the new one.

Unless the promises made at hiring time are somehow secured, it can be difficult or impossible — and costly — to enforce them.

An offer letter is not enough

Sometimes, employers provide new hires with an offer letter. This is a good start — a written document that could function as a contract, except that these letters often include statements that negate their contract value.

Problematic statements include:

  • “the terms of the offer letter are subject to change in the future,” and
  • “new employees agree to and are bound by the terms of our employee handbook”.

Too often, the new employee doesn’t get to see the handbook until after the hire is made, and the handbook almost always states that it is subject to change at any time by the company. (See Employers shouldn’t keep secrets from job applicants.)

When the terms of a job offer are subject to change, it isn’t good for the new employee. There are no concrete promises to ensure that the employee is getting (and giving) what was agreed to at the time the job offer was accepted.

At will: The mistake companies make

The number one reason employers are reluctant — or refuse — to provide employment contracts to the vast majority of employees is because:

“We want to be able to fire the employee if we feel they’re not working out, and we don’t want a contract to limit our ability to do this.”

This concern arises from the concept of “at-will employment.”

Simply stated, when a company hires someone at will, it can fire the employee for any or no reason at any time. (Likewise, the employee is free to quit the job.) Most states in the U.S. are considered at-will states, where the legal presumption is that, absent a contract stating otherwise, all employees are at-will employees and employers can fire them for any or no reason at all (other than for reasons of discrimination, of course).

But companies confuse at-will employment with employment contracts. Employers often believe that having a contract with an employee automatically eliminates the freedom of at-will status. This is simply incorrect.

More about employment contracts: Employment At-Will vs. The LeBron James Rule.
A true contract defines a term of time for the employment period, making the arrangement predictable for both parties. It can include an at-will clause. An essential part of the employment contract should be the term, or length of time, of the agreement, which may be six months, a year, or at will, which means “for as long as we both agree to keep it going but either party can end it at any time.” Thus, other important terms can be enforced without limiting the freedom to part company at any time.

The benefits of good employment contracts

When a company misunderstands at-will employment, it misses the clarity and benefits offered by employment contracts. With a well-written employment contract, settling disputes regarding an employment becomes a much simpler and less expensive proposition for both sides.

As with any contract, at the first sign of a dispute the contract can simply be reviewed to confirm the rights and responsibilities of each side. If the contract is not being upheld by the employer or employee and it can’t be resolved by discussion or negotiation, then a lawsuit may be filed. But of course, a central reason for a good contract is to avoid litigation.

When there is a written agreement to refer to, the decision of who is right or who is wrong may be decided quickly as a matter of contract law, rather than as a protracted matter of “he said-she said.”

A good contract protects promises

An employment contract doesn’t have to be a long, difficult document, and it can be tailored for any employee. First and foremost, the contract should protect promises made by both parties at the time of hiring. Both an employee and an employer should look for these simple but very important terms in a contract:

  • The position being offered and accepted
  • The compensation that will be paid
  • Whether the employment is for a set length of time or at will
  • Specifics regarding vacation time and sick leave and whether such time accrues from year to year
  • The responsibilities of both parties with regards to the work to be done and the work environment
  • Terms of separation in the event the employee is terminated or resigns, including guaranteed severance terms and pay, depending on whether separation is “for cause.”

The last item is especially important if there is any post-employment non-compete agreement (NCA) or restrictive covenants. It’s fine to agree to stay out of your employer’s game, as long as you’re being paid to sit on the sidelines.

The contract should be signed by the company and the employee. If you’re the employee, you should store a copy in a safe place, like the safe deposit box where you keep the deed for your house and the title for your car. The contract for your job is at least as important as those documents.

Employment contracts are good for everyone

Having a written contract benefits both the employee and the employer because it makes a clear, definitive record of what everyone is agreeing to at the time of the agreement. These contracts are not just for executives, though an employment contract for an executive will be more complex and detailed than for a staff employee or a middle manager.

Anyone would rest more easy knowing that the details of employment are set down in writing, both to promote success of the working relationship and to avoid controversies. (See: Job offer rescinded after I quit my old job.)

Employment contracts are good for everyone. The main benefit for employers is that they don’t have to worry about potential verbal promises made by a rogue manager that could come back to haunt them. A company can, if it chooses, make it clear that the employment is not promised for any set length of time. The main benefit for employees is that they are protected if their management changes and if memories fade about promises that were made. The contract ensures promises will be kept.

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Bernard C. Dietz is a retired attorney.

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Job Search During The Pandemic

On June 19, 2020
Job Search During The Pandemic

By Jason Alba

job searchBefore you think I’m an expert in the history of pandemics (check out this great infographic for a visual of pandemic history), I’ll admit that I’ve never experienced anything like what we are going through today. The world seems to be at a standstill with no more eating inside restaurants, all conferences postponed… even the Olympics have been moved.

Job panic in the pandemic

At first it seemed the biggest problem we’d face was getting toilet paper. Don’t get me wrong, not having ready access to toilet paper could be catastrophic. As time passes it seems that, without discounting the tragedy of illness and death, we are looking at economic crises that no one living has experienced. I’m seeing a lot of fear, panic and a lack of focus.

The first week people started working from home en masse, the comments I saw and heard were that people just didn’t know what to do. Routines were rattled and people wondered what this would mean for their jobs. Recruiters have been talking about hiring freezes. Recruiters, by the way, are like a canary in the proverbial coal mine when it comes to the economy.

Opportunities in the pandemic

Even then, with the confusion and major changes to life and work, some businesses are continuing with as much force as they had B.C. (Before Coronavirus). Some companies, such as delivery, shipping, and manufacturing, have announced massive hiring needs. Of course, these aren’t all executive jobs, or senior management jobs, but if a company is about to bring on thousands of new employees, they’ll have management and leadership needs they might not have had before.

I work with a Saas (Software as a service) company that is continuing to grow, close deals, and see expansion with current customers. The business success they are seeing isn’t related to current events. Rather, business must continue, and businesses continue to invest in growth and other initiatives. Businesses are even investing in employees. While you probably see hiring freezes in some companies, surely there are other companies that have their normal needs, or will have new needs. This becomes your opportunity.

Job search in the pandemic

Here’s what I know about the job search during this time: While some things will be different, other things will very much remain the same — especially what works. The pandemic makes it necessary to do more of what we know works best.

Jason Alba is creator of the 6-week Job Search Program, a daily web-based audio tutorial designed to help you get your next job. He’s also CEO of JibberJobber, the acclaimed contact-management system for job seekers.

Lets be honest: Much of the pain of a job search is in actually doing what it takes every day to achieve your goal. Job hunting is an iterative process. You must do many of the same tasks every day. The repetition can get tiring and lonely. It’s hard to keep up the necessary pace. It’s hard to stay motivated. Every day of the Job Search Program, Jason talks and guides you through your job search.

Frankly, one of the important things Jason delivers is the daily “kick in the pants” even the most astute job seekers need to keep them on track. Every day, Jason walks you through a series of High Value Tasks designed to help achieve your goal. Then you confirm your progress on his clever logging system.

I’ve known Jason for 15 years. He’s one of the few people in the job-search world I respect and admire. His program isn’t for everyone — but it’s the closest thing you’ll find to a daily session with a savvy job-search coach. (You’ll recognize lots that you’ve learned on Ask The Headhunter!)

Jason invites you to try the first 3 days of the 6-week-long Job Search Program for free, so you can decide whether it’s right for you. I’ve tried it, and I like it, or I wouldn’t be telling you about it. Judge for yourself. Try it out for free.

[Disclosure: This website earns a referral fee if you make a purchase.]

Networking will be more important. Jobs have always been filled based on trust and relationships. People hire who they know, or who is referred to them, or who somehow ends up on the radar. Networking doesn’t have to happen in person, though. When you think about networking as relationship building more than as a superficial exercise, you’ll find your networking efforts are more focused and effective.

Talking to the right person will be more important. I was talking to a colleague during a sales conversation and he stressed that we were not pitching to the right person. Our conversation was not even with a gatekeeper. While the other person was eager to hear what we had to say, they were neither an influencer nor a decision-maker. It was then I realized that talking to people was great, but talking to the right people was more important. This is as true in sales as it is in the job search.

Having the right conversations is even more critical. When you talk to the right people, make sure you have the right conversation. The conversation with a gatekeeper is different than the conversation with a decision-maker. In the job search you will talk to plenty of people who are not hiring managers, but they might help you network with hiring managers. Make sure you know which conversations to have with which contacts.

Follow-up is more essential. Unfortunately, networking in the job search means meeting a lot of new people, online, at networking events, or in outdoor venues when society opens back up. Meeting new people is important but it’s not enough. You must follow up. Not having a follow-up strategy is an indication you really don’t understand networking. As I mentioned, networking is about relationships, and you don’t form professional relationships with just one conversation. We need to have multiple conversations, and follow-up is a big part of that.

These have been the basics of job search for decades. Unfortunately, for many years job seekers have relied on job boards to do most of their work. Why network when you can almost anonymously upload a resume, without talking to humans? For introverts, this was like a dream come true. For everyone else, we felt forced to do job search that way, lest all the good jobs were posted and filled with job-board applicants.

The truth is, plenty of jobs were found by the principles above. This was true during great economies and horrible economies. Even while everyone seems to be working from home, who you know and who knows you is as important today as it has ever been. In fact, today it’s more important.

Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com, a web-based CRM-like system that organizes and manages a job search and networking. He recently created The Job Search Program, a six-week tutorial framework in which Alba guides a job seeker through planned, daily tasks necessary to land a job.

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Employment At-Will vs. The LeBron James Rule

On May 1, 2020
Employment At-Will vs. The LeBron James Rule

By Mark Carey, Esq.

What do you mean I can be fired for any reason or no reason at all? Who made up this rule? Why do I have to follow the employment at-will doctrine? Well, you don’t, and there are several reasons companies and employees should shift to a modified approach that satisfies the expectations of both the employer and the employee.

Confusion about employment at-will

at will employmentOver the past 23 years I have handled employment law cases for both executives and employees. My clients are really confused and bewildered by the employment at-will rule, and about the significant financial impact it creates when employers decide to let them go.

Many clients say they understand the basic rule that they can be fired at any time (“at will”), and that they can leave a job at any time. But beyond that, they know absolutely nothing about why the rule came into being or, more importantly, how they can negotiate around it. When a termination occurs, the adverse impact of the rule becomes clear. They suffer from the break in their career trajectory and from the resulting financial uncertainty.

At the executive level, I routinely negotiate employment contracts that provide for termination “for cause” and “termination for good reason.” This is standard in the industry at the executive level. However, I also confront cases where the employer “shoves in” a provision identified as “termination for any reason.” If that sounds like the employment at-will rule, it is.

LeBron James has leverage

Enter the LeBron James Rule. (I made up this rule). Basketball superstar LeBron James can write his own ticket to work wherever he finds the highest bidder. He can demand that the “termination for cause” in his contract be accompanied by the “good reason provision” — and the latter must be accompanied by a severance payout. This makes the employer think twice about terminating an employee.

“Termination for cause” means you violated the law and company policies, so your employer can fire you without any severance. “Termination for good reason” means you can quit because the employer materially changed your title, for example, or your salary, reporting structure, or the location of your office —  and the employer must pay you a guaranteed severance.

You might say not everyone is as fortunate as LeBron. I disagree, and this is what has bugged me for many years. Too often, our knee-jerk reaction is to accept this stupid and ill-conceived at-will rule. Some say, just be grateful you have your job. Give me a break! There is a new way to handle this.

The new LeBron James rule

I propose getting rid of the employment at-will rule and replacing it with the modified LeBron James form we see in executive employment contracts.

When negotiating a job offer, employees (not just executives and LeBron James) need to negotiate employment contracts into the deal. Employees need to identify their leverage factor and use it. That is, what makes you the most desirable hire for the job? This is what makes the employer throw higher pay, equity, or severance at the job candidate in order to induce you to accept a job offer. (See the Comments section in How to Say It: How ’bout some severance pay?)

Under the LeBron James rule, employees could be fired only for “cause,” and the employee could terminate employment for “good reason.” Further, if the good reason event occurs, then the employer must pay a severance amount to take care of some of the financial issues related to your transition to new employment. If you land a new job, your severance stops, as this is fair.

Find your leverage and do not be shy about asserting it.

Everybody wins

Here are several positive effects of eliminating the employment at-will rule based on my research into this issue.

  1. End the divide between Management vs. Everybody: Eliminating the employment at-will rule will get rid of the great divide between management and employees. Literally, this is the trust divide. If management scares employees into believing they can be fired any time, management is not creating a loyal and trusting environment. Trust spurs the kind of innovation and creativity that will push the company forward in profound economic ways. Employers want employees to be focused on their work, but the at-will rule distracts them and kills their motivation. The rule erodes any semblance of entrepreneurial creativity among the team. Employers need to seriously rethink this one.
  2. End the divide between HR vs. Everybody: Honestly, did you really believe the Human Resources (HR) department was there to help you? I make it my mission to point this out to every client I have. HR has a duty of loyalty to the employer. It has absolutely no interest in doing what’s right for you. By eliminating the employment at-will rule, HR will be aligned closer with employees and HR will do a better job of “caring” for the very employees that make up the company. Without employees, you have no company. Where did all those employers go astray?
  3. Eliminate the politics of fiefdoms: Does your boss play favorites? Do they hire from their own last place of employment? Are there any “brown-nosers” on the team who believe the only way to the top is to “work it” — what ever that means? Such are the politics of building fiefdoms. This behavior is childish and it’s irritating to say the least. You know what I am referring to. Why do some employees play along, and why do supervisors encourage it? Eliminating the employment at-will rule will breed meritocracy. Employees will begin to feel compassion for their co-workers and work more closely as a team or family, instead of putting a knife in one another’s back at work. All employees will work with management for the good of the company, and all will prosper together — not just executives with good contracts.
  4. Reduce Discrimination: If you create trust, honesty, transparency and vulnerability, then you create lasting relationships where employees want to stay and work. Employment discrimination bias arises from many reasons. My theory is that if you get rid of the employment at-will rule, you will gut the walls that employees build in their work environments with the sole goal of getting ahead. Think about it. When you direct negative words or behavior against another employee to make yourself look better in the eyes of your employer, you will do it to get ahead. That negative comment or behavior could be motivated by differences in gender, age, race, or religion, or it might involve manipulation like seeking sexual favors in exchange for career advancement. We need a sea change to correct our current direction. The status quo just doesn’t work anymore, except perhaps for employment attorneys like myself as we are very busy policing this garbage. If we eliminate the employment at-will rule and we give you employment protections, when you see something, you will feel empowered to say something. You will be protected if you have the courage to speak out.

A Special Case: Older workers

Finally, here is my shout-out to older employees. Employers like to say, “We honor your wisdom and experience, you are worth every penny we pay you.” Many employees who are in their fifties and even sixties are well paid because they have many years of experience to offer, more than someone twenty years their junior. Some get fired (or not hired) simply because of their age.

I say we should apply our new rule to keep older employees on board. (See Age 70, working and job hunting again.)

We should focus on the positive economic impact these older, wiser employees can create for the company. Management must stop using the at-will employment excuse to terminate baby boomers because this abhorrent practice is not financially sound and never was to begin with. It’s like a bad drug addiction. Remember, wisdom still is a virtue for a reason.

Job security pays

When will we see elimination of the employment at-will rule? When management realizes they can make greater revenue multiples by providing better job security. They will have to stop listening to management-side defense lawyers  who lobby incessantly to maintain the employment at-will rule for every client. The world isn’t flat, but we believed it was until someone showed us it wasn’t. The same goes here.

Management should adopt this new LeBron James rule and maybe — just maybe — they will finally see that #employees_matter.

Mark Carey is an employment attorney at Carey & Associates, P.C. in Connecticut. He can be reached at mcarey@capclaw.com and at (203) 984-5536.

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