Questions for your Mentor

Now that you've snagged a coffee with a mentor, a little preparation will go a long way. Plus frankly, a prepared list of issues and questions is well, rather impressive!

Here's my personal inventory. I've collected these through the years. Hand pick the ones that work for you.

Warm-up and Rapport Question
How did you get your start? 
Did you have a mentor?
What character strengths account for your success?
What's a tough issue you've had to overcome and how did you do it?
With the the benefit of hind-sight, what would you do differently?


Questions to Help Prepare for a Career in this Field
How can I best prepare to working in your industry?
What skills, talents, and personal qualities are most essential?
What kinds of internships would you recommend?
How rapidly is the industry growing? What do you foresee?
What entry-level opportunities offer the best potential for growth?
How do people find out about jobs in this field?
How are they advertised, or is word of mouth more important?
Which professional organizations would help me learn more?
How well suited is my background for this type of work?
What other fields do you suggest I research?

Questions about a Particular Organization/Company

Why did you decide to work here and what do you like most?
What personal and professional traits have served you well here?
How does your Company distinguish itself from the competition?
Tell me the type of employee that is a good fit here?
What do your hiring mangers look for in candidates?  

Referral to Others

Based on our conversation today, what other people do you believe I should talk to?
Can you give me names of a few who might be willing to see me?
 May I use your name when I contact them?

Two of my favorite mentors: 

My dad, Manny Garcia and Penn, guest professor, George Vailliant, MD 

Growing up, Dad bombarded me with lectures, pontifications, and endless aphorisms such as: 
"This too will pass" 
"Never, never, never give up" 
"When you walk through a storm keep your head up high" 
"Do it like you mean it" 
"Get over it" 
"You are going to have to grow up quickly"

George was my favorite profession at the University of Pennsylvania. He inspired me to think broadly and to both nurture and tame my gift of empathy for others. He is who I want to be when I grow up! 

Those are mine...Who are yours? Send photos!

Reaching out to Mentors

Reaching out to successful people you admire and respect is a wise career strategy. Take an inventory of the professionals you admire. Be brave and reach out to them. Established professionals are busy but the best of them make time time mentor promising professionals.

I am always flattered when young professionals and even my peers reach out to me for an informal career check-up. I  enjoy being treated to coffee, breakfast or lunch.  The invitation gives me the opportunity to pay a favor to someone who might refer my services to a friend in the future. It's a win-win deal. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to be kind and generous and and pay-it-foward and that's always a priceless benefit.

Here's an example of how to craft such a request:

Hello. I'm Caroline Kirkland. Lisa Jacobson suggested I get in touch with you to request an informal meeting - an "informational interview" is specifically what I have in mind. I've been working in the finance industry for several years and would like to explore the possibility of applying my skills in the non-profit sector. I'm especially interested in causes that support babies and children.

I'm sure you're very busy, but I was wondering if your would be inclined and have time for a quiet lunch or 30 minute conversation over coffee, or at your office; my schedule is flexible.  I'd love the opportunity to ask you some questions about how you got started and how your career evolved.

Your input would be greatly appreciated and I will gladly pay the favor forward.

Best,

Best Applicants Don't Always Get Offers

Why the Best Qualified Applicants Don't Always Get Job Offers

Ever have a hunch that you were the probably the most qualified candidate for a position opening, yet you didn't get the job offer or promotion? 

It's not always the person with the best credentials who gets the job offer. Many factors weigh in the decision making process: credentials, experience, ability to hit-the-ground-running, technical skills, personality, politics and more… It's possible that the candidate with the job offer in hand was simply better at describing how their skills, knowledge and traits will add value to the organization. She might have demonstrated more clearly how her personality traits "fit like a glove", are ideal for the job and add value to the team and organization.

From Sanskrit to Twitter comes the well worn mantra: "know thyself". What are you waiting for?  Be the subject matter of yourself. Master your brand. Differentiate yourself. Discover your strengths. Can you describe yourself in a way that is meaningful to employers? If not, perhaps it's time to take an inventory. The Internet is full of self-assessments. In my opinion, the best assessments are: 

Myers-Brigs Personality Type

VIA Character Strengths and Virtues Authentichappiness.org

Strengthsfinder2.0

Any or all of these assessments will help you take inventory of your strengths and develop an extensive vocabulary for defining and differentiating yourself from others.

Do you know your Positivity Ratio?

3:1 is a healthy positivity ratio. That's 3 positive emotions to every 1 negative emotion.
But don't stop there. 3:1 merely meets the "Meh"or "I'm OK" or "Fine" standard.  Positivity ratios can soar as high as 11:1 before they start to appear manic and delusional.

In the workplace, a ratio of 6:1 is ideal.  This ratio of positivity to negativity allows teams to thrive and flourish and get stuff done.

When stressed, I sometimes take 1 minute to savor the beauty of these exquisite roses.
They are from the garden of Marty Seligman. Just looking at them puts me in a state of awe and wonder. Beauty in nature is soothing and calming.

Here are some ways to raise your positivity ratio at work. All of them require only 3-10 minutes.

• Listen to your favorite music with your eyes closed and fully experiencing it.
• Tell a clever joke or story.
• Share a funny Youtube video. 
• Take time to have a little bit of fun. Play is fuel for rebooting the brain. Recreation = RE CREATE.
• Savor the beauty of nature. Take a 10 minute walk outside. Even looking at photos of nature can be effective.
• Take a micro-spa break: For three minutes. Watch your breath come in and out. Visualize fresh mountain or beach air in and exhale the toxic air in your lungs out.

Raising positivity requires slowing down.Try inserting little gaps of goodness, savoring, laughter into your work day.

Research findings about employees who exercise

The healing power of exercise...


This is a photo of me and my friend Pam. Pam and I have been walking buddies for over 5 years. The best thing about Pam is that she is super reliable. I am not. Pam shows-up. That makes me want to show up. Understand, showing up for Pam doesn't make me want to exercise. But since I'm there and in my already dressed and in my running shoes...we walk for 4 or 5 miles. This is one activity I do religiously because I love Pam and I believe that exercise is key to a healthy mind and body. 


According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in May 2012, job burnout and depression was strongest among employees who did not engage in physical activity and weakest among those engaging in high physical activity.  So find a walking buddy, someone like super-reliable Pam and start moving!


Here's the study I mentioned.  http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/apl/97/3/699/

Marry your decisions

Marry decisions, don't date them.  

First, do your homework, conduct a thorough cost analysis or simply list the pro and cons. Then discuss your decision with someone trustworthy and objective.

Then commit.  A good marriage requires commitment.

When we "marry" our decisions, we commit to the process. We move forward with our vision for the future.  Happily married people do not "look around" for better partners. They are committed. When doubts or problems inevitably arise, they tweak the problem areas and adapt accordingly.

Here's another way to see it. Ideally, when driving a car, our eyes dedicated to the road ahead, not the rear view mirror. When we second guess our thoughtfully made decisions; it's like navigating a car through the limited perspective of the rear-view mirror. We end up spending time, attention, and energy looking at the road behind us.

Keep your eyes and ideas on the road ahead. It's the best way to move forward.

How to get your resume out of the cyberspace hole known as "Resume Purgatory"

How to get your resume out of the big black cyberspace hole I  

call "Resume Purgatory"

  

You've gone to the painstaking, detail-oriented, labor-intensive task of completing an electronic profile on an Internet job board or corporate website and you after many tries, you've finally successfully downloaded your resume. Whew! You sit back and wait  to hear from employers.  

A week, two weeks, and still no replies.  Nada! 

Yes, completing an on-line profile is a critical step in the application process. But be aware, pressing the "apply" button merely allows internal recruiters and hiring managers to download your application at their discretion.  Nothing more. 

All that work - your detailed application, well-crafted cover letter, and flawless resume mysteriously travel to a place in cyberspace I call “Resume Purgatory.” And, those precious documents remain there, floating in limbo until someone has a reason to hunt them down.

So how do you get a hiring manager or internal recruiter to pull your application out of Resume Purgatory?  Get a hard copy hand-delivered. Here’s a strategy that will greatly improve your odds.

Every day, apply for 3-5 position openings. 

Once you’ve pressed the apply button or downloaded your resume for a specific position, the real work begins.  Contact your friends, acquaintances, and family, even your distant cousins and your barber. Ask each person if he/she happens to know someone who works at that company.  If he says no, ask him if he happens to know someone, who knows someone who works at that company.  When you get the name of a real person, contact him/her and ask him to personally hand your resume to the hiring manager or HR.  Graciously thank  this sweet angel from heaven and assure him that you will remember his kindness and by paying the the favor back or forward.