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March 8, 2022 By Lauren Milligan

A book about ideas, scaling, and…QUITTING.

TV can be educational!

A few days ago I was watching my favorite news show, WGN Morning News. They always have the best guests. This particular morning, Robin and Larry interviewed University of Chicago Economics Professor, John List. He wrote a book called The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale. In the interview, List said something that stayed with me – a true lightbulb moment. I’m paraphrasing here, but the gist of it is that people stay in bad jobs because of the negative connotation to the word ‘quit’. Let’s think about that for a moment. We don’t leave jobs that are poorly suited to us, because we don’t like the word that is used to describe the act of leaving a bad job. Yikes!!

I had to know more…

I reached out to Professor List, who was kind enough to give me more details. His theory on quitting isn’t exclusive to jobs, but hey, this is ResuMAYDAY. What else are we going to talk about here?? “The science shows that we do not quit enough. That is, for example, we stick too long to our current job. In my book I talk about a few explanations. A key reason is that quitting is perhaps the most repugnant word in society today. If we could only call it a ‘pivot’ or ‘calling an audible’ people would quit more. The second reason is an internal bias that we all have: we neglect our ‘opportunity cost of time’. Now that is a lot of economese; what I mean by that is, when we work at one job we tend to ignore what we are foregoing had we been working somewhere else.”
WOW. 

I thought about this concept for a moment. Like everyone, I get stuck doing something, simply because it’s easier than pivoting to something else. But not when it comes to my career. I shared with Professor List that I quit my last job (a great job that was a poor fit for me) in 2001 and had been happily self-employed since then. He enthusiastically responded, “Awesome awesome awesome!”

Get the Book!

If you feel you’re stuck in something and need to PIVOT, get the book. If you’d like to know more about his ideas on scalability (great for entrepeneurs and small business owners), get the book! Here’s a link to The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale.

And if you’d like to experience that lightbulb moment just like I did, here’s a link to the segment on WGN Morning News.

Filed Under: Executive Job Search, Job Market, Job Search, Quit Tagged With: ideas, quit, scale

December 17, 2019 By Lauren Milligan

It’s not scary, it’s just networking!

A few days ago I was talking with one of my favorite clients (if you’re reading this, you’re also my favorite) about her job search. We’ll call her Sherri. Sherri mentioned a former boss that she loved working for, and wished she could find another working relationship like that. I asked Sherri when she last spoke with this manager; she admitted they hadn’t spoken since Sherri left that job.
Considering the title of this post, I’m sure you see where this is going.

Her ‘homework’ this week is to reconnect with this manager via LinkedIn. Why? Maybe there’s a timely opening in this manager’s department. Perhaps this manager knows of opportunities with other companies.
But forget job leads for a moment. I’m sure this manager can offer Sherri career advice, or just be another important advocate in Sherri’s corner. Before I could get any of these reasons out, Sherri audibly balked at the thought of making contact with someone who she hasn’t talked to in a few years. My response? “It’s not scary, it’s just networking.” I used the same tone a parent uses when a kid falls down, and the parent wants to convince the kid she isn’t hurt. I know that many people…probably the majority of people, think networking IS scary. That’s why I’m acclimating Sherri by having her start with people who she truly likes and respects. That way, if she does ‘fall down’ (which she won’t), she won’t be hurt. The conversation she has with her former manager will be genuine, and possibly even easy.
And I’m really hoping that in a few weeks, Sherri will be the one to say, “it’s not scary, it’s just networking!”

Filed Under: General, Job Interview, Job Market, Job Search, Networking

December 1, 2017 By Lauren Milligan

Why It Pays to Keep the Job Search Going During the Holiday Season

Conventional wisdom might suggest to pause your job search during the holiday season. After all, bosses and employees are less focused on business and hiring during this time, right? Actually the contrary is true: December is a great time to reach out to employers…and it might actually give you a leg up over the competition! Learn why it pays to keep job hunting over the holidays:

Fewer Job Seekers 

Since many job seekers take time off to celebrate the holidays (assuming employers aren’t looking), you’ll encounter less competition when applying for jobs. Employers continue interviewing through the end of the year, so it pays to send out applications. Even if an employer isn’t hiring, take the time to make an initial connection.

Be a Line-Jumper 

For many companies, their fiscal calendar works around the traditional calendar. That means a company’s budgets resets on January 1. If you send your application in now, you’ll be ahead of those who will pick up their job search mid-January.

By applying over the holiday season, you jump to the head of the line with employers who want to onboard their new employees at the start of the year. By applying in December (or November!) you’re ready to start working when the job opens.

Employers Need to Hire Quickly 

Employers report there is a shortage of applicants for open positions around the holidays. Companies that need to fill positions quickly are apt to move forward on qualified applicants who touched base at that time. And of course, employers like to hire at the end of the year to spend down the budget they have, in order to boost the budget next year.

Continuing your search – even ramping it up during the holidays can make all the difference to starting your new year as a new employee. You can do this!

Filed Under: Job Search

October 18, 2017 By Lauren Milligan

Seasonal Jobs…or Seasonal to Permanent!

If you’re looking for extra cash for the holidays, a seasonal job is the obvious choice. Seasonal job opportunities pop up a few times a year, and one of those times is here now. Because winter is right around the corner, I thought I’d share a few jobs that are commonly (and currently, as of the day I wrote this) available:

Brick/Mortar Retail – clerks and cashiers, personal shoppers, Santa or his elves, customer service, delivery, receiving

Online Retail – telesales, customer service, delivery

Warehouse – inventory, shipping, receiving, assembling, delivery

Catering/Banquet halls – servers, sales, event photographer

Call Centers – outbound sales, inbound tech support and customer service

Ski/Winter Resorts – hospitality, sales, housekeeping

Kids’ Winter Camps – counselor, housekeeping, food service

Office – phone reps, mail/marketing fulfillment, sales

Side Gigs (usually freelance/self-employed) – House cleaning, personal gift shopper, holiday decoration installer, driver, tutor

Employers start interviewing for these positions in the fall, so there’s no time to lose. The search for a seasonal job is much different than finding permanent employment, in that employers generally hire their seasonal staff during or right after a first interview. Keep an eye out for job fairs at distribution centers, warehouses and office complexes in your area in October and November.

Sometimes, these seasonal jobs can turn into longer-term roles or even become permanent! If you want to try to make that happen, here are three ways to do that:

1) Stand out for the right reasons: Let your boss see you going the extra mile. Pick up that overlooked, crumpled litter that was meant for the trash can, instead of stepping over it like everyone else. Smile and greet every customer, and offer to help even if it isn’t your department. Help other employees when you have extra time. Approach your work with a positive, whatever-it-takes attitude.

2) Think about the company’s needs after the season is over: Think like a permanent employee, not someone who will be gone in a few weeks. Are there problems you can solve, or have you caught wind of long-term projects that might be well-suited to your skills? Offer your experience in ways that expand your usefulness to the company.

3) Let Your Intentions Be Known: A week or two into this new job (not on your first day!), talk to your boss. Let her know that you enjoy the company and the work, and that if a permanent role opens, you’d like to apply. Your boss isn’t a mind-reader, and she’s extra busy during holiday seasons. She may see you as a great short-term employee without even thinking about the long game. It’s your job to plant that seed.

If you need help ‘right-sizing’ your resume for a seasonal job, get in touch with the experts at ResuMAYDAY. Remember, these jobs go quickly so you don’t have a moment to lose!

 

Filed Under: General, Job Search, Seasonal jobs

August 1, 2017 By Lauren Milligan

Keep Your References In Check!

Here’s short video on how a good reference can go bad, and what to do if that happens…

Filed Under: Entry-level, Executive Bios, Executive Job Search, Fired, General, Informational Interview, Intern, Job Interview, Job Market, Job Search, Outplacement Services, Resume, Uncategorized Tagged With: employer, former boss, reference checks, references

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