When Women Support Women Incredible Things Happen

My passion is helping people unleash their full potential. It’s my thing and has been for a long time. I live and breathe it in my work and my personal life every day. As I prepare for the 2021 Mrs. Oregon Pageant I’ve partnered with Dress for Success to raise money to help women who are trying to better themselves. Thank you for any help you can offer. To learn more or donate, click here.

Real Talk About Diversity & Inclusion; Be Part of Positive Change

Finally.

Finally, diversity and inclusion are topics at the forefront of companies’ minds.

The difference between diversity and inclusion has eluded many of us until recently. Diversity is the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, and physical ability or attributes. Inclusion is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups. Diversity without inclusion is discrimination.

Like many of you, I’ve spent much of the past year reflecting on my views on racial equality. I’ve at times been humbled by what I didn’t know or realize. I’ve sought to educate myself and better understand what has gotten us to where we are and how I can be part of positive change.

I conducted an interview recently with Lisa Heinsdale that I wanted to share with my network. Lisa is the Diversity Recruitment & Retention Specialist for Portland State University. We talked about the past, the future, and what has been on her mind as she lives the topic of diversity and inclusion daily in her work. I learnt a great deal chatting with Lisa. I hope you will too.

Q: How did you land in your current role as a Diversity Recruitment & Retention Specialist?

LH: The role was created for me. As the daughter of an immigrant from a 3rd world country, I grew up watching my mom be discriminated against. Especially, when it came to advancing in the workplace due to having little education. Throughout college, I watched my college buddies, some who were minorities and international students struggle with the hiring process. And as a non-traditional student, this was something I struggled with as well. I shared my story of struggle during the hiring process with the Associate Dean of The School of Business, and the rest is history. She saw my passion, and created the role for me, and now I get to help underrepresented minority business students overcome this barrier.

Q: Diversity and inclusion are hot topics right now. Why do you think?

LH: What happened with George Floyd really brought diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront. It’s so sad it wasn’t a priority until recently. How many victims of police violence needed to happen before this topic got attention?

Q: How do you feel Covid has impacted the topic of diversity and inclusion if at all?

LH: Honestly, when Covid hit, I was concerned my Diversity Team would be the first to be let go. George Floyd’s death, as horrible as it was, has given emphasis to these important topics and kept crucial teams like mine intact.

Q: What’s the focus of your work at Portland State University?

LH: I work with underrepresented minority business student populations. That includes students of color, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+, and veterans.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you see underserved populations dealing with when it comes to transitioning from student life to the world of work?

LH: Something that comes to mind is that a large number of our students may not have enough work experience and transferrable skills for a job. A majority of the students have work/school/life balance challenges. Many of our students work multiple jobs while going to school, and have to care for family members, which limits them from applying for internships, and attending professional development workshops to help them be career-ready. But my team and I work hard to meet them where they’re at. We never stop presenting them with opportunities that will help them be career-ready and give them the give a competitive advantage.

Q: What advice do you have for employers to work on increasing their focus on diversity and inclusion?

LH: Two important things. First, when hiring for a diversity and inclusion role, consider hiring a diversity team not just one diversity, equity, and inclusion professional. Only hiring a Diversity & Inclusion Director/Manager says to me that you’re trying to fill a quota, and that your setting the person up for burnout and failure. One Diversity & Inclusion professional cannot carry the responsibility of an entire company. Second, consider what your retention efforts look like. This is beyond recruiting for diverse talent. Ask, what are you doing to retain your diverse talent? What are you doing to make sure they feel represented, elevated, and comfortable in the workplace?

Q: Any final words of wisdom or advice?

LH: If you’re looking to hire for diversity, make sure that you’re not tokenizing and that you’re hiring with good intentions, and aiming to make real change in the workplace.

6 Career Impacts from Covid You Need to Consider

We’re all exhausted from everything Covid-related. The masks, the Zoom calls, the social-distancing, the full gamut. I’m convinced though that it’s time to start looking at this differently. It’s time to stop waiting for something to happen. Many people seem to be waiting for a vaccine, waiting for schools to reopen, waiting for things to get back to ‘normal’. If you’re waiting for these things, I believe you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment. This is the new normal. It’s time to get on with how you want your life to look and stop waiting. 

If Covid has impacted how you work or made you think about your career long-term then I hope this article helps you feel empowered to move forward and stop waiting. 

Here are 6 significant impacts I see on how we work and how we steer our careers:

1.    Youth education: I can’t talk about work without talking about education as it’s the doorway into work. In order to do that I need to start at the beginning, at the grade-school level. To be transparent though, put simply, I see the landscape changing dramatically at all levels of education moving forward in the U.S. Focusing on grade-school for a minute first, the class system will become much more apparent and will create an even more lasting impact on our youth. Families who can afford it, have been seeking out and creating solutions outside of public school to educate their kids – creating learning pods, hiring in-home educators, choosing private school instead of public, etc. This test that many mid to high income families are running will prove to be substantially better for the majority than public education and I anticipate somewhere between 30-50% of those families will stay the course in their new educational structures moving forward – not sending their kids back to public school when the option is available. Most low-income families are really struggling to juggle work, kids at home, virtual learning, and life in general. These families won’t hesitate to send their kids back to school – not feeling they have any other viable option for childcare and education. Public schools will become even more flooded with kids who are behind, not adequately supported at home, and thereafter less attractive to families who have other options.

2.    College education: It was engrained in many of us since we were young that when we finish high school, we’ll go to college. This mindset will dramatically shift. Post-high school learning will still be a priority for many, but options will start to look very different. I see state schools slowly dying off. The only ones able to compete will be those with highly specialized programs. There will essentially be three players in the game: 1) a limited number of state schools with specialized programs as I mentioned, 2) the iconic education brands such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, etc. will aggressively expand their offering of short-term programs such as certificates (offered online) to allow people to gain specialized knowledge and leverage the school’s brand on their resume (this segment will account for the biggest piece of the pie in my opinion), and 3) iconic brands that have no history in education will start offering job-specific educational programming. Think Google or Apple teaching you about AI or coding in a short-term program with direct links to jobs the program prepares you for. 

3.    Career opportunities: Certain fields will explode with opportunity (eCommerce, robotics, tech, eLearning) while others will struggle to attract adequate supply (healthcare, entertainment, small business). This will obviously impact education as well. We’ll see more people established in their careers diving into short-term education/training programs to expand their skill sets and more young people rethinking their field of study.  

4.    Location: You’ll no longer be required to live where you work (unless of course you work in a front-line role, which you’re probably rethinking already). Your job search just got much broader. With an internet connection and Zoom, you’ll be able to contribute. Companies will start selling off office buildings and reducing their physical foot prints.  

5.    Time: Work will no longer dominate your entire day. If you’re efficient, your 8 hr day may be able to be accomplished in much less time. You’ll still be at the mercy of Zoom call times but those who typically plow through their work quicker will have more time for the rest of life not sitting in a cubicle trying to look busy anymore. Plus, you’re no longer spending time commuting – bonus. 

6.    Public speaking: Your ability to speak in front of a group just got much more important, albeit a virtual group. What were small office conversations or meetings are increasingly turning into large Zoom calls. Introverts be warned this isn’t going to change. The sooner you get comfortable seeing your face on camera, the better. Public speaking and presenting will become one of the most important intangible professional skills.

I encourage you to stop waiting and start thinking about how you’re going to own your future.

Ditch Your Resume! Use This in Your Next Interview Instead

If you go into your next interview (be it in person or on Zoom), with just a resume, you’ll be outplayed by someone who is better prepared. Check out the quick clip below to get a feel for what I’m talking about. If you want more, listen to the full episode from my discussion with Chris Villaneuva on his Career Warrior Podcast to get all the details. Note for Zoom interviews, obviously this would be a virtual portfolio (i.e. a pdf file with a few documents that you email to the interviewer).

How to Get the Highest Job Offer Possible

The best part of the job search process is the offer negotiation. That means you’ve made it through the interview gauntlet, you’re the chosen one, and you’ve received the offer. It’s one of the best feelings.

I have a full section in my book, Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want, on negotiating a job offer, but for now, here are 5 things you can do to get the highest offer possible:

1.    During the interview process when asked what your salary expectations are, reply by asking what the hiring pay range is for the position. If the interviewer presses you, make sure you’ve done your research on what the position should pay. Use payscale.com or glassdoor.com. If your experience justifies it then set your expectations at the high end of the range. Give an actual number, not a range. Giving a range just tells them you’ll accept the lower end of the range. 

2.    Don’t accept the position over the phone. Be grateful and gracious as you listen to the offer. Thank them for it, tell them you’re excited about the position, and ask them to email you the details. If you accept immediately over the phone, you lose any leverage you might have had. Keep in mind, they have screened and interviewed many candidates and they want YOU.

3.    When you review the offer, consider all components– base pay, any commissions, any bonuses, the benefits package including health insurance and vacation, any relocation allowance (if applicable), any training or education allowance, and any retirement contribution matching or pension. Many components of the offer are negotiable. Even the job title may be negotiable. 

4.    Don’t negotiate all aspects of the offer at once. Focus first on the base salary. For example, if you know based on your research on payscale.com that the position should pay between $70-80K and your offer is a base salary of $72K, focus first on negotiating the base pay. Without having all the details on a specific situation or candidate, I’d counter at the top of the range (as long as your experience justifies it). The employer will likely counter back. I’d be willing to counter again one last time unless the employer says that’s the final offer, at which time I’d negotiate the other aspects of the offer such as a signing bonus, which typically isn’t included in most offers.

5.    They’re expecting you to negotiate. Realize that as long as you’re professional, polite, and excited about the opportunity, negotiating isn’t going to hurt you. Also realize how you represent yourself during the negotiation is an indication of how you’ll represent the company. Be confident but not arrogant. Be flexible but don’t be a pushover. They’ve already decided they want you. Now let’s get you the highest offer possible!

We Need to Talk About Money and How You Can Make More

Have you ever truly thought about why money has been a taboo subject in the world of work? The simple answer is if everyone talked about it, it would likely lead to many employees realizing they’re underpaid.  That would be a big problem for companies. I’m determined to change how my clients, students, and readers handle the topic of compensation.  To do that, let’s go back …

When you were a kid did anyone ever do career goal setting with you that involved setting targets around your income? I doubt it. Well it’s time we talk about it. It’s time we talk about money. I’m tired of people selling themselves short. 

Most of us were raised with money being a taboo subject.  It was ingrained in us that asking someone how much money they make was rude. I remember many times being very curious about what different jobs paid or what people I knew made but it never felt appropriate to ask. Looking back now, that was ridiculous. Let’s get over this please!

Imagine if we truly taught young people the lifestyle differences that come with different income levels. Imagine if we discussed different professions through the lens of not only enjoying that type of work, but it also being something that could sustain a good lifestyle. Imagine if we chose career paths with our eyes wide open knowing the likely financial impact of our choices? For me, the money problem starts there. We don’t truly educate people (starting at childhood) on how different incomes levels impact your entire life.

Fast-forward to the working world. No matter what profession you find yourself in, the taboo nature of money is perpetuated by discussions about compensation with coworkers being highly frowned upon. I remember being strictly told not to talk to coworkers about compensation in my 20s. It was as if the company had some power over my ability to openly communicate.  They didn’t but I believed they did. That was nuts.  

Thankfully websites like payscale.com and glassdoor.com have made it possible to find out what certain jobs ‘should’ pay but we can do better than just relying on third party data. 

The more we open up the conversation about money, what certain positions pay, how raise structures work, and the like, the more we all elevate. 

So what can you do to make more money? 3 things:

1.    Do your research on what your current position or the position your interviewing for should pay. Payscale.com or glassdoor.com are great, free sites. 

2.    Politely ask people in the type of position you have or are trying to get what someone typically gets paid in that role. They may volunteer their exact pay or may give you a range. Either way, that information is power. I’d probably make some small talk first before hitting them with the money question but as long as you’re polite and give them the ‘out’ of generalizing a typical range then you’ll be fine. 

3.    Negotiate. Don’t accept the first offer or first raise you’re given. As long as you’re gracious and can back up your counter offer with a) how your experience and b) how similar roles justify a higher pay then you will be respected and likely rewarded for your negotiation skills. 

Want to talk about money with me? I regularly help people negotiate their offers on their way into companies and their raises once they’re in. I’m happy to jump on a quick call wiith you and offer advice on your specific situation. If you want help, send me a note. My email is merryn@madetohire.com.  

5 Things You Can Do Now to Help Your Career

Times are tough out there but there are things you can do today to help your career whether you’re looking for a job now or will be in the future. Take 3 mins and see which of these could be a game-changer for your career:

#1. Maximize your LinkedIn profile. Check out my blog for these articles specific to LinkedIn. With a few easy updates, your profile will get much more attention!

What Makes Someone Stop and Actually Review Your LinkedIn Profile (with Shelly Elsliger)

How to Optimize Your LinkedIn So Recruiters Find You

5 Things You Must Do Online

5 Ways to Get Noticed By a Recruiter (with Liz McBride and Jeff Barker)

#2. Network. Build a target list of companies and people you’re interested in. Be brave and start reaching out to them on LinkedIn. Politely asking someone for 5 mins via phone to ask them a few questions is tough to say no to. Where people go wrong is in over-asking (i.e. 30 mins is too long!).

#3. Pitch free project work to someone you think you can learn from. Be sure to serve up project ideas to them instead of asking them to come up with the ideas.

#4. Fill in some of your skill gaps. Udemy is a great online course platform where you can spend about $10 and learn just about any skill from coding to excel to public speaking and more.

#5. Work on your interview portfolio. You’ll need much more than just a basic resume to stand out in your next interview. Check out my book, "Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want,” for details on documents you can create that’ll knock any interviewers socks off!

Why Most Job Seekers Will Spend the Rest of 2020 Not Getting Hired

Yes, there’s a global pandemic and times are tough. We all get that but there are still plenty of open jobs on the market. Last month alone the U.S. economy added almost 5 million jobs. So why will most job seekers be unsuccessful at getting hired this year? It’s because their approach sucks.

Most job seekers think it’s a game of numbers. They believe if they submit enough applications online they’ll eventually get lucky. The biggest mistake job seekers make is thinking that ONLY applying online will get them hired. I liken that approach to playing darts with your eyes closed and thinking you’ll hit the bullseye. I tell my clients if all they plan to do is submit their resume online they might as well throw it in the trash. That just isn’t enough. Someone will out play you and it will be easy for them to do so if applying online is your only move.

So how do you not be one of those unsuccessful job seekers? My answers is follow these 5 steps:

I go into detail on the 5 steps in my book but the short version is:

1. Build Your Brand: a) Get clear on what your career goal is, b) learn how to tell your own story well, and c) make a great first impression.

2. Leverage Your Network: Reach out to someone who is actually connected to the position you’re interested in to help get your resume in the right pile. Perhaps that’s someone already in your network. If not, use LinkedIn to figure it out.

3. Create Your Portfolio: You need much more than just a standard resume to stand out in the interview process. In my book, I talk about several tools to include in your interview portfolio such as a 30-60-90 day plan, work samples, and letters of recommendations.

4. Submit Your Application: This is the easy part!

5. Ace The Interview: There are a several things you should do before, during, and after the interview to maximize your odds of getting the offer. A few examples include: a) before: research the people who will be interviewing you, b) during: know how to use your portfolio during the interview, and c) after: send prompt thank you emails.

You can absolutely be the person who gets the offer but realize that you’ll be up against people who will be doing many or all of things above. You’ll need to up your game to give yourself the best chance possible. For more advice on each of the steps above to help you get hired, check out my book. It’s on sale on Amazon for $15.

The One Career-Related Skill You Need to Crush

I can talk for days about how to create a killer resume and teach you all about how to ace an interview but if you can’t do this one thing, you will sink your own ship.

The one thing you need to know how to crush is how to tell your own story. It sounds simple but most people are pretty terrible at it. For most of us, it feels like there are so many different ways to potentially piece together our own story and it just gets jumbled.

The video below is from my online course and it teaches you exactly how to craft an engaging and effective story about yourself to help you nail first impressions and do your best with the often dreaded interview question, "So tell me about yourself?".

You Fall Into At Least 1 of These 4 Categories: How to Cope with the Year Ahead

I’m an optimist but also a realist. As a working mom (University Instructor, Career Coach, and Marketing Consultant), I've come to terms with this new reality. It has been a tough pill to swallow but I don’t think our current reality changes much until late 2021 so I wanted to share a few thoughts on how to cope with the year ahead based on the questions I've been getting:

1. If you have a stable job, be grateful and overdeliver. Now is not the time to rock the boat. Many companies will be forced to eliminate positions in the coming months. Work to make sure yours is not one of them. Check in with your boss about your performance and anything you can do better. Be very open to constructive feedback.

2. If you're unemployed and looking for a new job, you better be uber-prepared because the competition is greater than it ever has been. You can make it happen but bring your absolute A-game to the job search and interview process. My blog and book have lots of advice on how to do this.

3. If you're a student, embrace it. It's a great time to be in school with how unstable the economy is. Yes, Zoom is a tough way to learn and tuition feels too high for what you’re getting, but make the most of it. Try to schedule 1-on-1 time with your teacher to build more of a relationship and turn them into an advocate for you. And even though internships are tough to come by, think about pitching people on free, remote project work to help build your resume.

4. If you're a working parent with kids at home, it's time to really think about what the next school year looks like and how you're going to cope. I see no way that kids are back in school this fall in most of the United States despite what many schools are currently saying. A secondary economy is quickly developing of trained teachers working as nannies. If this is something you can afford, I would consider it sooner rather than later. Supply vs. demand will become a problem and companies will be less lenient about working parents also caring for children while ‘working at home’. Care.com is a great resource for finding childcare options.

I’m not an economist, scientist, or doctor, but I am at the same intersection as most of you - trying to juggle sanity, work, family, and everything in between. We can do this. It just looks different than we ever imagined. I’m here if I can help you.

90% of People Need to Stop Scrolling LinkedIn Until They Do This

Would you go on a date without taking a shower? Or go to an interview without bringing your resume? Or ask your boss for a raise without believing you had done great work? If you answered NO to any of these (and I hope you answered NO to all of them by the way), then you should check yourself on how you’re showing up on LinkedIn.

We all know LinkedIn is THE place for virtual networking, job searching, and much more. Every time I sign on and look at profiles, I’m confused by how many people are on here and they frankly aren’t ready. I’d guess 90% of the profiles I look are not putting their best foot forward. LinkedIn is your own virtual career billboard so why would you bring anything less than an impressive display to your profile before you’re active on the site?

It is SO easy to make subtle changes to your profile that will make you stand out for the right reasons. And with the world rather upside down right now, this is the perfect time to up your LinkedIn game.

If you want to impress people when they land on your profile, there are four things you can do to make a great virtual first impression:

1. Have a great headshot. Be yourself but make it professional. Consider the background behind your head - keep it simple. Be aware of your facial expression not being overly enthusiastic or overly serious.

2. Insert a background picture behind your headshot to tell more of a story about yourself. Click the pencil icon that allows you to edit your profile. From there click the pencil icon that sits on the wide image space.  Most people have the default blue filler image from LinkedIn.  It’s best to personalize this with an image of one of your professional passions. You can pull an image off Google. Browse through your network to get inspiration for this. Canva.com is a great tool to use to create the background image within the LinkedIn template. Be sure to view your profile on desktop and mobile so you choose an image that works well for both. 

3. Use a strong headline. Your headline appears below your name in your profile. What you write there greatly affects how you show up in search results. Instead of saying, for example, ‘Marketing Coordinator,’ you could say, ‘Marketing Coordinator. Consumer-Focused, Brand-Builder, Digital Marketing Expert.’ You have 120 spaces for your headline so use them to your advantage. You are more than just your current job title.

4. Write an impactful ‘About’ section. This is the first section below your headline. Many people neglect to write anything there, which is a huge missed opportunity to tell your story and plug in keywords. This section should give a strong overview of your expertise and experience (years, industries, functional areas) as well as what you’re looking for. Here’s an example for a job seeker in her 20s:

   - Former Division 1 collegiate athlete with 4 years of experience in basketball marketing and ticket sales. Expertise in project management, marketing planning, and social media buying in the sports and entertainment industries. Seeking a challenging marketing position in a major league headquarters location or team office.-

   Those three sentences pack a big punch. Yes, you can include additional info in your ‘About’ section but there’s no need to overdo it - remember you’ll have your work experience detailed lower down in the your LinkedIn profile. The ‘About’ section is a hook, like the other three things above, to get a recruiter, hiring manager, or someone else you want to network with to want to learn more about you.

Keep in mind, those are just four quick ways to improve your profile, there are many more. Get more ideas on how to up your Linkedin game from some of my other recent blog posts:

What Makes Someone Stop and Actually Review Your LinkedIn Profile

How to Optimize Your LinkedIn so Recruiters Find You

5 Things You Must Do Online

And If you want more career advice, check out my book or online course (it’s on sale for $12.99 by the way! Reg. $49.99.)

The New Normal for Working Parents?

It's my fifth year teaching Marketing Strategy at the University of Oregon but my first year teaching it from my home office. I, like so many working parents, are doing our best to survive and thrive as we navigate this new normal. The video below gives you a glimpse at what so many of us are doing.

My weekly Marketing class is 3 hours long and for 2 minutes during last night’s class, my kids joined. On the one side, my kids were super curious about why I’m teaching from home and on the other side, I think it’s important to show my students that I’m a real person too.

I’ve worked in business for 20 years and there has always been an immense amount of pressure on people, whether they’re parents or not, to separate work and life. It’s one of the topics I’ve really struggled with being a foreigner living and working in the US as the pressure to perform and not show the rest of your life feels greater here than in most countries. We say we prioritize family but unless you’re an entrepreneur, the struggle is real and the priorities feel like they compete each and every day, especially these days. Even as an entrepreneur, this is still tough.

One thing I’m truly feeling from the experience we’re all having with Covid-19 is that there is and should be a much greater human element to our work. We all have families, hobbies, struggles, etc and it’s okay, and even positive, to share some of those. Those are the things that make us all real, make us relatable, make us human.

I hope we collectively find that by this forced overlap of work and life, we embrace that the overlap can be a good thing. Although I certainly couldn’t have run my full 3 hour class with my kids in the room, I was proud to show my kids all the faces on the screen who are keen to learn what I know about marketing and I was just as proud to show my students that there’s more to me than my resume.

There will be many ways we are changed by this pandemic. I hope this will be one of them.

Keep doing what you’re doing. You are not alone.

How You Can Help Your Career This Month

Although I know there are ways that COVID-19 will change some things for the long term, I'm certain this will pass and we will all stop worrying so much about loved ones, health, money, and all the other little things that seem to have become very big things lately.⁣
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If you have just graduated college, are approaching graduation, or are currently unemployed, there are things YOU CAN DO now to help your employability once things settle down. Below is the advice I shared with my recent graduating class at the University of Oregon. Hopefully it will help you in the days and weeks ahead. ⁣
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1) Make sure your LinkedIn profile is incredible. See my blog articles for advice: ‘What Makes Someone Stop and Actually Review Your LinkedIn Profile?’, ‘How to Optimize Your LinkedIn So Recruiters Find You,’ and ‘5 Things You Must Do Online.’

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2) Build a portfolio that will knock employer’s socks off when you take it to an interview. See my book for a step-by-step guide to the perfect portfolio.
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3) Network. Now is a unique time to network because senior people who normally have no time, likely have extra time. Be very polite, professional, and empathetic about what you write, but if there is someone you are keen to network with, try sending them a note on LinkedIn and see if they’d be willing to spare 5 mins over the phone to answer a few of your questions. It’s a start. You can build from there.⁣
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4) Continue to hone your skills. There are tons of really great online courses available on Udemy.com for $10. It’s a great time to fill a skillset gap and feel productive.⁣

5) Offer to develop someone else’s skills virtually. If you have a skillset that would benefit others, now is the perfect time to share your talents. I’ve seen so much inspirational content come out the past few weeks on social media. If you can positively contribute to this, consider doing it. ⁣

We will get through this - just don’t give up on your career goals in the meantime. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if I can help you.

What's Your Dream?

When I was 13, I had a dream to one day write a book. Now my goal is to help other people make their career dreams a reality. 

In my book, “Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want,” I share how you can use my proven methods to get noticed, get hired, make more money, and reach your career goals faster.

Learn more here. 

A Brilliant Way to Land Your Next Job

Is it feeling impossible to get into your dream company? Or ANY company for that matter? I feel you! The job market is insanely competitive. I have an approach that will help set you apart. It’s how I got into Nike in my 20s.

It’s called project work. 

What is project work? It’s a project you do for someone in a company you want to work for that helps that person perform better in their job. It’s a great way to build a relationship with someone in a company you’re targeting and an effective way to prove your skillset. Not to mention this approach can be highly effective at positioning you at the front of the line when an appropriate position opens up in the company. 

The easiest type of project work to get is work you can do remotely and independently. Any sort of market research, in person research or online research, is doable and can deliver great value to your contact. Possible ideas include industry trends, competitor activity, or best practices. 

For example, let’s say you want to work in consumer electronics, your target is Sony, and you know someone who works there or found someone on LinkedIn. My philosophy is you need to make it difficult for people to say no. There’s a way to handle this situation that makes it much more likely for you to get a yes and this is how:

•      Introduce yourself. Be polite, professional, and brief. Tell them a bit about your background and let them know you’d love to do a project for them. 

•      You suggest project ideas. Don’t ask them if you can do a project for them and make them come up with the idea. That sounds like work for them and that approach will likely put them off. If you want to do project work for someone, you need to go to them with a few ideas. Even if they don’t love any of the ideas, it shows initiative and if they like you and want the help, they can suggest a different idea.

•      You do the work for free. Yes, for free. You need the relationship and the opportunity more than they need you. Getting the project on your resume and further building the relationship is your payment.

•      You work remotely and independently. There isn’t a desk for you, and they don’t want to have to worry about you or this project. All you need is to clearly agree on what the project is then I suggest a short mid-point check-in via phone or in-person (whatever your contact prefers), and then I’d ask for the chance to present your work to them at the end.

If you do great work, you’ll be on the company’s radar and your odds are much higher of being considered the next time a position opens up. And if the project goes well and you enjoyed it, you can always suggest an extension to allow you to do another project. Side note: if it were me, I’d cap free project work at 6 months before asking if it’s possible to receive any compensation. At that point, they’re clearly seeing value in the work you’re doing so it’s a fair question.

Want more career advice, check out my book or my online course. Both are on sale for under $15!

Want to see what an incredible personal story looks like?

One of my favorite things to do is help people transform how they tell their own stories. It’s amazing how improving that skill will change your success in interviews, not to mention in other professional and personal situations.

In my book, I teach the four keys to a great personal story: 1) be authentic and memorable, 2) use compelling content, 3) know your audience, and 4) chose the appropriate length.

Take 60 seconds and watch this clip to see a fantastic example from Ying-Ying Lu.

Notice how she perfectly does the four things I outlined above. She comes across as authentic, knowledgeable, and experienced. She knows her audience is the tech community in San Francisco, and she keeps it to under one minute. I’m not telling you to go make a YouTube video introduction like Ying-Ying, but you can learn a great deal from how she tells her story.

How can you tweak your story to help you reach your next career goal?

If you need help, check out my book or online course.

Who Would You Hire?

How you answer that questions says a great deal about you and your future...

Watch marketing legend (and 19x best-selling author!) Seth Godin teach my class what the answer should be.

Take 1 Minute to Learn 10 Career-Changing Lessons from my Book

I’ve spent my entire adult life building the career of my dreams and helping others do the same. Below are the 10 most important lessons you’ll learn in my book.

1.     You are a brand that needs to be carefully and strategically managed. With my background working for global brands, I will teach you, in chapters 1 and 2, how to develop your brand in order to get what you want professionally. 

2.     Your ability to tell your own story succinctly is arguably the most important personal development skill you need to master. In chapter 1, you will learn this skill.

3.     You have to dress for the career you want. This isn’t simple nor should it be followed only once in a while. It’s a must and part of how you build your brand. In chapter 2, I teach you how to do this.

4.     The first impression you make virtually is equally as important as the one you make in person. Chapters 2 and 3 give you the formula for this. 

5.     You can’t do this alone. You must develop advocates and mentors to help guide your journey. In chapter 3, I unlock how to do this.

6.     The sooner you get over your fear of public speaking, the quicker you’ll reach your potential. In chapter 4, I give you the tools to start doing it.

7.     You need to do much more than send in a resume to get hired. In chapter 5, I teach you about the other documents you should make and explain how to use them. 

8.     Most interviewers know within the first 5 minutes if they’re going to hire the candidate. In chapter 7, I share with you how to win in those 5 minutes. 

9.     Interviewing is a skill. People who get hired do something very simple - they tell their story well and carefully place the 5-10 reasons why they’re the best fit for the job into the questions they’re asked. You’ll learn how to do this in chapter 7. 

10.  Getting hired is just the beginning. You need to stand out early and often and build strong workplace relationships to get rated as high potential. In chapters 8 and 9, I give you the tools to do this.

My book is on sale now on Amazon.

Click here to check it out.

Podcast: Your Next Secret Weapon for Interviews

This week Merryn joins Chris Villanueva from Let’s Eat, Grandma in the Career Warrior podcast where they discuss the secret weapon of portfolios in job interviews:

• How could a portfolio help you set yourself apart from the competition?

• What's in a portfolio? (We cover two components in detail).

• How do you actually use it in the interview?

• How you should actually print/package the portfolio?

Conquering a Video Interview

Video interviews can be so awkward and scary, not to mention they’re becoming increasingly common, especially with large companies.

Check out my Q+A with talent acquisition expert Wendy Scott to help you ace your next video interview. Wendy has almost a decade of experience in talent acquisition with the bulk of her time spent at Tesla and at Nike. She’s now a Recruiting Manager at Binc, which places technology industry talent at companies like Dropbox, Samsung, and Airbnb to name a few.

Merryn: Companies seem to be doing more pre-recorded interviews. What are your top tips for how to best handle this type of interview?

Wendy: Pre-recorded interviews are typically used in high volume situations where you have a large funnel of candidates you need to filter through quickly. This means you need to sell yourself immediately (or they may stop watching you and move onto the next person). You want to show in the first minute that you are professional, excited about the opportunity, and knowledgeable about the company or role you are going for. Beyond that, the most important thing is to be yourself and think about ways you can set yourself apart from others going through the same process.

Merryn: What do you think is the best setting for a video interview?

Wendy: It really doesn't matter where you are so long as the background isn't distracting to the viewer. A simple office or conference room would be ideal. I would also make sure your video isn't moving (the camera should be on a stationed laptop vs a phone in your hand). It should also be quiet so the only thing heard is you talking. For example, if you have kids at home, I would make sure they are napping or at school when you do the video call. If you are at a university, I would consider asking a professor if you could use their office or seeing if your department has a conference room you could rent out.

Merryn: Any advice on what to wear for a video interview?

Wendy: First and foremost, I would ask whoever sent you the video interview what you should wear. If you still aren't sure, I would wear what you would wear to an in-person interview. You have to know the culture of the company! For example, if I was interviewing at Tesla and knowing their dress code is casual, I'd still dress as if I was going down for in-person interviews (a nicer blouse, for example). If I was interviewing for a finance role at a bank where they wear suits, I would wear a suit or at least a nicer blazer. 

Merryn: Have you seen anything in a video interview that was either a huge win or a huge miss?  

Wendy: Yes! When I was at Nike, we had a candidate show his favorite pair of Nike's, and then he quickly showed another pair, and another pair. I believe he said something like "....and these! ...and these! ...and these!". He must have gone through 10 pairs and he had them strategically placed so they were easy to grab and we couldn't see them in the interview until he stood up and pulled them out. He was quick going through them, animated, humorous, and it showed his passion for the brand immediately. We loved it, especially for the area he interviewed for... marketing. He was marketing himself and it was genius. We ended up hiring him to be a Brand Manager for the Global Marketing Development Program. And on the flip side, unfortunately the majority of video interviews are not good. Candidates don't look at the camera as they are trying to read off a script or they don't read instructions clearly when prompted and are just sitting there staring at the screen confused instead of answering the question. Part of the interview is making sure you are able to read instructions and answer questions on the fly. If you aren't able, you are going to get passed on. If you’re nervous and have questions about a pre-recorded interview, ask the person who sent the interview link what to expect so you can prepare as best possible.

Merryn: Is there anything else you think people should be aware with video interviewing?

Wendy: As awkward as it can be, you have to pretend you are talking to a human (not a computer) .... it makes all the difference! Practice, practice, practice, just like you would for any interview-in-person or on video!

Want more advice to help you ace your next interview? Check out my book, Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want. It features my advice along with advice from numerous HR and recruiting experts like Wendy. If you prefer online learning, my online course, Ace the Interview, could be your secret weapon.