home »

dear headhunter columns »

career insider columns »

syndicated newspapers »

internet/on-line readership »

the buzz about George »

biography/references »

order advice/order book »

send email »

CAREER INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today, we celebrate our country’s independence. Is it possible to celebrate a personal career independence day? After much thought, the only way to have career independence is to possess enough money that a career is unnecessary.

Career independence seems to be an oxymoron, though, because even if you are self-employed and a sole practitioner, you must answer to government agencies, i.e.: licenses, taxes, etc…

The career people that come the closest to being independent are the ones that take pride in their work ethic. They understand that their true security and sense of independence is internal, not external. Their ability to produce results provides security, not their current employer. Here are a few tips to move your career towards an independent experience:

CONSERVE
Live within your means and create a plan of action for your future independence. Don’t spend next year’s pay raise today. Focus on value. When making a purchase, many times spending a little more can provide greater value, which can translate to a wiser long-term buy.

CREATE
Create a positive attitude and always strive to deliver more results than what’s expected. This generates a payback for you in the future. The saying, "What goes around, comes around" is true. It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it. Resist negative temptations.

CONTRIBUTE
Strive to give back more than you receive. Be involved with your family, your city and your community. Getting involved with a movement or charity, bigger than yourself, will energize your attitude and personality. When you donate your time or money, you will be rewarded many times over.

E-MAILS, MEMOS AND CLICHÉS

Do you notice that these days you’re talking less and typing more? Maybe you wish you had paid more attention in typing class?

Every day I communicate with human resource managers that, more and more, prefer receiving e-mails rather than voice mails. It’s easier to get a quick response by sending an e-mail.

The problem is that most of us communicate much better verbally. Verbally, you can raise or lower your tone of voice to make an impression or repeat an important idea. E-mails become a permanent record of your relationship with the other person and can be used in legal proceedings. You must be careful of what you write in your e-mails; they can be forwarded to many people and can be saved indefinitely.

If you think your correspondence is cluttered with repetition, overused expressions and/or cliché’s, check out the survey results I found in Writer’s Digest magazine.

The Plain English Campaign, a group that advocates the use of plain, understandable language for public discourse, recently polled its 6,000 members to determine the most annoying phrases in English. Here are some of its picks:

24/7
ballpark figure
bottom line
bear with me
address the issue think outside the box
between a rock and a hard place
glass half full/empty
push the envelope
move the goalposts it’s not rocket science
value-added
touch base
ongoing
literally

And the most grating cliché of all? P.E.C. members voted for "at the end of the day," "at this moment in time," "like" (as if it were a form of punctuation) and "with all due respect." You can learn more about the Plain English Campaign at www.plainenglish.co.uk

Dear reader, bear with me on this survey because my hope is that, at the end of the day, it will address the issue of the over use of clichés and, bottom line, improve your written communications. Thinking outside the box to eliminate clichés is not rocket science!


Dear Headhunter,

I am a 51-year-old woman who keeps herself in great shape. My problem is that I was a stay-at-home mom. I am trying to get back into the work force. I am gifted when it comes to designing one’s furnishings in their home. I also have a gift when it comes to giving someone that special style to improve their look. My biggest problem, I have no degrees, and I need the finances now to get by. How can I convince a company to hire me?

Hope to hear from you soon,

Bella

Dear Bella,

Re-entering the job market can be problematic at any age. The bad news is that your age and lack of education can work against you. The good news is there are many job openings that may fit your job search. The best place to start your new career is in sales. Many entry-level sales positions do not require a degree and will hire a person based on a good image and high energy level. You stated your image is great, so apply to retail sales companies. Apply only in-person to home furnishings and furniture stores - that’s where you have natural abilities. Your income will be modest to start, but you will gain the experience you need and just as important, you will network with people in the home decorating industry and that may lead to consulting or the interior design job you really want.

PLEASE NOTE: emails received become the property of "Dear Headhunter" and may be published unless otherwise requested. Questions may be edited for content and length. All questions will be reviewed, some without a reply.

George Gurney has been a leader in the employment industry since 1976. He founded an executive search firm that conducts domestic and international assignments.  He has won numerous awards for recruiting excellence.  He has been a guest speaker at national conventions and seminars.