Attached is the deck I presented.   The topic we discussed was about building a professional presence or brand before you start networking so that when you network you are coming from a place of authority.  I hope you find it useful!

I also welcome anyone who is interested in hearing it via conference call and shared desktop to join me Thursday, February 28th at noon EST when I will be offering you a chance to join the conversation virtually.

As soon as the conference call is booked it will be listed on our events page.  Anyone who would like to attend can also email Julie Skorny at jskorny@mgdservices.com and she will include you on the call.

Flexing your influence to find a job

Cheers,

g

Here is a copy of the presentation that I will be covering.

Overcoming your worst Job Search Enemy

I look forward to ‘seeing’ you online!

~Gretchen

Be Safe and as always call with any job hunting questions you may have!

~Gretchen

Hurricane Sandy and Business/Job Search follow-ups

by Ken Lang

I hope everyone has stayed safe as many of us deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the possibility of another storm this week.

Many job seekers, recruiters and business contacts I know are still without power, or if the power’s back on, they’re inundated with follow-ups and hundreds of emails and phone messages. Patience is a virtue to be considered – and time may be needed to get back to a sense of normalcy. Realize that what you’re going through may also be the case with companies and small business owners who may just now be settling back in and looking at a week’s worth of catch-up.

While I was fortunate to not have lost power, I did lose Internet access from home so my local WiFi spot of choice became a Dunkin Donuts. When I had the time to go, like hundreds of others in my situation or in a much worse one (no power), I found myself inundated with emails and voicemails which included potential jobs from recruiters. I actually checked and responded to emails while waiting in a gas line – as I told my son ‘on line’ meant something a lot different to those of us who remember the 1970s gas lines.

I also wondered how to balance the urgency of follow-ups against respecting what others might be going through so I asked my colleagues for their thoughts which I wanted to share in a job support group I facilitate.

They told me that if you’re expecting further communication from a recruiter, you may be waiting a bit. If you a phone number call it, and see if the call goes through. You may want to go through your e-mail and voice mail and discard or file away more messages than you normally do, so you can focus on those that are job search related.

One person told me they also took advantage of several places that were open and were making WiFi access available to all (town library, church, etc.) and that person, like me, took advantage of every available minute to surf and clean up e-mails.

No matter what your specific situation – whether you have power or not, the best advice I can offer now is this – send a mass email to candidates, recruiters, business contacts and clients alerting them to your situation. Think of your email as an ‘Out of Office email’ but make it personal to your situation. Let your contacts know that you haven’t forgotten about them and will be in touch as soon as you can.

Meantime, if your area has a volunteer group assisting those in need, seek them out on Facebook or by asking people you know.

Bottom line – people are more than willing to accommodate special circumstances as long as they are made aware of them. As for the fallout from Sandy, we’ll probably have to develop a whole new definition for the term “special circumstances,” won’t we?

I’m happy to offer advice and guidance to anyone who needs some support.

Stay safe everyone,

Kenneth Lang

www.linkedin.com/in/langk

On-line site availability exceeds the 10,000 warning letters mark

At the end of 2010, an analysis was made of the warning letters available on the FDA FOIA website.  At the time, my post made an analogy to the pursuit of 3,000 hits by Derek Jeter of the NY Yankees.  Would the FDA FOIA site post the 2000^th warning letter before Jeter reached hit number 3000?

Prior post: http://mgdservices.com/2010/12/14/fda-warning-letters-headed-to-the-cloud/

Since Derek (along with the Yankees) is now out for the season, it seemed a good time to recheck “the statistics.”  The result was “No Contest!”  While Jeter had 3,304 hits when his post-season ended, the FDA FOIA team has been “pounding them out” with a tally of 10,096 now available by mid-October 2012.  Figure 1 below updates the prior post.

Figure 1:  Totals reported for all FDA Centers (01 OCT 2003 thru 30 SEP 2011)

THE NUMBERS

The FDA site posted its 10,000^th letter within the last two months of this post – probably on 20 AUG 2012.  Compare that to less than 1600 in DEC 2010.  The number of letters available has increased by more than 550% and represents nearly 90 percent of all warning letters issued from FDA FY 1997 thru FY 2011.  The Summary Table below updates the numbers posted versus issued during that 15 year period, which closed 30 SEP 2011.  The numbers exclude the letters related to the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP).

CONTEXT

The following items are useful to place these numbers in perspective:

• The FDA FOIA website currently provides on-line access to Warning Letters that were dated on or after NOV 1996.  http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/default.htm
• The total number of warning letters reported issued for this period is over 12,000.
• The large spike in the chart above (Figure 1) for 2011 reflects the number of letters issued under the new enforcement program for tobacco.  Of those 1,720 letters, the CTP program (both Center and State activities) totaled 1040 – therefore the ‘traditional type’ of warning letters issued for 2011 totaled 680.
• An additional 340 CTP letters were subtracted from the total issued to reach the figure of 10669

NOTE 1:  The Summary Table above is based on an extract taken on 16 OCT 2012 and represents that point in time only.   The extract does not include the CTP letters and adjusts the FDA total letters issued (1997-2011) to control for those numbers.

NOTE 2:  The ‘untitled letters’ formerly issued by DDMAC – now the Office of Prescription Drug Products (OPDP) – are no longer included on this site and therefore not in the totals.  They are maintained separately by CDER.

NOTE 3:  The total for FY 1996 is not included in the totals since there are no letters currently posted.  It is included for reference purposes. 

 THE ‘STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE’

Not every warning letter is currently available on line and if there is one you have a special and urgent need for, it may well be one of the ’12 percent’ that are missing.  As in sports, some years are better than others for results.  Compare 1997 to 2002, for example. Equally important is that the bulk of all letters do not relate to the cGMPs for Drugs, Biologics or Devices.  The letters from CFSAN are the most common – not a surprise since this is “The FOOD and Drug Administration.”

As every set of facts raises new questions, this set does as well.  There are more letters posted on the FOIA site for FY 2001 and 2003 than FDA enforcement statistics have reported issuing. Those extra letters skew the averages but as Mark Twain once said – “Facts are stubborn things.  Statistics are much more pliable.”  (Even “an .850 batting average” for the repository would still be worth a trip to Cooperstown, don’t you think?)

These numbers do not include the Closeout Letters which are also available and represent additional effort by the FOIA web resources.  In addition, OPDP (formerly DDMAC) ‘untitled letters’ as well as the CBER ‘administrative action’ letters are located elsewhere.

The purpose of this post is to alert you to the resources that are currently available and to acknowledge a significant shift of effort by the FDA to make ‘public records public.’ If you have not searched for these letters recently, be advised that the bulk of them are now available in html rather than the PDF format that was used in the past. (Consider the effort involved in that shift which has made them compliant with theADAaccessibility mandates.)  These resources are worth a look if there is an item you need to find or there is a question you need to research.

Sources: The underlying data is available on the FDA website ( www.fda.gov ) or on request from John English, HCCP at John.T.English@prodigy.net.

Simple right?  Believe it or not, it’s rarely simple for hiring managers.   When we talk to hiring managers who are looking to replace a bad hire we find that the leading reason the wrong person was hired was because the wrong person for the role had been interviewed in the first place.

Hiring managers can struggle to clearly define what they truly need in a new hire.  What they often ask for – in a job description is almost NEVER what they are ultimately looking for when we sit down and hash out the role.   Sometimes this is caused by an outdated job description that has been pulled out of the archives and which wasn’t carefully reviewed before being used.  Sometimes it’s because the only job band that fits their budget has no matching skillset.  Or it may be that two roles are being combined.  Obviously if any of these scenarios are true hiring great employees is going to be tremendously difficult.

The good news is that getting the horse before the cart can be done with research and visionary thinking.  Start by asking why you are looking to bring on a new employee.  Is it because an existing person is leaving or because you have created a new role?  Next evaluate the strengths of the existing team members.  Can you redistribute work load among existing members and/or promote from within  – thus creating an entirely new role that will enhance the department and promote corporate growth?  Always consider your options.  Is it possible that the immediate responsibilities are different than what the long term needs for the position will be?  If this is the case.  Why hire a full time person that fits right now but might not be able to do the job down the road?  In this case consider hiring a contractor for the short term who may or may not flex into the long term position.

Finally it is sometimes useful to seek an outside opinion.  Hashing out your hiring needs with a trusted advisor – a superior, an HR partner, or Staffing partner – can also be  beneficial.  The goal is not to cut headcount at the cost of productivity but to evaluate what, as the Inc. article promoted, you are truly looking for in the perfect hire.  Once the job description is clearly defined, then you can work on interviewing techniques that will allow you to qualify ideal candidates for the role.

~gretchen

I hope you enjoy it and I hope it makes you think about what you are doing in terms of sharing your expertise.

Cheers,

~Gretchen

I recently watched a video by Dr. Brene’ Brown on TedxHouston. Dr. Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent a decade studying a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness. Her research embodies the idea of how to be capable of engaging ourselves from a place of authenticity and worthiness. Her research indicates that we are all hard-wired to be connected to one another. It also proves that in order to succeed at almost anything that matters in life, we need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.

Isn’t it nice to know that our desire to help our connections is ingrained? It gets better. The very people we willingly champion want to reciprocate. So let’s let them. Make it easy by clearly stating what is needed. “I’m looking for a new job. This is what I do. Please keep me in mind if you hear of anything.”

Now about that vulnerable part: letting the world know that we need help is to be in a very vulnerable position indeed. The truth is, everyone has been vulnerable and everyone has failed. Failing is a part of the game that is life. Dr. Brown discusses leaning into the discomfort of this feeling and getting on with whatever it is you need to accomplish.

JK Rowling has admitted that before her Harry Potter books succeeded, she felt suicidal. (Suddenly just feeling vulnerable doesn’t feel so bad does it?) But Rowling didn’t quit. She did what she needed to do to get her books published. She allowed herself to be vulnerable and she accepted the possibility of failure. She was rewarded handsomely. Imagine if Rowling hadn’t persisted. We’re talking about 400 million books sold, countless licensing deals, and being I believe the second richest woman in the UK after the Queen. Isn’t it hard to imagine that this happened to someone on the brink of suicide?

Failing is trying. Without trying we never have a shot at succeeding. The quicker we can deal with failure, the quicker we are ready for success. Each failure is a building block to success. Some people cannot deal with failure, so they never try anything. The result: nothing. Nothing can happen without action. Life is all about action, and taking risks.

How do we go about designing a job search strategy that is authentic and will allow us to feel a sense of worthiness throughout the process? A friend of mine puts it bluntly. He says we simply need to ‘flip a switch.’ He means that it is within our power to feel differently about our situation. Gabby Bernstein, a bestselling author, says that a miracle is merely a shift in perception.

Wouldn’t you rather think about your job search as an opportunity to find a position that is both personally and financially rewarding, than something you will endure in order to stay out of the poor house?

What does it take to flip that switch and begin to be excited about prospecting for that next career adventure? The biggest part of the job search process is the preparation. After that, it’s a matter of good record keeping and a time table for following up and knowing when to let go and move on. Concentrate on your worth. Your responsibility is to prepare and be able to articulate why you are amazing at what you do. Your job is to tell your story, your worthiness, with grace and confidence in any situation, fitting your delivery to the audience.

Start with some broad based questions.

What are my skills, interests etc…

What is my pay scale?

What positions am I seeking?

What are my career goals?

Now the heavy lifting “About Brand You”

Consider these questions before you launch your job search campaign.

Can you recite your five best skills / competencies?

Can you recite your three character traits, unique and distinct to you?

Can you recite your one or two flaws that are genuine but won’t destroy your chances of being employed?

Can you deliver three compelling reasons why an employer should pick you over another candidate?

Can you state with clarity the type of positions you’re exploring that align with your brand?

Can you communicate the essence of your brand in 20 to 30 seconds?

Can you provide direct evidence of your top three achievements last year?

Can you name three distinct strategies for how you will find employment?

Can you persuade a savvy Hiring Manager why you ‘stand out’?

Can you speak convincingly about your brand and the value it can add to your target organization’s mission, vision, and goals?

Develop a list of potential employers for whom you want to work. Build your network to include those companies. Log all activities.

Steps in the Job Search Process

Research a position. Before applying blindly, can you network your way into an interview?

Apply for the position. Either through traditional means or through networking.

Wait 24 hours. Follow up via email.

Wait 24 hours. Follow up via phone. Scared? Leave a message after hours. If using this approach follow up again within 24 hours.

No response. Note your efforts and close that file.

Your research will pay off. You will be invited in for an interview. On the day of the Interview consider your approach. You must prioritize, plan and prepare. Don’t arrive too early. Wait somewhere outside (your car or a coffee shop) if you’re more than ten minutes early. Do not bring your cell phone. Dress appropriately – which means if it’s a flip flops and shorts place, wear neat jeans and a collared shirt. You will be judged. Accept this and ignore it. Even on something as simple as how you dress. Why? Because they are trying to picture you working with them day in and day out. Make it easy for them to do this.

After the interview email a quick note the next morning with two salient reasons why you are an exceptional fit. On the same day send a hand written card, in this be more general, thank them for the interview and reiterate your interest in the company and the position. No word? One week later, call and ask for an update. If you get positive feedback, ask when you can follow up again. If you don’t, ask if it makes sense to stay in touch for future opportunities. Notate everything and move on. Never stop your process, even if you have been told you have the job. Wait for the written offer. Always keep that job search pipeline flowing until you have been completely vetted by the company.

 Gretchen Gunn is a Principal of MGD Services Inc., a certified woman-owned staffing firm.  She offers almost two decades of looking for jobs for her clients.  Gunn also runs Wired4Hire, a networking group.  The primary focus of the group is to offer a forum where people looking for employment, or ways to grow their business, can come together to ask for support and in the spirit of networking see how they can support others in their quest for employment or expanded revenue in their business.

Networking means that someone is willing to vouch for you.  They are willing do to this based on all the other work you have been doing to gain employment.  Networking works when you know what to ask for and when.  Here are three simple guidelines that will help get you started.   

1. People want to help.  Make it easy by asking for something simple which does not push them outside of their comfort zone.
2. Be clear about what you need.  “Could you forward my resume to your friend?”
3. Be authentic, but not desperate.   “I’m looking for employment at XYZ  company.  If you know of anyone there could you connect us?”

Are you still not comfortable asking for help?  I understand.  The following two stories of how networking helped two individuals find employment in the most unlikely ways will help.

I own a staffing agency and I also mentor a job career alliance program called Wired4Hire which meets once a month at two local libraries.  Every month I meet and speak with talented and ambitious individuals who share a common goal: gaining employment.  We discuss how to best use tools such as social media in order to have an online resume and build a personal value proposition.   Rarely am I speaking with strangers.  I am often helping former clients who are now looking for employment after they have been caught up in a corporate restructure.  I am sometimes even working with family.  My mother has been a member of Wired4Hire. 

This mouth we celebrated two members of Wired 4Hire who landed gainful employment through their networking efforts.   Mom, who has her PHD and more than 30 years as an orthopedic operating room registered nurse, has landed a new nursing position in an operating room after eight years out of the field.  Networking was the final push that helped her to land. 

She had applied online and had completed her LinkedIn profile.  She had engaged search agencies who specialized in nursing.  She had even gone in person to the Hospital that was hiring and handed her resume to someone in the Human Resources department.   Then one day when she had stopped by to see me she was speaking to one of our recruiters about her frustration.  She learned that this recruiter had a friend at the hospital who was an operating room nurse.  Mom asked for a favor.  Could the recruiter email her resume to her friend?   The recruiter was happy to and within 24 hours my mother had received a phone call and on that same phone call a job offer! The networked referral made the ultimate difference, but it was all her previous work that made her a ‘known entity’ with the caller and got her the position.   She starts the first week of April. 

The other networking example happened in a less traditional networking setting.  Another Wired4Hire member made a connection that led to a job offer when his septic tank was being cleaned.  He was outside with the service man making small talk when the service man asked him what he did for a living.  He replied that he was searching for employment and had just heard about a great opening at a local corporation.  The septic cleaner’s brother worked at the same company!          He made a call which lead to an interview and a job offer.  

Happy Networking!  The next Wired4Hire meeting takes place on March 27th at 7pm at the Flemington NJ Library.  For more information go to: http://bit.ly/zkKmWf.   Looking for employment?  Check out the open positions at MGD Services.  Apply online:http://bit.ly/s79gq3.

~Gretchen

On this past Tuesday, we had the pleasure of having LisaBeth Webber, who is nationally recognized for her work and founder of creativebizhub.com as a guest presenter.  She discussed how to integrate social media into a job search or business marketing initiative.  She also blogged about the evening.

Thank you Lisabeth for joining us!  For those of you who were not able to attend, please join us next month when Lisabeth has agreed to return and delve deeper into this topic, sharing with us her personal experience and some amazing successes which she made possible through her creative use of social media.  I look forward to seeing you there.

~Gretchen

While the need for a chronological history of one’s work will always exist, it is not sufficient to be competitive in today’s high tech, immediate social and professional networking world.  Now your complete resume, or better yet curriculum vitae – which is a Latin expression loosely translated as the course of my life,  must include such basics as having a robust LinkedIn profile complete with at least your last three positions, (provided you have been in the work force that long) references, and a sizable group of connections.  It is also useful to have a website and blog, as well as an active twitter account.  Facebook with its latest introduction of the Timeline feature is making its way to the top of the resume checklist must haves.  Why?  Because Facebook is quickly bridging the gap between a place to share your life with friends and family to a place where you sell your services or products to a raft of adoring followers made up of a blend of your inner circle and people with professional interests similar to yours. 

Is all of this really necessary?  Have we been reduced to what we were in high school?  A realm where the jocks, brainiacs, gear-heads, and geeks all have their own circles?  Yes and before you cringe it is a good thing for your career, whether you are looking for a job or to advance a business.  Now both who you are and what you do can make you desirable to your employer.  This is why the death of the one dimensional – one page resume is a good thing.  How can you possibly express all of your talent on a single sheet of even the highest grade paper? 

Companies want to meet you before they actually sit across from you.  They want to be able to do this by viewing a picture of you on LinkedIn.  They want to check out what you do for fun on Facebook.  They care how well versed you are in your field.  They will read your blog – and they want to see how well you present yourself and what you do in a video blog. 

Technology has forced the paper resume into unwanted retirement.  It is also compelling people to use social media to market themselves visually and in a professional yet personal manner.  This process will prepare people talk to anyone, prospective employers or relatives, about the course of their lives.  This is not the wave of the future.  It is the wave to ride right now.  The new norm is a three dimensional resume, using multiple media platforms.  People who adopt this new resume format will have an absolute edge over their competition.

Gretchen Gunn

MGD Services Inc.

Office:  877-643-8378

Mobile:  973-945-9817

ggunn@mgdservices.com

www.mgdservices.com

www.linkedin.com/in/mgdservices

www.twitter.com/gretchengunnmgd

www.facebook.com/gretchengunn1