One Word 2012: Continuing to “Evolve” and Ready to “Try”

As we get closer to half-way point in the year, have you taken time to reflect on your #oneword resolution for 2012? 

In January I selected “evolve” because I knew that this was going to be a year of change for me.  Between going through a nationwide job search and my doctoral classes ending (28 days–not that I‘m counting or anything!) I really focused on all that I had to do to prepare for the next steps of my journey.

Part of that evolution is recognizing that this word is no longer the best fit for the second half of the year.     I needed a new word that matched my mood as I transition from Chicago to Oregon and from doctoral student to doctoral candidate.  Personally, I was also looking for a way to frame my new life in the Pacific Northwest.

My new word for the second half of 2012 is “Try”. 

It means venturing into new and unfamiliar places. 

It inspires me to dare the things I would normally shy away from.

It reminds me to not be complacent with life.

It serves as inspiration to explore my limits (real and imagined) and to take one step further than even I thought possible.

 

There is no time like the present to get started!

This week I did try a few new things…

1)     I ditched the security of my trusty Blackberry for an iPhone (this is a big deal for folks who know me well!)

 

2)     I started running.  Purchased legit running gear and decided I will run a 5K this summer.

 

3)     I reached out to two people in my new region and asked to connect this summer.  It is time to build a professional community of folks in an unfamiliar part of the country. 

 

4)     I begrudgingly agreed to participate in a golf outing with a friend this summer.  Even though my golf skills are limited to the spinning windmill at our local putt-putt course. 

These are a few small examples of how I will continue to push myself and embrace the changes that are headed my way.  I truly believe that being adaptable is critical for success—in work and in life.  Each week I will take stock of the things I have done to push myself, to try, even if it feels scary.

What was your one word for 2012?  What progress have you made?

I would love to hear from you!

  

Understanding Women’s Professional Confidence

How many of these statements apply to you?

 “I know I’ll be successful…”

“I believe I can get a promotion…”

 “I feel comfortable standing up and speaking in front of a large audience…”

“I feel sure of myself when speaking in meetings…”

“At work I believe that people will take my points seriously…”

 “I am comfortable being the center of attention…”

 “I can be fully assertive when it’s required of me…”

“I know when to say ‘no’ to others so that I don’t end up taking on more than I can handle…”

“I rarely worry about what others may think of me…”

 “I will speak up when I’m  unhappy about something…”

“I can accept a compliment gracefully…”

 

Saying “yes” to many of these may indicate a high level of professional confidence.

I have seen a lot of tweets lately asking for resources on “women’s professional confidence.”   This intrigues me because I have been reading more about how a lack of professional confidence undermines women in the workplace, in salary negotiations, in promotional opportunities  and in defining a future career trajectory.

Professional confidence can mean many things but I understand it to be when your appraisal of your work is congruent with others’ perception of your work.  It means self-understanding, a willingness to advocate for yourself and being willing to take calculated risks in order to achieve professional gain.

In a  Chronicle article from October 2011 the author discussed why female engineering majors often switch their area of study during college:

“ Specifically, women lack “professional role confidence,” a term that describes, loosely, a person’s sense that he or she belongs in a certain field. The term encompasses more than mastery of core intellectual skills. It also touches on a person’s confidence that he or she has the right expertise for a given profession, and that the corresponding career path meshes with his or her interests and values.”

This article reiterates that it has little to do with skill but more to do with self-awareness, belief in oneself and a limitless sense of possibility.  A lack of professional confidence can be paralyzing.  It can manifest itself in several ways including not exploring opportunities for growth at work, being hesitant in taking on new projects, or not advocating for yourself.

 

Some women may be conditioned from childhood to think that it’s not appropriate to be a risk-taker or boldly ask for what you want. Boys may simultaneously be rewarded for their “initiative” which sends mixed messages to children. 

“Women are not taught to exhibit self-confidence, and in fact are taught the opposite,” says author Liza Donnelly. “Women often wait to be discovered, wait to be called upon. Asking questions, providing ideas and offering to be the person for the job are all things that we, as women, often wait for. But this only holds us back. Men, on the other hand, generally don’t hold their breath to be chosen. They tend towards the “my opinion is needed here” attitude, continues Donnelly. It’s an attitude that everyone should possess, and luckily, it’s one that is learnable.

 

How can women build their professional confidence? Some things to consider:

1)     Dare each day to try something new: Confidence improves when you step outside of your comfort zone and take calculated risks.  The successes that result from this bravery teach us that it is OK to navigate uncertainty which leads to increased confidence. 

 

2)     Count how many times you speak in a meeting: Are you sharing your voice? Do you speak up and advocate for yourself and others in meetings? Get into the habit of contributing regularly.

 

 

3)     Connect with women who emulate professional confidence:  You are the company you keep.  Are you surrounding yourself with people who demonstrate professional confidence?  How can you learn from their strategies in the workplace?

 

4)     Ask, ask, ask: Routinely not asking for what you want or need can become a pattern that can limit your opportunities in the workplace. What is the worst that can happen? You will feel better about asking even if it does not result in the outcome that you were hoping for.

 

 

5)     Advocate for yourself  once a week: It doesn’t matter if it is a big or small thing.  Just get into the habit of asking yourself what you want—“I want to speak out in our team meeting about…” or “I am going to make a case for why we need an additional staff member…” or “I am going to ask about using flex time for the next month”…just be mindful of what you want to ask and do it.  Practice makes perfect!  

 

6)     Moving past professional failures: We all have times in our careers where we miss the mark.  Having professional confidence means that you don’t let those failures define you and that you work through them, find closure and continue to have faith in your own abilities. 

 

Women who want to blaze a trail are often most susceptible to a lack of professional confidence.  According to author and speaker Tara Sophia Mohr, the voice of self-doubt is about a persons’ “inner critic” coming out.

“Did you know that the more you are pursuing a unique, authentic, fulfilling path, the more likely you are to battle with a vocal inner critic? When we are living ho-hum lives, safe in the status quo, the inner critic tends to get quiet. When we contemplate change, share our unique ideas, or go for our dreams, the inner critic speaks up,” said Mohr.

I have definitely had times where I bit my tongue when I should have spoken up.  Afterwards, I have asked myself why that happened and what prevented me from sharing my voice.  It usually came down to two things—fear and uncertainty.  Fear that my idea would be dismissed.  Uncertainty of the reaction from others at the table.

What I realize now is that it’s ok for my idea to be dismissed—I can separate that from being personally dismissed.    The potential reaction from others (which I always imagine to be worse than they actually are) is not a good enough reason to keep silent.   

 

 

Want to know more? Check out these resources.

Assertiveness Workbook

 9 Secrets

Assertiveness Toolkit

The Assertive Woman

 Too Nice For Your Own good

Professional Confidence

Dos and Donts

Understanding your Inner Critic

 

What barriers are preventing you from achieving professional confidence?

 

What strategies do you suggest to increase professional confidence?

 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic!

 

Follow me on Twitter: @annmarieklotz

 

 

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

My recent post on readiness (http://wp.me/1ldQq) prompted several people to ask about why people decide to leave their current position. 

Most people leave their current job for one of five reasons.  Some reasons have to do with being ready but many do not.  Consider which reasons may apply to your current situation.

1)      The Boss Factor: People don’t leave their jobs, they leave their manager.  No other relationship is as important as the one who is responsible for providing feedback and approving your paycheck.  If working conditions become strained, employees will often seek new opportunities. Is your current supervisory relationship working in a way that is beneficial both to you and to your boss? How can you improve this?

 

2)      Geographic Constraints:  Small-town guy living in NYC?  Urban professional working in a rural community?  Are you working far away from your family and wish you lived closer?  Sometimes the best jobs may not be in the locations that we would personally prefer.  While the allure of a great job may be attractive, the position itself might not be enough to keep you if your personal values are not congruent with your current living conditions.   Will living in a certain area improve your quality of life?  What are the market realities of being able to find a position in this specific area?

 

3)      3 Years and Up?: Sometimes people job search because they are adhering to a traditional model of career progression.  The old notions of spending three years in an entry-level job and five years in a mid-level role, etc. are no longer relevant.  Based on family commitments, continuing education and geographical constraints, there are no rules anymore for creating a professional timeline.  Yet, practitioners often seek to move before they are ready (or similarly stay too long at one particular place) based on antiquated notions of career progression.  The only timeline that matters is your own. If you are happy at your current job, drown out the voicecs that keep telling you what you “should” do.

 

4)      Boredom: Can you do your job in less than 30 hours a week?  Are you feeling unchallenged in your work?  While people often leave when they feel this way, the key should be to gracefully depart before you feel the symptoms of boredom creeping in.   By this time, people are usually hoping that you would leave the department any way J.  Be self-aware.  Know when you start to feel yourself not being as effective or interested in your current job duties.   Are you still invested and excited by the work you do each day?

 

5)      Success in most areas of current job role functions: Have you gotten all that you can out of your current role?  Have you accomplished the things you hoped to achieve when you started the position? While all of the aforementioned areas can be valid reasons to move on, this is the one that often feels the most comfortable because you can leave on your own  terms knowing that you are ready for the next challenge.  What does success look like to you?  What else can you get out of this experience?

In your experience, why else do people seek to move on?

What Does Being “Ready” Mean To You?

My recent blog post on the job search process resulted in several emails asking the same question about the concept of being “ready” for the next level.  Mainly, how do you know?  Do you need to ask someone?  How do you manage all of the uncertainties of moving on?

Since I believe in the mantra of once is a question, twice is a discussion and three inquiries equals a blog post, I have decided to address this issue based on the volume of questions about this issue.   

The Readiness Factor

What does “ready” really mean?  Ready means you feel professionally comfortable in tackling the duties required at the next-level position. It also means you are looking for enhanced responsibilities in your professional portfolio in all areas—especially supervisory and budgetary oversight.      

Who decides if you are ready?  Only you can truly determine this but your performance appraisals combined with feedback from peers and supervisors can help you see the full picture.  Are you being tapped for progressively responsible duties in your department or division?  This can often be a sign of confidence in your talents and skills.  

Do you need to ask your supervisor? Not necessarily.  But I think it is helpful to ask what they perceive as the biggest challenges for you at the next professional level.   Consult with the people who have worked with you in some sort of professional capacity.  Include mentors, peers and professionals currently at the level you aspire. What area of growth do you still need to consider?  Who will provide you with honest feedback? 

Have you mastered the core competencies of your position? Think about the skills and attributes needed to be successful at the next level.  While positions in higher education may vary a majority of us will need to have strong supervision skills, excellent administrative proficiency, a record of consistent collaboration with colleagues  and the confidence to lead effectively.    

Another concern echoed in the emails about this topic was about project management.  Are you involved in a project that is just getting off the ground and are worried about it getting dropped if you leave the institution?  The reality is that it probably won’t.  If the department is truly committed to it then it will continue to develop.  If it fails, it is not because you left.  The hard truth is that everyone is replaceable but sometimes in higher education we feel like everything will fall to pieces if we don’t take care of it.  Not true. 

I personally made the decision to start searching because I had achieved most of the goals that I set when I started at my current institution.  I enjoy my work but I could also feel that tug of “it’s time to move on.”   I spent this past year constantly challenging myself to think “as if”  I was already at the next level when dealing with certain situations.  Although this is not easy, I have become more comfortable in that frame of thinking.  Are you thinking about decisions from the perspective of the level above you? Think “as if” for the next week–you might be surprised at what you see!

The experiences that have helped to shape my professional philosophy are the  result of my work in this position.  I am now more self-aware and confident about my unique skills and talents and will be more purposeful about the career choices I make in the future.  Readiness is knowing that you have accomplished your goals and feel prepared to add value to a new position.  Because past performance is the best indicator of future success I know that I will be ready for the next step and anything that this role has in store for me.

One final concern about the readiness factor was the difficulty of leaving a staff that you have come to enjoy and care about.  We are a relational field.  But your professional ambitions and needs are also important and good people can be found wherever you go.  I know that my department will hire a (hopefully more) talented new person for my position and that our staff will move forward.  Our field is full of outstanding professionals waiting for the opportunity to shine at the next level!  

What concerns do you have about being ready for the next level? 

Share with me! @annmarieklotz

 

A Whole New World–Tips for Navigating the Next Level Search.

In my current role as the primary recruiter for our department I feel very comfortable in assisting undergraduate, graduate and entry-level staff members navigate their future job search.  The parameters that guide these type of processes all have some similar components, timelines and steps with the only variation being slight institutional differences.

Over the past six months I have been immersed in my own search for a senior-level position and as that process has recently come to a close I realize how different this type of search process differs from graduate, entry and mid-level. While it is fresh in my mind I want to share a few of my take-always from my own experience. 

What a difference one professional level makes, my friends! 

Be prepared for a very public search: At this level your candidacy is made very public when you become a finalist. My name, biography and on-campus presentation information was listed on university websites and school newspapers at these institutions. Take-away: Make sure that everyone who needs to know that you are searching is informed and be prepared for other folks to ask you about your candidacy in this process since the information is readily available on-line.

Everyone is a reference: While it is an industry standard to list 3-5 references on your employment application, as many as 20 people may be contacted for informal or character reference checks–with or without your knowledge.  Take-away: Do your best work in every situation and be kind to everyone you come in contact with–you never know who will be speaking about you, your work ethic and your reputation.

Checks, checks and more checks: Academic credentials, financial background, criminal record, driving history, a writing sample and fingerprinting have all been a part of my process.  Take-away: Especially when a position requires large supervisory or budgetary oversight, the institution has a responsibility to protect themselves. Know that these kinds of checks are part of the process and be prepared to discuss any of these areas with your potential future employer.

Heightened expectations for the on-campus presentation: As a finalist for this type of position a presentation is standard, however I was surprised at the length–up to an hour in some cases (plus Q & A), as well as how many people attended these presentations–anywhere from 30-60, in my experience.  Take-away: Prepare for this session in the same way that you would for a conference presentation. Know your stuff and be prepared for high-level questions from people with different perspectives. I received questions from people who worked in Procurement, Library Services as well as faculty members who all represent different constituencies and have different priorities than the practitioners work in Residence Life. 

Departmental vs. Divisional needs: One of the biggest lessons I learned in this process is that institutions were looking for not only someone to run a particular unit, but also for someone who could equally represent, support and be a part of a leadership team within Student Affairs. Take-away: Know what you can contribute at a divisional level and be prepared to demonstrate how your leadership abilities can help the division to meet its goals. 

 

This search process was a good reminder of the power of preparation, relationships, reputation, and the importance of having a strong network around you to advise you through the process.  

 

What other tips would you recommend to practitioners seeking employment at the next level? Share them here!

 

“Who Will You Celebrate Today?”

“Who is your mothers’ mother?”

This is the question that Sallye McKee, Vice President at Roosevelt University asked this week when she was the keynote speaker for our DePaul Women’s Network Annual Event.

She said that in order to measure how far women have come we must answer that question for ourselves.  Only then can we fully recognize our own progress as women through the eyes of our familial lens. 

Mary Klotz was a rebel.  Well, at least according to the standards of the 1940’s.  She was the very last of her friends to get married (an old spinster at the age of 23!) and really interested in politics.  Men told her to stick to “women’s topics” during dinnertime conversations.  She refused.  This explains so much. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I suppose.

She was an active citizen who took her role as an advocate and an American seriously. She wrote dozens of letters to soldiers abroad, collected money for the war effort and sent nylons to army nurses during the nylon shortage.     

While Mary Klotz would want to be remembered simply as a loyal wife of 50 years and mother to five children and two grandchildren, I know that her legacy lives on today through me.

I saw her eyes dance with excitement when I announced that I was declaring Political Science as my major in college.  I sent her articles that we read in class as her interest in the topic never waned.

She is my mothers’ mother.  My eyes are hers, our passions are similar and I am living out some of the dreams she only dared to think about.  I can be, because of she. 

Today, on the first day of Women’s History Month, I will take time to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of other women who made it possible for me to vote, go to college, make my own reproductive decisions and pursue any career I choose.

I celebrate the women who raised me, the teachers who guided me and the good friends who continue to support me on my journey to be a better woman, friend, employee and advocate.

Throughout the month of March I will use my Facebook status to recognize women who are making a difference in the lives of others.  Some are women of faith, some are fantastic mothers, some I admire from afar and some have inspired me for years.

Mary Klotz isn’t on Facebook, but today, on the first of March.  I celebrate her.

Who will you celebrate today? Share with me the names of those brilliant women!

Tis the Season…To Be Job Searching!

While the holidays are over, a new season is fast approaching for many entry and graduate candidates in Higher Education.  As we get closer to the major job placement conferences , I want to share my top five strategies for job searching.  As the recruiter for professional staff in my department, I have seen first-hand how these simple tactics consistently result in success.

1)      Do your homework: Create a file folder for each school that interests you.  Include their departmental website, mission and demographic statistics about the institution.  Go on their admissions page and ask for more information to be sent to you as a “prospective student”.  You can learn a lot about the culture of the university by seeing the message they send to the incoming freshman class. 

 

2)      Have 2-3 individually crafted questions prepared for each school:  Subscribe to their daily/weekly student newspaper on-line to really get a feel for what is happening on their campus.  Asking “I see that you are building a new Student Union next year, how do you think this will impact the campus community?” is an informed question.  Asking “What do you like about working here?” is generic.  Don’t underwhelm employers-“Wow” them!      

 

3)      Cover letters matter: Every year I get several cover letters addressed to “Mr. Klotz” or the candidate will express excitement to apply for the job at “Loyola University.”  Well, I’m definitely not male and I work a few miles away from Loyola.  The point is—take your time with this document because it reflects who you are as a professional.

 Also, your resume is a list of what you are responsible for within your job but a cover letter shows me how you will take those experiences and add value to our department.  Tailor each letter to fit the unique institution.  Demonstrate that you did more than simply change the name of the job and the institution before sending it to ten different schools. 

 

4)      Have strong answers prepared for the “strengths and weaknesses” question:  We don’t expect perfect candidates, we expect trainable ones who will improve over time and with experience.  Do not tell us that your weaknesses are that you “delegate too much,” “take too much on at work,” or “have a hard time saying no.”  Be honest.  Share with us how your future supervisor can help you to make progress in your weaker areas.   Each of us knows what we need to work on—say it and demonstrate your commitment to improving in this area. 

 

5)      Know your non-negotiables from the start of your search:  What are those things you have to have in the next position?  Know them from the start and do not pursue jobs that don’t fit into these guidelines.  Be realistic and know that while there is typically no perfect job, what are the 2-3 things that are critical to your success in this position?  Define them and use it as a measuring stick when deciding if you want to apply or not. 

 

Finally, the most successful candidates are the most prepared ones.  Make a plan now to ensure that you are showcasing  the best professional version of you!

 What are some of your tips for a successful job search?  Share them here!

 

Follow me on Twitter at: @annmarieklotz