The power of YES... and

 

When I’m recruiting on social media, I’ll ask for someone to connect to me and if I can send the job description. Occasionally, I get a NO. It doesn’t happen that often but when it does, I think about the power of YES. You can open your network, develop more friends, meet your new boss with YES.

Think about this - If you’re not interested and happy in your job you can always say, “Yes, please send it, although, I'm  currently very happy at my job.” Who knows the job could be an amazing fit if not you just made a new connection/friend. Use YES, and.

By using YES, and - It keeps the connection open and creates a positive interaction.  Positive YES networking can get you a job, a spouse, a new friend, a business associate. It opens your world to new people and ideas.  Say YES.

New Adventure

 

Montana was amazing! I came home refreshed and ready to work. New and exciting things are on the horizon for Ankenbrandt. After over 40 years recruiting Dave will be retiring by the end of the year. He will still be available for special project work!

I have a great business development teammate on board to work on our Tampa Bay business– Lily Salem. We work together at Career Bright.  You'll find her at a few business events all over Tampa as well as reaching out to new CA, TX and TN companies!  We also have Mark McKay on board handling all Operations – all the stuff I’m bad at like programing phones and fixing computers. He created our new logo!  Amanda will still handle all our accounting and billing.  We’re off and running to an exciting new adventure.

Looking forward to the company's future.

How are you doing?

 

So, I get asked often, “How are you doing?” It’s a loaded question and one I have a standard answer for. I say, “We have good days and bad.” 

Grief is complicated. It’s made for some very awkward moments with our candidates and clients.  It’s also made for some amazing moments of kindness and offers of prayers.  So, we are doing the best we can. Our days can be sad, awkward, bittersweet, happy and sometimes joyous. 

Some people ask how they can help? My answer to that, “Support our businesses.”  Hire us for recruiting, - we’re really good at it! Call me when you need new clothes and I’ll do a pop-up shop at your house or an online fashion show! Hire my son for his mowing service – he’s such a hard worker.  Keeping us busy and productive is one of our corner stones to getting through our grief.

Faith, Hope, Work and Family.

Have a great three-day weekend with your family!

My blog over the years has been a combination of my personal life and my work life. They’ve always collided. In February they blew up. My husband and business partner, Scott, passed away. It was sudden, unexpected, and fast.  He left a hole in our hearts and at our firm. He’s been greatly missed.  

Right after Scott died, we went into this Covid-19 madness and lock down. There was no celebration of his life with family flying in – everything got cancelled.   I have teens in mourning unable to do normal stuff, like going to school or a movie or a theme park. All this, on top of us grieving their dad’s death it’s too much. Daily I hear from the media and read in the paper we’re all in this together.

We’re not.

We all might be in one big storm but the ships we are sailing in are all different. Our ship is running but very battered. Why bring this up? Even as we are opening up the economy for business, I’m seeing, and hearing people get angry. Store clerks lashing out, people are yelling at each other about masks and standing too close, people giving total strangers unsolicited Covid-19 medical advice -  it’s gotten nutty. I’d like to remind everyone that some of us have had more than a Covid-19 strike. 

Be kind. Be patient. Be forgiving. As my Dad always says, “This too shall pass.”

Smash it. Break it. Crush it.

Dinner out with business associates, potential clients and co-workers is quite common in the corporate world. In fact, extending an invite to the persons spouse is also normal.  I was shocked when a candidate who was going to become a potential manager/partner, in the interview process and close to an offer, got offended by our client asking if he and his spouse would like to, “Go to dinner?”

He acted indignant and shocked. I was told it was inappropriate and asked, “Is my spouse interviewing for the job?” No it was just dinner and then it got WEIRD. Really WEIRD.  

My client was just extending a friendly offer for them to all get to know each other better. It was a small firm and they get together often.  It had nothing to do with the spouse’s race, sex, education, looks, gender, interviewing the spouse, etc. It was just dinner. A basic civil small talk dinner to meet and see if a future partnership could be made.  Dinner. 

The offer was pulled, the hope of a new employee was smashed and I was relieved. Can you imagine the dinner conversation had they met?

Networking - getting those new connects

Online networking can be daunting. It’s reaching out to someone you don’t know, attempting to make a business connection, and hoping that you get it right. I don’t accept everyone connects and it’s often because they don’t bother to introduce themselves. 

I like an introduction – the 15 second elevator pitch  - but a softer version. Give a reason why you want to be connected.  It can be as simple as I’m interested learning more about your industry or I’m new to the industry/area/profession and I thought I’d introduce myself.  Be genuine and once they connect to you thank them with another short note. Most people are friendly and appreciate increasing their network too.

Moving

Moving a house and an office is nerve -wracking. I read a lot about moving before we decided to move, and we did most everything recommended but I realize now we should have done more --

Get rid of more stuff before you move. We got rid of a lot, but we also moved a lot of stuff we could have left.  After the move we donated a truck load to Salvation Army and our trash guys are saints for all the trash they haul out weekly.   

Unpacking takes a lot of time. It’s not just about unpacking the boxes it’s about where the stuff goes and figuring out a new system. I have moved stuff around several times much to our kid’s frustration. Their snack drawer got moved twice!

Setting up an office in the new home – this took a lot of thought and I still don’t have it right. I like my location and my view out the window, but my storage and desk are not big enough. Again, new location, new layout means new desk, new storage and new habits. I’m still working the kinks out.

Need to get some attention with your resume?

Resume Tricks that Actually  Work  - 

Bullet the top of your resume with as many of the skills you have that match the job description. Be specific to what the company needs.  


All very important information needs to go on the top half of your resume - not the second page or the third page.  Fold your resume in half to make sure that everything important - top skills, email address, phone etc fits up there. The top half is the prime "real estate" section.  

Don't forget your phone number and LinkedIn profile link! I've had resume sent to me with no contact info. It's about the details.   

Mail  - Don't just email your resume ---  USPS mail your resume. No one gets actual mail anymore so you have a better chance of getting some attention if you actually old school mail it.  Seriously when is the last time you got a real letter? 

For resume format ideas go to our Pinterest page - https://www.pinterest.com/ankenbrandtg/

Holly, jolly tips and tricks for the holidays!

Food -

Don’t make everything from scratch – cheat a little with quality premade delicious treats and sides.

If you decide to cook everything get most of your side dishes and desserts done ahead of time.

You don’t need 6 side dishes - pick 2 or 3.  

Put out a bar so people can make their own drinks.

Say yes to help in the kitchen!

Travel -

Ship gifts ahead of time.  

At the airport pack your food and toiletries in their own separate zip lock bags so you clear security easily.

Pack fun toys or candy for the kids.  

Load up your iPhone or tablet with lots of games, music and books.

Day of the party -

If politics are too much to talk about - plan an activity. Make ornaments, decorate cookies, play a game or grab the old photo books and go through them. Create something to do to avoid the discourse.

Set the table ahead of time and set out the serving dishes too.

 If the standard gift exchange is getting old – go with a theme – white elephant, flip flop exchange (I’d say socks but we are here in SoCal and we are in flip flops more than socks!), cooking spice exchange, snack/cookie exchange, favorite Christmas movie or favorite candy!  There are lots of fun possibilities – get creative.

Again, if people ask to help clean up just say YES!

Merry Christmas! 

Our Kids at Work

We are a family run company so sometimes our kids end up at the office. For instance my son after hitting a few balls walked over from the local golf course near our office. He is now practicing putting into a cup down the hallway. He was supposed to be reading but the hallway is just too perfect for putting.  Having them be able to come in occasionally is convenient but other days it’s hugely distracting.  It’s a balance of fun vs. productivity.  Good thing I got most of what I need done because the fun is out weighing productivity. 

The Climb

Some weeks it’s all about the climb. It’s the insurmountable odds, the failures and the frustration.  It’s about the people who ignore your calls, the unreturned emails, the lack of communication and trying to work around it.   Eventually I’ll get to the top of the wall. 

Annoying Words

Organic growth. Culture of Engagement. Disruption. 

Ugh. Stupid phrases that are driving us nuts here at work – organic growth, culture of engagement and disruption. We keep on hearing the same catch phrases over and over and over.  It’s like the bad joke that your Uncle can’t quit telling at every party.  For instance, “We are going to organically grow our staff.”  Do you mean you are finally going to start train people like all companies should?  How about just start using the term training or maybe teaching? Organically growing needs to be left for farmers. 

Engagement – the culture of engagement. Seriously? What happened to showing up at work and doing a good job. I understand welcoming them on their first day, training and treating them well but it seems like it’s a bit more hand holding. Get to work – dig in and be thankful that you have a job.

The worst word is disruptors! Everyone wants to be a disruptor. Now a new idea is a “disruptor” instead of just a cool new innovative idea. Industries transition constantly. New innovative business is where we all want to be why call it disruption. I think people just get bored with the English language and choose to be disruptive!  

Commuting in SoCal

Commuting here in SoCal is pretty much juggling traffic craziness. Which freeway do I take? What time do I leave before the freeway hits a stand still. Do I take side roads, use Waze the entire way (typically what we do)?  

It’s just one option after another to avoid sitting in the car for hours. And, then there are these days – sitting in traffic watching the sunset. This time the traffic was a good thing and my passenger captured the beauty of a California sunset.

*photo credit goes to Holden McLeod  

Spring has Sprung

Spring is here! How do I know this --  our desert tortoise is out and about. Indy, the tortoise is similar to Punxsutawney Phil with Spring predictions but, he’s the Southern California version of him. 

Once Indy is up we know Spring is on its way.  So, get out there and enjoy the weather before it gets crazy hot again! 

The Art of Listening

I have a friend who loves to talk and offer advice and often very unsolicited advice.  It poses a problem because often she’s not listening so the advice, as much as it is heartfelt, doesn’t always work because she wasn’t listening to begin with, so the response is off. I have another acquaintance who doesn’t listen at all she just talks and talks AND talks. I can’t get a word in.The art of listening is lost on both of these people. I think they both mean well and are kind but actually listening and having a two-way conversation seems to be missed in most of their communications. I think listening is an art and here a few tips:

Eye contact is necessary – look the person in the eyes 

Be aware and attentive – show interest. Nod your head, lean in, show some interest. 

Don’t interrupt – wait for a pause before you jump into the conversation.

It might not be your idea, opinion or even a fact but relax and take it in.  It’s OK to disagree just do it graciously. 

Don’t try to think ahead about your response because you’ll miss half of what they say.

If everyone tried to actively listen to each other I think there would be less communication problems. 

Cringe worthy pictures on LinkedIn

Ugh – what is happening to LinkedIn? Lately when I go on it, I cringe, waiting for whatever tasteless picture pops up in my feed. Being a recruiter, I am connected to a lot of people, professional people, but, I’m starting to worry about some of these "professional" people.

Last week the first picture that popped up was an XX, a larger guy with without a shirt. Right after that, a cow jumping on a trampoline and then a silly math problem to answer. Today, it was a dead dog – I saw that horrible image twice, then a girl in a bikini and the final straw that sent me complaining to customer service was a girl in a top that was showing her nipples. Really, is that image okay at work?  If that was put up in the break room would that be acceptable? Maybe at a bra or lingerie company, but not at most professional establishments.  

There is a lack of professionalism happening on LinkedIn. Getting a point across can still be tasteful and professional. I don’t want a bloody, dead dog picture to interrupt my day at work. I see enough bikini clad gals and topless guys at the beach when we go surfing. Can we please keep it a bit more professional? I wonder what will be up there next? 

Gone SO Wrong

It went so wrong. We had a client conference call recently that went so sideways I ended up on Pinterest browsing through Christmas stuff while listening to him rant. It felt like we were talking to a 1970’s executive who was smoking and drinking his martini’s while dictating to his secretary and letting his ego do the talking. Keep in mind,  this client was in a high tech, cutting edge industry, but it felt like “Silicon Valley 1970”.  Any question I asked was wrong including when I told him I did some research on the company he worked for -  that was wrong! I was told I shouldn’t do any research! Oh my, the ego. 

We do research on all companies we work for  – the background information we gather on employees, the company website, Glassdoor, press releases etc. is priceless. We can gather all sorts of info. on people and learn who they are by how they present themselves. For example, when they say they are “published” and it’s only a blog – everyone has a blog  - or they have a “white paper” and it’s their non-expert super short opinion with little to no facts.  Or they claim to have worked at a job for 15 years when in fact they have been consulting and bumping around for the last 15 years. 

All that information creates a character profile. Research is priceless!  I have been blessed with amazing clients over all these years but this potential high tech client was a definite NO! We declined to work with them – no going back to the dark ages. 

The Old People vs. The Millennials

I’ve been writing a lot about Millennials lately because there is a significant problem between the over 55er’s and the Millennials according to most of my clients. The over 55er’s think the Millennials are flaky, don’t want to work for a boss, want extra special benefits - matching 401K,4 weeks’ vacation, lunch daily, flex time etc.  They want a lot but don’t want to work for it – they want it NOW.  The Millennials think the 55er’s are old, slow, don’t understand new technology, don’t get social media, they are not flexible, they don’t give them freedom to learn and grow quickly. (I’m just basing my opinion here on all the complaints I have been hearing for months now from both sides.)  

Oddly, I fall somewhere in-between – I’m not over 55 and I work with a lot of the Millennials. I understand where the Millennials are coming from – we all want a great job with great benefits and flextime. I also understand the 55er’s – they just want you to work and not complain. They made it thought the recession/depression and don’t understand why you need more –you have a job darn it and we still need to make a profit!  

Is there a happy medium between pleasing your employees with amazing benefits and still making profit?  I’m sure there is for larger corporations but for smaller entrepreneurial companies it seems to pose a problem.  Most of my smaller under 200MM clients can’t provide the same benefits as a large corporation. Maybe we need to start looking at corporate environments that fit most of your requirements instead of all of your requirements? Maybe a bit of flexibility from both parties the old and the new will make it easier to meet in the middle? 

Chapman People

I’m a graduate of Chapman University and have had the opportunity to volunteer for the Chapman MBA program as a mentor since 2010. It surprised me that I've been participating in the program for so long; the time has really gone by fast! I think one of the reasons the time has flown by is because of the amazing people I have met.  Ralphie (far left) calls all my mentees my “Chapman Children”. When my Chapman crew gets together it does feel like one big family and they have become a great part of both my professional and personal lives. Over the last 5 years, I've had the privilege of placing a few Chapman grads. I've also become good friends with a few of my mentees. They've showed me support when my husband battled cancer, they've hung out with my boys, counselled me in business matters, and most often, keep me current with new trends. It’s been fun to see babies born, people getting married and careers taking off! It’s really a true “win-win” situation. I teach them a few things from my years as a recruiter and I get their new and innovative perspective on business.

So I guess this post is to say thanks to Chapman University and all my Chapman people! 

Simple Advice

I was recently asked to speak in my son’s classroom about what colleges want to see in students and what employers want when hiring. I did a bit of research on what colleges want and presented that. My main focus was what employers want for their employees because I hear daily what they do not want. Many of my clients are frustrated with their young hires. Oddly, I wrote about this last March. But I think I need to go over it again. So, young people heed this simple advice because it will help you get and hold on to a job. 

Ethics – Show up on time ready to work and get the work done.  Don’t mess around on your social media all day. You are there to work and you are getting paid for it. It’s unethical to accept a paycheck for no work. 

Initiative – Or, the ability to act on your own. Figure it out and get it done. Don’t use the excuse, “No one told me how to do it.”  If you do not know how to do something, ask and listen to the answer. 

Communication – Mostly importantly, good communication skills. Speak and write in complete sentences. Don’t write and speak in “text talk” or acronyms. Look at people when they are talking to you so they know you are listening.  

Good manners and social skills – Learn how to shake hands. Be polite and kind.  Do not cuss at work; it is not professional. Put your phone down when talking to a co-worker and engage in the conversation.  

I know you are reading this and thinking, really? You'd be surprised. I hear from my clients daily that these young workers are lacking these basic, simple skills. We might be in a digital age but unless you are programming all day, you need to learn how to engage with the people around you and do it well.