I remember a very specific tipping point for me in each of the jobs I’ve left. Some were poignant, and others were subtle. The most memorable being when I quit my resident director job in college during the biggest holiday weekend, without notice and without a place to live. I was taking a stand – reacting to a decision I didn’t approve of. (I was young).

In another role, I was on the floor cutting out circles to create a representation of what world clocks would look like in the hallway (as a manager in HR/Employee Communications), when the CEO walked past my office asking what the heck I was doing. That was my turning point for that position – I remember thinking, “What the heck am I doing? How is this leveraging my talents, my skills, my brain?”

From that moment on, I couldn’t reengage. I was miserable. I hated my boss, the employees were getting on my nerves, I refused to work outside of normal office hours, and the search for a new position was on.

The point of change comes well before we are able to influence the outcome.

When you find clarity about your job, your boss, your career, or your life direction – it’s hard to just sit back and do nothing. It’s like a shining light finally comes through the clouds and all you can see from that point forward, is your new perspective.

So misery typically ensues. But you can influence that. You can work through it and move on – without internal combustion (or a dramatic exit).

Your perspective shifted, why? Things were probably fine or at least concealed, yesterday. What happened to shift your perspective? What changed in your environment, your daily interactions, your expectations and responsibilities, that allowed you to see your situation in a new light?

Most of us wouldn’t even notice the little thing that changed, allowing us a new perspective. But something had to have changed – and it’s more than your boss had a bad day. What changed in you to help you come to this revelation?

Are your priorities and values still the same, and if so, are you honoring them? Get back to the basics – revisit your personal balance scale and see if anything has changed, and if you are still balanced. These tend to change over time, especially when life throws us big curveballs or events, so check-in  with yourself a few times a year.

Is it worth it in the long run? This is when the emotion needs to be stripped away from the discussion. From my examples above, the answers would have been different – the position in college, it wasn’t worth my frustration to stay. The position with the clocks – was worth struggling and then overcoming the situation. Unfortunately I realized that well after the fact, and that decision did come back to haunt me at one point.

Be critical here – can you stick it out, versus would you prefer not to? Pro/Con list it if the answer isn’t clear.

Regardless, you have to maintain your work persona. No matter what your reflection, decision, or change point is – you have to remain who you are at work. Stay engaged as best as you can. I know it’s hard and you won’t be at 100%, but try and get to 75% – don’t back down to 0% like I did. Stay connected with your purpose and why you accepted the position in the first place.

Your point of change will help you understand who you are – and provide you with new opportunities and challenges. It’s not always a negative thing, nor is it always positive – but it will always move you forward.

Have you experienced a point of change at work? I’d love to hear your “clock” stories in the comments below. 

A position I applied for is reposted. Should I apply for it again?

Before I answer the $64,000 question, let’s breakdown the reasons why a position has been reposted.

1. They were unable to secure their first choice candidate during the first round of interviews and they didn’t want to “settle” for the second choice.
2. They weren’t able to find any qualified candidates during the first search and need to expand their candidate pool.
3. Funding for the position was lost and then reallocated.
4. The position details have been updated to more accurately reflect the current opening.
5. The hiring manager is indecisive and cannot choose someone to fill the opening.
6. Because they felt like it. Just making sure you’re still with me here…

Missing from the list that always comes up is that it has something to do with you, personally. It doesn’t – you aren’t in their sphere of influence (yet).

Obviously the position isn’t going to post with their reasoning, so it’s hard to tell why a position is reposted. But the reason itself is irrelevant (unless you know for sure that the manager is indecisive – if that’s the case, RUN).

When to Reapply for a Position

You have not yet gone through the interview process.

In other words, when you applied the first time, you did not receive an interview request. If you participated in the interview process in any way at all, you will not be reconsidered for the position. So don’t waste your time reapplying. You were determined to not be a fit, so it’s time to move on.

Yep, that’s when you can reapply. There is only ONE restriction of when it’s inappropriate to reapply. For the majority of reposted positions, this means you should reapply!

But before you do…

You weren’t chosen the first time around, so if you do the same thing again with your application process, you will be overlooked again. It makes absolutely no sense to send along the same resume and cover letter and not follow-up, if that method/process didn’t work for you before.

Change it up! When you reapply, update and tweak your resume to be a better match the position’s posting and follow-up. Here’s some guidance on how. Either way, don’t simply repeat the same thing that didn’t work for you the first time around – make an impact and deliver a better package.

But won’t they laugh/scoff at me for applying again?

Nope, they don’t really care or “keep track” of those things. Let me clarify – they may or may not recognize your name if you apply again, but they aren’t judging you for “being silly enough to apply again.”

If you are applying via an online application software program (think: most big companies), then they would have a record of you applying twice. But the recruiter won’t typically count you out because of it. And you increase those odds of being considered by making a personal connection.

Overall Lesson

It’s extremely difficult for recruiters or hiring managers to individually go through every single application and resume – although they try their best, they are human. Which means that it provides you with another opportunity to make an impression on them when the position is reposted.

One strike does not mean you’re out!

I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. Have you reapplied for a position and then been considered a candidate or get an offer?

But first, here’s how I re-learned this lesson.

1. Falling Rocks

If you have driven in the mountains or an otherwise unstable area, you have probably seen this sign. Like many of you, I became desensitized to the inherent warning – rocks can fall down the mountain. Growing up in Colorado, it’s something you see every five miles or so in the mountains, so these signs are easy to overlook. That was my excuse. And then this happened:

While rare, there is a reason drivers are warned about the possibility of rocks encroaching on the roadway. I missed this rock slide by about a minute, but I can tell you, that was close enough.

2. Hackers want to hack

A few weeks ago I saw this blog post in various iterations, that WordPress accounts were being hacked at alarming rates. Particularly those with an admin login (which I have – by design). I usually ignore these types of things because  I trust my password (stupid – especially after reading this Wired article about it), and don’t think that anyone would really want to hack my site.

For some odd reason, I did change my password after reading everyone’s warnings, and… let’s just say thank goodness.

I received this ball of joy:

Whoa. So, someone attempted to hack me (SIXTEEN times), and was unsuccessful. Don’t think I didn’t change all of my password settings to Fort Knox status. Luck kept me from being fully hacked this time – I definitely will heed these lessons going forward.

Getting the Warnings at Work

My week aside, people miss feedback and lessons all of the time, throughout their career… which is why HR tends to create a long-period of “performance improvement” time before taking action of any sort. The manager usually walks into those conversations saying that they have delivered the feedback various times, while the employee is completely blindsided by the feedback.

Both scenarios can’t be true. But because delivering difficult feedback and having crucial conversations is not high on most people’s “love to do” list, the message tends to come out bungled and the employee misses the point. So here are a few subtle hints to listen to going forward…

You’re not getting the cool projects. For whatever reason, you used to be responsible for highly visible or innovative projects… and now you aren’t being asked to lead them. Your boss may present it as an opportunity for your colleagues to shine – to share the wealth so to speak, but don’t be fooled. If one project gets passed off to a colleague, if you were a rock star, they would replace it with an ever cooler project.

Your boss has requested to be “more in the loop” or receive more updates. Either you dropped the ball somewhere, or pressure is coming from above to have a better read on what’s going on. Regardless, you have lost some of your cache of dependability and deliverability, if more info is needed.

Your merit increase and/or bonus decreases. Yes it’s a slow economy, and yes you can’t have a fabulous year every year. But if you see a trend of being considered an outstanding performer to average, warning bells should be ringing. Whether your performance has decreased or your perceived value to the organization has decreased, either way it’s not a good sign.

You haven’t been promoted and it’s been five years. While I don’t believe in a specific time frame before promotion, in fact, I’m ardently against that, but if you have been in the same role without any movement for four or five years and you want to be promoted, something isn’t working. You aren’t delivering at the level needed or your work persona is hurting you.

The feedback you receive is middle-of-the-road. If you aren’t receiving impactful and helpful feedback from your boss, you aren’t being memorable enough. Without specific feedback – good or bad, you will not be able to push through the top performance. Start making an impact and requesting specific notes/examples from your boss so you are able to continue to tweak your performance throughout the year.

Your hours are being watched. For most people in a salaried position, there are general guidelines about when you show up and leave work, but they don’t tend to be 100% strict. If your boss starts mentioning that you aren’t staying late enough, or you need to start working more hours, you need to read more into that message. Essentially that means that you aren’t delivering the quality and quantity of work expected of you during “business hours” and/or your performance is not aligned with that of your colleagues. Pick up the pace – this isn’t about actual time worked, but about your delivery and capacity levels.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you ignored any signs, later to figure out they were there all of the time?

A New Location = A New Start

I’m a visual person, a homebody, and an introvert at my core. So for me, my home is an important part of being comfortable in my skin as well as my success. As crazy as it may seem, looking back at my various moves, the one thing that they all had in common was I was seeking a new start.

Changing my surroundings has always allowed me to change my perspective and actions. I would get into a pattern or a rut while living in one location, and want to change something… but would be stuck in analysis paralysis until I made a location-move. For those of you who hate change, own homes, or love being deeply entrenched in your community – this probably sounds insane.

I agree – it’s kinda kooky. But it’s worked for me.

Some examples:

• I was really overweight (morbidly obese) nearing the end of my time in New York. I just couldn’t activate the eat right/workout more muscles. I moved to San Diego and worked my butt off – lost the weight, and created a different lifestyle.
• I wanted to start my own business, but couldn’t seem to get out of the rat race while living in the Bay Area. I moved to Atlanta to focus on going out on my own, and was able to make it successful after failing at it in California.
• I needed to take this summer to focus on writing and growing. I didn’t feel like I could do that in my “launch pad” apartment in Atlanta. So I’m hanging out in the Rocky Mountains instead.

For those of you who can’t (or like a more sane person – don’t want to), move across the country or into a new house to start over or start something, you can do it from where you are right.

6 Rules for “Starting Over” Wherever You Are

1. Set a start date or “move” date.

For me, the date of the change has always been the most motivating factor. When I know that I am going to be in a new location by a specific date, it propels me forward like nothing else in the world. For some reason, knowing when you will be starting, takes away any possible excuses.

2. Create your prepare list before your start date.

We often get in our own way by making things SO BIG that we don’t know where to start. So get all of the preparedness items ready and listed before your date.

What are your big goals for the new start? Where are you today and what does success look like at the end?  What materials do you need to have on-hand for the “move?” Essentially, create your plan well in advance before you need to start to take action.

3. Take it seriously.

If you were moving cities and forgot to pack your stuff, you’d be in a bind when the movers arrived. Same concept, smaller scale. Take your start date seriously – and give it the levity it deserves. If you need some extra accountability, tell a friend about your “move.”

4. Set baby milestones.

You can dream big– but create action-items that are small. Break down your bigger goal into baby milestones to start making progress. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” is annoying, but true. Set at least one or two milestones that you can achieve during your first week – yes, that easy.

5. Change your surroundings.

No, this isn’t a trick post – I am not saying you have to move after all; however, you should definitely change your surroundings. If you tend to work in one area of your house, try a different location. If you’ve stared at the same picture for years, change it. If you absolutely cannot work at home, try a local place.

Changing the smallest thing in your surrounding can greatly change your perspective. In my place in Atlanta, I was stuck with a few ideas and stewed on them for awhile. I decided to put up some of my own black and white photography pics, and my productivity increased ten-fold.

Why? Because I was beyond giddy at seeing something that made me smile as I walked up the stairs to my office. It didn’t cost me anything other than time (and a lot of picture nails), but it jazzed me up at the start and end of each day.

6. Allow yourself to move forward.

Nothing else you do will make a difference if you aren’t able to give yourself permission to start. To move forward and explore – even if you aren’t yet ready to achieve. A fresh start can come in so many different ways – let yourself create your own “move” and start over on your own terms. 

Genius comes in every age – and I’m guessing that you are one of the smart ones at work. Being one of the smartest employees in the room, and also one of the youngest, can be a frustrating conundrum. You know you have value to add in the conversation, you are qualified to take on a challenge, but your perceived age is stopping others from taking you seriously.

That stops now.

Push Past Your Age and Be Taken Seriously at Work

1. Do your job really, really well.

This probably goes without saying, but unless you are delivering what they are asking at a very high level, nothing you do will change their perception about needing “more time in the job” or maturing. Deliver consistently, exceed expectations at every opportunity you get, and be reliable.

Check out all of my other nuggets to help you succeed and make age nothing but a number, baby. 

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Most of you are answering it incorrectly.

So Really… Tell Me a Little Bit More about Yourself

The natural reaction, after a moment of “oh crap – how do I answer this,” is to talk about things outside of work. I like to ski; I have kids; I went to school at… and so on. {Buzzer Sound} Incorrect my friends.

Even though this isn’t a behavioral interview question, you are still in an interview.

Take every opportunity during the interview to stress your competence in the role. Your focus should always remain on furthering this goal of standing out, showing the interviewee your awesomeness, and being professional.

No one cares that you like to ski, that you have kids, or that you went to school someone you think is cool. I know, that’s harsh – but it’s the truth during an interview.

We want to know what you bring to the table. And this is your opportunity to share with us some insights and information with free-range! No silly parameters around this question, no expected response.

So grab it and highlight exactly the points you want to get across.

For example:

“Absolutely. I launched several HR Communications departments at various Fortune 500 companies – soup-to nuts; I have worked in just about every aspect of Human Resources; and I am passionate about building relationships and partnerships with my clients.”

Of course you can add some color and personal touches, but in the above example, you see that I firmly set the agenda of the interview. I am coming out of the door with my strongest deliverables and milestones. These are the things I want to be known for during an interview setting and they will also make me memorable and stand-out from the other applicants.

Contrast this what you’re currently doing, and the impact is so much greater. Instead of telling me things that happen OUTSIDE of the work environment, you are able to show me what your strengths are – and get the interview moving forward without any awkward pauses or silences.

If this approach seems a bit too concise for you and you’d rather bridge what you’re currently doing with my advice, be sure to stay far, far away from these topics (I promise):

• Your kids and family: I wish I could lie and tell you that everyone cares, but unfortunately more times than not, the interviewee will start thinking about the potential time out that you’ll be taking due to your kids, etc. (Harsh, I know).
• Saying you like to travel a lot: The first thought is, “how much time is this candidate going to ask off for vacation if he/she is hired?”
• Extreme adventure sports: Use this one sparingly and depending upon your audience. It could be a connection point, but it could also be a warning flag of potentially high benefits costs.
• Your relationship status: Just don’t say anything – it is illegal for the interviewee to ask about this, so don’t talk about it.
• Religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and so on: There is a reason these are protected classes – there are still people out there with prejudices. Don’t open that door.

What do you talk about when you’re asked this question? Have you been going down the wrong rabbit hole?

Make it Work t-shirt pic from Wire and Twine

Oh how I love Tim Gunn on Project Runway when he utters the words, “Make it work!” How many times a day do you have to utter those same words to yourself when something goes off-track? If you are me, it’s several times a day… and this week (yes, I know – it’s only Monday), has been a make it work experience.

When you are at work, inevitably we don’t always get our way. It’s frustrating, annoying, and sometimes downright demotivating. Especially when you know you are right. But I digress…

I’ll admit that I used to react to adversity at work in a reactive manner. I’d get argumentative, press my perspective or point of view, shatter the other person’s concept with a line-by-line dissection. Pretty, no? As I’m sure you can imagine, I didn’t win any friends with this approach.

So I tried something different and shifted my reactivity into troubleshooting. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given is from a sales manager who told me to never come to the table with only the problem. Present solutions in the same breath. So here is the best solution I’ve come up with when you really want to react to the annoying stuff around you.

How to NOT Get Huffy

I’m certain that most people would react like I used to – get somewhat personally offended and want to respond (maybe even loudly). Now I make the best of the situation and start attacking the solution, instead of dwelling on the problem.

Scenario 1 (from today): My work laptop broke.

It won’t turn on. It won’t load. And it definitely won’t allow me to do the work I need to do. Awesome start to a Monday, no?

• Old reaction: total freak out; yelling at the HP guy who wanted me to pay him $99 to just tell me if there is a problem with my computer, followed by perhaps some ranting and raving about how ridiculous the whole thing is, and ending with running out and getting a new computer because I *may* have done some harm to it.
• New reaction: This is not an ideal situation, but I’m going to make it work… read some online forums, tried a bunch of things that didn’t work, searched for a local computer fix-it person, and figure out other ways to get work done.

See the difference? So perhaps not the ideal example, but when you are work – you can use the same principles.

Scenario 2 (at work): You are going to miss a deadline for a big project.

It happens. No, it’s not ideal, but sometimes you just aren’t able to complete something on time – regardless of whose fault it is.

• Old reaction: Make excuses and try your best to CYA (cover your a$s) to your boss and perhaps pass the blame on to someone else.
• New reaction: Notify your boss as soon as you know it’s going to happen and take full ownership of the situation. Don’t just come with the problem, but also a solution. Something like…
  • “Unfortunately I am not going to be able to meet this deadline. I ran into some issues with X when trying to solve Y, which set me back in time, but ensured I stayed on track. To that end, I would like to propose an updated timeline, although late, of XX. In addition to the original scope of work, what would you think if we did Y as well to help ease the issue of the missed deadline?”

Being able to make it work in any situation will greatly improve your work persona and your reputation at work. It presents a cool, calm and collected demeanor, even if on the inside you are freaking out (or cursing someone out). By focusing on what can be done next instead of what’s already happened, you will be the go-to person for just about anything. You will be known as the “fire-fighter” instead of fire-starter, which is awesome. And a great talking point when your manager is ready to discuss your readiness during Talent Management meetings.

This week officially marks my first full year of being a solopreneur. It’s crazy really – in so many ways the year went by extremely fast, and in other ways it feels like an eternity ago that I was working for someone else. The list of lessons learned and knowledge gained could be a book in and of itself (wait – should that be my next book?). Some of these lessons I’ll be chatting about in Jenny’s May Mastermind, but here are some general thoughts…

Year One: The Insanity of Entrepreneurship

• No matter how much you prepare for it, it’s still strange to have complete control over your work time and schedule.
• It’s extremely easy to become a hermit and/or a workaholic.
• You will experience extreme mood swings in the beginning. And the middle. And, well, always. When things are going good – you are more excited than ever. When they aren’t, there may be some “de-ledge” discussions.
• Maybe you are smarter than me, but I have yet to get my estimate earnings budget on-target for the month.
• What you think your business will be, will probably turn out to be something different.
• Your website mechanics (design, layout, tinkering, etc.) matters waaaaay less than you think it does.
• There’s no reason to obsess over “numbers” like traffic, comments, shares/likes, etc. You will drive yourself crazy if you do.
• If you hear the advice, “write epic sh*t to get a huge audience,” one more time, you will start ignoring all advice.
• Your family probably doesn’t understand what you do or why you are doing it – that’s ok, they are proud of you anyway.
• Diversifying is the best idea you’ve ever had. Just like your money portfolio, the more buckets and income streams you have, the more potential you have to make money and sustain bumps.
• You will be disappointed in other people, particularly those who you thought would help you along the way. This will happen time and time again, but you will have one bump from someone and it will restore your faith in others wanting to help out.
• Don’t waste your time in the weeds – focus on incoming generating items as much as possible… because that’s how you get paid.
• Your clients will most likely come from people you know. Stop wasting your efforts (and money – omg, the money) on casting a huge net around the web. Start with your people – and grow outward from there.
• You will run into a lot of negative nellie’s. You can either let their opinions sway you or stay the course. When you stay the course, you will be more successful in the long-run.
• Think outside of the box to earn income. All of those stories where they put their shingle up and make $10k in their first month, aren’t really true. Don’t expect that – and think of all of the ways to generate income to help you reach your goals – freelance gigs, expanding your skills/business, partnering with others.
• You will experience more pride in your accomplishments than ever before. Bask in this feeling, enjoy it, and celebrate it. Remember these when you have a bad day, or month (they will happen).
• Keep your “why you do it” statement and your personal balance scale, in front of you at all times. Pull it out when needed and stay firm in your pursuit.
• Find someone (or a few someones), who are in a similar boat/business as you. Build strong relationships with them and be vulnerable.

I could go on and on and on. There were many bumps, ups and downs, extreme wins, and some losses. But at the end of year one, I am excited. I know that the best is still ahead and I have so many lessons in place to help me get through new obstacles.

The most important lesson: Be grateful and show your gratitude to the people who help make this possible – your clients and supporters. So THANK YOU!!!! I am overjoyed and honored to be able to do this full-time. Cheers to the next year of solopreneurship!

Showing Up – What You Need to Bring to the Interview

Dress for success, regardless.

If I have to review proper interview attire one more time, I may scream. In a nutshell (do you think of this when you see this word?) , wear a suit and dress your best. I know that there are a small number of companies (i.e., Google), who frowns upon a “corporate” look and feel during the interview process, but even if you are interviewing at a company that has a casual feel, you are still there to win them over. And nothing says, “I’m taking you seriously” more than presenting a polished visual.

Bring copies of your resume.

After applying for a position, we may take a closer look at our resume (ahem), and realize that there was a spelling error or perhaps some important relevant bullet points missing. Instead of making a big deal about it during the process, just be sure to bring updated resumes to the interview with you. Most interviewees will have copies of your resume already, but some may have forgotten to print it out. So be prepared, and supply them!

I usually recommend bringing three more than the number of people you are scheduled to meet with. I can’t tell you how many times, especially with a strong candidate, we have pulled other people into the interview room without warning, to try and tackle as many “meet and greets” as possible.

Package your resume materials as though they are marketing materials.

These said copies of your resume, need to be presented well. In other words, if you have a two-page resume, print it on one sheet of paper. Make sure that the print out is correct – top of the front of the page is also the top of the back of the page. Less paper means there is a better chance of all of your qualifications staying bundled in one neat little package.

Also, upgrade your paper. No, DO NOT go out and get that old school linen paper, but do spring for the white copy paper that is a bit thicker and has no see through/bleed through. (Did my paper/office supply nerdiness just come out?).

Create a portfolio.

People who work in fields that have outputs/deliverables such as graphic design or marketing, tend to instinctively know that they need to create a portfolio… and everyone else doesn’t have this on their radar. Every single candidate can WOW the interview team by bringing a portfolio.

But Melissa, how can I possibly have a portfolio if I work in HR/Finance/IT/enter field?

Oh, I’m so glad you asked. In every job, you deliver things. You work with people. You make sure that things get done. So look back and review all of these big blocks that you have worked on throughout your career, and figure out how to present them visually.

For example, if you worked in HR and was part of a major benefits package overhaul, you can print out a mini-brochure about what was delivered, or going even more basic – snag a graphic email or flyer that was used in promoting these changes.

If you worked in Finance and was part of a major cost savings that led to increased profits, save a copy of the press release or create a graph showing what your work’s impact was to the business.

This step will take some time as most likely you will be creating new materials, but the output is a visual win and gives you a talking map through the interview. It also roots your experience in ACTUAL projects and deliverables. The best part – one you create your portfolio, you can easily continue to build it up going forward.

Be prepared, but not a robot.

Finally, show up knowledgeable. Know about the company, what they value, what their mission is, and what the position is all about. Don’t be caught like a deer in headlights. Study the position and take the interview seriously. But don’t be too practiced. The whole point of an interview is to have a conversation – so listen to the flow, and respond appropriately. Don’t plan on a script or a “if he says this, I’ll answer that.”

Your work persona is what you are “known for” at work. It’s not a complete picture of who you are, but it’s how you represent yourself. It’s the perception that you craft and hone. It’s the things you want to be known for. It’s what helps make you successful at work – and define to others, what success means to you.

Many of us enter the workforce as though we are entering another classroom or a date. “Just be yourself.” You show up as you are, and get to work.

Great advice if you are dating, but it could lead you astray in an office environment… especially if you are working in a cross-generational work-space. You don’t need to change who you are, but you do need to craft your work persona.

I learned this the hard way. (Of course I did!)

Check out all of the knocks I had along the way and the 5 questions to ask to create your work persona.

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