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From Employed to Job Seeker: Making the Performance Review Work

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An employee can go from gainful employment to job seeker status in one moment based on a performance review. It happens daily where polarizing views of work performance is seen. The end of the year performance review can reshape someone career.

Robert Ferguson, along with Peter Coleman wrote MAKING CONFLICT WORK: Harnessing the Power of Disagreement. I talk with Robert about how to temper a competitive and conflicting performance review. Robert explains how there are ways the employee can exercise “under power,” making a negative review into something useful for his or her career.

What was the worse review for you? Did you quit? Did you thrive after your review? I’d like to hear how from you how you handled conflicting performance review in one of three ways:

Blog: TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com (Use the send voicemail feature)

Email: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Voicemail: 708.365.9822

Robert Ferguson has a Ph.D in Psychology, a Management Consultant and Executive Coach whose client list includes Merril-Lynch, Navistar Corporation, and the University of Kentucky. MAKING CONFLICT WORK is a book published by Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt.

Highlights of our discussion:

Although most people are uncomfortable with conflict, there is a way to harness the energy to work to your advantage. Conflict happens within the context of a relationship such as a performance review with your supervisor
Relationships with your supervisor should help the surprises that often result in the lack of a relationship. This is tempered with continual feedback during the year when the official review is once-a-year
Often understated is the difference of power, and the book offers strategies to help people realize and leverage how to make them more cooperative
We talked about how people come ready for a showdown and often the performance review becomes a “competitive conflict”
Seeking “cooperative feedback” during the year builds the relationship resulting in a productive performance review
Robert and I discuss how the employee has options with the unprepared competitive or dictatorial bosses who expect you to be “cooperative” without resistance. “Having less power doesn’t make you powerless…”
There are informal sources of power but with a strategy you will not be the victim such as having “power-under”
The key to having a productive and successful performance review is knowing your goals
Robert also provides specific instances where the strategies were implemented and successful

Join us next week for our Christmas show. There will be a lot of job search nuggets and surprises!

by Mark Anthony Dyson

2 More Career Podcasts to Help Your Job Search

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This week, I wanted to share my MUST LISTEN TO career podcasts and hosts. Both are career practitioners but from different perspectives, and bring quality job search advice to their audiences. I hope that you will go and subscribe to their podcasts in iTunes, and engage their content as you see fit. Podcasts are the new talk show, and additionally in this show, we present two career podcasts that are educational in their approach for job seekers.

If you are a college student, a recent graduate or a neophyte professional, then you must subscribe and listen to Dayvon Goddard (@ItsDayD2y), the host and Career Strategist of Secrets of the Hire podcast and blog. Those who are more seasoned would not only benefit Dayvon’s show, but also find more relevant content through Chris Russell’s (@ChrisRussell) Career Cloud Radio podcast. Both podcasts offer substantial value to your proverbial job search advice toolbox.

I like to hear your thoughts and feedback about today’s show in one of three ways:

Blog: TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com (Use the send voicemail feature)

Email: mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

Voicemail: 708.365.9822

Soon-to-be-graduates, are you taking the whole holiday break off from your job search. Why? There is much work to get done! Dayvon will share five strategies he performed during his school breaks and while classes were in session. Now, Dayvon works for the government, but previously had an accounting position in New York City. He graduated more than two years ago, so he shares what has worked for him so that you can apply it too!

Here are highlights from our discussion:

Start 3:37…

Dayvon shares 5 job search strategies soon-to-be graduates:

Internships. Since your college is a business, ask if you can intern for free. Yes, your university will help you with 5-10 hours weekly for experience.
Leverage Networking with Campus Leadership. Use the down time between classes to talk with the deans and executive leadership on campus. The relationship may result in a reference or a commendation letter. Dayvon also stated that it was important to be consistent.
Network with Social organizations. Not only join social organizations on campus but also take leadership positions that increase your exposure and responsibilities. These can often translate into work experience in an interview. When an interviewer asks, “Tell me about the time you led a team,” you can refer to that experience.
Utilize Career Services. It is an under-utilize resource in everything job search. Their resources are often limitless and also access to people, especially Alumni.
Utilize LinkedIn Now!!! 1) 300 million users 2) Employers are looking for you (70% of employers to recruit) 3) Recent graduates are NOT there (16% of college graduates) 4) Connect as many as you can (Dayvon received four job offers without applying to anything!)

Chris Russell is the founder of Career Cloud Radio career podcast at CareerCloud.com, in addition to his day job as a recruiter. Career Cloud is a site where you can utilize several tools for your job search built around social media. He considers himself as the “Mad Scientist of Online Recruiting.”

On his site you’ll find job postings, membership, and also houses the InstaJob and Talent Xray apps for your smartphone. His podcast is a top 25 business podcast in ALL OF iTunes as it’s downloaded more than 2,000 times daily. I found it originally back in 2008 or 2009 as the “Secrets of the Job Hunt (you can still find it under that name using the TuneIn Radio app).”

Here are some highlights from our discussion:

Start 27:13…

On his site, you can build a “social resume” which is a single page snapshot of all of your social media activity no matter what social media site it is. His tool, “jobs with friends,” connects all of your social media contacts to one database with job leads that potentially leads to referrals through those contacts

Not enough recruiters and employers are not taking advantage of Twitter and LinkedIn by interacting, and giving job search advice such as how to get a job at the company. Although statistics may say that more than 95% of recruiters are using LinkedIn doesn’t speak to the volume of activity and usage to find candidates
Chris explains how recruiters and employers are attractive to a candidate. He suggests using sharing links, writing a blog and showing your enthusiasm or expertise through discussions. As a recruiter, if he has two candidates and one is active on social media, and the other one isn’t, he will likely look at the socially active one first
We discuss the difference between 2009 and now that LinkedIn is currently a true personal website now that blogging is accessible to many of its users. Back in 2009 it was more of a place to house your resume
I asked Chris his opinion on how much someone should share on LinkedIn. Some share as much as they do Twitter, others share sparingly. Listen to his answer as there is much discussion in the career space on what is too much
We discuss the value of the local groups and becoming active on the relevant ones and your industry in general. Jobs are being posted in those groups and sometimes uncover unposted jobs

If you haven’t heard yet, we have a group on LinkedIn where you can join in on active discussion and lend your job search experience. I will post the latest shows there in addition to unpublished job search advice on the blog or our career podcasts. Let me know if you need to know more, use the contact information at the beginning of this post.

Again, check out and subscribe to these career podcasts as they fit your job search needs. Of course, subscribe to this one as your primary way to create the voice that employers will hear and hire.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Accepting and Giving Criticism Effectively for the New Hire

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You were recently hired after a long job search. It’s been a while since someone scrutinized your daily performance at work. Maybe you’re a new hire and yet to receive feedback to gauge if you’re adequately learning and performing. If you fit either of these categories, then you are the receiver of criticism rather than the giver. We will learn about the value of criticism, its importance, and how it can be a positive tool for your first 90 days of your new job.

Dr. Deb Bright is our guest today. She will help us understand the positive attributes of criticism as a giver and receiver.

How important is feedback to you? Do you embrace as a necessity? Or are your experiences mostly a nightmare? I would love to hear your thought in one of the following ways:

1. Call and leave a message at either 708.365.9822 or go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press “Send Voicemail.”
2. Email me at mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com
3. Leave a comment on the blog

Dr. Deb Bright (@DrDebBright) is the author of the book, The Truth Doesn’t Have to Hurt: How to Use Criticism to Strengthen Relationships, Improve Performance and Promote Change. Her goal is to help people give and receive critical feedback positively and productively. Deb’s clients include companies such as, Chase, The New York Stock Exchange and ITT. Again, I would like to thank AMACOM for my free review copy of Deb’s book, and arranging our conversation.

Here are highlights of our discussion:

Accepting criticism should be viewed as a skill set. Employers need to ask where did they receive training to receive and give criticism
New employees need to look at themselves as a product. You are being hired for more than your technical skills, but the ability in working as a team, including you manage feedback
Once you gain the skills, view it as a life enhancement, not just for the job but for life
The receiver is in the control of the criticism exchange process because the receiver can challenge the giver. The receiver is also the one who decides if he/she accepts or rejects it
The lack of training feedback is best addressed during downtime. Once you receive feedback, be sure to follow-up with your boss know you have been working on what he or she pointed out during the exchange
Deb described the building of an “expectation package.” It is a two-way exchange that makes critique work to build trust and respect
We also discuss Deb’s experience as a potential Olympic Diver being coached by someone who clearly set expectations. Listen to how Deb accepted criticism from her coach and the impact it had on her life
Deb embraced her coaches’ directness in dispensing criticism but pointed out there was a common goal. This reflects a key in accepting criticism. There were common goals and rules in giving and accepting critique

We will not publish a show next week since it is Thanksgiving week. Look for a new episode December 2, and for the Dec. 9 & 16 episodes we will have our regular segments plus holiday job search tips sprinkled throughout the show. After that we will take a holiday hiatus retuning Jan. 6 with new episodes!