Reinke Faces Life

http://www.prairietumbleweedfarm.com

ATTENTION KMART SHOPPERS!

I think the “rules” are changing again. If you’ve been down to my “turkey farm”, then you know that I think there have been four “rule changes”.

http://home.comcast.net/~v2y2r0n27rhj6y/TURKEY/index_Page369.htm

Unlike that TV show “wife swap” — yeah I watch too much tv — there was NO rules change ceremony.

I wish I had a dime for every seeker who stops in for help that is working with the old pair of dimes.

<<You know paradigm. Way of thinking. Glass half-full half-empty. Your mental model. Your meme (i.e., mental gene).>>

I’ll still meet folks using the “gold watch” paradigm and wondering why they are getting screwed, broke, busted, disgusted, and killed in the employment marketplace. They believed the “barbara streisand” that their employer peddled until it was too late. They were a freshly axed turkey!

But, back to my point, about the “rules”.

I am sensing a new rule. As with most change, it is sneaking up on us. It’s actually adding to my “Three Part Harmony” description. A fourth item is being added.

The Web-based biz!

It is trivial for you to form a Nevada corporation. (I just did it for about $1200!) It is trivial for you to assemble a web-based store. (I’m in the process of doing it now for under $250) And, if this lady can sell tumbleweed, then surely you have something to sell. I think the key thing to notice is the available click at the top of the website that displays the site in Japanese!!

So, the model for success HAS officially changed! Henceforth and forever more, the model is “Four Tined Fork”. That is: (1) Ruthless financial management — get it, keep it, make it work; (2) White Collar job; (3) Blue Collar skill; and (4) one or more Web-based businesses.

Don’t say you didn’t get the memo. Here it is. A wake up call.

(Surely, if she can sell tumbleweed to the Japanese, you can do better!)

# # # # #

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml;jsessionid=
BQABRED1US4NPQFIQMGSFGGAVCBQWIV0?xml=/opinion/
2007/05/13/do1301.xml

http://tinyurl.com/32s4l2

New York – the new Venice?
By Niall Ferguson, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 13/05/2007

***Begin Quote***

Looking closely at which activities are most vulnerable as Asian competition ascends the value chain from manufacturing into services, Blinder estimates that “somewhere between 22 per cent and 29 per cent of all US jobs are or will be potentially offshorable within a decade or two”. That could be one in four jobs.

***End Quote***

Not a good omen for the future.

FROM AN EMAIL EXCHANGE WITH A NEW TURKEY

***Begin Quote***

Your resume is NOT your UVP.

The resume is an expression of your Unique Sales Proposition.

I believe that your UVP is a distillation of your elevator speech. It’s what you can uniquely do that is of value to you, and someone who will pay you.

For example, my UVP is that “I solve complex technical and business problems in large scale IT infrastructures.” That’s not on any resume, but that’s the message.

See the diff? (welcome to the big turkey’s vision of the world).

I like seekers to have one simple declarative sentence.

In marketing they teach product should “own a word”. Volvo safety. Cheerios Ohhs. Goodyear tires. Goodrich not-Goodyear. You get the idea. In jobsearch, I teach seekers to have at least one sentence that expresses their value to anyone.

In TurkeyLand, the process goes:

• First you discover all / most / some of your Value Propositions. (I have pages of them; blogging ain’t one of them!)
• Then, you refine them to UNIQUE VPs (i.e., Anyone can flip burgers).
• Then, you sort them by how marketable they are, how saleable they are (note there is a BIG difference), and/or how interesting they are to you.
• You, then, develop how you “market” / “sell” it (i.e., find the target audience & the sales proposition).
• Finally, you develop the collateral material like resumes and cover letters and other stuff that support the USP.

OK, that’s how it is done in “turkey land”. In the real world, how do you do it?

***End Quote***

I cleaned it up for general consumption, but that was the thrust.

http://www.execunet.com/e_resources.cfm

About the movie “FIRED”

***Begin Quote***

Nan Stothard, regional vice president of Right Management Consultants, concurs, saying in the film that the stigma of being fired “used to be huge, but it is now matter-of-fact.”

While that might offer minimal comfort to those who are still smarting from an unceremonious dismissal, the movie offers some optimistic messages. Walter Scheib III, the former White House chef who Gurwitch found to be the only outgoing member of the Bush administration to say he was fired, suggests avoiding being classified by the role you just lost. “Define yourself based on your competencies and your capabilities. You walk away with your skills and capabilities.”

***End Quote***

I rave about UPV (Unique Value Proposition). Most seekers have no idea what they offer to someone. If you don’t know, why should I have to figure it out?

>And would you recommend age-proofing or not age-proofing?

As probably the self-declared dean of the “Sacred College of Scared FOWGs” (fat old white guys), I can say with virtual certainty and absolute confidence, speak ex cathedra, from my belly button, that it ain’t worth the effort!

Why, you ask?

Cause they are gonna find out any way just what an old fa … ahh, fuddy duddy … … ahhh, candidate … … you are.

If they don’t know it from your resume, then the walker you are using to get into the interviewer’s office will certainly give it away.

Seriously, when I counsel turkeys of advanced years … anything over 40, I urge them to put extra effort into their Unique Value Proposition and their Unique Sales Proposition. By working on the sizzle and the “stake”, you can make yourself more attractive then them there young whipper snappers you may be competing with.

And, do you really want to waste time and effort fooling them into considering you?

And, if they are such aaaa… ahhh accomplished executives, ahh … … hunters and employers … … with such poor decision making skills that they allow such a silly prejudice as age to filter their selections, then should you even be bothered interviewing with them? Guess they haven’t heard about the war for talent.

Don’t let anyone kid you, you don’t get the opportunity to unlock value for someone by fraud. You can’t trick them into believing that 60 is the new 40 or 50 is the new 25 unless you have the Jedi mind powers of Yoda.

You can MARKET yourself in such a way that you get the opportunity to SELL the value that you bring to the table. You have DIKW (data, information, knowledge, and WISDOM) that your younger peers can’t come anywhere near matching.

In closing, whenever I coach my turkeys about ageism, I think the model is Ronald Regan. Regardless of your politics, he demonstrated how to address the age issue when he said to the questioner during a 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale:

“I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

That was the line that many say won the election!

So too, if seekers are worried about age-proofing a resume then they have bigger problems. They are focusing on the trivial issues. They need to express their value. If they can do that in their “elevator speech”, then they may not even NEED a resume. It’s happened to me, and some others I know.

IMHO YMMV FAIWWYPFI
fjohn
the big fat old turkey hisself

p.s., Now where did I leave my powered wheel chair. It’s time for the home health aide to change me. I got so excited, I wet myself.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070430063518AAOYrrm&r=w&
pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMhjNcVBC1clhWONCqtpS.eyBLEGYC4XifGrzOFa3JzBsEGqU
ehxT3UvPUN3DxkEMGVQ–&paid=answered

http://tinyurl.com/2cwefy

FROM A YAHOO ANSWERS QUESTION BY MANDEE_00:

*** begin quote ***

Does anyone have a job vacancy?

I am really desperate for a job. I am 21 years old, I currently do swim teaching but im getting bored of the job. Does any1 have a business where they would like to employ me to work for them? Im very reliable. Or does anyone know of anywhere that is employing staff? Preferably Admin/Secreterial work

Thanks

***Begin Quote***

Dearest Mandee,

>Does anyone have a job vacancy?

Sure, depending upon where you are, depending upon what value you can create, depending upon what you are motivated to do, and depending upon how hungry or headstrong you are, I looking in my crystal ball, can state unequivocally, that there is a perfect “job” for you nearby!

> I am really desperate for a job. I am 21 years old,

Doesn’t sound “desparate” to me. Not even deperate! Ahh to be twenty one again, sigh. What “job” would make you jump out of bed in the morning and run to get to work? (OK, maybe not jump and run, but arise with joy; walking briskly in with a skip in your step. To quote Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act 2 “if u wake up in the morning and all u can think about is singing first then girl u suppose to be a singer.” Great advice!

> I currently do swim teaching but im getting bored of the job.

Well, I’d say that being bored is the Universe signaling you that you are not where you are supposed to be.

>Does any1 have a business where they would like to employ me to work for them?

Wrong question, imho. What do you propose to do for someone that they should pay you for? What is your Unique Value Proposition? What are those things that are unique to you that others value enough to strike a deal? Answer that and you are more than half-way to your “dream job”. So you have to do some “heavy lifting” now. Sit down in a quiet place and write out every single thing that you can do, want to do, have been asked to do, dreamt of doing, or your parents wished you’d do. What is your uniqueness.

>Im very reliable. Or does anyone know of anywhere that is employing staff?
>Preferably Admin/Secreterial work

Every major enterprise, probably except the car industry and the airlines, is looking for people willing to solve problems and exploit opportunities for them. To ask here on Yahoo Answers for “a job” is akin to “the drunk looking for his keys under the lamp post, even though that’s not where he lost them, because that’s where the light is.”

You haven’t mentioned geography (i.e., where do you want to work), compensation (i.e., of the value you generate how much do you want to retain), or form (i.e., employee, consultant, or contractor).

>

OK time for more “heavy lifting”.

Make a list of everyone you know. A real paper list. Name, address, phone number.

Then, GO and talk to each one about (1) what they did at your age; (2) any opportunities that they know; (3) ask their advice; (4) get — don’t leave until you do — the names of two people that they think you should talk to adding that to the bottom of your list.

Take detailed notes. Write a real USMAIL thank you note. (No joke; get in the habit early.)

Continue until the list is exhausted. (Yeah, I know it never ends. Now you are getting the picture. The search never ends especially when you get a job.)

You can stop when you have gathered enough information to answer all the questions above. ;-)

See your first real job is figuring out how the whole “job” process works and how you fit into it. You’re the CEO, CFO, and janitor for “You Incorporated — the Me, myself, and I division”. Now how are you going to make your payroll? Think like an owner of your own services business. That’s what we all really are.

Let us know how you make out.

***End Quote***

Easy after my last best answer.

FROM YAHOO ANSWERS

Home > Business & Finance > Careers & Employment > Question

***Begin Quote***

I am lookin for a job. What jobs do you think are good for a 16 year old?

***End Quote***

McDonalds — if for no other reason than you’ll learn some skills (i.e., on time; satisfying a supervisor; dealing with Colleagues; interacting with the public) — you get appreciation for money and how hard it is to earn — and, why you need an education that leads to a career! There’s a bundle of “foreigners” who want to eat your lunch. Breakfast and dinner too if you let them.

At 16, depending upon the local diktats, you’re choices may be limited, or you may have to seek government permission. I hustled odd jobs starting about when I was twelve. Went to a “real job” when I was sixteen; had to get “working papers” — what a farce. Started working full time as a sophomore in college.

Make a list of everyone you know. A real paper list. Name, address, phone number. Then, talk to each one about (1) what they did at your age; (2) any opportunities that they know; (3) ask their advice. Take detailed notes. Write a real USMAIL thank you note. (No joke; get in the habit early.)

See your first real job is figuring out how the whole “job” process. You’re the CEO, CFO, and janitor for “You Incorporated — the Me, myself, and I division”. Now how are you going to make your payroll? Think like an owner of your own services business. That’s what we all really are.

Let us know how you make out.

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/develop-your-im-network/

Develop your IM Network
By Daniel on Web Tools

***Begin Quote***

Having a network of contacts and friends over Instant Messaging software is essential. Sometimes you might need someone to check a feature on your website, other times you might need a tip to solve a technical problem. In those situations it is always a good idea to have someone that you can chat in real time.

***End Quote***

While he’s referring to techies to look for tech tips, it would seem to me that your virtual search team, psuedo Board of Directors, and key networking contacts might be useful to have racked up ready to go.

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobseeker/tools/ept/
contribEditorPost.html?post=16

http://tinyurl.com/27zo7q

The Savvy Networker
Liz Ryan
The Case of the Pushy Lady

Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, former Fortune 500 VP and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. She is the author of “Happy About Online Networking,” creator of the Career Bound workshop, and founder of the global women’s organization formerly known as WorldWIT.

***Begin Quote***

My eighth-grader daughter refers to certain people in her social group as “maybe a little WRAM.” What does WRAM mean? I asked her. It’s an acronym, she said: it stands for World Revolves Around Me. There are a few networkers I could affix that label to without much trouble. Don’t be one of them: networking is supposed to be a two-way street, and the more you focus on helping your fellow networkers, the more good things will come back to you — trust me.

***End Quote***

You can avoid the WRAM objection bu anticipating the question that anyone will ask WIIIFM (what is in it for me). Just like on the resume, your advertisement FOR a job, no one wants to hear YOUR objective. They want to hear how you will satisfy THEIR objectives.

So you turn WRAM into WRAY. The world revolves around YOU!