Business Cards

Surprisingly, many people who work primarily online do not have business cards. They simply are not needed or thought about. However, to tap into your local market, you need to have business cards printed up and you should keep some with you at all times. The cards should have all of your information on it – name, contact information, website address and so on.

Printing up business cards is just good business when interacting with people who may not run their businesses online. Many times an online freelancer will be talking to someone who runs a brick and mortar company in their area. When asked about work, the freelancer will generally them to visit a website address or a LinkedIn profile url. This confuses some people. They want something concrete they can hold, look at, and use at a later time.

Who Do You Know?

Freelancers who work online understand the importance of social networking. Drumming up business in your physical location is no different, except you do it in person instead of sitting behind your computer.

If you want to land work and/or contracts in your area, you have to get yourself out there amongst the people. Join groups, volunteer your time, and do various other things in your community that will enable you to come in contact with people that may be in need of your products or services. As the old saying goes, ‘it’s who you know’. This is very true online and in the real-world. Someone you may talk to while at a conference may not need your work, but they may know someone who is in dire need of your services. So, get yourself out there and start rubbing elbows with people.

Know Reality and Start Small

People in your online business circle may know exactly who you are and what you do. They know who you are whenever your name is mentioned to them and you may be the ‘go-to’ person for particular types of products and services. This isn’t always the case in your local area. Your reputation may not precede you!

Sometimes it is hard to get local business simply because the individuals you are talking to work in a brick and mortar building day in and day out and they don’t surf the Internet or search for employees via the Web. In these instances, approach the individual or business as you would if you were applying for a job. Tell them what you do, what you can offer them, and request to take on a very small job. Many local businesses often feel they are stepping out on faith when they hire a ‘freelancer’ for a project as they are used to having someone in-house do the work. However, if you can convince them to let you take on a small job and you do it well, you can begin to build a local reputation.

Free Stuff

Another way that someone who primarily freelances online can get local business is to do a project for ‘home folk’ free of charge. It can be volunteering to set up a website for a local non-profit, writing up a holiday newsletter for a business, or creating an advertisement for a children’s organization. Whatever it is, be sure your name and contact information is clearly listed. These free deeds of service can go a long way in getting you noticed in your community. 

Freelancing can be feast or famine. By opening up your network to your local markets, you are adding more eggs to your basket and expanding your business. Your work can also go a long way in solidifying your place in your community.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on expanding your business, take a look at the following books:

Growing a Business
Growing Your Business!
A Woman’s No-nonsense Guide to Growing Your Small Business

When thinking about whether to take on a part time job, students should think about whether they absolutely need to, and whether there is some flexibility that will mean they can take breaks for busy periods of time and exams. The pros and cons of taking a student job are listed below:

Pros of Working Whilst Studying

Valuable Extra Income

A few extra hundred pounds a month can be very significant if you’re a student that can only work one or two days a week. This money can be used to cover food bills and other essentials, and will leave you with some extra money which you can use for going out and treating yourself. Having an income also means that you’ll be less likely to suffer in-between academic years when you don’t have a student loan to fall back on.

Breaks Up the Week

Having a part time job means that you can break up the week, and means that you’re not just focusing on study at all times. This distraction means that you can balance your week a bit better, and can help to reduce the stress caused by continual study. It also means that you have a better structure to the week, and less motivation for staying in bed on your days off.

Gets You Outside the Student Social Circle

It can be important to get out of a student circle of friends and a part time job can achieve this. Not having to talk about your course and university life can be a relief, and will mean that you will have a wider circle of friends with different interests.

Can Be Expanded to Full Time During Breaks

Another benefit of having a part time job is that you may be able to expand your hours to full time on your breaks from university. This might be over Christmas, Easter or the summer months. Doing so can mean that you can work hard to save up money for the new academic year, which will help to reduce other costs.

Gives You Experience When You Leave

Being able to demonstrate that you’ve worked part time during your degree or course means that you will be in a better position to apply for new jobs once you graduate. Employers will see that you have kept up work during your studies, and will trust you to be more responsible.

Cons of Working Whilst Studying

Easy to Work Too Much

It is easy to take too much on, especially if you feel that you need the extra money. You may find yourself running out of hours in the week to relax, which can result in additional stress during busy times o the year.

Difficulty of Working Unsociable Hours

A part time job often means having to fit shifts around your studies. This typically means having to work weekend or evening shifts, which can disrupt your social life, while making it harder to feel like you’re fitting in with your friends and their schedules.

This article was written by Serena Grant. Serena is a former student herself with a passion for higher education. She is currently working as a blogger with London based Sixth Form College, Lansdowne College.

Do you want to write an article for us? Submit your article for consideration.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on financial survival when studying, take a look at the following books:

The Adult Student’s Guide to Survival & Success
Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans
What Smart Students Know: Maximum Grades. Optimum Learning. Minimum Time.

“It’s Not My Job”

If there are things to do around your work place and you don’t step up to the plate from time-to-time and extend yourself to help out, this could be one reason why you are not advancing in your career. People who have the ‘it’s not my job’ mentality aren’t viewed as team players and they are often overlooked for promotions—no matter how well they excel at their job. Even if you may not have said the words ‘it’s not my job’ out loud, it is picked up on by your co-workers and managers.

This pitfall to career advancement is often one of the easiest to overcome. All you need to do to overcome this unhelpful reputation is to show a willing spirit and pitch-in and help out your place of employment when it is in a crunch. When you do this consistently, times, you will be proving to the powers-that-be that you have a giving nature and you are able to work for the greater good of everyone.

Resistance to Change

What works one year may not work the next year. For a business to remain viable in today’s marketplace, it must be open to change. If you are someone who is resistant to change, this may be one of the reasons why your career is not advancing. It may be that you haven’t gone out to acquire the updated skills you need to be a competitive force amongst your peers, or it could be that you show or display resistance when your company implements new policies and procedures.

The bottom line is if you want to advance your career, you must not let change rattle your cage and mess you up. You must be open to change and take it by the wheel and flow with it. Don’t cling to old ways—no matter how comfy and loyal you may feel about them. For you to be viable in today’s marketplace as an employee, you must be open to change.

Unreliability

Take a serious look at yourself in both your personal and professional life and be completely honest with yourself. Are you truly a reliable person? Are you consistent? Do you do what you tell people that you will do? Can they take your word and bet their life on what you tell them?

If the answer is not a resounding yes, then perhaps the reason your career is not advancing is because people don’t think you are reliable. Even if they know you are reliable in your professional life, if they know you are not reliable in your personal life, it will impact your career.

If unreliability is your problem, it’s not too late to change. Find out where your unreliability comes from and work to change it.  For instance, maybe you are someone that loves people and you have a hard time telling people ‘no’. Believe it or not, some of the most unreliable people are truly people pleasers who have overloaded themselves with too many commitments.

Your heart may be in the right place when you tell people that you will things, but if you don’t follow through with what you say, you will be labeled unreliable. This label can spread into your workplace. While it can take a while to get this label off your back, it is doable.

Procrastination

Procrastination is not unreliability, but it is its cousin. If you are the type of person that puts deadlines off to the last minute, this could be one reason why you are not advancing in your career. While it may be true that you always turn in good work—and you turn it in on time—your procrastination to start can make others anxious and worried. This anxiousness and worry doesn’t bode well for you when it comes time to hand out promotions.

If you think procrastination is what is holding you back in your career, get a handle on it. Change up your mindset and your work routine and methods. Doing so can open the door for advancement later.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on career advancement, take a look at the following books:

Getting to the Top: Strategies for Career Success
Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand
Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why: 10 Things You’d Better Do If You Want to Get Ahead

People prefer to work with people who are recommended to them by others. Why? They trust and respect the opinion of the individual who referred you. This trust and respect is transferred in-part over to you. Here are some tips on how you go about increasing the amount of referral work you receive.

Offer Superior Quality and Customer Service

If you want someone to refer you to others, provide superior quality of work. Go above and beyond their expectations and deliver goods/services that far exceed anything they ever expected. Basically – over deliver.

You should also provide outstanding customer service. Make sure you communicate clearly, deliver things in a timely manner, and always remain professional. If you provide superior quality of work and you excel at customer service, you will get repeat business and the referrals will come.

Ask for Feedback

After you have completed work for someone, send them out a letter or questionnaire asking them for feedback. Ask if they are satisfied with the work you did for them and if so, if they would refer you to others. You should also ask if they have any feedback on things you can to improve the service/product they obtained from you.

Come Out and Ask

Many people find it hard to ask people to refer them to others. If this is you, get over the uncomfortable feelings you may have about it, and just do it! Tell the people that you do work with that referrals make up a big part of your business. Ask them if anyone they know is ever in need of your products/services that they refer you. Many people are happy to give referrals, they just never think about it on their own. If you let people know that you appreciate referrals many individuals will start giving them.

Business Cards

When you ask people you have worked with to refer you to others, give them a few of your business cards to give out to others. If you want, write something on the back of the card that will be an incentive for the person to hand them out. The incentive can be a discount your customer receives if he refers a new client or customer to you and the card is presented.

You should also have business cards handy and ready to give out to people you meet who may be in need of your products/services. You can also give cards to friends and family members to give out for you when they meet others who could be potential work leads for you. 

Keep in Touch

Individuals who tend to have the most referral business are generally ones who keep in touch with their clients and customers—past and present. Stay in touch with present and former clients via phone calls, emails, or newsletters. This will keep you in the forefront of their minds and it can lead to referral business.

Define Your Services

Make sure that the products/services that you offer are clearly defined. You may find work with one individual doing one type of service and he may not know that you also do other types of work. This is not good. He will only think to refer you for the type of service/product that he obtained. So, clearly define the products and services that you offer. Make this information available in a pamphlet that you give out to in-person clients. You should also have your products/services clearly defined on your website.

Professional Networking

Referrals don’t just come through people who patron your business, or from your family and friends. They also come through fellow professionals. It’s important that you take time to grow your professional network. Whether you need work for your brick-and-mortar business or your online business, networking with other professionals can make all the difference. Get to know others. Tell them about your business and ask them about their businesses. Start referring people out to professionals you know and they are sure to return the favor when they have someone in need of the products/services that you offer.

When You Do Get Referrals

As the referrals start to come in, take time to thank the individuals who sent you the work. Go out of your way to let them know how much you appreciate the referral and that their referral has helped you grow your business. This heartfelt appreciation will make people feel good. Also, knowing that their referral generated such a response from you will prompt them to continue giving referrals.

Overview

When you are looking for work, don’t overlook the impact that referrals can have on your business. Every individual you know in your professional and private life has a relationship web. People know people, and those people know more people. Make it easy for people to refer you to others – provide superior quality and customer service, define your services, stay in touch with everyone, network, and make it easy for people to contact you.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on finding clients, take a look at the following books:

Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts into Sales
Book Yourself Solid: Get More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Selling
Get Clients Now: A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches

Lack of Support

It’s hard to give your all to a new business when those closest to you aren’t supporting you. A partner may be non-supportive if they feel that you becoming an entrepreneur is putting too much financial pressures on the household. If you have children, your partner and extended family may not be supportive of your endeavors if they want you to not work at all and focus your life solely on your children. Whatever the reasons, without the support of the key people in your life, it can be tough to stay focused and grow your business.

To overcome this dilemma, have an honest conversation with the doubters. Explain to them that their lack of support is hindering you from moving forward with your work as you would like. Listen to any concerns they may voice and see if there is a way to solve the issues so everyone is happy. Sometimes this kind of sit-down meeting can clear the air and get the important people in your life behind you. 

Toughen Up

If you are overly sensitive to rejection or criticism, being in business for yourself can greatly impact your emotions. While no one likes to hear the word ‘no’ or to be told they could do things in a better way, hearing those things shouldn’t send you into such a depression that you start pulling back from work or stop working altogether.

To be in business for yourself you have to toughen up and detach your personal feelings a bit. Just because someone has a problem or issue with a product or service you offer doesn’t mean they are rejecting you as an individual. Grow some thick skin and turn things around. Use rejection and criticisms to your advantage. Get to the bottom of what is going on. It’s true that you can’t please everyone. However, if rejection or criticism is consistent, take a good look at your business and see what needs changed or fine-tuned. 

Lack of Confidence

Sometimes a business doesn’t grow because the owner has a lack of confidence. Do you fall into this category? Maybe you grew your business to the point that you knew it would get to, yet you can’t picture yourself going to the next level. The way we see and view ourselves often dictates how far we will go in life. For instance, if you saw yourself running a business and making X amount of money per year and you achieved it, the thought of making Y amount of money may be intimidating. When intimidation and a lack of confidence are coupled together, a business will tend to not grow.

To overcome this scenario, start changing how you think about yourself and your business. Remind yourself that just because your business may change and grow in a way you never dreamed, you are still the same person and you are perfectly capable of handling it. Envision your business at the next level and you working it at that level. Tell yourself that you won’t become lost or lose yourself, but you will be growing and maturing as an individual. Giving yourself these pep-talks will help you feel less intimidated and it can help you tackle any ambitious changes that need to take place inside yourself and with your business.

Poor Online Reputation

The reason your business may not be growing may be due to your online reputation. A poor online reputation may have developed because one unhappy client broadcasted their issues with you on the Internet for the whole world to view. Or, your reputation may have been smeared by things that were completely non-work related – such as a family member having been in legal trouble or a bitter ex slandered your name.

If there are negative things posted on the Internet about you or your business, it’s time to get active. While it probably isn’t possible to have these things wiped from the search engines, you can hire individuals who specialize in cleaning up online information. These individuals can get to work and start pushing these negative things down in the search results. They can also advise you on whether you should respond directly to negative things that have been written. 

Technology/Software

If you don’t stay up-to-date with all of the technological changes that are going on inside your industry, your business will probably stop growing. Clients will take their business to others who are on top of and flowing with the latest software/technological changes. If you feel at a disadvantage because you don’t have a lot of techno-mojo, hire someone that can help you. Or, take classes that will bring you up to speed on the latest software programs and gadgets. Lack of knowledge is something that is easily overcome. Don’t let it be the thing that is keeping your business from growing.

If your business isn’t growing, start digging around and find out why. Whether it’s personal or business related, do whatever it takes to resolve the issues. Doing so will get your business back on track.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on growing your business, take a look at the following books:

Growing Your Business!
Free Marketing: 101 Low and No-Cost Ways to Grow Your Business
Grow: Regardless Of Your Business’s Size, Your Industry or the Economy

Determine Your Career Goal

If you don’t know where you want to go, you will never get there. Before you do anything, you must determine your career goal.

After you know what your goal is, write down the path, or the job titles that will lead you to that goal. Put the job titles in order starting with your present position. The last title on your list should be your destination, or your career goal.

You now have a visible list of markers that will guide you each step up the career ladder.

Outline the Next Step

Write down what obtaining the next job title on your list will require. Perhaps you need additional education? Maybe you will need special training of some sort? Write down whatever it is and then list how you can go about obtaining the requirements.

In addition to education or special training, write down any personality or characteristics that someone in this position must possess. List as many as you can think of that the job requires. Your list may contain skills such as public speaking, team-building, multi-tasking, management/leadership traits, and more.

Of the personality/characteristics, mark off the ones you currently possess. Then, highlight the ones you need to develop. Next, write down what you need to do to obtain each trait – examples may be taking a special course, doing volunteer or community work, setting aside time to do a self-study program, or working with a mentor. 

Get Real With Yourself

Take a serious look at the position you will be working toward and all that will be required of you to obtain it. Then, get real with yourself and determine if it is actually something you want to do. If you had all of the necessary requirements to do the job, would you truly enjoy it? Would it be a good fit for your life?

Ask yourself what you would dislike about the position. What would be the most difficult and challenging thing to overcome? Challenges may include having move your family to a new area, traveling or being away from home two weeks out of the month, very long commutes, and more.

Look at your list of dislikes or challenges. Think about how you would be able to overcome, or handle, these things and if the position is worth it.  If you feel you can work past the challenges, work toward the position. If not, you will either have to come up with a new career goal, put your advancement on hold until you can meet the challenges, or find another route to your career goal.

Assessing Your Company Options

If you decide to continue pursuing your career goal and you are certain you can obtain the requirements and overcome any challenges there may be, the next step is to assess your current employer. By assessing the company you currently work for you will be able to determine if you need to stay with this employer, or seek out a new employer.  Ask yourself these questions:

Is this position even a job title at your present employer?
If the answer is yes, how often does this job title become open?
Would this position become open sooner if you worked for a larger or smaller company?

If the position you are working toward is not available at your current place of employment because it does not exists – of course you will need to seek the position elsewhere. If that job title you are seeking is available with your employer, how often do jobs become open?

If you determine that a job opening is not likely to become available for a very long time, list other companies that might have possible openings, or openings more often. Based on what you know about these companies, which ones would facilitate you the best in reaching your career goal?

Work the Plan

No matter how close or far away you are from reaching your career goal, always rely on your plan. When you obtain the next position on your list, go back to the plan and work it again.

Outline the requirements of the next job title you seek. List what you will need to do to obtain them, if you don’t already possess them. Evaluate the personality and character traits needed for this new position. Determine if you have them. If not, list what you can do to obtain them. Then, get real with yourself and decide if the next position is truly what you want to pursue. If not, reassess your career goal, put it on hold, or find an alternate path to it.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on career advancement, take a look at the following books:

Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why
Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand
The Career Coward’s Guide to Career Advancement

Work Out the Details First

Before you start applying for jobs, make sure you have all the details worked out. This means you know why you want to go back to work, what you need to earn, and what schedule you are available to work. You should know the answers to these questions before you look for work and go on job interviews. By having the answers you can narrow down the positions that will suit your lifestyle, as well as have the answers to questions you may be asked in an interview. 

Another detail that you will have to work out is child care. You should have potential child-care lined up and ready for when you land your job, don’t wait until you are offered a job to look for childcare. You should talk to your children and tell them that you are looking for a job and what they should expect when you find one. 

Computer and Technology Skills

Make sure your computer and technology skills are updated. You don’t have to be a computer-geek, but you should know your way around a computer, as well as how to work with the newest programs. If necessary, take computer classes in your community or take advantage of free software tutorials online to brush up your skills.

Resume Gaps

Don’t worry about the gaps in your resume. Be honest and list that you were a stay at home mom. Then, list everything you did during this time that would impress a potential employer such as volunteer work, even planning, organizing, heading up the PTA, etc.

Don’t Feel Inferior

When you are trying to find work after being a stay at home mom, don’t feel that you are inferior or that you should be apologetic to anyone that you were out of the workforce. You have much to offer and you will be bringing skills to the position you are applying for. Also, companies are aware that hiring a mother with children still in the home will require flexibility on their end. Yet, they are also aware that working mothers are a very loyal workforce. So, hold your head high and don’t ever feel inferior for allotting time out of your life to take care of your children.

Check Your Appearance

While your husband and children may think your hair, clothes, and appearance are fine, potential employers may not see you in the same light. Update your look and make sure you have outfits that are modern and suitable for the environment in which you are job seeking. If you are uncertain about what to wear to an interview, wear something neat and professional. When you are at the interview, look at the other women that are working there. Make mental notes as to the type of attire they are wearing, as well as how they are wearing their hair. Is it business suits or office casual? Do the women with long hair wear their hair up? This type of information can help you grow your career ‘look’.

Finding Work

The first place you can look for employment is in your city’s newspaper. You can also go online to check job-boards in your area. Another route you may want to consider is going through a temporary staffing agency. Many mothers looking to return to work find temporary agencies one of the best ways to get back into the workforce. Also, these temp jobs often led to permanent positions. 

Other ways to find work is through your family and friends. It doesn’t matter if you are seeking a part-time job, spread the word that you are re-entering the workforce and network with everyone who may have a lead for you. Contact previous employers and co-workers, as well as people you may have went to school with and places you may have previously volunteered.

Lastly, don’t get discouraged. If it takes a while to find work, don’t assume it is because you have been a stay at home. The job market can be tough for everyone. But, you will find work if you keep searching.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on being a working mom, take a look at the following books:

Expert Resumes for People Returning to Work
Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom
42 Rules for Working Moms: Practical, Funny Advice for Achieving Work-Life Balance

You Have to Work Long Hours

The myth that self employed people have to work longer hours than people who are employed by others is false.

It is true that being self-employed will require a lot of effort and time, especially in the beginning, to grow your business. It is also true that many self-employed individuals work long hours, yet many of them do so simply because they truly love their work.

Individuals who are self-employed are their own bosses. They can opt to work 50 or more hours a week, or 10 hours per week. It is a choice and dependent upon their personal and business goals. Some self-employed individuals run their businesses part-time – while others operate 24/7 and hire employees to work for them when they are not available.

Self Employment is Risky

The myth that self employment is more risky than working for an employer is false.

As many people are learning, job security is no longer the norm. Individuals who have been with companies for years are finding they no longer have employment. Whether it is due to economic conditions, downsizing, or bringing in younger employees, businesses seem to have no problem letting people go.

Someone that is self employed has job security because they are in control. They own the business. They do not have to fear being laid off or fired. While it is true that someone that is self employed is at the mercy of the ebb and flow of their target market’s need, individuals who are self employed have far more control over their income. They can refocus and change their business model around to fit the needs of the consumer.

You Only Have One Income Stream

The myth that being self employed means that all of your eggs are in one basket is false.

When you are employed with a traditional employer it is your primary source of income. If the business should close or you get dismissed from your employment, your income is gone. Working for an employer is the prime example of having all of your eggs in one basket.

The above scenario will not happen to the majority of self employed individuals. Why? Individuals who work for themselves will generally have more than one income stream. Successful self employed individuals will have many clients, or avenues of income. If one should stop, it may set the self employed individual back until they find a replacement, but they do have income coming in from other sources. Having income coming in from different sources is much less risky than depending on receiving a paycheck from one employer.

Self Employment is Stressful

The myth that self employment has to be stressful is false.

Whether you work for another or you are self employed, stress will arise. It is true that starting your own business and growing it can be stressful as you will have to learn many different things besides your specialty – such as billing, taxes, marketing, and more. However, many self employed individuals feel that not having control over their life, time, and future is more stressful than learning the skills to run a business, or hiring someone to do these types of things for them.

When you are self employed you do not have to work with someone if you have a personality conflict with them, or if you disagree with their work ethics. The self employed can also choose when they work, the number of hours they work, what direction they want to grow their business, and they can take time off for emergencies or illness, if it is needed. That is stress-free living at its best.

The Self Employed Miss Out on Socializing

The myth that self employed people miss out on socializing is false.

When you work for a business, you have no choice but to interact and socialize with your co-workers day in and day out—whether you like them or not. If you like them, the workplace can be a great place for making friends and developing an active social life away from work. If you don’t like them, going to work every day can become something that you dread and that you come to hate.

One of the benefits of being self employed is that you can pick and choose how you socialize, who you socialize and interact with, and when you do it. Generally speaking, the self employed come in contact with a wider variety of people than individuals who work for traditional brick and mortar companies. Not only do the self employed come in contact with other business owners, clients, and customers, they can set their own hours and opt to go to places and social events as they wish and meet people from all walks of life. Self employed people are not boxed in to interacting with the same people day in and day out, they meet a wider range of personalities, and their time is their own.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on self employment, take a look at the following books:

Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed
Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work That You Love
No Limits: How I escaped the clutches of Corporate America to live the Self-employed life of my dreams

If you are not familiar with the process of a performance review it is a meeting that you have with one or more supervisors that lets you know how effective you are in your position. Going into a performance review can make you feel nervous as it is a time when you will be hearing things that may not be positive. However, if you want to advance your career you must find out how you and your work are being perceived.

Performance reviews open the communication door. You will find out what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong from the employer’s perspective. Requesting a performance review can save you months or years of frustration. Why try to figure out on your own why you are being overlooked for promotions when you can go straight to the source?

To take the anxiety out of a performance review, tell your supervisor up-front why you are requesting one. However, don’t tell them in a way that makes you seem angry or upset that you have been overlooked for promotions. Simply state that you are asking for their input on what you can to improve your performance. They will usually be agreeable and a date will be set.

When you go into a performance review, leave your ego at the door. Remember that you are the one who requested this meeting, not them. Keep in mind that while what you hear may not be pleasant, hearing it can advance your career later.

During the performance review, take notes. Not only will your note taking be perceived as a positive by your employers, it will give you the chance to avert your eyes when you hear something that may upset or hit a nerve with you. In addition, note taking will give you the feeling of being a participant – rather than sitting in front of a judge and jury.

Listen to what is being said to you. If you are unclear about something that is being said, ask for clarification. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Listen to what is said and take notes. Review the feedback for validity later when you are alone. Steer clear of trying to defend your past performance and of disagreeing with what is being said to you.

If your employer brings up a particular issue or work task they do not feel you handled to their expectations, ask for suggestions on how they feel you could do things better or differently. Again, this makes you a participant in the process and not someone in the ‘bad-seat’.

As the meeting winds down, ask your supervisor what he or she feels you can do to reach and achieve your career goals. This is the purpose of the meeting. Finding out what they want to see from you overall.

At the end of the meeting, thank your supervisor(s) for the input. You should also request another review in three months. This will let your employer know that you are serious about doing what you need to do to climb the company ladder.

While you may not like or even agree with everything you heard in your performance review meeting, it is what it is. Now you know. You can opt to take the feedback that was given to you and make some changes, or you may take the attitude that they ‘don’t know what they are talking about’. The choice is yours. However, you should never miss out on a promotion due to ego. If the changes they want you to make are ones that can benefit your career and their company, you should seriously consider doing them so you can reach your career goals sooner rather than later.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on performance reviews, take a look at the following books:

Performance Appraisals and Phrases For Dummies
How To Say It Performance Reviews: Strategies for Productive Performance Reviews
2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Reviews: Words and Phrases That Really Get Results

Thank You Letters

Most employers will generally expect thank you letters from job candidates they have interviewed. Not receiving one will make you look a bit amateurish. Even if you are certain you have the job, be sure to send a thank you letter anyway. If you are certain you do not have the job, still send one. You never know, your thank you letter may give you an edge over another applicant.

Write each individual that you interviewed with a thank you note. This means if you interviewed with three people at a place of employment, you will need to write three thank you letters. Do not send one mass letter to all of them. That is unprofessional.

Send your thank you letters no later than 48 hours of the interview and put in the mail immediately. While all the letters may be similar in regards to what you say, try to word them all a bit different. This is important in case the people compare the letters. It would look bad on your end if they each were sent identical letters. It would show no creativity on your end, as well as a lack of seeing each person as an individual. 

You have the option of typing the letters or handwriting them. However, if your penmanship looks like chicken scratch, opt for typed letters. If a potential employer receives a letter from you that he or she is unable to read, it doesn’t bode well for you. They may foresee having problems reading your work down the road if you were employed.

In the letter, state your appreciation for the interview and their interest in you. The letter should not be lengthy, but do remind them why you are the right candidate for the job. However, be conscious of your tone. You do not want to come across as arrogant. Re-read your letter to make sure you have no spelling errors or typos. 

If you are notified that you have the position before you have sent out the thank you note, send it anyway. Just modify it. Instead of focusing on why you are the right candidate for the position, thank them for taking the time to interview you and express your appreciation for being hired.

Other Pointers

If you have not heard anything about the job after a week of mailing your thank you notes, follow up with a telephone call to the employer. Tell them you were touching base to see if the position had been filled. If it has, tell them you appreciate their consideration. If it has not, reiterate your interest, but keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to come across as a nag or desperate.

Be patient. The hiring process can take a while, particularly if the position you are interviewing for is a very important job. 

Do not stop applying for jobs elsewhere. Look for work, apply for work and continue interviewing with other potential employers. Even if you are confident that you have the position, nothing is set in stone. Keep your options open and keep moving ahead as if you do not have the job. However, do not speak of other places you have interviewed or try to use one company as leverage against another. This only turns off potential employers.

Receiving the News

If you are notified that you got the job, state your appreciation and inquire about what the next step it. What you may need to do, when you should be where, and so on.

If you are notified that you did not get the job, chalk it up to fate. There is another job out there that is better for you. Pick yourself up and don’t let it put a dent in your self-confidence. Just like you are looking and waiting for the right job, the right job is also out there waiting for you.

Recommended Reading

For more information and advice on job interviews, take a look at the following books:

301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions
Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life
Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions That Will Get You the Job