If you think about the large number of merger and acquisitions over the past few years, you will realize that many of those companies were run by entrepreneurs who then became corporate executives. However, many company managers will be hesitant to hire someone who has been running their own business. Even though many large organizations have started to form entrepreneurial business units within the corporation, when they come face-to-face with a real entrepreneur, they back down. You can expect resistance to your risk orientation and decisiveness from some corporate interviewers.

Redirect

The book on the entrepreneur is that he or she is an independent, quick-draw maverick used to making unilateral decisions and shifting focus and attention rapidly from one subject to another. The perception is that you can not be a team player or work within a structure to accomplish common goals.

Qualifying

Your presentation needs to tone down the entrepreneurial image. Practice a little humility and make an extra effort to listen closely to questions. Remember that job hunting puts you in the role of the seller and that the buyer in this case is the company. If you have experience in sales, try to adopt a consultative role where you work with the interviewer to determine how you can solve the problems associated with the position. Emphasize your commitment to professional management and human values to tone down the “tough guy” image. CABs (Accomplishment based stories) which point to working out viable compromises or developing subordinates are good choices, along with those related to maximizing results or creating innovations.

Additional Concerns

It might be helpful to cultivate some references that can help you convince people that you know how to work as part of a team. If you have community activities or outside group interests where you are not the primary leader, you might use these as examples of your ability to work in a cooperative role.

Since starting WorkSquare, I've become increasingly interested in the role that social networks play in low-wage workers' job searches. Specifically, I've wondered, are some groups, say recent immigrants, more likely to recognize and leverage their social networks than their American-born counterparts? Are certain demographics more accustomed to developing and using social networks to obtain employment? Are social networks utilized for education, training, and career development, or merely to get into any available job?

I was excited to recently come across a 2005 paper entitled “Getting Connected: Strategies for Expanding the Employment Networks of Low-Income People”, written by Shayne Spaulding and published by Public/Private Ventures.[1] This was a great primer on the importance of social networks to low-income job seekers. Spaulding cites research indicating that more than two-thirds of low-income job seekers find jobs through personal connections, compared to 40-50% of all job-seekers. Another study he cites reports that 88% of hiring managers for low-skilled positions rely on internal referrals from employees already working with them and that 64% use this as their primary recruitment method.

Spaulding then goes on to describe the challenges to effective utilization of social networks by low-wage workers. Among these challenges are; the small size of many job seekers’ networks; a reluctance to let peers or acquaintances know that they are looking for work; the homogeneity of employment situations among social networks (many unemployed or low-wage earners have social networks that include only other unemployed or low-wage earners); and a lack of awareness on how to take advantage of social networks in order to obtain employment. The paper then discusses a variety of programs implemented by workforce development agencies to train low-wage job seekers to use networks, most involving the development of an “elevator pitch” and business cards, and providing opportunities for job seekers to mingle with individuals in the jobs or careers they hope to obtain. The most novel solution was one by Street Tech in San Pablo, California, who worked with LinkedIn to develop an online networking application for low-wage workers. I plan to investigate this tool further, so more to come on that.

Spaulding also discusses the difference between ‘weak ties’ and ‘strong ties’ in employment networks, which he says is a concept put forth by Mark Granovetter in a 1973 work, “The Strength of Weak Ties”. Granovetter explains that information on available jobs often comes from ‘weak ties’, or individuals that do not know the job seeker well and who cannot necessarily vouch for the employability of the job seeker. Clearly, the value of employment networks would be greatly enhanced for both job seekers and employers if a trusted intermediary were able to vouch for the job seeker’s work ethic and reliability.

This concept of “vouching” in the job search is fascinating, as it ties in with the critical role that social capital (one’s reputation and social network of acquaintances, co-workers and friends) has played in microfinance. When low-income people do not have collateral for the loan they are taking out, their reputation and social network can be put on the line instead. This insight, that the risk of losing one’s reputation and social network can be a powerful motivator to repay obligations, is the foundation of Grameen and other microfinance and group lending models. Clearly, the importance of losing one’s social capital in an urban environment – where new friends and contacts are readily available – is less acute than it is in a small village where transgressors must live among, and be punished by, the transgressed for years to come. Yet, I still believe that tying “vouching” to an individual’s social capital in a meaningful way could be prove a powerful way to recruit quality employees.

Do employees who refer another employee feel a risk to their own credibility if the employee they referred does not perform well? How can employees be incentivized to only refer those employees that they know will perform well? How can we formalize this “vouching” in order to leverage its power on a larger scale?

[1] Spaulding, Shayne, “Getting Connected: Strategies for Expanding the Employment Networks of Low-Income People”, Field Report Series, Public/Private Ventures, November 2005.

I would like you to join me at the following event to honor talent development in our South Florida organizations:

The Fort Lauderdale Chapter of ASTD invites you to join us onTuesday, December 9, 2008 as we recognize outstanding achievement in workplace learning and employee development.

The theme this year is Showcase Employee Learning.  Focused around this theme, the celebration will provide opportunities for you to:

• Learn what local organizations have done to successfully promote employee learning
• Hear from leaders in the community about the value of employee learning and development
• Network and share best practices with colleagues in workplace learning and performance

Keynote Speaker: Debbie Benami-Rahm, M.S.

Keynote Speech: "Tap Your Talent to Create Performance Champions"

Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Time: Registration begins at 5:15 pm.
Dinner and awards program from 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Location: The Signature Grand (6900 State Road 84, Davie)

To register go to:
http://www.astdftl.org/submaster.cfm?apage=ERS/ event_registration.cfm&EventID=6

“Have Fun, Meet People and Do Great Things for the Community!”

www.hollywoodjaycees.org

Upcoming events, visit our website!!!

Join an organization of young professionals for an evening of meeting people and having fun!

2nd Tuesday Every Month

Join us Tuesday, December 9, 2008

6:00 Networking    6:30pm Opportunity Meeting

Jaycee Hall

2930 Hollywood Blvd.

SW Corner Hollywood Blvd and I 95

954-981-4378

Welcome!

The Junior Chamber of Commerce (also known as the Jaycees) is an organization of young men and women, ages 18 through 40. Our focus is on charitable involvement, social activities and developing business opportunities.

The Jaycees offer young men and women an opportunity for further personal development and leadership. Major efforts are directed to finding solutions to problems within our communities. Hollywood Jaycees play an integral part in our community and take pride in developing tomorrow's leaders. This idea of providing "leadership training through community involvement" has been the basis of the Jaycees since the organization's beginning in 1920.

As an active member of the Hollywood Jaycees, you will have the opportunity to plan, organize, conduct and participate in projects and programs which benefit the people in the Greater Hollywood area, and learn from your activities and experiences.

We hope to see you at our next meeting!

Mission Statement:

“To contribute to the advancement of the global community by providing the opportunity for young people to develop the leadership skills, social responsibility, entrepreneurship and fellowship necessary to create positive change.”

Jaycee Creed

"We believe:
That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life;
That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations;
That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise;
That government should be of laws rather than of men;
That earth's great treasure lies in human personality;
And that service to humanity is the best work of life."

And think about what is is you really want to do!

Okay - you need a paycheck and you need one fast. I totally understand that. I want you to think about something for a minute, though.

Do you think that if you are applying for jobs you really don't want that maybe, just maybe, the recruiter or the hiring manager can pick up on this?

Sure they can. How do I know this?

I have been on both sides of the HR hiring desk. I have been a corporate recruiter, a hiring manager and an applicant. Now, as a career transition coach, I work with people to prepare them to apply for their next job. I see the reality of what is going on each and every day, night and on the weekends. People come to me, beaten down and discouraged. Sure the job market is the toughest it's been in years and there is nothing you personally can do to change that right now.

There is something you can control and that is what jobs are you spending your time, energy and emotional stamina applying for now.

Take a deep breath and take a good hard look at the last few jobs you applied for and did not get.

When someone is applying for or even being interviewed for a job they dont' really want it is very obvious and comes through to the hiring manager. Can you relate to any of the following? Learn to listen to your inner voice (IV):

• Got to apply to this job, eveyone is telling me that it's a perfect match for me.
  • (IV: I'm not sure it's such a good match though!)
• I hated this type of work when I did it before; maybe I can learn to like it fast.
  • (IV: The majority of the job requirements is what I hated to do in the past).
• I have to apply to this job, there aren't that many jobs out there now.
  • (IV: But I sure would hate doint this job every day).

If you see even a sliver of yourself in any of the above statements, then you are ready to really take a good hard look at what it is you really want to do:

• What type of position do you want?
• What industry?
• Do you want to change fields?
• What are your priorities in life right now, besides the paycheck?
• Are you willing to travel?
• Telecommute?
• Work remotely?
• Do you want to go back to school?

Just a few thought provoking suggestions for you to consider. What are your thoughts about applying to everything and anything, even if it's not what you really want to do?

Debbie Benami-Rahm, M.S., M.H.C. is founder and President of DBR Career Services, Inc., Plantation, FL. www.DBRcareerservices.com Debbie works with people in transition to tap ther talent and successfully move them into their next job or career. She works with organizations to develop, engage and retain talent. Contact Debbie for more information at debbie@DBRcareerservices.com