Collaborative Articles

“We’re unlocking community knowledge in an all new way. It starts with an article on a professional topic or skill . . . but it’s not complete without insights and advice from people with real-life experiences. We invited experts to contribute.”

Here are some of my contributions . . .

Q: What do you do if you want to establish yourself as an industry expert in higher education?

A: What I did: I knew going into my Doctoral program for what subject I wanted to be the “go to” person in my field. My dissertation https://bit.ly/3Cq4fNk reflected this. Once I got my Ed.D., my first book was published thru Amazon https://amzn.to/2XAoIsH. Then my agent negotiated a deal for Cengage Learning to publish my second book https://amzn.to/2XuDn8I. (Cengage subsequently closed that division, and we’re shopping for a textbook publisher for the third book). I parlayed the books into three courses on LinkedIn Learning (https://goo.gl/IFMDCj, https://goo.gl/lYxRSH, https://goo.gl/YtWBkr), and then a TEDx Talk https://bit.ly/3vL5rtb.I’ve done 18 podcasts in the past year, so I guess I’m now “an industry expert in higher education”.

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Q: How do you excel at career fairs?

A: Lower your expectations. Career Fairs are cattle calls. Companies generally use them to collect resumes. For lower level jobs, they’re looking for warm bodies and you may have a shot at a job (which you’ll likely end up hating). For mid-level and higher, your time would be better spent using your contacts to open doors for you to get meetings with people who work in the field.

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Q: What do you do if you're asked about your salary expectations in an interview?

A: What you do when they ask what you’re looking for, is to say to them: I know you have a salary range in mind. Why don’t you tell me what it is, and if we’re in the same ballpark, I’ll let you know if we should continue this conversation. And then STOP TALKING.

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Q: What do you do if a customer has a complaint?

A: In order: 1. Listen. 2. Read it back to them, so you’ll both know you’ve understood each other. 3. Apologize – but be sincere. Don’t make it sound like you’re reading from a script. 4. Tell them what you’re going to do to make things right. 5. FOLLOW UP. Keep your word. 6. When you’ve fixed the problem, ask them if they’re satisfied. I always tell Customer Service people that I’m interested in results, not apologies. You want people to feel heard, and left whole and complete.

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Q: How do you ace interviews in a new industry?

A: Too much emphasis continues to be placed on interviews. I’m likely NOT going to hire you based on an interview. You’re a stranger; in 30-45 minutes, I’m not going to KNOW you and risk my business on your performance. People hire those they know and trust. Use the Side Door: join associations – and volunteer. Begin developing relationships with your soon-to-be colleagues, one of whom could be me. As you and I volunteer together, I’ll experience your work habits/attitude/strengths/sense of teamwork, etc. If I like what I see, I’ll invite you to interview. Or just ask you to join my company - and we’ll avoid formal interviews altogether! Building relationships (and trust) take time. Begin this process when you’ve identified your new industry.

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Q: Here's how you can sustain confidence and motivation amidst a layoff

A: Those who are left after the layoffs are scared that they're next. That includes you. Be honest with your team: you have no idea if there will be more layoffs. Encourage them to look for other work while continuing to do their jobs. And you do the same.

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Q: How can you turn a job rejection into a networking opportunity?

A: You will fail to get most of the jobs for which you interview. They’ll hire someone they already know (or there wasn’t actually a job opening). Shift focus: look at every interview as a networking opportunity. It’s time dedicated to you being able to make a good impression on the interviewer. Towards the end of the interview when it’s clear to both of you that you ain’t gettin’ the job, say that you’ve found the conversation stimulating (if that’s true) and ask if they’d be willing to stay in touch. If they say yes, ask what their preferred form of communication is (email, texting, phone, etc.). And then stay in touch! They might refer you or hire you in the future. Don’t think of not getting a job as a “no”; think of it as a “not yet.”

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Q: What do you do if you need to resolve a conflict professionally and effectively?

A: Hopefully, you already have a professional relationship with the person with whom you're having a conflict. Get them outside the office/workplace. Listen without judgement (if possible) to what they're upset about. Ask yourself if your goal is to make them wrong/have yourself be right, or creating workability. Be committed to solutions. Compromise. The definition of compromise is that no one wins everything, but everyone wins something.