PODCAST:
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SHOW TOPICS:
- Networking Interview with Patricia Madson: How To Improvise – Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up
- Reader Question: How to start a blog
- Reader Question: Stuck in a pretty desperate job situation
- Reader Question: How to act around co-workers who you don’t really want to be friends with
- Reader Question: What to wear to an important interview
Hi everyone, this is Anna Runyan from Classy Career Girl.com and welcome to podcast #11! So I am super excited to share with you today the networking interview I did with Patricia Madson who is the queen of improvisation. I am opposite of everything improvisation and I learned so much from her in the interview so I am so excited to share it with you today in the podcast. I am also going to get to your lovely questions at the end of the podcast. Today, I have questions about how to start a blog, I am going to answer a question from someone who feels stuck in a pretty desperate situation, another question about how to act around co-workers who you don’t really want to be friends with and what to wear to an important interview. So much great things to cover today so let’s get started with our interview with Patricia. I hope you enjoy it!
Networking Interview With Patricia Madson
Alright I hope you enjoyed the interview with Patricia. My favorite part of the interview was after the interview when she sent me a hand written thank you card. It totally reminded me how meaningful and important hand written cards can be because no one thinks to send them anymore! The other part of the interview I loved is when she talked about trusting your own voice in presentations which has really helped me to think about. I love how she encouraged us to get rid of the self-doubt that sometimes stops us and we have to trust that what we have to contribute is enough AND important.
So let’s get started answering all of your questions today! Remember that you can always send me an email either on my contact form on the blog or just email me at [email protected].
So our first question is from Justine. She asks:
I just wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed your blog and Twitter posts over the past few weeks - so much so that I want to start my own blog! I was also asked to write for my company’s blog this past week and as a result, I have rediscovered my passion for writing.
If you have the time, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind giving me some tips on starting a blog, creating good content, etc. Yours has truly been an inspiration and I would love your advice and input!
Thanks for the question Justine and I am so excited that you are going to be starting a blog. Obviously, starting this little blog was the best decision of my life and I love encouraging others to get into it as well. There are so many ways that it can help you by helping you find your voice and your passion and I am a huge proponent of blogging. Even if it is anonymous. I was an anonymous blogger for 1.5 years too so if you don’t want to put your name out there yet don’t worry about it. Find your voice and your passion first before sharing it with your friends and family if you are scared to start. Here are some tips I have for you for starting a blog Justine:
- Make a long list of great ideas that you will blog about. You should have a common theme so that every blog post should be connected in some way. When I first started I had close to 50 post ideas so I knew that I had a topic that I was passionate about. Make sure it is something you enjoy and you can see yourself writing about it for a LONG time!
- Think about your ideal visitor. This will help you know who to write to. Each time you write a post, you should think about writing it directly to that person.
- Plan out your writing schedule. Will you post once a week or everyday? Make sure that you have the time in your schedule and take it one day at a time. You never want to feel like you HAVE to blog but it should be something that you enjoy doing.
Doing it for your company will be different but I think a great idea would be to interview current employees at your company or put videos on the blog. You could do links to important articles around the web like I do on my Monday motivation posts. Another thing to think about is if this blog will be visible to only employees or if it will be a public blog because you will probably write differently if it is public. So I would love to check out your new blog if it is public, feel free to email me so I can check it out!
From: Stephanie Bigelow
Hello Anna,
I am stuck in a pretty desperate situation. I have a Bachelors and Masters degree in Canadian History, and I graduated last August. I held one temporary Executive Assistant position from September to January thanks to some family friends. Other than that I have been unemployed for 5 months, and have not had a single interview since I started searching 8 months ago.
I have done everything I know to do. I have applied for jobs in every area I can think of, I have had a former recruiter examine my cover letter and resume, I have used every connection I know of to try and help me, but I am at the end of my rope with no ideas.
I have really appreciated your blog and all of the info and wisdom you have provided, so I thought I would reach out and see if you had any advice for me.
Hi Stephanie,
You bet! I am glad you emailed me and I am sorry about your situation. That sucks! But, don’t give up! Seriously there is a job out there waiting for you I am sure! The job market is tough these days and if you haven’t had an interview in 8 months I would have to guess that you are applying to jobs online and getting no calls back? If that is the case, I would recommend something like an informational interview where you start contacting people in industry that you want to get into. Have you tried that yet? The more you talk to people, the more likely those opportunities will start dropping in your lap because you make a personal connection and you aren’t just a resume in an application system with a ton of other competitors.
Another question I have is if you are gearing your resume and cover letter to each job you are applying to or if you are using the same one for every job you apply to. It takes a lot of time but making sure your resume has all the keywords in the job description is really important.
The other thing you might want to think of is the location. Are you in a location where there is just no jobs and maybe you need to broaden your job search to a different location?
It is hard because I don’t specifically know your situation yet but I wanted to throw out some ideas for you to get you thinking. I am also happy to do a 30 min free coaching call with you if you like as well. Let me know! And that goes for everyone. If you just want a little motivation and encouragement, I would love to chat with you. Just fill out my contact form or email me at [email protected]
From : Tara
Hi Anna!
Is it bad that I don’t want to really be friends with my co-workers. I don’t want them on my Facebook or to share personal details or talk about getting drunk. But that’s their idea of fun. They also eat out everyday for lunch and come in in the morning with Starbucks. I can’t afford that. I’m on a different level than them. I’m really more mature and focused.
Do you have any advice on how I can train myself to not let them know my true feelings? How do I even bond with people I don’t want to bond with so I’m not left out of the department?
Thanks for your time!
Tara
Hi Tara,
No that isn’t bad. You don’t have to be friends with everyone on Facebook you work with and share personal details. If someone I work with asks me I sometimes just friend them and then hide them so they can’t see any of my updates and I can’t see theirs but they don’t know. I don’t really want to read about their personal lives. But, I do think you should make somewhat of an effort.
Don’t go the club, don’t get drunk with them. Sounds like you are definitely on a different level. It’s ok to socialize and network though. I mean you don’t want them to totally hate you and think you are too cool because you might need them to eventually move up someday or work together on a project.
So nothing wrong with your feelings but you do have to hide them like I think you realize. What I do is just try to be happy and smile and don’t let other negative people ruin my mood. I also am a really good listener so that helps when people just want to talk. I just listen and don’t really tell them what I think and then turn around and leave at the earliest opportunity:) Eventually, they will start to look to you as role model. Maybe that would help if you think of yourself as setting an example for others who are younger or not quite yet at your maturity level. Also offering to help them if they have any issues can help you get on their good side. I know you don’t like them but it will make the work environment much better for you if they like you. I hope that makes sense. It will also show your manager that you can work with all different types of people which is a plus as well.
Let me know! Good luck!
On another note about being friends with those you work with, As young professionals, we spend at least 40 hours a week at work which is as much time as we spend with our families at home. We all hope to find a job and co-workers that we love but sometimes we don’t take the opportunity to really get to know the people we work with because we are so busy. Do you know how influential co-workers can be on your attitude and perception of work? I have had multiple jobs since college and the jobs I loved the most were when I had a lot of friends around. The jobs that I couldn’t wait to leave were those jobs where I felt like no one liked me and I was a complete outsider.
So what should you do at work in order to maintain your professionalism, climb the corporate ladder and make some great friends for life?
- Network: Do whatever you can do to get to know as many people as possible where you work. This will not only help you get questions answered but it will also allow you to learn about different areas of the company. Maybe someday you will want to move into the marketing department. You will be very glad that you have a friend in marketing that you can ask for help.
- Ask questions: Ask your co-workers about their weekends and how their family and children are doing. It will make your working relationship so much better when you know personal things about each other. Make sure that you be yourself and that you are genuine.
- Say yes: Always go to lunches and happy hours if you have the opportunity. These events are a great way to get to know the personalities of the people you work with. You can talk and laugh about things in a relaxed atmosphere and socialize about things you may not feel comfortable talking about in the office.
- Watch out: Be very careful not to take part in gossip and whatever you do, don’t take sides. Make sure you set boundaries, especially in the beginning. Keep some distance when it comes to partying and sharing personal things about you. No one needs to know that illegal thing you did in high school because stories will quickly go around the office. Maintain your professionalism and keep a 1-2 drink limit.
- Don’t bug: Get to know how your co-workers work and when they enjoy socializing. When someone is working hard and right in the middle of an important deliverable, it’s probably not the best time to ask them how their weekend was. Be vigilant about where you are socializing and who else can hear. Don’t bug others who don’t want to hear about your amazing date last night and don’t get a reputation for socializing all the time.
From: Anna
Hi Anna,
I have an important interview the following Wednesday. I am 5’8 However I am on the plus size and in a dilemma as to what to wear for my big day. I am very fussy about the fit of my pants for a pant suit as i have broad hips and am more comfortable in a skirt suit. will a black skirt suit with a light golden beige blouse underneath along with my tights be appropriate?
My second issue is that I have long hair. could you please tell me what hairstyle would suit..
Ok, here is my answer:
Nothing wrong with a skirt suit if that is what you are most comfortable in. You are more confident when you are comfortable and so definitely go with the skirt suit! I think your outfit sounds great! All black and golden beige blouse sounds great to me! What color tights were you thinking?
As far as hair goes, once again there is no right or wrong answer but you DON’T want it to be distracting whatsoever. If you are going to be brushing it back over and over again, then definitely pull it all back. Here is a link to a blog post I did previously about the same question! It is a popular question.
Good luck to you! Can’t wait to hear how it goes. And it is great that you are planning so far ahead in advance. You will do so much better because of how prepared you are and will actually be more relaxed the day of the interview. Good for you!!
So I hope you enjoyed podcast #11!! Thank you so much for listening! Remember to email me your questions and let me know if you ever want to have a free coaching call with me to help you get unstuck and figure out some goals for your future career. Have a great week and see you next week!
