Our expectations

It is amazing to me the number of people who expect great things to happen to them without hard work and discipline. We all want to live a life of elegance, and have all our cares removed by having the finer things in life, but that does not usually just happen. Real life involves working long hours, doing jobs you may not want to do. Rolling up your sleeves, and getting your hands dirty. It takes years for most people to reach the stage in their lives, where the fruits of your labor pays off. It may never happen for some people due to bad decisions along the way. 

My upbringing taught me nothing about finances, and how cruel the world can be. I had to learn some valuable lessons along the way, and spent many ends of weeks waiting for my next paycheck. The trick is, I learned from my mistakes, and work hard to not take anything for granted. Make sure I plan for a rainy day, and live for today, but realize I have to also take care of tomorrow, just in case it comes. 

In all that has happened to me in my almost 50 years of life, one thing stands out. Desire. You need to have a desire to make your self better and brighter. Counting on freebies, hand-outs, and playing the blame game, or the "wo is me" game only keeps you from seeing greatness. You have to be honest with yourself and do something you love, or are good at. You cant achieve greatness until you know who you are and what greatness is to you.

If you truly want to brighten your current and future life, you can. It means you have to pay attention to words like, change, self-respect, eagerness, diligent, discipline, hard work, faith, drive, and you have to learn from your own mistakes and the mistakes of others. 

Here are a few ideas:

1. Hang out with intelligent people

2. Hang out with people who build you up, not tear you down.

3. Learn all you can about yourself. Learn all you can about what interests you.

4. Work hard everyday.

5. Don't be above doing the little things. Every day. 

6. Have a plan for today, tomorrow, and the foreseeable future.

7.  Be the one everyone says is the overachiever, even if it is doing menial tasks.

8. Do things that others don't like doing. Be the "go to" person.

We all have to start out at the bottom before we can get to the top, and many people want to be at the top right now. Unless you are born into power and money, you have to spend the time becoming great. Have high expectations of yourself. Have a high degree of desire. Have a work ethic that makes greatness appear in your life. Be available to help others. Spend time with making you better. Do for others before you do for you.

We can all be what we want to be, but it wont come easy, and it wont come without sacrifice, and in the end, the person who works the hardest will reap the biggest dividends. It is up to you to create your own brand, and identity. Use the many resources out here to achieve that.

Success isn't only measured in dollars. Become a person who people around you want to be in your life. Become a person who people value, and respect. Life is short, and we cant change yesterday, and tomorrow may not come, so be the best employee, owner, boss, co-worker you can be today. Love who you are, and if you don't, become someone better.

Rich Burks

President/Owner

28 Consulting, LLC

Balancing act

I can't believe we are almost done with the first quarter of 2010. Indicators are showing signs of some recovery. Certain segments are doing much better. Some are still far behind. What I find most interesting is the fact that some people have done a great job of landing an opportunity, and quite a few people still seem to be struggling. What separates the two groups? I think it comes down to balance. What do I mean by this. I am not diminishing the difficulty of finding a new job.

What has come out of this longer than usual downturn has been opportunities. Opportunities for people facing dilemma, economic tragedy, loss of homes, etc. to face the harsh realities of doing something different in order to earn a living, and in some cases, just to get by. We all have to have balance in our lives, but this is the first time in my almost a half a century of living that I have seen such a topic entering every aspect of ones life.

I don't think anyone who has been working on a career for the past ten plus years saw this coming. The need to re-evaluate the balance of their lives. Not by desire, or choice, but by circumstances. People have gone from making a salary that afforded them life's niceties, to in many instances, scrapping to find a job that may provide less for their family. Yes, a job versus a career position. Some people were blessed and found an equally great job, and some even found more money, but for many, it has been an effort in futility. An effort where a major re-balance has taken place.

Either the husband or the wife has now taken on the role of breadwinner. New territory for many. Many people are now at home taking care of kids because there is no longer that role for them in the work world. Re-evaluating what is important in their lives is a daily conversation, versus just a thought. Looking at the big picture and changing life style's to accommodate the current monthly budget. Foreign thinking for many people.

As tragic as it may be financially for many, balance is a good thing to have. Evaluating one's life on a regular basis is good. Getting a "check-up from the neck-up" is not a bad thing. Having an opportunity to try something else is not a bad thing. Maybe that career you only dreamed about, can now be a reality. Maybe that business you wanted to open may not be so far off after all.

Sometimes when we are being kicked while we are down, we are presented with awesome events and/or opportunities, that living in our little, self absorbed world, we would never take advantage of. Just maybe, instead of looking at the layoff, or downturn as a negative, we should grab the chance to make a difference in our lives.

I know how hard it would have been for me to leave my company of 19 years had the economy been doing great. Money coming in. People I like working with. A family who enjoys the perks of sales incentives. It all fell apart when my services were no longer in need by multiple clients. I too was forced to make a decision. Stay in corporate America, in a sales role, making less money, or......It was that dream of doing something bigger, better, and under my rules that pushed me to open my business. Not everyone has the ability to open a business, or try something new, but look at how you can balance or re-balance your life, and maybe you will find the job, career, business that brings all of life's pieces together for you. It wont be easy. It most likely will be scary.

It is my intention to take control as best as I can to what happens to me in this life, and use the skills, personality, talent, and drive that has been graciously given to me to get to a point I am happy everyday, and not look at negative events as a knock-out, but as a step to my next destination. Everyone falls down. It isn't how many times, but how fast you get back up.

If you are in a situation that is not to your liking(layed-off, unemployed, or plain miserable), do something about it. Talk to people, join organizations, network, re-invent yourself, spend time with family, do odd jobs(tons of ways in this country to make money legally)or sit on the couch and wait for the phone to ring with that next opportunity. You do have a say in what happens to you, even if it wasn't your choice to lose your job. Bad things happen to good people. Bad things happen to smart people. Bad things are not always bad things. Pick your ego up, and make a dream come true. Balance your life how ever you need to do that to move forward. Personally, financially, and spiritually.

Become a statistic. A good statistic. Become one of the many who have moved from dilemma in their life, to satisfaction. Self made satisfaction. Keep your head high. Meet others who have risen from the ashes. I think you will find that you are not alone, and there is hope for you even if the media, government, and naysayers state differently.

So take advantage of an unfortunate occurrence, a bad situation, or the dilemma you and your family may now be facing, and take a stand. Help yourself to one of the many wonderful opportunities that are out there. Yes, they are out there. I know you can do it.

Rich Burks
President
28 Consulting, LLC

What is different now.

Well. It is now September, and it feels like this challenging job scenario has been going on forever. I would have bet the bank that we would have seen the end of this by now, but even with signs of pending improvement, we are still a ways off to Utopia in the job market. Being a human capital consultant, I am always looking through rose colored glasses, that is just my temperament.

If you still are looking, and are feeling like you have not had any success, you are not alone, but you can improve your abilities to find that "dream job". There are all sorts of postings on how to find a job, how to write a resume, how to navigate through the classifieds, who to send a resume to, and what you should do to get a job. Understanding who you are, and what you want to do is the first step.

Lets get real for a moment. We all feel like we are worth more than we are paid. We all feel we deserve a promotion. We all feel like we should be able to get multiple offers, and be able to negotiate a top offer(maybe 20% more than we had before), but that is not going to likely happen.

My suggestions are not going to be user friendly, but are what it takes in today's market.

1. Put together a short, features/benefit based resume. Companies want to know what you will
bring to the table that will benefit them. Companies in today's market are not wondering what
they can do for you, but what are you going to do for them.
2. Everyone is answering ads, postings, job boards, etc. You will be one of 100 resumes on a
desk.
3. Personalize your approach. Get the name(s) of the top exec's at companies and reach out to
them. Not always easy, but why take the easy route.
4. Target companies that excite you, and those you feel good about working for.
5. Be ready to deal with a 10-20% difference in what you are used to making. I mean less of
course. Maybe you will get lucky, but probably not.
6. You will have to kiss alot of frogs to find the prince. Don't give up.
7. Do what you need to do in this job market to pay the rent. Keep it legal of course, but realize you
may have to accept a job just for job's sake, while you keep on track with your search.
8. Interviewing for multiple jobs may mean you feel like you are not good because you do not
receive an offer. Remember, there are hundreds of people out there just like you. All vying for
that same spot.
9. It is a buyers market. An obvious long one, but companies have the power for now. Cycles
do not last forever, and soon, talent will be hard to come by. It will be your turn to be back in
the drivers seat. Until then, be smart and use all the resources out there to determine what
is best for you.

We should all learn something from what we encounter on a daily basis. Now is the time to dig deep into our souls and really find out what we are made of. This is America. Even in the worse times, we all have the penchant to reach down into our lowest depth, and make things happen. If you sit on the couch and wait for lemonade, you are most likely going to get curdled milk. In life there are those who make things happen, and those who wait for things to happen. You decide. Will you be rewarded for your actions? Maybe, maybe not. Will you be better able to handle the next catastrophe in your life. Absolutely. Will you be back in the drivers seat at some point. Definitely!!

Like the logo states. Just do it!!!

Who you know

I have been recruiting for almost 20 years, and one thing has been constant at all levels of hiring, and that is, it can’t hurt to know people who can assist you in your career. With that said, the latest employment downturn has created a completely new level of, "who do I know" scenarios.

When you first get into the working world, you rely on someone giving you a chance. You hope a reference that is used, is the propellant to landing the job. Maybe your education is a factor. Maybe your involvement in outside activities is the reason. What your goal is at that time is to get a job, and work hard to climb the ladder, but what we find out soon enough is, it takes more than job knowledge to keep your career rolling forward.

At some point, the relationships you grow and nurture become increasingly more important than the performance itself. Don’t get me wrong, slouches very rarely make it to the top. The harder you work, the faster you can climb is still preached and practiced in all phases of business. What happens though is terms like, perceived performance, past history, fast track, team player, born leader, etc, get people talking. Yes, the business community shares massive amounts of info daily.

Soon, people get the attention they deserve because they have formed ties with people, have bonded, have become a name others recognize, and at some point, who you know is a major catalyst in career growth.

In today’s market there are hundreds, if not thousands of people who compete on a daily basis for positions. Whether those spots are posted openings, or hidden openings, competition is keen.

So what separates those who obtain positions versus those who don’t. My experience points toward chemistry as the main factor. We all want to do business with, work with, lead, and want to hire people we have chemistry with, or people who come recommended by people we trust and know, and in today’s market, companies want as much guarantee they can get to the success of a hire, and that means they look to people they trust for referrals, and look to past and present relationships to fill the reduced roles available.

So, it makes sense to build on relationships you have, and work to make new ones. We can never know enough people, have enough friends, and have deep enough contacts in the business world. Everything we do is connected, so why not be someone who has the right contact, and is looked upon as a wanted source, versus someone who stays under the radar, and has no reputation to speak of other than job performance. That used to be all you needed, but in 2009, and going forward, it will be not only what you know, rather what and who you know that will get you pointed to the top.

It is a whole new world of how to climb the corporate ladder. Business networking times two. We can all be that sought after person. Look at every meeting, chance or planned as a way to connect with someone. That someone may play a very big role in where you are somewhere down the road, or you may play a very big role in where they are.

Things I know now......

What I know now, I could have used before.

By Rich Burks, President/Owner of 28 Consulting, LLC

I often find myself wondering what it would be like to have the sense and experience of a business person in the twilight of their career, placed in the brain of a newly planted person starting a career. Wow, I think I could have changed the world, or at least tried. Everything earlier in my career seemed as if it was a do or die decision. What if I make the wrong decision. What if nobody likes me. What if I get fired. Oh my gosh, terrifying scenarios. Everyone has or is going through what they feel is life changing activity pertaining to their career. I look back at my career and most everything I worried about never came true. The mere fact I even thought about certain possible events happening seems so funny 20 plus years later. Basic rules of life tend to keep us on the road to success, but if you must create your own road, these should help….

1. Things always get better. Just the experience makes it better.

2. Being smart doesn’t always translate into dollars.

3. Hard work always pays off.

4. You can never be too diligent when it comes to business. .

5. It is not how often you fall, but how fast you get back up.

6. Work should be a rewarding experience, not just to pay bills.

7. Love, live, and laugh.

8. You are only as good as you work to be.

9. Listen to your heart-lead with your brain.

10. A man is measured by what he has given to others.

11. Common sense adds years to your life.

12. Trying to please everyone is the fastest road to insanity.

13. Integrity, honesty, and loyalty are words to live by.

14. Find me a man who can’t laugh at himself, and I will show you a man who is laughed at.

15. We are put on this earth for a purpose. Find yours, and master it.

16. Wake up everyday thankful you have another day to make a difference.

And last but not least……

11. You can never have enough friends, but one ex wife is too much.