Ask Penelope Trunk! | Brazen Careerist

Hi Penelope,
I was or will be soon laid off. About 16 of us were let go and our positions outsourced to vendors. We were chosen based on our territory's not our performance. I was the 5th ranking performer..No.2 and 3 were also laid off. Should I say I was laid off? or outsourced in my cover letter? Should I even say this in my cover letter? I do mention my ranking in the ocver letter and my resume. Please advise! Thank you!!

Lori Dreyer

Mon, 02/08/2010 - 10:10pm

I need advice about going temp (from an temp agency) to perm. I've had great performance reviews and my boss (Chief Marketing Officer for insurance company) let me know I will be getting an offer letter within a week. My coworkers tell me to counter-offer no matter what. How do I do this? In person? Via email? What do I say? My position thus far has been Executive Marketing Assistant; my boss says he sees me as Chief of Staff one day. What is a reasonable starting salary?

Sarah Wood

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 10:25am

try http://salary.com to see what your position is "worth" in your location. also consider your benefits ie health ins

Dian Reid

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 10:59am

To counter offer, look at what the offer is -- in terms of salary, benefits and training. Then ask for more. Ask for more salary first -- I'd do 15% more if you can justify it with resources like payscale.com or salary.com. Also, if you can't get more money, ask for guarantee that they'll pay for you to attend two conferences in the year. That's a good perk. Good for your career. And in the end, training and mentoring gets you way more money than incremental raises from better negotiating.

Penelope Trunk

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 8:55pm

Hi Kim, I agree with @Andrea. Seems like many here @ Brazen have a blog. It's what you put into it that makes you different from anyone else. If you don't have anything to say, or don't think a blog would benefit your business, then don't worry about it. But if you think you might have something to say, or that a blog would benefit your business in the slightest, give it a shot. Blogs are easy to set up. See if you like it and go from there. Whatever you do, just be you.

Dian Reid

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 10:21am

Hey Penelope!
I don't know if I'm feeling paranoid because of the tenacity and ambition of the Brazen crowd, but does everybody have a blog? If blogging and building your personal brand is becoming so commonplace it's no longer novel (but expected), how do you set yourself apart from the pack?

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Kim Campbell

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 6:31pm

For one thing, Kim, we're all unique and novel in our way. Blogging simply accentuates your own personal brand of uniqueness.

I think it always comes back to your ideas, and those of others you share.

Seth Godin writes about being a thought leader, and blogging is a way to do that. Not to mention keeping up with a blog, or blogs, though I know Pen thinks I'm a fool to maintain multiples.

Right now I'm working on a post, and looking for support for some of my assertions. Not finding yet.

Jay Hepner

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 9:31pm

Hi Kim. First, I think being a member of Brazen does make it seem like everyone has a blog, but in reality it's a smaller percentage. Plus "having a blog" doesn't necessarily mean you're actively blogging. My "IRL" friends only social media outlet is Facebook. Second, being rather new to the blogosphere (I've been blogging 6-8 months) myself, I'm unsure what sets me apart from other blogs? I'd always like to think its my honest tone and interesting topics and just posting regularly. =]

Andrea V Lewis

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 10:45pm

Dian Reid

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 10:22am

I love Dian's point - "Just be you." Words to live by in my book! ;]

Andrea V Lewis

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 4:25pm

A big reason we started the idea feed on Brazen Careerist -- which is a way that people who view your profile can view your comments -- is because for a lot of people blogging is too time consuming. But it's clear (from published research) that people who blog do better in their career than the general public. And it's also clear that companies love hiring people from a person's blog. So the idea feed is a way for your comments to give you similar benefits to blogging without having to blog.

Penelope Trunk

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 8:51pm

Missed your talk on Twitter's life-saving capabilites but still interested because I'm still not sold on Twitter as something I could make use of... yet? So can you do a 140 character elevator pitch? Or maybe blog about it?

Catalina Hidalgo

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 2:50pm

Hi, Cat! Noticed you're a fan of Durham, NC. Please check out my tune, "DOgs in Durham," at either my 8Tracks site: http://8tracks.com/jhepcat72/take-1-aka-a-b-c or my HepCatIndstries blog: http://hepcatindstries.blogspot.com/2010/01/take-1-aka-b-c.html

Betchou'll like it too!

Jay Hepner

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 2:59pm

Hey Catalina,
Twitter is a strange thing at first. It doesn't make sense and it definitely can be one of those things where you go...Really? Tweet, Tweet, What? Here is a video I made on how twitter changed my life and got me a business deal, a guest post from the founder of a company, and found out about a new job. All from one tweet. Just thought this might help... http://www.thesquab.com/2010/01/twitter-changed-my-life/

Shane Mac

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 10:06pm

I agree with shane. I'm just stepping into the twitter world and I think at first it's really difficult to make sense of. But as you start to use it, you realize how powerful it is with putting you in touch with really different people. Still getting a grasp though.

btw, Shane looks like Anderson Cooper so freaking much I took a double take! :)

Kim Campbell

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 6:57pm

Ha, Anderson Cooper heh? I like that guy so... Thanks? Especially after I saw him rescue a boy in Haiti... Watch this (maybe it was me :)... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mty5C7jwCYU

Shane Mac

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 7:17pm

Pick people who you think, "Hmmm I probably couldn't get in contact with them but I would love to." Then use twitter as your doorway. It is a gateway to connect, simple as that. What you have to say if the connection is made well, that's another story...

Shane Mac

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 7:23pm

Shane, the Anderson Cooper reference was tottallyy a compliment. I like him too. :)

And you bring up an awesome point. This is what I'm trying to figure out: how to create meaningful points of contact with interesting people on twitter. I'm going to suggest that as the focus of a future video cast.

Kim Campbell

Sat, 02/06/2010 - 11:24pm

I think I'm gonna write a blog post on it. Stay tuned....

Penelope Trunk

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 8:05pm

On a second thought, it may make sense to post my question here to get more opinions on improvement. My friend is in the progress of starting a hub called "EngineersUnited." The actual hub website is still in-progress. However, it has its own Twitter account, fb fan page, and BC network. While the fb fan page is gaining a fair number of fans, thanks to many of my fb friends being in that circle. However, the activity level on fb and also on BC is very low.

Stanley Lee

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 6:44pm

I know that this site is still fairly low (or at least from what I can see) in active members in the area of engineering and computer science, but I still think members join this network, for example, for self-improvement and creating more networks. I'm not sure what other information to lay out regarding the situation in order to improve it. I'm open to suggestions. Thanks.

Stanley Lee

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 6:46pm

Though we may be in very different engineering fields, I understand your struggle. Because us engineers tend to be more hermit-like than people other fields, it's often hard to get fellow engineers to network or even feel comfortable with being expressive.

Vinnie B

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 6:58pm

@Vinnie: I understand what you mean. Even I'm guilty of that, as I usually end up staying home or in the lab getting work done rather than hanging out and socializing. Not b/c I don't like to hang out or socialize, but I don't want to do so at the expense of dealing with the consequences of not getting work done. What you have identified is a good start.

Stanley Lee

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 7:14pm

Yeah, I have noticed what you guys mean. I think however that there are alot of very outgoing engineers in the world whom love to be well-versed in technology at the same time. I am wondering, what could appeal to engineers worldwide?

Mustafa Abousaleh

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 9:52pm

I changed jobs from a small fast and loose systems provider to a govt body. For IT delivery to mgt. I discovered I suck and my boss has ask me to leave. Any advice on what to do next and explaining this on my resume?

Alfred

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 11:25pm

How long have you been in the govt role? I think an honest explanation that you were trying a new role and it didn't work out can actually work to your advantage - you've learned something about yourself. I would't say that "I sucked at it" but it's very reasonable to say "the environment wasn't a good fit."

Peter Clark

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 12:32pm

I see I'm answering this question a week late. I have thought, all week, Oh I should write a post about that becuase it's such a common question. The answer is that you always say you left a job in order to do x -- build a new skill, get a new experience, try a new industry. It doesn't matter that you were fired. You left. That is true, too. Say that. If you stayed only a short time at a job, leave it off your resume. Say you have been learning other stuff and job hunting. Which you have been.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 1:29pm

@Peter. I disagree with that advice. This makes a person sound possibly difficult to get along with. What's the point of saying that, anyway. You can say, I did [insert achievement] at my job and now I think it's time to move on and do [insert goal for skill or experience or something]. Make it sound like you go to a job, perform well, and leave to do the next thing. Because you're great. And if you were at a job for such a short time that you can't do anything, leave the job off your resume.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 1:31pm

Also. People need to leave more jobs off their resume. If you sucked at the job, leave it off. Your resume is not your life story. you don't have a line for going to the bathroom, right? You just put stuff there that shows that you will perform well. It's a marketing document. If someone asks you about the gap, talk about what you learned. You do not have to be in a job to learn.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 02/05/2010 - 1:33pm

I also loved the Webinar (in part because you're so different in person than you are in writing!) but didn't ask a question (definitely will next time.) Something that came to mind when you were talking about opinions and not being afraid is, if you are searching for jobs, or even currently employed, should you tone down any personal or highly inflammatory political opinions you have on your blog in case it's too personal for if you're Googled?

Vicki Boykis

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 1:09pm

Honestly, it's very unlikely that you'll have highly inflamatory opinions very often. I have found that usually people think they are taking a radical position but it is actually the mainstream position. Most people do not have inflamatory opinions most of the time. Really. Just be yourself. If you are so inflamatory you have a career as a pundit, right? And almost no one does.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 1:15pm

Ok, so maybe inflammatory isn't the right word for it, but, for example in my personal blog I write a lot of satire/sarcasm, which can often be misinterpreted. I know it's not good to be bland, either, but I often struggle with the boundary between what I think is "safe' to put out there and what isn't.

Vicki Boykis

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 1:19pm

Vicki, I don't think anyone has advanced anywhere in life via sarcasm. It's almost always got a mean undertone, it is almost always unproductive, and it's very hard to make it funny because the rythm of humor is important (comedic timing) and sarcasm requires an extra beat for the listener to decide if it's sarcastic. So sarcasm is a communication method for bottom feeders. It sounds like you should just be your best self online and that will be a good thing for people to Google.

Penelope Trunk

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 11:50am

Hey Penelope. You had written a comment on www.mizzinformation.com this morning in regards to work/life balance of community managers. You had mentioned that " For each baby boomer who retires, it takes two Gen-Xers to replace them, because baby boomers are workaholics. And, I just heard on Canadian public TV last night that people are finding that Gen Y does not work longer hours than Gen X." I'd love to read/watch about that. Do you remember the station so maybe I could look it up? Thx!

Rachel Vincent

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 12:56pm

I don't see a link to the show online. But that data is often repeated. The person who presented the data on the TV show was Linda Duxbury, and economist at Carleton University. Also, Sylvia Hewlett has it in her first book (I forget the title) and she republished the data in the Harvard Business Review. And Tammy Erikson has this data in her most recent book. You can find all the links to this stuff on my blog. Search the person's name and Generation X and I think you'll find it.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 1:03pm

Thanks for holding another webinar again. First of all, I would like to correct that I'm a male, not a female (I have never heard of any female "Stanley"). Secondly, relating to creating meaningful conversations between bloggers, I have an analogous question for a network group on this site. I'm not sure what is the best way to promote a network that I have participated in creating. What would be the recommendation that is similar to starting insightful conversations between blogs?

Stanley Lee

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 11:32pm

Hey Stanley, I'm not P, but I'd like to share something I thought about last night after the webinar. P and Ryan were talking about having an opinion and not being afraid to state it on the blog. However, I'm very gray when it comes to things, I don't see in black and white. So I thought to myself, where does that leave me? It leaves me as a more inquisitive writer. Asking questions give people a reason to respond, too. Just thinking out loud.

Smith+Fritzy

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 10:51am

@Stanley. That's a great question. I think that the fact that you make a huge contribution in this group means, for you, that you have more access to people in this group. You can ask more favors when you need them. For example, if you needed me to do a specific thing to help you, I probably would because you do so much for this group. I think contributing to a group is giving. And the more you give, the more you can receive.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 1:04pm

@Smith+Fritzy it's much harder to ask good questions than give answers to questions. So you're fine asking questions. If you are not asking a question in your post the you are probably not struggling enough to find an answer to learn anything in the post. You know? So asking questions is great. But you still have to take a shot at answering. If it's a really good question, no one cares if you are right or wrong. Actually, my post today is a good example of that. I have no good answer.

Penelope Trunk

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 1:09pm

Good point, P. I think I may be stuck on semantics, too. I left out my favorite type of blog writing - which is essentially storytelling blogs. I include yours in that category. You may include POV and data, but overall, you're just a good storyteller. I think that's why even though some of your posts can be polarizing, you still keep the majority of your readers... because they're still into the story. Do you find that somewhat true?

Smith+Fritzy

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 12:58pm

@Smith+Fritzy I think a lot about storytelling. I have a six-figure book contract to tell my story. And the number-one thing every editor and agent wants (after an ability to write) is a story that has redemptive value to the reader. The reader wants to feel the story impacted his or her life. This is how you get a non-fiction, story-telling book deal. And I think it says a lot about what makes a good storytelling blog post: You must help the reader in some way.

Penelope Trunk

Mon, 02/01/2010 - 1:10pm

@P: I'll email you separately.

Stanley Lee

Wed, 02/03/2010 - 2:11am

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