February 10, 2010

By Teri Evans
Who’s better off in business: the single entrepreneur with an unlimited supply of midnight oil to burn or the married entrepreneur with obvious time limitations, but also the support of a loving spouse and family?

Entrepreneurs are often categorized as intense visionaries who sleep little and cheerily work around the clock to be successful. One could assume that being single would then automatically help your business. But is that really true?

A 2009 Kauffman Foundation report, “Anatomy of an Entrepreneur,” found the stereotypical image of the single, free-wheeling entrepreneur may not be the norm. The Kansas City, Mo.-based nonprofit group surveyed 549 company founders across a variety of industries and found nearly 70% percent were married when they launched their first business, about 60% had at least one child, and almost 44% percent had two or more children.

So, who’s better off in business: the single entrepreneur with an unlimited supply of midnight oil to burn or the married entrepreneur with obvious time limitations, but also the support of a loving spouse and family?
“I think there are benefits either way, but they’re different,” said Melinda Carlisle Brackett, a San Jose, Calif-based therapist and business coach who works with entrepreneurs.

Here, a look at how being single or married can give you an edge when it comes to three important aspects of living a successful entrepreneurial life.

Flexibility
Who has the edge? Single entrepreneurs

“A single entrepreneur has the benefit of not stressing out about getting home to take care of building a relationship,” Brackett said. “They may date, but it doesn’t really take the same sort of energy.”
For example, having the flexibility to attend networking events in the evenings, while married entrepreneurs may not be able to, can certainly offer an advantage when it comes to growing a business. If your industry also requires constant travel, the flexibility of being able to hop on a plane at a moment’s notice can also offer an edge to the single entrepreneur.

“There are also some industries where going out and partying is more important than being perceived as stable,” said Meredith Haberfeld, a New York-based business coach, who works with many single and married entrepreneurs. “As a generalization, in more traditional professions, having a spouse can make you appear more stable to your peers, but in newer fields like new media or entertainment, being able to stay out late can be a benefit.”

Work-Life Balance
Who has the edge? Married entrepreneurs

Finding ways to balance work and family is often top of mind for married entrepreneurs because they grapple with it on a daily basis, while single entrepreneurs can — albeit unwittingly — shift their personal needs to the back burner.
“When you’re married, you’re always revisiting the priorities, asking yourself: ‘What am I doing this for? What’s the long-term goal?’” Brackett said. “That’s a benefit because it forces you to make choices you’re probably going to be happy with in the long run.”

To be sure, married business owners are also left wondering if their business is suffering because they need to spend more time working. Still, experts agree that finding some semblance of balance between work and play is critical for any business owner. Of course, that’s not to say single entrepreneurs don’t think at all about long-term goals, they’re just not necessarily forced to face them every day.

“The biggest mistake single entrepreneurs make is not planning for the day when they’re not going to want to keep that same pace, and I think there’s a price to be paid for that,” Brackett said. “They may be on top of their game, making money, and believe in their business, but not having that balance can create a ton of stress.”

Haberfeld suggests forcing yourself to sit down and put your priorities on paper, instead of always being guided by the squeakiest wheel.

“Then, structure your time each week to be in alignment with those priorities, and follow the plan,” Haberfeld said. “The balance is within one’s reach, but for some it’s a skill that has to be learned.”

Time & Energy
Who has the edge? Single entrepreneurs

“A single entrepreneur has more available time and energy to throw toward their business, and I think that unquestionably contributes to the success and thriving of a venture,” Haberfeld said.

On the other hand, being in a loving relationship can bring an emotional high and there’s an energy and optimism that goes a long with it, according to Brackett. “When we’re feeling good and optimistic we tend to get past our fears about taking that next step in business because we don’t feel so isolated,” she said.

Whether you have a lot or a little time, experts say what’s most important to being a successful entrepreneur is knowing how to manage it.

“While it’s quite obvious how the needs of a family can cut into time, I see that issue get in the way of almost all the entrepreneurs I work with,” Haberfeld said. “Navigating one’s way through that is a big leveler of the field to making a successful entrepreneur.”

Robyn Moreno

July 2009

In this economy, many people are just focused on getting (or keeping) a job - dropping their hopes of opening a business or landing a job they really enjoy. But we don’t have to “get caught up in the panic or settle for work we don’t like”, says Meredith Haberfeld a Career Coach and co-founder of the Institute for Coaching. Meredith sat down with me and shared the three ways people can get their dream jobs.

RM: In this economy, is going for your “dream job” still a realistic goal?

MH: Rather than focus on the job they want, people should first focus on what they want out of their “dream” job.

They should ask themselves questions like: “What do I love doing all day? Is it talking to people, being outdoors? What kind of people do I want to work with? What do I definitely not want to be doing - working for corporate America, staring at a computer all day? How much money am I committed to making?
To help be specific, people should write down the aspects of their dream jobs that really excite them. So if your dream job is to be a veterinarian, then the draw might be working with animals. Or if it’s being an interior designer, is it being creative and working in a beautiful a setting that attracts you? Once you’ve answered those questions, you have your “deal breaker list of professional values.”

And with that list you can check to see if it matches your “dream” job. Often people find that the occupation they thought they wanted (probably because it sounded fun or sexy) doesn’t quite match, while other jobs they hadn’t even considered now make sense. So in that way, you have really widened your net, creating many more job opportunities.

RM: OK, so now that I’ve expanded my job horizons, what’s next?

MH: Next is what I call the “Live Research Phase.” Start talking to people who have jobs in the industry you’re considering and find out what it’s really like. You can do this by contacting friends, family, people in your community or even sites like Facebook or LinkedIn. You’ll be shocked at how much people actually want to help you.
So once you get on the phone or in a meeting with someone who’s in the field you’re interested in, find out what that world is really like. Ask them what they love and what they hate about their job. Ask them what are the things they thought that career was going to be like that it’s not, and what things do they like about it that they never expected. And just straight ask them for advice. You’ll find that after these conversations, more careers will be crossed off your list, while others might emerge.

What’s really great about this process is that you’ll find that the network you developed in this “research phase” is the same network that parlays you into the next job.

RM: So now I have a good understanding of my dream job, what’s next?

MH: The final piece is to understand the “Momentum Equation.” The “momentum equation” is that it takes a lot of energy to produce a new result. So it might take 100 units of energy to yield ONE positive result. For instance, you might spend weeks sending out resumes, responding to ads, writing cover letters, etc., and might just get one response. This is where many people get stuck. The name of the game here is to understand and be prepared that things might be slow going. It’s ok to be disappointed, call up a friend and biotch or whatever you need to do. But the important thing is to not give up, because the equation will change.
Soon it will only take 50 units of energy to yield one result, and eventually even less. It is building and keeping this momentum that will make the difference in your career, because even in this difficult economy everyday people are getting jobs they love. And so can you.

Meredith Haberfeld is an executive coach who’s guided entrepreneurs and leading executives from institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Forbes, JP Morgan Chase, Credit Suisse, FuseTV and the World Health Organization. She also works as a life coach for assisting individuals, couples, and families in designing and living extraordinary lives.

August 2009
By Laura House

If you’ve recently been part of a “reduction in workforce,” consider that pink slip your ticket to freelance freedom. Lindsey Pollak, a consultant and self-proclaimed Gen Y career and workplace expert, predicts that “self-employment is the wave of the future because companies just aren’t that loyal to their employees anymore.” Though freelance life may have its stresses, Meredith Haberfeld, a career coach at the Institute for Coaching, points out that “designing your own days isn’t a bad perk.” Here, their advice for getting yourself out there so your company can grow. Some tips may seem like common sense: You know you need a business card, but we tell you how to actually get one.

1 Make a business card
This is how people will get in touch with you, so list every possible outlet—phone, cell phone, e-mail, website. But keep it professional and lose the wacky e-mail address (sorry, cutiepie_123@gmail.com). “A short tag line is fine,” says Haberfeld, “but omit mission statements, affirmations or hokey quotes.” VistaPrint (vistaprint.com, 42 designs are available for free, more customizable options start at 250 for $19.99) and Design Your Own Card (designyourowncard.com, 500 for $30) are thrifty good-quality options. Or splurge and get sleek cards from Moo (moo.com/en, 50 for $21.99).

2 Tighten up your résumé
People seem to be ignoring that once-golden rule about keeping résumés to one page. Read it here—two (or more) pages are not acceptable. “It’s hard to get someone to look at even the first paragraph of your résumé,” Haberfeld says, “so the shorter it is, the more likely it will hold someone’s attention.” Keep it brief, but Pollak also cautions against gaping holes between projects; fill them in with volunteer or temp jobs.

3 Build a website
A Web presence is crucial (just ask Julia Allison), but not everyone knows the ins and outs of HTML. If that includes you, don’t worry. Our experts suggest bartering for services. “A lot of Web designers are looking to gain experience, especially since business is slow right now,” says Pollak. “If you have a skill like writing, photography or bookkeeping, you can trade your services for theirs.” Elance (elance.com), Craigslist (craigslist.org) and Guru (guru.com) are great places to seek out a Web buff.

4 Network
Once your materials are in order, it’s time to start making yourself known. Take advantage of social-networking sites, join professional organizations and attend events in your field. Haberfeld challenges freelancers to establish three new contacts every day. Even if you don’t make a business deal, at least you’re now on their radar—and you had an excuse to leave the apartment.

5 Hold a mini focus group
Find out what potential clients think about you. Haberfeld recommends running your brand concept by three or four potential clients to gather feedback. Get their honest opinion of your services and how you present them, and make changes accordingly. But no matter the results, don’t get discouraged. “There is an effort equation when starting something new,” Haberfeld says. “For every 100 units of effort you put in, you can expect one result. Put the energy in, consistently, no matter what, and the results start flowing in.”

When Is It OK to Bad Mouth Your Job?
June 17, 2009
By Eleni Himaras

Having a bad boss or an awful job is one of the most frustrating situations there is. But is it ever acceptable, or beneficial, to vent such feelings in a professional setting?
The answer, unfortunately, is no.

“It reliably comes back and bites you, even if you think you’re speaking with someone who is ‘safe,’” says Meredith Haberfeld, the New York-based co-founder of Meredith Haberfeld Coaching and the Institute for Coaching.

Of course certain situations, such as exit interviews or questions from a new boss about your previous employer, are inevitable. It is possible to be honest and constructive at the same time, Haberfeld says.

1. Leave Emotions at the Door

Let the emotional aspect of the situation simmer before discussing it, says Haberfeld.

“Try as we might to be ‘professionals,’ we are also sentient beings and when our feelings are hurt, it has an impact, even in business,” she says. “Our feelings cloud our perspective, and our feedback is indisputably obscured by that.”
If the emotions aren’t cooling on their own, Haberfeld says to analyze the situation with the help of a friend or professional.

“If you notice you still feel an edge toward the place you left or are leaving, find someone to help you dismantle the story you’ve constructed about the place or the people,” she says. “This will lead you toward real insightful feedback about what worked and didn’t.”

If a question comes up in an exit interview that rubs against still raw emotions, Haberfeld says to qualify the answer by saying, “I know I’m hurt and upset, and my insights are probably not as accurate as they are going to be when I have a little distance from this.”

This response, she says, shows a level of maturity that will go a long way.

2. Keep it Short

If asked a direct question by a potential employer, Haberfeld says it is best to have a concise reply already practiced.
“It should be honest, balanced positive and negative to the former employer, and brief,” she says. “Practice this in advance so you can keep it simple and short.”

Sticking to this pared down response will keep the question from sticking out to your new boss. Candidates or employees who go into a full-blown rehashing of the ordeal typically come out looking worse than one who says very little.

“Most times, if you’re giving justifications or giving explanations for things that make someone else sound bad, it’s perceived that there was something negative going on that you aren’t being responsible for,” she says.
Every employer and company has some positive aspects, she reminds.

3. Vent Online, Carefully
Venting is healthy and necessary towards moving on, Haberfeld says. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, there are places to let frustrations fly.

LayOffMoveOn.com is a web site where the recently unemployed can share not only horror stories of his or her previous job, but the inspirational stories of getting past it. Chicago-based designer Jessica Lybeck founded the anonymous site after she was laid off from a part time position at an architecture firm.

“LayOffMoveOn is a blog cluster devoted to connecting people with tips to survive and thrive in this economy,” the site reads. “The conditions are tough…but DAMN we’re tougher.”

There are also generalized sites like JobVent.com that allow users to gripe by specific company or location.

Just remember that you may not be the only one scoping out these various web sites, so take a new twist on your mother’s advice: If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, make sure they can’t use the Internet to trace it back to you. Leave out identifying details about yourself or any specific situations, and definitely leave the names out of it. This is just a venting ground, not a place for public retribution.

Career Transition, Career Choices

By Career Coach, Meredith Haberfeld

Whether you’re about to be dumped out of your current position or bored to screaming point by work that used to be gratifying, one way to stay ahead of the unsettling see-saw of a career transition is careful preparation.

Most people find life transitions intimidating, especially on the work front. But now is actually a prime time to lean toward the next fulfilling adventure in your career.

Here are 10 steps that will help get you where you want to be going:

1.    Stay in reality: You need a well thought-out financial plan for your transition, including the time frame by which you want to be in your next job, and how long you can freely explore without running low on funds.  Important: take the time to do the math up front.  If you have six months worth of financial padding then the plan has to accommodate being situated in a new job where your basic life needs are taken care of in that amount of time.  (That’s not to say you can’t pursue a parallel path if your savings are insufficient, of course, but you may have to stick with your current employer or find an interim position that pays the bills while continuing to work toward your goal.) Don’t be impatient, be strategic.

2.    Hone in: Do a brainstorming-around your ideal dream job to hone down career choices.

a. Write out the elements you like in your previous work (e.g. being with people, exercising leadership, doing email, etc).

b. What elements do you want in your career that you have not yet had in your day to day job or from your total experience of working?

c. What elements do you want to not have in your next career?

d. How much money are you committed to making?

e. What jobs have you loved? And for each one, write out:

1. what you loved about it

2. anything you didn’t love about it

f. What are all the careers you’ve thought of in the last 5 years?
(Don’t worry about whether or not you have a PhD.  People think insularly.  Your task here is to broaden your thinking.)

1. Then, go back and make a bulleted list of each of the career choices, defining what it is about each career choice that interests you.

Examples:  Veterinarian–the pleasure of healing, being with animals.
Interior Designer—tapping into my artistic side, creating beautiful things and settings, working with people.

Notice how this leads you to a list of your own VALUES in your work life.

Choose the top 5-8 of the career choices that are most important to you. Now you have your list of ‘deal-breaker’ VALUES that must be there for you in your next job.
Then you can brainstorm and begin a fact-hunting mission to develop a written list of the handful of jobs/career choices that are a match for your ‘deal-breaker’ list.

3.    Soak up information like a sponge: Talk to everyone appropriate (which will be more people than you first imagine) about your interest in transitioning your career.  Most people are chasing a mirage, and far too often they make career choices based on fantasy thinking or simply on poor information.  Also our relationship to work is inevitably altered as we grow and change—the average person often makes several career changes over the course of a lifetime.  So being informed about such an important next step is vital.

“Live research” allows you to hone in on the very real elements you want to move way from and gravitate to the ones that you find match your desires. Get the word out to the people you know about what you’re interested in pursuing and ask them specifically who they know that would be useful for you to speak with.  Find every opportunity you can to talk with people who are in the jobs or fields for career choices you’re considering.

This is one of the MOST CRITICAL elements of a successful career transition and to make the right career choices, yet it is the piece that is most often missing.  Not only does this process refine your decision making, but the ancillary benefit is that the very individuals you reach out to for your “live research” become a critical part of your network that ultimately parlays you into your next job and career.

4.    Talk to people:  Get away from the computer!  Through every phase of your entire transition, authentically cultivate relationships.  This is the single most powerful force leading to successful job transitions.  Nurture and expand your network of friends. Don’t come off like you’re only interested in selling yourself but be sincere, get on their radar screen by fostering a genuine connection.

Go to industry conferences, parties, cocktails, morning breakfasts; and create and develop relationships.  Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for them.  This reciprocity will have you be “top of mind” when the right opportunity presents itself.

5.    The art of re-positioning yourself: If some of your career choices are in a new industry, spend time getting extremely clear about your “portable value”.  Know and be able to concisely communicate your unique worth and just how your skills will benefit your future industry and new employer.   Practice succinctly articulating - in your ‘elevator pitch’, as well as your resume - how your distinctive talents, abilities, and accomplishments perfectly position you for what you’re seeking to do.  Every person’s experience can be re-packaged to meet the demands of a new industry.  Spending the time to do this right makes an enormous difference     between success and failure.

6.    Find your ROI:  When preparing to look for a job in a new industry, clarify and focus on the measurable contributions to the bottom-line result you’ve achieved for your former or current employers, and show how it can work anywhere. Present your significant skills and explain how you’re ready to out-compete even in another industry. Every time you are asked “What do you do or want to be doing?” answer this question instead, “Why should you pay my salary?”

7.    Action: Daily action is required. Create a strategic plan for your transition; with daily, weekly, and monthly goals.  Start with where you want to end up:  figure out what you need to know about your new career and each possible career choice, and what you need to do to get there. Build a pipeline of actions from there. Actions can be small; but be in motion.

8.    Build in accountability: Get a partner to hold you to your plan and keep your word, without regard for disappointments or your mood.  Ask people to champion you when you face set-backs, but to hold you accountable for sticking to your daily actions and driving yourself forward.  Too often people get bogged down by disappointments and then buy into in the belief that the work world is too tough right now.  Daily actions that stretch you, and maintaining accountability to your plan not only reduce overwhelm and anxiety, they’re a powerful impetus to get you to your ultimate goal.

9.    Momentum: There is an “effort equation” when starting something new; for example, for every 100 ‘units’ of effort you put in, you can expect 1 result.  As you gain momentum, this equation improves, to perhaps 1 result for only 50 ‘units’ of effort in.  This means…play…put the energy in.  If you’re impatient, you may get discouraged by not seeing the results as quickly as you want.  But it is mathematical.  Put the energy in, consistently, no matter what, and the results start flowing in.

10.    Courage: When setting out to do something different you may have a crisis of confidence; a feeling like “I am a charlatan” or “There’s no way I can pull this off!”  There is often a period of time when you are gaining credibility within yourself.  Have patience during this phase and know this period is finite.  In the mean time, fake it.  Don’t be wishy-washy: when introducing yourself - statements like “I’m trying to be an author” or “I’m sort of working on becoming a therapist” sabotage you.   Get in the habit of saying, “I’m a writer” or “I’m a chef”.  Hear yourself say the words–listen to what you are and be proud. Once you get your feet under you for long enough, your this turns to genuine confidence.

A final note: The days of linear careers are over.  Be pragmatic; take all your differing agendas into account, including how much you need to be making, what you love and hate doing, the legacy you want to leave, the transition time you have available for making a career move.  This will help you make the right career choices.

When you finally free up your thinking and accept that reality and desire can be accounted for – you discover so much more is possible – and you get to real actionable answers.  Now it becomes a matter of breaking up the transition into ‘Lego pieces’; individual manageable blocks that build on one other to get you out of your head and into action, and in the direction you want to take.  The horizon then becomes limitless.

To contact Meredith, click here on Contact Page or call 866-599-6535.

Shelly Schwartz
| 26 Feb 2009 | 05:01 PM ET

There you sit in your window office, embossed business cards and wall full of awards. An impressive career, by anyone’s measure. So why do your thoughts keep drifting to that bed and breakfast for sale in Cape Cod?

Whether driven by layoffs, the desire for more meaningful work or a general sense of, well, blah, about their careers, a growing number of US workers are making the midcareer switch, pushing their old professions aside (and the assurance of a steady paycheck) in favor of a new line of work that speaks to their talents and interests.

“There are a lot of people out there whose companies are downsizing significantly and they see it as an opportunity almost to do something they’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have the courage or were too involved in the realities of life to pursue,” says Judy Hoppin, a career counselor and president of the National Career Development Association. “People in my field are swamped with calls right now.”

Unfortunately, however, many embark on a second career with eyes wide shut, lacking clear direction and a realistic sense of the costs involved—sending them back to their boss six months later with hat in hand.
“You need a really well thought-out plan for your transition, including the time frame in which you want to be in your next job and how long you can freely explore without running low on funds,” says Meredith Haberfeld, a career coach for the New York-based Institute for Coaching.

How Much Will It Cost?
That starts with projecting the cost of changing careers, an exercise that will not only prepare you for what to expect, but help clarify whether walking away from your current profession is feasible for you and your family. “I am a pragmatist so I believe in having a solidly laid plan that fits your current financial situation,” says Haberfeld. “If you have six months worth of financial padding then the plan has to accommodate being situated [in a new job] where your basic life needs are taken care of in that amount of time.” That’s not to say you can’t pursue a second career if your savings are insufficient, of course, but you may have to stick with your current employer or find an interim position that pays the bills while continuing to work towards your goals.

When running the numbers, don’t just include the financial cushion you’ll need to support yourself during your job hunt—which should amount to six months to a year’s worth of living expenses. Factor in the loss of future earnings, since you may be calling it quits at the peak of your career, lost retirement contribution matches and the temporary loss of medical benefits.

There’s also the cost of classes or a new degree necessary to help you rewrite your career; vocational courses cost several hundred dollars, while a second degree can set you back tens of thousands.
“Any kind of schooling is expensive,” says Hoppin. “If someone is thinking about going back to school to get their master’s degree, for example, they would want to look at the cost-benefit ratio. Is it true that with this advanced degree you’ll be more marketable? And if you invest in this is it in the long run going to create enough of an income boost to pay you back for the money you’ll outlay.” You can help keep educational costs to a minimum by exploring community colleges or vocational schools, which are significantly less expensive.

There’s also the Lifetime Learning Credit for qualified tuition expenses, which may help defray the cost of higher education. You cannot claim an education credit, however, if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is $60,000 or more for singles and $120,000 or more if filing jointly.

The best bet, of course, is to complete any classes required before you bid farewell to your boss so you can hit the ground running when you leave.

If you’re leaving a job to start your own business, the cost of making a midcareer switch (and uncertainty of success) is greater still. There’s the interest you’ll owe on your business loan, monthly rent and utility expenses, the cost of supplies and foregone earnings while you build your customer base.

Hanging out your shingle
For Alison Greenberg, 37, who was 12 years into a successful career with a leading New Jersey law firm when staring out on her own, it was a small price to pay. “I walked away from a lot,” she says. “I was a partner. I had a good salary and opportunities for bonuses, but I wanted to be more of a community-based lawyer and to reinvent the practice of law for myself. I also lived in Manhattan so I wanted to work where I live and get more involved with community issues and politics.” She started her own business litigation and employment law practice in New York six months ago and hasn’t looked back since.

“I had two clients when I left and there was a lot of initial uncertainty of where the business was going to come from,” she says. “But I was always weighing the pros and cons of being part of a large firm and felt that to be true to myself and be able to represent more individuals and small business owners it would be better to go out on my own. It’s different now, and I’m living on a different budget but it’s very rewarding.”
According to Haberfeld, many working Americans suffer in silence at jobs they don’t like, but can’t put their finger on which occupation to pursue. If you count yourself among them, she suggests starting a list of all the elements you liked and disliked about your previous jobs, which elements you desire in your new career and which you do not.

Think, too, about all the careers you’ve considered in the last five years, making a list about what in each of them interested you. “Based on the lists you create, patterns will emerge,” Haberfeld says. “Identify those patterns and condense them into the most essential value that it represents for you.” That will help narrow down a list of career options, from which you can begin the research phase of your transition.

For its part, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (2008-2009) provides information on hundreds of different jobs, including earnings data, job prospects, working conditions and a summary of what those workers do on the job.

The Small Business Administration also offers a small business planner, which walks you through how to write a business plan, secure financing, manage and market your business and handle legal matters.
You can always, of course, hire a career counselor to perform detailed aptitude tests and skills assessments to help direct you towards viable career opportunities within your areas of interest. Be prepared to pay anywhere from $60 to $120 an hour for their time.

If money’s tight, there are also free online assessment tools that perform some of the same functions. Careercruising.com and O*Net.com are two examples.

Get out and talk
No matter how committed you think you are to making a career change, Haberfeld says it’s critical to gain as realistic a picture as possible of what that job entails—before taking the plunge. After all, a career in forensics is not what it seems on the television drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
“Devastatingly, most people focus career change efforts on submitting resumes to job postings and job boards,” says Haberfeld. “But the most important piece of this transition is getting out on the skinny branches and talking to real people about what you are looking for. It’s finding people in the field you are interested in and asking if they’d be willing to spend 15 minutes on the phone or having coffee.”
If so, come prepared with a list of questions.

For example, ask whether they are happy in their career, what they like and dislike about it, which companies are the best to work for, which you should stay away from and what recommendations they may have to help you land a job in the field.

“Not only do those conversations help clarify a person’s vision, but more importantly those contacts you make doing your investigating turn into the critical network that ends up parlaying you into that next job,” says Haberfeld. “My recipe for this phase is three new contacts every single day. Those are the keys to the kingdom to any successful career transition.”

© 2009 CNBC.com

Love your job? Then save it!
Jia Lynn Yang
February 2009

“No matter what your position, contribute to the bottom line.

Don’t wait until your company says it wants to cut costs.”
-Career Coach Meredith Haberfeld

If you’re worried about getting laid off, here’s some consolation: So is everyone else. Follow these do’s and don’ts to raise the odds that your job stays, well, yours.

DO take credit… but don’t “walk around with a big neon sign that says I’M GREAT,” says career coach Marie McIntyre. “Look for opportunities to let people know what you’re doing.” One good strategy: Create a paper trail by copying your boss on e-mail (selectively!). And periodically take the initiative to send a summary of what you’re working on.

DO be a team player…No Matter What your position, contribute to the bottom line. Don’t wait until your company says it wants to cut costs says Career Coach Meredith Haberfeld.

DON’T ask for a raise or a promotion. Be patient, and be grateful for now that you’ve got a job.

DO volunteer for more work. Companies are making cuts, so someone needs to pick up the extra work. Do it with a smile, and you’re a dream employee.

DO arrive early and stay late. This is obvious and no longer optional. Make your commitment visible by pulling long hours. Also, lay off the text messaging or personal calls during business hours.

DON’T telecommute. “[Bosses] tend to fire people they don’t like or don’t know,” says Stephen Viscusi, author of “Bulletproof Your Job.” Working from home or part-time makes it harder for your boss to know you, so avoid it if you can.

DO chat up your boss and your boss’s boss. If you’re at the cafeteria, strike up a conversation. “Executives love to talk about business, and they’re often as uneasy talking with you as you are with them,” says McIntyre. Be ready with a question, like “I just read about something our competitor’s doing. What’s your take on that?”

DON’T be eccentric. Now’s the time to fit in completely. “Buy some Crest White Strips. Look like you belong there,” says career expert Stephen Viscusi. “Don’t wear perfume or cologne, because maybe you’re wearing the perfume of your boss’s ex-wife.”

DO feel your boss’s pain. If you feel as if you’re being marginalized, talk with your manager and find out what his or her priorities are these days. Ask your boss, “What are your biggest goals right now, and how can I help?”

DON’T be high maintenance. Even if layoffs are necessary, they can also serve as an excuse for companies to fire people they wanted to get rid of anyway. Why? The most frequent issue is attitude: People who are demanding, difficult, or whiny, or otherwise take up too much of their manager’s energy, are the first to go.
If you need something from your boss, there’s a right and a wrong way to ask. “Use the magic phrase, ‘I really want to make this work,’” suggests Deborah Brown-Volkman, a career coach who specializes in counseling financial services professionals. Be clear you’re committed to finding a solution that helps the company. “The worst approach is ‘I don’t have this, I don’t have that,’” Brown-Volkman says. Instead, show how your business will benefit from a fix. If you can’t, then let it go. And always be ready with a solution or two.

The bottom line: Make your boss’s job easier, not harder.

DO stay informed. Set a Google alert for your company so that you’re up on what’s going on. You’ll have a better sense for when layoffs are coming. Plus, smart employees know how their piece of the business fits into the larger picture of what’s happening at the company.

DON’T gossip about the company. It’s tempting to compare notes with co-workers, but obsessing about your fears will only distract you from being productive. “It’s a diversion of your energy, and whatever answers you’re coming up with aren’t that helpful,” says Meredith Haberfeld.

DO a self-review. Try this exercise: Imagine your boss, your boss’s boss, and the HR director all sitting in a room, categorizing people. What are they going to say about you? How much do they value your work?

DON’T panic! There may still be a way to save your job if your boss tells you you’re being laid off. “These are the words you always hear: ‘Listen, we have to let you go - it’s a numbers thing,’” says Viscusi. He suggests negotiating and offering to take less pay or work fewer days in the week.
“If they still say no,” he says, “now you’re calling their bluff, allowing yourself to open a bigger severance envelope.” That’s because if a company has trouble explaining why it fired you, there’s room for you to sue for wrongful termination. Some managers might decide it’s easier to throw some money in your direction now than risk losing more down the road.

May 4, 2008
By Matt Reeder

So, you’re one of the lucky ones. Name on your office door. Extra-glossy business cards. A bit of seniority.
Think again.

While recent MBA grads prowling for work face the unenviable task of breaking into the financial ranks for the first time (gasp!), the barrage of layoffs that’s spread into the upper ranks of the industry in recent months shows that title-toting execs face a formidable challenge of their own - protecting their hides. The recession’s official, more jobs will be cut and there’s no reason to assume your’s won’t be one of them.

With such rosy thoughts in mind, the folks over at BusinessWeek put together a helpful video detailing some of the practical steps you can take to protect your job. One suggestion, courtesy of executive coach Meredith Haberfeld, is to throw conventional wisdom out the window.

Keeping a low profile during tough times, she says, does nothing to secure your future. “Work your tail off,” she insists.”But make your successes and results visible. Not empty results.” She also suggests you find ways to show you care about the company’s bottom line, not just your own.

Elsewhere, the Harvard Business Review offers slightly less selfless advice. “Machiavellian as it may seem, holding on to your job when the economy softens is a matter of cool strategic planning,” write Janet Banks and Diane Coutu. And in addition to thinking like a survivor, they, too, encourage old-fashioned hard work. “If you’re not already wearing multiple hats, start imagining how you can support your company by leveraging experience your boss may know nothing about.”

By Carl Winfield

February 9, 2009

More than 11 million Americans are currently out of work. So as the job pool shrinks, many are dusting off those old resumes. It’s a good first step when seeking a job.

Of course, there’s often more than a sheet of paper standing between you and your next job. You’ve also got to impress your would-be employer in the interview.

“Your resume may get you through the door,” says Mitchell Feldman, president of the New York-based executive search firm A.E. Feldman and Associates, “but you’ve got to sell yourself if you’re going to get hired.”

Foot-In-Mouth and Other Foibles

Selling yourself sounds easy, but for anyone who’s sat across the table from an interviewer, finding your “hire me” voice can be pretty difficult.

“I had one client who spent so much time trying to craft perfect answers to each question, that his body language was completely off,” says Meredith Haberfeld, a professional life coach and president of Meredith Haberfeld Coaching. “He was so nervous that he wasn’t connecting with the people he was interviewing with.”

Though Haberfeld was able to work with her client and help him land the job, a lot of job seekers let their discomfort show and unknowingly ruin the interview. Others arrive at the interview too stressed to perform at their best, or even worse, show up late.

“You’ve got to give yourself time to relax,” says Haberfeld. “When you get to an interview late or in the nick of time, you’re going to look and feel rushed. That’s not the impression that you want to leave a potential employer with.”

Here’s How to Make Them Say “Wow”

If you’re looking to make a splash in your next interview, here is a short list of tips that can take you from unemployment to, “When can you start?”

1. Dress to blend in, not to impress. You may have a taste for expensive heels but, if you’re going into a business casual environment, dressing up to the nines may, in fact, put some distance between you and the interviewer. Do some research on the corporate culture and mirror it. Employers don’t want to know what’s in your closet, but they are looking for assurances that you’ll fit in.
2. When in doubt, smile. Nobody likes to be around a dour person and even fewer people want to work shoulder-to-shoulder with one. Show your interviewer that you’re a nice, polite, well-mannered person who’s pleased to be in the office by smiling. “You don’t have to go overboard,” says Haberfeld. “But interviewers are looking for a connection, and you can get that by smiling.”
3. Remember, the interviewer is a person too. You’re not the only person in a room with someone they haven’t met. The interviewer is not the executioner, they’re just trying to find out more about you. Be cordial and considerate. More importantly, do your best to make them comfortable. Not only will they appreciate it, but it may end up landing you the job.
4. Mirror your interviewer’s tone. Having the ability to empathize with others will serve you well in the interview and in life at the office. Pay attention to your interviewer’s body language and tone and do your best to match it. If they’re upbeat, you’re upbeat. If they’re not, rein your excitement in a little bit so that you don’t unnerve them.
5. Have a good time. Meeting someone for the first time can be stressful, but there is no reason that it has to be. Treat your interview experience like a party: Meet people, shake hands and enjoy the free coffee, tea or water. The interview will go a lot quicker and, even if you don’t get the job, at least you’ll be able to say that you had a good time.