A Senior's Perspective: Emotional Intelligence

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For the last four years, I’ve been drilled with exams, quizzes and writing assignments all of which are necessary for my learning. However, now that I’m on my way out and into the working world, I’m being told my emotional intelligence is more important. Emotional intelligence refers not to your IQ or book knowledge, but to the ability to manage emotions.

The one thing that really stuck out to me when evaluating my emotional intelligence is how I handle stress. You don’t have to have a full-time job to occasionally fall under the curse of being stressed out. With finals coming up, I’m imagining roughly 90 percent of us will feel quite overwhelmed. While I’m no expert at managing stress, I have been conscious of my reactions to stress for quite a while. Last semester was the hardest academic semester I’ve had at Auburn, and I also was shoulder deep in planning a wedding. This semester my course load is much easier, but I am now ear deep in wedding planning. Through this year, I’ve learned several things about managing my stress and reacting well to stress.

1. Writing things down helps keep me from getting overwhelmed. When I write things down, I know that I won’t forget it. Keeping a planner up-to-date is one of the best things I’ve done throughout my college career. It keeps me from double booking and wasting time.
2. Exercise can be used to prevent stress and relieve stress. I haven’t always been great about exercising. A lot of times when I am stressed I feel like exercise is a complete waste of time. However, this semester I’ve been very disciplined to exercise more, even if it’s only a 30-minute walk. What I’ve found is that the physical activity works out my anxious jitters and usually gears me to productivity. This is great because on the days that I’m not very busy, I get things finished thus leaving my next day a little less busy. It keeps things from piling high and keeps me feeling better. It also helps when I’m in the middle of a stress out phase. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of school and work to move my body leaves me feeling more relaxed. 
3. Concentrated breathing sounds silly, but helps a lot when feeling stressed. As previously stated my academic schedule is not very strenuous this semester. I am fortunate enough to be able to take a stress reduction course in the physical education department. One of the best things I have learned is the use of meditation and breathing. I don’t always have the time for a 30-minute guided breathing exercise, and I’m sure most of you don’t either. However, in those times of gut-wrenching stress or anxiety, close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths. It sounds silly, but taking that time to concentrate on your breathing slows your heartbeat and relaxes your body. Chances are you were tensing either your jaw or shoulders. By taking the time to breath slowly, you can relax those muscles.

These are just a few of the things that I found help me relax. Everyone is different, so maybe there are some other good activities you can do to unwind from your day. Whatever it is, realize that how to react to situations, stressful or not, plays a key role in how you are viewed as an employee.

BONUS: The Auburn University Career Center and DEI are co-sponsoring a Stress Relief Panel (WITH free food) on Thursday, August 26. Check it out here.

A Senior's Perspective: Be a Helper

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One of the things that I have learned through this internship at the Auburn University Career Center is the value of hard work. Every week may not be packed full of tasks, and there may be times when I feel like I have nothing to do. There are, of course, other times when I'm begging for no more tasks.

The lesson learned from this realization is this: A great employee is the one who takes advantage of the down times. It’s not wise to take on additional tasks or volunteer to help when things are already piling high on your desk. However, those days that aren’t quite as frantic are the perfect times to ask around for who needs help or take initiative on a project. This not only takes the load off another coworker or your boss, but it also can have some intrinsic value. Doesn’t it feel good when you help out? So, why not help out!?

Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of "The 11 Laws of Likability" and founder of Executive Essentials, a corporate training and coaching company based in New York, NY, said, “Pursue the relationships that feel authentic to you to expand your resources, knowledge base and support network, and offer your help. If you don't have anything to do, find something. Build your brand as someone who pitches in."

Another thing to highlight while we’re “pitching in,” is to maintain a positive attitude. The importance of a good attitude cannot be stressed enough. It really can be the difference maker in whether or not you get a job offer.

One of my friends completed her internship in accounting this spring and received a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm in the city of her choice. When the bosses called her in to offer her the job they told her that the thing they loved about her was that she remained positive and uplifting through her entire internship. She later confided in me that she had actually made some mistakes and at times wasn’t 100 percent positive she was doing the right thing. She is incredibly smart, but this was her first time to do real, outside of the classroom accounting work. She didn’t feel extremely confident in all of her decisions and actions because she wasn’t positive that they were correct. However, she also told me that she realized that the only thing she could control was her attitude and outlook. Her knowledge base is only so deep right now, but she could smile, be nice and have a good attitude. For those very things she got a job offer.

For this reason, I stress to you to make the most of your time at your work or internship. Your helping out, smiling or maintaining a positive attitude could be the difference between being unemployed and employed.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

Resume Ignored By Online Application Sites? Here's Why.

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Is your resume standing out in the pile?

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You’ve filled out hundreds of online job applications, and have never heard from an employer. You are beginning to feel rejected, unloved and unappreciated. Why doesn’t anyone call back? The reason may be in your resume and you haven’t noticed it.

I'm going to start with the assumption that your resume is neat, truthful, printed in a simple font, no smaller than 11 points, no more than two pages covering the last 10 years, and that it is spell-checked and proofread. No “manger” for “manager,” no “it’s” when it should be “its.”

There are two areas that will get your resume ignored–fast. One of them is the “Objective” statement. Anything vague gets you rejected. “I’m looking for an exciting job to advance my career,” is an example of a sinker. So is “Powerful executive with 20 years of increasing responsibility available for lateral applications of bricks-and-clicks viral e-marketing,” or anything else that looks like it comes from a jargon generator.

The objective is not a PR statement–the purpose is to get you hired. You will need a new one for every job you apply to. Hate the idea? Then get used to longer unemployment.

Your resume is being scanned for key words every time you submit it. If you don’t have the right key words, your resume will be shot into the shredder. What are the magic key words? Read the ad. The job description contains the key words. That’s why you need to change your objective for each job. Because the key words change. Look for nouns (titles, duties, responsibilities), not verbs (action words). You’ve probably been taught to create a “results oriented” resume. They don’t work anymore. Everyone “generated top results,” “managed profitability” and “won industry-wide awards,” and the scanner is not interested.

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Ten things your resume shouldn't have

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Resume tricks that will backfire on you

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As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, over the years I have come across many tacky résumé tricks that candidates use in a misguided effort to stand out. Most recruiters are on to these gimmicks. When you use these tricks, you may appear desperate, or worse yet, dishonest. Avoid them because they do not work and are bound to fail.

1- The Extensive Vocabulary Gimmick

Using big words and lengthy sentences will not help you sound important, especially if they are used incorrectly. Don't hide behind your vocabulary. Your résumé should be an easy read. When your résumé is not concise and direct, the reader gets uncomfortable. Use common words and clear sentences to put the focus on your background and abilities. Make sure to include effective keywords and phrases that you know the reader will be looking for, but stay away from industry-specific buzzwords that may get lost on your recruiter

2- The Case of the Missing Employment Dates

Eliminating your dates of employment to disguise career gaps will not work. Recruiters know that missing dates can only mean one of two things, either you are trying to hide a poor career history or you are just plain careless. Always include employment dates to pass the detailed résumé review. To extend the longevity of your résumé and minimize gaps, consider listing the year only, instead of month and year.

3- Hiding Behind a Functional Résumé

The functional, or ‘skills based’ résumé is designed so that your skills and relevant accomplishments are separated from your employment list and placed upfront. Many job seekers trying to minimize career issues such as gaps in employment use the functional format. If you use this technique, you can be sure a perceptive recruiter will go directly to your career history to try to find what you are hiding. In addition, these résumés tend to be disliked by many recruiters because it is difficult to connect where you did what you did. Avoid the functional format if you can. Whenever possible, use a reverse chronological format to keep your responsibilities and accomplishments under their respective job titles. If you must, use a combination of functional and reverse chronological that will strategically minimize your obstacles and meet your prospective employer’s needs.

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9 Steps to LinkedIn Networking for a Job

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A simple guide for job networking on LinkedIn

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Competition for advertised jobs is fierce. An advertised job posting can generate applications from thousands of potential candidates. Likewise, employers can cherry-pick potential employees. So how do you differentiate yourself while job hunting on LinkedIn? With all the tools for job seekers on the site you may get overwhelmed. Try this step-by-step process below and land a job on LinkedIn successfully!

To increase your chances of generating a response including an interview from a job posting, you should:

• Use LinkedIn to locate a company insider with a common connection (professional association, alum, etcetera)
• Request an informational interview to determine if the job is still available, name of the hiring manager, desired characteristics of the potential employee, and etcetera
• Customize your resume and cover letter using this information
• Ask your company insider to deliver your resume and cover letter to the hiring manager

Next, I am going to provide you with the steps I used to apply for a position last week with a Fortune 100 company.
1. Go to http://www.linkedin.com/
2. Click on the “Advanced” link for the Search People field in the upper right region of your screen
3. Select “Located in or near:” for the Location field

4. Input a zip code for the Postal Code field and select the appropriate entry (such as 50 mi) for the Within field to ensure the location of the company is within this geographical range
5. Input the name of the company in the Company field and select Current in the box below this field

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A Senior's Perspective: Be a Helper

To contact us Click HERE
One of the things that I have learned through this internship at the Auburn University Career Center is the value of hard work. Every week may not be packed full of tasks, and there may be times when I feel like I have nothing to do. There are, of course, other times when I'm begging for no more tasks.

The lesson learned from this realization is this: A great employee is the one who takes advantage of the down times. It’s not wise to take on additional tasks or volunteer to help when things are already piling high on your desk. However, those days that aren’t quite as frantic are the perfect times to ask around for who needs help or take initiative on a project. This not only takes the load off another coworker or your boss, but it also can have some intrinsic value. Doesn’t it feel good when you help out? So, why not help out!?

Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of "The 11 Laws of Likability" and founder of Executive Essentials, a corporate training and coaching company based in New York, NY, said, “Pursue the relationships that feel authentic to you to expand your resources, knowledge base and support network, and offer your help. If you don't have anything to do, find something. Build your brand as someone who pitches in."

Another thing to highlight while we’re “pitching in,” is to maintain a positive attitude. The importance of a good attitude cannot be stressed enough. It really can be the difference maker in whether or not you get a job offer.

One of my friends completed her internship in accounting this spring and received a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm in the city of her choice. When the bosses called her in to offer her the job they told her that the thing they loved about her was that she remained positive and uplifting through her entire internship. She later confided in me that she had actually made some mistakes and at times wasn’t 100 percent positive she was doing the right thing. She is incredibly smart, but this was her first time to do real, outside of the classroom accounting work. She didn’t feel extremely confident in all of her decisions and actions because she wasn’t positive that they were correct. However, she also told me that she realized that the only thing she could control was her attitude and outlook. Her knowledge base is only so deep right now, but she could smile, be nice and have a good attitude. For those very things she got a job offer.

For this reason, I stress to you to make the most of your time at your work or internship. Your helping out, smiling or maintaining a positive attitude could be the difference between being unemployed and employed.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

Resume Ignored By Online Application Sites? Here's Why.

To contact us Click HERE

Is your resume standing out in the pile?

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You’ve filled out hundreds of online job applications, and have never heard from an employer. You are beginning to feel rejected, unloved and unappreciated. Why doesn’t anyone call back? The reason may be in your resume and you haven’t noticed it.

I'm going to start with the assumption that your resume is neat, truthful, printed in a simple font, no smaller than 11 points, no more than two pages covering the last 10 years, and that it is spell-checked and proofread. No “manger” for “manager,” no “it’s” when it should be “its.”

There are two areas that will get your resume ignored–fast. One of them is the “Objective” statement. Anything vague gets you rejected. “I’m looking for an exciting job to advance my career,” is an example of a sinker. So is “Powerful executive with 20 years of increasing responsibility available for lateral applications of bricks-and-clicks viral e-marketing,” or anything else that looks like it comes from a jargon generator.

The objective is not a PR statement–the purpose is to get you hired. You will need a new one for every job you apply to. Hate the idea? Then get used to longer unemployment.

Your resume is being scanned for key words every time you submit it. If you don’t have the right key words, your resume will be shot into the shredder. What are the magic key words? Read the ad. The job description contains the key words. That’s why you need to change your objective for each job. Because the key words change. Look for nouns (titles, duties, responsibilities), not verbs (action words). You’ve probably been taught to create a “results oriented” resume. They don’t work anymore. Everyone “generated top results,” “managed profitability” and “won industry-wide awards,” and the scanner is not interested.

| 1 | 2 | Next Page

Ten things your resume shouldn't have

To contact us Click HERE

Resume tricks that will backfire on you

Tweet

     

As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, over the years I have come across many tacky résumé tricks that candidates use in a misguided effort to stand out. Most recruiters are on to these gimmicks. When you use these tricks, you may appear desperate, or worse yet, dishonest. Avoid them because they do not work and are bound to fail.

1- The Extensive Vocabulary Gimmick

Using big words and lengthy sentences will not help you sound important, especially if they are used incorrectly. Don't hide behind your vocabulary. Your résumé should be an easy read. When your résumé is not concise and direct, the reader gets uncomfortable. Use common words and clear sentences to put the focus on your background and abilities. Make sure to include effective keywords and phrases that you know the reader will be looking for, but stay away from industry-specific buzzwords that may get lost on your recruiter

2- The Case of the Missing Employment Dates

Eliminating your dates of employment to disguise career gaps will not work. Recruiters know that missing dates can only mean one of two things, either you are trying to hide a poor career history or you are just plain careless. Always include employment dates to pass the detailed résumé review. To extend the longevity of your résumé and minimize gaps, consider listing the year only, instead of month and year.

3- Hiding Behind a Functional Résumé

The functional, or ‘skills based’ résumé is designed so that your skills and relevant accomplishments are separated from your employment list and placed upfront. Many job seekers trying to minimize career issues such as gaps in employment use the functional format. If you use this technique, you can be sure a perceptive recruiter will go directly to your career history to try to find what you are hiding. In addition, these résumés tend to be disliked by many recruiters because it is difficult to connect where you did what you did. Avoid the functional format if you can. Whenever possible, use a reverse chronological format to keep your responsibilities and accomplishments under their respective job titles. If you must, use a combination of functional and reverse chronological that will strategically minimize your obstacles and meet your prospective employer’s needs.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Next Page

Ten Mistakes that Can Sabotage Your Job Search

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How to be more efficient in your job search

By Jay Edward Miller of alabamajobwatch.com

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Your resume is the number one most power job search tool in your arsenal. It has the power to make you successful beyond your wildest dreams. But if you screw it up, it also has the power to stop you dead in your tracks.

1) Overuse of "blasting" to distribute your resume. Mailing or emailing hundreds or even thousands of resumes to employers and recruiters can be counter-productive. For one thing, you are limited to a weakened, general, all-purpose version of your resume. Your cover letter if you have one, addressed to "Whom It May Concern" will be meaningless. Your submission will be lumped with the spam and junk email. You will have no opportunity to move the process forward by following up with a meaningful phone call, letter, or email.

And if that isn't bad enough, if a recruiter or employer reads your resume, they are smart enough to know that everyone else has a copy of it. If you are a recruiter and you know a thousand other recruiters have the same resume, you would know the tough time you would have earning a commission on the placement. Plus, you might figure that all the local employers have the resume and could cut you out of the loop. If employers know that all the other employers have your resume they may not be interested in competing with them.

Indiscriminate blasting reduces your market value. Don't expect quality interviews; expect interviews for hard-to-fill or high-turnover positions. Some commission hungry agents will be forgiving and may take a chance on you, higher class agents and employers will not.

2) Applying for jobs you are not qualified for. What is the harm? The job looks interesting, the "apply" link is right there, what is the worse that could happen? All they can do is say, "no".

If you are unqualified and waste a recruiter's or employer's time, they will ignore you in the future. And when their time is wasted, they suddenly have a memory like an elephant. That is not the way you want to be remembered in a job search. Plus, how smart does it make you look?

3) Not customizing your resume and cover letter for each employer. The Internet makes it so much easier to investigate companies. Corporate websites will tell you exactly what they are looking for in employees. Leverage these resources. The resume and cover letter are the most powerful marketing tools in your arsenal. And with today's technology, sending a generic resume and cover letter is inexcusable.

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5 Ways To Turn Off A Hiring Manager

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Job seekers beware

Reprinted with permission from FabJob.com .

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Are you high maintenance? Do your friends tease you about being a "diva"? Is one of your favorite phrases "enough about you, let's talk about me"?

If you answered "no," check out the following behaviors, compiled from bad moves of dozens of real-life job-seekers, for ideas guaranteed to make a negative impression on employers.

1. Get More Information Before Applying

Before you apply for a job, make sure you're not wasting your time going after a position that's beneath you.

When you see an ad for a job that looks interesting, phone the employer and demand to speak with the person in charge of hiring. Once you have that person on the phone (if necessary, keep phoning until they agree to take your call), grill them about the job.

Get answers to questions such as: "How much does it pay? How much vacation time will I get? How big will my office be?" and anything else that's important to you.

Finish by insisting that they fax or email the job description to you.

2. Create a Cover Letter That's All About You

Start your cover letter with a strong statement such as "This is the type of position I've been looking for."

Then go on to explain what you want in a job. For example, "I am searching for a financially rewarding position where I can gain experience and pursue my interests." Add that you see this job as a stepping-stone to something better.

Even if they haven't asked for salary expectations, tell them the minimum amount they'll need to pay you "with benefits."

Better yet, don't waste your valuable time writing a cover letter when anyone can see from your resume how lucky they would be to have you.

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Library Managers as Triathletes of the Mind? Meaghen's Wisdom for Librarians

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Meaghen Ann Harris, award-winning athlete

I'm putting the finishing touches on my slides for ALA, where I'll be presenting the LLAMA preconference "The Tough Stuff: Leadership, Change, & Performance Management for Library Managers" with the incredibly wise Jenica Rogers. This past weekend I was trying to find a theme to run through my portion of the talk on managing change. In a fit of pique and laziness, I polled Facebook, and my sister Meaghen noted that triathlons were a pretty good metaphor. She noted that triathletes have to swim to T1 (transition #1), tear off their wet suits, put on bike shoes and helmet, and cycle to T2 (transition #2), where they "drop off bike, tear off helmet, throw on some kicks and run...to the FINISH. Manage the change, Colleen. Manage the change."

My little sister is wise. (And a kickass athlete to boot, regularly taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd in her age group, while I cheer her on from under my covers and half a country away.) But Meaghen is right - triathletes manage not just their training, but issues of endurance and skill and training and awkward transitions. That sounds pretty much like library management to me. The next message she sent me via Facebook struck me right between the eyes:

“You always spend the most time on your bike. So it's a very important part of training. Swimming is the shortest part of the race (time and distance wise) but it takes skill and technique--- like- I can bust my ass to be a better runner/biker, but it doesnt work that way with swimming- if you try to swim faster by working harder you just end up thrashing through the water and looking stupid. It takes time to become a better swimmer (my current dilemma- because I want to be good NOW). Some people are JUST good swimmers- I like them- because I end up passing them on the bike and the run.”

Hmmm. Matching this up to library management issues, I see a lot of parallels. Where we spend the most of our time is an important part of our work (though perhaps we're not as well trained in it as we should be), managing the day to day aspects of our part of the library, the regular small changes that we absorb and move through with regularity. What is the shortest part of our management race/life? Maybe dealing with what I would call "catastrophic change" - things that happen rarely but are paradigm-changing. Like Meaghen mentions about swimming, I don't know that it is something we can do by working harder -- mostly, the folks I see who deal well with this are the library managers who work smarter, and who have gone through a few of these experiences and streamlined their responses. But if the only skill set a library manager has honed is the one necessary to deal with the huge, catastrophic changes, and they're not prepared to handle the more quotidian long-haul issues, they're not really prepared to hit any sort of finish line or goal with their organization.

Jenica notes in a recent blog post that the interest in learning how to manage - and how to manage better - is alive and well within librarians. My sister joined a team with a coach, and they support each other. I've found what Jenica might term my tribe of management peers largely through the luck of having great mentors, latching onto folks I want to talk to at conferences, and deciding to craft my speaking proposals around something I feel strongly about. I keep coming back to "[I]f you try to swim faster by working harder you just end up thrashing through the water and looking stupid."

Where are we working harder when we should be honing skill and technique instead? How (if at all) are MLS programs useful as a "training program" for library mangers? Should we instead be focusing on things like the TRLN Management Academy? I've asked before and I'll ask again, given the success of ACRL's Immersion for instruction librarians, why is there no Immersion for library managers until they get to the director level and can attend the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute? Why do we think we can develop library managers - mental athletes - by simply hoping they'll show up at the starting blocks, fully trained and ready to go?

These are the thoughts bouncing around in my head as I make my final preparations before heading to New Orleans tomorrow. Jenica and I will get to spend the day with forty-nine library managers on Friday who hail from academic, public, and special libraries, and I can't wait to hear what, how, and why they're doing at their own libraries in terms of management and leadership.

Disclaimer (for this blog post and for my slide deck):

I am not a triathlete. But my sister is. Take my advice about managing; take her advice about athleting.

A Senior's Perspective: Going Beyond the Textbooks

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This week’s topic couldn’t exactly be done in a week. Going beyond the textbooks by finding quality experience is something that needs to be done continually throughout our college careers. However, I will take this time to reflect on some things I’ve done and ways you can too!

In order to find quality experience in your field, you must first know your field. If you don’t, please go to www.auburn.edu/career and click on the Career Assessments tab. Take an assessment or two, and then come see a career counselor to discuss your results. You may not leave your career counseling session with a major, but it gets you a step closer by knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

If you are the lucky college student who actually knows what you want to do with your life, then get on it! In the Career Rookie article “6 Tips for Success All College Seniors/ New Grads Should Know,” Heather Huhman, founder and president of Come Recommended, said, “A degree isn’t going to be your golden ticket to gainful employment, worthwhile experience is.”

Here are some things you can do:

1.    Join a major-related club or organization. Many majors at Auburn University offer specialized clubs for each major. For instance, COSAM has Alpha Epsilon Delta, Medical D and a Pre-Pharmacy Club. In my major, public relations, we have PRSSA, which is a precursor for PRSA, the club for public relations professionals. Any of these clubs show that you care about the latest trends in your field and that you care about furthering your knowledge and abilities in your field.

2.    Gain volunteer experience. Volunteering, no matter the cause or organization, is a valuable thing to do. It puts you in contact with a diverse group of people and forces you to work toward the same end goal. It also shows that you care about your community and the people in it. Even better, get involved in a volunteering organization like Project Uplift or IMPACT that allows you to volunteer weekly. Another great thing about volunteering is that is doesn’t usually require previous experience or involvement. Even if you have never done anything else, you can still volunteer!

3.    Obtain and internship in your field. It seems that these days obtaining a job without an internship is nearly impossible. Employers like to hire people who have actually put their book knowledge to use. Luckily, many Auburn University majors require an internship. If yours doesn’t, consider a summer internship or come to the Career Center for more information on our job shadowing program. This program puts you in contact with professionals in the Auburn/Opelika area that you can observe for a day.

4.    Leadership, leadership, leadership. What is better than being involved? Leading the involvement. Once you find your niche, take on more responsibility. Whether it is your volunteer organization, social sorority or fraternity or professional organization, gaining leadership experience is crucial. No, you don’t have to be president of everything. If you can be and want to be, go for it! However, you can also become team captain or the manager of a club project.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Thoughts: Honesty & Integrity

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Our next topic should be rather obvious. It is entitled “Be honest, have integrity.” Sadly, many new employees overlook the importance of good morals in the workplace. Not only does your conduct represent yourself, your family, your university and your hometown, but you also now reflect your company. No company wants a cut-throat, sneaky employee, no matter how great of a sale representative, doctor, lawyer, teacher or nurse you may be.

If you are like me, you feel pretty good about your integrity. I’m not stealing money from my organization or committing tax fraud. I’m a good person. However, let’s think about the following:

1. Do you sneak off from work 10-15 minutes early? If being paid an hourly wage, leaving early means you are taking money that you actually did not work for. This is also referred to as stealing. 
2. Do you take home office supplies for personal use? This is also called stealing. Your organization bought these supplies for office use. By taking them, you are forcing your organization to buy more supplies sooner than they should, thus they spend more money. 
3. Did you say you were proficient in a skill or application that you really aren’t? We see this a lot. Many people say they are proficient in Adobe Creative Suite or all of Microsoft Office when really they only have working knowledge of them. If you say you can do something on your resume, you will be expected to perform at your job. Tell the truth on your resume!
4. Did you say you were fluent in another language, when really you can only hold an elementary conversation? This is another example of lying on your resume. In many instances employers will hold you accountable and begin speaking Spanish or French to you in the interview. If you know you wouldn’t be able to converse, then don’t say you are fluent. 
5. Do you participate in workplace gossip? Talking about other employees or your boss in a negative way is an incredibly painful thing to do. You may think you’re not gossiping because you aren’t saying anything, but listening to others gossip makes you just as guilty. Gossiping can tarnish your reputation, cause co-workers to lose respect for you and seriously hurt the person you’re gossiping about. Even if you are frustrated, do not vent to your co-workers. Remember, if people gossip with you, then many times they will gossip about you! Stay out of any and all drama! In the words of Thumper the Rabbit, “If you can’t say nothing nice, then don’t say nothing at all.”

In conclusion, we are all held accountable to our actions and words. We’ve all heard the common saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” If you have ever been the one that is lied to or talked about, then you know this is completely false. Employers do not want to constantly wonder whether their employees are telling the truth, can actually complete the assignment or are talking badly about them. Take some stress off of your superior and be a dependable, honest, morally-sound employee. I guarantee it will pay off!

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

A Senior's Perspective: Emotional Intelligence

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For the last four years, I’ve been drilled with exams, quizzes and writing assignments all of which are necessary for my learning. However, now that I’m on my way out and into the working world, I’m being told my emotional intelligence is more important. Emotional intelligence refers not to your IQ or book knowledge, but to the ability to manage emotions.

The one thing that really stuck out to me when evaluating my emotional intelligence is how I handle stress. You don’t have to have a full-time job to occasionally fall under the curse of being stressed out. With finals coming up, I’m imagining roughly 90 percent of us will feel quite overwhelmed. While I’m no expert at managing stress, I have been conscious of my reactions to stress for quite a while. Last semester was the hardest academic semester I’ve had at Auburn, and I also was shoulder deep in planning a wedding. This semester my course load is much easier, but I am now ear deep in wedding planning. Through this year, I’ve learned several things about managing my stress and reacting well to stress.

1. Writing things down helps keep me from getting overwhelmed. When I write things down, I know that I won’t forget it. Keeping a planner up-to-date is one of the best things I’ve done throughout my college career. It keeps me from double booking and wasting time.
2. Exercise can be used to prevent stress and relieve stress. I haven’t always been great about exercising. A lot of times when I am stressed I feel like exercise is a complete waste of time. However, this semester I’ve been very disciplined to exercise more, even if it’s only a 30-minute walk. What I’ve found is that the physical activity works out my anxious jitters and usually gears me to productivity. This is great because on the days that I’m not very busy, I get things finished thus leaving my next day a little less busy. It keeps things from piling high and keeps me feeling better. It also helps when I’m in the middle of a stress out phase. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of school and work to move my body leaves me feeling more relaxed. 
3. Concentrated breathing sounds silly, but helps a lot when feeling stressed. As previously stated my academic schedule is not very strenuous this semester. I am fortunate enough to be able to take a stress reduction course in the physical education department. One of the best things I have learned is the use of meditation and breathing. I don’t always have the time for a 30-minute guided breathing exercise, and I’m sure most of you don’t either. However, in those times of gut-wrenching stress or anxiety, close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths. It sounds silly, but taking that time to concentrate on your breathing slows your heartbeat and relaxes your body. Chances are you were tensing either your jaw or shoulders. By taking the time to breath slowly, you can relax those muscles.

These are just a few of the things that I found help me relax. Everyone is different, so maybe there are some other good activities you can do to unwind from your day. Whatever it is, realize that how to react to situations, stressful or not, plays a key role in how you are viewed as an employee.

BONUS: The Auburn University Career Center and DEI are co-sponsoring a Stress Relief Panel (WITH free food) on Thursday, August 26. Check it out here.

A Senior's Perspective: Be a Helper

To contact us Click HERE
One of the things that I have learned through this internship at the Auburn University Career Center is the value of hard work. Every week may not be packed full of tasks, and there may be times when I feel like I have nothing to do. There are, of course, other times when I'm begging for no more tasks.

The lesson learned from this realization is this: A great employee is the one who takes advantage of the down times. It’s not wise to take on additional tasks or volunteer to help when things are already piling high on your desk. However, those days that aren’t quite as frantic are the perfect times to ask around for who needs help or take initiative on a project. This not only takes the load off another coworker or your boss, but it also can have some intrinsic value. Doesn’t it feel good when you help out? So, why not help out!?

Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of "The 11 Laws of Likability" and founder of Executive Essentials, a corporate training and coaching company based in New York, NY, said, “Pursue the relationships that feel authentic to you to expand your resources, knowledge base and support network, and offer your help. If you don't have anything to do, find something. Build your brand as someone who pitches in."

Another thing to highlight while we’re “pitching in,” is to maintain a positive attitude. The importance of a good attitude cannot be stressed enough. It really can be the difference maker in whether or not you get a job offer.

One of my friends completed her internship in accounting this spring and received a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm in the city of her choice. When the bosses called her in to offer her the job they told her that the thing they loved about her was that she remained positive and uplifting through her entire internship. She later confided in me that she had actually made some mistakes and at times wasn’t 100 percent positive she was doing the right thing. She is incredibly smart, but this was her first time to do real, outside of the classroom accounting work. She didn’t feel extremely confident in all of her decisions and actions because she wasn’t positive that they were correct. However, she also told me that she realized that the only thing she could control was her attitude and outlook. Her knowledge base is only so deep right now, but she could smile, be nice and have a good attitude. For those very things she got a job offer.

For this reason, I stress to you to make the most of your time at your work or internship. Your helping out, smiling or maintaining a positive attitude could be the difference between being unemployed and employed.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

Resume Ignored By Online Application Sites? Here's Why.

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Is your resume standing out in the pile?

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You’ve filled out hundreds of online job applications, and have never heard from an employer. You are beginning to feel rejected, unloved and unappreciated. Why doesn’t anyone call back? The reason may be in your resume and you haven’t noticed it.

I'm going to start with the assumption that your resume is neat, truthful, printed in a simple font, no smaller than 11 points, no more than two pages covering the last 10 years, and that it is spell-checked and proofread. No “manger” for “manager,” no “it’s” when it should be “its.”

There are two areas that will get your resume ignored–fast. One of them is the “Objective” statement. Anything vague gets you rejected. “I’m looking for an exciting job to advance my career,” is an example of a sinker. So is “Powerful executive with 20 years of increasing responsibility available for lateral applications of bricks-and-clicks viral e-marketing,” or anything else that looks like it comes from a jargon generator.

The objective is not a PR statement–the purpose is to get you hired. You will need a new one for every job you apply to. Hate the idea? Then get used to longer unemployment.

Your resume is being scanned for key words every time you submit it. If you don’t have the right key words, your resume will be shot into the shredder. What are the magic key words? Read the ad. The job description contains the key words. That’s why you need to change your objective for each job. Because the key words change. Look for nouns (titles, duties, responsibilities), not verbs (action words). You’ve probably been taught to create a “results oriented” resume. They don’t work anymore. Everyone “generated top results,” “managed profitability” and “won industry-wide awards,” and the scanner is not interested.

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Ten things your resume shouldn't have

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Resume tricks that will backfire on you

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As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, over the years I have come across many tacky résumé tricks that candidates use in a misguided effort to stand out. Most recruiters are on to these gimmicks. When you use these tricks, you may appear desperate, or worse yet, dishonest. Avoid them because they do not work and are bound to fail.

1- The Extensive Vocabulary Gimmick

Using big words and lengthy sentences will not help you sound important, especially if they are used incorrectly. Don't hide behind your vocabulary. Your résumé should be an easy read. When your résumé is not concise and direct, the reader gets uncomfortable. Use common words and clear sentences to put the focus on your background and abilities. Make sure to include effective keywords and phrases that you know the reader will be looking for, but stay away from industry-specific buzzwords that may get lost on your recruiter

2- The Case of the Missing Employment Dates

Eliminating your dates of employment to disguise career gaps will not work. Recruiters know that missing dates can only mean one of two things, either you are trying to hide a poor career history or you are just plain careless. Always include employment dates to pass the detailed résumé review. To extend the longevity of your résumé and minimize gaps, consider listing the year only, instead of month and year.

3- Hiding Behind a Functional Résumé

The functional, or ‘skills based’ résumé is designed so that your skills and relevant accomplishments are separated from your employment list and placed upfront. Many job seekers trying to minimize career issues such as gaps in employment use the functional format. If you use this technique, you can be sure a perceptive recruiter will go directly to your career history to try to find what you are hiding. In addition, these résumés tend to be disliked by many recruiters because it is difficult to connect where you did what you did. Avoid the functional format if you can. Whenever possible, use a reverse chronological format to keep your responsibilities and accomplishments under their respective job titles. If you must, use a combination of functional and reverse chronological that will strategically minimize your obstacles and meet your prospective employer’s needs.

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10 Phrases That Kill Your Job Interview

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Job interviews gone bad

Reprinted with permission from careersinmotion.co.za.

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If you want to make a good impression during a job interview, it is important to say the right things. Here are ten things you should avoid saying.

Job interviews can be an intimidating process. There are a number of good resources that will help you to learn what the right things to say are during a job interview. It is also important, however, to know what things you should not say during an interview. Here are ten things that you should absolutely avoid saying during an interview if you want to walk away with the job.

1. "I'm sorry I'm late."

If you want to start an interview off on the wrong foot, being late is a good way to do so. Make a good first impression by being on time. Being late tells the interviewer that you do not respect his time, that you are unorganized and that you do not manage your own time well. Most importantly, when you have to start off an interview by apologizing for being late, you have already established a dynamic where you are subordinate to the interviewer rather than being an equal. This will hurt you immensely during the negotiating process.

2. "I left my old job because my boss was a jerk."

A prospective employer does not want to hear you bad-mouthing your old boss. When she hears you complaining about what a jerk your old boss was, all that is going through her head is that, someday, this is what you will be saying about her. Even if your ex-boss was a jerk, your prospective boss does not want to hire someone who, it seems, cannot get along with others, cannot accept responsibility and who is not a team player. Stay away from the negative, and focus on the positive. For example, does this new position offer more opportunities for responsibility and advancement? These kinds of things are what your prospective boss wants to hear.

3. "I'm just looking to work here until something better comes along."

Sometimes in life, we do have to accept employment that is less than ideal in order to keep food on the table while we are looking for something more appropriate. Your prospective employer does not want to hear this, however. He believes in what his company does, whether it is flipping hamburgers or washing cars or constructing luxury high-rise apartments. Every company makes its own contribution to the whole of society, and when a prospective employer asks you why you want to work for his particular company, he wants to know that you understand, respect and value the significance of his company.

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Hey Grads! No Experience? No Problem! (Sort of)

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Advice from a fellow college graduate

This post was written by Brianna Raymond, a Content Writer and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at PongoResume.com. It originally appeared on The Pongo Blog on May 12, 2010.

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I graduated from college two years ago (four now!) with the notion that having a college degree would serve in place of experience and pretty much guarantee a decent starting salary in a first job. And finding that first job was going to be a piece of cake with a degree to boast. Knowing what I know now, I couldn't have been more foolish.

What I Learned about Experience, from Experience

1. You have it, but it's not the right kind.

The "Experience" section of my pre-graduation resume looked a little something like this: Pizza Place, 3 years; Some Pharmacy, 2 years; This Gym, 5 months. In my mind, this kind of work record showed a prospective employer that I'm a good, loyal worker. But if the jobs and skills are irrelevant to the field of work you're looking to enter, your resume will appear weak and incomplete. And that's where point #2 comes in ...

2. Your free time in college counts for more than you think.

College meant the freedom to schedule my own day. To be done with classes by noon or to not even start until 4 p.m. Oh, and the parties? Yeah, those were really something. But what about student activities and clubs? Or the internships advertised around campus? Not only did my contributions to the campus newspaper and my summer internship at a publishing house give me valuable experience for the workforce, they also gave me a stronger resume that secured interview after interview.

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Top 5 Reasons Why Your Resume Sucks

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Is your resume all it can be?

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You have sent out hundreds and hundreds of résumés with barely a response. You reason that it’s the economy and some other factors that you are simply not aware of. How can this be? No response whatsoever? You have accomplished a lot; you were well liked in your last role and did a number of things for the company that even resulted in a promotion. So what’s going on? I will tell you. It has nothing to do with you. It’s your RÉSUMÉ that sucks! What’s wrong with your résumé? It may be these top five things:

1. Your Résumé Is Not Results Oriented
For reasons completely unknown to me, people like to reference the things they are responsible for rather than the results they obtained! Again, this document is an important marketing and sales tool. The examples of what you have done with the corresponding outcome are paramount to ensure that your résumé is considered! If you don’t reference how you drove productivity, revenue, profitability, or added value – some type of value, you will not be successful!

Make sure you provide the reader with the juicy details of how you added value for your employer. Here are a few examples to help you get started:
- Drafted a full business plan, including the financial forecast to open a new profit center for the company, resulting in a 40% revenue increase in year one.
- Conceptualized and implemented a team training concept, which reduced production downtime by 35% and increased employee productivity by 50%.

2. You Don’t Have Core Competencies Called Out
This is a quick snap-shot of what you are offering your next employer. This section is critical; it shows the reader at a quick glance what you bring to the table and what you have accomplished in the past. It will help the reader quickly understand the competencies you possess as they connect with the position for which you are applying.

It can be a bulleted list of key words that when scanned by a person or a system will be easily identified as your key attributes. Don’t be afraid to revise your existing, or add new competencies to meet the position description. I would not suggest adding them verbatim; get a little creative in how you write them.

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A Senior's Perspective: Emotional Intelligence

To contact us Click HERE
For the last four years, I’ve been drilled with exams, quizzes and writing assignments all of which are necessary for my learning. However, now that I’m on my way out and into the working world, I’m being told my emotional intelligence is more important. Emotional intelligence refers not to your IQ or book knowledge, but to the ability to manage emotions.

The one thing that really stuck out to me when evaluating my emotional intelligence is how I handle stress. You don’t have to have a full-time job to occasionally fall under the curse of being stressed out. With finals coming up, I’m imagining roughly 90 percent of us will feel quite overwhelmed. While I’m no expert at managing stress, I have been conscious of my reactions to stress for quite a while. Last semester was the hardest academic semester I’ve had at Auburn, and I also was shoulder deep in planning a wedding. This semester my course load is much easier, but I am now ear deep in wedding planning. Through this year, I’ve learned several things about managing my stress and reacting well to stress.

1. Writing things down helps keep me from getting overwhelmed. When I write things down, I know that I won’t forget it. Keeping a planner up-to-date is one of the best things I’ve done throughout my college career. It keeps me from double booking and wasting time.
2. Exercise can be used to prevent stress and relieve stress. I haven’t always been great about exercising. A lot of times when I am stressed I feel like exercise is a complete waste of time. However, this semester I’ve been very disciplined to exercise more, even if it’s only a 30-minute walk. What I’ve found is that the physical activity works out my anxious jitters and usually gears me to productivity. This is great because on the days that I’m not very busy, I get things finished thus leaving my next day a little less busy. It keeps things from piling high and keeps me feeling better. It also helps when I’m in the middle of a stress out phase. Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of school and work to move my body leaves me feeling more relaxed. 
3. Concentrated breathing sounds silly, but helps a lot when feeling stressed. As previously stated my academic schedule is not very strenuous this semester. I am fortunate enough to be able to take a stress reduction course in the physical education department. One of the best things I have learned is the use of meditation and breathing. I don’t always have the time for a 30-minute guided breathing exercise, and I’m sure most of you don’t either. However, in those times of gut-wrenching stress or anxiety, close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths. It sounds silly, but taking that time to concentrate on your breathing slows your heartbeat and relaxes your body. Chances are you were tensing either your jaw or shoulders. By taking the time to breath slowly, you can relax those muscles.

These are just a few of the things that I found help me relax. Everyone is different, so maybe there are some other good activities you can do to unwind from your day. Whatever it is, realize that how to react to situations, stressful or not, plays a key role in how you are viewed as an employee.

BONUS: The Auburn University Career Center and DEI are co-sponsoring a Stress Relief Panel (WITH free food) on Thursday, August 26. Check it out here.

A Senior's Perspective: Be a Helper

To contact us Click HERE
One of the things that I have learned through this internship at the Auburn University Career Center is the value of hard work. Every week may not be packed full of tasks, and there may be times when I feel like I have nothing to do. There are, of course, other times when I'm begging for no more tasks.

The lesson learned from this realization is this: A great employee is the one who takes advantage of the down times. It’s not wise to take on additional tasks or volunteer to help when things are already piling high on your desk. However, those days that aren’t quite as frantic are the perfect times to ask around for who needs help or take initiative on a project. This not only takes the load off another coworker or your boss, but it also can have some intrinsic value. Doesn’t it feel good when you help out? So, why not help out!?

Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of "The 11 Laws of Likability" and founder of Executive Essentials, a corporate training and coaching company based in New York, NY, said, “Pursue the relationships that feel authentic to you to expand your resources, knowledge base and support network, and offer your help. If you don't have anything to do, find something. Build your brand as someone who pitches in."

Another thing to highlight while we’re “pitching in,” is to maintain a positive attitude. The importance of a good attitude cannot be stressed enough. It really can be the difference maker in whether or not you get a job offer.

One of my friends completed her internship in accounting this spring and received a job offer from a Big Four accounting firm in the city of her choice. When the bosses called her in to offer her the job they told her that the thing they loved about her was that she remained positive and uplifting through her entire internship. She later confided in me that she had actually made some mistakes and at times wasn’t 100 percent positive she was doing the right thing. She is incredibly smart, but this was her first time to do real, outside of the classroom accounting work. She didn’t feel extremely confident in all of her decisions and actions because she wasn’t positive that they were correct. However, she also told me that she realized that the only thing she could control was her attitude and outlook. Her knowledge base is only so deep right now, but she could smile, be nice and have a good attitude. For those very things she got a job offer.

For this reason, I stress to you to make the most of your time at your work or internship. Your helping out, smiling or maintaining a positive attitude could be the difference between being unemployed and employed.

Paige Robinson '12
Career Center Intern

"You Shouldn't Call Here", Or, How To Lose A Customer

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Just had another experience that reminded me of the importance of putting ourselves in our patron's shoes and making life as easy as possible, even if your university or library policies are a bit convoluted.

I called a medical specialist's office to see why I still did not have an appointment, five weeks after my doctor faxed my records and called to make the appointment. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi! I'm just calling to follow up and see what I can do to expedite getting an appointment. I know you likely don't have anything open for months, I just want to get on your calendar. My doctor's office faxed my information and called five weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything back."
Receptionist: "Your doc office has to call and set it up."
Me: "They did. You said you were swamped and would get back to them. Your office hasn't."
Receptionist: "No, we always make the appointment when they call."
Me: "They've called your office weekly for 5 weeks to no avail. My nurse calls me to give me a report."
Receptionist: "That's not true, because it's not our policy."
Me: "Okay, I'm not sure where things went wrong. You have my file. My doc's office has called. Can you just give me a time slot?"
Receptionist: "No, your doc office has to call, and we give it to them, and they give it to you. You shouldn't call here; we can't help you."

She never even took my name.

I hung up frustrated and annoyed that my care has been delayed because of someone's failure to play ring-around-the-rosie phone tag. So, my doctor's office has to call you, and then they have to call me, even though you already have my file, know I'm a valid patient, and I'm already on the phone with you.

Frustration. Right now, I see this in academic library terms as "Well, you see, the copiers in the library aren't really the Library's; they belong to the Copy Office. And the Copy Office is actually located across campus. And you have to deliver them a paper form to get a $.10 refund for the copy that the machine mangled. And then you will be able to print the one page memo that is due in fifteen minutes. Here, let me get you a map so you know where to go, because we can't help you."

This is not good customer service. It is an explanation, and perhaps a helpful one in case this occurs again. But in the moment that the student needs one single copy/printout/whatever, does it really hurt us so much to make the damned copy ourselves? It costs us a piece of paper, a little ink, some extra flexing of decision-making muscle, and earns our user's gratitude and goodwill in return.

Telling me not to call the specialist's office, and that they can't help me...well, I'll tell you this: if you can't help me with what should be the easy part of just getting on the calendar, how the hell am I going to trust you with my medical care and records? Could you imagine if "You shouldn't call here; we can't help you" was standard customer service fare?

Had the receptionist sympathized with me, but noted the call-circle requirements were somehow medically necessary, I would have been *ecstatic* had she taken the initiative to call my doc's office, straighten whatever it is out and get me on the calendar. Instead, I was left with the feeling that the office was unhelpful at best, and rude at worst. Given that I run what is essentially a customer service department, I was affronted. I'll guiltily admit had a typical patron-who-had-a-bad-experience response: I wrote negative reviews of my experience and posted them wherever Google was collecting and publishing reviews of local doctor's offices. Turns out I'm not the only one who had this experience.

I called the only other specialist in the field in town, and had an extremely pleasant encounter with a receptionist that gave me a step-by-step explanation of how to get my doctor's office to get me in as quickly as possible. She took my name and said when the call came in, she would put me on the cancellation list immediately to get me in sooner. She invited me to call again if I had any other questions. I get the feeling this office will be a much better fit for me. I hope the doctor is as helpful as his office staff. I hope he appreciates the letter I've drafted commending him for hiring such warm, friendly, and helpful staff.

The Dissertation Problem and ProQuest's "Legitimacy" Lie

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I located a great dissertation that I'll have to cite in my literature review for my own dissertation-in-the-making. While finding it thrilled me, it also completely crapped on my parade. The dissertation is not interlibrary-loanable, since the degree-granting institution has the only paper copy. And to get a pdf copy of the work from ProQuest? Will cost me $37.00.

I am now looking at this in light of comments my advisor, who is teaching one of my doctoral classes this summer, made. He said to a group of us who were talking about the dissertation in a discussion board that the dissertation is essentially a dead end research exercise - nobody reads them when you're through with writing the damned thing, it just provides a platform for your future research agenda.

Well, HARRUMPH, doc.

*I* read them. The useful-to-me ones, anyway. That is, if I can get access to them. The problem - as it always is - is access. How on earth is a dissertation supposed to be cited by others when access to it is so heavily restricted? It makes me wonder how much research is lacking because of the prohibitive cost of getting access to the research. It also makes me gnash my teeth that institutions awarding doctorates aren't fighting for the right to keep their students' work freely available in their own catalogs in digital format...even though digital format is how more and more graduate schools are accepting their theses and dissertations from students.

What really got me hot, though, was the phrasing on ProQuest's page for authors on why they should choose to publish their thesis or dissertation with ProQuest. (If it's even a choice - many graduate schools actually require this of their students.) On ProQuest's "Why Publish With Us" page for authors, they state:
"Publishing your dissertation or thesis with UMI provides you with a legitimate citation for your curriculum vitae and for other scholars who refer to your work. ProQuest's dissertation research tools have been the primary sources used to cite published dissertations and theses for decades."

Actually, having the school accept my dissertation as acceptable for the awarding of the degree provides me with a legitimate citation. Per Purdue Owl, in APA you would cite it as: Lastname, F. N. (Year). Title of dissertation. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Name of Institution, Location. ProQuest doesn't legitimize anything. If I find it in a database, I have to note the database and accession number, but there's no more - or less - legitimacy granted than if I had a paper copy in hand, or found it through the University's repository as a .pdf file.

I wonder how many students finishing their theses and dissertations are actually taken in by the legitimacy argument, and how many are just snowed under by the giant small-print forms they have to sign granting UMI? ProQuest the right to their hard work. Ah, well. I suppose that'll just be practice for when they sign away all of the rights to to their other research once they want it published in a journal, right?

/stabbity

Library Managers as Triathletes of the Mind? Meaghen's Wisdom for Librarians

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Meaghen Ann Harris, award-winning athlete

I'm putting the finishing touches on my slides for ALA, where I'll be presenting the LLAMA preconference "The Tough Stuff: Leadership, Change, & Performance Management for Library Managers" with the incredibly wise Jenica Rogers. This past weekend I was trying to find a theme to run through my portion of the talk on managing change. In a fit of pique and laziness, I polled Facebook, and my sister Meaghen noted that triathlons were a pretty good metaphor. She noted that triathletes have to swim to T1 (transition #1), tear off their wet suits, put on bike shoes and helmet, and cycle to T2 (transition #2), where they "drop off bike, tear off helmet, throw on some kicks and run...to the FINISH. Manage the change, Colleen. Manage the change."

My little sister is wise. (And a kickass athlete to boot, regularly taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd in her age group, while I cheer her on from under my covers and half a country away.) But Meaghen is right - triathletes manage not just their training, but issues of endurance and skill and training and awkward transitions. That sounds pretty much like library management to me. The next message she sent me via Facebook struck me right between the eyes:

“You always spend the most time on your bike. So it's a very important part of training. Swimming is the shortest part of the race (time and distance wise) but it takes skill and technique--- like- I can bust my ass to be a better runner/biker, but it doesnt work that way with swimming- if you try to swim faster by working harder you just end up thrashing through the water and looking stupid. It takes time to become a better swimmer (my current dilemma- because I want to be good NOW). Some people are JUST good swimmers- I like them- because I end up passing them on the bike and the run.”

Hmmm. Matching this up to library management issues, I see a lot of parallels. Where we spend the most of our time is an important part of our work (though perhaps we're not as well trained in it as we should be), managing the day to day aspects of our part of the library, the regular small changes that we absorb and move through with regularity. What is the shortest part of our management race/life? Maybe dealing with what I would call "catastrophic change" - things that happen rarely but are paradigm-changing. Like Meaghen mentions about swimming, I don't know that it is something we can do by working harder -- mostly, the folks I see who deal well with this are the library managers who work smarter, and who have gone through a few of these experiences and streamlined their responses. But if the only skill set a library manager has honed is the one necessary to deal with the huge, catastrophic changes, and they're not prepared to handle the more quotidian long-haul issues, they're not really prepared to hit any sort of finish line or goal with their organization.

Jenica notes in a recent blog post that the interest in learning how to manage - and how to manage better - is alive and well within librarians. My sister joined a team with a coach, and they support each other. I've found what Jenica might term my tribe of management peers largely through the luck of having great mentors, latching onto folks I want to talk to at conferences, and deciding to craft my speaking proposals around something I feel strongly about. I keep coming back to "[I]f you try to swim faster by working harder you just end up thrashing through the water and looking stupid."

Where are we working harder when we should be honing skill and technique instead? How (if at all) are MLS programs useful as a "training program" for library mangers? Should we instead be focusing on things like the TRLN Management Academy? I've asked before and I'll ask again, given the success of ACRL's Immersion for instruction librarians, why is there no Immersion for library managers until they get to the director level and can attend the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute? Why do we think we can develop library managers - mental athletes - by simply hoping they'll show up at the starting blocks, fully trained and ready to go?

These are the thoughts bouncing around in my head as I make my final preparations before heading to New Orleans tomorrow. Jenica and I will get to spend the day with forty-nine library managers on Friday who hail from academic, public, and special libraries, and I can't wait to hear what, how, and why they're doing at their own libraries in terms of management and leadership.

Disclaimer (for this blog post and for my slide deck):

I am not a triathlete. But my sister is. Take my advice about managing; take her advice about athleting.

"You Shouldn't Call Here", Or, How To Lose A Customer

To contact us Click HERE

Just had another experience that reminded me of the importance of putting ourselves in our patron's shoes and making life as easy as possible, even if your university or library policies are a bit convoluted.

I called a medical specialist's office to see why I still did not have an appointment, five weeks after my doctor faxed my records and called to make the appointment. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi! I'm just calling to follow up and see what I can do to expedite getting an appointment. I know you likely don't have anything open for months, I just want to get on your calendar. My doctor's office faxed my information and called five weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything back."
Receptionist: "Your doc office has to call and set it up."
Me: "They did. You said you were swamped and would get back to them. Your office hasn't."
Receptionist: "No, we always make the appointment when they call."
Me: "They've called your office weekly for 5 weeks to no avail. My nurse calls me to give me a report."
Receptionist: "That's not true, because it's not our policy."
Me: "Okay, I'm not sure where things went wrong. You have my file. My doc's office has called. Can you just give me a time slot?"
Receptionist: "No, your doc office has to call, and we give it to them, and they give it to you. You shouldn't call here; we can't help you."

She never even took my name.

I hung up frustrated and annoyed that my care has been delayed because of someone's failure to play ring-around-the-rosie phone tag. So, my doctor's office has to call you, and then they have to call me, even though you already have my file, know I'm a valid patient, and I'm already on the phone with you.

Frustration. Right now, I see this in academic library terms as "Well, you see, the copiers in the library aren't really the Library's; they belong to the Copy Office. And the Copy Office is actually located across campus. And you have to deliver them a paper form to get a $.10 refund for the copy that the machine mangled. And then you will be able to print the one page memo that is due in fifteen minutes. Here, let me get you a map so you know where to go, because we can't help you."

This is not good customer service. It is an explanation, and perhaps a helpful one in case this occurs again. But in the moment that the student needs one single copy/printout/whatever, does it really hurt us so much to make the damned copy ourselves? It costs us a piece of paper, a little ink, some extra flexing of decision-making muscle, and earns our user's gratitude and goodwill in return.

Telling me not to call the specialist's office, and that they can't help me...well, I'll tell you this: if you can't help me with what should be the easy part of just getting on the calendar, how the hell am I going to trust you with my medical care and records? Could you imagine if "You shouldn't call here; we can't help you" was standard customer service fare?

Had the receptionist sympathized with me, but noted the call-circle requirements were somehow medically necessary, I would have been *ecstatic* had she taken the initiative to call my doc's office, straighten whatever it is out and get me on the calendar. Instead, I was left with the feeling that the office was unhelpful at best, and rude at worst. Given that I run what is essentially a customer service department, I was affronted. I'll guiltily admit had a typical patron-who-had-a-bad-experience response: I wrote negative reviews of my experience and posted them wherever Google was collecting and publishing reviews of local doctor's offices. Turns out I'm not the only one who had this experience.

I called the only other specialist in the field in town, and had an extremely pleasant encounter with a receptionist that gave me a step-by-step explanation of how to get my doctor's office to get me in as quickly as possible. She took my name and said when the call came in, she would put me on the cancellation list immediately to get me in sooner. She invited me to call again if I had any other questions. I get the feeling this office will be a much better fit for me. I hope the doctor is as helpful as his office staff. I hope he appreciates the letter I've drafted commending him for hiring such warm, friendly, and helpful staff.