“Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become habits. Watch your habits for they become your character. And watch your character for it becomes your destiny. What we think, we become. My father always said that . . . and I think I am fine.”
Margaret Thatcher
Have you ever listened to what people say? I mean, really listened? Over the last few years I have begun to pay attention to the language that people use in their job hunt and how it directly correlates to their effectiveness or lack of it in finding a job.
What I have begun to notice is that people who consistently use disempowering and passive language such as “I hope,” “I’ll try,” “I might,” “Maybe” or “One day” tend to be less effective in obtaining the jobs they want than those who use more affirmative and empowering language such as “I will,” “I can,” “I intend,” “I am creating,” etc.
Though I am not a neuropsychologist, I love the study of the brain and understanding how and why we do what we do. I believe the language we use has a direct relationship to our ability to attain our goals. I have personally played with this theory over the past ten years and have found that using empowering and affirmative language does have a direct correlation on my effectiveness, as well as on the effectiveness of those I have taught these principles to.
One of the first things that I teach job seekers who come into my office is how to use affirmative and empowering language in their job search. Essentially, I tell them to start noticing the words they use to describe their job search and to omit the words that are disempowering.
This is also true of negatively discussing your job search with others. The most common phrase I hear used by unemployed job seekers is “It is hard.” It is hard, meaning their job search. When you begin replacing “It is hard” with things like “I am getting out there” and/or “I am making progress,” you will start to notice that different results will begin to appear. Often these results are getting you closer to the job you really want.
In a class I lead called “Making Yourself Indispensable in the Workplace,” I coach job seekers to keep a notepad with them and to write down every time they complain during one full day. From there, I teach them to notice the impact their complaints have on those around them. What I have found is that many of us do not even realize how often we complain and how our complaints begin to create our reality. When we replace our complaints with proactive or positive language about what is working, rather than what is not working, our perspective begins to change as well. Once your perspective begins to alter, your attitude, beliefs and actions will slowly alter as well to be in line with your new perspective on what you are committed to.
One of the best quotes that I have heard is “If you want to know what you are committed to, look at what you have.”
This statement can be biting for some people, because they do not want to take responsibility for the circumstances in their lives. When you begin to take responsibility for both the good and the bad things that happen in your life, you are no longer the victim of your life; you are the cause of it and you will begin to have power over the direction your life goes.
Considering that you have made it this far, I am going to take it as a resounding “YES!” that you are ready to make your next career move and/or find your next position. As I stated earlier, one of the most important aspects of the job hunt that is often overlooked is the mental aspect. Your perspective and attitude are just as important as how strong your resume is or what you do or do not say in an interview. That said, how can you mentally prepare yourself to make that big career transition or overcome the unemployment blues?
You can begin to shift the way you think and feel by shifting your perspective. Just as I worked with Sue on her Statement of Intent and Daily Declaration, so too can you begin to shift your perspective by creating your own Statement of Intent and Daily Declaration.
These terms may be entirely new to you or you may have heard of something similar in books such as “The Secret” and “Think and Grow Rich” (both of which I highly recommend!). The specific concepts of a Daily Declaration and Statement of Intent are something that I created several years ago.
The first time I used my Daily Declaration and Statement of Intent was when I wanted to make over $100,000 a year. I was a junior recruiter and was in my early 20’s. At the time $100,000 seemed like an insurmountable amount of money to make. I could not have fathomed making that much money in three years, let alone making that amount of money in one year. At that point, I had taken a lot of knowledge from the books I mentioned earlier, as well as from a class that I had taken called Landmark Education, and combined them to come up with the ideas of a Statement of Intent and Daily Declaration.
My first Statement of Intent it was focused solely on money; however, I have since expanded my Statement of Intent to create a wide variety of things, including booking television shows, creating business and much more. The key components to creating an effective Statement of Intent are “WHAT,” that is, what you want to accomplish; “WHEN,” by when you want to accomplish it; and last but most importantly, you must be SPECIFIC! Statements of Intent that are not specific will get you nowhere fast (example: I want a great job). It is also important to use only affirmative and empowering language as discussed earlier. Creating a Statement of Intent will give you an opportunity to take “hope” out of it, replacing words like “hope” and “try” with words such as “create” and “intend.”
An example of what your Statement of Intent could look like would be something like this:
“By December 31, 2013 (WHEN—typically I recommend picking a date three months to one year out so that you have enough time to retrain your brain and to accomplish what you intend), I will have a position paying me $60,000 or more (always add “or more” when speaking about things you are looking for more of, such as money) that is within ten miles of my house and where I get to work in an environment where I look forward to going to work every day (YES! Do be that specific—it goes back to that old adage, be careful what you wish for because you might just get it!).”
Once you have your Statement of Intent, keep it where it is easy to get to so that you can declare it out loud a minimum of once a day, and ideally two to three times a day (you can keep it next to your bed, in your bathroom and/or on your iPhone). When I first started doing my Daily Declaration (your Statement of Intent said out loud), I would say it every morning before I got out of bed. At first my boyfriend (now husband) was annoyed, but by the second year of doing it (and making well over six figures) he was cheering me on!
The reason it is important to turn your Statement of Intent into a Daily Declaration is that your brain and subconscious will sabotage you at first and hold you back from getting what you want. Once you begin declaring your Statement of Intent out loud every day, you will begin to notice that you take actions in line with your Statement of Intent, and it will also help retrain your brain to be in line with your new goals.
Many people will write out a goal or intention, but few will take the time to declare it. What I am suggesting is not something new or innovative. These concepts have been around for thousands of years and these same concepts are what have made successful men and women around the world able to achieve their highest goals, financial and otherwise. The concept of the Statement of Intent and the Daily Declaration are just my way of saying it.
Over the past ten years, I have taught thousands of people to be effective using these easy methods. Even if you don’t believe me, try it! What is the worst that could happen? You might actually wind up with the results you want and have to confront your own power and success! At the end of the day, we are the only ones responsible for our lives and our futures (the good and the bad). Once you take ownership of how your life turns out, you will never again be a victim of your circumstances and can begin to create the life that you have always dreamed was possible.
I have noticed as a recruiter is that the better someone’s attitude is, the more likely it is that they are to be hired. Noticing this, I surveyed numerous human resources professionals who hire job seekers through me (both temporary and permanent) about whether they would prefer someone with stronger skills or a better attitude and they unanimously answered that attitude trumps skills.
What does attitude mean? What my clients mean by having a good attitude is the following:
1. Always be willing to pitch in and help out your peers or your bosses.
2. Never complain or gossip.
3. Have a pleasant demeanor; including smiling and being upbeat about things, especially when there is a problem or challenge.
4. No task is too big or too small for you to handle.
5. Never leave someone hanging on a project or assignment (i.e., not following through).
If you focus on these five areas, your attitude will automatically improve and both employers and others will gravitate towards you and want to hire you.
Skills do play an important role in some positions, but it is your skills multiplied by your attitude that gets you and keeps you the job.
(Good Skills) × (Good Attitude) = Employment
If you do not have a can do attitude you cannot get the job, or if you do get the job, you eventually will be terminated.
What does this mean? Your attitude about your job search and your current situation can directly impact how effective you are in finding a new position. Numerous talented individuals are in the job market right now, and yes, it is very competitive. This, however, does not mean it is impossible to find a wonderful job. Job seekers are being hired every day, and often into great positions. So you may be wondering what is it that they have that you do not. They have a positive mental attitude and perseverance. Many of these job seekers may have also been looking for a job for months or years, but this did not hinder them in finding that perfect position. They worked every day on finding a positive outlook and eventually, their positive attitude got them hired.
“I would rather die of passion than of boredom.”
Vincent van Gogh
We all have different goals, so when we succeed we all succeed in different ways. But that certainly does not mean that there are not extremely important common denominators to pick out. In fact, business success almost always boils down to one simple equation that you need to keep in mind: success = passion + perseverance.
Think about it for a moment and you will find that one without the other never leads very far, and true success rarely arrives without a healthy supply of both. The people in life who are most successful and can sustain their success are those who are passionate about what they do. If you are not passionate about what you do, how will you be able to sustain your success long term? It seems like every one of the successful people I’ve interviewed loves getting out of bed every day. Is that true of you? When you love what you do, other people can tell, and the monetary rewards will quickly follow.
But passion alone will not help you to be a success in your chosen field. You must also have the drive and the willingness to persevere as a complement to your passion. Without drive your passion will never amount to much. You can be tremendously passionate and excited about a certain product or service—but until you back that passion with ambition and perseverance you will not go far. Ambition is necessary because you need to be unstoppable in achieving your goals when things do not go your way. Many of the successful people whom I have interviewed went through hard times and had to persevere in the face of their hardships. Some immediately attained success, but even their success could not have been sustained long term without a driving force that has them continue to do what they know they need to do to be successful.
So if you are looking to be a success in your field, ask yourself: What am I passionate about? Then go out there and start to do it. In addition, set goals for yourself, and go after them. Do not get deterred when things do not go your way. You must persevere to achieve your dreams!
“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.”
Moliere
Any company wants to hire somebody with integrity—a person who could be described as reliable. And the number one way to convince an employer that you are reliable is to live what you want to seem—actually be reliable.
Are you someone that others can count on to show up? Are you someone who is accountable for your actions? Are there areas in your life that you are responsible for, but others that you let slide by? Why is it that we always place blame, rather than take responsibility?
If you have done any of the following five things in the last 60 days, I would encourage you to ask yourself: How responsible am I?
1. Been late for an appointment or meeting.
2. Not shown up for an event or commitment without calling to let anyone know.
3. Cancelled plans with less than 24 hours’ notice.
4. Missed a deadline for a project.
5. Paid a bill late.
If you have missed a deadline or appointment it does not make you a bad person. Everyone has to cancel an appointment or push back a deadline from time to time. Simply use this to become aware of how your actions directly relate to other people’s perception of you. If you are someone who is consistently late, or does not show up, chances are you might be viewed as someone who is unreliable or flaky. Being an individual who others can rely on is of the utmost importance in your business and professional life. In order to have success both in life and in one’s career, others must be able to trust you and to know that they can count on you to keep your word. Every time you break a promise others lose a little more faith in you, until one day they no longer feel they can rely on you at all.
Following are the top three steps that you can take to transform your relationship to responsibility:
1. Do a personal assessment of where you are breaking your word and get in communication with those you have broken your word with.
2. Get present to the fact that every action you take has an effect on those around you.
3. Practice saying “No.” Only commit to things that you can accomplish so that you will set realistic expectations for yourself and for others.
Taking responsibility for yourself and your actions is the first step towards personal and professional success.
A big complaint that I have heard repeatedly from clients regarding both temporary and full-time employees is that employees are being defensive and/or not taking responsibility for their actions. I often hear clients say that someone is “combative” and does not respond well to criticism or feedback. The other item I have been hearing about is that employees are full of excuses as to why it will not or cannot work or why they cannot do it.
This sort of “negative Nancy” attitude where employees are constantly refusing to do work, questioning the work they are asked to do and/or complaining about the work they are given is setting them up for failure and/or termination.
So how do you prevent yourself from becoming one of the people who an employer is considering letting go of or terminating?
A few things that you can work on to avoid being let go because of a bad attitude include:
• Look at any potential insecurities you might have in a particular area and figure out a way to enhance that area. For example, if you don’t have strong Microsoft Word skills, go out and get training to enhance your skills.
• Do not give excuses when asked why something was not done. Just apologize and figure out a way to DO IT.
• If you have a question or something you do not understand, be in communication immediately about any questions you may have regarding a particular task or duty.
• When being given criticism or feedback regarding your performance, be accountable. Take responsibility for your actions without complaining, deflecting or being defensive.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview a CEO of a multimillion dollar company. He began his career as a CPA, and taught himself how to be successful and run a business. There are three things to which he attributes his success, and that he explained are absolutely necessary to being rewarded monetarily in the business world. These three attributes are the following:
1. Timeliness
2. Accuracy
3. Economics
An old business adage says that you can often attain two of the above traits but rarely can find all three. When someone possesses all three of these distinctions and applies them in the working world, they will always be the ones who are rewarded. It goes back to the old saying of, “Doing more than you are paid for.” If you are hired for a particular position, and consistently produce accurate work, before the deadline and profitably, you will be rewarded!
Keep these attributes in mind. You want to convince employers that they are advantages that you have, so play up examples of them in communications with your potential employers. As they are essential characteristics for business success, it is not without reason that employers are looking for them—so make all three of them into habits as consistently as you can. They will be as helpful to you in getting the job as they will to help you to thrive and advance once you have it.
One of the many hindrances for job seekers in landing the job of their dreams is not acknowledging themselves for all of the things that make them amazing. Many of us are taught as children that we should not boast or be proud. While you certainly may not want to be the type of person who only cares about him or herself, you also do not want to downplay your greatness and what you have to contribute to the world.
In business, realizing your own greatness—that which differentiates you from others in a positive way—can often result in landing your dream job. In interviewing people who are successful in their field, I find that they have all concurred that having confidence in oneself is vital to being successful in business and in life. You are doing the world no favors by holding your greatness back. I invite you to take a look at the things that make you come alive, those natural talents that make you who you are, and once you get a list of those ten things that make you shine, ask yourself, “How can I go out and share those gifts in every aspect of my life?”
I will share with you a list I made, which I keep by my desk to remind me what I have to contribute to others:
1. My generosity
2. My willingness to help others/do charitable work
3. My ability to listen to people and have them experience feeling heard
4. My ability to see the best in people in any situation and to help them to see the best in themselves
5. My capacity to love others unconditionally
6. My ability to instantly relate with people and connect to them
7. My perseverance
8. My ambition/drive
9. My zeal for life
10. My fearlessness and ability to be unstoppable
As homework, make a list of ten of your own best attributes. Keep it where you work as an instant confidence boost when you need one, and as a way to remind yourself that in business, it pays much more to take pride in your positive qualities than it does to be too modest. This will also make a great starting place when you need to find something to highlight in your communications with potential employers.
Whoever said that it is better to give than to receive was definitely correct. Whether you believe in karma, dharma or just doing something good for the sake of doing it, giving is one of the most powerful tools of successful people. Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates present two perfect examples of this. Even though they both are worth billions they never stop figuring out ways to give back to those in need. Whether your idea of giving is to open a school in an impoverished area, feed the hungry, volunteer for your favorite charity or simply give your money to a charitable cause that you believe in, giving back can be an amazing source of fulfillment both personally and professionally.
Many of the most successful people use the wealth they have acquired to do something positive to contribute and give back to their communities. The more you make, the higher your status becomes, and the more people begin to look at you as a role model or example. There is nothing more powerful in this world than being able to be a positive influence for another human being.
Contribution comes in many forms. You can contribute money to a group or individual or make a difference by donating your time. Regardless of the form, there are thousands of organizations that need your assistance.
You do not have to be a celebrity or a billionaire to make a difference, though. Just look at Mother Teresa. She is a perfect example of one person who made a huge impact. Any one person can make a difference simply by acknowledging the people in their lives that make a difference. I once was asked to participate in an exercise where each day we were to acknowledge at least one person in our life. It is amazing the difference you can make in another person’s life simply by thanking them. In my case, I spent each day acknowledging various people in my life, from my parents to the security guard who let me in every day in my building to the parking garage attendant, Juan, who made sure my car was safe while I was at work.
It is humbling to recognize that the little things in life can make the greatest impact. Imagine what life would be like if you refused to take anything for granted. If you thanked every person you encountered for the difference they make in your life. What would life be like? What would the world be like if we all took the time to acknowledge the everyday people who make a difference?
I encourage each of you to go out in your life and acknowledge at least one person for the difference they make. Doing this will not only make a difference in the other person’s life, but can also greatly contribute to your own.
Are you someone that others like to be around? Do you have a pleasing personality? Are you perceived by others as being professional and positive? Are you the type of person who gives back and contributes to others? Are you adding value to other people’s lives?
These are just a few questions you can begin to ask yourself to find out if you are someone others are likely to refer. Why is being someone who is referable important? People are not going to go out of their way to recommend you to a potential employer if you are not someone that they would want to do business with. The same goes for potential employers. When you go in for an initial interview, it is up to the person who is screening you to decide whether or not YOU will make THEM look good to their higher ups.
This does not mean that finding a job is a popularity contest. It simply means that the more memorable you are (in a good way!), and the more people find you to be someone they would want to spend time with or do business with, the more likely it is that you will be recommended by that person. Here is a perfect example of a person who is unlikely to have a high referability value:
Job Seeker Candidate A: “Here is my business card. I need a job ASAP and want you to recommend me to everyone you know. Things really suck right now. I was fired from my old job because my boss was a jerk who had it out for me and it was totally unfair that I was let go. I never get what I want and I do not even know why I bother coming to these events.”
I wish this example were made up, but unfortunately I have seen some variation of this example in a variety of networking situations. From an outsider perspective, it is easy to see why Candidate A is unlikely to be recommended by anyone, let alone considered for a job by a potential employer. Now look at another example of a job seeker in the exact same situation, but who holds an entirely different perspective:
Job Seeker Candidate B: “How are you? How is your job search coming? I am so glad to be here. It is wonderful to get out and be around people who are so upbeat and have such a great attitude about finding a new job. Is there anything I can do to be a resource for you in your job search? I would love it if we could connect on LinkedIn and stay in touch. Could I get your information? Perhaps we could even grab a coffee to discuss our respective job searches and to see how we can help one another find our next jobs. I really look forward to getting to know you better.”
It is obvious to see that Candidate B would is much more likely to be recommended to a potential employer, and would have a much higher referability value overall. Sometimes job seekers do not even realize they are being negative, and they wind up sabotaging themselves and their job search unintentionally. If this is the case for you, it is never too late to start anew. The following three tips to will help you become more referable both in a networking situation and in an interview:
1. Be positive. What is done is done. The past should not hold you back from what is possible in the future. Focus on what you are now creating.
2. Make it about other people. Always offer to be a resource for another person. The same goes with potential employers. Do not ask “Do you have a job for me?” Instead offer resources and solutions that will help the employer or other job seeker with their problem or need.
3. Be memorable. Spend some time crafting a strong “Tell me about yourself” statement. This will help you to stand out from the other job seekers who are fighting for a similar job to the one that you want.
If you want to see how referable you are, you might want to check out www.naymz.com or www.klout.com. These interesting social networking websites take referability to a whole new level wherein you are given a reputation score based on what people think of you in your network. It can be a valuable tool to see what your referability value is. If you discover that you are not as referable as you had hoped, do not be discouraged. You can always increase your referability value; just remember to be positive, be a resource and be memorable!
Have you ever found yourself wondering that if you had pushed yourself just a little bit harder you would have succeeded? I found myself thinking about this very question just the other night. I was playing a game on my iPhone at the airport called “Unblock Me.” (Very appropriate name for this discussion!) It is a simple game that requires you to move blocks in different directions until your main colored block has a clear path to exit the puzzle.
I think this game can be a great analogy for life. You see, I had played this puzzle several times to no avail. It was not until about the fifth time that I realized that I was missing a critical move and was quitting the game too early. If I had just made that one additional move the whole puzzle would have unfolded very easily. This gave me an “ah-ha!” moment when I began to realize how many times in life I have stopped just short of my goal because I think the obstacles in front of me are too insurmountable, or that I have no moves left.
This analogy became even clearer to me when I attended a VIP networking event in San Francisco. When I first arrived at the party only a few people were there and I began talking to someone standing near me about business, with no intention of speaking to this person for more than a few minutes to pass the time.
There were a few key VIPs that I really wanted to speak with that night, so as the party began to fill up, I had already planned my exit strategy from that initial conversation. As luck would have it, I talked to this initial person longer than I had originally anticipated, and wound up getting some extremely valuable information about book publishing out of the conversation. I would have never gained that information if it were not for the fact that I had stayed that extra five minutes to talk to him.
Ask yourself this: How often have you stopped short of your goals? How many times do you give up because you think it will not make a difference?
Think about this tonight before you go to bed and make a list of the top ten things you wish you had accomplished, but stopped short of because of some obstacle. Then look at your list, pick one thing that you had given up on and begin to look at that thing from a new perspective. Write down ten ways that you could push through and achieve that goal if you really wanted to. Try to think outside of the box and look at this goal in a new way. Do not tell yourself “I cannot do it”; instead, ask yourself “How can I do it?”
If you can break through even one block, that can help to give you a clear path towards achieving your goals! When you break through just one of your blocks you are on your way to having everything you want out of life.
Most of us are aware that even though it is illegal, ageism does exist. A number of companies will and do discriminate against people because of their age, among other things. However, ageism is not quite as prevalent as you might think. After having been a recruiter for over ten years, I can say that ageism does occur on occasion, but there are ways to mitigate its effects.
The first thing to note about ageism is that if a company is set on discriminating against you, it will. It is better not to waste energy fighting the battles you know you cannot win. You cannot change who you are, so focus on making the other aspects of your presentation as excellent as possible!
Strategy #1: Do not worry about posting a photo on social networking sites as long as it is a professional photo. I have had a lot of job seekers ask me if they should post their photo on websites such as LinkedIn, and my answer is always yes. A company is just as likely to discriminate against you based on a photo (even though it is illegal) as they will in person. Personally, I would not want to work for any company that would discriminate against me to begin with, so I would rather have them not call me in for an interview in the first place and waste my time. That is up to you. If you are concerned that your photo will knock you out of the running because you are “too old” that is at your discretion.
However, it is worse to use an outdated photo than a current one that “makes you look old.” Showing up looking radically different than your online photo can seem suspicious—as can not having a photo at all.
Strategy #2: Only go back ten years on your resume, and do not bother listing your graduation dates. This is completely un-related to protecting your age, Going back only ten years is just proper protocol agreed upon by most resume writers, recruiters and career coaches.
Something to note: If you worked at a particular company for thirty years, I would suggest listing all thirty years of your experience with that company. Some people may disagree with me, but my thoughts are that having strong stability on your resume is still a good thing. I have had others suggest that it can hurt you to list 1980–2010, but I have found that good companies still appreciate someone who is loyal and shows strong stability. There are certain companies that might discriminate based on this fact, but again, I would recommend avoiding these companies in the first place.
It is unnecessary for you to list when you graduated college, and thus you should not feel obligated to add your graduation dates unless you choose to. Putting a graduation date on a resume is a little more tricky than listing thirty years of experience or including a photo. If you put that you graduated in 1972, most people will automatically assume that means you are approximately 60 years old give or take a few years based on the average age people graduate college. The same calculation might not necessarily be made based on a simple photo or work history. My recommendation is not to list graduation dates as they are not as relevant to your overall resume.
Strategy #3: If you get to the interview stage, don’t make your age an issue! If age is not already an issue for the company you are interviewing with, do not make it one! I once had a job seeker I was working with who was about to turn 60. I had never once considered her age, and sent her out to my clients the way I would any other candidate because she was just as qualified as anyone else. Unfortunately, she did not feel the same way. After her initial interview with a company I sent her to, I received a call back from a recruiting manager who said they were passing on her. The recruiting manager went on to explain that the job seeker had expressed concern several times during the interview about how old she was and whether the executives would like her. This recruiting manager thought she was well qualified for the position; however, after hearing the candidate’s insecurities about her age, the recruiting manager was reticent to pass her resume along in the interview process. After getting this feedback I called the job seeker to softly coach her on the subject, and the next interview she went in for, she got the job!
Just remember, ageism is out there, but there are only a small percentage of companies that will discriminate based on your age. If you do not make your age an issue, most companies will not either! Look at your age as an asset, and so will the company you interview with.
There is an interesting chasm that we are noticing in the market right now. It is something that almost every law firm and corporation we work with has noticed as well. That chasm exists between the millennials and the baby boomers. The millennials have amazing technical skills and can complete a project, but often lack the work ethic, ability to be proactive and advanced skills that more seasoned workers possess. We often hear complaints from our clients about how the millennials are unable to take initiative and have a sense of entitlement regarding the work they do. On the flip side, the experienced workers/baby boomers have tremendous skills and an amazing work ethic, but are unable to adapt to the changes in the marketplace. It is this fact, the “Adaptability Factor,” that is inhibiting a lot of the more seasoned applicants from being able to get hired and then stay employed once they are hired.
What do I mean by this? I mean that one’s ability to adapt in this marketplace directly correlates to how effective or ineffective one is at getting hired and staying employed in this market. I hear a lot of job seekers over the age of 50 who scream “Ageism!” as to why they are not being hired in this market; however, I have found that adaptability has a lot more to do with hire-ability than age does.
A perfect example of this is that my staffing firm has personally placed numerous people who are over the age of 50, 60 and sometimes even 70, but many of these more experienced workers who do get hired are subsequently fired because they are unable to adapt to the new skills that are required of them due to the changing expectations of employers.
There recently was an article in the Wall Street Journal about how legal secretary jobs are becoming obsolete. I disagree. I believe that legal secretary jobs are just as prevalent now as ever, although the role of the legal secretary has shifted tremendously. Years ago it was common to have one secretary to one attorney, where the secretary was interfacing with clients and acting as more of a personal assistant, in addition to filing documents.
In today’s market, it is not unheard of for a legal secretary to support five, six or even seven attorneys. This is because the more junior associates are extremely self-sufficient and the attorneys who are using legal secretaries rely on them more for technical skills and knowledge. Legal secretaries are now doing word processing and paralegal work, as well as administrative work. Therefore, if you as a legal secretary cannot adapt to these new demands and expectations, your position will be eliminated. Employers everywhere are looking to cut costs and create more “hybrid” type roles where several positions are combined into one.
So how do you become more adaptable in this market if you are a more experienced worker who wants to get hired?
You shift your perspective. It will not do you any good to go around complaining about how old you are and how unfair it is that there are no jobs out there and how hard things have become. Instead, look at how fortunate you are to have twenty plus years in a changing market-place and how if you can use your experience to your advantage by being willing to adapt to the new climate and marketplace, you WILL be the most desirable applicant. The next time you are in a temporary role or an interview, instead of explaining why you CANNOT do something, discuss what you CAN do and how willing you are to adapt to whatever is required of you. I truly believe that legal secretaries and other working professionals with many years of experience still have an important place in the current market if only they are willing to adapt and figure out HOW to make it work, rather than lament all the reasons it will not work.