I do have to signal a note of caution though about social media networks….they are no replacement for the real thing.

Let me explain. Due to my recent lay off I have been spending a lot of time working on my resume, blog, Twitter, and (of course) looking for a job. I know it’s a tough job market out there so I have jumped in with both feet into the deep end of the pool.

My social media network has provided me with access to hundreds of experts and loads of information for navigating the job market but I don’t think it is as valuable as my local network. 

If you are not actively working to develop a local network, you must begin to do that now.

What can a Local Network do for you?

1. You will meet professionals in your area that do the same type of work,  or work in the same industry,  they understand and have been navigating the same territory,  you may even discover target companies you haven’t heard of before.
2. You can frequently get the “inside” scoop from employees who work at your target companies or have worked there in the past.
3.  Find out the best networking groups in your area. Why waste your time endlessly hopping to different networking groups? Find someone with similar career interests and ask them what they have found to be the best groups, then start with that list.

What can your Virtual Network do for you?

1. Ability to connect with people all over the world.
2. Access to best practices,  new ways of thinking and cutting edge professionals.
3. Ability to show off your skill set and collaborate with others via your blog, twitter and other social media sites.

At the end of the day your social media network is a valuable asset but always remember that  recruitingislocal. Your social media network will never replace the value of  face to face time with your local network.

About the Author:

Melissa Fairman has been working in HR for 5+ years in a variety of positions in HR systems, recruiting, and projects.  All that experience coupled with an MBA and a PHR makes for a pretty dangerous HR blogger. You can connect with her via her blog: HrRemix, Twitter @HrRemix,  or connect with her on LinkedIn.

I suppose because I was working for a couple of Japanese owners in their retail Asian Import store back in Alabama and I wrapped a lot of Christmas gifts. It never fails to take me back to that moment in time.

I was fifteen and I.knew.nothing.

I was scared to death to even walk up and greet the customers and I couldn’t wrap a package if my life depended on it. This particular job and my mentor owners would be something that would help me throughout my career and life, I just didn’t know it then.

I learned to interact and come out of my “somewhat introvert” shell. I learned to wrap gits like a super-sonic ninja and they were (and had to be) perfect before the customer left the store with their gift.

It was here where I first did any modeling. (I was a still model in the window wearing kimonos) and this would later be added to my resume for the modeling I did in my twenties.

I even had to have my appearance (clothes, hair and makeup) approved by the owner or she would send me straight into the bathroom for a redo. It was insane, or so I thought at the time.

I was this pissy kid who thought “how dare she try to tell me how to dress.” But I would give in and do it. And it paid off.

I had no idea that it was preparing me for so many things for the future. I worked there until I was 18 and moved away.

This training was crucial in preparing me for the real world of work and for the 10 years I spent traveling as a professional singer and musician.  This couple would periodically take all of the employees out to the local Japanese restaurant and were the ones who taught me how to eat with chop sticks – and that was way cool.

I always wanted to be able to tell my boss how grateful I was for taking me in and grooming me for life.

I had that wonderful opportunity a few years back at a local convention we both were participating in. She was so excited to see me, and to be able to tell me in her own words how proud she was of me for doing so well in my life and career. In fact, she quoted every newspaper article that had talked of me and my success with my music and with my sales career. She acted as if I was some sort of celebrity.

It made my day. I finally had the chance to thank her and that meant the world to me.

Sometimes when we are experiencing difficulty we can’t see past it and instead think we’ve just been given a raw deal.  Often we cut and run instead of sticking with it. I know I’ve done my share of that. Perhaps if we would buckle down, persevere, and determine to get past it we would come through it all having matured.

We never know what life may be trying to teach us.

Photo Credit: WanShop

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Photo Credit: Celsias

Here are a few reasons I wanna be Laurie Ruettimann:

1. She’s adorable, right? – Who doesn’t wanna look like that?
2. She’s edgy – She’s always saying what we wish we could say OUT LOUD
3. She funny and makes us laugh – but proves her point
4. She’s articulate and sassy
5. She has a writing style that’s “all her own”
6. She often drops the “F-BOMB” and gets away with it
7. She’s smart, classy and sophisticated (or that’s what I perceive)

Ever since I started writing my blogs and getting my work out there I have said to myself, “I wish I could be like them” or “I wish I could write like that.” I wish I could drop the famous F-Bomb and make it come across as genuine. Always comparing myself to someone else and thinking “I wish I could be like her.” The great thing about Laurie (or so I hear from others that have met her in person) is that she is exactly in person as she is online – genuine! That’s the point!

In reality, we all are different in our own way. We all have different experiences, different perspectives, writing styles and really just need to be ourselves. For my industry and my personality doing these things that make others who they are would only be setting myself up as a copy-cat and being very disingenuous (a hypocrite) because that’s not who I am.

When it’s all said and done it’s about being authentic!

I respect all you folks out there who take the time to write a blog (especially on a DAILY basis) because I know personally the labor of love involved, the hours invested, the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions in such a beautiful manner.

Communication is a skill that is honed and I know that in time I too, shall “Inherit the earth” as Laurie has done

UPDATE: I have since met Laurie in person and she is more awesome than I had imagined. She’s a smooth alligator. (Or was that suppose to be operator?)

NOTE:

For those of you who just fell off the turnip truck and don’t know who Laurie is you can find her here:

http://laurieruettimann.com/

We are all familiar with this and sometimes because of past awkward moments of “gifting at work” we sometimes cringe at the thought that it’s coming around again. We wonder, “What is dumb #$% coworker going to make me open in public and how shall I prepare myself to respond?”

I love the game “White Elephant” or “Dirty Santa” and my mom makes us play it every year at Christmas (The Family). It can be loads of fun (with FAMILY).  I suppose it can be fun with coworkers but I’ve never found that to be the case. Some Jack Legg always ruins it and buys something from the local adult book store and pops it in to be cute. It’s not. No one knows how to respond.

How bout when someone decides to go over the spending limit and buys a really great gift to go in the mix. Then you always have at least two who wind up having a knock-down-drag-out over the good gift. Then we have to file workmen’s comp for “Dirty Santa Gone Wrong.”

So, moving on to “Secret Santa” at work. This can be fun and bad all at the same time. Make sure all employees opt in when doing this. There may be a few employees that just can’t afford even a few extra bucks to play along.

Gifting at work is just a sticky-wicked. Here are a few Do’s and Dont’s taken from this great article at CareerBuilder.

Dos and don’ts

Do be careful about buying gifts for your boss. He or she may think you’re trying to gain favor. Don’t give he or she a gift unless others do so.

Don’t indicate an inappropriate relationship by giving a gift that is too intimate.

Do find about gifting policies. There may be a dollar-amount limit or gift giving might be prohibited altogether.

Don’t make a big scene when presenting the gift. The purpose is not to show off for others.

Do give co-workers something that reflects their interests, values and tastes.

Don’t give liquor unless you know the recipient drinks.

Do consider giving a work-related gift, like a nice pen or new planner.

Don’t try to outdo anyone or impress people by spending a large amount of money.

Do remember that gift-giving is risky and sometimes awkward.

Don’t give worthless gifts to co-workers or employees. It’s insulting.

What are some of your ideas to replace these crazy games at Christmas? And let’s hear your crazy stories of “Gifting Gone Wrong.”

As Jason and Craig were discussing “Pimping your LinkedIn Profile” I was thinking of my own profiles throughout the myriad of platforms and taking mental notes on how I could do a little improvement in that area. I’m all about being different, standing out, freak flag flying – if you will. Just ask those who attended the conference what I wore.

How boring would it be if we were all the same? (Okay, maybe if we were all like Jason or Joe that might be cool).

I’ve always been one to stand out among the crowd, not because I’m so gorgeous but because I like wearing vintage (hats, coats, and clothing). I haven’t adhered to those fabulous standards of mine the past couple of years for trying to “fit in.” In fact, this past summer in Vegas as SHRM I felt like I was wearing someone else’s skin. I took suits and frumpy outfits so I wouldn’t stand out. WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I suppose in all my madness of trying to conform and act like “HR” in my plan of attack I blended in quite nicely. But I felt uncomfortable and ready to shed my skin (so to speak). Looking back, I would do things differently – as far as being true to me in my weirdness and said “F, you – if you don’t like it.” Because, that’s always been my motto!

This is something we don’t think about when writing our online profiles, especially on Linked In. I’m guilty as charged. It’s almost as if we are back in high school – trying to fit in.  The point the fellas were trying to get across in their session was to stand out. Not only incorporating keywords that would increase your page rank but in mixing a little “something-something” about you personally and your style to get you noticed by the right people (your target client / audience). The ones that you are trying to reach, and as Jason said “who is going to write the check” not your peers.

Here’s a recap of the session over at HR Fishbowl.

What’s making you stand out in the crowd? Are you being true to yourself? Are you reaching your target audience? Who are you influencing online and offline?

Some great questions to ask yourself, indeed.

Photo Credit: Brooke Moss

Not that I’m never tired, or haven’t been up all night, not being afforded an ounce of sleep – it just doesn’t matter. I hear that alarm and it’s like something in me wants to stand up, salute my day, and say the pledge of allegiance. In fact, I can almost hear the National Anthem in my head.

I have never been able to understand those that are not like this. You know the kind. In fact, you may be one of them, those that hit that snooze button anywhere from 3 – 7 times EVERY day. It drives me absolutely bonkers! And by the way, these same folks constantly refer to ME as a procrastinator. Say what?

Why can’t these people use some major discipline, hit that button, get their butts outta that bed and be on their way? Sometimes I wish I had a something like this (picture) hooked up to my alarm clock.

I’ve known several people like this throughout my lifetime. I had a sister in which I had to room with growing up, I raised a daughter just like this (don’t know how that happened), I’ve had those with whom I’ve roomed and / or married and they all say the same thing, “wake me up in five more minutes.” Why do I have to be their perpetual waker-upper? It cuts into my morning routine and I abhor it! (Oh and, I had nothing to write about today because I had to continually do this with Nick-which is becoming the norm)

The thing I always want clarified is how is five more minutes going to really give you that sleep that you need to make it through the day? I suppose when five minutes turns into 60 minutes, it adds up, But how much rest are you actually getting?

Use some self-discipline people! Don’t make others responsible for being your five-minute wake up call.

Wondering if these same people, use this same tactic throughout their lives and business. Are these the employees that keep making excuses for not having their project done on time and the deadline has to be extended? Are these the same students that make excuses for not having their homework done on time?

Here’s reasons why you SHOULD’NT hit the snooze button.

Is this a pattern or simply an annoying habit I will have to deal with the rest of my life? What do you think and which one are you?

Photo Credit: O Hell Nawl

For some odd reason at this time of year I think I need to just put on the breaks and enjoy a couple of months of doing nothing during the holidays because I owe myself for working so hard during the year. In fact, from the week of Thanksgiving until Jan 2nd, I find it very challenging to stay motivated. I can’t help but wonder if my mother had something to do with this type of thinking (We gotta blame somebody).

Growing up, my mom would always go a little nuts around the holidays. For instance, on our birthday (I’m the baby of five) we knew it was a given: She would always let us stay home from school, we got to pick out our favorite meal for that evening (mine was bread and somehow, that hasn’t changed) and she made us our favorite desert. And even tho’ money was tight she always made a big deal of our birthdays and Christmas.

Somehow today, even though I’m older, I still feel some kind of entitlement on holidays. I have to motivate myself.

Having been allowed the privilege of working from my home office for the past several years I can honestly say I have never really had a problem motivating myself, staying on track, making the sell, and getting done what needs to be done. That is a requirement when you work remotely and requires much discipline. There are days when you have constant interruptions and can’t get anything done and there are days when you get everything done by noon. No day is really ever the same as the day before.

As far as our workplaces go, here are some great ways to keep our employees motivated during the holidays. But what if you are a lone ranger entrepreneur? Who’s going to motivate you? YOU are! Come on, “You can do it.”

So, as things slow down for me this time of year and since I’m departing into “new waters” in regard to business I have decided to work these items during this down-time:

• Brushing up on my skills - I have decided to go head-first into learning more about social media and online marketing and watch as many videos, participate in as many webinars, and read as much as I can to hone my skills in this area.

• Revamping and updating my online sites and profiles. I intend to build a website, re-vamp my blog, and all my other platforms.

• Work on personal projects. I am in the final stages of editing my dad’s book and I hope to finish that this week so I can get it off to the publishers. I also have two books that I’ve written over the past few years that are just sitting and I want to get them out to be published. It’s a perfect time to tie up those loose ends.

• Spend some much needed quiet time figuring out my next direction. We all could use a little self-reflection on where we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s good for the soul.

Don’t get me wrong – I am no scrooge! I love the holidays. I love spending time with my family. I’m hoping to bring my daughter here for a two-week visit.  But I realize the importance of re-grouping and preparing for a new year!

Photo Credit: Mauivents

The premise of the show where Christina Applegate plays the assistant to a Talk Show host (Oprah wanna-be) and is a new mother herself who has gone back to work after maternity leave. Her attorney husband has taken leave from his job to be a stay-at-home dad.

The whole episode this past week was about a new hire played by Molly Shannon, a single mom who was a walking disaster at everything she tried doing and who couldn’t get anything done at work because of her constant interruptions with her children. Christina Applegate’s character could not seem to find the balls to fire her, according to the talk show hosts’ wishes, because she too, was a mother dealing with these same issues.

We’ve all dealt with these kinds of employees or been in this position ourselves, where we’ve had to take time off for taking care of our children whether they were ill, taking them to Doctor appointments, the babysitter wigged out on us or whatever. It can be very disrupting to the workplace. Sometimes employees just can’t get a handle on these things and make it work. They quickly become MILF’s.

I’ve seen it and I’m sure you’ve seen it. It ultimately ends badly just as I explained in this previous post: Balancing Work and Family: Oh Pshaw! In the post I share how when I went on maternity leave I received a call from my boss on a conference call with all the other managers and even the President of the Company telling me “I could come back to work, but not in my same position.” I was being demoted. I felt penalized for taking time off to have my kid.

A new Census report shows that even in our 21st Century, some women STILL don’t even have access to paid maternity leave.

Some 51% of working women who had their first birth between 2006 and 2008 received paid leave (either maternity leave, sick leave or vacation). That’s up slightly from 49% between 2001 and 2005 and from just 42% between 1996 and 2000, the Census study found.

Okay, so about 42% of women did had access to unpaid maternity leave.

The likelihood that women will be able to take paid time off to have children varies dramatically with age, education and hours worked. Only 24% of women under age 22 took paid leave compared with 61% of women 25 and older. Full-time workers (56%) were more likely to use paid-leave benefits than part-time workers (21%), and college graduates were more likely to take maternity leave than those with less education.

So, what about the recession? Some companies are cutting back on paid family leave and many employees are losing access to paid leave altogether due to layoffs.

The Census report, which can be found here, also found that:

• About 22% of first time mothers quit their jobs – 16% while they were pregnant and another 6% by 12 weeks after their child’s birth.

• Eight out of 10 mothers who worked during their pregnancy returned to work within a year of their child’s birth to the same employer. About seven out of 10 of these women returned to a job at the same pay, skill level and hours worked per week.

• Some 82% of working women worked within a month of their child’s birth, compared to 73% 20 years ago.

OH, and we haven’t even discussed breastfeeding accommodations – ugh!

So how have you handled these kinds of MILF’s in your world? Or how you turned them into MILF’s of another kind (Mothers I’d Like to Mentor). I’d love to hear.

Today’s guest post is from one of my online friends in the HR Vendor world, Chris Capozzi. Chris and I have been connected online for awhile now, engaging and so forth, and had the chance to meet IRL at this year’s Illiniois SHRM State Conference. Take it away….

Are there lessons we can learn from Penn State?

Is there a generational consideration that should be given to Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky and others involved in the allegedly horrific crime committed on the campus of Penn State University?  Did the perspective on life that is shown from their generation lead to the actions of the alleged cover up in this case?  Could we learn more on what this teaches us about similar situations?

The answer is yes.  The generational perspective in this case comes from a generation known as the tradionalist group.  This group is from the WWII era and Coach Paterno, born in 1926 falls right in the middle of this group while Coach Sandusky born in 1944 is on the edge of the baby boomers. Let’s examine the key characteristics of this generation and see if this sheds some light on the relationship between these two individuals.

The tradionalist generation are loyal to the employer and expect loyalty in return; possess strong interpersonal skills, enjoy flextime so they can work their own schedule; believe promotion, recognition and raises should come from job tenure. They build a legacy – expect a lifetime career with one employer or at least in one field and have a sense of personal responsibility to work.

Coach Paterno was the leader of this program for over forty years and developed a culture of loyalty from those involved. The corporate culture within the system was solely directed by his life experience.  He has built a legacy but regardless of all the good will that he has built over the years his moral judgment will be forever in question.  While we may never know the truth and circumstances in this tragedy, what we do know is if the culture were different within this team all of the cases that occurred after 2002 could have been prevented.

What would this legacy look like in the corporate world?

The leader that has been in place for decades setting a culture of “this is the way we have always done it” and expects everyone to fall in line with the culture the leader has built as his legacy.  In this company if a scandal was brewing we would see the leader take care of it and expect that he can handle the situation in the way he knows best.  The leader would know that if such a scandal was public his reputation and legacy would be destroyed.

Can we learn from this?  Sure we can. Has this happened before in the corporate world and a different direction taken?  Yes it has.  Think back to 1982, potassium cyanide was placed in Extra-Strength Tylenol throughout Chicago. Seven individuals died from this form of terrorism. Johnson & Johnson (the makers of the pain reliever) could have simply taken Tylenol off the counters in the Chicago area. Instead, the company immediately recalled Tylenol from the stores nationwide. Consumers, advertisers and other businesses praised J&J for its swift actions. Today the company is one of the most well-liked companies by consumers (Bickel, 2011).

Will Penn State University be able to recover from this scandal?  Yes, if they put safe guards in place to ensure this can never happen again.  The school must work to create a safe environment for all staff, students, and visitors. PSU will need to carefully create a standard of operation procedure in reporting and handling such situations in the future.

Future leaders of the institution will need to have a greater understanding on the impact that child safety and the handling of this situation will have on the future enrollment of students and families supporting youth camps on campus.  A policy is not enough.  A culture change is needed and respect for people should be at the foundation if they indeed want to return happy to the valley.

About the Author:

Chris Capozzi is the Director of Business Development for Legacy Business Cultures whose workshops, train-the-trainer programs, and employee climate surveys have touched thousands of organizations, millions of employees, managers and leaders across the globe. Legacy Business Cultures and its partners have been the experts in helping shape organization culture Worldwide for over 14 years. Connect with Chris on twitter @chriscapozzi.