Empower Me! Blog
Read about the latest happenings at Empower Me! Corporation, new trends in business and career advice from Adrienne Graham.
Ignoring American Talent
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OK. Let me set the record straight. I am not opposed to globalization. In fact, I believe that companies with a global presence stand a better chance at success (and possibly dominating their industry). What I do have a problem with is working to solve the world’s work crisis everywhere else before taking care of the one at home. Maybe I’m more like my Dad the older I get because he had a saying: “How are you going to try to clean up other people’s houses and your own house is filthy?”. Yep, I get what Daddy was saying. And America, companies in particular, that’s what I’m asking you. How are you going to work so hard to bring work to people in other countries before putting people at home back to work?
Now before we start getting into the scripted answers that so many companies have been blurting out (lower cost of production, cheaper worker pay, tax incentives, blah, blah, blah) let’s look at common sense and basic math. Well, it’s common sense to me but as my Dad also used to say “common sense ain’t common otherwise everyone would have it“. Call me crazy, but you’re producing those goods abroad, to have them shipped here (home) to sell here (home). But with the unemployment rate so high and number of people OUT OF WORK, doesn’t leave much discretionary income to spend on all your shiny products. Am I right? I mean it is basic math. I mean at one point, I did manage to make it all the way up to pre-calculus in college. Granted that was 20 years ago, but I think I’m good on my basic math. If people aren’t buying, you can’t sell. So you’re saving this money (supposedly) to have your products made cheaper abroad, yet, people are hardly buying here at home. And you’re not really selling abroad either. Hhhhhmmmmm….let’s move on.
As a Recruiter the most irritating thing I hear from hiring managers and companies is “there are no good people in the market”. WHAT!? Are you insane? Stop embarrassing yourself and bulls$#@!*&! us. One can only turn to my database (for example) to find a plethora of talent. So you’re saying that NOBODY in America knows that program, coding, language you need? NOBODY in America can get your project done? Oh wait a minute, I think you meant to say you can’t AFFORD to pay American talent. Is it any wonder that some Americans are talking about going abroad to get work experience? I don’t blame them. I don’t care what you say about your customers (Dell and other guilty companies), your CUSTOMERS are complaining about a lack of quality. We know that we’re not speaking to “Peggy” (refer to Capital One commercial), but some masculine unskilled version of a customer service representative who can hardly understand what the customer is asking let alone provide decent service.
No talent in America you say? What about the service vets that come home after defending YOUR country? Why aren’t they getting hired? Many of them have phenomenal technical capabilities. Oh wait, those military systems were way too sophisticated and are light years ahead of YOUR systems. Yeah, that makes them not qualified, or worse, over-qualified. Hhhmmmm. Well in my mind’s eye (and I’m just a little Recruiter in Atlanta…yes that was sarcasm) having a person with that kind of expertise is a feather in your cap. That means the learning curve is shorter and that person may bring some innovation to your camp. But what do I know, right?
Listen, if you want to have a successful business you need to have great talent to go along with that great product or service. You can’t half-ass it. Yes, I know there is uncertainty from the government in terms of taxes, but didn’t you hear the speech? President Obama is trying to get the same “fair” (HAH!) tax policies for small businesses as big business. Will Congress continue to act like a bunch of preschoolers shouting over him with their fingers in their ears yelling “lalalalalalalala I can’t hear you“? Let’s at least try to give the same benefits to small business as big business. After all, at one point those big businesses were small businesses at one time. So why should only big business benefit from tax incentives? They’re not even creating jobs!
America absolutely has got talent. No doubt about that. But our businesses are too scared to take a risk on that talent. Imagine the power that comes with getting great talent? Consider it an investment. Stop complaining that the talent costs too much and invest in your damned business. Take a chance on these diamonds in the rough and see what they can do for your business. Help stop the bleeding. If you hired just one worker, you will do your part in reversing this horrible unemployment situation and rebuilding the working class. And then, maybe then, American can become competitive once again. Stop blaming the government and get up off your butts and hire!
Til next time,
Adrienne Graham
America DOES have talent!
Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:
Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org). She is a strategist that helps people grow their career, business or network in any economy. She is the voice behind Views from the Top Radio Show, and the creative visionary behind Empower Me! Institute and Empower Me! Magazine. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. You can also find her causing a ruckus on Forbes.com.
Bring it On! Jobs Report, Small Business & Job Creation
Buckle up folks, I’m on a tangent and this is gonna be a bumpy one.
This past week the big buzz has been about the Jobs Report (go ahead, read it) and President Obama’s upcoming speech to address it. I really don’t give a crap about the fight “is he responsible, is Congress holding out, is the market worsening”. Don’t care. Republicans vs Democrats vs the President. Don’t care. I have no (real) skin in that fight. I want to talk directly to the American public and say WAKE UP & TAKE ACTION!
As a nation, we have been launched into panic mode. Jobs are not as plentiful as they once were (think 90′s…and I believe we can get back there…..if we do it right). I wrote a piece I Hired Me for Forbes.com and on my own blog that spoke to taking back our drive, passion and initiative and making our own opportunities. Also did a radio show about it. I believe when things get tough, you SHOULD hire yourself out….if you have skills (or products) that make you valuable. But do we, the American people, have the guts and the fight in us to make it happen? I think the fight is there, just needs to be prodded a little to swing into action.
Believe it or not, we’re all in this together!
Let’s start with a big truth before moving on. Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur or even an independent contractor. Neither is something you can just jump into and expect to be uber-successful out the gate. And that’s OK. It’s not for everyone. There’s a lot of misleading information out there about using the Internet to make your riches and social media to spread your message. The problem with that is people are using the wrong. A lot of these so-called experts are telling people jump on the Internet, start a business, make lots of money, 750 million customers are waiting on you on Facebook and there is no responsibility behind these words. No, everyone can’t leverage the Internet to make their own way. Some can, most can’t. You must educate yourself first before you can jump head first into a life altering decision like starting a (real) business. Business isn’t pretty. You have to be mentally, physically and in some cases financially prepared for it. While you don’t need an MBA to start one, you do need a passion and a commitment that will trump having no money any day. YOU are responsible for making it work (or fail). Now that that’s out the way, let’s continue.
Before you can even think about starting a business or hiring yourself out, the focus needs to be on emphasizing your current true skills and figuring a way to harness those skills and talents into a viable business or freelance opportunity. People need to be educated to do this not coaxed into it with flashy copy and empty promises. I can’t put the blame completely on these people who are selling the dream. Everyone should be doing their research and due diligence. Take an inventory of what you do best and things you could do best with a little more seasoning, then make it work for you. Now, I’m not speaking of product businesses. For the purpose of this article, I’m speaking to service businesses. Keep in mind that just because you possess a talent doesn’t mean you’re equipped to run a business. You can change that though! Get training, mentoring, guidance, INFORMATION to help you learn the business side of what you do. I can’t stress this enough. You can be the baddest stylist in the world, but if you don’t know how to manage your money or your vendors, guess what? Do I even need to say it? Invest in educating yourself in HOW to run a business so you CAN run a business and stop looking for a job.
On to the job creation/loss argument. I have to disagree about it being a total disappointment or the end of the world here. The media is reporting NO NEW JOBS. Everywhere you look, TV, newspapers, blogs, “we don’t have any jobs for the month of August, what are we to do?“. Not true. It doesn’t mean there weren’t ANY new jobs or hires. We broke even, which means there were people hired and there were people fired and it balanced out. I can see if there were really NO new jobs created or NO people hired, but that simply isn’t true. The media would like you to get sucked into the chicken little act. Don’t buy into it. I admit, it is disappointing to not have made much progress. But let’s not act like there was NO progress at all. We broke even. I realize that may not be enough for some of you, but it’s good enough for me….for right now. (Please see the previous paragraphs). I ask, what are you going to do about it? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not about who’s in the White House, because no matter who it is, YOU still have to be accountable for your own well being.
Now what to do about it? First, stop waiting on Washington to create jobs. Stop hinging hope on the tech and energy sectors to create new jobs by themselves. They will brig new jobs but right now they are celebrating in their venture capital money that they seem to easily get over everyone else. They’ll get around to creating jobs. In the mean time, there are tons of other industries out there to consider.
You want to ensure you have half a fighting chance in the job market? Here’s how you do it. Make sure your skills are transferable to other industries. Open your mind to learning new skills. Apply with smaller companies and stop being heavily dependent on the big businesses who are major employers in your town. Everyone else and their momma are applying there. Keep your networking relationships fresh. No, I don’t mean sending them a note saying “here’s my resume, I’m unemployed and need your help“. You keep the networking going whether or not you have a job. People are more likely to help you then. Identify your deficiencies and do something about it. Don’t limit yourself to the old and familiar. You lose traction that way.
Back to entrepreneurship. If the job market just isn’t very nice to you and you have no other choice, consider entrepreneurship. But here are some rules. If you have a solid business idea, don’t treat it as a side hustle or something to do until you get a real job. Entrepreneurship is no joke. It takes commitment and dedication, but most of all hard work.Represent and package yourself professionally so that people will take you seriously. Talk about your business to people. Let them know what you do even before you’re officially launched. Start building the buzz before you need to. Don’t blanket all of your network or all of social media. Strategically identify your target market and develop your marketing message just for them. Don’t try to force it on people. Remember that everyone is NOT your customer. Be a professional and people with take you serious and treat you as a professional. Make your seat at the table!
I have hope for small business, the economy and the jobs market. Clear your heads and buckle down for some hard work to make it happen. Hey President Obama, I’m here if you want to consider me for the council. As a Recruiter and Small Business Owner, I think I could bring a thing or three to the table. I’m happy to listen to the jobs speech tonight. I may or may not like it. But I won’t condemn it before hearing it. I’m willing to hear what he has to say and then plan accordingly for myself, my family and my business. Let the chips fall where they may.
Yes, this post can be considered a rant. But I’m ready to take (and have been taking) action, not just bitch about it.
Til next time,
Adrienne Graham
Putting America back to work, and helping small businesses create new jobs. We have to do our part!
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Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:
Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org). She is a strategist that helps people grow their career, business or network in any economy. She is the voice behind Views from the Top Radio Show, and the creative visionary behind Empower Me! Institute and Empower Me! Magazine. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. You can also find her causing a ruckus on Forbes.com.
Got An Unemployed Friend? Be Their Agent
Be their AGENT!? No wait, I’m not crazy. I’m very serious.
Chances are you have a good friend or family member who’s currently unemployed. You might be feeling sympathetic or even guilty because there is nothing you can do to help alleviate their problems. But guess what? There is something you can do to help them out. Now, I’m not telling you to go out and draw up a contract and represent them like Scott Boras (Baseball’s most notorious agent) or anything like that. Nor am I proposing that you go out and hunt for jobs for them. But you can do your part in helping them get leads and in some cases get their foot in the door.
Before I can tell you how to do that, let me talk to the unemployed for a moment.
Your friends care about you and want to see you happy. Unemployment is hard enough without the media, bloggers and career experts telling you to try things that will push you out of your comfort zone to get a job. I happen to agree with stepping out of your comfort zone. Doing what got you a job yesterday won’t get you a job today. Remember that. With that said, if you want to speed up your job search, make sure you are telling all of your friends and family not just that you’re looking for work, but also what you do. I can’t tell you how very important this is. As a recruiter, people just arbitrarily call or email me and say “hey I’m looking for work” and I have no clue what they actually do. Yeah, see, that doesn’t work for you or for them. The more specific you can be with your friends and family about what you do, the easier it is for them to identify true leads for you.
Now that we’ve gotten that covered, back to the friends.
Every well meaning friend has at some point sent their friends job leads that were inappropriate. You don’t want to do that. It only serves to frustrate the job seeker. I know, you meant well. But you didn’t pay attention. Be clear about your understanding of what your friends do for a living. Ask questions about their skills, past positions they’ve held, what makes them most happy and what significant contributions they’ve made to past employers. Ask them to provide you with a sample portfolio, writings, designs or any other proof tools that show what their capabilities are. The clearer you are on what they can and have done, the better you are able to identify leads for them.
Introduce them to key influencers you know. If you’re heading out to a networking event that you know some of your colleagues or industry associates will be attending, extend an invitation to your unemployed friend. Ask permission first, but once that’s clear, invite your friend. It gets them out the house and exposed to new people (and leads). But don’t just invite any friend to any event. If your friend is a nurse you wouldn’t invite her to a designer’s networking event. Make sure you give your colleagues a heads up on your friend before bringing them. Again, this is the time to brief them on what your friend can do, what they’ve accomplished and what they are looking for. Then once you get there, make the introductions then step back and let them talk amongst themselves. You can check in to see how the conversation is going, but try not to interject too much. Let them do their thing. If either needs you, they will let you know.
Treat your friend to a conference. This is especially effective if you’re in the same field. Perhaps your company comped you the conference. If it’s in your (personal) budget, spring for the registration for your friend to attend as well. Make sure you go over the itinerary and list of panelists and speakers before you go. Decide which sessions each of you will attend and why. When you get a chance to network (as you should be doing anyway) and you come across an expert or potential employer who might be interested in your friend, make sure you are talking up their strong points. Offer to make the introduction the same day. You should have a few of his or her business cards or resume cards. Now before you even ask, I know the purpose of going to a conference is to fulfill your own professional goals. But would it be too much to help out a friend in the process?
Gift your friend a session with a career coach or a course that will help them boost their skills. Contact a local career coach (like me!) to find out how much one session would cost and what is included in this session. Perhaps that career coach will be able to give them some nuggets of advice that will help them boost their job search efforts. Make sure your friend understands this is a one time session. If your friend has been wanting to take a webinar, seminar or course that costs minimal to you but would prove to be a financial burden to them, treat them to it. Media Bistro offers a variety of writing, social media, and media courses for under $500. Empower Me! Institute offers a variety of career, networking and entrepreneurship courses that are very reasonable. Find a class that is ideal for your friend and sign them up. But only if it’s within your budget. Then sit with your friend to review what they’ve learned to see how they can implement into action.
Hold a networking event and invite associates, friends and acquaintances who are hiring or have job leads. It’s always a great thing to bring the members of you own personal network together. But this is a great excuse to reacquaint yourself and to make connections for others. Make sure your unemployed friend brings plenty of business or resume cards (not resumes) to pass out. Work with him or her to perfect their pitch before the event. You don’t want them walking around begging for a job. Yes, they need a job, but the objective is to get the connected first, find a job second. Make sure your friend understands the rules. Otherwise it could make you look like you set up your friends own personal job fair. You don’t want to damage your credibility with your network, so make sure you and your friend understand the rules of engagement.
These are just a few ways you can help your unemployed friend get back into the land of the working. Those out of work need all the support, encouragement and understanding they can get; especially those who have been out long term. Nobody wants to be intentionally unemployed. But sometimes a person gets so discouraged, they stop thinking of ways to keep going. That’s where you can come in and offer some assistance.
Til next time,
Adrienne Graham
Help a friend today! And don’t forget #JobMeWednesday tomorrow.
Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:
Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org). She is a strategist that helps people grow their career, business or network in any economy. She is the voice behind Views from the Top Radio Show, and the creative visionary behind Empower Me! Institute and Empower Me! Magazine. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. You can also find her causing a ruckus on Forbes.com.
I’ve thought long and hard about this whole “social recruiting” concept. And I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a big load of crap…for most companies. It’s not just about crowdsourcing or creating a fan page.
A mentor of mine once said “if you want to be successful, don’t network with your own kind“. Now on the surface, that’s a loaded statement that can be taken a number of ways. Mostly offensive ways. But when he explained what he meant, it resonated with me and made perfect sense.

