How to Keep Your Job Without Resorting to Blackmail

Ninety percent of our eligible workforce remains employed even though we are currently experiencing the worst unemployment rate in 26 years. Stress levels are high during this time of economic uncertainty--and not just for those who are laid off. Unfortunately psychological stress can sometimes lead to negative behavior. A study conducted by Adecco this year indicates that employees are willing to go the extra mile to do what it takes to stay in their jobs at this time. However, "the extra mile" in this case actually includes things like blackmail. The study shows that 28 percent of individuals are willing to blame co-workers for mistakes, blackmail, and even flirt with superiors.

This statistic inspired me to share strategies to help you stay employed without engaging in indecent proposals. These suggestions are particularly appropriate for those with career lives in the corporate arena.

1. Be the solution
Your company is looking to you as an employee to help solve problems even when times are great. In the current economic climate one way to help yourself go beyond the call of duty is to uncover and solve a particularly challenging problem or situation, particularly if it could help save your company money. Of course, the way to showcase yourself will be to identify an issue that will call on you to execute the skills you want most to shine. Creating a win-win situation like this helps to position you as indispensable. One cautionary note: In engaging in this strategy you do want to ensure that you are not going to step on anyone's toes in the process.

Click here to read the full article at HuffingtonPOst.com:

http://tinyurl.com/nyfk4m

Emmy Nominated Prayers for Bobby Saving Lives of LGBT Youth

In 1983 Bobby Griffith died instantly when he threw himself off a freeway overpass in Portland, Oregon. He could not reconcile his self-loathing and his religious mother's fiercely determined quest to heal his homosexuality through the Bible. It took Bobby's tragedy for his mother, Mary Griffith, to understand that it was not Bobby that needed to be fixed, but blind adherence to flawed biblical interpretations. His death led his mother, Mary Griffith, to renounce her homophobia and fundamentalism and become a steadfast advocate for LGBT rights and education.

Over 25 years later, Leroy Aaron's penned book, Prayers for Bobby, has become a Lifetime Movie honored with two of the highest Emmy Award Nominations: Best Made for TV Film and a Best Actress nomination for Sigourney Weaver. Weaver portrays Mary Griffith with a depth of love and compassion that calls us to understand the pain of a mother who realizes her ignorance and fear too late to save her son from tragedy.

Cast and crew including Producers, Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe, David Permuet, Actor: Scott Baily, Screenwriter, Katie Ford, and Executive Director, PFLAG (Parents Families, and Friends of Gays and Lesbians: Jody Huckaby were all present to discuss the film. Mary Griffith could not be present with us on Sunday's screening. However, I am delighted, honored, and privileged to be among the first to publish the heartfelt words of gratitude and support that she sent to be read at the screening.

This is an excerpt from her letter (to read the full letter click here to go to the column at my website: www.jmannino.com

My name is Mary Griffith. My life story, and that of my son Bobby (and our entire family), is depicted in the Emmy Award-nominated movie Prayers For Bobby. To say I am honored is an understatement. I am delighted to see this wonderfully executed film generate critical acclaim and meaningful consideration for the highest honor in the television industry. I am thrilled to acknowledge Sigourney Weaver's Emmy Award nominated Best Actress performance playing me (which I still find unbelievable!). I am reminded of the present day; of our public school teachers and administrators who are not allowed to validate "out" gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, and to provide proper education; of the military establishment excluding our gay children who take bullets alongside their non-gay peers in order to keep us from harm's way; of some religions openly and actively seeking to 'cure' our gay children, further promoting fear and ignorance; of setbacks in AIDS healthcare and education; of the lack of a Federal nondiscrimination policy protecting all Americans from discrimination; of the lack of a Federal marriage rights act guaranteeing equal protection under the law for all couples wanting to enjoy the sanctuary of marriage. I am also reminded of days past; the Stonewall riots; the assassination of Harvey Milk; the brutality of the Holocaust and the ultimate humiliation of the pink triangle; the horrific murder of Matthew Shepard and other hate crime attacks against far too many gay and lesbian teenagers.

THANK GOD I..

This is my interview on David Brown's "Inside Out" about my Thank God I contribution:

My interview is the second one, about 20minutes in..

Lisa Kudrow, Josh Brolin, Chaz Bono, Christina Ricci Come out to Support LGBT Film at Outfest 2009

Rich and I with Lisa Kudrow at Outfest opening

If the walls at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Los Angeles could speak they would tell you that last night was the kick off of the 27th Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Outfest, 2009. Outfest is one of the oldest, continuously running film festivals in Los Angeles and will feature 181 films from 25 countries over a ten-day event that will put focus on LGBT Rights in response to Prop 8.

Cultural change is often led by artists. Outfest has been on the cutting edge of supporting diverse, bold LGBT artists in creating change and remains a pioneer in this festival. Jon Korn, one of the programmers for the festival says that he thinks "one of the biggest trends we're seeing in LGBT documentaries recently is an increased diversity in the types of stories being told and an increased range in their subject matter. Whereas fifteen, or even ten years ago, a lot of films focused [solely] on the sexuality of their subjects as an exclusive topic."

Click to Read the full artcle at Huffington Post.com

TIPPI HEDREN TALKS ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON AND THE TIGERS SHE ADOPTED

Let us dream of tomorrow where we can truly love from the soul, and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation - Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson made the painful decision to give his animals up for adoption following the court battle he went through in 2005. Shortly after the decision, rumors started popping up all over the place regarding Jackson's mistreatment of the animals by organizations like PETA and others.

In honor of Michael Jackson's untimely passing I was blessed with the opportunity to help dispel this myth and show the depth of loving that lived in this man by speaking with Tippi Hedren.

Full version of this article is published at Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-mannino/michael-jackson-loved-his_b_224324.html

I attended the GMCLA concert yesterday (and heard my friend's sing their hearts out). I met some great people, some in the photo below, Bruce Vilanch, Gloria Allred (made famous by representing very high profile legal cases like Nicole Simpson's family and the first lesbian couple to sue the State of California to legalize gay marriage). The music was a joyful respite from all the chaos and tragedy over the past week. You can access the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-mannino

Career Lessons from My Recruiting Desk Part I: Getting the Meeting

This is the first in a series of articles that will draw deeply on my ten years of Talent Acquisition (recruiting) work for Fortune 500 companies throughout the entertainment and staffing industries. It is my intention for these articles to support you with real, hands-on information. I intend to draw on my experience in the trenches as a recruiter or my personal success as a job hunter. This first article outlines a couple of assertive techniques that will ask you to generate courage and confidence to take action that will help you successfully distinguish yourself from the hundreds of other applicants currently in the talent pool. However, I caution you to only execute these techniques if you are indeed very qualified for the job! Although my experience is at very large companies I assert that these techniques will work well when approaching smaller companies.

1. Stop sending your resume/profile and start having conversations
In the current employment climate I encourage you to take a more active role in your search and stop sending your resume to every Tom, Dick, Harry, and job posting you see on the internet. You may not realize it, but as soon as you submit your resume to a company you also put your career in their hands. Therefore, when you see a posting at a company that interests you, ask yourself if you have a way in other than your resume. Perhaps there is someone in your network that works for the company who you can ask to e-mail or hand your resume to the hiring manage. If you don't know anyone then do the research to find out who to talk to (with sites like linkedin.com this isn't as hard as you might think). Send them a brief (perhaps two paragraph) intro telling them why you are the solution they need and let them know that you will be calling to follow up in a couple of days. Recruiters don't want to hear this, but (if and only if you are indeed well qualified for the opportunity) one of your best ways in is through direct contact with a hiring manager. On many occasions I have met with hiring managers to discuss new openings and have been given direct leads to candidates who had made contact with them.

2. Use the telephone
I know this seems archaic in our age of technology. However, rather than leave your career up to cyberspace I encourage you to do some groundwork, figure out who to contact, and muster up the courage to make the phone call (if and only if you are indeed well qualified for the position). When you do get the hiring manager on the phone you should be prepared with a solid twenty second pitch as to why you are the solution to their problem. Then make an agreement to submit your resume directly to them along with submitting it online. Let them know that you will call to follow up in a couple of days and how much you appreciate their time. Alternatively, if you have submitted your resume online and you know you are a great candidate for the position call within one week to follow up on the status of the position. Tell them why you are someone they would want to meet and that you would like to interview for the position. Many job postings say not to call. However, if you take a strategic approach to this, understand the line between making a phone call and being a stalker, and you are indeed a solid candidate for the job than you are doing the recruiter or hiring manager a favor. In my busy recruiting days it was a service to me when a qualified candidate whose resume I had not yet seen would call to follow up. If time allowed I would open their resume immediately. If they were a great candidate, I would get very excited and start asking questions right away or schedule a better time for an interview.

3. Do your research early
If you are contacted by a company you should be prepared by having conducted some initial research. It should answer the following questions: a) What does the company do/offer? b) What is their market position and who are their competitors c) company structure d)company financials e) your understanding of the job based on the description. Most, if not all of this information is readily available on the internet. You may not be asked questions that illustrate this knowledge if they are simply calling to schedule a meeting. Nonetheless, you will be prepared.

4. Be the solution
It is not a secret that many organizations are currently struggling. Hence, more than anything, even more than your actual skill set, companies are looking to hire you as a solution to their problems. What's the problem? Figuring out how to save or generate more money. One way to clearly differentiate yourself from other candidates is to illustrate that you are the solution to this problem. You want to have clear examples of how you helped address a company's bottom line on your resume and be ready to talk about them as soon as your first conversation. This may seem challenging if you are not directly in sales, finance or accounting. Here are some examples:

Marketing: How can you quantify leads that got generated through marketing campaigns you executed? How can you quantify money you saved or helped generate based on your marketing analysis.

Product Development What kind of revenue was generated by new product launches?

Project Management How can you quantify in a dollar amount time you saved on a project?

Administrative Perhaps you supported a boss who was a key player in the sales department and can illustrate how you provided the expertise to help a system run more efficiently, which saved your boss more time to go out and close additional sales.

These techniques can be daunting for some. However, the courage you need to take assertive action in alignment with your desire to get back work is right within you! It is your vision coupled with action that will help bring your career back into reality!

Do you have a strategy you want to share or a question about "getting the meeting?" Please comment below. You never know, the story you share may just be what the person reading it needs to hear. "tweet" this article or post it to Facebook so others can benefit from this information!

The next segment in Lessons from My Recruiting Desk will show you how to stop interviewing and provide in depth details for crafting your "winning job presentation!".

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING YOUR PERSONAL SUCCESS CRITERIA

The original version of this article appeared at Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-mannino/unemployment-a-call-to-se_b_182653.html

If you take a look at statistics illustrated by major research companies you will consistently find that more than 50% of individuals lack satisfaction in their jobs. I have spoken to more than one executive who has referred to their job in the corporate jungle as "wearing golden handcuffs." The truth is that so many people experience what I refer to as "job dread." This is the experience of dragging your body into work while leaving your soul in a sweltering car with the windows rolled up. Unemployment could actually offer the well deserved time needed to resolve this experience. You can conduct a job search that includes a personal strategic plan designed to integrate your soul's needs with your practical career needs.

Of course, when significant change is triggered by events beyond our realm of influence,it is natural to go through a grieving process that includes panic, fear, anger, sadness, etc. Particularly, if you are newly unemployed, I encourage you to give yourself the time you need to fully experience the emotions that come forward for you, without judgment. Also, gently remind yourself that this is not the first time in which you have had to overcome prior, seemingly impossible challenges. For instance, less than ten years ago many of us traversed significant challenges resulting from the dot com burst and pervasive post 9/11 cutbacks.

After you have allowed yourself to experience the bulk of your instinctual response to the layoff, I invite you to refocus your attention on something positive. This can include activating your support system, and beginning to take an inventory of your unique skills and strengths that will remain with you wherever you go. Begin to ask yourself, "Is it just my job and company that are in flux or is it my industry and career sector that are in trouble?" If it is your industry then I encourage you to also ask yourself if you are one of the more than 50% lacking job satisfaction. If so, this lay off may just be your call to self discovery.

I was recruited and hired into a new position that began right after 9/11 on September 17, 2001. At the time my work was Human Resources and Talent Acquisition. Within two weeks I discovered that I was hired as a recruiter into a company that was implementing a hiring freeze and reducing headcount. Guess who was one of the first to go? Right, yours truly. Three weeks after being hired I was laid off with two weeks of severance pay. Trust me; it was no fun being a recruiter in a job market that was experiencing significant cutbacks and unemployment. Over the course of the next year I had moments when I didn't know if I could afford to eat lunch. Fortunately, I was blessed with a support network that fed me when I needed it. Not only did I manage to survive, I learned about the depths of my resourcefulness and what was truly important to me. I learned to listen to my gut, which was telling me to stay in my contract and not take the new position. Also, my desire to be of service was rekindled, and I went back to work for a non-profit career center while I submitted applications to graduate school.

Many people often wait for adversity to engage in the process of self-discovery. Self-discovery in the context of career exploration means asking yourself a few probing questions. These questions include,"What is it that I truly love to do and that inspires me? What would I be willing to stay up all night doing, still feel energized in the morning, and not get paid for it?" These questions begin to tap into the source of your true inspiration, values, and preferred skills.

In conjunction with National Career Exploration week (April 5-11) I encourage you to begin to ask yourself these questions and look for additional articles in the next few weeks that will offer strategies to continue your exploration.

Please share your inspiring stories of how being laid off was ultimately a gift in disguise!
***
E-mail Jason with your career exploration questions at info@jmannino.com.

Jason brings a decade of experience in Talent Acquisition to his work as a career coach. You can learn more at www.jmannino.com.

How to Care for Yourself in Times of Crisis

An original version of this article appeared at Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-mannino/how-to-care-for-yourself_b_170438.html

It would be a disservice to avoid the fact that so many of us are in the midst of what appears to be profound chaos, uncertainty and fear. We are hearing daily about the state of our economic environment and unemployment. I am not just talking about what we read and hear in the news; I am talking about the personal conversations we are having with our loved ones, friends, co-workers and even the conversations we are having in our own minds. I have noticed how easy it is during these chaotic, stressful periods for people to allow their level of self-care to become severely diminished. Allowing stress to hijack your ability to care for yourself has negative ramifications for your health, which inhibits the ability to successfully manage challenging circumstances. Also, your availability to your loved ones in their time of need is stifled when you have even been unavailable to care for yourself.

With this in mind, I'd like to offer some essential self-care tips.

Maintain self-worth
I have a client who recently lost her job as a legal secretary. While she was employed, she was making close to six figures with overtime. The company went through an across-the-board headcount reduction only taking salaries and employee categories into consideration. It's as if they didn't even look at people's names in considering who to layoff, and my client got one of the axes. After placing herself in the job market, Gail received a call from a recruiter who was very excited to talk to her and anxious to present her to one of his litigation clients, and told her that her salary would be comparable to what she had been making before. She met with the recruiter and invested hours taking all of the skills tests that any of us who have ever signed up with an employment agency know to be a normal ritual. In addition to a legal secretary, the firm needed support opening a new litigation office in Los Angeles, a project that would include implementing technical systems and training staff in various software packages.

While Gail was well-equipped to handle all of this, she was surprised to hear from the recruiter that the firm intended to decrease her salary by $5k because "litigation" was listed third in her experience at her last employer--even though she had primarily provided litigation assistance at her previous job. The fearful voice in her head wanted her to move forward with this interview even though she felt the offer was an insult to her value. However, the self-respecting voice in her head told her that she was worth more than they were offering and that another company would recognize this, so she declined the interview. The recruiter and Gail's sister were shocked to learn that she had turned down a job in such a grim economy, but she held steadfast to her resolve.

Right now we are in an employer's market and many will get away with undervaluing their employees in compensation packages. However, Gail has just begun her job search and had the courage to maintain her self-worth, which I agree is important. However, regardless of where she or anyone else is in their job search, no one should feel pushed into undermining their own self worth. For some a 5k pay cut is acceptable, for Gail it was a compromise she was unwilling to accept, and I commend her for her personal integrity. I encourage you to ask yourself in a situation like Gail was in what your own limits are, and to access the inner qualities necessary to maintain your self-worth.

Laugh and smile
There is actual research to support the fact that both smiling and laughing can support you in shifting your mood and maintaining a healthy attitude and it's contagious. So, do it!

Take care of the little things:
Another client of mine recently shared with me that he had been driving with an expired license for three months. He said that he would experience a pang of anxiety while driving sometimes, and wondered what might happen to him if he were to get pulled over. He found out when he drove himself right into a driver's license checkpoint and watched the police tow his car away. Additionally, what would have been a $30 transaction for him became a $500 lesson. When I asked my client what lessons he received from this, he replied, "I learned what happens when you abandon yourself." I encourage you to use this as an example of why it's important to be responsible and handle the little things, even if they present an inconvenience. Where in your life are you not taking care of little things that could turn into big issues?

Stay present
I recently had dinner with a friend of mine who just had a very stressful week at his job at the Walt Disney Company, where he has been employed for 25 years. His division had just gone through a significant lay-off and my friend was experiencing a lot of fear. "What would I do if I lost my job?" he said to me, and proceeded to go on in similar fashion. Finally I stopped him. "Where are you?" I asked.

My friend looked at me, unclear what I meant. "What do you mean?" he replied.

"Well, when you ask questions like 'What would I do if I lost my job?' you are creating an experience of a future, unwanted fantasy, which takes you away from the present moment and elicits the experience of anxiety and stress. It is not self-supportive." I encouraged my friend to come into the present moment where he still has his job and all of his needs are met, thus eliciting an experience of gratitude, satisfaction, peace and equanimity and allowing him to consider his future from a place of empowerment rather than resistance and fear

I encourage you to ask yourself if the fear or stress you may be experiencing is a result of a future, unwanted fantasy or a direct result of a circumstance in which you currently find yourself. The latter is rational. The former is irrational. If your fear is irrational I encourage you to engage in the self-caring gesture of shifting your thinking to something you can be grateful for. Doing this will support you in staying present

While it can be easy to allow things like layoffs, financial distress to elicit a diminished sense of self-worth and even self-neglect, it is more critical than ever to remain conscious of engaging in very simple practices to support you in caring for yourself and moving gracefully through global chaos that can become personal challenges.


With this in mind, ask yourself this: What are some of the things that you do to care for yourself?

CHOOSING OPTIMISM WHEN PESSIMISM WOULD BE EASIER

The original publication of this article appeared at Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-mannino/choosing-optimism-when-pe_b_164535.html

With the election of Barack Obama to the presidency, there has been a lot of talk about "change" and optimism. Some even think we have been hearing about it too much during a time in which many are experiencing significant crisis. Yet, while some have an easy time maintaining a generally optimistic outlook, others are asking, "What the hell is there to be optimistic about?"

Personally, I feel that there is a lot to be optimistic about. For instance, we can be optimistic about the fact that we have a compassionate president who is willing to stand in the shoes of those who hold opposite points of view and willing to admit when he makes a mistake. However, when we are riding the 401-k roller coaster, experiencing the worst unemployment rate in 25 years and moving through the trials of a heinous economy, it can be an elusive experience. Nonetheless, I encourage you to explore the role that holding a positive, optimistic point of view can play in your life even through these trying times. However, to do that, it takes a bold and courageous leap into acceptance for all things, good and bad, past and present.

I can hear some of you thinking, "I can't take ownership for Wall Street screwing me over and losing my job," Of course, I'm not suggesting that you have caused all of the circumstances of your life, but rather that your experience of circumstances, therefore, your reality, is based on your response to these circumstances. How you react to any given situation is the result of an internal choice you make. Therefore, it is within your realm to accept and take ownership for your experience. When you take ownership you are empowered to make enlightened, conscious choices that can support you in focusing on the positive, and what is in your life for which you can be grateful.

Victor Frankl was a Psychiatrist in Berlin, Germany who was a survivor of Auschwitz. It was during his time in Auschwitz that he made this discovery: "The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose ones attitude in any given circumstance." In addition in Ben Sherwood's book The Survivor's Club: The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life, he provides a significant overview of research that illustrates that one's attitude and faith are essential to overcoming tragic, dire circumstances.

One's outlook can play a key role in co-creation, the symbiotic relationship that forms when you allow spirit to be in the driver's seat of your life while simultaneously making informed, empowered choices. When you are powerfully co-creating you emit the high vibrations of love, bliss, joy, gratitude. This level is where the Law of Attraction (so famously demonstrated in The Secret) gets triggered powerfully and allows you to call forth new visions and desires for your life. Defined simply, The Law of Attraction is, "like attracts like, you get what you think about, and you get what you put your energy and focus on whether wanted or unwanted." Therefore, though it can be very challenging, it is critical to shift into an optimistic point of view.

My mother died tragically following seven months of suffering and complications following an elective surgery -- an event that ranks among the most tragic circumstances of my life. I would not trade my mother for anything in the world, however, there are things I had to go through as a result of my mother's death that I am very grateful for. The experience offered deep personal transformation, learning and maturity. Accepting the circumstance inspired my willingness to go within and access the courage to experience gratitude; which continues to shine wisdom and insight into my life.

Recently, I had a client who was laid off. Prior to the lay-off it became clear that she would be taking her career in a different direction than her job. At that time she enrolled in graduate school to pursue something completely different. However, although it was not her passion, she knew that it was not time to leave the job. Then the lay-off happened. When I asked her what the lesson might be that she was getting from this lay off she realized that it spirit's way of putting both of her feet on the path that she was choosing to walk. As a result, she was able to see this lay-off as an affirmation of her new direction. Although this circumstance did present her with challenges it became clear that it served her and this supported her in maintaining a positive perspective.

I encourage you to do what it takes to shift your attention away from what is negative and place it on what it is positive in our life. If need be enlist help from your support network or a professional. Also, there are exercises you can engage in that will support you. Daily I write at least five things I am grateful for in a gratitude journal. I also acknowledge myself for something I am proud of or accomplished during the day. This exercise has helped me to keep my attention on the positive aspects of my life, particularly when in the moments that I have felt like things couldn't get any worse. Actually, when things can't get any worse, guess what? That's when they often start to get better.

If you would like to learn more about shifting your perception from negative to positive e-mail info@jmannino.com for Jason's new complimentary e-book: Mind Your Mind; Manage Your Thoughts, Tips to Turn Your Mind Into Your Ally.

Learn more about Jason and A.C.T.ion Centered Transformation at www.jmannino.com.