Dear SafetyXChange Members,

Managers seeking new jobs often have to relocate. Trying to find a job in a new region, state or city is tough enough. Conducting the search when you're not in the area makes it doubly tough. When the market to which you're relocating is also undergoing a crisis, it's triply tough. Finding an ideal job in these conditions takes a certain moxy. This is precisely what one of our ExecuNet members did. Here's her story.

Meet Diana Prince

Diana Prince is a 55-year-old human resources executive. In March 2005, Diana decided to move from New York to Florida. Those of you who've ever lived in Florida know that March is the start of the hurricane season. In 2004, Florida was socked with a triple dose of hurricanes. So anxiety for 2005 was greater than usual. And as it turned out, the foreboding was not without justification. Diana got her new position from an ExecuNet job posting in October just as Hurricane Wilma slammed into the state.

Despite the geographical and meteorological challenges, Prince says the search went unexpectedly fast. "For much of the time I was in New York, most people said that I wouldn't be hired if I wasn't in the area. I think that's true for Florida - too many northerners come down and then leave, I guess. However, I was surprised in the end at how quickly it happened, literally, right after moving here."

What Went Around Came Around

Prince says that networking was the key to conducting a successful search from New York for a job in Florida during hurricane season. "As part of my search, I contacted other HR professionals from ExecuNet in Florida for advice," explains Prince.

Many of Prince's contacts cautioned her to be realistic about the marketplace. This proved to be a valuable piece of advice that Prince took to heart. "I really tried to understand the local market, the players and the needed skill sets. I went to local SHRM [Society of Human Resource Management] meetings just to get a sense of what people were about in the new area," says Prince. "I knew what my 'downsides' were and tried to overcome them."

Prince expressed great appreciation for the help she got from ExecuNet members. "These were cold calls. I didn't know any of these people," says Prince. "All we had in common was membership in ExecuNet." Even so, Prince says that most of the contacts were responsive and provided advice. This came as a pleasant surprise to Prince. "I had often helped people in the past, but I never expected it from others."

Having the Right Frame of Mind

So what did Prince learn from the experience? In addition to the importance of networking, Prince says it's crucial to have the right frame of mind when conducting an out-of-state job search. By "frame of mind," Prince means:

• Confidence. "I always spoke from a 'confident' headset, as if I were conducting a survey on the market, and did not react when people said negative things. I was always upbeat and positive."
• Getting Your Story Straight. "Contacts and prospective employers will invariably ask you why you're making a move and what you expect from it," advises Prince. "It's very important to have thought these things through so you can tell your story in a way that's articulate and convincing."
• Open Mindedness. Prince advises other job-seekers not to get hung up on any one opportunity, and to "be aware that every contact is someone to be 'won' over to your cause."

Conclusion

Trying to find a job in a new state is a tough challenge, especially when you're not there and the state is in the midst of a crisis like hurricane season. But Prince's experience shows that it can be done, especially if you network effectively. Still, Prince advises others to have a fallback plan in case they want to move but can't find a job. "I was prepared to open my own consulting company, if necessary," she says. "I actually prepared a brochure and business cards."

Wishing you career success,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet
www.execunet.com

THE CORPORATE MINDSET

Top 6 New Year's Resolutions of Corporate Executives

Quit smoking. Eat more healthful foods. Exercise regularly. Watch less TV.

These are the kinds of new year's resolutions "common people" like you and me make. But corporate executives think differently. In the last week of 2005, a California consulting firm asked 150 senior executives of large corporations to reveal their resolutions for 2006. Results:

1. Learn a new skill (31 percent)
2. Spend less time at work (19 percent)
3. Improve my relationship with boss/coworkers (13 percent)
4. Make a career change (7 percent)
5. Get a promotion (6 percent)
6. Get a raise (3 percent)

One more little note: 12 percent said they had no resolution at all.

Source: Accountemps, www.accountemps.com.

MEMBER REPLY

The Glass Ceiling

Two weeks ago, SafetyXChange published a note from a member decrying the notion of a glass ceiling and criticizing women for demanding "special privileges." Not surprisingly, this provoked some strong response. Here's a sampling:

Shame on SafetyXChange

I am absolutely offended by the comments in your editorial. Not every woman out there requires special privileges, any more than any man who also makes similar requests. I am even more insulted that you assume that a woman is not doing the full job of any man. Also assuming that the only reason women do not make as much is because they are not as good with negotiations??? Hello, that's a pretty big assumption that women can not negotiate.

I have quite enjoyed your newsletter over the past few months, but cannot believe that you would put publish such garbage. To print this based on some red neck's interpretation of what is going on is insulting to every woman in the business field. Most businesses have a code of conduct. Where is yours? I thank you for your publication for the past two months, but based on your lack of respect and ability to edit out that which is based on opinion and is totally disrespectful to women I will not be reading any of your future publications.

Name withheld

A Proposal for a Fairer System

As a female director of health and safety I feel that this issue would be best put to rest if companies would offer a more transparent (impossible??) method of "building" a new employee's salary upon hiring. To provide a sheet of information that supplies a set of pre-requisites for the job, (base pay = ???) and for each skill or year of experience show the increment of salary increase (skill 1 = ???., skill 2 = ???, etc.). At that point this information (make the skills/increases reasonable to reflect the job description) would not only increase morale but also increase their professional and personal integrity. I call this fair hiring practices.

You could go even further by tailoring this salary spec sheet by adding degrees, diplomas, past client experience, merit for bonus, the list could be exhaustive. Build the process to indicate when the employee has acquired skill, or experience to make the jump to supervisor - manager -partner - whatever suits your facility. Every position from Waitress to corporate director would qualify for this process. I agree that everyone should start out with base pay, thereafter its one's C.V. and work portfolio that should speak for itself. It may take a while to complete but I guarantee that no one will be whispering to find out how much the other person makes a year. Thanks for the publication!

Josee Morin
jmorin@setcorp.ca

Resigning Oneself to the Glass Ceiling

I couldn't help but be amused by the Glass Ceiling for Men comment. When my corporation did a re-evaluation of salaries based on information of equal job titles taken from across the country, it turned out that I fell below the entry level (and I had 5 years experience). So, I thought that would mean quite a raise. But as it turned out, that didn't happen due to some pro-rated accounting issue. I wonder if the accounting person who negotiated that was a man or a woman??? Oh well, I love working as a safety manager anyway! Thanks & keep up the good work.

Deb Holle

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