Posted by Seth Burgess on Tue, Aug 24, 2010 @ 01:14 PM
Don't let Rejection Shock Ruin Your Equine Career
Self esteem and confidence are two critical elements in a successful horse industry job search. Hunting for a horse job can hurt your self esteem and confidence at just about every turn. For starters, losing a job, not having a job, and spending months without finding a job are huge "downers". It is important to do everything you can to prevent being trashed emotionally by the job hunt process.
The first step to avoiding hits to your self esteem and confidence is to treat your job search like a job. Spend the same time and effort on your horse industry job search as you would on a job. Spend eight hours a day, five days a week searching for potential contacts, networking, making contact, and building relationships. Then, take a couple of days off and have some fun.
When you work at your "job hunt job" the most critical thing to avoid is "rejection shock." Rejection shock occurs when you apply to multiple jobs and get little or no response, or are rejected in some way by several employers. Being rejected in this way is very damaging. Thoughts go through your head like, "What's wrong with me, I must not have the right skills, people don't like me, I'll never get a job." These thoughts probably have nothing to do with the truth, but they hurt your outlook.
One very good way to ensure that you get rejection shock is to mass mail your resume hoping for a response. You may send out a hundred resumes to horse industry employer hoping that somebody has a job for you. Statistically, you will be lucky to get a response from 3-5 of the 100. It is also very likely that those 3-5 employers will not have a job for you. They may say something like "We will keep your resume on file." You know which file that is, file 13. So, you have just been rejected by 100 employers. Don't think that doesn't hurt. It does. The worst thing you can do is conclude that you didn't send out enough resumes and send another 100 to different employers. The experience is very likely to be the same and very likely to put you further in the dumps about your job search.
Forget mass mailing your resume. It is very likely to do you a lot more harm emotionally than good. Spend time researching equine employers who are actually hiring by using a service like Equimax. Research the employers you would actually like to work for and target your search to those employers. You may still get rejected a few times, but you will be dealing with a much smaller group of employers and your chances of success go way up.
By avoiding high volume rejection shock you save your self esteem and confidence. Remember, you have a lot to offer. If employers are having difficulty appreciating that, it may not be your fault.
For more information on this proactive approach to finding a horse job, spend some time with The Career Game, it's free.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Sun, Aug 22, 2010 @ 12:56 PM
Body Language Influences Hiring Decisions in Horse Jobs
You know how horses read your body language. Well, interviewers read your body language too, even if they are not totally aware of it. The chances are you are not totally aware of it either. Check out this article by Dennis McCafferty :
"The body language of interviewees can have a major influence on hiring decisions. Hiring managers are interested in something other than your resume and what you have to say -- the way you project “body talk,” including your posture, hand-waving and other non-verbal language, can make a far greater difference than many job-seekers may realize. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, a significant percentage of hiring managers say job candidates often significantly hurt their chances with their gestures and physical presence. “In a highly competitive job market, job seekers need to set themselves apart in the interview stage,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “All that pressure, though, may have some job seekers making body language mistakes that don’t convey a confident message.” Fortunately, CareerBuilder has some easy tips to help you avoid sending out bad-body vibes. More than 2,500 hiring managers took part in the survey. Here’s what they had to share:"
Body Language Influences Hiring Decisions
For more tips on finding a job, sign up for our free Job Seeker Newsletter.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 @ 12:23 PM
Guest Blog - Networking will Untangle
your Equine Career
by Laura Jane Thompson
The horse business, more than any other industry, is all about relationships. It isn't enough to pad your Rolodex with the names and phone numbers of other equestrian professionals; if you want to succeed in any horse job, you need to get to know other people who share your goals and desires.
The term "networking" might sound pretentious or gimmicky, but the underlying concept holds tremendous value. When you get to know other people in the horse business and you open yourself up to partnerships and opportunities, your career can branch out in limitless directions. And you might find yourself in a better place than you are now.
Here are a few tips for networking in the horse industry, just in case you're stumped on how to move forward.
1. Forget About Geography
At one time, networking might have meant meeting other people in your specific geographic area, but no more. Even in the horse business, it is possible to find new opportunities with professionals who live in other states—or even other countries.
Horse shows, exhibitions, seminars, and clinics are excellent opportunities to meet people from other places. You might turn up a chance to travel or even to relocate.
2. Put Them First
The traditional approach to networking was to get what you want and get out. Career-minded professionals sometimes only talk to other people in order to further their own careers, which is a selfish—and usually fruitless—way to get to know other horse industry workers.
When you meet someone new through your networking efforts, ask yourself one very specific question: "What can I do to help this person?" Can you put him in touch with a friend who might want to buy his horse? Could you put in a good word with your boss so she might get a job at your farm?
Make networking with you a positive experience, and the good you put out there will be returned. It might take a few weeks or months, or even years, but eventually that person will remember the kind thing you did for him and repay the favor.
3. Make an Impression
Preferably a positive one. When you're networking, you don't want to remain another face in the crowd. You want to stand out so the people you meet will remember you down the road.
This doesn't mean you have to be flamboyant or rude or quirky. It means you need to be yourself. Show off your personality in communication with other equestrian professionals and let them see the real you.
4. Find Common Ground
This is true of any communication, not just networking. If you can find common ground with someone you have just met, you will have accomplished two goals:
a. He or she will remember you; and
b. Conversation will come easier.
Maybe your common ground is that you both rode barrel racers in high school, or maybe you each have a passion for stopping equine abuse. Whatever the case, find some common ground—no matter how small—and use that as a jumping-off point for conversation.
5. Make Introductions
Networking in the horse business can create ripples of after-effects that you don't even realize are happening. You introduce Sally to Bob; Bob introduces Sally to Amy; Amy hears about you through the grapevine and offers you your dream job.
Sure, that's a pretty radical example, but things like that actually happen.
Decide right now that you are going to facilitate as many connections as possible through your equine network. Not only might this benefit you in the future, but you'll be helping others achieve their goals as well.
Laura Jane Thompson is a horse business consultant and freelance writer living in Houston, Texas. You can find more tips on the horse business at Riding Instructor University.
For more help building a career in the horse industry, spend some time with The Career Game, it's free.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Sat, Aug 14, 2010 @ 04:06 PM
A Bond of Trust Between Equine Employers and Employees
Too often the trust between Equine employers and employees is out of balance. Every successful equine employer/employee relationship is built on a bond of trust. When a balanced bond of trust exists in the relationship the employer and employee can rely on each other to protect each other's interests to a degree. A bond of trust means mutual respect exists in the relationship.
The trust that exists between employer and employee needs to be balanced. In the horse industry and in many employment situations the trust is out of balance. Sometimes the employee trusts the employer completely from the outset and gets burned when expectations don't materialize. Sometimes employers trust their employees in an unquestioning manner and are shocked when they find that the trust was never really warranted. Sometimes either the employee or employer have been so burned in the past that they don't trust anybody.
In real relationships based on the situation on the ground, trust is built over time from one stage of the relationship to the next. Expecting trust too soon or withholding it too long will damage the relationship. When you make first contact with an employer or an applicant, only the first level of social trust is appropriate. The first level of trust expects each person to be courteous, respectful, and attentive. Even this level of trust should not be granted if the respect, courteousness and attentiveness are not there. Keep your eyes and ears open to see if this level of trust is really there.
The next level of trust comes from commitments, interaction and experience. An employer or an applicant may request information, ask for a task to be completed, or set an appointment. As requests and commitments are satisfied completely and in a timely manner, employer and applicant begin to trust that each will do what they promise to do.
It may take more than one successful experience, but once the trust of fulfilling commitments is established, the trust of mutual understanding can evolve. The trust of mutual understanding arises when two people understand each other well enough to know their preferences and understand their approach to problems. An equine employee may gain the confidence to make decisions in their job without consulting the boss, and the boss may rely on the employee to make those decisions.
These three levels of trust are the basis for a sound employer/employee relationship. Further trust is usually neither necessary nor appropriate. Problems arise when employer or employee act upon trust that is not really there, or has not developed yet. If a employees make independent decisions before the employer is ready to trust them to do so, trouble will result. If an employee ignores being treated discourteously by their employer, difficulties will start in the relationship. If tasks are not completed on time or are done poorly, trust will deteriorate.
From start to finish, strive to keep trust balanced in employer/employee relationships. To do so, stay aware of what is really happening on the ground. Don't wish things were different and put your head in the sand. Address any inequities or failures of trust as soon as they arise.
For more information on building a successful career in the horse industry, spend some time with The Career Game. It's free.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Mon, Aug 02, 2010 @ 07:15 PM
Are you Expecting Horse People and Horse Jobs to be Perfect?
Recently we received the following message from a client:
I have had nothing but problems with farms. Farms are never up front with me, and they say things that are not true or hold up to what was said over the phone. The last farm I was at was a disaster. I hope that something can be done about this problem.
I certainly understand this frustration. We get similar complaints about both equine employers and horse job seekers who misrepresent themselves. The plain truth is that horse industry businesses, like all businesses, are run by people, and people are far from perfect. It is quite natural to hope for an employer who is well organized, good with personnel, and who always sees the truth the way you do. However, the reality is that this kind of employer is essentially non-existent. Most employers have strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams, troubles and fears just the way you do. Many have been "burned" by previous workers and are letting their bad experiences color their attitude and approach to personnel. This can make navigating in the job market frustrating and even damaging to your equine career.
There are two basic ways to handle the REAL job market. (1) Set your quality standards for employers impossibly high and then be frustrated and angry when you can't find an employer who meets your expectations. OR, (2) Expect all employers to be imperfect, and be ready to handle or compensate for the problems you encounter as best you can. As a horse industry professional, you should consider it your responsibility to provide more than the skills and experience needed to do your job. To be successful, you will need to be ready to build effective relationships with imperfect employers. Yes, it takes two to build a relationship and success is not always possible. Sometimes you just have to shake the dust off your feet and move on. However, if you expect the relationship with your employer to go smoothly without some serious attention from you, you are likely to experience repeated frustration.
Being a horse industry professional who knows how to build effective and productive relationships with imperfect employers is not easy. It takes a kind of mental and emotional fitness that many job seekers seem to lack. It requires strong self esteem, the ability to think on your feet, a readiness to compromise, a talent for creative solutions, and the patience to work through problems a step at a time. Give up the notion that you will somehow find that perfect employer and be ready to build a professional relationship with real employers which produces the best results for everyone. The worst that can happen is that you may be pleasantly surprised when you run across one of those rare employers who is ready to build a balanced and effective professional relationship with you.
For more information on building a career in the horse industry. Spend some time with The Career Game. It's free.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Sun, Jul 18, 2010 @ 04:45 PM
4 Foundations for Getting Your Equine Career on Track
by Beverly A. Buncher
When my clients are wondering what to do first to get their lives or careers back on track, I often ask them how they are doing with the basics. As a life and career coach, who often works with people whose lives are affected by their own or someone else’s blocks, I call these basics The Four Foundations of Family Recovery ©, but truly, they are foundational principles for inner growth for anyone who wants to move forward in their life since they are about the relationships we have with ourselves and others. We coaches have a saying, “How you are in one part of your life is how you are in all parts of your life.” So, by starting with a check up on the basics, I help my clients get a handle on what is and is not working in their life and how to get things back in sync.
The Four Foundations© are:
1. Self Care. Often, when things aren’t going our way, one of the first things to go is self care. Sometimes this can be as simple as brushing your teeth, as routine as exercising 3x or more a week, or as fundamental as eating nutritional food to keep your brain fit.
2. Being a Loving Person. This one can be less obvious but its lack in your life can be just as insidious and certainly just as important in its own way. Being a loving person means:
a. Treating others with dignity and respect even when they are acting badly (doing so without becoming a doormat becomes evident in foundation #3)
b. Treating ourselves with loving-kindness even when we are operating at less than our best
c. Not doing for another adult what they can do for themselves
d. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say without saying it mean
3. Setting boundaries for your own well-being. Boundary setting is difficult for a lot of people. It means:
a. sometimes having difficult conversations with people
learning how to say no when you mean no and yes when you mean yes
b. learning how to say no when you mean no and yes when you mean yes
b. knowing what you can and cannot tolerate in your life and learning how to communicate that to the people who are important to you at home and work
c. being able to stand by your word – not only in your commitments to others but also in your commitments to yourself
e. not making idle threats or giving empty ultimatums, but rather, getting to a point where you are good for your word and people know that if you say something, you mean it
4. Getting support. For many people, getting support will be the most important of the four foundations because without support, they won’t be able to achieve the other three. Supports can include:
a. Friends and Family members
b. Therapist, Life Coach, Minister, Riding Instructor, Colleagues
c. Support group (12 step, therapy, or coaching group)
d. God (or whatever you call your Higher Power)
e. Prayer and/or Meditation
f. Church, mosque, synagogue
Often, when I first bring up the 4 Foundations©, my clients wonder how this is related to their goals. But when they begin to look more closely they get it. These four principles of taking care of yourself, being loving to self and others, setting boundaries that feel right to you, and getting support to live your best life and live up to your principles, are all about getting your act together in relationship to yourself, others, and your God (if you have one). By getting clear in these fundamental relationships, other things begin to gain clarity. You start to know what you want, what you stand for and where you want to go with your life and your career. You see yourself as someone who is effective in their own life and in relation to others and so you begin to be able to transfer this sense of effectiveness into the choosing and achievement of your goals as well.
For me, being a coach is being someone who knows how to ask the questions that can help my clients move forward in their lives to become who and what they want to be. If you think you could benefit from having a coach to help you take your next best steps, give me a call and let’s talk! Or, if you know someone who you think could benefit from working with me, please share my name and number with them!
In the meantime, thanks for reading and see you next time!
All the best,
Coach Bev
Beverly A. Buncher, MA, CEC
Family Recovery Coach (AKA The Empowerment Coach)
Author of the forthcoming book Family Recovery 101: The Four Foundations of Family Recovery©
www.theempowermentcoach.net
(786) 859 4050
About the author:
Coach Bev works with those whose lives or careers are stalled and helping them find their way to a saner, happier life. A horse mommy, she has spent many hours visiting barns, grazing horses and watching horse shows. She is skilled at helping her clients move past the blocks in their paths to live the lives they most dearly want to achieve.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Fri, Jul 16, 2010 @ 04:14 PM
Are You Stalled in Your
Personal Life or Career?
by Beverly A. Buncher
Perfectly sane people sometimes experience obstacles in their ability to move forward in their personal life or their career...
Have you ever felt stalled? Helpless almost? So caught up in your own fears of what the future holds that your decision making capabilities don’t feel as reliable as they usually are? There are two primary areas that this phenomenon falls into.
Stop for a moment and answer these questions:
1. If you are feeling down, is it keeping you from taking care of your responsibilities to the people and situations in your life?
2. Have you lost interest in the little pleasures of life?
3. Are you sad most of the time?
4. Do you lack the motivation to make things better?
If you answered yes to any of these questions and your feeling of being stalled has lasted for more than 3 months, chances are you need to see a doctor, get a physical and check things out with a therapist to get the help you need to get your life back on track.
On the other hand, if what you are experiencing is a feeling of being stalled in your personal or career decision making abilities and could use some help in sorting out what you really want to achieve and how to get there, what you really may need is a coach. Coaches are trained professionals who know how to help their clients gain clarity in their lives around their goals and dreams and then go after them to make them real.
I’m a coach, certified in empowerment coaching, which means I help empower people to “unstall” their lives or careers and get things going. Here’s how:
It all starts with a complimentary session. At that session, the client brings me three things they would like to change through coaching. These three things need to be actionable goals. In other words, not about feeling better, but about doing or achieving something. Often, people come to a session with a goal like “I want to get my finances in better shape” or “I want to meet and marry my soul partner” or “I want to find a better job.” I’ve also heard goals like “I want to improve my jumping” or “I want to find a new career” or “I want to write publish my first book.”
But, what happens when the client sets a goal and simply doesn’t do it, doesn’t follow through on what they say they most want to achieve?
Believe it or not, this happens often in a coaching relationship. Hence the need for a coach. When it happens, coaching begins. Some of the tools the coach uses include activities that help the client build on past successes, exercises that allow the client to speak with the parts of herself that don’t want to do what it takes, and being an accountability partner to the client to help the client stay on track.
If you or a friend could use some help deciding on your life or career goals and/or sticking to and achieving the goals you set, give me a call! We can set up a complimentary consult to see if coaching and the way I work as a coach are for you!
In the meantime, thanks for reading and see you next time!
All the best,
Coach Bev
Beverly A. Buncher, MA, CEC
Family Recovery Coach (AKA The Empowerment Coach)
Author of the forthcoming book Family Recovery 101: The Four Foundations of Family Recovery©
www.theempowermentcoach.net
(786) 859 4050
About the author:
Coach Bev works with those whose lives or careers are stalled and helping them find their way to a saner, happier life. A horse mommy, she has spent many hours visiting barns, grazing horses and watching horse shows. She is skilled at helping her clients move past the blocks in their paths to live the lives they most dearly want to achieve.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Thu, Jul 15, 2010 @ 03:42 PM
Common Mistakes Equestrian
Job Seekers Make
The most common mistake we see job seekers make is to underestimate the amount of time and effort it may take to find a good job. Finding a job is a job in itself and should be approached with the same effort and attention to detail as any job. Here are some things that job seekers do to shoot themselves in the foot.
1. Some job seekers seem to spend little time and effort on figuring out what kind of job and what kind of employer they want. They seem to let the job market or other people decide what they should do in life. Be pro-active, decide what you want to do, figure out what you need to do to get there, and then put some effort into making it happen.
2. Some job seekers make just one attempt to contact an employer and when they don't hear back, they assume the employer is not interested. Communication is not perfect. Keep working at it. Try more than once to make contact. Use two different methods of communication (email, telephone, fax, postal mail) But, don't "bug" the employer. If you have tried three times and get no response, put the job "on the back burner" and move on.
3. Some job seekers don't seem to think that good communication skills matter. Their letters, messages, and resume are full of typos, misspelling, bad grammar, and sloppy thinking. Proofread everything! Show important letters and resumes to people you trust. Ask for help making your communication better. People will judge your abilities based on your ability to communicate. If you are a sloppy communicator, employers will tend to think you are a sloppy worker too. Then again, maybe you are!
Don't just advertise with Equimax and then hope the right thing comes along. Work at it. Treat your job search just like a job. Work at it every day, but don't forget to take a day off.
For more tips on job hunting and equestrian jobs, subscribe to our free email newsletter.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Wed, Jul 07, 2010 @ 04:58 PM
Good Verbal and Writing SkillsPeople will Judge you by the Way You Use Language.
At Equimax, it is astonishing how often I encounter bad grammar, sloppy spelling, missing punctuation, and poorly thought out sentences. Good use of the English language is not just a form of torture devised by high school English teachers, it is the key to clear and effective communication.
Sometimes Lynna and I spend ten or fifteen minutes together trying to guess what a client is really trying to say in a message or on an order form. Don't underestimate the negative effects of poor verbal and writing skills. Communication is the life blood of business relationships. If you take your speaking and writing abilities too casually, you will send the message that you take everything else too casually too. Prospective equine employers will notice.
Does your manner of speaking classify you as organized and professional, or slip-shod and non-caring. Don't confuse informality and sloppiness. Informality can make people feel at ease. Sloppiness may very well cause them to hire someone else. Proof read every bit of business communication from the most insignificant email message to the most important resume. Take the time to be sure your message is clear and it is said, spelled, and punctuated correctly. Don't hesitate to get other people to proof read your most important work and help you to word it with clarity. People will notice the way you write and the way you speak, one way or the other.
For more tips on building a top career in the horse industry, spend some time with The Career Game. It's free.
Posted by Seth Burgess on Mon, Jul 05, 2010 @ 04:38 PM
Equine Working Student or Apprentice
Some time ago, I received this query from a concerned parent.
"My daughter was offered a job as a "Working Student" at the horse farm she rides at. She would work around the horse farm and receive free riding lessons in return. Upon calling my state Revenue Department and the IRS I found out that this was "barter income" and would have to be reported as income. In addition, there are W2-related regulations and working paper issues (my daughter is 16 years old). Not doing the paperwork, and associated taxes, is illegal. The horse farm said that was ridiculous and the working student arrangement is a industry standard and they would not file any paperwork (neither 1099 or W2) nor get involved in workers comp. or other labor-reporting issues. The Dept. Of Revenue asked me to provide them with information so they could audit the farm. My question: Has my daughter been offered to "work under the table" illegally, or is this just a misunderstanding?
There is a group of "common practices" in the horse industry that are legally questionable or even down right illegal. With the way our legal system works, everyone is on their honor to obey the law. With many laws, there is no one who comes around to make sure you are complying. Wage and hour laws and other employment related laws are frequently like that. This means that all sorts of illegal employment practices may be going on, and unless someone reports the violation, the the employer is very likely to get away with the practice. However, the excuse that "everybody does it that way" while it may be true, does not make any practice legal.
There have been instances over the years of high-profile well-respected Working Student or Apprentice programs being taken to task by the authorities for questionable practices. However, the most extreme violations are usually in small operations that do not have an ongoing "program", but just hire one or two people as Working Students or Apprentices. The worst situations usually occur when someone is hired as a Working Student and there is no formal arrangement for time spent working vs. time spent learning. In cases like this, the employer is simply using the term Working Student to try to justify paying a substandard wage for a normal job. An employer does not have the right to pay less than minimum wage, just because a job includes some on-the-job training. On the other hand, if there is a formal arrangement for lessons or other advanced level training in exchange for work and the times for work and times for training are clearly spelled out, then the position may be a genuine Working Student or Apprentice position.
In situations like this the value of the training given must be commensurate with the amount of work being done, or the person must be paid some cash in addition to receiving the training. I am not an attorney and you may need to consult one. However, Working Student and Apprentice positions fall under employment laws just like any other position. Individual state laws may be more restrictive than federal laws in some states. Here is a link to the Department of Labor with information on laws relating to apprenticeships.
http://www.dol.gov/compliance/topics/wages-apprenticeships.htm.
If you hire Working Students or Apprentices, beware. Even if no cash changes hands, your Working Student or Apprentice is still your employee and must be treated as such. Child labor laws apply. Wage and hour laws apply. Tax laws apply. From my subsequent conversations with the writer of the above quote , it seems likely that the employer in question will be "turned in" to authorities and may face dire consequences. Don't put yourself in a position to be "brought down" by an angry parent or disgruntled employee. Contact your attorney or tax advisor for information on the correct way to hire Working Students and Apprentices.
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