Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 29, 1995                   TAG: 9510270115
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: F5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND PERSISTENCE WILL PAY OFF IN JOB SEARCH

A. Rethink your attitude as well as your job search plan. Attitudes are conveyed in cover letters and interviews. If you're discouraged, prospective employers can't become enthusiastic about you. Keep a positive attitude, no matter how difficult.

Toni McLawhorn, director of the Office of Career Services at Roanoke College, suggests immediately listing with a temp agency. ``Tell the agency what you really want to do. They should match you with that type of organization,'' she said.

While this builds your resume with relevant experience, McLawhorn also finds that ``when a job comes open, the temp often becomes a top candidate because they're known to the organization.'' It's also possible that ``a temp may turn into a full-time job itself.''

McLawhorn says to ``become involved in volunteer work. It will both make you feel good about yourself and serve as a resume builder.''

She also recommends ``finding all the trade associations and groups in the area which are associated with your desired field. Attend all the functions. This lets you build a network'' which could lead to a job.

Additionally, McLawhorn finds that ``doing some informational interviewing with the hope a contact will turn into a real interview'' has worked for many.

You aren't alone in your job search; however, leave the seekers behind by refocusing energy, remaining positive and staying active in every aspect of the search process.

Q. Clients and co-workers have commented on one individual who always sounds angry when answering and responding to questions over the phone. I believe this costs us business. Should I complain?

A. It takes less than 30 seconds for us to evaluate and categorize someone we've just met. We quickly take in the person's clothes, demeanor and bearing and then make assumptions about the individual. It takes a long time to correct inaccurate assumptions.

Lacking face-to-face meetings, we rely on available information. Phone calls and letters provide sufficient information to allow us to form judgments. For the phone, we use tone of voice, rhythm, diction and pitch. With letters, it's grammar, spelling, quality of paper and even typeface.

Rightly or wrongly, we often generalize our conclusions about the individual to an entire organization. The organization can be damaged by one individual who repeatedly sends negatively perceived messages. Your financial well-being is tied to the organization, so you do have an interest in improving the company's image.

Talk with your supervisor and state how many complaints you've heard, who made them - clients or co-workers - and the specific content of the complaints.

Once you've shared your concerns, let the matter drop. It becomes the supervisor's responsibility to determine how severe the problem is and to find appropriate solutions.

Q. My supervisor gave me low scores on several categories during my evaluation. I want to leave this job anyway, but I'm really angry about this. I don't think the evaluation is fair.

A. Pull back from the situation and force a different perspective on it. Your decision to leave your job for a different type of work suggests that you aren't fully engaged with the work you're doing. If you don't like the job, chances are you haven't been performing to the best of your ability.

Since you want to leave, it isn't constructive to focus attention on this performance evaluation. Rather, concentrate on your career plans. What is it, specifically, you want to do? How long will it take to make the shift?

Further, what do you need from your current supervisor in order for you to realize your goal? If you need the paycheck until you can make your dream a reality, then do what needs to be done to keep the job and paycheck.

It's easy to lose sight of our goals when confronted by someone else's agenda. You'll self-sabotage your plans to leave by spending energy trying to get even. The same with time spent brooding over an unfavorable evaluation.

If there's a possibility that you'll stay with your organization, accept the supervisor's evaluation and work to improve identified weak areas. Your supervisor should recognize your efforts and provide a more favorable evaluation at the next opportunity.