When things are crazy-busy and I am trying to fit one more thing on my plate, or when I want to forge ahead with something new but am not sure how, I sometimes think of the story of The Shoe Maker’s Elves. The magical elves would come in during the night and make beautiful shoes and take care of all of the old man’s work.

When I’m that busy I would welcome their visit. But unfortunately elves will not be coming into my home at night to finish my chores either will a personal assistant just show up wanting to take care of the grocery shopping, laundry or cleaning. If I want my house and personal life to run smoothly and be something I enjoy, I have to do the work myself. I can’t wait for the elves, I have to make things happen and be responsible for my happiness.

The same is true in my professional life, and yours. If you want to move your career to a new direction or a new level, it is up to you. The wonderful thing is that you are able to choose any career that aligns with your interests and passion, but again it is up to you to prepare and act in order to make it happen. Preparing can come through completing education or training, building a large and helpful network, or working smart to grow your work experience.

In growing and looking for the next great opportunity, whether it is a promotion or a new position with a new company, it is your decision and action that will to find you the job of your dreams. You deserve the very best and a job that fits your skills, competencies, experience and passion. Make that passion a driving force in your job search will help to keep you motivated.

You can hire a career coach to help you understand where you really want to focus your search. Or invest in a resume writer to create powerful marketing tools (ie., resume, cover letter, reference sheets, LinkedIn profiles, biographies) but to get noticed, meet the right contacts, and use creativity to stand out – that’s all you !!

Professional contacts, friends, colleagues, and family are always willing to listen, provide support and lend a hand but again, the work must come from you. Do you hear a recurring theme? I think by now I’ve stressed the “it’s up to you” point enough to make you sit up and listen. I do this because so many job seekers only take their search to a low-reaching level. They accept whatever comes along and don’t take the initiative to reach for their dreams and then they are never truly happy with where they end up. It is scary, nerve-wracking, time consuming and sometimes takes thick skin but you won’t regret it.

I’ve never had a client come back to me and say that the hard work and pay off of a rewarding job wasn’t worth it.

Don’t wait for The Shoe Maker’s Elves or settle; the rewards of pursuing your professional dreams are priceless. The job search is always full of lessons, new industry or field knowledge, and is a great way to meet new contacts. Hard work helps you appreciate the outcome, making it very rewarding. Finding a job that is fulfilling and that you are passionate about (or at least truly enjoy) will make getting up every morning and your life – a joy!

I usually write an article on resolutions at the beginning of the year but decided not to do so this year, until yesterday when I had two conversations on goals. The first conversation was a consult with a potential client and the second was a discussion I had with a friend later in the evening. The consult went well, we got to know each other a bit, discussed his background and issues at work that led this man to contact me, and then we started to discuss his goals and that is where things got sticky. He didn’t have any.

After much discussion we concluded that setting goals would be our first line of discussions before we went forward with preparing his resume, online presence and job search strategies. I often talk with professionals that are looking for a change and are not sure which direction to go to achieve their goals. But I don’t have many that simply say, “I don’t have any goals.”

Visiting that evening with a friend that always seemed very motivated and goal oriented, I asked her if she had always been that way. My friend (we’ll call her Sharon) shared with me that for years she didn’t have specific goals. After staying home for seven years when her kids were young, she had decided to go back to work full-time, but had no real plan for her future. She simply accepted the first position she had offered to her even though she had sent her resume to several types of positions. Sharon stayed with the job for more than three years before she realized she didn’t enjoy what she was doing and had no plans or goals to advance where she was.

Sharon said she became consumed with reading and learning about goal development, fulfillment and outcome. That is when she created goals and action plans for several areas in her life; and then got moving. To help her stay motivated she decided to give herself rewards for small goals she completed as she worked through her plans. During the next year she went through each room in her house and reorganized, got rid of things she didn’t use, and gave away outgrown kids clothes and toys. She also started eating healthier and committed to walking three days a week with her neighbor and after the first year had lost 23 pounds and felt great.

But her biggest change was in her professional life. After looking into many career areas and completing several assessments to determine what she was passionate about and how she could best utilize the skills she wanted to use, she decided to go into event planning. It was something she had done for six years as part of her early career, and it was the one part of her job that she loved and felt she was really good at. When I met Sharon three years ago, she was already the owner of a successful  boutique event planning firm which also owned two banquet facilities and three large boats, available to lease for special occasions.

She credits learning the true meaning and impact of setting and working toward goals can do, to many of the successes she’s had in her life. Sharon didn’t do anything special but she did do something different. She set goals and actually took action to see them through. Most people set goals or resolutions but never follow through because they don’t incorporate an action plan and hold themselves accountable to those plans; turning their dreams into tangible goals.

You can do the same thing. Whether you are happy in your job or in the throws of a job search, you can improve the quality of your performance and outcome by setting goals, creating a forward-moving plan and taking action. The success is in the action – if you only set goals but don’t do something to make them happen, they will remain a dream.

Shine On Job Seekers!

With December being another busy month for graduates, I thought I’d repost this article to give courage and say congratulations to those taking finals this week and graduating soon! Well done!!

It’s June and again that time of the year, when new graduates receive their diplomas and launch themselves into a career search. For many new graduates that didn’t begin preparing for their search while still in school, the question they ask is, “I’ve graduated…now what?” For the students that took advantage of their college career centers they probably received counseling and valuable career tools to get their job search started. A college career center is a great place to learn about career fairs, internships and job opportunities. It is estimated that 60% of interns are asked to stay on permanently after graduation, so it is well worth looking into. Plus, internships give students an opportunity to see and feel what work in their chosen profession will be like. Internships also become an impressive reference after graduation.

• Students that choose not to take advantage of early preparation can still get ahead by taking time now to prepare before launching their job search. They first need to decide on the direction they will focus their career search. Many students are still unsure even after graduation. Making a list of potential industries and positions and conducting a preliminary research is a good way to find out where their interests lie.

• If very unclear in their focus, I suggest hiring a career coach. Career coaches are very effective and have wonderful tools and exercises that allow graduates to realize their strengths and weaknesses and what they like and don’t like. Tools such as Behavioral Assessments, and Job Search Plans help graduates and all job seekers move forward and get organized in their search.

• The next step is to update or in some cases build for the first time your targeted career tools. If you are unclear of how to write powerful and specific resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, reference sheets and other career documents it may be worth your time and energy to seek out a certified resume writer. They will have a wealth of information not only on writing your documents but job search strategies, interview information can put you in touch with many effective resources.

• Digging deeper by researching companies, industries, and even specific managers, gives you a better feel for the work environment, company expectations and a feel for what your daily job will entail. Check out local industry newspapers and magazines, develop contacts that can provide information and insight and even look at the competition as a valuable source of information to help in narrowing your decision.

• Expanding your contacts and developing a network that you can rely on may be your most critical move in finding a job in the field you’ve chosen. Utilize both professional and social networking forums to expand your contacts. Look up old friends, alumni and employers; join organizations and associations and get connected! Make use of online networks too such as LinkedIn and Facebook as well as local groups such as your Chamber association to make connections in the right places.

Fresh out of college the job market can be an exciting, competitive arena, offering great promise and opportunity for those who take the time to prepare for the launch of their career. Find the right job the first time and congratulations graduates!

I was recently interviewed by a local newspaper on the importance of a clear job seeker elevator speech and the effectiveness

of having one to share at a moment’s notice. Our discussion prompted this post. The term itself was inspired by the amount of time a job seeker would have to plead their value to a potential employer if they were riding in an elevator. Usually a trip in an elevator ride lasts less than a minute and often as little as 20 seconds.

In that short amount of time is it really possible to capture attention and be remembered? Absolutely! Two main ideas to remember when developing your own speech are to first understand who your audience is and what is most important to them and secondly knowing who you are and your true value to a company. Seems simple enough but in order to make it sound simple, concise, and authentic it can take some thought to get it just right.

An elevator speech includes five parts.

Who you are and the type of work you are looking for – Depending on your audience, explain what your positioning is in your industry so the listener is clear on what you are looking for. If you are speaking with someone outside and unfamiliar with your industry you can use a bit of generalization to help them understand your current goals.

The Strengths You Want to Promote – This is where you tell listeners what you do. You can do this by describing 1 or 2 top skills you have that are sought for the targeted position, and an example of an achievement.

Some use a hook or catchy line here which will capture attention but just be careful, cute and catchy phrases can sound good on paper but are often hard to say with conviction. Make sure it sounds genuine so it will be remembered.

A success story often works extremely well here because stories are easier to remember, easier to say and can quickly capture attention. In the short story include the skills and value you use and will bring to a new employer such as an achievement that you can quickly convey.

Action Step – If the situation calls for an action step offer a business card, ask for one and if you can call them soon, ask if they know of someone they could talk with or a company that could use your experience. It is bold but can be very effective.

Trim & Strengthen Speech – Write the speech so that it is easy to say and easy to understand. Once you have the information you want to share written down, begin to shave it down and flesh out the excess so that your value really stands out and your 30 seconds of time is something that will be remembered.

Practice, Practice, Memorize, and Practice some more – Once your speech is clear and ready, read it, say it and memorize it. Practice it until it sounds effortless and then get out there and start using it.

Example – I am a senior accountant for a Fortune 500 company where I work as an analyst managing internal controls as a way to keep costs down. Last year the quality control measures I put in place in our department were used to find a discrepancy that saved the company $750,000 dollars. Would your company benefit from my experience?

You may find it helpful to create 2 or 3 different versions to use in different environments such as a networking group, social activity or a close encounter with a targeted decision maker. Knowing what your target companies and contacts are looking for and knowing yourself will help to keep the material genuine in tone and memorable.

The time is drawing near and soon the streets will be filled with little beggars dressed in scary, silly and sweet costumes yelling “Trick or Treat” in hopes of getting something in return for their ranting. When my kids were younger I remember how they would start the Halloween season so excited about their costume and the idea of all that candy! They thought about their costume designs, worked hard to get ready, and would then on Halloween, run from door to door yelling at the top of their voices – just because they could.

It always made me laughed because about half way through the march they would start slowing down. Although the candy and treats were still awaiting them they would always lose their enthusiasm. Their bags were getting heavy, their make-up was itchy or the costume was now uncomfortable and they were losing steam fast. By the end of the trip my husband was usually caring one and I was holding the candy for all of them.

As I reminisced of Halloween’s gone by, my thoughts turned job seekers who also start out in their job search with a bang and then slow down after the initial excitement is over. What do the little beggars and job seekers need to do to stay motivated? They need to keep their eye on the candy!

When taking our kids through town, a bell would ring to let us know the night was almost over. When the bell went off the kids suddenly would find extra energy and start to run toward the last few houses in hopes of getting as much last-minute treats as possible.

The trick for job seekers is to keep their eye on the treat – in their case a new job that is perfect for their needs and current career goals. After the initial excitement wears off it is important to stay motivated in order to remain effective in their job search. Job seekers need to press on by looking forward and visualizing a highly successful interview, a job offer or actually working in the targeted company.

It helps to find out what works to motivate you. Is it being highly organized so that you always know the next move, or is it making sure to keep excitement in your search by coordinating regular live networking events into your job search? Maybe you need an accountability partner or someone to help hold your candy when you get tired? What ever works for you – find the right mix and stick with it.

Job searches are effective when done right. What is right depends on you. Find your “right” job search strategy and let targeted employers see you shine!

Shine on Job Seekers!

Last week I left Michigan for beautiful San Diego to attend the annual Career Directors International (CDI) Summit. The conference was an absolute success! The topics were relevant to the resume writing and career coaching industries and the Catamaran Resort was picturesque with the Pacific Ocean to our west and Mission Bay to the east. The only glitch was the weather, but the fog and cool climate couldn’t detract from a memorable experience!

Most of the participants were able to visit with old friends and meet those in person they had only spoken with via Twitter, Facebook, email, eGroups and other virtual platforms. My take-a-ways from the conference were many but the first was that I am blessed to be in an industry with so many warm and friendly people. They are true experts in their field and came to the conference willing to share and support each other during such a fun event.

Conversations varied but the focus was usually on our clients, the job seekers. Every presentation and conversation centered on how we could help our clients in their job search using new technology and social media, career related products and services, career document development, coaching on job search stages and strategies, and even our own business’s growth.

Other take-a-ways from the CDI conference included the reminder of how crucial it is to use targeted resumes and career documents that are focused, concise and aimed at a particular company or position. Teaching clients when and how to use social media in their job search was also a strong theme for the conference. Job seekers that use these mediums effectively gain opportunity, and showcase their ability to stay on the leading edge of technology and trends by utilizing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and of course LinkedIn in their job search.

Networking effectively during the search using social media tools and career marketing documents was also reinforced. Networking begins with meeting new contacts and maintaining those and existing relationships not only throughout your job search but throughout your career.

On my way home from the conference I wrote notes on the many nuggets captured during my trip that will be used for future blog postings and products and services I can offer to assist my clients. I felt very proud as I shared some of the conference nuggets with the person next to me on the plane ride home; once again realizing that our expertise and commitment to staying current with certifications, technology and social trends really is contributing to a better economy and brighter future.

I got a call from a client last week. We worked together three years ago to develop a targeted, content rich resume that was appealing to employers looking for Project Management candidates in the Industrial Construction industry. He was successful in landing several interviews and accepted a job just seven weeks after we finished working together. It was nice catching up and hearing of his successes and challenges since we last spoke.

We eventually came to the reason for his call. He was concerned with the security of the job he is currently holding. The recession is taking a toll on his company and since he has only been with them three years he was unsure he could hold on to his job if they did a second round of layoffs. He called to see if we could update his resume so he would be prepared should something happen.

During our conversation we talked about what he could do now, at his current position, to improve his odds of staying with the company which he truly enjoys working for. We discussed many ways to stay competitive or even ahead of his coworkers and hopefully promote enough value to keep his job.

Here are some of the suggestions I offered him.

Realize as an employee, that career management is an ongoing endeavor. An employee must continually work to manage his career and stay competitive if he wants to outlast his coworkers (competitors). This includes communicating, researching, and learning about his industry, economy, position, competition, community needs and anything else that will help him remain current and even looking to the future in his position. Over the years it is easy to get busy or complacent but staying curious will help to keep you motivated and meeting new people.

Staying active in your industry and meeting new people will help to grow your network and maintain your existing contacts throughout your career. It is a great way to keep your contacts aware of you as well as your strengths, skills, and value. Keeping your ear to the ground helps you stay on the cutting edge in your industry.

Additional things to do to stay motivated, excited and curious and let others see your value are to ask questions, take classes, and get certified. Keep your strengths high and your expertise fresh with ongoing professional development. It will also pay off to work harder than others in your office, department or company. This might mean putting in more hours, taking the undesirable projects, and providing suggestions and improvements that will get you noticed. Working hard and letting your results speak for you, will get you noticed and hopefully keep you employed.

Career management should not be lost sight of, but should be ongoing throughout your career. Staying on top of your industry, working hard and staying motivated will definitely improve your odds of keeping your job. But unfortunately in some cases even this may not be enough. Then, is your hard work all for not? Absolutely not. Instead, it will improve your resume and success stories, and give your employers a great deal of content to include in your referral. So strive to be the best you can be, it will be worth it!

Shine On Job Seekers!

Today is the start of a new school year for my kids and probably most kids around the country. It is a time of excitement and can also be a little frightening too . This is a big year in particular for my youngest since she is starting High School. This means she’ll be in a new building with new teachers, new students, new lockers, new curriculum and new pressures.

To help her prepare for a successful first day and high school experience, we attended an open house last week which gave students a chance to find and practice opening their lockers. It also gave them time to walk around and get a better feel for the layout of the school.  During our visit like most of the kids, we completed a walk through, going from my daughter’s 1^st hour classroom to her 2^nd hour, and 3^rd hour and so on. This dry run helped her learn her route and offered a chance to meet her teachers and check out the classrooms.

The open house didn’t eliminate fears but it did put them into perspective and is one way to prepare for the big event and new changes to follow. Job seekers can benefit from preparing for upcoming interviews in the same manner.

If you have an interview coming up in an unfamiliar part of town or in a different city, take a drive to the company before the interview to confirm the directions and estimated time it will take to get to the location. While there notice the type of employees, their dress and mannerisms as they enter and exit. Do they seem to look forward to their day or do they have a look of dread as they come and go?

Prepare also by checking out the website and researching the company on the internet. What image are they trying to convey? How did the company do last year or the year before? How are they handling the current economy? What are others writing about them? Are there particular projects, issues or problems currently hindering the success of the company? It is worth your while to find out what you are getting into and make sure this is  someplace you’d like to work.

Search out present or past employees on the social and professional networking sites to see what their own employees are saying about the company. If possible introduce yourself and find out what their thoughts are and what the attitude or atmosphere is within the company. Does it fit with your personality and goals?

Planning and preparing before you go to the interview so you understand the scope, environment, and management style of the company is your best chance for a successful interview. Just like my daughter and other high school kids getting ready for their first day, your new world will consume you for the next several years, so make sure you are heading where you want to end up.

Shine On Job Seekers!

A couple of weeks ago I attended an awesome presentation delivered by Bob Burg, the author of Endless Referrals, The Go Giver, and several other mindful books on learning not only successful sales skills but also how to be a business professional that others deem full of character and integrity. What I have discovered and love about Bob’s books and his presentation is that his message also works perfectly for job seekers.

Why? Because job seekers are acting as sales agents but instead of selling a product they are selling their own skills, experience and unique values they can bring to an employer. One of the many valuable points Bob made in his four-hour seminar at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan was that you can not make up other people’s minds for them. The decision ultimately is theirs. What you can do is provide exceptional information, examples and reasons why you are the right choice.

Employers and recruiters will not know you are the right choice unless you tell them. It is your responsibility as the job seeker (whether you want that responsibility or not) to get noticed by the right contacts. Sometimes that can be tricky. You have to be creative and relentless, especially in today’s economy, but if you put a plan into action it will be much easier to stay focused. Targeted contacts will get to know you not through a job board but through networking communities both on and off line and through the contacts you know and use as your trumpeters.

One way to stay motivated is to have a written set of networking and job search goals that you keep close and look at often. Keep the set of goals in your purse, briefcase, on your computer desk top or phone. Do whatever you can to keep moving forward towards accomplishing the goals.

What can you do to influence the decision makers? Give them what they want! To do this you will need to find out what they want. During Bob Burg’s seminar he advised (as he does in his books too) that if you want to develop strong referrals you must listen not talk to get noticed. With job seekers, listening involves reading articles, websites, blogs, and profiles of those that work at the company you’ve targeted. Find the influencers in the company and hang out where they do, find out what they need and are looking for and then figure out how you can be their solution.

Once you know what your target companies are looking for you can once again set goals to network with employees, recruiters and hiring manager affiliated with those companies. By participating in discussions, articles, or tweets that address and generate answers to their problems you can promote your value. Establishing common ground such as discussions within networking groups is a great way to break the ice and build a connection with contacts that can provide potential for opportunity. Even if nothing comes from the communications with the new contact you will have befriended someone in your arena – a relationship worth nurturing and maintaining.

I recently participated in an energetic and informative discussion with several colleagues from the Resume Chicks during an interview on Blogtalk Radio’s Career Success Radio program (@CareerRadio) with Australian career experts Keith Keller and Annemarie Cross. It was a fast hour that centered on two main areas of Career Management.

The first point addressed in roundtable discussion was on recommended strategies to strengthen resumes. Consensus among the group was that the resume should be extremely focused on the career objective at hand. It can not be merely a laundry list of all of your past work history but rather strategically selected keywords, achievements and successes that bring home your value proposition.

Including achievements and accomplishments that are fact-based and as quantifiable as possible will draw attention to a resume and was the second critical-must for successful resume development. For those careers that don’t use revenue or cost metrics, data such as customer satisfaction rates, time management improvements and recognition or awards works well to demonstrate significant contribution.

Using a format that is attention-grabbing, easy to read, and professional rounded out the top three resume improvement strategies. Since most resumes are looked at for only 20-30 seconds, the resume must immediately jump out and be noticed if it is to do its job properly. Developing a format that showcases the candidate’s values, and highlights the keywords and requirements the reader is looking for will generate interest and get the candidate noticed.

We also addressed social media and it’s relevance on a job search. Again the consensus was that networking communities such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and others are growing in effectiveness in an aggressive job search. Profiles or bio’s on sites such as LinkedIn allow for a deeper exposure and is often the first look recruiters take at potential candidates for a position they are looking to fill.

Currently more than 80% of recruiters use LinkedIn for research and as a database. For job seekers to utilize their LinkedIn profile it must include a strong achievement-based look at their work history and a summary that reaches out to readers with keywords to offer unique value. Often overlooked in the creation of a strong profile is the providing of a professional photograph, recommendations for current and past positions held, and taking advantage of the many applications now available on LinkedIn. Effective apps include linking your blog, twitter feed, slideshare or podcasts to your profile for maximum exposure.

Candidates’ online profiles and their resume and other marketing tools should compliment each other and should be congruent but not identical in their content. On the Career Success Radio program it was agreed that using both in conjunction with an aggressive job search is the most effective way for a candidate to land the right job. Tune in for the full interview at Career Success Radio

Shine On Job Seekers!