OK, so looking back over the last few weeks I realize I have been pretty lazy when it comes to maintaining my blog. I’ve got lots of ideas, and have even hand written partial articles while waiting for soccer games to start, but I haven’t finished any of the articles. Spring is a busy time for me, my kids’ sports are in high gear, school’s wrapping up, yard work is calling me, family gatherings, blah-blah-blah!

It’s easy to get side tracked and lazy with spring fever and not keep up with my blog. Where has my laziness gotten me? Nowhere! It has only removed me from my readers and kept me out of the loop. Choosing to be lazy in my blog maintenance only hurts me.

Being lazy is not the same as taking a break. Everyone deserves a break when working hard! If you need to take a break from your job search that’s fine. But the break needs to be planned and limited and when break-time is over you’ll have to pick up where you left off with your career plan if you want to be successful.

What do you lose by being lazy as a job seeker? You lose opportunity, income, confidence, a sense of accomplishment and the momentum and motivation to keep your search working for you.

Sometimes lazy doesn’t mean you are not doing anything, but that you keep doing unproductive things over and over. If your actions aren’t creating new opportunities then it is time to change what you are doing.

These rules apply to everything in life right? Whether it’s remodeling a room, searching for a new job, getting in shape, maintaining a blog, or any other goal you set. In order to achieve you have to put forth the right type of effort.

Boy, reading this article back I feel like I’ve written this just for me as a swift reminder to get motivated and keep moving towards my goal of sharing what I learn with job seekers to help you find the right jobs faster! Hopefully this article will get you re-motivated to take new action to reach your goals as well!

Shine on Job Seekers!!

Living the dream is what the Olympians of the 2010 Winter Olympics are doing during the next couple of weeks. But the dream for them was born 5, 10 or even 15 years ago and has been achieved through countless hours and years of hard work, failure, tears, injury, smiles, joy, and triumph. Each Olympian has their own unique story but they all have one common goal — to be the best they can be.

I think that is why we are so drawn to the Olympics. It is a chance to see what true devotion and unfailing pursuit looks like. Most of us don’t ever experience that level of passion or commitment to a goal, and watching and rooting for them somehow brings us closer to feeling that dedication.

So to the job seekers watching the Olympics, are you seeing the fruits of your hard work? If not are you getting rejuvenated and motivated watching these athletes give totally to their goals? With that same dire determination to succeed is how you should be attacking your job search.

Are you an Olympian job seeker?

Do you spend hours a day perfecting your technique and improving your skills? Are you reaching out to find new ways to increase your performance? Do you have a dream job that serves as your goal and something you focus on daily?

The Olympics are only once every four years and still their dream drives them and keeps them moving forward. These athletes visualize living the dream and winning the gold. They stay inspired by  associating with those that have succeeded before them and they continue to move forward. Job seekers need this same intensity, they need to work everyday to move forward, research companies, garner new contacts and stay in constant contact with others succeeding in what you are trying to do.

Watch the Olympics and listen to the interviews and stories of the athletes and their sacrifices, trails, and ultimate triumph to make it to the Olympics and live their dreams. Use these success stories to fuel your own dreams. Use them  to reestablish your commitment to your own goal and strive to find the success you deserve and to live the dream like a true Olympian!

Lots of exciting things took place for me and ResumeWonders in 2009. I didn’t realize just how much had been achieved until I started this blog post. It was a wrap up of the year in preparation of 2010 goals and provided a surprising dose of pride when I realize all that I have achieved. Here is how my year looked.

• The business and my clientele grew for the 6^th consecutive year even with such a volatile economy.

• Earned 3-nominations for the 2009 TORI (Toast of Resume Industry) awards and won a 2^nd Place Award in the Career Change category.

• I spoke at several networking and workshop events providing job seekers with information, tricks, and tips on resume development, and job search strategies including social media venues.

• Was interviewed several times for different media programs developed by Channel 2 and Murray Feldman.

• With a little anticipation I assisted in training and leading in a 12 week, Dan Miller, 48 Days to Work You Love, career program. I assisted my friend Chad, a financial coach at PennyCoach.com and it turned out to be very rewarding for me as well as the job seekers.

• Attended the CDI Career Summit conference in October held in Orlando.

• Grew my local client base and hopefully helped many job seekers by participating in several local career fairs. Here I spoke with hundreds of job seekers educating them in job search strategies, reviewing their resumes and many times just listening to their fears at career fairs sponsored by Fox 2 Detroit.

• Was part of a collective resume writing group interviewed by The Recruiting Animal (@animal) on his blogtalkradio.com/animal internet radio program.

• Attended several webinars, teleseminars seminars and workshops to improve my business tactics, and my writing, speaking, selling skills.

• Moved my blog to www.resumewonders.com/blog which is a Word Press blog and have worked hard although not always successfully, to post new articles on it a couple of times a week.

• I’ve also made some great contacts, partnerships, and new friends during the year on Twitter and LinkedIn – both are invaluable to me and should be to you too.

Looking back over the year I realize I’ve accomplished a great deal in my professional life and my business. It gets me excited to think of the possibilities for 2010. Some of the achievements were planned goals but many were opportunities I was ready to take advantage of.

Many might be wondering, how you could write a list of accomplishments when you’ve lost your job. Well, have you volunteered elsewhere, donated time, gotten closer with kids, spouse or relatives? Have you taken up a hobby or a new health program? Have you networked and grown your contact list? Have you mastered Monster, Twitter, and LinkedIn?

Are you getting up every day and making an effort to find a paying job that will enhance your career, life and self-worth? Have you gone back to school? Did you fix the fence or read a few helpful networking books? Have you updated your resume, researched companies and sent out contact letters? All of these are achievements to be proud of yourself and written on your list of 2009 achievements.

Writing down your achievements will help to direct your new goals for 2010. What still needs to be done? What can you improve upon? What do you want to happen in your professional or personal life. Tomorrow’s goals start with today’s thoughts. So get thinking!

Although the economy remains weak as we round out the year, I believe it will start to start making a comeback during the end of the first quarter of 2010. You don’t want to miss the big wave when it arrives so make sure you are prepared and ready with your resume arsenal, a targeted job search strategy, and the determination and motivation to make it happen. Whether planned or unexpected if you prepare now,  you will be ready to take advantage of the wave of opportunity when it hits.

Shine On Job seekers!

Watching the Ohio State University vs. University of Michigan football game over the weekend, a comment from one of the commentators stuck with me. It was during the 3^rd quarter and Ohio State was really creating some space between them and Michigan and Michigan had begun to make a lot of mistakes. The commentator said, “Mistakes happen to all football players but it’s how you respond that makes the difference” – well said. It makes the difference between a good football player and a great one.

Just as in every situation where a mistake is made, the person who chooses to learn and grow, look forward and move on after a mistake, is the one who will succeed personally and professionally. It is often said that

The choices you make today will decide your success for the future.

So, how do you know if those choices made today are the right ones for your future? By making decisions according to your goals. Goals? Do you have concrete goals on which to base your decisions? Do you have short and long-term goals for your personal and professional life? Having goals that are well thought out, written down and reviewed often will get accomplished much more often then those goals only dreamt about.

For job seekers in the process of an intense job search where so much seems out of your control it is critical to have a set of goals for your professional life. It will take you from wondering aimlessly to marching toward your future. What is it you want for your future? Money of course – that’s a given. But have you really taken the time to think about what you want now, in 1, 5 or 10 years?

The more you know about yourself and your goals, the more control you will have over your job search.

You don’t have to wait until the start of the New Year or until you are out of a job. You can set up goals today or at least begin to think strategically about your skills, your strengths, your passion and your drive to realize the type of career you want, the type of employee you are and what you want from your career. Don’t wait a day – start now. You will feel in control and will make better choices for you and your career, and you’ll be glad you did.

Positioning is not only critical in a successful job search it is also essential in the ability to shift your career to the next level. Questions for candidates contemplating or already consumed in a job search should include, how do I get noticed by recruiters, by hiring managers, by the HR department, and by decision makers? The first and most important aspect to consider is how well you have positioned yourself for your new career goals.

In order to attain your goals there needs to be a shift in your personal brand to accurately position you for a vertical career move. The shift should be focused on your brand, value, resume and all career documents, and networking efforts to meet or exceed the criteria for your goals to be achieved.

How can you portray yourself in a way that makes you irresistible to your resume’s readers? The answer will come after you have researched and narrowed down the target companies and positions of interest. Do you know who your target audience is or what is the specific type of position you are looking for? Do you know what expectations will be required of you? And do you know the struggles your target company is currently facing? Answering several focused questions will give you a true understanding what you need to include in your resume campaign to position you for progression in your career.

If for example, you are trying to shift your career from a mid or senior level position and want to be considered for an executive position, your resume needs to focus on skills expected to be well developed and thoroughly articulated in an executive resume such as leadership, critical thinking, negotiation, presentation and problem solving expertise. It should also reflect a strong value proposition that will entice readers into considering you as an interview candidate.

Along with your resume, your networking activities should reflect the position you are targeting. Finding ways to communicate with the professionals that are in the same level, company or position you are now pursuing should be your main networking goal. Whether it is an off line networking event, meeting directly with a potential contact or maneuvering through groups and contact developments online, building a uniform brand will get you noticed.

Building a brand that aligns with the corporate strategy of a particular type of position or company is a step in the right direction. It will keep you focused on your goal, keep others focused on your skills and value and you can begin today.

You’ve heard, as most of us have, that you get out of something, what you put into something. I remember hearing that from my parents, teachers and now – I find myself using similar analogies with my own kids and often, with my clients.

We all know what the economy is like right now, and how high unemployment is, so why do job seekers still think that they can just post their resume on Monster or Career Builder and expect the phone to ring? It is not going to happen. The boards yield less than 7% of the jobs found and although I make it a point to repeat these facts to my clients several times while working together, I still get those who only post their resume and then complain because of no response.

If you want to play a sport well, grow a garden, build a tree house for your kids, have clean clothes, or cook something there are several steps and processes to go through before your efforts yield positive results.

Buying ingredients and putting them in your pantry will not produce a cake.

It is vital for job seekers to work hard and consistently if they want to find and obtain the right job and career for them. Start by getting on LinkedIn – that alone offers a world of networking possibilities. Join professional associations in your field, and research and seek out companies you feel would fit your strengths, passions and goals.

Contact old friends, new friends, coworkers, past employers, past coworkers, suppliers, vendors, ancillary department workers, volunteer associates, family, neighbors, church friends, sports/kids/school friends or join new networking groups to make new contacts. Talk with people, ask about them, help others if possible and let them know about your background and current goals. The more you communicate the quicker you’ll find a job!

If you need help, unsure of what to do next – ask! People like to help other people so ask. Ask your friends or someone you know who has recently gotten a new job. Ask a professional resume writer or career coach who can point you in the right direction and has an endless supply of resources.

The more effort you put in the quicker you will find a job. It will be hard, it might take a while, and you might face rejection more than once – it is part of the process. You can do this! Give your self the credit you deserve. You’ve got great skills, achievements and experiences to offer you just have to get your awesome value in front of the right people – through networking. Keep moving and working towards your goals.

Monday’s PMA

After a week of football openers, many of my thoughts relate to the games I’ve seen. Whether revisiting the OT win of the Steelers over Tennessee, the incredible upset of the MSU Spartans with the CMU Chippewa’s winning with just seconds to go, or the incredible comeback (and almost winning) of the Chicago Bears Sunday night after a dismal first half; determination and perseverance keep running through my mind.

In each game, both teams had true talent, experience and impressive records to back them. What makes them great teams is having a right attitude. It is an attitude of confidence and not just arrogance. The confidence and determination to over come and succeed.

Job seekers can learn a great deal from ball players. Work hard off season by preparing, training, researching other players and teams and studying past games to learn and grow. With the season once again in full swing now they must push are and stay motivated regardless of the last game or even last play.

Job seekers! Follow in their footsteps! When you experience rejection – learn from it, keep moving forward and stay motivated. Have you done your pre-season preparation work? How can you be confident in your search if you are not prepared? You are in the game to win and that means doing what it takes to get noticed and make plays that will win your game!

Shine On Job Seekers!

I used to love the old Patty Loveless song, “…life’s about changing, nothing ever stays the same…” Remember that song? I often find myself humming that song when I think about how life isn’t meant to stay the same. It is about how we respond and react to change. Seeing change and lots of it – in the economy and job market these days reinforces for me, that life is about change and the choices we make while change is happening.

This leads me then to think about job seekers and the different choices they make that directly lead to the success or lack of success in their job search. I talk daily with job seekers and it is easy to spot those that will find jobs quicker than others.

Success isn’t about their education or professional experience or even who they know. It is about their attitude and the choices they are making.

I love working with the client who is excited to complete work on their resume and is actively strategizing, researching and networking while we work on the resume. Their outlook is strong and positive and motivation is high. There isn’t any blame discussed and carried around like I see many candidates doing. The only thing that blame does is hold back job seekers from being productive.

They choose to hold on to the ill feelings of blame and resentment – complaining to anyone who will listen. It tells me and anyone else within ear shot that this candidate is carrying lots of baggage and treading water instead of moving forward with change and opportunity.

Instead of blaming past employers, past employees, economics, job market, government, family or anyone else they can think of, stay focused on what you can change and what you have control over. Some people naturally see the glass half empty, some learned to think this way. For those that do think this way – practice looking for the good in everything. It will help in your job search and in enjoying life in general.

Having a positive attitude while job searching will be reflected in how you address contacts, hiring managers, recruiters and those asking for your help and may determine the outcome of your search. Choose wisely and work at keeping your focus on present happenings and future goals, not on blaming the past for your current situation.

Shine on job seekers!!

Saturday Evening RePost

Written by Kris Plantrich for and Reposted from Fox2 Detroit.

After recently reviewing the resume of a potential client I noticed again, common mistakes that lead to an ineffective resume. In order for your resume to do its’ job – which is to obtain interviews for you – your resume must be attention-grabbing and powerful. What makes a resume really jump out at the reader…is focus.

Each resume you send out should be targeted to match the type of position you are looking for or even the actual company that you are intending to send it to. It may seem unrealistic or impossible to target your resume for each position but it is a sure way to get noticed in today’s struggling economy.

5 Tips to Keep Your Resume Focused include:

Use actual jobs to focus your resume – Job descriptions are an invaluable source of information when developing your resume. Find several job descriptions that fit your goals and qualifications to keep you on track when developing the different parts of your resume. If unsure of what to add or leave off refer back to your job descriptions for guidance.

Include training and associations that are relevant – Some careers have taken job seekers through many different types of training. If you have an extensive list, keep it relevant by using training and associations that are relevant to the current position you have set your sights on.

Focus your experience and achievements on your new job target – I spoke with a recruiter earlier today that informed me he is receiving over 400 unsolicited resumes a week. There is no way he can review this many resumes. The ones that will catch his eye are ones that highlight experiences sought for a specific job and don’t just ramble on about every job responsibility or task ever experienced

The same is true for the achievements you choose to use in your resume. The achievements used need to be specific, offer qualitative information, and demonstrate your usefulness or potential value to a company. Dig deep in your research and find out which of your achievements will be most valuable to your target company.

Point readers of your resume in the right direction with a focused header – With the above example of the recruiter receiving 400 resumes weekly, it is very difficult for him to separate the resume out. An easy way to give immediate definition and recognition to your focus is by using a header such as, Quality Engineer, Director of Operations, or Senior Marketing Manager. The reader will need to look no further than the title to know that you are seeking a particular position.

Develop a laser-focused Qualifications Summary. This is the most important part of your resume. It is the first and often only section read by recruiters and hiring managers. If your Summary area doesn’t catch the reader’s attention, nothing will.

Again, refer back to the description of the job you are targeting and make sure to include the skills, experience and expertise being asked for. Use examples of your experience to showcase the requirements the company is looking for.

When deciding on the focus for your resume make sure to point each paragraph, sentence and even word toward your target.  Having a focal point makes it easy to see what should stay and what should be removed as you develop your resume. The more targeted the resume – the more powerful and effective. So stay focused and get noticed!

Thursday’s Review

Finished a great book a few days ago and wanted to share it with you. It is an inspiring book written by an ex-corporate junkie that found and fell in love with being an entrepreneur. In her new book Escape from Cubicle Nation, Pam Slim has given readers an easy read that is packed with real, practical content.

Pam Slim provides an awareness for the reader of what to expect emotionally and steps to take as they plan their departure from corporate stress and trappings toward independence and the freedom to begin their own business. This book really highlights the stress and feelings felt at each step and how to practically deal with them as they arise with dozens of examples, including many personal ones to cement the understanding. There are also many resources to help get you through each stage.

For the entrepreneur, Escape from Cubicle Nation also focuses on the vital importance of life balance and keeping happiness and personal life at the forefront of each decision. If you don’t have a balance you won’t be truly happy with your decisions – know matter what they are. But, she doesn’t hold back on the effort that will be involved with the decision, it isn’t one that should be made hastily.

The book provides great ideas to help you determine your own unique direction and passion and then walks through the business side of building a business plan, website, marketing strategies and more. Having gone through many of the stages and steps in the book as a business owner myself, I love that she prepares the reader for things they wouldn’t even know about until they were hit broadside with it during their own transformation.

If you are in the process or even just dreaming of taking the leap to owning your own business, I strongly recommend reading Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pam Slim. This book gives a real look at the process, pitfalls and paradise found in owning your own business.