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!

During my time with a client, I feel like I get to know them pretty well by the time we have finished with the resume package or coaching sessions. We spend time talking about the concerns, and difficulties of their job search. The recurring comment I hear from clients is their nerves or maybe their confidence level often gets in the way when trying to expand their contact list.

Clients have many reasons why they are not aggressively seeking new contacts, getting reacquainted with old or existing potential contacts. They tell me they are not comfortable talking with people from their personal lives about their professional “problems” or they don’t feel comfortable talking with strangers in networking events. I have also clients that say they’ve never needed a professionally written resume or the need to market themselves and act as if it is almost beneath them to proactively network as a way to find their

I wonder if job seekers are missing out on opportunities by focusing on their fears instead concentrating on expanding their network and interacting more often with people. Sometimes simply working on their friendliness is a first step.

A client of mine is great example of how being friendly can lead to job search success. He is a really nice but very quiet client whose resume I have already updated on two occasions. The current focus of the resume centered on his work as an accountant but removed the keywords associated with his work in the banking industries because he was hoping to transition into a different industry.

We had just completed his resume project when he called to say his father had fallen at his home in Tucson and was going out to stay with his mom while his dad began his recovery in a local nursing home. Well, about a month later I received a call of thanks from him and to say he had found a job.

Apparently while flying home to Michigan from his stay in Arizona he sat next to a man who was a district manager from Ohio for a short and long-term healthcare facility that was in the process of opening 3 centers in Southeast Michigan. During the flight my client spoke of his father’s accident and current care, and mentioned he was in the process of a job search.

By the end of the flight my client had interviewed and had been offered a position to set up the accounting functions for the expansion project. The position would be available in a month. The timing couldn’t have been better; it would give his father time to heal enough to be transferred to a recovery facility in Michigan. The facility would one of the new long-term care facilities of his new company.

Opportunities reveal themselves anywhere and if you aren’t open – you might miss them. Prepare now by updating your resume, letting new and old contacts know of your situation and of what you are looking for, preparing networking cards with current contact information, and always be willing to talk with others about what is new in your life and theirs.

I can’t tell you how many friendly encounters of my clients have led to career opportunities. Imagine how much more successful they’d be if they planned their networking strategies. Clients that come to me for resume development or updates and are already working their network are always the clients that have the fastest success.

Shine On jobseekers!

I just read Nick Corcodilos’ new article entitled, “Rude Employers: Yahoo Fires CEO Carol Bartz, phones it in”, from his “Ask the Headhunter” blog. The article quickly reminds us that rude and disingenuous companies will be remembered for their poor treatment of employees. It also sends a strong message to job seekers considering working for such a company. Because of the internet, Yahoo’s classless actions will not be soon forgotten.

This rude behavior will remembered, and is something for job seekers especially, to keep in mind while searching for their ideal job. When you find a company you think you’d like to work for, take time to notice how they treat you, and how employees treat each other. If you see smiles, hear laughter, and are treated warmly while interviewing with them, this may be a good sign.

When researching companies, try to talk with employees or past employees. This way you can get a better feel for the culture and climate of the company before you say yes to an interview. Does the company’s management strive to maintain courteous and effective teams and does the company treat its’ management well? Your research will hopefully alert you to companies that may not be so nice to work for.

This is also a good time to take note of how you treat those you interact with during your job search. The longer a job search takes, the less patient candidates can become, so keep you manners in check. You don’t want to be remembered for your poor manners or worse, miss out on opportunities because of your attitude or actions.

Manners that used to be second nature are sadly becoming unimportant to some people and companies. You are going to be at work and with your coworkers for at least 40 hours each week, that’s 1/3 of your life. So make sure you take the time to find a place to work that is pleasant and treats you well.

My new client Sandy called me recently with a question about knowing whether her skills can be used for a position in a different field. She feels it would be a good move for her and loves the idea of the new position, but has no idea if the move is possible and if it will offer a similar (or higher) salary and benefits to what she currently is receiving.

Sandy’s question was, “How can I know that I can make the change successfully?” Unfortunately there are no guarantees with any career change or in life in general. But I told her that she can prepare through research, to eliminate as many roadblocks as possible; which will give her a clearer understanding if the move is right for her.

I suggested to Sandy that she start with research to see what was needed for her new targeted career choice in order to find out if she currently meets the requirements of the job. This will be her first hurdle. If Sandy meets the requirements, great! If she doesn’t, what will it take to get there and will she want to make the commitment to meet these requirements? All things she’ll have to answer before moving forward.

Next step is to research the position and see if the salary will meet her expectations and what benefits are usually offered. If the salary is within Sandy’s range, she can move forward and develop a targeted resume to focus on the desired position. With continued research she can begin making tactical connections within the industry to find out more about the industry, prospective companies and to build a network that will benefit her career goals.

LinkedIn and its’ related groups are a great first step, joining associations and local affiliations within the industry will help too. The more Sandy becomes part of the niche community the more she will be able to build relationships and zero in on companies that will provide the job she is looking for.

This process can and should begin before Sandy leaves her current job. The preparation may take only weeks or it could take months or longer. Learning all she can about the position, industry, and building a related network will greatly help to make a smooth transition when the time is right.

Seal Island – off the coast of South Africa, holds up to 60,000 seals and is a perfect place to research great white shark habits. Yes, “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel just wrapped up, but not before I watched a few shark related programs and before getting Lady Gaga’s song, “Show me Your Teeth” stuck in my head forever!

What I repeatedly heard is that sharks are intentional in their hunt and they are successful 50% of the time. Depending on the type of shark and their environment their strategies differ. They use their senses, to determine what is in the water, where it is, if it is something they want, and the best strategy to deploy for a successful attack.

Listening to the scientists and biologists describe a sharks intentional approach, sounded like the steps for a successful job search. But not just a job search, a job hunt! Just like sharks, job seekers need to know their surroundings, what their target industry is all about and how they fit in. They also need to know themselves well enough to recognize their strengths and know how to use them to effectively to find the right job for them.

As sharks use their senses to become aware of potential prey, they determine the best way to strike. Aggressive and successful candidates use their networking and investigative skills, and their past experience to find new opportunities. They then decide on a strategy that will allow them to get in front of their target, so they too can show their strengths and out shark other candidates to land the job.

What makes sharks so threatening is their relentless determination, intention and drive to keep trying, even if they are only successful in 50% of their hunts. Job seekers that are successful in finding the right job quickly, are those that either hunt down their own opportunities or use their contacts and network to generate leads. They push ahead and don’t give up but continue to be proactive in their hunt. Those that procrastinate or simply post their resume and wait for the seals to come and swim in front of them, may have to wait a long time, and may miss out on the schools of seals that are swimming just off shore. Be a hunter, go after the job you want – show your teeth!

Shine On Job Seekers!

Making the decision to change careers is definitely a stressful process. Changes are made for many different reasons; job dissatisfaction, economy fluctuations, income, and lack of advancement are all incentives to make career changes. Once the decision has been made, measures should be taken to make the transition a smooth, lucrative and rewarding experience. Below are five points to consider before ever leaving your current job. Proper assessment of each point will help you facilitate an enjoyable transition.

THOROUGH CAREER CHANGE EVALUATION – Search inward and outward to find the reasons for the desire to change careers. Some decisions are made easily and for very practical and clear reasons. Those still unsure should search to understand why they want to change careers. What are they trying to leave behind and what are they looking for? Are you looking for changes in your industry, field, position or all three?

Determine if this new career choice is the right job and fit for you before you give notice? Have you looked into requirements for the position, the growth potential, or what skills you will be regularly using? Have you anticipated how the career change will affect your family and personal life? Realistic understanding of your new career will help to ensure satisfaction of the job once you have obtained it. After evaluating your options and deciding that a career change is the right decision – you can be confident in moving forward and giving full attention to your new career search.

DOCUMENTATION PREPARATION – Before giving notice and jumping into your new career, get all your ducks in a row. This includes all career documents beginning with your resume, cover letter, thank you letter and reference list. Your new documents should showcase your transferable skills relevant to your new career choice. Your cover letter should also include transferable skills and provide examples of how you can contribute to a new company. All documents should emphasize the skills and accomplishments applicable to your new career.

References can be a deal maker or breaker and are something valuable to invest time in. Always ask permission before including anyone on your reference sheet. Provide an outline if possible for what should and should not be included in the reference. Groom your contacts by providing skill sets, accomplishments and examples that would be appropriate affirmations for the desired position.

PRACTICAL PLANNING – What will it take to be successful in your new career? It is crucial you are aware and prepared for what is expected of you. Do you need to become certified in something, complete a degree, or pursue a masters program? Talk with others in the position and build your network in your new field. Find out the pitfalls to be aware of and discover the best ways to get noticed and ahead.

DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH – A career change within the same industry can be used to your advantage. You already have an in-depth understanding of the industry and this can be an added value highlighted on your resume, cover letter and during interviews. Existing contacts within the industry can and should be relied upon for networking. The majority of jobs found (some say as high as 80%) involve some form of networking. Networking within the same industry may be a bit tricky if you don’t want your current employer to know you are searching for a new position.

Careers sought outside of your current industry will take a little more work for network development, however joining associations, utilizing LinkedIn and other online networking sites can help. Having a flexible time frame is optimal because you would then be able to select the best fitting job instead of feeling pressure to take the first job that meets most of your requirements.

DON’T BURN BRIDGES WHEN LEAVING YOUR CURRENT JOB – Make every attempt to leave your current position on a positive note. A helpful reference will be much easier to acquire from a boss, department head or coworker that enjoyed working with you and respected your work. Depending on your new career you may easily be back in contact with your old employer or former company. You may even be able to find contacts for your new career through someone at your current employment.

In every step of the job search process follow-up is vital for being seen and heard, and for building relationships based on integrity. Follow-up processes begin with your success in networking. If there isn’t consistency in your follow-up actions, others may be hesitant to promote, refer or recommend you to their employers.

When someone in your network provides you with information on potential opportunities, be sure to act on it quickly to demonstrate your interest and appreciation. And, be sure to follow-up period, many don’t. More than 75% of hiring managers expect some kind of thank you or follow-up letter and those surveyed said they only receive them 35% of the time. Stand out – send a note!

Especially if the contact sent a note to you and to a potential employer, both would be waiting for your response. Every step you take will be evaluated as potential employers try to determine if you are someone worth getting to know and learn about for a possible position in their company. Could you be someone that will help their company grow? Your job is to prove you are the right person for the job by providing positive results from the onset of communications.

Once interest is established and the interview process begins

it is important for you to follow-up in order to:

• Thank each interviewer for their time and the opportunity to interview with their company.
• Reiterated your excitement and interest in the position and your true passion for the field, industry or company.
• Remind the interviewer of who you are and the value and potential contribution you can make to their team, department or company.
• Utilize another opportunity to wow them by sending a follow up that provide answers to questions they had and provides additional information on areas discussed at the interview.
• Keep communication open. Even if you don’t have the technical skills or experience required for the job, if you become a memorable candidate they might try and work you in someplace else or give your name to another department or even competitor.
• Create the squeaky wheel that is needed to differentiate you from several other potential candidates by continuing to maintain contact with the company and hiring manager throughout the decision making process.  Staying visible may give you the advantage for a call back or job offer.

Whether you are aggressively searching for a job or contemplating a change, it is important to be seen and heard in order to be remembered. Using follow-up notes, thank you notes, relevant article links or simple emails to check on the decision making process, it is helpful to stay in touch so your name and abilities are always just a recent memory away.

Shine On Job Seekers!

Weeds finally began peeking through my garden floor a few weeks ago. They usually come up just before the perennials and in Michigan it is a sign that things are finally unthawing and warm sunny days are not far away. Although weeds usually drive me crazy by the end of the summer, I am always excited to see any sign of life at the early entrance of spring.

Typical for Michigan, we have jumped from 40’s to 70’s in just a couple of weeks and the gardens, trees and weeds have exploded with life after a few warm days. I know if I don’t keep tight reigns on my gardens and the weeds in them, they will be cause of a lot of extra time and work because I let gardens slide and weeds creep in.

We have such a short growing season that everything seems to happen fast and I have learned that I become much less frustrated if I commit to spending a certain amount of time every week in my gardens, keeping an eye on the plants and the weeds. I am happier with the results when I spend frequent time in the garden nurturing the young plants and controlling older mature plants. It lets me enjoy the growth process and watch as blooms open and often close in just a few days. It helps me realize what is not working in my garden and what I am spending too much time on. It also gives me more control over the hardy weeds and lets me remove them by the root before they get too large so that I snap them and then they just end up coming back and causing more work.

Gardening always provides me with life lessons as I nurture the garden. As I work I notice the change that has occurred every few days and it reminds me of the importance of nurturing your job search just as you would your gardens. It is critical to stay active as you progress in your search, not repeatedly doing the same things but really taking notice of what is working and what is not. Weeding out the efforts that are not showing any signs of budding opportunity or those that side track you with positions that are not in line with your long term goals.

When I start a new garden I draw the type of garden I want, whether it will be a sun or shade garden, spring, summer, or fall blooms, and the style and design. I actually use a map and color in the plants where I will plant them and provide space that they’ll need in a few years and not just when they are first planted. I develop this plan so that I will know how I need to proceed as the garden develops and it keeps me on track, although these days I work with maintenance plans and try not to give in to the urge to start a new garden.

In my earlier years when I was still learning what worked in my soil, in Michigan, and what I enjoyed I would journal the progress of my gardens. I don’t need to do that much now but it was very helpful and taught me many different tricks and tips in dealing with particular plants, weeds, insects and the pesky rabbits and deer that also enjoy my gardens. I would pour through every book and magazine I could find to learn about techniques of gardening, went and saw other gardens and would talk with gardeners at length to share what I had learned and hear new ideas from them.

Just as in a garden it is important to keep track of your job search progress, seek new ways to expand and improve your search and network with others to see what works for them and share what is working for you. The more time you spend learning about the search and ways to succeed in it the faster you will be able to see the beauty and bounty of your search.

Good luck job seekers!