For me, the favorite part of my job is helping my clients. I think I get more excited by being able to restore confidence and helping clients to regain a solid footing in their job search, than I do delivering an outstanding resume (although that’s not bad either). When I am able to answer questions, coach, suggest options, educate on a job search process, and give these people, many who have never been in this position before, someone to talk with, is when I remember how much I love what I do. It is so gratifying to help my clients make sense of the changes they are facing and the opportunities unfolding before them.

With the different personalities types you have different reactions toward layoffs and being let go. Some need order and start developing a plan immediately to keep themselves sane. Others are a bit more carefree and so they wander unsure where to go or what to do next. There are also clients that seem to feel that being out of work is something they have to take lying down, something they have no control over.

The different types of job seekers look to me for different kinds of help. On some days I am there to hold a hand and walk them through the process and on other days I am just someone to affirm that the job seeker is on the right track. Sometimes I am just a springboard for a job seeker to hear themselves think and bounce their thoughts off of. And, there are those that have fallen off the tracks and just need a little help getting back on board and a little push to get them going – then they’re on their way, picking up speed as they go.

I particularly love when I hear a change and calmness in their voice that I hadn’t heard before. It is an “a-ha” moment for them when they understand they do have some choices and some control in what is happening to them. Even if their control is only in the ability to choose how to handle things with a certain, positive mindset. I know I’ve helped them to regain their focus and now understand what their next move is.

I love when I know I’ve helped ease the uncertainty of how to maneuver through the job search process. So, thanks job seekers, for realizing I can help – and want to help to get you moving in the right direction with your eyes focused on a target and with a plan in hand.

Shine On Job Seekers!

Wednesday’s Q & A

Question – Does social marketing help job seekers get noticed?

Answer – Absolutely! Social marketing is moving so fast that it is often tough to keep up with. New sites, blogs, videos and social networks are being introduced daily. “What to use”, “how much to use”, and “is it worth it since my job search will hopefully be short term”, are questions I am often asked.

Social marketing helps brand you as an expert in your field, position, and industry. It also gets you noticed. As others see you writing

and answering with relevant content and participating in helpful discussion on your industry, you will get noticed and will be seen as someone who knows their stuff. I’ve said it before (and heard it even more), it’s not who you know but who knows you!

What to use? I would first and foremost get on LinkedIn. It is just too good not to use! Establish your profile and then get out there! You can join groups or add your own, ask questions, answer questions, search out companies or contacts, search for jobs, add your resume and more, more, more!

Twitter and Facebook are other places to establish a professional presence and start meeting people. You can again join groups, search out company or contact information and learn from others on how to do it well. Also check out the Yahoo groups or Ning groups – they seem endless and available in every possible profession.

Sign up for local and online networking groups, join associations or set up a blog and become an expert in your field – and bring them to you! Social marketing and personal branding go hand in hand.

While you are building your online and in person identity, make sure you steer your reputation in the right direction. Join reputable groups and association and post information, comments, articles, tweets, and videos that promote the type of professional image you want for yourself. The choice is yours.

You don’t have to join every group out there but I’d join many and then spend some time weeding through them to find several that fit you well. Then, really make a contribution either online or in person. It is a commitment but well worth the outcome.

Not only is the time you spend in social marketing worth it during your job search but it is an excellent tool to maintain after you’ve found your job. It helps manage your professional brand and reputation and will be the perfect place to start looking for future opportunities a few years down your career path.

If you’ve found this post you are on your way!

Shine On!

Being in a job that is right for you with the right fit, does increase job security. How?  To begin, you are doing what you love and therefore doing it better than someone who isn’t the right fit. Your ideas will be more creative and come more often because it is something you are passionate about. These ideas will lead to increase work performance and will get you noticed by management.

This doesn’t mean with the economy how it is, your job won’t still be eliminated.  But it does mean you might be able to hold on to your job longer, in a company that is reducing its workforce. I spoke with a client yesterday that said she doesn’t know why she is still working, because so many of her peers have been let go. Maybe management has noticed her productivity, client relations or commitment to the company and is trying to keep her. Being the right fit for her, is helping her keep her job.

For those that have been down sized this is a real reason to research and target companies you feel are the right type of company with the right environment, mission, objectives and goals. Taking “any” job that comes along might keep you there temporarily but won’t be a good career choice for your future. Look for the right job -  not just any job in your job search, for a fit that will really works for both you and the company.

Shine on and stay motivated job seekers!

Friday’s Free for All

Staying focused and finding ways to stop procrastinating can be difficult when you’ve got activities, decisions, or things to do that you really don’t want to do. I know… I fight it often.

I love learning new things, information finding new resources and new technology to help with my work and my clients. Sometimes I am hearing about or discovering so many thngs that I just want to read all day and not actually work. Although it is tough – if I want to continue to run a successful business, I need to maintain focus and work during my work day.

For job seekers, the thought of networking at different events, finding new contacts or getting reacquainted with

old contacts feels like going to the dentist. That’s ok – treat it like the dentist! Even though it might be a little uncomfortable, the people are nice and they help to fix your problems!

One trick for me, is at the end of the day I spend a few minutes and make a list for the following morning. Actually, I usually keep the list handy throughout the day and if something needs to be done that I can’t get to today, I write it on my list so I don’t forget. If you write a list of the contacts you want to make, businesses you want to research, meetings you want to attend then you won’t have to think too hard. Your daily goal then is to check off your list as your day progresses.

Things do come up and items won’t get check off – those then go on tomorrow’s list. The point is that you keep moving forward. Finding a job is not only about what you know and who you know but is also about who knows you. If you don’t make yourself known – the job search process can go on forever.

So, get focused! Write your list, and work at checking off everything every day – that is how goals are accomplished, one checkmark at a time!

Tuesday’s Tips

For the past year college students have been hearing and probably feeling first hand the effects of the economy. Student loans are harder to get, interest rates are higher, available internships are down 20%, and stats on the staggering number of new graduates still unemployed leaves little to get excited about. So, what can new graduates do that will help them get ahead of other 2009 graduates that are also looking for work?

>>> Be Prepared <<<

Keep Your Documents Updated You’ve got to have really well developed documents including your resume, cover letter, and references, and addendums that are targeted to what you are looking for. Which means, if you are looking in a few different directions, you might want have a few different versions of your resume? As a new graduate you probably won’t have too much to change in order to make each resume specific in its own right.

For example, you might want a resume focused on your engineering education, internship, classes and projects you worked on in school. For this entry-level resume, all the information should be based on your engineering experience.

If however, you’ve been an assistant manager and manager in an ice cream store on campus for the last 3 or 4 years and want to have a resume focused on your management experience, then all the information in the resume should focus on management. You might include classes in management and business or communications.

Remember also to highlight any other involvement including volunteer positions you have held, that can showcase additional management skills. Don’t forget to change the cover letter to match each resume you develop and can even be tweaked for each job you apply, for maximum affect.

Keep Documents Together When going to interviews bring a portfolio to hold your resume, cover letter, references, addendums, college transcripts, and all relevant academic, social, sport and volunteer related awards and achievements. This will keep you organized and will show employees you are motivated and ready to move forward.

Another great tip that helps new graduates throughout their entire career is to keep a box, file, or drawer designated for your achievements. Throughout your career you’ll work on really impressive projects, programs, products or deals that you’ll want to showcase in future resumes. While working on them they are all consuming and you can’t imagine not retaining all the facts and figures, but in a few years after several more “big” deals, the details might start to fade.

So keep records. With the job market how it is today, if you are let go you may only have 20 minutes to pack up your belongings. Not having access to those facts and figures could be a regret down the road. You won’t have to use exact figures if you feel a conflict in confidentiality, but you will still be able to use the information for effective achievements.

Start Building a Solid Contact List Networking accounts for more than 80% of current job hires. Building a network of contacts will help with future job searching and quite possibly enhance your career performance.

The list will evolve as you meet new people, land new jobs and grow. Keeping a current list will make it easier to weed through potential contacts later when unexpectedly needed. Having a current list keeps people that could be potential mentors, coworkers, employees, or someone you can help close. Your list can have contact names, phone numbers, place of employment, industry and field of employment, email addresses, and anything else that might help later.

Building your list will not only help with your job search but might also be a viable resource during your working career. It makes for a fast and detailed reference list of vendors, suppliers, mentors, trainers, and other assistance you may need to succeed at a job.

As young professionals with so much to look forward to, there is also much to learn as you graduate and begin your career search. It can be daunting, confusing, scary, exciting, and long, but make it a true learning experience. Keep these tips in mind to help you stayed prepared, organized, connected and ready for the next awesome opportunity.

Monday’s PMA

Refreshed after a long, fun weekend I am hoping job seekers will jump back on the band wagon and recommit to working daily on their job search. If what you are doing isn’t working…change what you are doing.

Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

I’ve been focusing on this quote for the last few weeks as I work to improve my efficiency while expanding my customer service. I am trying to take notice of how I do things, in what order and what the results are. If certain processes or routines are taking too much time, I am working to rearrange things to improve my performance.

Working on so many resumes involving quality, six sigma, lean management etc. must be wearing off on me. Focusing on the processes in my own business will free up time to write more resumes, take on additional coaching clients, write more articles, work on my marketing, or just give me a little extra free time. The same holds true with job seekers.

If you’ve been spending an hour a day on the same 3 job boards with little or no results…you need to change things up a bit. Check out new sites. Check into different industries or fields. Maybe join a few new networking groups, speaking groups, economic clubs, industry association groups, or other professional groups that meet in your area.

Or try something a little more social. Google your town or read the newspaper to find out what is happening in your town that will help you meet new contacts. It could be job fairs, chamber or school board meetings, volunteer projects, Friday night music in the park, or church activities. Be creative, positive, curious and bold, and try something new! See what works and what doesn’t.

Track your time and actions for a week. How repetitive are your actions? What are the results? By being more organized with your time you can be more productive in your job search and learn what is working and what isn’t. Try a little lean management to get your job search revved up and to find ways to spend your time more wisely.

Shine On!

Wednesday’s Q&A

Question: I was recently interviewed on an internet radio show. The show regularly features entrepreneurs and asks questions about entrepreneurial experience and their specific company. The first question asked was, “What is the most important thing to keep in mind when writing your resume?”

Answer: The most important factor is the focus of the resume. You’ll want to develop a very specific snapshot of the skills and experience sought for the position you are looking for. A concise resume will have what the reader is looking for, will grab their attention and will get the interview offer.

First, you will need to know what you want to do in your next position. Will it be the same as y our current or last job? Are you looking to move up the ladder or maybe change careers altogether? For some the answer will be easy and involve little or no thought. For others, this process may take a while to decide what job is right for you at this time in your career and life.

Once you’ve made your decision, determine what skills and experience will be needed to succeed in this job. In reality, you should already be aware of what the job description is if you are changing careers or even moving up your industry’s ladder. This is importance for your resume development because you will want to showcase the skills, requirements, experience and achievements that are being sought for the position you are looking to find.

Having a targeted resume is critical to an effective job search. If your focus reflects past positions you will only attract the same type of job. If you want to move forward you’ll have to look forward to see what skills will be needed for your next career and use your experiences to highlight these skills that will be used in your new position.

This can be hard for job seekers that have 10 or 20 years of experience in a couple of different areas or have really outstanding achievements that are not relevant to their current search. Their ego will want to include all of their best achievements even if they won’t really help to get the job they are seeking now. Including irrelevant information will actually water-down the resume and make it less concise, clear, and focused, and may even cause your resume to be over looked.

So find your target and keep your resume centered on this focus while developing your resume for the most effective and powerful document.

Shine On!

Wednesday’s Q&A

Question:  How can I find networking events in my area and what should I bring and expect.

Answer:  This question comes from a recent client who had always progressed into new positions by getting noticed and being asked to move up the ladder or to other organizations. Now, as many Americans are discovering, he needs a different strategy now.

My client was not comfortable with the idea of going someplace to “network” and wasn’t even sure where to begin. So we went through Google together and hit on 261,000 results with “Business Networking in Troy, MI”.

Going down the list there were local BNI, LBN and Chamber groups from Troy and surrounding communities. There were churches and colleges hosting activities and events too. We also found several independent networking groups including Oakland County networking groups and my favorite, Motor City Connect/MCC.

We then found smaller niche groups such a restaurant owner/manager group, a retail management group, a media group and a small business owner’s group. All this on the first 2 pages!!  With so many groups to choose from it wasn’t hard to get started. I suggested he try several and find 2 or 3 that he really liked and invest time in those groups.

The second part of the question involved knowing what to bring and expect at the meetings?

Attending networking groups can be scary the first couple of times but they shouldn’t be. Every meeting I’ve attended has been very friendly and helpful. Some places have weekly, monthly and annual fees, others are pay as you go and some are even free. All have their pros and cons, and most of the groups with fees allow visitors to attend for free.

When you go you should dress professionally, bring something to write on and with and bring your networking/contact cards. If you don’t have any yet – order some today! Include your personal contact information on the front; name, address, phone, email, web address, twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other information you’d like on it. The backside can include a skill set or bullet points of your value or achievements.

Even more importantly bring your curiosity and friendliness or at least responsiveness. Think of it as a party where you go introduce yourself and get to know the other person or persons around you. Remember you are there to meet new people and contacts and help other people. So, ask questions, get to know the others, have fun, and see if there are ways you can help them. You’ve got many contacts available to you that might be able share to help someone there.

 Some groups are very ritualistic others are more lenient in their order of business. Most will provide time for you to talk exclusively to the group, only for a few seconds or minutes – no speeches. Usually and introduction, greeting, 30 second commercial or a question and you’re done!

Networking is amazing – the people who attend are motivated to make friends, contacts, and help others so you’ll find people going out of their way to try and help you. Expect results. A computer technician I spoke with last week said his business has gone up 800% in a year! Appreciate and Reciprocate!

Shine On!

Tuesday’s Tips

The number of available internships and entry level jobs are down just as all jobs in general are down but that doesn’t mean there are not jobs waiting for the new graduates. It just means it is a little tougher to find work – so how do you get ahead…get moving!! We’ve all heard the saying, “Anything worth having is worth working for”; well it is definitely true with finding  the right job.

You have got your degree now what are you going to do with it? Like all job seekers, you have got to get your ducks in a row. Make sure you know the direction you want to go in terms of position and even industry. Just because you are new to the business world it doesn’t mean you don’t need a plan. Without a plan you’ve got no direction and you’ll wander, get discouraged and quit looking or settle for something you really didn’t want.

 Make sure you develop a killer set of career documents. A powerful resume showcases the classes, projects, internships, affiliations and outside work experience you’ve hopefully accomplished during your time in school. Gather positive recommendation letters from employers, teachers, volunteer leaders or others you’ve interacted with during your college life. Finally, make sure you have a reference sheet, targeted cover letter, transcripts, examples of work or projects and anything else relevant to your new career.

 Once armed with direction and documents you need to take action! Don’t think posting to Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and NewGraduateJobs.com is all you’ve got to do to find a really great, high paying job. You’ll need to set in place job search plan as well. Still search the job boards but find ways to get closer to the actual hiring managers.

• Do your research; Google the company, read the career section on the company website and find ways to meet people within the organization that can get your resume to the decision makers!
• If you are not on http://www.linkedin.com/, http://www.visualcv.com/, and using http://www.jibberjobber.com/ to organize your search you should be. You need to look at this job search as if it is an all out battle or assault for the jobs. Many companies aren’t using the big boards so you’ll have to be find ways to be seen by them and get creative in finding them. 
• Get involved in associations, volunteer programs, community and church activities, forums, and networking groups in your area. Think about starting a network for new graduates to help each other.

The more aggressive you are and more motivated, confident and valuable you appear. Appearance and fit at this stage of your career is the name of the game. If you decide to “take the summer off because the market is so slow anyway”, like I am hearing daily from new graduates in my area, you’ll look lazy (for lack of nicer word) to hiring managers that realize you are just starting your search after 3 or 4 months of being out of school. 

When you are a new graduate your motivation, energy, and positive attitude are crucial to employers looking for entry level employees. Put your motivation and energy into action for faster results and a more proactive reputation.

Thursday’s Review 

Always looking to find new ways to help my clients, I want to share with you a new job search engine that I think will grow to become a household name. The site is called LinkUp and can be found at http://linkup.com/. It is definitely a new and unique type of job search engine. When you enter the site it reads:

Always Current – Often Unadvertised – Never Fake 

This site offers available jobs found directly on company websites. Today as I wrote this article, there are over 19,600 companies using LinkUp.com  with over 408,500 jobs listed and I’m sure the numbers are growing daily. The job opportunities are coming straight from the source, no scams or staffing companies with static job descriptions baiting the waters just in case. What this does is provide job seekers with a much higher quality job database to work with.

There are no fees involved for the job seekers on the site with no advertisements lining the sides or scams like many of the free sites such as Craigslist.com usually include. Employers are not paid per job so the descriptions are usually longer and more detailed. Payment for LinkUp.com comes from pay per clicks only.

Keeping the jobs real, employers must go through LinkUp.com to post their company to the site. Once this is done any new changes made to the employer’s career / job description area on their own website, will trigger an automatic update on this search engine to keep jobs as current as possible.

Widgets are in the works including the ability to provide job descriptions on individual sites from LinkUp.com and there is even an area for suggestions. The feedback area helps users feel connected while providing new ideas; keeping the site on the cutting edge of job search strategies while providing top-quality satisfaction. So watch for expanding features and applications.

Give it a try, I think you will be impressed and exited at this new and unique job search engine. Tell a few job seekers you know – they’ll be glad you did.

Shine on job seekers!