Most of my clients are experienced professionals in their 40’s or 50’s and come to me in the throngs of a failed job search. Usually their career has progressed easily through internal promotions or word of mouth referrals. Now faced with a struggling economy and a new job search arena, they feel unsure and even fearful of the challenge before them.

Suddenly they are 6 years old again and afraid to step off their bed for fear something is waiting underneath. Too afraid to look, they sit on their bed waiting for their mom to appear, then begs her to check for a safe path.

As adults, the wait for someone to come and hold your hand, help you look under the bed, and calm your fears might be a long one. There is help of course, in the form of certified career coaches and resume writers that are qualified to help with the process. We come with a flashlight and often a hug to light the way and rebuild confidence.

For those job seekers that want to overcome their fears themselves and succeed in a 21^st century job search, the most important tip I can offer is to get educated. Things don’t seem as scary when you know how something works, what to expect and which strategies to use to succeed. Doing nothing only makes the fears grow and immobilizes you even longer. If you are like most job seekers, you really can’t afford to allow the fear of the unknown to threaten you and often your family’s wellbeing and safety for too long.

“…the only thing to Fear is Fear itself.” ~ FDR

It isn’t finding a job that is fearful, it is not knowing how to find a job and not knowing where to look that holds people back. So how do you educate yourself? You start small. While you are beginning your job search make sure to read blogs, articles and books on successful job search strategies – it will save a lot of pain and suffering!

While you are educating yourself, realize what type of job you are looking for and begin researching companies that support that kind of a position. Research 5 – 10 companies to find out their current needs, goals, culture and whether it is a company you would like to work for. If none seem to fit find, 5 -10 more and do it again. When you have located several companies that do seem to fit, have your resume written to specifically answer and solve the problems of those companies, targeting their needs using your career history to back up your abilities.

You can find these companies and contacts using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other online networking communities. Or you can work offline using the phone, knocking on doors and communicating face-to-face. I think a combination of the two works best. Finding contacts that can refer you directly to the hiring manager will put your resume on the top of the pile – every time!

If you are uncomfortable with communicating or networking with new contacts researching the contacts will help you feel more comfortable and give you specific content to use as ice breaker conversation. Find a few contacts for each company you have researched. Find out something you have in common such as, did you attend the same college, work at the same company, know mutual friends, or have similar outside interests; pets, sports, or volunteer activities? Even just by knowing their history will help to generate interesting conversation.

Doing your homework, having questions prepared and knowing the background of your potential targets will help you gently engage these new contacts. Your preparation can open doors to new connections, friendships and referrals. Remember to say and write thank you letters to your contacts and ask if you can reciprocate the assistance in some way.

The more you know the easier it will be to take that leap of faith, trust your preparation and look under the bed. You might be surprised to find a new job hiding under there!

It isn’t enough just to go after getting an interview. If you want a job offer you have to prepare for and research each company you are offered an interview with. You have obviously done some work while having your resume developed or writing it yourself. The research and preparation is a great start for your interview but it won’t put you ahead of the masses. Below are 5 secrets you need to know if you want to really catch the decision maker’s attention at your next interview.

Know the company you intend to interview with – Take time to thoroughly learn about the company or companies you will be interviewing with. The research should include reading their company website, searching (Googling) the company on the internet, finding potential contacts from their company on LinkedIn, and reading what the media and their competition has to say as well. You will impress the interviewers if you are comfortable and confident talking with them about the company.

Know how you can help them – If you want to capture the attention of the interviewer, try finding out what the biggest problems the company or department are currently facing and find ways you can help.

Strategies to help the company may include a developing a business or project plan, locating contacts for needed resources or having the skills or experience needed to resolve a specific problem. Figure out your plan before the interview and then WoW them with your preparation. Even if they don’t use your plan, your determination and critical thinking is sure to impress them.

Know the culture of the company – While you are busy researching each company you are considering interviewing with, don’t forget to study their individual corporate culture. It is important, sometimes more than your related skill or experience, that you fit in with the culture, philosophy and values of the company. Your resume will let them know your skills, but the interview will secure your fit. Save you and the company time and resources by getting a feel for the company before you participate in an interview.

Know your answers to questions most likely asked – Make sure to spend time preparing for those typical and not so typical behavioral/situation questions that will be asked at the interview, because they will be asked. Keep the answers focused on the good of the company, tying your values in with theirs, while still being truthful.

It often helps to write out your answers on paper so you can be sure to include all the right information for each question. Then, practice saying your answers several times until they feel natural to say.

Know your resume! – Don’t forget to know your resume. Right now it sometimes takes a few months before you are offered an interview.  Most of the time the hiring manager will use your resume as an outline to follow for the interview. Whether you have written it yourself or had someone write it; reread your resume several times to refresh your memory. You do not want to be blind-sided by a quote from your resume that you don’t recall and can’t respond to. Know your resume!

Just as in any debate, meeting, presentation or interview, in order to be successful and sound polished you must prepare. The company you are interviewing with have spent a good deal of time identifying the skills, experience and type of person they want working with them. It is your responsibility to yourself and you next employer to do the same. The results will be a more effective and responsive interview and will help you stand out as one sharp candidate. So, give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Looking for a new job can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. Many job seekers search through the job boards like CareerBuilder, Monster and Indeed and find nothing that stands out. It may feel like there are no jobs that fit what you have to offer. Fortunately there are jobs available that are right for you; you’re probably just looking in the wrong places.

I’m sure most of you have heard the term hidden job market? There are articles, books, and TV programs devoted to this topic. I’ve found talking to clients that many job seekers are intimidated by the term and so together let’s enter the hidden job market zone and find out what it’s all about.

What and where is the hidden job market?

The hidden job market refers to those jobs that aren’t being publicized through job boards or even the career pages of the company. These jobs take up an estimated 75% of the jobs currently available and I would assume the number is a little higher in this economy.

Why are the jobs hidden?

Jobs are hidden for many reasons. The most common is that new jobs aren’t in the company or department budget. The long process of getting approval to hire new candidates can put the search on the back burner. Some companies wait to hire new employees when new projects are about to begin or before new product is launched. Others have recruiters searching quietly for potential employees. Finally, many companies attempt to hire from within first before moving outside the company to find new talent.

How do candidates find these jobs?

It is important to keep in mind that companies and recruiters are always looking for potential talent. Whether they are in need or not it would be unwise for a company to not keep “feelers” out in the market for new candidates. If they aren’t actively looking then you need to go to them to get noticed. Finding out who needs you, your talents, skills, and experience will take research. You will need to research the industry but more importantly the individual companies you feel have the right stuff.

This is where knowing your strengths and your personal brand is really important. Once you know your most sellable strengths then you need to go out and market them. This starts with research but it also includes networking and the age old “cold calling”. By participating in social networking groups online and in your community you can search out contacts for the companies you have targeted.

Developing relationships with these contacts will feel awkward to most job seekers. This is normal but overcoming it means leaving your comfort zone and making new acquaintances. Keep in mind that even if they can’t help you, you’ve met a new colleague or friend. It is still a win-win situation.

If you can’t find contacts then cold-calling is your next step. These days you can start by sending a letter of intent followed by a resume and cover letter. With computers being a normal part of business, email is acceptable. You can do the same thing through the U.S. mail. If you are really ambitious you can visit the company in person. This is a risky situation and should be handled with caution and professionalism but can be quite effective too.

Hidden jobs are there for you to find and conquer – it just takes determination and a little guts. Your alternative usually isn’t an option if mortgages and insurance bills are coming due. Let that motivate you! Be bold, prepare and go after the jobs that really are your perfect fit.

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!

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!

“I just want a job” or “I’ll take anything” are comments I hear very often as I am working with clients. I also heard this from almost every job seeker I spoke with at a recent job fair I helped out with. Although many job seekers feel this way it is vital not to say or project this feeling to contacts, networking acquaintances, recruiters and most of all during an interview.

Letting everyone know you’ll take anything will get you nothing of value.

This approach backfires for a couple reasons. First, you lose all credibility as an expert in your position or field when you remind everyone you’ll take anything. Second of all, value statements become something that sound disingenuous. Just like using an Objective Statement on a resume, you turn everything to focus on you and what you want instead of on the company, what they want and need and what you have to offer and help them.

Feeling desperate is understandable as bills come due and any job seems like a better choice than waiting for the perfect job. This might be true but you can’t face the world with this attitude. You have to convince others (and yourself) that the job you are applying for or interviewing for is the best job in the world – and your ideal job. You will be much more convincing in an interview if you put the same effort into “any” job as you would in what you think is an ideal job. Do your research, know the company and what they need and sell yourself!

Pose yourself as an expert in that position or field by knowing your stuff. Focus your resume, the stories, examples and answers you give in a networking meeting or interview on what the position is looking for. This will give others confidence in your abilities. If you don’t believe you are the best candidate for the job, you won’t be able to convince others either.

A recruiter or hiring manager does not want someone settling for a position. They will assume you will leave as soon as you find something better, not give your all or even feel bored. They are looking for someone who will fit the job and someone who wants to work there.

So – if the “I’ll take anything” approach isn’t working for you, try using a different approach that showcases your expertise and fit and see what happens!

Tuesday’s Tip

You’ve got an awesome resume you had developed by a professional resume writer and now you’ve posted it on Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, and Simply Hired. Feeling very confident you’ve even signed up to LinkedIn and developed a pretty savvy profile. Now it has been 3 weeks and all you’ve gotten are hits on your postings that don’t fit your goals or even your resume at all. Starting to feel a little less confident in your current job search strategies, you begin searching through Google looking for ways to improve your job search.

 You will discover that between your resume and your interview, what you must Do is search. The word search is a verb, an action word. The only way you will be successful in finding a job is by being a verb, an action word, searching, researching, connecting, contacting, prospecting, asking, talking, doing…all verbs – all action words. Get the point? You have to take action in order to find a job.

The more curious and bold you can become, the faster and more successful you’ll be. Monitor your postings, develop your contact list, search companies, connect with LinkedIn contacts, go to networking events but then take it all one step further. How? Let’s look at what the next step might look like.

Well let’s start with monitoring your postings. If you find a posting that looks really interesting – start investigating to find out if there is a way to get your resume directly into the hands of the hiring manager other than going through the online application process. Who do you know at that company?

Check out LinkedIn, your networking groups and your contacts. Do you know anyone directly or indirectly at the company you are targeting? Find out – make the extra calls, be polite and gracious but find out! If you can find someone to hand deliver you or your resume to the hiring manager, imagine the dozens or even hundreds of resumes you’ll bypass. It is worth the effort.

Stay connected with your contacts, your networking friends, your twitter, Facebook and the 10 other social networking sites you’ve joined. Follow up on any and every lead you receive. You never know where your next job will come from. It may be through someone in another state or country, and you think…this is just a waste of time – you are wrong. The world is getting smaller every day. People know other people from other areas of the world and so distant contacts can be very effective – I’ve seen it happen first hand!

When you are researching a company or industry read, make calls, join organizations but keep searching. Don’t stop at just one contact, look for more. Find out what problem needs to be solved, what product needs to be developed, what market needs to be penetrated and see if you can be a solution to them. If so, let them know.

Be creative – follow leads, make up a few moves of your own. Talk with others, help other job seekers find work, or volunteer your talents. Look into new possibilities too, don’t be so pigeonholed that you miss an opportunity that isn’t what you expected – might be the best thing you ever missed!

Remember that the action you take is what will make you a success in finding a job. Your resume and other documents only count for about 15% of the effort that is needed to make your search successful. Be a verb – do more – you’ll be glad you did.

Q&A Wednesday

Question:  How many references should I include on my resume?

Answer:  NONE!! Okay, a bit of a trick question here but the answer is still NONE. References belong on a separate document and there should be no mention of the list on your resume. This information can be disclosed at an interview. Make sure to have several copies.

How many references should you use? A good number is usually 4 – 6 contacts.  If you’ve been in the professional world a while the references can be split to include 2 superiors, 1-2 coworkers and 1-2 subordinates. This gives the reader a choice and chance to see you in different roles. If you work often with suppliers, vendors or other outside affiliates you can use someone from this group as well.

Make sure the referrals are aware and have given permission to be on your reference sheet. Sometimes it has been a few years and it is a good idea to confirm the offer is still open to use them in your job search. When you ask them for permission, update all contact information. If they have moved to a new job since you worked together use their current contact information and title as well as a note of their relationship to you when you worked together.

Finally, when you get approval from the contact, suggest to them the type of information you’d like them to provide and even refresh their memory of particular achievements or successes that would help you now if they were shared. By giving your references different skills, strengths to focus on the employer can develop a really strong picture of your character and potential value.

Don’t forget to send thank you notes (at least) to all of your contacts, even if they were never called, it is professional and a nice thing to do.

Shine on!

There seems to be endless possibilities for those having to make a career change. When this opportunity becomes available some know exactly what they will do and where they will do it while others become overwhelmed by the endless possibilities and don’t know where to begin.

Three ways to help narrow down those seemingly endless possibilities:

• Find out what you are interested in. If there are 2 or 3 industries that have always been of interest to you, check them out. Find out the main players in the industries and start doing research on the companies and industries to see if there is an environment that will fit your talents. You will love your job, be fulfilled, and be more productive if you find what it is you love doing.

Research industry associations, and related groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo Groups and Google Groups to learn, get involved and begin to make new contact in the fields. These contacts can shed the truth on what the actual jobs will entail and may be a great source of opportunity.

• Take an assessment to find where your natural strengths, likes, and interests lie. Are you a people person and need to be in a team environment or prefer to work alone? Are you good with people or numbers? Do you like large companies or small? Left brain or right?

There are several types of assessments including DISC, Myers-Briggs, 360, and many others that focus on you behavioral preferences, skills, values and who you are inside. Maybe try a few of these assessments to really delve into your core wants and needs.

• Learn what is available in your geographic area. If you don’t know the current hot and hiring industries in your area of the country then you need to find out. Read local business magazines and newspapers or begin to pay more attention to your local news. For great source for statistics on your area and to find out more about industries, fields, and positions you are interested in, I recommend you spend some time at http://www.bls.gov/oco/.

Although there are more ways to find out where you’ll fit best for a career change, these 3 tips will get you started learning about yourself, your preferences, the area around you and companies to look into. With just these 3 tips you will be able to weed out the areas that don’t fit and begin to see a pattern of what type of jobs, environments, and industries are of interest to you.

Let your curiosity explode as you search for a new fit. The more open minded you are to your potential, the more opportunities you will find. Enjoy the challenge and change!

It’s been a few days since I’ve updated my post. Had a wonderful weekend starting with an inspiring Meeting of the Minds meeting with local colleagues. It was a beautiful day, full of stories, resources and new ideas to share and swap. Our meetings always are full of support too. Working as a resume writer/career coach most of my time is spent working alone and so the support of fellow writers is a truly a gift.

When working through a job search it can feel lonely. You are trying to understand all that is involved in a job search; new technology, new resources, and new opportunities for you to comprehend. It can be difficult to go through it alone. My advice to you is to find a partner. Especially now, it is easy to find others also looking for work.

A partner to share in understanding the job search process, and frustration and fear, can also help to you stay motivated and to keep both partners moving forward. Find someone to move forward with, it doesn’t have to be someone in the same field or even industry, just someone working through the process like you.

Two job seekers to conduct research are better than one and you can learn the in’s-n-out’s of searching online and in person for jobs, research, networking, job boards and more to find success more quickly!

Share – Support and Shine On Job Seekers!