Many of my clients are working in environments that have changed drastically in the last 3 years. Teams and offices that once employed 8, 10, or 12 employees are currently doing the same work but with only 4 or 5 people. The remaining employed staff members are expected to do twice the work while often being “asked” to agree to a pay cut. Sound familiar?

These remaining employees have done an incredible job maintaining sales, production, and service levels but at a great costs. My clients in this position have confided that their mental and physical health as well as their relationship  with family and friends is being affected by the stress and long hours. They often say because they currently have a job that supports their family or lifestyle and so they actually feel guilty looking for work, but can’t take the pressure any longer.

Three recent clients that come to mind, the first told me “I woke up and decided I was done”. He walked in to his office that morning and resigned from his position, collected his personal things and decided to move to another state and look for work there. No plan, no preparation. Most people can’t take this route if they have families that need to be included in the decision. For him it was a fresh start and that excited him. However, he has taken on 2 part time jobs in his new state to meet living expenses while  he continues to search for a position that meets his true career goals.

My second client stayed with her position while she worked with me to prepare her resume materials and got caught up on her job search and networking skills. When she had completed her efforts with me she felt she was ready to quit her job, which she did. She immediately began her full time job search, to which she was extremely successful, landing a new position in just 3 weeks. She had planned, prepared, saved money, and was ready for the challenge; getting her ducks in a row before leaving her company and position.

My newest client, a single mom, has a very detailed plan and time line for her transition. She plans to relocate with her 2 teenagers to another state before the start of school next fall and must have a new job by then to make her plan a reality. We are working to update her resume materials to include a Masters Degree she will be finishing up next month and to really target the type of position and company she is looking to work for. I have no doubt she will have a job waiting for her when she moves later this year. She has already contacted recruiters, developed an extensive network and joined geographically local groups on LinkedIn and Facebook and has plans for a 2^nd trip to the new city next month to talk with people she’s met and visit with a few directors for companies she is targeting.

All three of these job seekers were at jobs that kept them working well beyond 40 hours a week and often closer to 60 hours in order to manage their work load. They felt very guilty for wanting to leave their jobs when so many others were desperate to find work. And all three still needed to work to support themselves and their families, but have finally came to the realization that finding a new job was doable and would restore some kind of balance back into their lives.

Whichever route you take, don’t let guilt hold you back. Remember, when you find a new, better fitting job there will always be a candidate or two that will be thrilled and grateful to step into your old job. I would however, think through your decision so you can successfully prepare for the changes that will come with your decision to look for a new job.

Shine On Job Seekers!

When buying a new outfit it is first necessary to decide what you are looking before you can begin shopping. Is the outfit for a specific occasion, work, or casual wear? Other decisions include deciding on the price range and types of stores will be looking in. Will you be shopping at Wal-Mart, Old Navy or Macy’s? And what type of quality are you looking for? Every decision you make helps to narrow down your search and moves you closer to the ideal outfit for you.

Once you have an idea of where to begin your search you can start looking at the stores that you will most likely find outfits that meet your criteria. It is important to spend the time to narrow down your search either walking the malls or online. Eventually this will lead you to going into each store that fits your search and looking through the racks, talking with sales people and even trying on clothes. For me I often put things on hold at one store while still looking at other stores. If it is an important decision I often enlist a friend or sister to shop with me.

Eventually after narrowing down your search and finding a few possible choices you will check prices, sales, and warranty/return options to help make a qualified final decision.

Does this shopping excursion sound familiar to you?

If you do not like to shop for clothes, what have you gone through this process with, a pair of shoes, an antique, baseball card, computer, lawnmower, or even a house? We’ve all had to go through the purchasing process before, think back to the process you used. It wasn’t easy and may not have happened over night, but the same process can work for your job search and finding a job that is right for you.

Committing to researching employment possibilities will help you find a job that meets what you are looking for and will help you to be seen as the ideal fit for the employer. Not only will your skills and experience match but you’ll be passionate about the position because you will have worked through a process of determining what type of industry, position, location, pay range, environment preference and more to find the type of position that best suites you.

Researching specific companies that fit your criteria will lead to a successful job search. If you need help, enlist in the buddy system with a friend, family member or colleague that is also looking for work. You will keep each other motivated and on track with your goals. Remember it is a process and it will take time, but with research, commitment and motivation you will find your ideal job!

Shine on jobseekers!

Recently I had a conversation with a job seeker which I have had similarly with many others in the past. The conversation begins with a recap of what actions they have taken in their job search and what their expectations are for working together. I often here something like, “I can handle the job search – I just need a resume to get me in the door, and I know I can talk my way into the job – I can talk my way into anything”. Have you ever said or heard or said this before?

As articulate and compelling as You might think your communication skills are, if you have nothing to say that interests the interviewer, you will not gain a job offer.

The key is to know what to say in the interview and once again, it comes down to knowing who you are interviewing with. For every interview or influential contact you schedule a meeting with, you should spend several hours researching and educating yourself on the company in question. Areas to become familiar with include the industry, current needs or issues of the company, biggest competition, new projects underway, future plans and problems the company is currently facing. Think ahead of 3 – 5 ways you can use  your skills, expertise, contacts, or experience to help in achieve current corporate goals or resolve existing problems.

Coming to the meeting prepared will allow you to fully engage in the conversation, where you can communicate your expertise and the value that you will bring to the company. Otherwise your conversation ends up sounding like a “me, me, me” story instead of a “here is how can I help you” conversation.

To be memorable you must have something worth saying and fitting for the position. If you go in blind with no preparation or understanding of what they are looking for you are selling you skills and yourself short. You might have exactly what they need but it is up to you to let them see how well suited you are for their job, their company and solving their problems.

Moving your Job Search out of Neutral and into High Gear

With love for my clients and true compassion for the job seekers out of work I am writing this post. I understand your pride has been hurt because you thought you were better than a lay off or being let go, some feel they have done all they can by posting their resume on a few major job boards and then expecting the phone to ring, and others in denial, decide to use this time as an extended vacation and do nothing. So, my question for theses scenario’s and the countless others is:

How’s That Working For You?

Is your phone ringing off the hook? Are people tracking you down and begging you to come and work for them? Is doing nothing landing incredible opportunities in your lap? Didn’t think so.

I am hoping this will be a gentle shaking or a  splash of cold water to wake you up to the reality that if you want to find a job you have got to be much more aggressive even desperate in your search.

Your search is about you getting a job, how you came to where you are today should not keep you from pushing forward in your search. Excuses, however valid they may feel, are only holding you back. They do not reveal your authentic self and your marketable value.

Disclaimer: Your job search won’t be easy, so expect rejection, uncertainty, and a little fear during the process but work to remain focused on the goal – finding a job. Realize also that it might take a while, but it will take much, much longer if you continue on your current course.

Think of the top 5 reasons why you need a job and what will happen to these reasons if you do not soon find a job. Write that them down and keep them in your wallet, purse, next to your bed, taped to your computer or to the dashboard in your vehicle. Make it a constant reminder of why you must stay passionate about your search.

How do you take your search out of neutral and into high gear? What ever you used to think about the job search – forget it!

Make the search proactive instead of reactive.

Research companies and find several (start with 10-20) that really feel like the type of company you would like to work for. Dig deep and find out about each company’s culture, goals, future plans, current projects and any recent changes, failures or issues that you can help with.

Continue researching these companies to find specific individuals you feel would be beneficial to meet. Use your contacts, networking groups (on and off line) and LinkedIn to find ways to connect with these targeted contacts. Prepare before you make contact with solutions and skills that you can provide to assist each contact and their company to improve, increase or expand their future.

You are doing the research, you are making the calls, you are choosing the companies and you are in control.

See the difference?

So job seekers, try something new if what you have been doing is not working. Not only is this process effective but presents you as a leader, expert in your field, go-getter, someone who knows how to find solutions and get the job done, and Someone Worth Hiring.

Phone interviews have been quite a prevalent topic for my clients this week. I received calls sharing that one client had completed a phone interview with two other clients having scheduled phone interviews for next week. With so many in one week, I wonder if this may be a new norm for some companies.

When my clients called, they were thrilled at the opportunity but nervous of what to expect and anticipate. They had many questions about the differences to expect between an in person and phone interview. Here are a few things we discussed:

Preparation is crucial: make sure to take time to properly prepare for the phone interview. Prepare answers for commonly asked interview questions that offer insight to your experience using skills, reasoning and communication strengths to reach optimal results. Commit to practice reading your answers out loud to become comfortable with answering different types of questions so there are no surprises during the actual interview.

Have a quiet, undisturbed area set up for the interview. Whether in a bedroom, office, or even a vehicle; be sure to use a high quality phone. A land line is optimal if available. Also have your resume, cover letter and any other pertinent documents, water, paper and pens, and even a couple of 3×5 cards set up before the call begins.

During the Interview: standing can help to improve breathing when nervous. A smile will relax you and your voice. Try writing SMILE on one of the index cards and place it as a reminder in front of you. The cards are also a good place to write the interviewer and company names for a quick reference.

Because so much of the important, non-verbal communication is lost over the phone lines, it is imperative to use your words, breathing, sighs, laughter, tone of voice, speed of words and inflections to convey your knowledge, expertise, confidence and inviting personality.

A few things to keep in mind. Many interviewers are not comfortable with the interview process. If they sound nervous, build your rapport by helping to make them feel comfortable in their present interviewer role.

Keep in mind also, everyone speaks and thinks at their own pace. Try to match your speaking speed to the interviewer to help them feel comfortable with the communication exchange. Sometimes the interviewer will need to collect their thoughts, figure out their next question or want linger on something they just heard you say. So, if you hear a few seconds of silence – let it be.

Last Thoughts include keeping in mind that if you have been offered an interview, they are interested in you. They are ready to move forward in their search and want to be successful in finding the right person for the job. Help them by communicating your unique value and your ideal fit with a strong phone interview and a thoughtful thank you note.

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Meandering Work History

Each individual is different of course, but those with a history of job hopping might find resistance by hiring managers looking for candidates that will remain loyal to their company as the economy works to recover.

I recently encountered such a client who was concerned with his resume and interview options because of the wide range of jobs he has had over the past 15 years.  We discussed strategies and decided that it would be best if we identified the skills and requirements of his current job search and focused the resume on those criteria.

Passionate about the career and direction he has chosen, he wanted to do what ever he could to make sure this issue was addressed in the best way possible.

Five quick tips I offered include:

1. Determine the crucial transferable skills, experience, and requirements of the current career focus. Investigate what education, certification, skills, experience and other requirements are expected when pursuing the chosen position. Research targeted companies to uncover the culture, values and expectations of the company for further use in your resume. Check out the job descriptions on a few job boards to get the full understanding of what will be expected in that role.
2. Build your resume with the new career focus in mind. Determine which transferable skills and experiences to mine from each past position. Showcase these skills in the resume by knowing what the reader is looking for and boldly providing examples of the sought skills.
3. Show commonalities between jobs to increase the look of a strategically planned background. If you are seeking a position in an industry you have worked in before, make sure to show the total number of years in the industry to give your experience more credibility. Also, highlight the repeat use of transferable skills in your past positions such as customer service, IT, leadership, training, or management.
4. Prepare a few answers ahead of time for interview questions pertaining to your work history. First and foremost, always be honest. Be sure to communicate to the interviewer that the strength of the skills and achievements you developed has led you to your ability to succeed at the targeted position. Convey your passion, interest and excitement for a chance to work with their company or in the particular position.
5. Use those past positions to regain contacts, make new connections and build your network. A varied history can actually have an advantage over someone who has been in the same industry for 20+ years with like minded professionals. Use the diversity of your background to expand your networks and opportunities into areas that might have normally seemed too remote.

For my client and other job hoppers to succeed, use your vast experience to address the needs and expectations of the targeted position or company by building your resume to showcase your value toward those needs. What can you offer that will help them or fill a need? Promote that value and you will get noticed regardless of your job hopping past.

Try Something New to Take the Insanity out of Your Job Search

I’ve gone to the same mall area shopping for Christmas presents three times in the last couple of weeks. Each time I have gone, I come home less and less satisfied with the amount of purchases I made. I just can’t seem to find what I am looking for at the stores available in that location. With just a week left until Christmas and with more than a few presents left to purchase, I decided to change my game plan.

What is the old Einstein saying; “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Well I decided to stir things up, not go insane and try and new shopping venue.

Wow! Was I excited to find new stores that had new ideas and gifts I had been looking for! I even went in to some of the same stores as the other location but they had a different variety of items to choose from and again was successful.

When the day of shopping was through, I had successfully crossed off every item on my list. I drove home thinking of how thankful I was to not have decided to give my usual stomping ground another try. Some times you’ve got to move away from routine to find the best deals.

Before you go insane in your job search, make sure to shake up your routine every once in a while. Take stock in the results of your efforts. If something isn’t working for you – try something new. Just because your friend was wildly successful on a specific LinkedIn group or networking event doesn’t mean you will immediately get the same results. Take hold of what Einstein said and try something else.

For example, if you are only working with job boards get involved in online groups in LinkedIn or one of the really great job search groups on Ning or Yahoo Groups. If you tend to visit more than network at networking groups try a new one, and develop a new elevator speech that accentuates your strengths and personal brand. Check out industry associations, newspapers, groups, or volunteer somewhere but try something new.

The most important thing to remember is to be creative and open to new ideas or suggestions, find what works for you and keep moving forward. Even with the Holiday season in full swing, now is still a good time to be setting up new year meetings and filling that pipeline with contacts and networking activities that target and work towards your goals. Keep your goals close and review them often to keep you focused and motivated. Save yourself the grief of driving yourself crazy by not trying new strategies, techniques, activities or groups to help you find the job you deserve.

When preparing for their new job search, most candidates develop their own resume or have one written for them. Job seekers often begin their search by posting their new resume on all the big job boards. To expand their network and meet the right people, networking works far better than posting on Monster, CareerBuilder or other large boards but the Internet should not be ruled out for a job search. A combination of on and offline networking and promoting works best.

Most people are not aware of the effective ways to get their resume in front of your target audience using the Internet other than the typical job boards. Depending on the industry or position you are seeking such as manufacturing, marketing, or something in health care, the ideal place for your resume will be different. Below are some different types of online locations that should not be overlooked when starting to place your resume on the web because

Your resume needs to be in front of the right target audience in order to be most effective.

First of course is www.LinkedIn.com which is a must for any professional. Period. You can develop a rich summary, upload your resume and expand your network strategically so that your resume and name gets in front of those that would be interested in what you have to offer. Joining and becoming actively involved in groups on the site that relate to your goals and interests has become a very effective strategy.

Another helpful site to post your resume on is www.VisualCV.com. This site is nice because you are given a web address and unique web page for your resume with areas that allow you to get very creative offering room for much more than just your resume.

For example it comes in handy for those that want to use provide a portfolio of photographs to showcase finished work such as architects, photographers, florists, cake decorators or interior designers. You can use the VisualCV web address you are given for your profile / web page and place it on your contact card or signature line.

A strategy candidates often overlook is locating and utilizing industry or niche job boards. Job boards are getting a bit of a bad reputation because candidates run into so many old advertisements and send their resume to job numbers or recruiters, have no way to follow up and are rarely contacted. It definitely becomes disheartening. You can get more visibility utilizing smaller niche boards suited to your industry your targeted position.

If the candidate really focuses on posting his resume in strategic locations, the process can become much more effective. Some examples would be posting a resume on industry specific association job boards or publications such as hospitality, HR, automotive or health care using online newsletters, newspapers, magazines, and associations. Find several websites related to the industry or position you are targeting and find ways to leave your mark. Answer questions or leave comments on blogs, register and place your resume on the site, find out which sites accept relevant articles and write a content rich article to share with others and decision makers that visit site.

It is your job search you have to make things happen and you might have to be curious, you might have to be creative, just find an online job search strategy that works for you and get started. If you want to get noticed by the decision makers you have to be seen.

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.