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.

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!

With this weekend’s time change, Halloween and the end of another month, it dawned on me that I have less than two months to prepare for Christmas. This time of the year always reminds me of when I was having my kids (all born around the New Year). Every time I was pregnant, I knew I needed to get my shopping done early. I also knew I would probably need a little more time, just in case labor came early or I simply wasn’t feeling up to fighting the crowds and standing in long lines, when I was eight or nine months pregnant.

Now with November here I realize it is time to start my preparations for the Christmas season. For me it means getting the lists started, it is really important to me to find the right gifts for the people on my list. It is always fun and informative to check out the sales at different stores, online and even QVC for great gift ideas. It was important to shop early, otherwise all the best gifts would be gone.

If I didn’t prepare I would be running around the week of Christmas, shopping in stores with no merchandise left. The selection would be less than plentiful! I still purposely try every year to shop early so I can enjoy the season and remember the true meaning of Christmas and not just the Hallmark side of it. I wouldn’t be able to do this if I wasn’t preparing along the way.

Whether I take steps to prepare ahead of time and enjoy the season or cram in everything at the end and have to settle for what is still available, is up to me.

The same preparedness should hold true when searching for a new job. Whether you are laid off, or looking to change jobs, things move much smoother and efficiently with proper planning! It starts with lists – or an actual plan. Deciding what type of job you are seeking, searching for the right company, networking on and offline and having your resume written with deliberate focus to so it stands out and gets noticed are all part of that plan.

Do you dare face your job search unprepared? Considering we spend anywhere from 40-60+ hours a week involved with job-related activities, shouldn’t it be something special, something you’re qualified for and something you love to do? Finding the right job doesn’t happen overnight. So take the time necessary a job that fits you well. Prior preparation will let you enjoy the journey and find the right job without settling for what ever happens to be available. Not sure when to start? How about Now!