I usually write an article on resolutions at the beginning of the year but decided not to do so this year, until yesterday when I had two conversations on goals. The first conversation was a consult with a potential client and the second was a discussion I had with a friend later in the evening. The consult went well, we got to know each other a bit, discussed his background and issues at work that led this man to contact me, and then we started to discuss his goals and that is where things got sticky. He didn’t have any.

After much discussion we concluded that setting goals would be our first line of discussions before we went forward with preparing his resume, online presence and job search strategies. I often talk with professionals that are looking for a change and are not sure which direction to go to achieve their goals. But I don’t have many that simply say, “I don’t have any goals.”

Visiting that evening with a friend that always seemed very motivated and goal oriented, I asked her if she had always been that way. My friend (we’ll call her Sharon) shared with me that for years she didn’t have specific goals. After staying home for seven years when her kids were young, she had decided to go back to work full-time, but had no real plan for her future. She simply accepted the first position she had offered to her even though she had sent her resume to several types of positions. Sharon stayed with the job for more than three years before she realized she didn’t enjoy what she was doing and had no plans or goals to advance where she was.

Sharon said she became consumed with reading and learning about goal development, fulfillment and outcome. That is when she created goals and action plans for several areas in her life; and then got moving. To help her stay motivated she decided to give herself rewards for small goals she completed as she worked through her plans. During the next year she went through each room in her house and reorganized, got rid of things she didn’t use, and gave away outgrown kids clothes and toys. She also started eating healthier and committed to walking three days a week with her neighbor and after the first year had lost 23 pounds and felt great.

But her biggest change was in her professional life. After looking into many career areas and completing several assessments to determine what she was passionate about and how she could best utilize the skills she wanted to use, she decided to go into event planning. It was something she had done for six years as part of her early career, and it was the one part of her job that she loved and felt she was really good at. When I met Sharon three years ago, she was already the owner of a successful  boutique event planning firm which also owned two banquet facilities and three large boats, available to lease for special occasions.

She credits learning the true meaning and impact of setting and working toward goals can do, to many of the successes she’s had in her life. Sharon didn’t do anything special but she did do something different. She set goals and actually took action to see them through. Most people set goals or resolutions but never follow through because they don’t incorporate an action plan and hold themselves accountable to those plans; turning their dreams into tangible goals.

You can do the same thing. Whether you are happy in your job or in the throws of a job search, you can improve the quality of your performance and outcome by setting goals, creating a forward-moving plan and taking action. The success is in the action – if you only set goals but don’t do something to make them happen, they will remain a dream.

Shine On Job Seekers!

If someone is considering you for a position at their company or the company they represent, they will most likely research you online as well as review your resume. A simple Google search of your name and a check for any kind of a social media presence will quickly uncover a great deal of information about you. In order for you to be recognized as a valuable asset for a company your identity both online and off should offer a consistent message.

Why is it so important to have a consistent brand both online and off? Well, if potential employers are taking the time to research you, they are hoping to find something that will make you stand out and give them a reason to contact you. They would much prefer to spend time with a few select candidates that stand out instead of online researching numerous unqualified ones.

Along with making it easier for the employer, having a consistent message in person, on paper, and online demonstrates that you are organized and understand the importance of providing a focused message. Being Internet and social media savvy will also help to highlight your communication and technology skills. Uncovering a focused presence in various mediums will capture attention and have recruiters calling.

So, if your  profiles, comments, and pictures on LinkedIn and Facebook do not match the image you want to project, make changes today to get them in line with your goals. Strengthen your brand with consistency. If you are not sure of what your message should be, find out what is expected of employees in the position you are seeking. If you are not promoting the achievements and tasks related to that position you may need to rethink what you are saying about yourself.

Decide on the message you want to convey and then repeat that message everywhere you are online and in person in order to build a strong and recognizable brand. Look to examples of well known branding such as the McDonald’s golden arches or the Nike swoosh, both easily identified even without words. Or the green and yellow of John Deere products – the colors symbolize solid, dependable products. You too, can develop a brand that will illustrate your value and help you to be easily recognized and remembered.

Shine on Job Seekers!

So many new and seemingly helpful job seeker resources are popping up on the internet daily to aid in their job search. Tools such as job boards, social media communities, web groups, websites, blogs, video blogs, and more seem to have an endless supply of ideas and information. While all these web-based search tools are helpful, it is important to keep in mind that networking is most effective when done both online and in person.

Most clients I talk with get into a comfortable pattern of using one or two lines of communication when several modes of contact would be more helpful and get you in front more potential decision makers. I spoke with someone yesterday that visited her two favorite job boards every day and felt she was doing all she could online. She said she also stays after at church for an hour of fellowship and uses it to network with other members of the congregation and was proud of her efforts.

While her actions are effective, her efforts just aren’t enough. First of all, she is going back day after day and week after week to the same contact spots. The old saying of ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ really applies here.  This doesn’t imply that you should spread yourself too thin and not really become part of any of the networking avenues. Instead, your networking should include a variety of sources that are targeted and intentional.

You’ll be seen by more potential employers if you include social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn into a regular part of your job search. LinkedIn in particular is a fabulous job search tool with groups and search options that can be very helpful. Don’t stop at just reviewing your favorite job boards, when you find opportunities on the job boards use the information in collaboration with other on and offline pipelines to gather more information about the position. Hopefully you’ll have a few contacts that can connect you with the right people at those companies.

Consider reaching out in your community through volunteer work, industry associations, networking groups such as BNI, LBN or the many local groups that can usually be found through your local chamber of commerce. Instead of dipping into the same puddles try exploring other puddles, streams, lakes and even oceans for opportunities.

Remember it’s about who you know but more importantly, who knows you.

Get creative and discover other on and offline avenues to generate interest in your skills and expertise, or combine networking strategies in order to better research companies, contacts, recruiters, competition, and industries.

Remember to find a balance in your job search that encompasses a variety of sources while still keeping your target in sight. Don’t limit your job search opportunities by only pursuing a 2 or 3 avenues. Instead let your search be limitless and use every communication on and off line as a potential resource for new contacts. Stay curious and stay open to all possibilities for fastest job search success!

I recently participated in an energetic and informative discussion with several colleagues from the Resume Chicks during an interview on Blogtalk Radio’s Career Success Radio program (@CareerRadio) with Australian career experts Keith Keller and Annemarie Cross. It was a fast hour that centered on two main areas of Career Management.

The first point addressed in roundtable discussion was on recommended strategies to strengthen resumes. Consensus among the group was that the resume should be extremely focused on the career objective at hand. It can not be merely a laundry list of all of your past work history but rather strategically selected keywords, achievements and successes that bring home your value proposition.

Including achievements and accomplishments that are fact-based and as quantifiable as possible will draw attention to a resume and was the second critical-must for successful resume development. For those careers that don’t use revenue or cost metrics, data such as customer satisfaction rates, time management improvements and recognition or awards works well to demonstrate significant contribution.

Using a format that is attention-grabbing, easy to read, and professional rounded out the top three resume improvement strategies. Since most resumes are looked at for only 20-30 seconds, the resume must immediately jump out and be noticed if it is to do its job properly. Developing a format that showcases the candidate’s values, and highlights the keywords and requirements the reader is looking for will generate interest and get the candidate noticed.

We also addressed social media and it’s relevance on a job search. Again the consensus was that networking communities such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and others are growing in effectiveness in an aggressive job search. Profiles or bio’s on sites such as LinkedIn allow for a deeper exposure and is often the first look recruiters take at potential candidates for a position they are looking to fill.

Currently more than 80% of recruiters use LinkedIn for research and as a database. For job seekers to utilize their LinkedIn profile it must include a strong achievement-based look at their work history and a summary that reaches out to readers with keywords to offer unique value. Often overlooked in the creation of a strong profile is the providing of a professional photograph, recommendations for current and past positions held, and taking advantage of the many applications now available on LinkedIn. Effective apps include linking your blog, twitter feed, slideshare or podcasts to your profile for maximum exposure.

Candidates’ online profiles and their resume and other marketing tools should compliment each other and should be congruent but not identical in their content. On the Career Success Radio program it was agreed that using both in conjunction with an aggressive job search is the most effective way for a candidate to land the right job. Tune in for the full interview at Career Success Radio

Shine On Job Seekers!

OK, so looking back over the last few weeks I realize I have been pretty lazy when it comes to maintaining my blog. I’ve got lots of ideas, and have even hand written partial articles while waiting for soccer games to start, but I haven’t finished any of the articles. Spring is a busy time for me, my kids’ sports are in high gear, school’s wrapping up, yard work is calling me, family gatherings, blah-blah-blah!

It’s easy to get side tracked and lazy with spring fever and not keep up with my blog. Where has my laziness gotten me? Nowhere! It has only removed me from my readers and kept me out of the loop. Choosing to be lazy in my blog maintenance only hurts me.

Being lazy is not the same as taking a break. Everyone deserves a break when working hard! If you need to take a break from your job search that’s fine. But the break needs to be planned and limited and when break-time is over you’ll have to pick up where you left off with your career plan if you want to be successful.

What do you lose by being lazy as a job seeker? You lose opportunity, income, confidence, a sense of accomplishment and the momentum and motivation to keep your search working for you.

Sometimes lazy doesn’t mean you are not doing anything, but that you keep doing unproductive things over and over. If your actions aren’t creating new opportunities then it is time to change what you are doing.

These rules apply to everything in life right? Whether it’s remodeling a room, searching for a new job, getting in shape, maintaining a blog, or any other goal you set. In order to achieve you have to put forth the right type of effort.

Boy, reading this article back I feel like I’ve written this just for me as a swift reminder to get motivated and keep moving towards my goal of sharing what I learn with job seekers to help you find the right jobs faster! Hopefully this article will get you re-motivated to take new action to reach your goals as well!

Shine on Job Seekers!!

While taking in my daughter’s second soccer game of the season, it was easy to see in the first five minutes who were the go-getters and who were just playing the game. Those that were truly motivated and successful in the game played far beyond their skills and speed.

Those that just ran along side the ball and did not attempt to get in front of the ball or out maneuver the opponent ended up on the bench for the most of the game. The girls that looked like they were out for blood were the ones that played almost the entire game. They played as if there were in the championship game even though they knew they were likely to lose because they were playing a team that was the league champions.

Watching those girls reminded me of what it takes to succeed in life and in particular, a job search. Job seekers that are determined to play hard and play their best every day are the candidates that successfully find the jobs of their dreams.

Tips to learn from soccer players in your job search:

• Stay Focused
• Remember to practice, prepare, improve your skills if needed.
• Know your competition and target.
• Play to win – If you fall down or get pushed, get up and keep playing.
• Believe in Yourself – lead with determination and don’t let your lack of skill or speed hold you back mentally or physically – believe in yourself.
• Know matter the outcome of the game; maintain good sportsmanship.
• Have fun!

Realize that your job search is not a game but it is very competitive and if you hope to win an interview you need to treat it with the same drive and aggressiveness as a dedicated soccer player.

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!

Learn From Others Mistakes, Failures and Successes

An ice fishing outing a few weeks ago reminded me of a simple, yet valuable lesson. With weeks of cold weather and a previous weekend of successful ice fishing we thought we would try it again. The week had been beautiful with temperatures in the mid to upper 30’s and sunny, a nice change for Michigan. The weekend came and we decided to punch a few holes in the ice and see what was biting. It seems with ice fishing, the fish are either jumping out of the holes or hibernating; last weekend’s fish fry spurred us on for another try.

With several of us near the edge of the lake, a few brave fishermen stepped out onto the ice to find old holes to reopen or to drill new ones. This process also lets us know how thick the ice is and if it is safe to proceed. Three men were out on the ice when cracking was heard to our left and sent two of the men scrambling back to shore.

The last man was quite a ways to our right and thought his area being deeper, would be safe. We urged him to come off the lake but he insisted he would be fine. We watched with a little fear to see how thick the ice was as he began to use the auger on the ice.

Within seconds, cracking began around him. The sudden shift of ice beneath him caused him to drop the ice auger into the lake as the ice began to separate. Running down the shore and standing directly in line with him, we all thought we’d be attempting to rescue him or calling 911. Thankfully as he ran toward us he was just enough in front of the cracking to make it safely to shore. That ended our fishing expedition and gave us all a scare.

Later I wondered what kept him on the lake even though he knew from the cracking sounds, that the lake was unstable. Was it because he thought he knew the sounds of dangerous ice better than the others? Did he want to fish so badly that he ignored his “gut” and our urging to get off the lake? Or was it because we had fished safely the weekend before and many other times and just assumed he could do the same thing he always did, even on unsteady ice and still get the same results?

Job seekers are often faced with these types of decisions during their search, although probably in a little less dramatic form. My clients often tell me they have never had to have a targeted resume or use the internet as part of their search strategies, and are reluctant of the new tactics and potential results. They also watch others fail and think they can  do the same type of minimal search but somehow be successful in landing a job.

As your job search becomes a long-term event, do you continue to do what you have been doing? Do you  follow those who are also still unsuccessful in their job search? Or do you look to others who have successfully found jobs and follow their lead?

Trying something new might be just the ticket! Ask those you know that have been successful in their job search, what they did during their search. Find out what their routines were and how many hours a week they devoted to networking face-to-face? How many hours did they spend daily networking online? Which online sites were most helpful for them? How did they hear of their new job? Did they read about it or were they proactive in contacting a company that was not publicly recruiting for new candidates. Ask – Ask – Ask!!

Learning from the positive and negative results of others is the fastest and wisest route for a job seeker. Of course your strategy may develop differently than those you talk with, but you’ll see a pattern of motivation, hard work and smart moves that you too can follow and succeed with.

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.

There seems to still be an on going battle over the cover letter relevance. The majority of resume writers I have talked with still believe the cover letter can hold a few unique nuggets  of value that you can use to persuade hiring managers and decision makers to take a second or first look at your resume. Most recruiters I have talked with feel the cover letter is not important to the decision making process – however recruiters only place 2-3% of new employees so fo r the ir select clients this may be the case.

The truth is that 60% of hiring professionals read cover letters.

Often the gatekeepers, HR, recruiters do not read cover letters but when it comes time to narrow the selection to start the interviewing process, the decision makers can use the cover letters to identify which candidates have more than the required skills, achievements, and experience. They can also see if you also have a passion, a resolution for a current corporate issue or a new idea that can be a determining factor in offering you an interview.

You really never know who is reading your cover letter and how it will be used. I tell my clients – for those that do read it, it’s a vital part of the interview decision process so we need to create a targeted and focused letter that will open doors and get your resume read. The cover letter allows candidates the opportunity to promote their unique value and another chance for reader to identify your strengths and fit for the company.

A few examples of value and fit would be to include that you have got a true passion for working with numbers or your father worked for IBM 30 years ago and you have always wanted to work there too. You can also walk them through a dynamite combination of say, international experience and accounting strengths if you were going to work for an international company and you would be doing accounting work for subsidiaries in other countries. Sometimes they don’t recognize the value so if you find some reason for a great fit, make sure to share it with the reader.

Don’t assume they’ll make the connection…

you know what happens if you assume something?

If you are sending the letter to a recruiter, find out what their priorities are and incorporate examples of the priorities in the letter. If it is for a decision maker really work to bring out your unique value and why you would be perfect for the job, their team and their company. If it is for a general online application and you don’t know the company, keep it short but focus the cover letter on the requirements given in the job description. Whoever it is that you are righting it for, meet their needs and show you can make a difference in their company.