When things are crazy-busy and I am trying to fit one more thing on my plate, or when I want to forge ahead with something new but am not sure how, I sometimes think of the story of The Shoe Maker’s Elves. The magical elves would come in during the night and make beautiful shoes and take care of all of the old man’s work.

When I’m that busy I would welcome their visit. But unfortunately elves will not be coming into my home at night to finish my chores either will a personal assistant just show up wanting to take care of the grocery shopping, laundry or cleaning. If I want my house and personal life to run smoothly and be something I enjoy, I have to do the work myself. I can’t wait for the elves, I have to make things happen and be responsible for my happiness.

The same is true in my professional life, and yours. If you want to move your career to a new direction or a new level, it is up to you. The wonderful thing is that you are able to choose any career that aligns with your interests and passion, but again it is up to you to prepare and act in order to make it happen. Preparing can come through completing education or training, building a large and helpful network, or working smart to grow your work experience.

In growing and looking for the next great opportunity, whether it is a promotion or a new position with a new company, it is your decision and action that will to find you the job of your dreams. You deserve the very best and a job that fits your skills, competencies, experience and passion. Make that passion a driving force in your job search will help to keep you motivated.

You can hire a career coach to help you understand where you really want to focus your search. Or invest in a resume writer to create powerful marketing tools (ie., resume, cover letter, reference sheets, LinkedIn profiles, biographies) but to get noticed, meet the right contacts, and use creativity to stand out – that’s all you !!

Professional contacts, friends, colleagues, and family are always willing to listen, provide support and lend a hand but again, the work must come from you. Do you hear a recurring theme? I think by now I’ve stressed the “it’s up to you” point enough to make you sit up and listen. I do this because so many job seekers only take their search to a low-reaching level. They accept whatever comes along and don’t take the initiative to reach for their dreams and then they are never truly happy with where they end up. It is scary, nerve-wracking, time consuming and sometimes takes thick skin but you won’t regret it.

I’ve never had a client come back to me and say that the hard work and pay off of a rewarding job wasn’t worth it.

Don’t wait for The Shoe Maker’s Elves or settle; the rewards of pursuing your professional dreams are priceless. The job search is always full of lessons, new industry or field knowledge, and is a great way to meet new contacts. Hard work helps you appreciate the outcome, making it very rewarding. Finding a job that is fulfilling and that you are passionate about (or at least truly enjoy) will make getting up every morning and your life – a joy!

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!

In every step of the job search process follow-up is vital for being seen and heard, and for building relationships based on integrity. Follow-up processes begin with your success in networking. If there isn’t consistency in your follow-up actions, others may be hesitant to promote, refer or recommend you to their employers.

When someone in your network provides you with information on potential opportunities, be sure to act on it quickly to demonstrate your interest and appreciation. And, be sure to follow-up period, many don’t. More than 75% of hiring managers expect some kind of thank you or follow-up letter and those surveyed said they only receive them 35% of the time. Stand out – send a note!

Especially if the contact sent a note to you and to a potential employer, both would be waiting for your response. Every step you take will be evaluated as potential employers try to determine if you are someone worth getting to know and learn about for a possible position in their company. Could you be someone that will help their company grow? Your job is to prove you are the right person for the job by providing positive results from the onset of communications.

Once interest is established and the interview process begins

it is important for you to follow-up in order to:

• Thank each interviewer for their time and the opportunity to interview with their company.
• Reiterated your excitement and interest in the position and your true passion for the field, industry or company.
• Remind the interviewer of who you are and the value and potential contribution you can make to their team, department or company.
• Utilize another opportunity to wow them by sending a follow up that provide answers to questions they had and provides additional information on areas discussed at the interview.
• Keep communication open. Even if you don’t have the technical skills or experience required for the job, if you become a memorable candidate they might try and work you in someplace else or give your name to another department or even competitor.
• Create the squeaky wheel that is needed to differentiate you from several other potential candidates by continuing to maintain contact with the company and hiring manager throughout the decision making process.  Staying visible may give you the advantage for a call back or job offer.

Whether you are aggressively searching for a job or contemplating a change, it is important to be seen and heard in order to be remembered. Using follow-up notes, thank you notes, relevant article links or simple emails to check on the decision making process, it is helpful to stay in touch so your name and abilities are always just a recent memory away.

Shine On Job Seekers!

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!

Just as in dating, with job search success often comes a few rejections. Hearing the dreaded words, “We decided to go with another candidate” can be enough to knock the wind out of anyone’s sail. Candidates that strive to learn from rejection are those that will land the right job quicker.

Some lash out in anger regardless of why they received the rejection and even go so far as to bad mouth the company or write negative comments about the company on Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace.  Burning bridges in any economy is not a good idea. On occasion candidates are called back and offered the position if the first choice doesn’t work out.  It may be detrimental to your chances with future companies too, remember that companies often research candidates when they are interested and they will be able to read your comments.

Keeping a positive outlook and professional demeanor will help you to look at things from both sides and see the big picture that will hopefully help you to keep moving forward even with rejections. Whether or not you learn from your experiences is up to you and it is determined by how you respond to the rejections.

Two ways to learn from the rejections are to look at yourself externally and internally. External learning refers to finding out what others think of your resume documents, networking techniques, interview skills and your overall professional impression. If you are not sure of what others think of you professionally – ask! Only good can come from it, either you are doing a great job and you will receive a well deserved compliment or you receive guarded criticism and learn from what others are offering as suggestions for improvement.

If you are contacted after an interview with the dreaded rejection email or phone call, ask a few questions to find out what exactly were the points that worked against you. Maybe you were not as prepared as you should have been or maybe you appeared over/under confident and it worked against you. What ever the reason, it is important you find out so you can make corrections in your appearance, behavior, interaction or presentation to make you more competitive for the positions you target.

Looking internally can also provide pertinent information about your job search and interviewing techniques. Think back to your most recent interview or networking event and focus on your verbal skills. How did you present yourself? Were you able to ask and answer questions easily about your job search and more specifically about you the skills and value you present to a company? What cues did you send with your non-verbal language? Had you prepared enough before the meeting so that you were fluent on the company’s history, mission, goals and culture? Spend time going through the meeting and look for clues as to where you are having issues and then find ways to correct them.

Rejection can be humiliating and hurt but they are part of the job search process and a vital source of information for improvement. What you project and what you think you project are sometimes two different pictures. Take time to learn from others and yourself to improve your presentation and interviewing skills. Simple modifications may be all it takes to eliminate rejection and take your interview skills from bland to brillian.

This week was the kick off of the 9^th season of American Idol.  Every year I say I am not going to watch it, but somehow the show finds its way on to the screen of my television. I tell myself, just the first night… to get a feel for what this season may hold.

I admit that I watched the whole show and towards the end, when there were only a few contestants left, a man entered the room for his very long awaited audition and let the panel see his aggravation for having to wait all day. He had apparently been there for many long hours nervously waiting and was tired and a bit cranky.

Well, he was given a chance to sing but the discussion afterwards quickly grew heated as Kara unleashed her anger on this man. She let him know that he had ruined his chance because of his attitude and character, and would not be going any further in the competition.

Whether I agreed with Kara’s outburst or not, and whether the young man had a good voice doesn’t really matter because the people he needed to impress in order to proceed, were not impressed. He lost his chance with the simple act of complaining.

How many times have you complained or whined to someone about your current situation or didn’t take the extra step to be nice to someone? Do you ever wonder if any of those recipients might have been missed opportunities? What if you were at a networking event complaining unknowingly to someone who knew of an opening in his department that would suit you. He could easily and understandably decide to not share the information with you because he would not want be the one to bring a whiner or downer into his office?

You don’t know where your next opportunity will come from and this should be a good reminder to be nice to others, on a regular basis (or at least until you find a new job). Watching American Idol I heard Simon and the others comment repeatedly when they thought someone “seemed like a genuinely nice person” or “have a really good vibe about them”.

Being nice in your job search and your career does matter. People might not remember your name, or what you were selling but they will remember if they liked you or not. Give it a try!

I am excited be attending the 2009 CDI Empowerment Summit which takes place at the end of this week (October 16^th-17^th) in Orlando, Florida. The Career Directors International (CDI) Association with its President, Laura DeCarlo, never stops amazing me.

The Association has a content rich website full of support for career professionals and job seekers. It also has an active membership which communicates regularly through e-lists, webinars, and conference calls. Career professionals contemplating joining CDI won’t be disappointed in their membership – it is really a great group of professionals!

The CDI Empowerment Summit holds the same promise. I’ve gotten a glimpse of the conference program which looks to be 2 full days of new and helpful information for career professionals to use and pass on to their clients. In case you won’t be there, watch for updates on Twitter from attendees including myself (@KrisPlantrich) using #cdi09 hashtag.

I’ll be sure to blog about the conference and share the new nuggets I’ll uncover while I’m there.

You’ve heard, as most of us have, that you get out of something, what you put into something. I remember hearing that from my parents, teachers and now – I find myself using similar analogies with my own kids and often, with my clients.

We all know what the economy is like right now, and how high unemployment is, so why do job seekers still think that they can just post their resume on Monster or Career Builder and expect the phone to ring? It is not going to happen. The boards yield less than 7% of the jobs found and although I make it a point to repeat these facts to my clients several times while working together, I still get those who only post their resume and then complain because of no response.

If you want to play a sport well, grow a garden, build a tree house for your kids, have clean clothes, or cook something there are several steps and processes to go through before your efforts yield positive results.

Buying ingredients and putting them in your pantry will not produce a cake.

It is vital for job seekers to work hard and consistently if they want to find and obtain the right job and career for them. Start by getting on LinkedIn – that alone offers a world of networking possibilities. Join professional associations in your field, and research and seek out companies you feel would fit your strengths, passions and goals.

Contact old friends, new friends, coworkers, past employers, past coworkers, suppliers, vendors, ancillary department workers, volunteer associates, family, neighbors, church friends, sports/kids/school friends or join new networking groups to make new contacts. Talk with people, ask about them, help others if possible and let them know about your background and current goals. The more you communicate the quicker you’ll find a job!

If you need help, unsure of what to do next – ask! People like to help other people so ask. Ask your friends or someone you know who has recently gotten a new job. Ask a professional resume writer or career coach who can point you in the right direction and has an endless supply of resources.

The more effort you put in the quicker you will find a job. It will be hard, it might take a while, and you might face rejection more than once – it is part of the process. You can do this! Give your self the credit you deserve. You’ve got great skills, achievements and experiences to offer you just have to get your awesome value in front of the right people – through networking. Keep moving and working towards your goals.

Monday’s PMA

After a week of football openers, many of my thoughts relate to the games I’ve seen. Whether revisiting the OT win of the Steelers over Tennessee, the incredible upset of the MSU Spartans with the CMU Chippewa’s winning with just seconds to go, or the incredible comeback (and almost winning) of the Chicago Bears Sunday night after a dismal first half; determination and perseverance keep running through my mind.

In each game, both teams had true talent, experience and impressive records to back them. What makes them great teams is having a right attitude. It is an attitude of confidence and not just arrogance. The confidence and determination to over come and succeed.

Job seekers can learn a great deal from ball players. Work hard off season by preparing, training, researching other players and teams and studying past games to learn and grow. With the season once again in full swing now they must push are and stay motivated regardless of the last game or even last play.

Job seekers! Follow in their footsteps! When you experience rejection – learn from it, keep moving forward and stay motivated. Have you done your pre-season preparation work? How can you be confident in your search if you are not prepared? You are in the game to win and that means doing what it takes to get noticed and make plays that will win your game!

Shine On Job Seekers!

Wednesday’s Q & A

Question – Does social marketing help job seekers get noticed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shine On!