interview

Teamwork: The Secret to Job Search Success

2008-01-11T09:26:00Z

Having to perform a job search is rarely at the top of a list of "fun" ways to spend ones time. Job search is generally regarded as dreary work at best. And why not? The process is almost always spent independently. Job seekers look at newspaper ads independently, make calls to companies independently, get turned down independently, wonder if they are ever going to find a job...independently. Now don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting you should take a friend to your next interview; I'm talking about building a support network.

Why do we make the job search such a lonely practice? So many studies have shown that teams can out-perform and out-achieve independent workers over and over. When you quit smoking through the American Lung Association, you do it with a buddy. Experts say that dieters with a diet buddy have a 45% higher chance of sticking to it. Why don't job seekers have buddies? No, not someone who will let you cry on their shoulder, who will empathize with you about how bad the job market is or someone who isn't in the job search mix at all, but another job seeker!!

Think about it. Without positive support in any new and uncomfortable situation, it's so easy to become discouraged, to start to believe negative hype. Many job seekers find themselves settling for a job they aren't happy with because they believe that there are no jobs out there. There are jobs out there!! You just have to find them. But how can you stay motivated to look when everywhere you turn for a job you get turned down? It becomes very easy to feel that you are all alone and that this is not happening to anyone else. So, it either becomes a problem with your methods of job search or a problem with the job market.

The real problem is isolation. How can you possibly stay motivated in a vacuum? Who will tell you that you will get that job? Hearing "no" is crushing to anyone's ego, especially a job seeker who may be worried about paying the next electric bill. So how can you avoid this isolation and the negativity that can build up around an independent job search? Find a team, form a team, or hire a career coach!!

With a team, you have people who are going through worse situations and make your problems seem insignificant. With a team, you have support. With a team you have praise. With a team, you can keep going. A team as they say, builds steam to keep it moving forward. Even with a background in the employment field and the knowledge of how to conduct a job search, when I relocated to Brevard I joined a job club. The difference the support of those strangers, who did not know my shortcomings or fears or lack of certain skills, made to the success of my job search was phenomenal. They gave me the strength and hope to go to my interview with pride and a positive attitude rather than fear and desperation. And, I got the job.

You can find structured job clubs or success teams through professional resume services, career and success coaches, state employment offices, some college employment offices, churches, and professional organizations. You can also form your own group if you know of other job seekers or work with a career coach to match you with team members. However you do it, do it!! The team concept works and will not only keep you motivated but will help you network for job leads, expand your contact list, and uncover many new possibilities that you might not have yet considered in conducting a successful job search.

-Laura DeCarlo, CPRW, JCTC
A Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and Certified Job Search Coach.
A Competitive Edge Career Service
www.acompetitiveedge.com

Locating Job Prospects:

2008-01-11T09:25:00Z

Transposing two of the commands in the ritual used by the execution squads of old — "Ready! Aim! Fire!" — yields some guidelines for those in the employment hunt.

"Ready!": Initial Research

"Where do I begin?" is the hapless cry of many a job seeker who has yet to learn that the job search is a marketing effort: you are trying to sell yourself. And marketing is fundamentally a communication process: you want to bring your unique combination of talents and skills to the attention of prospective employers so that they hire you at the desired price.

But, before trying to frame the content of the message you will deliver, consider some preliminary factors about communication. The primitive saying, "If you throw enough mud on the wall, some of it will stick," is too crude, expensive and lazy in practice. Start by trying to define your target. Visualization is more than a New Age buzzword. Attempt to see in your mind's eye the type of business and the kind of person that you want as an employer and that would want to employ you. Enrich your mental image until you can picture a real person to whom to address your message.

Then imagine your prospect as heavily involved with other activities; he is not even aware of your presence; you've got to get his attention. Another element of effective communication now comes into play: intention. You have to want to turn the prospect's head away from the things that are distracting him (the thousand other applicants, for example) and in your direction. Since you have defined your prospective employer earlier, you will have guessed at the things that attract him or repel her, what buttons to push, which to leave alone. It is time for flare, imagination and daring, all done with taste, of course. Like a professional showman, the job seeker pulls out all stops to capture the undivided attention of the prospect.

Finally, turn to the message itself and its need for impact. Be it via resume, cover letter or personal interview, you have only seconds to day your piece. It must possess an excitement, an urgency, that generates a similar emotion in the prospect. Personal intensity is easily observed in the dynamic advertising found on radio and television; we all know the difference between a vibrant and a boring speaker. In printed form this factor is less apparent, but it must be there, and any number of good books and articles exist on devices—wording, graphics, placement, etc. — for creating effective and dynamic resumes, cover letters and portfolios.

"Fire!" The Testing Stage

Face it, getting ready is done in creative isolation and the assumptions you make about your prospect may be way off the mark. Knowing this, the job seeker can err in two ways. The perfectionist simply stalls in the "Ready!" stage; since nothing less than perfect is acceptable, nothing is done at all. On the other side is the gambler who blindly assumes all his assumptions are correct and launches a complete campaign on untried suppositions. The first fails from too little action and the latter from too much.

After getting ready as well as can be expected, the proper thing to do is "Fire!" — but on a limited basis. It is not all out war; it is experimenting with the weapon in a monitored situation on the rifle range. If the phone lies dead on the hook for the two weeks after you sent several test resumes, your assumptions are off somewhere—in method, message or market. Time to revise.

Accurate testing requires meticulous record keeping so that significant information is not lost or misinterpreted. Track where the lead came from, what you sent, how you sent it (email or snail mail), even the day of the week it was sent (people supposedly mind their mail more in mid-week when there is less of it). When you get a response, even if negative, try to determine what prompted the person to call back. Capitalize on this aspect in future efforts. The few seconds required for proper record keeping will save hours in further prospecting. Without such tracking, you may assume that a certain website's job listing are pulling responses when actually it is your local newspaper.

"Aim!": Hitting The Target

Adequate testing and retesting during the "Fire!" stage not only fine tunes your marketing weapons but further sharpen the profile of the prospect formed during the "Ready!" stage. Broad-shoots can be eliminated for a smaller but more qualified group of prospects. An individualized approach can now replace the wasteful blanketing of every website available. You can now "Aim!" for the bull's eye with a steady hand.

It has been said that a company or committee never makes decisions or hires anyone; it is a live person within the company that decides. Prospecting is the process of finding these individuals. By proceeding through the three stages—"Ready! Fire! Aim!" — a job seeker should soon find a willing employer in his sights.

-Vic Smith
A Tucson resident, Vic is a member of Society of Southwestern Authors, a published educational and technical writer as well as novelist.
vicsmith0123@cs.com

Sharpen Your Potential

2008-01-11T09:25:00Z

No one sets out in a job to fail or to be mediocre. Even so, some people seem to succeed at everything they touch, while others just get by.

There are some employees who demonstrate a steady and progressive climb to higher levels of development and challenges, while others seem to have stagnated or plateaued. These high performers come out of the gate flying and leave those in the dust wondering what happened.

Is it the "luck of the draw" or is there something that sets the high performer apart?

Looking closely, we can see the common threads that wind through the career histories of those considered to be successful. They are not always rich in monetary ways, but they are wealthy in job satisfaction and respected for the contributions they make in their field. They have what many envy -- a love for what they do and a depth of competence that contributes value to every situation they are in.

These go-getters often operate by subtle but unmistakable principles. They're hungry. They are thrilled by a challenge and immerse themselves in figuring it out. They are focused intently on the job and how to do it to the best of their abilities. They are not always the smartest people in the room, but they display the rare ability to intently focus on the work at hand and refuse to be distracted by the politics and relationships that could so easily consume them.

The high performer does not focus on "being the best" or being better than everyone else. Success isn't driving them nor is their ego.

They compete with themselves and they compare the performance and results they achieved today to what they did yesterday. As a result of their desire to constantly and consistently improve themselves, their performance excels.

Many employees enter new jobs or projects and ask the question "what's in it for me?" Constantly viewing work in terms of how it will benefit them, they want to know what they'll gain before they will commit themselves to participating.

The high performer looks at it from the other side of the coin. Every situation is approached through thinking, "what do I have that I can contribute? How can I participate in this situation?" As a result, high performers are often rich in experience because they are willing to be a part of them before they know where they will lead. Many people believe if they are involved in everything around them, it will promote an image that they are dedicated and eager employees. Sometimes this has the reverse effect. Spreading yourself too thin can lead to being involved in everything but truly accomplishing nothing. The high performer has a history of "completing." They exert a discipline in themselves to stick with things long enough to see it through to completion, even if it means they won't come out shining. They don't give up. They learn as much from the things that didn't work as those that did and all of this learning is applied to future situations.

Successful performers are rarely "lone rangers." They are not under any illusions that they can achieve everything on their own. They know how to partner with others without overriding, controlling or competing with the talents of those around them.

They swing themselves behind the leadership of their peers as eagerly as they will take on the leadership of a project themselves.

Going to work for the high performer isn't about punching clocks or putting in time. The high performer goes to work because what they do is in their veins. They rarely feel a distinct separation between what they do and whom they are because their work is an extension of themselves.

"In (performance) mastery, there is a sense of effortlessness and joyousness. It stems from your ability and willingness to understand and work with the forces around you," (The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, p. 194, P. Senge, R. Ross, B. Smith, C. Roberts, A. Kleiner) Luck of the draw? Not likely. Organizations spend millions of dollars every year to train and develop the performance of their people.

The truth is, the potential depth of the contribution lies within the person. It is their choice, and their perception about work, that determines the limits to that performance.

-Sandra Clark and Al Whittall
Founding partners of Bellwether-Ecliptic Inc. -- The Performance People
As seen on www.recruit2hire.com

The 48-Hour Rule

2008-01-11T09:24:00Z

We can all agree that business today is traveling "faster than the speed of thought." Yet, have we taken the time to acknowledge the skills and approach needed to compete in today's fast-paced economy?

Whether you're trying to promote an idea, solve a problem, or push a project forward, the tempo at which you operate will surely influence your ultimate success. We no longer have the luxury of extended periods of time to capture a market or command someone's attention because in today's economy everything seems to move at high speed. Time is the very commodity that is at risk today. We have more communication, more problems to solve and more opportunities than ever before. What are the new rules? How fast do we need to act? What failsafe methodology can we embrace to ensure that we are in the driver's seat, at least most of the time?

The "48-hour rule" is one key to success. The 48-hour rule, simply stated, stipulates that to more effectively seize a new opportunity you should follow up or perform an action within 48 hours after interest has been established. Why? Because after 48 hours momentum is lost. Mind share is gone. New problems have arisen.

The 48-hour rule is easy to understand but difficult to implement. Most people use a similar clock speed for every situation. How many times have you left a meeting with a list of action items firmly planted in the forefront of your mind only to return to your computer to find thirty new e-mails requiring your immediate attention? The fresh ideas and actions from your meeting go into the vortex of "to do's" crowding your digital organizer only to be acted upon at a much later time. Your advantage is lost!

How can you make the 48-hour rule work for you? Follow these six simple steps and you will begin to adjust your clock speed. In doing so you will differentiate yourself from the pack and reap significant rewards.

Steps to implement the 48-hour rule:

The first step is to acknowledge or agree with the concept. If you've never considered the issue of timing as it relates to capturing a competitive advantage, then now is the time to accept that Internet speed is driving our world. We need new rules to help guide us through cyberspace. As Bill Gates said in his book Business @ The Speed of Thought, "If the 1980's were about quality and the1990's were about reengineering, then the 2000's will be about velocity."

The second step is to analyze your current sense of urgency. How do you react to opportunities that arise with clients, colleagues or your boss? What is the typical lag time between an identified idea and action on your part? Have you noticed a difference between the times when you've acted right away versus the times when you've waited to respond?

Test the 48-hour rule. Pick a few important projects and take immediate action after meetings or after new ideas are introduced. Learn to prioritize those projects that are aligned to your goals. How does it feel? How do others respond? Do the results differ from times when you've waited three or four days (or more!) to act? Ask a couple of co-workers or your manager for feedback. Have they noticed a difference?

Commit to the 48-hour rule. It may be a subtle change from your current approach but as everyone knows, the difference between winners and losers can be as small as a nanosecond.

Share the concept with your employees, teammates and others with whom you work. Let them see you set the pace and how much is accomplished as a result. Create an environment of momentum, progress and speed.

Reap the rewards. Embracing the 48-hour rule will differentiate you with clients, colleagues and your boss. You will earn the reputation of a doer and someone who knows how to get to the end zone. In a world of lots of ideas but little ability to execute properly or expeditiously, you'll stand out.

It may take some effort to synchronize your approach over the long term. Start slowly and try one new concept at a time. As you gain efficiencies you will also gain time that will give you the momentum to continue.

-Lisa D. Magnuson

Author, "The 48-Hour Rule and other strategies for career survival".
www.the48hourrule.com

Attitude and the Effect it can have on any Job Search

2008-01-11T09:24:00Z

So, given that it's an absolute imperative to have a positive attitude, what steps can a job seeker take to foster one?

He or she can heighten their awareness of how they come across to others. Sometimes knowing how you present yourself to others is a revelation precisely because it's such a "blind spot." Do you sound angry? Is resentment creeping into your communications? The self-awareness and acknowledgment of the impression you're making on others is a first step in reversing the trend.
Working with a coach or a "buddy" or a therapist can make it easier to provide such an objective reading of your current attitude. If you can't do it objectively by yourself, find someone you can do it with.
Regular aerobic exercise really helps. I can't stress this enough. Getting the heart and blood pumping, increasing your endorphins, bringing oxygen to your brain, all can help to turn negative thoughts and feelings into positive ones. Start a daily aerobic exercising regime and keep to it as part of your job search. The key word here is "aerobic".
Putting together a weekly plan, following it and working it conscientiously, all contribute to a fundamental feeling of accomplishment. This, in turn, will create positive feelings and confidence.
In addition to having a coach or "buddy" or therapist, joining a job seeker's support group can provide a "safe haven" in which the job hunter can "vent" and share his or her feelings with others in similar circumstances.
It's terribly important to get rid of your feelings of anger and resentment, once and for all, by putting it all behind you. I've sometimes suggested that people write a long letter to their former employer, listing all the things they feel angry and resentful about, balancing it with the things they appreciated. This letter should then be filed or torn up, never sent, of course.
Making a list of one’s accomplishments – I usually recommend twenty-five accomplishments – helps people to focus on their positive life experiences. (As a sidelight, this also provides valuable raw material for your resume.)
Knowledge of what's involved in a job search, understanding the underlying methodology and the steps involved, can help to keep your expectations at a realistic and reasonable level. This averts the unanticipated disappointment and accompanying resentment that results in feeling "down". For example, knowing that a Broadcast Letter campaign will result in a return similar to direct mail campaign at .5%, as a rule, can prevent the inevitable disappointment when you get a single response after two hundred letters have been sent out.

One person I worked with told me, "I need a dose of your coaching -- because I’ve reached a dead end and I realize I’m off track." We had worked together for a time, and then he dropped out of coaching. I smiled when I told him, "You make it sound like some kind of patent medicine or a quick fix." He came back to coaching because he had begun to realize that his job search was going nowhere, and it showed in the hostility in his tone when he talked about it.

During our coaching session, I glanced at my notes and saw that our last coaching session had taken place in January, and it was now seven months later. I suggested that regular weekly coaching could keep him on track and that, in turn, it would bolster his morale. "No," he said, "I really am very independent and don't like to be coached. Let's just lay out a plan and I'll follow it myself." After analyzing where he went off the track, we laid out a plan that basically replicated what we had worked on seven months earlier, and that ended our session. Needless to say, I felt badly for him because, unless he was very lucky, with his negative attitude and hostility (which he didn't want to confront), he would in all probability find himself once again in the same position, facing the same dead end, and he’d be even more resentful in the long run.

I'd have recommended a therapist to him; I often do with such clients. In his case I don't believe he would have been open to such a suggestion.

Job hunting for those who have been "downsized" also often carries with it a self-imposed stigma, a sense of shame, that starts with the internal belief that anybody who's been laid off has done something wrong. After all, some of the others weren't laid off. Remember, this isn't a rational belief. Combine this sense of shame with the widely held belief that job hunting is by its very nature a solitary endeavor, and, whether you're a man or a woman, it can get quickly translated into being very macho. I've encountered many clients who start off feeling they have to do it all themselves, alone, without anyone else's assistance; and, if they can't, they believe they're failures, weaklings, and don't deserve to find another position. Ironically, for both woman and men, this epitomizes the "macho" go-it-alone approach.

I'd sum it up by saying: Getting help from someone else, accepting help, is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength. And: A positive attitude and knowing what to do are the keys to peak performance.

©2002 Lawrence M. Light, eJobCoach Unlimited
The author, Lawrence M Light, is an experienced personal coach who works with a wide range of job seekers across the U.S. He was on the Board of FortyPlus and is a member of International Coach Foundation and currently serves as Vice President of the Alliance Coaching Group. His website is www.ejobcoach.com and he offers a free monthly newsletter which you can subscribe to by e-mailing subscribe@ejobcoach.com.

The Organized Job Search

2008-01-11T09:23:00Z

Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work quickly, feel they can’t afford to take the time to get organized. On the other hand, conducting your job search in an organized manner will reduce the amount of time you spend looking for information, following inappropriate leads, or waiting for your dream job to fall into your lap. It generally takes at least a month to find an entry-level job, and as much as nine months for one requiring a high level of skill and experience. Getting organized before you begin your job search can ultimately save you a lot of time and frustration.

You should take several preliminary steps before you even begin your active job search. You should start by identifying your skills, interests, target market, and any child care, transportation, or other issues that you will need to keep in mind. A career or employment counselor can be very helpful in this area, as well as with the preparation of your resume, cover letters, and any other job search materials you will need.

Once you’re ready to face the job market, there are three areas where you’ll find it beneficial to be well organized: your schedule, your workspace, and your contacts.

Your Schedule

First, you must decide how much time you can realistically commit to your job search on a weekly basis, and then create a weekly schedule of activities. Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job is in itself a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to reading and applying for advertised positions, but be sure to allow plenty of time for other job search activities such as making telephone calls, generating and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for follow up, writing thank you notes or other correspondence, and visiting placement offices, employment agencies, or other service providers. The percentage of time you dedicate to each activity depends on what is most effective for your field of work or geographical area, so it may be worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked for them.

Most people perform different activities more effectively at different times of day. Take your natural energy flow, as well as the availability of quiet time for conducting research and telephone calls, into consideration when planning your schedule. If quiet time is not available at home during the daytime or evening, an employment resource center can be an invaluable resource.

Keep your personal preferences in mind when planning your activities. For example, if you dislike talking on the telephone, it may be less stressful for you to get your calls out of the way before beginning your other activities, or to intersperse your phone calls between other activities so you don’t become overwhelmed.

If you’re planning to drop off unsolicited resumes, map out a route of targeted businesses that are in a particular area, and plan to cover the entire area in one day. This will cut down on your travel time and expenses as well as the number of times you need to dress up.

Keeping a log of the actual time you spend on each activity will allow you to see whether you are on track and to identify any problem areas. It’s not uncommon to become frustrated and depressed when you’re out of work, so be sure to schedule regular time for self-care and other personal activities like going to the gym or the hairstylist.

Your Workspace

At a minimum, you need a chair and a desk or table with plenty of space for you to work with your information, make and receive telephone calls, and plan your job search. All necessary supplies should be stored close by, including paper, pens, index cards, paperclips, staples, and your telephone directory. During your job search, you’ll likely accumulate various versions of your resume and cover letter, job postings, company profiles, advertisements, and business cards, but they will be of no value to you if you can’t find what you need. A binder or filing system, sorting the information into topics, will allow you to refer quickly to both the job posting and that specific application when you receive a telephone call from a prospective employer. It will also allow you to find easily any other information you may have gathered about the organization before your interview.

You may find it beneficial to have an alternate "job search office" such as your local library or employment center, where you can research, read, and write without the distractions you may encounter at home. Many are equipped with computers that you can use for Internet job search as well as resume and cover letter preparation, which can be a great benefit if you don’t have a home computer or must share it with other family members. If you plan to use this type of service on a regular basis, you’ll need some type of portfolio or briefcase to hold your job search material, including your resume in printed form and on a diskette, your calendar, and a notebook for jotting down leads and ideas. Most facilities do not allow you to receive telephone calls, so be sure that potential employers can reach you by voice mail, pager or cell phone.

Of course, you’ll need a calendar for marking down job interviews and other important meetings. You’ll also need a system for keeping track of your job applications. This information may be needed to confirm your eligibility for unemployment insurance or social assistance, and will help you to follow up on your applications.

Your Contacts

During your job search, you will probably communicate with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, but in order to make effective use of the network you develop, you’ll need a way to keep track of all your contacts.

The simplest method is a card file system, with a card for each contact. Each card should include the contact’s name, title, organization, address, telephone number, fax, and email address, the source of the lead, and dates and details of any conversations, correspondence, or interviews. You may find it helpful to set up a "recipe box" with a set of dividers labeled with the days of the week and a set numbered 1-31 for the days of the month. You can file each card under the date you wish to contact that person. For example, you may speak with someone on the 10th who suggests that you call him or her in two weeks. After noting the information on the index card, file it in the section for the 25th where it will serve as a reminder for you to follow up.

There are wonderful software programs available that can help you with organizingyour job search contacts. WinWay Resume, for example, has a section for storing contact information that you can merge with your cover letter. ACT! allows you to schedule tasks and reminders as well as perform mail merges. If you don’t wish to buy or learn a new software package, email address books in Outlook, Outlook Express or in free Web-based email packages are also an excellent way to keep track of your contacts. However, unless you have unrestricted access to a computer, or a portable system such as a Palm Pilot, you won’t be always able to access the information. The key features of any organizational system are ease of recording and ease of retrieval. If using an electronic system will make your job search more complicated and time-consuming, don’t use it.

Job searching can be overwhelming, but when you organize your schedule, workspace, and contacts effectively, you’ll be able to stay on track and find your new job more quickly.

-Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant
Janet Barclay is a Professional Organizer and Virtual Assistant with a background in employment services. For more information, visit www.organizedassistant.com

4 Job Search Questions

2008-01-11T09:22:00Z

I get a lot of questions these days from frustrated job seekers, who want to know how to get noticed by employers, how to network more effectively, etc.

After pouring over my email inbox for the last 30 days, I picked four commonly asked questions that really resonate for October 2003.

If you or someone you know is in the job market now, chances are one or more of these questions (and answers) will apply to you.

So here they are...

Question 1: "With so many other candidates sending in resumes these days, how can I get mine noticed?"

Answer: It’s always been important to focus your resume on results and use compelling language. Nowadays, it’s more than important -- it’s essential.

You can do two things today to improve your resume and your chances of getting noticed:

Focus on the results of what happened when you did your job well. Not the duties, not the responsibilities -- the specific results. To do this, look at how you did your job and what good things resulted when you did it well.
Here’s a quick "before" and "after" example from one resume that worked like a charm.
BEFORE
Cleaned up Microsoft Access database.
AFTER
Helped retain $20-million contract with top client after working 16-hour days for four months to clean up Access database and repair reporting problem using Excel and Crystal Reports.
See the difference?
Understand that the purpose of the first line in your resume is to make employers read the second. The purpose of the second line is to...you get the idea.
NEVER assume hiring managers will wade through a text-heavy magnum opus to discover on page 3 that you cut costs by $35,000 last year. Not when they have 200-300 other resumes to read.
If it’s critical that readers know something about you that makes you the ideal candidate, put it near the top of page one, or at least mention it there, and go into detail later.

Question 2: "How can I find inside contacts in a company I want to work for when I don't know anyone who works there?"

Answer: Try to come at them from all angles.

For example, although you may not know anyone who works at Company X, you do know about 250 people, if you’re at all average.

And the 250 people you know, know 250 others. That’s 62,500 people. Chances are, one of them is connected somehow to Company X.

If not, find out who the suppliers and customers of Company X are. Use your network to get an introduction at one of those firms. Then move back up the food chain and get an introduction at Company X.

As a final suggestion, the Vault Web site (www.vault.com) is a great networking resource you can use to meet people in companies nationwide.

Question 3: "What industries are doing well in this economy?"

Answer: To find out what the demand for certain jobs is, search for openings at the bigger sites, like www.hotjobs.com or www.collegerecruiter.com. Experiment using a variety of terms.

Examples: a search at www.monster.com for "registered nurse" pulled up 2082 openings nationwide, while a search for "art teacher" returned 71.

If you don't find a good number of openings, try new search terms. If pickings are still slim ... consider a career switch.

Question 4: "I've tried networking, but it didn't work."

Answer: That’s like saying, "I tried skiing, but it didn't work. I kept falling down the mountain."

Sure you tried networking. But did you try doing it right?

Did you call the 50 best-connected people you know and ask, assertively: "Who do you know who needs an IT manager who saved $4.5 million for his last two employers?" (You can email that message to the other 200 people in your network.)
Did you send a thank-you email (good) or card (better) to everyone you spoke with? This is not only common courtesy, it also lets you get into their head twice.
Did you reconnect with your network every 3-4 weeks with an update on your status and the specific job you’re looking for?
Important: did you regularly send industry news, tips and other information to folks in your network? If you act as a resource to these people, they'll remember you and reward you with job leads.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

-Kevin Donlin
Kevin Donlin owns and operates Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his writers have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in 50 states and 6 continents. Kevin's articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Twin Cities Employment Weekly and others. Reach him at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - www.gresumes.com

Locating Job Prospects

2008-01-11T09:22:00Z

Transposing two of the commands in the ritual used by the execution squads of old — "Ready! Aim! Fire!" — yields some guidelines for those in the employment hunt.

"Ready!": Initial Research

"Fire!" The Testing Stage

"Aim!": Hitting The Target

-Vic Smith
A Tucson resident, Vic is a member of Society of Southwestern Authors, a published educational and technical writer as well as novelist.
vicsmith0123@cs.com

The ABC’s to Your Dream Job

2008-01-11T09:21:00Z

How’s work going?" This is such a common question that we never really answer. After all, does anyone really care about our employment issues when they have a list of their own? Have we all become conditioned to put up with the daily grind and just keep smiling?

The employment decisions that we made a month ago, a year ago or even five years ago can certainly impact our everyday life today. Stop and think about your job. Do you wake up each morning and throw the alarm clock across the room? Are you frustrated before you even get to your desk? Are you sick and tired of feeling like your world is spinning and you can’t get off?

In today’s world of non-stop pressure we often forget that true success doesn’t come in a paycheck or in the prestige of a job title. If you ask people what makes them content in their job it usually is a reflection of the overall components of their 8 to 5 life. Things like making it to their son’s baseball game on time, telecommuting or casual dress Fridays are often elements that are important. So why can’t you have these elements in your job? Have you ever made a formal proposal to your boss to make your job the "right" job? If your job had the "right" elements would you stop throwing that alarm clock each morning? How nice that would be! You can make it change!

The steps to creating your dream job are as easy as ABC. However, it is up to you to make it happen, as no employer will do that for you. So get out that pen and paper and prepare for a great new job.

Follow the ABC’s for creating your dream job today!

1. "A" Assess Your Dream Plan. What are the factors that would make you most happy in a job? Is it specific duties, money, location, hours, environment, dress code...etc? Make a list of the pros and cons of your job. Determine the cons you can tackle with a reasonable alternative. Are these changes possible in your current job or would you need to seek employment elsewhere? If you seek to remain in your current company begin with only 1-2 significant changes. And be realistic about what an employer can accomplish.

2. "B" Build a Plan of Action. Once you have written down your objectives then it is time to build support for your success. The first key is to identify the benefits to the employer. For example; telecommuting will allow you to work at any hour necessary; casual dress would help lighten the tone in the office; a raise that included an additional key responsibility for you would lighten your boss’s workload; a half day on Friday would reduce stress; flextime would allow for the phone lines to be open for additional hours…etc. The second key is to research related success stories of other employees, departments or companies. And the third key is to identify the direct reasons that this change will enable you to do a better job for the company.

3. "C" Communicate Your Proposal. Preparation is the foundation to any sales proposal. You will be selling the benefits of change to your manager and the company. In turn this will provide the dream job you wish to create. First, if possible, present your proposal in general terms to another trusting manager for feedback and suggestions. Secondly, set the stage for your manager. Begin by giving him a strategically written note requesting a meeting to discuss your current position and desired changes. Upon meeting, wear your best attire and brightest smile, feel your confidence and believe in your well-developed plan of action. Thirdly, be prepared and secure in addressing any questions and/or concerns he may raise. Never become defensive, as this may appear that you are not being fully honest.

Once you have followed the ABC’s and successfully presented your proposal it is time to celebrate. Hopefully, your employer will see the value of the changes and your frustrations will ease. However, don’t be discouraged if "no" is the answer, as it simply calls for you to reassess your situation. Remember that regardless of the outcome, you have proven that you have the ability to take control of your life. Stand tall and remember that you are always your own best advocate.

-Sheri A. Callahan, President Horizon Headhunters, LLC

Training & Career Development Resources

sheri@onthehorizon.net

www.onthehorizon.net

Star Maker Rule: You are your reputation.

2008-01-11T09:20:00Z

Recently, I’ve heard buzz on a number of individuals about their work performance and it wasn’t good. Here are just three of them.

Scenario One: The person in question damaged an important client relationship by repeatedly missing deadlines and ignoring meetings with her team. She even had the nerve to tell the customer she hated the work and wanted to quit.

Scenario Two: This individual committed the fatal error of making his creative contribution to his team be all about his creativity rather than how it served the project. He took offense to any suggestions for making his ideas work better. He took several opportunities to make snide remarks about being better at what he does than others were giving him credit for.

Scenario Three: This person complained about her employer the entire time she was on the project. The people she worked with, who did not share her opinion, made sure she wasn’t asked back.

On the other hand, there’s this woman. She has a reputation for giving 2000% to any thing she’s involved with. She has a great attitude, shows up early, stays late, anticipates problems and initiates solutions. Everyone wants her on their team because she adds tremendous value. When her name comes up, heads nod and people smile.

Would you hire or recommend any of these individuals? Do you know what people are saying about your work?

I have a client who knows I am in contact with many people who know her. She asks me from time to time what people say about her work. She really wants to know how she can provide better service to her clients. I always tell her the truth and she appreciates it.

Another client recently ended a business relationship with a vendor because that person did not have the expertise required for the work and had become difficult to work with. My client got a call from a prospective customer for this vendor inquiring about the quality of the vendor’s work. Had the vendor done good work, had a great attitude and been easy to work with, it would have been easy for my client to answer. Instead, she didn’t know how to respond so she said nothing. If you were the prospect, what would you conclude from that silence?

Want people to rave about you? Here’s how...

Maintain a good attitude no matter what. Attitude is everything!
Under-commit and over-deliver. It’s better to promise what you know you can do than to have to explain why you couldn’t do what you said you could.
Give your employer or customer more than he pays for. Do more than just what’s expected. Add something extra.
Pay attention.
Take the high ground. Don’t get mired in petty issues that can reveal a side of you better left unseen.
Anticipate problems and concerns.
Take the initiative. Don’t wait ‘til your asked.
Know your subject. Study. Keep informed. Be a source of information in your area of expertise.

Knowledge is power! You are your reputation. When your name comes up in conversation, what are people saying about you?

-Mariette Edwards
Mariette Edwards is a business and career coach, consultant, speaker and writer. Her newest book, The Way Things Work: 25 Must-Know Principles for Making Dreams Come True, is now available as an e-book on her web site at http://www.starmakercoaching.com.
mailto:mariette@starmakercoaching.com
©Copyright 2003 Mariette Durack Edwards All rights reserved

Taking Your Job Home

2008-01-11T09:19:00Z

Part II: The Blue Print

In part one of Taking Your Job Home: Facing the Issues, we covered concerns your employer would have if you asked him to let you work at home. There were five issues: Privacy and safety, Dealing with Co-workers, Communication, Job Function, and Trust. We ended by suggesting that you think over each of these issues carefully so you’re ready to address each one when your supervisor brings them up.

A good way to begin addressing these issues is to write them down. Then, put what you’ve written into a clear, concise “blue print” for your manager so that she can follow along with you on how your plan on how a telecommuting work arrangement would succeed. (A written blue print is also important for supervisors who may agree with you but then need something to present to their superiors who might actually have the final say.)

Carefully cover each issue in your plan, even if you think your supervisor won’t be concerned about one or more of them. A blueprint always shows parts in the construction plan that aren’t necessarily relevant to what a builder is working on, just to keep things in perspective. Remember: The Company is what employers are most concerned about, even if they genuinely do care about their employees. The bottom line is always their bottom line.

Before going over the blue print with your supervisor, start with a cover letter. Entice your supervisor to even want to read your proposal. Let him know that reading the proposal could actually benefit him. Begin by pointing out some facts about telecommuting and its benefits.

Did you know, you could write, that telecommuting has been shown to…

dramatically save businesses in premises costs, office overhead, and even labor: Why rent more office space than necessary if there are people who can use their own offices?
increase productivity anywhere. Instead of traveling, telecommuters could be working.
improve retention: Workers who feel they have autonomy, who are able to stop and rest when they need to, and who feel they have a better work-life balance are more likely to stay with their current company. This means lower recruitment costs and less training of new workers in the future because people continue to remain with the company.
better attendance: That’s right, working from home usually means that workers continue to work later hours or while they’re sick to finish a project because they can still be home. This demonstrates a higher commitment from workers and usually increased productivity.

Now to begin the blue print

Getting to the Issues

Privacy and Safety Issues

How can you insure that the information you work on at home will be kept private? Tell your manager about your security systems, such as computer firewalls, locked filing cabinets, a completely private office space, and/or a separate telephone land line. Remember that his/her concern will be: how do I know other people won’t be getting into sensitive information? What would be the consequences to the company if this privacy was breached? Alleviate those fears.

What about safety? In some cases, insuring safety can become expensive and complicated. Will you need a fire extinguisher, or a stress mat to stand on? Who will pay for that? What about OSHA issues? What about MSDS’s (Material Safety Data Sheets) that are required by law to be onsite where ever dangerous chemicals are? Plan in advance how you can either provide for these items yourself, or how you can make it easy for your company to provide them. The potential of lawsuits will be a concern to your manager if privacy and safety issues are not properly handled.

Co-Worker Issues

You can’t control the attitudes other people, but you can do plenty to discourage hard feelings. (Obviously, bragging that you’ll get to stay home, when your co-workers will be scraping ice off their windshields before work is a no-no.) Let your colleagues know that they can contact you at any time. Make sure they know you will still working with them, albeit at a distance. Discuss with them about the several methods of communication that will be used to maintain constant contact.

On a more personal level, make notes of their birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions you normally congratulate them on. Remember to call a co-worker who recently had a baby—just as you normally would do, for example. Have occasional get-togethers with them after work hours, or for a lunch. Keep in touch, and do it often. The water cooler chats may be no more, but you can still find plenty of ways to stay in the loop.

Communication Issues

How will you and your supervisor remain connected? Let your boss know that she can reach you at any specified time you agree on (say, from nine to five), and that you will make sure there is always a way for you to be immediately contacted—just like in the office. Give her your cell phone number if you think you’ll be on your work phone so often that she might get frequent busy signals. Help your boss to feel like she will still be able to “pop in” your office to tell you something she feels is urgent. Having a separate folder in your e-mail for work related mail might be helpful. It would be terrible if you accidentally deleted a note from your supervisor, or if work related mail went into a spam folder. As with anything else, the more separate and organized you keep your work from the rest of your life, the better.

Job Function Issues

Along with informing your boss about your well-equipped office (computer, fax, landline, printer, scanner, software, and so on), what is your back up plan? Hardware breaks. Computers crash. Then what? How will you prevent vital information from getting lost? Depending on your profession and the sensitivity of the information you work with, developing a Plan B could be vital.

Trust Issues

Having an employee work from home can make some supervisors feel a little blinded. If they can’t see you, that could make them nervous. You’ll need to help them feel confident in your commitment and ability to do your work offsite. Sometimes, the issue is lack of trust; other times it’s a combination of trust and a manager’s need to feel in control. How can you assure your supervisor that you will work just as hard and competently at home; and, if necessary, show him he will still maintain control?

On the other hand, even if a manager believes that you are committed to doing a good job working from home, she may not have the confidence in herself that she will be able to effectively manage from a distance. If she should mess up (forget to give you important information because you weren’t present at a meeting, for example), it could be her job on the line. You may need to help her feel confident in their selves as well as feel that they can trust you.

Of course, giving your superior a pep talk about control and confidence might not be too wise. You can, however, indirectly show her that she can confidently supervise you by setting up schedules for communication (i.e. times to checking in for orders/instruction), and agreeing on ways to measure your progress (e.g. giving frequent progress reports or agreeing on a deadline for a particular assignment). The more concrete you can be, the easier it will be for a manager to visualize a successful work-at-home arrangement.

Rolling it up

It’s always best to avoid making a manager feel he is locked into anything. Suggest a trial period. It should be long enough for you to prove your capability to telecommute, but not so long that it makes him nervous. Is your work project-oriented? Perhaps you could both agree that the trial will last until you complete writing a manual, for example.

In fairness to you, too, an agreement should also be made that telecommuting—whether temporarily or permanently—will not cause you to lose your current status at work. In other words, your physical absence will not reduce your rank in any way; eliminate you from a raise, a promotion, etc. It’s important that you protect your bottom line, just as a company would do. Don’t be so desperate to work from home that you compromise your career in the long run.

Read Part I

- Pamela La Gioia

Pamela La Gioia is a telecommuting expert who researches telecommuting opportunities for her website members at www.teleworkrecruiting.com.

Resignations and Counteroffers

2008-01-11T09:18:00Z

You resigned. You were given a counteroffer. Now what?

Breaking up is hard to do. To gear up for the fateful day, the "dumper" usually plays the scenario over and over in his or her mind until the perfect break up line is found; a line that has the right balance of honesty and diplomacy. The dumper’s vision usually ends smoothly, without complications, and a firm "we’ll part as friends" handshake. Unfortunately, breakups are rarely a mutual decision. The "dumpee" almost always throws a curve ball in the dumper’s perfect plan, he or she asks -- sometimes begs -- for a second chance.

Uncomfortable breakups are not restricted to one’s personal life; they can also creep into one’s professional life when an employer’s response to a resignation is a counter offer. In a moment of weakness, the employee may feel extreme pressure to cave in. Should he or she stay in the current job that has become stale or does he or she move on to take advantage of a more exciting opportunity?

Though the decision whether to stay or go is a personal one, there are common pitfalls that you must be aware of before accepting an employer’s counter offer. There are many factors to consider.

The moment you resign, your loyalty to the company is immediately questioned. Although your manager may say, "We’ll give you anything you want" in an effort to persuade you to stay, be aware that this plea may be a diversion until the company finds a replacement. Your manager will do what he or she can to protect the interest of the company. Even if you are not replaced, you may be passed up for a promotion or not assigned juicy projects because you have gained the reputation of a disloyal employee, a non-team player.

However, let’s give your manager the benefit of the doubt. After all, he or she may be sincere in their quest to make things right but they may not have the authority to follow through. Therefore, don’t take promises at face value; get your counter offer in writing.

How management perceives you should not be your only concern. Your colleagues may become resentful that you were given a raise or company perks because, as they see it, you blackmailed the company into making a counter offer. As far as your colleagues are concerned, they put in as much time and effort as you to promote the growth of the company, and they will resent not being recognized for their contribution the way you have been.

Resentment can develop into a feeling of professional distrust and the dynamics of your relationships with colleagues may begin to shift. For the most part, the makeup of your day is defined by your connections with co-workers. When stresses begin to mount at work, it can trickle into other areas of your life. It is important that you consider your colleague’s reaction when making the final decision as to whether you should stay or go. Resist the temptation to be roped in by the glamour of the benefits you may be presented. Take into account the core reasons why you decided to begin searching for another position. Was it because you wanted a prime parking spot? Or was it because your efforts weren’t valued? Was it because you wanted extended lunches? Or was it because you want to get home at a reasonable hour? When all is said and done, are the perks that you are being offered sufficient to overcome your initial objections that motivated your search for another job to begin with?

Statistics show that employees who decide to accept a counter offer end up getting fired or quit within the year. Does that mean you shouldn’t accept a counter offer? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that you should prepare for all the possible scenarios that may arise. Whether you decide to stay or make a clean break is up to you. Just be sure that your decision is an educated one.

-Linda Matias
Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com.

Ten Things a Recruiter Will Never Tell You

2008-01-11T09:16:00Z

As a former executive recruiter and headhunter, I can tell you there are a lot of industry secrets. Having access to those secrets can make the difference in whether your resume is accepted—or rejected—by top headhunters.

As you focus your job search, here are the top ten things recruiters will never tell you.

Your cover letter put him off.
You might have been thrilled to find just the right cover letter form in a book of cover letters or computer template. What you don’t realize is that a thousand other people have also found that cover letter—and the recruiter has seen them all. It makes your cover letter look like 150 other letters he has read that morning. And it makes you seem unoriginal, and not a good candidate.
If your cover letter sounds like an exact repeat of your resume, or if it sounds pompous and self-absorbed, your cover letter and resume will be tossed or ignored. A professionally written cover letter can make the best of your accomplishments and give a fresh sound to recruiters, winning their interest.
Recruiters spend five to ten seconds looking at each resume.
If your resume can not get his attention in five to ten seconds, it will be passed over.
In an extremely fast-paced environment, high-volume resume reading is required; recruiters are professionally trained to look for certain items. If your resume is not designed to contain what recruiters are looking for, you won’t get a second chance.
Your resume may be full of hidden or unsuspected red flags.
You think you have a great resume, but there may be red flags you are not even aware of. Here are a few that cause concern for recruiters:
- Too many jobs in a short time = Unstable candidate
- Too many years at the same company/industry = Inflexible to change
- Overqualified = Too expensive or won’t stay long
- Underqualified = Long learning curve
- Too many different types of jobs = Candidate doesn’t know what he wants

A professional resume and cover letter can avoid these misperceptions by guiding the recruiter toward your strongest accomplishments—and away from the red flags.

Your age is obvious from your resume.
You may think you’ve fooled the recruiter by leaving out your college graduation date, but there are many resume cues that can betray your age. In today’s youth-oriented market, this can lead to a whole series of misconceptions:
- Your industry knowledge is out of date
- You don’t understand current technology
- You won’t be able to work under younger managers

A well-written resume can prove your experience while downplaying your actual age.

Your resume indicates you are not a good “cultural fit” for his clients.
Your resume reveals more about you than you know. Your personal information or extracurricular activities may actually make a negative impression on recruiters or potential employers. Even the way you phrase your job experience can prove that you don’t belong in his client’s workplace.
This is one area where a strong resume, particularly one written by a professional with past recruiting expertise, can definitely win you the interview. A strong resume allows the recruiter to sell you to his clients with ease.
The recruiter’s first motivation is earning commissions.
The recruiter’s loyalty is not to you; it is to the companies that pay his commission. Those employers are interested in the bottom line—and so is he. Don’t expect a recruiter to be personally interested in your career goals; he only wants to talk to you if you match the qualifications of the job openings he has to offer.
It is up to YOU to make him understand what a great asset you would be to his clients—and therefore to him as well. A professionally written resume and cover letter will help display your quantifiable accomplishments and marketable skills to your best advantage.
He doesn’t care why the employer didn’t want you for a second interview.
If the employer isn’t interested in you, then neither is the recruiter. Recruiters don’t feel any obligation to tell you why you didn’t make the cut; he has other jobs to fill and other candidates to fill them. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, recruiters have to focus on jobs that pay them, not on improving your interview techniques.
It pays to work on your interviewing skills well before you get to that stage. A career coach can help you polish those skills. You can’t rely on the recruiter to do that for you.
He doesn’t care why the employer didn’t make you the offer.
Recruiters don’t want to admit that they knew you were the second choice all along or that the employer was just interviewing you to go through the motions. Maybe the top candidate was even someone else he sent in.
You have to be aware that you are in competition at all times—even with other job seekers your recruiter represents. As such, you have to be prepared to wow the recruiters and employers with a top-notch resume and cover letter, one that will win everyone’s attention, and hone the interview skills that will win you the offer.
He won’t tell you the real reason the position you want is on hold.
Again, a recruiter’s first loyalty is to the companies that pay his commission. So he is not going to tell you that the employer just ordered a budget cut or that they are having a management crisis. And you will be left to wonder if the company put the job on hold to avoid hiring you.
By honing your interview skills, you will be able to determine those hidden concerns and rely on your own judgment, not your recruiter’s.
He won’t tell you the true salary range for the position.
For internal, corporate recruiters, it is in their best interest to keep the salary range low. It makes them look good if they can have a positive impact on the bottom line, and what better way to save thousands of dollars than by negotiating low?
For third-party recruiters, their commission is often based on your salary, so they will try to inflate the salary range. This seems like it could work in your benefit—until you find yourself priced out of a job.
You can avoid leaving dollars on the table and avoid pricing yourself out of a job only by learning negotiation skills that can earn you the salary you truly deserve.

Don’t give up on recruiters just because you know these hard facts. Instead, use them to your advantage! Recruiters can actually be your best asset in a job search. Your recruiter can be an incredible ally. Once a recruiter has placed you, you will always have his ear.

In fact, maintaining contact with your recruiter even after you have found a great job can be a good idea. Don’t burn your bridges. Even if the recruiter was rude or didn’t give you as much attention as you would have liked, be businesslike and polite. That same recruiter might be the one to hand you your next job on a silver platter.

Also remember that when you are searching for a career coach, it pays (literally!) to have one who has access to this type of inside knowledge, who has been on both sides of the negotiating table. Only by knowing the pitfalls—and how to avoid them—can you be truly successful in finding the right job at the right salary for you.

- Deborah Walker, CCMC

Resume Writer ~ Career Coach

Find resume and job-search tips in the article archive at www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com

Working with Recruiters

2008-01-11T09:16:00Z

When’s the last time you responded to, or actively courted, the attention of a recruiter? When happily employed people get a call, they usually terminate it fairly quickly – because they’re happily employed. Those who are unhappily employed respond if contacted but don’t generally initiate it. On the other hand, for unemployed people, a recruiting firm is usually the very first step in the process of locating a new job.

So why do so many wait until they’re in a bind to turn to a person who can – free of charge – significantly broaden their options? It’s because, aside from horror stories and the varying skill levels of recruiters, people just don’t realize how many openings are handled by search firms.

A study by Coopers & Lybrand found that recruiters fill 64% of all vacant positions. That means only 36% are filled through advertisings and other sources.

Here are a few reasons why companies use a search firm, and why you shouldn’t wait until you’re unemployed – and at a disadvantage – to be in contact with a recruiter.

Companies do not use recruiters as a “last resort”: Companies that have benefited from developing a relationship with a recruiter often pick up the phone to call their recruiter first and never post an opening anywhere else at all.
The company is targeting a specific person: It’s highly unethical for a company to contact an employee who’s working for a competitor. But they can call a recruiter to contact that person and find out if that person is open to making a change. This is only one reason why when you’re contacted by a recruiter, you should listen.
The good ones are already taken: Companies know that using a recruiter expands their scope of potential candidates. They want to hire achievers, people who are happy with their current company and position and appreciated by their existing organization. These people aren’t actively on the market. They aren’t reading the want ads, and they aren’t sitting home unemployed.
There’s a benefit to hiring people who are employed and open to change but not in dire straights: their priorities are more in line than those of the person who has been unemployed for a while and getting panicky as more and more money flows out of their bank account.
Employed people are more objective and better able to make a decision about changing to a new company. The unemployed person eventually begins to make concessions about what’s of value in their next job, because their priority becomes getting a job. Once they’re employed again, reflection causes the person’s original values to re-assert themselves. Suddenly their wonderful new job isn’t so wonderful anymore.
Value-added services: Most companies appreciate the value-added services recruiters can provide. These not only include the ability to penetrate competitor companies, but a distinct access to people the companies wouldn’t otherwise know about. A recruiter also sorts through resumes, and screens and interviews potential candidates, which are vastly time consuming for any hiring authority.
Confidential replacements: Did you accept a counter-offer with your current company? Your position could be listed with a search firm right now. Are maxing out your sick time? Your days there might be numbered. Had distinctly unfavorable job performance reviews? Better polish up your resume. Your job is open, and no one knows it but your boss … and his recruiter.

If you aren't in control of your career, then your company is. Corporate restructuring, layoffs and downsizing are taking place with alarming frequency as companies tighten their belts and look hard at who is contributing and who isn't.

Sometimes it isn't even a matter of contribution. In those plushy carpeted, window offices, the top executives and board members comfortably decide whose heads will roll and for what reason. Sometimes it's simply eliminating an entire department - and it has nothing to do with you, individually, at all. For instance, it's not uncommon for a new manager or president to come in and bring his own people with him.

A friend of mine began work in the corporate offices of a statewide corporation right after we graduated. Over the years, she obtained her MBA and continued to rise through the ranks. For twenty-five years she was with this company.....until she was laid off a few months ago. She hadn't seen it coming. And she freaked out. It can happen that quickly, and it can happen to you.

If you want to stay in control of your career, develop a relationship with a few skilled and thorough recruiters in your industry. And when they call you, even though you’re not actively looking, listen to what they have to say - because one day, they may be calling with your perfect job.

- Judi Perkins

VisionQuest

judi@findtheperfectjob.com

http://www.findtheperfectjob.com.

6 Steps To Ensure That You Always Have A Job

2008-01-11T09:15:00Z

Did you ever notice that there are certain people who have great jobs? They are always working on a consistent basis even in shaky industries and uncertain times? And then there are those who are either constantly unhappy in their careers, or go for long periods of time without work. They blame the world and wonder why bad luck always seems to "happen" to them.

You make your own luck. Your career is great when you focus on making it great. This means not waiting for things to happen; but making things happen instead. It means being pro-active instead of reactive. Rather than blaming others for past mistakes, you are passionate about new possibilities. You are not afraid. Instead, you are excited about what you do, and what you contribute everyday. And, if you are excited about your job, you will find that other people will be committed to having you stay on as a member of the team.

So How Do You Make Sure You Are Never Without A Job?

Follow These 6 Steps Below.

Tell Yourself That You Will Always Be Employed
What you say matters. Your words have power, meaning, and intention. When you tell yourself something bad will happen to your job, this will probably happen. If you tell yourself that you are marketable and confident that you will always be working, your words can make this true.
Anticipate Trends In Your Industry
If your job is being eliminated or outsourced, you want to know about it before you are in the room with human resources telling you that your job is going away. Research your industry. Know what's happening and what the experts say will happen. This way you can make informed decisions. Look for trends. When you find them, start to train yourself in these areas. Knowledge is power. Having the right skills at the right time ensures that, no matter what is happening around you, you will be needed and employable.
Have An Updated Resume
Your resume showcases your skills and abilities to the world. It is a selling tool that outlines your unique qualifications so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the employer's workplace. When you are looking for work, prospective employers know immediately whether you are a fit for a position. If you are not looking for work, your resume reminds you of the contributions you make on a regular basis, something you can easily forget when you are immersed in the day-to-day. Whether you are looking for a job, or you have one, an updated resume is essential for your career.
Create A 30 Second Introduction
Whether you are looking for a new position now or sometime in the future, your 30-second introduction is an important tool for your job search. It creates an impression, and you want the impression to be a good one. Information to include in your introduction is: 1) Your name, 2) Type of position you seek specifically, 3) Your skills and strengths, 4) Background or accomplishments. Where job seekers go awry in the 30-second introduction is they are not specific enough. Without a few brief and clear details, the listener cannot understand what they want and won't refer them because they do not know what they are looking for. Example: "I have a background in finance and can do pretty much anything in this area." Versus "I am looking for a CFO job in a large manufacturing company located in the NYC area." The more specific you are in your 30-second introduction the better results you will achieve.
Network On A Regular Basis
If you start to network only when you need something, you will have a lot of catching up to do. Therefore, network every day. Wherever there are people, there is an opportunity to network. You do not always have to go somewhere to network successfully. You can network within your own company. Are there opportunities for you? Ask people and find out. They are your best resource for information. Invite co-workers to lunch. Take the time to walk by someone's office to say hello. In addition, who can you tap into outside of where you work? Every industry has an association. When is your industry's association meeting in your area? Check the date and go. Get involved in this group so more people can get to know you. So, if something happens to your job, you'll have people to reach out to. Lastly, send e-mail or call people you know already on a regular basis. If you are always keeping in touch, then you will not feel bad that you are bothering someone when it's time to reach out and ask for help.
Always Be On The Look Out For New Opportunities
Read trade publications. Read memo's not only from your area, but others. Think about what you could be doing differently. Get your creative juices flowing. Think positively. Rather than "it cannot happen," believe that what you want is possible and is within your reach. Then, make it happen.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

- Deborah Brown-Volkman

Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998. We work with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are out of work or overworked. Deborah is also the creator of the Career Escape Program and author of Coach Yourself To A New Career: A Book To Discover Your Ultimate Profession. Deborah Brown-Volkman can be reached at www.surpassyourdreams.com, www.career-escape-program.com info@surpassyourdreams.com, or at (631) 874-2877.