Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

CAREER ADVICE COLUMN: What are Jobs that Require Great People Skills?

2010-09-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Not to be flip but - all of them. OK, serious answer. There are many jobs that truly benefit by someone having great people skills, here are some off the top of my head: teachers, nurses, sales people, manager, clergy, customer service, coaches, counselors, HR - manager or employee support, marketing, non profits development, receptionist, wait staff, airline attendants, volunteer coordinator, bar tender, purchasing agents, logistic coordinator, project manager. Wheww! I would suggest you check the Occupational Outlook (do a Google search) it is a great source for finding out detailed information about jobs, skills and education along with fairly detailed descriptions of how the job is performed.

If you have great people skills that means you probably: communicate well, empathize, make people feel at ease, connect and the list goes on. You might want to really translate the term "people skills" into actual skills that you can correlate these jobs to as well as outline in your resume.

I might also add that many times when I have seen people gravitate to a skill set like this; it usually means that they have a history of doing work they disliked. You need to spend time truly analyzing your past work to see what lacked resonance for you. We all use our people skills in all jobs and most likely you did too. You may discover that there were other aspects to it that you didn’t like or you lacked much skill for doing.

Consider a different tactic to your career exploration – explore: 1- what skills you have 2- what skills you don’t want to use 3- what skills you would be ok with developing and see what kind of jobs those would be. To focus solely on people skills might not yield a great job for you.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

Guest Expert:

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com/

Leaving Effective Voicemails in Your Job Search!

2010-09-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

When networking, following up on an application, reconnecting after an interview, or for virtually any other aspect of a job search… talking to someone is always better than an email.

A professional voice on the phone is much harder to ignore than one of dozens of emails.
However, for most people, the majority of calls you make will initially result in leaving a voicemail than actually being able to catch someone on the phone.

I recently received an email from someone asking what they can do to improve their chances of getting a call back. Good question!

Here are some points to consider:

Be prepared! Many people prepare well for their introduction and presentation should they get the intended person on the phone. However, most are unprepared and stammer or ramble on if they get a voicemail instead. It is just as important to be prepared for a voicemail as it is to talk to the person directly. Just as you should have a script prepared for a conversation, you should also prepare a script for a voicemail. Having a well prepared message to leave will keep you from rambling, stammering, or leaving a message you may regret.

Make it brief! The fact is, a lengthy voicemail is not likely to be listened to in its entirety. And even if it is, it will likely hurt the impression you leave rather than help it. If they are trying to get through their voicemails quickly, a lengthy one quickly becomes annoying. Briefly state your name, the reason for the call, 1 or 2 very brief reasons you would be of interest to them, and be sure to leave your name and return number at the end. The impression you leave will be much improved by being succinct, substantive, and upbeat. Your voicemail should never be more than 30 seconds or so.

Let them know you’ll be back! If you make it clear that you will be following up again, it may improve your chances of getting a call back. If you leave a voicemail without any indication that you will be following up, it’s very easy for them to delete it and forget about you. The likelihood that they might call you first, or at least remember your call is greatly improved if you indicate you will be persistent. Let them know you’ll be reconnecting.

Be Pleasantly Persistent! Keep trying! Only leave a voicemail once, however, keep trying to reach them often. Many times it’s easier to catch a manager before or after “core” hours. They may be easier to catch at their desk before 8:00 am or after 5:00 pm. Try several times throughout the day to improve your chances of actually catching them by phone versus getting their voicemail. While a call back from them is fine, you will invariably be better prepared for an effective call when you are the one making the call to them rather than receiving one at a random time.

Say something like…

Hello Mr. Smith. My name is Harry Urschel. I’m calling in regard to the open Accounting position you have posted online. I believe my Oracle AR experience in a manufacturing environment over the past 5 years fits the requirements exactly. And I have process improvement skills that saved my previous company a great deal of money.

I’m sure your schedule is full, however, I hope we can speak soon. If you are able to call, you can reach me at 867-5309. I’ll also call back around 4:00 this afternoon and keep trying over the next day or two until we actually connect. I look forward to talking soon. Again, this is Harry Urschel, and you can reach me any time at 867-5309.

Some points to keep in mind when crafting your voicemail script:

Never use someone else’s script! You will never sound natural using someone else’s words. Write your script in words that you feel comfortable using.
Practice. Don’t try your script out for the first time when you’re leaving a message to an important contact. You will be better if you’ve practiced it several times in advance.
No more than 30 seconds. Time it. If you’re over, figure out how to say it more succinctly.
Immediately connect the dots. Give the most relevant experience you have to the requirements for the position. Telling of unrelated skills, no matter how impressive they are, will not gain interest if it’s not required for the role. Then, give them one BRIEF skill that might set you apart from the competition…. again, related to the open position.
Repeat your name and phone number at the end of the message so they don’t have to “rewind” to get that information. Make it easy for them.

There is no “guaranteed” way to get a contact to call you back. However, by following a few basic guidelines, your chances can be greatly improved. In most cases, though, your voicemail sets the stage for an effective conversation when you catch them on the phone another time.

Author:

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

Filling Your Time on “Dead Days”

2010-08-31T06:55:00.000-04:00

Job seekers sometimes tell me that they’re actively looking for a job, but they haven’t seen anything online for a week or two, and they feel like their job search is becoming stagnant. This can be a very frustrating situation when you’re in desperate need of work. What can you do to move your job search forward when there doesn’t seem to be anything appropriate available?

Update your LinkedIn profile
Many people create LinkedIn profiles but never really take the time to add any detail to them while they’re employed—after all, you’re busy with your job! Updating your profile and looking for new contacts is a great way to spend your time when you’re not seeing any job openings. It allows recruiters and hiring managers to find you. It can also alert old friends and colleagues that you’re searching for new opportunities.

Take a professional looking headshot
You don’t have to pay an actual professional photographer to take your photo (although you can), but you do need to have something professional looking to use on LinkedIn and your other social networking profiles. Dress the way you would for a typical day at work—or better—and find a nice neutral background when you pose for your photos.

Complete an online profile at your favorite companies
Some online application systems allow you to create a profile on their candidate management systems without applying for a specific position. If you’re interested in a particular company, but don’t see an appropriate opening there right now, creating your online profile in their system can save you time when the right position does come along.

Read trade publications
Many local libraries subscribe to publications like the Financial Times or Business Week. For the cost of a few hours of your time, you can keep abreast of recent trends in your field and keep your mind actively thinking about the professional world.

Adjust, tweak and readjust your resume
Do just that. Revamp your resume, rework it and customize it so when the right opportunities come along you are more than ready.

There will be times when you may not see many appropriate job openings posted. Rather than wasting time applying for jobs that aren’t a great fit, fill your days making yourself the best candidate when the right job does become available.

We also realize that online job searching is not the only way to find positions and we encourage you to network, network, network as word-of-mouth referrals are extremely more effective at landing you a new position. Our suggestions are merely that, additional suggestions that invest time into your job search and make you the best possible candidate you can be.

For additional job search and career advice visit our blog.

Author:

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or call 1.800.991.5187.

Job Interviews 101

2010-08-30T06:31:00.004-04:00

"An actor never plays a speech. He always plays a scene, an event, a situation, an occurrence. Words are part of the occurrence.” Lee Strasberg

So what does this have to do with you? Your a CEO, an accountant, a programmer, a sales rep, an educator, a medical biller, or a recent college graduate; not a thespian.

Think again; if you’re interviewing for a job the first 2-5 minutes are critical in getting your message across and doing it convincingly. So to get a job offer in today’s competitive job market 90% of you will need a great script, lots of rehearsal time and the proper wardrobe.

How to prepare and conduct a winning interview!

Your interview begins the moment it is scheduled; from this moment on you begin researching the company, honing your image, and anticipating questions you’ll be asked, and rehearsing your responses to them. You’ll also prepare the questions you want to ask the interviewer and ways you can take equal control of the interview.

The most important key to success for any interview…

A fellow coach once told me that she had a client who spent so much time trying to craft perfect answers to each question that her body language was completely off. She was so nervous that she wasn’t connecting with any of the people she was interviewing with.

The key to being a great interviewee is you’ve got to give yourself time to relax. This means you must plan on arriving for your interview 10-20 minutes early. When you get to an interview late or in the nick of time you’re going to look and feel rushed. That is the last impression you want to leave a potential employer with.

Preparing for an interview is not as hard as some of you may think.

You may not know the exact questions you will be asked, but you can count on the questions focusing on two things; whether you have the experience, skills and knowledge to do the job, and whether you fit the perceived profile of the person this company is going to hire.

Taking this into account, here are some ways to develop a winning interview strategy.

Compile a thorough inventory of your talents, experience, business, technical and interpersonal skills, and your overall subject knowledge.
Review the job posting and develop a profile of the company’s ideal candidate.
Check off the skills you possess that appear in the company profile your prepared and rate yourself on each one on a scale of 1-10
Now comes the hard part. Prepare a 90 second pitch that describes the new you based solely on the desired profile.
Prepare additional 90 second pitches describing accomplishments you have achieved that relate to specific factors, experience, skills and challenges that appear in the job post.

Bonus Tips

1. Dress to blend in, not to impress. Do your homework to find out how others in the company dress and then dress accordingly. The two factors to know are how casual or conservative will be a turn on or a turn off. Research the culture and mirror it. It is not what’s in your closet that will impress people; it’s how well you fit in.

2. When in doubt smile. A smile brightens up a room and is infectious. If the interviewer is having a bad day a smile will turn it around. If he or she is having a great day, it will continue that feeling. Nobody wants to be around a sourpuss and even fewer people want to hire or work with one. Interviewers are looking for a connection, and you make that connection by smiling.

3. Remember, the interviewer is a human being as well. You’re not the only person in a room with someone they haven’t met. The interviewer is there to find out more about you so be polite, friendly and considerate.

4. Mirror your interviewer’s tone. Having the ability to empathize with others will serve you well in the interview and in life at the office. Pay attention to your interviewer’s body language and tone and do your best to match it. If they’re upbeat, you’re upbeat. If they’re not, rein your excitement in a little bit so that you don’t unnerve them.

Author:

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

Have You Sabotaged Your Job Search?

2010-08-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

As a globally recognized Certified Professional Resume Writer, Executive Recruiter, and founder of Haute Resume & Career Services LLC, I review hundreds of resumes each year for unemployed job seekers who’ve often spent months unsuccessfully searching for a job. Most of these costly mistakes are easily preventable when the job seeker has educated him/herself in the art of resume writing.

Avoid these common mistakes on your resume!

• Are you using an old school resume template that you found on the Internet? Many of these templates have serious flaws and will not work for a number of reasons. One of the biggest reasons is their incompatibility with certain Applicant Tracking System software (ATS). Many of the older templates have been created in tables. If the employer’s software program cannot extract the content from your resume it will often simply be deleted. Another reason these templates fail miserably can be the result of the job seeker selecting the wrong resume format. There are many times that the standard chronological resume format can actually make a candidate look much less experienced in their profession than they really are.

• Don't waste your time with an old fashioned Objective Statement telling employers what you want in your next job. They would rather you make their job easy and sell them on why they should call you to interview rather than your competition.

• Your resume MUST be targeted to the position that you seek. If you use a backward-focused one-size-fits-all resume it is not likely to contain the industry relevant "keywords" necessary to be picked-up by the ATS software or present you as the IDEAL candidate for the position.

• An exceptional resume requires that you quantify your accomplishments whenever possible using numbers, dollar amounts, and percentages. This is the information that demonstrates both the level of responsibility you've held as well as the level of success that you've had in similar positions.

• Know your competition!
Do you know what a resume that has been professionally written looks like? If not, find out at http://www.anewresume.com/samples/home/. When you compare your resume to that of other candidates-- who would you bring in to interview for the position? It is not unusual for employers to receive hundreds of resumes for a single position and they don't have time to read each and every resume let alone call everyone in to interview. You must have the BEST resume both in content and appearance!
Creating a top-notch resume isn't easy but it can be financially rewarding. Not only will you have a resume that can survive the dreaded blackhole of the employer's database generating offers to interview and shortening your job search. It is also the document that employers refer to when deciding how much salary to offer. Mediocre resumes tend to generate mediocre salary offers.

Guest Expert:

Angela Jones, CPRW will work with you to assess your professional background, research the potential needs of employers in your industry, and design powerful marketing documents that help you get the job you want and the pay you deserve.

Tell Your Story in Six Words or Less

2010-08-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

“It’s in the Game”; “Just Do It”; and “What can Brown do for you?” are very recognizable advertising and brand slogans. To be effective they need to be more than words, they need to convey a feeling, a disposition, an “attitude.” This attitude must lead to a positive view of their product or service by the consumer. The same is true about career search.

Is your brand recognizable? Does it differentiate you from the competition? Does your “attitude” lead to a positive feeling about you as a potential employee?

Most brands can be stated in six words or less. What about your brand? Can it be expressed in six words or less, be memorable and convey a positive feeling about you? I know EA Sports, Nike and UPS spent years developing their product or service, testing and perfecting it and they continue to manage their brand to keep it relevant.

It does not matter whether you are a recent college graduate or have years of experience; you need to focus on managing your brand. The question is do you know your brand and what it says about you now, and in the future?

This is critical to job search and a successful career. Some people struggle articulating their strengths while others have trouble narrowing it to six words. If you are someone that could use some help in this area, consider the following exercise.

I am going to name a few brand slogans and ask you to tell me the product or service. Ready, “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” that is easy BMW. Great now “Something Special in the Air.” A little more difficult, but it is American Airlines. Are you ready for the lighting round?

“What’s in your wallet,” You care enough to send the very best,” “Bringing weather to life,” “It gives you wings” and “Unlock the magic.” I could go on but you get the point. You are every bit a brand as much as Capital One, Hallmark, The Weather Channel, Red Bull and Oreo Cookie. I know you said Disney but you were wrong.

Next, think of a brand slogan (one we have not used) that best describes you or how you want to be perceived. What does it say about you the product or service? Test to see if others agree. Regardless, whether the responses are yes, no or maybe you are on your way to communicating your brand. In fact, Tom Peters says everything you do or not do communicates your brand value and character.

Finally, you need to establish your own brand identity otherwise; you will be guilty of brand infringement. This exercise should help you focus on creating a brand identity that sets you apart from the competition. Understand the product or service is what determines an effective brand.

Guest Expert:

Thomas D. Cairns, DBA, is the Principal and Chief Career Coach of Cairns Blaner Group (www.cairnsblaner.com), a consulting company focused on delivering career management strategies and services. He is a career coach for the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University and adjunct professor of management at Azusa Pacific University. Previously, he served as Chief Human Capital Officer, U.S. Department Homeland Security, and Senior Vice President, Human Resources NBC Universal a division of GE. He may be contacted via e-mail at tom@cairnsblaner.com.

CAREER ADVICE COLUMN: What is the Best Way to Prepare for Finding a New Job?

2010-08-26T06:35:00.002-04:00

Rather than reaching for the word processing to create your resume, your first step is to pull together a full plan or strategy on your job search. Your plan needs to include these parts:

1) Get clear on 2-3 jobs/titles you are pursuing.
2) Define your criteria for a place to work that includes those jobs
3) Do research to find those companies (that meet the criteria you just developed) and if you need a refresher on the hiring criteria, go update yourself.
4) Figure out a schedule you will do your job search (and stick with it)
5) Identify 2 different search methods you will use

6) Refresh your network and then
7) Create your resume.

The work you do in the steps preceding working on your resume will help immensely. Too many people think the only step to a job search is the resume but it is really the "thought time" and planning that will make for a successful search. As you are putting together a resume, you may want to create a "master resume" that you will do that has too much information about you in it. You can then take that resume and trim it each time you give it so it is more customized and oriented to the specific job you are discussing.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

Want Recruiters to Call?

2010-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

One complaint from many job seekers is that they can’t seem to get recruiters to call them back when they’re looking for a job. You’d think they’d love an opportunity to place a good candidate… so why don’t they call? They often know the market in their field of specialization better than most people. Is there anything you can do to get them to be a little more proactive in helping you find a job?

It helps to understand their motivations and what gets their attention. Then you can be more effective at getting them to return your calls.

Here’s how…

Understand how recruiters get paid. Many job seekers think that recruiters exist to help people find jobs. The reality is that recruiters are paid by companies to help them find the best candidate for a particular position. A recruiter’s responsibility is to the company that is paying them, not to any candidate they may like but doesn’t fit the role. A recruiter may like a particular person a great deal, however, they can’t make their client hire them, and they lose credibility with their client if they present a candidate that is less than an ideal fit.

Understand what they want. Recruiters are always looking for 3 things…

The best candidate for the position they are currently trying to fill.
Exceptional performers in their field of specialization that may fit future openings.
To build relationships with great connectors!

Listen to Zig! Zig Ziglar, the renowned motivational speaker has a phrase he uses often: “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” If you want recruiters to call you back, be one or more of the 3 things they want!

You may or may not fit a position they have right now. You may or may not be an exceptional performer in their area of specialization. However, you can certainly become a great connector. What good does that do you? A good recruiter strives to nurture relationships with people that are great resources of information and referrals. Those great “connectors” are essential to their livelihood, they will often help those connectors in any way they can.

As a recruiter for the past 24 years, I’ve gone out of my way to help people that have been a help to me in my search for candidates for positions I’m working on. I help them with leads I may know of, referrals to others that may be helpful for them, coaching for their own job search, and certainly consider them first for any appropriate opportunities that may arise.

Be exceptional and be a connector! Present yourself to a recruiter in the same way you would to a potential employer. They work for their client companies, they are not career counselors. In order to feel confident about presenting you to their clients, they have to view you as someone that will be more professional and more competent than the average candidate their client is likely to see. If they believe you will add to their credibility with their clients, they will have no hesitations in presenting you for any open positions you’re qualified for. In fact, if they believe you are an “A” candidate based on your experience or presentation, they may proactively market you to some of their clients whether they have an open position or not. It’s your responsibility to help them view you as exceptional. Present yourself as professionally as possible.

Let them know you would be glad to refer people you know for opportunities they may be working on. When you give referrals, don’t only consider people you know are looking for new opportunities. Rather, refer the best people you know with the specific backgrounds the recruiter is looking for. No one has to pursue a position they don’t want, however, it’s to their benefit to be made aware of them and have the opportunity to decide for themselves. When the recruiter realizes you are someone that can point them to other good people, they will be helpful in return.

You want recruiters to return your calls? Be one of their 3 favorite calls to make!

Presenting Your Executive Climb to the Top

2010-08-24T06:30:00.003-04:00

Many executives share similar career paths. One of these paths involves entering a company at a job relevant to your degree or experience, and climbing your way up the corporate ladder until you’re eventually running the place. Another path involves working for many different companies for a few years at a time, while regularly being courted away with a higher salary or greater responsibilities. Both of these career paths show that you’ve got what it takes to be an executive. Whichever path your career has followed, there’s a way to write your resume to show it off.

Ladder Climbers

Let’s say you started with your company 15-20 years ago, using your engineering degree to manage a few projects. Two decades later, you find yourself in charge of half the company’s personnel and a huge departmental budget. If this sounds like the path of your career, don’t be afraid to write your resume in a way that clearly shows you’ve been with the same company for 20 years. Just be sure each job description makes it obvious that you were given greater responsibilities due to excellent past performance. An easy way to do this is to offer metrics like your direct P&L responsibilities or how many employees reported to you.

Opportunity Champions

In many industries, executives advance in their careers by earning an outstanding reputation and being wooed away by competitors. While this is personally flattering and professionally challenging, it can make you appear on your resume to be a restless job hopper. The key to overcoming this perception is to include some facts about your transitions—for instance, did you follow a manager to his new start-up company? Did a client recruit you after you managed their accounts? Was your position included in a merger or acquisition? By using specific numbers to show when your transitions involved an offer you couldn’t logically refuse, it will position you as a valuable commodity rather than as an employee who doesn’t know how to stay put.

Regardless of the path your career has taken, you probably made it to the top by proving yourself in a series of progressively more challenging opportunities. Whoever is reading your resume should be able to clearly see that progression as they look over your experience. It’s an important part of your story, so don’t be afraid to tell it!

Executive resumes are held to a higher standard. Know the strategies and keys to creating a successful executive resume by visiting our blog or speak to one of our executive resume writers today about catapulting your executive job search. Call 1.800.991.5187 for a complimentary executive resume consultation.

Every Lone Ranger Needs a Tonto

2010-08-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Since I offer free resume critiques for Career Rocketeer readers and volunteer as a career coach at local colleges, NYC job fairs, and for a national NFP organization, in any given week I will speak to a wide spectrum of job seekers ranging from first time FT job seeking college graduates to veteran CXO level executives.

After chatting at length with these candidates what I found most perplexing is how long it took most of them to reach out for any kind of human assistance in their job search. The vast majority depended overwhelmingly on blogs, books and the internet to get career planning and job search related information and advice.

From my vantage point, in life there are many skills you and I can acquire without striving to be among the best practitioners. Similarly, there are many skill sets we can choose to acquire the hard way through trial and error and without human intercession, guidance or mentoring.

Yet, when it comes to looking for a job in today’s economy I feel strongly about job seekers not acquiring the following skills through trail and error or via generic advice.

1: Knowing how to identify your passion, strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, and your target audience.

2: Knowing how to develop, execute and monitor an effective job search strategy.

3: Knowing how to prepare, write, and modify as needed two or more versions of your resume that are best suited for different employers and submission modes.

4: Knowing how to use social media and conventional/unconventional means to build a broad based network.

5: Knowing how to prepare for and conduct yourself in a stressful job interview.

And why am I telling you this? Because everyone who is looking for a new job, wants to change careers, or is determined to climb the corporate ladder needs to appreciate that the stakes are too high to just leave it to chance or success through trial and error. They need to be cognizant that the downside can be catastrophic while the upside can be worth 5-10 weeks of employment which equates to $3k-$20k in cashable paychecks. Is this enough motivation for all of you to rethink what you’re doing and for some of you to stop being a Lone Ranger!

In my practice I estimate that 75% of the people I coach and write resumes for reach out to a professional like me only after spending 5-10 weeks on unemployment and after 20 or more rejections or no responses to the resume they submitted, and after having gone through 4-5 not so different revisions of their current resume.

Similarly I found a meager 20% of job seekers I come in contact with have a coach or mentor they work with on a regular or intermittent basis. In my eyes this is like playing Russian roulette with the future.

Now let me digress a little here to try to make a point many of you should be able to relate to.

At a previous job for MMTS, a distance learning company that marketed Math DVD tutorials and on-line math tutoring services, I discovered that middle school math students learning fractions and decimals, high school students studying Algebra and Geometry, and college students taking Calculus and Probability & Statistics courses fell into distinct categories with similar academic and business model results.

Group A: Students who had decent mathematical aptitudes and a parent, sibling, roommate or friend available to work with them with the DVD tutorials found the program extremely helpful. Moreover, although all these students’ test scores improved considerably, in the homes with concerned parents who wanted their child to get even higher grades the parents signed the student up to work 1-to-1 with an online tutor, These students flourished even more and most were at the top of their class due to the on-demand help they received when they needed it most. As expected, the return rate here was negligible.

Group B: Not surprisingly, students with good math acumen who did not have a human being at home to work with them had an overall lower level of success, and a higher percentage of these students lost interest in learning on their own with the DVD after 3-6 weeks and this group had a higher rate of refunds and returns.

Group C: On the other hand 70% of the students who had a poor math aptitude, whether they had or did not have help outside the classroom, struggled to learn on their own with the DVD. This group, for the most part, quit using the DVD after 1-2 weeks and was more prone to return the item or ask for a refund.

So to cut back on refunds and returns in all three groups the company began offering a months worth of 1-to-1 live on-demand tutoring sessions from a professional math tutor along with the DVD. This worked out very well in cutting returns because the majority of students who could not learn math on their own were now motivated and able to learn and improve their grades with the help of the private tutor. Better still, most parents who were serious about their child’s education, once they experienced the difference working with a professional tutor and mentor had on the student’s progress, they continued the tutoring for the rest of the semester and beyond, and often enrolled other children at home in the program.

Again, why I am telling you this?

Because I think the same factors hold true for job seeker as does for these students and parents. The students who were failing and lost hope in ever being a good math student by and large ended up getting the results they wanted and passed the class, and the better students got top grades, higher SAT scores which helped them get scholarships and/or admission into the colleges of their choice, or college students increased their college GPA. An important side effect was they all had increased self-confidence and less stress at home.

I believe the same holds true for most of you. Whether you are a seasoned professional with many years of HR experience, or you are a recent grad who has never undergone this grueling process, you will get better results when you work with someone who can guide and mentor you in your job search. This is not to say you must pay for help, or that you can not achieve success going it alone. But for just 10 seconds think about where the Lone Ranger would be without Tonto, Mick Jagger without Keith and the rest of the Rolling Stones, or Jerry Seinfeld without Kramer, George and Elaine. Each would be a success in their own right, but not nearly as successful as they turned out to be without a little help from their friends.

So once again I urge everyone who reads this to stop depending on generic advice and make it a point to get all the live help you can in fining a new job. Especially starting this week, because September and October are historically two months of the year that employers add to staff, finalize hiring decisions that have been put on hold for the summer, and this is the time of year budgets must be spent or lost for the coming year.

That to Which You Give Attention Grows

2010-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

That to which you give attention, grows. If you’re having a terrible time with your job search, you’re the reason. Those who stop reading here are especially the ones who should continue. Do any of these phrases sound familiar?

• Craig’s Consulting laid off 150 consultants. Now the market is flooded.
• It’s hard to find a job when the economy is so terrible.
• No one is hiring me! I’ll never find a job!

If you’re uttering these types of phrases, stop it. Thought precedes action precedes results. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your actions support your thoughts. Negative statements such as these perpetuate themselves unconsciously with every ensuing decision. It becomes useless to improve your resume. You disqualify yourself from ads. Your efforts become less intense. Look at what's going wrong, and if you don't know what it is - and you probably don't or it wouldn't be happening - then find someone who can tell you.

Notice the automatic phrases and beliefs to which people subscribe without even realizing it. For example:

I can't believe I'm always doing stupid things!
This day started off badly, and it just keeps getting worse!
Why am I always losing things?
I’m so bad with names!

Those who repeatedly experience such situations do so because they give continued attention to what is, thus it stays that way. Here's the insight:

You're doing stupid things, because you perpetuate in believing you do stupid things. When you decide that you're sick of doing "stupid things” and choose to change the situation by reframing how you see it, then you'll stop doing "stupid" things.
You were cut off in traffic and got mad. You stayed mad, because you unconsciously chose to. Hang with me here...part of you likes it! You have a great story to tell when you get to work (“Can you believe what he did to me?"). Drama can be very satisfying for some, and bad days make for good drama. So the bad continues to be dwelt on and thus keeps happening, until for some reason, you decide to snap out of it when something "makes" you happy.
When you become tired of losing things, you'll start paying attention to where you put them and stop losing them.
Repeat the name and make a point of remembering it. Stop using that phrase as an excuse.

What do all these things have in common? Choice. You control your thoughts, you control your choices, you control your actions, you control the results.

When it comes to finding your perfect job, first you have to choose to believe there is such a thing, because you can't find it if you don't believe it exists.

Guest Expert:

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why. She’s been on PBS’s Frontline, will be in the May issue of Smart Money magazine, and has been quoted frequently in numerous articles for CareerBuilder, MSN Careers, Yahoo Hot Jobs, and the New York Times, among others. She’s also been featured as an expert in numerous career books. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.findtheperfectjob.com/

CAREER ADVICE COLUMN: Getting a Job with No Experience

2010-08-19T07:00:00.001-04:00

Question: How does one negotiate for a job when inquiring about one without having a career? One feels vulnerable after being out of work for a long time or gaps in employment. –K-

Discussing a job when you don’t have experience. First you need to make sure you are feeling confident about yourself when you discuss jobs with a potential employer.

Second, we all have to start somewhere, even if we lack experience so it’s best to be looking for an entry level position. Third and most important, is to make sure you have a good outline of your personal assets so you can talk to an employer about them.

In other words: Why would an employer do well to hire you? Are you reliable? Can they depend on you to show up on time and do the job? Can they expect you to go the extra mile to get the job done? Can you learn new things quickly? Willing to learn? I got a job while in college as a floral designer. I hadn’t done the work much less ever arrange flowers. What I did do, however, was to go speak to the owner with a genuine desire to learn and find out what it took to do the job. They saw how eager I was to learn and hired me.

You have to know within yourself what you want to do and get in front of these people ready to show them that you will be a great employee.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

Your Job Search is Rarely "One and Done!"

2010-08-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

It’s probably not news to many people that there are not many “lifetime” jobs available anymore these days.

My dad worked at the same company for 35 years before he retired in 1993. At the time, it wasn’t that unusual to hear similar stories as his. In the last 20 to 25 years though, even the companies considered the most stable and secure have had massive lay-offs at one point or another.

The median job tenure of American workers was 5.1 years in 2008. When you consider people that still have been in positions 20 years or more, the average drops dramatically for the rest of us. And, considering the economic turmoil the last couple of years, it has certainly cut the tenure shorter for millions more.

So… unless you’re currently 60 years old, it’s highly likely you will have to look for a new position again! What can you do now to be better prepared the next time the ‘opportunity’ to transition into a new job comes up again?

Here are some ideas that may help:

Professional networking should be a way of life! Most people never think much about networking until they need it. Networking, however, can have far more benefits than finding a new job. LinkedIn, for example, was not developed to be a job search tool (although it is a great one). It’s primary function is to provide an arena where professionals can connect with other professionals to get help, ideas, advice, and make connections in their fields in order to do their jobs better, gain new business, or solve problems. Your network will be a much more effective tool for you if you engage and build relationships with people, offering your help when they need it, rather than just pumping them for information when you need a job. Continue to expand and deepen your network when you don’t need it, in order to be able to tap into it when you do. Set up automated prompts on your calendar to touch base (email or phone call) with each person in your network periodically. Some may only be once per year, others may be a couple times per month. Use good judgment and make it a lifestyle.

Always be updating your skills. A job search becomes much more difficult when your skills in your field are outdated. Continuing to get training and seeking opportunities in your job to use new skills throughout your entire career will make you much more of an attractive candidate when the time comes to look again.

Keep records of your responsibilities, kudos, and achievements. Trying to remember all the stories of accomplishments you’ve had for an interview or for your resume can be tough if you haven’t written them down along the way. I know people that keep a file folder in their desk where they drop in notes, employee reviews, project details and other noteworthy events any time something occurs. It’s a great resource to go to when you need to write a new resume or prepare for new job interviews. Whatever system may work for you… use it to keep good records and have the resource available when you need it!

Keep track of current events in your field and industry. Awareness of what’s, and who’s, hot and not in your field and industry can be a great asset in your career and potential future job search. What companies, or individuals, seem to be the most successful at any given time? What are they doing differently? What can you learn and apply in your own company or job? What companies are growing… and thus good prospects to pursue for new positions if you need one? The answers can help you be more successful in your current job, and create a ready list of target companies and contacts should you decide to look.

Keep recruiter relationships warm. Sometimes it seems as if you hear from recruiters all the time when you’re not looking for a job, and can’t seem to get a return call from them when you are. Typically, people ignore, or worse, blow-off recruiters when they don’t need them, thinking of them as an annoyance. Is it any wonder then, that they aren’t motivated to help when you do want to find a new job? Build relationships with a few recruiters in your field that you like and trust. Make them aware of you, and offer to help them with referrals any time. They will tap you occasionally for help and look for ways they can be of help to you as well. My best relationships are with people I’ve placed 2, 3, or 4 times in their careers over the years. They’ve been my clients, using me to find people when they are in hiring roles, and are great resources for referrals when I need help in finding candidates for other positions. They become candidates again when they call me saying they would like to find something new. Because of the relationship we’ve built, I go well out of my way to help them find new opportunities… sometimes even giving them leads or contact information for positions I know of but don’t have an opportunity to place. Recruiters can best be a tremendous resource when you build solid long-term relationships.

Nurture your career! One of the best things you can do to make yourself more employable is to be successful where you are. Do the things necessary to be productive, achieve results, and gain recognition in the role you’re currently in. It will make you more secure in your current position and a more attractive candidate for a new role!

In today’s workplace, you are likely to need to look for a new position again sooner or later. Don’t ignore what you’ll need for your future job search while you’re currently employed!

Positioning Yourself as an Executive Candidate

2010-08-17T06:35:00.000-04:00

As you advance in your career as an executive, the number of opportunities appropriate for your skill set decreases. You know what they say: It’s lonely at the top. In order to secure an executive position that will fully utilize your talents and abilities, it’s important to have a resume that effectively markets you as a truly outstanding candidate. Some ways to distinguish yourself include:

Graduate degree or continuing education

Many executives have set themselves apart from the others by going back to school in order to obtain an MBA or some type of continuing education. Even if you don’t have a graduate degree, in all likelihood your company has sent you to conferences and management training seminars throughout the years; if any of that training was relevant to your career goals, it can certainly enhance your resume.

Fluency in a foreign language

I recently worked with a client who had grown up on an American military base in Germany; as a result, he was fluent in both English and German. Although he has resided in the United States throughout his entire adult life, most of his professional positions have involved interacting with German companies. Another client who is a native of the Philippines has spent much of her career handling Filipino business deals for her American employers. If these candidates hadn’t thought to mention their fluency in a foreign language, imagine the value that would have been lost from their resumes.

Experience with international business travel

Let’s be honest, your company doesn’t fly just anyone over to Europe or Asia to handle its international business partnerships. It sends a person who is considered to be the best representative of what the company is all about—and that’s you. You should mention your experience with international travel in your cover letters; and if it’s appropriate, you can also include it when describing accomplishments from specific positions you have held in the past.

As an executive, you are looking for a higher level of responsibility and reward from your next position. With less than 10% of Americans holding graduate degrees—and only 25% able to converse in a foreign language—mentioning these attributes helps paint a picture of you as the distinguished candidate that you are.

Read more about executive resumes or job search advice by visiting http://www.greatresumesfast.com.

Is Your Job Search Over 8 Weeks Old?

2010-08-16T07:00:00.001-04:00

Recently (July 2010), the New York Post ran an interesting article in their career advice section, and the writer included these three ubiquitous facts, some of which you may already be aware.

1. “Today’s workers will run through at least 10 jobs, three careers, and two layoffs between college and retirement.”

2. “90 percent of all jobs come through networking.” (Face-to-face and online)

3. The big five [social media networking sites] are Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs.

As I said you may already be aware of these facts, but how might they directly impact you? Let’s look at them point by point.

Point One:
I believe these figures - 10 jobs and 3 careers - are accurate because most people do not take career planning seriously and most people fail to seek the proper guidance early on.

Most recent college graduates let the job market and their peers dictate their career path for them, and once they are on the merry-go-round they don’t know how and when to get off and back on without temporarily, or in many cases permanently messing up their career. I can’t back this figure up with a scientific study, but from the hundreds of people age 22-35 I have spoken to in the past decade I would venture to say that less than 15% have sought out the services of a career coach to help them in their job search and career planning.

Let’s look at this in another way. How many of you or people you know, have joined a gym and tried your own workout program based on a friend’s advice, the newest article in a book or health magazine, or any one of the thousands of articles you downloaded online when you first started. Then again, how many of you were following that same regimen 6 months or a year later, and how many of you are on your 4th or 5th new workout program.

If you are like me you did not arrive at the perfect workout until you took at least a few sessions with a personal trainer or someone you know who took the time and effort to work with you 1-to-1 to get you fully inculcated into the program that best suits your goals and needs.

The same holds true for your career. My suggestion is this. No matter what stage you are in your job search, if you have not sought out a good career coach I would do so now.

Point Two:
I think this figure is a little high, especially for people who are in the first 5 years of their career; but not by much. I would estimate that 75% of all GOOD jobs for people over the age of 30 and for people earning over $75,000 come through networking. For recent grads and people in the first 2-4 years of their career this figure may be closer to 60%. However here is a caveat to this figure. I have found by and large that people in the first 0-4 years of their career are much more likely to find a better career opportunity via networking than when they find a job through a job board.

I can not stress the importance of networking enough!!! But the real payoff in networking is not the next job you find, but the residual effect networking will have on your future. People who have a strong network are 50%-75% more likely to succeed in their career because their network will bring great opportunities to their attention when least expected. And these opportunities are the ones that will make careers at the most opportune times.

Point Three:To me Linked-In is the #1 social media for job seekers and people interested in advancing their career. On the other hand I frown on using Facebook for these purposes. Twitter can be helpful but it is not a really effective tool unless you really know how to use it and you are willing to put in the daily time and effort it takes to do it right.

While on the topic of Linked-In let me leave you with one last piece of advice from a recent discussion on a resume writer Group I am a part of. The question was, “What point of view should we be using when writing Linked In profiles? I liken profiles to professional bios which are typically written in third person.”

I offered the following advice.
“As a CSMS I answer this question by telling people that they need to take two factors into consideration when writing their Linked-In profile. Unfortunately most people don't. They make it either a rehash of their resume or a formal sales pitch.

1: Linked-In is a Relationship Management tool, emphasis on the word Relationship.

2: Linked-In is a social media tool, emphasis on the word Social.

So when you write your Linked-In profile it must be friendly and engage people to want to get to know you, and more important to like and respect you enough and see the value in developing an ongoing relationship with you.”

Keep you comments coming I respond to them all, and keep the resumes coming for my free resume and social media review. This is a great free bonus service for Career Rocketeer readers.

I’m an MBA Grad: Now Where?

2010-08-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

One of the toughest things a graduate has to do is to find suitable work. The big question is….where? In this post, we’ll take a look at where corporate recruiters say the best places are to search for a job if you’re a 2010 MBA graduate.

The world’s economic troubles are certainly impacting hiring. According to the GMAC’s 2010 survey, experienced professionals are seeing a lower level of mobility. They are also experiencing less opportunities, or direct hires from industry. The current trend is about a 10% decrease in direct hiring from industry over the past couple of years. In 2008, experience professionals captured 47% of the opportunities from industry. In 2009, it was down to 38% and is expected to be around 28% in 2010.

As for MBA graduates, the change in the hiring mix has remained stable over this same time period. Here’s where you can expect to find a job this year.

Marketing and sales. In GMAC’s survey, 45% of the companies responding say they’ll be hiring for positions in marketing and sales areas.

Finance. The survey also shows that 42% of opportunities will be in the financial arena. This does not include financial banking, which you might expect to be a little lower in demand for this year.

What levels are they hiring at? Executive? Mid-Level? I know this question is on every graduates mind. The hiring position should be representative of a graduate degree, right? My observation here is that since experienced professionals are not getting more opportunities, companies aren’t focusing on ensuring they have enough years of experience in their workforce, but are more focused on keeping costs low. Of course, it is likely that companies will use high unemployment as an opportunity to get real talent at bargain prices. Don’t let that thought diminish your negotiation power. If they’re making an offer to you, you’ve got room to negotiate. Use it.

Of the respondents in the survey, 66% say they will hire new MBAs for Mid-level positions, while 52% say they will hire new MBA graduates for entry-level positions.

Mid-level. The companies hiring at this level are in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and consulting.

Entry level. The companies hiring at this level are in consulting.

Other specialized master’s degrees are in increasing demand. Specialized master’s degrees include accounting, finance, management and MIS. These graduates will see their demand increase over the next couple of years. In 2008, the demand was at 4% and it grew in 2009 to 12%. More growth is expected in these areas in 2010 (15%).

The master’s in management is drawing interest equally at the mid-level and entry level positions. Over two-thirds of the companies seeking these graduates are in consulting, while 61% of government and non-profit organizations are hiring them for general management positions. Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies make up about one-third and 42% high tech companies are seeking specialized master’s in business programs or MIS.

Getting an MBA or a specialized master’s degree still seems to be a good investment for your career. Many companies still see value in the MBA degree. The biggest reason for hiring MBA graduates is that they have skills in managing strategy and innovation. These are key skills for growing a company, implying that companies need graduates who can come in and make a big difference on the job by providing vision and direction. This is a fairly high standard to meet if you don’t have a lot of work experience. At least now, you know what companies are looking for and should be able to mold your experience to fit these needs, especially if you are seeking a mid-level position.

Author:

Todd Rhoad, MSEE, MBA is Director at BT Consulting, a career consulting firm in Altanta, and author of “Blitz The Ladder” and the soon to be released “MBA Owner’s Manual.” Todd can be reached at todd.rhoad@blitzteamconsulting.com.

How to Make Your Resume Sell

2010-08-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

The most problematic part of a resume for people seems to be crafting their accomplishments. The confusion between an accomplishment and a responsibility is the difference between generating excitement by selling what you can do, and making a bland statement that elicits the question “So what?” It’s the difference between being invited in for an interview….and getting no response at all.

A responsibility reads as if it was taken from your job description. It fails to distinguish you from any other person that held that title before you, or holds that title at any other company. It says your function, but it doesn’t speak to your ability to perform that function.

By contrast, an accomplishment is what differentiates you from any other person that does, or has done, that job. It not only indicates how well you perform your job, but what type of person you are.

How does a factual accomplishment reveal something as subtle and subjective as a personality trait? Measured with the length of time you were at a company, your number of accomplishments indicates the degree to which you are a go-getter. It says if you’re motivated to go beyond the average job, and how much pride you take in your work.

It tells the hiring authority if you look for problems and find ways to solve them, or if you are content with saying, “That’s good enough.” And it also tells him how well you know your job by how well you solved those problems. Let’s look at an example. If you’re a teacher, a responsibility might read:

Developed innovative, education-based curriculum

Which leaves the following questions:

For what classes did you develop a curriculum?
Why did it need to be developed?
What was going on before it was developed?
What was the result of the development?

Interviewers want answers, not questions. Since the responsibility statement doesn’t indicate how well you performed your job, it’s easier not to invite you in for an interview. Interviewers don’t know if you have accomplishments hiding behind your responsibilities. They assume you don’t have anything to say, because you didn’t say it. They don’t care that perhaps you didn’t know how to say it. If your resume doesn’t sell you, it’s not their problem. It’s yours.

By contrast, the accomplishment version of the same statement might read:

Created and implemented innovative, education-based curriculum that engaged students more actively, resulting in 75% of student body raising grades by average of a full point

This says you’re worth talking to. Then at the interview, it opens the field for the interviewer to ask you for more information about what types of programs you implemented and how you implemented them.

An accomplishment is a results-oriented statement. It shows the benefit of hiring you by telling what you can do. What you’re saying is, “I know what you want done, and I’ve done that. I’ve done it successfully for my previous company; therefore, I can do it successfully for you. When you hire me, you aren’t risking an unknown. You’re hiring someone who has a proven ability to do the job successfully.”

That’s what interviewers want to know. That’s what they want to hear. They don’t want to wonder, and they don’t want to figure it out. If your resume doesn’t indicate what you’re capable of, the chance of an interview in which to sell yourself is slim.

If you’ve been sending out resumes and getting nothing in response, take a look at your bullets under each company name. Do they just say what you did, or do they say how well you did it?

You’re selling a product, and the product is you. The interviewer is the buyer, and your resume is, in effect, your marketing brochure. But if the buyer isn’t interested, you can’t close the sale. And that’s your problem, not theirs.

CAREER ADVICE COLUMN: How to Network

2010-08-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

Dorothy, The biggest question and stumbling block I have is networking. If you could address this subject in a useable fashion in your article, that would be very helpful to job seekers like myself.

Thanks, T-y

Hi T-y, thank you for your question/request. Let me do two things. First, to reference an article on my blog I did recently on networking and then I’ll expand from there.

http://nextchapternewlife.com/blog/2010/04/career-development-networking-for-the-socially-inept-introverted-and-reluctant/

This article basically outlines the basics for developing a network. For a job seeker to make use of the network here are some additional tips:

You have to think strategically about your network and who some of them are to ensure you get the maximum effect. Go to events that will be rich in the type of people likely to be connected to the places you are targeting to work for. Example: If you have a technology background consider going to IEEE or SW Engineering group. If your work is more general like clerical or administrative, then go to business oriented group. Also, look into www.meetup.com for your local area for groups that might be business oriented or more specific topics.

Remember what I said about your network. You have to give before you receive. That means you can’t just get someone’s business card and expect something from them immediately, unless your conversation indicated differently. In order for your network to yield you good job leads, it will take some time but it will be worth it. After you meet someone new, email the next day and suggest coffee or a time to get better acquainted. If that is too much time to spend, consider simply sending a note as a follow up to keep your name familiar to them. Then consider putting them on a “schedule” for you to simply touch bases, inquire if they will be at the next meeting, or send them an interesting article.
At some point you will want to ask your network “Who do you know that works for X Company?” or something similar. If you do, ask them if they would feel comfortable introducing you to them. Your goal is to find the “sphere of influence” in the target companies you want to work for. Once there, you can ask for an information interview.
Beware of job seeker networking groups. Not that they are bad but you need to check them critically for the following: 1- that they aren’t a “gripe session” and 2- they are sharing their network. Job seekers can get kind of protective of job leads, network contacts and in a negative space so you need to discern the nature of job seeker networking groups.
Keep in mind the old saying “It’s who you know”. If you look at your own job history and that of others you know you will discover that most people get their job leads through people they know. You don’t ask your network “Can you get me a job?” It’s too blunt and most people can’t get you a job. They can be only a couple of layers between you and the decision maker at a company you want to work for.
Lastly, think of your networking as a living “resource list”. Right now, they are a resource for people you may want to know for job leads but as you become employed they become a resource for a good plumber, restaurant or services. YOU are also a resource, so you need to be thinking of what resources you have that you can share. I read somewhere that the better a person is at connecting people to other people; the more successful they are professionally and personally. I think that applies.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

Tracking Your Targets with Google!

2010-08-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

In your job search, outside of LinkedIn, I believe Google can be your best friend online!

Google has many tools that can make it easy to find and target the jobs and information you need to run ahead of the pack at the companies you want to pursue.

Used wisely, some of these tools can help you find job postings, company news, contact information and many other valuable pieces of information that can help you set yourself above the crowd.

Here are some ideas to consider:

Do an X-Ray! Google allows you to use it’s search engine not only to search the entire internet, but also to do a search on a specific site alone. This is usually referred to as an “X-Ray” search. In your search string in the Google search box, you can simply specify the site you want to search, using a format like:

site:www.linkedin.com

You can then add whatever additional search terms you may want to add. For example, say you don’t have many connections on LinkedIn yourself, so you don’t get many results when you do a search within LinkedIn’s own search tool. Perhaps you are looking for a company contact in your job search… like an Engineering Manager at Seagate Corp. in the Minneapolis area. You could enter:

site:www.linkedin.com “Greater Minneapolis” “Engineering Manager” Seagate

Among many directory pages and others, you will also find the public profiles on LinkedIn of anyone that has “Engineering Manager” and “Seagate” in their profile that’s registered in the “Greater Minneapolis-St Paul” area. With more sophisticated parameters you can eliminate the non-profile results, however, this can get you started.

You can also do an X-Ray search of specific companies you may be interested in pursuing, to find information on their sites that you are seeking… more on that next.

Set up Alerts! Google Alerts are an excellent way to be made aware of new information that gets posted, as it occurs. Perhaps you are a Programmer that specializes in Java development and one of your target companies is United Health Group (UHG) in the Minneapolis area. You can set up Alerts to notify you of any news that gets published about UHG, and Alerts to let you know as soon as a relevant new position is posted on their site.

For news, you can simply set up an Alert searching “United Health”, and anything posted anywhere with that string will trigger a notification to you.

For jobs, you can set up an Alert using an X-Ray search of their site’s career pages. As an example, if you are looking for Java related position that they post on their own site for Minnesota locations you can set up an Alert string like:

site:careers.unitedhealthgroup.com minnesota java

Most companies post positions on their own site before they are posted on any external job boards, and many times they don’t post a position on external job boards at all. The notification you will get of the new posting will make you aware of it before most everyone else!

You can set up as many Alerts as you’d like, for as many companies as you’d like, and with as many variations of search words as you’d like… be creative! You can also choose whether to have them emailed to you (as they happen, or once per day), or have them sent to Google Reader…

Consolidate your information! Google Reader is an excellent way to keep track of all this information, and more. Google Reader allows you to keep track of new postings on sites you’re interested in following… like this blog! (Click on the “Subscribe to…” “Posts” icon in the right column of this page) It’s also a great place to direct all of your Google Alerts so that you can read and follow up on them all from one central place. Google Reader receives and posts information as soon as it’s found by Google and keeps you up to date without filling up your email box.

Efficiently finding information from your target company sites, setting up automatic notifications, and reading all the relevant updates easily in one place makes Google an extremely powerful online resource for your job search that most job seekers don’t use. Be ahead of them all by taking advantage of the power available to you!

Want a New Job? Get Off the Computer…Sort Of!

2010-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago, when the economy started rapidly going downhill, I remember hearing about a lot of layoffs in my area. At first, I would hear that a coworker’s husband got laid off, or a friend of a friend. Eventually, people in my own circle started fearing for their jobs, and some actually lost them. Now, I doubt that anyone in America doesn’t know at least one person who has lost their job in the last few years.

If you’re a job seeker, you have a whole lot of company. We say this all the time in this blog because it’s an important point. Our resume writing services, LinkedIn profile development, and job posting services are all designed to help you stand out in a crowded field of candidates. Unfortunately, having the right marketing materials is simply not enough. You have to get out there and sell your product—yourself!

I know people who have been looking for a job for a month and people who have been looking for a year. The people who have been looking for a month are often pretty casual about the process: they get their resume together, apply for a lot of jobs online, and sit back and wait to hear from employers. Conversely, the people who have been looking for a year have learned a lot about how to be successful. They know that sitting on the couch and applying for jobs online is not working out well for the majority of job seekers these days. Getting out and talking to people about their companies and how you might fit in there is the key to landing your next position.

“Networking” is a word that a lot of people hate, and I understand that. It’s important to realize that networking doesn’t have to just involve going to an official event and shaking lots of strangers’ hands. Every time you go to a cookout this summer, you have the opportunity to network. For all you know, the president of the company where you want to work will be there. Maybe the HR manager of a great local employer lives next door. Even if you’re not putting on your suit and going to scheduled networking events, you can sell yourself and your career to anyone who will listen. So get your resume and LinkedIn profile and business cards ready, apply for some interesting jobs online, and then get out of the house! Go meet the person who could connect you to your next job!

So You Think You Can Dance

2010-08-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

The job search process from the initial research and resume writing stage to interviewing and the job offer and negotiation stage is far from an exact science. Therefore to be successful it’s imperative you attain skills similar to a ballroom dancer. You need to be flexible, confident, polished, have nerves of steel, be quick on your feet at all times, and stay in synch with your partner’s lead, because in each stage you are faced with challenges you need to dance around. So let’s look at challenges you may face.

Research Stage
Finding out about companies you may want to work for and about job postings in your field is the first step in a job search. This information is relatively easy to find. What is often difficult is finding the right internal contacts. As you know most job postings do not include the name/s of the people who will be screening and reading your resume and cover letter, so Dance Step # 1 is to find out who they are, and Dance Step #2 is to find out who the players above them are and how to start a dialogue or get referred to them to hopefully bypass the first step. For this your dance instructor is Linked-In. Learn how to maneuver around this tool and you can come up with contact information you are looking for, and get fresh leads that fall below your competition’s radar.

Resume Writing Stage
There is a lot of information out there in books, blogs and other social media venues about how to write a winning resume. However much of it is outdated although it is less than 3-4 years old, and there are varied opinions on what works. Furthermore when you get advice that is spot-on, the secret is not what works best for someone else but knowing what works best for you. Over time I have found that very few people can write a resume without dancing around at least 2 or 3 issues. Some need to dance around gaps and age, others how to edit or expand their resume to the proper number of pages, and some need to dance around how to present their profile, achievements, credentials, experience, bonifides, and choose a style and format that is best for their industry, level, and area of expertise.

For some it is like learning how to dance a tango, waltz, mambo, and cha-cha all at once. If you’ve been a human capital decision maker in the past the odds are much better that you can navigate the maze of information overload and arrive at the best decision on your own. If not you may need a dance instructor like me to help you look like a true professional on the resume dance floor.

Interviewing Stage
The keys to being an outstanding dancer and interviewee are anticipation, practice, knowing your partner and developing the right chemistry.

So to improve your interviewing skills you can work on anticipating and preparing answers to the most commonly asked generic interview questions such as “tell me about yourself “and “what is your biggest weakness”, and to industry and job specific questions you are bound to be asked. Next you need to rehearse them in mock interviews - with or without video – and them critique yourself in terms of content as well as body language, tonality, speech patterns like ‘um’ or ‘you know’ etc.

You also need to research who you are interviewing with and find ways to establish instant chemistry starting with the proper wardrobe appearance and a firm handshake.

Much of this can be done with a professional coach or by assembling what I describe as a ‘Board of Directors’.

Salary Negotiation Stage
This is the one area in the job search process where both sides dance around each other more than any other. So here are some dance steps that you should prepare when the topic comes up.

First off show excitement about the position you are applying for and the company. Passion, good vibes high energy and desire to succeed are all indicators of positive productivity. So in a sincere, not over the top way you need to convince the employer that you would love to work here if you can arrive at a mutually acceptable comp package.

Next at all costs do not bring your personal life into the negotiation. The person who you’re negotiating with in most cases does not care how much you pay in rent, tuition or school loan repayments, auto expenses, health insurance etc. All they know is the extent of their budget and the value they place on your services. You can dance around all you want, but keep it about business. The second you interject your personal life into the negotiations the quicker they will think about looking at entertaining another candidate. Just like excitement and passion are indicators of productivity, airing family concerns in negotiations sends up negative red flags.

Another common sense tip is to go into the negotiations being aware of your minimum expected salary and be prepared with alternative solutions that can be bargaining chips in lieu of cash. Do this because the person/s on the other side of the desk know the maximum they are willing to pay, how low they would like to start the bidding at, and they already have planned alternatives they’re saving as fall back positions in the negotiations.

Last but definitely not the least, be calm and in control at all times. Don’t let them see you sweat. Keep a poker face and do not act hastily. Let the employer lead and you follow. Show strong signs of conviction about how much you are worth, but at the same time allude to the fact that you are somewhat flexible. By all means never turn negotiations into a test of wills; you are much better off making it a mutual benefit collaboration effort.

What Direction are You Taking with Social Media?

2010-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm now reading (for the second time) the powerful book The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley. The premise of the book is clear: Direction-not intention-determines our destination. This principle isn't something you follow like a rule. It follows you and it has the power to break you.

If you choose a path of financial irresponsibility, you will eventually arrive at an undesirable and inevitable destination. That's not speculation. That's fact. The author also notes that the same principle of the path applies to each of us relationally, academically, spiritually, physically, and professionally.

Let me share a story that serves to remind me of this important principle.

Back when I was in college at James Madison University, a friend in my dorm had made arrangements for his brother to visit him at school. The drive from their parents' home in Northern Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley is pretty simple. Interstate 64 West to Interstate 81. Two hours away. Visible from the Interstate:

So his brother headed out to JMU by himself. After 3.5 hours, his brother had still not arrived. Finally, the phone rang from a pay phone (these were the pre cell phone days). "Where are you?", my friend calmly asked. "I'm in Harrisburg. Where on earth is the JMU campus?"

My friend burst out in laughter.

You see... JMU is in Harrisonburg, VA. His brother had arrived in Harrisburg, PA.

His brother had the absolute right intention when he left home that day. He just went the wrong direction on Interstate 81. And that decision determined his destination.

So now I find myself asking myself this question at this stage of my career.. Where am I going with social media? And I encourage you to ask it of yourself.

Where do we think we are going to end up relationally and professionally? Will it help our career whether we are a job seeker or an entrepreneur?

I regularly receive LinkedIn invitations. We all do. Some are clearly from LinkedIn open networkers (or LIONs). They don't know me. I often have no idea where they found my name because they fail to even include a personal note in the invitation.

A year or two from now, what is their expectation? That because we "connected" anonymously at some time, I'm ready to go to bat for them when they need that perfect referral to a potential client or hiring manager?

Don't let that become your destination because you may find yourself alone. Other people take a different direction.

Over the past year, I have met some very gracious and smart people on Twitter, such as Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Melissa Cooley, Cindy Kraft, Hannah Morgan, Kris Plantrich, and Julie Walraven. We're now connecting and talking on Facebook or LinkedIn as well.

And we are doing so not to increase our connection totals. We're connecting because we are confident we can be of more service to each other in the years ahead. And the destination may simply be the right referral at the right time. Or at next year's Career Thought Leaders Conference.

That is a direction I wish for all of you.

What are your thoughts on using social media? Where do you feel it is taking your career?

Author:

Brent Peterson, PMP, MS, MBA, is the founder of Interview Angel Inc., a company that offers a comprehensive guide and toolkit for job seekers to use in interviews. Interview Angel is in use at universities, corporations, non-profit agencies, and local governments.

Discover customer testimonials, blog posts, and media interviews at http://www.interviewangel.com/. Brent is also in LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/brentpeterson) and on Twitter (@InterviewAngel).

Job Search: Which Methods Really Work?

2010-08-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

Many aspiring executives flock to business schools to obtain the coveted MBA degree. Optimism oozes out of every pore, while visions of money, promotions, raises and opportunities dance in their head. Then, graduation comes. Uncertainty and doubt flood the mind as reality begins to take hold. They have to find a job and work now. For most MBA graduates, it’s not a daunting task. However, the trends are starting to change and show stress in the market, even for the MBA graduates. Let’s take a look at what seems to work for these go-getters when it comes to finding a job, even in a tough economy.

Networking. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Networking is still the best method for gaining employment. I’ve seen this on recruiter boards where recruiters were talking about the #1 source for new employees; that is, recommendations from their current employees.

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, the class of 2009 was, for the most part, employed at graduation (78%). Most of these positions were within an organization (79%) and 5 percent were self-employed. Of the graduating class, 16 percent were unemployed at graduation.

For the employed graduates, one-third identified their opportunities as being found within their own network of contacts. This suggests that if you don’t learn to build a lot of connections, you’re seriously limiting your ability to gain employment. In my new book, I share a story of an MBA graduate who builds his own peer group to support his decision to go to college for his MBA. He continued using this group for many years afterwards. In fact, they helped him obtain his first TWO jobs out of college. For over a decade, this support group helped him along each step of his career. Obviously, there’s a lot of value to building your own network, well beyond your first job out of school.

The next biggest source was the school’s on-campus interviews followed by the school’s alumni network. Other sources beyond these included company websites, job fairs, online job boards, internet search and job agencies.

Career Services. One-third of the employed graduates of 2009 found career services to be extremely helpful in getting a job. Naturally, this statistic is driven by those who got a job after graduation. Regardless, the services provided by schools are still worthy of your consideration and should be utilized in your search.

But why did some graduates fail to find a job?

Lack of Experience. Of those that didn’t acquire employment at graduation (46%), a lack of a sufficient number of years of work experience was cited as a major contributor. In fact, there was a correlation between age and unemployment. For those 27 and younger, 20 percent were unemployed, compared to 16 percent for those 28 to 34 and 14 percent for graduates age 35 and older.

The interesting part of this is that in another survey by GMAC, they found that experienced professionals were losing direct hiring opportunities by a rate of about 10 percent per year over the past few years. This may be due to the fact that the experience companies desire must be relevant to the job, industry or market. Companies could be using the increased pool of potential candidates to gain the exact level of skill and experience they need. After all, there’s nothing more valuable than someone who can walk into a job and be a great performer without any training or supervision.

Lack of job openings. A lack of job openings for which to interview was cited by 39 percent of respondants. In the current economy, this isn’t a big surprise. Projections in 2009 estimated growth in emerging and developing economies to decrease to about 1.5 to 2.5 percent, from 6.1 percent the previous year. Many of the US companies in 2008 were projecting to reduce their hiring by half. For example, companies hired 35, 261 graduates from management programs in 2008. The projection for 2009 was 21,855, indicating a major increase in competition for employment. With unemployment still around 10 percent in the US and even higher in other countries, competition for opportunities still remains high.

While much of these statistics may not feel like they are giving you something new, they do highlight a few key factors that we seem to overlook in our career. First, finding a job is your responsibility. Luckily, many graduates are doing just that and shaking the idea that when we graduate, someone will recognize our accomplishment and reward us with a job. Obviously, those days are long gone. Secondly, experience is valuable, but not just any experience. Companies want employees that are “plug and play.” This may prove a challenge for job hoppers in the future. We may be forced to choose our path carefully, taking time to identify the key transferable skills that will take us into our next job. Of course, we’ll have to combine that will success stories that support the development of those stills, especially if we want a company to be interested in us. Lastly, the job market is difficult. The opportunities in the future are shifting more towards growing businesses; that is, marketing, sales and finance. Finding a new job in other areas may prove to be a considerable challenge. Companies are trying to get back on their feet. Find a way to help them do that and you will find a job.

CAREER ADVICE COLUMN: I’m Lucky to Have My New Career BUT..

2010-08-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am an apparel executive with over 25 yrs experience. I have had wonderful opportunities in my career and now feel there is no job in my industry that interests me – which is maybe why my resume is not creating any activity? So I applied with 4000 others to the Morgan Stanley wealth management program and was accepted - at 1/3 my previous salary. The position interests me and I have done extensive career tests, reading and interviewing people in this job, but I still don’t know if I can make a career change like this. What am I missing here? I wonder if I am just settling because I don’t have a job offer in my industry? All the tools and things I should do to help with a career change, I’ve done…so why do I feel stuck and rudderless. Thanks for your help! -T-

Hi –T-,

Making a career change is a big step for most of us and certainly there’s no reason why this wouldn’t be a big step for you. You have invested 25 successful years into your career in the apparel industry and you’ve been well rewarded with growth and experiences. I believe your issue boils down to two possible things: 1- despite tests or career tools, you may not have truly “translated” all of that into a career you can feel passionate about despite the good things other people have said and/or 2- fear of change= leaving a place of comfort. Let me expand on both.

Translation and passion. I don’t know if the various tools you have used lead you to the position at Morgan Stanley. I’m sure some of the things you have learned about yourself probably were a fit. Thinking about your position as an executive and the position as wealth manager, I can imagine some of the transferrable skills might be: sell starter, independent, results orientation, organizational skills. The issue is: Do you really want to use those same skills at the point? And in this setting? If you were in the apparel industry for 25 years and were thinking you needed something new, it’s not clear that this position is it. Yes, it’s in a different industry and the position is different but is it that different? Generally, when we make the kind of shift we’re talking about wanting to contribute in new ways. I suggest you set down and review what you learned about yourself to see if that position is really a match. Just because it’s highly sought after and others like it, doesn’t mean it’s that good for you.

Fear of change. I can remember my first professional position after college. The day I went to work for the first time, I cried before leaving home. Change can be a hard thing for most people and a career change is very big. The anxiety we can feel when faced with the realities of taking that step can cause us to think it’s wrong. We often second guess ourselves in these circumstances. You need to go back to what I said above and double check yourself. If you made the decision for all the right reasons, you may be stuck in your own fear of change. You need to recognize what the yucky feeling is and move forward in the confidence that you made a good decision. On the other hand, your concerns should always be checked out. If you really aren’t heading toward something you can feel passionate about- stop and rethink your direction. It’s ok to change your mind.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

ALWAYS Be Your Best!

2010-08-04T07:00:00.002-04:00

Every now and then, I have a job seeker tell me…

“I really wasn’t that interested in that job, and so I didn’t do my best in the interview.”

I always think… what a wasted opportunity!

People often close off the possibility of a hiring process moving further because they decided in a moment that this wasn’t a job they wanted. Perhaps they didn’t like the role, the company, the hiring manager, or some other aspect of it. They get dispassionate, or overly succinct in their answers. They show no further interest in the role at all. The employer judges the response and closes things off.
People forget some basic principles in the process…

You are never obligated to accept an offer! Continuing the process with enthusiasm and commitment can have tremendous benefits for you, as we’ll discuss further shortly. Should you be successful and ultimately get an offer, you are certainly not under any legal, moral, or ethical obligation to accept the position. Why not go for an offer with every opportunity you can?

You can always use more practice! For most job seekers, you don’t get that many opportunities to practice and hone your interview skills under “live fire”. It’s critically important to prepare and practice for interviews prior to meeting the employer. However, it still feels different when you’re actually there, getting asked the questions when it counts. Go through each interview process as far as you can, the best way you can, to help you refine your skills for the interviews your really do want.

Every impression counts! It really is a small world. It amazes me how many times prior contacts come back around and reconnect weeks, months, or years later. We also live in a time when people move to new jobs regularly. Any impression you create with someone today, may help or hurt you when you might encounter them again someday. A hiring manager at a company you are interviewing for today for a job you don’t want, may be a hiring manager, or potential networking contact at another company months or years from now for a job you do want. It happens all the time, and the impression you left with them the first time will impact their interest in you the next time as well. Make every impression your best.

Other opportunities can result from the process! Similarly, you never know what other opportunities may come out of a good interview process if you stick with it. It’s not unusual for someone to go through an entire hiring process for a position, and find out at the offer stage that the company decided that the candidate actually fits another role better. They make an offer for an entirely different position that may be an ideal fit for that person. If you didn’t do your best throughout the process, or “exited” too early, that prospect can never happen.

It’s great to get a boost of affirmation! As I often say… One of the most important, and most difficult things to do in a job search, is to maintain a positive mental attitude! As time goes on, there are plenty of things to get discouraged about. Finding ways to boost your attitude and feel good about charging forward is key to a successful outcome. Even if you decide not to accept a particular offer, it sure feels good to receive one! It proves you’re employable, and an attractive candidate to some employer. That affirmation can provide a great bump to your confidence as you continue your search!

Don’t ever present less than your very best in any interview process. Regardless of how you feel about a particular position, always follow through to its conclusion. The benefits can be tremendous!