JulieAnnErickson

Networking is Key

2012-01-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Two clients reported getting jobs this week: one after a somewhat checkered work history and a lengthy temporary stint, and the other making a career transition from one field to another.

What did they have in common?

1. They worked with me :-) - couldn't resist. Seriously, though, they did work with me to discover and then market their Core Value Proposition to employers.

* Together, we uncovered their talents and skills and impact, and then packaged it into a resume that showcased their value to an employer in their desired field.
* We zeroed in on EXACTLY what they wanted to do.
* We targeted their search to finding opportunities exactly matched to what they love and want to do - because that's where they can speak most comfortably and confidently about themselves, and that's where they deliver most value to an employer.
* And we crafted marketing cover letters that did the work for the employer of matching their abilities with the job requirements.

2. They NETWORKED. Both got their jobs through recommendations of people who knew the hiring manager.

The people making the referrals recognized that my clients were perfect matches for the job description - because their resumes made the case and so did my clients verbally. The referring people were well-respected by the hiring managers, so my clients' resumes got to the top of the pile. And they got interviews because of the recommendations. Then my clients aced the interviews because they were confident that they were the "right fit."

Here's some practical advice about networking:

* Put together a list of people you could contact to ask for help in getting a job doing what you want to do. List the obvious (former colleagues & bosses) to the not-so-obvious - one client got a job through her hairstylist.
* Add to your LinkedIn network - you need at least 100 contacts for it to become really useful. Go through your email. Use the LinkedIn tools to find people from your college, former workplaces, professional groups.
* Ask for recommendations on LinkedIn from at least 3 colleagues, former bosses, co-workers, clients, vendors, professors, teachers, classmates - anyone who knows your work product, work ethic, professional character, and working style. This is going to be used for a soft reference check by potential employers. It also gives you a reason to reach out to people - the beginning of a great network.
* Put some supporting documents on LinkedIn - a writing sample, a part of your reel, a presentation (obviously without disclosing proprietary information or intellectual property). People can see what you've got right away.
* Finalize your "intention statement" - the 30 second summary of what you want to do, what impact you want to have, and where you want to have the impact.

Once you have your intention statement finalized, you can get out there and network.

You can even start now, as long as you keep a close watch on how people respond to what you're saying. Are they interested in what you say about what you want to do? Or do their eyes glaze over? If there's a combination response, what made them pay attention? Those are the words and phrases that you want to keep.

One note: indecision and generalities are not useful. People usually want to help you, but in order to do so, they need you to be focused and specific. Otherwise, they'll have to do the work of getting you to be focused and specific. And most people won't do that. That's why coaches exist :-).

Listen to What Employers Tell You, or Write as Long a Cover Letter as You Need to Make Your Point(s)

2011-05-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

My friend Sue got an interview with a trading company in response to her cover letter and resume, as well as answers to an on-line questionnaire. When I looked at her cover letter, I crowed with delight to see a TWO-PAGE letter!

I explained that some of my clients think my cover letter samples are way too long, and they resist sending something that length. Sue told me she sent the letter because it was responsive to what the company founder said he wanted. She also told me that she changed her resume to mirror EXACTLY what he wanted to see in a resume. He outlined it in his book, which she is reading. One of the things he also said is that he wanted people to talk about him and his company - because it is his company and he wants to know you want to work for him. So she did.

All of this was music to my ears. Because employers often will tell you exactly what they want you to do when you apply, if you pay attention.

1. Job descriptions contain language, concepts, skills that is particular to the company. Use the language they use - not copying verbatim, but using some of their terms, phrases and words. The skills they require are the key words their software and human reviewers will look for. Oh, and mention the title of the position at least twice in the cover letter - at the top and in your closing paragraph.

2. Websites are a treasure trove. Go to the "About" or "For Investors" page to find the company mission or purpose, its vision and values, its annual report. Refer to the purpose, the kind of business they are in, the impact they have. Sincere flattery based on facts goes a looooooong way toward telling employers that you want to work there - and that you did your research. Use the name of the company at least twice in the letter, too, so it's clear you know where you want to work..

3. Public profiles and news items also contain a lot of information. Many companies have LinkedIn profiles now, and you can often see who works for them. Maybe you can connect with people there, and maybe you are already connected. Did the company or one of its top people achieve something recently? You can refer to that when you make contact.

4. Who leads the company? Again, the "About" section of a website has a lot of information. Did one of the leaders write a book? Read it. Do a search for the CEO and COO, and division heads, at least. Do any of them show up in the news? Maybe s/he attended a charity event or serves on the Board of a charity that you also support. Put the affiliation in your resume. You never know what will catch someone's attention.

Again: do what you are told to do. A long cover letter answers questions about how appropriate you are for the position. So do your research and include tidbits in your cover letter. At very least, a longer cover letter tells the employer you have something to say and it might be worth reading.

Moved blog to www.myrightfitjob.com

2011-01-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've moved my blog to a WordPress site, and am posting all kinds of new material there.

Why did I move?

The new site has more capability to put in videos, visuals, links and information. (One example: I don't have to do HTML coding anymore to put in links.) I'm having great fun finding material on YouTube and other sites that I can share with my readers to help you even more with your job search.

So follow me to my new site, and I'll look forward to your comments and feedback.

Great Job Search Key Words Are Your Skills

2011-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Job titles are not by themselves good key words for a search. Skills are.

When I work with people, we focus on the skills and talents they love to use and want to use again. Their “right fit” work is a position that will allow them to exercise their abilities and have their desired impact on a company, their own lives, the world. So let’s use that information about your Core Value Proposition and your Must Have List to find jobs that will be a “right fit” for you.

I suggest you search job sites – including Indeed, LinkedIn and Idealist.org (for non-profit jobs) – for those skills and see what job titles come up. Usually there are many different ones. Skills are what an employer wants, not someone who has had a specific title. So this focus is more likely to unearth the kind of jobs that will be a “right fit” for your abilities and preferences.

If you want, you can start to search sites for those job titles. Just make sure you continue to search for the skills you want to use, or you might miss some great opportunities.

Knowing the various possible job titles also will allow you to give people examples of the kind of work you want when they ask “so what are you looking for?” – a question I tell you how to answer in my blog on December 14 “Be Specific About Your ‘Right Fit’ Job.”

Getting a Job Offer

2010-12-29T08:12:00.001-08:00

An interesting phenomenon occurred with two clients over the past 2 weeks: both got job offers they were not ecstatic about.

One decided to take the position, with trepidation. The other is still deciding.

Huh??? In this economy, after searching for about a year, they aren’t ecstatic about getting a job? What’s up with that?

In the first case, the hesitation has to do with the company culture. She wonders if she will fit in and whether the company will truly accept her. On the face of it, this is her dream job: exactly the kind of work she wants to do, the role she wants to play (at a higher level than ever before!), the money she wants, the location she wants (local), and the kind of company she wanted to work for. Plus the company, in meeting all her requests, has shown great enthusiasm for her, her skills and abilities, and her Core Value Proposition.

Yet she hesitated to accept the job. It’s a company based in another country with a culture based in that country’s culture. It’s different from US-based companies, and she’s nervous about whether there will be a true fit.

It turns out that “culture and colleagues” is an extremely high priority on her Must Have List. So high, in fact, that it almost outweighed the other 5 items on her List.

She decided to take the job because it does meet so much of her Must Have List…and she needs a job and the income it provides. She can’t wait any longer. So she’s decided to give it a go, trusting that she’ll be able to cope. Oh, and she’s going to continue getting coaching to help her make the transition to a new culture. Yes, asking for help is definitely a coping mechanism.

My other client was offered a job that also meets virtually all of her Must Have List, with one major exception: location. She and her family will have to relocate from one coast to another. It’s almost a deal breaker for her.

The lesson of these two stories is that a Must Have List is an essential guide to what you want in a job, and one of the items almost always outweighs everything else. In a perfect world, you’d get everything you want. This isn’t a perfect world, though, so people are having to make some very hard choices. Including giving up something that they now realize mattered more than they expected.

The Law of Attraction and Job Search

2010-12-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

Most people have heard of the Law of Attraction, made famous by the book The Secret. I was fascinated to learn that there is such a "Law" because it's exactly what I've advocated for years: be specific about exactly what constitutes your "right fit" work and job.

Here's where the Law of Attraction comes in. When you can picture the job, you send a message to the universe that you’re open to this exact opportunity -- and that allows the Law of Attraction to start working. You attract the exact vibration job that you’ve envisioned.

What this means is that you are starting your job search with what you want -- your goal. With a goal, you can create a plan to reach it. This is starting with the end in mind. Specificity really helps in job search. When you know the specific kind of job you want,

* you know what to look for on job sites
* it’s easy to explain why certain jobs are the right ones for you
* people will quickly understand how to help you when you network
* you’ll immediately recognize job opportunities when they appear

And job opportunities will appear. There’s a very interesting alchemy that happens when you get specific. To paraphrase a quote attributed to Goethe, “when you fully commit to something, the universe steps in to support you.”

Once my clients know exactly what they want to do -- by developing their “Must Have List” of things they must have for a job to be the right fit for them -- it seems almost magical how opportunities begin to appear that are aligned with your goal. The Law of Attraction does work in job search.

Expand your Job Search Network

2010-12-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

A very simple way to expand your job search network is to use LinkedIn. If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, get one fast!

The kind of resume I help people develop is LinkedIn-friendly. Your resume Profile turns into your LinkedIn Summary, your Core Capabilities turn into your Specialties, and your jobs easily fit into the LinkedIn space. Education comes after Experience in both places. I'll write more about an ideal LinkedIn profile, but back to the topic of networking now!

Once you have a good LinkedIn profile, it's time to connect with people. You want to connect with

* former colleagues
* current colleagues (if you're working)
* people at your house of worship
* other volunteers (if you volunteer)
* neighbors
* friends
* college classmates
* high school classmates
* your professional service providers (doctor, lawyer, accountant)
* your kid's friends' parents

Basically, you want as broad a network as possible. The idea is to have as many "First Degree Connections" as you can get for a couple of reasons.

1) More people will see your profile and updates, and have you in their mind. That makes it much easier for you when you contact them for help with your job search. You will be "top of mind" because they see you making changes to your profile, adding connections, making updates.

2) You have a much larger extended network. All those first degree connections have their own networks, and their networks have their own networks. You have access to these second and third degree connections. So the more first degree connections you have, the wider the reach you have for introductions to people with a 2nd or 3rd degree connection. Chances are that there is at least one person one or two degrees away from you who works at a company you have targeted.

You can find people to add to your connections by following these simple steps.

** To use your e-mail address to find people, go to your main page and click on "Contacts" and "Import Contacts."

** It will prompt you to enter a password if you need it, and then you hit enter and LinkedIn comes up with a huge list of people.

** Those who are on LinkedIn will have a little blue icon with "in" on it, indicating that they are on LinkedIn.

** The default is to check every box, so click on "select all" to UNselect all.

** You will then sort through to see who you want to add to your network. Click on the box next to those you choose.

** The box on the right will list all those to whom you want to send invitations. Click on "send" and the invites will be on their way.

Once you have connections, you can ask for recommendations. To have a complete profile, LinkedIn wants you have at least 3 recommendations. And recommendations are used more and more for "soft reference checks."

You can ask for recommendations on the site itself from people in your network. That's a topic for another day, and a VERY important one.

How to Answer "What Are You Looking For?"

2010-12-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

When you network, you will be asked "so what do you want to do?" Here's a simple formula for answering it in a sentence or two.

Write an "intention statement" that describes those skills and talents you love to use, the challenges you love to solve, and the value you can deliver to an employer in your field in such and such a role.

Write it down and then practice saying it - editing and practicing until it comes really naturally to you. Ask a professional friend can give you feedback on this "intention statement." Do they know what you want to do? Do they understand the kind of value you can provide? Do they have any ideas of where you could look, who you could talk to, the kinds of jobs you could seek? If not, refine it even more.

This format is used very effectively by MANY clients, because it starts with you, travels to the employer and then focuses on some specific types of roles that will spark people's brains to think of positions they may have heard of.

Appearance Matters

2010-11-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

I Googled the phrase "appearance matters" and came up with 6,520,000 results. Then I searched for "appearance matters job" and got 43,400,000 results. The first several pages are devoted almost exclusively to the topic of how appearance matters in job interviews.

One study showed that appearance mattered even more for applicants with less-than-stellar resumes. Here's a quote from the abstract:

Results indicated that attractiveness had no impact when the quality of the application was high but that attractiveness was an advantage when the application was mediocre. When the résumé quality was average the attractive applicant was evaluated more positively than the control, no photograph, applicant; an attractive photograph boosted the evaluation of a mediocre application. (emphasis added)

The lesson? Do the best you can with what you have. Use the various tools to help you put your best face forward.

* Dress professionally. Suits. Ties. Pressed shirts. Pantyhose - without runs - with a skirt (unless it's summer, and then shaved legs - if you don't want to shave your legs, wear pants!). No stains. Demure colors. Check to see how people in your industry dress, especially the people you admire in top spots.

* Be well groomed. If you can, get a professional haircut. If you color your hair, get a touch-up. Eat a breath mint before the interview. Some makeup helps women. If you have dry or flaking skin (man or woman), use some moisturizer. Give yourself a manicure - men included (polish optional).

* Have a professional-looking photo on LinkedIn. You can take your own photo or have a friend do it. A face shot, full-on preferably, with a plain background is best. This is critical because employers and recruiters often look at your LinkedIn profile before deciding whether to interview you.

These simple things will help you make a positive first impression.

Source: Watkins, L. M. and Johnston, L. (2000), Screening Job Applicants: The Impact of Physical Attractiveness and Application Quality. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 8: 76–84. doi: 10.1111/1468-2389.00135

Social Media Musts for Job Finding

2010-11-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone says that networking is the best way to get a job. I agree. And social media is a critical part of networking in today's job market. Here are the ones my clients find most useful:

1) LinkedIn. Your profile is critically important to your search.

Recruiters use LinkedIn so much these days. LinkedIn actively markets its search capacity to recruiters inside and external to companies. Using specific criteria and key words, a recruiter can narrow the pool of potential candidates from thousands to 20 or 30 people who most closely meet the employer's needs.

If you know what you want to do, makes sure your profile reflects this. Use key words that match:

* your core skills and abilities
* the impact you've had
* your special expertise including language skills or global experience
* relevant certifications (LinkedIn just added that area to profiles)
* training
* charitable work

- basically anything that makes you stand out.

To know what key words are in vogue, read as many job descriptions as you can for jobs you might like, and pick out the phrases and words from the "Responsibilities" and "Qualifications" sections. Include those words and phrases in your profile.

NOTE: make sure your LinkedIn profile matches your resume in every respect. ANY misalignment can be read as lack of integrity by a recruiter or employer.

Recommendations are essential for a complete LinkedIn profile. There is some consensus that these are valuable "soft references" even though it's clear that you'll only put up positive ones. The reality is that if enough people say enough of the same kind of things about you, it's likely to be accurate. The general idea is "if it walks, talks and acts like a duck...chances are it's a duck."

2. Facebook. Facebook is a double-edged sword, in my opinion.

Most people use Facebook for personal connections - old high school and college buddies, far-flung family and friends, etc. That makes it a great place to do personal networking - telling your network that you are looking for your "right fit" job. Periodically post what you're looking for, updates on your job search, and ask for specific help ("does anyone know someone who works at this target company?").

Because it's such a personal networking site, I believe the best kind of Facebook profile is a private one, where you are circumspect about what you put up. There are true stories of people who didn't get jobs because of Facebook content, and there is growing concern that advertisers and enterprising people can get to your Facebook profile despite privacy settings. So make sure you would be proud to show your boss anything that is on Facebook. Delete possibly damaging posts and pictures. Start an account that is purely personal under a nickname if you must put up random, odd, or questionable things.

I'm aware that there are a lot of entrepreneurs and companies who are using Facebook to promote their businesses, using the business pages now available on Facebook. If you start your own business page, keep in mind that it is linked to your personal account, which makes it difficult to separate business and personal.

3. Google Profile. This emerging forum is gaining traction as Google moves farther into Facebook and Twitter-like applications (like Friend Connect and Buzz).

You need to control what is in your Google profile, because that profile will show up when any employer does a Google search for your name. I say "when" an employer does that search because they will do it as a part of their search process. It's quick, easy, costs no money, and captures a ton of information about you very quickly. They may do it before deciding to interview you or after they've seen you in person, as a reference check.

Google yourself and see what comes up. If you have a Google account, you might see at the bottom of the page your name and a profile link. Click on that and you can see what is in your profile and you can edit it. You also can search for http://www.google.com/profiles/YOURNAME and see what comes up. If you don't have a Google account, you might want to get one so you can create a profile.

4. Twitter. Twitter is definitely useful for job seekers and people navigating the world or work and careers, as a source of great current career and job search advice. I suggest as a rule to create an account with your own name; it's digital real estate and as such you should claim it.

Follow people who provide content you find useful. They may or may not follow you back; it doesn't matter. There are also some job posting services connected with Twitter including TweetMyJobs. you can find job postings by searching the hash tag #jobs, #tweetmyjobs and #jobangels.

If you post on Twitter, make sure you are tweeting professional-sounding messages. This is an amazingly public forum and you need to present yourself as someone who provides value, learns the "rules of the road" and abides by them.

These are the big social media forces today to be concerned with, as far as I can see from my work with clients and what's current in the blog and Twitter worlds.

Guest Post: Hop Aboard the Slow Career Movement

2010-11-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to have Noël Rozny from myFootpath.comdoing a guest post today. She touches on very relevant points and provides good guidance. Enjoy!

There was a lot of unpleasant fallout from the recession: people lost their jobs, their retirement savings, their businesses, and their homes. But even as the economy and the work force are still struggling to their feet, workers across the country are benefiting from an unexpected by-product.

In her article, Some Workers Moving Off the Career Fast-Track, Eve Tahmincioglu describes what she calls the “Slow Career Movement” that has sprung up as a result of the recession. Similar to the Slow Food movement—which prompts individuals to think more carefully about what they eat, where it comes from, and what impact it has on the environment—the Slow Career movement is a trend that Tahmincioglu says gives workers a chance to re-examine their work/life balance.

The result, she says, is that many who were laid off during the past two years are using the opportunity to chase long-forgotten dreams, open their own businesses, and redefine what career success means to them.

Did your ears perk up when I said “long-forgotten dreams?” Is there a passion or drive you’ve hidden away somewhere that is screaming for attention? Now may just be the time to explore it. If you’re not sure how to get started on the road to a “slow career,” here’s how.

Step #1: Identify Your Passion
The first step to a slow job is figuring out what truly makes you happy. Forget what you went to college for, what your parents told you is a respectable profession, and your 20+ years experience as an accountant manager. What do you really want to do? If you could go back and start over again, what dream or career would you pursue?

Step #2: Set Expectations
As Tahmincioglu described in her article, many slow job-seekers are leaving corporate America because they’re tired of long hours, unbearable stress loads, and a complete lack of free time. So as you consider making a switch, write down a concrete list of what you’re looking for and what you’re willing to sacrifice. Are you looking for flexible hours, a more creative career, the opportunity to work from home, a chance to be with your family? What are you willing to give up to get these things: a guaranteed salary, paid vacations, and other corporate perks?

Step #3: Perform a Self-Evaluation
Ok, so now you know that you really want to open your own art gallery or start a gourmet pie company. What are your skills in this area? Have you been working on your knowledge and expertise through side projects or freelancing? Do you need to take some classes to get yourself where you need to be?

Step #4: Start Researching Your New Industry
If you’re thinking about dipping your toes in an entirely new industry, you need to do some research first. What are the industry trends? What’s the average salary for the position you’re seeking? What’s the business climate like for your new profession?

You can find out by embracing social media: look up your industry leaders, find their websites, read their blogs, and follow them on Twitter. See who’s on their blogroll, who’s commenting on their posts, and who’s following them on Twitter (and who they follow). Before you know it, you’ll have all the information you need to get started right at your fingertips.

Step #5: Establish Your Identity
Ever heard the phrase “fake it ‘till you make it?” If you’re going into a brand new industry, you need to start building a brand for yourself within this field. Even if your work experience is in something completely different, you can start making a new name for yourself by building a blog, setting up a LinkedIn profile, and getting some business cards made. Use these tools to showcase your expertise and passion for your new field. Trust me, they’ll come in handy as you start looking for jobs or to build your client base.

Step #6: Go!
Once you’ve got the right job skills, industry knowledge, and personal brand, it’s time to jump into your new career with both feet. Start knocking on doors: network, make connections, and job search. Yes, it’s scary, but so was the recession, and you survived that, didn’t you? What do you have to lose besides your own happiness and personal fulfillment?

Noël Rozny is the web editor and content manager for myFootpath.com. She’s thrilled to be in a position where she can help students of all ages find the degree program, career or “slow job” that’s right for them. To read more, visit the myPathfinder career and education blog.

Job Search is Emotional

2010-11-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

Every day, I talk to people who are coping with the emotions of job search. It helps them to acknowledge their feelings about the search. And there is a lot to get emotional about!

Here are some common emotions and causes:

* you get excited about a conversation, a job possibility, a posting that seems exactly the job for you

* you get depressed because you didn't get an interview after working so long on that cover letter

* you are hopeful because you sent in a great cover letter, you have a contact at one of your target employers, you finished your resume, someone gave you a great recommendation on LinkedIn

* you are frustrated by how long an employer takes to get back to you, that you haven't found more jobs that appeal to you, that you have to personalize every bit of correspondence, that you missed a typo in a cover letter or your resume

* you are happy because you nailed that interview, you got called for a second interview, you applied for a great job, you know what your Core Value Proposition is

* you are afraid to apply for a job, of running out of money, of having a phone interview or an in-person interview.

The list could go on and on. The point is that many emotions come up during this process. In my own job searches and now that I coach people, I find it very useful to express those emotions. Through experience, I have come to firmly believe that unexpressed emotions are blocks to our reaching our goals. And it's SO easy to remove those blocks, simply by talking about them with someone trusted.

For me, the primary issue in my job searches was that I often was down on myself and my abilities, yet had to present myself in the most confident, upbeat way to convince an employer that I was exactly the person they wanted. So I talked to people about it. I didn't keep that inside. I exposed it to the air and came to see that my self-doubt was a lie and I didn't have to believe it.

With coaching and support from friends, I became very good at presenting my best self - first by "acting as if" and later by focusing in on what I was most passionate and enthusiastic about. By paying attention and getting feedback from friends and coaches, I found that I got energized and therefore contagiously convincing when I was talking about my successes, focusing always on positive aspects of even my weaknesses, and relating my experience to the vision I had for the position and the company.

Emotions happen. Express them and then let them go, so you can get on with the process of finding your "right fit job."

What Employers Do With Your Application

2010-11-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

So many recruiters and HR people blog about what they look for when someone applies for a job. It is a great source of information for the determined job seeker who wants to be a job FINDER.

I read those blogs and I talk to people who are hiring. Of course, different companies and different industries have their own processes, and recruiters play a key role in shepherding candidates through the process. Yet there is a lot that is common.

1. Hundreds of people apply for a single job. Most of the applications will be ignored because a) the person sends a form cover letter instead of personalizing it; b) the applicant does not have the required skills or experience; c) there are typos in the cover letter and/or resume.

The remaining resumes get a more careful read. Most people separate them into three piles: Yes, Maybe,and No. "Maybes" only get considered if enough of the "Yeses" turn out to be duds - or you have an insider tell the reviewer that you are amazing and they need to talk to you.

2. A small number of applicants are worth talking to on the telephone. These are people who, on paper, appear to have the basic qualifications. Perhaps they also have a little something extra - a compelling cover letter that explains why they want to work for the company and what they will deliver, a resume that presents their abilities really clearly, a great LinkedIn profile with a number of recommendations that hit consistent themes, or an insider who pulls them to the top of the pile.

The phone interview is pre-screening for the real interview and is intended to weed people out. Most employers do phone interviews now. It saves a lot of time and resources, because they will know who is worth bringing in for a fuller conversation. Often, someone from HR or administration will conduct the phone interview. Rarely, the person to whom the position reports will do these interviews. Most phone interviews cover these basics:

a) do you know your resume and your own qualifications?
b) do you know what the job is and who the company is?
c) can you speak intelligently about yourself, your experience, and why you are right for the position?

There sometimes is a question or two that screens for culture fit, particularly if you are switching from a large to small company and vice-versa, or from one field to another (e.g. for-profit to non-profit).

Sometimes the phone interviewer will ask about your salary range and rarely, will disclose the salary range for the position. This is intended to eliminate people who want "too much money."

3) Employers invite a small number of people in for in-person interviews. The number can range from as few as three to as many as eleven or twelve. It depends on the quality of the applicant pool and the degree to which the job requires a great personality fit. If the position is one that has to interact with lots of people, internal and external, it's likely that the employer will want to see more people.

In-person interviews can take a few forms. Usually, the position's supervisor is the primary interviewer. It can be one on one, or sometimes the HR person sits in. At times, it is a group interview with other members of the work team.

This is the interview where you will be carefully questioned about your skills, experience, understanding of the position and company, desire to work there, and how you would handle certain scenarios. People who haven't done their homework will generally be eliminated at that point. The "chemistry" is important at this stage, as well, and people are eliminated who really don't "click" with the interviewer or don't seem able to adapt to a new culture.

4. A much smaller number of people get one or more follow-up interviews. These are the people who meet all or most qualifications, sound like they could hit the ground running and deliver value quickly, who appear to be suited to the organization and its culture, and who are most enthusiastic about working for the company. It is generally at least two and no more than five people.

Follow-up interviews are intended to find the person who will get an offer. At this point, the company wants to hire someone so they are looking for someone to rise above the other candidates. Perhaps they already have identified a front-runner and want to validate the choice.

There can be some intermediate steps, especially in large companies, where candidates are invited to take personality or technical skill assessments or to meet potential co-workers. If money has not yet been discussed, it is usually brought up during this period following a successful in-person interview.

The person to whom the position reports will almost always be in these follow-up interviews. Often there will be others from the team. The final interview usually is with a very senior person, who needs to sign off on the hire. At this point, the candidate(s) are already completely acceptable to the person hiring.

5. It's expected that the job offer will be accepted. In today's economy, employers expect that they can get their top candidate, without giving a lot on salary or other compensation.

I hope this is a helpful outline of the general hiring process in today's job market. Please feel free to add your own observations!

"Must Have" List

2010-11-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

I created this list to help people zero in on what they want in a job or work. When you know what you want, it is far easier to develop a plan to get there.

This is a list of 5-6 aspects of a job or work that you MUST have. This is not “want to have.” This list is of the things that you must have in order for you to be satisfied and content in your work, the things that will make it possible for you to be excited to start the day when you wake up every morning.

You’ll want to have a “must have” in most or all of these categories:

1) Work you will do
2) Role you will play
3) Impact of your efforts
4) Physical environment
5) Colleagues, culture, emotional environment
6) Compensation

1) Work you will do

What do you like doing? What gives you great satisfaction? What industry or subject area do you love, care about? In what field does your expertise and talent lie? What do you want to occupy yourself doing for work? What are your skills, talents, preferences, likes and dislikes? What brings you joy? What can you lose yourself in so time flies? Do you prefer to have a single focus or are you happier with a variety of tasks?

2) Role you will play

What position will you have in the organization or company? Will you work for someone? For yourself? With others? Be a leader or a follower? Do you like working alone or in a team? Being visible or behind the scenes? Playing the same kind of role consistently, or do you like to move around? How much time do you want to spend working? Do you want to be someone others depend on or free of responsibility for others?

3) Impact of your efforts

Does your work need to matter to anyone other than yourself? Do you want to make a difference? If so, what difference do you want to make? Does it matter what kind of company or organization you work for? If so, what kind of company? And what impact will it have? Is there anything that will make it worth doing drudge work?

4) Physical environment

What do you need to be at your best and do your best work? Do you need privacy, light, quiet, noise, open floor plan, a desk and comfortable chair, no desk and always being outside? There are many variations – only you can decide what kind of physical environment you thrive in. Also can be about location, commuting, hours.

5) Culture and colleagues

What kind of emotional environment do you want? What kind of people? Do your values need to mesh with the values of your workplace and colleagues? What kind of atmosphere helps you do your best? Fast-paced or laid-back? Lots of deadlines or little pressure? Competitive or supportive, or a little of both? Structured or flexible? Formal or casual? 9-5 or varied? Task or mission focused? Start-up or established organization/company? Close supervision or self-direction?

6) Compensation

What’s the bottom line dollar pay or salary that you can live with? A figure that covers your basic needs and then some? You can have a figure you request that’s higher than your “I can live with it” figure. Are there other ways you can be compensated, such as time off, benefits, recognition, or travel? How much compensation do you need to reflect your value to your employer, or to quit a temporary or maintenance job to work full-time for yourself?

After answering these questions, try to boil down your responses to short phrases of one to five words. You know the intention behind each phrase, and can explain them to people when you tell them what you want.

As you go forward in looking at potential jobs, it is probable that one or two of these items will rise to the top of your list as the most important variables for you to have your best work experience. That will help you decide whether to accept a job or not – if it doesn’t meet those top “must haves,” it’s likely that you won’t last there very long.

In a tough economy, it's great to have 51% of your "Must Have" List met. Employers have their own "must haves" and they are more likely to demand that potential employers meet 100% of their list - no matter how unrealistic that is. In a good economy, we can aim for getting 75-80% of our "must haves" - the same as an employer will get.

The goal, after all, is for your "right fit" work to be the fit of your skills, abilities and talents with the needs, requirements and opportunities of the job or work you get.

Leave No Stone Unturned

2010-11-11T17:51:00.000-08:00

I hear some people saying they don't want to apply for a specific job because they don't think they really want to work at the specific workplace. Maybe they've heard negative things about it from former employees, or they think it's too big or too small, or for some other reason.

Yet they identified the job as something of interest. There was an element in the title or job description or both that attracted them.

Now, if someone says they don't want to apply for a job because the pay is much too low or it turns out that they don't have at least 50% of the required qualifications, or it's in a city to which they will not move - then by all means, don't apply. That wastes your time and the employers'.

However, if there is no concrete reason not to apply, then I urge people to go ahead and apply.

Applying for a job is beginning your end of the conversation. It is not a commitment to accepting a job. It is simply the start of a possible longer communication and maybe relationship. Your application is your expression of interest in what the employer has to offer, and indicates your willingness to engage with them.

It is helpful to think about the reasons you ARE interested and focus on those. If you get an interview, you will have an opportunity to gather more information about the job and employer. Prepare for the interview by creating your own "must have list" of what you must have in order to do your best work. Most people "must have" a certain role and perform specific kinds of activities, work in a specific kind of culture and physical environment, get a definite compensation. Having your own sense of how and where you do your best work - meaning where you are happiest - allows the interview to be two-sided. You are checking out the employer just as they are checking you out.

You won't have that opportunity if you never apply. So go for it! Make your application the strongest it can be by following recommendations on preparing a fantastic marketing-style cover letter and resume. The worst that can happen is you don't get called for an interview. In that case, the job wasn't for you anyway.

Leave No Stone Unturned
Today's economy is relatively uncharted territory for most job-seekers, so abandon the idea that your road map is sufficient. It is NOT. So get off the beaten path, venture into the unknown, try something a little beyond your comfort zone. My philosophy is that if something comes up in your path - whether someone suggests doing something or a wacky idea floats through your brain - it is there for a reason. So take a couple of steps to follow up on it. You'll know soon enough if it's right or not for you - either because you get a big fat "no" or because the path turns too rocky and difficult (a sure sign it's not a road to keep following), or because you gather enough information to see that your minimum "must haves" won't be met.

Engage in what I call the "leave no stone unturned school of job search." Do EVERYTHING that occurs to you and is suggested by others. This is not the time to say "oh, I don't think that will work" or "I don't think I'll like that job." How do you know, until you get the interview? And you don't know where an opportunity or idea will lead you.

Resumes that Market You

2010-11-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

Your resume is a marketing document. Its job is to market YOU and your abilities to a prospective employer. The goal is to position you to get your "right fit" work. Your resume must convey to potential employers exactly what you have to offer them, and the results you are likely to produce for them based on your past record of accomplishments.

Different industries have preferred formats and content, including academia, IT, business consulting and engineering. Yet much of what makes a compelling resume is common across all fields. The format and content I suggest can be a starting point for everyone, even if you later need to customize your resume or CV for a particular industry or job.

To begin, I advocate putting a PROFILE at the very start of the resume, just under your name and contact information. A profile is not an objective (of course you want a job), nor is it a litany of your skills (boring!). A profile is a succinct description of who you are in the workplace.

Your profile presents your unique value proposition – what you love to do and are good at doing, the skills you want to use in the future, and the attributes you want to highlight. Your profile also will capture your personality through a judicious use of adjectives. In sum, your profile conveys the substance and flavor of who you are in the workplace.

In some ways, the process of creating the profile is more important than the final product. Developing it gives you the chance to think carefully about your "unique value proposition." In fact, the reader will usually catch the first five or six words of the profile and then move on to Experience. They might come back to it but even if they don't, the profile will make an impression. It says that you've thought about and know who you are.

Everything you say in your profile must be backed up by your accomplishments, which are listed under each employer and job. Essentially, the profile is the thesis that you then go on to prove with concrete examples. It also is useful as a way to ensure that your resume is internally consistent in terms of the message you intend to convey.

Some people include CORE COMPETENCIES. This section summarizes your tool box of skills,expertise and specialized abilities or knowledge. It needs to contain key words common to your industry and your target positions so your resume will be selected by any computer program searching for key words (e.g. on LinkedIn or within a company). You can use bullets or not. It looks pleasing visually when they arranged in 3 columns. I suggest limiting the number of items in each column to 5 or fewer, to make it readable.

Some senior level people have a section called KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS. These are stories that highlight and summarize some of your major achievements, and indicate the scope and impact of your work. Identify three or four accomplishments of which you are really proud. They need to show different aspects of your ability. For example, one story could show your facility with numbers or complexity, another could showcase how you work well with others and team, another could demonstrate how you deal with crises, and the last could focus on long-term payoff of your planning and disciplined execution.

Write out each story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result. The best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story. When you write your story, remember that numbers really help tell the story. And the shorter and pithier the story, the easier it is to get someone to read it.

Usually, reviewers find it much easier to read a chronological listing of your EXPERIENCE. Sometimes a functional resume makes sense if your industry is more focused on your technical abilities, as in IT. Yet most people will want to connect what you did with when and where you did it. Do the work for them by providing a chronological resume.

Most readers go through the entire resume once just glancing at employer, years and title. If all seems to be complete and consistent, then they glance at education to see if you have any degrees. So make sure you have no huge holes in time, and no major typos!

For each job you've held, include a brief JOB DESCRIPTION that indicates the scope of your responsibilities, and then bullet points that highlight your ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

The job description takes four to six lines to summarize the company you work for, your job responsibilities, and the scope and depth of your position. Say "Led all communications and marketing efforts for Fortune 1000 technology firm (STOCK SYMBOL)" or "Oversaw day to day operations for 45 year old non-profit that teaches literacy to adult New Yorkers" or "Managed entire recruiting and on-boarding process for 300 person homeless services agency." Use numbers when possible. For example, say "oversaw $3.5 million advertising budget" or "supervised team of 12, with four direct reports."

Bullets are ONLY for accomplishments. ACCOMPLISHMENTS are the results of your work, the impact you had, the "so what" of your responsibilities.

* Ask “so what” to get to the impact of whatever activity you want to include. If you want to include it, it’s probably important but only if you can somehow tie it to an impact that is measurable and/or directional – as in “increased” and “improved” and “enhanced” and “expanded” – or gives clear evidence of major responsibility, as in “directed,” “led,” “managed,” “launched,” and “created.”

* You can have 5-7 bullets for your most recent job, 4-5 for your next most recent, maximum 2 for the next most recent and none for the oldest ones.

* Use active, directionally positive words like "increased," "improved," "advanced," "optimized," "enhanced" and "expanded."

* Use numbers as much as possible, especially with dollar signs and percentage signs; they are real eye-catchers and speak to many employers' focus on the bottom line.

* Split the accomplishment into "what" and "how": the impact or result, and how you achieved that result. For example, "Increased revenue year over year by 80%, through redeploying sales team."

* Be brief. Limit each bullet to one, maximum two lines.

* Give leading information to cause the reader to ask a follow up question. Remember, the point of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview is where the reader can ask you to explain how you redeployed the sales team and why that resulted in 80% revenue increase.

* Only include things you really want to do again – similar or greater scope of responsibility, the type of work or project, specific skills you really want to use again, or attributes you want people to notice.

EDUCATION comes after EXPERIENCE. List the most recent degrees first. Any continuing education comes after the degrees.

Other sections that can be useful in positioning for a position are:

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY - especially helpful if you want to work for a non-profit organization or a civic-minded company.

AFFILIATIONS that show you active in your industry, community, and profession.

PUBLICATIONS if you have published anything relevant to your desired work.

PUBLIC SPEAKING or PUBLIC SPEAKING/MEDIA APPEARANCES - a useful section for anyone with such experience who wants a leadership or spokesperson position.

Which sections to include depends on what your target job is and what will best build the case for you as highly qualified to do that job. So use your core value proposition and your Must Have List to guide what you include in your resume.

Manifesting Your "Right Fit" Job

2010-11-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

I believe that you can find your "right fit" job when you know what that is. When you know what you want, it is so much easier to get it.

Every time I wanted a new job or area of responsibility, I did the work to specify what I wanted to do. I created a "Must Have List" specifying the skills I wanted to use, the area in which I wanted to work, the role I wanted to play, the impact I wanted to have, the culture and environment (including physical) I wanted to work within, and the compensation I wanted.

Every time I did that, I got what I wanted. It usually didn't come in the form I expected - it was usually better!

Some think of this as manifestation. Here are 5 steps to manifestation that I have found to work all the time.

1. Clarify your intention. (Your Must Have List)

2. Make sure it is unencumbered by conditioned responses. (Any doubts or fear)

3. Begin to take action in the direction of your intention. (Align your resume & cover letter with your Must Have List)

4. Properly manage thoughts that are contrary to your intention. (Banish doubts and fear when they arise)

5. Allow the Universe to arrange the details. (Detach from any specific outcome)

Give it a try and see what happens.

The Power of Your Attitude

2010-11-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Today, I was speaking with someone who has a voice inside her head that questions whether she'll ever find that "right fit" job. She also has a voice that compares herself negatively to other people.

These are the voices of fear. And they are lying to her.

She can choose to believe them and feel terrible, or to shut them off and feel better.

At a conference this weekend, a speaker suggested that when we feel fear, we instead say: "No, no, that's not fear - that's excitement!"

Fear is about wanting to return to the past, to the comfortable and familiar, to survival. It says "the future is unknown and therefore scary. I can't control it. So let me just stick with what I know."

Excitement is about looking forward to what is to come. It says "I wonder what's coming up? I'm curious and interested. I know it will be good!"

Looking forward feels so much better than looking back. Notice how your body feels when you're in fear or looking forward. How would you rather feel?

Focusing on your own path and what you can do feels way better than focusing on what other people do.

Comparing myself with other people usually makes me feel worse about myself.

Focusing on my own actions, abilities, contacts, possibilities - well, I just feel so much better and more powerful.

William James, the pioneering psychologist, said "The greatest discovery of this generation is that a human being can alter their life by altering their attitude."

I have so much experience with how changing my attitude both makes me feel better and produces better outcomes.

If you're feeling terrible about your job search, look at your attitude and how you talk to yourself. You DO have the power to change that, and that can make your job search so much more successful.

Determination to get Your "Right Fit Job"

2010-11-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

What if you were absolutely determined to get that one job? The one that sounds so great in the ad and posting. The one that appears to be exactly what you want - using your unique combination of skills and abilities. The one that would pay enough. The one that could put an end to your job search and begin your next phase of work.

If you were totally determined to get that job, what would you do differently than you are doing now?

Maybe you'd put your heart and soul into writing a cover letter, doing everything you can to convince the reader that YOU are the exact person they seek.

Maybe you'd ask your best buddy to look over the letter to make sure there are no typos or grammar errors.

Maybe you'd double check your resume to make sure it is exactly what you want to represent you at your very best.

Maybe you'd leave no room in your brain for a "well, it's OK if it doesn't come through" - because it isn't OK. It stinks, really. And you can survive that feeling. You also can take comfort from the FACT that, if you don't get an interview, it's really NOT your "right fit job." Because if it were, you would have gotten the interview.

Maybe you'd be confident and comfortable in the interviews, because you really know it's exactly the right job for you. Maybe you'd envision yourself in the job already.

Maybe you'd have some ideas about how you'd tackle the job, and your vision for what you could make of the job, the impact you'll have in and on the company. And maybe you'd tell them those ideas in the interview.

I've had several experiences where I've been completely determined to get the position I wanted. The first time was freshman year in high school, when I was determined to win a spot on the flag twirling/color guard squad. And I did. The next big time was when I wanted an internship for the Smith Project on Women & Social Change. And I got it. Then I wanted to be a teaching assistant my first year in graduate school, even though it would be a first. I had no option: either I got the TA position or I couldn't afford to go to graduate school. So I pushed and persuaded and came up with all sorts of extremely logical and artful reasons I could do the job and they should give it to me. And I got it.

I took those early experiences into the work world and succeeded in getting jobs that were exactly right for me. I put myself in my cover letters and engaged in conversation in the interviews.

I can also tell you that there were times when I initially thought it was the perfect job and got myself interviews - even to the very last round - and then something didn't sit right or I got some doubt in my mind. Needless to say, I didn't get those jobs. And that's OK, because something better was on its way every time.

So...what if you were completely determined to get that job? What if there were no option but to get it? What would it feel like? How would you behave if you weren't afraid of going for it?

Checklist for Job Applications

2010-10-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Speed and anxiety are the enemies of accuracy in any job application. I hear from people all the time who have applied very quickly for a job, only to find a typo or incorrect grammatical phrase in their cover letter, transmittal e-mail and even their resumes. "What can I do?" they want to know.

Unfortunately, there is no good solution in these cases. A first impression is almost impossible to change, and recruiters get a negative first impression from any error in your initial application. I've suggested both leaving it alone if it's not a huge error, and sending a corrected version that says "I inadvertently sent an earlier draft." Neither has been effective, based on the fact that the person didn't get an interview - even when they knew someone at the place. (BTW, if anyone has other suggestions that have worked, please let me know!)

The goal is to send documents that are proof-read, corrected, and read well - the first time. I suggest three steps:

1) slow down
2) ask for help
3) follow a checklist

Slowing down is essential. People make mistakes when they are so focused on getting an application by a certain time. The goal becomes getting it delivered, instead of on delivering something terrific. Quality needs to come first! So take a few extra minutes to read through your letter. To proofread your letter or e-mail, read it backwards. You'll catch more typos that way.

Even better - ask someone else to look through your materials. Why someone else? Other eyes will usually catch more errors than you will. They are reading with fresh eyes. When we've worked with material for a long time, our eyes and brain can fool us into thinking something is spelled or written correctly because we meant to say it that way. An outsider reads it as it actually is written, instead of how we assume it is.

And finally, use a checklist. My checklist includes the following:

RESUME

1) Ask people in my desired field to review my resume, to make sure it makes a good case for my ability to do the job I am seeking. Also check to make sure my resume includes some keywords from the job posting, so it will stand out in the pile.

2) Run spell check and grammar check over my resume.

3) Ask one or two people to read the resume ONLY for typos or grammatical errors.

COVER LETTER

1) Do a simple grid to make sure I build a case for why I can do the job, based on my past experience. Write down every responsibility in the job posting on the left side of the paper, and on the right side, describe how I've done each of those responsibilities. Have a couple of examples that could be the basis for stories I'll use in the interview.

2) Use the grid as the basis for crafting a cover letter tailored to the specific job and company. Give one or two examples in the cover letter, to make the connection for the reader, and to make myself more human.

3) Make sure you answer all the questions in the posting (e.g. for compensation range, salary history or references).

4) Personalize the letter to the extent possible. Use the contact person's name if you have it. Name the position and company at least once and preferably twice in the letter (in the beginning and at the end).

5) Include your telephone and e-mail contact information in the body of the letter near the end of the letter.

6) Ask a friend to review the cover letter to see if it makes a compelling case, and rewrite based on those comments.

7) Run spell check and grammar check on the cover letter.

8) Ask one or two people to review the cover letter ONLY for typos and grammatical errors.

E-MAILS

1) Decide the purpose of the e-mail. Is it to transmit the resume? Is it a request for or thank you for an informational interview? Draft the e-mail to fulfill that purpose.

2) Personalize the e-mail - use the person's name. Mention the position or company or purpose for the e-mail.

3) Send it as a draft to a friend FIRST to check for typos, grammatical errors and whether it makes sense.

4) Check it once again when you think it's ready to go.

5) Make sure you have attached anything you intend to attach, such as your resume and cover letter.

6) Check the attachment to make sure it's the right attachment. If it's not, attach the right one and delete the bad attachment.

7) Hit send.

Addresses - or not - on Resumes

2010-09-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

A recent college grad wanted to know what address to put on her resume. Here's the situation:

She has an address in Georgia on her resume but she staying with her father in Northern Virginia, and looking for work in Washington, DC. She wondered if she should change her address on her resume to VA, leave it as GA, or leave off a street address altogether? Her phone number has a (703) area code which is Northern Virginia.

My response:

If she intends to work in DC, she should use the VA address or leave off an address all together. It's great that she has the VA area code, and that alone with an e-mail address will convey that she is from this area. It's important to signal that she is from the area, which implies that she knows the local environment, vibe, politics.

The GA address would be a hindrance in this instance and economy. People in DC are just as bad as folks in NYC (and other major cities) - if you're not already from here, you can't possibly know how things work here, be as good as we are, or get up to speed fast enough. So you start off with a disadvantage.

In this economy, with so many great people looking for work, an out-of-town person may not even get an interview. And that's the point of a resume and cover letter - to get you an interview. Once you get in the door, you have a better chance of impressing people and moving along in the hiring process.

Of course, it's also possible to be considered, through some serious networking. A recent client of mine relocated to NYC from Portland, Oregon. His resume didn't have a street address, just his cell phone number, e-mail address and LinkedIn profile link. It was impossible to hide where he was from, however, because he worked for the county and that was throughout the resume. So he networked his way into informational meetings and interviews for posted jobs, and eventually got a great job.

The twist was that the job he eventually got was for a higher level job than the one for which he was initially considered. We believe it's because he was from Oregon that New Yorkers had a hard time believing he had the high-level skills he really does have. Once people met him, they realized how great he was. He was willing to take the lower-level job to get a foot in the door, and that attitude opened some doors for him. Fortunately, the person interviewing him recognized his expertise and ability and proposed him for a new, as-yet unposted position.

Contact information can deliver subliminal messages to those who read your resume. So think about the message you want them to receive.

Interview Techniques

2010-07-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some ideas about preparing for any interview:

1. Consider each job requirement and responsibility in the form of a question regarding your experience and ability in each area. Come up with a general answer to the question and one example. The general answer should be one to two sentences. Then you say, "for example,..." and you go into a two to three sentence description of the example project or responsibility.

2. End a few of of your answers with the question "does that answer your question?" Not every answer, because that can make you look insecure. But one or two, so they get the sense that you want to make sure you heard them and that you are responding to their needs.

3. When they ask followup questions, limit your answer to two or three sentences. I suggest writing down the question as they ask it - so have a pen and paper with you from the beginning. Writing down some part of the question will help focus your mind and start you formulating the answer - it will also help you answer JUST the question. Rein yourself in from going into other areas. When you hear yourself saying "and" - it's time to wrap up your answer.

3. When asked about your past, give short, simple answers. Write down what you want to say about past employers - why you left, what you did. The answers should be one sentence - the bottom line, said in a completely positive way. Examples: "The company had four projects canceled and there was no longer enough work for my position." "I had an opportunity for a promotion and exposure to some new skills, so decided to take it." "I accomplished a great deal there and it was time for me to move on to something different."

Use those notes as your guide to help you say only the minimum. Then immediately move into talking about how your experience there prepared you to handle the responsibilities at the prospective employer. Examples: "The experience made me realize that I love doing xxx, which is why I am so interested in this position." "I now see that all the skills I developed have prepared me perfectly for this position."

4. Remember that you do know what you know, you have amazing experience, and will be a great asset to the employer. To help with that, remember your own Must Have List. Listen for clues that this IS the right place and position for you. You don't have to ask them specific questions about the job unless they invite that. What's going to be communicated subliminally is the attitude you will have of checking them out at the same time they are checking you out. It makes for a more even conversation and should give you more confidence as you speak to them.

Good luck!

Networking

2010-06-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Networking is the single most effective way to find a job. 60-90% of people find jobs through personal connections of some kind.

Even if you don't know the hiring manager somewhere, a recommendation from a colleague can put your resume at the top of the pile. That's crucial since resume review is the first and most important step in any hiring process. If your resume isn't seen, it's all over.

A personal recommendation also ensures that your resume will be read a little more carefully, which is excellent. We want the reviewer to take more than the usual 8-10 seconds to look at your resume. (Of course, the format will be such that it is easy for the person to see the relevant information and gain a positive impression of you.)

Creating a networking plan.

Think of a network as a system of concentric circles. You will start with your “natural network,” people you know really well or interact with regularly. This will be a relatively few number of people. You will then reach other people through them and then reach a greater number of people over time. Most jobs come through 2nd and 3rd degree connections, not your natural inner network.

LinkedIn is a great networking tool. Add to your contacts to expand the number of 2nd and 3rd degree connections you can access. You can find people you know via companies you've worked at, your e-mail lists, and the connections of your friends and colleagues. The more people you add, the better. LinkedIn will start to suggest people, also.

Interviewing When You Feel Discouraged

2010-05-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

I realized many years ago how very difficult it is to be "on" for an interview during a long job search. I had to be at my best just at the time when I was feeling worst about myself and my abilities! It was such a challenge to present myself with confidence and strength, when inside I wondered why no one had offered me a job yet. If I was so great, why wasn't I getting offers?

One of my job searches lasted two very long and painful years. It was then that I learned how to dig deep inside and latch onto what I knew I was really great at doing, knew to my core, deep in my gut and heart. Absent external validation, I found that I could only refer back to what I loved to do, what I was enthusiastic about, what brought light to my eyes and started my brain working feverishly, what made me happy about work.

Using what I loved to do as the starting point, I began to approach each potential job through the lens of how it would allow me to use those abilities and skills. When I did that, I didn't have to "perform" because I had no trouble getting enthusiastic about what I'd done before and the possibility of doing it again in a different arena or context.

When I was discouraged, it was tempting to think about all I lacked that seemingly caused me not to get a job I wanted. Yet that further discouraged me. I swear that recruiters can smell lack of confidence a mile away in a resume, cover letter, telephone call or in-person interview. And they turn away, moving on to the next candidate. I learned that I had to summon up my enthusiasm from deep within at each step in the job search process.

During an interview, it's especially important to focus on the job challenges you love and how much value you bring to the position. If an interviewer asks about anything you don't know, say you can learn. Don't dwell on your lacks - bring it right back to your abilities, strengths, and value-added. Confident enthusiasm is the attitude I recommend.

Employers are looking both for a specific skill set AND an attitude of someone who really wants to do the work. So allow yourself to show that you really want to do the work, and that will go a long way to getting them to make you an offer.

Deciding Whether To Apply For A Job

2010-05-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

I hear some people saying they don't want to apply for a specific job because they don't think they really want to work at the specific workplace. Maybe they've heard negative things about it from former employees, or they think it's too big or too small, or for some other reason.

Yet they identified the job as something of interest. There was an element in the title or job description or both that attracted them.

Now, if someone says they don't want to apply for a job because the pay is much too low or it turns out that they don't have at least 50% of the required qualifications, or it's in a city to which they will not move - then by all means, don't apply. That wastes your time and the employers'.

However, if there is no concrete reason not to apply, then I urge people to go ahead and apply.

Applying for a job is beginning your end of the conversation. It is not a commitment to accepting a job. It is simply the start of a possible longer communication and maybe relationship. Your application is your expression of interest in what the employer has to offer, and indicates your willingness to engage with them.

It is helpful to think about the reasons you ARE interested and focus on those. If you get an interview, you will have an opportunity to gather more information about the job and employer. Prepare for the interview by creating your own "must have list" of what you must have in order to do your best work. Most people "must have" a certain role and perform specific kinds of activities, work in a specific kind of culture and physical environment, get a definite compensation. Having your own sense of how and where you do your best work - meaning where you are happiest - allows the interview to be two-sided. You are checking out the employer just as they are checking you out.

You won't have that opportunity if you never apply. So go for it! Make your application the strongest it can be by following recommendations on preparing a fantastic marketing-style cover letter and resume. The worst that can happen is you don't get called for an interview. In that case, the job wasn't for you anyway.

Leave No Stone Unturned
Today's economy is relatively uncharted territory for most job-seekers, so abandon the idea that your road map is sufficient. It is NOT. So get off the beaten path, venture into the unknown, try something a little beyond your comfort zone. My philosophy is that if something comes up in your path - whether someone suggests doing something or a wacky idea floats through your brain - it is there for a reason. So take a couple of steps to follow up on it. You'll know soon enough if it's right or not for you - either because you get a big fat "no" or because the path turns too rocky and difficult (a sure sign it's not a road to keep following), or because you gather enough information to see that your minimum "must haves" won't be met.

Engage in what I call the "leave no stone unturned school of job search." Do EVERYTHING that occurs to you and is suggested by others. This is not the time to say "oh, I don't think that will work" or "I don't think I'll like that job." How do you know, until you get the interview? And you don't know where an opportunity or idea will lead you.

Keep In Motion!

2010-04-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

In a job search, it's tempting to focus on one area - looking for jobs on web sites, for instance. Or networking to see who has a job for you.

Focus can pay off, yet you'll get a bigger payoff by being active in a number of areas.

* Keep fine-tuning your resume in light of "market response" that helps you get clearer about what you want to do and what kinds of things employers are looking for - especially key words.

* Keep building your network for informational interviews and people who may know other people. When you connect with people, assure them that you are not looking for a job, instead you want their advice and guidance.e

* Do some volunteer work. It will give you something to do, help you get out in the world with other people, and show potential employers that you are out and about. One person is being considered for a job in the health care industry because she volunteers at a hospital and thus is presumed to have a way to reach decision-makers. If you volunteer at a place where you might like to work, you usually will get at least a courtesy interview when jobs open up ad that's good practice.

* Apply for jobs that come up on websites or through contacts. Search many different websites, including Indeed.com and other job posting aggregators. Then find someone who works at the place, who can get your resume picked out of the pile.

* Develop a great LinkedIn profile, and build your LinkedIn network. The more people you have in your 1st degree network, the more people you can network with via 2nd and 3rd degree connections. Then begin connecting with people to tell them what you are looking for, and ask for their feedback and help. Update your LinkedIn status at least once a week, to stay visible with your network.

* Contact your references to tell them what you are looking for, and preparing them for the kind of questions an employer may ask them. Refresh their memories of you!!

* Consider doing consulting. Prepare a simple on-line brochure listing the services you provide and the impact you have produced. Take pieces of your resume as the start. Then send the simply -formatted piece to all your friends and colleagues to launch your consulting business and asking them to keep you in mind.

* Attend industry events if possible to keep current with developments and people.

* Read everything you can about your industry and send articles and references to people you've contacted - to provide them with value, and keep yourself "top of mind."

* Network with other job seekers for two reasons: find out what methods and tactics are working for them, and practice your "elevator speech" about what you want to do.

* Talk about your search and what you hope to do, with everyone. A neighbor walking their dog or gardening may be the very person to lead you to a connection who has a job for you.

* Rehearse interview answers. Anticipate difficult questions - "tell me about yourself" and "explain this gap in your resume" are two examples. Have a friend do a mock interview of you, using your resume as a guide. It's the only way to get comfortable with your answers.

There are plenty of other things to do. Some people start blogging on their industry or profession, others write a book, while others become great gardeners or cooks.

The point is to stay busy. There is never "nothing more" to do in a job search. If you are not getting the results you want, try something else!

Staying busy keeps you engaged in your search, and can keep your energy and spirits up. Plus I see that the rest of the world responds really positively to constant intentional activity. Opportunities begin to appear, nd pretty soon, you're in a job.

Inspiration for Sticking With Your Search

2010-04-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

A rare and inspirational piece, this interview with David Horvath, the creator of Ugly Dolls offers truth about sticking with a dream, a project, a passion, anything that means something to you.

I say the truth because Horvath clearly describes exactly what it took for him to realize his dream of building a company around a product that not too many people understood at first. He has gone through the mill, been ground down, and come out finer for it. He is grounded in reality.

The truth is there is no "easy way" to be successful. Success comes from hard work and perseverance, persistence, stick-to-it-iveness, "never give up even if you need to take a short break to rejuvenate."

It doesn't matter that Horvath was building a business while you are searching for your "right fit" work. The same lessons apply, because you are engaged in a quest to do work that matters to you. His work took the form of his own business. Yours takes the form of a job. Searching for a job requires just as much perseverance as does building a business.

Discouragement and seeming dead ends abound in a job search. What are you supposed to do when you feel like nothing you do works? Take a page from Horvath and all the job seekers out there: try something else. If you can't think of anything, ask someone else and be open to their answer instead of resisting it by saying something like "I already did that!" Whatever you did was done in the context you were then in. Things are different now, even if only slightly. Most importantly, you know how NOT to do it and so perhaps can be more effective this time.

Here's an example: you contacted someone from your old job for help and got nothing but "I'll keep my eyes open." Now, go back to that person. This time, though, go back to update them on your search. Tell them how you've learned from your experiences. Let them know what exactly you are looking to do - what challenges you love to solve for a company and what impact you know you can have on a business or organization. When you're more specific, you might get more specific help.

It's worth a try, isn't it?

When all you see are dead ends, take a little break. Go to a museum. Cook something delicious. Walk in the park. Ride a bike around the block. Play with a child or cat or dog. Get out of your head! I'll bet you come back refreshed and with a new idea for how to progress.

The point is to understand that this search is worth all the effort, and that it does take continuous effort. Focus on what energizes you in the world of work, what makes you want to get up in the morning. Leave no stone unturned. And be kind to yourself in the process. Know that you will be successful in reaching your goal. When you are doing everything right - once, twice, three or more times - the question is not "if" but "when" you will land your "right fit" job.

How to Answer "What Are You Looking For?"

2010-03-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

On WNYC's HelpWanted Facebook page, someone asked this excellent question:

When thoughtful people ask "What kind of work are you looking for?" is it wrong to ask "What have you got?" in return? I'm passionate about my field but I'm also open to new things.

Here's my thinking about this:

With people you know well, that response may work fine. With people you meet via networking, I'm not sure it's all that useful. You've put the ball in their court, making it their responsibility to do your work for you. And even if they want to help, most people don't want to do your thinking for you. They want some guidance, and they want a sense that YOU know what you want to do.

It's very hard for people to know how to help you when you don't know what you want - specifically the kind of challenges you love to tackle, the problems you love to solve, the skills you love to use. So it doesn't have to be occupation or field specific (although that does help). Also, remember you have 5-10 seconds to capture someone's attention, so your answer does need to be concise.

It's really helpful for people to know that you are confident in what you can do and to have some kind of direction for how to think about you. You do know yourself, so let others in on it. I like people who say "I'm looking for a chance to use these skills, hopefully in this field or in this kind of role. I've worked in xyz field and am interested in abc as well. That said, what is it that you had in mind?" ... See More

Specificity also sparks people's imaginations. If you say you want to use your planning skills, someone might think of city planning while someone else might think of strategic planning. Those may or may not be up your alley. If you say you love helping an organization identify and achieve its goals, especially using your planning, management and leadership skills - well, that makes it easier for someone to say "hey, I know of a job as a COO or as a project manager."

The bottom line is that your job is to make it as easy as possible for people to help you.

Resumes That Work

2010-03-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here's how to make your resume an effective marketing document - marketing YOU and your abilities to a prospective employer.

Your resume is a marketing document. Its job is to position you to get your "right fit" work. Thus, its content and format is crucial. It must convey to potential employers exactly what you have to offer them, as well as the results you are likely to produce for them based on your past record of accomplishments. Focus on ACCOMPLISHMENTS! Here's how to do that.

PROFILE

To begin, I advocate putting a profile at the very start of the resume, just under your name and contact information. A profile is not an objective (of course you want a job), nor is it a litany of your skills (boring!). A profile is a succinct description of who you are in the workplace.

Your profile presents your unique value proposition – what you love to do and are good at doing, the skills you want to use in the future, and the attributes you want to highlight. Your profile also will capture your personality through a judicious use of adjectives. In sum, your profile conveys the substance and flavor of who you are in the workplace.

In some ways, the process of creating the profile is more important than the final product. Developing it gives you the chance to think carefully about your "unique value proposition." In fact, the reader will usually catch the first five or six words of the profile and then move on to Experience. They might come back to it but even if they don't, the profile will make an impression. It says that you've thought about and know who you are.

Everything you say in your profile must be backed up by your accomplishments, which are listed under each employer and job. Essentially, the profile is the thesis that you then go on to prove with concrete examples. It also is useful as a way to ensure that your resume is internally consistent in terms of the message you intend to convey.

OPTIONAL SECTIONS

CORE COMPETENCIES

These are bullets that cite your core skills, industry-specific skills, and specialized abilities or knowledge. If you can, match your skills with key words from the job description so your resume will be selected by any computer program searching for key words (e.g. on LinkedIn or within a company).

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

These are stories that highlight the impact you have had on companies or organizations. They emphasize measurable accomplishments and briefly describe what you did to produce the result. The stories can elaborate on an accomplishment you list further along in your resume. There needs to be a headline that encapsulates the accomplishment, and hopefully entices people to keep reading.

BODY OF RESUME

The first thing read by a prospective employer is the name of the company for which you worked. Then they usually will glance at the title and years worked - some will read title first while others read years worked first.

Here's the order of information that I recommend for the basic information:

* Employer's name first, in bold, followed by its location, not in bold. Use the city in which employer is/was located. Only include the state if the city is not immediately recognizable e.g. Wareham, MA, or is easily confused with something else, e.g. Springfield, MO vs. Springfield, IL vs. Springfield, MA. Otherwise, New York or Boston or Chicago or Los Angeles is sufficient.

* Dates of employment, not in bold, on the same text line as the employer's name and location. The dates should be tabbed over so they are on the far right of the page, preferably lined up with the right side of your address block.

If you worked at the company in more than one position, put the complete block of time over the far right. Next to each position title you can put in parentheses the dates you held that position. For example, Vice President, Sales (3/02 to 7/05).

Job titles can either be grouped together if your job responsibilities were substantially the same with the most recent encompassing the previous responsibilities plus more. If the jobs were substantially different, I treat each one as a separate job under the same employer.

* Title of your position, in bold and italics, directly underneath the employer name and location.

My experience is that most readers go through the entire resume once just glancing at employer, years and title. If all seems to be complete and consistent, then they glance at education to see if you have any degrees. So make sure you have no huge holes in time, and no major typos!

Only after that first quick read will they go back to look at individual jobs, starting with your most recent one first. After rereading your employer's name and title, usually readers will move to the body of the entry.

Here's what the body of your resume should contain:

* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments

JOB DESCRIPTION

Briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities, in a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position. Say "Led all communications and marketing efforts for Fortune 1000 technology firm (STOCK SYMBOL)" or "Oversaw day to day operations for 45 year old non-profit teaching literacy to adult New Yorkers" or "Managed entire recruiting and on-boarding process for 300 person homeless services agency."

Use as many numbers as possible to give readers a good idea of the scope and depth of your responsibilities. For example, say "oversaw $3.5 million advertising budget" or "supervised team of 12, with four direct reports."

Readers' eyes are drawn first to numbers, then to CAPS, then to bold. Italics are rarely an eye-catcher, so use them only to indicate the title of an article or project, not for anything substantive.

BULLETS

Bullets are for accomplishments. I recommend limiting yourself to 5-7 bullets for your most recent job, 4-5 for your next most recent, maximum 2 for the next most recent and none for the oldest ones. Quantifying these bullets is important. Those are the things that will get you the interview. The interview allows you to fill in more detail and also to talk about accomplishments that weren't listed.

Here are my tips for great accomplishment bullets:

* Lead with the results and impact of your work, when writing accomplishments. Use active, directionally positive words like "increased," "improved," "advanced," "optimized," "enhanced" and "expanded."

* Use numbers as much as possible, especially with dollar signs and percentage signs; they are real eye-catchers and speak to many employers' focus on the bottom line.

* Split the accomplishment into "what" and "how": the impact or result, and how you achieved that result. For example, "Increased revenue year over year by 80%, through redeploying sales team."

* Ask “so what” to get to the impact of whatever activity you want to include. If you want to include it, it’s probably important but only if you can somehow tie it to an impact that is somehow measurable – as in “increased” and “improved” and “enhanced” and “expanded” – or gives clear evidence of major responsibility, as in “directed,” “led,” “managed,” “launched,” and “created.”

* Brevity is best. Limit each bullet to one, maximum two lines.

* Give leading information to cause the reader to ask a follow up question. Remember, the point of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview is where the reader can ask you to explain how you redeployed the sales team and why that resulted in 80% revenue increase.

* Only include things you really want to do again – similar or greater scope of responsibility, the type of work or project, specific skills you really want to use again, or attributes you want people to notice.

Show Your Impact

2010-03-30T08:24:00.001-07:00

It's critical to include accomplishments in your resume. Here is a simple way to identify them.

Make a four column, four row table. On top of the columns, list these questions across the table (one per column).

* What did you succeed at or accomplish?

* When, where and with who did you do this?

* How did you do this? What actions or steps did you take?

* What was most satisfying about it and why?

Remember that accomplishments are about impact - on the job, the field, the world, your life. Ideally, impact can be measured with numbers (e.g. percentages, dollars, amounts) and is directional, meaning you moved something from one place to another (increased, improved, raised, launched, etc.)

I like to use positive words because people usually like to be associated with something growing, expanding, opening up, happy and forward-looking. In some cases, words like "reduced" and "decreased" are appropriate.

Improving a Good Cover Letter

2010-03-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Last week, I read a cover letter that was pretty good at explaining the applicant's credentials for the position. While I didn't see the job description, I presumed that the specific job called for the various skills and experience the person cited. That's good, because key word searches use the job description as a starting point. So definitely list those skills you have that also are called for in the posting.

You can strengthen the letter by stating the very obvious fact that your experience does match, as in "My experience matches the requirements in the job description." And after you state your experience, say something like "this is the kind of work I'll do for you." Employers care whether your past experience is going to help them achieve their future - that's the only reason they will interview you. If they think your experience is exactly or mostly like what they need, employers are much more likely to pull your resume out of the pile and at least have a conversation with you.

Some people have taken to putting together a brief chart that shows that match. They list the four to five top responsibilities and skills called for in the job and in the next column, indicate how they have used that skill or had that experience. It's one step further in doing the work for the employer so it is easy for them to see how well you fit their requirements. I don't know if it's appropriate for every situation, however. It's probably most appropriate for:

* entry-level jobs where someone is screening quickly and a table will stand out

* administrative jobs that require organization and use of Microsoft office (you demonstrate mastery right in your cover letter!)

* quite technical jobs that require very specific skills and experience.

(Another way to highlight your match for specialized jobs is by adding a "Core Capabilities" section to your resume that lists the things you do really well, including industry- or job-specific skills, technology, software and processes. It doesn't make the marriage between you and the job in question, though.)

The main thing I'd add to any letter is the impact of your work. You say you have experience; what was the result of your experience? What did you achieve? What was the outcome? Employers won't take your word for it that you are experienced. They are looking for evidence that you can stick with something and produce results similar to the results they want.

Lastly, I suggest talking a bit about the company itself. What does it do? Why do you want to work there? Use language from the job description, from the website, to show that you are familiar with the company and its work. State that you want to be part of helping it achieve its goals or mission. Flattery definitely works! And companies now can choose who they want to interview and hire - they usually choose people who say they want to work for the company and give a reason.

In this competitive job market, it pays to give yourself every advantage. So tell them about why you want to work for THEM, how you can solve their problems, and the kind of impact you'll help them have. Ordinary cover letters talk only about your needs; superlative cover letters focus on the employer's needs.

What Are the Right Jobs for You?

2010-03-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

What if you have lots of skills and abilities? How do you get specific about what you want to do?

Instead of thinking about the kind of job you want, think about the skills you love to use and the impact you want to have.

You can do lots of things. However, there are some things you like to do more than others. What are those? What are the things you do that make you lose track of time? That bring a smile to your face without your even knowing it? That you always gravitate to, and do even when you seem not to have time or patience to do some other things?

Then, think about the impact you want to have with your work. You've identified the skill syou want to use. Now consider what those skills will do. What effect will you have? What's your purpose in using these skills, talents and abilities?

One great exercise is to write your own elegy, in the voice of someone who loves you. In other words, what would someone who really loves you say about you at your funeral? What will be your legacy in all aspects of your life? When I did it, I found the elegy incredibly revealing about what matters to me and my life purpose.

Taking these two threads together - skills and impact - it's possible to search for occupations that use those skills and aim for that impact.

* When you know your purpose and what you love to do, you can ask people at informational interviews where you might fit given those parameters.

* You can search job boards for job descriptions that contain YOUR keywords.

* Search the web for companies that focus on the kind of impact you want to make, and see if there is someone there you can talk to about the skills you want to use.

* Use LinkedIn to search for people who might be in your extended network, either at relevant companies, or who are using the skills you have. See what jobs they have or had.

This way, you begin to form a sense of the kind of jobs you could apply for. And when you find those jobs, you can compare them to your skills "wish list" to see if there really is a match.

Now Available: Free E-Book to Finding Your "Right Fit" Job

2010-03-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

Now available is my e-book Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love.

The guide is like having me coach you through your job search process. You will follow the same step-by-step process I use with people who get the jobs they really want.

Your "Right Fit" Job is based on two main premises.

The first is that you can get work you really love to do. If you're already searching for work, you know that job search is a long and sometimes painful slog. I say that if you are already working hard, you might as well devote that energy to getting the best possible outcome.

That leads to the second premise: job search is essentially a marketing campaign, where you are the "product" and the specific kind of work is your "market." Successful marketers know their product and target market really well. Using Your "Right Fit" Job, you will get to know yourself extremely well, including your "core value proposition" - what you offer employers that is unique to you and very valuable to them. You also will know what kind of job or work you want - where and how you will do your best work and be happiest. Being very specific will help you find a job.

Then I will help you develop really effective marketing materials (resume, cover letter, 5-second intention statement aka "elevator speech")and a networking strategy to help you get interviews. The guide gives great advice on how to handle interviews, especially difficult questions. I also include suggestions for how to battle "job search fatigue."

I believe that when you do your "right fit" work, you will be happy at work. And when you're happy at work, you'll be happier in life. Use Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love to direct your job search efforts most effectively and find the "right fit" for you.

To get your FREE copy of Your "Right Fit" Work, put your e-mail contact information in the comment section. It won't show up on the blog; I moderate comments so have to view it first. I promise not to publish it on this blog, but simply to use it to send you your copy of my e-book.

If I don't have your e-mail address, I can't send you the book. So remember, put your e-mail address in the comment section!

Gather Information to Improve Your Job Search Results

2010-03-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

You had your heart set on getting that job! It was your dream job. And they turned you down.

Disappointed? Yes. Crushed? Probably. Deflated? In all likelihood. A little despairing? Maybe. Curious? I urge you to adopt this attitude even as you are having all the other feelings. This might even be good news!

While you're searching for your "right fit" job, you can gather useful information. Every interaction with the job market contains riches, if you know what to look for.

* If you apply for lots of jobs and get no response, that is a "market response." The job market is saying "this material isn't compelling enough to warrant further investigation." It may also be saying "you are looking in the wrong area." And it definitely is saying "Focus on making a match. Tell us why we should talk to YOU."

I read about people who are unemployed for two years, who've sent out hundreds of resumes, with no response. That is inaccurate. They got a response, just not the one they wanted. The response of resounding silence tells me, and could tell them, that they need to use a different approach, or target different jobs. If your approach is not working, change it! One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Stop the insanity!

The goal of a resume is to get you an interview. Period. If you are not getting interviews in response to your resume, you need to redo your resume. And redo it again, until you start getting interviews.

Similarly, a cover letter's job is to make the case for why you are a good match for the job in question. If you don't get called for an interview, your cover letter may need to be rewritten. Every cover letter needs to be tailored to the specific job. Generic "to whom it may concern" letters DO NOT WORK.

* If you get interviews and no offers, the market is speaking loudly.

One possible message is that you need to improve your interview skills. That means:

1) Getting fully prepared. Do you have ready answers for common and difficult interview questions? Do you know a fair amount about the company that's hiring? Do you have questions for the employer? Have you practiced answering challenging questions until you are comfortable and confident in your answers? Do you have stories ready to illustrate your relevant experience and skills?

2) Practicing being interviewed with someone who is kind of tough on you. It's far better for you to be uncomfortable with your friend than to be surprised and flustered at an interview.

Practice really works. It gives you a chance to think through your answer before the interview, instead of at the interview. In my experience, unrehearsed answers are too long, rambling, off-point, and unimpressive. What employer will hire someone who doesn't even do their homework for a job interview - arguably one of the most important events of their present life? If you don't prepare for interviews, why would an employer think you'd be prepared at work?

You may also need to look at why you don't interview well.

* Are you really nervous? Lack of preparation eats away at one's confidence. It's impossible to be confident or exude confidence if you don't know why you would be perfect for the job before you go into the interview. It helps even more if you know why the job may be perfect for you. And practice helps.

* Have you applied for the wrong job? Sometimes, you can make the case in your mind and on paper, and then realize during the interview that this is not a good match. That's excellent information to have. It means that you can refine your job search to jobs that more closely match your "must have list."

* Do you not like the interviewer? Culture is a critical aspect of any workplace, and your chances of being happy at work are often determined by the culture of the place. An interview is a fantastic place to gauge the culture. If you find yourself getting flustered or uncomfortable, that's your gut telling you that this is not the right place for you. Pay attention!

These last two options are REALLY useful information. They mean that you can be thankful that you didn't get an offer.

Many Jobs: A Good Thing!

2010-03-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

I just read a note from Mark Cenedella at The Ladders who said he's had 27 jobs. I added up mine: I've had at least 24 different jobs. Those numbers do include part-time, temporary, college, high school and moonlighting jobs, as well as the regular full-time gigs.

Here's my list:

1) Summer babysitting
2) McDonald's (a year)
3-6) Financial aid jobs at college
- washing dishes
- stacking books in the music library
- helping kids at the local school library
- staffing the student government office
7-8) Summer Research Assistant for a special project (twice)
9-10) Summer Research Assistant for two separate professors
11) Teaching Assistant in graduate school
12-14) 3 lengthy temp assignments (one of which offered me a full-time job)
- NOTE: this was in 1981, the last time the unemployment rate was so high...
15) Fundraiser/Program Developer at a non-profit in the South Bronx (3 years)
16) Fundraising consultant at a small firm (7 months)
17) Assistant Director of a department at a large NYC anti-poverty organization (6 years)
18) Cook for caterer (moonlighting job)
19) Demonstration cooking at the Food Emporium (Saturdays)
20) Associate Commissioner at a NYC government agency (4 years)
21) CEO of a non-profit (11 years)
22) Consultant (several months)
23) CEO of another non-profit (1 year)
24) Writer/Coach (present)

Looking at this, I realize a few things:

* I spent the beginning of my work life assembling many experiences and skills that I then put to use in leadership positions. No experience went to waste. While my main jobs were varied, the common thread was that all of them contributed in some way to the foundation I was building in organizational management and leadership. I wasn't really conscious of a goal most of the time; I followed my curiosity about how organizations operate and took jobs that illuminated various aspects.

* It took years to achieve my goal of being in charge of an organization. I learned patience, and gathered a lot of information - including what I call "negative powers of example." Those were behaviors and policies I vowed not to repeat when I was in a position of authority. I was always on a trajectory to get more control over my work environment and job duites, though.

* The side jobs I took to make a little extra income used my love of cooking.

* These are only the jobs I got; I was a perpetual job seeker, however. I constantly updated my resume, went on informational interviews, perused want ads, applied for interesting jobs, went on interviews, and even turned down a few offers because I realized that my current job was comparatively good.

How many jobs have you had? How are you using your previous work experiences in your current search? What trends or common threads are there in your jobs?

Your LinkedIn Profile Can Make Things Happen!

2010-03-04T10:38:00.001-08:00

Four recruiters and four screening interviews. Two recruiters and two phone interviews, plus lunch with a connected colleague. An informal reference check.

These are the recent results when 3 jobseekers updated their LinkedIn profiles, to better reflect exactly what they want to do next and the skills/talents they want to use in their next gig.

Updating your profile does some really important things:

1) Signals to your world that you are active on-line. In a world increasingly influenced by social media, this is good! It shows that you are current, up-to-date, forward-thinking, and just plain smart.

2) Kicks off a job search or revitalizes an existing job search. Lots of people do a minimal profile when they have a job. Announcing that you have a fuller, more thoughtful profile can mean just one thing: you are looking for another gig.

3) Allows "right fit" employers to find you. Your targeted, key-word rich profile will attract an employer who needs what you offer and hopefully offers what you need. Your specificity makes possible those matches.

The primary audiences for your new profile are:

RECRUITERS

More and more recruiters are using LinkedIn to find qualified candidates. Using keywords from their search parameters, recruiters - internal and external - look for people who meet both basic and specialized requirements.

COLLEAGUES

When you update your profile, a notice goes out to your network. Seeing that you've updated your profile can trigger someone into action. Maybe they click on your profile and see what you've said. Or just give you a call to see how you're doing. This is the beginning of your job search networking!

EMPLOYERS

This is a group different from recruiters. They are people at companies to which you've applied. They can do an informal reference check when you include a hyperlink to your LinkedIn profile on your resume. The more complete your profile, the better. Reading your recommendations gives employers a great sense of who you are and how you work. They also can see if they know anyone in your network (1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connection) and reach out to get a little more information about you.

What makes a great profile? I'll write about that next week.

Procrastination

2010-03-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

Procrastination is more than a five-syllable word for sloth. Sometimes it is just putting vital things off to do something useless. More often for me, it's an indicator that something's going on that is:

Unexpressed
Unknown
Unplanned
Unexplored
Unfamiliar

Two examples from today:

Linda didn't write the networking letter this week, as she planned. It turns out that she had a very emotional reaction to a networking event, that she did not express to anyone. When she finally talked with me and got it out, she got newly energized to do some networking. Together, we removed the emotional obstacle.

Maryanne has been putting off rewriting pieces of her website. Today, we discovered that she feels overwhelmed because she doesn't really know where to start. So we talked it through and got her a few starting points. Re-energized, she is taking action now.

I know that the tendency is to judge ourselves for putting things off that we know we "should" do. Instead of being mean to ourselves, I suggest looking for a reason behind the symptom of procrastination. Maybe there is something you don't know, or some emotion that's blocking your path. Maybe you need to break down the big task into several smaller ones so it doesn't seem so overwhelming. Maybe you need a break without guilt, so you can recharge and come back to things with new perspective and vigor.

In a job search it can be difficult to give oneself a rest. Yet it's important to take breaks. It lets your body rest, and your unconscious work on your behalf. Ideas often emerge about next steps to take after you get a good night's sleep or go for a walk or watch a TV show.

If you find that you are not doing things over a long period of time, perhaps you need some help discovering why that is. One person found she was looking for the "wrong fit" job, so she resisted taking any action. Once we came up with her "right fit" job goal, she took immediate action and was met by the universe in the form of the perfect fit job. She ended up getting that job within weeks - after months of seeming procrastination.

Just consider that you're not lazy. Consider procrastination a symptom of something else and you can then go on the voyage of discovery to learn about yourself and find out what's holding you back.

Resumes That Work

2010-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

Here's how to make your resume an effective marketing document - marketing YOU and your abilities to a prospective employer.

Your resume is a marketing document. Its job is to position you to get your "right fit" work. Thus, its content and format is crucial. It must convey to potential employers exactly what you have to offer them, as well as the results you are likely to produce for them based on your past record of accomplishments. Here's how to do that.

PROFILE

To begin, I advocate putting a profile at the very start of the resume, just under your name and contact information. A profile is not an objective (of course you want a job), nor is it a litany of your skills (boring!). A profile is a succinct description of who you are in the workplace.

Your profile presents your unique value proposition – what you love to do and are good at doing, the skills you want to use in the future, and the attributes you want to highlight. Your profile also will capture your personality through a judicious use of adjectives. In sum, your profile conveys the substance and flavor of who you are in the workplace.

In some ways, the process of creating the profile is more important than the final product. Developing it gives you the chance to think carefully about your "unique value proposition." In fact, the reader will usually catch the first five or six words of the profile and then move on to Experience. They might come back to it but even if they don't, the profile will make an impression. It says that you've thought about and know who you are.

Everything you say in your profile must be backed up by your accomplishments, which are listed under each employer and job. Essentially, the profile is the thesis that you then go on to prove with concrete examples. It also is useful as a way to ensure that your resume is internally consistent in terms of the message you intend to convey.

OPTIONAL SECTIONS

CORE COMPETENCIES

These are bullets that cite your core skills, industry-specific skills, and specialized abilities or knowledge. If you can, match your skills with key words from the job description so your resume will be selected by any computer program searching for key words (e.g. on LinkedIn or within a company).

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

These are stories that highlight key accomplishments, and indicate the scope and impact of your work. Identify three or four accomplishments of which you are really proud. They need to show different aspects of your ability. For example, one story could show your facility with numbers or complexity, another could showcase how you work well with others and team, another could demonstrate how you deal with crises, and the last could focus on long-term payoff of your planning and disciplined execution.

Write out each story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result. The best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story. When you write your story, remember that numbers really help tell the story. And the shorter and pithier the story, the easier it is to get someone to read it.

Use bullets to list the stories, and put the headlines in bold.

BODY OF RESUME

The first thing read by a prospective employer is the name of the company for which you worked. Then they usually will glance at the title and years worked - some will read title first while others read years worked first.

Here's the order of information that I recommend for the basic information:

* Employer's name first, in bold, followed by its location, not in bold. Use the city in which employer is/was located. Only include the state if the city is not immediately recognizable e.g. Wareham, MA, or is easily confused with something else, e.g. Springfield, MO vs. Springfield, IL vs. Springfield, MA. Otherwise, New York or Boston or Chicago or Los Angeles is sufficient.

* Dates of employment, not in bold, on the same text line as the employer's name and location. The dates should be tabbed over so they are on the far right of the page, preferably lined up with the right side of your address block.

If you worked at the company in more than one position, put the complete block of time over the far right. Next to each position title you can put in parentheses the dates you held that position. For example, Vice President, Sales (3/02 to 7/05).

Job titles can either be grouped together if your job responsibilities were substantially the same with the most recent encompassing the previous responsibilities plus more. If the jobs were substantially different, I treat each one as a separate job under the same employer.

* Title of your position, in bold and italics, directly underneath the employer name and location.

My experience is that most readers go through the entire resume once just glancing at employer, years and title. If all seems to be complete and consistent, then they glance at education to see if you have any degrees. So make sure you have no huge holes in time, and no major typos!

Only after that first quick read will they go back to look at individual jobs, starting with your most recent one first. After rereading your employer's name and title, usually readers will move to the body of the entry.

Here's what the body of your resume should contain:

* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments

JOB DESCRIPTION

Briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities, in a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position. Say "Led all communications and marketing efforts for Fortune 1000 technology firm (STOCK SYMBOL)" or "Oversaw day to day operations for 45 year old non-profit teaching literacy to adult New Yorkers" or "Managed entire recruiting and on-boarding process for 300 person homeless services agency."

Use as many numbers as possible to give readers a good idea of the scope and depth of your responsibilities. For example, say "oversaw $3.5 million advertising budget" or "supervised team of 12, with four direct reports."

Readers' eyes are drawn first to numbers, then to CAPS, then to bold. Italics are rarely an eye-catcher, so use them only to indicate the title of an article or project, not for anything substantive.

BULLETS

Bullets are for accomplishments. I recommend limiting yourself to 5-7 bullets for your most recent job, 4-5 for your next most recent, maximum 2 for the next most recent and none for the oldest ones. Quantifying these bullets is important. Those are the things that will get you the interview. The interview allows you to fill in more detail and also to talk about accomplishments that weren't listed.

Here are my tips for great accomplishment bullets:

* Lead with the results and impact of your work, when writing accomplishments. Use active, directionally positive words like "increased," "improved," "advanced," "optimized," "enhanced" and "expanded."

* Use numbers as much as possible, especially with dollar signs and percentage signs; they are real eye-catchers and speak to many employers' focus on the bottom line.

* Split the accomplishment into "what" and "how": the impact or result, and how you achieved that result. For example, "Increased revenue year over year by 80%, through redeploying sales team."

* Ask “so what” to get to the impact of whatever activity you want to include. If you want to include it, it’s probably important but only if you can somehow tie it to an impact that is somehow measurable – as in “increased” and “improved” and “enhanced” and “expanded” – or gives clear evidence of major responsibility, as in “directed,” “led,” “managed,” “launched,” and “created.”

* Brevity is best. Limit each bullet to one, maximum two lines.

* Give leading information to cause the reader to ask a follow up question. Remember, the point of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview is where the reader can ask you to explain how you redeployed the sales team and why that resulted in 80% revenue increase.

* Only include things you really want to do again – similar or greater scope of responsibility, the type of work or project, specific skills you really want to use again, or attributes you want people to notice.

Why I Do What I Do

2010-02-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

My coaching experience is one of the reasons I decided to start coaching, to offer others the same kind of help I got. I worked with a coach for 12 years while I was CEO of City Harvest and then of New York Restoration Project. It was one of the best decisions I ever made as I credit her support, insight, tools and guidance with much of my success.

It's so difficult to work alone - and working alone means being a business owner, a leader of a company or division - anywhere you aren't free to openly share your concerns, worries, difficult decisions, dreams and hopes. My coach was the person who I trusted, a sounding board and thought partner who could help me navigate through the challenges I faced every day (or at least every week!).

A job search is probably the most "alone" thing one can do in terms of work. Family, friends and neighbors all are rooting for you yet also can put immense pressure on you to do it their way or at least just find the next job FAST! Plus very few people know how a job search really works, nor do they have experience in what works most effectively to help you land a job and keep your spirits up while you're looking.

Networking definitely is helpful in terms of talking to people who might know your industry and possibly people you can talk to about possible openings. Yet doing a lot of networking with people who also are out of work can get depressing, and you can't really help each other out because you are in the same boat - no job, no decision-making power.

When I worked with a coach, I got access to her breadth of experience. She had her own professional experience to draw on, which was fantastic. More, she coached a lot of people and could draw examples from their experience that helped me.

Coaches who help lots of job seekers are able to see trends:

* the strategies and tactics most effective in resumes, cover letters, interview techniques, networking
* what employers look for
* the state of the job market
* new tools and emerging opportunities, e.g. social media
* how to handle various challenges, from how do I network to how do I negotiate an offer
* employment law
* ways to cope with frustration

That's what makes a coach so valuable - they have access to a broad range of information that they then bring to the table to help little ol' you. By yourself, you can do a lot. With a coach, you can do SO much more. You can avoid costly mistakes by learning from the experiences of others, and hopefully make your job search end more quickly and successfully.

Check out the coaches at Careerealism.com and do a test drive to see if coaching might be an option to help speed your job search.

When Interviews Go Well

2010-02-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

This morning, I got to do some mock interviewing with Lisa who is going for a third interview for a great job, one she wants. Then I read Rachel Zupek's great piece on Careerbuilder about how to know whether your interview went well. Add to these my own long experience interviewing people (and being interviewed), and I have something to say about coping with and moving on from good interview experiences.

Lisa's experience mirrors that of the article - she felt comfortable in her first two interviews, she was invited back after her first interview for a group interview. In the second interview, there was a lot of head nodding and a conversational feel, people laughed and allowed her to ask some questions, and she felt welcome and at ease. Later, her primary contact told her she was the group's #1 candidate, asked for her references, and asked her about salary. You couldn't ask for anything more positive than that - except the actual offer and "when can you start?"

Now she is going before the top boss, and is understandably nervous. In part, she is nervous because she got word from her contact that the top boss isn't sold on her. This is NOT simply a formality, it's a real interview to see if Lisa has what it takes to do the job in question.

Lisa's not alone in being nervous, however. When interviews go well, and you move on to the next stage, the stakes feel higher all of a sudden. It feel like there is more to lose. And sometimes people blow second interviews because of nerves.

I wish I could get into people's heads and say "they already like you! Simply continue being yourself."

It reminded me of what I told myself one day before a pivotal interview for what became my job at City Harvest: they need to hire someone, they want me to be the one because then I would be the answer to their prayers, so I have a friendly audience. They want to hire someone - why not me?

That shift in perspective was very important, because I felt so much more at ease with the sense that I was going into a situation where people were predisposed to like me. Once I got to the final interview, it was mine to lose. All I had to do was show them that I really was the right candidate.

Here's what interviewers look for on the second, third, fourth interviews: more of what they liked in the first place.

* Do I still like you?
* Are we comfortable together?
* Do you really know your stuff?
* Can you give me more in-depth answers?
* Do I understand and respect your thinking process and problem-solving approach?
* Will it be easy to work with you?
* Are your standards of quality and excellence similar to mine?
* Do your values align with mine and the organization's?
* Can you substantiate what you claim are your accomplishments?
* Are you comfortable with me or too nervous/too arrogant?
* Do you respond well to unexpected questions?
* Do I trust your answers or do you seem too glib and packaged?

This is an amalgam of substance, personality and gut feeling.

SUBSTANCE: If you've made it past the first interview, you can feel fairly confident that your experience, skills and expertise meets the minimum requirements. Now the interviewer wants to know more details, to find out how you think, how you approach problems, how you resolve challenges. So have some good stories to tell that describe your approach.

PERSONALITY: The "chemistry" check is really important in the second and subsequent interviews. And it's not just the interviewer who needs to check "chemistry." Remember, if you're not comfortable in the interview, that tells you a lot about whether this is a place you want to work. Be your professional self. Wait to see what they offer and want to know. Ask a few questions in a conversational tone. Avoid confrontation or making any demands.

GUT FEELING: Gut feeling is the interviewer's sense of whether you're the "right fit" overall. While there may not be a whole lot you can do to influence their gut feeling, it does help for you to demonstrate knowledge of and passion/enthusiasm for the company's work and the job in question. So do some more research. Show you did your homework.

And most important: be willing to show that you really want the job. I only wanted to hire people who really wanted the job, assuming they met the basic qualifications. So I have hired a few people who've said "I really want to work for you" or "I really want to work for this organization" or "I really want this job." Saying that out loud tells me a couple of things about the person: that s/he knows what s/he wants, that s/he is willing to take a risk and state his/her truth, and that s/he is really motivated to do the job.

SALARY: In rare circumstances, the final interviewer may offer you the job on the spot. If the salary is acceptable, go for it! If it is unacceptable, you can do one of two things:

* Say "I am so excited to do this job! The salary is lower than I anticipated. Is there any room for negotiation?" Usually there is some room. Sometimes there is no room for negotiation. In that case, you can say "Thank you! I am so excited. I'd like to go home and talk to {someone} and get back to you on that." In this case, you are essentially accepting the job while hoping for a better outcome.

* Say "Thank you so much for the offer! As you know, I really want this job and it would be fantastic to work for you. However, I was hoping for a salary of $xxxxx. Is that possible now or sometime in the near future?" In this case, you are essentially turning down the job unless you get the salary you want.

If you don't get the job after all that, it wasn't meant to be and it probably wouldn't have been a great fit after all. Yes, you'll be disappointed. Yet you didn't have the job in the first place so what you lost was a hope, not the actual job.

MUST HAVES! FAQ #s 5 & 6: Working with Your Must Have List

2010-02-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

Job seekers can get specific about what you really want from a job through your Must Have List. The Must Have List allows you to specify your bottom line requirements for your "right fit" job - those things that will make it possible for you to take and stay in a job happily. Once you've come up with that ideal, two questions often arise:

* I finished my Must Have List. Now what do I do with it?

* I can’t seem to find any jobs that match my criteria. What do I do now?

Once you have a Must Have List, you can begin to use it to evaluate job possibilities throughout the entire job search process - from deciding which jobs to apply for, to negotiating a job offer. In interviews, you use the list as a guide to questions you will ask the employer, to find out if this job is in fact the "right fit" for you.

Someone right now is in the fortunate position of be considered for several possible jobs at a single company. She is using her Must Have List to guide discussions toward the position that most nearly meets her requirements. For example, she does not want to relocate to the Middle East but would be OK moving to Europe. She has a strong sense of the right compensation for the work she wants to do, as well as a very powerful need to do work at the right level for her skills and abilities. If these two things are not right, she will not pursue a job. She has specific subject matter expertise, so clearly she's looking for a chance to use that expertise. As she continues in her discussions, she'll ask questions intended to find out how much authority she will have and the location of the position.

Another person decided not to apply for some positions right off the bat because, though they initially appeared to have the right title, a close reading of the job posting revealed that either the position was really too junior, the organization was too small to pay her what she needed, or the responsibilities were too narrow.

Those are good ways to use the Must Have List. Another good way to use the Must Have List is using it as the basis for developing your short answer to the question "what are you looking for?" Short, specific, to the point answers will help people point you to possible opportunities.

Of course, too narrowly interpreting the Must Have List can be a way for you to stop yourself from applying for jobs. While there are six elements of the Must Have List, it is unrealistic to expect to get a job that matches all six elements. (If everything is perfect, there's no room for growth!) Our goal is for you to get a position that offers 50 to 75% of what you Must Have.

It's good to apply for most jobs that immediately interest you, even if at second glance you think it could never meet your needs. If you are the least bit ambivalent, apply. Your application is simply the beginning of the conversation. You will later find out what the job really entails. So start talking. Indicate willingness to fully engage in your job search by applying to several jobs a week. Network, too, so you start learning about "hidden job market" positions that may more closely align with your Must Have List.

The Power of Specificity

2010-02-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

This post by Paul DeBettignies (Minnesota Headhunter) demonstrates how powerful it is when you get specific about the kind of job you want.

Paul tells the story of writing down his dream job and then almost immediately being offered the exact job. He manifested exactly what he wrote!

Then he turned it down. Because it wasn't really his dream job. It would have taken far more time than he wanted to work at this point in his life.

The lessons I take away from this story are:

1) Be specific about what you want. When you are specific, the universe can deliver what you want. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen when you do the necessary work. That means telling the right people what you want, for people are the agents of the universe. Who are the right people? You'll find out! So tell everyone and then see what happens.

2) Specificity about a job is about its elements, not its title. I noticed that Paul listed things like "Being a Recruiter (not not the account management side)", "Creating relationships, being an evangelist," "Helping job seekers" and "Doing some training, teaching." These are about his role, the skills he wants to use, the impact he wants to have, and the culture he wants to work in. Nowhere does he say "Vice President" or "Manager."

3) Be careful what you ask for! Make sure your description of your dream job leaves room for other relationships and activities that are important to you. Or it isn't really your dream job.

Specificity is powerful, in all its aspects. Getting specific does require you to focus on what you love to do and what you want to do again, the environments in which you thrive, and the impact you want to make. And it requires writing it down! That will allow you to edit, fine-tune, and see whether you've gotten it right.

You'll know you've described your "right fit" job when you get a smile on your face when reading the list, or feel excited, or your gut just feels "right."

Free e-book - with one catch!

2010-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

I'm offering a free e-book called Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love, to anyone who wants it. The book is based on my very successful approach to job search.

There's only one catch: I need your e-mail address to send you the book.

The process is to request the book via a comment on this post (or any other post) that INCLUDES name your e-mail address.

I moderate comments, so your information will NOT appear on this blog. I erase comments after getting the needed information.

Several people have requested the book yet not included their e-mail address. Alas, I cannot send the book any other way. If you are one of those disappointed people, please make a new comment and your e-book will soon be in your in-box.

Thanks for the chance to be of service.

Tell Stories to Show Off Your Value

2010-02-04T05:53:00.000-08:00

Story telling is a proven method for conveying key messages, usually by teachers, leaders and journalists. It is a technique that can work for job seekers, also, especially at a senior level. It’s a way for you to highlight key accomplishments, and indicate the scope and impact of your work.

Here’s how to do it:

1) Identify three or four accomplishments of which you are really proud. They need to show different aspects of your ability. For example, one story could show your facility with numbers or complexity, another could showcase how you work well with others and team, another could demonstrate how you deal with crises, and the last could focus on long-term payoff of your planning and disciplined execution.

If you've used my Accomplishments worksheet, you already have a lot of the raw material for your stories. See my post from yesterday.

If you come up with five or six, chances are that some of them contain similar elements. You can combine them under one heading, to demonstrate a consistent thread through your career and a clear talent and knack for succeeding in those situations. Numbers really help tell the story!

2) Write out the story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result. A great result is directional, meaning you affected something – preferably positively. For example, say “increased cost-effectiveness of campaign” instead of “reduced costs of campaign.” People would rather be associated with something that’s growing or happy or positive. The best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story.

3) Edit, edit, edit! The shorter and pithier the story, the easier it is to get someone to read it.

4) Add the stories to your resume. Place a KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS section immediately under your PROFILE and before your EXPERIENCE.

This whole exercise will prepare you extremely well for any interviews you have. It also helps you identify your core value proposition.

Here are three examples.

Telecom Marketing Leader

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Launched successful products in highly competitive markets. As part of nationwide key market launch, introduced wireless company as the 4th entrant into an already competitive market. Launch ranked sixth out of 40 markets, despite company’s smaller coverage area and more expensive equipment. For another company, took over mid-launch of cable modems in Los Angeles area. Increased sales by 150% over first part of roll-out. Created marketing campaign and participated in analyst tour that secured $11M for US launch of Finnish company offering next generation DSL.

• Transformed liabilities into profit by developing cost effective marketing opportunities. Identified opportunity to save customers and revenue by buying third party ISP vendors that were going out of business. Framed opportunity and championed idea internally. Received buy-in and was appointed by the CEO to team building the transition plan. As a result, over 75% of customers were retained and revenues stayed within budget.

• Created groundbreaking effective marketing programs. Created first wireless kiosk and subsequent roll-out as a transformative approach to increasing indirect sales channels. With New Orleans Saints’ owner’s company, created and co-marketed Automotive Dealership Program which put “car phones” at his 12 car dealerships where people were buying cars. Result was 200% increase in sales.

• Generated sizeable sales leads through co-marketing and visibility campaigns. Created program with malls to offer their customers free or discounted wireless phones when they purchased a specific amount. Increased sales by 150% during the holiday season. Idea was converted into a company-wide program. Utilized NFL sponsorship to wildly promote launch of [company] with advertising, speaking engagements, grass roots marketing and an on-site promotion that generated 4000 sales leads pre-launch.

Financial Services Marketing Executive

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Transformed internal culture after financial crisis. Conceived of and sold idea for video featuring senior leadership discussing Prime Finance looking forward past the financial crisis. Created look and feel of video in collaboration with producer. Kept production on time and under budget with shooting in NY, London and Hong Kong. Well received by teams at all levels; shown at several senior off-sites throughout the year. Long term impact is significantly improved staff morale and productivity in each region.

Maximized revenue by focusing on world-class platforms for most profitable hedge fund strategies. Identified revenue opportunities by segmenting clients by strategy, drawing on internal knowledge gathered by sales team, especially those who worked at other firms and at hedge funds. Assessed competitive environment and client needs. Got buy-in from senior management to shift development priorities to focus on most potentially profitable strategies. Revised product development platform and supplied sales team with information on key attributes and benefits.

Increased sales results through targeted internal marketing campaign. Designed multi-step, easily repeatable Cross-Sell Campaign targeted to regional trading and sales groups in the US. Crafted marketing messages with Heads of Sales and Equities to generate buy-in across diverse teams. Developed materials aligned with [company] brand and business goals. Facilitated the cross sell roundtable sessions. Impact included immediate significant increase in cross-sell, tighter relationships between sales desks within capital markets, and increased visibility for Prime Finance.

Reinforced overall brand strategy by ensuring cultural alignment throughout operations. At Prime Finance, led the merger of three distinct Prime Brokerage businesses. Rapidly wove them into one cohesive business group, in part by creating Prime Finance University that taught staff about shared business goals, culture and values. For [company] office build-out, communicated company brand clearly to architects, designers and contractors. Oversaw all elements of the build to ensure adherence to the brand. Final offices delivered on time and within budget, reflected the company culture and brand, and well received by senior management and staff.

High-Impact Senior Operations Executive

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Brought several new products to market. Commercialized 3 new instant imaging products last assignment. In a prior post, diversified existing medical imaging portfolio at cGMP plants by introducing diagnostic, radio-diagnostic and immunoassay products. Appointed by CEO to Board’s Technology Investments Committee to contribute to key product development and technology investment decisions. Experience in all aspects of Product Lifecycle from design, development, scale-up and launch to portfolio management and exit-planning.

• Transformed liabilities into profit through sales of plants and assets. Identified opportunity to generate cash by selling plant was scheduled for closing. Framed the opportunity and championed idea internally, and then partnered with Corporate Business Development to find a buyer. The parent firm sold the plant to a new entity, in exchange for an equity stake, a board position (that I held), and cash. Sales of assets exceeded cost of closing the product line. When the new company was sold within one year, we realized profits of $XX. In earlier positions, closed other plants, and sold operating sites and manufacturing equipment while meeting all US and foreign regulatory requirements.

• Exceeded profit targets. Closed a $500M product line, by developing and successfully implementing a Long Range Plan including a communications strategy. External consultants predicted minimal gain on the sale, yet successfully delivered $168M in operating profits on revenue of $960M over thirty-month period – 266% higher than expected. Profit margin was 17.5%. In another position, turned around $4M division from operating loss of $250K to operating profit of $400K in 18 months.

• Reduced worldwide inventory and increased cash flow. As CEO-appointed “Product Czar,” led a global initiative in key $700M world-wide division that reduced inventory and improved cash flow while maintaining excellent customer fulfillment performance.

Accomplishments

2010-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Now Available! Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love

2010-02-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

Now available is my e-book Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love.

The guide is like having me coach you through your job search process. You will follow the same step-by-step process I use with people who get the jobs they really want.

Your "Right Fit" Job is based on two main premises.

The first is that you can get work you really love to do. If you're already searching for work, you know that job search is a long and sometimes painful slog. I say that if you are already working hard, you might as well devote that energy to getting the best possible outcome.

That leads to the second premise: job search is essentially a marketing campaign, where you are the "product" and the specific kind of work is your "market." Successful marketers know their product and target market really well. Using Your "Right Fit" Job, you will get to know yourself extremely well, including your "core value proposition" - what you offer employers that is unique to you and very valuable to them. You also will know what kind of job or work you want - where and how you will do your best work and be happiest. Being very specific will help you find a job.

Then I will help you develop really effective marketing materials (resume, cover letter, 5-second intention statement aka "elevator speech")and a networking strategy to help you get interviews. The guide gives great advice on how to handle interviews, especially difficult questions. I also include suggestions for how to battle "job search fatigue."

I believe that when you do your "right fit" work, you will be happy at work. And when you're happy at work, you'll be happier in life. Use Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love to direct your job search efforts most effectively and find the "right fit" for you.

To get your FREE copy of Your "Right Fit" Work, put your e-mail contact information in the comment section. It won't show up on the blog; I moderate comments so have to view it first. I promise not to publish it on this blog, but simply to use it to send you your copy of my e-book. I'll be offering it FREE until February 28, 2010 so make sure you get yours now.

Behavior Interview Questions

2010-01-28T09:07:00.001-08:00

OK, you've made it past the initial resume screening and now have an interview. It could be in person or on the phone. (More and more interviews are on the phone now, and I've heard of Skype interviews also - better dress up for that one!)

The point of an interview is to explore two main things:

1) Do you really know what you're doing, or "is that stuff on the resume real?" There's a lot of BS in some resumes and interviewers will ask pointed questions to determine if you actually have the skills and experience you claim to have.

Questions about this could be:

* Tell me about this accomplishment. How did you do it?
* Why did you decide to go into this field?
* How did you make the transition from this job to the next?
* What is your greatest strength?
* How do you manage people?
* Tell me about a project you managed/a plan you developed and implemented/a team you worked on/a goal you achieved.

Be prepared with stories about what you've done in the past, to illustrate a key message you want to deliver about the reasons you are successful, the skills you have and want to use again, the way you work with others, and the value you will bring to your next employer.

2) Will you be the "right fit" for our culture and can you really help us reach our company goals? Interviewers want to know how you think, how you approach and solve problems, and your attitudes toward colleagues and customers - internal and external.

Questions about this will focus on your behavior and attitudes, and attempt to discover your values and work ethic. Sample questions could be:

* Here's a scenario or problem we face at this organization...Tell me how you would go about dealing with it.
* Tell me about your greatest challenge at work and how you addressed it successfully.
* How would you deal with someone on your team who isn't pulling their weight?
* What failures have you had and how did you deal with them?
* Tell me what you would do in your first 90 days here and why.
* What do you like to do in your off-time and why?

For the questions that concern how you would work at the company, take your time answering the questions. It's OK to give it some thought. You can prepare somewhat by reading as much as you can about the company to understand the business and the challenges it might face. Also, thoroughly go over each part of the job description to understand exactly what is in the job and what you might be called on to do. Identify what you've done in past jobs that is similar to what is required in the new job, so you can refer to that experience VERY briefly (e.g. "When I was at XYZ, I had a similar situation. Based on that, here's how I would approach this scenario:...").

To prepare for questions related to past jobs, come up with stories in these categories. Construct the stories to illustrate the key points you want to make about your abilities, talents, skills, attitudes, and work style.

If you are asked the question about hobbies, it shows that the interviewer is aware that how you spend your off-time is indicative of your core personality and underlying talents. We tend to pursue things as hobbies based on what feels good and fun, what comes naturally. That usually means we'll contribute a LOT of value when we do similar things at work.

A great example of this is Captain Sullenberger who successfully landed the engine-less airplane in the Hudson River. His hobby is flying glider planes. You couldn't ask for a better person to land a "glider jetliner."

More examples: People who play team sports as a hobby - softball, basketball, crew - will work well in a team and probably do very well in client-facing jobs because they are social by nature. Someone who runs marathons can usually be counted on to stick with jobs until they are completed no matter the obstacles. A cook will be pretty creative and seek ideas and inspiration from others, and have the ability to synthesize information into something new. I think you get the idea.

Be prepared to draw a correlation between what you do off-time and how it can translate into why you would be an excellent part of the new company.

Effective Support for Haiti

2010-01-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have given to several requests for funds to help people hurt by the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Here's where and why:

12for12k.org: because it's a Twitter- and Facebook-powered fundraising mechanism, showing how social media can be used as another method for inviting people to be part of making the world a better place. Their charity partner in Haiti is faith-based, if that matters to you.

Red Cross: because President Obama sent me an e-mail with a direct link to make a donation to a group that does incredible work everywhere, making sure necessities are there where and when people need them. Water, medical supplies, food, tents - all the things I can't imagine doing without.

Share Our Strength: because they are getting food directly to people on the ground, through their local connections. With its focus on children, SOS speaks to my heart.

You CAN do something about the horrors in Haiti and be sure your money is going where it is intended, when you give to a reputable group about whose work you know something.

Employer Encourages Targeting Your Search

2010-01-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

On a recent job posting, I saw the employer included this at the end:

We Recommend

* Candidates develop a thorough understanding of Goldstar’s business before applying.
* Candidates read this job description carefully, ask questions if necessary, and honestly assess their fit and interest before applying.
* Candidates devote thought before applying to the specific ways in which they will be very well suited to this role.

Also, they added a last desired qualification:

Passionate about live entertainment: theater, music, comedy and sports

The nature of their business is selling half-price tickets, and the job is in the marketing department.

I give you this example to show that I'm not just making this stuff up when I say it's more effective to target your search. This is what employers want, too! They are inundated by resumes, so how are they going to decide who to interview? Based on who:

1) Most closely meets their qualifications
2) Shows their familiarity with the company and passion for the work
3) Demonstrates how their past matches the company's needs and will further the company's goals

It can pay off when you devote time and thought to decide what jobs you most qualify for and are passionate about, make the case to yourself about how you match the qualifications, and construct a compelling cover letter.

How to Get Interviews - FAQ #10

2010-01-21T14:41:00.001-08:00

The question is: I’ve sent out so many resumes and never get an interview. What can I do differently? While there is never a guarantee that you will get an interview, people who do these things have a much better track record of getting interviews:

* Apply only for jobs for which you are qualified, using the job posting as your guide.

* Write and send targeted cover letters, specific to the job and company.

* Use clear, simple language; look on line for Strunk & White's wonderful, easy to understand guidance on plain writing.

* Research the company and include references to its mission in your cover letter.

* Use language from the job description in your letter; there are key words in there that they want to see in your materials.

* In two short paragraphs, match your expertise, experience and skills to the requirements listed in the job description.

* Tell a story about how you used your skills and expertise to produce a clear result for an employer, and say that this is the kind of work you would do for the company if they hired you.

* Express enthusiasm for working for the company so they know you want this job and this company.

* Flatter the company by telling them how important their work to "xyz" is to their industry, to the world, to the community - something.

* Include your contact information in the last paragraph of the letter, as well as on your resume.

* Make your cover letter 1 page and never more than 1 and a half pages.

* Get the name of the person to whom the resume is going and address the cover letter to them.

* Ask someone to review your letter and tell you if it makes a compelling case for you. If not, change it.

* PROOFREAD your cover letter and resume, and then ask someone else to proofread it.

* Make sure your resume contains measurable accomplishments that demonstrate the impact of your work.

* Put in only as much detail on your resume as you need to explain what you did and the impact of your efforts; it's GREAT if the reader has questions! That's what an interview is for.

* Call after you've sent your materials to make sure they arrived and say "you wondered if you could answer any questions now."

* Find a contact inside the company to pull your resume to the top of the pile.

Listing Degrees After Your Name

2010-01-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

I just got a question from a woman about whether to add "PMP" after her name. She asked specifically about LinkedIn. The question also is relevant to resumes.

Here's part of my answer: You can add it to your name, but I don't think it adds too much and could result in people pigeon-holing you as a Project Manager.

Generally speaking, adding degrees after your name is useful when you want to convey via shorthand that you are extremely well-qualified and trained for a position that requires the degree or uses the associated skills. If that's what you're going for, by all means add the degree.

I find that usually it's PhDs, MDs, JDs, MSWs who add those degrees because they imply a profession of some sort. Sometimes MPH (Masters of Public Health) or MFA (Masters of Fine Art) - those are often "terminal" degrees, meaning they qualify for a profession without having to go on to a doctorate. Those people usually are looking for work in that field, so being defined by their degree is exactly what they want.

Otherwise, most holders of Masters degrees don't list it next to their name. Listing an MBA is especially frowned upon, for reasons that are unclear to me; I just believe recruiters would laugh if they saw someone's name with "MBA" next to it. That kind of education is to be discovered in the education section - which gives people a reason to scroll down, which makes them glance at your experience, too.

You can add special certifications to the "Specialties" section on LinkedIn, and you can have a "CERTIFICATIONS" section on your resume. This makes clear that your degree, licensure or certification is one of your qualifications, rather than the defining one.

There are exceptions to this, of course. If you want to do project management exclusively, then definitely list PMP. If you have a special license, you can put that after your name - if you are looking for work in that field. For one thing, people outside the field won't understand the initials. For example, Registered Dietitians looking for work in that field would put "RD" after their name. Does anyone outside of food service know what "RD" means, though?

I've also seen people put degrees on their business cards when networking. This makes a certain sense because you only have this small piece of paper on which to make critical points. It's the only place I've seen "NAME NAME, MBA" where it's looked normal and not cringe-inducing.

Why LinkedIn? FAQ #7

2010-01-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

Several people have asked "Does it really matter if I have a LinkedIn profile? It seems like a repetition of my resume. Do employers even look at it?"

Yes, it really matters to have a LinkedIn profile. And the best profiles are factually the same as your resume. More and more, employers DO check your LinkedIn profile, and they notice if there is a big difference. That's not a good thing. Employers want consistency.

I know someone who got a job interview and then didn't quite know what to say when the interviewer said "I checked out your LinkedIn profile and it contained very different information from your resume. Can you explain that?" She did her best to explain that she targeted her resume to that specific job. However, she didn't get a call for a second interview. We think it's because of the lack of consistency between her resume and LinkedIn profile.

Here are some suggestions for how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

1. I recommend to people that the resume contain more detail than the LinkedIn profile. A great LinkedIn profile will contain the same jobs you list in the resume, with the same dates on both, and it will have two or three bullets listing projects or duties and their measurable impact. The bullets need to tell a quick story for each position. Focus on the most recent jobs.

2. Come up with a meaningful tag line for yourself - not your job title. Your description needs to tell the story of the challenges you love to solve and where you add value. It is the umbrella under which the rest of your profile falls. If you know of key words that are meaningful to potential employers, include one or more of them in that title. For example, one person says she is a "High-Impact Operations Leader and Change Agent" while another says "Executive Management Consulting: Solving the most crucial business technical problems with ERP solutions on SAP platform."

3. Have a photograph that conveys the image you want a potential employer to see. Whether you look buttoned-up, artsy, or casual, always use a head-only shot. The photos are too small for someone to see who you are if you put in a full body shot. And have the photo be of you alone. A plain background is great.

4. When doing a summary, make sure it captures your "core value proposition" - what you do really well, what you want to do again, and the kind of impact you have had. Use measures to indicate the scope of your experience and results. Key words are very useful here, and as my Careerealism.com colleague Joshua Waldman suggests, use NOUNS.

5. "Specialties" is a place to highlight specific skills and areas of expertise, and make sure your profile shows up on searches in LinkedIn that use certain key words. List them using bullets or dashes/hyphens before them. Put them in a list, not a paragraph. Again, list things you love to do, are good at and want to do again. For example, you can say

• Leadership and team building
• People development
• Supply chain management
• Sales and operations planning

or

- Strategy/business case development
- Full life-cycle technical development
- SAP R/3, ECC6.0

or

* Program and Policy Development
* Grantmaking and Resource Development

6. Do your homework! I recommend doing sample searches with your key words to see what comes up. I also recommend looking at job postings on LinkedIn to see what key words are used in the postings of jobs you like. Use those key words in your Summary and Specialties list.

7. Draft your LinkedIn profile in a Word document BEFORE you start changing your profile. For one thing, you're probably going to make numerous changes and it's less cumbersome to do it in a word processing program. Also, every update you make to your profile shows up as information on your network's "updates." You can look very disorganized, which is not a good thing. It's good to update your status every week, to stay on people's radar. You just don't want constant profile updates to be the reason people see your name.

There are some great resources on-line regarding what to put on your LinkedIn profile. Here's one at careerealism.com. You also can search for LinkedIn Profile tips and a bunch of resources come up, including at LinkedIn.com itself.

The Secret to Great Cover Letters

2010-01-19T07:35:00.000-08:00

The secret to cover letters is to make them as targeted as possible to the employer you are looking at. Two things to focus on:

1) why you want to work there - the kind of work it is, the wonderful things about the place, the challenges of the job that appeal to you

2) what value you will provide them - your experience that matches what they want, how your skills allow you to reach their goals

Pick up and use some language from the job description and website. It's a great way to let them know you did your homework, and to make sure you are getting the right key words.

FAQ #1: Specificity Breeds Success

2010-01-18T13:03:00.000-08:00

The most frequently asked question I get is this:

Why do you recommend being specific about the job I want? Many people tell me I should be more general.

Being specific about the job you want allows you to look more effectively at the job marketplace, and it enables other people to help you. You're going to have to get specific sometime, so why not do it consciously?

You know all about how a job hunt is like a trip somewhere. When you know where you're going, it's much easier to map out a route to get there. The challenge is deciding where you are going. Many people find it difficult to commit to a specific goal. The biggest fear is that they'll exclude themselves from too many possibilities.

My observation is that the job search itself forces you to whittle down your focus. Think about it: when you say "I just want a job, any job," don't you get suggestions you immediately reject? I've heard that from many people, yet when I suggest that they apply at a bookstore or to do sales, they come back with "but I can't do that" or "I don't want to do that." They are narrowing the search and getting more specific even though they didn't consciously decide to do that.

Here are three great reasons to get specific:

Specificity allows me to identify jobs for which I am suited and want to apply.
Targeted applications are much more effective than scattershot applications. There are many jobs out there yet there are only a few for which you are qualified and in which you are interested. It's a waste of time to apply for anything other than jobs well-matched to your background and abilities.

I read the other day that a major problem with modern job search is that so many people can with the click of a mouse apply for jobs that are totally inappropriate for them. This clogs the recruiters' pipelines and makes it more difficult for qualified candidates to stand out. To cut through the clutter, recruiters use key word search engines to find the most qualified candidates, and they use referrals. It's almost impossible for your resume to get reviewed if you don't have the right key words on your resume or a referral from an insider. For these reasons, it makes no sense to spend any time applying for inappropriate jobs.

Specificity enables me to market myself very powerfully to potential employers in four key ways:

* I am able to craft a resume and cover letters that are internally consistent and build a clear picture of my abilities and impact in previous jobs. This gives me a much better chance of rising to the top of the pile and getting an interview.

* I can show a potential employer how I will help them achieve their goals, building a case based on my past experience, expertise and enthusiasm.

* I know why I want to do the job, so can answer that question in an interview. Employers want to hire someone who wants to work for them, so your desire to do the job will make a difference in an application and an interview.

* I know what I'm looking for in an employer and job, so I have more confidence in the interview, which avoids the deadly smell of desperation.

When I am specific, it's much easier for other people to help me. "What are you looking for?" is the first question people usually ask when they find you're looking for a job. If you say "anything," people don't know how to help you. They often start to ask you questions to help narrow down your focus. Eventually, you'll get more specific and the person may be able to pass you on to someone else. However, they may have a less-than-optimal opinion of you because you don't know what you want.

Sometimes, people will say "come back to me when you know what you want to do." It's just too hard for someone to do your thinking for you. So make your network's job simpler by doing the work to decide what work you want to do.

These are three great reasons to get specific. The reality is that most of us DO know what we want to do, what we're good at, and what we're willing to do as a job. That knowledge may be hiding under many things. It's certainly easier to say "I don't want to do this or that" than to say "THIS is what I want to do."

It's not very risky to reject things; it's riskier and a little scary to say "I want this." Avoiding disappointment often is an excuse for not getting specific. When you say you want something, you risk being disappointed. I for one don't like being disappointed. It is difficult to adjust my feelings to a new reality with one less option and perhaps a little less hope, then to regroup and get myself motivated all over again to go back out there and look for work.

However, applying for jobs for which you are not suited brings disappointment, too. If I'm going to be disappointed anyway, I would rather spend my limited job search time on a process that has a better chance of producing desired results.

Your Own Business Might Be What You Love

2010-01-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

I got a question about whether starting your own business is a way to do the kind of work you love. It definitely is, as long as you understand what goes into being an entrepreneur and business owner.

Decide what ONE idea you will pursue.

Just as in a job search, you'll need to decide exactly what business you want to start. Get specific. Focus. Narrow down your options to one thing. Make a considered choice.

If you're considering what business you might want to start, this blog and my e-book will help you identify what you love to do and do really well and thus could market to other people.

You'll have time and energy to fully develop just one business at a time. You can develop other businesses later. Right now, it's essential to focus your energy on one concept.

Most people have many ideas and have trouble deciding which one thing they will pursue, or try to pursue all of them at once. Then they wonder why none of them is taking off. This is one time when you must be ruthless with yourself and decide on the single most promising business idea to which you are willing to devote hours of love and labor.

Learn what's involved in starting and structuring your business.

* Many colleges and universities provide these classes which have a very low cost and give you a great understanding of what's involved in building a business - from incorporating to financial management and marketing. For instance, Baruch College in New York City has the Field Center for Entrepreneurship that offers non-credit courses for entrepreneurs.

* The Small Business Administration has tons of information on its website, and also offers classes, both online and in-person. Its Small Business Development Centers offer training. You can locate a Center in your area by clicking here. Sometimes the SBA and local governments offer programs in partnership with local and national non-profit organizations. Many of these are free.

* In larger cities, some local non-profits have small business assistance programs.

* Perhaps there are small business incubators in your community, to help you with the start-up of your business. You'll find a list of incubators here.

* Another resource is SCORE, the “Counselors of America’s Small Business Owners”. Like other sources, it has special programs for women and minority-owned businesses - take advantage of them.

* American Express's OpenForum has a wealth of information about entrepreneurship and operating a small business.

* StartUp Nation is an on-line community for small business start-ups, including on-line businesses.

* An on-line resource for women who work at home is The Association of Work At Home Women. There's a lot of free information on the site, as well as more resources with a paid membership.

I suggest that you review a few resources and then decide on one or two you will commit to using. Choose those that explain things in a way that makes sense to you and that fit your budget of both money and time. In some cases, it will be easier to take a six week class that costs some money because you are demonstrating to yourself how committed you are. In other cases, you'll want to use an on-line resource and take your time learning and then putting lessons into practice.

Have realistic expectations.

New businesses take time and energy - a LOT of both. After you've decided which business to pursue, you'll be able to map out a plan for developing it into a reality. You will quickly see how much is involved in starting a business when you read even a little information from the educational resources listed above.

Because there are lots of things to learn and keep track of, give yourself some time to do your research and get started. How much time? That depends on you and your other commitments, such as an existing job, family responsibilities, and financial resources.

Patience with yourself is key. It's not helpful to you to get constantly frustrated by how long things take, or to wish that you were doing more or making more progress than you are. If you really want to do this business, you will do it - and all the badgering of yourself will not make you move any faster than you are able. In fact, it may slow you down - because who wants to do anything when their results will be criticized? Anything you do is good enough.

The key work here is DO. Take action. Go ahead and do something and see what happens. You can always revise something if you find it doesn't work. If you don't do anything, however, you'll never get the information that could help you improve what you do. And once something is in motion, it is easier to keep it going and build toward having a rewarding business.

I've attended so many entrepreneur seminars and been part of several business-startup communities that I've gotten a sense of how long it takes to get a business started, and how long it takes for it to be profitable. I also have worked with many consultants so have a sense of how long it takes for them to be self-supporting.

Success usually comes fairly quickly for consultants with specific expertise, the ability to network, and the willingness to ask for fees. Sometimes you need to work on the last two for a few months before you get a paying client. Sometimes a paying client appears quickly - within two to three weeks. That's a fantastic start. Keep in mind your goal of supporting yourself. My observation is that it takes about a year to build up enough clients to achieve that goal. And there must be constant attention to marketing your services in order to have a sustainable consulting business.

My observation is that most other business builders typically take anywhere from 3 to 12 months to settle on a business focus, put all the pieces in place, and start to make some sales. A sustainable business takes about 3 years to build.

Building a business takes time. Most people are working at the same time they are building a business, and something suffers. Sleep is one thing that often is curtailed. Time with friends and for fun is another casualty of a business start-up. And unfortunately, time with family can suffer, too. If you aren't willing to give up anything, you can still start a business. Just recognize that it will take a lot longer to develop.

I think it's fantastic to start your own business. And I don't want to discourage you at all. I simply want you to know what's involved. Your love of the business will take you pretty far. It's not enough, though. If you want yours to generate enough revenue to support a household, then make sure you understand that your business will take a whole lot of time, energy, emotional resources, and sacrifice. When you accept that and act accordingly, you can make your new business a success.

Removing all obstacles to getting your next job

2010-01-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

I’m becoming more aware of how important it is that we do all we can to demonstrate that we are ready to make our next move. Demonstrate what and to whom? Well, demonstrate to the universe, to ourselves and our friends and family, and to prospective employers and clients - that we have the necessary skills and attitude.

There's great value of taking a course or two to add to your toolbox of skills, increase your ability to “hit the ground running,” show that you're a “lifelong learner,” and boost your self-confidence in the search process. Here are a few examples of how taking a class improves one’s credibility.

* My MBA gives me more credibility as a coach. I have significant work success, yet it's in the non-profit field. Having an MBA makes it a little easier for people from the for-profit world to believe I know what I'm talking about there. (By the way, non-profits have a lot to teach for-profits about "managing to do more with less," something they DON'T teach in business school.)

* Someone I know took a ton of courses in the Microsoft Office suite of applications. Getting more skilled really boosted her confidence when she applied for jobs and went on interviews. It was an investment of time and money that had a great payback: the marketing job she wanted and got specifically called for PowerPoint expertise.

* Another person returned to work after an 8 year sabbatical raising his children. He’s a producer and knows that the film and video world has marched along quite quickly in his absence. He took a formal class in video editing to get up to date with the lingo and technology. Almost immediately after enrolling, he applied for and eventually got a job as in-house producer for a Fortune 500 company.

* A third person is deciding what she wants to do besides law, and is using classes as a way to get a better idea of the design field.

* Another woman sought and secured several volunteer gigs in public relations as a way to stay busy, do good, keep her skills up, and list clients on her resume under the name of her consulting firm. One potential employer was so impressed by her client list that he asked why she would want to leave consulting to come to work for an organization! Not long after that, she landed a job as an in-house communications specialist for a prominent national foundation.

The moral of these stories is that if there is a tangible obstacle standing in your way, address it head on. If you don’t have up-to-date skills in the field you intend to pursue, take a class, ask a friend to teach you, and look into volunteer opportunities to practice your craft. You’ll make yourself more marketable, keep the brain active and learning, and boost your confidence as you seek work.

Will it take time? Of course. Yet the time will pass anyway and at the end of it, your toolbox will be fuller and you’ll have cleared one more patch of your path to fulfilling work.

Frequently Asked Questions

2010-01-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I have written an e-book called Your ‘Right Fit’ Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love. In it, I lay out a step-by-step process for identifying the kind of work you really want to do and then preparing the marketing plan and materials to secure that work.

Over time, I've gotten a number of questions from people who've read my book or who know I write on career transformation. Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Why do you recommend being specific about the job I want? Many people tell me I should be more general.

2. I don’t have any measurable accomplishments. So how should I write my resume?

3. What do I say when someone asks me what work I am seeking? I can’t seem to say it in a few sentences, plus people never seem to have any suggestions or help to offer.

4. I’m hoping to get into a new field but I don’t know a lot about it or anyone working in it. How can I make that transition?

5. I finished my Must Have List. Now what do I do with it?

6. I can’t seem to find any jobs that match my criteria. What do I do now?

7. Does it really matter if I have a LinkedIn profile? It seems like a repetition of my resume. Do employers even look at it?

8. I’ve been out of work for many months. How do I explain what I’ve been doing without looking like a failure?

9. It seems like I’m overqualified for so many jobs. What can I do to persuade employers that I’m worth interviewing?

10. I’ve sent out so many resumes and never get an interview. What can I do differently?

11. How do you recommend I follow up with employers at various points in the hiring process? I don’t want to be intrusive yet I don’t want to be forgotten.

12. I have no trouble getting interviews but I haven’t gotten an offer. What could I do to land a job?

13. I’m so frustrated and anxious, and feel such pressure to get any job. I feel like I’ve done everything in your book. What have I missed?

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll provide answers to these questions. If you have any other issues you'd like addressed, drop me a comment. I'll be delighted to address what I can! And I have access to other career experts through www.careerealism.com who have lots of great advice and experience to share, as well. Check them out yourself.

Getting Un-Stuck in Your Job Search

2010-01-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

If you find yourself getting stuck in your search, you may have missed some piece of the process and have not zeroed in on EXACTLY what you want to do.

* You may be too general, talking in theory about the kind of work you want to do instead of the exact impact you want to have or the specific challenges you want to tackle and solve. That means you lack passion. Passion comes from knowing exactly the kind of results you want to produce.

* It's possible that you need to gather more information from the job market by applying for more jobs and networking. Usually, with more information and more feedback from the market, you can refine your goal and get more specific. With specificity, I find the stuckness evaporates and there's a pretty fast movement toward securing your desired job.

* Perhaps you need some help with your search. A coach can help you strategize about how to occupy time until you get a job, finding creative ways to find out your job search status, identifying ways to overcome employer objections (often based on a gut feeling that is always accurate), and both listening to venting and then helping you reframe your perspective.

* Your time frame may be unrealistic. If you thought you would have a job in three months and you don't, you could feel stuck. That's not "stuck" in this job market. The usual length of time for a job search varies, based on so many factors. I would say to count on searching for 6 to 12 months. Employers are taking a LOT longer to make decisions.

Changing the Habit of Negativity and Depression

2009-12-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

The most difficult thing about an extended job search is maintaining a positive attitude and staying confident. I used to say that it was so ironic that I have to be my best self in interviews, when I am feeling the most insecure and incompetent! It certainly did challenge my "act as if" capabilities. I found that when I succumbed to my fears and anxieties, I performed very poorly in interviews. When I summoned up confidence in my abilities and skills, I performed very well in interviews. Confidence is attractive, and anxiety repels people. I don't know why that is, and luckily, I don't have to know why. I simply need to act on the information.

OK, so how did I summon up that confidence? And how do other people summon up self-confidence for interviews, when they're feeling depressed, negative and a little hopeless? Here are a few ways:

1) Review your resume to remind yourself of your abilities. There is plenty of reinforcing material in it, if you have followed the best career advice and included measurable accomplishments and real impact statements. Believe what you have written! Step outside your own brain (always a dangerous neighborhood when alone...) and view yourself as other people will view you. Feel the pride you felt in producing results. Remember how excited you were about a project or set of responsibilities. Take those feelings with you on the interview.

2) Ask someone you trust what they think you do best. This person could be a colleague or a close friend who has seen you in action, or even a spouse. Listen to them. Ask them to be somewhat specific. And believe what they say - as long as it's positive. This is not the time for them to suggest you need additional training. This is simply a time for them to say "you are a great project manager! You organize projects from start to finish and remember every detail. I wish I could do that, and thank goodness, I have you around to do it."

3) Reread the job description of the job you're interviewing for. Underline or highlight the parts that get you really excited or enthusiastic. Jot down ideas you have for what you could do in that position. Make a note of similar responsibilities you had in the past and what you achieved in those areas. See for yourself how your past experience makes you perfect for fulfilling this new job and producing the kind of results the prospective employer wants. Bring that excitement, passion, and specificity to the interview.

4) Make a list of questions you want to have answered. Reread the website and job description, and make a note of areas you find interesting, and places you'd like a little more information. Bring the list with you and have it handy. Remember, too, your "must have" list. You want to know if this is a job and place where you can do your best work. Having your own list of questions can be very empowering and engender your own sense of confidence as well as conveying a confident message to the employer.

5) Wear something professional and comfortable. I recommend an outfit you've already tried out, either on an interview or at work. I heartily recommend polished shoes, but not new shoes unless you are absolutely certain they won't be too tight and hurt by the time you get to the interview.

6) Rehearse the answers to questions you may not be comfortable with. When I'm prepared for almost anything, I perform better. The goal is to reduce all the anxiety-producing factors I can, so I am not worried about anything like clothes, answers, questions, and showing up on time.

7) Act as if you are going to meet great people who want to like you. Because that is true. The employer wants to fill the position with someone, so why not you? If you've already gotten to the interview stage, they liked what they saw so far. Why wouldn't they like you? Be yourself, and have confidence that it is good enough. An affirmation I suggest is:

I did the best I could. If it's the right job for me, it will be enough.

8) Quiet the negative voices when they come up. Everyone has those negative voices. Really, everyone. And they will come up and insist on being heard. More than that, they will insist that they are the Truth. They are not the truth, however. I have found they quiet down pretty quickly when I have a short conversation with them. It goes something like this: "Oh, here you are again. Well, thanks for sharing. Now I'm going to focus on feeling good about myself." And I repeat an affirmation of some sort to replace the negative thought (see my December 15, 2009 post for examples). It is important to keep to a minimum the amount of air time a negative voice gets. The more air time they have, the more believable they are. So as soon as you notice the "I can't" and "I'll never" voices come up, have the conversation with them and return to telling yourself how terrific you are, how the right employer will be fortunate to land you, and that the right job is on its way to you right now.

9) Allow yourself to want the job, and also let go of the results. It's great to want a job, and to tell the employer that you want it. Tell them why you want it in terms that are flattering to both of you. While at times you may feel desperate for ANY job, you don't have to act or sound desperate. You have solid reasons for wanting the job based on your "must have" list - use them! If it is the right job for you, you will get it. If you don't get the job, the right one is coming up.

I know how hard it is to have confidence and faith. I guess the alternative is to give up, and then what? I've come to see that giving up is temporary. My experience is that eventually, I picked myself up and again was willing to take action. That has been the experience of many other people. Sometimes we just need a little break from the search, in order to come back renewed and recommitted. And then these steps can be helpful once again.

Hidden Job Market

2009-12-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

Most people get jobs through their extended network connections. This is even more the case in a tough economy. Employers want to pre-screen as much as possible, especially for a "culture fit." They know that employees or colleagues tend to refer people most likely to meet qualifications and fit into the company culture.

In fact, quite a few employers have ceased posting some jobs. There is a bigger "hidden job market" than ever before. Because the job market continues to be very competitive, it is simply overwhelming for them to wade through the piles and files of resumes submitted by people. Many applicants are complete mismatches for the position because they lack the required qualifications or experience.

In addition to looking for referrals from people they know, employers and recruiters also are combing job sites and LinkedIn for people who have resumes containing plenty of relevant key words. If a job requires certain skills and experience, the search engines are now able to find those people among the many who have posted on Monster or HotJobs or LinkedIn.

This HotJobs article has some great tips on how to find the "hidden jobs."

A key to finding "hidden jobs" is knowing what you want to do, what skills you love to use and want to use again, and the kind of companies you want to work for - industry, market position, culture, impact. Being specific about your goals allows you to do a few things better than most people. You can:

1) Tell people in your extended network - those people one, two or more degrees removed from your immediate circle - exactly what you are looking for. They may not have anything, but they may be able to refer you to someone who does.

2) Craft a resume and LinkedIn profile (and VisualCV) that emphasizes your core strengths and skills, shows off your accomplishments, and makes clear what you want to do next. Employers can then find YOU.

3) Search online for companies that could use someone with your abilities, and target them for introductions, informational interviews, and connections through your existing network. Maybe that company doesn't have jobs open now, but you may be top of mind later if they get to know you and see how interested you are and enthusiastic about working for them.

Getting specific about what you want to do helps you rise above the rest of the people looking for jobs. It conveys self-knowledge, self-confidence, and a sense of the value you can really provide to an employer.

Have Confidence!

2009-12-15T12:03:00.001-08:00

Have confidence that you will land the right job for you! It's the theme of the week.

Several people have told me about the little negative, hopeless voice that plagues them. You know the one: "I'll never find the right job!" "It's hopeless." "I've been looking so long, what's wrong with me?" My stomach just turns over when I write these words. They are so demoralizing and depressing. And NOT TRUE!

I suggested to each person that they adopt an attitude of confidence that they will find the right job. And each one of them said "yes, I do know I will find something." So even in the midst of their fear and quasi-despair, each person knew at a fundamental level that their search would be successful. Each person simply had to be reminded of that fact. And each immediately calmed down, leaving that space of anxiety and entering a space of serenity.

Now, each one also hedged their bets right away by saying something like "yes I know I will get the job I want BUT I don't know when!" Somehow, it wasn't OK for them to remain peaceful and confident. Perhaps worry feels like you're doing something. "Well, at least I'm worrying!" It creates the illusion of activity. One of the hardest things to do is take action and let go of the results - really let go, including not worrying about the result.

Sometimes I do something and then think about it later and it occurs to me there is something more I can do. That's different from worry and anxiety, which are simply rehashing what I did and trying to foretell the future. I stay out of the future - it's a scary place of "I don't know what will happen." The present, with all its complexity, is a far more comfortable place to be.

I encourage you to quiet those anxious, hopeless voices with a few phrases:

I have done all I can with this employer. It's now up to the universe.

If it's the right job for me, I will get a call.

I have confidence that I put out my best effort.

I know deep down that I will get the right job for me.

I am getting closer to my desired job.

The more specific I am about what I want to do, the closer I am to getting it.

I am gathering information about my industry and field, information that helps me get clear about exactly what I want to do.

I am doing all I can to find the right job.

I am open to new ideas about where to find my "right fit" job.

I ask for help and suggestions from people who are experts.

I use information to refine my search, I don't let it control my mood.

I have a unique set of skills and ability that will be incredibly valuable to the right employer.

I allow myself to have some fun so I stay balanced and happy while I search for work.

I read career blogs and articles to get new ideas and perspectives for my search.

It's OK for me to feel down for a little while, as long as I vent it and then move on.

The right job is out there for me - I know it in my bones!

Every day, with every action, I get closer to landing the right job for me.

I have so much to offer, it's inevitable that I will be working soon.

When I know what I love to do, I am assured of a way to do it.

I leave no stone unturned in my job search.

I thank people for their advice, suggestions and information, and then take what is useful for my search.

I am clear about the challenges I love to tackle, the problems I love to solve, and the impact I can make.

I know exactly how to answer the question "so what are you looking for?" so people know how they can help me.

My resume presents me effectively so people know what I have done and would like to do again.

When I am stuck, I get even more specific about the impact I want to make.

A final note about the value of being specific: My friend JY just sent me an update. I helped her figure out exactly what she wanted to do, which was very different from what she originally thought. Because of my non-profit background, JY asked me for help in switching from financial services into non-profit work. However, she was not applying for jobs or networking - even though she knew she should. We went back and reviewed her core accomplishments - things she is proudest of doing and really loved doing. Lo and behold! It turned out that what she really loves is training and development, and she'd done that in all her positions. Her new intention was to get a training and development job in financial services. Within 2 weeks, the job of Director, Training and Development opened up at her employer. And within 2 months, she was in that position. Here's what she said:

Just checking in - I haven't worked this hard in over a decade and I'm loving every minute. It really underscores just how important it is to be true & honest about what you want. Sounds trite but so true. Thank you again for leading me to the trough.

Target The Work and Job You Want

2009-12-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the story of one woman I helped. S is an architect specializing in commercial interiors for financial services companies. She decided that she wanted to move into biotech or pharma. S lives in Boston and the market up there for architects is abysmal. Plus she's well over 50 years old. So she was getting all sorts of advice from people to broaden her focus.

What was in her heart, however, was this deep desire to get experience designing lab environments. And guess what? She landed a contract position doing exactly that, working with the kind of people she wanted to work with, at a place that offered great benefits for FT people, and within a 20 minute commute. The only thing not on her must have list was being hired full-time.

The company was hesitant about hiring someone so senior for a full-time job in part because they wondered what would keep her there. We crafted a letter directly addressing this issue, that persuaded them to give her a chance in a contract position. She got a four month contract to start.

Now her contract has been extended for another six months, and it may be that she will be hired full-time. The important thing is that she now has lab experience which opens up a whole new arena for her.

She's just one of several people who got very specific about what they wanted and then got exactly that. I tell you this story to say that you, too, can get your "right fit" work.

It will take commitment and patience. Usually, within the first eight weeks of using the system I describe in my e-book, you will have done enough work to develop a new resume that better markets you toward positions and work you really want to do. You also can have at least a draft of a cover letter that you can adapt to different positions. As you might suspect, the best cover letters are developed with a specific job in mind, and then that method is the template for future ones.

In the book, you'll see what looks like a pretty linear process. I find it vital to use all the tools yet sometimes in pretty random order. It all depends on your sense of urgency. If there's a job you want to apply for RIGHT NOW, work on a cover letter that makes you more competitive. The information from creating that cover letter will help inform how to reposition you and reconstruct your resume. Or perhaps you have the time to go through all the questionnaires and the Must Have List, and then it's time to reconstruct your resume.

Whatever your situation, you will have better luck finding a job if you focus on finding a "right fit" job - one you love. Remember, job search requires work. If you're going to do the work anyway, why not put the effort toward getting a result you really want?

You can get a copy of my e-book Your 'Right Fit' Work: Guide to Finding Work You Love by giving me your e-mail in the blog comments. Because I moderate comments, your information will NOT appear on the blog, as I will reject it after I send your e-book.

If you have requested an e-book and haven't gotten it, somehow your e-mail address was incorrect or you didn't leave it. So let's try that again!

How to Answer Difficult Interview Questions

2009-12-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

The most difficult interview questions are the ones you aren't prepared to answer. So be prepared! Anticipate that there WILL be difficult questions.

Often, these questions fall into these categories.

1) Questions you wish won't be asked because you haven't come to terms with or become comfortable with the answers. These include "why did you leave your last job?" when you were laid off or fired, "why are you interested in this field?" when you really want to change fields because you hated your last one, "what did you like least about your old job?" when you hated your old boss and are tempted to bash him or her. If you don't exactly match the job description requirements, it can be tricky to explain why you are still the best candidate.

The best preparation for handling these questions is rehearsing the answers with someone else, until you are comfortable - honest and not defensive or attacking. An interview is not the place to criticize a former employer, ever. Figure out how to phrase things in a positive way, as in "this situation was challenging and I realized that I would be able to contribute much more in a role similar to this one."

If you can, return the focus to the job for which you're interviewing. I was fired and had to develop an answer that indicated that I was not to blame, that it was run-of-the-mill organizational politics, and besides, I'd accomplished all I intended there, so it was actually a good time to leave and find something that offered me new challenges, such as this job.

2) Salary questions also can be difficult. A good thing to say is "I'm hoping to make between $X and $Y, and of course am flexible because I really would like to work at this organization." $X is your “live with” number and $Y is your “want to have” number. Your “live with” number is usually lower than your "want to have number" - it is the number you need to live with yourself. With this pay, you can meet your basic needs and then some; you can look yourself in the eye; you will not have a resentment about your pay; and, you will stay at this job for a reasonable period of time (1-4 years) before looking again.

An alternate response is "I'm sure we can come to a mutually agreeable number if this job is the right fit for me and I'm right for you. I don't want money to stand in the way of my getting this job, so perhaps we can continue talking and see whether this is the right fit." If they don't love this answer, use answer number one.

3) "What's your biggest weakness?" is always tricky to answer, as is "what's the most difficult work challenge you've faced and overcome?" It's best to thread in a little self-deprecating humor there - if you say you have no weaknesses, the interview will think you're arrogant or blind to yourself.

On weaknesses, I like to say "weaknesses depend on the job, of course - I'd like to think I have none but of course I have some! I find myself apt to give people more time to prove themselves on the job when it might be better to let them go." To me, that is a real weakness cloaked in kindness. Then I add "so I've learned to establish very clear monthly benchmarks at the beginning of their employment. That way, I can tell very quickly if someone is or is not going to work out." That's the trick - to follow up any discussion of a weakness with a description of how you have learned to compensate for it.

Regarding your biggest work challenge, choose a story where you succeeded when there were odds stacked against you (e.g. tight time frame, few staff or other resources, external partners or circumstances you had no control over). Rehearse telling this story until you can tell it in about 4 or 5 sentences: Here was the goal, here were the circumstances, here's what I did about them, and here was the successful outcome.

4) "Tell me three words that describe you" is another fun one to prepare for, as is "what would one of your employees tell me about your management style?" That last one was one of my favorites, because it asked people to step outside of their own perspective and look a bit more objectively at themselves.

For both, be prepared with responses that fit with your skills and personality in a positive way, and that correspond somewhat with the job. In a vacuum, my three words are "kind," "smart" and "high integrity." Employees would describe me as "fair," "great leader," and "inspiring."

5) Questions clearly related to the specific employer. Perhaps they ask you to respond to an imaginary scenario and tell them what you would do in that situation. The response clearly should involve some knowledge of the company, but you might not have gone through the website in enough depth.

Maintain Your Composure
When an interviewer asks you a question you didn't expect, there's no need to panic - you know the answer. All you need to do is give yourself some time to remember the answer and formulate the beginning of your answer. Here are some tactics that buy you time, giving your brain a chance to quickly come up with an answer. (Plus each of these tactics has some added benefit.)

* Pause before answering if you are unsure of the answer

* Say "that's a great question" (Saying "great question" flatters them and people like that subliminally even if they think they are cynical about it.)

* Repeat the question back to them "so you're wondering if I _____________" and wait for
them to nod or say yes (Repeating the question mirrors them back to themselves, makes them feel smart, AND makes them feel like you were really listening to them.)

* Use the question as the beginning of your answer. For example, if the person asks "tell me about a time you had to organize a project in a short time frame," you say "An example of when I organized a project that had a short time frame is..." (Repeating the question or using it in your answer focuses YOU and your brain on the question and helps you come up with an appropriate answer.)

Take a pause after you have answered the question - in two to five sentences max - to see if the interviewer has a followup question. I call it "the pause that refreshes."

If you're not sure you've adequately answered the question, STOP TALKING. Say "I hope I've answered your question" or "Have I answered your question?" The interviewer will either say yes or no. If s/he says "no," they will then clarify what they wanted you to tell them.

Finally: Remember to breathe.

What Kind of Work Do You Want?

2009-12-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

If you are just discovering what you really want to do for work, you are not alone. According to this article on hreonline.com, most people learn what they want they want to do "when they grow up" when they are grown up.

In a survey conducted by British independent education foundation Edge, less than one-third (31 percent) of respondents said they found what they are good at in the classroom. Instead, they discovered their career talent through their first job (26 percent), later in their careers (25 percent), through work experience (18 percent) or through a hobby (15 percent).

That is great news for all the people I know who wonder why they are unhappy in their current work or why they want to change careers or fields. It's normal! That is what happens for we human beings. We do something, gain experience and gather information. Then we process that information in light of our feelings:

* Am I happy doing this?

* Does this work make me smile?

* Is this work fun? Do I like it?

* Am I engaged in and challenged by my work?

* Do I enjoy doing this day after day?

* Is it satisfying my need to feel productive, useful, effective and creative?

* When I do this work, do I feel like myself?

* Is it easy to jump out of bed? Do I look forward to going to work?

* Do I feel good about myself in this work?

* Am I growing in and through this job or career?

If the answer to some or all of these questions is "no," this is good news! It means you are ready to identify what you DO want to do for work. And there IS something you love to do. Just as there are clothes that fit us better, so too are there jobs that fit us better.

Freud said that love and work are the two main tasks of a human being. Others say "love and service" - service being how we help others. And most often that can be done via a job.

There are many tools available for you to uncover what you love to do and can do for work. I have a free e-book you can get as one way to start on your path to your "right fit work." To get it, follow the instructions in my post of November 10, 2009.

You Didn't Get the Job You Wanted

2009-11-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

I'm disappointed for you! And I completely understand that you are feeling discouraged. It's a normal part of the job search process.

What does it mean to not get a job you want? I've come to see that it means a) it wasn't the right job for me and I can be grateful I was spared the agony of a bad fit; and b) the right job is on its way and is that much closer. The fact that you got an interview, and you did so well in the first interview that you got a second interview - it means that you are pretty clear on what you want and very close to getting it.

So "courage, ma amie!" as they say in French. I encourage you to allow yourself some down time - an hour perhaps - and then to look critically at the job itself and see what wasn't quite the right fit for you. That will help us focus more clearly on what you really want. And your clarity will help the right job appear.

Personal SWOT Analysis

2009-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

I'm an inveterate planner. It's one of the best skills I learned through my decades in the non-profit sector. I planned everything: programs, hiring processes, budgets, and organizational strategic direction.

Planning is the means by which I mapped out HOW to get to my GOAL, and WHAT I needed to do and assemble along the way. Usually, I planned with others in a team. We started with some vision of our desired outcome, and then made a plan to get us from where we were at that moment in time to our desired end state.

However, planning was more than simply the process of creating a map. Planning allowed me to enroll others into sharing the vision and joining the team. It helped everyone learn how they did and could contribute to reaching the goal. Planning taught people how to plan, thereby enhancing their effectiveness in every area of their work lives and perhaps also their personal life.

Today, I apply my planning skills, methods, and tools to my own life, and help others do the same. For example, today I talked to someone about doing a SWOT analysis on herself. These are the questions I suggested.

Strengths - What are my strengths? What am I really good at? What are my talents? What skills do I have that I love using? What makes me happiest? Where do I feel best about myself? Doing what? When? With whom?

Weaknesses: What am I not so great at? What don't I like doing? What do I wish someone else could take care of for me? How's my attitude? Am I asking for help?

Opportunities: What exists in the outside world that could help me realize my dreams and achieve my goals? Who do I know? What kind of information is out there for me to gather? What networks could I join? Are there opportunities for me to develop my skills, to discover my talents, to build my confidence, to feel more hopeful and positive? What can I do to give value to others, to be of service? Am I willing to leave no stone unturned in my quest?

Threats: Are there things in the external environment that could upset my plans or hopes? Have I put too much emphasis on one or two options? Do I know as much as I can about myself and my abilities? Do I have ideas and negative thoughts that could trip me up?

The point is to identify those attributes, beliefs, thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes that I can a) capitalize on (S); b) compensate for in some way (W); c) maximize (O); and d) minimize (T).

Reference Checks

2009-11-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

Great news! You've made it through the interview process and now your prospective new employer wants to check your references.

Reference checks are a little complex these days. Many employers no longer permit their employees to give any kind of verbal reference, instead directing inquiries to the Human Resources Department. And HR is only able to verify dates and terms of employment (e.g. full-time, part-time, contract worker). This presumably protects the employer from potential lawsuits by former employees who claim they didn't get a job because of a bad reference. About the only thing a prospective employer can find out is whether you told the truth on your resume and/or application.

Nonetheless, employers continue to ask for references in the hopes that they will get a live person willing and able to talk about you. Fair or not, it may be a red flag to them if you can't name even one person willing to go out on a limb to give you a substantive recommendation. After all, a positive reference would not result in litigation. Therefore, the reasoning goes, you must be a poor employee or colleague if you can't get at least one person to say nice things about you.

Collect at least three references, people you know will give you a great recommendation. Preferably, these people are former supervisors and close colleagues. If you have a lengthy work history, I recommend identifying two supervisors and one close colleague. If you're relatively new to the work world, you can list a former professor and a supervisor from a summer job or internship, plus a current colleague. At more senior levels, it's great to have four or more potential references. Then you can include current colleagues from other companies.

You'll need to do a few things to make sure your reference list is in top shape.

First, make sure you ask each potential reference if they are willing to serve as such. Nothing is worse than someone being surprised by a call from a recruiter. Here's why: It's presumptuous on your part to assume they are willing to be positive about you or give a reference at all. What if they aren't allowed to give references? Recruiters know if someone is surprised, and will immediately give you major demerits for behaving unprofessionally. In addition, the person should have a chance to think about what they might say about you.

Second, it's a good idea to reconnect with references every time you seek a job even if they've agreed to do so in the past. Alert them that someone will be calling to get a reference from her so they are aware and can start thinking of what to say. Plus, you can chat a bit about the position and why you want it, subtly emphasizing the things you want them to say. You also can tell them you want to make sure you are giving the correct contact information.

Third, put the list in writing. Make a Word document that lists each reference by name, gives their current title and employer (if they are working), identifies the nature of your relationship and length of time the person knows you (e.g. direct supervisor at XYZ Company for 4 years), and provides current contact information (preferably a telephone number). If you save it on your hard drive, you can e-mail it or print it out as needed, as well as update it.

November 12for12K Challenge is Tweetsgiving!

2009-11-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

Join a global expression of gratitude on YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Posterous and blogs within the 48 hours of Tweetsgiving (11/24 - 11/26).

The goal of Tweetsgiving is twofold: 1) Create a viral expression of gratitude and 2) raise $10,000 in two days for a fantastic yet struggling school in Tanzania.

Tweetsgiving is a chance for all of us to express thanks for whatever we’re thankful for. It could be a new job, overcoming an illness, awakening to something within your life, chocolate chip cookies – anything at all!

Your gift will make your gratitude tangible. I've already made a donation in gratitude for my wonderful nieces and nephew, because I don't know if I'll remember during Tweetsgiving. You don't have to wait until then to make a gift.

The money raised will go to support a primary school in Tanzania. Epic Change and its local partner Kamptoni will build a technology lab at the same school in Arusha where Tweetsgiving helped build a classroom last year. The Tumblr site shows great photos, student comments, and tweets about the classroom's impact and kids' hopes, dreams and struggle. It's very moving.

From the Tweetsgiving site: Epic Change launched the original TweetsGiving celebration in November 2008 as a 48-hour celebration of gratitude and giving that successfully raised over $10,000 to build a classroom in Arusha, Tanzania. Epic Change invested the funds to build a classroom at a school founded by Tanzanian Epic Change fellow “Mama Lucy” Kamptoni, a woman who used to sell chickens and used her income to build a school that now serves over 300 children near her home in Arusha. In this classroom built from gratitude, the Twitter handles of donors are now painted on the walls.

THERE's MORE! A donor has pledged matching funds! So all we need are 500 people to donate $10 each to reach $5000; the matching funds will bring the Tweetsgiving donation to $10,000. We also could use 100 people donating $50... And raising more than $10,000 would provide funds for a dormitory/orphanage, library, school cafeteria and additional classrooms.

Epic Change believes that people's stories are assets that can be used as resources to improve their lives. We help people in need share their "epic" true stories in innovative, creative and profitable ways to help them acquire the financial resources they need to create positive "change" in their communities. "We help hopeful people in need share their stories to acquire resources that will improve their lives."

Cover Letters

2009-11-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

I look at a lot of cover letters, and find that the majority can be improved with a few key changes.

1) Write it well.

This means good grammar and sentence structure, logical flow and relevant content, as well as perfect spelling. If you are not a great writer, find a friend who can edit your letter. A well-crafted cover letter conveys that the writer is a clear thinker and smart person. Mistakes (like typos or mixed up verb tenses) give the reviewer a great reason to toss your resume into the recycling bin or shredder. Don't do their work for them!

2) Use the cover letter to make the case for why you are the right person for the job.

In marketing terms, your resume is your "value proposition" while the job posting and description put forth the need that must be met. Your cover letter articulates how your value proposition - skills, experience, expertise - matches the stated need. To make that case, you will refer to the job description, often using language taken straight from the ad or posting. This demonstrates that you are paying attention to this employer's specific needs, and that you understand that work is a two-way street. You want a job, they want an employee. You need a paycheck, they need results. Show that you understand that the employer has needs, too, and you will start to stand out from the competition.

3. Give enough specificity to invite more questions at an interview, and absolutely no more.

Cover letters allow you to go into a bit more detail than your resume about specific accomplishments - looking from about 8,000 feet instead of 10,000 - and definitely no lower. No one wants to read every last detail. It's boring and off-putting. One person wrote a letter that gave lots of detail about one accomplishment - it was hovering at about 1,000 feet.

As a fundraiser, I have developed successful proposals to a number of foundations and government agencies over the past 12 years. One example of my success in this area is my spearheading the effort that resulted in a $22,000 planning grant from the such-and-such Foundation to look at increasing the number of older adults in our volunteer base. My analysis of the ensuing focus groups led to our being invited to apply for full funding. We were awarded a $150,000, three-year grant as a result. I continue to monitor the programming and reporting on that grant. In addition, at both MNO and BCD, I successfully increased foundation fundraising and income from billable contracts during my tenures.

The content definitely was relevant; it was just too much of a good thing. Here's a small edit to show how to highlight the essential point, give an example and curtail extraneous detail.

As a fundraiser, I have led or been an integral part of efforts that yielded many millions of funding from foundations and government agencies during my career. For example, I spearheaded XYZ's effort that raised first a planning grant and then a $150,000 multi-year grant from a major foundation. In addition, at both MNO and BCD, I successfully increased foundation fundraising and income from billable contracts.

You might get an interview because the reviewer wants to know HOW you accomplished these things. Then you can go into more detail.

4) Talk about why you want to work for the organization or company.

The cover letter is your chance to show them how you are the perfect fit, not simply in terms of your abilities and qualifications but in terms of their mission and programmatic needs. You certainly are technically qualified. Why should they choose you? What's your motivation for seeking this position? A little flattery goes a long way, as does a thoughtful rationale for why your experience will translate into the new company's focus.

When applying to a non-profit organization, make sure you weave any experience - professional, volunteer or personal, that ties you to the organization's specific mission and issues.

5) Get the reader to go to your resume.

The cover letter is supposed to give employers a slightly different perspective on you. It's the place to amplify the key messages contained in your resume and to make the case for you being the right person for the job. It should not take the place of the resume. It's good to give the reader instructions: So don't repeat everything that's in your resume. Get them to go to the resume by saying things like: "My resume is enclosed." and "As you will see from my resume, I have experience in ..."

Targeted Cover Letters

2009-10-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just edited a cover letter to add in more specifics about the position and correlate the person's past experience with their needs. Usually, those letters are more effective than the ones that simply talk about your experience.

A cover letter is a marketing tool. The goal of any marketing is to demonstrate that you understand your market's challenges and have the experience and skills to help them meet those challenges. Thus a great cover letter will make the case for why you (the product or service) are the right person for job (solution) at the company (your market). A great cover letter will help an inside connection make the case for you, too.

From my own experience writing and editing hundreds of cover letters, two great marketing tools for a cover letter are:

* Do the analysis for the employer
* Speak the employer's language

Here's a simple way to construct a targeted cover letter: take the lead responsibilities and craft sentences that blend your experience with language from the posting, to show the match between your background and their need. For example, this is the first responsibility of a job for a facilities and space planner at a financial institution:

- Understand key business and market drivers and develop workable long-term and implementation plans that support business needs and meet annual and multi-year portfolio performance targets.

For the cover letter, I take key words and write a sentence something like this:

At [name] Investments, I developed and oversaw the implementation of many excellent and workable facility plans that enabled a range of internal clients to increase their business effectiveness and meet their performance goals.

I used the words "implementation," "workable," "business" and "performance" from the posting to match my experience to that responsibility. Using the word "workable" was key to because it is an uncommon word that is specific to this posting. Words like "implementation" and "performance" are likely to be picked up on a key word search.

I also could have used the phrase "business and market drivers" because it is clearly a buzz term for the company. In a complete letter, I would probably insert this phrase somewhere else to reinforce that I understand their core business needs and fit in with their culture.

Hope this helps!

Becoming a Consultant

2009-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

I've worked with a few people to develop a consulting "brochure" to help them make some money while looking for work.

Generating income is one big benefit of being a consultant. Another is keeping your skills current. A third is having a reason to get up in the morning and having actual work to do.

All that may be obvious. A less obvious benefit to developing a consulting brochure is that you get to look at what you really want to do, what skills you love to use and are really good at, and the value you deliver sufficiently to get paid for it.

It doesn't have to be fancy and printed; in fact, it's better as an electronic PDF attachment to an e-mail. You can use it to network, announcing to people that you are launching a consulting practice and they should feel free to pass this on to people who might be interested. In this way, your name gets out there attached to precisely the kind of work you want to do full-time. You never know what will happen. Just yesterday, one person just landed a full-time job doing exactly what she described doing in her consulting piece.

Knowing what you can and want to do is the key to finding your "right fit work" whether that is working at a job or starting your own business. Being a consultant is your own business.

Often, the biggest challenge is shifting your mindset about how you get paid. Employees get a salary and usually work whatever hours they need to get the job done. Consultants get a fee, usually on a retainer or project basis, and sometimes with a daily or hourly rate. Your time and expertise both are resources, and consultants need to understand the relationship between the two.

Here are some ways to start thinking about Fee Structure.

1. How many hours can you give each client a week or month?

* that determines your ideal number of clients
* can have a range of services, some more time intensive than others - all are valuable
* no client needs to know what you do for the other
* Managers have multiple clients all the time; as long as you meet the client's needs, they don't care who else you work for (with some bizarre exceptions)

2. How much client turnover do you expect? Meaning how long will clients sign up for to work with you? AND how much time off during the year do you need, are you willing to give yourself?

* rule of thumb is to figure 40 weeks of the year working (sometimes people figure 32 or 36 weeks, depending on how constant the clients are)

* some of your time has to be focused on marketing your services and getting new clients

* your fees are sufficient to cover all your costs; shared among several clients, you can give them a relative bargain AND make what you want to make

3. What's the basis on which you want to get paid? Here are some options and what they mean.

* Monthly retainer, where over a year the client gets an average number of hours a month, with some months heavy and others lighter. This is best all around because you and they can count on regular income and expense, so it's great for budgeting. Only caveat is you must produce enough outcomes for the client to be satisfied with this monthly outlay. This is a great method when you are involved in a lot of different projects or areas with a client, including "soft" projects like advising, coaching, and strategizing with a senior person.

* Project basis, where you get paid for producing a specific outcome over a period of time. Usually there are several payments, one upfront to get started, then one or more milestone payments tied to progress, and a final payment to be paid after satisfactory completion. This is the best method for facilitating an entire strategic plan (not simply advising), writing a funding proposal (or indeed any kind of writing where there will be edits), and delivering a specific product within a specific time frame.

* Daily or hourly rate, where you are paid for your work based on an estimated time involved. This kind of payment is best when you are doing something that is pretty straightforward and it is easy to give the client an accurate estimate of how much time is needed. Examples of such services are training, word processing, facilitating a retreat, advising on strategic planning, and one-on-one coaching.

So think about yourself as a consultant. What would you do? What services would you offer? What could you do for a client that they would love to pay you for? How would you talk about what you do? What would be your 5-second pitch description of what you can deliver to a client? Chances are that's what you want to do in a job, too. You may even discover that you love being in business for yourself.

Creating and Using the Must Have List

2009-10-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a living example of how I guided someone through the questions in the Must Have List, to help her identify what she wants to do next in her work life.

What AC Wants
Say in policy & ownership

* Recognition and appreciation of her value & skill
* Authority and responsibility to determine path
* Leeway to adjust
* Shared ultimate responsibility

Reasonable schedule
Combine practical tasks with relationship building

* Be organized
* Talk to people
* Small things toward a much bigger goal – steps toward achieving goal

People she respects and likes
Dance (but not ballet)

* Possibly more than one company

Well-paid, good benefits

* $100k
* Way to make as much as she wants to afford a house and car and put some away for retirement

Based on this list, and looking at where she naturally goes, a few things became apparent. First, it seems that she is very senior in her industry, and that she is the peer of many of the power players. Second, she is sick of working for people less able than she is. Third, she craves diverse and varied work. Fourth, she really likes having a substantial positive impact without having the entire financial responsibility for a company on her shoulders. So here's the possibility that emerged:

Go into business for herself as independent producer and/or company manager with several clients at a time. This is a way to make money and have a broader positive impact.

Obviously, there is a difference between going into business for yourself and working for a salary. I'll address Becoming A Consultant in another post.

Follow-up on Resumes

2009-10-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

A coach posted this article that provides more insight on resume length.

RESUMES INCHING UP
Survey Shows Longer Resumes Now More Acceptable

MENLO PARK, CA -- The "keep your resume to one page" rule may be on its way out, a new survey suggests. While more than half (52 percent) of executives polled believe a single page is the ideal length for a staff-level resume, 44 percent said they prefer two pages. That compares to 25 percent polled a decade earlier who cited two pages as the optimal resume length; 73 percent of respondents preferred a single page at that time. Respondents also seemed more receptive to three-page resumes for executive roles, with nearly one-third (31 percent) citing this as the ideal length, compared to only 7 percent 10 years ago.

Both national polls include responses from 150 senior executives -- including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments -- with the nation's 1,000 largest companies. They were conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.

Executives were asked, "What is the preferable length of a resume for staff-level employees?" Their responses:

Current / 10 Years Earlier
One page: 52% / 73%
Two pages: 44% / 25%
Three pages or more: 3% / 1%
Don't know/not sure: 1% / 1%
TOTAL 100% / 100%

They were also asked, "What is the preferable length of a resume for executives?" Their responses:

Current / 10 Years Earlier
One page: 7% / 28%
Two pages: 61% / 64%
Three pages or more: 31% / 7%
Don't know/not sure: 1% / 1%
TOTAL 100% / 100%

"Many employers are willing to spend a little more time reviewing application materials so they can more easily determine who is most qualified and act quickly to secure interviews with these candidates," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career For Dummies® (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.).

Although employers may be willing to review longer resumes, job seekers shouldn't go overboard, Messmer noted. "Employers want to see that applicants can prioritize information and concisely convey the depth of their experience," he said.

Accountemps offers the following do's and don'ts for determining what information to include in a resume:

Do
• Describe key contributions you made at prior roles and how they impacted the bottom line.
• Summarize software expertise and other specialized skills.
• Devote extra space to describing work experience that is most relevant to the job description.
• Use terms referenced in the job description if they apply. Firms often scan resumes for key words included in the job description.
• Reference your activities with professional civic associations, community involvement and knowledge of a second language -- if they relate to the job opportunity.

Don't
• Use exact dates of employment. Months and years are sufficient.
• Include irrelevant details about your personal life or list your hobbies.
• Misrepresent your education or career experience.
• Use professional jargon and abbreviations.
• List references or include a lengthy objective.
• Use complete sentences; short bulleted statements are better.

Accountemps has more than 350 offices throughout North America,Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com.

Building a Consulting Business

2009-10-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

When people are looking for work, it is helpful to have a few things going on at the same time. I recommend that people engage in consulting - using their skills on projects for pay.

Reason #1: Multiple activities help fight the discouragement that comes from continually looking for and not yet finding the right thing and the "yes, you're hired!" that signals the end of your search.

Reason #2: Usually, people need to make some money to pay bills.

Reason #3: Consulting keeps your skills current, and gives you something to put on your resume that shows you are continuing to work.

Consulting is quite different from working for a salary, and it takes some shifts of attitude and consciousness. It especially takes new skills and knowledge of how to run a business. When building a business, it's good to remember that there's lots of trial and error involved for you to find your comfort zone in terms of fees, scope of work, and time it takes to complete a project.

My friend Sam wrote asking for advice regarding the price she should quote a potential client, knowing that the client doesn't have a lot of money yet is working on a very interesting project. Here are the suggestions I made to her; hope they are helpful to you!

It's obvious that you give your clients a lot of time, more than you originally estimate. My way of estimating time is to double the amount of time I think it will take. Sounds like you are finding that out already - $34/hour is about half your minimum rate!

Re quoting rates to clients, it depends on:

* how much you want to work for the particular client
* how much time you really have to do discounted work
* how much money you need to make within the time you have available for doing the work
* understanding the "opportunity cost" of taking on this work - clients you WON'T be able to take on because you are doing this work
* the boundaries you can put on the work, e.g. I can do one proposal for this price, period.

An effective way to handle pricing in this case is to say something like this:

I really want to work with you and I'm sensitive to your budget issues. My usual rate is $750 a day. I estimate that it will take me 5 full days of work to complete one proposal - including one round of revisions; identify 10 potential funding sources; and submit them. So that would be $3750. Because I really want to work with you, I want to know what you can afford right now. You can always pay me the rest later, but I do need something now.

The thing about this is that you are promising only ONE proposal with one set of revisions, a set number of funding sources and submission. Those boundaries can help you manage yourself, as much as managing her expectations. Part of being in business for ourselves means managing ourselves.

If you're anything like me, you put in a lot of extra work on the job. And when you work at a job, you are recognized and often rewarded for going the extra mile. Going the extra mile in a consulting job is fine, except when it takes away from doing other work. Your time is limited and you need to make a certain amount of money to cover your costs and hopefully put some money away in savings.

So the first thing to do is figuring out how much you need to make. I use a very simple formula:

The sum I want to make per year before taxes, divided by 40 (or 36) weeks. I use that number because I build in time between clients, time to develop new relationships and get new clients (also known as "marketing"), and time off. My client fee needs to be sufficient to cover ALL my costs. To come up with an hourly fee, then I divide that number by 40 hours. For a daily fee, divide by 5.

For example, I want to make $100,000 gross (pre-taxes). I divide $100,000 by 40 weeks, and come up with $2500 a week. My daily rate is then $500, and my hourly rate is $62.50. I'd round that up to $65 or 75 an hour.

These are points to start with.

Resume Length

2009-10-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

I just saw answers to the question "how long should a resume be?" on an e-mail from the coaches' special interest group (SIG) to which I belong.

Just as I expected: most coaches believe resumes should be no longer than two pages. Some felt it could be one page for someone relatively junior in their careers, and two for a more senior person. One person said it could go as long as three pages, and one felt it should be no more than one - no matter what.

My experience tells me that successful resumes are as follows:

* one page for a relative newcomer to the world of work - zero to ten years
* two pages for someone with more than 10 years of experience
* possibly two and a half pages for someone who is incredibly experienced and has many awards or publications or affiliations or something really extraordinary. Really, though, all those things should be distilled into two pages with headings that say "AFFILIATIONS (selected)," "PUBLICATIONS (selected)" and the like. If you just can't leave anything out, put them into separate attachments instead of in the resume!

In my opinion, someone who is experienced should always have two pages, because a single page subliminally tells readers "this is a junior person" and "don't bother reading this one." If you're applying for a senior position, that is NOT the message you want to communicate. You want to communicate "I am experienced enough for anything you throw at me" and "I deserve your consideration for this job." On the flip side, if you have more than two pages, the subliminal messages are "this is an arrogant person" and "this person doesn't respect my time." These are messages designed to get your resume put in the NO pile if not the recycling bin.

There are times when people have to produce a resume or curriculum vitae that conforms to a specific format or standard. One person I know, a medical doctor, has a ridiculously long CV - 8 pages at least - because his institution mandated the format. If he is looking for work, however, I'd advise him to develop a two page resume with attachments.

One poster mentioned an incredibly important point: no matter its length, a resume needs to be easily read. The point of submitting a resume is for someone to read it. If the reviewer has to reach for his/her reading glasses, that's a point against you. Our job as applicants is to make it as easy as possible for the reviewer to see our skills and abilities. That means they should encounter no obstacles.

To me, readable resumes avoid fancy formatting. Most often today, people submit resumes electronically. Many times, the fancy formatting doesn't come through accurately. Instead of those beautiful arrows you used to itemize your accomplishments, a question mark appears. Or the line appears as a bunch of dots. Or text disappears or appears somewhere else. Or page breaks happen in odd places and suddenly you have a four page resume.

You get the point. The last thing you could wish for is any implication that there is any question about your accomplishments! So use the dots provided for in Word.

There's an important point in the previous sentence: use Word! It's the most common word processing package; even Mac users have it now. And save it as a "doc." It's the only format that just about everyone reliably can open.

Readable resumes use simple fonts like Times Roman, Garamond and possibly Tahoma or Verdana. The last two are sans serif type faces which are always more difficult to read, so I don't recommend them as a first choice. Times Roman is familiar and that's a good thing. We want the reviewer to immediately feel comfortable with us; it's one less hurdle for us to get over in the job search process.

Font alone doesn't make a resume readable. One also much use a big enough font. I prefer 12 point for Times Roman and no smaller than 11 point. I read somewhere that Garamond is a more elegant version of Times Roman, which is the case. However, it also is a bit smaller, so I opt for 12 point type - never 11 point. Tahoma and Verdana are big enough that 11 point is sufficient.

Legible resumes also follow an easy-to-read format. And that's a post for another day.

Starting a New Job

2009-10-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have the happy news that three people have just started new jobs - jobs that meet their Must Have Lists!

Because they've been out of work for a while (one for almost a year, the others for six+ months), the three people are understandably nervous about how to be successful in this new gig. I suggested that they create some goals for themselves using this framework.

At the end of 90 days, and at the end of a year:

1. What do you want to be known for?
2. What tangible or measurable outcomes do you want to have accomplished?
3. How do you want others to perceive you and feel about you?
4. How do you want to feel about yourself in this specific area?

The answers to these questions can help you set priorities for yourself and organize your efforts and energy to achieve these outcomes.

What are some possible answers?

Go back to your Must Have List to remember your values, the kind of work and activities you love to do, the standards you have for yourself, the kind of culture you wanted to work in, and the kind of outcomes that make you happiest and proudest. This gives you clues for answering these questions.

In my case, after 90 days, some of what I'd want is: to be known as someone who delivers more than I promise, who starts and ends meetings on time, who has integrity, and a good sense of humor. I'd want to meet all my staff and established my standards and priorities, as well as a regular schedule of meetings with my direct reports and leadership team. I will have met many of the key stakeholders and accurately assessed the power dynamics of the organization and begun to make strategic relationships. I'd want to identify some easy early wins to demonstrate my grasp of the subject matter. And I'd have a plan for the next 9 months, with buy-in from the necessary players.

Planning like this can also help with your job search. For example:

* What do you want to be known for by your network and prospective employers?
* How do you want to feel about yourself during the search?
* What tangible outcomes do you want to achieve within 90 days? 6 months?

Structure and forethought really help you achieve your goals.

A Note Regarding Interviews and Work Transitions

2009-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

"Helen"* saw a job description for a big job at a non-profit organization and commented: "that's supposed to be even more dysfunctional than the place I work now!"

My response was in the form of a suggestion:

"If it's the kind of work that interests you and the kind of prestigious organization that appeals to you, see if you can get an interview.

An interview is really the only place you can get to know for yourself what an organization's culture is like. The first interview can give you a pretty good gut indicator.

Other people may find a place dysfunctional, and it may be the kind of dysfunction you thrive in. My theory is that most places are dysfunctional in some way, so part of the transition process is to find the one that maximizes my effectiveness and minimizes my dissatisfaction.

That's why the Must Have List is so important - it's the place you identify where and how and in what circumstances you are happiest and doing your best work. Going to an interview armed with that self-knowledge is very empowering - you now are interviewing them at the same time they are interviewing them. It changes the power dynamic from the get-go. Your consequent self-confidence will really help you recognize and then listen to your gut impressions and feelings.

It's also very empowering to go to many interviews, to "try on" various jobs and organizations so you're more and more certain of what fits and what doesn't. And when you find your "right fit," it all just falls into place. Thus, more interviews than less are highly desirable.

Our goal right now is to get you interviews, not to get you a job. That comes later. At this point, interview experience is our data base. Also, did you know we have a sort of brain in our gut? That's the one to start listening to. And that takes practice."

We'll see what she decides to do! As I like to say, more shall be revealed...

* changed to protect privacy

Acing An Interview

2009-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

I am prepping several people for interviews - hooray! What a great opportunity for them to further explore whether this is the right fit job for them.

Obviously, in this economy, people are grateful that they have even gotten an interview. It IS wonderful to be asked to come to an interview. Remember that you've gotten the chance because you did your homework and made the case that you would be a good fit for the job. That should help you avoid the temptation to mold your responses to what you think the employer wants to hear.

You clearly have the basic qualifications - that is certain if you get an interview in this climate. There probably are many other people who meet the qualifications as well.

So why did you get an interview? The employer liked the personality and message you initially conveyed.

In the interview, the employer wants to hear more about how you will meet their needs and to see if the "chemistry" is right between the two of you. The interview also is your first opportunity to hear how well the employer meets your must have list.

Here are some things to do that will improve your chances of doing well in the interview.

* Stick to the strategy you used in your cover letter. In answer to any questions you can, tie your experience and skills to the employer's needs and challenges. Complete your answer and then say how you see this skill or experience as relevant to the employer's situation.

* Tell stories to imprint your experience and skills into the interviewer's mind. The stories should be short - maybe 30 seconds long, with a beginning/middle/end. Rehearse some stories to illustrate one of your key skills or experiences that relate well to the employer's situation. Then say "I'll do that for you in xyz area" to draw the direct comparison. They need to know the link, and to know that you've thought enough about the situation to make that connection.

* Whenever you can, focus on the problems you'll solve for the employer, and the value you'll provide. The interviewer is very familiar with the challenges and issues they face, and wants to know that you are also. Make sure you do your research before the interview. Read the website to see the company's purpose or mission, the future plans they may have, market conditions they face, their competition, and key projects and activities. See how your job will fit in with all of that.

* Make sure you tell the employer why you want to work for THEM in particular. Sincere flattery works wonders to impress on an employer that you understand how great they are. Also emphasize that you really want to work on the challenges they offer.

* Ask the interviewer questions that will help you assess how well the employer and job will meet your "Must Have List." If you are concerned about culture, ask "what is the culture like here?" If you want to know about the position's influence and impact, ask what would constitute success in the position. Ask about the company's future plans. One exception: Hold off on talking about compensation. The first interview is NOT the time for that.

* In the interview, remain enthusiastic and friendly. Even if you hear something you don't like, file the information away and continue being open. This is the time only for information-gathering. It is not the time to decide whether you want the job or not. Simply register the information. You will use it later to make a decision.

* Allow yourself to really want the job. Your enthusiasm for the job and your conviction that it is the job for you will come through as enthusiasm, not desperation. By asking your own questions, you will naturally temper any hint of what could be construed as too much eagerness. In general, employers want to hire people who want to work for them. If it turns out the job is not for you, you can handle the disappointment. By allowing yourself to want it, though, you could give yourself the edge you need to be offered the job.

Job Search: Creating Your "Must Have List"

2009-10-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

This is a list of 5-6 aspects of a job or work that you MUST have. This is not “want to have.” This list is the things that you must have in order for you to be satisfied and content in your work, the things that will make it possible for you to be excited to start the day when you wake up every morning.

You’ll want to have a “must have” in most or all of these categories:

1) Type of work
2) Role you will play
3) Impact of your efforts
4) Physical environment
5) Colleagues, culture, emotional environment
6) Compensation

1) Type of work

What do you like doing? What do you want to occupy yourself doing for work? What are your skills, talents, preferences, likes and dislikes? What brings you joy? What can you lose yourself in so time flies? Single focus or variety of tasks?

2) Role you will play

Will you work for someone? For yourself? With others? Be a leader or a follower? Do you like working alone or in a team? Being visible or behind the scenes? Lots of variety or the same kind of role consistently? How much time do you want to spend working? Do you want to be someone others depend on or free of responsibility for others?

3) Impact of your efforts

Does your work need to matter to anyone other than yourself? Do you want to make a difference? If so, what difference do you want to make? Does it matter what kind of company or organization you work for? If so, what kind of company? And what impact will it have? Is there anything that will make it worth doing drudge work?

4) Physical environment

What do you need to be at your best and do your best work? Do you need privacy, light, quiet, noise, open floor plan, a desk and comfortable chair, no desk and always being outside? There are many variations – only you can decide what kind of physical environment you thrive in. Also can be about location, commuting, hours.

5) Culture and colleagues

What kind of emotional environment do you want? What kind of people? Do your values need to mesh with the values of your workplace and colleagues? What kind of atmosphere helps you do your best? Lots of deadlines or little pressure? Competitive or supportive, or a little of both? Structured or flexible? Formal or casual? 9-5 or varied? Task or mission focused? Start-up or established organization/company? Close supervision or self-direction?

6) Compensation

What’s the bottom line dollar pay or salary that you can live with? A figure that covers your basic needs and then some? You can have a figure you request that’s higher than your “I can live with it” figure. Are there other ways you can be compensated, such as time off, benefits, recognition, or travel? How much compensation do you need to reflect your value to your employer, or to quit a temporary or maintenance job to work full-time for yourself?

c Julia Erickson 2007 (with thanks to Linda Hall).

"He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law." Pablo Picasso

12for12K - Support Doctors Without Borders TODAY!

2009-09-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Today is 12for12K - let's raise $12,000 in 12 hours for Doctors Without Borders - amazing healers going where so many others will not go - JOIN ME! Simply click the title of this post, or click below.

12for12K

Doctors Without Borders is 12for12k's September charity. Please do what you can to help us meet our goal of supporting this excellent organization, whether by donating or by spreading the word.

From their website: Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971.

Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need.

What exactly does your support provide?

Your Donation What It Can Provide

$35 will fund Two high-energy meals a day to 200 children

$50 will fund Vaccinations for 50 people against meningitis, measles, polio or other deadly epidemics

$70 will fund Two basic suture kits to repair minor shrapnel wounds

$100 will fund Infection-fighting antibiotics to treat nearly 40 wounded children

$250 will fund A sterilization kit for syringes and needles used in mobile vaccination campaigns

$500 will fund A medical kit containing basic drugs, supplies, equipment, and dressings to treat 1,500 patients for three months

$1000 will fund Emergency medical supplies to aid 5,000 disaster victims for an entire month

$5500 will fund An emergency health kit to care for 10,000 displaced people for three months

Build your cover letter around employer's WIIFM (what's in it for me)

2009-09-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

Employers wonder "What's in it for me if I hire you? What are you going to do for ME, if I do this great thing for you - giving you a job and paycheck?"

Use your cover letter to answer that question. The point of a cover letter is to convince the employer that you understand their challenges and have what it takes to successfully handle and resolve them. Your value is in relieving their pain. That's what's in it for an employer who hires you: pain relief and solutions.

Last week, I got two tweets (on Twitter) and several e-mails asking me about cover letters, so the topic is in the air. Perhaps this means there are more jobs being posted. Let's hope so!

To give you a flavor of the questions, here are the tweets, with my responses.

First Tweet
Hi Julia - I'm wondering if you had any tips on writing a winning cover ltr wo sounding fake? Something I've been struggling with.

My Response
Show ur passion 4 emp'r issues. See my recent post (September 22). dm if u need more.

Second Tweet
@juliaerickson: Should I say "I'll work for free." just to get experience on my resume? Accounting is so hard to break into.

My Response
In cover letter cd ask 4 chance 2 wk pro bono (4 free) 2 get experience, volunteer @ non-profit 2 add 2 ur resume

Follow-Up Tweet
Cover letters are so hard for me because I really can't think of why I'd want to work for a particular company, I just want to work.

My Responses
1. what r challenges/problems u love 2 tackle, find in job descrip, say how u'll address them in cov ltr
2. the thing is you'll get the work you really want 2 do & you can muster up wanting 2 wk 4 a company b/c u can do that wk there

How do you create a convincing cover letter?

* Find the challenges and concerns stated and implied in the job posting, and then list them in a word processing document. This will be the beginning of your cover letter.

* Take one challenge, and craft a sentence that uses some specific language from the job posting to show that you have zeroed in on and comprehend this challenge. For example, "Managing both full-time and part-time staff requires great leadership and organizational skills to distribute assignments most effectively, monitor performance, and maintain team cohesiveness and morale."

* For that same challenge, create a companion sentence that shows how your experience and skill is exactly aligned to meet the challenge. For example, "While at XYZ Company, I oversaw 20 full-time and 60 part-time staff and ensured that the team delivered its results on time and under-budget, while having fun doing it. In fact, annual turnover on my team of part-time workers was less than 10%, far less than the industry average of 30-40%."

* Follow this process for at least one more challenge and possibly two.

What you're doing is building a case and telling a compelling story about your history and how it's prepared you to be the person who will solve this employer's problems.

Important to Get Encouragement!

2009-09-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

I sent this e-mail message to a client who is pursuing a "dual path" - meaning she has a long term goal which requires her to get additional education and a credential, while also making money to support herself. She had to miss an appointment, and I thought I'd send her a message that would be welcome no matter what emotional state she was in.

I was just telling someone how you had the courage to follow your dream, to
pursue the dual path of a job you mostly like (remember, 60-75% of the must
have list was our goal!) and getting the qualifications to help your
community, especially its children. I'm so proud of you, Ingrid. Your
determination and commitment inspire ME to keep going toward my own
dreams. So thank you!

It turned out she needed encouragement more than I imagined. Here is her response to me:

This email came at the exact right time--I was feeling discouraged.
Thank you so much for your kind words--they meant a lot to me and kept
me focused!

I learned long ago how much I need people who tell me that I'm doing really great things for myself, that I'm on a wonderful path, that I am terrific. It is so easy to listen to doubts and fears and anxieties - both within my head and from other people who have their own stuff. I need to surround myself with people who reassure me that I'm just fine and that it's fantastic for me to pursue my dreams.

Because I have such supportive and loving people in my life, I make it my business to provide that support to other people. Encouragement literally means to give someone courage. And courage is moving forward in spite of our fears.

Who in your life is giving you the encouragement you need to take some risks and pursue the work you really love to do? And who are you encouraging today?

Intention Statement: Be REALLY Specific

2009-09-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Every job seeker needs a powerful intention statement - a 5 to 10 second answer to the question "so what are you looking for?" It has to GRAB the listener immediately.

So over the past few days, I've worked with people to zero in on specifically what they want to do. To be more specific, I want to know exactly what work challenges and issues they want to tackle.

Why am I doing this?

1) Specificity breeds commitment. It's hard to be committed to achieving a generality. "I want to lose weight." Sure, doesn't almost everyone? Compare to: "I want to be 10 pounds lighter in 45 days." It's a SMART goal: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Once I voice that want or intention, I actually am committed to it. Something happens in my brain and heart where it becomes a goal I am motivated to achieve.

2) Specificity allows others to help me. If I say I can do almost anything, that is not helpful to people who want to help me find work. Their next question is usually "but what do you WANT to do?" People need specificity for their brains and mental rolodexes or contact pages to come alive and start spitting out ideas and connections. So if I say instead "I can do almost anything in fundraising" or "I can write just about any marketing piece you need written," there is enough specificity for people to start thinking "who do I know in fundraising, or what do I need written, or do I know anyone who needs something written?"

Even better: "I love to write persuasive materials for organizations with a great mission and low visibility, to invite people to be part of making a big difference in our community."

Or "I love to solve space challenges for companies with big ideas and limited budgets, and make their spaces reflect their brand image and strategic thinking."

Or "I love to help organizations grow to the next level, through identifying new markets, creating sustainable internal systems, and making the most of opportunities."

That last one is still a work in progress, but it's directionally correct.

Another one that is definitely still muddy but headed in the right direction is this one:

"I love to solve big operational challenges for companies in transition or crisis or facing significant market changes, through reengineering processes and people to turn things around and achieve big results."

3) Specificity breeds serendipity. Once you're specific, amazing odd things and opportunities will start to appear. Paul Coehlo said "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." It doesn't mean you won't have doubt or fear or anxiety about whether you'll achieve the goal. And that's fine. As psychologist Rollo May said, "Commitment is healthiest when it is not without doubt but in spite of doubt."

Yesterday, Nancy and I were talking about her desire to work in a specific kind of organization in a specific NYC neighborhood. Because it might be difficult for her to immediately get such a position, we talked about interim steps. One possibility was for her to look for a position similar to her current one in her target neighborhood. Then we went on to a job search site, and there was a posting for EXACTLY that kind of job. Obviously, she will apply for the job and network her way into getting an interview. It was just an amazing true story of how specificity can attract the exact thing you want.

Sarah's story is another such example. She was very specific about the kind of job she wanted. Friends and her husband worried that she was TOO specific and would lock herself out of other positions. The thing is, she knew what she wanted. If she didn't find that, she could always expand her search. Why not try for exactly what she wanted first, however? The outcome of that story is that she found exactly what she wanted and got the position.

I hope these examples inspire you to identify exactly what you love to work on, what challenges excite you, what problems you love to solve. And when you find such an opportunity, allow your passion to flow through you into your cover letter.

Never Give Up!

2009-09-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Job searching can be a seemingly endless process. It does have an end, because it had a beginning. We simply don't know when the end will come. Rest assured, it will end with you getting a job.

This past week I heard from two people who've been looking for quite a while (months and months) that they got the jobs they wanted. Hooray! I needed to hear that good news, almost as much as they needed to get the jobs. It was evidence that there really IS an end to the job search.

While I haven't debriefed with them, my knowledge of their process leads me to conclude that a few things were key to their success:

1) Both people were extremely clear on what they wanted - the work, the culture, the role, compensation, impact, physical environment (the Must Have List you'll find elsewhere in this blog).

One had to revise her Must Have List after it became clear that she wasn't taking action toward what she thought she wanted to do. So we looked at a list of the accomplishments of which she was proudest. All were centered on one type of work. Once she was clear that she wanted to do that kind of work, a perfect opportunity presented itself and she easily and peacefully took all the required actions. And she got the job!

2) Both understood exactly how their work history and volunteer work led to and prepared them for the particular job opportunity.

For the second person, the job was a step up from anything he had done previously. He worried that this would disqualify him. Together, we realized that he gathered requisite experience for the new job from all his previous jobs. His combination of experience and skills were unique, and perfectly suited to the job opportunity. He became convinced himself that he had what it took, and he was able to communicate that certainty and confidence on his interviews. And voila! He also got the job.

Clarity is essential, as is commitment. Once these people knew what they wanted, they were willing to do what it took to reach that goal. They focused on what they wanted, without ambivalence or hesitation.

I think it was impossible for the first person to commit to a job search UNTIL she was crystal clear about what she wanted. She got rid of all the "I should" and "they think" ideas, and looked inside and out for the "right fit" work for her.

It was easier to Never Give Up on herself once she was committed, and believed that she would get a job. It was only a matter of time. And it turned out that the time involved was fairly short - about two months from realization to job offer. The same time frame applied to the second person.

If you're in a seemingly endless and hopeless job search, try using the Must Have List guide to get absolute clarity about what you want. It is a great tool and will make it more likely that you will find your "right fit" work, possibly sooner than you think.

On Another Topic: 12for12K Fundraising

2009-09-24T07:27:00.001-07:00

I got sidetracked by a conversation about a great Twitter fundraising effort called 12for12K - raise $12,000 in 12 hours for a specific charity.

A non-profit fundraising consulting criticized 12for12K, and in so doing, inspired great outrage and anger on the part of those who are its fans. [full disclosure: I am a fan and have donated to many of the causes.] The founder, @DannyBrown, responded in a measured way, and the consultant has now apologized for her tone and errors of fact.

Now having read the original “rant” and subsequent “conversation,” I’m heartened by the passion inspired by the idea of raising money for charities. I’m delighted to see such a maelstrom of feeling, and now a plethora of ideas for how to use social media for the benefit of non-profits.

Non-profits do some of our world’s most important work: feeding, clothing, housing, educating, healing. And they (we) do it largely with our money – whether through donations from individuals, tax dollars (again, our money), or grants from private sources. In most cases, charities don’t “sell” goods or services; they “sell” a mission, an impact, a vision, a result. Most of all, charities and non-profit organizations offer all of us the opportunity to participate in this incredibly important work. By donating funds, we all get to help heal people or feed or protect them – whatever vital service means most to us.

Long ago, someone told me that if people criticized me, I was doing something right. So Danny Brown and @unmarketing and @sarahrobinson and the other folks who’ve done 12for12K tweeting are clearly doing something right!

The results of 12for12K are wonderful for a couple of reasons. One, it shows that social media can be used to raise awareness of and funds for causes. Two, it shows that social media fundraising is at its beginning, and can improve.

Here’s my 2 cents contribution to the conversation:

* I love the consultant's ideas about helping charities develop a bigger and more effective social media presence. I noticed that Share Our Strength welcomed 12for12K donors when they clicked through to donate and clearly articulated what the fund would accomplish. Other charities can emulate that strategy.

* Some causes may resonate more with the Twitterverse than others. Feeding people is so fundamental and tangible, it may have been easier for people to understand in 140 characters. (Of course, I’m biased – I used to run City Harvest, a prominent NYC hunger-relief organization.) This is only a challenge to the Twitterverse’s marketing mavens and the charities themselves – how can we tell a compelling story in 140 characters? I know we can.

* Charities raise money every day. Internet mavens raise money every day. Maybe there can be a meeting of the minds, a sharing of the techniques, a respect for each other’s expertise and experience. By joining together with good spirit and humility, I believe we can accomplish an amazing amount of good via digital and social media.

Job transitions

2009-09-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! You’ve realized it’s time for a new job. But not just any job. You spend 40 to 60 hours a week at work. So now you want to be fulfilled and happy with your work. It’s true that you do have financial obligations. Yet money alone isn’t enough anymore. Maybe you’re tired of office politics or the constant struggle to be best. Maybe you want to spend more time with your kids or working on your home. Maybe the commute is wearing you down and you want to work from home. Or maybe you’ve done all you can or want to do in your career and want to explore some other options.

It could be that you’ve been forced into realizing that you can no longer work as you have in the past. Maybe you’ve been laid off or fired – before you had a chance to quit. Maybe you’re having a hard time finding another job in your field. And just maybe you’re having difficulty getting motivated to even look for something new.

If you’re in any of these situations, it’s time for a work transition.

Many people have gone through work transitions. Transition is different than change, according to William Bridges in his landmark book Transitions. A change is usually easy to make and takes a short period of time. A transition is much deeper and more thorough. It often takes a long time, usually involves some amount of struggle, and perhaps even causes emotional pain. Bridges talks about transitions as involving an ending, the neutral zone and a beginning.

Ending means closing the most recent chapter in your life. It can mean coming to terms with the reality that you are no longer the same person you were, or that you no longer like the same things you did, or that you are no longer suited to do the work you once did. It can mean accepting that you now have other priorities, or that you are physical unable to work at your old pace. It can involve processing feelings of shame or guilt or embarrassment. It can require recognizing the compromises and sacrifices you’ve made and realizing that you no longer can or will make them. Bridges suggests that it will be almost impossible to begin something new until you end the old, and experience supports his belief.

The neutral zone is the time and space between ending and beginning. It can be strange and disorienting as well as a time of great self-discovery and excitement. I call it the hallway between one door closing and another door opening. Sometimes the hallway has no light and you can’t see where you’re going. You feel my way along the wall, trusting that there will be another door. Meanwhile, you learn as much as you can about your likes, dislikes, hopes and disappointments, childhood dreams and unfulfilled aspirations, adult satisfactions and congenial environments. During that time, you discover the kind of work you really want to do and set on the road to finding the job that is your “right fit.” You form an “intention” about work that is grounded in your commitment to finding fulfilling work that fits into your life needs and priorities.

Beginning is almost the conclusion of the transition process – but not quite. For beginning something new involves a period of adjustment, of settling into the new space and work. You make a commitment to yourself during the neutral zone, that you only will take a job that is the “right fit” for you. During the beginning, you must constantly monitor yourself to confirm that the new job really meets your “right fit” criteria. If it doesn’t, that’s OK. Nothing has been wasted and you haven’t made a mistake. You’ve gotten more information about yourself that you can use as you prepare for a change.

The point of a work transition is to discover what you want to do, how you want to be, what kind of environment is best for you, how you work best, and who you want to work for and with. You create your own set of criteria, based on your own talents, skills, achievements, pleasures, and satisfactions. Those criteria become the yardstick against which you measure any potential job. There is a “right fit” job for you, like a glove on a hand. Your work involves defining the hand for the glove to fit. It’s exhausting, demoralizing, and stressful to try to bend yourself to meet the job’s needs and requirements. It’s far better to find a job that suits you.

Goal: JOB. Finding out what suits you is the purpose of this journey. Begin by identifying your goal. It can be just as undefined as a "JOB" as long as your intention is for a job that fits your preferences and needs.

Begin Search. The search starts with you identifying some possible options for work. Naturally, some options are related to your previous work simply because that is your area of expertise. Other options may be long-deferred dreams, or returning to something you once loved. Still other options may not emerge until later in the process. It’s not an exact science.

Information Gathering. In this phase, it’s essential to gather as much information as possible about the various options and especially about yourself. This is the gold mine you need to explore.

You can find out a lot about yourself by using some of the tools developed by TransitionWorks and others, such as the lifetime inventory of accomplishments. This involves listing your most satisfying achievements – things you are proudest of and did really well – and then teasing out similarities among them. You could discover that you love working alone, even if you’ve had to work in groups throughout your career. You could discover that you love being in charge of a team, or that you love working with your hands. Other tools can help you identify things for which you have a passion, or themes running through your work of which you were never aware.

You also need to learn more about your potential work options. You need to find out the state of the industry or field, what skills are needed, common work environments, geographic restrictions, pay scales, and more. The Internet and other media are great sources of information, as are friends and neighbors. As a result of this research, you may discard some options, refine and narrow others, or uncover a new option.

The outcome of this phase is your first statement of intention about work. You will come up with a three to four sentence summary of what you’ve learned about yourself and what you’re now interested in doing. You can have more than one interest at first. Your goal is to narrow down your intention so you can eventually come up with your “right fit” criteria for your next job.

You may discover that you need to “dual path” – pursue a job to pay the bills while also pursuing your passion. You may find that your passion requires more expertise, education, investment or sacrifice than you have or can afford right now. You don’t have to put it aside; you can work toward it. Sometimes, pursuing a passion makes a “day job” more tolerable.

Networking and Information Interviews. Networking can sound intimidating. Yet you do it every day without thinking about it. Every time you ask someone to recommend a plumber, you’re networking. Every time you send your friend to another friend for advice about something, you’re networking. Every time you meet someone at a party and end up calling that person later, you’re networking.

In this phase, networking is solely for the purposes of gathering more information about the various options. Using your statement of intent, you let your “natural network” know that you want to learn more about your areas of interest and ask for their help. Your “natural network” is family, friends, neighbors, trusted colleagues and former colleagues – people with whom you feel comfortable. Ask them if they know anyone who works in your area(s) of interest to whom they’d introduce you. All you want is 20 minutes of that person’s time to learn more about what s/he does and the field in which s/he works.

Another "natural network" may be people you don't know at all - yet. Two people I know targeted companies working in the area in which they wanted to work. They wrote e-mails and letters to people at those companies, introducing themselves and their passion for the field, and inquiring about whether they could talk to someone at the company about what the company did. After many unanswered e-mails, both got responses from two companies. One got a job that previously didn't exist - the company created a job for her! They did so because she presented the company with a solution for a problem they were just realizing they had. Her research and thinking allowed her to come up with ideas that the company desperately needed to implement - and she was the right person to implement them. The second person is negotiating with a company for a position they would have to create for him.

The lesson: go with what feels right to you. If you're not comfortable contacting people you know, OK. What's important is that you begin putting your intention out into the world somehow. "Out in the world" is the only place people can get to know what you have to offer.

It’s best if you have some idea of what you think you could do in the area of interest, so people have enough detail to grab onto. If your intention is too broad (“I want to learn more about TV”), it’s hard for people to think of people you could interview. A better statement of intent is “I want to learn more about TV production, especially what goes into making a reality show or a talk show.” This gives your contact enough information to think of people who work in TV production, on reality shows, talk shows, and even cooking, travel or home design shows.

Networking and practice interviews. There is a stage where you start narrowing your efforts and search. You engage in more networking, moving farther afield. With feedback, you refine your statement of intention so it really captures exactly what you want to do. This means eliminating some previous options. Usually now you know enough to draft your “must have” list. In this stage, too, you'll want to go on "practice interviews." This involves applying for jobs that seem to meet at least 50% of your criteria with the goal of getting interviews. You may not know if you actually want the job yet you also never know when practice will yield a real opportunity. So put your heart into the effort and at very least, use every interview as a chance to practice responses to hard questions. Interviews are your opportunity to learn more about field and yourself to further refine intention. You also get to assess jobs according to your "must have" criteria. The more interviews you go on, the more opportunity you have to say “no” to a wrong fit job. Keep networking to get closer to actual jobs that meet 75-80% of “must have” list.

Interviews and evaluating opportunities. On interviews for real jobs, it's important to interview them, too. Your “Must have” list includes things like industry and/or occupational preference, scope of responsibility, preferred compensation, work environment (physical and social), hours required, etc. Evaluate opportunities based on that criteria. Be flexible early on in discussions to keep your options open. Too much rigid adherence to your must have list too soon in the process will result in you being eliminated from the hiring process and you will not get to learn enough to decide if you do or don't want the job. Practice faith that you will find the right fit. If you don’t get a job offer, figure out possible reasons. Was it the right fit for you? Is it a blessing in disguise? Did you really want it? Did you believe it was meant to be yours?

Job offer assessment and ensuring “right fit.” How does this job meet your “must have” list? If you’re dual pathing, does it allow you enough time to pursue your passion? You do get to say no to the wrong fit.

COVER LETTERS: Using "Low Profile Selling" Techniques in Job Search

2009-09-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

At the World's Greatest Marketing Seminar, a guy named Tom Hopkins spoke about "low-profile selling" - he apparently is one of the masters of selling and has been emulated and idolized for years.

His approach is to focus on the client's needs, to fully explore their needs, and then provide the solution. By focusing on someone's problems or challenges - something they are really well-acquainted with and sick of - you demonstrate empathy, understanding and hope. It's building the relationship around their WIIFM (what's in it for me). Then you can show how they can benefit from working with you.

In job search, a position description outlines the employer's challenges, needs and problems.
An effective cover letter is essentially a proposal to specifically address them.

For example, here's a very short job description that may not initially seem like it describes any problems but clearly does.

Director of Membership

Responsibilities include working closely with the S.V.P. for Development and Membership to direct all aspects of Membership Department with responsibility for generating specific revenue goals; manage staff of 10 full-time and 31 part-time employees; development and implementation of new on-line strategies for acquisition and retention of members; create and administer a multi-million departmental budget; oversee the research, planning and implementation of around 100 events and member programs; serve as publisher, distributor and content manager of Rotunda, the museum members' newsletter; Candidates should have a bachelor's degree and at least eight years of experience with increasing responsibilities and proven supervisory skills. Experience in a Museum environment a plus. Computer proficiency is required—Raiser's Edge experience is a plus.

I've put in bold the needs and challenges contained in this job description. Here are some examples of how to construct a cover letter response to them.

Members are the lifeblood of all museums and, as with all audiences, the challenge is to create an attractive package that both attracts new members and retains existing ones. My experience in building a large, repeat audience for the [organizationA]'s myriad programs gives me the skill and perspective necessary to take the Museum's membership program to its next level of success.

Publishing relevant, timely member materials is key to promoting the Museum's programs and brand image. I understand the importance of the look and content of publications, based on my rich experience preparing and distributing effective printed and digital media while at [organizationA] and [organizationB]. I derived great pleasure from the fact that our most successful materials led members to deepen their relationship with the organization and become financial donors.

The bulk of your cover letter would include such comparative paragraphs and sentences, showcasing how your past experience will help the employer meet their challenges and reach their goals.

Example of Networking

2009-09-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

A chef out of work for a year asked whether it's possible to network effectively via social networking sites. It absolutely is possible.

The big three for networking are LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

LinkedIn is perhaps the best place for professional networking with more than 40 million users. Sign up for LinkedIn, create your profile, and then locate former colleagues to add to your network. An effective LinkedIn profile is a marketing piece, that summarizes your "core value proposition" and your accomplishments. Base it on your resume, and then use some of the great tips for using LinkedIn that you can find on this blog or via careerealism.com.

Very important to remember for using LinkedIn most effectively:

1. Draft your profile BEFORE putting it on LinkedIn. That way, you have something complete the first time. You can always update it.

2. Put on a professional-looking photograph. For a chef, wear your chef whites so that your name shows. It will show that you are serious about your profession.

3. Use key words in your description of yourself, as well as in your Summary and Specialities. Key words are those words that describe what you want to do and are likely to be picked up by employers. LinkedIn has a very sophisticated search function for recruiters and employers to use to identify ONLY those LinkedIn members who meet specific criteria. Keep yourself in the game by using industry-specific jargon and language along with plain old English.

4. Update your status at least 2-3 times a week. Every time you update your status, a notice goes out to your network. Every time you add someone to your network, a notice goes out to the rest of your network. People usually get compendium e-mails "LinkedIn Updates" once a week; some choose to get them every day. You will stay "top of mind" for people through these notices. Make your updates about your job search, in an upbeat way.

5. Get recommendations. The most effective way to build your presence and credibility on LinkedIn is to get recommendations from former employers, colleagues, and co-workers. The more recommendations you get, the more credible you are. You ask people to recommend you and then you are able to see what they say BEFORE it is posted to your site. If you are not happy with what they said, you can politely thank them and then ask if they'd be open to a suggestion for how they could help you more, by emphasizing x, y or z, because that's the kind of work you're looking for.

Recommendations are very important if you are looking for work on LinkedIn's job search function. Some postings say directly that they are looking for people with recommendations. And because you will put your LinkedIn profile url on your resume, it's helpful to have recommendations for a prospective employer to read. It can only help you, if you are careful about who you ask and what you accept in their recommendations.

6. Join groups related to your field of interest. Members of groups tend to reach out to one another, often joining each other's networks. And when you are a 2nd or 3rd degree connection to someone, you can often network with that person.

7. Post comments and questions, especially in the groups you join. This is a great way to build familiarity, as well as boost your reputation for expertise. People like to help people they know and feel comfortable with, as well as trust.

On Twitter, search for people in your field to follow who probably follow back (you can tell if they have a similar # of people they follow as # of followers). Use hash tags (#) to find other chefs, foodservice industry people, restaurateurs, and the jobsearch community. Obviously, @careerealism has MANY great people and resources for you to access.

Facebook is an interesting hybrid of very personal and somewhat professional networking. I suggest putting on a professional photograph, gathering lots of friends and family into your "friends" network, and posting updates that are upbeat and forward-looking.

Facebook is most appropriately a place for you to get friends thinking on your behalf about your job. I would not expect too much from here, however.You may get support for your job search here, if you are specific about what you are seeking and if you post updates like "met with Sally Schmally today regarding possible catering work" or "volunteered at the local ACF luncheon - what a great group of chefs!" These updates remind people you are looking for work and are staying active.

Because prospective employers now check lots of social networking sites, I would strongly suggest limiting the personal updates you do, putting on very few personal photographs, and putting your privacy settings on the highest level (Friends only can see posts).

More networking ideas: post your resume on some of the hospitality websites, e.g. http://www.hcareers.com/. Search for keywords on Twitter and LinkedIn, such as "Chef" or company names like "Sodexo" and "Starwood." Look for local job search sites. Go to industry events on your own dime or see if you can volunteer at networking events so you can go and do a little bit of networking - as well as get volunteer experience on your resume.

BEFORE YOU POST ANYTHING:

One critical thing to do is to make sure your resume is an effective marketing document. Does your resume highlight your accomplishments, e.g. how profitable your kitchens were? How many seats in your place of business? # of staff you supervised? Specials that were sold out? Food cost and labor cost controls implemented? Union staff or no? Are your certifications all up to date?

Improve your resume based on what you really want to do next. Have you identified the kind of challenges you want to work on at your next place of employment? Do you want a restaurant, hotel, chain, corporate dining, cafeteria, school, university, hospital or catering? Big, medium or small venue? Do you want to be Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine? Lots of supervisory responsibility or more cooking tasks? What kind of work environment and culture is best for you? What's your "I can live with it and myself" compensation number, as well as your "I want to make" number?

Once you've gotten clear about exactly what you want, you can target your search to those places that meet your criteria. You can tailor your resume to include only those things you want to do again. It will be easier to network, too, because you can tell people what you're looking for - the kind of challenges and the skills you would bring to solving those challenges.

Should I Take This Job? Maybe It's Not My Right Fit...

2009-09-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a problem I'd like to see more of: someone has been offered a job AND has an interview at another company next week. The question: should I take the job I was offered or try to go on the interview and see if that's a better fit for me?

Whatever you do, don't take the job offer AND go on the interview, just to see what's possible. I know some people do it, and sometimes it happens that you get two offers and have to make a decision. That's different, however, from accepting a job with the INTENTION of quitting if you get another offer. It's just not the right thing to do, to dump a perfectly good job and leave the employer high and dry and pretty pissed off. Talk about burning a bridge! And bad karma to boot. In this economy, it would be the equivalent of job suicide to do so.

In another economy, I might suggest trying to delay your decision until you have the interview, or asking if you can move up the interview. Two challenges with this: the employer who's offered you the job has TONS of other eager applicants just dying to take your spot IMMEDIATELY. And the other employer knows she holds all the cards and can find someone equally as good as you whenever they get around to doing interviews. This is called an "employer's market" for good reason.

In THIS economy, I think you'll have to make a decision between the job offer and the interview. It's really fantastic and a testament to your abilities and background that you have a job offer AND an HR person interested enough in you to consider you for another job.

My suggestion is to listen to your gut. So here are some questions to guide you:

* Can you stomach doing the job you were offered? Does it meet most of your "Must Have List?" I assume that you want it to some degree or you wouldn't have applied and gone through the process with such apparent enthusiasm that you were offered the job. If you can stomach doing the job, I'd go for it. As the saying goes, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

* How confident are you that you'd ace the interview for the possible job? In the situation I read about, the person already was turned down by that company. Though the HR manager liked the candidate, she is not making the final decision. In my book, that's too much of a wild card.

* Do you want to work for this company so much that you're willing to take the risk of turning down a "bird in the hand" in hopes that one of the "two in the shrubs" will land in your hand? Can you afford to not work? The job offer is precious, and the job will undoubtedly give you great experience, as well as a paycheck. Is it a perfect job? No. But no job is the perfect job. It's a matter of our priorities and whether a job meets 60-75% of our Must Have List. In addition, we have the power to make anything a fantastic learning experience (think "negative powers of example" as in "I'll NEVER do things that way when I'm the boss!").

As I said, however, it's up to you and your gut feeling. If you really can't stomach the job you were offered and will be desperately unhappy, then don't take it.

You can easily handle the situation so as not to burn any bridges. Simply call the HR person to say that you have great news for you and not-so-great news for her.

"I got a job offer and I've decided to accept it. It was a difficult decision because I am so interested in working for your company, and I thank you very much for believing that I could make a contribution to your company. If it's OK with you, I'd love to stay in touch and perhaps the time will be right at some point in the future for us to work together."

It's polite, keeps a door open, acknowledges her kindness to you, and shows that you are professional.

Good luck with your decision!

Networking Tips from Carrie Wilkerson

2009-09-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Carrie Wilkerson, the Barefoot Executive, is a networking genius. In a video I recently watched, she made these KEY POINTS about how you can more effectively network:

When you meet someone, make a personal connection. Find out what they are interested in. Notice what they talk about, what excites them, what part of conversation they expand on or the topic that lights them up.

Shift your thinking to ask "what can I do for them?" instead of "what can I get them to do for me?" By starting with the other person's interests, issues, challenges or problems, you put yourself in the position of being of service to them. Generosity always is its own reward, and it also is such a powerful basis on which to develop a relationship. When I'm genuinely interested in people, I get such pleasure from our interaction. And what ends up happening is that the relationship begins to be reciprocal. I am always surprised by what people are willing to do for me when I do for them WITHOUT EXPECTATION OF RETURN.

Always take handwritten notes to remember people - in a notebook, write down everything you remember about the person: family information, interests they have, circumstances under which you met them, anything funny they said or something they said they liked or wanted, people you know in common, and anything that distinguishes them in your mind (facial features, hair, body type, colors they wore, eye color, you name it!)

Send follow-up (FU) notes with a personal touch. Mention that book they liked and recommend one similar to it. Say you hope their child's team won the game. Tell them you loved their site (even successful people need validation and compliments!). Let them know how much they helped you and what value you got from their meeting, such as a new thought, a new way of thinking about your path, or a reframing of the key issues facing an industry.

Use Marketing Tools For Job Search

2009-09-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from "The World's Greatest Marketing Seminar" I am full of ideas about how job seekers can better position themselves.

A key message from many speakers is that marketers are in the business of solving people's problems. People (and people run businesses and hire other people) are usually familiar with and able to articulate their problems/challenges/difficulties/obstacles and so will better identify with them. When someone appears to understand their challenges, people tend to hope that person can help them solve the problem. When the problem or challenge is stated clearly and with some emotion, people become hungry for a solution. For a marketer, this creates a willing customer. For a job seeker, this can engender willingness to consider one's candidacy for a position.

This afternoon, one of my clients (D.) and I came up with this 10 second answer to the question "What are you looking for?" Our focus is on the kind of challenge D. wants to work on. Then she presents herself as the solution to the problem. Here's what we drafted:

I want to solve space challenges for clients with big dreams and limited resources, and make their space reflect their brand image and strategic thinking.

In a very few words, D. has defined her area of interest and expertise (solve space problems) captured a problem (clients with big dreams and limited resources), and focused attention on the solution she offers (space will reflect brand image and strategic thinking). The word "solve" at the beginning offers hope of a solution to the problem she then describes (big dreams, few resources); the final part of her statement speaks again to her solution to the problem.

D. can either then say "Let me give you an example" or the listener can ask questions to invite her to tell them more about what she means - and she has plenty to say about that.

She is testing tonight at a networking event. I'll let you know what happens. In the meantime, I wanted you to know I'm thinking about you and ways to make your pitch that much more effective.

You can think about the problems or challenges you want to work on in your next job, the kind of solutions you would offer, and the employers who have this kind of problem. Start with what the employer faces, and then offer yourself as a solution. Remember, when a problem is fully articulated, it hurts, and when something hurts, people want a remedy. By showing that you "feel their pain," you make employers more interested in hearing how you would approach solving the problem and easing the pain.

What if I Like and NEED the Job But Don't Like my Potential Boss?

2009-09-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is a tough hypothetical question. I know you need a job and it sounds like you think you found one that is the "right fit" for you.

Let's assume you are offered the job. You can take it, and see it as an opportunity to learn one of the most challenging skills in work: to get along with people you don't necessarily like, to focus on work instead of personalities, and to adapt to challenging circumstances. Most of us have to work with people we don't love or even like very much.

For me, the goal was to figure out how to work well enough with them to get the job done.

* One strategy I used was looking for at least one positive thing about the person.

* Another was to "catch them doing something right" at least once a day.

* A third was to send them love and positive thoughts.

Amazingly, most of these people stopped annoying me within a week. Sometimes they changed their behavior - because nice behavior tends to be responded to with nice behavior. After all, "you catch more flies with honey." And mostly, I got into a new habit of focusing on their positive attributes rather than on how their less enjoyable aspects. I'm also reminded that "where my attention goes, energy flows." That means that if I focus my attention on something, then that's all I see.

If all I remembered was that Nora kept repeating her point and not listening to anyone else until she wears them down, that's all I saw and heard. And it was really annoying! I had to work to remember that Nora was a darn good manager with amazing integrity, and usually her points of view are valuable and correct. That put her annoying tenacity in perspective. It didn't make it go away, it simply minimized her flaws enough that I could continue to work with her.

The real question is: Would I CHOOSE to work for Nora? Not if I could help it. In my humble opinion, this is not a "right fit" job for you because your working relationship with you boss is so critical to your job happiness. And if you don't like your boss, my bet is your boss won't really like you. This sounds like it would be a termination waiting to happen.

My question to you is: Why would you think you could work effectively for someone you don't like? While it may be character-building, it is not fun to work for someone you may not like and it certainly does not lend itself to a lengthy job tenure. If you need the job and are offered it, it's OK to take it. I'd continue my job search, however, because there's a better than even chance you'll be so unhappy you'll want to leave soon.

Of course, the job offer is hypothetical. And I am sorry to say that in this particular job market, such an offer is highly unlikely to be made. Employers simply have too many candidates to choose from to choose someone who is not a good personality fit. My hunch is that your potential boss sensed your dislike or some potential conflict, unless you are an expert at hiding your feelings.

So don't count on being offered the job even if you have exactly the skills, experience, education and background they are seeking. Chemistry and culture fit are all-important now. You and they will spend hours and hours and hours together each week.

Remember though that every "no" does bring you one step closer to the "yes" you want, and it will be a "right fit" job for you if you are clear about what you want in a job. Good luck!

You CAN Find Your "Right Fit" Job

2009-09-12T23:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am convinced that you can and will find and get the job that's right for you - that is less like work and more like fun, that makes you want to get up in the morning and get to work because you are so motivated by what you do, what impact it has, the people you work with, and the purpose of it all.

I'm convinced of this because I know so many people who now are doing work they love - including me. You are no different from them.

You may be looking for a job right now and think you have to settle for just anything. I disagree completely.

It will take the same energy to find just any job as it will to find your "right fit" job - so why not aim for something that will make you happy?

Here's how to start.

You know what you love to do for work and to make a living. There are things you enjoy so much you either already do them for free or as a hobby, or would do them for free if you could. There are skills you take great pride in using, and accomplishments that gave you the feeling of being on top of the world.

Of course, you also know those jobs or tasks you would like never to do again, as well as those skills you really can't stand using anymore - even if they were hard won. And there are things that bore you now because you've done them too many times.

Take a sheet of paper. Pick up a pen you like to write with. On one side of the paper, write all the things you never want to do again. Flip the paper over. On this side, write all the things you love to do - at work, at home, at play.

Compare the things you like to do at work and at home and at play. See if there are any commonalities. For example, I know a woman who loves to give dinner parties, complete with customized menus and decor. She hates being a lawyer, because it's boring. However, she does like lawyer pay. She now works with nice people, instead of at the corporate firm where it was incredibly competitive and elitist. The firm is small which she likes, and her dinner parties are usually small. What she misses at her current employer is working on projects from beginning to end. Her dinner parties are projects, and she designs them from beginning to end.

From this and other information, she realized she was drawn to the design field, and that she really likes working in a cooperative environment with a relatively small group. She likes to work on projects and is comfortable working on her own with a minimum of supervision.

Now she's taking classes to learn more about design and what specific field she might enter. From informational interviews, she's realized she doesn't want to be a residential interior designer because they make too little money. And she's redoubled her efforts to keep her current job because it provides a pretty comfortable spot from which she can plan her career path. At the same time, she's looking for legal jobs in the design field so she can get closer to the industry and learn more. We're targeting smaller firms of high-end goods, mainly homewares. Her resume features information and accomplishments to market her to this new industry. She also has a model cover letter explaining the transferrability of her skills and her passion for design, as well as rehearsed answers to difficult interview questions.

This is just a simple example of how to use information about your life to figure out what you want to do. It's not the whole story, just a taste of the process I use to help people discover what they love to do and then create the marketing materials necessary to get that "right fit" job.