Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Ideas for employed and unemployed job seekers for the holidays

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busybee739001547_82f23331df_mIn an effort to convince you to ramp up your job search efforts during the holidays (look below for links to part 1,  2, 3 and 4),  I’m sharing ideas and insights from some of my colleagues and friends during this holiday week and next. Today, I’m happy to share some thoughts from Wendy Enelow, author, trainer and career consultant with 28 years of experience in the careers and employment industry.

Here are some of her ideas regarding job hunting during the holiday season (especially for you busy bees!):

1. Use your down time wisely to support your job search and your career. If you’re currently working, then you’re probably looking forward to a bit of downtime during the holidays, at least a few days off of work. If you’re actively in a job search mode, this time can be allocated to updating your resume to showcase your most recent achievements … writing new and more impressive cover letters … upgrading your LinkedIn profile with new information and new success stories … there’s a lot you can do to enhance your portfolio of career marketing documents and strengthen your online identity. Use your time wisely to further prepare yourself for your current or anticipated job search.

2. READ!!! Use the holiday season to research industries and professions on the rise. Whether you’re currently employed or not, it is always wise to be knowledgeable about what’s hot and what’s not. Dedicate some of your time to learning about the job market in general. It’s always wonderful to operate from a position of power and knowledge, so be certain to stay abreast of what’s happening and what the trends forecast.

I am so glad that Wendy made a point of recognizing the opportunity that currently employed job seekers have at this time of the year. Recently, I have worked with several clients with very demanding jobs who are hoping to make changes soon. They were so busy, it was difficult to schedule our coaching sessions. My most timely advice to them – take advantage of this time of the year, when you will be traveling less and when things at work may slow a bit.

If YOU are a job seeker who wants (or needs) a new job, NOW is the time to act. Are your materials ready to go? How does your resume look? Take action for change while you have a little extra time, or you may find yourself in the same spot for much longer than you would like.

Are you relaxing or revving up your job hunt during the holidays? Share in the comments!

Part 1 – My suggestions and a free ebook offer

Part 2 – Walter Akana – take care of yourself

Part 3 – Anita Bruzzese – Stay ahead of the crowd

Part 4 – Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter – Unplug and embrace rest

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by frankeyscreation

Three tips for making a career change in a tough time

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bridge.38284277_9212ed027e_mI hear from so many people who are in the midst of trying to make a career change. Sometimes, the change is very slight – a writer who wants to use her expertise to write about a different subject. Other times, there is a more drastic goal – a mortgage broker who wants to use transferable skills to get into the insurance business.

No matter what the goal, this is a tough time to bridge to a career change. (I’ve written about this HERE.)

If you are a job seeker thinking of a change, some tips to consider:

1. Do your research. Know what skills your targeted job and/or employer value. Do you have those skills? Make sure you clearly communicate what you offer in your application materials. This isn’t your father’s job market – the resume that was “good enough” to do the job five years ago won’t even get you a second look today. It’s a competitive environment. If you expect to compete, you need to optimize your materials. Don’t approach the market before you are ready. You don’t want to waste an opportunity to get through the door.

2. Network! While it is ALWAYS important (for every job seeker), I contend that it is even MORE crucial for the transitioning applicant. You need to use what you can to bridge the gap between what you have done and what you WANT to do next. Meet people in your targeted field. Let them know what you offer. Demonstrate your interest and your expertise. If you are lucky, you’ll make a strong connection with a contact who will be willing to take a chance on you. This is not to suggest this is an easy thing to do. However, when you successfully engage in informational interviews, you open doors you would otherwise not have an opportunity to walk through.

3. Work it. I mean it! You don’t have the experience doing what you want to do? Get some. Today, I spoke to a writer who is planning to research and write some portfolio pieces in her targeted field, even if they will only be published (initially) on her own blog. I have advised clients to volunteer some time in order to get the experience they need. Internships are not just for college kids any more. There is no excuse for not getting the experience you need/want on your resume.

Stay tuned for more ideas…

What has worked for you? What ideas do you have to help job seekers cross the bridge to a new career?

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching? If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by ThomasHawk

Going rogue – advice for the rest of us

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Rogue (per Dictionary.com):

–noun

1. a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.

2. a playfully mischievous person; scamp: The youngest boys are little rogues.

3. a tramp or vagabond.

4. a rogue elephant or other animal of similar disposition.

5. Biology. a usually inferior organism, esp. a plant, varying markedly from the normal.

–verb (used without object)

6. to live or act as a rogue.

–verb (used with object)

7. to cheat.

8. to uproot or destroy (plants, etc., that do not conform to a desired standard).

9. to perform this operation upon: to rogue a field.

–adjective

10. (of an animal) having an abnormally savage or unpredictable disposition, as a rogue elephant.

11. no longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllable or answerable; deviating, renegade: a rogue cop; a rogue union local.

Should you be going rogue? Sarah Palin’s new book obviously brings these questions of “rogue” to light. Let’s face it – this is probably not a word in the general lexicon before she used it in her title. Knowing the technical definitions makes it seem an odd choice.

Eve Tahmincioglu asks about going rogue, which she defines as “dogging your old boss.” Eve quotes the Wall Street Journal, which said:

“…it is for details of the McCain campaign that many readers will pick up “Going Rogue,” and Mrs. Palin will not disappoint them. She describes in particular how campaign aides muzzled her and mismanaged her family.

One of the biggest mistakes of the failed McCain campaign—and there was no shortage of them—was its handling of Mrs. Palin. Her criticisms of the campaign’s treatment of her appear prominently in “Going Rogue.”

Eve asks:

Seems “going rogue” could be added to the HR lexicon as a new phrase to describe dogging your old boss and still succeeding…Are we entering a time when former boss-dogging is acceptable?

Eve points out that there are many venues for workers to trash their bosses, even if they are not high-profile, public figures.

This is certainly true. One avenue to report a bad boss is ebosswatch.com. The site notes, “If you are a job seeker or if you are thinking about making a career change, check with eBossWatch to make sure that you won’t be stuck working for an abusive or bad boss. Search for the boss or company that you are interviewing with or considering working for and see how other employees have rated that boss.” (Disclosure: the founder of eBossWatch is my business partner in GreatPlaceJobs, a site to help job seekers connect with opportunities in award-winning companies.)

Selena Dehne tweeted a link today to a post about what to and not to do when you are looking for work. Prominent among the NOT to dos (by Bob Weinstein):

* Don’t badmouth previous employers or coworkers. It’s very tempting to be honest and tell prospective employers the real reasons for being laid off or fired. But this is not the place for honesty. Prospective employers are not interested. It’s bad form. If you’re leaving because you had a daemonic boss or had difficulty with co-workers, find a plausible positive reason for seeking greener pastures. An evergreen reason is greater advancement and training options – an opportunity to “move up the ladder and take on more responsibilities.” These are solid irrefutable reasons for changing jobs.

While there may be something to say for venting about a bad boss, doing it online from your personal blog, Facebook, Twitter or other social networking account is just a bad idea.

Face it – would you want to hire someone who trashed her former employer? As the next and future employer, you might be concerned about your own reputation should bad blood come between you and the new hire. No matter how much you hated your old boss or loathe your current supervisor, it is a BAD idea to let anyone interviewing you know about it. Instead, try to put the situation in the best possible light if pressed and avoid discussing it if possible. Negativity can only hurt you, so why go there?

Unless, maybe, you are Sarah Palin. This is another case of “career advice must be personalized.” It is certainly possible that telling her story may be just the thing for her career.

What do you think?

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I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

Paint your house – or plan your job hunt!

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paintedhouses229537032_51f40ea803_mThis week, I’m having my house painted. Inside and out – fresh paint, new colors. It has been a while. My friends know that this has been a long time in coming. I’ve been talking about painting for months!

The first obstacle – picking colors! For the interior decorators among you, this may be hard to believe, but choosing colors for several key rooms in the house seemed like an overwhelming problem. What if it looked bad? What needed to match? Or not match? I had no interest in making a mistake in my home.

What did I finally do? I hired an expert. Laura came in with her paint swatches, asked me what I liked and proceeded to explain what she would recommend. She has seen the colors she recommended to me in many, many homes. On the walls! I trusted her ideas and knew I could move forward confidently.

But, that wasn’t all. I still had a few choices to make. I needed to buy some samples and see how I liked them on the walls. But, being “too busy” (I really am busy – how do you think this blog gets written?!), I procrastinated. For a long time. It wasn’t until the painter I had said I would hire called back to check in that I finally went to work on making final color selections. It was easier to TALK about making a change than it was to actually make a change. Surprise!

Does this sound like you? Not about painting, but about your job hunt? Is it overwhelming to even think about starting? I hired someone to help me (trying to take my own advice to hire an expert). Should you do the same thing? Think about it – you can sit around and procrastinate or you can take some action!

Even when I had my professional advice, I still needed to actually take action and move forward. The same is true for you. No matter what, you will need to take steps to move forward. The fact is, nothing was going to get painted in my house unless I made a conscious choice – and took a bit of a chance.  Nothing happens without action.

What action are you taking to move your job hunt forward?

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by jaygooby

How to find out what job you should do next

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leapAre you doing what you SHOULD be doing? Does you job fill you with excitement and passion? (Not THAT kind!) Do you REALLY enjoy your work, or is it just a means to an end?

When job seekers contact me and don’t know what they want to do next, I tell them I can’t help them. Actually, that’s not exactly what I tell them. I do explain that I only work with people who know their next target job. I don’t write “general resumes,” nor do I do what I call “find your bliss” coaching. If clients need help figuring out their next steps, I can offer some suggestions about how to go about finding jobs you might not even know existed (maybe a topic for a future post), but otherwise, I will refer those clients to work with a trusted colleague and advise them to come back to me when they are ready to focus on a job search.

So, I don’t usually write about the topic of “figuring out your next step.” A few recent occurences have made me think about this, though…

A friend of mine, who has been running her own business for the better part of the last several years, recently took an opportunity to do some work that was very similar to what she used to do before her current gig. The money was too good, so she couldn’t pass it up. Unfortunately, she admitted to me how BORED she is with the work. Remembering her talk about her previous job, it never occurred to me that she had disliked it, so I pressed her to explain.

It turns out that she had really LOVED this job in the old days. It felt challenging, different every day – even thrilling at times. Now, that same work is so boring, she can hardly get anything done without something running in the background.

What changed? She realized where her TRUE passions lie in the interim. It’s a different type of work, a different type of interaction with people  that excites her now. If the money were not so good, she would not even consider going back. Maybe, some would say, she should STILL not go back, even for the money, but I’m about practicality, so I’m not one of those voices!

Coincidentally, I recently had the opportunity to meet Rick Smith, author of 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers and The Leap. Rick’s focus is on showing people that “3 simple changes can propel your career from good to great.” He launched what he calls his “primary colors” assessment, which he says helps people identify where their passions should take them. In fact, he believes that working to find your passions (or your “primary color“) and then working to move in the direction of that passion is the first step to success (p. 192).

Rick’s personal story (basically, he was laid off from his recruiting job and wound up founding an elite senior executive networking organization) and those of the people profiled in his book can certainly inspire anyone to take that “leap” into doing something different. What I really like about Rick’s idea is that the “leap” does not necessarily need to be into entrepreneurship. It is perfectly reasonable to assume that people who recognize what they love doing will be able to direct their job search in the right direction.

I enjoyed The Leap…If you are struggling with your next step, I think you will, too. (Be sure to watch Rick’s video. It is pretty inspiring!) Learn more about Rick and his book HERE.

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.