Still looking for that job? Are you making these time wasting job-seeker mistakes? [Read more…] about What mistakes do job seekers make? Part 2
What mistakes do job seekers make? Part 1
You want to stop wasting your time looking for a job and start landing a job? Time is ticking. Are you making these common job seeker mistakes? [Read more…] about What mistakes do job seekers make? Part 1
Why to keep up your job hunt (and your spirits) during the holiday season
In an effort to convince you to ramp up your job search efforts during the holidays (click HERE for part 1 and a free ebook offer), I’m sharing ideas and insights from some of my colleagues and friends during this holiday week and next. Today, I am happy to share some insights from my friend Walter Akana, of Threshold Consulting.
Walter suggests (bold are his ideas, commentary is mine):
1. Put aside the idea about people not hiring during the Holidays. Whether it’s true or not, it can become an excuse to do nothing. I like this take on the subject. In fact, whether there are jobs to be found or not depends on many factors. Taking the position that it does not matter, and that it is important to move forward with your job hunt regardless, is a very good approach in my book.
2. Stop making your interactions with people about job leads. Instead, focus more on getting to know other people so you can build stronger, long-term relationships. Excellent advice! The majority of people I see who have not been successful at networking are approach their contacts as a job seeker first. The fact is, relationships are key to creating opportunities. So, don’t bring your resume to holiday parties. It is okay, however, to bring your business cards! (More about that later!)
Walter’s additional suggestions, which he first offered (and expanded on) in his post Own Your Life. (Be sure to read the original post!)
Use this time to refocus on happiness practices to keep your spirits up and create a positive foundation for the New Year:
– Count your blessings.
– Practice acts of kindness.ÂÂ
– Savor life’s joys.ÂÂ
– Thank a mentor/benefactor.
– Learn to forgive.
– Invest time and energy in family and friends.
– Take care of your body.
– Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardship
Learn more about Walter, an expert on career planning and personal branding.
What are your experiences with job seeking during the holidays? Share in the comments!
photo by tonivic
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.
Using your "motivated skills" on your resume
Your resume is highly optimized. It is skills focused and accomplishment driven. Take another look. How many of those skills are the ones you actually enjoy doing? Are you emphasizing what you might be GOOD at doing, but don’t care to do at work?
Richard L. Knowdell spoke at the Career Management Alliance conference, and I was intrigued by his suggestion that coaches advise clients to OMIT skills from their resumes if they are skills the job seekers do not enjoy.
In a tight job market, this advice seems extreme, or even foolish, on first glance. Shouldn’t we all be marketing everything we have to offer? It’s a recession, after all! So, I posed the question on Twitter: Should job seekers leave off (or de-emphasize) skills on their resume that they do well but don’t enjoy?
Veronica replied, “As job seeker, I don’t think should leave off any skills that could help get a job. Each circumstance individual.” @vmodarelli
Sam Blum, Co-Founder and CEO at Razume said, “Resumes are marketing documents, not statements of personal interest. I say list any skill that can give you an advantage.” @samblum
Reasonable replies, certainly.
However, my goal (and that of my colleagues in the career coaching world) isn’t only to help people find and land jobs, but to secure positions doing what they enjoy. My friends who are experts in personal branding have a different take!
Deb Dib, a CEO coach and personal brand expert explained: “I leave them off/give subsidiary placement. Don’t want burnout skills attracting interest; fit won’t be right.” @ceocoach
Walter Akana, a life strategist and personal branding expert said, “Yes, deemphasize skills that you don’t enjoy. Emphasize ones you do – provided, of course, what you offer creates value!” @walterakana
This makes a lot of sense to me. Why attract opportunities that may be a bad fit?
Two social media/marketing professionals had some practical advice:
Avi Kaplan suggested: “Leave everything on applicable to each job & don’t apply for roles needing skills you don’t want to use,” which Neal Wiser echoed, “If a job seeker doesn’t like doing something, they shouldn’t apply for that job.”
Think about it…Are you over-emphasizing skills you are not motivated to use on your resume? How much time do you spend thinking about applying for and targeting positions that you would enjoy doing? Are you applying for just “any old job?”
I hope this is food for thought…I’m open to your “take” on the subject, but I hope you’ll seriously consider focusing your job search in areas that appeal to your motivated skills. I’m happy to help. Follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how we can work together to optimize your resume to help you land the job you love!
photo by BPM
Book Review: Smart Networking by Liz Lynch
Networking is the most important, and sometimes most difficult, aspect of the job hunt. Lucky for all of us, Liz Lynch has made it a little easier by offering a guide for job seekers, entrepreneurs and careerists with her terrific book, Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online.
Appropriately, I first “met” Liz by networking! I noticed that one of my contacts, Walter Akana, followed her on Twitter, and I followed her, too. I was delighted when she contacted me to participate in a round of interviews about her book. It was fun to win a round of the contests she sponsored and to receive a copy of her book as part of my prize.
If you don’t like networking, this book is for you! I thought Liz’s analogy that networking is like exercise was perfect: “Some people love it, but for many, it’s something they know they must do for good long-term health.” If you are a reluctant networker or consider it unsavory, you’ll want to read a book by someone who admits that she rarely speaks to people on airplanes! Liz allows for everyone’s individual networking style and needs; she addresses all of them in her book.
Liz notes the importance of thinking of networking as relationship building, not as transactions between people. She reminds readers that there are many great ways to network, and that one of the best ways to build your “networking gravity” – “the force that draws people automatically into your world with whom you have the greatest potential to build mutually beneficial relationships” is by introducing people to each other!
I’m a big proponent of being a connector, someone who enjoys linking people together for their advantage. I love how Liz explains the importance of having a “long tail” online. Extending your reach via social networking broadens your circle of influence and allows you to consciously and generously add value to others by introducing them to contacts in your circle. By doing so, you open the door to untold numbers of opportunities.
Not only does Liz offer great tips (such as: write notes on the back of YOUR business card when you hand it to someone), she also offers suggestions of networking plans customized to your own needs and preferences. She also reminds us that there is no “magic bullet.”
The bottom line – networking IS here to stay. The marketplace will continue to be competitive, and if you bury your head in the sand and try to avoid networking, you will lose out on a lot of opportunities. Liz closes her book with a quote by Jack Canfield, “When you lift others up, they will lift you up.” This is so true. Being known as someone who helps and supports others, be it in the workplace or elsewhere, is a high honor and doorway to success.
Give generously, don’t keep score and follow Liz’s tips and you may be surprised at the results!
Need a little extra help getting started? I can help you put your networking plans into action for a successful job hunt. Contact me to learn more!