Job Search Guy Blog

Finding Niche Job Boards

Normally I don't advertise other people's blog pieces here, but this is a good info post from Chris Russell over at Secrets of the Job Network.  Chris runs my radio programs over at his JobRadio.fm site, so it's only fair that I share this one from Chris.

Whether you're new to job search or you've been at it awhile, you already know about the major job boards Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, etc.  However, there are literally hundreds of smaller job boards you may not be familiar with.  Many are niche players that focus on a specific industry or profession. They charge employers considerably less to post jobs and specialty recruiters will frequent these sites more often than the majors.

If yours is a recognized profession, you have a specialty job title, you have a professional association, a professional certification or yours is a well known job title, chances are there are several niche job boards devoted exclusively to your job title.

How to find them?  

Here is where Chris' article comes in. Chris provide links to 9 different directories you can use to locate several niche sites that might apply to you.  He also give some great advice on how to spot the better sites out there.

Thanks, Chris!

Have You Considered Working a Temp Job?

If you've thought before about working a temp job, here's some further ammo for considering it.

Today the US unemployment rate rose to 9.8%, the highest this country has experienced since June 1983.  That's 15.1 million Americans now out of work.

According to the US Labor Department, another 263,000 jobs were lost last month, higher than expected.  Additionally, if those who were already laid off and have had to settle for part time work or those who've given up altogether were included, the actual unemployment rate would be a whopping 17%.

According to the recent article by AP Economics writer, Christopher Rugaber, the number of people out of work for six months or longer jumped to a record 5.4 million, and they now make up almost 36 percent of the unemployed — also a record.

Here's the one bright spot: temporary help agencies eliminated only 1,700 jobs, down from the previous month. Economists see temporary jobs as a leading indicator, because employers are likely to hire temp workers before permanent ones.

If you've been out of work for several months and it's been awhile since your last interview, consider a temp job.  Tig Gilliam, CEO of Adecco North America, a temporary job agency, said that industry likely will add jobs next month.  Obviously, one route is through the temp agencies like Adecco. 

Another more creative way to find a temp job is to direct market yourself to potential hiring managers.  Sell yourself through a contract, which is a short-term project with an end result that you can define. This will take some work to research names and create a direct marketing program for yourself yet the need among companies is there.  In a recent interview with career consultant, Randy Block, he noted that many employers are now considering the next six to nine months a crucial period.  Those who can demonstrate ways to help them make it through these tough times (think short contract) will be in more demand for permanent jobs after this period of crisis has passed.

 

"Think Positive Thoughts"

Sounds trite, doesn't it?

 

For all the advice given by job search "experts" (myself included), one might wonder what are actually true or just subjective thoughts.  A new article by Liz Wolgemuth at US News suggests there is something to such things as actually developing and following a plan for your job search.  A recent study at the University of Missouri after having followed 327 job seekers aged 20 to 40 found two things:

 

1. Make a Plan: Having and following a plan in your job search pays dividends, possibly because these were the job hunters who tended to be more conscientious.  This directly affected the number of job offers they received. As Liz noted, having qualities such as "self-discipline and dependability seemed to affect a job seekers tendencies to set goals and develop a plan."

 

2.  Stay Positive: They also found that having positive emotions seemed to help those job hunters behave more confidently or cope better with the stress of unemployment.  The researchers also noted that this helped those job hunters respond more skillfully during their interviews. An important point.

 

While they admit that job hunters may not be able to change their personalities, they CAN change their behaviors and how they display their emotions.

 

Although this is not ground shaking news here, it is good to get confirmation on the attitude as well as the planning concepts.  In my "Over 50" teleseminars, one of the ten points I stress is to avoid negativity and check your attitude.  While it might be easy to talk about, it's admittedly much harder to do in this age of divisiveness and cynicism.  It's good to know that research actually validates positive results from those who actually are able to do so.

 

 

A Tale of 2 Cities (sort of)

More people might be looking for jobs in Portland, but you wouldn't know it at first sight.

I just returned from a week in Portland, Oregon. As many of you know, I live in the Phoenix area and I can tell you the cities are quite different on a number of levels.

The unemployment figure here in AZ is 9.7%, not great, but in Oregon that has jumped to over 12%. Although I once lived in Portland (for 19 years) and noticed that Oregon seemed to be one of the last areas to pull out of any past recession, I noticed a few surprises after a week there.

For one thing, even at 12% UE, I didn't see all the closed shops, stores and businesses in my travels all throughout Portland metro. There were those few in the main city core, but they appeared to be businesses that had been closed and buildings for lease for probably a year or more. Of all the neighborhood areas, I had to look hard to see closed businesses or empty shops and buildings for lease. I certainly expected many more as here in the greater PHX area, including Tempe, Mesa and even toney Scottsdale, you can't drive more than 2 miles without seeing several empty buildings with businesses that have gone under. In south Scottsdale there are entire city blocks with entire businesses that have vanished, leaving empty shells behind. Didn't see this in Portland in all the neighborhoods and suburbs I drove through.

Another difference is mass transit. In this age of local government cost cutting, we've seen PHX who just inaugurated their new light rail system this past summer, now faced with potential cutbacks because of higher AC expenses and other unforeseen costs. Not a good sign, but understandable in this economy. Portland, on the other hand, just successfully inaugurated a NEW 8 mile line (the Green Line) a few days before we arrived. Their light rail and bus transit system is getting heavy usage and is quite popular as we spent one afternoon riding from one end of the light rail to the other end. Not bad for a state that has double digit unemployment. How they do this in this economy, I don't know, but more power to them!

Lots of other differences that are not germane to this article, but (and I don't pretend to be an economist or urban planner) but it appears that this economy seems to be affecting cities differently, perhaps due to their infrastructure as well as the other more obvious reasons.

The things you discover when you travel in this country.

Welcome to Big Time TV!

I confess that my secret desire is to become the “Ali Velshi of Job Search”.  I want to be on CNN.  I want to have my own TV show.  Call me delusional, but we all have our dreams, and that's one of mine.

 

Well, big dreams start with small steps.  You want to be on TV?  You've got to start someplace.  My someplace was with ABC TV 15 here in Phoenix.

 

It all started about a month ago when I went to a local networking meeting at the invitation of the hostess, Christine Springer.  She's a LinkedIn Open Networker (known as a "LION" among the LinkedIn crowd) and the group is a local LION gathering. It turns out that the speaker for the day was a news reporter from the Phoenix ABC affiliate. The reporter explained how to get yourself interviewed on TV (and presumably have thousands of people see you). 

 

The talk was impressive and my wife, Sue, and I took notes. Afterwards we said, “Gee, TV exposure would be great! Free publicity and all that!”  I decided to put some effort into writing a strong press release with the goal of getting interviewed on TV.

 

The weeks passed, however, because life's about other priorities.  Finally, last Thursday Sue and I pulled out our notes, sat down and finally wrote a press release about effective job search and how to overcome the challenges of the recession. We included some powerful tips that people can use right now. We e-mailed the press release with a note to Christina. We had no expectations about what would happen next.

 

I received an e-mail back late Friday afternoon indicating possible interest from the producer. The e-mail added that the reporter would know for sure by Monday.  I received a call on Monday afternoon. The TV station wanted to do the interview…in about an hour! Yikes! 

 

OK, but where? 

 

“Well, let's see”, she said, “I'm coming up from central Phoenix and you're 30 miles away on the north side.  I have an appointment at 6 so I can't come to you. How about we meet half way?”

 

“OK”, I said. We agreed to meet at Bell Road and the freeway. Welcome to big time TV!

 

So after quickly dressing for the interview (no, I don't normally wear dress clothes and tie), Sue and I headed south on the freeway on a blisteringly hot 111-degree Phoenix afternoon.  The actual location of interview was to be determined later by cell phone with the reporter.  I arrived at the general area and spotted a small bank by a major shopping center just off the freeway.  We coordinated the spot and the reporter pulled up right behind us. 

 

She selected a spot in the shade right next to the bank building. Being very professional and efficient, she quickly set up while I stood there by a parking lot near a freeway in the middle of west Phoenix with a temp that could singe flesh.

 

I was miked and positioned for the camera right outside the bank with traffic zooming by just 20 yards away.  Showtime!  I was recorded and the interview was saved for posterity. 

 

My TV Interview on job search made the 10 o'clock news on ABC the next night.  My first of many steps toward becoming the “Ali Velshi of Job Search”.

 

Here's the link.

 

And that’s a wrap, as they say.

CareerBuilder Going Green?

With all the buzz around "green this" and "green that" these days, it was only a matter of time before someone dedicated a job board to a green JOBS category.

CareerBuilder has just launched a new site dedicated to green, or environmentally friendly jobs. Now job seekers can search for jobs within companies that apply sustainable energy practices. Even the salary calculator from ERI is slanted towards the green jobs with their custom drop down box.

The site doesn't appear completely fleshed out yet, but it appears that one can look up specific jobs, employers and check out resources, primarily articles and recent news items pertaining to green jobs and green industry in general.

This could be a real growth area as, according to Cheezhead, more than $98Billion has been earmarked by the Obama administration to fund energy and environmental projects. Many of these projects will spur the creation of future green jobs.

Do you qualify for a green job?

If you've ever thought about green jobs, you might want to listen in to my recent green jobs podcast interview with Jim Cassio.  Jim is a man who should know about green jobs. He has extensive experience in the green industry and has lots of answers. He is also author of the recently published Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future.

It remains to be seen whether this idea has wings, but $98Billion could fund an awful lot of jobs.

Are You an Expert or a Job Seeker?

I speak with candidates every week in my resume writing workshops. Too often I encounter a defensive, apologetic attitude among my listeners. Many spend too much time worrying about finding a job and not enough about their true place in this newly evolving economy.

To become relevant in today's job market, adopt this single most important behavior modification:

Stop acting like a job SEEKER and start acting like an EXPERT in your niche or field.

Stop waiting with your hat-in-hand selling your skills to anyone who'll buy. Embrace a new approach and sell the one thing the employer really needs today- your EXPERTISE.

Whatever your role is, you have a bottom line impact on the hiring manager. Your job is to communicate your true value clearly and specifically to your next employer. Your major task is to change your thinking and your behavior from that of a job seeker to that of an expert.

Take some time to develop specific ways to show your expertise in your job or profession. Demonstrate how you help solve a problem or produce a specific positive result for your employer or client.

Sit down with a legal pad and list all of your achievements from current or past jobs. If you're stumped, list your job roles and duties. Then ask the question, "So What?" after each one. What you're after is the ACHIEVEMENT. When I say "achievement", I don't mean the role you played or the duties you fulfilled. What we need here is the end result, the benefit to the client or employer as a result of something that you did or contributed.

How did your employer or your client benefit? How was their life made better?

For example, let's say you're a front office manager. One of your achievements was that you decreased file retrieval time by at least 70% by auditing admissions. This resulted in a much more efficiently streamlined filing system.

Here, your expertise is producing time-savings for the front office staff. Now identify other examples of similar accomplishments in your previous work. By describing several examples, you are building a case that proves you are an expert in saving time for the front office.

Here's another example. Let's say you're an operations manager for a medical clinic. One of your past achievements was to reduce your employer's payroll cost by $1,125 per week by the reduction of supervising doctor hours from 5 nights a week to only 2 nights.

Here, your expertise might be reduction of payroll and expenses. Now identify other similar cost reduction examples that prove your expertise in this area.

Promote Your Expertise

When you analyze your achievements, you'll find a pattern emerging around some key areas where you have contributed in your job. This will most likely be your area of expertise. You now have something employers will want. Knowing your areas of expertise, develop a new summary statement on your resume - your USP or Unique Selling Proposition. Your USP incorporates your expertise in plain, return-on-investment language.

For example, the operations manager above might have a USP summary on his resume that reads something like this:

"Innovative Medical Operations Manager whose strengths in cost-cutting and department realignment have saved my employer $300K in 12 months."

Once you've identified your primary expertise, you can position yourself as an expert in that niche on your resume by incorporating this statement. It becomes your verbal "elevator pitch" to use at any in-person meeting as well as during your phone screen and interview.

When you back this up with several examples, you stop looking like a job seeker who's merely peddling skills and begin to look like the professional you are - an expert at solving problems in your niche.

Hundreds of Job Postings emailed to You Daily

You might want to check this out. It's a new site designed to reduce the overall time you spend searching for a job.

Here's the story: Nathalie Watson needed to find a job fast, so she asked her husband, Kevin, for assistance. Kevin happens to be a programmer for a Fortune 500 so he wrote a (rather involved) program that looks through thousands of RSS feeds from governmant, recruiting and corporate sites to find job listings.

The end result is a new site, Nat'sJobs.com that is available to all job seekers. You'll receive a customized report which can contain links to more than 100 new job postings per day that match your criteria. The service is free for the first two weeks and can be continued by subscription for only 2 cents per day.

Oh, and Nathalie was able to find a new job within 2 weeks.

Check it out and let me know how or whether this works for YOU.

-Joe

If You're an "Older Job Seeker" Will You Ever Get a Job Again?

I've got some good news and bad news here if you're over 45 and looking for a job these days.

You already know what it's like out there. We regularly talk about ways to combat this age-bias during our weekly "Over 50" job seeker teleseminars. Sometimes the bad news just keeps coming, though.

A new piece of research I saw from Cheezhead (Originally from Beyond.com) notes that more industries are "going young". Especially because of this economy, several industries are taking a decided turn towards hiring younger, less experienced workers. This often means candidates who only have from one to three years experience.

While the article noted that the retail and customer service sectors have always "hired young", now this trend is being adopted more in the Healthcare /Medical, IT and Sales/Sales Management sectors. While the research noted that in a better economy, these sectors typically sought out more experienced workers, in a tight economy, there is a noted preference for the young as there is less of a perceived "risk" (if it doesn't work out).

With that said, here is some better news, a contrary view from an article on CareerBuilder, Use Age to Your Advantage, citing research fron Jean Erickson Walker, Ed.D. who cites specific advantages of age over youth in several key occupations. This was from March.

So, while the debate continues, you still need to get a job again. That's why I still fell it best to get as close to talking about the money as possible. Get down to the actual Return-on-Investment you've provided your employers and back that up with several real achievements that are measureable. You can hear more about this in my Resume Writing Teleseminars.

Joe

Four Survival Tips for Older Job Seekers

Are you an "older worker"?

Don't feel bad, I am too. Hanging on in today's major recession has proven to be a monumental task. Many job seekers have lost that battle already.

It's a tough world today, much changed from a few short months ago. 2009 has brought with it the harsh reality of a changed landscape. According to a recent article by Michael Winerip in The New York Times, the unemployment rate for adults age 55+ was 5.2 percent in January 2009. That's the highest it's been since July 1992. That translates to 1.7 million adults 55 and older who are unemployed, almost double the number from little more than a year ago.

And get this - a recent survey by Nielsen Online states that the 65+ age group is the fastest growing group in the "career development" (i.e., job seeking) category. A few short years ago, this group was looking forward to kicking back to easy retirement years with maybe a part time job for fun or fulfillment. Not now. Today they're looking for jobs because they NEED a JOB.

I talk with older job seekers almost every day. Like their younger counterparts, they've been caught flat-footed by this economic recession. Whereas before, many were able to advance their careers through word of mouth, they now feel caught totally off guard in a job search world that seems foreign. While it's true that some employers believe that hiring older workers helps add more diversity and a new perspective to the company, don't count on employers beating a path to your door any time soon.

If you're new to this job search world, take the following actions right now to increase your chances of getting hired:

1. Widen Your Online Footprint

Job search has evolved tremendously over the past two years with the explosion of an Internet phenomenon called social networking. With the advent of social networking sites, anyone can upload and update their profile to the Internet. There are a number of these sites on the web today including LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace and, of course, Twitter. The two that you absolutely MUST join first are LinkedIn and Facebook. These are great resources for building your online profile. You can also utilize their tools, like Facebook's Groups, to reach out and widen your network with others.

If you haven't done so already, visit both LinkedIn and Facebook to establish a profile page that describes who you are to inform others about you. Keep it professional, but spin it your way. Whet the appetites of visitors to your page. Describe yourself with a brief sentence, a Unique Selling Proposition. Explain what distinguishes you from others in your field. Include your previous employers as well as the briefest descriptors about you.

Once done, you'll have an online presence. This is important because almost all recruiters and most hiring managers today regularly visit both LinkedIn and Facebook to recruit new candidates and investigate referrals. If your profile is found on these sites, you'll improve your chances of winning a job in today's job market.

2. Stop Whining

With some employers there WILL be an age bias. That's reality and there's no getting around it. Too often though, older workers feel they have to apologize for their years of experience. Remind yourself that you’re experienced, not old. You’re seasoned, not over-the-hill. You’re here-and-now, not history. It’s all about spin and reframing, so drop the apologies.

You may be an older worker, but you’re not stupid, and you’re not dead. Use your savvy to sell against youth and inexperience. There are advantages to being older, such as having wisdom and common sense, and a long work record of accomplishments that can translate into benefits to the employer. Sell your track record. During the interview, take advantage of your successful work history to address the needs of the employer.

3. Talk MONEY, Not Years

We mentioned "track record" above. Realize that hiring managers today are looking for results, not years. Talk the language that an employer understands and appreciates, which is Return-on-Investment. Instead of citing 20-years of experience, identify your benefits to the employer. Put them into monetary terms as much as possible. Back up your accomplishments with facts that are benefit-based. Sell them from the perspective of the end result of your work, and how it positively impacted your present and previous employers.

Money talks, and it talks loudly. Here’s some good news: Money can trump age. As an employee, you either make money or save money for your employer. If the hiring manager doesn’t see your value in one of these two categories, then you don’t want to work for the company. In this recession, if the company isn’t concerned about its bottom line, then it may not be around for long, and isn’t a viable option for you anyway. Get as close to money as you possibly can through the language of your accomplishments, and list them on your resume.

4 . Modify Your Resume

Take another look at your resume. Ask, "Would I hire myself for this position?" You can’t do anything about your age, and you can’t change the cultural and employment biases against older workers. But you can stack the job hunting deck in your favor by reworking your resume to emphasize your strengths. Spin your story in your favor. Make sure everything relates in some way to your desired job objective. Drop old work history from your resume. You generally shouldn't need to show more than ten years' work history. Any prior work is most likely irrelevant now, bores the reader, and emphasizes your age. Remove obvious roadmarkers like dates. Remove college degree dates and professional training dates that may go back more than a few years.

Of course you've been around a while, but you don't have to shine a flashing light on this fact. Don't let your age make you feel one-down in the hiring process. Focus on the employer's needs by providing solid Return-On-Investment answers to their questions. Emphasize your strengths. Don't magnify your vulnerabilities. Do this to find a great job regardless of the economy.

Joe

Out of Work? How Long Before it Negatively Affects Your Career?

I talk with people every day about their resume and their job hunting strategies. Many are concerned, rightfully so, about their prospects dimming because they've been out of work for 3 month, 6 months, some even up to 11 months.

As this economy continues to tank, I fear that figure will only grow longer. I have felt though, that in light of the sheer numbers of people affected, that hiring managers will be less inclined to automatically trash the resume of otherwise stellar performers solely because they've been unemployed for several months.

Finally, I have some recent research that backs this up.

In a survey released today from Robert Half Management Resources, 150 senior executives from the nation's largest 1,000 companys were asked, "How long, in months, can a top manager remain unemployed before it hurts his or her career?"

The mean response was nine months.

Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources stated, "Most hiring managers recognize the economy has sidelined many outstanding people", adding that they're now acting accordingly in fact by using the economic downturn as an opportunity to add experienced players who would have been unavailable a year ago.

The survey directed its responses toward top managers, but I feel this attitude will be reflected in the lower job titles as well.

The bottom line, though, is to stay relevant and stay marketable by doing such activities as volunteer work, project work or taking classes, etc. You may be unemployed but you don't have to wither away during unemployment.

Joe

Job Fridays

Here's a blog that's now dedicating Fridays as Job Search Day.

 

If you're fairly new at the job search game, you already know about Monster, CareerBuilder and Craig's list as a place to find job postings.

 

A few days ago, I shared how you can now use Twitter to find jobs. 

 

There's actually a boatload of other sites to check out. (Go to my site and get the top 20 job site links.)

 

Actually, there are a lot more and here is a good source to find some of those lesser known sites where you can find job listings.  Check out 10 Links a Day .  This is a site dedicated to posting 10 "fun categorized links a day" on various subjects. 

 

Today they've started # Job Friday.  Each Friday they will post 10 additional job search related sites so you can expand your job search.  Starts today.

 

On Fridays, Check them out.        

 

Joe

Use Twitter to Find Job Postings

If you've never used Twitter before, here is a reason to start today!

That ultimate geek fest called "South by Southwest Interactive", better known as SXSWi, is happening as I write this. This is where the most technologically advanced among us usually trek to Austin to find and share new ways to "meet up, socialize and consume media".

Yesterday at this conference, Workhound announced its launch of their Twitter job search engine that will list all the jobs that have been "posted" in one way or another to the platform.

This is big news and here's why: although there have been over 1.3 billion tweets posted to Twitter, there was no really effective way to draw together, with any coherence, information like job postings from recruiters, executives or whoever. Workhound, UK's largest search engine, has solved this problem by developing specific contextual search engine algorithms to tap into these random bits. As a result, you can now get massive job posting information on Twitter.

I tried it out by going to twitterjobsearch.com and typed in "Sales Manager San Franscisco". This drew 7747 responses.

I next tried "Executive Assistant San Francisco" and received 2654 responses.

"Project Manager Chicago" received 3480 responses.

"Project Manager Portland" 3481 responses.

You can further focus your searches by date, title, skills and job type for any search you perform.

This is a HUGE advance over previous Twitter search capabilities that you would have had on search.twitter.com. For example, my search there for "project manager job New York" yielded only 3 responses. My search for "project manager job Chicago" yielded absolutely NONE.

Here are a few things I noticed:

The most relevant jobs appear near the top of the search results (similar to a Google search). The postings further down appear to be out of the geographic region selected.

The page continually updates by adding more listings to the page as you move the scroll slider bar to the bottom of the page.

As if this weren't enough, here are some really great things about this:

You get job listings that aren't necessarily seen on the conventional job boards. These are from recruiters as well as companies. I also noticed many from CareerBuilder's ChicagoTechJobs and NewYorkTechJobs on my particular searches. I guarantee that this will be even more relevant as companies cut back on their recruiting advertising budgets and place more emphasis on social media like Twitter and Facebook. This capability will only hasten that outcome. I pity Monster and CareerBuilder's account reps.

You can scroll through the listing and find individual sources (like ChicagoTechJobs, JobShouts, Career Advisor, etc) and select them to follow. That's one way to find their newest postings.

The other, easier way is to subscribe directly to the feed of the particular search that you set up (like Project Manager Boston or whatever). That way you'll get continual updates of any and all new postings as they occur.

This is a beta version so there will be some bugs to be worked out, but it also means that there will be a succession of improvements and enhancements to come.

If you've never used Twitter before, here is a major reason why you need to jump in and tap into this huge social netwoking ocean today. The nice thing here is that it's free and you don't have to be signed up on Twitter, although, after this you'll probably want to sign up and set up your profile.

Keep me posted on what you're finding on YOUR Twitter job searches.

Joe

Spend Less Time on Monster, More on FaceBook

Founders Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler of CareerXRoads just released their 8th annual Source of Hire Study, subtitled "What Happened in 2008 and What It Means for 2009".

You can certainly read the whole 29 page survey of 45 large (5000+ employee) firms who employed 1,863 recruiters and filled 309,600 openings in 2008. I just want to point out a couple of important trends this study uncovered that you should be aware of:

Internal transfers and promotions make up 38.8% of all full time positions filled.

Referrals make up 27.3 of all external hires.

Job Boards make up 12.3% of all external hires.

This only confirms what we've known: the job boards have not grown much as a source of new hires, holding steady for years at around only 12% of total hires.

Here's what should be disconcerting if you're hanging out too long at the Monsters and CareerBuilders, and other job boards though:

The most visible trend they found is the "pressure to reduce hires and associated costs attributed to third-party recruiters, newspapers and traditional job boards. A steady growth of sourcing tactics especially social networks and search engine marketing is also evident."

This is all the more reason to develop less of a reliance on the Monsters, Hotjobs, CareerBuilders, Ladders, et al, job postings for your job search food.

Widen your diet (to extend the metaphor). Put more emphasis on social networking sites. Especially start with your LinkedIn and Facebook time. Give it some time and you should start to see some new results in your job search.

By the way, check out my latest radio show where I share some great tips from Jason Alba of JibberJobber and Guy Kawasaki on how you can make more effective use of both LinkedIn and Facebook.

Joe

I Need a Job Bad! Four Spiritual Steps to Win a Job in a Recession

These are scary times. We’re in a recession, and the job market is shrinking while the ranks of the unemployed are growing. Everywhere we turn we read and hear bad news. We are confronted with announcements of more layoffs, more companies going bankrupt, and more houses going into foreclosure. Everybody is worried about not having enough money. It’s enough to scare anyone.

It can easily take us off balance. And when we’re fearful, it’s hard to think straight, and hard to function well. It’s hard to focus on finding a job. In fact, it’s pretty easy to become immobilized by our fear and anxiety.

So, how do we ground ourselves? How do we return to a state of faith instead of fear, and to a consciousness of abundance rather than lack?

One major way is through the art of gratitude, that is, focusing on, and being grateful for, the positives in our lives. When we’re in a state of gratitude, everything is easier, including finding a job. This is because finding employment is a job itself, and it’s basically an inside job.

Gratitude is about seeing the good in our lives and feeling appreciation despite outer circumstances or conditions. Our happiness isn’t about how much stuff we’ve accumulated. Rather, it’s about feeling grateful for who, what and where we are right now. It’s about gratitude for how far we’ve come, what we do and for the challenges we’ve worked through.

Gratitude and the Law of Attraction

Gratitude is critical to the success of our job search. According to Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, we attract what we think about and concentrate on, through the universal Law of Attraction. When we focus on our cup being half full, we attract more abundance and prosperity. This includes job opportunities.

Conversely, when we believe that job hunting is hard, and focus on the jobs we didn’t get offered, we attract more rejection and disappointment. It’s been said that, "Attitude is everything." That’s especially true in job search. Although we may not control anything outside of ourselves, we are in control of what we think, feel and do.

Try these four simple gratitude steps to improve your job search.

1) Start a Gratitude Journal

Love her or hate her, Oprah Winfrey has achieved a phenomenal level of success, having become a major corporation into herself. For all of her achievements, she has credited her success in part to keeping a gratitude journal, logging in at least five items each night for which she’s grateful. This shifts your energy. "What we think about and thank about, we bring about", according to Dr. John Demartini, The Secret.

Why not adopt an "attitude of gratitude" and start writing down five items each day for which you are grateful. This gets easier after a few days and soon it starts to shift your mindset from lack to prosperity.

2) Focus on Prosperity

Jack Canfield, co-author of the book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, suggests focusing on prosperity and abundance. Focus on inner joy, peace, vision, and the outer things appear naturally. "Your voice and vision on the inside", he adds, "must be louder than the noise outside." This is especially true with today's constant noise level of negativity, hysteria and doom.

3) Visualize Without Limits

Joe Vitale, also featured in The Secret, suggests closing your eyes in the morning and visualizing what you want without limits. Then focus on what you’re grateful for. He mentally reviews a gratitude list in the shower. He then releases all of this to the Universe, while breathing deeply. Canfield adds that, "Energy flows where attention goes". Instead of focusing on limits, why not start visualizing on the things that you want.

4) Be Grateful When a Job Falls Through

This may sound strange at first. When you pursue job opportunities, always leave the Universe the option to deliver the "right" job to you. It’s important to acknowledge that you don’t know which exact job is best for you. Be grateful when a certain job opportunity falls through, and always detach from a specific outcome. When job opportunities fall apart, the job wasn’t right for you. Who knows why? No matter. Surrender to the Universe, knowing that the best job for you, will come to you at the right time.

Summary

The wise give thanks for what most of us take for granted. Spend a few quiet moments to try some of these simple, yet powerful steps. Based on gratitude and the Law of Attraction, they will help move you toward the right job at the right time.

Sue

A Holiday Gift to You

Joe, the “Job Search Guy” and I discussed the best gift we could give you during this holiday season to refresh your faith and help you succeed at your job search.

We chose James Arthur Ray’s “Ten Tips for Thriving in This Economic Winter” as the very best gift to share with you during these holidays. James Arthur Ray is featured in the popular book, The Secret. He is a trainer and coach on the subjects of true wealth, success and human potential.

Joe and I look forward to being of service to you in 2009. We wish you a peaceful holiday that’s full of possibilities.

Sue.

Ten Tips for Thriving in This Economic Winter

by  James Arthur Ray

Many of you have read and commented on our recent conversation about how it's a season to sow, how there's so much fear in our world right now and how it's related to some of the universal laws that modern society has forgotten.

Well, you asked for some quick, easy-to-apply tips on how to thrive in this economic winter and on how to apply the knowledge you learned during our conversation... So here you go!

1. Clearly define what inspires you.
   There's a big difference between taking action out of inspiration versus desperation. Use this season as an opportunity to hibernate into the recesses of your own mind and define what you choose to create in your next spring.
2. Control your focus.
   Energy flows where attention goes. Are you focusing on lack or opportunity?
3. Feed your mind.
   What's your constant mental diet? Do you spend hours in front of the scare news or are you reading good books, attending more positive seminars, watching uplifting DVDs and listening to powerful CDs?
4. Strengthen your body.
   Your physical health and vitality have a tremendous impact on your performance as well as your mental and emotional fitness. Exercise releases stress as well as strengthen your body and mind.
5. Inventory your friends.
   Doom and gloom attracts more doom and gloom. Jettison those "energy vampires" around you and surround yourself with opportunity seekers.
6. Quiet your mind.
   Take time to meditate daily and to slow down if only for a few minutes. Ten to fifteen minutes of meditation will relieve hours of stress and increase creativity and resourcefulness.
7. Rid your life of escapist activities.
   Overindulgence in TV, sleep and alcohol only accelerate the problems you're attempting to avoid.
8. Make a daily gratitude list.
   Focusing on all the good, gifts and God in your life puts you in the right line of thought, feeling and their subsequent actions, which will attract and create more good, gifts and God.
9. Change your attitude.
   Realize that everything that's happened in your life thus far is here to serve you, teach you and help you grow. Find the lessons in your past results, forgive yourself for anything you could have done better and apply the lesson to move forward and create a better future.
10. Get resourceful.
    For the next three days, go to a place where you can have uninterrupted time... Come up with 20 new ideas to grow your income, create new results and improve your life. You cannot leave your spot until you have twenty. And no editing! All ideas are good ideas. Do this for three successive days with 20 new ideas each day.
    
    Now take your list of 60 unique ideas and pick the three to five most powerful and leveraged ones to put into action. Pick these three to five based on: ease of implementation, rate of return and speed of return.

And so during this winter season, remember: It's not about resources... there are plenty of them. It's about resourcefulness. Get resourceful and get busy.

To your continued wealth and happiness,

James Arthur Ray
President/CEO
James Ray International

 

 

Let Thanksgiving Inspire Your Job Search

With all the doom and gloom surrounding the economic scene, now is a perfect time to step back and reflect on the bigger picture. And what better time than Thanksgiving to do this? 

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, a time to focus on everything for which we’re grateful. Especially while job hunting, Thanksgiving is about seeing the good in our lives and feeling appreciation despite outer circumstances or conditions. Our happiness isn’t about how much stuff we’ve accumulated. Rather, it’s about feeling grateful for who, what and where we are right now. It’s about gratitude for how far we’ve come, what we can do and for the challenges we’ve worked through.

Gratitude and the Law of Attraction: Gratitude is critical to the success of our job search. According to Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, we attract what we think about and concentrate on through the universal Law of Attraction. When we focus on our cup being half full, we attract more abundance and prosperity. This includes job opportunities, especially in these challenging times. When we think that job hunting is hard, and focus on the jobs we didn’t get offered, we attract more rejection and disappointment.

It’s been said that, “Attitude is everything.” That’s especially true in job search. Although we may not control anything outside of ourselves, we are in control of what we think, feel and do. This Thanksgiving, why not try these 4 simple gratitude steps to improve your job search?

Down to Food and TP?

I just received this note from a reader. Perhaps you can identify…

Hi, Joe,

Any hints for someone who has been out of work for the second time in 2008?

I was laid-off May 16th and have been on a roller coaster ever since. I am down to buying food and TP. I have two young adult children to provide for and an ex who says he cannot help them.

Thanks,

Kerri

 

You’re in a tough situation. You need to do some crisis planning at this point. You don’t mention the age of your two young adult children, but if they’re sixteen or older, they’re old enough to find  part-time jobs to contribute toward the bills. If they’re out of high school and not going to college, they need to work full-time to help you pay the bills.

 

In terms of your own employment situation, some additional crisis planning is in order here. You need to develop income to stay in your home and to put food on the table. If you have no income now, make a list of your strongest skills. Then make a list of jobs that you can find that would solve your immediate financial problems.

 

If necessary, contact a credit counselor to help you to see your situation more objectively and to identify resources and solutions, both short and long term, to your financial crisis.  They'll also describe the rights you have and present you with some options that will allow you to keep your credit rating intact.

 

Once you have a short-term job that’ll meet your immediate needs, take a deep breath, and start planning for the longer term. You’re in the same boat as a lot of other people out there seeking jobs. Your challenge is to rise above your competitors. To do this, frame your work history in terms that employers want to hear.

 

The operative term is “Return on Investment”. Forget trying to sell your skills and cite “results” instead. Sit down with a legal pad and go through your work history. Start to ask the “so what?” question after each role, project or task that you performed for your employers.

 

Track each role, project or task back to its relationship to money. We all touch money as employees. We do this by helping employers to either save money or make money. Make a list of examples of how you were effective in one of these two roles.

 

This is a way to start differentiating yourself from your competitors. It will help you to overcome the stigma of two layoffs this year. One part of your challenge with finding a new job is the economy. The other part involves your own perceived limitations. We feel we’re not worthy or that something is wrong with us, or we’re failures or “rejects”. The challenge is to stay positive and to always sell our achievements in the real world, a world that seems to be losing its head while our own clock is ticking.

 

This is no easy feat, but when you start to realize that you are an important part of the profit and loss picture, you can begin to articulate your value to the employer. You’ll start to gain the attention of potential employers.

 

Why? Because they don’t have job opportunities, they have “problems”. That open position means the company is losing money that they can’t afford to lose. When you can talk in these new terms (ROI, Save $$, Make $$, etc.) you become a Problem Solver, not just a job applicant.

 

Check out my free resume teleseminar workshop. I offer more detail about these points to help you to build a more effective resume to sell yourself in today’s economy.

 

Joe

Joe Turner Interviewed on MySuccessGateway Network

As a change of pace I was the one who was recently interviewed. Jim Peake, who runs a site you might want to snoop around in called "My Success Gateway", spotted one of my articles when it appeared on MSN's homepage a few weeks ago.

My interview was just posted a few hours ago. This is a great site to find resources on investing in yourself and expanding your network, two areas of importance to job seekers. There are a number of good podcasts available, all free! Check them out.

Joe

Are You a Superstar?

New report today from ExecuNet lists the top 11 executive job functions currently in most demand. This is according to a recent survey of over 250 employer organizations. ExecuNet is a private network linking C-level talent with recruiting firms.

Getting top honors were Business Development (14.8%), Sales (12.9%), Operations Management (12.9%), General Management (10.3%), Finance (9.1%), Engineering (9.1%), Marketing (8.7%), MIS/IT (6.2%), Consulting (6.1%), R&D (5.7%) and Human Resources (3.5%).

Amid all of the doom and gloom hysteria over the recent finance and credit market tankings, it's encouraging to note that the demand is on the upswing for talent in key areas. True, this is for 6-figure C-level performers, but the important take away here is that the demand is now increasing in companies across the U.S. After hitting a bottom in January, a recent survey of 138 executive recruiters showed that 4 out of 5 expected at least a 10% increase (in search assignments) in the second half of 2008. That means demand for top talent in the executive suite is rising in spite of all the bad economic news you hear today. (source http://www.execunet.com/m_releases_content.cfm?id=4024)

So, if you're not a C-level player, what does this mean for you?

In all the areas mentioned above, these movers and shakers will need to build and manage superstar teams to revamp or bolster a new corporate entity that can compete more effectively in the next decade. These are not jobs that will go away or just be outsourced. But it will take a new mindset to compete. To be attractive today you need to think superstar. Superstars don't just think of jobs as paychecks. They think of a job as an opportunity to achieve results that can enhance their company….a project as a chance to go the extra mile…a crisis or challenge as a reason to change or improve on the status quo.

Take a look at your work history. Does your resume have examples that can fit into some of these criteria? If not, why not? If it does, then congratulations, because it's budding mindset of confident competence necessary to carry you through to the hire.

Are you a superstar?

Joe

Personal Branding - a Case in Point

A few days ago I wrote about VisualCV and had a response from a reader about their success in putting their resume on the web. Since this is such a great example of personal branding, I thought I'd ask her permission to share it with you. By the way, personal branding is a relatively recent concept whereby people now brand their name and their careers. It can start with your resume and go beyond to inhabit the web and the blogosphere. Obviously, the bigger the name, the bigger the brand, but we don't have to be Donald Trump or Cher to take advantage.  We do have to decide just who we are and then put ourselves out there. With all the web resources we have today, anybody can do this.

Here is a real life example of what just one person is doing. Cynthia O'Connell (try Googling her name) has her CV on the web through a LinkedIn page. You can do this, too. Or, you can also use a site like VisualCV (it's free).

When she applies for a position, she sends a cover letter, standard resume, business card and she invites the potential employer to visit her web site. She's also on Facebook.

Here's another hint from Cynthia:

I would also recommend to all business people that they buy their dot com name even if they don't have a website or a looking for work. As many employer's today conduct web searches on potential job candidates.

Which is good advice.  With more and more employers getting into to social media thing, googling has become more prevalent among recruiters and some employers. Once again, this is all part of the personal branding strategy.

What are the results so far?

Cynthia has received very positive feedback and presently she is in the final stages for two interesting jobs.

For a good discussion on personal branding. Check out Dan Schawbel's personal branding blog.

Joe

Is the Game Over if You Don't have Enough "Experience"?

I recently ran across a good article by Brad Karsh titled, “Job Talkin - The ‘Relevant Experience’ Conundrum."  He offers three excellent ideas for getting around the challenge of not having all of the experience or background that the company is seeking.

His suggestions:

1) Focus on transferable skills. Karsh suggests that if you’re applying for a job, say, in finance, and your background is primarily in marketing, that you emphasize your finance skills by listing them first.

I would add:

Take a look at some job descriptions for your target job and list examples of skills from your background that match a finance job. See yourself not as a job title such as marketing manager, but as a person who has many transferable skills, including the ability to read and interpret profit and loss statements, for example.

2) Thinking outside the job. Karsh also suggests that if you're looking to change careers, you open your options by listing all of your relevant experience including paid, volunteer, board affiliations, and any leadership roles.

I would add:

Even recreational activities such as manager of a soccer team, can demonstrate leadership and management skills.

3) Being realistic. Karsh recommends approaching the job market with realistic expectations. When you switch careers, it’s not uncommon to take a pay cut and even accept an entry level position in your new career. This is called ‘paying your dues’, and savvy career changers understand that changing careers, while offering long term benefits, requires some potential sacrifices in the short run. The wise career changer understands that the long term payoffs can make the short term cost in salary or job title worth the price.

I would add:

Think beyond your skills and think ‘benefits’ to a potential employer. Do you either make money or save money for your company, and how do you convey this in one or two benefits-oriented sentences?  In fact, if you were called upon to describe yourself in 20-seconds, could you do it? That's important, because that 20 seconds is about all the time your resume might get before the reader moves to the next one.

Do you know the number one solution to the conundrum of getting a job without all of the experience or background that the job description requires? Informational interviews.

The informational interview process will allow you to identify job opportunities way before they become formalized in a posted job description. You’ll hear about jobs informally, through the grapevine. This casual, word-of-mouth process for identifying the 'hidden job market' can help you qualify for jobs that you might be passed over for, if you applied through the more conventional methods of responding to postings.

Informational interviews allow you to ‘skip to the head of the line’ so to speak, and access hiring authorities and others who know about job openings well before hoards of applicants apply for them, and before you are compared on paper with competitors who have more ‘relevant skills’ than you do.

The bottom line is that you can win jobs that you don’t have all of the experience or background for, but you must know and apply certain strategies well in advance.

Sue

What is Your "Call to Action"?

I just read Dan Shawbel's blog from yesterday that I wanted to make reference to. Dan, by the way, writes an excellent blog on personal branding. You might notice that we've mentioned personal brands more than once on these pages and we've referenced their importance to job search today.

Dan mentions a new book, "Change the Way You See Yourself" by Dr. Kathryn D. Cramer and Hank Wasiak. So, what's this about? To quote Dan, "asset-based thinking reveals how even the slightest shifts in your thinking can lead to seismic differences. By transforming the way you see your own power, your influence grows exponentially and your personal impact intensifies dramatically."

As job hunters, many of us take on a defeated or passive demeanor as we slog from job post to job post. We stop thinking about the power we all have and the influence we can wield and don't bother to trouble ourselves. Why? We do this because it's hard work figuring out our place in the world and even harder to take a stand and declare our unique value in it. Hence the importance of "asset-based thinking".

I particularly liked this quote from the book: "Express the deeper meaning and significance of your call to action in one powerful sentence that reveals your might cause."

Did you get that "one powerful sentence"?

If this isn't a good justification for a personal brand statement, I don't know what is. Does your resume have one of these? Maybe it's time it did.

Joe

Is Your New Job Going to be a Nightmare?

I just read an interesting HotJobs article, What to Do When Your New Job is a Nightmare. The author, Caroline Potter, offers some good suggestions for dealing with a nightmare job while taking a damage control approach.

While the article makes some good points, I would instead urge job hunters to do their homework thoroughly up front to minimize the chances of getting into a nightmare job in the first place.

For example, it's imperative to know your prospective manager's personality type well before you accept a job offer. There are pointed questions to ask during your interview to help you identify a micromanager, and avoid taking a position working for this person.

Find out ahead of time what personality-type your prospective manager has, and whether it's compatible with yours. If your instincts tell you that the two of you will grate on each other, don't continue to pursue this particular job.

And just as critical, don't wait until after you've taken a job to find out that everyone else who had this position before you left after three months. Check out Joe's Six Must Ask Interview Questions on Monster.

Here's the takeaway: If you find yourself in this predicament, you didn't do your homework during the interview process. You didn't ask the right questions to smoke out these flaws in the job opportunity. It's too expensive, too inconvenient and too stressful to skip the research phase of the job interview process.

A few well-planned questions asked during an interview can save you from accepting a job that becomes a nightmare. Remember, a job interview is a two-way screening process. Screen the employer just as thoroughly as they screen you.

Happy job hunting,

Sue

Need Some Help in Your Job Search? - Try Asking.

I just read not one, but two good blog pieces from last Friday about getting help from strangers. Otherwise known as "networking", most of us know little about this seemingly vague black art. First, here is some great advice from Jason Alba, who regularly writes under his "Jibber Jobber, Career Management 2.0" site. Jason regularly blogs on job change as well as offering a subscription-based career management tool to help job hunters better manage their career transition. If you're not familiar with Jason, I invite you to check out his blog. He writes one of the best blogs on job search out there, and I don't mean that self-important ivory tower "advice" stuff. Jason's a guy that's been there. Looking for a job in 2006 after having had a successful career in IT, he found that job search was not quite the snap he thought it would be. Long story short, Jason now writes and podcasts regularly about the job search process and has his fingers on the pulse, being acquainted with and interviewing some of the most knowledgeable folks in this field.

One of Jason's long suits is networking (I know, I know), having just written, I'm on Facebook, Now What? Here's the point: use people's natural ability to want to help each other. For example, when people who may know you're looking for a job ask how your search is going, your natural tendency is to say, "everything is going fine". They say, "OK" and the conversation moves on. What if you actually ask for their help? Often feeling a lack of self-esteem, we don't want to bother someone with our "problem". This is a mistake. This is the perfect time to ask for help. The key is knowing specifically what help you could use. That, plus knowing how to ask, is critical.

New Tactics for "Unsteady Economy"?

I read Tom Musbach's article today, “Job Hunting in an Unsteady Economy – 7 Tips for Success” on Yahoo! HotJobs. It smartly addresses tactics job hunters can apply during the current economic downturn.

In it, he makes some good points. For example, although the unemployment rate has gone up, it hasn’t gone up enough to cause panic for job seekers. There is still a demand for workers, especially in the areas of education, health care and energy, which remains strong for job search now.

The article added that during times of economic uncertainty, job seekers may have to alter their approach by earning a paycheck while job hunting, or doing volunteer work during your spare time that can lead to opportunities.

Indeed Launches Search by Salary

I just got the heads up from Alison Curtin over at Indeed.com about a new service they've introduced. This is a new job search tool called “Job Search by Salary” that’s just launched. Job Search by Salary is a unique feature that makes it possible for job hunters to identify all of the jobs that meet their salary requirements, even when employers don't advertise the salaries.

In fact, according to Indeed, the majority of job listings don’t include salaries. If you've been looking online, you can probably attest to this. To overcome this, Indeed conducts research on the job listings that do provide salary information (which is about one fifth of the openings) and uses this information to estimate salaries for the rest.

How Far Will You Go to Win a Job?

An article today on Yahoo! Hot Jobs caught my eye reminding me that some candidates will do almost anything to separate from the pack. While I want to give those candidates kudos for having the hutzpah and creativity to try unique tactics, I would caution job hunters to be judicious in their job search choices for maximum effectiveness.

Author Larry Buhl referenced some hilariously creative examples of bad choices. One candidate put up a poster of himself in a company’s parking lot. Another sent a singing telegram to announce his candidacy. My favorite example is the candidate who delivered pre-paid Chinese food that included his name and phone number tucked into a fortune cookie. Yum!

While I appreciate such creativity, I agree with Buhl that a candidate risks appearing inappropriate, or even a bit scary, when choosing certain gimmicks to get noticed by a hiring manager. It’s important for common sense to prevail. If you have any doubts about whether to execute on a “cute” idea for marketing yourself, talk to someone you trust for a second opinion. If you still have doubts, don’t do it.

Buhl also cautions that it’s important to remember that regardless of the strength of your attention-getting tactics, if you don’t have the qualifications to back up your gimmicks, don’t bother. You still have to win the job, and your chances are slim if you lack the substance. In other words, you still have to pass the interview process, and that’s unlikely without the substance.

Cute Video - "The Job"

Have you seen "the Job" video currently on YouTube?

I couldn’t help but laugh at this clever video. It takes the outsourcing of jobs overseas, the all-too-frequent company downsizing with resulting layoffs and spins all of this bad news into something that we can all identify with.

After a well needed laugh, I started to think. What about all of the professionals who have been displaced in our economy, the casualties of our recession? How do these talented, experienced people find employment in our troubled economy?

Certainly not by waiting for an employer to drive by and pick them out of a crowd of desperate job seekers. So, how do you, the job seeker, transition yourself into a successful, empowered job hunter?

Is ItzBig an Advantage to Job Seekers?

There's a new job search player in town with Itzbig. Getting alot of industry buzz, they just made a big splash at the ERE Expo happening now in San Diego. ERE, by the way, is an online networking and info presence for the recruiting industry.

Itzbig's selling proposition, which differentiates them from the Monster, CareerBuilder crowd is a pay-for-performance model where employers can list their jobs for all to see without incurring a cost until (or unless) a candidate expresses interest in the job. In their terminology, the candidate must be "Interested, Qualified and Available" before the employer pays.

Job seekers can remain totally anonymous until they choose to unmask their identity for a specific job that they see posted. Could be advantageous to job seekers who fear having their identities exposed, especially after last year's fiasco with Monster's massive ID theft. Plus, there's a potential advantage of seeing more jobs posted from companies, since employers don't have to pay for each job listing as they do for the conventional job boards.

One potential limiting factor so far, is that this seems to be focused on IT jobs.

You might want to also check out WorkGiant, another job board that came into play last year. I haven't heard much from them lately, but they operate under a similar pay for performance model. They also pay job seekers for referrals, an added twist.

Check them both out and let me know what you think.

Joe

When Choosing a Career, Follow Your Heart, Not the Changing Landscape

U.S. News and World Report Contributing Editor Marty Nemko has written an article called, “Best Careers for a Changing Job Landscape".

He suggests that college grads might do well to pursue blue-collar careers such as biomedical equipment technician, firefighter, hairstylist/cosmetologist and locksmith/security system technician because of the shortage of skilled people in jobs that don’t require a college education. He also suggests pursuing a government job given that these jobs will probably increase over time.

Nemko encourages choosing a career based on whether it’s resistant to offshoring and suggests choosing careers for reasons other than status because doctors, architects and attorneys often lack job satisfaction.

Although Nemko’s suggestions make some sense, I would encourage you, the job hunter, to go deeper. Don’t choose a career based on what the marketplace is doing. The U.S. job market is experiencing flux and change at every level. Trying to guess what career to choose during this time of upheaval is like trying to jump onto a moving train.

Instead, follow your heart. Identify your aptitudes, interests and passions. Follow your bliss and be true to yourself. And don’t let anyone talk you into entering a career just because it’s practical, has high status or there’s high job availability. You wouldn’t choose a spouse for these external reasons, and you don’t want to choose a career for any of them, either.

Sue

Quickly Create Your Personal Branding Statement with this Free Tool

Let's say you unexpectedly receive a phone call from a hiring manager or recruiter who wants to phone screen you now for that great job you recently applied for.

OK, you’re a bit shaken and at a loss for words, but what do you say?

How do you describe yourself in a quick and memorable way that's easy and natural, yet compelling and most importantly, sets you apart from your competition?

Ever hear of the term, "elevator pitch"?

This is an old sales saw that's been around about a million years mostly because it makes perfect sense. If you're selling something, you need to boil it down to a 15 to 20 second "pitch" that is easily understood, creates an advantage for yourself and causes the listener to want to take some action (hopefully, not bolt from the elevator).

Many job seekers are now realizing that job search is a specialized form of direct marketing, pitching yourself as the product in small, easily digestible chunks. The first "chunk" is your branding statement.

Professional Associations as an Avenue to Inside Info in Your Job Search

I recently received this question from a reader (I changed her real name) about informational interviewing. This is a great tool for exploring new industries, job roles or career changes. But the real question is: "Where can I find people who'll talk with me?"

Hi, Joe,

I would like to change careers and am exploring human resources. I would like to learn more about this area by speaking with people who hold HR positions. I want to do some information interviewing with HR people. I want to speak with HR but everytime I call the company the operator refers me to their website. Most of these websites do not have management team pages. How can I contact someone in HR to request an information interview?

Sincerely,
Sara

Hi Sara,

You might try their professional organization, SHRM, the Society of Human Resource Managers. You can Google to find the nearest chapter in your area. Most likely they'll have a website that lists all sorts of info there. You should be able to contact several people who would be willing to share info with you. Perhaps you could even sit in on one of their meetings.

Regards,

By the way, this can be expanded as it applies for most professions for which you're applying. Virtually every job title or professional position most likely has at least one professional association associated with it. These organizations perform various roles including acting as public relations liaison to the media, maintaining professional standards and establishing a vision for the future of their profession.

Two New Job Finder Services Sites

Last week I was tipped off to two new job finder services sites you may want to check out. Each is different in their approach to searching the web for posted jobs that meet your criteria. Both do the research for you saving you hours of surfing for jobs.

Check them out and let the rest of us know what you think about either of them. Are they viable or are they a ripoff?

1. JobSerf
They employ personnel from India to post your resume to as many appropriate job postings on the Internet that they can locate. You receive 20 hours of service for $98. At less than $5 an hour, you can imagine what they're paying these people to do the actual work. Still, if you're pressed for time and want to blast your resume everywhere you can as quickly as possible without logging in hours and hours of work to search for job postings, you might want to check them out.

2. RiseSmart
A much slicker site, Risesmart aims for the executive and upper employment demographic by employing a "concierge" to match available $100K+ jobs with your submitted profile. They search all the job boards and corporate sites to find appropriate matches and bring those matches to your special Workspace page for your review. Cost for this service is about $44 for one month, $110 for 3 months. They already claim paying customers and their site page appears to be getting significant traffic with an Alexa ranking of around 495K. If you're looking for a $100K+ job and don't want to spend time looking, then check them out.

Joe

Diversity of Thought in Hiring

I just ran across an interesting article about a possible new trend in hiring among some of the more forward-thinking companies out there. It's a process called "Diversity of Thought" and the article, written by Randy Hain, a managing partner of the executive search firm, Bell Oaks, made some interesting points.

Click here to download the complete article, "Diversity of Thought: The Next Frontier", for yourself.

Today's political use of the term "diversity" represents diversity of ethnic backgrounds to incorporate more minorities. Diversity of thought goes further by highlighting potential processes that target candidates who think differently and don't fit into the corporate mainstream as easily. Randy claims that diversity of thought is becoming "an important recruiting strategy for today's leading organizations". The reasoning is that diversity of thought brings fresh information and more opinions ensuring that the results are "smarter than if a single expert had been in charge".

The hiring candidates who think outside-the-box and don't fit the corporate culture is an anathema to today's typical corporate hiring strategy. In fact, one of the "5 Interview Questions You Must Answer" is, "Will you fit in?" itself a variation of either "Are you a team player?" and the more blunt, "Can you be managed?"

This is because too often outside-the-box thinkers are viewed as "management headaches" according to Hain. This attitude might be changing, albeit slowly, since he makes several points that seem to underline a movement for change in the corporate world. He cites several quotes from senior level executives at larger corporations including Hewlett-Packard, CNN and L'Oreal. One of the keys is to alter the "fundamental building blocks of the company's hiring practice (with a) careful review and modification of job descriptions and how they are used". Also, there may be changes in the increased use of assessment testing with potential modifications that would allow a broader measurement in the screening of candidates rather than a narrow set of parameters.

Some companies appear to be well ensconced in actively seeking diversity of thought. They include Microsoft, Google, eBay and MySpace, to name a few.

As the economy becomes more competitive, especially in the US, look for even more companies to be compelled to break out of their traditional modes of hiring and to incorporate some "diversity of thought" approaches to their hiring.

This could be a breath of fresh air for those job seekers who may have felt like the square peg in a round hole when applying for a job. At some point, being an outsider may just pay off.

Joe

6 New Year’s Resolutions to Help Recession-Proof Your Job Search Next Year

We could be heading toward a recession or worse, during the coming year.

Are you prepared?

The job market will worsen next year. Do you know how to find and win a job in a smaller, more competitive job market?

Get ready for a bumpy ride.

To give you an edge, we've put together some of our most popular products and services at savings of 50% or more. Time is running out, though. Details are at the end of this article.

Also, try out these six resolutions to maximize your chances of scoring a secure paycheck in 2008:

1) Get in the Game:

If you’re serious about finding employment, become proactive. Stretch yourself, get out of your comfort zone and aggressively search beyond the listed jobs you find on the Internet. This requires a game plan and the expectation that you’re going to win this game. Decide to excel and achieve at job search.

Do something every day to further your search. Positive action diminishes anxiety and other negative feelings. This goes beyond survival of the fittest. For anyone who wants to succeed, it requires an iron will and determination. You will not be defeated by this job search process. You will prevail and you will outlast this challenge. Remind yourself of that.

Seven Job Search Lessons from 'Dancing with the Stars'

Perhaps like many others, you've been riveted by the wildly popular TV program, “Dancing with the Stars” that pairs celebrities with professional dancers glammed up in sequined costumes, makeup and dazzling hairdos. Each week, the couples compete with slickly choreographed dances such as the cha-cha, waltz and tango as they overcome obstacles and strive for high scores from the judges plus votes from the public to advance to the next round of competition.

It's a classic hero’s journey on the dance floor that job seekers can identify with on several levels. Here are lessons that job seekers can learn from “Dancing with the Stars”:

1) Believe in Yourself – To win, the dancers must believe in themselves. Sure, they might be celebrities, but none of them has ever danced competitively. As we watch each week, we witness them evolve from self-doubt and frustration to poise and self-confidence. The job search journey has a built-in growth mechanism. It nudges the job seeker, through challenges, into a stronger sense of self. As the old adage says, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Let Thanksgiving Inspire Your Job Search

Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving? Lots of good food and no need to shop for presents. It’s a day of turkey dinners, family gatherings and reflection; a holiday with deep roots dating back to 1621. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, our time to focus on everything for which we’re grateful.

Especially while job hunting, Thanksgiving is about seeing the good in our lives and feeling appreciation despite outer circumstances or conditions. Our happiness isn’t about how much stuff we’ve accumulated. Rather, it’s about feeling grateful for who, what and where we are right now. It’s about gratitude for how far we’ve come, what we do and for the challenges we’ve worked through.

Gratitude and the Law of Attraction
Gratitude is critical to the success of our job search. According to Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, we attract what we think about and concentrate on through the universal Law of Attraction. When we focus on our cup being half full, we attract more abundance and prosperity. This includes job opportunities.

Conversely, when we think that job hunting is hard, and focus on the jobs we didn’t get offered, we attract more rejection and disappointment. It’s been said that, “Attitude is everything.” That’s especially true in job search. Although we may not control anything outside of ourselves, we are in control of what we think, feel and do.

This Thanksgiving, why not try these 4 simple gratitude steps to improve your job search?

Apply Principles from The Secret to Attract Your Next Job

The bestseller, The Secret, became a phenomenal success earlier this year. Its message is that we are all governed by the Law of Attraction, through which whatever we are holding in our mind and feeling is attracted to us. Author Bob Doyle puts it this way: "Like attracts like at a thought level, and so as you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you.”

It’s a safe bet that you’re not thrilled with the prospect of job search.

Who is?

The good news is that you can harness the power of the Universe to streamline and improve your job search.

By harnessing the Law of Attraction you'll:

· Feel more positive and energized about your job search.
· Shorten the time it takes to find a suitable job.
· Attract more positive people and better networking contacts.
· Attract opportunities that are a better match to your job goal.
· Land the right job for you.

Why not Apply the Principles of the Law of Attraction to Your Job Search:

1. ASK
The first step in manifesting what you want is simply to ask.

Are You Unemployed and Desperately Seeking a Pay Check?

The global economy has forced change on all job seekers. It has decreased available jobs and increased competition for them. Those of you with college degrees have no doubt noticed that having one is no guarantee of employment, and it can be challenging, regardless of degree status, to find suitable employment.

Here are Four Tips for Successfully Navigating the Job Search Waters

1) Get in the Game: If you’re serious about finding employment, become proactive. Stretch yourself, get out of your comfort zone and aggressively seek out the hidden job market. This requires a game plan and the expectation that you’re going to win this game. Decide to excel and achieve at job search.

Do something every day to further your search. Positive action diminishes anxiety and other negative feelings. This goes beyond survival of the fittest. For anyone who wants to succeed, it requires an iron will and determination that you will not be defeated by this job search process. You will prevail and you will outlast this challenge. Remind yourself of that.

Tips for Generating Income in Lousy Job Markets

I just got an email from Gail. She lives in Western Michigan, an area that's lost thousands of jobs. She was laid off, unable to relocate because her spouse has a good job but almost 60. Gail is over 45 and is being interviewed by managers who are over 20 years younger. She has an unusual work history (teaching combined with executive administrative support) plus a gap in her work while she tutored her learning disabled daughter and cared for her ill mother-in-law.

Now Gail has some unique issues, but I think many of you can relate. Searching for a job can seem endless at times. This also got me to thinking about possible short and long term solutions and I realized that except for the substitute teaching, these could really apply to most anyone looking for a job today.

Here's what I wrote Gail:

Pending Lawsuits as Skeletons?

I recently received this question from a concerned woman about her search. File this under the "Stuff Happens" regarding our lives.

We all have issues, problems, or circumstances in our lives that we'd like to have kept private, or at least off the radar when we're job hunting. Unfortunately, with the technology of today, it's becoming easier than ever for enterprising sorts to find out all kinds of secrets about most anyone.

Without moving to a full paranoia mode, though, here is today's question.

Hello Joe,

I'm quite concerned about my job search.
Unfortunately my 2nd to last employer I left due to sexual harassment. I filed...have an attorney, filed against him with the EFDH as well as Fair Employment.

Does my lawsuit reflect anywhere in my job search behind the closed doors of employers?
I listed the company on my resume...was this a mistake ...?

The Loneliness of the Job Search Process

If you're in job search mode right now, I don't have to tell you how the negative emotions soon creep in. These may include feeling isolated, left behind, thrown away and that favorite of mine: "feeling like my career is over and I'll never get a decent job again. Ever".

Now it's time to focus on the emotional side of job search. With that in mind, I thought it a good time to introduce my new partner to help out with the blog duties...

Sue Swenson was a top recruiter in the semiconductor arena for the better part of 15 years. After placing some of the best and brightest at the big names such as Hewlett Packard and Intel, she's been a killer recruiter for some of the hottest startups and rising players in the Silicon Valley. These days she spends her time writing and reflecting on the more personal side of job search.

So, without further ado, I'll let Sue take over and do the "talking"…

Cover Letters to HR?

I recently returned from two weeks in Maine, US and Halifax, Nova Scotia - a total change from Arizona, US!

And, what a difference there is in the economy and job search scene from one region to the next. For instance, Halifax, the largest city in Nova Scotia, seems to be a city (small town actually) that's suffering from a "brain drain". Although there are several good schools and universities are located there, graduates are all but forced to leave the city and province because of the high competition for the relatively low number of decent paying jobs that seem to exist. All the more reason to be as competitive as possible with any job application you make.

With that in mind, today I received a question about resume cover letters from Kevin:

Local Library for Your Job Search?

Want to take some control in your job search but don't know where to start?

Don't want to move if necessary?

Not to sound foolish, but have you thought of starting with your local public library?

I just received this email from Michelle:

Joe - Grew up in LA , in my later twenties, and have been working in film here since college. But now unemployed looking for work again...preferably in documentary production assisting a producer or director, but open to fictional work as well

Pretty sure your job search business is not inclusive of this industry, but thought I'd ask. Thanks.

Best,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,

You're right, I'm no expert in the film industry, however, I don't need to be. One just needs to know the basic search techniques and how to find information. In fact, what I'm about to suggest will work for most any private sector industry and can be especially helpful when you're not looking to relocate.

Are You Linked In?

If you're like me, you probably have stacks of reading that's calling you when you "just get some time". Right now I have 5 business-related books I'm somewhere in the middle of on my bedside table alone. I've also had this email saved in my inbox that linked several articles on using LinkedIn in the job search that I'd been meaning to get to for the past several months.

Well, I finally sorta did. I read one of the articles, a blog piece by Guy Kawasaki, and it was good enough to share. More on that in a minute…

First, I hope you've discovered LinkedIn by now. This is one of those social software-networking tools that you can use in your job hunt in several ways.

Job Searching is Dysfunctional

Just got an email from Laura describing her job search hell. Has great skills - management experience, problem solving, team-building, leadership, oral/written communications, strategic thinking, and more, however, she gets NO calls on her resume.

Why not you ask?

Because she's doesn't fit the required conformist role. You see, she's had the audacity to be self-employed for the past 14 years.

Does Cold Calling Work?

Here is a job search question I recently received that many of you guys have also emailed me about:

"I was wondering about actual cold calling in which I would walk in at a company I am interested in.  How do I do that and talk to the right person to make an impression to make them want to hire me?"

Well, here are some of my thoughts on this:

Cold calling in todays job search market can be brutal!  And fruitless.  However, there can be some big benefits to taking charge of your job search instead of endlessly applying through Monster.com and the like.

Here's what I mean: