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Patience Aside, Attitude and Action Get the Job Done

Do you sense success just around the corner?  Are you waiting for your “big chance”?  Yes, you should visualize success, take time to reflect on how far you’ve come or how well you have persevered, but at the end of the day it’s all about your attitude going forward and taking deliberate action. 

Here are 3 key ways to formulate next steps with a smile. 

Past performance is a good indicator of future behavior.  So, take stock of what has worked well and what hasn’t.  Note things that helped you move forward and which things held you back.  Recognize little successes along the way, no matter how small.  Celebrate small victories.  Choose the top 5 activities that provided the greatest value and satisfaction.  Commit to doing more of these things, more frequently.

Consider what your current day-to-day needs are and how well you are meeting them.  What is the one thing that would make the greatest difference?  Map out a plan to make it happen in the simplest way and in the shortest amount of time.  Assess your current attitude.  If positive, keep it up!  If negative, assess why and seek out appropriate and positive ways to give yourself a greater sense of control of your day-to-day realities.  

Schedule Future Milestones:

The best way to ensure the future turns out the way you want it to is to define it and create it through effort, attitude…  and a workable timetable. 

Need to network more?  Look for any and all networking events and related opportunities that are happening in your area over the next 90 days and schedule in as many as possible.  Put yourself in spaces where you can meet new people, be exposed to new ideas, and test how you present yourself “in the moment”. 

Thinking about going back to school?  Schedule appointments with Admissions at 2-3 schools of choice and start learning more.  Then visit with financial aid about possible funding sources. 

Angling for that next promotion?  Map out a brief outline of what you’d like to accomplish by when and talk to your boss about how they can actively support your goals.  Enlist their help in crafting an action plan and timeline for success.  If you encounter resistance or lack of support, start shopping around your resume. 

Need a new job?  Start by learning more about companies and recruiters in your area.  Reach out to at least 25 people per week and start a dialogue within 24 hours with everyone that circles back with you.  If you don’t get any responses in the first 2 weeks, your message or style needs to be adjusted. 

With any of your goals, set a date by which if you don’t achieve base results, you’ll enlist professional help such as career coaching or registering for a seminar.

Make it happen! 

-Lisa

Connect with Lisa Mauri Thomas in LinkedIN.  Visit the Change Your Job, Change Your Life website for more information on resume writing and related services.

It All Boils Down to 3 Simple Truths

Interviews might make you nervous.  They require you to go “on stage” and “sell” yourself to an individual or panel of people, directly, and in a short amount of time. 

There are dozens of tips, maybe hundreds, that can be found online and through other sources to help you fully prepare for your next interview.  Analyzing such tips over the years, I have found that everything boils down to 3 key elements.  Preparation is the best defense against nervousness and stage fright.

Master these 3 interview prep pointers:

1. Be Ready, Willing and Able:  Anyone can Google a list of standard interview questions.  But go beyond surface-level items and understand the foundations of each.  Doing so will yield an interesting discovery.  Just about every interview question you might be asked boils down to one essential question:  are you ready, willing and able to do the job?  Let’s look at these components individually:

Ready:  This relates to the here and now questions around how well you meet required and desired qualifications, how soon you can start your new role, and how prepared you are to be evaluated around performance.

Willing:  These are the questions that revolve around teamwork, working independently, work ethic, following directions, and going the extra mile.

Able:  Ability is showcased within “Tell me about a time when you…” type questions in addition to your ability to solve problems, exercise independent judgment, and create value in the workplace.  Articulate the skills and talents you will bring to the proverbial table within the first 30-60-90 days.      

Prove and Align:  Be ready with clear examples of the impact you have had in previous roles.  Qualify and quantify past and ongoing achievements.  You can’t just say, “Yes, I can do XYZ”.  Prove it by saying, “Yes, I have done XYZ on an average of 12 times per day for 2 straight years and I knew I was doing an excellent job in this area because…”. 

Beyond that, look for clues about what is most important to the company and the hiring manager.  Clues can be found on the posting, in LinkedIn, the company website’s About Us page, insider information, press releases and more.  Explore, investigate and analyze; then, align the information that is important to them and true for you.  These essential points guide your responses to questions asked of you during the interview.

Prep Your Station:  For phone interviews, prep your interview space whether it’s your desk, the dining room table or the kitchen counter.  Fully assess your area to identify and eliminate distractions and potential problems.  Lay out your materials and prep notes, including the resume version you submitted that led to this interview.  Practice responding to all potential questions (and continually referencing examples that you are ready, willing and able) within 1-2 minutes, maximum.

For in-person interviews, prep your “mobile station” by assembling all items you need to wear and bring.  Choose appropriate and professional clothing from head to toe.  Prepare a folder or notebook with a pen or pencil.  Include a print out of the job description, extra copies of your resume for you and everyone else present plus a list of at least 5 prepared questions to have at the ready when they ask at the end, “What questions do you have for us at this time?” and a smile.  If appropriate, bring references, portfolio, transcripts, certifications – anything that will further support your claims that you are READY, WILLING and ABLE.

These 3 “big picture” items will help you to successfully prepare for your next interview.  You can do this.  Good luck!

-Lisa

 Need more help?  Visit http://changeyourjob.us

8 traits for career success in an uncertain world

The biggest lesson learned over the past 3 years by millions of people is this:  Don’t be caught so unprepared again!  If you experienced job loss, reduced pay, ridiculously long hours and tremendous on-the-job stress, a micro-manager for a boss, inability to land a new job, a shaken sense of confidence and self-worth, financial ruin, loss of your home, or simply too many pressures to cope with at once – you don’t ever want to find yourself in such a position again.

While not everyone dreams of becoming a business owner, there are specific traits or attributes found in successful entrepreneurs that anyone can develop and strengthen within themselves to help buffer against the unexpected.

Here are 8 traits to foster within yourself in an uncertain world:

Drive:  Find something to love about your work situation.  Instead of focusing on what isn’t ideal, direct your efforts and emotions toward new and tougher goals.  The goal can be anything you want – the point is to want it and to go for it.  Small successes now will make a big difference the next time the chips are down.  Your activities today will help fight off future apathy.  Raise the bar.  This develops self-assurance.

Perseverance:  By strengthening your drive and operating outside of your normal comfort zone, you nurture your inner ability to “stick to it” especially when desired results are possible but not easily within reach. While good things may come to those who wait, no one said you had to wait by resting on your laurels.  Get busy with a variety of mini-goals that are aimed at achieving the larger ones such as financial independence, geographic mobility, or proof of a life well-lived.  This also develops patience.

Self-awareness:  You can’t run away from the pain – whatever that pain happens to be.  Your experiences are your reality no matter what emotions or feelings you’ve chosen to attach to them.  Take time each day, perhaps with your morning cup of coffee or while walking the dog, to reflect upon what makes you tick, where you are strong, and where you consider yourself sadly lacking.  First, be honest – then, be forgiving.  You are who you are.  Know yourself; then develop drive and perseverance through setting goals for needed self-improvement, including your attitude or approach toward the world at large.  This fosters graciousness.

Experience:  You have strong, credible experience even when it seems as if no one wants it.  How well you use it and market it will make all the difference long-term.  Be innovative about how you apply all the wonderful experience you already possess.  Which further experiences would act as a multiplier?  Volunteer your talents to practice applying them in new ways.  Do something radically different for 8-10 hours per week and discover how your experience rises up, transforms and expresses itself.  This fosters greater self-confidence.

Intelligence:  Be smart about things.  Find and confirm the facts. Critically assess and question your sources versus thinking something sounds good just because it’s news to you, is said by someone you like, or easily supports your existing world view.  Savvy business owners must make sound decisions to grow and expand into new markets with products and services that truly fit existing and foreseeable needs and wants.   Be prepared to hear, digest and honestly reflect upon things you don’t like.  Intelligently assess if what you hear has merit and requires change or if it can be disregarded because you’ve looked at it critically, thoroughly and know the difference.  Recognize when things just don’t add up.  This fosters speed of intelligence gathering and decisiveness.        

Knowledge:  Economic cycles are just that – cycles.  Prosperous times will come again, as will recessions and depressions.  While there’s value in living today as if it were your last, chances are good that it isn’t and you need to build and strengthen your resources and strategic allies, every day.  Manage your resources and save your money; be ready to act on new opportunities.  You already know that knowledge is power.  However, much of what claims to be “news” is emphatically not.  Don’t mistake opinion shows for factual analysis.  Are you drawn to Fox News or the BBC?  Do you choose CNN Headline News or Bloomberg?  Do you take the time to read The Atlantic or just People?  No matter your preferences, know there are far better sources out there to help you gauge what is really going on and to understand ALL angles of the issues.  This fosters awareness and your ability to effectively navigate the larger landscape. 

Innovation:  You can develop an “intrapreneurial” spirit by creating new products, services, and approaches within your current workplace.  Whether or not you’ll be recognized or rewarded for it, just show you CAN be innovative.  Be creative in how you showcase and present your ideas, how you sell yourself, how you solicit buy-in by understanding the players and forces at work.  Take risks, dismiss your regrets, and if 1, 20, or 100 things don’t work out, try something else.  This helps you to develop self-reliance.

Courage:  Have the courage to succeed and to fail.  Develop the strength to boldly move forward or strategically retreat.  Recognize your personal power while acknowledging you cannot do it all, alone.  Dismiss your regrets.  Stand up and voice what you know and think; then be willing to listen to feedback that may be painful to hear.  Have the courage to balance a forceful nature with humility, shyness with clarity of thought, and traditional ways with evolving realities.  Know your weakness and manage around them by surrounding yourself with the people and resources that will strengthen your position.  Avoid wishful thinking or relying strictly on hope or faith that tomorrow will be better or just as wonderful as today.  Have the courage to make it happen.  This fosters self-worth.

You CAN protect yourself and improve your position with an entrepreneurial mindset.  Develop and sustain the inner strength to create the life and work you want on your own terms.  You can be strong and credible and marketable, for the long haul and at any age.  You can ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes again.  We all can.  Can you imagine if we did so, globally?       

-Lisa

 Need more help?  Visit http://changeyourjob.us

Get Your Resume and Job Search Strategy in Shape

Is your resume in shape?  Can you demonstrate that you are truly a “best fit”?   It is essential that you look your best on paper and in person; from your first application to your final round interview.  Show prospective employers and recruiters that your talents align with their mission and vision. 

Your resume drives first impressions and proves whether or not you are ready, willing and able to do the job.  To strengthen your resume, embrace the critical P’s: polish, “parsability”, presence, personality, professionalism and persuasiveness.  If you’re not sure how, find out!

Does Your Resume:

1.  Appeal to your audience?  Your resume should be visually appealing to live people AND work well within the software that reads and parses your resume FIRST so use keywords specific to the posting, especially the actual job title you are seeking.  Eliminate fancy fonts, hard line breaks, graphics and tables as automated systems don’t read these well and may reject your resume outright.  

2.  Have star presence?  Do you stand out amongst hundreds of applicants?  With so much competition in the job market these days, it does not pay to promote yourself with a generic, boring, run-of-the mill template.  Breathe life into your resume and let your talent and personality shine through.  You are more than just a warm body – prove it! 

3.  Convey a crisp, clean and concise appearance?  This goes far beyond proofreading for typos.  Demonstrate your marketability.  Assure prospective employers that you will represent their company professionally, at all times, right from the very start.      

4.  Demonstrate the impact you’ve had in previous roles?  Recognize that simply listing what you can do is no substitute for showcasing how well you can do it.  Quantify your accomplishments.  Your resume is an exercise in persuasive argument.  Don’t let a poor attitude, faulty assumptions, desperation or apathy leave their mark on your resume.

Your Job Search Strategy:

Ensure your materials are truly excellent in all respects.  But don’t stop there!  Your resume (and cover letter) directly support your overall job search strategy.  Do NOT be generic – it will not pay off for you.  If your materials are not easy to customize, your document strategy is already blown.  How quickly, easily, and effectively you can customize your application materials will directly impact your overall job search strategy. 

-Lisa

 Need more help?  Visit the Change Your Job, Change Your Life website at: http://changeyourjob.us 

Nobody’s Going to “Give” It to You – Make Your Own Luck

Look at Current Realities:
I’ve recently been asked this question by a frustrated job seeker who has been looking for work for more than one year, “Why won’t anyone give me a chance?”  Given current realities, I felt I needed to get tough with my answer while still demonstrating the compassion I genuinely feel within such scenarios.  

My response:  there isn’t much incentive for employers to “give” someone a chance unless they see very clearly how it will benefit them. While the question is likely borne out of discouragement and exhaustion, and understandably so, it undermines the job search or advancement process by suggesting an expectation of entitlement.  Not intended, but usually interpreted that way.

Market Yourself:
We all have to establish our merits on our own and market them accordingly. We are all sales managers and project managers in one sense or another. Understand the need to construct a justification, solicit buy-in, counter opposition, and make the outcome very clear and tangible for others.  Knowing that, it can still be a real struggle to convince prospective employers that you are worth the effort necessary on their part to notice, listen to, and hire you.

This idea runs parallel to how small business owners need to market effectively (and consistently) to gain needed exposure and credibility.  Therefore, if you’ve ever thought about working for yourself instead of job searching, I can assure you they are one in the same. 

Yes, bad breaks happen; but lucky ones do, too, if you’re actively helping luck happen.  Often, “luck” is being in the right place, at the right time.  Luck will NOT happen while you are sitting at home surfing the web for job postings or going to networking meetings only to stand in the corner while thinking such events are a waste of time.  Harsh, but true.   

Luck is comprised of what you choose to do and act upon.  How will you live today?  How will your choices and actions generate luck? In other words, what will you do INSTEAD of chasing online job leads?

Re-frame Your Expectations:
It is this type of phrasing, about “wanting to be given a chance”, that I would encourage people to look at closely and re-frame in a way that gives you a greater sense of control over your own destiny.  Yes, this can be further complicated by cultural and social norms.  One can argue about age, health issues, lacking the perfect credentials, power structures or about how much control anyone really has.  A double-edged sword, to be sure!  The point is to take control when and where you can – starting with YOU.  
 
Reality Check:
What is so interesting about this current job market is that it has forced all job seekers to take on an unpaid sales internship in the school of life.  This is a harsh truism if you normally would never pursue a sales position because it runs counter to how you feel about presenting yourself to others. Culturally, it’s like everybody is participating in some kind of global, HR-sponsored, strengths-building exercise for which nobody wanted to sign up.  Such is life… so take it on with everything you’ve got!
 
You might consider the above message to be something of a “no-brainer”.  That said, be vigilant against uttering defeatist phrases throughout your job search or quest for advancement.  Tell yourself every day that you CAN do this, you ARE worth the extra effort, you WILL succeed…  IF you do the work and focus on the most effective tasks with patience and inner strength.
 
Keep your energy, enthusiasm and goals alive.   You can do this!  Ask me how.

-Lisa

Want more help?  Visit http://changeyourjob.us 

Audit Your Progress with “Budget vs. Actual” Measures

One of the greatest frustrations around job search is how little control one has regarding the outcome. However, you CAN control some things and it’s important that you DO in order to avoid the sense of general hopelessness and apathy that plagues many job seekers.

Control Your Job Search:
To stay in control, make your job search tangible with measurable milestones along the way. Let’s take a page out of any budget manager’s toolkit, the “budget versus actual” comparison.

Budget or allocate what should ideally happen as part of your job search activities that YOU can control. Ideal outcomes are goals. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals for the Next 7 days:
• Choose 1 job title to focus upon and make sure every line of your resume fully supports this goal, directly or indirectly, from start to finish.
• Locate the names of 10 companies, within 10 miles from home, that have a history of employing people to do what you do best. Document your efforts.
• Prepare 1 brief, pleasant, and professional message that you can use and customize as needed within LinkedIn that: a) acknowledges something you know about the company, b) highlights three essential skills you’ve developed toward your specified goal, and c) requests a few minutes of the person’s time to discuss how and when the company is likely to hire for the role in question. Have others proofread your message. Ensure it reads clearly and is typo-free.
• Outreach to 10 new individuals in those companies through LinkedIn who directly impact the hiring process such as Recruiters or HR Directors and related job titles such as Department Chair, Operations Manager, Nurse Supervisor, etc. Document your efforts.
• Apply for 5 positions of interest that fit the specific job title identified, customizing your resume and cover letter to fully fit the description, and taking the necessary time to research the company to understand what they are about, what they do best, mission and vision, and to locate the name and title of an individual to specifically address your materials. Document your efforts.

Compare Ideals Against Reality:
At the end of the 7 day period, review what actually happened as a result of your efforts. Compare actual results against your budgeted goals. Count successful completions as appropriate and accurate. Which ones did you complete? How so or why not? Measure the gap.

Additional Job Search Metrics:
• Of the 10 outreach attempts, count the number that respond positively by the end of the 7 day period. Of those who do, invite them to formally connect with you via LinkedIn. Follow up once more with those who haven’t responded.
• Count the total number of connections you have. Then count and “tag” the number that fall into each of the following categories: hold same job title you want, recruiter or HR representative, hiring manager for a position you desire, otherwise affiliated with your industry, and unrelated to your industry or goal. Calculate the percentages of each category as represented in your network. Which categories are strong (i.e. 20% or higher) and which categories are in critical need of strengthening? You should further refine this by narrowing categories and tags to your targeted geographic area.
• Review which online posting boards have yielded the best results. Of those that do, continue to use them. Of those that don’t use them less or replace with another. If none of them have yielded positive results, have your resume and cover letter professionally evaluated.  Smaller, niche sites like Hireway are recommended over large, general job boards.
• Organize all your job search notes in a systematic way that is easy to develop further. Update them daily, or at least weekly. Use the “holes” in your information to guide your next steps.
• If your job search efforts have been largely unsuccessful over the past 90+ days, start over. Look at this as a brand new job search period that will last 90-120 days, maximum. Restructure your search strategy and identify critical measures in advance. Track your progress daily or weekly. Focus twice as much on networking, outreach, and developing critical contacts than pursuing online job leads (follow the strategy listed above).

Continuously Improve the Quality of Your Job Search:
You can measure your progress in multiple ways: ratio of applications to interview requests, number of informational interviews requested compared to number granted, ratio of applications to followup activities within 1 week, and more. Come up with metrics of your own and tweak your process as you go.

You can do this. Plus, feel free to suggest additional metrics!

-Lisa

Get on board and make full use of this amazing professional tool!

Whether you are job searching or looking to build your professional contacts for any reason, LinkedIn has become the tool of choice. And while many people join, few make full use of this amazingly dynamic application to find new employment, develop new business leads, locate mentors, etc.

Six “Must Try” LinkedIn Tips:

1. Make a list of 4-5 marketing messages you want to convey about yourself across your network. Use the messages to update the Network Activity box on your Home page every 3 days.

2. Compare your resume with your online profile. Make edits to your profile based on your resume to ensure they mesh and do not create a sense of disconnect from one to the other.

3. List your public profile URL on your resume – can be included in a line at very end that reads something like, “LinkedIn profile contains Recommendations and Samples of Work” with the link pasted in just below the statement. You can customize your public profile URL, too.

4. Solicit recommendations. Send formal recommendation requests to people who know you and can vouch for your work. In your message, specifically ask them to comment on your technical talents, business-savvy, ability to work very well with others, etc. Think about what will best support your professional goals. Return the favor. Go to your Profile tab and select Recommendations to start the process.

5. Dig into your network connections list. Figure out which ones are strong allies that can support your job search efforts – recruiters, hiring managers, HR people, agency heads, etc – and organize them using the “tags” feature in ways that will make sense to you and allow you to hone in on them quickly.

6. Find companies of interest. Choose the More tab at the top of your LinkedIn page and select Companies. It will show you which companies are already represented in your network. You can browse by Industry. Pull up a list of companies close to home that mesh with your current or desired job title. Think specifically about your career and other professional goals. Which companies should you target in order to best position yourself to get ahead?

Additional tips include:

* Think about how you might showcase samples of your work – either display things you already have or create mock-ups to show off your abilities. The Box.Net application is excellent for attaching files to your Profile. You can attach your resume – just be sure to remove your mailing address and other information you do not want shared with the world at large.

* Make new connections regularly but focus on quality over quantity. Go above and beyond the standard, “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” message by saying why you would like to connect. And don’t indicate they are a “friend” unless that is really and truly the case.

* Find out where you rank in a People search using 2-3 essential keywords and your location. For example, if you are an Accountant in Minneapolis, or a Zoologist in Madrid, conduct a People search using those two terms and click through the results pages to see where you rank. This helps you gauge how quickly recruiters will be able to find you, if at all. Ideally, your name will appear in the Top 10 (if not, Lisa can help!).

Enjoy!

-Lisa

Self-promotion is the art of advocating for and championing yourself.  Therefore, knowing “how” starts with knowing you.  Who are you at the core?  What do you value most?  What do you believe about yourself that is good, positive and “true” in the eyes of others?  Beyond this, evaluate your comfort zone.  When have you pushed beyond the norm and found success?  Conversely, when have your attempts to push forward in new ways led to a less-than-stellar outcome?  Why? What variables were in play?  Where do you draw the line between self-advocacy and obnoxious bragging?  Allow this valuable knowledge to strengthen your efforts.

Knowing When:
Knowing “when” is prefaced by the choices available.  In what ways might you promote yourself further?  Consider the following possibilities…

• Approaching your boss and your HR department and discussing advancement pathways.
• Weighing in with your insightful expertise on a discussion topic online.
• Leading a high-visibility committee at work.
• Volunteering to assist a cause or group that strategically aligns with your own goals.
• Focusing your job search efforts on a select set of companies.
• Joining and actively participating in professional networking groups or Toastmasters International or similar.

The key to all of this is knowing your audience.  Too often, we focus on our own needs and goals without adequately understanding and appreciating the needs of others in the equation.  Your audience is a key variable which impacts best timing.  What do they need?  What are their goals?  What do they fear?  What do they respond favorably to versus badly?  The “when” question requires you to understand the ebb and flow of impact over time.  How does the pendulum swing?  The key is to catch that wave on an upswing toward a favorable direction.  Self-promotion is about successful persuasion.

Knowing Where:
The “where” question also hinges upon your audience’s attitude or temperament.  Has your boss been supportive of you or others in the recent past?  Does your company preach (and actually honor) a “you scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours” philosophy?  Are there companies in your geographic location who have routinely employed persons with your level of skill and qualifications?  What is their plan to develop human capital over the next few months and how can you fit in to that plan?  This is a key question to ask: whether at the executive level of your current company, at job fairs, via LinkedIN, through informational interviews in person… find ways to ask that question of the most knowledgeable people.  Listen carefully, probe further, and seek to fully understand.

Which begs the real question here: Who are the people that are best-positioned to act on your message and what is their perception of you?  Not sure?  Find out and tailor your self-advocacy efforts accordingly.

Good luck!

-Lisa