drum

The marketplace (and world) is full of noise and doubt.  It can be easy to listen to the voices of doubt.  Sometimes the melody of doubt becomes a song to lull you into inaction.  If this happens you may find yourself sitting still in fear.

Change the beat.  That’s right — have the courage to listen to your REAL call to action and move forward with faith.

Everyone desires success and wants life to be easy.  Me, too!   Yes, doubt can set-in anytime.  When it does, if you listen to the long sad song over and over, you will begin to believe it.  That song will be the only song you sing or hear.  Soon everyone around you tunes into your beat and doubts you, too.

You can’t just keep “dancing to the beat” of fussing with your résumé or filling out online applications and expect someone to call you.  Unfortunately, time is not on your side.  Being out of work for a period of time does impact your value in the market and adds to the doubt you have about your next job and the doubt others have in you.

If you are ready to stop making excuses and be back to work soon, it is time to take action!

Where to start?

First – BELIEVE!  Believe that results will come as a result of your actions.  Have faith that you are enough.  By nurturing and believing in your vision you become a magnet for success and prosperity.

Next, feel CONFIDENT in your values, skills and the job you perform.  Be aware of your doubts and negative feelings or you may miss out on available opportunities.

Then you must ACT!

Begin by assessing your network.  Take inventory of the people you know.  Do you need to grow and nurture your current network?  As in any business, inventory is an asset and impacts your bottom line.  Take inventory now.

Create a plan to connect and stay connected.  Who knows you?  Who likes you?  Who trusts you?  What is the best way to connect?  How will you stay connected?

Execute your plan.  Who will you call this week?  Pick up the phone.  Connect with people.  If you don’t have opportunities for a job in your pipeline you need to change the beat and expand your network.

Add volunteering one day per week to your plan.  Do work for any organization that you want and do any kind of work you can.  The work does not need to be in your field or improve your skills.  If it enhances your skills, great, if it does not that is okay, too — you will be dancing to a new beat one day per week.

At the end of the day, the fastest way to stop listening to the beat of your doubts is to decide what results you want and take action to achieve it and dance to a new beat!

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forwardWill you move your career goals forward this year?

Is a new or better job on your list of New Year’s resolutions?  If your goals include building, accelerating and sustaining your career or finding a new or better position in the months ahead, here are three steps to help you:

 

1.  Assess your current situation.

  • Where are you today?
  • What would you like to be different in your career six months from now?
  • What’s important to you about the work you do?
  • What is the right fit for you and your lifestyle now?
  • What do you want your lifestyle to be 10 years from now?
  • Why is changing your current career situation important?
  • Do your career marketing materials promote you in a credible and distinctive manner?
  • What enhancements do your career marketing tools need?

2.  Create an action plan.

  • Who are the 25 people who need to know you and your career goals?
  • Who else needs to know you?
  • How will you get in front of the people who need to know about you?
  • What are 3 things you will do this week to connect with these people?
  • How will you follow-up and reconnect with the people who need to know you?

3.  Set up an execution strategy.

  • What are going to do every single day to execute your plan?
  • How will you measure and evaluate your results?

Do you need some help?  If so, let’s connect.

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2015

This year, 2015, holds infinite possibilities for you.  The big question is, “What will you do to leverage the possibilities before you?”

Will you continue with a flurry of activities with little focus?

Will you continue to do what you have been doing and simply expect different results?

What is your number one goal for 2015?  Have you written it down?

Did you include an “achieve by date” for your goal?

Here is my formula for new job goals:

On or before __<insert date: Month, Day, Year> __ I am happy and enjoying the work I do in my new job as a _<insert job title> __ or better.   I am grateful for this job and the opportunities it provides to my family and me.

It is a powerful tool.  I invite all of you seeking a new job, or a promotion, to use this formula.  Read your goal daily.  Add focused intentional action to find the job you want.  Success awaits you.  Contact me and let me know your results.  I’d love to add you to my list of those who report amazing results.

Accelerate your search, accelerate your success.

Have an amazing 2015!

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holiday blues

The holiday rush is on.  The New Year is right around the corner.

This season is full of activities, energy and hope.  But, that is not always the case for unemployed people searching for a new job.

In the United States, we still have millions of unemployed or underemployed people — many of who feel lost, forgotten and sad.

Businesses, in all regions, are still struggling to find employees with the skills they need.

The holiday season presents challenges for both employers and potential candidates.  For many job seekers, the holiday season can intensify emotions, stifle momentum or even bring discouragement to an all-time high.

I have helped thousands of people with their job search and hundreds of top executives.  No matter what your level, expertise or industry almost all job seekers experience dry spells, dips in results, and times when confidence and hope seem lost.

If you have been unemployed for any period of time, there are points where you may need more than job search help.  Please seek assistance when you need it.  Little obstacles not resolved can turn into big barriers to your next job.

Whether you are in a state of depression and need medical help or need help with heat/food there are many resources.  Many you will never know about if you don’t ask for help.  There is no disgrace in asking for assistance.  We all need help in some form during our lives.

If you are experiencing a dip in expected results or feel like you have “hit the wall” in your job search, don’t worry, it is not uncommon.  Below are a few tips to ward off the blues or at least help you regain your momentum.

1.   Know your what you offer.

Learn how the market views your offering and who needs your skills and experience.

Be willing to flex your approach to the market.  Being open and realistic about your local market can help you maintain your focus and manage your fears.

Statistically, the time it takes to become re-employed has changed from 2007 to 2014.  If you want to learn more, here is a presentation for MIT Alumni by Ofer Sharone, a leading researcher in this area.

2.  Care for yourself.  

A job search can be stressful.  Create a plan that includes healthy nutrition, exercise and down time.  Take mini-breaks daily to relax and enjoy the fresh air. Breathe — providing oxygen to your brain has been proven to help you think more clearly.

Learn to meditate and/or visualize your actions.  Either, or both, help!

3.  Build and maintain a support system.

Stress and/or focused activity often causes humans to draw inward.  Most humans function best within a community.

Think about work teams and life structures, like our cities and towns.  People are social creatures and like to help, share and want others to be successful.

The U.S. culture also teaches us not to butt in.  So if you don’t reach out and ask for help you may find that the people around you are shy about offering assistance.

Ask.  You will be surprised what like-minded people will share.

Talk.  Conversations open many doors.

Join.  Professional groups, support groups and engage in your community.

Give.  Share your expertise or lessons learned.  Thank those who help you.

Receive.  Accept from those who support you.  You can always set aside an idea that does not work.  However, if you reject or are unwilling to receive, the flow of support may stop.

4.  Create a plan, take action, evaluate at benchmarks.

Finding a job requires you to market yourself.  Create a marketing plan with goals, action items and evaluation benchmarks.

Pick 3 action items daily and execute them.  Ensure 70% or more of your actions involve engaging people.  Neither voicemail nor email count as engaging people.  Interacting with people face-to-face, by phone or in groups is critical to generating ideas, support and opportunities.

Record your actions and your results and evaluate against your benchmarks/goals.

Recruit a mentor, coach, friend, family member or fellow job seeker to help you stay accountable to your goals — report to them each time a benchmark is reached.

5.  Be creative and consider alternatives.

Understand that some goals will not be achieved and others may not materialize on your timeframe.

Think about options.  How can you expand your network?   How can you create alternative income streams?  What can you do that you did not consider at the start of your search?

Test your views about temporary assignments or contract positions.  Test your beliefs about security and job tenure.

I often hear people speak about permanent or full-time jobs.  What does that mean to you?  What does that mean in the marketplace?

Be honest with yourself.  What is permanent?  If we are honest with ourselves, we realize no job is ever permanent — change happens all the time.

6.  Spend your time wisely and with the right people.

Not all tasks or people are as effective as others.  Yes, people do find jobs via job boards online, however, it is not the most common source of job leads.

Some people are helpful and positive and others are not.  When possible, stay away from negative people and situations.  If you are feeling blue, don’t spend your time with other sad or negative people.  Research shows that your body will sync with the vibrations around you.  Sad music creates a sad mood.  Upbeat music lifts the vibration of a room.

The same is true with people.  If there are people in your life that bring you down or impact your job search in a negative manner take a break from these people.

7.  Monitor your attitude.

You control how you view and react to the world.  Resilience and confidence are important.   Each are built on skills you can practice and a mindset you can develop.

Add things to your life (and your job search schedule) that bring you joy, hope and a sense of gratitude.  A simple quote or photo at the beginning of each day can lift your mood.

Understand you will have days and periods of time where your job search will plateau or drag.  Maintain focus on activities that garner results.  When you need help, seek a qualified counselor or career coach.  Build a team that provides encouragement and guidance.

Should the job search holiday blues grip you, my hope is that these tips will help.  Brighter days are ahead.  You can regain your momentum.

Have you beat the holiday blues?  Do you a tip or action that helped you?

Please share it below.  Your share might be the gift another reader needs this season.

Anyone fighting the holiday job search blues who calls me this week will receive a 30-minute one-on-one phone session during the week.  We will focus on action steps to accelerate your search and regain your momentum.  If you need help, pick up the phone.

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Join the movement #GivingTuesday . . . start a tradition . . . make a connection and share.

I first shared this last year – it is a wonderful movement and worth sharing.

As you rush into the holiday season pause, enjoy a moment of quiet reflection and thankfulness. Can you feel the calm? Moments of still can lower your stress level.

 

Here is another way to drop your stress level – help others.  Yes, that’s right; lower your stress by sharing.

Today is #GivingTuesday.  What is it all about?  It is simple.

#GivingTuesday is about giving.  It’s about people making a choice to share what they have to help others.

You can learn more about this movement and follow updates @GivingTues on Twitter or check out the movement. Here. http://www.givingtuesday.org/

You can make #GivingTuesday whatever you wish.  I have added this tradition to my calendar and I invite you to join me.

Here are my Tuesday plans:

  • Sharing a smile with everyone I see. Sharing a smile takes focus and all it will cost me is a few extra muscle movements during the day.
  • 24 simple acts of kindness, shared within my community, to help others.  Simple choices easy to execute.
  • At the end of the day, writing five notes to mail, four to people and one to an organization. In the notes will share about #GivingTuesday and give something special to help each.

Will you join me on #GivingTuesday?  

No preparation is needed.  Just set the intention, focus and share.  You can simply share a smile, a tweet or a bit of your time.

I’d love to hear what you think about #GivingTuesday and, if you elect to join the movement, what you shared. Post a comment and share your thoughts.

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You are never a loser until you quit trying.” ~ Mike Ditka

cruiseAUTOPILOT, cruise control and other automated systems are great tools.  I highly recommend them.  Putting systems in place allows you prioritize your schedule, giving you the time needed to complete the important and time-consuming tasks.

My life — and long drives — would not be the same without these tools.  I encourage you to seek out and use as many great tools as you can to help automate and streamline your life and career.  However, there is one caution I would share.

Mike Ditka got it right; I don’t believe you fail at anything unless you stop trying.  Don’t believe you can set the cruise control and assume you can stop trying.  You are still in charge of the wheel!  Using automation tools does not let you off the hook for the important work that needs to be done.  You must continue to identity and manage the high value tasks.

What are some of those high value tasks?

  • Put the time and effort into ensuring key people know your goals.
  • Be sure you know your next ideal step.
  • Communicate your goals to your network and your boss.
  • Keep a list of key people looking to hire people who do what you do.
  • Be a seeker of “opportunities.”
  • Grow and hone your skills.
  • Talk to people monthly who do what you want to do next.
  • Watch trends and the market.
  • Create a pipeline of opportunities.
  • Build relationships in various segments of your profession and industry.

And, how do you go about managing those high value tasks?

  1. Set up systems to reach out and stay in touch with key people.
  2. Schedule specific activities.  Example: Call EVP, schedule lunch, share quarterly results and upcoming personal goals.
  3. Create a specific plan for achieving your next career step.
  4. Execute one important, focused task each week.

Doing these four things will make you feel like your career is on autopilot.  It will ensure you know what you are doing each week, month, and year, to continue to move your career forward and to get the important things done without undue stress.

AUTOPILOT is a great tool — just be sure you apply the brakes (at least weekly) to slow down and take action.  You will love the results.

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vanillaEvery person on earth is unique.  You have talents and skills that lead you to do things in a way that no else can replicate.Embrace who you are.  Stop being plain vanilla.

So many of the people I work with or connect with at workshops make it their goal to simply blend in.  Why?

Blending in will not get you hired or change your career situation.  It will not help you soar, be satisfied, or earn the paycheck you desire.  No risk means no reward.

Why are you choosing the safe route?  What is holding you back?  Is it something you don’t know?  Is it support?  Are you more concerned with the risk or the reward?

If you are creating a resume, bio, LinkedIn profile or webpage it can feel risky to be anything but plain vanilla.  Honestly, sharing my unique value felt uncomfortable to me for a very long time.  After all, telling your story puts you out there in the world.  It opens you to judgment and rejection.  Yes, it makes you vulnerable.

What will people say or think?  Questions will pop up.  Here are some that popped up for me:

  • What if they think I am bragging?
  • What if no one hires me?
  • Will I be among the long-term unemployed?
  • What if I can’t find a job except for flipping burgers?
  • What will happen to my family? My home?  My pride?  My value?

Yes, telling your story is scary.  But . . . telling your story (and being vulnerable) ALSO created powerful connections.  It helps you share and realize your unique value.

So, what is your story?  How do you share your unique value?

Are you like my client whose “special sauce” is finding substantial ways to reduce expenses while still building a more reliable fleet of trucks?  When he was finally ready to share how his unique experiences shaped his integrity, work ethic and budgeting prowess, he was no longer just another candidate, he was the person the hiring managers wanted to interview.

Yes, sharing information has risks.  Yes, it means being vulnerable.  Yes, it can lead to great reward — personally and professionally.

Still on the fence about personal branding and sharing who you are?  Not sure about branding your resume, bio and online profiles?  Firm that you want to remain in your comfort zone, continuing to be plain vanilla, allowing you and your resume to blend into the pile of 80-100 resumes all seeking the position you desire?

Do me a favor — take these three actions, then decide.  Deal?

  1. Ponder this quote by Brené Brown, author of Daring Greatly:

  “Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

  1. Watch this Ted Talk by Brené Brown:  The power of vulnerability
  1. Make a list of 3 things:
  • The two worst things that could happen if you stopped being plain vanilla.
  • The one good thing that could happen if you shared your story and your unique value with a potential employer or recruiter.

If you are ready to stop being plain vanilla, let’s talk.  If you need help or support contact me.  Or if you’re ready to brand your resume get started now.

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changeWhat’s next for you?  Is it a transformation or a simple transition?

Depending on where you live, the seasonal change of summer into fall is upon us.  The changing of seasons often encourages thoughts about what is next in our lives.

If you live in New England as I do, fall is both a landscape and climate transformation.  In my native West Texas, the change from summer to fall is more subtle.   One is a transformation, the other a transition.

Seasons change.  Jobs change.  People and businesses change.  We all grow and evolve.  Sometimes the “what’s next”  is a gentle transition and other times a major transformation is in order.

Whether you are a college senior, mid-level manager or top executive, are you asking yourself:

  • What’s next for my career?
  • What do I want to do next?
  • What do I want to be doing over the next few years?

If yes, these may be signals that you are ready for a shift.  Here is a quick assignment to help you figure out what you want:

  • Write one of the above questions at the top of a blank piece of paper, then over several days set aside 9 minutes a day to brainstorm.
  • Write down all the possible ideas/answers that come to mind.
  • Add pages if needed.
  • Don’t evaluate the ideas, just jot them down.
  • At the end of the week review all the ideas.
  • Move the top 3 to 5 ideas to blank pages and continue to explore your ideas.

As you explore your ideas ask yourself these questions:

  • What would it take to do this?
  • What would be the impact of this?
  • Why do I want to do this?

When you are ready to seriously explore your ideas, discuss them with someone you trust.  Then formulate a plan and take action to create the transition or transformation you want.

Have a comment or thought?  Post it below.

Do you have a question about your search?  Feel free to contact me.

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Update LetterDo you have a target job or employer?  Are you wondering how to find or increase the number of your personal referrals?

The secret is right under your nose — engage your personal advocates.

Your personal advocates are those people who know, like and trust you.  They want the best for you, but you need to keep them in loop if they are to refer you.

 

Life is busy.  If you do not share what you are up to your advocates may not know.  Help them understand:

  • your goals
  • your target companies
  • the type of position(s) you desire
  • why you are a good fit for both your target companies and the position(s) you seek

How do you do this?  One easy tool is an Update Letter.

As you launch your search or prepare for promotion, share what you have been up to, what you are looking forward to doing, your one paragraph resume, and, as appropriate, a personal update in your Update Letter.

Create an initial list of possible advocates by reviewing your contacts, colleagues and co-workers.  Create your plan to engage your advocates by writing and sending your Update Letter and following up.

Accelerate your search — and your success — today!

Do you have tips that have helped you engage your advocates?  Feel free to share them here.

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phone

Tired of waiting for potential employers to call you?

Would you love to have a hiring manager call and say, “Could we set a time to talk and would you bring your resume with you?”

Yes?  Then it is time to create — and use — an approach letter.

An approach letter is a secret tool I have shared with clients for years.  You can use it to generate interviews and meetings.

OK, so you want the phone to ring and you’ve agreed to write the letter.  There’s just one problem.  You don’t know what to say.

You want to stand out, grab interest and clearly communicate the value you offer, but you know you can’t go on and on.

Your goal is to have the hiring manager read your letter and say aloud, “WOW, this person sounds incredible, I must talk to him!”

Writing a letter that generates that out loud reply is easier than you think.  Here are the five elements to include:

1.  Clarity.  Your letter should clearly communicate your value, purpose for the contact and the BIG benefits you offer.

2.  Specificity.  Use numbers and other specifics to communicate the scope of your value.

3.  Promise.   Your letter needs to communicate your promise of value.  Developing your personal branding helps you clearly state your big pay-off to a potential hiring manager.

4.  Relevancy.  You need to reveal why you, and what you bring to the table, is relevant to the potential hiring manager’s current need or situation.

5.  Intrigue.  Work to provoke curiosity or an urgent need to know more.

ANY time you clearly state a super specific solution, you will radically bump up your ‘”attractor-factor.”  That is the special sauce.  It is what will get a busy hiring manager to say, “WOW, I must talk to this person!”  In an instant you are not a vague unknown person in a stack of resumes.  You become relevant and offer hope that a solution is at hand.

Your assignment: Review your brand profile and these five elements.  Write the letter.  Edit it.  Proof read it.  Mail it.  Listen for the phone.

If you need some help developing a perfect approach letter or want to learn more about fine tuning your personal brand, contact me.

Unlock your potential, share your uniqueness and amazing results will occur!

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