Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Your answer to this question may depend on your employment status, your age, or your education level. It might depend on the type of work you do, your view of long-term unemployment or how you define a crisis.

If you define a crisis as a condition of instability or danger, leading to change, unemployment of any duration might be a crisis. Likewise if you define a crisis as dramatic emotional or circumstantial upheaval in your life, short or long-term unemployment might be a crisis.

This morning I will drive to Cambridge to attend a conference at MIT.  The conference is sponsored by MIT Sloan Management & IWER Institute for Work & Employment Research and is entitled “The Crisis of Long Term Unemployment: What Can be Done?”

Since last fall, I have been involved with an amazing group of researchers lead by Ofer Sharone, MIT Sloan and a group of dedicated professionals at the Institute for Career Transitions (ICT) who have been studying and assisting a specific group of the Long-Term Unemployed.  In full disclosure I am one of the Inaugural Volunteers with the Institute for Career Transitions (ICT).

The agenda is full.  It includes policymakers, researchers, coaches, and people who are unemployed or until recently have been unemployed for a long time.  Here are a few of those who will speak and share information today: Abe Gorelick, Ofer Sharone, John Fugazzie, and Joe Carbone.

I look forward to sharing with you the initial research results and insights from Ofer Sharone’s work.  Unemployment long-term or short term can be complex. I know that because my clients share their stories and I too have walked the path of unemployment.

Being unemployed can be a path of shame, uncertainty and amazing innovation and rebirth.  The path can be a place where one feels alone, disappointed or vulnerable. As well as a journey of joy, excitement and new adventures, each journey is unique.

If you or someone you know has been unemployed for a period of time and feeling vulnerable take action. Read and reflect on this statement by Brene Brown “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.”

Your assignment as you reflect on vulnerability:

1) step forward toward change, creativity and innovation by taking action; pause today to speak face to face with someone about your value and the work you want do.

2) take action every day to help someone else achieve a task or goal.

Sharing your value with others will take practice. Taking an action to help someone is easier than you think.  The simple act of holding the door for someone can help someone achieve the task of entering a building.

Life is lived as a series of small steps and actions.  You accelerate your search and your success by connecting, learning, and helping others.

Above I shared some of the amazing people I will learn from, connect with and help today to achieve their goals and tasks.  Who will you connect with, learn from or help today?

In work, play and life relationships matter.  When assisting your department or team with projects and deliverables both internal and external relationships are critical.  The relationships you have with co-workers, bosses and vendors are also vital when organization leaders are discussing personnel moves.

According to data published by Great Place to Work Institute, 30% of positions in the 100 Best Companies are filled internally.  Your work does get noticed.

You need a strategy to build and nurture your internal and external networks.  What’s yours?  Is it any of these three?

1. Wait till you need something, then ask.
2. Help others all the time, hoping they will help you in the future, or
3. Create a balanced approach that includes getting to know people so that you understand what is important to them and creating results that are of value to your network.

You may have guessed the third strategy is the one I recommend.  It is too easy to spend time and energy on items that take up time yet net minimal real results.

Technology is a wonderful tool, yet it can too easily rob you of the opportunity of spending quality time with your boss, peers, friends, business associates and possible employers.  Take a good look at your relationships.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who are you meeting with face-to-face?
• Who do you need to add to the list?
• What priorities, outcomes or results can you impact now?  In 3 months?  A year?
• What priorities, outcomes or results can your team impact now?  In 3 months?  A year?
• Who knows you?
• Who is getting the results you want to achieve?

Being promotable requires marketing yourself and your results.  One of the more productive ways to market yourself is to understand, nurture and build key relationships.

What are three things you will do in the next 30 days to learn more about others, enhance your current relationships or connect with those who need to know you?

The world around you runs on ideas, thoughts, judgements and conclusions.  Those you interact with help write your story.  Some will fill in the blanks with a “good” story, others with a “bad” story.   But, they are not the only ones influencing your story  — you are also are critical to the story told, to your reputation.

Ask people what they have too little of and odds are the response will be, “Time and money.”  Usually in that order.  With most of the world feeling the time crunch, people will naturally look for the fastest, shortest and easiest way to do things.  Can you relate?

People are built, at least in my view, to look for the shortest and quickest path possible to a decision or the solution to their issue.  Employers are people.  Employers, especially hiring managers, seek information from others to help solve their problems and get more done, in less time.

This is where your reputation [a.k.a., your personal brand] comes into play.  Your reputation includes what others think and feel when they interact with you -AND- what others are saying about you.  These things speak volumes and impact your success and the speed at which you land your next position.

As a kid, my mother would say, “Cindy, your reputation precedes you. Think about who you hang out with and what you do.”   I did not get it then.  I saw it as nagging and assumed she just didn’t like my group of friends.  However, she was right.

A reputation, whether great, good, neutral, poor or bad, is critical.  Your reputation alone can be the reason you receive an interview, or not.

Recently, I read a description of your reputation as a “shadowy twin.”  A twin that is everywhere and ensures you are in two places at once.  Be sure your “shadowy twin” is helping you rather than causing harm to your career.

You and your reputation are always evolving.  If you are currently seeking a promotion, are in career transition, or thinking of a career move, pause and look at your reputation.

Discover how to be your own best ambassador, both in person and online.  Understand how others view you.  Leverage that information to enhance your online profiles and all your professional and personal communication.

As people, including recruiters and hiring manager, seek to make quick decisions and draw conclusions about your value and whether or not to offer you an interview, make sure your reputation is working for you.  Don’t let your LinkedIn profile, resume or emails wound — or worse yet — assassinate your career. 

What time or energy have you invested in positively communicating you reputation?

How do others view you?

When was the last time you paused and really looked at how your unique values comes across to those who are making hiring decisions?

Do you have a question about communicating your reputation?  Post it below or contact me.

Do you know what the best companies look for during interviews?

In a January post (“What It Takes to Get Hired at One of the Best Places to Work“) China Gorman, the former COO and interim CEO of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and current CEO for Great Place to Work Institute shared several insights from high-level recruiters.

These four interview pointers, from the post, will help you stand out and impress:

1.  Being able to articulate your alignment with the company’s mission and values (and explain why they resonate with you);

2.  Doing exceptional “homework” and truly understanding the business and key competitors going into an interview;

3.  Being able to discuss how you plan to impact the company; and,

4.  Demonstrating passion, curiosity, and (a big one!) innovation.

Employers and recruiters consistently share that interviewees who look good on paper (resumes and online profiles) don’t always impress in an interview.

Are you prepared to interview?   Are you ready to articulate how you can impact the company and why the organization’s mission and values resonate with you?

Don’t walk into another interview and immediately be knocked out of the running.  When you are prepared to interview, the interview becomes a great business conversation culminating in a plan to move forward.

I invite you to join me for the next one-day Interview Boot Camp at the end of March — or feel free to contact me if you have other questions on acing your interview.

The recent news of high-profile data breaches has IT professionals reminding us of the importance of protecting our personal information.  Data breaches are costly to both companies and individuals.  If you have ever experienced a personal data breach you know how much time (and hassle!) it takes to clear up the situation.

Where is your career data stored?  Is is current?  Is it secure?  Can you access it with ease?

If you are exploring a new position or promotion, you are busy.  A commonly overlooked task is ensuring the security of your career data.  Knowing the location of your data, ensuring it is current and accessing it with ease is important.  When you can access your information quickly, people view you as prepared, organized and on top of your personal matters.

Since you are already gathering tax information this time of year, set aside a bit of additional time to gather, update and secure your career data.  Then, when you get “the call” you can quickly provide all the information requested.  You will be glad you invested the time to ensure your online career data is current, secure and accessible.

Your LinkedIn account is a good place to start.  Next, move to your email and company directory bios.  Finally, create a list of all your online accounts and move through the list.  Use the following six steps to assist you:

1.  Change your password.  Use different passwords for different sites.

2.  Review and update your “Privacy Settings.”

3.  Update your email or digest settings; turn off those you don’t need or use.

4.  Verify your contact information.  Update as appropriate.

5.  Check your links to websites and other accounts.  Update as needed.

6.  Read your profile.  Update as needed.

Final tip — take out your calendar and add an appointment in 90 days to review your information.  Maintaining your career data by setting regular appointments creates a simple habit that reduces stress and worry.

Does your LinkedIn profile need a little TLC?  Contact me to set up a LinkedIn profile review.

Here are six tips that ease stress, magnify minor acts and help you sustain your career year after year.  Success and unending happiness are not far from your reach.

1.  Harness the unique power of good habits.  Be a slave to habits grounded in the principles important to you.  You will quickly tap into amazing opportunities, success and wealth beyond your current imagination.

2.  Act every day with intention.  Do the work you need to do.  Focus on the blind spots that hold you back.  Discard the notion that the acts of preparation, reflection and work on yourself is busy work.  Those who decide only to do surface personal work for fear of what they will uncover stall career growth and progress, holding desired success inches out of reach. Overwhelm and doubt always knock at the door of minimal action.

3.  Believe in yourself.  Believe in your strengths, your gifts and your skills.  Believe in all that you are.  The unique journey before you is leading you to success.  Belief in yourself is not optional, it is required.  Believe NOW!

4.  Initiate, practice and repeat.  Your simple commitment to repeating productive practices push failure out of sight.  Repetition soon creates habits which will subdue activities that previously lead you astray.

5.  Today, not tomorrow, is the day to begin.  Why waste another beautiful and amazing day you can never recapture?

6.  Success awaits you.  It is yours, uniquely given.  Be ready, able and willing to embrace those daily actions that many already call habits.

Habits create processes and ease stress.  Habits will magnify strengths and sustain your career success and unending happiness.

What powerful habit energizes you?  Post your habit and how it boosts your career below.

What is your fear?  Telling the truth?  Sharing your truth?  Or, perhaps, of being rejected?

Fear can stop you in your tracks.  Why?

First, it is not easy or comfortable to step into your truth.  Second, telling and sharing your truth and what makes you unique makes you vulnerable.  Third, some will reject you for your truth.

“When you are true to yourself, people will love the truth in you” – Stacey Martino

The above quote is from an amazing woman I am honored to know.  She has built a business that few would dare to.

Additionally, she is sunny, bubbly, warm, open and highly excitable.  Stacey can be loud and describes herself as “overly-loving.”  To be in her presence is like unlocking a door and walking into a room filled with pure joy and fun.

So what does this have to do with you securing your ideal job?  Absolutely everything!

Stacey Martino is a person who knows herself.  She discovered she wanted to be herself all the time and she stopped hiding her strengths and talents because of fear.    A few weeks ago, in her blog, Stacey shared she was afraid of, “getting crushed by people who wipe the floor with OPEN people like me.”

Stacey didn’t ask me, but if she did, I would absolutely tell her to include that she is a sunny, bubbly, warm, open and sometimes loud and highly excitable person in her résumé.  Would this screen her out of some jobs as a marriage counselor?  ABSOLUTELY!

Why?  Simple.  There are workplaces, that no matter her skills, education or experience, her unique style would not be appreciated and in the end it would not serve the organization or her.  The result?  You guessed it — rejection!

If any of these fears are holding you back, consider this:  when your resume is one of 200 (or more!) being considered for a single position, it is not only your skills and career history that are reviewed.  Résumés need to be sifted and sorted and the pool narrowed to the select few who will be granted an interview.  In the end, your “unique truth” plays a huge role in securing an interview, a second interview and an offer.  Each applicant brings a unique and different dimension to a potential position, in addition to their skills and experience.  Remember, hiring is a process and not a perfect science.

Believe it or not, hiring managers are looking to make the best decisions using the facts they have or can obtain.  Every organization and every hiring manager needs to narrow the field and the methods used to do this vary.  Some immerse themselves in the pile of résumés, others search LinkedIn profiles or request recommendations from key contacts — some do it all.

Although there are proven methods to improve your results, getting your resume to land atop the pile can be a frustrating process.  And, while everyone understands how maddening the process can be, few are willing to do what it takes to positively impact their results.

The truth about who you are, what you do and how you do it helps in this process.  So does the truth that you are loud and fun!

Yes, many résumés are filled with lies.  Many lies are easy to spot.  Such as when a résumé states “excellent writer” and then the résumé is filled with bad grammar and misspellings.   Many more résumés simply omit the truth.

Have you neglected to help the hiring manager say “Yes!” to you?

Have you omitted your unique value and your truth in your résumé?

Are you pursuing a search of limiting your rejection rate in lieu of a search to land the job you want?

If you are unsure how to add your unique value to your résumé or you need assistance landing the job you want, contact me.

Everyday you have opportunities to connect, build relationships and get your brand in front of decision-makers.  Businesses understand the value of this type of connection.  Think about it.  Everyday you receive coupons and offers via snail mail or company newsletters via email.  Why do they invest time and resources in staying in touch?  Simple.  They want you to think of them when you need their product or service.

For example:  If I need a plumber and the plumber I met at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last March mailed me a note, then a coupon, then another note and enclosed a refrigerator magnet with his logo, website and phone number, odds are good that the magnet is on my refrigerator or at least I will recall his name when I (or a friend) need a plumber.

Starting this year, find or create a system for staying in touch with your network and getting those people to be your brand ambassadors.

How do you get started?  Follow the steps below:

1. Create your list.

Who needs to know you?  Start small and focus on key influencers.  You are not building a mass marketing list.  Think of the people you really want to connect with during the first quarter of the year and those you will stay in touch with throughout the year.

2. Make your regular connection all about them.

Whether you craft a note, letter or email (I recommend giving snail mail a try), don’t go on and on about you.  Focus on what the person means to you, acknowledge them as a person and thank them for previous projects — you can even share an experience or fun memory you’ve had with them in the past.  If appropriate, you can mention what you are doing or ask to connect in person.  Don’t send your card, but do add your phone number under your signature or in other appropriate places.

3. Think about your system and how you plan to continue to connect.

A personalized plan is best.  Decide how often you will stay in touch.  Once per quarter is ideal — more often and you are less likely to actually follow-up (or your contacts may begin to wonder why you have so much time on your hands!).  Add holidays, business events and personal events like birthdays or work anniversaries to your systemized plan.

4. Have an impact and make a statement.

This method of connection also helps your network connect with the things that are important to you.  Do you run in charity events?  You could send a card that also supports that cause.  If you are a golfer, send a postcard from your favorite course.  Or design a card yourself using your own personal color of ink.  My plumber does not send coupons for his services, but rather for purchasing trees to help with reforestation and he sends recipes for his favorite cookies around the year-end holidays.  What have I now learned about my plumber?

5. Mix it up.

Don’t always do the same thing — be creative.  There are many tools to help you find creative ways to “reach out and touch” your network.

Connecting, nurturing and staying in touch with your network is a necessity.  Being known and trusted requires being present.  If you wish to leverage your network, you must invest in your network.  Personal marketing, building relationships and connecting helps others know you, which in turn, helps your career and your brand.  When others know who you are they are able to speak to your uniqueness and value.

Connecting with your network is not just a job search task, it is a career management must.  What is your plan for this year?  How will you really connect with your network?

In late January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

“What simple things do you do every day that impact your life and income?”

“Please share the ones that absolutely help you enjoy life and work and improve your personal income.”

I recently asked the above questions to my clients and colleagues earning 6+ figures.  While not a scientific survey, I’ve compiled the top and most common tips to share with you.

Why do so?  To help you make 2014 a year of improved performance, higher earnings and, simply, more fun!  Perhaps you too can adopt a few of the things that these highly productive, and happy, people find helpful.

Here are the results:

1.  Maintain your health and care for yourself.  Eat right, rest and exercise.  Self-care, staying fit and maintaining your health adds to your wealth and well-being.    This is a top tip on almost every list!

2.  Know yourself and leverage your strengths.  Performance and earnings increase when you do what you do best.

   “Once I learned to stop focusing on and trying to fix weaknesses, my income jumped 26.5 %.  What an impact that had on me and my family.”  – DDA

3.  Look ahead and set goals.  Know where you want to be in a year, 5 years and 10 years from now.

4.  Maintain personal discipline and be organized.  The tips on this vary.  While there is no one way to do this, each person queried stated that having a set of rules or guidelines for achieving tasks and goals is important.  Whether lists, calendars or assistants, find your system and use it daily.

5.  Read and continue to learn.  Read books, newspapers and blogs.  Read to your kids or family.  Learn and stay current.  Many shared they re-read books that impacted them.  Odds are when you re-read a book, you will learn something new.

6.  Market yourself and stay connected.  One of my mentor says, “Not marketing yourself is selfish.”  Share your talents and passions with everyone who needs to know — you never know when you can be of service.

7.  Invest your time wisely.  Time is the great equalizer.  We all have the same amount of time each day.  Think about, plan and invest your time wisely.  Invest in yourself each day.  If you don’t invest in yourself and think you are worth investing in — why would others take a risk on you?

8.  Don’t fly by the seat of your pants.  It is fine to take risks and to be spontaneous, but know the impact of what you are doing and then decide what you want to do.  Don’t just allow things to happen.  Make a decision.

9.  Be personally responsible.  Whether the outcome is good or not so good, own what you do.  When you’ve made a mistake, own it, and figure out how to correct the action.

10.  Be who you are.  Be comfortable in your own skin.  Know who you are and show and share it with the world!

Enjoy these tips.  Adapt them to help you.  Unleash your uniqueness, your energy and earn what you deserve this year.

Do you have a great tip?  Post it below.

In late January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

My wish for you is amazing abundance and success in the new year.  You possess everything you need to launch a fun, exciting and prosperous 2014!

Now, you might have a doubt or two.  We all do sometimes.  Turn all that doubt, fear and stress into belief, hope and absolute optimism.  Before you stop and say, “Forget it!” — remember your thoughts drive your beliefs, your beliefs drive your attitudes, your attitude drives your behaviors and your behaviors drive your results.  All results are impacted by your thoughts — your happiness, abundance, prosperity, who you are and how the world sees you.

If you don’t like your results, look at your thoughts first.  Your thoughts and your focus are the drivers of who you are and who you become.  Below is a four-step process to help you move forward with optimism:

1. Select one of your distressing thoughts.  For example, you made a call and the call was not returned.
2. Change the distressing thought into a successful thought, i.e., I placed a call and it was returned within 2 days.  Notice that finding successful thoughts is as simple as looking for the opposite.
3. For the next 24 hours repeat the success thought 7-9 times during the day.  You are on your way to changing your thoughts.
4. Repeat this practice for 21 days.  Yes, the average time to change a thought or a habit.  Warning:  it may take more than a few days before you repeat only the success thought.  The old distressing thought is a habit and you may repeat it before you check it and return to the success thought.  That is O.K. — just stay the course.

Change your thoughts, change your life.  May you have all the change and success you desire in the coming new year!

Have an amazing year!