Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Has it been more than 90 days since you last updated your résumé?

If so that is a business quarter and you should update it. Why?  You always need a current résumé to help you leverage opportunities.  Take a look at your LinkedIn profile, too – does it need to be updated?

Your résumé and your LinkedIn profile are vehicles for your marketing message.  Your marketing message is your connection to the marketplace.  The marketing message you deliver needs to be clear and compelling, if it is not you will not get the results you want.

Read your résumé and your LinkedIn profile.  Then ask yourself these questions.

What does this person do and for who (the target audience)?

People read résumés that are targeted to them.  If they must stop and figure out, who you are talking to and what you can do, your résumé will be put aside.  Who is the summary speaking to?  Would the reader believe you are speaking or writing directly to her?  Does it clearly define your industry experience, what you can do and the level of work you perform?

What problems do you solve and what do you offer?

Managers hire people to solve their problems.  Be clear about the problems that you solve and be sure they are relevant to the reader of your résumé.  If you are a manager, think about the needs of the person who will hire you.  What do they need, want and what is important to them?

How do you solve the problem or meet the needs?

Do you explain or provide enough information to help someone believe you can meet the need?  Create interest and provide proof, without these elements you will not land a conversation.  What have you done and what where the results of your actions.

Why should someone read your résumé and call you?

If you are posting or sending out your résumé, it must appeal to those you will read it.  It must make them want to take action.  Most résumés don’t do this.  I suggest you never use your résumé as the first connection people have with you when you can avoid it.  When you must do this, at least add a cover letter with a call to action and your follow up action.

Your résumé is not to land you a job.  Its goal is to open a door, start a conversation or encourage someone to learn more about you and what you can do for the organization.

Is your résumé up to date and working for you?  If not, maybe it is time to take a hard look at it and update or redo your résumé.

Want less stress in your job search?  REALLY – focus your search!

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” ~ Tony Robbins

Once you discover the power of your brand and the secret of niche marketing you will wonder why you pushed back at this idea at all.  The truth is your value increases when you focus on a specific niche.

You have many skills and a wealth of experience, so you could do many jobs and do them well.  Instead of “being open” or looking at every job you could do examine your niche.

What is on brand for you? Where do your strengths fit and serve best?  What experience do you have that is in demand?  What interest or experience do you have that you want to use? What industry or company do you want to work in and why?

If  you are a comptroller or a manager you could work almost anywhere.  If you have experience in three different channels of trade or industries your possible market is very big and general.  Instead of marketing yourself to all three industries and all the companies within those industries who could use the services of a comptroller or manager – STOP. Ask the questions above.  These will help you narrow your niche.

Within an industry there are many companies, large, small, old new, socially active or not so much – get specific as you answer the questions.  Then ask again, “why do I want to work for this industry and company?”

Suppose your spouse is cardiac nurse and your father-in law in a cardiologist, you have experience in the medical device manufacturing industry. Your passions are software and gadgets.  You understand and relate to those who work in cardiac care, cardiac services and you have an interest in companies that provide products and services to cardiac patients, and those who serve those patients.

As you answered the questions you discover you want to work for a company that provides services to that are specific to providing products or services related to cardiac care or connected to that segment of the medical industry.  You have defined your niche – companies that serve or provide products or services connected to cardiac care.  That is still a large segment so you can narrow it more as needed.

When you niche to a specific segment of the population, business or industry you gain focus.  You can quickly learn more about the companies in that segment.  You can locate people in that segment to talk to and learn from.  You can find professional organizations to join.  You can focus the marketing of your skills and experience to the needs and wants of that segment.

Focus like this reduces stress, saves time and resources as you market yourself.

It has been said that in marketing you always want to enter the conversation that is already going on the prospects head.  In a job search you want to enter the conversation that is going on the hiring manager’s head.  To do that you must know who the possible hiring managers are, where to find them and how to connect and have a conversation.

The result of this type of focus is you are able to have conversations and to join the conversations that are going on about the business, the future, opportunities, and the needs.  It allows you opening to connect with hiring managers who say “this is the candidate for my next open spot”.

They buy you.   The tables turn and your role is not that of a candidate looking a job, but a professional with skills, interest, knowledge, experience  to help the hiring manager achieve the his/her goals and the goals of the organization.

Second benefit of focus, you are who you are and although you are marketing yourself to a specific segment, what you offer is the same.  When you find yourself  talking to a hiring manager in a different segment or industry, he will connect the dots, see your value, how you could solve his problems and how you could be successful in the role his has  “open”.  Do not be surprised when someone asks you if you would consider XYZ  company or changing industries.

Why focus?

Less work, less stress, and higher perceived value to the marketplace.

Let me know how focus works for you.

People searching for a new job usually fall into one of two groups.  Those who are did not elect to be in a job search but were forced into a job search and those who elected to be in a job search.  It is interesting that both groups commonly struggle to land the job they want quickly for the same reason.  

They race from the starting gate into a job search and begin doing “stuff”.  Usually without recognizing the need to think about the results they want, how to best achieve those results.

A job search is a marketing project.  With all marketing projects there is a need to determine the desired results, assess the resources at hand, organize, plan and execute the plan to achieve results.  What is the desired result?

Is the desired result sending out résumés until you get an interview? 

Or

Is it generating multiple job interviews?

Or

Is it accepting an offer for a Chief Operating Office for a 300+ unit operation on the East Coast at 17% increase in total compensation by August 1^st?

One of the most critical elements of a job search is your marketing plan.  Daily, I talk to people who need to organize, target and plan their marketing efforts.  

If you fail to ensure all your marketing efforts are going in the same direction and your efforts aren’t aligned with your needs, goals, ideals, passions, talents, and experience the job search process becomes frustrating and LONG.  The rejection rate is higher and the final outcome less desirable.

Signs your current marketing plan is extending your job search:

-          You can’t tell someone in two sentences or less about the job you want

-          You can’t state in a credible manner what differentiates you from your peers

-          You can’t describe your marketing strategy

-          You can’t list your target companies

-          You can’t state why you want to work for your target companies

-          You can’t measure your marketing activities and assess your progress

Would focus and a clear marketing plan accelerate your job search?

Do you want to dramatically increase the number of personal referrals to the job you want?

Then engage your personal advocates! Personal advocates are people who know you, like you, trust you and want the best for you and it is up to you to educate your personal advocates, and be sure they know what you’re up to, your goals, who your target companies are, what positions you are targeting and why you are a good fit for both the target position and the target companies.

When you start your job search prepare what I call an “update letter” and send it to your personal advocates. I suggest sharing what you have been up to, what you are looking forward to doing, your one-paragraph résumé, and as appropriate a personal update. Next review your contacts, network, colleagues and co-workers. Create an initial list of possible advocates. Create your plan to engage your advocates. Execute – send your “update letter” and don’t to follow up.

Accelerate your search today!

Do you have tips that have helped you engage your advocates? I would enjoy hearing about them. Feel free to share them here.

As a follow up to a recent Q & A call and your many questions about working with recruiters and if age matters, I wanted to share with you, Meg Guiseppi’s recent post on Working with Recruiters For Senior Executives Over 50.

Meg Guiseppi is a fellow Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist who partners with top-level executives.  She nailed it, if you are targeting a good fit, wisdom and experience should add value and outweigh a age issue.

Read the post as she also shares advice from Jeff Lipschultz of A-List Solutions.

Are you wasting time?  Are you targeting and engaging your advocates?

Accelerate your search today!

There was a time when you could sit on the sidelines and not incorporate social media into your job search with little impact, however many including me believe that time has come and gone.  Social media is a now a mainstream way of connecting and conducting business online.   You do not have to like social media, but you do need to understand that it is part of business and here to stay.

Many businesses are increasing their use of social media for marketing and recruiting.  It may not be your favorite marketing choice or the way you prefer to discover opportunities nor may and you enjoy participating in social media, but it is a facet of the internet that continues to grow, and to become more and more important as a business tool and the way business is done.

Are you still holding out, hoping you will land a job without having to jump into social media or having to learn more than one social media platform?  Ok, I get it. 

But the truth is as the use of social media grows, you should at least consider how you could use it, and create a strategy to become familiar with the different social media platforms.  As you do so, you can decide if and which social media platform is best to use it to achieve your goals.

Here are a few questions to ask:

Could a step into social media to add value to your career?

Would social media create or improve the experience a potential employer would have with you?

How much time are you willing to dedicate to any a social media platform you use now and when you return to work?

Currently there are about 15 million unemployed persons in the US, and there are more than 2 billion product marketers, businesses and consumers that use the internet each and every day. To stand out among that level of competition, you need a plan to succeed. 

What is your plan?

For years I have been helping job seekers tell their story in a clear manner.  At some point almost all job seekers figure out the importance of being able to tell potential employers their story, and to respond to “tell me about yourself” in a clear and authentic manner. 

In today’s world managing your personal brand online and offline is not just a good idea, but a requirement.  If you are serious about your career, your job search and your reputation you not only need to be able to tell your story in person in a clear, consistent manner to be known, liked, trusted and hired, you must also be able to tell your story online.

Your online presence, and your online your identity will tell a story.  You can either manage your online presence and your online identity to tell your story or you can allow search engines and maybe others to cobble together information about you.

If you are still sitting on the fence, hoping those around you are wrong about all “the buzz” about social media, or if you still think social media and an online presence is just for tech savvy professionals and not for you, for those in your industry or professional – think again!

There was a time you could elect not to have an online presence, I believe that time has passed. Not having a strategy for an online presence may be very costly.  So maybe you will be lucky and find a job before you need to worry about your online profile, or online identity or maybe not. Stop making excuses and think of the benefits of offering your story.

A solid personal story communicated via your online presence offers a consistent message to help you grab the attention of your audience.  It defines who you are, and what you have to offer with the right amount of history and detail about the value and impact your can offer without choking the reader’s interest with unwanted or surplus details. 

Telling your story well helps your create an emotional connection.  It can be the first step in helping someone, get to know you, and like you.  Once someone has knowledge of you, and finds you likable, you are on your way to creating a foundation for trust.  All lasting relationships are built on a solid foundation of know, like and trust. 

You can overcome first impressions, and the cobbled together story search engines may tell about you, but at what cost?  Do you have time to do that?   Do you want to do that?

In most cases it really comes down to “pay now, or pay later”.  Do you want to invest time and energy now, to be prepared, to establish your brand, and take time to building your online presence now or later?  Do you want to set yourself up to be known, liked, and trusted?  Then spend a little time and energy each week managing your brand, and your online presence, or do you want to take your chances and invest later. 

What are the costs the missed opportunities and that you need to overcome a poor first impression?  Maybe you believe the cost will go down over time!  That has not been my experience neither the experience of most of the people I know.

Everyone has a personal brand and an online identity.  Is your story helping your online presence?  Does it help you accelerate your search?   If not, what are you doing about it?

Take a quick look.  Does your format need an update? Does it communicate value and the salary you deserve?

With the tendency of firms to hire those who have been unemployed for shorter periods of time first, if you have been looking for work for more than 27 weeks, you are considered to be among the “long-term” unemployed. 

The dates are the dates, but if the other information on your résumé is also dated this could be impacting your search.  Have you updated (yes, updated not targeted) your résumé in the last 90 days?

Take a look at the Header – that is “prime real estate”.  What does your email address and phone number say about you?  Does it say you invest in yourself and keep up with what’s current?  Is the style competitive for your professional and industry?  Did you include your LinkedIn Vanity URL as a Hyper-Link?

Does the design grab attention?  Does your content sell your brand, skills, value, achievements and paint a vivid picture of what you can do to address the employer’s needs?  Does that image match the salary you want?

Does your résumé need a facelift?   What are you doing about it?

“The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one’s self to destiny.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Do you need a Plan B? Or should you just to say yes to the opportunities around you?

As I looked forward to the New Year I was asking myself if I needed a Plan B, because 2010 was ending differently, than I had hoped.  December began with seemingly few opportunities, and my planning for 2011 was proceeding in a very cautious manner.

Then, one of my mentors shared the above quote with me and what followed was a discussion on why we often question or wonder if we have what it takes to achieve our goals. She asked, what was holding me back why was I afraid to leave my comfort zone.  Then the big questions “why is it still a challenge for you to step up? and “why are you using caution as an excuse?”

When she asked the questions, I did not have the answers.  In fact my thoughts were negative, defensive, and I knew from that reaction, I needed to find the answer and quick. So, in lieu of answering I asked to give the questions some thought and get back to her.  In her style and with a kind smile she said “Okay, let’s talk tomorrow.”

Then later the same day, after several conversations with job seekers and some of my clients, the answers came to me – YES, I was using caution as an excuse.  I see this so often in others in their job search, career transitions, or business, yet I was doing the same thing.  I needed others around me to hold up a mirror, so I could see what I was doing.

My normal no-excuses get it done approach had slowed.  I too, was making an excuse and I was not sure why.

Looking back over the events of the past six months, I was questioning if I had the courage to do what I needed to do and could I learn what I needed to learn.  Where was I going to find the information, time, etc?  I was afraid, time, information and the need for a Plan B were just excuses. 

Was I just going to allow fear stop me?  Would I just stay in my comfort zone by repeating the excuses until I believed them?  Have you ever felt that way?

The opportunities are right in front of me.  Yet my fear and my lack of willingness to say YES to the opportunities were holding my back. 

What I realized is that until I said yes to challenge and the opportunities around me, I could not say yes to learning and doing what would be needed to step up and out of my comfort zone.  Once I realized this I also realized the information was easily available.  The help I needed was also available, therefore I did not need a Plan B, I just needed the courage to step up, stop making excuses, and say yes to the opportunities in front of me.

For me, talking about a Plan B was an excuse. It was a way, not to say yes.  You MUST say yes to the opportunities around you, if you are asking yourself if you need a Plan B.  Before you develop a Plan B, ask yourself some tough questions:

What is holding you back?  Are you saying yes to the opportunities around you?  Are you using caution as an excuse?  Have you been afraid to leave your comfort zone? Are you using excuses like the economy and the high unemployment rate to avoid stepping up and out of your comfort zone?   It is easy to do, I know, I too have done it.

Are you willing to say Yes and then do what it takes?  Do you have the courage to do step up?

The job search process has changed.  If you are still, hiding behind your computer screen, applying online, posting your résumé, and waiting for a call you are not saying yes to the opportunities around you.  These “old” ways to job search are not enough to land the job you want.

If you ready to step up and you are willing to say yes to the opportunities around you, why not take the first step? 

Take the first step, embrace the journey to success say “Yes, I am willing to go on this journey.  That simple act is an amazing and a simple thing, your willingness to say “Yes” and then take action to see and act on the many opportunities around is very powerful as well as humbling.

Do you have the courage to say yes? 

It can be scary.  The simple and super neat thing is that saying yes, is that it opens the doors to all you need.  Saying yes and then taking action, qualifies you for what you may need to achieve your goals, no matter what it is.  A connection, resources, skills, information, experience, time, or help, have the courage to say yes and whatever you need shows up. 

Now, you must still reach out and take action or the opportunities will go to someone else.  Saying yes, and having the courage to step up, is the first step to reaching your goals.

Do you have the courage to step into the fear, to see and embrace the opportunities, to grow, and to take action?   Or will you stay in your comfort zone, settle for mediocrity, or create Plan B within your comfort zone?

If you are ready to land the job you want, fast and with less stress, say yes to the opportunities around you.  Step up and have the courage to take action.

If you are ready to say yes, and take action I am happy to help you.  Start the New Year with proven action steps. 

I am happy to share proven ways to accelerate your search and take action.  Go to AccelerateYourSearch   complete the form and I will send you “162 Ways to Accelerate Your Job Search”.

Well, I do.  “The Dip” by Seth Godin is one of those books I just finished again.  It is described as a short book about quitting and being the best in the world.

If you are frustrated with your search, take a break and read this book.

Then share your thoughts.

Ready for success?   Need some help?  Have questions about your job search?

Sign up to the right, join the Q & A calls and ask your questions.