Accelerate Your Search™ Now

That is a great question.

Employment firms can be a solid resource for finding potential employers, especially if you are in a specialized field or niche industry.  The type of firm and how that  firm interacts in the  market varies, so do your homework and ask questions.

Here are some questions to help you determine if a particular employment firm might be a good strategic partner in your search:

• Does the firm handle some or all of the human resource functions for one of your target employers?
• What is the firm’s reputation?
• Where is the firm’s office located?
• What references does the firm offer?
• Can you talk to current and past customers (both candidates and employers)?
• How long has the employment firm been in business?
• Where does the employment firm advertise for the jobs you are targeting?
• Does the employment firm have expertise in placing people in your field?
• Does the employment firm have a relationship with the companies and employers you are targeting?
• Is the employment firm a local, regional or a national organization?
• What services does the firm provide to you as a candidate?
• What services does the firm provide to the employers and companies it serves?
• What are the terms of your agreement with the firm?
• What will the firm expect you to do?
• Does the employment firm focus only on hiring applicants to perform contract work on a temporary or project basis?
• Will you work for the employment firm if hired or for the company you are targeting?
• Are there opportunities for on-the-job training or other skill development from the employment firm?
• How long has the person you are working with been with the employment firm?

What other questions do you have?   Post them below.

Your photo is critical.  People are visual.  A LinkedIn profile without a photo seems as if something is missing.  In fact, something is missing – your photo!  Today everyone needs a good professional head shot.

If your head shot is old, consider updating it.  If you are still a “no photo” hold out with one of these excuses  …

• no time to schedule a portrait appointment
• hate having my photo taken
• have a head shot but don’t like it
• worried about age discrimination
• or …  <add your excuse here>

Here are the top four tips to getting a great head shot:

1. Look at the work of potential photographers.  Do you like it?  If not, keep looking.  They are not the photographer for you.
2. Like their work?  Interview them.  Ask questions, learn about their style, studio and rates. Tell the photographer about your photo’s use and the look you are seeking for your head shot.  Do you click?  Will you enjoy working with them?
3. Set an appointment — do it a good time of day for you — then do some planning.  Think about hair, clothes, and the look you want.   Love the clothes you wear for your head shot.   I thought this was interesting advice because in a head shot you don’t see much of the outfit.   One photographer pointed out that if you don’t like what you pick to wear, it will ‘show’.  Another  photographer had a note in the studio that said “If you don’t like the outfit – neither does the camera.”  Great point!
4. When you arrive for your appointment think “Showtime!”  Be on-time, listen to the photographer, be coachable and have fun.  If you drop the self-consciousness and enjoy the session, odds are you will get a great head shot.

Have a comment?  Post it below.

“The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts.” ~ Booker T. Washington

What makes you indispensable?  (Hint:  it is not what you know.)

You already know building a strong personal brand illustrates you are indispensable and influential.  So, what are you doing to build your personal brand?

Your personal brand tells others about you — what you are able to do, the impact of your actions, and why it matters to the world.

The impact?  You become vital to the right people.  You become a key player in their organizations, not because of what you know, but because of your actions, the results they garner and the far reaching impact of what you DO!

And, all this doesn’t just happen — you have to make it happen!

As 2013 begins, are you ready to be influential, indispensable and have more fun?

Here are 3 tips to help you start leveraging your personal brand:

1)  Assess your personal brand and decide how you want to leverage what you DO.

2)  Take one action per week that positively impacts your personal brand and makes you indispensable.

3)  Want 66 tips to help you execute on number 2?  Read “Ditch. Dare. Do!” by William Arruda and Deb Dib.

In fact, if you call me by Saturday, January 12th, 2013 and request a copy of Ditch. Dare. Do! by Personal Branding Guru William Arruda and CEO Coach Deb Dib,  you will be added to the list of my executive clients that are receiving a free copy of the book when it is released next week.   Don’t wait!  Call me by Saturday, Jan 12, 2013.

When calling, please leave your full name and complete mailing address [don’t forget the zip code] and I will send you a copy of the book.  No catch, simply my gift to you as a reader of my blog.

You’ll love the book.  You’ll learn the same tips top executives know and use to leverage their personal brand.  Make 2013 the year you land the job you want, with less stress and earn the salary you deserve.

Want to know more about Ditch. Dare. Do!?  Listen to this interview with William Arruda and Deb Dib.

Memorial Day is just around the corner and for those of us in the US in marks both a holiday and the beginning of summer.  Your summer may be filled with travel, different activities or schedules or much of the same.

For me summer is a time of the year with great memories, a time to create new memories and a time to find at least a little down time. I will unplug over the upcoming weekend and hope you have a chance to do the same.

I must confess that for years I did not unplug often, in fact it was not until I read Napoleon Hill’s book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ for the second time, that I did try scheduling time to think.  The results were amazing.  So over time I came to have a new understanding of the value of down time, thinking time, and fun time.  I work to add all of these activities into my schedule and I hope you do too.

For years I have worked in a 24-7-365 world, as that world has also become more connected, just I am such your world is more connected than ever by devices, and demands on time.  I have found that being unplugged also delivers some amazing results.  Do you unplug from your job search?  I hope so.

Recently I watched the TEDx – Sydney presentation by Genevieve Bell on ‘The Value of Boredom.  The clip was recorded last year in May.  In her presentation Genevieve Bell speaks about bringing boredom back, the benefits of boredom and the value of boredom. Check it out and let me know what you think.

I found clip interesting, exciting and valuable.  Genevieve Bell is an Intel Fellow and Director of the Interaction and Experience Research Group within the Intel Labs.  Her points and engaging presentation sold me all over again on the power of unplugging.  If you are thinking maybe you should not unplug during the Memorial Day weekend at least watch the video clip before you decide.  Deal?

My wish for you during the upcoming weekend is ‘may your brain light up’, may you have down time, some boredom, and some time to just unplug. May you also enjoy some BBQ, whatever you elect to eat, do or take pleasure in this weekend!

In honor and with great respect this weekend I will not only unplug and have some down time, I will pay my respects to the men and women who have died in wars or in service of the United States of America, for me this is also time of personal remembrance, reflection and will be a time to show respect for those who have served and serve our Nation now in many ways both small and great.  I am grateful and thankful for all the members of the Armed Forces and their families, for Veterans and their families, and all those who serve or have served in a role of support to both of these important groups of people.  May you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

What is your trade-off for doing what you love to do?  What is your trade-off for something you enjoy or want to have?

As I did the dishes, which I don’t like to do (but I do because I love to have a clean kitchen), I was thinking about a very intense conversation recently.  The conversation was with a friend who is irritated over her current job situation.    

My friend and fellow human resource professional, challenged me the other day, big time on my career advice.  We both have similar views on what it takes to be successful, drive, talent, willingness to work hard, persistence, continuous learning and mastery,  and doing the ‘right’ things, so what was the challenge?

For years, I have shared my career advice, “Do what you love, money follows.”  Her challenge was that my career advice did not hold true in this economy and I need to change or update my message. 

She said it is not longer possible to find a job you love, and make a living, therefore I should STOP giving out that advice.  She said businesses continue to have increased costs and many are still in the mode of changing to fit the talent that is available, or cutting hours to avoid letting jobs and people go to meet payroll, or struggling with new and more expensive compliance regulations. 

As we talked and discussed this I smiled, and her frustration explored with “Have you crawled under a rock?”  Finally I asked her if she thought in my advice I was suggesting that everyone would have a job that was 100% what they loved or enjoyed doing, she nodded “yes” and added you just can be paid enough today to do only what you love.

By then I was laughing and feeling a bit misunderstood.  I do believe my advice is sound in any economy and that if you “Do what you love, money follows.”

What I don’t believe for one minute is you get to do what you love 100% of the time or that you don’t have to also do things you might not like to do.  Employers and customers pay you for results. 

To get results there are some parts of all jobs that you may not “love” or “like” but doing those things are part of getting to do what you do love.  Many people have said it in many ways such as ‘work’ is a four letter word, or ‘that is why it is called work’.  One of my favorite messages on this topic is from Larry Winget, speaker and the “Pitbull of Personal Development®”.   Watch Larry’s video clip and his message for yourself.

Look you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you work for and what you ask for in the world of business.  You get paid for what you love because you are willing to do what it takes to get good at what you do and because you are will to do the things you don’t really like to do that go along with what you love to do.  It works that way in any economy.

When you do what you love, you enjoy it, you are good at it, you are likely to use your talent to be the best in that area and you don’t mind the trade-offs or just adjust to them as part of the deal.  If you don’t love living in a big city where the wages are higher, you love living in a small town and are willing to drive to the big city you can earn a higher wage. The commute is the trade-off.  Trade-offs come in many forms.

For years I was willing to work the graveyard shift to gain different experience and I earned more per hour.  Working the night shift was a trade-off to achieve my goals.

My advice is solid and it stands.  For those who need the rest of the message spelled out I will do so, but it will take more than 6 words.  In life, in work and in your career there are always trade-offs, “Do what you love, money follows” and may you be so blessed by doing what you love that all the trade-offs will be very inconsequential.

Do you have a question about your search?  Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Start with the basics to leverage your brand and LinkedIn.  Once you have your LinkedIn foundation in place and have begun to add connections, it is time to leverage your brand within your profile and market yourself. 

Market yourself and your LinkedIn profile to your target audience and all who need to know you.  You do have your critical five pillars in place, right?

If you missed the last post, the pillars are:   Name, Headline, Photo, Your Personalized URL, and Experience. Now add your personal contact information to your profile and make it visible.  If you are in a job search you need to be found.  How do you want others in your network, to reach out to you?  Phone?  Email?  Mail? 

You decide what contact information to share and add the information or don’t to your profile.  You will also want to share with your network and the users of LinkedIn the types of connections, and communication which you are open to engaging via LinkedIn.  Do you want job leads?  Are you open to introductions? Or business ventures? Be sure to update this section of your profile. 

Marketing your LinkedIn profile begins with using your Personalize URL.  Your Personalized URL works to give you a web presence and you will want to add your URL to your email signature block, then adding it to your business card, your résumé, and then you will want to mention how to find you on LinkedIn when you introduce yourself during networking and at other appropriate times.

Now enhance your brand with a strong summary.  Use your summary to tell your story.  Who are you, and what do you do, your accomplishments and specific results.  Don’t make it long and tedious or fill it with jargon.  Do beef it up, allow your personality to shine in your summary, and share your unique value. Be authentic.

Next augment your profile and your brand by adding your specialties, unique brand attributes, leadership or a bit about your interests beyond work.  Do you collect and renew classic cars? Build houses with Habitat for Humanity, or volunteer for a special organization?  Did you receive a special award or honor in your last job?  This is area that used well will boost your brand.

Have a comment, tip or thought?  Post it below.

You are building your brand.  You are leveraging your strengths, gifts, and talents.  Your brand does help you stand out in a crowded market place.  Hiring managers remember you, then pick up the phone and call you – do you want this to continue?  If so, you will definitely want to read “7 Personal Branding Trends for Job Search in 2012”.

The personal branding trends to watch list is published annually by William Arruda.  Arruda is a personal branding guru, an author, and speaker.  He is credited with turning the concept of personal branding into a global industry and the founder of Reach Personal Branding (disclosure: Reach Personal Branding is a partner of my company).  His annual trends list is a quick snapshot of what’s evolving in personal branding.

Managing your brand is an ongoing project, not a once in a while task.  Keeping up with the trends, that help you communicate who you are and what you do, is critical to your career and you job search.

Just as you must hone your skills, stay in touch with what’s new and the ever changing world of  your industry and profession, you must understand the current trends in personal marketing and personal branding.  If you don’t market yourself, you will fall behind those do market themselves.  When you know the trends, you choose what is best for you and your target audience. 

Not all trends will interest you or work for you, yet you won’t ignore them.  Take a look. Then decide how to leverage the 2012 trends into a carefully crafted marketing plan.  Knowing where you are today, having a plan you can execute ensures you continue to communicate your personal brand to accelerate your search and success.  Here are William Arruda’s 2012 personal branding trends to watch list:

 1. Headshots Everywhere

2. Crowdsourcing for Professionals

3. Personal QR Codes

4. Job Postings R.I.P.

5. Professional, DIY Video

6. Permanent Unemployment

7. Personal Qwikis

Assess the trends.  Decide your course of action, stay relevant and gain the favorable attention of your key contacts, centers of influence, recruiters, and hiring managers.  That action will help you accelerate your search and land the job you want. 

If you need help implementing or incorporating one or all of these trends into your job search contact me.  Do you have a question about your job search or leveraging your personal brand?  Call or look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Last week I spoke at two unique events about how to leverage your personal brand, your online presence and online networking.  From the questions during both Q & A sessions it was very clear most people have only touched the surface of standing out in a crowd.  Most don’t know the quick and easy ways to stand out.   Some people shared nothing, yet many shared they don’t leverage their LinkedIn profile, résumé and business card.  Some were surprized at how little things make a BIG difference. 

So when I read, the post “Presidents’ Day 2012: Who is the most underrated president?” by Jon DeNunzio and the comments on the nominees (you can find on Twitter using the hashtag #underratedpresident or below the post) I thought, WOW – we have 44 people who have served as a U.S. President and the conversation is on the MOST underrated in 75 words or less.  Interesting!

Can you state why you are underrated in less than 75 words?  

Do you have 75 words or less that help you STAND OUT if you are on a list of 44 people?  

Do you know how others view and rate your work over a four or eight year span of time?   

Many seeking a new job are underrated, and sadly they underrate themselves.  The impact of that is a lower value in the market place and not being noticed.

Are you lowering your value in the market place with your current LinkedIn profile, résumé and business card?  Most professionals even if, on the most-praised list of others don’t leverage that praise or marketing power.  Many people don’t know how to uncover what others think of them or the value information can provide. 

Which list are you on “underrated” or “much-praised” or not on the list for the job past or present?   Have you reviewed your brand, LinkedIn profile, résumé or business card?

Who will win the underrated vote and be the subject of the Tuesday guest post on The Fix for Tuesday?

What would happen if you changed your personal marketing? 

Could feedback from you network help bring you some clarity around your personal brand and accelerate your search?

Would a few key words or phrases help you to leverage your brand and your value to make a hiring managers list?

Need help with your personal brand contact me. 

Need LinkedIn Profile or tips to enhance your current profile?                                        

Check back next week for LinkedIn tips.

The data shows wages are trending up.  Bridget Quigg shares details in her post “Wages Trend Up to Finish 2011 Ahead”.  Read it and assess the data for yourself. 

The national and state data for unemployment in many areas is also positive.  Yet if you are looking for a job this may or may not be important. Also it may or may not be good news or bad news.

To improve your situation and your results, being focused on you may be more helpful than being focused on trends, data, comments, news, etc.   Are you focused on you and your results?  Are you ready to accelerate your results?

I hope so.  That is what you can most impact. 

Just a month ago, I was celebrating a client’s new job.  When we talked the other day, he shared how he is enjoying the new job, the work, the people then he paused and asked me “Why didn’t I take action and get focused sooner?”

Boy, that is a powerful question and one that I can’t answer.  So a turned the question back to him.  His answer was the he was sad about losing his job, the news, and everyone around him was telling him things were bad. He shared he was unsure what to do.  The day after we talked about what to do, he had 2 simple action steps and my I challenge to him to take action. 

He took the action. Now he is working!  I just offered the two specific action steps.  Two simple steps changed his entire search and resulted in the job he landed.   Look accelerating your search does not have to be slow, lonely or hard, but it can if you want it to be.

If you lack focus or are focused on less productive things. Stop worrying about the unemployment numbers or the wage trends.  Focus on the things you can impact. Here are action steps you can take today.

Action Steps:

 1. Look at your network, your contacts and your current leads.  Group them into three categories:  Ideal, Referral, Influencers

 2. Create an action plan; include who you will contact and when you will connect.

 3. Make the connection. 

The client above, made the call.  That is how he landed the job. My challenge to him was simple “make the call” and he did.   What action will you take today? 

Have a success story to share?  Post it below.

Do you have a question about your search?  Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

What does your career pattern look like?  How does it compare to your peers?  

What does it say about you, about what you believe and where you are going?  What does it say about career planning and living in general?

The article in Fast Company, “The Four-Year Career” by Anya Kamenetz discusses a pattern the article states is increasingly defining the careers of US workers. Read it and share your view.

The article shares some recent statistics – “the median number of years a US worker has been in his or her current job is just 4.4, down sharply since the 1970s.”  As well as a close look at the careers of three people, two females, ages 36, and 61, and one male, age 28. Additionally, it shares more interesting statistics, insights and lessons.

The world of work is new and different than many of us were taught as young children, or at least different than how I was taught.  My view of what I was taught at an early age shifted in the 1980s.  Do you still believe what you learned as a young child?  Has your view shifted?  If not, what would happen if your view did make a shift?

I hope you enjoy the article.  I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts on Anya Kamenetz’s article.  Post them below or drop me an email. 

May I leave you with a few questions to ponder…

What do you believe in, why do you want to do the work you are pursuing?

What job or jobs (for others) could you create if you move or drive toward new goals, objectives and your beliefs?

What is next for you?   Do you have a four year plan?  If no, what do you want a plan?