Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 3

It is week 3 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

Did you schedule time for something new last week?  Did you follow through?  Ready to move on to the next action?

Action #3:  Face Your Fears

What are your fears?  Lower pay, being judged, not being enough, ridicule or <fill in the blank>?  Write it down.

FEAR is nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear is often driven by ego.  Doing something different feels difficult and therefore your ego says, “Stop! This isn’t safe!”

Be bold.  Have courage.  Write down your fears.  Then write down:

• the worst thing that could happen if your biggest fear occurred.
• the odds of this actually happening.
• what you would do if the worst occurred.  How would you handle it?
• what you might gain in the situation.

Now you have a plan if your fear becomes reality.  You are prepared to face your fear and to move on.  Move on.

Take action. Post a note, share your thoughts and how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Nine Actions – 9 Week Challenge – Week 2

It is week 2 of the Accelerate Your Job Search Results & Create a Life You Love challenge.  The challenge is to take action and transform your search and life in nine weeks.

How did week 1 go?  How many new people did you meet?  Ready for the next action?

Action #2:  Take On Something New and Rekindle a Hobby

Spend at least one hour per week on something new and an hour on a hobby you rarely had time for when working.  Add these to your schedule.  Do them at a time you expect to be available even after you have secured your new job/position.

It is up to you to make time to explore new things and do things you enjoy.  If your hobby is expensive and does not fit your current budget, find a way to connect with or enjoy your hobby at a lower cost.

I love golf, but in the New England winter there is no golf.  What do I do?  I read books about golf, watch videos, and putt on my carpet.  I also play rounds of golf mentally.  Did you know there was a POW who played a perfect round of golf every day for years in captivity?  After he was released and able to play golf again, his game was great.  A tight budget is not an excuse for not investing your time in something you enjoy or in learning something new.  Invest.

Take action. Post a note and share your thoughts on how you implemented the action of the week and your results.

Searching for a new position, especially if you are between gigs, can be filled with many distractions.  The day-to-day things can turn into worries that seem to loom large when you don’t have a job or job you enjoy.

Life does not stop if you are between jobs — unless you stop it.  You can live, work and create an amazing life you love or you can be down and miserable.  The choice is yours.

I challenge you to join me each week this fall and transform your search and your life.  If you start now and faithfully implement these nine actions you will be amazed at how different your life will be by November 15th!

Are you ready?  Will you take this on?  Will you take action?

Here are the nine actions to take to add interest to your life, your work and accelerate your results:

1. Meet More People
2. Take On Something New
3. Face Your Fears
4. Follow Your Instinct
5. Do What You Hate
6. Jazz it Up
7. Share How You Solve Problems
8. Stop Kicking Dead Horses
9. Keep Growing

Each week tackle the assignment and then post a note and share your thoughts in the comments.  Tell us how you implemented the action of the week and the results you achieved.

Action #1:  Meet More People  

People are amazing, interesting and fun.  Expand the network of people you know.  Not only will your life will be fuller, but meeting more people means more opportunities.

Meeting people is not only about discovering what others can do for you (or what you can do for others), it is about connecting, learning, and sharing.  Be interested and curious about others.

Yes, I am outgoing and love to meet new people.  If you aren’t outgoing, I get it, this will take some effort.  Step out of you comfort zone and toward a person.  Say “Hi,” share your name and smile, then simply listen.

If this makes you uncomfortable, believe it or not more people feel like you than me.  Many people are hoping someone else will start the conversation.  If you take the leap and start the conversation, you’ll be making everyone more comfortable — making the situation easier for all involved, including you.  Meeting people is a skill and skills take practice to hone.  Get out there and practice!

Some time ago I began asking my clients and workshop attendees to offer feedback and share which tips they found most effective.   Below are the top five tips.  May they also help you reach out, contact and leverage the power of your personal network.

1.  Find the diamonds, rubies and emeralds among your old contacts. Annually go through your contact database.  Call people you haven’t spoken to in 3 to 8 years.  Update your data:  verify phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and organizations.  Discover what’s new with your contacts. If a number is disconnected or the person has moved on, place those people on your research list.  You might be surprised at how many people say, “I am so glad you called.”  For each contact reached be sure to note and schedule your next contact.  One contact and one follow-up per week helps you stay in contact with 100 people a year.

2.  Organize your contacts into categories.  Use your Contact Management System (CMS) and sort all of your contacts into five or six categories.  My recommended categories are:  1) those who can hire you; 2) those who can influence someone who can hire you; 3) those who can recommend you to someone who can hire you; 4) centers of influence with whom you have a strong relationship and who have an interest in your success; 5) to be determined (TBD) – these are people you just met or have not contacted in some time and therefore you are unsure of the most appropriate category; and 6) others contacts – family members or close friends who belong in your contacts, yet do not fit in one of the first 5 categories.

3.  Pick up the phone.   Allot one hour per day for phone calls.  Call those people in categories 1-3.  Be frank.  Explain you are engaged in exploring opportunities and seeking your next position and ask two questions:  Is there any assistance you can provide them at this time and what names can they give you of people who may need your assistance?  When possible arrange a face-to-face meeting within 3 weeks and secure the names of three referrals.   This is tough to do.  I know.  Face your fear of rejection and pick up the phone.

4.  Build your contact list.   What service can you provide to a group or association that will quickly build your contact list?  Who could use your assistance on a project (large or small) for free?  Offer to help and do it for free.  A former client called four contacts from his “who can influence someone who can hire you” category and offered to review 2-3 contracts for free and provide written recommendations.  Within six weeks, he had three interviews with hiring managers that liked his findings report and added 30 new, solid contacts to his list.

5.  Leverage the power of direct mail.  Mail requires thought, planning and an investment.  Sending direct mail to your top contacts pays dividends.  Unless you have invested in an email system with analytics and tracking features you may never know whether your email was delivered, opened or read.   However, direct mail that includes a strong call to action, such as, “Will you meet me for lunch downtown at your favorite deli at 12 noon, Tuesday, Oct 5 for a sandwich and conversation?” pays off amazing well and has a cumulative impact over time.

What is your favorite tip?  Do you have an adaptation or a success story?

Please share how you used one of these tips to manage your personal marketing and reach your contacts.

But, are you willing to do the labor to have a great resume?

Yes?  That’s great!  So many people aren’t — they’d prefer an extra day at the beach.  Then they wonder why their resume isn’t getting results.

Your resume is a key marketing tool.  Good marketing doesn’t just happen.  It takes work, thought and oftentimes a team to fine tune it and help get the message out.

Many people think creating a great resume is akin to developing a BIG billboard, posting it on a busy highway and then waiting for the phone to ring.  Businesses who depend solely on one advertising vehicle, like billboards, don’t stay in business long.  A single billboard may not been seen by the business’s target audience or remembered as the reader flew by at 60 mph.

A great resume is employer-focused.  It clearly identifies how you can meet their needs and wants.  It speaks to the employer in his or her language.  In other words, it is targeted directly to them.  Your resume demonstrates the value you alone bring.  It clearly states how you will earn your salary.  It markets and sells YOUR value.

A great resume includes:

• Your branding (what differentiates you from the competition)
• Appropriate keywords
• Strong examples of the results you achieve
• Relevant work history, and
• Your education

Your resume should leave nothing to the imagination — a hiring manager will clearly see how you will benefit the organization.  It is a marketing tool that visibly demonstrates your value.

Mostly importantly, it is unique.  You are different.  You need to see that, own it and share it.

Your assignment is to take a look at your resume.  Ask yourself, “Is it great?”  Rate it (1 is poor and 10 is great).  What’s your rating?  What will it take to move up one number?  Take that action.  Improve your resume!

Do you need an objective eye to look at your resume and career marketing materials?  Are you ready to stand out from the competition?  Let’s connect and discuss how I can assist you.

“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” ~ Muhammad Ali

Do you view the world differently than you did 30 years ago?  How do you view your career differently than you did 30 years ago?

Sharing — and owning — your story and life is an amazing and profitable journey.  It is not, however, without risk, fear and bumps along the way.

One of the bumps we all encounter is the need to adjust, adapt or change our point of view.  How have you changed your point of view?  Is your identity still tied to your career?

When I hear someone tie their identity to a job, title, or even a job loss, I immediately flash back to my 20’s and my point of view at the time.  Also, I recall how I felt when I lost the job I thought I would have forever.  I understand these emotions on a very personal level.

I have never forgotten those feelings, nor the lessons I learned due to my point of view at the time.    However, I did not waste 30 years, I adjusted my world view.

One of the shifts in my view is that I now believe I am enough.  I have and can access all I need to be successful.  The super cool thing is that you do, too!

I believe, without a doubt, that each person on earth is given unique skills and talents and is able to find a job that sustains their lifestyle and utilizes their gifts and talents.

You can find a job in tough economic times.  You can do work you enjoy.  You can move past a job loss.  You are not dependent on a specific employer or the state of the economy for your success.

Seeing, sharing and owning who you are as a person (not just as an employee) creates an amazing career and life journey.  You will never see the world the same.

Do you feel like you are wasting time?  Do you need some help to land the job you want?  Contact me and let’s talk about how I might be able to help.

I guarantee shifting your view will accelerate your search and will keep you from wasting years of your life.

LinkedIn is a great tool.  Yet, if you are making some of the most common mistakes, your profile may by hurting you more than helping you.

Recruiters search LinkedIn for candidates.  Hiring managers use LinkedIn to prep for interviews and decide who lands on the short list.  Your friends and network contacts (new and established) access and use your LinkedIn profile to share information about you, connect with you and decide if they would like to do business with you.

What message are you sending?

Here are 4 common mistakes to avoid if you want to be in the running for the ‘right’ position:

1. Pasting your résumé into your profile.  LinkedIn is not a job board, rather it is a gateway to your online presence.  With its volume and traffic, your LinkedIn profile will show up in most searches for you and for the job you do.  Create a compelling summary that gains you favorable attention.  Ensure your prose encourages people to read your summary, click your links and learn more about you.  People hire people they know, like and trust.  Use your profile to become trusted and to build relationships.  Job opportunities will follow.
2. Ignoring the details.  Your LinkedIn profile is a 24-7 marketing site for you.  Be sure you optimize your profile, so it will be found in a search.  List, at minimum, your past three job titles and link to your past employer(s) Company LinkedIn page’s (if they have one). Focus on your key skills, the benefits you offer and problems you solve. Be selective and highlight the talents for which you want to be known.  Manage your endorsements — looking like a ‘Jack or Jill of All Trades’ does not enhance your value.
3. Being generic.  Your profile needs to pop and paint a picture of you.  If it reads like a dry job description, it may be promptly discarded.  People hire people, not lists of skills.  Include your personality.  Create an emotional connection.  Use facts to tell your story and demonstrate your experience and value.
4. Dropping in only occasionally.  Create a plan to regularly engage in the community and update your LinkedIn profile.  Just as not returning a phone call reflects your lack of interest, so does not responding on LinkedIn.  A slow response reveals much to those who use LinkedIn as a recruiting or sourcing tool.  If you are shopping for a home and pass a house with neglected gardens, what is your first thought?  Do you perceive it to have a lower value or be a bargain due to its need of repair?  The same principal applies to LinkedIn.

Do you think your schedule is too busy for a great well managed LinkedIn profile?  You can have a great LinkedIn profile and manage it in just minutes a week.

Email me to learn more about effectively managing your LinkedIn profile.  I will send you a video link and a fun tip sheet.

Listening is a mix of art and science.  The investment is low, yet few job searchers really listen to the companies they are targeting.  Are you listening? You know doing research on potential employers is important.  You know how and where to research companies. Do you think research trumps listening? Too often I hear, “I have done the research and know the company, so why listen?”  OK, I get it.  You know your target market. You have narrowed your list of companies.  You are focused on those who have problems you can solve.  But, do you know if these companies want to solve the problems you’re best at solving?  That is one good reason to listen. What if by listening, you discover that all the companies you are targeting don’t want or need to solve the problems you solve.  What will you do?  Will that change your next action? The real value and impact of listening is saving time.  Listening helps you shift your actions and improve your results. Can you think of other reasons to listen? Here are a few:

• You may discover other problems or wants you can help solve
• You’ll hear about new products or services that are about to launch where you’re experience would be valuable
• You’ll learn about changes in the marketplace or competition that enhances your value

Where do you “listen” to your target companies?   One of my favorite places is industry blogs.  Another helpful place to listen is LinkedIn.  Did you know there are 3 Million LinkedIn Company Pages and Counting? What is your top reason to listen to the companies that you follow?   Where is your favorite place to listen? Please post your answers below and share your great listening tips with others.

Does today, or worse yet, your life, feel out of sync?  Is this feeling impacting your career?

When you get up in the morning to go to work, does it feel like it is the middle of summer and you’re walking around in your winter coat, hat and gloves?  Does your work feel more like shoveling snow than playing on the beach?

It saddens me to think about the number of talented professionals who say their careers feel like a “heavy winter coat on a hot summer day.”  Life is meant to be fun and enjoyable.  Earning a living and sustaining your career shouldn’t feel like a burden.

If you feel out of sync in your work, or in a career transition, it is not a huge problem.  In fact, it is much easier to solve than you think.

But, you say, “The economy is still not very good.”  Well, guess what?  You can have a job you love in a good economy or a bad one.  The economy does not drive your career — you do!

When you feel restless or like something is missing in your career, it might be that you are just a little out of touch with your talents.  Maybe you are not fully using them or you got sucked into someone else’s opinion of what your great career looks like.

These three steps will help you get clarity, find focus and feel in sync:

• Assessing where you are
• Assessing what you are saying and doing
• And, asking yourself, “Are these things in alignment?”

To help, answer the following questions:

• List three things you did this week that felt wearing a winter coat in summer.
• Now, list three things you love to do.
• What do I talk about?
• Does what I talk about feel like a burden or a joy?
• What would happen if I did more of the things I do well and enjoy doing?
• What would happen if the things I enjoy doing were the things I talk about and share with others?

Being in sync is really only steps away when you align your talent to your work, and your message to your talent.   Using the steps above, create a plan to use your unique gift and execute your plan at least 9 minutes per day.  If you have a question or need some help to get started, contact me.

There are talented professionals who work on their resume and their marketing message.  They spend days and weeks getting it “perfect.”  Yet, for some reason, the results don’t follow.

What is the impact of this?  Disappointment, frustration and often rejection.

Are you doing all the “right stuff’?”  Do you network, engage your contacts and set interviews, yet never get an offer?  Or, worse, continue to hear, “You’re overqualified” or “We hired a better fit for our needs.”

It is very disheartening when you believe you are doing all the right things, yet results do not materialize.  It wears on your confidence and sends your stress level sky-high.

If you received an interview, someone reviewed your resume and spent time checking you out online.  By copying your resume directly into your LinkedIn profile, it feels like you are in alignment.  Yet if these tools are out of sync with who you are, no matter how much they align with one another, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

The continued emotional stress may have you contemplating giving up on securing your dream job.  But, before you give up, get real with yourself.  Take a HARD look at your profile, resume and search-related marketing.

From the outside it may appear your search is going well, after all, you are producing a lot of activity.  But, internally, it is just not happening.  It is time to ask yourself, “What is going on?  What am I doing wrong?”

Many issues arise from two things.  The first deals with WHO you are targeting.  Most likely, your target employer list needs to be narrowed down or altered and the level of the position you are seeking needs to be more commensurate with your experience, expertise and aligned with your overall goals.  The second thing getting in your way, deals with WHAT you are talking about.  You must work to make your marketing message more clear and compelling.

Most of the time, the second thing is MUCH more critical because it involves looking internally, at your thoughts and beliefs.  I believe you’ll find your thoughts are misaligned.  This is fouling up your results.  I have come to realize that if you are working hard (and smart) and the results are still not showing up, your thoughts and beliefs are out of sync with your marketing.

Maybe you believe you want to find a job, land the interview and love your life again, BUT you actually don’t think it is possible or true.   Guess what?  It is not possible if you don’t think it is possible.

Why?  Until your marketing, actions and behaviors are aligned with your thoughts, feelings and beliefs it is not possible to find the ideal job you say you want.

Here is an example: Peter is a senior process engineer with unique expertise in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.  His experience includes project management, process improvement and operations.  He is good at what he does and he wants continue to contribute his time and talent to the industry.  Peter is networking and doing everything else he “should be” doing.

As we looked at his marketing, Peter realized there were several pieces that were not in alignment with what he really wanted in his next position.  As he examined his beliefs and actions, he noticed the subtle self-sabotage that translated into lack of appropriate tasks, follow-up and other actions that made him look and feel busy, but didn’t garner any results.

One of my mentors calls this “driving with the brake on.”  You are burning fuel, tires, and moving, yet what you are doing is very destructive.   With just a few quick coaching calls, Peter was able to release the brake.  The subsequent actions he adopted were not nearly as hard or time consuming and lead him to land four interviews in three weeks.  After a second round of interviews, he had two offers.  He selected a position he is really excited about and it is congruent with his gifts, talents and family goals.

What are the thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back?  Is it time for you to align your thoughts and beliefs and take actions that net results?

Are you tired of just hoping to be successful?  Contact me, together we can achieve results.