Accelerate Your Search™ Now

  Do your networking results need help?

Yes?  Then it is time to ditch boring and dull!  It is time to create and share your WOW personal  branded introduction (or Elevator Speech).  It is your branded commercial, serving as your introduction to so many — and, frankly, a necessity.

Use it when you meet and greet (both online and off), understanding it answers the question, “Tell me about yourself.”

An Elevator Speech or your WOW personal branded introduction is a marketing pitch, customized to the people and situations in which you want to secure a conversation.  A conversation is step one, and begins to build or further a relationship.  If you do not WOW people when you first meet, chances are there will be no next conversation, no opportunity to foster a relationship.

In today’s digital, fast-paced world getting lost or forgotten in a sea of information is easy.  Having a WOW personal branded introduction is critical in helping you stand out and be remembered (favorably).

What is the WOW in your branded introduction?

WOW stands for your Worth (what you do and the impact of it), the Opportunities you are seeking, and What you can do for the person (or someone they know) experiencing your message.

Your WOW makes you memorable, helps others connect with you and understand why they should care about what you have to say.   If the WOW is missing, odds are you will be forgotten or the conversation will fizzle quickly.  Without a strong WOW your brand awareness is diminished and it takes longer to have influence in any situation.

Remember, you only have seconds to connect, set the stage and share your WOW.  Your first impression is vital — make it count or you will be forgotten!

Ditch your boring introduction.  Be relevant.  Gain favorable attention.  Ensure that when you meet someone they understand what you do and the impact you have.

Ready to ditch boring and add WOW?

There are thousands of formulas for an elevator speech — pick any formula you like, and then draft your initial speech.

Then slice it, dice it, edit it, and make it yours.  Deb Dib co-author of “Ditch Dare Do!”  recommends being ruthless when editing — every word counts!

Hone your personal branded introduction.  Practice it.  Use it.  Change it as you grow.  You need to be comfortable delivering it, yet if it sounds canned it will impact the impression you make.

This formula will get you started:  “I <what you do> <the problem you solve> and the <results you produce>.

As you grow you will want your WOW introduction to evolve.  As it evolves, update your online social profiles to reflect your updates.

If your WOW personal branded introduction or social media profiles need attention, get help.  If I can help, feel free to contact me.

In 15+ words you can share a great deal about your brand and what you do.  You can go from boring to having conversations that build relationships and land opportunities faster than you think.  With focus and some editing you can create an amazing WOW statement.

You get the idea — ditch boring (and the extra words), create WOW, and be remembered.

Does your Elevator Speech have WOW?   Is it on brand, clear and to the point?  Does it tell your brand story?

Have a comment or thought?  Post it below.

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

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

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

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

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

Where to start?

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

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

Then you must ACT!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is my formula for new job goals:

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

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

Accelerate your search, accelerate your success.

Have an amazing 2015!

It’s time to drop the “stuff.”  It’s time to get real, get personal and talk to people.

As you look forward to 2015, no doubt you are assessing what’s ahead, planning how to be more effective and determining what you need to do to land your next position.  And, all that is great . . . however, you also need to drop the “stuff.”  You know the stuff — the time wasters, the excuses and the mask (all those sophisticated ways you are hoping will influence people and help you land a job).

What is the one of the biggest time wasters?  Surfing the web and job boards.  Get started by cutting the time you spend surfing by 50%.

Excuses?  The most common ones include:  a bad economy, your age, or your last salary.  Drop them.  Whatever time you are spending discussing, thinking or worrying about these matters cut the time by 75%.  By doing so, you now have more time to (authentically) talk to people.

Drop your mask and get real with yourself.  Identify your unique value, name it and embrace it.  Then, share your unique value all the time, in all modes of communication.

Next, go where people are gathered and share your value.  Make it your goal to have short focused personal conversations with 200% more people than you did last year.

Searching for a new job can take a long time — sometimes up to two or three years — and many people get frustrated by the length of time it takes.  If you want to avoid this frustration or can’t afford to draw out your search for years you need to –you guessed it — drop the “stuff!”

One of the fastest ways to accelerate your search is to talk to more people.

Bottom line, it takes between 150 and 160 conversations about what you do and your value to land an interview.  If you are only talking to 5 people a week, it will take you 30 weeks to talk to enough people to land an interview.

If you talked to 50 people this week and shared your value and what you do with only 5 people, you missed 45 opportunities.  On the bright side, if you confidently shared your value with all 50 people you shorten the time to land an interview from 30 weeks to 3 weeks.

Want to accelerate your search?  Talk to more people.

How many people will you talk to this week?  Will you drop the “stuff?”

Will you get personal and share your unique value and what you do?

“The most influential person who talks to you all day is you; so you should be very careful about what you say to you.” ~ Zig Ziglar

The Zig Ziglar quote above is one of my favorites.  Age, and what we think it means, is one of those conversations we have with ourselves.  And, that internal conversation can change the way the world sees us.

What conversations will you have about age today?

Will your age conversation center on your schedule, your emotions, or your current stage of life?

Here are a few of the conversations shared with me recently:

• From a new college grad:  “At my age and with a degree I won’t be working weekends in the future.”  
• From women 50+:  “My age, experience and education should allow me the opportunity to not stand all day.”  and “I have always looked old for my age, in fact my youngest grandchild asked me if I was a 100 yet.  Isn’t that cute?”

Yes, there is an “age issue” in almost ever job search — yours.  My experience is that when age is an issue for the candidate, the potential employer picks up on the matter.

Here are 3 things to consider as you embark on your job search:

1.  Age is a perspective.  If you think it matters, it does.  At least it matters to you.

What is your perspective?  Is your age an asset or a liability?  The primary reason others will focus on your age, as either asset or liability, is that you do.

2.  Age as a requirement for the job.  Yes, there are jobs that have age requirements.  However, only a small percentage of jobs have such a requirement.  When a job does have an age requirement, it is usually very clear.

When I hear someone say, “I did not get the job because of my age,” my first question is:  what was the age requirement? My second question is: how do you know?

The answers are very telling.  Often a candidate will share they interjected age into the conversation during the interview.

How do you bring up age?  Why do you view your age as relevant to discuss?

3.  Age is a process of life.  All things age.  The aging process does not ensure experience, knowledge, or skills.  Nor do your strengths or wisdom show up at a specific age.

Age does not guarantee the achievement of results, personal fulfillment, a look or energy level.  At any age you may seek opportunities to gain experience and learn to leverage all that is unique to you.

Telling others you have XX years of experience rarely helps someone leap for joy and assume you can do the job.  It simply states you held a job for XX years — nothing less, nothing more.

If you want someone to value your skills, make sure they know you unique value.  Craft your stories to share the information others need.  Include:   your results, what you have done, what you learned, what goals you want to achieve and how you can help them achieve their goals.

Stop hiding your value.  Be found and be visible.  Focus your conversations on what matters — to you and the potential employer.

You are the most influential person in the room when it comes validating your value.  How do you convey your value?

What conversations are you having with yourself and others?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.   Know your what you offer.

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

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

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

2.  Care for yourself.  

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

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

3.  Build and maintain a support system.

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

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

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

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

Talk.  Conversations open many doors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5.  Be creative and consider alternatives.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7.  Monitor your attitude.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recently, a wise 8-year-old set me straight about reindeer hooves.  She shared, “I hope you know this talk of reindeer on rooftops is REALLY a myth.  The purpose of telling kids about reindeer hooves on the roof is to hide the fact that parents dragging stuff around are noisy.  Only kids who don’t pay attention to the world believe that myth.”

WOW!  What insight!  When you understand, at 8-years-old, the need to pay attention, nothing will stop you — as long as you maintain that awareness.

As a coach, I thought, what fun she will be to coach at 18, 28, or 48!  My wish for her this season is that she always maintains that level of awareness.

Of course, the clatter of reindeer hooves have little to do with personal branding and building a sustainable career –but — the wisdom of this eight year old certainly does.  Awareness is a key to leveraging many of life’s situations.

Building and sustaining a great career does not just happen.  It requires knowledge, the awareness and willingness to apply that knowledge, and knowing what you want.  Couple this with making key decisions and taking actions and you are on your way to a rewarding career.

Yes, the world and labor market are ever-changing and providing different opportunities.  And, while I do not have a crystal ball to see what the new year holds, I do know that it is easier to build your personal brand and create opportunities, than it is to convince a smart 8-year-old that reindeer can fly and land on rooftops!

Are you ready for your career to shine?

Yes?  Then, let’s talk.

If you want to take a serious look at whether or not your personal brand is attracting positive attention and helping you connect with people and opportunities, then my holiday season gift awaits you — just give me a call.

Sharing your unique gifts with the world requires willingness and awareness.  If you supply the willingness and awareness, I will help you build the career you want in the new year.  I will help you with the “how’s.”

Yes, you can leverage your personal brand with less stress, without just adding another thing to your “To Do” list!  Those who cut through the clatter, find the value is crystal clear.

Effectively sharing who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique makes employers take notice, hire, and promote you.  Call me by December 21st and I  will give you a coaching session to review your brand and give you 3 action steps to take before January 1st.  What a wonderful way to enjoy the season and launch the new year!

Have an amazing holiday season!