Accelerate Your Search™ Now

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.  If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the U.S., many are making plans for Thanksgiving Day!  May your celebration be special and include time for quiet reflection, gratitude for your blessings and simple moments of appreciation for all you have been given.

With Thanksgiving, the holiday season is officially underway.  It is a great time to expand your network and to Accelerate Your Search.  Holiday and family gatherings provide opportunities to connect and nurture relationships within your network.

Here are four tips to maximize each gathering during the holiday season:

1. Give.  Be prepared to give something to everyone you meet.  A smile, a kind word, a connection or your time — these are wonderful gifts.
2. Ask questions and listen.  Ask others questions about what they enjoy about the season or what exciting things are happening in their lives.  Listen carefully and ask follow-up questions.  Avoid offering helpful suggestions/ideas unless specifically asked.
3. Market yourself.  But, don’t beg for a job or oversell!  Be prepared to answer the question “What do you do?”  Avoid saying, “I am unemployed” or “I am looking for a job.”  Instead share what you do and how you add value.  Exchange business cards when appropriate and don’t forget to follow up.
4. Manners Matter. Take your manners and a positive attitude to each event. Be sure to thank the event host.  Yes — even Aunt Sally — your less than favorite person.  Show appreciation for the work and effort put into planning and hosting the event.  When appropriate,  prepare and deliver simple, unique and fun gifts to the host.

Go network, enjoy and have fun!  Avoid negative comments or conversations.  Be open to the opportunities before you and maintain an attitude of gratitude and appreciation.  Your upbeat attitude will prove contagious and you will expand your network and Accelerate Your Search.

“Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into.” – Gandhi

Searching for your next position can be one of the toughest jobs you will ever hold.  Despite “positive thinking,” great marketing and all the resolve and determination you can muster, doubt can still seep in.  Go ahead, admit it, you’ve felt those doubts before, right?

All people have inner doubt at one time or another — maybe it happens when you reach for the phone or begin to compose an email.  You hear that little inner voice begin to chatter.  It says things like, “Why would this person be interested in hearing from me?” or “What will this person think of me?  I’m unemployed and begging for a job,” or even, “This person probably won’t even remember me!”  My “little voice” gets the loudest when I am marketing my services and communicating my value.  If the voice gets loud enough, I may even stop taking action.  Sound familiar?

How you ACT and interact with others is impacted by how you feel.  If you feel “less than” or doubt your skills and abilities it WILL show in your actions and interactions.  Each action (or inaction) directly impacts the results we achieve, the jobs for which we interview and consequently, our income and long-term success.

Let me share an example.  Have you seen people at networking events, walking the room, trying to meet EVERYONE?  They are stuffing their card into people’s hands, interrupting conversations and desperately trying to make something happen.  These actions are often driven by fear and will not garner the results the person is so desperately searching for.

Are you letting your doubts dictate your decisions and actions?  If so, pause and think about how you FEEL about your value, making connections and calling potential employers.  In times of doubt it is so important to continue to be bold and lean into the direction of positive change.

What would happen if you stopped listening to your doubts? 

What if you truly believed you are enough? 

What if you started to feel and act with positive expectation?

What would be different if, as Gandhi suggests in the quote above, you grow into the faith that you are enough and that connecting or re-connecting with each person will bring good things to you and to them?

You and I already know you have significant value to offer.  I also know that there are no accidents and that if you are considering the contact you should act on it!

What might change?  I know it takes a lot of courage to BELIEVE that you are enough, but results do occur when you lean into faith and take positive, proactive action.

Today is an important day in the United States.  It is Election Day and people, both old and new, will be selected for federal and state offices.  I hope you voted.

The campaign process and elections are  public examples of a unique form of interviewing.   No matter your view you on parties, the people running or the process in general, you can learn much about what to do (and what not to do) in a job search by watching the election process unfold.

If you are searching for your next job, here are 3 important lessons I’ve gleaned from the election process:

1. Being known is critical.  In an election or a job search you must be known.  Who you are, what you can do and what you have done will be scrutinized during the selection process, the interview and even after you’ve been hired.
2. Appearance and how you are perceived by others counts.  Whether during an election or a job search you are judged by what you wear, your facial expressions and how you answer questions.  Make sure you understand how others perceive you and your experience.
3. Investing in yourself and your personal branding is required.  It takes time, energy and money to run a campaign — just as it does to run a  job search.  You can’t get elected or hired without help.  You need resources, expertise and the insights of others to navigate the process.

Before you start your job search (or run for office!) ask yourself the following questions:

How are you getting your name in front of key decision makers?

Do hiring managers know who you are?

How are you perceived by others?

Does your appearance support your efforts to land the job you want?

Are you willing to invest in yourself?

Do you see other lessons or have a different point of view?  If so, please share your thoughts below.

Does your résumé set you apart and encourage your next boss to call you?  That’s great.  When your résumé is strong and communicates your unique value it serves as a key to open locked doors.  If your materials  are not helping you stand out in the sea of other résumés, you may not get the opportunity to interview for the position.

Today, more than ever, organizations are proactively looking for the skills and experience they seek.  Being reactive in your search is not the most effective marketing strategy.  I see hundreds of résumés each week and coach clients on the necessity of tailoring their résumé and message to your target audience.

Being focused on the position you want and clearly communicating your message to your target audience helps you stand out in a crowd of other qualified candidates.  Ensure your résumé is authentic and has clarity of purpose.   Show how you can help your future boss and organization achieve their goals.  These simple steps, overlooked by the majority of job seekers, help you “leap off the page.”

Action exercise:

1.  Write a brief job description of your ideal job.

2.  Then, just as if you are applying for the position, put your résumé and the job description side by side.  Highlight the needs and wants of the employer for your ideal job.

3.  Next, use the highlighter to highlight the keywords and information in your résumé that are applicable to the needs and wants of the employer.

Use this same exercise  before you react to a job posting.  Look for the unique ways you solve an employer’s problem or address the needs and wants expressed.  If your résumé is lacking,  fix it, or it may never seen by your future boss.

In the world of online sourcing and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems), résumés that don’t match slip into the darkness and are never seen again.

Tomorrow is Halloween in the USA.  Many youth will dress in costumes and go door to door seeking candy or healthy snacks.  As each door opens they say ‘Trick ‘or Treat’ hoping to receive a treat in lieu of having to perform a trick.  If you want your résumé to be treated to human eyes, tailor it to match the job you are seeking and add style  and be sure it stands out. 

Happy Halloween!  Check out my Halloween treat for you.

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.” ~ French Proverb

The quote above was shared with me at a time I was stuck and having a hard time moving forward.  It provided me with the fresh perspective I needed.

Wind, rain and many other factors move sand around easily.   Think of a sandcastle at the beach.  One minute it adorns the landscape, then a wave comes in and it is gone.

In business, organizations make decisions for thousands of reasons and sometimes those decisions are poorly planned, communicated and executed.  The outcome of some of these decisions is dramatic and immediate and the outcome of other decisions may take months or years to be seen.

When an organization decides to reduce or layoff staff or change employee job functions,  people are deeply impacted.  For some professionals the end of a job is a powerful force that moves them forward at once to the next great adventure.  For others, the blow is dramatic, personal and stops them in their tracks.

It is not always easy to “move on.”  If you are asking, “Why did this happen?”  Sometimes you need to stop and do something different.

If a change in your career has you currently focused on the hurt, write the “hurt” in the  sand or build a sandcastle.  Then visualize a wave washing over the sand.

Now, ask yourself different questions in order to move on. 

Ask yourself:

What do I want to do next?

What am I afraid of doing?

What would happen if I did what I am most afraid of doing?

What would I do if I knew I could not fail?

What work would be fun or I would do without pay?

What am I most interested in doing?

What do I want my legacy to be?

Try a different questions.  Write down your answers.  Ponder your answers and be open to your answers.

Does it matter if you write messages in sand or marble?  I think so.  If you need help asking different questions or moving your search forward, look to the right and sign up for the next (no charge) Q & A session and let me know how I can help you.

The folks at LinkedIn have been busy!  By now you have experienced the homepage make-over, the changes to company pages and the endorsement features.  You may also have noticed a drop in your completeness percentage — mine recently dropped 5%.  And, most recently, you’ve been given the opportunity to connect with “Influencers” — a select panel of 150 thought leaders to follow right from your homepage.

LinkedIn is a great tool.  It is important not only to use it, but also learn about the new features and leverage the ones that  improve your results.  Consistently managing your profile will enhance your personal brand and further your career goals.

So, how do you maximize your profile and all the new changes?

1.  Use your homepage to connect with and to be valuable and visible to your network.  The LinkedIn homepage recommends news of interest to you, shows new status updates and provides an easy way to directly engage with your network from those updates.  You can comment or send a message in seconds.  You can filter and customize the view of the page.

2.  Take advantage of the new streamlined design of Company Pages.  Company updates and connections are easier to locate and are now available on your phone.  Navigation and career opportunities are more engaging and the company can personalize the experience if they wish to do so.

3.  Make the most of the new Endorsements feature.  LinkedIn is touting this newest feature as “Kudos with Just One Click.”   Though the jury is still out on the value of this feature, the premise is that anyone can recognize someone’s skills or expertise with just one quick click.  When you visit a profile, a pop-up box will appear asking, “Pssst, Cindy – Does John have expertise in these areas?  Click the Skill button to endorse them!”  I think it is a bit cheesy — time will tell if this feature truly adds value or not.  This feature may help you if your profile is on-brand and focused.  If not, it may cause confusion and harm if you have 50 skill items listed (i.e., no clear focus).

4.  Finally, as I noted above, you may have noticed a drop in your profile completeness.  I would encourage you to manage your profile and not allow LinkedIn to pressure you to do what is good for their data collection efforts.  When you see their gentle nudges, ask yourself, “Is this good for my brand?” and “Does it help my target audience?”  If the answer is “no,” move on.

If you are interested in more information on all the recent changes, the LinkedIn blog topics tagged with ‘new LinkedIn Features’ have more details and tips.

Remember, a quality profile is critical to your personal brand, career management and your career opportunities. You can leverage LinkedIn and its power with focus and about 15 minutes a week. If you need some help with your LinkedIn Profile let’s talk about a Fast Track solution for your LinkedIn challenge.

In today’s world of employee sourcing, staying connected and getting a referral is more important than ever before.  So, Blind Spot #3 is critical to your success.

#3:  I can’t refer you, if I can’t reach you.

Here’s the thing about me.  I’m one of those people who keeps track of people and business needs and services.  I tell the world about people and businesses that I value, use, and trust to be a match for current or future needs.  People often call me and say,  “I recall you told me about … can I have the details again.”

I enjoy being of service, it is part of who I am.  I am passionate about connecting people who could do business together — and — I go to great lengths to do so.

When a recruiter contacts me or I discover an opportunity — I act!

The bottom line is without your current contact information I can’t make the connection.  It’s a total downer.  You created an obstacle.    You are a skilled, talented person who would be great for this opportunity, yet you will miss out on this referral because I can’t reach you.

Additionally, I can’t rely on you to get back to me.  This experience stands to impact future opportunities as well.  Your online information is not current, so it is not just me who can’t reach you.  If I refer you and someone else can’t reach you, it reflects on me.  What would you do?

Some things will slip through the cracks, it happens to us all every now and then, that is life. Yet, your blind spots not only show how you manage your career, they demonstrate how you will manage the affairs of an employer.

I truly like you and hope all is going well for you.  Maybe you will be among the few who never need to seek another job.  Maybe you forgot how long it takes to put things in place to generate interest or opportunities within your network.

I share this on my blog with compassion, care and concern.  I have been there too, overwhelmed, barely holding it together, and just managing to keep up day to day.  It is a scary place.

It only takes a little time and energy each week to manage your career.  Make a decision to do it. 

Your career is one of your most important assets.  Simple steps and small amounts of time each week will transform your career and immediately improve your results.

And, if you missed Blind Spot #1 and #2, head to the blog, check them out and complete the Action Tips!

It saddens me when people are stuck.  Sometimes they are so stuck they can’t see a way out.

I have the privilege to interact with and provide career search assistance to, sometimes, hundreds of people a week.  This allows me to help people create amazing results, and, it also allows me to witness some truly sad situations where talented individuals have lost thousands of dollars, their homes, their friends and great career opportunities — just by failing to see their blind spots.

Below is a list of the two most common blind spots I see.  If either of these sound familiar, stop and address them now, before you miss out on key opportunities and the job you’ve been waiting for!

Are either of the following showing up in your life?

1)  You won’t take action on what you know.

If you are saying “I already know that” — STOP.  If you know following up after an interview, a referral or a phone screening is what you need to do — JUST DO IT!  If you know writing a thank you letter after an interview is the right thing to do — DO IT!

There is a difference between knowing and doing. If you know what to do, take the action.  Knowledge is great.  Yet, knowledge without action will not garner results.

Action Tip #1:

Stop saying “I know that” and JUST DO IT.

2)  You’ve made it hard for people to help you.

If you asked for help, it is time to stop taking and listen.

Stop telling people all about your drama and how much you know.  Everyone has drama – their drama is just different than yours.

Instead, if you just want someone to listen to you, ask, “Will you listen to me for a few minutes?”  You’ll be surprised at how many people will say okay and give you their time so you can whine, cry or just share your drama.  You’ll feel better and be ready to move on.

Option 2: You can go to the park and talk, whine or cry to the birds or the squirrels. Both are good listeners and they rarely talk back!

If you ask for help and someone’s time, be kind and respectful enough to listen to what they say.  Believe it or not most people get it, and the odds are they too have been without a job at one time or another.

Next, ask for something specific, don’t beat around the bush.  State what you need and ask if they have an idea as to how to solve the problem.  Listen and take notes.  When someone is generous with their time, ideas or network contacts — listen.  Don’t judge the reply, evaluate it or offer a reason why the suggestion will not work.

Action Tip #2:

Listen and write.

If someone offers an idea you’ve already tried and it didn’t work for you – you might say “I did x, y and z.  How do you recommend I modify x, y and z to get better results?”

Working on these two things will go a long way to Accelerating Your Search!

Interested in more tips to Accelerate Your Search?   Give me call.

Or look to the right and sign up for next Q & A call, join the session and ask your question.

This is a day with many and varied meanings.  First and foremost for me, it is my sister Renee’s birthday.

Happy Birthday Renee!

It is also a day that brings memories of friends in Washington DC, New Jersey and New York City, and of course the events in those areas eleven years ago.  Memories of both joy and of great sadness.  It is a day that changed lives in seconds.

9-11 taught me, among other things, that everything counts!   What you do, what you say, where you go and how you serve — it all matters and makes a difference.

The world changes fast.  September is one of the times of the year where we see those changes all around us.  A few weeks ago Dick Durrance, photographer and speaker, published one of his great photos and the quote below:

“Just as the seasons bring about change in the world outside of us, so the adventure of living creates change inside of us.  The trick, I am finding, is to somehow transform those changes into opportunities to grow.”

I believe Dick Durrance is spot on.  The trick is learning how to embrace the changes in our lives and to find the opportunities each change brings.

We all face change — a new boss, losing a job, downsizing,  or just learning new ways of doing the things we have always done.

Are you feeling lost, frustrated, or confused as you attempt to find the opportunities within a career transition?  If so, here is an Action Tip for you.

Grab a piece of paper and make a list of all the things you have been able to do because of this time of transition.  Maybe it is finally making the time for a daily walk, or taking your child or grandchild to his first day of school, or to have coffee in the morning with your spouse.

Make the list.  Be grateful for all the opportunities in this change.  It does all matter and make a difference.

Are you ready for better results?  Do you need help to Accelerate Your Search?   Give me call.  Or look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session and get your search-related question answered.

Hope your Labor Day weekend was wonderful!  My weekend was great and so was last week.

Labor Day celebrates – work and workers – I love my work.  I help talented professionals land the job they want and advance a career they enjoy.  It is amazing to see the results.  I know the processes and methods I share work, yet I never get tired of hearing the success stories.

I am always delighted when someone I am working with tells me just how they added themselves to a tip, technique, tactic or a strategy and presto … like the magician who pulls the white rabbit out of his top hat with skill and a smile … the tip shared becomes theirs, the result theirs too and it is dead on prefect!

Last week was one of those great weeks.  By Thursday, the fourth day of the week I that heard from four people that I had been working with that they had job offers – that does not happen every week.

Here is part of one of the messages I got last week:

“… I have wonderful news to share with you. I got an offer from the job interview! … This is to reinforce how important it is to …. I didn’t do it for a previous phone screening interview and, of course, nothing followed. This time, I was determined to … and I did, and I’m glad I did. Thank you for emphasizing the importance of … in your career workshops!!! It really could mean getting hired or NOT getting hired….Thank you Cindy, for all your professional help! … Both my husband and I are very lucky to have worked with you! …”

So often it is a little thing or a simple fine turning that changes the result very quickly.  Doing one small thing better or different can be the difference between being hired and not being selected for the job.

I can’t lie I love getting notes and updates on the success others are creating in their careers.  See, I’m a bit unusual and bizarrely passionate about people succeeding and having the job and career they want and love.

Are you ready for better results? Do you need help to Accelerate Your Search?  Give me call; I’d love to help you be successful too!