Accelerate Your Search™ Now

Both visibility and a consistent online identity are critical to your brand, your career and to landing your next position.  How will you improve your visibility and achieve consistent branding online?

There are so many tools to help you build visibility online.  ‘One size’ or one tool does not fit all. A resource that may help you quickly improve your online visibility is a personal portal.

In January, William Arruda shared Personal Portals as one of the Top 11 Trends in Personal Branding for 2011.  What is a personal portal?

A personal portal is a tool that allows you to create your custom personal profile page on the web to point users to your content and information on the web.   It provides analytics and is easy to set up at very low or no cost. Two of the options in this category you may want to explore are about.me and flavors.me.

An about.me “splash page” allows you to provide a brief well rounded branded bio and links to your online presence for an instant website.  If you are not ready to manage a website or to blog this is a great option to help you improve your visibility online.  If you have a website or a blog it helps you improve your visibility as a hub for all your content.  It is easy to put up, provides a portal to your LinkedIn profile as well as your other online locations, and gives you a nice link to add to your email signature.

Bottom line – A personal portal is easy to set up.  Low cost and gives you central web presence.  You can create an account, select your URL, add your bio and you have your page up in less than an hour.  You don’t need special skills.  Of course you need to do a little planning and have your bio ready.

Curious?   Check out my info at about.me or flavors.me 

Do you have a question or comment?  Post it below.

The answer is simple.  The hiring manager considered you less of a risk than the other candidates.  An interview is more than answering the questions and presenting your skills, it is about connecting and creating peace-of-mind for the hiring manager.

Having a pre-existing relationship helps to create a connection, that is why networking is one of the best ways to land an interview (and a job).  That pre-existing relationship is also why so many positions are filled internally.  After doing your homework, being well prepared, and qualified here are keys to building rapport and the foundation to move an interview to a second interview and an offer.

Be friendly.  All things being equal, people want to hire people they like, trust and believe they would like to get to know.

Look for common ground.  What “clicks” and takes the conversation to a deeper level.  Building that initial comfort creates a foundation for building trust.

Be engaging.  Ask meaningful questions, this allows you to get to the heart of the hiring manager’s important issues, problems and/or concerns.

Discover the need.  Having a dialog advanced by your questions will help you discover the real needs and wants of the hiring manager and the organization.

The answer is simple – the execution takes knowing yourself and being prepared, creating a plan and taking consistent action.

Summer is a great time of year. Summer in New England is very different than the HOT summer days of West Texas.  I love summer and the abundance of fresh vegetables, watermelon and the ease of finding good ice cream.

One of New England’s big surprises was the number of great easy to find little ice cream shops.  To find one I discovered I could just look for where people are lined up waiting to purchase ice cream on a summer evening or afternoon.  The second part of this surprise for me was that most of the ice cream shops close on or about Labor Day! 

The impact is that it feels like ice cream is in short supply in the fall and winter.  That of course is nonsense, good ice cream is not in short supply in the fall, winter or spring, it is just not as convenient to get and takes a bit of effort to find it during the other seasons of the year.  The result, if I want ice cream in the other seasons I have to make an effort to locate it.
 
Sometimes in a job search it is easy to feel ‘lack’ or think jobs are in short supply like ice cream in the off season.  That too is nonsense. 

Once you spend a little time reflecting on where you are and what you want from your career and your next position, you will also discover an abundane of opportunities.  These may not be as convenient as going around the corner and looking for the line or opening an email with a long list of your ideal positions.

Your ideal job is not in short supply, but effort is required to locate it.  You must be willing to market yourself, and you need to know what you are looking for and be willing to seek it out. 

Your talent, skills and abilities are wanted and needed, opportunities are abundant.  Are you willing to do the work for the ideal opportunity?

Most of the people lined up outside the ice cream place, knew where to go because of word of mouth marketing.  Someone told them about the great ice cream, they went and experienced it, they told others and line grew! 

This word of mouth marketing did not happen without work, a plan and day-to-day execution on the part of the ice cream shop owners.

Are you leveraging your word of mouth marketing?   Why not?

Sure there is a shop, a place for people to go to experience and learn more, (your online profile), the unique story of the ice cream shop and the ice cream it sells.  How it is made, what makes it different and the best in the area (your USP, your brand, your story).  The shop has a sign out front, (your job title, your business card), a menu board of the ice cream they offer (your résumé). 

The ice cream shop communicates their message and they help others communicate and share their message.  Maybe in print with a flyer, a storyboard, and as people gather in the line they are talking about the ice cream.  The line and those conversations are part of their social proof that the ice cream is good (your recommendations, references, your network).

All of these marketing elements are critical to drawing people to the shop to experience the ice cream.  They built the message and their reputation over time.  This did just happen. 

The shop assessed what they had to offer, worked to understand the wants and needs of their customer, and then they create and enhance a market for the ice cream as they communicatie and encourage others to share the story.  They focus on the experience and they have customers willing to stand in the long summer lines for ice cream!

The behind the scenes to creating the end result – a great reputation, long lines, perception of short supply, and high value, began with a careful assessment of the value available, how to communicate the value offered to the marketplace, followed by the creation of a plan and the daily execution and evaluation of the plan.   Time and hard work!

Have you taken the time to assess, plan and execute your personal marketing plan to land your next job? 

What is your story? 

You are unique, in short supply (there is only one of you).  You will be available for only a short time, and you have a high value in the marketplace.  What are you doing to tell your story, to pull people and interested employers toward you? 

Wouldn’t you rather have employers seeking you out? 

What would it be like to be like the ice cream shop in the summer with long lines of people waiting for you? 

How would it feel having people standing in line to interview you, experience you, to talk to you and to want to work with you? 

Would that lead to having several offers to review and then select the ideal one for you?

Have a question about creating your personal marketing plan? Sign up and join me on the next Q & A call, ask your question and get an answer.

Need specific ways to speed up your search?  Look to the right and request my gift to you – “162 Ways to Accelerate Your Job Search and Land the Job You Want”.

Have a comment or thought?  Post it below.

Professionals, new college grads, the long-term and the short-term unemployed tend to make some of the same mistakes.  In Liz Ryan’s recent article Self-Defeating Job-Search Moves to Avoid she touches many of the common self-defeating moves I see weekly. 

Qualified and talented people are shooting themselves in the foot.  Are you?  I hope not. 

My suggestion – read the article and follow the advice – “Don’t replicate these counterproductive deeds.”

Have a comment, or thought?  Post it below.

During a job search there are a lot of expectations, most expectations you believe are understood.  Yet you may or may not be surprised to learn that the unspoken rules are often only your rules or expectations. 

You must be clear about your expectations, the leads, referrals, and help you want or you won’t get help.  You must communicate your expectations in a clear way.

Weekly, I talk to hundreds of people who say they want to land the ideal job, yet they struggle with how to do so.  About 50% say they go to networking events, connect online and in person and never get a referral or a lead. 

Sometimes they are mad, on the verge of tears, or ready to just throw in the towel.  They feel as if they are begging for help, working so hard yet never make progress or get the help they want. They want help but don’t know what to do or where to find help.

The bottom line is referrals and leads don’t always come as quickly as we’d like, for most of us it feels awkward coming right out and asking for a referral (so, we beat around the bush), and even when we do ask directly it is at the last minute, like a day or two before an interview or when you see a job posting for the job you want.  Is this true for you?

Here’s what’s going on – you believe

                 – you communicate your expectations and that you want help,

                 - you help others everyday (you keep score, too),

                 – you ask for leads or referrals,

                – you clearly communicate you expect a lead or referral, and

                – you clearly communicate the exact job or referral you want. 

However the message is so diluted or cryptic, even I need a ‘magic decoder ring’ or to ask lots of questions to get a clear idea of how I can help.

If who, you are talking to or connecting with don’t have the foggiest idea what referral is good, what job you want, or what company is a good referral for you, trust me, life is too busy for them to stop and figure it out.  Not to sound like I am bragging, but I am better at sorting this out than the average person, because that is what I do!  So, if I don’t have a clue, I guarantee others are clueless too! 

    Do you have a clear message? 

    Are you receiving leads or referrals?

    Would you like help to craft a message in a way to ask for referrals that does not feel awkward?

Well, there is a whole list of things you can do to be clear and ask for referrals and leads to accelerate your job search, land the job you want at the salary you deserve and with less stress.  Here’s one for networking introductions:
 
“As you know most job leads come via networking and word-of-month referrals, I am a __insert your profession or the job title you are seeking___, I would like to help you, learn more about what you do, share leads and offer you referrals, please connect with me by email at xxx@gmail.com or ask me for my business card so I can learn more than 30 seconds worth of what you do.”

Why, does it work? 

It is a clear message.  It tells what you do, how you will help, it makes it easy to connect with you, it gives you an opportunity to learn about what someone else does, it clearly sets the expectation of sharing leads and offering referrals and in creates an opportunity to connect with you to learn exactly what you do, what type of job you want to land and what type of referrals and leads you want.

Be sure you are prepared to continue the clear communication when someone contacts you and you plan to meet.   Here is one more tip, if you need help with your message, join the Q & A calls and ask for help or feedback on your message. 

Being prepared, having a clear message and planting the seed early in all interactions and relationships, sets the expectation upfront and ensures more leads and referrals – guaranteed!

I love success stories and comments.  Will you share yours?  Add your comment or success story below.

 Recently after an evening presentation, a lovely woman walked up engaged in a conversation.  Then asked to offer me some feedback, I said sure, I love feedback!

She told me she liked the information, what I had to say and found it helpful, her suggestion was that I not indicate to my audience that I believed in Divine direction because others might not only believe that would help them get a job, but believe they could find an employer where that belief was accepted or part of the values of the organization.  I smiled and thanked her for the feedback.  

Are your values important to you?

Are you looking for values alignment in your next position?

We all have values.  They are those non-negotiable guides for our lives.  Organizations, companies, even departments, units or regions of organizations have values too.

Satisfaction in a position, company and an industry is higher when you have alignment with those things that are important to you.  If your values are important to you, knowing what is important, understanding if there is indeed alignment or not impacts your level of satisfaction.

Opening communicating your values may offer you one method of obtaining external confirmation of values alignment or at least acceptance at a specific level.  You can research ask questions yet, still not know all the unwritten rules until you belong to an organization.

Yes, it is true you may not find an organization aligned with your values.  If it is important to you, then looking has a payoff.  If you don’t look, share and communicate your values the odds against you are much greater that you won’t find alignment.  At least the odd are better that you know the score and you can make a choice knowing there is or is not a values alignment at least at some level.

You must be somewhat comfortable in “your own skin” to do this and it does take courage to share your briefs during a job search. Fear of reject is real, until you get comfortable communicating who you are, what you have to offer, and realize that marketing yourself, values too, in an authentic manner draws people, opportunities and the ‘right’ hiring managers to you.

Skeptical?  Here are a couple of questions for you: 

Do you want to land a job where you don’t fit, and are unhappy, or do you want to land a job where you do fit, and enjoy what you do, and the organization you are with for 90 days or 730 days, or 1825 days or more?  

What is more important?

Years ago, a mentor offered me some advice that I ignored, as my way of seeking external confirmation of values alignment during an interview for a promotion.  I was never sorry I that I sought the external confirmation of the alignment that was very important to me. 

 My belief in the Devine is important to me, it is part of me. I don’t push my brief or views on others but I view it as inauthentic to deny or hide that part of who I am.  The advice was not to wear a piece of jewelry that was an outward and visible sign of my faith to the interview.  You must make your own choices, and market who you are, and make your own choice as to what you believe and how that impacts you job search.

Over and over again, authentic branding and marketing does accelerate your search.

What is important to you?

How will you elect to seek alignment with your values?

Have a question? Sign up and join me on the next Q & A call, ask your question and get an answer.

Have a comment or thought?  Post it below.

No doubt you have heard all the conversations about companies who screen out those who are currently unemployed. 

Some employers or hiring managers don’t call or interview people with a status of “unemployed”.  Yes, your résumé might be screened out in this way.  In fact New Jersey now has a law that will fine employers who do this and other states may soon do the same.

It is too bad that some employers may elect to use only your current employment status as a screening tool, but it is not new and may or may not end with new laws on the books.  

What is your best defense?  In my view your best defenses is your personal marketing, your personal marketing plan and the execution of your plan. 

Marketing is about overcoming the objections of the buyer.  An employer is the “buyer” of your services. The purchase is about the value you bring to an organization with your services.  That value is measured in the results you achieve or what someone believes you will achieve. 

If you believe your current employment status is an objection that an employer may have, you do need to address it!

Here is one suggestion from Sandra McCartt, an Executive Recruiter, based in Amarillo, Texas.  Sandra suggests thinking about being between successes and recently shared the notation below.

“September 2010 to Present:  Between Successes”

Change your thinking – you have heard me say it before – until you shift your thinking, others will not shift their view of your situation.

If you have been successful and want to be successful again, what is stopping you?

When you can, I always suggest having a focused conversation before you send your résumé.  Need a suggestion?  Here’s a conversation suggestion for those changing industries or directions within your industry:

“My current focus is bringing fresh foods to the c-store customer to improve customer satisfaction and profitably grow the category.  The challenge for many organizations today, is that food prices recently made the biggest jump in 36 years.  In 2010 when I focused on RTD tea for <insert prior company> I helped grow that category in percent of sales over prior year and helped grow sales in all major cold vault space.”

What do you think?  Should you be specific? 

It does open doors – if the potential employer isn’t focused on growing the fresh foods category, yet wants to grow the cold vault or another area, there is an opportunity to continue the conversation. 

Or you can stick with the process that is proven not to work fast – “I am unemployed, haven’t worked in 14 months, don’t have a clue what is going on in the industry, but need a job NOW, here’s my résumé.  When can I start?”

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

The hundred days of summer is just around the corner.  It is the time of year, when interesting and focused conversations with VPs, regional managers, area managers, managers and front line associates are often about the detailed plans and prep for the ”100 Days of Summer”. 

The hundred days or so between Memorial Day to Labor Day for many is a critical business season. Profits and success during the “100 days of Summer” can make or break the success of a business unit not just for the season but for the year.  Having, knowing and executing your plan is not hard but does take good communication, energy and thought.

Last week speaking to an executive looking for his next career opportunity I ask him, “What is your personal career plan for the “100 Days of Summer”, he looked at me and smiled, then said “I don’t have a plan, but I think I need one.”  Then he asked for a few suggestions as to how to develop his plan and we agreed to talk in a couple of days to discuss his plan in detail.

Here are some of the key things I suggest you think about and pull together for your “100 day” plan.  Assess where you are now, think about your value in the marketplace, your reputation, your niche, the  opportunities you want to target, clarify your vision, your career goal, and then create a plan for the next 100 days.

Don’t wing your job search and don’t overlook the critical 100 days ahead.

If you need help creating a plan, get it.

Think about your plan.  Summarize your plan in one page – that’s right – a one-page executive summary.

Want more information about completing your own “100 Day Plan” to land the job you want by Labor Day? 

Sign up and join me on the next Q & A call, ask your question and get an answer. 

If you are interested in taking action and moving forward and yet you have a question about your career, career transition or search, you can set up a 20 minute chat with me to get your question answered.

My three top tips for negotiating the salary you want.  At least once a month, after a workshop or speaking engagement, I am asked for salary negotiation tips.

Usually the matter is urgent, “Tomorrow is my second interview, and do you have any tips on how best to negotiate my salary?”  To negotiate the salary you are worth you must establish your value early so be prepared.

Here are my top three tips:

Believe in your value.  Your perception and your belief in your value are critical. A job loss and a long job search can bring up feelings and old beliefs like you are not good enough, not smart enough, not experienced enough. If you have allowed your self esteem to be damaged, you belief this and you are afraid you are worthless now! You will communicate that during the interview process.

Know your market value.  Do your homework, understand the market conditions, understand the company, and understand who the decision maker is and how he/she views your value. Communicate your value at every touch point. Proclaim your value and confirm that the decision maker agrees you bring value to the table. Be poised and confident in your marketing materials, and all of your communications.

Read the book. Since 1998 I have recommended and shared Jack Chapman’s book – Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute. It was a must read and is the best book on the topic.  Enjoy it.

What’s going on with your job search?  So often people find themselves in what I call a “flat spin” during career transition, especially if your job ending was unexpected.  

The “flat spin” is a combination of busy work, emotions, and not making the progress toward the job you want.  Are you doing what you think you should, what others tell you do and worrying about nothing, or everything?  Are there distractions that appear all around you?

If you are spending hours online, and you are riding an emotional roller coaster feeling great, happy and self assured, in the morning and by noon or the next day, you are concerned, worried, frustrated or feel ready to cry – heads up –  you may be in a “flat spin” or headed for one. 

A few weeks ago I attended an event for high school students who were exploring careers.  I love to attend these events and learn about the careers students are interested in and what there are thinking.  I learn so much from high school students. 

This event was different.  For the first time at one of these events I had several students share stories and concerns about their parents who were out of work.

The students that shared concerns about unemployed parents were bright and focused.  Each knew where they were going and what they wanted to do after high school.  They also knew why they were interested in the careers they were exploring that day. 

So why did they stop and talk to me?  They talked to me out of concern for someone they loved and were worried about and wanted to help.  The stories had a common theme.  Each student saw something was wrong, and knew their parent needed to do something different but did not know what to do or how to help.    Warning others often see your “flat spin” before you do.

If you are in a “flat spin” or just a little stuck, here are several questions to ask and things you may want to do different.

Where is your workspace?

Is it the kitchen table, living room in front of the TV?  Do you have a decent chair and work surface? Do you have space just for your job search?  If working at home is not for you go to a local café, sandwich shop, a local library or career center.  Many of these places have free or paid WiFi, and you can make calls from your car so you don’t bother others.

Do you have a budget?

A change in income can add stress and sometimes so much stress that you may find it hard to focus on the project at hand.  Update your budget.  If you have 35% or 50% less income reflect that in your budget.  Then talk to your family about the new budget.  You might be surprised just how much help your family can be and how much fat is in your budget that you can trim to lessen the stress.

Are you working on the right things?

Are you investing your time and energy in the job search activities that will deliver an “ROI” (Return on Investment)?  Do you spend all day surfing the web and applying to online postings? Are you emailing out a résumé that has misspellings or does not represent you in the best light?  If your search is in a “flat spin” you may need some help to get it on track.  Don’t pull away and continue to work alone.  Your family members want you to succeed will encourage you, but are rarely have the best advice.  Attend a workshop, tele-seminar, read a book.  Invest some time, energy and resources and work on the “right things”.  Doing a job search alone is much harder than it needs to be. Often just a little help gain focus, speed up your search and help you land the job your want fast and with less stress.

Do you have a question?   I can help.  Sign up and join us on the next Q & A call or post your question or what is working for you!