Accelerate Your Search™ Now

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.

It is summer — even in New England!  To many, summer brings a slower or different pace.  A pace that often allows for reflection.

On a hot summer day, I love to lie in the grass and look up at the clouds, letting my mind wander about what is next for me and my career.  A clear vision begins to form and I use that vision to generate a plan for the coming year.

As a kid I would lie in the grass, usually over several days and I would envision my life, my career — everything.   Then I would have a clear picture of where I was going and what I needed to do in order to achieve my goals.  The vision always became reality when I executed on the priorities. Then the following summer I’d expand my vision and paddle forward.

This process shaped my view of creating, managing and fine turning my life and my career and, to some extent, my view of how others manage their careers.  As I see it, people often manage their careers as travelers on a river.  They are either Floaters or Paddlers.

FLOATERS let the river take them wherever it chooses.  They are content to watch the world go by at its own pace—with their progress and direction at the mercy of other forces. Floaters sometimes take an unexpected dip because they are not prepared for the currents. Floaters just let it happen.

There are floaters in the workplace, too.  They allow bosses, department heads and other forces to direct their careers. Unprepared for change, they can find themselves “in deep water,” trying to figure out what happened – wondering if that promotion will ever come and where their career is going. Floaters don’t take control of their careers; they don’t live their purpose.

PADDLERS, on the other hand, take charge of their direction, path and speed. Paddlers are going somewhere – with a purpose. Paddlers make it happen.

Paddlers have a distinct mindset and a purpose.  They think like the CEO of a business. They assess their strengths and weaknesses, develop their skills and hone an understanding of the currents, conditions and environment.  Paddlers, like kayakers, have a plan for the trip.  If they take a spill they have the ability, confidence and self-understanding to right the craft quickly and continue their journey. What might have been a disaster becomes a minor detour.

Are you a floater or paddler?

Does it matter?   That is for you to decide.

Consider the following:

It is still a very competitive workplace and marketplace.

Releasing your career and floating down the river does limit your ability to control and influence your revenue stream (or salary, if you are still thinking like an employee) and your happiness.  Floating can be stressful and unfulfilling.  Stress and lack of fulfillment zap both the fun and enjoyment out of life and, at least for me, impact happiness.

Owning your career and your vision allows you to control the pace at which you paddle, influence your revenue and kick in your fun factor.  Less stress, more money, the work you enjoy, and WOW, loving your life!  Paddling does take work, yet for me it is the best choice.

Comment below and let me know if you are a Paddler or a Floater and why your choice is important to you.

Getting your résumé noticed and in the hands of the right person is tough.  You can’t afford to waste time or make mistakes.

Boring, plain and empty résumés don’t grab attention and they don’t get read.  If you want to get an interview, you must gain favorable attention.

Are you ready to be happy, make the money you deserve and land your dream job?  Then it is time to avoid the BIG mistakes.

Are you making the biggest mistake?

Failing to address the problems you solve is among the biggest mistakes employers note when talking about résumés.  Hiring managers don’t have time nor do they want to stop and try to figure out if you can solve the problem most important to them.  Grab their attention by sharing how you can solve their problem!

Here are 3 tips to avoid making this mistake:

1. Use all your fire power to quickly and clearly identify what you can do for the employer.

2. Set your résumé apart by telling the reader about the extraordinary manner or method you use to solve problems.

3. Offer an unambiguous picture of what your new boss will experience when working with you as you solve the problems.

Finally, it is not enough to have a great résumé.  You must also be able to avoid this BIG mistake during an interview. If you’re boring or never gain the interviewer’s attention with the problems you solve, you won’t be in the running for the job.

Is a résumé mistake keeping you stuck in a job you have out grown?  Will your résumé knock you out before an interview even occurs?

Do you have a résumé comment or a question?

Please post it below.

Recently, a client called and asked, “How bold is too bold when seeking a new job?”  My answer was, “It depends, can you share some details?”  There was a laugh and acknowledgement that, of course, the details were important.

Her situation?  After three interviews (where she had developed, prepared and made major presentations to groups of up to 20 people), an invitation was extended for a fourth interview the following Monday.  This interview required her to develop a 4^th original presentation on a topic specific to the work she would be doing for the organization.  And, this time, to deliver the information to a group of 50, including senior staff and investors.  My client, a highly credentialed and published professional in her field, admitted that after the last required presentation and subsequent conversation with the hiring manager, she was feeling a bit unappreciated, used and overwhelmed with self-doubt.

Her questions included : Did I already mess up this opportunity?  Do they not value me and the skills I bring?  Did the potential employer expect her to work for free?   Additionally, she began to wonder:  Maybe I can’t do the job; maybe they don’t see my skills; or maybe they have no plans to hire me after four interviews.

As she recapped the events and the conversations of the week, her emotions bounced from self-doubt to frustration to anger.  She shared she had it! Enough!  She needed to stop the doubt train, but how?  She took action.  She called the hiring manager and said in a  bold tone, “Hire me and I will make the presentation for you on Monday, your investors will love you, and if I don’t work out, you’ll know and you can let me go.”

What followed was the voice in her head screaming, “Oh no!  What did I just do? I was too bold in that statement and now I may never get hired!”

Quickly, she realized the real issue was not being too bold.  The real issue was addressing her doubt and frustration and learning how to managing her emotions in a productive manner.

She was right.  She needed to learn how to manage her self-doubt so she could deliver the same message, in more constructive way, to the hiring manager to obtain the outcome she desired.  In this situation, she was too bold for this particular hiring manager — a job offer did not materialize and the hiring manager stated in an email he was disappointed she declined the final interview.  Her emotions got the best of her at a critical point in the conversation.  She reacted instead of responding.

Do you ever find yourself in this type of situation?  It can be a tough call, especially if you are feeling like enough is enough.  I imagine you have experienced similar situations — I certainly have.  And, for a long time, I always seemed to handle them in a less than ideal way.

What finally helped me?  Working to manage the situation before I arrive at the “enough is enough” place and to be intentional and clear about what I will do when a similar situation arises.  I wish I could tell you that these days I am always good at managing those situations, but I can’t – it is a work in progress.  However, I am much better and rarely do I cross the line to very bold and direct without it being an intentional choice.

Here are the steps that work for me:

1. Get Clear.  Think about what you want and what you’re willing to do to achieve what you want.  Example: For my dream job, I am willing to commute, but not willing to relocate.
2. Write it down.  Write down what you want, why it is important and your intentions.  Example: Do you want a job offer?  Do you want to be liked?  Do you want to be seen as the new director and the next VP of Operations?
3. Think about what to say.  Does your message match your personal brand?  Does your message help you achieve what you truly desire?  Does your message fit your target audience?  Is there better way to say it?  Does your message come across the way you want it to?  Draft your message on paper, if needed, and ask your coach to help you fine tune it.
4. Take Action.  State your message, share your value, be open and continue the dialogue.  Example:  Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager, we have been talking for over 8 weeks.  During that time I have prepared and presented three very solid presentations during 3 separate interviews demonstrating my skills, knowledge and expertise, wouldn’t you agree?  <wait for reply>  What is it you have not seen or learned about my qualifications that you hope a fourth interview/presentation will provide for you?  <wait for a reply>  Normally, for the type of presentation you have requested I am compensated as a consultant or speaker.  Should we discuss my joining your team in this manner or for a trial period as an employee?  <wait for reply>

These four steps serve as my guide and help me focus on the desired end result.  They help me manage my self-doubt (real or imagined) so that I may perform at the top of my game.

I learned and fine-tuned these steps several years ago by asking for my coach for help.  I needed a process to help me refocus and be more effective when low-vibrating emotions and self-doubt arose.  Through this work, I replaced the “enough is enough” attitude and quick, bold replies with steps that helped me achieve my goals.

Are you looking for support to overcome your own self-doubt or blind spots?  Working with a coach can be very helpful in achieving amazing results of your own.

You’ve made it to the final “B of Interviewing!”  You’ve stuck with it till the end . . . and, that is exactly what the final “B” is all about.

What is the last “B?”

Be persistent.

Companies take from days to weeks to make decisions.  Decision time varies depending on a number of factors.  Perhaps there weren’t enough great candidates; perhaps there were too many.  The decision maker may be traveling or some crisis in the business may take priority.  Don’t give up.  You’ve already asked when and how to follow up.  Use the information.  Now, I’m not saying to call them every day for a week — unless you’re told its okay to do so.  I am saying you need to follow up until the trail is cold or until you’re told the position is filled.  Even at that point, you should ask if there are other openings for which you would be qualified.

So, there are the “B’s of Interviewing,” from my keyboard to your eyes.  If you follow these points and do the work, you are much more likely to stand out in the candidate pool.  Prepare, practice and present.  Most of all, it’s important to be yourself.  Joining a company where the fit is right is magic!  If you do what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.

Good luck!

-Mark Key is a retail professional known for driving results in diverse and challenging retail segments.  Mark’s interviewing insights come from companies big and small — having worked with organizations with just a few employees to Fortune 100 companies.

So many are not . . .

Being Honest is the 4th “B of Interviewing.”

Just as it is easy for you to find out all kinds of things about the company through your research (or even while you are sitting in the waiting area!), so too can the company verify all the information you provide.  It is vital you speak openly about your accomplishments, just be sure the information is accurate.  This is especially important when you are asked to explain gaps in your employment, a termination or other blemishes on your resume or record.  I’m not saying you need to point them out, just that you must have a credible answer when asked.

Next on the list?

Be gracious.

Based on the company’s preferred method, follow up with a handwritten note, a letter or an email.  If it’s unclear, ask.  I would much rather have a candidate ask how, when, and with whom she should follow up than to have her guess and get it wrong.

Have you employed any of the “B’s of Interviewing” yet?  If so, let us know the results in the comment area below.

And, if you need a quick refresher (or have missed the previous posts), here are the “B’s” covered thus far:

• Be on Time
• Be Prepared
• Be Interested
• Be Honest
• Be Gracious

Check back next week when we wrap up the “B‘s of Interviewing.”

-Mark Key is a retail professional known for driving results in diverse and challenging retail segments.  Mark’s interviewing insights come from companies big and small — having worked with organizations with just a few employees to Fortune 100 companies.

The whole month of April we have been focusing on The B’s of Interviewing — tried and true tips to ace your interviews.  We began with a discussion on Being on Time, moved to Being Prepared and today, tip #3, is Being Interested.

Being Interested is comprised of two parts.  First, building rapport.  Seasoned interviewers are skilled at small talk, which puts the candidate at ease and allows the interviewer to test the “fit” of the interviewee.  Be prepared to engage in this small talk and engage honestly.  If the woman across the table asks about the local college’s basketball team and you don’t follow them, be honest.  Don’t pretend to engage where you lack experience or knowledge.  Remember the integrity thing?  It applies here, as well.

The second component of Being Interested is to ask sincere questions. The easiest way to do this?  Follow up on questions asked of you.  Ask for additional information or clarification.  Ask questions from your research, about the company’s direction, about what keeps them up at night, about the goals for the department or position.  Employers are much more likely to remember a candidate who engaged in meaningful, thoughtful conversations about them.  Remember, this is a two-way street.  Both parties are dancing — trying to decide if and when to close the deal.  Even if you aren’t interested, ask questions to practice.  Yes, I said practice at the interview.  Don’t share this with anyone, but I know people who go on interviews for positions that don’t interest them just for practice.

And, what will you practice?  The B‘s of Interviewing, of course!  Be on Time, Be Prepared and Be Interested.

-Mark Key is a retail professional known for driving results in diverse and challenging retail segments.  Mark’s interviewing insights come from companies big and small — having worked with organizations with just a few employees to Fortune 100 companies.

The next “B” of interviewing is:  Be prepared.

Being prepared involves several things:  knowing the company, knowing your stuff and knowing how to present it.

I always ask candidates what they know about my company and am surprised by the number of times I hear, ” . . . not much . . .”, “. . . nothing, really . . .”, or, worst of all, “I really haven’t had time to research.”  Really?  When your cell phone has more computing power than the one used in the Manhattan Project, enough to stay connected to several hundred people simultaneously, the ability to shop or get a dinner reservation at a moment’s notice and you didn’t have time to research?  If you aren’t interested in the company, the employer won’t be interested in you.

What should you know to be prepared?  You should know:

• The history of the company and what the company does.
• Their competitors and their competitive advantage (and their weaknesses, for that matter).
• How your skills and experiences match the requirements.

Use company contacts, social media, internet research, stock market information and, even the library, as your sources.

Next — knowing your stuff.  An effective candidate speaks to his resume without looking.  You remember the details and can recite them.  You know the steps you took to drive sales to record highs in the Atlanta division in 2009.  You remember the names of your supervisors, the years you won awards and why you received them.   In my book, a candidate that gives me different information than what is reported on an application or resume has trouble in the integrity department.  Is it fair?  It doesn’t matter.  It is what it is.  Knowing your stuff keeps you out of trouble.

Last, you must not only know your stuff, but also know how to present it.  Great information and big opportunities have been lost in poor presentations. My advice?  Practice.  Even well paid, experienced speakers practice constantly.  Think about it.  Interviewing is something we rarely do.  It takes skill to speak to seldom used information in front of total strangers.

My advice on how to get better?  Go to the internet and find the 100 most common interview questions.  Put them in a word processing document and answer them.  Once you’ve answered them, find someone with which to practice.  It could be your spouse, significant other, neighbor or someone else with whom you’re comfortable and, most importantly, will give you honest feedback.  Have them ask the questions while you practice answering them until your presentation is smooth and natural.

Once you know the company, know your stuff and know how to present your stuff, you will be much more confident.  This confidence helps you relax.  When you are more relaxed, you are more yourself.  Your confidence will show!

Next week, we dive into Being Interested . . . are you?

-Mark Key is a retail professional known for driving results in diverse and challenging retail segments.  Mark’s interviewing insights come from companies big and small — having worked with organizations with just a few employees to Fortune 100 companies.

In the last post I shared what deepened my understanding of the importance of setting intentions.

If you have already set your intention for your next position, declared it publicly and are thinking and acting differently AND you are still struggling to land your next position — keep reading.

Several years ago we moved from Texas to New England.  In November!  It was the toughest winter of my life and I could not wait for spring to plant a lovely spring garden at our new home.  My simple desire for a garden and what I learned from that garden (heretofore referred to as “the adventure of my garden”) forced me to deal with thoughts and things I thought were dealt with — things I thought were in the past, but were not.

These same issues keep popping up for clients, so I decided it is time to share my experience in this blog.

OK, so the adventure of my garden . . . It was March and in my mind it was time to plant, but there was still snow everywhere.  How was I going to get my garden?

I started to ask questions about gardening in New England, got information and quickly rejected most of it.  Then April arrived and still no garden — I whined, fussed and got very frustrated.

Finally, I set the intention, used the information I gathered and planted the garden.  I got a few flowers and plants, but definitely not what I would call a garden.

Intention, information and action were not enough to produce a garden.  What was holding my garden back?  Maybe it was the bad weather.  Maybe I just needed more information.  After all, there was still snow in May — how could a garden grow in this harsh environment?

Surely, the lack of a full, lush garden was not because of me.  I decided the factors were out of my control and got increasingly frustrated.  Gardening in New England was just a bear!

For my clients this is just like updating their resume, researching job openings and getting an interview or two, but no job offers.

Do you see job searching as a bear?

Have you said the same things about your search that I said about my garden?

Have you given up because of things you believe are out of your control?

Is what’s holding you back really out of your control?  Really?

Join me next week as I share more of the “adventure in the garden . . . ”