WHAT AILS YOUR JOB SEARCH?

Is your job search working for you? When was your last interview? Are blaming the economy or others for your lack of opportunities and interviews? If your last interview was more than a month ago, you job hunt is sick. Perhaps terminally ill. How do you resuscitate it?

In 2009, internal transfers and promotions filled 51% of jobs. Layoffs are traumatic for managers and the person getting the pink slip. In this “less is more” economy, taking an internal candidate keeps that person employed. While their old job probably goes away. The company eliminated a position, but nobody was laid off.

Networking Is Key

That means 49% of hires came from outside the organization. How do you get to be one of the 49%? Overwhelmingly, they knew someone at the company. Over half of the 49% got the job through networking. How do you get to ‘know someone’ at the company? Talk to people.

No, I mean: TALK TO PEOPLE. Get out of the house and talk to people. Pick up the phone and call people. Tell people you are looking for a job in ABC field because you can do X, Y, and Z.

Social Networking

Look up companies on Facebook. Search for people you know who work at companies you want to work at. Catch up with them. Ask what the best way to get a job at their company is. Ask if they will introduce you to the hiring manager. Ask if they know of any openings, anywhere. You need help, ask for it.

Reality Check

If you are just surfing through job posting at Monster, CareerBuilder, Craigslist, Dice, Ladders, or whatever, your probability of getting hired is just 10%. So, this method of job searching should only get 10% of your time. Networking, on the other hand, works 33% of the time. That is over 3 times better. For most of us, it is also 3 times less comfortable. You can be comfortable AFTER you get the job.

If you are willing to put yourself out there – there is a method that works 47% of the time. Knocking on the door of any employer, factory or office that interests you, whether or not you know of a vacancy. This works best with small employers (100 employees or less) rather than the huge employers. This works because you often happen upon a job (vacancy) that was just created. Or, due to your expertise and enthusiasm, you may help create a new job there. The challenge here is that this method is not for the timid or terminally shy. It takes a bit of moxie to ask for five minutes of someone’s time without an appointment. This works an amazing amount of the time. Your fear is that you are intruding and are unwelcome. People usually want to be helpful. If you have real expertise and enthusiasm and demonstrate that, you will be welcomed more times than not. For more on the best Job Search Techniques see last year’s article. 

Bonus

It is vitally important that you tailor your application materials to the specific job opening. Employers don’t have time to connect the dots of how your experience may, or may not, apply to their job opening. Make direct comparisons between your accomplishments and the stated needs of the job posting. Make it easy to see how you are the answer.

Two excellent resources for you are “The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide” and “What Color Is Your Parachute?” Both have been written by Richard N. Bolles. The survival guide is about 100 pages crammed full of timely and helpful tips for $9.99. If you really want to find your dream job, “Parachute” will get you there for $19.99. If all the exercises seem overwhelming, don’t hesitate to contact me. Together we can get you where you want to go. After all ...

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

What is your job title? Does it define you? Would your position be as valuable or more valuable with a different title?

In this economic climate, asking for a raise could be touchy. Companies are thinking about survival and are very budget conscious. Asking for a new title without the raise, might have a positive impact on your career and your working morale.

This is not the time to be humble and say, “Ohh, it’s just a title. The work is more important.” True on one level, but titles do matter. Look at your résumé. Which looks better to you: supervisor, manager or assistant vice president? Think about where you want to go with your career. Are you positioned for that next step? Or would a title change be a better position for you?

Some hiring managers don’t want to hire someone who hasn’t held that title before. This can particularly true for the upper levels or technical levels. Some companies will promote you to vice president. But, sadly, most want someone “seasoned” with the title (no matter the length of ownership) and so will do a recruitment.

A Rose by Any Other Name

Be sure to ask for a title that reflects what you do. Make sure you are one of the over-performing employees. Over-perform enough to justify the title change. Do that little bit more to catch your supervisor’s eye. Earn the title change.

When you go job hunting, this is not the time the practice revisionist history. Put down the title that your references will link to you. You may think that you were the “X” in all but title. You want the X job, so you just fudge the title. That is lying. When you submit your application or references to the employer, you are certifying that you are presenting true and correct information. If you fudge/change/exaggerate the title, you are lying.

Ultimately, an employer will look at your accomplishments. If you were X in all but title, your accomplishments will demonstrate that. You can explain it further during the interview. Remember too, one employer’s ‘manager’ is another’s ‘director’ is still another’s ‘supervisor.’

Consider this too, you are more than your title, no matter how exalted (or not) the title. Focus on your accomplishments. Focus on where you want to go next. Follow your career plan. That will give you career momentum.

This Just In

Unemployed Americans continue to be resilient in their job search. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 51 % of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last twelve months have found new full-time positions, up from 48% in June 2009. An additional 7% found part-time positions, up from 3%. Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder, says, “Nine in ten workers say they have not given up on their job search.” Things seem to be looking up finally!

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

ARE YOU IN LOVE?

Are you in love with your job? “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” This was true when the wise man Confucius said it hundreds of years ago and it is still true today, in the New Year of the Tiger. 

When you are doing something you love to do, the time just flies. When you have a big problem, it is just a fun puzzle to figure out. If the challenge is big enough to take several days to solve, it doesn’t weigh you down. You just happily find different perspectives, mentally try various solutions and finally choose one to be the answer. You may be preoccupied, but you are gladly and willingly engaged and satisfied. 

Is that you? Is time flying by at work or does it drag by with lead feet? Are you gladly and willingly engaged and satisfied on the job? Or, are you just putting in time? Did you choose your career? Or, did someone choose it for you? Are you doing what you love to do, or what “people” expect you to do? 

Hard questions 

Some of those questions can be very hard questions. They can be especially difficult if the money is very good. Perhaps it is hardest when you have followed a parent into their line of work or into the family business. The weight of the expectation alone can be crushing. Even to think of doing another line of work can be tantamount to a betrayal. 

And, really. Is this the time to be thinking about … quitting a job? I mean, look around. There is a recession going on and jobs are scarce. Shouldn’t you just suck it up and carry on? 

You are the answer

Only you know the answers to these questions. I’m just asking the questions. Let us review a few facts. 

• It is your life, and only you can live your life.
• Life is short.
• Your life is your legacy. What do you want that to be?
• Life is short.

One of the wonderful things about doing a job you love, is you will find you are good at that job. When you enjoy what you do, you do it well. It is just like the old saying, “practice makes perfect.” When you enjoy a job, you do it more often. This builds in practice that you may not even be aware you are doing. So you get even better at that job, which makes it even more enjoyable. Talk about your win-win solutions – this is it!

How do you find your "dream job"? How do you even know what that is? Perhaps you only know what you do not want to do. Maybe you are burned out trying to push round you into a square hole.

Looking At Yourself In A New Way

What do you love doing? What would you like to eliminate from your next job? What inspires you? If you could do anything – money is no object – what would you do? When people ask you who you are, what do you call yourself? What do you want to say you do? What do you want to be when you grow up?

What are your answers to these questions and are you willing to take steps in changing your view of yourself? There is no magic bullet; no magic test that will tell you what is the best job for you. Only you know what will work for YOU.

Dream and DREAM BIG!

I am a career coach because I know what it is like to dread Monday because of being miscast in a job that doesn't fulfill you. I can help you find your passion and a job that is fulfilling. I can help you break free of other people's expectations of what you "should" be doing and help you find what you were born to do.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com

HAS IT BEEN A LONG TIME?

Has it been a long time since you were paid for the work you do? More than six months? Over a year? 

Sadly, this is possible. Job search is very competitive right now. By some estimates, there are up to 10 people for every job opening. That makes it a numbers game. The more you get out there and apply, the sooner you’ll get a job. How do you keep positive so you can do that? How do get yourself UP for the game of job search in the face of all that competition and rejection? It happens to the best of us. You are not alone. You have hit a patch of rapids in the river of life. How do you see past the rapids and keep a positive outlook? 

YOU ARE NOT YOUR JOB 
 Long-term unemployment does more than put a gap in your résumé. It also affects how you look at yourself. Your self-esteem takes a hit. You are not your job. Your value as a human being is not tied to your paycheck or your job title. If it were, Bernie Madoff would be someone to look up to, not the scoundrel he is. 

JOB CLUB  
One way is to find a local job club. This is an organization that will help you find a job. Buddy up with someone in your field. Help each other find a job. Remember, the more leads you generate for your buddy, the more you generate for you. Practice your interview skills on each other. Cheer your buddy up when they get down. Hold each other accountable to a job search plan. If each of you is to contact say, ten employers a week, make sure you each do that. Remember, it is a numbers game. The higher your numbers (of contacts, applications, employers visited, etc.) the better your chances.

If your area doesn’t have a job club, start one. This would be a sterling example of your leadership skills in action. And, it will look great on your résumé! 

JUST A MOMENT IN TIME 

Your career will run for a long time. It will be counted in decades. So sooner or later, a setback will happen in your career. It’s to be expected. Hey, “Life happens!” (as the bumper sticker says). Cycles have up's and down's and this is just a down. The good news is it will all be up from here. Remind yourself that a job will be there, and is waiting for you, right around the bend in the river. 

REVISIT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
When was the last time you really looked at your résumé? Moreover, when you do, does it seem like your accomplishments were achieved by someone else? Your career is like a bicycle; you never forget how to ride it. Spend some quality time with your résumé. Remember the projects you worked on and the people you worked with to obtain these results. Remind yourself that these are your accomplishments, which should make you justifiably proud. Just because it has been a while, doesn't mean it didn't happen then and won’t happen again. 

VISUALIZE WHAT YOU WANT TO HAPPEN 
You may not know when or where your next job is, but you can get ready. Visualize it in all the detail you can muster. What do you want next? Where exactly, do you want to work? What location? What type of people? How much salary? What are the duties? Responsibilities? What size of company? Do you want to work alone or with a team? When you can see what you want, clearly and powerfully, you can get it. Keep refining this vision. Begin trying to match up your vision with companies. You’ll find it. 

I find that when people are out of work for a while, they can't see themselves in their jobs anymore. The amount of time that has passed only matters to you. Visualize what you want so you can get back to work again quickly. Visualize submitting a great application. Visualize a great interview. Visualize the negotiations and getting the salary you want. Visualize the first day of work and all its glorious awkwardness. 

BIG MO 
Not surprisingly, most people don't take rejection well and they get discouraged. When they first lost their jobs, they had vigor and excitement. They got up everyday and had people to call and job search related activities to work on. Over time, the momentum and activities diminished. You only need one job and one person to give it to you. So get your momentum going again. The work you put in now will bring results; you just haven't seen them yet. As you well know, job search is not an instant gratification pursuit. It is a process that brings results over time. It has its own timetable and it isn’t yours. 

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF 
Most of the time, we are our own worst enemy. We talk ourselves down and defeat ourselves before the battle even begins. This approach may keep you safe from rejection and failure, but it also holds you back. This economy may be forcing you to get out of your comfort zone and into new territory. The economy hasn’t been in this place for most of our lifetimes (parents or grandparents, yes. Us, not so much). This recession requires new approaches. Nothing comfortable here and you'll be blazing new personal trails. All this is great for your personal growth. (Even though it does not feel so great most of the time.) 

This is your challenge. Will you rise to the occasion or let it get the best of you? You already have a track record of achieving great things. This will be one more to add to your list. This is just one patch of rapids in the river of your life. You will get past this. You will survive and thrive. Just hunker down, get out of your comfort zone and keep on, keeping on. 

So, what do you say? It is your life, grab it and get your momentum going again. You can do this. 

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream. 

All things are possible, 

Elisabeth 

Elisabeth Adler-Lund 
Executive and Life Coaching 
Telephone: 916 • 803•1494 
E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com