Job searching: Find the Needle - Career blog - Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career

The job market, especially for students and graduates, is tough. For those of us who have been helping people with their careers, this is not news. It’s always been tough finding the right job. And it’s always been getting tougher, or – at least – it’s always seemed that way. For the person looking for that first job, it often feels like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

There is a way to do it that is easier than sending out CVs and applying for job ads which, in finding your ideal job, is the equivalent of sifting through hay, handful by handful.

The critical activity is to examine yourself and your life. What are the values that run through your life that help to make you the special person that you are? What passion runs through your childhood, and joins all the disparate learning experiences that you have experienced, and chosen to experience? What is – and always has been – critical to you, that helps you to function at your best?

Take Ben. In his early twenties, he’d always known that he’d join the family accountancy practice. He hated it and left. Which way to go now?

Looking for the thread in his life, he thought about a project he’d done on castles as a seven year old, a book of pictures he’d lovingly assembled: a poem he’d written as a nine year old that had been highly praised; a plan for a fashion project he’d spent a whole morning on after a particularly stressful set of accountancy exams. The thread? A love of creativity and mixed media. That, together with his professional background, was enough to get him a trainee job at a new media advertising agency. He’s never been happier.

Or take Stephen. In his fifties, he’d worked in many industries, ending as a highly paid executive in an oil company, a job – and culture – he’d loathed. He was made redundant, and found it impossible to find another position in the oil industry. The thread in his life? Of mixed race, he’d always been fascinated by transfers of technology from the First to the Third World. He’d also loved his time in a pharmaceutical company, working to improve people’s health. The thread? It was all around providing services to poor countries. Almost immediately, he found a position in a pharmaceutical company that saw the developing world as the next growth area.

The sooner you stop trying to locate the needle, and start looking for the thread, the sooner you’ll find the job that is perfect for you, and for which you are perfect.

via positionignition.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

My Favorite LinkedIn Recommendation | I'm On LinkedIn - Now What???

I have had this LinkedIn Recommendation sitting in my box (not actively shown) for a while… I can’t put it on my profile for obvious reasons, but I sure get a chuckle out of it every time I read it (more on WHY below):

Now, Harp Arora wrote that because I was working on my LinkedIn book (or was it the LinkedIn DVD?) and I need to have an outstanding recommendation I could see (and walk through the process).  I went to Twitter and asked for Recommendations for that purpose (I hate asking for Recommendations just to ask for them… ).

Thank you Harp, for your fun sense of humor!  And, if there ever is a statue of me… oh wait, there won’t ever be (much less a religion!)!

via imonlinkedinnowwhat.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Where to Use a Branding Statement » Blog | Great Resumes Fast

You’ve been working on your resume, and you fashioned a fancy branding statement for yourself.  Of course, you want to display it across the top of your resume, but where else should you be using it?

Cover letter: Format your cover letter to match your resume by copying your contact information and branding statement in the same format.

Thank you letter: Same as your cover letter.

Business card: If you’re using networking cards while you’re out job hunting, your branding statement will look great on them.

LinkedIn profile: Don’t be shy, place it right below your name.

E-mail signature: If you’re e-mailing applications for jobs, make items such as your LinkedIn address and branding statement part of your contact information.

Blog: If you have a professional blog, your branding statement can go there as well.

Twitter: If you’re tweeting statements related to work, why not add your branding statement to your bio section?

Web site: If you’re using a Web site to advertise your professional accomplishments, your branding statement can reinforce your message.

If you need help thinking about where a branding statement might be useful, think about how McDonald’s uses “I’m lovin’ it” on everything from billboards to cups.  It takes some thought to develop a branding statement that truly summarizes you.  Once you’ve got one, use it everywhere you can!

via greatresumesfast.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Career Advice by Career Experts J.T. O’Donnell & Dale Dauten : CAREEREALISM

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.

We live in a cold state and want to move. My husband is going to lose his job and has been looking in warmer areas, with zero success. I landed a good job here, but it won’t pay the bills. Should my husband focus on finding a job in town, or should we both start looking for new jobs in the new location? — Trina

Dale: I recently heard an interview with Jimmy Buffet reminiscing about his early days, saying he decided that because he could cook and play the guitar, he could support himself anywhere, and he chose to move to Key West. OK, you could object, arguing that singing and cooking are “anywhere” jobs, but it turns out that most jobs are…case in point, there’s a shrimp farm in Gila Bend, Ariz.

J.T.: Sounds warm, all right. Once you pick your desired geography, you start by creating targeted lists of companies based where you want to live, and start networking online with people who work there. Then, set up quarterly “job search trips” and spend three to four workdays there. If you’re going to go ahead and move, make sure you have money saved to live for one year without employment.

Dale: Hold on. I was with you till moving day. That would be awful pressure when I don’t see any reason to burn through your financial resources. Besides, those job-search trips can be highly effective, even more so than local searching. Coming in from out of town appeals to a sense of hospitality and puts calendar pressure on the people you’re trying to meet. Indeed, I hope you’ll be a test case: Get your husband to do two searches, local and relocation, and see if you are in a sunshine state by fall.

---

Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm, jtodonnell.com, and of the blog, CAREEREALISM.com. Dale Dauten resolves employment and other business disputes as a mediator with AgreementHouse.com.

Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

© 2010 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.

via careerealism.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Tell Me About Yourself | Monster

Tell Me About Yourself

By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer



It's one of the most frequently asked interview questions: Tell me about yourself. Your response to this request will set the tone for the rest of the interview. For some, this is the most challenging question to answer, as they wonder what the interviewer really wants to know and what information they should include.

Eleanor dreaded this question. When it was the first one asked at her interview, she fumbled her way through a vague answer, not focusing on what she could bring to the job.

"I'm happily married and originally from Denver," she began. "My husband was transferred here three months ago, and I've been getting us settled in our new home. I'm now ready to go back to work. I've worked in a variety of jobs, usually customer service-related. I'm looking for a company that offers growth opportunities."

The interview went downhill after that. She had started with personal information and gave the interviewer reason to doubt whether she was an employee who would stay for very long.

• She's married, and when her husband gets transferred that means she has to leave; she did it once and can do it again.
• She has some work experience with customers but didn't emphasize what she did.
• She is looking to grow. What about the job she is applying for? Will she stay content for long?

The secret to responding to this free-form request successfully is to focus, script and practice. You cannot afford to wing this answer, as it will affect the rest of the interview. Begin to think about what you want the interviewer to know about you.

Focus

List five strengths you have that are pertinent to this job (experiences, traits, skills, etc.). What do you want the interviewer to know about you when you leave?

Eleanor is strong in communications and connecting with people. She has a strong background and proven success with customer relationships. Her real strength is her follow-through. She prides herself on her reputation for meeting deadlines.

Scripting

Prepare a script that includes the information you want to convey. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven success:

"I have been in the customer service industry for the past five years. My most recent experience has been handling incoming calls in the high tech industry. One reason I particularly enjoy this business, and the challenges that go along with it, is the opportunity to connect with people. In my last job, I formed some significant customer relationships resulting in a 30 percent increase in sales in a matter of months."

Next, mention your strengths and abilities:

"My real strength is my attention to detail. I pride myself on my reputation for following through and meeting deadlines. When I commit to doing something, I make sure it gets done, and on time."

Conclude with a statement about your current situation:

"What I am looking for now is a company that values customer relations, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on customer retention and sales."

Practice

Practice with your script until you feel confident about what you want to emphasize in your statement. Your script should help you stay on track, but you shouldn't memorize it -- you don't want to sound stiff and rehearsed. It should sound natural and conversational.

Even if you are not asked this type of question to begin the interview, this preparation will help you focus on what you have to offer. You will also find that you can use the information in this exercise to assist you in answering other questions. The more you can talk about your product -- you -- the better chance you will have at selling it.

via career-advice.monster.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Can One Hour Boost Your Personal Brand? | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

My business partner and I returned from a sales meeting late in the afternoon one recent Thursday, just prior to a three-day holiday weekend. The meeting went well. The prospective customer expressed openness toward our proposed idea. We were very pleased with her response.

She asked that we check back with her on the following Tuesday. And that’s precisely what most people would do.

At our company, we have a sacred rule about sending Thank-You notes. We always send one, and it’s always handwritten. An e-mail Thank-You note simply isn’t sufficient. It’s too easy, too convenient and too impersonal. By contrast, a handwritten note is highly personal. The recipient sees your handwriting, your greeting, your signature…and gets an impression of your personal brand. It takes time and effort. And in our experience, it creates a noticeable difference. The handwritten note communicates an important message: we care, we customize and we go the extra mile.

At four o’clock on that Thursday, it would have been easy to just call it a day. It would have been easy and commonplace to end the day by basking in the glory of a good sales call and to head home to celebrate a good sales call. And that’s precisely what most would do.

Yet instead of calling it a day, hopping in our cars and tending to the handwritten Thank-You note on Friday, we stopped and thought about the opportunity and the timing. There was no doubt that we would send the note. If we sent it the next day (on Friday), our prospective customer would not receive it in the mail on Tuesday. However, if we went back to the office, wrote the note and got it out in Thursday’s mail before five o’clock, she would get it on Friday—prior to the three-day holiday weekend.

And that’s exactly what we did. We spent the extra hour…even thought it took extra time and energy…at the end of a busy day (when we were tired and hungry) to make certain that our prospective new customer received our personalized, handwritten Thank-You note the very next day (which she did).

How do you think she felt when she got her mail the next morning? I can tell you that when we spoke to her again on the following Tuesday, she responded even more positively. I contend that our incremental effort in spending the extra hour from 4:00 to 5:00 on Thursday created a strong impression. That one hour boosted my (our) personal brand and very well may lead to a sizable contract with a new client.

The importance of a Thank-You note can never be underestimated. That’s the incremental edge that is required to brand yourself as conscientious, eager and attentive. One hour can, indeed, change your personal brand!

Create a Brand-Yourself.com Account to Manage Your Online Reputation!

Brand-Yourself.com is an award winning toolset that helps you proactively manage your online reputation and promote yourself across the social web. Create an account today to see how we can help you win new opportunities, jobs and clients online. It’s easy and it’s fun!

Skip Lineberg is co-author of “Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out and Move Up at Your First Real Job.” His book is filled with lessons, like this one, about leveraging the incremental edge to ignite your career success. Reportedly, he spent one (incremental) hour to prepare this blog post for you.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

New Interview Norm: Dress Business Casual

I recently interviewed someone.  Not a direct report.

But it was for a new and influential position with our company.   An executive level position.

First round interview.

And the guy walks in without a tie and without a suit coat.  I know, how dare he?

But you know what?  I was glad for it.

And I want to state here and now that job seekers should be released from the painstaking process of interviewing all day in a suit.  Male or female.

After all, no one you interview with is wearing suits, are they?  Most are in cheap slacks or faded blue jeans these days.  Sure there are exceptions.  Bigger companies.  Banks, law offices, large corporations.

I interviewed for 8 hours at a company a few years back.  On a Friday.  Turns out it was their casual day.  Strange.

But listen to this: here’s one way that companies can welcome employees now or minimally when the economy starts to come back.

Advertise your next job and say in the ad:

Business Casual Dress Encouraged

Yes, remove the question and outright invite comfortable attire.

I know what you are thinking.

1.  It’ll never happen.

2.  They will still wear a suit even if allowed to dress down.

3.  They’ll dress down and worry throughout the interview that they made a mistake.

4.  They will come too casual and not impress (yes, that could happen)

And you may say “I will always expect a job seeker to ’suit up’ for an interview.  It is the best they will ever look and I want to see that”.  What?  Really?

Business casual interviews will also take the pressure off the interview team.  No more having to think about dressing up because I have to interview someone today.  Hooray!

My recent interview was not hampered by his stunning lack of suit and tie.  It was improved by it.  It allowed him to relax, me to see him as I would on his first day and allowed for a more conversational interview.  My favorite kind.

So join me.  Spread the word.  Suggest to your HR team that they encourage a policy of business casual for interviews.

What do you think?  Would it work at your company?

Photo Credit

via timsstrategy.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal