I am very excited to be invited to participate  in the upcoming HR roundtable discussion organized by InnovateCV.com, the first one on will be streamed live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/socialjobs or  www.facebook.com/innovatecv.

Thank you Adam Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Innovate CV for sharing these great tips.
In today’s economy almost 7 applicants compete for every job opening. Contrast this with the figures from when the recession began: only 1.7 jobseekers applied for each position in December 2007.  This drastic increase in competition isn’t limited to the numbers alone—the quality of applicants is also at an all-time high. More and more successful corporate executives find themselves competing for entry-level jobs in manufacturing, food services and retail after a layoff. And at a time when the number of jobseekers in the market is at a record high, hiring has dipped to a record low. Data from 2011 revealed that hiring levels were 17 percent lower than even the lowest point of the previous economic slowdown in 2001-2002.

With such touch competition, it’s hard for jobseekers to find a job opening—let alone land the job—and retail is no longer an easy fallback option. So how can applicants get a head start on competitors and find a retail job in a rough economy?

• Be Flexible Scheduling is a headache all too familiar to most retailers. Set yourself apart from other applicants by emphasizing your flexibility and willingness to work any schedule you are offered. Let the manager know how you’ll help in a pinch by stressing your availability, and that you are happy to pitch in whenever you are needed, even on short notice.

• Seek Out Seasonal Opportunities More than half the retailers hiring seasonal staff typically plan to retain at least some of the new hires. Plan early to land a seasonal position, and start applying as early as possible. If you’re lucky enough to get a foot in the door, make the most of the opportunity to demonstrate why you would be an asset to the company. Showcase your exceptional attendance and reliability, and don’t miss an opportunity to help out a coworker: with the relatively high rate of turnover in retail, you never know who might be in a position to help you in the future.

• Emphasize Experience Score some extra points by returning to a retailer you previously worked for—assuming, of course, that you left on good terms—or even applying to competitors of your former company. That way you can emphasize your expertise regarding the products, your knowledge of policy and procedure, and your familiarity with the suppliers. Your prior experience will mean you can start contributing effectively as soon as you are hired, and the company won’t need to spend much time, effort or money on your training.

• Scout Smaller Stores The more recognizable, large-scale retailers aren’t just the first place customers think of—it’s the first stop for jobseekers too. Avoid the crowd of competitors by identifying smaller, local retailers to approach. Remain on the lookout for opportunities—when you’re walking through your local mall or strip mall, check store windows for “help wanted” signs and be ready to walk in and fill out applications on the spot. Talk to cashiers as you check out to find out if the store is accepting resumes.

• Focus on First Impressions First impressions count. If you’re hoping to score a job in the customer-oriented retail industry, being rude to a cashier or overly pushy at the information desk won’t score you any points. If you’re job hunting in the retail industry, every trip to the store represents a possible opportunity: even your weekly grocery shop could be the first step to finding a new job. Make sure you’re friendly, respectful and dressed appropriately in all your interactions—you never know when you might have the chance to complete an application.

Finding a job opening is just the first step—you’ll still need to ace the interview to land your ideal retail job. But following these tips to get your foot in the door can help you ensure that when you sit down for the final interview you’ll be remembered for all the right reasons, not the wrong ones.

INNOVATION IN HR RETAIL WEBINAR

Learn from the HR Experts exactly what employers are looking for in a retail candidate. Whether you’re new to retail, or looking to climb further up the ladder, don’t miss your chance to ask your questions to the recruiting experts.

Monday, April 30

7:15pm – 8:00pm EST

Watch live via:

www.facebook.com/socialjobs or

www.facebook.com/innovatecv

I am pleased to share this article with you from my new contributor, IvyExec.com. IvyExec is an online database for high level candidates.

Recently, Ivy Exec CEO and Founder, Elena Bajic, was interviewed by Aol Job’s writer, Vickie Elmer. Below are Elena’s thoughts on some of the ways to stand out from the competition to land a job.

Every time you apply for a job you have the chance to be a standout, a star, or at least a unique individual with a string of talents that may be a great match for the employer’s needs.

But many don’t see themselves that way or sell themselves that way. And they don’t find the ways they can really shine before they send off their resume. They need to assess how their talents and traits could really benefit the person who’s about to read their resume and hire someone crucial to their team.

So this year, give yourself enough time and many opportunities to stand out in your job search. This may mean cutting back on the number of resumes you send out a week or a month. But a few carefully crafted resumes and cover letters that connect the dots may do more to open doors than sending out hundreds of copycat CVs.

“It takes quite a bit of energy” to do some research and become a “standout candidate,” said Elena Bajic, founder and CEO of Ivy Exec, which offers targeted career advice and jobs for members. She agrees candidates need to be selective in applying for jobs; “pick and choose those that are highly relevant” to their skills and expertise.
Then follow these five tips to make yourself a standout as you apply for work:

Know the traits that impress.
Some will be written right into the job posting. Others may be in your future employer’s core values or mission statement. Sometimes they can be identified by reading a few blog posts or an in-depth profile of the CEO or senior executive in charge of the area where you hope to work. Look at industry trends and best practices, too. The American Management Association identified the four Cs as skills employers really want: critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration; communication and creativity / innovation.

Ensure your resume matches your job.
Anyone looking for a job in sales or marketing needs to promote themselves very effectively. An editor cannot afford misspellings or grammatical errors, Bajic said. A manager must show that they are organized and can engage people with their resume. An IT manager’s resume needs a different structure and look than an interactive advertising manager. Different jobs and sectors require varied approaches. So each time you send out your resume, take just 10 minutes to adjust it so it’s a closer match to the job posting.

Follow-up – twice.
After the resume’s gone out, send an email or make a call to promote yourself again. Then another one week later. When one candidate did this with Bajic, she gave his resume a second look, which led to an interview. “I don’t receive that many follow-ups,” she said, “maybe 5 or 10 percent” of job seekers connect even once after applying.

Speed your replies.
When she’s requesting an initial phone interview, Bajic sees those who respond to an email quickly, in a few minutes or so, as “a high energy person who’s engaged.” Someone who does not reply for two or three days may imply that they are less energetic and engaged or not all that interested in the job, she said. Other employment experts say it’s important to show you’re energetic and a quick study, especially if you’re a mature job seeker or one who has been out of the workplace for a few years.

Prepare for phone interviews.
Take care with this and don’t take it on the fly. When the HR manager calls for a phone screening interview, ask to schedule it the next day – and use those 24 hours to research the company and the job you’re seeking. Take time to envision the job and what it entails, Bajic says. Ask yourself: What is the company trying to achieve here? That way your questions will be more in-depth and your impact better.

Remember too that what works to make you a standout with IBM may not be as impressive at Apple or a small start-up in Ann Arbor, Mich. Core traits that work for small entrepreneurial organizations may be miles apart from the ones that turn heads at a Fortune 500 corporation. The key is to draw on your list of strengths and best traits and bring up those that your future boss really values.
It’s knowing what will stand out and shine in the galaxy where you’re hoping to land next that could lead to success.

By Vickie Elmer
Click here for Ivy Exec’s blog post.

Over the last month, I have been an advisor in a Media Bistro Job Search Boot Camp. I have received some version of this question many times: “How do we present a terrific background for a profession we’re trying to get into, as opposed to a terrific background for a profession we’re trying to leave?”

Career changes are a process. They involve quite a lot of reflection, research, and a comprehensive assessment of what is important to you. When you come to a point when you’re ready to act upon a career change, the resumé is traditionally the tool you use to make your first impression. Representing your skills and experience on a resumé in a career change situation becomes an art as well as a science.

If you’ve devoted serious time to the first part of the process—reflection, assessment—then this part of the process should come more easily. If it doesn’t, take a few steps back and consider again the skills and experience you can take with you.

Many years ago, I learned from one of my mentors, Carol Anderson, three avenues to making a career change; I believe that this advice is directly applicable to the resumé as well.

1) If you want to continue working in the same functional role, but need or want to change industry, you will leverage your functional skills. A marketing person for a financial services company will perform similar tasks and have similar responsibilities to a marketing person in the nonprofit sector. Those skills should take center stage on your resumé.

2) If you are trying to change your functional role within the same industry, leverage your industry knowledge. Maybe you’ve been an editor for years, but secretly developing your design skills after hours. Now you’re ready to make the switch from words to art. Showcase your understanding of the big picture of publishing.

3) If you want to change careers altogether, and find a different function in a different industry, you will need to leverage your transferable skills and untapped talents. For example, if you have experience successfully managing a team of people and expect to do so in a different industry, highlight your management experience on your resumé.

When you work on your resumé, be sure you understand which avenue you are pursuing, and what skills you plan to utilize and experiences you will draw upon to move you toward those goals. You can start to paint the picture of that ideal future in your resumé.

If you have a career conundrum or job search question you need answered, please write to us at Info (at) careerfolk.com or post it on our facebook page and let me help you figure out your future.

How do you pursue multiple avenues at the same time and keep it all straight on paper?  The question I received this week from one of the job search bootcampers was How do I effectively highlight my work experience … without looking like I am all over the place?” Guy has had more than six years of accounting experience, and has spent two and a half years working part-time in television production. He’s still interested in pursuing both avenues, but ultimately wants to focus on production.

So, how do you do it?  Very carefully of course {Smile}. Resumés and careers are not the same as they were 10 or 15 years ago. Today, there is a concept of “slash careers,” as documented in a great book by Marci Alboher called One Person/Multiple Careers.  And you need to have multiple versions of your resumé.  You may be pursuing more than one career, either out of necessity or out of an abundance of interests and opportunity. In this economy, I encourage people to embrace the idea of multiple streams of income. Chef/journalist. Designer/teacher. Accountant/production assistant.

In Guy’s case, he should be selective about what he puts on his paper resume depending on where he’s sending it. In the case that he chooses to showcase all his experience he should create two separate sections of his resumé: one that is titled Accounting Experience and one titled Television Production Experience. Highlighting both is fine, unless he is only applying for an accounting job, that has no relation to TV production. The key is also to focus on highlighting your areas of expertise and transferable skills within each experience.

Guy is lucky in that every single business in every industry needs an accountant, so he can always take these skills with him. Luckily, these two careers are not in conflict with one another; he could easily moonlight in the TV production business without affecting the accounting business, if that is what he chooses to do.

Guy is certainly well positioned to take on an accounting role within a production company. If he decides he wants to focus solely on television production, he may want to focus on making this lateral move. Once into the industry where he wants to be, he can then show his enthusiasm for helping out after hours on production gigs. When an opportunity opens up, he has already sold himself. Everyone in the department will already know his enthusiasm and skill for production.

“Since there are overlapping and gaps in time with my production experience and accounting job, how do I overcome this when setting up my resumé/LinkedIn profile?” he asked.

My suggestion is not to worry about the gaps. The secret behind a strong and compelling LinkedIn profile is to include everything that you have done in your life that you have enjoyed, felt passionate about, or succeeded in. Conveying these stories is what is important; you want to sound interesting so people will want to read more. The Summary section is the perfect place for you to share your story, and your interests. You can also include a portfolio of your work on LinkedIn for example.

The rest of the work you need to do is networking. Looking for a job while making a career change adds an extra dimension to the challenge. The real emphasis needs to be on networking, both virtually through social networks including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and in person. Good luck Guy. It’s time to make your move.

Have a career conundrum or job search question that needs answering? Write to us at Info @ Careerfolk.com or drop in on Facebook and let us know where you need help.

After feeling quite run down for the last couple of months, I was diagnosed with Lyme
disease. What a relief to know that this fatigue, feeling of inertia and inability to think
clearly (amongst other physical symptoms) were just temporary and with the right
medication, there is an end in sight.

As a trained counselor and therapist, it doesn’t take me long to detect that a job
seeking client is stuck for reasons other than just a challenging economy. Let me
introduce the experiences of three people I have met over the last few years:

It took quite a bit of encouragement to get Dan into my office to talk about his job
search, despite his reaching out to me with initial enthusiasm. His ambivalence
soon became evident. Agreeing to one session, Dan and I met and his fears and
anxieties filled the room. In the midst of a very successful career, he had lost his
job while at the top of his game. The rug was pulled out from under him and he was
not prepared to deal with the sense of anger and betrayal that he felt. The negative
chatter in his head had paralyzed him and his frustration was palpable. Starting
the job search made him feel very vulnerable. Dan was going to have to process the
meaning of his job loss before he could move on.

Michael visited my office week after week convinced that there was more that we
could do with his resume before he embarked on his next job search. Not willing
to address the factors that led to his multiple job firings in a few short years, the
resume was the only thing he was willing to focus on.

After more than 15 years in an unfulfilling career, it took Sandra over eight
months to build up the enthusiasm to look for a new one after she was laid off.
Her unemployment was slowly running out, but Sandra was so paralyzed. She really
didn’t know what to do next, and she didn’t know where to start when it comes to
making a decision for herself.

What do these people have in common?

All three of these clients have a 10-foot high mental roadblock standing between them and their next job,
their next career, even their next business. Many of us have been there at some point
in our lives. For others, it is a permanent roadblock; a pattern of behavior which is
preventing them from moving forward in their lives. Either way, such situations call
on us to harness all our psychological resources to literally “psyche ourselves up”,
and mobilizing our energy like that is not easy.

So what’s really keeping you stuck in your job search or career?

I never would have discovered I had Lyme disease if I didn’t stop to take stock
of how lousy I felt. And If I hadn’t, I never would have sought out help. If you have
been stuck in your job search for longer than you care to admit, there
may be a lot more in your way than just the economy. The current job market
may have fewer openings then in past years, but are you letting your fears,
inadequacies or confusion keeping you from getting unstuck?
Antibiotics may not be able to cure this malaise, but a good career coach with
psychotherapy training can discover the reasons behind it and get you moving
toward you new career path!

Have you ever felt stuck?  Leave a comment below or email me at Donna (at) Careerfolk.com to find
out how I can help you.

Donna Sweidan, MCC, LMHC

1. Fear of being your own boss: You have no choice to face this fear, because it is right there already. You are your own boss, whether you like it or not. Due to the trend of shrinking job tenure, everyone needs to think about what their next step is going to be, on a regular and strategic basis. Long gone is the lifetime career working for “the Man”.  People need to consider not just one, but multiple sources of income and manage their career like a business.  As such you need to become your own Chief Marketing officer.  This requires you to be more proactive than ever before in your own promotion process. In addition to the traditional job search methods, and the obvious fall back of seeking jobs online, you need to think about how you can develop a professional online presence, that it is branded and compelling, enough so that people will be intrigued to click on your profile if it comes in a Google search.
 

2. Fear of social media  - There are valid reasons to be a cautious about increasing your social networking activity. Feelings of being exposed, and the fear of compromising your privacy are the most common ones I hear. The reality is that there probably is more information about you on the web than you are aware of. When was the last time you did a Google search of your name? By setting up your own social media profiles, you can start to control what comes up if someone searches for you. If you don’t come up at all, not only does this represent you in a   negative light to recruiters (According to Execunet, 70% of hiring managers rejected candidates due to little or no information about you online or if there is digital dirt, unsavory and inappropriate material online). In fact the saying goes, if you can’t be found on Google, you don’t exist. By establishing your presence online via various social networking sites, you are leveraging your voice and taking control of your brand and message that people will find. Inversely, without using these tools, you can do little to manage the information that might come up in a Google search.  The numbers speak for themselves: 86% of hiring managers said candidates with a good online reputation can positively influence their application

3. Fear of putting your photo on LinkedIn: In almost every group I present to on LinkedIn, there is always a small, but diverse group of people who are leery of putting their photo up.  Underlying your fear of putting a photo on LinkedIn is possible fear of discrimination, lack of confidence, or heightened self-consciousness, or strong preference towards privacy. Well, if it’s any of the last three, I say, get over it. Regarding fear of discrimination, whether it’s race, gender, age or ethnicity, while these are certainly all prevalent to degree in our society, I don’t believe it will be the only reason you didn’t get the job. I have a number of successful 60+ clients who have landed work, simply due to their level of persistence and the fact that they were the best people for the job.  If you aren’t convinced yet, read this: having a photo on LinkedIn is essential to getting to 100% (critical for a truly optimized profile that lead to you coming up in more searches). In fact, according to LinkedIn research, your profile is 9 times more likely to be viewed if you have a photo of yourself. Just smile, and you’ll look beautiful.

4. Fear of reaching out. Social networking sites have transformed the job search process. The potential to reach out and connect with relevant people in your field that you would not normally connect to is possible via LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, as well as many other forms of social media. So why are so many people not doing it?  It seems to be well understood that job searching is about networking, and here the opportunity to network is offered up, ostensibly free of charge to connect to almost anyone you want to. If referral is the most successful form of getting you hired today, then every job seeker or career changer needs get over this fear of reaching out and work on expanding their networks with key people who can help them land their next job. It is simply a matter of making the effort to find those people on these networks, and then crafting a short and compelling note asking them for some quick advise. It can be as simple as this:

“Dear Michael,
I was intrigued by your background and experience and I was wondering if you could spare a few minutes to give me some advice about your industry/ company etc.
Thank you,
Donna
If you are writing to them via LinkedIn, they can take a look at your profile if they want to know more, which they most likely will.
 

Ok. Done!… Are you cured of your fears now?

It’s Martin Luther King Day on Monday, and there are a lot of events to recognize this day, especially, service related events. I am reminded of the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam. If you haven’t heard of it before, it means healing the world.  I definitely believe we can all play a role in this, especially during these difficult times where there is so much need. Martin Luther King day offers you a chance to volunteer (if you aren’t already) and  do something meaningful for your community. For job seekers, this might be a chance where your good Karma could come flowing right back to you. You never know what might happen by putting out some positive energy into the universe.  There are so many good reasons to volunteer, in fact, I was just able to rattle off 15! Volunteering your way to your next job is definitely amongst the many good reasons to get out there and be useful. I have many stories of clients who have landed a job through their unpaid service.

Below, I have listed a couple of  websites that provide information on what type of volunteer opportunities are available this weekend in lieu of MLK day, but you also might find other opportunities for a longer term commitment.  Do you have any plans to do something meaningful this weekend?

Here are 15 great reasons to start volunteering today:

Make a positive and meaningful contribution to a cause that you value and care about.
It will get you out of the house.
You’ll feel better about yourself and get a shot of confidence if that is what you are missing after having been unemployed for a while

Start Volunteering today:

Careerfolk Resources to Volunteer Opportunities

US Government Website for MLK Day information and service opportunities
Drop us a line if you have some positive experiences to share from your volunteer roles. Thank you!

I am so thrilled to introduce Bless Vaidian as a new member of the Careerfolk team. I was so excited when Bless told me that she loved to write because I immediately suggested that she put together some articles. In fact I even suggested that she enter her writing into the Jobmob Blogging competition. Little did I know that she would go onto win, with me coming a close 2nd {Smile} ! She was just getting back into the world of career counseling after a 6 year hiatus. She had never written for this audience before. And her blog was the most read blog in an international competition.  That is what blogging can do… Propel you to the front of the line, giving you the reputation boost you may need online. This is why I asked Bless to write about the value of blogging and what a gift it is, both to you, and building your career, and to others who will benefit from your information. Read what Bless has to say.

We all have a story of what brought us to our relationships, pastimes, and where we are in our career.  Our stories are part serendipity, a bit of

providence, and a whole lot of positive/negative actions and reactions.  That’s what makes each blog unique, and the underlying theme is what connects the reader to the writer. People now read blogs like they read the newspaper, and conduct routine Google searches to seek out ideas on their topics of interest.  It’s not about the number of blogs out there, but the information you as an individual writer want to convey to the world.  Why should you blog?

1) Connect with People Interested in the Same Topic as You

Blogging brings like-minded people together. Starting a blog can help you find those people and share your opinions and thoughts.  It’s a way to share

your personal ideas or expertise on an issue.  Look at Om Malik.  He is a tech guru whose blogs are followed globally.  He was a chemist whose  story started back in 1986 when he immigrated to America.  He noticed the potential in internet technologies and switched gears.  That is what he started blogging on in-order to meet people in that industry.  He stated, “Blogging is a communal activity…it is about creating connections.” He wrote recently that the biggest lesson he learned from blogging is that every connection has led to a new idea, a new thought, and a new opportunity. Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t underestimate how you might be able to help someone by inviting them into your network. A Linkedin invitation is ideally a mutually beneficial experience; assuming that both parties are equally invested in their professional networks and they both use Linkedin. So, when you are enjoying the holiday parties of the season, go armed with your business card, and if you don’t have one, now is the time to invest in one. Vistaprint is relatively inexpensive, and easy to design online. This is one present you need to give yourself and the most important piece of information you can have on it is your Linkedin Profile URL. Before you leave, ask others if they have a business card, or give yours card to every person you have talked to, and invite them to connect. You might be the link to helping someone else find a job, and that’s priceless, and not just for the lucky person. Being the essential connection in that process will pay long-term dividends back to you.

So, pay-it forward and put some good will out there this holiday season, everyone will be very grateful and you won’t be forgotten.  A win-win for all. Cost:  Priceless

I invite you to share your thoughts about networking during the holiday season. Have you met any interesting people? Did you invite them to connect? Its not too late. Please comment below or on our facebook page, click here

Even though we may often get caught up in our own needs and desires, most of us do genuinely try to help others.  But do we recognize when others have helped us?  And beyond that, do we even think to thank them?  Sometimes the help we receive, an insightful suggestion, a new idea, an encouragement, an opportunity to help another which results in our helping ourselves far more than the other, remains below our cognitive radar.  Recently, a friend allowed me the opportunity to “help” her by writing a few pieces for her website.  Writing has been something I have had as a career goal for as long as I can remember, but I never actually felt I had “officially” started it.  But by writing for my friend and seeing my words in print, psychologically, I felt my writing career had been launched.  The opportunity my friend gave me to “help” her has helped me and set me on my course in a much greater way than my simple writing could possibly have contributed to her.  Let us try to remember the good we have received and take this holiday season to express genuine gratitude.  In so doing, we will contribute to the circle of positive energy and help create a truly joyous season.

By Camille Kramer

Camille, I am so grateful to you for embracing this idea and thrilled to have you as a guest blogger. I am sure my readers would agree, you are a wonderful writer.