Monday: Online: Linkedin Research. Target key people in Professional groups/Answers section: Reach out with a targeted question(s), or request for an informational interview. Do Keyword searches to find people who could share relevant information with you, and that would help you build a solid network on LinkedIn. Email first, then ask for a telephone conversation. Emphasis is on making a connection in person, or on the phone. The linkedin connection can wait.

Set up 2-3 in-person meetings for the week. These are opportunities to get to know someone better, as well as get to know a targeted employer, or letting them know you better.  Share valuable information with your network: Know of someone who could help someone else. Share it.

Tuesday: Go Local: Speed networking at Ferguson Library, Volunteer, Join a group via Meetup, local community center- learn new or participate in sport , learn a new group oriented game. Find a Knitting group,  a language group. Share a valuable piece of information with all members of the group. Always mention your name before asking a question or contributing to the discussion.   

Recruiter Connect: Reach out to recruiters you know just to say hello. Ask how they are doing? Maybe you have connections for other jobs that they are looking to fill.

Wednesday: Practice Knowledge-powered networking: Determine your passion/ area of expertise: Gather information, write your own article. Post it on Linkedin, your Facebook profile. Can you make it into a PowerPoint presentation? Who can you present it to. – Call up Continuing Ed Programs as well as professional association groups you are a member of to discuss ideas.

Go where the party is: Register for one professional networking/event a week. Alumni Groups/ Professional Association E.g Whine & dine, MENG (Marketing Professionals) / Conference/ Talks related to your interests. Search Linkedin event calendar, Idealist Event calendars. Set up a Google alert based on Keywords “Non-profit”, Event, CT

Thursday: Online: Share & comment on one or more articles pertaining to your area of interest/ expertise. Share on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter.

Friday: Take a class for professional & personal development – Continuing Ed. Programs – Broaden your skill set and meet new people with similar interests and at a reasonable price

Volunteer: Preferably in a setting where you are using your skill sets or developing new ones, and you have the opportunity to get to know more people. Don’t know where to find the most appropriate volunteer activity for you, check out this comprehensive list

Saturday: Relax & network:  Find a team sport/ group activity you would enjoy participating in like dancing, Movies, Languages/ Books/ Dogs- Once again, not sure where to look, www.Meetup.com

Sunday: Start a conversation: At the gym, at a kids birthday, at the park, at the library, at Starbucks.  Practice Curiosity as a job search technique- Ask questions. Create your own informational interview. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you learn.
Exhausted? I bet.. If this is too rigorous for you then start slowly- choose a few activities you can get started with. With a little bit of practice, You are going to start feeling really good.Let me know how they go. Happy Networking! And once again, here is to a GREAT 2010!

Sacré bleu, how can this be, you must be thinking! Has all my work been in vain? …I thought at first. This is no doubt a shocking number to see, particularly for all of the job seekers who know they have put in hundreds of hours towards their search, but to no avail.

My hunch is that a good number of job seekers give up in frustration. I certainly see a lot of discouraged people that have by the time they come and see me. Trying to make sense of this crazy statistic, GL wonders whether it might be laziness or ignorance and yes, that does sound harsh, considering that we are facing the worst job market since the depression. My take on why this number might be so low: Confusion, Paralysis, People are adrift in the job market void? The techniques and strategies for finding that elusive position have changed, and the work of finding a job has never been more demanding or more sophisticated. The job hunt process of 2009 and now 2010 looks nothing like the job search of 2001 or any other time before this.

So here is my recommendation for the New Year: STOP JOB SEARCHING. And before you protest, let me tell you why, and what you need to be doing instead.

The job search of this last decade was made ‘easy’ by the “job boards” that brought opportunities straight to us via email. It doesn’t get any easier than that, and in fact, I personally benefited from this having learned of my last 2 positions when they landed in my mailbox. So what happened?   Dare I say that we got a little complacent?  Have the job boards turned job seekers into passive participants in their search for gainful employment?

Fast forward-> 2010. The job market is improving, but there is still not enough to go around. Not much happening on the job boards, and yet that is where most people still hang out “searching” for that next gig.  No wonder people give up so quickly. They don’t hear anything back, and feel the whole job search is futile. So what’s the deal?

2010 Realities: Along with telephone landlines, the fax, and dial-up Internet connections, could job boards, at least the big “monster” boards becoming obsolete?

5 Strategies for Finding a Job in 2010

1. In 2010 finding a job is about REsearch, it’s not just a search. Job seekers need to, first and foremost, think of themselves as detectives because finding a job today is akin to a murder mystery and you need to solve it. You have to research the different roles that could benefit from your skills and the companies that would value your expertise. You need to research where do working professionals in your field or desired career convene and you need to find out when is their next meeting. You need to research what are the industries that are hiring, and the names of companies in your targeted geographic location. You need to research who are the thought leaders in your (desired) field, and reach out and talk with them (and I’ll talk more about that in the networking)

You need to think of yourself as Scientist, dissecting your field and the people and you will find the clues to guide your way. Without these, you won’t know what you are searching for, and you may be wandering in a desert, waiting for those elusive jobs to appear, for a long time.

2. Finding a job is about assessment and a level of self-exploration that you may not be used to. Lets call this research on yourself. With the fierce competition, you have no choice but to help others see your value, because nobody is going to take the time to look for it. This involves a process of self-assessment and evaluation. Ideally, this is something you would do with a career coach, who as an objective observer and trained professional, who can help you articulate your strengths and value in the most compelling way.  This is exactly where so many job seekers get stuck because this is not easy.  Every client I coach answers a long list of questions and self-exploration questions, that challenges them to dig deep into identifying what is the most important part of who they are, what they do, and what they love.  The goal of this process takes us to the next tenet of the 2010 Job Search.

3. Finding a job today is about self- branding 20 years ago, Tom Peters,  was bold enough to suggest that branding wasn’t just for corporations or products, but was an imperative for the individual to survive in the marketplace. He could not have been more accurate, and today, more than ever, if the job seeker does not heed this advice, they will remain lost in the ocean swell of job seekers. Defining and refining who you are so others clearly understand what you can offer, and how you differ from the next person with the same skill set, is what you need to be working on. As Peters wisely advocates:

“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You. It’s that simple — and that hard. And that inescapable.”

By clearly identifying your talent and your passion, it’s that much easier to get others on board with you.  But what are you supposed to do once you have this brand?  You shamelessly promote it.

4. Finding a job today is about Marketing – Once again Peters couldn’t have said it better, and this applies to every one: “…our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.” Along with establishing your personal brand, marketing oneself is a central tenet of the new job search paradigm. Now, understandably if this is your first time looking for a job in 5, 10, or 20 years, you may not know where to begin, but that doesn’t mean you cannot learn. In fact, marketing oneself has never been easier or more accessible with the growth of Web 2.0 and the social networking sites. Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook, if used strategically, all enable you get your message out to your target audience. Not only can you market yourself via this medium but they allow you to put your networking on steroids, if you will, and that takes us to the last and most important element of what it takes to finding a job today.

5. Today, finding a job is about Networking. Okay, I know you have heard this a gazillion times (almost, right?) and that is because, ultimately networking done right has always been the most successful route to finding your next opportunity.  The problem is that the process of networking is far more complex than meets the eye and with the advent of social networking sites like Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook, networking takes on a whole new dimension.  If done right, and you integrate networking activity into your daily life, if it is consistent, and strategic and it is about building relationships, your networking will work. I have to admit however, that I am constantly amazed how limited most job seekers networking efforts are, which is why I started a monthly speed networking program at my local library. I called it the Art of Networking although networking is really both an art and a science; and if you don’t practice it,  find your rhythm and a mode that is comfortable and manageable for you it will not work. Once again, because so many job seekers, either don’t do it, or don’t do it properly, or enough, they lose faith in the process and give up… and land up with a statistic next to their name.

So, the 2010 challenge is on: Whether you are a job seeker, career changer, or hard working individual looking for a better gig, the goal is to limit yourself to one hour a day, if that, on a job board, and work on getting your head around these five strategies.  As you can see, they are not about “searching” and will take more than 18 minutes a day, but you can do it and it might be a lot easier than you imagine.  Call me to find out how I can help you embrace this new job search paradigm.

A Mindset of Giving

Seems obvious, right, since this is the season, but one of the biggest mistakes people make when networking is going into it with the mindset of “what can I get out of this?” No doubt, having a clear set of goals and what you want to gain from your networking efforts is very important, but that is not what its all about. A common assumption is the thinking that you don’t have anything to give back, particularly if you are not working. This is not true at all and in fact if you go into any environment where you are going to have the opportunity to connect with people, focusing on how you might be able to help someone else is what can really propel your networking efforts forward.

A mindset of giving is the foundation of truly successful networking. Developing  your reputation as someone who is interested, helpful, and trustworthy will lead the way for others to willingly and generously want to help you in times of need. If this was not your understanding of networking before, what better time to start.

The Gift of Listening

In order to really engage with someone, the best thing you can do is listen. In fact, listening is the greatest gift you can give anybody because you are giving someone the chance to tell their story. I learned this weekend after a powerful experience with an organization called Narativ, that there is no story without a listener. However, we humans are easily distracted, and considering these stressful times, we tend to get caught up in our own thoughts, concerns and anxieties that prevent us from listening fully. It has also been found that, despite conventional wisdom, introverts do a better job at “networking” in the long term, because they tend not to talk as much and are therefore, better listeners.  So if you can work on putting those anxieties aside, stop talking for a while, and practice the art and skill of listening, you might be amazed at what you will hear.

So, pay-it-forward (where you can) and put some good will out there this  December, everyone will be very grateful and you won’t be forgotten.  Ultimately, that’s what really counts.

More  Gifts of Networking coming this week!

Learning to Ride

September is a month of transitions. Whether it’s starting something new, or returning to an established routine, starting afresh is generally the theme. For those in career transition, it might be the month where you commit to buckling down to your search or career change (again?).  Granted, there are always lots of distractions during the summer and it can be hard to stay 100% focused on the goal at hand!   Of course,  that’s often a good thing and a welcome break.  But Labor Day has come & gone—and now it’s time to get re-focused.  For those of you who’ve been on the hunt for a while, the challenges to “getting back on the bike” so to speak, abound. In my work with clients, the three most common obstacles that jump out at me are lack of momentum, confidence and having a strategic plan.   While thinking about this the other day, it brought to mind my experience of watching my five-year-old daughter learn to ride a bike this summer. And then there is my story too.

My enthusiastic five-year-old is excited about learning to ride when there are no obstacles in the way, but when the path gets a little bumpy, she’s easily discouraged.  We encourage her to stay focused and keep on peddling, the bumps in the road will soon “disappear”, or at least she won’t feel them as much.

On the flip side, I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I was 29 years old. (Yes, believe it or not, but there are a few of us on this planet who, as kids, did not have this privilege!  And luckily, there are actually teachers who specialize in helping adults ride bikes.)  Living in New York City at the time, my inability to ride a bike got the better of me, and my determination overtook whatever fear I had developed.

You probably get where I’m going with this—job seeking is a lot like learning to ride a bike.  When the job hunt gets tough, it’s easy to get discouraged and frustrated by the daunting challenge. So where do you find the motivation and support to “pick yourself up, brush off, and move forward?” — You heard it as a child, maybe, but how about now?  What’s helping you move your job search forward despite the numerous obstacles that might stand in your way?

Here are five ways that I liken my own “learning to ride a bike” experience to the job search:

I. Announcing that I was finally going to learn to ride a bike: Accountability

I let a group of friends know that I was going to learn how to ride a bike, that summer, no matter what. After that, the secret was out, and I couldn’t let myself down.  Do you have a group that you are accountable to in your job search? I see how easy it is for job seekers and career changers to lose momentum when going it alone, and that means not even reaching out to your community for support.  I have run many job search support groups over the years because I see the value, not only in the emotional support, but also for helping people stay accountable to someone other than themselves. – More about that further on.

2. I found a professional teacher: Seek help from an expert

Having never learned how to ride a bike, I knew I would need an expert to help me. I didn’t want to put my friends through the grueling process.  I found a professional who specifically taught adults how to ride bikes.  Yes, you truly can find anything you need in NYC.  He was also a great teacher, had a group of about 10 of us riding in one weekend. Of course, you say, it’s easy, but not for a group of adults who have never ridden a bike in their lives. Having an expert share current advice and techniques is invaluable. These days making the financial investment can be daunting, but having a prolonged unemployment could be worse.

3. Found the motivation to learn to ride a bike before I was 30 years old.  Set a specific goal(s)

Having a birthday milestone and a specific task to accomplish before that date is as specific as it gets. With the job search, watching ones bank balance diminish might be motivation enough, but not for everyone.  The type of goals job seekers should be considering include – Making X number of networking phone calls a week, Attending X number of networking events per week, Making X number of new connections on linkedin.com.

4. Put aside my fear and trepidation with a greater goal in mind.  Focus on building confidence.

While I had never ridden a bike before, I knew I could do it, and just had to get over the chatter in my head.  The same goes for the job search. Unfortunately, the problem with so many job seekers I meet is that the greatest obstacles often lie in their head. It’s easy to build up in ones mind all the reason’s why someone will not hire you. In fact, to put your fears and doubts in perspective, read Bonnie Lowes list of  50 Reasons You Didn’t Get the Job . I hope this will inspire a laugh at your imperfect self, and move on.

5. Joined a bicycle riding group lesson: Don’t go it alone

When I signed up to learn to ride a bike, I wasn’t alone. As I mentioned before, there were about 10 of us, and it really helped to know I wasn’t the only adult out there that had never learned to ride. It was also great to have the camaraderie and support as we made our maiden voyage around Central Park.

Research has shown that job seekers or anyone going through a big transition fare better with the encouragement and insight of a small group designed to help members move forward toward the end goal.  Job Search support groups abound. You can find them most easily on one of my favorite websites: www.meetup.com

If you don’t find one near you, start it yourself and find the support you need. I look forward to starting a new telephone job search group at the end of this month. Let me know if you are interested.

6. Learn the right way. Understand the techniques that work (especially if they have changed).

Now you must be thinking, “but it’s easy to learn to ride?”.  Well, not really, particularly for a group of ol’ folks like myself with all types of bad habits and inhibitions… And, anyway, would you say the same for the job search?   Learning the exact technique, and what do in various scenarios from our teacher was essential and by the end of the weekend we ALL rode the entire Central Park loop!   This is one of the most important tips to take into consideration today, because if you are following old-fashioned job search techniques, waiting for opportunities to appear online, you are out of touch with how to find work in this new economy. Make sure you learn how to actively use social networking tools to expand your job search, and build your online reputation.

Taken step-by-step, neither learning to ride a bike nor finding the right job seems as daunting, does it?  And eventually, both are accomplished!

Need some support getting “back on the bike” or maybe some or guidance on how to do it right so you can start to see some results, drop me a line at Donna@careerfolk.com.  Maybe you know someone that could use a shot of inspiration. Please share this story.  Maybe you have a story of how you achieved your own personal goal, I would love to hear it too. Thanks for reading.

Here they are, finally, the next 5 tips and some! No one can afford to sit back and be complacent about what it takes to stay on top  of Career Management 2.0.

6. Brand your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is one of the largest “social networking” sites, where one of the primary purposes is professional networking. With over 40 million professionals utilizing it, polishing your brand on LinkedIn is essential in order to stand out.  You can do so by keeping your text short but lively descriptions (like “Business Jump Starter” rather than “consultant,” for example), and conveying your passion & humor when describing your skills & experience.  Another great tool is LinkedIn’s “Answers” feature, through which you can answer other users’ questions in ways that showcase your expertise, build your credibility and raise your “go-to” stock on the network.  It’s all about what you put into it.

7. Brand your Facebook profile. With your friends and family, that is—a valuable group that we often tend to overlook. Do they know what you do? Are you engaged with helping them whenever available?  Building a strong network is about supplying it with quality resources, information and content—your friends & family included!   If you’ve written them off as “just” that, revamp your thinking and see them in a new light—a group of allies who know you and your great qualities more than anyone else—thus, the perfect ones to refer you to new contacts!

8. Brand your blog. When people visit your blog, do they get a real sense of who you are, what your passion is and how you can help them?  Or do they just get generic words on the same old topics?  Interestingly, one of the main ways to connect with your blog readers & subscribers is quite simple, doesn’t require a bunch of bells and whistles—and it’s as close as your digital camera.  That’s right—simply adding personal pictures to your blog can foster a better connection with your audience.  That, along with your useful content, goes a long way in establishing yourself as a trusted expert.

9. Brand your public speaking. This is one of the most effective ways to brand yourself, as your audience connection is face-to-face–something I can’t stress the importance of enough!  People love information, but when it’s delivered by a “real” person, in person—it makes the message that much stronger and more memorable.  If you’re just getting started, approach associations & organizations and volunteer to make presentations.  It might not be a paying gig at first, but the contacts you can make are invaluable—the experience will hone your public speaking skills and possibly lead to paying engagements down the line.   If you need to, consider taking a public speaking seminar, hiring a coach or joining Toastmasters to polish your skills and jump-start your brand.

10. Brand your clothing. Okay, be honest with yourself:  What message does your wardrobe send out to people you come in contact with?  If your overly-casual jeans, track pants, sneakers or t-shirts scream, “I’m a little too laid-back & don’t take my business or clients seriously”(which it probably does), then you need to revamp!  I’m not saying you need to wear a suit every day, but even a little goes a long way in conveying a neat, organized image.  Whether your personal style is conservative or a little funky, you can brand yourself and give it a professional edge without being “stiff.”  Groomed hair & nails, tasteful makeup & jewelry, and properly fitted/tailored clothes can boost your self-confidence & let those around you see you in a great light!  If you need ideas, consult an image consultant or stylist for tips.

To sum it all up, and this is probably the most important one on the list—yet, it’s the simplest!  Branding yourself is all about what you believe in—your talent, your ability and your skills—and if you truly believe in something, it’s that much easier to get others on board with whatever your passion is.  For jobseekers, that means convincing hiring managers that you’re the perfect person for that position.  And for entrepreneurs, that means customers and clients believing in you enough to give you their business.   Once you’ve established your personal brand, use that to define what it is that you stand for in your particular field—and who can benefit from that.  Once you get your message out to your target audience through various media methods, people will see you as a go-to expert based on your experience and expertise.

Here’s to making your brand work for you!

1. Assess yourself. Take the time to identify what’s unique to you—for example, your strengths, skills, values, passion and style.  It’s not as hard as you think, either—to know yourself is to brand yourself!  Assess what these things are.  What events have shaped or changed your life?  What’s your true passion?  What makes you special and interesting?  How have you overcome challenges?  What kind of effect have you had on others and your surroundings?   But most of all, how can you use your passion to make a difference, in whatever it is that you set out to do.

2. Brand your resume – Most resumes I see are generic laundry lists of duties that have been assigned. What does that say about you? Not much.  Throughout your resume, there should be words and phrases that tell the story of you doing what you love.  The best way to do this is to track your accomplishments, reached goals & challenges overcome —jot them down in a notepad or type them in a simple Word document.  When the time comes to update your resume, review your written accomplishments and add them to your resume in a concise, colorful way, and if you get stuck, reach out for help! (Seth Godin has an interesting, if not controversial view about resumes in an older blogpost called “Why Bother Having a Resume?” http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/03/why-bother-havi.html- Definitely good food for thought)

3. Brand your emails. Do you have a signature at the end of your email?  I’m constantly amazed at the number of people who waste valuable advertising real estate at the bottom of their emails!  Never mind the folly of having no contact information at the bottom of their email—but what about all that FREE advertising space to let people know what you do & what you can do for them?  If you have a LinkedIn profile (a rhetorical question at this stage, I hope), why isn’t your LinkedIn button–or at minimum, your URL–there so that someone can instantly access your profile and get to know everything about you?

4. Brand your volunteering.  A recent client of mine, Cheri, didn’t just go to her volunteering site and wait to be told what to do. She was a proactive diva— suggesting new projects, and regularly coming up with alternative ways to do things. Another client, Leslie, a docent at Carnegie Hall, had years of experience helping her company save money. In her volunteer capacity, she has kept her eyes open for various ways that Carnegie Hall’s decision makers could improve their bottom line.  Both of these women have made themselves known as insightful, proactive and creative professionals that have a lot more to offer than what meets the eye.

5. Brand your networking endeavors. What type of networker are you?  As intimidating as it may seem, you can’t afford to be a reluctant one any more, so here’s a way to embrace this daunting activity: Start out by asking questions and instead of focusing on yourself, focus on the other person. Become a giver first, not just a receiver.  Give some real thought to what you can do to help this person, or what resources you may be able to pass on.  That way, you forget about the oh-so-counterproductive (and ultimately disappointing) “what’s in for me” mentality.  Another reason focusing on others is so important: Not only will you start to develop a relationship with the person you’re helping, but you never know what might valuable piece of information that person may pass on to you.  So the next time you’re mustering up the motivation to attend a networking event, stride into the room with an updated attitude and goal: To help as many people that you meet as possible. Wouldn’t you like to be remembered as someone who is out there, giving?  Your turn to be on the receiving end won’t be far off!

Could you be making a few changes in the way that you present yourself to the world? Share your thoughts here. Also, if you tweet, Feel free to share this article on Twitter, and if you don’t tweet yet.. Then its time you gave it a second glance.. There is a lot going on there!..  follow me on twitter @careerfolk.

For the next 5 1/2 steps to Personal Branding click here

We are experiencing the ‘perfect’ storm in this economy: a fundamental change in employment trends, a stock market collapse, ongoing layoffs and industries shrinking or even disappearing.  I don’t need to remind you what its like, you are living it. What I want to focus on is the Why and the How to embrace the new economy. Despite the current market conditions, there is a way out of your job search malaise. I want to focus on WHY you might be struggling in your search, and HOW you can succeed in moving ahead.  From my experience the one thing I notice about job seekers is that, they tend to jump right onto the “job search treadmill” (my new term for the job search loop), with out taking a moment to assess where they are, what they can do now, and what they are looking for. Assessing who you are and what you stand for has never been more important: How can you stand out, if you don’t know what you stand for?

After an exciting  job search strategy group session, where one of our members came to report back on how he landed his new position, my thoughts about success in the job search were confirmed so, as part of my first blog I want to highlight, from my hands-on perspective, 10 Points that Make Job Seekers Successful  and why others are getting stuck right now. People are finding work, and this what I have noticed about those that are finding it.

10 Essentials for Job Search Success:

1.     Fire in your belly. An insatiable motivation to succeed and do whatever it takes.
2.     A sound understanding and coherent and articulate message conveying who you are and what you can do that is different from others, is critical in todays job search.
3.     An inherent confidence in yourself.
4.     Staying focused on your goal, and not letting the negative distractions, and past rejections keep you back from getting up and moving forward.
5.     Establishing a daily & weekly routine that incorporates online research and  networking, as well as “in-person” networking, volunteering, learning a new skill, or maintaining or expanding an old one.
6.     Maintaining a positive attitude: Allow yourself time out to do things that make you happy or keep you inspired and motivated and give you other things to think about and an opportunity to relax.  (More to come on this)
7.     Acknowledging that you might be in the search for a while, and making the most of your time while you are at it. (More to come on this too!)
8.     Joining a job search strategy group that you can network with, generate ideas with, be accountable to, and help you keep focused.
9.     Searching for companies, not for jobs:  Having a plan that will help you reach your goal is essential, and this involves identifying where you want to work, and establishing a plan to get to know those companies.
10.     Learning how to use one or  more forms of social media to get your message out and market yourself and your brand: Definitely linkedin, but also Twitter, Facebook and blogs have all become  integral to a successful job search strategy.

Are you managing to accomplish all of these? Do you have a clear and precise understanding of who you are and what you have to offer?

Our next post will look at the top 10 mistakes job seekers make! Look out for post #2.