Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

30 Ideas – The Ideas of Successful Job Search

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Job seekers don’t have to look very far to find advice. Book stores and the Internet are filled with ideas about strategies, tools and tips to help people find jobs. What is different about my colleague Tim Tyrell-Smith’s book, 30 Ideas: The Ideas of Successful Job Search, is his perspective as a hiring manager and a former job seeker. He was inspired to share his 30 ideas based on his own experiences.

He explains his job search focus is on “working with a purpose throughout the process…there’s little room for impulse decision-making. It is about efficiency and structure.” A bonus? His background is in consumer marketing (22 years). In case you didn’t already know — finding a job is all about marketing, branding and communicating, so Tim’s experience is invaluable.

30 Ideas offers both practical advice and important reminders.

For example, we know it’s difficult to maintain a positive mindset while job hunting. We also know how invaluable it can be to face the challenge with an optimistic attitude. Tim empathetically provides numerous suggestions to help job seekers keep an upbeat focus, including:

  • ideas to create an actionable strategy
  • reminders to embrace some of your “free” time to recharge your batteries
  • specifics to consider, even on the worst days
  • tips to overcome irrational fears
  • how to avoid the “out of work” stigma

In addition to these important reminders, Tim takes his readers through practical job search networking steps, offering advice about:

  • how to tell your network what you want
  • whom to target for networking
  • how to handle networking events
  • when to readjust your “pitch” — and how
  • what NOT to do when you network (which could be as important as what TO do)

Tim’s book is a great resource for job seekers who need a boost and some real-life, honest-to-goodness advice to remind them they can make a difference in their job hunts. Be sure to also visit Tim’s website/blog, where he offers frequent insights for job seekers — extending the advice in the book and interacting with his readers. You may also be interested in Tim’s LinkedIn group, Tim’s Strategy – Ideas For Job Search, Career And Life, where a community of job seekers and advisors share ideas and suggestions.

Learn more about 30 Ideas on Tim’s site and order it HERE via AMAZON or HERE for Kindle.

Tim generously offered to send a copy of his book to one of my readers! Comment below with a tip for job seekers based on your experience or a question!

 

Best Careers for 2011

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Following job trends has some advantages. I report on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Careers” article every year. (This year, I am excited to announce that I’ve been invited to join U.S. News’ team of career bloggers — starting in mid-January!) In my many years following this report, categories often do not change very much from year to year. That is a good thing for anyone using the list to make a career choice!

For example, the article notes that “All of the healthcare jobs on last year’s list have made the cut again this year, plus two new positions: massage therapist and athletic trainer. While the field of athletic training doesn’t offer the sheer number of positions as nursing or dental hygiene, it outranks nearly all other healthcare occupations for expected job growth.”

It’s important to remember that jobs on this list are not necessarily easy to land! Although jobs are cut from the list if they have a higher-than average unemployment rate, the article notes that, with 9.6% unemployment, there are still (statistically) five unemployed people for every job, compared to an average of 1.7 people for every job in the three years before the recession.

Do Your Research

Every job seeker should keep an eye on his or her industry and make plans for the future with an informed outlook. I like to remind readers that it’s a good idea to set a Google alert for organizations and fields of interest to you so you’ll be aware when there are newsworthy ups and downs in your market. Clearly, there are trends in industries. While there are no guarantees, keeping an eye on these surveys and data should help direct those seeking career change make their plans.

Learn what you can about the number of job opportunities, salary expectations, educational requirements, job satisfaction — make a list of what is important to you and conduct a personal analysis to determine a good direction for your career.

Luckily, there are more and more resources every day to help you with your research.

You can go “old school” and talk to people you know or people they know via informational interviews. Or, expand your networking circle by using Twitter to research your job, LinkedIn to connect with new colleagues, Facebook (via BranchOut or Jibe) and Quora to meet new people who may have advice, information or recommendations for you.

Learn what blogs are popular and respected in your niche (I like to use Alltop.com as a great resource) and find out what your mentors are saying. Find them on Twitter (WeFollow.com is my favorite list for Twitter) and learn who they talk to, what conferences they attend (and what they think of the speakers).

Hop on a Twitter chat to connect with people in your targeted industry. Before you know it — with skill and persistence — you can become one of them! (Read this story of someone who has decided to lead the way in his industry, even if his colleagues are not already joining him on social media.)

Clearly, there are many, many ways to learn what everyone is saying and — most importantly — to insert yourself into the conversations (via participating in social media, meeting local colleagues, attending professional conferences, etc.) to really get to know about a field.

Here is U.S. News & World Report’s list of top jobs for 2011, broken down by categories considered promising growth fields:

Science and Technology

– Biomedical engineer

– Civil engineer

– Computer software engineer

– Computer support specialist

– Computer systems analyst

– Environmental engineering technician

– Environmental science technician

– Hydrologist

– Meteorologist

– Network architect

Health care

 

– Athletic trainer

– Dental hygienist

– Lab technician

– Massage therapist

– Occupational therapist

– Optometrist

– Physician assistant

– Physical therapist

– Physical therapist assistant

– Radiologic technologist

– Registered nurse

– School psychologist

– Veterinarian

Social Service

– Clergy

– Court reporter

– Education administrator

– Emergency management specialist

– Firefighter

– Marriage and family therapist

– Mediator

– Medical and public health social worker

– Special-education teacher

– Urban planner

Business and Finance

– Accountant

– Actuary

– Financial adviser

– Financial analyst

– Logistician

– Meeting planner

– Public relations specialist

– Sales manager

– Training specialist

Creative and Service

– Commercial pilot

– Curator

– Film and video editor

– Gaming manager

– Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration technician

– Interpreter/Translator

– Multimedia artist

– Technical writer

Be sure to review U.S. News’ entire, informative article outlining the various opportunities and their methodology.

Please comment if you know anything about these professions! Would you recommend them? What are your experiences? Share in the comments!

Don’t forget that clear, concise, optimized job search materials AND a strong, well executed plan are key for job search success! I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by Court reporter

10 ways to help boost your confidence

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Is your lack of confidence impacting your ability to propel your career or job search forward? Have you thought about improving your mindset to help boost your confidence at work? PickTheBrain blog notes that the biggest motivation killer is lack of confidence, along with negative thoughts. They note:

There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.

  1. Lack of confidence – If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
  2. Lack of focus – If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
  3. Lack of direction – If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?

The Mayo Clinic suggests boosting self esteem and improving confidence using these five suggestions:

Step 1: Identify troubling conditions or situations

Step 2: Become aware of beliefs and thoughts

Step 3: Pinpoint negative or inaccurate thinking – make note of physical responses to negative thoughts.

Step 4: Challenge negative or inaccurate thinking

Step 5: Change your thoughts and beliefs

(Be sure to read their post for more details and advice.)

The SitePoint blog has several suggestions to improve your focus:

1. Write Everything Down

2. Chunk it – take things in small pieces, one at a time.

3. Analyze Time Spent

4. Think of the Finish Line

5. Cut Distractions

(Be sure to read the full post for more details.)

I am not a therapist – I see myself as a coach and a cheerleader, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that if you don’t feel confident, you will have a tough time marketing yourself for a job. Take a close look at these points and think about if you should spend some time focusing on your attitude before you apply for another opportunity.

photo by vindothchandar

Prepare your references for job search success

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What should job seekers do now to prepare for interviews? Let’s face it, sometimes a long-time job search winds up in an interview scheduled with little lead time. 

I believe that the issue of references is one that job seekers overlook. It is important to plan ahead for this part of the search, way before you are actually providing references. Some things to consider…

Do you know what your references are saying about you?

Especially if you have often reached the final stages without landing the job, touching base with those who may hold the keys to your next position is a great idea!

Whom to Ask? Ideally, you should have a current or immediate past employer as a reference.  Co-workers and trusted subordinates may also be references, but most hiring managers will want to hear from employers.  If you are a student or recently graduated, faculty members may serve as references.  If you have had a leadership role in a volunteer organization, “supervisors” from that organization may be good references for you.

Ask permission.  Once you have in mind who you’d like to serve, ask their permission.  If they seem hesitant or hedge at all, allow them to bow out gracefully.  You don’t want to browbeat your references into helping you.  (They may hurt more than help.)  The best references are those who are enthusiastically supportive.

Prepare your references to support you! Be sure they have the most updated version of your resume and a cover letter for the position if you have one.  Let them know if you expect they will be called, and offer suggestions of topics they may want to emphasize.

When I was applying for one of my jobs, I knew that teamwork and the willingness to pitch in when necessary were crucial for my potential employer.  I emphasized how I was the perfect match (I really was!)  in the interview.  I also asked my current supervisor (who knew about my search and was my #1 reference) if she could mention some examples of my teamwork when she spoke to my potential boss, who offered me the job as soon as he spoke to her!

Hopefully, you will have a strong relationship with your references and will be comfortable making them partners in your search. Let’s face it – you can get right to the job’s door by having a great resume and interviewing well.  The key to get in is in the hands of those who are willing to recommend you for the job!