Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Three tips for making a career change in a tough time

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bridge.38284277_9212ed027e_mI hear from so many people who are in the midst of trying to make a career change. Sometimes, the change is very slight – a writer who wants to use her expertise to write about a different subject. Other times, there is a more drastic goal – a mortgage broker who wants to use transferable skills to get into the insurance business.

No matter what the goal, this is a tough time to bridge to a career change. (I’ve written about this HERE.)

If you are a job seeker thinking of a change, some tips to consider:

1. Do your research. Know what skills your targeted job and/or employer value. Do you have those skills? Make sure you clearly communicate what you offer in your application materials. This isn’t your father’s job market – the resume that was “good enough” to do the job five years ago won’t even get you a second look today. It’s a competitive environment. If you expect to compete, you need to optimize your materials. Don’t approach the market before you are ready. You don’t want to waste an opportunity to get through the door.

2. Network! While it is ALWAYS important (for every job seeker), I contend that it is even MORE crucial for the transitioning applicant. You need to use what you can to bridge the gap between what you have done and what you WANT to do next. Meet people in your targeted field. Let them know what you offer. Demonstrate your interest and your expertise. If you are lucky, you’ll make a strong connection with a contact who will be willing to take a chance on you. This is not to suggest this is an easy thing to do. However, when you successfully engage in informational interviews, you open doors you would otherwise not have an opportunity to walk through.

3. Work it. I mean it! You don’t have the experience doing what you want to do? Get some. Today, I spoke to a writer who is planning to research and write some portfolio pieces in her targeted field, even if they will only be published (initially) on her own blog. I have advised clients to volunteer some time in order to get the experience they need. Internships are not just for college kids any more. There is no excuse for not getting the experience you need/want on your resume.

Stay tuned for more ideas…

What has worked for you? What ideas do you have to help job seekers cross the bridge to a new career?

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 ThomasHawk

Plan your job search future…A future party!

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futureparty2905178289_c60350c5ed_mIn an effort to help job seekers break away from typical planning patterns and habits, today’s post offers a fun idea from my friend Cindy Petersiel, a business coach who blogs at Design Your Success. Cindy describes a “Come As You Will Be” party that her client attended:

Have you heard of these?  You come as if your life is 5 years down the road.  This gives the party goer an opportunity to really think about what she will be in 5 years.  Invitees were asked to dress as like they want to dress in 5 years.  Bring photos of the places they’ve traveled and their homes.  Conversation is expected to be as if you are 5 years in the future.

She goes on:

My client was nervously excited about the party.  As she got more and more into the process of pretending, she began to get more and more clear on what she wanted for her business and her life in the year 2014.  As the party approached, she had a real look at what success meant to her.  She had designed her own success (I love it!) and had a 5 Year Plan and Vision in place.

The benefits didn’t end there.  As she got into the idea and the play of the party, she began to really create a vision of what it would be like 5 years from now with her success.  She got to feel what it is like to be there. This told the subconscious portion of her mind that it IS.  And now, with with the subconscious portion of her mind thinking it is, it sees all sorts of possibilities and opportunities that she was blind to before. Actions taken on those possibilities become leaps forward toward the achievement of that – year plan.

Cindy suggests the following:

Use the power of pretend to create your own 5-year plan.  Host your own Come As You Will Be party.  Make it big or make it small, but make it fun and really get into it.

Here are some tips to give your invitees:

  • Ask yourself, “how do I want to be dressing in 5 years?”
  • Make a photo album of the places you’ve “been” and your home(s).  Be ready to talk about them and your experiences.
  • In your business, who are your customers?
  • What is your role in your business?  How is it different from today?
  • How do you spend your days?
  • What are your hobbies?

As you prepare for the party, jot down the ideas of opportunities and actions that will inevitably jump into your head.  It doesn’t matter if you won’t do them yet.  Keep them for yourself.

So, if you are stuck in a rut and can’t do anything but complain that your search isn’t going the way you’d hoped – take a break from the typical and jump into the spirit of fun and imagination. Make a vision board. Envision your future. Host a future party.

Need a little help ramping up your search? Read how I can help get your job hunt going!

photo by rafeejewell

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Plan your job hunt using The Vision Board to guide you

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Regular readers know that I usually stick to highly practical job search advice – I want to offer a toolbox of practical job hunting tips and advice. But, my tag line is “Encouraging, enlightening and empowering job seekers for success.” So, with that in mind, I want to suggest a book that job seekers and all professionals may want to consider reading!

Joyce Schwarz’s visually beautiful and inspiring book, The Vision Board, reminds readers of a key life lesson. As she says in the introduction, “Your time is now.” She shows her readers how to take the bull by the horns and take hold of their own destinies by offering moving stories of people (and families!) who have used vision boards to improve their lives.

For those of us who have never engaged in this type of work, Ms. Schwarz offers step-by-step instructions that not only help readers know what to DO, but also make the concept of the Law of Attraction understandable and attainable to even the most skeptical of audiences.

By offering her own framework to help the reader engage in this work (GRABS), which stands for Gratitude, Release and Receive, Acknowledge and Ask, Be and Believe and Share, the author helps readers really understand their roles in what she calls their own “quantum leap.” She literally offers readers a “passport to possibility” by describing how to get started both from a spiritual perspective (offering accounts of personal stories, sound advice and tips for expressing gratitude) AND from a practical perspective (even suggesting what type of adhesive to use).

One of my favorite things about this book was that it leads the reader to understand and agree with the premise without seeming preachy or “out there.” For example, who can’t understand the value of stopping during the day for a short walk or a coloring break with kids? Ms. Schwarz offers these as examples of ways to “say thanks for your body and the power of your mind.”

Having read The Vision Board, I suggested that my business mastermind group work on our own vision board projects to help us solidify our goals and propel our plans forward. I  recommend it to anyone who wants to jump-start his or her plans, even if you aren’t already a believer in the Law of Attraction!

Need a little help ramping up your search? Read how I can help get you going!


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You SHOULD be trying to find a job

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lemonade3216658902_5f786c4cc6_mGL Hoffman, author of the highly regarded blog, “What Would Dad Say,” contacted me to invite a reply to Seth Godin’s guest post on WWDS. In the post, Seth (the author of the most popular marketing blog in the world and 12 best-selling books) says that you shouldn’t try to get a job. His rationale:

There are a few reasons for this. The first is that the act of trying to get a job corrupts you. It pushes you to be average, to fit in and to do what you’re told.

The second is that this act moves the responsibility from you to that guy who didn’t hire you. It’s his fault. As soon as you start spending your day trying to please the guy, you’ve blown it.

The third is that the economy is terrible and the best jobs you’re going to get are lousy.

What does Seth suggest instead? Bon bons and a cruise on the Riviera? No. He says: Start a business. A tiny one.

Well, then.

This isn’t the first time I’ve disagreed with Seth. He caused a stir when he claimed that, if you are “remarkable, amazing or just plain spectacular,” you don’t even need a resume. Certainly, there is a small percentage of the population who do not need a resume to land a job. You can probably come up with a set of names, the uber-business people and celebrities for whom opportunities come knocking. (I do agree that we should all aspire to develop a persona that will draw opportunities, but most people will still need a form of a resume for a job, even if it is a formality.)

For the same reason that “you don’t need a resume, you need to be remarkable” is advice that is suitable for a small percentage of the population, admonishing careerists that there are no good jobs and the only admirable thing to do is start a business similarly is good advice for a small percentage of the population.

The fact is, not everyone is well suited to being an entrepreneur. Brian O’Kane, author of Could You Be Your Own Boss says that research shows that successful entrepreneurs have:

  • Strong needs for control and independence
  • Drive and energy
  • Self-confidence
  • A point of view of money as a measure of performance
  • A tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty
  • A sense of social responsibility

and that they are good at:

  • Problem-solving
  • Setting (and achieving) goals and targets
  • Calculated risk-taking
  • Committing themselves for the long term
  • Dealing with failure
  • Using feedback
  • Taking the initiative
  • Seeking personal responsibility
  • Tapping and using resources
  • Competing against self-imposed standards.

Personality type also comes into play. Small Business Entrepreneurs suggests that the “ideal” Myers-Briggs type indicator for an entrepreneur is ENTJ, but having that uncommon type is no guarantee of business success and happiness.

All of this by way of suggesting that some people, even if they are remarkable, may not be well suited to running their own businesses. I don’t think that someone who would prefer to let someone else manage the big picture (and, let’s be honest – the headaches that come from running a business) are corrupt or average – far from it. Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses is key to success in business and in life. If you know you are not suited to running a business, it’s the last thing you should try to do.

Finally, I must address Seth’s suggestion that there are no good jobs available and that being an employee is about spending your day trying to please someone else. Provocative, but preposterous!

There ARE organizations who value their employees and encourage independent thinking. Read profiles of this type of company HERE and read about GreatPlaceJobs to learn how to easily search for jobs with award-winning employers.

Do I think that some job seekers should pull out all the stops to start a small business? Absolutely. I have advised a number of my clients to pursue that path. It’s not for everyone, though, and if it’s not for you, consider yourself self-aware and astute, not average and corrupt!

Convinced that finding a job is for you? I can help! Even if you are ready to start a new business, you still need a strong resume and online presence. Contact me to learn how to achieve your dreams!

photo by crazyunclejoe

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Best Careers for 2009

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Wouldn’t it be great to have a crystal ball to predict the best jobs for the next decade? Uncertainty eliminated, everyone could retrain for a new job knowing that the future job market would be rosy and bright!

Short of a crystal ball, we have information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reports from news organizations such as U.S. News & World Report to help guide and inform our plans. The good news? The Associated Press reports that “It’s a big economy; 350 million people — there’s always going to be people hiring,” said Carl Van Horn, director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

Hiring Forecast

CareerBuilder recently published their 2009 U.S. Hiring Forecast. They note:

While 16% of U.S. employers plan to cut staff, 16% of employers “expect to add workers, while 62% percent anticipate a steady payroll.” That’s promising news for a huge chunk of workers — 78%. (Another 6% weren’t sure what staffing plans for Q1.)

Looking at 2009 overall, 14% of employers plan to increase their number of full-time, permanent employees, 16% plan to decrease staff levels and 56% expect no change. 13% are unsure.

CareerBuilder points out that “There will still be openings due to regular turnover, some job creation, a skilled worker shortage and people retiring or changing careers. What does this mean for you? There are still jobs to be had, it’s just going to take more time and some extra work to find that new position.

The trick is to figure out where that hiring will be!

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. 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, Wall Street is a difficult place to find a job (although I have heard of laid-off workers being picked up by more successful competitors quickly). Previously considered recession proof, many luxury industries are suffering as even the wealthy tighten their purse strings. On a brighter note, the health care sector continues to expand, as do opportunities in green energy organizations. (The clean energy boom is expected to produce 4.2 million new green jobs over the next 30 years, according to a study by the nation’s mayors in October 2008.)

Career expert Laurence Shatkin just wrote a book called 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs. In an interview with Barbara Kiviat for Time Magazine, he notes, “Governments are being impacted by this recession because it’s so severe, but on the whole, government-related jobs tend to be more secure, particularly jobs that have to do with law enforcement and education. People have to send their kids to school no matter what the economic conditions are. Post-secondary education tends to be a pretty secure place to be too. People will ride out recession by going back to school. And there are certain utilities, like water, electricity, gas, garbage pickup, sewage treatment. These things will be needed no matter what the economy is.”

Lindsey Pollak recently pointed out that President-elect Obama plans to create an enormous public works construction program to stimulate the economy. Lindsey suggests, “If you’d like to land one of those new jobs when they’re created, start studying now to understand what types of skills, experience and knowledge will be required. (For instance, you could set up a Google news alert for phrases such as “public works,” “national infrastructure” or “expanding broadband access.”)

Top Jobs

Here is a list of the top 20 jobs from U.S. News & World Report’s 30 best careers for 2009:

Audiologist

Biomedical equipment technician

Clergy

Curriculum/training specialist

Engineer

Firefighter

Fundraiser

Genetic counselor

Ghostwriter

Government manager

Hairstylist/Cosmetologist

Health policy specialist

Higher education administrator

Landscape architect

Librarian

Locksmith/Security system technician

Management consultant

Mediator

Occupational therapist

Optometrist

Bottom Line

Clearly, there will continue to be opportunities for top performers in every industry. If you have kept up with your networking and worked hard to be well known in your field, you will be better situated than most to job hunt. Extra gold stars for you if you have kept your resume up-to-date and are easily able to list your skills and accomplishments for your targeted resume.

That doesn’t sound like you? You never thought you’d be looking for a job and are totally unprepared? With the right information and motivation, it’s not too late! You’ll have some catching up to do, but you can still be successful.

UPDATE: May 10, 2009:

I can help. I am offering a special, limited time offer to my blog readers to help you land the job you want!  Contact me and mention “Reader’s Special” to learn about revising your resume and coaching to help you land your target job!

photo by circulating