Enter Katy Piotrowski’s book, The Career Coward’s Guide to Changing Careers.

Katy guides her readers through a series of stages to help them decide on their plans and overcome roadblocks caused by fear and hesitation. She offers exercises and support from the “discover your natural talents and best skills” stage through to the point of being ready to learn “how to succeed and progress in your new career.”

With confidence checklists and profiles throughout that demonstrate success stories and cases in point, Katy brings her (potentially reluctant) readers along and offers courage to overcome “panic points” to succeed.

My favorite chapter? Chapter 8 – Execute a Successful Informational Interview. Katy offers sample scripts to secure the meeting and step-by-step instructions to help readers know “What to Wear, Where to Meet and How to Act.” Key advice? “Take notes and leave your resume at home.” Successful networkers conduct as many informational meetings as possible. (CLICK HERE for my thoughts on info interviews.)

I highly recommend The Career Coward’s Guide for anyone who is experiencing a fearful transition – and who isn’t?

If you’d like to win a FREE copy, comment on this blog post to enter a random drawing! Feel free to comment on all of my blogs for a better chance to win:

• Examiner.com
• GreatPlaceJobs
• Secrets of the Job Hunt

If you need some coaching to figure out what you should do next, contact my business partner, Hallie Crawford. Once you know what you want to do, if you need some help to get your job search in gear – Learn more about me and my services.- I will help!

The post Are you a career coward? Your guide to changing careers! appeared first on Keppie Careers.

So begins John Liptak’s book, Career Quizzes.

With so many people facing transitions now (either of their own choice or as a result of a layoff) and with many studies indicating that workers are generally dissatisfied with their jobs and/or seriously thinking of making a change, it is important to point out that planning and focusing on career goals is an important piece of driving your own career bus!

Liptak reminds readers how important it is to prepare for transtions, and this book is a good first step for anyone thinking about making a move. It offers readers help in:

• Finding purpose.
• Identifying an ideal job.
• Developing a career plan.
• Taking action.

With a series of different assessments to help guide the job seeker, but a caveat that “an assessment can provide you with valuable information about yourself, but plese remember that such instruments cannot measure everything for you” (p. XV), this book provides guidance and a great starting point for anyone who needs a jump start for his or her career transition.

If you’d like to win a FREE copy, comment on this blog post to enter a random drawing! Feel free to comment on all of my blogs for a better chance to win:

• Examiner.com
• GreatPlaceJobs
• Secrets of the Job Hunt

If you need some coaching to figure out what you should do next, contact my business partner, Hallie Crawford. Once you know what you want to do, if you need some help to get your job search in gear – Contact me – I will help!

The post Transitioning and don't know where to go? Read Career Quizzes appeared first on Keppie Careers.

I believe that job seekers and careerists of all ages can benefit from reading They Don’t Teach Corporate in College. It is packed full of useful advice and tips, all of which are nicely summarized at the end of each chapter for the impatient reader.

With advice on everything from goal setting to networking, problem solving (even when the boss isn’t around) to how to appropriately showcase your abilities in a work environment and how to recognize when it is time to start looking for a new job, Alexandra’s book is a useful and valuable resource for anyone who could use a little
advice about how to succeed in the business world.

But this isn’t your typical, “rah rah” corporate guidebook. It’s an honest and open examination of some of the many challenges that workers today face. (Constant restructuring, difficult or overstressed bosses, overly competitive colleagues, the list goes on!) The author shares her own experiences that compelled her to write the original edition of the book. She isn’t speaking from a vacuum, but from an in-touch perspective of someone who has “been there, done that” and lived to tell the tale!

One of my favorite sections reminds readers of the importance of optimism. Alexandra suggests that “you are what you think.” The take-away? “As a human being you are responsible for your own life, and you have the ability to choose your response to your environment” (p. 170).

I think this take-away is key for all job seekers and professionals. It’s a message I constantly share and an important point for job seekers and anyone hoping to improve his or her professional life. Reading Alex’s book is one step in the right direction!

If you are ready for a change and could use some help with your search, follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how we can work together!

The post Read They Don't Teach Corporate in College for a smooth transition from "flip flops to wingtips" appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Are you the job seeker who, when asked what you’re good at, or what you want to do,  says, “I am really good at a lot of things. I have many skills, such as X, Y and Z, and I am a quick learner, so I can really do anything and I am open to just about any job.”

If that sounds familiar, it is time to re-work your pitch! As Shawn Graham, author of Courting Your Career, notes in the book, being willing to do anything is akin to saying you would date just about anyone, as long as they have teeth!

Shawn’s useful and informative book helps make the job search process more accessible to readers by comparing a job search to a search for a mate.

The first step for both processes? Figure out who you are and what you want! Look beyond physical appearance and cast a wide enough net to include a variety of types of companies to “romance.”

While some may believe that “fate” should play a big role in their love life and career paths, it’s a good idea to incorporate a good dose of planning in both areas for success.

Shawn weaves the dating analogy through the “meet market” – networking, and reminds readers that “Before you can date someone, you need to meet someone” (p. 33).  He offers three principles of effective networking:

• Assess – figure out who you know
• Expand – grow outside of your existing network
• Maintain – keep up your ongoing relationships

He reminds us that leveraging skills learned from past relationships is as useful for job seekers as it is for dating!

A tip I particularly enjoyed that also is perfectly aligned with both dating and job seeking is “it isn’t all about you.” Shawn asks, “Have you ever been on a date with someone who talked about him- or herself all night long?” (p. 111). You don’t want to be the self-centered job seeker! Remember that looking for a job is just as much about connecting to the employer’s needs as it is about what you have to offer!

There are some differences between job seeking and dating…For example, Shawn reminds readers that they should NOT send flowers to thank an interviewer!

Courting Your Career is a great (and fun) read for anyone in job search mode. The message is an optimistic and useful reminder – so much is in YOUR hands! Take advantage of it and move forward successfully!

YOU have a chance to win a copy of Courting Your Career! All you need to do is comment on any one of my blogs (comment on as many as you’d like to increase your chances). Share a story, ask a question…Let us know why you could use this book. I’ll pick one winner at random on Friday to receive a copy.

GreatPlaceJobs

Examiner.com

Secrets of the Job Hunt

Need some help with your job search? I won’t help you with your dating life, but you’ll probably learn some great transferable skills when we work together! Follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how we can work together!

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“So, tell me about yourself?”

Is that not the most obvious interview question? The one that every job seeker should anticipate and prepare to answer? Unfortunately, it may seem so obvious, many don’t spend the time they should focusing on how to answer it.

In fact, most aspects of the job search rely on being able to tell your own story.

• Networking (the all important elevator pitch)
• Your resume – connecting your accomplishments with the employer’s needs
• Cover letter – another opportunity to sell your skills to a targeted employer
• Portfolios – online opportunities to connect with people
• Interviews – sealing the deal
• On the job – to connect and advance

I highly recommend that job seekers take a look at Katharine Hansen’s new book, Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career.

Her book is organized into several sections:

• Part I – Career propelling story basics
• Part II – Using storytelling in your job search
• Part III – Continuous storytelling

Katharine explains how stories can help you get a job by demonstrating your personality, helping to make you memorable and establishing trust. People who know how to tell good stories can communicate their value proposition, which is key for job seekers and careerists.

This book helps you with every aspect of telling your story – from figuring out what the story should be through tips for how to recall stories stored in your brain! (For example, give your stories names.) It is full of samples of stories and many, many ideas that are critically useful for job seekers and all professionals.

If you’re engaged in a job search – or maybe you should be – don’t miss this great resource!

UPDATED ON 6/21/11:

Could you use some help to come up with your story AND to learn how to tell it well in networking, interview and social networking situations? What about your resume? Does it tell your story and tell it well? I can help. If you’re ready to hire a pro to help you move ahead with your plans, contact me to find out how you can boost your job search – both online and off line. Check out my new book, Social Networking for Career Success, to learn how to tell your story in a way that can get you noticed.

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Alexandra Levit

I recently had the opportunity to review Success for Hire, which is targeted to employers to help them find and keep outstanding employees. In the book, Alexandra adroitly guides employers through a series of steps to help them target, attract and retain the very best candidates for their organizations.

It will be no surprise to job seekers that some employers do not plan their recruiting efforts as strategically as they might. Sometimes, the hire just doesn’t work out or employers inadvertently misrepresent the job to prospective candidates. If they all read and followed Alexandra’s advice, employers could save a lot of time, effort and money, and employees might be spared being put through a process that is less than stellar.

In her book, Alexandra outlines nine strategies for employers. Most interesting for job seekers? Number 4 – Create a Strategy for Interviewing. Job seekers may be surprised to learn that “most evidence has demonstrated that interviews have low reliability and validity, yet everyone continues to rely on them as the principal way of determining the future of their organization” (p. 49). Alexandra encourages interviewers to prepare questions that target specific criteria for the job. (This is great advice for job seekers as well, as they must be able to target their skills and accomplishments to the job’s requirements.)

She suggests guidelines from Martin Yate (2006), author of Hiring the Best. His guidelines for questions (and suggested examples) include:

• Adaptability and suitability: What was the most difficult project you tackled in a previous job?
• Motivation: What have you done that you are proud of?
• Teamwork and manageability: Describe the best manager you ever had?
• Management: How do you quantify your results as a manager?
• Entry-level questions: How did you spend your vacations while at school?

The “interviewing” chapter expands on the different types of questions (closed-ended, open-ended, negative balance, reflexive, “hamburger helper” questions and mirror statements and silence). I was interested in reading up on the most recent research in this arena. Clearly, anyone hiring or trying to be hired can benefit from the research Alexandra included in her book about the interview process.

While I normally read (and write) information targeted only to the job seeker, reading Success for Hire was an informative and enjoyable change of pace. It is a good reminder to the well-researched job seeker that looking at books and information targeted at EMPLOYERS is a good idea. I highly recommend Success for Hire to people on both sides of the hiring desk!

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Appropriately, I first “met” Liz by networking! I noticed that one of my contacts, Walter Akana, followed her on Twitter, and I followed her, too. I was delighted when she contacted me to participate in a round of interviews about her book. It was fun to win a round of the contests she sponsored and to receive a copy of her book as part of my prize.

If you don’t like networking, this book is for you! I thought Liz’s analogy that networking is like exercise was perfect: “Some people love it, but for many, it’s something they know they must do for good long-term health.” If you are a reluctant networker or consider it unsavory, you’ll want to read a book by someone who admits that she rarely speaks to people on airplanes! Liz allows for everyone’s individual networking style and needs; she addresses all of them in her book.

Liz notes the importance of thinking of networking as relationship building, not as transactions between people. She reminds readers that there are many great ways to network, and that one of the best ways to build your “networking gravity” – “the force that draws people automatically into your world with whom you have the greatest potential to build mutually beneficial relationships” is by introducing people to each other!

I’m a big proponent of being a connector, someone who enjoys linking people together for their advantage. I love how Liz explains the importance of having a “long tail” online. Extending your reach via social networking broadens your circle of influence and allows you to consciously and generously add value to others by introducing them to contacts in your circle. By doing so, you open the door to untold numbers of opportunities.

Not only does Liz offer great tips (such as: write notes on the back of YOUR business card when you hand it to someone), she also offers suggestions of networking plans customized to your own needs and preferences. She also reminds us that there is no “magic bullet.”

The bottom line – networking IS here to stay. The marketplace will continue to be competitive, and if you bury your head in the sand and try to avoid networking, you will lose out on a lot of opportunities. Liz closes her book with a quote by Jack Canfield, “When you lift others up, they will lift you up.” This is so true. Being known as someone who helps and supports others, be it in the workplace or elsewhere, is a high honor and doorway to success.

Give generously, don’t keep score and follow Liz’s tips and you may be surprised at the results!

Need a little extra help getting started? I can help you put your networking plans into action for a successful job hunt. Contact me to learn more!

The post Book Review: Smart Networking by Liz Lynch appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Lindsey is an author, speaker and consultant specializing in career development for college students and young professionals. In Getting from College to Career, she warmly and generously shares personal experiences and stories from all types of professionals covering topics such as: figuring out what you want to do, how to market yourself, where to look for opportunities (including entrepreneurship) and how to prepare for interviews.

While the book targets college students and recent grads, the advice transcends generations! Lindsey acknowledges her “obsession with taking action, trying new things, meeting new people and having a wide variety of experiences” to enhance a job hunt. She notes (and I agree) that you can’t plan your career by sitting around and “thinking really hard.”

Her first tip – “Start Wherever You Are” – is a perfect opening for the job seeker who thinks he or she needs more – more information, more advice, more research, before REALLY starting a successful search. My first boss on Wall Street always said, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” In other words, if you wait for all of the stars to align before starting something, you’ll never get off the ground. If you want to drive your own career bus, you first need to put the key in the ignition and turn it – no matter where you are parked!

Lindsey reminds her readers that “Action always yields rewards” and emphasizes the importance of taking action on behalf of your career every day. Make a call, write a note, send a follow-up email, attend a networking event…You can’t underestimate the value of every action you take to move your search forward.

How does Lindsey suggest you get organized for a job search?

• Buy a notebook (with a cool cover) to record ideas and information.
• Develop a filing system to keep all of the key paperwork that will pass through your hands.
• Keep a calendar with ALL of your appointments to avoid double-booking.
• Start a log or spreadsheet for all of your interactions with employers and networking contacts.
• Create a database system to track everyone you meet along the way!

One of my favorite tips? #27 Relax. A Job Is Not a Soul Mate. The fact is, with workers expected to have 9 careers in a lifetime and an average of 3 jobs in each one (with 50% of those careers not even discovered yet), don’t think of a job as a marriage. If you make a mistake, you can take your transferable skills and move to another opportunity.

Getting from College to Career is a terrific resource, full of tips to guide job seekers along a successful path. I highly recommend it to anyone getting ready for a job hunt!

Ready to take the plunge and look for a job? Still need a great resume? Some help to write the perfect cover letter? I’m here to help!

If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you!

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Regular readers know that I have been reviewing Tamara Erickson’s book, Retire Retirement. Although aimed at Boomers (born 1946 – 1964), the book offers insights that are useful across the generational alphabet!  Erickson’s research suggests that work culture will change in the next decade for several reasons:

1.  To accommodate Boomers seeking flexible, new experiences.  As the first generation with the realistic expectation of a 30-year healthy, active life after age 55, Boomers may engage in several new careers!

2. Because of Gen Y’s desire to have a work-life balance and refusal to join companies requiring 60-hour work weeks. 

(It seems as if Gen X doesn’t have much to say in this matter!)

Erickson makes the case that Boomers who wish to stay in the paid workforce will leverage a lot of power:

• Boomer skills and experience are needed. Employers don’t want to experience the “brain drain” of Boomers retiring in droves.
• Technology and a changing economy offer flexible ways of working.
• Research shows that workers over 55 are more reliable and loyal than younger workers.

Erickson encourages readers to dream big and to think optimistically about their plans.  She believes that by 2025, more companies will embrace next-generation enterprises, which she describes as:

Intensely collaborative, continually informed, technologically adept and skilled at on-going experimentation…Companies will adopt flexible relationships and continual active connections to attract both talented employees and loyal customers (49).

As a result, she believes that employees should reasonably expect the following in the next 5 years:

• Flexible time.  Changing shifts, compressed work week, individualized schedule.
• Reduced time. Part-time, job sharing, leave-of-absence programs.
• Cyclic time. Project-based or contract work.  Employees will focus on a project for a number of weeks or months, complete the work and then either take a break or move on to a new contract.  (Read more about this here.)
• Flexible place. Telecommuting, no fixed location for work.
• Task, not time. Instead of working 9 to 6, for example, employees would have a task and be required to put in only the time that it takes to get the work done.

Erickson offers specific strategies for Boomers to negotiate a new work plan.  She encourages this powerful and large group to reinvent themselves and dream big!  The book also outlines a myriad of ways for those seeking a brand new challenge (not with current or similar employers) to leverage their reputation, or “brand.”

Erickson emphasizes that responsibility for a new and improved work life is up to YOU!  Boomers (and future generations) need to plan in advance, position themselves and plot a course to navigate a desired career path.  Many successful workers will map their route years in advance and steer toward their goal.  Others will take advantage of unexpected opportunities.  Either way, a life’s worth of work impacts our options if we wish to work beyond traditional retirement age with the benefit of flexibility and personal choice.

If Erickson is correct about the changes coming to the workplace, Boomers, and younger generations as well should read Retire Retirement to begin to plan how to position themselves in a brave new working world!

Keppie Careers can help you achieve your career goals at any age!  Need a resume?  Job hunting help?  Keppie Careers will assist you every step of the way:  www.keppiecareers.com.

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