What can you do to improve your chances in this stubborn market?

Pause, but donâ€t stop.

If you donâ€t have a great network and job search materials at-the-ready, facing an unexpected job loss can be very overwhelming. Take a moment to take stock, but donâ€t take a month. Consider potential next steps. Assess your skills and figure out what you offer that is unique and special. In an environment where many people are looking for opportunities at once, you need to be able to identify what sets you apart.

Avoid sending applications without giving each one your full attention. Applying for every job that crosses your path is not going to help you land something sooner.

Clean up your digital footprint.

Especially if youâ€ve been thrown into a job search unexpectedly – IMMEDIATELY clean up your social networking profiles so that they are professional and wouldnâ€t cause any potential employer to think twice about hiring you. (Including your photos – make sure you are dressed like you are ready for work in your highlighted pictures.) Set a Google alert so you know when your name comes up online. With the majority of employers researching candidates online, an un-professional comment or picture may be the difference between getting the job and being the #2 choice.

Network smart.

You already know. Network, network, network. But, do you know how? If youâ€re not familiar with social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, blogging, etc.), now is the time to get familiar!

When you are planning your networking, focus on information gathering and sharing. Donâ€t ask for informational meetings to discuss your need for a job. If that person doesnâ€t have a job to offer, he or she will probably not want to meet with you and will suggest you contact HR.

The key with your networking is to expand your group of “loose contacts” – people who donâ€t know you well, but are willing to do what they can to help you achieve your goal. If you can present yourself as talented and skilled and make a personal connection, you will get much further with your job hunt.

Job hunt full time, but donâ€t be a workaholic.

Make a plan. Get up, get dressed, make appointments, keep a to-do list. Have goals for your job hunt as you do for your work life. I donâ€t have to tell you that this is a stressful time, but donâ€t feel the need to be job hunting 100% of your day. Take time to enjoy yourself and seek supportive groups to help you get through this tough time. Take time to vent and to be angry, but try to achieve a positive outlook, as that will help you in the long run.

Consider the cost benefits of seeking career advice.

The fact is, most people donâ€t have a very good resume and have no idea how to search for a job in todayâ€s economy. In a competitive environment, your job seeking materials (this includes your linkedin profile and web 2.0 presence) will be even more important. Money may be tight, but hiring a coach and/or a resume writer might be just the boost you need to propel your search.

Consider the cost of unemployment and the fact that you are much more likely to land a job in a timely way if you have a great resume, understand how to market yourself and are well prepared to interview and negotiate.

The list of things to do when suddenly facing a job hunt is very long…Those who make a plan and   methodically move toward their goals are most likely to achieve them.

photo by magnusfranklin

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Many job seekers overlook this important part of the job hunt. 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 youâ€d like to serve, ask their permission. If they seem hesitant or hedge at all, allow them to bow out gracefully. You donâ€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. Letâ€s face it - you can get right to the jobâ€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!

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While his book targets professionals who are pitching to win business or a project for themselves or their organizations, his advice is absolutely essential for job seekers to learn and understand.

Joey offers readers all of the fundamentals to consider when trying to communicate their value to another person or group. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what you’re doing in a job hunt – trying to make a strong connection to someone to convince them to hire you. Here is a run-down of the fundamentals and their job search applications:

Fundamental #1. Present a solution and nothing else.  All too often, people start presentations by talking about themselves. “Before we start, let me tell you about how our company began . . .” Who cares? Your prospect only cares about is how you can save them money, grow their revenues, or reduce their risk. Detail your plan to help your prospect and tell stories about how the plan has worked for others.

Job search application: Hiring managers care about what they want to know and how you solve their problems. You need to learn how to identify and hone in on the most important information to them in order to win the job.

Fundamental #2. Keep it simple. Resist the urge to cover too much ground in the presentation. Pound away at three messages. “We’ll build your project on time. We’ll meet your budget. We’ll deliver quality work.” Simplicity always separates you from the competition.

Job search application – Sending a 3-page resume detailing every thing you have done in the last 25 years and/or going on and on ad naseum in an interview is NOT going to win you the job. Focus on the basics – how you have what they want. Demonstrate why and how.

Fundamental #3. Speak with Passion. If you’re one of three firms competing, you know that your competition can do a great job.  But as one CEO explained, “When it’s close, many of the decisions just come down to who connects with us best.”.  Passion in the voice helps you connect.

Job search application – You need to realize that you are probably not the only one who could do this job. You might not even be the best qualified. But if you can connect with the hiring managers and communicate better than the competition, you will earn the job.

Fundamental #4. Leave half of your time for questions. Questions address what your prospect wants to hear. Your answers almost always separate you. Your competition often makes Q&A an afterthought. Consequently, you can gain an advantage by considering the questions on the front-end.

Job search application – Questions are key. Typically, you’re the one answering the questions (in an interview), so answers are important, but it is also important to ASK good questions. Sometimes, a few well-placed questions can really set the job seeker ahead of the crowd.

Fundamental #5. Rehearse. One CEO who has had hundreds of sales presentations stated, “I can always tell who has rehearsed.” Most people don’t rehearse much. Practicing sets you apart.

Job-search application – I always advise my clients to practice answers to potential interview questions out loud – not inside of their heads! Hearing how you sound and even watching how you look in a mirror can really make a difference in the outcome. I sometimes suggest talking to a pet, or even a stuffed animal!

Joey’s book can be a great help for job seekers who could use some help presenting a solution that works, focusing on a simple message so the target can connect, demonstrating passion and managing anxiety. As an added bonus, it is a perfect resource for anyone who needs to “win” presentations once landing in their targeted jobs!

You can buy the book here. I also highly recommend Joey’s Talking Points blog for a lot of great tips about how to communicate and present to win!

Need some help getting your targeted message together? I can help! Follow THIS LINK to learn more about me and how I can help you shorten your search and land the job you want!

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This week, I will be sharing ideas to help you “change up” your job hunting efforts.

Intellectually, we all know that doing the same thing, over and over again,
but expecting a different result does not make sense. If you always got lost on the way to someplace, would you continue to try to get there without a map or directions? If you always burned dinner because you didn’t set a timer and are always busy doing a million other things, would you continue to cook without a timer? I hope not!

By the same token, continuing to sit at your desk, applying for jobs online with the exact same resume and wondering why you aren’t landing more interviews (or ANY interviews) doesn’t phase you? It’s a tough market! You have too much (or not enough) experience. Your background isn’t exactly perfect for your target jobs and no one will give you a chance. I have heard all of the excuses. Well, it’s time for some tough love: It is very possible that what you are doing (and NOT doing) is the reason you aren’t finding more opportunities.

Today’s tip: instead of looking for a job, search for an organization!

Read more at my blog on GreatPlaceJobs…

If you need help with your search, contact me!

photo by Fifi LePew

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Looking for a job can be a lonely process, even when it is clear that no unemployed job seeker is alone. All you need to do is read or listen to the news to know that you are in good company if you’ve been laid off of your job. However, knowing that you’re not alone isn’t usually enough to help keep job hunters motivated and on track. In anything, the negative news may just send more people to bury their heads under their pillows to escape the incessent bad news

My colleague Alexandra Levit recently wrote about how job seekers are turning to “accountability groups,” teams of job seekers whose goal is to help each other stay motivated and on track.

She shared information from a New York Times article that reported on one such group in suburban Chicago. The article notes what we all recognize: being out of work and job hunting can be difficult and demoralizing. It may be a very lonely process, especially for those unaccustomed to job hunting and for job seekers who don’t know how to conduct a successful search.

The benefit of an accountability group is that job seekers encourage and support each other, network and keep each other motivated and on task in what might otherwise become a very unstructured time.

Alexandra notes,

According to the Times, membership in various networking organizations across the country for unemployed executives and other professionals has ballooned in recent months as the recession has continued its march, sparing not even the highly educated and skilled. Providing a spur as well as solace, the groups offer transition assistance for people who previously led comfortable lives in the middle and upper-middle class.

One thing that struck me about the group described in the New York Times article was that it was organized and run by the job seekers themselves. “Seven of nine members have been out of steady work for six months or longer; the other two are approaching the six-month mark.” The organizer of the group lost his job 16 months ago, struggled to get interviews and wondered if he was “spending too much time applying for jobs online.” The article quotes him as saying, “I’m not doing something right yet.”

Honestly, reading about this group breaks my heart! Clearly, these job seekers could benefit from some professional job hunting advice. What if they knew how much time to spend sending out online applications and had expert feedback about their resumes and other job search correspondence? I am sure they could benefit from up-to-date information about using online tools and social networks. I wonder how different their stories might be if they had engaged the services of a coach before things began to look so glum?

I am happy to announce that I will be facilitating “virtual” accountability groups to help job seekers succeed in this difficult and competitive market. Help is just a phone call away! Participants will benefit from targeted professional coaching, an understanding team of other job seekers for networking and support and a structured program to help keep their job hunt on track.

Please CONTACT ME if you are interested in learning more about these groups.

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I’m no Polianna – I understand how difficult a long and drawn out job hunt can be. It can be demoralizing to be out of work, especially around the holidays. I hope the following tips can help you get over a hump and get your search going in the right direction:

You are not alone! Heard the news? Read a newspaper lately?  Take comfort in the fact that you are in great company if you are looking for a job.

Focus on the silver lining. Try to separate your thinking from the inevitable worry and stress a job loss creates to focus on your plans. Think beyond tomorrow – what do you REALLY want to do next? Is there a silver lining that will allow you to re-think your career direction or job location? Is this an opportunity to take the time to re-train for another field that has always interested you? Maybe you never really liked your job much anyway, and if you stopped to think about it, this job loss is actually a good thing for your career and maybe for your health as well!

It’s not all about you. While there are things that you control and should consider evaluating, such as your resume and written job search materials, your appearance and demeanor and actual job hunting skills, don’t take the fact that you can’t find a job personally. Even if you take care of all the things in your control and focus your search efforts properly, it may still take longer than you’d like to land a new position. Assuming you’ve done your part, it’s not your fault.

Plan your search. And plan time off of your search! You can’t stay chained to your computer 24/7. I’ve written about how important it is to take time off of your search. If you were a workaholic before, this may be difficult for you, but try! Take time off for fun. Rent a movie. Pop some popcorn and relax. Plan hours to search and hours to be off. Take control – it feels good!

Volunteer. This is a great way to help other people who are less fortunate. The advantages?

• First and foremost – you will be helping an individual or group. Using your skills to benefit others is very rewarding.
• Noticing that, even if you lost your job, you are still very fortunate relative to many others can be a reminder to stand up straighter and smile.
• You may inadvertently find new career avenues as a result of volunteer work. If you volunteer in an area that always interested you, but you never learned much about, it might be an opportunity to find a new direction.
• Volunteering can offer great networking potential. You’ll meet new people, expand your circle and demonstrate you skills and competence in a new venue. This is great for your job hunt!

Stay tuned for the rest of the series, including other tips for how to use your time well and how to find support when it isn’t coming from the typical sources.

If you’re looking for a job, I can help you. Take a look at our services to learn what we can offer.

photo by william hutton jr.

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