While rummaging through 6-for-a-dollar bins of glue sticks, I was surprised by a rolling food cart. The woman from the deli was bringing her wares to the back of the store – samples of deli meat. If you bought something, you received a free package of cheese.

Since it seems as if every experience I have turns into a lesson for job seekers, it struck me that the lesson of the deli cart is simple: Go where the people are! The majority of shoppers that day were tending to spend time in the back of the store, maybe skipping the deli counter. Bringing the deli counter to the people was a great idea, and I am sure many people bought something they might not have considered as a result.

So, if you are looking for a job, are you going where you are likely to encounter people who can positively influence your search? Some ideas:

Regular readers know I love to suggest using Twitter for the job hunt. If you’re on Twitter, you are in a space full of others like you, CEOs, coaches and a slew of people who may have common interests. It’s a place where there is a community for everyone. Even cat lovers! Everyone is a potential contact. If you are not there, you miss out.

LinkedIn. This is a given. If you don’t have an optimized LinkedIn profile, it’s going to be tough for all of those recruiters who are sourcing there to find you!

In-person meetings. Have you joined the local chapters of professional development groups in your field? (And do you attend their meetings?) Have you looked up Meetup.com in your area? How about your alumni organization? Don’t discount social groups that have nothing to do with your job hunt or professional interest. You never know who you might meet at a backyard barbeque or at the local swimming pool. Go where people you DON’T think can help you go!

What ideas do you have for meeting people where they are? It’s just as important for people marketing their skills and accomplishments to be in the right place at the right time as it is for merchants to target their customers with their products.

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Sometimes, it pays to  hire a coach to help you fuel your search! Need some help getting your job search jump started? Not sure you can put all of the great tools at your disposal to good use? Need a great resume? Learn how I can help you propel your job hunt forward.

In Atlanta? GA is expecting > 10.7% unemployment. Get ahead of the game so you will be prepared to search for your next opportunity with local job search interventions: http://youneedajob.org/.

photo by Johnswilliamsphd

The post Looking for a job? Use old-fashioned marketing techniques – be where they are! appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Real Simple Magazine (October 2008) notes that, “Researchers at Texas State University, in San Marcos found that people who had a plant in their offices rated themselves as more satisfied with life and work than did those without them.”

So, if you notice a lot of new plants at work this month, you’ll know why!

Unsatisfied at work? Carly Chynoweth offered 10 tips to help make life at work better on the Work Bloom Work Satisfaction Blog:

1. “Keep things in perspective.”
2. “Recognize the possibility of happiness.”
3. “Change your focus.”
4. “Surround yourself with happy people…”
5. “Accept reality.”
6. “Do the best you can.”
7. “Balance.”
8. “Take a break.”
9. “Take control.”
10. “Be honest with yourself.”

What helps you keep sane at work? Social networking? Daydreaming? Focused goal setting? Going to lunch alone (or with a co-worker)? Please share your keeping sane strategies in the comments section. And, if you have a very unhappy co-worker, consider the gift of a nice potted plant!

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We can help you with a successful job hunt. Need a great resume? Career search advice? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com.

photo by jark

The post Potted Plants and Other Ideas to Make You Feel Better At Work appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Yesterday’s post served to remind job seekers that picking a job or career could be worse…You could be a bee who, after a 3-week course of study, must choose a vocation in the hive for the rest of his life!

I promised more reasons not to stress out about a job search in Part II…

In her blog, “Take the Pressure Off the Process of Choosing A Career,” Penelope Trunk makes some great points that are perfect to support the “don’t sweat it too much” theory of job hunting. She suggests the following points (commentary my own):

Squash perfectionist tendencies and get comfortable in gray areas.
No job is perfect. The job hunt is a process. For some, a lifelong process, of exploring. Things will change along the way. Your life will change, which may require your job goals to change. Or vice verse. Again, the key point is that no choice is set in stone, so don’t feel that you have to make a “perfect” choice.

Stop looking for a career to save your life.
Penelope notes that “a career can’t make you happy.” If you expect the “perfect” job to make your life complete, you may be waiting a very long time. Relax about the career choices you make. Be lucky that you’re not a bee…If you don’t like your job, you can make a change. It’s not a good idea to approach jobs without foresight and research to determine what is right, but there are no life-long contracts. If it doesn’t work out, you can adapt and find something new.

Don’t wait until you know yourself.
How can you know yourself until you try yourself? This does not only apply to young job seekers, but anyone in the working world. If you have been doing the same job your whole life, how will you know if something else might be better suited to your skills, needs and interests?

In today’s working world, no one expects you to have one job for life. Unlike Barry the Bee, your choices are only limited by your skills and desires. Think of this as an opportunity…The world is your flower. Don’t waste time buzzing around the same hive!

Keppie Careers will help you find the right fit for your skills and experiences. Visit us at www.keppiecareers.com.

The post Why Your Job Hunt Isn't Like Barry the Bee's, Part II appeared first on Keppie Careers.