Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Yes, you can find a job during the holidays

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89748333_0a07698b96_m“No one gets a job around the holidays. It’s a good time to take a break and relax until things ramp up in the new year.” Are you hearing this advice, or convincing yourself it’s true? If so, you could be missing out on an amazing career or job opportunity.

In fact, the holiday season can be the best time to look for a job. It is a big mistake to take a break now. Finish the year strong! Here are eight reasons to ramp up your job search at this time of year.

1. Organizations may suddenly realize they have money to spend before year-end.
Wouldn’t it be nice to suddenly discover money you didn’t know you had? That happens more often than you think at large companies. They realize at the 11th hour that they have enough in the budget to fill extra positions, but they need to get the people in seats before the end of the year, or the money will disappear. If you stop looking for a job or get lackadaisical about checking emails, you may lose an opportunity and never even know it.

2. Your competition may be taking a break. The myth that November and December aren’t good times to find jobs is strongly engrained in our psyches. (Plus, everyone wants to take a break and focus on things that aren’t related to the job search!) Not everyone is keeping up with the latest and greatest when it comes to job search like you are! As a result, the competition is a little less fierce. When people are on vacation, they may not answer a recruiter or hiring manager’s call in a timely way, which could mean you have an opportunity to impress your next boss on the phone before your otherwise more qualified colleague stops to check email.

3. You want to be prepared and get ahead. Anyone in the careers industry, including resume writers and job search strategists, will tell you January is typically a very busy time, because that’s when many people try to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions that involve getting out of jobs they hate. Don’t sit back and wait to re-enter the pool with everyone else! Get ahead of the crowd. At the very least, use this time to prepare materials to help you land a job, even if the calls don’t come until January.

4. People leave jobs after they receive bonuses.
Some companies give big bonuses at this time of year, and employees who were waiting for those big checks to clear before giving notice will begin to announce their intention to leave–or, in some cases, just walk out the door. When you make yourself available, you will keep yourself open to potential opportunities that would otherwise pass you by.

5. When people take vacations, you may be able to swoop in. Have you ever been in the situation where a lot of co-workers were off for the holidays and a big project came walking in the door? It’s not unusual for companies to find themselves in need of some contract help at this time of year to get their work done. When the regulars are off vacationing and decking the halls, you have an opportunity to audition for a role in the company and to enhance your resume and credentials, even if you know the regular employee is coming back. If you are impressive enough, the organization may find a place for you.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

6. Recruiters and hiring managers appreciate quick responses.
No doubt, it can be more challenging to connect with the best candidates at this time of year. When recruiters are in a hurry or hiring managers have an urgent need, the fact that you get right back to them during a holiday period will make you stand out and give a good impression. There aren’t a lot of other times during the year when just being prompt makes such a difference. When you communicate well and quickly, you have an advantage.

7. Improved networking opportunities.
The best people to network with you are the people closest to you and their friends. If nothing else, be sure to get out of the house and accept all of those holiday party invitations. Plan ahead to make the most of these social events by finding out who will be there. Avoid awkward networking moments: check potential contacts out on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and rehearse what you may want to say if you see them. Bring your business or “contact” cards with you and be sure to ask for a follow-up meeting with anyone who could be a great contact for you. Don’t forget to use social media to impress friends, new contacts and recruiters. (Read how to use social media to your advantage in a job search.)

8. This is a great time to authentically reach out to your neglected network.
When is the last time you mailed a note to a friend or contact? Have you switched from mailed cards to quickly typed up email greetings or Facebook notes? While it’s best to touch base with your network throughout the year, now is arguably the time when you can feel comfortable writing a note to someone who hasn’t heard one word from you all year long. Don’t use a holiday greeting card to ask for job contacts, but do use them as opportunities to re-open doors that you haven’t knocked on. For example, “It’s been so long since we connected…I’d love to touch base in person to talk about XYZ.”

If you mail out your cards early enough, you may benefit from looser schedules around the holiday season and land a meeting you wouldn’t otherwise get. If you can finesse a reason for one of your contacts to meet with you, when opportunities come up early in the year, you will be top-of-mind.

 Appeared on AOLjobs.com.

How veterans can find civilian jobs

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Making a career change isn’t easy, and it’s especially challenging when you’re transitioning from a military to a civilian environment. You need to showcase why you are qualified for the targeted job, even if your past experiences do not identically match the employer’s requirements. Adding to the complexity, most employers are not familiar with military service, positions, jargon or acronyms, so it can be even more challenging for veterans to make a strong case. However,  job-seeking veterans can take steps to help make the transition into civilian positions as smooth as possible.

Identify your skills. Evaluate your military service. What did you do on a daily basis? Make a list. Once your list is complete, pair skills you used with each task. Pay special attention to your transferable skills—the ones you can easily use in different organizations.

For example, if you were an infantryman and your main responsibilities were related to combat missions that do not easily correlate with civilian jobs, you’ll want to dig deeper into your skills. Don’t just think about what you did—ask yourself how and why you were successful. You could highlight your abilities to quickly assess and respond to a situation, focus on how you thrived in an exceptionally stressful environment, and point out that you worked well with a team while demonstrating leadership. You’ll want to look for jobs requiring the skills you identify.

Note your accomplishments. Do not underestimate the value of awards and accolades you received, but do translate them into terms non-military personnel will understand. Note the award name with a brief description of why you received it. If you do not have specific honors, think about praise you may have received from a superior or member of your platoon. Did an officer comment about how you are always planning ahead or mention a specific detail you can share with your targeted employer? This information will be helpful in determining your next career steps.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

Focus on what you enjoy doing. Don’t ignore your “soft skills,” or emotional intelligence. For example, are you a good communicator? Do you have a knack for leading teams? Maybe you’re a great negotiator. Identify your best skills and include these on your list.

Research potential opportunities. Once you have your lists, plug your skills (your keywords) into job-board search engines to see what types of positions come up. For example, you may search for “supervise,” “oversee projects,” or “leadership.”  Keep an open mind and see if there is any pattern or type of job that keeps coming up.

Make a list of job titles and company names. Was there a particular industry that appeared repeatedly in your results? Continue to search online for more information about those fields or organizations.

Inform your network. Once you know what you want to do, be specific when you describe your goals to your network. Don’t just say you are looking for “a job.” It’s tough for people to help you without detailed information and a focal point. Tell your friends and contacts the names of companies and positions that interest you. Be specific. For example, “I’m hoping to find a sales position in a high-tech field. Do you know anyone working in X, Y, or Z company who might be willing to meet me so I can learn more about their organizations—even if they aren’t currently hiring?” Follow up by asking for an informational meeting.

Translate your experience. A common problem for job-seeking veterans is helping civilian, non-military hiring managers understand their work history. Be sure to avoid military jargon in application materials and describe your past experience in layperson’s terms. Ask a non-veteran friend to read your resume and application. Can he or she describe what you used to do? If not, revise your materials and be sure to focus on the skills you used, not just the things you did. Consider using this template to write some of your resume’s bullet points:

Used _____, ________, and _______ skills by (doing what?), resulting in (list an accomplishment).

Always try to make the information you list as relevant as possible to the employers you identified.

Be sure to include specific, quantifiable points in your descriptions. For example, do not assume the reader will know how many troops you led based on your rank and title. Whenever possible, incorporate percentages, dollar amounts, and numbers in your resume. Paint a vivid, relevant picture to help the hiring manager envision you doing the job.

Tell your story. In an interview, be sure to describe your experiences in a way that a layperson will understand. Avoid military jargon and acronyms, and give examples relevant to the job you want. Have three or four stories in mind to illustrate your accomplishments and describe how you overcame challenges and solved problems.

Following these steps from the exploratory through the interview stages of job hunting will help you identify and compete for suitable opportunities. For many more insights and suggestions about job search, please review my other blog posts.

How to become a recognized expert

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keppie_businessownerNo one wants to hire a novice. It’s crucial to be able to demonstrate your expertise to land your target job. This can be a challenge, especially if you’re transitioning to a new field or applying for a job that can best be described as a “reach” for you. What can you do to become a recognized expert in your field?

Luckily for you, all is not lost, even if you’ve never considered yourself an expert in the past. Embrace technology as your friend, and you too can be fielding questions from others in your industry as a recognized expert. It will take time and effort, but if you can accomplish your goal, it will be worth it. Follow these steps and you’ll become a go-to expert in your field.

1. Learn something new.
Even if you consider yourself an expert, there’s always something new to learn. Especially if you are transitioning to a new career, take advantage of online tools, where you’ll be able to learn information for free. For example, Udacity and Coursera offer various types of courses. You can learn everything from how to program code to developing a website or making a robotic car, often for free. Also, don’t underestimate YouTube as a source of information and knowledge. You can Google just about any topic and find someone who posted a video about it.

Social media is swimming with information and insights; don’t miss opportunities to use tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn; these are resources to enhance your expertise. Find out about industry conferences and determine if there is a hashtag for events that interest you. Even if you can’t attend, if you follow updates from participants, you may learn a lot. Follow industry leaders who are active online or who participate in online forums or groups.

2. Keep on top of salient topics in your profession.
If you want to be recognized as an expert, you must know about the hot topics in your industry. What are people discussing in your field? What problems are thought leaders trying to solve? What are the best solutions? If you want people to see you as an expert, it’s important to insert yourself in these conversations–and to join the conversations, you should first do your research and be clear about your opinions on these issues.

3. Expand your network.
You can’t demonstrate expertise in a room all by yourself! If you want to be considered a go-to expert, you need to have more contacts and connections. Look around: who in your network would be willing to go to bat for you or refer you for an opportunity? The more people you know who are able to speak about what you know and connect you with jobs or gigs, the better. If you have a close circle of contacts, plan to expand it by attending in-person meetings relating to your industry, volunteering for leadership roles and speaking up. In addition, use social media tools to expand the number of people who know, like and trust you. Join groups on LinkedIn and communities on Facebook and make a point to answer questions and provide resources regarding your expertise.

4. Find a mentor.
Even experts have mentors. A mentor–especially someone who is already well-respected in your field–will be well positioned to help you grow your reputation. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to impress someone who is well established in his or her niche who is willing to help shine the light on new talent (you!).

5. Showcase what you know.
Once you’ve built your knowledge base, grown your network and found a mentor, all you need to do is broadcast your expertise to as many people as possible. Luckily for you, there are many easy ways to do just that:

a. Use social media tools, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share useful news and information relevant to your industry. Comment on articles and post links to useful information your colleagues will want to know. Be a resource and people are more likely to turn to you for your expertise and insights.

b. Publish your own content. Did you know you can publish blogs on LinkedIn? If you have an opinion about a topic, write about it and post it online. If you’re really enthusiastic about becoming known as an expert, you’ll create and manage your own website and blog where you regularly author useful, insightful articles. You can impress others in your field and attract attention.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

c. Organize online forums. Choose your favorite social media tool. It should be where you enjoy spending your time online and the tool most people in your industry prefer. Invest time and effort in creating a group or forum using that platform. For example, you may wish to start a LinkedIn group. If you prefer Twitter, it may make sense to start a regular Twitter chat. Launch a Facebook Live series. Invite others to join you and keep the conversations interesting and useful. Make sure your forum is a must-see for people in your field.

d. Identify thought leaders and make an effort to help them. Who is delivering keynote speeches at industry conferences? Who heads up industry groups or professional associations in your area? Every leader relies on people to assist and volunteer. Offer to co-moderate a LinkedIn group or volunteer to chair a committee. The more you engage with leaders in your field, the more likely they are to recognize your expertise and share your name with others in the field.

When you are able to leverage your knowledge online and in person, it won’t matter as much how many years of experience you have: your ability to hone in on important topics and to be a resource for professionals in your industry will trump everything else, and you’ll be recognized as an expert. Is it easy? No, but if you truly want to be a go-to leader in your field, it is worth it.

Over 50? How to find job satisfaction

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Job Action Day Badge-Blue

Job satisfaction isn’t a typical state of mind for most U.S. workers, according to the The Conference Board’s 2015 Job Satisfaction survey. They found 48.3 percent of U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs. While that is an increase of 0.6 percentage points from 2014, it still leaves the majority (51.7) of U.S. workers dissatisfied with their work.

If you’re over 50 and seeking a more satisfying work experience, you’re in good company, but you may face challenges many younger, job hopping workers may not see as obstacles. You could be worried your age will make it difficult to find a new position, or your salary requirements and family situation prevent you from taking risks that may or may not pay off in the long run.

How can you find that seemingly allusive job satisfaction? Take control and don’t let anyone tell you it’s too late to do something you enjoy in an organization that appreciates you. Despite perceived (or real) challenges, you can take steps to drive your own career bus, no matter what your age.

Determine What’s Making You Unhappy

What, specifically, do you not enjoy about your current job? Is it the work itself, the people or the company? What would need to change to help you feel more satisfied at work. Once you understand the problem, it’s a lot easier to search for a solution. Discuss your findings with a trusted advisor or friend. Is it possible for you to make a change to improve the current situation? Is there anything in your control that you can change? For example, if you’d like more flexibility, is it reasonable to assume you can get it? If your boss is the problem, can you negotiate a transfer to a different department? If there’s nothing redeeming about your job, start thinking about an exit strategy, but if there’s something specific that can make your current situation better, you’ll want to look there, first.

Would You Be Happier Working on A New Challenge?

If you’ve been doing the same job for a long time, you may be bored with your work. Do you really need a new job to get excited about work again? Perhaps, but if that isn’t your first choice, think about how you can make the most of your existing situation. Can you volunteer for a new project? Maybe you can suggest a new initiative and offer to head it up. Or, maybe there’s an interesting committee you might want to join? Find something that engages you and taps into your interests and you could be able to find job satisfaction right where you are.

Take a Class

Learning something new has the potential to help in two ways. New skills may get you excited about what you’re doing. Maybe you can learn how to do something you’ve always done in a new way. Simultaneously, your training may help qualify you for a new position. It could be your ticket to job satisfaction that has eluded you thus far.

Plan Your Exit Strategy

Maybe there’s nothing redeeming about your job, and leaving is the only way to achieve job satisfaction. Don’t convince yourself that your age prevents you from landing a new job. Age discrimination isn’t a myth, but it’s not something you can’t overcome. Update your resume so it’s modern and targeted. If you’re worried about age discrimination, don’t start your resume with, “Over 25 years of experience in ______.” Do not try to hide your age via a “functional” resume that mashes up your skills without detailing when and where you gained them. Focus on your most recent and relevant 10 years of work history and make a strong case for your candidacy.

Embrace Technology

Use social media to demonstrate your expertise and to connect with people who might be able to share useful information or introductions. Prepare to participate in a video interview, and make sure you’re tuned into what skills your targeted employers are seeking. They likely want to know you’re flexible and able to learn new things. However, they’re probably  even more interested in what you already know. Your years of experience are an asset, not a liability. Make sure you market your accomplishments correctly, and it will be easier to overcome potential objections due to your age.

Be Positive

It it easy to make a change, or to follow your dreams to a new position? No. Is it possible? Of course! It’s just a matter of how much work, time and effort you’re willing to put in. Don’t let negativity prevent you from moving on. Use your energy to identify and emphasize your unique value proposition. Be able to answer the question, “What makes you more qualified than anyone else for the targeted job?”

You are the only one who can make the change you deserve in your career. Don’t delay. Take steps toward career and job success and you won’t be sorry.

Today’s post is in honor of Job Action Day,  a day for all job-seekers and workers to take stock of their situations and make plans and/or take action steps to improve their careers. Many of my colleagues are sharing ideas about how to find job satisfaction over 50. I’m delighted to be invited to contribute and to suggest you visit other posts about the topic. 

Avoid these mistakes when starting a side business

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moonYou’re starting a business on the side while working full time? Join the club. You’re in good company. MBO Partners research shows “30 million Americans (are) already…self-employed — either as a main source of work (17.9 million solopreneurs) or by using self-employment as a way to augment other income (12.1 million side-giggers).”

Running a business on the side can be a great way to supplement your income, but you want to be careful not to jeopardize your day job while you start your own business if you’re not ready to quit and be on your own full time.

Here’s a list of what not to do when you start your business if you want to be sure to keep your job:

Do not work on your side job while you are on the clock at your full-time job. This is a big “no no.” While it is challenging to accomplish everything you may want to do for your own business after hours, if you use company time, equipment or resources, you are asking for trouble. Use your lunch hour wisely and consider taking advantage of your vacation or leave time to manage important tasks for your side business that cannot be done after hours.

Even if you use a company phone or computer for personal use, do not use it for your side business, or you may be in legal hot water in the future.

Do not ignore non-compete agreements. Assuming your new business is related to what you do at work, be aware of any legal agreements you have with your current company. In the future, if your consulting business takes off, it’s best to make a clean break and maintain your relationship with your employer; you don’t want to gain a reputation of building your business on stolen clients. If you are lucky, the company where you worked will become a client, especially if you’re an essential employee they can’t do without.

Don’t forget to familiarize yourself with company policies regarding side businesses. Read your company’s manual. If there is a rule against having a side business, even if your business is not related to your current work, be prepared for the consequences. If you choose to move ahead and your new business is successful, it may be difficult to keep it a secret. On the other hand, if your side business does not compete or seem to interfere with your day job, you may face no resistance at all. Even if there is no rule against it, if you are building an empire similar to your current employer’s, and you can’t make a case for how your personal success helps the company, be prepared to be shown the door if your employer accidentally runs across your new website or reads an article about you online.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

Never share proprietary information from your current company to grow your own business. Can you say, “lawsuit?” You don’t want to launch your new business with the prospect of legal action against you. Be mindful of ethical rules as well as specific guidelines your current company expects you to adhere to so you won’t be in trouble later.

Don’t forget you can still look for opportunities to learn new things at work to help your future business. Plan ahead. It may be a long time before you are ready to leave your day job, or you may choose to continue to work for someone else while you maintain your business on the side. Think about how you can learn new skills while on-the-job. Volunteer for projects and position yourself to meet people who will be good contacts for you in the future.

Appeared on AOLJobs.com.