This was my reply:

I attended an event hosted by iRelaunch, and a panel of hiring managers and recruiters discussed this question. Most agreed they liked to know why people changed from job to job; if the candidate appeared to be a job-hopper, the employers wanted to know why. For example, they suggested explaining if a company was acquired by a different organization, if you were laid off, or if you moved for family reasons. Even a talented job-seeker with exactly the skills necessary for a job should be prepared to discuss his or her work history and provide reasons for multiple job changes.

It’s best to present the situation in the most positive light as possible. (There is no need to expand on the personality conflict you had with a supervisor inspiring you to ditch the job as soon as you found something better.) Highlight where you took advantage of opportunities for new challenges, explain if organizations were restructuring, and you left for another opportunity, and note if you needed to relocate for family reasons. At the same time, address the employer’s underlying question: “Will you be willing and able to stay at this job?” Describe why you know you are a good fit, focus on your interest in staying and growing with the company, and quell the interviewer’s fear that if you join their organization, you would leave at the first opportunity.

Read my colleagues’ responses here.

photo by Carol Browne

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Changing careers is more a norm today than ever before. However, higher than normal unemployment means there are many more job-seekers applying for each job, and many have exactly the type of skills the employer is seeking. Career changers of all ages have a difficult time proving that they have what it takes to succeed in their targeted positions. Social media can help bridge the gap, as it may help you:

• Find information and trends in your targeted field
• Access experts and potential mentors
• Connect with recruiters and learn about positions

If you think social networking is having a conversation across the picket fence, LinkedIn is the latest video game, Twitter is something that birds or gossips do, and you don’t know a blog from a log, it will be difficult to be an attractive candidate for a job — no matter what your age. It’s not only important to know about these resources, it’s crucial to know how to leverage them for a successful job hunt. Social networking is a relevant and mandatory part of an active, engaged job search — especially for someone attempting to change careers. For baby boomers, using these tools helps demonstrate you are interested in and willing to learn new skills.

Read my colleagues’ replies.

photo by MyDigitalSLR

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Today is Job Action Day 2011. It’s the fourth year of this annual event sponsored by Quintessential Careers, a website with many, wonderful resources for job seekers. I’m delighted to be participating for the fourth time.

I’ll never forget how delighted I was when Dr. Randall Hansen invited me to participate the first time, at the suggestion of my friend and colleague, Lindsey Pollak. I’m equally delighted to add my blog this year to those of my colleagues and friends who will be writing in response to the various topics: skill up, start up, speak up. Please keep an eye on this post, as I will be linking to other Job Action Day blogs as soon as they’re all collected.

Quint Careers explains:

This year’s theme is: Skill Up, Start Up, Speak Up. (I’m focusing on the “Start Up” theme.) The Start Up aspect of the theme refers not only to tackling unemployment during the recession by starting a small business, but also developing a whole new mindset of being the CEO of one’s own career by having a portfolio of portable skills, a great network, flexibility, a project-mentality; not sitting at the computer visiting job boards, but getting out there and meeting people, knocking on doors, taking ownership of their career path.

I’ve been writing for years about exactly this topic… In fact, my 2008 post asked, “How can you thrive professionally when keeping up seems about as easy as holding water in your bare hands?”

My response, then and now:

While there is much we as individuals cannot control (e.g., the stock market, whether or not the industry we chose for our career will thrive in tomorrow’s economy and if layoffs will be necessary in our company), careerists still have a lot of power.

No matter what you call it, you are the CEO of your own career, and you are the only one who has the power to make sure you get where you want to go. My mantra has been (and continues to be): Drive your own career bus.

Driving that bus has gotten a little more involved in the past four or five years. It’s become more clear how important social media tools can be to help careerists create and share a professional persona with more people than we could have ever imagined in the past.

Not only can you have “a portfolio of portable skills, a great network, flexibility and a project-mentality,” you can take it to your audience without ever leaving your home or office. Before you get out and meet people, and knock on actual doors, you can take ownership of your career path by identifying and defining your value proposition as it relates to your target audience.

Once you know what you offer and define what is distinct and special about you, you can broadcast it via your own website (via a blog) and by answering questions on LinkedIn or Quora. You can meet and engage with people you never could have otherwise met via Twitter or Google+, and you can reconnect with old friends and keep in touch with new ones on Facebook.

At the same time, let’s admit it: this brave new social media world complicates things a bit. While we can access information about our interviewer before the interview and research organizations from the comfort of our homes, job seekers are accountable for so much more than ever before. Interviewers EXPECT you to know information they may only have hoped you’d be privy to in the past.

I spoke to a job seeker at an event recently. When I explained her LinkedIn profile needed to be written to appeal to all of the types of employers she is trying to attract, her face fell…She is trying to apply to very different types of jobs. “Now, it’s even harder,” she moaned.

It can be “even harder” now if you don’t know what you want to do, if you are unfocused and if you’re not willing to learn new things. But, if you take some time to focus, and are willing to learn how social media can propel your search, you have access to opportunities beyond what you’d ever imagine.

What can you do?

Learn how social media tools can help you.

Read about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile.

Consider how having your own website — yourname.com — can make a difference.

Review details about using Twitter for your job search — and embrace the network as a useful resource to connect with others and extend your network.

Consider how Facebook can be useful to you, and review information about tools such as BeKnown and Branchout to try to create a professional network via Facebook.

Don’t miss out on what Google+ has to offer. Use your profile to highlight what you know and take advantage of Google+

Learn about Quora — a place to ask — and answer questions.

And, once you learn how to use social media tools, learn how to become a connector — engage and interact, introduce and incorporate your new communities into your search process.

What I wrote several years ago still holds true today — if you don’t like traffic, change how you drive through it. Take the keys and drive confidently in the direction you’d like to go next, because you are the only one who can get you there.

Blogs addressing Job Action Day

Quintessential Careers Blog, Job Action Day 2011: Skill Up, Start Up, Speak Up

Career Doctor Blog, #Job Action Day 11: Speak Up: It Takes a Village to Turn a Jobs Crisis Around

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Intuition is the apparent ability to acquire knowledge without inference or the use of reason.^[1] “The word ‘intuition†comes from the Latin word ‘intueri’, which is often roughly translated as meaning ‘to look inside†or ‘to contemplateâ€.”^[2] Intuition provides us with beliefs that we cannot necessarily justify. For this reason, it has been the subject of study in psychology, as well as a topic of interest in the supernatural. The “right brain” is popularly associated with intuitive processes such as aesthetic abilities.^[3][4][5] Some scientists have contended that intuition is associated with innovation in scientific discovery.

– Wikipedia

I’ve been thinking a lot about intuition and the job hunt. A lot of people who contact me have been looking for a job for a long time before they seek help. They realize that something isn’t working and hope that getting help will – help! But, why does it take so long? Why doesn’t intuition kick in sooner?

Which begs the question: Is intuition a skill we acquire or a talent we refine? The question, posed on LinkedIn and responded to by many people, is probably key. Clearly, some people have a stronger sense of intuition than others – about their job hunts and everything else!

So, I did a Google search for intuition in the job hunt. Not surprisingly, the first result was written by Kathy Hansen from Quint Careers, a giant in online career search resources.

Kathy shares “tips to sharpen your intuition and use it for making career choices.”(Bold from Kathy, commentary is my own.)

• Accept your gut feelings. Do you remember someone once telling you to “go with your first choice” on a standardized test? While “your first choice” is not necessarily the best one for all of life’s concerns, it is important to recognize that you have a “gut instinct.” Think about it and use it when you are navigating your job hunt..

• Know yourself. Think about it. Who knows you better than you do? Take advantage of what you know and let it guide you.

• Journal your thoughts about career choices. This is a useful way to track information you otherwise might ignore.

• Seek a calm, quiet place to ruminate on your intuitive thoughts. Kathy says, “It’s OK to wait for the insight you need to make a choice.” I agree totally – rushing to judge and acting impulsively are unlikely to help you with your job hunt. (Note the difference between “impulsivity” and “intuition,” per wikipedia:

Impulsivity (or impulsiveness) is a type of human behavior characterized by the inclination of an individual to act on impulse rather than thought.^[1] Although part of the normal behavior, impulsivity also plays a role in many mental illnesses.

• Take baby steps. You probably want to rush. Getting a job is important. Going slowly is okay.

• It’s OK to use both intuition and rational, analytical thinking to make career choices, especially if you are not highly intuitive. Kathy suggests, “Use reason to test your hunches. Once you think you’ve made an intuitive choice, ask yourself the logical questions that draw on your powers of reason. You can also visualize possible outcomes of your decision.”

• Be positive and assume you have the resources to make a good choice. You can’t really underestimate the importance of having a positive attitude.

• Ask the right questions. What are the right questions? I’d suggest – “What brought me to this point, and what, if anything, do I want/need to change?” Also – “What steps can I take to bring me closer to my goal?
  

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 youâ€re at it, donâ€t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…Iâ€d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since weâ€re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by lefiaf.geo

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