As a career coach, I’m lucky to work with a wide spectrum of age groups. Although every single client has an interesting story and value to offer, I find working with people ages 50+ particularly fascinating. Part of my interest is in their different attitudes on aging as it relates to career – no, life — transition.

Are you old or older?

Last year, I had three clients with whom I coached on career transition. All had been downsized out of their jobs. All were exploring next steps.

At the time of our work together, Maria was 59. She said she wanted to continue working in her field as a systems analyst. We prepared career marketing documents, and coached around her job search. Just three weeks into her search, Maria told me she had decided to retire. She said, “I fear I’m growing old and beginning to look and feel it. I don’t want to be 59. I want to look young and be young. I’m not. I would give anything to turn back the clock.”  Maria doesn’t accept her age. She’s consumed with regrets, and it’s getting in the way of her enjoying her current life. More importantly, it’s getting in the way of planning her future.

Beverly, age 63, is a downsized educator. We updated her resume and coached around interviewing. She’s planning a trip to South Korea, where she will be teaching English. She told me, “The experience of working in a different culture in another country keeps me energized and excited. Every day is a new surprise. It’s very different from my old work environment.”

Yet another client, Henry, 76 and downsized from his second career in sales, shared, “I keep my eye out, but I’m not sure if there’s a job fit for me right now. If that’s retirement, I’m fine with it. I always have things to do. I stay active. I ride my bike and hit the gym five days a week. I’ve got a zillion projects in my workshop. And next week I start classes at the community college.”

Beverly and Henry accept their age and view themselves as vibrant adults. They are constructive, full of life and optimistic about the future. Maria is stuck.

Accept or reject?

Of course we all know that we have no choice but to age as long as we’re on this side of the grass. And I won’t deny that having a positive attitude toward aging and the shape your life’s work will take often requires a sense of humor and the ability to not be influenced by the barrage of mass media messages trying to convince you that beauty and youth go hand-in-hand. Last week, I saw an ad that said “Who doesn’t want to look half their age? Face it; a fresh younger appearance is a hot commodity.”

But really. What’s the point of looking 30 when you’re 60? How sad it is to keep struggling for an image that is no longer you, rather than appreciating and accepting who you are now. In an era when these media messages zap us from all directions, we need to remind ourselves that no matter what our age, we all possess a unique loveliness.

Find your inspiration

How does one grab and keep that positive attitude toward aging? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I believe that having champions who motivate helps with any goal. With aging, my own personal inspiration was Helen, whom I knew through an international association of women dedicated to education. Helen passed a few years ago at the age of 95. During the five years prior to that, she accomplished a life-long goal of her own – to visit every single one of the seven continents. She did it. In her 90s. Not on a group tour but singly traveling with her sister. After each trip, she gave a program for our group, complete with her take-aways on culture and the people.

I’ve some ideas on other ways to boost attitude on aging.

• Read books about people who have achieved success later in life.
• Seek out volunteer opportunities in the community, including libraries, schools, churches, the arts, or cultural organizations.
• Find role models in your town who are living full, rich, productive lives in their senior years. Talk to them. Listen to their stories. Take and use what inspires you.
• Take a class in something you always wanted to learn.
• Stay active. I recently started a yoga class where the age runs from 50s to nearly 80. Delightfully motivating and invigorating.

Whether we are determined to stay in the workforce after _ (you pick the number) or retire at _ (ditto), isn’t aging really a process of becoming and continuing to meet life’s challenges and enjoy life’s glories? Beverly and Henry certainly are!

Today’s hiring world is certainly not simple. If you haven’t applied to jobs in some time, it’s a different ball game. And speaking of ball games, ever wonder why you apply to openings and hear nothing back? It may be that you’re out before you get to first base. You may be absolutely qualified for the position. But for a number of potential reasons, you might have not passed the ATS prescreening.

It’s complicated

Narrowing down a large field of job applicants to one person is a complex process that recruiters and human resource professionals deal with daily. There are numerous vendors providing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help them sift and sort through what might be hundreds of candidates. No longer is it just large companies or organizations. It’s an approach used by the job boards, the small business owner and – well, most hiring these days.

You may well know this. You may well realize the importance of keywords in your resume. But is it enough? A couple months ago, I attended a webinar by Jonathan Ciampi. It was more than informative; it was an eye opener. And keep in mind that the “class” was comprised of career professionals. Jonathan, a former executive with an ATS company, spoke about how ATS works and its implications for your resume’s success in making it past the first-step prescreening – first base.

ATS optimization tips

Yes, it’s a bit complicated. I still write pretty resumes for clients. I often use color, charts, even a graphic occasionally. I create Word, PDF and Text versions. This gives my clients a dashboard of documents. The key is in strategy. Picking the right document for the right occasion. It often involves taking the master and tweaking for the situation. I’m not an advocate of a one-size-fits-all resume – either in content or format. Based on the ATS webinar with Jonathan, here are some takeaways on optimizing your resume in an ATS situation.

1. Contact Information. Don’t put it in the Header and Footer sections. Put content at the top of page one. Include both home and mobile phone numbers if you have them.
2. Format. Your resume may be gorgeous and creative. That’s great for an interview or networking situation. Don’t submit a highly-formatted resume electronically. It can be confusing, because many sites will tell you to upload a Word resume. They increasingly take a PDF (they honestly don’t want your phone calls should you not have Word). But here’s what often happens. Many ATS will scramble charts, tables and graphics. They often jumble a PDF, fragmenting it so that it’s iffy whether the most important information appears where you want it to be! Your beautiful resume has backfired on you. Save your resume to a .txt (ASCII) file and submit this version to ensure that your resume will be seen in its entirety.
3. Headings. Most ATS will only recognize common headings: Professional Experience or Work Experience, Education and sometimes Professional Summary. Avoid creative titles like “Career Highlights” or even “Education & Training”.
4. Sections. Extra sections that don’t have recognizable titles listed in #3, will probably not be stored. So, if you have volunteer and paid experience, include it all under one major heading. If you have publications, professional development, memberships, etc., I suggest you place it under either an Education or Experience section.
5. Abbreviations and Acronyms. Don’t assume these can stand alone. Include the complete name or phrase. For example, don’t just use OEM for “Original Equipment Manufacturer.” Include both. The ATS simply may not process business or technical acronyms correctly. Why take the risk?
6. Method.  If you have the option, upload your resume rather than pasting it online. The odds of your format remaining intact are better.
7. Keywords. It’s not enough to include common keywords for your industry, function, position or even the job posting. And this next one was a light-bulb moment for me. Many ATS will identify as keywords the rare, unique-to-the job-posting words or phrases in the job ad. This practice significantly reduces the number of resumes pulled for consideration by the hiring person.  Jonathan suggests underlining keywords that you identify as industry keywords. Then doing a second pass through the job ad to spot and note keywords (or phrases) more unique to that position. It’s often the rarity of the word that garners the higher ranking.
8. Keyword Strategy. And it’s good to remember that the more current ATS recognizes words in appropriate context within a sentence or group of words, i.e. “sales, sell, sold.” Don’t just plunk a keyword section down and leave it at that. Mine the job posting to find those you should use throughout your resume. Yes, you may have to tweak. And to cover your bases, you can still use a keyword list at the top under Summary or at the end under Education.
9. Job Description. The ATS software searches job descriptions. Although metrics-driven successes are still important, this means there’s a shift to put back in the job descriptions we took out as dry. Oh, the times they keep a changing!
10. How You Know. Include how you heard about the job. It could make a difference. ATS often rank some sources more highly than others – such as employee referrals over job boards.

More reality

First, some good news. While I still advocate brevity for the master “pretty” resume – and even a suite of shorter documents – in the scenario of submitting your resume in .text to an ATS, go ahead and go longer. Add in more job description or rare words that will rank you. The computer could care less about length.

You’re proud of your resume. It’s beautiful in content and appearance. Unfortunately, it’s often not seen by the human eye at first base. The resume you submit to organizations is going to be mined for data and then correlated to fields on a form. This is what the HR or recruiter folks see. Not your resume. The truth is, your resume may only be seen during an interview. To make it to second base – and hopefully to a home run, you have to play within the parameters of today’s ATS hiring world.

This is the last of a 3-part series on what I feel are the top three focus killers in job search, career and life management. If you missed the preceding posts on other focus killers – stress and multitasking – here they are.

I have too many balls in the air!

#3 Focus Killer: You’re juggling too many balls in the air

Many of us have at one time or another – sometimes more regularly than is comfortable – felt that we have way too many balls in the air.

Sometimes things slip through the cracks simply because there’s no way you could summon enough energy and focus to do it all. My client Beth faced this challenge. In one of our coaching sessions, she described an absentmindedness that had recently crept over her; and a messy living space that was driving her crazy and making it very tough to do her job –which happened to be her job search.

I asked a friend of mine who is a psychologist and time management / efficiency expert, about this issue. She said that absentmindedness and messiness can have varied causes. She noted that messiness is often about priorities. She gave an example. You’re faced with the to-do of decluttering and cleaning your home. But you’d really rather get out for a walk and some fresh air. Or maybe you’re just too tired to clean, having worked late on a project the night before. But she pointed out that often it may because there are too many things on your plate. You’ve got too many balls in the air. You’re saying yes, yes, yes to everything. It’s just tough to do it all sometimes.

When I later questioned Beth further, she said that she certainly did have a lot on her plate. She said she has trouble saying no when someone needs her help.  As a mom, she keeps track of her children’s tasks as well as her own. Her expectations for memory and performance are very high – perhaps unrealistically high. I checked again with my psychologist friend. She said that when there are multiple things we have to keep track of, saying no to things where we have an option becomes critical. Because there are things with which we have no choice. This discerning is  a habit to hone. Even mundane life can challenge us to prioritize what we must do and can say no to. A sample of Beth’s challenge one week:

• Put in 6 to 8 hours a day on her job search
• Basketball practice with daughter and  hockey with son – a total of four separate nights
• Out-of-town guests coming that weekend
• Help son with science project
• Clean house
• Do eight loads of laundry (and ironing)
• Grocery shop
• Volunteer at hospital one morning
• Reconcile the bank statement
• Study chapters and write a paper for class  chapters for class at local community college

She was really all over the map – headed for exhaustion

Juggling 101

As with most things, no magic bullets here. Beth and I coached around the perspective of her honing a new skill – juggling with polish! A new skill is developed through a shift in thinking, brainstorming, practice and support to make behavior changes.

Your reward from this juggling with polish will be more empowerment. And also as with most things, it takes effort. Taking my cue from what got Beth on the right track, here’s a 4-phase crash outline to get you started. Forgive the preachy tone; I’m laying it out in tough-love format; the rest to be filled in and fleshed out by you.

#1 Create your climate for positive change. Make self-care a priority (sleep, exercise, healthy eating, honest and open communication). If you don’t, will you honestly have the energy or concentration to tackle the physical and emotional commitments in your life?

#2 Get honest and clear about where you spend your time and what areas of your life are not in balance. A great assessment to use is The Circle of Life. Take a piece of paper and draw a big circle in the middle. Divide the circle into eight equal parts. Label the tip of each dividing lines: Relationships, Health/Well-Being, Finances, Career/Work, Personal Growth, Socialization, Creativity, and Recreation.

Now, ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being completely dissatisfied and 10 being completely satisfied), how you would rate each part of your life? The circle’s center represents zero and the outer edge a 10. Mark each line to reflect your conclusions. Then connect the dots and you will find your circle is misshapen. This is a straightforward, yet effective way to highlight what needs your attention to achieve greater balance – and focus.

#3 Take baby steps to recapture balance. Health and wellness not what you’d want? Start drinking 8 glasses of water a day and cut out the soda. Or plan a week’s worth of menus, with a grocery list that only includes those items. Finances got you down? Set aside time to meet with a financial planner. Or get together with your spouse to plan a budget. Or simply take a day to clean out and organize financial records. Feeling stagnated with “no me” time? Set aside time (on your calendar) for a good book, a chat with friends, a bubble bath – whatever makes you feel good. In a nutshell, create the life you want bit by bit.

#4 Find champions. Tell your family and friends what you are doing. Surround yourself with those who empathize and support you. There is power in not feeling alone.

Okay. It is definitely a process; no magic bullets reiterated. One does not compartmentalize crazy-focus, messy life immediately. What’s that saying about Rome being built!?  And as you’re getting there – on the road, so to speak – take heart that living life on a Tilt-a-Whirl is neither a failure or flaw. There’s an upside to being a juggler and feeling without focus. Well, honestly, a bit scatterbrained. Sometimes a wandering mind unleashes the creative energies that can bear the fruit of new ideas. That lead to endless possibilities. That can simply give us pleasure.

And maybe, just maybe, you’re not born to be a compulsively neat or type A personality. Maybe you end up doing things in the moment because that’s you. Yes, if you’re feeling uncomfortable with lack of focus to get your priorities in order and accomplished, work on it. But sometimes you may allow yourself to be a spontaneous and life-affirming person. Don’t lose this part of you. Don’t settle. Love it! This isn’t really about balancing your time. It’s about balancing your energy, attention and time still aligned with the unique YOU.

Photo: fazen

My last post focused (I guess pun intended) on stress as one of the top killers to focus in your job search, career management – your life! My #2? Multitasking!

For sharper focus, do one thing at a time.

#2 Focus Killer: You’re multitasking

Your brain can only process so many complex tasks before it fills up and freezes. According to neurological experts, the average number of mental goals a person can manage at one time ranges from three to nine, but keeping track of even four or five goals at once is challenging. Focusing on multiple immediate goals is “mental goal stacking”. If the stack gets too high, some goals will naturally get lost.

My client Sue told me about one of her recent full days – furnace repair guy at 8, conference call at 10, dog’s vet appointment at noon, project deadline by 5, pick up some groceries at 6, and daughter’s basketball game at 7. Fast forward to midnight. Sue’s lying in bed and giving herself kudos for all she’d accomplished. Except … she realized she had missed the vet appointment!

If Sue had had the experts to guide her through this goal-stacking – to help her not drop goals – one would think they’d offer some really awesome memory tricks. But the overall advice? Finish what you start. Leaving some of your jobs unfinished just adds to your set of unfinished tasks. That ever-growing pile of unfinished goals can gnaw away at you like a child asking repeatedly, “Are we there yet?” Better to tackle one thing at a time so it gets removed from the stack.

Multitasking is not your friend

I often find myself with many windows open in my Web browser. They are often not centered on the same task. That spells trouble. Experts say that conducting two unrelated tasks at the same time causes errors, pure and simple. Research clearly shows that contrary to popular belief, juggling several tasks at the same time really does not save you time and energy. What it does is keep you from devoting the required attention for each task or project.  We’re pressured in this society to deliver things immediately because we can. But what about the quality of what we deliver? What about what gets left in the dust?

Now, if you’re writing a report in Word while looking at a related spreadsheet, that’s not multitasking – same task. If you’re writing a cover letter while looking at the prospective employer’s About Us page, that’s not multitasking. But if you’re jumping from thinking about your cover letter’s introduction to simultaneously checking your text messages and returning an email, you could easily shortchange each task.

Multitasking is not necessary to land a job

Yes, it’s common for a prospective employer to ask you in the interview if you can multitask. They’re not hoping you have six arms to juggle with. They want to know if you can handle multiple priorities and tasks. Again, research supports that multitasking is not the way to go. Companies want talent who can unitask – they don’t come unglued when they have to concentrate because they’re so used to thinking just a bit about multiple things. Yes, speed’s important; but thinking is more important. Instead of answering that related interview question with “Yes, I am very adept at multitasking,” say “I know when to stop multitasking.” Now that’s a very marketable skill!

Unitasking is your friend

Unitasking, like any habit is not cultivated overnight. If you’re a multitasking addict, here are intervention tips:

• Start your work (job or job search) ten minutes early. Relax before you think about the work day. Breathe deeply. Write down five important things you need to accomplish that day. Write them from most important to least. Detail the steps you need to finish a project so you’ll spend less time backtracking should you get interrupted.
• Stop checking your emails and phone messages every few minutes. Turn off email notification sounds and pop-up windows; silence your cell phone while at work. Write down the exact time you will check your messages. Even if your job demands fluidly handling emails, check messages just once an hour. Having check-in times will give you comfort and control without constant disruption.
• Take ten minutes to reboot if you need to. A quick walk, stretch or cup of coffee. Clear your mind to stay focused.
• When on a project, devote your full attention to it. If the phone rings while you’re in the middle of a project, let the receptionist or your voice mail take it. Set boundaries. Know that your time is valuable. Enforce appointments and stick to a schedule that benefits you. Close your door when you need to. If someone wants a quick answer, ask for a better time to go over the topic. Put on a pair of headphones to let people know you’re in the “zone”. You don’t have to be accessible to everyone at all times.
• Reward yourself when you’ve had a stretch of productivity. Here’s a good time to engage with others. Respond to emails. Connect on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

There’s a delicate balance here. I think the key is to embrace both concepts: unitask for focus-intensive things; multitask for less focus-intensive things. Even with a mile-long to-do list, what if you really focused on what you’re doing right now? How might that feel?

Photo: sparklefish

Staying focused in your job search, career or life can be a challenge. If you’re easily distracted, you’re not alone. I believe there are three things that are at the top of the list as focus killers. This post and two to follow are my two cents on recognizing and dealing with them.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m really busy – without having accomplished what I first set out to do. Here’s an example from when I was in the midst of holiday preparations earlier this month. Task at hand: Wrap three presents. I go to the storeroom for gift wrap. On the way, I spy a pair of winter boots that needs waterproofing. I wander upstairs, put them by the front door and go to my iPhone to note waterproofing solution on my shopping list. On the way back downstairs I remember the dishwasher’s not loaded. Done. Oh; empty Brita pitcher’s on the counter. Better fill that up with water and put it back in the fridge. Done. Then I see some expired coupons on the counter, and take them to the shredder. It’s full. I take it to the garage recycle bin.

You see where this is going.

If you are in a job search or managing your career, having a strategy and action plan are crucial. Sticking to the plan is of course key. So what gets in the way?

#1 Killer: Stress

Experts say that your brain on stress basically functions like the brain of someone with ADHD. You focus on whatever seems most pressing or interesting to you at the moment, while everything else goes out the window. When you’re anxious or stressed, your attention shifts to whatever’s upsetting you. The prefrontal cortex of the brain – where organization and time management take place – is less active. It’s great if you’re a caveman who has to run from the beast. But in today’s world, your brain being hardwired for a fight-or-flight response won’t necessarily serve you well. Being overly fixated on one thing—a stressor that is not likely to kill you – won’t help you concentrate on your to-do list.

My client Jim knows the feeling. Stress recently threw him for a loop in his on-the-job focus. He told me about receiving an email from his boss. The subject line was “Stop by my office around 2 to chat about something on my mind.” Jim went cold. What did he do? He began to fill in the blanks of course. He worried that his boss was going to lecture him about his having been late that morning. Or worse, lay him off (despite great performance reviews) because of the company’s recent acquisition.

Jim’s performance that day suffered. He was late for a conference call because he was calling his wife to dissect the baffling email. His mind wandered during a conversation with a coworker and he misrouted an email attachment as a result.

#1 Killer Strategy

Of course, first you want to deal with the source of the stress.  Self-care is important: sleep, exercise and healthy eating. Deep breathing exercises can help. Incidentally, in Jim’s case, the “chat” his boss referred to was to give him a fun project that Jim had volunteered for!  Some stressors you can alleviate quickly; others you’ll have to navigate around. Taking the ADHD idea, I researched some techniques that while seemingly basic have worked for both people diagnosed with ADHD – and those dealing with everyday, garden-variety stress. They help me. Perhaps they can help you too.

• Get a day planner and find ways to motivate yourself to actually use it.
• Create a ritual. Every morning, after you get your coffee, take 10 minutes to write out the day’s to-do list. Prioritize it. Be realistic. Ask yourself what has to be done no matter what, which tasks can wait and what you can delegate.
• Map out your day. Think about each task and how long it will take. On your computer or Smartphone, set alarms and reminders about your appointments and deadlines.
• To stay focused during a conversation, take notes. Get in the habit of restating what the other person just said in order to stay on point and gel the content.
• If you start feeling stressed or overwhelmed about a project, don’t think of the whole thing. Break it down into smaller tasks.
• Just start. But if you stop a task before it’s finished, go back to the above and keep it in the loop.

Sure; I still get distracted. But if I’ve done the above and I’m in the middle of googling something for dinner when I should be prepping for a client session, the to-do list and above helps. The alarm jars me back to reality. No; you can’t control all the stress in your life. But you can keep it from perpetually killing your focus.

Do you have a story to share about lack of focus and things that helped you? I’d love to hear!

Photo: BLWPhotography

Generations have enjoyed Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. For many, it’s a reading or theatrical must-do during the holiday season. I remember seeing Kelsey Grammer’s performance as Scrooge at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater many, many moons ago. How struck I was with the ease to loathe him – at least through most of the story.  And yet, I believe you should be Scrooge-like in your job search, your career management – your life, come to think of it.

The real Scrooge effect

Forget that Ebenezer Scrooge is, as we meet him, the original Grinch. He hates the Christmas holiday season and all it stands for, including the extra expressions of humanity in conversations, the tone that brings out the giving back and good will. As he’s visited by the three spirits, we begin to understand him. We even are touched with a bit of sympathy for the old man as he mourns the innocence of his past, feels stuck in a discontented present, and has no hope for a happy future.

Isn’t this really a story about personal introspection and transformation? Don’t we all have a story? Don’t we all have baggage – the ghost of Jacob Marley wrapped in chains that weigh us down if we let them?  Don’t we all have success stories to share? Positive traits that when put together with our stories, create our own unique value?

Scrooge was not always bitter, preoccupied and rigid with his coin-counting and self-ostracizing routine and behavior. He had been young, filled with idealism for the future. What happened? Life happened.

The power of honest assessment

Ebenezer Scrooge was lucky. Three spirits gave him the unique opportunity to gaze at his past (where he came from), his present (where he was currently) and his potential future (where he was headed given no change). The result? Scrooge made changes. It wasn’t comfortable. He had to look hard and honestly about his choices, his relationships and his path.

The power of agility

How can you move forward in a career or life without change? None of us can. You can keep doing the same things with the same results. Or you can plan and most importantly, brace for the unanticipated. How? By adopting an observant, alert and swift responsiveness to the need to change. There will always be something that bursts your bubble, roadblocks your plans and in some cases, spins your whole course around. And sometimes, it derails you for awhile. Again, observe, adjust and reboot. Because sometimes, this change puts you on a great track. There is power in being able to tweak how you think and what you do—to your situation, those people who enter your life, and the curve balls you’re thrown. If you expect all these things to adjust to you, your rigidity attracts disillusionment and frustration. There is power and freedom in expecting the unexpected.

Do one thing

Here’s an exercise. No otherworldly guide needed! Just envision yourself into the future and imagine what people are likely to say about you after you’re gone. Think of what your epitaph would be. Go a step further and contemplate your written eulogy as a mission statement for what you want to accomplish, what kind of person you strive to be, and how you want to be remembered.

I know it’s more dramatic and colorful to think of Ebenezer Scrooge as he scowls, “Bah, humbug.” That’s not how Charles Dickens left him. Nope; he shouts, “Merry Christmas”!

Photo: popofatticus

I’ve talked to a lot of job seekers. That’s what I do. Many of these people have found their right job fit, but some of them get stuck in their search. I’ll be honest with you. Those who find their dream jobs immediately right out of the gate in this recession are the minority. But there are many, who after discovering and applying this secret, do find what they want.

Stuck to unstuck with one word

I certainly don’t question your motivation to want to succeed in finding that right job fit. But it’s bogus to believe that you’ll never find what you want and you’ll stay stuck. There is a secret. And it takes work.

The word is options. I challenge you to accept and live by this principle.

There are jobs out there. And I will move forward to find mine by using options.

You may have tried some of these. I bet you have not tried all.

1. Self-assess. If you have not, do this first. Inventory all your transferrable skills and interests. List both the things you like and do well, so that you can describe in striking detail the job(s) you would most like to your friends, family, contacts and employers. Tap this knowledge to move forward in your job search.
2. The Internet. Look for employers’ job postings on their sites or job boards / other sites (CareerBuilder, Monster). Post your resume and apply for advertised openings that match your qualifications. Get seen (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook). If your social media or computer skills are back in the 90s, ask for help. It’s that important.
3. Networking. Ask friends, family, neighbors and people in your brick-and-mortar and online communities for job leads. Make phone calls, schedule informational interviews and write emails / letters / messages to people at least five days a week.
4. School. Ask for help from former professor or the career / alumni services at a school you’ve attended (graduate or undergraduate university, community college, trade or vocational school, high school, professional development training).
5. Volunteer. If finances allow, volunteer to work for nothing, short-term, somewhere that interests you. It will feel good to help with something that is a cause you believe in. It’s also a way to get hired. Happens all the time.
6. Resumes. Get yours updated. Check that it’s focused, branded and rich with keywords and metrics-driven successes. And yes, I’m actually telling you this. Mail those resumes out blindly to anyone and everyone with the caveat that you feel you could contribute to their continued success (this means doing your homework on who they are and what they need; not whether they have openings).
7. The phone book. Use your paper or online phone book’s Yellow Pages to spot 5-10 subjects or fields that interest you – that are in the city where you are or you want to be. Then call these organizations for informational interviews.
8. Dig deeper with places that interest you. Knock on doors of an employer, store, office, manufacturing plant or organization that intrigues you, whether they have a known vacancy or not.
9. Retraining. Go back to school for training on something besides what you’ve been doing. Research what skills are in demand, what would fit for you, who offers this training, if there’s financial aid or other help with it. Think beyond whether you can afford this. Given long-term projections, it may be a very sound investment.
10. Temp agencies. Visit temp agencies (agencies that get you short-term contracts in places that need your skills temporarily) and ask if they can place you. Get on board. It’s often a way to get hired on permanently. At the very least, it’s resume fodder.
11. Newspapers. Answer local “want-ads” in print or online. The Sunday edition is usually the most helpful. Note that this is not the biggest ROI. But do it anyway.
12. Affiliations. Read professional print or online journals in your field or profession. Find related groups on LinkedIn. Join them. Participate in the discussions. Get to know people who know you, what you do and may be able to help you.
13. Government. Take a civil service exam to compete for government jobs. http://federaljobs.net/exams.htm. Go to private employment agencies www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml.
14. Work for YOU. Start your own small business after finding out what you do well that might be needed. It could range from reselling goods on eBay to any service that taps your talents. Check out some ideas from Entrepreneur.

Pick at least three

There are of course other options. Pick at least three of these. Do all if you can. If you feel stuck again, I can help.  It’s going to likely be a long haul in this employment landscape. There is always one more option. Be persistent. You can keep moving.

Photo: robstephaustralia

Unless you’ve been hibernating in a cave, you know that the Internet is here to stay. It continually evolves and has become the heart and soul of communications, shall we say. In your job search, it can be your friend or your enemy. It all depends on your line of attack.

What the Internet is terrific for

• Research
• Finding and connecting with people (particularly through professional and social networking sites)
• Gathering tips, tricks and blog/article information related to the job hunt or employment landscape
• A smidge – yes smidge, of actually finding jobs.

What the Internet is not terrific for

• Finding or getting jobs

The reality

Job boards are tempting and enticing. They typically are stocked with lots of tools, resources and tips to keep you there. Be honest with yourself. Have you ever wasted hours surfing the World Wide Web? Perhaps the better part of a day? Job boards can steal your precious time. Yes, you need to spend some of your time on job boards. But proceed with caution.

The truth is that many jobs are never posted online. Why? Time. Money. The big job boards are expensive. Many smaller companies can’t afford to use them. Smaller job boards, especially niche ones, can be wonderful for companies. The challenge here is that many companies simply don’t have the time or in-house expertise to find the niche sites and post jobs with them. Your perfect job may never hit the Internet.

The conundrum

Yes, 89% of companies use LinkedIn and other Internet sites to prescreen candidates. But your chances of actually fining your next job on the Internet are about 10% to 20%. Companies want you in the database just in case you are right for them. You’ll have to jump through extensive hoops to apply online with them – always hoping they’ll have the right job for you someday. This certainly is advantageous to the companies. For you? Not so much. Your time is better spent elsewhere.

When to jump on it

Don’t let the boards steal your time. There are some exceptions; some situations where you should go for it.

• You’re applying for a specific job and you are really well qualified for the job. Define well qualified by having 8 out of the 10 skills asked for. Yes, that’s a lot. Reality check again. You’re up against purple squirrels.  If you can, use your networking to find out more about that position before you waste one minute applying online.
• The company is on your top five list and you really want to work for them.

Frank’s black hole lesson

My client Frank learned the hard way. When he came to me, he knew the statistics (close to 80% of people find jobs through people they know; and only 5%-15% through the job boards). But poor Frank could not pry himself away from hours of surfing, finding a job he “might like” and then blasting his resume out in cyberspace.  Here’s where he was coming from. “I don’t have a network,” he told me. “I really don’t know anyone here, and no one will want to help me, so why ask?” As a result, he had wasted four months since being laid off. He had done nothing but chase opportunities on the Internet.

And here’s the interesting part. Frank said he felt very productive doing this. Searching and applying. And he did get some interviews! The problem was that they always fell apart. He realized that they weren’t solid. They were extremely competitive because everyone and his uncle had seen them. He never got to second base beyond the screening interview. So, Frank and I coached on building his network. Once he started networking and realized that he did know people, he found a job opportunity through his network within three weeks. It was a great fit and that’s where he is now.

Do you have experiences with Internet job searching to share? I’d love to hear from you!

Photo: jared

Despite texting, Twitter, and a growing number of communication options, many still use email to conduct a job search or general business. Here are a few tricks that could help get you noticed – in the right way.

Did you know that nearly half of all emails are misinterpreted, and many aren’t even opened?  Well, if you’re trying to reach a key decision-maker, that’s just not what you want. Of course you wrote the email so it would at the very least be opened; ideally presenting you favorably to have whomever’s on the other end agree, reciprocate something, deliver something, or at least acknowledge that you’re on the same boat.

I’ve looked into the subject and found a few tips to help you get what you want – particularly when trying to make a good impression with a potential contact or employer in your job search – after pushing send.

Send it on a Wednesday

• That’s the day of the week we get the least amount of email. There are fewer emails to compete with. And those sent between 6 and 7 a.m. – any day of the week – are the ones most likely to be read. If you want to get a non-work email seen, send it on the weekend. We get the fewest email overall then.

Use 1 abbreviation to get it read

• Most folks only read 17% of what’s in their inbox, since we predict content from subject lines. Double your odds of getting seen by adding one word to the subject line: Re! Why do we read these? Because we think they’re the continuation of a conversation!

Stay out of spam

• I did a double take on this one, but it’s true apparently. 90%-95% of all emails sent today are actually spam! Avoid using subject lines with “free” or even “%”; these tend to be sent right to the junk folder by a filter; sight unseen. And spell check; misspelled subject lines are a red flag of spam and can get your email deleted automatically.

Watch your pronouns

• It’s true in cover letters and other correspondence; it’s true in emails. Using “I” too much makes you come across as self-indulgent. On the other hand, saying “you” – or even better, the person’s name – throughout the email conveys you as totally focused on the person at the other end. And studies continually show that to be a trait we admire.

Is that really what you meant?

• One study showed that humor or sarcasm in email is often missed, misinterpreted or even considered offensive – 44% of the time! If you speak your words out loud before you hit “send,” you might hear how something could be misinterpreted; and then delete or tweak for a clearer, congenial message.

Hit this button often

• It’s “Reply”! Research shows the faster you send an answer, the easier it is to find the right words (it’s fresh after all) and the less you’ll need to say. Jot down a few words now and send. You can always follow up with a longer message later. People appreciate you not keeping them waiting; you come off as organized and professional.

Email is still great. It gets to people quickly via a myriad of technology. You go to the trouble of writing to get out a certain message; to create a certain impression. It’s a heck of a note to be thrown into cyber-limbo for something that might be prevented. Sometimes it is really the smallest things that make a difference.

Photo: aaronescobar

The resume continues to be one of your most important career marketing documents. Unfortunately too many job seekers rely on it as the main tool to land that next position. It just won’t serve you well. Here’s why.

The dreaded conversation

It happens all the time in my practice, regrettably. This year, I was contacted by John via email. John’s a 40ish executive who had been in the printing business for 20 years. He wanted me to look at his resume and let him know how much it would cost to rewrite it. I said I’d be happy to call him for a brief phone conversation about his resume and job search needs. We spoke and he was delightful. But here’s the problem. When I asked him about his job search strategy and plan, he had none. “I just want to get my resume current so I can get it out there,” he told me. He admitted that he was not sure what he wanted to do. He had lost his job three weeks earlier, and had concerns about printing’s shrinking opportunities. “I feel I’m versatile; a Jack of all trades and I could contribute in a number of areas. I’d like to just get it out there.”

Well, I stopped him right there. “Employers honestly are not interested in you being all things to all people. They want to know that you can fill a void to meet their specific need. They want a match for a certain opening. They often want a purple squirrel,” I said.

I told him frankly, “John I can write you a great resume that’s focused, branded and rich with content relevant to your targets. But if you don’t know what those targets are; if you don’t know what you’re marketing, it’s the cart before the horse. John, the best resume in the world just isn’t enough today. Yes, you should customize it to mirror back to the position / audience you are marketing to. But all the tweaking in the world won’t make it the do-all-end-all in today’s employment landscape, no matter how much you wish it would.”

John got more baskets

Here’s another thing that often happens when people contact me. Although John said he knew that networking and social media were important, he admitted he had no approach, no plan. So, in a nutshell, John did not know what he wanted, where to find it when he did know, or how to get it after that. This was a setup for a long job search peppered with a lot of frustration. Here was an executive who was clearly not in control.

I did not “sell” John on coaching, but I did educate him on its benefits. He was glad to know about this resource available to him. In our work together, John was able to:

• Manage his expectations of the job search and use techniques to stay proactive and positive.
• Conduct a thorough self-assessment of what he was good at and liked.
• Create authentic professional branding and a thick inventory of success stories.
• Research his targets markets, organizations and roles.
• Market himself beyond the resume with a suite of documents and powerful LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter content.
• Manage his online identity and promote himself online as an expert in his field (which he found, was Product Management).
• Learn more while selling in networking and informational interviews.
• Connect, clarify, collaborate and close in job interviews.
• Master the dance of salary negotiations.
• Jumpstart success in his new position (Yes, he landed two weeks ago in a growing industry, in what seems like a great fit).

According to a study by talent management firm Lee Hecht Harrison (quoted in Wall Street Journal), people who use a career coach find jobs up to 46% faster than those who don’t.

Yes, resumes are important. I write them and absolutely advocate their value. But making your job search dependent on primarily that one thing is like having all your financial planning in a bank savings account. Coaching can help you diversify with multiple resources and tools. Feeling stuck? I can help!

Photo: kevinspencer