Getting the Support You Need to Get That Dream Job!

March 21st, 2011 by Kira

You’ve been searching the online job boards, scouring the internet, and sending your resume off into the abyss on a regular basis, but nothing seems to be happening. Here are a few tips to getting that dream job by utilizing the support in your own backyard.

1. Reach out to friends and family. Friends and family offer a great opportunity in expanding your network and making a critical introduction that could ultimately lead to a new career.

2. Past colleagues, co-workers, and employers. If you’ve moved on from a company, but left on good terms, utilizing your past network can prove to be a wealth of job connections. Some of your past colleagues may have moved on to other companies as well, and if you stayed in contact and maintained your connections, reaching out and letting them know you are in the market for a new job can be a pretty easy phone call, potentially worth millions.

3. Your social networks. Don’t forget to enroll the use of your social networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites. These contacts could also provide a great opportunity to expand your reach with employers and make a critical introduction to helping you land that next dream job.

4. Hire a coach or find a mentor. Utilizing a coach or mentor can help you become more strategic in your job search approach. Sometimes it just takes an outside perspective to help you find creative ways to find that perfect job.

5. Find a recruiter. Recruiters are often sources of information, and get knowledge to new jobs and positions before they are even listed to the public. Making quality connections with recruiters in your industry can help you land that job, before others even know about it.

Above all, think outside of the box when searching for your new dream job or before making a career move. There are plenty of people and resources out there who are willing to help, all you have to do is ask.

Tags: creative job search strategies, Job Search, networking for jobs, reaching out to your network, social networks
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS | No Comments »

Get Connected to the Unpublished Job Market

February 28th, 2011 by Kira

Do you know that there are hidden jobs in the market today?

A significant number of today’s jobs are not made public through advertising. Many hiring managers prefer to hire for a new job internally, because once a job is posted, they are inundated with resumes, many from unqualified candidates. Referrals from known and trusted employees top the list of strategies that employers use to find new talent. The key to finding these jobs is networking and through word of mouth. By polishing your networking skills, you can contact potential hiring managers and have the edge to more opportunities without the competition.

When networking, you may say, “I notice that we are in the same industry. I am currently looking for a new career opportunity and am wondering if you, or someone you know, would be a good resource for me?” By constantly growing your network, expressing what you are looking for, you will eventually make a connection with someone whose company is getting ready to hire, but the job has not yet posted. At this point, you can ask your contact to connect you directly to the hiring manager, and/or perhaps even deliver your resume personally.

Connecting with a hiring manager early in the hiring process can prove to be a huge advantage. Sometimes, a job is not advertised because it doesn’t exist until a person with a desired set of skills comes along. Debra Feldman of JobWhiz says “New opportunities can result from a perspective employee interacting with the employer decision-maker and hiring authority, resulting in a new position created within an organization just to hire that particular individual and tailored to his or her talents, skills and interests.”

Additionally, always keep the door open with recruiters in your respective field. You just never know when a new opportunity will present itself, and building relationships with the right people can easily payoff in the job search.

Persistence in networking and connecting with hiring managers, recruiters, and other professionals while searching for the right referrals to companies that meet your skill set, will eventually put you in touch with an unpublished job that meets your career goals.

Tags: finding new opportunities, job market, Job Search
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS, Job Search | No Comments »

Mentoring Helps Ease Executives’ Transitions

February 22nd, 2011 by Kira

A new study conducted by the Institute of Executive Development shows that as many as one third of all executives moving to a new company, and one fifth of those moving to a new job within the same company do not transition well. A failed transition for a senior leader can result in lost work hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is in an organization’s best interest to evaluate the transition process for senior leadership positions to make the transitions both smooth and effective.

A widely held belief among companies is that it only takes a couple of months for an executive to transition to a new company. A recent survey tells a different story, showing that 36% of the respondents said it took six to nine months to be fully functional in a new position.

Money is invested in the search for and hiring of new executives, but often companies stop short of making sure their new leader is successful. Orientation to a new company is a normal procedure, but only 11% of those interviewed for the study found the process to be helpful. The most effective way to make the transition is to have a customized plan along with a mentoring or coaching relationship.

Here are ways organizations can make transitions easier for top executives:

Begin thinking about the transition during the interview process. Use evaluation techniques that help the hiring team and the potential executive see how he/she fits into the new job. Technical and business skills as well as interpersonal skills should be addressed.

Begin coaching the executive immediately after the hire, assigning key people to help resolve issues as they come up. Although only 32% of respondents had a coach, 49% of those who were coached said it was the most effective resource for a smooth transition. Coaching checkpoints at 30-60 and 90 days into the job can help uncover areas of weakness, leading to immediate action steps to create more success for the new hire and the company.

Create a customized plan outlining the specific requirements of the job. What one thinks the job entails and what the actual job is comprised of may be different. Currently 31% of the 150 executives in the study use customized plans and 34% of those respondents said the plans were the most helpful resource in an effective transition.

Use mentors, such as current and retired executives and board members, to help the new leader navigate through the organization, learn the culture, and network with key people.

A thoughtful and consistent process including mentoring, coaching and a customized plan will lead to greater success for an organization’s new executive. Additionally, taking these extra steps could keep you from losing your new hire, and save you time and money over the long run.

Tags: career, Job Search, job transition, mentor
Posted in Candidates, Clients, FORTIS | No Comments »

Career Change: You Won’t Change for Love or Money?

November 15th, 2010 by Kira

As I was growing up, the term “for Love or Money” was often used after a statement about doing something. It was a way of saying the two most important things in the world are still not big enough, powerful enough or important enough to move or sway a person to do something. When it comes to improving your job or career, clearly we’re not changing for love or money, because 60% of us hate our job and are simply not doing anything about it. Yet, love and money can be significantly improved, if we were to make that step. What’s holding us back?

I have my theories and I’ve done some internet surfing to try to see what data has been collected on this topic. So far, it appears to boil down to three things:

1. We’re afraid of how a career change might negatively impact our income.
2. We’re afraid to change.
3. We’re confused about how to make that big decision.

In an attempt to convince you to take action, I’d like to take a stab at how to address these issues.

Issues and Solutions

Issue: We are afraid that our income will go down and we won’t be able to afford our lifestyle.

Solutions:

Without doing the work to understand what career you might pursue, you are only guessing this might be an issue. There are literally hundreds of thousands of careers all with varying levels of salaries. Do the work to find out what career you might want and the salary that goes with it. As you are pursuing the work, define what you think you need for salary on both a short and long term basis. Sometimes you will have to start at a lower salary, but if theupward potential is there, it might only be a short term issue to manage.
Just because you are starting a new career, it’s not an automatic conclusion that you will start at a lower salary. If you haven’t done the work, you simply don’t know.
Assuming you face a lower salary, you need to plan for the salary dip. When I left education to go into the business setting, I had no idea what kind of salary I would get or how long it would take to get there. As a result, I took a year to pay off all my bills and stash away a reserve to live on. When I took the plunge, I lived with a friend for a few months, which further reduced my overhead. I was then free to find a career that would interest me, rather than just find something that was at a salary level I was used to. It was the best decision I made. I took a 2-year salary reduction, but in the long run that decision paid off hugely.
Once you have done the work to find the career you can be passionate about, consider a test. If you are working, pay off your bills and start living on the salary level you think you might get. Get the program worked out in advance of making the plunge.

Issue: We are more afraid of change than we’d like to admit. It seems we all have a different temperament for making change. Some people are drawn to it and others avoid it.

Solutions:

Change has an emotional component to it known as transition. It’s uncomfortable, because we are in the midst of changing our behavior and the things we have become familiar with. Even bad things, like a bad job, are familiar and somewhat predictable. But just like getting a boo-boo on your knee, it will only feel uncomfortable for a limited amount of time. You have to position yourself to know that with a change that will bring you great job satisfaction, also comes some level of passing discomfort. You simply need to know it will pass.
Prepare for the change and transition by deliberately working on and putting a voice to your concerns. Once you have them identified, write them down and problem solve. This process puts your brain into a new, less emotional gear called logic. Logic isn’t emotional and it acts just like a fire hose. It will lessen the anxiety you feel and it will give you some tasks to perform that will absolutely be helpful.
Study change and transition. There are some books on the subject that can help tremendously.

Issue: Unfortunately, we don’t have much to go on when it comes to figuring out a new career. The most tried and true method is: “I’ll find some work”. Most of us end up in our careers by default, but increasingly there are resources to help figure it out. There is a difference between job search and career change. The first you get a job, the latter, you make a decision.

Solutions:

There are books, online resources and career coaches who have this figured out. Go in search and you will find.
If you don’t take action, you will never find anything. It’s remarkable the number of times I hear people say they don’t know what they’d do, but they have done virtually nothing to answer the question.
The best career decision is one founded on self-discovery, exploration and experimentation. You have to look at this decision as one that requires you to discover more about yourself, perhaps at a level you’ve never done before. Get on the internet, do some research, talk to people you know about their work. In other words, get interested in this world of careers and suddenly you’ll discover all kinds of fun, exciting careers.

If you are unhappy in your job or career, you can’t assume it will magically improve. We often hang on much longer than we need to. When you are unhappy in your career, you actually run the risk of limiting your income. Studies have found the happier we are, the better our income is. Being unhappy also brings with it stress and the resulting health impact, as well as impact to our relationships. It is truly a matter of love and money.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to the Career Makeover Newsletter AND eWorkbook “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – both dedicated to Your career success, when you visit http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com from Dorothy Tannahill-Moran – Your Career Change Agent. Also, check out Chris Perry’s show offer – you can enhance your social media presence: http://nextchapternewlife.com/CareerSolutions-Offers.

Author:

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com/

Tags: Career Management, Changing jobs, Job change, Job Search
Posted in Candidates, Job Search | No Comments »

What’s Really in a Resume?

July 5th, 2010 by Kira

When putting together a resume we often remember the basics such as job history, dates of employment, objective, or qualifications summary. But is this really what employers are looking for?

Typically individuals have no problem rehashing their work history, the tasks they completed, and their daily operations; however, what is this really saying about you, the applicant?

Sometimes we forget that these skills can be taught and while a company may write “requirements” that specify all of these things are indeed needed for the job, what they are really looking for is value.

What do you bring to the table that is unique, different, outstanding and will inherently increase the company’s overall worth, culture, or sales?

Take a good look at your resume and see if your resume alludes to your personal value or if it simply retells the tasks that you are skilled in. Companies want to know “what can you do for us?”

Here are some examples:

“Increased productivity by 5% through uncovering and implementing new systems adopted by internal departments in less than six months”

“Tripled sales revenue at both 90 and 120 days of new product launch, currently averaging an increase of 5% in sales goals every month.”

“Trained and facilitated team members in new procedures that lead to lower turnover and increased morale”

You can see the difference besides just rattling off your skill set and rehasing your role, instead tell your future employer what it is you’ll REALLY be doing for them!

Tags: applying for jobs, Job Search, resume
Posted in Candidates, Job Search | No Comments »

How to Answer that Tough Interview Question “Tell Me About Yourself”

June 28th, 2010 by Kira

One of the most frequently asked questions in an interview is “tell me about yourself.” This is often the dreaded question by the interviewee – concerned about what the interviewer really wants to know, and how much should one really tell?

Here are a few tips on answering that question while still gaining ground in your interview.

First, remember you are still in an interview and while inserting something about your personal life is appropriate here it is not required, nor should it be the primary focus. The question is simply asked to get to know your personality better, your likes, dislikes, strengths, challenges, and weaknesses.

If you answered the question by saying in my personal life I don’t do much, but watch a lot of TV and hang out with my friends – well, I’m not so sure it would look that great. That’s totally okay if you do, but remember the place and the setting of your answer!

Tell the interviewer something they can work with – I love to travel, most recently I went to X. I have the work hard, play hard mentality. Or perhaps you could say that you enjoy being spontaneous and creative, the last trip you took you simply went to the airport and chose a city to travel to.

This question gives you an opportunity to focus on your strengths and talents while utilizing personal examples or professional ones.

You can also answer this question by saying what you like in professional settings. For example, you could say I really thrive in a team environment; I like working with others, and having the ability to brainstorm and feed off each other. I’ve always been a team player. I played sports growing up and a team environment reminds me of that camaraderie.

Think about some of your strengths and talents and see how you can turn those into a story to answer this question.

Some people get caught up when asked what are your top 3 strengths or challenges and rattle off a few things, but this question and the stories and illustrations you can use here can either support that or discount it.

Finally, just be yourself. This question also gives the interviewer a chance to connect with you on a personal level. Interviewee: I want to Xyz College Interviewer: I went there too, or my wife, or my niece, etc – you get the picture!

Tags: interview, Job Search, job seeker
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS, Job Search | No Comments »

Should You Practice Interviewing?

June 21st, 2010 by Kira

Does the old saying “practice makes perfect” really matter in your job interview? It’s a common concern for most interviewees, worried about how they come across in their interview and how they’ll answer those seemingly tough questions – so the question remains should practice be a part of your job search strategy?

“If you‘re not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he’ll be ready to take your job.” Brooks Robinson

While the quote may seem a bit harsh, in reality if you aren’t taking the time to polish your interview skills – someone else out there probably is and it can be the deciding factor for what makes your interview go from slightly okay to stellar.

If nothing else, practice for confidence. The more you rehearse and visualize the interview process, the questions being asked, and the free flowing articulate answers that you will give – the more confident, calm, cool and collected you’ll be during the interview.

Studies have shown that simply visualizing an activity and running through it in your mind can have the same effects as actually going through something physically. The subconscious mind doesn’t know how to tell the difference between something real and perceived – it’s the exact reason we hear about basketball players imaging that smooth “swoosh” of the net.

When practicing your interview questions and answers don’t worry about knowing what exact questions they will ask you. What you are looking to do is increase your confidence in your responses, answer slowly and precisely, and be able to think on your feet. You don’t want your answers to sound scripted and perfected – you want to be real and genuine and practicing too much could make you sound like a professional interviewee.

Practice for the sake of practicing, not perfection.

Tags: interview, Job Search, practice
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS | No Comments »

Taming Your Internal Dragons in Your Job Search

June 14th, 2010 by Kira

You’ve received the call about the upcoming interview and you are thrilled about the potential idea of a new position with this incredible company. You call your closest friends and cheer with excitement, but then suddenly the internal dragons come out and seek to sabotage your win.

The internal dragons that live within us tend to rear their ugly heads during the interview and job search process. You may think to yourself that “this one won’t work out either” or “they only chose me because of xyz.” Whatever thought comes to mind, tame your dragons by thanking them for doing their job to protect you and then play the “what if” game.

This means that you take the thought that came up for you and then change it around to say “what if this one doesn’t work out?” “What if they only want me to interview because of xyz?” When you embrace the dragon and work with it instead of against it you remove its power.

It is important to take back your personal power, especially during the job search, as it is far too easy to get into a rut, doubt your own worth, and question whether or not searching for a new position really is the right thing to do. As a painless as the process feels, there are millions of success stories of people who waited out the storm and were able to find the perfect position that was waiting for them all along.

Tags: Candidate, Job Search, job seeker, Unemployed
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS | No Comments »

Job Search – How to Handle Rejection and Follow Up

June 7th, 2010 by Kira

Writen by Don Schenk

Last Saturday evening my wife and I visited friends at their home. They are a couple I have known since elementary school days, seventh grade as I recall. Yes, childhood! They grew up living next door to each other, dated during high school, and are still together. Last year they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

They had invited several people for dinner – all of whom I have known since childhood. After dinner we were seated in their family room talking about some of the silly stuff that has happened over the years. Suddenly their cocker spaniel, who happens to have run of the furniture, wanted attention, and jumped into my lap. I was a little surprised, because at home we will not allow our dog on the couch, and I was not expecting little Rex to land on me. But I decided that is okay. I am a dog-person.

I petted Rex for a while, and when I stopped he stuck his muzzle under my arm and pushed upward – hard. He wanted to be petted more. A few minutes later when I again stopped, he gave me the muzzle-up treatment again. I said, “No, Rex,” but he continued to want me to rub under his ears. He would not take “No” for an answer. So he persisted. Rejection did not bother him. He simply continued to let me know what he wanted.

People do not enjoy rejection, and most will go out of their way to avoid it. Therefore they will no ask to be hired. They might be turned down. Then they do not try to contact the interviewer again a few days later to see how things stand. Have you been there? You have gone through an interview, did not get the job at that moment, and a couple days later when you want to call back, suddenly the telephone seems to weigh 2,000 pounds. You can not bring yourself to call.

Relax. The business is looking for a particular person to fill the job position, they had more interviews to do, and the owner wanted the office manager to interview everyone who applied – whether or not they qualify. You are on the list, and you helped put yourself at the top of their list. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. You just have to call to keep reminding them you exist. You have to be like little Rex, and not take no for an answer several times.

Almost nobody calls back to follow-up with the interviewer. How crazy is that? Other people applying for the job all have telephones that seem to weigh a ton. When you follow-up you are making yourself stand out again. Do it. You will be surprised.

Don Schenk has been conducting hiring interviews for four decades. The real, insider’s secret to Job Search is not what you think it is! Discover the 3 little-known strategies that will make the interviewer want to hire you within the first 30 to 40 seconds of the interview! Go to:

http://www.HowYouFindAJobFast.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Schenk

Tags: Job Search, job seekers, Rejection
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS, Job Search | No Comments »

5 Ways to Freshen Up Your Interviews

February 8th, 2010 by Kira

Going through the interview process can become tedious if you have to sift through too many candidates, so why not try some fresh interview techniques to liven up the process and find out who is really underneath that resume.

Talk about their passions. You can discover a lot about someone when you hear what they are passionate about. You’ll find out if they love to volunteer, read and learn about new things, or just enjoy soaking up the sun.
Where do they like to vacation? Beach, mountains, or do they never even take vacations? Do you have an adventurous person in front of you or someone who values family time?
Let the staff who will be working with the new person do the interviewing first. Avoid having to interview everyone and find who will best fit in with the team by allowing the team to do the interviewing.
Take them out to lunch. Instead of staying in the office all day and plowing through interviews, meet them out to breakfast, lunch, or coffee. People tend to relax a bit more when out of the office.
Never underestimate the power of humor. While it should be used only in appropriate settings, humor can help people to relax and show a bit more of their “humanness” during the interview process. It’s often unexpected during an interview, but can take away some of the routine feelings of the questions.

There are plenty of ways that you can add a personal touch to your interview style, most importantly the interviewer should be relaxed and welcoming and allow for the interviewee to open up and be themselves as well.

Can you share your own experience with being yourself in your interview?

Tags: applicant, applicants, application, applying for jobs, careers, employee, Hiring, Job Search
Posted in Candidates, FORTIS | No Comments »

Archives

Categories

RSS Syndication

Popular Tags

Get Connected to the Unpublished Job Market

Mentoring Helps Ease Executives’ Transitions

Career Change: You Won’t Change for Love or Money?

What’s Really in a Resume?

How to Answer that Tough Interview Question “Tell Me About Yourself”

Should You Practice Interviewing?

Taming Your Internal Dragons in Your Job Search

Job Search – How to Handle Rejection and Follow Up

5 Ways to Freshen Up Your Interviews