Do you ever feel like you’re just treading water? Do you get the feeling that the job you have is not the career you want? Working a job that is not a good fit for you can leave you frustrated, unfulfilled and unchallenged in your work. If this sounds like you, then it may be time to make a change. Changing jobs is not something that you should do on a whim; you should take into account many different factors that influence you and drive your decisions.
So what are the keys to finding the job that you want?
1. Find your true feelings about your career.
It’s important to think about what you really want out of your current job or career. Do you really want a career change or do you just dislike your job and need something else? Do you hate your job or do you hate the company? Sometimes, certain companies are not right for people and leave them feeling unhappy no matter if they are happy in that field or not. So think about if you want a change in career or just a new environment.
2. What are your talents and strengths?
You should build a career based around your strengths. Do you have natural talents or abilities that lend themselves to a certain career path? Can you communicate easily with others? Do you understand and possess the talent to work with numbers? How do you work in a given situation – how do you approach a difficult task or challenge? Think of your specific personal traits and see how they might push you in the right direction.
3. Showcase your relate-able skills.
When looking for a new job, you need to pinpoint any skills that would be beneficial in your new job. They may not be industry specific, but could be a myriad of accomplishments that you’ve had throughout your career. Did you manage a budget or manage people? These are two key components that many HR Managers look for. HR Managers also want people who are computer literate and know their way around an office environment. Just be sure to present your skills in a way that is attractive to HR Managers.
4. Know your role.
You need to know what the qualifications are for the position you want. Do they match your interest and skill level, if not then why would you consider taking it? Someone who’s interested in social media or website design would probably not be a great fit for an accounting firm. But, if you’re interested in numbers, then an accounting position might be right up your alley.
5. Networking works!
If you know nothing about the job you want, it will be very difficult to find an “in”. Instead, try to focus on networking with people in that field who can provide you with inside access to trends and information about that particular field. Just because you have a degree in Molecular Biology, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t find a job doing marketing studies. It’s all relative to what you want, so go for it.
We’ve all worked with really talented people we thought would never leave the company – not because they didn’t want to leave – some do. But we think that they won’t ever leave because we’ve seen their resumes and they sell themselves short and they probably wouldn’t get hired.
Some job seekers do not want to overstate their accomplishments or qualifications or seem boastful, so they paint a picture to prospective employers that they are not as amazing at their job as they really are.
Instead of being one of those people who’s afraid of change, you can use power words in your resume to take ownership of the many successes you’ve had at your past jobs. It’s not like you’re lying on your resume – far from it – you’re just highlighting (in a profound way) your accomplishments in order for them to sound more appealing to the reader.
It’s time to stop taking the backseat to your insecurities and fix your resume so that you can take your career to that next level.
One way is to use more descriptive words when describing your past accomplishments. Instead of saying on your resume, “I organized the file cabinet.”, say something like, “Devised a system of organization which led to increased worker awareness, reduced downtime and saved XYZ Company over $200,000 a year.” Both sentences are true, but the revised one really showcases what you did, how it benefited the company and the employees. Plus, it just sounds more impressive!
It’s also very important to use quantifiable statements and numbers about the contributions you made at your previous employers. These statements lend an air of credibility to your resume and give the HR Manager a glimpse into what types of budgets, figures and time frames you’re capable of succeeding with. These statements could involve how your job efforts:
- increased revenue for the 3Q by XXX dollars or percentage
- helped the company reduce costs and saved them XX dollars as a result of improved processes
- trained XX employees in a new programming language, which resulted in the company saving XX dollars, improved customer service, etc…
But, how can adding power words and quantifiable statements on your resume contribute to your job search?
It’s not just about showing how you saved the company money, improved processes, or trained new employees. It’s about putting value in yourself as an employee and showcasing what you’ve done in a way that allows HR Managers to quickly see how you could benefit their company.
If you want to improve your resumes vocabulary, go to www.thesaurus.com and spice up your resume with stronger words. Just be sure not to overdo it. You want to sound professional, not like you just tossed in some “2-dollar” words to sound smart.
Your goal is to sell yourself —and your resume is your best tool for making sure you succeed in your job search.
The job market has seen it’s share of ups and downs, but how does everything look at the halfway point in the year? Finding the right career means staying on top of the latest studies and trends about employment, salaries, and the behavior of employers. Here are four career-related studies you should definitely follow – as well as expert advice on how to use them to find (and continue) your dream job.
1. Salaries are increasing – but barely…
Recent studies have shown that employee raises are expected to increase around 3 percent, according to The Conference Board. Here’s what you do – set up a meeting before your annual review. By the time you get to your review, the company knows what type of increase you will be getting. The key is to get in before the decision has been made, plant the seeds early by asking what you need to do to increase your salary, and plan accordingly. Take action so that you get the most out of your position.
2. Long-term unemployment is still going to be around…
Of the 14 million Americans who were unemployed in December, almost a third of them have not had a steady job in over a year. This is a 25% increase from last year – which means that many people are waiting even longer for jobs than they had to previously. Start by building your online brand. Make your name synonymous with your field. Your online brand is the same as McDonalds, Ford or Google. If people know you by name recognition, you will stand out above the rest.
3. Gmail is the king of all mail…
According to British email company Mimecast, up to 85% of young employees are using Gmail for work related purposes. But experts advise prospective employees avoid this situation because it leaves both your personal and business relationships open to hackers, malicious software and the possibility of having your work compromised. Remember that anything that you create while working for a company is considered their property and once it is sent out on the internet, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. Especially avoid using personal mail to send out confidential information, even if it’s to other coworkers – you never know when their email may be compromised. It’s not just about protecting you but about protecting the companies interest as well.
4. More people are involved in social media than ever before
And more people are finding jobs that involve Twitter than ever before. Besides, if celebrities can make a name of themselves through Twitter, why can’t the average American turn it into a moneymaking venture. The goal is simple – focus on what you love. Would you go to your friend who takes the bus for advice on buying a car? Of course not, so why would you focus your endeavors on anything but what you know and love? Just develop your social media skills. They will go a long way towards building your brand and finding you a new career.
One of the biggest mistakes that an executive could make while looking for a position is treating their job search as if they were still a manager. When you reach the level of an executive, you’ve entered into another world, so you have to treat your job search just like that. This means focusing on different inroads to success and applying cutting-edge search techniques.
If you’re coming into the world of an executive and want to know how to make your job search easier, don’t just sit back without reviewing every avenue possible. Try using every path to your advantage, it’s no doubt that you’ve made friends along the way, that’s just one area for you to search. These tips will help you find the right job for you.
Begin with Networking
It has been shown that over 80 percent of executives got their current job through one form of networking. Executive jobs are not like lower-level jobs which can be easily filled through online applications. Executives meet through social clubs, business meetings and professional routes. You could easily run into someone who knows the vice president of ABC Corporation and be the person they were looking to hire. Don’t ever forget the value of networking, the more you get your face out there, the better off you will be. If you don’t focus on networking, you could be missing out on a lot of great job opportunities.
Make the Most out of Social Media
LinkedIn is the number one job networking and search site on the web, so set up an account (if you haven’t already), because it’s incredible important that you make the most out of social media. Just setting up an account is not enough- you have to make yourself be known. By just focusing your LinkedIn profile on your resume, you’re missing out on many of the site’s benefits.
Your profile allows you to not only highlight your past professional and education history, it also allows you the opportunity to network and make connections with other executives in your field. Networking with other professionals gives you an opportunity to find new positions or to develop professional recommendations. Through recommendations from the right executives, you can transform your LinkedIn profile into an online resume that sells. Never take for granted the power of the web, many partnerships and employment opportunities have been built on the backs of social media sites.
Your Name and Reputation are Important
When you become an executive, you take on a burden of work that is different than the average worker – so you have to outperform the average worker. You have to care more about the company’s overall success because it will directly reflect your business acumen. If you don’t maintain a stellar reputation, it could affect your job search and your ability to find the right position. This means avoiding the silly Facebook page. You’re being judged on your actions, as well as the people you associate yourself with. Make sure your name and your reputation are held in high regard.
Having many interviews with nothing to show for it can be one of the most frustrating things to have to go through. You’re so close to getting a job offer but it just never materializes. If you can get interviews then there’s probably nothing wrong with your job-hunting strategy, your resume or cover letter. The problem could be related to your interviewing prowess or maybe even your references.
You might need to take some time and evaluate your job interviewing process – from everything to your preparation to following up. How much effort do you put into preparing for your job interviews? Do you do your research before the interview and review questions that you might be asked? Your interviewing skills are important, you have to make a good impression when you first meet the interviewer. You have to have a solid connection – with a strong handshake, solid eye contact, and an inviting smile.
One thing to do is bring in samples of your previous work. A portfolio, with supporting documentation, is an excellent way to sell yourself to an interviewer. Make sure to ask questions about the company and the position, you have to be interested in the position or it will show through to the interviewer. There is a lot of gray area when interviewing. You don’t want to overstep your bounds but you also want to show that you have a personality to match your resume. What about after the interview? Do you thank the interviewer or send out a thank you letter afterwards? Following up was once the key to landing a job – now there are many different factors at play.
There are companies that will call all of your references and there are some that will not think twice to hire your without references. If you think your references are holding you back from finding a job, then evaluate your references and see how you can beef them up. Make sure that you ask someone before you put them down as a reference, the last thing you want is having a supervisor from 3 years ago get a call about you and have no idea who you were. If you have references that are not related to the job you’re applying for, you need to update them to match your desired position. Many of these companies will not hire someone if they have old references or if their references don’t match the desired position. Having your McDonalds manager from college as a reference will probably not do much for you when you’re trying to get that CPA job.
Be smart about your references and only use the ones that will benefit you the most. Think about who’s on your references; would any of them have a difficult time explaining you or your past duties? Your references may be holding you back, so evaluate them and see if you can come up with references who will make you shine.
Some states have better economies than others, some have not seen the tremendous job loss and mass exodus that states like California have seen–or my home state of Michigan at 10.5% as of June 2011– and other states have a robust economy with opportunity for job growth. With unemployment averaging over 9.0%, finding the right job can be frustrating and time consuming, but one thing you might consider is looking out of state for employment options. You could find a job that suits your skill set, while allowing you or your family to branch out into a new area.
Yes, it can be scary to pick up and move to a completely new place, but you’ll meet new people and have a new experience that changes your life in a positive way. So how do you know if you should move out of state for employment? Well there are a lot of different things to think about before you decide to move. Take your time when considering the move and try to follow some of the following ideas.
Before you decide exactly where you’re going to move send out some resumes to different business in that area. Pick at least 5 different locales that would suit your job needs and start sending out resumes to them. If you have a degree that’s more popular in one area, you might consider moving to that area to take advantage of higher job growth. If you have a degree in engineering and can not find anything but a servers position, then look at what areas around the country have a high need for engineers. There is a lot of opportunity out there, but you may need to look high and low for it.
Consider contacting a headhunter. If you’re serious about finding employment in a new area, then find a headhunter who knows the city and can find you a position that would match your work experience. A temp agency might be one option but you want to find full time employment and most of these only offer contract work. They can be a good stop-gap option for you while you’re getting your feet wet in the new town, but a lot of people are wary of moving without full time employment.
How do you move when you have a family? One option is to pack early and get all that out of the way. You might want to have your spouse or significant other stay with the children before your start your new job. You should go and get settled before moving the family to you. This allows them to step into their new situation with the house in order and avoids any culture shocks. Make sure you do a lot of research on your new location – read the newspaper online, listen to local radio shows online or just Google your new city. There’s so much information to be found online and you should take advantage of that.
**I am a member of the Career Collective, a group of resume writers and career coaches. Each month, all members discuss a certain topic. This month, we are talking about what job seekers can do now at the half year mark. Please follow our tweets on Twitter #careercollective. You can also view the other member’s interesting posts at the end of the article.
With summer in full swing and the first half of the year gone already, it’s time to do a little inventory of your job search.
What has worked for you and what hasn’t?
First and foremost take a good, long, honest look at your resume.
What message is it conveying? Is it portraying what you excel in? Is it telling the reader what you can do for them or is it just a laundry list of what you’ve done. Is it focused on the job advertised? Sometimes I get a resume and I think, “Soooo, what does this person want to do??” Be specific and clear. Let the reader know why you are the best choice for the job. Remember, you are your product. You have to sell yourself.
Beef up your networking (especially if you don’t have one).
Have you told everyone of your decision to job search? Friends, family and colleagues? Have you updated your LinkedIn profile? What about other social networking profiles? Time to start creating some. Have you gone to any networking functions? Met any new people? If you haven’t, it’s time to put yourself out there and ‘make some new friends’ as your mother would say. Putting your resume on Monster.com won’t help you land a job.
Consider staying in your existing position – making the most of it.
So, perhaps if you’ve been job searching while still employed, and not having much luck, your existing job is looking better and better. Analyze your current situation. What is it you don’t like about your job? More money? A better boss? Bigger challenges? What is it you want to change? Can you talk with your employer and see if you can work something out? Sometimes staying put has its advantages.
With only a month and a half until September, sit down and write yourself a new strategy for the second half of the year. Having a plan will help you feel more in control of your career and more positive about what is to come.
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4 Summer Strategies to Step Up Your Job Search, @DebraWheatman, #careercollective
Putting Your Job Search Up On The Rack For Inspection, @dawnrasmussen, #careercollective
Mid-Year Job Search Checkup: Are you wasting your time? @GayleHoward, #careercollective
What is your unique value proposition? @keppie_careers, #careercollective
It is Time for Your Check-up Ms/Mr Jobseeker, @careersherpa, #careercollective
Mid-Year Career Checkup: Are You “On Your Game?” @KatCareerGal, #careercollective
How to Perform a Mid-Year Job Search Checkup, @heatherhuhman, #careercollective
Reposition your job search for success, @LaurieBerenson, #careercollective
Mid-Year Job Search Checkup: What’s working and What’s not? @erinkennedycprw, #careercollective
Mid-Year Job Search Check-Up: Getting Un-Stuck, @JobHuntOrg, #careercollective
Mid-Year Check Up: The Full 360, @WalterAkana, #careercollective
5 Tips for Fighting Summer Job Search Blues, @KCCareerCoach, #CareerCollective
Are you positive about your job search? @DawnBugni, #CareerCollective
Where Are The Jobs? @MartinBuckland, @EliteResumes, #CareerCollective
Mid-Year Job-Search Checkup: Get Your Juices Flowing, @ValueIntoWords, #CareerCollective
When Was Your Last Career & Job Search Check Up? @expatcoachmegan, #CareerCollective
Is Summer A Job Search Momentum Killer? @TimsStrategy, #careercollective
It can be difficult to find a job yourself. But, in today’s changing job market, throwing yourself on the fire and doing everything you can in order to find the right job is in your best interest, especially if you want to land the ideal job. Start by finding out what kind of experience and skills you have. Think about the skills that you have which best translate to finding a position that suits you, examine the knowledge you’ve gained and the paths you’ve taken.
Don’t forget about your life outside of work, what are some of the things that you enjoy doing? Perhaps there is an opportunity there that you have overlooked. Even some activities that may seem commonplace can set you apart from your peers in the eyes of a HR manager. For instance, starting your own sports league may show your commitment to organization and communication. So what are some practical job search advice tips?
Leadership
Not just the ability to lead but the ability to bring others together to collaborate on a project and get that project done in a timely manner. Managers want to see leadership qualities in new hires, that’s why they look for people with past experience managing people. If you have that experience, then all the better for you, but if you don’t you should definitely try to acquire some.
Initiative
Now is the time! That’s right, no more resting on your laurels, instead get yourself out there and start looking under every nook and cranny in order to find that job that you want. Don’t be passive in your job search, be proactive and call up HR managers or find out everything you can about your prospective company.
Problem Solving
Be a problem solver. Are you seeing nothing but shady door-to-door sales jobs? Then look somewhere else or just don’t go on those interviews. You know it’s not going to be what they say it is, so why are you wasting your time? Stop immediately and focus on the finding a solution to your problem.
Flexibility
Be flexible and wear as many hats as you can. Some people will tell you that it’s best to focus on one aspect of your career, but if you are multi-talented why not use that to your advantage? If you have multiple skills you should use them to find a job that suits you.
Commitment and Motivation
Be committed to your job search and stay motivated. Of course you will get down, who doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean that you have to let those feelings overwhelm you. Your job search may be on going but if you keep a positive attitude and work through the tough times, you will find something that you want.
Interpersonal Skills
Use that personality. Ask people at social events if they know of anything or ask your friends on Facebook. Don’t be afraid to ask about potential jobs. Sure it’s tough for a lot of people right now but there are still jobs available if you use your personality to find them.
