In today's world of work, many things and practices are different than they were 25 years ago. In some cases, they are different than they were just 8 years ago. The other day my grandson asked me how old my son was when he got his first cell phone. I told him an age I thought was appropriate - but it was older than 20! So my grandson was not expecting that answer. As it turns out, he thought he was old enough to have one.
At any rate, the onset of things such as cell phones is one instance where things have changed dramatically in the last 10 years. I'm thinking the world of work is another one of those things. It was not so long ago that a job seeker could look through the Sunday paper, find some ads they could respond to, send in a resume - or go to the employer's location to submit an application - to be considered for employment.
In today's world, you should still look through the newspaper to see what kinds of jobs are advertised, but if it has been a while since you looked there, you may be surprised by what you find. In addition to looking at ads in the paper, you should certainly look online. Not only are there some sites that you may want to post your resume to, and some you want to check regularly for notices, you should also launch a plan to include some informal searching for possible job opportunities through networking.
I encourage my clients to use a multi-pronged approach to the job search. I don't believe you can depend on just one method to uncover possible job opportunities. Additionally, you should divide your search time proportionately based on which sources are likely to provide more leads. So, although you should look through the paper, that should not take the majority of your search time. The same applies to looking for online opportunities. Since networking is more likely to provide some actual leads, that is where you should spend the majority of your search time. Also, if you have the opportunity to do so, make sure you add some lead time to complete your search. These days a job search may easily take more than 12 months. Develop a good plan and keep at it.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to work or to school, planning for non-retirement, and other life planning issues. She meets with clients in person and via telephone to assist in finding solutions to their issues regarding such transitions. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information on her services. To contact Mary Ann, please call (513_ 665-4444 x3 or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
So What Do You Do When Your Plan Fails?
What do you do when your plans do not work out? Maybe it hasn't happened to you, but I know there have been a number of times in my life when my plans didn't work out the way I wanted. If you have not had that experience, congratulations. If you have, then you know that can be a frustrating experience. Or perhaps you have some other way to describe it - infuriating, problematic, or just plain troublesome, etc.
How you cope with that situation says a lot about you. If you begin to take your frustrations out on others, that would be one way to handle it. Or you could sit in the corner and mope. Or you could take it in your stride. There is some saying about "The best laid plans..." and I think it ends with, "often go astray" or maybe that is just how it ends for me.
The other day I was in a shop and saw a little plaque that talked about how you cope with Plan B. So many times when our original plans don't work out, we don't know what to do or what to think. But if you start by creating a Plan A and a Plan B, at least to some extent, you may not be so thrown off base if Plan A doesn't work out. Of course, planning may not be your strong suit to begin with, so the thought of developing two plans may really make you cringe. But if you are going to develop a plan, I think it is good to think about an alternate, just in case you don't initially get what you had planned. Your Plan B would not have to be quite as detailed as your Plan A, but even having a rough draft would mean that you could just dust it off and fill in some blanks to get started on it. And that advice applies to many aspects of today's life - including finding a job.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement, coping with a job loss, planning to return to work or school, or other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in developing solutions to their life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
How you cope with that situation says a lot about you. If you begin to take your frustrations out on others, that would be one way to handle it. Or you could sit in the corner and mope. Or you could take it in your stride. There is some saying about "The best laid plans..." and I think it ends with, "often go astray" or maybe that is just how it ends for me.
The other day I was in a shop and saw a little plaque that talked about how you cope with Plan B. So many times when our original plans don't work out, we don't know what to do or what to think. But if you start by creating a Plan A and a Plan B, at least to some extent, you may not be so thrown off base if Plan A doesn't work out. Of course, planning may not be your strong suit to begin with, so the thought of developing two plans may really make you cringe. But if you are going to develop a plan, I think it is good to think about an alternate, just in case you don't initially get what you had planned. Your Plan B would not have to be quite as detailed as your Plan A, but even having a rough draft would mean that you could just dust it off and fill in some blanks to get started on it. And that advice applies to many aspects of today's life - including finding a job.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for retirement, coping with a job loss, planning to return to work or school, or other life changes. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist them in developing solutions to their life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tracking Your Search
If you are currently looking for a job, I encourage you to track your search so that you can increase your chances for a successful landing. You will need to identify organizations that are potential employers for someone with your background and interests. It is important to do some research on those organizations. There are many websites available for you to do some reading about various organizations. You also want to talk to some people who know something about the field of work you are pursuing and/or the organizations on your list.
Keep track of the people you contact and the method and dates of contact. Be sure to make note of when you said you would follow-up so that you can do so in a timely manner. You may want to create some type of worksheet or database to keep track of each person's full name, title, employer, mailing address, phone number, email address, and their preferred means of contact. You also want to make note of dates and method of each contact. As you network and get referrals to other individuals, you also want to make note of who made the referral.
You should also keep track of potential employers you contact and/or submit applications or resumes. Obviously you want to be sure to follow up with them as appropriate and should not depend on your memory to keep track of all those details. You would want to keep the same types of information on potential employers as you did for your networking and other contacts. In addition to preparing your resume, basic letters, and yourself for the job search process, it is best to also set up a system to keep track of all these search activities.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, coping with job loss, preparing for non-retirement, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist in finding solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Keep track of the people you contact and the method and dates of contact. Be sure to make note of when you said you would follow-up so that you can do so in a timely manner. You may want to create some type of worksheet or database to keep track of each person's full name, title, employer, mailing address, phone number, email address, and their preferred means of contact. You also want to make note of dates and method of each contact. As you network and get referrals to other individuals, you also want to make note of who made the referral.
You should also keep track of potential employers you contact and/or submit applications or resumes. Obviously you want to be sure to follow up with them as appropriate and should not depend on your memory to keep track of all those details. You would want to keep the same types of information on potential employers as you did for your networking and other contacts. In addition to preparing your resume, basic letters, and yourself for the job search process, it is best to also set up a system to keep track of all these search activities.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning to return to work or to school, coping with job loss, preparing for non-retirement, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone to assist in finding solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Your Job Search Toolkit (part 7)
For several weeks we have talked about parts of your job search toolkit and how you should pack it. You can see that conducting a job search today is different than it was, even 10 years ago. As always, you should select individuals who will serve as references for you. It is important that you select your professional references from those individuals who will not only speak well of you, but who should be able to relate to the folks who may be inquiring about you. Be sure that you confirm their willingness to serve as a reference, don't just assume that they will. When you contact them regarding your need for a reference source, you should also verify that you have their correct contact information and current title. I think it is a good idea for all of your references to have a copy of your current resume, so they know what you are looking for and what you're saying about yourself. You should have a list of your professional references prepared so you can finalize it to share when asked by an employer. Adding a statement on your reference list about how each person knows your work can add to your overall worth.
A networking script is also needed for your search. It probably should include your Position Statement, and possibly your Departure Statement, depending on how well the contact knows you. If you were referred to that contact by someone else in your network, you should include who the referral came from when you make the contact. I think your script should also include asking if this person knows anyone else you should contact and whether you can use their name when you do. I encourage my clients to make a list of everyone they know before they begin networking and include their phone number and email address, at least. It may also be helpful to include some notation about how you know each person.
With all this information, you will need some kind of system to keep track of your search related activities. It is good to have a method of tracking your networking activities so you don't contact a person too frequently or too seldom and your means of contact. You will want to have a system for keeping track of contact you make with potential employers so you can follow-up when you said you would and with whom you said, etc. These days a job search could be a full-time job. If you are not currently working at all, you will need to step up your search activities. No matter what your other circumstances, you will probably need to add some patience to your toolkit because a search can be quite draining.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, preparing for return to work or to school, coping with job loss, planning for non-retirement, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone assisting them in finding solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
A networking script is also needed for your search. It probably should include your Position Statement, and possibly your Departure Statement, depending on how well the contact knows you. If you were referred to that contact by someone else in your network, you should include who the referral came from when you make the contact. I think your script should also include asking if this person knows anyone else you should contact and whether you can use their name when you do. I encourage my clients to make a list of everyone they know before they begin networking and include their phone number and email address, at least. It may also be helpful to include some notation about how you know each person.
With all this information, you will need some kind of system to keep track of your search related activities. It is good to have a method of tracking your networking activities so you don't contact a person too frequently or too seldom and your means of contact. You will want to have a system for keeping track of contact you make with potential employers so you can follow-up when you said you would and with whom you said, etc. These days a job search could be a full-time job. If you are not currently working at all, you will need to step up your search activities. No matter what your other circumstances, you will probably need to add some patience to your toolkit because a search can be quite draining.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, preparing for return to work or to school, coping with job loss, planning for non-retirement, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and via telephone assisting them in finding solutions to life planning issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). For more information on her services, please visit www.YourCareerPlan.com.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential voice message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Your Job Search Toolkit (part 6)
Although we have talked about several pieces for your Job Search Toolkit, your plans for a job search are not yet complete. Additionally, I encourage you to prepare a professional bio, identify your target companies/organizations, select professional references, develop a networking script and list of contacts, and create/purchase a record keeping system.
The professional bio should be prepared to highlight achievements related to your current career direction. It should be brief, typically no more than one page, and should be written in third person. This document could be used in some networking meetings and possibly in contacting potential employers. Instead of peddling your resume everywhere, a professional bio can be used when you talk with people about what you are looking for, as it will give them concrete examples of your experiences. If you are approaching a potential employer about how your background may be beneficial to them, a professional bio can be a good representation of you. You may also wish to share a copy with people who will be serving as professional references for you and others who may be able to put in a good word for you with people they know.
A professional biography (bio) is a brief (one typed page) description of your work history. Obviously, you would not necessarily include every job you have held, only those that are most relevant to the kind of work you are currently seeking. The points on your bio should be linked to your accomplishment stories. You should also include some tangible results from the accomplishments you include. It is good to include any quantifiable data that relates to your accomplishments, as well. Find appropriate action words to use in describing what you have done.
Once you have clarified the kind of work you are looking for, you should put together a list of preferred potential employers who could benefit from your skills and talents. Those would be the organizations that you should research fairly well to learn about them as you try to find a niche you could fill for them. You will want to find out not only their location and primary contact information, but also names of key people related to your desired position. You would also want to research potential needs they may have or problems you could help them address. We will address the remaining pieces for the toolkit in the last blog post for this series.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a job or career change, coping with an empty nest, planning to return to work or school, non-retirement planning, coping with loss of job, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in-person and on-line to assist them to find solutions to their life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
The professional bio should be prepared to highlight achievements related to your current career direction. It should be brief, typically no more than one page, and should be written in third person. This document could be used in some networking meetings and possibly in contacting potential employers. Instead of peddling your resume everywhere, a professional bio can be used when you talk with people about what you are looking for, as it will give them concrete examples of your experiences. If you are approaching a potential employer about how your background may be beneficial to them, a professional bio can be a good representation of you. You may also wish to share a copy with people who will be serving as professional references for you and others who may be able to put in a good word for you with people they know.
A professional biography (bio) is a brief (one typed page) description of your work history. Obviously, you would not necessarily include every job you have held, only those that are most relevant to the kind of work you are currently seeking. The points on your bio should be linked to your accomplishment stories. You should also include some tangible results from the accomplishments you include. It is good to include any quantifiable data that relates to your accomplishments, as well. Find appropriate action words to use in describing what you have done.
Once you have clarified the kind of work you are looking for, you should put together a list of preferred potential employers who could benefit from your skills and talents. Those would be the organizations that you should research fairly well to learn about them as you try to find a niche you could fill for them. You will want to find out not only their location and primary contact information, but also names of key people related to your desired position. You would also want to research potential needs they may have or problems you could help them address. We will address the remaining pieces for the toolkit in the last blog post for this series.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a job or career change, coping with an empty nest, planning to return to work or school, non-retirement planning, coping with loss of job, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in-person and on-line to assist them to find solutions to their life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Your Job Search Toolkit (part 5)
In preparation for job interviews, you should also prepare, or at least think about, experiences and activities from your past that would demonstrate your skills and strengths to share with an employer. It is a good idea to write out some stories of your accomplishments. You should be able to come with at least 5 or 6 stories from your background that would be appropriate to share. These accomplishments can be from previous work experiences, volunteer or community activities, but should be relevant to the kinds of work you are currently pursuing. Obviously, if you are considering different types of work for your next move, you may need some different stories to suit the different industries or work environments you are seeking.
In addition to preparing your accomplishment stories, in this job market, it is to your advantage to have an online presence. You should have an email address (not through your employer) through which you could be contacted. The email address should be a decent name, not some "cute" nickname, etc. These days it is also a good idea to have a Professional Profile on LinkedIn. You should use it only for professional information and networking. If you have a profile on Facebook or other network, I encourage you to check to see what information is there and remove anything you would not want a potential employer to see. Employers are actually checking the online presence of candidates - sometimes even before they invite them in for an interview. As far as that goes, it is a good idea to Google yourself so you can see what else is out there about you.
LinkedIn can be very beneficial in your networking activities but you should be willing to share information, as well. Find some groups you would like to belong to and follow their posts, offering a reply or comment, as appropriate. Maintaining your contacts through LinkedIn can also be advantageous even after you start a new job.
Although I encourage you to find job posting sites that are appropriate for you to follow in your search, I also encourage you to monitor the amount of time you spend on line. It is very easy to get involved in browsing and reading, but it is not necessarily a productive use of your time.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for non-retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and on-line to assist them to find solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
In addition to preparing your accomplishment stories, in this job market, it is to your advantage to have an online presence. You should have an email address (not through your employer) through which you could be contacted. The email address should be a decent name, not some "cute" nickname, etc. These days it is also a good idea to have a Professional Profile on LinkedIn. You should use it only for professional information and networking. If you have a profile on Facebook or other network, I encourage you to check to see what information is there and remove anything you would not want a potential employer to see. Employers are actually checking the online presence of candidates - sometimes even before they invite them in for an interview. As far as that goes, it is a good idea to Google yourself so you can see what else is out there about you.
LinkedIn can be very beneficial in your networking activities but you should be willing to share information, as well. Find some groups you would like to belong to and follow their posts, offering a reply or comment, as appropriate. Maintaining your contacts through LinkedIn can also be advantageous even after you start a new job.
Although I encourage you to find job posting sites that are appropriate for you to follow in your search, I also encourage you to monitor the amount of time you spend on line. It is very easy to get involved in browsing and reading, but it is not necessarily a productive use of your time.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including a career or job change, planning for non-retirement, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, and other life planning issues. She meets with individuals in person and on-line to assist them to find solutions to life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Your Job Search Toolkit (part 4)
These days a job search requires the individual to be prepared for a variety of interview situations. Employers or their representatives are probably conducting more phone screening interviews than they used to do. Those are often designed to "weed out" candidates who are not the type of employee the employer is seeking. It may involve clarifying parts of your background or more of a personality screening. At any rate, no matter what the format, an interview should be prepared for in advance. You may be invited to meet with a search committee and/or someone from Human Resources and that will likely happen before you actually get to meet with someone from the actual hiring department and before you meet your potential boss.
It is OK to ask what type of interview or format you will be involved in. This allows you to get your mind ready for what you may face. It is always a good idea to think about what kinds of questions you may get. There are a variety of sources online that offer typical interview questions, if you'd like to review those. In addition to the typical questions, you should think about what you would want to know, if you were in the position of employer, and how you would answer those questions. You should also prepare some questions you can ask. They should be designed to demonstrate that you know something about the organization and its products/services.
As part of your preparation, you should think about what you consider to be your individual attractive factors - those things about you that make you a strong candidate and hopefully make you more qualified than others who apply. What skills/experiences do you possess that other applicants may not? Are there particular traits you possess that may make you more attractive to a potential employer? Why would they want to hire you, instead of one of the other hundreds of candidates who likely applied for the job? Those are questions you will want to answer in preparing for your interviews. Hopefully in your research on the organization, you were able to identify a need they have that you could help them address. All of these pieces could be part of your individual attractive factors.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career or job change, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, planning for retirement, and other life planning concerns. She works with individuals in persona and via telephone to assist them in finding solutions to their life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
It is OK to ask what type of interview or format you will be involved in. This allows you to get your mind ready for what you may face. It is always a good idea to think about what kinds of questions you may get. There are a variety of sources online that offer typical interview questions, if you'd like to review those. In addition to the typical questions, you should think about what you would want to know, if you were in the position of employer, and how you would answer those questions. You should also prepare some questions you can ask. They should be designed to demonstrate that you know something about the organization and its products/services.
As part of your preparation, you should think about what you consider to be your individual attractive factors - those things about you that make you a strong candidate and hopefully make you more qualified than others who apply. What skills/experiences do you possess that other applicants may not? Are there particular traits you possess that may make you more attractive to a potential employer? Why would they want to hire you, instead of one of the other hundreds of candidates who likely applied for the job? Those are questions you will want to answer in preparing for your interviews. Hopefully in your research on the organization, you were able to identify a need they have that you could help them address. All of these pieces could be part of your individual attractive factors.
Mary Ann Davis, M.A., is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career or job change, coping with a job loss, preparing to return to school or to work, planning for retirement, and other life planning concerns. She works with individuals in persona and via telephone to assist them in finding solutions to their life transition issues. Mary Ann is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association, a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association, and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at http://www.yourcareerplan.com/ for more information on her services.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
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