Uncover the Common Thread in Your Renaissance Life. (So you feel less “random” and others “get” you as well.)
March 3, 2010
Meet Maria Ross! Maria (no, not the same Maria from last week!) is a brand and marketing consultant with her own business (www.red-slice.com). But of course that’s not all. She is also an author and an actor. And an animal advocate.
Maria is a fellow renaissance woman whom I met last year when I hired her to work on my branding with me. It didn’t take long before Maria recognized herself in my ideal client profile. Of course I wanted to interview her for my book about successful renaissance folks, and in this article I’ll share some of what we discussed last week.
Maria grew up with an engineer dad (you can’t get more specialist than that!), and a brother who, from an early age, knew he wanted to be a lawyer and who indeed went on to become one. By contrast, she always felt as if something was wrong with her for being so all over the place for as long as she can remember.
Selecting a major that would give her many options (marketing) at a business school, she started her career as a management consultant and worked in marketing on both the client and agency side before starting her own business a few years ago.
Early on, she also considered becoming a speech therapist.
Meanwhile, she’s been entertaining her creative side as a writer and an actor, performing with community theatres. She has several articles published in magazines and has a book coming out this spring about branding for small businesses.
Her enthusiasm is contagious and she shared many wonderful tips that I’ll include in my book.
However, here are the two most important things we can learn from Maria:
Don’t Let Your (paid) Job Define Your Identity
Maria calls herself a brand and marketing consultant, writer, speaker, and actor.
Does she get paid for all these roles all the time? No. But it’s still who she is. It’s what gives her energy, what she’s good at, what she’s excited about getting up for in the morning. And it feeds her renaissance spirit.
Let’s take this a step further.
Many folks I speak with trip over their notion of having to do something or nothing at all. When they think of a new career direction, they limit themselves by believing that they’d have to go back to school, start from scratch again, and devote all their free time to it. Or that, if they can’t be an A-list actor, it’s not worth while pursuing at all.
This is a very common mistake many renaissance folks make. I talk about this in my special report about the mistakes renaissance personalities make as well (you can download it for free here: www.CareerBranches.com).
How liberating is it when you give yourself permission to pursue something part-time, possibly in your free time?
Many believe that if something is a hobby, it’s not good enough.
Yet you’d be surprised how many people actually did take one of their interests the professional route only to find out they hated commercializing their passion! Your creative freedom has now restrictions in the form of your client’s or employer’s wishes (read: demands).
The other thing we can learn from Maria..
Find Your Personal/Life Brand
I talk about personal brands a lot as a way to distinguish yourself from the crowded sea of job seekers out there today. Having a strong, personal brand that relates to an employer’s needs is vital these days. This means that you could have several brands if you are pursuing different positions and industries.
But Maria discovered something very interesting and slightly different. She figured out the common thread throughout all her activities. Call it her life brand if you want.
It’s the one thing about her that ties it all together.
In Maria’s case, it’s being a born story teller.
Whether she works in marketing, is acting in a play, writing her articles, or her book; she’s always telling a story. That’s what she excels at and what excites her the most.
During our interview, we even figured out how working with animals fits into that picture: she’s giving a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves, just as the ASPCA ads say!
Here’s why you want to uncover your own life brand:
- You will feel more “cohesive,” for lack of a better word.
- No more skepticism: It’s much easier to help others understand what you’re about and what all your activities have in common.
And here’s how you do it – courtesy of Maria:
- Sit down and look at your different interests and jobs and figure out what it is about all those things that’s attractive to you. Think about the abstract.
For example: if you’re a pilot and love being a pilot, it may not just be about flying, but about freedom, or adventure, or about pushing your limits.
- Have an honest discussion with yourself about your values that goes beyond “”I’m honest and a hard worker.” Think about what you’re attracted to. In Maria’s case, this is (amongst other things): humor, adventure, and serenity.
- Think of what makes you excited to get up in the morning.
In summary: discover your values and what you enjoy doing to get to your common thread.
Even if you can just spend one afternoon at a coffee shop pondering this, it would be helpful.
Uncovering her life brand helped Maria tremendously in getting an inner sense of calm. From there, this mental shift helped external things fall into place better as well.
I’m figuring out my life brand as we speak! I see multiple themes but will report on it when I narrow it down.
Let me know if you’re able to figure out what yours is, ok? Just leave a comment below.
If you are interested in Maria’s book, “Branding Basics for Small Business” that’s coming out in late spring or summer, make sure to become a FaceBook fan to get notified when it’s ready at facebook.com/redslice.
Changing Careers? Zigzag Your Way Into New Territory! The Real Story of a Career Changer and Renaissance Woman
February 24, 2010
Career changers and renaissance folks alike always ask me: “How do I change paths without having to begin at the bottom all over again?”
Annoyingly, as with most things careers related; it depends.
Clearly, if you want to become a doctor, you’ll have to go to med school and start from scratch. A lawyer: back to law school, my friend.
But in most fields, there isn’t just one ticket to enter. Even though your preferred field asks for a specific educational background, chances are you may be able to bypass that.
Meet Maria
Last week I spoke with Maria, who is also a “renaissance woman,” meaning she loves variety and is one of those people trying to fit a million passions into one lifetime.
She majored in computer science and started her career in technology; coding, programming, etc.
Several years into her first job, her employer facilitated a lunch hour volunteer program through which Maria got to teach career-related workshops to young adults.
It wasn’t long before working with people had become Maria’s main interest.
Maria also volunteered trough Chicago Cares, which connects volunteers to 200+ opportunities in various areas (http://chicagocares.org/about.asp). They offer one-time volunteer opportunities. No weekly or monthly commitment. She joined field trips with seniors, did art activities with children, helped create resumes for homeless adults, tutored in the lab, helped prepare food that was being donated to an event, and helped serve meals at a Salvation’s Army.
Tip: Chicago Cares is a great way to test out non-profit or social services work for anyone living in the Chicago area. Some other cities have similar programs (i.e.: www. NewYorkCares.com).
From Science to Social Services
When the company she worked for folded two years later, she saw it as an opportunity to pursue her new passion.
Her goal: moving into social services – without the ‘right’ academic background. Make that: without a ‘remotely related’ academic background!
Maria was very organized about her transition. She even leveraged her analytical abilities that she used in her technology career (in which, btw, she flourished) to plan the next chapter.
She considered her options, talked to people, and saved up her money.
A few months later, she landed a training position at a for-profit university that specializes in technology. Maria trained homeless and at-risk adults (18 – 60+ yrs old) in soft skills and hard skills needed in the workplace.
Here, she leveraged her technology background and volunteer experience with young adults.
How did she get this job?
Networking without realizing she was doing it! She sort of sheepishly mentioned her plans to a college friend over dinner. His wife happened to know someone who was looking for a trainer.
Within two years, she had become the director of training; she managed the entire career development department and she even created a new workforce center.
Another Change of Direction
After another few years, Maria was getting restless again and shifted to a non-profit function in higher education – working with college students and alumni on career development.
Here are some pointers you can take away from Maria’s story if you want to pull off a similar transition:
Put It Out There
- Share your story, ask for help, and do some soul searching to make sure your desire for change comes from positive motivation to want to do something new, not from wanting to escape something old.It’s important to talk with others about your dreams. Not just to get the mental and moral support, but also because when you do, you’re apt to receive valuable input. People may have ideas you hadn’t thought of, or connections you weren’t aware of – just as in Maria’s example. And, as Barbara Sher says “isolation is a dream killer.” So get it out into the world – even if it seems an unattainable goal to you right now! Others can help you realize your dream.
Use a Phased Approach
- If your new field or position is quite a stretch and you’re sure you can’t enter it directly, do a phased approach – just like Maria did.
Look at your transition as a multi-step plan. First into the area that offers you the easiest entry. Once you’re in; get some experience under your belt, acquire some new skills along the way, and then move on to the area you really want to be in.
Volunteering or doing an internship is often a successful entryway into a new field. This may require a financial step back, so plan ahead, or do this on a part-time basis, if at all possible.
Zigzag Into New Territory
- Not keen on starting all over again? You don’t have to! As Maria put it; renaissance folks should take a “zig-zag” approach to their career. Each time you move on to the next field, you may have to take a small step back, but not all the way to entry level the way someone fresh out of college would. Then you’ll work your way up again, zig-zagging your way through different careers.
How do you do this? By leveraging your experience and skill set and quickly acquiring new abilities. Figuring out how to promote your transferable skills and experience (on your resume, in conversations and interviews) will take some effort. If needed, work with a career coach.
Then there’s this nice side effect of being a renaissance person; you’re probably very passionate about your new professional focus and you’re quick to learn new skills. Don’t underestimate your passion; people notice it and are drawn to it.
More often than not, the combination of transferrable skills, the ability to quickly learn new ones, and noticeable passion for this new field will get you there.
Networking and Its Place in the Hiring Process
February 17, 2010
Part 4 in my networking series is by Tom Dezell. He explains how networking fits into the bigger picture of your job search and the employer’s hiring process. If this article doesn’t turn you into a “networking convert,” I don’t know what will!
Networking and Its Place in the Hiring Process
A big reason job seekers struggle to network comes from the fact that most people don’t have to network, or engage in any job search or hiring-related activity, until they need to look for a job. Since most of us hate the process of looking for a job, once we find one, we cease any job search related activity, including networking. With this in mind it’s no surprise that few job seekers develop an understanding about how the hiring process works and why networking continuously ranks as the most effective job search method. They fail to grasp how much networking benefits both the candidate and employer.
Few job seekers understand that for an employer, listing an open job is one of the last, if not the final, strategies they will use to fill a position. They would much rather fill the opening with candidates the hiring manager or employees already know. This is why so many companies offer cash incentives to employees who refer candidates that are hired.
Another factor many fail to consider is the plight of smaller companies. Posting an opening on a job site today will easily result in the employer receiving several hundred résumés. For a company too small to support a Human Resource Department, just processing such a response would prove overwhelming. A much better option for them is to fill the job with someone they know. The Small Business Administration reports that over the past decade 60-80% of all new jobs in the U.S. have been created in small businesses. Networking may be the only way to discover such openings before they are filled.
Additionally, many job seekers don’t realize how networking can make them better candidates for positions. The more people you speak to that know a company, its hiring manager and employees, the better an understanding you can get about what particular needs each has when trying to fill a position. Contacts can give you insights as to new projects or contracts the employer just began, particular traits successful employees have or other information that can help a candidate prepare her résumé or script a job interview. Speaking to the needs and interests of a hiring manager as quickly as possible will go a long way toward getting her to like you. The more she likes you, the better the chances of receiving an offer.
Sadly, even job seekers that discover the power of networking and use it to land a new job make the same mistake after starting the job. They fail to understand that networking is about building and maintaining ongoing relationships that benefit both parties. Continue to exchange information with the contacts you developed while searching for a job and keep adding new people to your contact lists. In your mind, you may have incredible gratitude to the individual that linked you to your new employer. Well, the best ‘repayment’ you can give will be to assist another individual in a job search. Maybe then you can experience the joy of referring them to their next job.
One last thing to consider about continuing to nurture your network. The average tenures of jobs in the U.S. remain at just over four years. I advise people to estimate how many years they hope to work for the rest of their career. Divide that number by four and you’ll have an estimate of how many more times you will likely need to look for a job. Having an established network will make subsequent searches easier.
Tom Dezell is the author of Networking for the Novice, Nervous or Naïve Job Seeker. He has more than 25 years experience in career services, working with clients ranging from convicted felons to C-level executives. His web site is www.yournetworkingguide.com.
How to Look For a Job Without Saying So
February 10, 2010
Here is part 3 in my series on networking. This week’s article is by Kevin Kermes of Build the Career You Deserve. Follow along with his client’s networking experience so you can model her at your next event!
How to Look For a Job Without Saying So
A coaching client came to me with an opportunity that appeared to be wrapped in a problem. Christine was a financial services executive who had been downsized as a result of crashing markets. Her opportunity: to attend a tradeshow where the top companies for whom she would like to work would be attending. Her problem: As she put it, “Kevin, if I go around just handing out resumes, I am
First, there are more problems with attending an event like this with a ream of resumes in hand besides feeling like a loser. While mindset is of the utmost of importance, even if you felt good about handing out your paper, the technique is littered with landmines in this instance. Primarily because the people working those booths at tradeshows aren’t initially motivated to help find you a job (but, as you will see, you can get them there). Frankly, they are probably just happy to still have their job (definitely the case in financial services). So the approach needs to be much more strategic.
We started by talking about the companies who would be there that she wanted to approach. This was pretty easy, since there was a list. Next, we determined which of the product lines or specialties in those companies suited her best (annuities, mutual funds, etc.). Then, we identified who the keynote speakers were at the tradeshow for each of these product types and what the focus of their presentation was going to be. Finally, armed with all this information, she researched some interesting articles that paralleled these topics – some agreeing, some disagreeing, some that were one-offs. With all this homework done, we then formulated a plan. One that involved networking this trade show without ever saying “Are you hiring?”
Knowing which companies she was interested in, Christine’s plan was to approach each using this technique:
Christine: Hi there – Christine X. You know, every time I see you guys in the press your Morningstar rating just keeps climbing.
Company Rep: Yeah, it’s been a tough year but our managers keep doing well in spite of it. I’m John by the way. Who are you with Christine?
Christine: I was with Citi, but was RIFed a few months back. I decided to come down here and check out what’s going on in the industry.
Company Rep: I see. (starting to retract…expecting the “are you hiring?”)
Christine: John, are you planning on going to the talk being put on by Dave Y about Mutual Funds?
Company Rep: (surprised he didn’t get hit up about hiring) I am going to try, but I am not sure if I have to man the booth or not. It looks pretty interesting.
Christine: It does. If you don’t get a chance to go, I’d be happy to share my notes. But I was also reading a recent article in Barrons by James Z about Mutual Fund Regulation. I’m not sure if Dave Y is going to get into that. He raised some great points. Did you read James Z’s article?
Company Rep: No, I didn’t but it sounds interesting.
Christine: It was. I’d be glad to email it to you. Here is my business card. Let’s trade and I will be sure to send it off once I get back home.
Company Rep: Great. I’d appreciate that.
Christine: Sure thing. I’ll let you get back to things. I know you are busy. It was great meeting you and I’ll get that article to you sometime next week.
Company Rep: Thanks.
Christine’s approach is all about networking. Establishing rapport and beginning to work through the cycle of “know, like, trust.” She will follow up with John via email and, if he is open to networking, begin seeing who he knows and how he can help her. After all, in the spirit of “give to get,” she has begun the process by sharing information with him that he found valuable.
What this also does is position her better to understand what John’s company needs and how she does (or doesn’t) fit into the picture. She can more effectively navigate towards the best opportunities for her knowing where her skills fit and are needed versus giving some blanket “elevator pitch” that isn’t targeted towards the ideal job she is seeking.
Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 21,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com
Networking for Career Changers and “Renaissance Personalities”
February 3, 2010
Here is part 2 in my networking series; a guest blog by my friend and self-proclaimed “reluctant networker” Katherine Moody.
Katherine is the founder of www.HRjobsearchsecrets.com and has a true renaissance career. She pulled this off with networking strategies she developed herself that are truly doable. In this article, she is sharing her tips that will help any career changer – and especially renaissance personalities, landing leads in a new industry or field.
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Renaissance job search survival tip: Leap the chasm to a new industry through networking.
This strategy can be extremely useful when you would like to change industries. It will help you in your job search networking and, as a bonus, when you interview. I developed this technique because throughout my career, after about 18 months in a position, I wanted a new one! Even better if it could be in an entirely new industry or function.
Before you start networking your way into a new industry, you must be able to clearly explain why you are an asset to that new industry. You can’t assume that the person you’re talking to will automatically be able to see why your experience in industry A will be an asset to them in industry B. Don’t leave this quantum leap in thinking to your interviewer or person you’re networking with. They will never make it across that chasm.
Let’s assume your career has been in Industry A. Now you want to work in Industry B. Complete the following statements:
* My experience in industry A is an advantage to a hiring manager in industry B in the following ways:
* Here’s what I learned by being in industry A that people who haven’t been in industry A would not know:
* Here are the unique results I will be able to get for a company in Industry B because of my experience in Industry A:
The ultimate question to answer, even if they don’t ask, is “what is it about you and your experience that makes you a better candidate than the candidate who does have industry experience?”
Practice your answers to these questions. Be able to weave them easily and briefly into your career brand statement as well as the requests you make of those you are networking with.
Many candidates who want to change industries rely on that old standard: “Well, my skills are transferable.” Most recruiters and hiring managers I’ve worked with typically ignore that statement.
If you answer the questions above, even if they don’t specifically ask, you’ll always beat out those who have nothing but “transferable” to talk about.
Recruiter TIP: Often the person interviewing you will need a way to convince their boss that you’re right for the position. Their boss will probably have the same concern about your lack of industry experience. With the answers to these questions, you have given the interviewer all the reasons why this is not an issue. Give them the words and they may give you the job!
It works the same way when you’re networking. When you can make a compelling case of how you are an undiscovered treasure for Industry B, people will be eager to introduce you to their contacts in that industry. We all want to get credit for finding a treasure!
Here’s how it worked for me: All the other candidates had 10+ years of experience. Me? Six months. Even though the hiring Partner didn’t ask, I explained how my marketing experience in a software company made me the best choice to be the new Director of Recruiting at Deloitte & Touche. Got that job!
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For a quick, fun technique to develop your memorable brand statement, please visit Katherine’s site for her free special report: www.hrjobsearchsecrets.com. Then you can weave your answers above into your career brand and really stand out!
Networking: The Real (Or)Deal!
January 27, 2010
Networking is sizzling hot.
It’s through networking that you’ll most likely land your next job. Networking helps you find leads in a new company or industry. Networking helps you get informational interviews, and lets you tap into the hidden job market.
And now there’s online networking. Social and business networking sites galore. For those of you who’re always dragging your feet to in-person networking events; a true blessing!
Yet not everyone’s response to online networking is “You had me at hallo!”
Typically, I’ll hear people say:
“It takes too much time.”
“I don’t know what to do or say.”
“I reached out to my network and nothing happened.”
In this part 1 in a series on networking I’ll explain some common networking mistakes to avoid and what to do instead. And because it’s easier to demonstrate this using real examples, I’ll pick one of my personal networking-gone-wrong scenarios to help you see what happened and how to do it differently.
Here’s such an example..
A little while ago, I received an email from someone I didn’t know, but whose name sounded vaguely familiar. (As it turned out, the person didn’t know me either and I later realized that the reason her name rang a bell with me was because her last name is identical to that of someone I do know.)
The email she sent was clearly a mass email. She had correctly sent it to herself and bcc’d it to everyone else so none of the email addresses were showing.
Networking Tip #1: Make sure you use the bcc feature when mass emailing.
You don’t want to start off losing half of your own network because they’re mad at you. Most people don’t like having their email addresses be up for grabs like that.
So far so good.
She talked about how she’d been working in a new interim job, how she’d collaborated with many of us in the past and that she was now looking for yet another job more in line with her skills.
She concluded her email by offering her help in providing us with leads or contacts.
Very nice.
First, let’s see what she did right.
She identified the industry she wanted to work in, in which capacity, and what kind of skills she wanted to use.
To make it more effective, she could’ve elaborated on what exactly her track record was in similar roles, using those same skills. She could’ve identified specific companies she was interested in.
This may have been common knowledge to her network, but if you’re trying to expand your reach, you want to always include specifics in case someone wants to forward your email to one of their contacts. No lengthy essays, but some particulars.
What mistake did she make?
She asked for a job.
Networking Tip #2: Don’t ask your network for a job! Ask for contacts or advice instead.
Just as she offered her network contacts, and not a job, she should’ve asked for leads from her network. It’s totally ok to let everyone know that you’re looking for a new job. But when it comes time to ask for favors, you’ll do much better asking for contacts at specific companies or industries or advice about entering a particular field.
Your new job is very rarely just one contact away. Most often, it’s a six-degrees-of-separation kind of (or)deal. Think about it: how many people do you know sitting around with jobs to hand out?
You may ask: “But what if someone really did know of a job opening that would be a great fit for me?”
In that rare event, they’d tell you!
The problem with directly asking for a job is that it puts a burden on people. It’s quite something to have to come up with! And if they don’t have one, the conversation usually ends there.
Except for with me.
Given that helping people with their careers is my job – and my passion, I felt compelled to reach out to her. Besides, I had a client who was applying in the same industry she was pursuing. Even though they could be perceived as “competitors,” I thought I’d check with my existing client to see if she had some names she no longer needed for a hot job lead.
So here’s what I emailed her – verbatim but with identifying data omitted to protect the innocent:
Hey (name),
Please forgive me – your name rings a bell somewhere, but what do we know each other from again?
Anyway, congrats on your new job, and I’d be happy to keep my eyes open for you. I just had a client apply for the exact type of jobs you’re after too, so if there are any contacts she’s willing to share, I’d be glad.
Good luck, and happy Holidays!
Ilona
PS: Just curious: how did you find your current job?
Her response:
Hi Ilona,
I am actually looking for a job so if you can share any info I would be very grateful!
What went wrong? She sounds polite, no?
Let’s look a little closer and put it in perspective by rereading my email to her.
There seems to be an overall disconnect.
She is ignoring my questions and not making any attempt to establish some sort of rapport. My first question is the most important one – how we know each other. I’m reaching out to her as someone she wrote to but who – turned out – is a complete stranger to her. I’m trying to establish some sort of relationship with her there, but she ignores it. Instead, she goes straight to “the goods.” Even though she states she “would be very grateful,” she is falling short here.
Networking Tip #3: Establish rapport, build a relationship.
Don’t be the person – in real life or online – who goes around the room with a stack of business cards spewing their sales pitch or asking anyone who’ll listen whether they have a job available.
Her entire message seems awkward as she states the obvious: she’s looking for a job and is looking for help. That’s what I had just offered her; help with her job search.
I tried one more time: “How do we know each other again?”
She simply gives me the name of an organization and a person. Neither are familiar to me and I let her know this.
Her response:
“Someone along the way must have referred me to you. I am a xxx as xxx …. does that ring a bell??? Are you able to help me?”
This is where I left off the conversation. Partly because her lack of manners irked me and partly because we went into the busy holiday season at that time.
So what would’ve gotten me to actually take out some of my precious time and help a complete stranger by asking one of my clients for her willingness to share leads?
Connection and appreciation.
Networking Tip #4: Say “thank you!”
And I’m not that different from most people when it comes to this.
I read a blog post a while ago; the author described how he granted an informational interview to someone, later received an email from that person, but never heard the words “thank you.” He was ticked off.
In my situation, all it would’ve taken was for her to connect with me in her first response, and acknowledge that I was doing her a big favor, especially because we didn’t know each other.
Of course, even if you do know the person you’re approaching, make sure to thank them – overtly. Someone is putting their reputation on the line for you by reaching out into their network and either recommending you to someone else or by linking the two of you. Or, they’re taking time out of their busy day to help your career along.
The rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t even expect a response from a stranger you are asking a favor of. They don’t owe you anything. Some people are inundated with requests for leads and information. Humans tend to want to help others, so your odds of getting a favorable response are good. However, don’t sulk when you don’t hear back from a stranger you approached.
Another factor to keep in mind: as you don’t want your communication to be too long-winded, you want to watch out for those Blackberry and iPhone-inspired one-liners. There’s a time and place for everything; trying to establish a new connection needs more than a curt sentence.
If this seems very basic to you, that’s because it is! Yet – I had a hard time deciding which real-life example to use here as I have so many networking-scenarios-gone-wrong to pick from. And I hear the same stories from my friends and colleagues.
Stay tuned for the next part in this series on networking! Subscribe to my blog at the home page of my blog so you won’t miss an issue. We’ll also have at least one guest blogger – a networking expert – as part of this series. I promise you you’ll want to stay tuned – good stuff coming up!
How to Make Your Resume Stand Out in a Today’s Competitive Job Market – Part 2 of 2
January 21, 2010
In part 1 of “How to make your resume stand out in a crowded job market,” I talked about the resume itself and the 3 key components your resume needs to capture a decision maker’s attention.
Just to recap, these 3 factors were … making sure your resume:
1 – Is branded
2 – Is focused
3 – Provides proof of your brand and statements by using quantifiable achievements and context.
In part 2 of this article, we’re going to look at ways to actually get your resume into the hands of hiring managers.
After all, you could have put together a highly powerful resume, but if you use ineffective job search methods, it simply won’t get noticed.
Job searching has undergone some drastic “nip and tuck” the past few years.
It’s not just the economy that makes for a more competitive landscape. These days, your resume may not be the first thing a company sees from you. With the proliferation of social and business networking sites, it may be your online profile(s).
So you need to know how to craft your resume, but you also need to know how to market it, and market yourself. In the end, isn’t it about companies showing an interest in you, whether it’s through your resume or another medium?
The majority of employers will google you during the hiring process. They may even find you online to begin with, or be referred to you by someone who’s seen your profile online.
The good news is that you can be in the driver’s seat by going after the hidden job market and using social networking. You definitely don’t want to passively apply to positions you see posted online. This has an average 2% “success” rate.
To be truly successful in today’s competitive job market, you need to use a combination of offline and online networking.
It’s still great to network in person and sometimes sending a hard copy of your resume will make you stand out in a time where email has become the norm. (Gen Y: that’s what those little square pieces of paper – stamps – are for.)
All kidding aside, whatever you do, you always want to establish a connection or even a relationship. Even if it’s through one of your contacts. If you can have your resume handed over to a decision maker by a key contact within your target company; great! That would be ideal.
When going the online route, the emphasis should be on positioning yourself as an expert in your field vs. asking your network for a job. Social networking is perfect for this!
You do this by commenting on other people’s blogs that are relevant to your field, by having your own blog and web site – yes, a web site! – and by answering questions online, engaging in groups discussions, and posting articles about your expertise.
You also want to identify hiring managers – not HR! – at the companies you’re interested in online so you can approach and target them with your messages.
After a while, you’ll be seen as an expert and a resource. Next, people may even approach you and refer you without you having to ask because you’ve created relationships within your network and provided value to others.
It’s crucial to avoid the mistake of asking people in your network for a job. It’s needy and most people don’t have jobs to hand out. This means: end of conversation. It’s perfectly fine to ask for leads for informational interviews though.
With these strategies, you can work the hidden job market more easily as well. What this means is that you are going to find out about a company’s hiring needs well before they’re ever advertized or posted.
But beware…when profiling yourself online, you need to know your own brand. Otherwise, you won’t stand out or you may even send out the wrong message about yourself.
For tips on how to brand yourself, please refer back to part 1 of this article.
Combining the strategies from part 1 and part 2 will give you a very big competitive edge.
Readers, I’d love to hear your experiences with these strategies. Have you been able to carve out a niche for yourself online? Have you found a great way to get noticed? Which aspects of the job search do you find most challenging?
If you haven’t signed up yet for my FREE webinar “REVEALED: 5 Secrets to Getting Your Resume to Stand Out in Today’s Job Market,” you can still do so. It’s my first solo webinar – with many more to come – and I’m very excited about it! Can’t wait to share what actually works and would love for you to join me.
Whether you’re actively looking for a new job or getting yourself ready just in case; you wonder how to get your resume noticed in today’s competitive environment.
So how do you stand out in a sea of competition – often equally qualified candidates?
The answer is two-fold:
- By knowing the 3 must-haves to include in your resume
- By using the right job search strategies
In part 1 of this article, I’ll discuss the 3 must-haves for your resume.
First of all; there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to resumes as much of the strategy depends on the person and the situation. But we do know there are certain things that always work.
Start by putting yourself in the shoes of a hiring person or recruiter. They see resumes all day long. Therefore, they simply won’t sit there and read your 5-page essay-style resume. Nor will they try to piece things together and figure out how your interesting and diverse background might fit with their organization. You need to make this clear to them.
Typically, they’ll spend about 10 seconds to see what jumps out at them – specifically: who you are, what you do, where your expertise lies, and what you can do for them. In other words: what solution do you bring to their problem?
So here are my 3 must-haves that will help your resume get noticed among your competition:
1 – Your resume needs to be branded.
What do we mean by that?
A personal brand is a differentiated promise of value. It’s about what’s unique about you which has a bottom-line impact for an organization.
When your resume is branded, it clarifies why YOU should be hired over anyone else with the same background, with the same type of responsibilities, and even similar achievements.
Often, it’s about HOW you get results. Employers want to know how you do something differently.
A personal brand is organic and authentic. It’s really about who you are and your core skill set, and then distilled into the one, overriding factor that would make you irresistible to employers. It is also something that you would absolutely love doing.
The challenge is in identifying and leveraging it so people see it even more clearly.
2 – Your resume needs to be focused.
Trying to keep your options open on your resume almost always backfires.
Again, remember hiring folks take mere seconds to scan your resume.
However, don’t use the hopelessly outdated “objective” as your resume should focus on what you can do for the employer vs. what you want from them.
Objectives typically read something like this: “Challenging position where I can use my skills and experience and have room for growth.”
These are meaningless statements and could apply to anyone from a janitor to a CFO.
So we want to create a clear focus to make it instantly clear who you are and what you do.
Just remember that an unfocused resume is an ineffective resume. It may feel counter-intuitive to you if you’re not sure what you want to do or if you want to keep your options open, but focusing your resume is vital.
3 – Show proof of your statements.
In other words: back up your brand and brand statement with specifics.
Stay away from flowery fluff such as “goal-oriented people person with track record of building relationships …” This is too vague and makes it look like everyone else’s resume. These statements used to work, but they don’t anymore.
Next, make sure to quantify your achievements throughout your resume when describing your achievements. Provide some context for them by comparing your accomplishments to industry or company averages, or to those of your peers or your predecessor.
This way, your resume does not read like a job description. Instead, it will give readers a very clear picture of what unique things you have done and what sets you apart from John Doe with a similar background.
As a parting thought: Always make sure that everything on your resume is there for a reason and is relevant to your target. Your resume need not be all-inclusive. Anything that’s not relevant distracts from your core message.
There you have it! With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating a resume that will get you noticed in any economy, no matter how crowded the market place!
Keep your eye out or subscribe to my blog for part 2 of this article: how to pick the most effective job search strategies to make sure your resume actually gets into the hands of the right people!
If you haven’t signed up yet for my FREE webinar “REVEALED: 5 Secrets to Getting Your Resume to Stand Out in Today’s Job Market,” you can still do so. It’s my first solo webinar – with many more to come – and I’m very excited about it! Can’t wait to share what actually works and would love for you to join me.
Do you have so many different interests and passions that the concept of settling into one career always felt awful to you?
If so, do you recognize yourself in these descriptions?
You are…
… Afraid that you’ll either have to settle into a career and stick with it for life (boring!) or pursue your many, unrelated passions that will leave you penniless and unable to support your family.
… Well beyond your college years but still clueless about what you want to be when you grow up. You feel like something is wrong with you.
…Often described as a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. You are quickly excited about many, completely unrelated topics, but you may lose interest just as quickly.
…Someone with a zest for life and a love of new experiences and learning for the sake of learning.
… Very successful in your field, but bored to death and looking to change directions – again. To the horror and disbelief of those around you.
If this sounds like you, chances are, you are frustrated. Or worse; you are desperate because you can’t seem to “get it together.” It’s even possible that, in your attempt to keep your options open in order to satisfy all your different interests, you make no choices at all. You know you have all this potential but lots of it is going unused.
If you’ve ever felt as if something was wrong with you for your inability to stick with a passion, a hobby, an interest, or job, or even a career; take heart. You are completely normal!
So what is going on?
Genetically Wired To Pursue Many Unrelated Interests
You’re part of a group of people genetically wired to be interested in – and pursue – many completely unrelated topics. Barbara Sher calls us “scanners” in her book “Refuse to Choose” and Margaret Lobenstine wrote “Renaissance Souls” about us. Whatever the name; we are multi-talented people trying to fit a million passions into one lifetime.
If you recognize yourself in this personality type and this is the first time you hear about this concept, I’m sure you’ve got all sorts of thoughts and feelings running through you right now.
It’s not uncommon for someone with this trait to go through life unaware of it, feeling misplaced in society and trying hard to fit in.
The good news is that it IS possible to live a life that integrates all of your passions – whether it pertains to careers or hobbies, or both.
And it’s definitely a wonderful trait! It makes you a very versatile, flexible, and interesting person.
The Multi-Talented Personality’s Place In Society
Even though our culture hasn’t heralded these “renaissance personalities” during the past 6 decades or so, there are many famous people throughout history who were.
Probably the best-known example is Ben Franklin. If you’re not familiar with his multi-faceted life, just look him up online and you’ll be astounded. And no one in his time would have the audacity to call him a jack-of-all-trades, master of none!
But times are changing again, and I believe we’re entering an era where this personality type is highly valuable. Think globalization and the need for workers to function across disciplines and cultures. Especially in downtimes when resources are scarcer.
3 Main Characteristics Of The Multi-Talented
Adapted from Margaret Lobenstine’s “The Renaissance Soul,” these are the three main characteristics of this multi-talented personality type:
1 – A preference for variety over a single-minded focus
This has nothing to do with the ability or inability to focus on what you’re doing at that moment. As you’ll see later on, it’s not ADHD in disguise.
Variety comes in many forms: Some people may pursue many interests simultaneously, others on a
rotating basis, or they do it one at a time, after which they move on.
2 – The multi-talented enjoy a work style that doesn’t follow a linear, predictable process.
Their emphasis is on growth and evolution instead of rigid adherence to a plan. This is also why the traditional time management systems typically don’t work for them. What they need is flexible plans. With emphasis on flexible!
3 – A sense of success defined by challenges mastered instead of how far up the ladder they’ve climbed.
Multi-talented people love the steep learning curve a new challenge or skill presents. Once they’ve mastered this or solved a problem, they’re done. This is why they their definition of success and completion is very different from other people.
Do you truly fit this personality type? Let’s double check. If you fit the following criteria, the answer is probably “no:”
1 - You have ADHD or you suffer from depression. Both conditions mimic certain traits of a multi-talented person, but aren’t really. Of course, both those conditions and being multi-talented are not mutually exclusive. However, having ADHD or being depressed can easily make you believe you fit the multi-talented personality type. This is because depression creates a fragmented consciousness.
2 - You are very happy to be absorbed in one career or field. In other words: you’re a specialist. Professions that typically lend themselves to this category are musicians, doctors, scientists, athletes, financiers, mathematicians. Sure, you relax with a hobby, but you’re not really passionate about anything but your own field.
3 - You’re not choosing a direction because you are afraid to be mediocre or even fail when you commit to something. But deep down you know what you want to do.
4 - You like to job hop because you keep finding better offers. However, you’re staying in the same field. Therefore, you do not qualify as a multi-talented personality.
It’s important to have clarity about this so you can either get to the root of what’s bothering or driving you.
For the truly multi-talented personality: Know that not only society is changing, but that you can make changes in your life as well. There are several strategies and tools for you to make the most of your unique trait. Keep your eyes out for more posts on this topic!
