Don't Believe What You Hear in the News

Sluggish economy…

Raging Debt…

High unemployment…

These are negative messages we hear on a daily basis about the state of our country’s economic condition - and we’ve heard them for years now. It is no wonder that thousands of people have given up and stopped looking for a job.

Not only do people believe the bad news they hear, but they accept the negative messages they believe about themselves –

I’m too old to get a job, they won’t hire me…

I’ve been out of work too long…

I’m competing with others who are more talented (educated, smarter, etc.) than me…

But, what if you believed that there ARE jobs out there – AND you can get the one you want - regardless of the bad news?

I saw the movie The Internship this weekend and while it was an uplifting movie over all, the clear message from the beginning was that young people today have to jump through hoops to get their first real job because it’s just not as easy as it used to be.

Consistent readers of this blog will know that I’ve been preaching FOREVER that the way to get a job and advance your career is to make yourself irresistible to employers so that they want you and are sold on hiring you even before you walk in for an interview.

So, if you SERIOUSLY want to get a job in today’s job market, here’s what you need to do:

(This advice applies to entry-level college grads as well.)

1)     Cultivate a winning mindset by starting a personal empowerment regimen

Ignore the bad news. Don’t believe what you hear. Instead believe in yourself. You can get the job you want if you’re willing to get the skills you need and willing to do what it takes to get yourself out there. Instead of listening to the bad news, fill your mind on a daily basis with positive messages. One of the best things you can do is to listen to motivational speakers on DVDs. Also fill your mind with positive affirmations – tell yourself “I can do it. It is possible.”

2)     Become Self-Reliant

No one is going to get you a job but YOU. You can read all the books in the world about how to get a job, join support groups, hire a coach, etc., but ultimately you are responsible for whether or not you get a job. You are the one who makes the decision about how much time and effort you are willing to invest to reach your goal.

3)     Have a clear vision for your career

Before you can look for a job, you have to be absolutely clear about the job you want. When you’re desperate for a job it’s easy to go after any job, but this will work against your efforts. It’s like fishing with a gun rather than fishing with a hook and bait. Once you have a clear vision for the job you want you can get the skills you need, write a focused resume, and target and contact the best companies that will be willing to hire you.

4)     Invest in yourself - develop your skills

Find out what skills you need for the job you’re targeting – then get those skills. The ways to find out are by looking at the list of qualifications in job postings and having conversations with people who have the job you want or are in that industry and who can give you the best advice about what you need to do or have to secure the job.

5)     Build your resume

Once you know what skills you need to get the job you want, it’s time to get the practical experience you need by using those skills so that you can add that experience to your resume. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if that experience is paid or not as long as it’s relevant experience.

6)     Get a professionally written resume

Your resume is the first chance a hiring manager gets to meet you. You don’t want to ruin your chances of being called in for an interview. The majority of people don’t have the writing and marketing skills to present their accomplishments on paper in the strongest light. Hire an expert to do it for you.

7)     Go after a job; don’t be passive

The most effective ways to get a job involve meeting face-to-face with people (networking) and contacting your target companies (direct contact). Spending the majority of your time applying to job postings is like taking a shot in the dark approach. It just won’t help you to get yourself out there.

8)     Be persistent in the face of failure

It is true that finding a job today is not easy and it may take longer than you’d like. There are tons of jobs out there (many of them unadvertised) but you have to be relentless. Think of yourself as a bulldog going after a bone.

9)     If you can’t get the job you want right now, do this

If it takes longer than you’d like to get the job you want you can: a) get a bridge job, b) work as a consultant or c) start your own part-time business in order to support yourself and pay the bills until you get the job you want. Remember, you always have options even when you think there are none.

How Your Résumé Can Make You More Money

A great résumé can be a powerful thing – so powerful that it can increase your income.

Before telling you about an interesting strategy for using your résumé as an instrument to get you more money, it’s vital to understand what makes a GREAT résumé. You can find out the guidelines for writing a great résumé by reading my last blog post entitled “Does Your Resume Sell You?”

In a nutshell, your résumé should convey your qualifications, accomplishments and experience as they relate to the job position you’re targeting:

Unfortunately, most people write their résumé as a job description where they make note of what their responsibilities were at every job they ever had. This will not “sell” you to prospective employers.

The following strategy works best for those who are currently employed and not necessarily looking for a new job: –

First, put together a WOW résumé that “sells” you to prospective employers and post it to major job boards such as CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, Dice, YahooJobs, etc. – to find specific job boards for your particular job position, search by the job position title and the words “job boards.” Also, you can post your résumé anonymously using each job board’s privacy options if you are concerned about your current employer finding your résumé online.

Now, just sit back and wait to see what type of response you get. There are always recruiters out there scanning job boards for great applicants; that’s their job after all!

Don’t stop there - Be sure to update your résumé on a quarterly basis by adding any additional experience you’ve obtained such as a new job function, new system or technology you’ve learned and become an expert in using. Make updating your résumé a regular practice by scheduling it on your calendar so you don’t forget. (Google Calendars is a free app you can use for this purpose.) Then repost it to those same job boards.

In general, recruiters search for résumés that have been recently uploaded, for example, within the last 30 days, so reposting your résumé will give your résumé a better chance of being found. By having an up-to-date résumé you will always be ready if you suddenly need to find a job. An easy way to keep track of your accomplishments is to write them down as they occur and then to file them in a folder. You can then look through your “accomplishment folder” when arranging for your résumé update.

Key point: The fastest way to make more money is to get a new job that pays more than you’re currently getting. Even if you don’t want to leave your current job, you can use that new offer as leverage to get a raise at your current job.

Here are some other benefits of keeping your résumé up-to-date and going through this process:

1)     It will keep you focused on creating accomplishments.

2)     It will increase your confidence by helping you to realize the value you bring to an organization.

3)     It will help you to convey your value during your performance reviews and job interviews.

So, be sure to dust off your current résumé, have it professionally written and updated, and start posting to job boards!

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Would you like to make more money?

If you are looking for professional help with proven strategies for advancing your career –

or if you need a GREAT resume that opens the doors to interviews -

Call (201) 236-1158 or email Donna@CACoaching.com.