Tips for Writing an Effective LinkedIn Profile

In my last post, I explained why you MUST be on LinkedIn; however, you don’t want to write a boring, generic profile either. Just as your resume should be written to get you noticed, the same is true for your LinkedIn profile; you never know who will be viewing it. It is a well-known fact that recruiters scour LinkedIn profiles to find applicants for their open positions. It is also a place where prospective employers look you up prior to conducting an interview or to verify your information.

If you follow these tips, you’ll put together a powerful profile:

1)     Be sure to include a photo, and make sure that you look professional and make a great impression.  (No pictures with your dog or out by the pool!)

2)     Emphasize and include your unique selling propositions (your brand) within the summary section.  (Any info that sets you apart and distinguishes you from others in your profession.)

3)     Unlike your resume, it is acceptable to use the first person pronoun “I” when writing your profile.

4)     Customize your LinkedIn URL with a short, personal name. For ex., here’s my profile address: linkedin.com/in/donnabradshaw.  (Here’s an extra tip – put your LinkedIn URL on your resume and email signature line to help you to grow your connections).

5)     Make sure that the company history you have written on your resume conforms to the info on your profile, e.g., dates, company names, etc.

6)     Write your content to target the job you want, not the one you have.

7)     Include industry specific keywords on your profile for optimum searchability.

8)     Don’t copy your resume word for word; strive to make your resume differ from your LI profile.

9)     Fill out your profile completely; make every effort to have a 100% complete profile.

10)  Get endorsements from people who have worked with you; your bosses/supervisors, vendors, customers, etc.; the more recent, the better.

11)  Join groups relevant to your industry and job position so that you can participate in them and become a known expert.

12)  Include your twitter address, websites, blogs, online resumes, reports, etc. within the summary section.

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Need help?

For a well-written, uniquely branded LinkedIn profile that gets noticed

or for a LinkedIn Skills Workshop to help you with navigating LinkedIn –  

call 201-236-1158 or email – Donna@CACoaching.com.

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Why You MUST Be On LinkedIn

It has been said that if you're not on LinkedIn, you don't exist.

LinkedIn is the #1 place that professional business people hang out. If you want to stay current in your industry and with business trends, are looking for a job, or want to stay in touch with contacts and make new ones, then LinkedIn is the place to be.

Some interesting facts about LinkedIn:

-        According to Wikipedia, LinkedIn operates the world's largest  professional network on the Internet with more than 120 million members in more than 200 countries and territories.

-    Professionals sign up to join LinkedIn at a rate that is faster than two new members per second.

Here are some benefits of joining and participating on LinkedIn:

   1)     It's a great research tool -

-          To find companies to target within specific geographic locations for your job search or names of people within those companies who can hire you.

-          To find key people within your industry to establish mutually-beneficial relationships with.  

2)     Connect/Follow up/Stay Current with people -

-          After meeting new people at networking events or conferences, invite them to connect to you on LinkedIn.

-          Keep in touch and get to know more about your new contact, read their updates, send messages to acknowledge their successes and have them learn more about you.

3)     It's a great place to find answers -

-          You can join or start meaningful conversations by participating in specific groups pertaining to topics you're interested in and by asking questions when you need help with a problem.

Don't wait another minute! If you're not on LinkedIn, join today.
 

A Great Place to Network to Advance Your Career (AND if you need a job!)

Business owners know that one of the best ways to find new business is to form alliances with other professionals who have access to their market. For example, accountants can form alliances with tax attorneys who can refer clients to them. It’s more of a direct approach than some other marketing approaches (for ex., placing ads) and will certainly increase the chances of getting work since the business owner will be perceived as being a trusted referral partner.

The same is true of establishing networks to either find a job or advance your career. You will have more success when networking if you form relationships with people who have access to job openings; especially unadvertised job positions, a.k.a. the hidden job market.

One really great place to do that is to join an industry association.

If you’re not sure how to find them, here are 3 easy ways:

How to find industry associations:

1)     Go to your local library and ask the reference librarian for access to the Encyclopedia of Associations (you should also be able to find the publication online). While you’re there, ask her if she has any other resources for finding industry associations – librarians are magical creatures when it comes to research!

2)     Go to http://www.weddles.com/ – click on the Associations tab at the left which will take you to a page with industries by category.  Select yours and you will find a long list of associations to link to.

3)     Google the name of your profession or industry and the word association.

Once you have found a few associations that you might be interested in joining, contact them to get more info and find out if you can attend the first meeting for free. When you’re ready to become a member you can join a local or regional chapter or the national association; your decision will be guided by your budget and your need to reach a larger group of professionals in your industry.

Benefits of joining an association:

–    The obvious benefit is meeting and networking with professionals in your industry. Once you form relationships –

•          you may be able to find out about hidden job openings to advance your career.

•          you may be able to find a member within your target company (or who knows of someone within your target company) who can give you an introduction.

–    Access to the association membership database, newsletters and blogs.

–    Association websites usually have job postings listed. This will give you a competitive advantage since the job may be posted on the website before the general public gets to hear about it.

–    Associations are a great resource for cutting edge info to keep you current in your industry.

–    You can take advantage of ongoing training and professional accreditation that will give you a competitive advantage when climbing the corporate ladder.

Suggestions for getting the most value out of joining an association:

1)     Go to monthly meetings and attend regularly; get there early and leave late.

2)     Don’t discuss your need for a job with new contacts (if you’re looking for one); be sure to introduce yourself, get to know the other person, talk about your work, and think about how you can be of help or a resource to them.

3)     Join a committee where other members can see your work product and the value that you can bring to the association. (Keep in mind this experience can be included on your resume.)

Finally, you might also consider joining your college alumni association and/or corporate alumni association (if you belong to one).

Keep this in mind –

increasing your networks through professional associations is one of the best strategies for job search and long-term career management.

Do you have what it takes to be a success?

When I was a kid, I just loved going on the merry-go-round at our local amusement park. I was captivated by the loud music, bright lights, colorful wooden horses and thrill of the circular motion.  While the ride itself was exciting, the thing that fascinated me the most was the
brass ring that you could grab if you were lucky enough to be able to reach out and take hold of it. I would extend my little arm and reach as far as I could, but unfortunately, I was never able to reach far enough to grab the brass ring - it seemed like an impossible feat for me.

Isn't that the way we sometimes feel about this life?

Some things just seem impossible to accomplish.

But, have you ever noticed the people who seem to have figured out how to go after and have the things they want? They have a clear direction for their lives, the confidence to attain their goals, and the focused concentration and consistency to live their dreams.

What is it that sets these fortunate individuals apart from those who never seem to attain their goals? Do you ever wish you could replicate their success?

In my opinion, the key to success boils down to developing certain characteristics and habits, cultivating a successful mindset, getting the help and support you need and then working at it on a daily basis. Successful people aren't any more talented than the average person; they are just more disciplined and focused than most.

To inspire you and help you to find your own path to success, I've put together a list of 40 Success Tips - habits that high achievers develop in the pursuit of excellence. In essence, they are highly effective habits of successful people. Cultivate these habits and you too will achieve satisfying and sustainable results in any endeavor.

Come follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/donnabradshaw for a list of tips that will inspire you and help you to reach out and grab your brass ring in life!

What do you think it takes to be a success?

I’d love to hear from you, please post your comments below.

Success Tip #1 – Create a vision for your life.
Success Tip #2 – Set goals and challenge yourself.
Success Tip #3 - Focus on solutions instead of problems.
Success Tip #4 - View your problems as challenges.
Success Tip #5 - Look for opportunities when faced with a problem.
 Success Tip #6 - Get help when you don’t know how to do something.

Success Tip #7 - Instead of envying others, emulate their success

Success Tip #8 -  Develop an “abundance” mindset.

Success Tip #9 - Hang around with positive, successful people.

Success Tip #10 - Eliminate toxic people who drain your energy.

Success Tip #11 - Make good health your top priority.

Success Tip #12 - Take control of your problems.

Success Tip #13 - Continually work on self-improvement.

Success Tip #14 - Take responsibility for your life.

Success Tip #15 - Realize you have choices.

Success Tip #16 - Accept what you cannot change.

Success Tip #17 - Continually reflect on what you are grateful for.

Success Tip #18 - Focus on your strengths.

Success Tip #19 - Explore your passions.

Success Tip #20 - Develop your interests.

Success Tip #21 - Tap into inspiration when you need to be recharged.

Success Tip #22 - Incorporate healthy eating habits into every day.

Success Tip #23 - Exercise daily.

Success Tip #24 - Don’t make excuses for your situation

Success Tip #25 - When you have a problem, do the research to find solutions.

Success Tip #26 - Feed your mind, body and spirit.

Success Tip #27 - Focus on what makes you happy, not rich.

Success Tip #28 - Do what you think is right, not what other people tell you to do.

Success Tip #29 - Let your values guide your decisions.

Success Tip #30 - Re-group when your life becomes stagnant.

Success Tip #31 - Be consistent.

Success Tip #32 - Be persistent.

Success Tip #33 - Don’t waste time watching a lot of TV.

Success Tip #34 - Continually educate yourself through reading.

Success Tip #35 - Listen to educational audio tapes.

Success Tip #36 - Be a well-rounded person.

Success Tip #37 - Face your fears.

Success Tip #38 - Stretch yourself.

Success Tip #39 - Practice positive self-talk.

Success Tip #40 - Believe in yourself.

Get More Interviews and Keep Your Resume Off the Reject Pile

September is Update Your Résumé Month and a great time for you to revise, refine, and refresh your current résumé. The value of a well-targeted, well-written, concise résumé cannot be overestimated – particularly in today’s job market where companies receive hundreds of applications in response to job postings. The difference between a good and great résumé can result in doors being opened or closed to the interview.

In general, the majority of people write their résumé as an historical document setting out basic contact info along with their job history, but this type of cut-and-dry document will most likely get placed on the reject pile. Instead, you have to write it with the hiring manager in mind.  You must ask yourself, what is the best way to get his or her attention?  How can you get the hiring manager to notice you out of hundreds of other applicants?

Here are eight ways to get noticed:

1)      Write to the future.

Begin with a clear strategy in mind when writing your résumé. What specific job position are you targeting? What is your career objective? Focus on the most relevant skills necessary to perform your desired job position and de-emphasize the tasks that are not relevant.

2)     Write an outstanding qualifications summary to capture interest right away.

This is the most important part of the résumé and determines whether or not the hiring manager will keep reading.  This is your opportunity to shine and sell yourself. It’s also you’re chance to convey your unique brand - the thing that sets you apart from other applicants.

3)     Emphasize results.

Companies are most interested in these three things: employees that make money, save money or increase efficiency for the company. Be sure to demonstrate when you’ve done these things in the past and your future employer will be able to envision you doing the same for him or her in the future.

4)      Backup the claims made in your summary statement.

Support the statements you made about yourself in the qualifications summary by setting out how and when you accomplished those things in your job history.  For example, a sales manager would demonstrate a “keen sales ability” by noting within one job description that he sold $2 million worth of widgets in 2008.  

5)     Quantify your accomplishments for each position using numbers, percentages and dollars.

Be specific about your accomplishments. Let’s say you were a manager or supervisor.  How many people did you direct and manage?  What is the size of the firm in terms of dollars?  How many divisions or departments did you oversee?  Did you increase productivity?  Be sure to use numbers to impress your audience.

6)      Write a focused résumé based on the actual requirements for the job position that you’re applying for.

It’s important to ascertain the key competencies, qualifications, and credentials necessary for the job you’re applying to and then demonstrate that you have the expertise and experience to step into that position.  For example, if you are applying for a meeting planner job, you will be required to have good customer service skills, be well-organized, be able to budget expenses, etc.  The best résumé will highlight how you carried out those responsibilities in your past jobs.

7)     Do not make spelling and grammatical errors.

Think about it - what does this say about you?  This is practically the same as going on an interview with torn clothing, messy hair and dirty nails.  Résumé mistakes make a bad impression.  It makes the reader think that if you are sloppy and careless on your résumé, you’ll be sloppy and careless on the job.  Diligently proofread and check for errors; don’t just rely on your spell check. 

8)     Be sure to include industry and position specific key words on your résumé.

Since your résumé will very likely end up in a database; either when listing it on job boards or when a company scans your résumé into their database, it is imperative to have enough keywords within the résumé so that yours comes up towards the top of the list. How do you find keywords for your position?  You can find industry specific keywords by reviewing job board ads and company website postings for the position you’re interested in.

 

9)     Edit, edit, edit.

Don’t think you have to include every single detail about your career history. Hiring managers only spend 10 – 30 seconds scanning résumés. If yours is too long and too wordy, they’ll move on to the next. Omit unnecessary information and only include info that makes the maximum impact.

10)   Go for the “wow” factor – make it memorable!

Especially in today’s job market, it’s important to make a great first impression and to stand out from the crowd. Give your résumé the look and feel of a polished advertisement. Consider using eye-catching graphic elements, infusing color, and including small, relevant logos. Of course, match the résumé design to your industry; traditional fields require a more conservative design, however, you can take more liberties with creative fields. Be sure to add as much white space as possible to enhance readability.

If you follow these ten steps, your résumé will get noticed when you apply for a job and you will very likely be called in for an interview. If you’re finding it difficult to incorporate the above qualities into your résumé, let us do it for you!

If You Want to Get Ahead in Your Career, Do This…

I’ll get right to the point:

Companies are interested in employees that can do one of 3 things for them:

1)     Make money

2)     Save money

3)     Increase efficiency (which saves money!)

So, why is it that the majority of workers rarely think about this? I think it’s because most folks spend more time thinking about what it is that they want than what the employer wants. The ironic thing is that if you can shift your focus from yourself to the employer, you ultimately will get what you want.

This is true for the job seeker as well. If you can demonstrate to a prospective employer how you have done one of the above 3 things in past jobs (and can do so again), you shouldn’t have trouble finding a new position and getting the job.

So, where do you begin? How do you figure out how to make a meaningful financial contribution on the job?

If you’re currently employed, find out the answers to these questions:

·                     How does your company create profits?

·                     How does your job contribute to that process?

·                     How can you modify your job so that more profits are produced as a result of what you do?

Then finally, make sure that your boss knows how much more money you are making for the company.

But let’s say you believe your job responsibilities don’t have anything to do with making money for the company. For example, you have an administrative position and no real opportunity to bring in income for the company; certainly not the same as if you had a position in sales. In that case, I would suggest you focus on increasing efficiency and how your efforts can save money for the organization you work for.

Jan took this approach. She is a Property Manager working for a small real estate management firm in New York City. Her job responsibilities encompassed collecting rent from tenants, handling leases, resolving tenant complaints, and coordinating repairs to the properties as well as other duties. She recognized that her company was losing money on tenants that defaulted on rental payments. She also realized that she could increase her value by becoming more efficient on the job. She came up with solutions to streamline processes and systems at work so that she could get more administrative work done in less time. She looked for and recommended skilled laborers to handle the building maintenance (eliminating wasted expenses due to past worker errors) and she also proposed a plan to her bosses for providing a cash discount incentive to tenants for paying their rent on time.  She then figured out how much money those ideas contributed to the company’s profits. When it was time to ask for a raise, she was able to demonstrate her worth to her employers in dollars and cents – an issue that is near and dear to their hearts.

So, if you want to get ahead, think of ways to help your employer get ahead first.

Are You Making These 8 Big Mistakes

I just received an email on the 10 Tips to Slim Down for Summer. While I could have written the article, (and I’m sure you could too!) because I’m so familiar with the common advice given for weight loss as I’ve read it a thousand times -  I just couldn’t resist reading it! Perhaps it’s because I’m hoping for an answer that I’m not aware of and even if I don’t find one, it’s always a good  idea to be reminded of what needs to be done to stay trim and healthy.

The same is true for the job search. Many people have a good idea of what they need to do to find a job – put together a resume, respond to ads, register with recruiters/staffing agencies, network, network, network, etc. However, when they get started, they become discouraged when their efforts don’t reap job offers and wonder what went wrong.

While there could be a multitude of reasons, from working with countless job seekers, I’ve discovered this eye-opening fact:

It’s not just about what you SHOULD DO to find a job –

 It’s also about what you SHOULDN’T DO that will guarantee success.

Here are 8 mistakes that you should avoid if you want to find a job in the shortest time possible:

Mistake #1 – You do not prepare written marketing materials that “sell” you to prospective employers.

It’s the very first chance for a prospective employer to “meet” you. A wishy-washy, slapped-together, boring-list-ofjob-responsibilities resume just won’t grab their attention.

Your resume, cover letter and other written documents should convey why you are uniquely qualified to do the job based on your education, skills, personal attributes, and prior job/volunteer experience in order to ensure that you stand apart from the hundreds of other job applicants vying for the same position.

Mistake #2 – You do not take a multi-channel approach when searching for a job.

You can’t just sit in front of your lap top applying to every job posting you can find on CareerBuilder and believe that you’re conducting an effective job search. You must enlist a variety of methods for finding a job and spend most of your time focusing on tapping into the hidden job market (a.k.a., unadvertised positions).

Mistake #3 – You are not prepared for the interview.

It is crucial to conduct research on the company, be ready to answer tough questions, and continue to “sell” the employer during the interview. If you don’t shine during the interview, you won’t be able to “close the sale” as they say in marketing.

Mistake #4 – You slow down or halt your job search efforts once you get called in for an interview.

Take a lesson from actors who go on auditions. Actors know they may not get the part through no fault of their own; they might not have been the exact “type” that the auditioners were looking for. So, don’t assume you’ve got the job until after you receive the offer. In the meantime, keep your job search efforts moving along at full steam. You should be working on 6 to 8 openings at any one time.

Mistake #5 – You don’t manage your time.

As a result you waste precious time. Ask yourself this question: “What is it that I need to do on a daily basis in order to move progressively forward in my job search?” It all begins with having a definite strategy in place and then implementing that strategy by scheduling in your daily “to do” items – and of course, as Nike says – Just do it!

Mistake #6– You are not persistent enough.

Persistence is the ingredient that separates the winners from the losers. I’m sure you’ve heard about how many times Edison failed before achieving success with his many inventions. Don’t give up!

Mistake #7 – You do not analyze and regroup your efforts when you are not being successful in finding a job.

If you find that you’re doing the same things over and over and still not getting results (remember Einstein’s definition of insanity!) then it’s time to step back and analyze your progress. Are you making any of the above-mentioned mistakes? Enlist the help of a coach or job search buddy to enable you to get an objective perspective on your situation.

Mistake #8 – You think you’re the Lone Ranger and don’t get support!

Getting back to subject of weight loss – many overweight people know that in order to lose weight they need to eat less and exercise more. Yet, while they know how to successfully reach their goal, many people never attain their ideal weight. On the other hand, they do succeed when they join a program like Weight Watchers because of the support, strategies, measurement of their progress, and the accountability that the program provides. Hire a coach or get a job search buddy – don’t go it alone.

For more tips on the common mistakes to avoid during the job search, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DonnaBradshaw

To your career success!

Donna Bradshaw, CEC, CPRW, ACRW

P.S. – BTW, I did get some good tips from the Slim Down article!

How to find Potential Employers...and a Millionaire Spouse

Years ago, Oprah Winfrey aired a facinating show about ordinary women of average means who were married to extremely wealthy millionaires. When Oprah asked one of the women how she met her millionaire husband, she explained that when she made up her mind to marry a wealthy man, she decided to launch her own personal campaign to find and hook her millionaire. She began by finding the cheapest studio apartment she could afford in a high income neighborhood; she worked on improving herself by acting and dressing the part of a wealthy socialite, and then found out where the local millionaires hung out. Surprisingly, during her research she discovered that most of the wealthy men in her area were Episcopalian, so she joined the church, got involved, and eventually married the wealthy man of her dreams.

What this woman was doing was extremely effective networking.

Job seekers can use the same strategies to find key people within organizations who have the power to hire them.

Here's how:

1)     Make a list of the top ten companies you want to work for.

2)     Identify individuals within those companies that it would be beneficial for you to get to know; those who can hire you or help you to get your foot in the door at the company.

3)     Search for them on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

4)     Follow them and become familiar with their activity. You can join the online groups they belong to, respond to their Twitter feeds, introduce yourself to their groups and demonstrate your expertise by posting helpful and interesting comments.

5)     Eventually, reach out to them to see if they can help you to find an opening in their company.

Obviously, don't stalk them - just work on establishing a relationship with them - you never know where it will eventually lead.

Networking is a process that doesn't happen overnight, and one in which most people never think of until they need to find a job. That is truly a mistake. Networking can be an extremely rewarding experience and should be a lifelong process that is mutually beneficial to both parties.

For ideas on how to be a great networker, one of the best books I have ever read on the subject is "Never Eat Alone: and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi.I highly recommend you read it!

This is an Interview, Not a Blind Date!

On a recent trip into New York City, I struck up a conversation with a cab driver on the trip downtown. As it turns out his true vocation was as an executive in the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately, like so many others, he was the victim of corporate downsizing and was laid off 6 months earlier.

He explained he had tried unsuccessfully for months to find another position at other pharmaceutical companies, but without any success. In my natural curiosity as a Career Coach, I inquired about the steps he had taken to acquire a new position. He explained that he had been on a few interviews over the last 6 months. In fact, just two weeks ago, he had been on an interview but had not heard back from them. Of course, my next question was – “so, what did you do to follow-up with the company?” He confidently replied that there was no way that he was going to contact an employer after an interview. If they wanted to hire him, then they would let him know.

If you are not interested in an exciting new career as a cab driver – I implore you – do not use this method!!

This man was treating an interview like a blind date. On a blind date you may be hesitant to follow up because of shyness about what the other person thought of you and the impression you made. You may reason, if they like you - they’ll call. This shyness should not translate into the job search.

There is no shame in being persistent.

While interviewing for a job can be a long and trying process that can shake your confidence, don’t take it personally. A truly qualified interviewer will see your persistence as a strength, not a weakness.

Unfortunately, hiring managers just don’t have a lot of time.  In the current job market, there are typically hundreds of applicants vying for the same position. Once they narrow down their choices, it can take a lot of time to choose the perfect applicant. You can gain a competitive edge by being one of the applicants that follows up and by expressing your true interest in the position.

Back to our friend the cab driver – the fact that he was called in for an interview, was a good indication that the hiring manager was interested in learning more about him. Just because he didn’t receive a follow up call, doesn’t necessarily mean that he wasn’t still up for consideration. It could simply be that they were still in the process of interviewing other applicants.

One of the best questions I recommend that my clients ask towards the end of the interview is “At what stage of the interview process are you currently in?” This will give you an idea if you are the first candidate, the last candidate, and how long it will take them to fill the job.

Follow up or you will be forgotten

It is said that it takes eight interactions with someone before you can get their attention. Your best strategy is to follow up or you will be forgotten! Of course, it is important not to make a pest of yourself, but it is expected that you will call them within a week of the interview and then check back periodically to see if they have filled the position yet. During each encounter with them, make every effort to appear interested and eager to join their team. Do your research and explain why you think you would be a good fit for the position. Also, be sure to convey the value that you can bring to their firm by explaining how you have done so in your past positions and how it relates to the job you are applying to.

Do not treat a job interview like a blind date!

Do not wait for your interviewers to call you.

If you don’t call, someone else will.

– What is the WEIRDEST question you’ve ever been asked on an interview?

Please post your answer below.

When life hands you a lemon, it's time for Plan B

I recently went car shopping and met an extraordinary young salesman named Rich. Well groomed, impeccably dressed, personable, and outgoing. He is extremely knowledgeable and knows everything there is to know about the cars he sells. I recognized that Rich was not your typical run-of-the-mill car salesman. I became curious about his background and how such a talented young man ended up in his position.

He explained that he had graduated from a good college in 2009 with a degree in economics. His dream job was to work at Morgan Stanley and to have a career in finance. Rich did everything he possibly could to make his dream a reality. It just so happened that his uncle worked at Morgan Stanley and while he did his best to get Rich a job there, they just weren't hiring like so many companies in this bad economy.

So, what was he to do?

Life had thrown Rich a lemon.

After scouring the job market, he finally found a job working at his current job for a high-end auto dealership. While it wasn't what he originally wanted and certainly not the job he wanted to stay in throughout his career, he decided it was a good position for him because he loves cars and likes working with people. He also realized that working for a large corporation would provide him with many opportunities for advancement. He knew that if he worked hard and proved himself he would eventually be recognized by his supervisors.

His strategy has paid off. He has gained a reputation for providing extraordinary customer service (I certainly can attest to this!). He explained that he has been introduced to a few upper level executives and his plan is to move up within the company as soon as the opportunity presents itself. In the meantime, it's obvious that he works diligently at elevating his on-the-job performance to the level of excellence.  

So when life throws you a lemon and you can't get the job that you want because of these difficult times, how can you be like Rich and turn it into lemonade?

Use this strategy:

1)     Research industries to find out where they're hiring (such as retail, health care, and security) - go to http://www.bls.gov/ for information

2)     Find a job that incorporates your interests, even if it's entry level

3)     Choose a place where there are opportunities for advancement

4)     Become a valued employee by raising your performance to the level of excellence

5)     Have a plan for moving forward - then follow the plan!

I predict that Rich is not going to be a car salesman for long. It's obvious that he's on the fast track to moving up in his career. If you follow his example, you too can be on the fast track to getting ahead in your career!