Category: Career Management

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5 Ways to Develop a Job Search Frame-of-Mind

Looking for a job can be frustrating and anxiety-producing even in the best of times.  Knowing what employers are exactly looking for can stump the best detective.  Determining how to present yourself in a way that will get you noticed takes skill; there seems to be alot of varying information that is out-of-sync and can leave you confused and dazed.  Should you brand yourself, should you call after you send a resume, how many resumes do you send and in what format….the list can go on and on.  To add to the frustration is not getting any interest in what you do send out.  This can lead to a variety of emotions, such as frustration, anger, anxiety, or depression.  Soon, you may feel apathetic, where it doesn’t matter any more.

It is important to develop a job search frame-of-mind, which helps you to keep calm and focused on carrying out the goals and strategies you (hopefully) have in place and that you carry out on a daily basis.  Having a good mind-sense enables you to get up refreshed and motivated every morning and to face the day of seeking employment.  If you need some help to improve your mood and outlook, here are some tips to help you reframe and refresh:

1. Self-assess – you need to tap into your thoughts and emotions to see what it is leading to your out-of-control emotions; once you have you need to acknowledge and validate them

2. Develop good coping skills – tap into your inner strengths and interests to find activities that help to calm and deal with adversities, such as prayer, mediatation, exercise, gardening, etc.

3. Journal – writing down your thoughts and feelings will help you to safely release your emotions and can help you to develop awareness and keep you focused on your goals

4. Use thought-stopping techniques – the use of the rubber band on your wrist works to stop and banish negative self-talk and habits

5. Use the power of affirmations and visualizations – these can reframe negative thoughts into positive ones and helps to motivate and keep you focused on the end result

It is important during job-search mode to be fresh and open to new experiences and possibilities that may arise. If you are only focused on the negatives, or if you are not in a good frame of mind, you may miss these opportunities.  You will not be prepared for the people or opportunities that may be in your future.  Develop your job search frame-of-mind now so it can pay off in the end.  How do you keep focused and motivated in your job search??

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Seven Sources of Career Indecision

If you are unsure about your career path, regardless if you are a recent entry to the job market, are returning to work, or have questions about career decisions, there may be reasons why. According to Callanan & Greenhaus (1990), there are seven sources that lead to career indecisions that result from either limited experience or knowledge and which they term “developmental indecision.”  Here are the seven sources – see where you fall in:

  1. Lack of Self-Information – not knowing your talents, skills, abilities, values, etc.
  2. Lack of Internal Work Orgranization – not being aware of career opportunities that may be available in your current organization
  3. Lack of External Work Information – not having enough knowledge about opportunities that exist for your occupation, such as companies, industries, locations, pay, status
  4. Lack of Decision Making Self-Confidence – this involves an inability in your confidence or self-assuradness to make decisions
  5. Decision-Making Fear and Anxiety – this can involve fears or worries of making the wrong decision that can stall or prevent you from making a decision
  6. Nonwork Demands – you may feel conflicted to choose between your personal career desires and family needs or demands
  7. Situational Constraints – these are personal constraints that may result due to financial considerations, your age, schooling or years invested in your current career

The key to overcoming career indecision is to do your homework – analyze, assesss, research, and uncover the information you need to help you make a good decision. If you find that you are having difficulty, it would be beneficial for you to seek support, whether that is a friend, family member, or a career coach.   I’d love your feedback if you’ve faced career indecisiveness and what you’ve done about it.

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Making the Most of a Career/Job Fair

Career fairs are a great way to find a job; however, it takes knowledge, preparation and saavy to navigate one successfully.  How do you stand out in a crowd of 2,000 or more and get the attention of a handful of employers?

Here are some tips to help you from preparation through the job fair and after:

Preparing for the Career/Job Fair:

1. Make sure you have an updated resume that highlights your skills and experience and that quantifies your benefits

2. Research companies attending the fair to see which ones you want to target and then learn more about those companies

3. Pull together a professional outfit; also, make sure your hair and nails are clean and styled

4. Get a babysitter for your children – do NOT bring them

5. Prepare a short, 30- or 60-second commercial of how you will introduce yourself and what benefits you offer.  Tie this in with your brand – what are you known for?

Things to Bring to the Career/Job Fair:

  • Copies of your resume (25-50), depending on the size of the even and number of employers you want to see
  • A briefcase or professional-looking notepad or binder
  • A networking card that lists your contact info and your 60-second commercial
  • Your 60-second commercial
  • Information about the companies you are interested in speaking with
  • A list of questions you may want to ask employers
  • Energy – show your excitement

At the Fair:

  • Have a plan or strategy on how you get in front of employers
  • Arrive early to secure a good spot and ensure you will get representatives while they are fresh
  • Once inside, locate where your targeted companies are
  • Make sure you extend you hand for a professional handshake – firm but not too strong or too wimpy
  • Ask your questions and how they relate to your career goal
  • Ask what are the next steps for after

After the Fair:

  • Be sure to send a handwritten note or card to each employer you spoke with to thank them for their time, to reiterate your tag line or benefit to them
  • Express your interest in a meeting or to have further discussion
  • Follow-up on others you may have networked with – you never know who they know!

These are some tips to help you make the most out of a career/job fair and to be effective as a job search strategy.  What other tips have you found that have led you to be successful at a job/career fair you’ve attended?

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How do You Find a Job with Limited Skills?

Most career-related articles are directed towards higher level, or white-collar workers.  These are displaced workers who held professional-level jobs and who have the education, skills and experience that will take them forward to employment; it is easier for them to find a job.  But what about those individuals who may have limited skills or lack the education or experience.  What can they do to find a job?

Some of these individuals may only have a high school diploma, or may not have finished high school.  Others may have a language barrier or have never worked.  For these individuals, it will be more difficult to find employment but it is not impossible.

1. Just as those with more education and experience, it starts with knowing exactly what skills and experience you possess.  A job search plan is necessary to focus your efforts so you are not expending time and energy on wasted effort.

2.  Getting job-search help is a necessity, such as through the One Stop Workforce or similar programs.  Look where you might be able to get some training or schooling – there are opportunities through the stimulus program.

3. Attend job fairs or networking events – these are great opportunities to find numerous employers in one location

4. Have a resume that highlights your skills and talents.  Show any volunteering or classes taken.  Highlight outcomes or benefits you possess.

5.  Look the part – make sure you dress appropriatly at all times.  If you are going to an interview, are out networking or applying for jobs, make sure you wear dress pants and shirt.  Look like you are at work; it will help set you apart from the competition and show a potential employer that you are serious about working.

There’s no doubt about it, it’s tough out there.  There are jobs available but with a flooded market of job seekers, it is more difficult to find the ways to stand out.  It’s not impossible but it does take persistance and dilligence.  Find ways for relaxation to relieve stress and seek out supports to help you through.  Above all, never quit.

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Fired Over Facebook Picture

I read with interest a recent article from Dear Abby (May 4, 2010).  A man writes that on the first day of his wife’s work, she was called into the human resources director’s office and told she was being “let go” because of her Web site.  The site had photos of her when she worked as a model at a department store. He stated that the pictures were not provacative and that photos of their children were also on the site.  The HR director told the wife that one of the (internal) applicants had seen the site and made a complaint over one image, which led to the wife’s termination.  They consulted an attorney, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and were told that they lived in an “at will” state, which entitled the employer to fire the employee without fault. 

The response was that if you live in at “at will” state, employers can fire you for any reason, unless there is a written contract, or for illegal reasons, such as age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.  The employer was found not at fault in this situation.  I hope this is a “wake-up call” for all of you who post pictures of yourself drinking or in other compromising situations, as well as the words you post.  Employers are looking at these social networking sites to see the quality of employee; this is their way to ‘weed out’ the numerous applicants they have.   This kind of tactic stinks, frankly, but that is the current state in the world of work.

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