The Big Five for Job Seekers

Be sure to prioritize and schedule these five key activities for your job search (and beyond): 1. Networking - Reach out to your personal and professional connections. Cultivate and leverage relationships. Get off the computer and get out of the house. Attend professional networking meet-ups. Ask how you can help them. 2. Learning - Always be learning something new. Challenge yourself. Expose your brain to new ideas. Venture out of your comfort zone. Keep on adding to your toolkit. 3. Marketing - Get your brand and message out there to the audiences you want to reach. Help them to get to know you. Find out where their "pain" is. Be the solution. 4. Research - Find out as much as you can about companies of interest to you. Do your homework. Use your local library. Conduct informational interviews. Listen. Show interest in them. 5. Self-Care - Take good care of Yourself, in body (go to the gym), mind (tackle problems and projects), and spirit (feed your soul) to stay sharp and ready for opportunity when it comes

Posted by Terrence H. Seamon January 11, 2020.

The Proactive Job Hunter

In my work as a career transition consultant, I am often asked, "How long will my job search take?"
The answer: It depends.

There are many factors. Some are outside the individual's control. But quite a few are well within the individual's sphere of influence.

Here are nine of them:

Plan - Are you proceeding with a plan? Conducting a job search without a plan is a surefire recipe for disappointment. Just as businesses operate based on plans, so should you. The elements of a good plan are many, but the essential ones you must have are: an Objective (what you are after), a Strategy (how you will get there), and a Team (who will assist and support you along the way).

Relationships - Are you leveraging the power inherent in your professional relationships? The people that you know are your greatest resource in a job search. Each one of them knows other people. When connecting with someone during a job search, don't ask them for a job. Instead, ask them for AIR: Advice, Information, and Referral. Seek advice to acquire wisdom from others. Seek information to get smarter. And seek referrals to gain access to more people who may bring you closer to actual opportunities.

Objective - Do you know what it is you are after? So many desperate job hunters say "I'll take anything." Sadly, that is not an objective. A clear Objective is a must. Be sure to communicate it to others. Be open with others about what you are looking for. Expect that obstacles will occur as you proceed. Rely on your team to help you to overcome them.

Attitude - What is your attitude toward yourself and your search? A job search can be a depressing experience, filled with rejections, setbacks, and disappointments. It's easy to slip into negativity. A positive attitude about yourself and an optimistic attitude toward your search will propel you forward.

Confidence - Do you convey your capabilities with confidence when you communicate? In a job search, you are in sales & marketing. And the product is You. To really know Yourself, your "work" (Job search is a job, after all) includes clarifying your value proposition (why a company should hire you), your brand (what you are known for), and your story (what you have accomplished already). When you feel confident, you will instill that confidence in others.

Target companies - Are you applying to jobs you find on Indeed or other job boards online? While there is nothing wrong with that, a better strategy is to make a list of the companies you are most interested in. Learn all you can about them. Reach out and make contact with people who work there. Find out who the decision makers are. Increase your visibility to them. Help them to get to know you and what you can do.

Initiative - Are you making things happen every day, every week, of your search? A waiting posture is not productive. Rather, an active, purposeful approach will generate positive energy. Get out of the house. Go to career events and networking meetings. Arrange informational interviews with people you want to get to know. Volunteer some time each week to help others in need. Make sure you are learning something new in your field.

Visibility - Do employers know you exist? You can increase your visibility to the companies you have on your target list. Make sure you are on LinkedIn. Have a complete profile. Then get active on LinkedIn by sharing updates with your network, joining groups, and interacting with others. Beyond LinkedIn, get active in your professional networks locally. Show up and pitch in to help. Be seen as someone who is humble, active, current, and accessible.

Engine of Success - Do you have a reliable process for producing successful outcomes in your Life? Each of us, not only job seekers, needs an engine of success. In its simplest form, an engine of success is a cycle that includes Relationships, Conversations, Actions, and Learning. Don't let a day go by, during a job search, without reaching out to someone (Relationship) for a conversation about what matters most (Conversation), to stimulate some activity you can undertake (Action), and see what outcome you get (Learning). Repeat the cycle every day until you land. But even then, continue to use the cycle in your new job. And for the rest of your Life.

How long will your search take? It depends...especially on how proactive you are.

Terrence Seamon assists people in career transitions to move toward their goals. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

"Should I write a cover letter?"

Many job hunters wonder if they should bother writing a cover letter. Will anyone actually read it? Will it make a difference?

Our position at The Ayers Group is, Yes, write that cover letter. At a minimum it is a great exercise to go through because it requires that you think about the "fit" between the job you are applying for and You.

And if the hiring manager actually reads it, it could be a differentiator, especially if the others who applied chose not to write one.

So, what makes a good cover letter?  Here is a brief guide we have developed, with two examples.

Like a resume, your cover letter is another way in which you present yourself to the market. You want to present yourself as professional, confident, positive, and capable.

Unlike a resume which generally does not change very much each time you send it out, a cover letter is always customized. Ideally each cover letter you write is addressed to a person by name and deals with a specific opportunity at a target employer.

We recommend keeping cover letters short and specific.  As a guide, there are 3 parts to a cover letter:  1) the Introduction where you say Why you are writing; 2) the Body where you show how you may be a good fit with their needs; and 3) the Closing where you express interest in meeting them.

If you have a job ad that you are writing about, take the time to read it carefully and analytically, identifying what you think are their "must have" requirements. These will be key to part 2, the Body, mentioned above.

Example A – With a job ad

Dear [Their Name, if you have it],

I am writing to you with interest in the opening for a Software Development Engineer that I saw on Dice.com.

In analyzing the job requirements, it is clear that you are looking for someone with certain capabilities. First, you are seeking someone who can lead the development of complex software projects. I have over 15 years of hands-on experience in leading and managing complex software development projects including (give some examples). Second, I see that you are seeking someone who...... Third.....

As you can see, my capabilities are well aligned with the requirements you have listed for this position. I would like to speak with you about this opportunity at your earliest convenience. I can be reached at...

Sincerely yours,

Ramprasad

Example B – No job ad

Dear Mr. Eastwood,

Mitch Samson gave me your name and suggested that it would be a mutually beneficial for us to meet.  I have known Mitchell for the past two years and highly value his opinion.  

Currently, I am in transition from York Merchants and would like to take my career to the next level and focus on building a single brand such as Casa Noche.  I have a tremendous passion for tequila and have become quite fond of the product and brand Casa Noche is creating.  I have expressed my interests and ideas about Casa Noche to Mitch and he thought you and I should try and speak about our shared interests in the brand.

Mitch has said you are not hiring right now, but I would love to show you what I can bring to Casa Noche and potentially help build a team utilizing the industry contacts I have made along the East Coast and ideas I have been working on.  Perhaps we could arrange a meeting within the next month before the holiday season begins to ramp up?  

I can be reached at 941.908.xxxx or via email at: Michael.Masters@email.com.

Sincerely,

Mike Masters

Terrence Seamon helps his clients to position themselves for success. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

On the Critical Path

If you were to look at a job search through the lens of a project, which activities might emerge as the most critical for the overall success of the endeavor?

To my way of thinking, there are three activities of critical importance: networking, marketing and interviewing.

Networking helps you to leverage the power of relationships to garner advice, insights and referrals. Marketing helps you to get your brand and value proposition "out there" and into the minds of decision makers in your career space. And Interviewing helps you to make a human connection and convince the hiring managers that you are the answer to their prayers.

Taking a deeper dive, three tools emerge that are critically important: CAR stories, ACE statements, and STAR answers.

Let's look at each.

CAR stories are your accomplishments. Taking the time to think back about your accomplishments, and writing them down, early in your search is essential.

The CAR method will help you write the accomplishment succinctly. Every accomplishment has the elements of a Challenge (or Problem) that you faced, some Actions you took, and the Results you obtained. Thinking about your accomplishments is a vital activity in a job search. Capturing them as CAR stories is a critical step in drafting your Resume and getting ready to Interview.

ACE statements are the accomplishments you decide to include on your resume. To write your accomplishments in a concise yet hard-hitting way, start with the Action Verb (or verbs) that reflect what you did to address the Challenge you were facing, followed by the Effect (i.e. the Results) you brought about. For example:

• Hired and managed a team of IT professionals to build out a new offshore data center thereby providing needed redundancy.

• Scheduled and facilitated training sessions for all staff on customer tracking system which reduced customer record errors significantly.

• Saved the company over $20k by renegotiating contracts with vendors of office supplies.

STAR answers continue this trend.

In an Interview, many questions will be answered using an accomplishment story. Questions such as "Give me an example of..." or "Tell me about a time when..."

To answer such questions in a concise yet compelling way, start by Setting the Scene (i.e. When, Where, What was your Role), describing the Task (i.e. the Challenge or Problem) you were facing, then telling the Actions you took, and ending with the Results you obtained. This STAR formula ensures that the accomplishment stories you provide in answer to Interview questions will communicate your value to the employer.

As you can see CAR stories, ACE statements, and STAR answers are all the same thing, only slightly different depending upon how they are used in the process of finding your next job.

Accomplishments are critical in a job search. They convey so much more than a list of job duties. A well crafted accomplishment story can convey your skills, your ingenuity, and your creativity.

Your past accomplishments predict your future value to the next organization you are considering.

Terrence Seamon teaches these and other tools to job seekers to help them manage the critical path to success. Follow him on twitter @tseamon

The 5-Point Check-Up

During a job search, it is advisable to do a check-up periodically. Here is my 5-Point Check-Up. Let me know how you do.

1 - Focus:  Are you pursuing target companies that are of interest to you, by researching them, following them on LinkedIn, and inviting people who work there to connect with you? Are you focused on your objective (what you want)? Are you focused on your brand (what you are known for)? Are you focused on your value proposition (why they should hire you)?

2 - Activity:  How are you using your time? Time is a precious resource.  Are you applying to posted jobs that are published on Indeed, Dice, LinkedIn and your target company websites? Are you prospecting to find the hidden job market of needs that employers have that you could be the solution to?  Are you following up with each person you meet:  in interviews? at networking meetings? recruiters you have spoken with? Are you using each interaction as an opportunity to display your brand and your value proposition?

3 - Learning:  Are you enhancing your area of expertise through learning? Are you sharing your expertise with others? Are you learning from each interview? Each rejection? Remember that each disappointment carries a lesson to be learned.

4 Visibility:  Are you active on social media especially LinkedIn? Are you attending local networking events?  Are you participating in professional groups in your field? Are you volunteering locally? Are you helping the market to get to know You?

5 Tools & Resources: Is your LinkedIn profile complete? Are you actively using LinkedIn to research people, companies, and jobs? Are you active in groups that are closely aligned to your interests? Are you sharing content with your connections?  Are you utilizing your connections effectively? Other people are your most important resource. Are you reaching out?  Are you building a team?

Terrence Seamon is a career transition consultant. He coaches executives and professionals who are making career transitions.

Finding Your Differentiator

In my work with job hunters, I often find myself helping the other person to confront the ultimate employer question:

Why should we hire you?

The best answer is to say, "You should hire me because I can do X for you and your company."

But how do you figure out what X is?

I call it, Finding Your Differentiator.

And the way to discover it is by working, really working, on your resume.

As the job hunter works on their professional summary, their accomplishments, and the identification of key capabilities, they get closer to their differentiator(s).

As an example, one of my clients was a bank branch manager from a well-known bank. After several one-on-one meetings to delve into her experiences, accomplishments, and skills, it dawned on her that her differentiator is:

~ She takes under-performing branches and transforms them into award winning branches.

She not only had an aha moment, but she seemed to shift into a higher gear of feeling positive about herself.

So how did she learn that about herself?

By really digging into her resume:

- opening up each work experience and going beyond "responsible for" statements

- finding and mining the accomplishments that demonstrate what she is capable of doing

- writing each one, using the Action/Target/Result format (e.g. “Trained all employees at 15 branches, on new operating model of customer service, increasing Net Promoter Score in the first year.”)

The process of working on the resume helped her examine the Challenges that she faced, the Actions that she took, and the Results that she achieved.

And in doing that, she was able to discern her Story, her Brand, her Differentiator.

Bottom Line: When it comes to your resume, it's not a cut and paste exercise. Don't rush it. Don't ask someone else to write it for you.

Writing your resume can be a process of self-discovery.

Originally posted by Terrence Seamon, July 25, 2009 at Here We Are. Now 

Authentically You

Do you know what your personal brand is? Does it matter?

Last year, an anthropologist named Ilana Gershon published the findings of her study on what job hunters experience. What she learned seems to suggest that personal brand does not make a difference.

In an interiew, Gershon said: "And (job hunters are) told: ‘Everything’s about personal branding.’ But they’ve been in hiring situations where personal branding never came up."

So is all this focus on personal brand a big waste of time and effort?

I don't think so.

Actually, I think we may be getting it all wrong. Here's how I see it:

Personal brand and networking go hand in hand.

Let me explain. In networking, you are connecting with other people for conversations that matter to you. This applies to anyone, not just to job hunters.

In the case of a job hunter, the conversation is about their career objective.

What do we mean by a career objective?

Almost every day, in my work as a career transition consultant, I engage with my clients around what they want to do next in their careers. What will bring them a sense of fulfillment, as well as a paycheck?

A fundamental starting point for making this decision is the Client. The client must look within and ask questions such as Who am I as a professional? Where do I want to go in my career? What is calling me?

For me, this is the personal branding space.

This is where the Client figures out who they are, what they want, and what they have to offer.

I recently came across a model from the Gallup organizations that asks five questions as a simple guide through this discernment process:

1 Yearning: When it comes to work, what "pulls" or attracts you?

2 Satisfaction: What sort of work do you do that, once completed, you say to yourself, "I can't wait to do that again?"

3 Rapid & Natural: What sorts of activities do you pick up quickly and do smoothly without much training or instruction?

4 Perceived Excellence: What have others told you that you are very good at doing?

5 Flow: What sort of work are you doing when time seems to to fly by?

Using a method such as this, you will find your way to your personal brand, that is, the core of who you are as a professional in your chosen work.

When we find our way to work that is close to this core process within us, we are very likely to find career happiness.

You have become Authentically You.

Terrence Seamon helps his clients to reach their goals. Follow him on twitter @tseamon