This is a guest post by Leslie Ayres.

As an active executive recruiter, I read dozens of resumes every week. Many of them do a pretty mediocre job at selling the person they represent, and I’ve shared here before some ways to turn that around.

One of the most common resume problems is looking out of date. If your resume looks old-fashioned, you look old-fashioned, and when you’re competing with dozens – maybe even hundreds – of other candidates,  you need a resume that shows that you understand what’s going on today.

Many old-fashioned-looking resumes are the result of plain old laziness and sticking with the same format for years, just adding new jobs at the top and maybe updating a phone number or new location. That used to be good enough, but it’s not any more.

Modern resumes have a different look and feel, so that continued updating of an old-style resume quickly becomes a mess of a liability instead of the sales tool you need it to be.

Here are a few telltale signs your resume is over the hill, which means it may be doing more harm than good, with a few tips on how to make it look more in step.

1. It starts with an objective.

Objectives are out of date. No one wants to hire you because of what you want. They want to hire you because you can do something they need done, so dump the objective and replace it with a headline that says what you do, as a job title or an area of expertise.

For instance, “DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER AND SEO EXPERT” packs a lot more punch than “Seeking a challenging position where I can utilize my experience and skills in digital marketing and SEO.” See the difference? One is confident and about what you can do for someone and the other is wimpy and about what you want.

2. It’s written in corporate-speak.

Old-fashioned resumes are dense with acronyms, pretentious words and trite padding. One example in the objective example above is using ‘utilized’ when ‘use’ would do. Keep it professional but simple.

Pare down your text as much as possible but don’t strip the life out of it. Make it interesting to read. If you’re a funny person, throw in something with personality. Make it feel like you, not some corporate machine.

3. It just outlines information instead of accomplishments.

Old-fashioned resumes are just fact sheets, detailing jobs, dates, responsibilities and tasks, sometimes just as a dry waterfall of bullets with numbers and percentages that no one will really understand.

Modern resumes allow a more relaxed writing style and can deliver a story rather than just dry data, which is why they are much more appealing and likely to be noticed.

4. It’s done in Times New Roman with no attention to design or layout.

The era of beautiful websites has raised the bar on all marketing design (which is what a resume is), and modern resumes should reflect a sense of clean modern design, too.

Go for a clean layout, use a modern sans-serif font like Calibri, Tahoma or Ariel for easier reading. Depending on your industry and profession, color is becoming more prevalent as a design element to make a resume stand out. Make sure the formatting is consistent, too; having the most recent job formatted differently than previous ones is one of the dead giveaways of a poorly updated resume.

5. It goes back too far.

Old-fashioned resumes give details on jobs long ago, but it’s really what you’ve done in recent years that matters to employers. Just about every industry has changed significantly in the past ten years, and if it hasn’t, you have. What you can do now trumps what you did long ago in most cases.

Modern resumes put the focus on recent roles and accomplishments and minimize or omit long-ago experience that isn’t pertinent.

Great resumes are the sum of many subtle choices in design, content and presentation, but these quick tips can help you know if your resume is perhaps sending the wrong signals, and give you some concrete ways to bring it into modern times.

This is a guest post by Abby Locke.

I remember several years ago, when I delivered workshops for transitioning military professionals, that they all had the same challenges with developing an effective resume. Consistently, I found that they were often overwhelmed at the concept of getting more than 20 years of experience and expertise into a concise, 2-page document.

So if you have recently retired from the military or looking to transition in the next few months, here are five tried-and-true strategies that can transform your daunting piles of paper into an achievement-driven resume.

1) Be clear on your ultimate job target or profession

It’s easy to get fooled by the idea that having wide or flexible options lead to more job opportunities. While your military experience will effectively position you for a variety of careers, conduct research, talk to former military professionals and attending networking events to help you decide on a primary job target.

This step is an essential first step in developing your resume; furthermore, avoid using generic career objectives like these: “Seeking a challenging position with a large company that will provide an opportunity for growth and advancement”

2) Develop a strong, keyword-driven section for your qualifications and areas of expertise

I usually recommend using either a paragraph (my preferred format) or a bulleted list to highlight key skills and qualifications that make you valuable to employers. Remember to include distinctive qualifications and certifications like Secret Clearance.

In addition, consider using online tools like the skills translator and military skills translator to help you identify your transferable skills and determine the correct civilian and non-military terminology for your skills and qualifications.

3) Include relevant keywords and related career language

It is critical that you convert military “speak” to recognizable, relevant keywords, acronyms and jargon that are specific to your target field or profession. To get a better handle on some translation of military job descriptions, check out http://online.onetcenter.org, http://www.military.com and http://www.taonline.com/jobsaurus.

Also spend at least an hour or so scouring job advertisements, online listings and company websites to identify keywords for your resume.

4) Never underestimate your career accomplishments

Don’t be discouraged into thinking that your military accomplishments do not fit in or are not related to your career transition. Instead of listing every medal and merit award that you received, focus on key areas where you delivered significant impact in military operations.

Review your annual performance reviews and evaluation reports to help jog your memory; use numbers, percentages, statistics, and examples to support and illustrate your career accomplishments. For example, consider your contributions in terms of

• improving safety
• increasing performance
• accelerating processing time
• enhancing service delivery
• streamlining administration
• developing new programs/services
• re-engineering equipment or machinery

5) Streamline your education, training and certification elements

As a military professional, you have no doubt completed hundreds of courses, training assignments, certifications and some of you may even have more than one degree. To make an immediate connection with employers and recruiters, include the following in your resume.

• include certifications, degrees and training coursework that are relevant to your job target.                                                                                                                                       
• highlight any special honors or recognitions you earned, add your GPA if it is 3.7 or higher, and indicate if you graduated with high distinctions.

 Thanks Maryland National Guard for the photo via Flickr

This is a guest post by Bob McIntosh.

I don’t recommend that job seekers say no to a job offer unless there’s a good reason. That’s why when one of my most promising customers told me she was reluctant to accept a job offer at a leading hotel corporation, I advised her to consider the circumstances.

First of all, she would be assuming a great deal of responsibilities. And second she’d be making 70% of what she previously made. Both of these factoids seemed the equivalent of doing hard labor in a rock quarry and being paid minimum wage.

I only needed to point out the disparity of salaries for her to decline the offer, even though she had negotiated a $4,000 increase. (Actually she’s smart enough to realize this.)

There are times when you should decline an offer. My customer’s story is just one of them. A ridiculous salary offer isn’t the only reason for declining an offer. Here are three others.

Motivation

When pundits say you’re not the only person interviewing you, they’re correct. The responsibilities of said position have to motivate you to be your best. Motivation is a key factor in being a high achiever, and you don’t want to settle for less than being your best.

One of my best connections and an expert on motivation-based interviewing, Carol Quinn, states that motivation-based interviews is one of the best ways for interviewers to determine the potential of a candidate. So it figures that not only should the employer be concerned about your motivation; you would want to be motivated as well.

Bad Work Environment

Another reason for not accepting an offer is sensing a volatile work environment. A former colleague of mine would often confide in me that where she was working was a toxic work environment. Management was distrustful of its employees and would often be abusive.

During an interview you should ask questions that would uncover the company’s environment. A simple one is, “Why did the former marketing specialist leave?” Or, “What makes your employees happy working here?” What about, “How do you reward your employees for creativity and innovation?”

Sincere answers to these questions will assure you that you are entering an environment with your eyes wide open, good or bad. Vague responses should raise a red flag. The best way to determine what kind of environment you may inherit is to network with people who work at a potential organization.

Security

A final reason for not accepting an offer is the financial status of the company. If you discover through discussions that the company is at risk of closing its doors soon, it’s not wise to accept the offer, even if you “just want a job.” This also goes for grant-funded positions. A position that will end in less than a year should make you consider if you want to join the organization only to be let go before you even get your feet wet.

Some of my customers have told me that they’ve been taking temp-to-perm positions that have spanned over many years; and that they’re tired of the short-term stints. Additionally, their resume resembles one that shouts, “Job hopper.”  Your current unemployment can be a time to be strategic about where you want your career to go, a time to experience clarity, not throwing darts at a wall of short-term jobs.

While I wanted my customer to land a job in a short period of job seeking, I would have kicked myself for telling her that a bird in hand is better than nothing. I have tremendous faith in her abilities and tenacity.

She will be land soon. That I’m sure of.

Thanks teresatrimm for the photo via Flickr

At some point in our work lives, we all feel trapped and beaten down. Sometimes this is temporary and the situation resolves itself – new boss, transfer to different office, re-alignment of job duties. But, what happens when this becomes the norm? I was recently reminded of all of the effects of a bad work situation when talking with a friend:

Physical health: increased risks for serious problems including heart attack and stroke.

Self- image: reduced ability to recognize and articulate value of the individual’s work to the organization.

Mental health: depression and inability to make even the most basic decisions (to his wife’s great frustration).

Over time, my friend’s situation had changed from work that he loved to do and was very good at, to being a high-paid “go-fer” for management, always at their beck and call, even nights and weekends. He and his wife had a dream of developing their band from a hobby into a business, and were well on their way to doing just that. But as his work became both less fulfilling and more demanding, they struggled to keep their plans on track. The final straw came when he was told to cancel a performance scheduled several months in advance at a venue they really wanted to play at. The next day, he turned in his resignation.

Foolhardy, you say? Perhaps. If he had simply acted on impulse without any consideration for what might come next, that would be true. But he and his wife had already assessed what (and how little) they needed for basic expenses and how they could generate income for those expenses. They are prepared to sell most of their assets and even move to a location that is likely a better fit for their band.

Yes, he admitted, this is still a scary spot to be in. But over the past month, since he turned in his resignation, he has lost 15 pounds and his blood pressure and cholesterol have returned to normal. This is critical since he already had two bypass surgeries and might not have survived a third.

If this story sounds familiar to you, and you dread going to work every day, it’s time to start putting a plan in place. Step off the cliff if need be to find work that will make you happy.

You just might save your life, or at least your sanity.

Thanks Powerhouse Museum Collection for the photo via Flickr

I’m talking about the act of “Paying it Forward”. Acts of kindness and giving really do make you feel happier and in control. In a world full of stress, deadlines and competitiveness, you can make a difference in others’ lives and actually attract more positive energy into your life.

Why is being generous such a mood-booster? A Stanford University study showed while hard-and-fast answers are elusive; the main reason is that it gives people a strong sense they’re doing something that matters. Others appreciate you and are grateful and they may reciprocate.

So what does paying it forward look like? It can be the way you interact in everyday life with people you meet and those who you might network with ‘or’ the #1 salesperson sharing best practices with his/her team to inspire a positive work environment.

Consider what the long term result of not sharing your knowledge with others, helping when you really are not obligated, taking an extra minute to personalize a message, provide assistance to your teammates can be.

You attract what you put out as your ‘brand’. If you are real, you will attract the same. If you fake it, well you know who you get. And please remember, this is not a business strategy! This is a way to help others without asking for anything in return. Some may struggle with that concept, but those who embrace it will always succeed in the long run!

The following are five examples of paying it forward & ways to attract great things into your life!

1. Grow your LinkedIn network by connecting with recruiters. Add a personal message in each invite by mentioning you are growing your network and would be happy to help them fill an opening should someone in your network match a specific opening. Not only will they connect, they will undoubtedly remember you!

2. When you see a motivational or inspirational article, share the article with your network! Take it a step further and start a discussion in a group by posting the link. Because you are not directing anyone to click on your profile, visit your website, etc., you quickly build a reputation (and visibility) of someone who provides motivational information.

3. Take some time to help others by responding to questions that may be asked about your industry or expertise. I often receive emails asking to review a profile or help re-brand someone who is struggling to find a job. I try to make time every day to provide helpful advice to others and not ask for anything in return. Whether it’s a ½ hour phone call or a few emails, it can really make a difference in someone’s life. Teaching others allows you learn at a much deeper level!

4. Simply share a motivational quote or inspirational message to your network. I have seen some of the best writers, authors, experts send out a message of encouragement for example without plugging their book, product, etc. Even sending out “Happy Friday” works!

5. When you receive a message that someone has connected with you on LinkedIn, take a moment and send a personalized ‘thank you for connecting’ message and ask if there is any way you can help this new connection. Often this opens a dialogue and/or offline conversation that can lead to all sorts of opportunities.

I have learned from experience that when we provide and share acts of kindness for others, it’s only a matter of time before this circles back to us as individuals. It’s possibly the “what goes around comes around” or “law of attraction” concept, but I don’t think we need to dissect the process so much. Just doing the right thing and helping others will provide enough in return.

So, what way will you pay it forward today?

Thanks SweetOnVeg for the photo via Flickr

Resumes need to show how you add value to an employer – so you are the person they want for the job.

This is a 2-fold process – first that you meet the job requirements (this can be by having done the job duties) and secondly on how you contributed (accomplishments) while doing the job duties.

By adding both achievements and skills, you make your resume more useful.

When you are writing about your achievements and skills—about the value you brought to former employers—make sure you include information about how you accomplished what you accomplished.

Consider these two statements for a sales resume:

(a)    Increased sales 7%.

(b)   Increased sales 7% by introducing new synthetic paper product through partnership with a new supplier.

Or consider these two statements for a social worker resume:

(a)    Supervise 4 family advocates and 20 foster parents.

(b)   Supervise 4 family advocates and 20 foster parents by providing mentoring, leadership and guidance to improve productivity and create a high performance team.

In each case, statement (b) describes how the achievement or skill was brought into play. The “how” also shows off your soft skills, such as the ability to partner or mentor, and turns a common job responsibility into a special value.

You also may want to consider adding keywords to your accomplishments. Consider these statements:

(a) Prepared 20 letters per week.

(b) Prepared 20 letters per week which successfully solicited 10 new clients per week by expertly crafting grammatically-correct documents while using Microsoft Word.

Microsoft Word may be considered a keyword – and by putting it into the resume this way you have shown how you have used a skill to get a great result.

How are you creating obvious value with your resume? And how do write a great accomplishment statement?

 Thanks toolstop for the photo via Flickr

This is a guest post by Joe Hanson.

There’s been a lot of buzz going around about a recent Time magazine article entitled “The Me Me Me Generation,” where Joel Stein dubbed Millennials as narcissists, lazy, and entitled.

I’ve also noticed an increasing amount of content about the struggles that a fresh college graduate faces when they come out of college. 

I’m a Millennial, a product of Gen Y. I’d have to say, I agree with the Time article, and I’m fed up with the idea that a fresh college graduate with little work experience is hopeless in the professional world. 

We aren’t screwed, we aren’t hopeless, we’re just entitled.

And it’s having the right attitude that will help us change this mentality.

The first step is understanding that there’s a part of being young, of being at the bottom of the totem pole, that Millennials need to accept. Maybe it’s our parents telling us “we can be anything.” Maybe it’s stories of a young internet entrepreneur selling his company at 22 and making millions of dollars. Or maybe it’s the dozens of participation trophies we get throughout our childhood. To put it bluntly, everyone can’t be whatever we want, at least at this age. Developing yourself professionally takes time, and the way to do that is to start at the bottom, work hard, learn as much as you can, and remain humble.

Secondly, many Millennials believe that we are qualified for a job, even with little to no experience. We get angry when an “entry level” job requires two years of experience and can’t get an interview, because we’ve never had the opportunity to get any experience at all. I experienced this first hand. But instead of giving up, I, a fresh graduate of university, took a 3 month unpaid internship.

There are always opportunities out there to gain work experience. It may not be a full-time, high paying, prestigious job, but working hard wherever you are will pay off. Do something extra: write a blog, learn to code, anything, just do something. Next thing you know, I was interviewing for jobs that wanted 2-3 years experience with only three months in my belt. I had a bolstered portfolio, work experience, and great references from the internship. After a three month internship, I have a killer job now. It’s not impossible.

And third of all, don’t job hop and don’t quit right off the bat when the going gets tough. Coming in entry level, not every part of your job is going to be perfect. Arnold Schwarzenegger responded on Reddit to a user who was unhappy with their job. His most important point:  

“Look at this as a stepping stone instead of an end. We can’t always do what we are passionate about, but everything we do can move us closer to our passion.”

There’s hope for us Millennials. Why? Joel Stein (the same Joel Stein who called us entitled narcissists earlier) sums it up perfectly:

“They’re earnest and optimistic. They embrace the system. They are pragmatic idealists, tinkerers more than dreamers, life hackers…They want new experiences, which are more important to them than material goods.”

It sucks to be bottom of the barrel. It was embarrassing telling people I was working for free. As a generation, we need to cut the entitlement, cut the narcissism. You’re not going to be a manager right away. Let’s prove employers wrong and show that we’re a hard-working, loyal, and most importantly, humble generation. Let’s prove them wrong.

 Thanks moriza for the photo via Flickr

This is a guest post by Kristin Johnson.

At the end of April, LinkedIn rolled out another new feature. (Surprise, surprise! LinkedIn is changing again!) Called LinkedIn Contacts, it’s touted as a new way to combine, access and use your information.  

Contacts pulls together contact information from your email accounts, calendars, and address books, as well as messages and important notes. LinkedIn designed it to be a convenient, one-stop hub where you can find all of your communications, see what events happened when, and even be reminded of a contact’s birthday.

Available online and as a stand-alone iPhone app, LinkedIn calls this new feature “a smarter way to stay in touch with your most important relationships.” In many ways it is, but like all new technologies some caution is in order.

Some LinkedIn experts are crazy about LinkedIn Contacts. They love how the feature makes it easier to communicate with large numbers of contacts and reminds us to stay in contact. There is a “Lost Touch” feature, because time goes so fast these days it’s easy to forget just how long it’s been since you’ve communicated with certain folks.

This is the type of information that, back in the days of “Mad Men,” Don Draper’s secretary would have monitored for him. (She would have also gone to the store and bought a diamond necklace for his wife, but I digress.) In fact, LinkedIn calls this feature “a personal assistant” for its users (http://smallbiztrends.com/2013/04/new-linkedin-contacts-personal-assistant.html).

Contacts is extremely compatible – with Outlook Mail, Gmail, Google Contacts, Google Calendar; Google Apps Mail, Contacts and Calendar; iPhone Address Book (via the LinkedIn Contacts app); Yahoo! Mail, Contacts and Calendar; Contacts and Calendar; Evernote and TripIt; LinkedIn’s CardMunch service. When any of that information is changed, it will be updated in LinkedIn Contacts as well. Pretty slick.

But, (and you were waiting for the “but,” weren’t you?) not everyone is so keen on the new Contacts feature, and for some good reasons. LinkedIn expert, Jason Alba has concerns. Albeit, he’s got JibberJobber (which I do think is awesome, by the way), a competitor with Contacts.

One particular concern is well worth paying attention to. I’ll discuss this briefly, but you can read more about it here: http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2013/04/26/linkedin-contacts-vs-linkedin-policy-now-this-issue-cant-be-ignored/

To sum it up, we’re all becoming accustomed to having our information floating out there in “The Cloud.” But what if something happens to the cloud service we are using? What if it’s not a technical problem, but the result of policy that says that if you do something that the cloud service (read LinkedIn) doesn’t like, and they can make the information in your little cloud go away? You’ve then lost all of your information! The moral of the story here is always back up your data to a secondary service or hard drive. Take nothing for granted.

Since many of my clients don’t know each and every line of LinkedIn’s terms of service, I’ll still recommend using JibberJobber for a CRM, so they don’t ever have to worry about what happens if their account should get shut down. (Don’t think that can happen? I just wrote about one issue that can result in this here.)

But, with a commonsensical approach, and backing up, LinkedIn Contacts is pretty cool. You should check it out. And I expect to hear from you on my next birthday! 

This is a guest post by Joan Ramstedt.

One of my favorite all time books is “Little Miss Perfect” by Megan Le Boutillier, A friend gave it to me years ago when I was going through an especially difficult time and it sat on my bookshelf for nearly 20 years until one day, I picked it up and devoured the contents in one afternoon. I’d say that was “perfect timing” which leads me to this writing which is all about timing, process and passages.

In this book, the author describes how we learn to adapt our behaviors and belief systems to the environmental and perceived expectations of family, friends, communities and society. The more dysfunctional our “tribe” is, the more adapting we must do. As children, this reduces our ability to be spontaneous and creative. As adults we become more guarded, controlling (through people pleasing or outright domineering behaviors), fueled by our fear of making a mistakes and being exposed as imperfect.

We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves or set ideals and expectations that are impossible to achieve in order to feel a sense of acceptance and connection to “our tribe”.

This brings me to a class I am enrolled in at the local college. I entered the semester with the idea that I would have fun, spark my creativity and establish a theoretical foundation in marketing; one that I could incorporate into my own business and pass along to entrepreneurial clients.

Peppered with personal experience, humor and insight Dennis, the professor is especially skilled at turning the learning environment into one that is enjoyable, practical and informative which makes the experience fun and engaging. So the perfect mixture of ingredients is all there; ripe for the picking (or learning).

About three weeks into the class we were informed of the various tests and projects that were due over the next 16 weeks and by the way, he was teaching the class at an upper division university level.

So I’m thinking I already have my degree, this should be a piece of cake, until I started to prepare for the first exam.

The old questions of perfectionism starting forming in my mind. Am I smart enough; what happens if I fail, or don’t get an “A”. These concerns set up a pattern of expectations that turned into regular companions during the day and especially in the wee hours of the morning. Sleeplessness and anxiety intruded into my life all the while I asked myself “what is going on here?”….

I hadn’t felt this type of internalized pressure since I was an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara. “Where was this coming from I asked?” Well, I passed first test with a higher than expected grade and breathed a temporary sigh of relief, but immediately started obsessing about the next 3 plus the big project that was due in May. This certainly didn’t feel like fun any longer. My initial strategy was to minimize the importance of the class, exercise more and pray for some level of relief, but the anxiety persisted.

Finally, I had to get serious and make some major perceptual adjustments. What finally came to me is that I needed to do was to let go, surrender, release control and remember who I am. The moment I decided I couldn’t control the outcome of the situation it freed up my need to have to get an “A”. Immediately, I started to feel the anxiety and tension literally peeling away.

With this decision, a sense of enjoyment flowed back into my life.

My energy increased, my ability to be who I really am; a normal healthy person with flaws and phobias, a great sense of humor and irony, who loves life and all its’ complexities came rushing back; and not a moment too soon because…..

This next leg of the journey involved creating a fairly complicated advertising plan for an imaginary client. With 10 unique people in my group I found it impossible (since I decided it was my sole responsibility to make certain it turned out well) to have everyone going the same direction simultaneously. I found myself taking things way too seriously, getting tense, rigid and dogmatic, (after all I knew the right way because I do this for a living) and irritated which of course drained every ounce of fun and enjoyment (for me and others, I suspect) out of the process.

This wasn’t working…So I decided again to change my attitude, and shift from how can I direct and control into how can I serve the bigger picture? An image of me as a teacher, coach, friend, learner and HUMAN emerged and I discovered great satisfaction sitting at the table with my classmates listening to and observing each person’s beautiful insights, unique gifts, contributions, and longing to be the best they can be.

At that moment, I started to feel a sense of belonging to a collective that was stronger than just one individual.

I had a real moment of gratitude and appreciation. I knew others could feel it too as one of the young men said something to the effect of “I’ve been in other groups and this one really seems connected; on the same page” I smiled outwardly and inwardly felt a swelling sense of pride to be a part of something larger than myself that had a purpose and I realized this is what I wanted all along.; to be me and be accepted by others for being exactly who I am. And I suspect that was a subtext for many in the group as well.

This is a guest blog post by @KellyDonovan.

Last night, I was fortunate to have a conversation with a highly successful entrepreneur who offered some excellent advice for improving and growing my business.

Previously, I’d been stuck on one stumbling block that was holding me back (keeping me stuck). Afterward, the path I need to take was clear.

This experience made me think about the power of mentorship and why you need to be mentored by someone who has been there. This is true whether your goal is career advancement, changing careers, or growing a business.

You would be amazed how many successful people have had mentors along the way who helped them. In fact, I suspect that most successful people have probably been mentored at some point.

Advice from random people isn’t nearly as valuable as advice from mentors who have achieved what you’re trying to achieve. And books are great, but a book can’t talk to you and give you tailored feedback.

Securing a Mentor

At this point you might be wondering where and how to find a mentor.

You might look within your organization for a leader you admire who is two or three (or more) steps above you.

You can also locate a successful person in your field through a professional association or by using a tool like LinkedIn, and contact the person.

I listened to career guru Don Orlando give an amazing presentation about mentorship last year in which he shared his expertise on approaching prospective mentors thoughtfully (learn more in this short clip from his presentation). 

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The worst thing someone can say is “no.”

Working with a Mentor

Once you’ve found a mentor, you want to make the most of the relationship.

For starters, you need to open minded about any advice your mentor provides. Don’t shoot down ideas or suggestions right away without considering them. Instead, ask more questions.

It’s also important that you actually implement your mentor’s advice and tell the mentor that you implemented it. (Remember that good advice is only helpful when it gets followed.)

Also, knowing that you’re actually benefiting from the mentorship and using the advice will give the mentor positive encouragement to continue mentoring you. Otherwise, the conversations are just wasted time.

And, finally, be sure to express your gratitude regularly. Find ways to return the favor by helping your mentor. In the case of entrepreneurial mentorship, your mentor might appreciate compensation. Bottom-line: just make sure it’s not a one-way relationship.

If you’re serious about achieving your goals, getting mentorship is critical. Don’t let anything hold you back from taking this important step toward your dreams.

Thank you laughlin for the great photo on Flickr

You walk into their office, your palms sweating, your heart sinking. Your breathing feels constricted as your heart palpitates. You try to look composed on the outside, but inside you’re a nervous wreck. The manager folds his hands, leering into your eyes.

“We need to talk about your performance.”

What to Do

How do you respond?

First, try not to panic! The truth is virtually everyone at some point has made a mistake and ended up discussing it. Learning to handle this conversation is just as important as learning how to ask for raises, or network within a company to increase your chances of promotion.

Simply nod and say, “Okay.” Don’t force a smile or make a joke out of the situation. This is a serious conversation.

Your manager will start discussing what you did wrong. Just keep breathing and nod. Hold eye contact. Wait for him to finish speaking. Pretend that you are just being asked a very difficult interview question.

That’s your cue. Simply say, “I’m sorry. Here’s what I was thinking when I did that. It won’t happen again. I’m going to use this as a learning experience to improve my performance.”

If you really think it necessary, when you’re explaining what went wrong, you could mention generally that there was some miscommunication among the team. Don’t point fingers. You’ll gain a lot more respect if you own up to a mistake than if you blame someone else.

Although this conversation has a stigma of failure, on the flip-side it also is an opportunity to show how you react in the face of failure and criticism. It’s easy to accept praise and hear how great you are. But character is revealed in the face of failure. Do you pout? Or do you double down and take extra pains to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

You will feel flustered for the rest of that day at work. But the next morning just shake it off with a cup of coffee and tell yourself that today is going to be a great day, and you’ll find your groove again.

A Manager’s Perspective

I think it also helps to understand the other side of the coin. Keep in mind that your manager has a boss too, and that they are just as nervous about looking silly as you are. Perhaps the project went wrong and they ended up having the same conversation as you did, just a few minutes earlier. If your boss is the CEO, maybe a client threatened to fire the company, and the shareholders are acting restless.

Unless the manager has a psychosis, he will not enjoy having this conversation. He might come across as overly harsh just because it’s as uncomfortable for him as it is for you. The manager is usually just waiting for you to say that you’re sorry, and that you’ll do better.

The key is, don’t go on and on with excuses. Own the mistake, and say you’ll learn from it, and you’ll walk out with your manager nodding in respect rather than frowning and thinking “bad attitude.”

Takeaway

Remember, how you handle the positive encounters and negative always affects your personal brand. Always own up to your mistakes, and never fall into the easy trap of blaming someone else when you are having that conversation!

Rambo did it in First Blood.  His eyes darting left and right out of the rain-drenched mud

Trap door spiders do it for hours.  Waiting for the right vibration to crash up and snatch their prize

FBI informants look intriguing in a dark alley, cigarette dangling from their well-informed finger tips

But it is a hapless method for making friends.  It asks a lot of your network to find you.  And it just doesn’t work out very well.

So if you decide that “coy and hard to find” will be your networking posture.  Or if that is simply the result of your inaction, you’ll need something. 

You’ll need an incredible amount of patience.

Because what you didn’t see in the Rambo movie was Sylvester Stallone pulling his arm out of the mud to check his commando watch.  After 6 hours of waiting for his victim to walk by.  While the mud body spa sucked all the moisture out his skin.  And his back screamed out in pain.

Most of us don’t have that kind of time.

And if you are looking for work or hoping to land a new contract via your network, know this. 

No one likes to be pounced on.  But that’s what it feels like when someone from your past pops up with a big request.  Not that we don’t want to help.  And we often do.  But it feels a bit abrupt.

Your network does not generate or re-generate instantly.  It takes months of hard labor.  To get the word out to a busy and distracted crowd. 

And, for many, it is a teachable moment.  Teachable because the struggle to build or re-build comes very slowly if you’ve been in the shadows for years.  Without an obvious need for others outside your social or work circle.

Those who have been “taught” are now better for having struggled through the re-generation.  They have developed new habits.  And are actively reaching out to help others.  Because the frustration of “struggling through” is seared into their memory.

So, how do you operate out of the shadows and build a long-term networking strategy?  Here are five things you can do today to establish a more open posture to the world.

1.  Be A Connector.  Keep a list handy of five people you know who are out of work or desperately looking for a much needed new contract.  You can keep your own simple spreadsheet that details the needs of your network.  As you meet new people, consider whether any of them can be of help to your list of five.

2.  Be Available.  If you are employed, let it be known that you are available for informational interviews.  To share your wealth of knowledge with those who need to hear it.  And while I know that these interviews take valuable time, they represent the type of giving posture that auto-generates good will.  And connects you to the grapevine.  Whether you are a big company executive or the owner of a small consulting firm, someone out there needs you.

3.  Be Public.  Pick a single networking event in your community and show up regularly.  You’ll be amazed at how many quality people are out looking for work or needing to create connections to build a business.  Offer to speak at that event about your company, about your role there or about a big upcoming initiative.  You can become a person of influence outside of your office.  With a group of people who really need it.

4.  Be Charitable.  Identify a local charity of interest and offer a few hours a week or each month to provide ideas or strategic direction.  You can become a board member or simply offer hours as you have time.  This spreads your talents beyond the reaches of your company.  This is also one way to build a more stable life and career platform.  One that isn’t instantly upended if someday you lose your job.

5.  Be Open.  Be open to introductions from your network.  Sometimes these are simply a quick fifteen-minute phone call during your commute home or a short e-mail conversation.  But your open posture will allow others to feel comfortable around you.  Comfortable to ask something of you.  And, importantly, open to accept a call from you in two years.  When you are in need.

In the end, these efforts will help you build networking capital.  It may surprise you how little time it takes to maintain your newly found and highly effective networking habits.

Someday you will likely find yourself out of work or needing something from the world around you.  A network will be there waiting.  Glad to return the favor.

And you won’t have to pounce.

Note: This post originally appeared on MENG Blend.

This is a guest post by Lisa Rangel.

Tired of being asked the euphemistic “Aren’t you overqualified for this job?” question?

Well, don’t fight it—embrace it! But to make improvements on how you answer the question, it is important to know what you are doing wrong first—and then shift that behavior to doing what it the better way to handle it.

Additionally, it is important to know the why behind these suggested items to refrain from doing any longer and get in the head of the prospective manager who is in the position of hiring you.

Here are four ways that you can bomb the overqualified interview question and cause concern in the hiring manager’s mind about your candidacy:  

1.      I don’t need the money.  —The problem with this answer is people interpret this as you will not be interested in the role within a short period of time or leave the minute you are bored.”Because,” they are thinking, “if you do not need the money, why would you do this job?”  I think it is best to correlate that you understand the pay scale of the job on the marketplace and it is a business decision of yours to be paid what you are worth for the role under consideration. While you used to make more, that was for a different job and you are fully aware of the marketplace value of this position under consideration and meet that need.

2.      I am not interested in promotions. —This statement can be misconstrued as you are not goal-oriented anymore. You may not want the corner office any longer, but do not mistakenly convey that you do not have goals. I suggest that you phrase this in a way that shows you will still take on the company’s goals and initiatives with fervor and make things happen on time and within budget. You can have aspirations that do not involve promotions. Another angle to consider is, companies may want to hire to promote from within down the line. So if you are saying you do not want promotions thinking it will clinch the job, you may be putting yourself right out of consideration.  Companies want their mail clerks to be motivated—not just management.

3.      I want personal satisfaction now. —Younger generations do not get that…what do you mean you were not happy were you worked in the past? You took jobs you did not like? Younger managers (under 40-45) may take that as you have been unhappy throughout your career and, in hiring you, they may think they will inherit your unhappiness. Managers want to hire people who want the job they have to offer—and not to help someone get away from a job they hated. No one wants to hire someone who is burned out, jaded or negative. It is best to demonstrate what about the prospective role is intriguing for you and how it will be exciting for you to get back to doing this aspect of the job that you loved doing at one point earlier in your career. It is a way to demonstrate passion and previous experience.

4.      I want to get away from the yucky parts of my executive job. — OK, you may not use the word ‘yucky’ but think about it…isn’t that the job of the person hiring you? He/she does not need you looking down on him/her since you have been there, done that.  Managers want to hire people, overqualified or otherwise, that will make them feel good and supported.  Again, I would encourage you to show what you are attracted to in the job at hand and not focus on the negative parts of the job you used to have.

Here is where you can learn more about how to rock the overqualified question. It is crucial to focus on the positive aspects of the making this job match between you and the new employer. Overqualified can be a positive thing for an employer…for prospective employees who can master this interview question set, the world is their oyster. Best wishes…

Photo from 123rf.com

This is a guest blog post by Randy Block.

“I just want a job” is a familiar refrain I hear at my presentations; usually from someone with gray hair. My reply is: “Apply at Costco, Home Depot or Target – and get at least 30 hours for the benefits”.

You know how challenging the job market is out there. And you can only make it harder on yourself. In my work with Boomers, they may even know better but their execution is less than stellar – far less.

The Nine Mistakes Most Boomers Make:

1. Relying heavily on email as your primary communication tool (especially during the job search). People hide behind their emails. Learn to text or send it snail mail. Extensive use of email will date you.

2. Asking for directions to navigate anywhere. GPS is here to stay – or get current maps at least.

3. Ignoring social media. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. are here to stay. If you are not a member of LinkedIn you don’t exist (pasting a resume is a turnoff).

4. In problem solving, making a case for a solution that worked in “their day” will work now. Business conditions change too fast now

5. Thinking that any experience prior to 2001 is relevant today. I don’t think anyone really cares what you did in 1998.

6. Making full time employment the sole means for paying the bills. You expect that your 6-figure job will return in the next few months. The closer you get to age 60, the tougher it gets. After 60, your best tw0 options are to start your own company or become an advisor.

7. Looking for that last long term employment position until retirement. No organization can offer you job security. They will remain loyal to you for as long as they need you.

8. Believing that they are “too old” to help solve problems. With a good relevant brand in hand, you need to network into decision makers, see if there is a match and then decide if it is full time, part time or short-term contract. Your resume will stop relationship building in its tracks.

9. Assuming that your corner office should still be prized by the younger professional

Without relevancy to a specific need, your strengths and experience listed on your resume are pretty much useless.

Relationship building is critical. WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) is alive and well. If there is a match between an organization’s needs and your relevant skills, then there is a match. Then and only then you can decide if the working relationship will be full time, part time or short-term contract.

Hustle, humility and flexibility are key for a boomer looking to create revenue.

What’s worked for you?

Thanks opensourceway for the photo via Flickr

This is a guest post by Dawn Rasmussen.

Bosszilla really exists. It is something of a cross between Godzilla and a supervisor… and has been observed to be a vile creature whose hunting territory includes business environments where they easily stalk their unwitting prey.

Bosszilla, as it turns out, is not on the endangered species list.  

This species is all too commonly found across America, and apparently is thriving in cultures where there is an extreme lack of oversight and servant leadership.

Many employees feel like they’ve been suddenly thrust into an episode of “Land of the Lost” and now need to find ways to survive in this hostile landscape.

If you are in this type of situation, here are a few tips that you can use to dodge the rampages that Bosszilla frequently goes on to feed its ever-growing ego appetite.

1)      Duck and cover.  As Bosszilla rumbles past, its beady eyes darting around to find a new target to chew up and spit out, many people, out of fear for their job safety, choose to find the nearest rock (or desk) to duck under and wait until the coast is clear. This can work only as long as you stay out of Bosszilla’s way.  But it can buy you some time and can keep you alive until you figured out your next move.

2)      Stand your ground.  Sometimes, Bosszilla’s rumblings are more bark than bite. After all, if you make enough noise, throw enough sticks back and stand up for yourself, you might just scare it away enough so that you end up being left alone… as Bosszilla searches out weaker prey.

3)      Set up a booby trap. Bosszilla usually is so caught up in its own hunt that it forgets that it, too, is vulnerable. Because of really poor eyesight and the fact that it can’t see too far ahead… Bosszilla’s biggest downfall is that usually, it can only see the moment.  By laying a booby trap, sometimes Bosszilla, in its own shortsightedness, becomes ensnared in its own lies. Essentially, it hangs itself.  But before trying this maneuver, make sure you know what you are doing.  Any booby traps that backfire end up enraging the beast, and it knows where to find you!

4)      Find a way out. Escape is always an option, but you have to make sure that you aren’t straying from the territory of one Bosszilla into that of another. Learn the key indicators of the territory that Bosszilla likes to inhabit, and avoid them.  Chances are you’ll find a different environment that is predator-free and a place where you can flourish.

5)      Round up a band of supporters and go after it. Teamwork by all affected parties can be a show of strength and if enough people come together to fight it, there is always the possibility that the really evil-tempered Bosszillas can be vanquished. Again, there are no guarantees, and puts everyone on this team at great risk should their effort fail. But to the ears of upper management, sometimes a chorus of cries for help can mean termination of Bosszilla.

6)      Tame Bosszilla. Making friends and bonding with the creature might seem like a viable alternative, and by befriending it, can help calm down its carnivorous instincts.  However, it still is a wild animal, and while you can gentle it, never (ever) lose sight of the fact that it could turn on you.

Keeping yourself safe in the dangerous jungle of office environments is a tough task, in addition to doing all the work expected from you.  Being aware that there are ways to handle Bosszillas out there can help you work around these distractions and keep you on task. And if these tactics don’t work, it’s time to look for a helicopter rescue and get the heck outta there!! 

Kind of like shaking the apple tree.

But I’m here to tell you something: shaking the tree just leaves you with tired arms.  And picking apples one by one is a much smarter way to go.  Even if they are not the low hanging type.

So if we stop shaking the tree, we’ll also receive other benefits during transition.  Like more time with family or opportunities to pursue a passion, a business venture or cash-generating consulting hours.

The reminder of a “stop doing” list came from G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón in a Business Week article.  Their article called “The Stop Doing List” kicks off with a quote from Warren Buffett:

The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything.

So what should you be saying “no” to in your job search?  Here’s my list for you:

Say “no” to mailing resumes to companies where a job does not exist. 

And start with “no” for posted jobs where your qualifications are close but not quite.  Especially in this market, you are a lot more interesting than a piece of paper. It takes a couple of hours to adapt a resume, write a cover letter, mail and follow-up.  Why are you consuming your day this way?

Say “no” to resume re-writes, re-jiggers and re-formats.

Find a resume template to show off your unique talents in a crisp and clean way.  Or hire a really smart resume writer to get one written for you. Then stop relying upon the resume to tell your story.  Once you have a consistent message on paper and online, spend your time instead delivering your message to the right people.  Instead of creating version #12A of your resume.

Say “no” to starting from scratch on cover letters

Cover letters are often not read.  Most of the time they are scanned for context or other introductory purposes.  While you are no longer applying to 20 jobs a week (following the advice above), you still don’t need to kill yourself on a cover letter. Again, consider a well thought-out, customizable cover letter template. Although some will say a template is bad – suggesting if the job is important, you will write a heartfelt and well-thought out letter to the CMO or CEO.  But in my view, it’s not necessary and simply takes valuable time.

Say “no” to over pursuing the job market

If you are filling up the in boxes of recruiters and HR teams for weeks after a first meeting or interview, you are likely adding to the chaos.  One strong follow-up says “I’m confident and I’m interested”.  Beyond a strong single follow-up and you risk looking desperate and needy.  Not a characteristic being sought after for an executive marketing position.  In all possible cases, even in a tough job market, you want to be the pursued.  Not the pursuer.

Say “no” to networking without a purpose

Networking without a purpose is called socializing.  And it is a time waster.  Fun to do but hard to justify when you and the family are looking for results via meaningful tasks.  So pick events to attend where the right people are networking.  Create a target network profile to establish specific names of people who may actually hire you. Or influence your hiring.  And once you have freed up more time, you can use more of it to help other people.  Which feels good.

What will you put on your “stop doing” list?

Note: This post originally appeared on MENG Blend.

Thanks Peter Kaminski for the photo via Flickr

In both my recruiting and my job search coaching, I’ve been hearing a lot of questions about salary negotiations lately so I’ve put together a little Q&A of common questions.

First, though, let’s talk about the mindset of salary for your new job.

It’s disconcerting talking about money, isn’t it? Many of us have issues around worthiness and putting the right price on our own services (which is all a salary is… the price for your services).

There’s also usually a little distrust triggered on both sides. Job seekers don’t trust employers to be fair and employers prefer to minimize their investment until a new hire proves their worth.

Here are a few ways to not get in your own way when it’s time to talk salary:

• Keep your ego out of it. It’s a business conversation, so approach it logically and openly, and don’t let your feelings get in the way. This is not an argument, and the people at the company are not your enemy.
• Know what you’re worth. Salaries depend on the scope of the job, the geographic area, the industry and the stage and size of the company. Glassdoor.com and Salary.com are great resources, and don’t be afraid to ask around.
• Be honest. I know a lot of people encourage you to lie about your past salary, but don’t. I’ve seen great people lose a job when their lie was discovered. The truth is always the better choice, given with the right explanation.
• See the other side’s perspective. Think about the company’s priorities and situation. Your worth to them changes depending on what you have that they need and how well you will solve their problems.
• Know your limits. You need to know the number that would thrill you, as well as the rock bottom salary package you will accept. Crunch the numbers now so you can quickly respond to a job offer later.
• Be willing to ask for what you want. This should be obvious, but if you don’t ask, then you can’t get.
• Don’t negotiate for the sake of negotiating. If the offer is what you want, that means you and the company are on the same page. Don’t make a game out of it.

Okay, now that your mind is in the right place, here’s are my answers to some of the salary negotiation questions I’ve been asked.

Q: What do I say if they ask for my salary history?

It’s a smart idea to provide everything a company requests or you might be eliminated from consideration simply based on not following directions. If your current salary is not outrageously high or low, share it. If it is outrageously high or low, explain why that is without badmouthing the employer. (“They’re cheapskates” is a bad answer. “The chance to lead marketing was well worth taking a big cut” or “My company is known for high salaries, but there is more to life than money” are good answers.)

Q: What should I include when I tell them my salary?

Include your base salary, and if you have commissions or bonuses built in, say what your target earnings are when you hit your goals. Don’t try to pad the number by adding the value of benefits, perks or expense allowances, though you can mention them.

Q: What should I say when they ask how much I want?

Don’t pin yourself to a specific number, but don’t blow off the question, either. Instead, give them a wide range by saying “I’m looking at jobs from $60K to $100K. I know that’s a wide range, but the right salary depends on the demands of the job and what I can bring to the company.” Follow that up with “Can you tell me your budget for this job?”

Q: Should I bring salary up in the interview process?

Try to wait for the interviewer to bring it up. Companies with low salaries want to screen out the unaffordable people quickly. If your interview has gotten serious and you suspect they can’t afford you, you can ask, but keep it casual by asking “Can you give me the ballpark of your salary budget?”

Q: I was underpaid at my last job so it looks like I want a big increase. What should I say?

Tell the truth, but give an explanation. “Because the company was new, we all accepted far less than market rate plus a lot of options. Our competitor pays at least $25,000 more for my job. Most important is that I’m paid in alignment with others at the company.”

Q: I’m burned out from my high-powered job and want something less stressful. How do I explain being willing to accept so much less money?

No one wants to hire someone who is settling, so it’s up to you to let them know why you would choose to give up title, status or money. Avoid saying things like “I’m burned out” (who wants to hire a burnout?) and find a way to make it seem like a fair tradeoff. For instance, “My current job is great, but it requires me to work 80 hours a week and be away from home three weeks out of four. It’s time for more balance in my life now, so trading money for time will make me very happy.”

Q: I really want this job but it pays $10,000 a year less than I want. The company says their offer is at the top of their range. How can I get more money?

Sometimes a company’s hands are tied, but it’s worth seeing if there are other ways you can get more money. Tell them that you were hoping for a higher offer, but you’d like to see if there’s a way to work things out. Ask if they ever give signing bonuses, or if you can arrange to have a salary review in three or six months. If the answer is no, try asking for non-cash tradeoffs, like being able to work from home one or two days a week, or getting an extra week of vacation.

Most important when you’re talking about salary is to remember that the company and you really do have the same objective: to get you on board feeling happy and appreciated. Approach your conversations with that in mind, and you’ll do great.

Photo courtesy of 123rf.com

This is a guest post by Abby Locke.

How did your last performance review go? Did you walk out feeling empowered and confident or were you deflated and discouraged?

I have collaborated with numerous executive men and women who are extremely talented, but never seem to get to the next level. Their successes and contributions seem to be overlooked regardless of what business environment they are in. Essentially they don’t do an effective job of marketing themselves and depend on others and senior management to keep track of their career achievements.

Well, the annual review process does not have to be a tug-and-war game. By employing just a few strategies, you can confidently walk into a meeting with senior management and negotiate a raise or a promotion.

1) Discuss Projects and Initiatives

At the end of every major project, summarize the details and work involved in the project – like the number of people you managed, size of budget allocation, your time and organizational constraints, and any other critical business information.

• Re-frame how you view each project and initiative and position your activities in terms of of Challenge-Actions-Results
• Quantify the final results or outcomes as much as possible, and avoid using generic terms like productivity improvement and market expansion. Describe the turnaround in specific detail; for example, new technology solutions allowed users to complete analysis process in 48 hours instead of two weeks.

2) Celebrate Your Kudos / High Fives

We have all received a “great-job-done” email, note or recognition note from a very happy boss, customer or vendor. In addition to thanking the sender, keep the notes/emails in an online folder or print out hard copies and store in a file.

• Write brief notes about the related project or task that prompted the testimonial and be willing to share those in conversations with your boss; and frequently make references to it in your self-appraisal write ups.

3) Demonstrate Your Thought Leadership / New Knowledge

If you have been selected to participate in an executive leadership or development program, keep track of important statistics like the number of applicants, qualifications or characteristics of participants that were program acceptance requirements.

Were you one of 50 employees selected for a highly competitive training program? Was the program accelerated or did it provide new groundbreaking knowledge?

• Maintain a running list of any new classes that have expanded your knowledge or expertise in critical business areas – emphasize how this new knowledge, skill or expertise positions you to be a more effective contributor.

4) Explain Your Board Participation or Public Speaking Experience

A great indication of your leadership expertise can stem from participation in external company boards, internal committees, and task forces; representing the company at conferences and trade shows or simply being the spokesperson for your project team.

• Refresh your manager’s memory of those activities – especially the high-profile events with key industry leaders and top company employees
• Explain what you learned in each case and how you applied that new experience in your current job. Determine if this opens up new opportunities for you at work and whether there are additional tasks you can take on.

You should never dread your performance review meetings and it should be a time to reflect on your achievements, evaluate areas of improvements and identify new ways to partner with your manager to advance to the next career level.  

 Photo credit: itcsaudiarabia via Flickr

An abundance of job-search advice is available to job seekers from pundits, friends, family, and other well-wishers; but the most important factor to success in the job search is the internal fortitude that keeps job seekers going. Without this inner strength, advice about résumés, interviews, networking, LinkedIn, etc., doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

This is a guest blog post by Bob McIntosh.

To achieve success, one must understand the importance of never giving up. The opposite of admitting to defeat is hope.

Hope: I’ve often preached the need for hope in the job search. The goals job seekers set for themselves are only realized when they maintain hope; because without it, the journey to employment is a long and arduous one.

Hope is a combination of a number of attributes job seekers must demonstrate throughout the job search, namely optimism, persistence, and enthusiasm. In combination, one will prevail in whatever challenges present themselves.

When customers tell me of the multiple interviews they’ve attended and how they’re making it to the last round but lose out to another candidate, I don’t see that as failures. Rather I look upon those setbacks as opportunities that will eventually come to fruition. You’re almost there I will tell them. Don’t give up hope. Now it’s time to practice your interview skills, I add.

Optimism: Those who are optimistic encourage optimism in others around them. It shows on their continence and is noticeable to everyone evolved in their job search. This includes people with whom they network. (Editor’s note: they also don’t let optimism lead to complacency.)

One of my favorite customers was out of work for almost a year, until a week came when she had three job possibilities leading to one offer. She remained optimistic in her job search, sometimes lapsing into self-doubt, but saw the potential of success. How did she know she’d succeed? Because she knew she wouldn’t fail. 

Persistence: This personality trait is something great athletes have. Like a baseball player who is in a slump batting .200 in May, a job seeker goes six months, nine months, or a year without landing a job, but never gives up. He bounces back from rounds of interviews with no job offers, finally landing a job before his unemployment ends. Similarly, the baseball player gets out of his slump to bat .300 in October.

This was the case for one of my customers who was out of work for more than a year. Although he had interviews almost every week, he came up short. His persistence coupled with a positive attitude was apparent in the e-mails he sent to update me on his progress. He is now gainfully employed and offers help to my customers.

Enthusiasm: Job seekers who are enthusiastic walk into a room and light it up. I can tell a job seeker will shortly find work by the way she embraces the job search, rather than surrender to defeat. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophesy. I will conquer this challenge, they say, and so they do.

One of my customers who has a physical disability is enthusiastic and confident in her ability to return to management in her prior industry. I recently met with her to critique her résumé. Prior to the critique she had attended an interview. After the critique she was scheduled for a phone interview. The last I heard, she was granted a second interview for both positions.

Having hope is a combination of the aforementioned traits, optimism, persistence, and enthusiasm. Together, these positive traits contribute to psychological capital, which guides us through the challenges in life. Psychological capital isn’t something that can be purchased, but it is something that can be developed through a positive attitude. Many times we’ve been told to be positive. Never has a greater truth been told.

Image courtesy of Google

Interview preparation is one of the most important aspects of the job search; however, the vast majority of job seekers simply wing the interview.

They figure they know themselves pretty well, and just go in with the idea they can answer the questions quite easily. However, with this approach, one of two things will happen. You will either be viewed as an also ran commodity of a job seeker, or the wheels will come off, and you will talk too much, say things you shouldn’t, and talk your way out of the job.

How are you preparing? How well do you prepare? Have you taken the time to tailor your resume for the job search then making sure you can speak to it? My good friend and mentor John Hall says “If you are not spending at least 40 hours researching the company, you are setting yourself up to be passed over.” What should be the focus of your job search?

There are many great resources for researching companies, but how do you focus that research to prepare for the interview? What information should you be looking for and how can you use it to market yourself? The goal for your interview is to demonstrate:

1. Position Fit
   

   Do you have the knowledge, experience and skills to achieve the objectives of the position? Not only do you need to look at what you have done in the past, you need to look at how it relates to what your responsibility might be in the new position. How are the products or services different from what you have experience with in the past? How is the function different from your previous experiences due to regulations or industry practices? What are evolving trends or products in the industry or function? How are technologies changing the position? What are the challenges facing the company, generally, and in regard to your position. What strengths and skills can you leverage to solve these challenges? How can you articulate your ability based on your research?

2. Value Fit
   

   What are standard salary ranges for similar positions in the industry and geography? What are the market values and market shares for the company and the products and services you may be dealing with? What are the primary objectives of the position? What are the primary obstacles to achieving the objectives? How have you overcome similar obstacles or problems in the past, and what was your success? What have you contributed to previous organizations in similar roles in terms of revenue generation, cost savings or risk mitigation, especially in regard to the primary goals and obstacles? What value can you contribute to this organization.

3. Cultural Fit
   

   What is the culture of the organization, and how does that resonate with you. Does it align with your professional ethics? What is the mission statement or primary values of the organization, and how do these align with you?

4. Passion/ Desire Fit
   

   What do you know about the company and the competitors? What new products or services are they developing, and how will they impact the industry? How passionate are you about what the company does, the value it gives to its customers, and the quality or brand image they represent? In other words, what makes the organization special and different from other organizations so that you want to work for them?

By researching the industry and company you can answer these questions and position yourself as a solution and sought after value adding asset, rather than just being a commodity job seeker looking for a job and a salary.