It's coming… and it's going to change your life.
I know you are thinking, “I don't believe you." – But, it's true. Here's why...
Resolutions Are a Waste
Every year, millions upon millions of Americans make "finding a new, better job" their New Year's resolution. And every year, they fail at making it happen.
Why?
Because just saying you want something doesn't make it come true. When it comes to feeling better about your career, the old saying, “actions speak louder than words," has never been more accurate.
Let's Face it, You Can't Do it Alone
Reality check: If you could have achieved the career success you want and deserve right now on your own, you would have. So, this year you need to get some help! But, before you can do that, you need to take two action steps – right now!
Step 1: Stop Thinking “Free & Easy" is Going to Solve Your Problem
If there is one thing you can do for yourself that will really make a difference in your career in 2012, it's to stop assuming all the career advice you need should be free and easy to access.
Now, you might be thinking, “Aren't I reading this on a free career blog?"
Yes, but this site is designed to give you some basic insight into what it takes to be successful in all aspects of career. It by no means is designed to give you all the answers. Do you honestly think the experts on this site have the ability to give all their best information and resources away for free? Their job is to help people with their careers.
So, their best material is saved for paying customers.
Step 2: Quit Being a Professional Hypocrite
Now, I know for a fact your initial reaction to the above was resentment. Somewhere deep in your heart, you believe career advice and coaching should be free.
Why?
Society has actually conditioned you to think that way.
We have been trained to act entitled when it comes to career help. We were also told a college degree would get us a better job and if we just kept our head down and did what we were told we'd stay employed and keep getting annual raises.
Well folks, that train has left the depot!
These days, if you need help from an expert (i.e. surgeon, nutritionist, orthodontist, lawyer, and any other specialist you can think of), you pay for it. And the better they are, the more you pay.
Career coaching works the same way.
You need to pay for it – and the more personal the attention you want from top experts, the more you are going to pay.
Solution: Sign up for Career Mania 2012 & Get Deals from the Best Career Experts in the Country!
It's time you invested in your career. Aren't you worth it? Isn't feeling better worth it? The good news is, we are going to help you save money and shop for the right career coach.
Here's how...
All of the 75+ experts and partners of our CAREEREALISM.com site are going to record a very short, helpful video that highlights how they help folks like you.
At the end of the video, they will make a special offer – just for Career Mania 2012 participants. You will get exclusive access to these videos the last week in January and be able to select wich deals you want to take advantage of.
Then, you will have three days to make a decision and purchase the right programs for you. It's that simple!
So, sign up below by e-mail and we'll send you everything you need to participate in Career Mania.
Trust me, investing in your career and getting real results has never been easier and more effective!
Note: Please know when you sign up you'll have 52 hours to take advantage of our special coaching deals. The clock begins as soon as your enter your e-mail address!
If you cannot see the sign-up area, please e-mail our staff at help@workitdaily.com.
SIGN UP NOW FOR CAREER MANIA
J.T. O'Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company.Year 2012 image from Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.