This week, I was contacted by a colleague who shared the story of Jason Trembly and his plans to sit on a raft for 36 hours in the middle of a NH river as a way to raise $36,000 for the charity he works for, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Jason stepped in to sit on the raft after the person who was going to do it had to cancel. He’s being joined by Jason Perry, Marketing Director from the Verizon Wireless Arena who also agreed to hang out with Jay on the raft and help to raise money. These two amazing guys are giving up 36-48 hours to support Wish children who have had their time stolen from them.
When I asked why Jason decided to do it, I was told by his colleague, Donna Parker, “The 36-hour event is being held in honor of all Wish families who are on their own life raft, waiting for life-changing news and support. We can make a difference by bringing hope, strength and joy into their lives through the power of a wish. Jason didn’t want that opportunity to pass us by just because we didn’t have someone for the raft.” Talk about commitment to his job and a cause! Of course it got me thinking...
Two ways to show your community (and hiring managers) the stuff you are made of are to go BIG and do GOOD via charitable acts!
First, Jason is doing something big. This is more than a fundraiser, this is him putting himself out there in a very visible, challenging manner. To me, that says a lot about his character. Second, he’s doing some serious good. If he raises his goal, that money will help to grant a half-dozen wishes of kids with life-threatening illnesses. Who doesn't respect someone who does that much for a worthy cause? I know for certain that all decent employers value talent that believes in helping others. If you are looking for work right now, ask yourself, “What have I done to demonstrate my ability to give?” You may not have money to donate, but you could do something creative like this as a way to show folks your ability to step up.
I know what you are thinking: Isn’t that self-serving?
I guess you can look at it that way. But candidly, the charity you choose to support won’t see it that way. Right now, non-profit organizations across the country are suffering. Donations are down thanks to the extended recession. They are desperately seeking ways to raise money. So, while you will be doing something to help your personal brand, the reality is the good you are doing for the charity is much bigger.
Besides, it will make you feel good!
You always hear people in the non-profit world say they don't do it for the money - and it's true! They do it for the satisfaction the work gives them. I’ve been co-chairing a charity event called Wish Racing for the last three years. It takes a lot of work, but it never fails to give me a huge sense of joy and satisfaction. Plus, it always puts life in perspective for me. I’ve also made amazing friends and met some incredible families. The time I spend on this project comes back to me 10-fold. I guess one could say that I selfishly volunteer for the way it makes me feel.
So, what do you do to go BIG and do GOOD? Share your stories below and give readers some ideas of what charitable acts they can engage in to help others while also helping their personal brand.
J.T. O’Donnell is the founder of CAREEREALISM.com and CEO of CareerHMO.com, a web-based career development company.Photo credit: Shutterstock
Bigstock
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
BigstockMake 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
BigstockAre 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.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
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
BigstockYour 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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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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