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Job Search Strategies

Work/life Balance

By Leslie Rothman and Susan McClain

How to separate policy from company reality

Since the pandemic some of us are enjoying aspects of working from home such as increased flexibility regarding our work schedules while others are having trouble being able to “turn-off” working.

Many are realizing, more flexibility and work boundaries are not only desirable but critical and achievable if the company supports it. When searching for a new position, how can you identify which companies really practice flexibility and balance vs. just saying they do?

Do your research
  • Read about companies of interest on Glassdoor to learn what current and recent employees are saying.
  • Check out Best Places to Work Companies @  http://bestplacestoworkinme.com  to learn about what makes them special. Many winning organizations have programs and practices that promote balance and flexibility.
  • Ask questions during the interview process to uncover an organization’s workplace reality:

Avoid commonly asked questions about policy

  • What are your policies on work/life balance, time off and working from home? 

Instead ask questions focused on practice

  • What are some examples that demonstrate how you support work/life balance?
  • How many hours do most successful professional level individuals consistently work?
  • How many times a year have you taken a full week or more off from work?
  • Do you get calls, texts or emails when you’re not at work or on vacation?
  • How does your company’s policy on respecting balance and taking time off play out in your department?

Collecting this information before and during the interview process will provide deeper insights to help you determine if an organization’s practices match your work balance needs. Ensure your job search and interviews are a two-way information gathering process. If you decide the organization and position are a good match but notice some yellow flags regarding balance, articulate your boundaries and needs as part of your acceptance conversation.

 

 

Job Change – It begins with focus

by Leslie Rothman

You want or need to change jobs. Even in a tight market, it is still possible to find good jobs. I have repeatedly heard job hunters say, “I don’t know what I want to be doing… I just know it isn’t this anymore!” or “The market is tight so I won’t be too picky. I’ll take anything, I just want to get in somewhere”.

Job searchers in this mode respond to any ads and postings, hoping that something will hit. In the absence of ads, they send resumes into companies without positions of interest identified, in the hopes that by remaining open, they won’t get ruled out of positions and someone else will figure out where they can make a contribution. Frustration with a lack of responses or unappealing offers are typically the result.This is an ineffective strategy for several reasons.

  1. By not defining what you want, you are asking the people who do the hiring to figure it out for you, to direct your resume where they think it should go. Typically the person reviewing the resume will do one of two things, 1) assume you want to do the same work you did in your previous jobs and if that can’t be easily figured out – because you’ve had a variety of positions 2) pass the resume over because they don’t have the time or the inclination to figure it out. That’s your job!
  2. An unfocused strategy becomes overwhelming. You don’t know where to put your time and energy. It doesn’t help you target organizations or identify people to network with. Job hunting is about marketing yourself. Good marketers strategically identify their target markets and sell the benefits of their products. It is much more effective to present yourself and your experiences in a tailored fashion, emphasizing the skills and assets you have that are best suited to a specific type of work.
  3. Finally, and probably most important, just “getting any job” isn’t all that you want. You have criteria in mind – you want a “good” job.
How Do You Get Focused?

You can begin by defining what a “good” job means to you. Get beyond the dollar amount you want to earn. That’s important but what else makes a job good to you?

UNDERSTAND YOUR DIS-SATISFIERS

Start by understanding where your dissatisfaction is coming from in your current (or past) situations. Compile a list of things you dislike about your current and past positions.

  • issues with your boss or coworkers
  • the company or industry
  • type of tasks/responsibilities
  • meaningfulness of the work

Dig below the surface here. Approximately how much of your time do you spend on each task you don’t like? Do these tasks draw on skills that are not your strengths? Write it all down and look for patterns.

This list becomes your list of things to avoid or minimize in your next job.

TAKE STOCK OF YOURSELF

Next spend time taking stock of yourself. This is the critical foundation of any job change. Spend the time getting very clear about what you’re really good at, the 4-5 key talents that you have, and what’s most important to you at work.

Try listing the tasks and responsibilities you currently perform at work, home and leisure. Identify what you enjoy and do really well and identify the skills, abilities and personality traits that you use in doing these activities. Consider:

  • Why do others seek you out? What do they rely on you for?
  • What do others notice or appreciate about you?
  • What tasks have you enjoyed the most in past jobs? Why?
  • What talents do these draw on?

Think about the things you are really interested in, what matters to you and the activities that you’re drawn to.

  • What have been the most satisfying things you’ve ever done?
  • What made them so?
  • What does this suggest to you about what to do next?
Begin the Research

Now you’re ready to find both the organizations and positions where these types of activities are done, and the places that align with your interests and what’s important to you. Develop a list of organizations and types of jobs that have a relationship to your areas of interest.

Check out the on line Occupational Outlook Handbook which describes multitudes of jobs. There are lots of resources to help you identify organizations. MaineBiz, the Department of Economic Development, and the Chamber of Commerce all compile lists of organizations. Talk to your friends and find out if the organizations they work for have the jobs you’re interested in.

Continue your search by looking for the work you’d really like to have. Look in the papers and on line sites to see who’s hiring for these types of positions, the qualifications the jobs require and the titles and levels of the positions. Perhaps you’ll see that you need more experience or expertise to get the position you desire.

By doing some research, you can identify positions that can be stepping stones to your desired job. Or you can find a job using your current expertise in an organization that also has the jobs you aspire to do. Once you’re working at the organization use the internal hiring process to move into the new line of work.

Focus is Key

Identifying what you really want and focusing your job search on these opportunities will increase your ability to effectively market yourself, and without a doubt, your job success and satisfaction will be significantly greater doing work that you enjoy. As a wise man named Thoreau once said, “in the long run, we only hit what we aim at”.

 

“Job Change, It begins with Focus” is a copyrighted publication of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC and cannot be copied or printed without express permission of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC.

Make the Most of LinkedIn

by Susan McClain

LinkedIn is a popular way for employers to find potential candidates for open positions. According to the Society for Human Resources Management over 90% of recruiters rely on the site. That is why having a professional LinkedIn profile is more important than ever. A good LinkedIn profile not only helps you find work, it can also build your reputation, so take control of it!

Ten ways to make your profile effective and professional:

  • Take advantage of the Headline section that shows up under your name.
  • Set the tone of your profile summary by personalizing your message with a statement in the first person.
  • Describe your work experience by providing compelling information.
  • Take advantage of the “Add to profile section” such as: “Interests,” “Associations,” “Volunteer” and “Certifications.”
  • Think about what sections you want made public.
  • Be honest about your education, experience, and skills.
  • Upload a professional photo.
  • Build your network keeping in mind the goal of connections is in the quality – not quantity – of people in your network.
  • Get recommendations: Recommendations are public votes of confidence and because of that it is one of the factors that employers look at when evaluating potential candidates.
  • Proofread: Nothing says unprofessional and lack of attention to detail like grammar and spelling errors.

 

5 Tips for Job Search Success

By Leslie Rothman and Susan McClain

Have you been looking for a new job for a while and getting nowhere?

Our 5 tips to increase your success

1) Apply Promptly

…within a few days of job being posted. In today’s labor market there will likely be many applicants. Regardless of the end date for accepting applications, organizations begin reviewing submissions right away and may not go deeper into the pool if they get a large volume of applicants or find several strong candidates early on. 

2) Craft a GREAT Cover Letter

… not a standard, generic one. By using the same cover letter for every job application you lose the opportunity to articulate why you are a great match and what appeals to you about the position. Make the links explicit, describing specific ways your experiences match what the position requires. If there is no request for a cover letter, add it as the third page of your resume so that it will be seen when your application is parsed or opened. Great letters help you stand out and demonstrate you have put in the extra effort.

3) Find a Connection to the Organization

…  for any position you are seriously interested in. Always apply as instructed but search your network to find someone connected to the organization (past or current employee, vendor, consultant, etc.) who will pass along your resume with a good word to the hiring manager, effectively getting you out of the “black hole”. Always apply as instructed, then find the side door entry.

4) Skill Building Focus

… take the opportunity during this unprecedented time to build skills in your field, expand your knowledge, or try out new areas of interest. In your resume, note on-line classes you are taking or have completed, and in your cover letter, highlight your learning/self-improvement activities. You will add to your “tool kit” while demonstrating your initiative and self-direction, traits that are increasingly important for employers hiring people who may be working from home.

5) Increase Linkedin Activity

… spend time selectively expanding your connections. Reach out to people you have lost touch with and even people in your field whom you may not know. Personalize your connection note by explaining why you would like them to be part of your network. Other ways to engage; post relevant articles, message contacts to see how they are doing and to provide an update on yourself. Join relevant groups and then participate in the conversations, comment on posts, and reach out to connect with group members that impress you.

Use these 5 strategies and improve your job search success!

Coming Soon, Fall Workshops: “Capitalize on the Pandemic Pause” and “Search Approaches for Career Shift/Change”

Is Age Working Against You?

by Leslie Rothman

As job seekers prepare for interviews, a common fear among the young and old is that their age will be held against them. In reality, age is usually not a factor and the reason for not being selected is due to a mismatch of work experience, motivation or attitude relative to the job requirements.

Although age-associated biases do exist, most interviewers understand the legal ramifications of asking age-related questions and avoid them.

For the interviewee, a concern over age can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, generating enough anxiety to create an obstacle to interviewing success. It can also be an excuse which hides the true reasons for lack of success in interviews.

Strategies to help you handle this concern:

1. Demonstrate behaviors that dispel beliefs
2. Separate “over or under qualified” issues from age
3. Assume age is your asset, not a liability

Address Stereotypes

Rather than trying to change a bias, focus on common stereotypes that accompany it:

Regarding older workers

  • You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – not adaptable and unable to learn
  • Older people aren’t up with current technology
  • He/she is just looking to ride it out until retirement 
  • They’ll tell you how to do your job, because they’ve been there

Regarding younger workers

  • Young people are irresponsible
  • They don’t have a clue, but they have an attitude
  • A young person won’t stick it out – and I’ll have to hire and train again

Address potential concerns by preempting them. Create your own list. Ask friends about negative beliefs that they’ve heard. For each belief identified, come up with a specific example that demonstrates how your behavior is different, such as how you’ve successfully adapted to a variety of work environments or changes in work situations. Develop a response that demonstrates ongoing interest in learning new ideas and incorporating new approaches.

If you’re a younger applicant, have examples that display perseverance, commitment, and responsibility, in a past work or school situation. Be ready to incorporate them into responses to interview questions such as:

  • Tell me about your strengths
  • Why should I hire you?
  • How would your co-workers describe you?
  • Tell me about yourself

Be honest with yourself and others. If you really aren’t responsible or up with new technology, don’t bend the truth. Instead, develop an actionable plan for improving in these areas.

Recognize Mismatch

Acknowledge when your qualifications may not fit the position requirements and separate this from your feelings about age bias.

A younger person recently told me she believed her youthful appearance (i.e. age) was being held against her. When I asked about her work experience, she admitted she had been a stay-at-home mom and had no outside-the-home work experience (no easy-to-translate track record). This was at the heart of her lack of success, not her youthful look.

Similarly, when a position requires 5-8 years of experience and an individual with 20 applies (and happens to be the age of 50) the issue is most likely that the applicant has significantly more experience than the skill, responsibility or pay level of the position.

Identify Positive Attributes

Think about positive attributes of your age, and develop responses and examples that demonstrate them.

For the more senior applicant

  • Maturity – emotional and intellectual
  • Seasoned – broad understanding of organizational politics, variety or depth of experiences
  • Sense of Self – clarity about what is important, balance, self-awareness
  • Role model – less need to prove self, eager to support others

For the younger applicant

  • Energy and Drive – a desire to accomplish a lot
  • Fresh Ideas – a willingness to explore totally new perspectives
  • Positive Outlook – a belief that that anything is possible

These exercises will help you believe and sell a strong, confident and upbeat image – young or old.

To quote Henry Ford, “Whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t – you’re right.”

Networking, it’s the Key

by Leslie Rothman

Networking, simply put, means talking to and interacting with people to make professional connections that help you in your career. Approximately 70% of job changers get their next position through a contact. That means that only 30% find their next job by exclusively responding to postings. Still many people focus primarily on responding to them.

You will make yourself immediately stand out by having someone personally refer or advocate for you whether it’s an advertised or unadvertised opportunity. So, why are people uncomfortable with networking? Many people have trouble calling people they don’t know well. We fear being told no, or imagine we are imposing on, or bothering people.

Often we don’t believe we have any relevant contacts, “I don’t know anybody who…” We don’t know how to approach it – and don’t recognize that there are different types of networking with different purposes. So we network ineffectively and get discouraged.

Breaking down networking into four categories, understanding each one’s purpose, finding people to talk with and applying appropriate strategies makes it all more doable.

SUBTLE NETWORKING

Subtle Networking involves viewing your daily interactions with people you know, or people you meet, as networking opportunities. It is a low risk approach and a great building block for the other types of networking. The purpose is to get information about various jobs and organizations that are out there without broadcasting that you’re looking around. To do this, take advantage of ALL your casual conversations.

Most people you run into have jobs and with a little prompting, will talk about them. Wondering what you’ll say? In conversation, simply ask people –

  • What kind of work do you do?
  • How is your ___ job going? Do you enjoy it?
  • Where are you working these days? What’s it like there?

Keep notes of who you speak to and what you learn. Both what people are doing and where they are doing it. This is the beginning of your contacts list.

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS

If you’re still trying to figure out what kind of job you really want, Informational Interviews may be your next step to explore a few areas of interest. Informational interviews are not the same as job interviews and are not disguised job searching meetings. Informational interviews help you learn from current or past practitioners about specific career fields/jobs of interest.

BUILD A NETWORK OF CONTACTS

A side benefit is to build a network of contacts in the field for future use and begin to gain supporters – people that you “connect with” that can help you when you’re actually ready to look for a position. It’s easier to get started talking to people that you know, even just a little bit, then cold calling people – and you’ll get a warmer reception.

WHERE TO BEGIN

Begin with the list you’ve developed from your subtle networking. Develop your contacts list by including people you know from professional associations, social groups, family, friends (pull out that holiday card list), neighbors, community contacts and school alumni. The majority of these people will be happy to spend 30 minutes with you talking about what they do. If you have contacts that are not local, conduct the interviews via the phone or by emailing a list of questions that you’d like them to respond to.

At this stage of the game it is better to conduct these interviews with people who are not in a position to hire you. It keeps the intent “truer”, seeking information rather than a job. Save the hiring contact until you are clearer about what you want and more knowledgeable about the field.

As the person seeking information, your role is to ask questions, listen and record information, not primarily talk about yourself. Your questions will be geared toward finding out what the work is, the abilities and knowledge needed to be successful, the future challenges of the field and recommendations on how people get into the line of work.

JOB SEARCH NETWORKING

Job Search Networking involves meeting and talking to people in your desired field or companies of interest who may be able to help you in your job search. It’s a great way to uncover job leads and find out about unadvertised positions. Talking to people who have connections in your desired line of work will help you get referrals -people who can put in a “good word” for you. Go back to contacts that you’ve spoken to earlier. Identify people in the field, those who know people in the field, or work at organizations that you’re interested in.

Utilize your Linkedin network –both contacts and groups. Look for additional contacts from local professional associations and your school’s alumni organization. Make a point to be at events and gatherings where people who do the work you desire go. Now it’s time to approach contacts in a position to hire you.

A key to getting an appointment is how you ask for it. Avoid saying “I’m looking for a job in…” because it gives the person you want to meet an easy out to say, “I don’t have any open positions”. Consider asking for information and advice. Your phone call could sound like this;

“We have a common acquaintance ______ and she gave me your name as someone who has a lot of experience in the _________ field. I am looking for suggestions, possible leads and advice to help me find a ____ position. If you’re willing, I’d like to set up 20 -30 minutes to meet with you and tap into your knowledge. I can meet at whatever time and place is convenient for you.”

Your questions will be geared to:

  • Getting pointers on your resume
  • Tips on where people may be advertising for the job you want
  • Associations and groups that are “musts” to be part of
  • Additional names of people in the field to talk with, particularly at organizations you’re interested in.

Make a positive impression here and you may get called back if they do have an opening or hear about an opportunity.

In conversations you may also identify an organization’s need that you may be able to fill, even if they don’t currently have a position, and make a case for how you may be able to help them solve a problem or fill a gap. Contract work and/or positions do get created when you can be the solution to a key obstacle.

ON-GOING NETWORKING

Finally, it is always worthwhile to spend some time doing On Going Networking, and not just when budget cuts are headed your way. Make it part of your professional agenda to constantly meet and mix with people in your profession. The payoffs will be many – you’ll continue to hear about positions (often it’s the times when you’re not looking that the best opportunities become available), keep yourself industry current, and you’ll be building your contacts for the future.

Keep in touch with people that impress you at conferences. Join associations and actively participate on committees and attend the functions. In larger organizations, you can network with others who do related work in other divisions. There are always jobs out there.

Making effective networking a consistent and key part of your strategy will help you get them. Apply the right approach to your situation and you’re on your way toward making positive things happen for yourself!

 

“Networking, it’s the Key” is a copyrighted publication of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC and cannot be copied or printed without expression permission of Career & Workplace Directions, LLC.

Treat Everyone with Equal Respect

by Susan W. McClain

Consider every person you interact with as a potential champion for your cause, or a potential detractor. The receptionist in the entryway as you wait for your networking connection, a peer on a volunteer committee, a friend’s parent, an advisor at your local Career Center.  The impression you make can have a big impact on whether or not someone makes an effort to be an advocate for your next career step. You never know who is observing and making assessments and is in a position to be your next champion or influence a potential hiring situation.

Treat everyone with the same level of importance as a potential hiring manager.

Networking: Increase Your Response Rate

by Leslie Rothman

Are you frustrated with low response rates to your networking phone calls?

  • Provide your name and phone number right up front.  Speak slowly.
  • If you have a connection who gave you this person’s name, say that up front, as well as the reason (briefly) for your call.
  • When possible, take the burden of action for follow up. It can sound like this; “If you get a chance to call me back, that would be great.  I will also call again tomorrow.”
  • Restate your name (spell it if it’s often misunderstood) and number, slowly and clearly.

These simple tips will make it easier for your contact to respond.  Remember, no one likes to keep replaying a message to get all the important details.

The Importance of Follow-through

by Susan W. McClain

Consider every person you interact with as a potential champion for your cause; perhaps they give you a tip, advice, or time (a neighbor offers to find the phone # or email address of a contact). You never know who could be the one who opens the door towards an opportunity.

With this credo in mind, always honor and show appreciation for other people’s time.  Keep appointments and follow-through on any commitments you’ve made such as providing a resume or updates on any action you’ve taken as a result of their advice.  Respond to emails or phone calls promptly.

People who are repeatedly late or unreliable create the impression they don’t care, or are less professional – why should the advocate work harder than the candidate looking for the job?