Career Management Alliance Blog

Ready for a busy day of job searching? Just boot up that computer and get started on the online job boards. After all, there are several hundred jobs to search in your industry and you can crank out those applications until about noon when you decide to take a well-deserved break for lunch. I’m sure there’s someone at the other end just waiting
for your resume to grace their inbox!

OK, by now you’ve sensed my sarcasm. I’ve written about this topic before, but I continue to meet people who are lured by the leads on the job boards and convinced that if they just continue to scroll down the list, their dream job will appear. If only it were that easy!

I’m convinced that people are enticed by the boards for one of these reasons:

1. Using the boards makes them feel like they are productively searching.
2. The boards give them some level of control over their search and don’t force them to step outside their comfort zone.
3. People are eternal optimists and are confident that with all those jobs, there must be something that is right for them.

The truth is that less than 5% of people in search find their jobs from the job boards and you can check out Nick Corcodilos’s article on the reality of the boards and the abysmal sourcing statistics for some of the big boards.

Job search is sometimes uncomfortable and even messy, but it can also represent an enormous period of personal and professional growth. But to be successful, you have to be willing to dip your toe in the water, take some risks, and most importantly, take some responsibility for your own career management.

So step away from the computer and get out and meet people through affinity groups such as professional organizations, alumni groups, community events, and places of worship. The chances of building relationships with people you know or new people you meet through others and then leveraging those relationships to find job leads is far greater than the odds of finding your next job through the boards.

Posted by Barbara Safani

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Today is Columbus Day. Maybe you have the day off; some people do. As I realized that today is the second Monday in October, a federal holiday to celebrate this event, my thoughts turned to the Columbus Monument I saw in Barcelona year-before last.

The monument is located at the site where Christopher Columbus arrived in 1493 upon completion of his journey to America. It depicts a standing Columbus pointing toward the sea. During our visit, we were told that Columbus is pointing in the wrong direction and not toward the New World he discovered.

The wrong direction? Have you ever gone in the wrong direction in your career and somehow, landed in the right job, or the right place, or the right opportunity at the right time?

Or maybe you went down the wrong road, the wrong path for a while, only to discover that your wrong turn led you to a place where you needed to be.

Or perhaps you’ve said something wrong and would like to make it right with someone. Or how about that saying you’ve heard time and again, “catch ‘em doing things right!”

Maybe today is just the day to turn some wrongs into rights! Happy Columbus Day!

posted by: billie sucher

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A new client recently left his position—without leaving a positive impression. He was so ecstatic to be leaving that he didn’t think about the exist process and possible repercussions. Unfortunately, those repercussions followed him.

The manner in which you depart your job will leave a lasting impression on your manager and those you work with, which can have an equally lasting impact on your career. My advice: end it on a positive note and make it easier for everyone by following the four tips below:

1. Make sure your manager and colleagues are the first to know about your impending departure. Tell your boss that this is an opportunity for moving ahead in your career and that you have enjoyed your tenure with your company.
2. Prepare and provide your manager with a formal resignation letter that includes the effective date, an explanation (such as pursuing career advancement) and a positive statement about your career with the organization.
3. Choose your departure date based on the number of weeks that will be appropriate for your level. For example, a month or more is appropriate if it’s a senior-level position or one with critical projects in progress.
4. Take care of everything you need to do to provide proper closure regarding your responsibilities and any paperwork with the human resources department. Leave your contact information so that anything can be forwarded to you.

On a final note, remember that negative comments can haunt you in the future. You never know where your former boss may end up working next.

Posted by Louise Garver

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A friend who is a Human Resources Director recently complained to me about the candidates he’s been interviewing for several jobs at his company. Here are his top 7 pet peeves.

1. Not answering the question - At the core of this complaint was that candidates weren’t listening to the actual question. This HR Director didn’t mind if people sidestep or reframe the question - at least they demonstrate that they heard and understood the question - and he noted that sometimes people actually “answer a better question than I thought to ask.” But first and foremost, he wants to know that people were listening to the question in the first place.

2. Coming late - A surprising number of people continue to arrive late for interviews.

3. Discussing salary and benefits too soon - If you bring up this subject prior to receiving an offer, it appears to the employer as if you’re only interested in what you stand to gain and not in what you can offer the company. I’ve heard some people say that they don’t want to waste the interviewer’s time or have their time wasted, but it’s a smart practice to allow the conversation to run its course and wait for the offer. Besides, sometimes there’s more wiggle room than an employer will initially reveal, particularly if he or she is favorably impressed with you.

4. Not knowing anything about the company - Failure to do your homework and researching the company - at a minimum, going to the company web site - shows a lack of interest that can derail your candidacy.

5. Not having questions for the interviewer - Again, this is interpreted as a lack of interest.

6. Not sending a thank you letter - A simple common courtesy can make all the difference.

7. Not saying you want the job - Showing enthusiasm and interest in the position increases the likelihood you’ll receive an offer.

Of course, this survey of one is hardly scientific, but it does capture many of the issues that I’ve heard from other hiring managers. For some additional employer feedback, read The Insider’s Guide to Finding a Job: Expert Advice from America’s Top Employers and Recruiters by Wendy Enelow and Shelly Goldman.

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As a Breakthrough Career Coach, I am always coaching my clients to use proactive job search methods over reactive methods such as responding exclusively to online postings. The biggest challenge I see for my clients is reaching out to make contact with a hiring manager or decision-maker at a target company that is a fit with their background. In looking for more creative ways to do that, I found a great article on the Quintessential Careers site with tips written by Steve Levy, Principal for Outside-the-Box Consulting. Here are the strategies he recommends:

• Do a Google search for conferences in your industry or field
  and look for speaker bios.
• Conduct a Google search on: “@xyzcompany.com +manager” and see
  what pops up.
• Find the magazine with the highest readership for your industry
  or function. Go through six months’ worth of issues and write down
  the name and title of every person quoted.
• Share university alumni chapter contacts with your friends.
• You know those business card bowls that so many restaurants use
  for meal giveaways? While you’re standing there waiting to be seated,
  take a handful of cards and start looking at names and job titles.
• When networking, rather than ask for referrals to people who work
  in your area, ask for referral to the “five best business people you
  know.”
• Scour conference proceedings for names of hiring managers.

These are great ideas and with persistence and follow through, the proactive job seeker will always have the edge over less aggressive candidates. The key is follow through. So when in doubt, make it count. As the saying goes, “Just do it!”

Posted by Julianne Franke

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What am I doing wrong? That question was asked of me last week by one of my clients, a sales executive who’s been in transition for about a year now. This was our first session. I gave him my honest answer…I don’t know; let’s see what we can figure out. I started by asking some routine yes/no questions to get a sense of what he knew about himself:

Can you speak about your product (you) with confidence and clarity? (He was unfamiliar with the concept of personal branding).

Do you know your product’s strengths and flaws?

Can you describe your competitive advantage?

Do you have a clearly defined target goal?

Have you identified organizations that are aligned with your target goal?

Is your resume absolutely a-m-a-z-i-n-g in educating the reader about you?

Do you make it easy for someone to interview you, or is it more like ping-pong with pain?

Can you name five things you do better than the next person?

Can you name five of your best attributes that will make a positive impact on the employer’s bottom line?

Can you cite five good reasons why somebody should hire you over your competition?

Have you built a solid team of people (network) invested in your sustained career success?

My client answered “no” to each of the questions. If you are looking for work in today’s competitive market, do yourself a favor; before you hit the streets, back up, rewind, and ask some hard, tough questions of self. When you can answer “yes” to these basic questions, plus others, you’ll be well on your way to landing your next job. And I’d encourage you to start this process sooner than later. I suspect you will notice an immediate difference in how employers respond to you if you choose to do so.

posted by: billie sucher

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