Are you prepared for Your Job Search? Really?

Coach Wooden said “when opportunity knocks, it is too late to prepare”. Are you ready if opportunity knocked on your door? Too many job seekers are not and have to scramble at the last minute; by then it is too late.

Here is a checklist to see if you are ready. If you cannot say yes to each of these, then you have some work to do and there is no time like the present.

          1)      You have (not just faking) a positive attitude and are confident in yourself and your abilities.

          2)      You understand and accept how the new job market works. You know that:

a.       Only 10% of resumes make it passed the application tracking system keyword software

b.      Only 15% of all of the jobs that are available today are posted online (85% are hidden)

c.       A few weeks after you post your resume on job boards, the resume may not be viewed as often

           3)      You know the concise answer to why people should hire you, you do not use the same answer that everyone else gives when asked “what are your strengths?”, and you have over 50 STARs documented.

           4)      You have addressed any interpersonal or performance issues that you need to work on.

           5)      You have a resume that was crafted using a sample set of job descriptions to ensure the content is on point for the job you are pursuing and you are using the current resume format.

           6)      You have all 6 items of marketing materials developed.

           7)      You have identified up to 10 target companies and know how to use them to find the hidden jobs.

            8)      You have interview attire that fits and makes you feel confident.

            9)      You have practiced interviewing, received feedback, and made improvements.

          10)   You know what to do AFTER the interview.

          11)   You have been in a job search for a while and are getting good results.

If you were not sure about any of these items or said no, you should get busy now! Do not be one of the people who see a job posting and then realize they need to work on their resume or call the day before an interview to say they need interview help. “When opportunity knocks, it is TOO LATE to prepare”.

Contact a job coach to help you get ready BEFORE it is too late. RightChanges.biz offers affordable successful job search and career success assistance.  

This Job Search Stinks! Is Yours Going Like this too?

See if this sounds like your job search.

You were fired. Well actually it was a reduction in workforce but it feels like being fired. They said it was not your performance, after all you received a good performance rating the last time, but they let you go so it must be performance related.

You updated your resume with the most recent position and started applying online only to hear NOTHING! NOTHING! Seriously? You know that you can do the job but companies are not even giving you the courtesy of a reply.

You modified your resume to match the job description before you apply. You asked people to review your resume and you changed it based upon their feedback. Then you met someone else who suggested changing it another way or changing it back to the way you had it. It doesn’t matter because neither way is yielding results. You don’t even know which way is correct.

You researched and memorized the good interview answers like what to say when asked your strengths and weaknesses.

Looking online there are very few positions available so you start to get concerned that companies are not hiring.

You start to wonder if it is your age or something else about you and start considering lower level jobs. And maybe you even tried for lower level jobs and were not successful.

Maybe you were lucky enough to have an interview but could not get the company to see your value regardless of how you stressed you could do the job.

Does that sound like your job search?

What would you be willing to do to be successful in your search? You probably say “anything” and I’m going to challenge that. Too many job seekers are not successful, not because they are too old or don’t have value, it is because they are doing the job search the wrong way. I bet though that too many job seekers reading this will not change what they are doing. They are the hamster on the wheel – they will work hard at it but are not going anywhere.

Don’t just update your resume or change the formatting without concern for the content. Only 10% of resumes make it passed the keyword software that resumes go through to filter candidates. Formatting is important but resume reviewers only comment on format and do not address content. And when all candidates use the same job description to tailor their resume, all the resumes sound the same. As a recruiter said once “they ring hollow”.

Instead: create your resume based upon a sample set of job descriptions for the single type of job you are pursuing to be sure you are emphasizing the right skills, highlighting the relevant experience, and using the right keywords.

Don’t just rely on applying online. Only 15% of all of the job available today are posted online. When you limit your search to jobs posted online, you are leaving 85% of them out of consideration.

Instead: develop a job search strategy that utilizes all of the approaches but proportional to their success rate. Know the tips and logic behind them, to be better at each approach. Example: did you know you have to repost your resume to job boards every 3 weeks?

Don’t give the researched or pat answers to interview questions. When you do, you are not standing out as a candidate, in fact you sound like everyone else.

Instead: know what your real individual strengths are by taking an assessment. Know the stories of your past successes so the interviewer convinces themselves that you can do the job.

As they say: you will keep getting what you have been getting if you keep doing what you have been done – which is probably not what you want. If you really want to get off the hamster wheel and get a job you WANT, then partner with a job search coach who knows the right way to conduct a job search. Meet with them for an hour first to find out about their services and to get to know their approach. Be sure they address all areas of the job search, not just one area like the resume.

It is not you! You have just been doing the job search the wrong way. The job search is not intuitive so get advice from someone who can help.

For more information about RightChanges services and super specials through Dec 1, go to www.RightChanges.biz

Judi Adams

The Affordable and Successful Job Search Coach

www.RightChanges.biz

The Best Gift You Can Give: The Gift of a Future

Today between 50 and 80 % of people currently employed are disengaged or worse – they hate their jobs. Many people select their career or field of study by chance – falling into it. Others select a career because it is expected of them by others. I chose my initial college major because I liked the subject in high school; I didn’t really know what I would do with it once I graduated.  Imagine if you had the chance to do it all over again with a factual based understanding of what is a good fit for you.

Do you know a soon to be recent graduate (high school or college) or someone in a job transition? A great gift is the gift of knowing the right field or career for them using a comprehensive career assessment.

Where some assessments are one dimensional, RightChanges uses an affordable, internationally renowned Career Assessment that covers 4 key areas: personality, interests, skills & abilities, and values. We supplement the personality component with a second personality assessment that is based on different definitions so we get an accurate picture of the individual. The assessment does not select the final field of study or career. Instead the assessment narrows the options to a select pool that are a fit for the person from which they make the final, informed choice. Your RightChanges coach is an experienced and certified facilitator of this assessment.

Consider giving this amazing gift of understanding and knowledge to the student or job seeker in your life.

For more information on this affordable wondrous gift, go to www.RightChanges.biz