Crank Up Your Career

Job Search: Make it Simple

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

I saw this article in today’s JSOnline and something clicked:

Boys’ invention is worth its salt

November 11, 2008 12:35 a.m. | Why didn’t we think of it? That’s how Ariens Co. engineers reacted when they first saw the snow-thrower accessory invented by sixth-grade students Matt Moran and Sam Hipple. »Read Full Article

———

Now that you’ve read the story, think about your own job search. Have you made things too complicated? Here are 5 tips to simplify your search:

1. The Networking Monster: Have you created a networking monster? “Hey, know anyone who’s hiring?” – that’s the monster I’m talking about. Check out our newsroom for tips to tame the monster and make your networking efforts simple, easy, and FUN.

2. The Long Boring Resume: Is your resume filled with complex language, industry jargon, and other non-essentials that make it 5 pages long? Pass it around to your friends. If they ask you to explain things or look confused, it’s too long, too complex, and too boring. Trim the fat. Focus on results. Accomplishments demonstrate your value and the employer’s potential ROI on their investment in hiring you.

3. The Drama Queen — or King: Are you whining about your situation to everyone? Remember attitude is everything. It’s OK to express your opinion and grieve for your job loss, but then turn it around. “I always hire attitude over experience,” said one human resources director. “Skills can always be learned.”

4. The Over-Engineered Process: Are you making the job search process so complex that you’re afraid to start? Are you making excuses? (You can’t start until you’ve completely updated your contact database… You can’t start until you have the perfect interview suit… You can’t start because…) Take action and do one thing for your search now! A baby step is better than no step.

5. The View from the Pigeonhole: Target your career focus and your search, but don’t limit yourself to the methods you use in the process. Networking is the No. 1 way people land new gigs. BUT there are many ways to tap your network – both online and off. Contact companies cold. Talk to recruiters. Post your resume online – and follow up. Snail mail your resume to decision-makers – and follow up. Paste your resume into company website application forms – and follow up.

Now is the time to simplify. Take action. One small step in your job search is one giant step toward YOUR new dream gig!

Let us know your favorite – and simple – job search step. Share your stories with us – and inspire others!

Copyright 2008 * Wendy Terwelp



 

Vote for YOU and Your Ideal Career

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

Tomorrow is Election Day and time to vote. As you’re choosing a candidate, think about your own career choices. Did you choose your current career or did it choose you?

 

Perhaps you started in banking during college and moved up. Now you are out. Maybe you were recruited by an investment firm during college. Now you are out.

 

While times are tough, you still have a choice.

 

You can choose to whine and complain about the economy and your crappy career situation OR you can choose to take this time to find a career that is ideal for you.

 

Maybe you fell into the role you’ve just been downsized from – and you hated every minute of it. I worked with one client who had been with his company 25 years before being downsized. “I hated every day I was there,” he told me. “What?! But you worked there for 25 years!” I said. “How did you make it through?” He said, “Why, I took it one day at a time.”

 

How horrible to hate going to work, especially when the typical employee works 2080 to 2600 hours a year. And works an average of FORTY YEARS (or more).

 

Here are some action steps you can take right now and vote – vote for YOU and your ideal career – one that you are passionate about! One where you can say, “WOW, I love going to work!”

 

1.    Choose a new career. If you’re burnt out on your current career or, like my client, hated the 20+ years you’ve worked in the industry, take some career assessments to find a new direction. Here’s a link to some freebies.

 

I also recommend taking more in-depth assessments for greater and more detailed results – to help you identify what makes you tick, how others perceive you, and what might be the ideal work environment for you.

 

2.    Choose your attitude – and make it a positive one. I recently worked with a client who’d been downsized. I’ve rarely met a more positive person. Here he was in a difficult situation, family, main provider, and unfortunately in a declining industry. How did he view his situation? Why he had more time to spend with his family. He had time to help his children with their homework and watch them learn new things. He had time to take some classes and improve his skills. And he had time to research and pursue a new, more lucrative, and stable industry. That’s how he viewed things. How are you viewing your situation? You’ve got a choice.

 

3.    Choose to rebuild your network – the right way. “Know anyone who’s hiring” is not an effective way to rebuild your network. Here’s the right way: Personal Branding Sound Bite.

 

4.    Choose to learn new ways to network. Yes, networking events, social gatherings, and professional organizations are still an excellent way to network. How about the latest tools like online networking? Do you know how to use LinkedIn the right way? Have you updated your bio? Wondering what Twitter is? Check out this self-study class: Rock Your Network® Online for the latest.

  

5.  Choose to take control of your personal brand. The challenge for most professionals is that they lack the discipline necessary to define their personal brands. As a result, their peers select it for them. Unfortunately, the personal brand others select for you will not always be the personal brand you would have selected for yourself. Take action now.

6.  Choose to recession-proof your career – where you are. See my blog post below: Top 10 Tips to Recession-Proof Your Career.

7.  Choose to volunteer. In the words of Zig Ziglar, “If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.”

Now is the time to cast a vote for YOU and your ideal career. What choices will you make this time around? It’s up to you. And you’ve got a choice.

 

Want more tips for Job Action Day? Check out QuintCareers and its chosen bloggers. Enjoy!

 

———————————————–

© 2008 • Wendy Terwelp • All rights reserved.

Wendy Terwelp has helped thousands of clients be rock stars at work since 1989. A recognized expert on networking, both online and off, Wendy has been featured in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fast Company, The Business Journal, Monster.com, Careerbuilders.com, and more as well as numerous radio shows. She has published hundreds of articles on the web and in print. Are you ready for your next big gig?®

Learn more> http://www.knocks.com.

 

Monday is Job Action Day 2008 – Count me in!

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

jobactionday.jpgI’m happy to announce that Quintessential Careers’ founder and publisher Randall S. Hansen has invited me to participate in Job Action Day 2008, which is set for this Monday, November 3rd. I’m excited to be a part of this “day for job-seekers and workers to confront the current economic crisis head-on and take action steps to improve their careers.” (Read the full press release here.)

Other career bloggers selected to participate include:

Alexandra Levit: Alexandra Levit’s Water Cooler Wisdom
Lindsey Pollak: lindseypollak.com/blog/
Barbara Safani: CareerSolvers
Career Manangement Alliance Blog
Curt Rosengren: The M.A.P. Maker [Meaning Abundance & Passion]
Darrell Gurney: In The Line of Hire
Diane Danielson: THE WOMEN’SDISH with Diane & Friends
Jacob Share: JobMob
Louise Fletcher: blueskyresumesblog
Maggie Mistal: what if…
Miriam Salpeter: Keppie Careers Blog
Rich Milgram: EmploymentMetrix.com
Steven Rothberg: CollegeRecruiter.com Blog
Wendy Terwelp: Rock Your Career
Willy Franzen: One Day, One Job

I hope you’ll support Job Action Day by reading and commenting on the blogs from these terrific career professionals. Be sure to come back to this blog on Monday to read my post!

Top 10 Tips to Recession-Proof Your Career

Wendy Terwelp 6 Comments

“Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em, ‘Certainly I can!’ Then get busy and find out how to do it.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Now is the time to take on extra responsibilities on the job and move out of your comfort zone. Here are 10 tips to help you recession-proof your career:

1. Speak up at the next staff meeting. Make a positive contribution to the conversation and share your ideas. Don’t wait until something happens and then say, “Gee that was MY idea.” How would anyone have known?

2. Schedule a review with your boss. Make her aware of your valuable contributions. It’s not bragging if it’s true AND your boss may not be aware of all you do. Track your results now. Go back into your emails and see how many customers praised your work. Create a “me file.” Want more tips? Read: Revealing Your Personal Power in the Workplace.

3. Anticipate the needs of your coworkers — and other departments. You might be in product development, but you just read a good marketing article that’s on target for your company’s goals. Send it to your colleague in marketing with a brief note, “Saw this and thought you might find it helpful. Thanks for the hard work on the launch of the X project!”

4. Build bridges to other departments. When I worked in the newspaper industry there was a disconnect between advertising, production, and editing (reporting). I created a bridge simply by asking questions and learning more about the other departments. Cross train if your company has a program.

5. Provide genuine compliments. “Nice shoes” is OK, but “Wanda, your help on the gizmo project was invaluable. The fact that you were able to land coverage in Wired magazine, WOW!” is better. Good compliments are specific — and genuine.

6. Mentor the newbie. What tips can you provide that will help this person succeed in your organization?

7. Take a class and build your skills. But then you won’t have your MBA until you’re 40 you say? Yes, but you’ll still be 40… Why not have the degree?

8. Become a thought leader in your industry. Start a blog. Write a whitepaper. Speak at your next industry conference.

9. Network inside and outside the company. Take an active role on employee improvement teams, volunteer groups, and professional organizations.

10. Shake things up. Think of at least one thing you can do right now that would save your department money, streamline operations or improve morale. And just do it! “But it’s always been done like that” is old thinking. “How can I improve this” is new thinking.

Bonus: Build your brand! Increase your visibility the right way to attract opportunities to you. Now more than ever, you’ve got to be noticed. (And I don’t mean that picture of you dancing on the table on MySpace.) Google yourself now to see where you stand.

Want more tips? Visit our newsroom.

Terwelp teams with Reach for Career Bailout

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Free Career-services for Employees of Failed Banks and Financial Institutions

 

Today, Wendy Terwelp, www.knocks.com, teams with Reach to announce the Career Bailout Program for employees of failed banks and financial services firms. The $700 billion taxpayer financed bailout will do a lot to shore up the financial industry, but will do little to help the average worker who – through no fault of his own – has found himself without a job.

 

“We hear a lot about the multi-million dollar payouts to CEOs of failed financial services firms, but little about the employees who are caught in the turmoil and have lost (or will lose) their jobs” said William Arruda, President of New York- based Reach Personal Branding. “There will be a lot of resumes of competent professionals flooding the market from Lehman Bros, Bear Sterns, Washington Mutual (WaMu) and Wachovia employees – making it much more challenging to find the ideal job,” he added. “Personal Branding is a way to discover and project clear differentiation and value. It will help these new job seekers out-compete in a very crowded employment market, and Reach Personal Branding Strategists are here to help.”

 

Reach and our Reach Preferred Personal Branding Strategists, like Wendy Terwelp, got together to offer a free ‘career package’ to employees of these failed financial institutions. Included in the package are a resume review, 360°Reach personal brand assessment and an Online ID evaluation. This will help job-seekers jump-start their job search, focus on the positive and develop valuable and differentiated positioning in this incredibly competitive space. With a lot of banking industry resumes on the street touting similar credentials and experience, the key to success is to stand out and offer differentiated value. This is an opportunity for employees to re-think their careers and their candidature, understand their personal brand and develop a strategy for finding their next role.

 

Target individuals for this program include anyone whose last employer was Bear Sterns, Wachovia, WaMu or Lehman Bros and who lost his/her job as a result of the recent failure. The program will expand should other institutions meet the same fate. Individuals who qualify will be able to select a personal branding coach who will provide the services included in this career bailout package free of charge. These services are limited, and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

About Reach and Reach Preferred Personal Branding Strategists:

 

Founded by William Arruda in 2001, Reach is the global leader in personal branding. The Reach Preferred Personal Branding Strategists are a select group of the over 250 Reach trained coaches who are experts in all aspects of personal branding for career-minded professionals and executives. Those who are participating in the Career Bailout are: Walter Akana, Kim Batson, Nancy Branton, Michael Colemyn, Rob Cuesta, Deb Dib, Kirsten Dixson, Susan Guarneri, Steve Lanza, Kristen Jacoway, Bernadette Martin, Wendy Terwelp, and Erin Yoshimura.

 

Learn more at: www.reachcc.com/careerbailout