Resume Tips

I have been editing a big share of resumes lately.  I think the graduation timing is the reason.  But in any case I want to remind all of you of some killer mistakes that you want to avoid.   Tense:  Keep the tense of your descriptions for each job / area of employment consistent.  Current positions are in present tense.  All past employment are in pasttense. Nicely format employer, dates, job title so that it is easy to read.  Also always remember to include this for each of your employers that you choose to include on your resume. Never put personal data that is more than your contact information or the reasons why your employment end.  Save that for the interview but as for the personal data, save that for after you are hired. Education data:  again be sure this is neatly and clearly formated with all the appropriate data (school name, location, degree, year graduated) Highlight at the top of the first page (just below your contact information) your strengths and the job you are targeting.  I think that covers the key issues I am seeing lately.  If you have any specific questions, be sure to reach out and ask.

The First Career Transition

I don’t care how old we are, going through our first major career change is dramatic.  You could be 22, 29, 35 or 40.  No matter what the age making a shift in our careers brings anxiety.  And a shift can be as straight forward as shifting industries but staying in a similar role.  For some that is hugely dramatic.

I vividly remember the early years of my career.   Yes, like many young professionals today I went through similar challenges.   I too started my career in the middle of a recession.  I began my career in human resources.  HR has been the constant through-out my career in various forms, but early on, I bounced around to various jobs within HR around the Boston area.  Employers were really beginning to change regularly and layoffs were becoming more common.  About 3 years out of college I landed a great recruiting job.  After about a year of that I transfered to another office, within the same company, but as an assistant to the benefits manager.  Well, I just thought that was crazy.  Of course I was experienced enough to actually do benefits job, not the assistant.  Why was I the assistant?  I hope you are getting my humor here.  The thoughts that filled my head were of confidence but very arrogant.  Fortunately I had a wonderful VP who was kind enough to set me straight and gave me the option to either stay, and buckle down, or leave without any recourse.  She offered to be a reference if I needed one. After a long stressful weekend of debating my options, I decided to leave and head out looking for something else.  A year later I was being laid-off from a great HR job.  More drama.

My time out of work, fortunately, was not too long.  I did struggle to figure out where to go.  The one thing I did know is that I wanted to stay in human resources in some fashion.  So I kept my job search with that target in mind.  I picked my top companies for the two locations I wanted to check out, Boston and New York City.  I did a couple of trips to NYC in my job hunt.  It was fun but I decided to not venture there.  I opted to stay in the Boston area.  

So I had a target, human resources.  I had a location, Boston.  I pulled my resume together and my elevator pitch with the help of a career services consultant.  This was the first time I had heard of such a thing, an elevator pitch, in regards to a job search.  It was the most important skill I learned while working with him.  

What else did I learn through my early career transition?  First, that I needed to always be connecting with others.  I never knew when I would need to move onto another job either because of my arrogance or the economy.  (more humor - not so arrogant anymore - I hope).  Building your network and nourishing it are keys to success in any era.  When I say to build your network I don’t mean just online with Facebook either.  I mean, use more professional online tools such as LinkedIn and definitely get offline.  One point on LinkedIn, it may be boring but you need it, so get over the “boring” and build a branded profile.  

On the offline network, get out and meet people.  You never know who knows someone else who has a job of your dreams open and waiting for you.  Attend networking events.  Attend events that are outside of your normal circle of friends and family.  It could be an art exhibit opening or a unique community event.  They are fantastic opportunities to interact with new people. 

Secondly, I had to learn to be resilient and not take all of this too personally.  I learned to  manage my attitude.  To see the glass half full.  To look for opportunities.  Opportunities were not going to come out of thin air.  I needed to be aware of them and to look for them.  Which I did.  

I learned to surround myself with positive people, read good books, keep exercising, and find a good healthy hobby.  So rather than being out at the pubs many nights a week eating bar food, drinking beer, and spending money I didn’t have I took up getting to a gym and hanging with a different crowd.  I eventually picked up golf which was wonderful when I worked in sales.  I still love the game but hardly get a chance to play. I am hoping to get my boys on the golf course soon so we can play as a family.

With time I was gainfully re-employed at an human resources systems company training clients.  I had my own single bedroom apartment.  I loved it!  It was the best job.  I made new friends.  I traveled.  I built up my professional skills and especially learned to love giving workshops and presentations.    I began to learn what my strengths were.

What are you dealing with in your transition?  What are you learning about yourself through it?  Are you building your network?  Do you know what you are targeting next?  Do you need someone to walk alongside and guide you like I did?  If so, ask for help.  With the right career coach you can get to your next job with confidence and faster.

Remember, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Journey on.

Strategies for Dealing with the Passive-Aggressive Boss

Have you ever worked for someone who was the "passive-aggressive" type?  Meaning they would aggressively change something you were working on but passively address it with you or your co-workers.  Here is an example.  Manager decides to change an employee's responsibilities but decides to tell others before telling the person involved.  Or another one.  Manager knows there is an issue but avoids it for weeks, hoping the issue will fix itself, rather than being the leader and taking care of the challenge quickly and decisively.  In a passive-aggressive type of manager the decision making is not very clear or concrete.    If you have reported to someone like this, you know how awful this can be.

I have had a few of these bosses and it was the most frustrating time I have ever had in my career.  I am seeing more and more of this in today’s corporate culture and it is disturbing.    I am wondering if any manager is being truly "trained" to be an effective leader of people.  It is strange, middle management is passive-aggressive but in the board room they yell at each other.  Go figure.  I think a bit more reading of good leadership books are in order.  My newest favorite is “The Mentor Leader”, by Tony Dungy.

In my research of this topic, I found some great articles and resources.  Here is what psychologist Neil Warner says about these types of managers.  Notes in () are my additions.

There are some characteristics of a passive aggressive manager, which in present times look like the necessary tools for survival of the meanest. These tactics sometimes get confused within the authority aura that higher ups exude, but after some time there is no more denial possible. Your own reactions are telling you to watch out and not be surprised by some backstabbing and dirty tricks.  Are you familiar or have you been in the receiving end of someone of the following “nice attitudes”?

1) The boss that takes full credit from the team’s work thus sabotaging employee advancement;  (and moral)
2) The boss keeps complete control over the project; (and changes their mind every other day about the direction of the project or the process to be followed)
3) The boss restricts necessary information for the worker to do a good job;
4) Planning for meetings with the employee and showing up later or never;
5) Overriding the worker’s authority with his team;
6) Criticizing an employee in public, making him feel worthless;
7) Exploiting an employee’s particular talent;
8 ) Withholding employee recognition and praise;
9) Playing another worker against old time employee;
10) Micro-managing decisions which are in the employee power to do.

Neil couldn’t have listed these any better.  Have you seen these?  If so, how did you react?  How did it make you feel?  Generally known as a high energy, get things done kind of person, this type of behavior in my manager, drove me to shut down.  I became very unproductive and eventually started to show my own passive-aggressive behavior which is NOT the best way to handle this type of manager.  So what is?

There is not a cookie cutter solution for every situation but here are some strategies that can help.

1. Make sure it is not you.  Yes look at yourself first to truly access the situation.  I may have lost a few of you here but really we have to do a gut check first before we can point fingers.  Be honest.  Is your boss really off their rocker or is your behavior triggering some of the reactions you are getting.  Be sure you are the hardest most ethical worker this manager has ever had.  Also be humble.  Pride causes the worst problems in any organization.  Ask a close friend and confident who will be honest with you if there is something in your behavior that needs some adjusting.  If you determine it is not you move onto #2.
2. Stay professional.  Always keep your head clear and work professionally no matter how crazy the boss gets (and they can get nutty - believe me I know).  Enough said.
3. Don’t take it personally.  Any difficult boss that continues in bad behavior for long stretches is truly worth of your sympathy more than your anger.  They are struggling and don’t know how to fix it.  Perhaps you can politely and professionally guide them, without them knowing of course.  Once you realize it is not you triggering these reactions, try to be sure to not take their attacks personally.
4. Set clear expectations.  Yes, I am asking you to “manage your boss”.  Have a meeting with your boss to be sure you know what they expect of you.  Have them state it very clearly and with deadlines.  Then be sure it get it in writing. 
5. Get it all in writing.  Any and all conversations that have discussed important details or goals be sure to send an email or write a document that reviews the conversation.  Be sure to get a response from your manager, again in writing.  You may need this later to clear up any confusion.
6. Stand up for yourself.  If you continue to let this behavior go on without defending yourself, you are just as much at fault.  I know this is a hard one.  I struggled with this.  Many times it was easier to work around that manager than to directly confront them.  Besides I never knew what they would be like that day.  The key here is to be professional, not emotional.
7. Find another manager.  This can take on various forms.  One strategy is to find another manager / VP with whom you can work more closely with and who would be willing to mentor and support you even if it is just throughout the life of a project.  This is when a “dotted line” manager can be a blessing.  Or find a new manager.  Do a transfer within the organization.  Or really find a new manager and make a leap to a new company or job.  That can seem extreme but if significant time has passed and all the strategies in the world are not making your work environment more pleasant, it is time to move on.
8. Get a hobby.  Make sure your work is not all encompassing or this crazy manager who changes their mind all the time will send you to the looney bin.  Life is not all about work.  There is so much more.  Go find the more and enjoy it!
9. Get desk toys.  Meaningless humor I know.  But really, a stress ball can be amazing in helping the mouth from spewing profanities at the next innocent co-worker who comes by your desk to ask you something.  Consider it.  I had a Zen garden.

To go deeper into strategies find a mentor that can help.  One that either knows the organization well or is completely separate from the frustration, so they can give you an objective view.  Either way, you will grow and learn something you didn’t know before this experience.  Look for the positives.

Effective Informational Interviewing

Have you ever had an "informational interview"?  If you have, then you may know what I am talking about but if you haven't, here is a brief explanation.

An informational interview is a tool to help job seekers, career transitioners, and even college students, understand a particular job or field that they are considering moving towards.  It is a brief conversation either on the phone or in person in which the person seeking the new career is "interviewing" the person currently in the role or field of study.  The goal is to learn about the perception versus reality of an area of interest.  I did this when I was first looking into coaching.  It was the best thing I could have done.  By speaking to real coaches in various areas of expertise, because I wasn't sure career coaching was what I wanted to focus on, I got a true picture of the training and experience necessary and even the lifestyle / schedule.

Before digging into how to have an effective interview there are a few key differences between a regular job interview and an informational interview I want you to understand.  The informational interview is targeted at:

1.  keeping it brief

2.  information gathering - mostly one sided

3.  the person in the job you most want to investigate

On the other hand a formal job interview is:

1. much longer

2. with multiple interviewers, both parties are interviewing each other

3.  the job seeker is the core person being interviewed by a hiring manager(s).  

The pressure is on you but with an informational interview the pressure is significantly lower but not gone.  This tactic if done well can help you decide if you want to go into this area, add connections to your network, and possibly gain you a job opportunity at that company or elsewhere.  This person may know of other opportunities for you to investigate at their competitors or partners.  So the pressure is never off.  You still must bring your "A" game.

It is a tool fantastic tool to utilize.   Many times people are willing to help in your research however they can.  But keep a few "rules" in mind to have your informational interviews be truly successful.

Some "rules" of information interviewing:

1.  Prepare, Prepare, Prepare.  Never "wing it".  Prepare as you would for anything truly important.  This shows respect to the person you are interviewing.  Know where you are meeting and how long it will take to get there, if this is in person.  If it is on the phone, have the correct number and time.  Confirm the details the day before.  If in person, again dress appropriately which means professional.  Develop your questions in advance and have them in priority order.  

Some great questions to ask in an informational interview:

• How did you get into this field?
• What are your core roles and responsibilities?
• What is the favorite part of your job?
• What do you most dislike?
• Here is my interest and background (keep it brief) how might you suggest I break into the field?
• What training or education is required?
• What associations do you belong to?
• What publications do you read to keep up with your field?

Finally be prepared to keep to the allotted time.  If the plan is 20 minutes, based on your conversation when you booked the interview, keep to it.  Again this shows respect for the person's time.  If this is a positive experience for the person being interviewed they will mostly likely offer up their time again to others.

2.  Research, Research, Research.   Research not only the company that this person is employed by but even more importantly, the person.  Find out all there is to know about the person you are going to talk to.  Their background, time at the company, length of time in the field, and any common area of interest.  This common area of interest will help you truly connect with them.  That is the key.  Make a connection and you will have an alley, encourager, and possibly colleague in the future.  Some of the coaches I did informational interviews with years ago are now my colleagues and I love that!

Research them on Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo.  Work to understand as much as you can about that person.  Just like preparation and research pays off in a formal interview, so it will, in an informational interview when the pressure is not nearly as high.

3.  Follow up, Follow up, Follow up.  Be professional and thankful for the time this person spent with you.  Follow up with a values based thank you email, within 24 hours of your meeting.  Also send a handwritten thank you card.  That too needs to be in the mail within 24 hours.  Yes, this is "old fashioned" but tells the person that you appreciated their time enough to actually write a "real" note.  Trust me.  It makes an impression of your character, whether you do or don't send thank you notes and emails.  I make this same recommendation for a formal job interview.  I mean let's be practical.  The email gets there quicker and is easier to type up.  The handwritten truly shows your appreciation.  Send both!

Be sure to follow up on recommendations or connections this person makes for you.  Let them know what came of their connections and suggestions and exactly how it helped.  This again shows good character and also keeps you in their mind for future news and opportunities they may hear about.

I strongly suggest the informational interview to see what is perception versus reality in a field you are interested in.  If you need help working through getting one lined up or preparation for, let me know.  I can help.

How to Begin a Job Transition

Do you have a vision for your future life?  It may be just getting the next job to sustain yourself for the coming year or two.  Or you may be ready to really envision life moving forward for the long term.  Whichever it is, the same steps prevail to your goal.  You are ready for a change.  A new job, a new career, a new life.  “I am ready to start over and really find what I am meant to do.”  Transitioning into a new career can be a great adventure.  One that is exciting and filled with new insights and learnings.  I choose to think of it as an inspiring blessed time of discovery.

To begin the adventure of discovery, you have to be ready.  You will know you are ready when you are excited about the possibilities that you have before you.  Perhaps you are like myself.  I had a laundry list of careers I wanted to “try” and had no idea which would be a good fit for me.  Or perhaps you are like a friend of mine who knew, instinctively, what she was are meant to do next after a job loss.  One thing is for sure you have to be ready to take the next step.  Without it, you will have a difficult time tackling the tactical side of moving into a new line of work.  Discovering what you want to do is the first step.  Next is the hands on work to get you to your career goal.

After the readiness check-in with yourself, comes the discovery.  All job searches have to have a target / a goal.  Do I want to work as an Account Rep in the health care industry or financial services industry?  Or do I want to work part-time at the art museum?  Or do I want to work as an independent consultant?  The list could go on and on.  The least effective job search has no target to shoot for.  The job seekers that will “take anything in any industry” will not be successful.  I have seen too many job seekers just putting out their resume to all kinds of job boards, company websites, agencies, and and personal contacts without any rhyme or reason behind it.  No one will hire you without knowing what you want.  If you don’t know what you want how can anyone else.  

How do you discover what you want to do next?  You say, “Lisa, I really want to do something with meaning, that has flexibility, that is no longer doing....” whatever.  “How do I figure this out?”  Great question.  First I it will take some uninterrupted time to remember what it is that you enjoy, are passionate about, or have always wanted to do.   To help get the thoughts going I have listed some questions for you to ask yourself.  Go get a coffee or a glass of water, a comfy seat, and something to write with.  Write out your initial answers to the below.  Get started even if it is brief or a bulleted list.  Writing it down is key. 

Which of my skills do I enjoy using?  Which of my skills do I least enjoy using?  What industries interest me?  What hobbies do I have that I enjoy?  What type of people do I enjoy working with?  What legacy do I want to leave behind?  What values must be present in my work for me to be successful?  What impact do I want to make?  Who are my role models and why?  How do I learn best?  What kind of environment do I thrive in?  Do I prefer work to make decisions that are based on logic or how they will effect people?

From this list, go back and continue to look at at various times.  See what other thoughts or ideas come to mind.  Once you get started you will be surprised that more ideas will come to mind.  There is more to this discovery and defining your target but the above questions, answered honestly, will get you heading in the right direction.  

Once a target has been determined, the next step is to develop a job search strategy.  Determine, from all the various job search tactics out there, which you feel comfortable using.  To get you thinking about the available tactics, here is a list to get you started with a brief description of each.

Networking Face to Face:   In person meetings with other professionals to introduce yourself and discover contacts that can help you in your job search.  There are many local networking meetings at libraries, job seekers groups, or business workshops which will get you connected.  This tactic is essential to any job search.   

Networking Online:  There are many online sites that allow you to manage your contacts and reconnect with co-workers, friends, and find future hiring managers.  The best known are LinkedIn and JibberJobber.

Niche Job Boards:  These are online job boards that are specific to an industry or type of work.  Targeting with in your area of industry is a time-saver and will give you and idea of what is happening currently in the industry, who is hiring and who is not.

Company websites and blogs:  More and more companies are posting their open positions directly on their websites and are not paying the job boards to do this for them.  Many companies will also provide descriptions of their culture and programs they provide to employees.  These are helpful tools in your research for opportunities as well as networking and preparing for interviews.

Job Aggregation Sites:  These sites search company career sections as well as the major job boards and consolidate them onto one site.  Indeed in one such site.  This can be a real time saver.  You can see the company’s name on the posting or the site from which the aggregator found the job posting.  Many of them have job alert emails that you can sign up for.

Online Professional Communities:  Think of these as the associations and organizations you belong to but online.  Again going as industry specific as you can is the best way to go.

Recruiters:  Recruiters are hired by companies as consultants to find qualified candidates for certain positions.  Many times the recruiters know of job openings at certain firms before any are posted.

Career Fairs - Online or in-person events that allow you to meet / talk to / interview with a live corporate recruiter.

This is not a complete list but it gives you an idea of the options that are out there in 2011.  Each tactic has pros and cons depending on the needs of your job search.  Look through this list and decide which strategies you would like to use and in what order?  As I mentioned earlier do not fall into the trap of only posting your resume online.  You must use several tactics to be truly successful.  I will tell you that good old fashioned networking is still the leading tactic to finding a job - online and offline.  Nothing works better than having direct contact, outside of an interview, with the hiring manager.  This can only be done through networking.

After determining the strategies you wish to use and the phase in which you will execute them, it really is just getting to work.  Work on your plan and you will hit the bulls eye.   

If you continue to feel overwhelmed, seek out professional advice.  There are several organizations such as local job clubs, networking groups, and associations that offer workshops and services to job seekers.  If you prefer a more personal approach, seek out a career management coach.  Do not hesitate to “interview” a few to see with whom you feel most comfortable.  Most coaches offer an initial phone consultation for free.  

“The journey of a million miles begins with one step.”

I wish you much success in your journey.  Continue on your plan and you will succeed and find work that you love and that fits into your life.

Why Is LinkedIn A Must Use Tool

As professionals or business owners, connections are key to our success.  Keeping up with our connections, both business and personal, are so important and I think even more difficult to do in 2011.  There are so many online opportunities to connect that it is overwhelming.  In addition to that, the question may be do we really get enough face time with our connections to make these relationships deeper?  In all honesty we all need both, online and offline connections to make a difference in our businesses or job searches.   For today, let’s focus on the online tools.  We can discuss offline at other time.  

When it comes to the online world you need to be picky about which tools you spend your time on.  Be as picky as what your weekend plans will be.  Choose a tool that will give you the biggest bang for the time.  Social media tools can be total time sucks, if we allow them to be.  In many ways we reconnect, and can now stay connected, with individuals that we would have never connected with 20 or even 10 years ago.  These online tools connect us with other professionals who can promote our companies and consumers who can buy our products or services.

I am very picky about where I spend my time online and off.  I have two school aged children and a husband with a very intense work schedule.  I am a business owner that loves what I do and could do it all the time.  I love my community and could volunteer in many areas.  I am blessed with many options but with those options comes decisions.  Where do I spend my time?

In my humble opinion for online connection tools, LinkedIn is near the top.  It is a place to find and be found.  I tell all my clients that if they are not on LinkedIn, they have to be and now.  I work with young to mid-level professionals who are in a career transition or tactical job search.  Even if they still have no idea of their job target I tell them to get on it and begin a profile today.  I work with them to fine tune that profile.  I give the same advice to fellow business owners or really anyone who provides a product or service.  There really are few audiences that I think LinkedIn could not help.

So what does it take to get a good profile up on LinkedIn and searchable.  The key is searchable and content rich.  More and more individuals and recruiters are searching LinkedIn for future employees, providers, and partners.  As job postings shrink more corporate recruiters are scouring LinkedIn for the right people.  There are a million, or it seems like that many, of articles telling you what mistakes to avoid etc.  I agree with much of it.  But let’s focus on getting started and the most important pieces to begin with.

1. Your Profile.  Complete it.  Be sure to look at it from the perspective of “How am I presenting myself to others?”  Always keep in mind the value proposition you bring.  Ensure the readers know who you are and what you are all about professionally.

2.  Professional Headline.  Know what it is and use it to your advantage.  The professional headline is the field below your name.  This field is longer than you think.  Most individuals enter a simple job title but this, many times, is not descriptive enough.  This field is shown whenever another user mouses over your photo.  Your name and professional headline show in a popup.  In some parts of LinkedIn, the popup has your name, professional headline, geographic area, and current job title.  

3.  Website Link.  Change the “My Website / My Company” links to be specific.  You can edit these fields within your profile.  When you edit, use the option of “other” then enter the text you want to display on your profile.  I suggest entering the name of your company and have it link to the part of the website you want people to go to.  I have my link going to the home page of my website.  It is the best place for people to start and to discover more about my business and what I specialize in.

4. Make Your Profile Public.  In the privacy settings, be sure to set your profile to public.  It makes it much easier for people to find you and utilize your services or reach out to you for a job opportunity.   The more you allow people to view your profile the more likely you will be contacted.  Also be sure to change the default URL of your profile to your name.  This is a great tool when you add a link to your profile on marketing documents.

5.  Status Updates and Tweets.  Once you are up and going on LinkedIn be sure to utilize the status updates.  Promote your business, articles you have written, an event you are attending or presenting at, etc.  If you are not posting status updates somewhat regularly you will be viewed as an inactive LinkedIn member.  Not good.  But on the other hand, posting all your Tweets or doing daily updates is over-kill.  The rule of thumb  here is, keep it professional and balanced.

6.  Recommendations.  Do not be afraid to ask for and give recommendations.  They build your credibility.  An easy way of breaking into this area is to be generous yourself.  Give a few authentic recommendations for your colleagues.  Many times the favor is quickly and easily returned.

There you have it, six quick ways to get yourself up and utilizing LinkedIn as a business building or job attraction tool.  Make it a regular practice to get on LinkedIn as least once a week for an hour.  Stay active and continue to build your network.  You will be glad you put in the time.

What is the Hidden Job Market

I hear this term a great deal in my profession and try to explain it to my clients.  Especially today, February 2011, the hidden job market is becoming more hidden.  Job openings are going up but online job posting are dropping off.  Why?  Well, it is simple.  Employers are becoming more and more overwhelmed with the number of resumes they receive for each posting.  The time it takes to review and respond is killing their productivity.  So the employee referral path is much more inviting.  Employee referrals are potential candidates that current employees refer to the company.  They recommend the people that could be their future co-workers.  Many times companies will offer a bonus to go with the referral.   If the new hire stays for a certain amount of time, the employee who referred them, gets a bonus.  Not bad and a good incentive all the way around.  

What does this mean to you?  It means that your networking, to get you into your A list of companies and in front of the hiring managers, is crucial to your future employment.  I have included an article written by Beverly Harvey, of Harvey Careers, an expert in the job search strategy world.  She explains the hidden job market.  I hope you find it enlightening.

- Lisa

Understanding the Hidden Job Market

Often referred to as the “hidden job market” this segment of unadvertised positions has been recently increasing. A few of the reasons why jobs may not be posted and thus, classified as “hidden” include:

• Staff reductions have left many Human Resource departments operating with a bare minimum staff. The HR department simply does not have the resources to respond to the hundreds or thousands of resumes they receive for advertised positions. Therefore, they do not post the open positions.
• In an effort to cut costs, many companies who regularly contracted with an executive search firm have decided to eliminate this expense. Some companies are conducting a referral-style recruitment process and some have created a small internal group to manage recruitment of senior level executives.
• The board of directors or venture capital owners may want to replace a non-performing senior executive, however they do not want to upset the current executive and cause him to leave before they have identified a new candidate to replace the existing executive.
• The current executive may have submitted his resignation but agreed to stay until a replacement is secured. The company may not advertise the position because it may gravely impact the subordinates performance and an important initiative the executive is leading.
• While there are many frozen positions, there are many that are simply sitting vacant and the company is not in a rush to fill the positions unless the “perfect” candidate appears on their radar screen.
• A company decision maker may be formulating a new position, but has not yet developed the job description, skill requirements or received budget clearance for the new position.

In reviewing the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, the majority of all jobs are hidden or unadvertised. The actual percentage changes month to month but has been interpreted by some experts to be as high as 80 percent. This would indicate that only 20 percentof jobs are posted.

Given these percentages, pursuing the hidden job market makes sense. This unadvertised segment will require a targeted search, extensive networking, and a crystal clear value proposition. One of my clients who followed this plan of attack identified several target companies and began a focused networking process. The result: he landed a position in the function, geography and salary range of his choice.

Another client identified one target company, began an internal networking process, met with several senior executives, and was offered a newly created position at a favorable salary.

As such, pursuing the unadvertised market makes sense.

Negotiating When You Get the Job Offer

I wanted to bring this article to you regarding salary negotiations.  It is so important to be prepared and to not just take what they offer, especially if it is obviously below market value.  I hope you enjoy Sherrie's tips.
- Lisa

Negotiation 2.0: How to Get the Job Offer You Want

Author:

Sherrie A. Madia, Ph.D.
If you made it to a job offer with an employer, chances are it\'s because the primary message you tried to instill in the minds of employers throughout your job search was your value to the company. To be successful with the offer negotiation process, you must first understand how that value translates into a monetary figure.
Research Comparable Salaries
The first step is to obtain some reliable salary figures for someone with your skill set, experience, industry, and geographic region. There are many resources available on the Web (such as salary.com), in business libraries, and through your business network that can provide you with comparable salary information. While it is unlikely that you will find an exact salary for your particular situation, the more research you conduct, the more confident you will become that the salary you quote will be realistic and present a 'fair market value' for your skills and accomplishments.
Relying on multiple sources for salary information means that you will obtain a fairly accurate picture of the range for your profession, years of experience, and current job market trends with regard to your industry.
In deciding on an appropriate salary range, don\'t forget to factor in the 'opportunity cost' of leaving your current position in terms of any commissions due, year-end bonuses, annual review, and pay raises, or stock options not yet vested.
After you analyze your findings, you will create three levels of salary:

• 
  Your 'Bottom Line' Number:This is the lowest salary you will accept in order to meet your financial responsibilities, while allowing you to work toward your longer range career and lifestyle goals.
• 
  Your 'Comfort Zone' Number:This is the salary at which you believe you will be adequately compensated in terms of the title and responsibilities of the position. This figure will also permit you to live comfortably in a manner to which you are accustomed.
• 
  Your 'Ideal' Number:This is the level of salary earned by top performers in your field.

Negotiating an Offer
Now that you have the three sets of numbers laid out, it\'s time to lay out a strategy for when an employment offer is actually made. When an employer offers you a given salary or quotes a salary range, your initial research will tell you if the number is too low, too high, or on target.
Many companies that offer an impressive benefit package may attempt to persuade you accept a lower salary. Only you can decide what will be best for yourself, your family, your career, and current situation. Keep in mind that if you accept a lower salary now it will affect the amount of increases you obtain as you move forward with the company since pay raises are based on a percentage of current salary.
Negotiating When the Offer is Too Low
When an offer is too low, your initial response might be to repeat the number in a non-judgmental tone and then stop talking. During this interval you will be comparing this number to your 'Bottom Line' figure. If the salary offered does not fall within even this bottom level, a possible response might be:
'Ms. Smith, thank you for the offer. I am truly appreciative that you believe I am the right person for this job and excited about getting started in meeting the challenges we discussed.'
Then clarify:
'Please allow me to clarify my understanding of the position. This is a full time, exempt position as IT Division Manager for your Cincinnati office. I would be reporting to the Vice President of Technology and be responsible for the supervision of seven staff. I would be required to manage the implementations of new technological initiatives within the branch office during the first six months of employment and spearhead some cost-cutting measures to trim at least 15off the department budget.  
'Do I have this correct?'
Make a strong case for a higher salary based on the value you will bring to the role. Be sure to mention any critical needs discussed during the interview and your ability to solve those issues.
'As we discussed, I have the requisite skill set to make an immediate contribution. As you know, I have led the successful implementation of new equipment in my current role and feel confident of my ability to reproduce that success with this company. Based on my expected contributions and what I have come to understand to be fair market value from some industry-based research for this level of position, a salary range of X to Y would be more appropriate. Can you work with me in this range?'
Three Possible Responses from the Employer
1. Employer doesn't budge!
Suggested response:
Remain enthusiastic and display an attitude of cooperation: You want to give the impression that you are trying to work out a win-win situation
'Okay, I do understand your position. I remain confident in my ability to excel in this role so perhaps we can build in some performance-based bonuses? I would certainly also factor in the scope of the benefit package offered.'
2. Employer raises the offer a bit but still below your expectations
Remain positive and reiterate key challenges of the position. Once again, express your confidence that you can meet and exceed performance expectations.
'I remember our discussion about the difficulty the department is having with team morale and how it is adversely affecting productivity. I have a consistent history of building strong teams in very similar situations, and I have full confidence in my ability to drive consensus and enhance overall productivity. I have calculated that even a 5boost in productivity would increase your bottom line by $50,000 in the first year alone. Based on this assessment, could you agree that a salary range of X and Y would be fair?
Continue on in this vein as long as the employer is receptive and you are able to continue documenting relevant past experience. As in the above example, it is always helpful to translate your value in terms of hard numbers.
3. Employer counters with an offer that is aligned with your needs and expectations
The negotiation process is now over and you can move forward to discussing benefits, bonuses, and special perks.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/interviews-articles/negotiation-20-how-to-get-the-job-offer-you-want-3664752.html


About the Author
Sherrie A. Madia, Ph.D. is an educator, author, and trainer.  Her most recent books include The Social Media Survival Guide (Also available in Spanish), The Online Job Search Survival Guide, and S.E.R.I.A.L.PRENEURSHIP: The Secrets of Repeatable Business Success. She is frequently cited by the national media as an expert in social media.  She is Director of Communications, External Affairs, and a Lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

How to Build Confidence During a Job Search

Welcome to the end of January.  We are battling the third snow storm in nine days here in New England.  Even for those that love snow, all these storms can definitely take a toll.  Many times the January dull drums come in and I begin to get grumpy.   Even though it is the start of a new year, focus towards goals can be derailed by my grumpiness.  I don’t know about you but the long winters can really beat on me and my outlook on my daily life and my confidence.  We all have moments of low self-confidence at some points in our lives and I have found that facing a job search can bring up those negative thoughts to the surface with great frequency.   Thus the focus of this month’s newsletter is on our mindset and self-confidence.  How do you gain self-confidence and keep a positive mindset moving forward in your job search or career transition?

 Let’s review a few techniques I have found to be helpful.

1. 30 Successes - Write a list of at least 30 successes you have achieved in your life time.  Just a straight forward bulleted list will do.  Not need to go into full explanations.  Begin with simple things such as, “Graduated from high school”.  This is not for anyone else’s eyes but yours.   Be sure to write them down on paper.  Writing makes it concrete and real.  When we just talk about our successes or goals, they disappear as fast as they are spoken.  This list will remind you that you have had success in your life.  That you can and have achieved much.
2. Evaluate Your Down Time - Look at how you are spending your free time.  Is it being used on productive, forward moving actions or on time wasters?  TV, video games, and Facebook can be the biggest time wasters ever.  I am not saying they are bad but taken to the extreme, these time wasters will kill your progress and hurt your confidence.  I think that there is innate ability to understand when we are not accomplishing our goals.  Such as putting off making those networking calls to play games on Facebook or another gaming system.  I love having down time.  Sometimes I bury myself in a no-mind book or TV show which helps me to decompress but I would offer up that a long walk outside with the dog helps more to re-focus and re-fresh our minds.
3. What Are You Reading -  Read, read, read.  Read something engaging and inspirational.  Pick up a quick read that you can just read a chapter a day.  There are so many good authors with tons of wisdom and encouragement.  Read for inspiration and read for knowledge.  Did you know that most adults read only three books a year?  I have learned to appreciate the constant gift of learning and being engaged in a story.  It builds our minds and imagination. 
4. Move Your Body -  Going to the gym or a group fitness class regularly can be the best thing for our self-esteem and our creative thinking than any other job search tactic.  If you are doing a full-time job search, take the time, even first thing in the morning, to get in a long workout.  It will give your body a boost and help your mind to think more clearly.
5. Get Outside - As a continuation on the move your body idea, getting real fresh air regularly can make us feel alive again.  It does not need to be a work out.  Just going for a walk and taking in some deep breaths will make a huge difference to clear out the head.
6. Get Sleep - Yes, get a good night’s rest.   Waking refreshed will help you feel better in general.  Being well rested adds to a healthy mindset.  Too many of us go around half asleep due to poor sleep habits.  Proactively work to change your schedule so you can get in 7-9 hours of sleep regularly.  I have worked hard at doing this myself.  I can easily stay up late, doing whatever is on my list, but I pay for it when the alarm goes off at 5:45 am and I can barely get my day moving.  I have learned to appreciate the quiet of the early morning, but truthfully 5:30 is as early as it gets, and that is not every day of the week.  On the other end I have also learned to appreciate heading to bed around 10:00 pm even with a good book in hand to try to calm myself and get ready for a solid sleep.  Trust me, there are nights that I barely sleep for various reasons but when I do get long sleep for a bunch of days, I am a new person and more positive and productive.
7. Eat Well - I know this is probably over-stated but there is a reason it is over-stated.  Many still do not eat well and don’t energize their bodies and minds with good food.  A lack of a healthy diet inhibits our ability to be effective in life and our job search.  I am the perfect case of “caffeine addict”.  I love my Dunkin Donuts coffee.  Really I do!  My biggest challenge is  cutting down on my daily caffeine in-take to make room for more nutritious calories.  When I drink too much coffee I eat more carbohydrates too.  It is a bad cycle that I constantly have to keep in check.  But consider this along with a regular exercise routine and it all works.  More exercise drives our bodies to crave less sweets and more nutritious snacks.  When your body feels better, your mind will be clearer for networking, interviewing, and evaluating offers.
8. Who Do You Spend Time With?   -  Who are the encouragers in your life?  Who are the people that cause you stress?  Which do you spend the most time with?  Spend time with the encouragers as much as possible.  Get out of the house and meet someone for a meal or a cup of coffee.  Get to a live networking event.  Spending time with other job seekers can be an encouraging time.  However, I will give you a word of caution.  Do not make any of your meetings with friends or other job seekers a regular “venting” session.  I know that a job search can be tough especially after a lay off.  There are plenty of feelings that need to be processed.  There is a loss of a career, friendships with co-workers, and a routine.  Just to name a few.  Recognizing the grief and frustration, as well as processing it, is good and healthy.  But do not continue your focus on the down-side otherwise you will push people away and will have a difficult time obtaining help for your job search.   Spend time with the people that will encourage you through this time.  Find good up-lifting, energetic people to associate with.  Their natural energy and positive attitude is contagious and you will feel yourself lifted too.  You, then, can become a positive influence on others.
9. Volunteer - Taking the focus off of ourselves can be a huge boost.  Helping others gives us an added sense of gratitude for what we have and less of an attitude of what we don’t.  For example, some skilled laborers, in Florida, a few years back when their businesses were in decline, decided to volunteer their time and talents.  They went out and did their profession but for free.  It did two things.  It kept them working in their trade and from being stuck at home “whining” about their situation.  They did something to help others and ended up helping themselves in the process.
10. Take Action - Bottom line, DO SOMETHING!  Taking action will give you a huge lift to your confidence.  By actually doing something towards your goals, you will automatically gain confidence that you are moving forward.  Even if it is a phone call you have been procrastinating making.  Just do it.  Make the call.  Then make another.  You will gain confidence from each step you take.  

You can do it!  You can move forward toward your goals.  You can become a more confident person and job searcher.  Give these steps a try and tell me how you feel after a month of implementing them.  If implementing all 10 steps seems to be too much.  Tackle 3 to start.  Build from there.  Let me know how it works out.  I like to hear stories of your journey through the job search or transition process.

Continue to breathe in and be inspired.

To your success,

Lisa