Is Your Job Search Strategy Effective?

By Larry LaBelle

How effective is your job search strategy?  Check out the following questions and find out!

• What’s working for you in your job search?  What’s not?
• Is your resume content powerful and compelling?  Is it no more than two pages long?  Is the body text at least 10 point and is there sufficient white space in the margins and text so it doesn’t seem overcrowded?
• Does your resume have compelling accomplishments (measurable accomplishments, compelling testimonials or awards) in the Summary and in each of your jobs?  Remember, accomplishments are what sell you to hiring managers, HR and recruiters!
• Does your resume include information on the scope of your work (e.g. Managed an HR Department of 30 people; Managed a $250,000 budget)?
• Does your resume have keywords in the text and in the hidden keywords section at the top of your resume (point size 1 and off white so it doesn’t display on screen or on a printer but is still there to be searched electronically by an Applicant Tracking System)?
• Do you have a short, concise and powerful cover letter?
• Have you identified your accomplishments or are you having difficulty doing this?
• Have you written you Sales Pitch (aka Elevator Speech) and memorized it?  Does it show you meet the top 4 strategic needs in the job description and ends with a related accomplishment?
• How much of your time is spend networking (in person and LinkedIn)?
• Are you using the top 4 job search methods to find a job so your search is more likely to produce results?
• Do you research and select the top 20 companies you’d like to work for and then target them in your job search?
• Do you have a powerful and complete LinkedIn profile?
  • Does it contain keywords in all the pertinent sections so you show up on page 1 of HR and Recruiter search result?
  • Do you have over 500 connections, 50 Groups, 50 Skills in the Skills & Expertise section?
  • Are you participating in Discussions in your Discussion Groups?
  • Do you have lots of Recommendations and at least 1 for each job?
  • Do you know how to find people in your Target Companies that you can connect with, build a relationship with so they can be your Champion who will give you insider information and bring your resume to the hiring manager with a referral?

• How much of your time is spent looking for and applying for jobs on public and company job boards?
  • If you’re doing this a lot, how much competition do you think you have for each job you apply for?
  • After submitting your resume online, do you send your resume directly to the hiring manager and/or find an insider/champion to bring your resume to the hiring manager with a referral?
• Do you know the most effective job search methods that increase your chances of getting interviews?
• Do you have an effective Job Search Action Plan and do you follow it?
• Do you know your top 5 selling points so you can sell yourself effectively to employers in interviewsDo you have any job search marketing tools (business card, strategic business value presentation, etc.)?
• Do you have effective strategies for winning telephone pre-screen interviews?
• Are you getting enough interviews?
• If you’re getting interviews and not getting an offer, what could you be doing differently to improve your interviewing skills?
• Do you have work samples to show employers in interviews and a short, compelling story to tell about each?
• Are you a master of the interviewing process and do you practice for every job?
  • Are you showing up as friendly and likeable in interview?  The number 1 reason for hiring people is because the hiring manager and his/her team likes the candidate.
  • Have you written out answers to at least 20 sample interview questions that use examples from your previous jobs and can you cite a benefit for each one?
  • Do you answer interview questions using short, compelling examples from your previous jobs and do you end by citing the benefit of what your did?
  • Have you practiced answering interview questions with family, friends or former co-workers?
  • Do you seem enthusiastic, creative, and have a positive attitude?
  • At the end of the interview, do you ask the hiring manager how you size up against your competition?
  • Do you ask the hiring manager if he/she has any concerns about your ability to do the job and if so, are you prepared to address these concerns on the spot with examples from your previous jobs?
  • Do you end the interview with a 3 line mini sales pitch to remind the interviewer why you’re a great fit for the job and how you can add value immediately?

• How can make a strong contribution to you next employer?
• Do you have an effective strategy for negotiating your salary and benefits so you get what you deserve and don’t leave money on the table?
• Other issues/Concerns?

Releasing Idom & Embracing WEdom in Your Job Search

By Larry LaBelle, Training Tamer Inc.
September 26, 2012

Several years ago, I met an 80 year old English Teacher in a hospital while visiting a friend. Every time I went to the hospital I visited this wonderful teacher and we became great friends. He had taught in a private school and I could tell from the way he spoke that he was beloved by his students and fellow teachers alike.

 One day, he shared a small bit of wisdom with me that went like this. Idom is suicidom and WEdom is Freedom!  On the surface, this made great sense to me but over the years, I have come to see the incredible depth and value in these wonderful words. Here’s what I’ve discovered that I hope you will find never ending value in too.

First let’s look at the “Idom is suicidom” part of this wise English Teacher’s message. If you live in your own private world where you only care about yourself and don’t get any support, understanding or caring from others, your life can be very unfulfilling, unrewarding and sometimes downright depressing. When times get tough, you have no one to help you through the hard times, give you perspective, provide fresh ideas, offer a shoulder to lean on or anything else. It’s seems much easier to live in this place since we don’t have to risk exposing our innermost feelings, doubts and fears to others or ask for help. It appears safe but it’s not a fun place to live and it leaves us extremely limited in what we can ultimately create and do for both ourselves and others.

Now think about the “WEdom is freedom” counterpart of his message. In this world, you’re focus is on We/Us instead of I/Me. Life becomes about watching your partners back, knowing that your partner will do the same for you. When you’re experiencing difficulty, you turn to others for help knowing that it’s easier and wiser to ask for assistance from others than to try to go it alone. Your focus is on partnership and expanding the possibilities that are available to you and everyone else in your life. It can feel like a risky place to be but as you open up to it over time, you find an immense freedom and power that you have never known before. It is truly the source of all possibility and the place from which a happy and successful life springs into existence faster than you had ever dreamed possible. Life becomes effortless and fun in ways that will marvel and amaze you. And all it takes is being willing to take risks, allowing yourself to be open to others, enrolling everyone you encounter in helping you to realize your dreams and always believing that God is there for you to help you every step of the way.

I met a woman in a seminar several years back who got up and stated her dream. She said that she wanted to create a vegetarian restaurant in Boston that would be the best one by the end of the year. At the end of the year, she came back and reported on her efforts and I was there to hear her testimonial. She said that she didn’t quite achieve her goal of being the best vegetarian restaurant in Boston by the end of the year. Then she paused and said that she was the best vegetarian restaurant in the country. Everyone present was astonished and jumped to their feet to give her a standing ovation. When asked how she did it, this is what she said. I got a vision of exactly I wanted to do and enrolled absolutely everyone I encountered to help me. Then the miracles started to happen. One person provided the funding I needed, another provided the restaurant furniture and supplies, someone else provided guidance and coaching, etc. and it all came together faster than I would have ever believed possible.

To me, this story is “WEdom is freedom” operating at its finest and I have never forgotten it. I am still getting lesson from this amazing 80 year old English Teacher’s message to this day and I hope they never stop. In this world, I am immersed in a wonderful world of hope, love, possibility, creativity and so much more. I have this wish for you as both job seekers and human beings so you can have the magnificent life that God intended for you and that you so richly deserve. Here’s to the WE in you and all of us and to the brighter world that we will create together!

Ordinary Job Seekers vs. Power Job Seekers

By Larry LaBelle, Training Tamer Inc, 5/4/2012

 Are you just a run of the mill, ordinary job seeker or a power job seeker? There’s a big difference!  A Ordinary Job Seeker does what job candidates used to do five years ago and they don’t tend to get the results they seek.  They use old, out-of-date job search methods and don’t invest the time it takes to learn new strategies and develop modern job search tools needed to be successful in today’s extremely competitive job market. They also spend too much time on Internet jobs boards looking for jobs and typically end up with poor results since they are competing against way too many people for the same job.  Basically, they find themselves stuck and not getting interviews or winning a job.

Power Job Seekers are totally different.  They are constantly learning the latest and greatest job search strategies that produce results and they invest the time to develop the job search skills and tools that set them apart from the pack so they get interviews and win a job fast.  They also use networking as the key way to find unadvertised job openings and work with company insiders who bring their resume directly to the hiring manager with a great referral. These folks can also spot winning ideas and immediately put them to use.  They do what it takes to get the job done and don’t create excuses or reasons why they can’t.  They’re committed to their job search and they seek help from anyone and everyone to help them achieve their goals.  These attributes differentiate them from traditional job seekers and are the core of their success.

The Power Seeker has one other key thing that helps them succeed above others.  They take the time to identify their major selling points that will make them a real asset to a prospective employer.  Not only do they identify them, they also learn how to succinctly present them in their resume, cover letter, career portfolio, marketing tools, interviews and salary negotiations (to justify their salary request).  Selling points are not just your measureable accomplishments alone.  You are creating a rich tapestry of your amazing assets and if you do it well, employers will be awed and want to hire you.

Let’s consider an example.  Suppose you were a combination instructional designer and trainer.  An Ordinary Job Seeker in this job might just describe himself in terms of the duties and responsibilities he performed on the job.  He might say that he developed instructor led training manuals and online eLearning courses and taught classes to customers and internal staff.  Just specifying your duties is dull and says nothing about your unique contribution and value

Now, here’s how a Power Job Seeker would do it.  Like the Ordinary Job Seeker, she would start out by listing my duties and responsibilities first.  But then, she’d take it a step further to identify how she does each task differently from others that makes her a standout.  She’d also look for ways to measure/quantify what she does to prove her value and also identify who has benefitted from her work (company, department, manager, co-workers, customers, business partners, suppliers, etc.) and why.

For example, in developing instructor led training manuals, she used a business case example to teaching students (customers) how to use their software.  The business case example made it easier for students to understand how to use the software when they got back to their jobs.  As a result, the students were immediately productive in using the software and didn’t have to waste two or three week’s time learning how to apply the software in their companies.  This also caused other people in these companies to want to come attend the training and increased the training revenue from this course.  Now is that a compelling story or what!

Another thing to consider is that measurable accomplishments aren’t always related to making or saving money.  For example, a teacher might help an entire class improve their grade by one letter grade over the previous year.  Or a receptionist might be so warm and friendly with customers that they love coming to that business and refer their friends there as well.  Also, testimonials you received (short and convincing) can make a huge difference.  Suppose you’re an administrative assistant and your manager said, “Jane is absolutely ‘relentless’ and never quits until the job gets done!”  Who wouldn’t want someone like this on their staff!!

Now many of you will think the creating a compelling story is going to make you look like a braggart or egotist but that depends on how you say it.  It you are merely stating the facts and not sounding like you’re high and mighty and overstating your case, its fine. Remember, if you don’t tell people a compelling story about your strengths and value, how are they going to know. And if you don’t and your competition does, one of them will win instead of you and that would be a shame.

So take some time to identify and write out your own compelling sales story that you can use to sell yourself to employers. You’re first draft will probably be long but with a few edits, you’ll have short, powerful and persuasive  story you can tell that will help you win a job.  Don’t delay and if you need help, ask anyone you know who has the background and knowledge to assist you!  Do it now and be the next person on the job winner’s list!

How to Navigate a Career Change

Written By Larry LaBelle, Revised 5/4/2012

Have the job prospects in your current field become scarce or non-existent?  Are you unhappy with your current career and seeking a change?  If so, you’re not alone.  These days, many people find themselves in a position of seeking a new career and don’t know how to manage the change process.

You hear people talking about transferable skills that you can use bridge the gap into a new career and you also hear about career assessment tests, such as the Strong/MBTI, that figure out what your next job should be.  And how do you reposition your resume to make you look like a great fit this new job?  It’s seems a bit daunting, doesn’t it!

In an effort to bring some sense and direction to this process, I wrote an article to help you navigate the process and help you learn about many government resources ( O*Net and Occupational Outlook Handbook), assessment tests and much more to assist you in managing your care er change.  This article is included below.

How to Navigate a Career Change

Introduction

Many people these days are having to consider a career change because the job opportunities in their current field have become very scarce or dried up completely.  The below process will help you identify your transferable skills, discover possible new careers (maybe your dream job) that use these skills and repurpose your existing resume to prove you’re a great candidate for your newly chosen career.  If you need help, you can email me at larrylabelle@trainingtamer.com.  Good luck!

I.     General Career Change Questions

1. What do you love to do, whether it’s for work or play
2. If there were no limits on what you could do for work and God removed every obstacle and guaranteed you would get it, what would you do?
3. What type of people do you like to work with?
   • Age:  Infants, pre-school, elementary, middle school, high school, young adults, middle aged, or the elderly
   • Disability:  No disability, partially disabled, or completely disabled
   • Personality/Temperament:  Calm, easy going, supportive; middle of the road, or the other extreme
4. Do you like to work with people or by yourself?  Why?
5. What kind of alternative occupations would like to pursue?  If you’re like most of us, you’re not sure.  Here are some tools to help find out!

First, download the PDF file called Managing a Significant Career Change that you can get  from the Training Tamer Inc. website using the below link.

http://www.trainingtamer.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/L6-Managing_a_Significant_Career_Change.pdf.

Second print out slides 8-21 that help you identify your transferable skills.  Then go to the O*Net website at below link and check off all the skills you have.  When you’re done, click on the GO button at the bottom of the page.

http://online.onetcenter.org/skills

You’ll get a list of possible occupations that correspond to the skills you checked.  An occupation that has sun icon next to it is a “bright outlook” job.  One that has a green leaf icon is a “green” job.  If you click on a link for any occupation title, you’ll get a detailed summary report with information divided

into the following categories:  Tasks, Tools & Technology, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Work Activities, Work Context, Job Zone, Education, Interests, Work Styles, Related Values, Related Occupations, State/National Wage and Employment Trends and Sources of Additional Information.

At the top of this report, you see a menu bar with two great options:  Find Occupations and Advanced Search.  Find Occupations lets you search by the following categories:  Bright Outlook, Career Cluster, Green Economy Sector, Industry, Job Family, Job Zone (grouped into by categories based on level of education, experience and training required) and STEM (occupations that require education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – hence STEM) disciplines.  If you play around with all these options, you can find many alternative jobs that you could perform with your existing, transferable skills.  The time you spend exploring here can be well worth it.

If you want to learn more about at a job you found in O*Net, go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH),  2010-11 Edition at the below link.

http://www.bls.gov/oco

In the OOH, you can use the search box look up an occupation that you found earlier using the search field.  This will get you the following 9 categories of  information:  Nature of the Work; Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement; Employment; Job Outlook; Projections; Earnings; Wages; Related Occupation; and Sources of Additional Information.  This data provides projections from 2008 to 2018.  The search results are returned by Google but the information is from the OOH.  Don’t be confused by that!

The OOH also has a side menu bar use can use select occupations by any one of the following Job Categories: Management, Professional, Service, Sales, Administration, Farming, Construction, Installation, Production, Transportation, Armed Forces and Special Features.

Another way to help you identify alternative careers is via The Holland Code – A Career Change Assessment Tool.  You can download a copy using the below link.

http://www.trainingtamer.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/The_Holland_Code -A_Career_Assessment_Tool.doc

You can also take the Holland Code test online via the following link.

http://www.roguecc.edu/counseling/hollandcodes/test.asp

Last but not least, you can take the combined Strong/MBTI career assessment test.  This is available at the below link.  It currently costs $80 (as of 11/12/2010).

http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/strongandmbticareer.html

       6.  What would your work environment look like (need windows, light and plants; work outside vs. inside; etc.)?

II.    Current Occupation Questions

1. What do you like about what your current occupation?
2. What do you dislike about what your current occupation? Of these things, which could be changed or eliminated?  How would this influence your feeling about your current occupation?
3. What would you like to add or change about your current occupation?
4. For each of the below pairs of characteristics, which one are you looking for in a job?  In each bullet, circle the one you want. For each one you cho0se, define why is that important to you?

-  Intellectual  vs. Physical	-  Get Coaching vs. Go It Alone
-  Spiritual vs. Secular	-  Work with People vs. Work Alone
-   Technical vs. Non-Technical Work	-  Team Leader vs. Team Member
-  Scheduled vs. Non-Scheduled Work Day	-  Structured vs. Unstructured Work
-  Manager vs. Line Worker	-  Facilitate Change vs.Cope with Change
-  Follow Rules vs. Define Own Rules	-  Creative Role vs. a Well Defined Role

III.  Company Issues

1. What kind of company culture are you looking for?  Consider things like the dress code, how they treat their employees, management style, how much vacation/sick time you get, quality of benefits, day care, formal praise/acknowledgement program, bonuses, etc.).
2. Do you need to work for a company that has professional ethics?
3. Do you want to work for a company that pays you what you’re worth?

IV.       Management Issues

1. Do you want to be a line employee or a manager at some level?  If you want to be a manager, what level are you striving for (supervisor, manager, director, vice president, senior vice president, president, CEO, Board of Directors)?  Why do you want or not want management  level responsibility?
2. What kind of manager do you want (supportive/understanding, good communicator, fair, good coach, acknowledges staff for outstanding contributions and ideas, etc.)?

V.          Workplace Issues

1. Do you give and receive praise to your co-workers and management?  Do you get it from co-workers and management?  How would doing this make a difference?

VI.       Quality of Life Issues

1. What are your quality of life issues?  How do you balance your work and personal life balance?  Are you leaving time for your spouse, children, friend, church, etc.?  If not, what has the cost been (short and long term) to you and the ones needing your attention?  Remember, the only time you can truly count on is NOW and that’s where all of great things you really want reside!

VII.    Home Base Issues (i.e. Where You Live/Work)

1. Where do you want to live and work?  Do you want to live in this area or are you open to moving somewhere else for a job?  If the answer is somewhere else, where might that be and what would be the key attributes of the community where you would live?
2. What are your commuting concerns and needs (e.g. want flextime or work at home options)?  Be specific.

VIII. Self-Employment Issues

1. Do you want to be self-employed?  Why?  If yes, what assistance will you need and what organizations can help (e.g. SBA, SBDC, SCORE, etc.)?
2. What are the typical traits of successful self-employed people?
3. If want to be self-employed, have you created a formal business plan?

NOTE:    I have a template for a business plan if you need one.

IX.       Career Change Planning Issues

1.  Have you created a detailed action plan for accomplishing your career change goal?  This should include both short term and long term goals.  The short term goals related to finding a job so support yourself (pay the bills and have “some” fun) until you can reach your long term goal.  The long term goal is your dream job and should define how you plan to get there from here, including any training or coaching you may need to be successful.

X.          Identifying Your Strengths

1. Are you focusing on your strengths instead of trying to improve on your weaknesses.  For help on this, see the Strengths Finder 2.0 book by Tom Rath.
   

XI.       Networking Issues

 1.    Are you continuing to develop your personal and business network?  If you get a job, will you continue to regularly invest time in your network?  If so, what are the benefits and if not, what are the costs?

 XII.    The Final Challenges

1. Write out your answers to the above questions and use it to help you see/determine your new career/dream job.  Remember, if you can see it in all its detail, you can/will make it happen!  CHOOSE and Stay in ACTION!
2. Describe your dream job in amazingly great detail.  Remember, what you can envision and believe in WILL HAPPEN!
3. Create a vision board with visually depicts all the details of your dream job!  Then hang it in a prominent place where you can see it every day.  Feel free to add to it or change it over time as your dream becomes more clear and begins to unfold.  Make it as visually rich as you can.  Remember, this is the vision for YOUR LIFE!  Make it powerful so it resonates with you and everyone else who sees it.
4. Enroll everyone you know in helping you make your dream come true!  This is one of the biggest secrets of people who are successful!
5. Get a coach/mentor to help and support you so you stay in action and realize your dream?  Going it alone is much tougher than having a qualified coach to guide you.  A coach can help you set realistic goals, hold you accountable for meeting them, brainstorm ideas with you, provide encouragement and point you resources that you might not have found otherwise.

 XIII.  Repurposing Your Resume for Your New Career

1. For all the transferable skills you said you wanted to pursue in Step I-5 above, first organize them into functional categories (e.g. Sales, Customer Service, Clerical, etc.)
2. Then write a brief description of each skill and whenever possible, indicate how it benefitted your company, manager, co-workers, customers, suppliers, business partners, etc.  You’ll use this information in your new resume to sell you into your new career.
3. To determine how to revise/repurpose your old resume and make yourself look like a great fit (or as close as you can get) for your new career/dream job, do the following:

• From the list of transferable skills (and their descriptions) that you created above, select the ones that apply to your new career/job that will make you look like a great fit for the job.

• Use a Functional or Hybrid/Combo resume format to focus your transferable skills, using the following sections:

- Name and Contact Information

- Candidate For

- Computer/Special Skills

-  Professional Experience

-  Employment History

-  Education

  º   Here is what you should put in each of the above sections.

- Name and Contact Information

♦        Include your name, address, phone #, email address and LinkedIn Profile address (if you have one)

♦    Include the title of the job you seeking (e.g. CANDIDATE FOR:  Trainer)

-  Professional Summary

♦       Write a 4-6 line Sales Pitch that addresses the top 4 strategic requirements in the job description

*   Use your transferable skills to prove that you can address them

*      Support you claims with  a measurable accomplishment, testimonial or award

*   Communicate your enthusiasm, passion, and vision regarding what you can do/contribute

*   Include a bullet list of your core strengths (e.g. Project Management) underneath your Sales Pitch paragraph and put the label “Core Strengths” centered above it.

-  Computer/Special Skills

♦        List your computer, trade, or other special skills

-  Professional Experience

♦   Define Skill Categories for your transferable skills that apply to job description for the position you’re seeking

*  Customer Service  & Communication

*  Management & Supervision

*  Inventory & Purchasing

♦       Then list  your related transferable skill descriptions  for your new job underneath  its corresponding  Skill Category

*  If necessary, edit the original  skill description  you developed earlier to fit the  job you’re applying for

-  Computer/Special Skills

♦       List your computer, trade, or other special skills

-  Professional Experience

♦   Define Skill Categories for your transferable skills that apply to job description for the position you’re seeking (examples included below)

*  Customer Service  & Communication

*  Management & Supervision

*  Inventory & Purchasing

♦       Then list the matching description for each transferable skill underneath  its corresponding category (edit your original description, if necessary, to fit the specific  job you’re applying for)

NOTE:  On the last page of this article, there is a set of possible Skill Category Names you can use to help you create your skill category names.

-  Employment History

♦        For each job you’ve had, list your job title, employer name/city/state, and range of employment dates.

-  Volunteer/Community Service

♦    Include any volunteer or community service work you’ve done

-  Education

♦        List your education information here.

       º      Front Desk Supervisor Job Description (For New Career/Job in
.          Nursing Home)

The River Wood Nursing is seeking a Front Desk Supervisor to manage a staff of 12 people (4 per shift) at our state of the art nursing facility.  The requirements for this job are:

-  Supervise the front desk staff

-  Hire and train new staff and provide on-going  mentoring to everyone

-  Produce weekly staff work schedules for all three shifts

-  Take inventory of medications and supplies weekly and order necessary items

-  Input resident data into the patient database and produce associated reports

-  Set goals for staff and conduct annual performance appraisals

-  Answer phones, take messages, and route messages to appropriate staff

-  Provide courteous assistance and support to staff, residents, and suppliers

-  Learn new systems and procedures quickly

-  Other duties as assigne

º    Remember, a POSITIVE ATTITUDE is everything

-  Managers hire people they like, are positive, and will fit in with their team

-  These skills are really significant and often make the difference in winning your new job

º    See copy of Linda Dutton’s Hybrid Combo Resume below for an example

-  Switched from an InterLibrary Loan Librarian job to a Front Desk Supervisor at a Nursing Home

-  Used her transferable skills to win the job (see top of next page)

♦       Reviewthe job description and notice how her transferable skills fit the job perfectly

♦       Check her repurposed resume to see how it aligns with the job description

*       Check the PROFESSIONAL  SUMMARY and PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE sections in particular

*       See if what Linda’s written makes her look like a good fit for the job based on the requirements in the Job Description

♦        Linda Dutton’s Transferable Skills

-  Supervision of Staff

-  Setting Goals and Conducting Annual Reviews

-  Hiring New Staff

-  Training & Mentoring

-  Staff Scheduling

-  Inventory Management

-  Database Experience (as a user)

-  Phone Answering and Taking Messages

-  Fast Learner

-  Strong Interpersonal Skills

 Linda enjoys working with and serving people!

   º  Linda Dutton’s Hybrid/Combo Resume (Repurposed for Career Change)

 

Linda Dutton

www.linkedin.com/in/lindadutton

312 Ashley Street                                 CANDIDATE FOR:                                   207-384-2217
North Berwick, ME 03906               Front Desk Supervisor                  lsmith@charter.com

 PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

I’ve enthusiastically served the library public for nearly 8 years.  As a member of the Dover Library Adult Circulation team, I’ve earned commendations for my telephone skills and personable manner from both satisfied patrons and supervisors.  I work closely with other staff members and perform clerical tasks in a busy public area.  Two previous jobs have required scheduling and supervision of staff and the third involved purchasing of materials and supplies.  I quickly mastered two automated state library systems and became proficient in searching several catalogs and databases.  As a result of learning these systems, reorganizing my loan desk area, and streamlining tasks, I’ve doubled the number of requests I handle and eliminated the need for an new staff  member. My dedication, passion for working with people and my desire to transfer my technical and people skills to a care giving setting would benefit your office, residents, and community.

 Core Strengths

·         Active Listening	·         Goal Setting (Self & Others)	·         Positive Attitude
·         Problem Solving	·         Mentoring & Coaching	·         Conflict Resolution
·         Team Building	·         Providing Feedback	·         Customer Satisfaction

 COMPUTER/SPECIAL SKILLS

Windows (XP/7), Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook (2003/2007), Internet Explorer, Library Networks, Tracking Systems, Photocopying, Faxing, Processing Credit Card Transactions

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Customer Service & Communication

·         Won the Customer Service Award for the Quarter 4 times in 2 years at the Dover Library

·         Handled in-person, telephone, and email requests from customers

·         Greeted, registered, and assisted patrons in a friendly and pleasant manner

·         Searched databases to satisfy customer requests

·         Answered patron questions and helped them locate materials

Management & Supervision

·      Jean Harrod, the Front Desk Supervisor at the Dover Library said, “Linda was a phenomenal manager who did more to motivate her staff than any other manager we’ve ever had.”

·         Hired, trained, and coached new staff, interns, and volunteers

·         Scheduled staff working hours and vacations

·         Registered new students

·         Set staff goals and objectives

·         Supervised staff and conducted annual performance evaluations

 Inventory & Purchasing

·        Saved $30K on equipment, supplies and materials in one year by researching vendors and choosing the ones that gave us the best price for the quality of the items we needed.

·         Took inventory on a bi-weekly basis

·         Purchased equipment, materials, and supplies

 EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Library Assistant Adult Circulation, Dover Public Library, Dover, NH
Aug 1996 – Present

Motel Manager, Cabana Colony, York Beach, ME
May 1990 – Jul 1996

Director Children’s Education Program, Market Square Studio, Portsmouth, NH
Feb 1987 – Apr 1990

 VOLUNTEER/COMMUNITY SERVICE

 ·         Volunteer in Children’s Reading Room, Dover Public Library, Dover, NH

 EDUCATION

Master of Library and Information Science, University of SC
Bachelor of Science, Hotel Administration, Whittemore School of Business, UNH

 

 ·         If you get stuck, call me at 813-924-8404 or email me at larrylabelle@trainingtamer.com.

 II.          Career Transition Issues

 ·         How to I get there from here?

♦     How do I maintain my financial commitments while moving into a new career field given that it may take a while to get that job and make the same salary I had before?

 III.       Career Transition Strategy

1. Research possible job openings in your new field (or decide if you want to be self-employed)
2. Determine your retraining needs, if any (classroom, online, books, coaching/mentoring, on the job training, etc.)
3. Create a timetable for making the transition that is realistic and achievable
4. Something between  6 months and a year is realistic and not so far out it seems it will take forever
5. If you’re considering self-employment, it could take 1-2 years

º    Go to your local Small Business Administration (SBA) office to get information on training courses, counseling, and other services they provide

º    There are lots of state and federal grants and loans available to help you start a small business

6. Leave your current position and take on an interim job (full or part-time) that will help pay the bills
and leaves you enough time/energy to pursue your new career

º   If you can’t leave your current job, scale back what you give so you have the time/energy to pursue another career

7.  Maintain a positive attitude

8.  Include time for exercise and play

9      Stay in action

º    Keep working on tasks that will net you RESULTS (networking, resume submissions, etc)

º     Helps keep your pipeline full and your spirit high

10. Do first things first (Steven Covey)

11.  Spend 80% of your available time working on your primary goal, your career change

12. Don’t get sidetracked by less important/trivial tasks

13. Get a family member or friend to coach/support you so1 you stay on track

º        Create specific, short term goals with your coach and prioritize them

º        For each goal, set a date/time for completing it with your coach

º    If you get stuck along way, call coach for help immediately

º    At deadline, call coach to report results

-  If you haven’t completed the goal, coach should simply ask you what got in your way or stopped you

-  Once obstacles have been determined and solutions have been found, set a new date/time for completing the  task

-   Remember, there is no right/wrong, blame/shame in this process – just maintaining movement and achieving success

XIV.  Great Resources on Career Change

1. Books
   

• The Passion Test by Janet Bray Atwood and Chris Atwood
• What Color is Your Parachute 2012 by Richard Bolles
• Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On to Your Future by Andrea Kay
• I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It  by Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith
• The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore
• Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood by Marsha Sinetar

2.   Websites

º    Career Changers Message Board on Monster.com

  http://monster.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=changecareers

 º    Strategic Portrayal of Transferable Job Skills is a Vital Job-Search Technique

     www.quintcareers.com/transferable_skills_technique.html

º    When Changing Careers, Highlight Transferable Skills

http://career-advice.monster.com/resume-writing-basics/career-changers/When-Changing-Careers-Highlight-Tra/home.aspx

º    Transferable Skills:  Bring Your Skills to a New Career

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/a/transferable.htm

º    Temping Your Way to a Career Change

www.quintcareers.com/temping-to-a-career-change.html

º    Career Change Articles in Crossroads Newsletter Archive (see Career Change section)

www.net-temps.com/careerdev/crossroads/archive.htm

º    Quintessential Careers:  I am a Career Changer

www.quintcareers.com/career-changer.html

º    Career Exploration Tools & Resources

www.quintcareers.com/career_exploration.html

 º    The 10 Step Plan to Career Change

www.quintcareers.com/career_changer.html

 º    Emphasizing Your Classroom Transferable & Marketable Skills

www.quintcareers.com/classroom_skills.html

Functional Resume Skill Categories
Accounting	Administration	Advertising
Analysis	Architecture	Artistic
Auditing	Bookkeeping	Career Development
Clerical	Collection	Communication
Community Affairs/Relations	Community Organizing	Computer Use
Consulting	Contract Administration	Coordination
Counseling	Curriculum Development	Client Relations
Customer Service	Data Analysis	Data Collection/Entry
Data Processing	Data Warehouse Design/ Development	Database Design/ Development
Design	Drafting	Editing
Education	eLearning	Engineering
Evaluation	Facilitating	Finance
Financial Research/Planning/ Analysis	Forecasting	Fund Raising
Graphic Design	Group Work	Human Resources
Human Services	Information Systems	Inspecting/Instruction
Instructional Design	Interpreting	Interviewing
Interviewing/Investigation	Inventory Control	Investment
Layout	Leadership	Management
Market Research	Marketing	Materials Handling
Media Productions	Media Relations	Mediation
Medical Service	Merchandising	Negotiation
Network Design/Development/ Administration	Nursing	Office Support
Office/Clerical	OLAP Design/Development	Operations Analysis
Organization	Organizational Development Planning	Personnel
Planning	Political/Public Action	Presentation
Printing	Problem Solving	Product Development
Product Presentation/Demonstration	Production	Program Analysis/ Development
Program Development	Program Evaluation	Program Planning
Program Promotion	Promotion	Public Relations
Publicity	Purchasing	Office Assistant/Manager
Quality Control/Assurance	Record Keeping	Reporting
Research	Resource Development	Retailing
Sales	Scheduling	Social Work
Special Events Planning	Staff Development	Supervision
Systems Analysis/Design	Systems and Procedures	Teaching
Team Building	Testing	Training
Volunteer Management	Writing	Youth Counseling

Winning the RIG…

Winning the RIGHT Job

By Larry LaBelle, 5/3/2012

 When people look for a new job, they typically look for one that offers a great salary and benefits and the job requirements are a strong match for their background and skills. Unfortunately, when they get on the job, they may discover things about the job, their co-workers/management and company practices that make the job much less enticing.   In no time flat, they can end up frustrated and very unhappy but may feel stuck since they don’t want to be perceived as a job hopper and they’re concerned about the difficulty of getting another job in today’s tight job market.  But it doesn’t have to be this way!  Each of us has a unique gift/talent that we can bring to the workplace but it can only blossom if we’re in the right job, working with the right people in the company that nurtures us best.

For this to work, you have to be courageous and go for what you want and deserve.  To be effective, there are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself and answer to get clear about to ensure you search for and win the right job.

Current/Last Job Questions

What do you love about what your current/last job?  What do you dislike about what your curren/last job? Of these things, which could be changed or eliminated?

What would you like to change about your current/last job?  If you could alter all these things to you satisfaction, how would this influence your feeling about that job?

For each of the below pairs of job characteristics, which ones are you looking for in your next job?  For each pair, circle the ones you want and define why each one is important to you?

-    Intellectual  vs. Physical	-    Get Coaching vs. Go It Alone
-    Spiritual vs. Secular	-    Work with People vs. Work Alone
-    Technical vs. Non-Technical Work	-    Team Leader vs. Team Member
-    Scheduled vs. Non-Scheduled Work .    Day	-    Structured vs. Unstructured Work
-    Manager vs. Line Worker	-    Facilitating Change vs. Coping .    with Change
-    Follow Rules vs. Define Own Rules	-    Creative Role vs. a Well Defined Role
-    General Oversight vs. Constant .    Oversight	-    Learn on Own vs. Prefer Training

If every obstacle was removed and there were NO limits on what you could do for work, what would you do for work?

What type of people do you like to work with (consider things like their age, whether they have disabilities, or their personality and temperament)?

What would your work environment be like (i.e. would you like to work outside vs. inside; do you want windows and plants in your office, would you have an office or a cubicle, etc.)?  Do you like to work with people or by yourself?  Why?

What kind of alternative occupations would like to pursue?  If you’re like most of us, you’re not sure.  Here are some tools to help find out!  First, go to the O*Net website (http://online.onetcenter.org/skills) and check off all the skills you have.  When you’re done, click on the GO button at the bottom of the page.

You’ll get a list of possible occupations that correspond to the skills you checked.  An occupation that has a sun icon next to it is a “bright outlook” job.  One that has a green leaf icon is a “green” job.  If you click on a link for any occupation title, you’ll get a detailed summary report with information divided into the following categories:  Tasks, Tools & Technology, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Work Activities, Work Context, Job Zone, Education, Interests, Work Styles, Related Values, Related Occupations, State/National Wage and Employment Trends and Sources of Additional Information.

At the top of this report, you see a menu bar with two great options:  Find Occupations and Crosswalk. Find Occupations lets you search by the following categories:  Bright Outlook, Career Cluster, Green Economy Sector, Industry, Job Family, Job Zone (grouped into by categories based on level of education, experience and training required) and STEM (occupations that require education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – hence STEM) disciplines.  If you play around with all these options, you can find many alternative jobs that you could perform with your existing, transferable skills.  The time you spend exploring here can be well worth it.

The Croswalk option is very valuable for military personnel that that are leaving the military and want to find civilian jobs equivalent to what they did in the military. If you select Crosswalk on the main menu and then select Military, you go to the Military Crosswalk Search screen.  Here, you can enter you branch of service (e.g. Navy) and then enter you military job title (e.g. Communications Technician).  Then you click on the Go button.  The search results show all the military occupations in the Navy containing the job title you entered.  Underneath each military occupation, there is a list of links for corresponding civilian jobs that you can then explore.

Company Questions

What kind of company culture are you looking for?  Consider things like the dress code, how they treat their employees, management style, how much vacation/sick time you get, quality of benefits, day care, formal praise/acknowledgement program, bonuses, etc.).  Do you need to work for a company that has professional ethics?  Do you want to work for a company that pays you what you’re worth?

Management Issues

Do you want to be a line employee or a manager at some level?  If you want to be a manager, what level are you striving for (supervisor, manager, director, vice president, senior vice president, president, CEO, Board of Directors)?  Why do you want or not want management level responsibility?  What kind of manager do you want (supportive/understanding, good communicator, fair, good coach, acknowledges staff for outstanding contributions and ideas, etc.)?

Workplace Questions

Do you give and receive praise to your co-workers and management?  Do you get it from co-workers and management?  How would doing this make a difference?

Quality of Life Issues

What are your quality of life issues?  How do you balance your work and personal life balance?  Are you leaving time for your spouse, children, friend, church, etc.?  If not, what has the cost been (short and long term) to you and the ones needing your attention?  Remember, the only time you can truly count on is NOW and that’s where all of great things you really want reside!

Home and Work Location Issues

Where do you want to live and work?  Do you want to live in this area or are you open to moving somewhere else for a job?  If the answer is somewhere else, where might that be and what would be the key attributes of the community where you would live?  What are your commuting concerns and needs (e.g. want flextime or work at home options)?  Be specific.

Self-Employment Possibilities

Do you want to be self-employed?  Why?  If yes, what assistance will you need and what organizations can help (e.g. SBA, SBDC, SCORE, etc.)?  What are the typical traits of successful self-employed people?  If want to be self-employed, have you take the time to create a formal business plan?  I have a template for writing a business plan if you need one.

Career Change Planning Issues

Have you created a detailed action plan for accomplishing your career change goal?  This should include both short term and long term goals.  The short term goals related to finding a job so support yourself (pay the bills and have “some” fun) until you can reach your long term goal.  The long term goal is your dream job and should define how you plan to get there from here, including any training or coaching you may need to be successful.

Identifying Your Strengths

Are you focusing on your strengths instead of trying to improve on your weaknesses?  For help on this, see the Strengths Finder 2.0 book by Tom Rath.

Networking Issues

Are you continuing to develop your personal and business network?  If you get a job, will you continue to regularly invest time in your network?  If so, what are the benefits and if not, what are the costs?

The Final Challenges

Write out your answers to the above questions and use it to help you see/determine your current job is right for you.  If not, you can use this information to help you define and identify your dream job and get it.  For your dream job, be sure to describe it in amazingly great detail.  Remember, what you envision and believe in WILL HAPPEN!

Create a vision board with visually depicts all the details of your dream job!  Then hang it in a prominent place where you can see it every day.  Feel free to add to it or change it over time as your dream becomes clearer and begins to unfold.  Make it as visually rich as you can.  Remember, this is the vision for YOUR LIFE!  Make it powerful so it resonates with you and everyone else who sees it.

Enroll everyone you know in helping you make your dream come true!  This is one of the biggest secrets of people who are successful!

Get a coach/mentor to help and support you so you stay in action and realize your dream?  Going it alone is much tougher than having a qualified coach to guide you.  A coach can help you set realistic goals, hold you accountable for meeting them, brainstorm ideas with you, provide encouragement and point you resources that you might not have found otherwise.

One Last Thing for the Currently Employed

What if you’re currently employed but find yourself very unhappy in your job.  Maybe your job started out as a great job but something has happened to make it go sour.  Maybe your job requirements have changed, there have been management changes that have negatively impacted you, the company policies and practices have been modified or whatever and these changes just don’t work for you.

If you choose to stay in this job, you can get very frustrated, become cynical and complain a lot both at work and at home, get physically and/or emotionally sick and be completely unhappy.  Life is too short to live like this but many of us are hesitant to pursue a new job, especially in today’s economy where the job market is so competitive.  We’re also afraid our current employer might find out we’re looking for a new job and let us go. But if we don’t look, we’ll never know what great new job we could have had and how much better our life could be overall.

So remember, reach for the stars and you’ll find yourself working in an amazing galaxy!

Winning a Job With LinkedIn

Written by Larry LaBelle, Training Tamer Inc. – Revised 2/22/2012

Create a Complete LinkedIn Profile & Include Your Contact Information

The first step to winning a job with LinkedIn is to create strong profile that is complete and compelling to the HR staff, recruiters, hiring managers and others who read your profile.  Complete means that you fill out every section in your profile

and add optional sections such as the Skills section (contains a list of your Core Strengths).  It’s also important to include your phone number in your profile, preferably at the bottom of your Summary.  Remember 80-90% of the HR staff and recruiters search LinkedIn for job candidates and 45% of the hiring manager do too.  If they see a hot candidate, they want to call you immediately before someone else has a chance to snatch you up.

Create a Compelling Summary

When HR staff, recruiters and hiring managers search for potential job candidates on LinkedIn, the first part of your profile they read is the Summary section. Like the Summary section in your resume, it needs to short, well written and compelling but why?  When these folks are viewing LinkedIn Profiles, they only spend about 10-15 seconds reviewing the Summary section to decide whether they want to consider the candidate further.  If you don’t grab them here, you’re screened out.

To make you Summary section solid, here’s what to do.  First, get 2-3 job descriptions for the type of job you’re seeking and then make a list of all the skills/requirements from all three of them.  Then pick the top 4 strategic, important point (from the hiring manager’s perspective) and write a 4-6 line summary where you pitch your strengths and value in each of these four areas.  Then end the summary with an accomplishment (measurable accomplishment, testimonial or award) but make sure it is no longer than 2 lines long.

In the Specialties section of the summary, be sure to put in all the keywords that HR staff, recruiters and hiring managers would use to search for job candidates on LinkedIn when they’re trying to fill a position.  You may have some of these in other sections of your resume but this is the place to put an exhaustive list to be sure you are one of the people who ends of in the search result and near the top of the list.  For example, if a recruiter were doing a search for a Senior Customer Service Representative, they might use 20 keywords in their search.  These could include the job title (and synonyms for it), key skills and requirements from the job description, and the like.  If you only have 5 keywords in your profile and I have 19, I show up almost at the top of the search result but you’d be way down the bottom.  If you didn’t have any of the keywords, you wouldn’t be in the search result at all.

Build a Strong Network of Connections

In order to win in LinkedIn, you have to build a large network of connections, especially Level 1 Connections.  You also need to join lots of relevant LinkedIn Group to broaden your network even further.  Level 1 Connections are the ones you can communicate with directly and can help you get insider information in your target companies.  We’ll talk about this more below.

To initially build your network of Level 1 connections, first go to the LinkedIn Home Page.  In the  upper right corner of the screen, there is am area called People You May Know.  There are 3 people in this initial list but you can access others via the See More link at the bottom of this list. When you click on the See More link, you get access to a number of pages of possible people you may know.  It doesn’t matter whether you know them now or not.  What’s important is to scan the list for people you’d like to connect with who might be able to help you in your job search.

For each person on the lists, check out their job title and company name to initially decide if there’s a prospective connection for you.  If they are, click on their name link to view their profile.  Once you read it, you should have enough information to decide whether you want to connect to this person.  To connect, click on the Connect button in the upper right of the person’s profile and then select the way that you know this person.  If you don’t know the person, use either the Friend or Other option.  Then write a custom note explaining why you want to connect to this person and state how the relationship can be mutually beneficial.  Then click on the Send Invitation button to send the request.  Repeat this process for every person you want to connect to on Linked.  If you spend a couple of hours a day during your first week on LinkedIn, you’ll build up a large network of Level 1 Connections fast.

Remember, Level 1 Connections are the ones who can give you Recommendations to display on your own LinkedIn Profile.  Their also the ones who can be you champion in your target companies.

Oh, one last but very important thing.  What if you want to connect to the LinkedIn Heavy Hitters who have the largest number of Level 1 Connections as well as the largest number of overall people in their entire network?  Connecting to the Heavy Hitter will give you the opportunity to harvest all the people in their network who could help you and make them your Level 1 Connections so you can get their assistance when you need it.

To find these Heavy Hitters, first go to the Search field at the top right of the screen.  In the button to the left of the Search field, select People.  Then click on the Advanced link to the right of to the Magnifying Glass icon.  This will bring you to the Advanced People Search tab.  In the Sort By drop down list at the bottom left of the screen, select Connections.   This will sort results in order by the overall number of connections, leaving the Heavy Hitters at the top of the list.  In the Expanded drop down list field, select Expanded. This will let you see a bit more information about each person in the search result. To get the search results list, click on the Search button.

To connect to any one of the Heavy Hitters in the search results list, first click on the person’s name.  This will display this person’s profile.  To initiate a connection request, click on the Connect button in the upper right of the screen.  Fill out this screen and make sure to enter a custom message in the Include a Personal Note field.  For example, you might enter, “You’re one of the top Linked Users and I’d like to connect with you to learn more about you and see how I can help you.”  You do this to ensure that this person will want to connect with you.  Most Heavy Hitters are LIONs (LinkedIn Open Networkers) and will accept a connection request from anyone since it increases their overall network.

Get Lots of Recommendations to Help Promote You

One of the most powerful features of LinkedIn is the ability to get Recommendations from your Level 1 Connections and display them on your profile.  Recommendations are worth their weight in GOLD.  Whenever HR staff, recruiters or hiring managers find a potential job candidate on LinkedIn, the first thing they look at is your Summary.  If this passes their litmus test, the next likely section for them to review is the Recommendations section.  Here they can see what you manager, co-workers, customers, suppliers, etc. have said about the quality of your work. This is clearly a great selling point that you need to thoroughly exploit.

When you ask your Level 1 Connections for a Recommendation, they will write it and submit it to you for review.  You can request changes if you want before you post it on your profile.  If the Recommendation isn’t to your satisfaction, you don’t have to post it on your profile at all.  If someone you know isn’t good at writing a recommendation, you could write one yourself and email it to them to have them and have the use it to submit a recommendation for you.

Use LinkedIn to Find a Champion in Your Target Companies

Champions are the people you connect with in LinkedIn who work in one of your target companies.  They can help you get the hiring managers name and contact information, tell you the problems and pains the manager is facing, what new initiatives the manager is undertaking, what s/he expects the new employee to accomplish in his first 90 days on the job, what the company culture and manager are like and more.  S/he can also take your resume to the hiring manager with a personal referral to help put you at the top of the stack of resumes for the job.

To get a champion, you have to create a strong relationship with him/her before you ask for help.  Otherwise, this person has no motivation to help you.  You have to provide them with help and spend the time building a trusting relationship to win the champions heart so he/she really want to help you.  It also doesn’t hurt to ask this person if they get a referral bonus if you get hired.  If he/she could get a $500-$1000 bonus, their commitment to helping you goes way up.  Don’t forget that the champion needs to get to know you and learn about your skills and value before they’re likely to refer you.  After all, recommending a failed candidate could cost this person his/her credibility so make them feel good about what you have to offer so they’ll enthusiastically support you.

To find a champion inside a target company, first go to the Search field at the top right of the screen.  Next, go to the button to the left of the Search field and set it to People.  Then click on the Advanced link to the right of the Magnifying Glass icon.  In the Company field, enter the name of your target company (e.g. Cognos).  The drop down list field below the Company field is set to Current or Past.  Now click on the Search button.

Since we are doing a People search for the company Cognos and the drop down list setting is Current or Past, the search will return a list of all current and past employees of Cognos.  We can now scan this list for ideal people we’d like to have as our champion inside Cognos to help us secure a job in the company.  It’s best to find people who work in the same department you’d work in when possible but if that’s not possible, pick someone else.  Happy hunting!

Follow Companies to Be Alerted to Signs of Job Openings/Hiring

In LinkedIn, there is an option to Follow Company that you can use tract personnel changes and additions inside the company.  To set up this option on a company, first go to the Search box at the top right of the page.  Make sure the button to the left of the search box is set to Company.  Next enter the company name (e.g. Cognos) into the search field and then click on the Magnifying Glass icon.  A list is displayed showing the name of the company (e.g. Cognos) and any of its subsidiaries.  Find the company you want (e.g. Cognos) and put your mouse over the company name.  You should see two links appear to the right, one of which is the Follow Company link.  Click on this link.  You will see a STAR appear in place of the Follow Company link, indicating that you are now following this company.

Finding Jobs in LinkedIn & Related LinkedIn Contacts

The first place to find jobs in LinkedIn is on the LinkedIn Job Board.  Go to the main menu and select Jobs.  Then select Find Jobs.  Now click on the Advanced Search link underneath the Search button.  Here, you have all kinds of search fields that you can use to find jobs in your field.  For example, you might enter Trainer in the Keywords field, 33613 in the Postal Code field and set the Within field to 50 mi (80km).  Then you click on the Search button to initiate the search.  When the results are displayed, you are often given some very useful additional information to help you get a champion to help you get this job.  A job listing can tell you how many of your connections can refer you to the job poster and it may also tell you who posted the job if that person is in your network.  Way cool!

The second place to find jobs in LinkedIn in the Jobs Sub-Group inside a LinkedIn Group that has a job board.  To determine which Groups have Sub-Groups, click on Groups on the main menu and then select Groups Directory.  This will display a list of all Groups available in LinkedIn.  To look for groups related to Job Search only, enter Job Search in the Keywords field on the upper left of the screen.  Then go to the next field underneath called All Categories, click on the down arrow and select Networking Group.  Then click on the Search button.  You will now see a list of groups related to Job Search.

The one I’ll use in this example is the Jobs (Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections.  If you look at this Group’s listing, you’ll see two lines at the bottom with some very important statistics.  The first line of these two has Discussions (140) and Jobs (571).  Discussions tells you how many active discussions are currently going on in the group.  Jobs tells you that this group has a Job Board inside the group (a Sub-Group). The second line specifies the Owner of the Group followed by the Number of Members.  If there are a large number of members in a group, it has a lot of discussions and it has a jobs sub-group, it’s a great group to join.   To join a Group, just click on the Join Group button.

Once you’re in the group, you see that there is a tab called Jobs.  This is where you go to see the job postings for this group.

Add Marketing Materials to Your LinkedIn Profile

You can add valuable job search marketing materials to your LinkedIn Profile.  For example, you could add Work Samples (along with a compelling story for each), a brief Strategic Business Value Presentation (states your 3 areas of strategic, lists 3-5 ways you strongly contribute in each of these areas and 3-5 ways you can help your future employer), or anything else that would help you win a job with your future employer.

To upload and display these marketing materials in your LinkedIn Profile using the companion application called SlideShare.  With SlideShare, you can upload up to 6 marketing files into LinkedIn and then display them in your profile.  You have two options for displaying them.  With option 1, you can display one of them in a large viewer with next/back buttons to navigate the pages/slides in your file.  The other files can be accessed via a link under the viewer.

With option 2, you can display all you files at once in your profile but they are displayed as oversized icons.  To access the content of any of these files, you have to click on the associated icon.

Anytime you add, change, or delete a marketing file that you’ve uploaded into SlideShare, all your connections are notified of the change.   You can changes from all your Linked connections on your Home page

SlideShare is only one of many companion applications available in LinkedIn.  You can use the WordPress application to create a BLOG and display the BLOG in your LinkedIn Profile.  Whenever you make changes to your BLOG, all your connections are notified.  A BLOG is a great way to get know as an expert in your field

You can also use Reading List by Amazon application to post a list of your favorite books in your LinkedIn Profile and include your personal recommendation for each.  Because this is an Amazon application, your first select the books from Amazon that you want to display and write a recommendation for it.  When you post them on your LinkedIn Profile, other LinkedIn users can see the cover of the book and your recommendation.  If they like a book and want to buy it, they can click on the cover of the book and go to Amazon to buy it.  This is another great way to be seen as an expert in your field.

All the applications that you use in your LinkedIn profile are in a section called Applications.  When you first add an application such as SlideShare, the Applications section will appear near the bottom of your profile with your SlideShare file in it.  Since we’re putting marketing material in this section, we’d rather have the Applications section up at the top of our profile underneath the Summary section.  To do this, first put your mouse over the Applications section title and you’ll see the mouse pointer turn into a 4-way arrow.  This means you can move this section up or down in your profile by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the section to where you want it.  In this case, move it up under the Summary section.  Voila!

Now, one last thing regarding the Applications section.  If you have 3 applications you want to display in the Applications section, such as SlideShare, WordPress and Reading List by Amazon, how do you control the order that they display in the Applications section?  Here’s the trick!  If you want WordPress at the top, then SlideShare underneath that and Reading List by Amazon last, create these applications from the bottom up.  In order words, create Reading List by Amazon first, SlideShare second and WordPress last.  Bingo!

GOOD LUCK & GO WIN THAT JOB!

Get the Right Job – Target Your Top 20 Companies

Written by Larry LaBelle, Training Tamer Inc., 2/3/2012

Why Should You Target Your Top 20 Companies?

If you’re looking for a new job, will it be the right and perfect job for you or just another job?  In today’s economy, many of us are driven by personal financial condition to take just any job to get employed again, be able to pay our bills and get rid of the fear and stress associated with long term unemployment.

Often times, this seems like best, most logical short term choice but in the near and long term, it can be a disaster.  If you accept a job that doesn’t full use your talents, you have a manager whose style doesn’t support you, you have to work outrageously long hours or the company’s culture is 180 degrees from yours, you won’t be happy and probably won’t stay long.  And if you get down and don’t perform, you might lose the job.  So how do you get the perfect and right job and company for you?  Let’s see!

The very first step is to find the top 20 companies you’d like to work for and then try to get a job in one of them.  The key to making this work is to first create a set of criteria for researching and selecting these 20 companies. There are two categories of research information:  Primary and Secondary.

Primary Research Criteria

There are 6 primary research criteria.  First, you want to research their products and services to see if they are a fit for you given your background, experience and personal preferences.

Second you want to check out the company’s history and corporate culture to see if the company’s ethics, work environment, dress codes and values align with yours.

Third, you want to determine the company’s mission and goals (both short and long term) to see if where they are and where they are going is a match for you.

Fourth, you want to check out the company’s financial status to ensure that the company is financially stable and won’t be doing layoffs anytime soon.  Any company that is publicly traded on the stock exchange has an annual report containing this information.  You can get it from their website (if it’s available there) or call the company and request a copy.

Fifth, you want to check out the company’s organizational structure.  If you like to be able to touch people at all levels of the company, you won’t want to work in a firm with a complex and multi-layered org chart.  Sixth, you want to check to see if the company has an office in your local area so you don’t have to move or commute a long distance each day.  Now some companies allow work at home employees and if they do, it won’t matter where the company is located.  Always ask about this, even if a company doesn’t support it at the moment.  Who knows, you may be the first to get it.

The sixth primary research criteria is to check out whether the company has the kind of job you want. If you were a trainer and your target company didn’t do any training, you’d probably rule them out.  If they do, check out the salary range for these positions to make sure they meet your needs.

Secondary Research Criteria

There are 5 secondary research criteria.  First, check out the possible career advancement paths and opportunities that are available to you.  Second, how complete and comprehensive are the benefits the company offers and what will you have to pay each pay period for them?  Also, how much are the co-pay amounts for health, dental, and vision plans?  How do the benefits compare to what you’ve received in your previous job?  Remember, benefits are worth between 25 and 45 percent of your base salary to look at this closely so you don’t leave money on the table.

Finally, what type of employee training and ongoing support does the company provide?  Do you get comprehensive training when you start to you don’t have struggle during your first 3-6 month and doing the old “fake it till you make it” routine to get by?

What Are Sources for Finding This Information?

Below is a list of sources for gathering research information on your Top 20 Companies.

• Find Companies though Family, Friends, Co-Workers, etc.
• Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Book of Lists(available at Library)
  • Provides information on top 200, top 100 and top 50 companies in the Tampa Bay Area

• Tampa Bay Business Journal
  • Provides information on activities in local businesses and also discusses new companies that are moving to Tampa
• New companies will be creating jobs and if you contact the parent company before they create their new office in Tampa  you can beat the competition by applying before they move here and start advertising for their jobs (the hidden job market
  at its best)

• Chamber of Commerce Member List
  • Use Google or Yahoo to locate the chamber’s website
  • Search for “Chamber of Commerce, Your City, Your State”
  • You can go to two meeting FREE before you will be asked to join
  • You can get a list of the current membership with names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses – Awesome resource

• Online Yellow Pages or White Pages
  • www.superpages.com
  • www.whitepages.com/business

• Hoover’s Online
  • Provide a free trial
  • Search for companies using the Companies search field in the upper left corner of the screen
  • Site provides information on company: Address/Phone, Company Description, Industry Information, Key People, Biographies, Company Financials, etc.
  • www.hoovers.com/free/geo/index.xhtml?location=/United+States/

• Vault
  • Search for companies using the Companies search field in the upper left corner of the screen. Set your search type to Company using the mini menu above the Search field before entering a company name in the Search field
  • Site provides information on company: Address/Phone, Stats, Company Description, Info on Company from Community, Employer Ranking, Employee Reviews, Salary Reports, Discussions Related to Company, Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity Information, etc.
  • www.vault.com

• Reference USA
  • Can access at most local libraries
  • Must have a library card to access the database
  • Can access the database from home via the Internet
  • Database provides information on all sizes of companies from small mom and pop shops all the way up to the major corporations but less personnel and financial information is available for small companies
  • Use the Custom Search so you have more search criteria fields to help you find companies (e.g. # employees search field to find companies with the # employees between X and Y)
  • Site provides information on company: Address/Phone/Fax, Business Profile, Industry SIC and NAICS Codes, Location Map, Business Demographics, Management Directory, Company News, Stock Data, Business Expenditures, Historical Data, UCC Filings, Nearby Businesses, Competitor’s Report and Brands & Products.

• Wetfeet
  • www.wetfeet.com/subscription.aspx
  • Provides a trial subscription
  • Use the Company Profiles link on left side of screen
  • Provides info on Key Facts, Key Financial Facts (revenue amount and growth rate), Personnel Highlights (# employees and growth rate), and a Company Overview

• Edgar SEC Filings
  • www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml

• Jobatorial
  • www.jobatorial.com
  • Contains pro and con information about companies submitted by current and past employees

• Use Google or Yahoo to find company’s websites (if not available from earlier research)
  • Go to site and do in-depth research on company
    • Check Blogs on company’s website, if any
  • Print out info and write down any questions you have

• Check out Public Opinion on Companies
  • User Google’s Usenet Service
    • http://groups.google.com/
    • Enter the company name in the Google Search Box at the top

• Check out Public Opinion on Stock Performance
  • Silicon Investor’s Stock Talk
    • www.techstocks.com/
  • Raging Bull
    • www.ragingbull.com/

Criteria for Picking Your Top 20 Companies

Below are the criteria I use to select my top 20 companies.

• Company’s financial health & employee growth
• Company pay scale meets your needs
• Comprehensiveness of benefits
• Company has jobs in your field
• Corporate culture matches your needs
• Size of company fits your needs
• Commute distance works for you
• Flex time or work at home options available
• Whatever else is important to you

Now It’s Time to Work Your Top 20 For Inside Help

Once you’ve picked your top 20, you need to prioritize them from most to least important to you.  Then start mining these companies for jobs start from the top of the list.   For each company, you want get an insider from your personal network or LindedIn connections who can be your champion in helping you win a job in the company.

You champion can get you the hiring manager’s name and contact information, tell you about the company’s problems and any new initiatives they’re undertaking (so you can position yourself as the best candidate to handle them) and bring your resume to the hiring manager with a personal referral.  This last part is the most important.  Remember, HR staff and hiring managers will typically consider referred candidates before anyone else since they were referred by an existing employee who they know and trust.  It also means they won’t have to pay any recruiter fees for this person either.

Before you ask your champion for help, be sure to build a strong relationship with him first and find a way to help him.  That way, your champion will be much more inclined to want to help you!  If you take the time to nurture a trusting relationship and provide help before seeking assistance, 90% of the people will want to help you and 70% actually will; otherwise, only 4% will help you. That’s a quantum leap and one you want to take full utilize if you want to win a job fast!

Happy Hunting & Remember to Win That Job!