Passion

by admin on March 7, 2011 · 0 comments

in Guest Blog, Reinvention, Struggles

Shawn loves ideas, particularly ideas that come from asking ‘What If?’  His talents lie in removing personal barriers and fostering Shawn Woolmancollaboration that connects ideas and people.  His professional passion is helping people and organizations move toward excellence. LinkedIn | Twitter

Passion.  Do you have it?  Does it show?

One of the toughest things about the job search, particularly after a separation that was someone else’s idea, is keeping (perhaps finding) the thing that fires your passion.  After working through all the normal feelings that go along with losing a job it is vitally important that you have something besides the job search to which you’re dedicated.  There are at least two really good reasons for this: sanity and breaking the ice.

Having something besides the job search to focus your attention on isn’t unlike having a hobby outside of work – you do it for your enjoyment.  Of course it’s entirely possible that your passion and your hobby are the same thing.  In that case take this opportunity to engage a little further or dig a little deeper.

If you’ve not taken the time to find something you are passionate about this is a perfect time to do some discovery.  What did you enjoy when you were twenty or thirty?  What have you always wanted to do, but never had time for?  Take some time to think about it, make a list, and then… start exploring.  I’ll bet you meet some new friends who will benefit from your experience as much as you benefit from theirs. It’s entirely within the realm of possibility it could lead to your next position.

Best of all, tell others about your passion.   Tell others?  You bet, every opportunity you get – particularly in an interview.

Which leads us to my second point: breaking the ice.  Every interview has a variation on the question “Tell me about yourself?”  Tell them about your passion.  You’ll have plenty of time to tell them about your professional experience and how they can’t live without you, but why not start off with a bang at the beginning?  It’ll set the tone for the whole interview and begin revealing the type of person you are and what motivates you.

Your answer may even be so different from the expected answer that the interviewer may have to adjust their questions which gives you a little more control of the interview (that’s a whole other blog post).  Certainly, they will be engaged, even if it’s only for a few minutes to learn about the nuances of firefly bioluminescence due to pH fluctuations.  Trust me, you’ll both find your way back to the interview questions.  (Particularly after discussing glowing insect posteriors)

Finally, be open to new experiences that could lead to passion.  You could find yourself looking at your empty schedule one day and sitting in an airplane headed to the Dominican Republic the next…

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Are there Humans in Human Resources?

by admin on February 7, 2011 · 0 comments

in Uncategorized

Are there Humans in Human Resources?

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Is Your Boss Really Being Difficult or Is It You?

by admin on January 21, 2011 · 0 comments

in Already Employed, Struggles

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com

Difficult BossRecently, in a Linked In group associated with HR, someone posted a discussion that well over 2400 people commented on.  The flavor of the discussion was: Why is it so hard to find good employees?  It’s like a standoff between the frowning faces of the boss and the employee.  Both are thinking really bad things about the other.  I’d like to give you a perspective from a boss’s point of view regarding this comment.

I acknowledge that there are bad bosses.  I also acknowledge that without reason, some simply don’t like you and want you to be gone.  Despite being bad or disliking certain people, there are things that employees do that make even the best bosses seem like tyrants.  What I am speaking about is poor performance and the tough talks that go with it.  As a society, we’re taught to be nice to people and they will be nice to you.  That concept doesn’t apply to the conversation at work where performance feedback is necessary and most often hard to do.  It’s a tough message to give and a harder one to receive.  It’s hard to feel warm and fuzzy about someone who just said what you did was a flop.  It’s also easy to think that person is being unreasonable or difficult, yet are they really?

More than anything else, a manager just wants things to work right.  They don’t dream of coming in to the office and giving someone a bad time about their work.  There is a higher amount of energy and focus drain that happens when an employee isn’t working up to expectations, because the manager has to go through extra steps to monitor the work.  While it is part of the job, usually the manager’s job is not structured in such a way that they really have time for this extra task.  It means extra work and extra stress.  Then add to that the step of sitting down with the employee to tell them the bad news.  This isn’t how most managers want to spend their day.

On the reverse side of this, the employee with performance problems almost never really “gets it”.  If they did, they probably wouldn’t have the issues to start with.  Most managers give the under-performing employee the benefit of the doubt when they start engaging in the tough performance conversations.  The benefit in this case, is that if the issue is pointed out, it can be corrected.  I have seen instances where, following these chats, the performance actually gets worse and there is often some strange behavior to coincide.  I once had an employee, who in their attempt to portray deep listening, eyes would bulge and go unblinking for the duration of our talks.  This had to take so much concentration that I knew they weren’t listening; and they weren’t.

While performance feedback should be ongoing and non-threatening dialogues, they many times don’t take place. You need to understand, this is part of your ongoing career development. To avoid driving off the performance cliff, here are some things you can do to aid in your own management:

  • Document your responsibilities and the expectations of your output.  Make sure you understand both the qualitative and quantitive elements of how you will be measured.  When things change, and they will, update your understanding.
  • If you foresee a problem due to lack of resources, support or your own training, you need to flag that to the boss at the first sign of the issue.  You need to come to an agreement on how the issue will be resolved.  They need to be part of the solution.
  • If you aren’t receiving ongoing feedback on your performance, ask for it.  It’s hard to be derailed when you are receiving information and making course corrections along the way.  Engage key stakeholders for this feedback as well.
  • If you still receive a tough performance message, don’t be defensive.  Do your best to take in the information, ask questions and ensure your understanding.  Develop an action plan that will respond to the issues and validate it with your boss.  Once you are in agreement, ask for ongoing feedback to that plan.  Keep in mind that when you are in a performance crisis, this is not the time to be trying to add something new or sexy to your workload.  I once had a person, who wasn’t performing the basics, who decided the company should pay for their programming classes (which weren’t part of the job).  While I believe in ongoing improvement, that was not the time to be away from the desk and adding to an already bad situation. Use your head – don’t grab an anchor if you’re drowning.

I’ve long held the belief that doing a great job and being a great employee was easy.  I still do.  I just think that employees need to see the boss as something besides the enemy and to take responsibility for their performance.  If you can do that, you will most likely like the boss better and be the “good employee” everyone is looking for.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to the Career Makeover Newsletter AND eWorkbook “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – both dedicated to Your career success, when you visit http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com from Dorothy Tannahill-Moran – Your Career Change Agent.

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Quick Analysis of Your Job Search

by admin on January 19, 2011 · 0 comments

in Reinvention, Struggles

Don Goodman, President of About Jobs (www.GotTheJob.com), is a nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Certified Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business and Stanford University’s Executive Program, Don has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Read his blog at www.GotTheJob.com/blog/, call him at 800-909-0109 or e-mail him at dgoodman@GotTheJob.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/JobExpert.

Job Search AnalysisIf you are not getting enough interviews or job offers then it is time to analyze your job search strategy. Here is a quick way to drill down to the core issues that will need adjusting.

Situation: I am not getting enough calls for interviews

If the phone is not ringing then either your resume is not good or you are not getting it into the right hands.

Look at your resume and scan it for 20 seconds, the same way an employer would. If you don’t say, “I would hire this person”, then it probably needs work.

Does it have a strong opening that distinguishes you? Is there a compelling theme? If you are unsure, send it to us for a Free Resume Evaluation. Or have it professionally done, just be careful as there are a lot of scams and bad services on the web so see my Free 10-Point Checklist on How to Choose a Resume Writing Service.

If the resume is good, then you need to review your distribution strategy. There are only a few ways to get the resume out and these include job boards and company web sites, recruiters, networking and direct mail/contact.

Of these, the job boards and company web sites have the least effectiveness rate and this is where most people’s job search strategies fall down. When you send your resume through the Internet, you go into the “big black hole” in human resources and are at the mercy of applicant tracking systems and junior clerks weeding out candidates. In fact, a hiring manager recently told me that she gets over 500 resumes for a job board posting. She looks at the first 50 and if she can’t get 5 candidates to bring in, she looks at the next 50. That means that hundreds of candidates are not even having their resume seen.

If this sounds like you, then adjust how you respond to job board openings and also allocate a lot more time to more effective search techniques like networking.

My advice to clients is to NEVER send your resume over the Internet. Once you see that a position is opened, go to LinkedIn, do a company search and identify the hiring manager and their staff. Now do one of two things:

1. Ask yourself, “Who do I know that knows someone who can make an introduction for me”. This is basic networking and you can use LinkedIn Groups and Q&A to see who is communicating with them.

2. Alternatively, but not as effective, give the decision maker a call and say something like: “A friend told me you might be interested in someone with my background. I have (insert your 2-sentence pitch), and I have just a few questions for you”. Then ask them some questions that show you’ve done some homework on their company. Be very friendly, down to earth and personable and get into a conversation with them. At some point they will ask you for your resume at which point you have now put yourself at the top of the decision maker’s pile and skipped the HR screeners.

In general, job boards should not be more than 30% of how you spend your time. Networking is far more effective and this has become much easier when you use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to connect with people.

Situation: I am getting interviews, but no offers

If you are getting interviews but are not moving to subsequent rounds or are not getting the offer, then you need to improve your interviewing skills. Start by answering these key questions:

1. Did you research the interviewer on LinkedIn before you went in?
2. Did you turn the interview into a conversation?
3. Did you build rapport with the interviewer?
4. Are you clear about what the biggest challenge would be to someone in this position?
5. Did you identify any objections or issues regarding your candidacy?
6. Do you have a clear timeline for following up?

If you are unclear as to whether you achieved the above, then you need to change how you interview. There are good books on the subject and you can always hire a career coach to do a mock interview so you can learn how to control the interview.

With the new year here, spend a few minutes today to identify where your search needs help.

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Still Out of the Job Market? What Now?

by admin on January 17, 2011 · 0 comments

in Reinvention, Struggles

Stuart Coleman is a Partner & General Manager of Winter Wyman’s Boston Accounting & Finance Contract Jobscontract finance and accounting jobs he is working on visit www.winterwyman.com.  Winter Wyman is one of the largest and most recognized staffing firms in the Northeast, currently serving clients in the New England and metropolitan New York job markets. division.  Stuart blogs to provide strategic job search advice for candidates as they make their next career move.  To learn more about Stuart and the

Job Market DirectionBeing out of work for an extended period of time can be very difficult.  Some job candidates let the pressure get the best of them.  Whether it has six months, a year, or longer, use these ten tips to help yourself get back on track.

1. Be Specific

Make sure your cover letter is specific to the job and compelling to that position.  If you wrote it as a generic cover letter than that is how its will feel to the hiring manager.  Any time you can get them to stop and take notice -  that is a point for you.

2. Address the Mess

Don’t be afraid to explain the gap on your resume.  Address the questions that you know are going to be asked.  Meeting these questions head on makes you appear confident and comfortable.

3. Present the Perfect You

Proof read, edit, proof read again. One avoidable mistake could cost you the job. Why lose an opportunity over spelling or grammar errors? A hiring manager has a stack of qualified resumes, and they are also looking for reasons to disqualify a candidate. One misspelled name or a punctuation error might be all it takes.

4. Be Professional All the Time

What did you name your resume? My Resume Version 8 may be easy to find on your computer, but not on anyone else’s.  Be sure to call it something that will allow a hiring manager or recruiter to easily identify you. The same goes for your email address.   Also, the professionalism principle extends to your phone numbers.  Have a good professional message, preferably on your cell phone, so that number is specific to you.

5. Honesty is the Best Policy

Be careful with your superlatives; try not to oversell.  While you always want to come across as confident and well-matched for the position, you need to be authentic in your approach.

6. Be Considerate

We all know that we need to arrive to an interview early, but be sure it’s not too early; 10 to 15 minutes should be the max. If you are there too early, the hiring manager may be anxious or annoyed that you are sitting out there waiting.

7. Practice Makes Perfect

If it’s been a while since you have interviewed, role play with someone you feel comfortable with. Research interview questions and practice answering them, especially the more challenging ones.  Your responses can’t be canned, they need to be natural and in your voice.

8. Review your References

Have you spoken with your references lately? Are you completely comfortable with what they are going to say? Are they expecting the call?  If it’s been a long time since you last spoke, let them know that you have recently interviewed and that they may be hearing from a hiring manager.

9. Use the Magic Words

A timely “thank you” still resonates with people.  Don’t forget to say thank you. Ideally, send a well written, specific, electronic thank you note to everyone you met with at the company – and do it as soon as possible.  Make sure you personalize them as they will likely compare.  It’s also nice to follow-up with a hand written note, which is becoming less common and can help you stand out.

10. Be Confident

Pessimism and doubt are not your allies in a job search.  Yes, you are competing with lots of people.  Doubts won’t change that.  Use these ideas to help you succeed in an ultra competitive job market.

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Being Thankful In Your Job Search?!

by admin on December 10, 2010 · 0 comments

in How To: Job Search, Reinvention, Struggles

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

Thankful Job SearchWhat??? Many of you read this and think that’s nuts… right?

Being Thankful in the process of having to look for a new source of income for your family? Being Thankful while hoping that your career progression hasn’t been set back years? Being Thankful while one potential job opportunity after another seems to be going up in smoke? Being Thankful while savings that were hard to build are slipping away day by day?

Yes… Thankful!

Here’s what I mean…

Attitude First! Chuck Swindoll writes… “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” As I’ve often said… One of the toughest, yet most important things to do in a job search is to maintain a positive attitude. Many people have bad things happen to them. Some people seem to be crushed by relatively minor bad events in their lives while others seem to go through severe difficulties with cheer and a bright outlook on life. Attitude is not the result of someone’s circumstances, but rather the result of how they choose to look at life regardless of their circumstances. Choosing to be thankful even in your job loss will make all the difference in the world in your networking calls, meetings, and interviews. Decide that you will be thankful and you just might find your job search effort start to produce better results.

You’re learning skills! You are learning what it takes to conduct a job search in todays market. You may think… “Thanks, but no thanks.” However, learning how to find a job in this tough job market may be one of the most valuable long-term skills you may ever learn. In the world today, you will likely have to look for a job again in a few years… and possibly every few years for the rest of your career. Lifetime jobs are extremely rare anymore. Building a network now, and learning how to be more proactive in your search (as is necessary today), you will be much better prepared and more quickly successful the next time around. If you had not been forced into learning it now, you may have had to learn it down the road when it might be even tougher. Be thankful for the lifetime skills you are gaining!

You’re evaluating yourself! When things are going along relatively smoothly, few of us ever take the time to take a look at ourselves much. We don’t think about what makes us tick. We don’t evaluate our strengths or weaknesses. We don’t evaluate our successes and failures, and what factors contributed to each. We don’t spend much time thinking about what job we would like to do most… or least. We don’t think about what’s most important to us in terms of income, career progression, family, faith, or other interests. Generally, in a job search, we are compelled to consider all these things. The result of this evaluation is usually a better sense of self, that can create a greater sense of confidence and conviction in whatever we decide to pursue. It also can enrich our lives greatly if we determine to balance our lives more appropriately than we may have before. Much to be thankful for.

It’s a whole new world! Most job seekers tend not to look at the opportunity their circumstances present. A job search is a chance to break out of old ruts and patterns. It’s an opportunity to gain new experience in a new environment, with new people, and with new leadership. It’s a chance to re-invent yourself, or prove to yourself that you can add value to others in a different situation as well. It’s a chance to explore the possibilities, to find opportunities you didn’t know existed, or to finally jump into an opportunity you’ve been eying over the fence for a while. Focus on the opportunity that lies before you rather than the lost past and you will find there’s a lot to be thankful for.

Being thankful in your circumstances is key to maintaining a positive attitude as well as a happier life. Take stock of the opportunity you’ve really been given and decide you will look at things in a more productive light!

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5 Job Search Strategies for the Holiday Season

by admin on December 8, 2010 · 0 comments

in How To: Job Search

Matthew Levy is a well-rounded HR professional and career coach with fifteen years of broad experience in both specialist (e.g., recruiting) and generalist (e.g., HR business partner) roles at blue-chip companies, including Merck, Amgen and Johnson & Johnson.

Holiday Job SearchIn prior career management articles I spoke about how to handle the salary question, the importance of attitude in The Three A’s (published in LaunchPad) and thoughts about whining.  Today’s article is about job search strategies during the holidays, you know, the supposed “dead period” of the job search calendar.

Well, I don’t subscribe to this notion that the period between Thanksgiving (last Thursday in November for those outside of the U.S.) and New Year’s Day is time to shut down your job search.  Far from it!  In fact, let other jobseekers continue to think this way while you put your job search into overdrive to propel you to a successful landing in a new position in January.

A Great Time for Networking Meetings

While you may think potential networking partners (defined as highly connected people in your area of expertise) are too busy working on their shopping list or too busy wrapping up year-end projects at work, this is simply not true.  In fact, I contend that power connectors in your field are more willing to take your networking call/meeting.  Why?  For one, they are fielding less networking requests because your competition is sitting on the sideline so they can accommodate you.  Second, human nature dictates that we should be more giving during this season, in this case, giving of our time and our resources.  This spirit of giving is core to mutually beneficial networking and when tapped appropriately will surely lead to networking appointments.  Lastly, I do believe that business tends to slow as more and more employees take time off.  This general exhale from the business community allows you time to get on calendars.  Now that you are ready to hit the networking trail hard this holiday season, please make sure you network the right way.

Holiday Parties

Holiday parties are a great way to extend your network during this time of year, especially parties, events and celebrations initiated by professional organizations.  You may think that a party is the last place you should be while looking for a new position.  Not so!  Most professional organizations host holiday parties for their membership.  You should be there.  Are you not a member of any professional organizations?  This is a huge miss as a jobseeker.  There isn’t a better way to get connected and to tap into the hidden job market than to join professional organizations in your field.

These festive parties are the perfect environment to meet people, exchange stories and trade business cards.  As an aside, all jobseekers must have their own personal business cards.  Sites such as Vistaprint and Zazzle offer well-made cards at reasonable prices.

A master networking friend of mine, Frank Powell, encourages jobseekers to go to events that are “target rich environments.”  Frank is referring to the power connectors, influencers and regional experts who already understand the value of building and maintaining professional relationships and therefore routinely attend these events.  A professional organization holiday party is the quintessential “target rich environment.”  Take advantage!

Once you get involved in a professional organization, don’t sit on the sidelines.  Volunteer on a committee.  Run a program.  Maybe you will even be invited to join their Board of Directors.  That way you will not only be present at meetings, you will be front and center, like any good linchpin should be.

Companies are Hiring

Don’t believe the myth that companies aren’t hiring during the holidays.  They most certainly are.  And jobs posted at this time of year are either business critical jobs or newly approved through the annual budget planning cycle.  While I talk extensively about the need to build a fully optimized LinkedIn profile and the importance of branding yourself using social media, I also implore jobseekers to keep their eye on company job boards, both national and niche job boards.  The equation works in your favor at this time of year: the jobs that are posted need to be urgently filled and you have less competition while fellow jobseekers relax.

Build and Refine Your Job Search Toolkit

As the weather turns cold (in much of the country, anyway) and the nights grow longer there are less distractions.  There is no leaf raking and no mowing and the days are short.  That leaves more time to do build or refine your job search toolkit.  Again, while your job search competition is taking a breather, you can be working on the following:

Recharge Your Batteries

Assuming you have powered through the holiday calendar utilizing the preceding ideas, it also makes sense for you to stop, reflect, and relax.  Job search can be a marathon (nowadays it usually is).  Marathoners do pace themselves to be in good shape to finish the race.  So, on the one hand, while I am asking you to run briskly for a good portion of this season, I also recommend slowing down for a few days so you can be rested and ready to accelerate past your competition on January 2nd.

It is my hope that these few tips and others that you uncover will propel you through a successful holiday job search campaign.

This blog, It Only Takes One, has surpassed 15,000 hits, indicating a large readership, so I pose this question to you:  what are some common holiday-related job search techniques you have employed?  Leave your comment below!

Remember, It Only Takes ONE!

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Unemployed? Yes. Out of Work? No.

by admin on December 6, 2010 · 0 comments

in How To: Job Search, Reinvention, Struggles

Stuart Coleman is a Partner & General Manager of Winter Wyman’s Boston Accounting & Finance Contract Jobscontract finance and accounting jobs he is working on visit www.winterwyman.com.  Winter Wyman is one of the largest and most recognized staffing firms in the Northeast, currently serving clients in the New England and metropolitan New York job markets. division.  Stuart blogs to provide strategic job search advice for candidates as they make their next career move.  To learn more about Stuart and the

UnemployedA gap on a resume is a difficult but unavoidable part of being unemployed.  Yet, you are in control of just how wide that gap gets.  How so?  I urge job seekers to try and find meaningful work that helps bridge the gap between permanent positions.

Volunteer Work

Volunteering and doing board work are positive ways to stay sharp, active and involved and are worlds apart from doing nothing.   For example, getting more involved in your children’s school is one of many potential volunteer activities available while conducting a career search.

School Work

Consider taking classes.  Courses will keep you sharp and help you acquire new skills.  Also, you position yourself as a positive, flexible candidate on the job market.

Temporary and Contract Work

Another way to stay competitive is to consider a temporary or contract position.  These positions may pay you a little less than what you’d like and pull you away from what you have always done, but they are better than not working at all.  The benefits you’ll get – such as staying in work mode, keeping your skills sharp, and maintaining a competitive advantage, are well worth it.

Share the News

A gap in your resume can be a real challenge.  Tackle the challenge head on by taking advantage of opportunities to do meaningful work outside of your preferred permanent position.  And be sure to put it on your resume or in your cover letter; the hiring managers will never know about your involvement unless you tell them.  Without that, how are you going to answer the question, “so what have you been doing since you were laid off?”

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Nobody Hires Between Thanksgiving and New Year… Right?

by admin on December 3, 2010 · 0 comments

in How To: Job Search

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

Holiday HiringIt’s not unusual for me to hear job seekers say that they might as well take a month off from their job search because hiring almost comes to a standstill during the holiday season.

Are they right? Is it a time of year when your job search efforts become meaningless?

NO!!! Here are some reasons why, and how you should take advantage of this time of year…

Less competition! This “bad time of year” myth as become conventional wisdom among job seekers. Meaning that many (maybe most) others put less effort into their job search after Thanksgiving as well. If you hit the gas and put more effort into your own search, you will most likely be competing with fewer applicants for positions than you did a month earlier. Take advantage of other people’s misguided decision to scale back their efforts during this time.

End-of-year deadlines. Most companies fiscal year coincides with the calendar year. Meaning their budgets, and their requisitions run out at the end of the year as well. In many companies, if a hiring manager has an approved requisition to hire a new employee, that requisition expires at the end of the year. If the position isn’t filled, the hiring manager has to get it reapproved, which isn’t always automatic. They have to re-justify the need, and if they’ve met goals for a period of time without the position filled, it may not be approved again. Most hiring managers facing that deadline will make every effort they can to hire someone before the end of the year. It’s not unusual for the hiring and selection process to move much more quickly near the end of the year than it might at other times.

They want to hit the New Year running! Many companies, whether their fiscal year ends December 31st or not, view the New Year as a great time to rally the troops, and have everything in place to improve company performance for the next quarter or next year. There is a great deal of intangible pressure on managers to be prepared. They often want to get the people, resources, and projects in place to be able to run full speed ahead as the New Year begins. They, therefore, often put extra effort into getting people hired before the end of the year.

They have more time. Many times, managers find that their own staffs’ productivity is down because they are afflicted by holiday-itus as well. When overall activity is somewhat diminished, it gives them an opportunity to focus on things they’ve been procrastinating themselves… like getting someone hired for their open position! Take advantage of the increased focus on getting back-burner tasks completed.

So… what should you do?

Crank up your networking! The holiday season is one of the best times of the year to be networking. There are more natural opportunities for it, and people are generally in a more ‘giving’ kind of spirit. Use it to fully to your advantage! Get more help by reading: “It’s a Networking Time of Year!”

Be more proactive! Applying to a job online, or sending in a resume and waiting for a call is generally not very effective in getting you an interview. Proactively finding a contact, any contact, at the company, introducing yourself, and asking for another contact or for a meeting will be much more productive every time. Get a better understanding of the process and more help by reading: “The job application process… and how to break through!”

Feel good about your efforts! As I often write… One of the toughest things, and one of the most important things you can do for your job search is to maintain a positive attitude! It makes all the difference in the world for your own well being as well as how you present yourself to others (i.e. hiring managers)! One of the best ways to maintain a positive attitude, is to know you’re doing all you can to find a new job. Putting the extra effort in while most others are reducing theirs should make you feel good about yourself! You can get additional insight and help here: “The ONE best thing you can do for your job search!”

Don’t buy the myth that the holiday season is bad time to land a new job! MANY people get hired during this “bad” time. Do the things necessary to make it a very Happy New Year for you!

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6 Strategies to Turn that Holiday Job into a Permanent Position

by admin on December 1, 2010 · 0 comments

in How To: Job Search

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com

Holiday JobsWhile the holidays do present challenges for job search, if you give your job search some thought, there are also opportunities with temporary positions.   Eileen Habelow, Ph.D. Sr. VP of Organizational Development at Randstad, a global HR and staffing firm with expertise in the U.S. temporary employment market, has developed some strategies I would like to share, as well as expand upon.  Anytime business conditions change, job seekers will do much better if they understand the effects of the change and how to find the opportunities.  A change that we can expect every year is the holidays.  For some businesses, things slow down. For others, that’s when they earn most of their income.

1. Review industry trends. Before responding to a holiday employment ad, take a moment to consider the industry and how it will be impacted by the post-holiday slowdown.  Remember that the retail sales and package delivery sectors experience their greatest influx of business from November to the end of December, after which their staffing needs cut back drastically.*

a. Also, business increases for companies that support the influx of shopping and holiday activities.  Some examples include grocery stores, entertainment, restaurants and warehouse operations.  Do your homework.  There are many businesses in need of extra workers right now.

2. Choose your company wisely.  Are you taking a temporary position at a strictly seasonal business?   If you’re looking for a job to last well beyond the holidays, it’s best to steer away from businesses that retain employees only during certain months of the year, such as costume shops, ski resorts or call centers.*

a. Depending on where you live in the US, there are increases in seasonally driven activities, not just holiday.  If you have winter sports in your area, places like sport shops are ramping up for various snow related sports.  Don’t forget the less obvious, like road maintenance, which may be beefed up as well.

3. Share your thoughts.  Let your employer know that you’d like to stay on past the holidays.  Many companies are used to hiring temporary workers just for the holidays, but with the economy looking up, they may need temps to stay on as business slowly comes back.  Make sure your employer knows that you’re in the market for a permanent position.*

a. Once you get your foot in the door of a business, even for a temporary job, you now can learn what their business plans are for the year.  Also, as an insider you can learn about other organizations in the company that may be a bigger opportunity for you in the long run.  This type of information is priceless, but you have to do more than “just put in your time”.  You have to educate yourself on their business and put your best foot forward so they will want you to stick around longer than originally planned.

4. Show off additional skills.  Holiday temp roles often require less technical skill and training than permanent positions.  Have a background in the industry?  Know the ins-and-outs of their computer system?   Find opportunities to highlight those skills or to offer yourself up as a resource in other departments.*

a. Just because you were hired to do a specific thing, doesn’t mean you can’t offer to help solve problems that you start unearthing.  Showing initiative is a valuable asset in an employee.  Keep in mind that as a temporary employee, it gives the employer first hand view of how well you work.  Temp employees are a great source for businesses when selecting new hires.  They get to know more than just what they learn from a resume – they get to “test drive you”.  If you prove invaluable and can be used in an expanded role, they just might “keep you on”.

5. Keep the interview mentality.  If your goal is a full-time position, consider temp work as your extended interview.  Now is the time to prove that you are a quality employee.*

a. Interviewing is a two way street.  You have an opportunity to check them out to see if they are a firm you would want to work for long term.  Do they have a lot of turnover because it’s a tough environment?  Do people love working there?  Your temp assignment allows the assessment to continue the entire time you’re there for both you and the employer.

6. Network with upper management.  Your temp position may come to an end in January, but the rest of the company will not. Introduce yourself to managers and supervisors, exchange contact information and let them know you’re interested in their business.  When a permanent position opens up, it could be you who gets the job.*

a. When it’s almost time to go, ensure every decision maker and HR have a copy of your resume.  Spend some time with the various hiring managers and let them get to know you.  Let them know you are interested in working there – and be specific about what you can do (they will remember that).  After you are gone, stay in regular contact so you stay on their mind when the next opening comes up.  For the friends you’ve made, stay in contact with them and get information on when openings take place.  You’ve now created a good situation, rich with information and opportunity.

*From Randstad and Eileen Habelow, Ph.D.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your Free Instant Access to the Career Makeover Newsletter AND eWorkbook “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – both dedicated to Your career success, when you visit http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com from Dorothy Tannahill-Moran – Your Career Change Agent. Also, check out Chris Perry’s show offer – you can enhance your social media presence: http://nextchapternewlife.com/CareerSolutions-Offers.

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