Archive for career advice
Create effective job applications in three proven steps
Posted by: | CommentsA problem that I come across a lot when working with my career coaching clients is their ability to position themselves effectively when applying for a job. Last week I was working with a client, Susan. We were putting together her cover letter and resume for a position she was very excited about. Her problem was that she could only focus on the area that she felt did NOT fit the job. This very talented, highly educated professional was focusing all her energy on the one part of the job description where she was not a perfect match. And she was obsessing over that one area.
This insecurity had her completely blinded from all the areas where she was an EXCELLENT fit for the job, and it affected her ability to market herself in her application materials. This is where I stepped in and held up the mirror so she could see how damaging this perspective was. Instead of looking at it from the angle of what she did not have, I turned the tables and explained how much she did have that matched the position.
I was able to language the transferable skills she had into a direct match for what the position was looking for and cover all the requirements, including the area she thought she was missing. Susan was amazed and even more excited about applying for the position right away!
Here are three proven ways to focus on your strengths instead of your insecurities:
- Prior to concentrating on one job description in particular, write out a list of your professional accomplishments. What are you particularly proud of in these scenarios?
- Next pull out the strengths that these examples highlight. For example if you are proud of an award you received at work, what talents and skills did you showcase to win the award? What expertise won you this award?
- Now look at the job description and find where these strengths fit what the job is looking for. If the position is looking for experience with a particular software that you do not directly have, but one of your strengths is to learn technology quickly, highlight that skill in your materials, and provide a concrete example. You obviously cannot make up experience you don’t have, but you can highlight to the employer that you have the underlying skills to be successful.
By accomplishing this you’ll feel more confident that you are marketing yourself effectively in each application. If you are having trouble pulling out your strengths and need an objective expert to lend a hand, contact us for a job search strategy session.
Darcy Holoweski
Certified Career Coach
Career Advice: Should you lie to your boss?
Posted by: | CommentsOne of my career coaching clients, Robert, recently was wondering if he should tell his boss how unhappy he was at work. Robert had not been there very long but he was miserable, and pretty much ready to quit.
Should you lie to your boss about whether you’re happy at work? Almost all of my clients deal with this question. I will give you the same advice that I gave James. Being up front about your discontent at your job really depends on your situation. Obviously this is a touchy subject that you want to be careful with and err on the side of caution. If you share any information at all, share less than more. You need to pay your bills, remain financially stable, and take care of yourself even if you’re planning to leave. If you share any details with your supervisor it should depend on the relationship you have with them, how you think they will take the news, and if any changes could be made.
The answer is no, don’t lie to your boss. You still have to be sure to cover yourself just in case. Only share what you think is necessary about how you feel regarding your work. Especially if you’re thinking they can, or will make changes that could make you happier.
I’ve had clients where that is the case so I know it’s possible. I have also had clients where the situation was far from possible. They chose to work hard, stay under the radar and plan their departure as soon as they could.
Evaluate your own situation:
- What are your long term goals?
- What do you want to achieve by letting your boss know you’re unhappy?
- How will it go over?
These are some of the questions you need to consider. This is a touchy situation so if you need help with this, you know where to find us for assistance.
Hallie Crawford
Career Advice Coach
Career Transition Tips: Start With You
Posted by: | CommentsI hear so often from my career coaching clients that they just fell into their current career, or it is the career they thought they “should” pursue; sometimes it’s just a career that someone else suggested to them so they tried it out. The common theme here is people aren’t pro-actively choosing their career path. They aren’t spending quality time thinking about it. Instead they’re reacting to circumstance, to what someone else suggests, or just taking a job because it was offered to them.
I did that in my mid-twenties, this is what I call my “early life crisis.” I was in an interview with my prospective employer when I had a gut instinct that the job would not be a fit for me, but what did I say when they offered me the position? I said yes. Two years later I was crying about my career in the bathroom.
Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take a job to pay your bills. We all need to remain financially stable, especially during career transition, but a common theme I see with my clients is that they didn’t listen to themselves when they were choosing their career. They didn’t start with what would make them happy, and if they did they got lost along the way.
One of my clients, Lauren, came to me and said she chose to become a lawyer in large part because it was what her family seemed to expect of her. Her father was a doctor, her brother was a lawyer, and her sister was a doctor as well. She came from a family of highly educated, specialized professionals, and she followed in their footsteps without fully thinking through what would make her happy. Fortunately for Lauren, there were things about the law she enjoyed but even those things were diminishing in their appeal. As she looked back on her career, she realized she chose her path in large part due to external circumstances, rather than following her heart or passion.
When you’re getting started on this journey of evaluating and possibly changing your career path, the critical thing you need to remember is to start with you. You’re the one at the end of the day who has to go home, look in the mirror, and decide whether you made a contribution that day by doing something that made you happy.
You are the only one who knows which career path will truly work for you. Throughout this process it is ok to gather opinions and advice from others, but do it very selectively. Only enlist the help of people you trust to give you honest, but unbiased feedback. Preferably from people who have some expertise in this area. If you don’t have anyone like that in your life, find someone, or don’t share it with anyone until you’re certain.
At the end of the day, go with what feels right to you. Start with you.
Hallie Crawford
Career Transition Coach
Networking: Business cards are NOT optional
Posted by: | CommentsA few years ago, I was giving a presentation at a Re:Focus on Careers event (this is a great networking group by the way). A man who was job searching came up to me and we started talking. He was asking me questions, and when I asked for his contact information, he had to scribble his name on a ripped up piece of paper. I wasn’t even in a position to hire him and I was not impressed. Imagine doing that same thing with a prospective employer, or valuable networking connection.
Don’t let this be you.
This topic came up at a more recent career event that I presented at. People were asking me if they needed to have a business card when they are unemployed and job searching. The answer is simple, yes! You need to have a card (or something with your contact information to give out to people) when you’re on the job search, regardless of your current work situation.
Some college students have asked me this as well. Does it make sense for a college student to have a card? I say the answer is yes here too. You have to give the people who you are networking to something with your contact information on it so that they can keep in touch with you. What an impression that would make, a student in college with a business card! I guarantee you’ll stand out.
Business cards are a must, they are not optional.
There are many resources out there to create business cards. You can get free cards at Vistaprint.com. Print them out on your computer at home. Do whatever it takes to ensure you make the right impression and come across as a professional who cares about your job search and about connecting with others.
Hallie Crawford
Job Search Coach
Tips for After Your Job Interview
Posted by: | CommentsI was recently privileged to give a presentation at Agnes Scott. I was approached at the end of the event by a woman named Kelly who had just been on a job interview a few days prior. She came up to me and said “I haven’t heard from them yet, is that a bad sign?!” I told her she needed to relax, worrying doesn’t help, and it sounded like she was making an assumption. It had only been a few days since she’d had the job interview.
I totally get it, not hearing back from a prospective employer is nerve-wracking! You need to remember that hiring a new person does takes time, and the time is going by much slower for you than it is for them. The hiring manager is busy. They have a job to do, plus the job of hiring a new person.
Here are some tips that can help you get through the waiting period:
- The more relaxed and confident you are in your job search, the better impression you will make. Just relax and take a deep breath. Try to “chill down” as my son Vaughn says to me when I’m telling him not to do something. That’s apparently his new phrase to get me to relax
- Instead of worrying, think of a better way to use that mental energy. Is it time to follow up with them? Do you need to check in and offer to provide additional information? Or is it just too soon, and they told you it would take a few days so you need to give them some space?
- Come up with a plan of action-next steps that you can take to move things along in the right way. Instead of wasting time and energy worrying about it or making assumptions, chill down and take a deep breath.
Hallie Crawford
Job Search Coach
P.S. If you need help with you job search strategy check out our Job Search Program for Professionals: Networking and Online Strategies for the 21st Century.
