Archive for job search
Clear your fear in career transition
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Do you dream of doing something new in your career? Do you spend hours daydreaming about how things will be wonderful in your new career and not stuck in the one you’re in? Do you find yourself hesitant to take the steps forward, even though you know you want change? You are not alone.
As a career coach, I have spoken with hundreds of people who dream of doing something different with their lives, but can’t seem to move forward. What’s holding them back? One word: Fear.
I see fear as the #1 reason people stay in jobs they don’t like. It could be fear of the unknown, fear of what other people will think, fear of failure, or fear of financial insecurity. There are as many different fears as there are people.
So what can you do if you want to make a career transition but are stuck in fear?
Here are my three top tips to clear your fear and make a career change:
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Take Things One Step at a TimeThe fastest way to feel overwhelmed and fearful is to jump 10 steps ahead of where you’re currently at. Instead, just concentrate on the next step in front of you. For instance, don’t worry about being offered the job if you haven’t sent out any resumes. First get your resume and cover letter in order. Whenever you jump ahead past the step you’re on, you will feel fearful.
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Spend Time Getting Clear Inside YourselfMany times fear is based on what other people tell you and what you hear in the news. Basing our decisions on what we think others will think is not helpful for you in getting clear on your career transition. Instead, spend time journaling, meditating, and asking yourself what you most want. Allow yourself to get excited and motivated towards making a change. You are in charge of your own life, so spend time getting clear about what is best for you.
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Find SupportIt is very challenging to make big changes alone. It is important to enlist a supportive team to help you with your transition. You don’t have to do this work alone. Why reinvent the wheel if there are professionals who can help? If you are ready to get support in your career transition, contact us today and we’d love to provide you a complimentary consultation.
4 steps to help you meet your career goals!
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I had the privilege of being on a radio show for Q100 here in Atlanta last week. We talked about staying on top of New Year’s resolutions. Here are 4 steps to help you meet your goals that I shared on the show:
- Create a job search plan that includes your ideal career direction, plus two other possible ideas related to it, in case you need to expand your search over time.
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Firm up your elevator pitch. What makes you unique? You have to know your brand or your value. Understand your strengths and what you bring to the table.
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Network, network, and network. Networking is still the best way to get a job. Employers are still going to be hesitant to post jobs because they still get flooded with resumes. Set up as many informational interviews as possible.
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Go for what you really want. The job market is getting better, but you have to realize it takes work and time. Sometimes a new approach to your job search is needed to stand a better chance to land the job you really want.
If you’d like help at achieving your career goals this year, contact us today to set up a complimentary consultation.
P.S. If you are interested in furthering your career direction, be sure to check out these free tools, specially designed to help you on you career journey.
How to spice up your job search today!
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A key element to spicing up your job search is to ask for information. After working with many career coaching clients recently, I’m finding that people aren’t using the right networking strategy for their job search. Here are some key tips to spice up your job search:
- Informational interviews are resonating and helpful in your jobs search. Talk to the people in your network who work in an industry you want to be part of. Ask them for 15 minutes of their time to learn more about what they do. Don’t ask for a job, ask for information.
- Go places where people are, such as professional associations. Instead of going to job fairs and places where people are unemployed, this can be a great way to make connections and learn more about your preferred industry.
- A good networking strategy is critical and includes LinkedIn. Update your LinkedIn profile right away if you have not done so in the past 3 months. People still don’t get on LinkedIn and use it effectively. 80% of recruiters are searching here. We have a career coaching client who upgraded her account to paid and is reaping the rewards of seeing the actual traffic to her account. There are many ways to use this actively to run your search.
- Soft skills are important, and another area that job seekers often don’t fully understand. Soft skills are skills that an employer can’t teach you like work ethic, management skills, or your ability to work in a team.
I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you are motivated and want to spice up your job search more, contact us today to set up a complimentary consultation.
Hallie Crawford
Ideal Career Coach
P.S. A great way to receive free help regarding your career direction is to our Free Monthly Newsletter. Check it out today!
The Key for Unemployed Job Seekers
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If you are an unemployed job seeker, your job search might be more difficult because you don’t already have a pre-existing schedule to help you establish a structure for your search. There are pros and cons to being an unemployed job seeker. You have more time than those who are employed, but you also have to create your own structure and schedule from scratch to ensure you’re effective in your job search.
I recently spoke with a career coaching client, Andrea, about this exact issue. She was finding it hard to structure her days in a way that she was effective in her job search. At the end of each day, she felt like she had taken action, but wasn’t sure if it was the most effective action. She didn’t have a sense of accomplishment. Every day and every week I suggest having a basic template for your job search that creates your own schedule. Go by the hour if needed. For example, every day you start your work by 9 am and from 9-11 you work on networking, and searching online job boards. Take a break for lunch, and an additional hour for working out/doing personal things if needed. Then get back to your job search from 2-5. During that time you can work on applying for jobs, revising your resume, updating your LinkedIn profile, making connections in LinkedIn or reaching out to recruiters.
You can set your schedule however you want to. The key is to have a structure in place so that you know when you want to be working on specific things. This will help you establish what goals you want to achieve each day and each week. Having a schedule will help ensure you’re using your time and energy wisely and that you’ve accomplished what you want to each day.
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
P.S. Be sure to sign up for our upcoming FREE TELECLASS: “How to Tell if Career Assessments Can Clarify Your Career Direction – Which Ones Are Really Worth the Investment!”
Keep in touch after your job interview
Posted by: | CommentsWatch this YouTube video as I discuss how job interviews can be more than just a career opportunity. Even if you don’t get the position, you can leverage that job interview into a learning experience down the line. If you contact the interviewer afterwards, you can see what you could have done to improve. Keep in touch with them to continue networking with them. This is a great networking and learning opportunity, to take advantage of it.
Check out job postings on Twitter
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Some companies post their job openings on Twitter as well as online job boards. Make a list of the top five companies you want to work for. Then search for them on Twitter to see if you can identify what their handle is in order to follow them. This is not only for job postings, but to stay up to speed on company happenings. This way you can take advantage of that knowledge at networking events, in possible job interviews, and upcoming job openings.
For example, if you learn that a non-profit just received a large government grant, they may be hiring. Or that a company is moving its headquarters to your city, again there may be job opportunities there.
Staying on top of this information can’t hurt and might give you a leg up. I hope this information is helpful to you. If you’re interested in further help, contact us today for a complimentary consultation.
Solidify you strengths for a successful job search
Posted by: | CommentsWatch my latest video as I discuss job search and knowing your brand. Before you embark on your job search for your dream job, you need to fully understand your strengths. What do people compliment you on or come to you advice for? What comes naturally to you? You need to understand your audience, and yourself to be successful in your career transition.
Pick up the phone – Schedule informational interviews today!
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I was on a group coaching call a few weeks ago and my client Farah shared a great success story. Farah has decided that she wants to become a medical illustrator. As part of her research into this field and to learn more about it and whether it would be a fit for her, I suggested she try to find illustrators she could talk to for a few minutes to learn more.
She didn’t have anyone in her network so she found an association online where she found a directory of their members. She started with the letter “A” in alphabetical order and picked up the phone and started calling each of them. By the letter “D” in the list, she had already conducted 5 interviews with people who were very friendly and willing to speak to her! Not everyone will have as a great of a success story with this process, but it goes to show that networking works!
Don’t be shy when it comes to finding the right career. Pick up the phone and do what it takes to start scheduling those informational interviews!
P.S. Be sure to check out our FREE REPORT: “Take Control of Your Career Transition: Uncover Hidden Opportunities” to further help you in your job search.
