How Do You Stand Out In A Job Search?

By Lida Citroen, principal, LIDA360
Author of “Reputation 360: Creating power through personal branding” (Palisades Publishing, 2011)

Without a doubt, your most critical asset when in a job search is your personal brand. In a market as competitive as today’s, your skills and knowledge are most likely replaceable and hard to differentiate.  On a daily basis, recruiters and hiring managers meet candidates who look and sound just like you. Unless, of course, you stand out from your competition by designing your personal brand and marketing yourself to get their attention!

In my career as a corporate and personal brand strategist and counsel for executives of Fortune 500 companies, I have had the honor and pleasure of helping all kinds of people: Leaders in innovative education technology; venture capitalists with a passion for sustainability and impact investing; outspoken advocates for the advancement and empowerment of American adolescents; cancer survivors; disabled U.S. war veterans; coaches; consultants; moms, dads and their college-age kids. My clients aren’t celebrities, but they are well known in their respective industries.

What they all have in common is the realization that to be successful and compete in today’s environment, it is critical to manage your reputation and build your relevancy in the marketplace.

Here are some ways a clearly defined personal brand can help you:

Separate yourself from the crowd. Keywords may help get your resume in front of human eyes, and your experience might get you to the interview, but it’s your personal brand – those qualities, values and reputation that make you unique – that separates you from the other candidates in order to get you hired. Focus on what makes you different, compelling and interesting. Your resume represents your past. What does your future look like?  How will that benefit the company you are interviewing with? What is your unique selling proposition – what makes you, you.

Move out of the resume rut. Your resume is one tool for communicating your skills and expertise – and every other candidate will have one. When you put intention into building a personal brand, you branch out to other outlets (i.e. portfolios, profiles, websites, social networking, in person events) to communicate your value and expertise. Build your reputation across multiple touch points.  For instance, building a strong online presence helps recruiters learn more about you – as they Google your name, they will gain insight about your personality, interests, hobbies and maybe volunteer interests. Now you become a real person, not a list of skills and experiences on paper.

Target your efforts. The process of personal branding is all about strategy, being intentional, genuine and focused.  If you were a company marketing a product, you would not leave it to chance that your customers would find you and appreciate your value. You would be focused and strategic about targeting the right audience, in the right way, to get the right result. It’s not about fate or chance or luck, but rather about the work and creativity you put into your search and communicating how you can add specific value to target employers.

Make it easier for others to help you. When you’re clear about who you are, what you offer and what you want, you can clearly articulate that to others who may be in a position to connect you.  If you’re not clear about what you want, your networking efforts get watered down and others don’t know how to help you, even if they want to.

The ability to articulate your personal brand is critical to a job search in a market like this one.  Throughout my new book, “Reputation 360: Creating power through personal branding,” I walk you through the process of developing and marketing your personal brand – from targeting audiences to creating elevator pitches and style/image advice. I also share case studies of successful people to illustrate how people come to the realization that they need to create a reputation that allows them to stand apart from the competition in order to achieve their goals. As a job seeker, this could be mean the difference between sending random resumes and landing a great job! 

Based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Lida is the author of “Reputation 360: Creating power through personal branding” (Palisades Publishing, 2011).  An accomplished speaker, author and advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs, executives and businesses, Lida captivates audiences with her empowering message about intentionally managing your brand and reputation to attract opportunities. For more than 20 years, Lida has brought her unique, engaging and actionable techniques to clients, earning her acclaim internationally as an expert in reputation management and personal branding. Learn more at http://www.LIDA360.com and www.Reputation360Book.com .

(c) 2011 Behind The Moon, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Is your business showing these 5 symptoms?

Reality: According to the SBA, 63% of all small businesses fail in the first 5 years.

OUCH! It sounds harsh, but it’s true. And having been in business for over 6 years, I can tell you I’ve seen many colleagues go the way of “have to get a job” in order to put food on the table and take care of their families.

And the sad part, many of those businesses could have succeeded. It’s generally not a lack of ideas, technology is rarely the issue and with the low cost of doing business online, it’s often not money.

The top reasons most small businesses fail are:

1. Lack of vision and systematic strategy — what’s the long-term (you decide what this means) vision for your business and how are you going to get there?

2. Lack of marketing system — many business owners spend so much time reinventing the wheel around trying to get new clients that they either burn out or focus too much time on the “getting new ones” and not enough on the “serving existing ones”. Do you have a marketing system in place?

3. Lack of a client follow-up system — once clients are in the door, do you take care of them? Do you practice Extreme Client Care(tm)? Do you listen to them and create the products and programs they’re asking for? Our brains can’t multitask, they “task switch”. . .from this to that and back to this. And, as a result, neither task gets done as quickly, or as well, as if we’d simply focused on one at a time.

5. Doing everything ad-hoc without any systems — while it’s so easy for us to say “I don’t have time to create a system, I just need to get it done now”, truth is, without systems, you’re the one “doing it” all the time — unable to hand anything over to a support team. And this creates something far worse than a 9-to-5 job.

And I’d add the following. . .

* Not having a big enough reason “why” — that “thing” which pulls you forward when you’re otherwise tempted to quit. Hint. . .it’s rarely “money” by itself, it’s usually what that money can do for you/your family.

Make It Real: My Request To You

Review the 5 bullets above and ask yourself — is your business set up for success? Remembering that this is the basis of a successful business, systems and planning will only take you so far, strategic implementation is key!

And for those days when you just “don’t feel like it”, is your “why” big enough, strong enough to pull you forward to accomplishment?

I’m known for a simple statement: “Ordinary things, done consistently, bring extraordinary AND consistent results!”

What ordinary things are you doing consistently?

If you’re unsure or if you feel you’re being pulled in a thousand different directions, wondering what to focus on when for the most sustainable results, go check out my new “From Your Vision Board to Reality: Create Your Best Fall Ever” program now. . . you’ll be glad you did. 🙂

A Strategic Marketing & Profitability Mentor, Sandra Martini (www.SandraMartini.com), creator of Escalator Marketing™, shows creative heart-based entrepreneurs how to build sustainable businesses without losing their integrity or their minds.  You can catch up with Sandra on her blog at www.FromTheDeskOfSandraMartini.com or Twitter at www.Twitter.com/SandraMartini

Managing The Fear And Anxieties of Finding Another Job

By: Stanley Popovich

Layoffs in today’s business world are common and with it comes the fear and anxiety of finding another job. With this in mind, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their stresses and anxieties in finding a new job.

A technique that can be used to reduce the stress of finding another job is to divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. For instance, the first thing you should do is to determine what kind of job you want. Once you know what you are looking for, the next step is to update and prepare your resume. Once that is finished, you should then concentrate on finding the companies that interest you and send your resume to them. Once you submit your resume, the next step is to prepare for the job interview. By completing these smaller tasks, you will reduce your stress and anxiety and increase your chances of finding another job.

Sometimes you may get depressed during your job search. Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that make us feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed, open up your small notebook and read those statements.

In addition, it also helps to write down a list of things you are thankful for in this world. For instance:  good health, a good marriage, lots of friends, being smart and resourceful, and a good education are things that any person can be thankful for. Whenever you get discouraged in finding another job, take out your list and focus on the things that make you happy. This technique will make you feel better and give you more encouragement to continue with the job search.

Sometimes, we may be nervous doing a certain task that may be scary. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you have an interview in a few days. Before the big day comes, imagine that you are in the interview. Imagine that you are talking to the manager about your qualifications. By practicing the interview using your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

Finding a new job can be tough, however remember to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that can’t be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Focus on the present and do your best each day.

Our anxieties and stresses can be difficult to manage when finding a new job. Managing your stress during a job search takes practice. Be patient and in time you will become better in dealing with your anxieties.

Contributed by:

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/.

The Power of Networking when Job Seeking

By Sabrina Risley

A frequently overlooked tool for finding a new job is networking. People who attend networking events are generally well connected within their community, attend various events, and are givers.  They enjoy connecting people and helping others out, so when someone comes to find a job, networking participants are pretty interested in helping out. 

Networking groups range from business types to special interests and can be found through quick searches on the internet. Some groups have associated costs, but they’re worth paying for if it means connecting with key players in the community. You can also look for trade or association meetings, board meetings or other open events that allow guest.

Submitting a resume’ via  Internet job postings is one traditional way of gaining employment.  But nothing beats a personal connection made by someone who is obviously a go-getter (you at the networking event!). At a 2009 Behind The Moon networking event, two gentlemen got to talking.  One was an unemployed IT programmer, the other had a friend with connections at Microsoft.  Guess where that connection led?  Our unemployed gentleman got a year-long consulting gig at Microsoft!  Making a few connections with people who know hiring managers at local employers, and a simple phone call or email may very well bring your resume’ to the top of the stack and get your foot in the door.

When networking, be sure to have business cards available with your contact information.  You can print them yourself or order them free or for very little cost.  They don’t have to be anything fancy but they are necessary so the connections you make have an easy way to retrieve your phone number and contact you either should they come across an opportunity that might be suitable for you.  Also, when you network, offer your support in return by asking if there is anything your new connections need or could use help with and then introduce them to others who might be a fit for them. Lastly, networking is a waste of time if you don’t follow up.  So spend a few minutes the next day sending thank you cards and making follow-up phone calls.

If you are in the Denver area, be sure to check out the several Behind the Moon networking event locations that meet monthly at http://www.behindthemooninc.com/events.cfm.

(c) 2010 Behind The Moon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

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Feel free to share this article in its entirety and include the Bio information below along with live link back to this blog post.  Thank you.

Sabrina Risley founded Behind The Moon, Inc.® in 2003, a Colorado-based networking and referral group organization that sets itself apart with its motto “grow your business by helping others grow theirs.” Behind The Moon offers several networking events across Colorado’s Front Range, as well as referral groups that attract professionals who network to give rather than get.  You will find Sabrina speaking to audiences about effective networking techniques, the power of partnerships, and principles of service and giving as a means to grow a business.  To learn more about Behind The Moon, please visit http://www.BehindTheMoonInc.com. 

Using Social Media for Job Searching

By Sabrina Risley

Social media sites can be a great resource for finding a new position. Twitter, You Tube, Linked In and Facebook has its place in the job market. Here are a few things to try when utilizing social media for finding a new job. 

Linked In: Connect with powerful connections through your contacts, ask for introductions, and initiate a conversation. Utilize the groups and search with keywords for your industry. Ask or answer questions in the Answers section to showcase your expertise, or even propose a job.

You Tube: This one may be a little out of the box, but perhaps make a video as a video applicant for your industry or maybe even find your new employer on here by searching what’s going on in your field.

Twitter: Search the advanced twitter feature for job postings, tips, and strategies. Connect with key players in your industry and join in on the conversation. You never know a simple @ reply could literally get you an interview.

Facebook: Join Facebook groups related to your market, participate, and get connected with other job seekers. You never know what job they may have heard about that is not a fit for them, but just might be the job for you.

(c) 2010 Behind The Moon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

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Feel free to share this article in its entirety and include the Bio information below along with live link back to this blog post.  Thank you.

Sabrina Risley founded Behind The Moon, Inc.® in 2003, a Colorado-based networking and referral group organization that sets itself apart with its motto “grow your business by helping others grow theirs.” Behind The Moon offers several networking events across Colorado’s Front Range, as well as referral groups that attract professionals who network to give rather than get.  You will find Sabrina speaking to audiences about effective networking techniques, the power of partnerships, and principles of service and giving as a means to grow a business.  To learn more about Behind The Moon, please visit http://www.BehindTheMoonInc.com. 

Dealing with Rejection in Your Job Search

By Sabrina Risley

In a crowded marketplace of qualified job seekers, rejection can become a common occurrence. And while the rejection is sure to end at some point, while in the midst of it, it could feel like it’s never ending. First, know that everyone deals with job rejection whether you never receive a call back from an application or resume, or you never get offered the job after an interview. Its common place that when you are looking for a job, you’ll be sure to come face to face with it.

Second, know that each rejection gets you closer to the right job. There are countless stories about people who thought they desperately wanted a position, felt that it was the right company, but the job wasn’t offered to them. The devastation was heart breaking, but just around the corner was another opportunity that presented a greater work environment, pay, etc.

If the rejection blues are starting to weigh in on you and you feel yourself slipping into desperate thinking, aka I’ll go work at Starbucks, Wal-Mart, etc let’s shift this feeling and refocus. While I don’t discount going to work at those places, and think if you need the money it’s not a bad idea – however, sometimes people are over qualified for those positions as well and get rejected from those applications too – then here we are back at dealing with rejection again.

First things first, allow yourself to take a break from job searching. Whether stepping away for an hour, a day or a week all the jobs will still be there when you return.

Second, acknowledge that this is a process and no matter how quickly you want the job searching to end it just takes time.  There will be an end in the road.

Lastly, have fun. Turn on some inspiring music, go for a walk or workout at the gym, or event take advantage of the time to get back involved in a hobby you’ve stepped away from.  Do something for yourself and enjoy your life!

Remember, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

(c) 2010 Behind The Moon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

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Feel free to share this article in its entirety and include the Bio information below along with live link back to this blog post.  Thank you.

Sabrina Risley founded Behind The Moon, Inc.® in 2003, a Colorado-based networking and referral group organization that sets itself apart with its motto “grow your business by helping others grow theirs.” Behind The Moon offers several networking events across Colorado’s Front Range, as well as referral groups that attract professionals who network to give rather than get.  You will find Sabrina speaking to audiences about effective networking techniques, the power of partnerships, and principles of service and giving as a means to grow a business.  To learn more about Behind The Moon, please visit http://www.BehindTheMoonInc.com. 

Job Search Strategy

by Sabrina Risley

Having a job search strategy can save you time, energy and stress – so why not create one and have more fun in the process.

Here are some simple tips to help with your job search strategy:

1. Create a schedule and stick to it. Whether you have an hour a week to look for a job or looking for a job is your full-time gig, create a schedule and stick to it. Meaning you give yourself a break, call it quits at the end of the day by a certain time, or ensure you are actually looking routinely.

2. Have a system. There’s no need to repeatedly check the same sights twenty times a day. While the job search can become obsessive, it’s not great for your own psyche. Check in with the sites once or twice daily if needed and stick with it.

3. Utilizing different options. Whether it’s hiring a career coach, going to networking meetings, seeking out recruiters, or using social media add these various strategies into your mix.

4.  Think outside the box. Don’t get caught in the day-to-day routine of job searching and forget to look outside the box. Sometimes we get caught up in one way of doing things and miss opportunities that may clearly be right in front of us.

The importance of setting up, creating, and following a strategy is that you won’t spend unnecessary time obsessing, you’ll know that you are checking what you need to check, following up on resumes sent, sending thank you cards, or calling recruiters. It will also help you see your progress and know that even though you feel like you are going nowhere you really are putting in a lot of effort.

(c) 2010 Behind The Moon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

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Feel free to share this article in its entirety and include the Bio information below along with live link back to this blog post.  Thank you.

Sabrina Risley founded Behind The Moon, Inc.® in 2003, a Colorado-based networking and referral group organization that sets itself apart with its motto “grow your business by helping others grow theirs.” Behind The Moon offers several networking events across Colorado’s Front Range, as well as referral groups that attract professionals who network to give rather than get.  You will find Sabrina speaking to audiences about effective networking techniques, the power of partnerships, and principles of service and giving as a means to grow a business.  To learn more about Behind The Moon, please visit http://www.BehindTheMoonInc.com.