One of the biggest challenges professionals in career transition struggle with is turning their efforts into career search results. True, everyone is networking, linking in, twittering, and creating elevator pitches but are these efforts getting you what you need? Honestly, I have been on LinkedIn for years and I bet less than 10 people have ever cultivated my list and asked for referrals. As a career coach, I have listened to hundreds of elevator pitches and sadly they are the same old thing. “Here’s who I am, here’s what I did, and here’s what I want.” Employers don’t care! They want to know one thing… How will their life be different with you in it!
Let me ask you, what would happen if you did the basics in your career search better than anyone else? What would happen if you made sure every activity was targeted to your success? Would you create more chances and close that dream career opportunity sooner than your competition? Being successful is about monetizing every minute of your search. Your intro needs to excite them, your stories need to impress them, and most importantly your defining statement needs to demonstrate why they need you more than anyone else. This is a job market where being good just won’t cut it because there are too many good people competing against you!
Everyone in career transition has tough decisions to make and you need to be making them. Is your resume strong enough to stand alone? If it’s not, then you must find ways that make the employer desire you long before they see your resume. You also need to ask whether you are communicating your expertise as best as you can. Experts build a brand that attracts opportunities to them. For example, are you standing up in groups and presenting yourself as a compelling thought leader? As I have said to several professionals, an effective career search is definitely a full-contact sport!
Professionals in transition need to take a hard look at every activity they do and ask if it’s effectively monetizing their time? One trap I see happening is people becoming support group addicts. They have their Monday session, their Tuesday evening session, their Wednesday coffee club, and the list goes on! What if you decided to only go to one group a week and you took that extra time to attend another networking event where the people who can hire you go?
Let’s be clear…there is a time to help and there is a time to ask for help! One of the biggest faults I have noticed is that today people do all this helping, but they are reluctant to ask for help in return. Keep in mind this is your life we are talking about and there are people out there who can help you if they simply know what you need.
Now, this last tip may surprise you…I want you to take some of your time to play hard! A career transition is stressful and humbling, and for more than a few, it can be devastating to the ego, so you need to find a release. What do you think would happen if you really worked hard for four and a half days and then let loose doing something that rejuvenated your mind, body, and spirit? You need to find balance, or the stress will show through when you least need it to.
Here’s to your success!
PS. I founded the Career Network Club to help business professionals get hired quick and easy. Check out all we do to help you for $85 a week.
The Career Network Club (CNC) is a North American Career Coaching Community that offers pay-as-you-go coaching services for mid to senior-level business professionals. CNC is owned by Curt Skene, a former award-winning training manager for Microsoft, and worldwide founder of Microsoft Skills 2000. The Career Network Club is proud to be the home of the ‘Job Offer Guarantee’ so that business professionals like yourself can Get Hired, Quick and Easy!