3 Tips to NAIL a Great Job
One thing that we are ALL keenly aware of right now is that there aren’t enough jobs. The sad truth is that this isn’t exactly true. But our “keen awareness” is very likely to become our Achilles heel if we’re job searching right now. Here are three VERY basic steps to being READY for whatever opportunities might present themselves.
#1 Be Prepared. This good old Boy Scout motto is a MUST right now. What does be prepared mean when you’re in the middle of a career change or job hunt? Be showered and dressed for work EVERY day, even if you don’t plan to leave the house. Why? Because plans change, and if you find yourself standing next to the CEO of Coca Cola in line at Starbucks, you want to look and feel amazing and confident.
Carry your resume (and business cards) everywhere, at every moment. Put a copy of your resume in your wallet or purse. I realize it will be a folded copy – but that beats coming up short during that unexpected opportunity. No business cards? (Of course, if you’re out of work, why would you have them, right?) Wrong! Be your own BEST advocate. Carry great looking business cards with your contact information (website or even a professional blog if you have one) and title or description of your expertise. You can even make your own business cards for a pretty small investment in the paper at Staples or Office Max. For instance:
Jane Flebert
Executive Assistant
jane@yahoo.com
212-555-1221
http://www.janeflebert.comCatherine Palmiere
cpalmiere@adampersonnel.com
Phone: 212 557-9150 ext. 208
#2 Interview Nerves — Stage Right Exit Stage Left! Mock interview, mock interview, mock interview. I don’t know how many times to say that this is VITAL. You may think, “Ah, I’ve got thirty years of experience and a great job history; I’ll be fine,” but you’re wrong. There is a reason that the old adage “practice makes perfect” is still alive and well. Hire a job coach for an hour to really nail the fine details (yes, you can probably afford it!) – or just get a great colleague to meet you for a cup of coffee and toss you some tough questions. You have so much to share; don’t find yourself tongue-tied or at a loss for words in those crucial, critical moments. And if you DO find yourself stuck, just stay that to the interviewer, ask for a drink of water, and regroup as quickly as possible.
#3 Communicate. There are more avenues now than there have EVER been to create an amazing job search for yourself. Stick with the basics first – get your resume into the hands of two or three amazing hiring agents, and let all of your business associates, friends and family members know that you’re looking for your next opportunity. After that, the sky’s the limit. Yes, hit Monster and a few of the other online portals, but remember, a LOT of people are on there. So be SURE to create a great profile on Linkedin – and even think about sending out a newsletter featuring your BEST assets and accomplishments. Send it to your entire rolodex and ask them to share it on your behalf. (You can get a free trial of newsletter software at http://www.icontact.com.)
The point is this. YOU must be your own hiring agent every single day. There’s no goofing off in this economy. Finding a job IS your job right now, so show up on time, dressed for success, and armed with a boatload of optimism and confidence.
Finally, would you like to know how important I think job coaching is right now? Important enough to make sure you can afford it. You can schedule job coaching with me for $1 a minute.
To your amazing success,
Catherine Palmiere, CEIC, CPBA, CPCC, CPC, CTS, CSS