• “I’ll take anything …”
• “The only thing I have ever done is …”
• “What I really love doing is (fill-in-the-blank), but you can’t make any money doing it.”
• “I have no idea …”

You know what – I completely understand. There are two very important reasons why so many people feel so lost in their career direction.

1. They are not fully aware of their abilities, interests, personality, values.
2. The job market is a huge and rapidly changing mix of occupations and industries.

Connecting who you are and what you do with someone, somewhere who has a job for you is like taking a journey into outer space.

There are several ways to explore careers – researching online, informational interviewing, going back to school, getting advice from family, friends and associates, and, most importantly, taking career-related assessments.

The good news is that there are thousands of assessments to help you better understand what you have to offer and where you can use your gifts and passions. The bad news is that there are thousands to choose from. 

How to Choose Career Assessments

Most career assessments focus on one or two factors. Whichever one (or more) you pick, be sure it covers the four key career factors – abilities, personality, interests and values. Some other items to consider:

• Ask whether the assessment is statistically valid and reliable. Has it been around a long time and used by a lot of people? Find someone who has used it and got good results.
• Be sure the assessment report recommends occupations and/or industries for you to explore. 
• The assessment should be simple to take and its reports should be easy to understand. 
• Be prepared to spend money. Free is not always best, prices usually run from $10 to $100. 

We recommend you take at least three career assessments to get a well-rounded view of you. They are like snapshots of you and what you can do from various angles. As you look at results from three or more assessments, see if you can find common themes and extra ideas.

But, If You Only Take One Career Assessment …

At Crossroads Career Network, we have been recommending the CareerDIRECT® Online Guidance System for over 10 years. 

Like an onboard computer system for guiding rockets into space, the CareerDIRECT system helps you explore the unlimited potential for you to be more, do more and maximize your God-given abilities. This individual personal growth resource system:

• Analyzes four career factors: skills, interests, personality, values.
• Works perfectly with the 2010 Crossroads Career Workbook.
• Provides clear direction needed to help make sound decisions
  • Occupational: search for the best-fit job for you
  • Educational: find college and technical school majors
  • Career Maximization: discover your calling and career
• Takes about an hour and instantly reports your results online. 
• Customizes an action plan to explore most relevant occupations.
• Is based on Biblical principles of work and stewardship of talents.

Watch CareerDIRECT video. Visit www.CareerDIRECTOnline.org.  

Here are Some Comments by CareerDIRECT Users

“I really enjoyed the Career Direct program. It’s exciting to find out more about myself and to be able to focus on a specific career.” Michael M

“I thought the personality profile part of Career Direct was pretty much right on the money. It was ‘me.’” Claire J.

“The Career Direct assessment helped me to understand myself as well as why I am dissatisfied with my current position.” Tim V.

For Special Discounts

Find a participating Crossroads Career member church near you. A Crossroads Career Network member church can order the CareerDIRECT Online Complete Guidance System for significant discounts.

If you as a career professional, or your clients, are like most people, you’re not alone in wondering, “What’s the point? How can this jarring site, crammed with seemingly tangential, disconnected information be anything that can help a job search?”

Keep an open mind. Admittedly, there is a learning curve to Twitter (as there is for all good things); yet you can find value from Day One, whether just dabbling as a NOOB (Twitter shorthand for “newbie”) or committing to becoming a power user.

10 Reasons to Pay Attention to Twitter & Find Jobs Faster

If your job-search clients (or if you’re reading this as a jobseeker) are in a job search or career-building mode, here are 10 reasons (among dozens) to pay attention to Twitter to find jobs faster:

1.  Jobs Are on Twitter.

More than 1 million tweets about job openings go out every month from 7,000+ employers and 7,700+ job channels via TweetMyJOBS.com. Your clients can specify that they want to receive targeted tweets for jobs in, say, the healthcare industry in the Chicago area or accounting jobs in Atlanta. And the notices can come instantly to your client’s mobile phone, giving them the opportunity to apply quickly. This is important because (with today’s 8-to-1 jobseekers-to-jobs ratio) employers are inundated with resumes. Some are even limiting the number of resume submissions they will receive.

• Twitter Tip: Explore www.TweetMyJOBS.com and subscribe to relevant job channels. Or, check out www.TwitterJobSearch.com, which is similar to the Web aggregators Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com. The TwitterJobSearch.com site takes the fire-hose feed of all Twitter tweets and identifies which tweets are job announcements, then aggregates them into its database so you can search by job title, career field and location.

2.  Recruiters Are on Twitter.

The recruiters who are on Twitter are still in the minority (look for that to change!) but they are forward-thinking “early adopters” and they are looking for standout talent. A quick search at www.tweepsearch.com for the word “recruiter” brings up 11,000+ results.

• Twitter Tip: Search sites like www.tweepsearch.com and www.twellow.com for recruiters in your area using keywords such as “recruiter” and “Dallas” (without the “and” and the quotation marks). Another variation would be “recruiter” and “IT” (substitute your industry for IT) since many recruiters are not limited by geographic location. Follow them, engage in conversation and brandish your brand so they come to recognize you as both a pro and a person.

3.  Employers Are on Twitter.

Any experienced job seeker knows that chasing postings at Monster.com is not enough to find a job. They must use the C.I.O. approach, which means they must target Companies, then Influencers internal and external to those companies, and finally Opportunities that materialize when talking with influencers and networking contacts.

• Twitter Tip: Although you can use the search box on the right panel at your home page or the “Find People” text link at the top of your Twitter home page, you’ll likely have better results using Twitter’s Advanced Search Feature. Unfortunately, it’s not readily findable at the site. Use this direct link to search for company names and influencers (employees, customers, consultants to the target companies and so on).

4.  Networking Contacts Are on Twitter.

Networking is the heart and soul of job search. Twitter gives job seekers a new, easy to use venue in which to create relationships that are real and authentic, where they’re sharing both professional and personal information (just make sure the personal information isn’t too personal!). And, most important, Twitter is the first platform that doesn’t require “permission” to follow, friend, link to or engage another person. Actors and politicians aside, you can be connected to CEOs, influential hiring managers, venture capitalists and more.

• Twitter Tip: Engage in “agenda-less conversations” with people on Twitter. These conversations lead to trust, which leads to openings for face-to-face conversations, which lead to opportunities to learn about other people’s needs, which leads to openings to talk about how you could solve those needs, which leads to employment. Remember, in job search, the employer is usually “bleeding” somewhere with problems to solve and people to serve; the job seeker is the Band-Aid.

5.  Research Can Be Done on Twitter.

If networking is the heart and soul of the job search, research is akin to the lungs. There must be air to keep the heart pumping. Yes, there are plenty of sites where job seekers can pump up their search by researching target companies and contacts (such as Hoovers, LinkedIn, etc.), but Twitter can give them an inside look at the company’s culture.

• Twitter Tip: Sites like www.tweetfeel.com can give a feel for the positive (or negative) sentiments being expressed about a company, and www.monitter.com can give the inside scoop on what’s being said about the company, its product(s), its people and more.

6.  Career Brands Are Brandished on Twitter.

Employers don’t hire resumes; they hire people. Beyond the fit of competencies and compensation, they also want good chemistry and cultural fit. Twitter is a great place to convey that. A Twitter handle (username) that is on-brand can create attention, interest and desire on the part of employers. For example @CIOintheKnow or @VisionMaker or @AdminExpert or @JaneDoeHRpro. On-brand tweets can confirm to hiring managers or recruiters that the job seeker is an “A” candidate. For example, “CIOintheKnow: My insights on latest trends in technology for green construction industry here: http://bit.ly/ex81g” or “AdminExpert: Key tip for time mgmt: ‘Chunk’ time; commit to 10-15 min of uninterrupted time & watch your productivity soar” or “JaneDoeHRpro: RT @SHRM shares top 10 trends for new year: http://bit.ly/7x2hp3 [I see tip #3 as crucial for our healthcare industry]”.

• Twitter Tip: On-brand tweets can include personal information. Be mindful to maintain an approximate 75:25 ratio for professional vs. personal tweets. And, make sure those personal tweets aren’t TMI (too much information) or OS (over-shares). Instead, personal tweets might be (again, using our example Twitter accounts above): “CIOintheKnow: Just upgraded to iPhone 4G network; frankly, I notice big difference in speed. What are others finding?” or “VisionMaker: My hi-sch teen is considering college major. Any coaches out there who work w/ this age to identify STRENGTHS and PASSIONS and VALUES?”

7. A Vibrant Careers Community Is on Twitter.

There are hundreds of experienced career coaches, job search strategists, personal branding experts and resume writers tweeting their insider secrets and deepening relationships amongst colleagues. Job seekers can search for hashtags such as #jobsearch, #resume, #interview, or #personalbranding for career wisdom and advice.

• Twitter Tip: Looking for a list of career colleagues to follow on Twitter? Here’s a quick list of 100, based on contributors to my newest book, The Twitter Job Search Guide. In addition, here’s a list of career experts on Twitter that I have compiled.

8. “JobAngels” Are on Twitter.

One hashtag (designated by the # sign) you’ll want to check out is #jobangels. Founded a year ago by Mark Stelzner (@Stelzner), Job Angels is a grass roots volunteer effort where one person helps another person get a job. The result has been that thousands of “one persons” have helped. You can get help, and you can also help someone else.

• Twitter Tip: Enter “#jobangels” (without quotes) in the Twitter search box. You’ll find a wealth of help, job leads, and more. At the same time, think about how you can help someone else. Maybe it’s by making an introduction or passing on a job lead that you think would be appropriate for someone. Or, maybe it’s by retweeting (RT) others or sending a shout-out or #FollowFriday (#ff) recommendation for a jobseeker, networking contact, or target company. You get the picture. Be a blessing!

9. You Can Leverage Other Profiles on Twitter.

Do you have an existing online profile somewhere outside of Twitter (big or small)? Use it to springboard into Twitter. If it’s a blog, mention that you’re using Twitter in a post and link to it from your profile and contact pages. If you’re on Facebook use one of the numerous tools available to drag in your Tweets to Facebook. Add it to your email signature, business card, mention it in interviews or guest posts that you might do…. etc. The same applies with any online (or even offline) presence that you have.

• Twitter Tip: Link to your Twitter page and link to it often. For example, “If you’d like to connect with me on Twitter my feed is here: http://www.twitter.com/susanwhitcomb” (substitute your name, of course).

10. SEO Gets Better on Twitter.

Tweets are permanently indexed by Google. The good news is it will boost your “Google juice” (results on Google), which is good news when recruiters and prospective employers research you online. The bad news is that everything you say is on permanent record. The Library of Congress is even keeping records!

• Twitter Tip: According to Mashable.com, “the ‘lead-in’ of each tweet appears to be important for SEO as it will determine what appears in the tweet’s title tag when it shows up as a search result on Google. Approximately 42 characters are factored into each tweet’s title tag, including the account name, as well as the initial characters of each tweet. Keep in mind that your full tweet and all its characters are still being indexed by major engines, though.”

The Bottom Line

There are many other reasons for job seekers to take advantage of Twitter in their job search. If they are unsure, encourage them to choose one of the items in this list and explore it further. And, give them permission to possibly not like Twitter at first. For some, it can feel like moving to a foreign country and learning a new language—there will be some frustrations when they don’t immediately understand all the words or customs, but that will pass.

Stay with Twitter! You’ll seriously broaden your horizons, knowledge, network and career options!

Resume Writing Tip #1: Feature Results in Your Resume

Most recruiters believe that past performance is the best indicator of future performance.  The “How to be a STAR Candidate” is the simplest way to demonstrate results in which you describe an accomplishment in terms of a Situation you face, the Task to be completed, the Actions you took and the Results you got. 

For your resume, highlight the Situation and show the Results. Don’t attempt to explain how you did it in the resume – that’s what the interview is for. For example:

• In the face of a market downturn of 10% in 2007, increased territory sales by 27%.

Resume Writing Tip #2: Put Results in Top Half of the First Page

Remember I said “I look at” resumes. Given the volume of resumes, there is only time to scan the first page. Give it your best shot right at the beginning. Make it easy for me to find your results.

When I see results that relate to the job I have to fill, I’ll stop and read further or put it in a folder for later viewing. If not, I immediately move to the next resume. Your resume will get an initial 7-second scan – zip, zap, done.

Resume Writing Tip #3: Customize Your Resume for Each Job

Study the job posting carefully. Copy keywords and phrases in the description that are true of you, and paste them in your resume. Be sure to select results that are most relevant to what the employer seeks.

Resume Writing Tip #4: Use Fewer Words to Make a Point

Write your resumes for people who don’t read, but rather scan resumes. 

• Use bullet points. 
• Keep phrases and sentences short. 
• Use a simpler word versus a longer word. 
• List complete thoughts on one line.

Resume Writing Tip #5: Use Chronological or Functional Resume Formats

Use the Chronological resume format for jobs that extend your currently successful career path. If you’re changing careers or have had recent bad breaks in your career, use a functional resume format. Start by listing your best abilities, talents, knowledge and skills with results. 

Resume Writing Tip #6: Make Contacting You Simple

If your name is William Fitzgerald Kowalowitz III, and everyone calls you Bill, consider putting just Bill Kowalowitz. Put the name you use so interviewers don’t have to make an adjustment when they see your name in writing and then hear a different name when you’re talking. 

When listing your contact information:

• The ideal email address has your name in it, just as they see it on the resume, like yourname@youremail.com. It’s a great way to reinforce your name.
• List just one phone number. A cell phone is best because it gets directly to you wherever you are. 
• How about your home address? Sometimes yes, but these days with privacy issues, maybe you just simply list name, email and phone number.

Your name
yourname@youremail.com
555.123.4567

The Bottom Line

Resumes that show results get results. What kind of results? Interviews where you’ve set up questions that you can answer how you got those results! For more info, check out our video, podcast and web page about resumes that get results.

Identifying the Right Approach to Your Job Search Efforts

From antidotal evidence, the percentage of job seekers who are using the wrong approach to the search is 80%+ – that’s a HUGE number. Let’s look at the various approaches and it will be obvious where you want to spend the majority of your efforts searching for that next opportunity.

Approach #1: Applying Online

The majority of job seekers spend most of their job search time applying to jobs online. Did you know that only 10% of people find their job through online ads? Let’s look at the reasons behind that statistic.

The Hidden Job Market

Most of the available jobs are not listed online; 85% of the available jobs are hidden. You have probably read about this Hidden Job Market. You may ask the question that other job seekers ask: “If they are trying to hire people, why would companies hide the jobs?”

• One of the reasons for the hidden job market is that of the hundreds or thousands of applications filled out online and resumes sent in response to every job posted online, only 10% of them represent people who are even near to being qualified.

There can only be two reasons a person would apply for a job for which they are not qualified. One: they’re fulfilling the DOL requirement of x applications per week. Two: the job seeker is under the misconception that resumes are read by individuals and the reader will say “Hey, this guy is not a match for this job but we can use him for another we have open.” What these job seekers do not understand is that people do not read every resume.

Larger companies now use keyword software to scan the resumes, from which only 10% of them will pass. Keep in mind, 10% of hundreds or thousands is still a lot. Recruiters and hiring managers then select a batch of resumes from that number to visually scan. Your resume may or may not be in the batch that was selected for viewing. If your resume is lucky enough to be a part of the batch, your skills and experience must jump off the page in the 8-12 seconds given each resume.

• Instead of going through the long, arduous process to get qualified candidates, companies are getting the word out through employees who in turn refer people they know.
• Another reason companies have hidden jobs is to keep from tipping their hand that they are about to fire someone. Take the position of CIO for example. There is only one CIO in a company so if the company is about to fire the existing CIO, the company would not want to place an ad and chance having the current CIO seeing it.

Now, all that said, although the odds are not great, but 10% of people do find jobs applying online.

Approach #2: Working with Recruiters

The statistics say that 15% of job seekers find their jobs through recruiters (also known affectionately as headhunters). Recruiters are paid by companies to locate and present qualified candidates. As a job seeker, you are not the recruiter’s client, the company is their client. If the recruiter has two or three highly qualified candidates of which you are one, they will present all three candidates to the company, you and two of your competition. The recruiter does not really care if it is you or one of the other candidates who get the job; they just want the company to select someone they present so they have a happy customer and they get paid.

The number of job orders each recruiting company receives has gone down over the years yet the number of candidates has gone up. You practically need to know someone to get a recruiter to return your call.

But, again, 15% of job seekers do find their jobs through recruiters.

Approach #3: Job Networking

The statistic on the number of job seekers who find their job through networking is 75%. It’s also through networking that job seekers find the hidden job market. So ask yourself, where do you need to spend the majority of your time in your job search? Correct: networking.

You may feel you don’t have a very broad network, just a few friends, family, and peers – and they have been tapped out. The process of networking, when done correctly, will actually expand your network.

The powerful nature of networking is that the decision makers get to know you and all that you bring and they would rather hire you, a known entity, than someone they only know from a piece of paper, the resume.

Where to Network

• Job Networking Groups
  If you are fortune enough to have job networking groups in your community, such as Crossroads Career Network, then you should take advantage of these meetings. Join LinkedIn, Yahoo and Google job search interest groups; they are a good source of information about the various groups in your region. Go to more than one of these groups, each has their own personality and offers different things: spiritual support, job search tips, and one-on-one mentors.

Spend part of your networking time attending these job search groups. However, you do not want to limit your networking time to events where most of the members are unemployed. You want to also network with employed people who have the inside information about the hidden job market; you want to attend meetings where your prospective hiring manager networks.

•  Industry Networking Groups
  Industry networking groups are target-rich environments in which to network. These groups are attended by employed people in your industry. When you actively work an industry networking group, you will expand your contacts, you will keep up on the industry, and the right people will get to know you and what you have to offer, getting you closer to decision makers and that next job.

How to Network

Now, many of us do not LOVE to network. In fact many of us would rather have a dental procedure.

Two good books on how to network are: Susan RoAne’s How to Work a Room and Jeanne Martinet’s The Art of Mingling.

When I was in a job search in 2002, before I learned how to do it right, I would attend industry networking groups but I would gravitate to the people I already knew, most of them from the job search networking groups I attended. I soon realized I was not expanding my network. I read Susan RoAne’s book and took one of the tips, to give myself an assignment to meet a subset of the people in attendance. Since at this high technology event, there were more men than women, I decided to meet the other women in attendance.

Using another tip from the book of approaching a person who is standing by themselves, I walked up to one lady, introduced myself, mentioned that I am not comfortable networking, explained my goal, and then invited her to introduce herself. After we talked for a minute or two, I said it was a pleasure meeting her, we exchanged contact information and, as I was about to move on, she asked if she could come with me. The two of us walked up to another lady standing by herself, introduced ourselves, told her of our goal, and asked her to tell us about herself. After talking and exchanging contact information, she asked if she could join us.

At the end of the networking portion of the meeting, we had all of the women on one side of the room. The reality was apparent: most people are not comfortable networking but given a goal, it is more productive.

The next time you go to a networking event, try serving as a host by introducing others. Find someone sitting or standing alone and after introducing yourselves, find another person walking by and invite him to join your group and introduce himself. You will meet many more people this way.

Other Networking Tips

There are a few basic principles that are true in networking as well as other aspects of life:

• When faced with a daunting task – like eating an elephant – do it one bite at a time.
  Set a goal for every networking event.
• People say the most interesting conversationalist is a good listener.
  Do not feel you have to do all of the talking. Ask questions about the other person and truly listen to what they say.
• You will receive back if you help others.
  People feel used if they realize your main purpose in networking is to see what they can do for you. Start by first finding out how you can help them and follow through.
• Have business cards on hand.
  You developed business cards as part of your marketing materials. Keep a large stash of the cards loose in your right hand pocket. Having your cards in a card case makes it hard to get a card out quickly. As you receive business cards from other people, put them in your left hand pocket so they do not get mixed in with your cards.

When you have a moment alone, note on the back of each card the event at which you met them and anything specific you want to contact them about. If you receive enough business cards to make it cost effective, there are card scanners that scan the individual business cards and update Microsoft Outlook Contacts. This is a real time saver.

• Keep your hands free.
  Your main purpose at these events is not to eat and drink; your main purpose is to meet and deepen your network. If you need to eat and drink something, arrive early to grab something to eat and drink and leave the prime networking time for networking and your hands free to shake hands and exchange cards.
• A handshake does not relationship make.
  Too many job seekers network with the misconception that just because they met someone, then that person will be committed to helping the job seeker. Even if the person said he would help, it does not mean it will remain in the forefront of his mind. Life happens. It is your responsibility, as the job seeker, to follow-up with the people you meet at events.

Different people have differing degrees of availability and interest in helping you. Determine who to stay in touch with. Make it more than a single meeting or an email relationship. Offer to treat them to coffee/soda or lunch so you can develop rapport with them. The better they know you and the closer you are to them, the more likely they will be to open up their network of close contacts to you or recommend you to a colleague. Even if you do not enjoy networking and are not good at it, these steps will make your networking events more productive and maybe even a little more tolerable.

The Bottom Line

To be successful, job seekers need to use the various search approaches proportional to their rates of return. Spend no more than 10% of your job search applying online. Do not spend more than 15% of your time working with recruiters. The majority of your time should be spent networking.

People who are currently employed should be networking too. Your next job is not your last; develop your network now before you need them. As the title of Harvey MacKay’s book indicates “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty.”

In the next installment of the “Take the Next Important Step to Landing that Job” series, we will cover Step 5 – Sort (The Interview).

Please note that the 6 Steps of a Job Search are copyrighted by Crossroads Career Services.

Your LinkedIn Profile

As a brief reminder, the Profile in LinkedIn is analogous to your resume. It includes a summary section, a job history section, an education section, and an objective (headline) section that should essentially showcase your work history and highlight your skills and expertise. However, unlike your collection of several targeted resumes on Monster or CareerBuilder, where each resume might highlight different aspects of your professional experience and emphasize skills relevant to specific careers, LinkedIn only has a single profile. You therefore need to be careful when creating it.

In cases where you have a broad set of skills or have been in multiple careers, putting your full history in your profile is more likely to lead to confusion than to opportunity. For people with very distinct, singular careers, yes, you can probably put most (or all) of your resume into the profile. When in doubt, remember that “less is more”– give them enough to be of interest, but don’t feel obligated to overload your profile.

Connections

There is a feature in LinkedIn called “Connections” which is analogous to “friends” in other social websites. These are the people that have a more complete access to your posted information and also the people that you want to associate yourself with. From LinkedIn’s early days, this was considered analogous to a “Rolodex” file of contacts that you might maintain…people you considered work associates that you wanted to maintain a connection with. You can search for contacts in several different ways and then invite them (use a personal message, not the “canned” request) to join your network of contacts.

Due to the free-for-all influence of the web, this list of connections has migrated into a list of “introducers” that many users of LinkedIn use to find other people that they might leverage as a resource in developing their professional network. In some cases this can be very useful for the job seeker looking for a contact in a specific company of interest … they can ask for introductions to friends-of-friends as a way of finding a contact that might provide useful in networking them into the company.

But in other ways, allowing “outsiders” to have access to my connections might pose a problem. In fact, this has happened to me, where a recruiter contacted me and she started asking questions about a person I had listed as a connection. Seems this recruiter was gathering information on my friend before actually contacting him about a potential job. As a suggestion, until you fully understand the power and etiquette of networking and job searching in LinkedIn, I suggest you mark your contact list as private. Go to “Settings”, click on “Connections Browse”, and hide your connections from all viewers. (We’ll talk about more privacy settings later.)

Recommendations

I have mixed feelings about recommendations. These are short statements by one or more of your connections that generally are complimentary of you. Most of the ones I’ve seen are 2-4 sentences that talk about how the “recommender” enjoyed working with you and sometimes gives a specific example. The great part about a recommendation is that it shows others that view your profile that you have one or more people that like you or your work. Your objective should be to get one recommendation for every 3-4 years of work you have listed in your profile.

But there are a few problems with these recommendations. If you think about it, these are like “references” that you might use during an interview process. The issue is that you are essentially providing access to your references to anyone that reads your profile. Personally, I like to manage access to my references–not opening them up to queries about me that my references aren’t prepared to answer.  So I suggest you get a couple of solid recommendations by true friends — people that would be supportive of you regardless who might contact them.

LinkedIn Groups

This is a great feature of LinkedIn — these are discussion areas set up by any LinkedIn member on almost any topic. This is a place for networking, sharing ideas, collaborating, and otherwise meeting with your peers in an online setting. For the job seeker this feature is invaluable. Find several groups relative to your profession and join them and then participate in the discussions. This shows your knowledge or skills in a particular area and the others that participate in the group can be both mentors to you and beneficiaries of your knowledge. For example, I’m active in various education and project management groups where I share my thoughts a few times a month on various topics. The hidden secret about groups is the number of recruiters that monitor these groups looking for talented people. The more you post well-written, well-considered posts, the more likely those recruiters will take notice.

As a side note to groups, be careful about which ones you join and which ones are visible on your profile. If you’re in the job hunt mode, make sure you order the most influential groups (professional organizations, etc.) to the top of your group list and hide the ones that might cause issues with recruiters (political parties, questionable social groups, etc.). To hide and sort these groups, go to “Settings” and then to “Groups Order and Display” and adjust these to your benefit.

Bottom Line: LinkedIn is quickly becoming the place that you must have a professional presence if you are in the job search, but it needs to be done right. Get your profile to reflect the key strengths from your resume, grow and maintain a contact list, get/provide recommendations, and actively participate in appropriate groups. The more professional your profile and the more skillfully you share your knowledge in LinkedIn, the more likely recruiters will take a notice. More later … watch for LinkedIn 103.

Don’t get me wrong. Knowing the principles of the 6 steps of career crossings – attitude, aptitude, altitude, searching, sorting, selecting – serves as a critical foundation to finding jobs, careers, calling. Learning the best practices of career aptitude testing, writing resumes, job searching online, networking for personal referrals, answering interview questions and negotiating salary are also important.

The Right Perspective

Job search and career transition principles and practices can leap to life only if you get the right perspective.

If your perspective is “what’s in it for me,” then people are put off. Resumes project a “gimme” attitude. Interviewers feel their needs are ignored.

However, if your perspective is one of love, then people are drawn to you. Resumes offer what you do and like best that employers need most. Interviews engage interviewers with how you can serve them.

Yeah, but how to change your perspective to love, especially when you don’t feel like it?

Career Transition Lessons Learned

May I share from recent lessons from my pastor, Derwin Gray at Transformation Church, who went though his own career crossing from NFL football player to preacher? We are called to love in 3 ways:

1. Look upward.
   Love God completely. At the core of humanity is a ceaseless desire to be loved unconditionally; that ceaseless desire is satisfied by God alone. Here is some really good news: God loves us first! Look upward and receive His love for you, which you can return to Him. Love him with all your heart, soul and mind. If you feel no love, then you can fill-up with His love. That’s right!
2. Look inward.
   Love yourself correctly. How you see yourself impacts everything you do and say. When you realize that your value, significance and worth are anchored in God’s unconditionally love for you, you become free to experience life as the true you. You no longer search for self-esteem, because you now have God-esteem. You can see yourself as God’s artwork, the canvas that He skillfully creates us on! How cool is that!
3. Look outward.
   Love others compassionately. If you love God completely and yourself correctly, then how simple it becomes to share that love with others. Seeking to serve them. Asking how you can help them. This kind of love is tough to resist. It overwhelming conquers! People become attracted to the love you share.

May I suggest you stand at your crossroads, and look upward, inward and outward in love? It actually lines up with the Crossroads Career 6-step process of finding jobs, careers, calling.

• Start with Step 1 (Attitude) and love God completely (Upward). Your attitude will change. And when your attitude changes, then your actions will change.
• In Step 2 (Aptitude) you begin to love yourself correctly (Inward). You discover the 6 factors of your strengths: experiences, abilities, interests, personality, values and calling. Wow! You start to see that you really are God’s workmanship – a masterpiece!
• In Steps 3-6, you will begin to see and seek opportunities to love others compassionately (Outward). Your career gains Altitude followed by job Searching, Sorting and Selecting.

Successful Career Crossings Start with Love

Networking nets opportunities. Resumes invite interviews. Interviews engage employers. If you are seeking to serve with a heart to help, others will respond, because you love them. Just remember these 3 perspectives on love:

1. It starts with your decision to receive God’s love and love Him back completely.
2. You can love yourself correctly, because He loves you first.
3. Love shared is true life lived.

Nobody has done a greater work on the planet than Jesus. When Jesus was asked “which is the great commandment,” He responded,

• “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALLYOUR MIND (UPWARD)…
• “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (INWARD and OUTWARD). On these 2 commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

If it works for Him, it can work for you. You can hear and follow God’s calling – one step at a time!

Here’s what you don’t do. Immediately click ‘Apply.’ Fill out form. Attach or paste your resume. Then you wait, and wait, and wait, and… well, you get the idea. Instead, try these 3 job-landing tips:

Job-Landing Tip #1: Do your homework.

Be an A+ candidate! Just 15+ minutes could pay you big bucks in a new job. Start by going to employer’s website and clicking key tabs:

• About Us – Check out their services, products and markets. Learn how big they are: annual sales or budget and number of employees. Find out whether they are local, regional, national, or global. Review their vision, mission and values. If you are still interested, make a list of what you like, as well as questions you have.
• Press or Newsroom – Look for recent news about financial reports and special announcements. Is their growth up, down or sideways? What are their plans for the future? Are there new executives that recently joined (who wants to make changes in their departments)? Are there special opportunities you see for you?
• Career or Jobs – look for the job you found online. Look for other jobs that interest you. Checkout their benefits and training.
• Go to Google. Type in the employer’s name to search ‘Web and News’ for more information.
• Print most relevant information and put in file folder marked with employer name. Very handy for resume writing and interviews. Make notes on key people related to job you want.
• Beware: If the job posting you find does not identify the employer, type key words from posting in Google, and see if employer name pops up. If not, then drop it. May be a scam!

Job-Landing Tip #2: Rewrite Your Resumes

Based on your homework, you can hook employers by customizing each resume for each job and employer. It might be another 15+ minutes extra work per resume… but worth it when you get the call for interviews.

• Copy keywords from the job posting that are true of you. Paste them in your resume.
• Connect what you do and like best with what the employer seems to need most for the Objective or Summary section of your resume.
• Resumes that get results show results. Highlight accomplishments on page 1 of your resume that are most relevant to the employer and job.
• If you saw news or special announcements related to your experience, abilities or interests, mention them in your cover letter.

Job-Landing Tip #3: Network for Personal Referrals

Ask everyone you know and new people you meet. Keep an active list of employers with jobs and names of key employees. A private corporate study revealed that if jobseekers had a personal referral into the company, the odds of them getting hired was 42 times greater than those with no referral. Try networking everyday for at least 15+ minutes at least a couple of weeks. It’s like mining for gold. You shovel a lot of dirt to find the golden nugget. But it is worth it.

• Ask appropriately and politely “do you know who is or was at (name of employer)?”
• Search LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for employers and names of key employees.
• Follow up with referrals with phone calls using names of referring people. Remember, it is the personal referral that reels them in.
• Your ultimate goal is to find the hiring manager for the job in which you are interested. When you all-of-a-sudden find them, you will be ready with your customized resume.

By the time you make the right connections in the employer’s organization, you might be asked to submit your resume through their website job posting. That’s the perfect time to click ‘Apply’, because now someone is looking for you.

Looking Ahead

That’s how you increase your chances of getting the job you find online – by connecting in-person. For more tips on networking, interviewing and landing the job you find, visit our Explorers section of the website to learn all 6 Steps to find and get the right job and career for you.

Be an Expert

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.” wrote King Solomon – most probably the richest man who ever walked the planet (adjusted for inflation of course).

The more you learn, the more you earn. The deeper your knowledge, the higher your income. Become “The Expert” in something people want and need by finding, joining, learning and connecting in the professional or trade association of your choice.

Invest the time to discover how God has wired you. Do what you do best and like most that other people want. Is it a particular craft? Maybe the ability to sell a particular product to a specific market? Or perhaps, manage and lead in a certain industry or situation?

Be in Management

It’s one thing to do a job well. It’s a whole ‘nother ballgame to manage others to do their jobs well. That’s why good managers earn good money. To learn how to earn your way into management, start with your employer and the American Management Association.

It’s one thing to be in management – planning, organizing, directing and controlling. But it is yet another to become a person others will follow. Leaders exhibit 3 qualities and 10 behaviors.

• Character/Trustworthy
  • Meeting commitments – Be a promise keeper
  • Walking with integrity – Consistent in words and deeds
  • Serving with sincerity – Support, care for, trust others
• Competence/Expertise
  • Knowing thy stuff – Competent in your craft
  • Managing things – Plan, organize and “control”
  • Directing people – Recruit, train and direct
• Charisma/Dynamics
  • Vision – Seeing a preferred future
  • Wisdom – Knowing how to get there
  • Strength – Personal energy and resources
  • Courage – Demonstrating the guts to step out

Be in Sales

It has been said that “nothing happens in business until somebody sells something.” And that’s why sales people can make more money. In most cases, the more you sell, the more you make. You can learn how!

Whether you are master of a craft, manager of a company or minister of a church, think of yourself as being in sales. The more you can sell your ideas, the more you contribute. And the more you can contribute, the more others can contribute to you.

Be all Three

You can actually triple your income if you do all 3 – be expert in your craft, including managing and selling. You can make more money 3 ways. Listen to Crown radio podcast for more information.

Step 1 is Attitude: Attitude is the most important step. Conduct an honest attitude check.

If you have given yourself time to process the loss of the job and are looking forward to the next opportunity, if you have chosen to have a good attitude (and it is a choice), then you are ready for the next important step to landing that job.

Step 2 is Aptitude: In this tough job market, you must know and be able to articulate what you offer a future employer and what makes you better than your competition.

Take the time to inventory (discover and document) your abilities, accomplishments, strengths, values, interests, education, personality, and technical skills. This information will be used to strengthen your resume and to add power to your interview answers. A side benefit is that it reminds YOU how valuable you are.

Step 3 is Altitude: Altitude is another term for determining who is hiring and where you want to work, i.e. your target companies.

The Importance of 3 Steps

If, and only if ,you have completed Steps 1, 2, and 3 are you ready to create or update your marketing materials. Updating your marketing materials and launching your search without completing the first 3 steps will sabotage your job search efforts. If you have been in a job search and not getting results, revisit the first 3 steps and revise your marketing materials.

Complete List of Marketing Materials

The resume is not the only piece of a job seeker’s marketing material. In fact there are other pieces of marketing collateral that are just as important as the resume. It is important to have these and use them as they are intended. Here’s the entire list:

• Brand Statement
• Elevator Pitch
• Marketing Plan
• Business Cards
• Resume / CV
• Cover Letter
• References
• Salary History
• Accomplishment List
• Social Network Sites, especially LinkedIn

In this post, we’ll focus on References, Salary History, Accomplishment List and Social Networking.

References

Companies may like what you said in the interview but companies also like talking with your references and asking questions about you to verify what you said about yourself is true.

Let’s start with a couple of don’t statements.

• Do not write “References available upon request” on your resume. In all except the rarest occasions, you will be asked for references so this is unnecessary.
• Do not give your references to an employer until asked.
• Do not use people as references unless you are confident they will say positive things about you.
• Do not assume your references and college degrees won’t be checked, even if they have never been checked before.

Now let’s discuss the do’s.

• Contact people who you want to use as a business or personal reference and ask them if they are willing to serve as your reference (do not assume). Some companies do not allow their employees to serve as a business reference for ex-employees. Ask your references to confirm their contact information (people change e-mail addresses more often than one would think) and preferred method of contact.
• When creating your printed reference list, use the same header as on your resume (your letterhead), list the references, and indicate if they are a business or personal reference.
• After an employer asks you for your list of references, contact each person on your reference sheet letting them know the name of the company, the title of the position you are applying for there, the traits they are looking for in a successful candidate, and then remind your contacts what you have done in the past that demonstrates these traits. On Law and Order this would be considered “leading the witness”; in the job search it is helping your references help you.

Salary History

Although you will not give out salary information until you are in the negotiation phase, you should have a documented history of your salary, bonuses, etc. You have time; use some of it to compile that information. Watch for my post on Step 5, which will include ways to defer the salary discussion.

Accomplishment List

In Step 2: Aptitude, you documented your accomplishments in STAR format. These accomplishments will be used in three ways: to add power to your resume, to help answer interview questions, and to remind you how valuable you are when you start to feel down. Continually add to this list.

It is essential that you use all three parts of the STAR format. Remember to emphasize the R (results) while interviewing. On your resume, begin with the R. The hiring manager is especially interested in the R.

Social Networking

Social networking (such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) is the new forum for communication and many companies have a presence on a number of these sites. Since recruiters and HR representatives search the various social media to check out a candidate, job seekers need to have a presence on social media sites to show they are up to date on the newer technologies. This is especially true with more experienced (older) workers.

LinkedIn

• At a minimum, all job seekers must have a good profile on LinkedIn. A good profile will have information from the resume, a professional picture, recommendations from former coworkers, and connections.
• Join work-related LinkedIn groups. Update your status periodically with work-related books you have read and skills you have developed in order to keep your name out in front of the members of your LinkedIn network.
• Send LinkedIn invitations to former coworkers, members of your network, and friends. When sending an invitation, customize the invitation so the person remembers how they know you. Beware that, if your invitations are rejected by multiple people instead of accepted or achieved, you will be locked out of LinkedIn. When you are on LinkedIn though, send an invitation to me (Judi Adams Sanek) and mention that you read this article; your invitation will be accepted.
• I will add more information on the use of LinkedIn for your job search in the next article.

Facebook, YouTube

• The most important point about these sites is that IF you have a presence on them, don’t have anything on them that you do not want your prospective boss to see or read. If you need to, clean them up now.
• Check to see if your target companies have a site and if so, “friend” them and follow what they say.

Twitter

• Many companies are tweeting (the verb used when leaving a message on Twitter). At a minimum, job seekers should “follow” their target companies.
• These are the minimum recommendations. Read up on LinkedIn and Twitter and leverage the power of this new media.

Moving on to Step 4

In my next post, we’ll be tackling Step 4: Search. Too many job seekers are using the wrong approach to finding a job and it is causing them unnecessary frustration and wasted time. Find out how to do it right.

Note: The 6 Steps of a Job Search are copyrighted by Crossroads Career Services.

“I owe. I owe. It’s off to work I go.”  

Sound familiar? Are you chained to the wrong job, because you need the money? Imagine your life without debt – would it change your tune? Are these numbers true of you?

• Nearly 70% of all consumers live from paycheck to paycheck.
• About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year.
• The average household has $117,951 in debt, about $8,000 in credit cards.

Declaration of Freedom

The borrower is slave to the lender. Choose you this day whom you will serve – money in the form of your spending and debt – or God, who richly supplies you with all things to enjoy.”

America’s Declaration of Independence was signed 234 years ago. Might it be necessary for you to dissolve the financial weight that holds you to a job you hate?

Gather your family together. Declare your freedom from heavy money burdens by cutting expenses, selling unnecessary things, paying off debt and receiving the freedom to explore, educate and employ your gifts and passions as you hear and follow God’s calling. 

Download our “Declaration of Freedom” form. Print, fill-in and sign-off on your own declaration of freedom from financial weight and slavery to the wrong job.

God Bless America and You

We are “one nation under God.” True freedom is only possible by being in dependence on God. 

God is calling you to serve others with the unique blend of gifts and passions He has given each of us. You have certain unalienable rights that among these are: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Fight for your freedom. Lose financial weight. Gain career freedom.