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Action Plans Can Deliver Job Search Results

6/10/2019

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Designing, constructing, and launching a multifaceted job search campaign is crucial to a candidate's job search success. How do you strategically design a campaign that delivers?

By crafting an action plan to guide and track action plan activities. While integrating job search mechanics like resume development, marketing, interview preparation, offer negotiation, etc. are important, your ability to build and maintain campaign momentum is equally critical to landing your ideal role.

A well-designed action plan lays out the campaign activities you will complete in a given day, week, month, or year while also offering a roadmap candidate can evaluate to track campaign activity and make any modifications necessary for success. An accountability partner like a family member, friend, career development practitioner, or career coach can offer the support you need to achieve your goals - whether they be landing your ideal job or being selected for promotion.

To learn more about developing and executing an action plan that delivers results, please schedule a complementary discovery session with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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What should you be doing to increase momentum in your job search?

5/13/2019

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently, I was chatting with a candidate who asked "what should I be doing to increase momentum in my job search"? The following are four suggestions I shared to support their efforts to stand out in a competitive labor market:

¨ Build a pipeline of potential opportunities (published job leads, referred job lead, networking conversations, scheduled interviews, offer negotiations) and will not let it drop below 7 at any given time.

¨ Engage in all four avenues of job search leads: applying to published job leads, social marketing, speaking with recruiters, and developing and refining target company lists.

¨ Explore alternate marketing approaches such as direct mail and cold calling.

Apply to published job postings by identifying potential advocates, tailoring my resume, applying, and following-up.

To develop a multifaceted marketing campaign that delivers results, please schedule a complementary discovery session with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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Clarify Your Job Target

3/11/2019

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To prepare candidates for launching their job search campaign, I encourage you to clarify your focus and job search target. To do so, I encourage candidates to complete the following:

Develop SMART goals that clarify your job target, including job title, industry, and location (this will clarify the messaging you will use when tailoring your resume, constructing interview responses, and scheduling networking conversation.
Identify at least 10 companies to target when building your job search pipeline with plans not to allow the number to diminish to less than 7.
Create professional branding documents including resume, LinkedIn profile, tailored cover letters, and follow-up correspondence (schedule a coaching session to uncover your strengths, talents, skills, and values).
Strategically tailor your resume towards specific roles.
Formally conduct salary research to understand your current worth in the market.

To develop a strategic action plan to accomplish these objectives, please schedule a complementary discovery session with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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Activate Google Alerts to Support Job Search Activities

12/10/2018

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To receive updates about your target industry, employers, and employment opportunities as well as other information essential to your search (e.g., tools, technology, colleagues, and decision-makers), candidates are encouraged to create targeted Google Alerts (https://www.google.com/alerts). Build alerts to:

research your online reputation.
monitor employers included on your company target list.
assess activity in your destination location.
establish alert to monitor target industries.
research people of interest.

The research results can be leveraged to:

Develop pain letters that demonstrate immediate value you can deliver to target employers.
Impress an interviewer with how up-to-date you are on company/industry/professional news.
To uncover adverse findings about a potential employer, such as rumors of bankruptcy, layoffs, decreased profits, CEO or CFO resignations, etc.
Reconnect with past connections.
Rebut personal things about you that may negative.

To clarify next steps in your job search campaign, please schedule a complementary discovery session with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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Job Postings Reveal Your Strategic Advantage in the Marketplace

6/11/2018

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Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As you clarify your job search goal and action plan, I encourage you to gain a better understanding of your competitive advantage by assessing the demand for your preferred job title and skill set.

Start, by locating one or two job postings that describe your ideal job functions/duties as well as position requirement. This exercise will help you gain a better understanding of the roles you're seeking and the skills employers have identified as critical to performing the outlined job duties.

Only worry about physical location if you intend to immediately launch your search and you are also interested in assessing the number of openings available. If so, pay close attention to the number of opening available that match your target role.

Finally, this assessment allows you to compile a list of target employers seeking your specific skillset and even position you to conduct complementary research to identify area employers that may not surface because their not currently recruiting candidates.

To uncover labor market research that positions you for the win, please schedule a complementary discovery session with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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Transitioning Into Your New Opportunity

1/8/2018

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Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Contemplate your search action plan activities and milestones to document what worked for future reference;
Follow up with everyone who helped with your search to thank them for their support and share new employment details;
Update your LinkedIn profile with your employment details to automatically communicate your status to LinkedIn network;
Establish system to track accomplishments/milestones delivered in new role;
Create 30-60-90 day plan to strategically transition into new role and lay groundwork for accomplishing performance expectations identified throughout selection process and job description.
Identify networking objectives and establish networking plan with these priorities and future career goals in mind.

To get off to a great start with your new employers, please schedule a complementary discovery session to learn more about developing a 30-60-90 day plan with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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Planning a Strategic Job Search Campaign

7/10/2017

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Image courtesy of Graphics Mouse at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To quickly land your next opportunity, career experts suggest that job seekers set aside time to:

1. Tailor your résumé towards specific job postings. Whenever possible your resume should be customized for a specific job, however if this is not possible, your resume should be targeted for a specific “type” of position. Also, if you’ve absorbed additional responsibilities in your current or previous positions, or you’ve completed new training or educational requirements, share this information with your resume writer for inclusion in your final draft.

2. Develop — or update — your LinkedIn profile. A LinkedIn profile should complement your resume...not duplicate it. A recruiter or hiring manager looking for a candidate with your background may conduct a search on LinkedIn and find your profile. Or, a friend may forward your LinkedIn profile URL to someone they know interested in your particular skill set. So make sure you have an updated LinkedIn profile.

3. Know what you’re worth: conduct salary research. One of the most often-cited reasons to consider a job search is to increase your salary. But how do you know what you’re worth? There is more salary research data available than ever before. Websites like Glassdoor.com and Salary.com can help you see how your current salary and benefits package stacks up.

4. Build your network. It’s estimated that 40-80 percent of jobs are found through networking. Networking effectiveness is not just about quality — although that’s important. It’s also about quantity. It’s not just about who you know. It’s about who your contacts know. Many times, it’s the friend-of-a-friend who can help you land your dream job. Grow your network both professionally and personally. You never know who will be the one to introduce you to your next job opportunity.

5. Manage your online reputation. What will hiring managers and recruiters find when they conduct an online search for you? Do you have a social media presence established? How does it align with the professional image you wish to convey?

6. Define your ideal job. What does your dream job look like? What types of companies employ this position? What job title and responsibilities are you interested in? Do you want to work independently, as part of a team, or both? Do you like short-term or long-term projects? Who would you report to? Who reports to you? Answers to these these questions help define your ideal position and job functions.

7. Create a target list of companies you’d like to work for. Like your ideal role, you probably have a preference for the type of organization you want as your employer. Things to consider include: company size, industry, culture, location, and structure (public, private, family-owned, franchise, nonprofit, etc.). Once you’ve identified your preferences, generate a list of companies that fit your criteria.

We invite you to partner with our team to develop an intentional campaign by scheduling a complementary discovery session with one of our certified career development practitioners or transition specialists. You may also visit the Help Center, call 866.827.7302, email us, or use the "Feedback & Support" link located on bottom right side of the page. We also invite you to continue the conversation by sharing your suggestions for advancing in the selection process by adding a comment below.

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Action Plans Can Deliver Job Search Results

What should you be doing to increase momentum in your job search?

Clarify Your Job Target

Activate Google Alerts to Support Job Search Activities

Job Postings Reveal Your Strategic Advantage in the Marketplace

Transitioning Into Your New Opportunity

Planning a Strategic Job Search Campaign

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