6% vs. 94% – Which career transition path will you take?

by Rich Kolodgie, Managing Partner

Career transitions are different for everyone. For many people, losing a job poses economic concerns and it’s critical that you land a new job quickly, especially when you’ve been laid off unexpectedly. For others, who either have the fortune of backup savings or who have received a severance package, you have a little more time to think, reflect, and explore future opportunities.

But one thing is certain: most people do not really know how to go about finding their next job. And, many believe it is just a matter of developing a good resume, applying for as many jobs as possible online, waiting for the phone to ring, getting an interview, and then “you’re hired!”  Not quite…

Did you know that according to a recent survey (Execunet Job Intelligence Report, 2013) only about 6% of people actually end up getting a job by just applying to online job postings? That means 94% of the job seeking population pursue a more proactive approach. That’s where outplacement and career consulting companies like Barton Career Advisors play a significant role. We provide perspective, structure, tools (including resumes), and resources – as well as intangibles like encouragement and open/honest feedback that fill the ‘tool box’ needed for a successful, 21st century job search.

I encourage you to take a few minutes comparing these resources against the common, online job boards approach.

Assessment – At Barton Career Advisors, our clients complete online assessments as they start their journey with us. What is your business and personality behavior? What do you value in the business world? What has been your career preference? What have you enjoyed the most? What have you enjoyed the least? Do you have any work/life balance issues? What is your goal in your career transition? Our clients find this introspective process very valuable to help them to step back, reflect, and really get to know themselves. This helps you in being grounded at the outset of your career transition journey.

Accomplishments – We ask our clients to document their wins and accomplishments during their career. What are you proud of? What have you done that’s made the most difference? How have you helped the companies you have worked for? Our clients have commented that processing accomplishments is invaluable to assisting them with being able to articulate and describe very succinctly what they are good at and what they have done. It’s especially helpful to have those clearly defined accomplishments fresh in your mind to talk about in interviews.

Materials – A job search is all about marketing yourself. We assist our clients with preparing 1st class resumes, bios, and all forms of communications; Marketing letters, responses to applying for jobs online, cover letters, thank you letters, letters of interest, etc. Our clients have found our resumes and correspondence to truly create a unique selling proposition for themselves. And, our resumes are praised by recruiters, hiring managers and most importantly our clients. They truly help our clients get noticed.

Job Search – We have fantastic tools to help our clients with all facets of their job search. The availability of state-of-the-art search engines, which can locate jobs within a 50 mile radius of any city in the world and aggregate information from every major job board and place it at your fingertips. Our CoachOnetoOne portal provides quick access to information about companies through Hoover’s database and advanced search engines. You are able to connect directly to your LinkedIn profile from within the portal and keep track of your career efforts with every company you apply to. Our clients tell us that our online portal is an invaluable tool as it enables them to do everything from soup to nuts that someone needs to do to be successful in their career transition.

Selling Yourself – We help our clients with interviewing skills, recommendations around how and where to network, as well as many different forms of communications.  And, fundamentally we advise clients to talk about themselves not too aggressively, but in ways that enable them to make a good first impression and to connect, impress, and be remembered.

Well, I could go on to describe so many other ways that our clients indicate that we provide valuable services to them. But really, the truth in all of this is that our clients are happy when they land a job, and our coaches get high fives when their clients land a job. We are proud of our track record which reveals that 60 to 80 percent of our clients land a job of their liking within two to four months.

View your job search through two images: in one, you see yourself and your computer in a poorly lit, empty room.  In the other, you’re still in that room with your computer, but here you are surrounded by ideas, books, lists of contacts, coaching/feedback statements and plenty of bright light. Which looks better to you?

Next blog: The Role of a Coach in Your Job Search

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do my pajamas, coffee, & laptop trump a career coach?

You asked, we answered!

How can YOU help me find a job?

In this Q&A video,Customer Relationship Manager & Career Coach, Greg Moore shares his thoughts about how a career consultant can help you find a job & why you might consider working with a career coach during your job search:

When I think of why someone might want to use a coach in the process of their job search instead of just doing it themselves, a couple thoughts come to mind.

First of all, during your job search you have a lot of questions and it’s helpful to have someone to turn to. As questions come up, instead of drowning yourself with hypothetical questions, it’s comforting to have a sounding board, someone that might keep you on target and disciplined, and can motivate when you get a little bit down. It’s nice to have that other person with you on the journey.

In addition, coaches (at least here at Barton Career Advisors) engage with you in the job search process. We start by gaining an understanding of who you are by having you take some tests and going through an assessments phase. We study what your accomplishments have been over your career and we articulate those into marketing materials. And once we know who you are, what your goals are and what your accomplishments have been, we spend time strategizing and thinking about who you might want to reach out to in your job search to develop marketing campaigns that target organizations you might be a good fit for. So, as career coaches we help you develop a clear plan to reach your goal and motivate you to keep going.

Finally, let’s do a little math. People often ask, why should I hire a coach when I can just do it myself sitting at the kitchen table in my pajamas with a cup of coffee and my laptop? Think in terms of your ideal job and the amount of money that job will pay you each month. Then divide by 30 so you get a per day figure. In almost every case, the cost of hiring a coach like us would only be a couple days of pay. And if we can’t find you a job at least two days faster than you could on your own, then we probably shouldn’t even be in this business in the first place.

Those are some of the reasons I believe you should use a career coach in your job search.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

5 Strategies to Cope with a Rumored Layoff

by Ed Weirauch, Career Transition Coach

Unfortunately, company layoffs are a common reality for today’s workforce. When your company is in the midst of a rumored layoff, it is a very unsettling feeling to fear that your job will be one that goes. And you are left wishing you had a strategy for doing what you can to avoid such a layoff.

Remember that downsizings are not personal. When a company is closing, there’s not a lot one person can do to change that. When a merger occurs, duplication of work is common and inevitably people will go. But in the chance that your position is not one of the ones being cut, there are things you can do to influence the decision of whether you stay.

Here are five strategies (and a cliché) for you to consider.

1. Step away from yourself and ask, “am I doing everything I can to bring or add value?” So often we come to take our jobs for granted. From another’s perspective, we may appear to be coming to work because it’s what we’re supposed to do – rather than going to work… to actually work. For example, when a co-worker or manager makes a suggestion, do you cut them off with a “we’ve always done this” or some other off-putting response? Be honest with yourself.Similarly, make sure you have not fallen into any non-productive routines. There are little extra things on the job that when added up, can convey just how good or valuable an employee you are. If you can’t think of any extras that you do to add value, change that.Be open to new ways of working. Start each day with a plan to make a difference for your manager or someone else on the job. If there’s a project that isn’t getting done because no one has been willing to do it, take it on, own it. Be a problem solver, that’s one way to bring added value. Check yourself so that when you leave that day, if someone were to ask “what impact or difference did you make today,” you’ll have an answer.
2. Improve Communication with your supervisors. Be up front and ask him/her about changes that may be coming or how the process may unfold. Discuss rumors. Don’t be hesitant to ask for his/her advice. The more open your communication with your manager, the better, no matter what’s happening.
3. Think about ways you can help build business. Keep your eyes open for new clients or new project ideas that would contribute to the company’s bottom line.
4. Take a look at your job description… and then ask yourself, “what more could I be doing?” You want to strive to exceed expectations rather than just meet them.
5. Keep on top of advances in your field. Share that knowledge with your manager first… he/she needs to see your value.

There’s a cliche that says ‘attitude is everything.’ Even in our drastically changing work places there is still a lot of truth to this philosophy. Of course you have to know your stuff and sometimes a little more. But the way you present yourself and your ideas is often just as important as your knowledge and skill.

If you follow these strategies, your co-workers and supervisors will be drawn to you and your positive spirit. And that’s what you want – especially at a time when a lot of your co-workers might be obsessing about the rumored layoff. So be positive! Bring good energy to work… no slouching! If you give off good vibes, you’ll be less likely to be seen as expendable. Oh, and your smile can go a long way.