STEPS to Landing. a New Job & MAKING. Your Next Job a PROMOTION. Compliments of. Ted Meyer

Transcription

1 STEPS to Landing a New Job & MAKING Your Next Job a PROMOTION Compliments of Ted Meyer

2 Now What? If that s the question you re asking yourself these days, don t worry. You re not alone. Losing a job always hurts, but even more so when the job loss is due to reasons beyond your control. Whether you knew the layoff was coming or whether it took you by surprise, you ve probably faced a wide range of emotions since receiving the news. Once those emotions pass, you face a very important question: now what? Here s the good news: there are more avenues and opportunities for finding a new job today than there have been at any point in history. It wasn t that long ago the only way to find a new job was through a connection or by looking for ads in the classified section of the newspaper. Today, you have a wide range of opportunities to explore. There are online job boards, social media platforms, and company hiring pages, in addition to your own network of contacts. Even better, you can now connect with those contacts quickly and possibly have a lead on a new job in a matter of minutes. Think of this as your opportunity to not only find a new job but to get a promotion too. By developing a job-search strategy and staying focused and disciplined, you ll have a great shot at finding a position that is a big step up from your last job. The online job search world may seem like a scary place, but it s not. The seven steps detailed in this guide can help you develop an effective job search strategy. With little effort, you ll be celebrating your new position very soon. Update Online Status Identify Talents & Retain Self-Esteem Elevator Speech Plan a Powerful Interview Network Post Your Resume Online Create a Flawless Resume

3 1Update Online Status just that. The first step in any job search is getting the word out that you re looking for a new opportunity. Fortunately, social media gives you a fast and efficient way to do Start with LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a critical tool in any professional job search. It is the world s largest social media platform for professionals and used by nearly every recruiter, HR executive, and hiring manager. If you don t yet have a profile that clearly shows your experience, set one up. If you do have one, your first step should be to change your current job status. LinkedIn automatically sets your most recent job as your current position. You ll want to put an end date on the position to let people know that you re no longer with your former employer. After that, change your current position to one that lets your contacts know you are actively seeking a new opportunity. It should be specific to your skills and the type of position you are seeking. This will help your contacts identify opportunities that are wellsuited for your goals and your abilities. Your current position could be something like: Licensed and experienced CPA seeking a new opportunity with an established accounting firm. Software sales manager seeking a new opportunity. Established track record of success and passionate about leading sales teams to new levels of achievement. Under the position title, you have room to expand. This is an opportunity to showcase your diverse skillset, how it can benefit other industries and introduce the type of position you desire to your network. Find a balance between being specific, but not ultra-specific. The more specific type of job you seek, the more effective your contacts will be The more specific type of job you seek, the more effective your contacts will be at referring similar positions. at referring similar positions. However, being too specific may also close off to new opportunities. Once your contacts see your updated status in their news feeds, which it may generate messages, comments, and other activity. Reply to everyone who responds. You never know which contact may have a lead for your next job. Identify 2Talents & Retain Self-Esteem During a job search, it s easy to lose confidence, especially if the search is prolonged. It s important you clearly know your strengths and project confidence. Take some time to make a list of your greatest professional achievements. Aim for 25 accomplishments. The achievements could include big wins at work, sales numbers, projects you ve spearheaded, certifications you earned, and just about anything else that exemplifies your strengths and capabilities. When you re done, narrow the list down to the seven you enjoyed the most and best reflect your strengths.

4 3Craft an Elevator Speech There s a good chance that your next job will come from a conversation you have with someone in your network. To uncover those jobs, you need to be able to describe what you need their help with and the type of opportunity for which you re looking. Use your list of accomplishments as inspiration to craft a unique and impactful elevator speech. An effective elevator speech includes three critical pieces: 1. What you do. 2. Why you re good at what you do. When you re searching for a job, you need to be able to quickly articulate your competencies and how you can add value to a company. This is a beneficial exercise because it gives you a sense of how valuable you are to an employer. It also helps you delineate your strengths, which can help you answer tough interview questions like, Tell me why I should hire you. When you re searching for a job, you need to be able to quickly articulate your competencies and how you can add value to a company. This exercise will help you focus less on the day-to-day tasks and more so on milestones that sculpted your previous jobs. Speak to the milestones you ve achieved in your career and less on the daily tasks. Those who reach goals and thresholds are often more appealing to a potential employers. 3. What type of opportunity you are seeking. With this information, your connections can quickly decipher if they know of any opportunities. They can also broadcast your search to their network to see if anyone in their network has opportunities that may fit. Your elevator speech is a good response to questions like, What do you do? or What are you looking for? or to respond to statements like, Tell me about yourself. You may want to craft multiple versions of your elevator speech-one for when your connection only has a few seconds and a longer version for when you have your connection s full attention. If you want your professional connections to help you, then you have to give them direction. Develop an elevator speech so you can clearly articulate what you re looking for and in turn, they can identify the best opportunities for you.

5 4 Create a Flawless Resume Once you ve identified an opportunity, ensure you have a strong and flawless resume. Your resume may be your first impression so it is vital to craft it in a way that also makes a lasting impression. Your resume is your proxy in the hiring decision and its quality can determine whether or not you are provided an interview. Given the importance of your resume, it s critical you send out the best version possible. Given the importance of your resume, it s critical you send out the best version possible. This means reviewing it over and over again. Items you should look for include: List milestones, accomplishments and achievements, not day-to-day tasks. Provide concrete achievements by including quantitative figures and dates. Eliminate all typos. Make the formatting consistent. For example, bullet points and use of capitalization should be the same throughout the resume. Emphasize work history, not your education. Use industry-relevant keywords to help your resume stand out in online searches. Remember, writers aren t always the best editors because they can t look at their own work objectively. The same is true with your resume. Ask trusted friends and professional contacts to review your resume. Take their constructive feedback to heart and use it to make improvements. Your resume is vital to your first impression. Carefully craft a detailed and flawless resume to get the attention you deserve. 5Post Your Resume Online looking for candidates like you every day. Most companies are proactive in searching for the right candidate. This means they re not simply going to sit back and wait for applications. They re actively They can find you only if your resume is online. Post it on multiple platforms so it can be noticed by recruiters and hiring managers. Some good starting points include: Indeed.com LinkedIn Simplyhire.com Monster.com Idealist.org Usajobs.gov The Wall Street Journal Dice.com JobsInLogistics.com SalesGravy.com TalentZoo.com TechCareers.com

6 6 Network. Network. Network. It can t be overstated: your best chance for getting a job is through your current connections. A recommendation from an existing relationship can improve your chances of winning an interview or securing an introductory meeting. However, the only way to leverage your network is to get out there and talk to people. Call professional contacts and ask if you can buy them lunch or a cup of coffee, join industry groups on LinkedIn and introduce yourself to members you feel may be a good connection, or even attending an industry trade group meeting and try to meet as many people as you can. Another way to meet new contacts is volunteering. Look for organizations where you think you re likely to meet other professionals with similar interests. This will give you the chance to do something worthwhile with your free time while increasing your chances of making new professional connections. When talking to potential connections, always have your elevator speech ready. Clearly articulate what you do and what opportunities you ll consider; often job opportunities arise if you re communicative and vocal on what you desire. 7 Plan a Powerful Interview If you win an interview, then you re on the home stretch. However, you re also in the most delicate stage of the process. A bad or even average interview could be enough to knock you out of contention, so make sure you re prepared. You can prepare for the interview in the following three ways: 1. Anticipate questions. There are certain questions that are always asked in some form or another. You ll likely get questions about your resume, your accomplishments, and even mistakes you have made. Prepare answers for these in advance. Make sure to prepare for behavior-based questions like Name the time when you faced a conflict with a coworker. Employ the STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) method when answering behavioral questions. Also, identify two or three hallmark stories about your accomplishments to use in the interview. This prep will keep you from coming up with answers on the fly. 2. Research the company. You want to give the impression that you only want this particular job, not just a job. Demonstrate this by knowing about the company and asking pointed questions. Do research online. Look at the company s social profiles. Then use that information to ask pointed questions during the interview.

7 3. Ask specific questions about the position. Hiring managers also want to see that you re being thoughtful about the job. If you don t ask any questions, or if you ask generic questions, that could be a red flag. Instead, think of some specific questions to ask in the interview like: How has this position evolved since it was created? What have past employees done to succeed in the position? What s been the top objective for this job over the past three months? What types of skillsets is the current team missing? What are the major obstacles I would face? What could I tell you that would assure you I m the right fit for the team? This is undoubtedly a stressful time for you. With the right plan in place, though, you could turn this transition into a great opportunity. Your next great job is out there, but first you have to find it. Implement these seven action steps to jumpstart your job search. If you do, you ll likely see your network expand and more job opportunities coming your way. The most important thing to remember is you have a specific set of skills and abilities that can bring value to a company. If you can identify those skills and abilities and clearly articulate them to your network, you will significantly increase your chances making your next job a promotion. Go get em!

8 Ted Meyer President & Founder The presenters of this information are not associated with, or endorsed by, the Social Security Administration or any other government agency. Annuities are insurance products backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing company; they are not FDIC insured; are not obligations or deposits of, and are not guaranteed or underwritten by any bank, savings and loan or credit union or its affiliates; are unrelated to and not a condition of the provision or term of any banking service or activity. Respond and learn how various financial products including insurance and annuities can positively impact your retirement. By responding you may be contacted by a licensed insurance professional. This material has been prepared for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide, and should not be relied upon for, accounting, legal, tax or investment advice. Guaranteed lifetime income available through annuitization or the purchase of an optional lifetime income rider, a benefit for which an annual premium is charged. Annuities are long-term, tax-deferred vehicles designed for retirement and contain some limitations. Earnings are taxable as ordinary income when distributed, and if withdrawn before age 59½, may be subject to a 10 percent federal tax penalty. Fixed Indexed Annuities do not participate in any stock or equity investments. Limitations and restrictions apply, including withdrawal charges and recapture charges. During the withdrawal and recapture charge period, the annuity s cash withdrawal value may be less than the premium. For costs and complete details, contact your Licensed Insurance Professional. xxxxx /xx/xx 7373 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., Ste. 200 Scottsdale, AZ tmeyer@coventryfg.com