Posted: 24 Feb 2011 12:59 PM PST

Three men sit on a bench in front of a poster ...

Enthusiasm matters.

Here's another piece from New York City career coach Win Sheffield, on job search myths. This piece has to do with strategizing your search.

For me, the great pearl of wisdom in this piece comes from Sheffield's observation about how much enthusiasm and genuine interest count when you're looking for work. Put yourself in the employer's shoes. Would you hire the candidate who seemed lackadaisical about the opening you needed to fill, or would you choose the slightly less qualified applicant who was champing at the bit to work for you.

Myth: In a tight market, my best strategies are to:

(a) Look for jobs in growing sectors whether or not they interest me.

(b) Pursue a lower-level job, because that will be easier to get.

(c) If I am moving to a new industry or function where I don't have experience, I should aim for an entry-level job.

(d) People will only want to hire me to do what I do now, so I should only look for jobs that closely match my current job description, even if I'm unhappy at work.

(e ) Take any job; beggars can't be choosers.

The thinking behind this:

(a) "Plastics." This was the career advice famously given to Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. Health care, anything to do with aging Boomers, "green," are all hot new areas. I will join the trend and increase my chances of long-term, stable employment. I see statistics that show college grads moving away from banking and toward other fields.

(b) It is easier to find a job that's one or more rungs down from my level. I increase my chances of employment by applying for jobs where I can clearly excel.

(c) If my industry is on the decline, I will move to a new industry. Since I don't have experience there, I will only qualify for an entry-level job and will move up from there.

(d) You can't get a job without experience. Employers want employees who have done the job before. Ads ask for 8-10 years of experience, so I can only do what I have done before. Unless I qualify for a job, I shouldn't bother applying. The candidate who can do the job for the least amount of money will get the offer. Besides, I don't know what I want and don't know how to discover what I want. Finding out about something new seems impossible, so I will stick with what I know.

(e) If I present myself as broadly as possible, able to do many things, the more options I give myself. Because I am too old (young, inexperienced, had a bad experience in my last job, can't get a recommendation, have been out of the job market, etc.), I am even more at the mercy of employers.

The appeal – why we want to believe it:

Being without a job tends to undermine if not destroy our self-esteem. We are not inclined, having been burned once, to pursue a job that might be a stretch and may lead to us being burned again. In a situation where jobs seem scarce, we figure it is best to go for jobs that we assume are more plentiful or easier to get.

The real deal:

The deciding factor in the hiring decision is very often the candidate's enthusiasm for the job. Recruiters say it again and again. While current job market realities are an essential consideration, they are not the primary driver. People change fields all the time. Today's graduates will work in jobs and even in industries that do not exist today. The job market is complex and nuanced. Employers need employees who not only can do the job, but who want to do it. If there are two qualified candidates and one is clearly interested in the job, the interested one is clearly going to offer more to the employer than the one who is just putting in time.

The assumption that we have to do what we don't want to is based on our idea of what the job market looks like. If ads reflected the full job marketplace, it would be easy to assume that we need to be something that we are not. Most jobs are not advertised, however, so job ads are really not a good indication of all the jobs out there.

You are not going for a job that is like everyone else's. If that were going to work, it would have by now.

Unintended consequences:

Pursuing jobs because they are popular or seem easy to get can backfire if you're indifferent about the opportunity. You are competing with people who have a real interest in the job and who are therefore more likely to be hired. Even if you do get a job you don't really want, there's a good chance you'll wind up feeling bored or uninterested.

What this means for you:

You increase your chances of getting the job when you pursue an opportunity that truly interests you. In addition, going after something that excites you will make the whole process less painful.

Many of you will say, "that is fine for people who know what they want, but I don't." I say to you: OK. I have been there. I understand. Start where you are. Take a look at things you have enjoyed in the past. Look at industries that interest you. Among the people you've known, have any had jobs that interest you? What are you curious about?

By pursuing your interests, you learn about jobs you never thought existed and you open up new avenues. When I finished business school I briefly considered being a consultant. I rejected the idea because of the travel involved. I didn't want to stay in hotels in strange cities throughout the week. It wasn't until years later that I discovered that consulting firms sometimes organize themselves around industries and that by joining a practice focused on investment banking, my clients would largely be in New York City, where I live. I took a job in a consulting firm where I took short trips daily, and spent every night in my own bed. I never knew that was possible until I explored.

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In job search, good references are key

Posted: 24 Feb 2011 12:04 PM PST

Job seekers often overlook the importance of choosing and cultivating the right references in their job search.

Mellora Hall quit her part-time job in Springfield, Mo., last year in search of a better life and a better job in Las Cruces, N.M. What she got instead was nine months of unemployment.

She applied for hundreds of jobs. Despite a master of fine arts degree, she got few interviews and zero offers. The rejections got her thinking: Was one of her references saying bad things about her?

It's a common worry in a sour labor market. Many of today's job seekers have excellent résumés and present themselves well. But the offers don't come, and they search for reasons why. Finding good references – and making sure that they aren't undermining you – are often overlooked but important steps in a job search.

How important? After speaking to applicants' references, companies typically remove an average 1 in 5 applicants from consideration, according to an Office Team survey last summer. The No. 1 area managers wanted to know about? The applicant's past job duties and experience, the survey of more than 1,000 senior managers found.

"The reference is one of those things to help a potential employee to really differentiate themselves," says Robert Hosking, executive director of Office Team, a staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative professionals and based in Menlo Park, Calif.

The key to finding and keeping good references is communicating with them throughout the job search. For starters, that means calling each previous employer you plan to use for permission to use their name as a reference. But don't stop there.

"Make sure you have had 'the discussion' with them," counsels Mr. Hosking. That means asking if they could share with you what they plan to say about you. "It's almost like conducting a postemployment review," he says. The next step is to let them know when a potential employer might be contacting them. "Keep the person in the loop," says Heidi Allison, managing director for Allison & Taylor Inc., a reference-checking company based in Rochester, Mich. "Think about etiquette."

When you've landed a job, circle back again with a thank-you note to all your references. It's not only polite, it alerts past employers that you're moving on and up in the working world. That way, the boss you had when you were an intern won't be surprised a few years later when you're applying for a far more senior position, says Ms. Allison. Even though she has run her own company for 26 years, she still sends a Christmas card to former bosses – just in case.

Bosses aren't the only people to consider for your reference list. Think about other managers or co-workers who can provide insight into how you work on a team or complete a project. If you're a senior manager, is there an administrative assistant who can speak to how you manage others? Hosking also suggests including someone at a club or volunteer group who can reveal a different side of you.

How to Start Looking for a Job

Posted: 24 Feb 2011 06:35 AM PST

Lindsay Olson

When faced with a job search, you might not know where to begin, especially if you didn't expect to become unemployed. To stay focused on the main goal—finding the right fit for you—it's vital to be organized.

Whether you're unemployed or still have a job and think it's time to make a change, here are a few tips on how to gain momentum in your search:

1. Talk to your friends, ex-colleagues, and previous bosses. Most job opportunities will come through your extended network of colleagues. That's why it's so important to nurture your networks all the time, not just when you need it.

Once you've decided to make a change, write down all the people you know and contact them. Let them know you're open to exploring new opportunities, what you would be interested in hearing about, and how they can help—without sounding like you're begging.

[See 9 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out.]

2. Make a list of your top 10 companies. First, sit down and decide what type of opportunity you're looking for. Then draw up a list of companies where you'd like to work. If you're considering relocating, make two lists: one for local companies and one for companies based elsewhere.

2. Check LinkedIn for people with similar background for the types of job you want. This will give you a sense for the background and experience your target companies look for in new hires and how to position yourself.

LinkedIn's Companies feature is an interesting tool to research companies on your target list. You can check out statistics on the employees at the company such as charts that show job functions, years of work experience, degree type, and universities attended by the company employee population. You can also see which companies those employees used to work for or leave to work for, which helps you discover other companies with similar interests.

[See How to Be a Smart Job-Hopper.]

4. Subscribe to e-mail alerts or RSS feeds on both major and niche job sites. Although job opportunities are likely to come through your personal network, some people do find jobs through job boards. Don't ignore them—but don't depend on them either. An easy way to keep up with new postings is to subscribe to RSS feeds or e-mail alerts on the job boards that suit you.

5. Check your profiles online. Update all of your social network profiles. Updating your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles will show the people in your network that you actively participate online, which means you'll be in the forefront of their minds. Make sure your LinkedIn profile in particular is complete so prospective employers can find you easily.

6. Research and contact recruiters in your field. Again, it's most helpful to build these relationships before you need them, but now is better than never. Find out which recruiting firms work in your field and make those contacts. Even if the recruiter doesn't have an opportunity that's an exact fit at that moment, just letting them know you're open to hearing about new opportunities keeps you on their radar. Check in occasionally.

[For more career advice, visit U.S. News Careers, or find us on Facebook or Twitter.]

7. Stay organized. Keep a spreadsheet or use a tool like JibberJobber to track of your applications. A disorganized job search can make job searching more difficult and more frustrating than necessary. Keep a log of each application, date, contact, and progress. You don't want to apply to the same position multiple times, and you'll want to refer back to it for follow up. If you get a request for an interview, the company is going to expect you know which position they're calling about when you answer the phone.

Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs, a niche job board for public relations, communications and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues.

Job Search

Thursday, February 24, 2011

“Job Search Strategy Myths” plus 2 more

“Job Search Strategy Myths” plus 2 more

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