2019 Best Career Apps and Websites to Land a New Job

Posted by on January 11, 2019 · Leave a Comment 

Photo by Canva

Want a new job? Perhaps something more fulfilling, with a higher paycheck and where you feel valued and appreciated?

My article, Bouncing Back After a Layoff, has been helping many of you re-brand yourself and land a new job quickly. So for this article, I’m focusing on career apps and websites that can help you find, and land, your next job.

The good news is that the unemployment rate is currently at a low 3.9% and the US economy added a healthy 312,000 jobs in December (compared to adding 148,000 this same time last year) in a 10-month high that shattered Wall Street forecasts. This caps off the biggest increase in hiring in three years. However, it’s not all rosy. The number of people searching for a new job also increased by more than a quarter of a million, to 6.3 million which means there are more jobs available, and the job market is tougher.

How can you land a new job in such a competitive job market?

As a leading career coach for the past 10 years, every year I conduct loads of online research and capture the lessons learned and best practices from my clients who have been hired to create a list of my favorite (and what, I believe, are some of the most effective and best) career apps and websites to help you quickly and easily find those high quality job openings. These are the same resources that I share with my clients.

Where to find real, current, updated job openings?

One of the biggest frustrations my clients come to me with is how to navigate through the thousands of websites promoting job openings. Below is a list of, what I believe, are the best career apps and websites to find job openings. I recommend checking these sites often, as well as setting up your own personal job search agent to alert you when a job matching your criteria becomes available. There are three powerhouses for job search sites including –

  • Glassdoor – Glassdoor has tons of new job postings every day and allows you to search by job title, key responsibilities, company and location. The site also gives you a behind-the-curtain peek into what it’s like working inside that company by featuring employee reviews of a company’s culture, CEO ratings and salary information. Check out the cool “Know Your Worth” section that includes a personalized salary calculator.  Simply sign up (it’s free!) and you have a treasure trove of research and reference materials at your fingertips.

 

  • Indeed – The majority of my clients get hired off of Indeed. This is a Google-like search engine for jobs and one of the most efficient sites for aggregating listings from a variety of job boards, online news sites and company websites. An advanced search function provides a few more filters than Glassdoor, and allows you to drill down on a location, keyword and salary range. Indeed says it has 250 million unique visitors each month and is available in 60 countries and 28 languages.

 

  • LinkedIn – I strongly believe that everyone should have a profile on this site (not just when you’re in the market for a new job.) LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet. This means that recruiters, hiring managers, and professionals in all industries across 200 countries are on LinkedIn to expand their network, advertise jobs and recruit you. DMR reported 94% of recruiters use LinkedIn to vet candidates.

 

LinkedIn helps you find jobs, and helps recruiters and hiring mangers find you! To view job openings, simply go to your home page and click the “jobs” tab towards the top of the page to search by job title, keyword, company, or use the advanced search to include additional criteria. Scroll down to see job openings, companies hiring, plus those in your network who have worked inside those organizations. For tips on creating a powerful profile, I love this article by Amanda Zantal-Winer @amanda_zw, 29 LinkedIn Tips for Professional Networking, Business and Marketing and Jon Shield’s article, “The only way Recruiters will find you on LinkedIn.”

One more job search site that I recommend for everyone is LinkUp.com which only features jobs from company websites. This means that it has fewer job openings than the three powerhouses above; however, those openings are more likely to be fresh and current.

Niche job sites…

SmartRecruiters reports that 62% of jobs are posted on niche job boards and their list of Best 50 Niche Job Boards is a great reference. Theoretically, the powerhouse sites above should feature job openings from the niche job boards, however, I still recommend adding a few of these sites to your research list. Niche job boards go deep into finding openings in a specific industry or job role.

For example, if you’re an executive then you may want to bookmark ExecuNet and the Ladders for high paying job openings. If you’re a techie, then check out Dice, CrunchBoardor TechFetch. For sales visit SalesGravy and SalesHeads. Try Healthcare Jobsite for openings in healthcare.  MediaBistro is well known for journalism, P.R. and social media jobs.  WayUp specializes in entry-level and internships. VirtualVocations for telecommuting jobs. Other popular niche job boards include: DiversityJobs,  Energy Jobline, Environmental Career Opportunities, Idealist.com, and StarChefs JobFinder.

Freelance gigs…

Craving freedom in your career or just want more cash in your pocket? According to a study from the Freelancers Union, more than 57 million people in the U.S. are freelancing. You may want to join the gig economy of freelancers and short-term contractors by posting your job profile on sites like these –

  • Accenture says it partners with 92% of the Fortune Global 100 companies to provide management and technology consultants in 13 industries including: strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations services. They serve clients in 120 countries and have made 15 consecutive appearances in Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list.

 

  • Freelancer is a global marketplace which allows potential employers to post jobs that freelancers can then bid to complete. The site boasts up to 7,000 new jobs posted daily across 247 countries, with the most popular jobs being website development, data entry, copywriting and graphic design.

 

  • UpWork says it posts 3-million part-time, short-term and freelance gigs annually, and their pool of freelancers are earning more than $1 billion via the site each year by providing companies with over 3,500 skills. For designers, creatives, programmers, developers, and a variety of other business services skills.

There are loads of other sites that can put some cash in your pocket and some include: CoolWorks.com for jobs at national parks, ski resorts and retreat centers; Fiverr for creative and digital services gigs such as graphic design, copywriting, voice overs, and music and film editing; and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for small tasks. Here’s a great post by Kenneth Kiesnoski (@KKiesnoski) if you’re retired and looking to work part time.

Another helpful resource is Money.com’s recent article, “The 20 Highest-Paying Job Skills for Freelancers Right Now”.

Finally – there are loads of great job sites available and these are just a few. I recommend doing some research to customize a job list that fits your job role and requirements, but the sites above should give you a good head start.

In future articles, I’ll share my favorite resources and tips to help you land your dream job by getting more job leads, referrals and recommendations, as well as how to create a stellar resume and how to nail your job interviews. But for now, I hope this article helps you get one step closer to landing your dream job.

About the author

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker, award-winning author, and President of Career Coaching 360 (www.CareerCoaching360.com). She’s helped thousands of executives and professionals change, re-brand, advance and take their career in a whole new direction. Author of the award-winning book, “The Bounce Back – personal stories and strategies to you help you bounce back higher and faster after a layoff, re-org or career setback” which was named 2013 best career book by Indie Book Awards and “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand”. Sherri is regularly interviewed for her career strategies published in the Washington Post, the Wall St Journal, TIME Magazine, Smart Money magazine, the New York Daily Post, Investors Business Daily, and many others.

 

Sherri is a champion of helping others thrive and live in their best career. As a keynote speaker, she’s spoken at conferences and events around the world including the United States, Malaysia, Israel, Ireland, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, Vietnam and Kenya. Throughout her career, Sherri has worked for three Fortune 500 Companies overseeing and holding various positions in marketing, IT, management training and development, and global communications. She successfully reinvented herself and transitioned into various job roles and industries including television, radio, finance, and high tech. Sherri’s website offers free video training, “15 Clever Ways to Get More Job Offers” at www.CareerCoaching360.com

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged with

2018 Best Career Apps & Websites To Land Your New Job

Posted by on February 2, 2018 · Leave a Comment 

Dreaming of a new job? Perhaps something more meaningful, fulfilling and with a beefier paycheck?

If you said, Yes, then the timing couldn’t be better.  The unemployment rate is currently hovering at a low 4.1% and the US Economy added a healthy 148,000 jobs last month (mostly in the construction, healthcare, leisure & hospitality and manufacturing industries.

My last article in Huffington Post, 2017 Highest Paying Jobs, Best Companies and Fastest Growing Industries, has been helping many of you identify the best job role, companies and industries to work.  So for this article, I’m focusing on which career apps and websites can help you find your new job.

As you probably know, it can be daunting navigating through a bazillion career websites, job boards and niche communities touting their latest and greatest job openings. As a leading career coach for the past 10 years, I even get overwhelmed!  So every year I conduct loads of online research and capture the lessons learned and best practices from my clients to create a list of my favorite (and what, I believe, are some of the most effective and best) career apps and websites to help you quickly and easily find those high quality job openings.

Where can you find your dream job?

To find real-time job openings, try LinkUp.com.  This site only features jobs from company websites which means that it provides a smaller pool of job openings; however, those openings are more likely to be fresh and current.

I also recommend regularly checking out these three powerhouse job search sites (and setting up your own personal job search agent for each site) to help you find more job openings –

  • Glassdoor – In my opinion, Glassdoor is the best site for your job search. It has tons of new job postings every day, and allows you to search by job title, key responsibilities, company and location. As a bonus, you can get insight into what it would be like working for a company by reading employee reviews on the company’s culture, CEO ratings, salary information and even job interviewing reviews to help you prepare for an upcoming interview. Simply sign up (it’s free!) and you have a treasure trove of research and reference materials at your fingertips.

 

  • Indeed – The majority of my clients get hired off of Indeed. This is a Google-like search engine for jobs and one of the most efficient sites for surveying listings since it aggregates information from a variety of job boards, online news sites and company websites. An advanced search function provides a few more filters than Glassdoor, and allows you to drill down on a location, keyword and salary range. Indeed says it has 200 million unique visitors each month and is available in 60 countries and 28 languages.

 

  • LinkedIn – Recruiters and hiring managers love this site. As of April 2017, LinkedIn had 500 million members in 200 countries, out of which more than 106 million members are active. A 2015 Recruiter Nation report by Jobvite shows that 87% of recruiters are using LinkedIn (the most popular social media networking site for recruiters) to seek out job candidates.

LinkedIn allows you to post a free profile, publish your resume and connect with other professionals. It also allows you to search for jobs, and then shows you those in your network who are currently working, or have worked, inside that organization. This makes it easier for you to find (and hopefully get) referrals which is the #1 way job candidates land a job!

You can search job openings on LinkedIn by going to your home page and clicking the “jobs” tab towards the top of the page. Search by job title, keyword, company, or use the advanced search to include additional criteria. Be sure to scroll down to view job openings and companies hiring, as well as those in your network who have worked inside those organizations. For more tips, I love this article by Amanda Zantal-Winer, 29 LinkedIn Tips for Professional Networking, Business and Marketing.

Niche job sites…

SmartRecruiters.com reports that 62-percent of jobs are posted on niche job boards. Do yourself a favor and invest some time researching their Best 50 Niche Job Boards list (which was updated in December 2017.) This doesn’t need to overwhelm you.  Schedule an hour into your calendar to review the list, research the sites, and bookmark those sites with jobs that most closely align to your skills, passions and career goals.

For example, if you’re an executive looking for a new job then check out ExecuNet which features job openings starting at $150,000 annual salary and the Ladders with salaries of $80,000 and above. If you want to land a job in technology then bookmark Dice.  If you’re looking for a sales job then check out SalesGravy and SalesHeads. For healthcare jobs visit Healthcare Jobsite.  For a new gig in journalism, P.R. or social media try Media Bistro. Or, check out WayUp if you’re looking for an entry-level job or internship.

Freelance gigs…

Craving more freedom and control in your career?  You may want to promote your expertise by becoming a freelancer or consultant. Try posting your skills and experience on sites like these –

Accenture partners with more than 75% of the Fortune Global 500 companies to provide strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations services. They serve clients in 120 countries and have made 15 consecutive appearances in Fortune’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list.

Freelancer is a global marketplace which allows potential employers to post jobs that freelancers can then bid to complete. The site boasts completing +13-million freelancing jobs to date with a 95% re-hire rate in jobs for graphics & design, websites & IT, writing & content, sales & marketing, and engineering and science.

UpWork says it posts 3-million part-time, short-term and freelance gigs annually, and their pool of freelancers are earning more than $1 billion via the site each year by providing companies with over 3,500 skills. For designers, creatives, programmers, developers, and a variety of other business services skills.

Other sites that can put some cash in your pocket include: Uber, Lyft, SnagaJob, TaskRabbit, Postmates and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk for small tasks. These sites offer marketplaces for anyone wanting to get hired as a driver, mover, courier, cleaner and basic chore-doer.

One final note – the career apps and websites listed above are great resources to help you find your next job. I recommend creating a job search agent on those sites you like so that you’ll spend less time searching and more time receiving instant notifications about jobs that interest you.

In future articles, I’ll share my favorite resources and tips to help you land your dream job by getting more job leads, referrals and recommendations, as well as tools to create a stellar resume, resume format tips, and how to nail your job interviews. But for now, I hope this article helps you get one step closer to landing your dream job.

About the author

 Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker, award-winning author, and President of Career Coaching 360 (www.CareerCoaching360.com). She’s helped thousands of executives and professionals change, re-brand, advance and take their career in a whole new direction. Author of the award-winning book, “The Bounce Back – personal stories and strategies to you help you bounce back higher and faster after a layoff, re-org or career setback” which was named 2013 best career book by Indie Book Awards and “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand”. Sherri is regularly interviewed for her career strategies published in the Washington Post, the Wall St Journal, TIME Magazine, Smart Money magazine, the New York Daily Post, Investors Business Daily, and many others.

Sherri is a champion of helping others thrive and live in their best career. As a keynote speaker, she’s spoken at conferences and events around the world including the United States, Malaysia, Israel, Ireland, Singapore, Canada, Mexico, Vietnam and Kenya. Throughout her career, Sherri has worked for three Fortune 500 Companies overseeing and holding various positions in marketing, IT, management training and development, and global communications. She successfully reinvented herself and transitioned into various job roles and industries including television, radio, finance, and high tech. Sherri’s website offers free video training, “15 Clever Ways to Get More Job Offers” at www.CareerCoaching360.com

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under career change, change jobs, job search, new career, Uncategorized · Tagged with

The #1 New Year’s Resolution to Land Your Dream Job

Posted by on January 8, 2017 · Leave a Comment 

2017

Want to land your dream job in 2017?  Last week I was interviewed for an article in Jobs2Careers and asked, “What is the #1 New Year’s resolution you should make this year and actually keep?”

For me, the answer is simple.  I invest in myself every single week.

Since I have a full-time corporate job, as well as my own successful career coaching practice helping others land their dream job, I don’t have time to make resolutions that I’ll never keep.  But this is ONE new year’s resolution that I make (and achieve) every year.

Just as financial advisers tell us to pay ourselves first in order to have a strong financial portfolio, I make it a habit to invest in myself every week to ensure I have a strong sense of purpose, fulfillment and get closer to achieving my personal mission.

If you’re not sure where or how to invest in yourself, then ask yourself these three questions:

  1. What’s the next thing you want to learn?
    Block out time on your calendar to conduct research, read, learn, watch TED videos, or talk to others.  Learning something new can deepen an area of expertise, change the way you think and even take you in a whole new direction.
  2.  Who inspires you?  
    Connect yourself to those who motivate and energize you.  Offer to help them with a project or support them in their personal mission. They will become your greatest champions in overcoming fear, charting new territory and realizing your dreams.
  3. Where do you ultimately want to go in your career (or at least the next stop on your career journey)?
    Put a stake in the ground and envision the kind of work you want to be doing and the type of environment and organization where you want to work.

Give yourself time and space to answer each of these questions.  See what unfolds.  We’re not meant to stay in the same job forever.  We’re meant to morph, leap, fall, stretch, grow and bounce.  When you invest your time and energy every week in these three areas, your career will find its natural flow and become effortless.

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under career change, career coaching, Uncategorized · Tagged with

2016 Best Career Websites and Apps to Land Your Dream Career

Posted by on May 15, 2016 · Leave a Comment 

graphicSerious about landing your dream job this year? Or at least, landing a more fulfilling and higher paying job than the one you’re in now?

If you said, yes, then let’s do it! My last article in Huffington Post, 2016 Hottest Jobs, Highest Paying Companies and Fastest Growing Industries, helped many of you identify the job role and industry where you want to work.

Now let’s focus on the next step which is how to find your dream job.

As you probably know, it can be daunting navigating through a kajillion career websites, job boards and niche communities touting the latest and greatest job openings. As a career coach, I even get overwhelmed! Never-the-less, every year I conduct loads of online research and capture the lessons learned and best practices from my clients to create a list of my favorite (and what, I believe, are some of the most effective and best) career apps and websites that can help you find your dream job –

Salary.com published “10 Best Job Hunting Apps to Get You Hired“ which features apps to help make changing your career a snap including helping you stay organized, write your resume, and ace your interview.

One of my favorite on this list is JobMo which lets you search by location using Google maps in over 20 countries, find and apply for jobs listed on sites like Indeed, Simply Hired, The Ladders and Monster, as well as allows you to research companies and compare salary information.

SWITCH app – I love this cool, easy app! Available in the apple store and Google play, this app makes job searching fun by allowing you to search for jobs quickly from your phone. Simply swipe right if you’re interested in a job, or swipe left if you’re not interested. Employers and recruiters are automatically notified when a candidate is interested in their job. And, when recruiters and employers are interested in you(!) they’ll use the on-line chat feature to connect with you, set up an interview, etc. It’s simple, fast, and even eliminates the need for that annoying cover letter. 🙂

JobR app – another cool app that allows you to set up a profile, create and upload your resume and then search for jobs. This job search and resume app also has one more great feature – a personal “career concierge” to answer all your questions and point you in the right direction!

Want to know which career websites are best for job hunting? Forbes did all the heavy lifting by researching over 2,000 career websites, and then publishing their list of “10 Best Websites for Your Career.” This master list is not a ranking, but rather a roster that Forbes’ staff believes can be useful to all sorts of job seekers at varying stages of their careers – from executives to managers to interns.

I have three (3) favorite career sites from this list which include –

1. LinkedIn – Recruiters and hiring managers use LinkedIn more than any other website to connect with job candidates. LinkedIn is the largest professional social networking site and has more than +400 million members in +200 countries. People are signing up at approximately two new members a second! It is free to become a member and post a summary of your career and work history.

To find job openings, you can go to the LinkedIn Jobs web page and search by job title, keyword or company. You can also do an advanced search to include additional search criteria. On the Jobs page, you can also look for jobs under the sections for “Jobs You May be Interested In” and “Jobs in Your Network”.

For more tips on how to use LinkedIn for your career change I’ve found the LinkedIn – Jobs and Professional Services web page full of great tips and helpful recommendations.

2. Indeed – I’ve had many clients get hired off of Indeed. This is a Google-like search engine for jobs and one of the most efficient sites for surveying listings, since it aggregates information from job boards, news sites and company listings. An advanced search function allows you to drill down on a location, keywords and salary range. Indeed says it has 180 million unique visitors month. It’s available in 50 countries and 26 languages.

3. SimplyHired – Like Indeed, SimplyHired is a Google-like search engine for jobs and a quick way to survey a massive number of job listings, plus provides a salary estimator. The site, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., aggregates information from job boards, news sites and company listings. At last count, it had 30 million unique visitors a month. One cool feature of SimplyHired over Indeed: Job listings will display your LinkedIn connections to each job!

JobCase is a terrific resource if you don’t have a traditional resume or four-year degree, but have some job experience. Jobcase is an online community resource and advocate for the non-traditional workforce by providing job listings for hourly work and will even connect you to mentors.

Tip – The career apps and websites listed above are great resources to help you find your next job. I highly recommend that you bookmark, and create a job search agent on those sites that have jobs which most closely match your skills and passions so that you’ll receive instant notifications of jobs that interest you.

Here’s a little known fact from SmartRecruiters.com about finding jobs – 62-percent of jobs are posted on niche job boards. Reported in this special report “Best 50 Niche Job Boards“ Smart Recruiters assessed thousands of sites listing job openings. I’ve had many clients get hired off Dice, Media Bistro and other sites featured on this list, so be sure to research these sites and bookmark those that most closely align to your skills, talents and passions.

Want to see a few more career websites on my list of favorites?  Click here to read my complete article on Huffington Post, “2016 Best Career Apps and Websites to Land Your Dream Job“…

—————————————————————————————————–

Leading Career Coach Sherri ThomasSherri Thomas is a Career Strategist. She teaches others how to think differently and more proactively in their career. Her book, “The Bounce Back – personal stories of bouncing back higher and faster after a layoff, re-org or career setback” was named “Best Career Book” by the Indie Book Awards. Her first book, “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a powerful personal brand” has been #3 on AMAZON’s TOP 10 LIST for personal branding books. As the Founder/President of Career Coaching 360, Sherri teaches training professionals, managers and executives how to change, reinvent or advance their career. Sign up for her new 3-part free video training series “15 Clever Ways to Get More Job Offers” at CareerCoaching360.com

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged with

The Art of Promoting Yourself without Bragging

Posted by on July 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

As a leading career coach, I’m seeing that a lot of clients have one common challenge:  talking about themselves!    

Talking about yourself can be one of the most difficult challenges in making a career change.  More specifically, How can you talk about yourself in your networking opportunities, interviews and to hiring managers without sounding like you’re bragging?

 The fact is, people aren’t going to know what a superstar you are unless you tell them! :) I use to be intimidated by this, too, until I learned some pretty important lessons.   So too help you in your career change, here are three (3) of my networking strategies critical to your success…

  1. Talk about your projects, teams, and the value they delivered to the organization. 

It may feel uncomfortable talking about your achievements, but the fact is you won’t get noticed (yet alone hired!) if you don’t talk about them!  Here’s a tip – focus on the projects and teams you contributed to, and the value they delivered to the organization. Talk about goals, or stretch goals, that were met and how they benefited the organization to help increase revenue, save costs, or gain more market share.

2. Focus on results. 

Many career changers make the mistake of focusing on their previous responsibilities they’ve had in past jobs.  What I want you to do is talk about the results you’ve helped achieve on your projects, programs and teams. All programs are measured in terms of success metrics (or else they wouldn’t get funded) so if you don’t know the results – go back and ask the project managers or department managers. 

Here’s a bonus tip…

To add even more credibility and stand out from your competition, I want you to quantify your achievements with a number, dollar, or percentage. For example, instead of saying that you managed a sales team for a specific product, instead, say that you led a team of 5 sales professionals who increased sales by 15% and generated $250,000 a year for the past 3 years!  Quantifying your successes says that you are a driver, high achiever, and that you get results. 

3. Attitude is the key ingredient! 

I’ve found that getting a new job really boils down to two things: confidence and passion.  To get the job at the NBC-TV station in Monterey and beat out the other 100 job candidates, I was passionate about the company AND the position.  Even though I didn’t have the kind of experience that was required, I told the hiring manager that I absolutely knew that I could do the job.

There’s a kind of quiet confidence that we all have down deep inside.  A confidence that comes from knowing what we’re capable of doing.  When you transition into a new job role or a new company, you need to show the hiring manager that you have confidence in yourself and know that you’ll be successful in the job.   

And finally… 

Great companies are ALWAYS looking to hire great talent – and that means you!  So, if you’re serious about getting into a new career, then follow these three tips, power up your confidence, and believe in yourself!  Your new career is out there waiting for you – you just need to go get it!  🙂  

————————————————————————————–

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist. She teaches others how to think differently and more proactively in their career. Her book, “The Bounce Back” is the 2013 winner of “Best Career Book” by Indie Book Awards for independent book authors. Her first book is on AMAZON’s TOP 10 LIST for personal branding books, “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a powerful personal brand.” As the Founder/President of Career Coaching 360 Sherri provides one-on-one coaching to professionals and executives who want to change, reinvent or advance their career. 

For a limited time, you can download the three FREE chapters of “The Bounce Back” at http://www.MyBounceBack.com

 

 

The Bounce Back by Sherri Thomas             

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged with

SMART NETWORKING – How to get more job leads, referrals and recommendations

Posted by on January 18, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

 

The goal of networking is NOT to start asking about job opportunities the instant you meet someone. The goal of networking is to create a connection or establish a relationship with someone.

As a Career Coach, I’ve noticed that many professionals looking to reinvent their career make the mistake of sending a message to others, ” I need a job.” But instead, you want to be sending the message that you’re a successful professional who’s resourceful, well connected, and who has some similar interests as they do. You want them to realize that you are someone that THEY should get to know! 

Below is my simple step-by-step process to help you build a powerful network to get more job leads, referrals and recommendations…

 

  1. Seek out others in the industry or job role where you want to work.

The next time you meet someone who works for a company where you want to work, or in a job role that you’d like to have, keep the conversation focused on that person (it’s not about you! -at least not yet!) Talk about their latest marketing campaign or product launch, or something new or interesting that’s going on inside their company. 

2.  Ask to keep in touch!

Next, you don’t need to have a long, in-depth conversation with each person. Instead, when you feel that the conversation has run its course, simply say, “I’d love to stay in touch – how about if we exchange business cards?”

3.  Send the message that you’re knowledgeable and resourceful!

Follow up by sending a piece of information you think they might be interested in such as an article, or the results of a new study, a link to a cool website that relates to their business, or an announcement about an upcoming conference or networking event. You want to send the message that you’re someone who is well connected, resourceful and that you are someone that they want in their network! :)

4.  Mention a few of your contributions and successes!

Once the door is open, then talk about some projects or teams that you’ve worked on that have been successful. One thing that works really well for me, is offering to share tips, insight or lessons I learned about the project. l I find that by doing this, people who appreciate these successes will naturally gravitate towards me. And it provides the foundation for a long-term relationship.

5.  After you’ve established a relationship, then drop the hint!

If you’re looking for a new job, then go ahead and drop a hint that you’re looking for “other opportunities.”  

Believe me, when you use this simple step-by-step formula, if your connections know of any opportunities they’re going to let you know!

One final thought, I strongly believe that no matter where you are in your career, we’re always in a position to help out others. Is there someone else you can support by introducing her to a potential employer, or giving a recommendation, or inviting to a networking event? Sometimes we get caught up in focusing just on ourselves, but remember that when we help out others along the way – the universe gives back to us more than we ever dreamed possible.  :)

Bottom line: you need a powerful network if you want to have a powerful career. 

So start making connections and nurturing your professional relationships. You’ll find that once you have a strong team of career influencers on your side, doors to new opportunities will open and career will soar!  

————————————————————————————-

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker and best-selling author of two books including “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand” which is currently on AMAZON’s TOP 10 LIST for personal branding books, and “The Bounce Back – personal stories of bouncing back higher and faster from a layoff, re-org or career setback“ also available on AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.   Right now you can download three FREE CHAPTERS of “The Bounce Back” at http://www.MyBounceBack.com

college papers for sale

765qwerty765
Email, RSS Follow

Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged with

Do You Keep Thinking, “I Need a New Job!”

Posted by on December 15, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

Do you keep telling yourself, “I need a new job!”
Are you thinking it every day?

Do you dream of starting a fresh, new career where people appreciate you? Where you can do the kind of work you enjoy, and be valued for your expertise? Or maybe reinventing yourself into a completely different job or industry where you’re doing something you’ve always dreamed about that’s meaningful and inspiring?

Maybe you’ve been pushing away that dream because it seems impossible, or overwhelming, or maybe because you simply don’t know how to change your career?

But what if you can no longer silence the dream? When that voice keeps coming back to you, louder and stronger, saying “I need a new job!”, and no matter how many times you push it out of your mind it keeps coming back. What do you do then?

The reason so many people stay in unmotivating and unfulfilling jobs is because it’s easy to do. It’s familiar, it takes minimal effort, it’s easy to blank out and be a zombie for 8 hours a day, and there’s comfort in knowing you’re getting the bills paid.

It’s easy because there’s minimal risk and minimal effort. But there’s also minimal reward. Doing drudgery work actually drains you of energy, makes you irritable and lowers your quality of life. However, when you’re energized in your job, then you’re making higher contributions, and therefore, have more opportunities for promotions, advancement and a higher quality of life.

Earlier in my career, I made the mistake of believing that if someone hired me, then that was where I was meant to be. BIG mistake!!  I learned that I need to set the bar higher for myself. I learned that jumping into a new, and sometimes scary career was worth the risk. I also learned how to create more options and how to make better decisions about where I work and who I work for.

Life is way too short to stay in a meaningless job where you’re unfulfilled, unchallenged and under-valued. I’ve had a few of those jobs myself and I remember waking up every morning and dreading going into work. The highlight of my day was having lunch with some of my colleagues. If the highlight of your day is eating lunch – then it’s time for you to make a career change – or at least, start exploring new opportunities!

I’ve reinvented myself four (4) times and each time, I successfully landed in my dream career! For me, I tend to stay in a career 4-5 years, and then through natural curiosity (or A.D.D.? ;)) I tend to re-brand and reinvent myself  into a different job role or industry. Each one of my career changes started out the same way – by allowing myself to dream about career possibilities and then creating an action plan.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT… Allow yourself time to dream. 

Give yourself permission to daydream about career possibilities.  (In fact, this is one of the key assignments I give to my clients which is why I believe they have such a high success rate!) Then, write it down and start talking to others who are in that industry or job role.  Find out what a good day looks like for them, what a bad day looks like, what their biggest challenges are, etc.

The point is for you to find out whether you really want to be in that job one day.  If you do, then the next step is to start taking action. How could you make that transition? Which of your skills are transferrable?  Which companies are hiring for that job role?   

If you get stuck, then reach out for help by talking to mentors or hiring a career coach.  

Once you start taking action, you’ll be well on your way to making your dream career a reality! 🙂

 

—————————————————————

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker and best-selling author of “The Bounce Back” and “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand. “ Get more tips and strategies on how you can bounce back from a layoff, re-org, bad manager or other career threatening setback in Sherri’s new book, “The Bounce Back” now available on AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE. You can download three FREE chapters of THE BOUNCE BACK at http://www.MyBounceBack.com

————————————————————————————-

Need a few gift ideas this holiday season?  

Check out these great gifts to help someone on your list jump start their new career –

 

  • Brand new “Six Week, Six Step Career Change Program” 

     

    Designed for professionals and executives who want a new career.  The perfect gift for someone who needs help getting hired into a new career, and includes the “Career Change Boot Camp” 2-CD program, the e-book “Interviewing Smart – Insider Secrets to Getting the Job“, professional, customizable and proven resume templates, and “The Salary Compensation Guide” to help you negotiate the best deal for you!

 

 

 

  •  “Career Change Boot Camp Program”

    The most popular gift this holiday season is  a complete do-it-yourself self study program that includes step-by-step strategies, tools and resources to help you change careers quickly and easily.  Includes 2 CD’s, eWorkbook and transcripts so you can get started immediately!

 

 

 

Provides personal stories, strategies and lessons learned from myself and 13 other professionals who navigated through career setbacks to come out on top! Available in hardcover and Kindle formats on AMAZON and Barnes & Noble.  

 

 

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under career change, change jobs, new career, Uncategorized · Tagged with , ,

When it’s the Right Time to Change Your Career…

Posted by on October 16, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

I recently had a client, David, who after 15+ years of employment, advancement and promotions with the same company, found his career at a standstill. His manager encouraged him to stay put because opportunities may be on the horizon, but with downsizing and layoffs happening across other departments David saw a bleak future ahead of him and decided to take control of his career and look for a new job.

Like many people in David’s situation, career changes can be difficult to face. But career changes are a part of life. And the quicker you can recognize change and make adjustments in your career, the easier and more successful your career will be.

Just like the weather, careers have seasons. The springtime is like starting out in a new job. Everything is fresh, new, and exciting. The summer is when you hit your stride, you’re confident, making significant contributions, and your job is actually FUN!

During the fall, you’re a seasoned veteran in your comfort zone and an expert in your role. Strangely, this is also the time when many professionals and executives begin thinking about a career change. Some become antsy for a new challenge or a bigger step up the corporate ladder to change into a deeper, more meaningful career.

David was in the winter season of his career. This is the final phase of your job when you realize that change is inevitable, and that you must move on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you find yourself being pushed out of the nest due to corporate mergers or downsizing, or you’ve made the decision for change on your own, the quicker you recognize and respond to change, the quicker you can take control and get your career on the RIGHT track.

Most professionals change careers 4-7 times during their lifetime. For David, it was his 3rd, and I’m happy to say that he navigated through the storm beautifully. We created a step-by-step career transition plan and within just a few weeks he was considering job offers from two different companies.

 

If your career is in a fall or winter season, then here is your assignment…

Start exploring all of the opportunities around you. If you’re currently employed, then consider taking on new projects or joining teams that excite you or at minimum, help strengthen a skill and boost your resume.

Also, beef up your professional network by attending industry conferences, training seminars, and business networking events to talk to other professionals and discover new career opportunities. Learn about the skills and qualifications required to move into those new jobs.

If you’re feeling ‘stuck’ and not sure what you want to be when you grow up :) then read the business journal, trade magazines, industry publications and your local newspaper to see what kinds of jobs are available and what inspires you.

The point is to take control of your career. Identify which season you’re in and if it’s time for a change – then get on with it. Do the work necessary to get through the storm and you’ll find that your career (and your life) welcome a fresh new start.

————————————————————————————-

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker and best-selling author of two books including “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand” which is currently on AMAZON’s TOP 10 LIST for personal branding books, and “The Bounce Back – personal stories of bouncing back higher and faster from a layoff, re-org or career setback“ also available on AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE. For a limited time, grab (3) THREE FREE CHAPTERS of “The Bounce Back” at http://www.MyBounceBack.com

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged with

Don’t Waste Your Time Networking – Instead Build Relationships

Posted by on September 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

Career Coaching 360 Coaches

 

 

 

 

 

 

The goal of networking is NOT to start asking someone about job opportunities. The goal of networking is to build a relationship with someone. 

It takes two things to be successful in your career: 1) doing high quality work; and 2) having positive relationships with the right people.  The right people will help you get hired, promoted and introduce you to others who could potentially hire you, as well as give you a continuous supply of job leads, referrals and recommendations.

Whether you’re employed or not, it’s impossible to have a successful career without the support of others.  So how can you build strong supportive relationships with others? Here are a few key strategies that can help –

  1. Show an interest in them

Let’s say that you have an upcoming meeting, conference or a professional networking event.  Look at the agenda and ask yourself, “Who would I like to meet?” Maybe it’s someone you’ve never met, or maybe it’s someone already in your professional network.

Plan ahead and think about a topic that you think might interest them such as a new product launch in their division, or how you’ve applied one of their teachings that you read about, or perhaps offer them an idea you have on a challenge they are currently facing.  The point is to keep the conversation focused on that person (it’s not about you! -at least not yet!)

2.  Listen more than you talk

You connect with someone by being genuinely interested in him or her.  While you’re establishing relationships, you’ll want to listen more than you talk. This is worth repeating – you need to LISTEN more than you TALK 🙂  So to keep the focus on them, you’ll need to ask some good questions like, “How’s that big project going that you’re working on?” or “How is the new product doing that your company just launched?”

If it’s the first time you’ve ever met, then you don’t need to have a long, in-depth conversation. Instead, when you feel that the conversation has run its course, simply say, “I’d love to stay in touch – do you want to exchange business cards?” Or, “I can send you an article I just read on that very same topic.  Would you like me to forward it to you?”

The point is that you want to connect with your contact and do so in a way that is genuine, authentic and shows an interest in what they are doing.

3. Be a resource for them

As a leading Career Coach, I’ve noticed that many professionals make the mistake of sending a message to others that shouts, ” I need a job!!” The message is all about them, and not about the other person.  It’s a one-way relationship, instead of a two-way relationship.  It’s very selfish.  Who wants to be in a relationship like that?

Instead, you want to be sending the message that you’re a successful professional who’s resourceful, well connected, and who has some similar interests as they do. You want them to realize that you are someone that THEY should get to know!

Send out personalized notes and e-mails to your network with links to industry news, reports, case studies, press releases, videos, or cool websites that you think may interest them. Volunteer to write recommendation letters, and introduce them to others in your network. Invite them to business networking events, and introduce them to movers and shakers that you know. Be proactive and offer to connect them to others in your network that may help them solve a problem, offer advice, or potentially advance their career.

One thing that works really well for me, is offering to share my resources, tips, and lessons learned that may help them in some way. I’ve found that doing this provides the foundation for a long-term relationship. Also, one of the key benefits of building a connection and being a key resource to others is that you are more likely to receive career support from them including job leads, personal recommendations and referrals. 🙂

————————————————————————————-

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker and best-selling author of two books including “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand” which is currently on AMAZON’s TOP 10 LISTfor personal branding books, and “The Bounce Back – personal stories of bouncing back higher and faster from a layoff, re-org or career setback“ also available on AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.   Right now you can download three FREE CHAPTERS of “The Bounce Back” at http://www.MyBounceBack.com

Email, RSS Follow

Filed under career change, Networking, new career, Uncategorized · Tagged with

Interviewing Secrets From Professionals Who Got the Job

Posted by on August 28, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

Ready for your big interview?

 

Interviewing is intimidating, nerve wracking, and can make you feel like you’re two heartbeats away from having a heart attack. You only have one shot at making a great first impression so you need to make sure you’re prepared to give the right answers during your next interview.

 

As a leading Career Coach for the past five years, I’ve gathered interviewing tips from my clients who have been hired and written an e-book, “Interviewing Smart – Insider Secrets from Professionals Who Got the Job!”  Here are five key questions going through your interviewer’s mind…

1.  Can you do the job?

These questions are usually very black and white. Either you have what it takes to be successful in the position or not. Before the interview, be sure to study the job description so that you fully understand the job requirements.

Be prepared to talk about your skills, knowledge, and training that will help you perform the job successfully. The biggest mistake I see job candidates making is talking about their responsibilities, and what they need to focus on are the results and accomplishments they’ve achieved for their previous employers.

2.  What “extras” do you bring?

For most job openings, a hiring manager knows about 90% of the work that the new employee will be responsible for, but not the remaining 10%. That is because they want to know, What can you (the new employee) ADD to the position?

So before you go into a job interview, think about any additional skills and talents that you can bring to the position.

3.  Where are you at risk?

Every new employee is a risk to a company. Whether it’s a specific job requirement that you don’t meet, or potentially being overqualified for the position, or a potential health risk, etc. So, spend some time thinking about where you are a risk.

I like to beat the interviewer to the punch by stating where I’m a risk and then reassuring her why it won’t be a problem. For example, if the job requires that you need to know of a specific type of software, then I want you to sign-up for some training before your interview so that you can say that you’ve already registered for some training to learn more about the software.

The point is that you need to be able to discuss the area(s) where you are a risk, and then immediately follow-up with what you’re doing to close the gap.

4.  Does the interviewer like you?

This is an area that you really cannot take personally. Either the culture and the team are a good fit for you, or they aren’t. And believe me, it’s better to know up front during the interview, than to have a pit in your stomach every day as you walk into your new office.

I once interviewed with a Sales VP at a television station. After 1 1/2 hours of interviewing, I really couldn’t tell if he wanted to hire me or not, so I simply asked, “Do you think I would be a good fit with your team?” He told me that he didn’t think so because he allows his team to vent, kick the garbage can and curse like sailors in the office. I appreciated his candor because the reality is that I would not be happy or successful in an environment like that.

During your next interview, be prepared to discuss your professional style and work ethics.

5.  Will you be able to work out the compensation/benefits package?

Be prepared to talk about a salary range that is acceptable to you. I do not recommend giving an exact salary since the benefits package almost always includes room for negotiating vacation days, stock allowance, bonus payouts, perks, etc. But you should be prepared to give a salary range that you would accept.

Those are 5 questions that your interviewer really wants to know about you! It’s not everything you should do to prepare for an upcoming interview – but it’s a good start!

For more interviewing strategies and to learn how to negotiate a top salary, check out my “6-Week, 6-Step Career Change Program.”

 

————————————————————————————-

Sherri Thomas is a Career Strategist, international speaker and best-selling author of two books including “Career Smart – 5 Steps to a Powerful Personal Brand” which is currently on AMAZON’s TOP 10 LISTfor personal branding books, and “The Bounce Back – personal stories of bouncing back higher and faster from a layoff, re-org or career setback“ also available on AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE.   Right now you can download three FREE CHAPTERS of “The Bounce Back” at http://www.MyBounceBack.com

Enhanced by Zemanta
Email, RSS Follow

Filed under interviewing, Uncategorized · Tagged with , ,

Next Page »