References - Don't job seek without them

Q - Why are references so important?
A - References 'ground' the information that you provide on your resume and in your interviews. Once your prospective employer has had the opportunity to meet with you, they will definitely want to learn more about how you've performed in other positions, especially your current one.

Q - When should you set up your reference list?
A - Before you go on your first interview. If you are under serious consideration for the position, your potential employer will definitely ask for and check out your references.

Q - What actions should you take to line up your references?
A - 1. Contact each person who you want to have on your list.
2. Be sure that you know how to spell their name correctly and that you have
the correct contact information for them.
3. Ask permission to list them as your reference.
4. Be sure that you can count on them for a good reference.
5. Let them know what kind of position you're looking for. If this person thinks highly of you, they will want to pass your name along and share opportunities that they hear about.

Q - It's important to have good current references. What do you do if you don't have any?
A - Use what you have. One way to develop current references is by volunteering. Volunteering can teach you new professional skills, that will make you more competitive as a job candidate. Also - volunteer positions will help you meet new people to network with. Volunteer positions can, at times, lead to a permanent jobs.

Q - What if your most recent job ended on a sour note?
A - Do all that you can to mend broken relationships with your past employer. Make a frank appeal for a decent reference. Ask for a letter from your former boss that you can both agree on.

Q - What if you only have one bad reference?
A - If need be, admit that you did not get along with your former boss. Emphasize that although this relationship didn't work out well, that you did well in all of your other positions. Remember - accentuate your positives - put them at center stage.

Riding the job-seeking highs and lows

Job seeking is challenging. You must show up and self motivate daily. The way that you manage your job search is crucial. Your professional future is on the line. This process is unpredictable. At times it's like an amusement park ride – filled with high and lows, twists and turns.

You may be strong out of the gate -- filled with optimism. Should you encounter disappointments, or if your job search takes longer than you had hoped, it can get challenging to keep yourself going. Here are some ways to stay energized and proactive:

Focus on the actions/not the results
As a job-seeker, there is much that is outside of your control. The economy may be soft. This isn't your fault, and there's not much that you can do about it. You may respond to a job posting where you seem to be a perfect fit, but receive no response. You may interview for an attractive position, but lose it to another candidate. These outcomes are frustrating and discouraging, and there is little you can do to change them.

It's more beneficial to focus on areas that you can control and on steps that you can take. There is much you can do every day to move your job search forward. These include - checking listings, making calls, and following up. By taking these actions consistently, you will improve your mood and build momentum.

To succeed -- plan!
Your job search must have a structure. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Know what actions you want to take - daily, weekly, and monthly. Write them down in a calendar and review them regularly. If you don't, it's all too easy to forget or have items fall between the cracks. Good leads are too precious to lose track of. When you prepare a list of tasks to be done, they are more likely to get accomplished. If you continue to follow through, you will see momentum building, and feel better about yourself.

Network
Most jobs are not listed in newspapers or online. They are filled through the "hidden job market". The only way to tap into this resource is by reaching out to all members of your network, especially those who are well connected. Touch base with the many people you know - professionally and personally. Let them know that you are job seeking and educate them about the kind of position you're looking for. Show them your resume and teach them about your skills and strengths. They may know of suitable openings, or be able to connect you with others who do. This is one of the best ways to find work -- don't overlook it.

Get support
Job seeking can be a lonely process. You've got to self-motivate, take actions and make lots of decisions, all on your own. The good news is that you don't have to do it all by yourself. Reach out and get support. Buddy up with a fellow job seeker. Network. Join a job-seekers support group. This will provide camaraderie, helpful tips, and hopefully some promising job leads as well.

Job seeking is unpredictable. By following these suggestions, you can stay focused and productive. You will move your job search forward, and start to see promising results.

Your network -- how well are you working it?

Networking is about building and maintaining relationships -- a skill that you've been actively developing since day one on this planet.

Why is networking so essential for you as a job seeker? Most employers would prefer to not advertise. This is partly due to the economy and partly because they would rather hire someone who they know and trust, either directly or indirectly. Only 15% of all jobs get listed on the internet and in printed ads while 85% get filled through the human grapevine. As a job seeker, you want to be sure that you're in the employment pipeline, hearing about all available opportunities. If you want to access 100% of all possible positions, you must reach out to your network.

Who is in your network? Simply put, everyone you know who can be a resource for you. These include:
1. Past or present co-workers
2. Family members
3. Friends you’re in touch with regularly
4. Old friends
5. Members of your religious community
6. Peer volunteers
7. Neighbors
8. Your children’s friends’ parents
9. Business associates
10. Community leaders/elected officials
11. Professionals in your community who you deal with on an ongoing basis – your doctor, dentist, financial advisor, lawyer, etc.

How can you work your network? Start by contacting the folks on your list - by phone, mail, and email. Let them know what you're looking for. Teach them about your experience, skills and strengths. This will make it easier for them to refer you to others. If there are individuals who are well connected and who are likely to be able to pass your name along, take them to lunch or for a cup of coffee. A small investment can go a long way.

Networks must be worked. It is nice to think that, without too much effort on your part, your phone will ring and you'll be presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. Don't depend on it. Instead, get proactive. Put together a contact list and get busy. Your outreach will be energizing and fun, and it can also bring you the position you've been hopeing for.

Three key skills that interviewers look for

To be seriously considered as a job candidate – employers are going to want to get a good sense of who you are and the value that you would bring to their company. This will come from your resume, cover letter, and interview.

Three key skills that interviewers look for include:
· Problem-solving skills – your ability to work through challenges
· People skills – your ability to work well with others
· Closure skills – your ability to work efficiently and get things done

It’s important that you are able to discuss your strengths and abilities in each of these areas.

Problem-solving skills –
Think about challenges that you’ve encountered on the job. What made them especially difficult? What inner resources did you use to solve them?
How did you think creatively/outside the box?
What actions did you take?
How did it work out?

People skills –
How do you shine in your relationships with your co-workers?
Are you flexible, agreeable, a good listener, articulate, a team player, trustworthy?

Closure skills –
How are you able to work efficiently and get things done?
Are you:
- well organized?
- able to think clearly under pressure?
- able to plan/track a job?
- able to follow through? prioritize? work independently?

By knowing your skills and being able to discuss them, you will show your potential employer what a valuable contribution you could make.

Remember, your prospective employer doesn’t know you. Be willing to teach them. Have stories to tell about ways in which your skills and strengths were of greatest benefit to your employers.

Present yourself for interview success

On a job interview, how long does it take for a recruiters to size you up?
a. 10 seconds?
b. 10 minutes?
c. 30 minutes?

The correct answer is – 10 seconds! You haven’t even had the opportunity to utter a word, and your fate has already been sealed. This quick judgement is entirely based on how you present yourself. It isn’t fair – but this is the reality that you must face as you prepare yourself for each interview.

This reality is confirmed by the saying -- “You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Image is everything. Your resume and cover letter will get you to the interview. Once you’re there, how you present yourself will determine whether you get any farther.

Your goal is to favorably impress. You want your look to reflect the company culture and job that you hope to fill. Even if it is 'casual attire day,' always dress to impress.

Here are some tips to follow to make sure that you present well:

· Wear dark colors/avoid pastels

· No short sleeves

· Wear classic styles – nothing too trendy or extreme

· Dress in synch with the company’s dress code

· Shoes – dark, closed, shined

· Quality accessories

· Avoid – cheap watches; synthetics; short, tight, or revealing clothing; and excessive perfume

· If you smoke or are a heavy coffee drinker, have a mint before your meeting. No candy or gum during your interview.

Once you're contacted for an interview, you want to do everything possible to make a favorable impression. By taking the time to "dress for success" you will show your prospective employer that you are a solid candidate -- one who presents her/himself attractively and who should be given serious consideration.

Manage your job search effectively

What actions do effective managers take? They -

- run things - make sure everything that must be done, gets done
- prioritize – decide what’s most important, what must be done first, second, etc,
- delegate - decide who does what
- break projects down into smaller tasks
- monitor projects to be sure they're done well
- track jobs to be sure that they're completed on time

As a job seeker, you must be your own manager and run your own job search –
This includes making decisions about:
- How you structure your precious time
- What leads you follow up on
- What actions you take
- When you take them
- Whether your actions are effective
- Whether you follow up or not

To manage your job search effectively, you must:
- Not let things fall between the cracks
- Stay on top of all of the details
- Write everything down in one place
- Write daily lists that you check off
- Keep everything in one place
- Keep your workspace organized
- Plan ahead

By managing your job search effectively, you’ll take smart actions, keep yourself on track, and know that you’re doing all that you can to ensure that you get the best results from your efforts.

Morale boosting for job seekers

Your morale = your emotional or mental condition.

What is it about job seeking that makes it especially difficult to stay upbeat?

Job seeking can be a discouraging process. Consider this definition:
“getting a job is a series of failures that usually ends with success”
The good news is that there is often a happy ending, but the tough part is that, before the process is over, you have to take lots of bumps and rejections.

As job hunters, so much is NOT in your control, including:
- the kind of positions available
- the companies that have openings
- the state of the economy

Here are some suggestions to help you manage your moods and keep moving forward:

1. Don't isolate/get support/network
Jobs provide structure and socializing. Unemployment ends both, and this loss can be tough. Rather than isolating at home, make it a point to get out. Consider visiting your local career center and taking advantage of what they're got to offer. If they have a job club -- sign up and attend regularly. Utilize all of the services that they offer, including courses and trainings. See if there are counselors available to meet with you. All of these services are free, so why not make good use of them?

2. Structure your time/manage it well

3. Stay proactive

4. Give yourself breaks when needed, but don’t reward yourself by not doing

5. Avoid negativity – too much news, energy vampires.

6. Focus on what you can control. Avoid dwelling on the past.

7. Self-educate
A constructive way to utilize your time is to use it to self-educate. Attend free lectures, read, and/or learn new skills. A participant in the BerkshireWorks job club used her unemployment time to upgrade her skills. She took an advanced course in Excel. She also took a real estate course, sat for the state exam and then got her license. In addition to boosting her mood, these actions may lead to new professional options that weren't available when she first got laid off.

8. Consider volunteering

9. Exercise

10. Remember to have balance/fun/recreation

Expect that your morale will be occasionally be low. The good news is that, with time and effort, it will pass!