Build the Career You Deserve E-zine – Just a Quick Note for 2009
Just a Quick Note
I simply cannot believe it is going to be 2009 tomorrow! This past year has been nothing short of action packed for me and my family.
As you know, my grandmother passed away last month and earlier this year my father had some severe health issues (thankfully, he is on the mend). While both of these events were particularly trying for us all, it reaffirmed for me how tight knit a group we are! I am truly blessed to have been born into this clan!
In July of this year we had a fantastic addition to our family – Sean James – my nephew! Here he is with my dad – a very proud grandfather indeed! I know I am biased, but this is the happiest little guy I have ever been around…and it is contagious.
Curiously enough, this action – ebb and flow – has mirrored itself professionally as well. This year I have shifted my primary focus from headhunting and you have seen the ground swell that has taken Build the Career You Deserve to new heights in a very short period of time (the webinars, my coaching program, the blog…the list goes on). But that is just the beginning.
In January, I will unveil some huge, new solutions for you and your job search. These will include:
- A DVD sharing inside information on how to be your own headhunter – making the connections you need to get the interviews you want.
- A Mastermind Program giving unparalleled access to Subject Matter Experts to build the career you deserve.
- Networking tools to get you the answers you need to manage your job search and career.
- And more…
I am planning a call in early January to unveil all of this since there is way too much to list here. As my valued e-zine reader, you will be the first to hear about it! So keep an eye on your inbox for the date and time of call.
In the meantime, here is to a phenomenal 2009 for us all! I look forward to achieving much success together.
Taking it to eleven,
Kevin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 17,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Kevin is the Managing Partner of Hammer Consulting and CEO of Kevin Kermes Inc., a company devoted to empowering professionals with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job they want and build the successful career they deserve. Sign up for his free e-zine – Build the Career You Deserve – for insider tips on how to do just that!
Build the Career You Deserve e-zine – So What?
So What?
Last week, we talked about Your Solution and one of the benefits it brings when you use this technique in your job search. Another thing it will do is make a compelling case for why an employer would want to hire you. Your hire should be a “no brainer.” When clients are working to develop their “Solution,” I tell them to constantly ask themselves “So what?”
In this market, it isn’t enough to demonstrate you want the job. It isn’t even enough to show you can do or have done the job. Again, “so what?” You need to make a compelling argument as to how your past performance is what that employer is seeking to be their next hire’s future performance. And, how you are the fix to whatever their problem might be.
This is exactly why you need to keep asking yourself “So what?” Until that question is answered with some “meat” – quantified and qualified – that is exactly what a future employer is going to be thinking – “so what?” And, rest assured, the job (and the most money) goes to the person who can best answer that question. Shouldn’t that person be you?
If you do not go into interviews with a finely tuned “Solution” that makes a “no brainer” value proposition, you are really rolling the dice. There are no do-over’s. Second chances to make first impressions just do not exist in this marketplace. Too many other people are chomping at the bit to simply get that interview slot. So, shouldn’t you go in fully prepared to make the best case possible as to why that company can’t afford not to hire you?
* * * * * * * * *
and find the job you want in half the time.
* * * * * * * * *
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 17,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com
2008-2009 © Kevin Kermes Inc. – All Rights Reserved
When Getting “No” is Better Than “Yes” – from the Build the Career You Deserve e-zine
When Getting “No” is Better than “Yes”
The foundation to the success of every step of the job search – from identifying the right job, to securing the interview, to getting an above market offer – is in first identifying your “Solution.” Without this firmly defined, everything else you build upon in the process is going to have a weak foundation. The end result: a prolonged job search, fewer interviews, jobs that don’t pan out and offers that come in below where you want them.
Your Solution is your go-to-market message telling companies why they need to not only talk to you, but hire you. It is a well crafted, comprehensive list of quantifiables that show your addition to a company’s team is an investment they cannot pass up. Your ROI is clear cut. It is much more than bullets for a resume or an “elevator speech.” It is a mindset that you take with you through every stage of the interview process to set you apart for your competition.
It does a number of critical things as well:
-
Clearly defining Your Solution makes you more valuable to prospective companies – making you stand out in a sea of competition.
-
With the Your Solution mindset in interviews, you no longer need to worry about what questions you are going to be asked – you will have greater control over what is discussed.
-
Your Solution keeps you on message from the first interview to the offer - reinforcing why the company must hire you.
-
Staying “on message” with Your Solution continues to set you apart from the competition – securing you a spot as the front runner.
-
Your Solution paints a picture for your future employer of the exact role you will be playing inside the company – getting them to visualize you as an employee.
-
When it comes time for the offer, Your Solution has made your case for you – helping you get top dollar in your job offer.
-
Your Solution makes it clearer, quicker which opportunities aren’t a good fit for you – so you can focus on the job you really want and deserve.
While all these pieces are crucial to a successful job search campaign, today I am focusing on the last point: the importance to finding an opportunity that is a good fit.
Too often, the interview process results in putting emotion over intelligence. As the interviewee, you are striving to establish rapport, build a relationship and often can unwittingly do so glossing over what might be long-term fit issues. This is true for the person interviewing you too. And, with the lack of formal training given to hiring manager on how to properly interview and select team members they often fall back to “going with their gut” and hire who they like. But, just like a first date, the excitement of something new can result in losing sight of critical issues that will keep you from ever walking down the aisle.
Don’t get me wrong. Loving where you work – the people, the culture and the product – is extremely important. But, when that overshadows your actual role, you can get yourself into a pot of hot water and end up somewhere that you like the people but don’t provide true value to the company. Keeping on target with Your Solution will help you avoid this. As you define where you are best suited, the problems/pains that your background has positioned you to solve best and where you excel, you keep your decision making equally balanced between emotion and intelligence.
Another thing to remember is that accepting a position that isn’t the right fit, but rather the “fit for right now,” has a potentially disastrous downside. Just like we didn’t arrive at this economic crisis over night, we aren’t going to get out of it in the blink of an eye either. As companies continue to downsize and trim the fat, being a bad fit can easily manifest itself in poor job performance, subpar results, and alienating co-workers. The company that extends an offer today may very well find themselves making cuts a quarter or two from now. And, the outcome of your mismatch could result in you being back on the street looking for a job again.
Everyone’s situation is different, but all can agree that the job search is tiresome, draining and something you would like to put behind you as soon as possible. And, no doubt, a new job offer is always welcomed news when it arrives. But, you still want to make sure it is going to be the right match. Defining Your Solution and staying focused on it is one of the best ways to make certain you don’t find yourself repeating a job search in a year (or less).
* * * * * * * * *
and find the job you want in half the time.
* * * * * * * * *
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 17,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com
2008-2009 © Kevin Kermes Inc. – All Rights Reserved
5 Reasons to Kick Your Search into High Gear in December
Every year I hear countless job seekers say the same thing, “I am going to put my job search on hold until after the Holidays.” Just like I talk about in my webinar (Avoiding the 10 Biggest Job Search Mistakes ), conventional wisdom here misfires yet again. Here are some of the reasons that “suspending” your search in December will do more damage than good:
- I have never seen a December in the search business that wasn’t extremely busy – good economy or bad. Many companies are trying to get positions filled before year’s end because of budgets or potentially losing the headcount. The latter is of particular concern right now, given the economy’s fluctuating state.
- During December, there are multiple opportunities to network through holiday parties. The amount of people you can reach out and touch is two to three times that of any other time of the year. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?
- In my One-on-One Job Search Coaching, we think of your job search as a sales and marketing campaign. You should be creating “buzz” about your product – you! You have worked hard building up this “buzz” – so why stop now? Again, think about all the people gathering and networking (social or otherwise) this month. Don’t you want to remain top of mind?
- People are conditioned to connecting and re-connecting over the holidays. Combine this with a more charitable sprit and your networking efforts are made much easier. As many push their workloads off until the New Year, making introductions, renewing connections and touching base is much easier. Why wait until after January 1, when everyone is battling a pile of December’s procrastination on their desk?
- For those companies who aren’t going to hire until January 2009, staying top of mind right now is even more important. Simply out, who has a better chance of landing the job – the person who has been in touch, networking and establishing rapport over December –or- the person who makes their first contact via email on January 2?
In a recent conversation I had with an executive at The Ladders, the average job search for professionals at 100K+ is taking over 5 months. Networking is key to shaving months off this average for yourself and a large part of my One-on-One Job Search Coaching (3 months is the average for my clients – even at the C level).So, this is no time to rest! Keep building on that momentum you have worked to build in 2008 for your job search. If one of your resolutions for 2009 is to make a career move, there is no better time to get a leg up on the competition.
__________________________________
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 17,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.kevinkermes.com