Career Attraction Weekly Wrap-up: August 21, 2010
I’ll keep it short and sweet here…it was a really bust week last week. And, we aren’t slowing down any time soon. September is almost here and, historically, that means an uptick in the hiring market. So, I want you to be ready…
OK…on to what happened last week:
How to Stand Out in the Job Search: Stop Chasing Jobs and Start Attracting Them – I hope you’ll join me and our host (Robert Shindell of ilostmyjob.com) on Thursday. We will be talking about how you can easily stand out in this market and start pulling the job to you that you want – and need. Plus, I have a huge announcement I’ll be making. You can check it out here.
Free Job Search Coaching- The Recap: This week, I held a day of free 1-on-1 coaching sessions. It’s the first time I’ve done this and there’s no doubt…I will be doing it again. What I’d like to share are anecdotes and trends I took away from talking to these 23 job seekers. My hope is that it might provide some perspective and help to what often feels like a pretty solitary journey: the job search. Read more here…
LinkedIn v.Facebook – 281 vs. 181 and counting. If you haven’t joined us on LinkedIn and Facebook, come on in…the water is fine. This week there was a great discussion started by Karel Goodwin on GateJumping (or “Gate-Crash,” as she likes to call it!) in the LinkedIn Group. Check it out! Have a question? Want to share some information? These are great places to “pay it forward.”
Here’s what’s happening in Career Attraction University…
1-on-1 Coaching: August 25th and 27th…there are private, 1-on-1 coaching slots available. Sign-up in the members section and I’ll look forward to talking with you!
This Month’s Webinar - On Wednesday, August 25th and 12:00pmEST we will have our SME Webinar for August. I’ll be talking about how to Outsource Your Job Search. This will include tips, techniques and resources you can start using immediately to streamline your search, focus on that tasks that need your attention(versus the busy work) and get back to work quicker.
Registration information will be sent out to members on Monday.
NEW VIDEOS – New training videos on posting to LinkedIn Groups quicker (and more easily) and creating surveys, autoreponders and opt-in boxes for your website with iContact plus our Q&A webinar from last Wednesday.
Have some specific training you’d like for your search? Email me at kevin@careerattraction.com and I’ll get working on it for you!
Not a member of Career Attraction University? For less than one dollar a day you can access all this information and more. Sign-up here and get started today!
How to Tackle a Slowing, Summer Job Market from the “Build the Career You Deserve” ezine
In December, I wrote about kicking your search into “high gear” since the tendency is to back off a bit because of the holidays. While we are six months away from that season, the job seeker does experience something similar in the summer months. Hiring processes seem to take twice as long. Vacations make getting everyone on the same interview schedule, much less consensus on hiring decisions, difficult…to say the least. But there are some things you can do to help keep your job search moving forward with momentum, in spite of all this:
· It’s All About Activity: Network like crazy – LinkedIn®, Twitter®, professional networking events, trade shows, etc.. Don’t mirror the pace of the market. This is the time to get a leg up and get yourself in the process ahead of your competition.
· Less is More: Yes, you will need to increase your activity, but that doesn’t necessarily mean more work. Try working in blocks on your key activities (generating leads, marketing yourself, following up on leads, emails, etc.). By assigning specific blocks of time for these activities (and nothing else), you may find you work less but accomplish more.
· Start Now: Start increasing your activity now. Don’t wait for the market to slow. It is only a few weeks before summer schedules and vacations begin. So, begin filling your pipeline ASAP.
· Adjust your Responses: You know the process is going to slow, so measure your response in following up. By taking that into account, you can turn your calls and keeping in touch from nagging to pleasant persistence. And, while your competition is getting frustrated and not taking this into account, you will begin separating yourself from the pack.
· Have a System: Put together a system to track all your activity, who you are contacting and when you will contact them again. It is hard to determine what is going well and what isn’t without measuring and a system makes this so much easier.
· Be Original: In following up, you don’t want to continue checking in with the same message, “I am back and still looking for work.” Change up your message and get creative, but always stay on their radar.
Every year I have seen the hiring process slow in the summer. But, just as sure as you can bet on that, I have also seen it take off like a shot again in late August right before Labor Day. While that might seem distant on the horizon, it will be here before you know it. And, by filling your pipeline during the summer months, if you are still in the process in August your dance card is more likely to be full!
Want to learn more about Your Solution and uncovering the “hidden Job market?” Listen to a recording of my – “5 Secrets to the Perfect Job Search” webinar.
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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.careerattraction.com
