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Your Career: How To Apply For a Job at a Company That Isn’t Hiring…Enclosed is a Template to “Apply” for a Job Even If the Company Isn’t Hiring

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Welcome back, economy.  USA TODAY reports employers added an average of 246,000 jobs each month in 2014, the best year for job growth since 1999.Fifteen years is a long time, but it finally seems companies have started to hire in a meaningful way.

PeopleAwaitingInterview

That’s why you should rethink what it means to look for new opportunities.Typically, you apply for the positions you find on job boards and company websites.

What if you discover a company you love but find it’s not hiring — or at least not hiring a position relevant to your skills?  Spurred on by the positive job market, you should do the unusual: Apply even when there are no open positions.

First of all, what do you have to lose? Nothing. Exactly.  Second, what if your email pitch is compelling and puts you on the company’s radar?  Then if the boss does need to make a hire, you come to mind.

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That’s the case at my own PR firm. Recently a college student introduced herself even though we had not posted any open jobs. Now the girl is high on our list once she graduates.

I created a template to “apply” for a job even if the company isn’t hiring.

You never know where a single email can lead.

Subject line: [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Your job title, for instance, “Website developer”] interested in career opportunities

Hi ______,

My name is ________, and I am a [recent grad from _____ or job title and your expertise; for instance, a “web developer who specializes in small business websites.”] I hope you’re doing well.

I realize you don’t have a job posting for a [job title; for instance, “web developer,”] but I would still like to make introductions and explore ways I can help your team on [however you can add value; for instance, “website projects.”]

I checked out the [company name’s] website and like the projects you do, in particular [name two and explain why; for instance, “the landing page for the Tampa hospital system and the ecommerce page for the rental car startup. The two sites are fresh and easy to navigate. That’s the kind of work I like to do.”]

[Then, give a little info on your experience; for instance, “For the past _____ years, I have worked with (talk about your experience so far and list examples of past clients); for instance, “various media firms in Houston to create sharp websites for a range of clients. I have completed websites for a veterinary clinic, auto body shop, 24-hour gym, family-owned grocery and a teacher’s supply store.”]

Please see a few examples of my work down below:

  • [link to examples of your work, if available; you can also attach files if it makes more sense]
  • Example #2
  • Example #3

[If you are a recent grad with no real-world experience, provide links to college projects, case studies, internship projects or volunteer efforts. Let the person see what you’re all about.]

I have attached my resume to the email. Please let me know if I can provide more information.

Thanks so much,

You

Email Signature

Notes: In the email, prove you researched the company, link the reader to your own projects, attach your resume and ask nicely for a reply. Then, step back and see what kind of response you receive. The result might surprise you.

More from News To Live By:

Businessinsider.com | January 14, 2015 | DANNY RUBIN, NEWS TO LIVE BY

http://www.newstoliveby.net/2015/01/12/how-to-apply-for-a-job-hiring/#ixzz3Opdoy0j7

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Strategy: 5 Things Your Resume Must Convey In 10 Seconds…Reach Out to Your Hiring Manager Directly With a Pain Letter & Human-Voiced Resume Sent Straight to the Hiring Manager’s desk.

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If you pitch your resume into Black Hole recruiting sites, you’ll be resting your job-search hopes on a keyword-searching algorithm. That’s why I don’t recommend that approach to job-seekers, no matter how closely a job-seeker’s resume matches the posted job spec.

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The Black Hole

The Black Hole – HR Managers, Posted Ads, Job Sites, Recruiters, etc.

I recommend that you reach out to your hiring manager directly with a Pain Letter and Human-Voiced Resume sent straight to the hiring manager’s desk.

Your Pain Letter will speak so directly to your target hiring manager’s specific issues that your resume is sure to get a look if the manager opens the envelope at all. That’s why we write ultra-targeted Pain Letters versus boring, boilerplate cover letters.

That being said, your resume still has its own heavy lifting to do. In the typical ten-second glance, your resume has to convey at least these five critical points:

Your resume has to convey the fact you know exactly what sort of pain your hiring manager is facing.

You may have written the best Pain Letter in the world, but you still have to get across in your resume the idea that you understand exactly what your next manager needs to have done. Let’s say you’re going after a Business Development role.

Your Pain Letter makes it crystal clear that you understand the challenges associated with selling a brand-new cloud software application to mid-market businesses. Luckily, that’s what you’ve been doing for the past five years, very successfully. Still, your career history includes a wide range of selling experiences, not just in the software realm and not just for startups.

When your manager flips your Pain Letter to see your Human-Voiced Resume just behind and stapled to it, s/he has to see immediately that you’re the kind of Business Development person who can step right into the organization and get the sales pipeline activated.

If your resume isn’t customized to talk about opening new accounts for brand-new software releases, you’ll need to make that experience clear before sending your resume-Pain Letter package in the mail to the startup VP you’ve got your eye on. It’s very easy to lose sight of the fact that Business Pain is specific.

In our bodies, back pain is different from toothache pain. It’s the same way in business. We want to know that you can be effective in the situation we’re facing, specifically, so make that connection plain!

Like this Article ??… Share it ! ...First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services,  is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

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Your resume has to make it clear that you’re intelligent and business-savvy.

If our second point sounds so obvious that it’s not worth mentioning, you may not spend your days reading resumes the way I do. Your resume has to convey your intelligence and sophistication. That means that it can’t have one typo, one misspelling or one usage error in it, and the language you choose to describe your background has to convey your maturity and intellectual depth.

This is why I warn job-seekers away from cliches like “Results-oriented business professional with a bottom-line orientation.”

When your hiring manager scans your resume, s/he has to think “I want to meet this person,” not “This looks like every boring resume I’ve ever read before.”

 

Your resume has to communicate your story.

Some people use a functional resume format rather than a chronological one, typically because they’re nervous about some gap or blemish in their career history and hope that the functional resume style will obscure or minimize it. That’s a bad move in my opinion.

The number one thing you want to get across to your next manager is your story. There’s nothing wrong with your story, no matter what twists and turns you’ve taken to get here.

When you can see the soundness and logic in your path, other people will too. Don’t hide your story and make your manager hunt for dates and titles and the chronological aspect of your career. That’s the part they’re most avid to know!

Your resume has to tell Dragon-Slaying Stories.

Your former titles and the dates of your past positions are important to give your hiring manager the broad outline of your career to date. Inside that outline, he or she wants to know what you’ve left in your wake at each past job. You can make it easy for him or her to do that by telling short Dragon-Slaying Stories in your resume, like this:

  • After our acquisition of Angry Chocolates, I led the integration of the two firms’ databases for customer, vendor and product information in three weeks without affecting our day-to-day processes on either side.

The reader of your resume wants proof that you know what’s up and how to deal with the curve balls life throws at us. You can share that proof in quick Dragon-Slaying Stories that tell us all we need to know to pick up the phone and call you!

Your resume has to prove that you’re human.

Apart from their value as ‘proof points’ for your hiring manager’s benefit, there’s another big benefit to Dragon-Slaying Stories and the Human-Voiced Resume format in general. The other benefit is that when you write your resume in a human voice, your manager instantly knows that s/he’s dealing with a living, breathing person rather than a corporate automaton or an empty suit.

The more personality and spark you can put into your resume, beginning with the Summary at the top of it, the better. If your hiring manager reads your resume and knows immediately that a coffee date or phone call with you is going to be lively and intellectually stimulating, you’re going to get a lot more responses.

You might feel like you’re taking a risk putting a human voice in your resume, but that’s only  because we’ve been trained to write resumes for automated recruiting portals rather than for humans. When you know that you’re writing to a person at his desk (or hers), it’s much easier and more fun to use a conversational tone.

The reception to your Pain Letter/Human-Voiced Resume combo is going to be more human, too — and the resulting conversation when the two of your connect will make sparks fly! I’ll be rooting for you. Dig your sparkly, behind-the-suit personality out of mothballs and bring it across in your Pain Letter and Human-Voiced Resume. Wait until you see what happens next!

 

Forbes.com | January 14, 2015  | Liz Ryan 

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Strategy: 9 Times Bill Belichick Outsmarted The Entire NFL…Waging the Information War — Even With the Injury Report

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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been voted the best coach in the NFL for years on end.

Bill Belichick

 

You can see why when you look at how he’s outfoxed his opponents — again and again.

 

2000: Drafting Tom Brady with the 199th pick.

2000: Drafting Tom Brady with the 199th pick.

AP

Belichick has earned a reputation as a brilliant talent scout.

That includes what might be the greatest draft pick in history: taking Michigan quarterback Tom Brady in the sixth round in 2000.

“The thing with Brady was really the traits: his work ethic, his intelligence, his decision-making,” Belichick said in an interview. “I think a lot of the draft process is [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][about] not where the player is right now, but where the player will be a year from now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player improve as much as Tom did. That’s certainly a big credit to his work ethic and his determination.”

It paid off: Brady has two MVP awards, three Super Bowl wins, and 10 Pro Bowl selections.

 

Like this Article ??.. Share it ! .…First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services,  is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

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2003: Giving up points — to get more in return.

2003: Giving up points — to get more in return.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Flash back to November 2003. The Broncos are up 24-23 on the Patriots with 2 minutes 51 seconds left in the game. The Pats are in the perilous position of 4th and 10 from their own 1-yard line.

Belichick’s solution?

“Belichick was unwilling to give the Broncos strong field position, so he ordered his long snapper to air one over his punter’s head, giving the Broncos two points on the safety and possession,” John McTigue reports for ESPN.

It worked.

The Patriots forced the Broncos to go three-and-out, and Brady had over two minutes to come back and score the winning touchdown.

2008: Waging the information war — even with the injury report.

2008: Waging the information war — even with the injury report.

Elise Amendola/AP

Belichick listed Brady on the Patriots’ injury report for three years straight.

During that time, Brady played 127 straight games.

Crazy, right? Anything to confuse opponents.

It had an effect on how the league operates.

“The NFL has altered the format for the injury report, in part because of the Patriots,” the Boston Globe reported.

2008: Showcasing talent, then trading it away.

2008: Showcasing talent, then trading it away.

Wesley Hitt / Getty

In 2008, Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first week of the season. Matt Cassell stepped in as the starter that season, passing for over 3,500 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Belichick promptly traded him away to the Chiefs for a second-round pick.

Five years later, Belichick used another Brady backup as trade-bait: Ryan Mallett was sent to the Houston Texans for a late-round draft choice.

The underlying story: Belichick maximizes value every time.

2012: Embracing the no-huddle offense.

2012: Embracing the no-huddle offense.

Adam Hunger/Reuters

When the Patriots are rolling on offense, the game looks more like basketball than football.

By turning up the tempo, Brady can find and exploit weaknesses in the defense — and force them to stay that way.

As Deadspin writer Chris Brown detailed:

Modern defenses want to match offenses in terms of strength and speed via personnel substitutions. They also want to confuse offenses with movement and disguise. The up-tempo no-huddle stymies those defensive options.

The defense doesn’t have time to substitute, and it’s also forced to show its hand: It can’t disguise or shift because the quarterback can snap the ball and take advantage of some obvious, structural weakness.

And when the defense is forced to reveal itself, Tom Brady can change into a better play. The upshot of this tactic: Brady, of all people, sees defenses that are simpler than those most other NFL quarterbacks go up against.

Like with the six-receiver play against the Ravens on Jan. 10, the no-huddle strategy is an example of Belichick capitalizing on the structure of the game itself.

2013: Coaching his players on how to deal with media.

2013: Coaching his players on how to deal with media.

Getty

In 2013, the Patriots had a public-relations catastrophe when former tight end Aaron Hernandez was indicted for murder.

But Patriots players knew how to handle the media intensity.

Take it from former Patriots lineman Ross Tucker:

Quotes from the players when asked about the Hernandez situation in the coming days will be almost identical because that is what they will be told to say. I spent seven years in the NFL with five different teams, and I had never had a coach spend as much time talking about the media [as Belichick] and there was no close second.

Again, Belichick knows the power of information — and teaches his players to respect it, too.

2013: Using the environment.

2013: Using the environment.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Late in the 2013 season, the Patriots were hosting the Denver Broncos. The game went into overtime.

The Pats won the toss. They then elected to defer.

The reason? Winds were gusting at over 25 miles an hour at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

Instead of taking the ball, Belichick took the wind.

It worked. Denver kicker Matt Prater didn’t think he could knock in a 37-yard game-winner with that much wind in his face, and the Pats won with the winds at their backs.

2014: Not giving away any information.

2014: Not giving away any information.

NFL

In September 2014, the Patriots were struggling.

But Belichick kept his poker face.

When reporters asked him about the team’s perceived weaknesses, he said some version of “We’re on to Cincinnati” five times in a row.

The transcript is gold:

Reporter: Do you feel like the talent you have here is good?

Belichick: We’re getting ready for Cincinnati.

Reporter: Do you think you’ve done enough to help Tom Brady?

Belichick: We’re getting ready for Cincinnati. That’s what we’re doing.

2015: Using defense-destroying formations.

2015: Using defense-destroying formations.

NBC

On Jan. 10, the Patriots came back to win against the Ravens with a little bit of cunning.

For three plays, Belichick’s offense set up with only four offensive linemen and a wide receiver lined up in the traditional left-tackle spot.

It was a game of hide-and-seek — one that the Ravens lost. 

After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh objected to the tactic, saying, “It was clearly deception.”

“We had six eligible receivers on the field, but only five were eligible,” Belichick retorted.

http://www.businessinsider.com/times-bill-belichick-outsmarted-the-nfl-2015-1?op=1#ixzz3One4g7Dg[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Strategy: 10 Simple Things My Dad Taught Me About Networking…Looking Out for How you Can Leverage Your Contacts to Help Others Is the Foundation of Being a Connector

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It’s often said that whether or not we like it, we end up morphing into our parents as we grow older.

smileprofessionalwork

I was fortunate to have my dad role model for me some really critical lessons about the power of being a connector and master networker, and I’d like to share his top lessons with you:

  1. Always remember birthdays. My dad taught me the value of remembering things that are going on in other people’s lives. One thing he does is makes it a habit to calendar the birthdays of the important people in his network and send them a snail mail card each year. This is generally dozens of cards a month and it makes a lasting impression.

 

Like this Article ??  Share it! .…First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services,  is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

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2. Be a connector. Looking out for how you can leverage your contacts to help others is the foundation of being a connector.  It’s about giving without the expectation that you will get something in return.

3-Look at the world as a puzzle. Whether you’re speaking with your friend or person you met at an event, listen carefully to what they’re telling you. Are they expressing concern or frustration about something? Have they expressly mentioned a need? Is there someone in your network with whom you could connect them to help or move them forward on their journey in life? Look at the world like a puzzle, using your network to connect others to help both parties advance.

4-There aren’t six degrees of separation…there are two, you just have to think hard about how to get there! This builds off of lesson number three. It’s easy to visualize now when you look at tools like LinkedIn that document for you how many degrees of separation exist between you and someone with whom you’d like to connect. The statistic is technically that there are 4.74 degrees of separation, but thinking of it as two simply served as a perspective shift for me on the power of your connections.

5-It’s not necessarily what you know, but whom you know. Think back to the last time you needed something intangible and how you got it. Getting a job is certainly easier if you know someone. Closing that big deal goes more smoothly when someone refers you. The examples go on and on. Certainly what you know is not to be discredited entirely, because once you get in the door, you have to back it up with something. But, would you have gotten in the door without a connection? Or would it not be a boost to have had someone singing your praises before you arrived?

6-Do talk to strangers. My dad is the king of striking up a conversation with anyone, especially his plane seatmate. He’ll know your life story by the time the flight lands and in all likelihood, you’ll have an email in your inbox within 24 hours connecting you to someone who will be of value to you. He is never out for anything for himself in these chats; he rarely even tells the other person much about himself. But, he’s been able to gift the power of his network to countless people over the years simply by saying hello and asking questions.

7-It’s all about your follow-through. If you don’t follow up, send a thank you, do what you said you’ll do or keep in touch, a relationship falls flat.

8-Being on time is late; 5 minutes early is on time. A big part of networking is what happens after an initial meeting and the impression you make. Part of that is being respectful of someone else’s time by arriving early.

9-Relationships often pay dividends years down the road. If you can do something for the people you meet right away, that’s a bonus. But sometimes, it takes years to find that opportunity. Either way, a relationship in itself has value.

10- Never underestimate the power of someone’s rolodex (or CRM, LinkedIn contacts, or whatever other modern-day version you prefer). Being kind to someone could result in their singing your praises or connecting you to someone who becomes a great influence. Being unkind, cold or selfish could result in the opposite — never, ever burn bridges.

Finally, a bonus tip: Use proper grammar and dress the part during meetings. Both contribute to the impression you’re making and the way you carry yourself. Thank you, Dad, for all the valuable lessons that have served me well as an adult.

Darrah Brustein is a writer, master-networker, and serial entrepreneur with businesses in merchant services, networking and financial education for kids; she is also the founder of Network Under 40, a networking organization young professionals.

 

Forbes.com | January 13, 2015  | Darrah Brustein 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2015/01/13/10-simple-things-my-dad-taught-me-about-networking/

Strategy: 6 Smart Ways To Self-Promote At Work…Remember: What You’re Doing at Your Company Isn’t as Important as What Others Perceive You’re Doing

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Wallflowers are so last year.  In 2015 you’ve decided that standing out is the strategy you’ll use to accomplish your big life goals.  And you’re already well on your way.

self-promote

So far, you’ve overhauled your dating profile to catch more eyes, and you’ve signed up to sit in the front row of your spin class for added motivation to get in top shape.

Now it’s time to map out how the “Look at me!” strategy can catapult you to career success—and not just annoy your coworkers.

Whether you’re angling for a job change, promotion, or just a pat on the back from your boss, learning how to promote yourself at work can give you the edge you need.

Like this Article ??.…First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services,  is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

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Just ask Lauren Bowling, a content strategist in Atlanta. In 2012 the 27-year-old was applying for an administrative assistant position, but inadvertently landed herself a job she was more passionate about because she spoke so enthusiastically about her off-time interests, blogging and social media.

The hiring manager was impressed by the fact that Bowling had over 1,000 Twitter followers—more than the company had—and that she sought out webinars to learn more about how to market herself.

“I didn’t get the administrative assistant job, but three weeks later, they called and said they were looking for someone to run their social media,” she says. “They thought I’d be a good fit.”

The lesson learned? “If I don’t promote myself, no one else will,” Bowling says. “I’mthe expert on me and my story.”

To master the art of tooting your own horn like Bowling, check out these six techniques geared toward helping you build a personal brand that projects confidence—not arrogance—and will make others pay attention.

 

Technique #1: Keep Tabs on Achievements

Before you can talk about your accomplishments, you have to pinpoint what they are.

Think back: When was the last time that you updated your résumé? If it’s been a while, chances are there are awards you’ve won, speaking engagements you’ve rocked, and successful projects you’ve managed.

So keep a running list—whether it’s in a Word doc or the Notes app on your phone—and review it weekly, monthly or quarterly. Be sure to include impressive, quantifiable facts, such as saving the company money by bringing an outsourced project in-house, or increasing sales by 10% last quarter.

This way, when you’re ready to start self-promoting—more on that later!—you’ll know exactly what to highlight, says Leonard Lang, Ph.D., a career coach at Beard Avenue Coaching in Minneapolis, and the author of “Guide to Lifework.”

This can be especially helpful when you’re preparing for a performance review, Lang says, since that’s a time when you know your contributions will be evaluated. Plus, it’s an opportunity to position yourself for the promotion or raise you’re after.

 

Technique #2: Flex Your Storytelling Muscles

Of course, reading off that list isn’t the most palatable way to draw attention to your accomplishments—which is why Lang recommends refining your storytelling skills.

If your boss or another coworker asks you a general question—”How’s that big project going?”—instead of blurting out a fact—“Amazing! I’m singlehandedly increasing departmental revenue!”—take the opportunity to frame your success in narrative form, with a beginning, middle and end.

Add in moments of drama, such as problems that you had to overcome along the way, to keep it interesting and sustain the listener’s attention.

By doing this, you’re relaying a triumphant story that people will remember—and possibly even retell. The best part: You are the heroic protagonist.

Just don’t let that get to your head, and overuse the word “I.” Sprinkle in the term “we” and the names of other key players, to keep from sounding like a braggart.

 

Technique #3: Lend a Helping Hand

It may seem counterintuitive, but the Golden Rule—treating others as you’d like to be treated—works surprisingly well when it comes to getting ahead at work.

Helping someone else could be as simple as trouble-shooting with your coworker when she’s at a crossroads on an important project, or offering to make a strategic connection for someone you just met at a networking event.
When you go out of your way to be generous, Lang says, it builds your reputation as a kind and resourceful professional—and that sticks with people.

“Plus, that person you helped will inevitably try to help you in return,” Lang says.

 

Technique #4: Power Up Your Social Media Presence

Now that you have the skills to wow a live audience with tales of your success, it’s important to also keep your online followers updated.

A good place to start is your LinkedIn profile. “Add examples of projects that you’ve done, PowerPoints or charts, and images that showcase work you’ve completed—anything to make it stand out,” says Donna Schilder, an executive and career coach based in Long Beach, Calif.

Not only will this beefed-up profile garner attention from recruiters and other influencers in your industry, but it’s also likely to catch the eye of your boss if you’re connected on LinkedIn.

As an extra step, post regular status updates that hint at what you’re doing well at work, like a link to the academic paper you published, or a photo from a recent conference. And it’s especially advantageous to offer a tip every once in a while, so your connections can take away some value from your posts.

When one of Schilder’s clients was reading a leadership book her boss recommended, she posted nuggets of wisdom she gained from it. This move showed her boss that she paid attention to the request, Schilder says, and lent her credibility as a blossoming leader within the company.

 

Technique #5: Strengthen Cross-Functional Relationships

If your job description includes collaborating with employees in other departments, it’s crucial to nurture those relationships—it will give you a glimpse of your company from a different perspective, plus make you a more knowledgeable employee.

So set up regular one-on-one check-ins with your cross-functional partners to make sure the projects you’re working on are running smoothly, as well as brainstorm ways to work together more effectively in the future.

“Come with a set of intelligent questions, listen to what the person says, and then ask, ‘What are your challenges?’ ” Schilder says.

Once you’re equipped with this information, you can then segue into a discussion about how you can fix any issues that have arisen since your last meeting.

After all, the more value you can provide to people in different departments, the more valuable you’ll be to the company as a whole. And that’s exactly the kind of personal brand that can help you get to the next level.

 

Technique #6: Celebrate!

Did you break a sales record? Hire the employee of the year? Improve a business process that’s leading to more efficiency in the office?

Whenever you want to draw attention to something great you’ve done, Schilder and Lang both recommend asking your manager if you can point it out by recognizing everyone who helped you achieve that goal.

Maybe it’s a group dinner for the team of people who helped you develop a successful advertising campaign, or cookies in the conference room for the people who helped you boost customer satisfaction on a specific product upgrade.

Regardless, this move can give your colleagues a morale boost, endear them to you for helping promote their successes—and make them more likely to return the favor.

Remember: What you’re doing at your company isn’t as important as what others perceive you’re doing, so be proactive in spreading good news through celebrations.

Forbes.com | January 12, 2015 | LearnVest

Your Career: How To Get The Job Interview…What is Causing a Hiring Manager to Lose Sleep is the Business Pain in the picture, & it’s Almost Never Stated or Even Hinted at in The Job Ad.

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The hardest part of a job search is getting the interview. Once you’re in the door at a job interview, your chances of getting the job rise dramatically. Of course, getting a good job isn’t just a numbers game. You have to have a good sense of what your hiring manager is dealing with — what’s keeping him or her up at night, in other words.

 

What is causing a hiring manager to lose sleep is theBusiness Pain in the picture, and it’s almost never stated or even hinted at in the job ad.

You don’t have to restrict yourself to reading job ads and responding to them, either. You can start a conversation with any hiring manager aboutBusiness Pain. You can write a Pain Letter and send it with your Human-Voiced Resume directly to the manager who’d be your boss if you got the job.

 

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How to begin? Start with this search on LinkedIn LNKD -1.76%. We teach this search in our LinkedIn workshops and it’s very popular, because the results you’ll get from this LinkedIn search will fuel your job search.

The search is called Who’s Around, because your search results will tell you which employers in your geographical area have people on board who do some of the same things you do in your work.

To begin a Who’s Around search, log into LinkedIn and look for the open search box at the top of the page. Next to the search box you’ll see the wordAdvanced. Click on that word; it will take you to the Advanced Search page of LinkedIn. We’re going to use the Advanced Search page to search the massive LinkedIn user database.

You’ll see open boxes all the way down the left side of the Advanced Search page. We won’t use all of them – just a few. We’ll use the keyword box (at the top) to search for keywords that are relevant to you in your job search. Think about keywords that are most pertinent to the sort of work you do. Here are some ideas:

  • Cost Accounting
  • RF
  • social media analytics
  • employee benefits design
  • software documentation
  • Channel Sales

When you conduct a Who’s Around search, you’ll plug one keyword at a time (one keyword or phrase per search) into the Keyword field on the LinkedIn Advanced Search page. Next, you’ll plug in your geography. That’s all the way down at the bottom of the Advanced Search page. You’ll be asked to enter a zip code or postal code so that LinkedIn can focus your Who’s Around search on people who are based near where you are.

Now, hit Search. What is LinkedIn’s search engine going to do? It’s going to look for LinkedIn users who have the same words in their profiles that you entered into the Keyword field, and who are are located not far from you. You’re going to get back a list of search results, and those search results are people. They’re other LinkedIn users. You’re going to read each profile, because some of these LinkedIn users work for employers who are doing work you should know about.

Some of the employers may be small. They may be flying under the radar. They may not even have a website yet! That’s okay. You’re going to look at the profiles and learn about these LinkedIn users who have keywords — interests, that is — in common with you. Who else are they connected to? Some of their connections are folks you should know — leaders at organizations who might be able to use someone like you.

You can send these leaders Pain Letters, and I hope you do. Pain Letters are not magic bullets — only about one in four Pain Letters results in a return phone call or email reply, but that’s still a lot better than the results you’ll get lobbing applications into faceless Black Holes recruiting portals.

Your Pain Letter will speak directly to a busy businessperson about something he or she cares more about than almost anything — solving his or her biggest problem at work.

That’s how you’ll get a job interview. It takes a little pluck and a bit of elbow grease to send a Pain Letter to your hiring manager, because you have to do some research to write a thoughtful and intelligent Pain Letter.

You have to formulate a Pain Hypothesis, but it isn’t hard to do. There are only a small number of possible Business Pains, to begin with. Your next employer may be having trouble getting new products out the door. They may be falling down in their marketing efforts.

You’re a wise businessperson — investigate and make an educated guess about which roadblocks are in your hiring manager’s way. Next, write about it. Tie your Pain Hypothesis to a quick story about a time when you solved a similar sort of Business Pain, and your chances at meeting the hiring manager face to face zoom upwards.

Try it! It’s a new year, a great time to step away from cold and dysfunctional systems that don’t work.

Read more about Pain Letters and the non-traditional Whole Person Job Search approach at the links below.

Forget Cover Letters- Write a Pain Letter, Instead! 

Dear Hiring Manager, I Feel Your Pain

How to Get Past the Hiring Gatekeeper

Five Things You Don’t Need To Include On Your Resume

These Ten Zombie Phrases Are Killing Your Resume

How To Write Your Human-Voiced Resume

How to Follow Up on a Pain Letter

Is Your Resume Ready for Action? Find Out!

If You Did It, Claim It On Your Resume! 

Is the Zombie Voice in Your Resume Hurting Your Brand?

 

 

Forbes.com | January 11, 2015 | Liz Ryan

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/01/11/how-to-get-the-job-interview

 

5 Ways To Stop Giving Negative People Too Much Power In Your Life…Sometimes, We Unknowingly Give Toxic Individuals Influence Over Our Thoughts, Behaviors, & Feelings

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It’s been said that one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch and often, that applies to the business environment. It’s usually easy to identify that Negative Nancy or Debbie Downer who wreak havoc on morale. Their bad attitudes, catastrophic thinking, and fatalistic outlooks can infiltrate the ranks and spread like an epidemic.

Fotolia.com

Negative people can also cause problems for us on an individual level. Perhaps it’s that vendor who causes you to grit your teeth. Or maybe it’s a colleague whom you avoid at all costs. It’s important to recognize when these negative individuals intrude in your life in an unwelcome manner.

Sometimes, we unknowingly give toxic individuals influence over our thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Whether you spend two hours complaining about that boss you don’t like, or you let an angry customer ruin your day, it’s important to regain your personal power.

Here are five strategies to take back you power and reduce the detrimental impact negative people have in your life:

1. Guard Your Time

Negative people can monopolize your time – even when they’re not with you – if you’re not careful. It’s easy to spend two hours dreading a one hour meeting with a negative person. Combine that with two hours of venting to a co-worker after the meeting, and you’ve just given that person five precious hours of your time.

Don’t allow negative people to steal your time and energy. Rather than complain about people you don’t enjoy, choose to strike up conversations about pleasurable topics. Similarly, instead of spending your commute thinking about how much you dislike that person you have to work with, turn on the radio and listen to music that reduces your stress. Take back your power by limiting the amount of time you spend talking about, thinking about, and worrying about unpleasant people.

Negative people should get the least of our time and energy, yet we often give them the most attention.

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2. Choose Your Attitude

Spending time with negative people can be the fastest way to ruin a good mood. Their pessimistic outlooks and gloomy attitude can decrease our motivation and change the way we feel. But allowing a negative person to dictate your emotions gives them too much power in your life.

Make a conscious effort to choose your attitude. Create a mantra, such as, “I’m going to stay positive today despite the people around me,” and repeat it often to help you stay on track. Take a deep breath and decide that you’re going to make it a great day, despite what others say or do.

3. Refocus Your Thoughts

Negative people often influence what we think about. Perhaps you’re so distracted by your colleague’s know-it-all attitude that you can’t contribute productively to the meeting. Or, rather than think about how to improve your performance, you spend more time thinking about how upset you’ll be if that unpleasant co-worker gets a promotion.

Pay attention to how your thoughts change when you’re faced with negative people. The more time you spend dreading, fretting, worrying, and rehashing, the less time you’ll have to devote to more productive things. Make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of mental energy you expend on negative people.

4. Choose to Behave Productively

Negative people can bring out the worst in us if we’re not careful. Sometimes certain pessimists seem to have the power to raise our blood pressure, for one reason or another. A normally calm, mild-mannered person may resort to yelling when he can’t take one more second of negativity. Or, after being surrounded by negative co-workers for hours, an optimist may find herself convincing others that the company’s future is doomed.

Although it can be tempting to say, “She makes me so mad,” blaming others for your conduct gives them more power. When you act in a manner that isn’t consistent with your usual behavior, accept responsibility for it. Commit to controlling your emotional reactivity and staying true to your values, despite your circumstances.

5. Seek Out Positive People

It’s difficult to look on the bright side when you’re surrounded by negativity. Seek out positive people to keep you balanced. Just like negative people can rub off on you, a positive person can brighten your spirit.

Identify the positive people in your life. Proactively schedule time with them on a regular basis. A quick lunch with a jovial colleague or a family gathering that’s guaranteed to be filled with laughter can help you stay on track.

Decide that you’re not going to allow negative people to determine how you think, feel, and behave. Take back your power and focus your time and energy on becoming your best self.

Amy Morin is a psychotherapist and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, an Amazon top pick for business and leadership books in December.

 

Forbes.com | January 10, 2015 | Amy Morin 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2015/01/10/5-ways-to-stop-giving-negative-people-too-much-power-in-your-life/

Leadership: 5 Presentation Tips From CEO Keynotes At CES…Telling a Story to Set Up the Theme of Your Presentation, There’s No Reason to Overload the Audience with Words & Text

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Smart gadgets were all the buzz at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Smart drones were flying around the keynote stage, smartphone apps opened smart doors, and smart cars were driving themselves. There were also some very smart business leaders delivering exceptionally buzzworthy keynote presentations.

presenting numbers

 

I’ve worked directly with CEOs from major tech companies, crafting product stories for CES announcements. While I didn’t consult with the CEOs in this article, I’ve worked with enough of them to know why these speakers do what they do. Here are five tips that you can learn from CEO keynotes to knock your next presentation out of the ballpark.

Tell a story in the first two to five minutes. Smart presenters understand the power of story to make an emotional connection to the audience. Stories inform, illuminate, and inspire. Many people think of story as something personal that happened to them. While personal stories are, indeed, very impactful, storytelling can take many forms.

For example, Ford president and CEO, Mark Fields, delivered his first CES keynote as the new head of the company. Fields began the presentation by establishing a theme: Ford is passionate about designing products to address very serious problems in major cities around the world such as population density and congestion.

“Who finds it easy to get around Las Vegas during the show?” Fields asked as the audience laughed at the obvious reference to the notorious crowds during CES week.

 

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“It really is a challenge to get around Vegas during the show. But think about this. The Las Vegas metro area has just more than one million people. And with a population density of roughly 1,750 people per square kilometer, it puts Las Vegas at number 120 on the list of the largest cities in the world by population density. During CES, there’s an influx of another 150,000 people, most of them are concentrated right here on the strip. We put up with this for a few days. Imagine what people in Mumbai, India, face every day. More than 18 million people live in Mumbai and its population density is 17 times greater than here in Las Vegas.”

By building the comparison between something familiar—a crowded Vegas convention—with something that is unfamiliar to most of the audience—Mumbai congestion—Fields created an unforgettable story that framed the rest of the discussion.

Typical presentation slides cluttered with text would have detracted from the Fields narrative, so the first 13 slides of Fields’ presentation had no words, just photos. The photos showed the city lights of Vegas, taxi cabs, and the congestion in Mumbai. The Ford slides didn’t tell the story. The slides complemented the story.
When you’re telling a story to set up the theme of your presentation, there’s no reason to overload the audience with words and text. Try this. Limit the number of words you use on your first 10 slides to no more than 40. It will force you to tell a story using pictures, which are nearly always more impactful than text-heavy slides (If you can build the first 10 slides with no words at all, by all means try it).

Create lists of three to five key messages.People love lists. Lists make it easier to follow a presentation, to write about it, or to tell someone else about it.  Too many items on the list, however, defeat the point. I recommend sticking to three, four, or five key messages. The overall presentation can be broken up into a list or you can use lists within the presentation.

Mark Fields had two lists. First, he outlined the “four mega-trends” driving Ford’s thinking around mobility (urbanization, global middle class, air quality, and changing consumer attitudes). Later in the presentation he unveiled Ford’s three-step blueprint for its mobile offerings.

Intel INTC +0.39% CEO Brian Krzanich kicked off his CES keynote with a list. He revealed “three forces shaping the next technology wave.” They are: 1) Computing unleashed, 2) Intelligence everywhere, 3) The wearable revolution. He also announced a $300 million investment to accomplish “three things:” grow Intel’s diverse employee base, fund initiatives to support participation of women and underrepresented minorities in technology, and to increase the pipeline of women and diverse candidates entering the tech field.

Build in wow moments everyone will be talking about. Intel’s Krzanich gave the media plenty to write about by calling out the drones, literally.  While demonstrating Intel’s RealSense 3D camera, Krzanich invited members of a German company called Ascending Technologies to join him on stage as they controlled three drones.  As the drones buzzed around him, Krzanich explained that the drones could avoid crashing into each other because of the depth-sensing camera on them, powered of course, by Intel.

Many presentations—especially product launches—lend themselves to a ‘wow moment.’ A creative and well-rehearsed demo generates a lot of talk and, if people don’t talk about your product, why bother?

Make your numbers pop. One of my favorite storytelling techniques is to make statistics jump off the slide. The president and CEO of Samsung Electronics , Boo-Keun Yoon, provided a good example of this technique in his keynote when he announced that “last year Samsung delivered more than 665 million products to the hands of consumers around the world.” Most presenters would have stopped there. The Samsung CEO took it one step further and said, “This number is set to increase to about 20 devices per second.” He stood quiet for a second and then said, “There’s another 20” as the audience laughed. Do you think the members of the audience will forget that Samsung delivers 20 devices per second? Not a chance.

Share the stage. Smart leaders share the stage. Intel’s Krzanich was joined by at least ten other speakers including Intel engineers, developers, and partners. Good presenters know that very few speakers can carry an entire hour without putting the audience to sleep. Only twelve minutes into his keynote presentations, Ford’s Mark Fields introduced Raj Nair, the company’s chief technical officer. Nair was followed by a third speaker, a fourth speaker, and yet another speaker. People get bored easily. Keep the presentation moving by introducing more than one voice.

You might never be invited to deliver an opening keynote at CES, but using these five tips in your next presentation will help you stand out from the competition.

Carmine Gallo is the communication coach for the world’s most admired brands, a popular keynote speaker, and author of several bestselling books including The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Apple AAPL -0.19%Experience, and his latest Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets Of The World’s Top Minds (named by Amazon and SUCCESS magazine as one of the best business books of 2014).

 

Businessinsider.com | December 9, 2015 | Carmine Gallo

http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2015/01/09/5-presentation-tips-from-ceo-keynotes-at-ces

 

Your Career: A Guide To Networking For Shy People…Networking is Not Just for Extroverts Anymore. No Matter Your Preferred Style of Engagement, You Can Make it Work for You

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While there are some people who enjoy networking and get a lot of energy from interacting with a crowd, many find it intimidating and draining. Traditional networking is not for everyone.

Likable

However, networking is essential in today’s job market. Experts estimate that well over half of jobs are found through networking and word of mouth. The old job search method of comfortably sitting at your computer sending off résumés and cover letters will no longer get you very far.

Luckily for introverts, there are multiple ways to network. Some may bring you a bit outside of your comfort zone, but that’s not a bad thing. Think of these as skills you are developing that could benefit you in a future job.

1. Start from a position of strength. When you’re employed, it’s much easier to promote yourself and talk about what you do. When you network while employed, you will exude confidence. Start building your network from there. And if it’s possible and of interest to you to meet new contacts within your company, begin with them.

 

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2. Refine your elevator speech. This is a tough thing for everyone to develop, so don’t think you’re alone if you’re not happy with yours yet. Your speech should evolve over time as you practice more or change your career focus areas.

Aim to compose one that tells your listener in 30 seconds or less why he or she should want to get to know you better. Keep it simple. Briefly explain what you do, where you want to go and why. If all goes well, you could end up with a referral.

3. Begin within your comfort zone. People tend to think immediately of large events as the sole networking opportunities. However, there is not only one type of networking.

It can happen in small or large groups or one on one, and it doesn’t even have to be in person – it can be on the phone, email, Skype or FaceTime. A good place to start is with a brief email introduction and a question. Figure out what you’d like to get from your interaction with this person. Do you want to hear about how they got into their field or how they like their company?

4. Be explicit with your requests. Think about what information you can possibly glean from the person you’re networking with. Don’t ask him or her to forward your résumé to human resources or help you get a job.

Briefly introduce yourself at the start of an email, call or in-person meeting, and tell him or her what kind of advice you are seeking. Asking questions will help take the focus off you and allow you to learn a lot about the other person.

5. Build new relationships by helping others achieve their goals. “You get what you give” extends to the professional world. If you help colleagues at work, they’re likely to help you at some point. If you make yourself available to junior staff, students from your alma mater or others who reach out and ask for your guidance, perhaps they will be able to help you in an unknown way in the future. Pay it forward, and you’ll likely see returns, even when you don’t expect it.

Determining what type of networking is most comfortable for you will make you confident. If you’re uncomfortable, it’s unlikely you will make a good impression. Use opportunities where you feel relaxed as chances to engage people on the subject of your career. This could be one on one at work or social events. Or you might find it easiest to begin on the computer through social media or email.

Be available to others when they request help. Not only will this help you gain self-assurance in your abilities, but this also helps you build contacts and trust among folks who may return the favor in the future.

Whatever methods you choose, the most important thing is that you can clearly and concisely define what it is you are asking of the person. You may be asking questions to make you more at ease with him or her, or you may want a targeted request for guidance on your next career move.

Networking is not just for extroverts anymore. No matter your preferred style of engagement, you can make it work for you.

 http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2015/01/08/5-steps-to-networking-success-for-introverts#ixzz3OGiIwFBD

Your Career: The 23 Best Pieces Of Career Advice Readers Ever Received…”Have an Avocation. Don’t Let Your Work be All That You Are, Don’t Let It Consume You.”

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A long time ago — or maybe it only feels that way — our careers were at their beginning. Full of promise, ambition, and possibly misplaced self-confidence, we embarked on our journey up the corporate ladder. The luckiest among us received plenty of advice from the wiser and more experienced people in our lives, whether they were our parents, teachers, first bosses, or friends. If we were really fortunate, we were even able to hear it.

Successful meeting

Here’s some of the best advice readers received from their mentors and colleagues:

1. Always be learning.

Kristin: “From my favorite professor/advisor: Should you leave a job for money? A promotion? Maybe. But the number one way you know it’s time to go is when you feel like you’ve stopped learning new things.”

 

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2. Get experience.

David: “Work part-time, do internships, volunteer, etc., in the field you want to work in while you are in college (and even high school). I did that and it made me realize I didn’t want to go to architecture school, and my wife did that and she was never turned down for a job in her field partly because of her impressive college internships.”

3. Go with the flow.

Crystal: “Quite simply, ‘Wu wei.’ (Go with the flow.)”

4. Work hard.

Lisa: “My grandmother told me that ‘if you want to put your hand out on payday, you have to do the work.’ Being successful means having a good work ethic, doing your job, etc.”

5. Learn other people’s jobs.

Kristin: “Don’t just learn your job. Know yours inside and out, then learn what those down the hall do. First, you’ll know who to go to when you need help. Second, the more skills and institutional knowledge you pick up, the more valuable you are to the company. I’m an editor, but I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities because I’ve gotten comfortable with development side of things, too.”

6. Look busy.

Matt: “Walk around the office with a stack of papers and look somewhat concerned. People will tend to leave you alone.”

7. You are not your job.

Connie: “My dad always said to have an avocation. Don’t let your work be all that you are — don’t let it consume you.”

8. Forget faking it till you make it — be real.

Kara: “I used to use ‘fake it till you make it’ to deal with impostor syndrome — because the only way to get over feeling like they will figure me out any minute now and take away these awesome projects is to jump in and take the risks. But now I prefer my boss’s advice: ‘be authentic.’ Does that mean I go around telling people, ‘Oh god, I can’t believe they let me run this project?’ No. But I noticed that once I let go of trying to be the perfect person in any given scenario, started sharing my experiences, and gave myself permission to be wrong in public, the actual work got a billionty times easier.”

9. …but maybe not too real.

Robert: “‘Just be yourself. But not here.’ – Warehouse manager at the blood center where I did PC support for nine miserable years.”

10. If possible, get it right the first time.

Susan: “‘If it goes through the typewriter more than once, you’re losing money.’ Which I translated as, ‘Get it right the first time and move on.'”

11. Money isn’t everything.

Rod: “Don’t be afraid to take a lower paying job if it’s the right next step.”

12. There’s no such thing as a perfect job.

Meghan: “Even the coolest, most glamorous jobs in the world have s****y parts, and you just have to deal, because that paperwork or those early mornings or that one awful co-worker lets you spend an awful lot of time doing something you love. Deal with it.”

13. Be loyal to yourself.

Dave: “‘Look out for No. 1.’ You can interpret that a few different ways, but coming from my father it meant, ‘Professional loyalty be damned … they’ll downsize you in a heartbeat if it makes operational sense,’ etc.”

14. Don’t burn your bridges.

Andrea: “From a mentor of mine: Your professional network is extremely valuable. No matter what your reason is for leaving a job, never burn the bridge when you move on … I’ve seen people basically ‘tell off’ a boss as they go out the door. Even if what you tell them is true, and you never want to work for this company again, you gain nothing by airing all your grievances on the way out. You never know where you may run into these colleagues again in the future!”

15. Neatness counts.

Sandra: “Make sure your desk is always neat before you go home. That’s not easy for someone who isn’t neat at heart, but people walk by your desk in an office all the time. They make judgments based on what they see. If you look neat and organized, you’ll make a better impression. Now that I work from home, the advice is more esoteric (sadly, for my desk). But it’s still important to try to be organized and efficient, and to make a good impression to every client.”

16. Sufficient unto the day are the troubles thereof.

Marc: “The best career advice I ever got was also the best life advice I ever got. Four simple words, from an old lady in Texas: ‘Honey, don’t borrow trouble.'”

17. Ask for what you deserve.

Amanda: “Re: salary negotiations. Don’t take a dime less than X, because ‘a man wouldn’t.’ Also, someone once told me don’t downplay your success. I didn’t realize I was doing it until I heard it out loud!”

18. Look beyond what’s already there.

Teri: “Re: career path. Don’t assume your next step must be an already existing, defined role. Look for what should be happening, and isn’t, and use that to create a new role for yourself.”

19. Don’t cry.

Jenn: “My mom told me never to cry in front of the boss. I don’t know if it was the best advice, but it’s been the most memorable.”

20. Keep your eye on long-term goals.

Thomas: “Don’t go looking for your dream job, look for the job that gives you the most options in the future. This means thinking about leveraging the skills you already have to get in a position to learn the skills you don’t.”

21. Don’t wait for people to ask.

Rod: “This one is my own philosophy and it has worked so far: The only way to get a seat at the table is to pull up a chair, because no one is going to offer theirs.”

22. Know that you’ll make mistakes.

Donna: “The only perfect employees are those that don’t do anything.”

23. Dress for success.

Sue: “(From a former boss.) When you ask for a raise and a promotion, maybe don’t wear a Rainbow Brite T-shirt to the meeting.”

 

Businessinsider.com | January 8, 2015 | JEN HUBLEY LUCKWALDT, PAYSCALE

Read more: http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2015/01/the-23-best-pieces-of-career-advice-readers-ever-received#ixzz3OFaQSUng