CMS Career Blog

Here are a few more GREAT resources for finding jobs or changing careers in Portland:

• Craig’s List — their job board is local and has MUCH more success for job seekers than Monster or any other job board!
• PDX Mindshare — They have some good resources on how to network (Portland style) and where to look for jobs.
• Doug’s List — Click here for a link on our website where you can download this list of networking groups.
• Job Finder’s Support Group –It seems like everyone in Portland knows Cleon Cox III. If you don’t here’s a link to his blog. Get info. Go to his meetings. TELL HIM TO UPDATE HIS BLOG!!!! :-)
• Portland Community College — LOTS of resources for job seekers at every level of the organization — however, most of this info is targeted at entry level and blue collar workers. Check it out to see how they can help you.

There are a lot of great resources on the web for job seekers and career changers — in fact TOO many! With so many things to choose from, how can do you know where to find the resource you need WHEN you need it? Well you don’t need to spend your precious time searching for them, because we do that for you. Subscribe to this blog as an RSS feed and great resources will come to you!

Today I am reviewing a podcast that is put out by Monster.com (http://podcast.monster.com) This podcast is about “How to work the room at a Networking Event.” This is an important skill for everyone these days, especially job seekers. These suggestions are given by Jeff Hoffman (President of Basho Strategies — www.bashostrategies.com )

He offers us “Four Easy Steps” for working the room at a networking event:

1. Prepare — Ask the facilitator ahead of time for an attendee list & plan out who you want to make sure you meet! (or get there early and scan name badges)
2. Set Goals — Make your goals specific and measurable! DETERMINE WHO YOU NEED TO MEET, AND have a goal for what you are going to ask for and offer. Hoffman says, “I usually want a referral or a meeting at a later date.” (He reminds that it is MOST important for networkers to think, “what can I do for someone in THIS room?”)
3. Document — Write the referral information on the business card (along with the date you met the referrer, etc). Be sure to ask, “May I use YOUR name when contacting this person?” BE SURE TO OFFER THEM ACCESS TO YOUR NETWORK — “Who would you like to meet that I can introduce you to?
4. Disengage — Acknowledge that this is a strange way to meet people, but that you are “confined” by the process. You can say something like, “if you are like me, you probably have several people you need to meet tonight. Thank you for your time. Talk to you later.” Then move on to the next person!

Great ideas! And don’t forget to follow up after the event!

If you haven’t yet heard of web 2.0, it’s time to learn and maybe even participate! Web 2.0 is a GREAT set of tools for marketing yourself or your company.  Since we started this 31 day blog challenge a couple of weeks ago we have seen a huge increase in traffic to our blog and website!  Who knows, maybe someday we’ll even have enough traffic to sell advertising!  :-)

Because this blog is dedicated to “focusing on career coaching and job finding tips in the Portland, OR area”, let’s discuss how a blog can help you in the job search process.  If you don’t have an Internet presence you are missing out on interviews and job offers.  An article in the Wall Street Journal last May indicated that over 60% of HR Recruiters and Hiring Managers will Google your name before they will ever call you.  What does YOUR Internet presence say about you?

For building an Internet presence a blog can be useful in two ways:   1) it can help you develop a presence, and 2) it can “clean up” your current presence (think about those Cancun pictures you don’t really want your mom to see, let alone a future employer!) I recommend that job seekers and career changers develop a blog (or a website) focusing on the knowledge, skills, experiences and abilities that they are both capable of and willing to utilize in their next career position.  By doing so you will begin to brand yourself as an expert in the field. You will also become “Google-able” — which is a good thing!

If you have no idea of what a blog is, or where to start, here’s a great little ditty on YouTube that can help you get started.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI&feature=user

Do you have a blog? Have you embraced Web 2.0?  Are you “Google-able”?  Why not?

Gentle readers, I need your help on this one. . . Sometimes I have clients who are currently working in pretty good, high paying jobs for well know companies in town. These clients have come to me to learn how to market themselves and network for a new position with another company. The problem: if their current employer finds out they are search for a new position, they may be given the opportunity to turn that job search into a fulltime endeavor before they are ready to do so (i.e. they may be “let go”). That’s probably not a good thing.

We all know that networking is the most effective method of finding a position. But how can someone network for a position, while keeping the fact that they are looking for a new position “private”?

This is particularly a challenge in a small market like Portland, where people are only separated by one or two degrees! Please leave your comments here and let’s help our other readers figure out how to find THEIR perfect career position for this time in their life.

Sunday (today) is a traditional Sabbath day for people in our culture. Unfortunately our modern culture doesn’t recognize it (or any day) as such. We are left to choose and implement a rest day on our own. The problem, most of us don’t do it. There are may reasons why taking a day off is good for you, including:

• it gives your mind and body time to rest
• you can spend more time with your family & friends
• time off allows for you to focus on a hobby or project
• life shouldn’t  be “all work and no play.”

Sometimes job seekers are reluctant to take a day off as well. . . but you needn’t be!  A job search is a full time job and will produce fruit if you put the effort into it.  But that is only true up to a point.  Job seekers need to rest, have family, enjoy hobbies and need to play as well.  So take some time off — not the whole month, but a day — today.  We’ll see you tomorrow! 

The InfoGraph on page 19 of the new T + D Magazine lists 9 reasons why workers leave their jobs:

1. Opportunities for advancement (28%)
2. Work-life balance (23%)
3. More interesting work (20%)
4. Shorter commute (9%)
5. Other (9%)
6. Better benefits (4%)
7. Better perks (3%)
8. Closer to family (3%)
9. Better workplace environment (1%)

The top three interest me as a Career Coach, because I believe we ought to factor these items into our job search. If we are miserable in our current job or have just lost a job, it is tempting to “take any job that comes along.” In many instances that is a big mistake.

We tell our clients that in order for a job to be satisfying it must provide 4 things:

1. Job Satisfaction
2. Opportunity for Growth
3. Proper Environment
4. Proper Compensation

All four of these must be present, otherwise you will be leaving your next job soon. The numbers prove it!

We often think that December is fallow time for anyone but retail. That may be true, but it’s also a great time to find a job. Consider these important aspects from employer’s perspective:

• Many companies are on a Jan-Dec fiscal year. If a growing department has some budget money left over AND if they are in a “use it or lose it” situation, they will be looking for ways to increase their payroll. If you have presented yourself in such a way as to show your unique value (how you can help that company make money), then YOU may be the one who can help!
• If a company is growing rapidly, they are already thinking about staffing needs for Q1 of 2008 — which begins in January.
• Winter season is “cold season” — a company may need some temporary help while staff members go out sick.

My suggestion is that you present yourself to the owner, hiring manager, upper level management with a proposal as to how you can help them meet their business needs/goals. Let them know you are ready to go NOW. Good luck!

Here are my suggestions for reviewing 2007 in order to find a better, higher paying, more excellent job in 2008.

•  Go through your calendar and list successes you have had this past year -  YOU get to define success.  Did you hit a personal sales high? Re-organize a process?  Write a training manual? Help increase company profitability?
• List personal success as well — did you organize a trip to Europe? Increase your credit score by 100 points? Complete a major home improvement project?
• Don’t forget volunteer activities — professional organizations, faith community, service organization. . .
• Quantify your successes — Numbers are the language of business.  To catch the eye of upper level (i.e. hiring_ managers) you need to show numbers.  How many?  How much?  How quickly?  How often?
• Use % sparingly — real numbers count.  Percentages can be misleading!
• Write a brief narrative of each success including — a) did what?, b) for whom?, c) resulting in . . .
• Pick the top one or two success narratives that fit your career objective and work them into your resume. 
• Get help if you need it — ask a friend to proofread, contact your career coach, ask a recruiter to check it over.

These are simple tips — but doing this at least once a year will give you a leg up for when it comes time to find a new job, get a promotion, or ask for a raise!

On Thursday I am presenting at the Welldiggers on this topic: “5 things to do before the end of the year to help you get that raise (promotion, new job . . .) in 2008.”  I will be part of a panel of experts.  Here are the other speakers and their topics:  

• Kris Peterson, CPA (”End of Year Tax Considerations”)
• Jim Park, Management Consultant (”Personal Goal Setting”)
• Phil Traa (”End of Year Financial Considerations”)

I will write more about my presentation tomorrow (mostly because I haven’t completed my thoughts).  Today I want to talk about the value of networking groups.   As I see it, the key to  getting the most out of your networking opportunities it to set a specific goal for what you need to accomplish in that group.  That doesn’t mean you show up and “sell, sell, sell.”  What it means is that you are clear about your goals.  If you are part of that group to provide a service — be the BEST service provider there.  If you are there to have fun — have the MOST fun of anyone!  Set a goal for yourself and then work hard to achieve it.  You can learn more about this philosophy at our networking seminars. I hope to see you there.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about what you need to do NOW to get your career in order for the new year.

I sat watching Oregon play Oregon State yesterday and thought to myself, “you never know what fate has in store for you.”  The Ducks started the season with GREAT expectations and for a time they were living up to them.  At one time they were 2nd in the nation.  All they had to do was win two “easy” games (Arizona and Oregon State) and they were playing in the National Championship.  On top of that, Dennis Dixon was the shoe-in favorite for the Heisman trophy.  Several injuries and two lost games later and the Ducks are nowhere to be seen at the national level.  Very sad for Duck fans.

You never know what fate has in store. How does this relate to you career search?

I’ve met plenty of people who have been blissfully heading down a career path in a clear direction, when the hand of fate reached out and knocked them off track. High power executives whose companies went out of business. Managers, Directors, and VPs who couldn’t whether the storms of recession.  High priced salespeople who are driving a city bus because they no longer have that “killer spirit.” You never know what fate has in store for you.

What will YOU do if fate defeats your plans?  Do you have an alternative?  Just thinking. . .