Never give up on a dream

100 Days to Career Clarity

My colleague Maggie Graham has created a free program called 100 Days to Career Clarity. She'll send out one question/day for people to use to shape their next career step. It starts on September 23 and lasts until 100 days later - December 31. She's hoping to use some material gathered from people's responses to this program in a new book that she's writing. Sound interesting? You can sign up at her blog:
http://www.fortcollinscareercoach.com/2015_career_plan/

"...There’s an office about a block from my  house that’s on a courtyard with a coffee shop — I’ll know I’m successful when I have my private practice set up in that office..."

Achieving Success Through Failure

It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention.  ~Conan O'Brien

It's All Good

Clients often lament that their career has been choppy or contains positions they wish they'd never taken, or that they weren't in for very long, or that they had a boss at the last place with whom they did not get along, or other work/job/career things they think didn't unfold the right way.

But from what I've observed it's a truth—for all of us—that all of the experiences we have had in our careers have served us well, every one of them, just maybe it doesn't exactly look that way at first glance.

One pattern I've found in careers is that, every job we hold gives us some sort of a "gift". Sometimes people look back and see that if they hadn't held That job, or worked at That company, or with That person, they wouldn't have learned a certain skill or bit of information or had an experience that, it turns out, became important to rest of their career.

And hand-in-hand with that idea is this: sometimes people get let go from positions quite suddenly, big surprise/shock. But often, down the road, they can see that they'd gotten that bit of information, skill or experience from that company, or job, and it truly had been time to move on. They didn't realize that consciously, and they hadn't thought they were ready to make a change, but over time they saw how neatly their past opened up into their future.

There's a saying that when one door closes, another opens. And if you can trust that, and believe another old saying which is that 'The Best Is Yet To Come'.... well... then it's all good.

5 Tips For Writing Strong Cover Letters

The all-important first impression that your resume documents make on an employer depend just as much on how the cover letter represents you as how well the resume represents you. 

It's true that not all employers read cover letters, but most do, and you should always prepare a cover letter as though it will be read word for word by people who in positions to hire you.

Here are five tried and true tips to keep in mind when you're writing cover letters:

1.  Address it to the reader. You can call the company directly to get a name, job title and company address. If you can't come up with a name, or you're being told on the phone to "just send it to HR", you can address it to "Dear Hiring Professional".

2.  Tell the reader what they want to know, not what you want to tell them. Put yourself in their shoes. It doesn't matter to them that you feel you've outgrown your current job and need a new challenge, that you've always wanted to work for an insurance company, or that you want to move to San Diego. What will matter are things like: What background/skills/experience do you have that makes you a good candidate for an insurance company? How are you ready to hit the ground running in their organization? Why should they encourage your candidacy if you live in Maine and their business is in San Diego?

3. If you live in Maine but the job is in San Diego, find a way to include a San Diego address on your resume. If you're planning to move to be near family or friends, ask one of them if you can use their address temporarily as your local address. And—before sending that resume and cover letter—think through the interview part. The employer wants to know that you can be there when they want you to for an interview. Are you prepared to do that?

4. Include information in the letter that shows you know something about the company. Learn as much about them as you can from on-line research before contacting them. Look for places where your experience somehow connects with something significant about their company. Find a way to subtly weave that information into your cover letter.

5. Proofread, proofread, proofread! A good rule of thumb is to keep reading and making changes until you've read through the document two or three times without finding anything that needs to be changed. Then ask someone else to read it to see if they find any errors.

Take advantage of the opportunity to capture the reader's attention and hold it. You want to be THE candidate they're interested in!

Do your resume and cover letters  make you stand out to employers as someone they want to meet? Are they getting you interviews? If not, visit my website—cnyresumes.com—for more information. I'd love to help!

The High Cost of a Resume That's Not Getting You Interviews

Consider this: If your resume isn't *working* for you, you have to ask yourself what the cost of that is to you. 

If you'd make $500 a week at a job, a three month loss of income represents $6000 loss to you. 

If $500 spent on a new resume, this week, gets you interviews and a new job within a week or two -- you could GAIN most of that $6000 instead of losing it!

A well-crafted resume should get you interviews for at least 50% of the job you're applying for. Is your resume getting you interviews? 

If not, I can help. I'm an award-winning resume writer who has been writing powerful, interview-getting resumes for more than 20 years. 

Email your current resume to me 
for a free consultation to help you get on track.

 The process is easier than you may think! 

resumesetc.com
terrieosborn@gmail.com
(315) 676-3315

A Most Charming Letter Seeking Employment, Written Long Ago By One Of America's Best Loved Authors

For your reading pleasure, jobseeker:

Eudora Welty to The New Yorker—

The best job application ever

May 19, 2014 by Shane Parrish

In March of 1933, Eudora Welty, then 23 and looking for writing work, sent this beautiful letter to the offices of The New Yorker. “It’s difficult,” writes Shaun Usher in his introduction to the letter in Letters of Note, “to imagine a more endearingly written introduction to one’s talents.”

March 15, 1933

Gentlemen,

I suppose you’d be more interested in even a sleight-o’-hand trick than you’d be in an application for a position with your magazine, but as usual you can’t have the thing you want most.

I am 23 years old, six weeks on the loose in N.Y. However, I was a New Yorker for a whole year in 1930– 31 while attending advertising classes in Columbia’s School of Business. Actually I am a southerner, from Mississippi, the nation’s most backward state. Ramifications include Walter H. Page, who, unluckily for me, is no longer connected with Doubleday-Page, which is no longer Doubleday-Page, even. I have a B.A. (’ 29) from the University of Wisconsin, where I majored in English without a care in the world. For the last eighteen months I was languishing in my own office in a radio station in Jackson, Miss., writing continuities, dramas, mule feed advertisements, santa claus talks, and life insurance playlets; now I have given that up.

As to what I might do for you— I have seen an untoward amount of picture galleries and 15¢ movies lately, and could review them with my old prosperous detachment, I think; in fact, I recently coined a general word for Matisse’s pictures after seeing his latest at the Marie Harriman: concubineapple. That shows you how my mind works—quick, and away from the point. I read simply voraciously, and can drum up an opinion afterwards.

Since I have bought an India print, and a large number of phonograph records from a Mr. Nussbaum who picks them up, and a Cezanne Bathers one inch long (that shows you I read e. e. cummings I hope), I am anxious to have an apartment, not to mention a small portable phonograph. How I would like to work for you! A little paragraph each morning— a little paragraph each night, if you can’t hire me from daylight to dark, although I would work like a slave. I can also draw like Mr. Thurber, in case he goes off the deep end. I have studied flower painting.

There is no telling where I may apply, if you turn me down; I realize this will not phase you, but consider my other alternative: the U of N.C. offers for $12.00 to let me dance in Vachel Lindsay’s Congo. I congo on. I rest my case, repeating that I am a hard worker.

The New Yorker, missing the obvious talent, ignored her plea before eventually correcting their mistake. Welty went on to win multiple awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1973 for her novel The Optimist’s Daughter.

Bob's old resume didn't work for him... he'd send it out but, no interviews, none, zip-o.

Bob was very eager to get out of the stop-gap job he'd taken when his former company closed, and there was one job in particular that he was very interested in applying for, but he'd bumped up against some dead ends. 

For one thing, he'd applied once to the company and been rejected, so it seemed pretty clear that the home-made resume he'd been using wasn't working for him. Also, the company had removed the posting a couple of months ago. 

To give himself his best shot, Bob hired me to create a sharp new resume for him that clearly states the value he can bring to employers — and the resume worked!

Bob sent me this note last week:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Terrie-

Just wanted to let you know that the resume you wrote for me worked! I accepted the position that was number one on my list [specialty products sales rep] and start next week. 

[I sent Bob an email reply of congratulations and asked if the salary was what he'd hoped for, and he responded:] 

I'm so pleased - the organization is outstanding - love the management, the business plan, the product line - the values and mission statement. And the money they offered was more than I expected. Can't say anything negative. The HR manager told me they had been looking for the right candidate for over a year! 

Terrie, I had sent them a resume previously and never heard back - I figured they weren't interested but [you suggested I] send it again. So I did. 

Within 5 minutes of sending the email I had a call from the HR manager wanting to schedule an interview. The part I forgot to tell you is that I had ANOTHER offer come the same day.  

I told a friend in Washington DC about what you did - you may hear from her as she's considering moving back to the area. She works for [major global media organization] now so she doesn't know what potential there is for her in this area but I gave her your contact info in case she decides to take the plunge. 

Thank you for the great work and if you need a reference I would be happy to provide one. 

Bob

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay Bob!!!

Terrie Osborn, CPRW

Resumes Etc.

Certified Professional Resume Writer

(315) 676-3315

CNYResumes.com

If interviewing for jobs is an ocean where all the candidates look the same, how can you stand out?

A group of employers were recently asked this: During an interview, when you ask “Have you any questions?”, what are the questions candidates should be asking? And here were some of the replies and comments:

− Questions that show they've researched the company. This shows me that they put some work in up front.

− Questions about my company's culture. This shows me that they want to fit in and might not see the job as just a job. We spend so much of our lives at work, I like it when people want to be sure they'll be happy here.

− Questions about what projects are coming in the pipeline. This shows that they're eager to get started.

− What would my typical day be like?

− I did a round of interviews last week. The best candidate, when prompted for any questions he may have had at the end, gave us a sort of brief run-down of the position and what he thought he'd be doing. And he asked us if that was accurate, and if we could fill in any blanks. I really liked that. It showed he researched the position well and was a nice expression of interest.

− Why is the position open? (Response to this can tell you a lot about the job and/or company. If the last person was fired, they won't tell you that directly, of course, but usually it'll be because the person occupying it before got a promotion, moved to something that interested him/her more, or something else mutually amicable like that, and that can at least get a conversation started on an employee's potential for internal promotion, movement, and things like that. Depending on when this is asked, it can also provide a much less awkward alternative to that dreaded Where do you see yourself in five years question, since knowing more about how things work in the company can give you more of a feel for what would be realistic for yourself if you were to take the position.  

(Stay tuned – more to follow!)

Thank you to reddit.com contributors DoctorStrange37, Countrykev, BoulderFreeZone, MyOtherCarIsEpona, lazy8s, raloon, charliePAG, Sir Fancy Pants, and radioactdave.

Do you know about the 80/20 thing in job hunting?

Eighty (80) percent of all jobs that are available, are not posted.

They’re not posted on line, or on job boards, or in the newspaper. They’re never listed anywhere, and do you know why? It’s because the employer doesn’t have to post them because people basically just show up and ask for them! 

That’s called ‘proactive job seeking’ – you go to the employer to ask for a job. You show up with a great resume and a big smile on your face and let them know that: (A) You’re interested in pursuing employment opportunities at their company and (B) You have great qualifications for working there and that you can bring value to their company!

You already know you’ve got great qualifications – do you also have a great resume? If not, I can help! Because you know what? That new job is waiting for you to show up and claim it!

Is your resume great? Is it getting you interviews for at least 50% of the job you're applying for? It should be, and if not, I can help. I've been writing powerful, interview-getting resumes for more than 20 years. Email your current resume to me for a free consultation to help you get on track -- it's easier than you may think!  cnyresumes.com  •  terrieosborn@gmail.com

How To Land A Satisfying Job

by Terrie Osborn, CPRW

People often spend more time planning for a vacation than in preparing to land a satisfying job! Put some thoughtful preparation into finding a job and you can be happy in it day after day, 40 hours a week, year after year. The secret to finding a job you love is in preparation.

Four-Step Process For Preparing for Job Finding: Make a plan, Invest in a professionally prepared resume, Prepare for interviews, Follow-up after interviews.

Step 1: MAKE a plan.
♦ So you want to be an accountant - but what kind of accountant, and in what kind of industry? And where in the world would you like to live? Is it important to stay close to home, or do you want to live in a different climate, maybe in the mountains or near the ocean? Do you want to work for a small, local, mom and pop widget manufacturer? in health care? aerospace? for a large well-known, global accounting firm? in a federal position? Would you like to eventually be a manager?
♦ Work out a preliminary five to ten year plan for your career. Write it down. You can always change it as you go along, and maybe the best thing is to just take a job, any job, at this point - which is fine - and then change your plan as you go along and discover other career interests. But get relatively clear about what you'd like to do.
♦ The "What Color Is Your Parachute? Workbook" can help you zero in on what's important to you in a career.

Step 2: INVEST in a professionally prepared, powerful, confidence-building resume.
♦ Most 'did it myself' resumes are substandard documents that poorly represent the candidate. You need a good resume to get noticed. It's probably a waste of your time and energy to try to create your own resume.
♦ Employers often look at resumes for ten seconds or less before delegating the resume to the 'call' or 'do not call' pile.
♦ Professional resumes stand heads above all homemade resumes. They get attention because they make a great first impression. They get interviews faster, which speeds up the job finding process. And they inform the entire interviewing process, and can secure the candidate more money.

Step 3: PREPARE for interviews.
♦ A good resume will get you interviews, then, interviewing well will get you job offers.
♦ It's not the person who's best qualified that gets the job - it's the person who interviews best!
♦ You CAN learn how to interview well - it just takes practice, and doggedly overcoming your own personal interviewing fear hurdles.
♦ A great way to prepare is to read two of Carole Martin's books: "Interview Fitness Training" and "Boost Your Interview IQ". Read "Fitness" through two or three times (you can read it through in an hour or so). Read at least the first 20 (or so) pages of "Interview IQ" to get the general idea of how to actually respond to interviewer questions. These books cover it all, from how to dress to salary negotiations and everything in between.
♦ Prepare extensively for the interview. Research the company through Google. Hunt down their annual reports. Make up a list of questions (in your mind) to ask at the interview.
♦ Realize that the company needs you at least as much as you need a job, and that all employees are hired to solve problems for employers. A good interview question is always "What do you feel is the biggest challenge your company is currently facing?"

Step 4: FOLLOWUP after an interview, immediately sending a Thank you Letter.
♦ Statistically, three out of five employers say they are influenced positively by thank you letters sent by candidates after interviews, and only one out of ten candidates sends a thank you letter.

The key that opens doors to interviews is a great resume. Is yours getting you interviews? If not, I can help. I've been writing powerful, interview-getting resumes for more than 20 years. Email your current resume to me for a free consultation to help you get back on track -- it's easier than you may think!  cnyresumes.com  •  terrieosborn@gmail.com

The Great Opportunity Of Changing Jobs: Just Let Go

Changing jobs can be stressful, especially if you thought you’d be staying forever / for a long time / until you retired, at the job you’re now finding yourself thinking about changing from.

Here are a couple of thoughts that might make the process easier.

1. Why did you think you’d be staying there forever, anyway?

Your response might be: That’s what my father and grandfather did -- stayed at the same job for 20 (30, 40 or more) years so I just assumed I'd work at the same place for my entire life too. Or maybe it's not exactly that you ‘thought’ you’d be staying there forever, but that you wanted to stay there because you didn’t want to go through (what seemed like) the chaos of changing jobs.

Or maybe you’re ‘vested’ in the company financially, meaning with retirement funds, and have no interest in jeopardizing that. Or maybe you just like it there, like the routine, like the people you work with, etc., and want to stay. Probably why you thought you’d be staying at your job is due to one or a combination of those responses.

2.  What if you changing jobs is just a part of the huge, global changing / rearranging / cleaning up / making things better overall and for everyone everywhere process that we appear to be experiencing right now?

It's pretty obvious that a lot has been changing on the planet over the past few years, and for all the upheaval that often appears to be involved, it does seem that things are going from good to better. What if you’re just playing a little part in – dare you even think it? – making the world a better place, by shifting out of a place where you’re no longer needed, into a place where you very much are needed now, in ways you may never know, and even though you might not know what or where that place is just yet?

Maybe you—personally—have some intangible qualities that would be of benefit to another employer at this point in time. Maybe ‘the universe’ is (gently, at least at first, at least until you resist) moving you into new place as part of the overall change on the planet, even if you’re not seeing it that way. Maybe you’re ‘all done’ at the place where you’ve been, your mission has been completed, and you’re needed elsewhere now, AND you’ll be happier when in the new place. (Maybe some or all of these are true for you.)

And finally,

3. What if the changing process doesn’t have to be difficult, but can be fun and easy, as fun as taking a wonderful vacation where great surprises are in store for you as well as a type of pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Ok to be clear, I’m not exactly talking about actual ‘gold’, although excellent renumeration should absolutely be on your ‘must have’ list of what you want in a new job (if it's what you want -- whatever you want in a new job, should be on your 'must have' list). I’m talking about feeling happier.

Suppose you knew changing jobs would put you into a place where you were happier than you ever have been: wouldn’t that make the job changing process a little easier? To know that’s what you’re headed toward? To know that everything would be even more than okay when you got there? That it might even be the best thing that ever happened to you?

We set the tone for all of our experiences by what we anticipate. If we think we’re going to have a bad time, we probably will. But if we decide to have a wonderful experience, and surrender to the beautiful potentials that we decide to believe are in store for us -- imagine the possibilities!

Changing jobs doesn’t have to be horrible, unless you make it be that, which—if you’re not deciding it will be a good experience—chances are that’s exactly what you’re doing, letting the experience be awful.

You could decide to believe changing jobs is, somehow, in your best interest, even if you don’t exactly see that right at the moment, and just let it happen. If you have to make a change, for whatever reason, you can choose to do it willingly instead of in resistance. Decide good things are going to happen on this adventure then pack a lunch and the camera and keep your eyes open. This may well be the most amazing journey you’ll ever take.

The key that opens doors to interviews is a great resume. Is yours getting you interviews? If not, I can help. I've been writing powerful, interview-getting resumes for more than 20 years. Email your current resume to me for a free consultation to help you get back on track -- it's easier than you may think!  terrieosborn@gmail.com 

William The Streak

My tendency is to belief that things happen for a purpose, that life goes from good to better, that the best is yet to come. If we don't allow ourselves to become 'broken under the wheel of life', if we can steer ourself away from too much time feeling badly for whatever has happened, when we trust that good things can happen, then they do.

That's what happened to William, when he lost his job, and the farmer who was graced by his arrival on the farm. Things turned out better than either might have imagined at the start.

Here's imagining wonderful new experiences -- in unexpected ways -- for you, too. Trust the process.

WILLIAM THE STREAK

by Bob Franke

The sun was arisin' over Amesbury Hill

At the same time tomorrow, rise again it will

On a thin silver shadow leaping over Jack's Creek,

The dog they call William the Streak.

Now, Dick was a farmer sort of through the back door,

Someone gave him two sheep, so he bought thirty more,

And he raised any vegetable a 'Header might eat,

The work was hard, but life was sweet.

And William was a racing dog until he retired,

He got bored by the rabbit, and so he got fired,

But he found a lucky family near Amesbury town,

To adopt before his boss put him down.

Now some dogs are killers in a sheep man's eyes,

And a few dogs get shot, to no one's surprise.

And Dick was a shootin' man, or so went the word,

And the word just made it safer for the herd.

But when William ran circles all around Dick's land,

In the face of his beauty, Dick stayed his hand,

And when Dick's little farm was marked as William's to play,

The town dogs, they all stayed away.

And the streak they called William was bored by sheep,

They were slow, they were stupid, they put him to sleep,

But the groundhogs and woodchucks were a lot more fun,

'Cause William, after all, liked to run.

And the bundles got bigger on the vegetable truck,

'Cause a groundhog chasin' greyhound is a real stroke of luck,

And the smartest of farmers will learn from the land,

And rejoice when a gift-dog drops into their hand.

So be kind to your neighbors, and give them a break,

Chances are they will give you as much as they take,

And if a short-sighted bastard should fire you next week,

Just remember old William the Streak.

For this world turns around, and we all have our place,

And there's more than one job, and there's more than one race.

Just keep your eyes open and stay close to the land,

If you've the sense of a dog, you'll find a plan.

© 1996 Telephone Pole Music Publishing Co.

"Life is a grand adventure, or nothing at all." ~ Helen Keller

Are you Linked In?

by Terrie Osborn, CPRW

If you're looking for a job, you want to have a LinkedIn page, and it's as easy as going to LinkedIn and setting up a page for yourself - http://www.linkedin.com/

LinkedIn has become a very respected, professional (quite a bit different from Facebook) networking site. You can add lots of information into it, but for starters you can just use copy/pasted parts of your resume or put your whole resume on it.

One of the big things that can create an advantage for you on LinkedIn is to add a decent photo of yourself. Doesn't have to be a studio or stuffy photo, just not super casual like you might post on Facebook. 

Use something that makes you look like a reasonable candidate for an internship or regular professional job. Sometimes someone has taken a great photo of you at a wedding or other social event that you can crop/clean up a bit, and use. You want your photo to make you look smart, friendly and capable. 

Once you've created a LinkedIn page, add a link to your LinkedIn page to the bottom of your resume. That way, if someone gets through your resume and is still interested, they can click on your LinkedIn page and see what you look like, and then your resume is not just a sheet of paper or a Word .doc, now the reader can see that you're a real person.

Speaking of Facebook, you need to be aware of and to control what's out in cyberspace about you. Google yourself to see what comes up. Employers, more and more, do that to candidates they're considering for positions. They do it even before they contact you the first time and may decide to NOT contact potential candidates because of what they've found about them on line. Eyebrow-raising stories abound about what employers have discovered about their employees at Facebook, and the varying degrees of damage Facebook revelations have created to employer/employee relationships.

Make sure whatever is on line about you is stuff you'd be okay with a potential employer seeing. You can set constraints in Facebook so that not just anyone can access your Facebook page. 

If there's other stuff that you don't want to be in cyberspace about you, often you can email the site you find yourself at and ask them to take it down and they will. That doesn't always work but usually it does.

Great Networking Ideas for the Unemployed

by Terrie Osborn, CPRW

The unemployed have two challenges; how to find networking opportunities when you’re not in “the loop” anymore and how to successfully network once you find those opportunities.

Here are five ways of creating opportunities:

Don’t just sit there, volunteer! It’s tempting to treat your period of unemployment as a well-earned vacation, sleeping in, catching up on your reading, etc. but unless your goal is to remain unemployed it can be very helpful to get out of the house every single day. One excellent way to get out, keep your skills sharp and meet new people is to volunteer. Pick a cause that you can get excited about and give them a call to see if you can help. Not only will it provide a wealth of networking opportunities, it will add to your references and you’ll feel good about yourself.

Unemployed? Join “The Club!” You’re not alone and perhaps you know other unemployed people. Create your own “Job Club” and you’ll all cover a lot more ground together than you can alone. Pick a day and plan to meet somewhere for coffee and to swap stories and support. Each of you have undoubtedly uncovered jobs that perhaps you weren’t qualified for or know of companies that aren’t a fit for you but could be for someone else.

Have some fun! Resist the urge to be a hermit—you won’t meet new people hanging out in your jammies all day. Go to anything you find even slightly entertaining. Every community has flea markets, poetry readings, open-mic nights and other free events where lots of people gather. You may run into someone you haven’t seen for a while or strike up a fruitful conversation with a stranger.

Spend even MORE time on Facebook! Social networking sites like Facebook are fantastic methods of getting yourself out there beyond the professional networking sites where you’ve already posted your resume. Spend a little less time on Farmville and a little more time looking for groups and individuals from your industry or where you might like to work. Get creative; write a professional blog, offer your professional services as a consultant through Craigslist or other advertising mediums.

Arrange some informational interviews! This is a lost technique from your college days—it still works for grown-ups. Call a manager in a company where you’d like to work and explain that you’re exploring what it takes to be someone in their position. Ask for a 20-minute appointment to interview them. Remember to treat it as if you were being interviewed. Dress the part and put your best foot forward. Before you leave, ask for the name of one of their associates who they would recommend that you speak to in order to enhance your knowledge.

And now here are five ways of maximizing those opportunities:

Dress for success! Never has it been so important to make a good impression—EVERYWHERE you go—than when you’re networking. Place a reminder on whatever mirror you check before you leave your house. A large sign reading, “Would You Hire This Person?” will do nicely.

Leave reminders! The professionals will all advise you not to hand out your resume like candy and that’s good advice. You want to get your message out there but you also want to appear to be a somewhat exclusive property. To accomplish both, create a good old-fashioned calling card. This is a little like a business card on steroids. It can be a fold-over version giving you more room to list some career highlights or your desired title with your skills, etc. Any print shop can help you create and print professional-looking cards or you can use a site like Vistaprint.com that will do it online at a very affordable price.

Don’t be a Party Pooper! We all know that someone who arrives too early and eager at every party, stays too long, can’t take a hint, talks about inappropriate topics, is overly friendly to people they’ve just met, etc. When in doubt about how to conduct yourself when meeting people for the first time, think about meeting someone’s parents. Your language should be pristine, not full of slang or inappropriate words. Your topics should be minus any controversial subjects, and a smile goes a long way toward letting them know you’re happy to meet them.

To be interesting, be interested! It’s a huge compliment to be asked about yourself so as much as you’d like to cut right to the chase and recite your entire resume to your new associates, don’t. Instead, impress them with your curiosity about their lives, jobs, or even opinions (as long as you’re not bringing up politics or religion).

Keep in touch! I have a friend who schedules 20 phone calls each day to just say hello to people she’s met. It’s not a long call and she always finds something to say such as, “I just went by that restaurant we had lunch at and thought I’d call to see how you’re doing.” She also has made a mental or physical note of any topic that’s been an ongoing discussion so she has more to say than just, “How are you?” She might ask about the recent fundraiser they’d discussed or how the visit with their parents went. She does this all the time and I cannot imagine she’d be unemployed for very long if each and every time she made a call she ended the call with, “It’s so nice to catch up with you. Don’t forget, if you hear about any opportunities please let me know!”

How's the job market?

by Terrie Osborn, CPRW

“How’s the job market?” new clients frequently ask. The underlying question is: How quickly do you think I can find a new job?

Those might seem like tough questions. Here’s another one: How is it that many people move swiftly from old positions to new, while others get stuck in between indefinitely?

The answers are that the job market is as good or bad as you decide it’s going to be, and you can change jobs very quickly if you decide to do so.

There are lots of reasons why people leave jobs. Sometimes it’s voluntary – they’re exercizing their right to move on. Some clients leave jobs under less than perfect circumstances—they were, for example, ‘let go’ for whatever reason. That can be devastating!  Even so, here’s the thing: It’s not what happens to us that determines our level of happiness or sadness, it’s how we choose to respond to it.

Lounging on the couch all day in pajamas watching TV is certainly an option, but chances are high the new job won’t simply show up at your door and you’ll never leave the living room.

Using time between positions to research—on the internet, at the library, by talking to others, through a self-evaluation such as is available in the book “What Color Is Your Parachute?” or just by listening to the song coming from your own heart—will begin to magnetize a new job to you. Put the energy out there, and you’re sure to create what you want. Treating the job search as a full-time job—even as a part-time job—at which you spend 20, 30, 40 hours per week, will rapidly bring you and your next employer together.

Like everything else in life, jobfinding is what you make it. It never ceases to amaze me how often people are deep down not surprised that they’ve been let go from a job. They could see it coming, but maybe ignored it. Or they didn’t like the job/boss/industry anyway, so the shock of having been let go is mixed with a great sense of relief.

I’ve also come to believe—from watching happen over and over again—that there’s ALWAYS a new/better job awaiting those who need to (or want to) change jobs. That’s why the old one ended, because the new one became ready for you to make your way to it. You do have to make your way to it, though.

You can track the gloom reports in the news and resign yourself to the couch, or you can approach jobfinding as a great adventure. Choose to believe that what you want IS out there for you and make up your mind that you're going to find it. It's possible that the new job will exceed even your wildest expectations - why not?! It happens to other people, why not you!