A Job Seeker's Guide Out 

With March Madness upon us, I thought the following is an appropriate analogy for this month. Business often parallels the strategies of success in professional endeavors and the dynamics of sports. As a career coach dedicated to unlocking the full potential of individuals, I have identified four key traits that resonate deeply both on and off the basketball court: teamwork, adaptability, leadership, and resilience. These traits form the bedrock of professionalism and are indispensable in navigating the complexities of today's professional landscape.

The Japanese discuss a process of “Ikigai” which loosely translates to “finding one’s purpose in life” or “reason for being.” I believe it is critically important for one’s personal success and fulfillment that you seek out your “work Ikgai,” or purpose in work. Those clients of mine who do so have often said that, like me, they no longer feel like they are working....

When asking my prospective clients their primary job search process, without exception they say they are conducting an “on-line” search – they type a job title into a search engine and wait to see what comes up. Most career coaches would describe this as “scatter shooting” a job search. After a brief conversation with me, they begin to see the value of changing to a targeted job search methodology. In fact, targeting your job search will reduce you time to employment by between 25% to 50%!

This past year numerous clients have regaled stories of getting past the first or second interview with little or no feedback as to why. When I asked, all indicated the approach interviews “by the seat of their pants” or “winging it.” None had a systematic approach to conducting an interview. 

That is why I developed the 4-Step Interview Method©. This method empowers candidates to take control of the interview process, guide the conversation strategically and increase their chances of leaving a lasting impression on the interviewer. In this article, we'll delve into each step of the 4-Step Interview Method© and explore how it can transform your interview game.

Many cities are holding celebrations. Rainbow flags are being raised on flagpoles everywhere it seems. Towns and organizations are having pride gatherings and picnics. Schools are exploring diversity. And a host of organizations are showcasing their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies as well as changing their social media logos to a rainbow-colored version.

At the same time, governing bodies, mainly Republican led, are banning books, outlawing crossdressing for entertainment (Drag), and shaming those who do not conform to outdated social norms of male and female. Violence against the LGBTQ+ community, along with the Jewish community, Asian Community, Latin Community, and the African American community is increasing. Hate speech on social media is reaching all-time highs. Often the perpetrators of gun violence are portrayed as “outsiders” or “other” and lashing out against those who do not believe in culture and society as they do. The picture seems bleak.

Recently a client asked me, "How do you know to move onto your next target market or to pivot your job search based on metrics and goals?"

After recovering from my surprise, my first reply congratulated them on asking such an advanced and astute question! I find very few job seekers are tracking any data on their job search activities, and even fewer review the data for lessons to be learned. Yet, doing so will help you gauge the small successes that lead to the ultimate prize of a new role in a desired organization at the compensation level you want.

One of the biggest mistakes my clients make is not having a focused list of target organizations when job searching. Yet, once they work with me to create that list, they are 2 times more productive in networking and see an immediate increase in the productive activity of the job search process. Here I will share some thoughts on a target job search – Milestone 2 in my Job Search Project Plan Methodology ©.

By taking a targeted approach to a job search, one can increase...

 Many recruiters and HR professionals will tell you that, even with low unemployment, they are still getting many more applicants for a position than they can realistically evaluate. 

So, using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and other forms of artificial intelligence, social media sites, personal referrals, and networking techniques helps everyone in the hiring process eliminate the candidates perceived as less appropriate from the candidate pool.

So, how does a candidate make themselves standout in the crowd?

To combat the loneliness of job search, I and other career coaches recommend you attend job seeker networking or support groups. These groups offer a variety of benefits and come in many different shapes and sizes.

Here we will look at where you can go to find a group. If there are none readily available to you, then why not start one yourself? We explore how to do that.

I was working with a client who after several months of struggling alone, he reached out to me. One of my first recommendations was for him to participate in a job seeker networking group I co-facilitated. At the third meeting he attended, the guest speaker was an amazing executive recruiter who upon hearing his 30-second introduction said, “you need to call me later today. I have a job for you.” 

Two weeks later he was interviewing and a month later he was employed.

Just yesterday I gave a client the advice to get a professional certification despite the time and money costs. Last week I recommended that two clients increase the amount of networking they do and provided several ways they could do it.

From my perspective, it is easy for me to give advice. There is no “skin in the game” for me. But is it “fair” for me to tell others what to do without doing what I say? Ethically, I think not. I believe it is important for me to use as much of my advice....

For your health, you attend an annual physical.

For your personal growth, you set New Year’s Resolutions.

For your finances, you do a yearly review of your taxes and accounts.

(Or I hope you do at least one of those!)

But why do we neglect to regularly review where we are on our career path and revisit or revise our future career goals?

Read more to learn about how four people found their new direction...

October 11th is National LGBTQ+ Coming Out Day and is a day to celebrate the freedom to be fully me. For nearly 35 years of my life and 15 years of my early career I felt confined by this big secret of my “atypical” sexuality – of being a gay man. When I was finally able to be open about my life and love with my family and friends and then my coworkers it was incredibly freeing … even liberating.

Read my story and join our new LGBT+ friendly job search support group!

We all seem to be craving human connection as the second wave of COVID comes into full swing. This is especially hard-hitting because now is traditionally one of the biggest party seasons of the year. But there is a way to make your holidays feel brighter while also strengthening your network. How about scheduling a series of virtual holiday cocktail parties? 

With all the doom and gloom in the media about the economy it is easy to think there is no hope to find work. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Here are some resources and advice that you should know to make your job search more productive...

In Part One of Effective Networking, the main comment was to improve the effectiveness of one’s job search networking, one should mostly network at places and events where employed people will be.  I recommend attending seminars, professional association meetings and the like...

Over the past decade I have met and worked with many people in transition at a host of networking meetings held around the state of New Jersey.  Most are meetings of the unemployed... for the unemployed.  A consistent theme I hear said by attendees is no one they know is getting a job...

At latest count, employers have approximately nine (9) different forms of background checks they conduct on prospective candidates.  The question most job seekers ask is why when they should be asking, “what will they find out about me?”  This article will look at the basics behind the most common checks employers perform...

Today, a friend and career coaching client of mine posed the following question to me.  She did so because of my work with job seekers on preparing for background and reference checks in a job search.  

Her question:  In the wake of the Equifax hack, any advice on how those in job search can protect themselves?  It's been recommended that people institute...