A Day in the Life of a Job Seeker

"Looking for a job is a full-time job." It's a phrase we've all heard, and, for the most part, it's true. Searching for a job that you like, going on interviews, waiting for the call back. It's some of the most emotionally draining and time-consuming work you'll have to do.

One of the most important things one can do while hunting for a new job is to set a schedule and stick with it. For those who are employed in a job that they hate, it can be frustrating to go home and then spend more time trying to find a new job. All you do is go to work and then go home to do more work. But those without a job can find it even more frustrating, because of the endless time spent waiting -- and the diminishing bank balance.

So we asked job seekers for their tips on how they've dealt with the job search and what they've done to provide structure to their day. Here's what they had to say:

• The early bird gets the worm: Don't waste your days sleeping. Get up early and set "office hours." By acting as if you're going to work, you're actually getting into a mindset that will put you on task.


• Set the scene: Be sure to remove yourself from all distractions when doing your job search. It's one thing to go to a coffee shop to do your research, but when you start to write your cover letters and résumés, you need to concentrate on the task at hand. Don't be afraid to write in the morning and then revise in the afternoon -- give yourself some time to edit and craft the messages you're sending to potential employers.


• Get specific: The "scattershot" method of applying for anything and everything usually leaves no one feeling good. Be specific about what kind of job you are looking for, what areas you want to focus on, what skills you have and what skills you want to develop in a new job. Learn about companies in your area that have these jobs, see what opportunities they may have, and connect with recruiters or experts in the field through resources such as LinkedIn.


• Follow up: For many job seekers, the concern is the résumé black hole. Because employers receive so many applications for each job opening, it helps to set follow-up calendar reminders so you know when to reach out to a company you've applied to if you haven't heard back. That way, you'll know where they are in the process or if the position was filled.


• Set output goals: How many résumés do you want to send out per week? Make a number and stick to it, but be realistic. Don't say 250, because you will only make yourself miserable. Focus on a manageable goal.


• Practice your introduction/elevator pitch: It's always important to sell your skills and your desired career opportunity in under a minute. Instead of focusing on day-to-day abilities, think big picture and sell your value.


• Research: If you spend more time doing homework on companies you want to work for, you'll spend less time applying for jobs in which you may not have a real interest. Remember that a job description only tells you so much. Your job could be perfect, but the company's values could be in direct opposition to your personal values. Get to know the company via social media and through its corporate website.


• Don't sabotage yourself: If you're employed and want out of your current situation, don't look for jobs while at your job. That's asking for trouble, and a pink slip is likely to follow. You'll have to make time outside of your job to dedicate to your job search. If you're unemployed, don't sell yourself short in a cover letter by telling your entire story, because employers don't care. Again, sell your value upfront, and the details can be filled in during the interview process if needed. Also, if you're unemployed and searching for a job, make sure that your family respects your time to do so.


• Use every tool: Use all the assets at your disposal -- job boards, social media, recruiters, aggregators, etc. Diversifying your search method will help produce diverse results. Think beyond your traditional job-search methods and challenge yourself to find new ways to connect with employers or other job seekers.


• Keep your humor: Looking for a job is tiresome and can be truly depressing, but don't let it get the best of you. Remember that you are defined by more than your job or career, and while you want to be a productive member of society, your job isn't the only way to do so. Get out and see family and friends, try to stay active by exercising and eating healthfully, and keep your frustration and negativity to a minimum -- especially in social media. By having a positive attitude, you're more easily able to broach the sensitive topic with others who are employed and could help you in your job search.

Justin Thompson is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

How to Network via Social Media

Facebook is great for staying in touch with friends, sharing funny cat videos or seeing what an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend is up to, but can it help you get a job? Absolutely. Social-media websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are great platforms for networking and keeping up with industry trends.

"The benefits can be huge. Although time consuming, if you do it correctly, you can gain lots of attention, fans, followers and clients," says Ashley Jones, owner of Skylight Creative Group, a marketing, graphic design and photography company. "I've done a lot of networking through social media for myself personally, my two companies and also helping other companies through their startup/launch process."
Here are Jones' top seven tips for networking via social media:

1. Don't post something just to post it. Make sure your content is relevant or interesting.

2. If you're using social media to network, stay professional. There's a tendency to relax and get too casual or personal.

3. Use the tools to their full potential. If you're on LinkedIn, join groups, answer questions or get your name and profile out there to meet new people. No matter the platform, don't expect people to come to you if you're not engaging.

4. Don't spam or post too frequently. People are bombarded with updates, messages, etc., and if you post too much fluff, you'll lose your audience fast.

5. Don't just post the same thing across different platforms. It's OK if you occasionally post something you tweeted to Facebook or upload a Facebook photo to Pinterest, but if you're constantly posting the same content across all platforms, why would anyone follow you on more than one platform?

6. Keep your content fresh. Don't let your last post sit for a month before another update. Keep things new so people come back and check for updates.

7. Follow up with connections. While this may be time-consuming, it goes a long way when you respond to a comment, post or message. It's a great way to let your fans or followers know you care.
The key to networking is becoming an active part of the community or industry of interest. Contribute to the conversation. Ask for advice about your current job or job prospect. Interact with others, and thoughtfully answer their questions. Post links to relevant articles you find. Networking should be a mutually beneficial experience, so if someone helps you, return the favor.

Susan Ricker is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

How to increase your workday productivity...

Why You Never Finish Your To-Do Lists at Work (and How to Change That)

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LinkedIn released a survey last year revealing that our professional to-do lists are in dire need of a makeover. Turns out, we’re not so good at “doing” the things we tell ourselves we need to do. In fact, almost 90% of professionals admitted they’re unable to accomplish all the tasks on their to-do list by the end of an average workday.
So if you’re sick of tackling the same stale to-dos every day, it’s time to change that. Here are five tricks to increase your productivity and help yourself actually make it through your list.

1. Keep a Single To-Do List For Work

Let’s be honest: If you wanted to get a complete view of everything you had to do for work right now, chances are you can’t find it all on a single list. Instead, you have a few post-its here, a saved draft in your email there, stickies or text files on your computer, and maybe an app or two on your phone.
And while it’s generally good practice to separate work and play, having a single place for your work-related tasks is a must. So pick your method of choice, and start consolidating. It can be anywhere: a handwritten list inside your trusty planner, a document you keep on your desktop, or an app on your phone.
Make sure, however, that you can add to your list from anywhere—which means that if you use a desktop app, you’ll want to set up a system to capture to-dos incurred away from your computer, such as assignments you get while in a meeting. I personally like to write these down on sticky notes, and then delete or toss them once I’ve transferred them to the master list.

2. Follow the 1-3-5 Rule

Now that you have a comprehensive list of everything you have to do for work ever, you should define a daily to-do list. On any given day, assume that you can only accomplish one big thing, three medium things, and five small things. (Note: if you spend much of your day in meetings, you might need to revise this down a bit.) Before leaving work, take a few minutes to define your 1-3-5 for the next day, so you’re ready to hit the ground running in the morning. If your position is one where each day brings lots of unexpected tasks, try leaving one medium and two small tasks blank, in preparation for the last-minute requests from your boss.

Yes, I know it can be tough to narrow your list of to-dos down to 1-3-5—but it’s important to prioritize. Like it or not, you only have so many hours in the day and you’re only going to get a finite number of things done. Forcing yourself to choose a 1-3-5 list means the things you get done will be the things you chose to do—rather than what just happened to get done.

Planning ahead like this also means you’ll be able to have more informed conversations with your manager when he or she drops something new on you that needs to be done right away—as well as the tools to re-prioritize your other work. For example, when a surprise presentation falls on your lap, try: “Sure, I can get that to you by 3 PM, but the Q1 reports won’t be ready until tomorrow then, since I’d scheduled to work on that today.”

3. Complete One Significant Task Before Lunch (Your Least Favorite One, if Possible)

I’ll admit that this one is tough for me, but it works. Take one of your big or medium tasks and tackle it first thing in the morning, before email even if you can. There’s no better feeling than crossing off a tough task before lunch. Author Brian Tracy calls this ”eating your frog,” adapted from the famous Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

My co-founder, Kathryn, often defines her “frogs” in the evening to prepare for the next day; with that, she’s prepared to tackle them in the morning, and it keeps her from pushing off less pleasant tasks for many days.

4. Use Your Calendar as a To-Do list

If you find that you always overestimate how much you can get done in a day, an effective approach is to put your to-dos on your calendar, just like a meeting. Rather than outlining your daily to-dos onto a list, schedule them, leaving enough time each. Sending in your W2 confirmation information to HR might take 15 minutes, while preparing the Q1 strategy for your team may require a few hours. The important thing is to be realistic.
Lifehacker, a favorite site of mine, put it best:

Most people don’t schedule their work. They schedule the interruptions that prevent their work from happening. In the case of a business like ours, what clients pay us to make and do happens in the cracks between meetings, or worse, after business hours.”

When you try this approach, also make sure you block time in your calendar for catching up on email, brainstorming, or other important-but-not-deliverable-oriented tasks. For example, try blocking an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon to work through your inbox—and then don’t spend time in between trying to handle emails the minute they come in, when you’d really planned to be working on something else.

5. Reduce Meetings to Increase Productive Time

Finally, if you find you really can’t get done what you think you should be able to in a day, despite all the advice above—consider whether you might be suffering from meeting-itis.
As economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” In fact, multiple surveys done on the subject reached similar conclusions that somewhere between a quarter and half of the time spent in meetings is a waste, not to mention, you can’t really get your other to-dos done while you’re sitting down talking to someone else.
The solution: Limit your meetings. Before scheduling a meeting, think about if this could be resolved with an email or phone call first, or by popping into someone’s office for a few minutes. If a meeting is required, list the key agenda items to determine the necessary participants and the shortest amount of time you can schedule. And yes, it’s totally OK to schedule a 20-minute meeting, no need to round to 30! If you must have meetings, try to group them together to leave large uninterrupted periods of time during your day for the real work to get done.

Yes, reorganizing and planning ahead are both investments upfront—but just think how happy you’ll be when you actually get a full day’s to-do list crossed off. So get yourself organized, get all your to-dos in one place, minimize your distractions, and start conquering that (one-day-sized) list!

This article was originally published on The Daily Muse.

50+ Job Skills You Should List on Your Resume

There are lots of reasons it might be hard to cobble together a decent resume. Maybe you've been unemployed for a long time, maybe you're trying to switch careers or maybe you're a mom who's been home raising kids for a few years.

Whatever your situation, there's good news. Resumes are changing. Your skills are just as valuable as your formal employment and can help sell your resume to a potential employer.
Ford R. Myers, career coach, speaker and author of the book "Get The Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring" (John Wiley & Sons, 2009) encourages job seekers to draw on a variety of past experiences, in both paid and non-paid positions, when applying for new employment.

"These transferable skills, acquired during any activity - volunteer positions, classes, projects, parenting, hobbies, sports - can be applicable to one's next job," Myers said. "By adding transferable skills to a resume, employers get a better understanding and broader picture of who they are hiring - as well as the interests, values and experiences that the candidate brings to the table."

Myers divided transferrable skills into five broad skill areas and gives examples of how you can describe each:

Communication: writes clearly and concisely, speaks effectively, listens attentively, openly expresses ideas, negotiates/resolves differences, leads group discussions, provides feedback, persuades others, provides well-thought out solutions, gathers appropriate information, confidently speaks in public

Interpersonal Skills: works well with others, sensitive, supportive, motivates others, shares credit, counsels, cooperates, delegates effectively, represents others, understands feelings, self-confident, accepts responsibility

Research and Planning: forecasts/predicts, creates ideas, identifies problems, meets goals, identifies resources, gathers information, solves problems, defines needs, analyzes issues, develops strategies, assesses situations

Organizational Skills: handles details, coordinates tasks, punctual, manages projects effectively, meets deadlines, sets goals, keeps control over budget, plans and arranges activities, multi-tasks

Management Skills: leads groups, teaches/trains/instructs, counsels/coaches, manages conflict, delegates responsibility, makes decisions, directs others, implements decisions, enforces policies, takes charge.

By: BusinessNewsDaily Staff
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/

Three Attention-Getting Tactics for Cover Letters

By Charles Purdy, Monster Senior Editor

Hiring managers and recruiters can receive hundreds -- or even thousands -- of applications for each open job. Typically, they can spend only a few seconds scanning a candidate's cover letter before moving on to somebody else's. So if you're looking for a job, your cover letter has to capture a reader's attention right away.

According to career coach Evelyn Salvador, author of Step-by-Step Cover Letters, one way to get an employer to really notice your cover letter is to infuse it with personal-branding elements, such as a slogan, testimonials or a mission statement. “Each of these elements is optional, but it might just be the thing that makes your cover letter stand out from those of other candidates," she says.

Salvador has specific tips for using one (or all) of these elements:

A Slogan
This brief sentence or phrase can be placed under your name at the top of your letter, in the far-left margin or in italics at the bottom of your cover letter. A slogan should succinctly encapsulate the value you bring to an employer -- if you need help crafting a slogan, look to language in the job posting or on the employer's Web site for inspiration.

Salvador's examples include:

• For an elementary school teacher: "Helping students take positive steps toward their future"
• For a sales manager: "Meeting challenges, overcoming obstacles and closing sales"

Testimonials
Stating what others have said about your performance adds credibility to the information you provide in a cover letter. Testimonials can include excerpts from letters of recommendation, customer thank-you letters, vendor satisfaction letters, performance reviews, internship summaries, staff memos and other commendations.

A Mission Statement
This element should be succinct and clearly state what your mission is, specific to your career goal -- it could describe what you plan to do or have done, what you believe in or why your profession is important to you -- or another statement that demonstrates the value you'll bring to the employer. Salvador's examples for a teacher and sales manager include:

• "Each step a child takes in his life has an effect on his future. I would like to help students take positive steps by creating an educational experience conducive to learning."
• “If the customer is happy and you are making a sale, it's a win/win. I believe in making customers happy."

Are you ready for a career switch?

Given the recovering economy, emerging jobs and pure human nature, career switches are common. What may have been a great job 10 years ago can be obsolete now, or you may simply be ready for your own life change. But how can you prepare yourself for a career switch? The overwhelming advice from career coaches and human-resources consultants is to do your homework and play to your strengths. These experts share the following advice for planning your next career steps.

Understand the work involved in switching careers
Before you quit your job, know what you’re getting yourself into. “When people change careers in this market, the No. 1 thing they must be aware of is that they need to develop the new industry or role experience and knowledge,” says Megan Fox, career coach and résumé writer. “A lot of people think they can tweak a few transferrable skills and land their dream job, when in fact it takes strategic planning and re-education to make a successful career change. These kinds of activities not only make you more qualified for the new role, but they display a sincere passion for the switch. I also encourage my clients to pick either an industry change or a functional role change, one at a time, as it is much easier to do than trying to completely change your job and industry type at the same time. Take baby steps and you’ll be able to make the change without sacrificing too much in salary.”

Use transferable skills to your advantage
You may think you’re ready for a career switch, but how can you convince hiring managers that you’ll be a valuable employee? “For job seekers dealing with career changes, we find it advantageous to conduct an assessment of the transferable knowledge and skills that were developed in the individual’s previous career and how that may apply to the new career path they intend on following,” says Lynda Zugec, managing director for The Workforce Consultants, a human resources consultation company with offices in Toronto, Ontario and New York. “Interpersonal skills, problem-solving ability and project management are all examples of knowledge and skills that can be applied in differing context and careers. We try to focus on these transferable skills to understand the benefits and applicability to our business. Some of the skills we focus on include the following:

• Communication: This entails the ability to communicate at all levels of an organization and across different generations.
• Strategic thinking: The ability to determine and envision where an organization is going. This will help align work efforts with company goals and objectives.
• Partnership building: Work rarely occurs in a vacuum, and the better their skills in deciding who they can best partner with to achieve desired results, based on their skills and knowledge, the better off we will be.
• Conscientiousness: Time and time again, conscientiousness proves itself to be among the No. 1 predictor of job performance. We hire individuals that pay attention to the details. Spelling and grammatical errors, lost and misplaced files or general disorganization can have major implications.
• Technical skills: We look for individuals with up-to-date and relevant technical skills. They are among the most desirable.”

Be prepared before you leave your current job
You can start making your career switch before you leave your current role. Krista Mazzuca, director of human resources at Community Renewal Team, a nonprofit human-service agency in Hartford, CT, offers these suggestions:

• Think carefully about the field you want to switch into and what it will take to land a job in that field. Don’t assume that going back to school will guarantee that you’ll obtain your desired position — often you need both the credential and experience. Find out as much as you can before enrolling in a school program.
• While you’re still employed at your first job, get as much experience as possible that moves you in your desired direction. How can you volunteer in the community, change assignments at your company or find synergies between what you’re currently doing and what you hope to be doing?
• If you’re a manager, be prepared for a change in status. You may have to start near the bottom in your new career, which may mean that you’re working a defined shift, in a cubicle and taking direction from someone younger than yourself. You might also have to take a substantial pay cut. The person interviewing you for the position will want to see that you have thought about this and have acclimated yourself to the possibility. Prepare a good answer as to why you’re changing fields. Be candid, but frame your argument around the hiring manager’s point of view.