A few years back Tom Peters taught us the importance of building our personal brand. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come to realize that I learned about personal branding long before Mr. Peters ever wrote about it. I learned about personal branding from Tom Dick Harry — my dad.

He might not have been Billy Mays, or Seth Godin, or Barrack Obama, but he was definitely a unique man! In the 1970s he grew hip sideburns and a handlebar mustache. The mustache stuck and became his personal trademark until the day he died. That mustache became his personal brand.

Dad understood the power of networking.  He was always looking for ways to help people connect with each other.  He loved people and being the center of attention.  He also loved introducing his friends to each other. His strong faith led him to work hard to connect people with their God…whoever that might be. While dad was definitely a Christian, he was open to helping people find room for other understandings and interpretations of God.  One young man, raised a devout Jew, asked if he could go talk to Dick because he “had a few questions about religion that Dick would understand.”  Dad did.  He was open minded enough to know that his image of God, while strong and based upon biblical principals, was incomplete.  He was a champion “connector.”

My dad taught me to WORK HARD while I was at work, “If you don’t have anything to do, grab a broom and start sweeping. If the boss walks through and sees 2 people standing around and one sweeping, who do you think he’s going to send home?” I hated it as a kid, but I love it as an adult.  It’s not difficult for me to find work because I am willing to do almost anything that needs to be done. That’s what dad taught me to do.

Dad was a musician and an artist.  As a child, I can remember the family standing around the piano and singing boisterously while dad played the piano. His voice was strong and he always sang at the top of his lungs.  I could hear him singing even when we sat in different parts of the congregation.  I loved knowing my dad was there giving it all he had.  He was a passionate musician.

Dad also had a sense of humor with his music. He once told me that, while in college, he and his friends would gather to sing in the parlor with him at the piano. At the end of the evening he would play a series of scales and finish by playing an incomplete scale. He’d play 7 (out of notes and leave the room in darkness.  Inevitably someone would traipse downstairs to complete the scale by playing that last note.  I love it! I have instructed the musicians at his memorial service to end their postlude that way!  I wonder if anyone will notice. I wonder if anyone will complete the scale.

Dad influenced many young people in his lifetime.  He was an elementary school teacher and volunteered to work with youth in our church. People loved having him around for his vibrancy and uniqueness.  Dad taught kindergarten in the 1970s–highly unusual for that era to have a man in the classroom with young children. Dad taught the same silly songs to high school kids at camp that he sang with 5 year-olds at school.  I don’t know how many adults taught “I Wub A Wabbit” to their own kids, but I do know they learned it from dad when they were in high school. . . hand motions and all!

Dad was passionate about life and living. He almost died many times over the past 15 years, but his will to live always pulled him through.  He didn’t want to miss a party or the chance to make a new friend. He was ill for a long time, but he never wanted to let that stop him from going somewhere or being with someone he loved. He was always up for going to coffee or lunch or a movie. His love of living poured out in generosity as well. Dad never was a rich man, but he always wanted to pay for your drink or meal. If someone asked him for the shirt off his back, he would give it to him no questions asked. Of course, the shirts dad wore were usually pink or flowery or gawdy in some other way. . . perhaps that’s why people seldom asked for his shirt!

Dad encouraged me to live an authentic life, to love boldy, and to enjoy being around people. He was my number one fan, standing out in the rain at our football games in High School (I played on the C team, so he was pretty much the only person in the crowd), attending every concert. I visited dad the day before he died in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. I was supposed to be the guest preacher at his church that evening, and the first thing dad said was, “I’m so sorry I won’t be able to make it to support you.” He was that way for all of his children and many more who’s father wasn’t willing or able to be there.

Tomorrow we will gather to celebrate dad’s life and to bid him farewell. It will be a sad occassion, but it will also be an amazing celebration because dad loved people and life so much.  I know the church will be full to the brim with people sharing wonderful stories of how their lives have been touched by Tom Dick Harry. We will laugh and cry. We will sing from the bottom of our hearts. We will share stories and lean on each other–his friends and family. We will be together, just as he would have wanted it.

Dad was a special man with a unique personality and a distinct personal brand. Thomas Richard Harry–not just any Tom, Dick and Harry, but my dad. I’m greatful he taught me how to love life. I’m greatful he taught me how to passionately love God’s people. I’m greatful he taught me how to live my own unique, personal brand.

Thanks dad! I love you and I will miss you.

There is an old saying that goes like this, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

I tell my clients, “You MUST have a target, because if you shoot at nothing you will absolutely hit it . . . NOTHING.”

One of the things job seekers today do most often to sabotage their job search is to be unclear about their perfect job.  When asked what kind of job they are looking for, many will answer, “Any job. Any shift. Anywhere.”  I understand about keeping your options open, but the truth is that you will not be happy in just ANY JOB.  Unless you are specific about what you can and will do in your next position, other people can’t help you find opportunities.  If your job search does not have a clear target you are very likely to hit that target . . . which is NO JOB.

Here are the 4 key ingredients you MUST be clear about in order to define a target for your job search:

1. Job Satisfaction. What do you do well that you would like to do in your next job?  What skills, knowledge and abilities would you like to use in your next career position?  What gives you energy on the job, and what sucks the life out of you?  What are you good at, and why?  These are key questions, because if you don’t have job satisfaction you will not be happy or productive in your next career — which ultimately will lead to looking for another job soon.  More than 2,500 years ago Confucius said, “Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  Some things never change!
2. Growth Opportunities. What kinds of growth opportunities will keep you engaged in your next job?  Is it important for you to have the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder?  Or are you more satisfied by doing work that is physically engaging or mentally challenging?  Without opportunities for growth you will, sooner or later, become disengaged from your job . . . which leads you back to the job hunt (see above).  It’s important to know yourself and what learning, development, growth opportunities you need in order to stay engaged.
3. Work Environment. Do you work best in a large company or a small one?  Do you need to have a team of people working along side of you or would you rather work alone?  Are you willing to travel or do you prefer to have a routine schedule every day?  Is relocation an option?  To where?  What kind of corporate culture fits with your personal values? Do you like a fast paced environment or one that is slow and relaxed?  What kind of boss or manager do you work best with? These are questions that you need to research before you agree to your next job. The wrong environment can be deadly to you and your career!  Do your homework BEFORE you start looking for your next job.
4. Salary Requirements. What do you need to make in order to be satisfied?  What is your target salary?  Do you need health insurance, or are you covered under your spouse’s plan?  Are retirement benefits important? How about vacation, training, etc.  One problem I see too many times is that people put the salary question first.  That’s a BAD idea!  As we have discovered above, if you aren’t satisfied on your job, don’t have opportunity for growth, and are working in the wrong environment you will not be happy.  If you are not happy in your career it doesn’t really matter how much money you make, because you are not likely to stay there long.  Salary considerations are important, but only so far as they fit in with the other three keys to your perfect career.

Identify these 4 keys to your perfect career and your job search will start to move along quickly.  By being clear on what you are looking for, you will see more opportunities and you will help others (i.e. your network) help you find potential jobs.  Get a clear target and you will have something to aim at!

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I had dinner with my parents the other night, and in the course of the conversation my mother started talking about her dad and what he did to earn a living through the Great Depression.  I had never heard those stories before . . . or perhaps I just wasn’t listening.  It was  interesting and perhaps instructive for those of you who are without work during this current economic downturn.

Mom says that grandpa was without regular work for about 10 years. During that time he did whatever odd jobs he could to pay the rent and put food on the table. He worked on a friend’s ranch in Eastern Oregon and did day labor when he could find it. Grandpa heard that the railroad was hiring in Portland, so in early December of 1941 he found his way to the big city. That day was December 7th — the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor marking the U.S. entry into WWII. Needless to say, when grandpa got to Portland the railroad was no longer hiring.

Too old to enlist in the war, grandpa stayed with his brother-in-law and went about looking for work wherever he could find it. After many fits and starts, he finally got hired on with a trucking company where he spent the rest of his working career. He learned about the opportunity from a friend, and followed up.  Luckily that opportunity turned into a long lasting career.

For several years the family lived in NW Portland in a house with 3 other families — and only ONE bathroom!  It’s all they could afford.  They got along and enjoyed each others company even thought times were tough.

I’ll bet there is a similar story in your family. Since I heard mom tell that story, I’ve been wondering “what can WE learn from those past experiences?”  Well, several things. . .

1. Things are tough right now, but not nearly as bad as they have been. The country has come through worse economic times, and we WILL weather this storm.  Work to keep a positive attitude and together we can make it through this economic crisis.
2. Our grandparents (or great-grandparents) did whatever the had to do in order to put food on the table.  How many unemployed people today are willing to take a subsistence job for a time in order to keep themselves afloat until something better comes along?
3. Follow up on opportunities your hear about through others.  Today we call it “networking”, but I doubt grandpa used that specific word for it.
4. Everything is temporary. The Great Depression was temporary.  WWII was temporary.  Your last job was temporary.  So will you next job be temporary.  What are YOU doing to focus on the long term?
5. Enjoy each other.  Even though my mom and her family lived in a house with several other families and only one bathroom, she tells me they enjoyed each other.  They were a generally loving family, taking care of each other and providing emotional security in a world where it was severely lacking.

I encourage you to talk to someone in your own family who has a memory of how things were a few generations ago.  I think it will put perspective on the challenges we are all facing, and perhaps give us some hope to move boldly into the future!

When you go through a grocery line today the bagger asks you how you want your items packed. “Paper or plastic?”  Many stores do not even offer us an option. They hand us our items bagged in plastic. There was a time when all groceries were packed into paper bags. Plastic bags were uncommon but not anymore. Today plastic bags are the norm.

Last week I stated that traditional jobs were going away. I recommended that it was time to change your career strategy and stop looking for jobs and start looking for work. The insight I want to share with you this week is that work used to be packed in paper bags but today it is being packed into plastic bags. There is work to be found but more and more companies are offering it in unconventional ways.

We are used to looking for work packed into job positions with clear cut duties. The jobs were offered in a paper bag called full-time, or permanent work. Today many employers are packaging work into plastic bags called projects, temporary work or contract work.

What is happening?  Companies are finding that they have to be flexible and nimble in order to compete in today’s market. They need to enlarge their workforce on short notice in order to produce a product or service. Once they have achieved their objectives they need to reduce their workforce rather than pay out wages to idle employees.

Think about the difference between paper bags and plastic bags.  A big paper grocery sack could hold a lot of groceries. You could pack many items neatly into one bag. The bags had a rigid shape and fairly predictable volume of room. Traditional jobs were like paper bags, sturdy and dependable.

But today employers are packing much of their work into plastic bags. Work today is much more flexible, odd shaped and comes in smaller units. Plastic bags are a better container for holding or assigning work.

Be careful that you do not overlook, ignore, or turn down work because it is being offering in “plastic” as contract work, temporary work or as a consulting assignment and not offered as “paper,” a full-time job. Plastic not paper is the new norm for work today.

So, which is it for you?  Paper or plastic?

People are pursuing jobs today like fisherman going after fish at a popular lake with a local reputation for lots of big fish. The trouble is that the fishing today at this lake isn’t what it used to be. In the past everyone was confident of getting plenty of strikes and landing at least one or two decent keepers. Those days are gone, yet fisherman keep hoping it will get better again.

Today the lake shore is crowded with fisherman (job seekers) desperately waiting for a bite. They are flailing the water with different lures and baits trying to find a tactic that will produce fish — a job, any job.

The problem is that most of the fish are gone and the few that are still in the lake are small. So what are the fisherman doing? They try harder and long. They change tactics. They move around to different spots on the lake hoping to get a hit. Just changing up your resume or improving your interviewing techniques isn’t going to make much difference in the outcome. Those methods will only work if there are fish to be caught.

Some job seekers are even demanding that the government should do something to create new jobs. That is like saying the fisheries department should stock more hatchery raised fish in the lake. Think about it, stocked fish are usually minimum catchable size, translate that into “low paying jobs.” There is a limited quantity dumped into the lake, people rush to catch them and they are soon fished out. Are more government created jobs what we are really fishing for?

It’s time to rethink your strategy. What is it that you are after? Is it a job or is it rewarding work? There is a shortage of jobs today but there is not a shortage of work. To find work you need to change your strategy and stop wasting time where the jobs and the crowds of fisherman are. It’s time to stop chasing after small number of minimum size jobs that are being pursued by the crowds.

Finding meaningful work in today’s climate will take a new strategy. It means turning away from the overfished lake and seeking out the less accessible but better populated ponds and streams. A new strategy means risking and trying a whole new approach that focuses on targeting rewarding work and not a job. There is meaningful work out there, it looks different than a job but it will take a new strategy to find it and catch it.

Next Tuesday I will go into more detail about the difference between a “job” and “meaningful work” and will focus on the strategy to use for landing the latter.

Gary Prehn is a career management professional living and working in Southern California.  His specialty is in helping people over 50 find meaningful work.  He writes this column every Tuesday.

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“How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams?”

That’s a direct quote from George Clooney in the movie Up In The Air. My wife and I saw it yesterday, and it really made an impact on me.  One, because this is some of the work I have been doing for the last 16 months – not the firing part, but the part about helping people move past the job loss on to a new opportunity.  Two, because it deals with an issue that more that 20% of us have had to face in the last 12-18 months — losing a job and its affect on our career, family, psyche and life.

I won’t spoil the movie for you. You should really go see it.

Now read this next part carefully, because if you don’t you may think I’m saying that working isn’t important.  I’m not saying that at all.  Our jobs allow us to exchange time for money.  Money allows us to purchase the things we want and need — i.e. food, clothing shelter, and cool stuff like iPhones and computers.  The problem is that too many of us take a job to pay the bills then end up settling for something less than we really want.  We work our jobs and they consume us.  We get tired and worn out.  Something has to give, so we settle.  We HAVE to have a job, so we give up on the one thing that really matters to us . . . our dreams.

If you have lost your job recently you have been forced into something that you didn’t want and which doesn’t feel very comfortable.  The good news is that the time you have been given may just be the ticket you need to re-focus on what really matters to you. I hope you will take the time to do that, even though it may be uncomfortable (or even a bit painful).

When our clients are evaluating their next career position we coach them to look at 4 things:

1. Job Satisfaction
2. Growth Opportunities
3. Proper Environment
4. Compensation ($$$)

When you evaluate your next position you should look for a balance of these 4 things.  If you don’t, you will probably have an opportunity to do it again within 18 months.  That’s because studies show that more than 50% of all employees are dissatisfied with their current job.  Nearly half of them state that they are looking for a new position. I assure you, that will be YOU if you don’t try to balance job satisfaction, growth opportunities, proper environment and compensation within your next position.

You don’t have to settle.  You don’t have to take a position that will suck the life out of you. You don’t have to give up on your dreams…and I hope you don’t, because life is just too short!

Happy Hunting!

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Merry Christmas one and all.

No matter what your spiritual inclinations (Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, Atheist. . . ) or none, take the day to re-connect with family and friends. Let them know how valuable their presence is in your life.

Your job is just a job – a way of financing the important things in your life.  You are NOT your job. Please take time today to focus on the rest of your life and what’s really important: peace, love, relationship, and spiritual well-being.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!

30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 25. Tomorrow’s post: “How Effective Is Your Resume?”

When you are out of work (or going through a significant life change) little things can make you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, angry and/or irritable. Today’s post is intended to help you move past those feelings and live in the reality that is today.

Today I will point you in the direction of some great resources that will help you put this job search time into a positive light.  One is an interactive diagram that is based on the work of William Bridges in his book, “Transitions.”  The other two are a couple of very well written blog posts that encourage us to think about focusing on living in the present and utilizing the gift of time wisely.

Here’s the link to the Bridges interactive diagram:  http://careeradvice4u.com/moodle/file.php/3/Transitions/engageTransitions.html.  Note, you will need to sign up for a FREE account at Careers 2.0, but it’s totally worth the brief hassle!

Our guest blogger, Larque Goodson, shares with us what she is learning about herself while on a job search.  Yesterday she wrote a post asking for Santa to bring her “presence”.  How many of us could use a heaping dose of that?! (Read Larque’s thoughts at: http://happyasalarque.wordpress.com/)

My good friend Megan Strand writes a blog (InCouraged) on a variety of subjects encouraging people, especially entrepreneurs, to take inspired action. The theme for this week was: Creating and Honoring Space…the spaces in which you sometimes find yourself, the space necessary to rejuvenate those creative juices. I am inspired by her thoughts.

OK.  That’s it.  Now click on the links above and check out the goods. Then go and enjoy the day. . . the weekend. . . and your wonderful life!

30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 4.  Tomorrow’s post: “How To Deal With Stress While Searching For A Job.”

Welcome December!  This month I am participating in a 30 Day Blogging Challenge with some other bloggers.  As you know, this blog is all about helping people find a new job. Not just any new job, mind you, but rather, the perfect career. That’s why we write about acing the interview, cutting time off your job search, and using Internet job boards (like LinkedIn, Monster.com, and Twitter).

This 30 day blog challenge will allow me to develop some new material to use in the Careers 2.0 website.  That means two things for you: 1) you get the opportunity to add your 2 cents to the conversation, and 2) you get it for free before everyone else! This blog is all about offering free job advice, free job resources, free resume examples, and much more. We deal with topics such as networking, building a personal brand, working with recruiters, unemployment, interviewing and salary negotiation. What would YOU like to see us cover during the 30 day challenge? I hope you will participate by adding your thoughts to the conversation.  Actually, it won’t be much fun without you! Oh, and don’t forget to pass the links along to your fellow job seekers.

While the long term goal of this blog is to help everyone in America find the perfect career for this time in their life, my short term goals are a bit more attainable. Here are my goals for 30 day blog challenge:

1. create 5 posts on Personal Branding as it relates to the job search.
2. create 5 posts on interviewing and interviewing tips for job seekers.
3. add 50 followers to Facebook blog list.
4. add 200 people to newsletter mailing list.
5. get 3 posts to get picked up by a national venue.

Thank you for joining (and encouraging) me on this 30 day blogging journey.  And don’t forget, happy hunting!

30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 1.  Tomorrow’s post: “Do You Have A Professional Photo?”

Social media posts this week confirmed the three most popular reasons to give thanks – family, friends and a four-day weekend.

Scores of posts and tweets about blissful days away from work have me wondering … does anyone like his job? Do hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans spend every day grasping for a chance at a job just so they can dream of a four-day weekend?

One friend gave me this perspective; “Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do and I don’t mind my job, I just don’t want to be there.”

So it seems like this recession offers the ideal time to evaluate the way we work and make improvements that benefit the employee, the employer and the environment. News articles and blogs point to a shift in how we exchange goods and services and earn money. Thankfully the shift includes flexible options.

Small businesses are springing up like wildflowers in the Pacific Northwest. I doubt these new business owners expect many four-day weekends, but they don’t have to worry about getting fired. They work long hours, yet can arrange a work schedule that starts earlier (in pajamas if desired), accommodates family time and is all around more flexible. It’s hard to hide from the office, but you are the boss.

Home offices are another viable option for disciplined people. Truthfully, if our bosses said, “here is your stack of work for the day, leave when it’s done,” most people would not be in the office eight hours a day. Those that can avoid distractions will be more efficient and hopefully more content.

An idea I am really fond of is flextime. The brilliant concept is widely popular in other countries and could answer issues of recession, conservation and life-work balance. As suggested by the name, the flex differs from person to person. Some want to avoid high traffic times and others need to be home when the school bus arrives. Many workers telecommute part time just because they can.

Another friend planned to leave her design job and be a consultant for other companies. She loves her company yet struggles to balance family time and work time, especially with set hours, commuting and two children. Instead of letting her go, the company’s head honcho offered her a part-time, work-from-home option in which she dictated the hours and schedule. The company retained an amazing designer and my friend got everything she needed.

On the green side of things, offices that work four 10-hour shifts, like many government bureaus, conserve energy and fuel. I realize a 10-hour work day is not ideal for all. But, the timing is right to consider all options that would help people get more three-day weekends and save companies money. It’s feasible that we can come out of the recession with more people laboring joyfully – and tweets and posts to prove it.