April is in full bloom.  The trees are budding. The flowers are blooming. Allergy season has kicked in. I LOVE this time of year! One of the things I love most about Spring is the opportunity to go through my closets and drawers and do some spring cleaning. I find it rewarding and energizing to get rid of the old and make room for the new.

If you’ve been unemployed for longer than 4 months you probably need to do some spring cleaning on your job search. The resume you wrote months ago has probably become stale. Your LinkedIn profile is probably showing some gaps that you will turn off potential employers. It’s time to revise your resume, update your LinkedIn status and get back into gear.

Recruiters are predicting a hiring tsunami sometime around Q3 or Q4 this year. Are YOU ready?  Here are 3 things you can do to spring clean your resume:

1. Add in any volunteer activities you have been doing since you wrote that resume a few months ago. You want potential employers to see that you haven’t been idle during your unemployment. Go ahed and list the duties accomplishments you’ve had while working at the Children’s museum, leading a fund raiser for your local church, or grading papers in your son’s 3rd grade classroom. (Haven’t done any volunteering?  Well guess what should be on you “To Do” list for today!)
2. Include books you have been reading into your LinkedIn Profile. LinkedIn has an app entitled “Reading List by Amazon.”  This is a great way to show potential employers you are an expert in your field.
3. Revitalize your network.  How long has it been since you talked to the people in your network who have actual jobs?  If it’s been more than a month, you need to “ping” them soon.  You want to keep your name on the top of their mind for when something opens up in their company.  Reach out to them with a pertinent article or website you have found that will help them in their business.  Let them know you are still around!

These three steps are so simple we can ALL do them today.  With the weather changing and the flowers blooming, it’s time to reinvigorate your job search.  Clean up your resume and get back in touch with your contacts.  You will be surprised with the results!

Like the article? Check out these related posts

• How To Write a Professional Summary Statement for Your Resume
• How Effective Is Your Resume?
• 3 Different Types of Resumes You Need To Know About
• Why a GREAT Resume is Not as Important as a DECENT Network
• Resume Writing Tips

1. DON’T go to a Job Fair expecting to get a job.  Very few people actually get a job from a Job Fair.  If you are putting all your eggs into this basket, you will be very disappointed.
2. DO go to a Job Fair expecting to gain information about several companies – one of them MAY become your next employer.  Ask lots of questions related to the company, industry, and how a person with your background might fit in.
3. If you attend a Job Fair with others, DON’T “cluster.”  Spread out.  Meet new people (employers AND Job Seekers). Make sure that you do not spend all of your time talking to people you already know, that defeats one of the most important reasons for attending a Job Fair – to meet new people and grow your network.
4. DO be clear about the kind of position you are seeking.  Have a career objective in mind, and stick with it.  This will help you and the recruiters find a better “fit” for you and the company.
5. DO keep your eyes open for opportunities to help connect others in your network.  If you can connect a potential employee with a potential employer, you will build credibility with both parties!  (Of course, this “DO” assumes that you have a network to share information with.  If not, build one NOW!)
6. DO have plenty of business cards and resumes to hand out.  Distribute the business cards liberally, and give a copy of your resume directly to a potential employer.  (In other words, don’t just set it on a pile, or it will probably go directly into a recycling bin!)
7. DO plan to meet 2 or 3 new people, get their business card, and ask if you can follow up with them for a cup of coffee within the next week . . . then DO follow up!  Remember, “the money is in the follow up!”

Have fun at these fairs.  They can be a great place to meet new people and learn about a company or two that you may have some interest in.  Just don’t expect to come away with a job, or you may be very disappointed.

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!

If you liked this post, you might also like . . .

“I would be interested in hearing about effective uses of time when you are looking for work.  How much time should be spent on internet search engines, linkedin, attending network marketing meetings, having one-on-one network meetings, time spend with an accountability partner, exercising, prayer/meditation, time spent not working on the job search (I feel guilty doing this), volunteering, or other valuable uses of time.  Alternately, what are poor uses of time.  As I go through this process, I have been advised to do everything and say a yes to everything.”

This is a GREAT question Doug, I’m glad you asked it. Let me take a shot at answering it. . .

Going through the job search process is challenging.  Because it’s so new to most of us, choosing how to spend out time each day/week/month can be confusing.  On top of the confusion there are several pressing issues, such as:

• our husband/wife wondering when we will find a job and asking us daily what we did to accomplish that goal.
• our own feelings of self worth (or lack thereof) — let’s be honest, in our culture one of the first questions asked when we meet a new person is, “What do you do?”  If we “don’t” then how do we answer that question?
• advice from everyone and their brother as to how we should navigate this time – “go to everything you can”  “put this on your resume” “don’t put that on your resume” “always wear a tie when you leave the house” “don’t dress to formal or people will know you are unemployed” and so on.
• a feeling that sometimes we just want to curl up in bed and avoid the whole thing.
• a desire to make the most of this time with family and friends — “After all, I have a lot more free time now that I don’t have work getting in the way.  So why do I feel guilty when I’m out enjoying myself with the kids?”

As someone who has helped hundreds of people successfully navigate unemployment and career transition this past year, let me share with you some of what I see to be most effective uses of your time in this process.

1. Don’t bother spending more than about 30 hours per week in the job search.  There are physical, social and psychological effects of being on a job search that make it unproductive for us when we go past 30 hours per week.  I know you are supposed to consider your job search to be a “full time job”, so for our purposes let’s consider 30 hours to be “full time.”
2. Spend some at least 20 minutes EVERY DAY doing some form of physical exercise.  Go for a walk. Go go the gym. Play with your kids on the jungle gym.  Exercise is good for clearing out the brain and increasing energy.
3. Don’t spend more than 37 minutes per day on the computer. Likewise, DON’T go online during daylight hours.  Think about it, if 80% of jobs are found through some form of networking, then you should spend at least 80% of your time networking.  The internet will be there when you get home, after everyone is in bed.  Heck, you are probably going to be awake at 3:00 this morning anyway.  If you spend the whole day online, what will you have to do when you wake up in the middle of the night?
4. Have a networking strategy and stick to your plan.  This is tricky, because your plan should evolve as you progress in your job search.  I would recommend that early on in your search you attend lots of events where other job seekers hang out.  These are great places to meet new people, develop and practice your elevator pitch, and get some support.  However, within 6-8 weeks you want to begin moving AWAY from those kinds of events to places where potential employers and people close to potential employers hang out. The former of these events will usually be free.  The latter may cost you something.  That’s why you want to work out the bugs in your verbal and printed “brand image” in the early stages of your job search.  And yes, Doug, this means you will say no to some things. You want to be strategic!
5. An accountability partner is a great idea! Plan to check in once a week for at least an hour.  Take notes and hold each other accountable for goals set at the previous meeting.  Choose wisely. To be successful at this you need to choose someone who will kick your butt — not be your friend.

Some of the activities that have proven to be the worst use of time for job seekers include:

1. Spending time on the Internet job boards – less than 6% of all available jobs are posted on these boards. If you were digging for gold, wouldn’t you want to spend your time in a place where other people have found gold rather than someplace where the prospects for finding gold are shallow?  Well guess what. . . you ARE digging for gold! The best place to find it is through your network of friends and colleagues.
2. Writing/revising your resume (or your LinkedIn profile. Or your Visual CV. . . ). Yeah, I know, you NEED a resume.  It needs to be polished and professional.  However, your resume is a dynamic, living document. It will need to be revised continuously throughout your career.  Work on it a little at a time and track your improvement.  Besides, YOU are your best resume, so get out there and show people what you have to offer!
3. Simultaneously, paying someone to write your resume for you is a huge waste of both time and money – unless you are a high level executive commanding a 7 figure salary.  If you feel the need to pay someone, pay them to coach you how to write a quality resume. You are going to go through the job search process again in the future, so this is a skill that is worth learning as best you can! Besides, the tools you use to write a resume will be extremely helpful in interviews, and it’s pretty tough to get a professional resume writer to go with you to an interview!

This is just a beginning list of how to structure your job search efforts.  The key is to have a strategic plan with specific goals that you can track and measure each day/week.  We have more resources on this topic inside the Careers 2.0 membership site.  The Basic Membership is free, so sign up and take a look!

Thanks for asking Doug!

How about the rest of you?  What would YOU like to read about in this blog?

Related Posts:

• Our 4 Step Process for Writing An Elevator Pitch
• How To Conduct An Informational Interview
• What Is A Personal Brand And Why Do You Need One?
• How to Work With A Recruiter In Your Job Search
• Why A Great Resume Is Not As Important As A Decent Network

Yesterday she shared with us her story about shattering her ankle on the winter snow in her home state of Idaho.  That led her to one of her healthiest habits – walking.  She shares with us some tips for making this form of exercise both enjoyable and automatic.

Wednesday she shared some of her struggles over her body image and the lasting effects physical they have had on her.

Tuesday we were treated to posture tips.  These small changs can make a big difference in your health.  Check out what she has to say.

What does all of this have to do with the job search? LOTS!

1. Being unemployed gives you a gift of time to focus on some of the things you may have neglected while you were working. Use it wisely!
2. Life coaches help their clients identify several areas of their life in which they would like to improve.  We are more than just a job.  We have a physical, spiritual, and emotional sides as well.  You may not be able to do much to immediately impact  the outcome of your work life – afterall, much of that is dependent upon someone else’s time line.  However, you CAN make immediate impact on some other areas. . . like you physical health.
3. Being active and eating well impact your own self image, and if you haven’t figured it out yet, having a positive self image is crucial to job search success.
4. If you have a job and are looking to change careers or find a new one, you still need to be concerned about your health and well-being.  You want to make a great impression when potential employers see you for the first time.

Thanks Larque for giving us the opportunity to make an attempt at getting healthy.

On a personal note, I stopped smoking about 3 months ago and have lost 10 lbs. in the last month.  It may not be much, but it’s a start. A good start!

30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 11.  Tomorrow’s post: “What is a Personal Brand and Why Do You Need One?“

Now that you know your stress level is through the roof, how will you cope with it? That’s right, I said COPE with it.  Chances are you aren’t going to resolve the stress completely until life takes on its “next new normal.”  Coping is how you will deal with stress until that happens. Since experts agree that coping is a process rather than an event, your coping strategy may alternate between several coping activities in order to for you to get by.

The Cleveland Clinic has come good online resources to help people cope with stress. Some common coping mechanisms they recommend include:

• Lowering your expectations
• Asking others to help or assist you
• Taking responsibility for the situation
• Engaging in problem solving
• Maintaining emotionally supportive relationships
• Maintaining emotional composure or, alternatively, expressing distressing emotions
• Challenging previously held beliefs that are no longer adaptive
• Directly attempting to change the source of stress
• Distancing yourself from the source of stress
• Viewing the problem through a religious perspective

Over the years I have picked up a few tips for dealing with stress as well.  Here’s what I recommend:

1. Focus on your own health.  Eat right. Get enough sleep.  Exercise. Play. Laugh.
2. Do something proactive. Don’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring.  Get out of the house and do something – volunteer, go to networking events, ANYTHING!  But do something!
3. Have a plan and follow it. If you don’t have a plan (complete with measurable goals and focusing on results) how will you track your progress? If the only measure of your job search success is whether or not you get a job, you will be discouraged MOST of your job search.
4. Find ways to stay positive.  It’s  battle some days, I know.  But staying positive will help you not only endure the trip, but enjoy it as well!

What action will you take TODAY to cope with the stress of your job search?

30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 5.  Tomorrow’s post: “Writing A Blog To Promote Your Personal Brand”

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.”

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.

Or so you THINK.  I know, conventional wisdom says that nothing much happens between now and the new year except retail and holiday activities.  But what if conventional wisdom is wrong?  It has been before!   What if December is the PERFECT time to look for a job?  What would you be doing today (this week, this month?) to land that job?  We have a few suggestions.  Let us know which of these methods you try. . . and how they work for you.

1)    Polish up your elevator pitch so you can be ready to articulately answer the question, “How’s the job search coming?”
2)    Find a way to help someone in your network solve a problem or fulfill a need.  Do this EVERY day December and it will come back to you in spades!
3)    Re-connect with every recruiter you have met in the last couple of months – internal and external.  Don’t ask for a job, just remind them of who you are and ask how you can help them.
4)    Remember, many companies are on a fiscal year that ends on December 31. That means they may need to spend some money before the year ends, OR that they will have new money to spend after January 1.
5)     Enjoy the holiday.  This is one of the “most wonderful times of the year.”  Many job seekers forget to enjoy the season because they are hung up on their unemployment.  Don’t be one of those people. Enjoy the season and spending time with family and friends!

Have a great week, a fun Thanksgiving and a happy holiday season.  Happy hunting.

Possibly your subconscious is trying to tell you that despite saying you have a job-hunting strategy, you are not working the process.

I have felt an agitation over the past two weeks that I could not seem to shake. Although I have met some great people and had some good opportunities for side projects come my way, something did not feel right.

And it wasn’t. I got distracted and stopped doing the work required to find my perfect career. I have not been procrastinating nor did I really feel stuck. I just got overwhelmed with distractions. With this realization, I did what everyone should do once in awhile to check their progress … go back to the beginning!

My introduction to www.CareerAdvice4U.com lit a fire in my brain and under my rear. I was enthralled with the videos showing job seekers posting their strategy on the wall, step by step, with sticky notes of planned actions and benchmarks for each step. I followed suit.

But somewhere along the process I stopped holding myself accountable for those actions and steps. I let the Career Crossroads workbook sit a little too long. I set informational interviews but didn’t ask great questions. In short, I forgot about the end goal – TO FIND A PERFECT CAREER!

No wonder I feel irritated. I have been letting myself down each day I don’t work toward my goal. I am also not being a good example for others who need a proven system for finding a great job.

Thankfully, I am not one to waste time administering lashes or defeating thoughts. I am clear now and consider this hiccup part of life. To be fair, I it has been two months or less since a friend recommended CareerAdvice4U. I have accomplished some of the actions and benchmarks on my wall. I just needed to get my nose is back in the workbook, where it should be, and attack this process with the zeal I had day one.

I implore other people who are unemployed, under employed or just pining for a career change to help me stay on target. If you have tips for networking, informational interviews or ways to target companies – please share! I promise that as I learn, I will do the same.

I believe recovery is coming. I can almost hear local companies taking a deep breath and exhaling with a vision of future growth. And I want to be ready.