Proper Job Search Etiquette Starts During the Holidays

Proper Job Search Etiquette Starts During the HolidaysProper Job Search Etiquette Starts During the HolidaysContrary to popular belief, the holidays are actually a golden time to look for a job.How would you like to wake up on the morning of January 2 with a solid job offer in hand, while the rest of the job seekers are just getting started on their search? Do you think its too late for that? If so, youre alfruchtwein right. But if you get started immediately, you can get your foot squarely in the door while everyone else is out shopping, drinking egg nog or worse yet, lamenting the layoffs, the Stock Market and whatever doom and gloom news that gets circulated. Contrary to the popular refrain, the holidays are a golden time to look for a job, and a number of opportunities will be gone if you wait until after the New Year.But attitude means just about everything too. This is true if you are working or if youve been laid off and are seeking new opportunities. Remember that for most jo b seekers its bad etiquette to appear desperate or needy to any contact or employers. Wendy Calson, an executive in transition says, When I stopped acting so needy and pestering people for employment opportunities and just found out employers needs and ways to fill them, my search style yielded more return emails and phone calls. Consider adopting this holiday attitude and core commitment its never too early to develop a positive relationship, renew relationships or build new ones. Matt Zelman, an independent executive recruiter confirms, fruchtwein job seekers during the holidays come across anxious, upset and glum. I dont want to hire or consider them based on their bad attitude. So change your attitude before the holidays are over. Focus on developing new relationships, and starting and keeping outstanding communication habits.Perhaps it is true that timing is everything, and at any given time of the year, a window of opportunity opens and closes. How do you know the holidays wo nt open the key relationship, contact or zugreifbar/ offline lead that results in an interview for you?In fact, the year-end crunch may offer significantly more opportunities than other times of the year depending on your industry, where you are looking and hiring trends. Recruiter Matt Zelman notes, You hear the headlines of layoffs, but there is a but here. Buthiring managers are often under pressure to fill job requisitions by the end of the year, knowing that their window will close after the first of the year. Companies may have an overt freeze that will cease. Recruiters, like other salespeople, are under pressure to fill their quotas. So are you developing relationships with key hiring managers or just demonstrating through email, online and offline networking how frustrated you are? Now is the time to stay connected, in touch and focusedIf you look at the kind of group think that is out there, what do you suppose most job seekers are doing or saying? Ask them. Most job seeke rs have already called it quits for the year, resolving to get serious about looking for a job after the holidays. Media facts back them up. Read any headline X Company Announces Layoffs. Who could argue with the headlines? So my advice? Stop looking at the macro headlines. Its the micro-economy that matters YoursWhen the masses of job seekers back off its an opportunity. This narrows the playing field considerably, and it increases the amount of pressure on hiring managers who know that they need to fill positions during December. Also, most people who are out looking for jobs are easily discouraged by the holiday slowdown myth. If you have a solid plan of attack, you can keep your head above the water and attract people to you. This will give you an advantage over the majority of other job seekers. So, the time to hit the job market is now.However, to pull this off, you must effectively invest your time. Continue to customize your resumes versus spraying resumes everywhere. You w ill need to hone in and narrow your focus to the particular types of employers most likely to urgently need you. Link to them. Develop relationships. Dialogue with them. Youll also need to find a back door, or a quick avenue to accessing a decision maker directly. And you had better have something to say that helps them accomplish their goals. Finally, youll need a way to find out about advertised and perhaps even under-advertised job vacancies.There are a few simple strategies you can use to accomplish these goals.Have a plan.Identify your long-term goals and short-term requirements. What are the must-haves about any job offer you will accept? Where do you want this job to lead you? What type of company do you want to work for? How would you like to put your skills to work?Exude happiness despite negative headlines.Maintain a positive attitude and demeanor online and offline. Confidence is attractive being in a slump isnt. Get excited about the opportunity youre going to land. That excitement will rub off on the people around you so refine your communication skills online and offline. Itll make the job search process fun and using proper, professional etiquette makes you stand out amongst the desperate masses.Develop an online presence.If appropriate for your level of search confidentiality, create a Ladders, LinkedIn and association profile if you dont have one already and make sure that all of your information is up to date, appropriate and professional. Any time you learn the name of a hiring manager, look to see if anyone in your LinkedIn network knows that person, and if so, ask for an introduction. Research companies that you apply to on sites like Ladders and develop a gameplan to research each and every one.Attend networking events, open houses and holiday parties.Not just any networking events, and not every networking event. Youll need to figure out which events will be well attended by people who can connect you with decision makers (or, better yet , events attended by decision makers themselves). But dont carry a sandwich board with your resume on it (unless appropriate) If you choose to attend any career fairs, be sure to research the names of the companies represented, and find out as much as possible about those companies and their current needs. Social events are times to interview. December is the month for them.Find the connectors and properly communicate with them.These are the people who know the decision makers, and who have an incentive for connecting you with them. These may be recruiters, or they may be other employees in the same company. You wont know who they are at first, but theyll identify themselves to you if you network effectively. Find proper and appropriate ways to develop relationships.To act on the time-critical window that opens during the holidays, you need to be fully focused on getting to the decision makers directly. You dont have any time to waste. This is why its so critical to narrow your focu s and figure out which types of employers you need to talk to. Its also why youll need to target your elevator pitch to a very specific audience. If you do this, the wrong people will quickly lose interest, and the right peoples ears will perk up.Finally, dont fill out a job application with a company who hasnt heard of you. By the time you fill out a job application, this step should be a formality after the decision to bring you on board has already been made. You dont have time to sort through online job postings, in the hopes of finding the urgent ones. There are just too many postings and not enough time. And the kind of opportunity youre looking for is unlikely to be publicly posted anyway. The front door approach takes a long time. The trick to getting a great job during the holidays is to squeeze in through the back door with proper communication etiquette only.The job market is ripe with opportunity during the holiday season so work on the micro economy YOURS.

5 Networking Tips to Connect With Your Current Colleagues

5 Networking Tips to Connect With Your Current Colleagues5 Networking Tips to Connect With Your Current Colleagues5 Ways to Network With Your Current ColleaguesNetworking Some people truly enjoy it, while others dread the prospect of small talk with strangers.Like it or not, networking is essential in todays professional world if you want to continue to grow your career.Its not what you know, its who you know.I bet youve heard that a million times, and its true, but maybe not in the way you might think. The who you know doesnt necessarily mean knowing a bigwig with all the right connections. It might just mean knowing someone who happens to be aware of an open opportunity or a great person for you to meet. Yet, where do you find these great connections?Before you strain your nerves building networks with hundreds of strangers, think about your workplace. How many of the people in your company do you really know? mora importantly, how many of them know who you are, and what kind of sk ills you bring to the table?Here are a few networking tips to use where you work for great new connections.1. Be friendlyThat seems obvious, right? Isnt that the point of networking? In reality, its very easy to get caught up in work and walk around on your daily missions without paying much attention your surroundings, including other people. Whether its in a hallway, an elevator, or you happen to notice someone youve never talked to at work, just say Hi and introduce yourself.Networking Tip Dont forget to smile. Many of us dont realize how stern, or even grumpy, we look while going about our daily business. Take a moment to consciously smile before saying hi to someone. It makes a big difference, especially when youre building networks.2. Take advantage of lunchAre you the person who eats lunch at their desk, goes home every day to eat, or maybe heads somewhere quiet with a book? Theres nothing wrong with that Its your time and you are entitled to it. Yet, if youd like to build yo ur business network where you work, its a good idea to occasionally put yourself out there during that midday meal.Simply take your lunch and head to the common break room. If there are already people there, avoid the temptation to grab a seat in the corner. Ask someone if you can sit with them and strike up a conversation. Even if you already know these people, it is a good opportunity to talk in a less formal capacity.Is there an ongoing lunch group that goes out? Recommend a good place to them and see if you get invited into the group. You may not want to go out with the group every time, but it is a good way to talk to co-workers when they are a little mora relaxed.Networking Tip Read the signs. If you head to the lunch room and someone is sitting at a table with their nose in a book, thats probably their private time. If you sit next to someone and start to chat, read their response. Youll know quickly if they welcome the conversation or not.3. Welcome newcomersThis might be th e easiest networking tip of all. New co-workers are typically excited to meet others and get some guidance. Right off the bat, you have the expertise that can help them simply by being there longer. It may be nothing more than telling them which floor has the best coffee, or what quirks the copy machine has, but its expertise nonetheless. You could even go the extra mile and offer to take them out to lunch someday soon.While your new co-worker may be new to your office, remember that they also have valuable experiences. Thats why they got hired, right? Be sure to ask them about their background. You may discover common interests, or that your new colleague has expertise in an area you really want to learn more about.Networking Tip Try to think of a couple of simple, but helpful, tips to give the new person when you meet. Keep it harmless and useful, like handy parking tips for the office lot. Let them know that youre open to questions should they have any. Dont speak negatively abou t any other co-workers. Let the new person draw their own conclusions there.Related How to Make Friends at Work and Avoid Drama4. Pay attention to office invitesEvery office has email blasts that invite you to the third floor for a going away party, invitations to be on a volunteer committee, or something along those lines. Its very easy to roll your eyes and think, Ugh. No thank you, but if you really want to meet people in your office and connect with them, tell yourself that youll accept the next email invite that comes through.Why? It may be an opportunity to attend something in a completely different department where you dont know a lot of people. If its volunteering, it may be a chance to show off skills that you dont use in your daily job, like organizing a catered event.What about the after-work happy hour? You may not want to deal with co-workers after work, but this can be a great opportunity to really get to know people. Outside the office, theyre more likely to talk abou t what they really like and dont like, about their careers. The key is to stop looking at office invites as unwanted obligations and look at them, instead, as opportunities.Networking Tip Want to dial it up a notch? Think about the volunteering and charity events that your office participates in on a regular basis. Suggest one that you are familiar with and offer to head up the effort. Youll have to recruit some new people (making new connections) while coming across as a helpful person and a leader.5. Take advantage of LinkedInYoure on LinkedIn, right? Of course you are. So are fruchtwein of your colleagues. LinkedIn is a great way to learn more about your co-workers without crossing that line into personal life (i.e. dont stalk their Facebook page). Youll get to see where else theyve worked, projects theyve accomplished, and skills that they have mastered. Theres a good chance that youll learn something interesting about each and every one of your colleagues when you dive into the ir LinkedIn page. Its a no-brainer, and yes, connect with them to start building networks.Networking Tip When you look at their page, scroll down and look at the right-hand side where it says In Common with Jane Doe. This tips you off to the people and skills that the two of you share. Sometimes the connections will surprise you.Networking is a lot more than just shaking hands, making introductions, and handing out business cards to strangers. Its making real connections to people, a lot of people. So doesnt it make sense to have strong connections to the people within your own organization? Whether youre looking to get ahead within your company or keeping your eyes open for opportunities outside your current employer, you have the most valuable resources surrounding you on a daily basis. Take a few moments to help yourself by saying hi and networking with your current co-workers.Click on the following link for more networking tips.Does your resume need a brush up before your next n etworking event? Request a free resume critique todayRecommended ReadingNetwork Like an Expert Networking Tips From the Industrys Finest6 Unconventional Networking Icebreakers for Your Next vorstellungSmall Networking Event Tips 5 Faux Pas to Avoid

This may be the key to making your next meeting tolerable

This may be the key to making yur next meeting tolerableThis may be the key to making your next meeting tolerableYou get to work and start going over the days schedule and there it is in big, bold letters. You have a meeting. A long one. And then you have anotlageher one. Your week is actually chock-full of meetings.Though you know they are necessary sometimes they seem absolute counterproductive as people can just not get on the same page and there is too much you are trying to cover.Researchshows that 67% of workers say that fewer than half the meetings they attend seem to be worth their time.Though banishing all meetings sounds like a nice solution, its just not realistic. But if you really want to try to bring the focus level up in a meeting, whether you are leading it or just participating, you may actually want to consider incorporating some meditation practices.Justyn Comer, author of Meditation for Life andthe co-founder of RWM Education, Inc., a non-profit organization dedic ated to making meditation available to as many people as possible, has found that meditation can have tremendous benefits for the working mind, including focus. However, trying to get even a small group of people in the middle of the workday to do a full meditation session seems rather implausible but Comer says even a really, powerful karenz can make an impact.Comer spoke with Ladders on what hes learned over two decades of teachingmeditationMeditation shows us how hard focusing isThe first way meditation helps is to start by showing us just how hard it is to focus. We sit down, close our eyes and try to hold our attention on our breathing. Only for a few seconds does that work, and then the mind is off thinking about other things. When we notice that we are distracted we return the focus back to the breath but once again, after a few seconds, the mind is off thinking about something else.This recognition about the distracted nature of our mind is huge. It helps us see how difficul t it can be to hold focus, but we also learn a few other key lessons. First we are training ourselves to notice when we are no longer focused. Second we are training ourselves to return our focus back to the thing we want to be focused on. And third over time we learn some of the tricks and techniques for holding focus for longer periods of time such as using curiosity, setting the right intention, and raising the stakes for the mind.The power of the pauseA meditation session is probably not realistic for fruchtwein organizations (although it would be fascinating to see the impact if it happened). However, a pause makes eminent sense. When we try to sit and meditate we are usually surprised at just how much is going on in our mind. Work aufgabes, deadlines, office politics, as well as personal issues with our relationships, finances, health, and kids are all trying to get attention in our minds, all the time.One of the benefits of meditation is that we become fully aware of how m uch is weighing on us. When people walk into a meeting they are all walking in with all these issues on their mind. They are also processing whatever just came up in the meeting theyre coming from, as well as all the most recent requests theyve just seen on their email or messages.A pause at the beginning invites people to reset. It acknowledges that they are under these enormous pressures. Then it gives them an opportunity to be fully aware of that, and to make the intention to put it all on pause. None of it is going away, but everyone will be better served if they can at least give this meeting their attention.Eileen Fisher has said that her external consultants were pretty cynical about it when she introduced this practice of having a purposeful pause before each meeting. But now those same consultants are introducing the concept to their other clients as part of the consulting package.Stress lessYes, meditation does help with stress, which is a huge problem in the workplace.It is helpful to recognize that stress is a physiological response to a perceived threat. When we start to feel overwhelmed and unable to cope, or just afraid we will not be able to succeed as well as we want to, the body reacts as though our very survival is threatened. We feel uncomfortable, nauseous, and shaky because adrenaline is being released and blood is diverted away from our stomach and towards our big muscles. We want to run, hide, or fight because that is the bodys prehistoric response to a threat.One of the other side effects of this perceived threat is that our thinking gets cloudy. Historically action was prioritized as the best response for our survival, hence the blood going to the big muscles, but cognitive function wasnt the priority. Yet in the modern world, in the face of the stress, we feel in response to the overwhelming pressure of our professional and personal lives we need to think mora clearly, not less. This is why meditation helps. The act of pausing, takin g a few intentional breaths and slowing things down, even if just for a minute, counteracts the stress response and helps the body start to relax. The adrenal response decreases which will make us feel better and think more clearly.Additionally, by slowing down the relentless thinking and worrying in our mind we give our mind a breather, from which we can then make better decisions.In addition to helping manage stress, meditation also helps improve other useful attributes for the workplace such as focus, concentration, creativity, self-awareness, emotional regulation, confidence, self-esteem, and improved interactions with colleagues.Meditation everywhereMeditation rooms are nice, but the truth is that meditation can be done anywhere it can be done on the bus, in a crowded room, or at a desk in the middle of a trading floor. In my experience meditation is easy to learn, but hard to remember to do. So I think nudges are really helpful to consistently remind people to take a moment he re and there to pause.Ideally, an organization would host periodic classes allow people to check in, such as having 45-minute sessions once a week at lunchtime. But then supplement that with several reminders such as sending a daily email reminder to take a breath at a different time every day, or having the lead article on the Intranet be mindfulness related at least once a week.Using PowerPoint to make your pointThe first thing we learn in meditation is that minds like to wander. Everyones mind likes to wander. Once we realize this we can craft far better presentations. Most people spend all the time on a presentation worrying about what they are going to say.They focus on making the slides accurate, concise, and comprehensive. The problem is that only half of communication is about delivery, and the other half is about the receipt of that information. If peoples minds are distracted then they are not receiving the information being delivered.One of the most useful things we learn in meditation is the power of curiosity. Holding attention on breathing is hard at first because the mind gets bored and wanders off to something else. When we apply curiosity to the breath, noticing the texture of the air in the nose, or noticing how far you can feel the breath as it travels into the lungs it becomes easier to hold our attention. We can use this curiosity as a powerful trick when presenting.One simple technique is to put up a photograph of something apparently unrelated to what youre going to talk about. Maybe youre talking about budgets (everyones least favorite subject), and your first slide is of a child on a sandy beach with a bucket and spade. Immediately the audience is hooked. They are curious as to what the heck this has to do with a budget. They want to see where youre going with this. For the next few minutes at least you have their focus. It doesnt even matter how well you tie the photo to the point the key is that you have their attention for a while.