How long you stay in a job and how it is viewed in the job market has shifted over time.  In days of old the longer you stayed in a job, the more favorably you were looked at as someone who is loyal and can keep a job.  Now if you have been in a job over 10 years you might be viewed as someone who only knows 1 ways of doing things, or someone who’s skills are not up to date.  So where is the fine line?

Leaving a job within a year will certainly raise some eye brows with prospective employers.  But what is more frowned upon and can be detrimental to a job search is when you have several jobs with tenures of less than a year or two.  This will call into question your loyalty, commitment and ability to hold a job.  The exception to this is for contractors.  Prospective employers understand that the nature of contracting is temporary and short stints and frequent moves are to be expected.  

So for those with a long and steady employment history, it is critical keep your skills current, seek out opportunities within your role or company to stretch yourself or learn something new.  Show that you are adaptable.  That is what is going to be attractive to future employers.

So whether you have short stints or long tenures, it will be essential to be able to explain your work history and demonstrate that your skills are sharp, you are flexible and committed to quickly making a contribution to that new employer.

Well intended people can often do the most damage.  This is often the case when it comes to the people who have agreed to be your references.  Good references need to be carefully selected and well coached.

When it comes to selecting your references, here are a few guidelines.

1. Choose people who have seen you work.  People in your personal life may have no idea about how you are at work. And adding people with big titles who have not worked with you directly may not be the best reference.

2. Choose a cross representational group which includes a boss, a peer, a direct report or maybe a customer.  It is a red flag to a prospective employer if a boss is not included on the list. 

3. Choose people who are articulate and accessible.  Job offers can get delayed if a prospective employer cannot reach your reference.  Also if you are uncertain about how your reference will represent you, think twice about adding that person to your list.

In terms of coaching your references.  Make sure your references know exactly what your current job search objective is, especially if it is different than the role they have seen you in.  Also be sure that they have a copy of your current resume and a copy of the job posting.  You want to make sure that if and when that reference is contacted, they can clearly and confidently convey to that prospective employer how you are the best fit for the job.

Therefore good selection and coaching of references will minimize the chance they will sabbotage your job search.

From a distance is doesn’t seem like a lot has changed in job search.  Some job search coaches talk about resumes sprinkled with key words and accomplishments, others preach the wonders of networking.  Highly coached job seekers are finding themselves branded, packaged and search engine optimized.  All this may be very new to someone who hasn’t looked for a job in the last decade.  However many professionals in the last 10 years have launched 2-3 job searches, so it begs the question – what’s new in job search?

What’s new is that professionals are slowly but surely coming around to realize that the new job is not the goal, the end point, or the destination.  It is just a temporary stop in between job searches.  The secret to a successful job search is the ground work laid prior to needing to job search.  It comes with a high sense of self awareness, a constant assessment of life and career goals, the building and nurturing of relationships and a vigilant eye on opportunity.

The question isn’t what’s new in job search, it is what’s new in ongoing career management?  Proactive career management starts the first day of the new job.  It is an open and honest dialogue between employees and managers about goals and aspirations on an ongoing basis.  It an action oriented sustainable plan that best positions you for future opportunities.

So the best job search advice is having a good career management plan.

Whether you are in a job or in between jobs, whether you are professing it to everyone you know or saying it silently to yourself,  you are one of millions this New Year resolving to get a new job.   It’s been too long being in the hunt or being in a place that is sucking the life out of you.  It’s time for a change.  Think of change like movement.  You are either moving away from something or towards something.  Before you lay out your game plan to get that new job be sure you have a clear vision of what you are looking for.  Be careful not to rebound to a similar or potentially worse situation.  Resolutions are intented to bring about positive change.

So here are 5 steps you can take to get a new job and create positve change in your career.

1. Make a commitment to change.  This means first facing your doubts and fears, letting go of what is familiar and understand that making a change will require time and hard work. 

2. Get clear about what you want to do next. This includes doing some self assessment. Take the time to reassess what is important to you, what you like to do and what you do best.  Too often people jump right into job search without doing this part and they find themselves wandering around aimlessly in the job market.

3. Learn how to articulate what you have learned in step 2.  You can’t expect your network to help you if you are unable to tell them what exactly you are looking for or hoping to do next.

4. Get your ducks in a row.  Update your resume so that it is current and positions you for your objective, set up your LinkedIn profile to increase your findability in cyberspace,  and gather your references so you know who you can count on during your search.

5. Like any resolution, lay out your game plan (preferably in writing) that includes your objective, milestones, timelines and resources. Resolutions often fall short without this step.

So here is to a Happy New Year filled with everything you want in a job and career.

Many children are afraid of the dark.  Many adults are afraid of the unknown.  People on the cusp of or in the throes of job transition often become immobilized by their fear.  I see working professionals stay in horrible jobs and toxic work environments because they fear that something better doesn’t exist. They have succumb to their situation and ultimate destiny.  They convince themselves that their skills won’t be marketable or that other employers won’t see their value.  They allow fear to keep them in an unhealthy situation.

 The fears I hear job seekers grapple with are countless.  Their largest fear is that the length of job search will exceed their financial  resources and that they will lose their home.  Job searches always take longer than people anticipate.  The key is to recognize this and implement an effective job search game plan early on.  This fear is “what if” based and not often grounded in present day reality.  It  absorbs an enormous amount of attention and energy that could be better directed towards launching a productive job search.

Other fears are myth based or grounded is misperceptions such as “I am too old, there are no jobs, no employer will hire me.”  These fears can be more easily mitigated by getting the facts and avoiding gross generalizations.  Too often people too easily surrender to these assumptions and use them as an excuse for not even trying.

The first step in removing fear as a barrier job change is to acknowledge the power it holds over you.  And know that all fear is is a lack of faith.  This starts with looking deep inside and finding faith in yourself, your potential and your possibilities.

Networking rule #1………..treat others like you want to be treated.  This not only applies to life but also to networking.  Too often I see that networking becomes lopsided and people too often network because of what is in it for them.  I see this daily even in my own practice.  Often various people will invite me to LinkIn.  I have a general practice of wanting to talk to or meet those people before accepting the invitation so that we can best understand how we can support one anothers network.  The rate that people are willing to do this is about 50%.  This tells me that they are only wanting to network based on what’s in it for them.  These are not people I want in my network.

Remember that your network reflects on you.  Ask yourself is your network helping or hurting your reputation?  We also each have the same responsibility to our own network.  Ask yourself, am I an asset to my network?  Am I willing to give as much as I take?  Do I return calls and emails from my network?  Am I willing to make connections for others in my network?  Do I keep my network engaged on an ongoing basis or only when I need them?

I hear the frustration from many of my clients about not having networking calls and emails returned.  My initial advice to them – never be one of those people.

One could argue that writing a resume is the most difficult parts of job search, but the 1 thing I see job seekers struggle with the most is managing ”the waiting game”. 

In this world of instant gratification, as a society we have become less and less tolerant of waiting.  With a heightened sense of urgency, job seekers especially are intolerant of waiting to the point of building frustration and anger.  They find themselves waiting for a response to an application submitted weeks ago, they find themselves waiting for a return phone call made days ago and they wait anxiously for an reply to an email sent hours ago.  Job search is one long waiting game.

Managing the waiting game is about understanding the intricacies of  hiring and managing expectations.  Job seekers assume getting a job is about them and their time frame.  When actually it is about the employer,  their need to fill a job and their time frame. The sooner the job seeker understands this the less frustrating  it will become.

Though employers have a need for workers, sourcing candidates is rarely ever the fire of the day, often delaying the process.  In the current job market the average time to fill a position ranges from 4 weeks to 3 months depending on level.

I tell clients that they can only control so much of this process and the speed of the process is not one of them.  They are at the mercy of the process, the employers and the job market.  The best advice I can offer for managing the waiting game is to do their best to sustain productive job search activity every day and know that this process is a marathon not a sprint.

It is amazing to me that people will pay upwards of $100,000 for a college education, expect to land a $100,000 job but grimaceat paying 1% of that for ongoing career development and/or coaching.  Obtaining a college degree is the first step in career planning, not the final step.  Like anything you want to grow and flourish , careers require ongoing development and planning.  Professional development can take many forms including increasing knowledge through course work, expanding your network by participating in professional associations, or improving your effectiveness through 1:1 coaching. 

To be the best at what you do, to keep your skills current and to keep your options open requires a plan.  There is more at stake than a potential six figure salary.  It is success and fulfillment in the work you do and alignment with your overall life goals.  Life and work can be complicated.  This planning process should be entrusted to a professional skilled in working with people and knowledgeable about career options in organizations and in the labor market.  This is not the work of well intended volunteers, someone who was in transition “once”, or someone who dabbles in resume writing.  Career planning and management professionals have advanced training in working with people as well as have hands on business experience.

Investing in your career should be an ongoing commitment.  To get the most out of your investment make sure you have an ongoing career development and management plan and a proven professional to partner with to reach your goals.

In this Sunday’s Star Tribune, Matt Krumrie, in the “Ask Matt” column is asked about how to choose a Career Coach.  I am grateful to have made the list of those recommended but thought it would be a good time to help clarify the differences. 

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/131453883.html

This is a big decision for people to reach out and seek out help.  It is a commitment of time, emotional energy and financial resources so it is important to know what your choices are.  It all boils down to choosing the professional who is most skilled based on your objective and who you “click” with to partner with in this process.  Interview as many as you can to feel confident in your choice.

First let’s talk about the skill set.  Everyone seems to be a “coach” these days.  But coaching is more than just telling someone what to do.  It is being skilled in knowing how to motivate change through skillful communication, insights and tools.  Coaches often get their clients to come to the answer themselves through guided questioning.  Training for coaches varies considerably.  Many are now certified but certification programs range from one week online to several weeks under the training of other coaches.  Be sure to ask your coach if they underwent supervised practice coaching as part of their certificate.

Consultants are more like advisors that offer their clients situational assessment, insight and recommendations. Consultants often have a big picture perspective and lots of expereince to draw from.  There isn’t formal training to be a consultant per se.

 Counselors are skilled at assessing issues and interrelationships.  They have an understanding of how emotions and thoughts effect behavior.  They are skilled communicators and can help clients move forward by setting goals and implementing a plan to reach the goals. Counselor hold Masters degrees in counseling.

Sometimes professionals are trained and wear 2 or all 3 of these hats.  But what is imprtant to remember is each role

I know that for many people there is nothing easy about networking, especially for us introverts. But networking continues to be an important part of professional development, career management as well as job search.  Think of networking not as imposing, but as relationship building, and relationships start and are cultivated through conversation and connection.  So when you boil it down, networking is having a mutually beneficial conversation.  Here are some tips to make the most out of your networking efforts.

1.  Start with people who know you and you are comfortable with.  Have the conversation be oriented to work and future career plans.  Make sure they know what your situation is and you know theirs.  Establish an open dialogue for future conversations.

2. Identify the fears and barriers that hold you back from networking and address each and every one of those.

3. Proactively set monthly networking goals and plug it into your calendar.  These have to become non negotiable appointments on your calendar.

4. Leverage affiliate groups you already belong to such as church groups, sports leagues, volunteer organizations, colleges and professional organizations.  LinkedIn groups are also an easy way to build your network. 

5. Mix it up.  Place yourself in situations were you will meet new people.  Sometimes it is difficult for us to stretch ourselves out of our comfort zone.  If you go to one new event per month and meet one new person you can add to your network, it’s worth it.

6. Get coaching on the A-Z of networking.  It is important that you feel comfortable with your approach and learn tips to network within your own style and busy schedule.

Don’t let the word “networking” send chills up your spine.  Consider these 6 easy tips to get out there and get the ball rolling and you will have a thriving network in no time.