If I had to choose the biggest mistake I see job seekers making right now, I’d say it’s diving into a job search without properly determining their value to potential employers. They throw together a resume, blast out cover letters and submit online applications without first stepping back and getting a truly clear picture of what’s going to get them hired. The result is a lot of wasted time and energy that produces very little response from hiring managers.

Not sure what value you bring to employers? Go shopping!

If you are struggling to figure out your value to employers, you should take a trip to the mall. That’s right – go shopping! However, instead of bringing money, bring a paper and pen to take notes. Why? Because each of us approaches shopping the way a hiring manager chooses a new employee. We look at our options, compare features, benefits and costs, and then ultimately choose the item that meets our particular list of criteria. No two people shop the exact same way, just as no two hiring managers select candidates the exact same way. So, your goal is to look at what impacts your decision and then use that knowledge to better market your business-of-one.

Here’s an example…

I counseled one job seeker recently who couldn’t identify her value. She had worked as a project manager for years and had a solid track record, but candidly, she looked like hundreds of other job seekers with similar experience. I asked her, “If I told you to go buy a new sofa, what would you do?” She said, “I’d figure out the size, style and color I needed. Then, I’d chose 5 stores I knew offered the best deals on sofas and shop until I found the cheapest one that fit my criteria.” I followed up with, “What if you thought one was much prettier, but it cost more?” Her response, “It wouldn’t matter, to me, saving money is more attractive. I wouldn’t enjoy the prettier sofa because every time I sat on it I would think about how much more it cost me.” That simple response said a lot about her as an employee. We went on to talk about her approach to project management as it related to her approach to shopping. She was suddenly able to see a pattern in her work – she was always focused on saving the company money by finding the most practical tools, resources and talent. She prided herself on her ability to do more with less. Furthermore, she was able to cite clear examples of how her cost-saving approach to project management was a match for her past employers’ goals. Within minutes, she understood how she could be presenting herself better. Her takeaway comment to me was,  “Employers need to understand why I am focused on saving them money and how I plan to do that for them. Otherwise, I’m the overpriced sofa.”

The lesson here is to embrace the fact that you AREN’T the right employee for every company. Thus, the only way to connect with those who will value what you have to offer the most is to get extremely clear in how you showcase your worth. If you are having trouble identifying your value to employers, try stepping back and assessing how you shop. From there, you just might be able to connect the dots and start to build a more meaningful message to attract the right buyers for your business-of-one.

PS – I personally invite you to discuss your value with me in a live webinar within our CAREEREALISM Club.

I do live webinars and training classes almost daily inside our career HMO network. Come see how job seekers are getting direct, customized feedback on ways to enhance their personal brand and improve the effectiveness of their search for work. Our 14-day free trial means you get to experience the power of our program at no risk. See what it’s like to get the inspiration, education and connection needed to keep your job search on track. For less .28 cents/day, we guarantee it will be the best investment you make in your career in 2010. (It’s a tax deductable too.)

Technorati Tags: business-of-one, career advice, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, go-to potential, J.T., job search, JT, odonnell, personal brand, shop, shopping, unique selling point, USP

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Dale: One of my sons did an unpaid internship for one of the big ad agencies in Manhattan. I got stuck paying for him to live there for a summer, and BAH!, the thought of it galls me even now. But … but, but … I would do it again. He learned a lot and has a great resume item — things I can’t say about his other summers.

J.T.: I think it’s ironic that we pay so many thousands of dollars for our children to be educated, but they still aren’t prepared for the workplace. I wonder, Marissa, if some of the blame you’re putting on the companies that offer unpaid internships should be redirected at universities and colleges. In fact, having an internship each semester would give a student enough work experience by graduation to help land that first job. Yet very few schools encourage or require this. A recent college graduate, Greg Barrette, wrote an article called “Three Ways Unpaid Internships Pay” after realizing how his own internship experiences helped launch his career. I’ve posted the article at careerealism.com — see if he can convince you that the right internship is not just worth the time.

Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm, jtodonnell.com, and of the blog, CAREEREALISM.com. Dale Dauten resolves employment and other business disputes as a mediator with AgreementHouse.com.

Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

© 2010 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Technorati Tags: advice, career, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, dale, greg barrette, internship, job search, JT, paid, scam, unpaid

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I found a company in my town that I would love to work for. I have searched my LinkedIn connections and haven’t been able to find anyone who knows someone who works there. Do you have suggestions for reaching out to a stranger? How do I increase the chances he/she will bother to speak to me? I really want to work there!

CLICK HERE to see how experts answered this question on Twitter.

Got a career question you’d like answered? Send it to twitter@careerealism.com along with your Twitter account name (you must use Twitter for us to post your question).

Technorati Tags: advice, career, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, expert, job search, linkedin, t.a.p.

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I just found out that I didn’t get a promotion I was up for. My mentor in the company took me out to lunch after I got the news. She told me, “They said you just aren’t warm and fuzzy enough to be a manager.” I was shocked. I am an exceptional worker and have the best performance in my group. I don’t see how being a softy is more valuable than saving the company the kind of money I save them. Part of the reason I’m so successful is because I don’t get all caught up in that touchy-feely crap so many other employees feel they need to be happy at work. To me, you should come to work, do your job and leave the emotion at home. It’s worked for me great until now. So my question is: Should I start looking for a new job where I’ll get promoted without having to be ‘warm and fuzzy’ or is this something I’m going to run into more at the higher levels of management?

CLICK HERE to see how experts answered this question on Twitter.

Got a career question you’d like answered? Send it to twitter@careerealism.com along with your Twitter account name (you must use Twitter for us to post your question).

Technorati Tags: advice, career, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, expert, job, Manager, promotion, search, t.a.p., T.A.P. (Twitter Advice Project)

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I’ve been job searching for 6 months now. I now dread getting up every morning because I know I have to log on and look for work. I’ve tried everything. I know I need to keep at it, but it’s hard. What suggestions do you have to stay motivated?

Sincerely,

Someone who’s confidence is going, going..gone.

CLICK HERE to see how experts answered this question on Twitter.

Got a career question you’d like answered? Send it to twitter@careerealism.com along with your Twitter account name (you must use Twitter for us to post your question).

Want to read more questions from our readers? Check out more T.A.P. questions here.

Technorati Tags: advice, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, confidence, expert, job, Project, search, t.a.p., T.A.P. (Twitter Advice Project)

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By CAREEREALISM.com Founder, J.T. O’Donnell

I read a post by Seth Godin recently that discussed the power of a gift. Something struck me immediately:  People who struggle to find professional satisfaction (a.k.a. a job they are happy with) are often guilty of doing favors instead of giving gifts. If you’ve ever said the following, then you are guilty too:

- I can’t believe they didn’t give me a promotion after all that extra work I did without asking.
- I’ll call that guy and get him to cut me a deal – he owes me.
- I’m going to surprise my boss by finishing the project early – she’ll love me for it.

FACT: Gifts & Favors BOTH Create Imbalances in a Relationship, BUT Get Resolved Differently

Let’s be honest: We are all guilty of claiming to give someone a gift in the form of our time, energy, expertise, money, etc., but really did it with the secret expectation of getting an invisible “IOU” in return.  That’s not a gift, it’s a favor. Gifts, when given properly, are given freely – no strings attached.

Here’s Where it Gets Really Interesting…

The article I read by Seth Godin shares an ancient practice by Native Americans that acknowledges the power of a true giver:

“In the Pacific Northwest a powerful chief would engage in potlatch, giving away everything he owned as a sign of his wealth and power. Since he had more to give away, and the power to get more, the gifts carried real power, and others had to accept his power in order to engage.”

There’s the difference between a satisfied professional and miserable one – one believes they have power, the other doesn’t.

Successful workers understand they have the power to keep themselves happy and employable. They’ve learned the secret to professional satisfaction is to create a career that is authentic and impresses themselves, not someone else. This is one of the most powerful things you can achieve in life.  Imagine being in a place of such confidence and peace that you have no problem giving away your ideas, time, money and resources to others, while expecting nothing in return but the feel-good factor that you have the power to help.

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The More Favors We Do = More Cynical We Become (Poison Apple Theory)

When we focus on the WIIFM of our favors (What’s In It For ME), we become frustrated when we don’t see what we view as an equal return on the investment.  Here’s an example…

I recently met a woman who has been unemployed for 14 months. To say she was bitter about her situation would be an understatement. She wanted immediate advice from me on how to improve her resume. I couldn’t give that advice until I gained some insight into her work history and her job search tactics. She said to me, “I’ve tried everything the ‘so-called experts’ say to do.” She said it as if she did my peers a favor for trying out their advice and, when they didn’t work the ways she wanted, she felt slighted.  I then asked if she had been networking much with past co-workers. Her response was, “No. There’s no point. I worked like crazy for all those folks and they never appreciated me. I don’t like any of them and would never want to work with them again, so why would I network with them?” Again, she spent years doing favors and clearly didn’t feel like she got the return on her investment from her co-workers and managers. At this point, I simply told her I could not help her and she might want to try another career coach. After years of career advising, I can spot a no-win situation a mile away.

What Should You Give? Share Your Go-to Potential & Find the Power of Professional Satisfaction

When we look at our professional strengths as gifts to be given away freely, we create something powerful in ourselves – a confidence that says, “I can help you because I am strong and knowledgeable.” For example, anyone can do a good job, but when you give the gift of doing an amazing job without expectation of anything in return, you do it freely with an attitude that says, “You need me to show you what’s possible.” That is powerful. Trust me, companies LOVE powerful employees.

NOTE: You Can’t Fake Gift Giving

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Okay, so I do favors, but I am so nice, I make it look like I’m giving gifts.” You are wrong. Communication goes far beyond words. Body language, facial expressions, hand gestures, and follow-up actions all play a role in telling the person whether you are giving a gift or a favor. No matter how hard you try to fake it, people know the difference between a gift and a favor.

So, What Gift Will YOU Give Today?

To prove my point, I want everyone who reads this post to think about a gift they can give today. After you give it, sit back and see how you feel. If you feel happy, peaceful and excited, you truly gave. If you feel cynical or drained, you did a favor. Then, share your experience below with fellow readers, especially, those of you who felt the power of true giving. From there, ask yourself the following:

What can I give MORE of on-the-job?

How can I give MORE to my professional community?

If you are currently unemployed, I say, all the more reason you need to start giving gifts. Who could use your help right now for free? Who needs your power? Start to give it away freely and see what happens. There is something magnetic about a person who radiates strength. So, why not start giving more of yourself as a way to show your personal power? Can you volunteer someplace, or offer your services for free? What can you do to show your confidence as a person with something to give?

Finally, the BEST Part! You Control Who is Worthy of Your Gift

When you realize giving in this fashion will only serve to enhance your professional satisfaction, you will become addicted to gift giving. Trust me. I spent 11 years doing favors until I learned gifts were the way to go! Most importantly, I also learned I got to choose who deserved my gifts. That’s right. Just because I said give gifts freely doesn’t mean I meant to everyone. We should only gift gifts to those we know will use them wisely. Here’s a great example that happened to me recently…

A former co-worker I keep in touch with doesn’t like his job much. Last week, I mentioned in a discussion with him and several others some career coaching I was doing to help out a group of folks who have been out of work for awhile.  I was very excited about their progress. They had joined our CAREEREALISM Club and I was providing them with private coaching beyond what was included in the $75 annual membership. Yet, their change in attitude and their gratitude for getting this coaching had made me so happy; it was worth my time to do it. His comment to me, “You are too nice. You give too much away.” A day later, another colleague who is very unhappy in his career and who had been part of that same conversation called me and said, “I want to make a career change. I can’t take it anymore. When I think of someone who currently demonstrates the way I want to feel about my job, I thought of you talking about your work last week.” Guess which one I’m career coaching for free?

Photo by Dean Ayres via Flickr

J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career expert and the founder of CAREEREALISM.com. Her program, CAREEREALISM Club, teaches job seekers the ‘new rules’ to job search and career development – because college teaches you everything EXCEPT how to get the job. Try it today (there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee) and see how it can help you get a professional edge.

Technorati Tags: advice, career, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, favor, gift. vs, j.t. o'donnell, job search, poison, power, v.s.

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Let’s face it…

Twitter is here to stay for some time. It’s a hot technology that grows with new users by the day. And now, it’s becoming a unique place to identify job leads. That’s right…JOB LEADS.

One of our approved career experts, Teena Rose, just published an e-book entitled, “How to Get Job Leads Using Twitter.” The good news is she is letting us offer it FREE to our readers.

What’s the Catch?

Yes, we won’t lie, there is a small catch…you have to give us your e-mail address if you want us to send you the link to download the book. PLEASE BE ASSURED, we will not SPAM you or sell your e-mail. However, we will sign you up to receive our FREE weekly career newsletter, which you can unsubscribe from at any time.

Already Get Our Newsletter?

Simply drop your e-mail in here to get the book and we’ll make sure we don’t send you the newsletter more than once. (Our newsletter software knows what to do!)

Technorati Tags: advice, career, careerrealism, fast, job lead, job search, T.A.P. (Twitter Advice Project), teena rose

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Forget the economy, “Now is the time for you to cash in on your passion and CRUSH IT,” says Gary Vaynerchuk.

Are you thinking, “Who’s that guy and what does he know?!”

He’s actually a wine entrepreneur turned social media master…and his road to success offers some pretty timely insight into what it takes to find professional satisfaction in America today. In my interview for C-REAL-TV below, Gary explains:

• What we all have in common with greats like Tiger Woods and Lebron James.
• How to separate mistakes from learning opportunities.
• When to exhibit passion and patience in your quest for career satisfaction.

With over 80,000 people watching his Wine Library TV videos and a new career book that outlines the path he took to unlock his personal brand and professional potential, Gary Vaynerchuk has captured the attention of thousands of people who have all contemplated the following: “There must be more to my career than this.”

Watch the video, then check out Gary’s blog and book over here so you can get on the road to crushing it on your own terms.

Technorati Tags: advice, business, career, career advice, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, company, Crush It, experience, Gary Vaynerchuk, GaryV, job, job search, networking, professional, search, social media

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By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Melissa Martin

CBC radio broadcasted a segment in late November regarding harassment and bullying in the workplace. Host Anna Maria Tremonti interviewed individuals and revealed some details about a recent study in the US:

According to the Workplace Institute in Washington, 13% of Amercians are being bullied; 24% have been in the past and 14% have only witnessed an event or events. The study concluded that 54 million Americans have been affected by this damaging issue in the workplace. It’s believed 5 million Canadians are affected by bullying or harassment.

As a certified harassment advisor, one who works on a (potential) harassment case, and a career coach with certification in solution-focused counseling, here is what to do to alleviate harassment or bullying in the workplace:

Professional tips:

1. Keep a detailed journal of what occurred with as many details as possible.

2. If there are witnesses, compile their names.

3. Tell the offensive person his/her behavior is not acceptable.

4. Go to the supervisor, if necessary.

5. Choose not to react to the bullying or harassing behavior. (Quite often, bullying is power through aggression).

6. Use your company’s resources, such as a harassment advisor, mediator or employee assistance program (EAP), if necessary. Many EAP programs offer you a choice of talking to someone by phone or in person, and possibly seeking assistance outside of your community.

Naturally, harassing behavior or bullying creates stress. I’d like to thank my colleague, Sheryl Pedersen, for inspiring me to blog about this, after taking her workplace stress management seminar.

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7. Take a work stress inventory to identify your sources of stress, your triggers and your current coping mechanisms.

8. Learn to identify and change your “mind maps” (thoughts swirling in your mind) in such a situation and remind yourself this stressful situation is temporary. You CAN transform negative thoughts and energy into positive thoughts and positive energy.

I highly recommend Dr. David Burns’ book, Feeling Good, to deal with defeating your mind’s negative thoughts. Dr. Burns uses cognitive behavior tools and techniques to help you “program” your mind in the face of adversity.

9. Write a joy journal to focus on what is going right (this is the focus of my solution-focus training), rather than what is going wrong.

10. Teach your body to relax with “keeping well” resources: deep breathing, progressive relaxation, mindfulness, guided imagery and relaxing music.

If you are a victim of harassment or bullying in the workplace, a statement from Dr. Ron Warner, who trained me in solution-focused interviewing and counseling, still resonates: “No problem exists 24/7 except for terminal illness or chronic pain.”

Melissa Martin is a bilingual career coach who specializes in offering career counseling by phone. Contact her today at CareerCoachingByPhone.com. Connect with Melissa via LinkedIn and/or follow her on Twitter.

Technorati Tags: bully, bullying, career advice, career expert, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, journal, professional tips, stress, workplace harassment

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Recently, we recorded a webinar where I outlined the 6 things every job seeker must master to get hired in 2010.

In it, participants learned:

1. What shift in mindset must occur to ensure we can stay employed long-term.
2. The most common trait amongst failing job seekers and why it must be eliminated for hiring managers to consider us for a position.
3. What vital step the majority of job seekers skip, causing us to waste 100s of hours on a fruitless job search.
4. What unique list can cut job search time down significantly.
5. Which career tools successful job seekers are using.
6. How smart job seekers use the ‘controlled chaos’ theory to execute an effective search.

Here’s what some participants had to say on Twitter about the session:

Now, for anyone who missed the webinar, I’m inviting you to get access to it by signing-up for our weekly newsletter.

Why? This newsletter will automatically keep you informed of all our upcoming (FREE) webinars. It will also provide you with an easy way to see the top articles and new tools on our site from the week before. In short, it’s the best way to get our cutting-edge career advice in an easy-to-read weekly format. In exchange, I will send you the link to the webinar so you can listen to it immediately. (Or, whenever you feel like it – Ahh, the beauty of on-demand webinars!)

Already get our newsletter?

No worries. We eliminate duplicate e-mails to ensure you won’t get multiple copies. You just need to put your e-mail in below to get the webinar link – we’ll take care of the rest!

Get it today to help you kick your job search in high-gear this week!

If you’d like to learn the secrets to getting hired in 2010, simply drop your e-mail in below. You’ll have the URL in your inbox within minutes.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: The e-mail could end up in your SPAM folder if you have it set for iContact e-mails to go there. Please check SPAM folder if you don’t see it within 10 minutes of signing up.)

Technorati Tags: 6, bucket list, career, career advice, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, help, interview, j.t. o'donnell, job, job search, job seeker, personal branding, social media, things, webinar, work

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