career advancement

Posts Tagged ‘career advancement’

Is Your Resume SEO Compliant?

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Those of you who’ve taken my BRIDGE tele-class or followed my BRIDGE strategy for Job Search, you already know that when you’re clear about the role you’re after, it takes less time and effort to land your ideal position.

I’ve heard it said many times that when you’re applying for jobs on-line and you send your resume, it may as well have been sucked into a black hole. With the increasing intelligence of search engines, company web site databases, and online applications, it’s easier than ever to get lost if you’re not on top of the latest web strategies. First on the list: make sure your resume is SEO-Compliant (Search Engine Optimization).

The “B” in my BRIDGE for Job Search Strategies method stands for “Become Clear.” As a Coach, part of my job is to help my clients with this first, deceivingly complex step. What do you want your career to look like? What do you want your life to look like when you’re in this career? Where and for whom do you want to work?

When a client has trouble with this step or if “B” is too heavy for you to handle right now, we move to “R”—Research. We Research together to “I”—Identify—your skill set, likes, interests, motivators, values, unique attributes, target titles, target companies, and target key words. While we’re doing this, we’re also “D”—Developing— your resume, your career positioning, new contacts and “G” Getting a game plan, while “E”—Executing and Evaluating—on these strategies to help you reach your ideal position faster. This takes us back to “B”—Become Clear—at which point, you’re ready to progress to the next level.

As you Research and Identify, you’re not only creating a list of your skills and values; you’re creating a list of key words and phrases. These can be very helpful when creating an SEO-Compliant resume, since they are likely also the words and phrases which will be searched by hiring managers. You can then use these key words when researching on LinkedIn and other online resources to Research and Identify your ideal target employer.

“We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.” – Abigail Adams

Here’s how you can use SEO and key words to optimize your resume using LinkedIn.

Let’s say you are targeting a position on the client side as a Director of Marketing in the computer software industry. Go to LinkedIn.com, and in the upper right-hand part of the screen, click “Advanced” which is just to the right of the Search box for “People“. This will take you to the screen below:

LinkedIn Director of Marketing Key Word Search

In the Keyword box, type the title you are targeting (for this example, Director of Marketing). Note: You are typing Director of Marketing in the Keyword field not the Title field. Next, for Location, select “Located in or near” and then enter your Zip Code. Next check off under Industries, Computer Software, and click Search at the bottom.

Drill down on some of the profiles that come up in the search, and take note of the titles, the companies and the key words used to describe the position held in each profile – keeping in mind that some Profiles contain much more information than others. Use these key words and phrases to refine your target search, and then look at the LinkedIn Profiles of your potential competitors – then look at your resume. Is it compliant relative to the types of positions you’re targeting?

As you’re reading job descriptions do you notice some of the same key words? Are those key words present on your resume? It’s as simple as that! Use these words and phrases and get your resume SEO-Compliant! What most people don’t realize is the biggest value you get from LinkedIn and other job boards is the information you can obtain with simple Research.

As the saying goes, people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. Brian Tracy, in a recent interview said…”You can’t hit a target you can’t see… and more people spend more time planning a picnic than they spend planning their careers.”

Start planning your career today by taking advantage of my no-obligation complimentary coaching consult.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Dawn Quesnel, CPCC, PCC, known as Coach DQ, is a professional coach, radio show host and workshop leader. Through the use of her B.R.I.D.G.E. programs she helps creative professionals and business owners navigate career or business transition while maintaining a healthy career-life balance. Her core belief that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, consistently leads clients to uncover hidden resources and strengths. B.R.I.D.G.E. the gap and accelerate your career so you can love your life now! Visit www.CareerLifeBalance.net or http://www.coachdq.com today or for more information click here or email me.

Need help with your resume? Enter your name by September 7, 2010 by e-mailing me at DQ@CoachDQ.com win a free resume strategy coaching session! (Valued at $350)

Job Vs. Mission?

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Too often there’s a big gap between what you do for a living and what you do because it’s fun or feeds your soul. It’s not your fault really. When you think about it, the stage was set way back in elementary school, where you spent most of your time sitting in a classroom looking forward to recess. Class was work, and recess was fun.

But if you were lucky, you had a teacher who was fun and engaging. Someone who put your desks in a circle instead of boring rows or had you doing science experiments that involved flames and smoldering potions. You probably forgot all about recess with that teacher. Your “work” suddenly became a whole lot more interesting.

Do you spend your grown-up days watching the clock for the moment you can get outta Dodge and head for home and hobbies?

Do you enjoy your work on a superficial level – but it doesn’t speak to your deepest dreams and values?

Maybe you feel like you’re leading a double life – that who you have to be at work is a totally different person than the one you are at home?

Whatever the case, if you’re splitting your focus, you’re splitting your energy and diluting gratification. Is there a deep-seated sense of purpose drawing you toward certain “recess” activities? Another word for this is mission—a calling to do things that speak to your core values and goals?

Maybe your mission pulls you to create art, work with charities, tutor neighborhood kids, or create beautiful landscaping in your own backyard. You’ll know when a task is tied to your mission because of the strong emotions it stirs, calling you to be and do something bigger with your life.

The good news is that you are living in a time when more and more people are recognizing the truth that, it really is possible to live your life mission. The question then becomes, how exactly do you meld your job and your mission?

Getting there requires a shift out of the old pattern that was ingrained during elementary school. Facilitating just this kind of shift is a fundamental aspect of the coaching process.

Save this date on your calendar now, September 15th, 2010. I’ll have more details for you soon, but I can tell you this now: I think you’ll be surprised at just how easily you can learn to bring that “recess” feeling to your work desk!
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Altruism

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Do you consider yourself an altruistic person?

I admit, the word “altruistic” is a little intimidating. It might conjure images of misty-eyed do-gooders who spend every minute trying to make the world a better place. Not that there’s anything wrong with that and you don’t need to chain yourself to a tree or wear only hemp clothing to be an altruist.

All you need to do is align your personal values and ideals with your actions. When you do that, you’ll find a deeper sense of fulfillment and accomplishment in every area of your life.

This alignment can be tough, don’t get me wrong. We tend to separate our “work selves” from the rest of ourselves, and sometimes our actions on the job run counter to our ideals. Have you met…

The eco-activist who works for the chemical plant?
The health nut who works at McDonalds?
The pharmaceutical salesman who only takes herbal remedies?
The WalMart executive who secretly dreams of opening a “mom and pop shop?”

Talk about split personalities! Of course, the split doesn’t need to be that obvious.

Maybe you’ve met…

The mom who wants more time with her kids, but whose job forces her to travel.
Or the creative director who doesn’t believe in the products he’s helping to sell.

These people are also experiencing conflict, but for one reason or another, they feel as if they’re tied to their jobs despite their misgivings. Maybe it’s the great benefits package, or the “golden handcuff” of an executive salary. Maybe it’s just simple convenience. Any way you look at it, conflict creates stress.

If you feel like your work self is working against your altruistic self, maybe it’s time to shift your career perspective. If you want (or crave) a career that connects with your values; if you want to begin to define your altruistic self and find more fulfillment in your work life then join me for this free call.

You don’t even need to have your personal definition of altruism figured out. You just have to know that you’re ready for change!

Learn More to Earn More

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Before I became a professional coach, I was an Executive Recruiter. My job was to place qualified candidates in advertising, marketing, sales, and creative type positions, such as: Creative Directors, Art Directors, Copywriters, Producers, and Designers etc. Working with both companies and individuals in this capacity, I learned a lot about what people need to do in order to succeed in high-paced fields; now, I’m able to share this knowledge with my coaching clients.

No matter what your field, if you want to advance, you need to keep advancing yourself. Basically, this means continuing your professional education. Technologies are always changing, methods are always evolving, and public tastes are always shifting. To ride the wave, businesspeople need to stay on the cutting edge. The best way to do that is through education.

Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not suggesting that every professional needs to go back to college to get their Master’s degree or a PhD – although if that’s your personal goal, that’s fantastic. Education can take many forms: trade books, seminars, professional association meetings, even independent online research. Taking a single college course each semester, whether or not you ever apply it toward a degree, is a fantastic idea; if you’re pressed for time, try an online course. Many colleges also offer how-to classes on computer software, which is great for people who are less tech-savvy.

When you’re considering your continuing education plan for 2010, approach it from the perspective of your current skill set. What new skills would help you to perform better in your chosen field? If you’re considering a career change, what new skills would help to put you on par with – or better yet, ahead of – your competition? When working with a client we work on developing their abilities, and help them to position themselves favorably and accelerate their career using those abilities – but I also remind them that they need time to enjoy the fruits of their labor. After all, you have to have some Career Life Balance!

Action Step: Return to your game plan: have you included any continuing education in your list of intentions for 2010? If you have, that’s great. If not, choose two activities or classes to participate in over the next year which will advance your game plan and bring you closer to your ultimate intention. Accountants, teachers, and anyone else who is required to fulfill annual education requirements: this could be one or two activities over and above what you need to do to maintain your certification.

When you’re learning, you’re growing, and growth is the key to positive change. Keep your intention in mind, and remember to chunk it down so it works for you, not the way you might think it’s suppose to be done. If you’re stuck email me to schedule a consult.

Finding Your Balance Point

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

No one ever lamented on his deathbed that he wished he’d spent more time at the office.

Last week I wrote about ways to tell when your Career-Life scales are out of balance. Now, I’ll show you what you can do about it. Finding balance between your personal and professional lives is one of the best ways to alleviate the stress, guilt, and burnout that comes with a high-powered career and a crazy schedule.

Finding career life balance would be easy if our careers were as understanding and forgiving as our families. But in many cases, if you can’t finish your work in a 40- 50-hour work week, and you don’t put in the extra time to get the job done, you’ll be fired—whereas your family is (probably) not going to fire you for leaving dirty dishes in the sink, or working too late to read a bedtime story. The unbending demands of work often push the more flexible family time aside, resulting in those unbalanced scales, and a lot of stress.

There are a lot of very successful people who manage to do their entire job in the span of a normal day, and get home in time for the family dinner. This isn’t because they’re superhuman; it’s because they plan carefully, schedule intelligently, and roll with the punches. They know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and they know what they can and cannot control. Most importantly, they utilize good time management skills.

If you want to become the type of person described above, you need to ask yourself some hard questions, and answer them honestly.

What would happen if you performed only the action steps required to complete your tasks?
What choices are you making with your time and your controllable decisions?
Are your choices in harmony with your core values—like family, personal development, and your long-term career path—or are they simply made in reaction to day-to-day situations?
What uncontrollable factors are you allowing to create stress and extra work?
What can you stop doing (or start doing) that will allow you to complete your tasks in less time?
What are your biggest time killers? How can you reduce or eliminate them?
How will shifting your priorities and/or routines affect your work life?
How is your attitude about your career life balance affecting that balance?

Use these questions, and your answers, to develop a clearer picture of how you control your tasks, your time, and your world. Like the successful people mentioned above, you can begin to make decisions that support a healthier career life balance. Take small steps to start, and stick with your changes until they become habit.

If you need some more hints on how to discover your own unique career life balance, give me a call! I offer a complementary coaching session for all new clients. What have you got to lose?

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Remember in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross (a flick with an admittedly harsh approach but lots of valid points too) when Alec Baldwin’s character, Blake, talks about the ABC’s of sales – Always Be Closing?

Part of the close is the pitch. And when it comes to your career, the most important sales pitch you’ll ever make is the one that involves selling you! That pitch starts WAY before the interview.

Regardless of whether you are trying to position yourself as the best candidate for a new job, the job you have now and want to hold onto or the one on the next rung of the ladder in your current company, it’s in your best interest to consciously “Always Be Closing.”

That includes a lot more stuff than you probably ever thought to consider. Here’s a short list:

Your personal appearance: does it match the “norm” for your industry?

Is your resume: current? free of typos? talk about results or just tasks?

How’s your handshake: assertive, aggressive, wimpy?

Do you make eye contact when speaking face-to-face?

What about your follow up habits: do you return emails and phone calls promptly and professionally?

How do your networking habits measure up: are you genuine and sincere? do you offer referrals before you ask for them? and are they quality referrals or perfunctory?

This is just the tip of the iceberg! If your career isn’t on the path you had in mind, could be you’re sabotaging yourself with parts of your “pitch.” The BRIDGE job search strategies process can help you see how you might be selling yourself short and give you the tools to turn that around.
But you don’t need to take my word for it, decide for yourself when I offer a sneak peek into the process during this free call.

Two of the greatest elements of success are decisiveness and action. So, my coaching challenge to you is to implement those elements and register now. The call will be recorded and you’ll get the link the next day so you can listen at your leisure. So, even if you have a schedule conflict, go ahead and register.

Just imagine, you could be hanging out on the beach AND sharpening the saw while listening to the recording on your iPod! Register now and keep yourself on the career fast track and a step ahead of your competition!

Career Advancement—It’s Not About Luck

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Everyone has a dream job. Some people want to become CEOs; others dream of being named creative director of a non-profit organization. Some want nothing more than to run their own company. For many people, a dream job is just that: a dream. But others manage to turn even their most far-fetched goals into reality—and they do it through careful career advancement planning.

Everyone should have a career advancement strategy in place. If you don’t, it’s definitely worth your time to sit down and create one. Career advancement strategies can help you stay one step ahead of the game, and help you “chunk it down” and establish short-term goals.

A career advancement strategy is different from a job search strategy in two ways. First, it addresses your loftiest career goals, and helps you find ways to achieve them, regardless of your current job situation. Second, it lets you plan your actions in advance, and helps you build a solid foundation so you won’t backslide by trying to reach too far too fast.

When you’re building your career advancement strategy, start from where you are right now. For example, I’m currently working with a client whose ideal job involves being on stage. (This client has given me permission to use his story.) This client—we’ll call him Mr. X—is leaning toward politics as a vehicle to make this happen; more than money or prestige, he wants to use the stage as a way to make his opinions heard, and to solve problems in the world. So what should his career advancement strategy include? Well, he’s “been in hiding” for a while, as he puts it, so he needs to get out there and start working some of his old contacts, because politics is all about making the right connections. We’re also working on his image, which is very important to anyone who wants to be in the public eye.

Other things from which someone in Mr. X’s position might benefit include formal training in public speaking and a course on body language. Leadership courses, especially those targeted toward corporate managers and CEOs, might offer an opportunity to make new contacts. He also needs to chart his ideal “rise through the ranks,” and set his sights on jobs that will act as stepping stones to his dream job, which is that of a legislator or other public servant.

Here’s what you can do to get started on your own career advancement strategy:

Action Step 1: Take an inventory of things you need to do to prepare yourself for your future role of ____ (you fill in the blank). Do you need further education, a broader networking base, the backing of a daring venture capitalist? If your ideal position exists within your current company, which positions do you need to move through in order to attain your goal, and with whom will you have to work to attain them?

Action Step 2: Look for resources to support you. And if your company offers tuition reimbursement, use it! Education is one of the top things employers look for—and the same goes for your current employer. You won’t land that next “stepping-stone” position if you don’t have the right skills.

Action Step 3: Conduct informational interviews. Make an effort to meet people who are living your dream. CEOs, managers, and entrepreneurs are all great people to talk to when you’re looking for some perspective. Ask them how they got to their current position, and what challenges they faced along the way. Their answers provide valuable career insight.

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