“For Papa, make him a scholar… for Mama, make him rich as a king.  For me, well, I wouldn’t holler if he were as handsome as anything!”

Finding the right job is a matchmaking process. It has to be a good fit on both ends. When seeking a new opportunity, it is important to know what’s on your A-list, and have a clear understanding of what you are seeking. Do you like to work independently, or part of a team? Are you best behind the scenes, or out in the field? Do you thrive in a small environment, or large?  The list goes on and on. So, make that list, check it twice! (Oops, wrong holiday!) When you are ready to seek an employment match, analyze what you must have.  What are your deal breakers? Then target your search accordingly.

If you are just starting out in your career, it is realistic to assume that you may have to “kiss a few frogs.”  Your first and second job may not be perfect. This is why doing your homework and trying to find companies that interest you is so important.  If you can get in, prove yourself, and make the right connections, you will be closer to your goal.  Remember, it is much easier to meet the Prince/Princess if you are already in the castle.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

In the suburbs, your mode of transportation is an extension of that interview.  Remove the car seats, toys, and activity/political/religious magnets that provide your employer with too much information that could be detrimental to your candidacy.

• But, there are no jobs.
• But, I’ve sent my resume out EVERYWHERE.
• But, I can’t afford to live on my own.

To start, there are jobs. They may not be the “dream” job or the highest paying. Entry-level means just that. You will not be Vice President of Marketing until you have paid your dues. Get into a company that interests you and work your way up. Or, get into a job where you can make the right connections. At ANY level, it is much easier to find a job when you have a job.

If you are saying you have sent your resume out EVERYWHERE, then you do not have an understanding of how today’s job search works. Only approximately 10% of available jobs are advertised. That leaves 90% of available jobs that require a different approach than scouring the job boards. Today’s search is not only about finding a job, but putting yourself out there to be found. You need a strategic plan for both.

Lastly, a person is much more motivated to secure an income when they are responsible and accountable. If you have bills to pay, you will be motivated to pay them. Find a roommate or two, get out on your own and take responsibility for your rent, phone, electric, and cable bills. Responsibility is a great motivator!

Quantify your achievements. Numbers and percentages help to create a visual for your reader of how much value you offer. Which example sounds better?

• Increased Food and Beverage / banquet revenue OR
• Partnered with Executive Chef and increased banquet revenue by 75% within the first year. Captured an additional $750,000 in F&B revenue by increasing dining venue usage throughout the club.

Is your resume ready for a job search? Make sure your resume lands on the top of the pile.

While being unemployed can be emotionally challenging and stressful, it is crucial to remain optimistic and motivated. If you let the circumstances way you down, it will affect your ability to procure a new position. So try not to wallow, take action instead!

Sample action plan:

Take stock and create a personal inventory. Ask yourself realistically, why are you unemployed and did you have control of this outcome? (No matter the answer, we want to create a strategic plan.) Were you part of downsizing due to the economy? Was your function eliminated or outsourced overseas? Did you have a positive rapport with your company, supervisor, and colleagues? Do you have the skill set needed to have remained in your previous position or to move up to the next level? Ask these questions to see what you may need to do going forward. It could be relocating, finding a different industry, smaller/larger company, or improving/learning new skills.

Plan financially. Don’t wait, plan accordingly. Lay it all out so you can take a hard look at it. What is coming in?  What is going out? What can be trimmed? Then, create a long-term plan with options to help get you through the rough patch. Laying it out and having a proactive plan can help to reduce the anxiety.

Get up and get moving! Treat every weekday as a work day.  Get dressed and get out. (Isolation can contribute to situational depression.)  It is easy to hide behind the computer in sweats and slippers, but that is not where the jobs are! Place yourself where you can meet new people and network. Create a routine for yourself with daily goals and objectives.

Open your mouth. People can’t help if they don’t know you need it. Let people know that you are looking, and ask for support.  Tap into the resources that are available to you through friends, former colleagues, organized groups, and professionals.

Find one thing a day that is incredibly funny… and laugh. Many studies have stated that “laughter is the best medicine.” It reduces pain, improves job performance, lowers blood sugar levels, and allows us to tolerate discomfort. Better yet, find something funny to share with someone else, and laugh with them!

Keep the faith that this too shall pass.

Here are a few thoughts to get you started.

1.  Have you completed a personal inventory? Ask yourself the following:

• Who am I and what do I do?
• What skills and talents do I have?
• What am I good at and what do I like to do?
• What skills and talents do I need?
• What am I “not so good” at and what do I not like doing?

2.  Is your resume ready? If you meet someone new at a holiday party and they ask for your resume, is it ready?  Don’t get caught unprepared. Make a list for yourself of your most recent accomplishments, and make sure to include them.

3.  Are you on LinkedIn? Make sure your profile is complete and position yourself to be found by potential employers.

4.  Are you evaluating your opportunities to network? Face-to-face and social/internet networking are both important. Make sure your online presence is clean and well-connected, and get yourself away from the computer! Find organizations, associations, and meetings where you can meet people who can assist in your search.

5.  Is your workspace neat and organized? Whether you are in a company office, home office, or working from a make-shift space to conduct your job-search, consider “cleaning house.” Do you know that sigh of relief after going through the car wash? When you de-clutter your workspace, you can see through your personal chaos and create a plan.

Drive safely!  Best wishes.

Statistically, people change jobs 9 times during their lifetime and change careers 4 times. There are many reasons why; downsizing/layoff, relocation, lack of satisfaction, burnout, change in finances, or pursuit of a passion. Regardless of the reason, changing careers can be both challenging and rewarding, when the process is attacked with a clear vision and a plan.

Step 1:

When I begin the career coaching process, I ask my clients some telling questions:

• Why are you looking to make a change?
• In five years, what does your life look and feel like if you stay where you are?
• In five years, what does your life look and feel like if you follow your passion?
• Who does your change affect and how?
• How will a change affect you financially today, in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years?
• What are you good at?
• What do you like to do? (Not the same questions as above!)
• What are you NOT so good at?
• What do you NOT like to do? (Not the same questions as above!)

I then recommend that we dig deeper before we discuss by completing a validated career insight assessment, to make sure the client is true to his/herself and to uncover additional, crucial information that the client may not even be aware of, and generate a snapshot of the client’s personality, showing which careers might suit them best.

Step 2:

We evaluate the financial situation. If  a career change means an initial investment or pay reduction, is it feasible?  For how long? What else might you need to do in order to pursue a change and “fill in the financial gap?”  Are you supported by the people in your life that this will affect?

Step 3:

After we have identified a new career path we want to do our homework on that career.  What is the forecast? What are the responsibilities and do they match your abilitites/interests? Do you have the tools and education needed? What are the pay scales / earning potential? The internet has several great sources for gathering these insights.

Step 4:

We ask the question “Am I being realistic?”  Certain careers require education, certifications, training, and licenses and so you must ask yourself “Is it realistic to go back to medical school to become a doctor?” “Can I attend continuing education courses to update my computer skills or obtain a certification?” “Most of the jobs that interest me are in another part of the country, can I relocate?” Questions along this line will help you to see if the change is viable.

Once you have walked through the 4 initial steps, it is helpful to organize everything that you have answered and gathered, and create a plan.  If your decision is to make a change, then be strategic, create your own action plan, and step into phase 2… making it happen.

The process can be overwhelming but it is manageable. A good career coach can partner with you to lay set you on the right path, and hold you accountable for… making it happen.

Marlboro resident Michelle A. Riklan is an author, public speaker, certified professional résumé writer, career coach, and employment interview consultant. She is co-author of “101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career” and can be reached atMichelle@riklanresources.com . Her website address is www.riklanresources.com.

Statistics show that the employment status of college graduates under age 25 is as follows:

22.4% — Not Working.
22.0% — Working in jobs that do not require a college degree.
55.6% — Working in jobs that require a college degree, with a median annual income of $26, 756.

Fifty-six percent of the class of 2010, held at least one job by this past spring. That number is down from 90% of graduates from the classes of 2006 and 2007.

An analysis by The New York Times of Labor Department data about college graduates aged 25 to 34 yielded that the number of these workers employed in food service, restaurants and bars had risen 17% in 2009 from the prior year. And, there was a substantial increase of college graduates working at gas stations, food and alcohol stores, and taxi and limousine services.

These positions do not require a college degree. With the constant doom and gloom in the media about today’s job market, how can we help recent college graduates enter the workforce?

To be proactive in your job search, follow this simple formula – P.A.C.M.A.N.

Prepare your personal inventory…. (Who am I and what do I do? What skills and talents do I have? What am I good at and what do I like to do? What skills and talents do I need? What am I “not so good” at and what do I not like doing?)

Assess what you need…. (Read through job descriptions and find out what employers want. If you don’t have what they want, go out and get it—experience, coursework, computer skills, leadership experience, etc.)

Create your marketing tools…. (Are you ready to market yourself? Do you have a solid resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter, networking card?)

Make a plan…. (Figure out what companies you want to target and where you want to send your resume. Organize your job-search (I recommend JibberJobber for this purpose). Commit to how many people you will network with and contact per day. Decide where you can go to meet potential employers and network and put these events on your calendar.

Advertise…. People don’t know you are looking if you don’t tell them! Get yourself out there, physically and virtually.

Network…. 70 % – 80 % of jobs are not published. Your best tool is networking—in-person, on-line, at events, through friends, parents… anyone and everyone.

Stay active and engaged in your search. Stay in motion and be proactive. The job market is challenging but is not impossible! The aggressive and strategic job seekers are the ones winning the game.

Appearances Are Everything

Is your resume tired looking and showing your age with an outdated format from 20 years ago? It may be time for a resume makeover to revitalize your information, give it a fresh appearance, and get you noticed!

Answer the following questions:

• Does your resume look outdated?
• Are you using a large left-side margin format from 20 years ago?
• Does it look bland with an overly used, common font?
• Is it difficult to read?
• Is the font too small?
• Do you have too much content in a small amount of space?
• Is it difficult to navigate, follow, and see what you have accomplished?
• Is your resume completely bulleted, or completely in paragraph form?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then your resume needs a face lift or a complete makeover.

Yes, the content is important and every resume should be compelling and rich with unique achievements. If this content is presented in an unattractive, prehistoric, and difficult to read manner, it simply won’t be read.

Here are some suggested design rules:

• Remember again that your resume is a marketing piece and you are the product. As with any product, name recognition is important. Make sure your name pops!
• Avoid over-use of common fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial.
• Vary/contrast your fonts and consider using a different headline font to make your branding statement / header stand out.
• Use formatting enhancements (bold, italics, shading, color, charts, borders)
• Ensure the font sizes are not too big and not too small.
• Create a style that is easy to navigate and use borders to distinguish sections.

There are many interesting ways to make sure that your resume lands on top of the pile. With appropriate enhancements, formatting, and design you can get yours noticed!

Often after an “unsuccessful” job hunt, a young adult may return home and continue to be financially supported by their parents. 10% of all children over the age of 25 now live with their parents and a startling one third of all American men between the ages of 22 and 34 still live with their parents, an increase of 100% percent in the last two decades, according to the Census Bureau. Statistically, a large percentage of this population becomes more passive in their search for employment. They begin to lack motivation, and may unconsciously be manipulating their parents into believing that “there is just nothing out there.” Parents take the bait, continue to enable the young adult, and now a prophecy has been self-fulfilled. Indeed, the “Boomeranger” has positioned his/herself as “unemployable”. The longer you are idle, the less likely you will be desired by a potential employer.

So what can we do to help motivate and move this generation to action?

Start Planning before the diploma is in hand. Set up a four-year plan to help assemble a tool kit so there is something to put on the resume. Academics are important, but they need to be complemented with life experience. Joining organizations help individuals learn to be part of a team, to acquire leadership skills, plan events, and develop time management skills. Internships and jobs show responsibility and the ability to juggle multiple priorities. All are characteristics that a future employer will seek.

Encourage young adults to take responsibility for their job search. Is their resume well-prepared? Are they out their networking or simply claiming that they can’t find any positions on the internet? Only 10% of jobs available are public knowledge. Only the aggressive job-seeker is finding what’s really out there. Do they have a daily plan? A specific number of contacts to make per day? The job search should be treated as a job, with to do lists, deadlines and accountability.

It’s often easier to find a job when you are employed. The first job may not be ideal or have anything to do with that four-year degree. But WHATEVER the job is, it will build the resume and show that the individual is not sitting back in defeat.

Say goodbye to the security blanket.A tough economy means making concessions. It might mean taking on multiple roommates for an affordable living situation. Maybe it means getting a foot in the door with an unpaid internship while working a part-time evening position.

Stay in motion. To reach the destination, you need to get on the bus. Sitting at the bus stop, gets you nowhere.