Finding Your Career Fit

Have you ever had a job that just wasn't a fit? I sure have, and I was miserable. Even when I really liked the work, there were some days I barely had the energy to get up and go to the office. I wasn't happy to be there. I didn't feel like my work was making a big impact. I lost my enthusiasm and creativity. At the end of the day, I was so drained. Then, I'd go to bed and get up to do it all over again. I felt like a hamster on a wheel and dreamed of escaping, but I felt stuck. Maybe you're in that job now and you're miserable.

So, what do you do when you feel stuck and miserable in your career?

Figure out what isn't working. Usually, there is one aspect of the job that isn't working for you. It could be that the work you're doing isn't interesting, you're in the wrong role, or you're in the wrong environment.

When the work isn't interesting, and you're struggling to keep up

Sometimes, the work you're doing just isn't interesting anymore. I see this a lot when people get stuck using skills they're good at but don't enjoy using. For example, I've had highly creative clients, who are also organized, get stuck in project management roles. In those roles, they have to focus on details and information. But, what excites them is coming up with new ideas for products or programs and handing the details over to someone else. Working against your interests is a stressful place to be, often leading to burnout. Before long, your enthusiasm and engagement in the job will go away. That will lead to poor performance and ultimately, you could get fired.

When you're in the wrong role, and you're heading in the wrong direction

Your career could also be heading in the wrong direction. When someone performs well, there is always the pressure of seeking out advancement. But, not everyone wants that level of responsibility. When you advance up the management ranks you become removed from the work you enjoyed to managing people doing the work you enjoyed. It's a very different skill set that doesn't come naturally to most people. At some point, you have to decide if you want to advance or not, or even if you want a traditional career path. For example, many people opt out of the traditional job progression in favor of portfolio careers or business ownership.

When you're in the wrong environment, and you're feeling out of place

This is a little harder to pinpoint, but it's the cause for a lot of frustration at work. It has to do with a mismatch of values and personality. You might be an introvert who likes to get work done alone and in silence but are working in an environment where you're expected to work on groups projects to get work done. Or, maybe you like to have a fun, open environment yet people are often working behind closed doors. Even harder is when you work in an environment where your cultural, religious or personal values are not valued and respected by your co-workers. All of those scenarios and many more often lead to misunderstandings.

If any of this describes your situation, it's time to do something about it. Personally, after a series of bad jobs, I had the chance to go through a career assessment process. It was the best thing I could have done for me and my career. I already knew that I was a helper, and that was confirmed. I discovered that I need a lot of autonomy, independence, and challenge in my career. I wasn't getting that in my previous jobs. I tuned in to my skills and found that many of them were not being used in meaningful ways. Much to my surprise, I also realized the profound importance of being in the right work environment. I always thought that I could do work I loved anywhere. I was wrong!

If you're struggling now and want to know how to change your career situation, I suggest you also take some time to reflect on your current situation to figure out what's out of sync. Go through a career assessment process so you can have a better understanding about how you want to use your skills, what role you want to have and the best environment for your personality. Career tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Skillscan, and StrengthsQuest provide good insight. Of course, there are tons of books out there, too. You can work through the process on your own, but I think it's helpful to get guidance and support from a career counselor or coach. When I went through my career assessment process, I had a career counselor and mentor who helped me sort through the reports and come up with an action plan.

What I've come to learn through my bad job experiences is the importance of doing work that is fulfilling, in the right place in alignment with my career vision. While it's not always easy, you have to stay true to your goals and dreams. For me, when I'm working within the right circumstances, I can make the biggest impact, and I'm happier, overall. That realization inspired me to write my career guide, Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love and create my career transition programs. By sharing my experiences and the steps I've taken to stay on the right career track, I've been able to live my career vision.

Other articles by Markell on this topic:
4 Ways to Pursue Your Passion
Getting Unstuck: One Action that Can Change Your Career
The Job Seeker's Dilemma: Is it Time to Change Career Direction
http://www.futures-in-motion.com/article_archive.php

Ms. Markell Steele is a career counselor, owner of Futures in Motion, Inc. and author of Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps for Finding Work You Love. She helps frustrated job seekers find career direction so they can get the job they want in less time with less stress. More career transition and job search resources can be found on her website- http://www.futures-in-motion.com

Effective Career Management is the Key to Finding Success

Considering the times we live in-what with a declining economy and job-related woes proliferating across the globe-these days the topic of career management could not be more important. Career management, of course, is not something only to be recurred to in times of crisis; it's a process (and a skill) which needs to be implemented throughout every stage of our adult lives, both when things are looking up and when they are looking down. At the moment, however, in the midst of the growing unemployment rates that are sweeping the developed and developing worlds, many people are looking with great hope and expectation to the potential benefits which effective career management may have for them.

Considering the widespread sensation of panic or nervousness that has come over the job market, it's important to come to have a clear vision of precisely what career management is, and how to carry it out effectively and comprehensively. Not only is it important to remember to keep career management in mind when the going's good, but furthermore it's important to remember all the pertinent areas of career management-not to overlook crucial aspects, during good times or bad. So, to start, let's take a look at the three fundamental aspects of career management:

Long-term goals and strategies. In career management, it is absolutely fundamental that you have a goal in mind for the long haul and that you have a notion of how you intend to get there. There's really not much to "manage" if these two elements are lacking, after all! As far as setting a long-term goal is concerned, you will need to first of all consider where you stand in the course of your career at the moment, on the one hand, and what the probabilities of your service/product still being marketable in the long-term look like, on the other hand. With regards to the former point, remember that the earlier on in your career the more difficult it will be to think for the long-term and to set goals for the long-term that feel realistic or achievable. With regards to the latter point, remember to try to factor in advances in technology and possible issues of redundancy when determining how marketable your particular service or product will be way down the line. This is a hard bet, and doubtlessly several unknown variables will come into the mix at one point or another; nonetheless, in pursuing a career, it's a bet that either has to be made, or the person in question needs to seriously consider switching to another line of work.
Networking. Managing a career is all about having personal and professional contacts-without (a lot of) them, you will not have the sources of support necessary to help you advance professionally. Working adults with a career in the works need to remember that it is wise to work on or elaborate absolutely every potential contact (if only to have the person on a list of names you'll never end up calling), and furthermore that burning bridges will never help you get anywhere. Many contacts may not yield anything all that significant in terms of your career advancement, yet every once in a while there is that one-and you need to be able to open a dialogue there at the right moment, which is why networking is so important in the first place. Within the realm of networking, there are three areas of interest that need to be pursues separately yet with equal energy: the place where you currently work (both among colleagues and superiors); the professional associations which represent your activity; and the major recruiters and/or companies where you hope to perhaps work in the future. Lavish these three areas with loads of networking, and you will do your career an enormous solid.
Résumé polishing and updating. How marketable can you possibly be when your résumé is representative of your professional standing from over a year ago?! Maintaining an updated résumé on at least a yearly basis shows people (recruiters in particular) that you take the process of career management seriously and that you're not just counting on luck and/or a good first impression. Remember that when you reach crucial turns in the road during your professional career, you may have to reinterpret the importance of previous work experiences and present them in a new light to justify your current direction. In this sense, remember to update your personal statement when appropriate to reflect any developments in terms of goals and principal strengths. Keep in mind that an updated résumé is a brilliant tool no matter what career path you are pursuing, as it enables you to seize opportunities as they arise without the need to stall (in order to bring your image up to speed). If you feel that your résumé is a little stale, you should think about enlisting the help of a career coach as this is just one of the specialist services that they offer.

These three branches or areas within career management combine-when properly fulfilled-to drastically improve the readiness of a working professional to take on bold new opportunities and to make the kinds of leaps forward that will afford them the stability they are looking for.

Finally, it is important for professionals to put together a contingency plan in case their original plan doesn't work out just the way they wanted to: after all, successful career management isn't so much about accomplishing exactly what you set out for yourself, but rather it's about making the best of the opportunities which present themselves and overcoming the setbacks that inevitably arise. As mentioned at the beginning, there are unknown variables that may surface and alter the marketability of a given product or service in the mid- or long-term. In such cases, working professionals need to know how to harness their experience, skills and network and apply them to a new path (whether a slight change in direction within the same field or a complete jumping of ships has taken place).

In the end, success in the long run cannot be had without all of these factors being brought together under one master plan, diligently implemented from the very beginning of a professional career.

Sam D Goddard writes articles on a variety of topics, including business, careers and credit control services, among others.

Career Personality Tests - Discover How They Help Finding the Right Career!

Fact or fiction in the finding of the right career and helping you in the advancement of your career.

Many times you'll change jobs or careers and in a few months you'll realize you made a big mistake. You'll experience a high level of dissatisfaction with the new job and hate going into work each morning. Aside from the usual causes like a bad boss or the company culture is a poor fit many times your personality just does not fit the job.

A career personality test could have steered you in the right direction. This type of test can help you determine which aspects of your personality are the strongest. Then you can determine what career or types of careers are a better match for your personality. With a solid match between your personality and career you'll be excited to go to work each day and much more likely to invest time and money studying and learning all you can about advancing in your career.

Career personality tests, by going online, can be found in many shapes and sizes. Some are legitimate but others are merely for entertainment. Generally, the more authentic career personality tests can take up to 30 minutes to complete and may have a fee. The free tests can give you a peek into your personality but you should not rely upon them as completely accurate.

However, they can still point you in the direction you need to go. In general the career personality test uses statements about personality traits as questions. You then indicate the accuracy of the statement with regards to your own character. Your answers are then sorted by category such as introverted or extroverted, feeling or thinking and critical or perceptive.

If you score, for example, predominantly introverted a job working and dealing with the general public is probably not the way to go. If you score high in the critical category, making decisions in a rather unstructured environment may be for you.

You'll find that different tests use different category descriptions, so you'll typically score in every area with one or two groups of primary dominance. Once the testing is finished, you will have the opportunity to narrow down a choice of careers. While the test results can be fairly accurate and provide stunning insights, there is no one career that can be determined to be the best.

If you score highly in the extroverted category you may work well with others; however, other factors will determine if this is in a public setting such as customer service or a private setting. A career personality test merely highlights the best options. You will then have to analyze your interests to match them up with the insights uncovered in the personality test. Only then will you find the career that best suits you.

John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Find Career Advancement Ideas, valuable articles and a Free seven day career planning guide. Discover up to date career and recruitment strategies at our Employment Tips Guide all to assist you in advancing and managing your career.

Don't Let Common Career Myths Hinder Your Success in Finding a Great Career

Many people have ideas of finding a career that can be very destructive. Often these preconceptions are little more than career myths. By analyzing some of these, you may learn how to avoid falling for the myths that can stand in the way of your successful career choices.

1. Career Testing Will Point Me to the Perfect Career

Career testing can help you narrow your interests and learn more about your personality; however, it is important to recognize the results as only helpful information. While it is important to take advantage of all types of resources to help you discover what your aptitude might be, you shouldn't expect these tests to lead you in the perfect direction. The test may reveal some helpful career aspirations; but there is still more research for you to do to find the best career choice for yourself.

2. Most People Know Their Career Path Before College

Wrong! How many people do you know who changed majors a handful of times before finally graduating? While some people enter college with a decided path and stick to it, the average college student changes majors three to five times. Limiting your career aspirations to a single decision can be devastating. Keep your options open and remember that it's never too late to change your mind if you are going in a direction that you realize won't be fulfilling in the future.

3. I Will Only Have One Career In My Lifetime

In truth, deciding upon a career is an ongoing, ever-changing process. More important than sticking with your first career choice is finding a career that inspires you - one about which you are passionate. The average person will switch career paths several times before they retire. Quite often where you begin just helps you get to the next step. It's important to get started and remain open and flexible to new possibilities.

How to Avoid Career Myths That Prevent Success

Be mindful that you may be confronted with career myths along your way. You should try to stay focused and not be swayed by the opinions of others. The path you choose can be rewarding and fulfilling only if it is truly the right choice for you. Sometimes you may not recognize that your choice won't turn out as you planned. Realizing the importance of remaining open minded, flexible, and focused will prove to be very helpful to you.

Online Opportunities for Exploring the Right Career

If you're ready to start a new career or enhance your knowledge in a different field, explore the possibilities. There are hundreds of degrees available online as well as articles and helpful information that can help you make the best choice. Why not take a look today?

Nancy Lambert is an executive for Accredited-Online-Colleges.com Accredited-Online-Colleges.com provides information to help you find a career through online learning and degree programs from accredited colleges and universities. From online certificates to Associates, Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees, Accredited-Online-Colleges.com helps students and adults discover the advantages of earning their degree online.

Tips on finding your dream career

What exactly is a dream career? I'm sure that means different things to different people. You can return all the way to the career of what dreamed as a child. Remember what you wanted to do when he grew up? May or may not remember. Currently you may have doubts about what would be your last job. If you have any doubts about what is your ideal career, you can find out which careers you definitely wouldn't do. For example, if you have an interest in art and I do not like math, you certainly wouldn't want being a mechanical engineer. If you love art and have no artistic talent, maybe it'd be around art as a curator of art.

A career related to your passion, a hobby or a special interest, is the path to follow to find your ideal job.

Compare your livelihood lies in the right to a hobby or special interest. Wouldn't it be nice to get up in the morning and go to a job got paid for and enjoyed as a hobby? Try to think of what things you like to do in your spare time. Many gravitate to transform what I love to do their work out of hours in a full-time job. For example, if you like to put together model cars, maybe would like to open your own store of collectors, and work for somebody who owns one.

What is currently enjoy doing in your spare time can lead to a full-time career. In other words, you spend free time with friends, socially? Do you like to stay at home and surf the internet? Would you like to work outside in the garden? You're a writer or a poet? Do you like working on your car? Love the kitchen?

Once you've found what you're interested in, you can then match this to a career that will be parallel to what they are passionate about.

What you consider a career dream, has centered around what kind of person are actually. This is called your personality. What kind of person you consider yourself to be? People are naturally attracted to those things that reflect who they are as individuals. For example, if you're a bit on the shy side, perhaps would like a job where you work on your own, relatively unguarded, behind a computer. If you are outgoing, maybe would like to work with others, and be the guarantor.

What we are trying is that career personality type, we all have to find our best career fit. You could take a career personality Test to find out this. This is a test career which binds the right personality to work careers that have proven to be a good match. What we need to know, is whether your skills, talents and abilities fit not only qualified for the career, but there are also quite fond of doing that particular work day out.

If you have the ability to do a certain job, you can just need training and education to qualify for the position.

Each of us has a niche, somewhere. It is simply up to you to find out where and who you want to be. We all want to be ourselves and do what we like to do, every day. There is so much time spent working to earn a paycheck to survive; It's worth the extra time and effort to do the research involved in search of something we love to do to earn a living a. everything they can to find our dream career is to know ourselves a little better, trust in our judgment and be realistic about what we can achieve. This is what I found what I'm doing now.

Steve Humphreys

http://www.Free Career test-online.com

Key to the discovery of an ideal career is self-knowledge. Find, develop and plan your career choice with our self-help resources. Teens, career changers and job searchers will find useful tips and articles on career tests, resumes, interviews and more. Let us help you find your dream career on your journey.

Free Ebook http://www.free-career-test-online.com/career-ebooks.html

Finding Your Way Through Career Change

Do you want to be more excited about your work? Instead, are you dissatisfied with your job and feel stuck and/or frustrated? Often, people are unable to move forward because they don't know what they want to change. That's where the ADESA model comes in. The ADESA Model can help you build skills and experiences that will ensure your long term career success and satisfaction. This model offers a specialized process that will help you

* Discover and make use of your natural talents, skills, and strengths

* Find top interests and career motivations

* Make sound career decisions

* Change your career field, workplace, or job

* Transition to self-employment

Through the career transition process using this model, you will also become more aware of your own answers to some pretty big questions such as:

Who are you?

Why do you want to work?

What do you want to do?

Where do you want to do it?

Introducing the ADESA Model:Assess, Differentiate, Explore, Scribe, Achieve

How it works, step by step:

Step 1: Assess: Find clarity regarding your core needs, talents, interests, and motivations.

This essentially means you need to take the time to get to know yourself, get a handle on what you're good at, what you like to do, and what you really want. Assessments give you a way to organize, identify patterns, and discuss what you know about yourself, so you can relate this self-awareness to workplace possibilities. While these benefits are extremely useful in the career transition process, it's important to emphasize that career assessments do not tell you what to do or be when you grow up.

There are a wide range of career assessments available to help you clarify what's most important. To get the most out of career assessments, you may want to consider working with a professional career services provider. Good career service providers are qualified to administer a full range of career assessments to help you organize and discuss what you really want and find important for your next career decision.

Step 2: Differentiate: Create demand for what you offer that's remarkable and unique.

This means you need to take the time to develop a clear understanding about all that you offer. You have natural talents and developed strengths that serve you well in your work. The question is how aware are you these attributes? It's important for you to be able to speak with ease about the remarkable qualities you can bring to a new work experience.

To begin the work of identifying these qualities, ask people you know to tell you a story of a time they've seen you at your best. Review all the examples you receive from your friends and colleagues. Consider what themes emerge. Pick the example you like the best, and practice talking out loud about what that experience was like for you. You may wish to use these three questions as a guide:

What was the Challenge you faced? What Action did you take to address the challenge? What was the Result of your actions?

For those of you who love acronyms, the three questions above help you focus your example on three relevant facts - the Challenge, your Action, and the Result - CAR. This is a very simple, yet surprisingly effective approach that can help you start talking about your own remarkable qualities with ease.

Step 3: Explore: Become enlivened by calling forth new career field, job, and workplace possibilities for your future.

This means you need to research what all is available that aligns to what you want and what you offer, both of which you clarified in the previous two steps. Now that you've taken the time to clarify your core needs, natural talents, interests, motivations, and working style preferences, you can use this information to identify new career, job, and workplace possibilities that align to your preferences. Many career assessments provide reports that show top jobs and job families that people who share your interests, needs, and values find most satisfying. You can use these reports to Identify and begin researching top interests by exploring every job listed that appeals to you. Many web sites provide detailed information about jobs you're interested in, including:

* Educational and training needs

* Average earnings

* Anticipated job prospects

* Typical work activities

* Work environment

Another thing you can do to continue researching top interests is identify people already in the field you're considering. Ask them for an informational interview. You may also wish to engage in other kinds of active experiments such as job shadowing, internships, or joining professional organizations to help you more thoroughly explore this new possibility.

Once you've completed the exploration, you can consider the following:

* Which job(s) had the best congruence between what you want and what they offer?

* What additional information do you need to decide whether this is your best career target?

Once you have all the information you need to identify your career target, you'll be ready to establish a career goal that will set the direction and define your focus over 1-2 years.

Step 4: Scribe: Get prepared by creating high quality resumes, cover letters, professional bios, and more.

As you're creating these documents, remember that people who win interviews for the job they want differentiate themselves and sell their skills to prospective employers. You may want to use the following evaluative questions to help you orient your Resume, Cover Letter, and/or Professional Portfolio towards these goals.

Personal Branding and Marketing

* How are they a well-branded presentation of your value?

* How do they sell what you offer that adds value to prospective employers, that's compelling and unique?

* How easy are they to read and understand quickly?

* How do the documents clearly and quickly define your goal?

* How do they focus in on what's most important to achieve your career objective?

* What's compelling about them?

* How well do they quantify your professional accomplishments and highlights?

* How do they showcase and demonstrate relevant transferable skills?

Appropriate Appearance, Style and Format

* How does the length support your experience and objective?

* How does the layout help grab the attention of busy hiring professionals?

* How does the style enable the reader to find the most important information while scanning?

* How does the format (chronological, functional, etc.) support your goal?

* Is the text error-free? * How do the design elements support the readability?

Step 5: Achieve: Enjoy success by bringing your goals for your career to life.

This final step of the ADESA model involves creating a realistic plan to achieve your career goals. You will use this step to consider:

* How will you get to your goal?

* What specific objectives do you have?

* How will you achieve these objectives?

* What will you do specifically?

* When will you do it?

* What resources can you use to help you with these actions?

* What commitments do you need to make to yourself in order to reach your goal?

To find your way through career change using the ADESA model, you may decide you'd prefer to work with a professional career services provider. This can be a helpful option if you find yourself struggling to generate meaningful answers to these questions, and want professional assistance putting what you have to offer on paper. There are a wide range of professional career and resume services available for job seekers. Some of them specialize only in resume services, while others are prepared to help you throughout your career transition process. If you choose to work with a Professional Career and/or Resume provider, take the time to find a reputable service. You can identify such services when you know they belong to professional career organizations, are qualified to administer a full range of career assessments, and /or are certified resume writers. Services with these credentials are a good investment to the job seeker.

Explore the Possibilities. Then Narrow your Focus.

The career transition process can be quite comprehensive, enabling the following outcomes: greater self awareness; ideas for new occupations; heightened motivation - a new sense of excitement; an active, successful job search; and moving beyond job-related fears or inertia.

This article is provided by http://www.srpcareertransitions.com: Helping people clarify their goals, differentiate themselves, sell their skills to prospective employers, and get on a path to more enlivening work. Stephanie Peacocke is a career coach, certified professional resume writer and specialist in career resilience and differentiation. http://www.srpcareertransitions.com

Career Counselling - Finding a Career Suited to Your Personality

The most important aspect of finding your dream job is to look for the job or career that is matched and compatible with your personality. This may sound relatively simple, however often we often don't have a clue about what different careers really involve and too often people find themselves "ending up" in a career without ever having made a conscious choice to do so. Resources for career counseling, including career tests, can be a great help in giving people the power to make a career decisions. So what are some of the resources available to people and how can they be most effectively used to achieve outcomes?

Job Search Websites and Databases

The Internet is an exhaustive information source that allows us to select from an ever growing list of options. Most online resources help job seekers find a job based on their personal preference and skill. Unfortunately, as often happens candidates are forced to search for and take jobs that meet their requirements at that point in time based on factors such as salary, location, and often simply what jobs are on offer at the time. If not careful however, once a job seeker takes a job or role based on such factors however, they have often unknowingly move further from achieving their true career goal. Job seekers using this methods to decide on a career may eventually feel they have found themselves ultimately unhappy and in a job or career that is not suited to their personality or to them.

Identifying What Is "Really" Important To You

A critical aspect of finding a career well matched to your personality is to understand what is important to you. It sounds simple but surprisingly few job seekers actually do this. There are a few ways one can do this. You could make a list of all the things you think are important to you in a job and then place them in order from most important to least important. You could then access a jobs database and review the many thousands of jobs and careers in order to locate those that suitably match your list of priorities. While this process could potentially be successful, it would be extremely time consuming and fortunately there are more effective and time efficient ways of going about this process. One such method is for job seekers to take a career test, which when completed will review all their job preferences and personality traits before providing them with a list of all the jobs suited to their personality. Most quality tests, such as the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) also go a step further and provide a good list of detailed action steps to guide the person in taking the necessary steps to move toward achieving their desired career.

Ensure you use a quality Career Test only

Career tests aren't career tests, just as "oils ain't oils". What is meant by this is that there are many career tests or "Quizzes" on the internet today which, while fun to play around with, are along way from quality career advice and are often very unreliable. In order to use a career test to help you find a job suited to your personality you need to find a test you can rely on. This is easier said than done but the only reliable or trusted way of doing this is to select a career test or questionnaire which is backed by solid research data and one which hasn't just been created by the webmaster of the site you are visiting. For example, as mentioned above the Strong Interest Inventory is a career test which has been used by professional career counselors around the world for many years, and has had many revisions and updates. It is based on years of research and its developers publish its reliability and validity data which is publically available. Free career tests and quizzes on the internet may make many claims, but when was the last time you saw one that actually provided you with concrete reliability and validity figures and measures?

You can take the Strong Interest Inventory online at at CareerSense.com.au for a very affordable price. They will provide you with a comprehensive report reviewed by a registered psychologist and careers counselor. You can also have a one on one phone interview with a psychologist or careers counselor to discuss your results. Benefits - By taking a quality career test such as the at The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) you will be taking the first step on the path to finding your dream job. The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) report will give you a clear list of action step you can follow to move you towards being able to get your dream job. It will also give you some great insight into your personality and what is important to you in a job. Nathan Jones is the Director of CareerSense.com.au. He is a registered psychologist with extensive experience working in the field of career counselling and support. In 2009 he founded CareerSense.com.au which provides quality and affordable online career and personality testing. CareerSense use only the most respected and scientifically validated testing instruments and professional career counselling services. Visit CareerSense today for a career or personality test at CareerSense.com.au.

Finding Work in Tough Times - The Hunt for Reality, Optimism and a Job

Teresa, a 40-something manager, rode a career wave that peaked and crashed. The major telecommunications company where she had worked in Silicon Valley for many years showed signs leading up to the lay off. When Teresa lost her job, it marked the third round of layoffs at her company. The first had occurred four months earlier...

''You could see a trend," says Teresa. "I knew my position was in peril because I was finished with a large project and was looking for things to do. I was not surprised, but it was disturbing."

The company dwindled from 700 employees to 400. Last to be laid off were well-paid managers and directors. When Teresa found herself in that group, she deployed a seven-tiered approach to facing the job market anew. You can use these tips too. Use them to get a new job in your current field or to pave a new career path.

1. Seek Training and Support

Get the training you need to sharpen your interview skills and update your resume. Career transition companies like Lee Hecht Harrison (http://www.lhh.com) offer courses to give you a roadmap that optimize your job search results.

Certified career coaches, like the author, are also available. Coaches work with you one-on-one or in groups (typically with over the phone convenience) to build your communication and confidence. You can use your sessions to practice interviewing and receive feedback on strengths and weaknesses. Coaches point out where you're going astray, how to maximize your efforts and keep you on track so you can obtain the best possible job options.

Other resources such as professional organizations offer job leads, an opportunity to network within your industry and can provide subgroups for job seekers. Join existing job seeker groups within an organization or start your own. Form a "success team" with four to eight people. Get together with them to share job leads, successes and failures. You can hire a facilitator to direct the group and offer guidance about tough job obstacles or take turns switching off leadership for each meeting.

The success team that Teresa joined provided her with support during a time of uncertainty. It offered shoulders to cry on and a cheering squad to motivate each other onward.

The group also provided answers and self-esteem boosters. Teresa explains, "When people get laid off, it really is a loss. When it happens each of us needs to address the lingering issues and come to terms with: why was I laid off? Why not this other person?" Bringing these questions to a facilitated group helped build morale.

Whether you are pondering these questions in a group setting or on your own, also consider these questions: What can I learn from this? And, what is next for me? You may or may not get to the bottom of all the "whys" but you can learn from your experience and build the courage to move forward into your next opportunity.

2. Set Goals and Work Toward Them

Take some time to set both short term and long-term goals. Do you want to work toward a new career path? Do you need to find a job right away? Based on your professional and personal needs, form goals directed toward your next employment move. Sometimes setbacks can hold the gem of an exciting new opportunity. For example, let's say you enjoy designing web sites for friends and you have your own blog. You've dreamed about taking this hobby to a professional level. Does the ending of your current job give you the chance to go for your dream? You may opt to work either full time or part time while you get trained for and launch a new business. There are many ways to make it happen. Look for the opportunity in the setback. Shape a goal around it.

It may be challenging, but set at least one goal that is three to five years in the future. This will give you a bird's eye view of what you're moving toward. Write down your future goal with a date associated with it, such as: To advance my career and get a marketing manager job by June 30, 2011. Let your goal stretch you. Also make it real enough that you believe you can do it. Your longer-term goal will inform goals you need to set today.

Facing reality: what goals do you need to set today to get a job or make a career change? Set a four to six week goal. Make sure to write down what you intend to do by when. For example: To obtain a product development job at the same salary or greater by April 15, 2008. Once you put a specific goal with a target date out there, you can map out daily and weekly action steps to move you toward your outcome.

Each person in Teresa's success team created six-week goals and shared them with the group. This created instant accountability. Teresa's goals were: Join two volunteer organizations and to have a job offer at the end of six weeks. Teresa accomplished her goals. You can too by mirroring what she did. No matter how scared you are take action anyway. The next tip will give you what you need to create a plan and go...

3. Create a Plan and Go

Your goals are in place. Now post them in a visible area to remind yourself of them every day. Then let the rubber hit the road. Take at least one hour to figure out how you will achieve them. Develop a marketing plan featuring you as the product. Don't know where to begin? Seek the advice of a certified career coach or talk with a successful colleague. Bouncing ideas off of someone and saying your thoughts out loud can clarify next steps.

To discover her personal job roadmap, Teresa asked herself these questions: What are my job search objectives? How will I position myself in the job market? What skills and experience will I emphasize? With whom will I network? What companies will I target? What types of jobs will I seek?

Ask yourself the same questions. Also ask: What is my purpose? Why do I need a new job?

Answering these questions ignites fire beneath your job hunt. What are the compelling reasons that motivate you to wake up in the morning and search? Examples include: advance your career, learn new skills, support your family, connect with people and build a sense of personal accomplishment. Your purpose provides the key to unlocking your drive and motivation. Become intimately acquainted with the why behind your job pursuit. Remind yourself of it daily, especially if you are resisting taking action.

4. Set and Hold Daily "Work Hours"

If you are unemployed, your job is now to get a new job. That means that you must dedicate part or full time hours to a structured job pursuit.

You went from having set works hours to the vast open space of free time. We all long for it, but when it's before us free time can be daunting. Make sure that you set and hold "work hours" each day. That is, dedicated and focused time toward your job search. Know in advance what you'll do each day.

Teresa set regular 9 to 5 work hours. To lock in this schedule four days a week, Teresa rewarded herself for hard work. She says, "I took one day off as an incentive because you know how demoralizing it can be to find a new job."

You can also set up rewards or consequences to help you stick to your job search schedule. Another professional woman, for example, enjoyed spending summer weekends at the local water slide with her kids. She decided that if she didn't get her focused tasks done during the week as planned then she would have to spend the weekend working while her family was off playing. Her family wanted to spend fun time with her so they all rallied behind her to get her job activities done during the week. It was a strong incentive to keep her going even when she didn't feel like picking up the phone or dressing for an interview. She managed to follow her set schedule and avoided the "no fun" consequence. She found herself splashing away in the rush of water with her kids and husband: her reward for putting in a week of concentrated efforts.

5. Broaden the Range of Jobs You Will Consider

You're sending email blasts to get the word out. You've researched companies of interest and tapped into your network. But still no results. To get back out there, earn some income and re-build your confidence, you may need to broaden the jobs that you'll consider.

Perhaps you have been out of the market for a while to raise children, for example. The available jobs today may differ from those available when you were in the job market before. There may be a larger or smaller number job openings in your field of interest.

Put yourself out there and find out. Ask around. Search the net. Discover what people currently in your desired industry have to say. You may have to expand the types of jobs you are willing to accept and that match your skills.

A colleague of Teresa's, Jim, approached the job market as if the economy was still robust. As an ex-director, he pursued vice president and director-level positions, which made high salary demands. But, given the rapidly declining market and changed hiring needs, potential companies were not interested.

Jim started looking into government postings. But city and government positions, once overflowing, had been dramatically cut. To avoid a prolonged job search like Jim's, Teresa offers the following advice.

When you're faced with accepting less than you are accustomed to, Teresa suggests, "Lower your expectations about what you're going to get. When your gut feeling says to take the job, do it. Don't let pride get in the way." Do not stall. You never know where the position will lead. With often 100s of people applying for every open position, jobs can fill quickly. If it is not your dream job, it can be a temporary place holder until you find a more suitable career move. Here's how...

6. Fill Your Job Search with Leveraged Tasks

What actions will give you the highest return toward getting a new job?

Whether you're dedicating 40 hours a week to a job search or devoting an hour a week outside of your current job, continue to take steps toward your next position.

As mentioned, Teresa filled four full days a week with the targeted actions. You can take the same steps to accelerate your job search.

- Research job search engines like http://www.monster.com and Yahoo's http://www.hotjobs.com. Also peruse local on-line job listing sites to check out openings in your area.

- Contact hiring managers to ask questions by phone or in person. Or try contacting someone in a department of interest and see if they'll chat with you for 10 minutes about what it's like to work there.

- Submit resumes and always follow up by phone and email to make sure that the company received them. Don't just be another sheet of paper in the stack. Get noticed by making personal, voice-to-voice contact.

- Network. Contact colleagues for job leads. Set up lunches and coffee meetings to let people know you're searching. Friends and colleagues can be your greatest allies in finding work.

- Research companies before interviews. Even reading a press release about a new product the company created can let the interviewer know you did your homework.

- Interview. Getting an interview alone is a positive step. Be prepared with questions and clear examples of how your work fits the position. Greet the interviewer and a firm (but not bone breaking) handshake.

- Follow up with prospective employers. After an interview, call the person who interviewed you, send an email or a hand written thank you note. Re-emphasize your commitment and enthusiasm for the job.

- Attend trade shows and industry forums. This will give you direct access to recruiters and employees from targeted companies. Job listings are commonly displayed at trade shows.

- Join new business organizations. Get connected with members and build relationships with those inside of companies you would like to work for. Professional organizations often share strong leads with members.

7. Find Meaning Outside of Work

Many of us define ourselves by work, work, work. But when we lose our jobs, our identity in work is gone. There's a pause in those dinner party conversations when someone asks, "What do you do?" Before you could happily say, "I'm overseeing the Benefits Department at Seagate Technology." Now you fumble for words explaining your situation. Finding meaning outside of work will help you define yourself beyond your job. You are still worthy. Your job loss may even connect you with dormant parts of yourself. Was there a time in your life that you did a fun hobby? Did you used to enjoy wood working classes? Are there recipes you used to love to cook? What's that volunteer organization that you used to joyfully devote time to?

As you recall, one of Teresa's job search goals was to join two volunteer organizations. She says she did this to "get out there and do something. It was a way to make myself feel valued during this time of uncertainty. If I'm not working, I might as well be doing something." She enjoyed spending one Saturday a week leading tours at a historical property in Palo Alto, California.

We humans are wired to be productive. Dig your hands into volunteering at the community garden or take that Pilates fitness class one day a week. Do something that increases your energy and reminds you that there is more to life than work. Spend a full stretch of time doing something purely fun. Or commit one night a week to that cherished hobby you've almost forgotten about. It will lift your spirits and motivate you to keep going on your job search.

And while playing and pursuing work, you will remember the balancing act of life with its opportunities and challenges. If you look at life as a series of cycles and phases, you're in the midst of one to the next. Ideas and answers will point you toward new job beginnings. Teresa took her job hunt as an adventure saying, "You can't take it too seriously. As long as you have a roof over your head and food to eat with a little spending money... there is always much to be grateful for." With gratitude for what you do have and a willingness to let go of what is lost, you will be well on your way for what the future holds.

So step into the river, one step at a time, feeling the rocks beneath your feet until reach more fertile ground.

And are you ready to learn more about how to turn your goals into reality?

Then "[N]aked Desk" author Sue Brenner invites you to visit [http://www.suebrenner.com] to get access to her free success tele-seminars.

Top 25 Tips For Finding a Better Job

Is a job change in order? Peruse the 25 most effective ways to job hunt. If it's time for new beginnings, and if you're searching for a job, it's a good time to make sure your priorities are in check. Begin with some basic soul-searching, move to creative networking, and conclude with the foremost ways to investigate prospective companies. These are all sure strategies for getting a competitive edge in the job market. But finding a job means more than being competitive. In the bewildering new world of technology-online boards, career centers, and growing numbers of complex web sites-it also means knowing your way around. Here are 25 tips to learn how to maximize your time, your effectiveness, and your chances of success in your next career search!

First and foremost-take a personal inventory. Job hunting gives you the opportunity to go back to "square one" and inventory all over again what you are all about, what skills and knowledge you have acquired, and what you want to do. Who are you? What do you want out of life? A job? A career? Where are you going? Do you know how to get there? Have you been happy in your work/career/profession? What would you like to change? An inventory such as this is the best job hunting method ever devised because it focuses your view of your skills and talents as well as your inner desires. You begin your job hunt by first identifying your transferable, functional, skills. In fact, you are identifying the basic building blocks of your work.

Apply directly to an employer. Pick out the employers that interest you the most from any source available (web listings, yellow pages, newspaper ads, etc.), and obtain their address. Appear on their doorstep at your first opportunity with resume in hand. Even if you don't know anyone there, this job hunting method works almost half the time, if you are diligent and continue your pursuit over several weeks or months.


Ask relatives and friends about jobs where they work. Ask every relative and friend you have now or have ever had about vacancies they may know about where they work, or where anyone else works. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes an entire network to find a new job! If you tell everyone you know or meet that you are job hunting and that you would appreciate their help, you more than quadruple your chances of success.

Search hidden job markets. Networking is the "Hidden Job Market." Because every time you make contact with a person who is in direct line with your career interest, you set up the possibility that he or she will lead you to more people, or to the job you are seeking. People are connected to one another by an infinite number of pathways. Many of these pathways are available to you, but you must activate them to make them work to your advantage. Most of the available jobs are in the hidden job market. They aren't listed in the classifieds or placed with a headhunter. Find them through your network of contacts. This is your most valuable resource!

Ask a professor or old teacher for job-leads. No one knows your capabilities, dedication, and discipline better than a teacher or professor who had the opportunity to work with you in school. Since more people find their work through direct referral by other people than by any other way, this is a target audience you don't want to miss

Spend more hours each week on your job hunt. Finding a job is a job! Treat your job hunting just as you would a normal job and work a normal number of hours per week, at least 35, preferably 40 in the process. This will cut down dramatically on the length of time it takes you to find work. Did you know that the average person in the job market only spends 5 hours or less per week looking for work? With that statistic, it isn't surprising that it can be a long, tedious process. Improve your chances and demonstrate your discipline and determination. Devote Sundays to answering ads and planning your strategy for the next week. Don't spend precious weekday hours behind a computer. You need to be out there researching leads, networking, and interviewing. Work smarter for yourself!

Concentrate your job hunt on smaller companies. Most new jobs will come from smaller, growing companies, typically with fewer than 500 employees, not large, restructuring companies. Although larger employers are more visible, well known and aggressive in their search for employees, it is with the smaller companies that you may have the best chance of success in finding work. Pay particular attention to those companies that are expanding and on their way to prosperous growth...they are easier to approach, easier to contact important personnel, and less likely to screen you out.

See more employers each week. If you only visit six or seven employers a month in your job search (which is the average, by the way), you will prolong your search and delay your successful outcome. This is one reason why job hunting takes so long. If you need to see 45 employers to find a job, it only makes sense to see as many employers a week as possible. Determine to see no fewer than two employers per week at a minimum! Do this for as many months as your job-hunt lasts. Keep going until you find the kind of employer who wants to hire you! Looking for a job is a numbers game. The more contacts you make, the more interviews you'll get. The more interviews you have, the more offers you'll get.

Be prepared for phone interviews. Would you believe that over 50% of prospective candidates are disqualified after the first phone contact is made with them by an employer? In today's world, employers don't have time anymore to interview every possible applicant and are using phone calls as a less expensive, less time consuming way to weed out potentially unqualified candidates. The phone interview catches many people off guard. You might receive more than just one phone interview, and you have to pass them all. The interviewer usually makes up his or her mind within the first five minutes. The remainder of the time is spent just confirming first impressions.

Create a support group. It is easy to get discouraged, depressed and despondent (the three D's) in the job-hunt process. This can be one of the toughest and loneliest experiences in the world and the rejection you may have to face can be brutal, but it doesn't have to be. The key is in understanding that you are not alone. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people looking for work, and you can team up with one if you choose. Many job-hunting groups already exist, such as the local Chambers of Commerce and online support groups through the Internet. Find a partner, or a larger group, and support and encourage each other. The path to success is literally a phone call away.

Contact potential employers directly through professional associations. Professional associations provide excellent networks for your benefit. Almost all committed professionals are members of at least one or two professional networks. Usually membership includes a directory, which provides you with a direct networking resource for verbal contact and mail campaigns. Additionally, most professional associations hold regularly scheduled meetings, which provide further opportunities to mingle with your professional peers on an informal basis. Finally, professional associations all have newsletters that are a valuable resource for other trade publications, associations, and help wanted sections.

Post your resume online. In today's world there are numerous resume databases on the web. Job hunters can now tap into giant online databases when launching a search prior to interviewing. There are three primary ways to job search electronically or online: Joblines, Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), and the Internet. Many employers today have their employment opportunities accessible through a simple phone call. You can also use the advanced Resume Caster feature in ResumeMaker to post your resume to all of the top career centers on the web for thousands of hiring employers to review. You can also use the Job Finder feature to search from among more than 1 million online-listed job openings for a specific job title in the state you specify. The data is all there, waiting for you.

Promote yourself in unique ways. Promotion is creating an audience of potential employers and making them aware of your qualifications. There are many nontraditional ways to accomplish this task. For example, use electronic resume services to broadcast your resume. List yourself in appropriate trade association newsletters. Prepare 3 x 5 Rolodex cards that contain your name, address, and phone number on the front and your objective and skills from your resume on the back. Leave them behind wherever you go and give them to anyone who has reason to contact you later about a job.

Accept a temporary position or volunteer work. Be your own working advertisement by accepting a temporary position. This provides you with valuable experience, contacts, and references. Volunteer for organizations and activities with business sponsors and relationships that increases your visibility and personal contacts. Explore your possibilities and leave all options open. You never know which method may ultimately land you your ideal job.

Make cold-calls. Next to face-to-face meetings, the telephone is the most effective method available to find a job. Every call you make is an opportunity to sell yourself to a prospective employer, to pursue a new job opening, or to obtain a referral. Your technique in the initial telephone call can have a categorical impact on your chances to obtain what you want from the call. Complete at least 15 calls per day. You will be astonished at the results. Always be agreeable, gentle, and positive. Smile when you speak; the listener will hear it. Prepare a brief outline for each call and rehearse it. Create brief statements that outline how you can help your prospective employer accomplish their goals. Always, always, always ask for referrals.

Re-define your job hunt in terms of alternative possibilities. Successful job hunters always have alternative plans ready in the background and implement them at the first sign of difficulty. Prepare alternative ways of describing what you do, alternative avenues of job hunting, alternative leads and contact lists, alternative target organizations and employers to contact, alternative ways to approach prospective companies, and alternative plans to continue your job hunt through its successful completion. The jobs are out there-you just need to be sure you are using the right methods to look for them.

Seek career counseling or job hunting help online. Many service providers, through the Internet, are offering career counseling services, job hunting advice, and reference tools that you can turn to in your job hunt. Some of the best of these services are free, and the number is growing astronomically each year. Your first approach would be to visit the online career centers integrated with ResumeMaker and visit each site to determine what services they have to offer. There is a virtual community just waiting to hear from you.

Consider federal and local government sources. The federal government is a huge resource of potential job search information, available to you at little or no cost. Several Department of Labor publications, for example, can take you through your job search from beginning to end, and help with career counseling and industry research. Call your local employment office and take advantage of the services they offer.

Make sure you can survive financially between jobs. Budget for the time you will be looking for a job. It is always helpful if you can get an overall view of how your money will carry you through any work search or training you may need to take on. You will have enough worries and issues to deal with and do not want to have to be concerned about your finances.

Set and prioritize goals while job-hunting. You need to know what you want, or else you can't ask for it. There are literally thousands of jobs open around you. Determine what it is that you want, set your goals for achieving this, and prioritize the steps that you will ultimately need to take. The more specific you are about your goal, the better your chances of getting the job you want.

Zero in on a career position and research the market. Before you start meeting people, you need to know something about the industry or field you want to work in. The more you know, the better your conversations with prospective employers will be-and the more impressed they will be with you.

Interview others for information. Interview people whose occupations interest you. You can always find someone who has done something that at least approximates what you want to do. Find the names of such persons, and go see, phone, or write them. You will learn a great deal that is relevant to your dream.

Organize a job search campaign. Organize your job search campaign. Failing to do so is a common flaw in many people's job search strategy. Make a plan for your job search. This entails: planning and organizing your job strategy, setting up a base or operations center for your job hunt, preparing materials, and carrying out job search tactics.

Update your resume and be prepared. Update that resume! A resume is what nearly everyone you approach in your job search is going to ask for. Get your resume in top shape. Use a professional service or ResumeMaker to prepare a show-stopping resume!

Keep yourself dedicated, strong, positioned, and consistent. Job-hunting can certainly be one of life's most stressful experiences. You have more power to keep the pressures of job hunting under control, however, than you may think. The key is to focus your job search and stay strong, dedicated and consistent. One of the curious things about the human brain is that it focuses on only one thing at a time. So keep it focused on you-and finding a job!

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