6 Job search tips for Lynnwood Job Seekers

1. Treat every day as a new opportunity for a fresh start. If you are looking backward with a tinge of guilt for sitting at the beach when you know you could have been working more productively to advance your career, give yourself permission to let it go. Recognize that every day presents new opportunities, and resolve to put in maximum effort from today onward.

2. Get support from your family. As schedules move into fall mode, this is a good time for a family conversation about your own needs for time to concentrate on getting a job. Make sure your family members understand you need to have regular hours set aside for that purpose. Help them understand that a critical way they can support you is by not asking you to run errands or do other things for them during the day just because you don’t have a job that you need to be at.

However, remember: In turn, you have an obligation to fulfill your end of the bargain and make effective use of your time. Set a schedule for your daily job hunt to include all the elements of a job search, including researching, connecting, networking, interviewing and so on.

3. Rework your résumé. Take a fresh look at your résumé. It’s time for a major rewrite if you have an objective statement or bullets that begin with “Responsible for,” or if you haven’t presented the story of how you fulfilled what what was expected of you and what results you’ve achieved at your current or former jobs. Remember to look at your résumé not just as a catalog of everything you did, but rather as a marketing document that shows the value you offer your next employer.

There are numerous books and articles about how to build an effective résumé, but if best practice “résumé speak” seems outside your grasp, you may well consider making an investment in yourself with a solid résumé writer or coach.

4. Make new connections, and consciously expand your network. All kinds of groups and organizations are coming to life in September after a summer hiatus. Make sure you are plugged into the local chapter of your college alumni association, trade and industry groups, professional organizations and so on. Attend lectures, meetings, classes, continuing education opportunities, retreats and other events.

Make a point of talking to new people and showing an interest in them. This way you are bound to meet people with whom you have something in common. Make certain to get names and contact information, and later check them out, connect with them on LinkedIn and keep your conversations going.

5. Be slow and deliberate rather than fast and frantic. Sure, you can apply to dozens of jobs online in an evening. But your chances of landing a job this way are very limited. Instead, take time to research companies in which you are interested. Carefully craft cover letters to show why and how you can fulfill their needs, and then network your way inside. Remember that it is always the value you can add that’s important, rather than the opportunity an employer could offer you.

6. Curate your online presence. Write a blog, and be sure to include links to professional articles you find interesting or stimulating. Engage in dialog within LinkedIn groups to answer and ask intelligent questions. And, on the flip side, get rid of anything on your Facebook page or elsewhere that could cause someone to form a negative opinion of you.

Create Your Employer Target List for Seattle

These may be companies that tend to offer jobs that fit your interests, organizations that have the company culture you desire, and/or organizations with a mission you believe in.

A Target List Saves You Time

With a target list in hand, you will actually save yourself time in your job search.

Even if it feels productive to apply to every job opening you come across, you are actually wasting your time and energy. Instead, you should only apply to jobs at companies that you believe are a good fit for you.

There is no need to waste your time applying and interviewing for jobs that do not match your qualifications and/or goals. Even if you accept a job at a company that is not right for you, chances are that you will not want to stay there very long.

It is better to take the time to find your ideal companies and apply to jobs there, in order to find a long-lasting job that you love.

Creating Your Target List

Below are a few ways to begin to create your target list.

  • Look at best company lists. Many web sites list the best companies to work for in a variety of different industries. For example, Fortune ranks companies in a variety of categories, including the Fortune 100, Fortune 500, and Fortune 1000 (based on gross revenue), the best small companies, the best companies for millennials, and more. Look through the lists that match your interests, read the descriptions of each company, and write down the companies that fit your industry interests and your ideal company culture.
  • Look to your Chamber of Commerce. Your local Chamber of Commerce should have a list of local companies. Take a look at this list to see if there are any local companies that fit your interests.
  • Look to your professional associations. If you belong to any professional associations, look on their websites to find a list of member companies. If you do not belong to any associations, click here for a list of associations by industry. Find associations in your industry, and see if you can access each association’s list of industries.
  • Browse LinkedIn. If you have any contacts who work in your field, look on their LinkedIn profiles (or other social media profiles) to see where they work. Similarly, look at members of LinkedIn groups that are related to your industry, and see where they are working.

Narrow Down Your List

Once you have created a list through these methods, it is time to narrow your list down to only the companies that are truly a perfect or near-perfect fit. To do this, you will need to research the companies on your list.

First, visit each company’s website. Read each company’s mission statement and any other information the site may have about the work environment, the people the company hires, and anything else about the company culture.

You can also visit LinkedIn’s Companies section to find company information. This section provides information on each company culture, as well as job openings and connections you have at each company.

Based on this information, cross out any companies on your list that are not a strong fit.

The Final List

Ultimately, you should have a list of 10 – 20 companies that you will proceed to target in your job search. As you continue to job search, feel free to remove or add companies as you get a better feel for the type of organization you would like to work for.

Personal SWOT Analysis for Bellevue Job Seekers

Many professionals recognize the value of a SWOT analysis for their companies. Understanding a business’ Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats gives leaders a new perspective on what the organization does well, where its challenges lie and which avenues to pursue. However, few people realize that a personal SWOT analysis can do the same for an individual in pursuit of his or her career goals.

The SWOT analysis was first devised as a business tool in the 1960s by business icons Edmund P. Learned, C. Roland Christensen, Kenneth Andrews and William D. Guth. In 1982, Heinz Weihrich took it one step further, constructing a 2-by-2 matrix to plot out the answers to the four key questions for easy comparison. Strengths and Weaknesses were across the top, and Opportunities and Threats in the bottom row. This remains the most common and effective way to conduct the analysis.

Why conduct a personal SWOT analysis?

Most professionals look at their strengths and weaknesses, a SWOT analysis takes things a step further by forcing people to think about the external factors that bear heavily on the health and direction of their careers. Looking at the quadrants together can be a creative way to think about where you are in your career and the directions you could take,

SWOT can also help people become the best versions of themselves. Self-assessment is a key activity in striving to achieve a sense of one’s personal best. The SWOT analysis exercise ignites an enhanced awareness of what one brings to the table in a balanced light of both advantages and challenges. Organizations roll out elaborate schemes to remain competitive as well as innovative. Why wouldn’t individuals want to achieve the same level of excellence for themselves?”

How to do it

To conduct a personal SWOT analysis, ask yourself questions about each of the four areas being examined. Answer honestly. Honesty is crucial, or the analysis will not generate meaningful results. With that in mind, try to see yourself from the standpoint of a colleague or a bystander, and view criticism with objectivity.

It’s also important to imagine the potential of what you can become,

“Don’t limit yourself to the strengths that you’re currently exhibiting in your job.  List all of your strengths, even the ones that have been dormant for a while. And pay particular attention to the things that you have that your peers don’t — how are you different, unique and special?”

Begin by identifying your strengths. These are the traits or skills that set you apart from others. Questions to ask include:

  • What are you good at naturally?
  • What skills have you worked to develop?
  • What are your talents, or natural-born gifts?
  • How strong is your network of connections?
  • What do other people see as your strengths?
  • What values and ethics set you apart from your peers?

The next step is weaknesses.This part examines the areas in which you need to improve and the things that will set you back in your career. Questions to consider include:

  • What are your negative work habits and traits?
  • Does any part of your education or training need improving?
  • What would other people see as your weaknesses?
  • Where can you improve?
  • What are you afraid to do or most likely to avoid?
  • What negative feedback about your personality or work habits have you received?

For the opportunities section, look at the external factors you can take advantage of to pursue a promotion, find a new job or determine a career direction. Questions to examine include:

  • What is the state of the economy?
  • Is your industry growing?
  • Is there new technology in your industry?
  • Is there new demand for a skill or trait you possess?
  • What are the biggest changes occurring in the current business environment?
  • Have customers or co-workers given you feedback about new services you could provide, or ways to improve your manner?

Finally, look at any threats to your career growth. This part takes into account the external factors that could hurt your chances to attain your goals. The factors to take into account include:

  • Is your industry contracting or changing directions?
  • Is there strong competition for the types of jobs for which you are best suited?
  • Do your weaknesses inhibit your ability to rise in your company or change jobs?
  • What is the biggest external danger to your goals?
  • Are there any new professional standards you cannot meet?
  • Are there any new technology, education or certification requirements that will impede your progress?

Finding the necessary objectivity to conduct a personal SWOT analysis can be a challenge. For this reason you are advised to invite others who know you well to review your ideas for accuracy. We often cannot see how we come across in our interactions with others, so their feedback is valuable.

In some cases, you may be well-served by getting the help of a professional. We encourage job seekers to work with professionals certified in various assessment instruments, or to research assessment tools online that can provided measured feedback for consideration.

Next steps: match or convert

Once you have filled out the matrix, there are two ways to analyze the information and build a strategy: matching or converting.

Matching means connecting two of the categories to determine a course of action. For example, matching strengths to opportunities shows you where to be aggressive and take action. On the other hand, matching weaknesses to threats exposes those areas you should work on or situations to avoid, and lets you know where to be more defensive of your position.

To convert is to turn negatives into positives — in other words, converting your weaknesses into strengths, or threats into opportunities. This can mean growing a skill set through education, or finding a creative way to feature a weakness as a strength. For instance, if you are very outgoing, working in an introspective and isolated environment may not suit you very well. But if you can work toward a position, such as sales, in which you interact with many people, that weakness turns into a strength and could allow you to excel.

Outcomes

Once your personal SWOT analysis is complete, it is crucial to follow through on the insights you uncovered.

SWOT analysis can fail to be effective if it is simply treated as a ‘laundry list,’ without any tie-in to how the elements identified in the analysis can be put into play for the individual carrying out the assessment. For example, how can the identified strengths move the needle in the endeavor to achieve a key goal? Or how can one navigate a potential threat once it is identified, so as to ensure no ground is lost?”

“The best outcome is to take action and succeed in the opportunities you have identified.  This can benefit you on a personal and professional level, and set you apart from your peers and colleagues.

SWOT templates and more information

Those who want to conduct their own SWOT analyses can visit numerous career sites providing online templates and further information:

Image Courtesy: http://www.chunkofchange.com/wp-content/uploads/swot-analysis_54534e77d19ce_w1500.jpg

Are soft skills important for Bellevue Job Seekers?

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are the personal character traits or qualities each of us has. They make up who we are, generally encompassing our attitudes, habits and how we interact with other people. They are much less tangible than hard or technical skills, and unlike them, you do not learn soft skills by enrolling in a training program. You can, however, acquire them through educational, work and life experiences but it will take a concerted effort on your part. Let’s say, for example, you are terrible at managing your time but find yourself enrolled in a class that requires you to complete numerous projects. If you want to do well you will have to improve your time management skills in order to meet your deadlines. You can learn how to better manage your time by seeking advice from faculty and fellow students or reading helpful articles.

Examples of Soft Skills

  • Verbal Communication: People with good verbal communication skills have the ability to convey information to others by speaking.
  • Interpersonal Skills: Having good interpersonal skills means that one has not only the ability to communicate with others, but is willing to listen to people without judging them, share ideas and pitch in when co-workers need help.
  • Writing: Good writing skills allow you to relate information using the written word.
  • Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Problem solving is the ability to identify a problem and then come up with possible solutions. Critical thinking skills allow you to evaluate each possible solution, using logic and reasoning, to determine which one is most likely to be successful.
  • Active Listening: Good listeners make an effort to understand what others are saying, interrupting only when appropriate to ask questions that will help clarify the information being shared.
  • Active Learning: Active learners are willing and able to acquire knowledge and then apply it to their jobs.
  • Organizational: Those who have strong organizational skills know how to take a systematic approach to every task.
  • Time Management: Those who are good at managing their time know how to schedule their tasks in order to complete projects according to deadlines. They are good at prioritizing their work.
  • Team Player: Those who are team players are cooperative and can be leaders or participants, as necessitated by the situation at hand. They are willing to share responsibility with other team members, whether that means taking credit for successes or responsibility for failures.
  • Professionalism: This characteristic is hard to define, but it’s very apparent when someone is lacking it. It’s probably the one trait that every employer desires, regardless of what you do or where you work. Professionalism encompasses many things including showing up on time, being polite, being generally pleasant and helpful, dressing appropriately and taking responsibility for your own actions.
  • Reading Comprehension: Individuals with strong reading comprehension skills have little difficulty understanding the content of written materials.
  • Flexibility and Adaptability: People who are flexible and adaptable react well to changes in their jobs and work environments. They have a positive can-do attitude about anything that gets thrown their way.

Why Do You Need Soft Skills?

Soft skills help us do our jobs.

They allow us to effectively and efficiently use our technical skills and knowledge. They improve the way we interact with our bosses, co-workers and customers. They permit us to get our work done on time. They influence how we feel about our jobs and how others perceive us.

Every single occupation you can think of demands that you have specific character traits, whether you’re a doctor who needs to be an excellent communicator in order to convey information to her patients, a janitor who must have good interpersonal skills so that he can get along with his co-workers or an actor who must be persistent in spite of facing rejection over and over. An important thing to note is that soft skills are transferable between occupations. While you may have to go back to school to learn new technical skills if you change careers, you can always take your soft skills with you since they are valued in a variety of fields.

In addition to what is required by your occupation, employers also expect you to have certain character traits. Just look at any job announcement and you will see a laundry list of qualifications that includes not only the technical skills you need to do the job, but qualities like “excellent communication skills,” “strong organizational skill,” “team player,” and “strong listening ability” listed there as well. Even if you have the technical skills required for a job, if you can’t demonstrate that you have the specified traits you probably won’t get the job. Make sure your resume lists accomplishments that demonstrate the desired soft skills and that you also find ways to discuss them during your job interview.

5 Tips for a Successful Online Job Search

Before the rise of the Internet, the first place you would go to find out what jobs were available was your local newspaper’s classified ads. Now, of course, you can see all manner of jobs, from any kind of employer, with a simple search on job boards like Monster or aggregation sites, such as Indeed and SimplyHired. And, with some quick clicking, you can apply to scores of jobs in an evening.

Unfortunately, many people feel that this is the way you are supposed to conduct a job search to the exclusion of everything else. When you approach it this way, you are in for a long and frustrating experience with diminished chances for success.

Recently, a person complained that he’s been diligently applying to jobs on Indeed. He claimed to be selective and, over the last several months, sent out more than 80 applications. “So, what’s your response been to all this activity?” he was asked.

“Nada. Zilch. Zero … not a single interview,” he reported with a marked sense of exasperation.

People often don’t realize how great the odds are stacked against job seekers for virtually every online advertisement. Recruiters and human resources screeners commonly see hundreds upon hundreds of resumes submitted in response to ads. Of those, only a scant few will result in a conversation. Yet, on the employer side, it’s not uncommon to find someone to hire by placing an advertisement.

Put differently, you have only a small likelihood of success with any given response you make to an online job posting because each application is, statistically speaking, like flipping a coin. No matter how many jobs you apply to, you’ll still have the same odds – one in however many scores or hundreds of applicants reply.

At this point, you might throw up your hands in despair. Don’t. There are things that you can do to increase your odds of being chosen for a position that fits you well. Here are some strategies that are often most effective.

1. Take time to build your network, both in person and online. Attend networking events, participate in your professional organizations and introduce yourself to people. Practice the art of small talk. Understand that, with every new acquaintance you make, you enlarge your network.

2. Narrow your applications to a relatively few positions. Don’t bother with a lot of “Hail Marys” for which you clearly aren’t well suited to meet the employer’s needs. Instead, look for positions where you can add value to employers.

3. Do your research before you reach out to the employer. Check out the company in the news or on LinkedIn. Figure out its challenges, and how you can add value with your skills and experience. Use this research as you make your case for being considered in your cover letter.

4. Figure out how you can network your way into the company before you apply. You can use LinkedIn to find people in the company you can proactively reach out to for informational interviews. Don’t ask for help at the onset, but instead spend some time building a relationship and make yourself the first one to offer help before you ask for it.

5. Ask your contact if the company has an employee referral program. If so, would he be interested in forwarding your resume to the right person? Remember that, if you’ve already submitted your resume to the company, the employee won’t get credit for your application, and that makes a big difference.

Remember the old story of the tortoise and the hare. Slow but sure can win the race. The same is true with your job hunt. Go for fewer job applications, but do a thorough job of researching each and making a clear argument for how and why you can add value to the company. It’s tedious work, but in the end, your chances of success will skyrocket.

Happy hunting!

Educational Requirements for Jobs

Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?

Before you decide to pursue a particular career, you must make sure you are willing to fulfill the educational requirements that will allow you to get an entry-level job. If career advancement is important to you, you will also want to discover what you will need to do to move up in that field. If you are unwilling to meet the educational requirements, or if you must start working immediately and don’t have time to get the appropriate training, you will have to think about other options. On a similar note, you may not want a job that doesn’t require a certain amount of education, for example, a college degree.

How To Find the Training You Need

When the required education for an occupation is very precise, for instance, if you must get a particular certificate or a degree from an accredited program, you will have to decide what institution to attend. There are several ways to go about finding out where to get the training you need.

  • Professional Associations: Use any search engine to find the professional association for an occupation. Then go to the organization’s website and look for a section about education or careers. If you must get your training or degree from an accredited program, it will probably say so here. There will likely be a list of programs, as well, or links to resources you can use to locate that information.
  • Local Training: Search for training by location. Programs include colleges, trades schools, unemployment retraining and short-term programs.
  • Your Network: If you have contacts in your prospective career field, find out where they received their training. You may also uncover this information through informational interviews with people who work in the occupation you are researching.

What You Need to Know About Additional Qualifications

In addition to educational requirements, the state or municipality in which you want to work may require you to have a license or certificate. You may need a certain amount of experience and have to pass written and practical examinations to get licensed or certified.

You should be aware of the difference between mandatory certification, as discussed above, and voluntary certification. Some professional associations grant credentials to individuals who demonstrate competence in an occupation or industry. This is what is meant by voluntary certification. The state or municipality will not require you to get it but it could make you a more desirable job candidate. Some employers, however, may require it.

4 Things you need to know while searching for jobs in Seattle

  1. Find someone to refer you. You are missing out on job opportunities by not identifying someone inside the company to refer you for a job. While job boards are the primary source of hiring, 71 percent of HR professionals surveyed rated employee referrals as the best source for finding candidates, yet only 7 percent of job seekers surveyed viewed referrals as their top source for finding a job.
  2. Invest in learning technical skills. Job seekers self-reported that their top weakness was technical, computer or specialized skills. If this is your weak spot too, do something about it, because a quarter of employers rank these as top skills they are looking for. Take an online course to develop the skills you lack or need. More than 40 percent of job seekers have never invested in online training, but it is one way to improve your confidence and candidacy.
  3. Expect to meet several people during your interviews. It is unlikely you’ll be hired based on one interview. Almost 60 percent of HR professionals said the interview process involves meeting two to three people, and some employers will have you meet with as many as five people during the interview process.
  4.  Highlight these top three skill sets. Communication, adaptability and results-driven are the top skills HR is looking for in candidates. Unfortunately, job seekers miss the mark. While job seekers did list communication skills as a top skill set, they missed the mark in the other top skills they reported, which were leadership and teamwork.

Don’t forget these things while looking for jobs

Double-check your privacy settings on Facebook. On Facebook, simply hiding your tagged photos or wall posts may not be enough. Potential employers might still be able to view pages you’ve liked, or events you’ve attended or RSVP’d to—and you may not want recruiters or hiring managers to see the bar crawl or burlesque show you went to. To see how your page looks to the public, navigate to the ‘Timeline and Tagging’ page and then, in the ‘Review’ section, click “Review what other people see on your timeline.”

Ensure any personal websites or portfolios are working and updated. If you link to anything like a personal site, portfolio, or blog anywhere on your resume, cover letter, or on your LinkedIn page, be sure these sites are accessible (e.g., sometimes web hosting or domain names can expire without you knowing) and up-to-date, reflecting your most recent (and best) accomplishments.

When you’re applying for jobs that request references, ensure your references know to expect a call or email. If you’ve listed or submitted references, don’t forget to let your references know.

You should also give them some information about the positions you’ve applied to—a link to the job listing, the company’s ‘About’ page, and a brief note outlining how you’ve described your experience should suffice. Take a few minutes to follow-up with your references after your interviews.

Be responsive. From responding to an invitation to interview, to following up an interview with a thank you note, don’t forget to be responsive. By definition, this means your responses should be prompt. Don’t let too much time lag, especially when it comes to messages that require you to take action (e.g., letting a potential employer know what days or times would work best for an interview, or sending along references or your portfolio). If too much time passes, the hiring manager may assume you’re not that interested, or may just pass you over for someone who was quick and enthusiastic in their replies.

Bellevue Hiring Managers Wish You Knew these 4 Things

  1. Focus on What You Want, Not Just What You’ve Done“Spend some time considering what you really want out of your next job, your career, and your life. Be honest with yourself, and try to get clear and specific. Then rewrite those ‘goal’ and ‘objective’ sections (yes, they’re OK in some cases) with newfound clarity.”
  2. Don’t Include Everything“Focus on the person coming across in your resume. If you want to be ‘the social media guru,’ anything that doesn’t at least tangentially relate to social media should be de-prioritized. If you want to come across as ‘the academic research all-star,’ by all means put your educational experience on top, throw in your GPA, and get in-depth about your awards and publications. Feel free to leave off your real estate experience.”
  3. Use Numbers“You increased recruiting? Give us the percent increase. You raised money for charity? Tell us how much you raised! This can turn average-looking experiences into impressive head-turners and help distinguish you from other candidates.”
  4. Add Non-Work Work“Volunteer work, particularly if it’s long-term or if it gives you the chance to lead a project from beginning to end, can be a great substitute for full-time work. Some organizations give titles or recognition to regular volunteers, so find out if there are any formal credentials that you can use (if not, just use “Volunteer”). Just like you would for a paid job, list bullets that show your major accomplishments and what you learned during your involvement.”

Searching for a job while employed?

Make Job Search Related Phone Calls Away From the Office

Make all calls related to your job search away from your employer’s premises. Even though you are using your own cell phone and data plan and are therefore eliminating the risk of electronic monitoring, someone may eavesdrop on you the old fashioned way—by listening. Although the break room may seem like a private place, you never know who will walk in on you. Go to your car or take a walk to a nearby coffee shop that isn’t frequented by your coworkers.

Use Former Employers as References

A new employer who is close to hiring may ask for a job reference. Since you don’t want your current boss to know about your activities, you obviously can’t ask him. Most prospective employers will be understanding about this. They are usually satisfied with a reference from a previous employer instead of your current one.

Be Careful About What You Wear

Your boss and coworkers will be suspicious if you show up for work wearing a suit when you normally dress casually. Find someplace to do a quick “Superman-style” change into interview attire. While there aren’t any phone booths around these days, the bathroom of a coffee shop will serve the purpose.