How to Land More Interviews, Secure Bigger Salaries and Take Control of Your Job Search Once & For All

• When: Wed. March 17, 1pm ET, 12pm CT, 11am MT, 10am PT
• Presenter: Mary Elizabeth Bradford, The Career Artisan
• Register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/151381459

Are you like so many professionals who are totally frustrated with the poor results you're getting using internet job boards? That's because you don't know about how to access the hidden job market. It's so much more than just networking.

In this very important session with career expert Mary Elizabeth Bradford, you'll discover how to:

• Connect directly with hiring managers-and avoid HR & other gatekeepers.
• Change industries - even when you don't have the "right" experience.
• Identify your best target market, either locally, in another city or even a different state.
• Find really good job opportunities that are not advertised, but actually do exist.
• Deal with potential barriers (age, job history, qualifications) to getting your ideal job.
• ...and much more!

Make sure you sign up for Wednesday's webinar right now.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/151381459

Even if you're busy, sign up. You can always listen in at a later time. We'll send you the link as soon as it's ready for prime time.

About the Speaker

Mary Elizabeth Bradford is one of only a handful of coaches worldwide who has walked step-by-step with hundreds and hundreds of professionals through their entire job search and she knows intimately what really works and what doesn't.

Her clients hire her to help them land better jobs, change careers and  secure bigger salaries. She has helped almost a thousand professionals do this through showing them how to market themselves differently...and she can't wait to demonstrate how there is nothing they have done that you can't do too!

Join us for this exciting call where she will share with you how  to make big leaps forward in your job search using methods to tap into the hidden job market.

To learn more, visit www.MaryElizabethBradford.com

REGISTER NOW for Wednesday's webinar on Tapping Into the Hidden Job Market: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/151381459

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When: Wednesday, February 17th
Time: 1pm ET, 12pm CT, 11am MT, 10am PT
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Can't attend at this time? Register anyway; you can listen in later when it works with your schedule.

Session Overview

About the Speaker

Sam Richter is an internationally recognized expert on sales and marketing. His award-winning experience includes building innovative technology, sales, and marketing programs for start-up companies and some of the world's most famous brands. 

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When: Wednesday, January 20th
Time: 1pm ET, 12pm CT, 11am MT, 10am PT 
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Can't attend at this time? Register anyway; you can listen in later when it works with your schedule. 

In the past few weeks, we've seen numerous articles on how long it's taking  to find a new position today, the need for job seekers to be entrepreneurial and the growing trend for people to have multiple jobs concurrently. 

That's why this upcoming webinar is so darn important for you to attend. It's about how to live, survive and even thrive in this changing economy of ours. You need to attend, even if you desperately want to return to "cubicle nation." Why? Because it's really about taking back control of your life again.

Session Overview

The collapse of our world economy in 2009 brought tremendous hardship, but also tremendous opportunity. If no work configuration is secure, we are all self-employed. This gives us many ways to earn a living, if we just know the way to research opportunities and market ourselves as employee and entrepreneur. 

Join Pamela Slim, business coach and author of Escape from Cubicle Nation as she guides you through a way to develop a career strategy that will translate to any work configuration. 

In this session you'll learn: 

• The starting place for any career path: a sound life plan 
• The critical steps to start a business 
• How to build a supportive tribe of supporters, peers and mentors to further your opportunities 

Register now.

About the Speaker

Pamela Slim is a seasoned business coach and writer who helps frustrated employees in corporate jobs break out and start their own business. Her blog, Escape from Cubicle Nation, is one of the top career and marketing blogs on the web.  A former corporate manager and entrepreneur herself for more than a decade, she deeply understands the questions and concerns faced by first-time entrepreneurs.   

Pam’s book Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur was named to Small Business Trends Editor's and Reader's choice for Best Small Business Book of 2009.  Pam is frequently quoted as an expert on entrepreneurship in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Money Magazine and Psychology Today.

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Since launching the Get Back to Work Faster initiative, my goal has been to offer you free resources - including complimentary webinars featuring North America's top career experts. But when you're out of work, you need more help. Your job-hunting skills are dated and your network virtually non-existent. It's easy to get discouraged.

Yet there is good news. Approximately 350,000 - 450,000 US jobs (paying 100k+ salaries) are FILLED each month before they're ever advertised on job boards!*

Your challenge is to find these jobs BEFORE everyone else hears about them - and then ensure you're positioned as the perfect candidate. But how? If you haven't looked for work in years, you have a steep learning curve in front of you. The reality is, you need money coming in the door sooner rather than later.

So here's why I'm writing today. I've been talking to Mary Elizabeth Bradford, a top notch career coach and hidden job market expert. 

She's just released a new Job Search Success System that is the best I've ever seen. You need to check it out if you:

• Are sick of using job boards and getting zero results.
• Want to change industries but don't know where to start.
• Have no idea how to find those "hidden" jobs out there.
• Need additional support, ideas and inspiration.
• Want to get back to work faster.

Her Job Search Success System includes 18 audio support modules, custom templates, 12 weeks of LIVE group coaching and much more.

Best of all, I've convinced Mary Elizabeth to give you a 20% discount if you order it in January. To capture that savings, just use this coupon code when you place your order: backtowork.

I encourage you to check it out right away. Listen to her interview to find out more about her approach. This is something you don't want to miss. It's definitely worth it.

Here's what people are saying about the Job Search Success System:

• "After using your system I received three interviews in a single week in the hidden job market! I was offered an ideal position with a 10% compensation increase over my previous job."

• "I had six interviews last week with three different companies and I received THREE JOB OFFERS! I could not have done it without you. I am forever grateful!"

There's a bunch more on the website, but I think you get the picture. Job seekers really love her approach - and they're getting big time results.

Get it now before the 20% discount expires at the end of January. 

You're already on LinkedIn. Everyone is talking about it, especially job seekers and recruiters (and hiring managers and HR). But just being there doesn't constitute having a strong LinkedIn strategy. Join Jason Alba, author of I'm on LinkedIn -- Now What??? and creator of the two hour LinkedIn for Job Seekers DVD as he walks us through a number of strategic and tactical considerations to develop your powerful LinkedIn strategy.

About the Speaker

Jason Alba is the CEO and creator of JibberJobber.com, and author of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? After a corporate downsizing impacted Jason in 2006, he experienced firsthand the difficulties of conducting a job search. Drawing on his extensive computer software and IT experience, Jason analyzed the job search process and developed JibberJobber.com, the gold standard in career management technology. Widely acknowledged as a leading career management evangelist, Jason continues to spread the word to job seekers through his blog, JibberJobber.com/blog. He is co-author of I’m on Facebook – Now What??? and creator of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD.

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When: Wednesday, Nov. 18
Time: 1 pm ET,  12pm CT, 11am MT, 10amPT
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Can't attend at that time. Register anyway; you can listen in later when it works with your schedule.

One thought that eventually crosses everyone's mind is how they look. Be it in person, on paper, or on the web, portraying one's self well can be critical to professional success. At every conference where I've presented at this fall, the most pressing question is: "How can I look my best and have the most success online?"

The interesting attribute of on-line social networking that applies across all platforms is your ability to direct the conversation about you and your knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes.

Business social networks in particular, like LinkedIn and industry/profession-related networking sites, allow you to really think about how and what to say so that you come across in the best light. At the same time, these sites are peer-reviewed  so recruiters, clients and others can be more confident in the quality and accuracy of the picture painted.

So, what are the questions to ask? How do you decide what to say?  

Start with a focus. Are you seeking employment, a career move, a business deal, or to just expand your network so it will be there when you need it? Next, decide who you are trying to attract. This should be easier once you have determined your focus. Is it hiring managers, recruiters, clients or peers?

Next, take a look at industry and professional peers. See what they say and how they say it. Is there anything that is attractive to you? Keep in mind that there is no plagiarism in resume writing or profile writing! In fact, if you mimic other's profile, people become more familiar with the phrases and key words, making it easier for everyone who is similar to be found.  

Although you want to be found, you also want to stand out. So what is it that sets you apart; what makes you special? A great place to highlight these attributes is in your LinkedIn headline, in your titles, and in fields near the top of any profile you write.  

You can also use the status fields to feature special skills and talents on a regular basis. Be careful that they sound more informational than self-serving. Make the update (typically 140 characters or less) a sound bite about your activities that sound interesting to your network. Make it say something that will attract people's attention to your profile and to you.

Remember that the goal is to build, engage and strengthen your network. Harvey McKay wrote "Dig Your Well before You Are Thirsty." Sage advice in any endeavor, but never as important as when you are building your online reputation.  Once your profile is complete, build your network with friends, colleagues, clients, vendors, industry peers, and others with whom you have an affinity so that when you are thirsty, your well will be ready.  

In the meantime, remember to share with others as well. Online social networking is first about relationships. There is a strong focus to pay it forward and to connect and provide value.  Keep those tenants in mind and you'll have success in your efforts.

Lori Ruff is a lead social media coach, speaker and senior trainer for Integrated Alliances. To learn more, visit her LinkedIn profile: http://www.LoriRuff.com, call 303-683-9600 or send an email to lruff@integratedalliances.com

Click here to get your LinkedIn Profiles Guide Sheet.

When: Wednesday, Oct. 21st
Time: 1pm ET, 12pm CT, 11 am  MT, 10am PT
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Can't attend at that time. Register anyway; you can listen in later when it works with your schedule.

In today’s market, leveraging your strengths is the fastest way to fire-proof your career and ensure ongoing career viability.  Your strengths are what you do easily and naturally. As a matter of fact, they’re so easy you probably take them for granted. Our speaker, Faith Ralston, has worked with literally thousands of individuals to find their best strengths. Yet the single biggest mistake she sees people make is to assume their innate talent strengths are 'no big deal.' 

In this webinar you’ll learn how to:  

• Identify your top talent strengths.  
• Recognize where your strengths add value to projects and others.  
• Showcase your talents and shorten your career search.
• Help others recognize your capabilities.  
• Share your strengths without feeling like you’re bragging. 
• Surround yourself with others who help you succeed. 

Losing a job can be devastating. But it’s also an opportunity for you to set yourself up for greater success and satisfaction. So don’t just take any job. Learn how to value your strengths and do more of what you do best. 

Don't miss this session. Register now.


SPECIAL: All Registrants receive a FREE Play to Your Strengths TALENT ASSESSMENT. Within minutes, you can identify your top talent strength. You'll be sent the link to take this assessment AFTER the webinar. You do not have to attend to the webinar to take advantage of this offer. 

About the Speaker 

FAITH RALSTON, an internationally-recognized expert in leadership and team effectiveness, is the creator of the Play to Your Strengths Talent System and Talent Quiz. She's also the author of four books including her most recent, Play Your Best Hand. 

Faith helps leaders and teams succeed with change initiatives by leveraging everyone’s best talents. She is adept as seeing others’ innate gifts and helping them capitalize on these assets to achieve extraordinary results. She brings a practical, fresh approach guaranteed to help anyone in today’s new economy get back to work faster.

For more info, check out Play to Your Strengths.

Today's post was written by Nick Miller, President of Clarity Advantage and appeared in his weekly newsletter.

“So, as we went around the circle, sharing what was going on, I found out that the other guys in this ‘outplacement group’ didn’t have any meetings lined up. Nothing! I couldn’t believe it. If I hadn’t had an appointment set up for the Monday after I was fired, I would have been going crazy.”

TreeStump Bank fired John in late June. He was a successful senior-level sales leader responsible for one of the bank’s core product sales forces. As we settled into our lunch, he shared the progression of events from March to June. The termination wasn’t as much of surprise to him as it had been to others let go that month and it was still a surprise.

Ten weeks and several job possibilities later, from a standing start, John started work in a comparable position at a larger company, 2,500 miles away. If we were talking car racing here, John would have run like a Top Fuel dragster, off the line in a blink, engine deafening, tires spinning, down the track in three something seconds, chute out, thanks very much.

TEN WEEKS in the worst banking industry job market in recent history. At full speed, he was running more than 2 appointments a day. How did he do this while others didn’t?

Raw energy and drive. Sure, you’d expect that. Compared to the folks fired the same day, or in the months before or after, John is over the top. But that’s table stakes.

Great network? Yup. He’d built a good one and he called EVERYBODY he knew to ask for perspective, to test ideas, and to encourage introductions. OK, this is a little more advanced, but not surprising. You’d expect senior level guys to have good networks and to engage them.

The really boffo element to his strategy? Ideas.

While the “other guys” in his outplacement group played traditional check-the-job lists “demand fulfillment” sales games, John led with ideas. He created demand.

• He looked at his strengths, all aspects, from professional degrees to experience to his networks.
• He identified three types of companies in which he thought they would help: (1) Banks, (2) consulting firms, and (3) certain technology and industrial companies.
• He developed specific ideas for all three - here’s a gap I see, here’s my idea to address the gap, here’s why you should hire me to do it.
• He tested his ideas with people in his network - “here’s what I’m thinking, what are you seeing, how would you change this…?”
• He launched himself at his market. For example, as he said over coffee, “I am networking like CRAZY to get in front of partners in all of the consulting firms on my list where ever they are - networking events, anywhere. I pitch the ideas and I’m getting invitations to come in for more discussion. Some of these were a bit of a stretch, but, hey, you never know until you try.”

A spectacular, text book “demand creation” sales campaign. Ten weeks.

Like prospective employers, clients and prospects value suppliers who bring them ideas, who show them new ways to do their businesses better. They are less inspired by sales people who show up asking questions to identify needs they already know they have. Build a good network. And lead with ideas.

(c) Clarity Advantage Corporation, 2009. All rights reserved.

By Jan Vermeiren
Author of How to REALLY Use LinkedIn

You've created your Profile on LinkedIn. But have you ever given any real thought regarding what to write so that potential employers will be interested in contacting you? If you'd like to learn more, read on:

1. Name: Since LinkedIn is website for business networking, use your own name and not a “nickname” you would use on other websites.

2. Picture: Use a professional picture and not a holiday picture of yourself in bikini or swimming trunks or with 10 cocktails in front of you. A recent headshot where you gently smile is perfect for LinkedIn. First, this helps people to recognize you when they meet you in person and secondly it shows you take networking on LinkedIn seriously.

3. Professional Headline: This is the most important part of your LinkedIn Profile. The reason? This is what people see when they search and also what is put next to a comment of yours in a Discussion or an Answer.

If you want to be found by others on LinkedIn and on the web, use words they use to search with when they are looking for someone with your expertise. If the title on your business card is Marcom Director, but people search for Vice President Marketing or Communication Manager, chances they will find you, decrease dramatically.

4. Public Profile: If you want people to find you when they use your name in a search action on LinkedIn or via Google or another search engine, make sure you modify this link and replace the number/letter combination with your name.

Summary Section 

5. Professional Experience and Goals: When you write more than two lines of text, make sure it looks nice visually. For example use bullets. Also don’t write too much copy because people won’t read it. Focus on the results you have obtained, not on the function you had. That is more attractive to the reader.

When you talk about yourself, use “I” and not “He” or “She." The latter looks like an advertisement. This causes more dislike than attraction. When you have a conversation with someone, you also don’t talk about yourself as “he” or “she”. Consider your Profile as a virtual you who answers questions like “What do you do? What is your expertise? What are you willing to share?”

6. Specialties: This is the place to share the skills and experience you have acquired during your professional career. If you have a certification like Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, this is the place to share that. Also use abbreviations when they are frequently used. In this example that should be MCSE.

7. Experience: List all the organizations and companies you have worked for in the past. Always make sure you fill in the function and the right timeframe. This will help you to find old colleagues back and to be found by them. This is important to create the foundation of your network.

8. Education: List all the schools, colleges and universities you have attended. This will help you to find old classmates and to be found by them. When people have attended the same college or university, this also creates an instant bond, even when there is an age difference of 10 years or more. 

Additional Information

9. Websites: Visibility tip: use the option “other” and then make your own description. Why? People will be more inclined to click on it and it also helps for the search engine rankings of your websites and blogs.

10. Interests: List some personal interests. Next to the professional information in your LinkedIn Profile, personal interests and hobbies will help other people to get a better picture of you as a “whole” person. In this small box many times common interests are discovered which make building the relationship much easier.

11. Groups and Associations: List all the clubs and associations you are member of outside of LinkedIn. Of course, some of these clubs and associations also have an online presence on LinkedIn, but the LinkedIn Groups you belong to are automatically added to your Profile.

12. Honors and awards: If you have received any honors or awards that are relevant for your situation, mention them. If they help other people to get a better image of who you are as a person or of your expertise, mention them. If they confuse people, then don’t mention them.

JAN VERMEIRAN is the founder of Networking Coach. Following the bestseller success of his first book Let’s Connect! is his second book How to REALLY Use LinkedIn in which he reveals even more about the dynamics of networking and tools that anybody can immediately apply.

Together with his team at Networking Coach, Jan gives presentations and training courses in the field of networking and referrals. Customers are large organisations like Deloitte, Dupont, IBM, ING, SAP, Sun Microsystems and Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, as well as small companies and freelancers.

Get your free light version of How to REALLY Use LinkedIn at: www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com

When: Thursday, Sept. 24
Time: 6:30 ET, 5:30 CT 4:30 MT & 3:30 PT
Register now

Can't attend at that time. Register anyway, you can listen in later when it works with your schedule.

We're in an economic recession and you're concerned about your career path moving forward. In fact, there are over 5 job seekers for every job now! 

Instead of remaining stressed out that you'll never get a job, Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert and author, will teach you the new rules of job searching so that you can create your own career and command your future.

Dan has proven strategies that will help put you in the driver’s seat in your career, so you can follow your dreams and are hunted by companies instead of applying for jobs.

Topics discussed:

• Get an explanation of how recruitment has changed and how you can take advantage of it
• Be introduced to personal branding and figure out how it can help you live a successful life
• Engage in activities such as an assessment, celebrity branding and brand attributes selection
• Find out how to protect your online ID
• Learn how to use social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for branding
• 4-step proven process for building your personal brand

Don't miss this session. Register now.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dan Schawbel is the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the author of the bestselling career book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, April 2009). Me 2.0 made the Amazon top 100 business book bestsellers list when it came out and was the #1 job hunting book. With over 100,000 results for his name in Google, Fast Company calls Dan a “personal branding force of nature.”

He is the founder of the Personal Branding Blog®, which was the #1 job blog by Careerbuilder in 2008, is an AdAge top 50 marketing blog and is syndicated by Reuters, Forbes, Fox Business and other major networks.  Dan is also the publisher of Personal Branding Magazine®, head judge for the Personal Brand Awards® and director of Personal Branding TV®.

Presently, Dan is a Social Media Specialist at EMC Corporation, which is one of the leading technology companies in the world.
 

The new Job Market Report from Mark Hovind at JobBait is now posted at http://jobbait.com/r/.

It's not a pretty picture. However, there is good news:

• The employment situation improved in 31 states in July. By contrast, only 23 states improved in June; and in May there were only 9. Overall it's getting better. (This is covered in the Job Market Report)

• There are still plenty of jobs out there if you know where to look. The monthly hiring rate for jobs that pay $100k+ will be about 470,000 in September. (See link #19 on JobBait for more)

Here are a few new resources that might help you:

• Do-it-yourself instructions have been added throughout JobBait.
• The Industry Trends have been updated. (Link #16)
• The Metro Area Trends have been updated. (Link #17)

Use these resources to your advantage. Find the decision-makers most likely to hire you and send them a compelling value proposition letter. It's 4 times faster than networking.

Click here to subscribe to Mark Hovind's monthly Job Market Report.

Excellent article by Larry Stybel from the Harvard Business Review.

You know the Catch-22: "You can't get a job without experience, and you can't get experience without a job."

Young job seekers have always faced this dilemma. In today's shrinking job market, people with years of experience also struggle with it. Whether they face the reality of a layoff, or merely the threat of one, many older workers are trying to reinvent themselves in order to become marketable in a changed economy.

Whether you're launching your career or trying to change its direction, you can get around this Catch-22 with some creativity and humility. Click here to continue reading. 

WHEN: Thursday, August 27, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT
Click now to register.  (Please share with your friends too!)

Never has success been more tied to your relationships than in today’s economy. It’s time to disregard the myth of the lone professional “superman” and recognize that the real path to success is through building an inner circle of “lifeline relationships” – deep, close relationships with a few key trusted individuals who will offer the encouragement, feedback, and generous mutual support every one of us needs to reach our full potential.

In this webinar, Keith Ferrazzi, the #1 bestselling author of Who’s Got Your Back, introduces participants to the books 9-step program for building the ultimate team-based success strategy – in fact, he helps them start putting the principles and tactics into practice right on the call.

Learn to:

• Overcome career-crippling habits
• Set goals in a dramatically more powerful way
• Develop foolproof accountability 

And, most importantly, you’ll learn to lower your guard to let others help – the secret sauce behind some of history’s highest achievers.

Seating is limited to first 1000 registrants. Sign up now!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

KEITH FERRAZZI is the world’s foremost expert on relationship development and the author of the #1 NYT bestseller Who’s Got Your Back. As CEO of the consulting, training, and research firm Ferrazzi Greenlight, Ferrazzi counsels the world’s top enterprises on how to dramatically accelerate the development of business relationships to drive sales, spark innovation, and create team cohesion. Ferrazzi is a thought leader and advocate for corporate citizenship, rallying executives around initiatives to improve healthcare and education nationwide.

Ferrazzi has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Inc., and Fast Company, and has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, Larry King, and other national TV. His previous book, Never Eat Alone, was a national bestseller. Find him online at keithferrazzi.com.

Don't miss your chance to learn from strategies than can really help you will you're in job transition. Register now.

Looking for a new job? Don’t know where to start? In this excellent & free 15-minute online training course, you'll learn some valuable tips for finding the job of your dreams, even in the toughest of times. Click here to check it out.

Many thanks to Michaels & Associates, a custom training company, for creating this program and making it available to everyone.