At some point in your career, you might experience a time of unemployment.  Perhaps you chose to quit abruptly or maybe you were laid off.  As someone who is recently unemployed, I can say there’s been many highs and lows of the experience thus far.  Through my own experiences, I’ve found some tips that might be helpful to those who are unemployed, and inspire you to combat your unemployed blues.

Set time away for yourself! Remember on rough or busy days at your previous job you’d think “Oh, if I just had the time to…” or “If I didn’t have to be confined to this office for 8 hours a day…”  Remember when you told yourself those phrases; now, no more excuses, do what you said!  For me it was read more, spend more time with my puppy, and continue to get to know myself better so I could get a clearer picture of what I wanted from my career.  You might never have another opportunity to have this much time away from the responsibilities of work; take time to enjoy it.

Combat boredom through a balanced schedule of mental and physical stimulation:  Robert Fulgham once said, “I fear the boredom that comes with not learning and not taking chances.” I remember the day that I got laid off, the first thing I did when I got home was get out my calendar and my notebook and begin writing down short-term goals with a coinciding daily schedule.  When we work or go to school, we have schedules; as crazy as they might seem they actually help keep us sane.  When we are bored, our minds will wander and get the best of us.  To avoid that, create a list to combat boredom.  My plan to combat boredom included everything from daily yoga classes, to a minimum of jobs I’d apply for a week, to coffee with friends, to “me time.”  Self-rejuvenation is critical during unemployment; don’t forget this!

Get yourself moving! Prior to getting laid off, I had become pretty stationary as many of us who have worked in an office do.  Being unemployed allowed me to completely re-center my health, and care about the physical me.  I began taking yoga daily, as well as pushing myself to do intermittent cardio.  When I’m having a down day, I’ll get myself moving and I feel better when I’m done.  Endorphins naturally make us feel good and happy, plus you’ll be getting out, meeting new people, and we all know the importance of meeting new people…(new networking connections!).

“How’s the job search going?” This might be one of the most inspiring questions that friends and family ask you during your search; it might push you, drive you, and motivate you further…Or it might be one of the most frustrating.  I’ve always thought this question was to inquire more about the emotional state of being, rather than unemployment status.  For me, I tend to lean more towards the latter and the frustrated part, as it seems to be a sticky reminder that I don’t have a current full time job.  However, there are ways to successfully answer this question and use it to your advantage.  I’ve found giving my most recent progress on the job search usually suffices inquiring minds, such as divulging about a recent phone interview or a networking lunch.

Every action, no matter how big or small, is progress! It’s very easy to get down on yourself during the job search, because you want it to move fast when the majority of hiring processes do not.  There will be times you feel worthless, helpless, and not positive for the future.  During those times, take control and kick-start your good vibes back into gear.  Attend a networking event, follow up with positions you’ve applied to, stretch your network and see if there’s someone whom you haven’t reached out to yet to meet with.  Write down and keep track of all progress, as having a list will be a handy reference to serve as a spark of brightness when you’re feeling blue.

Most important, remember that like everything else in life, this is temporary.  If you continue to put your shoulder to the bar, stay active both physically and mentally, and push as hard as you can to get the job you deserve, you’ll find yourself employed in no time!   

About the Author: Catherine Julitz

Catherine is a marketing communications professional currently looking for an organization to lend her talents.  She specializes in creating and executing digital campaigns, marketing strategies, and social media implementation.  She’s an avid yogi, animal lover, tea addict, and she has an insatiable desire to travel, learn, and see the world.  Catherine has a bachelors of arts from Marquette University.

The post How to Combat the Unemployment Blues appeared first on Career Girl Network.

Why? You fight harder on behalf of someone else….

In Adam M. Grant’s terrific book, Give and Take, he discusses different negotiating styles. One of his findings demonstrates that ‘givers’, people who eschew the law of reciprocity in favor of giving unconditionally, tend to negotiate with more fervor when they negotiate on behalf of someone else. Interestingly enough, women fall into this ‘givers’ style when they negotiate as well.

As I listened to the passage (on my handy-dandy iPhone) the information rang familiar. Grant used a salary negotiation as his example. Men are far more likely to ask for more money during a salary negotiation as compared to women in the same situation, unless the woman in question is negotiating as an agent for someone else. When a woman acts as an agent, or advocate she tends to stand her ground and worry less about how the other side perceives her.

Makes sense to me — when I negotiate on my own behalf I suck at it. I tend to give in too fast and too easily, however if I negotiate on behalf of someone else I forget about how I’m perceived by the other party and instead, focus on securing the best deal possible.

Why do women (me, included) behave this way? I found an interesting answer at LeanIn.org in a video featuring Margaret A. Neale, the Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at Stanford’s Business School. Simply put, women are concerned about appearing,

Too demanding, too greedy, or not nice.

Really? That’s so…well….wimpy, especially the ‘not nice’ part, but often times the opposite of ‘not nice’ (for a woman) takes the form of a ‘real bitch’. A ball-buster. A naysayer. I could go on….

Instead, let’s look at Professor Neale’s recommendations:

1.)  Engage in communal problem solving – Adopt what Neal refers to as a ‘communal orientation.’ Use phrases like I have a problem, or We have a problem. Enlist the other side’s help.

2.)   Use communal packaging – Package multiple options for the other party. We can do A, B, or C – here are the pros and cons of each option. Now the discussion becomes focused on refining the best option. It moves from a competitive environment to a more collaborative one.

3.)  Use your natural tendencies – If most women negotiate better on behalf of someone else then use that information to your benefit. Instead of negotiating your salary on your behalf, negotiate it on behalf of your husband, your aging parents, or your cat. Or, all three! Whatever….you get the point.

Neal sums it up this way,

“Expectation drives behavior. If we expect to do poorly, we will behave in ways that insure a poor performance.”

Always expect better from and for yourself when you negotiate. Engage in the negotiation as if you’re acting on behalf of women everywhere. Because you are!

Watch Dr. Neal’s full video here.

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Perhaps you’re an adventurer and you’ve always wanted to move abroad. The most common way to get a job across the pond is to find a way to move with your current company based in USA. But that’s not to say it’s impossible to apply for jobs abroad and get the gig.

Our friends at Careerealism recently published an incredible guide to doing just that with “How Resumes Differ From Country to Country.” It’s not just the uphill battle of getting a foreign company to move you or take a chance on you, it’s also a matter of respecting the resume differences you’ll find in each area.

Here’s what Careerealism has to say about Europe, specifically.

European Requirements

The rules for resume writing changed substantially in Europe. As part of the European Union (EU), all members follow the same resume criteria and format. The Europass CV was created to “provide citizens with the opportunity to present in clear and comprehensive way information on their qualifications and competences.”

This is a fantastic idea for people applying for roles in Europe as there is a standard template to complete that avoids issues such as cultural differences and different requirements between the countries.

While this may be good for a French national applying for a role in Belgium, the rules change when applying to countries such as the USA, Australia, or Asia.

It is typical to see information such as nationality, date of birth and gender on European and Asian resumes.

In South Africa, it is even required to have even further personal information such as ID number and ethnicity (the latter to clarify one’s BEE or affirmative action status).

In Australia and the US, however, stricter privacy laws make this personal information unnecessary. In the US, an employer has no legal right to know your age. (They do have a right, however, to ask your age only if local, state, or federal law requires that employees be over a certain age.)

Click here to read the rest of Careerealism’s article about cultural resume differences now.

The post Should You Expand Your Job Search Across the Pond? appeared first on Career Girl Network.

Whether you are looking for new business, a new job, the love of your life (or maybe just a date for Friday night!), networking is an unavoidable fact of life.  Most of us don’t love to do it and could use a little help.  The truth is that no matter what the purpose of your networking, the key to its effectiveness lies in your ability to connect.  That common ground, that spark, that “oh yeah, this person gets me” is what takes you from a business card or profile amongst many, to a person we all want to get to know better…someone we want to buy from, work with, or date – or maybe all three!

I think this Connect With Anyone Creed sums it up perfectly!

Your turn – what are your best tips for connecting with people?  Can you give an example when doing so really elevated the relationship beyond basic networking?

Infographic compliments of Live Your Legend, (a blog devoted to finding and doing work you love).

The post How to Connect with Anyone appeared first on Career Girl Network.

Repeat after me (no, seriously, do it): the thank you note is not dead. Recently, it seems many believe it is. In my own hiring practices at Career Girl Network, and from countless friends who hire regularly, I’ve heard stories this year about interviewees who fail to send a thank you of any kind after a meeting. In a world of quick decision making and one where elementary school students no longer learn cursive writing, it might seem a thank you note is superfluous. It’s not.

So today, we’re giving you the do’s and don’t's of interview thank you notes.

Thank You Notes: DO’S

• SEND ONE! It doesn’t matter if it’s via email or a handwritten note. It really is the thought (and herein the action) that counts.
• Send one to each person you interview with. It’s not enough just to thank the hiring manager. Thank everyone who interviewed you.
• Reiterate your strengths. The thank you note isn’t just to say thank you, it’s also to say “here’s why I’m awesome, remember?” Take the opportunity to remind the interviewer that you’re a great fit for the team.

Thank You Notes: DON’T'S

• Write it ahead of time. You should tailor your thank you note to what was said and discussed during your interview. Don’t write a generic note prior to the interview.
• Snail mail it if the decision will be made this week. Hopefully, you’ve asked the question about the next steps in the process. If the decision will be made in the next 3-5 days, don’t send your thank you via USPS. It might not get there in time. While handwritten notes are more professional, email is entirely acceptable with tight timelines.
• Assume you have the job. Some people skip the thank you because they believe they “have it in the bag.” Bad idea! You never know how long you’re being judged. Keep your best foot forward right up until the end (and hopefully well into the job!)

The post The Do’s and Don’t's of Job Interview Thank You Notes appeared first on Career Girl Network.

There’s an age old question in job searching – should you cast a wide net or find a way to focus narrowly on a specific section of your industry. Jenny Yerrick Martin recently talked about this specific question in her article for YourIndustryInsider.com. Jenny writes about participating in a day-long conference for college students and the advice they were given:

In the afternoon, similar guidance was given to the students by a panelist, a TV writer, who told them emphatically to, “Get a job. Any job! It’s better to be on the inside than on the outside, no matter what the job is!” I bristled a bit at the tone. I pictured these students post-graduation panicked, resumes in hand, like they were playing some new version of “Duck Duck Goose,” running around trying to find an empty chair, any empty chair, to sit down in.

This is not, I repeat not, a good way to enter any new field – or conduct any job hunt.

The implication in the “wide net” advice is that when you have no professional experience, you are equally qualified for and capable of doing any entry-level job in your new field, since all entry level positions require no previous professional experience. So, if that is true, the more resumes and cover letters you send out, the more likely you will be to land a job. The quicker you will do so.

However, job hunting is not primarily a numbers game; it’s primarily a marketing game. Career building is about “fit.” If you want to be personally satisfied and professionally successful, you want to follow a path (built job-by-job) that suits your unique qualities and skills. Even from the beginning.

I was so delighted to see Jenny’s post here on YourIndustryInsider.com because I’ve recently seen the effects of this kind of advice on young women in the internship hiring process for Career Girl Network. This summer, we’re hiring 4-5 interns, and have had incredible candidates. But among those incredible candidates are resume after resume of everyone from finance majors to pre-med students. Did they realize they were applying to a position in marketing and public relations? No. Because somewhere, someone told them to apply for every single job on their college’s internship board to increase their odds of landing a spot. Bad, bad idea.

Still feel like you have to “cast a wide net”? Take Jenny’s advice and read the rest of her article by clicking here. She gives great advice on playing both the marketing game, and sometimes the numbers game when you have to.

The post Wide Net vs. Narrow Focus? The Job Hunter’s Dilemma appeared first on Career Girl Network.

The world of recruiters is one most job searchers know very little about. You might get a call out of the blue from a person you’ve never met and think to yourself, “Is this person legit?” Or perhaps you’re actively searching for a recruiter you might work with in your next job search. Whether you’re searching actively or passively, working with recruiters can be a powerful way to enter the job search. Often, recruiters can have existing relationships with internal human resources executives and hiring managers that give their recommendations weight in decision making.

But how do you know when a recruiter is good for your search or when you might be working with a recruiter who doesn’t have the right connections and might just be wasting your time? Our friends at Recruiter.com are giving you the skinny with “5 Signs of a Great Recruiter.”

We think these are two of the most important signs Recruiter.com is telling you to look for:

Past success: You want to work with a recruiter that has successfully placed candidates at that company in the past. Look for the recruiter to reference their past placements. Ideally, these past placements have become valuable networking contacts for the recruiter. The right recruiter to work with is the one with a solid history of success at the companies that best fit your skills in your local area.

Personal connections: Your recruiter doesn’t have to be personal friends with everyone that hires from them, but there is no substitute for solid, in-person networking skills. Your recruiter should have actually visited the companies at which they hope to represent you. A great recruiter will talk to you about the soft-skills of the job and how you might fit in with the various teams and managers for whom you might work. Examine the depth of the recruiter’s relationships and not just the number of their employment connections.

Click here to read the rest of Recruiter.com’s 5 signs.

Now that you know the signs of a great recruiter, how do you feel out these signs? Here are a few questions you’ll want to ask when scouting a recruiter’s experience:

• How long have you been working with this client? Have you placed often with them?
• What’s your general success rate? If you work with someone 1:1, how long does it generally take to find the right place for them?
• Which networking or professional groups are you a part of?
• Do you have personal industry knowledge in my industry? Do you feel comfortable with the jargon I’ll need to know about to get to the top of the hiring pool?

Ultimately, working with a recruiter is all about comfort with one another, on both sides. Find the person who you believe is dedicated to making you successful, and who has the connections you know you’ll need to get that job!

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We’ve all been through it, your incredibly talented, beautiful, and dynamic best friend just got fired or laid off. She’s down and out, she’s depressed, she isn’t believing in her abilities, and as her friend, you just don’t know what to do. Or, even worse, you have a friend who has been looking for a job for a looooong time, she’s running out of hope, and is constantly having her hopes dashed by rejection after rejection.

Whether you’ve been there or not, we can all empathize with job seekers, but the truth is, we don’t often help in the right ways. You think you’re “just trying to help,” only to find you’re getting your head bitten off weekly when it’s clear you’re just not helping. We’re giving you the tips to keep your friendships friendly even when one of you is in the throes of a job search.

What Shouldn’t You Do or Say When Your Friends are Job Searching?

• The words “have you tried.” When I first moved to Chicago and was job searching full time, so often someone would say, “Have you tried Indeed.com” or “Have you thought about volunteering?” Here’s the truth. No matter how good your “have you tried” suggestion might be, it will always be met with annoyance. “Gee, no, jerkface, I’ve never thought of searching online! I was just expecting someone to find me on the street and offer me a job.”
• Don’t start every conversation with “How’s the job search going?” When someone is job searching full time, it can be daunting. Let them bring it up in conversation, and don’t pressure them with the “how’s it going” questions. If you do, don’t be surprised to find tears or anger at the other end of the line.
• Your experience is not the same as hers. When someone is job searching, we often try to compare her search to a search we’ve done before. Don’t say “When I was job searching” or “here’s how I did it,” because it can often make a job searcher feel like you’re saying you did something better than she did or that you’re criticizing her progress.

What Should You Do or Say When Your Friends are Job Searching?

• Pay for a drink or dinner if you can. One of the biggest stress points of the job search is financial. If you have the means to treat your friend to a drink or dinner when you meet, do it. Even if she fights you for the check, she’ll appreciate it in the long run.
• Offer up your network. While I wouldn’t suggest giving her specific suggestions on whom to meet with, I would say something like, “Hey, feel free to take a look at my LinkedIn connections. if there’s anyone you think would be a good connection, I’m happy to introduce you.”
• Send jobs when you see them, but do it without pressure. If you’re the kind of person who sees a lot of job openings, whether in your own company or in others, be willing to send them along, but do it without pressure. Press forward and write a quick email that says something like, “Saw this job and thought of you. Take a look.” That gives your friend the notice that you’re looking out for her, but not that she has to do what you say she should.

Overall, you want to be supportive without being pushy. Trust that your friend will do what’s right for her and for her job. That’s all you can really do.

The post Supporting Your Job Searching Friends (Without Getting Your Head Bitten Off) appeared first on Career Girl Network.

Mitt Romney gave an interview to Fox News Sunday last week. In it, he was asked about his feelings following the election. How does Mitt feel today about his loss. He said, “It kills me not to be there,” referring to the White House and Washington, DC and ultimately to the seat of the President. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, or somewhere in between, we can all understand that notion. Go back to high school when you lost the big game or didn’t get into the school you wanted to go to. Fast forward to losing a job you thought you had because the “other guy” was just a little bit more experienced than you were. Somewhere in those kinds of experiences, you have most certainly thought to yourself, “it just kills me.”

When I moved to Chicago almost three years ago, I interviewed for a job you might call the “dream job.” I would have been working for one of my favorite retail brands in community relations, and it seemed like nothing would stand in my way. Of course, you know by now that I didn’t get the job. I was up against a woman senior to me by more than 10 years. It made sense. I couldn’t fault them for the decision. But still, even now, when I walk into that retailer’s store, I think, “It kills me not to have been there.” We’ve all had that feeling. Even if we like where we are, even if we’ve found a better path, it still hurts. So in that sense, I feel for Mitt Romney and for all of you who’ve had that experience.

How, though, can you get past that “it kills me” feeling and make something positive out of a loss of an opportunity?

• Volunteer! It may sound corny, but it’s true. If you want to do a job or join a company badly enough that it “kills you” not to be doing it, find a way to make it happen as a volunteer. If you interviewed for a job with a PR agency and became incredibly excited about their partnership with the Red Cross, pull that piece out of the process and find ways to give back to the Red Cross individually without the company who turned you down.
• Better luck next time. This may not necessarily apply in the case of Mitt Romney, but it does for most individuals. Not being hired for a specific job doesn’t mean the company didn’t like you or want to hire you. Perhaps they only have one spot available right now. Look for additional opportunities at the company, ask for connections to another department, and build your networking within the organization. You might find you have better luck the second time around.
• Visualize something better. The best revenge is doing well, someone once said. So go out and DO WELL! Get another job that’s bigger and better, grab another opportunity that makes you happier. Instead of dwelling in what you don’t have, dwell in possibility and you will be able to bounce back much more quickly than those who wallow.

So whether it’s a job opportunity or an election, it’s alright to feel the “it kills me” feeling. We’ve all been there. Chin up, chest out, and moving on to bigger and better things!

The post Mitt Romney Says “It Kills Me” Not to Be President: You’ve Been There, Right? appeared first on Career Girl Network.

As someone who’s been a small business owner most of my life, it occurred to me that I’ve never gotten a job the traditional way — with a resume and job interview — ever.  Instead, I’ve always used creative ways to get in the door and prove myself.

As an inventor with a background in the entertainment industry, I’ve decided to use my experience to help job seekers in an incredibly fierce job market learn to stand out from the crowd.  I’ve been involved the past few years in putting on job fairs, and I’ve learned a lot by being the person in the middle (in between the hiring manager and the job seeker.)  I’ve also worked with casting agents to hire actors, who — if you think about it — spend their whole lives looking for a job.  But regardless of what work you’re seeking, the most important thing is that you have to stand out in a sea of dozens (or even hundreds) of people who also want that same job.

Now, here’s the good news if you’re the person looking: it’s shocking how few people go the extra mile to guarantee they will get the position.  I don’t want you to make that mistake – so here are a few tips to help you stand out from the crowd:

• Customize your resume – The typical job posting will bring in an average of several hundred resumes. Google receives over a million resumes every year, but they only hire between 1,000 to 4,000 employees.  Put yourself in Google’s position, and imagine what it would be like sifting through that many resumes.  They all become a blur at some point; they all seem the same.  That’s why you need to take the extra time to customize your resume for the job and the company you’re applying for.

Make sure you use the same keywords in your resume that the company uses in their job posting, whether it’s being read by a computer or a human being.  Those keywords tell what they’re looking for, so those exact words need to be on your resume.  Doing this automatically puts you ahead of your competition.  And — if you want to go a step further — add a video resume.  According to Chad Newman, owner of Digital Island Media, “A video resume is essentially a pre interview, so make sure it makes a good impression.  For the best audio quality, stand close to the camera; standing too far away makes it sound hollow. From the top of your head to your shoulders is a good distance, and it’s intimate enough without being intrusive.”
• Be memorable – Here’s another trick from the entertainment industry.  When I worked in TV/film development, we would have to write something called a “logline” for each script we read.  It’s basically a one-sentence summary of the entire script.  Sounds easy — but summing up an entire 100 plus page script into just one sentence isn’t as easy as it seems.  It takes a laser-like focus – and that’s why writing one for yourself as a job seeker is a must.  You’ll force yourself to focus on exactly what makes you unique and hirable.  A personal logline keeps you from rambling on about your skills and your background — and instead makes a dynamic impact when the hiring person reads it or hears it from you.
• Personalize your interview – Here’s another thing that I rarely see at job fairs, and also rarely saw in casting sessions, but the people who employ it immediately jump to the head of the line: preparation.  Do your homework — not only on the company, but also on the person with whom you’ll be interviewing.  Be thorough.  You may not even use most of the information, but at least you’ll seem more professional and competent than most of your competition.  (I can’t tell you how many times actors came in to interview and had no idea what films we had done.)

Find out some history on the company.  If they sell products, what have they sold in the past?  What are their newest products?  What are they most proud of?  Bring these items up in the interview if you can.  If they’ve won awards, compliment them on them.  Be sincere and genuine.  And most of all, be excited about working there. If you’re not — why are you wasting your time – and theirs?
• Go un-digital – The worst way to be unique and stand out from the crowd is to send an email.  It’s impossible to get your real, sparkling personality across in an email, and you shouldn’t even try, unless you’re applying for a job as a writer.  Find some other way to make contact.  I always suggest face to face if possible.  That’s why job fairs are valuable:  not because you’re there with hundreds of other people, but because you get a chance to shine face to face.

Wanna go the extra mile?  Drop your resume off in person. You might get lucky and catch the HR rep in, but even if you don’t, you can at least make a good impression with the receptionist.  If you can’t meet HR face to face, at least find a way to talk to them over the phone.  (That receptionist you made a good impression on just might put you straight through when you call.)  And after a contact, follow up with a hand-written thank you note. It’s more personal, and few people send snail mail these days – so it makes a nice impression.
• Take the path less traveled  – If you limit the amount of competition you have, you improve your chances of getting a job.  The initial instinct of a job seeker is to go to the big job websites and cast a wide net.  But instead of fishing in the big pond with everyone else, find a smaller pond.  Figure out how you can whittle your job search down to a niche market.  Then, focus on learning everything you can about that market and who the companies are that are hiring now, or — even more important — will be hiring in the future.  Get to know them online and off.  Connect with them on LinkedIn and join their groups.  Follow the conversations and add your advice.  Look on sites like NicheNexus.com, and, in the address bar of your browser, try typing your desired career followed by “jobs.com” (as in engineeringjobs.com, marketingjobs.com, etc.)

To get a job — you first have to get through the door. The best way to do that is by standing out from your competition. Yes, you do need to put some extra effort into it, but if it gets you the job — isn’t it worth it?

Guest Writer: Julie Austin

Julie Austin is an award-winning author, inventor, and multiple business owner. Her patented product, swiggies, wrist water bottles, have been a NASDAQ product of the year semi finalist and are currently sold in 24 countries. She’s appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX News, along with dozens of TV shows, magazines and radio shows around the world. She’s a “go-to” media expert in the fields of innovation & creativity, and is featured in the books “Patently Female” and “Girls Think of Everything”.

The post 5 Ways to Stand Out as a Job Seeker appeared first on Career Girl Network.