Seven Strategies for Reducing Stress During a Job Search

Featured Article & Career Coach: Barbara Safani

Job loss ranks high on the list of most stressful situations. Many report going through a grieving process, similar to the stages people go through after the death of a loved one. Shock, denial, anger, and depression are all common reactions to the loss of a job. These emotions are important and you should acknowledge them. Unfortunately, some people become stuck in one of these stages and this is detrimental to a successful job search campaign. Below are seven strategies you can use to reduce stress and generate acceptance and enthusiasm during your search.

Maintain a Routine
Many job seekers report that creating routine alleviates stress during a job search. Keep the same schedule you had when you were working. Wake up at the same time and leave your house at the same time. Plan to be somewhere at 9 am. Go to the library to do research on a target company, plan a networking meeting, or go to a scheduled event.

Volunteer
When you volunteer you are doing something positive for a particular group or community. It allows you to channel your energy and develop focus. It is also a way to help others in need and it can help put your current situation in perspective. By volunteering, your name becomes known among the organization's members. Chairing a committee or event allows you to showcase your skills in a particular area or gain new skills that can enhance your overall job profile. [Continue reading...]

Maximizing a Salary Offer

Featured Article and Career Coach: Meg Montford, MCCC

It's a proven fact: To return to work following a layoff, you may have to accept a lower salary than the one you enjoyed in your previous position. However, there are a few strategies to employ to try to boost your financial point of entry.

-Take some time to consider any salary offer. Ask for at least 24 to 48 hours. Silence is golden - or it can become so when you let it "hang" there awhile following an initial offer. Don't rush to fill the quiet void.

- Weigh any offer against the company's expectations of you in the position rather than your personal needs. The company has put itself on the line with its offer. Rest assured they have a cap, but you may have some wiggle room based upon how much value the company perceives you can bring them.

- Prior to any job interview, compare salaries for similar positions. Websites such as Salary.com offer tools for research. Knowing your own worth, and why a company would want to hire you, gives you bargaining power. A salary offer itself is testament to the fact that the company perceives your value. [read more...]

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Why You Need To Be An IntraPreneur--Managing Your Career Like A Business

Featured Article and Career Coach: Elizabeth McAloon

When a client asks me if I think he or she is a good candidate for starting a new business, I ask several questions (see our free assessment, "Are You an Entrepreneur?"). But the truth of the matter is that these questions are similar to ones that I'd ask someone who wants to move up in an organization or find a new position elsewhere. When people call an executive coach after deciding to make a change or being laid off, those who have treated their career like their own business will have a much easier time.

Having an entrepreneur mindset is a necessary asset for being recognized and rewarded in your organization. The employees who are primarily reactive will not reach the top. Sure, they'll be rewarded to a point for their faithful and accurate adherence to the established goals of the organization—but these are not going to be the people calling the shots for the big games. An entrepreneur mindset means thinking of the gestalt, or whole, of the organization and recognizing where you fit into the scheme of things; recognizing the impact of your actions on the system and how you can craft and increase that impact. It means having great relationship abilities and an uncanny knowledge and intuition of your "clients"—your colleagues, senior management teams, and your staff, as well as external customers.

Entrepreneurs are always taking temperatures—of costs, profit margins, marketing effectiveness, visibility, shifting needs of the market, new trends, and so on. The difference between entrepreneurship and career management—intrapreneurship—is that your thinking about these topics is focused internally. Your visibility is not limited to your organization's ultimate service or product: it's about you as a product. [read more...]

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Make Your Network Work for You

Featured Article & Career Coach: Barbara Safani, CCM

Networking is the art of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. Frequently when I coach people who are in a job search and we discuss networking within the context of job search, many will say "Does that really work?" Like anything else, networking requires a bit of practice and finesse, but if done correctly, networking can be an invaluable part of your job search campaign. Here are a few tips to help you develop a network that works for you.

Be a Teacher -
Not everyone you meet will understand what networking is or how they can help you. Many think that the best way they can help a job seeker is to take their resume and pass it on to their human resource department. While their intentions are noble, their strategy is seriously flawed. HR managers, like recruiters, may only be motivated to take action on your resume if there is a current job opening within the organization that matches your skills. If a position is not available, they have no incentive to contact you and the connection is lost. Rather than giving your contacts a resume, thank them but tell them that what you would really like is an introduction to someone at that company so you can learn more about the company, share information about yourself, and begin to build a relationship. [read more...]

Learn more about the benefits and value of working with a career coach to help put your career into gear. CertifiedCareerCoaches.com can help you find a career coach who meets your career coaching needs and can provide you with the support to overcome any roadblocks you might be facing.