Have you ever wondered if it is worth your time to look for a job around the holidays?  My answer is a definite “yes”.  It is not only worth your time, it is likely to be a more productive time for you.  There are three main reasons for this.  The first is that the holiday time is an easier time to network because of all the parties that you attend.  The second reason is that because there are fewer managers in the office, the hiring process is likely to be more relaxed.  Third, you will have access to positions that are planned for the first quarter but not yet posted.

 The mantra of a real estate agent is location, location, location.  The mantra of a job seeker should be network, network, network.  Fortunately, this time of year makes it easier to connect with people because of all the holiday parties that are happening.  Take advantage of these gatherings to meet new people and build your contact list.  You never know who you will meet and who they will know to help you in your job search.

The holidays are typically stressful but the opposite is true for the job seeker.  When I worked as a recruiter, we often had more relaxed procedures for holiday hiring.  During regular hiring, we would conduct several interviews and/or panel interviews with many people involved; however, during the holidays, we often cut out interviews or did away with panel interviews simply because many people were on vacation.   The advantage to the job seeker is that he can concentrate his efforts on fewer people, making his chances for being hired greater.

December is also a great month to talk with organizations because there are often positions coming up in the first quarter of the year that are not yet posted.  Take advantage of this by connecting with organizations now so they know you and can be considering you for upcoming positions.  Companies love to find their candidates without posting jobs.  You may even be able to land a position without even applying for a position.  Isn’t that worth taking action now? 

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

There is good news finally in the employment sector.  The U.S. job market should offer increased opportunities for workers in the manufacturing and service sectors in October 2009, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Leading Indicators of National Employment (LINE) survey report for October 2009.   The competition for those jobs will no doubt be fierce but the future is getting brighter!

Most people have heard the name Julia Child but few know the story behind her great success.  The new movie Julie and Julia follows the life of Julia Child and Julie Powell who both become successful by turning their hobbies into profitable careers.  The movie illustrates some very important points about career transition that everyone can use.

Do What You Love- I had assumed that Julia Child, being the famous cook as she was, had always known what she wanted to do and had been cooking professionally all her life.  The truth is that she had no idea what she wanted to do and tried several things until she figured out that cooking was her passion.  After she discovered her love of cooking, she was an unstoppable sensation.   The same was true for author Julie Powell.  She was in a job that she hated but when she started writing a cooking blog as a hobby, her talent was recognized and her dream of being a published author was fulfilled.

It Is Never Too Late To Discover What You Love- Did you know that Julia’s first cookbook was not published until she was 49 years old?  She was never on television until age 50.  Despite having a late start, her cooking career spanned 40 years.  Julia was a shining example of not being afraid of being too old to start something new.

Never Give Up On Your Dreams- Both Julia Child and Julie Powell had reasons to give up on their dreams of success.  Julia entered into the cooking world as a misfit.  She was the only woman in her French cooking class, the only one that had trouble speaking French, the only one with no previous experience, and the only one that was 6’2” tall.  Her first cookbook, Mastering The Art of French Cooking, received numerous rejections.  Julia pressed on and eventually became a household name.  The Smithsonian Museum even honored her with a display of her television kitchen. 

Julie Powell had previously tried to be an author but her work of fiction was rejected.  Despite having no followers for her cooking blog when she first started, she never gave up writing.  Persistence paid off in a big way when she was offered several book deals upon the completion of her year long project.  

 Take it from Julia and Julie’s example which is if you do what you passionately love and don’t give up despite obstacles or having started late in life, you will be a success.

 Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Have you ever wondered what the experience of being coached would be like?  Below is an article written by one of my clients about her experience of being coached by me.

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I am no stranger to seeking help when it comes to sorting out emotional or psychological issues.  Throughout the last ten years of my life I have sought out counseling for myself.  It has always been a positive and life changing experience.  But where do you go when you do not necessarily need a counselor and the ear of your family and friends is not enough? 

 I recently got to a point in my life where I was overwhelmed and confused about where my life was going and where I wanted it to go.  I knew I needed help to sort things out.  Being in the field of psychology and counseling I knew that there were professionals out there that specialized in assisting others in their search for a life and/or a career change.  I decided to find a career coach and thankfully found Stacy.  I was not sure what to expect since all my experiences have been with counselors but I knew that it would be different.  I knew that she would not be one to enlighten me on the matters of the mind or explain to me why I do the things I do.  I also knew that this would not be a time to explore the past.  After the consultation with Stacy I soon found out what the relationship would be like.

 Stacy explained to me that we would be working together as a team.  She was not going to tell me what to do but be a helper throughout the process.  This was my journey and she was going to be there to guide, clarify, and probe.  Through Stacy’s knowledge and experience, she was going to coach me as I went down the path of self-exploration and awareness.

 I have seen Stacy for six months now.  In this time, she has helped me not only figure out what I want for a career but assist me in making the changes that I need to make to get there.  I came into the first sessions grieving over a life that I knew I did not have.  I felt that there was something more out there for me but did not know what it was or what it looked like.  Stacy was there to help me prioritize my wants and needs and ignite the spark to self-discovery.  There were discussions that confirmed beliefs about who I was as well as the times when I walked away from our sessions seeing myself in a whole new light.  The exercises she gave me opened a whole other world to me and she made me realize that it was completely possible to have a life in that world. 

 Being coached is an empowering experience.  You are able to make the changes in your life because there is someone there to be a consultant and encourager.  I am a more confident person because I know what my purpose in life is and I am taking the steps to fulfill that purpose. 

 -Amanda Jacob

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a life and career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Here is a short quiz to help you assess your job search plan.

 1.  Are you clear on what job you want to pursue?    Yes or No

 2.   Do you have a list of employers you are targeting?  Yes or No

 3.   Do you know how to tap into the hidden job market? Yes or No

 4.   Do you have a strong network or people who are willing to recommend you?  Yes or No

 5.   Do you have a resume that attracts employers to you?  Yes or No

 6.   Do you have a brand that enables you to stand out from the competition?  Yes or No

 7.   Have you utilized social networking sites?  Yes or No

 8.   Do you feel confident in answering commonly asked interview questions?  Yes or No

 9.   Are you setting daily and weekly job search goals for yourself?  Yes or No 

 10. Do you have people in your life that are supporting you in your job search?  Yes or No

 Count up your number of yes answers.

Total of 8-10: You are well on your way to getting a job.  You will need someone in your life to support you, encourage you, and hold you accountable in your goals.  A few sessions with a career coach could really benefit you.

Total of 5-7: You have some things figured out but you still need a better plan to get a job in these times.  Investment with a career coach would pay off as it would shorten your time in getting a job.

Total of 0-4: You may or may not realize it yet but you need help!  With the unemployment rate rising, you can no longer afford to spend sufficient time looking for a job with no results.  You will benefit greatly by meeting with a career coach to establish a solid job plan, revise your resume, and gain interviewing skills.

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a life and career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Join me this Tuesday, April 28th and Wednesday, April 29th at Expo Idaho for the Idaho Job and Career Fair.  Expo Idaho is the new name for the Fairgrounds located on Glenwood and State in Boise.  The times for the Career Fair are Tuesday from noon to 5 pm and on Wednesday from 10 am to 5 pm.  The career fair is sponsored by the Idaho Business League.  I hope to see you there!

The question that is plaguing out-of-work job seekers is should I take any jobfor the sake of having a job? The answer, in simple terms, is you should do everything you can to avoid it. The most important thing for your career is to move it forward.  You may ask “Am I not suppose to take a job unless it is my dream job?”  The answer again is no. You can have several jobs until you are working in your ideal career but the key is with each successive job, you are getting closer and closer to your dream job.

You are the CEO of your career; therefore, you must be strategic in planning your future. Can you imagine an elegant restaurant suddenly adding fast food to their menu because they heard that fast food profit was increasing? The idea is ridiculous. In the same way, you cannot take any job for the sake of making a few dollars. Think always of your future and ask yourself “Does this job give me the experience I need to move forward to my ideal career?”

The concept begs the question of “What can I do if I need a job but I can’t move directly into my dream job now?” The first step is to make sure you have a very clear vision of what your ideal career is. You need to spend significant time on this step as it is the foundation of your plan. The second step is to do a gap analysis. Look at job descriptions in your ideal career and determine what skills, experience, and knowledge are missing from your resume. The next step is to fill in those gaps with positions that can build your experience. Determine only to take jobs that fill in the gaps. For example, if you dream of being a professor but have no teaching experience, consider taking a couple of part time adjunct positions. The jobs may be lower paying than a full-time position in another industry, but in the end, you will receive greater payback. The recession won’t last forever and you will be in a position to be a much more experienced candidate when companies are in the hiring mode again.

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

You have most likely heard the motto for real estate is location, location, location. I believe the motto for job seekers should be network, network, network. Networking is the number one tactic of job searching techniques. A study by Drake Beam Morin revealed that a whopping 71% of jobs are filled through networking. A job seeker simply can’t afford not to network.

What is the goal of networking? Of course, the ultimate goal of networking is to land an awesome job working in a great organization with a wonderful boss; however, to get to that point, there are some things to consider. First, you need to do some networking to see what organizations have a good reputation in which to work. Once you have identified some target companies, you can network to discover what opportunities are available, what issues they are facing and how you can be a problem solver. You must also use networking to lead you to actual hiring decision makers within your target company. This step is probably the most time consuming but also the most rewarding. Hiring managers will almost always be partial to job candidates that have an affiliation to some one they know.

Who should I be networking with? Some may think that networking just involves talking with friends and family. Although that may be one source, there are many more that should be explored. Some examples of effective networking sources are industry meetings, professional associations, industry writers, community leaders, and career fairs.  Other sources may include employees, vendors, customers, and competitors of your target organization. Social networking sites such as LinkedIn may also be great resources.

What questions should I ask when networking? Job search guru, Susan Whitcomb, has developed a great acronym to remember. It is R.E.A.P. which stands for Reading, Events, Advice, and People. Ask your networking contacts what Material you should be reading, what Events you should be attending, what Advice they would give you, and what People they know who would be helpful.

Although networking may be time consuming and tedious at times, it is absolutely essential to the success of any job seeker. So get out there and network, network, network!

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a career management coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Have you ever thought about what your purpose on earth is?  It is a very thought provoking question that I dare say the majority of people have not taken the time to consider.  But what if you did think about it?  Could it change the way you live your life?  Could knowing your life purpose actually impact your career?  I propose that thinking through and determining your life purpose could dramatically change how you see your career.  When there is purpose these is meaning to work.  Your career is no longer about having a “successful” job but a job that fulfills your mission.

In thinking through your life purpose, here are some helpful questions to ask your self.  1) What things have I done that have brought me a deep sense of well being?  2) What are my essential beliefs or values?  3) How have I best been able to put these beliefs or values into actions?  4) What gift do I have to offer others?  5) What do I want to be remembered for?  Take time for personal reflection.  Other helpful activities might be to keep a journal and/or to interview others.

There are many different ways to articulate a life purpose.  Marcia Bench in her book, Career Coaching, advocates writing the statement like “My life’s purpose is to ________ through ______________”.  An example of this form is “My life purpose is to positively influence children in the world by working as a teacher and through my roles as a loving parent and volunteer.  It really doesn’t matter how you choose to write the statement, only that you have the essence of it down on paper.

After your life purpose is developed, it can be used as a guide in decision making for both simple and complex matters.  When you have options to consider, ask yourself which option will take you closer to fulfilling your purpose.   Develop goals that will help you complete your mission.  Above all, let your purpose be your theme to center your life around.

Stacy Harshman brings her experience as a recruiter for a Fortune 500 corporation to her work as a life and career coach. In addition to helping people discover their passions, she also provides clients with insight into the mind of a recruiter, unlocking the secrets of what employers look for in potential employees. Stacy offers individual and group coaching in person and by phone to those seeking positive change in their professional and personal lives.

Are you unsure of your career path?  Are you struggling with the process of changing careers?  If you answered YES, then join me for a free seminar where you will learn how to:

·       Discover your right career fit

·       Create your unique brand

·       Live a more fulfilling life

Date:  Thursday, November 13, 2008 from 7:00-8:00 pm

Where:  The session will be held at the Boise Public Library located at 715 S. Capitol Blvd. in the Marion Bingham Room on the third floor.  For additional information about the library, their website is  www.boisepubliclibrary.com, 

How to register:  Send an email to LifeCoach@YourFulfillingLife.com with your name, email address and how you heard about the class.